HI you all!
OK, it´s almost 1.30 in the morning over here but this chapter demanded to be written. Now it´s done (maybe I can get some sleep now?) so I may just as well post it, too. Hope you enjoy!!
Review responses:
Tychen: Thanks so much!! Good that you don´t allow technical problems to keep you from reviewing, computers can be so ... unnerving at times!! Don´t worry, I won´t hide if I can help it!
Alariel: Cookie? Hmm, we´ll see... ;-) Thanks for the language hint, gosh, that´s the sort a mistake I make all the time (mixing up sound and spelling), maybe I should hand out cookies to all who find those; I doubt that would cure me, though... Thanks so much (!!!) for your compliment, very flattering (though untrue, I´m afraid). Keep up your reviews, please!
Red Tigress: Glad I helped to make your day! And yes, I tend to be a bit - umm, shall we call it "rough"? - with "my" heroes, but don´t worry, I care a lot for them and try to keep them from permanent harm.
Ok, now here´s the next chapter, read, enjoy and review, please (!!).
Alinah
Rating: PG 13
Disclaimer: I wish, but that does not make them mine...
In the lion´s den
Aragorn tensed, wincing against the pain in his back as he did. Next to him, Telias yawned wearily and glanced around, eyes dull with exhaustion at first but quickly clearing in alarm. "Can you hear that?" he whispered hoarsely, scooting closer to the man and clutching his arm. Aragorn strained his ears in an attempt to locate the source of their unease.
He could hear Telias´ quickening breath; the wood around them groaning. He could hear Legolas shifting uneasily - and the rush of water. The growing song below their feet as the brook that operated the mill´s wheel and had pulled so many villagers to doom swelled and danced through rock and earth.
Aragorn had heard the sound before. He clearly remembered it from the breathless night of their flight here. He had heard it when he had dragged Legolas from this cursed place the night after. He could not figure out why the sound bothered him so much, even in the knowledge of the water´s evil, for they were out of its reach. "Does it laugh at us?" Telias asked timidly. "It cannot, child, it´s only a brook." Aragorn tried to place confidence in his voice to calm the boy, but could tell that he had failed.
Telias scrambled to his feet. He trembled slightly. The ranger took it as a sign of fear and reached out for him, only to have his hand swatted away in anger. "It´s not only a brook, stupid stranger!" Tears shone in the huge brown eyes that burned into Aragorn´s with unveiled fury. "It ate my father, and my sister, and my brother! I had forgotten, but he showed me! He showed me! He said I would be eaten by it, too, and it laughed, silently then because it was light and now it laughs because it is growing stronger in the darkness and is coming yes it´s coming up here to eat me as he said it would..."
It was only lack of breath that slowed the child´s tirade and he sobbed, tears now falling freely. He did not resist this time when Aragorn pulled him into a gentle embrace, stroking his back, trying to soothe a hurt that was far too much to bear for one so young. "I´m sorry, Telias", he whispered, "it was silly what I said. You are right, this is an evil thing, but we will fight it together, we will conquer it..."
As he held the crying boy, his mind finally found the missing link, provided by the desperate child. The morning he had found Telias delivering his food, there had been no rushing sound. A low gurgle, yes, as befitted a brook so small, but nothing like what he heard now. And it did grow louder, more demanding - drawing closer.
Telias had cried himself to sleep in his arm, utterly exhausted as he had been even before this new emotional ordeal, and Aragorn gently lowered him to the floor. The child immediately curled into a ball, his thumb wandering into his mouth, and he lay sleeping with wet cheeks. The sight almost broke the ranger´s heart. So much pain and sorrow...His anger flared up again, rekindled by this reminder of Daramus´ cruelty. Although he had seen the old man´s fall into the dark abyss, he could feel his evil presence still, and he vowed to end it. And end it soon. With the anger came new strength. He was, after all, in his enemy´s own lair. He would take every advantage possible of the fact.
Aragorn pushed himself to his feet. He was surprised that with the change of position, he felt a slight tingling in his right arm, and hope rushed through him. If the effect of whatever had robbed him of his sword-arm was beginning to abate, he could hope to use its strength again soon. Preferably to dislodge the head he had so clumsily missed tonight.
He turned and looked around. The humble furnishings seemed to laugh into his face with their false innocence, and he ignored them. There had to be more. He took one of the already burning candles and lit all others, which turned out to be quite a few. The gentle light revealed nothing new to his searching eyes, nothing he could put his finger on, but he felt a nagging at the back of his mind that told him he was missing something. He growled in frustration.
A sharp intake of breath behind him dragged him out of his scrutiny, and he was shocked to see Legolas not only awake, but trying to struggle to his feet. His open eyes were slightly glazed, and it was clear that he reckoned himself to be where his consciousness had fled him, in the middle of a hopeless battle.
Aragorn quickly dashed to his side, catching the elf by the shoulders as he fell back, dizzy from the sudden movement. "Allmin, Legolas, le degi unlund. Dinen..."//Slowly, Legolas, you killed the beast. Quiet...// He was cut short by the elf twisting in his hold with surprising strength, lashing out at him with his right fist, completely disregarding the wound on his arm. By pure reflex Aragorn caught him at the wrist. The attack had not been very strong in the first place and he halted it easily, but he breathed a silent payer of thanks that there had been no sharp objects within his friend´s reach.
Unable to hold the elf´s other wrist, too, he pulled his friend´s right arm across his chest, and held him as tightly as possible. "Legolas, daro!" //Legolas, stop it!// He spoke with all authority he could muster. "Lasto anim, im Estel, im Estel. Almeatha nin..." //Listen to me, I´m Estel, I´m Estel. Don´t fight me...//
Gradually, he could feel the elf relax, and he carefully eased his grip. "Estel?" Legolas´ voice mirrored his confusion. "Ulund gwann...?" //Estel? The beast [is] gone...?// Aragorn could still feel the elf´s heart race, and he winced in sympathy when he remembered that the bared fangs of the second creature in its attack must have been the last thing his friend had seen.
"Aye, le degi ha. Ha gwann, mellon-nin, garo mae." //Yes, you killed it. It´s dead, my friend, well done.//
Legolas nodded slowly, leaning against Aragorn as he allowed the past to slip away and be replaced by the present. The ranger permitted him the time he needed, holding him in silence. He looked over to where Telias lay and was both surprised and relieved that the child had not been woken by the racket. It would have been difficult for the boy to comprehend what just happened, and he needed to be able to trust both the elf and the ranger. The danger to him, to them all, had not yet passed. Aragorn frowned. Now that he could allow his senses to wander again, the noise of the water seemed louder than ever.
Legolas seemed to catch on to it, too. He sat up again, very slowly, his head slightly tilted in a typical gesture of concentration. "The water is angry", he said in wonder, "it has not received what it was promised. It is rising, threatening all living things..." He trailed off with a slight shudder and turned to Aragorn, his eyes blessedly clear now, though shadowed by pain. "This place will not be safe much longer. We need to prepare."
The ranger inclined his head in agreement, relieved beyond measure that he had his friend at his side again. He had not hoped for him to wake so soon. "You are right, mellon-nin. And if you are quite done attacking me, we could get to work." As soon as the last sentence had left his lips, he wished he could call it back. The last thing he wanted was to cause his friend guilt, and in his strained state his attempt at banter might have done just that. He opened his mouth to apologise but was halted by a low chuckle.
"Really, Estel, your courtesy needs grooming." Legolas looked up at him in a mixture of amazement and mirth, shaking his head and then freezing with a wince before he continued. "Here I am fighting my way back to you from painless dreams to this...", he gestured around meaningfully, "and you offer taunts in return. A little slap in the face would have been a low price to pay for my assistance, and might indeed have improved your muddled human thinking."
Aragorn grinned, relieved once again. "A low price, true, but I have had quite enough slaps in the last few days to last me a while. " He turned serious. "You are in pain, and I have not yet prepared anything to ease it. Forgive me." Legolas waved the comment away. "Do not trouble yourself. There are more pressing matters at hand." His keen eyes roamed the room, much as Aragorn´s had done not too long ago, but he came to a conclusion almost immediately. "Estel, did you realize that this room does not cover as much space as it should? It is square, yet the mill has a slightly stretched shape..."
Aragorn groaned. "I should have let you slap me. Of course!" How could he have missed that. Quickly, he crossed to the wall to his left, a wall that should not have been where it was. He ran his fingers over the rough wood, searching for a sign of a door.
"A bit to your right", Legolas directed from where he sat, "there are marks on the floor, as if it was worn down by steady treading ." Right again. The ranger smiled with his back turned to his friend. Sharp indeed were elven senses, how easily they picked up what would have been overlooked. Daramus had been right in one observation. It had been a truly nasty turn of events for him to have an elf come into his realm. Grimly, Aragorn promised himself that the old man would regret that even more in the near future.
Unfortunately, though, Legolas´ senses did not only pick up what Aragorn wanted them to. "What happened to your arm, Estel? Valar, I should have asked before, you could not use it when I reached you at the wheel..." "Do not trouble yourself", Aragorn cut in, unconsciously mirroring Legolas´ own words, "some feeling returns already. It was merely stunned, that is all." He could make out an unconvinced grunt behind him, but thankfully the elf did not press the matter.
Now that he knew where to look, it was surprisingly easy to find the door hidden in the wall. With a slight shove of his shoulder, he pushed it open. Whatever lay revealed in the room beyond was covered in darkness, and Aragorn turned to pick up a candle. "You will not be ungracious again, will you, my friend?" Legolas asked pointedly, raising an eyebrow. "Help me to my feet." The ranger was determined to protest, but the look on Legolas´ face forced him to surrender before a single word was spoken.
"Very well, but I will help you to ONE foot, is that clear? If you put pressure on your hurt leg that tear will start bleeding again." The only reaction he got was the elf holding up the hand of his good arm, waiting. With a sigh, he took it and carefully pulled his friend to a standing position. Legolas swayed dizzily, not able to mask the pain that shot through him, but Aragorn bit back a comment. His friend would have to move soon, anyway. This was no time to heed his healer´s instincts, but those of the warrior inside him.
When it was clear that the wave of discomfort had passed or at least declined sufficiently, the ranger slipped his left arm around the elf´s waist, holding him steady. "I´m afraid you will have to carry the candle now", he said a bit gruffly, hating his limitations, "as I seem to have my hand full keeping a one-legged elf upright." Legolas chuckled, though a bit breathlessly after the onslaught of pain. "A fine pair we make." He picked up the candle carefully. "Your father would have a word or two to say about this."
Very slowly, they made their was across the room, and even though Aragorn´s back protested against the strain and he could feel Legolas grow tense with pain, a smile came to his face at the thought of Lord Elrond bursting through the mill´s door, a disapproving frown on his stern face. "He would order us to sit down were we are and give each of us a lecture about resting when injured."
"Aye", Legolas agreed, " and - then a - second lecture about - not keeping- each - other - from moving around..." He broke of, and Aragorn suspected that he did so both for lack of breath and the sudden yearn for just that to happen - Lord Elrond coming to their rescue. At this moment, the thought truly was more than appealing, double-lecture or no.
Slow as they were, they finally reached the formerly hidden door and the ranger felt his pain fade away with growing anticipation. He allowed Legolas to hobble in first, keeping a firm grip on him, and then followed.
Even in the poor light he could tell that the room was nothing like the rest of the mill. It was furnished with a splendour that stood in stark contrast to its surroundings. Due to its size and the number of objects scattered about, it also seemed oppressively small. There was a fine bed, a table and a soft chair - and rows and rows of shelves, laden with books and various objects could not make out in the poor light.
"Estel, i rhoeg ..." //Estel, this [is] wrong...//The candle wavered suddenly, and Aragorn noted with alarm that Legolas seemed close to passing out. As quickly as he could, he maneuvered his friend to the chair and lowered him down, barely catching the candle as it tumbled from the elf´s hand. He knelt down in front of the motionless form, fighting back fear.
He had not expected this short walk to have such a devastating effect. Hastily, he felt for a pulse and found one, though it raced. Legolas´ breathing was shallow and ever quickening. It was almost as if the elf was in a state of panic. "Sidh, mellon-nin, sidh, thuio allim." //Peace, my friend, peace, breathe slowly.// He placed his hand on the elf´s chest in reassurance and repeated the words until his friend finally calmed.
With a deep breath, Legolas opened his eyes and looked at Aragorn. "This place is evil", he whispered, coughing as if the very air of the room choked him, "should have - felt it ..." "Then you should get out of here now!" The ranger moved to pull his friend up, but Legolas shook his head. "No, gets better." He glared at Aragorn. "Will stay - with you."
The man watched his friend worriedly, but he truly seemed to improve, if slowly. "Aye, stay here then", he said finally, "but if you get worse, you have to tell me." Legolas nodded wearily, but Aragorn was not convinced. "Gwesto!" //Swear!// The elf looked surprised at the vehemence. He nodded again, eyes serious. With a sigh, Aragorn turned and began to lit the candles that were placed in abundance throughout the room, each covered in small glass globe to prevent a fire.
The view that revealed itself more with each small flame that sprang to life almost took the ranger´s breath away. "Ai, Valar", he breathed, and shivered when he heard Legolas´ quiet words from behind him. "This place is as cursed as its owner." And it seemed that they were touched by this curse, too.
TBC
OK, it´s almost 1.30 in the morning over here but this chapter demanded to be written. Now it´s done (maybe I can get some sleep now?) so I may just as well post it, too. Hope you enjoy!!
Review responses:
Tychen: Thanks so much!! Good that you don´t allow technical problems to keep you from reviewing, computers can be so ... unnerving at times!! Don´t worry, I won´t hide if I can help it!
Alariel: Cookie? Hmm, we´ll see... ;-) Thanks for the language hint, gosh, that´s the sort a mistake I make all the time (mixing up sound and spelling), maybe I should hand out cookies to all who find those; I doubt that would cure me, though... Thanks so much (!!!) for your compliment, very flattering (though untrue, I´m afraid). Keep up your reviews, please!
Red Tigress: Glad I helped to make your day! And yes, I tend to be a bit - umm, shall we call it "rough"? - with "my" heroes, but don´t worry, I care a lot for them and try to keep them from permanent harm.
Ok, now here´s the next chapter, read, enjoy and review, please (!!).
Alinah
Rating: PG 13
Disclaimer: I wish, but that does not make them mine...
In the lion´s den
Aragorn tensed, wincing against the pain in his back as he did. Next to him, Telias yawned wearily and glanced around, eyes dull with exhaustion at first but quickly clearing in alarm. "Can you hear that?" he whispered hoarsely, scooting closer to the man and clutching his arm. Aragorn strained his ears in an attempt to locate the source of their unease.
He could hear Telias´ quickening breath; the wood around them groaning. He could hear Legolas shifting uneasily - and the rush of water. The growing song below their feet as the brook that operated the mill´s wheel and had pulled so many villagers to doom swelled and danced through rock and earth.
Aragorn had heard the sound before. He clearly remembered it from the breathless night of their flight here. He had heard it when he had dragged Legolas from this cursed place the night after. He could not figure out why the sound bothered him so much, even in the knowledge of the water´s evil, for they were out of its reach. "Does it laugh at us?" Telias asked timidly. "It cannot, child, it´s only a brook." Aragorn tried to place confidence in his voice to calm the boy, but could tell that he had failed.
Telias scrambled to his feet. He trembled slightly. The ranger took it as a sign of fear and reached out for him, only to have his hand swatted away in anger. "It´s not only a brook, stupid stranger!" Tears shone in the huge brown eyes that burned into Aragorn´s with unveiled fury. "It ate my father, and my sister, and my brother! I had forgotten, but he showed me! He showed me! He said I would be eaten by it, too, and it laughed, silently then because it was light and now it laughs because it is growing stronger in the darkness and is coming yes it´s coming up here to eat me as he said it would..."
It was only lack of breath that slowed the child´s tirade and he sobbed, tears now falling freely. He did not resist this time when Aragorn pulled him into a gentle embrace, stroking his back, trying to soothe a hurt that was far too much to bear for one so young. "I´m sorry, Telias", he whispered, "it was silly what I said. You are right, this is an evil thing, but we will fight it together, we will conquer it..."
As he held the crying boy, his mind finally found the missing link, provided by the desperate child. The morning he had found Telias delivering his food, there had been no rushing sound. A low gurgle, yes, as befitted a brook so small, but nothing like what he heard now. And it did grow louder, more demanding - drawing closer.
Telias had cried himself to sleep in his arm, utterly exhausted as he had been even before this new emotional ordeal, and Aragorn gently lowered him to the floor. The child immediately curled into a ball, his thumb wandering into his mouth, and he lay sleeping with wet cheeks. The sight almost broke the ranger´s heart. So much pain and sorrow...His anger flared up again, rekindled by this reminder of Daramus´ cruelty. Although he had seen the old man´s fall into the dark abyss, he could feel his evil presence still, and he vowed to end it. And end it soon. With the anger came new strength. He was, after all, in his enemy´s own lair. He would take every advantage possible of the fact.
Aragorn pushed himself to his feet. He was surprised that with the change of position, he felt a slight tingling in his right arm, and hope rushed through him. If the effect of whatever had robbed him of his sword-arm was beginning to abate, he could hope to use its strength again soon. Preferably to dislodge the head he had so clumsily missed tonight.
He turned and looked around. The humble furnishings seemed to laugh into his face with their false innocence, and he ignored them. There had to be more. He took one of the already burning candles and lit all others, which turned out to be quite a few. The gentle light revealed nothing new to his searching eyes, nothing he could put his finger on, but he felt a nagging at the back of his mind that told him he was missing something. He growled in frustration.
A sharp intake of breath behind him dragged him out of his scrutiny, and he was shocked to see Legolas not only awake, but trying to struggle to his feet. His open eyes were slightly glazed, and it was clear that he reckoned himself to be where his consciousness had fled him, in the middle of a hopeless battle.
Aragorn quickly dashed to his side, catching the elf by the shoulders as he fell back, dizzy from the sudden movement. "Allmin, Legolas, le degi unlund. Dinen..."//Slowly, Legolas, you killed the beast. Quiet...// He was cut short by the elf twisting in his hold with surprising strength, lashing out at him with his right fist, completely disregarding the wound on his arm. By pure reflex Aragorn caught him at the wrist. The attack had not been very strong in the first place and he halted it easily, but he breathed a silent payer of thanks that there had been no sharp objects within his friend´s reach.
Unable to hold the elf´s other wrist, too, he pulled his friend´s right arm across his chest, and held him as tightly as possible. "Legolas, daro!" //Legolas, stop it!// He spoke with all authority he could muster. "Lasto anim, im Estel, im Estel. Almeatha nin..." //Listen to me, I´m Estel, I´m Estel. Don´t fight me...//
Gradually, he could feel the elf relax, and he carefully eased his grip. "Estel?" Legolas´ voice mirrored his confusion. "Ulund gwann...?" //Estel? The beast [is] gone...?// Aragorn could still feel the elf´s heart race, and he winced in sympathy when he remembered that the bared fangs of the second creature in its attack must have been the last thing his friend had seen.
"Aye, le degi ha. Ha gwann, mellon-nin, garo mae." //Yes, you killed it. It´s dead, my friend, well done.//
Legolas nodded slowly, leaning against Aragorn as he allowed the past to slip away and be replaced by the present. The ranger permitted him the time he needed, holding him in silence. He looked over to where Telias lay and was both surprised and relieved that the child had not been woken by the racket. It would have been difficult for the boy to comprehend what just happened, and he needed to be able to trust both the elf and the ranger. The danger to him, to them all, had not yet passed. Aragorn frowned. Now that he could allow his senses to wander again, the noise of the water seemed louder than ever.
Legolas seemed to catch on to it, too. He sat up again, very slowly, his head slightly tilted in a typical gesture of concentration. "The water is angry", he said in wonder, "it has not received what it was promised. It is rising, threatening all living things..." He trailed off with a slight shudder and turned to Aragorn, his eyes blessedly clear now, though shadowed by pain. "This place will not be safe much longer. We need to prepare."
The ranger inclined his head in agreement, relieved beyond measure that he had his friend at his side again. He had not hoped for him to wake so soon. "You are right, mellon-nin. And if you are quite done attacking me, we could get to work." As soon as the last sentence had left his lips, he wished he could call it back. The last thing he wanted was to cause his friend guilt, and in his strained state his attempt at banter might have done just that. He opened his mouth to apologise but was halted by a low chuckle.
"Really, Estel, your courtesy needs grooming." Legolas looked up at him in a mixture of amazement and mirth, shaking his head and then freezing with a wince before he continued. "Here I am fighting my way back to you from painless dreams to this...", he gestured around meaningfully, "and you offer taunts in return. A little slap in the face would have been a low price to pay for my assistance, and might indeed have improved your muddled human thinking."
Aragorn grinned, relieved once again. "A low price, true, but I have had quite enough slaps in the last few days to last me a while. " He turned serious. "You are in pain, and I have not yet prepared anything to ease it. Forgive me." Legolas waved the comment away. "Do not trouble yourself. There are more pressing matters at hand." His keen eyes roamed the room, much as Aragorn´s had done not too long ago, but he came to a conclusion almost immediately. "Estel, did you realize that this room does not cover as much space as it should? It is square, yet the mill has a slightly stretched shape..."
Aragorn groaned. "I should have let you slap me. Of course!" How could he have missed that. Quickly, he crossed to the wall to his left, a wall that should not have been where it was. He ran his fingers over the rough wood, searching for a sign of a door.
"A bit to your right", Legolas directed from where he sat, "there are marks on the floor, as if it was worn down by steady treading ." Right again. The ranger smiled with his back turned to his friend. Sharp indeed were elven senses, how easily they picked up what would have been overlooked. Daramus had been right in one observation. It had been a truly nasty turn of events for him to have an elf come into his realm. Grimly, Aragorn promised himself that the old man would regret that even more in the near future.
Unfortunately, though, Legolas´ senses did not only pick up what Aragorn wanted them to. "What happened to your arm, Estel? Valar, I should have asked before, you could not use it when I reached you at the wheel..." "Do not trouble yourself", Aragorn cut in, unconsciously mirroring Legolas´ own words, "some feeling returns already. It was merely stunned, that is all." He could make out an unconvinced grunt behind him, but thankfully the elf did not press the matter.
Now that he knew where to look, it was surprisingly easy to find the door hidden in the wall. With a slight shove of his shoulder, he pushed it open. Whatever lay revealed in the room beyond was covered in darkness, and Aragorn turned to pick up a candle. "You will not be ungracious again, will you, my friend?" Legolas asked pointedly, raising an eyebrow. "Help me to my feet." The ranger was determined to protest, but the look on Legolas´ face forced him to surrender before a single word was spoken.
"Very well, but I will help you to ONE foot, is that clear? If you put pressure on your hurt leg that tear will start bleeding again." The only reaction he got was the elf holding up the hand of his good arm, waiting. With a sigh, he took it and carefully pulled his friend to a standing position. Legolas swayed dizzily, not able to mask the pain that shot through him, but Aragorn bit back a comment. His friend would have to move soon, anyway. This was no time to heed his healer´s instincts, but those of the warrior inside him.
When it was clear that the wave of discomfort had passed or at least declined sufficiently, the ranger slipped his left arm around the elf´s waist, holding him steady. "I´m afraid you will have to carry the candle now", he said a bit gruffly, hating his limitations, "as I seem to have my hand full keeping a one-legged elf upright." Legolas chuckled, though a bit breathlessly after the onslaught of pain. "A fine pair we make." He picked up the candle carefully. "Your father would have a word or two to say about this."
Very slowly, they made their was across the room, and even though Aragorn´s back protested against the strain and he could feel Legolas grow tense with pain, a smile came to his face at the thought of Lord Elrond bursting through the mill´s door, a disapproving frown on his stern face. "He would order us to sit down were we are and give each of us a lecture about resting when injured."
"Aye", Legolas agreed, " and - then a - second lecture about - not keeping- each - other - from moving around..." He broke of, and Aragorn suspected that he did so both for lack of breath and the sudden yearn for just that to happen - Lord Elrond coming to their rescue. At this moment, the thought truly was more than appealing, double-lecture or no.
Slow as they were, they finally reached the formerly hidden door and the ranger felt his pain fade away with growing anticipation. He allowed Legolas to hobble in first, keeping a firm grip on him, and then followed.
Even in the poor light he could tell that the room was nothing like the rest of the mill. It was furnished with a splendour that stood in stark contrast to its surroundings. Due to its size and the number of objects scattered about, it also seemed oppressively small. There was a fine bed, a table and a soft chair - and rows and rows of shelves, laden with books and various objects could not make out in the poor light.
"Estel, i rhoeg ..." //Estel, this [is] wrong...//The candle wavered suddenly, and Aragorn noted with alarm that Legolas seemed close to passing out. As quickly as he could, he maneuvered his friend to the chair and lowered him down, barely catching the candle as it tumbled from the elf´s hand. He knelt down in front of the motionless form, fighting back fear.
He had not expected this short walk to have such a devastating effect. Hastily, he felt for a pulse and found one, though it raced. Legolas´ breathing was shallow and ever quickening. It was almost as if the elf was in a state of panic. "Sidh, mellon-nin, sidh, thuio allim." //Peace, my friend, peace, breathe slowly.// He placed his hand on the elf´s chest in reassurance and repeated the words until his friend finally calmed.
With a deep breath, Legolas opened his eyes and looked at Aragorn. "This place is evil", he whispered, coughing as if the very air of the room choked him, "should have - felt it ..." "Then you should get out of here now!" The ranger moved to pull his friend up, but Legolas shook his head. "No, gets better." He glared at Aragorn. "Will stay - with you."
The man watched his friend worriedly, but he truly seemed to improve, if slowly. "Aye, stay here then", he said finally, "but if you get worse, you have to tell me." Legolas nodded wearily, but Aragorn was not convinced. "Gwesto!" //Swear!// The elf looked surprised at the vehemence. He nodded again, eyes serious. With a sigh, Aragorn turned and began to lit the candles that were placed in abundance throughout the room, each covered in small glass globe to prevent a fire.
The view that revealed itself more with each small flame that sprang to life almost took the ranger´s breath away. "Ai, Valar", he breathed, and shivered when he heard Legolas´ quiet words from behind him. "This place is as cursed as its owner." And it seemed that they were touched by this curse, too.
TBC
