THE OLD FOREST BY ASHA DREAMWEAVER
Summary: How did Aragorn catch Gollum? Why was Mirkwood attacked? How did Gollum escape from the Elves? What have the Nazgûl got to do with it? Chaos in Mirkwood as Aragorn and Legolas team up with trouble following in their wake! But will the two survive it?
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A/N:
Review responses:
Aislynn Crowdaughter – Thank you for your brilliant comments on Gollum! You flatter me really! Legolas appears personally in the next chapter! And I'm glad you like the eagles and the Gandalf and the smoke hearts bits! Review again please! I hope you like chapter two!
Alone in Time – Thanks for reviewing!
Grumpy – Glad you liked the eagles!
Jambaby1963 – Thanks for the nice review! Glad you liked it!
Leggylover03 – I'm happy you liked the fic! Read and review this chappie!
Maranwe1 – Thanks for the review! I'm delighted you liked the chapter!
Star-Stallion – V. promising, huh? Thanks!
CHAPTER TWO: CANAL BANK WALK
The road to a friend's house is never long
- Danish Proverb
Sometimes Aragorn really hated Gandalf. Weeks had passed since his capture of Gollum and he had finally been tamed somewhat by lack of food and drink. A halter was around Gollum's neck, and Aragorn made him walk before him, driving him ever on towards Mirkwood. And Aragorn's only hope for getting rid of the creature.
He had to watch Gollum day and night at every stage of their journey, but dark had his dreams been of late.
Aragorn had been blessed with the gift of foresight, passed down through his line to him, and he knew something was coming. Tracking them and hunting them. He knew not who or what had caught their trail but it was most certainly not a friend.
And his heart foreboded that it was one of the servants of the Enemy, or perhaps even more than one.
And so he pushed Gollum and himself on ever harder, doing all he could to hasten their journey into the relative safety of the Woodking's realm. If he could make it past the Morn Nen* then he knew that some of Thranduil's patrols and scouts would intercept them. And even the servants of Sauron were wary of taking on the might of the Elves.
And even though the shadow of Dol Guldur was a rather severe blight on the lands of Mirkwood, once known as Greenwood the Great, before the Necromancer had come, the Elves of Mirkwood were exceptionally skilled in the arts of war. And the centuries of fighting the shadow themselves while the other Elven realms of Lothlorién, Imladris and Mithlond all used the Three Elven Rings to keep their lands safe and their borders secure.
The King, Thranduil had ever been angry over this, saying that his peers hid behind the powers granted to him and chastised and challenged him over the state of his realm. 'Twas well known that Thranduil had a fierce temper when roused, as did the majority of the Mirkwood Elves. Centuries of holding back the darkness, only to face some scorn from the other Eldar and the paranoia of a sort that comes when you live in a realm where half of the creatures that live there would like nothing better than to kill you had fashioned a rather explosive temperament.
They hated the creatures and people that served the Dark Lord and Aragorn could only grimace as he imagined Thranduil's reaction to Gandalf's request. Of course, that was all dependent on him reaching Mirkwood. A task that was getting harder by the minute.
Gollum, while more docile, still insisted on wailing as loud as he could around the gag, clawing and scrabbling pitifully at the ground while Aragorn yanked hard on the rope binding him to get him to move. In Taur-e-Nelaedelos**, it generally wasn't a good idea to draw attention to yourself before you came to the safety of the Elven kingdom.
And with the way Gollum was carrying on, Aragorn doubted there was a creature within a mile radius that hadn't heard the ruckus and that didn't know their exact location. And in this forest that was never an advisable thing to do.
A shiver skittered along his spine as he stiffened abruptly, feeling as though he'd be best to bolt and run. Even Gollum had gone unnaturally still and quiet.
The forest itself seem to darken, a brisk wind shaking the branches and causing decaying leaves to fall to the forest floor. An overwhelming feeling of dread seemed to take him and he fought back the frisson of fear that threatened to rear its head. His skin was chilled, his breathing accelerated and every muscle tensed and poised to defend himself.
Leaving the Forest Road was treacherous at the best of times but Aragorn had no time to worry about its dangers now, as he dragged the strangely compliant and seemingly petrified Gollum along with him, he dived behind the great trunk of an old oak, one hand on the hilt of his sword, the other holding a dagger and the end of Gollum's tether wrapped around his wrist.
The air seemed to warp strangely; even the trees seemed to draw back as the sound of pounding hooves reached Aragorn's ears. His keen eyes spotted four riders, clad in black and who looked like some nightmare come to life.
His breath caught. He had heard tales of these creatures from the Elves of Rivendell, had heard the accounts of the Second Age and how they had disappeared with their master after the events of the Last Alliance.
As well as the tales of their reappearance and of their occupation of Minas Morgul and of Dol Guldur. His father had warned him of the danger of the Morgul blades and the poison that tainted them. He couldn't fight four of the Nazgûl, even the Elves were wary of the threat the wraiths posed.
As it was, he could only guess as to what they wanted. He looked at the cowering creature beside him, who had his hands clamped over his head and was rocking and whimpering around the gag. Gollum must have some knowledge indeed to warrant such a pursuit.
Aragorn's only hope was to get to the realm of the Wood Elves before the wraiths caught up with them. Once inside Thranduil's borders, he was sure the Nazgûl would think twice before following.
He slipped away from the path and started to plot the quickest path through the forest, while tugging Gollum behind him just as the wraith's mounts picked up their scent and their whinnies rang out.
The chase was on.
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The pursuit lasted for a little over a day, Aragorn constantly ducking and weaving through the rows of ancient trees to throw them off track. Even Gollum seemed to understand the necessity of stealth and fear had driven him to put aside his hatred of Aragorn and obey him. Until they were out of danger at least.
Exhaustion dogged Aragorn's every step but he couldn't afford to sleep lest he be caught. He had no desire to see the inside of Dol Guldur. At last the passed through the Elvenking's borders, though he did not stop and instead pressed further into the Elven realm, watching with relief the way the trees lost their gnarled and smothered feel as he delved further into the Wood Elves centre of power.
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The Witch-King reined in his horse harshly, forcing it to come to an abrupt and skidding stop. He surveyed the stretch of forest before him and the other wraiths with anger. This land was heavily guarded by Thranduil and his people and to cross it would bring the Elves against them for a battle quicker than they would catch up with the ranger and their quarry.
Even if they set foot on Elven territory, the Wood Elves had deeper connections with the trees than their other kindred and those trees would inform the Elves of their presence before they even had a chance to fulfil their purpose.
The Lord of the Nazgûl had other things to attend to and not much time in which to do it. He would let Khamûl handle this, no doubt his second in command would come up with some plan to get the creature back from the grasp of the Elves. After all, Khamûl had the most experience with the Elvenking's ways. Let him deal with their Lord's little problem.
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Aragorn was once more dragging a struggling Gollum behind him. After the wretched thing had judged that the danger had passed, he had resumed his previous infuriating behaviour. Really Aragorn should be given much credit for not killing the creature. How many times had he been tempted to leave it behind to hiss at the empty air by itself? Somewhere far away where Aragorn wouldn't be forced to listen to it.
Alas, he had promised Gandalf to bring Gollum to Mirkwood if he caught him and Aragorn was a man of his word. And even though his irritation with Gollum was forever reaching new heights, he knew that the creature had had some part to play in the gathering war and that whatever mysteries Gollum held, he had had something to do with the One. The fact that some of the Ringwraiths had given chase only cemented that belief in Aragorn's mind.
Their journey was almost over, thank the Valar and they would reach the Elvenking's halls in a few days and come across a patrol in the next few hours. If he was lucky Legolas would be on border patrol at this time and he could have the great, sadistic pleasure of passing over the privilege of minding Gollum to him. After all, Gollum would be Mirkwood's responsibility and if Thranduil wasn't around, Aragorn thought it only fair that his son should take the creature for him. He would really like to see how the sharp hearing of the Elves handled Gollum's incessant whining and moaning.
He was looking forward to seeing Legolas again. They had met when Aragorn had been still known as Estel, foster son of Elrond of Imladris, and a mostly permanent fixture at Rivendell instead of the occasional visitor he had become when he had left the protection of his father's valley and his twin brothers' companionship and went into the wilds to take his place as Chieftain of the Dúnedain.
He and Legolas had not met as often as they would have liked in these dark times and Aragorn was greatly looking forward to reuniting with him. He desired to spend some time with his friend in Thranduil's halls and see what his friend had been up to as of late. He knew that the prince would be delighted to see him but he also knew that the King would be throwing a fit. Thranduil would not appreciate having to cater for Gollum and neither would Thranduil's guards. Even if the dungeons of Mirkwood were light and airy terraces compared to the dungeons of men, no Elf would enjoy spending time on guard duty underground, especially with a prisoner such as Gollum.
And from past experiences, Aragorn knew that the fearsome and intimidating King of Mirkwood was of two minds whenever he saw Aragorn. Never overly fond of humans, the King did have a certain fondness for the ranger, forged over time of course. But the King also dreaded it whenever the ranger and Legolas met, as according to both Thranduil and Elrond, any such meetings were fated to end in disaster. Usually with a series of injuries and near death situations that drove both Elven Lords to the brink of insanity and back.
It was becoming quite the jest in the Elven realms, and it was now common knowledge that if Aragorn and Legolas alone, or Eru forbid, with Elladan and Elrohir, went anywhere, they would somehow manage to stumble across something dangerous and be dragged home half dead.
They had nearly given Elrond and Thranduil multiple heart attacks, (if Elves could get heart attacks) due to their past excursions. And that wasn't even mentioning the mischief they got up to on a daily basis. Elladan and Elrohir were renowned and feared for their constant need to prank people. And Legolas, in Aragorn's opinion, wasn't much better. Was it any wonder that the ranger had been corrupted by his foster brothers and the brother of his heart? Unfortunately that excuse never worked when he was caught helping any of his brothers.
He was sure that Legolas would be able to find something to amuse himself and Aragorn while Gollum was dealt with. Legolas hadn't earned the title of the 'Menace of Mirkwood' for nothing. He was just as bad as the twins if not worse. Much to Thranduil's dismay.
He wondered if he could convince Legolas to visit him in Rivendell when he returned, though he was unsure if Thranduil would allow it. The situation in Mirkwood grew more dire with every day that passed. Aragorn knew that a great war was coming, especially with the One Ring resurfacing and the Dark Lord's forces massing in Mordor. What he didn't know was if Mirkwood would survive it.
With Dol Guldur forever seeking to encroach on its borders, Mirkwood didn't enjoy the luxury of the peace that Imladris and Lothlórien did and its warriors never had an opportunity to have respite as the Nazgûl currently occupying Dol Guldur never stopped searching for a way to overrun Thranduil's realm.
Legolas was one of Mirkwood's captains and his great skill with the bow and weapons made him indispensable to Mirkwood's defences. The gates that guarded the Elvenking's halls could only be opened or shut by the command of a member of the royal family, of which only Thranduil and Legolas remained.
The Queen of Mirkwood had been killed when her son was just a babe, leaving Legolas as Thranduil's only heir and the Crown Prince. Even though his kingdom was under constant attack, Thranduil was fiercely protective of Aragorn's friend and seldom allowed Legolas as much leeway as Legolas would like, always stating that as the Heir to Mirkwood, he shouldn't be throwing himself into as much peril as he could possibly find.
It would be… interesting to see Thranduil's reaction to Gollum at any rate and Aragorn was heartily looking forward to be rid of him.
So focused was he on his remarkably pleasant thoughts regarding getting rid of Gollum that he failed to hear the sound of flowing water until there was a huge splash…
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Now it was no secret that the Elves were capable of many things that left other races gaping in astonishment. And when Oropher, the first King of Greenwood, had built his realm he had decided to base it on the great palace of Menegroth in Doriath, one of the longest lasting realms of the First Age before it had been torn apart by the Dwarves and the sons of Fëanor. Doriath had had an enchanted river called Esgalduin and Oropher had decided to imitate his one time home.
So Oropher had created the Morn Nen, an enchanted river inside Mirkwood that put all who touched or drank from its waters into a deep sleep, from which they did not wake up for days.
The Morn Nen flowed fast and strong, though it wasn't very wide and it looked almost black in the gloom cast by the trees. There had been a wooden bridge across it once but it had rotted and only the posts that had once supported it on either side of its banks were left.
But Aragorn hadn't noticed it in time so engrossed in his thoughts was he and Gollum who he'd been pushing before him had fallen into its depths with a loud splash. Aragorn mentally berated himself as he struggled to try and pull Gollum out of the river. Alas for poor Aragorn he had forgotten the strength of the current and so he was unprepared when the rope attached to Gollum pulled him into the river as well.
Struggling and sputtering, he desperately tried to get to the bank while trying to fight the fatigue and lethargy that was slowing down his movements and numbing his senses. Inhaling more water than was good for anybody he managed to get his head above the surface of the river to gasp in some much needed air. Forcing his weakening limbs to move, he managed to grasp a protruding branch and use it as leverage to pull himself onto the riverbank, coughing up the water he had swallowed until his throat was raw and sore.
Grabbing a hold of the dead weight that was Gollum, he used the last of his energy to pull his charge out of the river before collapsing backwards onto the somewhat muddy ground.
He was sodden, his clothes were going to give him pneumonia unless he changed to dry ones but he remembered that while his pack had gone into the river with him, it hadn't come back out again. So there went any hope of dry clothes unless a balrog showed up and tried to kill him by burning him alive. His bow and quiver hadn't survived either, though he couldn't seem to summon up enough energy to care.
He knew he should really should check on Gollum and try and make his way to the halls of his friend but he felt like he was slipping into a dream, his eyelids surely weighed as much as an mumakil to feel so heavy.
His last thought before succumbing to the enchanted lumber was wondering if he would rather be eaten by the spiders or teased for the rest of his life by the Elves over this little mishap…
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Athon, Ismagil, and Isfin were scouting the area near the Forest Road when Isfin spotted something strange at the Morn Nen. "Look!" she called, "There is one of the Edain on the riverbank!"
Athon, the ranking warrior of the three, whirled around in surprise, "An Edain? In Mirkwood? 'Tis a wonder the spiders didn't get him!"
Ismagil smirked from his perch in a tall beech tree, "They probably didn't get a chance to, as the river got him first!"
Isfin meanwhile had crossed over to the riverbank being very careful not to fall into the water herself, to investigate the strange sight. "'Tis Lord Elrond's youngest!" she exclaimed. "And some skulking creature that I have never seen before is with him!" She dropped down beside the ranger as the others came over.
By the Valar, Athon thought, I hope he's unharmed or Lord Elrond shall have our heads! Not to mention the King!
"He seems unhurt," Isfin said with all the authority of a healer (or in her case, trainee field healer), "But he and his… companion have fallen victim to the enchantments around the Morn Nen. They shall not wake for several days."
Athon listened to the whispering of the trees, "The trees speak of a great danger chasing them and warn us to make haste in removing them from here."
Ismagil grimaced, "Can we not wait until they wake up?" he asked, "This will put the King in a foul temper as he will have to inform Lord Elrond of his son's accident and it will greatly distress the Prince to see his friend in such a condition."
Athon scoffed at the brown-haired warrior, "'Tis more likely that the Prince will fall down laughing Ismagil. You just don't want to carry them."
"I don't want to spend time around some unknown creature that resembles an orc more than anything."
"It is not an orc," Athon said firmly, "And if it was truly a danger the Lord Estel would have killed it, not be dragging it around on a leash. Besides, 'tis hardly going to attack us when it is unconscious from the influence of the Enchanted River now is it?"
Ismagil just glared at the offending creature, "It looks like something that would come out of Dol Guldur. Surely you do not mean to let it live?"
"Until we know why the Lord Estel has brought him to Mirkwood, we can do nothing but take them both to the King."
After several more minutes of impassioned arguing between Athon and Ismagil, Isfin intervened and told them to stop fighting, be quiet and help her lift the two ensorcelled beings. And so it was with troubled hearts and the curiosity of a whole litter of cats that the three Elves set off for their King's halls with their unexpected cargo in tow.
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A/N: So what do you think? Sorry for the short chapter but I just went back to school this week. And what with new classes, teachers and a very heavy workload *whimpers* I figured I'd just post what I had now since I won't be able to get back online until next weekend at best. *whimpers even more pitifully* So to appease any readers who feel like killing me there are a series of snippets from future chapters after the Author's notes.
* The Morn Nen is the enchanted river inside Mirkwood that puts people asleep. For days or more at a time.
** Taur-e-Nelaedelos = The name of Mirkwood in Sindarin. It means 'Forest of the Great Fear'. This is what Greenwood the Great (Eryn Galen in Sindarin) was named after the rise of Dol Guldur.
*** Menegroth = Sindarin for 'the thousand caves'.
NEXT CHAPTER: Aragorn and Gollum are brought to the Elvenking's Halls. Aragorn and Legolas meet up. And Gandalf comes for a visit. Let the chaos begin!
Snippets: -
From the chapter To Kill A King: -
*** As Thranduil dropped the letter in horrified/terrified shock, two items fell from the envelope; a delicately crafted silver/gold brooch with a green stone in the centre. He had oft seen it on (worn by) the ranger. But it was the second item object that had Thranduil dropping to his knees in grief and horror. It was a beautifully crafted necklace, in the shape of a leaf and the inscription on the back had been issued by Legolas's mother… reading 'Greenleaf' in the highest tongue of the Elves… Legolas never took it off…
From an as of yet unnamed chapter: -
*** "My liege," the healer said softly, "Your son has taken a grievous hurt/wound." He paused for a moment, eyes pained as he watched Thranduil begin to comprehend, (slow comprehension) "He will not survive the night."
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