What lies beneath
Fire reflected in Aragorn's gray-blue eyes as the Man stared at the ground near the fire. Legolas was somewhere in the tall trees, looking for danger of any sort and Aragorn hadn't heard a word from his friend in over half an hour. The Man didn't worry, for he could hear the slight rustle of leaves high above his head now and then. "Are you alright?" Legolas asked as he dropped from the branches of the tree. The Elf sat next to the Ranger and smiled.
"Tell me a story please?" Aragorn asked suddenly, causing Legolas to blink.
"What kind of story?" Legolas asked.
Aragorn looked up at his friend. "Something old..." He whispered.
"I take offence." Legolas laughed, although he wasn't very old according to his people. "I know what to tell you. The tragic story of Turin Turambar and his sister, Nienor Niniel. How does that sound?"
"Alright," Aragorn whispered, closing his eyes to better imagine what Legolas was about to tell.
"Well, Turin Turambar was son to Hurin Thalion and cousin to Tuor. Turin was the most feared Man on Middle-Earth by the servants of Morgoth. He is famous for slaying the father of dragons, Glaurung, and for doing great service to Doriath and Nargothrond. But no matter how famous is for those deeds, the curse of Morgoth was on him and evil followed him always and everywhere. In the forest of Brethil, Turin stumbled upon his very own sister. Through the spells of the Glaurung, they were unknown to one another and fell deeply in love and were wed. Later, Nienor discovered the truth and fell to her death. Turin was in great despair and killed himself by his own sword."
"He married his sister?" Aragorn asked incredulously, opening his eyes.
Legolas shook his head. "Is that the only thing you got from the tale?" He asked, throwing another piece of wood into the fire.
"No," Aragorn stated, "there is a moral, but I cannot put it into words."
Legolas nodded. "I find putting the moral of a tale into words is hard."
Aragorn leaned his head back on the log and closed his eyes. "I wonder who your Ada found to look after your Casquis. How many Casqui do you have now? Six? Eight? Ten?"
"Seven, but I already think he locked them in the cellars...again. He hates them." Legolas said. Casqui were half-cat/half-squirrel animals, black in color with green eyes. They live long lives and make great pets.
"The cellars? That's crazy, mellon nin, would your little critters die down there?" Aragorn asked.
"He wouldn't kill them, Aragorn."
"No, just starve the poor little things. By the Valar, what are we doing taking a long vacation?"
"If we get hurt, it's your fault." Legolas said, grinning.
Aragorn opened his eyes. "Me? Why would it be my fault?"
"A vacation was your idea, my friend." Legolas smiled.
"Oh, but you followed, hm?" Aragorn looked at his friend.
"Only because I knew you'd get injured and I didn't want you to be alone and helpless when that happened." Legolas said.
Aragorn rolled his eyes. "Right..."
Legolas suddenly stood, narrowing his eyes and searching the surrounding area. Aragorn stood next to the Elf and watched his friend closely. "Something watches us..." Legolas whispered in Elvish. "No, it cannot see us, but it smells us." Legolas said softly.
"Man cenich?" What do you see?
Legolas slowly reached for his bow. "It is a giant snake, very rare. They were thought extinct long ago..."
"Snake? Legolas, you know how I told you I hated Spiders?" Aragorn asked.
Legolas nodded once briefly. "Well, I am terrified of snakes." Aragorn said in a hushed voice.
"They are blind, but they have keen senses. It can smell us and hear us now." Legolas said.
"Great..." Aragorn whispered, fear evident in his voice, but partially covered with sarcasm. "If it knows we're here, why doesn't it attack...not that I want it to attack us or anything..."
"It is toying with us."
Without warning a huge, 20-foot snake with slimy skin and red eyes burst out of the trees, heading for the friends. "Run!" Legolas shouted, pulling Aragorn with him. Aragorn had a hard time keeping up with his swift friend, but he didn't care; he didn't want to be eaten. Legolas ran faster, the snake gaining speed, and looked for somewhere to hide. Up ahead there were thin slits in the rocky mountain. The snake wouldn't be able to fit, but the Man and the Elf could.
Legolas let Aragorn in first and ran in after, but it was too late. The snake bit Legolas on the left side as Legolas went into the mountain. Once he was safely inside, Legolas fell to the ground. The snake retreated back. There was more room inside. There was a good 50-foot space between the walls, giving the friends room. Aragorn, who had just caught his breath, noticed Legolas lying on his back and went to his friend's side.
"Legolas? Were you hurt?" Aragorn asked, sitting on the ground by his friend.
"I...was...bit..." Legolas said, feeling cold all of a sudden.
"What does that mean?" Aragorn asked, checking Legolas' vital signs.
"I'll...be okay...don't worry..." Legolas whispered.
"Legolas! What does that mean?" Aragorn asked desperately.
Legolas' pupils were dilated and his vision cloudy. "The bite of a snake...is...poisonous." The Elf managed, trembling with the cold. Aragorn sat with his back against the rock and pulled Legolas into his lap, letting the Prince's head rest against his shoulder. Aragorn propped Legolas' limp form up with his arm and Legolas shook slightly.
Aragorn saw the amount of blood Legolas was loosing and he applied pressure with his free hand. "Stay with me, mellon nin, don't leave me." Aragorn said as the flow of the blood stopped to a small trickle, but then went in a fast, steady stream again. The venom was stopping Legolas' blood from clotting. Legolas' breathing slowed to an uneven rhythm and Aragorn noticed how cold his friend was becoming. Legolas' light was dimmed to nearly nothing.
Aragorn feared for Legolas' life.
Fire reflected in Aragorn's gray-blue eyes as the Man stared at the ground near the fire. Legolas was somewhere in the tall trees, looking for danger of any sort and Aragorn hadn't heard a word from his friend in over half an hour. The Man didn't worry, for he could hear the slight rustle of leaves high above his head now and then. "Are you alright?" Legolas asked as he dropped from the branches of the tree. The Elf sat next to the Ranger and smiled.
"Tell me a story please?" Aragorn asked suddenly, causing Legolas to blink.
"What kind of story?" Legolas asked.
Aragorn looked up at his friend. "Something old..." He whispered.
"I take offence." Legolas laughed, although he wasn't very old according to his people. "I know what to tell you. The tragic story of Turin Turambar and his sister, Nienor Niniel. How does that sound?"
"Alright," Aragorn whispered, closing his eyes to better imagine what Legolas was about to tell.
"Well, Turin Turambar was son to Hurin Thalion and cousin to Tuor. Turin was the most feared Man on Middle-Earth by the servants of Morgoth. He is famous for slaying the father of dragons, Glaurung, and for doing great service to Doriath and Nargothrond. But no matter how famous is for those deeds, the curse of Morgoth was on him and evil followed him always and everywhere. In the forest of Brethil, Turin stumbled upon his very own sister. Through the spells of the Glaurung, they were unknown to one another and fell deeply in love and were wed. Later, Nienor discovered the truth and fell to her death. Turin was in great despair and killed himself by his own sword."
"He married his sister?" Aragorn asked incredulously, opening his eyes.
Legolas shook his head. "Is that the only thing you got from the tale?" He asked, throwing another piece of wood into the fire.
"No," Aragorn stated, "there is a moral, but I cannot put it into words."
Legolas nodded. "I find putting the moral of a tale into words is hard."
Aragorn leaned his head back on the log and closed his eyes. "I wonder who your Ada found to look after your Casquis. How many Casqui do you have now? Six? Eight? Ten?"
"Seven, but I already think he locked them in the cellars...again. He hates them." Legolas said. Casqui were half-cat/half-squirrel animals, black in color with green eyes. They live long lives and make great pets.
"The cellars? That's crazy, mellon nin, would your little critters die down there?" Aragorn asked.
"He wouldn't kill them, Aragorn."
"No, just starve the poor little things. By the Valar, what are we doing taking a long vacation?"
"If we get hurt, it's your fault." Legolas said, grinning.
Aragorn opened his eyes. "Me? Why would it be my fault?"
"A vacation was your idea, my friend." Legolas smiled.
"Oh, but you followed, hm?" Aragorn looked at his friend.
"Only because I knew you'd get injured and I didn't want you to be alone and helpless when that happened." Legolas said.
Aragorn rolled his eyes. "Right..."
Legolas suddenly stood, narrowing his eyes and searching the surrounding area. Aragorn stood next to the Elf and watched his friend closely. "Something watches us..." Legolas whispered in Elvish. "No, it cannot see us, but it smells us." Legolas said softly.
"Man cenich?" What do you see?
Legolas slowly reached for his bow. "It is a giant snake, very rare. They were thought extinct long ago..."
"Snake? Legolas, you know how I told you I hated Spiders?" Aragorn asked.
Legolas nodded once briefly. "Well, I am terrified of snakes." Aragorn said in a hushed voice.
"They are blind, but they have keen senses. It can smell us and hear us now." Legolas said.
"Great..." Aragorn whispered, fear evident in his voice, but partially covered with sarcasm. "If it knows we're here, why doesn't it attack...not that I want it to attack us or anything..."
"It is toying with us."
Without warning a huge, 20-foot snake with slimy skin and red eyes burst out of the trees, heading for the friends. "Run!" Legolas shouted, pulling Aragorn with him. Aragorn had a hard time keeping up with his swift friend, but he didn't care; he didn't want to be eaten. Legolas ran faster, the snake gaining speed, and looked for somewhere to hide. Up ahead there were thin slits in the rocky mountain. The snake wouldn't be able to fit, but the Man and the Elf could.
Legolas let Aragorn in first and ran in after, but it was too late. The snake bit Legolas on the left side as Legolas went into the mountain. Once he was safely inside, Legolas fell to the ground. The snake retreated back. There was more room inside. There was a good 50-foot space between the walls, giving the friends room. Aragorn, who had just caught his breath, noticed Legolas lying on his back and went to his friend's side.
"Legolas? Were you hurt?" Aragorn asked, sitting on the ground by his friend.
"I...was...bit..." Legolas said, feeling cold all of a sudden.
"What does that mean?" Aragorn asked, checking Legolas' vital signs.
"I'll...be okay...don't worry..." Legolas whispered.
"Legolas! What does that mean?" Aragorn asked desperately.
Legolas' pupils were dilated and his vision cloudy. "The bite of a snake...is...poisonous." The Elf managed, trembling with the cold. Aragorn sat with his back against the rock and pulled Legolas into his lap, letting the Prince's head rest against his shoulder. Aragorn propped Legolas' limp form up with his arm and Legolas shook slightly.
Aragorn saw the amount of blood Legolas was loosing and he applied pressure with his free hand. "Stay with me, mellon nin, don't leave me." Aragorn said as the flow of the blood stopped to a small trickle, but then went in a fast, steady stream again. The venom was stopping Legolas' blood from clotting. Legolas' breathing slowed to an uneven rhythm and Aragorn noticed how cold his friend was becoming. Legolas' light was dimmed to nearly nothing.
Aragorn feared for Legolas' life.