And easy it was. The horses carried them almost tirelessly across the
plains towards the Grey Mountains. They rested a peaceful night in the
shadow of the mountains, and the next day Shadowfax led them through a
windy, twisting path in the mountains. For the most part they followed a
small stream until they found what was possibly a path used by dwarves in
the older ages to strike a pathway through the mountains. Shadowfax never
missed a footing in the rocks and it was always the other horses that sent
pebbles flying or dislodged rocks from their sleeping places.
By the evening of the next day, the rear guard Legolas urged his footsore Arod down the final drop and land beside the other, on the other side of the mountains. The path they had chosen had been, unknowingly to them, the most direct through the mountains, and had actually once been a wide track through which horses burdened with carts had been led. However landslides and earth tremors had reduced some of the track to impassible paths for heavy horses pulling heavier loads.
"Here we stand." Gandalf said. "On the edge of the Withered Heath. Take in this sight and remember it, for you will perhaps never see such a solemn and sad sight for the rest of your life."
He was right. The heath was yellow and dry in places, and bogged down and muddy in others. Old and wasted trees grew into positions of twisted agony, and the grass grew tangled and knotted. Not a bird flew over their heads. No lizard basked in the sunlight, not even an insect chirruped and chatted on a leaf.
"It is dead." Gimli said dimly. "All of it."
"But...why?" Frodo asked dimly, shading his eyes against the setting sun and surveying the heath with both interest and trepidation.
"Long years ago, men bought this land from the elves." Legolas explained. "Even though we swore we did not own it, somehow the men acquired the rights to it. Then it was a beautiful place, with the potential of being fairer than Lothlorien and provide more food than the Shire."
Gandalf nodded, placing one bony hand on Frodo's shoulder. "Indeed. The soil was rich and full of goodness. The water was fresh and sparkling; flowing from mountain springs untapped and pure. The trees grew and bore huge harvests. Wildlife flocked from miles around. But the men made one irreparable mistake."
"They over farmed it." Legolas spat bitterly. "This land, once beautiful, could not cope with bearing a heavy harvest year after year. The soil began to die, the trees grew small and the fruit became sour."
"The men who farmed the land knew not how to listen to nature." Aragorn said defensively. "Since then we have learnt how to rest the soil and judge the amount we should plant depending on the surrounding area. But back then we were foolish and carefree."
"The land died slowly, and the men moved away." Gandalf sighed. "The elves tried their best to breathe life into the parched land. But to no avail. The damage was irreparable and permanent. So even the elves gave up on this heath."
"It's so sad." Sam, the avid gardener, sighed. "The things that could be done with this place Mister Frodo...of course, nothing would look nicer than Bag End, but it could be most beautiful." Frodo laughed, but his laugh was hollow and tainted with fear.
"Indeed Sam." He said. "But I do not like this place one bit."
"Yet we must rest here." Gandalf said. "So that the horses might carry us across the heath in one day. I would not wish us to have to sleep in the open on this heath."
"Neither would I." Aragorn said. "It shall take us a day to cross this heath, then we shall rest at the foot of the mountains, and then find my Arwen." The name rolled gently off his tongue like some forgotten memory, and he smiled slightly at the memory, holding Eldarion tightly to him and stroking his cheek thoughtfully.
They made their campfire and rested lightly, not liking the sound of silence around them. On this long and empty night they were in no mood for singing and storytelling. They lay on their bedrolls, some lying further away from the others and gazing at the stars, others lying with or near to each other, whispering to each other now and again and drawing closer together when a cold and chilling wind blew from the east.
It was a gray and dreary morning that dawned on the travelers. The sun was prevented from warming their backs by the tall and foreboding mountains. The heath seemed as cold and lifeless as ever, and it was a sad and depressed team that mounted their horses and looked over the vast expanse of heath.
"This just won't do!" Merry said, grinning through the shivers that ran up and down his spine each time he even looked at the heath. "We must sing and be merry!"
"I do not feel like being merry in this place, my friend." Anánia sighed. "I wish to feel the sun on my face and the grass beneath my feet again."
"The horses are fresh." Aragorn said. "We might gallop now and freshen our minds."
"I believe these horses could gallop right across this heath." Legolas said, squinting northwards. "We shall not need them in our search for the caves, why not use up all their stored speed now, and then let them rest whilst we search for the cave?"
"A sound plan my friend." Gandalf said. "And one which had also formed in my own mind."
The horses, still fresh with the food of Mirkwood inside them, were eager to gallop. They positively flew after Shadowfax, who successfully avoided and muddy patches in the dry grass.
After a day of travel the mountains on the northernmost side of the heath loomed before them, and they rested the night under the shadow of the larger mountains. This time they were more merry around their little campfire, and once again told jokes and stories, Gimli causing everyone to crease up in mirth with his imitations of each of them.
"Ho, Mister Frodo." He squeaked in a voice that could only be Sam's. "I must follow you to the ends of the earth, and to the toilet even!"
Sam looked disgruntled, but finally laughed with the rest of them.
"A dark cloud blocks the sun." Gimli continued. "And it darkens my day. I speak with the twiddle twaddle folklore and senseless nonsense of the elves." Legolas grinned, recognizing himself in Gimli's act.
"I must draw my sword and protect my country." Gimli said, drawing an imaginary sword and brandishing it in a theatrical manner. "No, none must touch my sword. It is mine, all mine!"
"Be careful you do not touch my sword." Aragorn said, unable to conceal his smile.
"I fear it Sam." Gimli continued. "And I do not know what is coming, but I fear it is not good." Frodo could not stop laughing at this impression.
"I am Gimli the White!" Gimli continued, prancing around in imaginary white clothing. "No wait, I have returned as Gimli the Yellow...Gimli the Purple...Gimli the Tartan....!" Gandalf did not show his mirth, but inside he laughed.
"Merry...Pippin...Merry...Pippin." Gimli said. "Which am I? Both and neither, for I can still not tell them apart!" Merry and Pippin just looked at each other.
Gimli back flapping around the campfire on imaginary wings. "I am the prince of the birds, watch me fly!" He said, as he tripped over Astor's outstretched leg and fell head over heels.
"You indeed need to learn how to walk before you can fly." Astor said, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes as he helped Gimli to his feet. Gimli took his bow and his applause.
"But Gimli, you did not do an impression of Anánia." Legolas said.
"Oh, that is too easy." Gimli said. He walked over and sat next to Legolas, then looked up at him in mock adoration, sighing now and then and fluttering his eyelashes provocatively. The whole campfire fell about laughing, including Anánia.
"I don't really do that, do I?" She asked when everyone had stopped laughing.
Their silence told her all she need to know.
They went to bed, their sides still aching from all the laughing. But at the back of all their minds was now the fact that they were closer than they had ever been to rescuing Arwen, and they all now remembered that if their enchantment went wrong, they would all perish.
AN – bit of a dull chapter there, but I had to get them to this place for the story to continue. I can almost smell Arwen now, she is so close. Did you like my little parody thing at the end? I thought I could just throw that in! Read and review please.
Response to reviewers
Sorry but I'm getting this chapter up in a rush because I'm off on holiday for a week so I'm updating before I go, it will be a week before I can update so I thought I would do a quick one now to keep you all happy! Read and review still, I'll post responses next time, I promise!
By the evening of the next day, the rear guard Legolas urged his footsore Arod down the final drop and land beside the other, on the other side of the mountains. The path they had chosen had been, unknowingly to them, the most direct through the mountains, and had actually once been a wide track through which horses burdened with carts had been led. However landslides and earth tremors had reduced some of the track to impassible paths for heavy horses pulling heavier loads.
"Here we stand." Gandalf said. "On the edge of the Withered Heath. Take in this sight and remember it, for you will perhaps never see such a solemn and sad sight for the rest of your life."
He was right. The heath was yellow and dry in places, and bogged down and muddy in others. Old and wasted trees grew into positions of twisted agony, and the grass grew tangled and knotted. Not a bird flew over their heads. No lizard basked in the sunlight, not even an insect chirruped and chatted on a leaf.
"It is dead." Gimli said dimly. "All of it."
"But...why?" Frodo asked dimly, shading his eyes against the setting sun and surveying the heath with both interest and trepidation.
"Long years ago, men bought this land from the elves." Legolas explained. "Even though we swore we did not own it, somehow the men acquired the rights to it. Then it was a beautiful place, with the potential of being fairer than Lothlorien and provide more food than the Shire."
Gandalf nodded, placing one bony hand on Frodo's shoulder. "Indeed. The soil was rich and full of goodness. The water was fresh and sparkling; flowing from mountain springs untapped and pure. The trees grew and bore huge harvests. Wildlife flocked from miles around. But the men made one irreparable mistake."
"They over farmed it." Legolas spat bitterly. "This land, once beautiful, could not cope with bearing a heavy harvest year after year. The soil began to die, the trees grew small and the fruit became sour."
"The men who farmed the land knew not how to listen to nature." Aragorn said defensively. "Since then we have learnt how to rest the soil and judge the amount we should plant depending on the surrounding area. But back then we were foolish and carefree."
"The land died slowly, and the men moved away." Gandalf sighed. "The elves tried their best to breathe life into the parched land. But to no avail. The damage was irreparable and permanent. So even the elves gave up on this heath."
"It's so sad." Sam, the avid gardener, sighed. "The things that could be done with this place Mister Frodo...of course, nothing would look nicer than Bag End, but it could be most beautiful." Frodo laughed, but his laugh was hollow and tainted with fear.
"Indeed Sam." He said. "But I do not like this place one bit."
"Yet we must rest here." Gandalf said. "So that the horses might carry us across the heath in one day. I would not wish us to have to sleep in the open on this heath."
"Neither would I." Aragorn said. "It shall take us a day to cross this heath, then we shall rest at the foot of the mountains, and then find my Arwen." The name rolled gently off his tongue like some forgotten memory, and he smiled slightly at the memory, holding Eldarion tightly to him and stroking his cheek thoughtfully.
They made their campfire and rested lightly, not liking the sound of silence around them. On this long and empty night they were in no mood for singing and storytelling. They lay on their bedrolls, some lying further away from the others and gazing at the stars, others lying with or near to each other, whispering to each other now and again and drawing closer together when a cold and chilling wind blew from the east.
It was a gray and dreary morning that dawned on the travelers. The sun was prevented from warming their backs by the tall and foreboding mountains. The heath seemed as cold and lifeless as ever, and it was a sad and depressed team that mounted their horses and looked over the vast expanse of heath.
"This just won't do!" Merry said, grinning through the shivers that ran up and down his spine each time he even looked at the heath. "We must sing and be merry!"
"I do not feel like being merry in this place, my friend." Anánia sighed. "I wish to feel the sun on my face and the grass beneath my feet again."
"The horses are fresh." Aragorn said. "We might gallop now and freshen our minds."
"I believe these horses could gallop right across this heath." Legolas said, squinting northwards. "We shall not need them in our search for the caves, why not use up all their stored speed now, and then let them rest whilst we search for the cave?"
"A sound plan my friend." Gandalf said. "And one which had also formed in my own mind."
The horses, still fresh with the food of Mirkwood inside them, were eager to gallop. They positively flew after Shadowfax, who successfully avoided and muddy patches in the dry grass.
After a day of travel the mountains on the northernmost side of the heath loomed before them, and they rested the night under the shadow of the larger mountains. This time they were more merry around their little campfire, and once again told jokes and stories, Gimli causing everyone to crease up in mirth with his imitations of each of them.
"Ho, Mister Frodo." He squeaked in a voice that could only be Sam's. "I must follow you to the ends of the earth, and to the toilet even!"
Sam looked disgruntled, but finally laughed with the rest of them.
"A dark cloud blocks the sun." Gimli continued. "And it darkens my day. I speak with the twiddle twaddle folklore and senseless nonsense of the elves." Legolas grinned, recognizing himself in Gimli's act.
"I must draw my sword and protect my country." Gimli said, drawing an imaginary sword and brandishing it in a theatrical manner. "No, none must touch my sword. It is mine, all mine!"
"Be careful you do not touch my sword." Aragorn said, unable to conceal his smile.
"I fear it Sam." Gimli continued. "And I do not know what is coming, but I fear it is not good." Frodo could not stop laughing at this impression.
"I am Gimli the White!" Gimli continued, prancing around in imaginary white clothing. "No wait, I have returned as Gimli the Yellow...Gimli the Purple...Gimli the Tartan....!" Gandalf did not show his mirth, but inside he laughed.
"Merry...Pippin...Merry...Pippin." Gimli said. "Which am I? Both and neither, for I can still not tell them apart!" Merry and Pippin just looked at each other.
Gimli back flapping around the campfire on imaginary wings. "I am the prince of the birds, watch me fly!" He said, as he tripped over Astor's outstretched leg and fell head over heels.
"You indeed need to learn how to walk before you can fly." Astor said, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes as he helped Gimli to his feet. Gimli took his bow and his applause.
"But Gimli, you did not do an impression of Anánia." Legolas said.
"Oh, that is too easy." Gimli said. He walked over and sat next to Legolas, then looked up at him in mock adoration, sighing now and then and fluttering his eyelashes provocatively. The whole campfire fell about laughing, including Anánia.
"I don't really do that, do I?" She asked when everyone had stopped laughing.
Their silence told her all she need to know.
They went to bed, their sides still aching from all the laughing. But at the back of all their minds was now the fact that they were closer than they had ever been to rescuing Arwen, and they all now remembered that if their enchantment went wrong, they would all perish.
AN – bit of a dull chapter there, but I had to get them to this place for the story to continue. I can almost smell Arwen now, she is so close. Did you like my little parody thing at the end? I thought I could just throw that in! Read and review please.
Response to reviewers
Sorry but I'm getting this chapter up in a rush because I'm off on holiday for a week so I'm updating before I go, it will be a week before I can update so I thought I would do a quick one now to keep you all happy! Read and review still, I'll post responses next time, I promise!