Author's Note: Back again! I didn't mean for the update to take this long
since I did leave you with a not-so-nice cliffhanger, but I'll just vow not
to do it again...at least for this chapter. evil grin And as one reviewer
commented, I don't believe I invented the cliffhanger, I've just refined it
to an art :) And you guys already know how much I love you for the
wonderful reviews and that I'm not related to Tolkien in any way, so I'll
just let you get on with the story then. Enjoy!
Chapter 15
Gimli felt his mouth go dry at the dwarf's words. No, this wasn't possible, it wasn't supposed to happen this way. It had all been a huge misunderstanding and he and Legolas would laugh about it later when they had both had time to think better about it.
There wasn't supposed to be an actual war.
"Are you sure?" Gimli heard himself say before his father could react.
The runner looked at Gimli as though he was stupid. "The elves have come," he said, "they attacked while we had our backs turned. Two of our men have fallen already, we need full strength."
Gloin had already turned and shouted to another standing nearby to sound the alarm, that they needed to empty their halls of all their warriors and send them outside, now!
But Gimli was still finding the entire concept difficult to accept. "The elves did a surprise attack? When your backs were turned?" This did not sound all too likely, the elves were far too proud to fight someone when their backs were turned.
The dwarf shifted on his feet a bit. "Well, maybe we did hear them coming, and maybe they did announce their arrival, but we did not expect them to attack!"
Gimli still did not believe everything that the dwarf was saying to him, but he did not have time to press the matter any further. Other dwarves were already racing outside, weapons gripped in their hands. Shouts were heard all over and Gimli could hardly make out what any one of them was saying. The only thing he was truly aware of was his own father pressing against his back, urging him to go outside.
"We need all the best now," Gloin said when Gimli didn't budge, "our time to prove to the elves that we cannot be easily placated is now. They will rue the day they decided they wanted the treasures of the Lonely Mountain for themselves."
Gimli was moving, being swept along with others hurrying out of the wide tunnels, but his mind was moving slower than his feet. This did not make any sense, the elves cared nothing for dwarvish treasures...
Gimli suddenly remembered something. Something he had heard long ago when his father had been taken prisoner by the elves. There had been reports of the elves' vanity, that they too prized jewels and treasures as much as the next dwarf, especially Thranduil. Only they did not like to delve into the earth to find it.
But not Legolas, Gimli thought to himself, Legolas was not like that. He racked his brain for any memory of Legolas hinting at desires of wanting jewels or treasure. He had not worn any, and he had never shown any desires at wanting the mithril in the Mines of Moria.
No, this was not right, they should not be attacking, there had been no secret plot with spies to take what the dwarves had.
But now they had reason to attack, a small voice in Gimli's head reminded him, because you took their prince and had him locked away.
Gimli shook his head.
It was a misunderstanding, it was all a misunderstanding.
Gimli found himself outside. He had half been hoping that the other dwarves had been mistaken, that the elves had not really come. But the scene before him told him the truth.
Elves and dwarves were fighting.
There were not so many elves in view, but arrows came down upon the dwarves from the outside of the clearing in front of the entrance. Bodies were already on the ground, both dwarves and elves.
But as more dwarves came surging out of the mountain, the elves were pulling back. Gimli registered that there were really only about ten or so elves in view and figured that the rest of their party must be waiting in the trees. But if they were in the trees, then they should have been showing themselves now, coming to the aid of those on the ground.
But no more elves came, and the ones already there were retreating, shouting commands to each other in elvish. This struck Gimli as bizarre. If the elves had come for a full-out attack on the dwarves, then there should be more.
This line of thinking did not occur to the other dwarves, and they sprang forward, eager to help drive the enemy away. They were heady with the sense of easy victory, adding their own shouts to the sound of the small battle.
Gimli walked forward in a daze, watching the elves disappearing back into the trees, and the dwarves raising their arms and weapons in the air as a sign of victory.
"Is that all they have?" shouted one.
And, "They dared to think we would bow to them so easily?" said another.
But Gimli was no longer listening to their words.
He was approaching one of the fallen that lay facedown on the ground in front of him. It was a tall figure with blonde hair pulled back in three braids.
Legolas, Gimli thought desperately to himself.
He stumbled towards the body and dropped to his knees beside it. His heart was pounding and his eyes were wide. With trembling hands, he reached out and grabbed onto the shoulders before pulling the elf onto his back.
The golden hair fell away as the elf turned, revealing the open and staring brown eyes.
Brown eyes.
Not Legolas.
Gimli felt a sigh of relief escape him and his shoulders slumped forward. It wasn't Legolas, Legolas had not been there.
But the elf did look familiar, aside from his resemblance to Legolas. Gimli sat and thought for a moment, then he remembered. He remembered him and Legolas first coming to Mirkwood and seeing it in ruin, and then running into four other elves.
Culhil, the name came to Gimli. This had been one of them, the one that had explained to Legolas all that had happened. A friend of Legolas'.
And now he was dead.
Gimli stood up. This should not have happened, why had the elves come back? And why so few if they had truly intended to attack?
Gimli turned and saw the other dwarves filtering back into the caves. Some were being carried back in on stretchers, those who had been wounded, or were dead. Gimli's gaze fell upon one of the stretchers, and he recognized Thror lying on it. He was holding his arm where it hung at an awkward angle and was covered in blood.
Gimli went to him. "Thror," he said, "were you out here when the elves first, uh, attacked?"
Thror looked up at him, his eyes as steely as ever. Gimli knew well enough of the pride of his own kin, Thror would never admit to any pain he was feeling. "Of course I was," he said, "and I was among the first to take one of the abominable beings down."
Gimli nodded, carefully not letting any emotion show on his face. "Did the elves perform a surprise attack?"
Thror snorted. "As if they could sneak up on us. Elves they may be, but they forget whose territory they came upon. We know of everything as soon as it touches our land."
"Yes I know," Gimli said, trying to get to the point, "so what did happen?"
"They said they had come back for the prince, that they would negotiate for his safe return. Rarin told them their filthy spy had already escaped and could be dead in the woods for all he cared and apparently they took offense for one of them drew their bow and demanded an immediate apology. But by this time me and my boys had already come to back up Rarin and the elves looked nervous, you should have seen 'em, and then Boret rushed them from the side, saying that we would not allow anymore spies on our land."
Gimli faltered in his step. "So the elves did not start it?"
"Of course they did," said one of the dwarves carrying Thror's stretcher. "They did not have to come to our land and insult us and bring further risk when we had already survived a spy of theirs. We acted entirely as we should have."
Gimli slowed down and watched the stretcher carried off ahead of him. Things were getting out of hand. He did not know why this group of elves had come, but he was almost certain that once word reached Thranduil of what had happened more would come, and this time they would not be doing so simply for negotiations.
Gimli saw Culhil's blank and staring face in his mind again. Blood had been spilt by both sides, he could hardly sit back and hope everything was just going to work itself out any longer. He had to do something before an all out war broke out between the two kindreds.
Gimli turned on his heel and started back out of the front tunnel. There was nobody left outside as they had all hurried ahead of him, and he was thankful for that. Making sure nobody was watching him, Gimli hurried away from the mountain and started towards Mirkwood. He had to find Legolas before anything more happened, only he and Legolas would be able to stop this.
Gimli just dimly hoped in the back of his mind that his friend was not still mad.
Chapter 15
Gimli felt his mouth go dry at the dwarf's words. No, this wasn't possible, it wasn't supposed to happen this way. It had all been a huge misunderstanding and he and Legolas would laugh about it later when they had both had time to think better about it.
There wasn't supposed to be an actual war.
"Are you sure?" Gimli heard himself say before his father could react.
The runner looked at Gimli as though he was stupid. "The elves have come," he said, "they attacked while we had our backs turned. Two of our men have fallen already, we need full strength."
Gloin had already turned and shouted to another standing nearby to sound the alarm, that they needed to empty their halls of all their warriors and send them outside, now!
But Gimli was still finding the entire concept difficult to accept. "The elves did a surprise attack? When your backs were turned?" This did not sound all too likely, the elves were far too proud to fight someone when their backs were turned.
The dwarf shifted on his feet a bit. "Well, maybe we did hear them coming, and maybe they did announce their arrival, but we did not expect them to attack!"
Gimli still did not believe everything that the dwarf was saying to him, but he did not have time to press the matter any further. Other dwarves were already racing outside, weapons gripped in their hands. Shouts were heard all over and Gimli could hardly make out what any one of them was saying. The only thing he was truly aware of was his own father pressing against his back, urging him to go outside.
"We need all the best now," Gloin said when Gimli didn't budge, "our time to prove to the elves that we cannot be easily placated is now. They will rue the day they decided they wanted the treasures of the Lonely Mountain for themselves."
Gimli was moving, being swept along with others hurrying out of the wide tunnels, but his mind was moving slower than his feet. This did not make any sense, the elves cared nothing for dwarvish treasures...
Gimli suddenly remembered something. Something he had heard long ago when his father had been taken prisoner by the elves. There had been reports of the elves' vanity, that they too prized jewels and treasures as much as the next dwarf, especially Thranduil. Only they did not like to delve into the earth to find it.
But not Legolas, Gimli thought to himself, Legolas was not like that. He racked his brain for any memory of Legolas hinting at desires of wanting jewels or treasure. He had not worn any, and he had never shown any desires at wanting the mithril in the Mines of Moria.
No, this was not right, they should not be attacking, there had been no secret plot with spies to take what the dwarves had.
But now they had reason to attack, a small voice in Gimli's head reminded him, because you took their prince and had him locked away.
Gimli shook his head.
It was a misunderstanding, it was all a misunderstanding.
Gimli found himself outside. He had half been hoping that the other dwarves had been mistaken, that the elves had not really come. But the scene before him told him the truth.
Elves and dwarves were fighting.
There were not so many elves in view, but arrows came down upon the dwarves from the outside of the clearing in front of the entrance. Bodies were already on the ground, both dwarves and elves.
But as more dwarves came surging out of the mountain, the elves were pulling back. Gimli registered that there were really only about ten or so elves in view and figured that the rest of their party must be waiting in the trees. But if they were in the trees, then they should have been showing themselves now, coming to the aid of those on the ground.
But no more elves came, and the ones already there were retreating, shouting commands to each other in elvish. This struck Gimli as bizarre. If the elves had come for a full-out attack on the dwarves, then there should be more.
This line of thinking did not occur to the other dwarves, and they sprang forward, eager to help drive the enemy away. They were heady with the sense of easy victory, adding their own shouts to the sound of the small battle.
Gimli walked forward in a daze, watching the elves disappearing back into the trees, and the dwarves raising their arms and weapons in the air as a sign of victory.
"Is that all they have?" shouted one.
And, "They dared to think we would bow to them so easily?" said another.
But Gimli was no longer listening to their words.
He was approaching one of the fallen that lay facedown on the ground in front of him. It was a tall figure with blonde hair pulled back in three braids.
Legolas, Gimli thought desperately to himself.
He stumbled towards the body and dropped to his knees beside it. His heart was pounding and his eyes were wide. With trembling hands, he reached out and grabbed onto the shoulders before pulling the elf onto his back.
The golden hair fell away as the elf turned, revealing the open and staring brown eyes.
Brown eyes.
Not Legolas.
Gimli felt a sigh of relief escape him and his shoulders slumped forward. It wasn't Legolas, Legolas had not been there.
But the elf did look familiar, aside from his resemblance to Legolas. Gimli sat and thought for a moment, then he remembered. He remembered him and Legolas first coming to Mirkwood and seeing it in ruin, and then running into four other elves.
Culhil, the name came to Gimli. This had been one of them, the one that had explained to Legolas all that had happened. A friend of Legolas'.
And now he was dead.
Gimli stood up. This should not have happened, why had the elves come back? And why so few if they had truly intended to attack?
Gimli turned and saw the other dwarves filtering back into the caves. Some were being carried back in on stretchers, those who had been wounded, or were dead. Gimli's gaze fell upon one of the stretchers, and he recognized Thror lying on it. He was holding his arm where it hung at an awkward angle and was covered in blood.
Gimli went to him. "Thror," he said, "were you out here when the elves first, uh, attacked?"
Thror looked up at him, his eyes as steely as ever. Gimli knew well enough of the pride of his own kin, Thror would never admit to any pain he was feeling. "Of course I was," he said, "and I was among the first to take one of the abominable beings down."
Gimli nodded, carefully not letting any emotion show on his face. "Did the elves perform a surprise attack?"
Thror snorted. "As if they could sneak up on us. Elves they may be, but they forget whose territory they came upon. We know of everything as soon as it touches our land."
"Yes I know," Gimli said, trying to get to the point, "so what did happen?"
"They said they had come back for the prince, that they would negotiate for his safe return. Rarin told them their filthy spy had already escaped and could be dead in the woods for all he cared and apparently they took offense for one of them drew their bow and demanded an immediate apology. But by this time me and my boys had already come to back up Rarin and the elves looked nervous, you should have seen 'em, and then Boret rushed them from the side, saying that we would not allow anymore spies on our land."
Gimli faltered in his step. "So the elves did not start it?"
"Of course they did," said one of the dwarves carrying Thror's stretcher. "They did not have to come to our land and insult us and bring further risk when we had already survived a spy of theirs. We acted entirely as we should have."
Gimli slowed down and watched the stretcher carried off ahead of him. Things were getting out of hand. He did not know why this group of elves had come, but he was almost certain that once word reached Thranduil of what had happened more would come, and this time they would not be doing so simply for negotiations.
Gimli saw Culhil's blank and staring face in his mind again. Blood had been spilt by both sides, he could hardly sit back and hope everything was just going to work itself out any longer. He had to do something before an all out war broke out between the two kindreds.
Gimli turned on his heel and started back out of the front tunnel. There was nobody left outside as they had all hurried ahead of him, and he was thankful for that. Making sure nobody was watching him, Gimli hurried away from the mountain and started towards Mirkwood. He had to find Legolas before anything more happened, only he and Legolas would be able to stop this.
Gimli just dimly hoped in the back of his mind that his friend was not still mad.