Hello everybody!
Here´s the next chapter - I sort of planned to have Legolas´ "visitor" revealed now - but he "objected", just would not let me write it. So you´ll have to wait some more, next chapter I´ll have Glorfindel on the "case" and I guess he´ll produce some results :)
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this. Thank you so much for your incredible reviews (you know where to find the responses), please keep them coming.
Thanks to Mor and especially Sandra for the very helpful comments. If you feel surprised by the sudden improvement of grammar - thank Sandra for it ;-)
Alinah
Rating: PG 13
Disclaimer: Try as I might, still not mine
Imprisoned
Elladan felt a bolt of tension shoot through Legolas with incredible force and he gasped, taken completely by surprise, when suddenly his friend lashed out at him with his right arm. The force of the blow almost sent the older elf tumbling out of his chair and threw him backwards against Aragorn´s bed. Pain erupted in his wounded shoulder and momentarily clouded his vision, though he furiously tried to clear it.
When he was once again able to focus on his surroundings, he saw Legolas sitting up, staring about him. The sight was eerie to behold. The herbs Elrond had given the woodelf should have rendered him senseless for at least a few more hours. Yet there he sat, panting and beads of sweat slowly travelling down his face, eyes wide but strangely dull, covered by a grey veil. He held his head tilted to the side as if listening intently, fear clearly carved into his gaunt features. Every single muscle in his body seemed drawn tight in expectation of an attack. Words tumbled out of his mouth as if of their own accord.
"Ego, im alloston cen, ego..."Be gone, I´m not listening to you, be gone....Although his voice was raw and barely understandable even to Elven hearing the plea in it was painfully clear, and Elladan wished with all his heart that he could reassure his friend that whatever had him in such terror was indeed gone now and could no longer harm him. Very carefully, he reached out with one hand and began humming again, instinctively, as he had to put his voice to some use and failed to find words that he deemed suitable.
Legolas´ words were cut short and his head snapped around. He stared into Elladan´s direction without recognizing him. The intent gaze of his unseeing eyes travelled through his friend´s body into a realm known only to him, and whatever it met there had to be dreadful indeed. The fear on Legolas´ face briefly intensified before it transformed into a defiance that was unlike anything the older twin had ever seen on the prince´s face. Elladan froze, the melody dying on his lips at the sight of the deadly threat that now flashed at him from the depths of Legolas´ blue eyes.
"Mellon-nin, man tiradach?" My friend, what do you see?The helpless question was one the older twin directed at himself rather than the elf in front of him and he did not expect an answer. He had hardly ever felt this useless. Blood warmly trickled down his shoulder from the arrow wound that the violent shove had partially reopened, but what pained him far more was the sickening realization that he could do nothing to aid Legolas. If it was indeed his old friend he was facing now.
Suddenly, a hot and sweaty hand grasped his arm from behind. "Dinen, gwador" Be still, brother, a rough voice whispered, "alrhinc." Don´t move.The ranger had pushed himself into a sitting position, too, and clung to Elladan as if to life itself. The elf clasped Aragorn´s hand reassuringly and shifted slightly, ensuring that his body was fully in front of his human brother´s. He could feel danger collecting around them swiftly, like a flock of crebain lured by the sweet odour of a rotting carcass. Heeding the other´s advice he remained completely motionless, not even allowing his eyes to stray from the rigid elf that sat in the opposite bed.
Legolas mirrored him in his frozen stance, still listening, before he slowly raised his right hand which he had used to prop himself up and grasped his left arm as if it caused him discomfort. He swayed slightly now that his weakened body had been robbed of its support, yet he remained upright. The look in his eyes transformed once more. The veil lifted. A darker shade of blue swirled through the light colour of the irises until they had taken on a hue Elladan had never seen before.
A deep sigh escaped Legolas´ lips when he finally moved his head to look out of the window. He frowned slightly, leaning forward as if seeking a better view, even though there was nothing to be seen but a few trees swaying in the roughening breeze. And clouds. Clouds collecting at a pace too rapid to be accounted for by the wind. Elladan could feel Aragorn shivering and moved enough to drape one arm around his brother. Darkness descended over Imladris as black light barred the sun´s weak rays. Dark shapes billowed about them, gathering into a density that was beyond threatening.
The look of defiance was back on Legolas´ unfamiliar face even when the darkness broke slightly, as if attacked by the natural glow of the Last Homely House itself, and Elladan could have sworn that the very walls around him groaned with an effort that was almost too much to bear. "Lá atta, eala úmea" Not again, evil spirit, a voice growled. It held little resemblance with the elven prince who uttered it. ""re-I-nya nuva umbar-I-tya." My rise shall be your destruction.The wind picked up with a sudden howl, carrying into the room the sick smell of evil that had lingered in the halls ever since their return.
Elladan had to fight hard not to gag. The fury he had felt in the library was rekindled now at this clear invasion of his home, but he remained where he was, shielding his brother and watching events unfold that he knew he was unable to stop. The sound of movement in the halls momentarily distracted him. Voices rose somewhere in what sounded like a chant. A screech could be heard from within the darkness that had so far failed to breach Imladris´ defences. A shriek of frustration.
The darker shade in Legolas´ eyed began to fade, withdrawing slowly to reveal the veiled light beneath, but still an expression not unlike a sneer danced over the smooth features. "Lantuvatye."You shall fall.The voice was now barely above a whisper as a terrible weakness crawled back into it. "Orme-I-tya autuvas ..."Your strength shall soon fail...Legolas eyes slowly glazed over and closed. He sank backwards, the last ounces of colour draining from his face. His last words were mumbled so quietly that even Elladan had to strain to hear them. But hear them he did. "Amban úmea tucuvatye undu..." The evil mountain will pull you down...
The chant rose from several parts of the house now, and with an audible hiss the darkness began to dissolve above them. The grey light of the day broke though once more, bathing Imladris in a natural light that seemed as strong as a summer´s midday glory. The clouds dissolved and went their separate ways in the heavens before the submitting to the wind yet again, following its insistent tugging that they had been aided to resist. A breath of relief travelled through the corridors and rooms, shook the leaves in the trees and brightened the subdued autumn colours.
Imladris was theirs once more.
He lengthened his strides as he rounded the last corner, his mind stretching out through the fear and confusion that still swirled about Imladris to touch upon his twin´s soul. He had done so before on his way, repeatedly, and each time he had felt the response, but this reassurance was not enough. It was only the wild fear for those dear to his heart that had been left in the main building, so far away from the rest of them, that had so swiftly pulled him from his father´s side. Both Glorfindel and Calen had confirmed to him that all Lord Elrond needed was the rest he had denied himself for too long.
Even so, Elrohir would have preferred to stay with his father and make sure he was truly recovering. He felt torn by his desire to make sure all those he loved were safe. This evil was threatening all there was in this world for him, and beneath his worry and exhaustion he felt an awakening heat of fury strong enough to scared him. For now he could ignore it, douse its flames with the concern he felt, but he was certain that once kindled, this fire would be difficult to extinguish.
He took the last few strides to Legolas´ room in flight and ripped open the door without knocking, trying not to anticipate anything dreadful. Even so, the sight of both his brothers alive and awake almost made him weep. He took in the weary look in Aragorn´s eyes as he lay propped up on many pillows. The ranger looked as if he had been pulled from the depths of his healing sleep far too early. Fever still radiated from him, but he managed to smile at Elrohir, raising one eyebrow at him.
"Look Elladan, a healer in disarray." Aragorn chuckled weakly. "Father would not be pleased at all. " The older twin turned from Legolas to look at his brother. Elrohir could see blood seeping through the bandage that covered his brother´s shoulder, but before he could comment Elladan nodded and raised his eyebrow in a mirror of the human´s gesture. "Aye, and one wearing a tunic splattered in blood. You can count yourself lucky, my brother, that the patients in this room are not of a queasy heart, or else we might faint at your feet."
Elrohir was so astonished that his older brother actually acknowledged his need of assistance, even though mockingly, that he withheld his reply and set to work, aiding where aid was needed and, just for now, pushing the urgent questions he felt to the back of his mind.
Once his shoulder had been taken care of, Elladan let his brother look after Aragorn and turned to Legolas instead. By some miracle the young elf had hardly jostled his wounded leg in his distress, but he was significantly weaker than he had been before. Sweat still covered his pale face and the older twin used a cloth soaked in water and athelas to carefully wipe the other´s brow. While he was doing so, he allowed his mind to go over the events once again. Thoughtfully, he picked up Legolas´ left arm that now lay limply at his side.
Gently turning the arm around, he froze. There were fading bruises all over the archer´s lower arm, and the bright white scars that ran over it contrasted starkly with the darker shade of the skin. Setting the cloth aside, Elladan ran his fingers along the scars in a tender gesture. They were of varying lengths yet almost parallel, looking as if a clawed paw had been dragged across the flesh. For the injury to leave such vivid scars, however, it would have been very deep and healed for a while.
Frowning, Elladan looked over to Aragorn who was silently telling Elrohir what had happened to them since he had awakened. The older elf caught the human´s eyes and the ranger stopped, looking at him questioningly. "Tell me, Estel, has Legolas been wounded a while back?" When Aragorn shook his head in denial, Elladan held Legolas´ arm up for the others to see. "He did not suffer any attack from a wild animal, a wolf or a warg?"
Aragorn shook his head again with a frown of his own. "No", he emphasised, "we were fortunate in our adventures for a while. But this..." He looked at his brothers in confusion. "Legolas received some scratches by a warg´s claw on that arm, and I bound it in the evening to make sure the injury would have disappeared completely once we arrived back home. It was not very deep, though, not dangerous." A shadow crossed his face when he thought back to the glorious day of their victory. How little their worries had been, how foolish their hopes of returning home unscathed just this once.
Elladan took in the information thoughtfully. He once more lowered the arm back to Legolas´ side and then covered the scars with both hands, closing his eyes. After a while he thought he could detect a gentle warmth graze his fingers, not more than the shadow of a breath. He allowed his hands to linger a bit longer, and thoughts seemed to tug at the edge of his awareness, but his tired mind was unable to grasp them before they submerged into the void again. The older twin opened his eyes wearily and gazed down at his friend in wonder.
"Whatever has befallen you now, mellon-nin?", he asked tiredly, "I wish you could tell us."
The following days brought an uneasy calm to Imladris. After the attack of darkness the air had freshened, the mood lightened, and Glorfindel had assured them that the evil had been dispelled by their combined efforts, at least for now. Warnings had been sent to the neighbouring towns and villages to avoid the area of Rivendell for the time being. The merchants stayed with the elves, even though they were clearly uncomfortable and tried to keep to themselves. The direct threat seemed to have evaporated like fog in the morning sun, but the elves could still feel it at the edge of their minds. Tension remained in their hearts and neither elf nor human ventured past the gates.
Aragorn recovered from his injuries but his worry for Legolas weighed heavily upon him. Ever since awakening to darkness, the prince had shown no sign of stirring again, and the ranger´s patience was nearing its limits. He knew very well that there was a chance Legolas had indeed been taken by an evil spirit, even though Elladan insisted that he had felt a presence that held great anger, yet not evil. The pressure was beginning to be too much.
On the morning of the third day Aragorn crept out of the room he had insisted on sharing with Legolas, leaving Calen at the prince´s side, and made his way to his father´s study. He walked purposefully, intent on bringing his uncertainty to an end today. When he neared the great wooden doors, he heard voices and stopped. He did not mean to eavesdrop, but he could not help overhearing Glorfindel´s strong voice. And his curiosity would not let him turn away.
"We have little choice now, unless you plan to unleash Vilya in the most thoughtless way", the Balrog slayer said, making it clear that he was, indeed, talking to Elrond. Aragorn highly doubted that anybody else was present, for the two elves hardly ever spoke to each other so forcefully in public. "I will not", came the curt reply, "or do you doubt the word I have given you?" His father´s voice softened. "Nay, I will not risk our defences needlessly, but we have not gotten any closer to the truth of this. We do not know more about this vampire than after our first encounter with it, and the longer we wait, the stronger it will grow. It is lingering just beyond our borders, just beyond my vision." The sigh that followed sounded tired. "I can feel it. I can feel the way it sneers at us. It will strike again soon."
There was a long moment of silence, and Aragorn guiltily thought of turning back from the words that were not meant for him when Glorfindel spoke again. "We need to wake the prince before we ride." There was strength in his voice as well as a hint of dread. "We cannot leave a potential threat behind when we go out to face this evil. I can feel that there is a presence lingering in him that does not mean him harm. A soul that knows me and that I would know, should I see it clearly. Even so, after what Aragorn told us the chance is high that Legolas has not escaped his close encounter with the vampire unscathed. We need to know."
There was a faint clapping sound, like a book being closed, before Elrond replied with sadness clouding his words. "Aye, it has been delayed long enough. I had so hoped to find a cure for him beforehand. To have a light in the darkness for my sons should our fears come true. Alas, there does not seem to be a way to lure a soul back into the light once darkness has claimed it. I fear that the loss would rattle Mirkwood as well as the only hope left to the future of mankind. Let us pray that the Valar have been kind."
Aragorn stepped backwards. Suddenly he was not so eager to find out anymore. He had focused his thoughts on his hope that his friend would be safe. He had not spared a single second to reflect upon the truth he would have to face should hope fail. Now that he was forced to confront the image of his friend infected by a darkness that would in time eat away all of his light and turn him into the every opposite of his soul, cold dread flooded him.
Valar, let it not end like this.
TBC
Review responses:
Alariel: Good guesses again! But keep in mind that Legolas sort of "appointed" himself sentinel in order to have some purpose left in life - that is not necessarily connected to the spirit within him... And I assure you - Daramus is nowhere in sight. Really!!! I hope he´s being roasted on top of a slow fire somewhere :)
Estel Elven Enchantress: Yes, Gandalf would come in handy now, wouldn´t he? But he cannot by everywhere he might be needed to save the day. As for Faun - great thought. I really like your idea, hmmm, maybe I could change a few things that were planned for the next chapter smirkDon´t worry, he´s not forgotten.
Alexa: Thank you! And you think the angst has not begun yet? Gosh, your are one TOUGH reader :)
NightShadow 131: I´m not going to leave it there, don´t worry. And a lot of things are a bit odd - but the puzzle pieces should all fall together in the end.
Someone Reading: Thank you so much!!! I´m happy you like it. I try to update as fast as I can, but this is a really busy time at work. Still, I´ll take time now and again to write. I have to or the vampire will be after ME LOL
Tychen: Yes, you are quite right that the powers elves can unleash are not always good, or at least their outcome. That is exactly the point made by Glorfindel here - but then again, they have to fight this somehow. Good to hear that your lights stay on - you are save, then (for now).
Ertia: Well, poor Legolas did not improve much in this chapter - but the next one will at least see him awake again!
Deana: Hey, you deserve EVERY cliffie that comes your way. You are at least as mean to Legolas as I am - if not worse LOL
Red Tigress: Thanks. I hope your food did not disagree with you too much because of the blood smirkMore revelations will be along next chapter.
THANK YOU!!!