In the next three days, the pace was tripled for Gandalf, Legolas, and Vaneldur. Both were rather surprised at how well he kept up and kept going on their small Lembas supply, which both Legolas and Gandalf had judiciously set aside. Gandalf seemed to think that Vaneldur was running on purely passion, and did not truly hope that he would keep pace much past Dagorlad. Sure enough, it was on that former battlefield that the young man began to falter.
That had been five days since Lómëmir went missing, and it was also the same day that the effects of Morion's enchanted water wore off, leaving Lómëmir to wake in the shadow of the hills at Rhûn, being jostled about by a running orc. She immediately closed her eyes again, since none of the monsters had noticed her waking. She hoped to fool them for as long as it took for her to find a chance to get away or for someone to find her. She did her best not to move about but found that she needn't have tried, as she was already bound securely. It took everything she had to stay calm when she felt more terrified than ever and felt like weeping of horror. She noticed that even if she had tried to scream for help she could not, fear had an icy grip on her throat which rendered her mute. Prayer after prayer she sent urgently to the Valar, begging their aid. Vaneldur and Legolas had been sending just the same.
Even as Gandalf noticed Vaneldur falling more and more behind, he turned to Legolas, fear in his ancient eyes. "We must make all haste. There is little time left now," he said in such a tone that drove Legolas on unrelentingly.
"He can not continue like this," Legolas said, motioning back toward Vaneldur.
"He will not cease to try," Gandalf replied. "You remember the state that Lómëmir was in when you found her in the wood. He will exhaust himself to much worse if he continues. But we can not slow down at all, the Lady is in great peril. I only hope that Vaneldur understands." Gandalf hurried back to the struggling young man and offered him a sip from a concoction that he carried. Several minutes later Vaneldur was sound asleep under a low pine tree, wrapped up in an Elven cloak for protection, freeing the two immortals to pick up their speed all the more.
Legolas did not understand when Gandalf began to bear sharply east toward Rhûn, but neither did he question the wisest of the Maia. For the next two days and nights Legolas and Gandalf ran, scarcely resting even for water, as the hills on the southwest end of the sea loomed up ahead. Legolas had wanted to ask Gandalf what peril he foresaw and what it had to do with Rhûn, but the Elf remembered that in his childhood hundreds of years ago it had been a major stronghold for Sauron between Mordor and his Dol Guldur outpost.
Night fell upon the two would-be rescuers and they remained hidden within sight of an old gateway to the tunnels and caves below the hills. It would have been easy for Legolas to become disheartened of the screams that could be heard from the caves, but instead it sent his wrath to new heights and Gandalf had a difficult time convincing him to act judiciously. There was no telling how many orcs inhabited the hills and one false move on their part could be tragedy for Lómëmir.
Together they waited until day when the orcs would be much less active, while they formulated plans and studied entrances and exits from the tunnels. Just as they were about to move with morning's sun rising, a band of Avari Elves set upon them, encircling them.
Gandalf met Morion with nothing but unhidden fury that he would dare to think to stand in their way out of pride instead of helping them, since they all shared the same cause and goal. Naturally, Gandalf was known to even the reclusive Elf-king, and even revered by him, a very rare thing indeed. But when the heart is woken with desire, even the oldest currents of reverence may suddenly shift course. Though the wrath in the eyes of Legolas and Gandalf would have been enough to daunt most others, Morion ordered them to be bound and left where they were. He would not risk someone else intervening on his Lady's behalf, and it was partly borne of the guilt he felt at having put her in a dangerous situation in the first place.
"You are naught but an irresponsible fool!" Gandalf shouted at the King as his guard bound the old wizard's hands.
"If you fail," Legolas said in a frighteningly low tone, "and any harm comes to her, you may expect to have your immortal life come to an end at my hands."
"A strange thing for you to say, O kin of mine," Morion rejoined to Legolas's threat.
"We are no kin!" Legolas spat back furiously.
"Are we not?" Morion asked teasingly. "My people remained by Cuiviénen, while yours went all the way to, what? Beleriand? And yet you think yourself so much higher than i? Haughty young prince, do you not know what happened to your poor Teleri kin? Yet you would threaten your own Moriquendi kin? Ha! You are no better than any Noldo."
With that Morion and his guards left the two helplessly and, seemingly, hopelessly bound, as they entered one of the many secret gates in the hills of Rhûn.
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Ok... so everybody knows what Morion is talking about right?