Thanks to Aranna Undomiel for pointing out the ? I missed the first time through! Any more, let me know! Thanks! --Rhys ;)
You are all in luck, ffNET came back up in time for me to squeeze out this last update before I scarper off for break! I'll try to get the next part out as soon as I can, but when that will be I cannot say. No promises, save for a rather disappointing one: the every two or three day schedule that this story was more-or-less on will not come back for a while, and as if that wasn't bad enough news, I can't even promise that it will return when I come back to college, as I don't know what the workload from my new classes will be. But good news, even in the face of finals (okay, so not really, all I have left is one essay test that I can pull out of thin air) and serious annoyances in the uploading department—as in, my lovely dashes, ellipses, and apostrophes don't show up! So if you see any random and out-of-place question marks, they're supposed to be one of those three things; please let me know so I can correct those I miss—we have...
Chapter Eleven: We Are Coming
Suddenly Legolas stopped, his hand slipping free of the dwarf's shoulder. Gimli turned to scold him, but the elf pressed a hand to his friend's lips to keep him silent. He closed his eyes—it made no difference in the darkness, but it helped him concentrate—and listened. There it was again!
"Gimli, I hear him!"
"What? Where?" the dwarf exclaimed.
"This way," Legolas cried, grabbing Gimli's hand to pull him after him. "Hurry!"
"Wait—Legolas—you don't know where you're going—" he tried to protest.
"Eldarion!" Legolas called, ignoring his friend. "We hear you! We are coming!"
———
Eldarion sagged with relief. He couldn't make out words exactly, but he had heard the cry. "I'm over here! Uncles! Over here!" He continued to shout, knowing his friends would need something to follow to find him, but he hardly felt his head's protests at the noise.
He'd known everything would be fine. Legolas and Gimli would be here soon. His uncles would never let anything happen to him.
———
"Here, Gimli!" Legolas exclaimed excitedly, pressing a sharply pointed ear against the rough rock. "Eldarion, we are here!" he called. "Do not worry!"
"Is he all right?" Gimli asked anxiously.
Legolas held up a hand that his friend could not possibly see in the darkness to silent him, but they had been so close for so long that the actual gesture was not needed so much as the intention of it; they could nearly sense the other's movements. "Eldarion," Legolas shouted through the thick rock, "are you harmed?"
"No," came the muffled response. "I'm just stuck!" Frustration was evident in the child's voice. Legolas could not help the shiver of fear that ran through him. What would it feel like to be alone in the dark, unable to move to seek for help? It was likely good for them all that the boy had not been able to wander, but to be in that situation—and when so young? The Elf firmly shook such thoughts from his head.
"He says he is unharmed," Legolas reported tightly to the dwarf waiting anxiously at his side, "but he is 'stuck' there."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Gimli growled. Legolas could hear the dwarf pull something determinedly from his belt and step forward, tensing to swing at the wall.
"Wait," Legolas caught his friend's wrist unerringly in the blackness. "If you bring the wall down—"
The elf could sense the scathing glare directed at him. "Listen, Elf," the dwarf bristled, "I am not about to fell the entire wall. First, this is good, solid stone we are standing in. Secondly, the rock between the lad and us is quite thick. Third, I am going to chip away at it carefully until I have made a hole large enough for us to crawl though, and I am going to listen and stop far before there is the slightest possibility of danger. So leave caves to those who know them." Gimli pulled his hand free, but the elf did not step back. He could feel the half-imagined glimmer of eyes on him.
Gimli shifted self-consciously under the strong gaze. "What?" he snapped.
"That will take forever!" Legolas exclaimed.
"Have you a better plan?" he asked grumpily. Legolas could tell that his friend already knew what he was telling him, and was frightened at the thought of how much time he really would have to spend at it, but knew of no other way to reach the boy.
"Ay," said Legolas with a slight smile. "We go over it."
There was silence for a moment while Gimli gaped. "What madness is this?" he blurted out at last.
"If Eldarion fell in, as we did, then surely the hole will still be there. I cannot fathom why we did not think of this earlier—but all we need do is return to the broken upper level and find the proper opening through which to drop!"
Silence fell again and Gimli looked at his friend sadly. "Legolas..." he said, but his voice failed him. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Legolas. My friend...it is more than likely that the hole we seek will not even be accessible. Most of the floor has crumbled; that is why we find such rubble down here." He feared that his friend was reaching the end of his endurance in this dark cavern. "But then again," he said after a moment of deep thought, "perhaps you are right. You shall return and search for the opening, while I begin the work down here—just in case. Light the torches that are still scattered somewhere up there so that you will be able to avoid falling down any more pits. Here, I shall lead you back so you do not get lost—"
A hand on his shoulder cut the dwarf off. "Gimli," Legolas said firmly, "cease. I am not going to break because of the cave. Do not coddle me." The elf's eyes flashed a moment, two spots of harsh light in the black gloom.
They stared sightlessly at one another, eyes centered on faces invisible in the dark through long association and familiarity. At last, Gimli heaved a heavy sigh. "I am not trying to 'coddle you,' my friend," he said softly. "I am simply worried for you."
Legolas's hand tightened in thanks, wordlessly expressing his understanding. "I know," he replied in a whisper. "But I will be all right. It is Eldarion whom we now need fear for. He is found, but we have yet to find him."
"And that has me worried as well, and no doubt on edge," Gimli admitted sourly. "I truly have no idea how we are going to get the child out of there..."
A swift flutter of fingers against his lips stilled his words and he waited, ears straining to catch whatever it was Legolas had heard—or sensed, or whatever it was that the elf had done for his attention to be so suddenly ensnared.
"Gimli," when Legolas spoke again his voice was a gasp of barely contained excitement. "There is a way in! I can hear it—Eldarion's words come not only through the rock, but down the tunnel, as well!"
"What? Where?" Gimli started forward, stumbling into the elf in his haste.
"This way," Legolas breathed anxiously, again grabbing Gimil's hand to tug the dwarf after him. "Eladrion," he called to the boy, "we are coming for you!" They flew down the tunnel together, only barely keeping from stumbling over rubble that the elf's senses dodged just in time. "We are coming little one," he whispered to himself. "Hold on."
Gimli could not bring his suddenly dry mouth to echo the words, but he repeated them in his heart.
We are coming. We are coming. Hold on. We are coming...
Reviewer Responses:
Deana — Don't worry! I won't make you wait until January! It will just be a lot longer in between updates than it has been until then! I have internet access at home, but I can't hook my laptop to it, which is where all my stories are right now, so I'll need to transfer the files on to the main computer at home before I can post them. I'll update, I promise, it just won't be every two or three days like it has been during school! Especially as I'm almost caught up to what I had pre-written and I don't write as fast as I post, and I won't have as much time to write at home as I do here, since I really don't have anything else to do aside from homework. Who wants to go out partying? Boring! I promise, I'll update as much as I can! I just want to warn you all so you don't think I've forgotten about you! I get so happy when I see your reviews—they're always there almost as soon as I post! I love it! It's so nice to see that someone is so interested in my story! :) Please don't die? That would be bad! It would make me very, very sad!
Alatariel — Oh good, more music for the soundtrack! That is the question, is it not? smirk!
Alma— I have nothing up my sleeve. No, no, no... And Eldarion says thank you very much, he feels much better now thanks to your reassurance. Yay, update soon! And I love randomness! Much fun! And—oh, what's that? Hey, check out the weather, is that a storm on the horizon? Heh heh heh...
Jebb—I did hear that scream, yes. Very loud, much anguish. Am very sorry! I promise to do my best for all of you lovely people! Big hug!
Malara—Yay, you're back! does a little happy dance! I would like you to know, however, that I literally choked on my mini bagel when I read the "No, he magically FLEW!" section. I almost died! You think Scotty could have beamed them back up out of there? I'm so glad you're back; your reviews are the funniest things! And don't worry, I will never ask. Have a carrot. And thanks for telling us what Legolas is really thinking. I'm sure that helped everyone understand it a lot better! ;) Well, they're still running, so tie your shoes and grab your carrot and come on for the race! Damn "speed of the three hunters" thing—they're hard to keep up with! Thank goodness Eldarion isn't that fast. He slows them down enough I can catch up...kinda...
Aranna— Welcome to the story, and thank you sooo much! :) I'm sorry I've made you uncomfortable. Wow, I never thought of that. Yeah, I have no problem with small/dark spaces either, but I wonder if too many Legolas angst stories might impair that. Hmm...interesting! If you want to be more uncomfortable, you can look at the companion one-shots by Thundera Tiger Musings and Torchlight... I guess this is something else to add to the Risks of Writing Fanfiction, which is already a pretty considerable list...And again, I promise to update as soon as I can (depending on when ffNET goes back up on Tues I might even be able to get one out, literally, on my way out the door. I'll try!) because I don't want to leave anyone hanging uncomfortably, I love you all so much! BIG SMILES!
And EXTRA SPECIAL THANKS to Katatonia who sent me an e-mail with her reviews while ffNET was down for upgrades. Here I was, thinking I was going to have to go three long days with no reviews to look forward to, and I not only get one but two reviews for both this and my Mary Sue vignette! Barrels of love for you, Katatonia! I wish I could help you get a sword! Instead, I'll give you a HUGE HUG from myself and the three boys. SMOTHER!
And hey, "lurkers"—come out and join the review craziness! Yes, you, too, can become a part of this insanity! Doesn't that sound lovely? Wait—why are you running away? Is that a straight jacket? Come back! ;)
Anyway, enjoy whatever holidays your wintery season might possess, or just enjoy the time off from school and work. And snow, should you receive any of that! Man, it's 73 today...and it's like 40 (Farenheit) at home. I am gonna die... But oh well, I'm eager to get back and see my friends and kittens. Now if only I could see them, and have time to play on ffNET and write my stories. But I guess that gives me something to look forward to for when I come back. Happy Thanksgiving Americans, and Happy Winter all! :D