See part one for disclaimer. Responses to reviews at end of chapter.

Encroaching Darkness Part 12

By Ecri

Gandalf rode with unnatural speed through the woods and paths of Middle-earth. With no clear destination in mind except the knowledge that he was needed to battle an evil that should not yet be awakened, he allowed his horse to find what path it would trusting that Eru was guiding both beast and wizard. He knew, sensed somehow, that his riding companions, The Lord and Lady of the Golden Wood and their entourage, were keeping pace behind him, though he also knew they would not be able to for long.

The sense of urgency that had gripped him before he'd started this headlong gallop through Middle-earth had only increased. He was certain he would need to continue to enhance the speed at which he traveled, but he could not spare the energy and effort it would cost him to cast the spell over the entire group. If one or two followed closely, they might find themselves caught in his backwash and speeding ahead at unimaginable speeds but that could not be helped.

To move them all along would leave him spent when he got to wherever he was going. With the certainty he felt that his skills would be sorely needed there, he could not risk arriving unable to offer assistance. The others would have to keep up as best they could.

He drove relentlessly forward and the horse, through a combination of spells and of his instinctual knowledge of his master's needs, rode as far and as fast as he was asked. The only thing Gandalf knew was in his favor was that the weather had not yet turned. A storm was brewing, however. He felt it in his bones. Whether natural or unnatural, he could not yet tell.

The sense he'd had earlier of the Wizards had disturbed him. He had sensed not only their presence, but also their intentions. Dark and dangerous, the spell he had heard across the distances was one that would only strengthen the Shadow. He shuddered at the thought that any of his kind might betray their very purpose on Middle-earth, but he could think of nothing that would explain away the malicious intent of such a spell. The scream that followed had come almost precisely as the spell had fallen away, but he could not be sure which had come first. Had the spell's end brought on a scream or had the scream—caused by something else he could not imagine—brought on the spell's end? As he considered both possibilities, he realized that those weren't the only two options. It was possible something else entirely had brought about both.

Forcing such pointless speculations from his mind, Gandalf urged his horse to even greater speeds.

**

Celeborn watched his wife for some sign of fatigue or fear as they trailed behind Gandalf. He knew what the Wizard had seen for he had shared some small glimpse of it himself, though, he was certain, with much less detail. The extent of his own vision was in the sense of dread and doom that had all but overwhelmed him. Galadriel's vision was one she was not sharing. He knew she would eventually give him details, but as it had happened, she had only sought his hands and held tightly until Gandalf had spurred them all into motion.

Celeborn knew his people looked to him for wisdom. Celeborn the Wise they called him, as did those of other races, but for whatever wisdom he had earned in the long centuries of his life, it was in times like these that he knew in his heart that it was through Eru's grace that they would defeat their enemy. Eru had given those he had created free will to choose their course. If too many chose the course of evil, then the Shadow would grow, but should light push back the encroaching darkness, then the Shadow would diminish.

He turned his head slightly to see his wife and watched a small smile appear on Galadriel's face. She turned to him with the love of millennia in her eyes, and he knew that she guessed how concerned he was for her. Smiling back at her, he put a question into his eyes.

She nodded ever so slightly—a motion few would have detected save her husband—and he felt his fears calm slightly. If she were not yet overwhelmed, then he knew there was yet something they could do. They would not fail. He would do all in his power to curtail the spread of darkness. Iluvatar's Will be done, he thought, as he urged his horse forward.

**

The struggle should have brought him some measure of fear, he knew, but he remained oddly calm. It was with a great sense of triumph that he finally wrenched his eyes open. His confusion only increased when his surroundings remained a blur. He drew in a deep breath and blinked a few times before he was finally able to bring the world into focus.

The panic that he had not felt when his eyes would not open hit him now as he realized he could not move his limbs. With great effort, he turned his head seeking some assurance that his twin was nearby and well. His heart skipped a beat when he realized that his brother was indeed nearby, but that his eyes were closed as well.

As Elladan watched, Elrohir struggled as though trying to lift some great weight from him. Elladan cursed his inability to help. He opened his mouth thinking he might, at the very leas, be able to wake his brother, if this was indeed sleep. His first attempt to speak produced little more than a strangled sound. His throat was parched, but he tried again and was rewarded. "Elrohir?" He called again and again, his voice clearing and gaining strength as he did. It was on his fourth attempt to awaken his brother that he realized he could move.


He wanted nothing more than to rush to Elrohir's side, but that was too ambitious an undertaking. His eyes scanned the camp and he frowned as he realized that Elrond, Estel, and Legolas were missing. Pushing both the thought and the fear it brought from his mind, he returned his attention to his brother.

Elladan felt strength seeping slowly back into his limbs. Flexing his arms and legs, he finally felt able to reach Elrohir. Slowly at first the elder twin felt his muscles giving in to his commands. Forcing himself to sit up, he crawled closer to his brother and placed his hands on Elrohir's shoulders. Shaking gently, he called again. "Elrohir! Please" before he could say more, his brother's eyes snapped open.

"Elladan?" He croaked, but the voice lacked strength and volume.

Elladan nodded anyway, understanding his twin perfectly. "Yes! Elrohir, can you sit?"

Elrohir struggled to rise and cast a wary glance around their campsite. "Elladan! What has happened? Where is Ada?"

Elladan shook his head. "I know no more than you, my brother. He was missing when I awoke a short time ago. So are Estel and Legolas. The fire seems to have gone out, and the rest of our companions are still asleep."

Elrohir's frown matched his brother's as he turned to look at the others. Glorfindel, Aglaralen "What could cause this?"

Elladan shook his head slightly, but it still felt slightly clouded. "Whatever it was, we should check on them. Can you stand?"

"Can you?" Elrohir replied. He stood slowly, and the brothers leaned heavily on each other. It seemed that the very act cleared their thoughts and restored their strength.

Elladan knelt by Glorfindel. He called softly to the older elf in elvish, and, when he got no response, called again slightly louder. Again getting no response, he turned to Elrohir who knelt by Aglarelen. The younger twin shook his head, but before he could say a word, he turned his head, listening intently.

Elladan copied the motion and realized that horses were approaching and at a high speed. Elladan counted at least two nearby and somewhere further away as many as fiveperhaps more. He shook his head, which was pounding. Feeling something shoved into his hands, he looked down to see his sword. Elrohir had retrieved both their weapons and seemed insistent that he be armed.

It was then that a single horse, moving so swiftly that it seemed he'd simply materialized before them, entered the small clearing. Pulled up short by its rider, the stallion maintained a grace of movement few horses could match. Impressed at the spectacle and still feeling the effects of what Elladan was now certain must have been some illness, the eldest of Elrond's sons barely contained his surprise when he saw who sat astride the noble steed.

"Mithrandir!" Elladan rushed forward, though he placed a hand to his head as he did so.

Gandalf frowned at the elf as he slid off the horse. "Elladan, are you unwell?"

Elladan offered a small, tentative smile. "I am not myself." He gestured weakly to the camp. "None seem to have escaped the malady, except Ada, Estel, and Legolas, who seem to have escaped entirely."

Gandalf took in the sight of Elrohir and Elladan standing weakly amongst the others. He dismounted and was at Glorfindel's side in an instant. He nodded thoughtfully to himself. "He will wake soon. Whatever has struck you all down weakens even as we speak. He closed his eyes forcing his mind again to seek direction. When he opened them, he stared at Elladan. "You say your father, Estel and Legolas have disappeared?"

When Elladan nodded, his eyes locked on the Wizards. Realization hit him. "This is no malady. Something sought them out."

Gandalf shook his head slowly. "I have no answers to offer, Elladan. I have been guided here for some purpose and, since it cannot be to help you, I must assume that I am needed elsewhere. I will try to follow your father."

"We will go with you, Mithrandir." Elladan moved to collect what he would need to travel but was stopped short by the Wizard's iron grip on his forearm.

"Nay. You will wait here." He gestured back the way he had come. "Your grandmother and grandfather are following not far behind me. Tell them which way I went. There may be need of their skills as well."


Elladan paled at the idea of something formidable enough to require the attention of Gandalf, Lord Elrond, Lady Galadriel, and Lord Celeborn.

Gandalf opened his mouth as though to offer some consolation, but snapped it shut again.

Elladan watched as he mounted and rode away whispering a prayer to Iluvatar that all would be well.

**

Aragorn took the knife Legolas thrust into his hand and hefted it testing its balance. His eyes never strayed from the Blue Wizard before him as he sought some weakness, some vulnerability that would give them an advantage.

Finding nothing encouraging, he took a few steps slightly away from Legolas, who leaned heavily against the wall not daring to put any weight on his broken ankle. Aragorn knew his friend's usual agility would have been hindered by his lack of elven senses, but with the pain from the broken bone, Legolas would be unable to fight even at the lesser human standards he had begun to accept as normal.

The Ranger moved again, swiftly and suddenly, hoping his movements would draw the Wizard's attention and keep Legolas safe for a few more moments. He felt his heart sink when the Wizard's eyes remained fixed on Legolas. The Maia raised his arm, a bony finger pointing at the prince. Legolas fell backward as though hit by some invisible force.

Aragorn heard the escape of air from Legolas' lips and knew he was winded. Forcing himself to attack, he lunged at the blue-robed figure, only to be flung aside by the smallest of gestures. He struck the ground hard on his right side, but refused to stay there. Struggling to stand, he glanced toward Legolas and saw the prince pulling himself upright and stumbling forward slightly.

Legolas slashed outwards with his long knife, but the Wizard only smiled his evil, humorless smile.

Aragorn struck again, hoping to be able to hit his mark while their assailant was focused on his friend. The blow caused the Wizard to stumble, and he turned to face the Ranger. Aragorn had not expected the wild-eyed enraged visage that turned towards him, and when the Blue Wizard raised an arm and flung it in his direction, Aragorn was not prepared for the strength of the force that struck him. Flying backwards several feet, Aragorn was stunned when he hit the wall, more because he was pinned to it by the same invisible force that had struck him than because of the not inconsiderable pain it caused. He struggled to pull away from the stone at his back but to no avail. He looked again at the Wizard who stepped closer to him and he tried not to think what the look of anticipation on its wizened face might mean.

**

Legolas, horrified by Aragorn's predicament, tried to force himself away from the support of the stone wall by his side. His foot would not take his weight, but he was able to turn and with a half-hobble, half-hop he managed to get once again within the limited range of his only weapon. The Blue Wizard raised his hand to strike at the helplessly immobile Aragorn, and Legolas let out a warrior's cry to distract him and break his concentration as the elf threw himself bodily at the Maia stabbing in a downwards motion with his blade.

Hoping against hope that Estel had been released from his captivity when Legolas attracted the Wizard's full attention, the elf didn't spare a glance back at his friend for fear that he would bring the man under the Wizard's scrutiny once more.

Legolas knew there was little chance of escape for him. He could not run with this injury to his foot, nor did he put much faith in his ability to find his way out of this dank, dark hole. He prayed to Eru to give him strength for what he was sure was his final battle and to lead Aragorn away. That the man might leave him now was perhaps a foolish hope, but he desperately prayed that his friend would understand that Legolas was giving him a chance to escape. Perhaps he could rouse Lord Elrond and the others. Surely, Glorfindel and Lord Elrond together could defeat such an enemy as this!

Landing in a tangle of limbs and robes, Legolas and the Wizard struggled for a time until the Wizard somehow seemed to grow. Whether it was illusion or not, Legolas felt as though the Maia were somehow too big to be contained within the cavern let alone by his own weak attempts to subdue such a creature. He felt a hand reach around him and grasp his neck forcing his head back until he looked the Maia in the eye.

Shivering as though from a sudden chill, Legolas felt his limbs lose their strength. He heard, as though from a great distance, the sound of his knife hitting the ground, falling from his slackened grip. He felt his eyes widen in horror and stare into the dark depths of this Maia who had fallen to Shadow, but he was unable to tear them away. He felt a cold numbness grow outwards from the pit of his stomach until it engulfed him. He felt the Maia enter his thoughts. The cackle of triumph it released as it tore through his mind brought one realization to the injured prince. It is over. Eru forgive me! I cannot fight this!

**

Aragorn slid slowly down the length of the wall surprised by the sudden release. He saw his friend freeze in the Wizard's grip and he heard the sickening choking gurgle as Legolas tried to say something. Raising his knife, he hurled it with all his remaining strength at the Wizard. Breaking its hold on Legolas was all that mattered. He would not allow his friend to suffer once more on his behalf.

The blade flew straight at the Wizard's face and struck it in the eye. A cry of rage and pain echoed through the cave, but to Aragorn's horror, the Blue Wizard's grip on Legolas did not slacken. Instead, he seemed to tighten his hold around the former elf.

Staring at Aragorn, the Blue Wizard hefted his burden letting the Ranger see that he was still in charge. He smiled a hideous smile as he plucked the knife from his own eye barely caring that his eye remained on the blade.

The blade. Aragorn now realized the full folly of his action, for, as the Wizard moved towards him, dragging Legolas in one hand and hefting his bloodied blade in the other, Aragorn realized he was alone and unarmed.

**

Lord Elrond had never seen a cave like this one. Labyrinthine twists and turns, dead end trails, and crumbling stalagmites and stalactites frustrated every effort the Elf Lord made to find his son and the Prince. He reached another stone wall, and threw his hands up in irritation. It was then that a great cry of rage met his ears. Turning, he retraced his steps following the sound, but its echoes sought to confuse him further. It wasn't until his sharp elven senses picked up the sound of battle that he was able to pick his way through the labyrinth towards where he was certain he would find his son.

What had lured them here Elrond could not guess. That his son would wander away from their campsite with his best friend in tow at the precise time that the rest of them were stricken with some unknown curse worried him. A plot it must be, but whom, he wondered was behind it?

Speculation was pointless at the moment, he decided, as he hurried his pace. The sounds he had heard had altered and a great elvish war cry had reached him. Recognizing the Prince's new, altered, and quite human-sounding voice, Elrond was also able to hear the anguish that laced those tones. Something, he was certain, had happened to Aragorn.

To come so close and be too late to help was something the Lord of the Last Homely House would not endure. Breaking into a graceful, yet frantic run, he finally reached a widened area in the cave. The sight that greeted him was not one he would ever forget even should he live to the end of all time: Aragorn stared weaponless at the towering blue-cloaked Wizard who held the limp form of the Prince of Mirkwood in his hand. The imposing form moved with purpose and a barely contained lust for blood as it closed the distance that separated him from Estel. The Elvish knife he held in his hand was raised and caught what little light remained within the cavern.

Elrond's heart froze for a moment, skipping a beat. Raising both hand and voice, Elrond concentrated every fiber of his being, every nuance of his elven heart, every corner of his immortal soul onto the one weapon he possessed that could yet even these odds, or, indeed, tip them in his favor.

Vilya sparkled on his finger as the words of an elvish spell came unbidden to his lips.

To Be Continued


Deana: I hope this was soon enough! I'm glad you enjoyed the Elrond scene!

Leggylover03: More Estel angst (and pain!) on the way!


Templa Otema: Don't be silly! I don't mind wrap up reviews, just so long as they're reviews. There's nothing pointless in any review! First, I'm thrilled that you think this is "brilliantly written"! What a flattering thing for an author to hear! I was hesitant to tackle the Legolas-becomes-human scenario because I was worried about where the plot bunny would take me! I'm glad I did, however, since it has been a challenge and I love challenges. I believe Legolas is a strong character and wouldn't give up or grow overly melancholy if this were to happen. Sure, he's going to have some problems and some doubtsthat's only human! Hee! I'm also tickled that you like the Galadriel arc! There's more to come from that group! As for Thranduil, I've always preferred the nice Thranduil stories. I don't believe he would be nasty or mean to Legolas. All in all, I'm thrilled that you took the time to send such a detailed review! It means a lot to me, and I couldn't be happier that you liked the story and characterizations enough to tell me about it! Thanks so much! Keep reading and reviewing!

Catherinexxix: Thanks! I'm getting a lot of positive feedback about Elrond! I'm glad he's coming across so well. I can't tell you how much it means to me that you think both Aragorn and Legolas appear to be strong characters! You've e-mailed before and told me how much you love Elrond and Galadriel, so I'm glad my characterization rings true for you! Thanks, and keep reading and reviewing!


Strider's Girl: Thanks! Wow! What great reviews I'm getting! It does seem sort of hopeless for our heroes, doesn't it? They're going to have some hard time getting out of this! I'm thrilled that you like Gandalf! He's a great character and so much fun to write! Thanks again and keep reading and reviewing!

Sirithiliel, Gozilla, Jadesaber, Ithildiel, Just Me: Thanks! Glad you like the angst!

IslaQS: Thank you! I'm glad you like the story I have to tell! Wow! You read it all in an afternoon! That's flattering! Thank you so much! Your English is actually very good, by the way. Happy New Year to you, too!

Grumpy: Thanks! Yes, there's a lot going on just now with angry wizards! Gandalf will be there soon!


White Wolf1: Yes! That's what I was going forthat whole being unable to get away feeling that we all get sometimes, even if only in dreams! I'm so glad you saw that! More Elrond and Gandalf soon!

Chloe Amethyst: I agree about Elrond. That's why I had him run to the rescue. He's rarely in the thick of the fight in fanficsat least in the ones I've read. It took me awhile to stumble onto the device of using Aragorn's awakening to draw the reader in, but once I did, things seemed to work a lot better! Thanks again for the review!