Disclaimer: See chapter 1.
Author's Note: Warning Cliffhanger ahead. I think I will duck now.
Unexpected Occupants
The rest of the trip up the west side of the Misty Mountains was uneventful. The nervous silence that had started there trip was replaced by playful bantering as Aragorn and Legolas told stories of their past adventures. Atavus wasn't sure if they were exaggerating, or if her two new friends really did draw trouble to themselves, but she was greatly entertained by the stories.
They weren't very far from the north pass over the Misty Mountains when Atavus decided to start searching out a cave to spend the winter in.
"Are you sure about this Atavus? I don't know if I would feel comfortable knowing you were living out here all alone." Aragorn asked after they had searched the fifth cave they came upon to discover that it was home to a bear family.
"Aragorn I will be just fine. We are close enough to Imladris that I should be able to hunt for food, and if I find a cave low enough in the ranges I should not have to worry too much about getting snowed in. The only thing now is finding a cave." Atavus asked picking a path through the rock and boulder that surrounded her. "You know you two don't have to stay and help me find a cave. I can manage on my own. I know you are eager to get back to your family." Aragorn had told her that he had an adoptive elf family in Rivendell, but she did not know yet who they were.
"No I would never leave you out here on your own, unless I knew you were ready for the winter, and I know Legolas wouldn't either." Aragorn answered her watching Legolas enter another cave ahead of them.
"No I wouldn't." They could hear Legolas' voice echo off the cave walls.
Atavus entered the cave behind Legolas, but was brought to a sudden halt because Legolas had stopped right inside the opening of the cave. Her sense of smell automatically picked up the scent that had stopped Legolas' forward movement. "Orcs." She hissed between her teeth.
Aragorn had not seen them stop and ran into the back of Atavus. He began to question them but the scent assailed him also and he kept quiet.
"Legolas do you see anything?" Atavus whispered, knowing the elf's site was slightly better than her own.
"No the cave is empty, but I don't think it has been long. They are probably living here." He said looking around and seeing many personal belongings of the orcs.
"By the Valar. I did not want orcs for neighbors this winter." Atavus cursed softly.
"Hopefully you won't have to. We can wait above the cave opening until they come back and surprise them." Legolas suggested.
"I don't know." Atavus worried about her friends getting hurt. She remembered the stories they had told her about always showing up in Rivendell with at least one of them being hurt. She did not want to be the cause this time.
"We are bound to do something Atavus. The orcs are too close to Rivendell. They have to be destroyed." Aragorn reasoned.
She knew he was right, but the idea that if something happened to them it would be her fault still lingered in her mind.
"Come let us find a good position above the mouth of this cave." Legolas said beginning to push them back to the mouth of the cave, but stopped as they heard something outside. "Move back. Someone's coming." They all moved into the back corners of the cave kneeling behind some rocks. Aragorn ended up separated from them.
Atavus grimaced to see ten orcs enter the entrance to the cave. "We have to fight." She whispered with a scowl on her face. "I don't like fighting in such a cramped space though."
Legolas nodded his agreement. "If we rush them we might have the element of surprise on our side." Legolas suggested in hushed tones.
Just then they saw Aragorn bolt out of his hiding spot and rush the first orc with his sword drawn and ready.
"Reckless human." Legolas said rising to join his friend.
Atavus had been right. Fighting in the cramped space did make things harder, especially with very little light. She feared the possibility of striking one of her friends with her own sword, but as luck would have it she managed to work her way to the door where she was followed by three orcs she was fighting. She glimpsed Aragorn and Legolas still fighting in the cave back to back. The orcs she was facing had singled her out separating her from her friends knowing she would be the weakest of the three. But she was holding her own until she felt her foot on the edge of the rock slab in front of the cave entrance. She was in trouble. She remembered that there was a fifteen-foot drop below that rock, and it would be a hard landing.
Aragorn finished the orc he was fighting and rushed forward seeing Atavus begin to fall. Luckily a few feet down from the lip of the slab there was a small sapling growing from a crevice in the rock. Atavus was just able to hold on to the sapling with one arm. Unluckily though her other shoulder impacted harshly with the rock face. Stars swum before her eyes, but she did not let go of the sapling. She could hear swords clashing above as Aragorn fought the orcs that had forced her over the cliff. After a moment she heard shuffling noises as Aragorn got on his knees looking over the rock ledge. "Atavus. Hold on. I'll get you up from there." He extended his hand as far as his arm could reach, but could not reach the hand grabbing the sapling. "Can you reach up with your other arm and grab my hand?" His response was a groan as she began to lift the arm.
"My shoulder's dislocated." She called back up to him.
"Your about six foot above the ground below. Do you think you could drop without hurting yourself? I can find another way down there to you then." He asked skeptically.
"I think so." She said looking down assessing how would be the best way to land, and not lose her balance. She took a deep breath, braced her feet against the rock face, and pushed off so she wouldn't hit it on her way down. She actually landed on her feet bending her knees to absorb the shock. She looked up to her friend smiling at her luck, but the smile turned into a look of horror. "Estel. Behind you."
Aragorn swung around in time to receive a stab wound in his side from one of the remaining orcs that had escaped Legolas who was still fighting in the cave entrance. He brought his own sword up and parried the next blow. His actions were slowed somewhat, but he was still able to best the orc slicing through its midsection. Legolas had just finished his last opponent also and walked to where Aragorn was standing. He could see Atavus standing below them. She called up to Legolas. "Legolas he's hurt. Side wound." He could see she had pain of her own, but quickly started searching Aragorn's side.
The wound had missed all major organs, but Legolas could see the poison just noticeable below the skin. "We have to get him to Rivendell. He's poisoned. Estel let me help you find a way down to where Atavus is." He said lending support to his friend.
"No you go ahead. Leave me here. I'll be fine. Get him to Rivendell." Atavus said shaking her head.
It was Aragorn who called out this time. "Your shoulder is dislocated. We will not leave you out here hurt and alone. If you stay, I stay?"
By the time they made it down to where Atavus was, the poison in Aragorn's system had begun to weaken him. Legolas laid him down and cleaned and bandaged the wound adding athalas plant to the bandage. Aragorn had dosed from the exhaustion he now felt. Then Legolas turned to Atavus. "Let me see your shoulder." He felt the joint, and could tell that yes it was dislocated. "I need to move that back into the right place."
"You should not tarry here messing with me. You should get him to Rivendell where the elves can help him. My kind of help I will not offer being so close to Rivendell. He can make it without me, and I think would prefer it that way." She said pulling back
"The truth is you can help me get him to Rivendell. If I relocate that shoulder you can use the other to help me carry him there. He won't be conscious much longer. I need your help." He pleaded. He knew if he played on her sympathy for Aragorn she would do it.
"Okay. But make it quick please." She pleaded. He could see the pain in her eyes that the joint was causing. He felt the joint picturing it in his mind, deciding just how he should turn it to get it right. He had done this many times before. It would not be hard. She was sitting against a large boulder and he held her body pushed back with one arm, as he pulled out with the other and slid the joint back into place. He could see the disorientated look in her eyes as the pain overwhelmed her for a moment.
"Try moving your arm." She complied and realized that a lot of the pain was gone.
"It worked." She smiled. It still hurt greatly, but nothing compared to before. She began to stand.
"Stop I need to make a sling for that arm." He said laying his hands on her shoulders.
"No time Legolas. Aragorn needs us to move now. I'll keep it close to my body and be careful." She said pushing up anyway.
"Okay." He answered realizing she wasn't going to wait.
They each took one side of the semi-conscious man, and half helped half dragged him out of the mountain range and into the woods surrounding Rivendell. It was becoming dark. Legolas knew they had been seen and was not surprised to hear two identical twin horses riding towards them, carrying two identical twin riders.
"By Eru Legolas, father is going to be furious when he sees you have brought Estel home half dead again." The one he thought was Elladan said dismounting quickly and taking Aragorn from their arms.
"The wound is poisoned Elladan. We must get him to your father fast." Legolas said showing him the wound.
"Pass him to me brother." Elrohir said reaching down for his youngest brother. "I will take him ahead to father. My horse is the swifter of our two."
Atavus made a noise in her throat as the twin took off down the path with her friend held securely.
"Don't worry Atavus. They are his brothers." Legolas said when he saw the distress in her eyes.
Elladan whistled loudly and another elf that Legolas had met before, but only briefly rode up. "Can we borrow your horse Elruic? Estel is injured and we need to get to Ada fast."
"Of course my lord." The elf dismounted and Legolas quickly swung up on the beautiful mare.
He reached down to Atavus, but she stepped back and shook her head. "You go. Estel is safe now. I must leave." She felt very wrong about entering the elven realm.
"Atavus he may still need your help." Legolas whispered. "What if we brought him too late?" She heard the distress in his voice, and placed her good arm in his hand as he swung her up behind him.
They rode to the Last Homely House and made their way into the home and up the stairs to Aragorn's own room, which is where Elrohir had taken him. Atavus could see a distinguished looking elf sitting on the edge of Estel's bed checking his wound. He sighed heavily.
"Ada, what is it?" Elladan asked from his place by the door.
"This is a very fast moving poison. I am afraid we might be too late to help him." Lord Elrond did not want to lie to his sons. "Come we must go to my medicine room, and collect some herbs. Help me." Elladan and Elrohir followed their ada with looks of despair on their faces.
Atavus and Legolas moved forward after they were gone each taking a seat on either side of Aragorn. "Legolas what of the great Lord Elrond. He is supposed to be the wisest healer in all of middle earth. Why do they not send for him?" Atavus asked bewildered.
"Atavus that is Lord Elrond. He is Estel's father." Legolas answered.
Review Responses:
invisigoth3: Well I'm not gonna tell you exactly where I'm going, but I will say that someone has to choose between friendship and duty, before it's overwith, and it is a hard decision.
Deana: Yes Legolas was upset, but he truly was not harmed by the transfusion and he knows that.
I think I should make a statement before I go any further. I know I am picturing the three friends as becoming very close, but this is not a romance. I am writing friendship only. Now let's see if we can find out how our friend Aragorn is fairing.
