Knowing
The morning came all too swiftly and with it Aragorn felt his strength fade. He stumbled, then fell to his knees as the ground dipped unexpectedly. Sweat made his brown hair stick limply to his scalp and his face glistened in the morning light.
"Legolas," he gasped, unable to do more than that.
Legolas turned and catching sight of his fallen companion hurried back to his side. He knelt, grasping Aragorn's shoulders as the man seemed ready to topple over.
"I can go no further, mellon nin." Aragorn managed to say as he swayed in the elf's grasp. Legolas eased him to the ground brushing some of his sweat soaked hair from his face.
Legolas too was breathing heavily for they had run through the night. He could no longer hear their pursuers but he knew their enemy was relentless and clever. They would not stop the hunt.
"I will carry you then." Legolas said and reached for Aragorn's arms.
"No," gasped the ranger twisting away "leave me here and go on Legolas; they will not pursue you further."
Legolas' jaw tightened, he felt a kind of desperate anger take hold of him.
"I will not, and you should not ask me to! Have you forgotten what they are, what they have done to you already?"
Aragorn turned his head away, a faint tremor going through him. He squeezed his eyes shut.
"No," he whispered. "I have not forgotten." He opened his eyes and stared at Legolas.
"Have you?"
Legolas swallowed convulsively, the anger draining out of him like spent wave. His fingertips found the ragged scar on Aragorn's shoulder and traced it.
"Even so I will not leave you," he said.
ooo
Days earlier…
The trail did not end so much as widen into a dark and dank glade. It was littered with the bones and partially cured hides of animals. Some were tied together with brightly coloured feathers, others with plain vine. They were strung from trees and strewn on the forest floor. Some were hung on low growing shrub. There was a chain of skulls strung between two upright spears.
Erin gave a small cry and turned to Aragorn in fear. Legolas looked around him in disgust. The glade stank of rot and death. He held his bow low in front of him, arrow at rest but ready to fly, but no enemy presented themselves. He felt no life in the glade. Nevertheless his eyes constantly scanned the area.
Hugging the child against him Aragorn sought to find meaning in the detritus of the hunters. The brightly coloured clusters of bones and hide were clearly meant as a warning. Nay not merely a warning but a promised threat of demise; he did not touch any of the totems.
"Let us move on," said the ranger.
ooo
Legolas was forced to carry Aragorn for more than a mile. But at last he had to admit that his unfathomable strength had finally forsaken him. The dull ache that had taken hold of his body the day before had turned into a shrieking full-bodied sea of pain that screamed with every step, every twitch of muscle and every shuddering breath. Shaking like a bow held taunt for too long, he lowered his burden, long unconscious, to the forest floor.
He hunkered next to Aragorn, arms dangling between his legs, head down fighting for breath. Nausea washed over him as his empty stomach clenched spasmodically. He felt faint and his head throbbed with his every heartbeat.
"Not now Lasgalen" he chastised himself, taking deep breaths.
He wanted to do nothing more than just lie down and sleep. He slumped to all fours, hands digging into the rich earth.
ooo
Days earlier…
They found the entrance of the lair by mistake. Erin, who had been walking disconsolately a little off to the side, suddenly disappeared with a startled yelp. Eyes widening Legolas reached into a thick wall of bush. Aragorn drew his sword but as he did Legolas straightened up with a tiny smile.
"It's a cavern."
They found Erin to be unhurt except for a few small scrapes. Bu the fright he had had caused him to cling to Aragorn.
He held the sobbing child who had shown more mettle than most grown men.
The ceiling was too low for either the elf or man to walk upright. The passage was narrow, carved out of jagged calcite and wound along in one direction.
The tunnel was not entirely dark for the roots of the plant life above had broken through in certain areas. Earth sifted down on their shoulders as they crept forward, Legolas in the lead. Erin walked behind Aragorn hands gripping onto his overcoat tightly.
In a particularly dark section Legolas stopped and reached back. Aragorn felt the elf's hand squeeze his knee. He edged forward until he was level with him.
"What is it?" he whispered.
"I hear sounds, human voices and something else, like a creature in pain. Also the air is getting warmer. We will soon be within sight and sound of those ahead."
ooo
Foraging was far easier that day than it had been just two days ago. Legolas soon had an armful of succulent berries and edible tubers that he had found not too far away from their resting place. Aragorn would not eat them. Legolas cupped a handful of berries to the ranger's mouth, but Aragorn pulled away. Legolas forced his mouth open and put some in, but Aragorn spat them out as soon as Legolas released his head. Legolas rocked back on his heels exasperated.
"They taste foul," croaked the ranger breathing heavily.
"These are perfectly fine. I've eaten half myself."
Swallowing wearily Aragorn shook his head again in negation.
Legolas cocked his head and considered. "I will get you meat," he said.
ooo
Days earlier…
The narrow tunnel spilled out into a hollowed out cavern that was well lit by breaks in the ceiling. The grey brown walls that stretched away into the distance were pitted and rough; the floor not much better. Huge rocky protrusions grew up from the ground to meet giant teeth like growths that hung from the ceiling. But all that was secondary to what was in the middle of the cavern itself.
The pillar of stone was huge. It stretched from the bottom of the cave floor to the very top. It would take five grown men holding hands to completely encircle it. Yet, what made it so entrancing to the man, elf and boy huddled at the tunnel's mouth was the thrashing howling thing tied to it. A thing it had become for he had long lost his wits. The youth, for young man he was, was completely unclothed. He had been covered in the blood of his friends, neighbours and father. He was tied to the pillar by lengths of rope wrapped around his waist, wrists and ankles. His wailing was high pitched and horrible. At his feet were the headless bodies of the people of the village of Balar.
Legolas felt when the small body crouched next to him leapt up. Faster then Erin could draw breath, faster than he could run, Legolas clamped a firm hand over his mouth grabbed him around the waist and rolled backward into the narrow tunnel. Erin was fighting. He struggled against Legolas bucking and wriggling, but Legolas only pressed him tighter against his chest. Tears spilled down Erin's cheeks in frustration.
'It's my brother," he wanted to scream. "It's Muin, help him, help him!'
"I know tithen pen," Legolas whispered "Iston."
ooo
The scent of the cooking birds made Aragorn's mouth water. Legolas had dug out a hollow in the earth, placed the cleaned carcasses in and made a cairn of sorts over them so that the birds would cook faster. The small fire burned fiercely keeping the chill of the afternoon winds at bay.
Legolas studied the ranger carefully between half closed lids while they waited. Aragorn was sitting close to the fire hugging his knees to his chest. His grey eyes were fixed on the stones covering the birds. He seemed to be relaxed almost hypnotised by the flames, but Legolas could see his chest rising and falling erratically. A vein throbbed on the side of his neck and his temple. Ever so often his fingers would clench of their own accord.
Legolas had hoped they would make it to Imladris before the next cycle of the moon, but Aragorn's injury and resulting weakness had forced them to journey much slower and more carefully. Of course there was the Druedain. They had been herding them subtly away from all paths of escape. Over the past days Legolas had been shifting direction because their enemy had moved to block their way to the great North West road. So far they had made no move to recapture Aragorn, or attack him and this bothered him greatly. They knew he was without weapons and thus could not defend against them. Why did they wait?
ooo
Days earlier…
There were five small men with wooden spears guarding the pitiful thing tied to the pillar. They wore rough homespun cloth dyed red around their loins. Their pale bodies were well muscled and tattooed blue with images of different animals. Their hair was long, worn free and the colour of autumn leaves. Each warrior wore a wolf's paw around his neck on a thin cord.
Legolas spoke softly, directly into Aragorn's ear.
"The boy or the warriors?" he asked.
"The boy, you are better than I with the bow." Aragorn whispered back.
"At dusk then, when the light is fading."
The five died silently and quickly.
Aragorn knocked the boy unconscious, cut through the thick ropes and hoisted him onto his shoulders in seconds. They fled back through the tunnel, the poignant scent of blood and death going with them.
ooo
Aragorn ate with a single minded intensity that was frightening to watch. Legolas had barely uncovered the cooked birds when Aragorn snatched them, still hot from the earth and tore into them with a rabid haste. He hunched over gnawing into flesh and bone, almost sobbing between bites. Perturbed Legolas reached out, but Aragorn growled low down in his throat and Legolas snatched his hand away, eyes wide.
ooo
Days earlier…
It was full night by the time they had struggled to the surface. Legolas carried Erin upon his back as speed was of the utmost importance now. They sped down the trail knowing that very soon the slain men would be discovered and they would be pursued. Erin held onto Legolas tightly for the elf was running full out and the speed at which they went terrified him.
ooo
"Forgive me Legolas." Aragorn pleaded as Legolas helped him to his feet hours later.
"It is no matter Aragorn." Legolas replied softly, but he did not look at the ranger.
"Please mellon nin," Aragorn's broken plea hurt Legolas' heart.
He raised troubled blue eyes to his friends pale face. Aragorn's grey eyes were wide and vulnerable, his very soul laid bare.
'Do not forsake me,' begged those eyes. 'Do not abandon me to them…'
Legolas pulled him into a rough embrace and blinked back bitter tears. He lent some of his waning strength and spirit to the dunedan. It was no surprise that harsh sobs spilled out of Aragorn as they stood there in the midst of the day.
To
Deana thank you for the compliment.
Invisigoth3 I hope you enjoy the journey
Puss Thank you very much. ( Nice name)
AM Hope you like the rest
Mornflower Thanks for the heads up, As you see I took your advice
Angel. I aim to please and you made me grin very widely.
Kestrel of Valinor I hope that you liked this chapter also. May the sun always sun upon you village.
Shanna Mi amiga mia tus palabras siempre dan alegria a mi corazon.