Chapter 5: Endless pursuit
Dust swirled in the wind, behind to riders, pushing their horses hard. They were tired, from 4 days in a saddle and almost no trace of their quarry. It seemed amazing how far an elf could get so quickly on horse back. Aragorn rode a brown mare; her side lathered in sweat, beside him rode Legolas on a grey elvish stallion. Legolas reined his horse, and looked around taking in the landscape. Aragorn took a second to realize his friend was no longer riding with him, he looked back to see his friend looking around. "Why have you stopped Legolas? Are you injured?" Aragorn called.
"Nay I am not injured but you are tired and I must admit I am somewhat wearied by the four day pursuit, I do not think we are making any ground on Arwen. We should not over exert ourselves anyway, what good would we do Arwen if we were too tired to help defeat the darkness residing in the necklace?" he replied dismounting his horse.
Aragorn looked a bit taken aback "You can rest, if you want to Legolas, and maybe if you ride hard you will be able to catch me, but I will not stop my pursuit, of Arwen until exhaustion takes me!"
"Estel can you not see the logic in my words look at yourself, you have dark rings around your eyes, you seem barely able to stay awake, worry and sleepless nights are taking their toll on you. If you keep going I shall come with you but if you do not rest soon, I will have to do something drastic." Legolas smiled slightly to himself, he remember quite clearly what he had done last time to Estel to show him he did not have ever lasting endurance.
Aragorn cringed inwardly, but he would not give in so easily "My friend you have not swayed me, I will continue following Arwen, but mayhap tonight we can take a slight break, from our pursuit, if I think that we have gained enough ground."
Legolas sighed, "If it must be that way Estel, lead on." and with that the two started off at a gallop once again
The sun finally slid beneath the horizon line and Aragorn and Legolas were still riding hard, the horses were faithful creatures, never slowing pace when they were surely exhausted. "Aragorn I'm stopping here for the night please rest with if not for yourself at least do it for the horses for they are surely exhausted." Legolas called to his friend.
Aragorn sighed, "Fine if I must stop, though I do not think we have covered enough ground today to deserve a rest, but if the horses must than so shall I."
Together they had the camp set up in a matter of minutes. Legolas started a fire and began cooking some sort of stew, Aragorn was reclined lazily against a log, smoking his pipe. He may have looked relaxed but his mind was in turmoil, Oh Arwen, It is my fault this is happening to you, if you, we he corrected himself get out of this alive than I shall never be angry with you again, I would even pledge my soul to the darkness to have you back
"Aragorn," Legolas said bringing Aragorn from his thoughts, "your food is ready."
Unbeknownst to Aragorn, Legolas had dropped a little bit of a sleeping herb in the stew, it would at least give the ranger and restful sleep with out dreams. Well I warned him, well enough, he should listen to me more often Legolas thought to himself.
Aragorn finished his dinner and he found himself oddly tired, more and more he found his eyelids drifting shut of their own accord. He couldn't fight it any longer, "Leg'las" he slurred but he could not finish before sleep claimed him. All the while Legolas smiled contently to himself.
----
Aragorn awoke to find the sun at its pinnacle in the sky; slowly he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, to see Legolas sitting across from him grinning from ear to ear. "Good morning, or afternoon I should say."
His incessant grin was starting to annoy Aragorn "You think you're so sly tricking a poor exhausted ranger, don't you?'
"No, I think I'm so sly for tricking a poor, exhausted king," if it was possible Legolas' grin seemed to grow bigger.
"Damned elf," Aragorn muttered, all he heard in return was something that sounded a lot like a job well done if I do say so myself, but Aragorn could not stay very mad at the elf though, he was just glad someone was watching out for him, and for a moment there he had forgot about his problems.
"I guess we should be going now since, I seemed to have sleeped the morn away," Aragorn finally said packing up the very few items he had brought with him.
"I guess, Oh I forgot," Legolas rummaged through a pouch on his belt and fished out a piece of cloth, "I found this when I was scouting last night, I am sure it's from Arwen's, riding garb."
Aragorn snatched it away and looked it over and just as Legolas said it had come from Arwen's riding outfit, "Legolas NOT only did you drug me last night but you did not rest yourself? Argh do you care not for your own well being,"
"Calm yourself Aragorn I did rest, just as the sun peaked the horizon today. Must I not bring up that I was not the one that refused to rest yesterday?" Legolas said, muttering to himself "Mule headed ranger, can't see any sense." Aragorn rolled his eyes but said no more he would get his revenge eventually, but not now they had to get moving, they had already lost much ground, while he had been sleeping. So once again he found himself on a horse feeling very much refreshed from the rest.
----
Arwen sat upon her horse, more and more she found herself calling on nature, if not consciously than unconsciously. It seemed more and more to her that plants seemed to reach out to her, and she did not like it one bit. The urge to keep going, to keep moving was as strong as ever. She could barely force it away to rest every few days. Arwen knew who she would meet at the end of her journey. He was waiting for her, but she was so weary of the battle for her soul. She could feel herself slipping ever so slowly toward a dark abyss that was the evil side of her soul. She knew it would not be long now till she gave in and she was glad that her husband would not see her give in so easily, not see what would become of her. She only needed a few more days than she could surrender herself to the darkness. Arwen was sad to admit that she would most likely never again see her husband though, and that was what pained her most of her predicament. She wished she could have embraced him, could have kissed him one last time. She had not even had a chance to say farewell, she almost wept at the thought. Oh Estel I am sorry that I have to put you through this
----
"Aragorn, are you sure Arwen is going to Lake Evendim? We have seen no trace of her for two days now, we found barely anything to track before, but now we have found not a trace of Arwen." a worried frown played Legolas' lips.
"No," Aragorn grunted while he adjusted his sword on his saddle almost nervously, "but I feel in my heart that that is where she is headed."
"Than I shall fo... ARAGORN?" Aragorn slumped forward in his saddle, clutching his chest. Darkness swirled about him, and he knew than that Arwen had forsook the light, his bond with Arwen told him so. To him it felt as though half his heart had been turned to darkness, and it pained him much.
"It-it-it's Arwen, she-she has been t-t-turned to darkness, I f-feel it in my heart," he whispered in short gasps.
Legolas, worried and at the same time shocked he did not think that Aragorn and Arwen's bond had been so great that Aragorn would feel the pain of her giving over to darkness. "I know you wish not to stop but surely you can not continue, when you can barely stay in your saddle?" Legolas questioned gently, though he knew it was a long shot, now that Arwen was gone from the light Aragorn was only more driven to find her.
"N-no we must keep p-pushing on," he was still slumped in his saddle.
Legolas sighed and without warning Aragorn felt himself being lifted up onto Legolas' horse. He protested weakly, if it could even be called that, a second later he felt Legolas mounting behind him. "Damned stubborn, foolhardy ranger doesn't know when to give up," he heard the elf mutter to himself.
That did not matter to him though, with each passing heartbeat it seemed more darkness coursed through him, it was a white hot agony, in his heart. Barely could he fend it off with will power, his tenuous grip on consciousness was crumbling away till at last it was gone and he fell into oblivion.
Legolas troubled How could Aragorn sense the change in Arwen when he was only mortal? He was also concerned that Aragorn seemed to be trembling, with fear or pain, but he knew not of which it was. Aragorn abruptly went limp, Legolas almost panicked. He reined the horses and lifted Aragorn from the horse, he was no healer but he checked his friend over anyway. He placed a hand over Aragorn's heart; it seemed to be pulsing at darkness, each heartbeat made the darkness stronger. Legolas did not have the faintest idea of what he could do to help combat the growing darkness in the ranger's heart, but he had to do something quickly else wise the man would die. Aragorn's strength was rapidly draining. An idea came to him, once again he placed his hand on Aragorn's chest and closed his eyes. With all the will power he could muster he willed some of his strength, his light, his life force in to his friend's body. At first he felt nothing, but than slowly he felt his strength flowing away from him, than more and more left him, it was similar to a damn breaking, slow at first than rapidly as a fast flowing river. Legolas severed the connection before he was too weak to get up or do anything else.
Aragorn seemed to have recovered, somewhat. Legolas though, was tired but he did not want to waste time dawdling in one place, besides he needed something to do to keep his mind from worrying. Carefully he hefted Aragorn's unconscious form onto his horse, and jumped on behind him. He urged his horse to a gallop. He let himself slip into a light elvish sleep, knowing the horse would continue on its path to Lake Evendim.
----
Aragorn awoke to find himself leaning against something soft atop Legolas' grey stallion, and the pain that had so plagued him earlier had settled down to a dull throb. Twisted around in his saddle to see Legolas eye's unfocused and distant, he was sleeping. Aragorn decided it was best not to disturb his friend, for he himself was quite tired. He leaned back once again; he started to let his thoughts wander. "Aragorn?" Legolas asked quietly.
"Mhm," mumbled the ranger that seemed to be half asleep.
"I see that you are finally awake, you had me quite scared there for awhile, you've been asleep for two days now. I was almost starting to think you never would." Aragorn's eye's widened in surprise when he heard Legolas' news.
"Two days?! How is that possible?" exclaimed Aragorn.
"Well it is possible. But you almost lost the battle against that which had infected your heart, I had to give you some of my strength." was the reply he got.
So that is why Legolas had been sleeping when I awoke, he drained himself to save me.
----
She was there, she had finally made it to Lake Evendim, but she was Arwen no longer; she took a new name Elmoroth. Darkness is so much better, than light. All of what had been good in Arwen was gone. Arwen was but a distant memory. Elmoroth smiled a low cool smile, to Ralan who was sitting across the table form her. She just absolutely loved toying with that man. "Arwen," Elmoroth shot a glare at him that could have tore down walls, "Elmoroth, would you please go over your plan once more,"
"Ah you slow witted fool, pay more attention next time. But if I must explain this once more I shall. When my husband arrives, we shall take him prisoner and break his spirit. I do not think that shall prove to be much of a problem, seeing that I am his wife and he loves me more than life it self. I think I shall have him pleading for forgiveness in two days," she had a wicked smile on her face.
"What of the elf that is traveling with him? Surely you can not want to let him be free, to wag his tongue to any who ask?" Ralan questioned, he would not let this elvish women push him around any longer!
"I will deal with the elf as I see necessary. I never really liked Legolas of Mirkwood," Elmoroth's smile grew even more wicked, "Oh I hope my love comes to rescue me and take me away from this horrid place," Elmoroth looked the perfect picture of innocence except for the wicked smile .
"The ranger is weak I almost turned him the day before I arrived here, or at least I would have killed him, if not for that damned elf, but I will succeed, next time," she growled.
"Well I hope you are more successful this time, my little elvish maiden. Well I guess I shall be heading off to bed now," he smiled at her and walked to his tent. He just hoped that she would remember her place before he had to show her it.
----
Elmoroth smiled she had that man wrapped around her finger, and soon she would be able to torture that wretch of a husband, she had married. He had made her give up so much for him, he would pay dearly for that. A wicked smile came to her face and slowly she rose. Revenge would be sweet.
To Be Continued...