Into the Labyrinth
Author: Mirfaen
Chapter 24: Dangerous Knowledge
Elrohir shifted a dark glance from Rabo to the six other threatening men that had boxed him into the corner of these two warehouses. The trap they'd laid had been a good one. The young human had looked almost identical to Isorfinduil from the rear and they'd even clothed him similarly. He considered his options grimly. There were only two, really. Talk his way out or fight his way out. He was not fond of the thought of leaving behind him six dead or injured citizens, despite the fact that the town had been looking to bring down this gang for some time. Attention would be drawn to him and questions would be asked.
"Where do your loyalties lie, Elro?" Rabo questioned next to him, his voice calm but subtly intimidating. "If you can prove to me that you have no loyalties to Isor or the Elf that's already in the arena, then this process will go much more smoothly for you. But if you're one of those die hard heroes that will protect his friends till the end, then your initiation will be just slightly tougher. Say, we'd have to kill Isor to dishearten you, take you in, and then break your spirit until you learn that your life would be more beneficial if you joined us."
The other men smirked but Elrohir was unimpressed.
"That was an award-winning talk," he commented, crossing his arms impatiently. "You must be the motivational speaker."
The man's eyes darkened a shade and Elrohir quickly pressed on.
"What makes you think that I have any ties to that rat? Because we arrived here together? That means nothing, I thought you would have already deduced that. Traveling the Misty Mountains alone is suicidal. We agreed to travel together simply for survival. To tell you honestly, I'm not even too fond of him. He tends to get under my skin."
"And Legolas?"
It was strange to hear his friend's name from the mouth of this brute but Elrohir didn't miss a beat. "He was with Isor when I met up with him," he said with a noncommittal shrug. "I don't know who he is and frankly I don't care. I'm glad that I haven't seen them for quite some time. They're rather strange."
"Issat so?" Rabo countered with a smile and Elrohir couldn't help but feel a small tremor of uncertainty at the man's mocking tone. "Funny how you haven't seen them when you share a room with them. What, do you take turns sleeping there at night?"
A few of the men laughed while others flexed their fists as though readying themselves to jump him. Elrohir glared at Rabo derisively.
"We got a room together because the group rate was cheaper and I haven't got the coin to be renting out a whole room to myself, all right?" he said, raising his voice somewhat. "I told you, I've got nothing. That's why I'm looking for a job. As for not seeing them, Legolas is, as you just stated, in The Labyrinth's arena and subsequently doesn't make it back to the room too often. Which leaves Isor out blindly running around trying to save Legolas while I look for a job most of the day. Does that satisfy you?"
Rabo hadn't moved throughout Elrohir's tirade but now circled around front again to look into his eyes.
"How did you know The Labyrinth's name?"
"I've been doing my homework. You left me a little uninformed the last time we met and although your offer interested me, I'm not going to simply throw myself into the first job that comes along. Especially since you gave the distinct impression that it was not the most law-abiding business in town. Thankfully, however, my stomach is just a little too hungry for me to continue caring about the law."
Rabo ran his glowering eyes down the Elf's strong frame and snorted. "You don't look starving to me, boy."
Elrohir flung the attitude right back at the man with his reply. "I haven't been starving my whole life, Rabo. Just because I haven't eaten much in a week doesn't mean I should be a shriveled lump of bones just yet. I get by, I just want to be able to pay for my next meal is all."
Rabo gave a small chuckle. "Been skipping out on your checks?"
Elrohir didn't lighten his expression. "You could say that."
Just then there was a deep rumble that vibrated under their feet and some of the men glanced apprehensively at the sky. During their encounter it had begun to cloud over.
"I don't believe it," Rabo said, looking up as well. "The blasted storm picks this night to come." He shook his head, looking around himself and then back at Elrohir. "How do I know that you're not just making all this up, huh? How do I know that I shouldn't just bring you in and be done with it? We can't wait around all the time for you to make up your stubborn mind. And how can I be sure that you'd be loyal to us if you joined?"
"Listen to me," Elrohir stepped forward angrily and dared to point a finger in the man's face. He knew he was taking a risk with this bold move but the discussion needed to come to a close whether he talked his way out or fought his way out. "I have no problems submitting to authority if that's what you're asking. I give my loyalties to whom I see fit but I make sure that they're bloody fit because I've been screwed too many times in this life to trust anyone carelessly. And I have to tell you that I'm not too impressed with your band right now because I don't take kindly to traps and threats. People who threaten me tend to find ugly bruises on their face the next morning. I would have no problem fighting all of you right here and right now," he said, turning his burning gaze on each man in turn. Then his eyes settled back on Rabo as lightning lit up the sky and thunder rumbled lazily overhead. "I have no doubt that you would need more than this motley group to bring me in and even if you did, my spirit would remain unbroken until every last one of you has died of old age. So let us get this square, gentlemen. I am indeed interested in joining up with you and would be more than happy to help you capture Isor. But after this unimpressive show, I'm beginning to wonder whether I would be better off finding other means of employment. I don't know what kind of minds you're used to dealing with but for me thinking is not a difficult process and so my decision will be made shortly. So you can attempt to capture me right now…most of you will have a blade through your gut before you realize that I have drawn my sword…and if by some miracle those of you who remain are able to drag me off to The Labyrinth you will, as you said, kill Isor and lose a very valuable fighter. Now I realize that I have not yet met your employers personally but I do not think that they would be pleased with you after that. Or, you can give me one, perhaps two more days to come to a decision. You will all walk away alive tonight, you will not lose Isor as an important installment to the arena, and your employers will not do you bodily harm in their rage. And, most likely, you will have gained my confidence that you are worthy for me to serve under."
Finally falling silent, Elrohir realized suddenly that it was raining. But the men didn't seem to have noticed yet, as they stared at him in a mixture of shock, admiration, and indignation. Rabo's eyebrows were raised and he began to smile.
"I like you even more now. I could sure find a place for you as my second in command."
Lanin glowered at that comment but did not speak up. Lightning flickered and a loud burst of thunder suddenly cracked through the sky over head, startling several of the gang members. Rabo looked around through the rain at the thickening mud.
"All right, boy, I'm going to give you another day to sort this out. But there's one thing you have to be clear on and that's this – if you do decide to work for us you will not be allowed to talk like you just did. Not to me or anyone above you, leastwise. Don't make the mistake of thinking that you're the best swordsman there is."
The men behind Rabo glanced back quickly and almost fearfully to see how Elrohir would respond but the Elf in disguise just bowed his head graciously.
"I understand."
"Now you get inside somewhere so's you don't drown. This town is mighty bad when it comes to floods."
Elrohir nodded again and with that, the group dissipated. Rabo and his men trudged off down a muddy side road heading east and Elrohir started off in the opposite direction.
Deeply relieved to have somehow gotten out of that potentially dangerous situation, Elrohir now pondered his next course of action. Should he stay out here and continue to look for Isorfinduil? That is what he instinctually wanted to do but logic told him that he should return to the Stone Troll. If Isorfinduil were already there then Elrohir would be wasting his time and energy out here on the streets during this promisingly disastrous storm. And if Isorfinduil was not in the Stone Troll? Should he wait for him there? Should he return to the streets?
Elrohir shook his head as though to rid it of all the warring thoughts. Rainwater flung off his hair as he did so and for a moment, he considered the storm itself. Houses and businesses were boarded up all down the street. There was something unsettling about this storm that set it apart from all the others that he had endured in the past. He glanced up at the dark clouds overhead but could not get a clear view through the pounding rain. There was a thickness to the air that seemed almost to be alive, to have the desire for destruction. Elrohir did not understand the strange nature of this storm but he came to an abrupt decision.
He would return to the Stone Troll and see if Isorfinduil had returned. If he had not, then he would consult with Elladan about what they should do.
Juda Busker came up the stairs quickly, huffing as she reached the top, her arms laden with clean sheets and some kitchen dishes. She knocked rapidly on the first door as best she could without spilling her belongings.
"Boys, I don't mean to be disturbin' ye, but I've got some sheets here that ye might be needin.'"
She turned the doorknob and bustled in, laying the pile on the bed nearest the doorway.
"This is it, the big storm. Wasn't I sayin' it was due to be here soon…" her voice trailed off as she turned and saw Elladan.
The Elf's back was against the wall, his legs drawn up and his arms hanging limply over his knees. His grey eyes stared blankly ahead, showing no emotion or recognition of her presence. Juda looked at the floor around him and noted the broken nightstand and the extinguished candle on the floor. Blots of hardened wax dotted the floorboards.
"Elladan?" Juda questioned softly, afraid to disturb him. She came forward a tentative step. "Are ye all right, sonny?"
She waved a hand before his face but he did not move or respond. Concerned but knowing that she did not know much of anything about the strange ways of Elves, she collected the dishes and left the sheets on the bed, turning back to glance at the Elf once more at the doorway.
"Lad? I left the sheets on the bed for ye. And I do hope the other two get back here okay. This is no night to be out on the streets."
What had come over him? Was it he that had looked into Isorfinduil's eyes and then swung a fist at him? Was that truly Elladan? He could not believe that that was what he had become. No Son of Elrond would viciously attack a comrade like he'd done.
Elladan lay back on the soft grass and folded his hands under his head, looking up at the stars above him. He was certainly aware that he was dreaming. In fact, he had retreated to this dream world on his own account. The second Isorfinduil had run out of the room and slammed the door behind him, Elladan had snapped out of his uncontrolled rage and realized what he had done. Not able to cope with the flood of emotions that had hit him, he had stumbled back against the wall for support and instantly drew himself away from the room and away from the darkness into a dream.
In a dream such as the one that he'd taken himself to there was a sense of peace and tranquility that allowed him to calmly sort through his thoughts and emotions without being overwhelmed and breaking down. Even in a dream, however, these feelings were difficult for him to confront. In his circle of thoughts he found himself often returning to a devastating sense of shame. That indeed was inescapable. Shame and regret.
He could not even remember what he had said to Isorfinduil or worse, what exactly he had done to him. Bits and pieces of the attack floated back to him slowly, as though his own conscience was feeding him a little bit at a time so that he could properly deal with it. He recalled leveling his sword at the younger Elf, threatening him. He remembered tackling him over the bed. Or did he? Somehow they had ended up on the floor near the doorway, Isorfinduil under him and grabbing for his hands.
He remembered the feel of Isorfinduil's cheekbone as his fist slammed into it.
Elladan's eyes closed tightly at the harsh recollection. Why had he done that? He could not remember what had been said beforehand that triggered his fury. A part of him knew that no matter what had been said, he should have been able to control his anger.
Especially against Isorfinduil! Laying on the cool grass and watching the blinking stars in this dream that lent him the security to free his own feelings, Elladan readily admitted that he liked Isorfinduil. He admired him. Even when Isorfinduil stepped outside what Elladan thought was his rightful bounds. Or even when he went overboard with sarcastic comments. Elladan had come to want to hear those comments, to want to see how the younger Elf would respond to his insults. Isorfinduil was never at a loss for words and his fiery spirit never dimmed in the face of opposition.
Elladan wondered how he could possibly have wished to harm the woodlander. Never in the past had he even entertained the thought of physically hurting Isorfinduil. There had always been threats, always been advances. But never had he actually thrown a punch. What had changed in him this night that he would suddenly assault him like he did?
He had no explanation for himself.
Isorfinduil's head leaned back against the rough bark of the tree as he allowed the rain to splatter on his face, hoping that it would wash some of the blood away. He did not know from how many places he bled, and in truth most of his face had gone numb. But he could taste the warm, coppery liquid on his tongue and his lips.
The man in charge, whose name he had learned was Lewis, had stalked off several minutes ago and was now some yards away, talking with a couple of the men. Lewis had indeed been keeping a lot of anger inside and Isorfinduil now felt the repercussions of it in his bruised ribs and his bloody face. The Elf almost wished that he had passed out during the beating so that he would be spared some of the pain. Almost, but not quite. For Isorfinduil now knew where The Labyrinth was and he wanted to be awake enough to take advantage of any opportunity to escape that might arise.
When Lewis had sent a man to get a shooter, whatever that happened to be, the man had taken off straight back into the woods. Isorfinduil reasoned that these men would not have come on foot unless their headquarters were a just short distance away, so by judging the man's general direction he guessed that he could find the fighting ring with only a small amount of searching. Now he just had to get back to the twins.
The young Elf had to push down a wave of despair. What hope did he truly have of escaping at this point? His weapons had been taken away from him. His arms were under layers of rope behind his back and there were further ropes binding the rest of him to the tree. His shoulder was horribly dislocated and he was sure that there had been some muscle damage to his arm. His face and ribs were bruised and throbbing and over a dozen men were standing around him with their weapons drawn.
Disheartened, the Elf hung his head and rested slightly against the ropes around his chest.
Elladan had never before truly wished bodily harm on any person or thing that was not evil or corrupt. So why had he snapped on Isorfinduil, who was righteous and good-natured?
Elladan's fingers brushed lightly over the cool grass by his side and his dark brows furrowed as he pondered the enigma.
Whatever had happened to him or in him to cause him to become violent with Isorfinduil was something that he could obviously not control. What was to say that it did not happen again? He did not want to think about the possibility of a second assault. There was rising in him a distinct and powerful sense of protectiveness toward the younger Elf that had perhaps always been in him in a dormant state. Would he have to protect Isorfinduil from himself?
Isorfinduil straightened his legs under him in an effort to ease some of the pain that pulsed through his shoulder from the strain of the ropes. But the pain only seemed to grow worse and he tried moving his arms behind him to a new position that would better support his displaced shoulder. He hissed and jerked slightly as a sharp stab shot through his neck and arm.
Elladan cocked his head in confusion where he lay, his eyes staring up into the heavens. The glittering stars had become blurry and seemed to dim. He squinted his eyes but they remained veiled. A sudden rush of cold air sent a chill over his pale skin and he sat up abruptly, glancing around.
This dream was supposed to be calm and pleasant, a place of refuge. He closed his eyes and centered his thoughts in the possibility that his own mind had brought on this darkness on its own accord. But Elladan found, much to his dismay, that he could not shake the dim chill from his dream. As soon as this realization hit him, a cold dread gripped his heart and he quickly refined the focus of his mind on his physical self in an attempt to wake up.
But the dream would not release him from its grasp. There was a moment of dull silence and then the scene went utterly black, startling him, and he drew in a sharp breath. He became aware that he was now standing and there was no longer grass under him. Heavy rain wetted his hair and clothes. There was a familiar feeling to this scene and the next moment his hunch was confirmed when a streak of lightning shot through the sky and illuminated the trees rushing past him. He was back in the same dream he'd had nights ago, of the storm and the forest…and that figure.
There it was. Up ahead and quickly drawing closer was the same large tree and the same obscure form tied securely to its thick trunk. But to Elladan's surprise, he continued drawing closer to the scene, past the point at which it had ended the first time. He passed slowly by the men scattered here and there around the tree, their weapons drawn.
He was now only yards away from the dim figure, who was again writhing in his bonds with his head down. Thunder split the skies above with a simultaneous flicker of lightning as the person lifted his head and Elladan gasped when he saw the young lines of Isorfinduil's face tight with pain.
As a flood of realization hit the Son of Elrond like a tidal wave, a man entered his line of sight, coming up to Isorfinduil with a satisfied smirk. Elladan noted that although the woodlander immediately composed his face with a dark glare, there was a hint of uncertainty in his eyes. Perhaps even apprehension.
"Ah," the man said lightly, giving a small wave of his fingers. "Even through this awful storm I can hear my man returning with the shooters. It'll be such a shame to see that fire in your eyes dim."
At that instant the scene blinked out and Elladan's vision slowly cleared into the well-known guestroom at the Stone Troll. There was a long moment in which Elladan could only hear the rhythmic inhale and exhale of his own heavy breathing and the patter of rain hitting the glass of the window. And in that instant he knew without a doubt that what he had just seen was not some event in days past or even in days to come, but was happening at that very moment.
He was up like a shot, scrambling for the door and not even bothering to retrieve a cloth to cover his pointed ears. He was almost out the door when he suddenly paused and turned, striding quickly over to the room's desk and snatching a piece of parchment and a pen. He scribbled some rapid words down and placed the paper on Elrohir's bed before rushing out the door again.
Exiting the Stone Troll, he had not taken three steps before he was drenched from head to foot by the downpour. Lightning was flickering rapidly in the clouds over the western part of Rahma and thunder rolled through the land like an avalanche of boulders down a mountainside. Elladan immediately broke into a sprint, the mud sucking at his boots and making the road slippery. Veering onto the main street, the Elf noticed that not only had every business been shut down but every window was boarded up and sandbags were stacked up against every door.
"Seon?" Aragorn said quietly, half hoping that the man on the other side of the wall was asleep.
"Yes?"
The young Ranger sighed and hung his head. "I'm sorry I had to do that to Derral. But it's not what it…"
"No, no. No apologies, Furn." The kind-hearted man replied quickly, his voice clearly saddened. "Don't apologize to me for surviving. Derral was a loyal friend. A little rough around the edges, perhaps, and with a tendency of self-centeredness. But he was a good man. And yet we must all die some day. It was either you or him."
"I know. But Seon, you must know something." Aragorn lowered his voice further.
"What is that, my young man?"
"What you saw…or heard happen is not exactly what happened."
"How so?"
Aragorn paused for just a moment as he pondered how to go about filling Seon in on he and Derral's plan. "During our fight, we came upon a possibility of escape from The Labyrinth. He told me that there is only one way that you leave this place and that is as a corpse. When a fighter dies, the guards take the body outside somewhere. But they do not usually check to be sure that the person is truly dead because the entire arena witnesses the killing blow."
"Yes, this is all so."
"Well, the entire arena witnessed the blow, except that it was not fatal. I did wound him, but the rest was just show from Derral."
There was a long moment of silence and Aragorn heard the man shifting.
"Was it successful? The guards were truly fooled?"
"I believe they were."
"This is indeed marvelous news!" Seon exclaimed, his voice suddenly much closer, and Aragorn looked up to see the older man reaching through the high bars of his room. Aragorn quickly stood and grasped the man's hand in a shake. "You may have truly hit upon something, Furnerain. I wonder if we could pass the word of this to the other fighters without detection."
Aragorn simply shrugged. It was a risky plan. He still did not know what might have become of Derral.
"Now why didn't you volunteer to try the escape?" Seon's voice became thoughtful. "Of the two of you, you are the more willing to risk your life if it meant reaching the outside world and exposing this place. What held you back?"
Aragorn's gaze involuntarily fell on the form of Legolas, who had fallen unconscious across the hall. His head and shoulder was leaning against the wall for support and his eyes were tightly closed.
"He did," Aragorn replied, knowing that he did not have to specify who he was talking about.
"Ah, yes," Seon said as though he should have known that himself. "But you know that you can do nothing for him while you are here. You cannot reach him or help him in his fights. Now I don't mean to dishearten you or lessen your sacrifice for him, but what is to say that he would not have been better off if you had been the one to bring your knowledge to Commander Cadell? You might have gotten there faster than Derral because you knew Legolas was still in here."
"You think Derral will take his time getting to the town officials?"
"That is not what I meant."
Aragorn knew that Seon hadn't meant it that way but he said it simply to stall as he thought over the man's words. Aragorn took a calm breath before he answered.
"It is not true that I can do nothing for Legolas here, of that I am certain. It is my belief that my moral and emotional support will do him more than any physical support I could offer. I am the only thing that reminds him of the outside world right now. He will remain strong simply for my sake and for that reason, I must stay."
"Is it more important to you to stay for him than to personally expose The Labyrinth and subsequently free all the other fighters?"
"Yes," Aragorn replied, feeling strangely guilty. "Is that wrong? Have I ignored the greater good?"
"No, Furnerain. You trusted Derral with the task of getting the town's help and he will hold to his word. You have perhaps made the greater sacrifice by staying. Exposing the fighting ring will bring glory to he who brings word of it, and that has probably not even entered your mind until now. You are a just man and you chose to give up your freedom in order to stay in captivity with a friend. With that decision you could have very well given up your life as well."
"Then why did you ask me that?"
"So that you would not think of it alone later on and torment yourself with questions of your own integrity."
Hey guys, I hope everyone's doing well! As for me, I'll give a quick summary of my life of late by saying that a close friend died in a car accident a couple weeks ago, my sister is hopefully going to get married soon, and I gave a pint of blood at my school's blood drive! Apparently my body did not agree with my decision to give blood, as it pointedly told me by making me pass out on my way to a chair. Things went dark, then I was on the ground with a flurry of nurses all around me. That's the good thing about a blood drive, there's no shortage of nurses nearby. It took quite some time before I was able to stand again or even sit up. Like several hours. It's all quite humorous now that I look back on it, although at the time even the thought laughing would have probably made me throw up.
Hm. Now that I've caused everyone to lose their appetite…
Reviewer Responses:
Cierah – Thanks so much! Your review was very encouraging! I'm so glad to hear that you like it,and I hope to hear from you again!
Deana – Haha, your reviews are always very animated! Thanks so much, I hope you like this chapter as well!
Delano – Thanks for the review! Don't worry, in the long run everyone will be okay. Well…most everyone…hee hee. Well, don't go mad, please! And I know what you mean about updating. I'm horrible, I can never find time to sit down at the computer! Thanks and I hope to hear from you again!
Rose – Yes, the boys always seem to have some problem or other. They just wouldn't be very good fiction characters if they didn't! Thanks for the review, it's good to hear from you as well!
SushiiSquirrel – Thanks! Haha, I hope your friend is okay. Yeah, my school certainly has its share of odd teachers as well. Odd names, too, like Dr. Hinkle and Mildred Underdue. It's great fun! Thanks for the review, I hope to hear from you again!
Thanks a lot guys, everyone be safe and have a great week!
Mirfaen
