Disclaimer:  I own nothing!  Absolutely nothing, resembling Lord of the Rings in any way, that belongs to Mr. Tolkien, for he is a far better writer than I and therefore deserves the credit. 

Notes:  Now, just so the readers know, I do not write slash, or anything approaching slash, if you want that, go elsewhere please.  If you think it is anyway insinuated in this fanfic, my only suggestion is to get your mind out of the gutter!  Anyways, enjoy! 

The walls of the cave around them glittered in the lights.  The glowing blues and greens gave it an almost otherworldly look.  Gimli's grumbles echoed off the caverns of Helm's Deep, entirely ruining the effect.  Clinging to Legolas's back on a horse was far from his idea of the proper means of transportation, but the caves went far to deep to do otherwise.  They hoped to travel to the very beginnings of the caves.  From what he had seen Gimli expected they would find something spectacular there. 

            "I did tell you that these are the caves of the people of Rohan, which means we use the means of transportation they provided for, horses."  Legolas stressed the last word, "If you don't want to stay we can always leave early." 

            "Humph, we will see your forests before too long master elf, but for now we will enjoy the mines."  He shifted on the horse again, nearly slipping off the back.  "However, we could enjoy them more if we didn't have to ride this…this beast!" 

            Legolas gripped the reins as Gimli pulled him back, "If you would quit moving this would be far easier for the both of us!"  Their torches' light lit the crystal walls around them.  Gimli fell silent in awe, and eventually the elf quieted as he realized his friend couldn't hear him.  He was forced to admit caves such as these did have a beauty of their own, though nowhere near that of the forest.  The sounds of their horse's hooves echoed in the deep recesses.  They continued down into the caves until the wearied and slowed.  Gimli slid off annoyed at being distracted from the view before him.  Legolas leapt off the relived horse, but nearly stumbled as he felt something he hadn't been aware of in some time, not since…

            "Gimli!"  he hissed at the dwarf who was setting up a fire.  "I can feel something." 

            "What?  What sort of something?" 

            "Quiet!"  Legolas spun around putting an arrow to his bow.  "There is an evil here." 

            "An evil here?  In Helm's Deep?  How?"  Gimli asked incredulous.  Legolas shook his head trying to clear it. 

            "I don't know," he backed up to the wall.  Gimli hefted his ax, somewhat skeptically.  It was hard to believe in a place such as this, in a place of beauty there might be those dirty, disgusting… He trailed off into phrases as such could not be repeated, so much so that it broke Legolas out of the almost trance he had entered and he hissed at the dwarf again.  Gimli responded with a glare. 

            "Not all the orcs and uruk-hai vanished with Sauron; and the dwarves are not the only ones who seek the caves."  In Gimli's response he caught something about comparing elves and orcs rather than dwarves and orcs.  Legolas relaxed slightly, lowering his bow. 

            "I can't hear them, but I know there's something close…" he looked around again uneasily. 

            "Come on lad, sit down, they're probably far from here.  We have finished with the war."  Gimli slid down to the floor and leaned back against the rock wall.  Legolas leaned against the wall next to him.  "We've been down here for three days now and we have seen nothing but miles of beautiful cave."  Legolas smiled wirily, his eyes still roaming the shadows around them.  "Three days we could have walked, rather than ride that confounded animal."  He glared at the horse again. Legolas laughed.

            "I'm sure the horse feels the same way about you master dwarf!" 

            " Humph, dwarves were made to walk in caves not ride."  Gimli settled himself by the fire eyeing the elf before closing his eyes.  "Well, I am going to sleep.  If anything should happen, wake me."  Legolas nodded.  It didn't take long for Gimli's head to drop and his breathing to deepen. 

Legolas rubbed his face, elves seldom tired, but the feeling seemed to wear at him.  It had been sometime since they had left Aragon in Gondor.  During their travels they had met a few of the roaming bands of orcs that had survived the war.  He had hoped here, in the place Gimli had loved so much they would be free of them.  The feeling of danger increased and Legolas put an arrow to his bow.  He stood up and turned slowly watching the shadows. 

A sound resonated from farther down in the cave, deep within the shadows.  A rock clattered, Legolas whipped around, and hissed at Gimli. 

"Wake up, Gimli!" 

He walked carefully towards the passage the sound had come from.  Light flickered into it from the fire where the dwarf was beginning to stir.  Gimli sputtered as he woke up.

"What—what is happening?"  An arrow flew out of the shadows taking the elf in the side.  His own arrow flew up and struck the ceiling.  Gimli came fully awake with a roar.  He leapt forward swinging his ax.  It struck the first orc who squealed and collapsed onto the ground.  Legolas gritted his teeth and put a second arrow to his bow, this time it found its mark. 

Orcs boiled forth from the darkness surrounding the two.  Legolas staggered, blood running from his arm.  He backed toward the frightened horse.  Its eyes rolled back into its head. 

"Gimli!"  The dwarf launched himself at another orc, roaring as he swung the heavy bladed ax.  One made it past him and swung his sword at the elf.  Legolas blocked it with his blade, but his blade turned under the force and the hilt of the sword crashed down onto his head.  Gimli turned to see Legolas fall and the orc lean over him.  He threw his ax, striking the orc in the back of the head. 

He raced forward, pulling free his ax as he gripped Legolas's shoulder.  He managed to shove the elf into the saddle and haul himself up afterward.  The horse luckily needed no further urging to take off at a gallop, leaving the scene of the battle behind them.  Gimli struck the fastest with his ax as they came abreast of the horse.  Finally, the orcs retreated to lick their wounds, for them there would be other easier prey and without a master to drive them they felt no need to pursue them. 

As the sounds of pursuit faded, the horse slowed and Gimli gripped Legolas as he slumped forward over the horse.  Gimli felt blood soaking his hand.

"Lad?  Are you alright?"  Gimli leaned forward to get a better look, nearly slipping from the horse.  He cursed gripping the reins more tightly.  "Hold on, lad.  We can't stop now, but hold on."  He urged the horse faster, the blood soaking through the tunic and the fold of his cloak he pressed against the elf's side. 

It would take nearly a day to reach the cave's entrance, even at the horse's top speed.  Gimli ignored the ache spreading through his own leg where an orc's club had struck him.  Their torch flickered as the stone walls flashed by.  Gimli held his seat behind the elf, to shift even slightly would have caused him to fall and the Legolas to fall with him.  Eventually the horse's gallop and the passing walls developed a rhythm and Gimli quickly lost track of time, thinking only of holding onto the horse and holding onto the limp form of the elf. 

He had no choice but to escape Helm's Deep as quickly as possible.  The fortress ruins had been deserted since the battle and avoided by the people of Rohan.  They held too many memories of those that were lost and were still tainted by the scores of orcs who had covered it. 

He stopped once to bandage Legolas's side and wrap a rag around the head wound.  Gimli was afraid to take him from the horse, as he doubted he would be able to get the elf back up.  Finally when he was beginning to question whether they would reach the mouth of the cave a glimmer of light appeared that slowly grew until he was forced to shade his eyes. 

Outside the sun was just beginning to set as clouds crept over the horizon.  A cold wind blew over the rocky plains and cliffs.  Legolas shivered on as the horse picked its way through the boulders and fallen walls. 

"We need to find shelter soon.  That storm will be strong, and dangerous."  Gimli murmured watching the clouds block out the sun, "But don't worry lad, it will be fine.  I'll find something." He watched worriedly, fingering his ax. 

Later as the storm descended on the plains too small forms were lost within the swirling rain and wind.  Gimli was on foot, limping as he pulled the reluctant horse forward, carefully of the burden strapped to it's back.  The dwarf wiped water from his eyes, and continued trudging forward.  A light shone ahead of them through the storm. 

He gripped the reins, pulling the horse into the wind as it protested loudly.  He tugged sharply, glaring at the stubborn animal.  As they got closer he could see that it was in fact a small farm perched over the edge of a ridge.  The light came from the cottage near the ancient stone fence. 

Gimli banged on the door, trying to make himself heard over the howling of the wind.  Not even elven cloaks could provide protection from a storm such as this.  Lighting flashed overhead as icy ran soaked through everything, reaching skin icy cold.  Legolas hadn't awoken on the entire trip from the caves and Gimli hadn't dared stop to do more for him.  If the owner of the cottage didn't give them shelter, wasn't sure what he would do. 

Finally the door swung open, revealing a slight woman clutching a dagger, partially hidden by her skirts. 

"What do you want on a night such as this?" she screamed over the wind. 

"Please, we hoped you could give us shelter.  We were attacked by orcs, my friend is injured…" Gimli clutched the doorframe to remain standing.  Her face softened and she reached out to touch his face, running her fingers lightly over it.  For a moment Gimli pulled back, but stopped as he realized the girl could not see and her eyes stared vacantly above him. 

"A dwarf, it has been sometime since one of your kind has been to this place."  She swung the door open wider revealing a simple but neatly kept home.  "Bring your friend in, your horse can stay in the barn."  The horse was pleased with its new surroundings and quieted as soon as Gimli left it in an empty stall before hurrying back to the cottage. 

The girl walked carefully but knew her home well.  She supported the elf and they settled him in a bed in the back.  She ran her hands over his head and side, carefully peeling back the soaked tunic and stained bandage. 

"I will need your help master dwarf to remove the arrowhead.  Can you do that?" 

Gimli looked from the girl to his friend hesitating, "I believe I can lass, but I have little knowledge of healing." 

She smiled, "It isn't my specialty either but maybe together we can do it."  Under her instructions Gimli carefully removed the barbed arrowhead and she dressed the wound and bandaged both it and the gash on his head.  The girl pinned the elf's arms lest he injure himself further.  Gimli winced as Legolas cried out when he carefully pulled the arrow free.  The girl quickly pressed a cloth against the wound to stop the fresh flow of blood. 

Gimli looked away.  The wound was deep and his inexpert removal of the arrow hadn't helped anything.  As a warrior some knowledge of healing battlefield wounds had always been necessary, but without help from the girl he would never have been able to help the elf. 

Legolas was pale from losing so much blood.  His eyes remained closed, but he murmured something in elvish that Gimli could not understand.  The dwarf buried his head in his hands; he couldn't even serve his friend by understanding what the elf was trying to say. 

She called his name, "Gimli, I need you help."  As he helped her bind the wound he was relieved to have something to do.  After they finished she led him out of the room, telling him the elf needed to rest.

"Will he be alright?"  Gimli asked quietly as she shut the door, leaving the elf to sleep. 

The girl shrugged sitting wearily at the table, "I cannot say, but he is an elf, with time he should heal.  And what of you?  You are limping."  Gimli sat as well, stretching out his leg, ignoring the pain walking for the last several miles had caused. 

"It is nothing, I will see to it in the morning."  A small cry startled Gimli and he reached for his ax, forgetting he had left it at the door.  The girl smiled, reassuring him.

"Do not worry, it is only my son, Nodin."  She picked up a small baby from the cradle on the far side of the room.  She rocked him, wrapping him in a soft white blanket, nearly hiding the dark curls.  Sleepy green eyes watched Gimli before drooping closed again. 

"You are alone here with the child?"  In his worry for Legolas, he had not considered there might be other residents in the cottage.  But she shook her head.

"Yes, there are no others.  My husband died sometime ago.  Now, what are your names?  We were to busy to speak before, but now it would help."  She shifted the baby to a more comfortable position. 

"My name is Gimli, and the elf is Legolas.  We were in the ruins of Helm's Deep when we met with a band of orcs." 

She nodded, "They still roam these parts, several of the closest villages have been attacked, but they were quickly driven off.  You are not the first to seek shelter from the mountain storms here.   The orcs prefer hiding in the many caves that riddle the ridges and cliffs." 

"And now that you know of us, what is your name?" 

"My name is Irana.  My family has lived here for generations." 

"How do you survive alone?  You are-" he cut himself off.

"Blind?  Yes, but I have other senses.  I can care for my child, and myself and have done so for sometime now.  You should get some sleep, if you aren't going to let me see your leg.  You are exhausted."  Gimli couldn't argue with this and allowed her to lead him to a pallet where he could sleep after she promised to stay with Legolas and wake him if she should need him.  Then Inara returned to the fire outside the door to the elf's room to settle her child.  His last thought before he drifted off to sleep was how lucky they had been as he watched the dark haired woman, no more than a girl in his opinion rocked her baby to sleep, the fire lighting in the small cabin. 

*~*~*~*~*~*

Thanks to Little Gavroche for the spelling tip!  I fixed it.  Thank you for pointing it out.