"One, two, Freddie's coming for you. Three, four, better lock your door.
Five, six, grab your crucifix. Seven, eight gonna stay up late.
Nine, ten, never sleep again..."
(-)Nightmare on Elm Street(-)
Chapter 38
And Then There Were None
The four black horses and the riderless fifth galloped away from Hoth as only elvish horses could – quietly, their hooves hitting the ground almost soundlessly in their urgent flight. Their riders were intent on achieving a dignified retreat – a retreat that would end up at Sanctuary where their wounded Charge could get the medical care that she needed.
Halfway to their destination, Rahan called a halt and while Semoro and Saeros immediately assumed opposite defensive positions, one facing north and the other facing south, Súrion rode up along side his Captain, to be of assistance if there was need. The Captain gently raised an unconscious Anayah into an upright position, supporting her body without touching the gaping wound that ran across the back of both shoulders.
"Bandages." He said quietly, his voice almost a whisper.
Open field triage was a skill familiar to all four Guards and this night was no different. Súrion, had anticipated his Captain's wishes and not only had the bandages ready, but also had folded pieces of linen ready to use as temporary pressure bandages until they could get back to the cavern. Rahan quickly placed the folded linen on Anayah's wounds then wrapped them securely with the rolled bandages. Satisfied for the moment, he nodded his head. It would have to do.
Suddenly the heads of all four Thurin Tirith raised and as one, turned toward the trees on their left and peered intently into the shadows. There had been a noise, inaudible to all but an elvish ear, or to the ear of an elf Thurin Tirith trained. Rahan frowned, for he had sensed something – something almost familiar. Seeing nothing and when his three elves shook their heads as well, he signaled to them and they resumed their ride for they had more urgent priorities than searching the darkness for obscure noises as well as for those who had let themselves be heard.
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Those waiting in the cavern had not slept nor could they have even if they had lain down for such was their worry for their sister as well as for the four Guards who had followed her to bring her home. It was Elrohir who first heard the returning riders.
"They're back." Was all he said.
Every elf and the four humans rose from their sleeping pallets and ran for the cave where the horses were kept, arriving just as the four Guards and a riderless Elias came to a stop. Súrion immediately dismounted then reached up to receive Anayah, which allowed the Captain to dismount. Aragorn walked up to Súrion, checked his sister and after determining that her care could wait for a few moments longer, stepped aside so the Silvan Guard could take her to her sleeping pallet. Aragorn then fell into step beside the Captain.
"Captain?"
"It is done." Rahan said.
Aragorn nodded in reply.
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With the twins kneeling on one side of the pallet and Legolas by his side to assist him, Aragorn began to care for his sister. While he removed the temporary bandages, he sent Elrohir off to make a pain relieving tea but before coaxing her to drink, listened to her lungs and heart.
"Actually, things don't seem as bleak as they could be." He said while looking at those standing nearby. "Her heart beats regularly though not as strongly as I would like although this condition could be attributed to blood loss, exhaustion, her previous illness or all of those conditions. Her left lung is quite congested – more so than the last time I checked her, but if we can keep her in bed this time, she should recover from that as well."
"Good luck on that one." Elladan said with a wry grin, which earned him an elbow in his ribs from his twin.
Rahan nodded.
"She will listen to me on this one – I will see that she rests."
"Thank you Captain." Aragorn said before he began his work putting his sister back together.
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Halgar had been standing watching Aragorn care for Anayah but midway through the process had left. He returned within a short time with a steaming bowl of water which he placed at the head of her sleeping pallet and it wasn't long after he did so that the wheezing which had become so noticeable had decreased substantially. Those standing or kneeling inhaled deeply of the aromatic herb.
"It does open up the sinuses does it not?"
The others nodded.
Aragorn looked up at the human and smiled. "Hannon-le Halgar."
Finally, his work was done and Aragorn leaned back, momentarily closing his eyes, rotating his head and loosening his neck muscles. He then looked up at the others.
"I have done all that I can for the time being. I will sit with Anayah for a bit so I can monitor her condition so why don't the rest of you go and try to get some rest?"
The others rose and walked away but when Legolas looked as if he was going to stay, Aragorn shook his head.
"Go, Legolas – try and get some rest for you have not yet fully recovered from your own ordeal. I will call you if I have need."
Admitting the truth of his friend's words, the blonde Prince squeezed Aragorn's shoulder in encouragement then turned and walked away toward his sleeping pallet.
Finally, Aragorn was alone. He sighed as he drew the blanket closer to his sister's shoulders then jumped when Rahan sat down beside him.
"She cut off her head."
"Excuse me? Did you say Anayah cut off Ostara's head?"
"Aye."
Aragorn shivered involuntarily and nodded then was silent for a time as he thought deeply about what had happened.
"How symbolic. I think it is fitting that Ostara's life was ended in that fashion although it does bring to light another dilemma."
"And what might that be?"
"Ostara was the leader of these people – the head of the Wainriders. When her head was severed, so was the head of this civilization."
"I was thinking more along the line of a snake's head – a poisonous snake's head."
"That is certainly one way to think of it."
"You said there was another dilemma, Captain?"
"Aye, I did. Now that Ostara is dead, many questions are being raised about the change of leadership. Before you rejoined us after your captivity, we had a discussion along these same lines and it was your sister who said that there would be someone ready to fill Ostara's boots before the next sun rose."
Aragorn nodded.
"Garm."
"I believe that would be an accurate assumption, Estel. But here is where I think things will be different."
He looked at the Captain, waiting for him to continue.
"Ostara was a cruel and brutal leader and by those principles governed her people. Her untimely death will place Garm in an awkward position for he does not yet command the loyalty of others, which is his main weakness and one that will be quickly and easily perceived by the other Chieftains. He may have once been a Ranger, Estel, but he is not that intelligent and will not be able to use the old skills with proficiency especially as leader of Hoth. What he will be, however, is unpredictable and dangerous. You may want to consider a course of action that keeps him off balance and so he doesn't have time to settle into his role as High Chieftain and establish himself before the time comes for you to strike."
Aragorn looked at Rahan.
"Strike before he is ready."
"Perhaps. Garm now knows that the rumors are probably pretty much true and that a threat exists although what he does not know is where exactly this threat will come from and that may buy you some time – not much – but at least a little."
Aragorn was silent for a time as he thought about what Rahan had just told him.
"Captain, do you think we will still have to worry about Wainrider allies, especially in light of the new leadership?"
"Only an unwise leader would not consider these things, Estel. The other Chieftains will come and even if they do not come as allies, they will at least come to fight among themselves for leadership of Hoth. Once here, I really don't see them refusing the challenge of a fight."
"I agree Captain, which is why I sent Lothur out earlier to alert the slave Captains as to what is going on and to try and get a feeling for public sentiment as well. He should return at sunrise."
Nodding to the young man, Rahan got up to leave.
"I must go to make sure Elias is settled for he was quite distraught at his Lady's condition. He was being a nervous Ada until we finally convinced him that his Lady yet grace Middle-earth with her presence."
Aragorn laughed quietly then after Rahan had left, turned back to his unconscious sister. She stirred in her sleep and he brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers until her movements once more stilled. He sighed deeply.
"I don't know how you do it, little sister." He said quietly. "Time after time you go up against odds that would make even the Valar cringe and even when you get all beat up you come back, get patched up then go out and do it all again the next day – well, maybe not the next day, but you know what I mean."
He paused to pull the blanket up a little higher on her shoulders.
"All this fire and passion from such a tiny thing like you." He smiled down at his sister. "I want to be just like you when I grow up."
He chuckled to himself as Anayah reached out and took his hand then held it to her heart.
"I love you too, Estel." She said without opening her eyes. "And I am not that tiny." Her voice trailed off as she went back to sleep.
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Aragorn was just about to lie down for a brief rest when Lothur came back into the cavern to report what he had found on his trip into the city. The big man took a sip of the tea that Halgar handed him and smiled his thanks.
"There is a citywide search going on even as we speak. Garm is posturing – doing what he can to appease the other Chieftains and reassure them that he is in control and doing everything he can to find Ostara's killer. There is mixed sentiment about her death, with some of the people wanting to celebrate her passing with grand feasts while others are demanding immediate satisfaction."
He removed his cloak then took another sip of tea.
"Unfortunately," he coughed to clear his throat, "Ostara had already sent messengers to the other Chieftains earlier in the day, before she died, and rumor has it that they are probably only three days away from Hoth – we are running out of time."
Aragorn frowned.
"And you believe this rumor?"
"Aye, I do, Estel."
"The rest of you?"
He looked around him at the others who all nodded their heads. Greyfell pushed himself away from the wall he had been standing against.
"The time frame would be accurate."
An out-of-breath slave interrupted anything more that would have been said. He was breathless from running as well as from his excitement and after he had spent some moments bent over with his hands on his knees, he accepted the cup of water Halgar offered him and drank deeply.
"I am sorry for my breathlessness, my Lord, but I came as quickly as I could for an entrance to the tunnels has been found – there are soldiers in the tunnels!"
"How many?"
"15, sir." The man panted breathlessly.
"Rahan."
Everybody spun to see Anayah leaning up against the doorway to the sleeping cavern, a blanket draped around her shoulders. She started to lean too far to one side and even though Rahan rushed toward her, there was another who reached Anayah first. She looked down to see Cyrano leaning up against her leg.
"Hannon-le, Cyrano." She said with a smile as she caressed the small stallion's head.
Turning back to the others, she took a few steps towards them by which time Rahan was able to reach her and steady her as she walked slowly into the second cavern.
"Thank you, Rahan." She said as she gratefully took the Captain's arm.
She sat on the barrel that someone produced for her.
"I will make this brief. Rahan, this is what you and the others are trained for so I want you to take your elves and go clear the tunnels, after which it will be up to Estel to permanently bring down the entrances so this incident will have no further chance of repeating itself. I wish with all my heart that I could go with you but at this moment, I must admit to my own weakness and stay here."
Rahan nodded in assent.
"How do you want this handled?"
She looked at Rahan as well as at the other three for a moment, then her own eyes teared up as she answered her Captain's question.
"With lethal intent."
Nodding his head, he signaled to the other three Guards and they all ran off to prepare themselves for what they were about to do.
Greyfell escorted Anayah back to her sleeping pallet and helped her lay down. She had exhausted herself and was asleep almost before the elf had drawn the blanket up around her shoulders.
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There were 15 humans in the tunnel system, half of whom were carrying torches as they slowly and painstakingly made their way through the labyrinth of tunnels. All the men, seasoned veterans as well as the younger soldiers were nervous, for without natural lighting or ventilation, the air was stale and thick and the walls seemed a lot closer than they actually were.
"Sir?"
The leader held up his hand and the others stopped – all turning to the nervous speaker who was shifting his weight from one foot to the other and back again as he looked into the nearby shadows before turning his attention to his Captain.
"What?"
"Sir, how far do we have to go in these tunnels?"
The young man jumped as the soldier standing behind him teasingly poked him in the ribs.
The Captain raised an eyebrow at the young man.
"What is wrong with you – are you losing your nerve?" He walked to the young man and laid his arm on the younger man's shoulders. "I'll tell you what. If these tunnels are scaring you that bad then I give you permission to go back and wait for us at the entrance. But … if you do … you go alone and you leave your torch here."
The first man glared at the man standing on his left who returned the young man's glare with a look of pure innocence on his face.
"No sir … I'm not scared, I just wanted to know how far into the tunnels we had to go – that's all!"
The innocent-acting solder opened his mouth to say something to his friend but the Captain interrupted.
"Shut up – both of you – not another word!" The leader hissed. "We go as far as we have to and if there is anybody using these tunnels, we will find them and we will take them back to the Palace. Now quiet!"
He glared at all 14 of his men equally.
"Be quiet and be alert. This place is a honeycomb of passages and if there is somebody down here, we don't want to let them know we are coming. It would kind of defeat the purpose of trying to sneak up on them! Now shut up – all of you – and keep careful watch – let's go!"
The two humans who had spoken to each other exchanged one last mutual glare before they noticed the others were moving away from them and quickened their pace to catch up with the others. The group had not traveled much further down the tunnel before their progress once more slowed. The light from their torches danced on the walls around them although it was not the shadows they, themselves, cast that was unnerving them.
"Did you see that?" One of the humans whispered to the man standing in front of him.
"What are you talking about? And why are you whispering? I didn't see …"
There was a blur of movement just ahead of them, almost out of range of their flickering torches. Every man jumped then the Captain raised his hand and all the men walking behind him stopped – their eyes wide. Though every sound they heard – their own breathing, their shifting feet and even the sound of the cloth of their clothing rubbing together was more intense within the tunnels, there was one sound that was not theirs and should not have been there. The skittering sound of loose pebbles falling from the tunnel walls behind them caused more than one soldier to cry out softly in surprise. As a unit they whirled – and saw nothing.
"Keep together – and call out if you see…"
There was a blur of movement to their left and every head turned – again seeing nothing.
"Captain – sir? Can we leave – please?"
The Captain turned to the speaker and froze, his mouth opening and shutting soundlessly. Finally, after a few moments he mastered his own feelings.
"Where are Tifil and Dain?"
Everyone turned and found that the two men who had been walking at the rear of the column and who had been with them just moments before were now missing. Without realizing they were doing it, each member of the group stepped closer to each other.
"You two…" The Captain pointed to two of his men now at the rear of his column. "I want you to go back and see why those two babies got lost."
Both humans shook their heads emphatically. Though the Captain did his best to appear intimidating, the two soldiers just continued to shake their heads and continued to refuse to follow their Captain's order. Finally, one of the men found his tongue.
"I'm sorry sir, but you can send me to the quarry for not following your orders if you wish – I care not – but whether you order me to or not, I am not going back for those two. Can't we all just leave? I don't like it in here and I'm not afraid to say so."
The Captain just shook his head.
"Stop acting like a little girl – and that goes for the rest of you as well! You are Wainrider soldiers and I expect all of you to start acting like it – now let's move on!"
The 13 men continued to move further into the tunnels glancing furtively into each dark and shadowy side tunnel as they moved passed, jumping at every shadow they cast upon the walls and at each unknown sound - real or imagined. The smell of fear about the group was getting more intense by the moment and though they continued to hear sounds and see indistinct blurred movements in some of the tunnels, their nerves were still being rubbed raw by the tension - the soldiers were fast approaching their emotional limits. They had just turned down one of the side tunnels in what they thought was a northerly direction when they started to hear something - a faint roar that grew increasingly louder. The heads of all 13 men turned in different directions, as they tried to determine where the sound was coming from as well as what it was.
The men screamed out as the air around them suddenly exploded with noise and movement as hundreds of bats began pouring out of one of the side tunnels. Though most of the humans were seasoned soldiers, when the flying creatures flew among them, all experience and dignity was forgotten as they panicked and tried to get away. Some men dropped their torches while others waved the torches at the bats like weapons. Some of the men even ran into each other in the chaos while others dropped to their knees, covered their heads with their hands and wept like children.
Then as quickly as the creatures had come upon them, they were gone and the tunnels were once more silent, save for the sound of distressed breathing and an occasional whimper. Picking himself up from where he had been crouching against the wall, the Captain walked among his men, grabbing those on the ground by the collars of their tunics and forcibly hauling them to their feet. When the last man was finally standing they all looked at their Captain who was standing in front of them with his chin resting dejectedly on his chest.
"Captain?" One of the men asked tentatively. "Sir? What is it?"
The Captain sighed and raised his head.
"Tibbits and Doltz are gone."
His men looked around their immediate area frantically, hoping that by some miracle, their missing friends would suddenly reappear but when this miracle did not occur, they turned frightened eyes to their Captain. Not one man spoke for no words were needed to let them all know they were in serious trouble – they were not alone and whoever was in the tunnels with them was killing them off one and two at a time. In a place with no clear exits and where danger could come at them in any form from any place – they were not alone.
"I don't think I need to tell you that there is someone in this tunnel with us." He sighed again. "Draw your swords and keep them at the ready. Pair up and stay together and while you are to keep one eye on your partner I want you to keep the other eye on me. If you do as I say we all might just get out of here alive. Now let's move out – I want to get this done and go home."
The 11 remaining men walked just a little bit faster than they had before and as close to each other as their torches would allow. Nobody spoke for they were much too busy looking down each of the side tunnels they passed as well as glancing at the ceiling as if they expected an attack to come at them from that direction as well.
Suddenly the light from two torches at the end of the column flickered which was quickly followed by dull thumps as they hit the ground. Alerted by the noise, every man whirled and held their torches high but all they saw were the legs of two of their soldiers disappearing - one down a tunnel to the right and the other down a tunnel to the left. There had been no sound – no footsteps and no the cries - as the men had been drug away. In truth, the remaining soldiers were beginning to believe that instead of being stalked by flesh and blood beings, that it was an evil phantom that was dogging their every move. The first they could and would be more than willing to fight - the second they could not.
With a cry of frustration, the Captain ran through the middle of his own men, shoving them to the side, until he stood at the junction between the two tunnel branches that had just swallowed his men. He stood for a moment, looking from one tunnel to the other. When his men finally joined him, they saw the same thing as that their Captain saw – nothing – in either tunnel.
"WHO ARE YOU!" The Captain shouted at the darkness that he swore was staring back at him – and laughing.
Suddenly realizing how he must sound to the frightened soldiers who were looking to him for solid leadership during trying times, the Captain took a deep breath to calm himself. He turned to speak to his men but was interrupted by the sound of booted feet running across a sandy floor. They all whirled to look in different directions for the tunnels as well as their own fears were beginning to distort their perceptions. Then they heard tapping behind them as if someone were tapping the wall of the tunnel with a stick and whirled in that direction.
Seeing the look of fear on the faces of the remaining 8 men, the Captain knew with certainty that they were just moments away from hysterically bolting in the direction they had just come – if they were able to maintain enough of a hold on their wits to remember which direction they had just come from. Without warning three of the men did what he had just thought about and ran, dropping their torches in their panic and not even stopping to pick them up. Just as the other five soldiers looked at the Captain, there was a single muffled cry from the direction the three humans had fled then even the sound of their retreating footsteps disappeared. The Captain looked at his remaining men then pointed in the direction the three soldiers had just run to.
"You all just heard that – they're gone – just like all of you will be if you lose your heads."
One of the men took a step toward the Captain.
"But sir, we've stayed together just like you told us to and there are still nine of us missing."
"I know that, soldier." He laid an encouraging hand on the young soldier's shoulder. "I didn't think I would have to tell any one of you that we can't fight what we can't see because I thought you would already understand this. The only chance any of us have, even if it is a small, almost nonexistent chance, is if we stay together. If we separate and run off without thinking, we have no chance whatsoever of living but if we stay together even though I still can't promise you that any of us will live it is at least a chance. Three of my men – your fellow soldiers – just ran up that tunnel in the direction we just came from and died - we don't need to see their dead bodies to know this is true." He gestured toward the silent, dark tunnel. "We have to stay together. Now let's all just get our acts together and find a way out of here – together."
He turned away and once more began moving forward.
"I'm not liking it in here anymore myself – let's go home." He said, almost to himself.
The group had traveled on for a bit longer when the tunnel they were traveling in split itself into a "Y." The Captain looked up one side of the tunnel then down the other, unsure of which direction to take.
"Sir?"
The Captain turned.
"Sir, I smell fresh air down this tunnel."
"I smell it too, soldier."
He turned and walked into the tunnel on the right with his remaining men following close behind.
The soldiers had only traveled a few yards when the Captain once more held up his hand, signaling his men to halt. He beckoned with one hand for them to come closer then held his torch out so they could see what he had just discovered.
There was a circular pit in the middle of the tunnel. Hollowed out at an unknown time by unknown means, it was a dark and forbidding interruption of the smooth walls and sandy floor that they had become accustomed to. The Captain unhooked the water flask from his belt and held it over the edge of the pit then opened his hand and released it. They all waited expectantly, straining their ears to hear the flask hit the bottom of the shaft. Finally, from far away, they heard the tiniest of sounds. They looked at each other with wide, frightened eyes then slowly backed away from the pit. Hugging the wall, the small group carefully edged its way around.
They breathed a collective sigh of relief when they were on the opposite side of the pit, and for a moment, allowed themselves to relax – something they should never have done. A muffled cry from directly behind them caused them all to whirl around only to see two of their friends falling backwards into the pit. The sight was too much for even the Captain to bear as he and the other three soldiers bolted up the tunnel.
Behind them, the wall on either side of the shaft moved as two figures detached themselves and after touching gloved fists, turned and ran down the tunnel after the fleeing men.
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The Captain finally called a halt then he and his remaining three men stood with their hands on their knees while they tried to catch their breaths and slow their madly racing hearts. There was barely a single nerve left between the four and even the Captain had to make a conscious effort to hold himself as well as his fears in check.
He had just lost 11 men in a very short amount of time and not once in that time had they even caught a glimpse of the killer – or killers - the Captain corrected himself. Though he would be the last of the four of them to admit to a lack of courage, even he was beginning to lose hope that any of them would make it out of the tunnel system alive. He also knew with just as much certainty that none of them were probably going to live long enough to make it back to the Palace to tell Garm that there was a "bogey man" in the tunnels and it had just killed an entire contingent of 15 soldiers.
He felt like breaking down and crying his eyes out for never before had he ever felt as impotent as he did at this moment. Give him an enemy he could see, touch and fight and he would prove to all that he had courage in excess. But give him a tunnel without clearly marked exits and an invisible enemy that struck silently and without respect for either numbers or strength and he would prove he was as capable of feeling fear as any of his men were. It was plain and simple – he had no idea what he should do - what he could do to get them out of the tunnels alive.
He was just about to speak to his men when they again heard the sound of a wind coming at them – it appeared that the bats were returning. His men had had enough, and he really couldn't blame them for their hearts, and minds were no longer their own. They couldn't take any more and mindlessly turned to run – and ran into each other. As hands, feet and torches tangled, first hair then clothing caught fire and burned. The Captain stood paralyzed by the stench of burning flesh and the dying screams of the last three of his men as they died. For a moment he stood with tears in his eyes and with the last shred of his own sanity, honored their passing. Not wanting to see more, he finally turned and ran.
He came to a halt when a shadowy figure stepped out of one of the side tunnels and blocked his path. He turned to run back the way he had come but found his way blocked by another shadowy figure. Tears ran freely down his face as he realized he had nowhere to go – he had been run to ground. His hand went to his dagger and drew it, a pitiful defense at best, but then defense was not what the weapon had been drawn for. The Captain drew the blade across his own throat then just before his vision faded to black he heard the barest whisper of a voice.
"And then there were none."
He pitched face first onto the sandy floor of the tunnel, his sightless eyes staring at nothing.
Four pairs of booted feet walked toward the dead human and stopped. Rahan reached up with one black gloved hand and removed his black stealth hood. He looked down at the human but said nothing for he had already seen the grief and regret they were all feeling for the lost lives in the tear filled eyes of his Commander before the four of them had left. He knew that he and his three elves all wished this human as well as the 14 others a safe journey to wherever it was that humans went to after they died. He motioned the others on by him then spoke a single word before turning and following.
"Namárië."
TBC
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Inuyashaloverfan: Thank you very much for reviewing the chapter. I sincerely hope that you continue to enjoy this adventure.
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kukumalu: I'm really glad that you enjoyed the fight. It was really a fitting end for our villainess I think. I have to agree with you that the picture of Ostara with a lover was just so … Eeeeeew!
Yeppers, Ostara was in control of herself during every insult until it came to the "man with breasts" insult. But then that was understandable when you consider that the one experience of her life that broke her mind was the one when the two pretty girls at her father's Inn witnessed the elf gasping in horror and taking a step back when he saw her. In case you missed it, that was why Anayah asked Greyfell about Ostara – she was trying to find an edge and I think she was successful. Ostara let her own emotions wear her out during the fight – and as a result – lost.
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NanaHalfelven: Mille Gracie! Hannon-le! Merci Beaucoup! Gracias! Meegwetch! Domo! You always say the nicest things! Thanks for the review!
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Pestiset: Believe it or not, before I did my final rewrite, I had a parting remark that resembled what you just said. Great minds travel in the same circles! Heeheehee! Thanks for the review!