Rays of sunlight streamed through the tiny spaces illuminating the dark
room, where both mortals lay asleep locked in a firm embrace. Aragorn awoke
first wincing at the bright lights in the room and gently removing Èowyn's
hand from across him. He stared intently at her, watching every movement,
absorbing her soft peaceful breathing into his own body and adored the
innocence of this beauteous maid lying next to him. He rose gingerly,
struggling against the pounding ache in his head and tenderly touched the
bandage where his Shieldmaiden had applied in his state of unconsciousness.
He made his way to the entrance unsteadily, searching for the elves who had seemingly vanished since the accident. He grimaced as the golden sun struck him, with its bursting; sizzling sunlight and struggled to keep balance as his eyes adjusted to the magnificent scenery before him.
The woods of Lorien appeared as though they had been restored to their legendary splendour of the days gone past, when the elves roamed Middle Earth freely. It seemed to Aragorn that the deadly mists had relinquished its hold upon the forest and Nature rejoiced at her liberation. He stood high above the golden woods; enthralled at the blissful sounds of the tiny birds, pouring their souls in praise to the morning sun as she shone with full magnificence in the gleaming blue sky, warming the cold dew which lay delicately like silken threads upon the green pastures of the woods. This had been the first occasion since his coronation he had been one with Nature and he revelled in the thought.
Èowyn stirred uneasily at the loss of warmth beside her and awoke slowly; blinking the clouds away from her eyes. She saw Aragorn standing outside as if in silent contemplation and made her way stealthily towards him, entwining her arms around him, rejoicing as he turned to her immediately and kissing her tenderly beneath the symbol of her people.
"Did you sleep well?" she asked softly as they gazed upon the morning view, his arms wrapped securely over her waist, raven and golden hair mingling in the summer breeze.
"You need not ask that question nín anoriel, as long as you are there, I shall." He replied and nuzzled her neck gently, his warm breath sending tremors of excitement to her nerves.
"Then shall we begin our journey today? If you are able" she asked quietly the excitement in her voice barely concealed.
"Yes as soon as the rest of our party reveal themselves, we shall set out at once. I know you are as eager as I am to see what lies beneath those steps, you feel the call to battle as I do meleth nín." He replied amusedly, yet the gravity in his voice was a reminder to her of the unknown perils, which lurked in the shadows.
"I know you fear for all of us" she said gently. "As we fear for you, though we know not of what faces us in there or in Fangorn forest, we have made a collective agreement to endure all the obstacles to come." She stated firmly turning to watch his expression. "We must trust in ourselves and the promise we made to Èomer and the people of Middle Earth." She said brushing away the rebel tendrils of hair which flew in his face and watching with silent satisfaction as he visibly relaxed.
"I know Èowyn and fully agree with you. It is a hard journey before us but we can do it. I feel as though a heavy burden has been removed." He replied flashing a rare smile.
"It heals my heart to hear you say that." She replied simply.
"Legolas and Matejé have been away for a length of time, I do hope they are...." he began
"Yes Estel we are in fine health and it is heart warming to see the same of you." Legolas voice sounded from behind them.
The Elf Prince and maiden made their way up the stairs, unconcealed excitement upon their faces at the sight of the King in perfect vigour and the Lady of the Mark beside him. Legolas broke into a run and fiercely embraced his friend thumping him vigorously.
"I feared as we all did when we found you lying upon that tree unconscious." He said. "Thank Valar Èowyn had the sense to bring herbs from Edoras." The elf said emotionally and smiled brilliantly at the woman.
"I owe everything to all of you dear friends." Aragorn replied. "All I wish is to find those swords hidden in that chamber and finish this journey." He said grimly.
"Then we shall make haste for I know you all wish to return to those who await us anxiously." Matejé said wisely as they scattered to gather the essential possessions needed.
They made their way to the entrance, Aragorn looking grimly at the rubble around him, sighing sadly over the loss of the great heirloom of Lady Galadriel. He walked over to where a large piece of the mirror remained strangely intact and to his surprise, saw the Elfstone still attached to the carved niche in the dish. He pried it out gently and held it to the sun, watching with enthralment, the gleam emanating from its jewel. He slipped it over his head and tucked it once more beneath his apparel, revelling in its cool contact against his warm skin.
He made approached the others, who patiently awaited him at the entrance of the steps. He could sense their fear though they attempted to conceal it and too he felt the icy fingers clutch at his heart. He was reminded of his journey to the Paths of the Dead and prayed silently they would return unscathed as in his earlier quest.
"It is now or never." He said fearlessly as he lit one of the torches brought from Rohan and slowly descended into the dark pathway, followed tentatively by the others.
The steps led to a long damp tunnel, filled with sludge and slimy moss covering its vast walls. It seemed never ending and they felt as though they had gone further than any other mortal or immortal in the bowels of the earth. Slowly they continued their path until they encountered another stairway, this one covered treacherously with the moss which thrived in the gloomy surroundings. Tentatively they stepped upon the winding steps, which were derelict in countless areas. Aragorn led the group brandishing the now fading torch, followed by a cautious Èowyn and Matejé and lastly Legolas with his bow ready to strike in anticipation of any strange happenings.
"I fear even Gimli would not have cared for this place and would willingly choose to accompany you to the Paths of the Dead rather than here." Legolas said looking above at the pointed, razor like mammoth rocks perched precariously above, threatening to fall upon them at any given moment. "I feel as though I have returned to the mines of Moria once more." He continued and Aragorn grunted in quiet approval.
"I agree. When we return to Edoras, I shall ask Gandalf to provide all the information he can about these caves. They are fascinating, and yet I question the need for the secrecy. It appears to be no different than the mines of Moria" Aragorn stated.
Matejé continued walking silently, unwilling to say anything, fighting the niggling fear threatening to consume her sanity. She had never seen anything as morbidly enthralling as the caverns which surrounded her. Like all elves, she preferred the unsullied sounds of Earth's creatures above land than, those of the unknown whom dwelled underneath. She grasped the hilt of her hunting knife unconsciously with each treacherous step they made. There was something amiss, though Aragorn did not feel the same, she could sense it within her bones and looked apprehensively at Legolas hoping he felt the same opinion.
"Wait." Aragorn said stopping abruptly and looked to the western side where there was a dim light. "Something is coming." He said quickly and drew Andruil. "Hurry I spy the end of the stairway below us, we must get to solid ground." He ordered and they began their race to the final step.
Èowyn's heart raced as she took three steps at once, Helm grasped firmly in her arm, lustrous with a lethal blue blaze. Never had she felt this unease before. Not even her battle with the Witch King of Angmar had there been such nervous energy. Now was not the time to dwell on past incidents she thought crossly as she sprinted, heaving a sigh of relief as the last step came to an end, leading into another tunnel intertwined with several pathways.
"Against a wall quickly" Aragorn ordered scuffing out the torch and they hastened to obey. Each person waiting with bated breath in the murky light for their nameless opponent to reveal itself.
The clamour echoed within the entire cavern as the creatures approached the small party and the sound of numerous wings beating in a tattoo of similarity, accompanied by soft shrieking sounds, filled parched throats of all involved, with the bitter taste of fear.
Aragorn peered out from his hideaway; curiously hoping to see what creatures could cause such a disturbance and was filled with wonder at the strange sight before him. There were bizarre winged creatures flying crazily about the cavern, similar to the bats he knew who dwelled in the dark caves, yet these were different; for they were misshapen in structure. Their small bodies were surpassed only by the size of their colossal teeth protruding menacingly from their mouths and the enormity of their sensor sharp ears. Pressing his finger to his lips, he motioned for the rest to remain hidden and quiet until, the foul creatures had vanished and waited expectantly for them to depart.
Moments passed as though it were millennia, as they agonisingly remained rooted to their positions, not even daring to breathe or move an inch of muscle. Finally when all seemed quiet, they made their way, stumbling into one of the pathways and gathered around Aragorn as he lit another torch.
"What path do we choose Aragorn?" Èowyn asked quizzically as they glance around at the numerous, curving passageways encircling them.
"I do not know...." He began and fell silent as he felt a burning sensation inside his armour, probing, he took out the Elfstone, which shone with such brilliance they were momentarily blinded.
"I believe this is our guide." Legolas stated.
"It is drawing me to this pathway." Aragorn said slowly, as the jewel visibly forced him into the narrowest passage of all. "Let us proceed with caution." He said as they resumed their march.
They had gone no more than fifteen paces, when the earth rumbled violently beneath, lurching them to the ground. They sat there unable to rise, when another quake more powerful that the first, struck with such resonance, the walls trembled with terror. Then to their despair, came the ominous sounds they wished to hear no more. Like a storm cloud, the creatures came swooping into the corridor heading directly for the quartet, cramming the constricted trail, with their screeching.
"Run!!" Aragorn screamed grabbing Èowyn's hand as the winged abnormalities charged towards them like a malicious snake about to discharge its venom.
They sprinted down the passage ways chased like haunted entities, sensing the creatures gaining ground rapidly. Aragorn leading the way, pulling Èowyn frantically along with him, followed by the elves not far behind. Uncaring of what routes they chose, as long as they escaped the dreadful animals behind them. They were forced to halt as they came to another collection of routes, their final torch extinguished and the bat like creature still hovering close.
"Aragorn you must go with Èowyn down the correct passage, while Matejé and I defend you. It is only to apparent they are following you. We shall stall them as long as possible and make our way back up to the surface." Legolas stated calmly
"Nay do not even speak of it." Aragorn replied angrily but the elf stopped his rant.
"The swords can only be obtained by you both. Do not argue time is of essence and I can hear the creatures drawing nearer." Legolas replied irritated. "Èowyn you know what I say is true." He asked the woman who stood near by.
"It is." She admitted "But we cannot ask you to make such an enormous sacrifice. 'Tis not just." She stated and looked questioningly at Matejé.
"Trust us. This is our best option. Our bows and inexhaustible quivers are not meant for decorative purposes but for protection." The elf maiden replied. "You must leave now, before they are upon us. Have no fear we shall await you both unscathed." She said wisely and Legolas vigorously nodded his head.
"Then we have no choice but to part ways for a short period." Aragorn said finally as both elves released a collective sigh. "Take care, until we meet again. Valar protect you both." He said and both couples embraced before the mortals set off into another desolate course.
They had gone only a short way before they heard the screeches followed by the sweet twang of bows being released. A piercing shriek reverberated through the passages, freezing their moments and chilling their blood. Èowyn swivelled to return but was held firmly by her love.
"No we must journey on. If something happened we have to carry on for their sakes." He said wisely and she nodded wordlessly, holding back her tears skilfully. "Come we must press on." He said gently and took her hand as they broke into another scurry down the passage, only to find themselves clutching thin air as the ground gave way and they fell into another subterranean chamber, lying upon each other in a small heap on the cold soil.
He made his way to the entrance unsteadily, searching for the elves who had seemingly vanished since the accident. He grimaced as the golden sun struck him, with its bursting; sizzling sunlight and struggled to keep balance as his eyes adjusted to the magnificent scenery before him.
The woods of Lorien appeared as though they had been restored to their legendary splendour of the days gone past, when the elves roamed Middle Earth freely. It seemed to Aragorn that the deadly mists had relinquished its hold upon the forest and Nature rejoiced at her liberation. He stood high above the golden woods; enthralled at the blissful sounds of the tiny birds, pouring their souls in praise to the morning sun as she shone with full magnificence in the gleaming blue sky, warming the cold dew which lay delicately like silken threads upon the green pastures of the woods. This had been the first occasion since his coronation he had been one with Nature and he revelled in the thought.
Èowyn stirred uneasily at the loss of warmth beside her and awoke slowly; blinking the clouds away from her eyes. She saw Aragorn standing outside as if in silent contemplation and made her way stealthily towards him, entwining her arms around him, rejoicing as he turned to her immediately and kissing her tenderly beneath the symbol of her people.
"Did you sleep well?" she asked softly as they gazed upon the morning view, his arms wrapped securely over her waist, raven and golden hair mingling in the summer breeze.
"You need not ask that question nín anoriel, as long as you are there, I shall." He replied and nuzzled her neck gently, his warm breath sending tremors of excitement to her nerves.
"Then shall we begin our journey today? If you are able" she asked quietly the excitement in her voice barely concealed.
"Yes as soon as the rest of our party reveal themselves, we shall set out at once. I know you are as eager as I am to see what lies beneath those steps, you feel the call to battle as I do meleth nín." He replied amusedly, yet the gravity in his voice was a reminder to her of the unknown perils, which lurked in the shadows.
"I know you fear for all of us" she said gently. "As we fear for you, though we know not of what faces us in there or in Fangorn forest, we have made a collective agreement to endure all the obstacles to come." She stated firmly turning to watch his expression. "We must trust in ourselves and the promise we made to Èomer and the people of Middle Earth." She said brushing away the rebel tendrils of hair which flew in his face and watching with silent satisfaction as he visibly relaxed.
"I know Èowyn and fully agree with you. It is a hard journey before us but we can do it. I feel as though a heavy burden has been removed." He replied flashing a rare smile.
"It heals my heart to hear you say that." She replied simply.
"Legolas and Matejé have been away for a length of time, I do hope they are...." he began
"Yes Estel we are in fine health and it is heart warming to see the same of you." Legolas voice sounded from behind them.
The Elf Prince and maiden made their way up the stairs, unconcealed excitement upon their faces at the sight of the King in perfect vigour and the Lady of the Mark beside him. Legolas broke into a run and fiercely embraced his friend thumping him vigorously.
"I feared as we all did when we found you lying upon that tree unconscious." He said. "Thank Valar Èowyn had the sense to bring herbs from Edoras." The elf said emotionally and smiled brilliantly at the woman.
"I owe everything to all of you dear friends." Aragorn replied. "All I wish is to find those swords hidden in that chamber and finish this journey." He said grimly.
"Then we shall make haste for I know you all wish to return to those who await us anxiously." Matejé said wisely as they scattered to gather the essential possessions needed.
They made their way to the entrance, Aragorn looking grimly at the rubble around him, sighing sadly over the loss of the great heirloom of Lady Galadriel. He walked over to where a large piece of the mirror remained strangely intact and to his surprise, saw the Elfstone still attached to the carved niche in the dish. He pried it out gently and held it to the sun, watching with enthralment, the gleam emanating from its jewel. He slipped it over his head and tucked it once more beneath his apparel, revelling in its cool contact against his warm skin.
He made approached the others, who patiently awaited him at the entrance of the steps. He could sense their fear though they attempted to conceal it and too he felt the icy fingers clutch at his heart. He was reminded of his journey to the Paths of the Dead and prayed silently they would return unscathed as in his earlier quest.
"It is now or never." He said fearlessly as he lit one of the torches brought from Rohan and slowly descended into the dark pathway, followed tentatively by the others.
The steps led to a long damp tunnel, filled with sludge and slimy moss covering its vast walls. It seemed never ending and they felt as though they had gone further than any other mortal or immortal in the bowels of the earth. Slowly they continued their path until they encountered another stairway, this one covered treacherously with the moss which thrived in the gloomy surroundings. Tentatively they stepped upon the winding steps, which were derelict in countless areas. Aragorn led the group brandishing the now fading torch, followed by a cautious Èowyn and Matejé and lastly Legolas with his bow ready to strike in anticipation of any strange happenings.
"I fear even Gimli would not have cared for this place and would willingly choose to accompany you to the Paths of the Dead rather than here." Legolas said looking above at the pointed, razor like mammoth rocks perched precariously above, threatening to fall upon them at any given moment. "I feel as though I have returned to the mines of Moria once more." He continued and Aragorn grunted in quiet approval.
"I agree. When we return to Edoras, I shall ask Gandalf to provide all the information he can about these caves. They are fascinating, and yet I question the need for the secrecy. It appears to be no different than the mines of Moria" Aragorn stated.
Matejé continued walking silently, unwilling to say anything, fighting the niggling fear threatening to consume her sanity. She had never seen anything as morbidly enthralling as the caverns which surrounded her. Like all elves, she preferred the unsullied sounds of Earth's creatures above land than, those of the unknown whom dwelled underneath. She grasped the hilt of her hunting knife unconsciously with each treacherous step they made. There was something amiss, though Aragorn did not feel the same, she could sense it within her bones and looked apprehensively at Legolas hoping he felt the same opinion.
"Wait." Aragorn said stopping abruptly and looked to the western side where there was a dim light. "Something is coming." He said quickly and drew Andruil. "Hurry I spy the end of the stairway below us, we must get to solid ground." He ordered and they began their race to the final step.
Èowyn's heart raced as she took three steps at once, Helm grasped firmly in her arm, lustrous with a lethal blue blaze. Never had she felt this unease before. Not even her battle with the Witch King of Angmar had there been such nervous energy. Now was not the time to dwell on past incidents she thought crossly as she sprinted, heaving a sigh of relief as the last step came to an end, leading into another tunnel intertwined with several pathways.
"Against a wall quickly" Aragorn ordered scuffing out the torch and they hastened to obey. Each person waiting with bated breath in the murky light for their nameless opponent to reveal itself.
The clamour echoed within the entire cavern as the creatures approached the small party and the sound of numerous wings beating in a tattoo of similarity, accompanied by soft shrieking sounds, filled parched throats of all involved, with the bitter taste of fear.
Aragorn peered out from his hideaway; curiously hoping to see what creatures could cause such a disturbance and was filled with wonder at the strange sight before him. There were bizarre winged creatures flying crazily about the cavern, similar to the bats he knew who dwelled in the dark caves, yet these were different; for they were misshapen in structure. Their small bodies were surpassed only by the size of their colossal teeth protruding menacingly from their mouths and the enormity of their sensor sharp ears. Pressing his finger to his lips, he motioned for the rest to remain hidden and quiet until, the foul creatures had vanished and waited expectantly for them to depart.
Moments passed as though it were millennia, as they agonisingly remained rooted to their positions, not even daring to breathe or move an inch of muscle. Finally when all seemed quiet, they made their way, stumbling into one of the pathways and gathered around Aragorn as he lit another torch.
"What path do we choose Aragorn?" Èowyn asked quizzically as they glance around at the numerous, curving passageways encircling them.
"I do not know...." He began and fell silent as he felt a burning sensation inside his armour, probing, he took out the Elfstone, which shone with such brilliance they were momentarily blinded.
"I believe this is our guide." Legolas stated.
"It is drawing me to this pathway." Aragorn said slowly, as the jewel visibly forced him into the narrowest passage of all. "Let us proceed with caution." He said as they resumed their march.
They had gone no more than fifteen paces, when the earth rumbled violently beneath, lurching them to the ground. They sat there unable to rise, when another quake more powerful that the first, struck with such resonance, the walls trembled with terror. Then to their despair, came the ominous sounds they wished to hear no more. Like a storm cloud, the creatures came swooping into the corridor heading directly for the quartet, cramming the constricted trail, with their screeching.
"Run!!" Aragorn screamed grabbing Èowyn's hand as the winged abnormalities charged towards them like a malicious snake about to discharge its venom.
They sprinted down the passage ways chased like haunted entities, sensing the creatures gaining ground rapidly. Aragorn leading the way, pulling Èowyn frantically along with him, followed by the elves not far behind. Uncaring of what routes they chose, as long as they escaped the dreadful animals behind them. They were forced to halt as they came to another collection of routes, their final torch extinguished and the bat like creature still hovering close.
"Aragorn you must go with Èowyn down the correct passage, while Matejé and I defend you. It is only to apparent they are following you. We shall stall them as long as possible and make our way back up to the surface." Legolas stated calmly
"Nay do not even speak of it." Aragorn replied angrily but the elf stopped his rant.
"The swords can only be obtained by you both. Do not argue time is of essence and I can hear the creatures drawing nearer." Legolas replied irritated. "Èowyn you know what I say is true." He asked the woman who stood near by.
"It is." She admitted "But we cannot ask you to make such an enormous sacrifice. 'Tis not just." She stated and looked questioningly at Matejé.
"Trust us. This is our best option. Our bows and inexhaustible quivers are not meant for decorative purposes but for protection." The elf maiden replied. "You must leave now, before they are upon us. Have no fear we shall await you both unscathed." She said wisely and Legolas vigorously nodded his head.
"Then we have no choice but to part ways for a short period." Aragorn said finally as both elves released a collective sigh. "Take care, until we meet again. Valar protect you both." He said and both couples embraced before the mortals set off into another desolate course.
They had gone only a short way before they heard the screeches followed by the sweet twang of bows being released. A piercing shriek reverberated through the passages, freezing their moments and chilling their blood. Èowyn swivelled to return but was held firmly by her love.
"No we must journey on. If something happened we have to carry on for their sakes." He said wisely and she nodded wordlessly, holding back her tears skilfully. "Come we must press on." He said gently and took her hand as they broke into another scurry down the passage, only to find themselves clutching thin air as the ground gave way and they fell into another subterranean chamber, lying upon each other in a small heap on the cold soil.