Disclaimer: No I do not own any of the LOTR characters (even though I wish I did) but here is my first fic on the series. Events in this chapter may be a little quick, so please bare with me.
A/N: Yo, I'm back. Surprising, no? Anyway, I have revised this so it's better. This doesn't follow the ending of the books in case you're interested. Please don't steal my ideas or original characters.
Chapter 1: The Journey Begins
It was 3 days since Aragorn had set out with Haldir to retrieve Gimli and Legolas. They had already added Gimli to their group and were setting out for Mirkwood to retrieve Legolas. Aragorn had received word from Haldir that strange dragons were flying from city to city, and forest to forest, attacking whatever settlements crossed their path. Rivendell was already attacked, some of it burned down. Fortunately, none were killed but many injured.
According to Elrond, the dragons were almost impossible to kill with arrows, for they were covered from head to toe in thick, hard scales that were almost impossible to pierce. The small group was to merely find the dragons and ascertain any reason for the sudden occurrence. They could only hope Mirkwood was not yet targeted.
It was evening and they retreated to a cave to rest, putting their two horses in the back of the tunnel. They then settled their load and started a fire.
"How long till we reach the forest?" Gimli asked, unceremoniously devouring his portion of food.
"It is at least a day away," Aragorn answered, unwrapping a slab of meat to cook.
Haldir chose to sit against the wall, observing the two.
"Aren't you going to have some?" asked Gimli.
Unfortunately, in his effort to speak he accidentally sprayed some half-chewed morsels upon Haldir's face.
The elf wiped took an offered cloth from Aragorn and wiped the salivated food from his person. "No, Master Dwarf, I think I'll wait till it's necessary,"
"Suit yourself," Gimli said, spitting more crumbs on the elf's face.
Aragorn chuckled at Haldir, who looked at him none to pleased about the mess he was bestowed by the dwarf as he removed it yet again. After a bit of talking and eating, they finally went to bed. However, they didn't succeed in achieving the rest intended, for around midnight, when the moon was full and high in the starless sky, they awoke to an ear-deafening screech. Haldir was the first to awake, instantly grabbing his ears in pain. Aragorn shot up and looked around, and Gimli….was sound asleep.
However, the short-tempered dwarf was effectively awakened by the second scream. Haldir felt like his head was about to explode. The screeches were even more high-pitched and horrible sounding than the wraiths'. Aragorn drew his sword and crept to the opening of the cave. He went absolutely stiff when he located the source of the sound. Above him, flying amidst the clouds, were dragons. Three dragons. He gripped the hilt of his sword but remained hidden, knowing better than to move in the presence of such creatures. The dragons landed on giant dead trees in the distance and everything was suddenly silent.
They appeared to be listening, for all their heads were in the air, the three turning every now and then.
"We must be quiet," Aragorn whispered.
"What?" asked Gimli, rather loudly.
One of the dragons turned its head in the direction of the cave gave the structure a steady, bone-chilling glare, but remained put.
"Shhhh," Aragorn whispered. "Dragons. They are a distance from us, but right now one of them has its eyes upon us."
Gimli became instantly silent. Aragorn continued watching, but the one dragon did not shift its gaze, nor did the others seem to notice the beast's concentration.
"Haldir," Aragorn whispered, keeping his eyes on the dragon.
He received no answer.
"Haldir," he whispered again, turning around this time.
Haldir was leaning against the wall of the cave, hands still over his ears. Aragorn moved quietly over to him and shook him gently.
"Is he dead?" Gimli asked in a low whisper.
"No, just unconscious," Aragorn answered.
But he became a little unsure when he lifted Haldir's eyelids. The eyes were blank and held a pale blue color.
"Could it be a spell?" Gimli asked.
Aragorn looked at him as if to say, "Maybe". The dwarf listened for a moment before crawling over to the mouth of the cave and poking his head out.
"Have they left yet?" Aragorn asked.
"No, no. They're both still there," Gimli answered.
Aragorn turned with a look of worry on his face.
"Both?" he questioned.
"Yes, both. See?" Aragorn quickly shuffled his way to the entrance.
"See? One, two. Nothing to worry about Aragorn," Aragorn was horror struck.
Sure enough, only two dragons remained perched on the dead trees. The one missing, the one currently out of sight and ear was the one dragon that had heard them and fixed its gaze unwaveringly upon the cave. But where did it go? The thought frightened him.
"What's the matter?" Gimli asked.
Aragorn quickly covered Gimli's mouth. He leaned his head close to the dwarf's ear and whispered: "There were three."
Gimli took on a panicked look and scooted out, peering left and right for any sign of the third. Aragorn was about to tell his friend to come back inside before they were spotted by the other two, when a sudden noise silenced him. The two went deadly still and listened. It happened again. It was a crunch sound, though they could not tell from where it was emanating.
"Did you hear that?" Gimli whispered as quietly as he could.
"Shhh, Gimli," Aragorn said. "I heard it,"
The sound occurred again. From the left? No. A fourth time. To the right? Nay. It was deathly quiet for a few moments before a fifth crunch was heard. Aragorn detected its origin.
"Above!"
A mighty growl broke the silence as a dragon threw its head into the cave. Its teeth gnashed mercilessly on whatever it could get into its mouth. Aragorn and Gimli were thrown back by its head, into the back of the cave where the horses were tied, attempting to free themselves to escape the sudden intruder. The dragon's head was making its way toward them.
Only feet away, the dragon's head seemed to halt, its gaze caught by another, more attainable and defenseless query. Haldir. It opened its bone-crushing jaws, preparing to devour the unfortunate elf.
"HALDIR!" Aragorn drew his dagger and charged toward the beast with a sudden fury.
He jumped on the dragon's head and shoved the dagger between its eyes. The creature screeched and shoved its head upward, smashing Aragorn's back against the ceiling of the cave.
The king groaned in pain as his back came in contact with the thick stone. The dragon quickly withdrew its head out of the cave. Unfortunately for Aragorn, the other dragons were right behind it, preparing to help themselves to their friend's newly found prey. The initial dragon pulled the dagger out of its head with its claws and flew off in another direction. That shortened their enemies to two.
Aragorn stood up. His back hurt, but didn't appear to be broken. He looked over at Haldir then back outside. But he didn't expect the sight that greeted him. As unnatural as giant fangs saturated with saliva for a greeting appeared, that is what's should be expected when fighting such monsters. Stillness and bare landscape was the last thing the King of Men was anticipating.
"Have they all left?" Gimli asked, picking up his ax and walking up to Aragorn.
"I don't-," he was cut off the cave ceiling began to crumble as an armored paw shot through the rock.
"They're on top of the cave!" Aragorn shouted to the stumbling dwarf.
More banging followed before one of the dragons succeeded in destroying half the cave.
"GIMLI, GET OUT OF HERE!" Aragorn bellowed atop the noise.
The dwarf obeyed and quickly made his way to the opening. Aragorn was about to exit the cave, when he remembered something.
"Haldir!" he quickly ran back and lifted the elf onto his back, though it hurt him immensely. He then dashed out of the cave just as it collapsed. Boulders, rocks, and rubble were flying everywhere. One rather large rock hit Aragorn in the back of his calve. He fell hard to the ground and rolled down the hill, losing grip of Haldir, who was stopped by a boulder implanted in the soil.
Aragorn rolled onto a slanted rock in the ground and flew off it, landing hard on the ground and on his back. He lay there, groaning, until Gimli came and lifted him to his feet.
"Where's Haldir?" the dwarf asked.
Aragorn looked around for the elf and spotted him lying in front of a stone further up the hill.
"Is he still unconscious!" Gimli yelled as Aragorn sped over to the helpless Haldir.
"Even I couldn't sleep THAT long!" he followed after Aragorn.
Aragorn was but a few feet away from Haldir when the dragon landed right next to the elf. The king stopped, as did Gimli behind him. The dragon then lifted his head into the air and sucked in a deep breath.
"GET DOWN!" Aragorn grabbed the dwarf, and diving behind the nearest boulder.
The dragon released its breath along with the powerful flames that accompanied it. The two may have been out of the way of the fire, but it was still scorching enough to make them sweat as well as forceful and eventually moved the boulder with tremendous might, leaving them vulnerable to the fire.
They ran to the left, the dragon moving to strike again. But the beast was halted when its clawed foot brushed something unfamiliar. It lifted its foot and looked down. The dragon looked almost human with a seeming triumph at the sight of the elf.
"Haldir!" shouted Gimli in panic.
Aragorn quickly snatched the ax from the dwarf and ran toward the dragon.
"No!" Aragorn yelled as the dragon began to lower its head to the elf.
The beast drew its attention toward Aragorn at the outburst and emitted a warning growl. Before Aragorn could reach the mighty creature, it snatched up Haldir in its claws and flapped its wings.
"NO!" Aragorn picked up speed.
But it was too late.
The dragon had taken off, Haldir in its grasp.
Gimli ran up to Aragorn and the both of them watched helplessly as their companion grew further and further away from them. Aragorn yelled and threw down the ax. He walked in a circle, then let out another yell and fell to his knees.
"Haldir," Gimli said. "I pray he'll be alright."
He patted Aragorn's shoulder and walked up to search the cave for anything that was left.
"Nai tiruvantel ar varyuvantel i Valar tielyanna nu vilya (May the Valor protect you on your path under the sky)," Aragorn said.
After a few moments he stood and made his way towards Gimli.
"Don't you think it strange, Aragorn?" Gimli asked, meeting the man halfway.
"Don't I think what strange, Gimli?" Aragorn looked at the dwarf.
"That there were two dragons, and yet we only faced ONE."
Aragorn seemed confused before realization struck him. Indeed. When the injured one fled there had been two and yet they had faced but one dragon.
"And there's something else," he walked over to Aragorn. "The horses are missing. I cannot find their bodies anywhere near the back of the cave where we had them tied. The ropes," Gimli held them up, "the ropes had been untied from them."
Sure enough, there was no tear from tugging or from being cut.
The ropes had been untied.
"Now unless those horses are smarter than me, which they're not- I'd say this could help us explain where that other dragon may have gone. And also, if those dragons had someone with hands along with them," Gimli handed the ropes to Aragorn and sat on a boulder. "Now I'm guessing Mirkwood's more than a day away."
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There's the revised chapter 1. Hope you like it better than the old one. God, I really sucked. I know I probably still do in some ways, but my old skill stunk! Yeesh, no wonder I had so many reviews telling me I made mistakes. THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO CORRECTED ME!
Anyway, please R&R.
….man, I sucked.