Author's Note:
Sorry that this has been a long wait and that this chapter is so short but I'm been really busy. Hopefully I can get the next chapter out faster but I wouldn't hold my breath.
Eleven
Through The Stone I See
Avaanta pulled Celeborn into the darkness of the small cave with him. He hadn't wanted to show the other Elf his hiding place for his Palantiri but he certainly didn't want to preform this task out in the open where they could easily be caught.
The younger Elf sat down upon the damp floor and Celeborn crouched beside him. Avaanta flung back the large green velvet cloth he had originally stolen from Gondor and Celeborn's eyes widened at the sight of four of the Palantiri clustered on the rocky ground. He watched as Avaanta carefully placed his newest acquisition in with the collection and selected out another of the large, dark, polished stones.
"This" Avaanta held the stone out to Celeborn "is the Palantir of Osgiliath. I need you to use it to find the Palantir of Minas Ithil for me."
Celeborn raised an eyebrow slightly but Avaanta stared back at him in all seriousness, still holding the stone out to him. Celeborn sighed heavily and took the stone from him. After seeing what he was capable of he wasn't really sure he was quite ready to defy the other Elf.
"I had a feeling you came to get me for a reason."
He gazed down briefly at the stone in his hands before returning his gaze to meet Avaanta's.
"I take it you've already tried to use it."
Avaanta nodded in response.
"I'm hoping you know how Celeborn, that why I went after you and rescued you from a life of slavery in Edoras. This is how you're going to pay me back."
"Well at least you have most of the other stones so not too many people will be looking in on this."
A voice at the back of Celeborn's mind quietly reminded him of just who had the final stone in their possession. But that was something he could not tell Avaanta, not yet anyway. He was hoping that was how he was going to save him from himself.
"Come on Celeborn, sometime before the day is through."
"It may take some time Avaanta. Please have some patience."
Avaanta sighed in defeat and lent back against the stone wall of the cave to watch the other Elf.
Celeborn stared deep into the depth of the dark stone, calling very slowly to the surface the image reflected by the missing stone. Tiny beads of sweat sprung up along his forehead as he concentrated extremely hard on drawing forth the right image. All the stones spoke to one another but some more strongly than others.
Finally when he had found the image he was looking for he drew it up to the stone's surface. He did not notice Avaanta suddenly sit up and lean forward at the sight of a tiny amount of light appearing in the stone.
Soon the image filled the stone's entire surface and once Celeborn was sure he had it under control he called Avaanta over to sit beside him.
"Does any of that look familiar? Remember you are looking from within the stone."
Avaanta studied the image for some time before answering.
"No it doesn't, not from memory but I've memorised the surrounding landscape so when we return I will be able to find it."
Celeborn let out a long breath and the image faded from the stone. Avaanta stole it back from him and wrapped a cloth about it. He now had a small collection of various cloths but he was only using one to cover the stones for the moment.
Avaanta selected the heavy purple material that had once been half a set of drapes back in an unknown King's castle and flung it Celeborn's way.
"Use this as a cloak, I'd like mine back."
Celeborn caught the heavy purple material and weighted it in his hands. He pulled Avaanta's cloak up over his head and tossed it to the younger Elf before draping the purple material about his shoulders and fastening it as best as he could.
Avaanta stood, his black cloak now flowing from his shoulders, the hood pulled up over his head, looking down at the other Elf with dull blue eyes, one hidden almost from sight by the silver mask that half surrounded it.
"We shall ride for Mordor as soon as night falls but we will have to make our search during the day, it would be almost impossible to navigate the uneven terrain in the dark of night."
Celeborn nodded, and seeing as it was still a few hours before nightfall he curled himself up as best he could on the uncomfortable rocky ground, tucking the heavy purple cloak around him, decided to try and catch a few hours sleep.
Avaanta decided the idea wasn't a bad one so took up a spot on the other side of the cave to catch up on some sleep also. He would get little sleep though, he was far too anxious about finding the sixth Palantir. After that there would only be one left to find before the set was complete.
The two slowed their horses as they entered the valley of Mordor, rubble piled up all around them.
"Well, it certainly has lost a lot of its powerful foreboding image." Celeborn observed but as a strange wind whipped past them he shuddered and found perhaps he was not entirely right on that matter.
Avaanta had not really been listening to him; he was busy casting his eyes about the terrain. Searching slowly and calculatingly for any rocky formations he recognised from the image in the stone.
He became increasingly frustrated, as he was running out of places to look and so far nothing. That was until a tall slanted rock caught his gaze, his eyes lit up and he took off over the uneven, rocky terrain.
Slipping and sliding down a small slope he made his way across the desolate valley towards the rock. Celeborn watched for a few moments before slowly following after him. He was in no hurry to dig up the sixth Palantir. That meant that they would have to go after the seventh and Celeborn was not looking forward to that at all.
Avaanta fell several times on his way over the loose rubble but each time picked himself up and continued on at the same pace. A few shallow cuts and scraps had opened up on the exposed skin of his hands but he ignored the slight stinging pain, the adrenaline rush coming form his anticipation of finding the Palantir driving him on.
He reached the rock and lent against it to catch his breath as his eyes darted about, trying to decipher from what angle he had viewed the rock through the Palantir. He knew it had been from low down and that there had been a fair amount of rubble obscuring his view, which suggested to him that it was probably buried somewhere near the rock he was leaning on.
Dropping to his knees he began to shift large pieces of slate about, digging out smaller collections of rocks from bellow. He had made it almost halfway around the base of the rock, digging out a shallow grave as he went, by the time Celeborn caught up with him.
The older Elf raised an eyebrow and watched in amusement as Avaanta continued digging through the rocky debris.
"Are you absolutely sure this is where it is?"
"Yes!" Avaanta growled in frustration as he heaved a particularly large bolder out of his way.
Celeborn shrugged his shoulders and glanced about him until he found a flat rock that looked as though it may be moderately comfortable to sit on and sat himself down to wait for Avaanta.
Suddenly the sound of clattering rocks stopped and Avaanta emerged from the settling dust, the sixth Palantir held firmly in his hands. Celeborn sighed heavily in defeat. He'd found it and now he would be after the seventh and Celeborn did not doubt that he would be expected to reveal the location of the seventh and final stone.
Avaanta said nothing as he brushed past Celeborn to carry his precious find back to his horse. Celeborn simply stood and watched him in silence as he got further and further away.
"Do you plan to hide here for the rest of your life to you Celeborn?" Avaanta yelled back at him without so much as turning his head.
Celeborn sighed and rolled his eyes at the ignorant youth. What was he going to do? He needed more time to think. He had certainly hoped that it was going to take Avaanta far longer to find that Palantir than it evidently did. Well he supposed dawdling over to their horses would be a good start.
"You are dreading something." It was not a question and Celeborn was well aware of this.
"Yes I am."
"Not that I truly care how you are feeling, but I suggest you share your thoughts of discomfort."
Celeborn paused for sometime before finally answering Avaanta.
"I am worried about the seventh stone." The older Elf confessed.
Much to Celeborn's surprise Avaanta said nothing. He didn't ask where the stone could be found; he didn't even ask why the seventh stone would concern Celeborn. He simply lifted himself up onto his black stallion and waited patiently for Celeborn to mount his horse so that they could be on their way.
Celeborn had a strange feeling that Avaanta already knew where the seventh stone was but surely if he did he didn't plan to capture it. Such an action was unthinkable. Celeborn would not allow it to happen. He would not let Avaanta take that final step.