Chapter 4

Those Who Come In Dreams

Elladan feed the dying flames and watch Aragorn toss again in his sleep. Brushing his hair from his eyes, he sighed deeply. He almost wished something would happen, or that time would fast-forward about three hours so that dawn would come. Absentmindedly, he fiddled with a small chunk of his hair, his eyes half-open.

"AAAUUURRRGGGHHH! NNNOOOOOO!"

Elladan jumped as though he had been struck in the face.

This is not what I had in mind, he thought, racing over to where Aragorn lay, who was tossing and turning violently.

"Aragorn! Aragorn! Wake up! Estel? Wake up!" Elladan shouted desperately, moving to his brother's side, trying to get something, anything out of him. Aragorn's face was drawn and tight, and he had squeezed his eyes shut, clenching his teeth. He continued to jerk roughly, moaning in whatever world he was in.

In total desperation, Elladan began to slap his face forcefully, but not harshly. That got the desired reaction he wanted. Aragorn jerked out of the uneasy sleep he had been in and bolted upright, nearly smacking Elladan in the head. He was breathing heavily, and his eyes were wide as he stared into the night.

"Estel? What's wrong?" Elladan watched the human fearfully.

Aragorn looked down and inhaled deeply. He lifted his hand and placed it over his heart, gripping his tunic. Elladan placed his hand on his brother's shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Elladan gently forced Aragorn to look at him.

"I-I . . . had a . . ." Aragorn froze for a moment, and then continued. "I . . . don't know . . . what it was." He continued shakily, his eyes filled with confusion and fear. "It was unlike any dream I've ever had. It was strange at first – I saw swirling color in my dreams, sometimes I would see or hear something familiar, like a face or a voice, but mostly the mixing colors . . ." Aragorn paused, gently rubbing his right temple with his middle finger, trying to figure out what he had seen.

"Then," he continued abruptly, staring once again into the dense trees. "Then all at once the colors stopped, leaving my world dark, and . . . and then . . . he came back."

Aragorn stopped again, leaving Elladan horribly confused. Who was he? What's going on?

Aragorn turned and looked at his brother. Reading the questions in his eyes, said, "The wolf. He came back."

"He just walked into my head, if that makes any sense . . ." Aragorn continued, silencing Elladan from voicing whatever he had been thinking. "The darkness around him began to swirl around him, directing all attention to him. He turned and looked at me squarely in the eyes. I could see the other half of the broken shaft in his eye – the arrowhead was sticking out between his eyes, right in his forehead. That's how he survived – the arrow hadn't gone in fatally, just impaired his vision and probably gave him a bit of a headache..."

"But that wasn't what was so strange. When he looked at me, it was like I . . . like I could hear him talk inside my head. He never opened his mouth, he just looked at me, and I understood him, and he knew what I was thinking."

Aragorn watched Elladan carefully. Elladan didn't know what to say. Wolves talking? Reading minds? It was almost laughable, if the situation and the previous events hadn't been so serious. He looked back at Aragorn, prodding him to continue. Whatever was strange about this no doubt would be cleared when he knew what the wolf had 'said.'

They glared at each other for a moment as the wolf moved right into Aragorn's line of view.

It's the wolf! Aragorn thought, almost as if he were talking to someone, and yet no one in particular.

A musical, yet penetratingly deep voice entered his thoughts.

"Don't be a fool. I will not harm you here."

Aragorn jumped and stared at the wolf. The wolf didn't move or even blink as he stared back.

"I must be quick," the wolf continued, speaking right inside Aragorn's head, making him jump again. How could he do that? "My name is Valkenor. I have only been given a limited amount of time to talk to you, and help if I can. Your friend has been poisoned by one of the most rare and deadly poisons known to our world. It has been very long since I have seen any traces of it, but since evil has begun to wax strong again it must have returned. When I say long," the wolf continued, reading Aragorn's mind again, "I mean this poison has not been seen since ages before Sauron came to Middle Earth. Before he had not known of it, but somehow he must have discovered it's particular value. Not even the elves know of it, having destroyed the remnants of it eons ago, and from what I gather, forgotten it. I had hoped that when it was destroyed I would never see it again.

"Now, there is a cure for this, but it will be very difficult to come by, and since your friend was infected with it nearly two weeks ago, that doesn't leave you much time. Now listen carefully. After this I will not be able to help you again.

"Soon you will be visited by another creature. You might find him quite familiar, since you saw him only a few days ago, though you may not know it. Talk to him, and he will tell you how to find the cure. Just ask him how to find Kathalion. He will tell you where he is, and how the cure should be administered.

"You must hurry! The elven prince does not have a lot of time left. Make sure you pay close attention to how the cure should be administered, for if it is done incorrectly, he will most surely die.

"Also, since I know you are wondering, the night I attacked you and the elf I had been searching for the poison, since it became known to me that it had returned. In my irritation at finding you right where the poison was, I chose to attack you and try to lead you away from the poison, and nearly got myself killed. That elf has some amazing talent with a bow. I've never been that close to death in many, many years. When you return to him, tell him that. And tell him I don't blame or curse him for shooting me. It was my fault anyway. I'm also sorry for what I did to you, too.

"I must go now, so don't forget, ask your next visitor how to find Kathalion. Do not falter. The elf will not give up so easily, and the endurance of the elves is very high, but that doesn't mean he will not weaken slowly from this. Hurry!"

With that, the wolf turned and ran out of Aragorn's sight, and right out of his mind. The swirling colors returned . . .

Aragorn studied Elladan carefully, while thinking about it himself. It all had happened so fast. The elf across from him had fallen into a deep silence, listening to Aragorn tell him about this dream, or, vision he had with the wolf. When Aragorn stopped talking he had fallen into a quiet inner-seclusion, sorting it all out. Finally he looked up and the two brothers looked at one another.

"How can he speak? He's a wolf. Wolves can't talk. No animal can. Not in the common tongue at least."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that. Animals can talk, just not in our language. He must be a servant of the Valar, helping them do something."

"It's just so strange." Aragorn said. Talking animals. Who had ever heard of something so absurd?

"What was the wolf's name, again?" Elladan asked. For some reason, the name sounded familiar…and yet unfamiliar.

"Valkenor. If he had stayed longer I would have asked him how old he is. He made it sound like he had been around since the world was shaped."

"Elves are not the only ones Iluvitar blessed with immortality." Elladan said, placing his chin in his hands. "He must be old indeed if he can remember way back to the beginning of the First Age . . . and he never said anything out loud?"

"Not once. My guess would be that that's the only way he could communicate with me so that I would understand."

Elladan nodded in understanding, and then fell silent for a moment. He looked up again, and asked another question.

"Is that all that you can remember? Does the dream end there?"

Aragorn shook his head. "No, there is another part. You know, I don't think this is really a dream. I think it's more . . . of . . . some kind of vision."

Elladan nodded. "This is a little different from an ordinary dream. Tell me what happened next."

Aragorn began to rub his temple again, thinking about it.

"It was long," he began, "before anything came again. The colors returned as soon as the wolf left, and again I would get flashes of memories, and hear familiar voices, like Ada, or you . . ."

"But then, as before, the swirling colors faded, blackness came, and again something came into my line of vision. Only this time, instead of running, it was flying. Do you remember when I told you that Valkenor said that I would remember him, because I'd seen him before, only a few days ago? Well, he was right. It was the owl we meet..."

"No... That bird nearly got us killed!"

"That's what I thought. And he could read my mind too, just like Valkenor . . ."

The owl flew gracefully into Aragorn's sight and landed in front of him, folded his white wings, and surveyed the other with bright, amber eyes. As before, the darkness twisted and swirled, directing all attention to one spot.

'Oh no, not him again!' Aragorn thought when he saw the owl. 'Valkenor wasn't kidding when he said the next messenger would be familiar . . .'

"I heard that." The voice this time was a rich, grandfatherly tone.

Aragorn jumped again, and then rolled his eyes. "You too?" he thought, giving the owl a knowing stare.

The owl nodded. "My name is Moran."

Aragorn felt like slapping himself upside the head. "Oh well," he sighed. "I may as well get used to this kind of communication . . . and that's why you didn't get hit with an arrow! You read Elladan's mind!."

"Smart lad." The owl had hardly moved, but Aragorn could have sworn he was grinning. "But that's beside the point. You should already know, if Valkenor told you already, about the poison and it's only cure, correct?"

Aragorn nodded, and the owl continued.

"But Valkenor no longer knows where the cure is, since it was moved to a new and more protected spot very recently. He does not know of the location, otherwise he may have told you himself. But, he is the only one who knows with one to use, since he watched the whole thing."

Confusion was written on Aragorn's face. "Which one?"

"Yes, yes! The cure for each case can be quite different, so depending on what kind of symptoms tells what kind of treatment is needed. We found this out the hard way, many years ago when it was a common killer of men and elves alike. Did Valkenor give you a name?"

Aragorn thought for a moment, then remembered. "Kathalion. That was it."

"Good, good . . ." Moran said, more to himself that to Aragorn. "That one was more common that others; it'll be much easier to cure, since the eagle's full trained . . ."

Moran began to explain before Aragorn even began to ask.

"The cure has to do with what eagles possess. In this case, Kathalion is the only one who can cure this particular type. His cry and his tears carry powerful healing arts. Use both when you get back to the elf. Kathalion does know what to do, but I'm going to tell you anyway. First, and essential if the elf is fully unconscious, is that Kathalion will have to wake him up by screaming in his ear. And don't give me that look . . ." Moran said as Aragorn gave him a look of utter disbelief. "By now it may be the only thing that will wake him up, and he needs to be conscious. Next, the tears will be needed. The poison will slowly warp the body's ability to function, so he should start at the heart, then the throat, arms, legs, back, and sides. The tears will begin to heal the damaged muscles and set his system back in order, if it's done on time. You'll be surprised at how fast it can take effect. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Aragorn nodded carefully at the owl.

"Don't forget the order! Now, you need to know how to get to Kathalion . . .and recognize him . . . he's not very easy to find, but easy to see . . .he's a pure silver-white eagle with a dark blue-black head and tail. He is not far from here, but the establishment is well hidden. Head south from here, toward the Galadan Fields. Stay near the Anduin River when you reach the fields, and go about two leagues in, and search for a small island on the river. The island is roughly the shape of a star. Get on it, and search for a cave. Be warned-only those with pure intentions will be able to find it.

During the owl's explanation Aragorn could suddenly see the island in his mind, and then the cave. Right away he knew where to look next to a heavy overhang on a small hill, hidden behind a tall, thick burlap tree, the shadow of a cave entrance could be found.

"The cave enters into a series of tunnels - a labyrinth. Always take the right passage. Kathalion does have a guardian, so be careful around him. Matthius has a nasty temper to those who appear hostile. When you find the eagle, just tell him Valkenor and Moran sent you and he'll come willingly, though he may not trust you very much at first. He can take you out of the cave easily; so don't worry about getting lost. Then get back to Rivendell quickly! Most likely you will be followed, so be very careful. Did you get all that?"

"Yes - how much time do I have?"

"About 4 days. It's a good thing you have horses with you. You're going to need them. Now, I must go. I'll wish you luck, and don't worry about the poison -Valkenor and I can handle it now that we know where it is. Just watch out for intruders, and pay attention to your thoughts and feelings. Your senses know more than you do."

Moran spread his wings and flew away as he had come, and for a moment Aragorn's vision became incredibly bright, brighter than noonday sun. Then a flash of something appeared, making Aragorn freeze and cry out loudly . . .

"What was it? What did you see?" Elladan looked almost entranced by what Aragorn had just told him, and he wanted to know why Aragorn had cried out . . .

"I'm not sure . . . something dark . . . a kind of vast shadow. It felt so evil, something hooded and cloaked, but he didn't hide his eyes - as red as blood. When I looked at it, it felt like I was on fire, and I had sudden sharp pain all over my back, like I had been burned or whipped . . . I don't know what it was."

"Wow Estel, that's really incredible. Do you think it's something that you've seen before?"

"No . . . I think . . ." Aragorn stopped for a moment. ". . . I think it's something I'm going to see, something that's going to happen."