Chapter 6

The Cave

Elladan urged Hísië into the raging waters of the Anduin, Aragorn and Arien on close pursuit.

"Elladan!"

Elladan turned and answered the young man. "What?"

"Why are we going in the water now? Wouldn't it be easier to travel over land until we find the island?"

"Normally yes! But those orcs have been following us. We need to cover our tracks and move as fast as we can!"

"All right!" Aragorn encouraged Arien to slow to a walk so he could make it through the river safely. Moving to the middle of the river the two riders kept a close eye one the surrounding banks for danger, and searched for the strange star-shaped patch of land somewhere on the Anduin.

Several long, careful minutes passed as they searched, staying in the soon numbing water of the Anduin. Arien and Hísië soon were whickering in annoyance as the freezing water chilled them to the bones. Both Aragorn and Elladan noticed and urged them faster to keep the blood moving.

Minutes turned to hours, and hours turned to nearly dusk before they finally found it.

Elladan saw it first. Stepping onto an overhang in the water he could see ahead. Beyond it was a small waterfall that dipped down several feet before resuming normal course, and at such a height he could see the shape clearly. With a joyous cry he told Hísië to gallop. The mare faltered for a moment, and weakly began to run forward. Aragorn too urged Arien forward when Elladan had whooped, and at the overhang he too could see the island. Relief calmed a part of his heart they had found it!

They soon found a problem. The waterfall was far to high to jump over their horses could easily break all their legs in the attempt. They would have to go around. But the problem was the surrounding river banks were covered in . . .

"Wet mud." Aragorn said after a moments examination of the grounds. Picking up a piece of driftwood he threw it into the sticky substance, and watched it sink and disappear. "It must have rained recently over here. If we try to cross it we'll leave a clean path for the orcs to follow. You know they're going to search the river for us."

Elladan nodded. "We could leave the horses here, and climb down the waterfall on that side," he pointed to the right side of the waterfall and the large boulders. It would give the perfect handholds to climb down with no risk of danger.

"Elladan, we can't leave the horses in the water! They already are beginning to freeze. If we leave them we'll never get them back home."

"Then I guess our only chance is to go through the mud." Aragorn groaned. He hated having so few choices.

"All right, but we've got to leave as little tracks as possible. We don't want those filthy creatures finding us too soon."

"Let's go." Elladan turned Hísië around and took the smoother side with less of a vertical drop. Staying close to the rocks Elladan let his mare to make as few hoof marks in the mud as possible, and Aragorn followed close behind, having Arien step in the same places Hísië had. Once they were on level ground and past the waterfall, both riders looked back.

To a casual glance one would have thought the marks in the mud next to the rocks were made by the rocks themselves, possibly from rocks that had moved or fallen and left behind grooves in the mud, but to a more careful examination they were the marks that once bore the bodies of at lease two horses. Aragorn groaned again.

"We may as well write "HERE WE ARE" on that waterfall. Those hoof marks certainly do."

"Those impressions won't be missed by an orc that's looking for such a mark. Come," Elladan again entered the water and hurried for the small island. "We must hurry and find the cure, before we are discovered."

Aragorn too entered the water, trying to calm Arien's snorts of displeasure. "Calm down my friend," he said to the stallion. "Soon we shall be out of this water so you can warm up again."

Arien let loose a half sneeze as they entered the watery mist from the waterfall. Worried that the horse might take ill, he dismounted and pulled Arien through the water and up the side of the island. He walked to Elladan, who was taking care of his own horse, and looked around.

The island was indeed the shape of a star, and stretched several long feet in length. Large trees had taken root and seemed to hide many things, making the island look like a small dark forest. Aragorn tied Arien to a tree and removes all his water-soaked equipment, and made an attempt to dry the stallion. Arien was shuddering violently and snorting. He constantly tried to lift his legs to stretch and ease the stiffness in them, but it was painful and made the horse groan deeply.

Hísië was faring no better. Elladan was working quickly to warm her up, but would not get far without a fire. Aragorn looked at his brother.

"Elladan, we can't help them without some warmth. We have to build a fire." They both knew what that meant. The smoke would send up more of an alarm than the hoof prints would ever do. But they didn't have a choice. It was a fight between fire and discovery, or deathly ill horses and their only hope to get home with speed shot down.

"I know. We have to find the cave, so that we can at least be able to defend ourselves should we get caught."

Aragorn nodded as he thought about the cave, and without his asking, Moran's warning flew back into his head.

Be warned-only those with pure intentions will be able to find it.

"Pure intentions . . ." he mumbled to himself. "If these aren't pure intentions saving our horses, and getting a cure for my best friend, than I don't know what is."

"Elladan, I'm going to go look for the cave. I think I can find it I've seen it in the dream. Can you stay here with the horses while I look?"

Elladan looked up, about to object, but seeing the hard apprehensive gaze on his younger brother's face, he nodded the affirmative. "Sure. Just hurry!"

"Thanks, El." And with that, Aragorn dropped the knapsack he had on his back to the forest floor and disappeared into the trees. Moments later, Elladan could no longer hear any sounds of the ranger's movement.

He has gotten good. Elladan thought as he turned his full attention to the two horses. Not a sound.

Aragorn stepped carefully through the trees, making not a sound in the brush. He wasn't taking any chances, and this place was strange to him. He looked everywhere for that familiar overhang on a hill, the big burlap tree, and the hidden shadow of the cave.

It had to be somewhere!

For several minutes he carefully wandered through every inch of that island. It wasn't long however, before he realized that he was going in circles.

I've got to be missing something.

He suddenly realized that there had been a large rock face in the middle of the island all the way around. Could there be something in the middle, hidden from his view?

Curious, Aragorn leapt up onto the rocks and dug his hands into the cracks in the surface. It wasn't a high wall, only about twenty feet, and the human easily made it to the top. Once he was straddling on the tip, one leg on either side, he looked down.

There you are, he thought. The cave was indeed well hidden right in the middle of a large rock circle that not many would have thought to climb. Quickly shinnying down, he landed on the forest floor and looked at it carefully.

That's exactly what I saw. A small hill took nearly all the small area provided, with a large burlap tree on one side that shaded it nicely. Several other trees had taken root, but none as tall as the burlap. And there, right behind the thick tree, a dark shadow of a cave entrance was there, carved into the hillside. One could barely tell it was there.

Moran was right. It was hard to find. Aragorn cautiously walked toward the tree and the cave behind it immediately he was hit with a rush of cool air flowing gently out of the entrance. The cave was about ten feet in height, but steadily grew shorter and deeper underground as he went farther. After a few feet the cave opened to a large room with more tunnels going every way imaginable. The air was not stale and close as one would think it moved gently, making the cave cool and comfortable. It was perfect. Aragorn turned and left the cave, heading for the rock face again.

I had better go get Elladan and the horses. We'll be safe here. Aragorn was about to climb the boulders again when he realized something. He froze for a second, then let go of the rocks and landed on the ground, staring up at the top in disbelief.

They would never get their horses over the wall!

There has to be a way. Aragorn spent the next several minutes circling the rocks, looking for a weak spot, an opening, something to get them through!

As he rounded one side, he saw how one part of the rock indented sharply at the bottom for a few feet before straightening out again. When he leaned forward to examine it farther, he found that the rock was loosely packed and held together with dried mud and moss. It would be easy to remove it all to make a space large enough for the horses to get through, with no risk of the higher rock becoming loose and falling.

All right. Aragorn was quickly to work, yanking and pulling at the loose rocks, shoving them away and making a large hole in the rock wall. It wasn't long before the job was complete, and satisfied with his work, he left the circled wall and ran back to where he had left Elladan. It would be dark soon.

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Elladan continued to work with the horses, while keeping a sharp eye for both Aragorn's return, and any sign of danger.

Using soft leaves from the surrounding trees he made the attempt to brush the animals dry. While he worked, he sang softly to them. The soothing sounds of the elven tongue calmed them so that they stood quietly, though still shuddered helplessly.

Several minutes later he left the trees to the bank of the island to clean up. As he knelt down and scooped up a handful of water, his sharp elven ears heard the sounds of heavy running feet, closing in fast.

As Aragorn reached the spot where he had left his brother, he had to stop in surprise as Elladan burst out of the trees toward him, a single pack strapped to his back, leading both horses by their reins.

"Elladan?"

"Aragorn! They're here! They will soon discover our tracks, for I could hear them from the bank. I hope you've found that cave, or we're going to be in big trouble."

"Don't fret, I found it. I'm sorry I took so long, but I had to make a path so the horses could get there. Come, follow me!" Aragorn took Arien's reins and began jogging back to the wall hidden amongst the tall trees, Elladan following close behind.

"Aragorn!" Elladan called to the retreating form of the young man. "Aragorn, didn't Moran say something about a guardian?"

"He said it was only concerned about those who act hostile. I think we'll be all right I know I found the right one. The orc party will never find it, it will only be invisible to them!" Aragorn quickly dodged among the trees, running for the rising rocks.

Aragorn stopped just outside the large hole in the rock wall and listened, allowing Elladan to catch up. The loud noises of the orcs could be clearly heard, the cries of victory at top notch and resounding splashes of water signaling several excited orcs.

"Aragorn hurry!" Aragorn was already through the hole and trying to prod Arien through. The stallion balked for a moment, but ever loyal he weakly put his head down and walked in. Elladan followed closely and gently pulled Hísië after him.

"Hey, there's a horse over there!" An amazingly loud voice yelled out his find. Elladan pulled Hísië faster, fearful of being caught. Another orc responded to the first.

"Follow it! Don't let them get away again!"

The mare grew agitated at being pulled so hard, but the rough voice made her flinch. Jumping forward in her excitement she snorted loudly and yanked Elladan forward. Aragorn grabbed his brother's arm and too yanked him toward the cave.

Aragorn ran inside with Arien behind him, and the others were too quickly hidden in the cave's shadows. It was not a moment to soon. The orcs had discovered the hole one of them had seen Hísië disappear into. Knowing they had their prey cornered, they ran into the clearing, loud war cries sounding in the once still air.

Aragorn stopped Arien in the stallion's fear and wrapped his arms around the horse's head, stilling his movements and pulling him up against his chest. Softly he soothed his shivering stallion with his hands rather than his voice, trying to keep him silent. They could not risk the orcs finding the cave. Elladan pulled Hísië's head up against his own, quietly stroking her neck. Both animals responded to the familiar gestures and remained quiet. It was as if they understood the danger and did nothing to give them away.

As they listened to the orcs search for them, they couldn't help but smile a little at the frustrated cries at being deceived again.

"Where did they go!"

"I saw that horse come in here. I know I did!"

"Shut up, pig breath. If a horse came in here, where do you think it could hide? Or did it just become invisible! I don't see anything! Not a horse, and not the man and elf we're 'sposed to find!"

"Well I know it's them! We found the hoof-tracks in the mud, remember? Those stupid riders, did they really think walking close to the edge would hide their tracks from us?"

"Well I suggest you find out where they went this time! The master will be here soon. We need them ready."

Aragorn looked out the cave entrance and watched the orcs search, some even staring right into the cave opening and not even pausing to look farther. It was like the cave wasn't there. He continued to stroke Arien on the cheek and watch, waiting for the orcs to leave so they could move again.

It was a while before the orcs made to leave. They left nothing untouched. Every rock on the ground, every bush, every tree was searched thoroughly, as though the stupid orcs thought men, elves, and horses could disappear into one of them.

But never did they find the cave, nor their quarry that was unknowingly within their grasp.