Disclaimer: They are not mine.
Chapter 10
Beyond the Elven Realm
Like a rapid current, the forest sped past the elves, human, and wizard as they galloped further from Thranduil's realm. Magnificent white birches and beeches illuminated by golden rays of sunlight faded into shadows and soon degenerated into gnarled, twisted corpses that stifled the warm sun and befouled the fresh air. A chilling silence gradually muffled the twittering birds and the shadows awakened like dark ghosts descending sinisterly upon the group.
They had been traveling for most of the day before they passed over the famed Old Forest Road which ran through northern Mirkwood. "Ah Bilbo's road!" Gandalf had happily exclaimed to the confusion of the other riders as they passed over the ivy covered path. The elves and ranger by now had grown accustomed to such enigmatic, random exclamations from the wizard, so none bothered to question him about it.
"Halt!" Bratherond shouted as he sped up to Gandalf's side and turned his horse around to face the rest of the group.
Only the clicking of horses' hooves broke the deathly silence of the forest as they slowed to a stop. All hands fell to their respective weapons and all eyes fell tensely on Bratherond before glancing warily at their bleak surroundings. Though the horses twitched nervously they displayed remarkable self control as Merionè and Legolas whispered soothingly to them in elvish.
"We have passed Thranduil's final guard…" Bratherond finally announced to the anxious riders. With a grim, but determined frown, Bratherond ordered his horse to continue forward.
Legolas furrowed his brows and examined the depths of the woods behind and ahead of them and then exchanged a knowing glance with Cièdron. They did not need Bratherond to tell them they had passed the final ring of elf guards – both had already explored the outer rims of the elven realm and both knew the darkness would now overtake them like a river breaking through a dam.
Gandalf cautiously addressed the riders. "Keep your weapons ready and stay on your guard. Thranduil has no sway over these parts of Mirkwood and the fell creatures here know it. Whatever safety existed in Mirkwood, we have now left behind us and we have only our own wits to depend on, for I do not even believe luck will be on our side in this part of Middle Earth. The chances now are a thousand to one we will all get out of this forest in one piece."
"Your happy words never fail to uplift my spirit Gandalf. Is that the only positive encouragement you can offer?" Aragorn said sarcastically as he brought his horse up next to Gandalf's.
"Nay, a wizard never runs out of bright tidings young ranger. I believe also that the danger will only grow worse as we move further south, and our chances shall drop to a million to one. But do not worry, we have faced such dark obstacles in the past and we will be sure to face far worse ones in the future. At least we have a chance at all now!" Gandalf did not turn to Aragorn as he answered, but kept his eyes firmly on the dark forest ahead.
Aragorn frowned and muttered, "Well that's a relief…"
"It is always wonderful to keep a wizard around so that you do not float away on false hopes. Mithrandir not only keeps our hopes at bay, he ties iron anchors to our hearts!" Legolas jested. Even the darkest shadows could not yet chase away the intrinsic mirth of the young elf's soul.
"I am afraid iron anchors are not enough for certain elves though…" Gandalf grumbled. Though he sounded irritated, the wizard smirked and his heart lightened despite the malevolent foreboding that slinked through his mind.
The elves followed Gandalf, Bratherond, and Aragorn, not without a little hesitation as chills raced up their spines from the sudden cold breezes that taunted the knotted, crooked branches that arched above them menacingly. They all proceeded cautiously at a much slower speed than they had started with for the wood now demanded the utmost vigilance in every step they took.
In speckles, the sun broke through the trees, as dim as candlelight and as scattered as drizzling raindrops. The only paths to guide them were ones created before the wood had been renamed to Mirkwood. Since then, these paths had largely been abandoned and the bordering wilderness overtook them in a tangled muddle of sharp branches and ivy. Between the trees, gleaming spiderwebs formed deadly nets in which many unfortunate rodents and dark birds were ensnared.
"I remember these trees…I used to climb this one and recline in her branches for hours when I first journeyed here from Lindon," Merionè murmured as they passed a massive oak, its cracked trunk as thick as four men.
Aragorn frowned and brought his horse up to the once magnificent tree. He gently laid a hand upon it and pulled it back abruptly as if he had just touched a hot stove. As he gazed at the tree in wonder and surprise, he tried to determine what it was he just felt- it was not pain exactly, but a sudden piercing sense of sadness, as if he could actually feel the tree suffocating. He turned and met Legolas's own pensive gaze.
"She is trying to breathe, but she cannot. The shadow is choking her." The elf's voice was laden with sorrow, but he turned quickly from the tree and followed Gandalf as the wizard beckoned for them to continue.
"It seems the tree remembers you as well Merionè," the wizard uttered sadly as Merionè rushed to catch up to him.
Bratherond gazed darkly behind him at the oak. "It will be more than just the trees that suffocate at the hands of Sauron…" he warned ominously.
Past the great oak, grew a cluster of slender soot-colored trees, their crooked fingers reaching up to the sky, blocked only by their own thick, rubbery leaves from actually touching the clouds. A flash of recognition sparkled on Cièdron's visage as they approached it.
"Ada told us many stories about this forest. Legolas and I have never traveled very far past the Old Forest Road, but Ada described these parts of Greenwood to us so vividly I could almost recognize these trees, even if they are now only shadows of what they once were," Cièdron spoke wistfully as he gazed at the forbidding scenery. The light of recognition also shone on Legolas's face and he gazed upwards at the trees as if he were seeing the remnants of a pleasant dream rather than the terrible demons that claimed the souls of Mirkwood's plants and creatures.
"Aye, I believe this is where a large clustering of birches once grew. Ada loved these trees…birches were always his favorite." Legolas smiled slightly as he remembered one particular story his father had told them that he had always enjoyed hearing as an elfling.
"He told us these trees were impenetrable to arrows and axes. The greatest archers in Middle Earth could not strike a mark on the tree, though he never was clear whether it was the trees that jumped out of the way or the arrows that changed their direction. But there was one archer who believed he was so skilled, not even the spells of the Valar could ward off his arrows. When he heard of these trees, he scoffed and proclaimed that he would be the one to prove the myth wrong. But arrow after arrow was deflected, and slowly the archer was driven to madness by his obsession to strike a tree. Despite the pleas of his kin, he refused to leave! Days turned into weeks which soon turned into years, and many moons passed, but still he would not give up. And so the archer, stubborn as he was, stood so long amongst the birches he soon sprouted roots and joined them!"
Cièdron chuckled softly. "You never did get enough of that story Legolas…"
"Aye, one day I will test that myth myself," Legolas distantly replied.
Merionè smiled and joined in with his own reminiscence. "Thranduil would also come to these birches often with Galeraen. He did not think anyone knew of their secret trysts here, but we knew…" Merionè laughed at Legolas's and Cièdron's surprised faces, but his face fell when he noted the sorrow that colored their eyes at the mention of their mother. With a sad sigh he looked away. "Those were happy days…"
Gandalf frowned as he gazed at the crooked, ashen colored serpents that used to be dazzling birches glowing as magically as those now within the woodland King's halls. For a fleeting moment, the wizard thought he saw the ghosts of these trees as they once were when Thranduil traveled here with his young wife or when a cocky archer decided he would challenge their magnificence, but the vision passed into darkness like a fading mirage. Indeed, all of Greenwood was now nothing more than a mirage, a memory, a nostalgic story, a floundering vision of hope…
"Do not concentrate so much on the past. As important as it is to remember happier days, it is more important to look forward to happier ones in the future. Otherwise we may as well hand these lands over to Sauron as we busy ourselves reminiscing about what they once were." Though his words were stern, Gandalf's voice was gentle and tinged more with melancholy than admonishment.
"Aye, we cannot allow the past to haunt us unless we desire to remain imprisoned in it," Aragorn added.
"But you cannot escape the past either, Master Ranger, as much as you may desire to," Bratherond haughtily replied.
"That's not what I said!" Aragorn seethed, but as he turned his horse around to face Bratherond, Legolas's own trotted next to him and the elf laid a hand on his shoulder. Aragorn released an aggravated sigh, but ordered his horse to continue, concentrating once again on the hostile surroundings. Cièdron gazed sharply at Bratherond, but remarkably held back the biting insult that danced upon the tip of his tongue.
Though Gandalf looked pointedly at Aragorn, he said nothing and they continued traveling in silence for the remainder of the day.
Distant bristling, an occasional breeze and the crackling of dried leaves accompanied the strange thumps, scratching, hissing and growling of the dark creatures that dwelled in Mirkwood. The elves shifted uneasily as they peered ahead, their powerful eyesight never being relieved of the shifty movements of dark squirrels, spiders and bats in the distance. Yet they traveled undisturbed, feeling like blind men knowingly walking towards the edge of a steep cliff. At any moment they would walk into an attack and they knew it.
As the sun set, the gray murky darkness gradually became more opaque – so opaque it seemed as if the riders would see more through a blindfold than through the thick black ocean in which they rode. Aragorn became aware of his own heavy breathing and the thumping of his heart as his sense of sight diminished. He often had to fight the urge to call out to the others, so often he felt as if he had wandered into a dark tunnel separating him from the rest of the group. The crunching of leaves and twigs under the horses' hooves was Aragorn's only way of knowing he was not alone.
When the darkness became so thick they could not see an arm's length ahead of them, Gandalf stopped and lit a small torch. The blaze cast an eerie shadow on the wizard's lined face while the rest of his body remained cloaked in the pitch black night, making him look like a pasty apparition.
"We will stop here for the night and make a fire. Aragorn, you will take the first watch tonight, followed by Legolas, myself, Bratherond and Cièdron. Merionè will rest fully…"
"Mithrandir! I can take a watch!" Merionè insisted, distressed that the wizard, for whatever reason, seemed to doubt his current strength.
"Do not argue with me!" Gandalf scolded, though he softened his tone as he gazed sternly at the elf. "One person will rest fully each night as long as we are all together – tomorrow it will be someone else. You could use the rest Merionè."
Merionè frowned, but did not argue further with the wizard as he dejectedly climbed off of his horse. As soon as Gandalf had finished, Aragorn gathered enough twigs to make a small fire and the group settled cautiously around it. The sinister hisses and bustling did not cease, but the sounds seemed to travel through a thick foam wall as the eerie quiet of night muffled everything around them. Everyone shuddered nervously as they strained their ears and eyes, trying to locate the blinking yellow orbs that stared hungrily at them only to disappear in the darkness a moment later. After a few long minutes, Cièdron broke the tense silence. His voice was thick and lower than usual as he struggled to ease his frightened nerves.
"Merionè, what were they like? The Avari? And the Nazgul? What did they do to you and your warriors?"
Merionè stiffened, slightly startled at Cièdron's question and the sudden attention he received as everyone turned expectantly to him. The flames' shadows emphasized the apprehension carved into the elf's pale face.
"I…I would… I would rather not talk about that now… Forgive me, Prince Cièdron, I would rather not…" Merionè stuttered looking first at Cièdron and then towards the ground as he nervously wrung his hands.
Taken aback by Merionè's reaction, Cièdron quickly assured the elf, "That is all right Merionè! I did not realize… I thought…I'm sorry…"
Bratherond leaned forward from the shadows and fixed his accusing eyes on Cièdron. His golden hair turned orange in the fire's vivid glow and the crackling of embers preceded his condescending words.
"This is not a swashbuckling adventure to be shared by a campfire, Prince Cièdron. You will soon discover these journeys are not so easy to talk about."
Again Cièdron was taken aback. He blinked and guiltily looked away as he answered, "I know that… I… well, I was just wondering…"
"What you got yourself into? Way over your head, I assure you, young prince," Bratherond finished as he leaned back into the shadow, his hair changing from orange to grey as the darkness fell over him.
"You speak like a fool Bratherond! He knows exactly what he got himself into! He never assumed this to be another 'adventure'," Legolas exclaimed scathingly as he angrily rose from the ground. The flames' shadows now danced upon Legolas's features as he suddenly appeared in their light.
Bratherond chuckled. "You both have much to learn. You have not seen darkness. You have not the faintest idea what you have gotten yourself into. Even the most competitive archery tournaments cannot prepare you for what you are about to encounter, Prince Legolas."
Now Cièdron's eyes flashed as he bolted furiously to Legolas's side. "Bratherond, you have no right to presume anything about either of us. You do not know what we have experienced and you do not know what our capabilities are!"
"Enough!" Merionè shouted as he gazed pleadingly at the three elves. "I do not wish to be the cause of such quarrels when quarrelling will only result in us all being killed. Prince Cièdron, Prince Legolas, please… sit and rest… I promise I will tell you everything that has happened to me in due time. You have my word." This promise was uttered quietly like an oath not eagerly given. Gandalf raised an eyebrow at the strain he sensed in Merionè's voice and found himself wondering what other dark tales lay hidden in the elf's memory.
Cièdron pursed his lips and looked ready to attack Bratherond, but again displayed considerable self control when he merely returned heatedly to his seat. Legolas followed and neither of the brothers heard when Bratherond muttered under his breath,
"I do not doubt your capabilities, I merely worry that you know not what you are in for…"
Another short, crackling silence ensued and once again Cièdron broke it, his voice level, but hard.
"Do not call us prince."
The others looked up and confusedly raised their eyebrows. Aragorn alone seemed to understand Cièdron's intent and he calmly considered the elf.
"Do not call you prince?" Merionè asked uncertainly.
Cièdron locked his gaze on Merionè and firmly replied. "Titles are meaningless here – if anything they are dangerous for all of us. We are not princes now. We are scouts- we are of the same ranking as you." He ignored Bratherond's snort at this.
"Aye, that is wise," Gandalf murmured. "There is no need to advertise any royalty here. I would rather not add any icing to this cake for whatever hungry creatures are spying us. You do agree, don't you Strider?"
Aragorn smiled grimly at the slightly baffled faces that turned towards him, not knowing at first who Gandalf was addressing as 'Strider.'
"Of course I do Gandalf. I have no desire to be the icing to any creature, though I would prefer to not be a cake either..."
"Ah, well, we cannot change everything about ourselves," Gandalf mumbled as he gazed suspiciously at the lurking shadows and bulging eyes around them.
Aragorn followed Gandalf's gaze, but his own search was to no avail. The shadows seemed to wander aimlessly, with no creatures to claim them as their own. This did not comfort anyone however as their eyes darted nervously from tree to tree. Merionè closed his own eyes in an attempt to momentarily shut out this world and the world within his memories, revived by Cièdron's question. Suddenly, the elf began to sing softly. His melodic voice trickled through the stifled air like a gentle stream.
Upon the grey and ageless seas
Where widows mourn no more
My soul will sing of ages past
And leave the shadowed shore
I will sail across the vast grey seas
I will heed the seagulls' song
I will follow the gentle ocean breeze
To the land where I belong
The hearts of all those present, darkened by the evil of the wood, were filled with melancholy and longing. But the bittersweet sadness of the song suited the riders better than the deafening silence and wicked noises. Gandalf put down his pipe which he had just taken out, and studied Merionè closely, paying keen attention to his words. Something gnaws at his soul. There is more to this dark tale than what he has already told us.
Aragorn stared dumbly at the ground, for the elves' sea longing never failed to tug at his heart and remind him of the grief Middle Earth now faced as the Eldar passed away and he did not wish to witness their distant faces as they fell under the song's enchantment. Legolas and Cièdron sat as still as ice as they listened to the sweet melody and soothing voice. Their blue eyes were so distant it was difficult to tell if they were lost in elven dreams now, or still present in the wakened world.
The sudden snap of a bowstring and whoosh of an arrow awoke all from their trances. Merionè bolted up as a giant, hideous spider landed at his feet, struck dead by an arrow, its black blood oozing out and staining the elf's boots. His wide eyes darted from the spider to Bratherond, who slowly lowered his bow and now glared furiously at the shocked elf.
"Merionè! You were nearly attacked! Did you not hear the spider?!" Bratherond shouted as he kicked the dead spider aside. "I thought you had it under control! You said it wouldn't distract you!"
"I…I… I didn't… I must have slipped…" Merionè blinked and gaped at the spider, still feeling rather disoriented.
"Well you could have been killed and you had everyone else distracted as well!" Bratherond paused and asked carefully, stridently articulating each word. "Merionè, are you sure you are able to do this? Or will Ulmo's song ensnare your senses and doom us all?"
A loud screech interrupted Bratherond and he jumped back as another dead spider fell, this time at his feet. Bratherond whipped around in time to find Legolas lowering his bow.
"You must be wary of your own senses Bratherond. It seems your ill temper has distracted you," Legolas said pointedly with a dark smirk. Then as quick as lightning, he released another shot at a target just behind Bratherond. The infuriated elf caught his breath as he felt the arrow pierce the air inches from his cheek. With a thud, another spider fell from its silk thread behind him. Legolas then returned his sharp gaze to Bratherond.
"You are right Bratherond. This is more difficult than an archery tournament. Whereas in a tournament, I know exactly where to strike, it is rather difficult here to know who I should be aiming at."
By now, the entire group had leapt to their feet and grasped their weapons defensively as they scanned the area for more spiders. Though Bratherond glared at Legolas, he turned again swiftly to help in scouring the trees and bramble. Cièdron grimly caught Legolas's eye and shook his head, indicating for Legolas to hold his tongue against Bratherond. Aragorn stealthily pulled aside branches and listened carefully to the quiet wood surrounding the fire. The eyes had disappeared with the arrows, diving back into the darkness from which they peeked.
"There does not appear to be anymore of them," Aragorn finally announced as he sheathed his sword.
"Aye," Gandalf agreed as he slowly emerged from the shadows of the trees into the orange glow of the fire. The wizard gazed intently at each elf. "Though they may remain dormant for now, their eyes are always upon us. They can sense our weakness."
Gandalf's eyes lingered pensively on Merionè. "I believe you should now get some rest, Merionè," the wizard gently advised. Merionè nodded numbly and sat down against a tree. Again he tightly closed his eyes and grasped his bow as he struggled to relax his frazzled mind.
"And so should the rest of us for we will be traveling at daybreak tomorrow. Aragorn, you have the first watch." Gandalf sighed wearily as he lowered himself against a tree.
One by one, the other elves nervously sat down against the trees. Though they all longed to climb their branches and perch themselves high above the ground, none felt safe leaving the company of the others, especially considering the company they were likely to find dwelling in the tangled branches above them. Again the creaking silence descended all around them though mercifully, the watchful yellow eyes for the moment remained hidden.
Aragorn seated himself on a large rock and stared into the nothingness ahead of him. The flames of the fire broke the darkness just enough to reveal the lurking shadows no more than ten feet away. With a sigh, he pulled out his pipe and inhaled the soothing smoke, feeling his muscles relax as he did so. For less than an hour, the ranger sat attentively, his keen senses paying heed to every sound and shadow that crept around the group. As long as he kept watch, he was determined not to allow a trace of evil disturb the sleeping elves and wizard.
Thus when Legolas arose and quietly approached from behind, Aragorn greeted him without even turning around, recognizing immediately the light footsteps of an elf and surmising that only one amongst the elves was likely to join him.
"You should be resting Legolas," Aragorn said dully between smoke rings, still paying careful attention to the black forest.
"I thought you could use some company Strider. Besides, I find it hard to sleep when I feel so many eyes upon me," Legolas answered softly so that he would not wake the others.
"Your arrows frightened them for now. If there are eyes upon you, they are merely watching you in fear that you may choose to lift your bow again."
Legolas chuckled and sat beside Aragorn. "Or they are waiting until I finally let my guard down to carry out their revenge on me."
Aragorn raised an eyebrow. "Are you truly frightened of these woods, Legolas?"
"Are you truly not?" Legolas returned. The elf then released a sigh and studied the thick sinister forest.
"Nay, Legolas, I am, but I thought perhaps elves would see it differently…"
"Yes, we do see it differently Aragorn. We remember it as it once was, even if we were not yet born when the trees were still green. And it frightens us to see the evil overtake such beauty so freely and rapidly."
Aragorn nodded solemnly as he strove to picture the decaying trees around them as the spectacular, vivid oaks and beeches they once were. His mind then drifted to Merionè. The elf's momentary lapse had worried him deeply. But it was not the group's safety that concerned him so much as the elf's own well being.
"Legolas what ails Merionè? Is it the sea longing?"
Legolas frowned and shook his head gently.
"Nay Aragorn, it is more than that. He has had the sea longing for many years now - for as long as I have known him in fact, which would be my entire life. Merionè was one of Círdan's mariners until he traveled eastward from Lindon with Oropher – that is a story that I will save for another dark night. But he has always dreamed of returning and of building a ship as grand as one of Círdan's. Then he could sail beyond even the havens, for it is truly the sea alone that he loves and his heart yearns to explore what lies beyond the western shores. It is out of loyalty to Ada that he stays... He has been waiting many long centuries for this darkness to pass so that he could sail freely, without the guilt of having left behind my father and Greenwood."
Legolas paused for a moment and glanced at Merionè, who much to his relief, now slept with his eyes open and appeared to be at peace. His voice was barely a whisper when he continued.
"He has always kept it under control and has even been one of my father's best warriors despite it. I do not know what plagues him now that it has suddenly risen up inside of him like a brewing storm..."
Aragorn shifted and glanced at Merionè before inhaling deeply on his pipe. As he exhaled, he muttered softly, "Sauron's forces have the power to ignite all of our darkest fears and longings. He can twist the minds of the most powerful men and elves. It is a miracle Merionè escaped the servants of Sauron at all without further damage…"
"They used him as a messenger. They wanted him to escape," Legolas reminded the ranger.
Aragorn nodded thoughtfully. "Aye, they did…"
Legolas frowned at the doubt that laced the human's voice, but did not press him further.
"You should sleep now Strider. I can take over from here."
Aragorn shook his head. "Nay Legolas, I am not tired. I could take over your watch tonight."
Legolas scoffed at this. "Do not be so foolish human. Your mind may tell you that you need no sleep, but your body is begging for at least a moment's respite."
"My body is satisfied with resting right here. I will allow you to take over the watch, but let me just sit here for a bit, for my mind will not sleep just yet."
Legolas sighed and nodded complacently. The two sat in an amicable silence for several minutes before Aragorn finally decided to leave Legolas and attempt to get a few hours of sleep, though his restless mind would not give in so easily. The remainder of the night was uneventful as the watches continued and everyone struggled to block out the dark shadows that haunted their minds as they sought the relief of happy dreams.
As planned, the riders continued at daybreak. Though the pink sky remained hidden, they were grateful for the pale light that crept in through the cracks between the branches. After suffering through the baleful black night, the forest somehow felt less menacing than it did when they first left Thranduil's halls. Cold chills still tickled their spines however and the feeling of being watched never allowed their senses to relax.
Day turned into night and night turned into day as the riders trekked on, hoping for something, anything, to happen – a change in scenery, the light at the end of the tunnel. But the bleak forest mocked them with its redundant darkness and there was nothing they could do but wait - wait for the yellow eyes to decide it was time to attack, for the orc horns to wail just in front of them, for the Nazgul's chill to freeze them or for their own shadowed minds to descend into madness. Merionè offered a few songs to lift their spirits and Legolas attempted to lighten the mood with stories and jests, but their efforts foundered and eventually even Legolas fell into a depressed silence. Cièdron frowned at his brother's dire mood and decided to lure back his Legolas's lighthearted spirit.
"Tell me Legolas, have you lost all your cheer so soon? Truly, I did not think the darkness would take you so easily," Cièdron teased half-heartedly.
Legolas offered his brother a meek smile. "Nay, Cièdron, I only hide my cheer now. But do not worry, when we return, I will take you to the highest trees and we will walk amongst the leaves and our cheer will be restored."
"And perhaps we can give Filinor a few more songs to sing about our journeys!" Cièdron suggested.
"Well I certainly will, but I do not know if you will be clever enough to," Legolas taunted.
"Is that a challenge then Legolas?" Cièdron asked as he cocked an eyebrow.
Legolas's shadowed eyes suddenly brightened. "Aye Cièdron! It is! When we return, we will compose songs of our journeys and Filinor and Käriler can judge them. Whoever's is best…"
"Will get the first taste of the new autumn import of the Lake–men's wine… and will determine how many glasses the other must drink as the losing party…" Cièdron finished happily.
Legolas laughed, "Cièdron, you could not hold down two glasses of the Lake-men's wine!"
"Well, I will not have to, because it will be you who will have to hold down twelve glasses!" Cièdron smugly replied.
Legolas gaped at his brother. "You would have me drink twelve glasses of the Lake-men's wine?!"
"Do you not think you would be able to?"
"Nay! I could hold down twenty if I wanted to!"
Cièdron raised his eyebrows. "Is that so? Well then, twenty it will be!"
Merionè smiled wistfully at the two elves as they continued to optimistically plan their futures beyond this scouting trip, as so many young ones do when they simply cannot comprehend how dire their situations may actually be. Gandalf and Aragorn exchanged amused glances, their hearts lightened by the elves' banter. Bratherond however remained stoic and scowled slightly when the brothers did not cease, but for now he kept his irritation to himself.
Finally Gandalf cleared his throat. "As far as I can remember, neither of you are very capable of holding down five, let alone twenty, of the Lake-men's wine. But I suggest you worry about that when we are at least on our way back to Thranduil's halls, not when we have only just left."
Legolas and Cièdron guiltily avoided the wizard's glance, having forgotten that he had been present the last time they had made a similar bet. The brief merry interlude quickly dissipated and again the malevolent forces of Mirkwood darkened everyone's mood.
Aragorn chuckled, but then tensed when a sudden shift in the winds so slight only a ranger would note it, caught his attention. He sniffed the air suspiciously and furrowed his brows as a sudden thought occurred to him. The ranger nimbly climbed off of his horse and squatted to pick up a few dry leaves. As he carefully studied the leaves, he asked the elves tentatively,
"Tell me, when was the last time rain fell upon Mirkwood?"
Legolas and Cièdron frowned as they struggled to recall the last great rainfall. They had been enjoying weeks of beautiful weather, and it seemed ages ago that any rain had fallen upon their realm.
"We have not seen any rain for two months in our part of the wood," Bratherond finally answered.
Aragorn frowned grimly. "It seems it has been many months since these parts have seen rain as well…" he muttered as he crushed a dry leaf in his hand.
Immediately Gandalf picked up on the ranger's concern. "Aragorn, do you smell anything unusual?"
"Nay Gandalf, I only sensed that the winds have shifted and that made me wonder about the recent weather in these woods…" The ranger stood up and climbed back on his horse. "We should be fine, we simply must be wary of our fires."
"And those eyes..." Cièdron added nervously. Aragorn looked up at the bright, unblinking orbs that suddenly multiplied around them. He gripped the hilt of his sword and the others did the same, but after several long uneventful minutes, he sighed and started forward.
"They are the same eyes as always… No doubt they are waiting for an opportunity to attack, but until they decide it is time, there is little we could do," Aragorn said drearily.
"Which is why we should not waste our attention on childish matters such as song-making and drinking…" Bratherond grumbled quietly.
Unfortunately for everyone, Legolas's and Cièdron's hearing was as keen as any elf's, and they did not miss Bratherond's snide remark. And they did not resist the urge to snap back at him, nor could Bratherond resist the urge to scold them even more. In a few short moments, the entire group's attention was focused on calming the quarreling elves, though Aragorn struggled to keep his attention focused elsewhere as all his senses screamed at him to remain alert.
Thus the opportunity had arrived, and the sinister creatures that had been watching and waiting patiently would not wait any longer. Aragorn looked away only briefly as his horse galloped ahead. Though he called for the others to follow, he was too late in rekindling their focus. A hungry growl, a stifled scream, the loud thump of a body crashing to the ground and the responding yells and scuffling for weapons answered Aragorn's call. When he whipped around, he found the entire group frantically fighting off a dozen fierce wargs that had suddenly leapt at them from the shadows. His heart clenched and fell to his stomach when he noted one panicking horse was without its rider. But his own scream was drowned out by Legolas's distressed cry.
"CIÈDRON!"
TBC
Woohoo! I have succeeded in moving on to Part 2 of my little story-that-could. Thank you everyone!
Oh my goodness… oh my goodness… *ok, tereza, breathe now… just breathe in, breathe out…breathe in… breathe out…* Oh who am I kidding? AAAAHHH!!! THUNDERA TIGER HAS REVIEWED ME!!!! (I can't handle this! Bryn, now Thundera Tiger!) Once again, like Bryn, you have no way of knowing how much I adore your stories, but as corny as this may sound, you are the reason I first started to come to fanfic. So before I thank you for the unbelievable review, I must thank you for your stories because they are amazing and I should have submitted 50 reviews for While the Ring Went South alone, I enjoyed that story so much. And don't even get me started on the others – even if you are used to the much deserved praise, I will make you blush. So thank you and thank you for the review! Holy cow, that was so flattering… I'm just so glad you liked it...
Alexa: LOL- wow, what a review! Ok, where do I start? Well, sorry the last chapt wasn't long enough…I needed to get in that last little bit before I finally set the boys off… I completely agree with you about Peter Jackson's Legolas and I think that might have been what got me started on my own little fanfic. I do think Orlando Bloom was fabulous, but my own vision of Legolas is lighter… or more like he's this naturally lighthearted youthful elf, but now he must deal with this darkness, yet he still retains that cheerful spirit – and at the same time he's pretty wise and can be a hell of a fighter. My favorite scene in the book is when they're on Caradhras and Legolas offers to go fetch the sun, then comes hopping back happily and while everyone is shivering and miserable he cheerfully jokes about how the sun wouldn't come- I was disappointed that wasn't included in the movie. And my vision of the wood elves in general is like that, based mainly of course on how they're portrayed in the hobbit- that's what makes them so interesting to me. And so sad!
Hehe… so there are many weasley twin lovers out there. I actually love the whole family. And I have seen Pirates of the Caribbean and I was surprised at how much I ended up liking it! Johnny Depp is always wonderful of course and I was also impressed with Orlando Bloom. Very cool sword fighting… very very cool…I'm already planning on seeing it again
Dot: Chapter 9 was for you – I was thinking you may like it as I was writing it. I wanted to get in one more light chapter before they left, since it will be a while before I could fit one in again. Anyway, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Ecri: You are wonderful! A review for each chapter in one night! That was absolutely awesome! Thank you so much!
Elfling: Don't apologize for not reviewing the other ones! I appreciate even just one review J Legolas and Aragorn singing & dancing huh? Now there's something I'd enjoy…
Gwyn: Oooh…. I like the way your mind works… yes, Legolas does have two ivory daggers in the movie… hmmm….
iverson : is this soon enough? *g*
Lisette: So glad you enjoyed it! I was floored when I saw Thundera Tiger put me on her faves... Yes, looking back, I may have made their fighting a little to the extreme, but well… maybe they were just having a bad week?
LittleLoopy25: I'm glad you like Cièdron! I'm really so relieved to be getting such a positive response to him because I know how wary people are of original characters that are relatives to the main ones – and yes, I know exactly what you mean about the infamous sister who amazingly is just as capable a warrior as Legolas (and her fiery beauty rivals that of Arwen, yet she hides a deep and painful past and she captures the hearts of the other 8 members of the fellowship…)
LOTRFaith: You know, already I miss Thranduil. He truly is so much fun to write and I'm glad others like the way I wrote him!
Maranwe: Hello there! Yes, the fun does begin now… angst, bad guys, darkness, oh my! I don't really have a specific day that I post… I try to do it weekly, but in a couple of weeks, I will be moving & starting law school, so who knows what my schedule will be like (ugh… I would much rather be writing about Aragorn, legolas & company, than legal opinions or whatever they'll be making me do…)
Nilbrethiliel: Hey there! That's allright dear, its all ok, I understand! No need to apologize ;) Yay! You liked my little silly songs! I also would like to see Aragorn kick Bratherond's butt – I'd like to see them all give him a swift kick in the arse actually, but then again, he may not be sooo bad….
Phoenix23531: Eek… sorry! You're right- I actually feel like I should have known that – or at least, now that I think of it, in all the books that I've read and movies I've seen, swords were never t so carelessly tossed away. You know, I could have used you for that chapter because when I came to the duel, I was very uncertain about how to write it and I actually tried searching the web for medieval swordfighting information for inspiration. But anyway, thank you for the review & many thanks for the information! As for the Kalevala, the particular translation I have is by Francis Peabody Magoun, Jr, published by the Harvard University Press in 1963 and the poems themselves were compiled by Elias Lönnrot. I actually found it in the local Barnes & Noble. I don't know if there are others out there, but I have been happy with this one. There was also a National Geographic special on Tolkien and the influences for the Lord of the Rings, with a special section devoted to the Kalevala which I thought was pretty interesting.
RainyDayz: Do not fret! There will be plenty of brotherly love (I think... hmmm… well yeah… there should be…) Ah well, they do love each other, and I promise that will come out.
Shaan Lien: Thank you! I don't know if I'm going to write up to the fellowship… *quickly checks handy dandy lotr timeline* eek! That's another 80 years at least!
Susie: Thank you! Ooh! I distracted someone from a conversation with her boyfriend! I consider that an accomplishment (though I certainly hope he was not too annoyed!) I think I've said this before, but I love writing the elves because I find their personalities so interesting – the combination of light and dark, melancholy and mirth, etc. I will definitely get to all the things you are looking forward to seeing (I am looking forward to writing them as well!)
WeasleyTwins: I'm glad you liked it! Yes, I do see your point about Cièdron…hmm hmm hmm
There seems to be a tiny bit of a debate about whether I should knock off Cièdron or not! Poor guy… Well, for obvious reasons, I won't give my opinion of what I think should happen to him ;) But I'm very excited because I now have this story 99% sorted out to the end (in my head that is),which means I will someday finish it and though I'm flexible I do believe I will stick to my original plan for Cièdron and the rest of them (mwa ha ha ha).
