Thank you very much to those who reviewed! Yes, English is not my first language so, sorry for the mistakes. :)
Chapter Two:
Laugher woke Aragorn from his peaceful sleep. He opened one eye first. It wasn´t clear yet. "Why do they have to wake up so early, this is the best hour to sleep", the ranger muttered to himself, closing his eye and drawing a big yawn. He rubbed his face with both hands and turned his body facing the elves.
Legolas and Elrohir were readying the horses, while Elladan was throwing tea leaves to a pot with boiling water. "So they intend an early and quick departure", Aragorn thought at the same time he got up and started walking to where the elder twin brother was.
They have encountered a nice place to make camp. It was a small clear between the first rocks of the mountain they should pass through today. It was covered with smooth grass, and a few shrubs were scattered here and there. Legolas keen eyes had spotted it first, receiving the immediate others approval. It was a perfect place to let the horses pasture as they wish, and at the same time offered nice shelter to start a fire, cook the rabbit given to them by the men as a gift for allowing them to travel trough this lands, and sleep peacefully.
"It was time for you to realize you had to get up", Elladan said, with half mouth turned into a smile he couldn´t hide.
"Really? If I don´t remember wrong, we accorded to depart at dawn, and this is not even close to dawn!". The man seated himself next to his brother by the bonfire, after having grabbed his cup, which was full of the tea leaves infusion a second later.
"It is dawn for us, can´t you hear the birds singing? I would say we´re late already", Legolas cheerfully spotted out as he sat in front of them, extending the brothers a hand full of lembas.
"Come on you both! It´s about three in the morning! Birds are still full sleep; I may not have your developed ears but you can´t fool me". Aragorn concluded the sentence lowering his head to hide the smile he couldn´t avoid. Heloved antagonizing and arguing playfully with his brothers and best friend.
"Unbelievable, already complaining?" Elrohir sarcastic voice was heard before he quickly stole a lembas from Legolas´s hand and seated beside him, giving Aragorn a mocking smile. "Horses are ready", he then added.
"No, seriously, we have to get through the mountain´s path today. It takes about fourteen hours at least, and it´s always better to descend with daylight." Legolas brought logic to the conversation they were having.
"Yes, I agree. After all, this is the best decision". The human took the last sip of his tea and emptied the remaining contents of the pot in the fire, immediately extinguishing it. He then stood up and stretched his legs. "A full day on horseback. Nice". He let out his though to be heard, while the other three also got up and started heading to where the horses where.
"It is more bearable when you have company". Elrohir stated out, smirking.
"Ougrhhh please, don´t ride behind me!", Aragorn implored desolately, with such a tone of misery that made Legolas laugh out loud and Elladan rub one hand against the other, with an evil grin on his face.
The mountain the four friends were about to travel through was 9.600 feet in its higher peak. The scenario it offered was a delight for the sight. Green foliage predominated against nude argillaceous rocks that made his existence noticeable from time to time. The ascent was gradual and, by the left side of the mountain, a narrow road made itself visible before disappearing somewhere among the trees. It was wide enough to allow just a horse at a time.
"I´ll go first then, if you don´t mind" Legolas addressed the brothers "So I won´t have to bear seeing your childish behavior and at the same time be able to admire the landscape without interruptions". With a wide grin, he mounted his grey mare and headed to the mountain path.
"I guess you or me follow" Elladan said, exchanging a look with his twin.
"The one who gets on his horse first!" As soon as he ended saying that, Elrohir was already on Legolas heels, glancing back triumphantly.
The elder twin looked away from him and focused on the human. "No hard feelings, Estel".
"We´ll see it", the ranger said, making a face that indicated he was considering different options of revenge.
The view, as they have predicted, was amazing. By the time the ascent begun, the sun was starting to rise. At the left, all kind of threes were able to be found. The most outstanding ones were tall poplars that had grown scattered at the base of the mountain. As autumn was making itself present, some of them where still fully green, but others were becoming yellow and also reddish from bottom to top. Most of them were already completely gold, making an excellent alliance with the waking sun rays.
In the outward journey they have crossed this place at noon. "It´s incredible the way sunlight can make the same place look completely different". Aragorn thought aloud. The others heard it, but choose to make their agreement implicit, and just keep contemplating the natural beauty.
The road only made itself wider in three sectors, strategically placed to allow travelers enough room to rest and stretch the legs during intervals of the journey. The land was clay and a bit wet because it was a rainy season, and although it hasn´t rained in a week, humidity persisted on staying. Just in case, the four friends were very aware of leading their horses as possible away from the loose edge.
"And there it is, our first stop of the day waiting for us" Legolas announced over his shoulder, four hours after they left the base. He had spotted out the not quite long gazer they will use to loosen up a little.
"It was about time, I have a kind of numbness already" Aragorn said while shifting his weigh on the mount, to back up his words.
Elladan turned his face towards him for the hundredth time in the morning, always cautious to prevent any action from his human brother. "And we could use some lembas too", he added, not because he was hungry, but to try to dissimulate the too obvious distrust look he had just gave Aragorn, who was enjoying enormously the whole situation.
Arriving to destination, Legolas jumped down from his horse and stretched his back while spreading his arms.
"Ahh, we are making great time! The sun has not reached the top of the sky yet" His blue eyes then scanned the depth of the abyss.
"It doesn´t seem so, because of the trees below, but we are quite high". Elladan had approached Legolas´s side. He stood near his friend and contemplated the same view, leaning forward to see better.
"Don´t do that!" Legolas prevented, grabbing the elder twin´s sleeve and dragging him away from the edge. "Your big head could make you lose your balance. Instead, use it to think about it". Grinning, the blond elf headed to join the other two, who were apparently busy discussing something. Elladan, after glancing one more time the cliff and concluding that a fall wouldn´t be an option, followed the Mirkwood Prince.
"No Ro, we have to ascend yet about two thousand feet, and that´s where the other halt is, not before" They heard Aragorn saying the younger twin.
"I would swear, I mean, I am sure it´s not that far!" Elrohir wouldn´t give up that easy.
"See that, Legolas? I may have big head, but for sure not the hardest".
Legolas laughter at Elladan´s words extracted the other two from their passionate debate.
"Nevermind" Aragorn said "We will find out two thousand feet above".
"Or before" Elrohir concluded, making himself comfortable in a rock strategically placed to be used as a bench. Aragorn rolled his eyes, and went to retrieve his canteen from the saddle. After taking a few sips, he inhaled deeply. "We can refill our canteens in the creek that runs at the base of this mountain".
"And see if we can fish something and collect some fruit, all we have left is lembas". Elladan broke a loaf in four and headed one for each other.
"I could live with lembas for months"
"You could live just with air and trees chats, Legolas". Aragorn retorted while stealing the food from the elf´s hand and running away.
"Hey! Give me that!
"You want it? I trade it for your first place in the row. I´m tired of seeing elven backs, and also concerned about Elladan´s neck". The human didn´t lose the opportunity of having fun at his brother´s expense.
"Places exchanged, then". Legolas accepted, and caught the flying lembas piece that made its way to him as one of his arrows. Triumphantly, Aragorn smiled.
The four friends allowed their mounts to rest for a few more minutes while they chatted nonsense stuff in a distended mode. Elrohir got up from his stone-bench and started fastening his horse´s saddle. Looking to the road ahead, he noticed that, as it ascended, the land seemed to present non absorbed water in some places. The day they crossed this path, it was completely dry, so Elrohir concluded that a cloud may have decided to unload its cargo up here after they presence. Returning his eyes to the saddle, he made sure that all was secure in its place and with ease mounted his dark haired horse. He couldn´t suppress an odd feeling growing inside him, which made him worried despite not knowing why. The twin let Aragorn pass in front of him and noticed him trying to read his face.
"What´s wrong Ro? Don't worry, I can´t do any prank being in front of you. But my revenge will come anyway sooner or later. You ok?"
"Yes, just we will have to be more careful on the road. The land seems not very stable" The seriousness on Elrohir´s voice made the others look at each other and then at the mountain´s path. Indeed, some water furrows that descended from the wall of the mountain made its way through the road and then lost themselves down the cliff. Legolas felt the same not too pleasant sensation Elrohir had a moment before. His great facility to sense danger spoke to him in a shocking way, aloud and warningly.
"Legolas! Are you coming?!"
Elladan´s voice got him rid of the feeling, and he realized he was still standing at the side of his mare, while his friends were already ascending once again.
"Yes" He shouted back, mounted his faithful mare and returned to the road, trying to bridge the gap between him and his friends.
TBC…