Chapter 3: Caves
The curtains billowed gently in the breeze that waved into the room through the open window. The breeze was accompanied by the smell of roses and wild flowers, and it was strong enough to make the yellowish parchment on the small table that stood in the room flutter.
With an unconscious gesture Elrond of Imladris lifted his glass of clear water and placed it on the stack of papers as a kind of paperweight, his keen eyes never leaving the book he was currently reading. With the stifling heat of the day, his concentration had diminished rapidly, and so he had decided to come to one of the smaller rooms right under the roof of the house to read in one of his favorite books. As an elf he was unaffected by the heat, and he enjoyed the peace and quiet.
Turning a yellow page with his index finger, ever careful to not touch the parchment too much because of its ancient age, Elrond let his eyes travel down the many narrow lines of black ink. He had read this books many times in the past, but no matter how often he read it, it always filled him with a sense of childish joy. Of course, that might have been attributed to the fact that it was a children's book he was reading.
The book had been given to him when he had been but an elfling, and he had cherished the small book ever since. He had read from it to Elladan and Elrohir when they had been elflings, later to Arwen and many, many decades later even to the little Estel. All his children had loved to hear the tales this book entailed, and Elrond had many fond memories of reading them to them. He knew, deep in his heart, that should he one day sail over the sea, he would take this book with him, no matter what.
He had just finished a particularly deep going story about an elf who tried to reach the stars to catch one for his love, when he heard soft footsteps on the wooden stairs that let up to the small room he was staying in. A almost imperceptible sigh left his lips, and he closed the book gently after placing a small feather between the pages to mark where he had stopped reading.
Soon, he could make out the footsteps of at least two people, and he needed not his foresight to know who had come to pay him a visit. He was proven right only a moment later when there was a tentative knock at the door, quickly followed by the voice of his firstborn son.
"Ada? Are you here?"
"Yes, Elladan, I'm here." Elrond said, watching first Elladan and then Elrohir enter the room. Both twins wore sleeveless shirts and had braided their hair in a way that would keep it tightly bound to their heads. So, no warmth could gather under the long strands, something which was absolutely of no consequence for elves, but had fascinated the twins since they were very young warriors.
With a small smile, Elrond raised an eyebrow at his sons, asking without words what he could do for them. Elladan and Elrohir exchanged a quick look, before they sat down on a couch across from the chair Elrond was sitting in.
"We worry, ada." Elladan said, taking the direct route instead of beating around the bush. "This summer is too hot with too little rain. The rivers slowly dry out and the grass becomes brown. Soon, there will be no more food for the animals; many have wandered off already to the North in the hope of finding food."
Elrond took a deep breath and placed the book on the small table before he answered. "I, too, am worried by the weather. It has not been this warm in the valley since years."
Elrohir leaned forwards, resting his forearms on is thighs, "If this heat continues it could come to a serious draught as well as a famine outside the valley and within."
"It will not come to that, my sons, be assured." Elrond said, smiling at his worried children. He had discussed this unnatural heat with his counselors, and they had come to the decision that something would be done, should the draught not end soon. With a glimmer in his eyes, Elrond gently touched the ring on his left forefinger. "Measures will be taken ere this weather claims the first victims, be they animal, human or elf."
The twins exchanged a relived look, having absolute faith in their father and his power over the magic ring that he had received from the late High King Gil-Galad himself. Their fears having been blown away like mist in sunshine, the twins gazed around, until their eyes finally fell on the small book on the table.
"I can't believe you still read this." Elladan said, gesturing at the book. "Don't you have the stories memorized by now, ada?"
Elrond tilted his head to the side, "Maybe a word or two."
Standing up and moving over to the table, Elrohir picked up the book and ruffled slowly through it, "I remember you reading to us from it when we were younger. When naneth was still here." He stopped, then held the book out to his father, "Would you mind reading to us now, ada? Just a little story?"
A true smile spread out on Elrond's face when he took the book. Elrohir flopped down on the ground and stretched out, letting the sun play across his face. A moment later Elladan threw him a cushion to place under his head, before the older twin stretched out beside him.
Soon, Elrond's soothing voice drifted out of the window into the gardens below, reading a story to his sons that he had by now memorized and learned by heart.
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"Ready, Legolas?" Aragorn shouldered his half filled pack, shifting it until he had positioned it into a comfortable position. It was another hot morning with bright sunlight, although, so early in the morning, some thin white clouds were still drifting slowly across the blue sky.
Legolas and Aragorn had risen early, eager to enter and explore the caves. They would leave most of their things in the small camp they had set up the evening before, only taking with them what was necessary. After all, they planned to leave the caves again the same day. Although the cave systems were large and by some even called a maze, Legolas and Aragorn did not plan to stay in them for too long. They would return tonight to the camp and start a new exploring tour the next day.
Legolas buckled his twin knives (just as a precaution), lighted two torches at the fire before he extinguished it and scattered the ashes. He glanced quickly at the young man, smiling at the gleam of enthusiasm he saw in his eyes. Ever since Aragorn had awoken that morning the man had been eager to go.
"Aye, I'm ready." Legolas said, handing one of the burning torches to the ranger.
"Then let us be gone." With a smile on his face Aragorn turned around and headed towards the wide crack in the cliff walls that formed the entry to the cave system. His brothers had told him that they had searched the caves when they had been younger, but that they had never seen the white bats themselves. Aragorn knew it was unlikely, but a small part of him hope to find a trace of the animals, if only to make his brothers jealous.
Soon, the two friends had left the camp site behind and entered the caves. Here it was cool and the walls slightly damp. After only a couple of steps the sunny summer light vanished and they were dumped in a near complete darkness. The light of their torches was the only source of light to see by, and so they went along cautiously.
Although both Aragorn and Legolas had a very good sense of direction, they had taken precautions before entering the cave system. Both of them carried a piece of chalk stone, and whenever they turned around a corner or followed a new passageway, they would mark their way. So, they would have no problems to find their way out again. And, even more importantly, if they did not return to the Last Homely House, searchers would be able to follow them easily.
Slowly, they ventured deeper into the cave system, looking for signs of the bats. Here and there they found evidence that animals had hibernated in the caves, but there were no proves that there had actually been any bats.
The deeper they entered into the caves, the cooler it became, and soon Aragorn stopped to shrug into a long sleeved shirt. Maybe it was one of the hottest summers imaginable outside; inside the system it was cold enough to make Aragorn wish for something warm to drink. And, there was something else different so deep into the cave system than outside. The further they went, the more Legolas seemed to let Aragorn lead them.
At first, the two friends had walked a few steps from each other, careful not to come too close in case they touched the other with the torches. Legolas, with his superior elven eyesight had been walking at the front, deciding the direction they took. But the deeper they had gone, the slower his steps had become, until, at one point, Aragorn had taken the lead. Now, after three hours in this maze of corridors, Legolas was walking so close behind Aragorn that his warm breath constantly ghosted across Aragorn's neck.
As it seemed, Legolas was stronger affected by the darkness of the caves than he had thought he would, but he was too proud to admit it. Instead, he sought comfort and strength from Aragorn, which somehow pleased the young man immensely. Not the fact that Legolas did feel uncomfortable in the caves, but the fact that the elf trusted him enough to see a source of protection in him. It was a nice change from the rest of the time.
They walked through the caves for many hours, stopping here and there to look at the stone formations or to determine which way to turn next. Their torched had burned down already and they had replaced them, ever mindful that they would need more torched to find their way out again. After a quick break around lunch time they continued their explorations. They had walked in silken for some time, when Legolas suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"Do you hear that, Estel?" He had his head tilted to one side and seemed to listen intently.
Aragorn listened for a moment, but besides the crackling of the torches he heard nothing. "I hear naught. What is it you hear?"
"Sounds like….water." Legolas said, a frown forming on his face. After a few more moments of listening, he nodded his head. "Ai, it is definitely water."
"Water?" Aragorn said doubtfully. "Down here? Are you sure?"
Legolas's lips quirked imperceptibly as he simply raised a questioning eyebrow at Aragorn. After a second, the young man waved his hand through the air and rolled his eyes. "All right, stupid question, forget I ever asked. Of course you are sure." Aragorn raised the torch he was holding a little higher, letting her light shine down the corridor they were standing in. "Where does the sound come from?"
"From somewhere to our left." Legolas said, narrowing his eyes slightly. "And not that far away, either. I wonder why I have not heard it sooner."
Aragorn, already moving down the corridor, shrugged his shoulders, "These corridors are a maze, Legolas. Sounds are distorted and echo around the walls. Why, I guess you could shout at the one end of this corridor and not hear it at the other end."
Legolas only answer to that was a non committal sound. The thought that a scream would not be heard by anyone in this cave system was rather worrisome to him. With but a few quick steps he moved up to Aragorn, feeling his hand sneak out to grab a hold of the man's shirt and stopping in the last second. Maybe he did not like the darkness of the caves and the idea of being in a maze, far away from the sun, but he was a centuries old elf after all….he did not need to hold hands with Aragorn to feel safe. Well, not as long as the young ranger was right in front of him.
For some more, long minutes the two friends moved through the cave system, from now and then stopping to make out the direction the sound of water was coming from. Soon, Aragorn could make out the sounds, too, and after a few more minutes, the sound had gotten so loud that intense listening was no longer necessary.
They rounded a corner and walked down another corridor, when Legolas asked suddenly, "Estel, do you think it is getting brighter in here, too?"
Now that Legolas had said it, Aragorn saw it too. The corridor they were in was not as dark as it had been only moments prior, and with every step they took it seemed to become brighter. "Aye, it is. The light seemed to come from somewhere ahead of us."
"Interesting." Legolas commented, already dousing his torch. With his elven eyesight the place light that streamed into the corridor from some still unknown source at the end of the tunnel was enough to see by. "I wonder where the light comes from."
"I think we are going to find out soon." Aragorn said, peering down the corridor.
And that they were indeed. The corridor made a sharp bent to the left at its end, and the two friends had barely turned the corner when they stopped dead in their tracks. Aragorn's mouth went open in surprise, while Legolas's eyes widened in wonder, all thoughts of dark caves and white bats forgotten for the moment.
In front of them, a new world seemed to have opened. Instead of the dark, cramped hallways that the two friends had followed for most of the day, they gazed at a great cave, bathed in warm light. The cave spread to both sides and was wider than the Hall of Fire in the Last Homely House. The walls of the cave seemed to be studded with diamonds, for light was reflected from them, brightening the cave. Upon close inspection, though, the walls held neither diamonds nor Mithril, but were actually smooth as glass, so as if they had been smote by fire many centuries ago.
The light itself was coming from a crack in the room of the cave, a small opening that did not allow sight of the sky, but wide enough that sunlight filtered through it. Fed by the light, plants had grown in the cavern, and vines covered parts of the ground and the walls. But what was maybe the most impressing thing was the waterfall that rushed down into a clear pool at the other end of the cave, spraying the walls with tiny, shining water droplets. There was no river running out of the cave, showing that there must be an underground tunnel for the water to enter and then later escape from the pond.
For a moment, Legolas and Aragorn simply stood there, gazing in wonder at the scene in front of them. Neither of them had imagined that this place existed in these caves; there had been no records of it in the books Aragorn had read or the tales his brother had told him.
Finally, Legolas shook his head slightly, "This is amazing."
Nodding, Aragorn answered, "Unbelievable." He doused his torch in the pond, then turned around his axis to gaze at the whole cave. "How long does this cave already exist? And has anybody ever been here before us, right where we stand now?"
"I don't know, Estel." Legolas said, "but this place is beautiful." He took a few steps into the cave and let his fingers glide across the smooth walls, wondering what had happened to turn the stone into smooth glass. "And mysterious." He added softly, his eyes full of wonder.
Fascinated, Legolas and Aragorn stayed in the cave for a long time, exploring it. When the light in the cave slowly became dimmer, Legolas lifted his head to the crack in the roof, "The day in waning and night will soon be upon us."
Frowning, Aragorn gazed at the crack as well. "Night? So soon? We cannot have been in here for so long, Legolas. Are you certain?"
"The light of the sun gets dimmer. What else could cause this but the shadow of night?" But there was a small hesitation in Legolas's voice. He had always had a very good feeling of time, even for an elf, and his inner clock told him that it was maybe late afternoon, but not night yet. Still, the sunlight that filtered in through the crack became softer by the minute, and soon it would be gone completely.
"Maybe the sun has sunken behind the cliff walls or some trees." Aragorn said, already reaching for the torches they had abandoned earlier. With skilled movements he created a spark from stone and flint, lightening the torches. After a moment of indecision, he wedged them in gaps in the walls of the cave, one to the left and one to the right of the entrance.
"What now, Legolas. Shall we leave?"
"It took us more than half of the day to reach this cave." Legolas frowned, seemed to think hard, and then came to a decision. "We should stay here tonight and leave tomorrow. We have enough provisions to last us till we leave again."
"Alright." Aragorn said, then gazed around the cave. "I don't feel tired at all. What are we supposed to do now? Simply wait till it is time to rest?"
Slowly, very very slowly, the corners of Legolas's lips turned upwards. He eyes Aragorn silently, causing the young man to ask apprehensively, "What?"
"I was just thinking," Legolas said, coming closer to the man, "don't you feel dusty from the journey through these caves, too?"
"Dusty?" Aragorn asked, looking down at his clothing. "No, not really. Why?"
Stepping up to Aragorn, Legolas shook his head with a smile. Leaning closer, he brushed his lips gently against Aragorn's, kissing him sweetly. His hands caressed down the man's back, and he whispered into his ear, "Why? Because there is a pond of clear water just waiting for us to sink down into its depths, cooling our heated, tense bodies."
A comprehending "Oh" was all Aragorn said, before he let Legolas lead him to the pool of clear water.
To be continued