Chapter 18
Trapped
"And that," Ranien whispered huskily, "is Dol Guldur." He looked towards the desolate grounds beyond the trees, and though his elven heart was brave, he quavered at the darkness that blotted out even the stars. Though he had lived all of his life in these woods, he had never before been into the southern forest with such a small band. Only by using his fear as a compass and using his legs as a shield against it, was he able to finally find the evil city.
The others were silent with fear.
Finally, Elladan found his voice, and nodded, his dark head rustling. "And we have come to destroy it," he also whispered in high elven. "To unseat the evil that took our mother so long ago."
Orophin nodded once, his silence matching the darkness of the bewitched city. "Careful," he said, opening his mouth for perhaps the tenth time since the journey began. "The scheme has changed now. They must know that we are in the forest, and they will be ever watchful for us."
Lindir leaped from his position behind the tree and scanned the area with his powerful eyes. "No Orcs. Not even a single watch. The very fear instilled by the atmosphere must drive away all invaders."
Cuiladan nodded. "Let us proceed."
Together, the small band stepped from their hiding places and dispersed across the barren place. The man noticed that even grass had not the nerve to grow in such a place. The perpetual darkness offered nourishment to nothing.
Elladan was again the leader, though in the dark, they could barely see his swift figure before them. Slowly, but surely, the small team moved forward across the clearing, their minds ever on the Shadow and what he had taken from them.
Suddenly, Elladan hissed sharply and raised a hand. Even before he uttered a word, the others had seen what had stopped him. It was the only thing that emitted light in the forsaken wasteland, and it came in the form of a woman wearing a long white dress. She saw them, they knew, though they could not see her eyes. Still, she did not pause but moved towards them, carrying a small lantern in one hand.
"It's Morwen!" Cuiladan suddenly said in a choked voice. Even from a distance, he could make out her dark hair and her pale face.
Immediately, Elrohir put a hand on the man's arm, stopping him from rushing forward. For a moment, Cuiladan had forgotten the woman's treachery and the fact that she had betrayed them and taken his brother. However, Cuiladan's cry seemed to have frozen the small group in place, for none of them moved as the woman approached them.
When she came up to them, there was no expression on her face. Instead, she looked weary and accepting. "I know where they have hidden Estel," were the first words out of her mouth. "I know that you know longer trust me, but if you want to find him, you must come with me. The Shadow knows that I am here, but It does not have a complete hold on me yet. Please, you must hurry!"
Cuiladan took a step forward, but the others did not budge. "You have lied to us twice," Elladan said steadily. "How can you expect us to trust you?"
There was still no expression on her face. "I do not expect you to trust me. I expect you to care enough for this boy to go after him despite the danger. I know where he is, and the only way to him is for you to follow me." It was only then that Cuiladan realized the thing material with which her white frock was made. In the cold, darkness, he could not believe that she was not shivering.
Something in his heart told him that this was a trap, but he knew that despite everything, there was something about Morwen that he could still trust. Slowly, Elrohir's grip loosened on the man's arm, and the elf gave the man a look in the darkness. From the man's eyes, he saw the desire to trust the woman, but even more evident was the desire to find his little brother.
"We have no choice but to follow her," he said in High Elven to Elladan so that the woman would not understand. "We do not know our way, and more than likely, we will attract the attention of some guard. We cannot fight the power of the Shadow yet."
His twin nodded once, and in the common tongue, he said to Morwen, "Then lead us to Estel. But I warn you, if you lead us into a trap, your end will be worse than you ever dreamed."
Cuiladan gave Elrohir a look of thanks, but it went unanswered, as the other elf was already following the receding figure of the girl.
None of them knew that in her mind, she was thinking, Whatever end you have planned for me, it will be nothing compared to what my master will do if I do not obey him. Oh, Cuiladan, I am sorry.
To Cuiladan, it seemed as if Morwen was leading them to the very depths of hell, for there seemed to be no end to the trail. The darkness pressed in all around them, and there was nothing to keep them from being attacked by Orcs.
However, as they walked, the trees began to clear, and for the first time in their travel through Mirkwood, Cuiladan saw the stars.
"There," Morwen said, suddenly stopping. She pointed towards the darkness in front of her, but because of the stars, the others could still see her thin figure. "The Orcs do not dare come out, even at night, because they fear the heavens and the stars. But they are swarming within that shadow of Dol Guldur. You will find your brother there."
Elladan suddenly grabbed his twin brother's arm and hissed in Quenya, "Look, there!" In the shadows, they saw a thin figure, about the size of a man, looking toward the heavens, as if frozen. His arms were spread out, but nothing came toward him. Morwen seemed to have been telling the truth when she had said that the Orcs would not attack them.
"It could be him," Elrohir whispered back. The others in the group overheard him, and they looked toward the figure in the dark. Cuiladan's heart wrenched at the sight of the figure, knowing, in his heart, that it was his brother. His face was turned toward the heavens, as if praying to the Valar for safety. He had been waiting for them to come and rescue him. Estel had always been so innocent.
"Be careful," Lindir said to them, knowing that they were surrounded by the evils of Dol Guldur, but Cuiladan was already running forward.
"Cuiladan!" Ranien cried in disbelief. The man was not one to rush into things. However, he did not hear the elf, and continued to run toward his brother.
"After him!" Elladan ordered in Westron. The group did not have to be told twice, and they charged after the sprinting man. They did not notice that Morwen had fallen behind them, reluctant to go on.
It was then that the world shook.
The earth beneath their very feet began to quake, and the darkness became whole. The stars were suddenly veiled, and all Cuiladan could remember was his feet flying up from under him and the trees all around the clearing groaning as their roots left the earth. He landed on his back and could not get up again for his body would not obey him while the world shook uncontrollably.
Despite their grace, the elves also fell, their feet losing their balance as the ground began to grow and shrink in places. Under Elladan's body, the dirt grew to a tremendous height, and he slid backward, losing grip of his sword, which slid from his scabbard.
"The Enemy!" he heard Elrohir cry, before the rumbling of the forest drowned out his voice. The words were unnecessary. The darkness, the earthquake, and the destruction of the forest could have been only done by one being: the Shadow in Dol Guldur. Nothing else had so much power.
And then, all was silent, but Elladan still could not see anything. The darkness was complete.
Then, suddenly, a voice boomed through the forest.
"Idiots," the Voice said, laughter bubbling up in its voice. Elladan's heart clenched within him. He had not been afraid of anything for many centuries, but at hearing the chill of this voice, he felt the cold hand of fear creep up his spine. He was rendered immobile by it. "She lied to you so many times, and yet, you still trusted her. You would have been wise to leave your brother."
"Is everyone still alive?" Elrohir asked, finding his voice despite his fear. "Answer me, if you are!"
"I am here," Lindir's voice called.
The others answered as well. Cuiladan answered, despite the sinking feeling in his heart. Again, this small band was in danger because of his rashness. If only he had not rushed forward… If only he had not listened again to that witch! If only he could still save Estel…
Morwen was the only one who did not.
"She was working for me, of course," the Voice continued, its tone harsher, and for once, the entire band felt its power. "And, now, you will die… slowly. I always had a place in my heart for the sons of Elrond."
The sky suddenly cleared, and they all could see the stars. Suddenly, they realized that their vision was limited. They were in a pit.
Estel leaped to his feet as the sky cleared. He had been unable to move when the Voice had spoken, but he knew that he had heard the voices of his brothers and the others. They must have come back for me! he thought, his heart leaping into his throat. But the earthquake and the moving of the trees… what had been the purpose of that?
He stumbled forward and tripped on a root.
He gave out a hoarse cry as he fell, and suddenly, the ground around him was moving again. Estel peered forward and saw that he was at the edge of a pit. His hands moved uselessly against the dirt; he could not get to his feet.
The rumbling of the forest was deafening.
He found his way to his knees and peered up. A mountain loomed just behind the pit, and as the earth shook, so did the mountain. And then, the rocks began to fall.
"Cuiladan!"
Even over the sounds of the falling rocks, Estel could make out his brother's name. He crawled forward with all his strength, the shaking ground cutting through his leggings and leaving marks on his shins, knees, and thighs.
"Elladan!" he screamed, trying to make his voice heard over the chaos. "Elrohir! Cuiladan!" He did not know if they could hear him. All he knew was that they were in the pit.
"Estel!"
He could barely hear the cry over the noise, but he crawled forward nonetheless and peered over the pit. He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. But when he looked down again, he realized what he was seeing.
His brothers and the elven guards were at the bottom of the pit.
And Cuiladan was trapped beneath a rock.
TBC...