The Wisdom and Folly of Chaos and Confusion Chapter 5
Disclaimer: refer to chapter 1**********
Chapter 5: The Road to Rivendell?
The rain was falling steadily as they continued their trek through Mirkwood Forest and towards the Anduin River. "How much further until we are out of Mirkwood, Legolas?" Do you know?" Aragorn knew he could not take much more of this. He was soaked through, shivering and absolutely miserable. He had caught a cold and had an excruciating headache to go with it. The Ranger felt his head was going to explode every time he sneezed and sniffled. And he could not keep his eyes open. He desperately needed sleep. Not that there was anything to see, anyway. It was night and pitch black in the woods, again. His head kept nodding until he just laid it down on his horse and tried not to fall off as they rode along. And to add to his misery, he was starving. Snacks on the road were never enough for him. He wanted a big roaring fire and a warm meal.
"Are you all right, Estel? You look and sound terrible."
"Well, thank you, Legolas. You seem to be telling me that a lot, lately," the Ranger mumbled with his eyes closed.
"Colds must be miserable. I am glad I cannot get sick. I'll leave that to you, Estel." Legolas jabbed at him again.
Aragorn yawned. "Well, thank you again, Legolas. In that case, I will leave all injuries that might come along on this trip to you. I can't be the only miserable one here. That wouldn't be fair, and I wouldn't want to leave you out."
"How funny you are, mellon nin. Does that mean you are not going to help me before I am injured?"
"Well…" the Ranger began. "So, you still haven't told me how much further we have to go until we are out of this hideous forest."
" This is my home you speak of," Legolas returned.
"Sorry," Aragorn yawned again, with his head still laying on the neck of his horse.
"Truly it is not much further, my friend. I can see a clearing up ahead, so we are almost through." The Elf looked at Aragorn with a mischievous grin. "You really cannot stay awake, can you. Maybe I should have tied you to your horse."
That comment made Aragorn a little uneasy. He lifted his head, shook his hair out of his eyes, and looked at Legolas. At least he thought he was looking at Legolas, he really couldn't see anything at all. "How very amusing, mellon nin." Aragorn was fairly certain the Elf was jesting with him. At least he sincerely hoped he was. "Is this rain ever going to end?" the Human whined, and then sneezed.
"Look. Up ahead. We are out, Estel. Before long you will get your much needed rest."
"I cannot see a thing, Legolas. It is much too dark for me. Perfect Elven eyesight. Grr…There are no moon or stars. But since you say we are out, I will take your word for it. I am sleeping right here."
"But we are barely out, Estel We should ride at least a little further and find some kind of protective cover. We cannot sleep right out here in the open."
"Then what is wrong with the forest? I think you are being ridiculous, Legolas. You are not making much sense. You must be beyond tired, also," the Ranger commented as he climbed off his horse and tied him to a nearby tree.
"I told you it is not safe in the forest. It is a very dangerous place, even here. Estel, we have been very fortunate on our journey thus far. That was very unusual. Especially for having taken the Elf Path. Let us not press our luck by staying here any longer." In spite of the urgency in Legolas' voice, Aragorn ignored him and started unpacking his belongings. It was still misting in the air with the promise of more rain to come. There was low rumbling in the distance, and it was headed their way.
"I don't suppose there is any way we could avoid this storm coming up, is there? Can't you use some of your mysterious Elf magic and make it go away?" Legolas just stared at him. "Ok, I guess not."
"Fine, Estel. Have it your way. We will stop here." There was suddenly a blinding flash of lightning followed closely by some distant thunder. "If you insist on staying here, I suppose I will have to also, against my better judgement. Someone has to look after you," Legolas stated resolutely.
"What? I do not need a bodyguard or your protection, Legolas." The Elf was making him more irritated than he already was. He started coughing and sneezed again.
"Yes you do. You are too rash and reckless, mellon nin, and you are not thinking clearly right now. I am spending the night in that tree over there and I do not plan on sleeping tonight. Want to join me?" Legolas asked as he grabbed his bow, jumped into the tree and found a comfortable bough to sit on.
"What? In the tree? No thank you. I would rather take my chances down here. I am setting up camp here at the base of the tree." Aragorn then opened his pack and pulled out two blankets and some food. More Lembas. How bored he was with it. "Hungry Legolas?" he asked.
"No, I ate this morning, thank you. I am not hungry, yet," Legolas grinned.
"Oh Elves and their Elven fortitude. 'I ate a week ago, so I am not hungry, yet'," Aragorn mocked his friend.
"It must be awful to be Human and hungry all the time," the Elf quipped, grinning slyly.
"Legolas, please shut up."
"Yes, Lord Aragorn, Sir. I will let you get to your much needed rest, now." The Elven Prince knew it was not a good idea staying out in the open like this, just at the edge of the forest. But the Human was stubborn, and he liked to humor his friend when he could. 'Keep him happy' he thought, 'then perhaps he will not be so grumpy."
Aragorn walked over to a group of trees, and looked around on the ground for some kindling to start a fire with.
"What are you doing, Estel?" Legolas looked down at him humorously.
"I am looking for firewood, what do you think I am doing? Would you like to come out of your tree and help me?" Aragorn asked him.
"No," Legolas replied. "We cannot have a fire, Ranger. It will draw all the dangerous creatures in the area right to us. Wolves, Orcs, Wargs, Spiders, Men. Legolas quickly glanced at Aragorn, then looked away..evil Men," he corrected himself. "Understand? Plus all the wood will be wet, so it will not burn. It is also going to rain all night."
"Is it, do you think?" The Ranger looked up at the sky mournfully. "Oh, Legolas, you are right. I am not thinking clearly right now." He sighed deeply, walked over to Legolas' tree with his blankets and curled up at the base of it for the night. "Do you need a blanket, mellon nin?" Aragorn thought to ask.
"No thank you. I am fine."
"Elves! 'We do not get cold, either,'" Aragorn mocked him again.
"Stupid elves!" he quietly whispered to himself.
"I heard that," Legolas whispered back. "Same to you, Human!"
"Oh, yes, and do not forget the perfect Elvish hearing. Your kind can be so annoying." Aragorn sat there thinking for a moment. "Legolas?" he asked. "You are not planning on dropping a big rock on my head while I am sleeping, are you?"
Legolas smiled, raising one eyebrow. "No, Estel. It's very tempting, the thought did cross my mind. But it is not included in my plans for you," he replied very mysteriously. "Besides, as you know, I could never hurt you; not physically, anyway." He grinned down at Estel who looked up at him with a hint of fear and uncertainty in his gray eyes. "Do not worry, Estel. Go to sleep," Legolas assured him.
"Good night, Legolas," Estel answered warily.
"Good night, mellon nin."
Aragorn grabbed another snack and sat there for a while, smiling and peering out into the impenetrable black darkness all around him. It was almost impossible to see anything at all. But he felt the wet grass beneath him soaking through his blankets, and the raindrops dripping off the leaves of the tree above him. He pulled the hood of his cloak up over his head and leaned up against the tree with a sigh. 'I am not going to get any rest tonight' he thought. 'Perhaps I should join Legolas in the tree. Maybe it is dryer up there,' he contemplated with a chuckle. Just then there was another loud clap of thunder, much closer than before, and a bright flash of lightning, and the rain came pouring down. "Oh great, just great. This is just what we need," Aragorn mumbled to himself. The Ranger looked up to see Legolas staring off into the distance keeping an eye out for treachery. "Of course this does not bother him at all," he quietly mumbled to himself again. He covered his body with his cloak, snuggled up against the tree, and fell into a very short and fitful night's sleep.
Aragorn awoke to the first rays of the morning sun and the sounds of birds bringing in the morning with their song. The air smelled fresh and sweet. He stretched, yawned and felt very stiff as he slowly got up and shook himself off. He was still shivering, freezing and absolutely drenched. He coughed and sneezed. Then he thought to look up into the tree at Legolas. His friend was still staring off into the distance, but he was asleep; his blue eyes clouded over with reverie. He was curled up in the nook of a tree. "Legolas!" Aragorn yelled at him. Nothing. "Legolas!"
The sleepy Elf awoke with a start and looked down at him. "What is it?"
"I thought you were going to stay awake and keep guard all night. You know, as in not falling asleep?"
"Well, I was keeping guard, until I fell asleep," Legolas countered.
"We could have taken turns, you know. You should have roused me. I was awake most of the night, anyway."
"I know, Estel, but you were so tired…"
"As were you…" Estel answered empathetically.
Legolas smiled at him sweetly. "Let's get ready and go, shall we? Where are we going again?" he asked, looking confused.
"Hunting. And to Rivendell," the Ranger replied.
Legolas looked at him with mild surprise. "Oh, well you did not mention Rivendell yesterday, but I always love the chance to spend time with Elledan and Elrohir."
"What, the twins? I have spent far too much time with Dan and Ro, lately. And besides, they are a pain in the a…"
"You are supposed to think that, Estel," Legolas interrupted, "they are your brothers."
"You have always wanted siblings, my friend. You are welcome to them if you want them."
"No, thank you, Estel. You are brother enough for me. I prefer to keep them as friends," Legolas chuckled. They exchanged knowing glances and smiled at each other.
"Are you hungry yet, Legolas? We have lots of snacks, especially Lembas, but no real food. Let's go hunt some game. Venison sounds very good, right now."
"For breakfast?"
"Anytime, mellon nin." Aragorn walked through the wet, muddy grass to retrieve his horse and pack up his gear. He threw Legolas an apple and changed out of his wet clothes into dry ones, as did Legolas. Next he threw his wet clothes and blankets over his poor horse. Then the two friends climbed on their mounts and went in search of deer, bunnies, or whatever else happened to be bouncing by at the time.
They continued on their journey riding side by side through the tall, wet grasses of the plains, having left the forest and path behind them. The meadow was dotted with lots of white and yellow wildflowers scattered as far as the eye could see in every direction. They were heading southwest towards the Anduin River. Far off in the distance they could see the Misty Mountains to the west.
It was a beautiful morning. The clouds had gone, taking the rain with them. The sun was brightly shining and the sky was clear blue. There was a gentle breeze that brought with it the wonderful sweet smells of wet, dewy grass, moist earth and the faint pleasant aroma of the flowers. It was very therapeutic for Legolas, but Aragorn was hot and sticky because it was also very humid.
"So," Estel broke the silence, "I am exhausted…still. I slept very little and even then I dreamt I was being rained on, just to wake up from the cold rain to find out I was. It didn't make for a very restful night's sleep."
"Yes, and…?" Legolas asked as if he expected him to continue.
Estel looked at the Elf with frustration. "Riding this slow is making it even worse. I am ready for a nap and I am hungry," he complained.
Legolas eyed Estel for a moment, seeing him slouched in his saddle. The Elf was amused by his whining. "Well, Estel, if you are that sleepy, you can always ride on my horse with me and I can hold you up while you sleep." The Elf smiled at him very mysteriously.
"No, I don't think so Legolas."
"And why not, may I ask?" Legolas continued, the same smirk still on his face.
"I don't trust you."
"You don't trust me? Why is that? You don't trust your own best friend, Estel?" Legolas still smiled, acting a little hurt.
"I don't trust you right now, perhaps someday soon I will again."
"If you can't trust your friends, who can you trust? Hmm, where have I heard that before? Oh, yes, I said it to you about the time you were CHAINING ME UP!!!!!"
"Can't we just forget about that?" Estel asked very hopefully. He did not want to find himself at Legolas' mercy at some point during this trip.
"No, I don't think so, Estel. That is something I think will remain in my memory for quite some time. Don't worry, though, my revenge will be bearable…and sweet. Well, for me, anyway." Legolas was enjoying making Estel squirm and seeing the slightly fearful uncertainty in his eyes. To tell the truth, Legolas didn't have any idea at all what he was planning for his friend. It was just so much fun making the Ranger believe that he did.
"Estel, you know we have only been riding for a short while. It is not time for lunch yet. Or breakfast, really, for that matter. And we have not even caught our breakfast, yet, remember?"
"Well then, let's find something. You are an Elf with perfect eyesight, so sight something, already!" Aragorn was having a bad morning. He was just not feeling well. He couldn't decide which was more annoying right now; his cold or his best friend.
"I am looking, Estel, but you are not being much help."
"Yes I am. I am keeping you company which is keeping us both awake and you looking for food." Aragorn sneezed and started coughing again.
"Sure Estel. That is just so helpful and thoughtful of you. Oh, look, a rabbit." Legolas bounded ahead on his horse, notched an arrow, shot the bunny, and retrieved it all in about ten seconds. "Here, will this do for now?"
"I guess. It is not venison, though," Estel whined again.
"Estel, I am going to come over there and beat you with this rabbit, if you do not stop complaining," Legolas countered, frowning at him.
"Fine, give it here," the Ranger grumbled as he grabbed it from Legolas. They quickly made a small fire with some twigs and brush, cleaned and cooked the rabbit, ate it and were on their way.
They soon arrived at the river and headed south from there; their goal being the Old Ford, a bridge and path that would lead them over the Misty Mountains to Rivendell. It was a continuation of the Old Forest Road that went through Mirkwood Forest.
"So, what do you think your father is doing about now?" the Ranger asked, trying to make conversation. "Do you suppose he is still angry about your sudden departure? Or should I call it your mysterious disappearance?'" Aragorn had to yell at his friend to be heard over the sound of the roaring river.
"His anger will probably last indefinitely over this one. I imagine he probably has every warrior, marksman and contingent in Mirkwood out looking for me, with orders to shoot to kill if they find me. Or, if he still wants me taken alive, I may wish I were dead by the time he is done with me. There is always that public execution scenario, too. I really would not put that past him, at this point. I also would rather not think about this right now, thank you. We have other pressing matters to deal with at the moment."
Estel looked quickly over at him. "And what might that be?"
"Orcs!" Legolas yelled at him to be heard above the rushing water. Then Aragorn looked down where Legolas was looking and saw tracks on the ground all around them.
"Oh, great!" he remarkd as he looked nervously around them. "We do not need this right now…or ever for that matter." Aragorn looked apprehensively at the Elven Prince. "Which direction are they heading?"
"South," they both said at the same time. "Oh, no…"
That is the direction we are heading, is it not?" the Elf asked, fear in his voice.
"Very good, Legolas," Aragorn replied sarcastically.
"Perhaps we should take a different direction."
"Legolas, Rivendell is south and I want to go home. And you are coming with me."
"Actually they seem to be heading off southeast, so if we follow the river closely, maybe we can avoid them." Legolas did not sound very sure of himself, though.
"Maybe? I would like more assurance than that. But I guess it is the best we can do; short of heading North or back East, again, neither of which is an option, ok? So along the river it is. I wish we could cross the Anduin here."
"No, sorry, it is too fast. We would get to the Ford much earlier than we had anticipated. And then we would fly right by it. It is beautiful, is it not, though? The gurgling, rippling waters. The wonderful smell. It sparkles, with the sun reflecting off it. Lovely…It is so soothing and comforting. With any luck, if they are close, which they don't appear to be, maybe they won't hear us over the sound of the river."
"Legolas, why are you babbling on about the river when we could be in real trouble? Are you ready for a race? Let's go!! Aragorn spun his horse around and tore off out of there going south, with Legolas right on his heels. They ran on for a long time, convering many miles before they finally slowed their horses. There were no signs of any Orcs anywhere, so they figured they were safe for now.
"I really do not think that was necessary, considering there were not even any Orcs to run from. You panicked, Estel," Legolas grinned at him.
"I did not panic. I was just being very careful," Estel defended himself.
"You panicked, Estel. I haven't seen you move that fast for a long time."
"Legolas, would you just shut up. I really don't feel like arguing right now. And I didn't panic, Elf," Estel snapped at Legolas.
Legolas just smiled at him and chuckled.
Estel glared wickedly at Legolas.
"So, let's not run into any more of them, or their tracks, actually, the rest of the way to Rivendell, all right?" Aragorn quipped while still frowning at Legolas.
"That is fine by me. What else shall we do for fun, Estel?" The Human looked at him with raised eyebrows and Legolas just smiled back.
"Well, I chose to race. So now it is your turn to decide what we should do. Make it less terrifying, though, please," Aragorn requested.
"Ok then. We could cross that bridge that I see up ahead to the other side of the river if you would like, but it is just a suggestion." Aragorn looked ahead and could just barely make it out, but there it was. "A very good suggestion, my friend. And now it is my turn. Let's race again" he yelled as he bolted ahead. Legolas was close behind him, taking up the rear, again, which he hated.
Soon they were clip-clopping over the wooden planks of the bridge to the other side of the Great Anduin. On the far side they stopped for a break. "No Orcs or anything else in sight, so I guess we can stop here for a short time." Aragorn took out his waterskin, filled it, drank deeply of it, then refilled it again.
"Thirsty, Estel? I think you could do with a bath as well."
"Oh really, Legolas. Have you looked at yourself, lately? You are not exactly your usual pristine self, either. Dirty clothes, dirty face and dirty blonde hair. It is kind of nice to see you like this for a change, actually. That is how you are supposed to look when you are out in the wild," Estel quipped.
"Estel, I do not look that bad," Legolas growled back at him, as he took off his weapons, tunic and boots, grabbed some soap and waded into the river, submerging himself and scrubbing as hard as he could. He stood up, flung his long blonde hair back and continued to scrub himself.
"Legolas, do not wade out too far, I do not want to have to chase you down-river. Oh, and you missed a spot."
"Where?" Legolas quickly asked. "Estel!" he yelled as he waded quickly out of the river, grabbed his friend and hauled him into the water. "There, Estel, you need a bath worse than I do!"
Aragorn came up coughing and spluttering. He grabbed Legolas, then, and pushed him under. Legolas then came up coughing and chocking. Then they started fighting, dunking, splashing and playing in the water.
After a while, exhausted and out of breath, they got out of the water and lay down on the grass in the warm sunshine to rest and dry off. Legolas sighed contentedly, put his arms behind his head, looked up at the sky and felt sublimely at peace. There was a warm, light breeze that blew over them, slowly moving the tall grasses around them in waves, making soft rustling sounds that slowly lulled the two friends to sleep.
Aragorn suddenly awoke with a start, quickly looking around him. The shadows of nearby trees had lengthened since they had been there. "Legolas!" he yelled trying to rouse his friend. "Legolas!"
"Hmm? What is it?" Legolas quietly asked, not bothering to look at his friend.
Estel was concerned. "How long have we been asleep? What time of day is it, do you suppose?"
"Early evening, I would guess." Legolas answered as he glanced at the sky through sleepy eyes and slowly sat up.
"Oh, no," the Ranger grumbled. "I had hoped we would be well into the mountains by this time, setting up camp…possibly with some tasty venison for dinner."
"Well, if we leave now, we should be most of the way there by nightfall," Legolas replied helpfully. "It also looks like another storm is headed this way. So, we should probably continue on with our journey as quickly as we can. Maybe we can find shelter closer to the mountains. A cave perhaps," Legolas suggested.
"Wonderful, now that my clothes are dry…" Aragorn pouted.
Now that they were feeling rested and refreshed, they moved along quickly to make up for lost time and to stay ahead of the storm if they could. As they rode, the terrain around them gradually changed from flatlands to gently rolling grassy hills, dotted with the occasional pine and beech trees here and there, to steeper rocky rugged slopes through which they now passed. The trees were becoming thicker, slowly creating a forest around them. The sky was getting darker as dusk approached. The sun was just above the horizon behind them. The wind was blowing the tree limbs around, and it was getting cooler as the storm neared them.
"It does not appear that we are going to find shelter in time, Estel," Legolas stated matter-of-factly.
"It seems that we are going to have another night like last night, Legolas." Aragorn was resigned. So to cheer themselves up, they exchanged tales about some of their adventures, mostly disastrous, that they had been on throughout the years. "We have had such bad luck on our outings, Legolas. Why do you suppose that is?"
"Well Estel, we are very accident prone. We are both reckless. You are not the only one who gets that honor, or dishonor, mellon nin." Legolas smiled half-heartedly at Estel. Suddenly his smile disappeared, he halted his horse and froze.
"What is it, Legolas? Is there trouble up ahead?" Legolas' behavior had startled Estel and he became a little concerned.
"I am not sure, but something is not right. The trees ahead are telling me that something is wrong." Legolas looked very worried, which concerned the Ranger even more. But he decided to make light of the situation to see if he could calm Legolas' fears a little. He thought that it was best not to worry overly much until you knew what danger was right in front of you. Or behind you.
"You and your talking trees, Legolas," Estel teased him.
"They do not talk to Elves, Estel. They give off feelings, emotions and vibrations of joy, fear and danger. They feel with us and for us. They warn us of potential threats. They are our friends," the Elf stated defensively.
"All right. You and your emotional trees, then. You are such a tree hugger, Legolas," the Ranger humorously replied.
"Yes, every chance I get. I am a Wood-Elf after all, you know," Legolas grinned back at him. "Shh, Estel. Look over there, a buck."
Sure enough, a large buck had wandered out of a nearby thicket and into the clearing they were passing through at the moment.
"Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Here we come," Estel enthusiastically answered in return.
Legolas' horse took off at a dead run. Estel's horse shied a little, then they were off a short distance behind Legolas.
The deer looked up, jumped, and bolted off in the opposite direction toward the trees. Legolas was rapidly gaining on him with his bow already drawn. Aragorn's horse then tripped and stumbled throwing him. The horse panicked in fright, so the stallion galloped off in the direction Legolas was heading, right towards the trees. Legolas had drawn a bead on the buck and let his arrow fly. Just at that particular moment, Estel and Legolas saw a bright, white shimmering light ahead of them. However, Legolas was too close and couldn't stop in time to avoid riding into it. He and his mount as well as Aragorn's horse disappeared instantly, as the rode into the light. The brilliant luminescent energy source shone brighter for a moment and then was gone. Legolas just vanished, seemingly into thin air. The stag was still running, off into the distance, unhurt. Aragorn just sat there where he had fallen for a moment in shock and confusion, looking off into the distance where he had last seen Legolas, unable to believe what he had just seen.
"Legolas?" Aragorn called softly in a very panicked voice. "Legolas?" he called louder. "Legolas, where are you? Can you hear me?" He was way beyond panic at this point. He was very frightened. He got up off the ground and ran stumbling in the direction he had last seen his friend. There was no sign of the Elf or the bright light anywhere, except for a large, scorched area on the ground where the grass and undergrowth had been burned. "But burned by what?" he spoke out loud to himself. "Legolas couldn't have burnt up in whatever that thing had been, could he? Oh, Elbereth, please no…If I could have just kept up with him, I would be with him, and at least he would not be alone, wherever he is. Oh, Legolas, what happened to you?" He walked a bit further and kept yelling for his friend. 'Could he have somehow been captured, perhaps by Orcs?' No, he did not think so. He had not heard a sound and Orcs were very noisy, especially when capturing or killing a victim. There were no footprints anywhere around where Legolas had disappeared; neither Legolas, his horse, nor Aragorn's horse. Oh, there were so many possibilities and he was so overwhelmed that he could not think straight. He didn't know where he should start looking first. "Why are you always getting into one kind of trouble or another, mellon nin. I guess I could ask the same of myself." He had a grim look on his face. "Hang in there, my friend, I am coming." He knew he had to find him, and soon.
**********
Legolas saw the bright light just as he was riding through it and couldn't stop in time to avoid it. He let his arrow loose, but the buck disappeared from sight, and instead of hitting the deer, he hit a man, instead. 'Oh, Eru!' he thought with horror. "What have I done?" The man exploded before his eyes. Legolas stared, unable to believe what he had just seen. "How can that be?" he thought out loud, as he slowed his horse and Aragorn's. The Elf quickly looked around for Aragorn…and danger. Legolas noticed that the scenery around him had completely changed. He believed it was still the forest, but it looked very strange to him.. The trees were spread far apart and there were propped up stones everywhere. 'Where was he? Where was Estel?' There was no sign of him anywhere. "Estel!" he called. No answer. "Aragorn!" he yelled a little louder. Still there was no answer. Legolas was feeling very unsettled and unnerved. How did he get here? This looked nothing like the Misty Mountains. "Estel, where are you?" he called once more.