A/N: More Legolas and Estel drama. I think Estel x Arwen is a very important ship throughout the book, and Legolas as his friend, must be part of the discussion. Estel's transformation from a ranger to a king is quite ambiguous, which made him seem more like and Istar rather than human.
Enjoy~
Part 2: Of Blue and Light
Chapter 24: Into the Mine
Legolas couldn't access the visions anymore. There were no living plants within his elven sight as the heavy snow covered everything on the steep mountain of Caradhras.
No plants meant no visions.
No visions meant sleepless nights.
Sleepless nights meant tiring days.
Tiring days meant more liquor.
More liquor meant dizziness.
And soon, not a drop of wine was left in either of his flasks.
He was actually glad for the snow, for he needed something external to distract himself from craving the visions or the wine. Then, he heard something. Faint at first, then stronger.
"There's a voice in the wind,"Legolas muttered, but loud enough for Gandalf and Estel to turn towards him in surprise. The howling wind grew fiercer, and Legolas' sharp ears picked up a sinister whisper carried on the gusts. It was a voice, deep and malevolent, echoing through the mountains. "Cuiva nwalca Carnirasse; nai yarvaxea rasselya!"
"What is that?"
"It's Saruman, he's trying to bring down the mountain!"Legolas yelled, his heart sinking as the snow and wind intensified, responding to Saruman's curses. The mountain itself seemed to rebel against them, shaking with an unnatural fury. The air grew colder, biting into his elven skin. Even without the foul wizard's spells, the poor hobbits were barely keeping on, clutching their cloaks.
"We must go under the mountain, the hobbits can no longer keep on like this!"Boromir, the one whom Legolas despised, yelled. This man is selfish, Legolas thought. One does not need elven eyes to see his greed towards the ring on Frodo's neck.
Gandalf's eyes widened at the suggestion, and he hesitated. Then, he said, "Let the ring bearer decide—continue or go through the mines."
The poor hobbit barely had the strength to look up at the group, who watched him expectantly. "We'll go through the mines,"Frodo said.
Gimli the dwarf wasn't the "natural sprinter"he claimed to be. For the tenth time today, Legolas had to pull him from the snow as he fell face-first, mumbling about how annoying pointed-ears are.
The air grew still as the Fellowship approached the ancient gates of Moria. If Legolas were not an elf, he would have appreciated the grand monuments. The walls were imposing, constructed of dark stone that seemed almost black in the fading light. Intricate carvings, now worn and faded, hinted at the grandeur and craftsmanship of the dwarves.
"The walls of Moria,"Gimli announced proudly when the company reached the gates, sour and tired. "Dwarven doors are invisible to the eye when closed."
Why doesn't that surprise me, Legolas thought, though he did not speak it aloud.
Gandalf approached a large chunk of smooth rock and ran the tip of his staff over the surface. "Now, let's see."Beneath his staff, silver markings began to race across the stone, sketching a door formed by two mellyrn trees beneath the stars.
"Annon Edhellen, edro hi ammen!" (Gate of the Elves, open now for me!) said Gandalf, his voice booming. Nothing happened. "Fennas Nogothrim, lasto beth lammen." (Doorway of the Dwarf-folk, listen to the word of my tongue.) He tried again, with a sweeping wave of his staff.
Legolas slumped against the wall and was overjoyed at the sight of a single wildflower peeking out from the stones.
"Suilad, guren nîn, lîn nedh ennas. Na-chaered gîn aneg iar, híril ned dithen iath," he murmured, petting the petals softly.
Confusion. The familiar sense of emotion almost overwhelmed him with relief. The person is confused, he detected. Over the past week without the connection, Legolas had become increasingly curious about the person, wondering about their background.
He had made several assumptions. First guess: It may be an ellon who is a guard and has sisters, which would explain the guard uniforms and some female accessories. Second guess: It may be an elleth, a maid who has brothers, which would explain the male attire and dishes in a basket, as well as the love for plants and nature.
Legolas closed his eyes, ready to reach out through the flower. An orb of blue light flashed across his vision so fast that he didn't even have time to register what it was.
"Mellon nîn, man na-chiriel sí dithen iath?"(My friend, what are you doing over there sulking?) Estel called, interrupting him.
Looking up at the ranger who stood next to him, Legolas held back a snarky comment. "Ú, man anírach?"(No, why you ask?)
Estel was silent for a moment, then asked quietly, "Na-marthach?"(Are you drinking?)
"Ú-beniath, ú-thangach an lítha i faug nîn."(I'm not, unless you think it would be proper to sniff my breath.)
His friend stifled a chuckle. "Ú-ben thand, ú-nen chalad sír ú-beniath..."(It's just, I haven't seen you so unfocused since...) He broke off.
"Tauriel na i thand venui."(It's about Tauriel, isn't it?) Legolas said. It was funny how, after all the trauma he had experienced, everyone began to walk on eggshells around him. His heart was already hardened; there was nothing that could break him anymore.
"I muinthel nîn ú-cenatha i nûn sí, mellon nîn."(Your sister would not like to see you like this, my friend.) Estel warned gently.
"A si i Valinor, a aníron erin Arda."(And she's in Valinor, while I'm in Arda.) He reminded.
Estel sighed. "Arwen eithro na Valinor anann."(Arwen will soon sail to Valinor as well.)
"Man aglor? Manui erin Ennor anírach han?"(You did what? How in Middle-earth did you persuade her?) Legolas whisper-shouted.
His friend looked away. "Pedin han na mae i sa ned yr a noss lín, boe natha ú-beniath erin Ennor."(I told her it's best that she's with her people and family, her path is not in Middle-earth.)
"Ú, istan Arwen. Ú-peniath sír ú-carel inna in phellen vi nost dîn."(No, I know Arwen. She's not one to change once she's made up her mind on emotions.) Legolas shook his head.
Estel looked away. "Pedin han i meleth lín na naur o leithia, ú-alch."(I told her that her love is only an illusion of freedom, it's not real.)
"Istog ú-chevin, manui anírach han? Bohen i guren lín, Estel!"(You know it's not true, how could you toy with her like that? You should be ashamed of yourself, Estel!) Legolas stood up, no longer interested in continuing this conversation.
Pippin was by the pond, kicking random stones into the water, sending ripples across the surface as the rocks sank. Legolas grabbed him by the elbow and pulled him away from the pond. "Do not disturb the water,"he hissed.
"Ú-maethon estel."(I don't have a choice.) Estel said quietly as he walked past him.
"Carog, boe veleth."(You do, we always do.)
Why does that sound so familiar?
Legolas spun the beads on his bracelet and groaned.
"It's a riddle... what is the elvish word for friend?"Frodo asked.
"Mellon."
The stones of the wall began to move aside, revealing a long sinuous tunnel.
Legolas was the last to enter the tunnel as he mourned the loss of sunlight as well as plants. He was just imagining how awful it would be like to live as a dwarf in one of these mines when he heard one of the hobbits fall hard on the ground.
"Oi, are you poking me Pippin?"Came Merry's voice as he pulled himself from the ground.
"What? No, why-"
"Aghhh!"The two hobbits scrambled back only to trip into another being. Legolas inspected the ground.
"This is no mine, this is a tomb."The Gondor man said.
"Goblins."Legolas muttered, kicking a corpse to the side.
In the dark, he could hear the hobbits swallow as they glanced back at the door, these poor creatures has not seen any dead bodies or war yet, surely this would scare them.
"We know have but one choice, we must face the long dark of Moria."Gandalf said, as a shadow passed his expression.
Legolas got the feeling that this will not be a pleasant journey.
"It's a riddle... what is the Elvish word for friend?"Frodo asked.
"Mellon."
The stones of the wall began to move aside, revealing a long, sinuous tunnel. Legolas was the last to enter the tunnel, mourning the loss of sunlight and plants. He was just imagining how awful it would be to live as a dwarf in one of these mines when he heard one of the hobbits fall hard on the ground.
"Oi, are you poking me, Pippin?"came Merry's voice as he pulled himself from the ground.
"What? No, why-"
"Aghhh!"The two hobbits scrambled back only to trip over another being. Legolas inspected the ground.
"This is no mine; this is a tomb,"said the man from Gondor.
"Goblins,"Legolas muttered, kicking a corpse to the side.
In the dark, he could hear the hobbits swallow as they glanced back at the door. These poor creatures had not seen any dead bodies or war yet; surely this would scare them.
"We now have but one choice: we must face the long dark of Moria,"Gandalf said, as a shadow passed over his expression.
Legolas got the feeling that this would not be a pleasant journey.
Hours passed as the fellowship walked in almost silence through the darkness of Moria. Broad and shallow, only soft echoes of their footsteps sounded against the cold stone. The mine was no easy place to walk, for the dwarves had designed everything to be their size, even though there were none of them in sight.
"How long till we reach the other side, Gandalf?"Frodo asked. The company had decided to rest after a few hours.
"It's a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope we go unnoticed,"the wizard in the lead answered simply. "I have no memory of this place."His brow furrowed. They had reached a small room where three doors led to ever-darkening tunnels. The hobbits did not wait, rushing to a corner and opening their bags.
"Keep your hands off my bag, Pippin!"
"But I'm starving, Merry! Not a piece of bread is left in my bag!"
"Hey Sam, can you cook something for us? It's nearly noon, I guess,"Merry suggested.
Frodo laughed. "Well, even the best chef like Sam can't cook with nothing."Sam's face reddened at the praise, and he lowered his head.
"Here, 'tis a piece of bread left from my bag."Legolas handed them the food, the last of his supply.
Across the room, Estel gave him a hard look and came to sit by his side on a rock.
"Lasta nîn, mellon nîn. Ú-certha ne ennas i naith lín, dan edron!"(You have to eat something, my friend. You can't just give away your food.) Estel said.
"Iar naith nín ú-chaur, dan i Periannath baur ech."(Last of my supply, plus the hobbits need it.) Legolas replied. He knew his friend long enough to know that no matter how badly they fought, Estel would always be the first to speak.
The ranger handed him a flat wrapping. "Si, ech angar nîn."(Then, you can have mine.)
He sighed. Another noticeable feature shared by both Estel and Arwen is that they're both benevolent beings influenced by Rivendell and the upbringing of Lord Elrond. "Estel, edan lle, boe estel an chu êl."(You're human, you need it for strength to return to your beloved.)
His friend opened his mouth to argue when something hissed behind them, his hand immediately going to the hilt of his sword.
"Gollum, he has been following us since we entered Moria,"Legolas whispered.
Estel's eyes widened. "The same creature I captured and threw into the dungeon?"
"Yes, I'm sure you already know he escaped,"Legolas said.
The ranger smirked, poking him in the ribs. "Of course, how could I forget that? The second time something escaped on your behalf. What danger you pose on your own kingdom!"
"There's something on my mind,"Legolas mumbled.
"Oh yes, the first time was the feast, and your excuse was 'an elf should be allowed some time to make merry.'And the second time?"Estel grinned as if he were a ten-year-old, a sight only his closest friends and siblings got to see.
"Urgh, there's another prisoner occupying our guard force,"Legolas excused.
Estel's jaw dropped. "Two prisoners in the great dungeon of Mirkwood? That stinky place hasn't held a prisoner for millennia! Who's the other one?"
Legolas shifted uncomfortably but was thankfully saved by Gimli, whose rough voice thundered, "Speak a language we can understand, pointed-ear."
Hours later, when Gandalf finally remembered the way, they set off again, most of them rested and with empty stomachs, except for Legolas, who had offered to take watch the entire time.
No open air, no liquor, no visions. This was even worse than being on Caradhras, he thought, as they started down an open space.
They walked forward and suddenly noticed one of the chambers lit by sunlight. Gimli raced inside and wailed. The rest followed and stopped in their tracks as the scene before them unfolded: the ground was scattered with the bodies and weapons of dwarves. In the middle of the chamber, a single tomb lay.
"Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria," Gimli translated with a broken sob.
Gandalf shook his head. "Just as I feared."
Legolas was in no mood to mourn anyone's death. He sniffed the air and wrinkled his nose. It was not merely the smell of rotten bones or rusting iron. "We cannot linger," he warned, glancing sternly at the wailing dwarf.
Unlike others, he would never let any piece of ice that encased his heart fall like this.
Gandalf reached for a heavy-looking book in the hand of one of the skeletons and flipped through the pages. "They have taken the Bridge and the second hall; we have barred gates but cannot hold them for long...the ground shakes...drums in the deep, we cannot get out...a shadow moving in the dark...will no one save us? They're coming."
At that same time, Pippin accidentally pushed a skeleton off the edge of the well, and a great noise like rolling thunder echoed in the depth of Moria.
Everyone glanced around uncomfortably.
"Fool of a Took!" Gandalf scowled, grabbing the hobbit by the ear.
Tom-tap. Tom-tap. Tom tap. Tom-tap.
"They're coming," Estel yelled, glancing at Frodo's sword that shone bright blue.
More drums joined in, sounding like rolling stones on a stormy night, until a loud horn of the orcs blew in the hall just outside the chamber.
"Seal the door; it will not hold them long!" Boromir ran to lock the door with two wooden vases that would be of no use against the force of Mordor.
Legolas stepped forward, along with Estel, both holding bows, aiming at the door where heavy footsteps of an entire army grew closer by the second. "Aim at your target, but do not backfire, Estel," Legolas murmured, caressing the feather of his arrow.
Estel gave a lopsided grin that quickly faded into a frown as the door burst open.
BOOM!
Doom, doom, doom.
In mere seconds, the chamber was flooded with orcs.
Legolas' arrows went flying towards the orcs, shooting down the first of those foul creatures to enter, only to have the rest step over their bodies. Estel's arrows caught those behind them. Not bad, Legolas thought, good for one whom he had spent the entire summer teaching as a boy.
With a loud cry, the rest launched into battle—swords and a frying pan?
Doom. Doom.
"They've got a cave troll!" Legolas cried, recognizing the pattern of its pace from countless patrols back in Mirkwood.
The foulest smell emerged as what was left of the door splintered into fragments of wood with a wave of the troll's club.
Boromir pushed Merry and Pippin behind a pillar as Aragorn threw himself in front of Frodo and Sam in defense.
With a single swing of the troll's club, the pillars crashed down, sending orcs and hobbits scrambling for another hiding spot. Then, to everyone's horror, the club smashed against Frodo's chest, sending him flying into the walls.
Legolas pulled two arrows from the skeleton of a nearby corpse and leaped onto the troll's back.
Landing on its back, he drew an arrow but missed as the troll twisted violently to get rid of him. Grabbing the dual knives strapped to his back, Legolas flung one into the troll's eye—the only vulnerable part of its rough skin.
The troll thrashed its club mindlessly, howling in pain. Seeing his opportunity, Legolas drove the other knife into its other eye. With a slash to its throat, he leaped down.
"To the Bridge of Khazad-dûm!" Gandalf yelled. "This way!"
Everyone followed as they hurried toward a distant door and slammed it shut. More orcs were beginning to swarm the halls. Taking down a few snipers from the tall walls of Moria, the orcs halted their attack.
A large shadow.
"The shadow moving in the dark," Estel whispered, gripping his sword ever tightly.
"A Balrog!" Legolas cried.
Since he was an elfling, the Balrog had been one of the best methods to scare elven children to bed.
"Swords are no longer useful! Fly!" Gandalf yelled as a large gap appeared in the stairs they were on.
Legolas leaped over, grabbing Pippin with him.
The Balrog roared once more.
"Hold on!"
"Push forth!"
The structure collapsed entirely as the last of them leaped to safety.
No, not safety.
A gigantic shape of angry dark flames began to take shape in the looming shadows, eyes of white fire and horns of engulfing darkness, making its way to the bridge.
Gandalf stood his ground and slammed his staff on the ground. "You are not permitted to pass! I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor. You will not pass! Udûn's Flame!"
Smoke escaped the Balrog's mouth as if it was amused, and it stood to its full height, roaring.
Still, Gandalf did not cower: "Return to the shadows, you shall not pass!"
The staff collided with the ground as cooling blue flames rose into action, shielding the fellowship from view. The bridge snapped under the Balrog's feet, taking Gandalf along with it.
"No!" Frodo screamed, his lungs almost tearing apart from the impact.
The old wizard grasped the edge. "Fly, you fools."
Suddenly, orc arrows whistled past them again, like a rain of sharpness. They dashed out of the final exit of Moria, and the hobbits collapsed on a small hill.
Legolas was quiet. He had known Gandalf for most of his life since the time he had knocked over a bucket of slime over his father's throne when the king was hosting a meeting with the wizard.
He could not believe the wizard had just died.
It was not grief he felt; his heart had long died along with the memories of loved ones. Just emptiness.
He vowed never to shed another tear. So he did not.
"I fear we cannot stay any longer; this hill will be swarming with orcs by sunset," Legolas warned, pulling two hobbits from the ground as they continuously cried.
"Give them a moment, for pity's sake!" Boromir responded, eyes red.
Finally, the group of eight began to move in the long-missed daylight, passing hills and rivers.
Legolas stared ahead. By sunset, they would be fleeing to Lothlórien.