Disclaimer: Not mine, except for It and the plot bunny.

Chapter One

It awoke to the comforting silence and the even more comforting darkness. It raised Its head, opened Its nostrils and drew in deeply the foul stench of excrement and rotting flesh in the heavy, uncirculated air. Such a sweet smell, It thought.

It’s long, scaled body stretched languidly, looking more like some nightmare beast, writhing in slow, undulating motion.  The creature’s mouth pulled back in what looked like a lazy grin, revealing large, very sharp teeth, highlighted by two very long and wicked looking fangs.  Yellow eyes glittered from some inner fire, for not so much as a single sliver of light existed in this dark place.  

It did not know how long It had slept after Its last meal. Man-flesh It remembered. The mere thought of that sumptuous feast roused the creature’s stomach juices. It was hungry again. Not sure on what or when It would feed again did not seem to matter. Something edible would come. It always did.

Two days later, Legolas and Aragorn sat on horseback two hundred yards from the ruins of an ancient tower that dominated the barren lands around it from the windswept hilltop it sat upon.

The tower was rumored to have been built by Morgoth himself. No one, not even the long-lived elves, could verify that fact, but that hadn’t stopped the legend of horror that had attached itself to the dark structure in times long past and remained to this day.

"It is an ugly place," Legolas commented with a slight shudder, as he stared at the black ruins. Even in bright sunshine, it made the onlooker uncomfortable.

It was hard to tell, from this distance, whether the stones themselves were black or whether the ages of wind and weather had blackened them. Closer inspection would reveal that both were the case. Even the mosses that covered the stone was black, as was the ground around its base. Scorched was the word that came to mind.

Most of the structure had toppled over centuries ago, leaving what remained looking like jagged, broken teeth. Huge chunks of black stone lay scattered about, mostly on the eastern side, indicating that was the direction in which the tower had collapsed. The western wall stood over fifty feet high, seeming to reach for the sky in a desperate attempt to save itself.

Yet even in its current condition, the tower clearly gave the impression that it had once been quite imposing. Its base was easily a hundred and fifty feet along each side, growing slightly smaller as the structure rose to the higher levels, though no one knew exactly how tall it had once been.

"Do you think Morgoth actually built it?" Aragorn asked, marveling at the ruins before him.

"I do not know, but it is certainly possible. Evil seems to favor black towers like this, and even from here, I can feel the evil that once resided here." Legolas thought of both Barad-dûr in Mordor and Dol Guldur in the south of his own homeland forest, now called Mirkwood. Both towers were black, both were imposing and both were built and occupied by evil. The true betrayal of the white wizard, Saruman, had not yet been demonstrated and Isengard was believed to still be a beautiful place, the tower of Orthanc was also black.

"I wonder what made it fall." Aragorn imagined a fierce battle between good and evil taking place here with the immense powers of both vying for supremacy. Whether Morgoth’s enemies destroyed the tower in victory or whether Morgoth himself had done it as he fled was as open to speculation as was whether he had ever even occupied the place to begin with.

"I do not know that either," the elf answered.

Aragorn grinned. "Perhaps we can find some answers here." He looked at Legolas invitingly. "Wouldn’t you like to know?"

Legolas did not answer that question directly. Instead, he said, "I do not know if evil lingers here, Morgoth based or not."

"Well, we know Morgoth certainly isn’t here. Neither is Sauron. I think we can handle anything else that might call this place home. Think how great it would be to solve the mystery of this tower." When Legolas looked dubious, Aragorn grinned. "You may simply be feeling what the Dark Lord could have left behind."

Then without waiting for a further comment, the man spurred his horse forward, followed by the elven archer. He closed his eyes. Was this going to be another misadventure?

The sun was just passing its zenith, when Legolas and Aragorn reached the south wall of the tower and dismounted.

Both horses were nervously pawing the ground and twitching their ears forward and backwards. It was obvious they had both picked up whatever doubts Legolas was having.

Legolas spoke soothingly to them in elvish but succeeded only in calming them slightly. Finally, he told them to go into the meadow and graze but to be alert to danger or to the call of their masters.

Aragorn hadn’t heard the words Legolas had said to the horses, but when they turned and ran, he questioned the elf. "Why did you send them away? We may need them in a hurry."

The elf looked at his friend with a why-do-you-think expression but answered anyway. "If you feel that way, then why are we here? When no answer came, the elf sighed before continuing. "They were nervous here, Estel. It was not fair to make them stay that way while we are inside. You know they will come when we call."

Aragorn knew his friend was right and nodded his approval. "Shall we?" the man said, sweeping his hand toward the tower.

The two doors they had come across on the southern side were closed and barred against entry. Despite the fact that the wood was partially rotten, neither the elf nor the ranger could get them open. Not wanting to waste time or risk injury trying to force them, the pair moved on. The next side of the ruins had two more doors, and they were as tightly closed as the first two.

Legolas and Aragorn had to go to the far side of the crumbled tower to find a broken spot low enough to offer them a chance to enter.

Climbing up on two large chunks of rock, Aragorn jumped up and was just barely able to grab onto the top edge of stone. He pulled himself up and then, balancing on the top of the wall, the man turned and leaned down to help Legolas, but the elf had easily leapt onto the rim beside him.

"Of course," was the only comment Aragorn made.

After making sure there was one large stone with a relatively level top on the inner side of the broken wall, Legolas and Aragorn jumped down. Dust flew around them when they hit the floor, causing both to cough and cover their mouth and nose with their hands until everything settled back again.

Once inside the walls, both Legolas and Aragorn stopped and began to survey their surroundings.

There were no interior walls still standing, though in several places along the floor, a line of stones a foot high or two were visible between the large stones to show that at one time this interior space had been divided into smaller rooms. All that existed now was one huge room surrounded by broken walls and open to the sky .

Large chunks of stone from the upper floors lay littered across the floor, very little of which was still visible. Many of these stones were taller than the two that stood among them. It was a credit to the construction of the tower’s foundation that the main floor had not shattered under the weight it now bore.

Aragorn bent down over one of the small areas that contained no debris and brushed aside the dust and dirt that had settled over the floor. Revealed beneath was an intricate pattern of colored marble that was impressive, to say the least. It was cracked, but the colors had not faded. "This floor must have been quite beautiful in its day," the man commented, as he ran his hand over the cool, polished stone. Despite its beauty, the colorful marble looked a little out of place in these dark ruins.

Legolas looked over his friend’s shoulder and nodded. "It seems strange that Morgoth would have had anything this brightly colored in anything he built or lived in. He was darkness itself." The last sentence was spoken with a bitterness the elf could not hide. Legolas had grown up hearing tales of the first Dark Lord and the devastation he wrought.

Aragorn decided not to comment on Legolas‘s obvious hatred for the rebellious Ainu. As a human, he had his own reasons for hating Morgoth’s legacy of death and destruction. In a lighter tone, the ranger said, "Then I guess that makes one count against his having built this place, though I admit, it’s hardly a substantial piece of evidence." He stood up and continued to look around.

While Aragorn moved around the interior of the tower, making a closer inspection, Legolas was content to stand in the center and visually scan the dirty, spider web-infested walls.

Legolas looked up. Near the top of the tallest wall, he saw a ledge near, which was clearly part of the floor of an upper level. It didn’t lead anywhere and would have been impossible to reach anyway, so Legolas dismissed any attempt at further inspection of it.

The elf finished his visual scan from the spot where he stood and then began to explore the rubble-strewn floor, much as Aragorn was doing.

The two friends had taken opposite sides of the room to explore. They weren’t sure exactly what it was they were trying to find. That morning they had discussed trying to find evidence, one way or another, to prove or disprove whether Morgoth had built or at least lived in this tower. They agreed it was unlikely such evidence could be found, but one never knew. It was for certain that nothing would be settled if the search wasn’t made. Thus it was the two friends found themselves exploring the ruins.

They didn’t admit it, but it was highly unlikely that the legend, so old and ingrained in people’s minds, would be changed no matter what they found or didn’t find.

It was so much more intriguing to believe that the original Dark Lord had occupied this place and secretly conducted his evil arts here. No one wanted to go near the place, but knowing it was there seemed to be enough to get tongues wagging whenever the tower was mentioned.

Neither Legolas nor Aragorn understood the need for people to frighten themselves with these old legends. There was enough evil in Middle-earth right now to cause a genuine fright. Perhaps that was it, a coping mechanism. Perhaps people preferred thinking of something that was no longer a threat rather than thinking of the dangers that existed in these times.

Legolas moved among the stones, not sure if he hoped to find anything or not. No, that wasn’t true. He definitely didn’t want to find anything more deadly than ordinary sized spiders, ones that fit the webs either hanging on the stone walls or tightly strung in the corners.

Then suddenly something sprang out from between two stones and launched itself at Aragorn’s face.

TBC

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone.

Chapter Two

Aragorn ducked his head aside just in time, as a lizard sailed mere inches past his face and then landed on the floor. The grayish green reptile scurried away, leaving a trail of tiny footprints in the dust.

It had happened so fast that Legolas, who had seen it coming, didn’t have time to call out a warning. He had been sure that the ‘attack’ was unintentional. The creature was just trying to get away from being trapped or injured by whatever had caused the disturbance, as the man moved too close to the lizard’s hiding place.

When the elf laughed, Aragorn gave him a stern glare. “He could have bitten me,” the ranger stated in an effort to gain a little sympathy from his friend. The fright had his heart pounding.

“I think if that was its intention, you would be nursing a bite mark right now. Or perhaps it would have frozen in fear, clamped down and would still be hanging off of your nose.” Legolas laughed at the mental image that remark conjured up. “You simply frightened it.”

“That makes two of us.” Aragorn couldn’t help but run his hands over his face, making sure no damage was done, even though the lizard hadn’t really touched him. He was sure that odder things could happen in a place like this.

Legolas looked down on the floor to see where the small reptile had gone. He didn’t see it, which was hardly surprising, but what he did see made him frown. He bent down to investigate.

Curious, Aragorn moved next to the elf and bent down, as well. “What do you see?”

The elven archer rubbed the dirt away from a spot on the floor, his frown deepening. “Help me move this stone,” he said to the ranger, indicating which one he meant.

The pair pushed the stone aside and then did the same with several others. The last one took a lot of effort before it finally toppled over a shorter one next to it.

Closer inspection by both Legolas and Aragorn and more displacement of dirt and dust showed a three square foot cut in the marble floor. In the middle of one side was a hole with a latch in it.

Aragorn placed his forefinger down in the hole and tripped the latch. That side of the square popped up enough for he and Legolas each to get a hand under it. The two friends looked at each other.

“There is a lower level,” Legolas stated, “and this appears to be the entrance.” He had to grin at his statement of the obvious.

Aragorn grinned right back. “Of course there is. A place like this wouldn't exist without one, especially if Morgoth built it.”

Legolas easily recognized the tone expressed in those words. He felt like rolling his eyes but knew that would only encourage his friend.

The man shrugged. “Well, we have to find out what’s down there. I mean we’re here. Tell me that an open invitation like this doesn’t intrigue you.”

As he spoke, he and Legolas continued to raise the section of marble, revealing a stone staircase that descended down into inky blackness.

Legolas gasped and fell backward, almost losing his balance. His eyes were wide.

“What is it?” the ranger asked, not sure exactly what had befallen his companion but feeling that whatever it was that caused such a reaction in this elf was most likely not good.

“There is something down there.” The archer’s tone was flat, betraying no emotion whatsoever. There was no fear in his eyes, but they were still wide and staring.

“Something evil?” Aragorn was well aware that elves were much more sensitive to the darker things of the world than mortals were.

“Yes and no,” the elf replied. “It is not of Morgoth or even Sauron. But, it is not natural either.” Legolas looked into Aragorn’s eyes. “I do not think we should disturb it.”

A hissing, slithering sound reached the two friends.

“I think it’s too late for that.” A knot of fear had formed in the ranger’s throat, but he was still determined to find out what was down there. He swallowed past the knot, willing another one not to form in his stomach.

Leaving the cover in Legolas’s hands, he walked over near the far wall of the tower ruins and returned with an old torch. It remained to be seen if the pitch it contained had long since dried up, or if it would still burn. He held the torch beside the nearest stone and began striking it with a piece of flint.

At first, nothing happened, and Aragorn groaned. Without the torch, there was no way they could even attempt to go below. Their investigation of what lay beneath them would end before it began.

The ranger tried again. Then a large spark landed squarely in the center of the pitch. With the help of a gentle breath from Aragorn, a small flame struggled to life before it finally became strong enough to use against the darkness below. Grinning in triumph, Aragorn rejoined the elven archer.

Knowing it wouldn’t do any good to argue against going down those stairs, the elf tried to push the cover over backwards, so it would lie flat on the floor. It didn’t go past vertical, even though there was no chain to hold it upright.

Reaching to his right, Legolas picked up a small chunk of rock and then placed it into the angle between the lid and the floor. There was no guarantee a latch to release the lid from the underside could be located if it slammed shut. Legolas hated dark, underground places to begin with, and he had no intention of allowing them to become trapped down there.

The ranger nodded his approval before thrusting the torch downward, holding his head to the side to keep the smoke out of his eyes. Then he slowly began to descend the steps, taking several minutes to reach the bottom.

The torchlight flickered strongly, but the darkness was so encompassing that the light barely reached the walls on either side of them.

“I know that this isn’t exactly the kind of place that inspires confidence, but look at these walls, Legolas.” Aragorn ran his hand along the rough black rock. “I think the stone used to build the tower was quarried right here below it. Would Morgoth have needed to do that?”

“Possibly,” Legolas replied, finding it hard to form words around the lump in his throat. He forced himself to continue. “It would have been easier than bringing it in from somewhere else. And there seems to be plenty of it.” He looked at the ranger. “Did you think Morgoth, if it was him, would just snap his fingers and the tower would appear?”

“I have no idea how he would have done it. He was the equal in power to Manwë, after all.” The idea that the first Dark Lord could make the tower, or anything else he put his mind to, spring up from nowhere wasn’t farfetched to his way of thinking. However, the stories about Morgoth were passed down through the ages, and often those tended to be embellished with time and repetition.

“We need proof, if indeed there is proof to be found here,” Aragorn declared. “Let’s continue.” He moved forward, and Legolas, not about to let himself become swallowed in darkness, swiftly caught up and kept pace.

As they moved, Legolas’s eyes darted around him. He knew the place would be dark, but he had no idea it would be like this. The blackness seemed to be pressing inward, as if it was trying to smother the torch. The light appeared small and insignificant, as did the two who carried it.

The elf’s heart pounded in his chest. He could feel sweat starting to break out on his forehead and upper lip, and he hadn’t even been down here but a few moments. The elf fought to keep the suffocating feeling from seizing his heart.

He wanted to run, to scramble back up the stairs and flee the ruins without so much as a backward glance. Every fiber in him begged for just that response. Straining to gain control of his emotions, the elven archer fought the urge, his pride forcing him to remain calm, outwardly at least.

A few yards farther on brought them to a cross passage. The path they were on did not continue straight on.

“Right or left?” Aragorn asked.

“I matters not,” Legolas replied. He felt things would not go well no matter which way they turned.

Aragorn closed his eyes then turned left and continued moving into the pitch black. Taking a deep breath, he almost gagged on the thickening air. This might prove to be harder than he had imagined, but he forged ahead anyway.

Behind him, Legolas‘s keen senses were beginning to scream at him. The elf was as courageous as anyone, but there was a big difference between showing courage and taking foolish chances. His friend was no fool, but he did tend to be over-adventurous at times.

Perhaps the chances Aragorn took were because of the fact that he was mortal. Death came all too soon to humans, and Legolas thought they should do all in their power to continue their short lives as long as possible instead of risking it on adventures whose outcomes may not be worth the cost. On the other hand, Legolas realized that such adventures made the ranger feel more alive.

The elf sighed. His resolve to follow his friend was becoming harder to maintain. “Estel, this is not a good idea,” the archer whispered. “We should go back. There is something down here with us, and it bodes us ill.”

“Probably just rats.”

It became aware of the presence of others in the tower above as soon as the covering over the stairs was lifted the first time. It’s tongue flicked in and out, as It once again sniffed the air.

There was most definitely a presence above. Hissing, It moved forward, Its massive body slithering silently over the rock in the inky darkness.

Even the minutest difference in Its environment could be detected, no matter how far away these changes were taking place.

There was the smell of fresh air, repugnant to Its sensitive nose. A tiny speck of light was there, as well, irritating Its equally sensitive eyes. Balancing that was the odor of creatures coming towards It.

Anyone else might have mistaken these things for illusions born of long isolation in utter darkness. After all, being in such a place could easily make one imagine things. But It knew better. It was so attuned to Its home that such tiny alterations were noticed and noted.

There was no doubt now. Something or someone was coming, and It knew that dinner would not be far behind.

Aragorn jumped when he felt something touch his shoulder.

“It is only me, mellon nin,” Legolas said.

The ranger let out a sigh of such profound relief that he actually sagged, putting his left hand against the wall to keep from sinking to his knees.

“Sorry,” came the contrite voice of the elf, who had tightened his grip on the ranger’s shoulder to help steady him.

Straightening up, Aragorn said, “I didn’t realize I was quite so tense.”

“In this place, it would be impossible for you not to be tense.” He had felt the knotted muscles in his friend’s shoulder and wouldn‘t have been the least surprised to find that his own muscles were tight.

After taking a few more breaths, Aragorn asked, “Did you want something?” He was pretty sure the elf hadn’t gripped him for his own sense of security.

“I heard something up ahead of us.”

Aware that their voices might carry if spoken at their normal volume, both were speaking in hushed tones.

The ranger had heard nothing, but he was not surprised the elf had. “What kind of sound was it?” Did he really want to know?

“A hiss.”

“Snakes maybe?” the man asked.

“Only one, I think, and a very large one at that.”

“Define large.”

“Huge,” the elf replied flatly. “Gigantic. Enormous.”

“I get the idea,” Aragorn interrupted. “Thanks.” He let out a sigh. “Meeting any size snake in this place is not a pleasant thought, but huge, gigantic, enormous is not good.”

Just then, the ranger heard the hiss, and it sent shivers down his spine. If sound conveyed size, then Legolas’s descriptive definitions might well have been understatements.

TBC

Chapter Three

A soft laugh escaped the elf’s lips. “Silly human,” he chided. “Just because it hisses does not necessarily mean it is a snake.”

When Aragorn looked at Legolas, even the elf’s fair features looked ominous in the flickering torchlight. For an instant the ranger realized how formidable an enemy Legolas would be, if he were to be infected with evil. Yet, current appearance aside, it was the elf’s bright blue-gray eyes that showed his true nature.

Aragorn gave an involuntary sigh of relief at the welcome sight. Then he dryly replied, “That’s very encouraging. The problem is that whatever it turns out to be, it’s going to be nasty. Count on it.”

“Because...” Legolas couldn’t help egging Aragorn on.

“Because something good natured would not be in this horrid place, lurking around under a creepy black tower.”

“I am down here, and I am decidedly good natured.”

Aragorn closed his eyes after rolling them upward. “Yes, Legolas, you are very good natured,” the man said with a hint of sarcasm, “And you are also incorrigible.”

Just then, another hiss, this time a little closer and a little louder, reached the two friends, eliciting a groan from the ranger.

Legolas narrowed his eyes. “I believe we need to turn around and go back the way we came, and I believe we need to do so quickly.”

After rubbing the goose bumps on his arm, Aragorn had to agree. Even though a part of him still wanted to continue on and investigate what lay ahead, the undeniable fact was that a very large creature of some sort was what lay ahead. Curious the man may be, but stupid he was not. With a reluctant sigh, the ranger nodded. “You’re right. Let’s go.”

The pair had retraced only half the distance they had originally come when they heard a hiss coming from in front of them.

“You have got to be kidding me,” the ranger declared. “There are two of them?” His tone was one of stunned disbelief.

Legolas turned his head and listened intently to the dark tunnel behind them. He heard nothing - no hissing, no slithering, no scraping, just a dead, oppressive silence.

“I do not hear anything behind us.”

Aragorn stared at his friend. “If there’s only one, then how could it have gotten ahead of us so fast, when we’re headed back the way we came?”

“There is no way to know how many tunnels are down here. My guess is that there are a number of them, and the creature will certainly know them all quite well.”

The meaning of that statement raised the hairs on the back of Aragorn’s neck, a feeling he always hated. “So it can cut us off no matter what we do.”

“Probably,” the elf said flatly, not liking to have to admit such a thing was possible.

An involuntary shiver went down Legolas’s spine. As a warrior, he was trained to be prepared for anything that might come his way. As an elf, he felt vulnerable underground, with only a tiny torch for light and something unpleasant coming his way.

Without another word, Aragorn began running. He couldn’t hear Legolas’s light footfalls, but he didn’t need to in order to know that the elf was right behind him.

The two friends were running toward the stone stairs that would take them back up to the tower floor. If they were going to meet up with something, they wanted it to be within reach of the entrance to this underground level.

Legolas grabbed Aragorn’s arm and jerked the man to a sudden stop.

Detecting that the creatures were now going back the way they had come, It moved quickly into a side tunnel and slithered at top speed. Even in this parallel tunnel, It could hear the beings a few feet away through the solid rock. This tunnel would take the creature far enough beyond the fleeing targets that It could be waiting for them before they could reach the steps.

It didn’t know if the creatures It sought could hear Its hisses, but it didn’t matter. There was no way they could escape, no way they could save themselves. Once they had entered the tunnel, they were doomed. It grinned, confident and comforted by the fear that floated to him on the air.

It was at that moment that Legolas tapped the man on the shoulder and then pointed straight ahead.

At the very edge of the torchlight, Aragorn saw something move. He couldn’t tell at first just what it was he was looking at. Then he saw two yellow lights rise up and stop near the ceiling of the tunnel. It was then he realized that the yellow lights were eyes, reflecting the light of the flame he held in his hand. His own eyes widened in surprise.

The creature hissed, the sound echoing off the black walls. It was a sound Aragorn had never heard before and hoped never to hear again. “Tell me that’s not a giant snake in front of us.”

“I could tell you that, but it would not be true,” the elf replied. “It seems that this hissing creature is indeed a snake.” He was trying hard not to let his voice shake, but it wasn‘t easy.

Below the glowing eyes, two long, white lights appeared. Fangs!

As It moved closer, a gaping mouth came into view, and the gleaming fangs took on a more defined and frightening appearance.

The one word Legolas hadn’t used in his previous description was massive. And that was exactly what the head was - massive - and it blocked the tunnel, filling it side to side and top to bottom. If the creature’s head filled the whole space ahead of them, there was no reason to think the body would be much smaller. It’s length could only be guessed at.

The hiss that came out of that gaping mouth was accompanied by a lunge in their direction. Both elf and ranger jumped back. They kept the creature on the edge of the light. Neither wanted the snake to come at them from complete darkness should they backup too far, even though being this close to such a horror was beyond frightening.

They had found out earlier that Legolas’s inner elven glow did little to disperse the kind of darkness that existed in this tunnel.

It smelled the fear emanating from the two beings. Such a pleasant scent. It longed to lick them and taste that fear on Its tongue. Next to flesh and blood that was the most enjoyable.

It sniffed again. This time. along with the fear, there was... It soon realized It wasn’t sure. It had never come across this scent before.

What the creature didn’t know was that the mysterious scent these two beings also exuded was courage tempered with a determination to fight for their survival. In all the years of Its existence, It had never encountered anyone or anything whose outright terror was not all-consuming.

Aragorn thrust the torch outward toward the snake. There were few animals that did not fear fire, even one as small as the one that the ranger carried.

The rush of light toward Its sensitive eyes, which were much more used to the darkness, made the huge head rear back. It hissed in anger and almost instantly moved forward again.

“We can’t fight this thing,” Aragorn said with reluctant logic. “So we have to go back into the tunnel.” He was thinking that a side tunnel might give them another way to get to a different entrance into the tower.

Legolas was thinking the same thing and said, “Give me the torch.”

He never would have come up with a plan sending Aragorn off into the tunnel with no flame, had he not been reasonably sure there was only one creature down here with them.

Aragorn was not surprised at the request. “No,” he said vehemently. “You go first, and I’ll catch up.”

“Human, you will never learn. I can run much faster than you. I can hold this thing at bay while you find another tunnel. I can then catch up to you in a much shorter time than you can catch up to me.”

Again the man was forced to admit the logic in that reasoning. It was only his knowledge of Legolas’s ability to cover ground more rapidly than he could that allowed him to agree. Even so, it was hard to make himself abandon his friend to danger while he fled.

The elf shook his head. “I will be fine, and no, you are not abandoning me.”

“How do you do that?” the ranger asked and not for the first time since meeting the elf. “I think you’re a mind reader and just won’t admit to it.”

A small laugh escaped the archer. “If that were true, I would have known your intentions in coming here long before we reached this place and never let you near it. Now, hand me the torch and get ready to run.”

“I will do it under one condition,” the ranger said seriously. When Legolas raised his eyebrows in a questioning gesture, Aragorn continued. “You have to promise me you won’t take any unnecessary chances. You’ll come as soon as you can.”

“Estel, I am not suicidal.”

“No, but you do tend to sacrifice yourself for me.” Earnestly, the man said, “Legolas, I couldn’t live with myself if I made it out of here and you didn’t, because you were trying to protect me.”

The elf smiled. There was much he wanted to say to his friend, but now was not the time, so he simply said, “I promise.”

Reassured, Aragorn slipped behind the elf, handing him the torch and saying, “Remember, you promised”, as he did so. His hand briefly gripped the elf’s shoulder, offering as much encouragement as he could in that one gesture.

As soon as the torch was securely in Legolas’s hand, he stepped forward and thrust the flame into the face of the snake, yelling, “Go!” over his shoulder at the same instant.

All doubts and potential guilt left the ranger, and he turned and began pelting down the tunnel. The only thing that kept him from crashing into the walls in the darkness was that he held his right arm out to feel for the stone wall should he come too close. It slowed him down somewhat, but not too much. His fingertips occasionally grazed the wall, but he kept going as swiftly as he could.

After a few moments, Aragorn stopped, having felt both open air and the lack of sensation of the rock wall beside him. He turned into the side tunnel he had discovered. Rather than a sharp angle, there was a wide bend. ‘To accommodate the snake’s long body, no doubt,’ the man thought.

He moved steadily until locating a new tunnel, again to his right. Two right turns would take him back in the direction of the stone stairway. He tried to calculate how far he had come after the first turn. Was he now on the outside of the tower‘s perimeter? Would this tunnel lead him that way? He became excited at the thought.

Then the idea that there might be only one way out entered his mind. Perhaps, if he kept moving this way, he would come out behind the serpent with nothing between him and the stone stairs but empty tunnel.

Aragorn suddenly came to another tunnel, but this one only turned to the left. Now, it seemed more likely that he was going to be moving beyond the tower. His excitement was dampened when it occurred to him that he might just end up going in a crazy circle, especially since it didn‘t seem likely that the snake ever went above ground. Had the serpent spent any time outside, someone would have seen it, even in this remote area. No such creature had ever been reported.

When the tunnel he was now in turned to the right again, Aragorn stopped. He couldn’t bring himself to go any farther without knowing where Legolas was. The elf had not joined him yet, and that worried him. Had the elf made a wrong turn back where the tunnel first split?

Standing in the dark, trying not to think the worst, was making the ranger nervous. He knew nothing was going to ease his heart until his friend showed up.

“Legolas, where are you?” he questioned out into the darkness.

Only silence answered him.

TBC

Chapter Four

Since the snake was showing no signs of retreat, it took several strong thrusts of the torch for Legolas just to keep the giant reptile at bay.  He had no idea how fast this creature was capable of moving, but he did know that having to make his way through an unfamiliar tunnel in the dark was going to slow Aragorn down.  Legolas didn’t want to come upon his friend with the snake right behind them.  They’d end up right back in the same situation they had just been in.

The elf was determined that this snake, no matter its size, was not going to get past him,  go after and then attack the fleeing ranger.  Thinking about it, he almost laughed.  If anyone was going to get attacked, it would be the one standing right in front of the huge serpent -  and that was him!

The delaying tactic was going to be good for only a few more moments. However, Legolas felt that the time to make his move had not yet arrived.  He just had to keep doing what he was doing and hope it would be enough until he judged the time was right to make a run for it.

Even when Legolas could no longer hear Aragorn’s footsteps echoing dully in the tunnel, he continued to wait in hopes of giving the ranger that little bit of extra time.  It would be tragic if they failed in their efforts to escape, because he got too anxious.

It was becoming more and more obvious that the snake was getting impatient, hissing repeatedly and moving its head from side to side as much as the rock walls would allow.  It was hard for Legolas to keep his eyes off of those very large, very long fangs.  Thinking that they might be ready to inject venom  into him was a frightening prospect.

Each time Legolas jabbed the torch at It, the creature lunged right back, hissing and snapping its jaws shut, only to open it‘s mouth again, ready for the elf’s next move.  And each time, the snake got closer. 

At a distinct disadvantage, Legolas was being driven backwards in this deadly dance with each exchange of lunges.  It wouldn’t be long before serpent fang would meet elven flesh.  There was no doubt which would be the winner, and it would not be the elf.  This was not happening the way he had planned, and he shook his head in frustration. 

On the last lunge he made with the torch, Legolas didn’t wait to see how close the snake would come to reaching him.  It was no longer feasible to hold his ground, so the elven archer turned and began running. 

Silent as the reptile was, Legolas, with his keen hearing, was still able to pick up the subtle sound of scales moving across smooth stone, even above the guttering sounds of the torch flame rushing through the air. 

The creature was keeping pace with the wood-elf’s pumping legs.  In fact, It was gaining on him.  Now Legolas knew the speed the creature was capable of, and that knowledge was not comforting.

He was attempting to use all of his acute senses to navigate his way down the tunnel.  They weren’t all as useful as was usually the case. 

His sense of smell told him that every inch of this place was the same - it stank.  Not one spot was any fresher than any other.

His night vision was very close to that of night-roaming animals.  Normally, he could pull in and magnify any speck of light in the distance to see what lay there.  Unfortunately, there was no speck of light in the distance here, so he was unable to see beyond the area provided by the torchlight.

Moving quickly, Legolas was expecting to run into Aragorn at any moment, but he continued on with no idea where his friend was. 

Then the torch sputtered and went out.  As frightening as that was, the elf could not stop, for he knew that the snake would not.  Tossing the torch aside, Legolas kept running, trying hard not to let the inky blackness slow him down. 

It was now time to rely on the archer’s intuition.  Legolas was forced to use it to intuitively ‘feel’ the way ahead.  It wasn’t always the best way to navigate, but he had no choice.  He was more than a little surprised that it was working now, as he was able to keep up his pace and not hit the walls to either side of him.

As the elf sped along, he suddenly sensed an opening in the rock wall.  Luckily, he had sensed it before he passed it, and was thus able to veer into it.  He had realized, as Aragorn had earlier, that the bend was made to accommodate the snake’s huge body. What the elf did not realize, though, was that Aragorn had turned into a right-bending tunnel.

The two friends were now becoming separated farther and farther apart as Legolas continued down the left tunnel, while Aragorn was stationary - waiting.

It was angry.  Having fire jammed toward It’s face and then flung at It was enough to make anyone angry, and this serpent was no different. 

It was hard on the heels of the fleeing creature.  Had It been capable of laughing, there was no doubt It would have done so now.  It was a laughable idea that the creature running ahead believed he could escape.  These tunnels were endless, winding around on themselves over and over.  They combined to make a true labyrinth.

It started to just stop, thinking that the two beings would end up coming right back to It.  However, the chase was amusing, especially since it had been so long since anything out of the ordinary had happened down here.

Peace and quiet in the dark was It’s normal way of spending It’s time, and that was preferable, but there was no denying that this chase was proving to be an enjoyable distraction.  It could drag out the game It now engaged in, knowing that sooner or later It would have what It sought - both creatures at It’s mercy.

It only remained to decide which being It was going to actively go after.  They were very different creatures, despite the fact that they were similar in form. 

When all three had been together, It had sensed that one was superior in physical prowess.  The other, though, was by far no weakling.  Either choice would be interesting, but It decided to go after the one who It believed would offer the greatest challenge. 

It turned into the left tunnel.

Aragorn was straining his ears to try and hear even the tiniest of sounds.  If only Legolas, with his keen hearing, could be here to listen for the snake’s possible approach. 

Legolas should have shown up before now.  Even given that the elf would have given the ranger as much time as possible to get away, his ability to navigate the dark tunnel should have brought him here by now.

There were three things that could have happened: Legolas had gone into another tunnel and was possibly heading away from him; Legolas had gotten a late start but was now on his way; Legolas had met with disaster.  The vision that the last notion conjured up was too horrific to contemplate for more than a few seconds, but even that brief thought made him shudder. 

The ranger clung to one of the first two choices being the case.  It wasn’t easy.  His nerves were growing so edgy that he wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold out before he would be forced to leave and go in search for his missing friend.

The only thing that stayed him was the idea that he and Legolas could end up moving through the tunnels, continually missing each other.  They had long ago decided that situations like this called for one of them to stay in one spot and wait for the other.  But, Legolas had been the one to say he would follow, so Aragorn had to be the one to stay where he was.  Easier said than done.

Fifteen very tense moments later, Aragorn could stand it no longer.  If Legolas had been able to get to him, the elf would have.  Something had gone wrong, and again, the ranger had to push away the vision that entered his mind unbidden.

The giant snake was out there, but so was Legolas, and the man was going to find the elf, even knowing that he might well find the snake first.

With a deep breath to calm his nerves, a maneuver that in this case, did not work, Aragorn began to make his way back the way he had come.

When he came to another tunnel, he tried to remember which way he had turned when he first came this way.  To his chagrin, he realized he couldn’t recall which was the right way to go.  Again he thought about staying put, wanting desperately to believe that Legolas was coming, and if he went the wrong way, the two would indeed miss each other.

After a few moments, he feeling of dread overcame him again, and he decided to make a choice and keep going.

In the end, the man realized that he had made so many turns, he no longer had the faintest idea of where he was going and certainly had no idea where he was.

Each time he had come to a turn, he had listened intently for any sound that might tell him if Legolas or the snake was close by.  He was met by the same maddening silence that had engulfed him since he and Legolas had parted.  It was so all-encompassing that it pressed down on the ranger in an almost physical manner.  He was beginning to think the tunnel was actually shrinking and barely avoided putting his arms up to ward off the perceived encroachment.

His frustration at not being able to see anything was mounting.  The only thing that was in any way a good thing was the fact that the rocky floor of the tunnels was smooth and offered no obstacles that would cause him to stumble.  Even so, the man’s mind was beginning to turn in on itself, as the suffocating feeling of claustrophobia, intensified by the dark silence, began to grip him.

Tight places, even dim, gloomy ones, had never bothered him very much before.  It had been Legolas who had always been the one who hated being in dark, underground places.  But this tunnel, or rather maze of tunnels, was different.  He wanted to laugh at the overwhelming unbelievably of the entire situation.  But, he was afraid that if he did laugh, he would sound maniacal and confirm his fears of growing madness.

Aragorn drew himself up short and gave himself a mental slap.  He was not going to lose his sense of reality, which would not only leave himself open to an easy attack from the snake but would also leave Legolas alone.  The elf may be in worse shape than he was in.  No way was he going to abandon them both to madness and death.

Taking another deep breath of the stale air, this time with resolute determination, the ranger moved forward.

The ranger’s eyes were searching desperately for the flicker of torchlight.  There was no sigh of any kind of flame, however small, anywhere in any of the tunnels he moved down.

Then, he tripped over something and fell headlong onto the rocky floor.  Both knees and the heels of both hands were screaming in pain.  He turned his body around and sat up.  He knew from past experience that all four points of contact would be scraped and bleeding.  He also knew that the wounds felt far more painful than they were serious. 

Ignoring the injuries, Aragorn ran his hands along to floor in all directions around him to find what it had been that had caused him to fall.  He both hoped and dreaded that it would turn out to be Legolas.

TBC

Chapter Five

It was getting angrier by the moment.  It knew the creature It followed was now in the dark, for It could detect no spark of light anywhere in any part of its domain, though how It could detect light in a far tunnel was known only to It.  Knowing the two beings it sought were not nearly as adept at maneuvering down here as It was continued to give It the advantage.  Why then, It wondered, were they proving to be so hard to catch?

It had never come up against beings like this.  Before, whenever anything wandered into the home, It had played with them, just for a change in routine.  It fed as much on the terror generated as on the physical being itself. 

These beings were evading It for real.  They had even separated to make escaping easier.  It would not allow such a thing to transpire!  They would be caught and dealt with.  Its large yellow eyes glowed, as It anxiously anticipated the terror that was to follow.

Aragorn’s racing heart gradually slowed down as the object in his hand registered its familiarity in his brain.  The torch!
Relief washed over him before the thought hit him that now Legolas was in the dark, as well.  Of course, the fact that elves could fair better in the dark than humans wasn’t much help.  Elves, Legolas in particular, hated being underground, light or no light.

“Hang on, my friend,” the man whispered.  “I will do my best to find you.”

With those resolute words, Aragorn rose to his feet.  He started to carry the torch with him, thinking that maybe they could get it started again, then thought better of that idea.  Legolas would never have left it behind, if there was any chance it could be restarted and utilized in the future.  It was out of fuel, and unless they found another torch somewhere, light was going to be a thing of the past.

Laying the torch down, Aragorn began to make his way forward.  He was hopelessly lost and had no idea where he was headed.  It occurred to him once again, that he could easily be far outside the perimeters of the tower.  Considering how large the tunnels were and how they meandered around, that was a very distinct possibility.

After going on a few feet, a faint noise brought the ranger to a sudden stop.  His first thought was that it was the snake.  Then the hope blossomed that it might be Legolas.  It took a great deal of willpower for Aragorn not to shout out.  As much as he wanted to locate Legolas, he was afraid that if it was the snake, he would bring it straight to him - not a good idea.
 
Tip-toeing as quietly as he could, Aragorn made himself start moving forward once more.  He tried to ignore the fact that he was having to drag his injured hands along the rough rocky walls.  At least it was better than banging his head into them.

The startled cry that echoed through the tunnels made Aragorn cringe and almost sent him  into a near faint.  Until he realized that he was the once who had let out the cry.

“I am sorry, Estel,” Legolas said, as he gripped the man’s shoulder.  “I knew no other way to get your attention.”  The elf’s words were soft and sincere.  “Had I called your name, you would have been just as startled.”  Sometimes surprise was inevitable.

Breathing in and out deeply, Aragorn nodded before realizing that Legolas wouldn’t be able to see that visual acknowledgment. “You're right, but as long as you're here, my friend, it doesn't matter.”  He turned around and felt for Legolas’s shoulder, squeezing it. He couldn’t stop the slight tremor in his hand, which the elf kindly ignored.

“Where is the snake?” the man asked, keeping his voice low.

“I do not know for sure, but I think it is behind me.  I have tried but have been unable to elude it for long.  It undoubtedly has a keen sense of smell.”

“I think you’re right.  Let’s go.”  It was that or stay and wait and that wasn’t much of a choice.  He’d rather die trying to save his life than just waiting for the unavoidable. 

As they started out away from the direction where Legolas said the snake probably was, Aragorn asked, “Do you have any clue as to where to go to find the stairs again?”  Hope and hopelessness could both be heard in his tone.

“Normally, I would say yes, but down here in this place my senses are dampened.  I do not ‘feel’ which way is right.”

Again Aragorn nodded.  It was the answer he expected.  There were some things even an elf could not overcome.

The hiss that greeted the two friends was not really unexpected, but the direction from which it came was.  The sound came from the side, though there was no tunnel opening nearby.

“It’s in a parallel tunnel,” the elf remarked.  He reached out and put his hand on the wall, feeling a slight vibration.

Aragorn sighed.  “And the wall between us isn’t very thick if I can hear that hissing.”

“It is keeping pace with us,” Legolas said.  He was not pleased with this turn of events, since the snake would not be moving along with them unless it knew there was a place ahead where the two tunnels joined up.

Legolas grabbed Aragorn’s shoulder and pulled the ranger to a stop.  “It cannot turn around in these tunnels.  It is too big.  If we go back the way we came, it will have to go until it finds an opening to this tunnel.  We will have a head start.”

The pair began sprinting, retracing the ground they had just traversed.  They knew the tunnel was straight.  Therefore, all they had to do was keep from weaving too much from side to side and hitting the walls, and they could maneuver without too much difficulty.  It wasn’t easy, but they managed to make pretty good time.

To their total surprise, they soon found that the tunnel was getting lighter.

“Are we moving toward the stairs?” Aragorn asked, almost afraid to believe it could be true.

“It appears we are, unless there is another source of light down here,” Legolas replied.  That was one possibility he rather doubted, though of course, there were probably miles of tunnels down here that no one knew about but the snake.  As far as the elf was concerned, it could stay that way.

After a few more yards, the light was not only getting brighter, but it was obvious there was another split in the tunnels; the first split they had come to - how long ago was that now?  One  was brighter, and it was into this one that Legolas and Aragorn darted, only barely slowing down.

They soon increased their speed to a full run, since darkness was no longer their enemy.  Fresh air, or rather, fresher air, filled the tunnel and spurred them on.

Legolas’s heart lightened when he spotted the stairs in the dim distance.  “We are almost there, Estel,” the elf whispered encouragingly.

And encourage Aragorn it did, renewing his determination to beat the odds they had been facing, since coming down into this netherworld. 

The archer, keeping his ears focused down the tunnel for any sign that the snake was nearing them, moved up past the ranger.  As soon as he made his way up to the propped open stone cover, he pushed upward with both hands until he could remove the rock he had wedged in the angle.  He then jumped up onto the floor of the tower while holding the stone slab securely.

Aragorn burst out into the open air.  He may have still been inside the tower, but since it had no roof, the air was plenty fresh enough for him.  He filled his lungs with it, having been afraid that he would never be able to enjoy such a simple, but all-important pleasure.

He slowed only long enough to make sure that Legolas had closed the stone cover and was moving away from it. Once the elf was as clear of their recent prison as he was, he began to head for the side of the tower where they had come in.

His one thought was to find the horses and get as far away from this cursed place as possible.  He no longer cared who built the tower.  It didn’t matter that they had not solved the mystery of the tower’s true builder, he still let out a soft curse against Morgoth and all his evil.

Just as the two friends had gotten within a few yards of the outer door, a huge noise behind them made them both stop and turn.  Two pairs of eyes were wide with shock and disbelief when the head and a large part of the body of the giant snake came crashing through the underground entrance, straying rocks and dust in all directions.

The creature kept coming until it towered high above the ground.

“I don’t believe this,” Aragorn said in a tone that gave no doubt he meant the words he had just spoken.  “Tell me we are both seeing the same thing.  Or rather, tell me you see nothing at all.”

“I wish I could,” the elf replied. 

The serpent’s head was turning in all directions, trying to locate the two beings It sought among the dark debris that littered the tower floor.

Just before the huge head swung around in their direction, Legolas and Aragorn dove behind a jumble of piled up boulders.   Neither was inclined to do more than draw in a shallow breath.

Waiting a few extra heartbeats to give the snake time to start looking elsewhere, Legolas slowly raised his own head up enough to peek through a gap in the rocks, while motioning for Aragorn to stay down.

The snake’s head was turning away, but when Legolas saw the distance was too far to the door to make a dash for it a safe move.  Even if they had been as silent as an elf in full stealth mode, the movement might draw the creature’s attention.  The snake was so big, it could reach them in a flash.

“What is it doing up here?” Aragorn asked as more of a breath of air than audible words.  He knew Legolas, whose ear was right next to his lips, could hear him.

The elf shook his head.  They had both assumed that once they reached the surface, the snake would remain in It’s tunnels, and they would be free to leave.  It wasn’t working out that way.

If the snake didn’t spot them after making It’s search, the elf and ranger hoped It would then return to It’s home.  How long the creature was prepared to continue looking, they had no idea.  It may be a long time, but they weren’t willing to take the risk of settling themselves in more comfortable positions to wait in.

Aragorn’s right leg, caught awkwardly under his left thigh, was beginning to cramp.  He hoped it didn’t start shaking.  The result of rattling rocks at this point was not something he wanted to contemplate.  He reached down with both hands and began messaging the limb.

The sun was going down, and dark shadows were intensifying inside the tower.  Observing this, Aragorn pointed upward.

Legolas had already taken note of the time of day and nodded.  Gloom was one thing, but full on dark, especially with a the sliver of a new moon rising, was going to make things, if not as bad as it had been in the tunnels, at least unpleasant.  The elf could draw strength from the stars and just knowing he was above ground.  As of yet, it was still too early for the stars to show themselves. 

It was in full fury now.  These beings had found the way up and managed to leave the tunnels.  Totally unacceptable!  Now, It had been forced to crash through the too small opening, trying to ignore the feeling of being squeezed as It ploughed through the stone entrance.  Luckily, Its thick scales kept It from being damaged.

A survey of the inside of the tower, something It hadn’t seen since It had gone to live below ground.  The place looked even more dilapidated than It remembered.  But never mind; It had to find It’s prey. 

All of the doors that led outside the tower were closed.  It couldn’t believe that the creatures had been able to reach one of the doors, get through, and then close them again before It got here. 

It flicked It’s tongue.  For some reason, It couldn‘t pick up the prey’s scent, but It still believed they were in here somewhere.

It began to slither farther out into the gathering gloom, rising as high as it could without overbalancing.   It had the sudden thought to just wait until the darkness fell, but It was anxious to get this over with.  As long as the beings were forced to stay in the tower, It could track them down and enjoy the dinner It would make of them - a well-deserved dinner.

TBC

Chapter Six

“I wonder how good this snake’s sense of smell is,” Aragorn hissed between clenched teeth.

“That’s an excellent question,” Legolas replied, without taking his eyes off of the giant serpent across the dirty, littered tower floor from him.  “I have no idea about this one.  However, if it’s senses are increased with it’s size, we could be in a lot of trouble.” 

Aragorn gave the elf a strange look.  “A lot of trouble?  What do you call what we are in right now?”  His tone was dripping with sarcasm.

The elf was used to such remarks spoken in that tone and ignored the words and the attitude.

The shake of Aragorn’s head accompanied by a deep sigh clearly showed that he didn’t care for the kind of trouble his friend was referring to.  Of course, he himself had been the one to go down into the lower level to begin with, just to satisfy his curiosity.  “I hope that thing isn’t a heat-seeker,” the man added.

At those words, and not having thought of that before, Legolas couldn’t keep himself from lowering his head to make sure it was well below the top level of the rock pile, which, being cold, would block the body heat of the two friends - he hoped.

The archer then turned to look toward the rotting, but still sturdy, door nearest them.  He felt sure they could reach it before the snake could reach them.  Getting the door open in time to escape damage, if not death itself, was another matter all together.

When Aragorn saw what it was Legolas was looking at, his thoughts turned in the same direction.  He eyed the door.  “The question is,“ he sighed softly, “can we get it open in time?”

Legolas laughed silently.  It was scary sometimes when he thought about how often one of them thought something that the other ended up saying out loud.  That kind of thing he expected from identical twins like Elladan and Elrohir.  But, was a mystery to him that such a feat existed between an elf and a human.

Retuning his mind back to the present predicament, the elf said, “We broke the rust loose when we came in, so the door should not be as hard to open a second time.”  He added in his mind that getting it open with less difficulty didn’t mean it could be done before the snake managed to get to them.  He hoped that disquieting thought hadn’t occurred to his friend. 

They had to take the gamble, though.  It was, however, a gamble that could cost them their lives.  Then again, just sitting here and waiting for the snake to make the next move was not only a very pleasant idea, but it was unacceptable.

Earlier Legolas had taken note of Aragorn’s quivering leg, but the  immediacy of possible death had pushed it to the back of his mind.  Making sure the snake’s attention was still elsewhere, the elf now took the time to address his friend’s trembling limb.  He didn't know how Aragorn could have hurt himself, but he asked anyway.  “Is you leg injured?”

“Cramping,” the ranger replied, continuing to rub up and down the effected area.  He needed to get up and try to walk it off, but at the moment, that was not a very good option.

“Can you run on it at all?”  The elf needed to know.  If Aragorn had to limp, or worse yet fell, it would greatly hinder their escape plans.

Aragorn knew that now was not the time to give the usual “I’m fine” answer he and Legolas usually gave to the other when trying to hide injuries.  Under these current circumstances, complete truthfulness was called for.

“I know we can’t hang around here too long, but I honestly don’t know if it will hold up for as far as we probably need to go.”  The man hated admitting that as much as Legolas always did when he was the one injured.  “We can’t let that fact stand in the way,” he declared.

Legolas nodded and then slowly raised his head to peek between the rocks again.  He was relieved to see that the serpentine creature was looking intently into a far corner that was now deep in shadow.

It was the perfect time to try for the door, but he had doubts that Aragorn could make the move.

“What’s that thing doing?” Aragorn asked.

“Looking for us in the far shadows.”

“Then now is the time to go,” Aragorn said firmly.

“But your leg...”

“Will hold up fine,” the ranger interrupted, deciding that he would force his rebellious limb to cooperate no matter how hard it proved to be.  “If we stay here, you know that snake will find us sooner or later.”  With a sign, he added firmly, “I’d rather die on the move than stay here and be a sitting duck.” 

“No one is going to die,” the elf stated just as firmly. 

“Except maybe that snake.”  As he said those words, his face brightened.  “Do you think you could kill it with an arrow?”

The archer was thoughtful for a moment.  “I do not think an arrow would penetrate the creature’s scales.  They must be very thick to protect such a large body.  Also, they overlap, so trying to find a space between them would be futile.”

“You could hit it in the eye,” the man replied hopefully.  

“Yes, but be aware that if the shot does not work, it will still be fully capable of finding us with one good eye left.  And, it will be very angry.”

“I was trying to be positive,” the ranger said, “but as usual, you have to look at the practical side of the situation.” 

“Just warning you,” the elf said.  “Would you rather be surprised?”

“No, but I have faith in your aim.  After all, you are the best archer among countless elven archers.”

“It is not a matter of hitting the snake’s eye.  I can do that.  It is a matter of hitting it’s brain, which would be small, even in such a large creature.  And, I am not that knowledgeable on the location of the brain of a snake.  Is it on top of the head, buried in the middle, forward or toward the back?”

“All right.  I get the point.”  His tone may have been tinged with exasperation, but it wasn’t aimed at Legolas.  It was aimed at the situation in general.

The two friends had been speaking so softly that no one sitting ten feet from them could have known it.  Still, when Legolas turned to Aragorn with his finger to his lips, the man knew that the snake had shifted it’s attention.

Silence fell over the tower’s interior.  Elf and ranger were both holding their breath. 

Legolas leaned over and whispered in Aragorn’s ear, “It has turned this way.”

In a flash Legolas’s bow was in his hand and instant later he had pulled an arrow from his quiver and had it strung to a full draw.  An instant after that, his arrow was flying toward the snake.

Just then, the snake, having seen one of it’s prey stand up, raised it’s head.  The arrow hit the creature in the jaw and shattered.  Three broken pieces then spun away into the darkness.

A strange shriek emanated from the snake as it shook it’s head side to side.  Whether that was a reaction to pain or was just plain rage, or both, neither Legolas nor Aragorn knew.

The ranger spit out a curse.  “Bad luck,” he uttered.  Knowing they now had but one option, he said, “My leg will hold.”

Just then, the loud crash of shattering stone sent a clear message to the two friends.  It was followed by loud hissing and the grinding of broken rocks by something very large moving over them.
 
Without a word, the elf put his bow on his back, and the ranger stood up.  As if by mutual consent, both began running together to the door and grabbed the iron ring that hung beside the latch.  Gripping it firmly until their knuckles were white, they pulled with all their might.

The door didn‘t budge.

As time seemed to drag by, It was getting more and more frustrated.  It knew beyond a single doubt that the two creature’s It sought were still in the tower.

The shadows were lengthening, creeping up the crumbling walls, as the sun sank lower. It made perfect sense to the snake that they would be hiding in the darkness.  But, the darkness was a comforting friend.

Able to discern warm objects from the surrounding cold stone and dirt, It stared into the shadows in order to make that distinction and discover the location of those irritating creatures.

It wanted these beings.  It wanted them badly, and It was prepared to search as long as it took to find them, because It knew that the swiftly descending darkness would only increase It’s chances of finding what It sought.

Moving in small increments, punctuated by long moments of intense searching, It covered the north end of the tower from corner to corner with It‘s intense gaze.  The only warmth It saw were a few rats, which were too small to even think twice about.

When It was sure the prey was not in the part of the tower It faced, the serpent turned back the other way.  Since the south end was farther away from the entrance to the lower level, It pulled it’s body free of the shattered entrance and began to move forward.

It was then the snake saw one of the beings rise up.  It raised It’s head to get a better look.  It saw an object coming toward It, but had no notion what it was.  Then It felt a flash of pain in It’s jaw.  In rage, It shrieked.  It was a sound It rarely found the need to make.

As anger overwhelmed It, a quick jab of joy flooded It as the second prey creature made its appearance beside the first one.  Then It saw them running toward one of the doors.

It started after them.

Legolas and Aragorn continued pulling on the ring as hard as they could. 

The ring had a metal rod that ran through a hole in the wood and bolted onto a thick metal plate on the outside of the door, so it wasn’t likely that the ring would come off in their hands.  It wouldn’t have mattered anyway, neither Legolas nor Aragorn were going to let up one iota.

“It’s coming,” the ranger ground out between teeth tightly clenched in the effort he was expending to get the door open.

Not bothering to answer, Legolas simply pulled harder, although he didn’t think he had any reserve strength that he wasn’t already expending.  He was  hoping, however, that desperation would find that little bit extra.  It was certainly needed now.

At first the movement was agonizingly slow, but then it began to move easier and faster. 

Neither Legolas nor Aragorn let up until  there was a space big enough for the pair to get through without having to spend time  forcing their way between door and wooden frame, they let go of the ring and made their way around the door and out of the tower.  The two then began to run toward the area where they had left their horses.

The euphoria at being free of the tower was so great that Aragorn did not even think about his aching leg.  So far, it wasn’t proving to be a hindrance. 

It came as a shock when the pair heard the tremendous crash of stone being slammed and then collapsing.

The need to find out what had happened was too great, and Aragorn  turned to look behind them.  What he saw made him stop in his tracks and gape.

Legolas followed suit.

Both saw the near side of the tower, as it  crumbled amid a huge shower of dust that billowed upward and outward.  Large parts of the top of the adjoining walls had also collapsed inward.

“I don’t believe it,” the ranger uttered.  “That snake has destroyed this whole end of the tower and part of two other side walls.”

“It does not appear to be letting anything keep it from trying to get to us.”  That fact amazed him.  He assumed the creature would give up and go back down into its tunnels, once it realized its prey had escaped the tower.

The elf and the ranger turned and stared at each other.  This was one determined creature.  It, however, was facing two equally determined beings, who were not going to waste any more time staring at the remains of the tower or the giant snake that was moving closer to them with each passing second.

They turned and ran.

TBC

Chapter Seven

The terrain that surrounded the ruins of the black tower resembled green waves that had been frozen into solid ground.  There were no trees other than scrubby ones scattered about like solitary sentinels.  There were no rocks larger than pebbles, and there were no caves.  This land did not offer any real shelter for the fleeing companions. 

“Do you see the horses?” Aragorn asked, as they ran.  He was having to concentrate on where he put the foot on his aching leg.  One wrong step could mean disaster.

Legolas’s keen eyes searched through the gathering gloom. “No.  They may have wandered to the far side of the tower.”

Ignoring what he perceived as pessimism,  Aragorn asked, “Is that thing following us?”  He could have looked, but he was afraid that if he turned his head around to do so, it might twist his body just enough to cause him to lose his balance and fall, a prospect that the ranger did not wish to dwell on but still had to keep in mind.

The elf, with no such fear of falling, effortlessly turned his head to glance behind him.  “It is,” was his succinct reply.

“Why did I think it might find freedom from those horrid tunnels so tempting that it would head off somewhere else to explore?”

“Wishful thinking, I would assume,” Legolas stated dryly.  “It destroyed a good portion of its home to get at us, so I doubt it will give up any time soon.  I had the distinct impression that it liked those tunnels and would prefer them to the open air.  Unfortunately, it seems to find us even more irresistible.”

The ranger looked at his companion, running lightly beside him.  “Your tremendous capacity for crushing my  hopes never ceases to amaze me,” he said just as dryly.

“I am merely being practical,” the elf declared somewhat indignantly.  “Valar knows one of us has to be.”  The archer made that last mock-scathing remark before turning his head toward his left shoulder and letting out a long, shrill whistle.  In mere seconds, he heard the faint whinny of two horses.  He had barely heard the sound, so he thought it would surely be too far away for Aragorn to hear.  Thus, he asked, “Did you hear that?”

“No.  Did they answer your call?”

“Indeed they did,” the archer replied cheerfully, a small smile brightening his face.

Aragorn grinned, as his face also brightened.  Salvation, it seemed, was near at hand.  His relief, however, was short-lived.

“I was right, I am afraid.  They are on the other side of the snake and if they try to come straight toward us, that beast will either catch them or frighten them away.”

“There you go again.”  The remark sounded humorous, but the idea that the horses, who could take them far from the oncoming serpent, might never reach them made his blood chill, and he suddenly shivered.

Altering their path would be a futile attempt to avoid the snake.  The creature would simply turn to follow them, no matter which way they went.  That would hold true for the horses, as well, if they came close to the creature.

After a moment’s thought, Legolas gave another shrill whistle, this one lasting a second longer and with a slightly higher pitch to it. 

“The signal to follow,” Aragorn commented.  “Good idea.  I was going to suggest that.”

He received a small laugh from his friend as a reply.  The ranger frowned, not understanding why Legolas would laugh.  He had no idea that the elf was again thinking of how much their thoughts ran in such similar directions.  Of course, the elf was also thinking that the man may just be trying to make himself appear as clever as his friend.  He was good at that, too.

As the two tried to put more distance between them and their pursuer by concentrating on their speed, the exact opposite happened.  Aragorn began to slow down.  It was gradual at first, but soon, it became apparent that the man’s leg was bothering him much more than he was willing to admit.  His mind was no longer able to overcome the discomfort and lack of strength.  After a few more minutes, it all but gave out completely.

“I can’t put any more pressure on it.  Leave me here and go after the horses,” he urged his companion. 

Legolas looked at the man as if he had grown another head.  “Not with that snake heading this way,” he said, as he pulled up to offer assistance to his friend. 

“Maybe it will follow you,” the ranger commented with a grin.  When Legolas glared at him, he added, “Well, you can outrun it until you reach the horses, and then you can come back and get me.”

“And, if the snake decides to continue to come after you instead?  Snakes, like most predators, have a way of knowing when their prey is impaired in some way.”

“You have a point,” Aragorn had to admit.

“Besides, even if it did follow me, that snake can turn and cut me off, no matter how fast I run.”

Aragorn sighed.  “I was just hoping.”

A quick glance told the pair that the snake was closing on them.  Its bulk kept it from moving as fast as  normal snakes would in comparison to their size, but it was by no means slow and plodding.  It was a mesmerizing creature to watch, as  the huge body undulated across the ground.  The silver glow of the rising moon made the creature’s scales glisten and sparkle.  However, the immediacy of the danger heading their way soon broke that spell. 

Not bothering to ask permission and certainly not willing to stand and argue, Legolas wrapped his right arm around his friend’s waist and began to pull Aragorn along,  his body making an effective crutch for the ranger.  His elven strength was enough to half carry Aragorn over the ground at a relatively swift pace.

Knowing full well the severity of the situation, Aragorn did not object to the elf’s maneuver.  He tried to use his good led to help their progress, and it didn’t take long for the two to find a rhythm together.  If only they could keep pace with the on-coming serpent, they would have a chance to reach the shelter of a small woodland that appeared ahead when they topped a small rise.  Legolas was heading straight for it.

The elf had no illusions that the bulky snake could plough through the little forest, but there was no other refuge for miles and no other place they could reach before the giant serpent caught them.

The wood-elf would have to apologize to the trees he knew would meet their end when the snake arrived in their midst.  Having dealt with the Shadow’s destruction in his own woodland home, Legolas knew the trees would not only forgive him but would aid him  in any way they could.

It seemed to take hours to reach the small forest.  Fear had stretched out both time and space, making the woodland appear to retreat as the two companions moved forward, eventually they were able to cross the threshold at the edge of the woods.

A few small shafts of moonlight were barely able to filter thought he thick leaves, so that only little patches reached the ground.  Thus, there was near darkness inside the forest.

Legolas moved among the trees until he felt that he and Aragorn were deep enough to be able to stop for a moment’s rest.  He let go of Aragorn to let the ranger lean against one of the trees.  He himself placed a palm against a nearby tree and lowered his head.

The wood-elf felt the tree shiver and heard the fear coming from the rest of the woodland.  They were well aware of the danger that approached, and they knew that some of them would not survive the encounter, just as Legolas had known would happen. 
 
Beyond the fear, though, the tress acknowledged the elf’s need for protection, and the tree he was touching assured him that the danger would be held at bay as long as possible.  

“Hannon le,” Legolas whispered to them.  Their fear of what was about to happen nearly broke his heart.  At the same time, their willingness to sacrifice whatever was called for to aid him and Aragorn gladdened him.  Legolas knew they would do their best, and he was profoundly grateful.

The horrendous sound of splintering wood abruptly brought both the elf’s and the ranger's attention back to the danger behind them.

As Legolas quickly grabbed Aragorn, the man said, “I’m sorry about the trees.”  He felt sad, so he could only guess how his friend was feeling.

Legolas nodded but made no remark.  He found it hard to speak, because even having lived his whole life in the forest, he had never heard more than one tree shatter, usually after being struck by lightning.  However, now, with many tress involved at once, it was a sound that took the wood-elf’s breath away and made his very soul cringe.

The crashing and sundering of wood continued but was soon followed by the sound of thrashing and a swishing noise.  The trees were swinging their branches so that their leaves were rustling violently.  The delaying tactic had begun.

It relished the darkness that had now come upon the land, though there was a light from overhead that It did not understand.  It was soft and not as unpleasant as what It had seen earlier when It had broken loose from the tunnels.  It rather liked this new and different kind of light.

Closer It moved toward It’s goal.  It’s body undulating from side to side, which was the only way It was able to move.  It was easier than it had been in It’s confined underground home.  Yet, preferring the closeness of the stone walls of the tunnels, It did not really like the total openness of It’s surroundings.

At times, the beings up ahead disappeared from sight, moving down between the small bumps in the ground, but they always reappeared on the next rise.

The terrain leveled out after a while, and in the distance It saw...what was that? It was darker than the area around it and stretched out all across the edge of the land.  The snake's vision was not keen, so It could not tell what it was looking at.  It's flicking tongue revealed a strange scent, similar to the ground beneath It.

It slowed, not sure if It should tackle this mysterious and massive creature. Then It caught the indistinct sight of It’s prey. They were headed for the thing. If they were not afraid of it, then It certainly should not be. It had never known real fear, having been the master of It’s environment. If this thing gave the prey shelter, It might lose them. It began to move forward as fast as It could.

It soon became apparent that It was not going to catch them before they reached the creature. It hissed in anger but was not yet willing to give up. It had left It’s home and come this far, so It would continue.

When It saw the prey disappear into the dark creature, It was mystified. It moved closer and then stopped once again, taking in what lay before It. It had never seen a tree, much less a number of them crowded together, so the forest was a complete mystery to It.

This strange creature consisted of not one but many forms grouped together, and their lower bodies seemed to be anchored to the earth. They were tall and dark, and there were smaller dark forms sticking out all over each one. These were covered with strange things similar to what was on the ground It had been traveling over - yet different. These were the source of the scent It had detected.

These dark creatures were waving their appendages.  The movements sent vibrations into the earth, which is what It was now experiencing. It flicked It’s tongue again, trying to pick up any smell that would give It a clue as to what It now faced.

It waited for a few moments, still trying to assess the creatures’ possible danger to It.  When no overt threat was made, It plunged forward, inevitably crashing into and splintering the creatures while attempting to make It’s way between them.

The forms in It’s vicinity scraped and pounded It’s body but did no real damage, at least not enough to stop It from charging ahead while trying to avert It’s head and spare itself from sustaining more hits.

It was then that the creatures nearest It started waving their smaller appendages with the strange fluttering things attached into It’s face and knocking into It’s head.  Such blows not only made It angrier, but they were also painful.

Even with It’s rudimentary thinking processes, It realized that going back would probably be as bad as continuing forward, and the beings It was after were still ahead of It, so It continued moving toward the prey, thrashing wildly as It went.

TBC

Chapter Eight

The creature’s rage increased with each blow it sustained from the flailing trees.  And, those blows brought about more thrashing, creating a vicious cycle of destruction.

The trees that were dying, cried out to those around them.  There was pain in their voices, but there was also pleas for their neighbors to stop the serpentine monster.  Their concern was not for themselves, for they knew their doom was near, but for the elf and the human, who were the beast’s intended victims.

Legolas heard it all.  The horrendous sounds that reached him tore at his heart and brought unshamed tears to his eyes.  He could not ignore what he heard, nor could he filter out the sounds.  All he could do was make sure that he and Aragorn reached safety.  It was what the trees were sacrificing themselves for, and the wood-elf was not going to let their deaths be in vain.

“So, do you think we can reach the mountains beyond the forest before that snake reaches us?” Aragorn asked, as he and Legolas made their way through the small forest.  He knew they would soon arrive at the end of it.

Legolas shook his head.  “I do not believe so.  The trees are trying to stop the snake, but they are losing the battle.  The creature is just too large and powerful, even for them to handle.”  The elf had to work to keep his voice from breaking.

The mountains the ranger had referred to were a good three miles from where the pair were now.  The land between here and there was rolling hills, similar to what they had just traveled through after leaving the tower.  It was highly unlikely they would find a safe place before...

Legolas and Aragorn were once again thinking the same thing.  They were in big trouble, but they were reluctant to say the words out loud.  There was really no need to speak of what they both knew to be true.

The trees were beginning to thin out, indicating that the edge of the forest was near.   

Aragorn pulled them to a halt.  “I have an idea,” the man said suddenly.

Legolas looked at Aragorn with a mixture of mild surprise and hope.  “Please share,” the elf told his friend.

“That snake can’t see us right now.  Right?”

The archer looked behind them.  He could still hear the carnage clearly, but he couldn’t see it.  He nodded.  “It has not caught up to us enough to see or be seen.”  

“Then why don’t we go that way.”  Aragorn pointed to their right.  “We could sneak around behind it and head back out the way we came.  Then we could get the horses and be gone from this place.”  He studied Legolas’s face for a hint of whether or not the elf would agree with his plan.

The elven prince took only a moment to think about the man’s plan.  “There is only one possible problem.  The trees are fairly sparse on either side of us, so if we go back around, we will be very close to the snake.  If it spots us...”  There was no need to finish this thought, either.  “Also if it is a heat seeker, as we both suspect, it would easily distinguish us among the trees in the dark.”

“That’s two problems,” the ranger grumbled.

Aragorn was rubbing his leg again, but he looked up at Legolas with raised eyebrows.  “We have nothing to lose.  You know we won’t make the mountains on foot ahead of that monster.”

Shrugging an obvious ‘Why not?’, Legolas reached over to take hold of Aragorn, prepared to once again aid the man, as they traveled.

“No need.  My leg is no longer cramping.  It’s fine.  I can make it on my own.”  When he spotted the elf’s look of reservation, he grinned.  “All right.  It’s sore, but I can honestly say I can walk and even run on it.  We have to be able to move separately.”

“Then I suggest we leave now,” Legolas said by way of acquiescence.   “The snake is moving ever closer.”  His last sentence was a clear warning that the time for speculation had run out.

Without another word, the pair turned to their right and began moving stealthily between the trees, back the way they had just come.  As they went, the sounds of the thrashing and crashing of splintering wood, the hissing of the snake and the furious rustling of leaves became louder.  

They had to dart from tree to tree, pausing behind each one until they were sure they wouldn’t be detected, and then rushing to the next one.

Before long, Legolas and Aragorn were drawing close to even with the snake, and the risk of moving was too great.  

The two friends stopped at a particularly large oak tree and crouched down behind it, each carefully peering out from different sides.  What they saw filled their hearts with dread.

The snake was continuing to ravage the trees, as it came into view, throwing its body from side to side.  More than once, it reached up and grabbed an offending branch with its mouth and tore it loose, spitting it out and continuing on.  

This was the first time Legolas was able to see the destruction first hand.  Even the darkness within the forest could not hide such a sight from his keen eyes.  If hearing the battle, for battle it truly was, was hard on the wood-elf, seeing it was far worse.  

He was proud that the trees were fighting back, but he felt guilty that it was because of him.  He had brought the creature here among them, knowing what would happen, knowing that they would protect him at the cost of their lives, knowing...  The elf sighed.  Another thought too painful to finish.

What had attracted It’s attention was a faint glow near one of the larger forms.  It knew from experience that such a glow meant heat, and heat meant that a warm being was there.  

It was not able to figure out that It’s prey may have circled back.  Such a concept was beyond It’s reasoning ability.  However, It was able to wonder if the beings it sought were responsible for the heat, as It suspected.

It’s anger subsided somewhat at the thought that it would soon be able to end this frustrating pursuit, not to mention the forms‘ assault.  

It turned and began to move toward the glow.  

It had to fend off a more concentrated attack from the forms in It‘s new path, though there were fewer of them.  It had no idea that the renewed assault was the trees’ attempts to protect the elf and human and keep them from being caught, now that it was obvious they had been discovered.

It approached the large form, sure now that the beings were indeed on the other side of it.  

With undeniable power and a speed that belied It’s size, It moved close before slamming into the large form with a tremendous crash.  

“I think it has discovered us,” Legolas noted.  “It is coming this way.”

“I see it,” the ranger replied.  No darkness short of Mordor could hide that sight from even mortal eyes.  “If it hits this tree while we’re behind it, we may not survive the impact.”

Seeing that the snake was approaching from a position slightly ahead of where they were, continuing to go back was not a viable option.  The snake might well alter its course and intercept them.

Just before the creature reached the oak tree, Legolas and Aragorn made a dash back the way the had just come, abandoning all attempts at trying to make it   back to the horses.  

Legolas was not willing to just go in circles, hoping the snake would give up.  It had already demonstrated that it had no intention of doing that.  He and Aragorn would probably tire before the snake did.  In addition to that, it was apparent that circling around would only cause the forest to be entirely destroyed.  Legolas would never allow himself to be the reason an entire forest, even as small as it was, to be wiped out.

“If we can reach the hills between here and the mountains,” Legolas said, “we can hide between them and perhaps force the snake to spend extra time searching for us.”

There was only the briefest pause before the ranger agreed.  To his great relief, his leg  was holding up.  

So, knowing that the trees would continue to give the snake among them grief, the elf and the ranger headed for the far edge of the forest.  They weren’t fooled into thinking that the beast had missed their escape, so they made a mad dash to the edge of the forest.

When the pair burst out of the trees, they increased their speed, running headlong for the first hill.

Aragorn labored slightly, as he ran uphill.  Looking behind him and seeing that the disturbance in inside the forest was near the edge, he was spurred on.

Legolas glanced back briefly, as they reached the top of the hill.  He wasn’t able to see the snake yet.  Once on the downside of the rise, they would be out of sight of their pursuer should it appear in the open.  Even the heat of their bodies would be hidden from the creature.

After crossing up and over three more knolls, Legolas and Aragorn began to move along the base between two hills.

“Do you think it can smell us down here?” the ranger asked.

The elf looked up.  “The wind is blowing over our heads.  Hopefully, it will not pick up our scent.  What we left on top of the hills is another matter.”  Legolas grinned to let his friend know that he was well aware that Aragorn was thinking he was being pessimistic again.  So, there was no reason not to say, “I suppose you know we are traveling parallel to the mountains, not heading toward them.”

“Yes, I do know that, but looking on the bright side,” Aragorn remarked with a grin, “we’re in the shadows and not exposing ourselves in the moonlight on the hilltops.”

It took another ten minutes of quick travel for Legolas and Aragorn to find that the shallow valley they were in was beginning to curve to their left toward the mountains.  Good luck, it appeared, was with them - for now, at least.

The smiles on the two faces was short-lived, when Legolas suddenly stopped and cocked his head, obviously listening intently.

“What is it?” Aragorn asked before realizing there was only one thing the elf could be listening to.  He shook his head.  “No.  Please tell me that snake is not coming.”

“I wish I could, but it is near, perhaps behind the hill next to us.”

Aragorn groaned.  “How did that thing find us so quick?”

“I guess our scent was not hidden so well, after all,” the elf replied.

Elf and ranger began to run even faster, hoping that there was nothing in the shadows ahead that would cause either of them to fall.

TBC 

Chapter Nine

By the time the little valley was no longer bending in a curve, Legolas and Aragorn found themselves heading straight for the mountains.  There were two sighs of relief when the view of the snow-covered peaks opened up before them. 

It seemed that nothing good happened that wasn‘t tempered with something not so good.  In this case, safety was tantalizingly within sight, but the ground was leveling out, as they neared the mountains, which meant they would soon be visible to the approaching snake.

The snow high up on the summits glowed a ghostly white in the moonlight.  The dark granite  below and the star-studded sky above was a scene that would normally have brought the two friends to a standstill so they could stare at the beauty before them.  Now, however, making haste was all that was on their minds.  Even the elf spared no time to admire this awe-inspiring piece of Nature.

“We might just make it,” Aragorn remarked somewhat breathlessly. Legolas hadn’t mentioned the snake being any closer, so the ranger’s hope was rising, along with the ground beneath him.

Before they could reach the enticing protection of the rocks, the valley reached the level of the slopes.  The smooth, grass-covered ground formed an upward grade, which ended at the foot of the huge granite boulders that had broken loose over time and fallen from high above.

“I wonder how high we’ll have to go to get away from that blasted snake.”  The ranger couldn’t keep a hint of anger and frustration from his voice.

Legolas shrugged. “Very high, I am thinking.”

The man looked at his friend and almost scoffed. “Come on, Legolas. Surely, that thing will not try to climb up the side of a mountain!”

“Do not underestimate the creature, Estel. Look how far from its home it has already come.  And what it did to the forest to try and catch us,” he added sadly.

“It’s used to the warmth of those tunnels. I don’t think it will like the cold air that it will find up there.” Aragorn waved his hand toward the peaks, as he and Legolas trotted in the direction the man was indicating.

“We shall see,” was the elf’s only comment, but his tone was full of doubt that he believed his friend was right.

It had escaped the group of forms, though not unscathed. It had been beaten and battered, causing instant pain, followed by deeper, residual aches It still felt. Several scales had been dislodged and in one place, blood was still oozing out. More than once, It had been forced to close It’s eyes to avoid them being injured. Even the tip of one of It’s fangs had been broken off.  Never in It’s long life had It been through such an ordeal.

When It had finally gotten free of the numerous forms onto the wavy ground, It stopped. The silvery glow from high above did not reveal to It where the prey had gone. It’s heat-seeking abilities were not giving It any information, either. Only It’s flicking tongue told It in which direction the beings had fled.

Each time It reached the top of a hill, It sought the prey’s scent, and each time It hissed in anger, unable to find that scent.

Then, all of a sudden, the odor It was after was detected, as it rode on the night wind, faint but definitely there. The beings were ahead.

It continued to move in the same direction, over one rise after another. With each hilltop that It attained, the scent became stronger, and It’s speed increased. Yet, the illusive beings remained just ahead of It.

So concentrated on finding It’s prey was It that It didn’t notice the mountains until the huge head raised upward, as It again used It‘s tongue to examine the air.  It found itself staring at something else It had never seen before. What It  now observed was so much larger than the forms It had just left behind. Was this as malevolent as  they had been?  Would this thing attempt to devour It should It venture too close?

It’s tongue flicked in and out, trying to discern exactly what the huge formation in front of It might be.

The structure came up out of the ground like the tower above It’s tunnels, but this was so much larger and smelled so much different. It was also motionless.  Was it asleep?  Dare It risk waking it?

All thoughts of trying to identify this structure left It’s mind, as It spotted the two beings, moving up toward the towering edifice.

The intensity of the chase suddenly went up tenfold.

Reaching the boulders was an immense relief for the two friends.  However, there was no thought of relaxing, because they knew their work was far from over.  As Legolas had pointed out earlier, the snake could not be underestimated, and thinking they were now safe and could let their guard slacken even a little would be doing just that.

They began to climb. 

There was no path to follow.  The boulders were strewn about in such a haphazard manner that Legolas and Aragorn had to go around, up and over and in some cases, shimmy between the huge rocks.  They were also moving in and out of the moonlight, which created black shadows  everywhere that the silver glow did not fall directly on.  They were forced to make very cautious steps in those areas.

“Does this seem familiar to you?” the ranger asked just before his foot slipped, and he let out a curse that would have curled the hair of Lord Elrond, if he had heard such a word coming from his carefully raised foster son.

“Estel, are you all right?” Legolas asked with concern, not sure what might have  happened.

“Fine,” the man replied between clenched teeth.  It was his sore leg that had taken the brunt of the misstep but no damage had been done.

“Troll country.  Along the river.”

Aragorn frowned.  “What?”

“You asked if this seemed familiar.  Did you not wish me to answer your inquiry?”

Now remembering that he had even asked the question, Aragorn nodded.  “Big rocks everywhere.”

“At least we were on relatively level ground then,” the elf offered.

“True.  But we were being pursued then, too.  I think I am getting tired of being chased by whatever creature decides wants to eat us,” he grumbled.

“Then I suggest you quit wanting to go where there are things that wish to do that to us,” Legolas stated dryly.

Aragorn stopped and turned to look back at his friend.  “And just how was I supposed to know there was a giant snake under that tower?”

“Because, dear ranger, you wanted to go there.”  Since it wasn’t as if he had nothing whatsoever to do with the mishaps that often befell them, it was a declaration that Aragorn found hard to deny.  Just the same, he was about to fling a scathing retort at the elf, when a loud hiss stopped him.

Legolas looked behind him.  He closed his eyes and shook his head.  The snake had reached the rocks and was not finding it hard to move over them, since its body was large enough to simply slide across the tops of the massive boulders.  Even the sharp edges of some of the boulders were not able to penetrate the scales of the serpent’s underbelly.

Looking beyond the elf and seeing the same thing his friend saw, Aragorn groaned.  “That is not fair.  That thing just slides over the boulders while we have to struggle for every step.”

“Then move it, human,” Legolas commanded urgently, reaching out and literally pushing the ranger forward.  “We have to find a place to get into that is too small for the snake to reach us.”

Aragorn didn’t bother answering.  He started scrambling up the rocks that blocked his way to finding such a sanctuary.

It only took a couple of minutes for the snake to catch up to the two friends.  At one point, the creature raised its head, towering over them.  Its yellow eyes seemed to glow in the moonlight, while its fangs shimmered menacingly.

It’s head, fangs leading, jerked forward and  downward, opening It’s lethal jaws wider just as the light colored one dropped down between two boulders.

It’s reaction to the pain, having hit it’s broken right fang on the top of the boulder, behind which the elf and the ranger crouched, was almost like a shriek.

Ignoring the pain from the failed strike, It tried again, this time being careful to pull back just before It’s fang took another hit.

The second shriek that erupted from It demonstrated the fury It felt at once again missing It’s target. 

It tried a new strategy.  Instead of lunging down toward the prey in an all-out attempt to grab the beings, It arched It’s neck and angled It’s head so that It could push It’s mouth down between the rocks and grab what It wanted more than anything It had wanted in a very long time.

It preferred live food, but if It couldn’t bite the beings, It would crush them first and then maneuver them out without resistance.  Either way, they would be consumed with relish.

It felt that victory was within It’s grasp at last.

There was no time to make an escape.  Realizing, almost too late, what the snake was attempting, Legolas shoved Aragorn out of the way and then dove on top of the ranger.  It was no surprise when Legolas felt  something hit his back with a painful force before he felt the pressure ease up.

Aragorn had known from long experience traveling with Legolas that the push that had landed him flat on his stomach was the elf getting him out of the way of something bad headed his way.  Before he could utter a word, the archer landed on top of him.

He had quickly turned his head enough to look over his right shoulder, and, despite the dark shadows down between the rocks, the man had seen the snake’s head coming down toward his friend.

Then he had felt a hard push from above.  It hurt, so he knew how painful it must have been for Legolas. 

“Are you all right?” Aragorn managed to ask in a wheezing rasp, his panic that Legolas was injured allowing him to force air from his lungs enough to form words.

His only answer was to feel Legolas lift off of him, grab his arm and yank him upward with a wrenching jerk.

“Move it!” the elf yelled.  “Now!”  The order was accompanied by a shove in the back.

Recognizing the desperate urgency in that voice, Aragorn got his feet under him and began to scramble into the only space that was open to him - straight ahead.

Legolas had been forced to let go of his friend’s arm, but he was right behind the ranger.

Since the elf could see much better in the darkness than he could, Aragorn wanted the elf to lead the way, but there was no room and no time to make the switch.  Haste was the name of the game right now, so the man did his best not to trip up and  cause both of them to fall.

The snake was moving above and only a little behind them, poking its head down between the rocks whenever there was a gap big enough for it to do so.  More than once the serpent’s nose scraped against Legolas’s back.  Had it been able to open its mouth in the confined space, there was little doubt that the elf would have been severely, if not fatally, bitten.

“Where is the cave?” Aragorn asked.

“What cave?”  Legolas was confused, since Aragorn had never mentioned being in these mountains before.  He certainly had never mentioned a cave!

“We always find a cave when we’re in need of one,” the ranger replied with the utmost logic and more than a little confidence.  “Well, we’re sure in need of one now.  So, where is it?”  His confidence had slipped a little by the time he asked that question.

Aragorn was expecting a smart remark from the elf behind him.  But, there was no reaction from his friend.

When the man turned around, ready to question the elf’s silence, there was also no Legolas.

TBC

Chapter Ten

For a few seconds, Aragorn didn’t move, didn’t breathe, didn’t think.  It took a moment for him to register any kind of reaction at all.  Had anyone been there to see his face, they would have seen the dawning of pure shock.

“Legolas?” the ranger whispered, as his body began to shake.  Except for the wind, he was met with silence.  He then noticed, with another shock, that the snake was not looming above him, as it had been doing since catching up to them.

The thought that came into his mind about Legolas’s disappearance was too horrific to even contemplate for more than an instant.  The fleeting thought was just not possible and  made his mind reel.  For one thing, he was certain that if the snake had grabbed Legolas, the elf would have made some kind of noise to warn him.  That the elf might not have been able to was part of what the man refused to consider.

Aragorn looked around.  Legolas must have taken a different route through the boulders.  That had to be it.  In the deep shadows, his friend had gone around a different rock, either to find a quicker route for them to follow or perhaps to try and lead the snake away from his friend.  The ranger shook his head.  Doing something like that was just like Legolas. Aragorn took a deep, shaky breath and released it slowly in an effort to calm his pounding heart.

Knowing how stealthy this particular elf could move, Aragorn understood all too well that he would never hear Legolas if he didn’t wish to be heard.  “Doesn’t want me to know where he’s gone, so I can stay out of danger,” the ranger whispered to himself.  How many times had he told Legolas not to try to protect him?  “Stubborn elf.”

Slowly and carefully Aragorn stood up, hoping to get a better look around.  The rocks surrounding his current position were too tall, so the man moved  higher on the path until he found a boulder small enough to see over.

First, he gazed out across the ground he and Legolas had covered since leaving the forest.  He saw nothing out of the ordinary.

The ranger then turned in a complete circle, scanning the mountainside above and to either side of him.  There was no sign of the elf or, more remarkably, there was no sign of the snake, either.

An elf could easily hide in this terrain, but a creature as large as the one after them could not.  Where did it go?  Where could it go?

Three possible choices lay open to Aragorn.  He could stay where he was and hope that Legolas would come back and find him.  He could go back down the mountainside, which wouldn’t help matters, unless Legolas or the snake had done that same thing, a prospect that didn’t seem likely.  His third choice appeared to be the most promising; he could continue upward and hope that he and Legolas would find each other.

Aragorn then had another idea.  He began to think that if Legolas was making the decision and not the snake, the elf would most likely be moving toward the summit, believing that Aragorn would follow.  Even though the last choice would be against the elf’s protective instincts, Aragorn knew there was a big difference between what Legolas wanted the man to do and what he was sure his friend would actually  do. 

Once he had run those choices through his head, Aragorn didn’t take long to decide.  He turned and began making his way up along the same boulder-strewn part of the mountainside he and Legolas had been traveling. 

‘Be up there,’ the man said to himself, as he glanced upward.  He would crawl all the way to the summit, if that was what it took to find Legolas. ‘Be safe, my friend,’ he added.  ‘I’m coming.’

Legolas felt searing pain around his chest and back and the front and back of both lower thighs.  It felt like someone was poking him with numerous hot knives.  It didn’t take a genius to know he was being bitten, nor did it take a genius to know exactly what was biting him.  In fact, he was lying across the inside of the snake’s mouth.

In an instant, he felt himself being lifted upward and swung around.  In his mind, he was screaming Aragorn’s name, but when he  tried to cry out a warning to the ranger, no sound came out.  With a shudder, Legolas realized that the snake’s tongue was covering his mouth, most of his nose and part of his left cheek.  Whether that was a deliberate move on the creature’s part or just an unfortunate accident, the more likely of the two, it had effectively stifled any attempt from the elf to make even the smallest sound.

The serpent’s tongue was smooth and  slightly slimy.  At least, that’s the way it felt to Legolas.  It became a toss up as to which would happen first, suffocation or...

At first, the archer couldn’t figure out why he was being carried.  Why didn’t the snake just swallow him?  It wouldn’t have taken much effort to flip the elf around lengthwise and just ingest him in one quick gulp.

Whatever questions the wood-elf may have had about the snake’s immediate intentions were soon driven out of his head by sheer pain.  Each movement of the beast’s huge head seemed to drive it’s teeth deeper into Legolas’s flesh.  The elf realized that it was not an intentional action, just the consequence of motion - a most painful consequence.

Legolas knew that any attempt on his part to struggle would cause more damage than what currently existed and might even make the snake angry enough to just end it there and then.  Thus, the best course of action was  simply to grit his teeth and wait to see where he would end up and in what condition.

Legolas fought to stay conscious, so he could react when the snake finally stopped.  He lost the battle, which was probably a good thing.

The capture of the two beings was becoming a source of extreme frustration.  It had thought that when It poled It’s head down toward the light-colored one that victory was within It’s grasp - literally.

The being had lain down between the stones so that It couldn’t open It’s mouth to make the grab.  Used to living in tunnels surrounded by stone, It knew that these chunks were too solid to be moved aside.

To It’s utter surprise, the beings had made a run for it.  Without thinking, It had lunged toward the one in the rear and grabbed onto it.

Pulling It’s head back, It was pleased to note that the prey was securely in It’s mouth.

It’s yellow eyes glowed with a sense of triumph.  It had caught what It had sought.  It didn’t think of the long, painful journey to reach this point.  It only experienced happiness, in It’s own way.

It turned quickly and moved off as fast as It could toward what it perceived as a deep depression It had seen on the way up here.  It hoped that the hollowed out area  would prove to reveal a tunnel, similar to It’s home, that It could go into for a quiet, uninterrupted and much-deserved meal.

Normally, It wouldn’t have given a second thought to danger, especially from the other prey being, but It didn’t know this land.  It had been the supreme master of It’s underground territory.  It had no idea whether there was anything here in this strange place that would challenge It for It’s hard-won food.  It was certainly not willing to share.

It reached the depression in a few moments and made It’s way down into it.

It had no idea that It had made it by mere seconds before the other being It sought would have spotted it.

It laid the prey in It’s mouth down behind a small rock, away from potential prying eyes.  Now, it was time to inspect the depression for a safer place to hide.

Aragorn climbed higher, stopping every few moments to look around.  He was hoping that he would be able to spot the snake or better yet, run into Legolas.

The man wanted to call out, but was afraid that the snake might detect him, if he did.  He didn’t know how acute this particular serpent’s hearing was, but he was well aware of its scent-tracking abilities, able to detect subtle odors in the air.  He would just have to trust that if Legolas was close enough to hear him, he would make an appearance - soon, he hoped.

As time dragged on with no sign or sound from the elf, Aragorn became more and more concerned.  No, he became downright worried.  This kind of silence from his friend in this kind of dangerous situation was totally out of character.  Something was very, very wrong.

Not having any idea what else to do, the ranger continued his climb. 

Suddenly, Aragorn shivered.  He had been so caught up in where Legolas had gone to and what might be happening to the elf that he hadn’t noticed the cold begin to creep into his bones. 

It was true he was gaining elevation with every step, but he hadn’t gotten anywhere near the snowline yet.  The temperature shouldn’t have dropped this quickly.

Then, he became aware that the wind had picked up in intensity.  It was sweeping over the snow and blowing the colder air down to and through him.  At least, Legolas wouldn’t be cold, the man thought with a kind of grim satisfaction. 

He had long since given up wishing he had been born an elf, with the heightened senses of the Firstborn, like the family that had raised him.  This was one time, however, that he could have used the elven ability not to feel the cold the way mortals did. 

He shivered again, retrieving his gloves from an inner pocket and pulling them over his cold hands.  Then, he drew his tunic more tightly around him.  If only he had his cloak...  Aragorn sighed.  He didn’t have it, so wishing for it was a waste of time.  The only way to try and keep himself even halfway warm was to expend the energy it took to keep climbing.

Aragorn had gone no more than twenty feet, when he spotted a large, dark area down and to his left.  He stared at the black shadows and realized that whatever it was, it was big enough to contain the bulk of the giant snake.

Thinking that Legolas might have gone there, the ranger began to make his way in that direction.

Trying not to be so anxious that he became careless, Aragorn made it far enough to see that the dark spot was a depression in the rocky ground.

He wanted to get closer look, but in this area, the boulders had shrunk so much that if he advanced, he would be exposed, not only  to the increasingly intense elements but to anything that might be looking for him, and he knew exactly what that would be.

His determination to find Legolas overrode all other considerations.  He would just have to ignore the cold and deal with whatever else came his way.

Creeping along as silently as he could, Aragorn slowly made his way toward the depression directly in front of him.

As he approached the edge, he dropped down onto his stomach and pulled himself over the rocky ground, wincing each time a sharp rock dug into him.  He hoped the crunching noise he couldn’t avoid would be covered by the now-howling wind and was not loud enough to attract unwanted attention. 

As he reached the edge, he looked over and down.  He had to  stifled a gasp.  The man was shocked to see that the depression was enormous.  It was bowl shape and dropped away a good three or four hundred feet.  It looked like a giant hand had scooped it out.  The spot where he was now positioned was high atop a cliff. 

It was impossible to see all the way across the gaping hole, because the far side was cloaked in black shadows.  Even the moonlight didn’t penetrate the blackness he stared into.  His side of the hollow and his position on the cliff top were bathed in  the silver glow of the moon.  The ranger felt exposed, but he was so small in comparison to where he was that if he didn’t stand up and move about, he felt sure he could remain undetected.

Scanning the area that he was able to observe, Aragorn was not able to see anything that looked out of place.  If the snake was down there, it had left no visible trail and was now hidden in the darkness.  That did not bode well for any kind of rescue plan, providing, of course, that Legolas was here.

As Aragorn stared, a black shadow detached itself from the far rock wall into the pale light and began undulating across the floor of the depression.  It was the snake, and it was heading his way.

TBC 

Chapter Eleven

The first sensation that Legolas felt was pain.  That in itself was nothing new.  He had certainly been wounded often enough in his long life to know what that was like, but the pattern of his current pain was unusual.  Instead of one specific source, like from an arrow wound or one overall body ache, as if from a fall, there were numerous points of pain on his chest, his back and his legs.  It made no sense to his muddled mind.  Perhaps, it was playing tricks on him.

Blinking rapidly to clear the fog that was obstructing his vision, Legolas lifted his head and looked around.  In an attempt to discover where he was, he blinked several more times. 

All the archer saw were dark shadows and tall boulders, which he was lying among.  He sat up slowly and gingerly leaned against one of the big rocks, trying to keep from aggravating his injuries any further.

Looking down at himself, he confirmed that he was indeed injured.  Dark stains covered the front of his tunic and the upper portion of his leggings.

What could have made such wounds? It looked like - teeth marks.  Then, the memories hit him.  The snake!  He had been grabbed and carried in its huge mouth.  The elf was stunned all over again.

He took a deep breath, attempting to calm his suddenly racing heart.  He quickly discovered that the action was a painful one.  Had his ribs been broken?  It seemed likely, judging from past experience.  He tried not to think about that, though, because such an injury could very well lead to something far worse, especially if he managed to puncture a lung with the pointed end of a rib bone.

Abandoning thoughts of his injuries, since he couldn’t do anything about them right now anyway, Legolas looked around him again.  His line of sight was blocked in every direction by the boulders that towered above him.  He would have to move out of their encirclement if he was to determine where he was.

Gritting his teeth, Legolas began the difficult task of trying to get to his feet.  It was a painful pursuit but one that needed to be made.

Once he reached an upright position, he began to inch his way around the boulder in front of him.  It led to another boulder, which in turn led to another one.  He quickly realized that he was completely surrounded by a number of the large stones.  Where had the snake left him?

It was frustrating not being able to see anything but stone all around him.  The dark blue sky above was the only clue that he wasn’t in a cave. 

As he watched, the sky became perceptibly lighter, and the stars dimmed, one by one, until they disappeared from view.  Morning was fast approaching, as the silver glow of moonlight gave way to a pale, golden hue tinged with pink.

Despite the way he felt, a small smile spread across Legolas’s face.  The elf loved the night sky with its myriad of stars that sparkled like diamonds scattered across a dark expanse of midnight blue velvet.  Yet, it was the daylight that always signified a new beginning.  Another day that Ilúvatar had granted to him, and he was determined to make the most of it.  And, that meant finding a way out of these rocks and locating Aragorn, whose fate he had no way of knowing.  Though  deep inside, he felt that the ranger was alive and was hopefully well. 

It had to find a hiding place, especially one that would offer some kind of warmth.  This giant structure of rock was cold, as was the air around it, and It was finding that simple movement was becoming harder to accomplish.  It didn’t need the sun, which It had never known.  But It did need the same kind of warmth It had thrived in within It’s underground home.

It wondered, in It’s primitive way, if the prey also felt the cold in the same way.  The light one had been relatively easy to catch, once It had caught up with the being, so maybe it had also found moving hard to do, as well.  Yet, as It had carried the one, its body had been as warm as the things It had always caught in the tunnels.  The two thoughts warred with each other in the simple brain, and soon It lost interest in even attempting to figure it out.

The other being must have already made its escape and, slowed down or not, may now be out of reach.   Such a possibility made the search for a warmer place to hide a little more urgent.  It was hard to envision the dark being taking this one from It.  But, in this strange place, strange things might happen.  It was better to keep the one It had in It’s possession than to end up with nothing.

The slowness of It’s advancement was frustrating, but there was nothing It could do but continue to search for a place that could hide It’s bulk from the cold and from any prying eyes that might be lurking in this land of stone.

While the snake was looking for suitable shelter, and Legolas was making his slow and painful way through the boulders, Aragorn was on the other side of the huge depression.  The ranger lay watching the snake make its way toward him.  He couldn’t decided which was worse,  seeing the huge beast in the shimmering moonlight or in the fast approaching light of day.

The creature turned its head from side to side, flicking its tongue in and out, obviously searching.  That meant that it was not intentionally coming after him.  A deep sigh of relief escaped the ranger.  He hadn’t been spotted after all. 

It hadn’t been until then that common sense told the man that the snake, whose eyesight wasn’t nearly as acute as its sense of smell, couldn’t possibly have seen him.  He was lying flat on a cliff top over a hundred feet high.  Still, seeing the huge beast coming his way had been enough to cause alarm.

What now caused even more alarm was one question: Where was Legolas?  He still refused to ask himself the obvious question, because just as Legolas had felt that the ranger was alive, the ranger felt that Legolas was also alive, though in what condition he couldn‘t begin to guess.

How the two friends were going to meet up was another matter altogether. 

The ranger bit his lower lip.  He may believe that Legolas was alive, but how long would he remain so?  There was no way the archer could have been taken by the snake and not been harmed in some way.  The elf’s life may be hanging in the balance at this very moment, so lying here and staring at the snake was not going to get his friend rescued.

Pushing himself backward until he could stand up without being seen from below, Aragorn got to his feet.  During his surveillance of the hollow spread out before him, Aragorn had noticed a break in the cliff face almost a quarter of the way around to his left. 

The trail leading downward was steep and would surely prove difficult and dangerous, but it was the only way he had seen to reach the bottom of the gaping hollow.

Moving a little farther back, so he would give himself an extra feeling of security, Aragorn began to run. 

The terrain was slightly uneven, but with careful scrutiny of what was in front of him, he was able  to cross the far end of the mountain plateau in long strides.

He didn’t stop or even slow down until he reached the head of the broken trail that led downward.

Carefully making his way to the edge, Aragorn looked down.  The trail, if it could be called that, was a lot steeper than it had appeared from where he had first spotted it.  He would have preferred to wait until the sun was overhead to make such a descent, but waiting was not an option.  At least, the light was strong enough make the attempt.

If he made a misstep, no matter the strength of the light, he would fall, and only protruding rocks would stop him.  That wasn’t a very reassuring thought, considering that hitting one of those would break bones, unless of course, he managed to hit his head, which would be a death blow for sure.

The one saving grace he saw was that there didn’t appear to be a lot of little pebbles he could slip on.  The man laughed, thanking the Valar for small favors.  Then he prayed in earnest, asking that he would make it to the bottom in one piece and that he would find Legolas in the same condition.

Aragorn was slowly making his way down the steep trail.  He couldn’t afford to let his impatience to find Legolas cause him to make a foolish mistake.  He had to keep moving at a crawl, making sure he had a good grip on a rock before even attempting to move his feet downward.  He also had to make sure at least one foot was secure before letting his hands go.  It was a maddeningly slow pace, but one that he had to take or risk severely hurting or even killing himself.

The ranger was only halfway down when the sun finally rose high enough over the cliffs to shine directly on him.  He had been concentrating so hard on his movements that he wasn’t aware of it until he noticed the sun shining on his hands.

His first thought was that now he would be visible to the snake should it turn its head to look his way.  Almost immediately, he realized that the creature’s sight wasn’t good enough to pick him out against the rocky cliff face. However, its sense of smell was.  The ranger wasn’t the least bit hidden, so the wind, which was just now beginning to swirl around the bowl-shaped depression, could take his scent right to the beast, and it wouldn't take too long for it to follow that scent to its source - him.

There were times when caution had to be abandoned, or at least tempered, and the ranger determined that now was one of those times.

Aragorn still tried to keep his concentration on the task at hand, but he nonetheless increased his speed to whatever pace he felt safety would allow.

Once he slipped and slid a good fifteen feet before he was able to grab onto a protruding piece of rock and stop his descent. 

When he finally got himself back under control, both physically and emotionally, he let go with one hand and, before trying to grab the next rock, saw that his hand was shaking. 

During the slide, Aragorn had heard a few loose rocks rolling down the trail, hitting other stones and the rock wall and as they went.  Now, Aragorn turned his head and looked out across the depression, hoping against hope that he wasn’t going to see the snake turning his way.  He didn’t.  The creature was still facing the way it had been when he had first spotted it.

Moving again, this time more slowly but still with a sense of urgency, Aragorn made it to the bottom, planting both feet firmly on the rocky floor of the hollow.  

With the snake to his right, he had no choice but to go to his left, hoping that Legolas would be found in that direction.

What neither the elf nor the ranger knew was that they were each moving to their left, which meant that, unless Aragorn could overtake Legolas, they would either remain the same distance apart or stretch that distance even farther.

It was a good thing that the cold did not affect Legolas, because moving with no other hindrances than his wounds was proving to be all he could handle.

Well, actually it was proving to be more than he could handle.  After moving up and down and around the boulders, he found that he had to stop and rest more and more often, his breaths coming in painful gasps.  Though, he didn’t taste blood in his mouth, he still feared a broken rib may have penetrated a lung.  He prayed he was mistaken.

During one of his many rest stops, he came to understand that the throbbing he was suffering was more than the result of flesh wounds.  It was true that the sharpest pain was from the torn skin and punctured muscles the snake’s teeth had inflicted.  However, now he couldn’t deny the fact that there was a deep ache that made him think his very bones had been pierced.  That realization made him shake his head in dismay.  Even an elf couldn’t stave off infection from dangerous wounds like that.

Legolas couldn’t decide whether to stay where he was or keep moving.  If he had been alone, he would have rested his quickly tiring body.  But, knowing that Aragorn may be in need of help urged him forward.  So, with great difficulty, the elven archer pushed himself upright and continued on. 

Had he known that Aragorn was currently making his way in the elf’s direction, Legolas would have gratefully stayed right where he was.

Whether his decision to proceed would prove to be life-threatening was yet to be determined.

It kept moving,  turning It’s head and testing the air with It’s tongue.  The sun had made its way into the depression, and was beginning to alter the cold air. It was not actually going to  get warm to any great degree, but any semblance of warmth was welcome and would restore It to a more active state.

It felt the familiar pleasure of warmth spread along It’s body, as the sun pushed aside the worst of the cold. Deciding It no longer needed a shelter, It could now return to the prey being It had left in the rocks  and could at last enjoy the feast It was looking forward to.

It turned around and headed back to the far side of the depression, now glowing in full sunlight. 

Dinner was waiting.

TBC

Chapter Twelve

Legolas was slowly but surely working his way among the mountain boulders.  Every step he made was painful.  Every breath he took was painful.  It seemed that even the very thoughts that came to his mind were painful, as well.  The elf had suffered numerous  wounds and injuries in his life, but this was different.  The pain came from  punctures that would not have been too bad had they occurred individually, but all together, as was the case now, it felt like the serpent’s teeth were still embedded in his flesh.

The longer he walked, or more accurately, the longer he struggled, the weaker he became.  It wasn’t from loss of blood, he was sure.  His clothes were blood-stained certainly but not overly so.  The nearest thing he could think of to this situation was the feeling he had had from being poisoned  by an orc sword many years ago.

Was the snake poisonous?  He didn’t think so.  Surely a creature so large would have enough venom to kill a few dozen elves.  Yet, not nearly enough time had passed to cause infection from the bite marks themselves.  Perhaps there was poison from rotting flesh on the teeth themselves rather than from venom.  Not a pleasant thought for sure but not impossible.

Legolas shook his head.  He felt too weary to even try and figure out the problem.  He just knew he felt bad in general, hurt worse from the wounds and desperately needed to rest. 

He stopped and leaned against a boulder to his left.  The elf desperately wanted to sit down, close his eyes and let his body gain some strength, but he feared that he hadn’t moved far enough away from where he had been set down by the snake to consider himself safe.  Legolas almost laughed.  He probably wouldn’t be safe from that creature anywhere.  The snake had pursued him and Aragorn from the tunnels under the tower all the way to this mountain.  There was no reason to think that it would turn around and go back home now.

At the thought of Aragorn, Legolas sighed.  Where was his friend?  Was he safe?  Was he dead?  Was he in the same situation the elf found himself in now?  Short of coming across the man’s body or hearing his voice to know the ranger yet lived, there would be no way to know.

Legolas was in bad shape.  That was clear enough to him.  But, unless he survived, he wouldn’t be able to offer Aragorn even the merest bit of help, something he would not hesitate to give his friend, no matter what his own weakness might be even unto his last breath.

The archer forced himself to start again but had gone no more than a few steps when he stopped once more, this time cocking his head to listen.

What came to his ears was a scraping noise.  It was subtle but easily detected by the keen-eared elf.  There was no doubt what that sound was or what was making it.

Quickly crouching down, Legolas held his breath.  The snake was moving nearby.  The elf looked up and in his line of vision, framed by the dark granite rocks and the blue sky, he saw the huge, glistening head,  as the creature passed by.   Fortunately, the snake was looking straight ahead and didn’t see him.  The archer let out a silent sigh of relief.

As his eyes followed the snake’s progress until it disappeared from sight, Legolas almost gasped.  All along the rocks the elf had just passed, were small smears of blood, both high and low.  They might not be able to be seen by a beast as large as this one, but Legolas knew the scent of his blood could easily be picked up by the  searching serpentine  tongue.  Of course, his stained clothes gave off an even greater scent.

No sooner had Legolas completed the thought than the snake stopped and turned its head back toward the archer’s position.  Legolas  had quickly dropped down as low as he could get in an attempt to remain hidden.

The swift movement hurt, and it took all of the elf’s self control not to groan.  He also unconsciously bit down on his lower lip, forcing himself to keep any sound from coming out.

He couldn’t see the snake and was not about to rise up to take a peek.  Legolas shuddered to think what would happen if he came face to face with the creature, staring at it as it stared back at him.  He would just have to rely on his hearing to tell him when the snake started moving again and in which direction it was going.

As Legolas nervously waited, time itself seemed to slow down until it simply froze.  He didn’t dare move until he knew for sure where the snake was headed. 

The elf tried to take a little comfort in the fact that keeping still meant he wasn’t having to struggle.  It wasn’t an entirely successful endeavor.  His body may be still, but his mind was  anything but, and that was quickly leading to tension-tight muscles.  Next to moving, that was the one thing that made his body ache even more than it already did.

The noise of belly scales scraping on stone began again, moving off in the direction the snake had been going before it had stopped.

Legolas didn’t attempt to move until he could no longer hear evidence of the snake’s progress over the rocks.  With his acute hearing, that took a long time.

Finally, the only sound was that of the wind, and Legolas rose up to see the retreating back end of the serpent heading toward the far rocks.  Now was the time for the elf to begin putting more distance between him and the snake.

Just as Legolas took the first step, the world began to spin around him.  Or, was he spinning inside of it?  The result was the same.  The elf lost all resemblance to coherence, as he reached out to grab a boulder in order to keep himself on his feet.

Moving toward the snake on its other side was the ranger.  He, like Legolas moments before, heard the scraping of scales on stone and also like Legolas, dropped down between boulders to hide his presence.

However, unlike Legolas, Aragorn had a v-shaped wedge between the two boulders in front of him, in which to observe the snake without being seen.  It was clear to the man that the serpent was not just wandering around.  It had a definite destination in mind and was headed that way with a purpose.  That the destination would likely end up taking it straight to Legolas made the ranger shiver.

He still didn’t know what his friend’s condition was.  He doubted that the snake cared whether its dinner was alive or dead.

Once the snake moved off far enough so that it wouldn’t see or hear Aragorn behind it, the ranger began moving to follow the creature.  How he would be able to get to Legolas and snatch him from the serpent’s jaws, the man had no idea.  Now, however, was not the time to stop and form a plan.  He would just have to make it up as he went along, depending on the circumstances he found himself in.  It was something he and Legolas often had to do when facing an  enemy whose strategies and fighting abilities they knew little about.

The boulders on the right side of the snake were taller than those on the left and would offer Aragorn more cover should the creature turn to check around it.  The man headed that way, crossing the snake’s trail a good distance behind it.

Luckily, he was heading toward the rocks where Legolas was located.  Unluckily, the elf was moving away, though at a much slower pace.  It only remained to be seen whether the ranger would go far enough to the side to come upon him before turning to again follow the snake.

Aragorn was just starting to turn into a parallel path to the snake’s, when he heard a noise off to his right.  He stopped to listen, not sure exactly what it was he had heard.

When the noise came again, he almost gasped.  He knew exactly what that sound was.  It brought both relief and dread to his heart, because it was the sound of a wounded person, in this case, a wounded elf.

Without hesitation, Aragorn headed for the place where he was sure he would find Legolas.

Aragorn tired to run but couldn’t manage that while among the boulders, whose bases often touched each other, forming a v shape that didn’t allow him to put his feet firmly down on a flat surface.  He also had to keep in mind that if he stood up straight, he could be spotted by the snake.

Deciding a half-crouch was his only option, he made his way through the boulders as fast as he could manage.

Just as the ranger found himself blocked by a particularly large boulder in front of him, he turned to his right.  Pulling up short, he stared, blinking rapidly to make sure he was really seeing what he imagined he was, though in honesty, he hoped it was a trick of the light amid the rough stone.

An instant later, he was sure the image was real.  What he saw was a pair of soft, brown leather boots, boots that he knew all too well.  Lamentably, they were not upright but rather lying on their sides.  Legolas was down.

Rushing around the boulder, Aragorn found the elf lying on his left side, his head resting on his outstretched arm.

The man called Legolas’s name but received no response.  There was no room to move up beside Legolas, so Aragorn wedged his feet on either side, straddling the prone body, and bent down,   placing his fingertips against the elf’s neck.  Though the pulse they detected was weak, it was there, and that, of course, was the important thing.

Aragorn moved his feet back a little and bent down again, this time reaching around and under the elf’s body.  Once he had a solid grip on his friend, the ranger pulled up until Legolas was upright.

His grip tightening, Aragorn looked up and around to make sure the snake was not nearby, at least not close enough to be seen from the man’s lower vantage point.  As far as he could tell, he and Legolas were alone in this area.

With Legolas’s back against his chest, Aragorn turned around and began to make his way backwards through the rocks.  It was awkward but there was no other choice.  He was afraid to carry Legolas over his shoulder for fear of hurting him further, since he couldn’t be sure of the extent of the elf‘s injuries.

Not able to see where he was going other than to glance down behind himself, Aragorn moved as carefully as he could, half carrying and half dragging the unconscious elf as he went.  He didn’t want to fall, although if that did happen, at least Legolas would land on top of him, rather than the other way around.

Moving as slowly as Legolas had earlier, when he had been alone, the ranger was gradually covering ground.

Aragorn was concentrating so hard on maneuvering himself and Legolas, that he didn’t notice the rocks around them were getting shorter.  When he looked up and realized that he could see all around him, he stopped.  There was a gap of about thirty yards where the boulders were barely taller than half his height.  Farther on they grew tall again, but how was he going to get Legolas and himself across that expanse without being exposed?  The answer was simple; He wasn’t.

Setting the elf down to lean against a boulder, Aragorn looked up along the walls of the huge depression they were in, hoping to find a way to get across this area and still remain hidden. He studied the solid granite above. Then he saw it.

It had one thing on It’s mind: dinner.  It had left the one prey being among the rocks, and now It was going to get what It had been waiting for since leaving It’s home.

When It reached the area among the rocks where It had left the being, It found nothing but stone.  It’s sense of direction wasn't all that good, but It was sure the small creature had been deposited right here. 

Rearing It’s head up as high as It could, It stared down at the empty rocks.  Then, It looked around.

Even though it was true that this whole place looked the same from just about any angle, It was sure It could not have gotten lost.

Flicking It’s tongue, It clearly detected the scent of the prey here.  This was the right place.

It screamed in It’s way at the thought that the prey could have escaped yet again.  Such a situation was unacceptable, and It was furious.  The being was almost dead, so how could it have left?  Where could it have gone?

Turning It’s head to look over the rock-strewn ground, It spotted what It was looking for.

Far up on the slope was - both of the prey beings!  They were moving higher, seemingly toward the top of the depression.

With a loud hiss, It began to move over the rocks as fast as It could go.  This time, they were not going to get away.  This time, once and for all, they would die!

TBC

Chapter Thirteen

Aragorn blinked to make certain what he thought he saw was really there.  He realized, though,  that from this distance, he couldn’t be sure.  Knowing that time was running out, the ranger had no choice but to go for it.

He carefully picked Legolas up and began making his way upward.  It didn’t take him more than a few steps to realize that, since he was climbing rather than moving laterally, he wasn’t going to be able to pull Legolas along the way he had been doing.  It would simply be too awkward and take much too long.  So, with a sigh, he turned Legolas around to face him, lowered himself into a crouch and then gently dropped the elf over his shoulder. 

Legolas may not be able to feel the pressure that was being exerted on his wounds, but Aragorn did, though his feelings were purely sympathetic in nature.  “Forgive me, mellon nin,” he whispered.  “But it must be done this way.”

Once his friend was adjusted into the most secure position that could be managed, Aragorn rose and started again.  This time, he was able to attain the speed he was hoping for.

The fact that the boulders were spaced farther apart and were now barely half his height with many even shorter, allowed him to move relatively freely, but it also meant he and Legolas were exposed.  Glancing behind himself, the ranger saw the snake.  Under normal circumstances, it would have been fascinating to watch the huge creature make it’s way over the huge boulders.  Not now.

Aragorn turned his head  and looked back up the slope.  It was going to be a race to see what would happen first, whether he and Legolas were going to reach the goal the ranger was aiming for or the snake was going to reach them.  In the ranger’s mind, there could be only one winner, and that was the pair of them.

As It got closer, and Its’ sight became somewhat sharper, It noticed that there was something different about the prey being.

It seemed bigger, not taller, but it appeared to have more substance to it.  And, there was something light colored hanging down behind it.  It’s rudimentary memory didn’t recall anything like that before.  Was this perhaps something else that lived in this world of rock?

The mystery was fleeting in It’s mind.  Even if this was a new prey, it was still prey and would be worth at least a quick inspection, especially since nothing else was in sight.

It was gaining on the prey, as It moved over the now-shorter rocks.  As a matter of instinct, It extended It’s tongue and flicked it up and down, testing the air for the scent of this ‘new’ prey, looking for a way to identify it.

It was surprised to find that the scent that It detected smelled like both the prey beings It had been pursuing from the beginning.  It was confused.  How could one being have the smell of two different ones?
It increased It’s pace, so It could soon find out.

The dark area was indeed an opening, which could only be a cave, and was set into the base of the depression’s rock wall.  How deep the cave was or how much protection it would offer, Aragorn had no idea.

The opening was not a large one and certainly did not allow him to walk into it, even if he had not been carrying Legolas.

A quick glance back showed the ranger that the snake was fast approaching.  Getting safely inside before the creature arrived was still going to be a very close call.

The main problem was that the cave entrance was several feet up, and the slope of the rock below it was a steep one.

Aragorn hurried to the base and sought a way to climb up, but there were no real ‘steps’, either in the form of handholds or boulders that he could use to get up to the cave.  Thinking fast, as he had been trained to do, he realized that there was only one chance.

With clenched teeth, Aragorn reached into his belt pouch and pulled out what appeared to be a thin and somewhat fragile looking cord, but was, in reality, a sturdy elven rope.  He had used it many times, but none was more important than this one.

With nimble and practiced finger movements, the ranger fashioned a loop in one end, all the while forcing himself not to look back at the snake.  He couldn’t afford to be distracted even the tiniest bit, nor could he afford to rush what he was doing to the point that his fingers began fumbling in their efforts.  His pounding heart told him that the serpent was getting ever closer. 

What he had spotted as his one chance to save them was a small protrusion of rock above the cave entrance.  He knew he would likely have only one opportunity to connect on the toss.  If he missed it, time would run out.

The lasso flew upward and neatly encircled the piece of rock.  Pulling on the rope to make it taught enough to hold his and Legolas’s weight, Aragorn grabbed hold and, hand over hand, began to pull them up.

It was only a few feet, but the strain made progress seem like a snail’s pace.  Time also seemed to have slowed down, making it seem to the man as if Ilúvatar’s Song would end long before he reached his goal of a safe place to hide.

By the time the ranger was able to pull himself and the elf up high enough for him to place his right foot on the bottom edge of the cave entrance, he could hear the snake’s scales scraping over the rocks.

He and Legolas were now even with the dark hole but there was no time to maneuver them inside.  Placing both feet on the bottom edge of the entrance, Aragorn bent his knees close to his body and then pushed out as hard as he could.  He swung out and then, when he reached the apex of his swing and started moving back toward the opening, Aragorn straightened his legs and aimed them into the cave. 

Once he had cleared the entrance, he let go of the rope, so it wouldn’t pull them to a stop and possibly back out again.

While in the air,   Aragorn twisted around, putting him face down and bringing Legolas’s head and upper body to the top.

The ‘cave’ turned out to be a lot smaller than expected.  That fact hit Aragorn when he literally hit the rear wall with his outstretched legs.  The jolt was a strong one, running all the way up his body. Had Legolas’s legs not been pinned under Aragorn, the elf would have gone flying head first into the back wall of solid rock.  It might well have killed him outright.

Aragorn rolled over as far as he could and gently eased Legolas off of him, though he was able to reach back enough to make sure the elf‘s head remained on the man’s leg rather than rolling off and hitting the rocky floor. 

They were facing in two different directions, but there was little room in which to turn Legolas around.  He might have been able to wiggle himself around, but he didn’t get the chance.

Suddenly, the whole cave shook.  It shocked  Aragorn, who frowned in confusion.  It made no sense that he and Legolas’s weight, hitting the floor of the little cave, would make the whole place shake like that, especially several seconds later.

It wasn’t until he lifted his head and turned it back to look toward the  entrance that he saw the giant, yellow eye of the snake staring back at him.  He jerked in startled fright, then relaxed - a little.  So, it had been the snake hitting the outside of the cave with its head that was the cause of the vibration. 

After it became clear that the serpent could not get to them, Aragorn gave a nervous laugh.  “We made it, mellon nin, with a whole two seconds to spare.”

He waited half a beat before remembering that Legolas was not going to  answer him.  How he wished he could hear even the sarcastic, acid-tongued retort the elf was famous for giving him in situations like these.  How he wished he could anything from the elven prince.

Before Aragorn could lament further, something wet slapped him in the face.  The ranger saw that the offensive object was the creature’s long, black, forked and decidedly slimy tongue.

The ranger tried squirming deeper into the cave, but there was no room to do more than bend his knees to gain a few inches of precious space. 

The serpent’s tongue came into the cave once more, and again it slapped the ranger’s face.  The feel of it evoked visions of the snake wrapping the gross thing around his head and dragging him out of the cave and straight into the huge mouth.  Aragorn shuddered and then reached over and drew Legolas’s legs in as far as he could to keep that horrific scenario from playing out with his friend.

As he watched, the eye pulled away and then disappeared from sight.  As tempting as it was to want to look out and see where the creature had gone, Aragorn knew that doing so, should the snake be too near, would defeat everything he had done to find shelter from it.

Just as suddenly, the eye returned along with another blow to the rock wall from the serpent’s head.  Luckily, even this huge creature couldn’t bring enough force to bear on the solid rock to do more than cause the small vibrations Aragorn had felt earlier.  Otherwise, the man was afraid he and Legolas would have been shaken until they were dislodged and fell out of the little sanctuary.  Even knowing this wasn’t possible, the situation was still a scary one.

This time, when the snake’s head turned forward and the mouth opened, Aragorn was ready.  As the leathery tongue came in again, the ranger, who had maneuvered around and pulled out the knife he carried in his belt,  stabbed it.  He used so much force, backed by such fierce determination, that the blade was driven all the way through to the rocky floor, pinning the tongue there.

The combination of roar and hiss that the snake emitted sent shivers down Aragorn’s spine.  It was the same bone-chilling sound that he and Legolas had heard in the forest when the creature had been attacked by the trees.  Here, in the confined space of the little shelter, it was deafening.

The snake pulled back, causing even more damage as the knife blade ripped through its tongue, leaving a gaping wound from the middle all the way out one side, giving it the appearance of being forked in two places.

Aragorn stared, as the snake’s head could be seen thrashing up and down and side to side, flecks of blood spraying out and running down its lower jaw.  There was also a trail of blood from the spot where the knife had stabbed the tongue and leading out and over the edge of the cave entrance.

When the snake’s head vanished from sight again, Aragorn did not move forward to peer out and see where the creature had gone this time, either.  Soft hissing, sounding like the equivalent of moaning, told him the snake had not gone nearly far enough to risk a look.

With the huge reptile, hopefully, out of the way for a while, Aragorn decided to turn his attention to Legolas. 

The elf had not so much as moved a muscle nor uttered a sound, since the man had found him.  Not a good sign.  Not a good sign, at all.

TBC

Chapter Fourteen

When It saw the prey disappear into the small dark area of the rock wall, It became alarmed.  Surely, after all that It had gone through, It’s prize was not going to get away. 

When It came close enough to see what the dark area was, It feared that it was a tunnel.  Knowing how deep, and extensive It’s home tunnels were, It became fearful that the prey would never be seen again, since it was clear that It would never fit inside this tunnel to give chase.

It approached but could see nothing by staring straight into the opening.  So, It turned It’s head to the side and put It’s eye up to the entrance and peered through the darkness.

It’s eyes, which had been basically unnecessary in It’s home tunnels, had become more used to the light of the outside world.  It still did not see well, yet even so, It didn’t take long for the tiny cave’s interior to become visible.

It was surprised to see that both prey beings were now inside.  It couldn’t quite figure out how, since It wasn’t able to reason that one must have been carrying the other.  It only knew that both beings were just out of It’s reach.

It was more a case of anger than exploration that made It flick It’s tongue inside, hoping to slap at the elusive beings.  The powerful scent of both prey begins, one more strongly than the other, reached It’s brain through It’s tongue.

The sudden pain that assaulted It’s tongue was an agony that It had never experienced before.  The prey It caught in It’s tunnels fought back, if able to, but their attempts at freedom had been feeble and never resulted in escape.  Even the  strange, earth-bound forms that had attacked It while on the way here had not injured It in such a way as this.

Whatever the prey being had done, it had somehow ripped It’s tongue.  The action not only caused intense pain but also caused blood to fill It’s mouth and run down It‘s jaw.

It jerked away from the little tunnel and screamed the only way It knew how.  Blood splashed on the rocks, as It swung It’s head from side to side, trying to ease the pain. 

It moved away, but even in the throes of such an assault to It’s very being, It refused to go far.

It did not know revenge, never having had the need to develop such a notion in It’s rudimentary mind.  It only knew the pursuit of food, and so far, It hadn’t caught any.  Once It recovered, that would change.

Realizing that the snake, while not going far, was no longer an immediate threat, Aragorn could now turn his attention to Legolas.

The ranger could feel the heat coming off of the elf’s body.  As a healer raised with elves, he was well aware that, even though they couldn’t get the same ills that mortals suffered from, they were susceptible to fevers brought on by poisons.  It had become quite evident that Legolas was now suffering from just that condition. 

Aragorn didn’t think the snake was poisonous.  The amount of venom from a creature this large would have killed Legolas in a matter of minutes.  He had come to the same conclusion that the elf had earlier; the snake’s teeth must contain remnants of rotting food that did produce a sort of poisonous  infections in anything, or in this case, anyone, when those teeth penetrated flesh.  Even an elf was not immune to that.

There was precious little room to maneuver, but Aragorn believed that if he was careful, he could turn himself  around, so he could check the elf’s body and determine how many puncture wounds there were and how best to treat them.

Reaching back and placing his hand under Legolas’s head, Aragorn turned, wiggled, squirmed, twisted and inched his way around until he was facing the back wall.

He would have preferred to move Legolas around, so his head was nearest the light coming in from the cave opening.  However, moving himself was hard enough.  It was certainly easier than trying to do it with a limp, unresponsive body.

Once he and Legolas were side by side, Aragorn began unfastening the elf’s velvet outer tunic and silk under tunic.  The numerous red, swollen puncture wounds almost made the man cry.  A shiver went through him instead.

There was not enough water to clean the wounds and still have what they would need to consume.  It was a guess as to which would be the better for Legolas, but in the end, Aragorn saved the precious liquid for drinking.

There were no  bandages.  He had long ago lost his pack, and the pouch he had on his belt, the one that had held the elven rope, was now empty.  There were no medicines of any type. 

There was only a small jar of medicinal salve that the ranger carried, mostly for scrapes and scratches.  Legolas’s wounds needed much more, but there was absolutely nothing else Aragorn had to help his friend.

Using a relatively clean cloth from an inner pocket, Aragorn began to gently rub the salve on each puncture wound.  He knew there had to be pain from the infected wounds, but Legolas was so far out of it, he couldn’t feel a thing.  For that, the man was grateful.

All too soon, the little jar was empty.  Running his finger around and around the inside had gotten all there was.  Each puncture site was tended to, but it hadn’t been nearly enough. 

Aragorn wanted to scream in frustration.   Doing so might relieve some of the tension he could feel throughout his body, however, it might also turn the attention of the snake back toward them again.

The little cave was perhaps  four feet high.  It would allow the man to sit upright, which, in turn, would allow him to hold Legolas and give the only thing he had left to give - comfort.

By the time Aragorn had worked his way behind Legolas, careful not to injure him further, and had the elf leaning against him, as he himself leaned against the back wall, the little cave had become gloomier.  It was with a start that the man realized the sun was setting.  Soon it would be dark and much colder.

An hour later, the only light in the shelter was coming from the  moonlight that filtered inside.  The only heat was from Legolas’s fever. 

Aragorn sighed.  How many times had this very scene played out in the past, him holding a wounded Legolas, sometimes on the brink of death?  And how many times had the reverse been true, as well? 

Not for the first time, the ranger thought about how dangerous Middle-earth truly was.  Too many good people suffered and too many died, while far too many evil beings roamed about at will, causing all that suffering and death.

He and Legolas tried to hold back the evil of Sauron as best they could wherever and whenever they encountered it.

He had no idea if this giant snake was a minion of the Dark Lord or just an aberration of Nature, but either way, the results were the same, in this case at least.

So, here he was, holding onto Legolas with all his physical strength and praying to the Valar that the elf would survive this latest assault on his life.

“I killed them.”

The words snapped Aragorn out of his thoughts with a jolt.  Had he really heard Legolas speak?  Believing he must have, he said, “Who are you talking about?” 

The man held his breath, waiting for an answer to prove he hadn’t imagined that the elf had rejoined him in the waking world.

The answer came as softly as the statement had.

“The trees.”

When no further explanation was forthcoming, Aragorn asked, “What trees?”  He was clearly puzzled.  Legolas was awake and talking, but his mind might well be wandering, thinking back to battles long past, and that would be as troubling as his fever.

“The trees in the little forest we came through on the way here.”  Before Aragorn could comment, the elf continued.  “They died protecting us, Estel.  I knew when we went in there that the snake would kill many of them.  So, you see, I killed the ones that were destroyed as surely as the snake did.”

Aragorn’s emotions were torn.  He was greatly relieved that Legolas’s mind was clear, and he remembered what had happened.  But, he also felt bad that his friend was consumed by guilt.  “Legolas, the death of those trees was not your fault. We had to go through the forest. We had no choice.”

“Neither did they,” the elf said sadly. “The choice to stay and aid us was not theirs to make, since they had no way to escape. It was my decision to involve them by leading the serpent straight into their midst.”

“I share in that decision,” Aragorn had to admit. Trying a different tact, he said,“We were trying to save our own lives.” He hated saying that, because it implied that their lives were more important than the lives of any trees. In truth, he believed that way, and he knew that despite his love for the forests of Arda, Legolas believed that way, as well.

Everything belonged to Ilúvatar, but he would never expect, nor want, anyone, including a wood-elf, to sacrifice himself even for a whole forest. However, now did not seem to be the time to make such a statement. Legolas did not need the stress of an argument.

“I know what you are thinking, Estel. But, it is my fault. I could have led us around the forest. It was small and would not have been that much farther.”

“As forests go, it may be small, but we would never have made it had the trees not slowed the creature down. I think if you could go back and ask those trees, they would all have gladly done what they did to save us.”

A long silence followed. Aragorn couldn’t be sure if Legolas was thinking over what he had said or if he had simply fallen asleep. “Legolas?”

“I am still here,” the elf replied, letting his friend know he hadn’t drifted away and left him.

“I’ll tell you what,” the ranger said. “When we leave here, we’ll go back and you can ask the trees that survived how they feel about what happened. I’m sure they’ll tell you the same thing that I just did. Will that ease your mind?” He couldn’t imagine the trees blaming Legolas, so he felt safe in making that suggestion.

There was no verbal answer, but Aragorn felt the elf’s head nod against his shoulder.

“This is quite the shelter you have found for us,” Legolas said, changing subjects.

Happy to be talking about something less emotionally painful, Aragorn laughed. “I told you a cave always shows up when we need one.”

“You call this a cave?” Despite the softness of the elf’s voice and the lack of strength behind it, the humor it contained was evident.

“Well, I didn’t really have the time to shop around for more suitable accommodations. Besides, I know how much you hate having to go too deep inside a mountain. This seemed the perfect choice.”

“I appreciate that. All we really needed was a place the snake could not get into, and this certainly qualifies.”

“I aim to please.”

Changing the subject himself, Aragorn asked, “How do you feel?”

“I guess you would not believe me if I said I am fine.”

“No, I most certainly would not.”  Aragorn had to smile.  It felt good to engage in their old habit of humorous banter.  But, he knew it couldn’t last, not under the current circumstances, so with more concern in his tone, the ranger added, “I did the best I could, but I had little to work with.”

Understanding that it wouldn't take much for Aragorn to take on his own guilt at not being able to easily heal anything at any time, Legolas offered the reassurance that he honestly felt. “You always do your best, Estel.  With your efforts, I soon will be fine.”

As if to defy those words, Legolas began to shake.  It was not violent, yet it was plain to the healer that the elf’s body was trying to throw off the infection that was invading it. So far, the elf was losing that battle.

“Legolas?” the man asked again.  This time, however, there was no answer, and he knew the elf had slipped into unconsciousness once more.

Aragorn wrapped his arms around Legolas more tightly, cursing the fact that he had no medicine to fight what was happening to his friend. What he wouldn’t give for a few leaves of Athelas.  Even some more of the salve he had run out of earlier would be most welcome right now. 

Aragorn rested his head back against the cold stone behind him.  How on Arda was he going to get them out of this one?  Summing things up in his mind: there was a seriously wounded elf, a tiny, claustrophobic cave with a single opening, which  led directly to a giant snake bent on devouring them.  Had they ever been in such an impossible situation before?  If so, he certainly couldn’t think of any.

The ranger closed his eyes and, amid swirling emotions, mercifully fell asleep.

TBC

Chapter Fifteen

A howling wind hugged the rock walls, as it swirled around the huge  depression high up in the mountains.  Nothing and no one was spared from its blustery wrath, not even the tiny cave embedded in the rock face.  It was as if someone with large, powerful lungs was taking deep breaths of the frigid air and  blowing straight into the shelter where Legolas and Aragorn slept. 

Aragorn, in an involuntary gesture, wrinkled his nose, as both his hair and strands from Legolas were whipped across his face, stinging his cold skin.

While still not fully awake, the ranger tried to reach up with his right hand and scratch the itch that the wayward hair was creating.  He was unable to move his arm.  When he tried with his left, he got the same result.  This brought him to full wakefulness in a flash.  Too many times in the past he had awoken to discover himself bound up, and the fear of finding himself  unable to move was one he could never quite shake.

His fear mounted when he also could not see his surroundings.  He tried once again to move his arms, thinking he needed to remove the blindfold he believed must be across his eyes. The gesture produced no more success this time than his initial efforts had.  When Aragorn tried to sit up, he felt something lying against his chest. 

His mind whirled, desperate to find out what was going on.  He didn’t panic often, but finding himself unable to move his arms, unable to see where he was and feeling he was being pinned down by something was coming close to causing just that reaction.

He was well aware that, no matter how bad things seemed at the moment, the situation was not going to resolve itself until he got hold of his emotions and settled down.  He had to clear his mind of its paralyzing fears.  Taking deep breaths to counter his alarm, Aragorn forced himself to calm his nerves, so he could take stock of the current state of affairs.

Once the man felt more in control, it didn’t take him long before he had worked his hands free and realized that his arms were not tied down at all but  instead had merely tangled inside his cloak.  Reaching up to his face, he also discovered that his eyes were not covered with a blindfold.  The relief he felt was enormous.  He was not a  prisoner, not a bound, blindfolded one, at any rate.

When he sat up, the weight on his chest shifted slightly.  It only took a few seconds of exploration before he knew what was resting against him.  “Legolas.”  The elf’s name was followed by a flood of memories.  Aragorn understood immediately where he was and what had happened.

It was a different kind of fear that now gripped his heart, as he thought about the condition Legolas was in.  The elf’s body was still radiating high heat, but at least he was asleep.  Not only would he not be feeling the physical pain his wounds were causing, but as long as he slept, his elven healing ability would be at work.

There was nothing the ranger could do to help his friend’s condition at this point, so he turned his attention toward the cave entrance.  His eyes had become more accustomed to the dark, and the opening he stared at visually emerged from the blackness of the rock that surrounded it, becoming a round patch of midnight blue.

As he watched, the sky beyond began to lighten slightly. 

After a few moments, Aragorn realized the change in color was not due to the coming of dawn.  It was a bank of dark gray clouds that had moved overhead.  This recognition was followed swiftly by snowflakes falling past the entrance. 

The howling wind had vanished as quickly as the snow had appeared.  There remained only a breeze, just  enough of one to send the large, white flakes swirling inside.

Aragorn tried to pull both his legs and Legolas’s back, but, to his consternation,  they were already as far from the entrance as he could get them. 

Soon the snow was falling so hard it resembled  a flowing curtain, and in minutes, both pairs of feet were covered with a thin blanket of white.

Their body heat, especially Legolas’s, quickly melted the bottom layer of snow.  The boots they wore were of fine, hand-worked leather, which made them waterproof. 

“At least, we won’t have wet feet,” the ranger muttered.  “Only cold ones,” he added with a grumble.  In truth, he was grateful he wouldn‘t have to contend with soaked socks.

Before he had gone to sleep earlier, Aragorn had put his cloak behind him while laying Legolas’s cloak over the elf’s body and then wrapped his own around both of them.  That had worked for a while, but now, with their feet too near the cave entrance, the arrangement needed to be changed. 

Aragorn sat  forward as far as he could, slid Legolas's cloak down, and then threw it over their legs and feet.  Leaning back against the cold stone at his back, he again wrapped his cloak around both of them.  

When a stronger blast of wind drove a snowflake into his left eye, Aragorn blinked and rubbed it.  If the wind picked up to the intensity it had been earlier, their entire bodies might end up under a blanket of snow.  Literally, a chilling thought.

Letting his mind drift once more beyond the cave, Aragorn suddenly thought of the snake outside.  Snakes were cold-blooded and could adjust their body temperature to match that of the  temperature around them.  However, there was a level of frigid air beyond which even a reptilian creature could not go without succumbing.

This snake was huge and could no doubt last much longer than normal-sized serpents, but eventually, even it would freeze.

That idea excited the ranger, that is, until he realized that he and Legolas would likely freeze to death long before the snake did.  Why did practical facts always seem to come along to dash a hopeful thought?  Still, the man couldn’t put the idea out of his mind.  If he and Legolas could endure a while longer here in the little cave, maybe, just maybe, the snake would have time to freeze, and they could escape with no worries about being pursued. 

Should an escape be attempted, he mused, it had to be before too much time passed.  Also against them was the fact that they had no water and no food.  And Aragorn couldn’t forget the reality that Legolas needed more help than he could give him. 

Just how he was going to get Legolas out of this cave, out of this depression and out of these mountains to get that help, was a complete mystery.  He just knew it had to be done, and it had to be done soon.

Like most wounded animals, It wanted to nurse It’s injury.  So, after initially raging over what had happened, It had curled up as much as It’s huge body would allow and sulked.

It knew that It’s prey had been in the little tunnel.  When It had flicked It’s tongue inside to try and dislodge the beings, the pain that had struck It was mind-numbing.  It had never experienced anything like it.   

Now, after some time had passed, It’s tongue had finally quit bleeding, and the intense pain It had experienced right after the wound had been inflicted had settled down to an aching throb, though it was still a most unpleasant sensation.

It raised It’s head and stared up at the dark spot that It knew was the hole the prey beings were in.  It had no intention of trying again to dislodge them.  Pain was a strong incentive to avoid what had caused that pain.  Instinctively, It knew to stay away from that little tunnel.  Yet, It still did not wish to leave and abandon the prey It had chased for so long and for such a lengthy distance.  Without making the conscious thought that It would wait them out, that is exactly what It was going to do.

Used to the hot, humid air of It’s home, this air was like nothing It had ever felt before.  It was uncomfortable and made It feel sluggish.  It wanted to close It’s eyes and forget about everything else.  It’s body was cooling down, though It didn’t understand exactly what was happening. 

As It blinked lethargically, strange little shapes began to float down from above.  Normally, It would have flicked It’s tongue out to try and discern what they were.  However, with It’s tongue injured the way it was, It could not do so.  Not knowing that the shapes would collect on It’s body, and so not realizing the threat they posed, It dismissed them, even when they began to fall in more profusion.

It also did not realize the danger that resting It’s head on a portion of It’s curled up body and closing It’s eyes would pose.

Morning dawned with a blizzard in full force.  The opening to the cave looked as if a white curtain had been drawn across it.

Aragorn knew it was time to go.  He was reluctant to wake Legolas, but it had to be done.  There simply wasn’t time enough to let the elf continue his healing sleep.  That would take many more hours  - hours they didn’t have.

The man softly called Legolas’s name, hoping not to startle the elf into wakefulness.  His effort was met with failure.  He knew that an elf‘s injured body, in an attempt to heal itself, went far deeper into that sleep than was involved in simply treading the paths of elven dreams.

“Legolas, you must awaken now,” the man said more forcefully. 

Not wanting to put any pressure on Legolas’s wounds, Aragorn gripped the elf’s chin and shook his head back and forth, while he also slapped at his face.  “Legolas, wake up.”

The ensuing moan told Aragorn that the archer was coming toward the surface of consciousness.

Aragorn put his lips near the elf’s ear.  “Legolas.”

Rousing gradually, Legolas moaned again, slowly opening his eyes.  But instead of focusing immediately, as was normal, his vision remained blurry.

“Estel?”

“Yes, Legolas.  It’s me.  I’m sorry to wake  you, mellon nin, but it’s time for us to leave.”

“Leave?”  That one word was filled with confusion.  “I thought we had to remain here to be safe from the snake.”

Aragorn had to smile.  It was good to know the elf’s mind was clear.  “I know, but circumstances have changed, and if we don‘t leave soon, we may not ever do so.”

“The snow,” Legolas said knowingly, as his vision finally  focused to reveal the heavy snow falling outside.

“Exactly.  Hopefully, the snake has frozen to death, so that we can get past it and get out of these mountains.  Unfortunately, besides dispatching the snake, which is good, the snow will also be a big problem for us.”

“We cannot have it all our way,” Legolas stated with a touch of mirth in his voice.

Aragorn just shook his head and laughed but said nothing.

“I fear I will be a burden to you,” Legolas said.  He was trying not to sound guilt-ridden, knowing full well he would be soundly chastised if he  did.  He also knew now was not the time for false bravado.

“You will be no more of a burden to me than I have been to you under similar circumstances,” the ranger declared firmly.

It was Legolas’s turn to laugh.  “When have we ever been in anything remotely resembling these circumstances?”

“Point taken,” the ranger admitted.  “If the snake isn’t dead yet, I don’t know how badly  it will be incapacitated, but we can probably slip past it in the heavy snowfall.”

“Are you ready to give it a go?”

Legolas turned his face up to look at his friend and smiled.
“I am ready.” 

It took over twenty minutes for Aragorn, with as much help as Legolas could give him, to maneuver them both around so their heads were near the cave entrance.

Legolas had to clench his teeth to keep from audibly reacting to the intense level of pain his wounds were causing him.  There was simply no way he would distract Aragorn by letting him know.

Aragorn knew.  He knew how badly Legolas was hurting and how hard he was trying not to let on.  For his part, Aragorn didn’t want to make the elf feel any worse by mentioning it. 

“There is only one way to get out of here, since we are up on the rock wall.”

“How did we get here in the first place?” Legolas asked, realizing that he was unconscious when they got here and had no idea how it had been accomplished.

“This way,” the man said, as he reached out and grabbed the rope that was still hanging from the rocky protrusion above the entrance. 

“You carried me up here on a rope?”

“I did,” Aragorn replied.  “And that’s how I’ll get you down.  No objections,” he warned, well aware of how proud and independent the elf was.  “It will hurt you, I’m afraid.”

“You do whatever it is you need to do.  I will do my best not to hinder you.”

There was no reason to wait any longer, since the snow could easily stop as suddenly as it had begun, thus exposing them to the snake should it still be nearby - and alive.

“Grip me tightly,“ Aragorn instructed.  “I’ll need both hands on the rope.  Tell me if you feel you may pass out.  I’ll have to grab onto you.”

When no reply was forthcoming, Aragorn stared at the elf.  “Legolas, I will not have you think you can slip out of my grasp without a word, so I can save myself.  I’m not leaving until you promise  you’ll tell me if you feel you can no longer hold on.”

The look on Aragorn’s face was so serious that Legolas said, “I am not suicidal, Estel.”

“You are very good at verbal sidestepping, though.  I want to hear the words.  Now promise me.”

“I promise I will tell you if I feel I might lose my grip.  Satisfied?”

“Yes, I‘m satisfied,” the man replied.  And, once he felt Legolas latch onto him tightly, he said, “Now, let us escape this place.”

With those words, Aragorn grabbed the rope with both hands and pulled  himself and Legolas out of the little safe haven and into the snowy dawn.

TBC

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Chapter Sixteen

One hand hold at a time, Aragorn made his way down the rope. It was slow going, partly because of the cold and partly because he was being extra cautious, making sure he had a good grip with one hand before he let go with the other one.  But he was making progress.

He was wearing heavy leather gloves, yet still his hands were almost numb from the frigid air.  Being pelted in the face with the large snowflakes that were being driven by an ever-increasing wind was a nuisance and a hindrance.

All the way down the rock face, the ranger was happy to feel Legolas’s arms around his neck and the  weight of the elf’s body against his  back.  As long as he did, the man knew his friend was still conscious.

Aragorn resisted the temptation to look around him.  He needed all of his concentration focused on getting him and Legolas down to solid ground.  Well, most of his concentration, anyway.  Some of it he had to use to listen for the snake.  He wasn’t sure he would be able to hear the creature even if it was right next to him.  The snow had accumulated so fast that it muffled any sound beyond that of his own breathing.

At last, after what seemed like an eternity, the ranger’s feet hit the floor of the mountain depression.  Despite the thick layer of snow, he hadn’t been able to see the ground and thus was jarred by the suddenness of the impact.

When he felt Legolas’s arms slip, he turned his head slightly and asked, “Sorry about that.  Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” came the all-too-familiar answer.

Aragorn just rolled his eyes, though he believed that  Legolas’s reply referred to the slip and not his overall condition.  Of course, with this stubborn elf, he could never be entirely sure.  Instead of commenting, the ranger said, “Don’t let go until we find out where the snake is.  Can you hear it at all?”

The elf lifted his head and closed his eyes, letting his ears do the investigating.  He heard nothing but the faint clicking sound of the snowflakes as they collided with each other and fell to join those already on the ground.

“I do not hear it,” Legolas reported after several moments of listening. 

Legolas’s voice was soft and sounded weary to the ranger.  It was clear to his healer’s ears that the elf was losing strength.  He must have used a great part of his reserves just hanging on while Aragorn climbed down from the little cave.  The man frowned.

“We’ll have to take a chance that the snake is having at least as much trouble with this weather as we are,” Aragorn stated.  “We have to get away from here and hope it doesn’t detect us leaving.  Can you make it?”

“I can make it,” the elf stated firmly. 

Aragorn leaned the elf back against the base of the rock wall.  He turned around and made sure Legolas was able to stand before allowing him to let go of his neck.

The two friends smiled, each letting the other know that he was all right after the ordeal of leaving the cave and reaching the ground.  Even with the heavy snow falling between them, they were able to communicate without words.  They were ready to go.

Aragorn put his arm around Legolas’s waist, and the two started off.

The going was hard.  Aragorn’s leg was still sore and the cold was making it worse, as was the snow, which was soft enough that the ranger’s feet sank down into it.  Legolas, who was able to step lightly on top of the accumulation of white crystals was hindered by his wounds.  Together, they made a pair of struggling figures in the drifts.

As they moved, Legolas, with his unerring elven ability to know directions even when no landmarks were visible, aided them in heading toward the rock wall where they had first entered the depression.

Had Legolas looked to his left, his keen elven sight would have been able to discern the giant snake only a few feet to his left.  It would have been hard to see, but would not have been invisible, even in the heavy snowfall.  He didn’t see it, instead concentrating on helping Aragorn navigate the wintry terrain.

Legolas remembered the size of the depression when he first saw it.  Now, trudging through the cloying white stuff, it seemed to have grown to enormous proportions.  Time also seemed to have altered, slowing down until it felt like it had stopped altogether. 

There was nothing to do but continue to move as best they could.  As long as they kept moving, their goal would eventually be reached.

The farther they traveled, the weaker Legolas became.  His inborn ability to withstand all but the bitterest cold was failing, as was his entire body.  His feet were starting to get frost bitten, and his wounds were starting to hurt more.

Suddenly, with no warning, the elf tumbled forward. 

Aragorn grabbed him but could not stop the elf’s forward progress.  Neither could he stop his own.  They both fell face down into a snow drift that had piled up against a large rock, missing hitting the stone by mere inches.

“I am sorry, mellon nin,” Legolas apologized, as he rolled on his side and cleared snow from his face. 

“If you hadn’t fallen, I would have,” the ranger admitted in an effort to share the blame.  Truth was, he really had been close to falling.  “I can no longer feel my feet.”

They made their way back to a standing position, the knowledge that they had to get out of this depression urging them onward.

Grasping the elf around the waist once more, Aragorn tried to ignore the fact his feet were numb and instead focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

Legolas forced himself to do his own ignoring, that of his wounds, which hadn’t been helped by the fall.  Being pressed against Aragorn’s side only made the pain worse, but without his friend's help, he wouldn’t have been able to walk at all, so he said nothing.  He simply clenched his teeth and carried on.

“Do you think the snake has frozen to death?” the elf asked suddenly, hoping to distract them both from their current misery.

“If we’re lucky,” Aragorn replied.  The look the elf gave him reinforced his next words.  “When have we ever been that lucky?”

Legolas gave a humorless laugh.  “True.  But, you never know.  We may luck out this time.”

“Right,” was the only thing the ranger could think of to say, since he knew neither of them believed it would be that simple.

It seemed that good luck, at least a little bit of it, was with the pair for when they reached the base of the depression not only did the snow begin falling more lightly, but the bottom of the trail leading upward was right in front of them. 

Aragorn chose to give the credit to Legolas.  “Well, elf, it looks like you have led us unerringly to the way out.”

Legolas tried to smile but was not very successful.  “I think the Valar can be credited with that.”

“Maybe the snowfall lessening can be given to them, but you led us here to the very spot we needed to be.”

There was no need to contradict the ranger, since he would only argue back, taking time and energy they couldn’t spare.

They had been so focused on getting to this place that they had forgotten one problem.  The trail upward was barely wide enough to accommodate one of them.  There was no way they could go up it side by side.  Each would have to navigate on his own.

“You must go first,” Legolas declared before Aragorn could say anything to the contrary.  “If I fall, I refuse to take you down with me.”

Aragorn lifted his head and jutted his jaw out.   “And, I refuse to let you fall with no chance to save you.”

“I fear a battle of wills coming on,” Legolas stated.  “Estel, we do not have the time for this.  We must climb, and you must go first.”

Aragorn did something he would later apologize for.  He pushed Legolas rather ungently until the elf had no choice but to take a step upon the trail or fall down.  Then, the man stepped up behind him and pushed again.  He did this three times before Legolas had time to object.

“You will pay for this, human,” Legolas said none too kindly.

“Fine,” the ranger said, as he pushed once again.  “You can get even when we get home.  Now, climb!”

It took many minutes, fraught with frightening stumbles that  nearly ended in falls, lively curses from both and a skinned knee or two before they finally reached the top of the depression wall.

Legolas fell down upon the snow once his feet reached level ground.  He was sure he would have never made it had Aragorn not been behind him.

Relieved beyond belief, Aragorn fell down beside the elf.  “You see?”

“If I must admit you were right, then I will do so.  You were right, but I still may make you pay for the danger you put yourself in.”

“Yeah.  Yeah,” the ranger dismissed.  “I’ve heard all that before, mellon nin.  I cease to believe in your phantom vengeful spirit.”

The silence It was now experiencing was all-encompassing.  It had never known this kind of stillness before.  Even in It’s home under the ruined tower, when It had been alone, there had been sounds.  This level of absolute quiet was disconcerting.  So, was the cold, white things that continued to fall from above, the collection of which was even more uncomfortable than it had been earlier.

Then It heard a crunching sound to It’s right.  It was indistinct, at first, but then became slightly more pronounced.

It turned to look, attempting to stare through the falling snow to see if It could make out what was making that sound.

It thought for a moment that It saw some kind of movement.  But considering how fast the white things were coming down, it seemed as if everything was moving.

One thing It noted was that the movement didn’t stay in one place.  Whatever was moving looked to be progressing past It and soon disappeared from sight.

It was confused.  It had seen the depression in the daylight, and there had not been anything else here.  Did the cold, white things bring something else with it?  Did...?  Then It thought of the prey beings.

It had no idea how they handled the cold or the white things.  Perhaps they were at home in such conditions.  I remained confused but decided to try and follow the movement.  Even if it wasn’t the prey beings, it might turn out to be some other kind of food.  And, cold or not, It was still very hungry.

It was hard uncurling itself.  The cold made it sluggish, a feeling It was not used to but one It would fight to overcome. 

Once It had straightened out It’s stiff body, It began to move forward.  The white things that had accumulated on the ground were soft and proved to be easy to move through.

With It’s head close to the ground, It soon picked up the disruption in the smooth, white ground.  It kept the trail in sight, as It undulated toward It’s target somewhere up ahead.

“We cannot stay here,” Legolas remarked unconvincingly while keeping his eyes closed against the falling snow.

“I know,” came the ranger's reply.  He pulled his cloak over him from both sides, for all the world looking like he was about to settle himself for a long rest.

Aragorn was well aware that lying down in soft snow would make them both drowsy to the point that they could fall into a deep sleep from which they would never awake. Yet, the ranger, who was exhausted, made no move to get up.

Legolas was being seduced by the fact that the numbing cold and lack of activity was now gradually making his wounds hurt less and less. It was a peaceful seduction that his weary mind was succumbing to.

In the far distance, both of their minds were screaming at them to get up and keep moving. Their bodies, however, were telling them something quite different. That message was simple and oh so easy: “Let me rest here for just a moment.”

Fatal words.

TBC

Chapter Seventeen

Aragorn didn’t know what woke him up.  He lay quietly for a moment, taking stock.  Cold.  That was the only thing his mind registered.  He was very, very cold.

When he finally opened his eyes, all he saw straight above him were low-hanging, gray clouds.  He realized that snowflakes were no longer falling, but he didn’t know how long it had been since they stopped. 

The ranger lifted his head slightly and looked down the length of his body.  He saw that he was covered with snow but was unable to see any of his clothes, so he knew there was more than just a thin layer covering him.  Only the points of his boots were visible, poking up into the frigid air.  How long had he been lying here?  His numb legs told him it had been too long.

Aragorn groaned, as he rolled over to see if Legolas was awake, as well.  While the elf’s body was also covered with snow, his face was dripping wet.  The man sighed.  Legolas still had fever, which meant he was still in danger of...  The thought was forcibly ended there.  No way was he going to accept anything other than complete recovery for his friend, so there was no reason to let the dreaded ‘D’ word enter his mind.

A loud, crunching noise, perhaps   similar to the one that woke Aragorn up in the first place, came from below.  There was only one reason that any sound would  be coming from that direction.

This time Aragorn did groan.  Then he slid over to Legolas and began shaking the elf.  “Legolas.  Legolas, you must wake up.  Please, mellon nin.  Wake!”

There was no response from the archer.

With the noise almost continuous now and getting louder, Aragorn knew he couldn’t wait until Legolas regained consciousness on his own, assuming that he even would.  So, rising to his knees, the ranger leaved over Legolas, putting himself in a better position to get a good grip on the elf. 

When the noise continued at an alarmingly close distance, Aragorn dropped all efforts to be gentle.  He grabbed Legolas, threw him over his shoulder and, with an effort, rose to his feet.  He began trudging away from the cliff edge.

The going was rough.  With each step, the man sank down into the snow.  The volume that fell the night before and this morning had been so heavy that even the high wind couldn’t ‘brush’ the snow from the ground up here on what had been bare rock when he and Legolas had first shown up.

A loud crashing noise, somewhat different from the previous sounds but ominous just the same, caused the ranger to turn and look behind him.

Shock seemed to seize his legs, and he stumbled and almost fell down when he saw the head of the snake appear above the depression’s rock wall. 

Aragorn, spurred on by fear, tried to run, which was an impossible task in the deep snow.  He stumbled again, and this time he did fall.

It was making slow progress but progress nonetheless.  It didn’t understand the cold.  It only knew that the uncomfortable feeling It had had since the little white things began falling from above was what was making It hard to move.

Those white things had stopped falling now, but the uncomfortable, sluggish feeling remained.

It knew the prey beings were up ahead and that they were attempting to get away from It.  That was nothing new.  Prey had also tried escaping in It’s tunnels, but had never been able to do so.  It always caught whatever ventured there.

This time might be different, though, since there was openness all around them.  Here there were no tunnels to ‘trap’ the prey or chase it around in wall-in circles until whatever it was dropped from exhaustion.

Now, It was the one becoming exhausted, and that was a new and unpleasant experience.

Still, It would not give up.  The cold had driven hunger to the background of It’s thoughts, but the unfamiliar gnawing at It’s insides had not disappeared.  Time changed that.  It was now so ravenous, It could barely think of anything else.

It finally reached the place in the rock wall It had first come down when It had arrived here.  It raised It’s head and looked upward.  The task of getting It’s considerable body up to the top was a daunting one, but it was the only way out of this cold place, so up It went.

The sound of rocks and snow crunched under the huge body, slowly but surely reaching the top edge.

At last, It raised It’s head and looked around.  The ground was as covered in the white stuff as the ground below had been.

The prey beings were not in sight - at first. 

It tried to pull itself up onto the flat ground, It couldn’t do so.  It’s body, which had always been so pliable and easy to command, would not respond this time.

It placed It’s head flat on the cold, white stuff and used it for leverage to pull the rest of It’s body up.

It pushed down as hard as It could, but It’s body was just too heavy.  Strong as It’s neck muscles were, there was no way It could accomplish It’s goal.

It tried undulating It’s body, trying to use the thick edges of the scales on It’s belly to grasp the irregular rock and thus get It moving upward.  It soon became apparent that that wasn’t working, either.

Then It spotted the prey beings.  One was carrying the other, as It had seen before.  It didn’t care.  They were both there, just ahead, just out of It’s reach.

Hissing in frustration, It tried combining the pull using It’s neck muscles with the pull of It’s belly scales and thus managed to move itself a few inches.  It tried again, and again another few inches were gained.  However, the longer it took to advance, the more frustrated It became. 

Then It saw the prey beings fall!

Aragorn cursed - three times -  once in elvish, once in dwarvish and once in the common tongue.  None of it did him any good, except perhaps, to relieve a tiny bit of tension.

Legolas had fallen out of Aragorn’s grip, rolled a few feet away from the man and lay motionless. 

Aragorn himself lay face down in the snow.  Lifting his head, he cleared snow from his eyes and looked first to Legolas to make sure nothing worse than the fall had happened to him, and then he looked behind him.  He feared what he would see, but he had to know if the snake was gaining on them.

It appeared that the creature was struggling to get its huge body over the edge of the cliff.  If it was succeeding, Aragorn couldn’t see it.  Only its head and a small portion of its neck was visible.

There was still a good chance it wouldn’t make it at all, which gave the ranger time to get Legolas and start again to get away.

It took more time and effort than Aragorn believed possible to get Legolas over his shoulder again and then get to his feet.  The problem was only partly due to the deep snow he was foundering in.  The main problem was that his strength was failing. 

When he finally got moving again, Aragorn began a prayer to the Valar for their help.  It wasn’t meant to be self-serving in and of itself.  He was willing to sacrifice himself if it meant Legolas would survive.  He knew, though, that if he didn’t make it, Legolas had no chance.  He was the one that needed to gain the strength necessary to get them to safety, so his prayer included both of them. 

With a renewed will that slowly but surely infused that strength into Aragorn’s very being, the man forced one foot in front of the other.

Each time he wanted to look back to see the status of the snake, Aragorn stopped.  He was not willing to risk falling again, which might well prove too difficult to recover from. 
He was pleased to see that the snake’s head was still the only part of the serpentine body that was above the level of the cliff edge.

“Not doing too well, I see,” the man said aloud, jutting his chin toward the creature.  “That big body is a definite hindrance right now.  Too bad,” he added with mock sympathy.

It wasn’t long before the ground began to slope downward.  A grin appeared on Aragorn’s face.  They were descending the mountain.  The snowfield stretched out before him, and it was a long way to the bottom, but each step would take them closer to freedom.

The angle of the downward grade was steep up here where they were now, but luckily the snow was powdery and not icy.  It made the going harder to negotiate but less dangerous in the long run, which was by far the more important thing.

By the time that Aragorn with his still-unconscious ‘passenger’ found a small shelter under a rock overhang, the ranger’s legs were shaking from exhaustion.

He lowered Legolas and lay the elf out straight.  The shelter would not protect them much from the elements, but it did shield them from the sight of the snake should it be able to follow them.  Of course, should it move down past them and look back, they would be spotted immediately -  trapped with no real hope of escape.  It would only have to climb back up to them and...  Well, it couldn’t be helped,  Aragorn thought.  He had to rest his legs, and it was a long way down to the next spot that could hide them.

As much as Aragorn wanted to rest his entire body, he was driven by the healer in him to check Legolas’s condition first.

When he pulled the elf’s tunic up, he could almost see steam rising up into the frigid air from the elf‘s overheated body.

The multiple wounds were as red and inflamed as they had been before.  They weren’t any worse, which was a blessing, but the elf’s natural healing ability hadn’t kicked in, either.  It was obvious the infection was very strong.

All that Aragorn could do was put snow on the punctures.  He also put some on Legolas’s neck and at his wrists,  hoping that the cold crystals at his pulse points could cool his blood down and thus cool his whole body from the inside. 

The ranger had seen too many men succumb when their bodies couldn’t fight off the intense fever that destroyed first their brain and then the various organs of their bodies.  It had happened to him, nearly killing him, on more than one occasion. 

While it was true that Legolas wasn’t a human and was greatly different in a number of ways, elven physiology in general was similar enough to be affected in the same way.

After doing what he could for Legolas, Aragorn stood up and peeked around the overhang.  He was too far away to see the top of the cliff surrounding the depression, so he wasn’t too upset when he could see no evidence of the snake. 

The man sank back down.  Maybe things were going their way for once.

Aragorn refused to lie down or  lean back against the rock.  He was even afraid to lay his head down on his knees.  He couldn't take the chance of falling asleep again.  His rest would have to come while sitting straight up and watching over his friend.

TBC

Chapter Eighteen

Aragorn wasn’t sure how long he had been sitting in the tiny shelter, watching over Legolas.  He had fought off the lure of drifting off into the oblivion of much-needed rest. 

Worry had been the strongest motivation for remaining alert.  He stared at Legolas so hard, reassured each time the elf’s chest rose and fell.  The relief at seeing that small movement was tempered by the fear that each time the elf exhaled, he might not inhale the next breath.

Aragorn blinked, finally realizing that looking away was not a sign of disloyalty or a lack of intense concern.  He knew intellectually that  such an idea was ridiculous.  But, his heart was harder to convince, especially since he had been the one responsible for this whole debacle. 

Hadn’t he been the one to drag Legolas in to the ruined tower to begin with?  Again, on an intellectual level, he knew no one had ever been able to make Legolas do what he didn’t want to do.  That didn’t assuage his guilt any, since he had always known that loyalty and a strong sense of brotherly love would, more often than not, drive the elf to follow him into adventures that were less than intelligent choices. 

Now, once again, Legolas was paying the price for another questionable idea the man had come up with. 

He thought back to the time he had insisted they cross troll territory to get back to Imladris more quickly.  And, of course, there was the time he wanted to go investigate the rumors that Black Mountain had reawakened.  Legolas had suffered quite badly that time, almost dying more than once.

Aragorn jerked out of his thoughts when he heard his name called softly.

He was on his knees down beside his friend in an instant.  “Legolas?”

After looking around him, Legolas said, “Estel, what happened?”  It was evident that they weren’t where they had been the last time he had been conscious.  “Where are we?”

Aragorn clenched his teeth.  He could tell the elf’s eyes were slightly unfocused, but he also knew how incredibly perceptive Legolas was, being able to discern moods, even when he couldn’t see his subject very clearly.

“We made it out of that huge hole, and we’re now in a sheltered area on the downside of the cliff top.”

“And the snake?”

“I last saw it trying to get up out of the depression.  All I saw was it’s head, but nothing since then, so I don’t know if the creature made it out or not.  I’m thinking, th9ugh, that it would have found us by now, if it had.  Maybe, it finally froze where it was, and we’ve seen the last of it.”

“That would be nice,” was Legolas’s only comment. 

“You don’t sound as if you believe that.”

“I have my doubts.”

“So do I.  That thing was too relentless to give up very easily.  But, maybe we can get too far  away for it to catch up wit us, if it does get over the top of that wall.

“How do you feel?” the man asked, suddenly changing to the subject that was most on his mind.

“I am fine,” the elf answered.  The words were familiar ones and came easily to his lips from long years of using them.

Aragorn’s scoff-tinged remark was just as familiar.  “Of course, you are.”  Putting the seriousness in his voice that was much more true to his feelings, he said, “Truth, Legolas.”  Then he asked again,  “How do you feel?”

Knowing that attempting to insist he was fine now was not a viable option, the archer said, “I hurt.  But,” he hastily added, “I will be fine, Estel.  For real.  I just need to throw off the infection, so my body can begin to heal itself.”

“Easier said than done, my friend,” commented the healer side of the man.  “But, if anyone can do it, you can.  I’ve seen you come from much farther away.”  The term ‘away’ referred to the elf coming much too  close to fading.

“I have nothing left to heal your wounds or even help with the pain.”  His somber tone reflected his genuine sorrow at that fact.

“My body may be a bit weak right now, but it will mend.  The pain I can tolerate until then.”

“You will never admit to anything less, will you?” There was a question at the end, but the ranger, shaking his head, was really making a statement.  In truth, he was glad that, at times like these, the elf was too stubborn to give up.

“It does no good to do so, Estel.  It is what it is and it will be what it will be.”  Legolas smiled, a small sparkle coming into his eyes.

“Lucky for you I was raised  understanding  the riddles of elf-kind.”

Legolas laughed and then winced, as he did so, bringing the ranger closer to him in a vain attempt to ease his friend’s discomfort.

Practicality, able to be kept at bay for a while, now reared it’s head, forcing Aragorn to say, “We need to leave before the snake finds us.  You also need to reach my father.”  He knew it would be many days until they reached his foster father, but there was little hope, with the intensity of his wounds, that Legolas would be completely well by then.

“I’m sorry, Legolas.  I know you would feel better staying here and resting.”  All Aragorn could do was shrug.

“Do not apologize, Estel.  You are right.  We must go.  I can make it to safety.”  He thought about telling the ranger not to worry, but that was a waste of time.

Legolas hoped that his words of assurance would not turn out to be false bravado.  Sometimes that bluff was all right to make, but he was certain this was not one of those times.  Their lives were at stake from a more formidable foe than a horde of beatable orcs, creatures they had faced and defeated too many times to count.  Not to mention that his wounds were hardly dismissible, something that rankled him, as it always did.

Summoning all the strength he had, Legolas, with Aragorn’s considerable help, made it to his feet.  He stood, swaying more than a little, but soon gained the majority of his balance.

The two friends made their way from the little shelter down the mountainside.  The lower they got, the less snow there was that they had to navigate.

It was as hard a trip as any they had made for a long time, but eventually they reached the relatively level ground at the foot of the mountain‘s foothills.

Looking back over his shoulder, Aragorn couldn’t believe that he and Legolas had actually made it. 

Legolas proved  not to be as weak as the ranger had expected him to be, which was no doubt the reason they had managed to get as far as they had.  Elven strength never ceased to amaze him.

When Legolas also turned to look back, Aragorn asked, “Do you see any sign of the snake?”

“No.  I do not see it nor any trail in the snow but our own.  That is odd, since it has to be aware that we have left the mountain.”

“Perhaps it’s dead,” the ranger replied, his tone leaving no doubt that that was exactly what he hoped had happened..  “It wasn’t used to the cold, so it makes sense that it wouldn’t be able to survive up there for long, although it was so relentless, I was beginning to wonder how hardy it would prove to be.”

Turning back, Aragorn said, “You need to rest.”  It sounded like a command.

“Only a moment.  I do not like stopping out here in the open.  That serpent could surprise us still.”

Thankful that Legolas was willing to stop, for a while at least, Aragorn gently set his friend down and gratefully sat down beside him.  Both were facing the mountain in case the snake should make an appearance.

After a few moments of complete silence, while they each recovered some of their strength, Aragorn suddenly said, “Why do I always seem to get us into these messes?”  His voice was low and full of regret.

“You are curious and want to know everything that you can about the world and those that inhabit it.  There is no shame in that.”

“You are as curious about everything as I am, yet you only get into trouble when I lead you into it.”

Legolas laughed quite loudly.  The sound was musical but full of derision.

“You evidently have not talked to my father regarding my misspent youth.  He could tell you some tales about me getting into trouble that would curl your toes.  He often mentions that he is surprised I made it to my majority.”

Aragorn also laughed, though the meaning behind it was very different.  Seriously, he asked, “Why do you do it?”

Legolas furrowed his brows in confusion.  “Do what?”

“Continue to come with me, when you are usually the one that suffers from my arrogance.”

Legolas reached out and gripped the ranger’s arm.  “Estel, you are one of the least arrogant people I know.”

“How I wish that were true.  I am arrogant, because I always think I can do things I shouldn’t and get through them without a scratch, for myself or anyone else with me, which is usually you.  And, it never seems to work out that way.”

“You are feeling guilty again, human.  That is not a becoming trait for a confident ranger, nor even a true one.”

Aragorn did not argue with that.  He knew that doing so would only go on and on without resolution.  Legolas would never agree with him on that subject.  He never did.

After another five minutes of silence, Aragorn finally said, “We should be going.  I would like to make the forest before dark.”

Seeing the elf’s face at mention of the forest, Aragorn firmly stated, “They will forgive you.”

Legolas didn’t comment.  He was both looking forward to and yet dreading reaching that forest.  He would have to apologize to the remaining trees for the carnage caused by the snake, a snake he had led amongst them.  They would have every reason not to forgive him, nor even to allow him and Aragorn to enter their midst.

The air was crisper than when they had first passed this way, yet it was as if the intense cold had not yet touched this little forest, for most of the trees still had their leaves, though it was obvious they were beginning to take on the colors of Fall.

Legolas approached with a trepidation that was a completely foreign feeling for him.  How would they greet him?  Would they - could they - really absolve him of the guilt he felt?

Not only did the trees forgive the elf, after he had sought out the eldest one to offer his heartfelt apology, but they all offered him the solace that his troubled soul needed.

Aragorn knelt nearby, as Legolas knelt in front of the old oak, touching it with his forehead and both open palms.  His eyes were closed.  Gradually a look of peace settled over his face.

The ranger both heard and saw the leaves above him begin to quiver.  It wasn’t long before the  rustling spread to every tree still standing in the forest.  It was a joyous sound that had the elf smiling.

Aragorn’s heart filled with joy to see the elf’s reaction, and he, too, smiled.

The two friends spent a peaceful night of much-needed, restful sleep among the trees, knowing that they would alert Legolas if danger approached.

The next morning, both elf and ranger were greatly refreshed.

Legolas’s fever had broken before dawn and his wounds were beginning to heal.  It appeared that the lecture that Lord Elrond was sure to give both of them would not be quite so harsh, especially since neither elf nor ranger planned on telling the elf lord the full extent of what had happened.

The elven prince bid the trees farewell, telling them that he hoped to revisit them one day.

Not long after Legolas and Aragorn left the wood, they were   greeted by their horses, who had been faithfully waiting for their masters’ return. It was a happy reunion, to say the least.

The little party left the small wood behind them, as they continued on their way toward family and friends in Imladris.

Days later, as they neared the hidden valley that sheltered the elven realm of Lord Elrond Peredhil, there was no doubt in their minds that the snake had perished on the mountain.  There had been no evidence the creature had followed them, so it was believed that no longer would it be free to harm anyone else.

The snake was soon forgotten, as home beckoned the weary travelers. 

Back on the mountain, at the bottom of the cliff, lay the shattered remains of the  giant snake.

The extreme cold had numbed It’s body enough to prevent It’s muscles from working properly.  Extreme hunger had sapped It’s strength.  Combined, those two facts rendered It incapable of climbing out of the mountain depression. 

After much trying, It had finally lost It’s grip on the cliff top and fallen.

The snake was dead.

What no one knew, what no one could possibly have known, was that deep in a crevice, sheltered from the extreme weather and looking very much like the boulders that surrounded it, lay a giant egg.