Chapter Twenty Two

Legolas was forced to stop and rest both himself and Elenblaith several more times along the way. Even his elven endurance needed a break from the relentless pace he was setting. Happily for him, the nights remained clear and the stars shone as brightly as ever. However, there were no more trees to climb just as Legolas had believed. He saw them in the distance but couldn’t take the time to detour toward them. He kept his focus southward.

The elf was sure that his father, Estel and whoever of the others had come after him were forced to mirror his own movements and stop at least as often as he did. Believing this made him feel a little more comfortable. They wouldn’t be able to gain any time or distance on him that way. But, just to make sure, he intended on pushing as hard as he dared.

He knew it would take at least another full day to reach the secluded valley where Mordraug awaited. And, there was no doubt in the archer’s mind that the dark elf was waiting. Of course, Legolas knew that Mordraug was really expecting that Thranduil would be the one to show up, and that the attack on him in Rivendell had been merely a nudge in an effort to force the elven King to come to him.

The Mirkwood Prince dismounted and began to lead Elenblaith. The elf glanced back over his shoulder down the road he had just traveled. *Please, Ada, do not follow me. We both know what awaits, and I would have you safe,* he thought with grim determination. He shook his head, knowing full well that the plea was in vain, because Thranduil was most assuredly behind him and trying hard to catch up.

He idly wondered if Estel had given Thranduil his letter yet. He knew the reading of it would be harder than the writing of it had been. Yet, he thought that, in time, the letter would be a comfort to his father. At least, he hoped so.

In a little over an hour Legolas, who had remounted and was riding swiftly again, left the road and started cross country to the southeast. The road bypassed the valley by many miles and while it had afforded him smooth going until now, continuing on it any longer would take him too far from his destination.

He and Elenblaith would now be moving across ground that was broken and strewn with rocks. both large and small. He would have to slow his pace. In Legolas's mind, the only good thing about it was that those following would need to do the same. As long as they did, he could keep ahead of them.

Elenbllaith was making better time than Legolas had dared hope. The gray stallion picked his way among the rocks and up and down the little hills and valleys of the broken land and still managed to keep to a gallop most of the time. It brought a smile to the elf’s face. He was letting the horse choose his own path and speed, and he was being rewarded by seeing the scenery move past him fairly rapidly.

Legolas rode into the night and once again stopped to take a break. As he himself rested, he thought of Estel. He missed having the ranger with him. So many times they had left either Rivendell or Mirkwood together to go hunting, or to track down the details of some mystery that had intrigued them. More than once, Elrond had sent them, sometimes with the twins, to gather information of some kind. Often they had just wanted to be in each other’s company for a while. There were a whole myriad of reasons that the two friends had gone adventuring together. Now, those times had come to an end, all because of Mordraug’s ambition to rule Mirkwood.

Unwilling to continue his dark thoughts of what lay ahead, Legolas wanted to lighten the mood in his mind. So, he searched through his memories for one of the more humorous moments of the journeys he and Estel had made. As if to give him a helping hand with his search, thunder began to rumble over the mountains where dark clouds had moved in, though they didn’t seem to be threatening th elf’s location, which remained clear. The wind was blowing them to the north. However, it served to remind him of an incident that happened several years ago.

***

Estel had gone to the woodland realm in the hopes of getting Legolas so they could go hunting. Thranduil had not been pleased to see the human show up. His first thought had been to tell Aragorn that Legolas was too busy with his patrols to go off on a vacation. Legolas had known his father’s thoughts simply because he knew his father. Legolas came close to telling Thranduil that his trips with Estel were often too harrowing to be called vacations. Real life was the vacation. He had thought better of mentioning that little comment, knowing that doing so would surely end all hope of leaving with his friend.

Legolas kept his mouth shut except to ask for permission to go. He was full grown, but he was also a subject of the King, as well as one of the realm’s most valuable warriors, so Thranduil would have to temporarily release him from his duties. Legolas was actually due a leave, as all warriors received every three months, from the stresses of the constant dangers that were spreading inside of Mirkwood.

“Why does it always have to be something involving that human,* Thranduil had thought at the time. In the end, the King, to please his son, had given his permission, with the stipulation that Legolas return in no more than eight days. He was determined that his son would spend a few quiet days of his leave with his family. Legolas had happily agreed.

The elf and the ranger rode through the forest of Mirkwood until they finally broke out of the trees and headed for the Anduin. They rode along the river’s eastern shore, passing closer to Dol Guldûr than they would have liked. However, they soon left the evil place behind them without even a hint of trouble. That fact alone should have given them cause to worry about what might yet happen.

Before the two friends could reach their intended choice of hunting grounds, it started raining. It rained, and it rained, and it rained. For three days it rained relentlessly. There was not a single patch of skin or cloth on either of them that wasn’t soaked through. Even their horses were finding the torrential downpour exceedingly unpleasant.

Estel had the hood of his cloak pulled done low over his face, but it did noting to keep the man‘s head dry. Water constantly dripped down along the edges of the fabric. He felt like he was standing behind a waterfall.

Legolas normally wasn’t bothered too much by rain, but even an elf got tired of being exposed for three days to the torrents that were assaulting him. He couldn’t believe that there could be that much water in the low gray clouds that seemed to hang just above their heads. *The rest of Middle-earth must be exceedingly dry,* he mused.

As much as he loved Nature, Legolas had finally had enough of this particular part of it and pulled the hood of his own cloak over his head. He soon found himself behind the twin of the waterfall that plagued his human companion.

As bad luck would have it, the particular stretch of land they were passing through was flat and there was no shelter to be found anywhere near. They would have to keep moving to reach the caves that littered the high ridges above the river several miles south. At least, they had hope. Shelter wasn’t too far away.

“I’ve never seen it rain this hard for this long,” the ranger said to his elven friend, riding close beside him. “I think the Valar is against us.” He chuckled to himself, then added, “I think your father pleaded his case to them so you’d return to Mirkwood much sooner than you planned.” Aragorn made a sound that closely resembled a growl. “This is ridiculous.”

Legolas laughed. “You sure do get grumpy when you get wet.”

“This goes beyond just wet,” Aragorn grumbled. “I think my bones are soaked.”

Legolas laughed even harder. It may have been a musical sound in ordinary circumstances, but it came at the wrong time, because right then it greatly irritated the man. Aragorn glared at his friend. “Impossible elf,” he muttered.

The ‘impossible elf’ shook his head. He mumbled something, but not having the same elven hearing that his friend had, Aragorn couldn‘t make out what was being said. Under the circumstances, he could well imagine it wasn’t a compliment.

Finally, after several more hours, they entered hilly terrain and Legolas soon led the way to a small cave in the closest ridge to them. It wasn’t deep or overly high, but it was large enough to fit the two companions and both of their horses into. There was even room to turn around inside---barely.

Water dripped down from several fissures in the stone ceiling, and formed little puddles in various places on the cave floor. The water that dripped from their hair and clothes added to the puddles. They could not start a fire, since all potential fuel was soaked as badly as they were. There would be no warmth in the chilly cave and no hot meal. Having to sit in drenched clothes, with no way to dry them, served to add to their misery.

All of those things were wearing their nerves thin. It didn’t take long for tempers to flare.

“There are other caves around here,” Aragorn complained morosely. “Couldn’t you have found one a bit larger? I keep getting hit in the face by a long tail.” The man swatted at his horse’s tail for what seemed like the dozenth time, trying to get it out of his mouth where several long strands had stuck. He couldn’t move far enough to get away from the water that dropped down on him from above. He also couldn’t put his feet anywhere that was not in a puddle of water.

Legolas just stared at the human. “I found us shelter, which I noticed you were eager enough to enter a few moments ago. Besides, you are a ranger. Could you not have been the one to locate sufficient shelter?”

“I seem to recall you saying, ‘I know just the place.’ I merely followed you, thinking, erroneously it appears, that you would lead us to a cave we could actually fit into. After all, you are the one who lives on this side of the mountains.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” the elf asked with irritation in his voice. “I repeat. You are the ranger here, always traveling far and wide. You act like you have never been around here before. I was simply trying to find the first place that offered us a chance to get in out of the rain. I certainly would not have stopped you from pointing out another cave that would have been more suitable, if you had bothered to do so.” Anger flashed in the elf’s blue-gray eyes.

Legolas turned around and tried to set his pack down in a corner of the cave. It kept falling over, which didn‘t improve his mood any. “You are the one that is always telling me how good you are at finding things.” He mumbled the words, almost to himself, but Aragorn heard them well enough.

Legolas sat down in a move that little resembled elven grace. He had finally stuffed his pack into a small crevice and stared at it, seemingly daring it to fall out.

“Maybe, it would have been better if your father had kept you in Mirkwood on patrol. It couldn’t have soured your mood any worse than the rain has,” Aragorn declared petulantly.

“The rain has not soured my mood. It is the company I am keeping.” A measure of familiar arrogance had crept into the elf’s voice.

The two glared at each other. Legolas narrowed his eyes. Most people would have been forced to look away from that stare. Aragorn was not fazed by it in the least. Not only had he seen it numerous times on Legolas's face, but he had also grown up seeing that same look on Lord Elrond‘s face, who Estel decided was the only one he knew who could outstare the Mirkwood prince.

Since neither of the companions could move far from the other, they just turned away with their backs to each other. Both refused to say another word, preferring to stew in silence.

After only a few moments Aragorn began to laugh. Legolas turned his head and glanced sideways at his friend and then joined in the laughter. The two turned to face each other. “We are acting like children,” the elf said, almost sheepishly.

“I know,” Aragorn admitted, equally as sheepish. “It’s only water. We shouldn’t let it ruin our friendship.”

“Ruin our friendship? That is a little dramatic, is it not?”

Aragorn grinned. “A little, I guess. All right, ruin is a bit overstated,” he admitted.

The two companions then moved closer to each other. Aragorn dug into his pack and pulled out two pieces of dried meat, which were a bit on the soggy side. “Hungry?” he asked, as he handed one of the pieces to the elf.

Legolas nodded and took the offering. He wrinkled his nose at the slightly spongy piece of meat, then shrugged and took a bite. He didn’t care for the damp texture, but it tasted fine.

“I’m just glad there were no witnesses to the display of our lack of maturity,” the ranger said with obvious relief.

“There were two,” the elf said, pointing at the two stallions standing almost on top of them. Both companions could have sworn that their horses were grinning at them.

The laughter of ranger and archer was soon bouncing around the walls of the small cave.

“Shall we look for larger quarters?” Aragorn asked.

“We might as well,” Legolas replied. “We certainly cannot get any wetter in the attempt.”

***

That memory was only a tiny moment in all the vast collection of them that the two friends had shared, but it was one that now put a smile on the elf’s face. There were so very many moments to remember that Legolas hoped that, in time, Estel would think of them and be as glad that he had known the elf, as Legolas was that he had known the ranger.

Still smiling, Legolas watched the stars until it was time to resume the journey.

By midmorning of the next day, Legolas was again resting Elenblaith by walking for a time. The horse followed close behind his elven master.

When the two rounded an outcropping of high rocks, Legolas stopped in his tracks, causing the gray stallion to bump into the elf’s back. Legolas took no notice, because no more than two miles ahead of him rose the cliffs that surrounded the valley forest.

To the casual observer the cliffs looked solid, more like a mountain with the top flattened out. No one who didn’t know would even guess that those cliffs contained a valley covered by a lush, though dark, forest.

Luckily, Aragorn had explained to him how to find the hidden entrance when they had approached from the opposite end three weeks earlier. Since he had been unconscious when they had left this end of the valley, Legolas hadn’t seen it for himself. Yet, he was sure Estel’s detailed description would prove quite accurate.

Legolas stared at the spot in the rock facing where he believed the gap that would take him toward Mordraug was located. With a sigh, he mounted Elenblaith and headed directly toward it.

TBC