The healer (Legolas love story)

Chapter 10: Dark memories

One or two hours passed and Gandalf had not found the words yet. The sound of throwing something in the water made Nestarel jump. Merry was throwing stones into the water. Aragorn took his hand before he could throw another. "Do not disturb the water.".

Nestarel looked at the circles which were propagated on the surface of the water. Somehow, looking at the lake made her feel sick. She felt a squeeze on her shoulder, turned and saw Legolas watching her. she gave him a reassuring smile which he returned.

Gandalf threw his wand away and sat at a stone, frustrated. "It's useless.". Said Gandalf.

"It's a riddle. 'Speak 'friend' and enter.' What's the Elvish word for 'friend'?" Asked Frodo. Everyone was watching him now. "Mellon." Said Gandalf and suddenly the doors began to open. Gandalf stood and patted Frodo's shoulder.

Everyone picked their bags up and went for the Entrance. And slowly they went inside. The stale air filled their noises. Gimli was giving a speech. "Soon, master elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the dwarves.".

Nestarel quickly halted when she entered the mines. She grabbed Legolas' hand tightly. The dark memories of the past suddenly fell on her. She began to tremble hard and her body became cold. Legolas put his arm around her. "Nesta!" He called her worriedly. "I know this smell." Said Nestarel with a barely audible sound. "We should go out, Legolas. We should go out. Death..." She said. Her heart was hammering in her chest. She clenched her chest. The sound of Screams filled her ears, her own screams. "What's wrong?" asked Aragorn quietly and walked over to her and Legolas. Legolas was worried sick. "We should go out. Something is wrong with her." he said.

"Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone! This, my friend, is the home of my cousin Balin. And they call it a mine. A mine!" Continued Gimli as they walked more into the tunnel. Gandalf raised his wand and whispered a spell. The stone on his wand began to shine and revealed a horror in front of them. Just a few meters ahead a long row of stairs was laid and Everywhere skeleton bodies could be seen still having their weapons in hand.

"This is no mine. It's a tomb." snarled Boromir. "No... No!" cried Gimli, sadly.

Nestarel looked around and immediately felt nauseous. Legolas bent down and took an arrow out of one of the skeleton bodies' chest. He examined it for a second. "Goblins." he said disgusted and throw it at the ground and placed an arrow in his bow.

"We should make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here." Said Boromir.

"Now, get out of here. Get out!" shouted Gandalf, but something happened at the same time. They heard Sam shouted. "Frodo!".

"Help!" Frodo's call for help was enough to bring them out of their trance. They all ran outside and saw the waters of the lake seething as if a host of snakes were swimming up from the southern end. Out from the water, a long sinuous tentacle had crawled. It was pale green and luminous and wet. Its fingered end had hold of Frodo's foot and was dragging him into the water. Sam was on his knees, slashing at it with a knife. The arm let go of Frodo, and Sam pulled him away, crying out for help. Twenty other arms came rippling out. The dark water boiled, and there was a hideous stench. Suddenly more arms came out and throw Sam away and caught Frodo and raised him high in the air. Boromir and Aragorn ran into the water and try to cut every tentacle that came on their way toward Frodo. Legolas was standing in the shore and shooting arrows at the monster. The monster released Frodo and roared in agony. Frodo fell into outstretched hands of Boromir who turned and ran toward the shore and cried "Legolas!". Legolas shot an arrow into the monster's eye and made it retreat for a moment.

"Into the mines!" shouted Gandalf and everyone ran inside. They were just in time. Sam and Frodo were only a few steps up, and Gandalf had just begun to climb when the groping tentacles writhed across the narrow shore and fingered the cliff-wall and the doors. One came wriggling over the threshold, glistening in the starlight. They all turned and paused. Many coiling arms seized the doors on either side and with horrible strength, swung them round. With a shattering echo they slammed, and all light was lost. A noise of rending and crashing came dully through the ponderous stone and then silence fell. Only their panting could be heard.