Bearded

Chapter 15

We had ridden at a slow walk for about an hour then paused in the shadow of a copse of trees which lay close to a small outcropping of rock. Erebor was behind us and Legolas seemed to have drawn strength from the growing things around us.

Legolas lifted his leg then swung it to the side, so that he was now seated side-saddle in the manner of the women of Gondor. Then he leaned back and twisted again, bringing round his other leg so that he was now facing opposite to the direction of travel. Our legs tangled together.

Now Legolas spoke. "Gimli-nin. I am thinking of another time on Arod, that started all this. On that day, I recall that I was riding, singing with the birds, listening to the messages on the wind, as you sat behind me. Suddenly, I could smell your desire. I could smell the salt, not just of your sweat, but a new smell. Legolas traced a soft finger on Gimli's cheek and smiled a smile full of intent.

Legolas leaned down for a kiss then felt an arrow rushing past his head. The setting sun dazzled his eyes. He would not otherwise have missed the movement from the shadows by the trees. The flash of metal now gave the enemy's position away. Legolas' hands acted of their own volition. He reached for Gimli's throwing axe and in an instant, it was arcing towards the Orc's throat.

But lo! Arod had reared and screamed. With a cry of hatred that stung the ears like venom, as the Orc fell there came another deadly flying dart. A moment later he heard a dull impact. Something had pierced Arod, and the blood was already staining his flanks red. No. It was Gimli. Gimli had been hit! His heart cried out within him.

As Arod reared again I saw Gimli lose his balance, his eyes wide and his mouth open in a frozen cry of astonishment as he fell. Gimli struck the stony ground. Then there was only hard, cold silence.

"Gimli!" I shouted, but Gimli made no answer. He did not open his eyes or look up. Legolas felt lightheaded for a long moment.

With a cry of bitter pain Legolas leapt from the horse, and in grief and dismay fell upon Gimli. As Legolas bent over him, tears blinded him and through a mist he looked on and with another part of his mind noticed the dust and grit now in Gimli's hair as he lay still on the ground and did not move. Legolas folded in on himself as one who is pierced by an arrow through his heart; and then his face went deathly white; and a cold fury rose.

I took the battle axe and held it ready in case more Orcs sprung out at us.

I scanned the area. The Orc seemed to have been alone. The Orcs which had fled from battlefields were still causing trouble, scrounging and scavenging. It must have escaped the many raiding parties which had been picking off Orcs, by hiding in this copse of trees and rock.

It was only Gimli's faint groan that broke me from startled immobility. I gathered him up in my arms and placed him on Arod's back balancing him against the horse. Arod held still as I sprung up, then I cradled Gimli's limp form. His faint movements were sluggish and uncoordinated, and his breathing was laboured.

"Legolas," he whispered. Then Gimli said his own secret dark Name. "Remember my Name so you can find me." A terrible rage took me, and I urged Arod to ride on, faster than he had ever done before.

Arod knew the way back. All Legolas could do was hold onto Gimli and pray that they did not fall off. The arrow still protruded from Gimli's side. He was not in any sort of armour and only chance had allowed the blow not to fall at his centre mass. Legolas knew that to remove it without healers present could cause Gimli to lose the entire volume of his lifeblood in moments. Minutes passed and Legolas grew more frantic and cold fear pooled in his chest replacing the anger as he saw the dark stain spreading. His prayers became a chant. Gimli's breathing became more laboured. Was this his punishment for taking a Dwarf to spouse? To have watched him survive the battlefield, only to watch his lifeblood spill through his hands onto the stones from which he claimed to have sprung? "Forgive me, Gimli. It is my fault; I should have kept watch."

"Ride on!" cried Legolas. "It is haste we need, Arod. Ride on!" He could speak now only words of Silvan, the tongue his dark-haired mother had whispered at his cradle. Arod still understood the utter desperation in his master's voice.

Almost unexpectedly, through the fading half-light they came on the guards at the gates of Erebor.

In the deepening dusk the rising moon was obscured by a great sailing cloud, but suddenly it rode out clear again. The guards at the gate all heard the sound of hooves, and at the same moment they saw a dark shape coming swiftly from the side of the mountain. The twilight glinted here and there on the points of their spears. When the horse was some fifty paces off, the stout Dwarf they had spoken to as they left the mountain cried out in a loud voice:

"Halt! Halt! Who goes there?"

Arod came to a sudden stand. A silence followed: and then, a horseman could be seen dismounting bearing a burden. He ran forward, stumbling as one that is blind. Legolas dropped the battle axe, now covered in blood, then lowered Gimli's insensate form on the ground as gently as he could, with the missile still protruding from his side.

Two guards snatched Gimli up and another put his blade to Legolas' throat, and once again time began to move more slowly. In that silent waste the last hope seemed to bleed out of him, for now he saw one side of Arod's white coat was covered in Gimli's blood.

In his despair Legolas came upon an unexpected valley in his mind's eye, narrow, but with deep sides. It opened out suddenly and to his surprise it seemed to offer peace and light. He knew this was a valley one could never climb from. It offered him release from the torment. An Elf who fell into this embrace would never have to come out again, to face the pain. But Legolas had to be sure. Gimli's face had been grey, but if he yet lived... Legolas stepped back from the precipice in his mind. He could hear the voices around him. He felt his hands bound but offered no resistance.

Then one blew a long call on a horn. Other horns answered it and Dwarrow rushed forth from the mountain.

At the edge of his vision he saw Dwarrow move towards him. They dragged Legolas – not too gently, for they did not love Elves and saw that he had killed Gimli. From ancient days the Elves had been their enemies. The Greybeard guard assessed the situation. "This news should be told to Stonehelm at once."