Well…Here it is. Give me feed back.
Blue Dragoness – thank you for reviewing. I'm glad that you're enjoying this.
long under tree – I can leave you hanging. That's what makes this fun. Hahahaha.
Shinigamio - No. That wasn't the end of dear Egla Ash. Not exactly.
Lithia – No. I didn't kill off poor Egla Ash. Not exactly.
Aragorn and Gandalf were seated by a small fire, wreaths of fragrant smoke encircling them. A bandage was wrapped about the Ranger's brow. His wounds had been fairly light, though his body ached and weariness pounded through him.
"He will be alright, won't he, Gandalf?" He asked quietly looking across the fire to where Legolas lay sleeping.
"Yes. His wound was grievous, but he is healing. Elves are quite amazing in that way, you know. It was better that he took that wound than you." He turned his blue eyes on the Ranger. Usually they were bright, twinkling with mirth, but now they were hard and unforgiving as flint. "What were you thinking, Isildur's heir? You could have been killed."
Aragorn turned to gaze at the fire.
"I know." He murmured. Sometimes it would be simpler to be a mere Ranger.
"Well." Gandalf prompted, leaning forward. "Are you going to tell me what you and Thranduil's son were doing so far south? Indeed, standing at the very gates of Dol Guldur."
Aragorn allowed himself a small smile, knowing well how the answer would sound.
"We were trying to save an Orc."
"An Orc?! What foolishness is this?"
The man shrugged, pain shooting up his arm as he did so.
"He is Legolas' friend." He said simply, as if those four words could explain away the "foolishness" he'd exhibited in nearly revealing himself prematurely to Sauron.
"An Orc, an Elf's friend? Come now, you will have to do better than that. An Orc and an Elf. Hmph!" He replaced the pipe between his lips once more.
"It's a fairly long tale, Gandalf. Do you truly wish to hear it?"
"I'm not going anywhere."
Slowly Aragorn told him of Legolas' capture by the Orcs of Emyn Mor Esgal the year before and how the unlikely friendship between him and the Orc named Egla Ash had begun. His voice was soft on the night air, his eyes drawn to the stars. It reminded him of the Orc's first song. He smiled in fond remembrance as he told of his own first encounter with Egla Ash in northwestern Mirkwood, how he and Daneth had found the Orc singing alone in the woods.
"Orcs don't sing, Aragorn." Gandalf grunted, tapping the ash from his pipe into the fire. He drew more leaf from his pouch and repacked the pipe.
Aragorn smiled, knowing that the Wizard was beginning to forgive him for his "foolishness".
"I said the same thing when I met him. And he does indeed sing."
"Probably as sweetly as the prince does, yes?"
Aragorn laughed lightly.
"Perhaps not as sweetly as that." He looked over at Legolas. "He will not take this well, Gandalf. He feels this failure too keenly."
The Wizard's eyes traveled to the sleeping Elf. His eyes were not open, as Elves normally slept. They were closed, shutting out all around him.
"Tell me the rest of it, Aragorn." He said, his voice subdued.
His eyes still on Legolas, Isildur's heir told the rest of the tale as he knew it. But the end, Gandalf had a thoughtful look on his face.
"That is a very strange story you have told me." He shook his head. "Aragorn, you're loyalty to those you call friends is truly amazing. But you must be more careful. You must not go traipsing to strongholds held by the Enemy. Even with an Elf. Do you realize what could have happened if Sauron discovered you now?"
Aragorn sighed, dumping ash into the fire.
"I know. But you also know that I have not chosen to live a life in safety. If I had I would still be tucked away in Rivendell." He ran a hand through his dark hair. "This is the life I have chosen. To live in anonymity until the time for revelation is at hand. Not to live in total seclusion, locked off from life. I would rather die while helping my friends than sitting by quietly and letting things happen around me that I could change." He looked back across the fire. "But I do wonder what will happen now."
"You cannot be thinking of returning to Dol Guldur, can you?" Gandalf asked, his thick white brows knit.
Aragorn shook his head.
"No. I know that would be futile. Though I fear that is what Legolas will want to do."
"Well, we will not let him. We will make him see the hopelessness of this. I have been in that foul tower before and barely escaped with my life. Isildur's heir or no, I doubt that you would survive. Or Thranduil's son either. No. You must leave the Orc to his fate whatever that may be. Though it is a pity. A singing Orc. I would like to have met him."
The Ranger shifted, easing himself to lie flat on the ground, his eyes on the stars sparkling overhead.
"My mind sees your wisdom, Gandalf. But my heart speaks otherwise."
"All the same, I will not let you or Legolas return to Dol Guldur."
Legolas lay still, his eyes closed, but he no longer slept. His wound still pained him, but it was healing. Silent tears slid over his cheeks. He knew what Mithrandir had said was the only possible course. Egla Ash was gone. If the inhabitants of Dol Guldur didn't slay him, he would be changed. He opened his eyes, staring at the beauty above him.
Gar estel annan i elenath sila. [Have hope while the stars shine.]
The stars were shining, but hope was gone.
"Forgive me." He breathed. "Forgive me."
Deep beneath Dol Guldur the Orcs took great delight in tormenting their blue-eyed brother. His cries echoed from the stone walls and ceilings. But still he sang. Like an Elf. And the torture would escalate until the songs were stifled and stilled….Lost forever.
I Methed [The End]
?
Now I know what you're thinking. How could it end like that?! Well, maybe it didn't. Let me know if I should continue. Thank you all so much for your reviews. I enjoyed reading and rereading them. Elenath sila erin le!
Blue Dragoness – thank you for reviewing. I'm glad that you're enjoying this.
long under tree – I can leave you hanging. That's what makes this fun. Hahahaha.
Shinigamio - No. That wasn't the end of dear Egla Ash. Not exactly.
Lithia – No. I didn't kill off poor Egla Ash. Not exactly.
Aragorn and Gandalf were seated by a small fire, wreaths of fragrant smoke encircling them. A bandage was wrapped about the Ranger's brow. His wounds had been fairly light, though his body ached and weariness pounded through him.
"He will be alright, won't he, Gandalf?" He asked quietly looking across the fire to where Legolas lay sleeping.
"Yes. His wound was grievous, but he is healing. Elves are quite amazing in that way, you know. It was better that he took that wound than you." He turned his blue eyes on the Ranger. Usually they were bright, twinkling with mirth, but now they were hard and unforgiving as flint. "What were you thinking, Isildur's heir? You could have been killed."
Aragorn turned to gaze at the fire.
"I know." He murmured. Sometimes it would be simpler to be a mere Ranger.
"Well." Gandalf prompted, leaning forward. "Are you going to tell me what you and Thranduil's son were doing so far south? Indeed, standing at the very gates of Dol Guldur."
Aragorn allowed himself a small smile, knowing well how the answer would sound.
"We were trying to save an Orc."
"An Orc?! What foolishness is this?"
The man shrugged, pain shooting up his arm as he did so.
"He is Legolas' friend." He said simply, as if those four words could explain away the "foolishness" he'd exhibited in nearly revealing himself prematurely to Sauron.
"An Orc, an Elf's friend? Come now, you will have to do better than that. An Orc and an Elf. Hmph!" He replaced the pipe between his lips once more.
"It's a fairly long tale, Gandalf. Do you truly wish to hear it?"
"I'm not going anywhere."
Slowly Aragorn told him of Legolas' capture by the Orcs of Emyn Mor Esgal the year before and how the unlikely friendship between him and the Orc named Egla Ash had begun. His voice was soft on the night air, his eyes drawn to the stars. It reminded him of the Orc's first song. He smiled in fond remembrance as he told of his own first encounter with Egla Ash in northwestern Mirkwood, how he and Daneth had found the Orc singing alone in the woods.
"Orcs don't sing, Aragorn." Gandalf grunted, tapping the ash from his pipe into the fire. He drew more leaf from his pouch and repacked the pipe.
Aragorn smiled, knowing that the Wizard was beginning to forgive him for his "foolishness".
"I said the same thing when I met him. And he does indeed sing."
"Probably as sweetly as the prince does, yes?"
Aragorn laughed lightly.
"Perhaps not as sweetly as that." He looked over at Legolas. "He will not take this well, Gandalf. He feels this failure too keenly."
The Wizard's eyes traveled to the sleeping Elf. His eyes were not open, as Elves normally slept. They were closed, shutting out all around him.
"Tell me the rest of it, Aragorn." He said, his voice subdued.
His eyes still on Legolas, Isildur's heir told the rest of the tale as he knew it. But the end, Gandalf had a thoughtful look on his face.
"That is a very strange story you have told me." He shook his head. "Aragorn, you're loyalty to those you call friends is truly amazing. But you must be more careful. You must not go traipsing to strongholds held by the Enemy. Even with an Elf. Do you realize what could have happened if Sauron discovered you now?"
Aragorn sighed, dumping ash into the fire.
"I know. But you also know that I have not chosen to live a life in safety. If I had I would still be tucked away in Rivendell." He ran a hand through his dark hair. "This is the life I have chosen. To live in anonymity until the time for revelation is at hand. Not to live in total seclusion, locked off from life. I would rather die while helping my friends than sitting by quietly and letting things happen around me that I could change." He looked back across the fire. "But I do wonder what will happen now."
"You cannot be thinking of returning to Dol Guldur, can you?" Gandalf asked, his thick white brows knit.
Aragorn shook his head.
"No. I know that would be futile. Though I fear that is what Legolas will want to do."
"Well, we will not let him. We will make him see the hopelessness of this. I have been in that foul tower before and barely escaped with my life. Isildur's heir or no, I doubt that you would survive. Or Thranduil's son either. No. You must leave the Orc to his fate whatever that may be. Though it is a pity. A singing Orc. I would like to have met him."
The Ranger shifted, easing himself to lie flat on the ground, his eyes on the stars sparkling overhead.
"My mind sees your wisdom, Gandalf. But my heart speaks otherwise."
"All the same, I will not let you or Legolas return to Dol Guldur."
Legolas lay still, his eyes closed, but he no longer slept. His wound still pained him, but it was healing. Silent tears slid over his cheeks. He knew what Mithrandir had said was the only possible course. Egla Ash was gone. If the inhabitants of Dol Guldur didn't slay him, he would be changed. He opened his eyes, staring at the beauty above him.
Gar estel annan i elenath sila. [Have hope while the stars shine.]
The stars were shining, but hope was gone.
"Forgive me." He breathed. "Forgive me."
Deep beneath Dol Guldur the Orcs took great delight in tormenting their blue-eyed brother. His cries echoed from the stone walls and ceilings. But still he sang. Like an Elf. And the torture would escalate until the songs were stifled and stilled….Lost forever.
I Methed [The End]
?
Now I know what you're thinking. How could it end like that?! Well, maybe it didn't. Let me know if I should continue. Thank you all so much for your reviews. I enjoyed reading and rereading them. Elenath sila erin le!