Lord Of The Rings Fan Fiction ❯ Legolas and the Rangers ❯ The Solution: The River Anduin ( Chapter 11 )

Chapter 11

 

The Solution: The River Anduin

 

Elrond stared at Blaen and his heart clenched painfully within him. He could not help but recall the young Legolas and the way he had so readily opened his heart to Elrond in his time of need.

 

Still, his mind ruthlessly squashed his heart as the elven lord within took charge. Blaen was still tired and weak; he would need rest before Elrond dragged a more detailed description of events out of the young ranger. A new guard would need to be sent with Blaen back to the rangers and the search parties needed to be reorganized to continue the search for the woodland prince. Not only that but the twins also needed to be alerted as they had requested.

 

The only task remaining was what? What and how had everything happened?

 

Standing, Elrond smoothed his robes and bent to check the dressings on the ranger's leg. Straightening up, satisfied that the wound was healing nicely, Elrond turned his gaze back to Blaen. Blaen's face was a mixture of agony and self condemnation.

 

`If he saved your life at the cost of his own as you say then it was never your fault to begin with. Do not be so quick to lay blame on your shoulders young one,' said Elrond seeking to sooth the ranger's pain.

 

Blaen shook his head stubbornly, `you do not know what happened,' he argued.

 

`I know enough to know that self sacrifice is never anyone's fault,' answered Elrond. `It is the choice of that person only and made knowing that the person making the sacrifice is doing it to hopefully make a difference.'

 

Blaen glanced gratefully at Elrond before retuning his gaze back to his lap.

 

`All I want to know for now is what happened in as brief a way as you can put it,' said Elrond. `After that you need plenty of rest and then with any luck, I will send you back to your troop and you will make it all the way this time. I do not want to have to patch you up a third time,' said Elrond, the barest of smiles tugging at his mouth to let the ranger know he was kidding.

 

Blaen smiled thankfully in return before his face once again succumbed to the pained mask it had formally been.

 

And he told Elrond.

 

He explained what had happened with the underground cavern and for the first time in many weeks, felt his heart lighten. He had not realised the heaviness of the burden he bore and he was truly gratified to finally be rid of it.

 

Elrond did not interrupt and once Blaen was done, he departed and returned with a fine meal from the kitchens which he passed to the young ranger who realised actually how hungry he was.

 

With a final word to rest, Elrond left the room. His heart was heavy but a slither of hope remained. They had not found the body and until such a time, Legolas could only be assumed to still be alive. `He had to be,' thought Elrond reverently because Elrond did not know if Thranduil could take the loss of his youngest son.

 

* * *

 

Elladan exhaled sharply and his breath fogged in the chilly morning air before him. Grumbling at the disgusting weather, Elladan pulled his cloak more securely about his shoulders and headed back down the mountain side towards his brother.

 

`Anything?' asked Elrohir. `No, not a sign of any living creature around for miles and miles,' answered the elder twin. Elrohir sighed, he had expected as much.

 

`I am so tired of all this,' grumbled Elrohir. `We have done nothing but search for weeks and still have found no sign of Legolas.'

 

Without Blaen, the twins had known it would be difficult to find the original cavern. Frustrated at their lack of success, Elrohir idly snapped off pieces of scrub and broke them into pieces as small as he could make them.

 

`Maybe we're not looking at this the right way,' mused Elladan. `We're not?' asked Elrohir in reply. `No we're not,' answered Elladan. Elrohir frowned at his brother, sensing that Elladan was suddenly thinking along a new line of thought.

 

`We're looking for the collapsed tunnel of an underground stream,' explained Elladan. `Think back to all those geography lessons with Erestor,' continued Elladan earnestly. `Unless it's a pond or the sea, water is always found in something that is flowing. It never remains still, so even if we found the cavern, Legolas wouldn't be there would he?'

 

Elrohir nodded in understanding. `So what are you saying then?' he asked. `I'm saying,' continued Elladan excitedly, `that's there's only one place around here that any sort of water is bound to flow to.'

 

`The river Anduin!' cried Elrohir finally comprehending what Elladan meant. `That is the only place he could possibly be so it's about time we got down off these mountains and started searching the banks of the river and the surrounding plains and foothills,' said Elladan hurrying down the path past his brother.

 

`You're right,' agreed Elrohir following Elladan. `Hold on Legolas,' thought Elrohir, `we're coming.'

 

* * *

 

`Absolutely not,' said Elrond firmly. `You are not going back out into the wilds, it is far too early and I have more important matters to deal with at the moment including your welfare.'

 

`Nay my Lord,' argued Blaen stubbornly. `I am hale enough and you need everyone you can get, especially me as I was the last one to see him alive and know exactly where he was lost.'

 

Elrond turned, fixing the stubborn young ranger with a piercing glare. Blaen was surprised by the intensity of it and a little shocked. He had not argued with the seemingly gentle elven lord yet and he had not truly expected this other side to Elrond.

 

`You think foolishly then indeed,' answered Elrond softly, his voice deadly and threatening. `Legolas will not be where you last saw him; he will be out on the plains and most likely heading towards Mirkwood to beat the winter storms depending on his condition. If he is well enough however, he will most likely attempt the journey back through the high pass.'

 

`If, like you say,' continued Elrond, `he fell into an underground stream, then the one place it's going to flow is down towards the river Anduin. He will be there and no where else more likely then not. If we are unlucky and he has passed, then he could possibly have floated all the way to the sea by now, though that is unlikely. Another scenario is the fact that his body could have become lost underground but let us hope not and that he still lives.'

 

Elrond watched the ranger, noting the rigid posture and the stubborn fire still lingering in the youth's eyes. Elrond sighed in frustration. He did not have time to deal with this.

 

`Please,' he implored. `Just wait another week if you absolutely insist on going.'

 

For a moment Elrond feared Blaen would not accept but he abruptly conceded with a curt, `fine,' before turning on heel and limping stiffly back into the house.

 

* * *

 

Elladan paused; the dangerously narrow path they were taking back down towards the plains was becoming harder and harder to see in the rapidly cooling evening as the fog swept in.

 

There was a cave they might stop at for the night relatively near but the path between where he and Elrohir were and the cave was even more treacherous. Lichens grew upon the rocks making them incredibly slippery in the damp conditions and one misplaced foot was all it would take to send either twin plummeting to their doom some hundred yards below.

 

`Of course,' mused Elladan darkly, `we have no choice but to find the cave.'

 

`Are we nearly there?' asked Elrohir from behind Elladan. He did not remember the way as well as his twin and wanted their dangerous task to be over as soon as possible.

 

`Nearly,' answered Elladan. `It is only just around a bend roughly twenty yards from here. We will be there soon gwador, do not worry, just be careful.'

 

`Easier said then done,' grumbled Elrohir. `I do not-,' began Elrohir when suddenly the very thing Elladan and Elrohir had been trying to avoid happened.

 

Elladan slipped.

 

`No!,' screamed Elrohir racing forward as he watched his brother's feet skid off the side of the path. Elladan crashed heavily against the path and scrabbled desperately for a handhold only to find none.

 

Elrohir slipped on the path and nearly fell himself. The moment it took Elrohir to recover was enough. Elladan slipped over the side and disappeared from sight.

 

`Elladan!' cried Elrohir his voice cracking in terror. He dropped to his knees where Elladan had fallen and peered desperately over the edge but there was no sign of the eldest son of Elrond.

 

He was gone.