Wanderlust (Legolas LOTR)

Descent

True to Elrohir's word, they reached the foothills of the Grey Mountains just as the sun began to sink in the west, leaving long shadows stretched across their path, which became increasingly steep and strewn with heavy boulders. Lurched between the jagged peaks of the Grey Mountains, the valley known as the Withered Heath certainly met expectations--as if all semblance of life had shriveled and died, leaving behind a deadened landscape that Legolas found both grim and other-worldly. Legolas marveled at the wind-twisted trees, gnarled and blackened, their bases thick with tangled, dried out briars. Soon the worn down footpath faded into dust and the elves' procession slowed to a stop in the shadows.

Elladan summoned the others as he produced several thick looking pieces of parchment from his bag. Once everybody had convened and he was sure of their undivided attention, he explained his plan: "These are maps of the area," he said, carefully unrolling one to show it to the group. "The Great Worms only journey here to breed once every thousand years. Many hundreds of years ago, Lord Glorfindel made this journey and destroyed many nests; when he returned to Rivendell, he mapped out the area and the location of the nests with the help of my father. I made copies so each group would have one. "

Elrohir joined in. "We have divided the area into three sections, so we can scour the valley and caves while covering as much ground as possible. Elladan will go with Legolas and Thaliniel. I will go with Selaer--and Belduil, Nalgir, and Galanor will form the last group. We will reconvene here in a day's time."

The three groups broke apart and quickly began to assemble their weaponry and supplies necessary for their task. No campfires were made, and all the horses were turned loose. Elladan approached Thaliniel and Legolas with a grim smile, and presented the maiden with a wickedly sharp-looking blade, a short sword of elven make.

"I can hardly let you go with us unarmed, my lady; we brought as many weapons as we could," Elladan said, offering the weapon to her, which Thaliniel picked up cautiously.

She exchanged a doubtful look with Legolas and gave her new blade a timid practice swing. "I suppose I will finally have some more exciting bedtime tales for Narylfiel after this." Thaliniel guessed that staying behind with the wagon was not an option.

"Let us hope you may never have need to use it," Legolas said to her quietly. "And it figures we would get stuck in the group with Lord 'know-it-all' Elladan."

Thaliniel suppressed her urge to chuckle, and if Elladan heard the prince's remark, he pretended not to. Soon thereafter, they left the opening in the mountains and proceeded down into the valley, where gloomy shadows deepened into a dark pool.

"Stay close now," advised Elladan as he handed the map to Legolas. "We will not wish to be separated on our intended path, so I can ensure that no harm will come to you."

Legolas bristled at the remark as he tucked the parchment into his vest. As if he required special protection!

They followed him into a blackened ravine, where the rock walls steepened and closed around them, and Elladan searched for a small opening-a crack in the rock face that served as the closest entrance to the labyrinthine caverns within the mountainside. The still air around them grew cold and dank, and Legolas thoughtfully moved to the rear of their line, so that Thaliniel would be sandwiched between the two warriors.

"I think I see the entrance, or feel it rather!" Thaliniel exclaimed in a hushed whisper. "I felt a warm breeze just now on the side of my neck--where there could not possibly be any source of a draft."

"Unless there was a cave!" surmised Elladan, and the elf quickly reached into his bag and pulled out a milky white stone which brightened in the darkness and gave forth a dull beam of light, but bright enough to illuminate a circle around the elves' surroundings.