The Lastborn: A Middle Earth Story(Book 1)(EDITING)

Chapter 24: The Cave

They made it part of the way through the Ettenmoors by nightfall, encountering little to no trouble. They stopped and decided to look for a good place to camp for the night. They split into two groups, Kalan and Gerithor in one and Sarina and Eldahir in another. The dwarf and the young ranger scoured the landscape, looking for a well sheltered and hidden area where they could build a small fire without being seen.
   Suddenly, Kalan let out a shout. Gerithor ran over to him and saw that the dwarf had found a small cave.
   "Trust a dwarf to find ya a cave lad," he said, touching a finger to the side of his nose and winking. Gerithor let a small smile tug at the corners of his mouth.
   "Let's make sure it isn't inhabited," Gerithor said as he drew his sword and stepped into the cave. It smelled unusual... Like water. At that moment Gerithor laid his eyes upon a small stream trickling through the back of the cave.
   "This looks like the perfect place to set up camp," Gerithor said as he grinned and turned to the dwarf. "Thank you."
   Kalan shrugged. "Just pullin my weight."
They both searched every corner of the cave. It was rather small, and didn't have any crevices for creatures to hide in. Gerithor nodded, satisfied.
He left and returned several minutes later with Sarina and Eldahir, who were laughing about something that had happened while they were separated from the others. Gerithor smiled, glad to see his friend happy and carefree. He moved to a solitary corner of the cave and stared at the cascading water of the small stream.
He felt a presence next to him and looked over to see Kalan sitting next to him.
"So why are you hunting this... Arnakhor fellow? Other than the fact he's pure evil incarnate of course." The dwarf studied Gerithor's expression.
"He killed my mother. And father." Gerithor said the words carefully, trying to hold back the hate seeping through them. "He's killed many good people. And he'll kill other people's parents, and children, and anyone else who gets in his way if someone doesn't kill him first."
"That's a noble goal lad. My parents were killed at Erebor when the dragon attacked. It gave me some closure when he was finally slain." Kalan pulled out a long pipe after a moment and lit it, breathing deeply and smiling.
   "Do ya have a pipe?" He looked at Gerithor curiously.
   "No... I've never tried using one." Gerithor flashed a lopsided grin.
   "Until now!" Kalan pulled out another pipe from his pocket. "Always carry a spare! Here!" He handed it to Gerithor. Gerithor filled it and lit it, taking a deep breath and letting the smoke fill his lungs.
   Suddenly he started coughing violently. Kalan began laughing and thumped the young ranger on the back. "You'll get used to it lad, takes some time."
   Gerithor recovered and slowly tried again. This time he didn't breath it into his lungs.
   "It's... Actually not bad!" He said, letting out a wisp of smoke from between his lips.
   "Not bad? That's some of the best pipeweed in Middle Earth! The halflings grew it!" Kalan laughed and blew out a smoke ring, watching it sail into the middle of the cave.
   They sat in quiet discussion for a short while longer, then Gerithor decided to go and set up the fire. When he had started it Eldahir and Sarina walked over and sat down next to it.
   "Thanks for the help friend," Gerithor said sarcastically and rolled his eyes at Eldahir. Then he broke into a roguish grin and winked.
   "I'm sure you were busy, it's alright." He raised an eyebrow and looked back and forth between Eldahir and Sarina. Eldahir flushed red and Sarina frowned.
   "What are you talking about?" She said as she narrowed her eyes at Gerithor.
    "Nothing! Nothing at all!" He sat down on the opposite side of the fire from them and waved Kalan over. The dwarf sat down on a rock, smoking his pipe contentedly.
   It quickly got dark outside, and with the disappearance of the sun the cave grew darker, leaving only a small circle of light around the fire.
   "Well this is certainly a little unsettling," Eldahir said and looked around into the darkness.
   "I agree. Does anyone know any scary stories?" Sarina wiggled her eyebrows comically.
    "No, not those! They're too scary for me." Kalan blew out another smoke ring and laughed.
   Gerithor tried to think.... Just then his eyes landed on the ring, and he remembered a story Aragorn had told him one time when they were camped in the Ettenmoors.
   "I have a story," Gerithor said quietly. His three companions turned to look at him. Sarina smiled and raised an eyebrow.
   "Is it really scary?"
   "When I first heard it I thought so. But you can judge that for yourself." Gerithor winked at her. He cleared his throat and began.
   "Long ago one of the Seven Dwarven rings fell into the hands of a man named Charadrius. The man became so enthralled by the ring that he forsook food and drink, even his family, and went into the wilds with it. All his thought was bent on the ring, and for many years he dwelt in the wilderness. It poisoned him, turning him into a twisted, vile monster. One day he lost the ring in a storm, and ever since he's hunted for it. Some say even now the creature stalks the Ettenmoors in search of its ring. Men have claimed to see a shadow on the edge of the wilds, and occasionally livestock will be found dead, torn apart but uneaten. They say this is because the monster is looking everywhere for its ring. The few who have claimed to have seen it say it has long claws, and a bloodshot white face... Almost humanlike. But it lost its humanity long ago." Gerithor looked at the faces of his companions. Kalan wore a slightly amused expression. Eldahir was looking around the cave nervously, and Sarina was staring at Gerithor with an expression of fear.
   "Relax, it's just a story. A silly one at that. It scared me when I was younger but now it just sounds ridiculous." He smiled reassuringly at Sarina.
   "But you have one of the Seven." Sarina said, not convinced.
   Gerithor looked down at the ring. It looked pale in the light of the fire. Something about it made him feel uneasy. He laughed softly and tried to brush the feeling off.
   "Well, you wanted a scary story. That one is both scary and slightly relevant to our current situation, so I think it worked." He smiled at Sarina. She finally smiled back.
   "You're right, it is kind of silly. Just the same, I think I've had enough of scary stories for now." She laughed lightly and laid down on her side.
   One by one the companions drifted away. Eldahir curled up in his cloak and fell asleep. Kalan sat with his back against the rock, snoring loudly. Sarina lay next to the fire, staring into it. Gerithor was sitting on a rock across the fire from her, looking at the flames as they danced rhythmically. Sarina broke the silence with a soft whisper.
   "Why did Caledorn give you that ring?" She looked at Gerithor. He shifted uncomfortably.
   "I'm not entirely sure. I don't think he trusted himself with it."
   "But he trusted you." She looked at him with shining eyes.
   "Aye. I don't know why he chose me though." Gerithor looked down at the ring again. It seemed slightly smaller than before... His mind must be playing tricks on him, he thought.
   "Can we go outside for a moment?" Sarina said softly.
   "Some fresh air would do me good, why not?" Gerithor stood up, glad to be going outside again, at least for a little while. He followed Sarina to the cave mouth, where she leaned against the rock and looked out over the barren landscape.
   "Things have changed a lot for me in the past month. I went from living a relatively normal life to adventuring with a Ranger. I certainly never expected it." She smiled at Gerithor. Gerithor smiled back, then turned and looked up at the sky.
   "Do you miss your old life?" He said as he pulled his cloak closer to block out the cold northern wind.
   "Sometimes," she admitted. "But deep down I've always dreamed of doing this, something more than just doing what it takes to get by each day." Gerithor could feel her looking at him intently. He turned to face her.
   "Why did you decide to come along?" As he looked at her the moonlight fell upon her, and he thought she looked incredibly beautiful. He quickly banished the thought from his mind.
   "Because... I want to help you." She turned away and blushed. Something connected in Gerithor's mind, and he suddenly realized the real reason.
   "Is that the only reason?" Gerithor said softly, trying to keep his voice emotionless. In reality, he was torn. He knew what the answer would be...
   "No." She stepped closer to him. "Gerithor, ever since I first saw you I noticed something different about you. You carry yourself like a king, and are noble and kind hearted like one. You look out for others without regard to yourself. You care about your friends and would do anything to keep them safe. You're unlike anyone else I've ever met..." She stopped right in front of him, and looked up into his eyes.
   Gerithor turned away. He couldn't do this. He knew how Eldahir felt about her. That alone should have been enough. But he felt something stirring in himself... He forced it down. No. Everyone he ever loved ended up dying, or being in the path of death. He couldn't love her. Even though he desperately wanted to. A pain filled his heart as she spoke the words he dreaded... Yet longed to hear.
    "Gerithor... I love you." She said the words with passion.
   Gerithor felt like he was falling apart inside, but he took a deep breath and stepped back.
   "Sarina... I'm sorry. I cannot give you what you desire." He fought back his emotions.
   She gave him a look that broke his heart, and stepped backward slowly.
   "I am a wanderer, with no home, no family. I do not belong anywhere. You deserve better." He looked at her with sad eyes. "Please do not hold this against me. I could never be what you want me to be."
   Tears were spilling down Sarina's face, and Gerithor felt completely wretched. She looked at him with a heartbroken expression, then turned and quickly retreated back into the cave.
   Gerithor leaned against the rocks and put his head in his hands. He knew he had done the right thing, but it hurt. There was no future with him, he knew that. Nobody would want to raise a family with a man who was always gone. A man who didn't belong anywhere in this world. Nobody should have to.
   His back slid down the wall until he was sitting, and he pulled his knees close to him. He was shaking now, and tried desperately to regain his composure. He felt a tear trailing down his face and he quickly wiped it away. He felt utterly and completely alone.
   He jumped as he heard the sound of pebbles falling to his right. He spun around to look. Nothing. He suddenly felt uneasy again, like he was being watched. He put his hand to the hilt of his sword and stood, looking around. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye, and spun to face it. Nothing was there either. Just then he saw two pale glowing orbs at the top of a nearby hill. Eyes.
   He shuddered and went back inside the cave. Probably just a wolf, he thought to himself. He looked around and saw Sarina in a corner of the cave, curled up in a ball sleeping. He flinched as he thought of their exchange, and found a corner of his own. Things wouldn't be the same between them now...
   He slept fitfully that night.