Fallen Leafs, Part X
by Areli

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The tower was surprisngly quiet at night. Not a sound was made except for the noises outside and the faint tapping of Aragorn's feet against the floors as he slinked towards a window. 

He looked out slightly and found that everyone was outside and down in the caverns they had built. Aragorn wondered what they were doing exactly.  

He quietly fell into the shadows and crept down the long staircase that he supposed led to the dungeons or worse. 

When he got to the bottom of the spiral staircase he found himself in a long hallway riddled with rooms on either side.  

Breathing in deeply, Aragorn opened the first door. 

Inside he found a cot with a skeleton of a creature on it. Chains were tossed carelessley on the floor. A window let in moonlight to illuminate the tiny room. 

Aragorn closed it quickly and went across the hallway.  

This one was empty yet was set up in the same manner. 

After a while Aragorn began to notice that all of the rooms were either empty or contained a skeleton of some sort.  

He had given up hope when he opened up the last door and found nothing inside. The search was in vain. He wondered if Legolas was down in the caverns the creatures had created.  

Aragorn sat down on the cot for a moment and closed his eyes to think.  

To his surprise he heard a soft creaking noise as a wall to his left suddenly opened towards him to reveal a staircase. He stared at it for a moment in disbelief. It was probably a trap... 

Still, Aragorn had nothing to lose and blindly went down the staircase, one hand against the wall, one hand on his sword.  

 

Meanwhile Gimli stayed in the room, pacing. He looked out his window at one point and noticed that the moon filled the area, making it easy to view everything that was happening. His eyes weren't incredibily good for seeing things at a distance but he could make out Saruman in his white robes walking next to a large Uruk-Hai and muttering something as goblins raced by with swords and metal.  

The door creaked open suddenly. Gimli raised his axe and found himself face-to-face with an orc.  

"Why are you still awake?" he asked.  

"Why are you barging into my room at this hour?" Gimli retorted.  

"I heard noises." he said. "Where is the Man?"  

"He went to find Saruman. He wanted to speak with him." Gimli said fearlessly. The orc nodded, muttered and left.  

Gimli sighed in relief.  

I suggest you hurry Aragorn. he said to no one.  

 

Aragorn found himself in a large tavern from the feel of it. A cold wind blasted him as he stumbled along. His very senses were teeming for anything that could help him along.  

The air smelled foul and yet not as foul as in the tower. He could hear drops of water falling into puddles. It was almost like a cave save for the chains he heard ratteling against the wind.  

"Ara..." he heard. Aragorn stopped and looked around. He couldn't hear or see anyone and wished his eyes would adjust more quickly. 

"Ara...Aragorn..." he couldn't tell where the voice was coming from. It simply echoed as if it had come from no where. 

"Who calls to me?" Aragorn called. He heard a faint cough and a soft reply that echoed many times as though driving itself into his very skull. 

"Legolas..." the voice said.  

"Legolas?! Please tell me where you are and I can come find you!"  

Silence answered him.  

"Legolas? Legolas!" Aragorn cried. He ran/stumbled around the cavern and suddenly almost ran into a wall. He could make out the form of a creature slumpped down against the wall.  

"Legolas?" he asked. The creature moved and looked up at him.  

Aragorn felt the creatures wrist and felt the cold metal of chains on them. He took his sword and expertly cut the chains off, leaving the brackets still on the wrists.  

He then picked the half-dead creature up and slung them gently over his back.  

"Aragorn..." he heard the creature moan.  

"It will be all right Legolas."  

Aragorn put his hand against the wall and followed it for a long while until he finally found an opening. He kicked at the opening and found that there were stairs.  

Taking them, he managed to find himself back in the small room. The wall remained open.  

The hallway was still dark while Aragorn raced down it and up the stairs. The tower was, to his relief, still empty.  

He went up the stairs further and burst into the chamber. Gimli glared at him for a moment, his axe raised. 

"Aragorn! Where have you been? An orc has been in here."  

"What did you tell it?"  

"I said you were looking for Saruman." Gimli said.  

Aragorn laid Legolas on the bed and found his to be in a sorry condition. 

His body was tainted with cuts and bruises. His clothes were tattered to make for a dismal piece of cloth.  

"What happened?" Gimli asked in shock. 

"I am uncertain. I found him this way."  

"We need to leave this place."  

"The place is surrounded. How will we accomplish this?"  

An idea struck Aragorn.

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