Without any warning, Melia tilted her body slightly and threw her legs to either side of the captain’s neck. She grabbed hold of his head with her feet. In one swift but brutal show of strength, she twisted sharply once her hold was secure and, before he had any opportunity to push her away, snapped his neck with a terrible crunch of bone. He fell to the ground without uttering a word and Melia exhaled sharply, able to release this knot that had constricted her breathing passages as soon as she made her move to escape. Climbing off the table before the Uruk Hai at the door noticed what she had done; Melia saw their weapons on a table at the far end of the room. It appeared the Uruk Hai was going to divide them as spoils.
Melia found her sword and immediately cut the bonds around her wrists. It took some maneuvering to accomplish that but once it was done, she gathered their weapons and padded softly back to Eowyn’s cell.
"I’m back," Melia announced as she entered the cell.
"Where is he?" Eowyn asked, not wanting to know what Melia did to acquire her freedom, not if her exposed chest was any indication.
"Enjoying the fruits of human pleasure," Melia said wryly as Eowyn stood up and faced her bound wrist towards the Ranger so that she could be freed of them.
"I will not ask," Eowyn declared as she took her sword from Melia once she was freed and Melia was fixing the buttons on her clothes.
"Don’t," Melia showed her disgust without shame. "When this is done, I shall have to bathe for a month."
"We can go up that way," Eowyn pointed to the hole in the ceiling. Obviously the Uruk Hai never thought they would be able to use that as an escape route if their hands were tied.
"Good," Melia replied glancing past their cell door. "I don’t relish facing those Uruk Hai when they find out what I did to their captain."
************
Escaping from the hands of the Uruk Hai was not as difficult as it appeared; however, finding Arwen was another thing entirely.
The city of Nargothrond was largely intact despite its state and existed in a cavern. Judging by some of the cracks weeping with water, behind the rock was the ocean. It would only a matter of time before the sea claimed this city like the rest of the Sunken Lands. How this place had survived was a freak of nature but they supposed the Enemy had never intended on remaining here for long, only until its foul plan reached culmination in the birth of Arwen’s child or when it prepared to take the rest of Middle Earth. Unfortunately, their efforts to find the Queen of Gondor were hampered by the fact that their escape raised the alarm throughout the city, forcing them out of it until they could regroup and consider what was to be done.
The underworld beneath the Blue Mountains seemed to be a series of caves and both Melia and Eowyn came to the decision to find someplace to hide until the Uruk Hai stopped searching for them. Once that happened, they could continue their search for Arwen with a little less hindrance, though neither were deluding themselves with the notion that it would be simple. Eowyn had no idea whether it was nearing the full moon or what the Enemy’s plans were now that he had Arwen in his power. Eowyn knew she was still alive but the closer they approached the ritual that would see her child’s soul replaced with that of Melkor’s, the greater the possibility became that she might take her own life to save Middle Earth.
Slipping into the passages that lead away from the city, Melia wanted to return to the place where they had been taken, in the hopes that it might provide them with some clue as to where Arwen had led. They assumed the city but if they were wrong, the consequences would be fatal. In truth, the exercise was more an effort to feel less helpless than they already did. They made their way down the meandering cavern of rocks and twisting pathways when suddenly, they heard noises coming from the further down the passageway. Voices in soft tones were echoing down the narrow confines of rock. Melia and Eowyn took cover immediately, not prepared to be discovered, at least not until they went after Arwen.
**************
"Something draws near," Legolas announced to the Fellowship as they made their way down a passage of rock they had discovered to be full of tracks. Whether or not they belonged to Arwen or Eowyn was difficult to say for there were many of them but at least they were fresh.
"What?" Aragorn asked, unsheathing his sword and looking ahead with deadly intent. Since descending into this stygian world, his fears for Arwen had increased a thousand fold and he was eager to find something so that he could flay its skin from its body to learn the whereabouts of his wife.
"I am not certain," the elf’s brow knotted in confusion as he replied in a puzzled voice, "I do not sense it as danger though."
"Isn’t that a good thing?" Pippin quipped.
"Could it be Arwen?" Aragorn asked hopefully.
"I do not sense her," Legolas replied and was rewarded with a disheartened expression from the king.
"How close is it?" Faramir’s weapon was drawn and ready for attack.
"Very close," Legolas answered.
"All of you," Aragorn spoke firmly to the rest of the Fellowship, "stay here. Legolas and I will go investigate."
"But…" Faramir started to protest when Aragorn cut him short.
"I need you here to protect our backs," Aragorn quickly explained. "Legolas does not sense danger but that does not mean it is not a trap."
"Alright," the Lord of Ithilien was forced to concede that much to his king and fell back as Aragorn and Legolas continued down the passage.
"Take care Strider," Gandalf warned good-naturedly as they drew away. "You do not know if what you find is a threat.’
"Care to tell me what I will find?" He stared at the wizard with impatience.
Gandalf said nothing, merely giving him a bemused smile.
Sometimes, Aragorn wished that Gandalf was not quite so evasive. Death had done nothing for the man except make him infuriatingly cryptic.
With Legolas leading the way, Aragorn followed the Prince of Mirkwood further up the tunnel, wondering what perils they would find. He had kept the others behind because the space between the passageway was narrow enough without too many bodies trying to fight if there was an attack of some kind. They entered a slightly larger cavern filled with protruding limestone formations and saw nothing but more shadows. Legolas paused in the middle of the main track to the cave and swept his eyes across the terrain. Aragorn knew the stance well. He had detected something. The elf stepped away from the path, moving stealthily without making any sound against the gravel toward a particularly large stalactite. He was almost upon it when out of nowhere; a lithe figure stepped out and threw a fist squarely in his face.
"Legolas!" Aragorn shouted and moved to intercept as Legolas tumbled into the dirt, landing flat on his back. The stranger’s movement was lightning fast as she took up position over him and aimed her weapon directly at the fallen Prince.
Legolas froze as he found himself staring into the sharp end of a crossbow’s bolt. The woman who stood before him would not hesitate to fire, this he knew without any delusions, despite her loveliness. He lay there for a moment, stunned by the attack, particularly since he had sensed no danger. She did not see him as she aimed and he knew by the focus in her eyes, that her aim was deadly accurate. She stared at him dispassionately, bearing the stance of an experienced archer for she did not distinguish him as anything but her target. It was a skill he knew well and employed himself. Allowing one’s mind to become clouded with the who and the what of the target only distracted the archer’s mind when he needed to know only one thing; where it was to shoot.
"Aragorn?" Eowyn’s astonished voice suddenly filled the cavern.
Legolas took the opportunity to escape his compromising position when the sound of Eowyn’s voice distracted his attacker. Kicking his foot out, he swept her feet from under her and sent her tumbling towards him. She feel into the dirt next to him and Legolas quickly sat up and straddled her, tearing the crossbow out of her hand and flinging it aside. Before she could do anything else (like strike him again) Legolas clamped his hands around her wrists and pinned them to the ground. The whole weight of his body ensuring that she could not break free.
"Melia!" Eowyn hurried out of her hiding place before Aragorn. "It is alright! This is the King and Prince Legolas."
"Then tell the Prince to unhand me!" Melia hissed angrily, glaring at Legolas at having exchanged places so unceremoniously.
"If you are finished Legolas?" Aragorn stared at the elf momentarily before turning to Eowyn.
"It was not I that ambushed us!" Legolas pointed out as he climbed off the woman Eowyn had called Melia. As a gentlemen and a Prince of Mirkwood, he offered his hand towards her in order to help the lady to her feet.
"We were protecting ourselves," Melia grumbled as she ignored his gesture and stood up on her own, still glaring at him.
"ENOUGH!" Aragorn boomed because he could not care less about whose fault this was. He had only one thought in mind now that Eowyn was before him and able to answer his questions.
"Where is Arwen?" He asked slowly, each word dripping with barely restrained anger.
"The Enemy has taken her," Eowyn swallowed thickly and answered her king. She could not believe that Aragorn had come all this way to find them and yet what else would he have done when he learnt his wife was gone? The King that had gained the unswerving alliegance of so many had done so because he would do such a thing. He was not a man who would let others do for him what he himself was unprepared to do. When it came to Arwen, Eowyn should have guessed that Aragorn would consider it nothing less than his right to come to his wife’s aid, his kingship be damned.
"Where?" Aragorn said tautly in a tone that demanded immediate compliance.
"Into the city to what is left of Nargothrond," Eowyn replied automatically. She was grateful that he was here because now they could retrieve Arwen with the aid of one of the Gondor’s greatest warriors.
"That explains a great deal," Legolas replied. "Nargothrond was already underground when Numemor was sunk by the Valar. It is quite possible that it remained intact because of the huge caverns within which it was constructed. All this," he gestured to the caves they had been travelling, "are the caverns the Noldor elves created to link to the city, to their jewel."
"Eowyn!" Faramir cried from the mouth of the cavern. The commotion had brought the rest of the Fellowship and Faramir was greeted with the wondrous sight of his wife, alive and well, though looking rather worse for wear, standing before him. Eowyn’s face lit up with similar radiance upon seeing him and they ran into each other’s arms, before their lips met in a passionate kiss of nothing less than sheer joy. Faramir swept Eowyn into his arms, spinning her around as his heart swelled with untold relief. The emotion and fervor of the moment touched all those present, even Aragorn who had yet to be reunited with Arwen, elating their hearts at the vision of this happy reunion.
"I thought I would never see you again," Eowyn whispered as she clung to her beloved.
"I would follow you anywhere," he smiled. "Do you not know that?"
"I should have suspected," she laughed. "I knew you were too stubborn to stay at home and wait for me."
"I might say the same about you," he grinned.
Ignoring the happy couple because the dark business before them was far from over, Aragorn turned to the rest of the Fellowship. Arwen was still missing and until he found his wife, he could not rest. "Is not Nargothrond the elven city taken by Glaurung?" He remembered the history of the city from his studies as a member of Elrond’s house.
"Yes," Gandalf nodded grimly, "Glaurung took the city after defeating the armies of Nargothrond and Tumhalad in the First Age."
"Who was this Glaurung?" Frodo asked. He knew something of the legends of the First Age but he had to confess that he had never heard of this Glaurung.
"He was a dragon of Angband," Gandalf replied. "He emerged from the pit in the year 260 of the First Age and was considered the greatest of all the dragons of the Urloki or in the common tongue, fire breathers. Some even call him the father of all dragons. He fought for Melkor during the Battle of the Sudden Flame and then later at the Battle of Unnumbered Tears. In the year 496, Glaurung took the city of Nargothrond and created here a great hoard of treasure. It is said that he was a master of illusion and was able to trick the hero Turin into marrying his sister Nienor. However, his trickery could not keep Turin from driving a sword into his belly."
"Wait a minute…" Eowyn suddenly broke away from Faramir and faced Gandalf. "Is that why we needed to retrieve Turin’s sword because the enemy is Glaurung?"
"Glaurung was killed!" Legolas insisted. "Turin killed him!"
"No," Gandalf shook his head seeing no reason to conceal the truth now that Eowyn had guessed the identity of their Enemy. "He was not killed though he was wounded terribly and would have died if he had not released Turin from the spell that kept him blind to Nienor’s true identity. Grief stricken by the horror of learning his wife was his sister, Turin took his own life. Many had thought that it was Glaurung’s last act of vengeance to remove the spell but in truth it was his own salvation he was attempting to procure. Without Turin to hunt him, Glaurung was able to retreat to the dark places of the world, where he could recover his strength. His wound was grievous indeed and as it is in the case of dragons, he was able to sleep for a long time while his powers and his strength returned."
"And now he seeks to revive Melkor by stealing my son’s life," Aragorn said tautly, the rage in his heart was beyond description. "Why could you not tell us this before?"
"He is a master of illusion Aragorn," Gandalf explained. "He has a palantir and if he knew that we were coming for him, he could have placed us under the same spell that allowed Turin to marry his sister. As long as he thought he had remained safely anonymous, he ignored us for the most part. My guess is once your wife arrived in Mithlond, he began to understand that it was Turin’s sword that she wanted. Of course he could not risk harming her, not until she was close enough."
"The creatures that took her, the shape shifters, they were quick to separate us. They had no use for us and gave us to Uruk Hai."
"They gave you to the Uruk Hai?" Sam exclaimed horrified.
"Yes," Eowyn replied, still shuddering inwardly at the words that brute had spoken regarding his intentions for them. "If Melia had not tricked that savage into believing she wanted him, we would not have escaped at all."
"I do not think we need to go into the specifics of our escape," Melia muttered, somewhat embarrassed by the whole thing. Her skin was still crawling from where the Uruk Hai had touched her.
"I for one would like to hear all about it," Legolas gave her a look of pure evil.
"We don’t have time for this," Aragorn declared, too concerned with his wife’s fate to care for the banter of those around him. "I’m going to find my wife now."
"We don’t know where she is in the city," Eowyn replied.
"I will find her," Gandalf stated and took the lead. "We are close enough now, I should be able to detect him. We do not have much time. The Enemy knows that you are here, he will attempt to carry out the ritual before we can stop him."
"Then let us be off," Gimli responded eagerly. "The time has come for us to finish this once and for all."
With that, Aragorn could not disagree.
