Part Four - Awakenings

-3-

She was right. If the forces of nature did not create this storm, it still did not alter the fact that they had to cross through the pass between the mountain. Arwen argued no more with Eowyn and they both quickly mounted their horses and rode towards the pass, ignoring the growing intensity of the wind and the falling of snow that was turning the clarity of their path into a vague, indistinct fog. The nearer they drew to the pass, the more Arwen became disturbed by what she was sensing. Something terrible loomed in the passageway, something that was going to harm them. She wanted to turn back but Eowyn was right, they needed to make the crossing.

Inside the small canyon that had been carved through the mountain by years of erosion by water or some other force, Arwen swallowed thickly as they moved deeper and deeper into its confines. The comforting sight of dirt and soil disappeared for the thick cover of snow and the horses grew just as anxious as she. Eowyn lead the way, aware that this leg of their journey was worrying Arwen and she went ahead to show the queen that there was nothing to fear, though she did not exactly discount Arwen’s belief of danger.

They were less than a quarter of the way through when suddenly, she heard Arwen cry out behind her. Eowyn brought her mount to an immediate halt and looked over her shoulder. The elf’s features were contorted in fear and sent tendrils of alarm through the warrior maiden. "What is it?"

"Something is here," Arwen said looking about her, trying to find something that could convince Eowyn as well as herself that they should leave here while they still could.

"Where?" Eowyn asked automatically, her hand reaching for her sword.

"I don’t know," Arwen cried out in frustration. "But I can feel it."

Eowyn would have liked something more tangible then that and she swept her gaze across the canyon way to find something that would give truth to Arwen’s premonitions. There was nothing at first, not until she looked closely and saw that the canyon was littered with rocks and boulders of varying sizes. This in itself was nothing out of the ordinary, since rocks and boulders were to be expected when one was travelling through a mountain. But upon closer observation, there were jagged and sharp, not at all smoothed from years of erosion. The look of them made her dismount the horse, uncertain whether her need to investigate was inspired by Arwen’s warning or because she herself was starting to see something odd.

"What have you found?" Arwen asked, still gripped with this feeling of foreboding.

"These rocks," Eowyn looked ahead and then behind her on the path they had taken to this very spot. "Why are they only here?"

Arwen realised that Eowyn was right, behind them the path was clear. There were rocks but these were formations that had been there for quite some time and had blended in with the landscape through the ages. However the collection that Eowyn viewed with such anxiousness bore no such unity with the terrain, they seemed out of place and they were broken as if dwarves had chosen to split them apart with their heavy axes. She looked further into the canyon and saw that in the distant end of the passage, the path once again cleared. The collection of rocks and boulders seemed specific only to their immediate location.

She shivered and it was not because the wind was heavy and blowing at her skin with force or because of the snow flakes that had covered the terrain after being dislodged from their perch above that she pulled her cloak nearer to her body. She stared up at the uneven edge of the mountain above their heads and could only see the raging blizzard of snow and wind. Yet every sense that she possessed told her that this was not right, that the sudden emergence of this storm was by the design of something other nature.

"Eowyn, I think we should take another route."

Eowyn stared at her sharply. "Arwen that will place undue burden on our journey, it could mean a delay of a day perhaps more."

"I know," she replied anxiously, "but I do not make this request lightly. We should go now."

The fear Eowyn saw in Arwen’s eyes was real and though she did not wish to waste time by finding another way around the mountain, there was something about this whole situation that was cause for disquiet. After a moment, she decided that if Arwen thought that there was peril lying in the route before them, then they should leave. She trusted her friend’s instincts. She stepped away from the rocks when her foot struck something underfoot. It did not make the sound of rock but rather something much harder. Arwen had heard it too for her brow had knotted in confusion as to what that could be. Eowyn lowered herself to the ground and saw the irregular shape her foot had struck, concealed by a thin layer of snow.

She had only to brush it aside when she found herself staring at a skull. Judging by the size of it, probably a dwarf’s. She staggered back in shock and slipped on the ice, landing heavily on her rear.

"Eowyn!" Arwen called out, dismounting her animal immediately and running to the shield maiden’s side.

"What is it?"

Eowyn would have answered except that when she looked at where she had landed, she noticed another pile of bones, covered by the sand. She let out a short cry of shock as she scrambled away.

"I think you are correct," Eowyn said in a hasty breath as she hurried to meet Arwen. "I think we should leave now."

"There are bones everywhere," Arwen said as she stared at the snow she had just cleared away underfoot. At first she thought she was standing on gravel but that was not all. The canyon was a veritable tomb. Suddenly, she remembered what had Celeborn had said about travelers who had vanished trying to cross the Misty Mountains. They could be standing on the edge of why that was. "Something in there is killing travelers, I think we should leave while we still can."

"I will never question you again," Eowyn declared as both women hurried to their horses and mounted.

They started riding out of the canyon, not even looking back and grateful that they had come to their senses before it was too late. Neither knew what form of creature had caused so many to die in that narrow expanse but Arwen was grateful that they would not be finding out first hand. They galloped hard through the pass, paying no heed to the gale that was lashing at them or the unearthly howl that ripped through their ears when they departed. It could have been the wind by somehow Arwen was not so certain of that. As they reached the mouth of the passage and saw the land beyond the Misty Mountains, Arwen felt a great flood of relief wash over her that for the moment at least the danger had passed.

The thought had no sooner crossed her mind when suddenly; something tore her from the saddle of her horse. She let out a small cry of shock but it was eclipsed by Eowyn’s own shout of outrage as she endured the same occurrence. There was little time to think as Arwen saw the ground come up to swallow her. All she could do to protect her child was to curl her body into a ball and hope that would be enough to lessen the impact of her landing. She hit the ground hard and though she was certain that her positioning had saved the slumbering babe in her womb, she was helpless to prevent the black fog that descended upon her moments later where she knew nothing else.

**************

"Lady," she heard Eowyn’s insistent voice prodding her into consciousness. "Lady!"

There was a moment of confusion when Arwen opened her eyes and felt the dirt scrapping against her cheek, when she wondered where she was. The voice calling her was familiar and only when her senses returned to her, did she realize that it was Eowyn calling her. Starlight flooded her eyes, the glare of awakening settling the blur before her into more familiar shapes. She saw night sky filtering through the canopy of trees above her and heard voices that upon meeting her recognition brought Arwen abruptly back to her senses. Arwen started to sit up but was hampered by the fact that her hands were tied. She would have descended into panic at the realization of this if not for the fact that it would avail her nothing.

Arwen did not know where they were but it was clear that they were deep within the woods. She had no sense of time and that frightened her more, not knowing how long she had been unconscious. She could smell smoke close by and upon investigation, saw that it came from the fire of the camp they were in. Sitting above the flames was a cooking pot; its contents simmering with heat and a stench that turned her delicate stomach. There were at least a dozen of them moving about the campsite, some were guarding her and Eowyn, the rest were more interested in picking clean the contents of their saddle bags.

"Are you hurt?" She heard Eowyn whisper quietly.

"No," Arwen shook her head as she gazed upon the Lady of Ithilien, who was seated before her cross-legged, her arms bound behind her. A streak of blood ran down Eowyn’s face, the cause being the angry gash slashed across here forehead. "Are you?"

"It is appears worse than it is," Eowyn replied dismissively because they had larger concerns at the moment.

"How long have I been unconscious?" Arwen asked as she attempted to shake the disorientation out of her head.

"A few hours," Eowyn answered, watching their jailers cautiously. Their lives hung on a knife’s edge at this moment and lest she found a way to free them both; neither would survive the night. "I feared that you were injured far worse than appeared."

"My strength is not what it used to be," Arwen explained breathless, her eyes following the proceedings in the campsite with as much caution as Eowyn. "Carrying a babe is tiring work but I am well enough."

"Good," Eowyn spoke quietly. "That is something at least."

One of their captors, noticing that Arwen was awake started towards them, his feet crushing the dead leaves beneath him as he barked the Black Speech of the Orcs to his brothers. Arwen felt her blood run cold as she saw the foul creature advance upon her, his terrible eyes full of purpose. She had seen Orcs in her time but in this situation, Arwen could not hide her disgust, especially when there would be no help for either herself or Eowyn from this ordeal. The Orcs fed on man flesh and what they did to women was too unspeakable to think of. The idea of what could befall them both, made Arwen’s heart pound even louder.

"They will ask your name, do not tell them." Eowyn instructed quickly before her words entered the hearing of the enemy.

The Orc paused before Arwen and hissed at her, its jagged teeth covered in filth borne like fangs. Arwen raised her chin in defiance of his attempt to scare her, refusing to allow this creature any more power over her then it already had. She wondered why they were not already dead. Orcs did not waste time with hostages. These were undoubtedly a renegade band left over from the War of the Ring and such Orcs usually waylaid helpless innocents for food or supplies. Arwen could not understand why she and Eowyn had been kept alive and being held prisoner. It was more expedient if they were to be killed for the Orcs would not have to worry about any attempt to escape or resistance to their will.

"Evenstar," he spoke the word and made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end at its sinister delivery. "Which of you is the Evenstar?"

The question explained a great deal. These creatures were in search of her but one noble woman appeared more or less like another to them, they could not tell which of the prisoners was the one they sought. These Orcs were in the service of the Enemy that is why she and Eowyn were still alive. They dared not kill either one of them because they feared incurring their master’s wrath if they were wrong about the choice. As long as they did not know that she was the Evenstar and the object of their search, Eowyn’s life was safe.

"You can find that out yourself," Arwen returned sharply.

The Orc bellowed in rage at being refused and raised his hand to strike, when another of his party barked at him to stop. His hand paused in mid air and he snarled at her again in rage before turning away and returning to the horses. The two Orcs standing close by watched them closely.

"They’re preparing to move out," Eowyn explained.

"What happened?" She asked.

"They ambushed us as we attempted to leave the passage. I believe the storm allowed them to emerge into the day briefly in order to captures us. They tied a rope across the mouth of the pass and we rode straight into it. When I awoke, we were here. I am uncertain but they may have kept us in their lair until the night came so that they may venture out in preparation to depart."

"For where?" Arwen asked horrified by the notion of being taken anywhere by the foul creatures.

"Probably to the Enemy," Eowyn guessed. "They were most unhappy with me for not telling them my name, I think they hoped to feast upon one while travelling with the other."

Arwen’s stomach hollowed at the thought, aware that Orcs were infamous for being man-eaters. "Do you think they were responsible for the bodies we found?" Arwen inquired, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"No," Eowyn replied quietly, mindful that nothing she said was being overheard. "I don’t think so. The bones I saw did appear as such. Whatever happened to them was something else entirely. These Orcs have purpose in seeking us out. I believe they are sent here by the Enemy in order to bring you to them. If he has a palantir, he must know that you are no longer at Minas Tirith and moved to find you before you slipped out of his reach. If we allow them to take charge of us, it will take much longer to reach the Enemy because Orcs do not ride. We would be making the journey on foot."

"Then we must escape," Arwen declared without hesitation. "Somehow, we must find a way."

"I agree but that is easier said then done," Eowyn retorted even though she was slowly attempting to free herself of the ropes tied behind her back. It was not hard to do because the fingers of Orcs were far from nimble and their ability to tie ropes even less so. With time, she would not doubt be able to untangle the unruly cluster of knots that kept her bound. However, it remained to be seen whether or not they would have the time to spare. The Orcs before them were sharing a meal, no doubt the precursor to beginning their journey to the Enemy. Eowyn would prefer it if freedom came to herself and Arwen before that.

Or before the Orcs became hungry and threw caution to the winds by choosing one of them as a meal.