Something Evil This Way Comes.

Disclaimer/Author's Notes: I own nothing but the Original Characters and their adventures. Everything else belongs to JRR Tolkien, the Tolkien Estate, New Line Cinema/Peter Jackson, et. al. This was done purely for entertainment and as an exercise in creativity.

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

Within moments, a party of 40 Elves prepared to set out from Ithilien following the trail Calaglin and Dinedal had identified. Golradir and Erestor remained so they could attend to any matters that might come up in the absence of the Lord and Lady, and his Captains. Also, they could continue to work on the treaty for Aragorn. Alexandra knew they could manage any unforeseen circumstance; they’d been doing it for millennia.

While the others had contended with Legolas’ irate wife, Rumil had slipped out to make certain Charika was safe and bid her farewell before going out to find his friend. Her house, however, was empty and the fireplace cold. He frowned; Charika was typically an early riser. Calling her name he ran swiftly up the stairs and stopped at the sight of her bed.

The silk hangings and covers were in complete disarray, some of them shredded, as if by large, sharp claws. He felt fear creeping into his heart and a careful survey of the room turned up several drops of blood that had not been there the evening before. He cursed himself for leaving her alone---everyone knew they were lovers; why bother with the pretense of going back to his own bed at night? Then again, he had joined the Watch in the early morning hours, unable to sleep. His uneasiness had likely been caused by the intrusion of whatever had attacked Charika and Legolas.

Following the trail from her house---whatever had taken her left evidence similar to whatever had taken the prince---he managed to trace it back to the same path Legolas’ captor had apparently taken. He ran back to Legolas and Alexandra’s house where his brothers and the rest of his kin were preparing to set out on the search for their friend.

“Charika is missing and I fear the same thing took her as did Legolas,” he said neutrally, though his eyes belied his calm voice.

“Was she out in the forest as well?” Orophin asked.

“No,” his brother replied. “It appears she was taken from her bed. The hangings and bedclothes are torn and … there is blood in the room.” The other Elves exchanged uneasy glances. “I followed the trail from her house and it meets up with the one on which Legolas was taken.”

“Why would someone---something---want Charika and Legolas?” Glorfindel wondered aloud. They pondered the dilemma, trying to think of what the two had in common.

Haldir and Orophin moved to their brother’s side. “Your lady will be safe,” Haldir said in a low voice. “We will find her.”

Rumil shook his head. “We are not bound, so I do not know if she still lives, if she is in pain, or frightened---.” His voice caught. “She is easily frightened,” he whispered.

Orophin gripped his shoulder. “If she is with Legolas, he will do everything in his power to prevent harm befalling her.”

“But what if Legolas is injured as well?” Rumil looked away. “I should never have left her alone.”

“Who is to say she would not still have been taken and you might have been killed?” Haldir asked. “No, brother, do not waste your time on ‘should’ and concentrate on what we are doing now.”

Rumil nodded sadly as Alexandra came down the steps of the house, dressed for travel in boots, leggings, jacket, tunic and cape to protect against the increasingly cold wind and rain. Haldir informed her of Charika’s disappearance and she touched Rumil’s arm lightly.

“I’m sorry. But, if Legolas is with her, he’ll look after her. We just have to keep faith.” The youngest of the brothers smiled at her words. She was worried sick about her own husband, and Charika was her only mortal friend in Ithilien, yet she did not give in to despair. He thanked her and they started out on foot, following the trail left by Charika and Legolas’ captors.

The path taken by the night creatures was not difficult to find, but it seemed the elements conspired against them. It led from the forest directly east toward the Ephel Duath on the western border of Mordor and as they followed the trail, the rain tuned into snow and eventually, ice entered the mix. The Elves were not bothered much by the weather, but even though Alexandra was usually hot-natured, she found the cold to be uncomfortable. She was grateful for the Elvish cloak she wore, as it kept most of the moisture away from her.

The weather was unusual for Ithilien, as it normally had a mild, temperate climate. Also, the skies remained unnaturally dark, lightening only to gray during the day before falling back into the utter blackness of night. The first day was fairly uneventful except for the odd weather. The first night, however, brought unease to the party.

“We are being stalked,” Glorfindel murmured, drawing his sword as the rest of his kin drew their own weapons. “I have felt the shadow growing in my mind for quite some time.”

“As have I,” added Saelbeth. “It became especially strong once the non-existent sun set.”

Haldir nodded. He and his brothers also felt the approach of something. Alex was surprised she did not feel anything---her own inner demon was often called to the fore by the ancient evil which dwelt in Middle Earth; yet she felt nothing but concern for her husband and her friend. Perhaps it was her anxiety over Legolas and Charika that kept her own darkness at bay. Nonetheless, she thought, it would come in handy about now.

Nothing happened the first few nights and they did not stop to rest. The Elvish eyes of those taking point led them along the path, but because of the ice, wind and snow, progress was slow. The respite did not last, however, and as they approached a ridge which followed an unnamed river, some tributary of the Anduin, no doubt, the company was suddenly beset by beasts from all sides.

It was difficult to see the black creatures in the darkness of the night and the storm, but the Elven archers managed to hit their targets. Great, large beasts, the same as the werewolves found in the forest of Ithilien attacked them and moved so quickly as to be almost impossible to avoid. In addition to the wolves, tall winged beings with the vague appearance of Men or Elves, reminding Alex uncomfortably of Maelweth, the demon sent to torment Legolas’ father several years ago, joined the fray. When one swooped down on her, she caught a glint of needle-sharp teeth before swinging her sword and connecting with something which she desperately hoped was its neck.

“What the hell are these things?” she asked Fereveldir as she ducked an arrow he fired into one of the winged beings heading toward Haldir’s back.

“Vampires,” he said. His calm, matter-of-fact tone as he said the word made it all the more hideous. There were no such things as vampires, or werewolves for that matter. Of course, until her arrival in Middle Earth, she’d have said the same thing about Elves.

One advantage of the attack: it alerted Alexandra’s primal instincts and she was able to mete out punishment on the creatures without succumbing to fear. The wolf-like beasts and the winged creatures were corporeal and solid to attack. What bothered her most were the dark shadowy things that seemed to slip around and through the company.

“Shadow figures,” Glorfindel and Saelbeth shouted simultaneously as the beings swooped in out of nowhere. They appeared as … shadows. They would dissolve into the darkness then flit around, appearing two-dimensional, though the weapons they wielded were definitely solid. To kill them, one had to be extremely quick, catching the creature before it could dissolve into nothingness.

Alex noted Glorfindel and Saelbeth seemed to be particularly adept at killing the Shadow Figures, though the rest of the Elves had little more luck against them than she did. She and the others concentrated on the solid enemies.

She had taken down at least two of the wolves and did not know how many of the winged beasts had fallen to her sword and her claws. Turning around after pulling her sword from the body of one of the dark winged things, she saw Balglin coolly firing an arrow into one of the wolves just as it sprung at him. She was somewhat disoriented in the confusion of the battle and when the sudden blow from her left flank came, she had no idea how close she was to the bluff overlooking the river.

She was aware of falling and then being suddenly engulfed in cold so frigid, it took her breath. Then, there was nothing.

Rumil was the closest and saw a flash as Alex and the werewolf went over the side of the ridge. He shouted to Orophin, who turned just in time to see them disappear into the darkness. Orophin swung at the winged creature above him and heard its dying shriek and looked down into the rushing waters of the river below. He dropped his sword, shrugging off his bow and quiver and dove in without hesitation.

The icy water hit him with a shock, and he was momentarily blinded by the swirling waves. He came up, and searched the river for any sign of Alex. He caught a glimpse of her body being carried downriver and swam with the current. He could see she was being tossed against the rocks and feared she might become so battered, the cold and threat of drowning would be secondary concerns.

Just when he thought he almost had her, a shadow figure swooped over him, swinging its weapon, just missing his head as he dove under the water. He dodged the being’s attacks and lost track of Alex in the process. He let loose with a string of Elven curses as the shadow figure harassed him, hampering his efforts to find Legolas’ wife. He pulled himself onto one of the rocks and risked decapitation by the being as his eyes scanned the rocks in the river.

He was finally able to discern her figure heading for a mass of boulders that channeled the water into a waterfall. He did not know how steep the fall might be, but she likely could not survive the force of the current dashing her against the sharp rocks toward which she was rapidly heading. He jumped quickly from rock to rock, only his Elven balance and reflexes keeping him from slipping back into the water. He reached her, grabbing her arm and pulling her back just before she reached a particularly nasty looking boulder with razor-sharp edges.

He lifted her into his arms and waded to the bank. He held her close, protecting her from the worrisome shadow figure as he ran back upstream, trying to find a safer area to cross to the opposite bank where their friends were. The being was merciless and Orophin knew it was only a matter of time before one of the creature’s blows connected.

He saw a figure in front of him and for a moment thought he and Alex were heading to the Halls of Waiting. Then, he recognized Saelbeth who engaged the shadow figure, distracting it so Orophin could carry his burden across the relatively calm patch of the raging river to the other side, where Glorfindel met him.

“I have her; help Saelbeth,” Orophin said over the wind and rushing water. The other Elf nodded and joined his comrade on the opposite bank. The Lorien Warden climbed up the steep embankment until he reached the top where Rumil and Haldir waited. The other Elves in the party had scattered during the fight and when his brothers, Glorfindel and Saelbeth had followed him and Alex downriver, they had become separated from the rest of their kin.

Laying Alex on the ground, Orophin and Haldir quickly checked her for injuries. She was still breathing---thank the Valar---but barely responded to their touch or voices. She groaned a couple of times as they moved her to check for broken bones or other damage, but could not answer questions.

In the meantime, Glorfindel and Saelbeth finally managed to destroy the worrisome shadow figure. The snow and ice seemed to blow directly into their eyes as they fought and, by the time they reached the top of the embankment, the storm had picked up considerably.

“This is no ordinary storm,” Glorfindel shouted. “We must find shelter quickly.”

Orophin passed Alex’s nearly unconscious body to Saelbeth. “Try to keep her warm,” he said over the howling of the wind. Turning to his brothers, he nodded and the three Lorien Elves fanned out across the mountainside, running lightly over the slick, frozen ground.

Glorfindel joined Saelbeth and they took cover behind a large boulder. At least it cut down on the amount of ice, snow and freezing rain hitting them, and the wind was buffered somewhat. Still, the cold was uncomfortable, even to them, so they knew Alex must be in misery.

The two Elves sat on either side of her, wrapping their cloaks around her in an attempt to share some of their body heat with the woman. Saelbeth looked at the ancient Elf in askance. Glorfindel shook his head.

“This storm will be the death of her. Already, she is slipping into a dangerous sleep. She is strong, but the battle, her injuries, being swept away in the icy waters and now the violence of this storm are all taking a toll. Her worries for Legolas’ safety are not helping. We must get her somewhere warm before she drifts into the halls of her fathers.”

Saelbeth held her close and whispered a prayer to the Valar that Legolas’ wife be spared. She had gone after her husband without thought to her own safety and her devotion to the prince was heartrending in its purity.

Glorfindel also sent his prayers to the Valar for the woman. He and Saelbeth were holding her as close as they could, trying to give her some of their strength and warmth, but he knew it was not the same as if they shared a bond with her. Still, he gave her what he could to keep her from falling into shadow. If they could keep her alive until they could get her someplace where she could warm and recover, then all would not be lost. This foul storm, however, was unnatural and seemed designed to keep them from their goal. The one who had taken Legolas was keeping them at bay, for what purpose, he did not wish to contemplate.

After almost an hour, Rumil returned. “We have found a cavern that seems suitable. It is further up the mountain, but sheltered from the worst of the wind. It is not large, but can accommodate us and is defensible.” He lifted the lethargic woman and, covering her with his cloak, ran to the cave, leading the other two Elves. Saelbeth carried Rumil’s bow along with his own. He prayed whatever creatures their enemy might have at his command would not attack them again. They had fought enough for now.

Orophin and Haldir were already in the process of securing the entrance to the cave and a warm fire was blazing cheerily, an incongruous sight after such a disastrous journey thus far.
Rumil laid Alex’s limp body down on a blanket in the circle of warmth. In the light, he could see her ashen skin, bluish lips and barely discernable breathing and feared they might have found shelter too late. Saelbeth laid his bow and Rumil’s against the wall and went to help Orophin and Haldir. Glorfindel knelt next to the Lorien Warden and examined Alexandra.

“She is too cold. We must get her warm.”

The Elves at the entrance finished blocking the opening from predators and from the elements, then came over to where Alex lay. Glorfindel pulled off his cloak and spread it out so it would begin to dry, and the others followed suit. He reached down and unclasped Alex’s cloak and removed it, with Rumil’s help. The Lorien Elf took her cloak and added it to the spread of others to dry.

Orophin knelt next to her, holding her icy body. “She is barely breathing,” he said, his eyes fixed on her pale face. Glorfindel nodded.

“We must get her out of those wet clothes. They are leaching what heat her body still has.” Haldir and Saelbeth removed her boots as Glorfindel, and Orophin, after a moment’s hesitation, removed her weapons and unfastened her jacket, pulling it off and tossing it to Rumil to spread out to dry.

“All of them,” Glorfindel ordered. Saelbeth and Haldir unlaced her leggings and peeled the garment, stiff where the water it had absorbed had frozen in the icy wind, from her limp body. Glorfindel loosened her tunic and he and Orophin dragged her arms free from the long, frozen sleeves. Even the undertunic was soaked and flecked with ice.

Orophin supported her as Glorfindel lifted the soggy garment and handed it to Rumil. Saelbeth had another blanket ready to wrap around the now-unconscious woman and they could see bruises and other signs of the violence of her passage down the river on her pale skin. Glorfindel closed his eyes and held Alex close, trying to find her, asking the Valar for help. Her spark was weak and he feared she would soon pass into the Halls of Waiting. If he truly believed Legolas dead, he would have let her slip away without a fight; her greatest fear---and that of her husband---was her being left behind in Middle Earth without him. But he still held out hope of finding the prince and could not let her go for the sake of the love she and her husband shared.

The others watched as the Elf-Lord concentrated on finding a way to save their friend. Haldir glanced at Rumil and noticed his gaze was fixed on their brother. He turned his eyes to Orophin and sensed something unexpected. He wondered how he had missed noticing his brother’s devotion to Alexandra. Looking up at Rumil he saw his surprise echoed in his youngest brother’s eyes.

Glorfindel ignored the byplay between the siblings. He removed his jacket and began unlacing his tunic. “Get undressed,” he ordered Orophin. “She needs direct warmth and our bodies are the best way to give it to her.” He looked up as Orophin stared at him, motionless. “Do you want her to pass over the sea?”

“I dare not,” whispered the other Elf. Glorfindel saw fear and something else in the Lorien Elf’s eyes and knew he was asking his friend to make a terrible choice. Haldir saw it, too.

“I will do it,” he replied, removing his own wet clothing. Saelbeth and Rumil brought more blankets and when the two Elves had divested themselves of their wet clothes, they lay next to Alexandra, molding their warm bodies to her icy one, and wrapped themselves in the comfortable, dry blankets to hold in their combined body heat.

Alex rested against Haldir, her head on his shoulder. Glorfindel wrapped his arms around her from the front and watched her eyes for movement and her lips for any sign of returning color. She was so cold and still; only his Elven senses could find any signs of life. He brushed her damp locks from her face and laid his palm against her cold cheek.

“Do not leave us yet, Alexandra,” he whispered. “There is much to do; Legolas needs you.”

Haldir rested his forehead against the top of her head and added his own pleas that she turn from the path from which Men could not come back. He prayed for her sake, the sake of her husband, and the sake of his brother.

The other three Elves remained watchful, bows at the ready, as they waited for the storm to abate and for Alexandra’s spirit to make its decision. Although there was no sign of a coordinated attack, several of the night creatures made individual forays near their hiding place. Elven arrows took down the ones who approached too closely.

Orophin watched Rumil closely. He could see his brother was quite worried about Charika, but his natural reticence made him appear calm. Orophin thought of how concerned he was over Alexandra, and they had never joined with each other; so he knew Rumil must be terribly anxious. The subject of his observation turned and caught his eye, and Orophin could see gratitude for his care.

Rumil sat next to him.

“I wish I could sense her as Alexandra can Legolas. If I knew her fate, it would not be as frightening. The uncertainty is worse than knowing.”

Orophin sighed. “I understand, little brother. It is not easy to love someone and not know if they are safe.” His eyes involuntarily strayed to where Alexandra lay between Haldir and Glorfindel. She would not die yet. She still had Legolas holding her on this side of the sea.

Rumil followed his gaze. “At least you are with her,” he said, so softly, Orophin almost thought he had not heard him speak. The look he gave his younger brother was both sad and embarassed. Rumil put his hand on his arm.

“I know you to be honorable, my brother. And I do not envy you the years to come. But I would gladly have Charika bound to another if it meant she were safe and happy. So, I know how you feel.”

“Why have you not bound to her yourself?” Orophin asked, curious.

“I am not as brave as Legolas … or you, for that matter. I could not bind myself to someone, knowing she would eventually die and we would be separated for eternity. But I care for Charika---I love her, and will see that she wants for nothing for as long as we are together.”

“You are much braver than I,” Orophin answered with a sigh.

“You cannot tell me that if the lady had met you before she was bound to Legolas, you would not have pursued her.”

“Once she met Legolas, it was certain they would bind,” Orophin replied. “But, if I had known her before she ever met him, then, yes, I would have done all that I could to make her mine.” He laughed sadly. “I will likely be cursed by the Valar for loving the wife of another.”

“The fact that you put her happiness above your own means yours is a noble, true love. And your care for her husband’s happiness and wellbeing, as your friend, also speaks to your honor. I do not think the Valar would have anything but pride in your behavior and your feelings.”

After what seemed an endless night, just after a sunrise that was hidden by the dark clouds that continued to shower the land with ice and snow and send winds cutting through the trees, Glorfindel saw the first signs of life in the woman. Her lips, while still pale, were no longer bluish, and her skin became simply whitish rather than ashen. Her breathing became perceptible and he met Haldir’s eyes and saw shared relief in them. Although her body still felt cooler than it should, at least it no longer seemed to the Elves as though a block of ice lay between them.

Glorfindel and Haldir prepared to ease her gently out of their life-saving embrace when the movement awakened her. Alex’s eyelids fluttered open and she struggled to focus her gaze on the oddly familiar set of crystal clear bright blue eyes watching her closely.

“Glorfindel?” she managed to ask, hoarsely. He smiled pleasantly.

“Yes, Alexandra. Welcome back.” He could not help but chuckle to himself as he watched the realization of her position slowly dawn on her. She turned her head carefully and looked up into Haldir’s amused face. The Elves could sense her puzzlement as she mentally noted that she was naked, wrapped in the arms of two equally unclad Elves, neither of which was her husband. If the situation had not been so dire, they would have laughed; and no doubt, she would have shared their amusement. As it was, though, her emotional state was balanced on a knife’s edge and they were unsure of her reaction.

“Would someone like to explain to me why I’m lying here in a most compromising position?”

Glorfindel looked at Haldir who replied, “It was your idea. You tell her.”

“You were frozen and near death. It was the quickest and most effective way to warm you up.” The ancient Elf-Lord said simply.

She digested the information, and nodded. It made sense. She remembered the battle, being hit by something that felt like a porcupine with fangs, about the size of a moose, and tumbling down into dark, frigid water. Then, it got hazy. Body heat was an efficient way to warm up someone.

“Thank you for your tender care. But, in case no one’s noticed, I’m fine now.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “While I appreciate your efforts, I really think we should all get dressed. Now.”

“But it’s nice and warm under the blankets,” Haldir gently teased and was rewarded with a sharp elbow to his stomach. He grunted and laughed, extricating himself from where he held her body. Rumil smiled and tossed him his now dry clothing and he began to dress as Glorfindel, heeding the warning look in Alexandra’s eyes quickly pulling on his leggings, thoughtfully provided by Saelbeth before emerging from under the blanket.

Haldir handed Alex her own dry clothes and she looked pointedly at the five Elves. They obligingly turned away as she yanked on her undertunic, before standing. She swayed and Rumil was quick to catch her. She held onto him as Saelbeth took her leggings and held them for her to step into. She thanked them and tied the waist securely. Rumil helped her to sit on a nearby rock and he and Saelbeth assisted her with her boots.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m just a little weak and dizzy.”

“There is no need to apologize,” Saelbeth said with a gentle smile. “You killed two of the werewolves, in addition to the one that went into the river with you. You deserve your rest.”

She still found the idea of werewolves amazing. When they’d told her about vampires as well, she had actually reevaluated her beliefs: she had to be dreaming; there was no way this was a real place; it was too fantastic. She said as much to her companions.

As she dressed, Glorfindel and Saelbeth told her of how Sauron had taken the form of a werewolf in the past. In fact, there was an island in the First Age known as Tol-in-Gaurhoth, the Isle of Werewolves, which was destroyed by Luthien during her quest of the silmaril. They explained that werewolves were horrid wolf-like creatures inhabited by evil spirits who had been imprisoned there by Morgoth. They were obviously not the kind of werewolves she’d heard about all her life.

The same went for vampires. Again, Sauron had taken the form of one in the past, and his vampire servant, Thuringwethil, was, to her amusement, a source of childhood nightmares for even the mighty Haldir of Lorien. His brothers took great delight in telling her of how he was convinced the creature dwelt in the trees in the more remote areas of Lothlorien when he was still an Elfling, even though she was believed to have died in the First Age after Luthien stole her wings, which she’d removed like a cloak.

“Believed to have died,” Haldir pointed out. “There was no evidence of such.”

Alex shook her head and explained that in her land, these creatures were quite different. The Elves seemed repulsed at the thought of a being that lived off of the blood of living creatures, though Maelweth had drained the energy, or souls, of the living for sustenance. He was, they supposed, a form of vampire.

She pulled on her tunic and jacket and once she was dressed looked pleadingly at Orophin. He put down his bow and began untangling her hair and braiding it quickly into a simple but tight plait. The others laughed.

“All these years, and you still cannot braid your hair?” Rumil shook his head. “Disgraceful.”

“Why should I when I only make a mess of it and there’s always an Elf handy to do it for me?” she countered. “Now,” she looked at her friends as she picked up her sword. “Who’s seen me naked?”

“Oh, everyone,” replied Haldir, just to irritate her.

She closed her eyes and counted to five silently. “It never leaves this cave. Understand?” She gave them all a pointed look.

“Completely,” answered Glorfindel. “There is no need for anyone outside of the six of us to know, although,” he added, “such reticence is not necessary, my lady. You have lived among the Firstborn for several years; you know we do not look at the body with the same sense of modesty, as do Men. Still, your discretion, especially in the absence of your husband or a male relative, is understandable.”

She looked down. “I know,” she said softly. “I just … my people get quite shy about the strangest things sometimes. Legolas could attest to that,” she added with a laugh.

“If it will ease your modest sensibilities, Saelbeth, as a kinsman of your husband, is an adequate chaperone,” Rumil pointed out helpfully.

She glanced at the Elf in question and they shared a gentle laugh. “I suppose you’re right,” she replied.

“Does the storm show signs of abating?” Glorfindel asked the Lorien Elves who were studying the skies.

“It seems to have diminished somewhat with the coming of dawn,” Orophin replied.

“We need to find the others,” Haldir said. “The beasts did a good job of separating us. I hope the rest found shelter from the storm.”