Adult-FanFiction.org : Lord of the Rings

Nothing Gold Can Stay	By : TAFKAB Category: +Third Age > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 5311 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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The wraiths did not return that night, and they slept well for the first time in many days, though Bilbo’s soft whimpering woke Gimli at the first light of dawn: the halfling was asleep, wrapped in a nightmare. Aragorn roused him gently and they lay close together by the fire, with Legolas on watch, the elf standing on a round grey stone and gazing about the countryside.

They ate in haste and rode forward, oppressed by the brooding fear of the wraiths, which drew in tighter and tighter as the miles and passed, riding through the night, pressing on until all but Legolas stumbled with weariness. “They are still with us,” Legolas said softly to Gimli. “Though maybe they are not visible to your eyes. I can see them pacing us: some behind, some on every side, and some go on before. They have tall crowns and shining swords, and all living creatures flee their path.”

“They mean to hold the bridge before us and pin us against the river from behind,” Aragorn muttered. “We will have nowhere to run.”

It seemed he read the wraiths' plan rightly, for they did not attack that night or the next. After the first long ride, each day Aragorn stopped them before nightfall and they made their defenses, piling heaps of brush in a ring about their campsite and kindling it so they might rest within a ring of flame. It was not a good camp; smoke and ash caught at their throats, and sleep was difficult. Legolas bound the horses’ eyes and stood among them, soothing their fear of the fire, while Aragorn and Gimli alternated their watches-- as much watch as could be made through the glare of the fire, which diminished as dawn drew near and their wood ran out, leaving the ruddy glow of dimming coals.

As dawn showed gray in the west, Gimli scuffed a wide path through the remaining coals with his foot and they led the horses out.

“We draw near the last bridge. We will ride hard today and try to outdistance those around us. But I fear it will do no good. At the end we will have to stand and fight, and they will all come.” Aragorn lifted his chin, his eyes grim.

And they may not be killed, Gimli understood. He drew himself up with a huff. “Let them come. We will sell our lives as dearly as we may!”

“Not dearly enough.” Aragorn looked down on Bilbo, who sat before him on his horse. “We will reach the last bridge before nightfall, I think. Bilbo, when we engage them, slip through. Run on before us, and escape if you can to Rivendell.”

Bilbo gave him a stubborn look, but Aragorn leaned down and murmured in his ear until his chin sank and he nodded.

Legolas too seemed troubled, trotting close to Gimli’s knee. After a time he set his hand behind Gimli’s boot and looked up. “Gimli.”

“Aye.” Gimli clung to the reins, trying to keep himself astride the horse.

“This is not a fitting time, I know,” Legolas spoke softly, for Gimli’s ears alone. “But I would ask you before they corner us, before we die: what did the wraith offer you?”

Gimli blinked down at him, startled.

"Speak, for I greatly wish to know." Legolas looked reckless and fey, driven by some desperate resolve.

Whatever the elf’s temptation might have been, it could be nothing as shameful and hopeless-- as humiliating to reveal!-- as his own secret. Perhaps a way to return to the good graces of his father? If that were so, the wraith would have had him abandon Gimli altogether. Gimli clenched his jaw, feeling the elf’s hand warm on his calf, kindling desire in his breast-- and a matching tide of despair.

“Would you tell me what it offered you? No, you would not.” Gimli tugged at the reins, making his horse dance away from the elf’s hand at the expense of nearly losing his seat. He struggled until he was steady again, the elf catching their horse’s bridle and gentling it back into its path for him. “What was promised is of no account, for the means the wraith offered of getting it would render it without value.”

“I will say what it offered me.” Legolas whispered, so softly Gimli almost did not hear. “If you will.”

“I will not say!” Gimli half-choked, desperate to end the discussion, his outburst drawing a worried glance from Aragorn. The elf could not know the torment he was causing.

Legolas gazed up at Gimli, his troubled eyes clear as crystal. They seemed to pierce straight through Gimli, nearly as keen as the gaze of Galadriel.

“Very well.” He turned his gaze aside. “Yet I am not content. Should we survive to reach Rivendell, we will will speak of this again.” Legolas drew away, but Gimli could not bear to see him go.

“Elf,” he grumbled, and reached out his hand.

Legolas set his in it, and Gimli clasped it firmly. “Now I know we will not die,” he said, gruff. “Because you would not be deprived of your chance to goad me into telling.”

Legolas smiled faintly, the barest ghost of merriment, but it set a light dancing in his eyes. “Indeed,” he answered. “You will not escape the persistence of an elf so easily.”

A rasping, eerie howl interrupted far to the front, making Legolas spin away, drawing his knives. Another answered from the side, and one much closer from the back.

“We near the river,” Aragorn warned. “The trap is set to spring!”

Legolas ran ahead as Aragorn turned them away from a bend in the road, cutting off leagues of distance by mounting the hillside. The horses labored up a sliding mass of shale, and Legolas came to a halt at the top. A horn, rich and mellow, sounded to greet him.

“Elves!” He turned, shouting with joy. “Elves are coming!”

They gained the top of the escarpment, looking down a long shallow slope into valley of the River Hoarwell. A troop of elves advanced, the lead elf mounted on a shining white horse, his golden hair flying in the wind. He charged forward, clashing with the leading wraith, and shattered him. Then his company poured forth and trampled the things under iron-shod hooves. Seconds later, the clashing of steel, shouts, and a second cry of the horn came to their ears.

Legolas looked to Gimli, a sudden triumphant smile curving his lips, and Gimli flushed in spite of himself, wondering how he could ever manage to dissemble well enough to tell a fraction of his truth without his heart being revealed. Cursed be that dratted elf!

“Ride forth to meet them!” Aragorn drew his sword and swung it about his head, and they thundered down the slope, a poor and ragged onslaught compared to the gleaming troop of elves.

The wraiths, outnumbered and overwhelmed, shrieked their rage and fled. The leading elf pulled off his shining helm and urged his horse forward to meet the travelers.

“Glorfindel,” Aragorn clasped his hand with gratitude. “You are well met indeed!”

“The Lady of Lórien sensed your danger and sent us forth to meet you.” He gave Gimli and Legolas a grave nod. “You have the halfling then? That is well. We have brought fresh mounts for you all. Let us go swiftly.”

They were troubled no more by wraiths as they crossed the plains that rose toward the mountains. To Gimli’s surprise, Legolas did not draw close to Glorfindel as he had done with Haldir; he seemed in awe of the tall and solemn elf.

“Why are you so shy of him?” Gimli asked when he found a time they would not be overheard.

“He is a great hero,” Legolas explained, just as quiet. “He slew a balrog of Morgoth in Gondolin, and died in the doing, and was sent back among us once more from the west.”

“A balrog,” Gimli said slowly. “What sort of thing is that?”

Legolas lowered his eyes. “A fiery demon of the ancient world, a great and terrible creature of shadow and flame, favored servant of Morgoth-- of whom Sauron is only a lieutenant.”

Gimli looked at the elf-lord with new respect after that-- but though he was tall and fair, with hair like a gleaming river of gold, Gimli thought he did not outshine the grace and simple beauty of Legolas.
NOTES A comment response thread for this story can be found at http://www2.adult-fanfiction.org/forum/index.php/topic/62310-review-replies-for-nothing-gold-can-stay-by-tafkab/ !
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Nothing Gold Can Stay