Chapter Five

It was getting angrier by the moment.  It knew the creature It followed was now in the dark, for It could detect no spark of light anywhere in any part of its domain, though how It could detect light in a far tunnel was known only to It.  Knowing the two beings it sought were not nearly as adept at maneuvering down here as It was continued to give It the advantage.  Why then, It wondered, were they proving to be so hard to catch?

It had never come up against beings like this.  Before, whenever anything wandered into the home, It had played with them, just for a change in routine.  It fed as much on the terror generated as on the physical being itself. 

These beings were evading It for real.  They had even separated to make escaping easier.  It would not allow such a thing to transpire!  They would be caught and dealt with.  Its large yellow eyes glowed, as It anxiously anticipated the terror that was to follow.

Aragorn’s racing heart gradually slowed down as the object in his hand registered its familiarity in his brain.  The torch!
Relief washed over him before the thought hit him that now Legolas was in the dark, as well.  Of course, the fact that elves could fair better in the dark than humans wasn’t much help.  Elves, Legolas in particular, hated being underground, light or no light.

“Hang on, my friend,” the man whispered.  “I will do my best to find you.”

With those resolute words, Aragorn rose to his feet.  He started to carry the torch with him, thinking that maybe they could get it started again, then thought better of that idea.  Legolas would never have left it behind, if there was any chance it could be restarted and utilized in the future.  It was out of fuel, and unless they found another torch somewhere, light was going to be a thing of the past.

Laying the torch down, Aragorn began to make his way forward.  He was hopelessly lost and had no idea where he was headed.  It occurred to him once again, that he could easily be far outside the perimeters of the tower.  Considering how large the tunnels were and how they meandered around, that was a very distinct possibility.

After going on a few feet, a faint noise brought the ranger to a sudden stop.  His first thought was that it was the snake.  Then the hope blossomed that it might be Legolas.  It took a great deal of willpower for Aragorn not to shout out.  As much as he wanted to locate Legolas, he was afraid that if it was the snake, he would bring it straight to him - not a good idea.
 
Tip-toeing as quietly as he could, Aragorn made himself start moving forward once more.  He tried to ignore the fact that he was having to drag his injured hands along the rough rocky walls.  At least it was better than banging his head into them.

The startled cry that echoed through the tunnels made Aragorn cringe and almost sent him  into a near faint.  Until he realized that he was the once who had let out the cry.

“I am sorry, Estel,” Legolas said, as he gripped the man’s shoulder.  “I knew no other way to get your attention.”  The elf’s words were soft and sincere.  “Had I called your name, you would have been just as startled.”  Sometimes surprise was inevitable.

Breathing in and out deeply, Aragorn nodded before realizing that Legolas wouldn’t be able to see that visual acknowledgment. “You're right, but as long as you're here, my friend, it doesn't matter.”  He turned around and felt for Legolas’s shoulder, squeezing it. He couldn’t stop the slight tremor in his hand, which the elf kindly ignored.

“Where is the snake?” the man asked, keeping his voice low.

“I do not know for sure, but I think it is behind me.  I have tried but have been unable to elude it for long.  It undoubtedly has a keen sense of smell.”

“I think you’re right.  Let’s go.”  It was that or stay and wait and that wasn’t much of a choice.  He’d rather die trying to save his life than just waiting for the unavoidable. 

As they started out away from the direction where Legolas said the snake probably was, Aragorn asked, “Do you have any clue as to where to go to find the stairs again?”  Hope and hopelessness could both be heard in his tone.

“Normally, I would say yes, but down here in this place my senses are dampened.  I do not ‘feel’ which way is right.”

Again Aragorn nodded.  It was the answer he expected.  There were some things even an elf could not overcome.

The hiss that greeted the two friends was not really unexpected, but the direction from which it came was.  The sound came from the side, though there was no tunnel opening nearby.

“It’s in a parallel tunnel,” the elf remarked.  He reached out and put his hand on the wall, feeling a slight vibration.

Aragorn sighed.  “And the wall between us isn’t very thick if I can hear that hissing.”

“It is keeping pace with us,” Legolas said.  He was not pleased with this turn of events, since the snake would not be moving along with them unless it knew there was a place ahead where the two tunnels joined up.

Legolas grabbed Aragorn’s shoulder and pulled the ranger to a stop.  “It cannot turn around in these tunnels.  It is too big.  If we go back the way we came, it will have to go until it finds an opening to this tunnel.  We will have a head start.”

The pair began sprinting, retracing the ground they had just traversed.  They knew the tunnel was straight.  Therefore, all they had to do was keep from weaving too much from side to side and hitting the walls, and they could maneuver without too much difficulty.  It wasn’t easy, but they managed to make pretty good time.

To their total surprise, they soon found that the tunnel was getting lighter.

“Are we moving toward the stairs?” Aragorn asked, almost afraid to believe it could be true.

“It appears we are, unless there is another source of light down here,” Legolas replied.  That was one possibility he rather doubted, though of course, there were probably miles of tunnels down here that no one knew about but the snake.  As far as the elf was concerned, it could stay that way.

After a few more yards, the light was not only getting brighter, but it was obvious there was another split in the tunnels; the first split they had come to - how long ago was that now?  One  was brighter, and it was into this one that Legolas and Aragorn darted, only barely slowing down.

They soon increased their speed to a full run, since darkness was no longer their enemy.  Fresh air, or rather, fresher air, filled the tunnel and spurred them on.

Legolas’s heart lightened when he spotted the stairs in the dim distance.  “We are almost there, Estel,” the elf whispered encouragingly.

And encourage Aragorn it did, renewing his determination to beat the odds they had been facing, since coming down into this netherworld. 

The archer, keeping his ears focused down the tunnel for any sign that the snake was nearing them, moved up past the ranger.  As soon as he made his way up to the propped open stone cover, he pushed upward with both hands until he could remove the rock he had wedged in the angle.  He then jumped up onto the floor of the tower while holding the stone slab securely.

Aragorn burst out into the open air.  He may have still been inside the tower, but since it had no roof, the air was plenty fresh enough for him.  He filled his lungs with it, having been afraid that he would never be able to enjoy such a simple, but all-important pleasure.

He slowed only long enough to make sure that Legolas had closed the stone cover and was moving away from it. Once the elf was as clear of their recent prison as he was, he began to head for the side of the tower where they had come in.

His one thought was to find the horses and get as far away from this cursed place as possible.  He no longer cared who built the tower.  It didn’t matter that they had not solved the mystery of the tower’s true builder, he still let out a soft curse against Morgoth and all his evil.

Just as the two friends had gotten within a few yards of the outer door, a huge noise behind them made them both stop and turn.  Two pairs of eyes were wide with shock and disbelief when the head and a large part of the body of the giant snake came crashing through the underground entrance, straying rocks and dust in all directions.

The creature kept coming until it towered high above the ground.

“I don’t believe this,” Aragorn said in a tone that gave no doubt he meant the words he had just spoken.  “Tell me we are both seeing the same thing.  Or rather, tell me you see nothing at all.”

“I wish I could,” the elf replied. 

The serpent’s head was turning in all directions, trying to locate the two beings It sought among the dark debris that littered the tower floor.

Just before the huge head swung around in their direction, Legolas and Aragorn dove behind a jumble of piled up boulders.   Neither was inclined to do more than draw in a shallow breath.

Waiting a few extra heartbeats to give the snake time to start looking elsewhere, Legolas slowly raised his own head up enough to peek through a gap in the rocks, while motioning for Aragorn to stay down.

The snake’s head was turning away, but when Legolas saw the distance was too far to the door to make a dash for it a safe move.  Even if they had been as silent as an elf in full stealth mode, the movement might draw the creature’s attention.  The snake was so big, it could reach them in a flash.

“What is it doing up here?” Aragorn asked as more of a breath of air than audible words.  He knew Legolas, whose ear was right next to his lips, could hear him.

The elf shook his head.  They had both assumed that once they reached the surface, the snake would remain in It’s tunnels, and they would be free to leave.  It wasn’t working out that way.

If the snake didn’t spot them after making It’s search, the elf and ranger hoped It would then return to It’s home.  How long the creature was prepared to continue looking, they had no idea.  It may be a long time, but they weren’t willing to take the risk of settling themselves in more comfortable positions to wait in.

Aragorn’s right leg, caught awkwardly under his left thigh, was beginning to cramp.  He hoped it didn’t start shaking.  The result of rattling rocks at this point was not something he wanted to contemplate.  He reached down with both hands and began messaging the limb.

The sun was going down, and dark shadows were intensifying inside the tower.  Observing this, Aragorn pointed upward.

Legolas had already taken note of the time of day and nodded.  Gloom was one thing, but full on dark, especially with a the sliver of a new moon rising, was going to make things, if not as bad as it had been in the tunnels, at least unpleasant.  The elf could draw strength from the stars and just knowing he was above ground.  As of yet, it was still too early for the stars to show themselves. 

It was in full fury now.  These beings had found the way up and managed to leave the tunnels.  Totally unacceptable!  Now, It had been forced to crash through the too small opening, trying to ignore the feeling of being squeezed as It ploughed through the stone entrance.  Luckily, Its thick scales kept It from being damaged.

A survey of the inside of the tower, something It hadn’t seen since It had gone to live below ground.  The place looked even more dilapidated than It remembered.  But never mind; It had to find It’s prey. 

All of the doors that led outside the tower were closed.  It couldn’t believe that the creatures had been able to reach one of the doors, get through, and then close them again before It got here. 

It flicked It’s tongue.  For some reason, It couldn‘t pick up the prey’s scent, but It still believed they were in here somewhere.

It began to slither farther out into the gathering gloom, rising as high as it could without overbalancing.   It had the sudden thought to just wait until the darkness fell, but It was anxious to get this over with.  As long as the beings were forced to stay in the tower, It could track them down and enjoy the dinner It would make of them - a well-deserved dinner.

TBC