Title – Cling and Clatter – Chapter 9 - Frost Bites

Author – Jules

Rating – MA 15+ mature themes.

Disclaimer – All things Ringish aren't mine.. the song is Its a Beautiful Day by Queen.

Summery – Free from slavery and guards, Legolas and Aragorn brave the cold mountains to return to Mirkwood

Dedication – Sonbon, the RatPak Girls, and Minka – Ta for making my muse return!!

Authors Notes – This is part of a series, if you want it to make sense, please read the previous 8 chapters as well as my other LOTR fic Faded Ashes. Enjoy!

Frost Bites

Its a beautiful day

The sun is shining

I feel good

And no-ones gonna stop me now

The following morning both the Elf and the Ranger awoke with the sun, savouring once again the feeling that they were no-longer either prisoners of their own physical weaknesses or other evil beings. For a while they simply lay in the pink/golden dawn, listening to the trees and animals around them. The horse snuffled quietly nearby, content to be grazing on the lush green grass that surrounded the clear stream, and birds arose to twitter in the treetops, their song filling the morning with the sound of merry beings. Unfortunately the sound of rumbling stomachs shattered the idealic scene and Aragorn was the first to rise somewhat wobbly to his feet. The world once again span lazily around his sore head, making his steady himself on a nearby tree before moving too far. Pausing a moment while the world righted he contemplated the events the past few months had dealt him. From being captured and taken to the prison, to finding Legolas, and escaping, the village and the healer, and finally the beautiful morning that the gods had blessed him with.

His stomach rumbled again, cutting short his musings and reminding him of the reason he was standing. Turning his gaze away from the dawning sun Aragorn took in the trees and bushes around them, looking for any kinds of fruits or berry's that might be present. He searched for several minutes before walking over to the only bush the provided any colour other than green. A bush laden with red berries filled his sight, yet something about it seemed wrong. Coming closer he was horrified to find that the only source of food they had in their immediate vacinity was a bush full of highly poisenous berries. He was somewhat startled when Legolas appeared beside him, leaning heavily on a branch to allow his leg to heal quicker.

" I take it this means breakfast is once again missed" Legolas said in good humour as they glared at the inedible berries. Aragorn was not amused though, he knew that if Legolas was to heal fully and quickly, they would both need to keep up the nutrients, as his head wound would also not heal if they were malnourished. Turning away from the offending foodstuff he headed back to where they had laid, carefully collecting the few meager belongings they had while Legolas called the horse over to them, slipping its bridle over its gentle head before awkwardly scrambling onto its broad back. Once mounted he offered his hand to his companion, bracing himself as the Ranger took the offered hand and settled himself behind the Elf.

" Where are we to go?" Legolas said as his keen eyes serveyed the area around them. Aragorn too set his eyes upon the rolling hills in which they had camped. Green vegetation greeted them in every direction, no colour other than the variations of green that were between the trees and the grass. Forlornly Aragorn looked back the way they had come, seeing the orchards, flowers and vegetables, but knew that they could not even ponder returning the way they had come. To return would mean they would most certainly be captured again. Making up his mind he spoke his thoughts to his companion and await his decision.

" I agree that returning to the village would be unwise, but to venture too far into these hills without food also could be unwise. My bearings have faltered and I do not know where exactly we are, otherwise I would advice is to hasten to the nearest Elven city." Legolas reluctantly admitted. An Elf, lost in the wilderness. Such a thought would be scorned at had he not been with such familiar company.

" You were heading for Greenwood were you not, to celebrate the lives of your people who perished? Is that not in a northerly direction from LothLorien?" Aragorn thought aloud, recounting the fact that it was Galadriel who had raised the alarm when Legolas had gone missing. She had sent a messenger to the Ranger several days after Legolas did not return from his memorial, and pleaded him to aid her in finding the lost Elf. For days they searched before finding Legolas' bootprints leading into a dimly lit village. Aragorn had assumed Legolas had spent the night there, sheltered from the pounding rain that had been falling at the time, but alas the Ranger fell into the same trap as his companion.

" I think we should head once again to the North. If my instinct is right we should arrive at the broad lands that were once your fathers in near a few weeks." Aragorn made up his mind and hoped madly that his theory proved true. Mirkwood, formerly Greenwood the Great had been an impressive expanse of land of which Legolas would know most, if not all of. If they continued to head north, they would no doubt arrive at the forest where the Elf was born.

Legolas leant forward and spoke quietly into the horses' ear, instructing it to keep the sun on the left until noon and on the right after it had reached its peak., thus he was sure they would be heading due north at all times. The gentle animal gathered itself into a gentle canter, its stride easily passing the ground as they headed up into the mountains. Aragorn called for a halt as midday neared them, taking a moment to survey the mountainside. Still only green greeted his eyes, even then considerably sparser that before. He kept his thoughts to himself this time, not wanted to bother his no-doubt hungry companion that there were still no edible plants in the area. He was worried though, the Elf was still weak from his fight with infection, and the Ranger himself still sported a nasty concussion, he prayed the gods would look after them as they made the perilous journey to familiar territory.

Onward the weary companions plodded, the horse now climbing steep inclines, digging its hooves into the stony, crumbling earth beneath them as they rose higher into the mountaintop. The tempreture plummeted as they rose higher, the air becoming thin as dusk started to descend around them. The sun created a dazzling display as it retired to the other side of the earth, leaving the two companions and their beast in growing darkness; cold, hungry and very much alone.

Before the inky blackness of night fully engulfed them Legolas spied a rocky outcrop that would serve as a rudimentry shelter. He guided the horse towards the overhang with kind words and the promise of mountaingrass grazing, grabbing a handfull of mane to slow his decent as he slipped from its back. Aragorn thudded to the earth beside him, this time wobbling only slightly as his feet touched the solid ground.

Legolas relieved the horse of its bridle and set it loose to graze on the sparse but lush mountain grass. Pity for the Elf and Ranger they could not eat the grass as well, for that was looking quite tempting to the hungry two. Taking his mind of his rumbling stomach Aragorn opened his waterskin and took several sips of the cool liquid within. Wiping his mouth he offered the skin to Legolas who also drank sparingly before recorking it and placing next to the horses' bridle. In all his life as the crown prince of Mirkwood, Legolas Greenleaf has never known hunger. He had feasted on all he could eat during his days in the great forest, and even when he was off guarding the borders, or travelling, he had never known the pains of emptiness that now invaded his body. He had only eaten a small amount last night, splitting the two small rolls between Aragorn and himself and had not eaten anything for many days before hand. Now it was starting to tell on his mind as well as his body.

Laying back against the frigid rocks the Ranger shivered in the frigid night air. A thick mist was rolling in, covering them all in a wet dew that would not dry until midmorning. Curling up within himself he tried to block the feelings of cold that invaded his body, combining with that of the hunger and nearly driving him mad. His teeth chattered against his will, audibly making his intense cold known to his companion. Strong arms pulled him into an embrace, pulling one cold body against another until they both fell asleep, sharing body-heat to keep from freezing.

The next morning greeted them with the dull light of morning through a sea of thick fog. Legolas groaned as he rose, cursing the Valar as he tried to stretch the cold aching that pervaded his joints and bones. Aragorn awoke shortly after, equally cursing the gods as he shook the numbness from his frozen fingers. He picked up the waterskin while Legolas called the horse, only to find the precious liquid inside frozen solid. He turned and watched the gentle old horse pick its way up the steep slope towards them, trying very hard not to see the icicles hanging from its mane and tail. Without a word he climbed on after the elf, simply showing him the frozen waterskin before tying it under his thigh with his belt to allow his own body-heat to thaw the ice back into water. Sensing its two riders were ready to go the horse slowly picked its way further up through the foggy mist, into the colder, icier mountains of the north.

Sometimes I feel so sad, so bad,

But, no-ones gonna stop me

No-one

Is hopeless, so hopeless

to even try...

To Be Continued

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