"Orcs were past here in the night, just the other side of that rise," said Bauglir. "Unless they moved very silently, I am surprised the watchers missed them. We are fortunate they did not smell our horses; the wind was in our favour."
"We should check further for signs of Orcs," said Mîriel. "Send the scouts and a couple of fighters to check further afield. That way we can be sure the area is clear."
"If we are to move," said Luinár, "we should all move as one. We are less vulnerable that way."
The others agreed with her, so they completed packing and started out. The terrain was changing: the flat steppes of the Nan Angmar were giving way to a series of small hills. Vegetation was still rather scarce but more noticeable than when they had started out from the mine.
They had just left the camp when Araquenval called a warning.
"Movement on the plain!" he said. "Riders approach, but they are not on horses."
"Orcs on wargs!" cried Bauglir. "They will surely be the death of us!"
"Not as long as I wield a sword, they won't!" snapped Luinár. "Look just ahead of us: there is a long line of gorse and break in the ground. We can set up a defense there." So as quickly as they could manage they ran to the gorse and dismounted.
"We need to prevent them from flanking us like the Easterlings did the other day," said Dennenor. "If we force them around the gorse they'll have to approach us practically head-on."
"But they can still approach from two sides," Mîriel objected.
"They will not be able to if we cut off access from one side," said Araquenval. "See how narrow is the gap between the gorse and the small hill just beyond. A few ropes across there will slow them down!"
Immediately Bradlegar grabbed three ropes and he, Araquenval, and Mîriel worked frantically to string them across the gap between gorse and a small hill immediately east of it. They got it done before their enemies were within range. Dennenor retrieved the caltrops and spread them out in front of their defence line. Luinár, Dennenor, and Rhôn-Hari-Rhôn took up positions on the side opposite the gorse from which the Orcs were approaching, to force them to navigate a narrow opening in the gorse and cross a crack in the ground to get to them. The others entered the gorse itself.
"We have that plant we found the other day," Luinár called.
"Yes," replied Mîriel. "Remember, kathkusa's effects are felt immediately, but they do not last long. Have a leaf in your hand but do not eat it until just before you are ready to take your first swing!"
The three front-line fighters dug into their pockets, searching for the orange leaf they had found two days before.
"I was not given any of that," said Bauglir. "Does someone have a leaf they can give me?"
"I do not think you deserve one," said Mîriel.
"Pretty man can fight," rumbled Rhôn-Hari-Rhôn. "Take this leaf. Use it well." And he handed a kathkusa leaf to Bauglir.
They watched nervously as eight Orcs on wolves approached their position. All were riding wolves, but they appeared to be too small to be wargs. One held aloft on a pole their standard: a red hand over a green oval. As soon as they were within range they broke into two groups: the first four moved in on the five people standing in the gorse while the other made its way to the gap. Two managed to jump the crack in the ground, but the other two stopped, hesitant. Bradlegar fired an arrow and missed. Araquenval cast a sleep spell and one of the riders in the first group tumbled off his wolf.
"Eat up!" called Dennenor.
He and the others devoured their kathkusa leaves. The other two Orcs jumped across the gap and all four charged the fighters. Then the fighters struck: instantly three Orcs fell dead to the ground, one smitten so hard by Rhôn that its head practically evaporated, leaving a fine red mist in the air. The fourth Orc charged Luinár, and it, too, died the moment she impaled it with her spear.
Three Orcs remained behind them. Bradlegar killed one with a well aimed arrow. Luinár, now wielding her sword, ran out and killed the standard bearer. The last remaining Orc charged into the gorse, apparently to engage Araquenval. Bauglir struck it with his axe, then Dennenor delivered such a mighty blow that he cut the Orc into three pieces. Then Luinár killed the sleeping Orc, and the wolves ran in panic from the place where their masters lay slain.
They cleaned their weapons and hid the bodies of the Orcs in the gorse, then started riding again. The weather was variable, starting out sunny and warm, then clouding over and threatening to rain in the afternoon. And the trail became still rougher, with rocks and boulders all about, and chasms that opened in front of them, forcing them to go around, slowing their progress.
"If nothing else," Bauglir noticed, "there are now many more caves for Orcs to hide in, and jump out of and attack us."
"And a good cave will provide us shelter from the storm you say is coming," said Mîriel. "If it is large enough, we can shelter the horses in it too. That will make it harder for Orcs to determine we are there."
The land was all but empty of wildlife: small birds could be seen here and there, but no hares or rodents or reptiles. Once Bradlegar spotted something flying high in the sky, and pointed it out to the rest of the group. "What is it?" he asked. "A Great Eagle? Or some nefarious winged creature sent by the Witch-King to spy out the land?"
The Elves gazed at it for a minute. "It is a hawk," said Araquenval. "Not a Great Eagle: they would not enter this land. Nor do I think it is a servant of the Witch-King. Its course is that of a hunter, but I surmise it hunts for food, not intruders."
In the late afternoon, while riding around another crevice that blocked their southward path, Mîriel spotted a large cave entrance on its wall, many feet below them. "The night is coming," she said. "We should check that cave to see if it will provide shelter for the night."
Luinár and Rhôn-Hari-Rhôn searched for some way of getting into the ravine. They found a thin trail leading off the one they were riding and followed it down. To the bottom of the gorge it ran, up to and then past the cave. Carefully they checked inside, then called up good news.
"The cave is empty and shows no sign of having been occupied recently," said Luinár. "Moreover it is large: we can comfortably fit in ourselves and the horses."
The rest of the group dismounted and led the horses on the trail to the bottom. After checking the cave a second time, they agreed it would make an excellent place to camp. So they led the horses inside and prepared to set up camp.
"More cave here than this room," said Rhôn-Hari-Rhôn when as his eyes adjusted to the dim light. "Tunnel leads from back of room to another place."
The passageway Rhôn had noticed became obvious to the others as their eyes adjusted. It was round, about fifteen feet in diameter. Bradlegar lit his lantern, then he and the other entered the tunnel, treading it carefully for several feet as it turned to the left. It ran this way for several feet more before opening into a large cavern. So large was this space that Bradlegar's lantern could not cast a light on the far wall. Mîriel cast a projected light spell and shone it all about.
Bradlegar examined the round tunnel. "This is very strange," he said. "It's almost perfectly round. And see here: on either side where it is widest there is a strange scoring mark, as if something was dragged through."
"Not only are there marks on the wall," said Bauglir, "look up. Where the tunnel enters the large cavern there is a strange groove." He pointed up. Above them a notch shaped like a V had been cut.
"Let us now draw our weapons and enter this cavern," said Dennenor. "If there is a dangerous creature here, we should be prepared to fight." And he pulled his sword.
"More light would also be useful," said Bauglir, casting a light spell of his own, adding his to Mîriel's spell and Bradlegar's lantern.
"Mîriel," Bradlegar asked, "do you have anything that would help us see better?"
The Dúnadan animist looked through her herb pouch. "Megillos," she announced. "I will give it to someone who can already see well. Like me."
She ate a leaf. Her eyes began to glow faintly in the dim light. Looking around the cavern, she could see it was nearly circular, measuring some three hundred feet in diameter. Scattered here and there throughout the space great stalagmites squatted on the floor and pointed stalactites dangled from the ceiling. A depression in the middle of the room had filled with water from somewhere, creating a dark pool. Far at the back she could see another circular opening, apparently the same diameter as the one they were in
Bats were everywhere, clinging to the rock of the roof high above them, some flying about. A short distance ahead of them a cluster of mushrooms grew, red topped, each about a foot high.
"Now that we know the area," said Dennenor, "we should enter and scout it."
"Do we want to go in there?" asked Araquenval.
"What do we stand to gain?" added Mîriel.
"Well," said Bauglir, "we can figure out what may or may not creep up on us in our sleep. If there is anything down, I really do not want to fall asleep without checking it out."
Bradlegar and Luinár readied their bows. Rhôn-Hari-Rhôn entered first, with Dennenor, Luinár, and Bauglir forging a protective circle around Araquenval, Bradlegar, and Mîriel. They carefully entered the cavern, slowly making their way near in.
"Mushrooms may be scarlet nightcap," said Rhôn-Hari-Rhôn. "Bad to eat, can kill many men."
"See this pillar," said Bauglir, pointing to a stalagmite they had just passed. "Here is another mark."
Indeed there was mark on the stalagmite, a score in the stone about seven feet off the floor. It looked eerily similar to the cut Bradlegar had found in the tunnel. The Hobbit was getting worried. "It seems very much like a larger creature makes or made its way in and out of here," he said.
Rhôn examined the cut. "Mark in stone made by much movement," he said. "Creature came in, creature came out many times."
"Like the claw in a dragon's wingtip, clipping it every time it goes by?" Mîriel asked.
"Mark too regular, too deep, for such a thing. Dragon would not hit wing so many times."
"Curious," said Bauglir. "Look how the groove does not go around the pillar. It is only on the side that is toward the wall and along the path."
They investigated the next stalagmite. It, too, bore a groove, at the same height and on only one side. Next they checked the tunnel at the back of the cave. Like the one they had entered, it was round, fifteen feet in diameter, and scored on either side. It descended steeply, turning to the right before disappearing from sight.
Bradlegar tied a rope around the nearest stalagmite and tossed the other end into the tunnel. He was just about to enter the tunnel when Rhôn-Hari-Rhôn spoke.
"How will little man be protected if great beast comes from tunnel?" he asked.
"Then the mighty warrior Hobbit will slay the beast," said Luinár.
"That would be interesting," said her sister, "considering all our mighty warriors would still be up here. Perhaps you should go."
"Well, I can come along," she said. "But Bradlegar can see better than I. He should be included."
"Rhôn-Hari-Rhôn comes as well," said the Wose. "He can see in dark and fight beasts."
With Rhôn in the lead followed by Bradlegar and Luinár, the three held the rope and carefully entered the descending tunnel. Several yards in the Wose slipped on the wet rock. He lost his grip on the rope and slid out of control to the corner. Then his eyes caught sight of the thin line of the rope beside him, and he grasped it tight and came to a stop. Peering into the darkness beyond, he realized he had narrowly avoided tumbling into an even steeper part of the tunnel.
Mîriel called down, "Is everything all right down there?"
"Yes," her sister called back. "Rhôn slipped but managed to grab back on to the rope. But it's very dark down here."
"Shall I let down some candles?"
"No--we're using both hands to hold on to the rope. The tunnel gets steeper the further down you go. We wouldn't be able to hold on to them."
"Tall lady may need two hands," Rhôn said, "but Rhôn-Hari-Rhôn has strength of two. Needs only one to hold rope. Pass torch down. Rhôn-Hari-Rhôn will use it to see tunnel."
Mîriel tied two unlit torches to a rope and sent them down. Rhôn lit one and held it out for a better look. Now that he had good light, he could see the tunnel from this point ran steeply down another fifty feet, then vanish in a vertical drop of unknown depth.
After a brief discussion they decided to explore further. Cautiously they went forward, slowly descending the steep slope. The way was more slippery than they had expected. Holding the torch in one hand, Rhôn nearly slipped and fell, but held his position long enough to recover.
"This is getting dangerous," said Luinár. "Wait while I make a foot-hold here. Then I can brace myself and let one of you down on the rope."
She extracted an iron spike and a hammer from her waist pouch, then began driving the spike into the rock. After a few blows she determined she had started it at the wrong angle. But as she pulled it out to start again, it slipped from her grasp and fell. It bounced once off the steep floor, narrowly missing Rhôn, then slid down to the hole below them and was lost from sight completely. They did not hear it hit bottom.
Undeterred, Luinár got out another spike and hammered it in, then added a second. That done, Bradlegar climbed up, back to where she sat, then passed her. He continued climbing until he got to a spot halfway between Luinár and the people at the top, where he could act as a relay between the two groups. Next Rhôn-Hari-Rhôn climbed up to where Luinár was and she pulled up the rope.
Now they had some rope to work with. With Luinár bracing her feet against the spikes and slowly letting out the rope, Rhôn groped his way down the steep section of the tunnel to the point where it began its vertical drop. Once there, he lit his second torch, then cast the first down the hole. It fell a full sixty feet, hit the bowed bottom, and slid out of view.
"Give rope careful and slow," Rhôn called up to Luinár. "Hole goes many feet but Rhôn-Hari-Rhôn sees ground, and now goes down hole." The Wose carefully stepped over the edge. Feeling the strain but able to handle it, Luinár carefully played out the rope, lowering Rhôn down. It took a couple of minutes, but eventually the rope went slack, and she knew Rhôn had reached the bottom.
Rhôn-Hari-Rhôn looked about in amazement. Where he had expected only more darkness and tunnel, dozens of dazzling lights in a profusion of colours danced before his eyes. So bright were they that he put up a hand to cast a shadow over his face. But it did not help, and he turned his back closed his eyes. Then he blinked hard, trying to get his eyes to adjust, but the beams were too much and he still could not see. Finally he put out his torch.
He was not in pitch darkness. Twenty feet away the torch he had dropped down the hole had come to rest inside another cavern. Multicoloured rays of light bounced and danced along the ground in tune to the flickering glow of the torch. Rhôn crept forward and entered the room.
Even as he put his first foot into the room, the ground beneath him quivered and bounced. Then a creature fled across the floor, too fast for Rhôn even to hope to identify it. In its wake there was a tinkling sound. Carefully Rhôn put down his other foot: the ground was now solid.
Again Rhôn was amazed: as far as the torch would let him see, the floor was covered in nearly transparent rock-like objects in many colours and hues. Some were as small as a fingernail, others as large as grapefruit. Quickly he filled his belt pouch with a selection of the gem-like pieces from a small area immediately inside the cavern. They were hard and sharp: one cut his finger as he put it into his pouch.
Then he turned around and returned to the bottom of the hole by which he had come. Picking up the unlit torch, he put it into his belt, then grasped the rope and tugged it twice. Luinár felt the signal and began to haul Rhôn up. It was a tough couple of minutes, first pulling Rhôn up and out of the hole, then through the steep part of the tunnel back to her position. They paused there for a while to catch their breath, then climbed out and joined the rest of the group in the cavern at the top.
He showed the pieces he had collected from the sparkling cavern to the others. Bradlegar quickly identified them as glass. This only served to heighten the mystery of the strange tunnels and the cavern below. Where did such an enormous quantity of glass come from, in such diverse colours?
"It would not be from a volcano or a dragon's fire," said Mîriel. "That creates a substance like glass, but typically black. Not in green, red, blue, and all the other colours we see here."
"This one is curved like it came from a bottle," said Bradlegar, holding out a large blue piece.
Several minutes they spent examining the glass pieces, each looking at a piece in turn. Then Mîriel said, "It is late, and we have determined what we came in here for: there is nothing that is a threat to our safety in these caves. We should go to bed."
The others agreed, so they returned to the small cave just inside the entrance and made camp there. Araquenval took the time to cast a spell to store a shock bolt spell. Then they built a fire and set their regular watches, one looking outside and the other to the cave beyond, but nothing came in the night to disturb them.
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