OoOoO

Legolas had approached Mount Gundabad once before from the southeast. Tauriel had been at his side then, and the two elves had been able to slip quietly among the rocks without attracting notice. Now he and the rangers came from the southwest, and the imposing wedge of the mountain seemed no less cruel against the skyline from this angle.

Moving in groups of five, they crept along the side of the valley from boulder to boulder. Just as the twins had said, there were without doubt orcs about. Every once in a while they would hear a shuffling of feet far off, or a flickering of movement ahead. However many of the creatures were nearby though, they took care never to show themselves clearly. The rangers did not know whether this was a sign of fear on the orcs' part, or if they were being lured in closer into an ambush.

By the time they had picked their way to the foot of Mount Gundabad the sun was almost setting. It's fading rays cast a reddish glow over the land and over the faces of the Dunedain as they gathered in the shelter of a single upraised crag. They knew in all likelihood they were being watched, but there was no help for that.

"We camp here tonight. I would not chance entering that mountain in darkness, even if the Valar themselves led the way." Beringil said in a low voice, glancing at the blackness of the mountain where it blocked the view of the first stars of eventide.

"Agreed." Legolas nodded, purposefully avoiding looking at Gundabad. As they set up a carefully concealed encampment among the rocks, he took up his usual position for the first night's watch. He had a feeling that the reverie of the elves, which usually called for a peaceful mind, would escape him anyways tonight.

Two hours later as he sat in the shadow of the crags looking up at the mountain, Legolas found himself kept company only by his tumultuous thoughts. The darkness of this land seemed inky, almost a living entity that clung to every rock and even veiled the stars themselves. The lands of Angmar really did seem purged of their foul contents, the orcs scattered or killed in battle. And yet still something remained here; a memory perhaps, an echo of misery that refused to dissipate. Would the North Downs and the lands of Angmar ever be freed of their evil past? Legolas could not say...perhaps that was a question for minds wiser than his own.

The next morning dawned pale and bleak, with little light penetrating the murky clouds that hung low overhead. No one spoke as they quickly broke camp. It seemed strange, that they had been able to spend the night upon the very doorstep of Mount Gundabad unmolested. The quiet seemed more unnatural than reassuring though, and although no one made a mention of it they could all feel the small hairs on the backs of their necks prickling.

"Well then..." Beringil cleared his throat as they strapped on the last of their gear. "Now we come to it; to enter Gundabad and gouge evil from its very shell in these lands." Although he spoke calmly, no one missed the hint of apprehension in the older captain's tone. "Elladan, do you see any other entrances besides the main tunnel?"

The raven-haired Peredhil nodded, pointing up the mouth of the valley to the foot of the mountain. "You see those small chinks in the rock face? They point the way to two auxiliary tunnels, one on either side of the main entrance. Most likely they are used to channel air into the space within. I would recommend we split into two parties and send one in through either tunnel."

"Shouldn't we go in all together? In case we meet enemies and need all our numbers?" Issiril sounded apprehensive, plucking her taut bowstring like a harp and producing a short hum from it.

"What, through the main entrance?" Asvard asked incredulously. "I'm with the elf, better to go in with stealth."

Beringil ended any further debate before it even got started. "Experience speaks, Asvard. We break into two parties. Elladan, Elrohir, you two take eleven rangers and go through the left entrance. The rest of you with me."

Alongside Beringil, Andris, Kaylen and five other rangers, Legolas climbed with the group up the steep slope of Gundabad. They hadn't seen any signs of movement since two hours before dawn, and now as the sunlight feebly attempted to lighten the land they saw even less signs of orcs. The gray slate beneath their boots shifted and cracked easily as they approached the tunnels, every sound ominously loud in the silence of the mountain. With a last glance across the mountainside at Elladan and Elrohir as they led their own party, Beringil and Legolas plunged into the darkness in the lead.

The stench of orcs, wargs and whatever other foul creatures may have been populating Gundabad for the past so many years instantly assailed their nostrils. With a collective nose-wrinkle, they held their breath for as long as they could before resigning themselves to breathing in the stinking air. The darkness was near absolute inside the narrow tunnel, and they could only just barely pass by walking single file.

Once they reached a small antechamber, they had to come to a stop.

"We need a light, Beringil." One of the rangers whispered. "Sneaking up on orcs will do us no good if we can't see to fight them."

"...Agreed."

A few strikes of flint later, and they breathed a single torch to life that they found on a hook in the cave wall. The flickering firelight revealed a passage that widened as it went on, littered with bits of filth and debris that the orcs had left behind.

"Keep alert, and stay close." Beringil murmured, stepping forward to lead the way deeper into the mountain. He didn't need to say as much; each and every ranger present was so heightened in their awareness that they could have heard a mouse scrabbling in the dark at twenty paces. To say nothing of Legolas, whose senses were on a knife's edge with every step that he took in the darkness. Elves were not fond of the underground even at the best of times, and every breath of that stale air felt offensive.

For what seemed hours but was more likely thirty minutes they traveled in silence. The tunnel they followed came to a fair-sized chamber, off of which led a pair of tunnels deeper into Mount Gundabad. Taking note of the number of tracks in the dirt on the cavern floor, they opted to follow the more heavily used route to the right. It was orcs they have come in search of, and if any remained they would likely all be hiding away at the heart of the mountain.

When finally they came to a large cavern, they found the large fire braziers there glowing dim with still-warm coals. Holding a hand over them, Legolas guessed they had contained live fires not four or so hours past. That put them all on even higher alert, and everyone moved with their weapons in hand as they fanned out to search the cavern for fresh tracks.

"Here!" Andris called softly, and they all came to his side in a heartbeat. Sure enough, the treads of crude boots could be seen in the ground-down rock dust and filth covering the stone floors.

"They're here alright...but how many?" Kaylen asked, the firelight throwing sparks of red in the strands of her hair.

Legolas was about to answer when the sound of rocks crumbling behind them brought everyone spinning about. Across the cavern, they could just barely make out by firelight as the tunnel by which they had entered caved in on itself with a thunderous fall of stones. As if anyone had needed confirmation this was no natural collapse, the horrible sound of orc jeers and grunts came echoing off the cave walls.

"They've cut off our retreat!" Legolas cried, an arrow on his bowstring in a heartbeat. Even in the dim torchlight his eyes were still sharp enough to catch movement from one of the other entrances to the chamber. An arrow whizzed through the air unseen to catch the orc between neck and shoulder. The creature let out a squawk before dropping face-first onto the ground.

"Draw swords!" shouted Beringil, although there was really no need; everyone already had their weapons out and up. Orcs began pouring out into the space like cockroaches from between the very stones.

"Elendil!" The war cry roared from Andris so loudly that Legolas could have sworn it gave the orcs pause for even a moment. Fighting back-to-back and in groups so as to protect one another, the rangers repelled the first wave of orcs with grim efficiency. Now that Legolas could pick their numbers out more closely as he shot his bow, they did not seem so badly overwhelmed as one might have thought at first. The orcs were truly wretched looking, although then again it was hard to tell. After all, orcs were wretched creatures to begin with. They fought with the viciousness of cornered animals, and the Dunedain were hard pressed to keep themselves from getting boxed into a corner or surrounded.

Legolas shot about a dozen of the orcs easily, picking them off wherever they presented a target. Keeping the vermin somewhat clear for the others did present the challenge of allowing them to get too close for comfort to Legolas himself though. One orc in particular got close enough to smell before Legolas ducked and straightened back up, bringing one of his white knives up with him straight into the orc's belly. The Dunedain for the most part seemed to be able to handle themselves, and Legolas switched to knife work in close quarters with no hesitation. These orcs were a rabble though, and without coordination of any sort they died quickly.

No sooner had the throat of the last orc been cut when they knew this was only the first wave of enemies within the mountain. The screeches of vermin came echoing through the tunnels at the far side of the chamber, and the glow of torchlight could faintly be seen growing on the floor.

Glancing at Beringil, Legolas and the captain exchanged a look and a nod. They could stay where they were and keep fighting however many orcs streamed into the cavern, or they could make for one of the other tunnels in hopes of finding the other half of the party and fighting with greater numbers.

"Follow me!" Beringil shouted, signaling the Dunedain on with a wave of his black-stained sword. Plunging into the darkness after him, they rushed further into the mountain. There was no going back the way they had come regardless; the way was sealed by fallen rocks and debris.

With the sounds of unnumbered orcs following at their heels, they came to another open chamber, this time what looked like an open well or pit to their right with a wide ledge by which to navigate the space. The far side of the cavern revealed an open passage, and what looked curiously like sunlight illuminating the stone wall within. The very sight buoyed Legolas's spirit to see. It was like a beacon to his Eldar spirit, and he instinctively found himself the first to rush onto the ledge beside the pit.

"Aaack!" The shout came from behind as Andris, who had been bringing up something of a rear guard for the fleeing rangers was clipped on the shoulder by a stunted orcish arrow. It was a glancing blow, but the young man stumbled and fell forward heavily.

"Down!" Legolas shouted, his bow coming to bear. Archers themselves, the rangers immediately understood, and those between the elf and his target dropped to the ground. The moment he had a clear shot, Legolas put arrows into the leaders of the pursuing orcs. With the few moments he had been given Andris scrambled up and back into the ranks of the rangers. Wiping grime from his brow with his sleeve, Andris didn't even seem to notice the short black shaft protruding from his shoulder blade. He most certainly did notice though when Kaylen grabbed it and snapped it off near the base.

"What do you think, do we make a stand here?!" she shouted to Beringil, who shook his head and pointed onward to the passageway across the way where the pale sunlight could be seen.

"Keep on, we fight in the light." The older ranger answered grimly, turning to lead the way once again.

Legolas did not follow though. He stood as one transfixed, staring over the edge of the pit. Only sharp elvish eyes could have picked out that single silver glint in the darkness below. Of course it would have ended here. He could see it now, as clearly as if the past unfurled before him even though they had never known exactly what had happened.

A single elf, alone in the darkness, fleeing with enemies on her heels. The shaft of pale sunlight in the gloom would have beckoned her onward like a beacon of hope. But if orcs had then come pouring out of the passageway that should have led to salvation? With evil closing in both ahead and behind, where could she have gone? The answer gaped like an open wound in the pit before Legolas. There, hidden in the shadows of the earth, lay the forgotten resting place of the queen.

oOo