Aspects of Aragorn 23 "The Journey to Mirkwood Part 1" part 2

[inzilbeth]

      Aragorn was heading north; his destination, by arrangement, was the hall of Thranduil in the north of Mirkwood. It was a journey of some nine hundred miles; no mean feat with a prisoner in tow, especially one that had possibly escaped from Barad-dûr and might yet bring Sauron’s hoards down upon his head. Realising he was potentially in great danger, he went to great pains to keep out of sight and avoid detection by Sauron’s spies. To this end, he intended to travel as westerly as he could, keeping close to the cover of the Misty Mountains.

 

   First, however, he had to cross the northern slopes of the Emyn Muir. The maze of razor sharp rocks would be difficult enough to negotiate even without the uncooperative Gollum at his heels. Days he laboured, seeking a way through the hills. It seemed as if every turn he took brought him to either a dead end or an impassable ravine.

 

   But at last he succeeded and he emerged from the Emyn Muir at a point to the north of the rapids at Sarn Gebir. Here, the Anduin flowed fast towards the dangerous waters above Nen Hithoel. Aragorn could not hope to get across encumbered by Gollum without aid of some sort. Fortunately, on the east bank of the river, driftwood tended to accumulate. Mostly it was just twigs and leaves, but there were a few larger branches among them. Wading out into the water with Gollum still tethered to his wrist, Aragorn sorted through the debris washed up there until he found a branch of suitable size for his purpose. He floated it back to the bank and, dragging Gollum towards him, he strapped him securely onto it. He then pushed the branch back out into the river and, swimming beside it, he guided it to the opposite shore.

 

   It was hard work for the river was wide and flowing fast, being engorged with the water from the heavy winter rains. He was breathless by the time he reached the other side and his sore chest ached, but he could not rest just yet. He first had get out of sight of the river. Untying Gollum, he immediately drove him some distance from the west bank into a thicket of trees that lay beyond.

 

   There, hidden from prying eyes, he able to rest for a while. He very much wanted to light a fire, but decided against it. He suspected Sauron’s spies watched at least as far west as the Anduin and probably much further than that. There were pockets of sunlight breaking through the canopy above and under these he laid some of his sodden clothing in an attempt to dry them while he sat hunched up and shivering. Gollum, though, seemed completely unperturbed by his trip over the water, but he remained totally uncooperative and would not respond to even the simplest commands from his captor.

 

   That day, Aragorn did not feed Gollum as he was becoming rather tried of his troublesome antics. He had little enough food to spare as it was, so he decided to keep his prisoner on short rations to see if that would subdue him. Water he also restricted, being only too aware of how he himself had been weakened by the combined effect of these deprivations while he was held captive by the orcs. Hopefully, he could tame Gollum by similar means, though he doubted anything would stem the flow of mutterings and curses that issued incessantly from his mouth, in spite of the gag.

 

   As the shadows lengthened in the late afternoon, Aragorn gathered up his few belongings and prepared to continue on his way. He was heading north-west across the open plains of Rohan towards Fangorn forest. He wanted to complete this part of his journey as quickly as possible as he felt very vulnerable in the open with only a knife as a weapon.

 

   His attempts at haste, though, were thwarted by Gollum’s stubborn refusal to walk under sunlight. Although he offered no explanation, Gollum made such a fuss and commotion that Aragorn had no choice but to hide up under whatever shelter was available when the sun shone brightly in the middle of the day. He wanted to avoid travelling with Gollum in the dark, for fear Sauron’s servants might attempt to rescue him, but it meant they could only proceed with their journey for a few hours at dawn and dusk each day. This made their progress frustratingly slow and, for the long striding Ranger, the constant halting and stalling of Gollum’s erratic gait was an added trial.

 

   Fortunately the Eastemnet appeared to be deserted. Aragorn met no one and saw no signs of habitation at all in the ten days it took him to reach the skirts of Fangorn.

 

   Here, he gladly walked under the cover of the trees, although he did not venture far into the forest itself. He had never, in all his long travels, walked among the ancient trees and he felt it would be unwise to do so now with the troublesome Gollum in tow. If, as he had heard tell in Gondor, the forest held some strange secret, he was of no mind to discover it at this time. Instead, he turned towards the north, keeping the forest to the west of him, where its towering presence afforded him some protection from prying eyes.

 

   Squirrels and rabbits abounded in the skirts of the forest and, thanks to his supply of snares, Aragorn kept himself and Gollum from starving, though his yearning for a decent meal grew with each day that passed. But hunting took time and Gollum had to be left unattended while he was away. As it was, Aragorn was setting as fast a pace as he possibly could with the unwilling creature hampering him with every stride.

 

~oo0oo~

 

  A few days later, he reached the River Limlight which, fortunately, was shallow enough for him to wade through. He needed to carry Gollum, though, so he bound his arms and legs securely and strode across with him on his back. As he waded through the clear water, he noticed it was teeming with many brightly coloured trout which swam heedlessly around his feet. Upon reaching the other side, Aragorn tethered Gollum to a tree and returned to the river to catch their supper. Tickling trout was a skill he had learned from his brothers as a child and, standing quietly in the shallows, he soon had half a dozen fish lined up on the river bank. That evening, he risked a fire to dry his soaked clothing and cook their supper. Even Gollum’s eyes lit up at the sight of the fish, though as Aragorn tossed a couple in his direction, he was sure he heard grumblings about how they were spoiled and ruined. But he could not help but smile to himself when he noticed that Gollum had nonetheless eaten the lot.

 

   Soon they were in open country again, heading towards the western eaves of Lothlórien. Aragorn’s heart soared with joy as he came under the golden canopy of the Mallorn-trees. Having come this far, he was ever more hopeful of reaching his destination, and, as he walked beneath the trees, treasured memories of his own most special time in that land filled his mind. He was once again a young man, walking through dappled summer sunlight on flower strewn emerald lawns, hand in hand with his beloved.

 

    He was approaching the stream of Nimrodel, when a commanding voice filtered through the trees ahead, pulling him abruptly from his daydreams.

 

   “Daro!”

 

   Gollum immediately started whimpering and pulled on his leash fearfully, but Aragorn stood still, waiting patiently. He could hear soft laughter up ahead and soon two Elves came into view.

 

   “We thought it was you, Estel,” said one, addressing him in Sindarin. “But we were unsure what to make of your companion. We wondered if you had taken to keeping a pet, though we had heard tell that it is customary for men to only keep curs on leashes.”

 

   Aragorn laughed aloud with joy at seeing familiar faces again after so long on his own. He could happily have rushed forward and embraced both of them.

 

   “Rúmil, Orophin! Mae govannen,” he said, grinning wildly. “I was hoping I would soon be discovered by the wardens.”

 

   “We are most surprised to see you here, Estel,” said Rumil.  “As you know, you are welcome to return to Lothlórien at anytime, but we can not allow you to bring this creature any further into the Golden Wood.”

 

   “That is only as I expected,” said Aragorn. “I seek only rest and food for a day. I have had little of either in a long time and am beyond weary.”

 

   Orophin, looking the gaunt Ranger up and down with sympathetic eyes, said: “This we can plainly see for ourselves. Here you can find both rest and sustenance. My brother and I shall willingly guard this strange beast while you sleep.” He looked questioningly at Gollum who hid his face from the intense stare of the Elf. “I feel sure there must be quite a story behind your bringing such a strange creature here. We would gladly hear as much of your tale as you are able to tell us.”

 

   “I fear I can tell you very little,” said Aragorn, “only that it is imperative I reach Thranduil’s halls in Mirkwood as soon as I possibly can.”

 

   The Elves both nodded, though they understood only the need for secrecy. They asked no further questions.

 

   That night, under the protection of the wardens, Aragorn enjoyed his first proper meal since he could not remember when, and then he slept long in safety, high above the ground on one of the talons in the trees. Gollum was tethered below and guarded by the Elves, though he cowered from them and refused to eat their food. Aragorn rested there in that corner of the enchanted realm for a whole day before continuing on northwards. Rúmil and Orophin helped him cross the Silverlode and, before he left, they presented him with a parcel of food to take with him.

 

   “I can not thank you enough,” said Aragorn as he gratefully took his leave of the brothers and bade them farewell. “But be sure to tell Mithrandir, should he pass this way, that you have seen me and that I am not alone.”

 

   “We shall, Estel,” said Rúmil. “And you be sure to bring greetings from us to our kin in the Greenwood.”

 

   “And don’t forget to give our regards to our beloved Evenstar, when next you see her,” added Orophin.

 

   Aragorn smiled a little wistfully. “That day can not come soon enough, Orophin, but I shall gladly remember you both to her when I at last return to Imladris.”

 

   Aragorn waved goodbye to the Elves as they stood watching him set off. He felt greatly refreshed by his brief stay in the wood, but he was eager to be on his way again. The sooner he could be rid of his companion and on his way back to Eriador, the happier he would be.

 

~oo0oo~

 

   He was now travelling through the rugged terrain of the foothills of the Misty Mountains, but as he drew near the Dimrill Gate, he gave it a wide berth. The Elves had warned him there might be orcs in the region of Moria and he wanted to avoid these at all cost. Rúmil had given him a longer blade, so he no longer felt quite so defenceless, but he knew he could not tackle many of these creatures on his own.

 

   On he strode through the vales of the Anduin, ever heading north, though he stayed as westerly and as close to the feet of the mountains as he could. It was now noticeably colder. The icy wind blowing down from the Northern Waste cut him to the core and keeping warm became his main preoccupation. He might be the hardiest of men, but even he struggled when the weather was this raw. It did not help that his cloak was ripped and torn from his rough handling by the orcs and no longer provided the protection it should.

 

      He was still too close to Moria to risk a fire so his meals were miserable affairs. The supplies the Elves gave him were soon eaten, as were the strips of meat he had dried and saved from hunting further south. Where the ground was not frozen, he could dig up roots to gnaw on and stave off his hunger, but this was hard work for slim reward. He still managed to catch the occasional squirrel, but without a fire, he was soon faced with no choice but to eat raw flesh. Gollum, remarkably, seemed to survive on very little. Aragorn became increasingly concerned for him as the atrocious weather continued and yet, although he shivered, he appeared remarkably unaffected by the cold, something at which Aragorn marvelled.

 

   On he trudged on his seemingly never ending journey until he reached the River Gladden. Even near its source close to the mountains, the river still presented a considerable crossing and Aragorn dreaded submerging himself in the icy water. But there was no other way, so, with Gollum once again strapped to his back, he waded into the river. The cold hit him like a physical blow, and every step was a momentous effort as even breathing became a trial. He floundered often, yet eventually he made it across to the north bank.  But, as he emerged from his freezing dip, he felt light-headed from the cold and he knew that, no matter what the dangers, he would have to light a fire; and quickly. His teeth would not stop chattering and his whole body shook as he sat huddled beside the slow, reluctant flames, as he desperately tried to thaw out. After a time, his clothing dried and he stopped shaking, though he was anything but warm. Ruefully, he remembered he still had to face crossing back over the Anduin when he reached the Carrock.

 

   But before he reached that river, he had another long, gruelling march north; a trek which was made all the more difficult by the fact it had started to snow heavily. If the weather had been raw before, it had at least been crisp and dry, and the weak winter sun had, if only for a few hours each day, provided some relief from the bitter cold. But, as the first snowfalls descended, the temperature dropped dramatically. The soft flakes, so seemingly harmless and innocuous, found their way into every slash and tear in Aragorn’s clothing and, as they melted, they sucked the last vestiges of warmth from his body.

 

   As he felt his fingers beginning to go numb, he quickly secured Gollum’s leash to his wrist. He was not going to lose his prisoner now. And then he determinedly plodded on with his journey. But the snow rapidly grew deeper and deeper until the blizzard finally made any progress impossible. Snowdrifts blocked his path and his eyes struggled to make sense of the formless white landscape that now completely surrounded him. His feet and hands felt as if they had turned to lumps of ice, and, as the wind picked up and the storm intensified, he could scarcely see anything at all through the blinding flakes that stung his eyes and clung to his beard. He stopped for a moment and attempted to look about him, but even his own footprints had already disappeared under the densely falling snow. He was quickly becoming disorientated and, as darkness threatened to fall, in real danger of losing his way.

 

   He glanced at Gollum. He stood hunched up, his legs hidden in the snow, whimpering pathetically on his leash. He too was shivering and looked utterly wretched. Aragorn tried to speak words of encouragement to him, but they were immediately ripped from his mouth by the blistering wind. There was no prospect of making a fire and, with no food, he wondered how much more either of them could endure.

 

 Somehow he must find shelter before the storm claimed them both.

 

.

Comments

[inzilbeth-liz.livejournal.com]

Oh Lady R, I'm so glad all the effort and hours and hours that I've put into this does show. Even though I being writing these chapters over a period of 2 to 3 years, I've rewritten huge chunks and it really is comsuming all my very limited spare time at the moment LOL!
I DO want Aragorn's tale to be as true as I can get it while still being a readable story so I really do appreciate your comments enormously. And I'm glad you liked the brothers too!

[calen-greenleaf.livejournal.com]

Poor Aragorn--having to drag around that Gollum. And it's snowing. Well, hoping he reached Mirkwood soon enough with no delays.

[inzilbeth-liz.livejournal.com]

You really do get the impression this was a pretty awful journey so, as it was winter, the odd blizzard seemed in order!
Thanks for reading.

[ainu-laire.livejournal.com]

Wow. Excellent rendition of Aragorn's time with Gollum. I haven't even tried to write those awful weeks myself; it seems a daunting task. Wonderful job done.

[inzilbeth-liz.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much, Laire; yes, I was a bit daunting starting this journey, and this is my first attempt at Gollum.

[Your icons crack me up!]

[phyloxena.livejournal.com]

Poor fellow. I like (in a perverse way, perhaps) how you made him use an orkish knife and consider orkish means of subduing the uncooperative prisoner. It is only so much can be done by mercy and unwavering kindness, especially if you are lone hungry injured human, and Tolkien right just how hard it is. I held my breath when they entered Lorien -- what if elves wouldn't recognize him!

[inzilbeth-liz.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for commenting on this chapter. You do get the feeling that Aragorn, unlike Frodo, never got very far with developing any sort of relationship with Gollum. It was just a matter of getting him from A to B as quickly as he could. It sounded a very gruelling journey and, thankfully, the Elves did recognise him. I figured he needed a break by then LOL!

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

An uncomfortable read which i mean as a compliment.I don't think I've ever read this dreadful journey so vividly conveyed before.

[inzilbeth-liz.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much. No, I've never even read a fic based on this journey. I think it's easy to forget what a difficult year Aragorn had already had before he gets to Bree in september.
I'm glad you 'enjoyed' it!