Eleven
There was no flash of light this time. No noise. No indication at all that there were now once again four other people in the cavern. Aragorn, Legolas, Will, and Jack quickly bent down to pick up their weapons of choice. Legolas grabbed a pistol, stared at it for a second, then handed it to Jack and picked up a sword.
Aragorn glanced around at the soldiers. “Where’s the crew?” The corner where they had been held was empty.
“They can’t have gone far.” Will gestured to the mouth of the cave, and the four quickly hurried outside. There, they saw a continuation of the battle they had been a part of inside, but it was quite clear that the crew of the Black Pearl was losing – and badly. The tide was coming in, and the waves washed at the feet of the combatants as Aragorn, Legolas, Will, and Jack hurried forward.
It was a relatively short battle. The four had had a brief moment of rest, while their foes had been fighting nonstop. Add in the sheer power of a disgruntled elf and an irritated Ranger, and soon a water-logged Jack was giving his victory yell.
He strode up to Aragorn and Legolas and clapped them on the shoulder. “My thanks to you, lads.” Jack’s smile threatened to engulf his face. Merrily, he swung back to his crew. “Now, men. To the boats!” He lifted his hands and danced a short jig. “To the Black – ” Abruptly, he stopped and grabbed his stomach.
A second later, Aragorn felt it, too. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Legolas and Will doubled up over their stomachs as well. The feeling couldn’t necessarily be called pain; it seemed to defy the definition of the word. It was as if his insides were slowly being twisted into knots and then pulled insistently in the direction of the cave.
Vaguely, he realized that Will was currently vomiting into the rising water, but all else seemed beyond him. The world was dissolving, the waves becoming grass, the imposing rocks of the cave becoming towering trees. Aragorn dropped to his knees. At this level, the water almost reached his nose. Voices gabbled irritatingly in the background, and hands plucked at his clothing.
Strong arms lifted him from the water, and then he knew no more.
----------------------
Aragorn awoke to the sound of shouting.
Legolas and Will were on either side of Jack, obviously trying to calm the pirate. Their attempts seemed to go unheeded as Jack continued to hurl obscenities at the pool.
Aragorn stood slowly, surprised at his lack of pain. Quickly, he made his way to his friends. “What’s wrong?” he murmured to Legolas.
Jack whirled in anger. “The bloody pool is underwater, that’s what’s wrong!” He pointed to the surface, which showed a clear view of a water- filled chamber.
“Underwater?” Aragorn blinked. “But if it’s made of water......won’t it be destroyed?”
“It’s not water.” Legolas murmured.
Aragorn looked at him closely. “How do you know?”
“I couldn’t drink it. I wanted to see if it tasted like water, but I couldn’t swallow.”
Jack smacked his forehead. “You tried to drink from the pool?” He rolled his eyes. “Rule 13 of the Pirate’s Code: Never attempt to disturb any magical object not made of a precious substance.”
Will frowned. “You made that up.”
“Of course I didn’t.” Jack looked wounded. “No pirate would willingly incur a curse unless gold or jewels were involved.”
“As we were saying,” Aragorn said loudly, “Legolas, you mean the pool isn’t made of water?”
Legolas nodded.
“Well, in that case,” Jack bent over the surface and stared intently down into the depths, then reached out to touch the surface.
Instantly, he went sailing backwards. The other three stared after him, bemused. They had felt nothing.
Awkwardly, Jack got to his feet. “Any other ideas?”
Aragorn massaged his forehead slowly. “You cannot rearrange the stones if the pool will not let you touch it, so you cannot return until the water lowers. As it is, your bodies would apparently still be trapped here whether you went through or not.” He turned to Legolas. “Your father is closest. Would he help us?”
Legolas stared meaningfully at Jack, then shook his head. “No. He could not help us if he wanted to. Lord Elrond would be better able to deal with this.”
Aragorn winced. “I was afraid you would say that.”
Legolas smiled wickedly. “Better your home than mine.”
Will’s head moved back and forth to follow the exchange. “So. Where are going?”
Aragorn smiled bravely. “To Rivendell.”
Aragorn glanced around at the soldiers. “Where’s the crew?” The corner where they had been held was empty.
“They can’t have gone far.” Will gestured to the mouth of the cave, and the four quickly hurried outside. There, they saw a continuation of the battle they had been a part of inside, but it was quite clear that the crew of the Black Pearl was losing – and badly. The tide was coming in, and the waves washed at the feet of the combatants as Aragorn, Legolas, Will, and Jack hurried forward.
It was a relatively short battle. The four had had a brief moment of rest, while their foes had been fighting nonstop. Add in the sheer power of a disgruntled elf and an irritated Ranger, and soon a water-logged Jack was giving his victory yell.
He strode up to Aragorn and Legolas and clapped them on the shoulder. “My thanks to you, lads.” Jack’s smile threatened to engulf his face. Merrily, he swung back to his crew. “Now, men. To the boats!” He lifted his hands and danced a short jig. “To the Black – ” Abruptly, he stopped and grabbed his stomach.
A second later, Aragorn felt it, too. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Legolas and Will doubled up over their stomachs as well. The feeling couldn’t necessarily be called pain; it seemed to defy the definition of the word. It was as if his insides were slowly being twisted into knots and then pulled insistently in the direction of the cave.
Vaguely, he realized that Will was currently vomiting into the rising water, but all else seemed beyond him. The world was dissolving, the waves becoming grass, the imposing rocks of the cave becoming towering trees. Aragorn dropped to his knees. At this level, the water almost reached his nose. Voices gabbled irritatingly in the background, and hands plucked at his clothing.
Strong arms lifted him from the water, and then he knew no more.
----------------------
Aragorn awoke to the sound of shouting.
Legolas and Will were on either side of Jack, obviously trying to calm the pirate. Their attempts seemed to go unheeded as Jack continued to hurl obscenities at the pool.
Aragorn stood slowly, surprised at his lack of pain. Quickly, he made his way to his friends. “What’s wrong?” he murmured to Legolas.
Jack whirled in anger. “The bloody pool is underwater, that’s what’s wrong!” He pointed to the surface, which showed a clear view of a water- filled chamber.
“Underwater?” Aragorn blinked. “But if it’s made of water......won’t it be destroyed?”
“It’s not water.” Legolas murmured.
Aragorn looked at him closely. “How do you know?”
“I couldn’t drink it. I wanted to see if it tasted like water, but I couldn’t swallow.”
Jack smacked his forehead. “You tried to drink from the pool?” He rolled his eyes. “Rule 13 of the Pirate’s Code: Never attempt to disturb any magical object not made of a precious substance.”
Will frowned. “You made that up.”
“Of course I didn’t.” Jack looked wounded. “No pirate would willingly incur a curse unless gold or jewels were involved.”
“As we were saying,” Aragorn said loudly, “Legolas, you mean the pool isn’t made of water?”
Legolas nodded.
“Well, in that case,” Jack bent over the surface and stared intently down into the depths, then reached out to touch the surface.
Instantly, he went sailing backwards. The other three stared after him, bemused. They had felt nothing.
Awkwardly, Jack got to his feet. “Any other ideas?”
Aragorn massaged his forehead slowly. “You cannot rearrange the stones if the pool will not let you touch it, so you cannot return until the water lowers. As it is, your bodies would apparently still be trapped here whether you went through or not.” He turned to Legolas. “Your father is closest. Would he help us?”
Legolas stared meaningfully at Jack, then shook his head. “No. He could not help us if he wanted to. Lord Elrond would be better able to deal with this.”
Aragorn winced. “I was afraid you would say that.”
Legolas smiled wickedly. “Better your home than mine.”
Will’s head moved back and forth to follow the exchange. “So. Where are going?”
Aragorn smiled bravely. “To Rivendell.”