Nine
"Land Ho!"
The cry echoed down the hatch to the miserable prisoners within. Aragorn and Legolas exchanged dark looks. They had discussed this moment, and still had no answer. Should they desert these men and return to their own world? They had the chance, but they were reluctant to take it.
Jack was watching the two, dark eyes unreadable. A shadow passed over his face, and he looked away hurriedly. When he looked back, the cocky gleam was back in his eyes. "So, did ye rest well, gentlemen?"
Aragorn shook his head. "No. I - " He glanced at Legolas, who nodded slowly. Aragorn face darkened with doubt, but he nodded back. "We will help you escape. When they have us look into the pool, we will take you with us." He looked away.
"Take us with ye?" Jack demanded. "To your world?" He leaned back against the hull. "And ye say this is another time?" His brows furrowed as he looked at his men. "My men, too, of course."
Aragorn nodded. "Yes. All of you. It's the only way." He paused, debating whether or not to go on. "We aren't sure if it will work. Only one of us has come through at a time so far. With more.." His voice trailed off.
Legolas finished for him. "We can only hope. It is better than waiting to die."
Jack nodded. "Alright, then. Works for me." He surged to his feet as footsteps approached. "Looks like our escort is waiting."
--------
Legolas stood on the misty shore as the others clambered out of the boat. He stared out over the sea, a strange expression on his face. Aragorn came up behind him, concern evident. "Do you feel the call?"
Anguish crossed Legolas' face, and he shook his head. "No. I feel no wish to cross this sea." He turned to Aragorn. "There is nothing on the other side. The last ships have left the shores, and the way is shut."
Aragorn nodded. "Then it is as I feared. We must not fail."
With their guards behind them, the company moved into the caves.
----------
The cave was dark and damp, the torches their only light. The men scurried about to place the torches in prepared alcoves, and slowly the group moved until they were right in front of the pool.
In its depths, images swirled past. Strange stars, boats floating calmly on rivers, men dipping cups into their own pool. Aragorn started as the pool briefly flashed to the empty meadow he had come from, then moved to the image of great tree, whose leaves drooped into the water.
"How does it work?" Tarleton demanded.
Aragorn tore his eyes away from the water. "We must get close." He bent down, and gave Legolas the signal.
Immediately, the elf toppled into the man next to him, dropping them both to the floor. The man's head hit a rock, knocking him out, and Legolas bounded to his feet with a pistol in his hands.
"How is this a weapon?" he wondered, peering at it uncertainly. He absently clubbed a man who got too close, then returned to his study.
"Where are your weapons?" Aragorn cried as he tackled his foe.
"They took them." Legolas replied, peering down the small hole on the end of the metal tube. He turned the gun over, examining it for sharp edges or anything else particularly deadly.
From the other side of the cave, where Jack and his crew had been held to prevent any mutiny on Aragorn or Legolas' part, Jack called, "Pull the trigger, elfboy!"
"The trigger?"
"The little metal part on bottom!" Jack simulated pulling a trigger, then smashed his fist into a soldier's face.
"Ah. That." Legolas pulled the trigger cautiously. "And what will hap - " The gun went off loudly, and Legolas dropped it in alarm. "Was it supposed to do that?"
Aragorn worked his way back to the pool's edge and called, "To the pool! Look into the pool!"
Legolas dove forward to Aragorn's side and gazed intently into the depths. Jack and Will materialized next to them.
"What are we looking for?" Will asked. "All I see is a meadow."
Aragorn toppled forward and disappeared. A cry behind Legolas warned him that enforcements were coming. Desperately, he threw his arms over Will and Jack and propelled them forward. They, too, disappeared, but with a strange flash of light that set the pool trembling. Within the pool, he could see that they had all arrived safely, but Jack's crew was still in the cave.
"Stop, or I shoot!" A voice bellowed behind the elf.
Legolas turned slowly. Tarleton stood a few feet away, holding a gun to Blink's head. "If you go, I will shoot the boy."
Legolas got to his feet. "And if I stay?" The words tore at his throat. So close..
"Then he lives." A smug smile crossed Tarleton's face.
A fierce look blossomed on Blink's face. He stomped downward on the man's foot, then jerked his elbow into his groin and shoved backward. Tarleton's fell, his arms flying out until the pistol in his hand pointed straight at Legolas.
Tarleton pulled the trigger.
Legolas felt a tearing sensation in his chest as he fell backward. 'Hmm. So that's what a gun does...' He thought, his mind moving sluggishly.
The water from the pool enfolded him, light blinded him, and he knew no more.
The cry echoed down the hatch to the miserable prisoners within. Aragorn and Legolas exchanged dark looks. They had discussed this moment, and still had no answer. Should they desert these men and return to their own world? They had the chance, but they were reluctant to take it.
Jack was watching the two, dark eyes unreadable. A shadow passed over his face, and he looked away hurriedly. When he looked back, the cocky gleam was back in his eyes. "So, did ye rest well, gentlemen?"
Aragorn shook his head. "No. I - " He glanced at Legolas, who nodded slowly. Aragorn face darkened with doubt, but he nodded back. "We will help you escape. When they have us look into the pool, we will take you with us." He looked away.
"Take us with ye?" Jack demanded. "To your world?" He leaned back against the hull. "And ye say this is another time?" His brows furrowed as he looked at his men. "My men, too, of course."
Aragorn nodded. "Yes. All of you. It's the only way." He paused, debating whether or not to go on. "We aren't sure if it will work. Only one of us has come through at a time so far. With more.." His voice trailed off.
Legolas finished for him. "We can only hope. It is better than waiting to die."
Jack nodded. "Alright, then. Works for me." He surged to his feet as footsteps approached. "Looks like our escort is waiting."
--------
Legolas stood on the misty shore as the others clambered out of the boat. He stared out over the sea, a strange expression on his face. Aragorn came up behind him, concern evident. "Do you feel the call?"
Anguish crossed Legolas' face, and he shook his head. "No. I feel no wish to cross this sea." He turned to Aragorn. "There is nothing on the other side. The last ships have left the shores, and the way is shut."
Aragorn nodded. "Then it is as I feared. We must not fail."
With their guards behind them, the company moved into the caves.
----------
The cave was dark and damp, the torches their only light. The men scurried about to place the torches in prepared alcoves, and slowly the group moved until they were right in front of the pool.
In its depths, images swirled past. Strange stars, boats floating calmly on rivers, men dipping cups into their own pool. Aragorn started as the pool briefly flashed to the empty meadow he had come from, then moved to the image of great tree, whose leaves drooped into the water.
"How does it work?" Tarleton demanded.
Aragorn tore his eyes away from the water. "We must get close." He bent down, and gave Legolas the signal.
Immediately, the elf toppled into the man next to him, dropping them both to the floor. The man's head hit a rock, knocking him out, and Legolas bounded to his feet with a pistol in his hands.
"How is this a weapon?" he wondered, peering at it uncertainly. He absently clubbed a man who got too close, then returned to his study.
"Where are your weapons?" Aragorn cried as he tackled his foe.
"They took them." Legolas replied, peering down the small hole on the end of the metal tube. He turned the gun over, examining it for sharp edges or anything else particularly deadly.
From the other side of the cave, where Jack and his crew had been held to prevent any mutiny on Aragorn or Legolas' part, Jack called, "Pull the trigger, elfboy!"
"The trigger?"
"The little metal part on bottom!" Jack simulated pulling a trigger, then smashed his fist into a soldier's face.
"Ah. That." Legolas pulled the trigger cautiously. "And what will hap - " The gun went off loudly, and Legolas dropped it in alarm. "Was it supposed to do that?"
Aragorn worked his way back to the pool's edge and called, "To the pool! Look into the pool!"
Legolas dove forward to Aragorn's side and gazed intently into the depths. Jack and Will materialized next to them.
"What are we looking for?" Will asked. "All I see is a meadow."
Aragorn toppled forward and disappeared. A cry behind Legolas warned him that enforcements were coming. Desperately, he threw his arms over Will and Jack and propelled them forward. They, too, disappeared, but with a strange flash of light that set the pool trembling. Within the pool, he could see that they had all arrived safely, but Jack's crew was still in the cave.
"Stop, or I shoot!" A voice bellowed behind the elf.
Legolas turned slowly. Tarleton stood a few feet away, holding a gun to Blink's head. "If you go, I will shoot the boy."
Legolas got to his feet. "And if I stay?" The words tore at his throat. So close..
"Then he lives." A smug smile crossed Tarleton's face.
A fierce look blossomed on Blink's face. He stomped downward on the man's foot, then jerked his elbow into his groin and shoved backward. Tarleton's fell, his arms flying out until the pistol in his hand pointed straight at Legolas.
Tarleton pulled the trigger.
Legolas felt a tearing sensation in his chest as he fell backward. 'Hmm. So that's what a gun does...' He thought, his mind moving sluggishly.
The water from the pool enfolded him, light blinded him, and he knew no more.