Part 15
Confident that Eowyn was safefor the time being, at leastLegolas
slung his bow across his back, climbed down the Ambenn Rocks,
and ran lightly across the valley floor, passing the humans
without drawing any attention to himself.
He had no idea where Arador might be, but the building that
the cart had been left beside seemed a good place to start lookingespecially
since, on closer inspection, he noticed that its windows were
sealed with stout, wooden shutters and its door closed with
a heavy bolt, as though someone might be confined inside.
Crouching in the shadow of the nearest shed, Legolas looked
for a way in.
The buildings drystone walls were sturdy, but its slate
roof was in poor repair, and had a hole in it that looked large
enough for an Elf to slip through.
Legolas ran across the open space and leaped, clambered easily
up the wall and onto the roof, and swung himself through the
gap
Oh! cried a startled voice and, as Legolas
landed on one of the tie beams, a tall, dark figure fell from
it, and hit the earthen floor with a dull thud.
Legolas dropped to the ground beside him.
Lord Legolas, gasped Arador, winded, but grinning
broadly. You got my message, then!
...
Legolas took the Elven rope from his belt, and threw one end
up over the beam.
I have lost count of the number of times I have tried
to escape, said Arador, tying the other end around his
waist. But the gap between the beam and the hole is just
too wide for me to jump. That is why I bribed Loveric to take
the message to you.
I never got it, said Legolas.
Arador sighed. I should have known I could not trust
him. That is my grandmothers ring gone for nothing.
Are you ready?
Yes, my Lord, as ready as I will ever be.
Legolas hauled on the rope, and helped the young man climbup
the stone footing, up the thick wooden post, until he had got
one leg over the beam, and could sit astride it.
Stow the rope, said Legolas; he shinned up the
post. I will go through the hole first, then help you
across.
Arador nodded. You know he said, coiling the rope
around his forearm, my father has never liked Ma Everill.
They say she was an absolute stunner when she was youngwell,
you can sort of see that, can you not?so Ive always
wondered if he
Who is Ma Everill? asked Legolas, jumping from
the beam, catching hold of one of the purlins, hanging, then
pulling himself up through the the hole.
She is the boss, said Arador, the
one running this place, and making the blue. She wanted
me to help her, butwellthe blue itself does
no real harm, of course, but making it...
Legolas upper half reappeared in the hole. Take my hands,
he said.
Arador tucked the rope in his belt, and reached across the
void.
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