Aglahad and the Dead City (In Tharbad: Volume Three)

25

"Do you have your crystal?" I said.

Aglahad pulled it from his pocket as we ran up and round to the Second Deep. If it were possible, we skidded up the ramp as we recoiled from the horror that greeted us. Against all my self-control, I let out a scream. A huge mass of writhing tentacles filled the passage. They seemed to issue from behind the thing that stood in their midst: vaguely human, skinless, with a bulbous, faceless head. It held up two great, clawed hands against the white brilliance of our lamp crystals.

We didn't stay long enough to look upon the thing blocking the ramp. In no time we were back at the Third Deep. Aglahad hacked at the scampering things that greeted us: huge abominations like woodlice with large, gnarled mandibles. I swung my new blade like a flyswat and followed Aglahad down the next ramp. Down and round we turned, the chittering things skittering behind us. We burst onto the landing with the woodlice at our heels.

"The river," Aglahad yelled and sheathed Bregedúr. His fist glowed red around his crystal. I dropped my own blade and ran after him towards the parapet wall above the river. We looked down into the black waters as they rushed through the archway. A glance back towards the ramp gave us all the bravery we needed. The faceless evil was emerging from the archway, surrounded by the giant woodlice. We needed no further encouragement to step onto the wall. We glanced at each other then jumped into the river.

Compared to the waters of the flooded Hall of the Dead, the river felt more like the Pools of Ivrin in high summer. The flow carried us spinning and tumbling towards the warped grille and we were forced to duck down as we passed through into a short tunnel. I tried to look behind to find out whether our pursuers could swim. At least the faceless thing would find itself frustrated by the grille. Or perhaps it had rent the thing in the first place.

Soon we were washed into a large cavern flooded with dim starlight, where the river widened into a great pool. We swam towards the nearest shore and after discovering how shallow the water was we waded onto a flat table of rock at the cavern's edge.

"Are you injured?" I said as we untied our cloaks.

Aglahad shook his head. "Shaken but unharmed. Is this whole place the gatehouse of Udûn? What are those things?"

"They are creatures more ancient than any of the spawn of Morgorh. We are trespassers here and are obviously not welcome."

"Where is your blade?"

"I left it behind. In my hands, it was of little more use than my staff."

Aglahad gestured towards a small isle of fallen rocks in the middle of the pool. Above it, the ceiling was exposed to the sky. "There might be a way out nearby."

"Hopefully," I said. "Perhaps this is river is the Rathlóriel. If it is it should issue onto the mountain further down the pass, west of the Gates." I looked at the weapons strapped to his back. "You know that we have to take the blades to Elrond, Aglahad."

He sighed and nodded. "I see now that there is a greater fate on them. They cannot waste away in the armouries of Dol Amroth."

We both started to shiver as we tramped along the water's edge, my feet squelching in my sodden boots. The pool narrowed towards the far end of the cavern where it cascaded over a heap of small boulders then drained into another tunnel. We clambered down past the falls then hunched over and traipsed alongside the river through the tunnel. Here, the stream was narrow and flowed swiftly.

The starlight brightened and the tunnel opened out once more onto an open cavern where the river cascaded over a ledge.

I looked up at the wheeling stars. "I do not know with any certainty how long we have been under this mountain but I know one thing. I have never been as glad to see the sky."

"Or that," Aglahad said, pointing. Along the wide ledge, clinging stubbornly to the rock, grew an ash tree, its leaves grey in the starlight.

I peeked over the ledge at the dark pool far below. At its far edge was a pale dot of blue-green light.

"Could that be -"

"There is but one way to find out," I said, peeking over the edge. "Are you ready to get wet once more?"

* * *

We found Finduilas lying on the shore, clutching the lamp-shard. She didn't seem surprised to see us. She seemed to have lost all her weapons except her hunting knife. I looked around for Calmegil and decided against asking her about its fate. She was clutching the crystal as though it had kept her alive since our parting. It probably had. We slumped next to her and puffed for breath, laughing wearily.

"I assume you have what you came for," she croaked, gesturing towards Aglahad's pack.

"You should have been there," I smiled.

We had a sip of miruvor each then lay there for what seemed an hour, listening to the rush of the waterfall and staring at the blenching sky.

Finally, I forced myself to my elbows and then to sit up before peeling myself from the bare rock. "Come, we have a fire to build."

Aglahad chuckled softly. "Think of it: a fire. Will there be wine?"

We laughed a little more than was warranted while we helped Finduilas to her feet. She denied that she had any injuries but she was clearly in some discomfort. She held herself up between us as we staggered alongside the river towards the starlight.