Learning Curve

By: Alilacia

Rating: PG-13

Feedback:

Spoilers: None that I can think of.

Disclaimer:

I do not own the Lord of the Rings, or anything to do with the film or books. That honour goes to Peter Jackson (et all) and J.R.R Tolkien. I have no permission what so ever to use these characters, will not receive any money for this, and am doing this for my own enjoyment. And to get away from doing my college assignments

Series:

Mortality

Lessons

Wandering

Learning Curve

Summary:

Aragorn's planned journey to Lothlórien lead the ranger to Mirkwood where he struck up a tentative friendship with Legolas, elven prince of Mirkwood.

Now Aragorn desires to return to his home, and Legolas decides to take the journey with him.

But the journey the two princes take is anything but a quiet one…..

Mae govannen!

This is the fourth instalment in The Lennath Series. (I've finally given it a name :does little dance:) According to the site I found on the internet 'Lennath' is apparently (according to all the sources that I checked) journey's in Sindarin. I apologise if it isn't, my elvish skills are not the best in the world.

So in English it is basically 'The Journey's Series'. I decided to call it The Journey's Series, because that is basically what all the stories are about: Legolas' and Aragorn's journey's though life, and the paths it takes them on.

I don't think that I will be changing the title any time soon (aside from the fact that this series was once called 'The Journey Series' but thanks to some more searching I found the meaning of 'journey's' in Sindarin :cheers: and The Lennath Series sounded much better) but if I do (and I'll try not to because it is annoying) I'll be sure to let you know.

This is the first chapter of Learning Curve, and I hope you all enjoy it, and if there are any mistakes in it I'd be very grateful if you'd let me know. :smiles:

First I am going to make it clear that this is a NON-SLASH, so you won't be finding any relationship between Legolas and Aragorn that is any closer than brothers. I'm sorry if you don't like that, but I'm not going to make it any different.

I have not read the Silmarillion, or any of the other history/information books published regarding the Lord of the Rings. So I apologise if there are any mistakes in these stories. Feel free to let me know if there are. I am learning new things each day, and I owe quite a few people major thanks for some of that information.

This story isn't actually beta'd (in fact none of them have been so far) so there are probably quite a few mistakes in them.

Namárië nin mellyn

Alilacia

Learning Curve

Chapter 1 - Sight and sense

The slender form of the elf disappeared behind the trees, and Aragorn sighed, increasing his speed so not to lose sight of the elf. When he rounded the tree, he saw that Legolas had stopped, a small grin stretching the corner of his lips. Aragorn scowled half-heartedly and moved to cuff the elf around the head as he passed.

Legolas laughed, and dodged the intended blow, his blond hair moving lightly in the breeze as he easily kept pace with his companion.

"It will take about a day to journey to the edge of these woods Aragorn." Legolas muttered softly, "if we do not take a rest that is."

Aragorn nodded and looked at the trees around him. With the elf by his side, Aragorn felt that the shroud of darkness didn't cling so closely to the trunks. The elven prince seemed to bring a light all his own to the woods, and Aragorn wouldn't have walked these paths with any one else.

The laughing face that had been in front of him when he had found out that Legolas was actually an elven prince came back to him, and Aragorn smiled. Aragorn hadn't thought for a moment that Legolas was anything more than a normal elf and so to find out he was actually a prince had shocked the man.

Aragorn glanced at his companion. To the world Legolas appeared aloof, distant, but to his friends (and Aragorn was honoured that he was now considered to be as such) a new side of Legolas seemed to emerge. And the quiet seriousness was replaced by a refreshing, light-hearted attitude that set Aragorn's heart at ease.

Legolas turned back to look at Aragorn and smiled a reassuring smile. The slim elven hands pointed at something only the sharp elven eyes could see. "Look Aragorn. The edge of Mirkwood is near."

Aragorn rolled his eyes, and followed the elf. Aragorn could only see trees, and that meant they had several hours more of walking ahead of them.

Legolas smiled as the red rays of the setting sun fell upon his fair face. The sunsets in Mirkwood were sight to see, and Legolas' heart brightened at the playing of colours over the trees. This sight was one the elven prince liked to look upon each night, and would often be found standing in front of the window in his room, simply staring at the fading light.

Legolas turned to look at his companion and smiled at the look of awe on his face. It looked as though Aragorn hadn't seen a Mirkwood sunset either.

The slight weariness written in the human's gaze caught the elf attention and he stopped. The red light from the setting sun played across the lines of fatigue, and Legolas shook his head.

He had almost forgotten that humans needed a lot more rest than the elves did.

Ignoring the confused expression that crossed the humans face for a moment, Legolas led Aragorn to a clearing just off the path they had been walking. The ground was covered in pine needles, and Legolas pressed Aragorn down. Aragorn frowned and tried to rise, but Legolas tightened his grip and forced the ranger back to the ground again.

"Just lie down Aragorn. You need your rest as do I. The wilds will not mind if we rest for one more night."

Aragorn frowned up at the elf, and pushed himself up onto his elbows. "I don't need any rest, and I know that you could very well walk on for hours yet. I did grow up with the elves."

"And I have known humans for longer than you have been alive. And I know when they need rest." A stubborn look was on the fair elven face, and the slim arms were crossed across his chest. "And I can see that you need to rest."

Aragorn rolled his eyes and considered continuing the argument with the elf. He was feeling a little tired, they had been walking all day, but he could go on for a little longer. Legolas raised his eyebrow and pointed to the ground with his hand. With a barely audible sigh, Aragorn let himself drop to the ground and he pulled his travelling cloak over his body. "Fine, stubborn elf. But wake me at dawn."

Legolas nodded and sat on the edge of the clearing. His blue eyes scanning the woods for anything that should not be. Aragorn felt his eyes drift shut, and the quiet breathing of his friend, and the nocturnal sounds of the wood lulled the ranger to sleep.

The elf stood and let his hand rest on a tree as the sun grew in intensity. Dawn had fallen hours ago, and Legolas could not bring himself to wake the ranger. He knew that Aragorn would not be happy with the fact that he did not wake him and the elf smiled. It shouldn't be long now until Aragorn awoke.

As if on cue, the ranger groaned softly as awareness returned to him, and his eyes blinked owl-like in the morning light.

"Good morning Aragorn."

Aragorn pushed himself up onto his elbows, and noted the sunlight with narrowed eyes. "What happened to 'wake me at dawn'?"

"As I said before, humans need so much more rest than we do." Legolas shrugged but couldn't stop the smile that pulled at his lips. Aragorn glared at his elven companion and this only served to send Legolas into a fit of laughter.

His friends mirth was proving to be contagious, and an answering smile tugged at the rangers lips. With a sigh, Aragorn used his hands to push himself off the ground. "Well then my friend, since you saw fit to let me sleep for so long. I think it is about time we got moving don't you?"

A smile was the only answer the ranger garnered, and he shook his head before following the elf out of the clearing.

"I would there was another path to walk.." the ranger muttered. Legolas looked at Aragorn with a confused expression written over his face.

"This is the quickest path up to Caradhras' peaks."

"And I know that as well as you. It's just..." Aragorn shuddered slightly, his silver eyes constantly moving, "this was where the battle between the orcs and the dwarves took place."

Legolas suddenly recalled what he had been told by Aragorn on the last night they had talked in the palace, and it was then the elf remembered that Aragorn had told him what had happened here.

"We could turn back Aragorn, but the only other path to take is far from here, and not as easy to walk as this one."

Aragorn took Legolas for his word, and a sigh passed his lips. "I know that Legolas, let's just keep on walking so nothing else happens to us here."

Legolas nodded and turned his gaze back to the mountain they were heading towards. The peaks of Caradhras were tall, and the path was getting closer.

The ranger tensed as something evil brushed against the very edges of his awareness. The trees back over the Great River seemed to be whispering darkly amongst themselves and Aragorn turned to Legolas to see if the elf had noticed anything.

Legolas' blue eyes were staring straight ahead, and if Legolas had sensed any danger, he was hiding it well.

The elf and the ranger had set out just as the sunlight reached the tops of the trees, and had made good time as they walked the Old Forest Road. Aragorn couldn't help the shudders that ran though him as he heard the soft brushing of feet in the trees above them. Legolas had muttered something about the spiders being back, and Aragorn decided that he really didn't want to know what his new-found friend was talking about.

Aragorn didn't notice when Legolas suddenly drew to halt and he slammed into the elf's back. Legolas turned to glance sharply at the ranger before turning his gaze to the wilderness around them.

Whatever had caught Aragorn's attention earlier had made itself known to the elf, and Aragorn felt his ire rise as the slender elven hands slowly drifted back to the bow.

It was decided, lest they take a trip to see the Goblins, that it would be best to head down over the Glädden Fields, and then to walk up the peaks of Caradhras. The memories of what had happened the last time that Aragorn had walked along these soils came back to him again, and Aragorn couldn't stop the chill that ran up his spine as he glanced nervously around them. The chill had nothing to do with the cool air, and Aragorn tensed. Something was out there, and Aragorn sighed, his own hands falling slowly down towards his sword.

Aragorn jumped as Legolas suddenly frowned and notched an arrow. The speed at which Legolas had done this was quicker than Aragorn had ever seen before, and he found himself wondering just how talented the elf in front of him was.

All thought fled his mind as he saw what had made the prince draw. Swallowing deeply, Aragorn didn't dare move.

This was not good. This was not good at all.

ANSWERS TO REVIEWS:

Carrie - Oh I am a tricksy author, I knowssssssss it. :snickers: seriously though I did intend to post them on the same day but my brother came down and pretty much said "I want to use the computer now off!" as I was right in middle of writing out the answer to the reviews for chapter 3. So I saved what I had written and posted it on The Mellon Chronicles Mailing List the next day.

:sighs:

Brothers……..

Well, I'd have to say that Legolas' trip out of Mirkwood will probably end up being more than three weeks, but I'm not going to say any more than that. Or anything that might happen :evil grin:

I hope this was quick enough. It took twelve and a half hours of solid writing on Sunday and all of today during my break at college and when I got back to finish this off. :sighs: my eyes, back and wrist were so sore after that. :groans about injury to wrist: don't dislocate your wrist and have to have it put back into place. That's all I can say. It is so not nice.

kirsten - 'Young Legolas, brave warrior with a heart of a healer.' :grins: that is one of the more better description of Legolas that I have heard in a while. I'm going to have to remember that.

Well, there isn't a next chapter, but this is the next story. :)

Lady Jaina - I don't know about you, but I can't even think about writing them as a slash pairing. A friend of mine wanted me to write them as lovers, and I found it so hard! I finally finished it though, but I definitely prefer them as friends and nothing more.

ThE iNsAnE oNe - :grins and pictures Legolas standing with an intimidating air next to me: oooh yeah! This is going to be so cool!

Awww, thanks. I'm happy that I seemed to have portrayed Thranduil in a nice light. I prefer him as a loving, but stern father figure. I'm not a fan of stories where he is totally the opposite and a bd 24/7.

Well, okay, so I'm not rally used to it. It still never fails to bring a smile to my face though. Even if all they reviewer does is ask for more. I'm just happy that they took the time to review

Er…. :grimaces and looks for place to hide: I may have kept you waiting for significantly more than two days for this one. I'm really sorry about that, but the work load suddenly went up and the lecturers made all the class panic when they said "these, these and these have to be in next week. And all of the assignments for Unit 7 have to be in before half term so you can get a grade for the Unit." and that's in just under two weeks :starts to panic:

I LOVED 'Two men and a Thorn Bush' and 'Inside the Beast'.

And I'm waiting eagerly for the next chapter of 'Inside the Beast'. I'm presuming that there isn't going to be another chapter of 'Two Men and a Thorn Bush' although I really would like to see another one. I'm just imagining what Elladan and Elrohir's expressions will be :snickers:

:gasps and clutches autograph to chest: the day I actually sell another authors autograph is the day Aragorn discovers the uses of a hairbrush. As much as I love Aragorn, doesn't the guy look in a mirror in the morning?

I hope you liked this chapter, and since this story has been finished all I gotta do is finish off the last few assignments, decide the evil place I am going to leave the next chapter off at, and post it in about a couple of days.

:chuckles evilly:

Namárië nin mellon

Alilacia

Ellen the Trickster - :grins: here's part four. Hope you like it

Freakizimi - A health farm::imagines the orcs in a health farm::shudders: I'm gonna have trouble shifting that one for a while.

:grins:

Namárië

Queen of Shadows - No slash: check :reads rest and winces: erm, no torture: er… not yet anyway. Abuse: does getting cuts from orcs class as abuse::looks nervous: Other evil things: well, as before. Not yet. I'm not as bad as some authors I know :cough coughCassiaandSiobhancough: but I'll try my hardest.

If you want to read more on how Legolas and Aragorn met, there are some really excellent stories on: es I emailed you helped. The ones you gave me certainly did :grins: