Title: Embarrassed
Author: surreysmum
Pairing: Legolas/Aragorn
A/N: From the chronology in the LOTR Appendices: Year 3017. Gollum is released from Mordor. He is taken by Aragorn in the Dead Marshes, and brought to Thranduil in Mirkwood.

Legolas stepped lightly through the verges of his home woods, alert for spiders, orcs or even the giant, ever-hungry trolls who were known to lay their hunting nets in these outer regions of Mirkwood. It did not take the ears of an Elf, though, to hear the laboured breaths and thrashing sounds a few hundred yards ahead. He ran swiftly and silently to release whatever unfortunate forest creature had fallen victim to the trap.

He stopped in brief amazement at the sight. A Ranger, a full-grown bearded man, was suspended, wrapped and struggling, in the troll-net. Normally, Legolas was sure, it would have taken a Dunedain few seconds to free himself from such a primitive trap, but it chanced that the Ranger's arms had been caught behind him, and he could not reach his knife. Not yet, at least. Legolas was confident that he would soon succeed, and formed a resolution not to embarrass such an obviously accomplished woodsman by offering assistance. The man's head shifted in his struggles, and Legolas recognized him.

"Aragorn!" he breathed softly to himself. They knew each other, though not well. Their paths crossed but rarely. Here was the future King of all of Gondor and Arnor, if those with the far sight spoke truly, and whether or not that came to pass, he was already known to the Elves as a mighty warrior, a great traveller, and a human of unusual, soft-spoken wisdom. Legolas was doubly resolved not to offer assistance in these humiliating circumstances.

The net swung suddenly and violently, and Aragorn let out a sharp curse. For the first time, Legolas became fully aware of the insignificant other, the small creature upon the ground now making a futile attempt to escape into the woods. The ghastly homunculus was firmly tethered by collar and leash to Aragorn's wrist, and his frantic darting back and forth swung Aragorn and the net ever more wildly.

Legolas stepped forward and seized the creature, then pinned it effortlessly to the ground with one boot, while he caught the swinging net and applied his hunting knife to the ropes. "Permit me," he said apologetically, as Aragorn came free and landed gracelessly upon the ground. Legolas helped him to his feet.

Aragorn cast him a pained glance of recognition. "I thank you, Your Highness," he said.

Legolas shook his head slightly. "There are no Princes in the forest, Aragorn." He smiled, and Aragorn smiled back despite himself. "I would not have insulted you with unnecessary assistance, except that I feared you might lose your prisoner." He released the hissing creature, who backed away with plans of revenge burning in his sunken eyes. "Is this the infamous Smeagol?"

"Aye," confirmed Aragorn, "though many call him Gollum for the noise he makes. I caught him in the Dead Marshes."

They began to walk along a faint path deeper into the forest, Gollum trailing reluctantly behind them at the end of his leash.

"Is it true what they whisper?" asked Legolas hesitantly. "Does he have … that thing we know of?"

"Not upon his person," replied Aragorn grimly. "I searched him most thoroughly. Nor do I think he actually knows its present whereabouts, though he is the last known bearer of… that thing."

"Why think you thus?"

"By all appearances, he has been in the hands of Sauron," said Aragorn. A shudder went visibly through the forest, the trees seeming to strain and bend at their roots."

"Hush," said Legolas quickly. "Do not say that name here, so close to Dol Guldur. The forest still feels the taint of his evil."

"Not just the forest," said Aragorn, pointing to Gollum, who was suddenly huddled whimpering in a tiny ball.

"No, no, Lord. Don't hurt, don't hurt… Smeagol doesn't know, really really Smeagol doesn't know. Precious is lost, lost, lossssst…. Cannot tell, cannot tell, do not know!"

"I see," said Legolas, and his fair face was creased in a kind of revolted pity. "Truly, if the Dark Lord was unable to extract the information, it is not likely that any Human or Elf could do so. Still, I believe my father is wise to accede to Mithrandir's request that we house him and keep him close."

Aragorn went over to Gollum and spoke to him gently until he uncurled and began to walk with them again, repaying his captor's concern with spitting and an unsuccessful attempt to seize his throat.

----

It was ten long days' walk through the depressed darkness of Mirkwood to the cave-halls of the Elven King. As they made their way, Legolas and Aragorn grew ever easier in each other's company, each finding the other's tales and thoughts full of delight and mutual instruction. Legolas found himself wishing they could go on a journey together much longer, and less encumbered by such an unpleasant burden. He looked forward every dawn to the moment that Aragorn arose, and cursed the nightfall because it took Aragorn's pleasing company from him and gave it to ungrateful sleep. At such times, he rested quietly against a tree and glared at the hapless Gollum.

Gollum always glared back spitefully. One night, he stopped his muttering to himself long enough to address the Elf. "Elvesss are pretty!" he said. "Pretty Elf, too pretty! Smeagol was pretty once, but not nasssty pretty, like Elf!"

Bored, Legolas abandoned his resolution to ignore Gollum's madness. "I am neither pretty nor ugly," he said with a tinge of indignation. "I am simply myself, and that is not nasty!"

"Nasssty," insisted Smeagol. "You want, you nassty pretty Elf. You want all the time. You have a precioussss, just like Smeagol. You hunt your preciousss, just like Smeagol."

Legolas blinked in surprise. "No I do not," he retorted sharply. Lunatic ravings - what a pitiable creature this was.

"Yesss, " pressed Gollum. "Yessss. You ussse your pretty. You hunt your precioussss. But he is sssstupid! And ugly! Smeagol's preciousss is shiny and round. Pretty Elf's preciousss is hairy and nassty and ssstupid!" He cast an unmistakably triumphant glance to where Aragorn lay sleeping.

"Ridiculous! Nonsense!" said Legolas angrily. He paused only to check that Gollum's bonds were fast, then strode off for a brisk walk in the nearby forest.

"Yessss," said Gollum with a sly, disgusting giggle.

They stopped briefly in a clearing just short of the heavily fortified entrance to Thranduil's Halls.

"I will take you straight to my father, with the creature," said Legolas. "Can you stay a night or two?"

Aragorn shook his head regretfully. "Gandalf wishes me to return to Gondor as quickly as possible. He said he might have important news by the time I return." Rather oddly, he did not meet the Elf's eyes as he spoke.

"Is something amiss, Aragorn?"

"I… as we spoke of parting, Legolas, I was seized by the notion of committing a great transgression…" Aragorn stared determinedly off into the distance just left of Legolas' right braid.

Legolas laughed slightly, softly. "Commit your transgression, my friend… commit it, and we will see how terrible it is."

Aragorn took a quick breath, and then leaned forward to put a brief kiss on Legolas' tempting lips. At least, that was his intent; but as their lips met, Legolas wrapped him in a firm embrace and took Elvish advantage of Aragorn's gasp of surprise, slipping his sweet tongue into the other's mouth. It took no more than that to set Aragorn afire, and he fiercely returned the kiss, pulling the Elf's slender body flush against his own.

"Nassssssty!" said Gollum, and tossed a disgusted pebble at them.

But Aragorn did not feel the slight sting against his doublet. And when at last he pulled back from the Elf, he was full of many emotions, but he was not embarrassed.

finis