EDIT: AP ~ We have a new development! After careful consideration, we decided to take this out of the SG/LOTR crossover classification. We realized that that the only ways to find this were looking in the SG/LOTR crossover section, or looking at my profile. Neither of those was really happening… This is most likely to be temporary, but we haven't really thought quite so far into the future.
...
Sins of the Heartless
Co-written by Archer Princess and Vanimalion.
WARNING! There will be character death.
Disclaimer: The names and characters in this story belong to Michael Buckley and J.R.R. Tolkien, respectively, not the loyal and obsessed fans who are writing this. Please don't sue us... bad Karma.
Please send us a review... good Karma!
- Chapter One: The Visitor -
The shadows of the forest grew long as Legolas walked. He had donned hunting garb similar to what he had worn during the ring quest, moving along with an easy gait, his bow in his hand and his twin knives strapped to his back. He felt content and happy, in his element. He wandered aimlessly, letting his keen eyes take in the surroundings. The trees were slowly changing and growing slightly thinner. 'How far have I come? I do not remember ever seeing a place like this.' he thought. But he did not mind. He had years of time to spend here, so there was no reason to rush. So he didn't. As he walked, the sun slowly went down, leaving the world lit with the dim grey light of dusk. Legolas liked this time of day; it always made him feel happy. There was, however, one thing that was truly strange, and that was that the climate seemed to be changing. When he had set off on foot early in the morning, the first snows had just begun to fall, but now, as he traveled, the evening turned balmy and warm. A slight breeze gently played with his hair, picking up the corn-silk hued strands and making them dance lazily around his face. 'Odd...' he thought, 'The weather should be getting colder. Perhaps it is some magic of Mithrandir's creation, here to give him a more pleasant journey through the woods.'He smiled at this thought. It would be nice to see the old wizard again, if he was indeed the cause of this odd climate change.
The trees suddenly vanished. Frowning slightly, Legolas stopped to take in his new surroundings. Behind him, the tree line ended with a snaking line of bushes going off in either direction. In front of him there were a few trees, many lying on their sides as if they had been felled by neither axe nor by wind nor rain. They seemed to have simply been pushed by a giant hand. Beyond that was a small house, covered in spattered paint. And beyond that...
The thing was not immediately identifiable to Legolas. It was square, with bright colors and interesting patterns. He walked up and touched it, mesmerized. It felt odd to his sensitive fingers, smooth and artificial. It was unlike any other thing he had ever seen, and was completely out of place in Northern Ithilien. Inside the fence surrounding this thing was the one of the strangest animals Legolas had ever seen. This creature was not one seen anywhere in Middle Earth. It was standing up on huge hind legs, its small arms were held close to its chest, its paws encased in very large red gloves. It leaned over the strings that fenced it in, poking another strange creature with a stick. This creature was very different, yet still quite unusual. It was bear-like, with short yet fluffy black and white fur. It reclined against the colorful structure, gnawing on a piece of greenery. Its huge head twitched every time the first creature jabbed it. After a few moments, it awkwardly swung a huge paw up to swat at the irritating invasion of its personal space.
'How very strange.' Thought Legolas. He was close to the creatures now, but they did not seem to notice him at all. He turned and continued walking, his aim being the door to the small house. 'Who would live out here?' he wondered, 'And where did they acquire such odd possessions?' He stepped up to the door and was about to open it when he remembered proper etiquette. Not matter how curious he was, it was impolite to simply barge in to someone's house. After all, the inhabitants could be having an intimate moment. He promptly stepped back several paces, horrified at the concept of walking in on someone at such a time. He decided to simply stay away from the house and give whoever lived there their space. Yet his curiosity was not sated. He continued to explore, and after coming across a small lagoon and another group of even stranger animals, he went down another path and came across a new clearing, smaller than the last ones. In this clearing stood a single door made of plain, unadorned wood. Legolas approached it. He walked all the way around it, as it stood surrounded only by its frame. For no particular reason, the elf grabbed the knob and turned it. As the mysterious portal swung wide, Legolas' jaw dropped. To his utter shock, the door opened into a hallway. Too curious to resist, he stepped through the threshold, letting the door closed behind him with a soft click.
- X -
"Girls! Dinner!" Granny's voice sang through the house.
Sabrina groaned inwardly. She really hated Granny's cooking. The latest concoction had been making the entire first floor smell like garlic and fish. 'This one is going to be especially horrible.' she thought as she put her book, A History of Merpeople, down and walked into the odorous dining room.
"Liebling, would you be so kind as to fetch Puck? I believe he is outside." Granny said as she placed an enormous pot onto the table.
"Yeah... Sure, okay." Sabrina replied half-heartedly.
She turned to leave the dining room just as Daphne waltzed in. Literally. She danced past Sabrina, ignoring her completely, and stopped next to Granny. "What's for dinner?" She asked, grinning cheerfully.
Granny smiled mysteriously. "That is a surprise. Just go wash up, and then you can try it!"
Sabrina shuddered, but Daphne smiled and clapped her hands. She dashed back past Sabrina and up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Shaking her head, Sabrina headed in the opposite direction, towards the front door. Just as she was reaching to open it, it banged open and Puck dashed in.
He collided with Sabrina and they both fell to the floor in a tangled heap of limbs. Sabrina had her breath knocked out as Puck landed on top of her in a very provocative position. For a moment, they stared at each other in mutual horror. Then Puck quickly pulled himself out of the awkward entanglement. Blushing slightly, he continued his previous course to the dining room at full speed.
Sighing, Sabrina picked herself up off the ground. Even though Puck had the body of a sixteen year-old boy, his manners had remained like those of a three-year-old. She blushed as she remembered his muscular chest pressed up against hers. The memory of their first kiss flashed across her mind. Her blush deepened. She had stopped denying that she had a crush on Puck. The way that he could make her blush instant proof otherwise.
"Puck! I said wait! Now sit down, and I mayserve you dinner tonight!" Granny spoke sharply, her voice carrying clearly from the dining room into the hall. After a few seconds, her tone softened. "Oh Puck..." She paused, and then laughed. "Liebling, you are too much. You know I would never actually send you to bed without dinner. Go get Sabrina, and then my Mystery Dinner will be unveiled!"
Sabrina debated just slipping outside to avoid dinner. But then she heard Puck yell, "Yo Ugly! If you don't come in right now, I will drag you in by your enormous ears!"
Sighing, she walked into the dining room. The rest of the family had already gathered around the table. Even Briar Rose, who normally stayed at Fort Charming, was sitting at her place. Everyone had the same wary expression on their face; a mystery dinner served by Granny could prove disastrous. The exceptions were, of course, Daphne and Puck. The former had yet to find a dish that she did not like, and Puck, of course, ate too fast to be able to taste anything. Not that he would mind eating whatever came out of the pot even if he could taste it. He was like a human garbage disposal; Puck would eat anything that Granny put on his plate, even if it was inedible.
"Ah, there you are liebling! Sit, sit, sit!" Granny said as Sabrina approached the table. She waited until Sabrina had done so before continuing. "All right. In honor of a veryspecial occasion," she smiled in the direction of Jake and Briar, her eyes twinkling as much as the engagement ring, "I have decided to pull out one of my favorite recipes. In fact, it was the first I ever collected. Prepare yourselves for my legendary dish!"
She pulled the lid off the pot with a huge flourish. Immediately the family was hit with the strong odor of garlic, ginger, and fish. All polite pretenses were lost, and many hands were lifted instinctively to protect noses from the odor. Even Puck looked disgusted, which was very impressive. Nothing disgusted Puck. Well, aside from the contents of the pot steaming at the head of the table.
Gagging, Henry managed to speak. "Mom! You swore that you would never make this again! Three people had to go to the hospital after you served it for my sixteenth birthday dinner!"
Granny pouted, her lip trembling in a very pitiful way. She had made this meal to celebrate her youngest son's engagement, and it was supposed to be a happy event. Obviously she had drastically misjudged the appetites of her family.
Seeing his mother's crestfallen face, Jake grimaced. "Mom, I really appreciate that you would make us this wonderful meal to celebrate me and Briar getting engaged. But really… you shouldn't have."
Sabrina's eye watered at the strong smell. The nauseous feeling that she had gotten as soon as the pot was opened had lessened as she got used to the scent filling her nose, but if truth be told, it had never really gone away. She turned her head away from Granny and looked at the rest of her family. Henry and Veronica had both gone pale, while Briar looked ready to vomit. Red and Mr. Canis, who were the closest to Granny and her foul pot, were slowly inching their way away from the end of the table with determined carefulness and stealth. Everyone knew how easily Granny got offended.
Only Daphne looked fine. In fact, she looked excited. "Oh, Granny… Count me in! I'm hungry!"
Sabrina looked at her sister in surprise. Then she shook her head. 'I should have known. Daphne tries every type of food, even if it looks like… this.'
Sabrina gulped as she looked at the contents of the pot, which she would normally not have considered food. It looked a little like a soup with huge pieces of pale, slippery meat floating around in it. There also was celery, rice, and something that looked like a type of bean mixed in. The broth was an odd green-brown color and had grease bubbles of varying sizes. On the surface floated a few sprigs of parsley, in a sad attempt to dress up the dish and make it look appetizing.
"What isthat?" Puck asked the question that had been dancing on the tip of Sabrina's tongue for the last few minutes. She had been unable to ask for fear that by opening her mouth, her stomach would realize that now would be a fantastic time to empty its contents all over the table.
Granny's pout was replaced with a smile. "This is an Indonesian dish that I picked up while I was staying there. It is called Swike Goreng Mentega, or Fried Butter Swike. Swike is a stew made from frog legs."
Sabrina's jaw dropped, all fear of vomiting forgotten. Frog legs. A new all time low for Granny. Even Daphne's excited expression faltered for a moment. But then she smiled happily again. "Bring it on!"
"I agree!" Puck cried. "You have made Captain Doodie-Face here turn green, and anything that does that is my new favorite meal!"
Sabrina growled. She had not been called that name in years. The fact that Puck was bringing it up again now could only mean one thing: the return of the Captain was at hand. What a wonderful addition to the evening's events.
"Puck, if you pull that on me again, I swear it will be the very last thing you do!"
"Children! No fighting at the table!" Granny waved her ladle threateningly. Droplets of the swike landed on Sabrina's face. She shuddered as a particularly large drop slid down the bridge of her nose, right where she could see the gooey green globule's progress in its quest to follow the laws of physics. Puck burst into laughter.
"Oh man… Old Lady, you have got to give me some of this!"
Oblivious to Sabrina's disgusted expression as she pulled her napkin up and wiped the swike from her face, Granny began happily serving and handed Puck a bowl of soup. He proceeded to eat it loudly. With each bit he took, Sabrina winced and scooted her chair farther away from him.
"Sabrina, will you at least trythe swike? I worked hard on it all day…" Granny's pout was back at a dangerous level.
Jake elbowed Sabrina hard in the ribs. When she looked at him, he jerked his head as if to say 'take a bite, it won't kill you.'
She shuddered. Picking up her spoon, she nudged a particularly large piece of frog in her bowl. She glanced at her mother. Veronica was taking tiny sips of the broth. She raised her eyebrows at her daughter, nodding in agreement with Jake. Only Henry seemed to side with her. He hadn't touched his soup either. But when he saw her looking, he also picked up his spoon, sweat clearly visible on his pale face.
Resigned to her fate, Sabrina scooped a very small spoonful of the broth. Tiny pieces of the various ingredients drifted lazily through the mixture. She closed her eyes and put it into her mouth.
The taste was extremely peculiar. She could definitely taste the ginger and garlic, but there was something else hidden under that. Something almost like chicken. Altogether, the broth was not that bad. In fact, it might have been her new favorite dish that Granny made. However, Sabrina then realized what must have been giving off the chicken-like flavor. She swallowed quickly. "May I get myself some more water please?" she asked, more to get away from Puck and the nauseating sound he was making than to actually get some water.
She left before her mother had finished nodding. Once in the kitchen, she leaned heavily against the counter. This meal definitely was the worst that she had to sit through since she came to live with her grandmother. She began filling up her glass. "Frog legs." She muttered, her voice masked by the running water. "Really, Granny, this meal has topped everything else. Why, I'll be able to eat you stupid blue waffles now without a second thought!"
She sighed. Knowing she had only gotten permission to get some water, she filled her glass and turned to walk back into the dining room. "Deep breaths… It will all be over soon." She mumbled to herself.
She walked back into the dining room and froze. The family was talking amongst themselves, not noticing any of their surroundings. Sabrina dropped her glass in shock, staring at something through the doorway, her jaw hanging.
At the sound of breaking glass, everyone looked up at Sabrina. They saw her white face and frozen stare. Slowly, they all turned to see what she was staring at.
There was a man standing there. He was tall at about six and a half feet, as Sabrina guessed. He was clad in light sage green and brown hunting apparel with soft leather boots on his feet. His shimmery blond hair was braided in an elegant style that collected the hair at his temples and brought it back to mingle with the loose strands at the back of his head. He was carrying a huge longbow in one hand, and on his back, there was a quiver full of gold-fletched arrows. Next to the quiver, Sabrina could see the long bone hilts of two fighting knives. He was an intimidating figure, but more than anything, he was beautiful. His entire body was flawless and perfectly proportioned, the muscling lean and lithe, the face fair and perfectly symmetrical, with a strong, clean cut jaw and stunning ice-blue eyes. On top of all that, he emitted a soft silvery glow. She might not have seen it had he not been standing in a relatively dark hallway just outside the threshold of their dining room, looking in and watching them eat dinner with a slightly bewildered expression on his face.
He was watching them eat dinner.
- X -
The whole table had frozen. Everyone had dropped their food and were now staring, dumbstruck, at the intruder. Sabrina did not move to pick up the broken glass now littering the floor. All she did was watch as the man gave a slight bow, straightened, and the spoke with a slight accent.
"I am so very sorry to disrupt your meal, but I became rather lost in the forest. Could you tell me where I have come, and how to return to Ithilien?"
No one moved. Then, as though he had suddenly remembered that he had legs, Puck leapt up, pulling out a small wooden sword from his belt. Holding it out threateningly, he advanced on the man. He had broken the spell. Daphne screamed, Granny dropped her ladle, Jake and Henry jumped up and slowly walked towards the man. Only Veronica managed to keep a clear head. She got up and stopped Puck in his tracks.
"Who are you, and how did you get into this house?" spluttered Jake.
"My name is Legolas Thranduilion, and I walked through the door in the forest, and it lead to these rooms." The man called Legolas replied as he took a step back.
"What forest?" asked Henry, slightly confused.
"The door that leads to a forest. I am sure you are aware of it."
"Forest...?"
Jake waved his hand, ignoring his brother's question. "Yes, we know about the forest. But how did you get in there?"
"I live there. I was going for a walk when I came across many strange things, and I was curious, so I investigated. I found the door and came in here."
"You live in my room?" Said Puck, surprised.
"I suppose. But that is not a room, it is a forest."
"My bedroom is the forest. It's a magical room, duh!"
"What?" Said Legolas incredulously, arching a delicate, golden eyebrow. "Are you expecting me to believe that the entirety of Middle-Earth is actually simply your bedroom? Do you take me for a fool, or have you simply partaken of some of those mushrooms to which the hobbits are so partial?"
"Uhm, Hobbits? Middle-Earth? Wha..." Puck looked utterly confused. "You know, you could try talking normally. Right now you are making my brain hurt! It's like trying to talk to that rat-faced creep, Pinocchio!"
"Puck! Be kind to our... guest." Granny shooed the fairy to the side. Bravely stepping forward, she asked, "I am sorry, sir. Am I right in believing that you have lost your way? My name is Relda Grimm; perhaps I can be of some assistance to you."
Legolas laughed lightly. "Do not fret, good lady; I am not offended. I am not on any particular agenda, so truly, it does not matter that I have lost my way. All that I would like to know is where exactly is this place? Or maybe 'what' is more accurate. Of course, if it is not too much trouble." He smiled politely.
Granny blushed. "Good lady...? I have not met such good manners since Sir Lancelot saved me from a scrape I got into with Cindy's step-mother"
Puck rolled his eyes. Sabrina stepped on his foot, muttering, "You could learn from this... man." She said the last word slightly breathlessly, her heart beating just a little bit faster all of a sudden.
Puck stared at her, eyebrows slightly raised. He turned back to Legolas. "Alright, listen to me you...you...yellow-headed ruffian! Thanks for stopping by, but why don't you just go back to where you came from." He waved his hands in a comical shooing motion
"Oh, 'yellow-headed ruffian', am I? Please. Do realize that the same could definitely be said of you, as you are the one with soup all down your shirtfront. You might as well know that." Legolas laughed lightly, tucking a piece of hair behind an elegantly peaked ear. "And also realize that you are telling me to go back and live in your personal chambers. Is that truly what you intended to say?"
Daphne giggled and clamped her hand over her mouth. Red's eyes narrowed, and Sabrina stared at Legolas in amazement. It had been the perfect comeback.
Jake, on the other hand, frowned. "I don't think that he cango back. Puck's room is... well, to put it simply, on another dimension. We can't be sure that the path back to... Middle-Earth did you say?" Legolas nodded. "We can't be sure that the path still exists."
"Oh, that is a problem..." Mused Legolas. "It is imperative that I return some day. Though I have gone missing for over a century and no-one seemed to mind..." he paused, thinking, and then continued. "Regardless of that fact, I should get home eventually. I do have duties to perform..."
"Wait... A century? How old are you? Are you an Everafter?" After a silent moment, Red realized that she had spoken, and blushed deeply.
"Well, yes." said Legolas, turning his piercing blue gaze on the girl. "My father was absolutely livid when I finally returned home, but has gotten used to me disappearing since then, so I do not have to worry about having to do all of his paperwork as punishment..." he shuddered. "But I am about..." he paused to think again. "Three-thousand five hundred years old, give or take a few centuries; I don't keep track anymore. And what is an 'Everafter'?"
Sabrina glared at Puck. His face had split into an enormous grin when he heard that Legolas had gotten in trouble with his father. When he saw Sabrina looking, he mouthed, "I'm older!"
She rolled her eyes and turned back to Legolas. "An Everafter is a fairytale character. They are immortal."
Jake frowned. "Maybe we should give him a more... in depth version."
Granny nodded. She turned back to Legolas. "Why don't you sit down? I have some soup here, if you are hungry." She lifted up a ladle-full of the disgusting substance, a hopeful look crossing her face.
"My thanks for your hospitality, Lady Relda, but I am not hungry; I ate this morning. And yes, perhaps an in-depth explanation is needed." He smiled courteously. "Where shall we sit?"
Pink-cheeked, Granny turned to Puck. "Liebling, go get a chair. There are some folding ones in the closet under the stairs, or you could get one from the porch." When Puck didn't move, she used a sharper tone. "Go!"
Puck gave her an amazed look. "Old Lady, I am royalty! Nobody makes the Trickster King do anything!"
She raised her eyebrows. "Watch me." she said, dangerously. Surprised at Granny's tone, Puck backed out of the room. They could hear him grumbling the whole way.
Turning back to Legolas, Granny said, "I apologize for Puck's behavior. Are you sure you do not want some swike? I spent the whole day cooking, and I do think that you will like it."
Legolas, they saw, was chuckling slightly. "Worry not, I have dealt with worse. And yes, I am sure. I do truly appreciate your hospitality, but I would not want you to waste all your hard work on someone who really doesn't need it; I do not eat much." He declined smoothly.
To everyone's surprise, Granny was not offended. Instead, she smiled and called for Puck. "Puck, have you found a chair? Hurry up, it is impolite to keep a guest standing!"
"Alright, alright! The chair is here! Geez, you didn't need to yell..." Puck flew into the room, hovering behind Legolas. He dropped the chair with a bang.
Daphne hurried around the table to Legolas, where she quickly set up the folding chair for him.
"Thank you!" He said, smiling as he propped the huge longbow against the table and sat down. "Now, I believe that there are some important things that I need to know."
"Before we answer your questions, I assume that you will understand if we ask you a few of our own first." Henry said. "We are, unfortunately, in the midst of a war here. We want to make sure that it is safe to give you information. I'm sure that you understand."
"Yes, absolutely. My realm has been at war for the last two millennia or so, and this war only ended a few years ago. During the darker years, we had to investigate many possible spies. I am willing to answer any questions that you want to ask." Legolas said, now completely serious and businesslike.
Henry nodded. "Okay." He paused, contemplating Legolas. "Well, why don't you tell us something about yourself? Who you are... What you are." He added, glancing toward Legolas' ears, which had come into view when he had brushed his hair back.
"Oh, where to begin..." he thought for a second. "Well, I am the fifth son of King Thranduil of Eryn Lasgalen, so I am a prince. I am second in line to the throne, though I will never see it unless tragedy strikes. Eryn Lasgalen is a realm of elves. We are like in form to men, but we do not age beyond about... twenty years old for humans. I tend to handle more military and espionage strategies rather than matters of state, though at the moment I am restoring the war-torn realm of Ithilien, along with a company of other elves from Imladris, Lothlorien, and of course my home. We are now cleaning the woods and forests of residual evil. I was the representative for the elves in the Fellowship of the Ring, which helped to destroy the evil ring of Sauron, the Necromancer, and end the war. Is that enough, or would you like to know of my personal life?"
Henry was silent, contemplating the elf. Jake took that moment to ask a question of his own. "What is this to you?" Jake held up a torn piece of cloth. It looked as if it had been ripped from a shirt, the edges frayed and uneven. In the middle was a blood-red handprint. It had run some, making it look like it was wet and dripping. Upon closer examination, however, the handprint proved to be quite dry.
Legolas shrugged. "It looks just like a red handprint, nothing more."
Henry scowled at his brother. "Always need to jump right to the point, don't you, Jake?"
Jake shrugged. "His answer was honest. Your beating around the bush was getting tiresome."
"Beating around th-? I asked onequestion!" Henry spluttered. "And how do you know he was honest?"
Jake lifted one of his hands. At first it seemed like he was making an obscene gesture, but then Henry noticed the ring that was on his finger. "Duh! Magic!"
Henry growled.
"Do you have any more questions, or do you want me to start asking them now?" Said Legolas, slightly exasperated. He would never have gotten so unprofessional in an interview.
The bickering brothers stopped and looked at the elf. After a moment, Jake nodded. "Go ahead, dude. Ask away."
Legolas hid his skepticism well. There were so few questions. He asked at least fifty for each spy he interviewed. These men were obviously amateurs. He sighed. "Where is this place? Could you explain how your world works? In an abbreviated sense, of course."
Sensing another argument brewing between her sons, Granny spoke up. "Well, we don't know where 'Middle-Earth' is, so I don't quite know how to explain where you are." She paused, thinking. "Currently, you are in a small town called Ferryport Landing, which is in upstate New York. Ferryport Landing is home to only Everafters, although there used to be many humans also. They were recently run out by high taxes."
Here, Veronica took over. "Everafters were... or are, I guess, the characters in fairytales and legends. I assume that you are not familiar with our tales, so I won't get into the details of those. Are there any other questions?"
Legolas nodded. "Yes. Who are you all?"
Veronica covered her mouth with her hand to hide her smile. "I'm sorry. We never introduced ourselves. My name is Veronica Grimm. This is my husband, Henry Grimm, and his brother, Jacob. These girls," she gestured to Sabrina and Daphne, "are my daughters, Sabrina and Daphne."
"I already told you that I am Relda Grimm. I am Henry and Jacob's mother. These are my adopted grandchildren, Puck and Red. And this is our family friend, Mr. Canis. He, Puck, and Red are all Everafters."
"And this is my fiancée, Briar Rose. She is also an Everafter." said Jake, kissing Briar on the cheek.
Legolas stood up and bowed at the waist, hand over his heart. "I am pleased to make your acquaintances, and I wish to congratulate you on your wish to recognize your love." He said, his face cracking in a dazzling smile as he looked at Jake and Briar.
"Thank you!" Briar said as she blushed at the elf's smile.
Jake's eyes narrowed slightly. "Yes, thank you. Now if you'll excuse us, our family needs to have a short meeting about what we are going to do next. If you will just step across the hall, there is a sitting room. I'm sure that you will be comfortable in there."
Legolas nodded, picked up his bow, and walked out, giving them an excellent view of the two long knives strapped to his back.
Henry turned to the children. "Girls, Puck… I want you to leave also. This is not a matter that I can allow you to be involved in."
At once, the children began complaining. "No! Dad, I want to be part of it!"
"I'm sixteen, you can't make me!"
"Hello, royalty here! You can't make me do anything!"
"Mom, I want to be part of this!"
"Dad!"
"Old Lady!"
Veronica held up her hand to silence them. After they quieted down, she spoke. "Guys… I know that I usually take your side, but I don't think that Henry is being overprotective here. But this Legolas guy… He is not like anybody, or anything, that we have encountered before. Regardless of Jake's truth ring, I don't think that any of us truly trust him yet. Go upstairs or go start doing the dishes. Just stay out of the dining room and stay out of the sitting room." She turned to Briar. "Briar, do you think that you could go stand watch over Legolas?"
The princess smiled. "Certainly. I'm sure that you will fill me in later." She got up and, after give Jake a kiss on the cheek, left the room.
Veronica looked expectantly towards the children. "Go. Now."
Glaring at the adults, they did so.
"Sabrina, what are you doing?" Daphne asked curiously. Sabrina was taking loud and heavy steps, very unusual for the 'Queen of Sneaks'.
"I'm making sure that they know we are going upstairs. Then, once we are up there, Puck can fly us back down. Then we can listen." She whispered, careful to make sure that the adults didn't hear her plan.
Puck smiled. "There we go, let's get some mischief going here!"
- X -
Once they were at the top of the stairs, Sabrina stopped. She tilted her head, contemplating Red and Daphne. "Uhm… On second thought, maybe only Puck and I should go down."
Daphne's jaw dropped, her face shocked, ready to protest. "Hey! Why can't I go, too?"
"Because if we allgo down, they'll be much more likely to find us. This way we are more likely to find out stuff." Sabrina said to the younger girl.
Daphne narrowed her eyes. "Do you promise to tell us everything? No matter how sad or dark it is?"
Sabrina chewed her lip. It would be very tempting to try and protect her sister from any bad information. However, if she didn't promise, they would not find out anything.
"I promise."
Daphne contemplated her sister for a moment. Then she shrugged. "Fine. Red and I will just wait in our room." They opened the door and stepped into the room.
Sabrina frowned. 'That was too easy...'She shrugged and looked at Puck. "Ready?"
"Yep! Let's go eavesdrop!"
Puck wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up. They flew down the stairs, stopping right before the kitchen door.
"Come on, I'll go first." Sabrina whispered. For once, Puck didn't argue.
She crept forward, taking care to avoid the stack of pots just inside the kitchen. She heard Puck take off again, hovering right behind her.
She spun on her heels, glaring at the fairy. "Are you mad?" She mouthed. "Your wings hum! They will be sure to hear us!"
Puck rolled his eyes, but he landed again. Sabrina turned back towards the dining room. They could hear a hushed conversation.
"...safe. I mean, look at him! He is the tallest man I have ever seen!"
"Not true. There is Little John. And Mr. Canis has a few inches on him, I think."
"So, we are in agreement to take him to Charming. But what stand do we take once we get there? Charming is sure to want to test him out. Do we let that happen? Or do we try and protect him?"
Sabrina heard someone snort. "Ha! If we let Charming have his way, Legolas will be treated like a lab rat. We will at least need to keep that from happening. But nevertheless, you are right. Someone who carries that many weapons around is sure to be talented with them."
"Or they may just be a ruse."
"I highly doubt that in this case."
Silence. Someone coughed, and then spoke. "So shall we retrieve him and take him to the fort? I assume that we will be siding with Legolas if trouble arises with Charming; that is Relda's way of doing things."
They all laughed. "Yes, Mom always finds the best in people."
"Innocent until proven guilty, Jacob. Call Briar and Legolas in. We'll take him to the Fort."
A chair scraped back, and Sabrina and Puck heard someone walking across the dining room to the hallway. "Briar? Go ahead and bring Legolas back in."
Sabrina turned around and gestured to Puck to walk back to the other end of the kitchen. They tiptoed out and down the hall. When they got to the bottom of the stairs, they heard Granny's voice say, "Would someone please get the children?"
Quickly, Puck snatched Sabrina up and flew up the stairs and to Daphne and Red's room. They quickly slipped through the door, closing it quietly behind them.
Daphne looked at them in surprise. "Why are you guys out of breath?"
Sabrina and Puck looked at each other in horror. The stairs creaked as someone started up to get them.
"They are done. We only just got out in time." Sabrina panted.
There was a knock at the door. All four yelped in surprise. "Kids?" Veronica's voice came through the door. "You can come down now." They heard her cross to Sabrina's room and repeat her words. Then she started back down the stairs.
Sabrina sighed with relief. "Thank god Mom believes in privacy, huh?"
"Come on, let's go down." Daphne said.
They started down the stairs, taking care to thump around quite a bit. When they got to the dining room, all the adults and Legolas were all standing around the table.
"Get your jackets, we are going to the Fort." said Granny.
"What about the meeting? What did you decide?" Daphne asked.
Veronica raised an eyebrow. "You already know."
Sabrina stared at her. "Huh?"
Veronica raised her eyebrows. "Sabrina, you and Puck were listening from the kitchen. We heard Puck's wings. And Daphne," she turned to her younger daughter. "You and Red were outside in the hall. Briar saw your braid when she brought Legolas back in here."
Sabrina glared at her sister.
"So where is this 'Fort Charming' place to which you are bringing me?" Asked Legolas. Everyone seemed to have forgotten that he was in the room with them; they had all been talking about him in the third person amongst themselves, which was slightly annoying.
"The Fort is our army base. We go through our Magic Mirror; it isn't safe to go there any other way." Veronica seemed to be the most comfortable talking to him.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Asked the elf.
"Nothing. Let's go!"
- To Be Continued -