Chapter One: The Journey
"Legolas, where exactly are we going?" Gimli asks gruffly, swinging his ax back and forth dangerously. "It seems like a dark chasm of jewels, but where are you leading me too?"

"Just bear with me for just awhile, Gimli son of Gloín," Legolas says to the stout dwarf with his voice filled with excitement. He looks down at his small friend, and walks slightly faster on his light feet to infuriate him. His luscious, golden sparkling hair trails behind him, and his chocolate brown eyes twinkle with anticipation to show his friend the sight.

"Don't walk so fast, you unrighteous Elf! I can't possibly catch up with you with this body of mine!" the Dwarf grunts out, huffing and puffing after Legolas. "Do not make a fool out of a mountain dwarf!"

The Elf chuckles, and slows down his speed. "My dear friend, I am not trying to make a fool of you. I am just anticipating what kind of expression your small grim face would make once you see what I have to show you!" Legolas beams and waits for a reply.

Gimli bursts into large laughter, swinging his ax down onto the hard cavern floor, and the ax gets stuck in the floor. "My expression, you say? Ha! Why, it'll be the same as ever. Nothing else could possibly surprise this dwarf," he chortles, patting his chest. "After all, I've seen worse!"

Shaking his head in defeat the Elf sighs out, "Oh, Gimli, it isn't what you think."

"What I think? Why, I could've been thinking about…why thinking about Orc heads hanging on the wall filled with Fighting Uruk Hai to defeat!"

"No, it's even better than that, my Dwarf friend."

"Even better you say?" Gimli asks in disbelief, smoothing out his beard. "What could conceivably be better than that?!"

"Just wait," Legolas says, finally giving up into brewing Gimli's excitement. "You will love this. It's quite...interesting I must say."

"Well," Gimli grunts out, pulling his ax out of the hard ground, "I'll be waiting for this interesting thing you so want to show me so badly." Gimli goes ahead of the Elf in a great leap, and leads the way.

"Oh, no. My dear Dwarf, you do not know the way," Legolas chides his friend, side-stepping in front of him. His lips curve up into a handsome smile when he sees the Dwarf try to get the better of him by getting in front of him again. "I will be the leader in place of Aragorn son of Arathorn."

"The fellowship was broken a long time ago lad. There is no leader," the Dwarf says it with a longing for the mighty adventures, and the thrill of danger lurking in every corner during the time to destroy the One Ring. "I will go my own way."

"Yes, our own ways, but we promised to show each other the riches of both of our worlds. No more Orcs or Uruk Hai dwell in this part of Middle Earth. Everything is in peace in the rule of King Aragorn son of Arathorn. That is why before the age of Dwarfs or Elves are over I must show you many things in Middle Earth that you have not seen. Before the age of Man takes over, I must show you." Legolas' eyes are filled with an anxiety that Gimli must agree with him.

"Oh, yes, you fair Elf," Gimli says nicely, looking up at the Elf. "I've got many things to show you, my Elf friend," and he continues to walk, whistling an unrecognizable tune to a song.

Legolas son of Thranduil and Prince of Mirkwood smiles. He wonders how in Middle Earth he befriended a Dwarf; on top of that this pompous self-righteous Dwarf! "You are quite the Dwarf, Gimli son of Gloín," the Elf remarks, laughing like the rivers of Lórien.

"Of course. I'm the son of Gloín," the Dwarf scoffs, looking over and up at the Elf. "Durin's folk are known for their perseverance and jolly personality, you see."

"Yes, yes," Legolas says, already hearing this comment countless of times. "Mirkwood should have a Dwarf like you, my friend Gimli."

Nodding his head in agreement and grunting a yes Gimli hollers, "But those other Elves treat me like dirt! I'll show them!" He swings his ax this way and that, slicing the air around them, and his voice echoes many times before the sound fades into silence.

"Show what?" the Elf inquires, looking at Gimli skeptically.

"Show what you ask? Why, I'll show them that we Dwarfs are worth more than all the splendors that the Elves can present!"

"Oh, I would love to see that."

"You would, lad," Gimli agrees. Together the Elf and the Dwarf walk on and on, taking multiple turns this way and that before they exit the jewel cavern.

Outside it's bright and Gimli has to shield his eyes from shriveling up. The rivers sing merrily as the go downstream to Isengard, renewed by the Ents. Ahead of them is the forest of Lórien beautiful even from this distance, but as time wears on its beauty is slowly fading ever since the One Ring was destroyed in Mt. Doom, and when it was destroyed so were the three Elf Rings that kept Lórien's splendor.

"Is this where you wanted to take me?" Gimli asks surprised, for he has already seen the riches of the Elven forest.

"Yes, Gimli. This is what I wanted to show you," the Elf answers softly, looking at the forest with soft eyes. "I wanted to show thee how Lórien looks while slowly its magnificence is fading away."

"Well, let's get going then," the Dwarf comments, walking on his stout legs. "I would like to have another piece of Galadriel's hair. It's mighty pretty, you Elf. Have you seen it? When it shines in the sun, it's like gold! Many pieces of gold! Why, my father, Gloín, would've probably not have had believed that I actually saw gold in hair!"

They continue on, making progress and the sun following their every move. While strolling to the beautiful forest Gimli feels like they are being watched, unnerving him greatly. "Legolas," he whispers, gestering for the Elf to listen. Legolas doesn't have to bend down to hear his whisper, his Elf ears could catch even a hawk's cry fifteen miles away. "I feel like we're being watched. Why don't you take a look around."

Silently, Legolas looks around, his brown eyes watchful for any enemies. "There shouldn't be any more lingering here. It would be taking a great risk staying here; especially when there are Men patrolling the area every night."

"I agree, but who cares!" Gimli booms out, getting his ax ready to slaughter some Orc or Uruk Hai and burn the foreskins. "It's been awhile since my precious ax has tasted the pleasure of battle!"

Then suddenly a monsterous sized Uruk Hai bursts out from the trees, and giving off a shrill scream it charges towards the Elf and Dwarf. Behind the first Uruk Hai comes many more, each giving off their own battle cry.

Legolas sets his arrow on his bow and shoots the first Uruk Hai in the throat. It falls down with a thump, and it brings down two others with it, killing them in the process.

"I've already got three," Legolas gloats, looking down at the Dwarf, but he's not there!

"Ha! Three? I've got seven already!" Gimli shouts back, killing more in his wake. "Eight...Nine...Ten..."

The Elf not wanting to get beaten, sets two arrows on his bow and lets them whiz through the air, landing their mark on two. He continues doing this for quite some time before he runs out of arrows. By the time he runs out though either they have fled, or have died in the hands of Gimli and him.

"How much?" Gimli asks, coming towards the Elf. "I've got thirty-four."

"I have gotten...thirty-two."

"Ha! Look who's the better fighter now, Elf boy," the Dwarf says, wiping off the blood on his ax with a fallen Uruk Hai's shirt.

"Next time, I shall beat you," Legolas confirms, not wanting to admit defeat.

"Next time can be a long way. Anyways, let us burn these scoundrels and rest."

"Yes, let us do that."