CHAPTER 7

Legolas lied awake as The Fellowship were sound asleep during the night. Elves can go with little or next to no sleep and since Legolas was the sole Elf member, he was usually on the lookout. Tonight was no exception even in his current condition, but felt light-headed all the while. All he could do as of now was to look out through the window for any invasion.

The Elf looked around the living room where he was lying and saw Aragorn sleeping on another couch, obviously dreaming about either the past or Arwen.

Legolas suddenly jerked back and started breathing heavier, squeezing his eyes shut in the process. Apparitions of the sorcerers were flashing through his mind, chanting the Black Speech just like what happened back at the forest where he and Gimli were captured. Then apparitions of the wraiths appeared from nowhere as well, though some were about the same height as the Hobbits holding either a knife or a short sword. To Legolas, it was obviously a nightmarish version of a vision. What do you want? Legolas muttered in his head. Why do you dare approach me! I'd only kill you all! The dark apparitions didn't seem to listen, only coming foward. Stop! Leave me alone! What do you want!

Aragorn was startled awake by Legolas was thrashing about, screaming in his sleep. Aragorn rushed to the Elf's side and tried to restrain him by pinning down his wailing arms and croon in Elvish soothing tones but couldn't make himself heard the Elf's own voice. Then Aragorn tried climbing on top of Legolas to get some leverage, but the Elf thrust upward violently, knocking him to the floor. Legolas slid off the couch himself, crawling across the floor with surprisingly full speed. All four Hobbits rush to the scene, awakened by the event.

"What happened?" Merry demanded.

"Dunno. Legolas!" Aragorn replied as he grabbed the Elf from behind and wrapped his arms around his chest. "Usually Elves don't have these kinds of nightmares." The Ranger managed to get a grip on both of the Elf's hands and pulled them back toward him.

"No more," Legolas moaned, his voice breaking. "Just get away from me!" He was writhing miserably under Aragorn's restraint. But the longer he was firmly held, the more resistance seemed to be leaving him.

"Legolas, snap out of it! It's us!" Frodo carefully patted the Elf's face in attempt to wake him, all while avoiding a couple of wounds inflicted on him by the sorcerers.

"Please, no more. It hurts," Legolas sobbed, going almost completely limp. His head fell back against Aragorn's shoulder.

"Come on. Open your eyes. It's okay." Frodo took a firm grip on the Elf's chin. "It's all over."

"I'm scared... it hurts," Legolas murmered through a whimper.

"No reason to be scared now. Come on, look at us." Aragorn loosened his grip some.

Sam patted the Elf's head. "It's Sam, and Frodo, and Aragorn, and Merry and Pippin... everyone is here."

Aragorn and the Hobbits watched as Legolas' wet eyelids fluttered a little before finally opening.

"Legolas, who am I?" Aragorn waited an intolerable period of seconds before he saw any sign of focusing.

"Ara-Aragorn?" Legolas' voice was small and wavering, but at least he was becoming more cohorent.

"Okay, who am I?" Frodo was equally anxious.

"Frodo?"

"Now what's all the commotion?" Gimli had appeared, trying to find his way around due to his blindless and had to be directed by Merry and Pippin. "Legolas? You alright?"

"Gimli?"

"Come here," Aragorn pulled his Elf companion like a wet noodle into a tight embrace.

Despite his seemingly languid condition, Legolas returned the pressure fiercely. "I was scared..." Legolas whispered brokenly into Aragorn's ear.

"I know," Aragorn said. "You're safe now. No one's gonna hurt you, you hear me?"

Legolas nodded. His hands were flexing on Aragorn's back.

"A nightmare, huh?" Merry stroked Legolas's hair. As much as he would rather get back to sleep, Legolas's emotional well-being was the top priority right now.

"A vision," Legolas corrected. "Like some mirage. I don't know what they want with me."

Sam had fetched a wet cloth and started patted the Elf's forehead. "The sorcerers had fixed you and Gimli real good. Bet they stick by using any means to any ends."

"Not just them." Legolas' voice was barely a whisper.

"Not just them?" Merry echoed.

"You mean there were others?" Aragorn asked.

"Wraiths," Legolas said with enough dread that sent everyone around him into near shock. "Some of them are no more taller than a Hobbit."

That statement sent Frodo into a flashback, where he was getting near to being a wraith himself before he had the shard of the Witch-king's Morgul blade drawn out by Elrond. It would be rather unfortunate for some Hobbits who had indeed become wraiths if they has come across a Ringwraith.

"You mean... some Wraiths are Hobbits?" Merry asked with horror.

Legolas sighed, not wanting it to be true. "I'm not sure."

"What a pity if Bilbo ends up being one of them," Gimli remaked in a low voice.

"Maybe my mind's just..." Legolas couldn't out it into words.

Aragorn stood and pulled Legolas up by the arm. A loud yelp froze that movement in its tracks.

"Sorry," Aragorn apologized.

"Still a little sore," Legolas rolled onto his hands and knees. When he straightened, Aragorn got an arm around his waist and gave him an upward pull, then moved him back onto the couch. "How did I get on the floor?"

"Like you said, bad vision," Aragorn replied.

Legolas shut his eyes as Sam cleaned off his face with a cool cloth and Frodo brought a throw around the Elf's shoulders. "Why did this have to happened to me? I know they were trying to get to you but..."

"If I didn't know any better, sounds like Wulfrun has something against your father as well," Aragorn figured.

Legolas thought about that for a moment. "Probably. My father once said his home used to be Doriath."

"Doriath? Never heard of it. It's not even anywhere in the map," Sam said.

"You mean the Doriath where Beren and Luthien had dwelled many years ago?" Aragorn asked.

Legolas nodded. "I don't think my father told me the whole story, though. Only that he became embittered after my grandfather was killed during the Last Alliance. Maybe my father might be the only living witness to what really happened all those years ago. Why Agandaûr would be so interested, I do not know."

"So Agandaûr knows something about Beren and Luthien," Aragorn said. "But how much does he know?"

"But that doesn't explain why it happened to me as well, though," Gimli grumbled.

"How does it feel to be left out?" Sam asked sarcastically.

"All of this doesn't make any sense," Frodo said. "Why does Agandaûr want to settle things with Aragorn, and why torture Legolas and Gimli to get to him? How does he know about Beren and Luthien?"

"Sauron must've told him the whole thing," Aragorn replied. "He did live in the past two ages, you know. So there's no doubt he knows quite a bit. Had some run-ins with Beren and Luthien in the past."

"Great," Gimli said, rubbing his still blind eyes. "If this keeps up, his brain will get bigger!"

Legolas sighed. "I'm still feeling pain. Pain from the Black Speech and the spells eating away my body... I tried hard not to scream but it hurts real bad. I sometimes feel as if I might faint at any moment... I don't think I can..." He squeezed his eyes shut as a tear ran down his cheek. "Why? Just why?"