A short chapter

Chapter 6

Legolas had spent the last two hours pacing about the ground below Lindawell's prison, he could hear her soft breathing as she slept in undisturbed peace. The unrest in the forest was like a ringing in his ears keeping him awake, patrols and boots the ring of swords and hammers, this night was alive with fear. The elves had tried to keep it light in front of their guests but the tension of impending attack was upon them. He missed his home greatly, he could only imagine what it must be like now. If Lothlorien with the magic of the lady Galadriel was in such turmoil, how could Mirkwood standalone against the next attack. He felt the great need of his people and his family fall upon him as if the Valar had thrown 12 dwarfs in all their armored glory on top of him. Yet when Legolas thought of the fellowship and of Gandalf's sacrifice, he felt he could not leave the fate of all to such young children brave as they are.

Looking down Eneli and Seregon who hadn't been giving any new orders sat upon the deck looking down at the princeling who seemed so lost. It was Eneli who threw down the ladder to Legolas braking him of his infernal pacing.

'She's a sleep.' Seregon said softly blocking the door and looking between Legolas and Eneli for some understanding. He was no longer bored of Lin, he felt slightly protective, the mab as he thought of her had not given them away when questioned by Haldir she had opted to say nothing, therefore leaving only what Seregon had told them as the truth. Seregon said they were taking the prisoner for a walk as she was starting to get lethargic, on the walk they ran into the orc horde.

'Let her wake and perhaps she can ease his mind and we can all rest easier.' Eneli said he felt a strange stirring in his insides as he motioned Legolas to go through Lin's door and looked out into the trees to ignore it. The world was so much worse than when they had woken up that morning.

Legolas passed Seregon, into Lin's comfortable prison, he had once laughed at how nice it was for the housing of an enemy, now he was grateful he didn't have to look at her though the bars of a cell door. The bedroom was littered with bowls of water and pots of ink and quills around her bed symbols had been etched into the wood in a circle. He watched her chest rising and falling and he felt his own breath starting to keep time with hers, her black hair was warily and an unruly mess about the pillow under her head, the second pillow she had tucked into her side clutched to her chest. She looked more like a child then an enemy, as Legolas reached down to touch her shoulder.

Lin woke and using the pillow in her hand, hit the intruder hard in the face, expecting it to be Seregon or Eneli. The elves were so silent until they hesitated, then it was as if the song they brought with them stopped and that quiet was deafening, as if the world waited with them.

'Stop!' Legolas said blocking the attack easily, he couldn't help but smile at how messy the mortal's hair was it was frightening in its snake like tangles and may even have scared a dragon.

Lin stopped and looked at the now smiling Legolas, she had gone to bed easily after drinking so much wine at the feast, her head hurt and was still lightly fogged by the alcoholic she had yet to sleep off. She remembered coming back to her little abode with her two guards, Eneli had to almost pulled her up the ladder as she tried to sleep in the grass.

'Sleep.' Lin moaned as she fell back on the bed, desire to sleep came over her in a wave making her eyes lids heavy. Her night gown was long and white, the fabric was thin and the laces at the front were undone, she had a slight smile as she touched the strings knowing she had not put this dress on herself.

'Wake up Lindawell.' Legolas urged with a soft smile, shaking her shoulder as she curled up again to sleep.

'Why?' Lin growled glaring up at the beautiful elf looking down at her, it was as if he lit the room up like a star.

'There is something I wish to discuss with you.' Legolas said brushing the hair out of Lin's eyes, her untidiness was distracting.

'You wish to talk now?' Lin groaned, pulling the blanket about her, cursing the elf.

'We must.' Legolas said slightly put off by Lin's mood, he felt a connection to Lin ever since she entered his dream.

'You talk then, I sleep.' Lindawell said cocooning herself in the blankets.

'Lindawell!' Legolas called sitting upon her bed and shaking her a wake.

'No too much talking! You talk, Aragorn talks, elf lord talks. Questions and questions, never a moment's peace.' Lin said trying to kick the elf off the bed, the time for talking was during the noon day sun not under the light of the moon and stars.

'Ah, Lin I don't wish to question you, I believe you when you said you're looking for dragons, as mad as that sounds.' Legolas said with a little chuckle. 'We are leaving tomorrow.'

'We?' Lin asked slightly hopeful, traveling would be much more exciting.

'My companions you followed in Moria, we still have a longer path to take to complete our journey.'

'Mordor... ' Lin muttered her lips pressed firmly together, the thought of Legolas going to Mordor was chilling. Past memories of orc's at play during their skirmishes during negotiations of the payment for her tribe's assistance against the men of the west.

'How did you come by that knowledge?' Legolas said his tone mixed with surprise and suspicion. The doubts of her innocence in finding the fellowship resurfaced.

'Your hobbit told me.' Lin muttered sleepily.

'Pippin.' Legolas said, with a not so princely elvish curse, he rose from the bed to go punish the hobbit's loose tongue.

'Not Pippin, Frodo he asked me how to get to Mordor.' Lin said grabbing Legolas hand and pulling him back towards her.

'When did he ask this of you?' Legolas asked his voice cold, he couldn't understand how the Halfling could be so foolish. 'What else did he tell you?'

'While you were busy with the elven maidens.' Lin said not looking at Legolas, she knew that being jealous of such a thing should be beyond her. Not knowing the elvish dances had helped and Eneli attentions were an easy distraction, yet she wished to attempt to understand her Elf better. 'He asked me how to get to Mordor that's all he had time for.'

'I see he should not have told you even that' Legolas said flatly, he had enjoyed the dances however his partners had been rather older then he and many had hoped to walk away with promises of more privet visits.

'You should not go there. They will torture you until you become a willing slave. I have seen this of elves in Mordor.' Lin said, her worry was evident and she had reached over to the bedside table and held a writing quill in her right hand tightly.

'I must go, I will not fail them.' Legolas said with conviction, his body was tense with the weight of such a task. He felt he had failed when the Belrog appeared and he gave into his despair his honor and Gimli's had been marred by that shared fear.

He sat motionless and Lindawell felt the east wind come cold though the window, it played at the hem of Legolas' robes. They had been clasped tightly during the feast, now the collar was undone to show the line of his chest. It was as untidy as Lin had ever seen the prim and proper elf, even during the fight he had wasted energy to maintain his clothing.

'Yet you hesitate to go or you would not need to declare such things.' Lindawell said pulling Legolas down to lie on the bed. He tensed then relaxed as Lin started to draw upon his chest the quill was lightly spreading ink over his heart and Legolas became more aware of his heartbeat as the cool ink dried. Lin had seen this conflicted mind set from her brother before, Lan always seemed to weigh his decisions with utmost care.

'I fear for my homeland, the forest is filled with a darkness as black as Mordor in its southern borders. My father has held the evil at bay yet our borders become closer and closer to our main city.' Legolas explained, his grey eyes staring into Lin's blue ones. Legolas' eyes showed the torment of this decision to abandon his home for the fellowship.

'Your homeland?' Lin inquired her interest peeked, she had assumed this place had been his home.

'You may know it as Mirkwood. What was once green wood the great when it was not a spider and orc infested death trap to the unwarily.' Legolas said grimly, thoughts of home had a sour taste to them. How he wished to be powerful enough to clear the forest of the taint of Dol guldur.

'Humm the forest of dark slumber and man eating elves.' Lin muttered under her breath, she had crossed those woods before in youth they had lost many of their warriors along the tricky elven paths. Legolas heard what she said.

'I wish you to know that no harm will come to you unless you bring it upon yourself,' Legolas said, his hand upon his brow a sign of worry ', when the enemy is defeated I will take you home if I am alive.'

Lin sighed she was used to people doing what she told them to do and this elf seemed to be convinced he should go swiftly towards his death, which would have been her ideal a day ago. Now the elf had beaten her twice and worse she had yielded to him. She found Legolas worthy weather he wished it or not he would have her loyalty and strength at his disposal.

'Wear this mark, if your gods are not with you on your path mine shall protect you.' Lin said kissing over the ink. It was a mark of what looked like three mountains an intricate symbol was placed below it, much like the one of Lindawell's ankle. 'This mark will insure I will see you again my dear husband.'

'I'm not your husband.' Legolas stated with a frown, looking at Lindawell's grin. He wasn't sure he liked where this was going, Lin's thinking they were married was a problem, even if he thought she was a friend and an asset in battle. She was mortal and strange for a maiden, she was not fair of face even for the race of men, nor was she ugly. She was hardly gentle although he had seen traces of kindness, she was ruff and unruly. Legolas traced the new scar upon his thigh that she had giving him though the fabric of the new leggings. He had asked the healer to let the leg wound scar, a memory and mark she will have left upon him for as long as he lived, a sentiment his father would frown upon but she had shown him true courage in the face of such adversity during the battle with the orc's and her escape.

'Perhaps not yet.' Lin agreed with a yawn going back to sleep ', I will follow you all the same, whatever path you choose.'

Legolas watched Lindawell fall back to sleep, the fellowship would have to move on as soon as lord Celeborne would allow it and he knew he couldn't take her with him. If she escaped again while he was not here she would be killed regardless of how her guards felt about her. Legolas was unsure of allowing Eneli and Seregon to guard her as she had slipped past them before. He wanted her safe if nothing else, safe and able to dream her childish dream of dragons.

Six years ago

A battle raged in the darkness of the borderlands, swords and fire and arrows filled the air. Anger and pain salted the air along with the scent of blood. Victory was at hand for the Easterlings and there monstrous allies, yet a new battle was waking in the hearts of the Easterlings. Drums pounded like a steady heart beat and flutes called out as free as blood released from veins as the dawn approached.

The twins stood still in a red tent filled with thirteen strong soldiers in the face of their grief, the battle field seemed leagues away. The night was dark and the terrors of mankind had swarmed over the enemies of the dark masters like a plague. There was a chill upon the air and Lin felt her chest tighten at the body before her. The body of a strong tanned skinned seasoned warrior who appeared untouched save for a scratch upon his temple. He bore the markings of king ship the waves upon his back the mountains of the pass on his chest, the sun between his shoulder blades.

Lin moved forward with her brother both held together a silver dagger with an elf horn handle and cut into the flesh above the heart of the body in a circle. The same was done upon his back blood pooled into a golden bowl beneath the table the blood seeped out of the body in slow thick dark red gushes.

'Here is a great King Ryse may he continue to watch over his kin.' Lin and Lan's uncle said loudly, taking a gulp from the golden bowl, his dark eyes were cold and untouched by any emotion. He held out the cup to Lindawell eyes challenging her. 'We drink the blood of the fallen king to enter into the contract with the gods and allow them old kings to influence our right of succession.'

Lin drank form the bowl, she tasted her fathers clotted blood on her tongue and managed to keep it down before passing it to Lan. They were both young only seventeen years of age their fighting and battle experience only a budding flower and yet this fight she would endure to avenge her father she would have to win. She had seen her father in battle fighting alongside his brother and watched from afar unable to warn her father of the oncoming blow from her uncle's sword hilt into his head.

'Stop!' their uncle called out putting his large hand over the bowl, he smiled and continued, 'you and your sister are of one flesh it would be unfair to allow such odds in this contest.'

'We are one,' Lan confirmed, his body tense waiting for the oncoming fight ', we fight together and we will die together,'

'As it should be,' the uncle said with a smirk 'yet kingship is won alone or there would be two hearts within his chest.'

'Lan has a claim as much as Lin.' Cried the grey man angrily he had been watching the proceedings cautiously. 'Two hearts or not they are one if she has taken the offering so must he, for his soul has already taken it with her.'

'There can only be one!' there uncle hissed his hand going to his scimitar. He was one of the tallest and most feared warriors

'Come Alric! I fear not that there are two of Ryse line in this challenge,' called Bergen the one swing, he was a mighty man strong of limb and heart ', let the boy and girl die together as one.'

A mummer of agreement thought out the tent followed Bergen's words, for none saw the two young ins as a threat to claiming honors. And so it was agreed and the bowl touched Lan's lips although he found it hard to keep down the thick drying blood and coughed, much to the amusement of the older warriors about them.

Lin grabbed her brother's hand tight as the bowl was passed around the tent in an hour they battle of their lives would take place. Lin felt excited, angry, grieved at the loss of her strong papa and scared of failing, all this she felt beating in her chest feeling like her heart would explode before the last drop of blood was tasted.

Within moments the trail was started with kin falling upon kin hot blood fell like rubies into the sand as Bergen and Alric fought while the other gathered around them with their own blades drawn.

Lan held Lin back from the folds of men, if Alric died now it would be a regret for Lin that she did not kill him herself however he focused on the other challengers. Thirteen in total and all strong, Lan hadn't much time to consider what must be done, but he managed it a small amount of poison he slipped into the blood of his fathers from his own mouth. Lan prayed the gods would forgive him for he knew his sister may not. The poison of the spiders, was deadly and although the rules of the trail were for all to die save the new king, he felt as a murder rather than a warrior. The first man seemed to fall to the poison, he was small and Lan moved quickly to stab him in the throat before he could alert the others of their impending doom. Lin followed his lead to some extent and began her own attack at those near her. Lan prayed his sister would never find out about what his fears had driving him to do. His father had always told him that Lin would die an honorable death and that he feared it would be sooner rather than later.

The warriors now found themselves attacked quickly, it required little time to kill a man, a stab in the neck or face usually did the trick. Lin had many knifes upon her person held to her with leather belts and straps, as knifes often got stuck within the dead and took too long to retrieve during battle. Her legs were bare and she had earned no armor in her battles, nor had she like the look of the armor she had seen on the battle field it was heavy and hard to move in. Lan had thicker leathers and metal shoulder guards, he used a short sword and a set of redwood handle daggers he had killed a Ranger for. The each bore a dagger that they made for one another under their fathers guidance.

It was with that Knife that said Lindawell that Lin attacked her uncle, she had wounds from her fight with the masses, her own back had a slice or two, she was limping and bleeding from a head wound so much that her sweat and blood flowed into her eyes nearly blinding her. Lin stabbed her uncle in the chest just missing his heart, Alric pushed her away as Lan stabbed him in the back with his own named dagger. Alric had killed seven of the thirteen warriors, each had been weaker than the last, yet Bergen had landed more than one mighty blow to his right shoulder and side. Alric had only just managed to kill Bergen before blood loss weakened him, yet the six others had kept coming and he managed to live, to fight and win.

Lin looked over at the body of Bergen and his fallen broad sword, summoning all the strength she had in her arms she lifted the heavy blade enough to swing her uncles head clean off, as Lan held his head at an angle. With his uncle's head held in his hand Lan turned to his sister his eyes hard and cold, he looked into his sisters eyes and saw they were filled with life and heat. She reached out and touched the head holding it high with Lan at the tents entrance, there the Easterlings fell on to their hands and knees, some lying flat upon the ground in submission. Even their own mother and the elders bowed to them, for this was the way of things, Lan knew there would be more challenges to come for those few who dared to look upon them with curiosity, yet those would be individual challenges and easier to handle he hoped. All was quiet as Lin and Lan looked out upon there tribe as one, they were now safe, they were now king.

The grey man called up to hail the new king, for they only had the word king for rulers. The grey man brought the twins back into the tent and with a practiced hand fished out their father heart from under the ribs, this he brought to a flame upon the fire and gave over to Lan. Lan's hand trembled as the hot organ met his hand, Lin's hand grabbed his and held it steady.

'Leave now.' Lin ordered the grey man.

'It must be witnessed.' He said roughly.

'We are each other witness, this is not the heart of some ruling king we know little of but his strength, this is Ryse our creator and our king. For this we shall be alone.' Lin declared boldly glaring at the grey man, who after a moment's hesitation left.

'I can't.' Lan said dropping the heart into Lin's hands with disgust.

'I won't.' Lin said softly looking at the heart with a frown. 'It must be buried, we will never speak of this.'

Lan looked up in surprise as his sister squeezed the heart and smeared blood upon her face and then his. He had expected her to follow the rules of the trial to the end, proving herself stronger than them all. Yet here he watched as she dug a hole under the embers of the fire with a broken log and placed the heart inside. When she was done he saw her eyes shiny with tears and he moved and held her while his own eyes filled with tears. They cried together and when they gathered up their resolve the moved as one to the waiting masses bathed in the light of the sun.

'Do you see that Lan' Lin asked with a bright smile at the new sun upon her skin and the drumming in her heart, her arms gestured towards the sun.

'What?' Lan asked his eyes scanning the crowed trying to remember the names of those who would be troublesome.

'It's a new day after all.' Lin laughed and she whistled as she walked down among her people. Lan watched and noted that none seemed willing to challenge Lin. Lan smiled as he let the day soak into his skin, his sister would be the one to answer many challenges to their authority, the biggest challenge Lan would face would be managing his sister and maintaining shared power with her.

The grey man's eyes were always on his sister and Lan had lost many friends hearts to his sister long ago, although she had never noticed them, her barren band protected her and would now have its own agenda with the leadership of this tribe.

Lan had a headache and looking down at his people began the task of forming rankings, grateful his father had given him some instruction on how to manage tribe affairs. Lin would be the people's heart but he would be there ruler in truth. He watched her stretch and drink near the newly formed banquet table and new if he hadn't been able to fight alongside her claim this would have been the end of customs and traditions. She would have destroyed them all for a chance to kill their uncle.

'Come along my king!' the grey man called loudly so that Lin could hear it and would come as well 'we have marking to carve and burn.'