Thanks for the reviews (again). Please keep them up so I can see how you are enjoying it. Enjoy.
Chapter 9: A Name
"Legolas, we need to treat them now."
The blonde elf looked back at his second command, and then at the two prone figures slung over the shoulders of two other elves. He stopped himself from wincing.
"Alright, we will stop here, but not for long. Anything that can wait, ignore it for now." They had to keep moving for the blonde prince feared that the orcs had long since woken and were now on their trail. He had no intention of being caught or killed by the foul creatures nor any intent to let Tauriel fall back into their clutches. Tauriel…
He was just about ready to jump off a cliff.
He had failed to protect her from the horrors that now lurked in Mirkwood, failed to protect her from the orcs, and most importantly had failed to protect her from harm. It didn't matter now though, he would have plenty of time to beat himself up later. He needed to focus so he didn't fail once again.
As the elves around him began to set to work on their injured burdens, Legolas and Silas glanced warily around the small space they occupied.
"Keep your eyes sharp," he said in warning. His second in command looked up.
"Do you think they're tracking us?" he asked. Legolas' smile was grim.
"I don't think, I know."
Somewhere, off in the distance, came the angry roar of one who had been denied his prize.
Tauriel blinked awake and immediately started struggling against the hands that held her cautiously down. All she could think of was getting away from the foul beast in front of her. The elfish captain lashed out with one foot and caught her captor unawares, knocking him back with a powerful blow to the jaw. She leapt up with great difficulty, leaning against the tree as she did so in order to protect her undefended back. That was when it hit her.
Slowly Tauriel looked down at the elf who was now struggling to his feet, rubbing his rapidly darkening jaw. She smiled sheepishly.
"Sorry about that," she said, allowing two more elves to help her back into a sitting position. Legolas gave her a wan smile.
"At least I was somewhat prepared for something along the lines of it," he said, wincing as the movement caused pain to flare up along the place that had just been thoroughly walloped, "How are you feeling?"
"Better at being out of that place," said the ginger-haired elf, still sheepish from the fact she had kicked him, "Though still like I drank too much at a festival and then danced too hard." She paused, "I see you got the dwarf." The captain watched as Legolas glanced at the still unconscious figure that was being tended to by a brown-haired elf.
"I assume the bow we rescued with you belongs to him."
"Shoots like an elf, that one," she replied, a ghost of a smile stretched across her face, "Not too bad with a sword either. Believe me, I would be dead if it was otherwise." It was no small task to quell the admiration that was building up inside of her. He was a dwarf.
Tauriel allowed herself to be attended to by the somewhat wary elves that were part of Legolas' group. Added to the initial four elves she had seen temporarily in the cave (including the prince of Mirkwood), there were an additional three, meaning that all up, there were eight elves (including herself, who was injured) and one injured dwarf. Not good odds against a whole swarm of orcs, but the elfish captain had no doubt Legolas could and would hold them off at least until they got back to the fortress. She would be unable to help though, because, despite the neutral sort of face she was putting on, she hurt like hell. So it was no surprise for any of them when she once again slipped away from the world.
Legolas watched the dwarf with interest. The dwarf watched him back with dark, angry eyes. Clearly he wasn't saying anything.
The others had finished tending to the…captive he supposed. It was not like they were going to let the dwarf up and walk away once he had healed, so there was no point in kidding himself now. Still, Legolas wasn't going to push him for answers now; it was not the time and place, and frankly it seemed unfair to extract information from the dwarf in his state. His state being stubborn and mule-headed, thought Legolas.
Silas and the rest of the other five elves he had brought with him were now preparing to move again. The elven prince had no idea how they would move the dwarf for he was almost certain their captive would not allow them to carry him any longer; it had taken a lot of convincing for the previously half delirious dwarf to allow them anywhere near him once he had woken.
Silas and another fresh faced elf moved in to take the dwarf up but was almost immediately shooed away by Legolas' meaning look and the dwarf's almost murderous glance. The blonde elf sighed, deciding that in order for this to work he would have to try and establish a communication with the dwarf.
"Do you speak the common tongue?" he asked slowly. The brunette in front of him raised an eyebrow, but gave no other reaction to his words. Sometimes the elf wished dwarves were not so good at keeping their faces blank, it would make his job a whole lot easier.
The elven prince was contemplating whether knocking out the dwarf would solve their predicament when the dwarf spoke.
"What do you want?" The words were in no sense kind, but they rang with an undertone of pain. Legolas smiled pleasantly as he had been trained to do in his youth.
"I want you to come with us, master dwarf," he said as politely as he could. The dwarf frowned however, and Legolas could tell that this would not be going the way he wanted it to. Damn dwarves, he thought, annoyed, why can't they ever just do what we need them to do for once?
Kili watched warily as the blonde elf in front of him stared, his new captor still smiling even though they were now at a stalemate. He resisted the urge to wince as he crossed his arms in front of him. He needed to remain focused or else the elf would catch him off guard, and the young dwarf had no intention of giving him any leeway.
"Master dwarf, if you do not return with us you will die from your wounds." The elf's statement proved ineffective. Kili knew very well the significance of his injuries, but he also knew how to treat some of them. In any case, he wasn't swayed by the words.
"How can I trust that I won't die of them anyway under your care?" he shot back. He could tell the elf was starting to lose his patience.
"You have my word we will do our best to ensure your wellbeing." Kili didn't quite believe that either.
"Your word?" he said, rapidly gathering his thoughts in order to think of a way out of this mess, "What good is your word if it is only between me and you?"
"I'll swear it in front of the others then." Kili snorted disbelieving at this.
"They're elves too, and under your command. They'll do whatever you tell them to do which renders your word meaningless."
Legolas resisted the urge to punch something. They were at a stalemate again. He had to admit though, the dwarf was good.
The prince racked his brains as he rubbed his eyes, tired from staying up all night, and desperately trying to think of something he could say to convince the youth; that had been his last resort. An idea slowly came to him and he glanced at the dwarf sideways, albeit somewhat slyly. The dwarf glared right back at him.
"If you stay on your own, how will you defend yourself against the party of orcs we so gallantly rescued you from?" This elicited a strong curse, and though it was in dwarfish, Legolas got the gist of what it meant. "You are injured," he continued, seeing a window, "And we have your weapons. Even if you do manage to evade them at first, they will catch up to you." The dwarf growled.
"You sound just like my-" he cut of abruptly, seeming almost furious with himself. Legolas' smile widened.
"Like who?" he asked, "Your father? Mother perhaps? Or an older brother?" The dwarf glared at him, lips tight and gaze stormy as he refused to respond. However, he let out an almost inaudible whimper as he shifted against the tree that propped him up. The elf was suddenly reminded of just how young he was. "Look, we are trying to help you yet you keep blocking us at every turn. We mean you no harm, I swear on my life, just let us help you." If anything, the dwarf was suddenly more furious at the display.
"Why should I?" They were back at the start again. Legolas sighed.
"Look, at least tell me your name if you won't accept my word. It's the least you can do to repay us for saving you." The prince was almost convinced the dwarf would not answer until he opened his mouth to speak.
"I do not need to repay you," he said darkly, "For I wouldn't have been in that situation if not for you." He stopped speaking and Legolas was ready to admit defeat. "However," continued the dwarf much to the elf's surprise, "I will tell you my name. It is…Kili."
"Kili what?" asked Legolas, "Son of whom?" The dwarf smiled darkly.
"That information I will not tell you."
"My prince, we need to get moving." Legolas looked up as Silas spoke.
"Alright then, help me with the dwarf." They would drag him to the fortress if they had to.
The two elves turned back to Kili and found that he had slumped limply against the tree, unaware of anything around him. Silas bent down and slung the unconscious form over his shoulders with the help of his prince. Despite the mild annoyance that was building up inside of him, Legolas smiled. At least he knew the dwarf's name.
Bilbo watched from a window near the gates, curious. The group of elves he had seen leave before were returning, carrying two dark shapes from the look of it, one of them another elf and possibly a sack of something else. In any case, the second shadowy figure was too small for him to work out.
Turning back to the task at hand, the hobbit inspected the room one final time before making his way down to the cellars. He had overheard talk of one of them opening up to a fast flowing river that ran from here to the closest city of men. He may have just a ticket out.
Please review.
