A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry about the cliffy last time, but here is the next chapter to resolve it! Thank you so much to Morganichobbit, annafan, Manwathiel16, Larisya, Uchiha no Kaori, Heatblizzard, vanialex, Raider-K, ForbiddenShadow0, Guest, Poison1234, LegolasGreenleafLove, lotrjesusfreak, horseyyay, RowanRamirez, KD Skywalker, letus the saiyan, lynnelay, emma, sparklesaremylife, Fellowship of Avengers, shophiescastle, Amber1986, Brigid the Fae, Morwen80 and floweringbirdiesfor reviewing the last chapter. It really means a lot!
Note: Italic conversations are in Sindarin.
Worlds Apart: Chapter 34
Maya slowly faded back into the world. As her senses came back to her, what began as little more than a slight discomfort intensified into throbbing, numbing pain at her temple. She had the metallic taste of blood in her mouth. She heard shouting near her and again further away as well as the scrapping of metal on metal and it wasn't long before the smell of burning flesh reached her nostrils.
That was when it all came back to her; the Uruk Hai, Mithrin running for help and then the sight of those cold, dark eyes before she blacked out.
She desperately wanted to scream, to cry for help but Maya would not let a sound pass through her lips and she kept her eyes tightly shut hoping not to draw attention to herself. It took every bit of self-restraint she had not to bring her hands to her aching head as the pain ripped through her. Who knew what they would do to her once they realized she was awake? That wasn't something she wanted to find out but it was only a matter of time now.
Maya's heart began to thump in her chest when she heard the sound of heavy footfall as more than one pair of rough leather boots pounded into the ground near her. Two Uruks were talking amongst themselves as they approached; the voices were clearer now and just as terrifying as she remembered them.
"Azhug says we'll be raiding the elven camp by nightfall," said one of the voices, "They haven't picked up our trail, this will be easy slaughter."
"That's if they don't find us first," said the other Uruk, "This is a stupid plan."
"Don't let Azhug hear you say that. You'll end up no better than that Prince he wants to slay," growled the first Uruk, "King Ulfang wants Thranduil's head on a spike but his son's will do just fine while he waits to mount the attack."
Maya's breath caught in her throat.
"I'm getting tired of waiting for the Balchoth King to make a move. What's he waiting for anyhow?" Spat the other.
Both voices went silent as the sound of a third pair of boots marching towards them resonated with a fury.
"King Ulfang is our Master and it's not for you or any of the slime in this camp to question him!" growled a third voice that Maya didn't recognize. Seconds later, she heard the unmistakable sound of a scimitar being slid from its sheath and then an agonized cry that raised the hair on her arms. Maya wasn't sure whose screams sounded more terrified; the dying Uruk's or her own as the limp body landed with a thud over her legs.
"Good. You're awake."
Maya's eyes snapped open in time to see a large, black, armoured arm reach out to roughly drag her up from the ground. He was taller, bigger than the other Uruks and she noticed how the whole camp stared at him in fear. This was Azhug.
"Let me go," she begged, wincing as his nails dug into the skin of her arm, "I'm useless to you. Please, I'm pregnant."
The face she looked upon– if one could even call that mess of mangled features a face – was cold and frightening. The eyes staring back at her were sadistic and devoid of any sympathy as their owner clearly took amusement in her fear.
He grabbed her by the throat and she gasped for air, her breathing difficult and shallow.
"You won't be getting any sympathy from me," he growled low, bringing his face within inches of hers and Maya began to tremble as she felt his hot, putrid breath on her skin, "Spies deserve to be gutted. Perhaps I ought to do it right now."
"Two birds with one stone." He pressed his blade into her belly and Maya felt hot tears spilling down her cheeks.
... ...
"Here and here," said Rissien, pointing his finger to two spots on the large map in the tent, "These were the last sightings."
"How long has it been since the last one?"
"Several weeks now," the advisor replied and Legolas breathed a heavy sigh. Not knowing what to expect or when to expect it was draining on the Kingdom, on him and on his family.
When he closed his eyes, he could still vividly recall the look on Maya's face that morning.
"I think we've given so much to the Kingdom and we haven't taken anything for ourselves. I'm afraid if we keep doing that, there won't be anything left," she'd said and the words stuck with him all day.
Legolas pondered them over and over and he realized that as of late, most of his time and focus had been on patrolling and making sure that the borders were well protected. In the evenings he came home troubled and exhausted, in the mornings they were rushed and time seemed to slip through their fingers like sand. He and Maya hadn't even discussed a name for their son yet and this was what bothered Legolas the most.
He didn't want this for his family. He didn't want to work so hard that he didn't have anything of himself left to give them. He wanted to have time to play with his little one and teach him the wonders of the world.
"Legolas, are you well?"
Rissien's voice pulled the Prince from his thoughts. He looked up to find the advisor's concerned gaze on him.
"Perhaps I need a moment to step outside," he said softly, "The air is rather close in here."
"Yes, I agree," said Rissien, "We can certainly spare a few moments for a well-deserved pause."
Legolas smiled at him and they walked out of the tent together, leaving behind their maps and endless piles of parchment.
As they walked towards the fire pit outside the tent, there was a commotion and Legolas was puzzled to see Mithrin running at full speed through the camp, weaving his way through a sea of confused guards.
The wolf came to a halt before him and Legolas was filled with a sense of unease as he took in the animal's anxious behaviour. His ears were back and his tail hung low but what struck him most of all was the almost anguished whimpering.
The Prince and Rissien exchanged worried glances. They knew that Mithrin never went anywhere without Maya.
"Mithrin, did something happen?" he urged, kneeling down to pet the wolf. Mithrin became increasingly agitated, nudging Legolas with his snout.
"Where is Maya?" he asked urgently, dreading the answer to his question.
At the mention of her name, the wolf began to whimper again and this sent a chill through Legolas' heart. His wife's beloved pet was distraught, frantic and that could only mean one thing.
"No," he whispered, wishing that this were some awful nightmare. He rose to his feet, fists clenched so hard that his knuckles were turning white.
Mithrin took off through the camp and without a wasted moment, Legolas ran after him desperate to find his wife and child alive.
Rissien began to bark orders for half the guard to remain with the camp and the other half to follow him as he too ran after Legolas and Mithrin. He only hoped that they weren't too late.
Legolas wasn't certain how long they'd been running but soon Mithrin stopped near a small clearing in the woods protected by an almost impenetrable wall of trees and the thick brush.
"We must climb," he said to Rissien and the advisor nodded, proceeding to give the order to his guards. They would have a better vantage point from the treetops and be able to remain invisible to whoever was in that clearing.
"Good boy, Mithrin," the Prince said patting the wolf on the head before he climbed the nearest tree. When he was satisfied that he'd climbed to a sufficient height, Legolas crouched down on one of the largest branches and what he saw at that moment left him utterly speechless.
"Uruks?" Rissien asked in shock as he perched himself next to Legolas, "How is this possible? How did we not sense them?"
"This is not a small force," said the Prince, narrowing his eyes so that he could observe the occupants of the camp, "They meant to catch us off-guard."
He was filled with an overwhelming sense of dread as he searched the camp for his beloved, terrified that he'd come too late.
"We will find her, Legolas," reassured Rissien, though his worry was plainly written on his face.
That was when the Prince heard the unmistakable sound of Maya's voice. Realizing she was still alive, he allowed himself to breathe, but the relief left him as quickly as it came when he heard the fear in her voice. His eyes darted through the camp to find the source and came to rest on a sight that made his body tense with rage, as if the very blood inside him turned to liquid fire.
One of the larger Uruks held her by the throat and pressed his blade to her middle.
"My husband is coming for me," she warned, though her words came with great difficulty as she struggled to breathe.
The Uruk simply laughed and Legolas saw Maya gasp as the grip around her throat tightened. Rissien's own jaw was tightening in fury but nevertheless he placed a comforting hand on Legolas' forearm.
"Is he?" roared Azhug, "We'll let's see what he thinks when he finds out his wife was ravaged again and again like a whore."
Maya almost wished for death at that moment. She fought and screamed as one of the other Uruks took hold of her arms and held her in an iron grip. Just as Azhug was about to rip her gown, Maya squeezed her eyes shut. She was numb with fear.
She heard a rapid whizzing sound through the air followed by a loud roar. Maya's eyes quickly snapped open as the grip on her arms loosened and the Uruk that held her fell to the ground, an arrow embedded in his forehead.
Azhug's attention was now focused on the trees surrounding their camp as he attempted to locate where the arrow had come from. Just then a dozen more arrows were shot from the brush, picking off several more Uruks.
Maya examined the arrow in the dead Uruk's skull as it continued to oscillate from the force of the shot. She recognized the yellow-gold fletching immediately and her heart began to pound in her chest.
From the trees, Legolas had witnessed just about all he could take and without warning to Rissien or the rest of the guard, he leaped down from the branches of the tree, lithe as a jungle cat. In one swift move he unsheathed his twin blades and advanced on the first of the Uruk Hai that he encountered with a viscousness that Rissien had never seen in him before.
It wasn't long before the King's advisor and the rest of the Woodland guard had joined the fight. Mithrin came charging from the woods and jumped onto the first Uruk he saw. The creature was so stunned that it never even had time to swing its blade and the wolf tore out it's throat, his snout covered in thick, black blood.
With Azhug preoccupied, Maya ran as fast as she could, trying her best not to step on the corpses that continued to pile up around her as the elves and Uruks fought one another. She didn't dare look back to see if Azhug was following her.
In the distance, Maya spotted a familiar golden head of hair and watched as Legolas crossed his blades at the enemy's neck and spilled it's life's blood.
She began to run towards her husband but something yanked her hair back and a strong, black arm gripped her around the waist.
"Not so fast," said Azhug, and in a split second he had his sword to her throat. Maya's breath caught and her fearful eyes met Legolas' blue orbs, laced with a deadly fury.
Legolas watched with horror as the Uruk pressed the blade into Maya's skin and a small red stream trickled down her neck.
"Looks like I have something of yours," said the Uruk, with a sadistic laugh.
Maya was breathing hard now, her heartbeat accelerating as she felt Azhug pressing the blade deeper into her skin. She wanted to cry out in pain but she didn't dare; one false move and she was done for.
"I'll kill you for harming her," promised Legolas, jaw tightening and fists clenched in his rage.
"Watch it, Prince," said Azhug, "One false move and I'll slit her throat."
"They say you have no weaknesses," the Uruk said amusedly, turning for a split second to observe the fighting around them, "But you do have a weakness, son of Thranduil."
Maya cried out in pain as his blade pressed harder into her skin. Blood continued to trickle from the wound.
The Prince watched helplessly as this creature tortured her in front of him and he wanted nothing more than to tear the Uruk limb from limb in the most agonizing, slow death.
Azhug was so wrapped up in enjoying the torment of the elf that he didn't see the knowing look shared between husband and wife.
Maya stomped on the Uruk's foot with all the strength she possessed and he growled in surprise. Azhug's grip on her loosened momentarily, buying her time to disentangle herself from his grasp and she managed to crawl to safety. Legolas took the opportunity to rain down upon his enemy with ferocious blow after ferocious blow. The Uruk parried the attacks and swung his fist repeatedly at the elf who deftly evaded the hits.
They continued to lunge and counter each other's attacks but Legolas could sense that Azhug was getting weaker. His blows no longer held the crushing power that he'd begun with and he was slowing down, resorting to more blocking and defending as the Prince continued to assail him.
Then, catching the elf completely by surprise, the Uruk pulled a dagger from his belt and flanked him, tearing into his flesh with the small blade.
Maya's heart stopped as Azhug managed to knock Legolas to the ground.
The elf's limbs suddenly felt heavy as though he'd been drained of his strength. The wound at his side burned as though the flesh were on fire and he knew at that moment that the dagger was tipped with poison.
The Uruk swung his scimitar down towards the Prince's head and despite the effects of the poison, Legolas managed to block blow with his knives. Azhug applied all of his strength down towards the elf and Legolas locked his blades against the scimitar mere inches from his face, pushing back as hard as he could.
Maya watched in horror as Azhug pushed down on Legolas with all his strength. She could see the trembling in his arms as he remained locked in a struggle with the Uruk.
Just as she thought his arms were going to give in, an arrow came whizzing by to embed itself with deadly force between the Uruk's eyes and she was relieved to see Rissien holding his bow. The Prince used what little strength he had left to push the carcass off of him, panting as blood poured out of the wound at his side.
Maya choked back a sob and rushed over to him, kneeling beside him and cupping his face. Rissien rushed to her side and carefully lifted the Uruk's dagger from the ground.
"Poison," he said through gritted teeth, "He needs a healer. Now."
The Prince's eyes became heavily lidded as he struggled to remain conscious.
Maya's tears spilled onto his face. "This is all my fault," she choked out, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Frantically, she ripped a piece of her gown and pressed it to his side to try and stop the bleeding but it was no use. Within moments, the cloth was completely stained. Mithrin appeared beside her and sadly nudged her with his snout, staining the sleeve of her dress with black blood.
Rissien watched with a heavy heart as Legolas raised a weakened hand to cup Maya's face and she cried even more, begging him to stay with her.
They needed to get him to the halls of healing and quickly.
... ...
Maya didn't leave his bedside for two days. After they managed to get Legolas back to Thranduil's halls, the healers were able to give him the antidote to the poison on Azhug's dagger and they were confident that he would recover but all the same he hadn't yet opened opened his eyes. To Maya it seemed that the waiting was the worst of all.
Thranduil watched as his daughter-in-law sat in a chair by the bed, attempting to read but finding she was lost in thought; she blamed herself for what happened to Legolas.
The King knocked on the door of the chamber and she put her book down on the bed, turning to look up at him. He could see her eyes were sunken in with worry and she looked fragile as a child.
"You must rest, iell nin," he urged, though he knew that Rissien had unsuccessfully tried to get her to eat something earlier that day.
Maya stubbornly shook her head, "Adar, I can't. I don't want him to wake up alone..."
"I will stay with him," insisted Thranduil, coming to kneel beside her, "He would not want you to waste away by his bedside. You have a child to think about, Maya, and he needs rest and nourishment. The stress is not good for him."
She hesitated and he smiled sadly, "I promise that I will find you the moment he wakes."
Maya sighed and gave a reluctant nod, "Alright."
As she got up to exit the chamber, Thranduil's voice held her back.
"One more thing," he said and she stopped at the doorway, "You are not to blame for this. The Uruks are fierce, a completely different breed of fighter than orcs."
"If I hadn't snuck out -"
Thranduil held her with his gaze, "Legolas would have encountered them regardless of your little escapade. You told me that they were planning an ambush on the camp that night and such a confrontation might have ended far worse than this. You must stop blaming yourself, though I do think it wise that you refrain from going off on your own until the Realm is safe."
Maya nodded weakly and left to find her bedroom.
Several hours later, Rissien found her curled up in the bed with Mithrin, fast asleep. He gently nudged her.
"Maya," he said softly, "The King sent me to tell you that Legolas is awake. He is asking for you."
She didn't need to be told twice. Maya rushed from the bedroom down to the halls of healing with Mithrin at her side and even Rissien found he could barely keep up with her quick steps.
When she opened the door, she saw Legolas sitting up in the bed with Thranduil at his side.
"Oh thank god," Maya said in the common tongue, relief coursing through her as their eyes met, "How are you feeling?"
"The wound still pains me though the healers said that it would be fully mended in a few days. There was nothing they could do about the scarring."
The Prince watched as she strode over to the bed, a weak smile on her face. She looked as though he hadn't slept in days. He gently pulled her into his arms, wincing slightly when she accidentally brushed his wound.
"I'm sorry, Legolas. I shouldn't have left the halls."
"Shhh..." he soothed when he realized she was crying against his neck, "We're safe now."
He pulled away slightly and tilted her chin upwards so that he could look into her red, puffy eyes before kissing her lips lovingly.
They'd been so close to losing all of this and Maya's escapade nearly killed her but he found he just couldn't be angry with her. It wasn't fair to ask her to stay confined and a simple walk in the woods should not have been so dangerous. He'd been pondering it the day Maya was taken captive by the Uruks but now his decision was made.
"I think it is time we went home," he whispered, breaking the kiss.
Maya furrowed her eyebrows, "What?"
"You were right," said the Prince, "It isn't safe here for our family and I don't wish for you or our little one to be confined to the halls."
"But what about the border defences?" asked Maya.
"We've prepared as well as we can with the information that we have," reassured Legolas, bringing his thumb up to stroke her cheek, "Right now, your safety and that of our son come first. If we take our eyes off him for a moment, I don't want to worry that a group Uruk Hai are lurking around the corner. We need to raise him in a safe place."
"I agree," said Thranduil, and Maya looked up at him with surprise, "This is no place to raise a child and from what Maya has told us, the Balchoth King does not intend to bring his full force upon us for some time."
Maya bit her lip and glanced nervously at Thranduil. "What if we leave and he chooses that moment to strike?"
Thranduil shook his head, "I would not have you or the child here when that storm comes. You will be safe in Ithilien."
"Though the appearance of a Uruk camp in our woods is worrisome, I've no doubt that for the time being we can fend off the creatures that Ulfang sends to do his bidding," interjected Rissien as he stood against the doorframe, "If he wanted to decimate us now, he would send far more than Uruks to our Realm."
"Then it is settled," Thranduil said, placing a comforting hand on Maya's forearm, "You will go to Ithilien, but on one condition."
Legolas raised an eyebrow and the King simply chuckled, "I wish to be notified the moment my grandson arrives."
Maya snuggled into her husband and even she couldn't keep her lips from turning up into a smile.
"That we can do," she said happily and the King motioned to Rissien that it was time to give the couple some privacy.
As they retreated from the room, Legolas brushed the hair from Maya's face, "I love you, meleth nin."
"I love you," she said, kissing the tip of his nose.
"I know that we said that we would discuss it together so if it is not to your liking we will find another name, but...I rather liked Erynion," hesitated the Prince.
She graced him with another smile and suddenly it seemed as though the shadow who'd entered the room only moments ago was cast off to reveal the Maya he knew and loved.
"I love it," she said, "We can call him Eryn for short."
She gently kissed Legolas and he laced their fingers together, placing them over her middle. It seemed that for some time at least, they would be able to enjoy peace.
... ...
Meanwhile in New York City...
"So let me get this straight..." said Professor Bernstein, grabbing a cup of tea and taking a seat in front of the strange couple, "You want me to help you get to Middle Earth?"
"You were right about the portals and the existence of other worlds," said Justin, "Maya and Legolas are gone. They found the stone just like you told them to and somehow it worked."
Bernstein raised his eyebrows and ran a hand through his hair, "It worked?!"
"Pretty much," said Justin, twiddling his thumbs, "And now we want to go too."
The Professor was still trying to process what he'd just been told. The confirmation that he'd been on the right path all along was almost enough to right all of the wrongs he'd endured. If only he had the proof to show his peers at NYU, and the world, once and for all that his claims were not those of a mad man.
"There is only one problem," he said sadly, "That stone was the only portal I know of. If there are others, I don't know where they are or what form they have taken. I'm afraid I can't help you."
"That dagger you showed our friends...is there any chance that it could be a portal?"
The Professor furrowed his eyebrows as he considered Jen's theory. "The mithril dagger? I'm not certain. I knew from the moment I saw it that it was not of this world, but your friend Legolas was the one who identified it."
"Well it's worth a shot isn't it?" said Jen, "Can we see it?"
Bernstein nodded and set his mug down on the table before walking over to fetch the small weapon. Moments later, he returned carrying the dagger in a piece of cloth.
"Be careful," he said holding it out to Justin, "Keep it in the cloth for now."
Justin observed the dagger and wondered if this was their ticket out of here. There was only one way to find out. He looked to Jen and she nodded her silent agreement; they were both ready to do this.
"I think the only way to find out if this dagger is a portal is to try it out," he said.
Bernstein hesitated a moment. "I don't think that's safe. What if this is a portal? You do realize that you can never come back..."
Jen took Justin's hand in her own and gave him a small smile, "We don't want to come back," she said softly, "Please, Professor, we desperately need your help."
"Alright then," he sighed and took one last sip of his tea before rising from his chair, "I hope I don't regret this."
Jen and Justin followed him into a large study. Once they were inside, Professor Bernstein closed the door and locked it.
"You will need to join hands for this. Simply grasping the dagger together may backfire as it could send you to two different places in Middle Earth but as long as you are joined in some way, the portal will treat you as one entity," he explained.
"You would think that they'd have figured out a more precise system for this stuff," Jen noted and Bernstein gave her a blank look.
"Science is not always exact, which is why there are some mysteries which continue puzzle us," he mused, "Though the fact that magic plays a significant role in the creation of these portals makes it even less predictable. Most don't believe in sorcery, especially not in my field."
"Regardless," interjected Justin, "As long as we hold hands, we'll be fine right?"
"You should be, yes. Though I must warn you, you may experience some memory loss and your bodies will need some time to adjust to this new world. Provided that the dagger is actually a portal."
"Only one way to find out," Justin grasped his wife's hand and laced their fingers together. Jen squeezed his hand as tightly as she could, "Are you ready for this, sweetheart?"
"I'm ready," she replied with a decisive nod.
"Good luck," said the Professor, holding out the bundle to them, "I wish you all the best, and if this does work...give my regards to your friends. I am happy that Legolas was able to go home."
"We will," said Jen and she watched with a pounding heart as her husband took the bundle from Bernstein's hands.
"Here goes nothing," he reached out to grasp the hilt of the small blade. The precious metal felt cool in his hands but it seemed that there was nothing out of the ordinary about it. He braced himself for the earthquake and the blackout, but they never came.
Jen, who'd squeezed her eyes shut in anticipation, opened them when nothing happened.
"Well that was anticlimactic," she said with clear disappointment, "Maybe we need to wear red slippers and start chanting 'there's no place like Middle Earth'."
Her touch of sarcasm made Justin roll his eyes before turning to Professor Bernstein. "Do you know how these things work? How they're activated?"
"Your guess is as good as mine," he replied with a shrug.
"Maybe if you hold it and we try to visualize Middle Earth?" suggested Jen.
Justin wasn't too sure that this would work, but they had nothing to lose at this point. If they exhausted all possible ideas, perhaps he was wrong about this dagger after all.
He closed his eyes and tried to picture the beautiful white walls of Minas Tirith and the high pinnacle as it towered over golden fields.
"Nope, still nothing," Jen announced in defeat, "Let me see it."
She took the dagger from Justin's hand and examined it, "Maybe it's like a genie's lamp..."
"What do you mean?"
"You know...you have to rub it to activate it?" she explained and the Professor sighed.
"Third time's the charm," he said.
Jen smiled, "Let's hope so." She began to rub the hilt of the dagger, becoming more and more disappointed as it appeared that nothing was going to happen.
Just as she was about to announce that this was probably a lost cause, she was hit with a sudden wave of dizziness and she could hear Justin gasping. Soon she felt as though she were being ripped from her body and everything faded to black.
... ...
A/N: So Jen and Justin are going to Middle Earth! Next chapter we will see where they end up ;) I hope you all enjoyed this one. I fear I may have gone slightly overboard with the peril but I really hope not!
Please review and let me know what you thought of this chapter, it really means a great deal and it keeps me motivated!
If you haven't already, please check out Reflections: Beginnings and Reflections: Family by KD Skywalker as well as Wanderlust by Raider-K. They are awesome stories!