Rauros

Legolas crawled out of his bedroll, the sunlight filtered brightly through the pines and barren leaf trees. Loki was up and crouched by Boromir, trying to wake him. Now, it was the blue-eyed Gondorian who had the spasming dreams instead of Loki. Either way, it worried him, because, 'What if Loki not having any more of those dreams means it does have a stronger hold on him ? Or is Boromir finally going to snap and try to kill Frodo ?'

Unwilling to dwell on the thought that he could end up killing one of his friends at any moment, no matter how reluctantly, he pushed it aside.

On instinct, he ducked and a pine-cone flew over his head, he looked up to see Pippin and Merry were having a pine-cone fight. Sam exclaimed, "Watch it, Pippin ! You almost hit Legolas and before you almost hit Frodo in the head."

A sheepish, "Sorry !", from the embarrassed hobbit, who was promptly hit in the head by Merry who grinned and dashed into the forest.

He smiled, shaking his head as he joined Aragorn by the fire, "Good morning, Aragorn."

"Good morning, Legolas. Hmm, today we should finally reach Amon Hen, if Pippin doesn't fall out again."

Breakfast passed quickly, the order was switched this time, with himself and Loki joining Merry and Pippin. Gimli was with Boromir, Sam and Frodo. The hours passed with Shire, Mirkwood and Asgardian tales aplenty between boats.

Eventually, the roar of the Falls of Rauros and the Argonath which had been tiny yesterday grew bigger. 'We're almost there. How I can't wait to move again.' The falls were roaring in his ears as the boats approached the dock, which was a great grey-stone staircase sticking up above the white-sand, but because it was so tall, they stopped the boats on either side of it.

Quickly, he climbed out of the boat which was about ten feet away from, and beneath, the shadow of the Argonath or the over fifty feet tall statues of Elendil and Islidur who had one of their palms outstretched each. Gimli had looked glad to be near the shore when he'd jumped out into the shallows, despite the swan-boat's smooth ride and Loki's Moria illusion. Loki, who had followed him, was already glaring at Thor as they stepped off onto the sand, still annoyed about the Asgardian's calmness from yesterday morning.

While Loki having been in love with Thor for the longest time was able to glare with impunity, he still felt awkward, if not even more awkward than before Thor's catching him. The same thought as yesterday evening entered his mind, 'Is the reason Thor isn't reacting because he's used to having drunken sex with males ? Or is he just acknowledging it because of Loki's annoyance and otherwise trying to push it away ?'

Thor surveyed them as he asked, "Is everyone all right ? What delayed you ?"

Gimli and Pippin were now sitting beside Frigga, as Pippin and Frigga started a fire with the last bit of Boromir's left over firewood, Pippin answered in an excited ramble, "I fell out of the boat and Boromir rescued me, then Gimli and Loki pulled us out, we stopped for a while and then we started again-"

Merry finished, and far shortened, Pippin's sentence, "When it got dark Aragorn throught we'd better stop for the night since nearly everyone was falling asleep. Even Legolas fell asleep."

'That was quite the odd dream I had...'

Flashback

Nervous, he straightened his mithril and diamond circlet and looked beside himself at Loki and Thor. Loki's hair was pulled back held in place with a white-gold circlet studded with rubies and emeralds, and wearing an onyx robe, who didn't react because of the guards. While Thor who grinned reassuringly was wearing a silver, small winged, helmet, and his red-cape, blue-leather tunic under his breast-plate and the buckled armour. Reassured, he nodded and then the guards opened the doors.

They walked into the throne-room down the aisle toward the throne. Father who wore the oak-leaf, deer-antler and red-fern, themed Circlet of Mirkwood, rose to greet him with, "Legolas.", and a wary look at his loves.

"Father, these are my loves - Loki of the Frost and Thor of Asgard."

A nod and then Valog fell from the ceiling to rip Father's heart out, before they were all crushed by more falling orcs.

End Flashback

'Especially, since Loki only told me about their ceremonial dress a few times when we were in the cave in the Misty Mountains. As long orcs don't fall from the sky and Loki and Thor are still alive, I will be perfectly happy to be awkward around Thor.'

Thor's eyebrows raised and furrowed in surprise, an almost teasing, "The Anduin is too tame for the wood-elf Prince is it, Legolas ?"

Blushed slightly and shifted his weight, "One could say so."

Aragorn walked past them saying, "I'm going to scout from Amon Hen."

Amon Hen or the Hill of the Eye in Sindarin, was the name of the enormous hill that rose above the Anduin upon which sat the ruins of a watchtower of the ancient and then much bigger realm of Gondor. And upon those ruins were itself the ruins of a magical seat that granted great sight in all directions for hundreds of leagues.

Boromir, who stood beside himself and Loki, frowned and added, "I'll go with you a ways, Aragorn, we need more wood."

Himself, Loki and Thor joined the others around the fire as Merry whispered with a furtive look, "Is it just me or has Boromir acted strangely this morning ? He kept looking around at Frodo and away, you don't think it's still the Ring is it ? Frodo, where's Frodo ?"

Like he had expected Loki flinched at the Ring's mention. Then Frigga looked up and stated, "I thought I saw Frodo and Sam sneaking after Aragorn and Boromir. Their legs were probably cramped or some such."

Pippin volunteered, "Maybe they're going to get more wood too."

Just over the sounds of Rauros, he suddenly heard the sound of many heavy foot-steps and twigs breaking. 'There are orcs...how did they find us ? How long have they been tracking us since we left Lothlorien ? Far too long and Aragorn, Boromir, Frodo and Sam don't know. We have to warn them !'