Chapter Thirty Two – Twists and Turns

Laughter all around him. Jeering voices, harsh ridicule pounded in his already sore head.

"Poor little Elf. Thought he could change it, didn't he?"

Another blow, his vision swam from the impact of the ground. He ached all over. Still the voices snarled at him. The hands still swung him around, leading him somewhere.

"Such a sad sight. I thought you were stronger than this."

"And just after she managed to trust you."

A cold jab like ice shot through his heart at those words. They couldn't mean...

They pulled him up short inside of a darkened room. Blood soaked the floor. Just within his field of vision he saw a hand laying limply on the ground.

A hand he knew too well.

"She thought you would protect her."

"NO!"

With a sharp jerk, Legolas sat up. He looked around, disoriented. Around him there were people laying on the ground wrapped in blankets, tents dotted the area, animals snorted in their sleep, and wagons rested with their contents tightly secured, all oddly highlighted by dying campfires.

Then he remembered: they were traveling with a caravan to Tharbad.

Relief did not come, though. The space that had been occupied beside him was now vacant. Mornie was still asleep, curled up in his place in his human guise on the other side of the empty space.

Legolas scanned the ground. When he saw a lone set of prints leading away, he quickly got to his feet to follow. They lead him to a place just outside of the light of the campfires. A figure was visible against the moonlight, sitting in the dry grass.

Legolas' breath left him in a rush. Red eyes turned at the noise, a flash signaling the release of her whip.

Caled stopped, squinting to get a better look. "What's the matter?" she asked, seeing it was him.

"Nothing," Legolas lied, quickening his pace. He did not like lying but right now he just needed to know she was all right. He ignored her frown and crouched down behind her. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back to his chest. He rested his forehead on the top of her head, breathing deeply.

Caled raised a hand to his cheek and nearly jumped to her feet. "You're sweating!" she exclaimed when he held her where she was. "What happened? Tell me!" she demanded, twisting her upper body around to look at him.

Oddly enough, her temper was more soothing to his nerves than simply touching her. Her raised voice and narrowed eyes told him that she was fine, that nothing had happened to her.

"I woke up and you weren't there," Legolas said, trying to decide how much to tell her. "It-it worried me."

A brow shot up and Caled opened her mouth, no doubt to go into a tirade about how she could take care of herself for a few hours. But she stopped, her face softening at the look in his eyes.

She reached up to touch his cheek again. Where their skin met a minor electrical sensation occurred. Her eyes slid out of focus slightly. Legolas waited, knowing not to interrupt less she grow even more irritated.

This was the second time Caled had directly used her empath ability on him. The first had been shortly after she confessed her feelings to him. She had asked him if she could 'read' him openly. Ever since the curse blocking her ability had been removed she had refused to use any of them. As she said, it could be dangerous if she had not practiced it beforehand. The Dream Hastening skill she had yet to attempt, though Mornie often said he could assist her with that.

Legolas did not have a problem with it. If anything, he wanted to show her that he held nothing back from her.

Caled straightened, eyes slightly widening as they cleared. Her hand circled around to the back of his head, the other doing the same. She leaned forward, touching her forehead to his and staring straight into his eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere, Legolas," she said softly. "I haven't left you and I'm not planning on it." She shifted to her knees, circling him in her arms and holding his head to her shoulder. "I'm okay," she whispered, closing her eyes and running a hand through his hair.

Legolas closed his eyes as well, focusing on her. Her touch, her scent, her voice. It drove away the dream, putting his fear to rest for the moment.

But it did not eliminate the fear. For far too long he had been seeing images and visions of Caled beaten or dead. Never had they been in a dream nor as vivid. He shuddered, drawing her closer to him.

"I'm okay," she repeated, a note of exasperation in her voice.

Legolas mutely nodded. Then a flash of heat seared across his back. He yelped, pulling back in surprise. Caled was grinning evilly at him. "What? You sounded like you needed to wake up some more," she said in a mock innocent tone, arching a flame between her hands.

Feeling that nothing was burned, not even the fabric, Legolas set an annoyed glare on his face. "Has anyone ever told you that you can really kill the moment?" he drawled.

Caled blinked innocently. "Oh? That was a moment, was it?" She then pulled a face, sticking her tongue out.

Before she could move, Legolas' hands darted out and caught her, knocking her to the ground. He grinned as she struggled beneath him, her snarl looking more endearing than threatening. "Keep sticking that tongue out," he warned, "and it will be bitten off."

Caled's eyes flash gold for a second at his words. "I'd like to see you try it," she taunted, chin lifting defiantly.

Far from being one to back down from a challenge, Legolas cocked his head to one side, putting his intent into a smoldering gaze. She stilled, eyes once again flashing gold in the pale light. He lowered his head, crushing his lips to hers.

Her breath caught, the softest of moans escaping her throat. His ears caught it and he slanted his mouth over hers, coaxing her to let him gain entry.

For just a moment she pulled back, startled by his ardor. Legolas cursed himself and broke away, resting his forehead in the crook of her neck.

"Sorry," he murmured against her throat, breathing deeply to calm himself. "I'm sorry."

There was a pause before Caled's hands slipped around his neck, fingers sliding past his collar to lightly graze his skin. "It-it's okay," she stuttered.

Legolas lifted to look at her. He shook his head when she started to say more. "No, it's not," he said simply. The surprise that crossed her face made him smile. He pressed a light kiss to her brow. "It'll be by your pace, coramin. Your pace, not mine."

She blushed. Somehow the notion that she still blushed around him made her all the more fascinating. He leaned down, aching to taste her once more.

"If you keep that up, you'll have an audience and a brush fire on your hands."

The two jumped apart. Mornie rolled his eyes as Caled swore, seeing the batch of grass that had caught fire. The shape shifter looked up to the sky as if for guidance.

Caled hastily canceled the flame, shooting a dark glare at Mornie. "Little voyeur," she muttered, standing.

Mornie shrugged. "I'm not the one sucking face in an open field, in plain sight of my traveling group."

She spluttered at his blunt words, her face looking as if it could hold no more blood. Legolas bit back a laugh, amused at her bashfulness.

They made their way back to the caravan, which was indeed waking up. Caled lightly touched Legolas' arm, motioning to a group of women waving at them. "Be back in a second," she said before shifting her direction to the women.

Legolas watched her go, the now familiar tug of longing pulling at him. He withheld a sigh, repacking the blankets and bed rolls.

It had only been six days since the Winter Moon festival. The time between seemed both long and short. They were half a day's walk from Tharbad and would soon resume the journey on their own. He was beginning to look at that time uneasily.

Legolas was beginning to doubt his self-control.

It was easy to handle now. There were so many people traveling with them that a distraction usually presented itself before he needed one. They did not spend every minute together, often separating to assist with something or to talk to one of the caravan.

The moments they did have to themselves could scarcely be defined as physical. They simply enjoyed one another's presence, whether in silence or in bickering. Though their bickering was far different than what it had once been. Namely that if one was losing the argument they ended it by kissing the other into silence.

Legolas chuckled to himself. Last time it had been Caled and the display had received several whistles. She there after refused to argue with him in front of anyone other than Mornie.

And that was more or less the extent of it. Kissing was as far as they had gone. He was in no way displeased by it. Caled for all her inexperience never failed to send his head swimming, even when he initiated the contact. They embraced, certainly, and every night since they drifted to sleep in one another arms. Yet nothing more than that.

He wanted her.

Every day was another test of his control. Everything Caled did or said would cause his heart to pound. Whenever she smiled that slow smile she only gave him his chest would tighten with need. Each night as they lay beside each other, he had to clasp his hands together to keep them from wandering.

Legolas would never push her. He had sworn, even before that first kiss, that anything and everything would be by her pace. He desired her body, he had known that for a long time. But he also wanted her heart, her mind, her soul; all of her. Forcing her before she was ready would shatter her entirely.

He never wanted to see her cry because of him. Not again.

A sharp rap to his back jolted him out of his thoughts.

Mornie stood behind him, a concern look on his face. "Everything all right?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?" Legolas said, shouldering his pack.

Mornie cocked an eyebrow, tapping his temple.

"Oh. Right." Of course. He was speaking to the other empath of the party after all.

Gold eyes glanced around before pointedly looking at a place above Legolas' head. "Look, I'm sorry about interrupting you two. I really am. But people were waking up and with the grass this dry that fire would have spread quicker than she could have reacted." He said all this quickly, eyes never meeting Legolas'. For all his brusque words earlier, apparently Mornie had some regret for interrupting them.

"Don't worry about it," Legolas replied, shrugging it away. His gaze strayed to where Caled stood, avidly discussing something with the group of women. For a moment she looked his way, flashing him a smile that both quelled and tormented his struggling desires.

Then a thought occurred to him. "Mornie?"

Mornie made a noise to show he was listening. He was wrestling with shoving a rolled blanket into his pack.

"Do you know why Caled's eyes change color?" Legolas asked slowly. He was unsure if he should voice this question. It could have been nothing but there was still much about her he did not know.

Mornie paused, eyes squinting. Legolas could almost see him reviewing images he had seen over the past few days. "You're talking about when they are gold?" he queried. At the affirmative, he lingered in thought a moment more. He then resumed the fight with the blanket and the pack. "Let me pose this question: looking back through the memories of her youth you glimpsed-taken, I've never seen them visually-was there ever a time when a similar thing happened?"

"Not to her, no."

When one mighty push, Mornie finally secured the blanket inside the pack. "But did you see it happen to others of her companions?" he asked, stressing the last word to mean 'Shadow Elf.'

Legolas' brow creased as he thought hard. "Yes...I think so."

Mornie mulled this over. Then, "Then consider this: what is she doing whenever her eyes change? Is there a constant situation?" When the Elf opened his mouth yet stopped, struck dumb by the thought, Mornie smirked. "I take it the answer coincides with the earlier entanglement I interrupted?"

"Yes," Legolas managed to say.

"Then that is probably your answer. And for the other question," Mornie cut in, "yes, I know what emotion runs through her head at the time. But I do not feel inclined to disclose what it is."

When the blanket unexpectedly sprang from his pack, sending Mornie into a cursing fit, Legolas felt it was not rude enough to laugh out loud.

Thankfully the caravan did not seem intent on keeping the three of them behind. Once they reached Tharbad, they lingered only because Legolas agreed to help unload some wagons. Caled and Mornie took the time to restock their supplies.

At the fruits stand, as the vendor packed the various dried goods they purchased into tight packages, he raised a brow in question. "Quite a lot to buy in one go, isn't it?"

Caled shrugged, shifting the contents on her pack to make room. "There's another traveling with us."

"And we do not know of the conditions we will meet on the road," Mornie added.

The vendor frowned. "What road do you travel?"

Caled resisted the reflexive urge to glance at Mornie. They had been advised to keep their path as secretive as possible. There was no telling if one was a Reaper spy or if one was near. "We're...visiting kin near Lond Daer," she said, naming the town that sat near the mouth of the Gwathlo river.

The man relaxed. "Don't go scaring me like that, young miss," he said with a breath. "By the size of your order I was thinking you were heading further south. But if there's another companion of yours it would explain-"

"What's wrong further south?" Mornie interrupted. "Why would that scare you?"

The vendor reddened, shifting uneasily. "Now, you've got to hear me out," he said defensively, "I'm not one to take to rumors, mind you. It's just that the things they're saying are all too similar to be completely tall tales, eh?"

"What things?" Mornie pressed before Caled could.

The man raised a brow again. "You must be from the north if you haven't heard," he said in amazement. "They're saying there's a plague on the land, see? Or some kinda magic at work. People disappearing for a day or so-women, children, men, makes no difference who-then they pop back as if nothing had happened. Then a bit later the lucky ones vanish again. The others..."

Here he shuddered. "They say some go mad, shrieking and hollering like a demon's after them. Others suffocate when nothing's strangling them! Or stranger still, their whole body will turn blue before they die. Then there are those who simply drop dead, straight away. They say it's all down in the Gondor area, even as far south as Pelargir."

He paused, smiling as he handed them their purchases. "But if you're heading to Lond Daer, there's nothing I'd be worried about. A good day to you!"

Caled and Mornie lost track of time and were late meeting back with Legolas at the city's gates. After the talk with the fruit vendor, the two had drifted through the town, asking for all the latest rumors of the south. All they heard were repetitions of his words with slight variations. All agreed on one thing: there was trouble in the south.

They shared their findings with Legolas, dividing up the new supplies among them. When they were done retelling, Legolas said, "A few men told me the same stories, one swearing he witness a person go mad before dying in front of him."

Caled bit her lip. "Do you think-It couldn't be connected to the Reapers. Could it?"

"There's always the possibility," he said, shaking his head. "Remember what Lord Elrond said of the young man? He was taken for being mad yet there was truth in his ramblings."

"And it could be nothing," Mornie remarked. "I'm just saying there's an equal chance," he hastily assured as Caled threw him a suspicious glare.

Legolas glanced around them. "We're far enough away, Mornie," he commented. "You can go back to your other form."

"Gladly," Mornie said, taking off his pack and handing it to Legolas. His pack was the smallest, given that his normal form was not suited to carry much. He then stood a ways apart. The other two waited, expecting to see the mist gather around him before his familiar cat like form bounded into Caled's arm.

Nothing happened.

For a moment, Mornie's eyes widened. Then he closed his eyes, face screwed in a grimace of concentration. Yet he stayed the same. He opened his eyes, staring at his human hands.

"Mornie?" Caled said delicately.

Mornie's pale face grew even paler, sending his black hair into greater contrast. He briefly looked up at them, as if to confirm by the perspective that his height had not changed. Then he pressed his knuckles to his temples, massaging them as he squeezed his eyes shut. He let out a soft growl of frustration. His breath became quick, panicky.

"What's wrong?" Caled nearly shouted, reaching out to grip his arm.

For the first time since he had met him, Legolas saw horror in Mornie's eyes.

"I...I can't change."

A. N.- Once again, I may have gotten a bit of geography wrong. I'm referencing from the maps in the books. Actually, if the movies are the only knowledge you have, it's fine. Regardless, just go with the flow.