AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY
By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala


CHAPTER 11


Together they traveled down the long hall, where they would soon find that behind every door held pitiful hopeless faces. "We must free them, Elrohir, and fast," commanded Thalawen. "I don't know how much time we have, so hurry."

"How are we to free them if we don't know which key yet?" asked Elrohir. "You have them now, you hurry."

Out of the shadows behind Elrohir, a corsair man made himself known. Wielding a heavy battle-axe, he swung it over his head and gave a mighty cry as it came down, intended to split the Elf in front of him in half.

Giving a short howl of fright, Elrohir soon recovered and stepped out of the way. The corsair fell upon him and all the air was pushed from his lungs. "Argh, Thalawen, a little help here?" He said as he tried to shove the massive body off his own.

Recovering Carafang from the carcass of the man, she looked narrowly down at the ungrateful twin. "I just killed him before he could kill you." She paused to cock her head. "What more do you want, brother?"

Finding the right key, they began unlocking each door down the line, explaining the situation while they unshackled the people inside. All were Humans, mostly men, and only a few women. Some were a little frightened by the two Elves, but they were being freed and it mattered not.

Surprisingly, most of them looked strong and able not weakened even by the harsh conditions they had been forced into. They thanked their two rescuers and fled down the hall leading to the main deck.

But before they could reach it, they were met by a band of corsairs twice their size, but they showed they were willing and able to fight off the enemies. Having no weapons, they used their fists, feet, teeth, and nails to destroy the beings that blocked their way. When the last man of the little group fell, each grabbed the fallen soldiers' swords, giving cries of victory, and flooding the various decks of the entire ship.

Elrohir and Thalawen followed quickly in the wake of the prisoners.

Torches were lit, men were slaughtered, and the freed peoples were jumping overboard. The ones that stayed behind for the moment untied the huge boat from its dock.

"They're thinking like us now, Landailyn!" cried Thalawen, thoroughly enjoying the sight, but soon realizing she was still on the boat when it was about to be destroyed. Thalawen grabbed Landailyn and Arwen's arms, and the three she-Elves ran for the gangplank.

"Run faster, Arwen!" yelled Thalawen, tugging on her sister's arm.

Behind the three and in front, Aragorn, Legolas and the twins all made it safely to shore and the seven turned back to watch the ship float further down the coast. Prisoners were now throwing their torches at it as it passed by. Only a few actually made it to the decks.

Suddenly, several small explosions knocked those off their feet that had made it to the steep rocky bank.

A part of the fire had reached four full barrels of rum, one exploding right after the other. The six Elves and their Human companion sat up slowly and looked out at the water. The ship was entirely engulfed in flames now, its black wood splintered and floating in the river. The sails had almost burned to nothing their fire licking high into the air, the main mast had fallen, and not a trace of any surviving crew swimming away.

"Is everyone alright?" Landailyn asked, as they began to get back to their feet.

"I think so..." answered Aragorn, looking around to make sure.

"Speak for yourself," moaned Thalawen, who didn't rise like the rest.

"Don't worry, we'll fix you up, Thala." Elrohir grinned as he and Elladan helped her up by her arms and seeing the prisoners had taken off, nowhere to be seen, all headed back toward the area where their five horses were awaiting their return.


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"You know, we can't go on meeting like this," Thalawen joked to Landailyn, as Aragorn and Arwen worked on her whip lashings. "Look what happened the first time...and now this."

Landailyn agreed and almost laughed at a thought Thalawen's words had created. "Do you not know what is happening here?"

The older Elf shook her head at the question.

"We're turning into Legolas and Aragorn!"

This received laughs from them all; especially Elladan and Elrohir.

"I think she's right, my friend," said the Elf prince to the Human king.

Aragorn's wide smile held much mirth as he fixed the last bandage to Thalawen's cleansed cuts. "It's beginning to look that way. Okay, I have finished, Thala."

"Yes and we advise both of you to get rest," added Arwen, looking from Thalawen to Landailyn. They would be heading out in the late morning, their path set for Minas Tirith.

"Yes, Mother. Yes, Father," Thalawen smirked, as she rose to go to Asfaloth to retrieve a bedroll for sleeping.

"I'll take first watch," volunteered Elladan, setting up a place against a tree for the hours to come that he would sit there.

"Maybe in awhile," Landailyn said and before the princess had the chance to object, she was disappearing on the other side of dense bushes north of the camp.

The Human and Elf couple watched Legolas' reaction, who soon held for them a quick concerned gaze and he headed out to follow her.


*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*


Landailyn sighed, sinking down onto the flat surface of a stump once reaching a few hundred feet from her friends. She took off the sling for her arm, releasing her forearm from the cramped cloth. She simply wished for a little time alone, so that no one saw what emotions occurred on her face during her thoughts.

"Landailyn?" Legolas asked in Elvish, "Is there something wrong?"

She had not heard him coming, but it did not make her jump either when his voice had sounded. "No, I'm just thinking." She circled around on the wooden seat to see a face filled with her own features.

It surprised Legolas a little that she would want to be out alone in the dark just after the terror aboard the ship that they had conquered, then remembered he learned long ago that she was not like other women, she was strong and not afraid. A brave captain who led her men to war when it was a necessity and coped with the death brought upon them and someday might bring upon herself. She was a true warrior.

"Landailyn," he started, coming to sit down with her, taking a deep breath and preparing himself for what he was about to say. "You know, since last I saw you in Lorien, I haven't been able to stop myself from pondering on what you told me there."

She turned to give him a wide-eyed stare. She hadn't expected to have this conversation for at least a few more months, when the prince returned home.

"And you know what I realized by that?"

She continued to stare, barely shaking her head. Stunned beyond movement, as she knew with every word from his mouth, he was leaning in closer to her.

"That I love you too," he whispered, his lips now merely inches from hers.

She waited a moment more, but quickly jumped up from her seat before he reached her. "We cannot do this." Before, she had wanted nothing more than for him to love her the way she loved him, but now when he had admitted it and had almost kissed her, clear visions flashed rapidly through her mind. Recent memories.

"What's wrong?" he asked patiently, his voice filled with concern, but he was not the least embarrassed.

"It's not you...I just...I feel guilty, Legolas." Tears began to well up in her eyes. Now she felt as though she were betraying a friend.

More than a little confused, he wondered aloud. "Guilty?"

Landailyn nodded, letting a single tear fall for it was darker here and she hoped he wouldn't notice. "I think...Thalawen still loves you. She will not admit it of course, but I can see it. She's tried to let you go, I'm sure; because of what happened with Saruman...and because of me. So I just can't..." she cut herself off and quickly brushed the tear away. "Until I know...until I know the truth from her."

He looked down and nodded. "I understand."

"Do you?"

"Of course! I know what you two have been through and I don't want to push either of you into anything too quickly. I don't want to lose her as a friend again. And if I lost you..."

"But Legolas, you won't. Friendship...or more...I could never walk away from you."

Glad to hear this, he decided to kid her and make her feel better. "Well all I can say is, you two had better stop living out your big adventures then, because I've almost lost you both twice now."

"Wait just a minute! You think we just go looking for trouble, 'Prince-I've-had-more-adventures-than-centuries-I've-lived'?" she exclaimed.

His mouth had slowly started gaping, but now he was just laughing and not bothering to hide his glee.

"I never cease to amuse you, do I?" She put her good hand on her hip and watched his expression carefully.

It turned into a softer smile as he looked up at her. "It's one of the things I love about you...my friend."

"And I don't think, my friend, that we've ever had an actual serious conversation, not a single one without it ending in you laughing at me."

There was silence for a few moments as their chuckling died down and the two took to their own thoughts.

"Legolas, would you mind? May I have a bit of time alone?" Landailyn eventually asked.

He was not sure he should leave her alone, but he told himself that they would be within hearing distance if anything were to happen. "Sure," he gave in and stood. "I will be back at camp, if you need me." With that said, he disappeared, swallowed up by the black of the night.

This time she had gotten out of it. None of it had been put on; nothing had been a lie, but what about the next time? They were still heading to Gondor and it was still a long way. And it was possible Legolas would return home when she left from there, meaning she would be with him the entire time and part of it they would be alone.

Could she go on making up excuses not to be with him? This is what she had wanted, wasn't it? She knew she loved him, but their friendship meant so much to her. Why did they have to go and break it by being in love? She couldn't help it; it was just so frustrating being torn between two feelings.

Interrupting her once again, Landailyn felt someone's presence and looked over to find Arwen staring at her from beside the thick stump she and the prince had previously been sitting on. "Hi," she greeted with a brief smile.

Arwen returned it, hers only slightly wider, then explained why she'd come. "Thalawen, Aragorn, and Elrohir are resting. Elladan is on watch and I could find no rest for myself. I saw Legolas came back without you, looking as though he'd just lost his best friend. So I thought I would see what was wrong." She gave up trying to advise her friend to sleep when she apparently could not or simply did not want to.

"He told me he loved me," she began in small speech, her eyes not meeting her friend's. "The day that I had so waited for. For a very long time, I might add, and I told him that I felt guilty because I know that Thalawen still loves him. And I just don't know what to do anymore..."

Arwen had figured out some time ago that Thalawen still loved Legolas; even when she'd told them she would love no man ever again. "I'm sorry I cannot really help you, Landy. I wish I could make things better for all three of you."

"Thanks. Me too," she whispered.

Deep in their conversation, they never heard what lurked behind in the shadows of the trees, until it was too late.


TBC ... 

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mirkwood-elf-2931 :
Sorry this chapter is a day late, but we had a storm here last night and it screwed up my internet for awhile! Anyways, as you can see it's not the end yet, for the reviewers who were wondering! ;) We've got a new surprise! Can you guess what's back there in the shadows of the trees? Can't? In a couple days from now we'll have chapter 12 posted and you'll all find out!
Also, if you haven't seen and would like to see the pics of Thala and I at the renaissance festival we went to, I finally got them up on my site!