Disclaimer:  I wonder what happens if I don`t disclaim them…. Anyway Rory, David, Horizt and Noritz are mine. (For the one who asked, Horizt and Noritz are not in the books, I just made them up) Thanks for the reviews, keep`em coming. English is not my first language.

Chapter III: Naur Hen

It is sad that you do not feel the true virtue of nature, because it`s nature's spirit you will face when you reach your doom

"He probably got bored with the whole thing and went home, something I suggest you to do!" David said and crossed his arm and stared at Legolas and Noritz.  "Shut up David" Rory growled, David opened his mouth to protest but then found it better to do as she said. If there was going to be any hope of them getting back together he just had to play along.

"Were can he have gone?" Noritz cried out and was about to run down the street, when Rory

grabbed him by the collar and said sternly. "Calm down, we will find your brother, it can't be that difficult to spot a dwarf, dressed in chain mail, in Blue Cove".  She turned around to say something to Legolas, when she spotted that the `elf` was also gone. A few seconds later they heard the sound of leaves rattling and then he jumped down from one of the small trees, planted by the road and sighed deeply.

He looked at the tree sadly and let his hands rest against the trunk. "This tree suffers," he muttered. Rory suddenly realized that he wasn`t acting anymore, she had never seen anybody being more honest then he was just now. What else was strange: it suddenly wasn`t cold anymore. A warm wind flushed with sounds and cents she had never experienced before started to twirl around her, and for a moment she left the hard stone world they were inn, and she stood if a forest. It only lasted a couple of seconds, before David's laughter brought her back to reality and broke the spell.

"Okay, tree hugger, I'm going to award you a Oscar for that performance" he chuckled. Legolas turned around, and Rory was afraid that a fight would break out between them, but he simple let his hand rest a moment longer on the tree and then said to David. "It is sad that you do not feel the true virtue of nature, because it`s nature's spirit you will face when you reach your doom" This only cracked David even more up and he bent over gasping for air.

Rory suddenly felt embarrassed for knowing David and she took a step away from him. "If we are going to find Horizt…." She said, hoping to change conversation topic, David stopped laughing and wiped the tears away from his eyes. "Rory, this has gone on long enough, I am going to go home, eat dinner and watch some football"

Just then they heard the sound of a bell, the turned around and saw somebody coming towards them in a horrific speed. Once again Legolas and Noritz reached for their weapons and were ready to defend them self against this unknown creature when Rory's voice broke trough the sound.

"It`s Alfred"

The bike stopped a few meters from them, and a man with long shaggy brown hair, dressed in a long leather coat with a pair of army boots, jumped off and then looked at Legolas, Noritz to David and Rory.

"Oh…my…God!" he said slowly and before anybody could do or say anything, he had seized Legolas` hand with his own and was shaking it furiously. "I can't say what honor it is to meet you…Mr. Greenleaf…. your majesty" he stuttered and then wrapped his arms around the confused elf and hugged him tightly.

"Air" Legolas gasped trying to free him self from the stranger, Noritz was about to aid his friend, when Alfred snapped out of it and let the elf go.  "Sorry…your majesty" he said embarrassed and started to dust some dirt off the prince and straightened his clothes.

"Stop it already Alfred, we know you hired these guys to dress up and play a joke on us…haha…it was very funny but now tell them to stop it!" David said stepping into commando mode. Alfred looked at David confused and then at Rory. " I didn`t do this, honest." David was really getting sick of it all and was about to grab Alfred by his neck and tell him to cut it out, when Rory put her hand on his arm and said.

"David, maybe you should go home, Alfred and I can handle this" he turned around and looked at her, and saw something he hadn't seen in here eyes for a long time. That faint glow that always seemed to linger with her was starting to glow again. "Eh…no" he said sternly. " I am not about to leave you here, with these mad men…. and Alfred".

"We can not stand here and talk, my brother may be in danger, the orcs may have taken him"

Noritz said snapping everybody back in reality. "Horizt?" asked Alfred and Rory explained that he was Noritz twin brother who had suddenly disappeared. "Hmm…." Alfred mused. "Short, chubby little fellow, about your size dressed in a ring-mail?" Noritz nodded eagerly.

"Yeah, yeah, you have seen him?"

"I am not sure…but I thought it was odd that a man dressed like that was walking into K-mart"

"K-mart, what kind of dank pool of corruption is that place" Noritz cried and grabbed his axe ready to charge K-mart.

"Relax it`s a store" Rory said "but we better hurry, I have a feeling that he might be in trouble"

            Rory was right, by the time they got to the shop, a crowd had already gathered around the front doors, looking eagerly in trough the window. Rory tiptoed and saw over their heads and in trough the class window, were Horizt was pointing his axe to the shopkeeper, two police officers were pointing their gun at him, and an elderly lady was on the floor.

"What is going on?" Alfred asked and Rory filled her lounges and looked at Legolas and Noritz. "You guys better hide, this can only get better if they see you" Noritz was about to protest, when Legolas said calmly. "Let us do as the lady bid." He couldn't explain it, but somehow he trusted her, maybe it was even something deeper.

"Alfred, let us go inn" Rory said and turned to David. "You stay here," she ordered. "But…" he wined, but it was to late, Rory and Alfred were already on their way trough the crowd.

As they finally reached the door, a large officer grabbed their arms and said sternly. "You cannot enter, don't you see that this place is being robbed". Rory freed her arm from the police officer's grip and said calmly. "Madam you don`t understand, this is our…cousin from Norway " she said and Alfred nodded.

"Yeah, from Norway" he said, he officer looked at them for a long time. "From Norway, ey?" he asked suspiciously and Rory nodded. "Yeah can't you see, Norway is still not out of the Viking age, he is just confused" she said, the officer was about to protest, when it dawned on him, that this poor confused man from Norway, was probably scared with all the modern technology, it was the police's duty to protect and help the innocent.

"Of course" the police officer said, and straightened up, he could already smell the Medal of Honor. "You may step inn" he opened the door, and they walked inn.

"Halt!" Horizt said when he heard the little bell over the door ring, and then he recognized Rory and calmed a little down. "Eh…Horizt, your brother is waiting for you" Rory said, unsure how to handle the situation.  Horizt lowered his axe for a moment and then he said. "I found the dark mage" he said and then raised his guard again.

"And this scum bag is one of his spies."

Alfred leaned closer to Rory and then whispered "the dark mage?" "Yeah, the wizard they are hunting, that somehow transported them from Middle Earth to Blue Cove" she answered, keeping one eye on the door and another and Horizt. "Oh" Alfred answered and wiped some hair from his forehead.

"Horizt, you better come with us" Rory said, just a tad sharper in her voice. "I assume you this man is no spy, are you sire?" she asked and the teenager-shopkeeper, shook his head.

"No…no…sir" he stuttered and swallowed nervously. "Argh…I don`t believe him!" Horizt said and took a steep closer to the teenager and raised his axe again. In the same moment, the two officers curled their finger around the trigger. "Step away, and lower your weapon!" they said and Rory sighed.

"Horizt, com on, they are three against you!" Alfred reasoned and Horizt snorted. " I once took out an army of orcs single handed" "Yeah, but orcs don`t have guns" Rory muttered wondering what the hell she had done to end up in this mess. A couple of hors ago she was on her way home from work, having no bigger problem then what to have for dinner. Now she was negotiating with a dwarf who tried to rob K-mart with an axe. Not to mention the dwarf and elf that was waiting for them outside.

"My good dwarf" Alfred said suddenly taking control, and then he lowered his voice. "They are indeed spies, but spies with great magic powers, there is no shame in backing out when you can save your life"

"A dwarf never backs out," Horizt cried bravely.  "Then what good will your death serves?" Alfred asked and Horizt opened his mouth to answer, when Alfred continued.  "If we are going to battle the wizard we need to take him were it hurts" Rory decided to let Alfred do what ever he was doing.

Horizt sighed and figured that the man probably was right. "I will let you live for now, scum, but mark my words, when the wizard is dead, his spies and allies will fall like flies," he growled. The teenager just nodded eagerly and Rory sighed in relief as Horizt started to march out.

As the door slid open, the crowd parted and applause broke out. Rory, not like any attention quickly hurried overt to David, while Alfred started to bow elegantly and cried. "We came we saw, and we saved" the police officer who had let them in was wiping his tears and the two stranger also disappeared, when suddenly something struck him.

"There are no Vikings in Norway, it's the 21st century!"

            "What in Gloins name were you doing" Noritz asked when they had escaped the crowd and was save and sound in a small park. "I found the dark lord" Horizt snorted and David rolled his eyes. "You are not to leave the party!" Legolas said sternly and Horizt crossed his arms.

"No elf can tell a dwarf what he can, and can not do!"

"An elf prince can" his brother said and Horizt was about to argue when Alfred said.

"It doesn't matter, hopefully no damage is done" Rory nodded "but you can't keep wandering around like that, people wile notice you and start asking question."

"For Christ's sake, cut the crap already, they are not real, these beards are even fake!" David cried out angrily and marched over and grabbed Noritz `s beard and pulled hardly. The dwarf cried out in pain and anger, and a few minutes later his sharp axe blade was resting against David's neck.

"If you ever touch me again, then there is no power that will save your head!" he warned and David nodded quickly. Rory shook her head slowly and sighed again, she didn`t really know what to believe. Either these guys were brilliant actors, had amnesia or…they were real. That last possibility was so unlikely that she didn`t even want to think about it.

"Were did you see the dark Lord?" Alfred suddenly asked. Horizt dug up something from his pocket and handed it to Alfred.  It was a newspaper clipping, and Alfred stared at it for a long time. Then he held the picture up for the others to see.

"Naur Hen"

Legolas muttered and the dark shadow appeared on his face again. Suddenly the cold wind that had been teasing them the whole day tore at their clothes and skin, making the hair on their neck rise. "This is just it" David muttered and kicked a rock, and then he stomped away, muttering that they had all snapped.

"The dark lord" Noritz said slowly and gripped is axe tighter.

"Alfred isn't that…." Rory said carefully and Alfred nodded. "Yes, the President of the United States of America"