Note: None of these are my characters! This fic will not have slash between L/A in it, but the sequel will. There will only be about 1 or 2 new chapters for this particular story. Sorry, but it's the best compromise I can come up with. Elvish speech is in ` '! The sequel will have the rewritten versions of this and the other new chapters for the beginning.
Here's the summary of what has happened; war broke out in Mirkwood between the elves and a combination of orcs, goblins, and other creatures of Sauron's making. Over A millennia has gone by, and Legolas looks about 15 in human standards, though he is around fifteen hundred in elf years. Aragorn is around seventeen hundred in Elven years and looks 18. (I'm not certain about the elf years in relation to human years.) Legolas and Aragorn have not seen each other for centuries because first, Thranduil did not want to jeopardize his son's life by sending him to Rivendell in the middle of war, and second, he wanted Legolas's skill as an archer and tracker to help defend Mirkwood. And the war is still going on to this day...
Reunion
Part 5
It was a dark and stormy night as Legolas patrolled the woods, searching to see if any of the leftover creatures that Sauron had commanded were still inside his father's kingdom. Rain poured down on him, as he continued his sweep. Legolas wore dark clothes, so that he blended in with the darkness from the storm. His blond hair was plastered down with the rain, as thunder cracked overhead. More than once already, Legolas had wished that he had worn his Elvish cloak.
Legolas kept his sharp ears open, and heard the sounds of horses approaching. The graceful blond elf quickly leapt onto a branch above the road, and watched carefully.
A figure in a cloak with a hood rode a chestnut-colored horse ahead of a few other riders. As he passed under the branch, Legolas sprang down and tackled the first figure he'd seen to the ground. In a single movement, he had drawn his short sword and had it at the person's throat.
`Who are you and what are you doing in Mirkwood?' Legolas questioned, using the Elvish tongue. The figure surprised him by turning the tables on him. He managed to knock the sword away from his throat and pinned the elf, drawing a dagger and pricking his throat. Legolas used his hands to shove the figure off him, and pinned the arm with the dagger down. He touched his sword to the person's throat again. The elf looked up when he heard the other riders charging towards him. `Halt or I will slay this one!' Legolas said in Elvish.
Elladan and Elrohir froze, for it was Aragorn that Legolas had pinned to the ground. But Aragorn took advantage of Legolas's distraction and knocked the elf to the ground again. This time, he twisted the elf's arm behind his back and pressed his dagger against the elf's throat once more.
Legolas was jerked to a standing position, with the figure behind him keeping a firm grip on his arm. His pulse beat wildly, as the knife nicked part of his skin. The darkness made it impossible for even Legolas to see. Neither of them recognized the other.
"Do not struggle again," Aragorn hissed in the elf's ears. He looked to his brothers. "Bring some rope to bind him, for we need to question him."
Legolas wondered why the voice sounded familiar to him. `May I know the name of the one who holds me prisoner?' he asked.
`You may. My name is Strider,' the figure said.
`You speak Elvish?' Legolas questioned faintly. `But you are no elf.' He was a little confused.
`And I can see that you are,' Aragorn said. His eyes, though not as good as they usually were in this weather, had seen the pointed ears. `Are you spying on the king of Mirkwood?' When the elf did not answer, Aragorn tightened his grip on the blond elf's arm. He was certain that this elf was up to no good.
`I am not,' Legolas said angrily, as Elrohir and Elladan approached, carrying ropes. He tensed as the brothers stopped and looked at him. They wore cloaks with hoods that hid their Elven identity, so the blond elf was not reassured at all by what little he could see. Legolas tried to jerk away, but the knife pricked him again as a warning.
"What should we do, Strider?" Elrohir asked. Something about the blond elf seemed familiar, as the dark green eyes searched each face, looking just a tiny bit nervous.
"Bind him," Aragorn said. His warm breath brushed Legolas's neck. "Kneel, elf." Legolas resisted at first, his eyes darting around wildly. It wasn't until Aragorn applied more pressure on his arm that the elf finally knelt down.
`What will you do to me?' Legolas questioned, as the raindrops ran down his face. Elladan and Elrohir bound his feet together tightly, as the pain on the blond elf's arm kept him from trying to get away. The Elven twins knew full well of how to bind an elf to keep him from escaping.
`Take you with us for now, until we find out why you are here spying,' Aragorn said. This elf was almost familiar to him, but he dismissed it. The human looked at Elrohir and Elladan. "Binding his hands is going to be tricky," he said. "One of you will have to help me, and keep your sword at his throat until it is done."
Elrohir walked over and drew his own sword. He placed the blade on Legolas's bare throat. Aragorn then removed his knife carefully, and sheathed it, while gripping the elf's arm harder than ever. He then took Legolas's other arm in a firm grip, before he brought the two small wrists together. The storm made it impossible for anyone to barely see in front of them.
Elladan went to work and quickly bound Legolas's hands together so tightly that the elf knew he could never wriggle free, no matter how agile he was. But the sudden cry of an Elvish whistle gave him hope. It was Haldir! Legolas knew that his friend was nearby. Hope sprang into his heart.
Legolas managed to partly whistle an answer to it, before Aragorn placed his hand over the elf's mouth and cut it off. "Better gag him, too, until we find a camp for the night." Elladan took out a long strip of cloth from his bag. Legolas twisted and tried to run, but nearly fell instead. Aragorn caught him before he fell, but Legolas jerked away. He then sank his teeth hard into the hand over his mouth.
"Haldir!" Legolas shouted, before the cloth was put into place and swiftly tied. He shot a triumphant look at Aragorn with his eyes when the Elvish whistle sounded again. A muffled sound came out of his mouth.
Aragorn cursed in Elvish, when he heard the sounds of other Elvish whistles growing stronger. "We'd better get out of here. It appears that this elf was not alone," Aragorn told his brothers, as he ignored the drops of blood dripping from his hand. Elladan and Elrohir nodded at their brother's words.
"What about him?" Elrohir asked, looking at the captive elf, who had anger burning in his eyes as he narrowed them. He recoiled like a cat about to spring.
Aragorn smiled. "We'll take him with us." He easily lifted the bound and gagged elf into his arms, and carried him over to where the horses were. He mounted, still holding the squirming elf, and sat him sideways in front of him. When Legolas attempted to jump off, even with his hands and feet tied, a tight hand grabbed around his waist, holding him firmly.
"Don't try that again, elf, or I will have my sword at your throat the entire trip," Aragorn whispered in his ears.
Legolas felt humiliated and angry, as he was carried away from his home by three strangers he didn't even know. Aragorn could see that the elf was most unhappy about the current situation he was in. But he had no way of knowing that this was, in fact, the very elf he'd come to see on a spur-of-the-moment trip to Mirkwood. And this elf might harm Legolas, Aragorn told himself. Better to keep him with them until he found out what the elf was up to. He caught the reproach and anger in the elf's eyes.
"I suggest you get used to it," Aragorn said firmly. "You aren't going anywhere for a while, elf."
Elladan and Elrohir rode side by side, directly behind Aragorn. They could see the blond elf's struggles begin anew at those words. He shouted muffled curses in Elvish at his captor, as the three brothers silently rode away with the captive Prince of Mirkwood.
And the storm raged on, with thunder and lightning striking.
To be continued
Here's the summary of what has happened; war broke out in Mirkwood between the elves and a combination of orcs, goblins, and other creatures of Sauron's making. Over A millennia has gone by, and Legolas looks about 15 in human standards, though he is around fifteen hundred in elf years. Aragorn is around seventeen hundred in Elven years and looks 18. (I'm not certain about the elf years in relation to human years.) Legolas and Aragorn have not seen each other for centuries because first, Thranduil did not want to jeopardize his son's life by sending him to Rivendell in the middle of war, and second, he wanted Legolas's skill as an archer and tracker to help defend Mirkwood. And the war is still going on to this day...
Reunion
Part 5
It was a dark and stormy night as Legolas patrolled the woods, searching to see if any of the leftover creatures that Sauron had commanded were still inside his father's kingdom. Rain poured down on him, as he continued his sweep. Legolas wore dark clothes, so that he blended in with the darkness from the storm. His blond hair was plastered down with the rain, as thunder cracked overhead. More than once already, Legolas had wished that he had worn his Elvish cloak.
Legolas kept his sharp ears open, and heard the sounds of horses approaching. The graceful blond elf quickly leapt onto a branch above the road, and watched carefully.
A figure in a cloak with a hood rode a chestnut-colored horse ahead of a few other riders. As he passed under the branch, Legolas sprang down and tackled the first figure he'd seen to the ground. In a single movement, he had drawn his short sword and had it at the person's throat.
`Who are you and what are you doing in Mirkwood?' Legolas questioned, using the Elvish tongue. The figure surprised him by turning the tables on him. He managed to knock the sword away from his throat and pinned the elf, drawing a dagger and pricking his throat. Legolas used his hands to shove the figure off him, and pinned the arm with the dagger down. He touched his sword to the person's throat again. The elf looked up when he heard the other riders charging towards him. `Halt or I will slay this one!' Legolas said in Elvish.
Elladan and Elrohir froze, for it was Aragorn that Legolas had pinned to the ground. But Aragorn took advantage of Legolas's distraction and knocked the elf to the ground again. This time, he twisted the elf's arm behind his back and pressed his dagger against the elf's throat once more.
Legolas was jerked to a standing position, with the figure behind him keeping a firm grip on his arm. His pulse beat wildly, as the knife nicked part of his skin. The darkness made it impossible for even Legolas to see. Neither of them recognized the other.
"Do not struggle again," Aragorn hissed in the elf's ears. He looked to his brothers. "Bring some rope to bind him, for we need to question him."
Legolas wondered why the voice sounded familiar to him. `May I know the name of the one who holds me prisoner?' he asked.
`You may. My name is Strider,' the figure said.
`You speak Elvish?' Legolas questioned faintly. `But you are no elf.' He was a little confused.
`And I can see that you are,' Aragorn said. His eyes, though not as good as they usually were in this weather, had seen the pointed ears. `Are you spying on the king of Mirkwood?' When the elf did not answer, Aragorn tightened his grip on the blond elf's arm. He was certain that this elf was up to no good.
`I am not,' Legolas said angrily, as Elrohir and Elladan approached, carrying ropes. He tensed as the brothers stopped and looked at him. They wore cloaks with hoods that hid their Elven identity, so the blond elf was not reassured at all by what little he could see. Legolas tried to jerk away, but the knife pricked him again as a warning.
"What should we do, Strider?" Elrohir asked. Something about the blond elf seemed familiar, as the dark green eyes searched each face, looking just a tiny bit nervous.
"Bind him," Aragorn said. His warm breath brushed Legolas's neck. "Kneel, elf." Legolas resisted at first, his eyes darting around wildly. It wasn't until Aragorn applied more pressure on his arm that the elf finally knelt down.
`What will you do to me?' Legolas questioned, as the raindrops ran down his face. Elladan and Elrohir bound his feet together tightly, as the pain on the blond elf's arm kept him from trying to get away. The Elven twins knew full well of how to bind an elf to keep him from escaping.
`Take you with us for now, until we find out why you are here spying,' Aragorn said. This elf was almost familiar to him, but he dismissed it. The human looked at Elrohir and Elladan. "Binding his hands is going to be tricky," he said. "One of you will have to help me, and keep your sword at his throat until it is done."
Elrohir walked over and drew his own sword. He placed the blade on Legolas's bare throat. Aragorn then removed his knife carefully, and sheathed it, while gripping the elf's arm harder than ever. He then took Legolas's other arm in a firm grip, before he brought the two small wrists together. The storm made it impossible for anyone to barely see in front of them.
Elladan went to work and quickly bound Legolas's hands together so tightly that the elf knew he could never wriggle free, no matter how agile he was. But the sudden cry of an Elvish whistle gave him hope. It was Haldir! Legolas knew that his friend was nearby. Hope sprang into his heart.
Legolas managed to partly whistle an answer to it, before Aragorn placed his hand over the elf's mouth and cut it off. "Better gag him, too, until we find a camp for the night." Elladan took out a long strip of cloth from his bag. Legolas twisted and tried to run, but nearly fell instead. Aragorn caught him before he fell, but Legolas jerked away. He then sank his teeth hard into the hand over his mouth.
"Haldir!" Legolas shouted, before the cloth was put into place and swiftly tied. He shot a triumphant look at Aragorn with his eyes when the Elvish whistle sounded again. A muffled sound came out of his mouth.
Aragorn cursed in Elvish, when he heard the sounds of other Elvish whistles growing stronger. "We'd better get out of here. It appears that this elf was not alone," Aragorn told his brothers, as he ignored the drops of blood dripping from his hand. Elladan and Elrohir nodded at their brother's words.
"What about him?" Elrohir asked, looking at the captive elf, who had anger burning in his eyes as he narrowed them. He recoiled like a cat about to spring.
Aragorn smiled. "We'll take him with us." He easily lifted the bound and gagged elf into his arms, and carried him over to where the horses were. He mounted, still holding the squirming elf, and sat him sideways in front of him. When Legolas attempted to jump off, even with his hands and feet tied, a tight hand grabbed around his waist, holding him firmly.
"Don't try that again, elf, or I will have my sword at your throat the entire trip," Aragorn whispered in his ears.
Legolas felt humiliated and angry, as he was carried away from his home by three strangers he didn't even know. Aragorn could see that the elf was most unhappy about the current situation he was in. But he had no way of knowing that this was, in fact, the very elf he'd come to see on a spur-of-the-moment trip to Mirkwood. And this elf might harm Legolas, Aragorn told himself. Better to keep him with them until he found out what the elf was up to. He caught the reproach and anger in the elf's eyes.
"I suggest you get used to it," Aragorn said firmly. "You aren't going anywhere for a while, elf."
Elladan and Elrohir rode side by side, directly behind Aragorn. They could see the blond elf's struggles begin anew at those words. He shouted muffled curses in Elvish at his captor, as the three brothers silently rode away with the captive Prince of Mirkwood.
And the storm raged on, with thunder and lightning striking.
To be continued