Chapter 4:
Nazglas sighed as the newly re-formed Fellowship got ready to depart. Legolas was feeling rather annoyed, especially since Nazglas and Angelonus were not allowed to follow. The young prince slung his pack to the ground, looking around the congregation point. His sharp eyes noticed Nazglas amongst the trees and he cautiously waved to her. She responded in kind; the skin of her arm was almost completely covered by the 'bruise'.
"Someone seeing you off?" Legolas leapt at the sound, the intruder finding himself with an Elvin knife at his throat. "reflexes are slow." The prince lowered his blade before re-sheathing it in the hilt on his back/
"Yours were slow as well, Aragorn." He replied, starting to brush the mane of Arod with a wooden comb. The horse nudged him, whinnying. Aragorn leaned against Arod, crossing his arms.
"Mine slow with age, Prince. Yours…" The king looked out into the woods, "I believe is from a distraction named Nazglas. The only visible sign that had shown the Prince's discomfort was the slightly red tips of his ears. "Legolas, go to her. We are not leaving for a while, and you both need it. Go on." Aragorn punctuated this by giving Legolas a slight shove towards the foliage. Legolas made as if to speak, but the Ranger cut him off. "I still do not trust her, master elf, but I trust your judgment. You would know if she became a threat." By the glare in the emerald eyes directed at him, Aragorn guessed he had stepped to far.
"Aragorn, your compassion never ceases to amaze me." And with that, he started towards Nazglas.
"Sarcasm does not become you, master elf!"
"Nor does matchmaker become you, master Estel." Aragorn sighed, watching Legolas traverse the rocky ground with ease.
"Hope… I hope I do bring that to you, even if it was falsely named on me in the first place. You need it, son of Thranduil. With females, you need it…"
* * * * *
"Where's Legolas?" Gimli asked as the horse he was to share with him was readied. "That crazy elf is going to make us late."
"Stupid dwarf." Gimli jumped, startled, as Legolas dropped from the tree overhead. HE gave the dwarf a slight smile before gently walking over to Gandalf. Again, the elf-prince-ling started speaking in the ancient tongue and Mithrandir responded in kind. It seemed almost as if the Istari was comforting the Sindar.
Aragorn sighed and looked away. He shouldn't be meddling in the affairs of the prince.
"Estel?" Aragorn jumped and spun at the sound of his name. Lord Elrond was behind him. "A ranger caught off his guard?" He asked, amusement shinning through his features. Aragorn scowled.
"You are most certainly related to Arwen, my lord." He looked at Elrond, noticing that the elf seemed to have aged a decade. Ever since he returned from the Havens, he had looked almost as young as Legolas. "Is something the matter?" Elrond nodded, placing a hand on Aragorn's shoulder and leading him away from the gathered Fellowship.
"I feel I must tell you, my son, that Legolas will not be wholly focused on this mission." He frowned. "The twins have become very ill in just a few hours. The patch has grown to cover most of their upper bodies, and their light is fading as it grows. Be kind towards him, but do not let him stray too far from this mission. Heed Galadriel's words: 'It is on the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and you will fail.'." Elrond offered a slight smile. "Namaarie, ionmin. [Farewell, my son.]" Aragorn, still confused, returned the gesture.
"Namaarie, adarmin. [farewell, my father]." Elrond nodded and looked towards the rest of the fellowship.
"lintë súrine, kel a en- [on swift winds go away and return.]" And the Elvin lord left. Aragorn was amazed at his foster father's suddenly rushed behavior. HE chanced a look towards Legolas and realized why. The blonde elf was watching him carefully. The king of men met the stare'; the elf raised an eyebrow before whistling. Aragorn winced.
"I'm watching you." He countered. How dare the elf challenge him like that? The whistle had been a perfect imitation of a hawk's challenge, and it was obvious who he thought would win. Mithrandir, who had watched the exchange, frowned.
"Need I separate the children? Legolas, act as you should, not as you would. Aragorn, you should at least show a level of maturity fit for a king. Legolas has an excuse: by his people's standards, he is still a child." Legolas gawked at the Istari, while Gimli and the others laughed. Gandalf glared back at the prince. "Elves measure adulthood by their actions… you were thought a prodigy, but now you seem to have faltered." A small smile of comfort reached the wizard's lips. "But she is in Elrond's house. He will do whatever he can to save her. Do not let your heart be troubled, for now we travel to Lothlórien."
Nazglas sighed as the newly re-formed Fellowship got ready to depart. Legolas was feeling rather annoyed, especially since Nazglas and Angelonus were not allowed to follow. The young prince slung his pack to the ground, looking around the congregation point. His sharp eyes noticed Nazglas amongst the trees and he cautiously waved to her. She responded in kind; the skin of her arm was almost completely covered by the 'bruise'.
"Someone seeing you off?" Legolas leapt at the sound, the intruder finding himself with an Elvin knife at his throat. "reflexes are slow." The prince lowered his blade before re-sheathing it in the hilt on his back/
"Yours were slow as well, Aragorn." He replied, starting to brush the mane of Arod with a wooden comb. The horse nudged him, whinnying. Aragorn leaned against Arod, crossing his arms.
"Mine slow with age, Prince. Yours…" The king looked out into the woods, "I believe is from a distraction named Nazglas. The only visible sign that had shown the Prince's discomfort was the slightly red tips of his ears. "Legolas, go to her. We are not leaving for a while, and you both need it. Go on." Aragorn punctuated this by giving Legolas a slight shove towards the foliage. Legolas made as if to speak, but the Ranger cut him off. "I still do not trust her, master elf, but I trust your judgment. You would know if she became a threat." By the glare in the emerald eyes directed at him, Aragorn guessed he had stepped to far.
"Aragorn, your compassion never ceases to amaze me." And with that, he started towards Nazglas.
"Sarcasm does not become you, master elf!"
"Nor does matchmaker become you, master Estel." Aragorn sighed, watching Legolas traverse the rocky ground with ease.
"Hope… I hope I do bring that to you, even if it was falsely named on me in the first place. You need it, son of Thranduil. With females, you need it…"
* * * * *
"Where's Legolas?" Gimli asked as the horse he was to share with him was readied. "That crazy elf is going to make us late."
"Stupid dwarf." Gimli jumped, startled, as Legolas dropped from the tree overhead. HE gave the dwarf a slight smile before gently walking over to Gandalf. Again, the elf-prince-ling started speaking in the ancient tongue and Mithrandir responded in kind. It seemed almost as if the Istari was comforting the Sindar.
Aragorn sighed and looked away. He shouldn't be meddling in the affairs of the prince.
"Estel?" Aragorn jumped and spun at the sound of his name. Lord Elrond was behind him. "A ranger caught off his guard?" He asked, amusement shinning through his features. Aragorn scowled.
"You are most certainly related to Arwen, my lord." He looked at Elrond, noticing that the elf seemed to have aged a decade. Ever since he returned from the Havens, he had looked almost as young as Legolas. "Is something the matter?" Elrond nodded, placing a hand on Aragorn's shoulder and leading him away from the gathered Fellowship.
"I feel I must tell you, my son, that Legolas will not be wholly focused on this mission." He frowned. "The twins have become very ill in just a few hours. The patch has grown to cover most of their upper bodies, and their light is fading as it grows. Be kind towards him, but do not let him stray too far from this mission. Heed Galadriel's words: 'It is on the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and you will fail.'." Elrond offered a slight smile. "Namaarie, ionmin. [Farewell, my son.]" Aragorn, still confused, returned the gesture.
"Namaarie, adarmin. [farewell, my father]." Elrond nodded and looked towards the rest of the fellowship.
"lintë súrine, kel a en- [on swift winds go away and return.]" And the Elvin lord left. Aragorn was amazed at his foster father's suddenly rushed behavior. HE chanced a look towards Legolas and realized why. The blonde elf was watching him carefully. The king of men met the stare'; the elf raised an eyebrow before whistling. Aragorn winced.
"I'm watching you." He countered. How dare the elf challenge him like that? The whistle had been a perfect imitation of a hawk's challenge, and it was obvious who he thought would win. Mithrandir, who had watched the exchange, frowned.
"Need I separate the children? Legolas, act as you should, not as you would. Aragorn, you should at least show a level of maturity fit for a king. Legolas has an excuse: by his people's standards, he is still a child." Legolas gawked at the Istari, while Gimli and the others laughed. Gandalf glared back at the prince. "Elves measure adulthood by their actions… you were thought a prodigy, but now you seem to have faltered." A small smile of comfort reached the wizard's lips. "But she is in Elrond's house. He will do whatever he can to save her. Do not let your heart be troubled, for now we travel to Lothlórien."