Tarlammenion walked the dirty streets. He restlessly crept through the
shadows of the buildings. He couldn't sleep; for some reason he felt a
premonition. Tarlammenion looked up at the night sky, and for the first
time since he left Mirkwood, he thought of his mother. He wondered if he'd
ever return to Mirkwood, and if he did what would he say to his mother? She
would be furious, of course. She had always kept him close to home, and
Tarlammenion always let her. Mirkwood seemed so far away now. Even though
it couldn't have been more than three or four weeks, it felt like an
eternity. He felt so much older now. Even though he was an adult he always
felt somewhat childish. He looked down at his hands. Usually they were
perfect and smooth, but now they were covered with cuts and scrapes. He
felt a lot leaner, like he had lost fifty pounds. He pulled his sword out
of its sheath; it glimmered in the pale moonlight. His sword fighting
skills had improved greatly; he couldn't help but smile and be pleased with
himself. Maybe I won't go home, he thought, maybe I'll go visit Gondor and
Lothlorien and all the other places I've always wanted to see. His train of
thought was interrupted when he saw Legolas walking quickly down the
street. He's leaving town! Tarlammenion realized. He ran to catch up with
him.
"Legolas!" He yelled, "Where are you going?" Legolas turned to look at him. Tarlammenion was shocked to see tears in his eyes. As long as Tarlammenion had known Legolas (which had been a very long time) he had never seen him cry. Not even when his mother died.
"What's wrong?" Tarlammenion asked. Legolas wiped the tears from his eyes.
"I have to leave," He said, "You'll have to see Gimli and Lintelossëwen the rest of the way to the mountains."
"What!? Why?" Tarlammenion asked.
"You were right all along, Tarlammenion. I never should have trusted her. I thought she loved me." He said. Tarlammenion looked at him empathetically.
"No Legolas, I was wrong. What ever it is that she did I am almost certain that she regrets it. She really does love you." He said. Legolas paused for a moment; he looked uncertain. But then he shook his head, turned around and walked away.
"Tell Gimli that I am sorry that I couldn't see him all the way home." He called over his shoulder. Tarlammenion helplessly watched Legolas walk away. Tarlammenion wanted to run after him, but he knew that there was nothing that he could say that would change Legolas' mind. Then he noticed someone creeping in the shadows. The gray figure moved quickly and pounced on Legolas; he knocked Legolas on the back of the head. Legolas crumpled to the ground, and was motionless.
"Eriâion!" Tarlammenion gasped; then he crouched down low and snuck closer. Eriâion began to drag Legolas away. What is he doing? Tarlammenion wondered; he wasn't sure but what ever it was he knew that it wasn't good. He followed them closely, careful to not get too close. Tarlammenion followed them to a small clearing just outside of town; in the clearing was a gray horse tied to a tree. Eriâion bounded Legolas' hands and feet with rope and placed his limp body on the horse. The horse didn't seem to like that much; she backed up and neighed quietly.
"Uuma dela, Aihpla." Eriâion cooed as he petted the mare on the nose. Tarlammenion's mind filled with panic, what was Eriâion going to do with Legolas? Surely Tarlammenion couldn't just stand by and do nothing. He knew that Eriâion was more skilled in combat than him, but Tarlammenion counted on the fact that he had the element of surprise. He drew his sword and rushed forward. Eriâion was ready for him; he turned and met Tarlammenion's blows with his own lightning fast moves. So much for the element of surprise, Tarlammenion thought bitterly. It didn't take long for Tarlammenion to realize that he had seriously under estimated Eriâion. But he came to this realization too late. Tarlammenion felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. His hands went to his torso; he felt a warm liquid drip through his fingers. The pain was almost unbearable. In the pale light he could see Eriâion wipe his sword clean on the grass. He sheathed his sword, mounted his horse, and rode away. Tarlammenion's head spun; he fell to the ground and laid there staring up at the stars in the sky.
Gimli was sitting at the pub enjoying his beer when Lintelossëwen came up to him.
"Have you seen Legolas?" she asked desperately.
"No, come to think of it I haven't seen Tarlammenion for a while either." Gimli replied.
"We must go look for them." Lintelossëwen said with a hint of urgency in her voice. Gimli nodded his head and followed Lintelossëwen outside. Gimli watched as Lintelossëwen searched the ground.
"Tracks," she said, "Legolas' and Tarlammenion's. Also… Eriâion!" She quickly followed the tracks with Gimli at her heals; he could barely see a thing in this darkness. They came to a clearing; Gimli could hear a low moan come from the ground. He hurried over to the figure lying on the ground. It was Tarlammenion, and he was in really bad shape. He looked as if he had been run through.
"Who did this to you?" Gimli asked, even though he already knew the answer.
"Eriâion" Tarlammenion gasped in pain.
"Where is Legolas?" Lintelossëwen asked.
"He took him, I don't know where. I tried to stop him. I tried!" Tarlammenion cried. Lintelossëwen went over to him and knelt down by his side.
"It's ok," She said gently, "You've fought bravely, rest now."
"You have to go find him!" Tarlammenion begged, "You have to go find Legolas."
"Don't worry, I will." Lintelossëwen said, "But you must rest now." She quickly bandaged his wounds. The she turned to Gimli.
"Stay here with him." She said, "I will go look for Legolas."
"But I want to come too," Gimli protested, he wanted to join in the fight.
"You are needed here, Tarlammenion needs you. Besides I need to find a horse to give chase to Eriâion. You would only slow me down." Lintelossëwen reasoned, and with that she left. Gimli settled down next to Tarlammenion and tried his best to help him. But it was all in vain. By the time the sun peeked over the horizon the elf had given up the fight and slept eternal sleep.
"Legolas!" He yelled, "Where are you going?" Legolas turned to look at him. Tarlammenion was shocked to see tears in his eyes. As long as Tarlammenion had known Legolas (which had been a very long time) he had never seen him cry. Not even when his mother died.
"What's wrong?" Tarlammenion asked. Legolas wiped the tears from his eyes.
"I have to leave," He said, "You'll have to see Gimli and Lintelossëwen the rest of the way to the mountains."
"What!? Why?" Tarlammenion asked.
"You were right all along, Tarlammenion. I never should have trusted her. I thought she loved me." He said. Tarlammenion looked at him empathetically.
"No Legolas, I was wrong. What ever it is that she did I am almost certain that she regrets it. She really does love you." He said. Legolas paused for a moment; he looked uncertain. But then he shook his head, turned around and walked away.
"Tell Gimli that I am sorry that I couldn't see him all the way home." He called over his shoulder. Tarlammenion helplessly watched Legolas walk away. Tarlammenion wanted to run after him, but he knew that there was nothing that he could say that would change Legolas' mind. Then he noticed someone creeping in the shadows. The gray figure moved quickly and pounced on Legolas; he knocked Legolas on the back of the head. Legolas crumpled to the ground, and was motionless.
"Eriâion!" Tarlammenion gasped; then he crouched down low and snuck closer. Eriâion began to drag Legolas away. What is he doing? Tarlammenion wondered; he wasn't sure but what ever it was he knew that it wasn't good. He followed them closely, careful to not get too close. Tarlammenion followed them to a small clearing just outside of town; in the clearing was a gray horse tied to a tree. Eriâion bounded Legolas' hands and feet with rope and placed his limp body on the horse. The horse didn't seem to like that much; she backed up and neighed quietly.
"Uuma dela, Aihpla." Eriâion cooed as he petted the mare on the nose. Tarlammenion's mind filled with panic, what was Eriâion going to do with Legolas? Surely Tarlammenion couldn't just stand by and do nothing. He knew that Eriâion was more skilled in combat than him, but Tarlammenion counted on the fact that he had the element of surprise. He drew his sword and rushed forward. Eriâion was ready for him; he turned and met Tarlammenion's blows with his own lightning fast moves. So much for the element of surprise, Tarlammenion thought bitterly. It didn't take long for Tarlammenion to realize that he had seriously under estimated Eriâion. But he came to this realization too late. Tarlammenion felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. His hands went to his torso; he felt a warm liquid drip through his fingers. The pain was almost unbearable. In the pale light he could see Eriâion wipe his sword clean on the grass. He sheathed his sword, mounted his horse, and rode away. Tarlammenion's head spun; he fell to the ground and laid there staring up at the stars in the sky.
Gimli was sitting at the pub enjoying his beer when Lintelossëwen came up to him.
"Have you seen Legolas?" she asked desperately.
"No, come to think of it I haven't seen Tarlammenion for a while either." Gimli replied.
"We must go look for them." Lintelossëwen said with a hint of urgency in her voice. Gimli nodded his head and followed Lintelossëwen outside. Gimli watched as Lintelossëwen searched the ground.
"Tracks," she said, "Legolas' and Tarlammenion's. Also… Eriâion!" She quickly followed the tracks with Gimli at her heals; he could barely see a thing in this darkness. They came to a clearing; Gimli could hear a low moan come from the ground. He hurried over to the figure lying on the ground. It was Tarlammenion, and he was in really bad shape. He looked as if he had been run through.
"Who did this to you?" Gimli asked, even though he already knew the answer.
"Eriâion" Tarlammenion gasped in pain.
"Where is Legolas?" Lintelossëwen asked.
"He took him, I don't know where. I tried to stop him. I tried!" Tarlammenion cried. Lintelossëwen went over to him and knelt down by his side.
"It's ok," She said gently, "You've fought bravely, rest now."
"You have to go find him!" Tarlammenion begged, "You have to go find Legolas."
"Don't worry, I will." Lintelossëwen said, "But you must rest now." She quickly bandaged his wounds. The she turned to Gimli.
"Stay here with him." She said, "I will go look for Legolas."
"But I want to come too," Gimli protested, he wanted to join in the fight.
"You are needed here, Tarlammenion needs you. Besides I need to find a horse to give chase to Eriâion. You would only slow me down." Lintelossëwen reasoned, and with that she left. Gimli settled down next to Tarlammenion and tried his best to help him. But it was all in vain. By the time the sun peeked over the horizon the elf had given up the fight and slept eternal sleep.