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Everlasting Road ch. 26
Gimli got up from where he had fallen and stood still. Legolas stood apart from him, and watched to see that he was okay. Gimli nodded, he was fine. Neither one moved, eyeing the crazy elf who had already fit another arrow into Legolas' prized bow. Legolas was becoming angry, he would not be ordered about by another elf. But he was unable to do anything, the elf would be able to get off a shot before Legolas reached him if he rushed him. Legolas glanced at Gimli, the dwarf was looking as though he was going to charge anyway, bow or no.
The elf suddenly straightened, as if a brilliant idea had occurred to him. "If you come back and tell everybody that it was not I who drove you away, I will tell you where your lady friend is."
Legolas' blood suddenly ran cold. "What are you saying?" he asked the elf confused.
"Your friend, the general's daughter. I had a little run in with her earlier, I did not like what she was doing to my Prince, women always cause trouble. Anyhow, she is indisposed at the moment, but I will tell you where she is if you come back." The elf looked relieved, like everything was going to be okay. "Of course," he added nonchalantly, "I cannot guarantee what condition she will be in. She tried to fight back, but don't worry, I punished her for you my Lord."
If possible, Legolas got colder. "Take me to her now," he commanded.
"Only if you will come back," the elf reminded Legolas.
"Of course, just take me to her." Legolas was not in a mind to bargain, he just wanted to get to Liria as quickly as possible. He would then decide what to do with the elf.
"Follow me," the elf chirped, almost happily, turning. Legolas immediately followed him, and Gimli ran to catch up to the swift elves. He reached Legolas and whispered to him.
"We can take him now that his back is turned," Gimli told Legolas.
Legolas shook his head, "We have to find Liria first."
"But then we will have to go back," Gimli said, aghast at the thought. He had been so happy to finally get going back to Aragorn. Legolas shook his head, but said no more. He walked faster to keep up with the elf, and Gimli fell behind, his feet dragging.
After a few hours of swift travel, the three came to the precipice of a deep trench. It had been made during one of the many battles in Mirkwood. The elf strode to it and then turned, pulling the bow up again. He motioned to the trench, and then kept the bow steadily trained on them. Legolas went to the edge and peered down. He could make out Liria's still form on the bottom.
Legolas whirled on the elf, "What did you do to her?" he demanded, stepping close. The elf pulled back the string of the bow, and Legolas backed off. Gimli looked over the edge as well, seeing Liria. His face was unreadable.
"I only helped you, my Lord," the elf declared, "I know you were suffering grief over her. You should be happy now that I took care of the problem."
"Enough of this," Legolas said and turned to the trench. He readied himself to go down.
"What are you doing?" the elf inquired.
"I am going to get her," Legolas replied, starting down. Legolas disappeared in a matter of seconds, leaving Gimli and the elf alone. Gimli was gripping the handle of his axe, but did not unsheath it. He eyed the elf, who was for the most part ignoring him, his eyes trained in the trench. Obviously, he did not fear the dwarf at all. Gimli moved around a bit, the elf did not even look up. Gimli moved behind him, still the elf did not stir.
Gimli finally took out his axe, savoring the feel of it in his hands. He was not going to go back to Mirkwood for anything. This elf was crazy. Gimli lifted the axed over his head, and was about to bring it down when the elf finally whirled around and grabbed the axe. The elf yanked and the axe came out of Gimli's hand. Gimli looked on in dismay.
"You should not have done that," the elf told Gimli calmly, "for now I see that you are not to be trusted. What if you turned against Lord Legolas? I would never be able to forgive myself. I must protect him, you know." And with that, the elf drew out a dagger and slashed out at Gimli. Gimli dodged, but he was not faster than an elf and the blade slashed into him, in the same spot that Liria had sliced him. Gimli let out a yell at the fresh pain and fell to the ground, holding his wounded arm.
The elf stood over him, the blade in his hand. He looked thoughtful, as if deciding what to do. "Stop!" yelled a voice. The elf immediately backed off and picked up the bow he had left on the ground. Legolas was quickly coming towards them. He had heard Gimli's howl of pain and had immediately leapt up to the top of the trench.
"He cannot be trusted my Lord," came the elf's reply. He stood between Legolas and Gimli, the bow held ready, not allowing Legolas to get to Gimli. "He has to die, then I can rest easy knowing you are safe. Dwarves can never be trusted, I am surprised you have survived this long with him."
"Do not harm him," Legolas told the elf.
"Why?" the elf asked.
"Because he is my friend," Legolas answered him carefully.
"Am I a friend?" the elf asked.
Legolas paused, uncertain how to answer this. He was never one to lie. "You are loyal," he finally said.
A shadow crossed over the elf's face, and his mood changed. His mood changes came on swiftly, and were unpredictable. "But not good enough to be a friend," he said in a dark tone, "after all that I have done for you. I have been more of a friend to you than both of these that you do call friends."
Legolas considered carefully what to say, "I have known these two for a longer period of time and,"
The elf cut him off, his voice raising in rage, "I have known you longer! You never paid any attention to me. I have been serving you and Thranduil for over two-hundred years, and you never said a word to me! My purpose in life was to protect you, and I will in seeing that you are brought back, without any sufferings!"
Before Legolas was aware of what he was doing, the elf turned back to Gimli and pulled back the bow string. Legolas darted forward, wanting to reach the elf before he had time to release the arrow. But as fast as Legolas was, he was not fast enough to reach the other elf before Gimli was dead. He knew this, but rushed anyway. Suddenly, the elf jerked and the arrow flew up into the air. The elf then turned slightly to look at Legolas who had paused uncertain, and fell to the ground on top of Gimli. Gimli crawled out from under the elf's form and scrambled away from it, lest the elf get up again. Legolas ran and reached Gimli, pulling him up. Then they both looked at the elf who was laying still, facedown on the ground. An arrow was protruding from his back.
Legolas turned when he heard a groan behind them. Liria was standing near the edge of the trench, a bow in her hands. She looked at them and smiled, before collapsing forward unconscious.
Everlasting Road ch. 26
Gimli got up from where he had fallen and stood still. Legolas stood apart from him, and watched to see that he was okay. Gimli nodded, he was fine. Neither one moved, eyeing the crazy elf who had already fit another arrow into Legolas' prized bow. Legolas was becoming angry, he would not be ordered about by another elf. But he was unable to do anything, the elf would be able to get off a shot before Legolas reached him if he rushed him. Legolas glanced at Gimli, the dwarf was looking as though he was going to charge anyway, bow or no.
The elf suddenly straightened, as if a brilliant idea had occurred to him. "If you come back and tell everybody that it was not I who drove you away, I will tell you where your lady friend is."
Legolas' blood suddenly ran cold. "What are you saying?" he asked the elf confused.
"Your friend, the general's daughter. I had a little run in with her earlier, I did not like what she was doing to my Prince, women always cause trouble. Anyhow, she is indisposed at the moment, but I will tell you where she is if you come back." The elf looked relieved, like everything was going to be okay. "Of course," he added nonchalantly, "I cannot guarantee what condition she will be in. She tried to fight back, but don't worry, I punished her for you my Lord."
If possible, Legolas got colder. "Take me to her now," he commanded.
"Only if you will come back," the elf reminded Legolas.
"Of course, just take me to her." Legolas was not in a mind to bargain, he just wanted to get to Liria as quickly as possible. He would then decide what to do with the elf.
"Follow me," the elf chirped, almost happily, turning. Legolas immediately followed him, and Gimli ran to catch up to the swift elves. He reached Legolas and whispered to him.
"We can take him now that his back is turned," Gimli told Legolas.
Legolas shook his head, "We have to find Liria first."
"But then we will have to go back," Gimli said, aghast at the thought. He had been so happy to finally get going back to Aragorn. Legolas shook his head, but said no more. He walked faster to keep up with the elf, and Gimli fell behind, his feet dragging.
After a few hours of swift travel, the three came to the precipice of a deep trench. It had been made during one of the many battles in Mirkwood. The elf strode to it and then turned, pulling the bow up again. He motioned to the trench, and then kept the bow steadily trained on them. Legolas went to the edge and peered down. He could make out Liria's still form on the bottom.
Legolas whirled on the elf, "What did you do to her?" he demanded, stepping close. The elf pulled back the string of the bow, and Legolas backed off. Gimli looked over the edge as well, seeing Liria. His face was unreadable.
"I only helped you, my Lord," the elf declared, "I know you were suffering grief over her. You should be happy now that I took care of the problem."
"Enough of this," Legolas said and turned to the trench. He readied himself to go down.
"What are you doing?" the elf inquired.
"I am going to get her," Legolas replied, starting down. Legolas disappeared in a matter of seconds, leaving Gimli and the elf alone. Gimli was gripping the handle of his axe, but did not unsheath it. He eyed the elf, who was for the most part ignoring him, his eyes trained in the trench. Obviously, he did not fear the dwarf at all. Gimli moved around a bit, the elf did not even look up. Gimli moved behind him, still the elf did not stir.
Gimli finally took out his axe, savoring the feel of it in his hands. He was not going to go back to Mirkwood for anything. This elf was crazy. Gimli lifted the axed over his head, and was about to bring it down when the elf finally whirled around and grabbed the axe. The elf yanked and the axe came out of Gimli's hand. Gimli looked on in dismay.
"You should not have done that," the elf told Gimli calmly, "for now I see that you are not to be trusted. What if you turned against Lord Legolas? I would never be able to forgive myself. I must protect him, you know." And with that, the elf drew out a dagger and slashed out at Gimli. Gimli dodged, but he was not faster than an elf and the blade slashed into him, in the same spot that Liria had sliced him. Gimli let out a yell at the fresh pain and fell to the ground, holding his wounded arm.
The elf stood over him, the blade in his hand. He looked thoughtful, as if deciding what to do. "Stop!" yelled a voice. The elf immediately backed off and picked up the bow he had left on the ground. Legolas was quickly coming towards them. He had heard Gimli's howl of pain and had immediately leapt up to the top of the trench.
"He cannot be trusted my Lord," came the elf's reply. He stood between Legolas and Gimli, the bow held ready, not allowing Legolas to get to Gimli. "He has to die, then I can rest easy knowing you are safe. Dwarves can never be trusted, I am surprised you have survived this long with him."
"Do not harm him," Legolas told the elf.
"Why?" the elf asked.
"Because he is my friend," Legolas answered him carefully.
"Am I a friend?" the elf asked.
Legolas paused, uncertain how to answer this. He was never one to lie. "You are loyal," he finally said.
A shadow crossed over the elf's face, and his mood changed. His mood changes came on swiftly, and were unpredictable. "But not good enough to be a friend," he said in a dark tone, "after all that I have done for you. I have been more of a friend to you than both of these that you do call friends."
Legolas considered carefully what to say, "I have known these two for a longer period of time and,"
The elf cut him off, his voice raising in rage, "I have known you longer! You never paid any attention to me. I have been serving you and Thranduil for over two-hundred years, and you never said a word to me! My purpose in life was to protect you, and I will in seeing that you are brought back, without any sufferings!"
Before Legolas was aware of what he was doing, the elf turned back to Gimli and pulled back the bow string. Legolas darted forward, wanting to reach the elf before he had time to release the arrow. But as fast as Legolas was, he was not fast enough to reach the other elf before Gimli was dead. He knew this, but rushed anyway. Suddenly, the elf jerked and the arrow flew up into the air. The elf then turned slightly to look at Legolas who had paused uncertain, and fell to the ground on top of Gimli. Gimli crawled out from under the elf's form and scrambled away from it, lest the elf get up again. Legolas ran and reached Gimli, pulling him up. Then they both looked at the elf who was laying still, facedown on the ground. An arrow was protruding from his back.
Legolas turned when he heard a groan behind them. Liria was standing near the edge of the trench, a bow in her hands. She looked at them and smiled, before collapsing forward unconscious.