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so, here is another part… I have no idea if I will find the time to write and post another part tomorrow… but I will try…
thanks for the many reviews and keep them coming!!!
___
The sound of footsteps made Elrohir sit up straighter, straining his ears. Legolas did not move, the effect of the herbs he had been given still keeping him in a deep healing sleep. They were too light to be Gimli's but not light enough to be his brother's or a hobbit's. He moved without a sound to the place were Legolas had dropped his weapons after entering the room and draw one of Legolas' long knifes. Then he took in a place were he could not be seen from the door and waited.
The footsteps draw nearer and silently the door was pushed open. Quick as lightening the elf reacted, the cold steel of the elven blade coming to rest against the man's throat as soon as he had entered.
Moments later the blade fell away again.
'Estel!' the elf hissed a hint of annoyance in his voice.
There was a smirk on the man's face as the elf stepped away from him.
'I see you are on your guard, Elrohir.'
His eyes wandered to the sleeping elf.
'He has not woken?'
'Nay. You wish to speak with him?'
'I need to.' Aragorn sighed. 'This matter has to be resolved. A man of Gondor has found death by the hand of an elf. The people of Gondor need to know what happened to cause this.'
'Legolas had every right to challenge the man but would not have taken his life had he not been forced to. His death was brought on only by himself. I watched it, Estel there is no doubt.'
'I know this, Elrohir. Still we must not forget what it was that brought all this on. I do not wish for the resentment against the elves to grow among my people. If we let the matter rest they might think I favored the elf. All that is known yet is that he killed Bethrol. If they get to know the truth behind it they will understand and no one will question Legolas' actions.'
The elf's face held an unreadable expression as he waited for the man to continue without saying a word.
'I only wish to tell him that all that has happened is going to be announced to the people of Gondor. No more secrets are to be held.'
A tiny flicker of anger returned to Aragorn's eyes as he spoke.
'I am the king and a matter like this should have been resolved by me.'
'You are angry.' Elrohir stated amusement in his voice.
'Aye, I am. At Legolas for letting this get out of hand and at Gimli for helping him. At those narrow minded men that caused it with their pointless hate.'
'Are you going to judge him for what he did? Forget not, he is an elven warrior and of noble blood. He did what was his right when he demanded retribution.'
'But this is a city of men and not all of them will understand.'
'They are warriors themselves. There is not that much differences between their and our ways. No one will see fault in what Legolas did when the reasons are known.'
The worried frown on the king's face did not ease at this words.
'I know not, Elrohir.' He sighed. 'I hope so, but I know not.'
'You are the king.' The elf calmly said. 'If you speak judgment it will be respected.'
A sound made both of them turn their heads, listening intently. The knife Elrohir had lain down was quickly snatched up again.
A knock on the door of the house sounded loud in the quiet house.
The man and the elf exchanged a look before Aragorn moved to stand between Legolas' bed and the door to his room. The knife in hand Elrohir moved soundlessly to greet the unexpected guest.
Pushing the door open but not stepping out of the dark he could see a young man standing there in the dim light of the street. His face held a mixture of fear and apprehension.
A sword was laying by his feet.
'I carry no weapon.' He quietly announced holding up his empty hands.
Elrohir recognized his face. He had seen him earlier that night during the fight.
'I came to see the elf Legolas.' The man added.
'Your name?'
'Noldim.' He answered his eyes averted.
'Come with me.'
Elrohir had decided he posted no threat. His manner was too dejected and the elf could feel the fear radiating from him. He had a vague idea why this was so and felt no compassion. Still he did not turn his back on the man as he entered the house but waited until he had closed the door behind him.
Without a word Elrohir gestured at him to go and followed him as he entered the room.
Upon seeing Aragorn the man almost stumbled and sank to his knees.
'Your highness.' He whispered. He had clearly not expected to see him here.
'Noldim his name is.' Elrohir spoke. 'And I think he has much to tell.'
The young man's eyes flickered to him as he stepped next to Aragorn and widened in surprise as he saw him for the first time. His pointed ears and long hair as well as his slender built and the ageless beauty of his face left no doubt about the fact that he was an elf.
No emotion played upon the king's grim features as he looked at the man waiting for him to speak.
'I came here to atone for what was done to Legolas the elf.' The man said his voice wavering. 'For I share the guilt with those three men he challenged tonight.'
He closed his eyes for a moment as if in shame.
'I hope you may believe me if I say I never wished for this to happen. I never expected that things would turn the way they did.'
'And yet you did nothing to stop it.' The king's voice was cold as he spoke. 'You stood and watched and did not interfere.'
Bowing his head Noldim answered. 'Nay, I did not. Not before Bethrol was close to killing him and even then it was not much I did.'
For long moments Aragorn just looked at him. He remembered well that Gimli had told him that one man had saved Legolas' life by announcing him dead to Bethrol. The elf had forgone to seek retribution from Noldim but Aragorn was not to let him get off that easily.
'I already spoke judgment over your companions.' He spoke his voice grave. 'They are exiled from Gondor and will never be allowed to return.'
The young man paled considerably upon hearing those words. His eyes became wide as he realized he might share their fate.
'My king...' He whispered. 'My mother… my father has fallen in the war and she is alone… I beg you…'
'I am sure she will be proud to hear of what you have done.' The king answered his face hard. 'There is naught you may beg of me. But I have not spoken your judgment yet. Wait outside until you are called again.'
He emphasized his words with a dismissive gesture of his hand.
Noldim did not really know if he should feel relieved or even more frightened as he obeyed his king's words. Stepping outside of the house he took a deep breath trying to get his shaking knees back under control. He had known this would not be easy but he had not been able to live any longer with the mixture of guilt and fear he had carried inside. He held the hope that his interference that had saved the Legolas' life would ease the king's ire as it seemed to have the elf's. Still he feared the judgment he would come to face.
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so, here is another part… I have no idea if I will find the time to write and post another part tomorrow… but I will try…
thanks for the many reviews and keep them coming!!!
___
The sound of footsteps made Elrohir sit up straighter, straining his ears. Legolas did not move, the effect of the herbs he had been given still keeping him in a deep healing sleep. They were too light to be Gimli's but not light enough to be his brother's or a hobbit's. He moved without a sound to the place were Legolas had dropped his weapons after entering the room and draw one of Legolas' long knifes. Then he took in a place were he could not be seen from the door and waited.
The footsteps draw nearer and silently the door was pushed open. Quick as lightening the elf reacted, the cold steel of the elven blade coming to rest against the man's throat as soon as he had entered.
Moments later the blade fell away again.
'Estel!' the elf hissed a hint of annoyance in his voice.
There was a smirk on the man's face as the elf stepped away from him.
'I see you are on your guard, Elrohir.'
His eyes wandered to the sleeping elf.
'He has not woken?'
'Nay. You wish to speak with him?'
'I need to.' Aragorn sighed. 'This matter has to be resolved. A man of Gondor has found death by the hand of an elf. The people of Gondor need to know what happened to cause this.'
'Legolas had every right to challenge the man but would not have taken his life had he not been forced to. His death was brought on only by himself. I watched it, Estel there is no doubt.'
'I know this, Elrohir. Still we must not forget what it was that brought all this on. I do not wish for the resentment against the elves to grow among my people. If we let the matter rest they might think I favored the elf. All that is known yet is that he killed Bethrol. If they get to know the truth behind it they will understand and no one will question Legolas' actions.'
The elf's face held an unreadable expression as he waited for the man to continue without saying a word.
'I only wish to tell him that all that has happened is going to be announced to the people of Gondor. No more secrets are to be held.'
A tiny flicker of anger returned to Aragorn's eyes as he spoke.
'I am the king and a matter like this should have been resolved by me.'
'You are angry.' Elrohir stated amusement in his voice.
'Aye, I am. At Legolas for letting this get out of hand and at Gimli for helping him. At those narrow minded men that caused it with their pointless hate.'
'Are you going to judge him for what he did? Forget not, he is an elven warrior and of noble blood. He did what was his right when he demanded retribution.'
'But this is a city of men and not all of them will understand.'
'They are warriors themselves. There is not that much differences between their and our ways. No one will see fault in what Legolas did when the reasons are known.'
The worried frown on the king's face did not ease at this words.
'I know not, Elrohir.' He sighed. 'I hope so, but I know not.'
'You are the king.' The elf calmly said. 'If you speak judgment it will be respected.'
A sound made both of them turn their heads, listening intently. The knife Elrohir had lain down was quickly snatched up again.
A knock on the door of the house sounded loud in the quiet house.
The man and the elf exchanged a look before Aragorn moved to stand between Legolas' bed and the door to his room. The knife in hand Elrohir moved soundlessly to greet the unexpected guest.
Pushing the door open but not stepping out of the dark he could see a young man standing there in the dim light of the street. His face held a mixture of fear and apprehension.
A sword was laying by his feet.
'I carry no weapon.' He quietly announced holding up his empty hands.
Elrohir recognized his face. He had seen him earlier that night during the fight.
'I came to see the elf Legolas.' The man added.
'Your name?'
'Noldim.' He answered his eyes averted.
'Come with me.'
Elrohir had decided he posted no threat. His manner was too dejected and the elf could feel the fear radiating from him. He had a vague idea why this was so and felt no compassion. Still he did not turn his back on the man as he entered the house but waited until he had closed the door behind him.
Without a word Elrohir gestured at him to go and followed him as he entered the room.
Upon seeing Aragorn the man almost stumbled and sank to his knees.
'Your highness.' He whispered. He had clearly not expected to see him here.
'Noldim his name is.' Elrohir spoke. 'And I think he has much to tell.'
The young man's eyes flickered to him as he stepped next to Aragorn and widened in surprise as he saw him for the first time. His pointed ears and long hair as well as his slender built and the ageless beauty of his face left no doubt about the fact that he was an elf.
No emotion played upon the king's grim features as he looked at the man waiting for him to speak.
'I came here to atone for what was done to Legolas the elf.' The man said his voice wavering. 'For I share the guilt with those three men he challenged tonight.'
He closed his eyes for a moment as if in shame.
'I hope you may believe me if I say I never wished for this to happen. I never expected that things would turn the way they did.'
'And yet you did nothing to stop it.' The king's voice was cold as he spoke. 'You stood and watched and did not interfere.'
Bowing his head Noldim answered. 'Nay, I did not. Not before Bethrol was close to killing him and even then it was not much I did.'
For long moments Aragorn just looked at him. He remembered well that Gimli had told him that one man had saved Legolas' life by announcing him dead to Bethrol. The elf had forgone to seek retribution from Noldim but Aragorn was not to let him get off that easily.
'I already spoke judgment over your companions.' He spoke his voice grave. 'They are exiled from Gondor and will never be allowed to return.'
The young man paled considerably upon hearing those words. His eyes became wide as he realized he might share their fate.
'My king...' He whispered. 'My mother… my father has fallen in the war and she is alone… I beg you…'
'I am sure she will be proud to hear of what you have done.' The king answered his face hard. 'There is naught you may beg of me. But I have not spoken your judgment yet. Wait outside until you are called again.'
He emphasized his words with a dismissive gesture of his hand.
Noldim did not really know if he should feel relieved or even more frightened as he obeyed his king's words. Stepping outside of the house he took a deep breath trying to get his shaking knees back under control. He had known this would not be easy but he had not been able to live any longer with the mixture of guilt and fear he had carried inside. He held the hope that his interference that had saved the Legolas' life would ease the king's ire as it seemed to have the elf's. Still he feared the judgment he would come to face.
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