Disclaimers: See the Author's Notes! This is an AU! The R Rating is in effect now for good reason! Aragorn and Legolas' mental speech is in *. Elvish is in ''. Shounen ai between Haldir/Glorfindel. Takes place right after the last chapter.
Reasons To Fight, Reasons To Wed
Part 27. The Power Within
Legolas gasped, as did the others, save for two. No one knew who had done that, but judging from the shock on Legolas' face, it had not been him.
Legolas instantly looked towards his father and Aragorn. But he didn't get a chance to look at them very long, when the Nazgul stood again and tried once more to touch him. Again, it was knocked away by another wave of power, but the four remaining Nazgul approached the Elven Prince as well.
Glorfindel and Haldir both stepped in front of Legolas again, both wielding one of Haldir's Elven daggers, and they slowly began nudging Legolas sideways, to get him away from the edge of the cliff and off to the side. The Nazgul hissed at them, but neither backed down, as they waited for the moment that the Ringwraiths would strike.
When they did, the three Elves dodged aside, Haldir to the left and Glorfindel and Legolas to the right. The four Nazgul were so eager to reach their prey that they had just run directly off of the cliff-face, and had fallen, presumably to their deaths. That is, if they could die.
The one remaining Ringwraith hissed out Legolas' name again, before it ran off, to find the other Ringwraiths, for four were left of the other group. They had split up to find the Elf that the son of their Master desired, and they now knew that the Elf was traveling with a group of people that could fight well.
Glorfindel assisted Legolas to his feet, before Aragorn rushed over and took him in his arms, relieved that no harm had come to the one he loved and their child.
'I was so worried about you,' Aragorn breathed, as he carefully checked his husband over for any signs of an injury. He could not believe how close he had come to losing the one- two people who meant the most to him in the whole world right now.
Legolas said quietly, 'I'm all right, Aragorn, thanks to whoever did that magic. Who was it?' He looked around at the group, knowing that it could not have been Gimli or Boromir, and if it had been Haldir or Glorfindel, Legolas knew that he would have felt the magic. 'Father, did you…'
'I… am not certain,' Thranduil admitted, walking over to his son. 'I felt the magic once more, but I think someone helped me to protect you, though I do not know who.'
Gimli grumbled, "And for those of us who don't understand Elvish, is he all right?"
Boromir stood beside him, glad to see that no harm had come to the Elf he was supposed to help protect. It seemed that Meron truly was after Legolas, and Boromir had no intention of letting the evil one gain what he wanted.
Legolas glanced over at Boromir and Gimli. "I am unharmed, thanks to whoever…"
Both nodded.
Haldir and Glorfindel were checking each other for any cuts or bruises. The 'Lorien Elf had a minor cut on his face, and the Elven lord merely had a few bruises. They tended to each other as best as they could, sharing a secret smile that none of the others saw.
"We had better continue our journey," Boromir told the others, "before any other enemies show up."
"I agree," Thranduil said. He looked at his son. "Are you ok with continuing?"
Legolas made a face at his father, before he muttered, "I'm not a child, Father, and I am fine with walking some more." His arms were folded over his waist protectively, and Aragorn's left hand rested there for a few moments.
The half Elf murmured, "I could not bear it if something happened to you- either of you." He gently kissed Legolas, ignoring the fact that they were not alone, as he brought his right hand up to gently caress his lover's face. 'I love you too much to lose you, Legolas.'
'I love you too,' Legolas replied, sweetly returning the kiss.
Boromir was busy thinking on what Aragorn had just said. He looked down at Gimli and questioned, "What did Aragorn mean by 'either of you'?"
Gimli grinned up at the tall Man. "They are going to have a child, which is why both Thranduil and Aragorn make such a fuss over Legolas. The Elf doesn't even seem to remember that he's carrying a child half the time."
"I see," Boromir said, surprised. He wondered why Legolas was going with them to Mordor, in his condition. There was no way that he would have let Legolas come with them, Boromir knew, if he had known of the unborn child before they had left Rivendell. This changed everything; he was going to have to watch the Elven Prince even more now, to keep him from harm.
Haldir grinned at Glorfindel. 'I see that you have not lost your skills at all, despite being out of practice,' he jested, feeling light-hearted because not only was Legolas safe and unharmed, but so was Glorfindel.
'I never said that they were out of practice,' Glorfindel countered. 'And if that's what you think…' He left the sentence hanging on purpose, to get a rile out of Haldir.
'Oh, not at all,' Haldir replied, as he purposefully stepped closer to the Elven lord, close enough so that they brushed together. 'I think your skills are just fine the way they are,' he purred into Glorfindel's pointed ears, delighted at the shiver that ran down the older Elf's spine.
Thranduil watched the two other Elves, looking very amused at the exchange.
Aragorn and Legolas had finally broken the kiss, thought their fingers were laced together now, as they held each other's hand. The two smiled, a genuine smile of happiness, before they glanced over to the leaders of their group.
Glorfindel smirked at Haldir. 'I guess you would know if they were out of practice, wouldn't you?'
'Mmm-hmm,' Haldir agreed, looking rather fey at this particular moment. He then pondered, 'Are you going to keep my dagger, or return it?'
'I think I shall keep it, if you don't mind,' Glorfindel answered, earning himself a sly smile from the 'Lorien Elf.
'Just don't break it,' came the tart, jesting rejoinder. 'I only have two of them.'
Glorfindel raised an eyebrow pointedly. 'And if I did?'
Everyone was curiously looking at the two, tall blond Elves right now, and those that understood what was being said were grinning.
Haldir simply said, 'Then you would have to be punished.' A malicious, naughty look was in his eyes when he said the word 'punishment'.
'And what if I decided to punish you for insolence?' Glorfindel smirked. He knew that he wouldn't, he just wanted to see what Haldir would say to that.
'You wouldn't,' Haldir said knowingly. 'You know you like me too much for that.'
Glorfindel argued, 'That's not the point, Haldir…'
'What is the point?' Haldir asked, a triumphant smile on his face. He then smoothed his hair out of the way, to re-sheath his dagger in the sheath across his back. The 'Lorien Elf was startled when Glorfindel frowned, shook his head, and took the dagger away, before sheathing it himself. The devious Elven lord took a few moments to brush his fingers across Haldir's back, feeling the firm muscles beneath the smooth yet durable cloth of the shirt that the younger Elf wore.
As much as the others were amused by this, they knew that they had to continue on their way, so Thranduil finally spoke up.
"When you two have finished deciding what the point is, the rest of us would like to know which way to go," he told them.
Both turned and looked directly at the group that was staring at them. A faint, red flush appeared on their faces, before Haldir coughed, and Glorfindel simply nodded.
Legolas whispered to Aragorn, 'When did those two get together?'
'I believe they did so sometime after your father arrived in Rivendell,' Aragorn said carefully, not wanting to remind Legolas of what else had happened. The Elven Prince shot his husband a knowing look and nodded. He knew what Aragorn was thinking of, and was reassuring him that he was all right.
'Do you want your bow back now?' Legolas questioned, for he had strung the bow and quiver across his back. 'And where is my sword?'
Aragorn shook his head. 'No more hand-to-hand fighting for you,' he said sternly. 'You make a better archer than a sword-fighter, anyway.' He looked at the sword that he had simply tucked through his sword-belt, regardless of the fact that he did not have a sheath for it. To his surprise, Legolas reluctantly nodded.
Legolas had been shaken up by the very real fact that he had come close- very close- to being either kidnapped or killed, depending on what the Nazguls' orders had been. It was more likely that they had been ordered to take him to Mordor, Legolas knew. Aragorn might irritate him by being overprotective, but the blond, beautiful Elf had decided to be more careful, because he truly did not want to endanger either himself or the child he carried inside of him.
Thranduil was relieved at the exchange, for he had been truly afraid for the life of his only child- and, as of yet, his unborn grandchild. The fear had been enough to allow him to use some magic again, which he had not used since after his wife had died. There was something about Legolas' aura that caught his father's attention, but Thranduil could not be certain what it was, until he could have it confirmed by either Elrond, Galadriel, or Mithrandir. He wondered if Legolas himself even suspected it. Then his mind was drawn back to figure out just who had helped him to save Legolas.
Glorfindel finally began walking, leading the Company of Seven towards Mordor again. He planned on having them all stop in Lothlorien to rest for a few days when they drew near it, before they finished the journey to Mordor. He was glad for the company of the one beside him, and gave him a smile, which earned him a wink. Glorfindel merely smirked, causing Haldir to raise one of his own eyebrows teasingly.
Haldir walked next to Glorfindel. The two were too embarrassed to say much of anything out-loud, though their eyes spoke volumes. He was glad that he would be able to see his home again, Haldir decided, because then he could arrange the sleeping arrangements for the group. For some, it was easy; Aragorn and Legolas would definitely be sharing a room, and so would he and Glorfindel. Haldir thought on what rooms the other three should have, before deciding to place Thranduil in a single room, befitting his station, and offering a choice to Gimli and Boromir of sharing a room, or having a single one each.
Aragorn sometimes still wondered what he had done to deserve someone as wonderful as Legolas in his life, as he spoke to the beautiful, ethereal creature. There was no doubt in the half Elf's mind that Legolas' fine, golden hair was brighter than the sun's rays, and softer, too. The shining sapphire eyes were fixed on him when he spoke, showing Aragorn the perfect face that he longed to touch. He would have done so if there hadn't been so many people near them.
Legolas lightly walked beside Aragorn, holding fast to the slightly coarse hand that he held. A brilliant smile lit up his face whenever Aragorn spoke to him, making his eyes shine like stars with his inner happiness. He was happy to be here with Aragorn, despite everything. If anything, it had made this seem all the more precious to him, being with the one he loved. After a short time had gone by, Legolas went to speak with Gimli, to see if his friend was faring well. He didn't wish to make the Dwarf feel left out or lonely, and he was a good friend.
Gimli had been content just to watch the love that existed between his friend and Aragorn, but gruffly exchanged a few words with his Elven friend. He silently wondered if Aragorn and Legolas knew just how much their love for each other showed when they were close together; the secret smiles, the special, soft look in their eyes, and the happiness that emanated from Legolas, as well as the soft, subtle life. The Dwarf was glad that Aragorn genuinely loved Legolas, or else Gimli knew that he would have been forced to cleave Aragorn's head off for being foolish enough not to love the Elf, who clearly loved him.
Boromir's thoughts dwelt more on what kind of person Aragorn must be, to have the unconditional love of the Elven Prince beside him. He must be truly special, for Legolas had chosen him, instead of another. Boromir had already heard from Gimli that though Aragorn and Legolas had been betrothed, the golden-haired beauty had offered Aragorn a choice of whether or not to marry him. Personally, Boromir felt that anyone in their right mind would not have turned down such a love, and that proved that Aragorn was. Though he had not seen Aragorn in a leadership role yet, which gave Boromir a slight doubt about the son of Arathorn's leadership abilities. Though Boromir had to admit that he was growing fond of Legolas, whose endearing personality made it easy for him to be liked.
For several hours they walked together, quietly speaking to the ones that they stood next to.
Thranduil kept pace between the two groups; Glorfindel and Haldir, and Legolas and Aragorn. He wanted to be close enough to stand between his son and any threat that might show up.
The small shadow was following them again, ever vigilant, preparing to reveal itself soon. But unknown to the small shadow was that a larger shadow was following it, preparing to strike in a moment's notice.
*********
Mordor
*********
Meron finished speaking, looking down at the pathetic Hobbit that he had chosen to deliver his message to the Elven lord. The evil half Istari couldn't wait to see Elrond's reaction to his words, knowing that they would come as a complete shock to him.
Pippin gulped nervously, as the dark-robed one before him cast the teleportation spell to send him to Rivendell. He feared for his friends, and disliked having been chosen to leave, instead of one of them. But there was nothing he could do about it; it was too late.
Meron smiled in satisfaction when the Halfling disappeared, before he smirked at the other three. "Maybe you'll be useful to me, just as he was," Meron said, before he stalked off, feeling considerably happier than he had been a short while ago.
Meron had been angry because he had been awaiting word from the Nazgul that they had found Legolas finally and had taken him. None had arrived yet, which seriously angered him. He hated delays in his plans, including the need to delay his plan to bed the Elven Prince.
The thought of rearing Aragorn's brat was too tempting to him to risk harm to either the child or the one who carried it. Meron planned on letting Aragorn live just long enough to realize how evil his child was going to be, raised by him.
Legolas himself would be forced under a mind-control spell, to render him docile and manageable, for the Elf was too stubborn and strong-willed for his own good. Though when it became safe, Meron intended on releasing Legolas from the spell at night, to allow him to fight back against him. It would make things a lot more fun to do so.
To be continued
