******* Alright guys, sorry it took so long for the next chapter. Please forgive me.

The trees stood tall watching the sun disappear behind the mountaintops that cascaded in the distance. Gimli supposed that he should enjoy what was probably to be his last sunset, but couldn't find the heart to lift his chin to the sky.

Instead of persuading himself to adorn his heart with the bliss of the sunset, Gimli decided to let his mind wander to the better times of when he and Legolas had been Heroes of Middle Earth. If Gimli had been taught anything by his friend, it would be that one should never die in grief. Gimli had tossed Legolas' point of view aside at the time, but now considered it with solidarity.

Gimli shifted a bit against the tree. The dwarf decided to try to search for humor in the situation. Well, there was the irony. Gimli shook his head, typical that after years and years of shopping down trees with his axe, a tree, no more an excuse for a twig, would be his undoing. Well there was a happy thought.

During all those hopeful thinking, Gimli never even saw troll behind him.

The sun was down and now Legolas knew that his friend should be heavily worried about the residential trolls. The beasts would certainly have no qualms about eating a dwarf in the comfort of the night. The fact that Gimli was tied to the tree would only make it all so much easier. Well, this was one elf that was going to make it hard.

Gimli felt a presence above him and calmly took in the large, hovering troll with a mouth full of teeth and drool. Of course, Gimli thought. I am without defense against a troll. This would only make my death all the more interesting.

The Troll lugged itself around the tree and pulled on its limbs like the beast was trying to uproot it. Well, who knows? Gimli thought again. I may be here for a while anyway.

Gimli's sarcastic thoughts got him nowhere. As did the pulling of the tree limbs coming from the troll. When the troll seemed to finally give up, a picture of Legolas entered Gimli's mind once again. Oh put him out of your brain Gimli; no need to become nostalgic or weepy.

But Gimli's mind did indeed go from sarcastic to depressed. I guess one should have a right to feel that way before dying. The dwarf thought back to the giant caves that held so many treasures and crystals. How he could've wished to have died there instead, perhaps defending his home. Then Gimli cast that thought aside. The dwarf decided that he would welcome this death just as long as he could see his friend one last time...to see that sparkle of light that always warmed the dwarf's heart.

Sadly, the only eyes Gimli could see at the moment, were those of the troll. But then there they were staring right at him with a triumphant glitter. The eyes of Legolas whom was perched in a nearby tree.

The troll descended upon Gimli with its huge stone club and raised it's hand high in the air, as to bring it down hard upon Gimli. Two arrows flew through the air at once and both landed deep into the beefy troll arm. Gimli let out a huge sigh of relief when he saw the troll grunt and drop it's massive weapon.

Legolas leapt out of the tree and let another arrow soar right into the middle of the troll's very large stomach. As Legolas had hoped, he now had undivided attention from the his friend's tormentor. His eyes focusing on the troll, he yelled to Gimli. "My friend, the tree will let you go if she thinks that you are a worthy of life." Legolas rolled across the ground to dodge the fist that was heavily following him.

Gimli looked disgruntled. "She?" Gimli paused, "Well, what do you suppose I do then?"

That's up to you my friend, but make haste, it's not like I couldn't use the help." Legolas dodged another swipe from the troll and ran up a tree trunk and into a tree. Three arrows soared down into the troll. "Try talking to her Gimli."

Legolas wished that he could watch, because although it is quite normal for an elf to speak to nature, it was most definielty something Legolas knew a dwarf would not do. As Legolas tried to distract the troll, who was having quite a hard time with the elf, he listened to Gimli's conversation. No one that heard would think that Gimli's life was on the line. Only that he was a bit slow in the mind maybe.

What the hell do you say to a tree to bargain for your life? Gimli had already made many attempts talking to the tree and it, forgive me, Gimli thought she showed no signs of interest.

Finally Gimli decided to get serious. The dwarf shifted his head to the tree and whispered a great many words into the flaky trunk that was the tree.

With great surprise, Gimli noticed that the tree that once stood lonely in the clearing deadly still, now used it's branches to pull Gimli away from her own branches. Gimli was free. Gimli didn't have time to apologize as he watched Legolas jump from a tree onto the arm of the troll aiming his bow into the heart of the troll. Before Legolas could fire, he was thrown to the ground, of course being the graceful elf he is, he landed softly on his feet.

Gimli spared no time in throwing nearby rocks at the troll since he didn't seem to know where his axe was. With a skilled shot, the dwarf threw a nice large one into the mouth of the troll.

The troll stumbled backwards and forwards not fighting them anymore, but the rock that seemed to be having a hard time on it's way down to the stomach. Legolas took this chance to fire an arrow straight into the heart of the troll.

The heavy figure fell to the ground with a resounding thud. Legolas and Gimli looked at each other with a sense of relief. Legolas spared no time to speak of the past, he only wished to know how his friend faired.

"How do you feel Gimli?"

"I have just escaped death my friend, I feel that I could sing one of those elven songs you always sing."

Legolas smiled as they began to walk towards a safe place to sleep. "Please do not Gimli, for it is not the singing of a dwarf that I wish to hear."

Gimli patted Legolas just below the shoulder and laughed, "Good because I've already had my talk with a tree and I do not wish to show any more sings of the fact that befriending an elf has made me one."

It was Legolas' turn to chuckle. "By the way, what did you say to the tree that changed her mind? You didn't seem to be doing to well at first."

Gimli stopped to look at his friend in the night and then back at the flimsey tree in the lonely clearing far back. "I told her that I would plant her a friend."

Legolas smiled and they kept walking with ease and happiness in their hearts.