WOW! I am *totally* blushing here, you guys! It's SO cool that everyone's enjoying this! I had no idea anyone would find it so interesting. :)

Yeah, Cheysuli, Mirkwood Elves are a PAIN. If you've ever read Cassia and Siobhan's Mellon Chronicles, you'll know why I don't like Thranduil in particular! :P

Hey Ruth! Yes, I know what you mean about slash. I've run into a lot of that on here, and though you're also right that it's really a matter of, as you put it, "whatever rings your bell", it certainly doesn't ring mine…so, in other words, I don't blame you one bit for not enjoying slash. Welcome to the club! ;)

WHO-K! Slow down, Siri! Yes, they're rotten, they're nasty, they're a pain, they're making Aragorn's job harder, but they're plot devices, don't kill 'um off yet! ;) *blushes* good descriptions? Reeeally? Well, sanks, Siri! :D

Yes, Golden Days, I think you would be quite correct in assuming that these guys aren't exactly the brightest lights in the harbor. But hey! They're bad guys! So, we'll give 'um a brake…for now. ;) Dah! *smacks head* Chloe, don't divulge information! *BAM BAM!*…hehe…sorry. ;)

Oooh I was wondering if you'd show up, Lina! Nice to see you! Even though you're just here to stick up for your "babies" it's nice of you to come! :D Don't worry. *pats Aragorn and Legolas on the head* I'll take gooooood care of them. I mean look what a great job I've done so far!…uuuuh…oh forget it. ;)

And Halo…gee…umm…yes. Calm down, and maybe-okay, I guess I'll just be um *clears throat* posting. ;)

The Armadillo of Death, hey! Yeah, I did that once with my sisters' story, Death or Despair. I missed the last three chapters as they came through, but I got to read them without worrying about cliffies! At least, I had to worry about them for the two minutes it took to open the next chapter! ;) And I'm kinda glad you weren't here on chapter four to post…one less dagger to dodge! :P ;)

Why Sarah! How nice to see you. I'd begun to think you'd forgotten *sniff* little-Lego-look-alike-me! ;) And how dare you? I don't want anything in return for dedicating this to you!…oh…oh, well, maybe except for…umm…*clears throat* your Lord of the Rings visual companion- BUT! I'm not going to ask for it! That comment on Obi-Brat struck it's mark, you meany. That's blackmail, you rude little tomato stem! Hehe, tell Rita she's a bad affect on me, by the slim chance I could get any worse! ;)

Salysha…wow…I had absolutely NO idea anyone would like it this much! I'm very glad you're enjoying it so much! Yes, I have every intension of sticking to my non-slash policy, PERMINANTLY. I like Aragorn and Legolas they way they *really* are, and somehow, I feel slash tarnishes two of the most wonderful, in-depth, honorable characters Tolkien wrote. It's a shame that people insist on doing those kind of stories anyway. No, I just assume continue writing them as the very best of friends, thank you.

And thank you very much for putting my story on your favorites list! Though, I must say, I never considered my writing as stylish. I'm extremely flattered, Salysha! :)

As for whether we'll see from Legolas' point of view again…hehe…read on! ;)

Off we go! On and on! Rivendell or bust! ONTO THE STORY!

(too much caffeine for this early in the morning.)

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For full disclaimers and story info, see Chapter 1.

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Chapter 6

The Light of Estel

Aragorn was completely blinded by the torch's light, after being in total darkness for so long, and could only squint into the fire. It was impossible to determine the face of whatever it was, but he could decipher a vague shadow of it's form. And if he wasn't mistaken, it was a dwarf that now stood in their prison.

The dwarf swung it's torch towards Aragorn, and snarled. "You've been trying to dig yourself out, I see." He scuffed his boots in the knee-deep dirt. "Well, I think then that you know there's no way out but the door. You probably couldn't get it open, though. 'tis designed to keep creatures in. Any creatures." He stuck out his great chest with pride.

"I must confess," Aragorn responded flatly "we did not find the door."

The dwarf looked momentarily annoyed, and then covered it up with "Well, that is to be expected of a human and an elf. Neither are of a very intelligent lineage."

Aragorn would have liked to give the smirking creature some of his opinions on dwarves, but just then, roughly six more dwarves climbed down through the trap door and into the prison-pit. All were short enough to stand almost straight in the low prison. All but one.

"Well, Gulrin, we haven't all day! Bodruith is not a patient person!" The largest dwarf stepped forward, addressing the first one.

"Yes, yes." Gulrin said impatiently, setting the torch onto the dirt floor, and brandishing his axe. "Grab the human. I think that the elf is still unconscious."

Three of the dwarves stepped forward, each holding a rope. Aragorn would not have any of it. Pushing himself up as far as he could go, he kicked one of the dwarves in the stomach, whirled, and hit another in the shoulder with his fist.

The rest of the dwarves now became riled, and attacked the ranger. Aragorn easily knocked two of them out of his way with the side of the axe he'd taken from one of the first. This made the de-axed dwarf very angry, and he flew at the tall human. Tall though he was, Aragorn easily ducked the assault, and the axe-less dwarf flew into the dirt wall instead.

The dwarf called Gulrin swung his own axe at him, but Aragorn dropped onto the soft, dirt floor, and the weapon's weight carried Gulrin half-way across the pit.

"Drop it, human!" the big dwarf who'd been talking to Gulrin a moment ago bellowed. Aragorn whirled, and saw the dwarf standing over Legolas, his sharp axe dangerously close to the prince's neck. "Drop the axe!" He repeated.

Aragorn couldn't help but obey. Never once taking his eyes off Legolas, he pushed himself out of the dirt, and dropped the axe in front of him.

"Now, sit down."

Aragorn stared at the dwarf hesitantly. "Do it!' He shouted, letting the axe fall enough to cut the skin on Legolas' neck.

Aragorn quickly dropped into the loose earth once more, and felt two dwarves run up behind him, and tightly bind his hands behind his back again. Not willing to take chances, they used three ropes on him like they had on Legolas.

Satisfied, the big dwarf put his axe aside, and nodded to two other dwarves.

Aragorn watched miserably as they tied his unconscious friend's hands behind his back, and hauled him limply to his knees.

"What do we do with him, Binwen?" another larger dwarf moaned. "I'm not looking forward to dragging him all the way to the great hall."

"Well, that's what we plan to do, Dreago. And if I were you, I would not start to moaning about it."

Binwen, and Dreago grabbed Legolas by his arms, and dragged him to the trap-door opening. He was then hoisted up, and pulled out by some dwarves apparently waiting by the door.

Aragorn felt the pole of an axe against his back, and stood half-way up. He made his way to the door, and felt the dwarves pulling him up as well. They were not gentle, and Aragorn was practically wrenched out of the pit, and thrown onto the ground outside of it.

Aragorn was surprised and more than a little dismayed to find he still looked up at dirt. "Where are we?" he asked wearily.

One of the dwarves turned to him and sneered. "About five hundred feet under the ground of Mirkwood."

"Five hundred?" Aragorn repeated feebly, dread filling the words.

"Shut up human." Binwen snapped, pulling himself out the hole, and closing the trap-door behind him.

Aragorn sat up half-way, and looked around. They were in a huge tunnel, almost twice his height. All dirt and rocks. Everywhere.

"How can you possibly breath all the way down h-" The breath went out of his lungs as Binwen gave him an impatient kick in the stomach.

"You won't ever find out, if you don't quit whimpering!" He shouted angrily. "As if it isn't bad enough that I have to drag this stupid elf the whole way." He made as if to kick Legolas as well, but Aragorn rolled over, and knelt protectively over the prince.

"Out of my way, human." He threatened darkly.

"No." came the defiant answer.

Binwen aimed two more kicks at Aragorn, one in the stomach, and then another in the back when the ranger fell over from the impact of the first. But Aragorn managed to rally himself, and moved over Legolas again.

"So, you want to learn the hard way, eh?" the other grinned evilly.

"Binwen." Gulrin walked in front of the angry dwarf. "Cut it out. We don't have time for your temper!"

Binwen growled at the other, but consented, and nodded at two other dwarves. The dwarves ran to Aragorn, and tied a length of rope to his bound hands like a leash.

"Get moving." One growled impatiently. Aragorn worked his way to his feet, and began walking down the long tunnel. He chanced a look over his shoulder, and caught Binwen and Dreago grab Legolas by his arms, and begin to drag him down the tunnel after Aragorn.

Aragorn felt a sharp pain in his back, as the impatient dwarf smacked him with the pole of his axe. "Would you hurry up? It's not exactly fun dragging you along, and we have a good ten miles to the great hall!"

Aragorn's mouth went dry. "Ten miles?" He glanced over his shoulder again, to see his friend being dragged along the hard ground. Ten miles…

Aragorn felt the axe again. "Hurry up!"

**********

Aragorn tripped on an ill-placed rock, and fell onto his knees. He stifled a cry, as the expected boot caught him in the chest. "Get up, you clumsy human!"

It was not easy for Aragorn to get to his feet with his hands bound, but the dwarf obviously didn't care.

It had been four of the longest hours of his life, running through the tunnels, turning down this one, and that one, all the while with four dwarves ahead, and six behind the human and elf. Every once and awhile, he'd hear a loud crack, and then Binwen and Dreago arguing about which one kept smacking "the elf" against everything. Aragorn couldn't bare to look behind him at his friend. He didn't want to know how he looked after all that.

Every time Aragorn tripped, or fell, or even slowed the pace, he earned a kick in the chest, and even more threats about what they'd do to Legolas.

Legolas, Aragorn knew, could not take much more. As it was, he was weak, and the constant abuse was not giving his body a chance go heal, nor his mind any opportunity of waking up.

Lost in anguish for his friend, Aragorn was not paying attention, and slipped again. He twisted to the side, and used his shoulder to catch himself on the tunnel wall. Standing slouched against the dirt, he braced himself for another blow.

"We'll rest here. 'tis almost night." Gulrin's gruff voice came. Aragorn looked up at the tunnel's dirt ceiling, and wondered vaguely how Gulrin knew the time of day.

"Human, get over here!" Binwen snapped. Aragorn took one step towards the dwarf, and collapsed. "Get up!" he shouted.

"You can hit me all you like." Aragorn responded softly "but I do not think it will give me the strength to rise."

Binwen growled, but could not ignore reason. "Tie him up." He snapped to Gulrin, in a 'so there' tone.

Gulrin took the rope attached to Aragorn's hands, and tied it to his ankles, depriving him of walking. Of course, Aragorn thought grimly, he would not have had the strength to walk anyway.

The ranger had no idea what was happening to Legolas. He couldn't seem to maneuver around to look, but it sounded like they were tying the elf up a few feet behind Aragorn. Why? Thought the distressed human. Why were they so frightened of elves? Legolas was unconscious for goodness sake! And thanks to them, would be for awhile. He sighed, and let his head rest against the tunnel wall. It would be a long night.

**********

He ran as fast as he could, though nothing perused him. He reached the hill. *That* hill. He dared not cross it, but his legs forced him to. He knew what he would see over it.

As he reached it's top, everything turned red. Fire rose from the already-dead trees. Indeed, he knew he would find this, but every time it was more real, more painful than the last.

Once again, his legs carried him towards the smoking woods. All dead. All gone. He ran to the stone halls, and they crumbled when he touched them. "No!" he shouted, but no words came out.

Then, the very worst, he knew, had to occur. He ran to the familiar bedroom, and knelt beside the bed, lifting his father into his arms. "No, no!" the words were not indeed words, but essence. The sound of regret echoed in the silent room.

"Father!" he tried to say, but could only convey the word through his tearful eyes.

His father would not look at him. He turned away, staring into the burnt trees of Mirkwood.

"Father, please." he felt tears slip down his cheeks, and touch his father's robes. As they hit, they spread into an ugly blood-stain.

"Father!" He cried through his tears.

Then, the king closed his eyes. "You do not know what you have done." his words were the only ones that could be spoken in the dark room, lit red from the fires outside. The breath went from the old elf, and his son could almost hear his spirit escaping the room.

"Father no!" He tried to shout, but could only cry more tears. A silent whisper insisted "You've killed him! Your people! Your weakness has killed them all!"

"No. No." he tried to argue, but the tears came too quickly, and landed again and again on his father, spreading into huge stains.

He turned away, though he could still see his father, as though he were imprinted on his eyes. He had no one else to turn to. Nothing else to try and say.

He shouted as loud as he could, but it only came as a whisper. "Estel!"

**********

Aragorn jerked out of his troubled sleep. He could not, and did not want to remember what he'd been dreaming. But something had woken him up. What was it?

"Estel…" The whisper was barely audible, but he recognized it.

"Legolas?" no response. And then,

"Estel?"

"Legolas! Are you awake?"

"Estel." The elf seemed to hold onto the name like a life-line. Aragorn tried to turn around, but even if he could, he would not have been able to see the elf in the complete darkness.

"Help…me."

"How, Legolas? How?"

Silence.

"Estel. Estel…" His breath quickened, and he seemed to breath unevenly. He was somewhere between sleep, and restlessness. Lost in a dream.

Aragorn's mind raced, longing to help his friend. He could not touch him, or aid him. But Legolas could hear him. "Ea na gwiil, Legolas. Estel uuye morn na naeg"

//be at peace, legolas. Hope is not darkened by pain.//

"Stop your whisperings, human, or your friend won't ever see the light of day!" Benwin was obviously not in the mood to be tolerant, and it appeared he didn't sleep either.

In the silence that followed, Aragorn vaguely heard Legolas whisper his name one last time, but this time, it was not in fear, it was in peace. Somehow, he knew that the grey words had calmed his friend's restless dream.

**********

Legolas called his name again, but there was no response, and the elf began to wonder if he was really calling, or if his mind just played tricks on him again, telling him he spoke, when he did not.

Finally, he heard a distant, but familiar voice. "Legolas?"

"Estel?" He responded as best he could, though since he did not shout, he could only convey the words through the expectation in his eyes - hope that it was indeed his friend.

A whisper answered his call, but Legolas could not hear words. He turned, and stared out the bedroom window where a light began to glow. It got brighter, and brighter, till it filled the room. It covered the red glow from the fires, and instead filled it to the brim with the purest light. The light of Eärendil. Star of hope. But it was more than the star. It was indeed his friend, his own beloved hope.

"Estel." He whispered again, and the light of Eärendil sent the name flying about the room, and it echoed off the walls. Legolas held to the name, the star, the friend, as if it were the hope of his heart. His own hope.

Then the light began to fade. The star became red like the fires that shot through Mirkwood. Like the flames that licked at the window as he sat in the dark room, holding his dead father.

"Help...me." He begged through his desperate eyes, urging the light to come back. Knowing it was indeed his friend, and longing for Estel to be near him.

"How Legolas? How?" it asked, shining momentarily brighter.

Then Thranduil became heavy. He seemed to begin to sink. Sink into the bed, and through it as well. Dragging his grieving son with him.

"Estel. Estel…" He tried to call, but the weight of his father dragged him down. He could not hold him, nor let him go. He was falling with him into darkness.

Then, just as fire began to spring from the window, just as Thranduil began unknowingly to drown Legolas in darkness, Eärendil began to shine. Brighter than ever, in shone through the room, enveloping Legolas.

It's beams whispered to him. "Estel uuye morn na naeg" And somewhere inside, he knew that it was Estel that spoke to him.

The sight of Mirkwood and his father disappeared, and he was standing in nothing. He was standing in beauty. He was standing in hope. And with that, with the words of Estel still echoing in his mind, Eärendil pushed him safely into a dreamless sleep.