CHAPTER 3
Author's notes: - Thank you so much for the reviews. I hope you pluck up the courage to post soon Agarwaenri. Thanks for the advice Serendu. Thanks also to Lephaloor and Bananna. I have exams soon so updates may become slower but afterwards I will continue with hopefully this and other stories.
"What do you remember Legolas?" Gandalf asked gently afraid that too much information too soon would alarm the young elf.
"We were battling orcs and then…" The blonde elf frowned in confusion.
"Aragorn…I do not remember! Did I receive a head wound?" Aragorn frowned at the elf that was looking at him wide eyed with almost a childlike expression. For a moment he forgot that his friend was centuries old. He looked so much like an innocent child.
"Aragorn?" he heard Legolas again question. He blinked. He turned to look at the elf that was looking anxiously at him.
Gandalf looked at Aragorn and shook his head ever so slightly.
"Aye my friend you saved me and in the process took a blow to the head. You had us quite worried there my friend." He helped Legolas sit. The elf moaned and shook his head.
"Is everyone else alright?" he questioned missing the look Gimli shot the two men.
"Pippin also took a blow to the head but he is fine. Everyone else is well. We were resting here waiting for you to awaken. We will continue on our way in the morning. Everyone needs the rest and then we will continue to Mirkwood." Aragorn said.
Legolas frowned and looked around.
"We are already in the outer reaches of Mirkwood. One of the war parties should have found us by now." He stood up and wobbled slightly but shock off Aragorn's reaching hands. He held his head high and whistled like a small bird. Aragorn recognised the call that war parties of the wood elves used to signal each other. There were no answering calls. Legolas frowned that was most unusual but considering the relative activity of the orcs, they might be engaged in other parts of the woods.
"Rest now young prince. I am sure they will find us in the morning." Gandalf said gently. The elf nodded. He sat back down. Having finished their meals the hobbits lay down and quickly went to sleep, followed closely by Gimli. Aragorn announced he would take first watch so Gandalf also went to sleep. Legolas couldn't sleep. He felt things in his mind swirling and darkness inside that worried him. He could feel Aragorn watching his every move and knew he was about to walk over to talk to him. Before the ranger could move a sharp whistle broke the silence. Legolas stood up wavering slightly as this vision blurred. He returned the call. Suddenly 6 elves dropped down from the trees.
"Legolas it is good to see you again my friend." One of the elves said and stepped forward to greet him.
"Elinar." Legolas smiled warmly as he greeted his leader of the war party he was a member of before he went to Rivendell.
"You look well my friend." Elinar said hugging his friend abandoning all pretence of being commanding officer and soldier.
Legolas looked at the other members of the party.
"Rynac, Gilnor." Legolas greeted two of the other elves that stepped forward and hugged the blonde elf excitedly.
"We missed you. Rynac has been picking on me and now that you are back you can regain your rightful place as the victim!" Gilnor exclaimed happily brushing his brown hair away from his face. Legolas rolled his eyes and Rynac smiled smugly. Legolas heard a throat being cleared behind him. He turned to see Aragorn looking pointedly at the other elves.
"Oh sorry. Elinar, Rynac, Gilnor..." he looked at the other 3 elves, which each supplied there names "Aera, Farat, Lingol this is Aragorn son of Arathorn, Gimli son of Golin, Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Merry Brandybuck, Pippin Took and Mithrandir." Aragorn nodded as he was introduced, as did Gimli wearily as he did not trust elves apart from his friend. Mithrandir said an elvish greeting. The hobbits bounced across the clearing and shook hands with the startled elves.
"A dwarf." Farat said disgust evident in his voice. Legolas turned to face the elf that had spoken.
"Aye he is a dwarf and a friend of mine. He deserves the same respect you would show any friend of a Prince of Mirkwood or for that matter any guest of Mirkwood." The elf held the gaze of Legolas for a few seconds before he backed down.
"Come" Elinar, said breaking the tension that had formed. "We will escort you to a safer place to rest." The fellowship followed the party of elves. Aragorn watched the glares the 3 elves that Legolas had not known gave his friend. He shook his head as he realised that things would only get worse the closer they got to the palace.
********
Taket stood in the great hall of his castle angrily surveying his troops. The dark creatures shifted nervously under their lord's stormy gaze.
"Liran has taken over the little elf's body that will prove to be a minor delay. We need to draw him away from the protection of the Mirkwood palace. The one who brings him to me alive will have a great reward, BUT he must be alive. The blood of the dead elf of Mirkwood will not bind the spell. If he dies by any of your hands then the consequences will be severe, your blood will run rivers across the plains and your screams will echo over Middle – Earth." The beings shrunk back from their master and set out from the castle entombed in the mountains overlooking Mirkwood. Taket moved over to a crystal orb. He waved his hand over it and watched as an image appeared of his victim and friends.
********
The hobbits laughed as Gilnor retold another story of Legolas when he accompanied them as part of the war party. Legolas blushed and then tried to stifle a yawn, he succeeded or so he thought. Aragorn noticed and knew that Legolas's pride would never admit to his being tired.
"It's been a long day and I am sure it will be another long day tomorrow. I suggest we rest. I will take first watch, Gimli…" Aragorn suggested but was interrupted.
"I agree we shall rest but we will take watch. We are not tired and you are wearied. Rest my friends we shall exchange more stories tomorrow." Elinar said as he to noticed the tired elf and the yawning hobbits.
The fellowship laid out their blankets and swiftly fell asleep under the watchful eyes of the elves.
Author's notes: - Thank you so much for the reviews. I hope you pluck up the courage to post soon Agarwaenri. Thanks for the advice Serendu. Thanks also to Lephaloor and Bananna. I have exams soon so updates may become slower but afterwards I will continue with hopefully this and other stories.
"What do you remember Legolas?" Gandalf asked gently afraid that too much information too soon would alarm the young elf.
"We were battling orcs and then…" The blonde elf frowned in confusion.
"Aragorn…I do not remember! Did I receive a head wound?" Aragorn frowned at the elf that was looking at him wide eyed with almost a childlike expression. For a moment he forgot that his friend was centuries old. He looked so much like an innocent child.
"Aragorn?" he heard Legolas again question. He blinked. He turned to look at the elf that was looking anxiously at him.
Gandalf looked at Aragorn and shook his head ever so slightly.
"Aye my friend you saved me and in the process took a blow to the head. You had us quite worried there my friend." He helped Legolas sit. The elf moaned and shook his head.
"Is everyone else alright?" he questioned missing the look Gimli shot the two men.
"Pippin also took a blow to the head but he is fine. Everyone else is well. We were resting here waiting for you to awaken. We will continue on our way in the morning. Everyone needs the rest and then we will continue to Mirkwood." Aragorn said.
Legolas frowned and looked around.
"We are already in the outer reaches of Mirkwood. One of the war parties should have found us by now." He stood up and wobbled slightly but shock off Aragorn's reaching hands. He held his head high and whistled like a small bird. Aragorn recognised the call that war parties of the wood elves used to signal each other. There were no answering calls. Legolas frowned that was most unusual but considering the relative activity of the orcs, they might be engaged in other parts of the woods.
"Rest now young prince. I am sure they will find us in the morning." Gandalf said gently. The elf nodded. He sat back down. Having finished their meals the hobbits lay down and quickly went to sleep, followed closely by Gimli. Aragorn announced he would take first watch so Gandalf also went to sleep. Legolas couldn't sleep. He felt things in his mind swirling and darkness inside that worried him. He could feel Aragorn watching his every move and knew he was about to walk over to talk to him. Before the ranger could move a sharp whistle broke the silence. Legolas stood up wavering slightly as this vision blurred. He returned the call. Suddenly 6 elves dropped down from the trees.
"Legolas it is good to see you again my friend." One of the elves said and stepped forward to greet him.
"Elinar." Legolas smiled warmly as he greeted his leader of the war party he was a member of before he went to Rivendell.
"You look well my friend." Elinar said hugging his friend abandoning all pretence of being commanding officer and soldier.
Legolas looked at the other members of the party.
"Rynac, Gilnor." Legolas greeted two of the other elves that stepped forward and hugged the blonde elf excitedly.
"We missed you. Rynac has been picking on me and now that you are back you can regain your rightful place as the victim!" Gilnor exclaimed happily brushing his brown hair away from his face. Legolas rolled his eyes and Rynac smiled smugly. Legolas heard a throat being cleared behind him. He turned to see Aragorn looking pointedly at the other elves.
"Oh sorry. Elinar, Rynac, Gilnor..." he looked at the other 3 elves, which each supplied there names "Aera, Farat, Lingol this is Aragorn son of Arathorn, Gimli son of Golin, Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Merry Brandybuck, Pippin Took and Mithrandir." Aragorn nodded as he was introduced, as did Gimli wearily as he did not trust elves apart from his friend. Mithrandir said an elvish greeting. The hobbits bounced across the clearing and shook hands with the startled elves.
"A dwarf." Farat said disgust evident in his voice. Legolas turned to face the elf that had spoken.
"Aye he is a dwarf and a friend of mine. He deserves the same respect you would show any friend of a Prince of Mirkwood or for that matter any guest of Mirkwood." The elf held the gaze of Legolas for a few seconds before he backed down.
"Come" Elinar, said breaking the tension that had formed. "We will escort you to a safer place to rest." The fellowship followed the party of elves. Aragorn watched the glares the 3 elves that Legolas had not known gave his friend. He shook his head as he realised that things would only get worse the closer they got to the palace.
********
Taket stood in the great hall of his castle angrily surveying his troops. The dark creatures shifted nervously under their lord's stormy gaze.
"Liran has taken over the little elf's body that will prove to be a minor delay. We need to draw him away from the protection of the Mirkwood palace. The one who brings him to me alive will have a great reward, BUT he must be alive. The blood of the dead elf of Mirkwood will not bind the spell. If he dies by any of your hands then the consequences will be severe, your blood will run rivers across the plains and your screams will echo over Middle – Earth." The beings shrunk back from their master and set out from the castle entombed in the mountains overlooking Mirkwood. Taket moved over to a crystal orb. He waved his hand over it and watched as an image appeared of his victim and friends.
********
The hobbits laughed as Gilnor retold another story of Legolas when he accompanied them as part of the war party. Legolas blushed and then tried to stifle a yawn, he succeeded or so he thought. Aragorn noticed and knew that Legolas's pride would never admit to his being tired.
"It's been a long day and I am sure it will be another long day tomorrow. I suggest we rest. I will take first watch, Gimli…" Aragorn suggested but was interrupted.
"I agree we shall rest but we will take watch. We are not tired and you are wearied. Rest my friends we shall exchange more stories tomorrow." Elinar said as he to noticed the tired elf and the yawning hobbits.
The fellowship laid out their blankets and swiftly fell asleep under the watchful eyes of the elves.