Author's Note: I finally got a proofreader. In fact, I got two of them. One is an older sibling who gives good advice and corrects my mistakes. The other is a younger sibling who screams at me to finish writing, accuses me of plagiarism for the most ridiculous reasons, and reads the story completely backwards. Between them, hopefully, I'll have fewer mistakes. TTFN

Disclaimer: Tolkien's characters belong to Tolkien. My characters belong to me.

Reminder: Please refer to Chapter Six Part One to refresh your memory. Remember, night, Mirkwood…evil under the mountain…

Chapter Six

Part 2-

Illusions

"This elvish architecture is amazing," Peter whispered in awe. "And these are only their cellars."

They were in a long underground hallway, wide enough for two or three to walk side by side. Two rows of stone pillars lined either side of the passage, and out of these sprang  life-like marble carvings of flowers, trees, and animals. The columns were spaced at varying intervals, and between them were laid smooth patches of some light- colored stone. Curved flower-shaped sconces leaned out of the stone, some held torches, while others were empty. Peter traced the finely curved back of a gray horse with his finger; the animal was so detailed it was only the size that prevented him from believing that it was real. 

"Amazing," he whistled softly.

 For his part, Derek tried to appear unimpressed. "They could use a few windows down here," he frowned with distaste, "It's rather gloomy."

Peter shook his head, amazed that his friend failed to recognize the masterpiece they were wandering through. He stopped walking and leaned against a column.

"Derek, what did the elves ever do to you? You're so skeptical."

"I am not!" his friend returned sharply, stopping to look back at him.

"Yes, you are." Brushing the long hair out of his eyes, Peter yawned softly. "You never listen. You barely gave Legolas a chance."

Derek's frown deepened at the mention of the name. "I don't know if I trust him yet. He's too unpredictable."

"That's no reason to dislike him."

"Look," Derek snapped. "At least I was civil!" The long night in this unfamiliar haven was taking its toll on him, and he felt his patience slipping away. It had cost him a lot to be nice to Legolas earlier, especially after the prince had gone and blabbed everything to his father, and then had proceeded to ask all those question about Derek's family. The elf had the tendency to be friendly one minute and angry the next, while all along maintaining an air of superiority that was enough to make any mortal feel equivalent with the ground beneath his feet. Derek's expression changed swiftly from regret, to confusion, and finally to frustration as the associated thoughts whirled through his mind. Peter shrugged and looked away; deciding to forestall further argument by pointing out, "Guess what? We're lost."

"No we're not."

"Doesn't this place look familiar to you?" When Derek nodded reluctantly, Peter continued, "It's because we've been here three times so far."

Grinding his teeth, Derek ran a hand through his hair, praying for patience.

"You know what Peter?"

"What?"

"Next time you run away, you're spending the night down here. Because I *won't* be coming after you."

"I said I was sorry, Derek."

"Yeah," Derek's voice squeaked with restrained wrath. "Sorry. Right. I forgot. You're really sorry. That should make everything fine." his voice rose to a crescendo.

"It usually does," Peter mumbled under his breath.  His eyes lit up with a sudden idea. "You know, Derek, I was eating some of that elvish bread when I first came down. If we can find the crumbs, the trail could lead us to the door." He borrowed a torch from a nearby wall sconce, bending down to examine the floor. Derek watched him skeptically. Sure, it was an original idea, and the only one they had come up with so far (aside from wandering around in circles all night), but the process could turn out to be very time consuming.

"Peter, I don't think this is going to work."

"You got a better idea?" Peter was crouched over the floor, but he looked up to throw a weary glance at his companion. "Because if you don't-"

"I think we should stay in one place. It might make it easier for them to find us."

"And who would be downstairs looking for us at this time of the night, pray tell?"

"Uh," Derek paused. "Well I assumed that-"

"Exactly," Peter interrupted in a voice that clearly showed how much enjoyed it, "You assumed. Now for realities sake, please realize that no one could possibly be looking for us, because no one is awake to know that we are gone. Therefore, staying in one place could only result in us freezing to death, while wandering around in circles clearly has its advantages."

Thoroughly confused, Derek made no reply, but stepped into another hallway to retrieve a torch he had just spotted.

"I'll be right back," he called over his shoulder.

"No getting lost, Derek," Peter's disembodied voice floated in from the other room. A sudden, loud crash was accompanied by the sound of a distant groan as Peter tripped over one of the metal spires along the wall.

"Sure," Derek replied calmly, shaking his head at the young man's naïveté. As the two youngest of the group, Derek and Peter had formed a sort of unofficial agreement to look after each other. Although Peter was often air-headed and reckless, and Derek was accused of being manipulative, it was a well- known fact that the two were practically inseparable.

After walking for a minute or so, Derek realized that the torch was somewhat farther than he remembered. He quickened his steps toward the glowing light at the far end of the hallway. Taking the light from its elaborate holder, Derek turned back to where he had just left Peter, recognizing the glow of a torch moving along a side passage. Derek broke into a run.

"Peter? Wait for me!"

At the entrance to the passage, Derek stopped to catch his breath. His eyebrows furrowed momentarily as he glanced down the small hallway. Hadn't Peter been a little further down before?

"Derek? Are you coming or what?"

Peter's light danced in the shadows ahead of him, leading him forward. Straightening up, Derek followed the voice and the light down the dimly lit passageway.

 The absolute silence was broken when Peter heard voices ahead of him, accompanied by the sound of footsteps. He hesitated, not relishing the thought of another encounter with the Elf guards.

*Elf guards?* Peter frowned, wondering why the thought seemed so familiar. As far as he could remember, he had never seen any Elf guards in the first place.

*So, what made me think of that?*

Peter tried to retrace the course of the night in his mind. First, there had been the singing outside the window, and the conversation about the treasure, and then he had left the room and come downstairs…

 Suddenly the puzzle piece clicked into place.

The Elf guards had locked him in the stairwell. But how had he gotten out?

Lost in thought, Peter failed to notice that the footsteps were steadily approaching, until they were almost upon him. Extinguishing his torch, he slipped into the shadows alongside the wall, waiting for the two figures to appear around the corner.

"I think we're getting close. Listen."

There was a long pause. "I don't hear anything."

"And that, my friend, is exactly why you will never succeed as a tracker."

"And you will?" the second voice snorted.

"To the contrary, Strider, I already have. Peter? Is that you?"

Peter jumped out from his hiding place, dropping the torch in relief as he recognized the pair.

"Strider! Legolas! How did you find me?"

Legolas bent down to pick up Peter's torch.

"You breathe so loud," he remarked haughtily, "That unless one were as deaf as Strider appears to be, it would have been impossible to miss you."

Peter relieved smile faded at the harsh words, and his eyes strayed to Strider, who was eyeing Legolas with annoyance. Obviously, the comment had irritated him as well.

Legolas, once again, seemed oblivious to the hostility around him, and was busy exchanging his little candle for the torch. His pale hair shimmered in the firelight as he held the torch up.

"This will last for a little while," he commented softly. "Where's Derek?"

Peter scratched his head, realizing for the first time that his friend had never come back.

"He went down the little side hallway back there a few minutes ago, to get a light."

Legolas eyed Peter doubtfully. "What hallway? There are no exits along this passage that I know of (and I do know them all) unless you mean the ones at the other end. Are you sure you saw one?"

"I think so."

"Well, sorry to tell you this," Legolas shook his head, "But there are no exits off this hallway. I'm positive. Perhaps you imagined it?"

 "When did Derek leave?" Strider interrupted suddenly.

"Several minutes ago. He told me he was going to get another torch, I'm sure he went down a hallway somewhere," Peter's voice was slightly more hesitant this time, and he shifted uncomfortably. He could feel Legolas' eyes boring into him, searching for information.

"You're hiding something," the Elf was saying, with a knowing sparkle in his eyes. While Legolas was one of the most human-friendly elves of his generation, he was not above using a few tactics of elven persuasion on his various human friends. "You don't realize, Peter, that I can read your mind the way lord Aragorn here reads books."

So saying, he indicated Strider, who mumbled under his breath in Sindarin, "Then that would be hardly at all."

Legolas heard, and shot him a warning glare.

"Right, but he doesn't need to know that, does he?" he answered in the same language. He turned his attention back to Peter, who was watching the exchange with a slightly bemused expression.

"Go ahead, we're waiting."

Peter spread his hands in a gesture of defeat. "I'm not hidin' anythin'!"

Legolas' eyes narrowed slightly.

"Honest I'm not! Well," Peter admitted slowly, "There are a few things I can't quite recall, but-"

"There! Stop." Strider folded his arms, eyeing Peter accusingly. "Now that was a guilty statement, if I ever heard one."

"I can't remember anything!" Peter protested, frustrated that the pair were proving to be rather unreasonable. He waited for a sign of understanding from either man or elf, but none was forthcoming. "There is a passage back there. I saw it, and so did Derek. He went inside."

He stopped as Legolas made a choking noise in his throat, rolling his eyes.

"Legolas, stop that." Strider admonished him. Knowing how seriously Legolas took any argument, he added quietly. "Maybe he's right."

"Aragorn!" Legolas turned to him, a hurt expression on his face. He did not understand why his friend would take sides against him. "I know for a fact that he is not."

"Let me show you," Peter pleaded, "Come with me."

Peter reached out to take the torch from Legolas, but the Elf took a step back, an annoyed expression on his face.

"I know the way around my own palace, young one. There is no passage." he snorted, and gave Peter a look that only could have come from Thranduil. Eyes flashing, he brushed past them, motioning sharply for them to follow him down the hallway. Peter stared at the retreating Elf, wondering if Derek was right to be skeptical of his kind. They were rather unpredictable at times, and he certainly could not remember doing anything to upset Legolas so. And for that matter, Peter noticed he was forgetting a lot of things that night…

Aragorn followed Legolas from a distance, not wanting to be caught in the crossfire again.

"You see," Legolas was pointing out, "Like I said, there are no passages." Perhaps you imagined it?"

Though the question was asked as innocently as possible, still Strider rolled his eyes behind his friend's back, making a frustrated gesture with his hands. Although he had befriended the young prince years ago, and prized him as an excellent companion, Strider was slowly realizing that the benefits of associating with Legolas Greenleaf were somewhat undermined by the obligations of putting up with his attitude.

 Peter was running alongside the Elf, trying to keep up with the reckless pace he had set.

"Legolas, can you slow down a little? I think we missed it."

"I'm not blind," Legolas stopped suddenly, whirling to face him. His long hair flew like a whiplash across his face. "If there was anything, I would have seen it. But I haven't. So it doesn't exist." He turned his back with an air of finality.

Indignantly, Peter grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back. "Legolas, if I'm wrong, then where is Derek? And how are we going to find him?"

Legolas opened his mouth to reply, but a shout from Strider cut short the argument.

"Legolas! Come back here! Quickly!"

With a confused look in his eyes, Legolas hurried back down the hallway, Peter at his heels.

"What is it Aragorn?"

Aragorn was standing in the wide space between two columns, and he had a torch in his hand.

"I think I've found Peter's missing hallway," he smiled wryly, turning around so the torch could cast its light into the narrow opening.

The dim rays revealed a long, curved passage lined with stone, but decorated with the same elaborate patterns as the outer hallways. Peter moved into the hallway, motioning them inside.

"I guess it's so hidden in the shadows, you may have forgotten about it," he continued, knowing the Legolas' pride was more than slightly ruffled at the discovery.

Strider moved in to join Peter, who was holding out his hand for Legolas' torch.

"You see?" he said, as he took the light from the Elf, "I told you I was right. Let's go inside. It looks safe enough." Peter smiled encouragingly, relief shining in his eyes. Now that Strider had found the missing entrance, he was sure the Elf would understand, and everything would be normal again.

Legolas, however, was of a different opinion. After handing the torch to Peter, he still remained just outside the entrance, watching them with suspicion.

"Why didn't I see it?" he asked softly.

Half-turning to face him, Aragorn sighed patiently.

"Legolas, you're not invincible and you're not perfect. It was hard to see."

"You saw it!" Legolas answered sharply, and so suddenly that both Aragorn and Peter did a double take.

"Legolas? Come on," Peter encouraged him. "We need to find Derek before your father finds us. Come with us. Come inside."

"I *know* it was not there. I would have seen it."

"Well it is here now!" Aragorn sounded as frustrated as he looked and felt. He understood that Legolas hated being this deep underground, he hated being confused, and he hated losing an argument, but the young prince was starting to get slightly over the top. Sighing inwardly, Aragorn decided to try the attempt-to-reconcile-by-giving-up approach.

*Alright, Legolas* he thought to himself, *If you're too scared…*

But aloud he said only, "You can wait here if you want. We will be back in a few minutes."

Fully expecting the Elf to protest at being left behind, Strider was shocked when Legolas only shrugged, answering non- committaly,

"I think I'll stay here."

"Are you sure?" Strider frowned slightly, wondering what was bothering his friend.

The question at first provoked a scowl from Legolas, but the expression quickly faded into a resigned smile.

"Yes, Aragorn, I'm sure, stop worrying."

 Grinning back, Strider moved ahead to join Peter, who was already a little ways down the hall. He looked over his shoulder one last time.

"Legolas,"

"Stop worrying."

 Strider made a mock- indignant face, then turned the corner and walked out of sight.