Author's Note: This was originally part of Chapter Six Continued, but it got to long for my tastes, so I split it up.

Disclaimer: Tolkien owns his own people, and I anyone who was not in the books.

Chapter Seven

Dreams in the Dark

    Derek was racing down the long hallway, following the glimmer of the torch ahead of him when suddenly, and quite unexpectedly, his light went out.

   "Peter?"

His voice echoed alone in the deep stillness.

   "Peter, wait for me. My light's just gone out."

As he waited in vain for an answer, Derek shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

   "Peter?" he ventured again.

Fearing to move because he could not see where he was going, Derek backed up against the cold, stone wall. He noticed the torch he had been following had continued moving, regardless of his calls. He also noticed that it was getting smaller and dimmer by the second.

   "Answer me!"

Derek bolted forward into the dark, tripped, and fell on his face. When he looked up, slightly dazed, the light was gone.

   "Peter, this is not funny," Derek whispered angrily, trying to pull himself up to a sitting position.

To his surprise, and dismay, he found that he could not. Though his hands roved wildly for a firm surface to support his weight, Derek remained sprawled upon his stomach, limbs flailing uselessly. He had the oddest sensation that he was floating, and strained to see through the dark. He felt lighter than air, but the weight of the darkness reminded him of the way he had felt in the forest that evening, as the curious multitude of eyes stared out at him between the trees. It pressed him, smothering the breath out of his lungs. His lids grew heavy, and he felt as if he were very tired, as if he could sleep for an eternity. Shadows drifted in and out of his vision, shadows that looked strangely familiar…

Suddenly his eyes flew open, and his mind cleared, as he recognized the forms in front of him.

Peter. And Strider.

They were so close he could have touched them, but when they talked, their voices seemed very far away.

*I don't think we should have left Legolas, Peter.

I think Legolas will be fine.

He sensed something, I'm sure of it. We should not have left him alone.

Its only a short way. Peter's voice was deceptively calm.

We should go back.

Legolas will be fine.

Peter…

No! *

As Peter cried out, he suddenly raised his arm to strike Aragorn, rage shining in his eyes. Eyes that were not his own… Suddenly the forms shifted, and disappeared.

    "Wait! Stop!" Derek cried, reaching toward them.

And to his surprise, relief, and utter astonishment, it did.

As the shadows shifted and cleared, Derek felt like he was coming back from unconsciousness.

*It must have been a dream.*

After his initial reaction, Derek winced, waiting to feel the floor rise up beneath him as he landed from his strange experience. However, he was pleasantly disappointed to find that, by some strange occurrence, he was already down, limbs flailing, his face pressed against the dark floor. Sitting up, he was terribly pleased and terribly alarmed to see the brightly lit outline of the doorway gaping out at him from the surrounding blackness. Wondering if it was another trick of his imagination, he hesitated for only a moment before clambering to his feet and racing out of the door.

Intent on his escape, Derek did not notice the figure standing in his way until he collided with him, nearly sending them both to the floor. 

The man regained his balance quickly, placing a hand on Derek's shoulder. "Derek, are you alright?"

It was Legolas, and Derek breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad to see anyone at this point, even the annoying, self-assured, over confident, up-to-no-good Elf.

Well, maybe not.

"Peter and Strider just went down another hall, looking for you. Where were you?"

Noting the look of concern in the Elf's eyes, Derek wondered if the prince had really been worried about him, or if he was merely worried about getting in trouble.

"I was following Peter," he answered slowly, watching Legolas' face closely.

"That's impossible. Peter was with me."

"But I heard his voice. He was in the hallway with me-"

"What hallway?" The elf interrupted sharply.

"The one that was-" Turning, Derek faltered, "Well, it was there a second ago. It's gone now." He was only mildly surprised at this, for in his mind there was no limit to the mysterious and ridiculous tricks that elves could play on mortals' minds. In fact, he wondered if it wasn't Legolas himself who was responsible for the dream-like experience he had just escaped from. Seeing the prince in this light, Derek narrowed his eyes slowly. "There was a doorway there, did you see it?"

Legolas blew out a sigh of frustration. "For the last time, there are no passages off of this hallway!"

Derek smirked. Obviously, he had hit a sore spot.

"Maybe you just didn't know about them," he suggested, pumping a little extra smugness into his voice. "They seem to have a way of disappearing."

"Derek," Legolas snorted. "I've lived here for over a two thousand years. I know what I'm talking about."

The Elf looked down at him the way a judge would look down at a criminal.

"And what were you thinking, you and Peter, coming down here in the middle of the night? This is no place to wander around on your own. You could have gotten into trouble. I could have gotten into trouble. You are wearing out your welcome Derek, pulling pranks like that. You, and Peter, and your disappearing doors-" he rolled his eyes.

"Legolas, could you stop and listen for once? I *saw* the door." Derek was irritated that the Elf always assumed a superior attitude around him. His eyes flashed with restrained anger. "You're not everything, you know. You're not the center of the world!"

"I'm not?" The Elf's blue eyes shone with innocence.

"Oh you're just so…" Derek trailed off as Legolas flashed a cheeky smile at him.

"Impossible? Even for you. Admit it, Derek."

"Admit what? That I can't stand you and your almighty attitude? Consider it said."

"You really mean that?"

Turning on his heel, the man stalked back down the hallway without answering, promising himself to teach that particular elf a lesson in manners.

Legolas followed him, but the smile had faded from his face.

Trying desperately to ignore him, Derek kept looking back periodically, to see if the doorway really had disappeared. But Legolas caught up to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"You really meant that." It was not a question.

"Meant what?" Derek's face was a model of strained patience.

"What you said. You can't stand me."

"That's not true. There's nothing wrong with elves. Strider trusts you," Derek sounded as if he were trying to convince himself of the fact.

"But you don't."

"I know some men who would just as soon kill you as look at you." Derek interrupted coldly. "Be grateful I am not among that number, and leave me alone. Please," he added, shaking Legolas' hand off his shoulder.  

"I'm sorry."

Ignoring the hurt in his eyes, Derek quickened his steps. "Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?" Legolas stopped walking.

"Like I'm the one with the problem!"

Derek had not meant to shout, and he could feel Legolas' surprise and concern as he turned away. Taking a deep breath, Derek tried to change the subject.

"So, umm, where are Strider and Peter? You said they were down here."

"I think we might have missed them," Legolas replied, emphasizing the "we". "We should go back and look more carefully."

"Speak for yourself," Derek retorted as he started to backtrack, scanning the walls more closely. "*I* was looking."

Legolas' eyes narrowed, as he caught the meaning in Derek's words. "So was I."

*Can't we do anything without arguing?* Legolas wondered.

"Then why did you miss it? I thought elves had exceptional sight," Derek asked sarcastically.

"I do. Usually."

Scowling, Derek rounded on him. "SO WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?"

"Nothing!"

"Something's not right here Legolas, and you're not telling me anything! Why do the doors keep disappearing? Where's Strider and Peter?"

"I don't know!"

"Yes you do!"

"Its not my fault." The Elf's voice held just a hint of certainty.

"Then whose is it? You know something."

Legolas looked very uncomfortable. "I don't know anything."

"Is it you?" Derek blurted out accusingly.

"Is what me?"

"Are you causing the illusions? Did you trap Strider and Peter in one of them? Is that why we can't find the door?"

Legolas looked shocked, and very angry. "What are you talking about? I don't have that kind of power. What do you think I am, a wizard?"

"You're an elf." Derek countered, as if that single fact was enough to incriminate him.

Legolas ground his teeth in frustration. "Derek, we're never going to get anywhere if you keep arguing."

"I'll stop as soon as you-"

"Hold on." Legolas cut him off in mid sentence, holding up a hand for silence.

Raising an eyebrow, Derek eyed him suspiciously.

"What is it?"

"Someone is coming."

**

Strider stumbled toward the light, vaguely wondering if Peter was still behind him. As his mind surfaced, he tried to remember where they were. He shaded his eyes against the blinding light of the hallway for; dim as it was, it was a drastic change from the pitch-blackness they had endured after the torches went out. Distantly at first, then clearer as he drew closer, Aragorn heard the remnants of a conversation.

"I don't have that kind of power. What do you think I am, a wizard?"

"You're an elf."

"Derek, we're never going to get anywhere if you keep arguing."

"I'll stop as soon as you-"

"Hold on. Someone is coming."

Quickening his steps, Strider followed the voices around a corner. He stopped when he saw his two friends standing in the hallway, staring expectantly in his direction.

"What is going on?" he demanded, noticing the strange looks they were giving him.

"Aragorn! What happened to you?" Legolas' voice was a mixture of relief and concern. "Thank the Valar I have someone sensible to talk to," he added softly.

 Swiftly covering the gap between them, he placed a hand on Aragorn's shoulder, examining him to see if he was hurt. 

"I'm fine," Strider assured him. "The lights went out a few hours after we entered the tunnel, though."

"Hours?" Legolas raised an eyebrow, slightly concerned. "You weren't in there for more than twenty minutes, Aragorn."

The man shrugged. "It seemed like hours."

"He's right," Derek interrupted. "That's how I felt too."

Legolas turned a curious stare on him. "What do you mean? You didn't-"

"After my light went out," Derek explained, "It was hard to breathe, and I felt like I was dreaming. I had a dream about you, Strider, and Peter, and-"

Aragorn's heart nearly stopped. "Oh no. I completely forgot."

"Forgot what?"

Without answering, Aragorn turned and raced back down the hallway. Legolas frowned, wondering what was bothering his friend.

"Aragorn?"

When Derek and Legolas found him a few moments later, he was pressed against the wall, vainly searching for an opening. The walls of the passage stared at him blankly, stubborn and immovable. Grabbing a torch from the wall, Strider held it up to the stone.

His face fell with disappointment.

"Like I told you," Derek said calmly. "They seem to have the ability to disappear."

"I guess that's why I always miss them," Legolas answered. He sighed, running a hand through his long hair. "Peter never came out, Aragorn?"

The man shook his head, without turning to face them. He was still in a state of semi- shock. How could he have left the boy behind?

Derek, who seemed the least affected by the discovery, decided to take the initiative.

"I think we should go downstairs."

Legolas blinked in surprise. "Downstairs?"

"Yes. I think we have a good chance of finding him down there."

"Do you even know what's downstairs?" Legolas asked incredulously.

"No," came the blatant reply. "Do you?"

"Yes," Legolas began indignantly, and then stopped as a sudden thought occurred to him. "Well, I've only been down there a few times."

Derek nodded, as if he had guessed that already. "Good. Then we'll be all the wiser for our trip."

"I don't think Peter's down there-"

"How would you know?"

Legolas was ready to throw out an angry retort, but he was surprised to find that it was Strider, not Derek, who had asked the question.

"Well," Legolas began slowly, "I don't-"

"Then why shouldn't we go down?" As Strider turned to face him, Legolas read the challenge in his eyes.

"I didn't say that," Legolas replied softly. *Why is everyone against me?*         

"Derek and I are going downstairs," Strider continued. Lighting another torch, he handed it to Derek. Then he fixed Legolas with a questioning look.

"I'm coming," Legolas assured him, though he didn't feel half as sure as he sounded.

Aragorn led the way, followed by Derek, and finally by Legolas. At the end of the passage was a solid wood door, fastened with shining silver bolts. Strider turned the handle and the door opened with ease. Legolas hesitated at top the stairwell that led down into a seemingly endless pit of darkness.

"Go on," Derek pulled him forward slowly.

Legolas took a step backwards.

"Legolas! Time is running out!"

Whirling to face Strider, Legolas glared at him. He was feeling very uneasy about something, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

"What's wrong with you? How do you know Peter is down there? What do you mean, time is running out?"

Aragorn's eyes softened, and he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"I didn't mean to yell, Legolas."

Shrugging his hand away, Legolas backed up. "You are not acting like yourself."

"I'm just worried about Peter. Come Legolas. Please."

Derek urged Legolas forward.

"Its fine, Legolas. Trust me. This is where Peter was when I found him, and he might have come back."

 "But I-"

Strider raised a finger to his lips, motioning for silence.

"No arguments. Come."

"Why?" Legolas demanded.

"You would prefer to stay behind?"

Sighing, Legolas shook his head. Taking the torch from Derek, he stepped forward.

Strider threw the door open wide, stepping aside quickly.

"You first," he said.

TBC

Yes, Strider and Derek are acting very strange aren't they? I wonder why…