Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
Please, please review.
Got negative review from 'slash hater' for this story. Kind of weird that he/she chose to pick on this one, given I personally would slam Shadow first if I am of his/her opinion.... anyway, I am pretty sure that I put Aragorn/Legolas in the summary. But, maybe I didn't explicitly put this in warning that meant a MALE/MALE relationship. If you don't like, please don't read! Sorry, kind of cranky today...
Easter Island: You are completely right, I was just under the assumption that Thranduril was a true breeding dark-hair since all his previous 64 children had dark hair. But anyway, genetics of Elves are definitely beyond me =)
Nina: Yes, it would be really funny if he did dye his hair black...didn't think of that one..kicking myself on the head =)
..... : thoughts or random ramblings of authoress...
Lasgalen = alias of Legolas
Need to change rating to PG-13, mind filled with inappropriate thoughts tonight, and it showed in story.. Now on with the story
**************************************************************************** **
Chapter 4:
Aragorn was not having a good day. Correction, he was having a very bad day. Things had started going down hill ever since he received the letter from his foster father requesting his presence back in Rivendell to be one of the commanders of the joint army. He could not believe that Elrond had the audacity to VOLUNTEER him for that post during his absence. He was chieftain of the Dunedains and was handling some important business up North when the election council was held.
Apparently, there were to be three commanders and trainers for the new recruits and his foster father, wanting representatives from Rivendell to hold all those positions, had nominated him along with his twin sons. The rules of the elections were such that only children or foster children, in Estel's case, of Elven Lords and Kings could be nominated, which gave Mirkwood a significant advantage in the numbers of candidates. However, that spread the votes of the Mirkwood supporters and not one particular prince could obtain a majority vote.
But still, everything would have been fine except for the meddling of Lady Galadriel and Gandalf. Elves believed themselves superior to Men, and would normally not have voted for him to command the joint army. But for some strange reason, the wisest of the Elves and the old Istari decided to conspire against Aragorn and managed to convince, more likely coerce, the other delegates into voting in his favor. Ancient and powerful or not, the Man could not help wanting to whack them with Anduril very hard on the head. Okay, maybe not with the sword, but definitely something hard...maybe a hardwood staff of some sort.
If Aragorn wasn't courting Arwen, he would have ignored the letter. After all, he was chieftain of the Dunedains; he could always make up some excuse and say he must stay with HIS people. But as the Man was seeking Arwen's hand, among other things, he needed to be on good terms with his foster father. It was exasperating how Elrond exploited this weakness. The Elf- Lord was hinting in not so subtle terms that if Aragorn did not return at once, he could forget ever seeing the Lady again. She would be sent to Lothlorien before he could say "Ni", which gave the Man no choice but to track grudgingly back to Rivendell.
In general, it was a difficult task training newly recruited Elves. They had many natural advantages: agility, endurance and extraordinary keen senses. Because of these gifts, they tend to be arrogant and complacent. Elves did not take well to instructions and criticism, as they believe themselves superior beings in Middle Earth. Since they thought they knew EVERYTHING already, they would rather sing and dance than practice to improve their fighting techniques.
While the task was hard even for experienced Elf trainers, it was gruesome for a HUMAN to attempt. Especially when the novices were probably old enough to be Aragorn's great-great grandfather!! The Man already knew they would not listen to him even if their very lives depended on it. No matter how he tried, he would probably end up being the token third commander of the joint army. And in Aragorn's mind, there was definitely something more worthwhile for him to do, like hunting orcs or killing wargs or destroying spiders or maiming Nazguls or annihilating wolves... Yup, Aragorn's favorite pass-time was venting his pent-up angst of being in exile on innocent, unsuspecting creatures of darkness.
It did not help that it had been raining the entire journey; their packs were stolen during the night by some monkeys during his companion's watch and now Halbarad was engaging in an argument with a traveling salesman over the price of their last meal of dried meat, bread and cabbages. Aragorn decided he had had enough.
"Halbarad, just pay the man so we can be on our way," said the Man in frustration at his companion.
"I cannot. Remember our packs were stolen. Besides, even if we have the money, he did not mention that we must pay him when he offered us the food. It is a matter of principle," argued the other ranger.
Aragorn was quickly developing a headache. The idea of drawing Anduril and giving both the salesman and his friend some slashes on the backside was becoming very tempting. But before he gave into his fantasy, a beautiful blond elf came to his companion's rescue. The stranger wore a silver shirt, a green suede jerkin and dark green leggings. Long, soft golden hair framed a delicate face. Intelligent, exquisite azure eyes regarded the Men keenly, as if accessing the situation.
"How much did you say the food cost?" inquired the Elf with a soft, melodic voice. The voice was definitely the most beautiful Aragorn had ever heard. It was lilting, gentle and cultured, reflecting a keen intellect and a sweet personality. It made his spoken words sound like a song; the Man wondered what heavenly sound it would be for the voice to truly sing.
"It's two pieces of gold, but these two ate most of it already...."answered the salesman.
"Two pieces of gold!! I could get a five course meal at the best tavern in Bree for that price!!" exclaimed Halbarad.
"Here you are, if you would be kind enough to give me the leftovers," said the golden Elf as he withdrew from a pouch on his waist the said sum. He handed it to the salesman and bestowed on him a smile so gorgeous that could bewitch even the Nazguls into renouncing their allegiance to Sauron.
"Thank you. A beauty like you really shouldn't travel alone," said the salesman, as he stared at the Elf and licked his lips. As he handed the bag of leftover food to the golden beauty, his hands lingered and deliberately grabbed the Elf's. At the contact, the stranger tensed and tried to move away, but the other man would not let go.
Aragorn definitely had enough. He was not about to have this golden elf touched by a crude, cheating salesman.
"If you value your hand, I suggest you remove it from the Elf," threatened Aragorn was he drew Anduril.
At the sight of the sword and Aragorn's very scary expression, the salesman promptly dropped the stranger's hand and started to flee.
When the man was out of sight, Aragorn turned towards the fair Elf and asked, "Are you alright? I am sorry about that, I wish you didn't have to waste that money on our food."
"I am okay. And I wouldn't consider the money wasted just yet. There are some uses to what's left in the bag, I think," said the Elf with a dazzling smile.
Aragorn found himself staring at the golden beauty once again. This one was really in a class of his own. Being tall dark and handsome, Aragorn had his share of lovers, both male and female, elves and human. But none could compare to the Elf before him, not in looks or charm or the keen intelligence that seemed to emanate from the stranger.
The Man gulped and licked his lips, as he introduced himself and his companion, "I am Strider, a ranger from the North and this is my friend, Halbarad, also a ranger. We are on business to Rivendell"
"I am Le.Lasgalen," lied Legolas, as he remembered that he was supposed to be a spy and should not be using his real name.
If he were supposed to spy in Mirkwood, Legolas could go around using his real name. Everyone knew him, of course, praises of the keen intellect and golden tongue of their tactical advisor was sung almost daily. They just didn't connect Legolas with his reputation. Please forgive the Elves of Mirkwood, but it was difficult to put a name and a face to the great deeds of the Elf in question as the said Elf was always in his office or away on a diplomatic mission.
But since Legolas' name and face was well known in other realms as the chief foreign affairs liason of Mirkwood, he knew he would have to make up an alias to fool those in Rivendell. He sincerely hoped that none of the high-ranking Elf-Lords would be visiting their training camp, or his cover would definitely be blown.
It is too late for doubts now. I will do this, and I will succeed. Legolas encouraged himself mentally.
"It is nice to meet you, Lasgalen. I am very interested in what you have in mind for the leftover food. Would you mind if we tag along?" asked Aragorn.
The truth was that he made that up as an excuse to stay around the Elf. The Man deduced from Legolas' interactions with the salesman that he was a shy type and would definitely ran away if the Elf realized what his true interests laid. With Arwen playing the cool reserved maiden that was hard to get, Aragorn could surely use some distraction. Besides, he had a feeling that this Elf would actually be able to carry out an intelligent conversation that did not involve "Do you like my new outfit?" or "Is that Elf pretty than me?". That alone would be worth the challenge, not having to wreck his not-so romantic brain for sugar-coated words to soothe his vain lovers. But the Elf's good looks did give an extra incentive.
"Sure. I could use the company," said Legolas with a smile.
God, must his smile be so tempting? Does he even know the effect he has on men? Aragorn swore silently as he found he was about to lose control of a certain part of his anatomy over one simple smile. It would seem that trying to win the golden Elf's affections before the physical demands of his body became too painful to bear would be a very hard challenge after all.
**************************************************************************** **
The Man watched with curiosity as Legolas extracted a strange looking device from his pack. It was a sharp metal pike attached a silver plate with a very long string. The Elf then scouted around the area before settling in front of a tree on the small clearing. He looped the string around a low hanging branch such that the large spike was suspended and hidden in the foliage. Although it started as an excuse to stay with the Elf, Aragorn soon found himself fascinated by the proceedings. It was clear that Legolas was setting up a trap of some sort, but he wondered why the Elf would resort to such tactics instead of hunting with his bow and arrows. The golden Elf placed the plate onto the ground below the spike and poured the food into it. He then pulled a small vial from his pouch and poured some of its deep red content onto the food.
"Now we wait," said the Elf softly as he moved to a hiding place on a lower branch of a nearby tree. The two Men joined him after a short while since it took them some time to climb up the tree without Elven agility.
For three hours they waited. Legolas watched the trap with undivided attention, while Aragorn was absorbed in watching the Elf watch the trap. The remaining Man settled for watching his companion watched Legolas watched the trap. At long last, a lone warg approached the plate and was sniffing at it. After a moment of hesitation, undoubtedly caused by the presence of a string attached to the trap, the creature began to eat. As the load on the plate lightened, it was no longer heavy enough to counterbalance the heavy metal spike. The sharp pike fell onto the unsuspecting warg, killing it instantly as it penetrated the beast's skull.
Legolas smiled as he leapt down from his hiding place. The two Men followed slowly again, for they did not wish to risk jumping from that great a height. When they reached the dead beast, the Elf spoke.
"Wargs were a delicacy in Mirkwood. They actually taste quite good if you prepare it right. This particular one had been following me for a couple of days now, intending to have me for dinner, it is rather ironic that I should eat him instead. If you don't mind giving me a hand, I would be delighted to share my catch with you."
The Men looked at the ugly beast; the thought of eating this creature was not at all appetitizing. However, before Halbarad could turn the offer down, Aragorn cut in and said, "Of course, our packs were stolen by monkeys so a warm meal would be most welcomed. Incidentally, what was the liquid you poured on the food to attract the warg. I was sure that the beast though dumb would be too cautious to fall into the trap."
Legolas smiled, which caused the Man to remind himself not to look directly at the Elf after a question that would provoke any movement of those rosy delectable lips, and answered, "A little of my blood. The beast attacked me before and bit my arm. I was lucky to be able to escape into a tree. I figured that since the warg had a taste of my blood, it would want more. And since I was already bleeding, I merely collected some to bait my trap. It was really all in theory, but I am glad it worked."
Aragorn stared at the Elf in shock. It was not the sound logic and daring of the plan that surprised him. It was the fact that a single warg managed to harm the Elf. Lasgalen looked young, but he could not be so young to not have had warrior training. Any novice Elf could easily kill a lone warg!!
When he recovered from his surprise, the Man asked, "Why don't you just shoot it?"
Aragorn regretted his question the moment he spoke for the smile of the golden Elf's face had vanished. Replacing it was a sad expression that the Man thought should NEVER appear on the face of one so beautiful.
"I have never been very good as a warrior. My entire family looked down upon me for it. That is why I am headed to Rivendell to join the army against Sauron. Maybe I could learn to be a good fighter and prove to my family that I am not useless," confessed Legolas, almost on the verge of tears.
Aragorn never thought he would ever feel this way, but at the moment, he was glad Elrond had forced him into becoming trainer and commander of the joint army. He would get to see Lasgalen every day!!
"I am sure you will, my friend. Someone as intelligent as you would no doubt succeed in anything you set your mind to. Now, let us take this beast back to camp, shall we?"
**************************************************************************** **
Aragorn was not a stranger to shedding blood of wargs nor was he unused to gutting an animal for dinner; but it was his first time gutting a warg for dinner, and the task was proving more gruesome than the Man imagined. On more than one occasion, he was tempted to give up as dark blood oozed out of the hideous creature; but one look at Lasgalen's gorgeous face intent on the task would change his mind every time.
When the task was finished, he was rewarded by something rather unexpected. When he was still crouching by the side of the ugly carcass, the Elf had walked to his pack a few feet away from the Man and bent over to retrieve some cooking herbs. From his vantage point, Aragorn was given a very clear view of the Elf's sweet tight backside. Which from the Man's standpoint, made the entire dreadful task worthwhile. No, actually, it would make eating the ghastly beast worthwhile, even if he were to get sick in the stomach afterwards.
Halbarad returned to camp at the sight of his chieftain staring dreamy-eyed at the behind of the Golden Elf. He had not seen Aragorn so besotted with anyone before, not even when the Man first met the Evening Star of the Elves. Halbarad shuddered to think what would happen if Lady Arwen were to find out that her Man thought another Elf more attractive than her. The Lady was by nature a sweet gentle creature, but when another Elf threatened to be prettier than her, she could turn into a very mean tigress, sparing no one in her path. He only hoped his chieftain knew what he was doing, tempting fate in such a fashion. Ah well, if the Man had a death wish, who was he to judge..
Halbarad walked over to the pair and handed over the items that the Elf had asked him to procure as ingredient for dinner. Frankly, he was not too eager to eat any part of the foul beast, but since he had pledged loyalty to Aragorn, he was not about to betray the Man over a meal. Legolas thanked both Men and told them he could manage from here.
"Why don't you go freshen up before dinner? It will be ready in about an hour or so," suggested the Elf.
"Freshen up?" asked Aragorn. He was a human ranger and was therefore not familiar with that term. In general, humans had a much higher tolerance for uncleanness than Elves; on a long journey, the concept of taking a bath before dinner was quite foreign to the Man. Besides, the river was half an hour's walk away; even if he took a bath, by the time he got back to camp, he would be dirty and sweaty again from the exercise. Because of that philosophy, Aragorn tended to be a little negligent of his personal hygiene during his journeys through the wild. Okay, that was an understatement; he had yet to have a bath since he left for Rivendell four days ago.
"Come now, Aragorn, we could use some cold water to cool our heads, as well as other things," said the other Man meaningfully, with a glance at the huge bulge under Aragorn breeches.
The Man quickly elbowed his companion in the stomach to silent him and glanced at Lasgalen to see if the Elf had been startled. But luck was on his side, the Elf was not even looking at them, he was busy carving out meat from the carcass and marinating them with some herb-like substance. Aragorn wondered why the golden creature even bothered since he was sure no matter what the Elf did, a warg would still taste like a warg. The Man meant that as a derogatory comment to the said beast, though he had never tried eating a warg before.
Though he did not particularly want to take a bath since he believed it a waste of his time, the Man did want to please Lasgalen. He would go to the river and freshen up as the Elf suggested. Halbarad in tow, the Man stalked towards his destination, leaving Lasgalen to his cooking.
**************************************************************************** **
When the two Men returned to camp, they found their noses assaulted by the delicious fragrant of basil, garlic and cloves. They watched as the Elf skillfully pan-seared slices of meat in a thin lemon-basil sauce. If they did not know where the meat had come from, their mouths would be watering by now. However, they knew what they were about to eat and that knowledge put a damper on the appeal of the Elf's cuisine. As Legolas divided the food into three plates, Aragorn and Halbarad fought over the smallest one.
When the Elf noticed the battle, he realized immediately the implication and said, looking more than a little hurt, "You do not have to eat if you do not want to."
"Don't be absurd, of course, I am going to try some," said Aragorn immediately, wishing to placate the Elf. The Man decided that it was wrong to allow a hurt expression to mar Lasgalen's golden beauty. As he picked up his plate, he gave his companion a small shove and indicated silently that Halbarad should also do so.
What a Man would do to please someone they were attracted to!! Aragorn picked up a small piece of his food with his fork and took a small bite, prepared for the worst taste in his life. The sensation he felt as the meat hit his tongue was indeed one that he had never experienced. The meat was tender and juicy; the flavoring was just right; a subtle herbal taste complemented the meat's natural flavor perfectly; leaving every taste bud on his tongue tingling, wanting, no desiring more. If a person could find euphoria in food, this would be it.
Looking at his chieftain's stunned expression, Halbarad stared at his plate in fear. He knew that it takes a lot to cause the usually unflappable Aragorn to lose his composure; which meant that the dish must be really something else. He whispered gently to his companion, "Is it that bad?"
At that question, Aragorn returned to his senses and glared at his friend. "Do not insult Lasgalen's cooking ever again if you value your life. This is the best food I have ever had."
As if making a point, the Man put the entire piece in his mouth and began to chew slowly. Without realizing it, Aragorn was letting out little sighs of contentment and pleasure. Halbarad watched the scene cautiously before trying a bit of his food. After the first mouthful, he began wolfing down his food faster than a starved warg.
Legolas looked at the Strider and was glad to see that he enjoyed his cooking. It was actually the first time he tried making that dish. He read about the recipe in one of his many books. There was something about this Man that he liked; something that made him wanted to please Strider. It certainly was NOT the fact that he was tall, dark and handsome. He grew up with people like that. Except that Strider was a lot more muscular and manly than any Elf he knew. The way his muscles rippled as he moved and the way his stumbles grew to conceal the cleft of his chin and his strong square jaw were rather attractive.
But if one thing Legolas learnt in his missions as a diplomat was that appearances could be deceiving and one should never make judgments based on them. The very pleasant physical attributes were a bonus, but what Legolas liked the most about the Man was that Strider believed in him enough to give him the opportunity to prove himself before passing judgment. No one had actually done that before. People always assumed that he would succeed at anything that involved his brain or his voice and fail at anything that involve physical prowess.
It was nice to have someone who would try to understand him and want to know him better as a person. People were always interested in his plans just because they wanted to gain something from it; Strider was the only one who was curious about what he did, though the Man did not stand to directly benefit from it. Then of course, there was the fact that the Man thought he could become a decent warrior. Strider trusted him enough to even try his cooking, a warg no less!! With the Man as companion, the journey to Rivendell would certainly be so much more exciting.
**************************************************************************** *
Will have truffles joke again next chapter. Will have pipeweed joke as well, but later on..
Please, please review.
Got negative review from 'slash hater' for this story. Kind of weird that he/she chose to pick on this one, given I personally would slam Shadow first if I am of his/her opinion.... anyway, I am pretty sure that I put Aragorn/Legolas in the summary. But, maybe I didn't explicitly put this in warning that meant a MALE/MALE relationship. If you don't like, please don't read! Sorry, kind of cranky today...
Easter Island: You are completely right, I was just under the assumption that Thranduril was a true breeding dark-hair since all his previous 64 children had dark hair. But anyway, genetics of Elves are definitely beyond me =)
Nina: Yes, it would be really funny if he did dye his hair black...didn't think of that one..kicking myself on the head =)
..... : thoughts or random ramblings of authoress...
Lasgalen = alias of Legolas
Need to change rating to PG-13, mind filled with inappropriate thoughts tonight, and it showed in story.. Now on with the story
**************************************************************************** **
Chapter 4:
Aragorn was not having a good day. Correction, he was having a very bad day. Things had started going down hill ever since he received the letter from his foster father requesting his presence back in Rivendell to be one of the commanders of the joint army. He could not believe that Elrond had the audacity to VOLUNTEER him for that post during his absence. He was chieftain of the Dunedains and was handling some important business up North when the election council was held.
Apparently, there were to be three commanders and trainers for the new recruits and his foster father, wanting representatives from Rivendell to hold all those positions, had nominated him along with his twin sons. The rules of the elections were such that only children or foster children, in Estel's case, of Elven Lords and Kings could be nominated, which gave Mirkwood a significant advantage in the numbers of candidates. However, that spread the votes of the Mirkwood supporters and not one particular prince could obtain a majority vote.
But still, everything would have been fine except for the meddling of Lady Galadriel and Gandalf. Elves believed themselves superior to Men, and would normally not have voted for him to command the joint army. But for some strange reason, the wisest of the Elves and the old Istari decided to conspire against Aragorn and managed to convince, more likely coerce, the other delegates into voting in his favor. Ancient and powerful or not, the Man could not help wanting to whack them with Anduril very hard on the head. Okay, maybe not with the sword, but definitely something hard...maybe a hardwood staff of some sort.
If Aragorn wasn't courting Arwen, he would have ignored the letter. After all, he was chieftain of the Dunedains; he could always make up some excuse and say he must stay with HIS people. But as the Man was seeking Arwen's hand, among other things, he needed to be on good terms with his foster father. It was exasperating how Elrond exploited this weakness. The Elf- Lord was hinting in not so subtle terms that if Aragorn did not return at once, he could forget ever seeing the Lady again. She would be sent to Lothlorien before he could say "Ni", which gave the Man no choice but to track grudgingly back to Rivendell.
In general, it was a difficult task training newly recruited Elves. They had many natural advantages: agility, endurance and extraordinary keen senses. Because of these gifts, they tend to be arrogant and complacent. Elves did not take well to instructions and criticism, as they believe themselves superior beings in Middle Earth. Since they thought they knew EVERYTHING already, they would rather sing and dance than practice to improve their fighting techniques.
While the task was hard even for experienced Elf trainers, it was gruesome for a HUMAN to attempt. Especially when the novices were probably old enough to be Aragorn's great-great grandfather!! The Man already knew they would not listen to him even if their very lives depended on it. No matter how he tried, he would probably end up being the token third commander of the joint army. And in Aragorn's mind, there was definitely something more worthwhile for him to do, like hunting orcs or killing wargs or destroying spiders or maiming Nazguls or annihilating wolves... Yup, Aragorn's favorite pass-time was venting his pent-up angst of being in exile on innocent, unsuspecting creatures of darkness.
It did not help that it had been raining the entire journey; their packs were stolen during the night by some monkeys during his companion's watch and now Halbarad was engaging in an argument with a traveling salesman over the price of their last meal of dried meat, bread and cabbages. Aragorn decided he had had enough.
"Halbarad, just pay the man so we can be on our way," said the Man in frustration at his companion.
"I cannot. Remember our packs were stolen. Besides, even if we have the money, he did not mention that we must pay him when he offered us the food. It is a matter of principle," argued the other ranger.
Aragorn was quickly developing a headache. The idea of drawing Anduril and giving both the salesman and his friend some slashes on the backside was becoming very tempting. But before he gave into his fantasy, a beautiful blond elf came to his companion's rescue. The stranger wore a silver shirt, a green suede jerkin and dark green leggings. Long, soft golden hair framed a delicate face. Intelligent, exquisite azure eyes regarded the Men keenly, as if accessing the situation.
"How much did you say the food cost?" inquired the Elf with a soft, melodic voice. The voice was definitely the most beautiful Aragorn had ever heard. It was lilting, gentle and cultured, reflecting a keen intellect and a sweet personality. It made his spoken words sound like a song; the Man wondered what heavenly sound it would be for the voice to truly sing.
"It's two pieces of gold, but these two ate most of it already...."answered the salesman.
"Two pieces of gold!! I could get a five course meal at the best tavern in Bree for that price!!" exclaimed Halbarad.
"Here you are, if you would be kind enough to give me the leftovers," said the golden Elf as he withdrew from a pouch on his waist the said sum. He handed it to the salesman and bestowed on him a smile so gorgeous that could bewitch even the Nazguls into renouncing their allegiance to Sauron.
"Thank you. A beauty like you really shouldn't travel alone," said the salesman, as he stared at the Elf and licked his lips. As he handed the bag of leftover food to the golden beauty, his hands lingered and deliberately grabbed the Elf's. At the contact, the stranger tensed and tried to move away, but the other man would not let go.
Aragorn definitely had enough. He was not about to have this golden elf touched by a crude, cheating salesman.
"If you value your hand, I suggest you remove it from the Elf," threatened Aragorn was he drew Anduril.
At the sight of the sword and Aragorn's very scary expression, the salesman promptly dropped the stranger's hand and started to flee.
When the man was out of sight, Aragorn turned towards the fair Elf and asked, "Are you alright? I am sorry about that, I wish you didn't have to waste that money on our food."
"I am okay. And I wouldn't consider the money wasted just yet. There are some uses to what's left in the bag, I think," said the Elf with a dazzling smile.
Aragorn found himself staring at the golden beauty once again. This one was really in a class of his own. Being tall dark and handsome, Aragorn had his share of lovers, both male and female, elves and human. But none could compare to the Elf before him, not in looks or charm or the keen intelligence that seemed to emanate from the stranger.
The Man gulped and licked his lips, as he introduced himself and his companion, "I am Strider, a ranger from the North and this is my friend, Halbarad, also a ranger. We are on business to Rivendell"
"I am Le.Lasgalen," lied Legolas, as he remembered that he was supposed to be a spy and should not be using his real name.
If he were supposed to spy in Mirkwood, Legolas could go around using his real name. Everyone knew him, of course, praises of the keen intellect and golden tongue of their tactical advisor was sung almost daily. They just didn't connect Legolas with his reputation. Please forgive the Elves of Mirkwood, but it was difficult to put a name and a face to the great deeds of the Elf in question as the said Elf was always in his office or away on a diplomatic mission.
But since Legolas' name and face was well known in other realms as the chief foreign affairs liason of Mirkwood, he knew he would have to make up an alias to fool those in Rivendell. He sincerely hoped that none of the high-ranking Elf-Lords would be visiting their training camp, or his cover would definitely be blown.
It is too late for doubts now. I will do this, and I will succeed. Legolas encouraged himself mentally.
"It is nice to meet you, Lasgalen. I am very interested in what you have in mind for the leftover food. Would you mind if we tag along?" asked Aragorn.
The truth was that he made that up as an excuse to stay around the Elf. The Man deduced from Legolas' interactions with the salesman that he was a shy type and would definitely ran away if the Elf realized what his true interests laid. With Arwen playing the cool reserved maiden that was hard to get, Aragorn could surely use some distraction. Besides, he had a feeling that this Elf would actually be able to carry out an intelligent conversation that did not involve "Do you like my new outfit?" or "Is that Elf pretty than me?". That alone would be worth the challenge, not having to wreck his not-so romantic brain for sugar-coated words to soothe his vain lovers. But the Elf's good looks did give an extra incentive.
"Sure. I could use the company," said Legolas with a smile.
God, must his smile be so tempting? Does he even know the effect he has on men? Aragorn swore silently as he found he was about to lose control of a certain part of his anatomy over one simple smile. It would seem that trying to win the golden Elf's affections before the physical demands of his body became too painful to bear would be a very hard challenge after all.
**************************************************************************** **
The Man watched with curiosity as Legolas extracted a strange looking device from his pack. It was a sharp metal pike attached a silver plate with a very long string. The Elf then scouted around the area before settling in front of a tree on the small clearing. He looped the string around a low hanging branch such that the large spike was suspended and hidden in the foliage. Although it started as an excuse to stay with the Elf, Aragorn soon found himself fascinated by the proceedings. It was clear that Legolas was setting up a trap of some sort, but he wondered why the Elf would resort to such tactics instead of hunting with his bow and arrows. The golden Elf placed the plate onto the ground below the spike and poured the food into it. He then pulled a small vial from his pouch and poured some of its deep red content onto the food.
"Now we wait," said the Elf softly as he moved to a hiding place on a lower branch of a nearby tree. The two Men joined him after a short while since it took them some time to climb up the tree without Elven agility.
For three hours they waited. Legolas watched the trap with undivided attention, while Aragorn was absorbed in watching the Elf watch the trap. The remaining Man settled for watching his companion watched Legolas watched the trap. At long last, a lone warg approached the plate and was sniffing at it. After a moment of hesitation, undoubtedly caused by the presence of a string attached to the trap, the creature began to eat. As the load on the plate lightened, it was no longer heavy enough to counterbalance the heavy metal spike. The sharp pike fell onto the unsuspecting warg, killing it instantly as it penetrated the beast's skull.
Legolas smiled as he leapt down from his hiding place. The two Men followed slowly again, for they did not wish to risk jumping from that great a height. When they reached the dead beast, the Elf spoke.
"Wargs were a delicacy in Mirkwood. They actually taste quite good if you prepare it right. This particular one had been following me for a couple of days now, intending to have me for dinner, it is rather ironic that I should eat him instead. If you don't mind giving me a hand, I would be delighted to share my catch with you."
The Men looked at the ugly beast; the thought of eating this creature was not at all appetitizing. However, before Halbarad could turn the offer down, Aragorn cut in and said, "Of course, our packs were stolen by monkeys so a warm meal would be most welcomed. Incidentally, what was the liquid you poured on the food to attract the warg. I was sure that the beast though dumb would be too cautious to fall into the trap."
Legolas smiled, which caused the Man to remind himself not to look directly at the Elf after a question that would provoke any movement of those rosy delectable lips, and answered, "A little of my blood. The beast attacked me before and bit my arm. I was lucky to be able to escape into a tree. I figured that since the warg had a taste of my blood, it would want more. And since I was already bleeding, I merely collected some to bait my trap. It was really all in theory, but I am glad it worked."
Aragorn stared at the Elf in shock. It was not the sound logic and daring of the plan that surprised him. It was the fact that a single warg managed to harm the Elf. Lasgalen looked young, but he could not be so young to not have had warrior training. Any novice Elf could easily kill a lone warg!!
When he recovered from his surprise, the Man asked, "Why don't you just shoot it?"
Aragorn regretted his question the moment he spoke for the smile of the golden Elf's face had vanished. Replacing it was a sad expression that the Man thought should NEVER appear on the face of one so beautiful.
"I have never been very good as a warrior. My entire family looked down upon me for it. That is why I am headed to Rivendell to join the army against Sauron. Maybe I could learn to be a good fighter and prove to my family that I am not useless," confessed Legolas, almost on the verge of tears.
Aragorn never thought he would ever feel this way, but at the moment, he was glad Elrond had forced him into becoming trainer and commander of the joint army. He would get to see Lasgalen every day!!
"I am sure you will, my friend. Someone as intelligent as you would no doubt succeed in anything you set your mind to. Now, let us take this beast back to camp, shall we?"
**************************************************************************** **
Aragorn was not a stranger to shedding blood of wargs nor was he unused to gutting an animal for dinner; but it was his first time gutting a warg for dinner, and the task was proving more gruesome than the Man imagined. On more than one occasion, he was tempted to give up as dark blood oozed out of the hideous creature; but one look at Lasgalen's gorgeous face intent on the task would change his mind every time.
When the task was finished, he was rewarded by something rather unexpected. When he was still crouching by the side of the ugly carcass, the Elf had walked to his pack a few feet away from the Man and bent over to retrieve some cooking herbs. From his vantage point, Aragorn was given a very clear view of the Elf's sweet tight backside. Which from the Man's standpoint, made the entire dreadful task worthwhile. No, actually, it would make eating the ghastly beast worthwhile, even if he were to get sick in the stomach afterwards.
Halbarad returned to camp at the sight of his chieftain staring dreamy-eyed at the behind of the Golden Elf. He had not seen Aragorn so besotted with anyone before, not even when the Man first met the Evening Star of the Elves. Halbarad shuddered to think what would happen if Lady Arwen were to find out that her Man thought another Elf more attractive than her. The Lady was by nature a sweet gentle creature, but when another Elf threatened to be prettier than her, she could turn into a very mean tigress, sparing no one in her path. He only hoped his chieftain knew what he was doing, tempting fate in such a fashion. Ah well, if the Man had a death wish, who was he to judge..
Halbarad walked over to the pair and handed over the items that the Elf had asked him to procure as ingredient for dinner. Frankly, he was not too eager to eat any part of the foul beast, but since he had pledged loyalty to Aragorn, he was not about to betray the Man over a meal. Legolas thanked both Men and told them he could manage from here.
"Why don't you go freshen up before dinner? It will be ready in about an hour or so," suggested the Elf.
"Freshen up?" asked Aragorn. He was a human ranger and was therefore not familiar with that term. In general, humans had a much higher tolerance for uncleanness than Elves; on a long journey, the concept of taking a bath before dinner was quite foreign to the Man. Besides, the river was half an hour's walk away; even if he took a bath, by the time he got back to camp, he would be dirty and sweaty again from the exercise. Because of that philosophy, Aragorn tended to be a little negligent of his personal hygiene during his journeys through the wild. Okay, that was an understatement; he had yet to have a bath since he left for Rivendell four days ago.
"Come now, Aragorn, we could use some cold water to cool our heads, as well as other things," said the other Man meaningfully, with a glance at the huge bulge under Aragorn breeches.
The Man quickly elbowed his companion in the stomach to silent him and glanced at Lasgalen to see if the Elf had been startled. But luck was on his side, the Elf was not even looking at them, he was busy carving out meat from the carcass and marinating them with some herb-like substance. Aragorn wondered why the golden creature even bothered since he was sure no matter what the Elf did, a warg would still taste like a warg. The Man meant that as a derogatory comment to the said beast, though he had never tried eating a warg before.
Though he did not particularly want to take a bath since he believed it a waste of his time, the Man did want to please Lasgalen. He would go to the river and freshen up as the Elf suggested. Halbarad in tow, the Man stalked towards his destination, leaving Lasgalen to his cooking.
**************************************************************************** **
When the two Men returned to camp, they found their noses assaulted by the delicious fragrant of basil, garlic and cloves. They watched as the Elf skillfully pan-seared slices of meat in a thin lemon-basil sauce. If they did not know where the meat had come from, their mouths would be watering by now. However, they knew what they were about to eat and that knowledge put a damper on the appeal of the Elf's cuisine. As Legolas divided the food into three plates, Aragorn and Halbarad fought over the smallest one.
When the Elf noticed the battle, he realized immediately the implication and said, looking more than a little hurt, "You do not have to eat if you do not want to."
"Don't be absurd, of course, I am going to try some," said Aragorn immediately, wishing to placate the Elf. The Man decided that it was wrong to allow a hurt expression to mar Lasgalen's golden beauty. As he picked up his plate, he gave his companion a small shove and indicated silently that Halbarad should also do so.
What a Man would do to please someone they were attracted to!! Aragorn picked up a small piece of his food with his fork and took a small bite, prepared for the worst taste in his life. The sensation he felt as the meat hit his tongue was indeed one that he had never experienced. The meat was tender and juicy; the flavoring was just right; a subtle herbal taste complemented the meat's natural flavor perfectly; leaving every taste bud on his tongue tingling, wanting, no desiring more. If a person could find euphoria in food, this would be it.
Looking at his chieftain's stunned expression, Halbarad stared at his plate in fear. He knew that it takes a lot to cause the usually unflappable Aragorn to lose his composure; which meant that the dish must be really something else. He whispered gently to his companion, "Is it that bad?"
At that question, Aragorn returned to his senses and glared at his friend. "Do not insult Lasgalen's cooking ever again if you value your life. This is the best food I have ever had."
As if making a point, the Man put the entire piece in his mouth and began to chew slowly. Without realizing it, Aragorn was letting out little sighs of contentment and pleasure. Halbarad watched the scene cautiously before trying a bit of his food. After the first mouthful, he began wolfing down his food faster than a starved warg.
Legolas looked at the Strider and was glad to see that he enjoyed his cooking. It was actually the first time he tried making that dish. He read about the recipe in one of his many books. There was something about this Man that he liked; something that made him wanted to please Strider. It certainly was NOT the fact that he was tall, dark and handsome. He grew up with people like that. Except that Strider was a lot more muscular and manly than any Elf he knew. The way his muscles rippled as he moved and the way his stumbles grew to conceal the cleft of his chin and his strong square jaw were rather attractive.
But if one thing Legolas learnt in his missions as a diplomat was that appearances could be deceiving and one should never make judgments based on them. The very pleasant physical attributes were a bonus, but what Legolas liked the most about the Man was that Strider believed in him enough to give him the opportunity to prove himself before passing judgment. No one had actually done that before. People always assumed that he would succeed at anything that involved his brain or his voice and fail at anything that involve physical prowess.
It was nice to have someone who would try to understand him and want to know him better as a person. People were always interested in his plans just because they wanted to gain something from it; Strider was the only one who was curious about what he did, though the Man did not stand to directly benefit from it. Then of course, there was the fact that the Man thought he could become a decent warrior. Strider trusted him enough to even try his cooking, a warg no less!! With the Man as companion, the journey to Rivendell would certainly be so much more exciting.
**************************************************************************** *
Will have truffles joke again next chapter. Will have pipeweed joke as well, but later on..