Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
Please, please review. Sorry for lack of updates, was away without computer access this weekend. Story is almost ending. Maybe two or three chapters more, 25 sounded like a good number =) This chapter is not funny. Just lots of things covered.
... = thoughts or my random commentaries.
I took a scene from the movie Never Been Kissed and changed it a bit to fit the story. Thought I should acknowledge that here =)
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Chapter 22:
Aragorn was too excited to sleep. In fact, he was too excited to even stay still. As he paced in the confines of his rooms, he considered going to the pool now; but he was afraid his two match-makers might actually need the entire two hours to convince Lasgalen to tell him everything. The Man thought he would put the two hours to good use, like practicing swordsmanship with Elladan.
When he arrived at the elder twin's rooms, he was dismayed to find the elder son of Elrond gone. That was unusual, since it was tradition for the twins to not get out of bed until noon on the weekends during their stay in Rivendell. Aragorn wondered what was so important that brought his foster brother away from his usual rest. His musing was cut short when he heard loud crashing noises coming from Elrohir's chambers. Curious, the Man headed towards the younger twin's rooms to investigate.
"What's going on here?" asked Aragorn as he surveyed the disarray in his foster brother's rooms.
"I am rearranging my furniture," answered Elrohir sarcastically as he overturned another chair to investigate the space under it.
Before the Man could make a reply, a very excited Milo jumped him. Feeling in a particularly generous mood, Aragorn opened his arms and caught the hyperactive dog, holding it still against his chest. He expected the little critter to struggle or bark or try to bite him, but it did none of the above. The small canine simply stilled in the Man's arms, nuzzling its head tightly against him.
At this moment, Milo thought it was in dog heaven. Its beloved was not angry with him or chasing him around. Aragorn was actually holding him!! If he patted him on the head too, Milo swore he would pray every day to the Valar to thank them. As if hearing its wishes, the Man began to stroke its fur absent-mindedly. The dog moved to bite itself on one of its legs to make sure it was not a dream. Biting down a yelp of pain, since it did not wish to distract Aragorn from caressing its head, Milo began to thank the Valar silently.
"Where is Elladan? You two are seldom apart," asked the Man, still wanting to find the older twin for a match.
"I don't know. And until I finish rearranging my furniture, I don't care," hissed Elrohir, now trying to move the large dresser to check the ground underneath.
The younger twin took after Lord Elrond in terms of his abilities as a healer. A long while ago, when he was experimenting with herbs to make a more powerful anesthetic, he created a hallucination potion accidentally. The Lord of Rivendell bid him not to make the potion again, for fear of its misuse. Elrohir complied with his father's wishes; he only kept the original medicine under his bed.
But Milo, being a dog, took the potion and hid it somewhere. The younger twin had questioned his trouble-making pet at length, but unlike the Elves, dogs had a very short-term memory. It only knew the potion was somewhere in the room still, but the exact location was forgotten. Until Elrohir found it, he had no intention of seeing his elder brother. Drugging Elladan at the harvest festival would be payback for his 'imprisonment'. He could not think of a better revenge than seeing the older twin make a fool of himself in front of the entire Rivendell.
Seeing that he would not be able to make conversation with the busy Elrohir, the Man put the small dog back onto the floor and said, "I hope you find what you are looking for."
As Aragorn left the younger twin to his scheming, he decided he could not wait any longer. He knew that a male should always arrive a bit early on a date; it was a way to show how much he valued his companion of the evening. Though an hour was a little bit excessive, Lasgalen was special. With as much trepidation as excitement, the Man headed towards the pool. After the golden Elf told him the truth, he would profess his undying love. Today would be the day he proposed to take his beloved's hand in marriage. He knew now he would never be whole without his Lasgalen.
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The two matchmakers were determined not to allow the Prince mope until the Man arrived. If they knew it would be this easy to convince Legolas, they would have asked Aragorn to come earlier. But what was done was done; all they could do now was to entertain the young Elf until his beloved arrived. Unluckily for Elladan, their plan involved dunking him into the water, clothes and all.
Being enchanted by the seductive beauty of the bare-chested Haldir, the son of Elrond did not stand a chance against Gimli when he was tackled and thrown into the water. All the Elven warrior could do was to take the Dwarf with him. When they both emerged, the drenched and spluttering Gimli seemed an amusing sight to the two older Elves, who began laughing. Being a good friend, Legolas jumped to his friend's rescue, splashing the laughing Elves with a hefty dose of water. A splash fight ensued as the Prince predicted, Haldir and Elladan against him and Gimli.
They were so focused on their opponents that they did not realize that Aragorn was approaching. It was not until the Man stood at the edge of the pool, in silent admiration of his golden Elf's beauty that Elladan saw him. "Temporary truce!" he yelled, eyes signaling to his companions of the position of the newcomer.
"All right. It is past noon, I should go back and feed Estel," replied Gimli, as he waded towards the shore. Giving the Man a meaningful look, the Dwarf disappeared into the forest. But he did not go far, wanting to stay close to his friend in case his help was needed.
"Elladan, will you walk with me a little?" asked Haldir, as he grabbed the dark-haired Elf's arm and led him deep into the forest, out of earshot of the couple, leaving the Prince free to make his confession to the Man he loved.
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The two lovers simply stared at each other in silence for a long moment. Neither moved or spoke, they just stood, gaze locked, allowing the other to see their emotions through their eyes, the hesitation, the longing and the love they shared. Taking a deep breath as if bracing himself for an attack, the Prince finally began to move towards Aragorn, never allowing his gaze to falter as he closed the distance between them. "Aragorn, there is something I must tell you."
Smiling in encouragement, the Man took his Elf's hand and brought it to his lips for a soft kiss. "Tell me then."
"I am not who you think I am. My name is not Lasgalen; it is Legolas. I am..." His confession was cut short when he sensed enemies closing in on his Dwarven friend close by. The Prince knew Gimli had remained out of concern for him.
"Gimli!" exclaimed the Elf as he pulled his hand out of his beloved's and rushed for his friend. Sensing Legolas' urgency, the Man hurried after his Elf, wishing to help avert the impending disaster that interrupted their conversation.
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Aldarion and two of his friends decided they would play a trick on the Dwarf. Now that the beautiful Lasgalen was no longer the target of their pranks, they thought to pick on the other obvious misfit in their camp. Yulion resigned as the leader of their group the day before, wanting to distance himself from his mischievous friends to gain favor in Lasgalen's eyes. There was no clear successor to the position, since Aldarion, Calimehtar and Acamalion were all equally 'qualified'. Thus, Aldarion thought to distinct himself from the others by encasing the much-despised Dwarf in mud.
They sneaked behind the unsuspecting Gimli, with a bucket of sludge in hand. However, before they could dump the mud onto the Dwarf, Legolas rushed onto the scene. The Prince seized his friend, pulling Gimli out of the way. In the process, he bumped into Aldarion, causing the bucket to slip out of the other Elf's hand into the air. As the law of gravity dictated, what went up must come down. The muck rained upon the three trouble-making Elves, eliciting inhuman shrieks from the now sullied recruits.
"You ruined EVERYTHING! You don't deserve to be accepted as one of us!" yelled Aldarion at the Prince, not caring at the moment how beautiful the shirtless Lasgalen was.
"You are a disgrace to the Elves," echoed his friend.
"Well, let me tell you something. I don't care about being one of YOU! I am more than a thousand years old. I'm here as an undercover investigator for Mirkwood and I have been beating my brains out trying to impress you. You people, you spend your lives keeping others down because it makes you feel important. But why him? What has Gimli ever done to you? Let me tell you something about this Dwarf. He is unbelievable. When I was new here, he befriended me - no questions asked. If standing by a true friend made me into 'a disgrace to the Elves', I would gladly and proudly wear that name."
Legolas spun round to stalk off with Gimli in tow; but was immobilized by the sight of Aragorn staring at him in disbelief. The Man must have heard his tirade. He waited for his beloved's judgment, but after many long minutes, no words came. The expression of shock was still plastered on Aragorn's face. Unable to bear the emptiness in the Man's eyes any longer, the Prince released his friend's arm and fled deep into the forest.
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Gimli thought of pursuing his roommate, but he knew it would be useless. The only one Legolas wanted to speak with was his human commander, who was still in shock. While the Dwarf was still pondering his course of action, the infuriated Elves prepared to attack him. The depth of Lasgalen's loyalty touched them; but they all thought a Dwarf could never be worthy of such devotion. The fact that Gimli had won the golden Elf's affections only incensed them more and fanned their hostility towards the Dwarven warrior.
But before they could jump Gimli, Aragorn finally came out of his trance to yell his commands, "Return to the barracks at once. All three of you are banned from attending the harvest festival tomorrow night. If I catch any of you trying to play a prank on Gimli again, you will be expelled. Am I clear?"
Realizing that they were in deep trouble and not wanting to anger the Man, the three recruits nodded and fled without another word. When the Elves were out of sight, Aragorn turned to Gimli and asked, "Where is Legolas? I need to talk to him."
Smiling at his human commander, the Dwarf pointed to the direction his Elven friend had gone. Aragorn wasted no time in hurrying towards his Elf. Watching the Man's running form, Gimli whispered fondly, "Good luck, laddie."
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Legolas ran blindly through the forest. In his pain, he failed to watch his path and collided with another creature. "Legolas! Thank god I found you!"
When the Prince looked up, he was surprised to see his eldest brother, Ramiren. "What are you doing here?"
"You told me to come get you if the spiders move past the mountains or if our scouts sighted Orcs along Anduin, right?" asked the older Elf. Seeing his brother so un-composed, he was not sure if he had made the correct decision to come.
"How long ago did this happened?" inquired Legolas urgently. The information his brother brought jolted him immediately into tactical advisor mode for it was very grave news.
After the defeat at Orophin pass, the spiders learnt to fear an ambush in the mountains. They must be driven out of their lairs by something they fear more than the strength of the Elves. The Dark Lord's forces based in Dol Guldur must be marching through Southern Mirkwood. In addition, a large reserve of Orcs resided in Ered Mithrin; it had been one of Legolas' worries for years that they would attack his kingdom from the North. The fact that these creatures were traveling downstream on the Great River meant they were about to join forces with the troops from Dol Guldur. Sauron was amassing a huge army to make his war against the Elves.
"Two weeks," answered Ramiren, disliking the urgency in his youngest brother. This must be extremely serious for Legolas to sound this worried.
"TWO WEEKS! I asked you to come at once if any of those things happens!" exclaimed the young Prince as he grabbed his older brother and shook him not so gently.
"Sorry, but father wanted to give you time to find some incriminating evidence against the commanders of the Joint Army. He wanted to call council to demand a re-election. So did you find anything?" asked Ramiren as he extracted himself from his youngest brother's death grip. Legolas had gotten stronger since the last time they met, which was a good thing.
"No," said Legolas in frustration. Two weeks! The huge army could have been at the border of his lands by now.
"There must be something. Blatant favoritism, getting involved with their students, come on, just give me something, anything!" pleaded the older Prince. This was bad news. Thranduil would be furious if his younger brother returned empty-handed.
The young Prince was no longer listening to his brother. His mind was already working out the possible strategies to save their kingdom. All these intrigues would be meaningless if Mirkwood was destroyed. However, Ramiren, still not realizing the gravity of the situation, yanked his brother's arm to get his attention and insisted, "Not even the human?"
His question was echoed by a whisper in the forest. The older Elf searched their surroundings and found Aragorn standing at the edge of the clearing. Immediately, Ramiren quieted, recognizing the hurt and anger on the Man's face. He knew the leader of the Dunedan by reputation. One never escaped Aragorn's wrath unscathed. Seeing his brother stare in muted horror behind him, Legolas turned and was greeted by the sight of his seething human commander.
"Aragorn, it's not what you think. I...." pleaded the Prince as he closed the distance between them, realizing the Man had heard their conversation. Gently, the Elf moved to place a slender hand on his beloved's arm.
"Don't touch me!" exclaimed the Man, flinging the Prince's arm away with force. Without another word, Aragorn turned and stalked away.
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Haldir and Elladan walked in companionable silence through the woods. The elder twin had been working up his courage to break the silence; he knew he could not ask for a better chance to get to speak with the seductive Lòrien Elf alone. "So, are you currently seeing anyone?" There, he said it! But as soon as the question left his mouth, Elladan realized it was too personal and was more likely to receive a death glare than a response.
To Elladan's surprise, the archer answered, "No. But it really is none of your business since I am not into guys."
Encouraged by Haldir's response, or more appropriately by the fact that Haldir responded, the dark-haired Elf continued, "Why not?"
"Because all they want to do is to sleep with me. If I just want a bed partner, I prefer to have a female. It is more enjoyable on my part, at least," answered the Lòrien Elf. Truth be told, he did not even know why he bothered to reply. It really was none of Elladan's business. But he was troubled by his inability to find someone to share his life with. Legolas was troubled enough without hearing his problems; he supposed he just wanted someone to listen to him vent.
"Not all of them," replied Elladan softly as he watched the archer. At the moment, the experienced Guardian seemed so young and vulnerable. The sight roused in the elder twin a strong urge to hold the Lòrien Elf gently to offer comfort, to shield him from all the lusty males that plagued his life before.
"Really?" asked Haldir with a bitter laugh as he dropped the towel that hid his desirable body. His supple chest was bare; his tight wet leggings left nothing to the imagination. His lustrous silver hair, slick with moisture framed, his sculpted face and slender neck. Beads of water clung suggestively to his seductive form, begging to be licked off by a skillful tongue. The only thing that stopped the Rivendell Elf from moving was the intense green fire that burnt in Haldir's eyes as they bore into his, forever searing this moment into his soul. "Look at me, Elladan. Can you honestly say you don't want to sleep with me?"
The older twin knew how important his answer was. He knew he could not lie; his body would betray him. Besides, he did not want to. He wanted to bed the Lòrien Elf; and for once, he was not ashamed to admit it. But he also wanted much more than a couple nights of passion. Haldir was worth much more than that.
Moving so he stood only a few inches from the archer, Elladan took the fair- haired Elf's hand as he looked into the hazel-green eyes that held his. "No. But that does not mean it is the only thing I want." With that whisper, the elder twin brought the archer's hands up to his lips for a feather-light kiss.
"Elladan.." sighed the Lòrien Elf as he leant forward, wishing to know how the dark-haired Elf's lips would feel against his own. Legolas had always said that one could tell by a single kiss whether someone was the right person. Haldir could not think of a more appropriate opportunity to test the theory.
The magic of the moment was broken when an enraged Man charged into the scene, past the two Elves. Perplexed, Haldir called out to his human friend, "What's wrong? Where is Legolas?"
To his surprise, Aragorn stopped, spun round and stalked towards him. Towering over the fair-haired Elf, he gripped the archer's shoulders painfully and hissed, "Don't ever mention that name in front of me again." After giving his warning, the Man turned away and continued his march back to the palace.
Seeing the puzzlement and worry on the face of the object of his affections, Elladan placed another kiss on Haldir's hand before speaking, "Don't worry. I will go talk to him. You go find your friend. Unlike us Elves, my foster brother has quite a fiery temper. He will calm down in a bit." Upon exchanging understanding glances, the two Elves set off to look for their respective targets.
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"Where are you going?" asked Ramiren as he followed Legolas towards the palace in Rivendell after retrieving his clothes and shoes from the pool. His youngest brother was moving fast; running with the grace and agility of a well-trained warrior. The Crown Prince could not help but be surprised at the improvement the shy little one made in the course of three weeks since leaving Mirkwood.
"To see Lord Elrond," replied the young Elf with deliberate calm. Inside, his heart was breaking; but his personal pain would have to wait. He had no time to for it now; his home was in danger.
"Are you crazy? He will be incensed. He will have us thrown into prison or something," yelled the older Elf from behind. He would like to catch Legolas by the arm and stop him. But his younger brother was moving too fast for him to carry out his plan.
"No, Ramiren. He will be incensed if I don't go see him," answered Legolas without looking back. This was what he did best - diplomacy. It was better to face the situation head on when he still had control than to leave it to the twins to paint it into something more sinister.
Seeing that he had no choice, the Crown Prince of Mirkwood followed his youngest brother, hoping he shared Legolas' confidence and optimism. It was in this worried mood that he found Haldir tracking them. Since diplomacy was the young Elf's area, Ramiren understood his presence was not required before the Lord of Rivendell. Instead, he slowed his pace to allow the Guardian of Lòrien to catch up. Perhaps, Haldir could explain the strange interaction between the Human and his little brother.
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"What are you doing here?" said Haldir, recognizing Thranduil's eldest son.
"Actually, I don't know. Legolas told me to come get him if certain things happened, but he did not tell me why," replied Ramiren truthfully as the Guardian walked beside him.
"What happened with Aragorn?" asked the fair-haired Elf urgently. He knew whatever went wrong must be due to the Crown Prince's presence.
"I should ask you the same question, Haldir," replied the dark-haired Elf from Mirkwood, looking meaningfully at the Lòrien archer.
"Your brother is in love with the Man," said Haldir simply. He had no doubt Aragorn intended to take Legolas as mate; there was no need to hide the relationship from the young Elf's family.
"This is bad. He overheard me asking if Legolas found anything incriminating about him," whispered Ramiren, suddenly feeling very guilty. His little brother had only been 'in love' once, and that had been a disaster. And now, after all this time, Legolas finally found another to care for; and he had ruined it by his sudden intrusion and careless words.
"That is definitely not good news. At least, Elladan is on our side now. Hopefully, Aragorn will listen to him. How is Legolas?" asked Haldir, worried about his gentle friend.
"I don't know. But I hope he is not driven mad by grief when he decided to go see Lord Elrond," replied Ramiren as he sped up again, trying to stop Legolas. The young Prince was the only diplomat in Mirkwood; but the older Elf doubted he was not in the proper frame of mind to assume his responsibilities at the moment.
The Crown Prince halted when the Lòrien Elf put a restraining hand on his shoulder and reasoned, "Let him go, Ramiren. Legolas is acting as the Golden Prince of Mirkwood now. He knows what he is doing. It is best to wait for him in his room at the barracks." After several long moments of deliberating his options, Ramiren reluctantly followed Haldir to the training camp.
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"Mae govannen, hîr nîn, [Well met, my lord]" said Legolas with a bow as he found Lord Elrond in the library.
"Mae govannen, ernil nîn, [Well met, my Prince]" answered the Elf-lord in surprise.
It was not only because he did not expect to see the Golden Prince here unescorted in Rivendell; he was so lost in thoughts that he failed to notice the young Elf's approach. A warning stirred in his mind the night before; he was pondering whether he should use his gift of foresight to investigate the source of his unrest. Though it would ease his mind, it might draw Sauron's gaze to Rivendell, to the location of Vilya, the most powerful of the three Elven rings.
Author's note, the following conversation was carried out in Sindarin. But for the sake of convenience, only the English translation was included.
"My lord, I wish to apologize for this intrusion. Father sent me to the Joint Army as an undercover investigator," apologized the Prince, eyes downcast as a sign of humility.
"Is that so? Why are you here speaking with me then?" asked Elrond, arching his brows. He was annoyed that Thranduil had sent a spy to Rivendell; but at the same time, he was intrigued by the golden beauty's intentions.
"Urgent duties call me back to Mirkwood, my lord. I wish to report my findings to you before returning home to my father," replied the Prince, looking up to meet the Elf-lord's inquisitive gaze.
"Report to me?" inquired Elrond quietly, puzzled by the diplomat's answer.
"Yes, my lord. The right to monitor the progress of the Joint Army does not belong to my father alone. It is your right also as Lord of Rivendell," explained Legolas, with his most charming smile.
Pleased by the respect the Golden Prince had shown, Elrond prompted the Prince to give his observation, "So what are your findings, my Prince?"
"Before coming, as one from Mirkwood, I wanted to see one of my kin among the commanders of the Army. But after my two weeks here, I understood the trainees are in good hands. I know now that none of my kinsman could have done a better job than your fine sons or Lord Aragorn had. From my observation, there is only one single weakness in this new Joint Army. The recruits still lack maturity and open-mindedness. The Elves can no longer hold the responsibilities of caring for Middle Earth alone. We must co- operate with other Races in our fight against Sauron. You, my lord, is known far and wide for your friendship with all Races; if the trainees are taught to follow your example, the Army will undoubtedly be the mightiest group of warriors in Middle Earth."
The charming Prince's speech was music to Elrond's ears. Walking to clasp Legolas' arms in a friendly gesture, the Elf-lord spoke, "You are too kind in your assessment. You spoke of urgent business, but please stay for another day, my Prince. I will be honored to have you as guest in our harvest festival tomorrow night." When the young Elf did not make an immediate answer, Elrond added with a mischievous smile, "And of course, Lord Glorfindel will be delighted to see you again."
To say that the fair-haired Elf-lord had a crush on Legolas was the understatement of the year. The ancient Elven warrior got so nervous every time the Prince was close that he became tongue-tied and stuttered. To hide his anxiety, Glorfindel usually remained silent when the golden Elf visited, opting to stand behind Elrond to steal shy glances at Legolas. This was a secret between the two Lords of Rivendell; but the dark-haired Elf enjoyed teasing Glorfindel about his 'affliction' immensely. If Legolas were to attend the feast tomorrow, Elrond was certain things would be very entertaining.
"I thank you for your kindness, my lord. But matters at home are pressing. I suspect Sauron's army will soon march against Mirkwood," replied the Prince, looking appropriately apologetic. Even if the Dark Lord's army were not on the move, Legolas would avoid the festival at all cost. He did not want to see the anger and hurt in his beloved's eyes again.
"This is ill news indeed. I will give the order for the Joint Army to prepare for battle after the harvest feast. I know they have yet to complete their training, but time is of the essence," said Elrond, solemnly. This must be the threat he was sensing. They would be ready for the Dark Lord when he strikes.
"Mirkwood thanks you for your help, my lord," responded Legolas with a small bow. "Farewell, my lord."
"Good journey, my Prince. And farewell."
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Aragorn rushed to the only place where he could vent his frustration, Elrohir's rooms. He should have listened to the twins; he did not believe he had fallen for Legolas' charms so easily. Many had warned him that he was too easily distracted by pretty things; but the Man had always known to keep his heart out of his affairs, until now, until he stupidly handed it to the spy from Mirkwood to rip it to shreds.
Though he knew the younger twin would probably just say, 'I told you so', in many different ways, the Elf would listen to him pour his grief into angry words against the Prince. To his annoyance, his foster brother was no longer in his rooms. Just when he was about to head to the forest and practice swordplay to release his aggressions, Elladan caught him by the arm and dragged him into his chambers which were adjacent to the younger twin's.
"I need to talk to you," said the older twin, stating the obvious.
After seeing Elladan with Haldir, the Man was certain the older twin was with the spy on this. He had no wish to speak with him; instead of responding, he tried to shrug the Elf's arm off. When his older foster brother refused to let go, Aragorn hissed, "Let go, Elladan. Or I will make you regret it."
"Aragorn, you are just upset right now. Don't let your anger drive you into do something you will regret," whispered the dark-haired Elf as he loosened the grip on the Man's arm.
"If there is anything I regret, it's falling for that devious Mirkwood spy!" yelled Aragorn, shaking off Elladan's now gentle hold to begin pacing.
"As one from Rivendell, I am upset that Thranduil sent someone to spy on us. But if the Prince were just using you, he wouldn't be telling you his real identity," reasoned the dark-haired Elf.
"You are just saying that because Haldir wants you to! He is using you the way the spy used me," accused the enraged Man as he stalked towards his foster brother. What he did not expect was to be greeted by a hard right hook. He was so surprised by the attack that he lost his balance.
"You can insult or threaten me all you want. But say another bad thing about Haldir, you will have a duel on your hands. You have no right to judge him; you don't even know him. And looking at you now, I daresay you don't even know the one you claimed to love," said the older twin before stalking off, leaving an incensed, but confused, Man on the floor.
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"Everything is set. We should leave now," said Legolas to eldest brother as he walked into his room at the barracks. Not surprisingly, the older Elf did not move. He only continued to look at the young Prince.
The golden Elf could feel four pairs of eyes on him, waiting for him to explain the need for his sudden departure. They all thought it was because of Aragorn, which was partly true. But before his friends could start trying to give his foolish heart hope, Legolas chose to inform them of the army that threatened Mirkwood. He needed to keep his wits if he was to save his home. There was no time to dwell on his broken heart. It was over; Aragorn would never forgive him. "Sauron's forces have amassed in the North. I suspect an attack on our lands."
"In that case, what are we waiting for? I joined this army to have a chance to fight some Orcs. If Mirkwood is where the beasts are, that is where I will go!" exclaimed Gimli as he seized his battle-axes and leapt to his feet.
"I will travel with you for part of your journey. I must return to Lothlòrien to consult the Lord and Lady of the Woods. The Dark Lord is cunning; he might be planning attacks on our lands as well," said Haldir, standing to clasp arms with the young Prince.
"Take Estel!" crooned the bird, fluttering its wings excited in the cage. It did not wish to be left behind by its beloved.
"I am sorry, little one, but I cannot bring you with us," replied Legolas as he opened the cage. The excited bird immediately flew onto the Elf's outstretched finger and attached itself there. Stroking the green feathers tenderly, the Prince spoke again, "If I take you, Arwen will be really upset. She will probably send a pursuit party after us, thinking we kidnapped you."
The bird shook its small head vigorously, refusing to let go of the Elf's finger. "Estel, I am very fond of you. I promise I will find a way to take you with me without Arwen's vengeance, but you need to stay here now. Will you wait for me?" asked Legolas softly, caressing the parrot's head and back.
Parrot Estel would trust the Prince with its life. If the golden Elf said he would return for it, its beloved would come to rescue it from the scary Lady who demanded it to say she was the fairest all the time. As much as the bird hated to part with Legolas, he would do as the Prince asked. Reluctantly, the parrot released the Elf's hand and returned to his cage, gazing sadly at its departing beloved.
"Wait, hold on a minute," called out Elladan, rushing down the corridor. "Ada [Father] told me what you said and bid me to prepare horses for your journey. It will be much quicker than traveling on foot."
"Thank you, my lord," replied the young Prince, bowing his head graciously at the older son of Elrond.
Elladan was a little surprised by the formality in the young Elf's voice, but quickly recovered for a reply, "Come, follow me," as he began to lead the group to the stables.
They were surprised to find Yulion waiting for them on a black stallion. "I am going with you," said the dark-haired Elf resolutely, eyes on the golden beauty.
"Very well," replied the youngest Prince as he effortlessly jumped onto the back of a white stallion.
"You cannot be serious. He is a mischief maker!" protested Gimli as Ramiren helped him onto the back of Legolas' horse.
"He will follow us even if we don't let him join us. So why bother to stop him? There is safety in numbers after all," reasoned Legolas as he turned to cast a reassuring glance at his irritated Dwarven friend.
Ramiren chose a chestnut brown mare, which left a white mare for Haldir. Before the Guardian of Lòrien mounted his horse, Elladan reached for his hand and brought it to his lips for a gentle kiss. "Please be careful."
Blushing as he never had in his nearly three thousand years life, the Lòrien archer smiled, leant forward to give the elder twin a peck on the cheek as he whispered a quiet, 'Thank you for caring." Immediately after the contact, Haldir leapt onto his mount and trotted off. Following the Guardian's lead, the company of five set off, hoping they were not to late to counteract the Dark Lord's plans.
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Aragorn left the elder twin's rooms to wander the gardens. He was in a foul mood, Legolas' betrayal still fresh in his mind. But his heart heard Elladan's words that his head ignored. What if the golden Elf actually loved him? Still that possibility offered him no comfort. The way he acted this afternoon guaranteed that he would lose his beloved. It was much better to be angry with the Prince for playing with his heart than to endure the hurt of knowing his rash behavior had cost him the love of his life.
As he mentally chanted, "I am angry. Legolas does not love me...", he almost ran into his foster father. But being an ancient Elf-lord, Elrond nimbly spun out of the Man's way and asked, "What is wrong, Aragorn? Why are you so distracted?"
"Nothing," lied the Man, looking at the ground. As much as he was 'angry' with the Prince, he was not about to tell the Lord of Rivendell that a spy was in their midst. Aragorn did not wish for Legolas to get into trouble with his foster father.
"Very well, keep your secrets if you wish. But I want the Joint Army ready for war immediately after the harvest festival. I spoke with Prince Legolas; he suspected an attack on his home. Glorfindel will ready our troops as well. Mirkwood shall have the full support of Rivendell," said Elrond solemnly, looking at his foster son. The wise Elf knew the Man was having trouble with his love life. He would like to speak with Aragorn more on the matter when the threat against the Elves was answered.
Aragorn stared at the ancient Elf incredulously. Was the Prince not a spy? Why would he reveal himself to the Lord of Rivendell? And was this threat against Mirkwood real, or something the cunning Elf made up? The already confused Man did not need any more questions to plague his mind. He wanted answers, straight from the source. Muttering a 'goodnight, my lord', Aragorn marched towards the barracks with single-minded determination. He would finish his conversation with Legolas, no matter how much more it would break his bleeding heart.
Please, please review. Sorry for lack of updates, was away without computer access this weekend. Story is almost ending. Maybe two or three chapters more, 25 sounded like a good number =) This chapter is not funny. Just lots of things covered.
... = thoughts or my random commentaries.
I took a scene from the movie Never Been Kissed and changed it a bit to fit the story. Thought I should acknowledge that here =)
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Chapter 22:
Aragorn was too excited to sleep. In fact, he was too excited to even stay still. As he paced in the confines of his rooms, he considered going to the pool now; but he was afraid his two match-makers might actually need the entire two hours to convince Lasgalen to tell him everything. The Man thought he would put the two hours to good use, like practicing swordsmanship with Elladan.
When he arrived at the elder twin's rooms, he was dismayed to find the elder son of Elrond gone. That was unusual, since it was tradition for the twins to not get out of bed until noon on the weekends during their stay in Rivendell. Aragorn wondered what was so important that brought his foster brother away from his usual rest. His musing was cut short when he heard loud crashing noises coming from Elrohir's chambers. Curious, the Man headed towards the younger twin's rooms to investigate.
"What's going on here?" asked Aragorn as he surveyed the disarray in his foster brother's rooms.
"I am rearranging my furniture," answered Elrohir sarcastically as he overturned another chair to investigate the space under it.
Before the Man could make a reply, a very excited Milo jumped him. Feeling in a particularly generous mood, Aragorn opened his arms and caught the hyperactive dog, holding it still against his chest. He expected the little critter to struggle or bark or try to bite him, but it did none of the above. The small canine simply stilled in the Man's arms, nuzzling its head tightly against him.
At this moment, Milo thought it was in dog heaven. Its beloved was not angry with him or chasing him around. Aragorn was actually holding him!! If he patted him on the head too, Milo swore he would pray every day to the Valar to thank them. As if hearing its wishes, the Man began to stroke its fur absent-mindedly. The dog moved to bite itself on one of its legs to make sure it was not a dream. Biting down a yelp of pain, since it did not wish to distract Aragorn from caressing its head, Milo began to thank the Valar silently.
"Where is Elladan? You two are seldom apart," asked the Man, still wanting to find the older twin for a match.
"I don't know. And until I finish rearranging my furniture, I don't care," hissed Elrohir, now trying to move the large dresser to check the ground underneath.
The younger twin took after Lord Elrond in terms of his abilities as a healer. A long while ago, when he was experimenting with herbs to make a more powerful anesthetic, he created a hallucination potion accidentally. The Lord of Rivendell bid him not to make the potion again, for fear of its misuse. Elrohir complied with his father's wishes; he only kept the original medicine under his bed.
But Milo, being a dog, took the potion and hid it somewhere. The younger twin had questioned his trouble-making pet at length, but unlike the Elves, dogs had a very short-term memory. It only knew the potion was somewhere in the room still, but the exact location was forgotten. Until Elrohir found it, he had no intention of seeing his elder brother. Drugging Elladan at the harvest festival would be payback for his 'imprisonment'. He could not think of a better revenge than seeing the older twin make a fool of himself in front of the entire Rivendell.
Seeing that he would not be able to make conversation with the busy Elrohir, the Man put the small dog back onto the floor and said, "I hope you find what you are looking for."
As Aragorn left the younger twin to his scheming, he decided he could not wait any longer. He knew that a male should always arrive a bit early on a date; it was a way to show how much he valued his companion of the evening. Though an hour was a little bit excessive, Lasgalen was special. With as much trepidation as excitement, the Man headed towards the pool. After the golden Elf told him the truth, he would profess his undying love. Today would be the day he proposed to take his beloved's hand in marriage. He knew now he would never be whole without his Lasgalen.
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The two matchmakers were determined not to allow the Prince mope until the Man arrived. If they knew it would be this easy to convince Legolas, they would have asked Aragorn to come earlier. But what was done was done; all they could do now was to entertain the young Elf until his beloved arrived. Unluckily for Elladan, their plan involved dunking him into the water, clothes and all.
Being enchanted by the seductive beauty of the bare-chested Haldir, the son of Elrond did not stand a chance against Gimli when he was tackled and thrown into the water. All the Elven warrior could do was to take the Dwarf with him. When they both emerged, the drenched and spluttering Gimli seemed an amusing sight to the two older Elves, who began laughing. Being a good friend, Legolas jumped to his friend's rescue, splashing the laughing Elves with a hefty dose of water. A splash fight ensued as the Prince predicted, Haldir and Elladan against him and Gimli.
They were so focused on their opponents that they did not realize that Aragorn was approaching. It was not until the Man stood at the edge of the pool, in silent admiration of his golden Elf's beauty that Elladan saw him. "Temporary truce!" he yelled, eyes signaling to his companions of the position of the newcomer.
"All right. It is past noon, I should go back and feed Estel," replied Gimli, as he waded towards the shore. Giving the Man a meaningful look, the Dwarf disappeared into the forest. But he did not go far, wanting to stay close to his friend in case his help was needed.
"Elladan, will you walk with me a little?" asked Haldir, as he grabbed the dark-haired Elf's arm and led him deep into the forest, out of earshot of the couple, leaving the Prince free to make his confession to the Man he loved.
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The two lovers simply stared at each other in silence for a long moment. Neither moved or spoke, they just stood, gaze locked, allowing the other to see their emotions through their eyes, the hesitation, the longing and the love they shared. Taking a deep breath as if bracing himself for an attack, the Prince finally began to move towards Aragorn, never allowing his gaze to falter as he closed the distance between them. "Aragorn, there is something I must tell you."
Smiling in encouragement, the Man took his Elf's hand and brought it to his lips for a soft kiss. "Tell me then."
"I am not who you think I am. My name is not Lasgalen; it is Legolas. I am..." His confession was cut short when he sensed enemies closing in on his Dwarven friend close by. The Prince knew Gimli had remained out of concern for him.
"Gimli!" exclaimed the Elf as he pulled his hand out of his beloved's and rushed for his friend. Sensing Legolas' urgency, the Man hurried after his Elf, wishing to help avert the impending disaster that interrupted their conversation.
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Aldarion and two of his friends decided they would play a trick on the Dwarf. Now that the beautiful Lasgalen was no longer the target of their pranks, they thought to pick on the other obvious misfit in their camp. Yulion resigned as the leader of their group the day before, wanting to distance himself from his mischievous friends to gain favor in Lasgalen's eyes. There was no clear successor to the position, since Aldarion, Calimehtar and Acamalion were all equally 'qualified'. Thus, Aldarion thought to distinct himself from the others by encasing the much-despised Dwarf in mud.
They sneaked behind the unsuspecting Gimli, with a bucket of sludge in hand. However, before they could dump the mud onto the Dwarf, Legolas rushed onto the scene. The Prince seized his friend, pulling Gimli out of the way. In the process, he bumped into Aldarion, causing the bucket to slip out of the other Elf's hand into the air. As the law of gravity dictated, what went up must come down. The muck rained upon the three trouble-making Elves, eliciting inhuman shrieks from the now sullied recruits.
"You ruined EVERYTHING! You don't deserve to be accepted as one of us!" yelled Aldarion at the Prince, not caring at the moment how beautiful the shirtless Lasgalen was.
"You are a disgrace to the Elves," echoed his friend.
"Well, let me tell you something. I don't care about being one of YOU! I am more than a thousand years old. I'm here as an undercover investigator for Mirkwood and I have been beating my brains out trying to impress you. You people, you spend your lives keeping others down because it makes you feel important. But why him? What has Gimli ever done to you? Let me tell you something about this Dwarf. He is unbelievable. When I was new here, he befriended me - no questions asked. If standing by a true friend made me into 'a disgrace to the Elves', I would gladly and proudly wear that name."
Legolas spun round to stalk off with Gimli in tow; but was immobilized by the sight of Aragorn staring at him in disbelief. The Man must have heard his tirade. He waited for his beloved's judgment, but after many long minutes, no words came. The expression of shock was still plastered on Aragorn's face. Unable to bear the emptiness in the Man's eyes any longer, the Prince released his friend's arm and fled deep into the forest.
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Gimli thought of pursuing his roommate, but he knew it would be useless. The only one Legolas wanted to speak with was his human commander, who was still in shock. While the Dwarf was still pondering his course of action, the infuriated Elves prepared to attack him. The depth of Lasgalen's loyalty touched them; but they all thought a Dwarf could never be worthy of such devotion. The fact that Gimli had won the golden Elf's affections only incensed them more and fanned their hostility towards the Dwarven warrior.
But before they could jump Gimli, Aragorn finally came out of his trance to yell his commands, "Return to the barracks at once. All three of you are banned from attending the harvest festival tomorrow night. If I catch any of you trying to play a prank on Gimli again, you will be expelled. Am I clear?"
Realizing that they were in deep trouble and not wanting to anger the Man, the three recruits nodded and fled without another word. When the Elves were out of sight, Aragorn turned to Gimli and asked, "Where is Legolas? I need to talk to him."
Smiling at his human commander, the Dwarf pointed to the direction his Elven friend had gone. Aragorn wasted no time in hurrying towards his Elf. Watching the Man's running form, Gimli whispered fondly, "Good luck, laddie."
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Legolas ran blindly through the forest. In his pain, he failed to watch his path and collided with another creature. "Legolas! Thank god I found you!"
When the Prince looked up, he was surprised to see his eldest brother, Ramiren. "What are you doing here?"
"You told me to come get you if the spiders move past the mountains or if our scouts sighted Orcs along Anduin, right?" asked the older Elf. Seeing his brother so un-composed, he was not sure if he had made the correct decision to come.
"How long ago did this happened?" inquired Legolas urgently. The information his brother brought jolted him immediately into tactical advisor mode for it was very grave news.
After the defeat at Orophin pass, the spiders learnt to fear an ambush in the mountains. They must be driven out of their lairs by something they fear more than the strength of the Elves. The Dark Lord's forces based in Dol Guldur must be marching through Southern Mirkwood. In addition, a large reserve of Orcs resided in Ered Mithrin; it had been one of Legolas' worries for years that they would attack his kingdom from the North. The fact that these creatures were traveling downstream on the Great River meant they were about to join forces with the troops from Dol Guldur. Sauron was amassing a huge army to make his war against the Elves.
"Two weeks," answered Ramiren, disliking the urgency in his youngest brother. This must be extremely serious for Legolas to sound this worried.
"TWO WEEKS! I asked you to come at once if any of those things happens!" exclaimed the young Prince as he grabbed his older brother and shook him not so gently.
"Sorry, but father wanted to give you time to find some incriminating evidence against the commanders of the Joint Army. He wanted to call council to demand a re-election. So did you find anything?" asked Ramiren as he extracted himself from his youngest brother's death grip. Legolas had gotten stronger since the last time they met, which was a good thing.
"No," said Legolas in frustration. Two weeks! The huge army could have been at the border of his lands by now.
"There must be something. Blatant favoritism, getting involved with their students, come on, just give me something, anything!" pleaded the older Prince. This was bad news. Thranduil would be furious if his younger brother returned empty-handed.
The young Prince was no longer listening to his brother. His mind was already working out the possible strategies to save their kingdom. All these intrigues would be meaningless if Mirkwood was destroyed. However, Ramiren, still not realizing the gravity of the situation, yanked his brother's arm to get his attention and insisted, "Not even the human?"
His question was echoed by a whisper in the forest. The older Elf searched their surroundings and found Aragorn standing at the edge of the clearing. Immediately, Ramiren quieted, recognizing the hurt and anger on the Man's face. He knew the leader of the Dunedan by reputation. One never escaped Aragorn's wrath unscathed. Seeing his brother stare in muted horror behind him, Legolas turned and was greeted by the sight of his seething human commander.
"Aragorn, it's not what you think. I...." pleaded the Prince as he closed the distance between them, realizing the Man had heard their conversation. Gently, the Elf moved to place a slender hand on his beloved's arm.
"Don't touch me!" exclaimed the Man, flinging the Prince's arm away with force. Without another word, Aragorn turned and stalked away.
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Haldir and Elladan walked in companionable silence through the woods. The elder twin had been working up his courage to break the silence; he knew he could not ask for a better chance to get to speak with the seductive Lòrien Elf alone. "So, are you currently seeing anyone?" There, he said it! But as soon as the question left his mouth, Elladan realized it was too personal and was more likely to receive a death glare than a response.
To Elladan's surprise, the archer answered, "No. But it really is none of your business since I am not into guys."
Encouraged by Haldir's response, or more appropriately by the fact that Haldir responded, the dark-haired Elf continued, "Why not?"
"Because all they want to do is to sleep with me. If I just want a bed partner, I prefer to have a female. It is more enjoyable on my part, at least," answered the Lòrien Elf. Truth be told, he did not even know why he bothered to reply. It really was none of Elladan's business. But he was troubled by his inability to find someone to share his life with. Legolas was troubled enough without hearing his problems; he supposed he just wanted someone to listen to him vent.
"Not all of them," replied Elladan softly as he watched the archer. At the moment, the experienced Guardian seemed so young and vulnerable. The sight roused in the elder twin a strong urge to hold the Lòrien Elf gently to offer comfort, to shield him from all the lusty males that plagued his life before.
"Really?" asked Haldir with a bitter laugh as he dropped the towel that hid his desirable body. His supple chest was bare; his tight wet leggings left nothing to the imagination. His lustrous silver hair, slick with moisture framed, his sculpted face and slender neck. Beads of water clung suggestively to his seductive form, begging to be licked off by a skillful tongue. The only thing that stopped the Rivendell Elf from moving was the intense green fire that burnt in Haldir's eyes as they bore into his, forever searing this moment into his soul. "Look at me, Elladan. Can you honestly say you don't want to sleep with me?"
The older twin knew how important his answer was. He knew he could not lie; his body would betray him. Besides, he did not want to. He wanted to bed the Lòrien Elf; and for once, he was not ashamed to admit it. But he also wanted much more than a couple nights of passion. Haldir was worth much more than that.
Moving so he stood only a few inches from the archer, Elladan took the fair- haired Elf's hand as he looked into the hazel-green eyes that held his. "No. But that does not mean it is the only thing I want." With that whisper, the elder twin brought the archer's hands up to his lips for a feather-light kiss.
"Elladan.." sighed the Lòrien Elf as he leant forward, wishing to know how the dark-haired Elf's lips would feel against his own. Legolas had always said that one could tell by a single kiss whether someone was the right person. Haldir could not think of a more appropriate opportunity to test the theory.
The magic of the moment was broken when an enraged Man charged into the scene, past the two Elves. Perplexed, Haldir called out to his human friend, "What's wrong? Where is Legolas?"
To his surprise, Aragorn stopped, spun round and stalked towards him. Towering over the fair-haired Elf, he gripped the archer's shoulders painfully and hissed, "Don't ever mention that name in front of me again." After giving his warning, the Man turned away and continued his march back to the palace.
Seeing the puzzlement and worry on the face of the object of his affections, Elladan placed another kiss on Haldir's hand before speaking, "Don't worry. I will go talk to him. You go find your friend. Unlike us Elves, my foster brother has quite a fiery temper. He will calm down in a bit." Upon exchanging understanding glances, the two Elves set off to look for their respective targets.
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"Where are you going?" asked Ramiren as he followed Legolas towards the palace in Rivendell after retrieving his clothes and shoes from the pool. His youngest brother was moving fast; running with the grace and agility of a well-trained warrior. The Crown Prince could not help but be surprised at the improvement the shy little one made in the course of three weeks since leaving Mirkwood.
"To see Lord Elrond," replied the young Elf with deliberate calm. Inside, his heart was breaking; but his personal pain would have to wait. He had no time to for it now; his home was in danger.
"Are you crazy? He will be incensed. He will have us thrown into prison or something," yelled the older Elf from behind. He would like to catch Legolas by the arm and stop him. But his younger brother was moving too fast for him to carry out his plan.
"No, Ramiren. He will be incensed if I don't go see him," answered Legolas without looking back. This was what he did best - diplomacy. It was better to face the situation head on when he still had control than to leave it to the twins to paint it into something more sinister.
Seeing that he had no choice, the Crown Prince of Mirkwood followed his youngest brother, hoping he shared Legolas' confidence and optimism. It was in this worried mood that he found Haldir tracking them. Since diplomacy was the young Elf's area, Ramiren understood his presence was not required before the Lord of Rivendell. Instead, he slowed his pace to allow the Guardian of Lòrien to catch up. Perhaps, Haldir could explain the strange interaction between the Human and his little brother.
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"What are you doing here?" said Haldir, recognizing Thranduil's eldest son.
"Actually, I don't know. Legolas told me to come get him if certain things happened, but he did not tell me why," replied Ramiren truthfully as the Guardian walked beside him.
"What happened with Aragorn?" asked the fair-haired Elf urgently. He knew whatever went wrong must be due to the Crown Prince's presence.
"I should ask you the same question, Haldir," replied the dark-haired Elf from Mirkwood, looking meaningfully at the Lòrien archer.
"Your brother is in love with the Man," said Haldir simply. He had no doubt Aragorn intended to take Legolas as mate; there was no need to hide the relationship from the young Elf's family.
"This is bad. He overheard me asking if Legolas found anything incriminating about him," whispered Ramiren, suddenly feeling very guilty. His little brother had only been 'in love' once, and that had been a disaster. And now, after all this time, Legolas finally found another to care for; and he had ruined it by his sudden intrusion and careless words.
"That is definitely not good news. At least, Elladan is on our side now. Hopefully, Aragorn will listen to him. How is Legolas?" asked Haldir, worried about his gentle friend.
"I don't know. But I hope he is not driven mad by grief when he decided to go see Lord Elrond," replied Ramiren as he sped up again, trying to stop Legolas. The young Prince was the only diplomat in Mirkwood; but the older Elf doubted he was not in the proper frame of mind to assume his responsibilities at the moment.
The Crown Prince halted when the Lòrien Elf put a restraining hand on his shoulder and reasoned, "Let him go, Ramiren. Legolas is acting as the Golden Prince of Mirkwood now. He knows what he is doing. It is best to wait for him in his room at the barracks." After several long moments of deliberating his options, Ramiren reluctantly followed Haldir to the training camp.
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"Mae govannen, hîr nîn, [Well met, my lord]" said Legolas with a bow as he found Lord Elrond in the library.
"Mae govannen, ernil nîn, [Well met, my Prince]" answered the Elf-lord in surprise.
It was not only because he did not expect to see the Golden Prince here unescorted in Rivendell; he was so lost in thoughts that he failed to notice the young Elf's approach. A warning stirred in his mind the night before; he was pondering whether he should use his gift of foresight to investigate the source of his unrest. Though it would ease his mind, it might draw Sauron's gaze to Rivendell, to the location of Vilya, the most powerful of the three Elven rings.
Author's note, the following conversation was carried out in Sindarin. But for the sake of convenience, only the English translation was included.
"My lord, I wish to apologize for this intrusion. Father sent me to the Joint Army as an undercover investigator," apologized the Prince, eyes downcast as a sign of humility.
"Is that so? Why are you here speaking with me then?" asked Elrond, arching his brows. He was annoyed that Thranduil had sent a spy to Rivendell; but at the same time, he was intrigued by the golden beauty's intentions.
"Urgent duties call me back to Mirkwood, my lord. I wish to report my findings to you before returning home to my father," replied the Prince, looking up to meet the Elf-lord's inquisitive gaze.
"Report to me?" inquired Elrond quietly, puzzled by the diplomat's answer.
"Yes, my lord. The right to monitor the progress of the Joint Army does not belong to my father alone. It is your right also as Lord of Rivendell," explained Legolas, with his most charming smile.
Pleased by the respect the Golden Prince had shown, Elrond prompted the Prince to give his observation, "So what are your findings, my Prince?"
"Before coming, as one from Mirkwood, I wanted to see one of my kin among the commanders of the Army. But after my two weeks here, I understood the trainees are in good hands. I know now that none of my kinsman could have done a better job than your fine sons or Lord Aragorn had. From my observation, there is only one single weakness in this new Joint Army. The recruits still lack maturity and open-mindedness. The Elves can no longer hold the responsibilities of caring for Middle Earth alone. We must co- operate with other Races in our fight against Sauron. You, my lord, is known far and wide for your friendship with all Races; if the trainees are taught to follow your example, the Army will undoubtedly be the mightiest group of warriors in Middle Earth."
The charming Prince's speech was music to Elrond's ears. Walking to clasp Legolas' arms in a friendly gesture, the Elf-lord spoke, "You are too kind in your assessment. You spoke of urgent business, but please stay for another day, my Prince. I will be honored to have you as guest in our harvest festival tomorrow night." When the young Elf did not make an immediate answer, Elrond added with a mischievous smile, "And of course, Lord Glorfindel will be delighted to see you again."
To say that the fair-haired Elf-lord had a crush on Legolas was the understatement of the year. The ancient Elven warrior got so nervous every time the Prince was close that he became tongue-tied and stuttered. To hide his anxiety, Glorfindel usually remained silent when the golden Elf visited, opting to stand behind Elrond to steal shy glances at Legolas. This was a secret between the two Lords of Rivendell; but the dark-haired Elf enjoyed teasing Glorfindel about his 'affliction' immensely. If Legolas were to attend the feast tomorrow, Elrond was certain things would be very entertaining.
"I thank you for your kindness, my lord. But matters at home are pressing. I suspect Sauron's army will soon march against Mirkwood," replied the Prince, looking appropriately apologetic. Even if the Dark Lord's army were not on the move, Legolas would avoid the festival at all cost. He did not want to see the anger and hurt in his beloved's eyes again.
"This is ill news indeed. I will give the order for the Joint Army to prepare for battle after the harvest feast. I know they have yet to complete their training, but time is of the essence," said Elrond, solemnly. This must be the threat he was sensing. They would be ready for the Dark Lord when he strikes.
"Mirkwood thanks you for your help, my lord," responded Legolas with a small bow. "Farewell, my lord."
"Good journey, my Prince. And farewell."
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Aragorn rushed to the only place where he could vent his frustration, Elrohir's rooms. He should have listened to the twins; he did not believe he had fallen for Legolas' charms so easily. Many had warned him that he was too easily distracted by pretty things; but the Man had always known to keep his heart out of his affairs, until now, until he stupidly handed it to the spy from Mirkwood to rip it to shreds.
Though he knew the younger twin would probably just say, 'I told you so', in many different ways, the Elf would listen to him pour his grief into angry words against the Prince. To his annoyance, his foster brother was no longer in his rooms. Just when he was about to head to the forest and practice swordplay to release his aggressions, Elladan caught him by the arm and dragged him into his chambers which were adjacent to the younger twin's.
"I need to talk to you," said the older twin, stating the obvious.
After seeing Elladan with Haldir, the Man was certain the older twin was with the spy on this. He had no wish to speak with him; instead of responding, he tried to shrug the Elf's arm off. When his older foster brother refused to let go, Aragorn hissed, "Let go, Elladan. Or I will make you regret it."
"Aragorn, you are just upset right now. Don't let your anger drive you into do something you will regret," whispered the dark-haired Elf as he loosened the grip on the Man's arm.
"If there is anything I regret, it's falling for that devious Mirkwood spy!" yelled Aragorn, shaking off Elladan's now gentle hold to begin pacing.
"As one from Rivendell, I am upset that Thranduil sent someone to spy on us. But if the Prince were just using you, he wouldn't be telling you his real identity," reasoned the dark-haired Elf.
"You are just saying that because Haldir wants you to! He is using you the way the spy used me," accused the enraged Man as he stalked towards his foster brother. What he did not expect was to be greeted by a hard right hook. He was so surprised by the attack that he lost his balance.
"You can insult or threaten me all you want. But say another bad thing about Haldir, you will have a duel on your hands. You have no right to judge him; you don't even know him. And looking at you now, I daresay you don't even know the one you claimed to love," said the older twin before stalking off, leaving an incensed, but confused, Man on the floor.
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"Everything is set. We should leave now," said Legolas to eldest brother as he walked into his room at the barracks. Not surprisingly, the older Elf did not move. He only continued to look at the young Prince.
The golden Elf could feel four pairs of eyes on him, waiting for him to explain the need for his sudden departure. They all thought it was because of Aragorn, which was partly true. But before his friends could start trying to give his foolish heart hope, Legolas chose to inform them of the army that threatened Mirkwood. He needed to keep his wits if he was to save his home. There was no time to dwell on his broken heart. It was over; Aragorn would never forgive him. "Sauron's forces have amassed in the North. I suspect an attack on our lands."
"In that case, what are we waiting for? I joined this army to have a chance to fight some Orcs. If Mirkwood is where the beasts are, that is where I will go!" exclaimed Gimli as he seized his battle-axes and leapt to his feet.
"I will travel with you for part of your journey. I must return to Lothlòrien to consult the Lord and Lady of the Woods. The Dark Lord is cunning; he might be planning attacks on our lands as well," said Haldir, standing to clasp arms with the young Prince.
"Take Estel!" crooned the bird, fluttering its wings excited in the cage. It did not wish to be left behind by its beloved.
"I am sorry, little one, but I cannot bring you with us," replied Legolas as he opened the cage. The excited bird immediately flew onto the Elf's outstretched finger and attached itself there. Stroking the green feathers tenderly, the Prince spoke again, "If I take you, Arwen will be really upset. She will probably send a pursuit party after us, thinking we kidnapped you."
The bird shook its small head vigorously, refusing to let go of the Elf's finger. "Estel, I am very fond of you. I promise I will find a way to take you with me without Arwen's vengeance, but you need to stay here now. Will you wait for me?" asked Legolas softly, caressing the parrot's head and back.
Parrot Estel would trust the Prince with its life. If the golden Elf said he would return for it, its beloved would come to rescue it from the scary Lady who demanded it to say she was the fairest all the time. As much as the bird hated to part with Legolas, he would do as the Prince asked. Reluctantly, the parrot released the Elf's hand and returned to his cage, gazing sadly at its departing beloved.
"Wait, hold on a minute," called out Elladan, rushing down the corridor. "Ada [Father] told me what you said and bid me to prepare horses for your journey. It will be much quicker than traveling on foot."
"Thank you, my lord," replied the young Prince, bowing his head graciously at the older son of Elrond.
Elladan was a little surprised by the formality in the young Elf's voice, but quickly recovered for a reply, "Come, follow me," as he began to lead the group to the stables.
They were surprised to find Yulion waiting for them on a black stallion. "I am going with you," said the dark-haired Elf resolutely, eyes on the golden beauty.
"Very well," replied the youngest Prince as he effortlessly jumped onto the back of a white stallion.
"You cannot be serious. He is a mischief maker!" protested Gimli as Ramiren helped him onto the back of Legolas' horse.
"He will follow us even if we don't let him join us. So why bother to stop him? There is safety in numbers after all," reasoned Legolas as he turned to cast a reassuring glance at his irritated Dwarven friend.
Ramiren chose a chestnut brown mare, which left a white mare for Haldir. Before the Guardian of Lòrien mounted his horse, Elladan reached for his hand and brought it to his lips for a gentle kiss. "Please be careful."
Blushing as he never had in his nearly three thousand years life, the Lòrien archer smiled, leant forward to give the elder twin a peck on the cheek as he whispered a quiet, 'Thank you for caring." Immediately after the contact, Haldir leapt onto his mount and trotted off. Following the Guardian's lead, the company of five set off, hoping they were not to late to counteract the Dark Lord's plans.
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Aragorn left the elder twin's rooms to wander the gardens. He was in a foul mood, Legolas' betrayal still fresh in his mind. But his heart heard Elladan's words that his head ignored. What if the golden Elf actually loved him? Still that possibility offered him no comfort. The way he acted this afternoon guaranteed that he would lose his beloved. It was much better to be angry with the Prince for playing with his heart than to endure the hurt of knowing his rash behavior had cost him the love of his life.
As he mentally chanted, "I am angry. Legolas does not love me...", he almost ran into his foster father. But being an ancient Elf-lord, Elrond nimbly spun out of the Man's way and asked, "What is wrong, Aragorn? Why are you so distracted?"
"Nothing," lied the Man, looking at the ground. As much as he was 'angry' with the Prince, he was not about to tell the Lord of Rivendell that a spy was in their midst. Aragorn did not wish for Legolas to get into trouble with his foster father.
"Very well, keep your secrets if you wish. But I want the Joint Army ready for war immediately after the harvest festival. I spoke with Prince Legolas; he suspected an attack on his home. Glorfindel will ready our troops as well. Mirkwood shall have the full support of Rivendell," said Elrond solemnly, looking at his foster son. The wise Elf knew the Man was having trouble with his love life. He would like to speak with Aragorn more on the matter when the threat against the Elves was answered.
Aragorn stared at the ancient Elf incredulously. Was the Prince not a spy? Why would he reveal himself to the Lord of Rivendell? And was this threat against Mirkwood real, or something the cunning Elf made up? The already confused Man did not need any more questions to plague his mind. He wanted answers, straight from the source. Muttering a 'goodnight, my lord', Aragorn marched towards the barracks with single-minded determination. He would finish his conversation with Legolas, no matter how much more it would break his bleeding heart.