A/N: I'm releasing Chapters 2 and 3 at once so you can have your comic relief and violence without waiting LOL. (I don't know why I just thought that was funny… @.@) Besides, I've got Chapters 1- 7 written up already… Enjoy! Oh, yeah, and around text symbolizes horsey thoughts. Of course, you the characters can't understand them, but it's cute to have them, like, "talk". ^.^
Recap: Italics are thoughts and memories. Oh, also dreams.
Chapter Three: Blood Revenge
Legolas blinked sleepily. He was just waking up, and he felt much stronger, maybe even able to walk. Anar stood over him.
"Good morning, Legolas!" he said. "How are you feeling?"
"Much better, thank you," Legolas sat up in bed. "Where did you learn to be a healer?"
"I spent a few years with the elves in Rivendell," Anar said, examining Legolas' bruised throat. "You seen to be strong enough to walk. Shall I show you around?"
Legolas nodded and swung his legs over the side of the bed, shakily standing and noticing the second bed, previously forgotten.
"How could I forget?" he said. "Aragorn- has he woken?"
"Yes, he was in great pain though. We had to drug him again," Anar looked sad for a moment. A knock came at the door.
"Anar?" a voice asked. "Can I come in- stop it, Cal. You'll smash through the floor!"
"Come in," Anar called. The door opened. A dark-haired girl and a blonde boy came in, the boy obviously overexcited.
They walked up to Legolas and Anar. "I see the elf is healing," Cal said. He turned to Legolas. "My name is Calam, and I am glad you have found your way to- wait. Uh, I forgot."
Legolas burst into laughter at the youth's confused brown eyes. "I am Legolas Greenleaf, Mirkwood elf," he said.
"Oh, yes, I remember!" Cal snapped his fingers. "Some people call me Cal. That little unfriendly soul over there is Trinity."
Legolas looked at the girl and held back a gasp. She was in such a likeness to Aragorn that she looked as if she was of close kindred to him. Her dark hair was disorganized around her shoulders and her eyes were a deep blue-gray color.
Legolas scrutinized her closely. "Trinity-" he murmured. The name seemed so familiar, yet he could not remember where he had heard it. He slowly walked over to Aragorn's side. "Aragorn, my friend," he said softly.
Aragorn stirred in his sleep. "Go away," he muttered.
Legolas rolled his eyes. Waking the stubborn human up might prove difficult.
Langaresh the winged horse trotted up the mountain. She sniffed the air, wriggling her upper lip in disgust. Mordor smelled bad.
Langaresh strode into the land of Mordor, as if drawn to the tower by an invisible force. Her hooves made dull clip-clops on the stone.
As the horse entered the tower, Orc guards stood everywhere. The animal froze, but they didn't see it. She walked right in front of them without detection.
(A/N: Sorry to interrupt the story, but I have to explain to you about the winged horse: It's young and doesn't fully understand what powers it has. When it gets frightened, its body randomly activates one of its powers, in this case, invisibility. Cool.)
The animal walked into a room, seeing a young girl crying against a wall. Langaresh lowered her nose and sniffed the girl, whickering.
I've found you at last.
Small hands rubbed the horse's soft muzzle and the horse sighed.
Suddenly, the Dark Lord Sauron strode into the room, casting a wary glance at the horse…
*~*~
"Aragorn," Legolas whispered, brushing his friend's damp hair from his eyes. "I'm here."
"Legolas," Aragorn rasped. "Trinity- you have to get her."
"I need to get you to safety first," Legolas argued, grasping the king's arm and gently pulling him to his feet. He led the wounded man slowly to a balcony where Gwaihir the Eagle Lord perched, preening his feathers.
Grasping the king in a talon, Gwaihir spread his wings.
"Wait, Gwaihir, I need to get his daughter," Legolas sprinted towards a door and seizing the handle.
"Daughter?" Gwaihir's beady eyes widened.
"What the-?" a rough, Orc voice shouted.
"Come back, Legolas!" Gwaihir screamed. "The Dark Lord is in that room! That's suicide!"
"How do you know?"
"I can see him! Now, get back or you'll be killed!"
"I don't care!" Legolas yelled.
"They're over there!" the Orcs bellowed.
Gwaihir grabbed Legolas in his beak and took to the skies, screeching. Legolas was screaming obscene elvish curses.
*~*~
"Your daddy left," Sauron said viciously. "He left without you."
"Not listening," Trinity squeaked.
Langaresh bellowed and glared at Sauron, her wings spread menacingly. Sauron laughed dismissively.
"Scary little mare, how did you get in here? What are you going to do, attack?" Sauron laughed and slapped his knee.
Langaresh sprang forward and brought her hooves down on Sauron's head. The Dark Lord fell to the ground with a cry. The horse screamed with rage, pounding the Dark Lord to pieces.
Harsh Orc voices filled the hallway. Langaresh grabbed Trinity and tossed her onto the brown back, bursting into a gallop. Orcs were running towards the place where their Lord lay dead.
Langaresh lifted her dainty legs and sprang over the approaching Orcs, her wings catching a breeze and lifting her into the sky. The horse whinnied and managed to fly out a window, the girl holding tight to her back…
Aragorn pried his eyes open a crack, hazy gray orbs focusing in on Legolas.
"Legolas?"
"Try not to move, friend," Legolas said. "You were badly injured."
"How badly?" Aragorn mumbled.
Legolas looked at Anar, who nodded. "Your wrists were sprained and you collapsed from exhaustion," Legolas said bluntly. "That is all."
"Oh, yes. A Warg took a piece out of your shoulder and your leg," Legolas added suddenly, as if just remembering.
"What do you mean 'Oh, yes'?" Aragorn growled.
"You need rest," Anar said firmly. Aragorn grumbled, but snuggled down into the pillows, but not before seeing the girl behind Legolas. His first thought was of Arwen, and after that he thought no more.
Dart kicked his weary horse forward, cursing the very existence of Trinity. The stallion gave an annoyed snort, but obeyed his master.
He did not yet know where his master was bringing him.
The Black Gates of Mordor loomed before the horse and rider. The animal was immediately filled with terror, and reared. Dart kicked him viciously. "Get up, horse. My master hates it when we are late."
The watcher on the wall of the gate spotted Dart and gestured to the two dragons chained to the gate. A human cracked his whip at their scaly hides and the beasts lunged forward.
The gate creaked open five feet. Dart trotted in and the dragons shoved it closed, the metal clanging dully. The horse reared again, wild with fright.
Dart leapt off the horse and let it free. It would probably run itself to death, he thought wryly.
So you have returned.
Dart looked around wildly. "Where are you?" he asked loudly.
A low chuckle answered him. He looked up sharply. Sitting atop a high, towering cliff sat a man. He was cloaked in black, his eyes glowing like embers from underneath his hood.
"Master," Dart said. "It was not-"
I know perfectly well it was not your fault. She cast you out.
"Yes, master," Dart said.
"You were weak, Dart," the cloaked figure hissed.
"Sorry, master," Dart cringed.
"I do not like failure, Dart," the figure roared in fury. "I want her dead!"
Dart shrunk back.
"It was failure for that girl to live! It was failure that delivered Aragorn from Sauron's hand! It was failure for Sauron to be defeated! Do you see, Dart? My master is dead because of that girl!"
"B-begging your pardon master!" Dart gasped. "It was the winged horse! IT killed your master!"
"Nevertheless, my master meant to destroy her, so that's what I mean to do! Just to spite that King of Gondor," the figure sneered. His features softened a little. "Lead out my Wargs," he said darkly. "Take the army of Orcs. Kill them all- and bring the winged horse to me."
"W-winged horse?" Dart stammered. "You cannot ride it!"
"Who are you to say I cannot ride it?" the figure roared again. "When bond between horse and master is shattered by the master's death, the horse may bond with another. Are you doubting me?"
"Oh, n-no, my lord!"
The figure smiled. "Good," he said, tossing the hood off his head and gazing full into Dart's face.
"I will not fail again-" Dart bowed and added, "-Lord Díable."
"Where is your lord?" Aragorn thundered. The vile Mouth of Sauron stared at him with cold, hard eyes. "I have come for my daughter, and you can either hand her over or I'll take her!"
His entire army stood behind him, waiting for the order to attack.
The Mouth smiled. "I have not your daughter," he said. "Sauron does not have her. He slay her the day you escaped."
"I don't believe you!" Aragorn yelled.
"Fine, then. Attack, and see for yourself."
"CHARGE!" Aragorn roared, just as the gates of Mordor swung open further and thousands of Orcs poured out in a strange duplicate of a battle fought on that very ground during the War of the Ring.
*~*~
Langaresh worriedly nuzzled Trinity's cheek.
Master?
Weak fingers stroked the horse's coat.
I swore to my master that I would protect you. That is all I plan to do. Please wake up.
*~*~
Aragorn slumped onto the floor, wrapping himself in his cloak. Those stupid, foul Mordor-folk were right. She was gone.
Trinity stared into the distance, watching Gwaihir the Eagle Lord swooping and wheeling in the air. Her eyes filled with tears she was determined not to shed. The appearance of her father had shaken her; though all save Cal noticed the difference.
Aragorn stepped out of the room. The wind felt refreshing and his injury barely hurt at all. He thought back to his beloved Arwen, realizing he must return.
He sighed and looked over the treetops, his keen eyes spotting Gwaihir. Then he noticed the girl. She sat with her legs dangling off the edge of the platform, her dark hair waving in the wind like a ripple of silk.
I know you are back there, Trinity thought. She blinked back tears. She blinked back more tears. She longed for the father she had never known, the thought tearing at her heart. Yet anger still festered in her heart, an old would that seeing his face had irritated.
"Cheer up," he said. "No one can stay sad for so long here."
"Well, I can," she muttered, resting her head on her palms.
Aragorn walked up and sat down next to her. "How is that?" he asked gently, his soft gaze scrutinizing her.
"You were not abandoned by your father when you were young," Trinity said.
"My father died when I was little," he murmured.
"No, I mean truly abandoned," she said. "My father left me to the hands of Sauron. I do not remember much after that."
That last statement was a bold-faced lie. She remembered every last detail; the flashing hooves of the skinny, dirty horse, the enraged screams of Sauron as he was trampled into pieces, each kick opening a gash in his armor.
"My name is Trinity," she said at last.
Aragorn sucked in a breath. He tried to speak, but no words came out. Trinity? She died a long time ago-
It cannot be her, he thought. She died. Sauron killed her. He had better not fall for it- the shock of losing his daughter a second time would kill him.
Yet, the resemblance was so strong. Trinity gave him a knowing glance. He remembers, she thought. He remembers yet he does not want to believe.
After what seemed like hours, Aragorn let out the breath he had been holding, almost falling off the platform. Trinity grabbed him by the back of the neck and yanked him back up. She noticed now that he had tears in his eyes.
"Forget it, forget I said any of it," she muttered, hanging her head.
"Sorry," he managed to say. His heart throbbed with agony. If she was his daughter…
He would have failed her. Left her to die. The guilt threatened to rip him limb from limb. She stood up and gave him one last glance of sorrow.
"Trinity," he said. "That was my- daughter's name before-" He broke off again in a violent sob.
"Sorry," he whimpered. He stared into her eyes. "You- you just look a lot like her." He turned slowly and limped back to his room.
"Yeah, right," she muttered quietly. He didn't hear.
Anar scrubbed the sheet in the basin of cold water, turning the crystal clean water murky red with wet blood. Aragorn's blood, he said in his head.
Anar hung the sheet out under the sun to dry and sighed. Aragorn would be devastated. His daughter, the one he had abandoned, was living and breathing in the very group of Rangers that had saved him.
Aragorn slammed himself into the door, the fiery pain in his leg shooting up his side. His breaths came in heaving pants, the guilt eating away at his heart and inflaming his injuries.
"Oh, my friend," Anar said sadly. "Back to bed." He gently helped the king back into his bed, and stood. "I need to find Legolas."
Legolas emptied his keg of water. He had requested beer, but the bartender had insisted that he was too weak. The water was good, though, so he had no regrets.
One of the Rangers burst into an earsplitting drinking song.
"You're off key!" Cal bellowed, much to Legolas' amusement.
Anar walked into the room and up to Legolas. "Legolas," he said. "Aragorn is- well, he saw Trinity, and he's not doing too well," Anar struggled to find the right words. "I thought perhaps you would like to speak with him."
Legolas stood up. "I will go," he said. "It would probably be better than staying here listening to off key drinking songs." He glared at the drunken Ranger, having a drinking competition with Cal, who was really not supposed to be drinking.
"Aragorn?" Legolas placed a hand on Aragorn's shoulder. "Are you alright?"
"Stupid question," Aragorn growled. "I failed her, Legolas. She was alive in Sauron's stronghold and I did nothing!"
"Aragorn!" Legolas yelled. "You are the stupidest, most stubborn human I have ever met!"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, look at me! I want to wallow around in self-pity instead of doing something!" Legolas could tell that his words hit home.
Aragorn snarled at the elf prince, and then gave a little smile. "It is my turn to tell you that you are normally right," he said.
"Good, now I can stop exerting myself," Legolas stumbled in mock weakness.
"There is still one question," Aragorn said.
"What?"
"How do we know she is the actual Trinity- my Trinity?" Aragorn raised an eyebrow.
Legolas scratched his head comically.
"The Rangers know," Legolas said quietly. "They know who she is, but they are not going to tell us."
"Why?"
"They do not want her to get hurt again," Legolas said softly. "They do not want her to be hurt by you."
Aragorn grimaced.
"What troubles you, child?" Gwaihir asked, preening his feathers with his massive beak.
Trinity stroked Lasrachai's neck. "Last night, we rescued a couple of adventurers," she said with a little snort. "One of them was an elf and the other was a man. Pretty stupid."
Gwaihir peered out of the mass of feathers. "Trinity, Trinity, what would anyone do with you? You never give all the details."
"The man is Aragorn, my father,"
Gwaihir shook his massive head. "I'm sorry," he said.
Trinity snorted. "Don't be. He doesn't remember me and he probably wouldn't take me back to Minas Tirith or anything, so what do I have to worry about?"
Gwaihir shrugged as best as a bird could with wings. "That doesn't make any sense to me," he hooted. "Race you to the end of the clearing!"
"So, did Aragorn get out of bed or anything?" Cal asked, later that night.
"Cal, where were you all day?" Trinity asked suspiciously.
"The bar," Cal giggled.
"Well, if you had left it, you would know that he has been up and on his feet."
Cal groaned. "I need sleep."
"Too much beer?" Trinity asked innocently.
Cal growled and shuffled off to his sleeping quarters.
"Aragorn," Legolas said. "You will have to decide."
"Decide what?" Aragorn snapped. Legolas had been thinking and figuring all afternoon, and it had put Aragorn is a vile mood.
"Whether you want to leave Trinity here or take her back," Legolas brushed a strand of golden hair behind his ear.
Aragorn groaned and flopped onto the table in mock defeat. "I don't know, stop asking me."
Suddenly, Cal sprinted into the room.
"RAID! The Orcs are attacking!"
Legolas let his gleaming elvish arrow fly; embedding itself in the throat of an oncoming Orc. "How did they know to come here?" he shouted.
Trinity plunged her sword deep into the gut of another Orc. "They must have been tipped off! Either that or they followed us!" She crashed the heel of her foot into an enemy's face.
"Do not get separated!" Legolas called to Trinity. "If the Rangers become separated, they will surround us and we will be defeated!"
"I know!" Trinity shot back. "Where did Aragorn go?"
Legolas froze in shock. His friend had disappeared.
"Come here, little worm," an ugly Orc called into the forest. Aragorn cursed and ducked behind a tree. The Orc had attacked from behind, knocking Anduril out of his reach. Before her could reclaim it, a second Orc had slid between him and the blade.
Running away. The words angered him. He hated running away. People- many whom he knew-, were dying and all he could do was to run.
"You coward," he hissed at himself, drawing his elvish dagger from his belt and pressing himself against a tree.
The Orc trudged closer, his wild eyes searching the foliage. Aragorn leapt from behind the tree and plunged his dagger deep into the Orc's throat and charged back for the camp.
I'm not running away this time!
"Archers!" an Orc shouted.
"FIRE!" Trinity roared. A sea of arrows flew from ten gleaming bows, each striking a mark.
"Charge!" a burly Orc yelled. A massive wave of Orcs charged forward.
The onslaught of arrows did not faze the Orcs. They shouted and kept running.
"SWORDS!" Trinity screamed, drawing her own. The Orcs converged on the small group of Rangers.
Suddenly, the forest rustled and six Warg-riders charged into the clearing. The other Orcs backed away a few paces and snickered.
The Wargs slobbered and circled the Rangers. Their fur shone in the firelight and their eyes were slim red slits, gazing longingly at the man-flesh they saw before them.
Aragorn ran into the clearing, recovering Anduril and rushing into the fray, slicing a red gash down the Warg's side. The creature yelped and turned to face him.
It was too slow. Aragorn plunged Anduril deep into the creature's chest, his hands slippery with the Orc's blood. The Warg fell heavily to the ground.
Legolas turned to see his friend slay a Warg, and sighed with relief. He nocked his last arrow and sent it shooting into the throat of a ferocious Warg.
Cal yelled and threw a rock at an oncoming Warg, knocking the beast out and sending its rider to the ground.
The Uruk-hai who was riding the fallen animal lunged at Cal. A large rock crashed into his forehead and blackness engulfed the Uruk.
Cal turned and stood face to face with a terrifying Warg. Its rider shouted at the animal to kill the young Ranger. Cal tried to raise his blade in time before he realized a split second later that he would never be able to use it in time.
Like a greased arrow, Lasrachai flew from the woods, kicking the Warg in the head and knocking the rider off. Before it could recover, the horse reared and brought its hooves crashing onto the Uruk's shoulders.
The Uruk crumpled to the ground. Trinity nudged the unaided horse forward. Cal blinked and thought he saw blood, bright red, flowing down her chin, but ignored the thought.
She will be okay. She will have to be okay, he thought forcefully.
The pain was blinding, but Trinity blatantly ignored it. Lasrachai charged at another Orc, the final Warg-rider, and delivered a bone-shivering kick to its head. The Orc fell beneath him, crushed by the Warg and the horse standing atop its victim, snorting violently.
Aragorn saw the triumphant entry of Lasrachai and Trinity. He rushed forward with a war cry and rammed a large Orc to the ground. He blindly tackled another and delivered a finishing blow with Anduril. He didn't know that it was the big commander of the Orc invaders.
The Orcs saw their leader fall by Aragorn's blade and fled, their ranks collapsing. Aragorn wiped Anduril on a piece of leather and looked around.
"Aragorn!" Legolas shouted, not knowing whether to be angry or glad to see his friend alive. "Where were you?"
Aragorn bit his lip. "I, uh, got sidetracked," he said with a small grin. "Thank goodness you were here to save me."
Legolas snorted. "Foolish man. You know better than to stay from the rest of us. They could have killed you."
Aragorn gave a pleasant smile.
Legolas snorted with laughter, and then paled. He searched the crowd of victorious albeit tired Rangers. There was one person he did not see. "Aragorn!" he screamed in a whisper. "Trinity-"
Aragorn narrowed his eyes. The firelight gave off enough light to see the bay coat of Lasrachai. He ran towards the animal.
Lasrachai whinnied in distress, his eyes white with fear. He lowered his head and nudged a still form on the ground. Aragorn slid to his knees and brushed Trinity's dark hair out of her eyes.
Dark red blood pooled from her mouth and the hilt of a dagger protruded from the soft flesh of her chin. "Legolas!" Aragorn snapped. "Get bandages! A lot of bandages!"
Aragorn winced. The dagger jutted from her lower jaw. An Orc must have plunged it into her chin from underneath. He grasped the hilt and yanked it out.
Trinity whimpered. Aragorn immediately pressed his hands to the wound, feeling the sticky fluid pounding under his fingers. Legolas passed the bandages over and Aragorn pressed them firmly to the girl's chin.
The bleeding had slowed due to the direct pressure, and Trinity opened a teary eye, fixing it on Aragorn's face. He gingerly removed the bandage, taking a fresh one from Legolas.
Trinity opened her eyes. The pain in her jaw was terrible, blinding her vision in a red flash. She did not notice that she was crying until a finger brushed away her tears and strong arms lifted her up and held her until she fell asleep.
A/N: That was long. Just long. The last few paragraphs are sort of comforting in some way. (I wish I got to fall asleep in Aragorn's arms… *drools*).