Jamíran was walking away from the 5 remainders of what was left of the company, Legolas, Ohtar, Yrinvan, Aragorn, and Elviondel, when Aragorn got off of his horse.
"What are you doing?" Legolas asked him.
"I am going to follow her. She will lead us to Arwen," he answered. "The horses will draw attention, for they are too tall and loud. I will go by foot, and anyone who wishes to join me is welcome."
Legolas shook his head. "We will see her tonight, I give you my word. They are going to sell her back to us."
"I will not pay for my wife when she is already mine, not if I don't have to. I love her, so if I must then I will pay whatever it costs, but she is rightfully mine and therefore they have no right to take her from me. I'm following that human, please don't try to stop me."
Legolas sighed and got off his own horse. "We will all go."
Ohtar and Yrinvan also dismounted, but Elviondel stayed on hers. "I have urgent business in Forochel," she told them. "We shall continue on."
"We are going to find our families," Legolas replied. "Come if you will, if not then good luck on your journey."
"You would send me off in this hostile kingdom alone?" she demanded.
"I would."
Elviondel paused, trying to work things out. She needed to get to Forochel, and she couldn't afford to spend the night here without traveling. She had to leave, and she had to leave now. Thus far she'd been happy with the distance they'd traveled, but now they were experiencing a setback.
"Why doesn't one of you come with me, the other lead the children to Arwen and the rest?" she tried. "We may meet up at the border."
"Children?" Ohtar mumbled, offended. Yrinvan shot him an agreeing glance, but neither of them said anything to the adults.
"I do not like the idea of us going our own ways," Legolas said. "We shall stay together."
"But you would send me off alone?"
"Do not take offense of this, but you were never part of the company in my eyes."
Elviondel opened her mouth to say something, but then she closed it again without making a sound. Then she looked down. "I will stay and watch the horses, then," she said. Legolas nodded.
"That is a good idea. Come Ohtar, Yrinvan. We must follow Jamíran before she is out of sight."
~*~
Legolas tapped on the window and Arwen looked over to it. Her face lit up when she saw him, and she rushed to the window and opened it quickly. "Legolas!" she whispered. "Oh, I'm so glad to see you."
Legolas smiled and motioned to his left. "Aragorn, Yrinvan, and Ohtar are here as well. Elviondel stayed to watch the horses."
"I am dreadfully worried. They are cannibals, from what I gather, and I hear that they will torture us, then eat us if they do not get enough money offered. But I would almost rather that than be sold to these Trolls."
"Trolls?" Legolas demanded. "Are they near?"
"I do not think they know where you are, but yes, they are here."
"Come, we must get you out of here."
"I'm not leaving Lae-"
"Yes, we will get them, too. Now come, quickly."
Arwen hesitated for a moment, deciding the best way to fit out of the small opening, then finally stuck her leg outside, then the other, and sat on the window, then slid herself out into Legolas's arms. He then kissed her on the cheek, which was all right with Aragorn who had seen it. He knew well that Legolas and Arwen had kissed before, but it was no more than a sibling type of love.
"Where is Galia and Anywien?" he asked.
"Anywien's room is right next to mine," Arwen replied, pointing to their right. "And Galia should be two or three to the right. She was diagonal from me."
Legolas headed to Galia's room, and Ohtar wen to Anywien's. Yrinvan was gong to Zerameth, and Aragorn and Arwen started towards Laesien's room, while telling each other how much they loved each other and how worried they were.
Yrinvan started the same as Legolas, tapping on the window. Zerameth opened it. "Oh, Yrinvan!" she said, reaching through and hugging him. "Are the others here?"
He nodded. "Yes, everyone is going to someone else's room. We have to get out of here before anyone-" He noted Zerameth's unsure face and stopped in mid-sentence. "What?"
Zerameth motioned to the young girl that walked up to the window. "This is Amethyst. I want her to come with us."
Yrinvan looked from Amethyst to Zerameth, then back to Amethyst and reluctantly said, "Fine, I only ask that you hurry."
Zerameth smiled and climbed out the window, then helped her new friend out as well. They walked back to Arwen's window where everyone met up.
Legolas didn't notice Amethyst right then. "Is everyone here?" he asked, holding Galia in his arms. There seemed to be a "yes" movement, so then they set back out to the horses. By the time they got there it had been getting dark, so they wasted no time in setting off. Everyone mounted and the horses ran at full-speed until they were completely out of Angmar.
A single tear rolled down Amethyst's cheek as she realized that she would never be home again, and if she was she would be killed. That was the penalty for abandonment. But Angmarians were not too friendly, even with their own family… after all, on each parents' 35th birthday it was tradition for the children to kill them and the eldest son and eldest daughter would make the first cut when they were ready to be eaten by the people. Family did not mean much to them. But still, part of her would always miss her sister and brothers, and their cozy home (at least, it had felt cozy to her) and the outdoor smell, even when you were inside. She'd always assumed that came from the grassy floor, but maybe it came from the thin windows and cracks between the wooden walls. But whatever it was, it was home.
