Chapter Four
Later that day...
The trio find themselves at a passing.
"Maybe this is it? See anything?" asked Gimli hoping they'd make it there before the changing of the seasons.
"Legolas, what do your elven eyes..." before Aragorn could continue he was interrupted abruptly by Legolas' whining just after having gotten a stain on his dress.
"It's ruined, I'll never get that out, and no amount of elvish ritual water will ever make that clean again."
"Legolas, we have a few impending worries if you don't mind, what do you see?"
Legolas turned back to Aragorn with a morose stare.
"There's nothing, the valley just goes on and on, and... oh wait there's a small encampment on the side of that mountain. I can almost see the smoke stacks from here."
"Let's go."
~~~
By sunset they had made there way to bottom of the valley.
Aragorn knew it was eminent, they would be discovered if they weren't careful enough.
"Maybe the Aroloian's had been banished from there own kind so long they had forgotten what it was like to be with there own kin." Legolas inquired.
"That might be, but we didn't travel all this way twice to turn back now." Aragorn was right; Legolas' humiliation alone was reason enough to keep on going. But then again Legolas didn't mind so much.
Now with their concerns out in the open, Aragorn, Legolas the she-human, and Gimli could assess how they should approach the Aroloian encampment.
After alot of discussing and persuading they finally decided upon the primitive approach, they would pretend to be a family. Aragorn would be known as Admar of the Rohirim, Legolas would be Cerweyna his wife, and Gimli their short cousin from out of town.
When they were closer to the camp they made ready their disguises, of course Legolas had no need to. Aragorn's sword and bow were traded for a pair of cropper's slacks and Gimli's armored coif and large axe for a plain cloth cap. Aragorn quickly unclasped Arwen's necklace from his neck and placed it around Legolas', for the crowning touch.
"Perfect" he noted. "I think it suits you more than it does me, however I will be wanting it back when this is all over." Legolas nodded without delay.
"Like that's gonna happen," Legolas thought to himself. "He just doesn't have the build for it."