A/N: Dear me! Has it really been that long?!...lol...I am sooooooooo sorry for leaving you so long with such a cliffhanger! But school has been hell for me, so I have been rather busy! But I shall truly try to post more often! So enjoy! And bunches and bunches of reviews are soooo welcomed! You guys rock with your reviews! I love ya for them! So thanx a lot! Oh and also...feel free to IM me on my AOL or Yahoo Messenger (id for yahoo is OrliBloomedMe) any time you want to comment or just to talk! I love hearin from u guys! Well I guess das it! Enjoy da chap! ::smiles:: And don't hate me too much Natalia!...lol!











Chapter 22



Despair, And Yet Hope

Malfanion sneered from his place behind the brush. He had fired all the arrows he had stolen, and now he sat and watched as his pathetic prey squirmed.

He couldn't help the laugh that escaped when the fair maiden he knew as Nevduliniel stood and ran.

'So you have left your beloved all alone have you?'

Malfanion stood from his spot and began to walk into the clearing.

He saw that his prey was not aware of him, so he looked down and purposely stepped on a twig.

Yes...that worked.

Malfanion smiled at the fear he saw in Nurtaur's face.

He knelt once he got to him and his smile grew.

"Vedui' Nurtaur...I hope you are faring well." The mockery that seeped from his words made Nurtaur cringe.

"M...Malfanion. Wh...why doth though...do this?" Nurtaur felt his shoulder begin to tingle as he began to lose feeling in it.

Malfanion sneered as he reached down and grabbed hold of the arrow. Nurtaur groaned and panted in pain.

Malfanion placed his other hand over Nurtaur's mouth, and yanked.

Nurtaur screamed in anguishing pain as the steel end was ripped from his shoulder, but the beasts hand that covered his mouth ceased his cry from reaching the ears of any being that may be wandering in the forest.

Nutaur's long, painful scream faltered into mere whimpers. Malfanion smiled as he lifted his hand from Nutaur's mouth, and the arrow to his vision.

He examined the end, then moved it down to where Nurtaur could see it.

"Take a look my friend...do you see the blueness of the tip?..." Nurtaur's eyes widened and his whole body began to shake as his total complexion went white.

Malfanion laughed at his reaction.

"Aye...tis poison. One made specially for the death of Elves." Malfanion placed the arrow beside Nurtaur's shaking body and lowered his face till he could feel the shortness of the dying Elf's breath.

"Tis a pity you married Nevduliniel only to leave her so quickly..." Nurtaur looked into space, listening the evil words that came from the creature's mouth. To him, those words stung more then the arrow...and made him feel weaker then the poison itself.

"...But fear not dear Nurtaur...no, for I would pride myself in taking...care...of your beautiful wife." At these words Nurtaur's head snapped in the direction of the grinning, monstrous face.

"If...if you so much as lay hand on her..." But Nurtaur's voice faltered. He knew the crude poison was seeping through his blood stream, cutting off his ability to speak.

Malfanion knew this and let out a malice laugh.

"What is wrong Nurtaur? Cannot you finish your threat? Could you finish it if I were to tell you that it will be no big task for me to force her into my bed? To caress her face as she cries for you? And plunge my tongue into her sweet mouth? To ravage her mercilessly all night until her body is too weak and too pain filled to move?"

Malfanion saw the anger and hatred flash through Nurtaur's deep blue orbs, and laughed again.

"Have you nothing to say?" Malfanion's taunts were evil and painful. Nurtaur could do nothing. His dear Nevduliniel...the very thought of this beast, touching her made him boil with anger, but his pathetic body failed him. He could do nothing.

All he could do was pray to the Valar on Nevduliniel's protection. For he feared he could do naught on that part.

'Some husband I have turned out to be. My beautiful Nevduliniel. Forgive me for leaving you. I desired to be beside you and protect you for all of your life. Forgive me.' And with those last thoughts, Nurtaur's world covered in darkness.

Malfanion smiled when he saw Nurtaur's eyes flicker, and then close.

He had truly picked the right poison. He loved being able to toy with his prey.

Malfanion heard footsteps running towards where he sat.

He nodded one last time to Nurtaur's seemingly lifeless body and stood.

He quickly turned and ran from the sight of who he knew was coming to the clearing.

~*~*~*~

Legolas burst into the clearing, his eyes searching. Fear gripped him when they lay on the motionless body of his friend.

Legolas walked slowly, grief threatening to take hold.

He heard Nevethiriel and Nevduliniel run into the clearing as well. What came next was to be expected.

An anguishing cry left Natalia's lips when she saw her newly wed husband lying motionlessly on the ground.

Her legs gave way and she collapsed onto her hands and knees.

"Oh no..." Two painful words escaped her lips.

Ami knelt beside her and took her into her arms.

"I am so sorry mela." She said, tears choked her words.

Natalia did nothing...only stare. For shock had gripped her.

Legolas walked to his friend's body and knelt beside it.

He saw the arrow had been pulled, and he examined the end. His eyes narrowed as they traveled up the shaft of the arrow. Anger filled his eyes.

He knew who the arrow belonged too.

Suddenly his eyes caught something new.

Nurtaur's chest, ever so slightly, moved up and down.

Legolas dropped the arrow and placed his face up to his friends.

He smiled. Nurtaur was still breathing.

"He is still alive!" He yelled.

Ami and Natalia both glanced up.

"He is breathing! He still lives!"

Natalia and Ami jumped up and ran to his side.

At the sight of Nurtaur breathing, Natalia burst into tears.

She collapsed once more and praised the Valar that he still lived.

"Come we must get him to the lady. Hopefully she can heal him fully." Legolas picked up the arrow and his friend's body and headed back into the woods.

Ami pulled Natalia up, and lead her in after Legolas.

~*~*~*~

When they had reached the core of the woods, Nurtaur was taken from his friend with a promise that he would be taken to the lady.

Now they stood in the midst of a room. Nurtaur lay on a bed. His breath's came fully now, but he had still not awakened. The lady had informed that the poison was not meant to kill, but to force an Elf into an eternal sleep. She had done all she could, and now he rested peacefully. With no confirmation of him ever waking again.

Natalia sat by his bed, she dabbed a cool cloth across his forehead as she whispered sweet words of promise into his ear.

Legolas sat in a chair across the room. He was examining the arrow as his anger boiled in him.

"Legolas?" He lifted his head at the voice of his lover.

Ami walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. She sat on her heals and looked into his face.

He took that opportunity to lean in for a kiss.

When he pulled away she smiled.

"What troubles you melamin?"

Legolas sighed as he stood up slowly.

"I must go seek for someone. I shall return." Ami stood and watched him exit. She sighed and sat down where he had been sitting only a moment before.

She placed her face in her hands and began to rub her headache away.

~*~*~*~

Haldir sat with a few of his friends in the midst of a garden, drinking their fill on the delicious wine of Lorien.

They were beginning to feel the results of their drinking as someone would say nothing particularly funny, and the whole group would erupt into laughter.

Haldir was just taking a nice sized gulp of his drink when a figure approached the garden.

He was just setting his glass down, when an arrow flew out of nowhere and landed in the dirt, right at his foot.

Haldir jumped up with a yelp, but didn't get far before two strong arms grabbed him by the collar and threw him up against a tree.

Haldir was sober enough to know at whose angry eye's he was staring into.

"L-Legolas!" He squeaked.

"Do a little hunting today Haldir?" Legolas said through gritted teeth. Haldir was white with fear as he stuttered out the answer.

"Y-yes. I...I went hunting."

At this answer Legolas banged him up against the tree again.

All of Haldir's friend's were too drunk to know what was going on, some even pointed and laughed, but Haldir was another case.

"Did you catch anything?" Legolas asked furiously.

Haldir shook his head frantically.

"N-no Legolas! I-I didn't catch anything!"

At this Legolas slung Haldir from the tree to the ground, right in front of the arrow.

"Is that not your arrow Haldir?" He shouted.

"That arrow pierced the skin of my best friend who is now lying in a room with no knowledge of when he is to wake! Now...tell me again that you did not catch anything!" Legolas kept none of the anger that coursed through his body from showing in his words.

Haldir looked at the arrow then back at Legolas.

"It was not me Legolas! True tis my arrow! But I lost my quiver in the woods today when I went to hunt! Twas not me who hit your friend! I..." Legolas slammed Haldir into the ground.

"You lie!" He shouted.

"NO! No I do not lie! I lost them! I swear to the Valar, I lost them!" Haldir pleaded.

"Legolas!"

Legolas looked up to see a tall blonde Elf run into the garden.

"Lady Nevethiriel requests you to come at once."

"I am busy." Legolas stated simply, still having a death grip on Haldir's tunic collar.

"Nay, she says it is important! Veborion has awakened!" At this Legolas let lose of Haldir's collar and stood.

He looked down at Haldir with no sign of mercy in his eyes.

"You have already given me a reason to kill you once Haldir, when you dared to touch Neveth...if I find that you truly set that arrow lose, nothing in all Middle-earth can save you from me. Not even the lady herself." And with that said, Legolas took off back to Nevethiriel.

Haldir sat up from where he lay and let out a relieved sigh.

He looked over at his friend's, but they only smiled at him.

He shook his head and stood, dusting himself off.

What a fix he has gotten himself into.