Disclaimer: For full disclaimer, please see chapter 1.
A/N:
Well, just to let you know, I really didn't want to update today. Yeah, I know, that's mean, but I AM mean, I'm afraid. *g*
But since I finished a paper on Emperor Aurelian yesterday (You ask 'Who was Emperor Aurelian'?? Let me tell you one thing: You don't want to know. Trust me. I've read about five books about him, I should know. *g*), I thought I'd show you how very HAPPY I am about this and post chapter 6 a little bit sooner than planned.
It is a bit longer than the other chapters, but I didn't think you would mind... *g*
And Legolas has finally reached the High Pass! Yay! Even though he manages to run into trouble even there ... *evil grin*
Oh, and yes ... *searches in her pockets* wait a minute, it's got to be here somewhere ... just a sec ... got it! *pulls out a big fat sign saying 'Beware: Cliffhanger!!!!'*
Yes, I'm terribly sorry, but I just couldn't resist ... *cackles evilly* It's even a 'double-cliffhanger', in a way ...
Okay, on to the chapter! *winks at Carrie and takes out her pink fluffy earmuffs*
Chapter 6
Nólad jumped down from the tree he had spent the night on and landed on the ground without making a noise. One of the men close by, Seobryn, if his memory served him right, looked at him with wonder in his eyes.
"How do you do that?" he asked, genuinely intrigued.
Nólad smiled at him. It was very hard not to like this one, he was – even by the reckoning of men – still young and both curious and inquisitive.
"It is a gift from the Valar to the firstborn, so we can make the life of the younger races more interesting," he said seriously, walking off and leaving the boy behind, who scratched his head in obvious confusion.
'Edain,' he chuckled inwardly, heading for his friend who stood near the fire deeply in conversation with the human commander, Donyc.
As he drew closer, the fair haired elf studied the man closely. He and his men were exactly what they had been looking for: Professionals who didn't have problems with working for an elf, without the slightest hint of a conscience, but with an abundance of unscrupulousness and ruthlessness. With a good amount of greed thrown in for good measure, of course, a greed which allowed anyone with enough money to buy their services.
'And in Donyc's case,' he thought as he moved to stand next to his lord, 'all this is topped off with a definitely cruel streak. No,' he mentally corrected himself when he looked into the man's dark eyes, 'make that a sadistic streak.'
"Good morning, mellonamin, are you ready to leave?" His friend's voice interrupted Nólad's reverie.
"Yes, my lord. We are ready. If everything goes according to plan, we should reach the northern borders of Rivendell this evening," he stated.
His friend gave a satisfied nod and turned back to face the human commander.
"You understand what needs to be done?" he asked, studying the man closely.
Donyc nodded, unconsciously averting his eyes from the elf's intense gaze.
"And you have no problems with the plan?" the dark haired elf asked again with an unbelieving undertone in his voice.
"No," the man stated, "As long as we get our money, I couldn't care less about what you do with a bunch of elves and their friends."
Nólad watched his friend nod at the edan.
"A very sensible attitude."
"More than that, Master Elf, a very profitable one as well," the man chuckled before turning round to his men to give the signal to break camp.
"Edain," Nólad's companion hissed when Donyc had moved out of earshot, "They haven't changed a bit. They would still sell their questionable honour for the merest hint of gold."
"Who else could we have hired who would have been willing to do what we asked?" the other elf asked and looked his friend in the eye.
The hate there burnt even stronger then before, if that was even possible. He wondered for a moment how much more it would be able to intensify before something in the dark haired elf snapped.
'And now,' the fair haired elf decided, 'There is something else there, it's almost like ... a bloodthirsty gleam ... O Ilúvatar, how did it come to this?'
Unaware of his companion's thoughts, the dark haired elf turned back into the direction the men were camping.
"Yes, who else, mellonamin?" he asked, looking at the men in disgust.
"But they will do," he added as if to himself, "They will do quite nicely, I think."
Legolas cursed fluently in Dwarvish, a fact that would have greatly disturbed his father and king.
'But sometimes,' he decided, 'Elvish languages just don't have the words necessary to voice one's feelings. Dwarvish has a lot of much more clear-cut expressions.'
The wind began once again to blow snow into his face, and he let out an exceptionally inventive curse that would have had the twins go green with envy. Sometimes it was quite useful to have dwarves travel through your woods so frequently.
Battling against the ever increasing blowing of the wind, the elven prince decided that he could go no further today. While he was not overly troubled by the snow, the horse would soon sink in to its belly if things went on like this.
Pulling the animal into the direction of a small cave he remembered from previous journeys, he wondered how it was possible that the weather had changed so quickly. And, this thought caused him particular regret, just why he had insisted a day ago that Glónduil and Celylith returned to the borders of Mirkwood.
"Please, Legolas, be reasonable!"
"Are you saying that I'm behaving unreasonably, Celylith?"
"Nay, my lord, I would never say such a thing! But you don't know what the weather will be like, and you might need our help once you get over the mountains!"
Legolas shook his head firmly, his silver-blue eyes flashing determinedly in the slowly dimming light as the sun sank lower under the horizon.
"No, my friend, I will be able to travel faster alone. Besides, perhaps you are right and I am mistaken. Perhaps there is nothing wrong in Rivendell after all."
His friend shot him a look that clearly said what he thought of Legolas' words.
The fair haired prince sighed audibly.
"I'm sorry, my friend, but it is better this way. You are needed back in Mirkwood, and I will be able to reach Imladris a lot faster if I go alone."
Glónduil's condescending voice interrupted them.
"Let him be, Celylith, if he doesn't want our help, we won't force him to accept it. There are strange things abroad, dwarves, men and elves, and, sometimes, they are even travelling together, but I am sure the prince will be alright."
Legolas resisted the urge to strangle the dark haired elf, an urge he seemed to experience more and more frequently recently, and grasped his friend's forearms, pulling him closer.
"I will be alright. Don't worry about me. I will send word as soon as I arrive in Rivendell."
Celylith shook his head, but knew better than to protest. When Legolas was in this state of mind, there was no reasoning with him. He nodded reluctantly, dark blue eyes locking onto silver-blue ones.
"I will pray for you and the others. May Elbereth guide you and protect you, and keep you from harm. Which is a job truly worthy of one of the Valar," he admitted wryly.
Legolas smiled at his friend.
"Thank you, mellonamin. Namárië."
He turned away from the two elves without another word, mounted his horse and rode up the slowly rising path that led to the High Pass, and when he stopped some time later to look back over the lands below him, the others had passed out of sight.
A snowdrift which had accumulated on top of one of the rocks slid, raised by a sudden gale of wind, with uncanny precision down the back of his tunic, somehow finding its way past his cloak, causing the elven prince to jump. Very well, he decided, that was enough. He needed to find that cave, and the sooner the better. Legolas gave a silent sigh of relief when his eyes spied the dark entrance through the whirling masses of snow.
Turning to his horse, which seemed to have seen the shelter as well and was straining to reach it quickly, he pulled it to a stop and looked at it with a cautioning glare.
"If you tell anyone about this little episode, I will personally make sure that you will regret it, understood?"
The white horse looked at him with large, innocent eyes that didn't fool the elf for a second. Picking up his pace to reach the shelter, Legolas shook his head, chuckling inwardly.
'If Aragorn ever finds out I was actually glad to see a cave, I will be doomed. He would never let me forget it. Never.'
Elrond stood on top of the steps that lead down into the courtyard from the main house and tried very hard not to let his worry show that stood in stark contrast to the glorious day that was about to unfold in front of his eyes.
He had thought about explicitly forbidding them to leave the house today, but that probably would only serve to make sure his sons used the ropes they kept hidden in their rooms and he pretended he didn't know about and escaped through the windows.
'Just like they have done in the past,' he reminded himself.
"I'd prefer you not to go," he told his two sons again.
"Oh, come on, father, we haven't been out for three days! Estel's wound is hardly giving him any more trouble and is healing nicely, and we won't even go on a proper hunt! We will just go and check the snares," Elrohir told his father as he adjusted his pack on his shoulders, "Isn't that right, little brother? You won't do anything strenuous today."
Aragorn interrupted what he had been doing ever since he had tried to dress: Glare daggers at his oldest elven brother, who was standing next to their father and tried very hard not to grin broadly.
The memory of a cursing Estel rushing into his room clad into a shirt that shimmered in every colour men – or even elves, for that matter – could possibly imagine was something Elladan would remember for a long time. Well, perhaps he had overdone it a bit when he had dyed every single of Estel's hunting shirts, but he had had to do something, hadn't he?
'Yes,' Elladan decided, 'Sometimes it really pays having friends in the laundry."
"No," Estel agreed, picking at the borrowed shirt that was slightly too big for him, "I won't do anything that could set back my recovery. I promise, ada."
Elrond looked at the two hopeful faces in front of him and relented.
"Very well then. Go. But Estel," he raised a finger and gave both of them a stern look, "If I find out that your have drawn a bow or something similarly foolish, I will make sure you don't leave this house for the next few weeks, no matter if Legolas is here or not. Understood, you two?"
Both of them nodded seriously, "Yes, father."
His gaze softening slightly, he added, "Please be careful. I feel something is drawing near, and even if I cannot be sure what it is, I am sure that it is not friendly. Be wary."
Elrohir nodded again, clearly eager to be off, "We will be, ada . Elladan," he turned to his elven brother, "Are you sure you don't want to come?"
Elladan took one look at his human brother's scowling face and decided in an instant that he would be incomparably safer here.
"No, brother, I think I will heed father's advice and go easy on my back for a while. My ribs are still a bit sore. Speaking of which," he said and leaned against a carved wooden pillar for support, "I feel quite weak suddenly."
Aragorn snorted.
"I bet you do." He turned to his father and said, grey eyes sparkling with anticipation, "Thank you, ada. I will be careful, I promise."
With a last dark look at his brother, he turned und hurried to catch up with Elrohir, calling for him to wait.
Elrond looked after them until they had disappeared from sight. Praying to Ilúvatar he hadn't just made another mistake of spectacular and unique proportions, he turned back into the Last Homely House, feelings of dread increasing by the minute.
A few hours later, Aragorn was thoroughly annoyed. Elrohir could be over-protective at times – although not to the same extent as Elladan - , but this was ridiculous.
'If he twists back a branch or stops for the stupidest reasons to give me a break or gives me that … that look one more time, I might finish what the wargs started,' he though darkly, moving behind his brother with an almost elvish grace.
When Elrohir told his young human brother a few minutes later to look out for a tree root that protruded slightly from the ground, he finally lost his temper. Grabbing his brother's shirt sleeve, he turned him around, eyes blazing with annoyance.
"Do I look like a child to you? A little scratch doesn't turn me into an invalid all of the sudden! I can very well look after myself, and only a blind mole could have overseen that stupid root!"
Elrohir looked at the ranger, not surprised in the slightest. Estel mistook honest concern quite often for over-protectiveness. Besides, his father would have his hide if anything happened to his little brother.
"I am sorry, Estel, but father told me to keep an eye on you. He doesn't want his stitches to be ripped open in that unique way of yours…"
Aragorn looked at his brother, silver eyes flashing dangerously.
That had apparently been the wrong thing to say, Elrohir concluded.
"Just let me be, Elrohir! Sometimes you are just so … so …" he stopped, at a loss for words.
"Yes?" his elven brother asked smugly, raising a dark eyebrow in mock confusion.
The human threw his hands up into the air, wheeled on his heel and trudged northwards, away from his brother.
"Estel? Where are you going? I was only joking, brother…"
"Just leave me alone, will you? I will go check the snares near the little ravine; I think I will manage that on my own!"
Elrohir watched his human brother disappear into the trees, shaking his head.
'Humans. It is a miracle any of them survive childhood in the first place,' he thought and turned to the east to check a few more of the traps before returning home.
Nólad remained in the tree he had been hiding in until he was sure the younger elf had passed out of earshot, before moving quickly from tree to tree, giving the human a wide berth. He, his friend and a few of the most skilful edain had positioned themselves at strategic points all around Rivendell, waiting for the ranger to appear.
He clutched a low-hanging branch just above his head, sending a colourful sparkle of leaves floating to the ground, and tried to pierce his surroundings with a keen glance.
Just as he had thought, the human was still heading northwards, moving a lot more graceful than any other human he had ever encountered.
'He is right,' the fair haired elf thought as he watched the human pick his way through the dense bushes, 'There is much more to this one than meets the eye.'
He quickly remembered what he was here for and quelled all sympathy he might have felt for the human.
'It would serve neither one of us. Not anymore.'
Tearing his gaze away from the dark haired human, Nólad quickly made his way to the camp they had pitched yesterday evening. If they wanted to go on with their plan, they would need to act quickly.
Legolas squinted through the snow, trying to make out the sun that had to be up there somewhere. Not that it had shown its face today, no, that would have been too much too ask for. The weather had not improved, in fact, it had worsened, if that had been even possible. Ever since he had left his little cave early this morning, the weather had steadily deteriorated, up to the point where not even an elf could see farther than a few feet.
To make things worse, his forebodings had returned with a vengeance. Never before had Legolas felt such an urgent, pressing warning, not once in his long life.
'Whatever it is, it will be happening soon,' he thought despairingly, judging his chances to arrive in time to help. Slim to none, like his human friend would have said.
He suppressed a shudder that had nothing to do with the icy cold all around him, and wrapped himself more tightly into his dark elven cloak. This was very bad. As bad as it got.
'No,' Legolas decided when a sudden gale of wind pressed him against his horse, 'No matter how bad things are, they can always get worse. And, usually, they do.'
Stumbling over the snow that was piling up in front of him and pulling his horse along behind him, the elven prince followed what he thought was the snowy path leading across the Misty Mountains.
He tried to make himself heard over the wind to encourage the animal as he rounded a heap of big stones that was lying on one side of the narrow road – only to come face to face with an extremely ugly goblin. And where there was one goblin, there were usually more.
Starting back in shock and cursing himself for not hearing their approach, Legolas reached for his two elven knifes he kept in a sheath on his back and, before the goblin had even time to comprehend into whom or what he had just stumbled, slit the creature's throat with one move of his dagger. The goblin's hands flew instinctively to its throat, before it collapsed onto the snow with a low gurgle.
Legolas moved around the piled rocks to find a bit more space to manoeuvre, and had just enough time to put his elven reflexes into good use to avoid getting slashed in two. He crouched low and spun around, taking out the legs of one goblin before plunging his other knife deeply into the chest of another. Jumping lightly back onto his feet, his silver-blue eyes widened in shock when he saw the angrily shrieking mass of mountain goblins rush forward, which had witnessed their companions' deaths and were not taking too kindly to it.
'I don't have time for this,' he thought furiously and kicked the bodies of the dead goblins out of his way. 'First the snow, now this! I will never get off this mountain!'
The fair haired prince shifted his feet into a better fighting stance and prepared to meet the onslaught. Sending the first goblin to meet him crash backwards with a fierce kick to its mid-section, at least temporarily taking out at least three more when it flew backwards, he blocked a crudely forged scimitar that had been aimed at his stomach and slammed his elbow into the face of the attacking creature while at the same time dispatching another with his left hand.
'And here we are,' he thought sarcastically as he danced to the side to avoid another blade aimed at his body, 'This is worse.'
Aragorn moved slowly through the tree, resisting the childish urge to kick protruding tree roots or pebbles out of his way. Now that he had calmed down a little, he could see that his brother had only been trying to help him. Besides, one did not just ignore a command of the Lord of Rivendell concerning the health of one of his children.
'But this cursed elven smugness of his doesn't make things easier in the slightest!' the young ranger thought, his temper flaring up again.
Sometimes it truly was not easy to grow up and live in an elven household as the only human within a radius of many miles. As a child he had had a hard time adjusting to the fact that there always was someone better or faster or stealthier than he, and that he attracted attention for his own relative gracelessness and clumsiness. His brothers and father had done everything in their power to ease those feelings and make him feel accepted, but sometimes the twins' elven nature got the better of them.
Too deeply in thought to pay much attention to his surroundings, Aragorn made his way to the last set of snares he knew to be hidden close to one of the lone big oak tree just at the edge of the shallow ravine, shallow, that is, in comparison to the gorge Rivendell itself was located in.
'I will check that trap and then return back home. As soon as I get back I will apologize to Elrohir, and I still need to think of a comeback for that green haired demon-brother of mine…'
His musings were interrupted when he heard the unmistakably sound of a twig snapping. Raising his eyes, the dark haired human studied his surroundings intensely. Now that he actually thought about it, it seemed awfully quiet, and his senses whispered softly of danger approaching him. It was not the overpowering feeling one got when dealing with orcs; it was a lot more subtle, but the underlying feeling of menace was just the same.
Moving one hand to the hilt of his broadsword and letting the other one linger close to his bow, he began to move carefully into the direction of the oak tree. If he had to fight, he would prefer to do so with something to cover his back.
He couldn't have done more than two dozen steps before he saw a group of people emerge from the small forest to the left of him, moving quickly to get between him and his chosen place of battle. Aragorn hurried his steps while at the same time drawing his bow and notching an arrow, wincing as the strain on his left side pulled against the stitches there and trying not to think of what his father would say once he heard about this.
When he was about fifty metres away from the tree, the beings that moved in to intercept him took shape and he understood what had unconsciously put him off about this group: They were all human.
'What is a group of fifteen humans doing here?' he asked himself confused.
Waiting for them to come a bit closer, he finally challenged them, his arrow pointing unwaveringly at one of the men.
"Halt! You are inside elven territory! These lands belong to Lord Elrond of Rivendell. What do you want? Explain yourselves!"
One of the men, tall, with brown hair and dark, cruel eyes just laughed at his words. Aragorn had a hard time hiding the scowl that formed on his face. He didn't like this one at all.
"Put down that bow, boy, you might hurt someone," the man said and took a step closer.
The young human drew the string of the bow tauter and said, silver eyes flashing,
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. I will ask only one more time: What do you want here?"
Fixing dark eyes on Aragorn and taking another step forward, the human replied,
"You haven't figured that one out yourself yet? Why, you, of course!"
Aragorn barely had the time to release his arrow and see it fell one of the humans before he had to draw his sword and defend himself against the wave of enemies that seemed to press in on him from all directions. Using his slightly superior reflexes and speed, he managed to hold them at bay for a while, but he knew this wouldn't last. He was horribly outnumbered, and didn't even have something to protect his back.
Parrying a stroke that had been aimed at his sword-arm, he smashed his left fist into the face of his attacker, knocking him to the ground.
'Four, no, curse them, three down, twelve to go. This is not good," he mused, falling back into the direction of the tree. If he reached it, he would stand a chance, perhaps.
'Whom am I kidding?' he thought as he ducked a blow from a club to his head, 'Even then there are too many of them. Sweet Eru, what do they want from me?'
If they had been orcs or goblins or something similar, it would have been a lot easier, but these were men, and he would not kill them if he had any other option left. He stifled a scream when a fist connected with his injured side, nearly causing him to drop his sword.
'It seems my list of options is growing thin indeed,' he noted dryly, shaking his head to clean his field of vision of grey spots and feeling the rough bark of the oak at his back, 'Where is Legolas when you need him? Probably enjoying his nice little trip here.'
Glad that at least this time his friend was not forced to fight for his life and at the same time sorely missing his assistance, Aragorn defended his position with renewed vigour and assessed his situation.
One already wounded human against at least ten healthy opponents: Not good. The only thing that seemed to be saving him at the moment was that, apparently, they wanted to take him alive. The blows were only aimed to disarm or disable, not to kill.
'They have been planning this!' he suddenly understood while fending off an attacker who had grown much too bold, 'This is the perfect place for an ambush! There is nowhere I can go, with the ravine behind me and them in front of me, only a single tree and no shelter…'
A desperate plan was beginning to form in his mind, the kind of plan that is only born out of the most dire situations.
'It could work,' the young ranger thought as he moved swiftly to the right, escaping a strike to his midsection that would have skewered him where he stood. They were obviously getting a bit tired with the continued resistance their quarry was putting up.
He suddenly moved forward into an attack position, startling his attackers by this seemingly suicidal manoeuvre. Slashing left and right to gain a bit of space, he suddenly turned around and, thrusting his blade into his belt, jumped straight upwards into the tree, grasping a low hanging branch and pulling himself up as fast as he could.
He managed to pull up his left leg just in time to escape the hand of the dark haired leader and hoisted himself up into the branches, wincing as he felt stitches burst and soon gasping for breath. He ignored the excited shouts below him and did not stifle a grim smile when he saw the human's attempts to follow him.
'They should try and climb a tree a bit more often,' he thought with malicious glee, climbing higher and closer to the branch he had chosen as a jump-off point.
Aragorn knew that hiding in a tree wouldn't solve his problems, so he had thought of something else: A century or so ago Elladan had dared his younger elven brother to jump across this very ravine from one tree to another. Elrohir had accepted, of course, and really had managed to cross the small gorge, even if he had miscalculated somewhat and missed the tree on the other side. From what he had gathered, Elrond had not been happy having to splint Elrohir's numerous broken bones, but the fact remained: He had managed to jump the distance.
Trying to pierce the still dense foliage, the young ranger tried to make out if any of the humans had managed to follow him; if they hadn't already, they would do so soon, and even if they moved clumsily, they would catch up with him. He had to hurry.
Pushing aside the pain in his now fiercely hurting side, he reached the branch that projected the farthest from the trunk over the little ravine. It was a long, relatively smooth thick branch; he should be able to run over the whole length relatively fast. Surveying the distance in front of him, he breathed deeply to calm his racing heart. If Elrohir could do this, so could he.
'But Elrohir is an elf, you idiot,' a tiny voice inside his head stated, causing the human to frown. His only hope was that since the time the twins had tried their little stunt the trees had grown closer together. Plucking up his courage, he ignored the sound of snapping branches below him and prepared to run.
He had just taken a few steps when he slid to a full stop, waving his arms madly to keep his balance.
A figure had dropped down right in front of him, and when it righted itself, Aragorn could see that it was an elf, of Noldorin descent, by the looks of him. The elf grinned at him, a grin that almost reminded the ranger of a predator about to pounce and so full of hate that he couldn't suppress the shiver of fear that raced down his spine.
"And just where do you think you're going, edan?"
The dark haired elf took a step forward and reached out to grab the young human's overcoat, but Aragorn hastily took a step back, looking over his shoulder, just to freeze when he saw another strange elf stand behind him close to the trunk of the oak tree. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, he frantically looked around himself for a way to escape, but there was nowhere for him to go. The elf in front of him took another step towards him, a malicious light shining in his eyes, causing Aragorn to shrink back instinctively and move backwards on the branch. A small unevenness caused the ranger to pitch forward slightly, and when he sensed a movement behind him and tried to move away from it at the same moment, he lost completely what was left of his balance, something which hadn't happened to him for more than ten years.
As if watching the whole scene unfold from a different and curiously detached point of view, he realized calmly that the last move had been a real mistake. Unable to regain his balance, he felt his feet slip out from under him and he tumbled over the edge of the branch, his mind too shocked and frozen in fear to even utter the panicked shout that rang in his mind.
Plummeting towards the looming ground and painfully hitting seemingly every single branch on his way down, Aragorn had barely enough time to realize what was happening to him before he hit the ground with a sickening crash and everything went dark.
TBC ...
edain - humans (pl.)
mellonamin - my friend
edan - human, man (sg.)
ada -father (daddy)
What will happen to Aragorn? Will Legolas be able to escape the goblins? Who the heck is this evil elf? The answers to these questions and much more in the next post, which will be here soon - if you review! *g* Come on, you know the routine by now, drop me a few lines, make me happy and I will post more! Please? Please Please Please??
Additional A/N:
Mouse - Thank you! *blushes* I am doing my best! And, well: Legolas won't see Aragorn for a while, but when he finally does, he will certainly throw a fit! Hm, or Aragorn will throw a fit, or they will _both_ throw a fit ... SCARY vision!! *g*
Aurienia - Mhahaha! *evil cackle* Blackmail ALWAYS works! And it's such a nice feeling, too ... *dreamy sigh* Ah well. I will not stop updating, never fear, I may not be able to keep up the pace, but I will not stop! Never! *shakes fist* Uhm, where did _that_ come from? *confused look* Thanks for the review!
Seanthi - You decorated your sister's room while she was sleeping? Cool!! I'm very impressed! The worst thing I ever did was pour a bottle of glue (a very big one!) over my brother's head - boy, was he angry! I had to run really fast ... *g* Yes, I pity Thranduil and Elrond sometimes, I would have gone insane a long time ago! Resilient like hobbits, these two... *g* Thanks so much for your review! I hope you'll enjoy the rest as well!
Lina - *looks at Eomer the big content dog* Okay, now that's just weird ... And how many times have I told you not to slap my characters? Hm? I _need_ them!! And I like writing them, especially the evil ones! (I know, that's not normal! *g*) Don't be angry, Lina, I'm sure Elladan was only joking when he complained about the room, it's very nice, really ... Oh, and one last thing: Keep Eomer out of my rooms! He could at least get off his horse, for crying out loud!! He IS stupid, that one ... *grumbles*
Melly-chan - Well, is that enough trouble for now? Believe me, Legolas will get into a whole lot MORE next chapter, and Estel as well ... Now why aren't we surprised? *g* Thank you very much for your review!
ThE iNsAnE oNe - *pats Legolas' back* Don't worry, darling, you DON'T look like an idiot, you are very sweet ... as is the story ... Oh, and about the when-is-Legolas-going-to-meet-Aragorn-thing: I don't know. I haven't decided yet. Well, I guess you _could_ say they meet in ch.9 ... kind of ... *evil cackle* Did I mention I LOVE to know things other people don't??
Reginabean - *peers over the edge of the cliff* Hello? HELLO?? Reginabean? You down there somewhere? *turns and shrugs* Well, I guess that last chapter was too much for her ... couldn't take it ... poor girl ... *walks away mumbling under her breath*
Ciria - Well, thank you, I'm a bit proud of that chapter-ending myself ... but I think I like this one better ... *evil grin* Did you just request Estel-torture? Well, I'll see what I can do - IF he regains consciousness, that is ...My, my, my, you are quite blood-thirsty, aren't you? Now you want to see poor Legolas hurt as well? *edges closer to Ciria* Well, don't tell anyone, but *whispers* he gets injured next chapter! *looks around for angry Legolas fans* Phew! No one heard me!! *hands Ciria an Estel plushie* Yes, you are correct! Estel would indeed blame himself (as does the whole family! *g*), and he will do so in due time. Just wait a little... Thanks for the review!!
Jenny - Okay, Jenny, there are no more cliffhangers coming! *fake smile* Really! Just forget about this one, and everything will be fine!! LOL, sorry, there's nothing I can do - my alter ego just loves them and who am I to argue with myself? *g* Sorry!!
YunaDax - Well, what can I say, I love them as well! But the focus here is still on our fav ranger and elf prince, I'm afraid - but don't worry, they will be there for the whole story! Thanks for the review!
Alilacia - You think "The Calm Before the Storm" sounds ominous? What would you say if I told you the title of the next chapter is "From Bad to Worse"?? Hm?? *evil grin* Ah, I love tormenting my readers... Yeah, the extended DVD is great, isn't it! I LOVE it!! *huggles her DVD box* So many nice, pretty, new scenes!! You haven't seen TTT yet? My God, how did you survive?? You sure you aren't dead? I would have died!! I saw it on Dec. 22th, and waiting for four days was hell!! *g*
Alexa - Oww, I'm sorry about your finger, but I just LOVE reviews!! Must - have - more - need - more ... *g* Well, as I said, he will get to Rivendell in chapter 8, I think, but that won't help you, I'm afraid ... *evil grin* Thank you very much for all your compliments! They are responsible for the grin I have adopted recently... *g*
Carrie - See? I told you I would need them!! *holds up pink fluffy earmuffs* And don't pull your hair, it won't help in the slightest, you won't learn his name sooner than ch 8, so relax! Breathe ... that's it, good girl! *g* And nothing will happen to our Estel ... falling out of trees ... getting captured by evil elves ... same old, same old ... *evil grin* And: I have posted, so you have to as well!! Please?? I need to know what happens to my baby!! Please?
Zam - Happy now? NOW he is in danger, and just wait for the next chapter ... *g* Well, you are a comrade-in-arms, then! I absolutely HATE spiders! I'm even mortally afraid of them! I know, it's horrible! I'm not that kind of girl, but I can't help myself! *looks at Zam* 'Closed eyes staring contest', huh? You two are weird, you know that!? I really pity your family - and your town - and your country!! And you are a dwarf? Ah yes, I forgot, then you need a new one - what was the dwarvish battle cry again? Something like 'Khazad aimenu' or something like that? Gosh, it's getting dangerous here ... The insane One has a warg named Fred, yours is named George ... *hides behind Stan the balrog* Help!!!
Jitterbug - So, let me guess - you are a Legolas fan?? Ain't I clever? Thanks so much for your kind words! I'm glad you like it!
Salara - Huh, was fuer 'ne Ehre!! Wenn das nicht die andere Haelfte ist, die hinter den wunderbaren Stories steckt!! *g* Du bist also ein Elrond-Fan? Ich mag ihn auch, er kommt bei mir bei den Elben gleich an fuenfter Stelle! Hinter Legolas, den Zwillingen und Glorfindel, versteht sich ... Ausserdem bin ich ein wenig Matrix-geschaedigt, glaube ich, v.a. wenn man beide Filme mindestens zehnmal auf Englisch gesehen hat und er da natuerlich die gleiche Stimme hat!! Unheimlich ... *g* Frieda also von rent-a-balrog, ja? Das ist aber ein ganz perfider Plan, den ihr da ausgeheckt habt... Macht euch aber keine zu grossen Hoffnungen!! Stan ist nicht so pflichtvergessen, dass er sich von einem huebschen Gesicht einfach so ablenken liesse ... Vielen Dank fuer die review!! Ich LIEBE review, erwaehnte ich das?? *g*
Marbienl - Well, after what has happened to them on their own, I don't know whether it's prudent to let them meet each other ... *g* And this is only the beginning... *g* As I said, it will take Legolas a few more days to arrive, but don't worry, he will get there - eventually... *evil grin*
ManuKu - *verbeugt sich* Danke danke danke, ich bin noch die ganze Woche hier, vergessen Sie nicht, eine kleine Spende am Ausgang zu hinterlegen... *g* Wie ich schon sagte, Stan wird sich nicht so einfach den Kopf verdrehen lassen, ich kann ja einfach warten, bis euch das Geld ausgeht, und selbst wenn die Reporter bis zu mir durchkommen, da sind ja schliesslich noch die Nâzgul, die wohnen naemlich in meinem Badezimmer - frag lieber nicht... *g* Danke fuer die review!!
Thanks again for all the reviews! I LOVE them! That means, I love every single one of you!! *hugs them* Thank you! *slyly* If you write another one, I will love you even more!! Hey hey hey, don't worry - just kidding ...
A/N:
Well, just to let you know, I really didn't want to update today. Yeah, I know, that's mean, but I AM mean, I'm afraid. *g*
But since I finished a paper on Emperor Aurelian yesterday (You ask 'Who was Emperor Aurelian'?? Let me tell you one thing: You don't want to know. Trust me. I've read about five books about him, I should know. *g*), I thought I'd show you how very HAPPY I am about this and post chapter 6 a little bit sooner than planned.
It is a bit longer than the other chapters, but I didn't think you would mind... *g*
And Legolas has finally reached the High Pass! Yay! Even though he manages to run into trouble even there ... *evil grin*
Oh, and yes ... *searches in her pockets* wait a minute, it's got to be here somewhere ... just a sec ... got it! *pulls out a big fat sign saying 'Beware: Cliffhanger!!!!'*
Yes, I'm terribly sorry, but I just couldn't resist ... *cackles evilly* It's even a 'double-cliffhanger', in a way ...
Okay, on to the chapter! *winks at Carrie and takes out her pink fluffy earmuffs*
Chapter 6
Nólad jumped down from the tree he had spent the night on and landed on the ground without making a noise. One of the men close by, Seobryn, if his memory served him right, looked at him with wonder in his eyes.
"How do you do that?" he asked, genuinely intrigued.
Nólad smiled at him. It was very hard not to like this one, he was – even by the reckoning of men – still young and both curious and inquisitive.
"It is a gift from the Valar to the firstborn, so we can make the life of the younger races more interesting," he said seriously, walking off and leaving the boy behind, who scratched his head in obvious confusion.
'Edain,' he chuckled inwardly, heading for his friend who stood near the fire deeply in conversation with the human commander, Donyc.
As he drew closer, the fair haired elf studied the man closely. He and his men were exactly what they had been looking for: Professionals who didn't have problems with working for an elf, without the slightest hint of a conscience, but with an abundance of unscrupulousness and ruthlessness. With a good amount of greed thrown in for good measure, of course, a greed which allowed anyone with enough money to buy their services.
'And in Donyc's case,' he thought as he moved to stand next to his lord, 'all this is topped off with a definitely cruel streak. No,' he mentally corrected himself when he looked into the man's dark eyes, 'make that a sadistic streak.'
"Good morning, mellonamin, are you ready to leave?" His friend's voice interrupted Nólad's reverie.
"Yes, my lord. We are ready. If everything goes according to plan, we should reach the northern borders of Rivendell this evening," he stated.
His friend gave a satisfied nod and turned back to face the human commander.
"You understand what needs to be done?" he asked, studying the man closely.
Donyc nodded, unconsciously averting his eyes from the elf's intense gaze.
"And you have no problems with the plan?" the dark haired elf asked again with an unbelieving undertone in his voice.
"No," the man stated, "As long as we get our money, I couldn't care less about what you do with a bunch of elves and their friends."
Nólad watched his friend nod at the edan.
"A very sensible attitude."
"More than that, Master Elf, a very profitable one as well," the man chuckled before turning round to his men to give the signal to break camp.
"Edain," Nólad's companion hissed when Donyc had moved out of earshot, "They haven't changed a bit. They would still sell their questionable honour for the merest hint of gold."
"Who else could we have hired who would have been willing to do what we asked?" the other elf asked and looked his friend in the eye.
The hate there burnt even stronger then before, if that was even possible. He wondered for a moment how much more it would be able to intensify before something in the dark haired elf snapped.
'And now,' the fair haired elf decided, 'There is something else there, it's almost like ... a bloodthirsty gleam ... O Ilúvatar, how did it come to this?'
Unaware of his companion's thoughts, the dark haired elf turned back into the direction the men were camping.
"Yes, who else, mellonamin?" he asked, looking at the men in disgust.
"But they will do," he added as if to himself, "They will do quite nicely, I think."
Legolas cursed fluently in Dwarvish, a fact that would have greatly disturbed his father and king.
'But sometimes,' he decided, 'Elvish languages just don't have the words necessary to voice one's feelings. Dwarvish has a lot of much more clear-cut expressions.'
The wind began once again to blow snow into his face, and he let out an exceptionally inventive curse that would have had the twins go green with envy. Sometimes it was quite useful to have dwarves travel through your woods so frequently.
Battling against the ever increasing blowing of the wind, the elven prince decided that he could go no further today. While he was not overly troubled by the snow, the horse would soon sink in to its belly if things went on like this.
Pulling the animal into the direction of a small cave he remembered from previous journeys, he wondered how it was possible that the weather had changed so quickly. And, this thought caused him particular regret, just why he had insisted a day ago that Glónduil and Celylith returned to the borders of Mirkwood.
"Please, Legolas, be reasonable!"
"Are you saying that I'm behaving unreasonably, Celylith?"
"Nay, my lord, I would never say such a thing! But you don't know what the weather will be like, and you might need our help once you get over the mountains!"
Legolas shook his head firmly, his silver-blue eyes flashing determinedly in the slowly dimming light as the sun sank lower under the horizon.
"No, my friend, I will be able to travel faster alone. Besides, perhaps you are right and I am mistaken. Perhaps there is nothing wrong in Rivendell after all."
His friend shot him a look that clearly said what he thought of Legolas' words.
The fair haired prince sighed audibly.
"I'm sorry, my friend, but it is better this way. You are needed back in Mirkwood, and I will be able to reach Imladris a lot faster if I go alone."
Glónduil's condescending voice interrupted them.
"Let him be, Celylith, if he doesn't want our help, we won't force him to accept it. There are strange things abroad, dwarves, men and elves, and, sometimes, they are even travelling together, but I am sure the prince will be alright."
Legolas resisted the urge to strangle the dark haired elf, an urge he seemed to experience more and more frequently recently, and grasped his friend's forearms, pulling him closer.
"I will be alright. Don't worry about me. I will send word as soon as I arrive in Rivendell."
Celylith shook his head, but knew better than to protest. When Legolas was in this state of mind, there was no reasoning with him. He nodded reluctantly, dark blue eyes locking onto silver-blue ones.
"I will pray for you and the others. May Elbereth guide you and protect you, and keep you from harm. Which is a job truly worthy of one of the Valar," he admitted wryly.
Legolas smiled at his friend.
"Thank you, mellonamin. Namárië."
He turned away from the two elves without another word, mounted his horse and rode up the slowly rising path that led to the High Pass, and when he stopped some time later to look back over the lands below him, the others had passed out of sight.
A snowdrift which had accumulated on top of one of the rocks slid, raised by a sudden gale of wind, with uncanny precision down the back of his tunic, somehow finding its way past his cloak, causing the elven prince to jump. Very well, he decided, that was enough. He needed to find that cave, and the sooner the better. Legolas gave a silent sigh of relief when his eyes spied the dark entrance through the whirling masses of snow.
Turning to his horse, which seemed to have seen the shelter as well and was straining to reach it quickly, he pulled it to a stop and looked at it with a cautioning glare.
"If you tell anyone about this little episode, I will personally make sure that you will regret it, understood?"
The white horse looked at him with large, innocent eyes that didn't fool the elf for a second. Picking up his pace to reach the shelter, Legolas shook his head, chuckling inwardly.
'If Aragorn ever finds out I was actually glad to see a cave, I will be doomed. He would never let me forget it. Never.'
Elrond stood on top of the steps that lead down into the courtyard from the main house and tried very hard not to let his worry show that stood in stark contrast to the glorious day that was about to unfold in front of his eyes.
He had thought about explicitly forbidding them to leave the house today, but that probably would only serve to make sure his sons used the ropes they kept hidden in their rooms and he pretended he didn't know about and escaped through the windows.
'Just like they have done in the past,' he reminded himself.
"I'd prefer you not to go," he told his two sons again.
"Oh, come on, father, we haven't been out for three days! Estel's wound is hardly giving him any more trouble and is healing nicely, and we won't even go on a proper hunt! We will just go and check the snares," Elrohir told his father as he adjusted his pack on his shoulders, "Isn't that right, little brother? You won't do anything strenuous today."
Aragorn interrupted what he had been doing ever since he had tried to dress: Glare daggers at his oldest elven brother, who was standing next to their father and tried very hard not to grin broadly.
The memory of a cursing Estel rushing into his room clad into a shirt that shimmered in every colour men – or even elves, for that matter – could possibly imagine was something Elladan would remember for a long time. Well, perhaps he had overdone it a bit when he had dyed every single of Estel's hunting shirts, but he had had to do something, hadn't he?
'Yes,' Elladan decided, 'Sometimes it really pays having friends in the laundry."
"No," Estel agreed, picking at the borrowed shirt that was slightly too big for him, "I won't do anything that could set back my recovery. I promise, ada."
Elrond looked at the two hopeful faces in front of him and relented.
"Very well then. Go. But Estel," he raised a finger and gave both of them a stern look, "If I find out that your have drawn a bow or something similarly foolish, I will make sure you don't leave this house for the next few weeks, no matter if Legolas is here or not. Understood, you two?"
Both of them nodded seriously, "Yes, father."
His gaze softening slightly, he added, "Please be careful. I feel something is drawing near, and even if I cannot be sure what it is, I am sure that it is not friendly. Be wary."
Elrohir nodded again, clearly eager to be off, "We will be, ada . Elladan," he turned to his elven brother, "Are you sure you don't want to come?"
Elladan took one look at his human brother's scowling face and decided in an instant that he would be incomparably safer here.
"No, brother, I think I will heed father's advice and go easy on my back for a while. My ribs are still a bit sore. Speaking of which," he said and leaned against a carved wooden pillar for support, "I feel quite weak suddenly."
Aragorn snorted.
"I bet you do." He turned to his father and said, grey eyes sparkling with anticipation, "Thank you, ada. I will be careful, I promise."
With a last dark look at his brother, he turned und hurried to catch up with Elrohir, calling for him to wait.
Elrond looked after them until they had disappeared from sight. Praying to Ilúvatar he hadn't just made another mistake of spectacular and unique proportions, he turned back into the Last Homely House, feelings of dread increasing by the minute.
A few hours later, Aragorn was thoroughly annoyed. Elrohir could be over-protective at times – although not to the same extent as Elladan - , but this was ridiculous.
'If he twists back a branch or stops for the stupidest reasons to give me a break or gives me that … that look one more time, I might finish what the wargs started,' he though darkly, moving behind his brother with an almost elvish grace.
When Elrohir told his young human brother a few minutes later to look out for a tree root that protruded slightly from the ground, he finally lost his temper. Grabbing his brother's shirt sleeve, he turned him around, eyes blazing with annoyance.
"Do I look like a child to you? A little scratch doesn't turn me into an invalid all of the sudden! I can very well look after myself, and only a blind mole could have overseen that stupid root!"
Elrohir looked at the ranger, not surprised in the slightest. Estel mistook honest concern quite often for over-protectiveness. Besides, his father would have his hide if anything happened to his little brother.
"I am sorry, Estel, but father told me to keep an eye on you. He doesn't want his stitches to be ripped open in that unique way of yours…"
Aragorn looked at his brother, silver eyes flashing dangerously.
That had apparently been the wrong thing to say, Elrohir concluded.
"Just let me be, Elrohir! Sometimes you are just so … so …" he stopped, at a loss for words.
"Yes?" his elven brother asked smugly, raising a dark eyebrow in mock confusion.
The human threw his hands up into the air, wheeled on his heel and trudged northwards, away from his brother.
"Estel? Where are you going? I was only joking, brother…"
"Just leave me alone, will you? I will go check the snares near the little ravine; I think I will manage that on my own!"
Elrohir watched his human brother disappear into the trees, shaking his head.
'Humans. It is a miracle any of them survive childhood in the first place,' he thought and turned to the east to check a few more of the traps before returning home.
Nólad remained in the tree he had been hiding in until he was sure the younger elf had passed out of earshot, before moving quickly from tree to tree, giving the human a wide berth. He, his friend and a few of the most skilful edain had positioned themselves at strategic points all around Rivendell, waiting for the ranger to appear.
He clutched a low-hanging branch just above his head, sending a colourful sparkle of leaves floating to the ground, and tried to pierce his surroundings with a keen glance.
Just as he had thought, the human was still heading northwards, moving a lot more graceful than any other human he had ever encountered.
'He is right,' the fair haired elf thought as he watched the human pick his way through the dense bushes, 'There is much more to this one than meets the eye.'
He quickly remembered what he was here for and quelled all sympathy he might have felt for the human.
'It would serve neither one of us. Not anymore.'
Tearing his gaze away from the dark haired human, Nólad quickly made his way to the camp they had pitched yesterday evening. If they wanted to go on with their plan, they would need to act quickly.
Legolas squinted through the snow, trying to make out the sun that had to be up there somewhere. Not that it had shown its face today, no, that would have been too much too ask for. The weather had not improved, in fact, it had worsened, if that had been even possible. Ever since he had left his little cave early this morning, the weather had steadily deteriorated, up to the point where not even an elf could see farther than a few feet.
To make things worse, his forebodings had returned with a vengeance. Never before had Legolas felt such an urgent, pressing warning, not once in his long life.
'Whatever it is, it will be happening soon,' he thought despairingly, judging his chances to arrive in time to help. Slim to none, like his human friend would have said.
He suppressed a shudder that had nothing to do with the icy cold all around him, and wrapped himself more tightly into his dark elven cloak. This was very bad. As bad as it got.
'No,' Legolas decided when a sudden gale of wind pressed him against his horse, 'No matter how bad things are, they can always get worse. And, usually, they do.'
Stumbling over the snow that was piling up in front of him and pulling his horse along behind him, the elven prince followed what he thought was the snowy path leading across the Misty Mountains.
He tried to make himself heard over the wind to encourage the animal as he rounded a heap of big stones that was lying on one side of the narrow road – only to come face to face with an extremely ugly goblin. And where there was one goblin, there were usually more.
Starting back in shock and cursing himself for not hearing their approach, Legolas reached for his two elven knifes he kept in a sheath on his back and, before the goblin had even time to comprehend into whom or what he had just stumbled, slit the creature's throat with one move of his dagger. The goblin's hands flew instinctively to its throat, before it collapsed onto the snow with a low gurgle.
Legolas moved around the piled rocks to find a bit more space to manoeuvre, and had just enough time to put his elven reflexes into good use to avoid getting slashed in two. He crouched low and spun around, taking out the legs of one goblin before plunging his other knife deeply into the chest of another. Jumping lightly back onto his feet, his silver-blue eyes widened in shock when he saw the angrily shrieking mass of mountain goblins rush forward, which had witnessed their companions' deaths and were not taking too kindly to it.
'I don't have time for this,' he thought furiously and kicked the bodies of the dead goblins out of his way. 'First the snow, now this! I will never get off this mountain!'
The fair haired prince shifted his feet into a better fighting stance and prepared to meet the onslaught. Sending the first goblin to meet him crash backwards with a fierce kick to its mid-section, at least temporarily taking out at least three more when it flew backwards, he blocked a crudely forged scimitar that had been aimed at his stomach and slammed his elbow into the face of the attacking creature while at the same time dispatching another with his left hand.
'And here we are,' he thought sarcastically as he danced to the side to avoid another blade aimed at his body, 'This is worse.'
Aragorn moved slowly through the tree, resisting the childish urge to kick protruding tree roots or pebbles out of his way. Now that he had calmed down a little, he could see that his brother had only been trying to help him. Besides, one did not just ignore a command of the Lord of Rivendell concerning the health of one of his children.
'But this cursed elven smugness of his doesn't make things easier in the slightest!' the young ranger thought, his temper flaring up again.
Sometimes it truly was not easy to grow up and live in an elven household as the only human within a radius of many miles. As a child he had had a hard time adjusting to the fact that there always was someone better or faster or stealthier than he, and that he attracted attention for his own relative gracelessness and clumsiness. His brothers and father had done everything in their power to ease those feelings and make him feel accepted, but sometimes the twins' elven nature got the better of them.
Too deeply in thought to pay much attention to his surroundings, Aragorn made his way to the last set of snares he knew to be hidden close to one of the lone big oak tree just at the edge of the shallow ravine, shallow, that is, in comparison to the gorge Rivendell itself was located in.
'I will check that trap and then return back home. As soon as I get back I will apologize to Elrohir, and I still need to think of a comeback for that green haired demon-brother of mine…'
His musings were interrupted when he heard the unmistakably sound of a twig snapping. Raising his eyes, the dark haired human studied his surroundings intensely. Now that he actually thought about it, it seemed awfully quiet, and his senses whispered softly of danger approaching him. It was not the overpowering feeling one got when dealing with orcs; it was a lot more subtle, but the underlying feeling of menace was just the same.
Moving one hand to the hilt of his broadsword and letting the other one linger close to his bow, he began to move carefully into the direction of the oak tree. If he had to fight, he would prefer to do so with something to cover his back.
He couldn't have done more than two dozen steps before he saw a group of people emerge from the small forest to the left of him, moving quickly to get between him and his chosen place of battle. Aragorn hurried his steps while at the same time drawing his bow and notching an arrow, wincing as the strain on his left side pulled against the stitches there and trying not to think of what his father would say once he heard about this.
When he was about fifty metres away from the tree, the beings that moved in to intercept him took shape and he understood what had unconsciously put him off about this group: They were all human.
'What is a group of fifteen humans doing here?' he asked himself confused.
Waiting for them to come a bit closer, he finally challenged them, his arrow pointing unwaveringly at one of the men.
"Halt! You are inside elven territory! These lands belong to Lord Elrond of Rivendell. What do you want? Explain yourselves!"
One of the men, tall, with brown hair and dark, cruel eyes just laughed at his words. Aragorn had a hard time hiding the scowl that formed on his face. He didn't like this one at all.
"Put down that bow, boy, you might hurt someone," the man said and took a step closer.
The young human drew the string of the bow tauter and said, silver eyes flashing,
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. I will ask only one more time: What do you want here?"
Fixing dark eyes on Aragorn and taking another step forward, the human replied,
"You haven't figured that one out yourself yet? Why, you, of course!"
Aragorn barely had the time to release his arrow and see it fell one of the humans before he had to draw his sword and defend himself against the wave of enemies that seemed to press in on him from all directions. Using his slightly superior reflexes and speed, he managed to hold them at bay for a while, but he knew this wouldn't last. He was horribly outnumbered, and didn't even have something to protect his back.
Parrying a stroke that had been aimed at his sword-arm, he smashed his left fist into the face of his attacker, knocking him to the ground.
'Four, no, curse them, three down, twelve to go. This is not good," he mused, falling back into the direction of the tree. If he reached it, he would stand a chance, perhaps.
'Whom am I kidding?' he thought as he ducked a blow from a club to his head, 'Even then there are too many of them. Sweet Eru, what do they want from me?'
If they had been orcs or goblins or something similar, it would have been a lot easier, but these were men, and he would not kill them if he had any other option left. He stifled a scream when a fist connected with his injured side, nearly causing him to drop his sword.
'It seems my list of options is growing thin indeed,' he noted dryly, shaking his head to clean his field of vision of grey spots and feeling the rough bark of the oak at his back, 'Where is Legolas when you need him? Probably enjoying his nice little trip here.'
Glad that at least this time his friend was not forced to fight for his life and at the same time sorely missing his assistance, Aragorn defended his position with renewed vigour and assessed his situation.
One already wounded human against at least ten healthy opponents: Not good. The only thing that seemed to be saving him at the moment was that, apparently, they wanted to take him alive. The blows were only aimed to disarm or disable, not to kill.
'They have been planning this!' he suddenly understood while fending off an attacker who had grown much too bold, 'This is the perfect place for an ambush! There is nowhere I can go, with the ravine behind me and them in front of me, only a single tree and no shelter…'
A desperate plan was beginning to form in his mind, the kind of plan that is only born out of the most dire situations.
'It could work,' the young ranger thought as he moved swiftly to the right, escaping a strike to his midsection that would have skewered him where he stood. They were obviously getting a bit tired with the continued resistance their quarry was putting up.
He suddenly moved forward into an attack position, startling his attackers by this seemingly suicidal manoeuvre. Slashing left and right to gain a bit of space, he suddenly turned around and, thrusting his blade into his belt, jumped straight upwards into the tree, grasping a low hanging branch and pulling himself up as fast as he could.
He managed to pull up his left leg just in time to escape the hand of the dark haired leader and hoisted himself up into the branches, wincing as he felt stitches burst and soon gasping for breath. He ignored the excited shouts below him and did not stifle a grim smile when he saw the human's attempts to follow him.
'They should try and climb a tree a bit more often,' he thought with malicious glee, climbing higher and closer to the branch he had chosen as a jump-off point.
Aragorn knew that hiding in a tree wouldn't solve his problems, so he had thought of something else: A century or so ago Elladan had dared his younger elven brother to jump across this very ravine from one tree to another. Elrohir had accepted, of course, and really had managed to cross the small gorge, even if he had miscalculated somewhat and missed the tree on the other side. From what he had gathered, Elrond had not been happy having to splint Elrohir's numerous broken bones, but the fact remained: He had managed to jump the distance.
Trying to pierce the still dense foliage, the young ranger tried to make out if any of the humans had managed to follow him; if they hadn't already, they would do so soon, and even if they moved clumsily, they would catch up with him. He had to hurry.
Pushing aside the pain in his now fiercely hurting side, he reached the branch that projected the farthest from the trunk over the little ravine. It was a long, relatively smooth thick branch; he should be able to run over the whole length relatively fast. Surveying the distance in front of him, he breathed deeply to calm his racing heart. If Elrohir could do this, so could he.
'But Elrohir is an elf, you idiot,' a tiny voice inside his head stated, causing the human to frown. His only hope was that since the time the twins had tried their little stunt the trees had grown closer together. Plucking up his courage, he ignored the sound of snapping branches below him and prepared to run.
He had just taken a few steps when he slid to a full stop, waving his arms madly to keep his balance.
A figure had dropped down right in front of him, and when it righted itself, Aragorn could see that it was an elf, of Noldorin descent, by the looks of him. The elf grinned at him, a grin that almost reminded the ranger of a predator about to pounce and so full of hate that he couldn't suppress the shiver of fear that raced down his spine.
"And just where do you think you're going, edan?"
The dark haired elf took a step forward and reached out to grab the young human's overcoat, but Aragorn hastily took a step back, looking over his shoulder, just to freeze when he saw another strange elf stand behind him close to the trunk of the oak tree. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, he frantically looked around himself for a way to escape, but there was nowhere for him to go. The elf in front of him took another step towards him, a malicious light shining in his eyes, causing Aragorn to shrink back instinctively and move backwards on the branch. A small unevenness caused the ranger to pitch forward slightly, and when he sensed a movement behind him and tried to move away from it at the same moment, he lost completely what was left of his balance, something which hadn't happened to him for more than ten years.
As if watching the whole scene unfold from a different and curiously detached point of view, he realized calmly that the last move had been a real mistake. Unable to regain his balance, he felt his feet slip out from under him and he tumbled over the edge of the branch, his mind too shocked and frozen in fear to even utter the panicked shout that rang in his mind.
Plummeting towards the looming ground and painfully hitting seemingly every single branch on his way down, Aragorn had barely enough time to realize what was happening to him before he hit the ground with a sickening crash and everything went dark.
TBC ...
edain - humans (pl.)
mellonamin - my friend
edan - human, man (sg.)
ada -father (daddy)
What will happen to Aragorn? Will Legolas be able to escape the goblins? Who the heck is this evil elf? The answers to these questions and much more in the next post, which will be here soon - if you review! *g* Come on, you know the routine by now, drop me a few lines, make me happy and I will post more! Please? Please Please Please??
Additional A/N:
Mouse - Thank you! *blushes* I am doing my best! And, well: Legolas won't see Aragorn for a while, but when he finally does, he will certainly throw a fit! Hm, or Aragorn will throw a fit, or they will _both_ throw a fit ... SCARY vision!! *g*
Aurienia - Mhahaha! *evil cackle* Blackmail ALWAYS works! And it's such a nice feeling, too ... *dreamy sigh* Ah well. I will not stop updating, never fear, I may not be able to keep up the pace, but I will not stop! Never! *shakes fist* Uhm, where did _that_ come from? *confused look* Thanks for the review!
Seanthi - You decorated your sister's room while she was sleeping? Cool!! I'm very impressed! The worst thing I ever did was pour a bottle of glue (a very big one!) over my brother's head - boy, was he angry! I had to run really fast ... *g* Yes, I pity Thranduil and Elrond sometimes, I would have gone insane a long time ago! Resilient like hobbits, these two... *g* Thanks so much for your review! I hope you'll enjoy the rest as well!
Lina - *looks at Eomer the big content dog* Okay, now that's just weird ... And how many times have I told you not to slap my characters? Hm? I _need_ them!! And I like writing them, especially the evil ones! (I know, that's not normal! *g*) Don't be angry, Lina, I'm sure Elladan was only joking when he complained about the room, it's very nice, really ... Oh, and one last thing: Keep Eomer out of my rooms! He could at least get off his horse, for crying out loud!! He IS stupid, that one ... *grumbles*
Melly-chan - Well, is that enough trouble for now? Believe me, Legolas will get into a whole lot MORE next chapter, and Estel as well ... Now why aren't we surprised? *g* Thank you very much for your review!
ThE iNsAnE oNe - *pats Legolas' back* Don't worry, darling, you DON'T look like an idiot, you are very sweet ... as is the story ... Oh, and about the when-is-Legolas-going-to-meet-Aragorn-thing: I don't know. I haven't decided yet. Well, I guess you _could_ say they meet in ch.9 ... kind of ... *evil cackle* Did I mention I LOVE to know things other people don't??
Reginabean - *peers over the edge of the cliff* Hello? HELLO?? Reginabean? You down there somewhere? *turns and shrugs* Well, I guess that last chapter was too much for her ... couldn't take it ... poor girl ... *walks away mumbling under her breath*
Ciria - Well, thank you, I'm a bit proud of that chapter-ending myself ... but I think I like this one better ... *evil grin* Did you just request Estel-torture? Well, I'll see what I can do - IF he regains consciousness, that is ...My, my, my, you are quite blood-thirsty, aren't you? Now you want to see poor Legolas hurt as well? *edges closer to Ciria* Well, don't tell anyone, but *whispers* he gets injured next chapter! *looks around for angry Legolas fans* Phew! No one heard me!! *hands Ciria an Estel plushie* Yes, you are correct! Estel would indeed blame himself (as does the whole family! *g*), and he will do so in due time. Just wait a little... Thanks for the review!!
Jenny - Okay, Jenny, there are no more cliffhangers coming! *fake smile* Really! Just forget about this one, and everything will be fine!! LOL, sorry, there's nothing I can do - my alter ego just loves them and who am I to argue with myself? *g* Sorry!!
YunaDax - Well, what can I say, I love them as well! But the focus here is still on our fav ranger and elf prince, I'm afraid - but don't worry, they will be there for the whole story! Thanks for the review!
Alilacia - You think "The Calm Before the Storm" sounds ominous? What would you say if I told you the title of the next chapter is "From Bad to Worse"?? Hm?? *evil grin* Ah, I love tormenting my readers... Yeah, the extended DVD is great, isn't it! I LOVE it!! *huggles her DVD box* So many nice, pretty, new scenes!! You haven't seen TTT yet? My God, how did you survive?? You sure you aren't dead? I would have died!! I saw it on Dec. 22th, and waiting for four days was hell!! *g*
Alexa - Oww, I'm sorry about your finger, but I just LOVE reviews!! Must - have - more - need - more ... *g* Well, as I said, he will get to Rivendell in chapter 8, I think, but that won't help you, I'm afraid ... *evil grin* Thank you very much for all your compliments! They are responsible for the grin I have adopted recently... *g*
Carrie - See? I told you I would need them!! *holds up pink fluffy earmuffs* And don't pull your hair, it won't help in the slightest, you won't learn his name sooner than ch 8, so relax! Breathe ... that's it, good girl! *g* And nothing will happen to our Estel ... falling out of trees ... getting captured by evil elves ... same old, same old ... *evil grin* And: I have posted, so you have to as well!! Please?? I need to know what happens to my baby!! Please?
Zam - Happy now? NOW he is in danger, and just wait for the next chapter ... *g* Well, you are a comrade-in-arms, then! I absolutely HATE spiders! I'm even mortally afraid of them! I know, it's horrible! I'm not that kind of girl, but I can't help myself! *looks at Zam* 'Closed eyes staring contest', huh? You two are weird, you know that!? I really pity your family - and your town - and your country!! And you are a dwarf? Ah yes, I forgot, then you need a new one - what was the dwarvish battle cry again? Something like 'Khazad aimenu' or something like that? Gosh, it's getting dangerous here ... The insane One has a warg named Fred, yours is named George ... *hides behind Stan the balrog* Help!!!
Jitterbug - So, let me guess - you are a Legolas fan?? Ain't I clever? Thanks so much for your kind words! I'm glad you like it!
Salara - Huh, was fuer 'ne Ehre!! Wenn das nicht die andere Haelfte ist, die hinter den wunderbaren Stories steckt!! *g* Du bist also ein Elrond-Fan? Ich mag ihn auch, er kommt bei mir bei den Elben gleich an fuenfter Stelle! Hinter Legolas, den Zwillingen und Glorfindel, versteht sich ... Ausserdem bin ich ein wenig Matrix-geschaedigt, glaube ich, v.a. wenn man beide Filme mindestens zehnmal auf Englisch gesehen hat und er da natuerlich die gleiche Stimme hat!! Unheimlich ... *g* Frieda also von rent-a-balrog, ja? Das ist aber ein ganz perfider Plan, den ihr da ausgeheckt habt... Macht euch aber keine zu grossen Hoffnungen!! Stan ist nicht so pflichtvergessen, dass er sich von einem huebschen Gesicht einfach so ablenken liesse ... Vielen Dank fuer die review!! Ich LIEBE review, erwaehnte ich das?? *g*
Marbienl - Well, after what has happened to them on their own, I don't know whether it's prudent to let them meet each other ... *g* And this is only the beginning... *g* As I said, it will take Legolas a few more days to arrive, but don't worry, he will get there - eventually... *evil grin*
ManuKu - *verbeugt sich* Danke danke danke, ich bin noch die ganze Woche hier, vergessen Sie nicht, eine kleine Spende am Ausgang zu hinterlegen... *g* Wie ich schon sagte, Stan wird sich nicht so einfach den Kopf verdrehen lassen, ich kann ja einfach warten, bis euch das Geld ausgeht, und selbst wenn die Reporter bis zu mir durchkommen, da sind ja schliesslich noch die Nâzgul, die wohnen naemlich in meinem Badezimmer - frag lieber nicht... *g* Danke fuer die review!!
Thanks again for all the reviews! I LOVE them! That means, I love every single one of you!! *hugs them* Thank you! *slyly* If you write another one, I will love you even more!! Hey hey hey, don't worry - just kidding ...