Legolas, Ereht, Liera, and Relaen left Rivendell when the sun was high in
the sky. The resumed their journey west towards the Shire. As they walked,
Ereht and the other elves, especially Relaen, grew closer. Legolas even
began to trust him. But as they drew closer to their goal, Ereht became
quieter. By the time they reached Amun Sul, he would hardly speak and he
looked as though he carried a great weight.
Everyone became worried about their friend, so Legolas finally decided to try to talk to him when they reached Weather Top. Legolas pulled Ereht away from the girls to a small clearing in the forest. "Ereht, I want to be honest with you." He said once they were away from Amun Sul.
Ereht looked at Legolas and smiled. "You can always be honest with me, Legolas. What troubles you?" he asked.
"Actually, I was wondering what is troubling you." Legolas said. "It seems that every step we come closer to our journey's end, the quieter you become.you act as though something troubles you. Our pace has even slowed."
Ereht's smile faded and his face became downcast. "I do not know what you are talking about." He said defiantly.
Legolas shook his head. "Yes you do! What is bothering you so much, Ereht? You can tell me! If you won't talk to me about it, then please, talk to someone. Relaen is worried about you. Liera and I are concerned. Why won't you talk to anyone?"
"Because there is nothing to talk about!" Ereht said angrily. "Relaen has no reason to worry, as you and Liera have no reason to be concerned. I am fine and that's all there is to it." He said before walking off, leaving Legolas alone in the woods.
Ereht walked further into the woods, trying to escape the guiltiness that continually crept into his mind. He jumped into a tree and sat on a branch towards the middle of it. "What am I doing here?" He called out to himself, not expecting an answer.
Though an answer was unexpected, it came nonetheless. "You are doing what you are told to do."
Ereht looked towards the voice and found two elves sitting in the branches above his head. One had dark brown hair and green eyes and the other had black hair and yellow eyes. Both were dressed like Ereht. "What are you two doing here?" he asked, annoyance in his tone.
"Making sure you are doing your job." The one with brown hair said as he jumped down to the bough that Ereht sat on.
"I am, so don't worry. You can tell Enoelttil that." Ereht said firmly.
The elf with black hair then jumped to the level of the others. "What are you doing with the girl? You weren't supposed to befriend the pathetic elves."
Ereht took a deep breath to keep himself from 'accidentally' knocking the elves out of the tree. "I will do my job, as I always have, so leave me alone." He said. He jumped from the tree and began walking, hoping that the two wouldn't follow him.
The two elves began to follow him, but stayed back when they heard someone calling for Ereht. In a matter of moments, Liera came through the trees. "Ereht! There you are." She said, walking towards Ereht.
Ereht rolled his eyes. 'Can't people take a hint?' he thought. He turned around and faced Liera. "Did you need something?" he asked, trying to mask the annoyance in his voice.
Liera walked up to him. "We just wanted to make sure you were alright. Legolas said you left angry, so we wanted to make sure that nothing happened to you." She explained.
"I am fine." He said shortly.
"Are you? I'm not as sure." She said, trying to read the elf's features.
"You have nothing to be worried about. You should go and rest. We need to reach the Shire soon." He said, wearily eyeing the two elves that spoke with him earlier.
"I'll go, but if you want to talk, Ereht, I'll listen, ok?" Liera said as she walked away.
After making sure that she had gone, the two elves approached Ereht. Ereht saw them approaching and continued walking in the opposite direction, hoping that they would just leave. They didn't. "You had better watch yourself, brother. These White Elves may be idiots, but that doesn't mean that they don't catch on." The brunette elf said.
"I never considered White Elves idiots. You did. I know these elves aren't idiots. They are clever and it won't take them long to figure everything out." Ereht said, defending the White Elves.
"Why do you defend them?" the black haired elf asked, shocked at Ereht's behavior.
"Because I have come to know them. They are not idiots. They are not stupid. They are smart and bright and funny.the exact opposite of what we were taught." Ereht explained.
"You have been hanging around them to much, Ereht. You need a break from all of the goodness and kindness." One of them said.
"Ooh, what if he is becoming a White Elf?" the brunette said. Both of them laughed.
Their laughter was interrupted by the feeling of cold steel on both of their necks. Ereht was shocked to see Relaen standing behind them with her daggers on his brothers' necks, unafraid to kill them if necessary.
"Ereht, call your girlfriend off of us." The black haired elf said.
"Are these two causing you problems, Ereht?" Relaen asked, ignoring the pleas of the elves.
Ereht looked at his brothers, contemplating telling Relaen 'no', but being around the White Elves had given him a conscience. "They are just two elves passing through. They aren't causing any problems. You can put your daggers away."
Reluctantly, Relaen sheathed her daggers. "Legolas made us all something to eat. I just wanted to let you know."
Ereht nodded. "Thank you. I will be there shortly." He said with a smile. Relaen nodded and left. Ereht then turned to his brothers. "You two need to go now, before I give Relaen permission to kill you."
The brunette looked at his brother, trying to determine if he was telling the truth or not. "Fine, we'll leave, but you need to hurry. Enoelttil is not patient." He said after a moment. With a nod to the other elf, they left just as quickly as they had come.
Ereht sighed as he slowly began walking towards the watchtower. He looked up and saw Legolas, Liera, and Relaen goofing off in front of a fire and smiled. He then looked behind him, remembering the conversation that he had just had. His thoughts were broken by someone running towards him. It was Relaen. She waved as she jogged towards him. He smiled and returned the wave.
"Hey, you comin?" she asked when she reached him.
Ereht nodded. "I'm on my way now." He said.
Relaen smiled and took his hand. "Good. Then I'll escort you." She said with a smirk.
Ereht kissed the back of her hand. "I think it will be me who escorts you, my lady." He said with a grin. The two laughed and headed towards the watch tower of Amun Sul.
Everyone became worried about their friend, so Legolas finally decided to try to talk to him when they reached Weather Top. Legolas pulled Ereht away from the girls to a small clearing in the forest. "Ereht, I want to be honest with you." He said once they were away from Amun Sul.
Ereht looked at Legolas and smiled. "You can always be honest with me, Legolas. What troubles you?" he asked.
"Actually, I was wondering what is troubling you." Legolas said. "It seems that every step we come closer to our journey's end, the quieter you become.you act as though something troubles you. Our pace has even slowed."
Ereht's smile faded and his face became downcast. "I do not know what you are talking about." He said defiantly.
Legolas shook his head. "Yes you do! What is bothering you so much, Ereht? You can tell me! If you won't talk to me about it, then please, talk to someone. Relaen is worried about you. Liera and I are concerned. Why won't you talk to anyone?"
"Because there is nothing to talk about!" Ereht said angrily. "Relaen has no reason to worry, as you and Liera have no reason to be concerned. I am fine and that's all there is to it." He said before walking off, leaving Legolas alone in the woods.
Ereht walked further into the woods, trying to escape the guiltiness that continually crept into his mind. He jumped into a tree and sat on a branch towards the middle of it. "What am I doing here?" He called out to himself, not expecting an answer.
Though an answer was unexpected, it came nonetheless. "You are doing what you are told to do."
Ereht looked towards the voice and found two elves sitting in the branches above his head. One had dark brown hair and green eyes and the other had black hair and yellow eyes. Both were dressed like Ereht. "What are you two doing here?" he asked, annoyance in his tone.
"Making sure you are doing your job." The one with brown hair said as he jumped down to the bough that Ereht sat on.
"I am, so don't worry. You can tell Enoelttil that." Ereht said firmly.
The elf with black hair then jumped to the level of the others. "What are you doing with the girl? You weren't supposed to befriend the pathetic elves."
Ereht took a deep breath to keep himself from 'accidentally' knocking the elves out of the tree. "I will do my job, as I always have, so leave me alone." He said. He jumped from the tree and began walking, hoping that the two wouldn't follow him.
The two elves began to follow him, but stayed back when they heard someone calling for Ereht. In a matter of moments, Liera came through the trees. "Ereht! There you are." She said, walking towards Ereht.
Ereht rolled his eyes. 'Can't people take a hint?' he thought. He turned around and faced Liera. "Did you need something?" he asked, trying to mask the annoyance in his voice.
Liera walked up to him. "We just wanted to make sure you were alright. Legolas said you left angry, so we wanted to make sure that nothing happened to you." She explained.
"I am fine." He said shortly.
"Are you? I'm not as sure." She said, trying to read the elf's features.
"You have nothing to be worried about. You should go and rest. We need to reach the Shire soon." He said, wearily eyeing the two elves that spoke with him earlier.
"I'll go, but if you want to talk, Ereht, I'll listen, ok?" Liera said as she walked away.
After making sure that she had gone, the two elves approached Ereht. Ereht saw them approaching and continued walking in the opposite direction, hoping that they would just leave. They didn't. "You had better watch yourself, brother. These White Elves may be idiots, but that doesn't mean that they don't catch on." The brunette elf said.
"I never considered White Elves idiots. You did. I know these elves aren't idiots. They are clever and it won't take them long to figure everything out." Ereht said, defending the White Elves.
"Why do you defend them?" the black haired elf asked, shocked at Ereht's behavior.
"Because I have come to know them. They are not idiots. They are not stupid. They are smart and bright and funny.the exact opposite of what we were taught." Ereht explained.
"You have been hanging around them to much, Ereht. You need a break from all of the goodness and kindness." One of them said.
"Ooh, what if he is becoming a White Elf?" the brunette said. Both of them laughed.
Their laughter was interrupted by the feeling of cold steel on both of their necks. Ereht was shocked to see Relaen standing behind them with her daggers on his brothers' necks, unafraid to kill them if necessary.
"Ereht, call your girlfriend off of us." The black haired elf said.
"Are these two causing you problems, Ereht?" Relaen asked, ignoring the pleas of the elves.
Ereht looked at his brothers, contemplating telling Relaen 'no', but being around the White Elves had given him a conscience. "They are just two elves passing through. They aren't causing any problems. You can put your daggers away."
Reluctantly, Relaen sheathed her daggers. "Legolas made us all something to eat. I just wanted to let you know."
Ereht nodded. "Thank you. I will be there shortly." He said with a smile. Relaen nodded and left. Ereht then turned to his brothers. "You two need to go now, before I give Relaen permission to kill you."
The brunette looked at his brother, trying to determine if he was telling the truth or not. "Fine, we'll leave, but you need to hurry. Enoelttil is not patient." He said after a moment. With a nod to the other elf, they left just as quickly as they had come.
Ereht sighed as he slowly began walking towards the watchtower. He looked up and saw Legolas, Liera, and Relaen goofing off in front of a fire and smiled. He then looked behind him, remembering the conversation that he had just had. His thoughts were broken by someone running towards him. It was Relaen. She waved as she jogged towards him. He smiled and returned the wave.
"Hey, you comin?" she asked when she reached him.
Ereht nodded. "I'm on my way now." He said.
Relaen smiled and took his hand. "Good. Then I'll escort you." She said with a smirk.
Ereht kissed the back of her hand. "I think it will be me who escorts you, my lady." He said with a grin. The two laughed and headed towards the watch tower of Amun Sul.