A/N: Well, that was a boring week... Fortunately, it's all over, since Sauron destroyed the Evil-Lord and Legolas let his spitting endure! Not to mention that Elrond, who was somehow *also* Legolas, died but resurrected a few minutes later, and that I've recently been transformed into Moria... ROTFL! Thank you everyone!! =D This is the penultimate chapter... *snif*

O twin of mine, yes, no, no, sorta, can't, thanks! ;) More explicitly... Yes, Elrohir was hurt and no, I don't enjoy harming anyone (especially elves), but all that is explained in one simple word: 'story-beast'. Haiai... No, I was not talking to Luinramwen, I don't even know her! (From what you say, though, thank the Valar! I'd like to finish this before I die... LOL! Tell her I said hi!) I wasn't jumpy, but the results were the same, apparently. Remember 'the explosive combination'? Add 'the book factor' to it... Exactly! - if you killed me, you wouldn't know! ;) And thanks for watching my back from Luinramwen! =D

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Chapter XIX - Rombar Ar Vandar

A new sound broke into that clearing then, and all the elves' hearts leapt with joy, when they heard it and instantly recognised it. A horn blowing. An elvish horn, from Imladris.

King Azgarä heard it too, however, and realised he'd run out of time. Haste was required. He quickly thrust down his sword, but, just as he'd started moving and before the tip of the weapon could even come too near the fallen elf, a yellow-feathered arrow hit him in his blind eye. He fell and his heart beat no more.

There were now three sides in that fight, but even with a common enemy, orcs and men still battled each other. The men, leaderless, just stroke down on whoever came near, and the orcs were, as always, irrational fighters. It did not take long for the elves to slay the enemies, and many routed or were simply lost in the dark woods.

Legolas watched as the recently arrived group of warriors lunged and jabbed and hit the many orcs and men, and observed how many more of those yellow arrows yet came from behind the trees, from a position more recoiled from danger.

A wind, just strong enough, started blowing then, and dragged the dark fume away with its passing airs. As the atmosphere cleared, Legolas gradually saw less foes in the clearing, until they'd all disappeared with the smoke.

The elven captain, Culnaur, joined Legolas and Elrohir on the ground, when it was finally over. "My lord... Lorwinthor! I need the healer, fast!", he called out, distressed, and the requested healer did indeed come. Culnaur looked around and saw Elladan and Estel too.

"My lords, are you hurt?" Elladan shook his head, spent with all the action and utterly relieved to see the elven Captain. But his features were shadowed still by concern.

"Elrohir?! I saw him fall!!" Culnaur looked at the healer, who nodded in response, and gladly answered.

"He'll be well." The older twin dropped to the ground and thanked every Vala and every Maia he knew, still holding Estel. Culnaur then looked at Legolas and saw the wounds on his back, for the improvised bandages had loosened during the fight. He was shocked by his state.

"Prince Legolas, your back! Let me take a look at it, for Lorwinthor is our only healer!" Legolas smiled gratefully and let the Captain see to his wounds.

~*~

Afterwards, the warriors had entered the citadel, in search of more men who could be hiding still inside. They found none, for apparently they'd all been involved in the fight. What they did find, though, were some of Legolas' and the twins' weapons, in what seemed to be an improvised armory, and those had been restored to their owners. The horses, still bound in the degraded stables, were set free as well.

The group did not linger there for long, but it was decided that a new party would come from Rivendell, in charge of wrecking down the foul building, so that new evil would not sprout there again. Presently, they rode back home.

Mornië, Sûlfin and his brother had been in the rescue party's camp, as if waiting for the elves to return, and it was they who carried the four who had been held captive, on the journey back to Imladris.

Estel's fears and worries had turned into excitement, and he stubbornly begged the twins to teach him how to fight. He said he wanted to be a great warrior as they. Elladan was reluctant - he thought that he was still too young to bear a weapon - but it was Legolas who answered the little one.

"You want to learn how to fight? Then you must come to Mirkwood when you are older, and I'll teach you how to shoot a bow and how to wield a knife! Trust me, this folk of Rivendell know little of that!" Elrohir, leaning against his horse's neck, stood a little straighter as he heard those words.

"Legolas! What do you mean by that?! Estel, you will stay here in Imladris and I'll teach you archery and to use a sword, instead of those miniature blades of the wood-elves!" Estel was overjoyed with both offers, but the small dispute continued.

"Hah! Miniature blades... I'll show you what miniature blades can do one of these days, Elrohir! Besides, Estel, if you want to learn how to track, you must come to my woods, for my people has the best trackers, and the best archers! It is settled, you will come!" Estel smiled and his eyes were brightening with all the promises being made.

"Very well, I give you the archers, Legolas, but not the trackers! I'd like to see you find your way on an open clearing with nothing but rock to guide you! In the woods, 'tis an easy task, just follow the crunched leaves and broken branches! There's nothing more to it, Estel, trust me!" Estel nodded with a straight face, taking that as his first lesson and eager for more.

"Now, Elrohir, if I remember correctly, you didn't seem to think it was that easy when we were first following those men!... You couldn't make out a single print on the ground! Estel, you must come to Mirkwood!" Elladan ultimately felt it was time to end that, for they were both exciting Estel too much, he didn't like at all that look on the youth.

"That's enough, you two! You seem to forget that Estel is yet very young and has to wait many years before he even has the strength to pick up a weapon, let alone use it! But when he does, I'll be the one to teach him how." Legolas and Elrohir looked at each other and started laughing at the high air Elladan was trying to give on. Estel, on the other hand, was a bit disappointed.

The journey went by quickly enough, and, along the way, Culnaur told the twins and Legolas how it was he'd come upon that clearing. He told them of the attack near Amon Sûl, and Elrond's leave to find the creatures. He recounted how he'd found their tracks, going from the Bruinen, the same path Elladan had took, and of his encounter with the horses, just before reaching the clearing.

Every night, they would set a small camp and Lorwinthor, the healer, would look at Elrohir's wound. He was stable, for, even though it was bloody, the orc had not hit any major organs or affected any important veins. The healer had managed to staunch the bleeding while still on the battle ground, and before they'd started their trip back home, the group had stayed some time still in the camp near the dark citadel. He had been busy with both the twins, then: trying to keep fever from striking on Elrohir, and Elladan from striking on both him and his brother. The wounds were looking better and better as time progressed, and now they were no reason for greater concern. Legolas' back, too, needed some treatment, though it was hardly as severe as Elrohir's. The healer would spread a fresh ointment on the burns and the whip-marks to relieve the wood-elf of the pain and it too was fairly better now.

The party would assemble around a fire and sing for some good part of the night, joyed that they were all together again. They exchanged stories and tales of the old days and heros, and Estel, who had become particularly interested in hearing about those, would ask again for lessons from the three elves, but their answers remained he same. At some point, Lorwinthor joined their little conversation and started trying to convince the little one to learn of the healing arts instead. The youth just made a face - he wanted adventure!

At Imladris, lady Gilraen anxiously awaited for the return of Culnaur's party, ever since the captain had sent back an elf to report their findings near the Bruinen, that Estel might have been there. She barely ate, and lord Elrond had begun truly worrying about her condition. In fact, if not for him, she would have ceased eating altogether a long time ago.

She usually sat alone outside, in one of the fair gardens, and thus she was when a company of elves arrived at Imladris. The flowers' soft and delicate perfums floated through the air, but did not quite reach her, and Laer's [Summer] light was warming the atmosphere, but a lingering Spring's chilly breeze was all she felt. The first one Gilraen recognised was Culnaur, then Elladan, and her heart tripled its beat in expectation.

One of the elves stepped aside as she rushed closer, and lady Gilraen saw her son. He was covered in filth and she was shocked at the state he was in, the bandaged wound in his arm. But at the same time, she realised he was different, there was an air about him... he'd grown. She ran to him and embraced him fiercely, only sparing the other elves a welcoming glance full of gratitude.

~*~

Legolas did not remain much longer in fair Rivendell. He waited till his back was fully healed to return to Mirkwood. He'd been on that side of the mountains for longer than he had intended already and wished to be home again.

The twins would acompany him to the mountains, and, from there, Legolas would follow the path alone. Estel wanted to go along with them and begged them to exhaustion, but in the end, his mother, who did not want to part again so soon, forbade him and he had to accept it.

With a final hug, Legolas said his goodbyes to Estel. He and the twins had finally come to the agreement that Estel would go to Mirkwood to learn of archery and what else the wood-elves could teach him, but the twins would be his tutors in the use of the sword. The little dúnadan asked a last time for Legolas to stay as well, for the two had become good friends, but the elf just promised that they'd see each other again soon and ruffled his hair.

"Namárië, titta núnatan seronnya! An ento omentiëlva! [Farewell, my little dúnadan friend! Till our next meeting!]"