A/N: I have to admit, I have noticed that there are some qualities to this story that may seem Mary-Sueish. That was unintentional. I think it is very easy to fall into the Mary-Sue stigma when you write a romance story that involves an original character and our favorite elf-prince. Your female character is going to be viewed as too perfect, or too involved with Legolas. I tried to make Kalen as imperfect as possible, but after all, she is part elf (and they are pretty perfect, aren't they?) lol. That is just a joke. As the story evolves, you will see that everyone is not hot for Kalen and she is far from the typical image of perfection. Her body is more on the muscular side (not grossly muscular, though) which is not typical to the image of perfection the elves possess. She inherits most of her imperfections from her mortal genes. I also forgot to mention that I will be explaining how she is still alive after 1600 years, as the gift of choice, I'm pretty positive if memory serves me, fell only to Elrond's line. Don't quote me on that, It's been awhile since I've read the books, and I will, from time to time, get facts mixed up and even (gasp) totally wrong. I did try my best to stay true to the facts of the book. With that said.....on with the story. BTW, Thanks Ana, for being such a sweetie.
Under the warmth of the sun they ran, running until the cool breezes of the early evening were beginning to blow and the sun began her quiet descent into a peaceful slumber. Legolas knew he had no need to warn Gimli of the danger that waited ahead, as they ran into twilight and the unknown. Caution would be their highest priority.
Gimli's legs and feet were beginning to ache, but his anger served as an anesthetic, dulling the pain and giving him the fuel to continue keeping in step with the long strides of the elf. Each step brought them closer to the Orcs and closer to Kalen, both knowing that the chance of ambush by a scouting band was high.
Highly tuned Elven senses alerted Legolas, indicating that he and Gimli were nearing the Orc camp. He could hear movements and the scratchy voices of two Goblin scouts echoed in his ears. Legolas signaled to Gimli and the two crouched down under the darkness that now filled the sky.
It appeared that once again, fate was looking kindly upon them, as the Goblins scouted the surrounding area. The two hideous creatures seemed more concerned with their conversation and less concerned with conducting a thorough search.
"Did you see those swords? They would be a prize to have".
The second Goblin hissed and turned to face his companion, who was obviously the smarter of the two.
"Yes, if Orc had not take, sell we could. Was more Elf had"?
"Maybe we can check after the large one finishes with her. She will die, and if there is anything left to check, we can search then".
"Check, yes. Anything left of Elf".
The Goblins cackled loudly and it took every ounce of strength within Legolas and Gimli not to slay them at that moment. They were too close to the camp, and a skirmish would be too noisy, drawing attention and diminishing any hopes of a surprise attack. Anger would be no excuse for stupidity.
The plan had been left unspoken. Years of friendship had brought a psychic bond of sorts, that few friendships possessed, and it was this bond that allowed them to speak to one another without the need for actual words. They followed the Goblins until they were out of hearing range, Legolas with his elvish footing, and Gimli with an unusual silence in his feet. When they were sure of the distance, Legolas quietly removed his knives from their sheaths and Gimli readied his axe. The Goblins would soon meet the unpleasant end that they deserved.
There was a rage building inside Gimli and it mixed with an eerie sense of excitement. He had not seen such fighing and been engaged in so many battles since he and Legolas had been part of the Fellowship, and to awaken these dormant feelings of youth exhilarated him in a way that bordered morbidity. Gimli inhaled, filling his nostrils with the cool, crisp air. It made him feel more alive and more determined to exact his vengeance upon these remaining minions of Sauron.
With stealth and grace, the elf slid his knives into the back of one of the Goblins and then just as quickly removed them. It had been an unexpected strike and the creature's body fell to the ground in a slump, its face slamming into the hardened earth. Gimli had given a mighty swing with his axe and the second Goblin fell to the ground as well, the head rolling only feet away from its body. There had been no struggle and no sign of battle to alert the others. A united sigh of relief had been the only sound as Gimli and Legolas turned towards the creature's camp.
There were a few of the beasts walking about, but efforts to locate Kalen were unsuccessful. From the Goblins conversation, Legolas knew she still lived, but who was this "large one" and where was he keeping Kalen? A great deal of worry began to grow in him. How would he and Gimli get into the camp without being killed themselves? Suddenly, as if an answer to a prayer, an Uruk guard appeared and addressed the others.
"Our orders have been given. We are to take the cup North. Morgluk will follow when he has finished here".
When the guard had finished speaking, the Orcs and the Goblins gathered what little property they had and then started off into the night. It was clear that they had no other choice but to rescue Kalen, and allow the cup to be taken. Gimli gave a sigh of relief as he watched the last Goblin disappear into darkness. Now they stood a better chance of rescuing her and escaping with their lives. If they were lucky, as they had been so far, there would only be a few remaining Orcs.
Following Legolas' lead, Gimli headed in the direction that the Uruk had come from. It would prove quite an easy task to find them now. A loud, deep Uruk bellow leading them to their target. Gimli looked at Legolas. An alien expression covered the elf's fair face. His heart was breaking at what he saw, and when Gimli, too, was near enough to see, he understood why. The same expression of heart wrenching sorrow fell across his face and his rage had been shadowed by an overwhelming sense of shared grief.
