Hello again.

Ok, so I say this every post, but I shall say it again. Sorry for the delay, but please understand that my grades at the end of this year, my final year, will determine if I will be able to get into university and thus be able to do what I want with life. So please, I implore you to understand.

Much thanks to all you wonderful, wonderful people who have left your comments; they do get my working much faster once I have the time. So thank you, and please don't give up on me!

Oh, also, I hope that the 'nice fluffy' stuff in this chapter is all right; it is the first time I have ever really tried to get such emotions into a story. And I mean, I have never personally been in love (Legolas and Orlando Bloom don't count) and never have I kissed a guy that has made me feel as if they did not kiss me again I would die. So if it is not the typical lovey-dovey type of stuff, then just call it artistic license and leave it at that. Lol.

*****

Extorted

Chapter Four

Unusual Requests

*****

Hold on to me love

You know I can't stay long

All I wanted to say was I love you and I'm not afraid

Can you hear me?

Can you feel me in your arms?

"My Last Breath" by Evanescence, who are, without a doubt, one of the greatest bands in the world, second only to Linkin Park.

*****

"If it isn't my little escape artist!" Ruksyn sneered as he stooped down to kiss the side of Legolas' neck. The Elf's teeth dug deeply into his bottom lip at the action, his determination not to offer the man insult and stir his anger overriding his urge to express his repulsion.

"My lord," Legolas said silently and with a bow of his head as was expected when he was addressed.

After Estel had left, Legolas had taken his meal in hand and wandered out into the expanse of the common garden. This was a separate and much larger one then the one that the Elf liked to think of as his own and, in his opinion, was of lesser quality. The plants did not seem to thrive as they did in the one that he had nurtured with his own hands nor did many types of wildlife visit the tall trees or bubbling water fountain. Even the flowers that grew in the well watered beds near the cluster of wooden tables and chairs that where there for the rare occasion that Ruksyn entertained did not seem to hold the intense colour that the same flowers within 'his' garden possessed.

Though, as Ruksyn pulled one of the two-seater benches next to the one which Legolas sat on and straddled the end of it, all thoughts of garden comparisons were quickly banished from the Elf's head.

The human's hand stretched out, as if on its own accord, and picked up one of the long, pure golden locks of the Elf's hair. It seemed to be an undying fetish of Ruksyn's - Legolas' hair - that he always had to indulge himself in. His calloused fingers twirled the silky strands over and under each other, rubbing the few single hairs that had a tendency to blow away back into place, fitting them into the curtain of spun satin.

"So beautiful..." Ruksyn breathed out softly, more air then formed words. As his fingers allowed their hold on the strand of the unmoving Elf's hair to loosen and the lock fall back into place, Ruksyn scooted forward further on his seat, closing the gap between the two of them immensely.

A hand pressing into the small of his back brought Legolas back into the land of the living and reminded him that he should show his gratitude for his master's attentions. Turning his body in his seat, his offered his lord a small, shy and bashful smile as Ruksyn's other hand came to cup his cheek, mindful of the dark bruise that marred the otherwise perfect skin.

"So beautiful..." Ruksyn murmured again as his fingers traced the high cheekbone of the Elf that sat before him. His other hand drew lazy circles at the base of the Elf's spine, rubbing the skin with an almost loving tenderness through the thin, white cloth of Legolas' shirt.

"I am glad that I please you, my lord," Legolas forced himself to say, his soul breaking even more with each act of submission. As strange as it seemed, the tender, loving caress of the lord sickened him beyond belief. He hated the way that Ruksyn would do that; try to sooth away the damage that he had done with ministrations akin to those that a protective partner would gift upon their frightened lover.

"Are you really?" Ruksyn questioned while moving his hand down the side of Legolas' face so to allow his fingers to trace upon the Elf's perfect, pink lips. Moving his own head down, Ruksyn peered in under Legolas' slightly bowed head, forcing eye contact with the being before him. Using his hand as a lever, Ruksyn gently guided Legolas' face up, keeping their eyes locked and his gaze strongly intense and yet comforting.

"Are you really glad that you please me, pet?" the man asked, the tone in his voice innocent and inquisitive.

"Of course, my lord." Legolas smiled as he peered into the human's eyes, his fear heightening. "Have I given you reason to doubt otherwise?"

The switch was completely unexpected and unanticipated. One moment he had seemed to be making amends for all that he had forced the Elf to suffer through that night just passed, the next he was aflame with fury.

Legolas did not even stand a chance of being able to dodge the man as his arms flung out, the hands open and grabbing the air in an attempt to get a hold on the Elf.

Grabbing the Elf by the shoulders, Ruksyn's face changed from admiring to fuming within the passing of a mere second. "You could have stayed in our bed!" he yelled into the Elf's face, causing Legolas to flinch despite himself as he rattled the Elf to the point where Legolas was certain that his teeth would fall out. "Would that have been too much to ask? To show your respect for me?"

He was angrier then the night before, his eyes darkening like the sky at the coming of a storm as he spat each and every word out, emphasizing it with a harsh shake of the Elf's shoulders.

Startled, Legolas' mind scrambled over what seemed to be hopelessly slippery rocks in his attempt to form words that would lessen Ruksyn's anger. "N-no, my lord. I am sorry. I did-"

"You are sorry?" Ruksyn spat, his eyes almost pure black in his rage as his grip increased tenfold. A small cry of pain forced itself from between Legolas' rattling teeth as he felt the man's finger tips dig right into his flesh "You are sorry? Is that all you have to say, you worthless, sorry excuse for an Elf?"

"No, my lord." Legolas gasped out as he felt he blood rising to the points of his skin where Ruksyn's fingers pinched him. "I meant you no disrespect, my lord."

Eyes softening almost immediately, Ruksyn allowed his grasp on the Elf to drop away, his hands falling into his lap.

"No, you did not, did you?" He questioned tenderly and to which Legolas shook his head in a silent no. Ruksyn's right hand rose off his lap and, ignoring the Elf's flinch, came to rest against the Elf's pale skin, its knuckles tracing fine and delicate circles upon the marble like texture. "You are just still not accustom to the ways of humans, are you my pet?"

Fighting back the want to brush the hand from his face, Legolas concentrated upon replacing the anger that rose within him and which threatened to break upon his face with that of fear and regret.

"No, my lord. But I want to be...I am trying." The Elf whispered out in a small voice.

"I know you are, little one," Ruksyn said with a small smile and a slight tilt of his head as if in thought. "I know you are." Fingers lacing lightly behind the pointed ear, Ruksyn pulled Legolas' face closer to his and placed a light, loving kiss upon the quivering lips.

Releasing the Elf's head and raising to his feat, Ruksyn looked down at his pet with a fond smile. Leaning down once again to place a kiss on the smooth forehead, he gave Legolas' shoulder a tender squeeze and walked slowly away, calling over his shoulder; "Now eat your breakfast like the good little one that you are."

As soon as the man was out of sight Legolas crumbled. His walls of defense broke and he found himself emerged in a deep inner battle; to allow his anger or his terror to rise. Finally, like every other time he faced such conflicting emotions, fear and pure shock won out, causing his entire body to tremble and his hands to shake as if they were autumn leaves caught in a storm.

Breakfast long forgotten, Legolas folded his hands upon the table, trying to hide the tremble that refused them the right to remain still, and placed his head down upon his arms, curling in on himself in a fetal position.

*****

Legolas sat alone in the rather extensive library of the manor, his head gracefully supported by the balls of his hands. The Elf's elbows were placed on either side of a large, leather bound book in such a way as to not impair his reading and yet keep his hair from swigging forward at the same time. A single candle flickered off to his left, its flame dancing in the small gusts of wind that occasionally rushed through the cold room.

The library was merely another room of stone and wood within the large house. Nothing special set it aside from any other place except for the few well-stocked bookcases that lined the far wall and made two aisles of fully stacked shelves. It had a single window cut into the fortifications in the shape of a small arch that, other then letting in the small whiffs of wind, seemed to serve no purpose as all. It never let in any light, the sun rising and setting to the windows right and left, and the large wall that surrounded the entire manor was that close to this side of the building that it was rather remarkable that even the breeze was able to penetrate the room. Although the sun was high in the sky, the room was in its usual state of darkness, the single candle doing naught to illuminate the room beyond the small circle that it bestowed upon the table and book.

It was in fact the one room in the entire house that he could find solitude and a sense of safety. Anytime that he had had a less then pleasant confrontation with his lord, Legolas would eventually find himself sitting alone in the library, his mind deeply lost in the world of the written word. From here he could imagine that he was anywhere in the vast and different lands that Middle-Earth was home to. He could be wandering with the forests of the world, conversing with the Ents from the tales of old, looking upon the great white tower of Osgiliath or his favorite place out of all; Rivendell. He could wander among the gardens, rich with greens and dotted with the vibrant colours of yearly blooming flowers, for as long as he pleased. No one would be checking up on him, no one would expect him to come to a bed that he feared and submit to someone that he despised. He could gaze upon the beauty of the rivers, streams and waterfalls, illuminated by the soft glow of fireflies as they buzzed near the waters surface. It was his safe haven, his dream home and the place that, even though he had never seen it, would forever be attached to a loving memory.

But most importantly of all, it was a place other then here.

A quiet cough from behind him brought Legolas crashing back into his unpleasant surroundings with a loud gasp, a rather nasty Elven curse and a jerk that made his entire body turn in the chair.

Frightened of who may be standing behind him, Legolas was pleasantly surprised to be met with the smiling, and yet rather apologetic face of Estel.

Relief must have rushed clearly over Legolas' face as, within a matter of seconds, Estel's smile disappeared and was replaced with a rather intense look of worry.

"What's wrong?" he demanded gently, his arm reaching out to take hold of the back of the chair. Seeing Legolas flinch at the small movement, his eyes darkened with worry. "What happened?" he asked, his voice so full of concern that Legolas found himself unwillingly looking up into his eyes.

"Nothing," Legolas said with a faint smile, touched deeply by the concern that seemed to seep out of the human before him. "You just startled me, that is all."

Knowing that the Elf was not telling him the truth and that, no matter how much it angered him, he would not get it out of the beauty that sat before him, Estel settled for turning his attention to the book that lay open on the desk.

"Ah, the tale of Isildur and the One Ring," Estel said as his eyes skimmed over the page laid out before the Elf. "Honestly not one of my favorites, but entertaining enough!" The words were said with a cheeky smile, one that reached his dark eyes and seemed to make small stars explode within their endless depths.

"You can read?" Legolas asked incredulously of the human that leant over his shoulder, peering at the book on the dark-wood table.

"Of course I can read," Estel said with a friendly smile, "and write. Westron, Sindarin, Quenya and a little Dwarven though it did not really catch on."

Utterly shocked, Legolas just stared at the human, his mouth hanging open slightly while his left eyebrow rose on its own accord.

"I-I" he stuttered, his face quickly turning red from his cheeks up to his ears. "I am sorry," he finally managed to get this mouth to corporate with his head. "I should not have presumed. It is- it is just that most the men here can not even recognize their own name let alone write it, and I have had no other experience with humans so I-"

A finger being placed gently against his lips brought his rather confusing apology to a sudden halt, his eyes widening in shock and horror. Looking up, he saw Estel smiling down at him; his eyes alight with kindness unlike any that Legolas had ever seen.

"It is all right!" Estel reassured him gently while letting his finger trace the full bottom lip.

Once the light touch receded, Legolas found the words that he had long wanted to voice gushing out of his mouth without his consent.

"Would you do something for me?" Legolas asked shyly, his eyes turned away as the tips of his ears reddened.

Smiling at the Elf's bashfulness, Estel crouched down by Legolas chair and tilted his head forward so that he could gain eye contact. "Of course" he said when Legolas finally surrendered and looked at him.

"You do not have t-" Legolas said, giving the man one last chance to back out.

"I already said that I would," Estel interrupted him. "I will do anything within my power for you, Legolas."

Blushing even redder at such a declaration, Legolas broke his eyes away and turned in his chair. Reaching down to one of the draws, he pulled it open before allowing his hand to dig within the concealed depths. Pulling out an array of objects, he laid them upon the desk so that he could open the draw below.

Estel watched with curiosity as Legolas pulled out a small bottle of what appeared to be black ink, some salt, a fresh quill and a rather large bundle of paper from the second compartment. Taking them all into his hands, Legolas once again turned on the chair and, casting Estel another of his shy smiles, handed them to the slightly confused human.

"Write for me," Legolas said simply.

Looking at the objects that he now found within his hands, Estel's eyes lit up at the prospect of not only having something to do to distract his mind, but also being able to please Legolas at the same time.

"Anything in particular that you whish for me to write?" Estel questioned the still blushing Elf. Never had he thought that one such as Legolas could be capable of blushing, that one so strong within could show such signs of insecurity. He could see Legolas thinking on the question, his mind expelling ideas and saving some; all played out in the seemingly innocent eyes.

"Rivendell," he said at last, obviously choosing the best of the concepts that had come to mind. "Tell me of your home, of its beauty and secrets. Tell me what it was like growing up there, of your friends and family. Anything and everything." Legolas' eyes sparkled with unshed tears as he looked deeply at the man, pouring his frantic search for knowledge into the man's mind. "What were the trees like there? The water, the animals, the colours? Write about your loves and passions, your hates and fears. Tell me everything that you experienced before this place; good or bad." Looking down once again, he studied his hands and the way in which his fingers twisted around each other nervously. "Will you write me your life?"

Stunned into silence at the passion held within the Elf's words and voice, Estel just stared at the beautiful being that sat so self-consciously in from of him, wringing his hands together.

Wanting to ease Legolas' nerves, Estel reached down and took the Elf's hand gently into his. Bowing his head, he brought the slim structure up to his lips. "I would be greatly honored," he murmured while pressing a tender kiss upon the wrist as his eyes sort out Legolas'.

The Elf was frozen in place, his eyes locked onto Estel's as the human's thumb gently stroked his knuckles as his lips lifted. It felt as if a thousand butterflies where fluttering deep with his heart, their flight getting more and more frantic as they strove to fill his entire body with a weightless feeling.

"You are so beautiful," Estel muttered, Legolas' hand still lightly clasped within his own, but held tightly enough so that it was obvious that he did not plan on letting it go.

The hushed words of the other brought back memories of the incident in the garden with Ruksyn but, unlike what Legolas had expected he did not want to pull away nor could he had he even wanted to. At the declaration, Legolas did not feel inclined to express his gratefulness at the undeserved complement; all he wanted to do was drop his eyes and blush as those butterflies flapped their wings even faster. He seemed frozen to the spot; but the good kind of frozen. The feeling where you just want time and every thing in the world to stop save you and the person that you were sure you could not live without. He wanted to feel his hand in Estel's for eternity, to be able to look into those deep, comforting eyes and be lost in the emotions that seemed to swirl in them like colours created by the rays of the sun in a crystal.

Casting a quick glance over both shoulders, Estel moved down quickly and, cupping his hand to Legolas' cheek, lifted the Elf's pale face in line with his own. Seeing a single tear fall from the Elf's eyes, Estel could control himself no longer. Without so much as another glance to make sure it was safe, the human swept down and tenderly caught Legolas' lips against his own, sealing them in their first kiss.

Almost as soon as their lips met, Estel pulled away, his face still in line with Legolas' as his eyes searched the ice-blue orbs before him, asking for the permission that he had at first not even bothered to require.

To both their surprise, it was Legolas who, without a word, lent forward and brushed his lips lightly across Estel's giving the human all the reassurance that he needed.

Smiling into the feather light kiss, Estel shifted himself so that he was kneeling on the floor by Legolas' chair. One hand snaked up to cup Legolas' head, the fingers nestling in the cascade of blond hair and the other entwining itself around Legolas' waist to sit comfortably at the small of the Elf's back, Estel gently pushed the Elf forward, drawing a small gasp from the parted lips.

Happy with the Elf's position, half on the seat, half in his lap, Estel focused all his attention on thoroughly kissing the delightful being in his arms. He wanted to make him forget everything. Forget Ruksyn and the terrible things that he had experienced at his hands; forget the fact that he was an Elf living behind stone walls with no one to talk to but humans; forget that he was here, treated no better then a whore, and never permitted to leave. All he wanted was to give Legolas something to cling to, something to hold to when things became bad and the knowledge that he would be there for him. That no matter what happened, Estel would welcome him with open and loving arms. He needed Legolas to know that he felt for him, that he loved him no matter how impossible that was in such a short time, and that it was not just lust that drove him on.

He wanted Legolas to realize that he was not Ruksyn; that he was nothing like the cruel man.

Letting his tongue lick softly at Legolas' lips, Estel rubbed the Elf's back with is hand, soothing the small tremors that ran down the others spine and, once he was granted access to Legolas' mouth, he knew that Legolas understood. He knew that Legolas knew that he was not like the lord of the house; that his feelings ran deeper and that he had much more honorable intentions.

Estel made his actions slow and deliberate, taking care not to scare the Elf that he feared would run if he let him go for a mere second. He carefully ran his tongue lightly over Legolas', tasting the indescribable sweetness that his mouth offered before flicking his tongue up to brush over the roof of the Elf's mouth.

He wanted to explore every part of Legolas, memorize and categorize it into his memory incase he was never again granted the pleasure of kissing this otherworldly being; a thought that he feared most.

As Estel let his tongue do as it pleased, Legolas was relieved to find that it was not in the slightest way like Ruksyn's dominating, demanding actions that seemed more fashioned to state his claim over the Elf then to please either one of them. Even though it was clear that Estel was in charge, that he was the one in control, Legolas felt nothing but happiness and pleasure. No fear, no desperate need to satisfy the lusts of another with his pain or his cries; only a sort of dizzying feeling of excitement and contentment. His world was spinning out of control, so much so that he felt that if he did not grab onto something, he would surely fall.

Reaching out for the first thing that he could use as an anchor, Legolas found himself winding his arms tightly around Estel's neck and shoulders. Enjoying the sensation and feel of the other, Legolas pulled on the man, bringing him closer so that he could slip his arms right around the young human.

A single tear fell from his right eye, the first one of happiness and joy that Legolas had shed in years. He could feel it run down his cheek, the damp trail that it left in its wake tingling against his flushed skin and, before he knew it, another mirrored the first, the corners of his left eye finally too full to hold any more. Within moments, he was crying with such intensity that it would have seemed as if he had some great sorrow, not the greatest of joys.

The small little splash of a tear breaking upon the side of his face alerted Estel to Legolas' condition. Moving his hand from the back of the Elf's neck to the side of his face, he gently brushed at the small droplets of salty water, caressing the cheek as he did so. Feeling what seemed like a small earthquake ripple through Legolas' body, Estel knew that now was a good time to stop; even if he did not want to.

Withdrawing his tongue, Estel gently licked at Legolas' lips, urging them closed. As his thumb wiped away yet another tear, Estel slowly pulled away, placing a series of quick, sweet and caring kisses lightly upon Legolas' swollen lips.

Legolas felt as if he were in a trance. All those tiny little butterflies had finally been frozen like the rest of his body; their multi-coloured wings enclosed in a thin layer of ice making them appear to be buried gemstones. He was faintly aware that his breathing was labored, coming in deep, panting breaths and that his mouth was hanging agape in a rather startled O formation - but none of that mattered. All that he cared about was the lingering taste of Estel, the still warm feeling of the others mouth and the comforting arm that still looped right around his waist, holding him close even though the human's head was pulled away so he could study him.

And study him Estel did. Legolas looked absolutely delightful. He reminded him of a cat; his back arched so that the Elf was pressed flush against his chest, his head tilted slightly back, tears running down his flushed face as his eyes seemed to be engrossed in a great debate - to stay open, or to close.

Looking upon the wondrous being, Estel once again felt that all too familiar storm of rage build up inside of him. How could anyone hurt such a being? How could anyone possibility treat one as precious as this in such a harsh and degrading fashion.

"I am going to kill him," Estel breathed out, not aware that he had put his dark thoughts into words as he allowed the hand that was not holding the Elf to him as if he were a favorite possession to brush away the still falling tears.

But those words where not lost to Legolas, who, finally forcing himself to move, allowed his eyes to drop down to Estel's, fear now taking the place of ecstasy.

"You will do no such thing!" he said urgently, his right hand finding its way on its own accord to the back of Estel's head where it massaged the young human's neck. "Do not even try."

Leaning in and resting his forehead against Legolas', both arms circling the Elf slender waist, Estel peered into the weeping blue eyes. "I will not let him hurt you."

"Hush!" Legolas commanded lightly and with a small shake of his golden head. "You can do naught about that, and you are not to even try to touch him. There is no way you could win."

Pressing his lips together, Estel broke their overly intense gaze for a mere moment, looking to the floor before once again focusing on the Elf in his arms. "If there was a way, if there was a way that I knew that I would win, would you allow that?"

The last words brought a smile to Legolas' lips. "Dear Estel," he chuckled out lightly, "if there was a way that guaranteed success I would kill him myself."

Sharing the smile, Estel leaned in to place another kiss upon that grinning mouth when an all too close sound of a door slamming tore them unwillingly from their reverie. Despite the fact that both desperately wanted to stay in that position, in that world of ecstasy, both knew that they could not. If they were caught like this what had started out as a fairytale would soon turn into the worst of nightmares.

Legolas looked panicked and practically leapt out of Estel's' arms as if he were a burning piece of coal. Steadying himself against the desk from his rather ungraceful standing, Legolas reached down and grabbed the young human by the shoulders, pulling him gently to his feet.

"You have to go!" he urged while practically pushing the human towards the door. "You can not be seen here, not like this, not now."

Nodding his agreement, Estel allowed himself be pushed towards the closed door of the library, but when Legolas reached around him to grab the door handle, he found himself once again acting on pure instinct.

Slamming his hand into the opening door and pushing it closed, he turned quickly on his heels and pulled the Elf into his embrace. After kissing Legolas quickly and yet passionately, he whispered into his pointed ear.

"Take care of yourself, and know that I am just a shout away."

And with that he was gone, the heavy wooden door closing behind him and leaving a rather excited and dazed Elf to rest his head against the rough wood.

...Neither one saw the fleeting shadow disappear behind the rows of books...

*****

As the door of his small cell swung noisily closed, Estel knew that now was as good a time as any to put phase one of his plan into action.

Moving over to the window of the cell, Estel gripped the sill and pulled himself up onto his tips of his toes. Peering out into the courtyard and making sure that no one was within either earshot or eyesight, he pushed his lips into a circle and let out a shrill bird call. Hearing the noise bounce off the walls of the enclosed garden, he felt for sure that it had had the desired effect and so, dropping back to his feet, he hurried over to the other end of the room.

Grabbing a piece of the paper that Legolas had given him to write on and quickly uncorking the ink bottle, Estel dipped the quill into the black liquid. Satisfied that the centre of the feather was filled to a pleasing amount, he pulled the pen out and placed it to the paper.

Thinking quickly, he scribbled down the first important issues that came to mind in quick but neat Tengwar font. Being as brief as possible, he signed the bottom of the letter with the name 'Strider' before shaking a small amount of the salt over the ink to help it dry.

Standing and blowing frantically on the paper at the same time, Estel moved over to the window and once again peered out.

Looking up at the sky, he could see a large white bird circling above. Whistling in the same fashion as before, only quieter, Estel was pleased to see the bird circle in and drop in altitude, slowly making its way to the position of the cell window.

Folding the paper up as small as it would go Estel watched the bird land on the sill and flutter its wings. Clicking his tongue softly, the dove waddled in through the window and glided to the floor of the cell at Estel's feet.

As Estel crouched by the dove, his eyes caught sight of what he was looking for. A pouch attached to the scaly right leg of the small, white bird. Nimble fingers untying it quickly, Estel marveled at how well trained the bird was. It neither flinched nor flattered at his proximity nor did it back away as the human's fingers brushed upon its leg.

Well trained or broken and forced into submission?

The pouch, so small that it could fit within Estel's palm, was made in the fashion of a miniature bag. Its sides were expertly sewn with a strong blanket stitch while each end of the thread that made the seams was left long, enabling the pocket to be tied to any object. A small flap covered the top and a tiny thread loop and button made sure that what ever content it carried was secure and safe.

Stuffing the paper in the pouch as best as he could, Estel deftly slipped the loop of cotton over the wooden toggle, closing the important note safely within the pouch. Leaning down, the human held the ends of the rope out towards the bird's foot, allowing it time to release what he was about to do, though it seemed as if it were hardly needed. The dove just stood there, its head crooked to the side as it regarded Estel with a curious and almost patronizing look in its beady black eyes. Ignoring the bird's slight attitude, Estel looped the thread around its foot and tied it firmly in place. Laying his forearm flat upon the floor, he allowed the bird to step up onto his arm so that he could take it easily back to the window.

Double checking his knot one last time, Estel gave the bird an encouraging bust off his arm and, without so much as a second look at the human, the dove flew up into the air and over the south-western side of the courtyard wall.

Letting out a deep sigh, he released the breath that he had not even noticed that he had been holding.

*****

Tbc...

Ha! I am utterly amazed that I am able to bullshit on for so long and still not get to a point. It is a gift, I tell ya, a gift!

Yes, I know I am insane.

Response to reviews:

Thank you again to everyone who left their comments, but sadly, due to time ( I have to go in about five minutes) I can only respond to a few of them - but it does not mean that any are unappreciated!

Grath Longflech: I assure you, if I had known that Idis was going to be seen as Yoda like, I would have ditched the character right from the start. Sorry, but that little green dude pisses me off!!!

Nutty: I am glad that you liked the Legolas/Aragorn scene. It took me ages to come up with the hand thing. I mean, it was just as you said; I needed something simple but something completely hot and erotic! So I am really glad that you noticed that! Lol, and lots of people seem to know Idis like characters!

Noldor Lass: Lord Ruksyn will be gradually unfolded, but hey, he wasn't even in the last chapter so I couldn't *really* characterize him. Plus I wanted to focus on Aragorn and Legolas. But next chapter is a lot of Ruksyn, and let me tell you, he scares even me!

Goldmund: Yay, another person who liked the Legolas/Aragorn scene! A happy ending hey? Well, it might happen...but things need to get worse first! *evil glint in eyes*

Avril: Milford, Irish? I don't know. I mean, Middle-Earth does not have an Ireland, but I think that was what I wanted him to come across as - a little eccentric as well! Lol. And do not worry, both Idis and Milford become MAJOR players in this story! Much more of them to come!

Artemisa: glad I could help you with class - now if I could only devise a way to get through this year without doing anything and yet still passing...

Linis: Cool! Cool! Cool! I can have all there little Idis clones running around! Lol. (Lol! Lol!)

Emrald: oh, Milford evil...interesting. I seriously didn't mean for him to come across quite like that. I want him detached; as if in his own little world that seems to, surprisingly, revolve around a certain 'pet' of his Lord's. But that is to come a little later... Idis, he is just crazy! Very fun to write!! LOL.

Tenshiamanda: damn, I had not even thought about Thranduil yet...and no, you heard Legolas, you are not allowed to try and kill Ruksyn!

Rosalyn Angel: first of all, let me apologize for not reading and reviewing your story yet (yes, I still have it saved and I still remember it) I have just been exceptionally busy these last few weeks and to top that off I have been having internet problems (but that is a different story) Once I have time, I shall be making that many long reviews that you shall be annoyed and block me! Lol. Oh, "Kooky" new word. I like it! And yes, that is Milford's problem; he is a 'little' obsessed with our Elf!

LittleSpacedemon: lol, I absolutely hate Aragorn, but I still think that Estel is a sweetheart! *smiles* and yes, Legolas will get himself a friend, lover and protector in Estel - but not all is as it seems (oh, that was so cliché!) I am also glad that so many people liked that end bit. I am always nervous about introducing new and original characters in fics, so it is good so see that so many of you liked them! And the correction thing, I don't know where that came from but hey, it entertained me for awhile! Lol

*is really running out of time*

Jedi Cosmos: oh yeah, he fell hard!!

evil spapple pie: of course that Estel will be his friend - it is going to become all goody, and lovey and all the stuff that I can't write and despise! Lol. I just have problems! I'll let ya in on a little secret: I am not a real big fan of slash myself, but it just comes out that way and people seem to like it, so it is all good. Lol. And oh! Someone who understands my evil battle with school and writing. It is not easy, is it?

Lomelinde: yeah, I kinda fucked that up. Legolas was meant to have a lot more freedom and what not, but I could not pass up such an opportunity to hurt the Elf!! Sadistic tendencies are hard things to quench!

tapetum lucidum: wow, aren't we jumping ahead! Lol, are you thinking akin to me; skip all the romance stuff and get to the punishment! And everything is for a reason (WOW! I am just the queen of cheep cliché's tonight, aren't I!)

JastaElf: all in time, my friend, all in time!

Ok, I am sorry, but I really, really, REALLY need to go!!

Hope you all enjoyed that chapter and I hope that the kiss scene was all right.

Minka.