Author's Note: Well here she is! The sequel to 'At Long Last,' you'll want to read that one first to understand most of this.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but a bunch of paperback books. JRR Tolkien and his estate own the characters. I'm only playing with them! I shall return them, eventually.
Warnings: AU, non-graphic slash, non-graphic mentions to rape and elf-torture (mostly psychological). Squicked already? This probably isn't the story for you. Might want to head back.
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After All
Chapter One: Shade and Shadow
The sun kissed droplets of stinging sweat onto Aragorn's brow. Neither Legolas nor Glorfindel seemed affected by this particular malady. Aragorn cursed them for it. He swiped at his forehead. "Certainly it should not be this hot out?"
Glorfindel glanced at him, disinterested, from across the broad back of his horse, which was walking with the elf beside it. When the horses had started panting, it was decided that walking them would be for the best. Their pace was slow. He shook his head. "It is not that hot."
Aragorn rolled his eyes and looked at Legolas who strode easily beside him, horses flanked them. Legolas offered a sympathetic and slightly mischievous smile, his teeth showed.
"The moon will take away some of the heat," Legolas remarked noting the position of the sun, still high in the sky. It was near midday.
"That will not be for hours," Glorfindel said, an almost gleeful tone to his voice. Aragorn wiped more sweat from his brow before it could get into his eyes.
Legolas smiled at Glorfindel from across Aragorn's horse. Glorfindel raised an eyebrow at him, a smile barely touching the corners of his lips. Aragorn scowled.
"The horses are tired," Aragorn said after a few minutes of sweltering silence, he patted his own horse's neck, cool, thick beads of sweat caught his palm.
Glorfindel stifled a chuckle. "Did you have a suggestion, Aragorn?"
Aragorn cleared his throat and Legolas smiled. "Mayhap a rest in the shade?" Legolas offered, thinking of his own horse and Aragorn as well. Glorfindel almost looked disappointed.
"Aye, a rest would not hurt nor hinder us."
Aragorn tried not to look relieved; he smiled at Legolas as the intrepid trio made their way into a clutch of shadows and dark shade. Keeping his dignity, Aragorn waited a few minutes before he sat down in the shadow-cooled grass and leaned contentedly against the bole of a tree.
"It is a good thing you care so for the horses," Glorfindel said softly, offering each of the horses a drink of water and nestling their ears. Aragorn sighed from beneath his tree and did not favor him with an answer.
Legolas smiled. "You two bicker like old women."
"How many old women do you know, Legolas?" Glorfindel asked good-naturedly, tossing Aragorn a small skin filled with water. He drank hungrily. "Save some," Glorfindel said after a moment.
Legolas laughed. "Not many."
"Not many? Do you not mean 'not any?'"
"I mean what I say."
Glorfindel shot him an amused look and let the topic drop. "Do you think the horses have had enough rest, Aragorn?"
When no answer came, Glorfindel glanced at the trunk of the tree. Aragorn was fast asleep.
Legolas smiled indulgently at the sight. He gave a conspiratorial glance to Glorfindel and stepped silently beside the Ranger and knelt. "Estel," he said into Aragorn's ear, then pinched his arm gently but with enough force to smart.
Aragorn started awake. "I slept not," he said without preemptive. Glorfindel laughed.
"Just resting your eyes, I am sure. Now, if you are satisfied that the horses have had enough rest?" Glorfindel said wryly. His eyes sparkled.
Aragorn stood up brushing himself off and muttering, Legolas and Glorfindel heard every word. They both smiled at him when finally he had stopped brushing and muttering. Glorfindel shook his head, gathered his horse and went on walking, trying to keep to the shade for the horses sake; and Aragorn's, though he'd never admit it to the Man.
Aragorn tried again to explain that he had not been 'sleeping,' but Legolas just smiled softly at him and said that it was only the heat that tired him. Legolas then followed Glorfindel's lead; Aragorn came at last, muttering to his horse about not having been asleep. The horse snorted and butted his arm. Elves and elven beasts, Aragorn thought with harrumph and a shake of his head.
None of them saw, nor expected, those that stalked them on the outside of the shadows. Poised to kill and take back what they believed rightfully theirs. After all, they'd caught him first.
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Short! I know! Not too eventful either, but I guess this is more of a prologue than a chapter one, but more of a chapter than a prelude. That doesn't make sense does it? ;o) Ah, well, next chapter will be at least three times as long and will be out soon! Probably by Thursday (American), Friday (Aussie, Kiwi and other far away peoples).
