Sorry this took so long. I'm entering this writing contest, and I can't
enter this, not being my characters and all, so I'm mostly concentrating on
my short stories. Next chapter may take awhile, please be patient. Thank
YOU for the fabulous reviews. You're all wonderful, wonderful, people!
Right, chapter. :-)
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The Stone of Malinya
The sun had been up for several hours by the time Gimli and Legolas awoke the next morning. The night had been long and tiring for both of them so it was not surprising to either of them that they slept longer than usual. Looking about, it was clear they were not the only ones who had overslept as they saw the guards all just beginning to rise as well.
"Did you sleep well my friend?" Gimli asked as he lifted himself from his bed.
"Not too badly," Legolas replied, while stretching he accidently pulled against his injured shoulder and winced, "Though it may have been a bit more pleasant if I could have slept on my left side." He indicated his shoulder as he slowly tried to rotate it.
"Yes, my own head was throbbing so badly I thought I would never find sleep." Gimli said, shaking his head in a vain attempt to ward off the returning headache.
"Personally I think that blow to the head did you good. I was not awoken once by your snoring during the night, perhaps you have been cured of it." Legolas said, trying to hide the smirk passing over his face.
Gimli grumbled, it was too early to engage his friend in their battle of wits so he decided to try and distract him until he felt more awake, "Didn't Aragorn want you to see him so he could rewrap your shoulder before we were off?"
Legolas nodded, but hadn't forgotten, "Yes, I should go see him. I wonder when he awoke." Seeing Gimli had no answer for him, the Elf made his way to Aragorn's tent, leaving his friend behind to grumble about his headache. He crossed the camp quickly, acknowledged the guards and then poked his head into the king's tent.
Aragorn was packing several things away, knowing they had be on their way once more, but he lifted his head and smiled upon seeing his friend and motioned for him to enter.
"Good morning, sit down. How is your arm?" Aragorn asked as Legolas took a seat.
"It does not pain me too badly, other than that I can tell you little." Legolas said honestly, not having had a chance to look over the wound himself.
"Better let me take a look then." Aragorn took the bandages from his pack and moved closer to his friend. Legolas painstakingly removed his tunic, that being the only way to reach the wound, and then sat patiently as Aragorn looked him over.
"It seems to be healing nicely. Should only take a few days to heal, perhaps a week." Aragorn reported as he checked the shoulder. It looked much better than it had the night before, although he imagined it must still hurt terribly. He quickly rewrapped the Elf's upper arm and gave him some advice in what to do and not do to speed the healing.
"What of Gimli? How is his head?" Aragorn asked when he was done.
"As thick as ever," Legolas said, bringing a smile to Aragorn's face as well as his own, "But he says he still suffers from a headache."
Aragorn reached into his pack and then threw Legolas a small pouch, he could tell it was filled with herbs, "Tell him to take some of those, he should feel better."
Legolas nodded and put the pouch in his belt then said, "I best go pack my things, I imagine we will be off soon."
"Yes, we'll be leaving shortly. Remember to stay on the look-out for more Wargs as we ride. And anything else for that matter, who knows what unknown creatures may be living in these woods?"
"Brelan is sure to be a land of mystery and secrets. I shudder to think what else may be awaiting us on this journey." Legolas said then left to find Gimli. He had only gotten halfway across the camp when he spotted Risorine heading towards him, though his destination appeared to be Aragorn's tent.
"Good morning Risorine." Legolas said, not expecting a response. He could almost feel this Man's animosity towards him.
"You as well, Salogel." Risorine replied, while plastering an obviously fake smile on his face. He then stopped, clearly indicating he wished to have a word with him. Legolas smiled as non-threateningly as possible and halted as well.
"I was impressed by your fighting last evening. Well, I shouldn't say that, I was too preoccupied to watch you fight for long, but your timing was impecable ... or should I say improbable? That was an amazing shot as well, striking an enemy in the dark from twenty yards." Risorine's voice did not speak the same as his words, his tone was skeptical and critizing. Legolas wondered what this Man was getting at. The only thing he thought he may be implying was that Legolas had somehow known the Wargs would attack.
"I am sure you would have seen him yourself if you had been facing the other way." Legolas said, then tried to sidestep the Man, who immediately moved in front of his path.
"Nay, it was pitch black. Nothing could be seen beyond several feet before you." Risorine was correct, it was so dark that it would have been an impossible shot for anyone other than an Elf.
"I assure it was pure luck. I chanced to see the light from your torch reflected in the creature's eyes." Legolas offered as an explanation.
"Well, a fine shot none-the-less." Risorine walked away then, still not dropping his friendly facade. As he passed him, Risorine patted Legolas roughly on the shoulder. The Elf hissed softly in pain and instinctively dropped his shoulder to avoid any further contact, then continued walking. After he had gone several feet he turned to see Risorine still heading for Aragorn's tent, clearly unsurprised by the Elf's reaction to his touch.
You know more than you let on. Legolas thought to himself as he massaged the torn muscle, trying to alleviate the pain. With a sigh he headed over to Gimli to help with the packing of their belongings.
"How's your shoulder?" Gimli asked, looking up from his pack as he heard his friend approach.
"Worse than it was a few moments ago," Legolas said, rotating his arm, "I believe Risorine is aware of my injury, though he said nothing of it. I do not understand this Man at all, I have done nothing to him yet he continues to dislike me. It is very likely I even saved his life last night."
"That may not have been a good idea." Gimli said, mostly to himself.
"Pardon me? You do not think his life was worth saving?"
"Nay, that is not what I meant. I meant only that Men do not like it being said, whether true or not, that they needed help against an enemy, no matter how strong. He is most likely insulted that you felt the need to come to our aid at all." Gimli said, searching for the right words to explain what he thought may be going on with the Man.
"Next time I believe I shall let the Wargs have him." Legolas grumbled beneath his breath as he crossed his arms.
"He would mostly likely give them indigestion. But this is not uncustomary behaviour for Men, they tend to be very independent and hesitant to ask for help."
"You are most likely right my friend, I have observed this of Men also. Well there is little to be done now, we should ready the horse." Legolas said, abruptly changing the topic. Gimli agreed and they quickly packed their belongings and readied their steed.
The day passed quickly after that. Lord Elessar and his company of a dozen guards, a Dwarf, and a hidden Elf, moved swiftly through the forest, wishing to reach Brelan's capital as swiftly as possible. They did not linger to observe any of the surrounding scenery, or take unnecessary breaks in their riding.
Aragorn was frequently looking back to the map made by the men he sent earlier to Brelan, to ensure that they were going in the right direction and so far all seemed to be going well. He conversed with Gimli and Legolas whenever he got the chance, enjoying the opportunity to catch up with his friends whom he hadn't seen in nearly three years. Several times the king of Men noticed that Risorine shot the trio odd glares, and there was something in the Man's eyes that Aragorn could not quite identify. There was severe dislike, but sadly Aragorn knew that that was aimed for Legolas, but there was something else. Longing perhaps, but that made little sense, and also sadness. It was a puzzle Aragorn could not solve at the moment, but he hoped he could work it out eventually.
The night was as peaceful as the day had been. Look-outs were now set up to watch for Wargs but there were no sightings the entire evening. After a hearty meal, everyone slept soundly until the morning.
The next three days passed as such. There was generally fine weather, a few light showers of rain throughout the entire second day, but it was more refreshing than bothersome. They were making good time, and there was not a single sighting of Wargs. The men were all in a fine mood as the journey went smoothly, apart from Risorine whom was caught glaring in Legolas's direction several times.
It wasn't until the third evening that Aragorn finally found the answer he had been looking for. He sat around the fire with his Men, listening to tales of battle, and some of humor, and even telling a few himself. It was a luxury he took only on journeys, for as royalty, conversing with servants and guards was thought of as somewhat demeening, despite Aragorn's thoughts otherwise he kept up that tradition around his senate and council. But here he was free to joke and get to know his men as he wished, and he wished it very much. Risorine was in the middle of a story of a battle he had taken part in, and all listened intently. A detail of the Man's story ignited a memory in Legolas of a similar, but very humorous situation, that he and Aragorn had both witnessed. He whispered this to Aragorn, not to be secretive but mostly because it was in a way, Elvish humor, and the King immediately erupted with laughter as he recalled the event as well.
Risorine had just finished his tale, and it had been quite serious in its telling, when Lord Elessar laughed so heartilly. He fumed, for it was clear that 'Salogel' was the reason for this outburst, and he came to the conclusion that the 'Man' had mocked him in some way that the King found hilarious. But he was also mad that he had not been able to entertain his Lord in such a manner, for it was clear that Aragorn was very comfortable with both their strange companions.
Aragorn looked to Risorine and only then recognized the emotion he had seen in his captain's eyes the past few days. It was jealousy. It finally occurred to the King of Men that Risorine was greatly jealous of Legolas's close friendship with him, there was a bond between the two that the Lord and captain had never been able to establish, therefore never became friends and never achieved true comfort around one another. Risorine longed for his King's approval and to be noticed for his service. Aragorn realised that to Risorine it must appear as though Legolas appeared from nowhere and immediately stole the King's attention, which was not true. It was simply that the captain wished to be trusted and confided in, in a manner of friendship which Aragorn had yet to offer. Not being able to achieve this, Risorine was taking his frustration out on Legolas, who clearly had a strong relationship with the king.
I wonder if you fear as well that Legolas will take your place. Aragorn thought to himself, but he would not ask the question. It was now clear what ailed his captain, and it was a disease that had no cure.
Soon after, Risorine excused himself and went to bed. Everyone else followed shortly, though the evening had been fun they still had to ride again in the morning. They were afterall scheduled to meet up with the escort from Brelan in three days time.
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Not again. Legolas sighed as he awoke once more to the unhumanly loud snoring of Gimli.
His head must be healed. The Elf looked up and was thankful it was morning, knowing he would never be able to sleep once more now. He smiled and looked about him, wondering if there was a way to awaken his friend as humorously as he had a few mornings before. His joke was ruined by one the guards though. Just as he was reaching for a nearby canister of water to shower Gimli with, the Man in charge of breakfast dropped several of his pans, causing a loud enough bang to wake the Dwarf up.
Darn. Legolas thought to himself as he quickly replaced the water and feigned innocence.
Now both awake, the two leisurely prepared for the day, knowing that they were not setting out until late this morning. They had made good time the past few days and were being allowed a small respite from their hard riding.
Aragorn left his tent, stretching contently. He had slept well and was pleased with their progress so far. They were ahead of schedule and that meant they would be able to find the Stone of Malinya sooner than expected. His dreams had lately been filled with visions of what Middle Earth would be like if they succeeded; and the dreams were grand indeed. He only hoped he would see them come true. His eyes scoured the camp and he quickly spotted Legolas and Gimli enjoying their breakfast, and joking quietly. Both had healed nicely from their injuries sustained three nights ago in the Warg attack. Gimli had stopped mentioning his headache some time ago, and Legolas's shoulder was close to healed. Although he never spoke of it, Aragorn was sure to continue to change the bandages frequently and saw that the wound was closed but was most likely still healing underneath. Thankfully the Elf had not needed to fire his bow since his injury, Aragorn was sure that any stress on the shoulder would undo all the healing and tear open the wound once more.
Seeing that they were done their meal, Aragorn strode up the duo, "Salogel, might I have a word with you? In private?"
Legolas nodded, knowing that Aragorn must have wished to speak about the Stone of Malinya, or something Elvish. He told Gimli he would be back shortly, and then he and Aragorn headed towards the edges of the camp, but didn't stop there. They continued on, into the forest. Aragorn's guards began to follow but he ordered them to stay and pack the supplies and promised they would not go far. When they were sure they were out of earshot and that no one was following them they felt it was safe to speak freely.
"We will meet up with our escort in a few days. How do you feel about your disguise? Do you think you shall pass as a Man?" Aragorn asked seriously. If they were to go through with this journey, he had to be sure of all variables and of his friend's safety.
"I do not believe any of your Men are suspect to my true identity, I do not see how the Men of Brelan would see through my disguise. I cannot foresee any problems until we reach Miscalanth, and once we arrive I assure you I will show the utmost caution. I am ready for this quest Aragorn, I have not been spending all my time perfecting my human traits to turn back now." Legolas replied, voicing his confidence in his disguise.
Aragorn had been almost certain of what Legolas would say, but he needed to hear it himself. Now that he knew that the Elf felt comfortable with his ruse, he could proceed to Brelan with a lighter heart. The two continued walking, discussing the legend of the Stone and what little was known of Brelan and it was not long before they found they had wandered quite far.
"I fear I may have accidently lied to my men when I said we would not go far. I am unsure as to the distance we covered." Aragorn said when they finally stopped. They suddenly found themselves at the top of a large cliff, it was quite high and the rockface sheer, but the view was spectacular. It was fortunate that they came to the cliff, for if not they would have kept on with their stroll through the trees without regard for time or distance covered.
Standing on the edge of the cliff they both marvelled at the splendor of the land.
"An impressive kingdom. It stretches far." Legolas commented as he took in the sight.
"Yes, very peaceful." Aragorn said. Legolas turned suddenly, hearing footsteps and low voices around them. Aragorn could not hear them but could tell by the Elf's body language that it was not his guards who approached.
Legolas's eyes widened in shocked recognition as a sound filled the air, and he swiftly grabbed Aragorn by the shoulders and pushed him to the ground, "Down!" An arrow soared above them, only inches from their heads.
"This land is not as peaceful as it may seem." Legolas said, drawing his bow and notching an arrow. He did not shoot though, the voices and footsteps had stopped so he listened closely to discern in which direction to shoot. Aragorn drew his sword and moved to ready as well. He couldn't help but wonder who was attacking them, they were miles from any area of civilization. He was forced from his thoughts when an arrow flew towards him, which he barely sidestepped.
Seeing from where the arrow was launched, Legolas released his own arrow, hoping his aim could be true with his injury. He immediately flinched as his shoulder was pulled terribly, but smiled triumphantly when he heard a yelp come from the woods. Still their attackers did not show themselves though.
"Show your faces!" Aragorn demanded, eager to take a shot at these new adversaries who dared to shoot at a King. The only response he received was another arrow directed towards him, but this one headed for his feet and he was forced to step back to avoid being struck. Unfortunately he had not stayed completely alert of his surroundings and as he stepped back his foot caught a piece of unsturdy rock on the very edge of the cliff on which they stood. The rock came loose and crumbled beneath his weight, causing him to lose his balance and send him spiralling off the cliff face. He waved his arms in a desperate attempt to right himself, but it was no good, he was falling, fast.
"Aragorn!" Legolas shouted and dropped his bow. With his great speed he turned, dropped to the ground, and clasped Aragorn's wrist tightly just before he fell from reach. Aragorn gripped the wrist in return and tried to find some foothold to haul himself back up, but there was nothing in reach. The Elf cried out softly as the weight of the Man caused his shoulder to buckle and his wound to reopen painfully. The arm had been hurting for several days but this pain was intense. He didn't know how long his grip would last but he knew it would have to or his friend would be lost.
Unfortunately, with the Elf laying on his stomach keeping his friend from falling to his death, and Aragorn hanging perilously, only one hand away from the fatal plunge, there was no one to keep back their attackers. The two were far too occupied with their immediate dilemma to worry about them.
"Aragorn ..... can you ..... climb up?" Legolas grinded his teeth against the pain in his shoulder as he watched Aragorn try to find some way to get back up; currently the Elf's grasp was still the only thing keeping him from falling.
"I'm trying." Aragorn said, concentrating on finding footholds.
Legolas could hear footsteps behind him but couldn't be bothered to turn and see who they belonged to. A soft but sturdy voice suddenly sounded from behind them.
"I am Sorinth, and you are intruders to the land of Brelan."
Legolas turned his head and found himself looking down the shaft of an arrow aimed directly at his head.
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Get a new chapter out as soon as I can. Be patient with me folks, I can win a thousand bucks in this writing contest I'm entering.
Reviewers, I love you all. Just gonna respond to a few here.
Lady of Mirkwood - I am gonna die if the Oscars don't hurry up. Hope Orlando shows up!!!!!!
N- Thank you, I love being on fave author lists. Give me a warm tingly feeling inside. NO, not heartburn.
Cassia - Don't worry about long reviews, I love them. And sorry this took so long.
Arwen - just a thanks for always leaving a review. You're really good about that.
Phoenix Ice - don't worry, it is staying completely SLASHLESS. I don't have anything against it, I just don't write it.
Morgaine - I always love hearing your thoughts. They're useful, long, and entertaining.
Riley - glad you liked the Tolkien-like line. Now if I could just get every line to me like that. But I suppose he didn't focus too much on humor.
invader zoester - just a thanks for reviewing my other story as well.
I'll try to be quick. Diana ^_^
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The Stone of Malinya
The sun had been up for several hours by the time Gimli and Legolas awoke the next morning. The night had been long and tiring for both of them so it was not surprising to either of them that they slept longer than usual. Looking about, it was clear they were not the only ones who had overslept as they saw the guards all just beginning to rise as well.
"Did you sleep well my friend?" Gimli asked as he lifted himself from his bed.
"Not too badly," Legolas replied, while stretching he accidently pulled against his injured shoulder and winced, "Though it may have been a bit more pleasant if I could have slept on my left side." He indicated his shoulder as he slowly tried to rotate it.
"Yes, my own head was throbbing so badly I thought I would never find sleep." Gimli said, shaking his head in a vain attempt to ward off the returning headache.
"Personally I think that blow to the head did you good. I was not awoken once by your snoring during the night, perhaps you have been cured of it." Legolas said, trying to hide the smirk passing over his face.
Gimli grumbled, it was too early to engage his friend in their battle of wits so he decided to try and distract him until he felt more awake, "Didn't Aragorn want you to see him so he could rewrap your shoulder before we were off?"
Legolas nodded, but hadn't forgotten, "Yes, I should go see him. I wonder when he awoke." Seeing Gimli had no answer for him, the Elf made his way to Aragorn's tent, leaving his friend behind to grumble about his headache. He crossed the camp quickly, acknowledged the guards and then poked his head into the king's tent.
Aragorn was packing several things away, knowing they had be on their way once more, but he lifted his head and smiled upon seeing his friend and motioned for him to enter.
"Good morning, sit down. How is your arm?" Aragorn asked as Legolas took a seat.
"It does not pain me too badly, other than that I can tell you little." Legolas said honestly, not having had a chance to look over the wound himself.
"Better let me take a look then." Aragorn took the bandages from his pack and moved closer to his friend. Legolas painstakingly removed his tunic, that being the only way to reach the wound, and then sat patiently as Aragorn looked him over.
"It seems to be healing nicely. Should only take a few days to heal, perhaps a week." Aragorn reported as he checked the shoulder. It looked much better than it had the night before, although he imagined it must still hurt terribly. He quickly rewrapped the Elf's upper arm and gave him some advice in what to do and not do to speed the healing.
"What of Gimli? How is his head?" Aragorn asked when he was done.
"As thick as ever," Legolas said, bringing a smile to Aragorn's face as well as his own, "But he says he still suffers from a headache."
Aragorn reached into his pack and then threw Legolas a small pouch, he could tell it was filled with herbs, "Tell him to take some of those, he should feel better."
Legolas nodded and put the pouch in his belt then said, "I best go pack my things, I imagine we will be off soon."
"Yes, we'll be leaving shortly. Remember to stay on the look-out for more Wargs as we ride. And anything else for that matter, who knows what unknown creatures may be living in these woods?"
"Brelan is sure to be a land of mystery and secrets. I shudder to think what else may be awaiting us on this journey." Legolas said then left to find Gimli. He had only gotten halfway across the camp when he spotted Risorine heading towards him, though his destination appeared to be Aragorn's tent.
"Good morning Risorine." Legolas said, not expecting a response. He could almost feel this Man's animosity towards him.
"You as well, Salogel." Risorine replied, while plastering an obviously fake smile on his face. He then stopped, clearly indicating he wished to have a word with him. Legolas smiled as non-threateningly as possible and halted as well.
"I was impressed by your fighting last evening. Well, I shouldn't say that, I was too preoccupied to watch you fight for long, but your timing was impecable ... or should I say improbable? That was an amazing shot as well, striking an enemy in the dark from twenty yards." Risorine's voice did not speak the same as his words, his tone was skeptical and critizing. Legolas wondered what this Man was getting at. The only thing he thought he may be implying was that Legolas had somehow known the Wargs would attack.
"I am sure you would have seen him yourself if you had been facing the other way." Legolas said, then tried to sidestep the Man, who immediately moved in front of his path.
"Nay, it was pitch black. Nothing could be seen beyond several feet before you." Risorine was correct, it was so dark that it would have been an impossible shot for anyone other than an Elf.
"I assure it was pure luck. I chanced to see the light from your torch reflected in the creature's eyes." Legolas offered as an explanation.
"Well, a fine shot none-the-less." Risorine walked away then, still not dropping his friendly facade. As he passed him, Risorine patted Legolas roughly on the shoulder. The Elf hissed softly in pain and instinctively dropped his shoulder to avoid any further contact, then continued walking. After he had gone several feet he turned to see Risorine still heading for Aragorn's tent, clearly unsurprised by the Elf's reaction to his touch.
You know more than you let on. Legolas thought to himself as he massaged the torn muscle, trying to alleviate the pain. With a sigh he headed over to Gimli to help with the packing of their belongings.
"How's your shoulder?" Gimli asked, looking up from his pack as he heard his friend approach.
"Worse than it was a few moments ago," Legolas said, rotating his arm, "I believe Risorine is aware of my injury, though he said nothing of it. I do not understand this Man at all, I have done nothing to him yet he continues to dislike me. It is very likely I even saved his life last night."
"That may not have been a good idea." Gimli said, mostly to himself.
"Pardon me? You do not think his life was worth saving?"
"Nay, that is not what I meant. I meant only that Men do not like it being said, whether true or not, that they needed help against an enemy, no matter how strong. He is most likely insulted that you felt the need to come to our aid at all." Gimli said, searching for the right words to explain what he thought may be going on with the Man.
"Next time I believe I shall let the Wargs have him." Legolas grumbled beneath his breath as he crossed his arms.
"He would mostly likely give them indigestion. But this is not uncustomary behaviour for Men, they tend to be very independent and hesitant to ask for help."
"You are most likely right my friend, I have observed this of Men also. Well there is little to be done now, we should ready the horse." Legolas said, abruptly changing the topic. Gimli agreed and they quickly packed their belongings and readied their steed.
The day passed quickly after that. Lord Elessar and his company of a dozen guards, a Dwarf, and a hidden Elf, moved swiftly through the forest, wishing to reach Brelan's capital as swiftly as possible. They did not linger to observe any of the surrounding scenery, or take unnecessary breaks in their riding.
Aragorn was frequently looking back to the map made by the men he sent earlier to Brelan, to ensure that they were going in the right direction and so far all seemed to be going well. He conversed with Gimli and Legolas whenever he got the chance, enjoying the opportunity to catch up with his friends whom he hadn't seen in nearly three years. Several times the king of Men noticed that Risorine shot the trio odd glares, and there was something in the Man's eyes that Aragorn could not quite identify. There was severe dislike, but sadly Aragorn knew that that was aimed for Legolas, but there was something else. Longing perhaps, but that made little sense, and also sadness. It was a puzzle Aragorn could not solve at the moment, but he hoped he could work it out eventually.
The night was as peaceful as the day had been. Look-outs were now set up to watch for Wargs but there were no sightings the entire evening. After a hearty meal, everyone slept soundly until the morning.
The next three days passed as such. There was generally fine weather, a few light showers of rain throughout the entire second day, but it was more refreshing than bothersome. They were making good time, and there was not a single sighting of Wargs. The men were all in a fine mood as the journey went smoothly, apart from Risorine whom was caught glaring in Legolas's direction several times.
It wasn't until the third evening that Aragorn finally found the answer he had been looking for. He sat around the fire with his Men, listening to tales of battle, and some of humor, and even telling a few himself. It was a luxury he took only on journeys, for as royalty, conversing with servants and guards was thought of as somewhat demeening, despite Aragorn's thoughts otherwise he kept up that tradition around his senate and council. But here he was free to joke and get to know his men as he wished, and he wished it very much. Risorine was in the middle of a story of a battle he had taken part in, and all listened intently. A detail of the Man's story ignited a memory in Legolas of a similar, but very humorous situation, that he and Aragorn had both witnessed. He whispered this to Aragorn, not to be secretive but mostly because it was in a way, Elvish humor, and the King immediately erupted with laughter as he recalled the event as well.
Risorine had just finished his tale, and it had been quite serious in its telling, when Lord Elessar laughed so heartilly. He fumed, for it was clear that 'Salogel' was the reason for this outburst, and he came to the conclusion that the 'Man' had mocked him in some way that the King found hilarious. But he was also mad that he had not been able to entertain his Lord in such a manner, for it was clear that Aragorn was very comfortable with both their strange companions.
Aragorn looked to Risorine and only then recognized the emotion he had seen in his captain's eyes the past few days. It was jealousy. It finally occurred to the King of Men that Risorine was greatly jealous of Legolas's close friendship with him, there was a bond between the two that the Lord and captain had never been able to establish, therefore never became friends and never achieved true comfort around one another. Risorine longed for his King's approval and to be noticed for his service. Aragorn realised that to Risorine it must appear as though Legolas appeared from nowhere and immediately stole the King's attention, which was not true. It was simply that the captain wished to be trusted and confided in, in a manner of friendship which Aragorn had yet to offer. Not being able to achieve this, Risorine was taking his frustration out on Legolas, who clearly had a strong relationship with the king.
I wonder if you fear as well that Legolas will take your place. Aragorn thought to himself, but he would not ask the question. It was now clear what ailed his captain, and it was a disease that had no cure.
Soon after, Risorine excused himself and went to bed. Everyone else followed shortly, though the evening had been fun they still had to ride again in the morning. They were afterall scheduled to meet up with the escort from Brelan in three days time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Not again. Legolas sighed as he awoke once more to the unhumanly loud snoring of Gimli.
His head must be healed. The Elf looked up and was thankful it was morning, knowing he would never be able to sleep once more now. He smiled and looked about him, wondering if there was a way to awaken his friend as humorously as he had a few mornings before. His joke was ruined by one the guards though. Just as he was reaching for a nearby canister of water to shower Gimli with, the Man in charge of breakfast dropped several of his pans, causing a loud enough bang to wake the Dwarf up.
Darn. Legolas thought to himself as he quickly replaced the water and feigned innocence.
Now both awake, the two leisurely prepared for the day, knowing that they were not setting out until late this morning. They had made good time the past few days and were being allowed a small respite from their hard riding.
Aragorn left his tent, stretching contently. He had slept well and was pleased with their progress so far. They were ahead of schedule and that meant they would be able to find the Stone of Malinya sooner than expected. His dreams had lately been filled with visions of what Middle Earth would be like if they succeeded; and the dreams were grand indeed. He only hoped he would see them come true. His eyes scoured the camp and he quickly spotted Legolas and Gimli enjoying their breakfast, and joking quietly. Both had healed nicely from their injuries sustained three nights ago in the Warg attack. Gimli had stopped mentioning his headache some time ago, and Legolas's shoulder was close to healed. Although he never spoke of it, Aragorn was sure to continue to change the bandages frequently and saw that the wound was closed but was most likely still healing underneath. Thankfully the Elf had not needed to fire his bow since his injury, Aragorn was sure that any stress on the shoulder would undo all the healing and tear open the wound once more.
Seeing that they were done their meal, Aragorn strode up the duo, "Salogel, might I have a word with you? In private?"
Legolas nodded, knowing that Aragorn must have wished to speak about the Stone of Malinya, or something Elvish. He told Gimli he would be back shortly, and then he and Aragorn headed towards the edges of the camp, but didn't stop there. They continued on, into the forest. Aragorn's guards began to follow but he ordered them to stay and pack the supplies and promised they would not go far. When they were sure they were out of earshot and that no one was following them they felt it was safe to speak freely.
"We will meet up with our escort in a few days. How do you feel about your disguise? Do you think you shall pass as a Man?" Aragorn asked seriously. If they were to go through with this journey, he had to be sure of all variables and of his friend's safety.
"I do not believe any of your Men are suspect to my true identity, I do not see how the Men of Brelan would see through my disguise. I cannot foresee any problems until we reach Miscalanth, and once we arrive I assure you I will show the utmost caution. I am ready for this quest Aragorn, I have not been spending all my time perfecting my human traits to turn back now." Legolas replied, voicing his confidence in his disguise.
Aragorn had been almost certain of what Legolas would say, but he needed to hear it himself. Now that he knew that the Elf felt comfortable with his ruse, he could proceed to Brelan with a lighter heart. The two continued walking, discussing the legend of the Stone and what little was known of Brelan and it was not long before they found they had wandered quite far.
"I fear I may have accidently lied to my men when I said we would not go far. I am unsure as to the distance we covered." Aragorn said when they finally stopped. They suddenly found themselves at the top of a large cliff, it was quite high and the rockface sheer, but the view was spectacular. It was fortunate that they came to the cliff, for if not they would have kept on with their stroll through the trees without regard for time or distance covered.
Standing on the edge of the cliff they both marvelled at the splendor of the land.
"An impressive kingdom. It stretches far." Legolas commented as he took in the sight.
"Yes, very peaceful." Aragorn said. Legolas turned suddenly, hearing footsteps and low voices around them. Aragorn could not hear them but could tell by the Elf's body language that it was not his guards who approached.
Legolas's eyes widened in shocked recognition as a sound filled the air, and he swiftly grabbed Aragorn by the shoulders and pushed him to the ground, "Down!" An arrow soared above them, only inches from their heads.
"This land is not as peaceful as it may seem." Legolas said, drawing his bow and notching an arrow. He did not shoot though, the voices and footsteps had stopped so he listened closely to discern in which direction to shoot. Aragorn drew his sword and moved to ready as well. He couldn't help but wonder who was attacking them, they were miles from any area of civilization. He was forced from his thoughts when an arrow flew towards him, which he barely sidestepped.
Seeing from where the arrow was launched, Legolas released his own arrow, hoping his aim could be true with his injury. He immediately flinched as his shoulder was pulled terribly, but smiled triumphantly when he heard a yelp come from the woods. Still their attackers did not show themselves though.
"Show your faces!" Aragorn demanded, eager to take a shot at these new adversaries who dared to shoot at a King. The only response he received was another arrow directed towards him, but this one headed for his feet and he was forced to step back to avoid being struck. Unfortunately he had not stayed completely alert of his surroundings and as he stepped back his foot caught a piece of unsturdy rock on the very edge of the cliff on which they stood. The rock came loose and crumbled beneath his weight, causing him to lose his balance and send him spiralling off the cliff face. He waved his arms in a desperate attempt to right himself, but it was no good, he was falling, fast.
"Aragorn!" Legolas shouted and dropped his bow. With his great speed he turned, dropped to the ground, and clasped Aragorn's wrist tightly just before he fell from reach. Aragorn gripped the wrist in return and tried to find some foothold to haul himself back up, but there was nothing in reach. The Elf cried out softly as the weight of the Man caused his shoulder to buckle and his wound to reopen painfully. The arm had been hurting for several days but this pain was intense. He didn't know how long his grip would last but he knew it would have to or his friend would be lost.
Unfortunately, with the Elf laying on his stomach keeping his friend from falling to his death, and Aragorn hanging perilously, only one hand away from the fatal plunge, there was no one to keep back their attackers. The two were far too occupied with their immediate dilemma to worry about them.
"Aragorn ..... can you ..... climb up?" Legolas grinded his teeth against the pain in his shoulder as he watched Aragorn try to find some way to get back up; currently the Elf's grasp was still the only thing keeping him from falling.
"I'm trying." Aragorn said, concentrating on finding footholds.
Legolas could hear footsteps behind him but couldn't be bothered to turn and see who they belonged to. A soft but sturdy voice suddenly sounded from behind them.
"I am Sorinth, and you are intruders to the land of Brelan."
Legolas turned his head and found himself looking down the shaft of an arrow aimed directly at his head.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Get a new chapter out as soon as I can. Be patient with me folks, I can win a thousand bucks in this writing contest I'm entering.
Reviewers, I love you all. Just gonna respond to a few here.
Lady of Mirkwood - I am gonna die if the Oscars don't hurry up. Hope Orlando shows up!!!!!!
N- Thank you, I love being on fave author lists. Give me a warm tingly feeling inside. NO, not heartburn.
Cassia - Don't worry about long reviews, I love them. And sorry this took so long.
Arwen - just a thanks for always leaving a review. You're really good about that.
Phoenix Ice - don't worry, it is staying completely SLASHLESS. I don't have anything against it, I just don't write it.
Morgaine - I always love hearing your thoughts. They're useful, long, and entertaining.
Riley - glad you liked the Tolkien-like line. Now if I could just get every line to me like that. But I suppose he didn't focus too much on humor.
invader zoester - just a thanks for reviewing my other story as well.
I'll try to be quick. Diana ^_^