Sorry if it's a little short. Been mega busy again, I just got my brown
stripe in Tae Kwon Do on the weekend, it was hard. I can barely move I'm so
sore. I should be able to get lots out during Easter weekend though. Hope
you like, Diana ^_^
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Stone of Malinya
The next day passed quickly and consisted of riding, eating, and resting, as did the day after that. The weather was amazingly good, and all knew their luck would soon dwindle but until then they enjoyed the warm rays of the sun and the slight breeze on their skin. Legolas did a fabulous job of keeping his identity a secret and skillfully dodged any questions he did not feel entirely comfortable with. He was glad to find that Risorine no longer shot him looks of hatred as they rode, but he was disheartened when he noticed that Sorinth glanced at him oddly from time to time. Another mystery to unravel. His shoulder was healing as well and it would be at a hundred percent in two days or so, thanks to Aragorn's administrations.
Gimli was getting along nicely with the Men of Brelan and on occasion even rode with several of them instead of with Legolas. The Elf didn't mind, in fact he preferred riding alone, and Gimli talking to their escort took any attention off himself.
Aragorn and Sorinth spoke often and always rode side by side, with Risorine shortly behind of course. All couldn't have gone better for those first three days that the two companies spent together, but on the fourth day, things began to go a little downhill, at least for our members of the fellowship.
On this, the fourth day of their journey with their Brelan escort, they were also accompanied by a series of short rain showers that ranged from sleet to slight drizzle. The sun didn't come out once and all were beginning to find themselves in a foul mood due to the cold and wetness of it all. After a gloomy and uneventful day of riding the rain began to let out until it was almost non-existent, knowing it may not last long the company made camp beneath a large collection of wide branched trees that would deflect as much rain as possible. Emotions were flaring and moods were bad, at least until a fire was built. After everyone was fed and warmed the mood became much cheerier especially since the rain had stopped.
Aragorn sat by Sorinth, away from the rest of the Men, and talked about their common interest of the land of Brelan.
"So, you have both a large standing army and a plentiful supply of crops. Brelan sounds like a wonderful place, tell me of your judicial system." Aragorn requested, yearning for more information about their hosts.
"Practically non-existent really. There is crime, and there are guards and watchmen to prevent it, but we've never had any serious problems with the crime rate. We have very strict punishments for those caught and found guilty of crimes and that more than sends the message that crime doesn't pay in Brelan." Sorinth replied, his voice edging near proud. Aragorn was not surprised by this, he had found out much about this Man in the past few days, least of which was that he was ruthless. His battle stories conveyed that he showed no mercy to his enemies and felt they deserved any fate they received. It only stood to reason that he would be all for capital punishment for crimes against his own people. Though they had spent four days together Aragorn had yet to decide whether he liked Sorinth or not.
They spoke for awhile longer, comparing the resources of Brelan and Gondor and finding that their kingdoms had much they could offer each other. It didn't take long for both Men to get extremely caught up in the conversation, and it wasn't until Aragorn felt himself being watched that he looked around the camp to find the reason. He found the source immediately; Risorine.
The Lord of Gondor mentally sighed and chastised himself for breaking his own promise. He had assured himself that he would talk to the Man and find out what was on his mind, he knew he needed to form a stronger bond with the Man who guarded his life, and yet in the last three days he couldn't think of a time he had even talked to Risorine. Aragorn felt a pang of guilt that he knew he deserved. What was done was done, he knew, but he also re-promised himself that he would talk to his Captain very soon.
"Tell me about Salogel." Sorinth requested suddenly, breaking Aragorn from his train of thoughts. The question took him by surprise as it had nothing to do with their previous topic, but he had been preparing an answer, just as he had with Risorine.
"What do you wish to know?" Aragorn asked, then allowed his gaze to wander to Legolas, who sat on watch away from the group.
"It's clear that you're friends, that much was obvious by our first meeting, but I was curious as to why he is on this journey with you. He's clearly no guard, and does not seem to be a guide of any sort." Sorinth said, clarifying his reasons.
"He is a close friend of mine, I have known him for many years. He is a wonderful tracker and has a bond with nature such as you've never seen. I find him useful to have on all journeys, but it was him who wished to go on this particular one. He has a great interest in the cultures of all people and wanted greatly to see Brelan, so I allowed him to come." Aragorn replied casually.
If he has such an interest in our culture why does he never speak to any of the Men? Sorinth thought, but kept it to himself. He then quickly changed the subject, pushing his curiousity to the back of his mind.
Legolas sat by himself, lounging against the trunk of a tree as he took his turn on watch. Normally he would have wished to be with the group and join in the discussions and fun but on this journey he was perfectly content to be by himself for the moment. Any talk with anyone other than Aragorn or Gimli caused him great unease, not just for fear of revealing himself, but also because he had little true experience dealing with humans. Aragorn was one of his dearest friends of course, but although human in all accounts, the Man knew what it was to be like and around Elves so Legolas enjoyed his company greatly. Gimli was his best friend and he also found it easy to speak with the Dwarf about anything, and banter with him for long hours, but Men, that was new to him. They seemed almost crude when they dropped their masks of obedience that they took up when they guarded their king. He had lived in Mirkwood all his life and never before had been out of the company of his own kind for so long, except while in the fellowship but that was under far different circumstances.
So, not feeling the least put off that he was not in the company of Men, Legolas sat by himself, studying his bow and arrows while keeping his eyes and ears alert all the while. His gaze wandered over to the campfire eventually as he wondered what Gimli was doing. Oddly enough, just then his name was called out by his friend.
The fire blazed brightly as the Men of Brelan, Gondor, and the lone Dwarf, sat around it, sharing tales of battle and humor. Gimli was currently telling one of his more impressive tales; the battle of Helm's Deep. He did not give a preceeding story explaining what the situation had been, for that would have taken too long, and he was reluctant to talk about the quest of the ring with the Men who knew nothing about it. So he kept the finer details to himself and said only that there was a good reason for the battle. Of course, Dwarves were known to have a tendency of embellishment in their tales, especially of battle, but this story was mostly told in its entirety for it was an amazing one no matter what, and little needed to be added.
"The Orcs kept coming and coming, you couldn't turn around without a black snarling face marring your vision, but we all battled on. My ax served me well in that battle as I sliced at the Orcs, neck after neck was severed from the bodies of which they were attached. The fight raged on for hours, there was no time for rest for that would mean your death ...." Gimli was interrupted by one of the men of Gondor.
"How many did you slay? Surely you kept track."
"Of course I did. It was some time age now though." Gimli said, searching his mind for the number of enemies killed. Knowing he would never be able to remember he called out:
"Salogel!" Legolas turned as his false name was called and looked at Gimli expectantly from his place at watch, "What was your count of Orc kills at Helm's Deep?"
"Forty-one!" Legolas called back without a moment's hesitation, then added, "One more than yourself." It wasn't true, but he was curious to find out if Gimli remembered or not.
Gimli gruffed slightly under his breath, "That's a lie my friend, and you know it. My own count was forty-two!"
Legolas brushed it off with a casual wave of his arm, "As you wish." And then leaned back against his tree once more.
"We played a game based on who could gather more kills of their enemy, I knew I had beaten him by one. Now, where was I?" Gimli was eager to continue his tale but was interrupted once more by one of the Brelan Men.
"Salogel was at this battle as well?"
"I dare say yes, he fought beside me at all times, just as strong and courageously as any Man before him.You've seen his skill with the bow, I assure you any Orc he took aim at was dead before he notched his arrow." Gimli replied, his voice conveying his conviction about the matter.
"Let's get him over here then. See if he can collaborate this tale of yours. Salogel, come and tell us if this Dwarf speaks the truth or embellishes his tale!" The Man called out to Legolas.
"Perhaps some other time, I will not put down my watch, but you have my assurances he tells the truth, at least as he sees it." Legolas said, not wishing to join in the conversation. He was having a wonderful time just gazing at the stars and listening to the sounds of the night.
"You don't want to hear him anyway, horrible story teller he is. As I was saying, it was then that I was seperated from Legolas and the others ...."
"This Legolas you speak of, was he Man or Dwarf?" Another of the Brelan Men asked, causing Gimli to doubt that he would ever get through his tale uninterrupted.
The Dwarf suddenly wondered if it had been a good idea to mention Legolas in the tale. He had not wanted to leave him out so thought that by putting both Legolas and 'Salogel' in the tale, no one would be the wiser as to the Elf's identity. He was not one to lie outright and he would not do so now either.
"He's an Elf actually." Gimli said casually, hoping to continue with the story, but the Men of Brelan would have none of it.
"An Elf! I thought Dwarves and Elves were long enemies." The Men of Brelan seemed absolutely insulted by the mention of an Elf.
"They were, and sadly still are in most areas, but a few of us have found that some Elves are .. tolerable." Gimli managed to catch Legolas's eye and smiled, knowing he had heard his words.
"Unlike many Dwarves." Legolas said under his breath and pretended not to hear the conversation.
"Friends with an Elf, I've never heard such a thing. What would be the point? Treacherous, horrible creatures." The Man from Brelan brushed off the idea, as did all the others.
"I'll have you know that some of my better friends are Elves. I should take you to see the Lady Galadrial, she would change your mind." Gimli said, anger hinting in his voice, then confidence as he thought of the Queen Elf.
"Well then my opinion of you Master Dwarf has been greatly flawed. I have heard of Galadrial, Witch of the Woods, she has put you under a spell, so I forgive you your words." The Man continued, not knowing how fragile the ice he walked on was.
Gimli stood, now furious, "Do not speak of things of which you know nothing. Any Elf would be the superior to a Man such as yourself."
This angered the Men of Brelan greatly, and they stood now as well. As for the Men of Gondor, they had kept silent but most knew that Elves were wonderful creatures and that their own King loved one greatly, so stood beside the Dwarf, on his side in this matter. Fortunately, before any more words of anger could be thrown, Aragorn and Sorinth appeared and stepped between the two sides.
"Peace, all of you!" Aragorn shouted. Everyone backed down slightly, and a few had the decency to look away, but Gimli stood his ground as firm as ever. The Lord of Minas Tirith knew better than try to resolve the conflict, so decided breaking it up was his best bet, "There will be no more of this tonight. It's late, you should all get some sleep."
None wished to back down but all knew they must, and very slowly they all moved away from the fire and began to settle in for the night. Once the tension had died down Aragorn sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair.
"I must apologize for my men, they tend to be headstrong over many matters." Sorinth said.
Aragorn studied the Man for a moment, hearing only duty in his words, he knew that Sorinth also had ill feelings towards the Elves for he did not truly apologize for their words, only their actions.
"Do not worry yourself, I'm sure it will not happen again." He said this loud enough so everyone heard, feeling hopeful it would keep tempers in order. Sorinth excused himself, intent on rest as well, leaving Aragorn alone by the fire.
Knowing he should talk to Legolas, Aragorn walked to the edge of the camp where the Elf had been keeping watch. He briefly wondered if he had heard the conversation.
More than likely, he seems to hear everything. Aragorn thought to himself. He stopped suddenly as he neared the borders of their camp.
Legolas was gone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Being unable to listen any longer, Legolas had left his post near the end of the argument between Gimli and the Men of Brelan. He greatly appreciated his friend's attempt to stand up for the Elves but knew it was probably useless; he had learned long ago that hate was a hard thing to cure. Though he did wish greatly that he knew the cause of the Men's hatred, there had to be a reason, but he could think of no way of finding out without being suspicious. Perhaps he could get Gimli to find out, but that would most likely start another fight, and he did not wish that.
He now found himself much more relaxed as he dangled his feet from the high branches of the tree he had climbed. When the fight had started he had wished greatly to defend his people, and especially the Lady Galadrial, but knew he should not. His only option was to walk away, if he hadn't he was sure he would have joined in the argument, and that could only make matters worse.
As he sat listening to the murmur of the trees he heard the sound of soft footsteps approaching. Craning his head only slightly he was able to see one of the Men of Brelan walking through the forest beneath him, seemingly looking for something. The rain was still coming down lightly so his hood was drawn, making it impossible for Legolas to see his face. Knowing he couldn't relax with the Man walking around below him, he decided to help him find what he was looking for.
"Are you searching for something?" Legolas asked, loud enough to be heard clearly over the rain.
The Man looked up and Legolas was surprised to see that it was Algoral, a Man from Brelan, but the Elf clearly recalled that he had been sitting with the group when the argument broke out. The Man hadn't said anything but had looked saddened by his companions words and Legolas did not think that he agreed with the other Men of Brelan on the matter of Elves.
"You actually. May I join you?" Algoral asked kindly.
Legolas nodded and grabbed the branch above his head, "I will come down." He offered, knowing it would be a hard climb for most humans.
"Do not bother." The Man began climbing the tree with great skill and was soon sitting on the branch next to Legolas. The Elf was surprised at his abilities, so much so that it was written on his face, "I have been climbing since I was young, it is a pastime of mine, as it must be yours."
"I see. Did you seek me out to discuss things we may have in common?" Legolas asked lightly, not knowing what he could talk about with this Man.
"No, I wished to apologize for the behaviour of my companions, they are very narrow-minded sometimes." Algoral said, meeting Legolas's gaze.
Feeling suddenly uncomfortable Legolas looked away, into the night, "Why would you feel the need to apologize to me?"
"Because of a theory I have." Algoral moved so swiftly that Legolas never had time to react or defend himself, and he suddenly found himself with his hood pulled back, and his Elven features exposed for all the world to see.
Algoral smiled triumphantly as he took in the pointed ears and golden locks of hair, "You're an Elf!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh, that can't be good, can it. And they haven't even reached Miscalanth yet, but they'll get there soon. Hope you have all been enjoying the story. You are wonderful about reviewing, and major apologies for not thanking everyone last time. Here goes:
Esenlithe Silverberry - I'd be happy to read your fics, but I need to know what name they're under. I can't find them under the one you left.
shopndrop85 - I'll read your stuff too, what category is the story under?
Meghan - thanks, I like getting fans.
sunchaser - won't find out if I won the contest for a few weeks, but I'll let you all know.
analorien - thank you, it feels so weird to be on people's fave lists
Jocelyn - I appreciate the long review, very rare
star*smiles* - hope the suspense wasn't too much. Better start the next chapter now then.
I'll be as quick as possible with the next chapter. Hope you'll all be around, and review. Constructiveness is always a goodie.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Stone of Malinya
The next day passed quickly and consisted of riding, eating, and resting, as did the day after that. The weather was amazingly good, and all knew their luck would soon dwindle but until then they enjoyed the warm rays of the sun and the slight breeze on their skin. Legolas did a fabulous job of keeping his identity a secret and skillfully dodged any questions he did not feel entirely comfortable with. He was glad to find that Risorine no longer shot him looks of hatred as they rode, but he was disheartened when he noticed that Sorinth glanced at him oddly from time to time. Another mystery to unravel. His shoulder was healing as well and it would be at a hundred percent in two days or so, thanks to Aragorn's administrations.
Gimli was getting along nicely with the Men of Brelan and on occasion even rode with several of them instead of with Legolas. The Elf didn't mind, in fact he preferred riding alone, and Gimli talking to their escort took any attention off himself.
Aragorn and Sorinth spoke often and always rode side by side, with Risorine shortly behind of course. All couldn't have gone better for those first three days that the two companies spent together, but on the fourth day, things began to go a little downhill, at least for our members of the fellowship.
On this, the fourth day of their journey with their Brelan escort, they were also accompanied by a series of short rain showers that ranged from sleet to slight drizzle. The sun didn't come out once and all were beginning to find themselves in a foul mood due to the cold and wetness of it all. After a gloomy and uneventful day of riding the rain began to let out until it was almost non-existent, knowing it may not last long the company made camp beneath a large collection of wide branched trees that would deflect as much rain as possible. Emotions were flaring and moods were bad, at least until a fire was built. After everyone was fed and warmed the mood became much cheerier especially since the rain had stopped.
Aragorn sat by Sorinth, away from the rest of the Men, and talked about their common interest of the land of Brelan.
"So, you have both a large standing army and a plentiful supply of crops. Brelan sounds like a wonderful place, tell me of your judicial system." Aragorn requested, yearning for more information about their hosts.
"Practically non-existent really. There is crime, and there are guards and watchmen to prevent it, but we've never had any serious problems with the crime rate. We have very strict punishments for those caught and found guilty of crimes and that more than sends the message that crime doesn't pay in Brelan." Sorinth replied, his voice edging near proud. Aragorn was not surprised by this, he had found out much about this Man in the past few days, least of which was that he was ruthless. His battle stories conveyed that he showed no mercy to his enemies and felt they deserved any fate they received. It only stood to reason that he would be all for capital punishment for crimes against his own people. Though they had spent four days together Aragorn had yet to decide whether he liked Sorinth or not.
They spoke for awhile longer, comparing the resources of Brelan and Gondor and finding that their kingdoms had much they could offer each other. It didn't take long for both Men to get extremely caught up in the conversation, and it wasn't until Aragorn felt himself being watched that he looked around the camp to find the reason. He found the source immediately; Risorine.
The Lord of Gondor mentally sighed and chastised himself for breaking his own promise. He had assured himself that he would talk to the Man and find out what was on his mind, he knew he needed to form a stronger bond with the Man who guarded his life, and yet in the last three days he couldn't think of a time he had even talked to Risorine. Aragorn felt a pang of guilt that he knew he deserved. What was done was done, he knew, but he also re-promised himself that he would talk to his Captain very soon.
"Tell me about Salogel." Sorinth requested suddenly, breaking Aragorn from his train of thoughts. The question took him by surprise as it had nothing to do with their previous topic, but he had been preparing an answer, just as he had with Risorine.
"What do you wish to know?" Aragorn asked, then allowed his gaze to wander to Legolas, who sat on watch away from the group.
"It's clear that you're friends, that much was obvious by our first meeting, but I was curious as to why he is on this journey with you. He's clearly no guard, and does not seem to be a guide of any sort." Sorinth said, clarifying his reasons.
"He is a close friend of mine, I have known him for many years. He is a wonderful tracker and has a bond with nature such as you've never seen. I find him useful to have on all journeys, but it was him who wished to go on this particular one. He has a great interest in the cultures of all people and wanted greatly to see Brelan, so I allowed him to come." Aragorn replied casually.
If he has such an interest in our culture why does he never speak to any of the Men? Sorinth thought, but kept it to himself. He then quickly changed the subject, pushing his curiousity to the back of his mind.
Legolas sat by himself, lounging against the trunk of a tree as he took his turn on watch. Normally he would have wished to be with the group and join in the discussions and fun but on this journey he was perfectly content to be by himself for the moment. Any talk with anyone other than Aragorn or Gimli caused him great unease, not just for fear of revealing himself, but also because he had little true experience dealing with humans. Aragorn was one of his dearest friends of course, but although human in all accounts, the Man knew what it was to be like and around Elves so Legolas enjoyed his company greatly. Gimli was his best friend and he also found it easy to speak with the Dwarf about anything, and banter with him for long hours, but Men, that was new to him. They seemed almost crude when they dropped their masks of obedience that they took up when they guarded their king. He had lived in Mirkwood all his life and never before had been out of the company of his own kind for so long, except while in the fellowship but that was under far different circumstances.
So, not feeling the least put off that he was not in the company of Men, Legolas sat by himself, studying his bow and arrows while keeping his eyes and ears alert all the while. His gaze wandered over to the campfire eventually as he wondered what Gimli was doing. Oddly enough, just then his name was called out by his friend.
The fire blazed brightly as the Men of Brelan, Gondor, and the lone Dwarf, sat around it, sharing tales of battle and humor. Gimli was currently telling one of his more impressive tales; the battle of Helm's Deep. He did not give a preceeding story explaining what the situation had been, for that would have taken too long, and he was reluctant to talk about the quest of the ring with the Men who knew nothing about it. So he kept the finer details to himself and said only that there was a good reason for the battle. Of course, Dwarves were known to have a tendency of embellishment in their tales, especially of battle, but this story was mostly told in its entirety for it was an amazing one no matter what, and little needed to be added.
"The Orcs kept coming and coming, you couldn't turn around without a black snarling face marring your vision, but we all battled on. My ax served me well in that battle as I sliced at the Orcs, neck after neck was severed from the bodies of which they were attached. The fight raged on for hours, there was no time for rest for that would mean your death ...." Gimli was interrupted by one of the men of Gondor.
"How many did you slay? Surely you kept track."
"Of course I did. It was some time age now though." Gimli said, searching his mind for the number of enemies killed. Knowing he would never be able to remember he called out:
"Salogel!" Legolas turned as his false name was called and looked at Gimli expectantly from his place at watch, "What was your count of Orc kills at Helm's Deep?"
"Forty-one!" Legolas called back without a moment's hesitation, then added, "One more than yourself." It wasn't true, but he was curious to find out if Gimli remembered or not.
Gimli gruffed slightly under his breath, "That's a lie my friend, and you know it. My own count was forty-two!"
Legolas brushed it off with a casual wave of his arm, "As you wish." And then leaned back against his tree once more.
"We played a game based on who could gather more kills of their enemy, I knew I had beaten him by one. Now, where was I?" Gimli was eager to continue his tale but was interrupted once more by one of the Brelan Men.
"Salogel was at this battle as well?"
"I dare say yes, he fought beside me at all times, just as strong and courageously as any Man before him.You've seen his skill with the bow, I assure you any Orc he took aim at was dead before he notched his arrow." Gimli replied, his voice conveying his conviction about the matter.
"Let's get him over here then. See if he can collaborate this tale of yours. Salogel, come and tell us if this Dwarf speaks the truth or embellishes his tale!" The Man called out to Legolas.
"Perhaps some other time, I will not put down my watch, but you have my assurances he tells the truth, at least as he sees it." Legolas said, not wishing to join in the conversation. He was having a wonderful time just gazing at the stars and listening to the sounds of the night.
"You don't want to hear him anyway, horrible story teller he is. As I was saying, it was then that I was seperated from Legolas and the others ...."
"This Legolas you speak of, was he Man or Dwarf?" Another of the Brelan Men asked, causing Gimli to doubt that he would ever get through his tale uninterrupted.
The Dwarf suddenly wondered if it had been a good idea to mention Legolas in the tale. He had not wanted to leave him out so thought that by putting both Legolas and 'Salogel' in the tale, no one would be the wiser as to the Elf's identity. He was not one to lie outright and he would not do so now either.
"He's an Elf actually." Gimli said casually, hoping to continue with the story, but the Men of Brelan would have none of it.
"An Elf! I thought Dwarves and Elves were long enemies." The Men of Brelan seemed absolutely insulted by the mention of an Elf.
"They were, and sadly still are in most areas, but a few of us have found that some Elves are .. tolerable." Gimli managed to catch Legolas's eye and smiled, knowing he had heard his words.
"Unlike many Dwarves." Legolas said under his breath and pretended not to hear the conversation.
"Friends with an Elf, I've never heard such a thing. What would be the point? Treacherous, horrible creatures." The Man from Brelan brushed off the idea, as did all the others.
"I'll have you know that some of my better friends are Elves. I should take you to see the Lady Galadrial, she would change your mind." Gimli said, anger hinting in his voice, then confidence as he thought of the Queen Elf.
"Well then my opinion of you Master Dwarf has been greatly flawed. I have heard of Galadrial, Witch of the Woods, she has put you under a spell, so I forgive you your words." The Man continued, not knowing how fragile the ice he walked on was.
Gimli stood, now furious, "Do not speak of things of which you know nothing. Any Elf would be the superior to a Man such as yourself."
This angered the Men of Brelan greatly, and they stood now as well. As for the Men of Gondor, they had kept silent but most knew that Elves were wonderful creatures and that their own King loved one greatly, so stood beside the Dwarf, on his side in this matter. Fortunately, before any more words of anger could be thrown, Aragorn and Sorinth appeared and stepped between the two sides.
"Peace, all of you!" Aragorn shouted. Everyone backed down slightly, and a few had the decency to look away, but Gimli stood his ground as firm as ever. The Lord of Minas Tirith knew better than try to resolve the conflict, so decided breaking it up was his best bet, "There will be no more of this tonight. It's late, you should all get some sleep."
None wished to back down but all knew they must, and very slowly they all moved away from the fire and began to settle in for the night. Once the tension had died down Aragorn sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair.
"I must apologize for my men, they tend to be headstrong over many matters." Sorinth said.
Aragorn studied the Man for a moment, hearing only duty in his words, he knew that Sorinth also had ill feelings towards the Elves for he did not truly apologize for their words, only their actions.
"Do not worry yourself, I'm sure it will not happen again." He said this loud enough so everyone heard, feeling hopeful it would keep tempers in order. Sorinth excused himself, intent on rest as well, leaving Aragorn alone by the fire.
Knowing he should talk to Legolas, Aragorn walked to the edge of the camp where the Elf had been keeping watch. He briefly wondered if he had heard the conversation.
More than likely, he seems to hear everything. Aragorn thought to himself. He stopped suddenly as he neared the borders of their camp.
Legolas was gone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Being unable to listen any longer, Legolas had left his post near the end of the argument between Gimli and the Men of Brelan. He greatly appreciated his friend's attempt to stand up for the Elves but knew it was probably useless; he had learned long ago that hate was a hard thing to cure. Though he did wish greatly that he knew the cause of the Men's hatred, there had to be a reason, but he could think of no way of finding out without being suspicious. Perhaps he could get Gimli to find out, but that would most likely start another fight, and he did not wish that.
He now found himself much more relaxed as he dangled his feet from the high branches of the tree he had climbed. When the fight had started he had wished greatly to defend his people, and especially the Lady Galadrial, but knew he should not. His only option was to walk away, if he hadn't he was sure he would have joined in the argument, and that could only make matters worse.
As he sat listening to the murmur of the trees he heard the sound of soft footsteps approaching. Craning his head only slightly he was able to see one of the Men of Brelan walking through the forest beneath him, seemingly looking for something. The rain was still coming down lightly so his hood was drawn, making it impossible for Legolas to see his face. Knowing he couldn't relax with the Man walking around below him, he decided to help him find what he was looking for.
"Are you searching for something?" Legolas asked, loud enough to be heard clearly over the rain.
The Man looked up and Legolas was surprised to see that it was Algoral, a Man from Brelan, but the Elf clearly recalled that he had been sitting with the group when the argument broke out. The Man hadn't said anything but had looked saddened by his companions words and Legolas did not think that he agreed with the other Men of Brelan on the matter of Elves.
"You actually. May I join you?" Algoral asked kindly.
Legolas nodded and grabbed the branch above his head, "I will come down." He offered, knowing it would be a hard climb for most humans.
"Do not bother." The Man began climbing the tree with great skill and was soon sitting on the branch next to Legolas. The Elf was surprised at his abilities, so much so that it was written on his face, "I have been climbing since I was young, it is a pastime of mine, as it must be yours."
"I see. Did you seek me out to discuss things we may have in common?" Legolas asked lightly, not knowing what he could talk about with this Man.
"No, I wished to apologize for the behaviour of my companions, they are very narrow-minded sometimes." Algoral said, meeting Legolas's gaze.
Feeling suddenly uncomfortable Legolas looked away, into the night, "Why would you feel the need to apologize to me?"
"Because of a theory I have." Algoral moved so swiftly that Legolas never had time to react or defend himself, and he suddenly found himself with his hood pulled back, and his Elven features exposed for all the world to see.
Algoral smiled triumphantly as he took in the pointed ears and golden locks of hair, "You're an Elf!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh, that can't be good, can it. And they haven't even reached Miscalanth yet, but they'll get there soon. Hope you have all been enjoying the story. You are wonderful about reviewing, and major apologies for not thanking everyone last time. Here goes:
Esenlithe Silverberry - I'd be happy to read your fics, but I need to know what name they're under. I can't find them under the one you left.
shopndrop85 - I'll read your stuff too, what category is the story under?
Meghan - thanks, I like getting fans.
sunchaser - won't find out if I won the contest for a few weeks, but I'll let you all know.
analorien - thank you, it feels so weird to be on people's fave lists
Jocelyn - I appreciate the long review, very rare
star*smiles* - hope the suspense wasn't too much. Better start the next chapter now then.
I'll be as quick as possible with the next chapter. Hope you'll all be around, and review. Constructiveness is always a goodie.