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The Stone of Malinya
Legolas stared for a moment in confusion, the words themselves were clear but his mind was unwilling to accept their meaning. Elves did not usually lie to each other, it was simply their way, yet Algoral had mentioned nothing of being the Elven advisor to the Men of Brelan and the reason for their downfall and Elven hatred. It seemed an important piece of information and he wondered why Algoral had witheld it. He knew the answer probably lay somewhere else in the scroll, for it was long and descriptive in parts, and he began to scan the contents of the parchment. If able, he would have stayed all night to find the answers he seeked, solutions to new riddles. But this was not the case. Outside he heard the clear sound of movement, and speech. It was faint, but he knew there was a chance that the guards could come inside.
The candle was quickly extinguished and the scroll was rolled up and placed into a special case, for protection. Legolas was about to leave through the window once more, in a hurry to return to the castle and read the scrolls, when he realized that the parchments would be missed if taken. Thinking quickly he grabbed a scroll, just as old, from another shelf and wrapped it tightly. He then bound it with the same rope, showing the same unbroken seal on the front. After placing the scrolls back in the case, in their exact positions, he was on his way.
Over the rooftops, through the dark echoes of streets and melding with shadows he returned to the castle in half the time it had taken to reach the hall of records. It would be dark for only another hour, perhaps less, so he swiftly stole his way inside, past the guards, and back up the wall to his chambers. Since morning was quickly approaching Legolas decided it was safer to wait to tell Aragorn and Gimli of his findings, rather than risk being seen or heard in the early hours. This also left him the opportunity to read over the scrolls himself, for at least an hour, perhaps more.
He sat on his bed and carefully unwrapped the scroll, looking for answers and hoping more questions did not arise. After reading it more closely and with greater patience it became obvious that the scroll was a record. Not a journal, for it spoke of the deeds of many, but seemingly an archive of all that occurred between the Elves and Men of Brelan. Much of it meant little to Legolas, and he simply skimmed it over, barely reading the words. He found nothing of interest until he reached the entry regarding the Stone of Malinya. He read this once more, the words filling him with joy as he began to realize that it was most likely they would be finding the Stone of Malinya. The map was well drawn, but somewhat outdated. He spotted several landmarks on it, such as the hall of records, and felt confident they would be able to find the location of the Stone through the map.
Continuing on he once more came to the entry describing the downfall of the Elf/Man alliance in Brelan. He read this over and kept on reading, searching for more elaborate explanations of the sequence of events.
Algoral had indeed been the Elven advisor to the Brelan men, or so it seemed, and he had assured them the archers would come. What he had not counted on was the noncompliance of his own people, and could not believe they would not help the Men in their war. But the Elves stood by their decision that it was not their place to interfere in the matters of Men. The writer of the text personally would have liked to have helped the Brelan Men and agreed with Algoral that they should have assisted. But he held some anger towards Algoral for what he did after he made this promise.
"He knew the archers were not coming, we told him and made it quite clear. But still he told the Men of Brelan they would be there, would ensure their victory. Perhaps it would have wounded his pride to inform the king the archers would not be coming, but it would also have saved so many lives. Nearly half the Brelan army was destroyed in this conflict, and almost all of that of their enemy. It is a sad day in the boundaries of Brelan, and I fear it is the fault of Algoral. It was not his place to assure them the archers in the first place, and it was not within his rights to lie to them. Perhaps this might have encouraged them to fight stronger, and hold hope, which may have led to their victory. But it also lead to the deaths of many. I know he feels for what has happened to these men, and wishes to make it better, but I can see not how he could hope to do this. I can only hope that Algoral can perhaps find peace, even though I do not approve of what he has done, I can still hope that for him. I can forgive him, as would his people if he were to return to us, but still we cannot find him."
Legolas read this over, for there was little else mentioned of his friend, and wondered, "Oh Algoral, did you ever return to your people? Or did you forever remain in Brelan, attempting to put back your wrongs?"
The answers did not seem to be within the scroll, and Legolas wondered if he should ever know. He continued reading until the sun had been up for an hour. There were sounds of people moving about and talking in the halls. He acknowledged these sounds but paid them no mind; he was too busy learning and trying to find out more about the Stone and Algoral. He became so engrossed that he nearly jumped from the bed when a loud knocking came on his door.
Looking up in surprise, he could not believe he had let himself drift so far from his surroundings, and become so unalert. Shaking his head at his carelessness he called out, "Come in." And reluctantly began to wrap up the scroll.
It was Aragorn who entered the Elf's room. Legolas could tell the Man had gotten no sleep, though others would have missed the signs that were barely registerable in the ranger. He entered hurriedly, his eyes widening in shock as he saw the Elf sitting casually on his bed.
"Have you lost all sense on your travels this evening?" Aragorn asked, his tone slightly hushed.
"What are you talking about?" Legolas asked, standing to face his friend.
"You are not in your human disguise, and yet you allow entry to your room without asking who knocks." Aragorn pointed out, surprised by the Elf's carelessness.
Legolas brought his hand to his ear, only now realizing that he was indeed in Elven form, "You are right, I was careless, clearly. But I am sure you will forgive my errors when you hear of what I have found."
Aragorn's eyes immediately lost all aggression as they flicked curiously over the scroll Legolas held. "What is it?"
"All we could have wished, and some that I, in truth, did not wish to know. I have not the time to explain all but there is a map within this scroll that I believe will lead us to Stone. Do you recognize this script?" Legolas asked, unrolling the scroll and showing the writing to Aragorn who studied it for a moment.
"Nay, it is a form I have never learned." Aragorn replied.
Legolas sighed, "Then it would do little good for you to study it on your own. We shall all have to meet tonight and I will explain its meaning, for there is not time now to do so."
Aragorn nodded reluctantly, but filled with hope from his friend's words. A map would be more than they could have hoped for. Suddenly the Stone of Malinya seemed very close.
"I am glad to see you were successful. We should go about our business as usual. You speak with Gimli. We'll meet at midnight in my chambers once more." Aragorn said, heading towards the door to leave his friend to prepare for the day. "And feel free to use the door this time."
Legolas smiled, waved his friend off then locked the door behind him. He needed to change into human form immediately, before someone else knocked on his door.
He prepared quickly and was about to set out to join the morning meal when he turned back to his room. There beside his bed sat the scroll, taunting him with the information it held. He could spend no more time studying it, and was not so foolish as to take it with him for the day's activities. But he did take the time to hide it, though he knew that no one was looking for it, and that no one entered his room, he felt better for it. With one less thought plagueing him he went down to breakfast.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The day passed slowly for Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas. After breakfast Legolas had taken Gimli aside for a moment and explained briefly what he had found that night. The Dwarf was as enthused as his friends, but all three of them had to act their parts for the day, and keep up appearances. There was to be no hint that they had any other business in Brelan other than an alliance of countries. Aragorn spent his day with Lord Vecery once more, trying very hard to concentrate on the matters at hand. He had a well trained mind and was able to push the thoughts of the Stone from his thoughts for the most part, but every now and then he would have a wonderful vision of a united Middle-Earth, and his mind would momentarily stray.
As for Gimli and Legolas, they were worse off. Having no national negotiations to set straight, their minds could drift as often as they wished, and they heard little of what their hosts said to them that day. They spent most of the day with the Brelan men once more. They took part in city activities and visited 'The Happy Horseman' once more, but did and learned nothing of signifigance.
Legolas grew increasingly edgy, his heart and soul itching to go off in search of the Stone, but he knew he must wait. They had spent many weeks searching already, he could wait a little longer.
When the day was finally drawing to a close Gimli and Legolas spoke quietly, as they lingered behind the Men headed back to the Castle of Hileris.
"I swear this has been the longest day of my near three millenia." Legolas stated, kicking a rock underfoot.
"It has seemed slow to me as well, and I pray for the quick fall of night. Do you believe we can go tonight?" Gimli asked, not wishing to waste another day.
"Perhaps, if we leave early enough and the location is not too far. I am eager myself, and will go alone if necessary."
"It will not be. I will be going with you. As young Merry would say 'You'd have to tie me up in a sack to stop me.' " Gimli said, doing a poor Hobbit imitation which made Legolas grin.
"Very well my friend, but I do not believe we will be able to leave Aragorn behind, so that will make us a trio." Just as he said this they reached the Castle gates. The guards nodded to them, recognizing the King's guests and immediately allowing them passage. Legolas stopped and asked the guard, "Do you know the where-abouts of Lord Elessar?"
"Nay," the guard replied, "He and Lord Vecery went out several hours ago. But I believe they meant to return before supper."
"Thank you." Legolas said, checking the sun's position and noting it was near time for the evening meal. He wished to speak with Aragorn as soon as possible. He knew he would have little chance with Lord Vecery about, but he decided he would still wait, just in case the chance arose.
"You go ahead, Gimli. I wish to stay here and await Aragorn's arrival." Legolas said simply. Gimli nodded in understanding and made his way to the castle.
Legolas stood just beyond the gates, waiting patiently for Aragorn to return. He spoke shortly with the guards on subjects of little importance, but mostly looked towards the horizon. The sun was setting earlier now that winter approached and it was nearly dark before he spotted the small contingent of guards that would undoubtedly be escorting the two Lords. They were walking at a leisurely pace and the guards at the gate had not yet spotted them in the fading light, so he pretended he couldn't as well. As he waited he began to feel that something was wrong. The air blew oddly and the feelings from the earth and rocks began to change, becoming tense. Something was going to happen.
He walked past the guards, outside the gates, to reach Aragorn sooner and find out if he sensed it as well. It seemed rather immediate.
Aragorn and Lord Vecery approached, both surrounded by guards as well as their captains, Risorine and Sorinth. The Kings spotted Legolas who was seemingly waiting for them. He turned to them as they drew nearer, but then donated all his attention to the high wall along the gate. He had seen movement, he was sure of it. Human eyes would have missed it in the failing light but he had seen at least one man, perhaps two, running hunched along the wall.
"Salogel, what is it?" Aragorn asked, also scanning the shadows above but knowing Legolas was seeing more than he was. The Elf turned to speak but his reply suddenly became a warning.
"Down!"
He heard the clear twang of a bow being shot and leapt forward, knocking himself, Aragorn, and Lord Vecery to the ground. The arrow sailed above them, missing its intended target. But not all could move as quickly as an Elf, and the arrow found a new target as it landed sharply in Sorinth's shoulder. The man cried out, and wavered but showed great strength when he did not fall to the ground.
"Everyone get down!" Sorinth ordered, clutching his arm and making his way to Lord Vecery. The King of Brelan had picked himself up from beneath Legolas and was now crouched low among the guards.
Legolas was the only one who could see the assailants moving along the gate wall, making a quick retreat. His body tensed and he sprang to his feet, ready to take pursuit, but was pulled back by a strong grip on his arm. He turned. It was Aragorn, holding him back and shaking his head. Now was not the time for Legolas to show off his tracking skills.
The Elf nodded reluctantly and hoped the guards would be able to catch the attackers without his help. Still he yelled, "They are on the wall."
Guards began to scramble about; above and below the gates, and there was soon a chase for the attackers that Legolas could no longer follow.
"Are you hurt?" Legolas asked Lord Vecery, knowing Aragorn was well. It was clear the arrow had been meant for the King of Brelan due to its trajectory.
"I am fine, thank-you." Lord Vecery replied, rising and dusting himself off, "You saved my life. How did you see them in this darkness?"
"It is not fully dark and the last few rays of sun reflected off their weapons." Legolas lied more easily than he believed he was capable of.
Lord Vecery nodded, accepting the reply, then turned to his captain, "Sorinth, you're hurt. Fetch a doctor, quickly." He ordered a random guard while inspecting the arrow protruding from the captain's upper arm.
"It can wait. We must get you both inside quickly, there may be more assassins about." Sorinth insisted, gently directing his king towards the castle gates. Legolas admired the Man's dedication to his king, and selflessness regarding his own injuries. He had come to learn it was a rare trait in Men.
The group of kings and guards quickly made it past the protection of the gates and were nearing the castle doors. Several men ran forth, asking questions about what had happened. With them was Gimli who immediately ran towards his two friends, who thankfully appeared uninjured.
"What happened?" Gimli asked immediately.
"There were assassins on the gate wall. They made an attempt on Lord Vecery's life." Legolas explained hastily.
"Was anyone hurt?" Gimli continued.
"Only Sorinth," Aragorn replied, looking around. "He took an arrow to the shoulder. I believe they have taken him inside to treat him."
"At least the damage was minimal. Where is Risorine though?" Gimli asked, now also looking about.
"That is a very good question." Legolas stated. He had not noticed the man leave, wherever he had gone. But was now thinking it strange that while under attack Risorine had made no move to get nearer to Aragorn, that Legolas could remember. And it was the Elf that mostly took charge of Aragorn's safety. Where had Risorine been then?
"Perhaps he has gone in pursuit of our attackers." Aragorn offered as explanation, but was now also recalling the lack of action on his captain's part. Just then the guards that had chased after the assailants returned, without Risorine, and reported that they had been unable to catch, or follow any of the attackers.
"So where has he gone then?" Gimli asked, perplexed by the captain's actions.
"I do not know. But we should go inside. You two check on Sorinth while I speak with Lord Vecery. I wish to know the meaning of these attacks." Aragorn said. The Dwarf and Elf agreed and entered the castle with him, then split up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aragorn entered the great hall of the castle, unescorted for the first time. Lord Vecery was already there, shouting orders at several of his guards, demanding better security and that the assailants be caught. Aragorn waited for a few moments while order was restored and Vecery finally sent his guards on their way.
"Lord Elessar, my deepest apologies for this attack. I have no idea how it happened, but I will find who is at fault, and who is responsible." Lord Vecery promised him, taking a weary seat on his throne.
"There is no need for apologies, especially since I am quite sure the arrow was meant for yourself. I came here only to ask who you believe the criminals to be, if you have any suspects."
"We know of no specific person, but I am almost certain it is the same group which attacked you and your escort in the woods on your way here." Lord Vecery replied.
"What is their reasoning?" Aragorn asked curiously.
"None that we know of. They have said before that they find our justice systems very unjust, and do not agree with the spread of wealth through the land. But this they told us years ago. In the past few months there have been more attacks, and no demands or reasons have been put forth. I wish I could give some explanation but I have none."
"That is unfortunate. But while I stay in your city I offer all the help I can give in finding these outlaws." Aragorn said dutifully. He knew there was little any of his men could do to help in such a long standing problem, except perhaps Legolas, but that was not an option.
"Thank you Lord Elessar, but that won't be necessary. We will find these outlaws eventually." Vecery's voice held little conviction, it sounded more like wishful thinking.
"Very well. If that is all I wish to take my leave for the night. I am sure you have much to attend to yourself, and I will not hinder you." Aragorn wished to return to find his friends, for Gimli, Legolas and himself would have much to speak of.
"Of course. And give my thanks once more to your guard, Salogel. You are lucky to have him with you, he undoubtedly saved my life." Lord Vecery said, sincerely grateful.
"I will give him your thanks, but he is not my guard. He is my friend." Aragorn said in parting.
"Then you are even more lucky still." Lord Vecery said softly as the door closed behind the great King.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As Aragorn made his way back to his room, hoping to find Legolas and Gimli, he was more than surprised to find Risorine wandering the halls. He appeared to only now be returning from wherever he had disappeared to. The man was slightly out of breath but other than that looked well, and bowed when Aragorn approached.
"Where have you been?" Aragorn asked immediately.
"I took chase after the assassins." Risorine replied quickly.
"The other guards returned some time ago." Aragorn pointed out, not sure why he was so skeptical.
"I was able to follow one of them quite far, the others lost track of us. I almost had him, but he disappeared in a dense patch of woods." Risorine replied.
Aragorn nodded, accepting the story for now, "Very well. You should turn in, it has grown late and there has been much excitement. I am retiring now as well."
"Yes, my lord." Risorine bowed dutifully once more, then wearily made his way towards his chamber.
Aragorn sighed, becoming more and more nervous about his captain. He had been acting far too strange. But those thoughts would have to wait for later, he needed to find his friends.
It took him a few minutes but he eventually found them, also on their way to their rooms. They had been to see Sorinth. The doctors had successfully removed the arrow and said he should make a full recovery. Aragorn told them of what Lord Vecery had said, and also of his encounter with Risorine. They both listened, weighing the details in their own minds.
"The web is weaving tighter it would seem. There is much chaos in Brelan." Gimli commented.
"So much so that we had best move quickly if we wish to recover that which was lost." Legolas said.
Aragorn raised a hand to halt any more speech from the two, "We will talk of this later. Now is not the time." Looking up and down the long hallways, the Dwarf and Elf agreed, then retired to their rooms. Gimli and Aragorn would find no sleep for several days, neither would Legolas, but he at least received several more hours to go over that which he had found in the scroll.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aragorn paced in his room. He was unsure whether or not to proceed in their search for the Stone of Malinya. They had the map now, and if they were to return at a later date they could then use it to find the Stone. Brelan seemed too alert just now. Too tense. The city would soon be in turmoil, outlaws were attacking more frequently and just that evening there had been an attempt on Lord Vecery's life. But perhaps that made it the perfect time to find the Stone. With turmoil brings chaos, and they may be able to retrieve the Stone with no one's notice, and then help unite the lands with its power.
In truth he knew not what the right thing to do was currently. Lord Vecery seemed a noble man; perhaps he could be told about the Stone and help in retrieving. No. The man had an obvious hatred for Elves, he would not willingly help retrieve the Elven Stone, and if he did it would most likely be only to destroy it, or hide it once more. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli were on their own, of this he was sure. He would have to speak with his friends, and together they could decide what was best. He realized suddenly that it must be near midnight, and knew his friends would be arriving.
He stayed out on the balcony, alert and watchful. Legolas would not sneak up on him this night and climb silently across his balcony. He had let the Elf surprise him on too many occassions already and was going to be prepared this time.
He stood, watching the corner and waiting for Legolas to appear. He was so focussed on the next balcony that he did not hear the door silently opening behind him, and did not even know someone had entered until a map appeared before his eyes, startling him. He turned around to find Legolas holding the map up triumphantly, smiling.
"You did say I should use the door. Now, are you ready to go treasure hunting?"
TBC
My wonderful, fab reviewers. Love ya all very muchly.
Jinn - glad to know you're reading. I like to hope that there's lots of peeps who do that. Read but don't review. It's okay, just glad you like it.
acid-Butterfly - sorry I hooked you, but it was intentional. Hope you'll be sticking around
guardgirl1 - I added some quotations to maybe help with the scroll reading. My italics won't work either. Thanks for reviewing.
phoenix - I updated, but next one might be a few more days.
Kenji Ohgami a.k.a Rex the dark elf - thank you. I guess I'll have to keep writing then, I'd hate to face your arrows, they're probably quite sharp.
betrayedoceans - I love how you can say so much in only actions. :-)
Elanor - they're my fave characters too. Although after watching LotR a few more time, I have to admit that Merry is also very, very cute.
Thanks for all the nice reviews. More as soon as possible. (I hope). This is what I have to do to keep from going insane while I wait for the special edition FotR and The Two Towers.
The Stone of Malinya
Legolas stared for a moment in confusion, the words themselves were clear but his mind was unwilling to accept their meaning. Elves did not usually lie to each other, it was simply their way, yet Algoral had mentioned nothing of being the Elven advisor to the Men of Brelan and the reason for their downfall and Elven hatred. It seemed an important piece of information and he wondered why Algoral had witheld it. He knew the answer probably lay somewhere else in the scroll, for it was long and descriptive in parts, and he began to scan the contents of the parchment. If able, he would have stayed all night to find the answers he seeked, solutions to new riddles. But this was not the case. Outside he heard the clear sound of movement, and speech. It was faint, but he knew there was a chance that the guards could come inside.
The candle was quickly extinguished and the scroll was rolled up and placed into a special case, for protection. Legolas was about to leave through the window once more, in a hurry to return to the castle and read the scrolls, when he realized that the parchments would be missed if taken. Thinking quickly he grabbed a scroll, just as old, from another shelf and wrapped it tightly. He then bound it with the same rope, showing the same unbroken seal on the front. After placing the scrolls back in the case, in their exact positions, he was on his way.
Over the rooftops, through the dark echoes of streets and melding with shadows he returned to the castle in half the time it had taken to reach the hall of records. It would be dark for only another hour, perhaps less, so he swiftly stole his way inside, past the guards, and back up the wall to his chambers. Since morning was quickly approaching Legolas decided it was safer to wait to tell Aragorn and Gimli of his findings, rather than risk being seen or heard in the early hours. This also left him the opportunity to read over the scrolls himself, for at least an hour, perhaps more.
He sat on his bed and carefully unwrapped the scroll, looking for answers and hoping more questions did not arise. After reading it more closely and with greater patience it became obvious that the scroll was a record. Not a journal, for it spoke of the deeds of many, but seemingly an archive of all that occurred between the Elves and Men of Brelan. Much of it meant little to Legolas, and he simply skimmed it over, barely reading the words. He found nothing of interest until he reached the entry regarding the Stone of Malinya. He read this once more, the words filling him with joy as he began to realize that it was most likely they would be finding the Stone of Malinya. The map was well drawn, but somewhat outdated. He spotted several landmarks on it, such as the hall of records, and felt confident they would be able to find the location of the Stone through the map.
Continuing on he once more came to the entry describing the downfall of the Elf/Man alliance in Brelan. He read this over and kept on reading, searching for more elaborate explanations of the sequence of events.
Algoral had indeed been the Elven advisor to the Brelan men, or so it seemed, and he had assured them the archers would come. What he had not counted on was the noncompliance of his own people, and could not believe they would not help the Men in their war. But the Elves stood by their decision that it was not their place to interfere in the matters of Men. The writer of the text personally would have liked to have helped the Brelan Men and agreed with Algoral that they should have assisted. But he held some anger towards Algoral for what he did after he made this promise.
"He knew the archers were not coming, we told him and made it quite clear. But still he told the Men of Brelan they would be there, would ensure their victory. Perhaps it would have wounded his pride to inform the king the archers would not be coming, but it would also have saved so many lives. Nearly half the Brelan army was destroyed in this conflict, and almost all of that of their enemy. It is a sad day in the boundaries of Brelan, and I fear it is the fault of Algoral. It was not his place to assure them the archers in the first place, and it was not within his rights to lie to them. Perhaps this might have encouraged them to fight stronger, and hold hope, which may have led to their victory. But it also lead to the deaths of many. I know he feels for what has happened to these men, and wishes to make it better, but I can see not how he could hope to do this. I can only hope that Algoral can perhaps find peace, even though I do not approve of what he has done, I can still hope that for him. I can forgive him, as would his people if he were to return to us, but still we cannot find him."
Legolas read this over, for there was little else mentioned of his friend, and wondered, "Oh Algoral, did you ever return to your people? Or did you forever remain in Brelan, attempting to put back your wrongs?"
The answers did not seem to be within the scroll, and Legolas wondered if he should ever know. He continued reading until the sun had been up for an hour. There were sounds of people moving about and talking in the halls. He acknowledged these sounds but paid them no mind; he was too busy learning and trying to find out more about the Stone and Algoral. He became so engrossed that he nearly jumped from the bed when a loud knocking came on his door.
Looking up in surprise, he could not believe he had let himself drift so far from his surroundings, and become so unalert. Shaking his head at his carelessness he called out, "Come in." And reluctantly began to wrap up the scroll.
It was Aragorn who entered the Elf's room. Legolas could tell the Man had gotten no sleep, though others would have missed the signs that were barely registerable in the ranger. He entered hurriedly, his eyes widening in shock as he saw the Elf sitting casually on his bed.
"Have you lost all sense on your travels this evening?" Aragorn asked, his tone slightly hushed.
"What are you talking about?" Legolas asked, standing to face his friend.
"You are not in your human disguise, and yet you allow entry to your room without asking who knocks." Aragorn pointed out, surprised by the Elf's carelessness.
Legolas brought his hand to his ear, only now realizing that he was indeed in Elven form, "You are right, I was careless, clearly. But I am sure you will forgive my errors when you hear of what I have found."
Aragorn's eyes immediately lost all aggression as they flicked curiously over the scroll Legolas held. "What is it?"
"All we could have wished, and some that I, in truth, did not wish to know. I have not the time to explain all but there is a map within this scroll that I believe will lead us to Stone. Do you recognize this script?" Legolas asked, unrolling the scroll and showing the writing to Aragorn who studied it for a moment.
"Nay, it is a form I have never learned." Aragorn replied.
Legolas sighed, "Then it would do little good for you to study it on your own. We shall all have to meet tonight and I will explain its meaning, for there is not time now to do so."
Aragorn nodded reluctantly, but filled with hope from his friend's words. A map would be more than they could have hoped for. Suddenly the Stone of Malinya seemed very close.
"I am glad to see you were successful. We should go about our business as usual. You speak with Gimli. We'll meet at midnight in my chambers once more." Aragorn said, heading towards the door to leave his friend to prepare for the day. "And feel free to use the door this time."
Legolas smiled, waved his friend off then locked the door behind him. He needed to change into human form immediately, before someone else knocked on his door.
He prepared quickly and was about to set out to join the morning meal when he turned back to his room. There beside his bed sat the scroll, taunting him with the information it held. He could spend no more time studying it, and was not so foolish as to take it with him for the day's activities. But he did take the time to hide it, though he knew that no one was looking for it, and that no one entered his room, he felt better for it. With one less thought plagueing him he went down to breakfast.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The day passed slowly for Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas. After breakfast Legolas had taken Gimli aside for a moment and explained briefly what he had found that night. The Dwarf was as enthused as his friends, but all three of them had to act their parts for the day, and keep up appearances. There was to be no hint that they had any other business in Brelan other than an alliance of countries. Aragorn spent his day with Lord Vecery once more, trying very hard to concentrate on the matters at hand. He had a well trained mind and was able to push the thoughts of the Stone from his thoughts for the most part, but every now and then he would have a wonderful vision of a united Middle-Earth, and his mind would momentarily stray.
As for Gimli and Legolas, they were worse off. Having no national negotiations to set straight, their minds could drift as often as they wished, and they heard little of what their hosts said to them that day. They spent most of the day with the Brelan men once more. They took part in city activities and visited 'The Happy Horseman' once more, but did and learned nothing of signifigance.
Legolas grew increasingly edgy, his heart and soul itching to go off in search of the Stone, but he knew he must wait. They had spent many weeks searching already, he could wait a little longer.
When the day was finally drawing to a close Gimli and Legolas spoke quietly, as they lingered behind the Men headed back to the Castle of Hileris.
"I swear this has been the longest day of my near three millenia." Legolas stated, kicking a rock underfoot.
"It has seemed slow to me as well, and I pray for the quick fall of night. Do you believe we can go tonight?" Gimli asked, not wishing to waste another day.
"Perhaps, if we leave early enough and the location is not too far. I am eager myself, and will go alone if necessary."
"It will not be. I will be going with you. As young Merry would say 'You'd have to tie me up in a sack to stop me.' " Gimli said, doing a poor Hobbit imitation which made Legolas grin.
"Very well my friend, but I do not believe we will be able to leave Aragorn behind, so that will make us a trio." Just as he said this they reached the Castle gates. The guards nodded to them, recognizing the King's guests and immediately allowing them passage. Legolas stopped and asked the guard, "Do you know the where-abouts of Lord Elessar?"
"Nay," the guard replied, "He and Lord Vecery went out several hours ago. But I believe they meant to return before supper."
"Thank you." Legolas said, checking the sun's position and noting it was near time for the evening meal. He wished to speak with Aragorn as soon as possible. He knew he would have little chance with Lord Vecery about, but he decided he would still wait, just in case the chance arose.
"You go ahead, Gimli. I wish to stay here and await Aragorn's arrival." Legolas said simply. Gimli nodded in understanding and made his way to the castle.
Legolas stood just beyond the gates, waiting patiently for Aragorn to return. He spoke shortly with the guards on subjects of little importance, but mostly looked towards the horizon. The sun was setting earlier now that winter approached and it was nearly dark before he spotted the small contingent of guards that would undoubtedly be escorting the two Lords. They were walking at a leisurely pace and the guards at the gate had not yet spotted them in the fading light, so he pretended he couldn't as well. As he waited he began to feel that something was wrong. The air blew oddly and the feelings from the earth and rocks began to change, becoming tense. Something was going to happen.
He walked past the guards, outside the gates, to reach Aragorn sooner and find out if he sensed it as well. It seemed rather immediate.
Aragorn and Lord Vecery approached, both surrounded by guards as well as their captains, Risorine and Sorinth. The Kings spotted Legolas who was seemingly waiting for them. He turned to them as they drew nearer, but then donated all his attention to the high wall along the gate. He had seen movement, he was sure of it. Human eyes would have missed it in the failing light but he had seen at least one man, perhaps two, running hunched along the wall.
"Salogel, what is it?" Aragorn asked, also scanning the shadows above but knowing Legolas was seeing more than he was. The Elf turned to speak but his reply suddenly became a warning.
"Down!"
He heard the clear twang of a bow being shot and leapt forward, knocking himself, Aragorn, and Lord Vecery to the ground. The arrow sailed above them, missing its intended target. But not all could move as quickly as an Elf, and the arrow found a new target as it landed sharply in Sorinth's shoulder. The man cried out, and wavered but showed great strength when he did not fall to the ground.
"Everyone get down!" Sorinth ordered, clutching his arm and making his way to Lord Vecery. The King of Brelan had picked himself up from beneath Legolas and was now crouched low among the guards.
Legolas was the only one who could see the assailants moving along the gate wall, making a quick retreat. His body tensed and he sprang to his feet, ready to take pursuit, but was pulled back by a strong grip on his arm. He turned. It was Aragorn, holding him back and shaking his head. Now was not the time for Legolas to show off his tracking skills.
The Elf nodded reluctantly and hoped the guards would be able to catch the attackers without his help. Still he yelled, "They are on the wall."
Guards began to scramble about; above and below the gates, and there was soon a chase for the attackers that Legolas could no longer follow.
"Are you hurt?" Legolas asked Lord Vecery, knowing Aragorn was well. It was clear the arrow had been meant for the King of Brelan due to its trajectory.
"I am fine, thank-you." Lord Vecery replied, rising and dusting himself off, "You saved my life. How did you see them in this darkness?"
"It is not fully dark and the last few rays of sun reflected off their weapons." Legolas lied more easily than he believed he was capable of.
Lord Vecery nodded, accepting the reply, then turned to his captain, "Sorinth, you're hurt. Fetch a doctor, quickly." He ordered a random guard while inspecting the arrow protruding from the captain's upper arm.
"It can wait. We must get you both inside quickly, there may be more assassins about." Sorinth insisted, gently directing his king towards the castle gates. Legolas admired the Man's dedication to his king, and selflessness regarding his own injuries. He had come to learn it was a rare trait in Men.
The group of kings and guards quickly made it past the protection of the gates and were nearing the castle doors. Several men ran forth, asking questions about what had happened. With them was Gimli who immediately ran towards his two friends, who thankfully appeared uninjured.
"What happened?" Gimli asked immediately.
"There were assassins on the gate wall. They made an attempt on Lord Vecery's life." Legolas explained hastily.
"Was anyone hurt?" Gimli continued.
"Only Sorinth," Aragorn replied, looking around. "He took an arrow to the shoulder. I believe they have taken him inside to treat him."
"At least the damage was minimal. Where is Risorine though?" Gimli asked, now also looking about.
"That is a very good question." Legolas stated. He had not noticed the man leave, wherever he had gone. But was now thinking it strange that while under attack Risorine had made no move to get nearer to Aragorn, that Legolas could remember. And it was the Elf that mostly took charge of Aragorn's safety. Where had Risorine been then?
"Perhaps he has gone in pursuit of our attackers." Aragorn offered as explanation, but was now also recalling the lack of action on his captain's part. Just then the guards that had chased after the assailants returned, without Risorine, and reported that they had been unable to catch, or follow any of the attackers.
"So where has he gone then?" Gimli asked, perplexed by the captain's actions.
"I do not know. But we should go inside. You two check on Sorinth while I speak with Lord Vecery. I wish to know the meaning of these attacks." Aragorn said. The Dwarf and Elf agreed and entered the castle with him, then split up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aragorn entered the great hall of the castle, unescorted for the first time. Lord Vecery was already there, shouting orders at several of his guards, demanding better security and that the assailants be caught. Aragorn waited for a few moments while order was restored and Vecery finally sent his guards on their way.
"Lord Elessar, my deepest apologies for this attack. I have no idea how it happened, but I will find who is at fault, and who is responsible." Lord Vecery promised him, taking a weary seat on his throne.
"There is no need for apologies, especially since I am quite sure the arrow was meant for yourself. I came here only to ask who you believe the criminals to be, if you have any suspects."
"We know of no specific person, but I am almost certain it is the same group which attacked you and your escort in the woods on your way here." Lord Vecery replied.
"What is their reasoning?" Aragorn asked curiously.
"None that we know of. They have said before that they find our justice systems very unjust, and do not agree with the spread of wealth through the land. But this they told us years ago. In the past few months there have been more attacks, and no demands or reasons have been put forth. I wish I could give some explanation but I have none."
"That is unfortunate. But while I stay in your city I offer all the help I can give in finding these outlaws." Aragorn said dutifully. He knew there was little any of his men could do to help in such a long standing problem, except perhaps Legolas, but that was not an option.
"Thank you Lord Elessar, but that won't be necessary. We will find these outlaws eventually." Vecery's voice held little conviction, it sounded more like wishful thinking.
"Very well. If that is all I wish to take my leave for the night. I am sure you have much to attend to yourself, and I will not hinder you." Aragorn wished to return to find his friends, for Gimli, Legolas and himself would have much to speak of.
"Of course. And give my thanks once more to your guard, Salogel. You are lucky to have him with you, he undoubtedly saved my life." Lord Vecery said, sincerely grateful.
"I will give him your thanks, but he is not my guard. He is my friend." Aragorn said in parting.
"Then you are even more lucky still." Lord Vecery said softly as the door closed behind the great King.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As Aragorn made his way back to his room, hoping to find Legolas and Gimli, he was more than surprised to find Risorine wandering the halls. He appeared to only now be returning from wherever he had disappeared to. The man was slightly out of breath but other than that looked well, and bowed when Aragorn approached.
"Where have you been?" Aragorn asked immediately.
"I took chase after the assassins." Risorine replied quickly.
"The other guards returned some time ago." Aragorn pointed out, not sure why he was so skeptical.
"I was able to follow one of them quite far, the others lost track of us. I almost had him, but he disappeared in a dense patch of woods." Risorine replied.
Aragorn nodded, accepting the story for now, "Very well. You should turn in, it has grown late and there has been much excitement. I am retiring now as well."
"Yes, my lord." Risorine bowed dutifully once more, then wearily made his way towards his chamber.
Aragorn sighed, becoming more and more nervous about his captain. He had been acting far too strange. But those thoughts would have to wait for later, he needed to find his friends.
It took him a few minutes but he eventually found them, also on their way to their rooms. They had been to see Sorinth. The doctors had successfully removed the arrow and said he should make a full recovery. Aragorn told them of what Lord Vecery had said, and also of his encounter with Risorine. They both listened, weighing the details in their own minds.
"The web is weaving tighter it would seem. There is much chaos in Brelan." Gimli commented.
"So much so that we had best move quickly if we wish to recover that which was lost." Legolas said.
Aragorn raised a hand to halt any more speech from the two, "We will talk of this later. Now is not the time." Looking up and down the long hallways, the Dwarf and Elf agreed, then retired to their rooms. Gimli and Aragorn would find no sleep for several days, neither would Legolas, but he at least received several more hours to go over that which he had found in the scroll.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aragorn paced in his room. He was unsure whether or not to proceed in their search for the Stone of Malinya. They had the map now, and if they were to return at a later date they could then use it to find the Stone. Brelan seemed too alert just now. Too tense. The city would soon be in turmoil, outlaws were attacking more frequently and just that evening there had been an attempt on Lord Vecery's life. But perhaps that made it the perfect time to find the Stone. With turmoil brings chaos, and they may be able to retrieve the Stone with no one's notice, and then help unite the lands with its power.
In truth he knew not what the right thing to do was currently. Lord Vecery seemed a noble man; perhaps he could be told about the Stone and help in retrieving. No. The man had an obvious hatred for Elves, he would not willingly help retrieve the Elven Stone, and if he did it would most likely be only to destroy it, or hide it once more. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli were on their own, of this he was sure. He would have to speak with his friends, and together they could decide what was best. He realized suddenly that it must be near midnight, and knew his friends would be arriving.
He stayed out on the balcony, alert and watchful. Legolas would not sneak up on him this night and climb silently across his balcony. He had let the Elf surprise him on too many occassions already and was going to be prepared this time.
He stood, watching the corner and waiting for Legolas to appear. He was so focussed on the next balcony that he did not hear the door silently opening behind him, and did not even know someone had entered until a map appeared before his eyes, startling him. He turned around to find Legolas holding the map up triumphantly, smiling.
"You did say I should use the door. Now, are you ready to go treasure hunting?"
TBC
My wonderful, fab reviewers. Love ya all very muchly.
Jinn - glad to know you're reading. I like to hope that there's lots of peeps who do that. Read but don't review. It's okay, just glad you like it.
acid-Butterfly - sorry I hooked you, but it was intentional. Hope you'll be sticking around
guardgirl1 - I added some quotations to maybe help with the scroll reading. My italics won't work either. Thanks for reviewing.
phoenix - I updated, but next one might be a few more days.
Kenji Ohgami a.k.a Rex the dark elf - thank you. I guess I'll have to keep writing then, I'd hate to face your arrows, they're probably quite sharp.
betrayedoceans - I love how you can say so much in only actions. :-)
Elanor - they're my fave characters too. Although after watching LotR a few more time, I have to admit that Merry is also very, very cute.
Thanks for all the nice reviews. More as soon as possible. (I hope). This is what I have to do to keep from going insane while I wait for the special edition FotR and The Two Towers.