Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any characters and/or places thereof.

Lady Laughing Owl: And the people at the Getty are right! Yes, you do, and as you are not editing this story you have no good excuse. **pouts** I feel so unloved. . .(haha, I am joking. But you do leave generic reviews)

Jack Sparrow: Well, I think that much better than ending it abruptly and without tidying things up!

As usual, thank you everyone for your reviews! I love getting reviews. Oh, and I hope you all liked Sierra, because she is going to come back later on. Has any one (excluding Lady Laughing Owl) figured out her little secret yet?

*****

"What shall we do?" asked Estel, looking to Elladan. In his mind, a plan was shaping itself, but he decided against sharing it. After all, he was the little edan boy again, what was his word worth? But Elladan returned the question to Estel, saying, "I see your mind working, little one. Share with us what you have conceived."

"Actually, I was only wondering if the Elves seemed intent upon luring the Men to the battlefield, or trusted their skills to kill whilst the Men remained upon their Walls," voiced Estel.

"They have with them swords," Legolas said, "so I would assume they mean to lure the Men to the battlefield."

"Then we go with the Elves. We could easily find a place among them--the healer's wagons that follow after, perhaps--to hide, then when they reach the city we could go in as the Men spill out. It sounds as though the Men would note us, but I doubt they would--not if we timed things properly."

"They will be looking for Elves to kill, Estel, would you send us like lambs to the slaughter?" Legolas asked, shaking his head. "I do not think this is a wise plan."

"No, you must listen! We will slip in as they close their doors, not a moment earlier. Here is there folly, Legolas, and our great fortune: so built is their city that the doors face to the West! Deep will be the shadows of sunset upon the field, and the moon, if I rightly predict, will be neither harvest nor blue, but a mere sliver. We can do this," Estel said assuredly. He half-expected a protestation, a suggestion, even, that they should return to Imladris. But Elladan only glanced at Legolas, and Legolas glanced back, and inclined his head the slightest bit.

"Wake the others. Hurry!" Elladan told Estel. "Your plan is a risk to us all, but we will try it. Go and wake the others, please, Estel."

With a nod Estel strode across the camp and shook Elrohir to wakefulness. His brother gazed upon him as if with new eyes, then, as Estel motioned for him to do, went over to Elladan and Legolas. Next Estel knelt beside Lysander. "Lysander! Lysander, wake up!" Estel hissed, shaking the Elfling. Lysander's eyes lost their glaze of sleep, and he looked right into Estel's, questioning. "Shh, go over and sit with my brothers and Legolas." Lysander nodded mutely, and moved to follow directions. That left only Elemmiire.

Suddenly a bird flew over the camp, crying loudly. Its cry stilled the company, their blood pulsating with fear. Had they been seen? Had some one sent that bird to watch over them? Elemmiire shot upright and opened his mouth--Estel at once clamped a hand over it to keep him quiet. When at last the bird plunged headlong into the trees and was silent, they dared breathe again, but not move, only eyes darting fearfully to meet those of the others. At last Estel stood, and helped Elemmiire to his feet, and together in silence the two returned to the opposite end of the camp and knelt beside the others.

Elladan explained the plan shortly to Elrohir, Lysander, and Elemmiire, then said, "I ask that you, Lysander, and you, Elemmiire, remain here, in this camp. Keep to the treetops to be certain. We will come back for you, but for now, you must remain safe. Will you do this?"

"We will," Elemmiire said.

"Good, Elemmiire, thank you. Lysander?"

Lysander looked torn. His eyes shot to Estel, then back to Elladan, then to the ground, where they remained. "So many times," he spoke slowly and quietly, "I stood by and let things happen. So many times I refused to act, to help you, Estel. It seems wrong to me, as it did then. I cannot do this again." He shook his head. "I wish to go with you, Estel."

"Elladan, you know as well as I that we have not the time for this!" Legolas hissed.

"I know, but let us allow the boy to sort this out for himself," Elladan returned cautiously.

"Tell me you do not hear the sounds of the troop, moving in the distance," Legolas demanded. Elladan pricked his ears to the wind to listen.

"Lysander, no, you must remain here, where you are safe," Estel replied. "Listen to me: there is a chance that Elladan, Elrohir, Legolas, or myself will be injured in the process of recovering the others. We need you two, at least you two, to remain in good health. Someone must remain safe."

"Then I insist that that someone be you," Lysander returned. "You stay; I shall take your place. Any good warrior would die for his leader."

"Lysander, no! You will not die; no one has to die tonight. You say you would die for your leader? At this moment that means me, and that you would die for me. If this is so, I command you to remain here, safe," Estel insisted, "and cease this hindrance."

Lysander did not reply. In deed, he began to, but his mouth fell open and he gaped for a moment, motioning with his hands. The others turned to see what it was he looked so awfully upon. Between two trees in the border of their small camp stood an Elf, tall and serious, his face grave. His raiment was red over his armor of metal, and from his helmeted head shot a red plume of notable height and width. Behind this personage stood three others of similar raiment, with ridiculous feathers protruding from their helmets, also. They wielded bows strung with strong arrows tipped with folded steel and with the feathers of eagles upon their butt ends, but wore quivers across their backs and swords upon their belts. Upon the company from Imladris they looked disdainfully.

"Well, well, well," said the leader of the small band of arrivals, fixing his eyes first upon one member and then upon the next, and added in a voice that suggested far more than the words he spoke, "what have we here?"