Disclaimer: For full disclaimer, please see chapter 1.
A/N:
Wow, calm down, folks! I never said I was actually going to KILL Celylith, now did I? *shoots nervous glances at Zam Kenobi* I don't say that I haven't toyed with the idea, because I have, quite often to be honest, but I haven't decided yet what to do with him. So, he might get away with an injury or a little bit of torture, but then again, he might just as well end as Nólad II. No guarantees, sorry. *evil grin*
Very well, now that's settled, time for another announcement:
I will be visiting my friends in England between the 30th of July and the 1st of September. Yes, I know what you're thinking: Again? Can't she just stay in her own country, for crying out loud?
The answer to that is that I love England and my friends, and that I need a vacation. Anyway, before you begin to threaten me with sharp, pointy objects: I want to get me a laptop in the next few weeks, and if I do, I will probably be able to keep posting. I don't know whether I will still be able to do it as frequently as now, but I'll try. So, no need to panic, right? *g* Okay then.
Oh, and for all who wondered: "The Hulk" is a really, really, _really_ dumb movie. The story was stupid, the actors looked embarassed at being in the whole thing in the first place and what annoyed me to no end was that that stupid green person was jumping around like a giant kangaroo all the time!! *takes a deep breath* Really stupid and nothing but a waste of money.
Okay, once I am able to free Celylith from Zam's wardrobe, we will have the next chapter, in which the poor guys finally get a break. They really need that from time to time, don't you think? *g*
Have fun and review, please!
Chapter 13
"Are you serious?"
Aragorn raised a dark eyebrow, looking at his elven friend intently, searching for any signs that would indicate that Legolas was joking.
"I am," the elven prince nodded, ignoring Celylith's grin. He had in fact asked the 'Fox' the exact same thing yesterday evening.
Aragorn turned to the only other occupant of the room, wincing slightly when he moved his left arm.
"Is he serious?"
"He is," the silver haired elf said, a smile beginning to spread over his features. These two were really too much alike sometimes.
"But Legolas, please!" the young ranger exclaimed, shaking his head slightly, one hand already beginning to sneak up to fiddle with the bandage there. Legolas' hand shot out and grabbed the human's wrist, pressing it down. The dark haired man glowered at the prince. "He told you a fairy tale to keep you happy, that's all."
"Oh, no," Legolas shook his head, smiling mirthlessly. "He most certainly did not, my friend. He was too afraid that Celylith would eat him to lie to us."
Aragorn did a double-take, blinking slowly. He didn't even want to know, he decided after a second, he just didn't want to know. Slowly he was beginning to understand why his father didn't even bother to listen to their stories; not knowing certainly had its advantages.
"I see," he mumbled quietly, giving both elves dubious looks. "So you believe him?"
"Yes," Legolas nodded and added, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, "The reason why everybody in this town wants to kill us is," he injected a dramatic pause and grinned at his companions, "a buried treasure!"
Aragorn simply snorted, leaning back into his pillows.
"Come now, Legolas, that is the stupidest thing I have heard in a long time!"
"No, Aragorn, think about it," Legolas said, turning serious again. "It explains a lot, actually. You said yourself that all men desire money. And it would explain why Gwemyr disappeared so quietly."
"But, Legolas! A treasure! What kind of treasure? And where? Whom does it belong to?"
The fair haired elf sat back into his chair, grimacing slightly.
"I don't know all the answers to these questions myself."
"Well, what do you know?" Aragorn asked exasperatedly. Sometimes the elvish habit of avoiding questions or only answering in riddles became most annoying indeed, even to him. Besides, his chest hurt fiercely, as did his head, but he would most certainly not tell Legolas. His friend would only use that for an excuse to drug him again, and sleeping for an entire day was more than enough in his opinion.
Legolas hadn't missed the undertone in the human's voice, and he leaned forward again, a suspicious look in his eyes.
"How do you feel?"
"I'm fine," Aragorn sighed a little bit too quickly, refusing to meet his friend's gaze.
The elven prince merely snorted. Snorting, Aragorn decided, was one of his father's habits that was slowly but surely threatening to get out of control. Every person or more precisely elf that was spending any time in the Lord of Rivendell's company was quickly adopting that particular trait. It was quite unsettling, really.
Celylith gave the young human an evil look.
"That would be 'fine'-fine, I presume?"
Aragorn returned the glare in kind but didn't answer. He looked up alarmed when Legolas nodded at his elven friend who in turn quickly began to mix yet another foul potion in a goblet. He was beginning to hate that goblet, he decided.
"No," he stated flatly, locking eyes with the elven prince.
"No what, human?" Legolas asked, obviously enjoying this opportunity to mother his friend immensely.
"No, I am not drinking that," the ranger shook his head, looking stubbornly at his friends.
"Yes, you are," Legolas smiled at the man, but there was a steely glint in his gaze.
"No, I'm not."
"Yes, you ar…"
"Elbereth!" Celylith exclaimed, rolling his eyes at them. "You are adults, both of you!" He turned to Aragorn, forcing the cup into his hands. "Stop being so difficult and just drink it!" The young ranger opened his mouth to protest, and so he added, "I have to change the bandages, and this will dull your senses. There is no need for you to go through this kind of pain. I promise it will not send you to sleep."
Inwardly, he added,
'Not instantly, anyway.'
That was true enough, he thought with a mental shrug. Well, yes, maybe the potion made humans sleepy, but that little detail would just have slipped his mind.
Aragorn scowled at the two elves, staring with hateful eyes at the cup in his right hand. He would get them for this, one of these days he was going to get them…
"Fine," he snapped finally, taking a sip of the concoction. "But only if you tell me what the 'Fox' told you, and I mean word by word. Otherwise I will not touch it again, and not even the Valar could convince me!"
Legolas couldn't quite hide a smile when he imagined Aragorn argue with Manwë and Varda, the greatest amongst the Kings and Queens of the Valar. He could just imagine the ranger shaking his head no while the greatest of the Valar tried to make him understand that he really, really needed to take his medicine.
"Alright," he agreed, putting his hand under the base of the cup and forcing the man to empty it. "I will tell you."
Celylith was already beginning to unpack his healing utensils, rummaging through his pack searching for the salve Lord Elrond had left behind. He grabbed a small pile of bandages and put them next to the marigold lotion he had brewed yesterday morning while the young ranger had been sleeping.
While he was still readying his things, waiting for the potion to take effect, he listened to Legolas' voice that was beginning to recount what they had done yesterday evening, going to great lengths to describe the way they had 'convinced' the 'Fox' to tell them all that he knew.
A few minutes later, Aragorn asked, trying to suppress the laughter that was threatening to overtake him,
"You … you threatened to drink his blood?"
Celylith looked up from the bandages and grinned, the cut on his forehead already fading.
"Well, I haven't had any since those prisoners we took when we brought you back to the palace." He grinned even more broadly when he saw the wide-eyed look on the human's face. "You didn't really think we turned them over to the Men of Dale, did you?"
"You are scary," Aragorn stated seriously, shaking his head. "Really scary. Even I believed you there for a second."
"I told you the 'Fox' hadn't lied to us," Legolas grinned at him. "After that he was most forthcoming, in fact."
"What exactly did he say?" Aragorn leaned forward, almost not noticing that Celylith was carefully beginning to unwrap the bandages that wound around his torso. He knew that Legolas was talking to him to keep him distracted, and to be perfectly honest, he didn't even mind.
The elven prince turned serious, frowning when he tried to remember what exactly the man had told them.
"Well, as I said, he claimed that this is all about a treasure. He didn't know what kind of treasure, only that the late Drabo started talking about it; that was about two weeks ago. They apparently got drunk together, and then Drabo started boasting about how he and his friends would become rich very soon, without having to do anything about it."
Legolas grimaced in disgust before he continued.
"Apparently, the 'Fox' listened closely to what Drabo had to say, and according to him, that wasn't that much either. He only said that Gwemyr knew of a treasure that would serve to make them all rich men, and that he knew the way there. The 'Fox' told his employer, who in turn approached Master Gwemyr and his friends with a business proposal: He would give them money, horses and provisions and would provide guards, and they would in turn hand over a part of what they'd find. He claims that Gwemyr accepted, because he and his friends were loath to ask their families for money."
"So he did leave on his own account?" Aragorn asked, keeping his face carefully neutral while Celylith was cleaning the already healing burns. His father's salve was really doing wonders for the burns, but if this was what it felt like when his senses were dulled, then he would hate to experience it undrugged.
"More or less," Legolas answered, thoughtfully. "The 'Fox's' employer was apparently rather persistent that they didn't inform their families. That the men came here and asked questions should avert suspicion from their master, and it did, as you will remember. But there's more."
"Yes?" the young ranger asked through clenched teeth, fighting the very tempting urge to beat his head against the mattress to deal with the pain. He was sure that Celylith did what he could, but right now he longed for nothing more than be home in his own bed and to hear the soothing voice of his father and the bad jokes of his brothers.
The silver haired elf stopped his ministrations and looked at him worriedly.
"Estel? I am sorry for causing you pain, but this has to be done. Would you like a sleeping potion that…"
At the grim look the human shot him he fell silent and shrugged lightly.
"As you wish. I will try to get this over with as quickly as possible."
"Aragorn?" Legolas asked worriedly as well, and the young ranger had to bite back a sarcastic remark. He hated it when people spoke his name as if he might shatter if they talked a bit more loudly.
"I'm fine," he said flatly, not caring whether he was believed or not. "Please, go on."
The elven prince shot him an dubious look but complied.
"Well, as I said, they weren't allowed to inform their families. But the 'Fox' told us that his employer has other plans for them as well. The guards that has been sent with Gwemyr and his friends have the orders to kill them once they have led them to the hiding place."
"Nobody would know," Aragorn nodded and hid a sigh of relief when Celylith was beginning to rewrap his chest, doing his best to stop his body from shaking. Staying awake was becoming more difficult by the second, and he was beginning to suspect that it had been a sleeping potion after all.
One of these days, he decided again, he was going to get Celylith for those accursed concoctions of his. One day soon, very soon.
"Precisely," the fair haired elf agreed, nodding his head. "Owaeran's competitor would get all without doing anything for it. A treasure without having to look for, dig for it, endanger oneself for it. It is perfect. Apparently worth dying for, and worth killing for."
"And what about the … other group?" Aragorn asked, wincing inwardly at the memories these words conjured. "Did he say anything about them?"
Celylith fastened the end of the last bandage and shook his head.
"No, even though I was looking very hungry at that point. All he could tell us was that there had been a group of men in the town at about the same time that had been asking more or less the same questions we did. He didn't know where they came from or even how many there were, but they disappeared about eight days ago after they had shown a special interest in the good Master Drabo. Two days later, his body showed up in the lake."
"So," Aragorn said quietly, forcing his mind back to the present, "What do we do now? Do you know where this treasure is supposed to be or whom it belongs to?"
"Yes and no," Legolas nodded, smiling grimly. "The 'Fox' told us that he didn't know whose treasure it was, and he didn't seem to care either. That was the reason he was so afraid of elves, by the way, he thought we had come to claim the treasure for our own." He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "But he told us where it was, or at least what he knew." He paused slightly before adding, "He claims it is near Dale."
"Dale," Aragorn mumbled, finding that his eyes were beginning to slide shut. Prying them open, he glared at Celylith before turning to look at the elven prince. "When do we leave?"
"Leave?" Legolas exclaimed, looking at the young human as if he had just told him that he wanted to become a hermit and would go and live in a shed in the Misty Mountains from now on. "Leave? You are not going anywhere!"
"Legolas," Aragorn said quietly, forcing his tired brain to co-operate, "We cannot let them kill these men! We have got to try and help them, and only Ilúvatar knows what will happen if the third group arrives on the scene."
"Help them so you can get into even more trouble," Celylith muttered, shaking his head. He turned to Legolas. "Please, my lord, do not listen to him! He is weak and in pain and is not thinking clearly, that much is obvious. I will not return to the king dragging your bodies behind! Please, just send a message to the King of Dale and let them take care of this! This is none of our business."
The elven prince turned to his friend, an eyebrow arched incredulously.
"None of our business? Have you already forgotten what they have done to Aragorn?"
The aforementioned human rolled his eyes in annoyance, battling with the sleepiness that was threatening to cloud his senses. If he hated one thing, then it was being spoken about as if he wasn't even in the same room.
"I don't want any of us to get into trouble because of me."
"Well, I do!" Legolas shot back, eyes gleaming with a hidden fire. "I will not let them get away with this! They will pay, every single one of them! Of course it is our business! We will leave as soon as you are healthy enough."
Aragorn only snickered sleepily while Celylith rolled his eyes, muttering in frustration, and Legolas realised that he had just contradicted his own statement. Cursing himself for his own stupidity, he hastily added,
"And I mean healthy enough, reckless human. You will rest and stay in bed and drink the medicine we give you, or I will send you back to the palace with Celylith."
"What?" Celylith exclaimed, eyes wide and unbelieving.
"You wouldn't," Aragorn mumbled, already on the verge of sleep. "You couldn't make me if I don't want to, stubborn elf."
"Yes, I could and I would," Legolas confirmed, ignoring his elven friend's indignant spluttering, "If you are rested enough we can leave in a few days."
"The day after tomorrow," Aragorn corrected, his voice already so soft that the elves could hardly understand him.
"In a few days," the fair haired elf repeated and pulled his friend's covers up his chin. "Now sleep."
The young ranger only smiled slightly as his breathing evened out and he fell back asleep, and Legolas leaned back in his armchair. As rewarding a task as drugging the man was, he would have to be careful during the next few days. Aragorn hated being drugged with a passion, and there was no telling what he would do once he was strong enough to stand on his own feet again.
Celylith's voice drew him out of his thoughts.
"You were not serious, were you?"
Legolas shook his head and raised his eyes to meet his friend's.
"I was, Celylith. Somebody needs to inform my father of our plans, otherwise he will really send a guard corps after us, and I really would like to prevent that. You must go."
The silver haired elf shook his head, and Legolas was taken aback by the stubborn glint in the other's eyes.
"No."
"No?" he asked incredulously. Never before had Celylith disobeyed one of his orders, if one ignored the spider incident a few weeks before, that was.
"No," Celylith repeated, narrowing his eyes. "I cannot do that, my lord, I am sorry. I have promised the king not to let yourself or the ranger get killed, and I will keep that promise. And I cannot protect the two of you if you go alone to yet another human town where probably even more persons will want to kill you! I will not allow that."
"Celylith…" Legolas began, but he was quickly interrupted by the firm voice of his childhood friend.
"No, Legolas. I will not leave, and you cannot order me to. Please do not make me break a promise to your father. I would rather die myself than return to him bearing the news of your death."
The fair haired elf studied his friend's resolute face for a moment before he sighed deeply.
"Very well then. I assume I really could use help to keep an eye on that reckless human."
Celylith grinned at him, obviously relieved he wouldn't have to defy his friend's commands.
"Only on him, my friend? I distinctly remember having to fish you out of the lake not too long ago."
"Really?" Legolas retorted, smiling slightly. "I cannot remember that…" He turned serious again and looked at his elven friend. "If you do not go to inform my father, then who will? We have to tell ada, otherwise he will inform Lord Elrond and both of them will be coming after us. If we are unlucky they might even bring Glorfindel and the twins."
Celylith shuddered slightly at the mere thought. That would be horrible indeed.
"Well, my lord, I am sure you will think of something. You are the prince, after all."
"Oh, now I am the prince?" Legolas asked teasingly.
"You always are, Legolas," the silver haired elf replied seriously. "And therefore it is my duty to protect you as well as I am able, and I intend to do just that, or die trying." He looked at his prince, blue eyes dark as night. "And it would be well worth it."
Legolas smiled at his friend, gratitude and annoyance in his gaze.
"Thank you, Celylith," he said, reaching out of put a hand on the other elf's shoulder. "I know you would, my friend, I know. I realise that I don't make it very easy on you either, but I am perfectly capable of looking after myself. Now that we know what we are up against, Estel and I will be fine, you'll see."
Celylith look at him with serious eyes, a frown creasing his brow.
"I hope so, Legolas. I pray to the Valar that you are right, for if this was only the beginning, I seriously doubt that any of us will live to see the next spring."
Later that same day, Legolas sat in Owaeran's study, looking calmly at the man that was staring at him as if he had just turned into a cave troll and back.
After another minute or two which Legolas had used to count the wooden panels behind the man's back – twenty-six, to be exact – the blonde man regained his ability to speak and promptly used it.
"Are you insane?" he exclaimed and added after a heartbeat's pause rather hastily, "Prince Legolas." He took a deep breath and continued. "Please, my lord, you cannot be serious! You will get yourselves killed!"
Another horrifying thought occurred to him.
"And I would have to inform your father!"
"No, you wouldn't, Master Human," Legolas explained patiently, asking himself dryly if his father was truly so fearsome that the mere mention of his name turned most beings into quivering heaps on the ground. "I will find a way to notify him myself. Don't you want to help your brother?"
Owaeran's eyes seemed to light up angrily at that.
"Of course I wish to! How dare you even suggest that I would not? I love my brother, and nothing he does could make me abandon him, despite what you obviously want to imply…"
"Peace, Master Owaeran," the elf raised his hands in an appeasing gesture. "I did not mean to insult you or your brother, please forgive me if I have. I meant no offence."
The elderly human ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
"No, please forgive me, Master Elf. I am angry and afraid for Gwemyr, I did not think before speaking. Of course I want to help my brother, but I don't want you to get hurt in the process. This does not concern you."
"There you err," Legolas replied and leaned forward slightly, his eyes boring into the trader's. "It does concern me. It became a concern to Mirkwood the moment I heard about various groups stirring up unrest so close to our borders. It became a concern to us the moment we heard that there had been people murdered for none other reason than because they knew your brother. And it became a concern to me personally the moment my friends were attacked. I do not suffer my friend to be hurt. Those responsible will pay for their actions, and I will certainly not allow them to hurt others as well!"
"But … but…" Owaeran spluttered, not even knowing why he even tried to argue with this elf. The prince was so much like his father, the King of Mirkwood, that it was almost scary, the same quick temper, the same pride and the same stubbornness. He almost buried his face in his hands. Why couldn't King Thranduil just keep his offspring in his woods where it belonged?
"My lord," the human began cautiously, "I understand your motives, and of course I do not want to see my brother or anyone else hurt, but you should reconsider. You have already gone through more than enough only because of my brother's folly."
"As I said, Master Owaeran," the fair haired elf shook his head slightly, "It is too late for that now. The decision is made; we will leave in a few days, if that is acceptable for you."
The man closed his eyes and counted slowly to five, suppressing the urge to scream. He wanted to help his brother of course, he wanted to prevent anyone else from getting hurt, but what he did not want was explain to the Elvenking that his son and his two companions had died because of his, Master trader Owaeran's brother. His mortal brother, his human brother, his brother that would be responsible for robbing the king of his immortal son and heir.
"There is no way to dissuade you from this course of action then?" he asked, opening his eyes again.
"None," the prince confirmed with a thin smile.
Owaeran clenched his teeth and inwardly cursed the House of Oropher and the elven race in general. If there were more irritating beings in Middle-Earth, which he doubted, by the way, he had never met them. Elves could be incredibly haughty and infuriating, not to mention so stubborn that it astounded him time and again, even after all these years of trading with the wood-elves.
"I am not in the least surprised," he managed with a forced smile, sighing in defeat. "When do you wish to leave?"
"In two to three days, I think," Legolas replied, hiding a smile. That human was on the verge of strangling him, he was sure of it. "It depends on how quickly the ranger will be well enough to travel."
"How is he?" Owaeran leaned forward, placing both of his hands on the desktop, either in an attempt to calm himself or restrain himself from strangling the stubborn elf in front of his desk.
"As well as can be expected," the blonde elf replied and smiled slightly. "He is already complaining about the bandages, the medicine, about having to stay in bed, about being treated like a child…"
The man chuckled quietly.
"That sounds very much like my daughter when she gets sick. He is still young, and young ones are the same everywhere, I think."
"That they are, Master Human," Legolas nodded and made a mental note to tell Aragorn that he had just been compared to a seventeen-year-old girl. That should garner an … interesting reaction, that much was sure.
"I will provide you with provisions, of course," Owaeran added thoughtfully, obviously already planning their journey. "Do you think you will find our way to Dale or should I hire a guide for you?"
Legolas thought about it for a second before answering.
"Well, essentially all you have to do is follow the River Running upstream to Erebor, haven't you?"
"That is correct," the elderly man nodded. "Much of the destruction the dragon dealt out is already gone, and the lands are becoming fair and green as they once were. It can still be dangerous though, for some paths will lead you to a swift death if you are not careful."
"We will be fine," the fair haired prince stated firmly. "It has been some decades since I last set foot in the valley of Dale, but I think I will find my way there. Your offer is greatly appreciated though."
"That is the least I can do," the trader stated, inwardly adding that it might convince the woodland king that he had done everything in his power to help his son. He had no misguided notions of King Thranduil's reaction though, he would probably still order to have him thrown into the dungeons for the rest of his life. Thoughtfully, he muttered, "And I think I will have to chain Seobryn to the house. He is rather fond of you and especially the ranger. He will not be happy about being left behind."
"No," Legolas replied, rising from his seat and moving into the direction of the door after a small polite bow to the blonde man behind the desk. "He will not be. But is it more than enough to have one irresponsible, reckless youth with us, I will not take a second one with me. Besides, I do not think that he will be so averse to staying here, in my opinion he has come to treasure … your … company."
The blonde elf moved swiftly out of the room, an unreadable expression on his face, and Owaeran remained behind, asking himself three things.
First, why the elf thought that Strider was the only reckless, irresponsible being in the group, second, what in the name of the One he had meant by that last remark, and third, what he, Owaeran, had done to deserve all this.
Seobryn was not happy, that much was true. In fact, he was rather unhappy, not to say extremely irritated.
He tried to argue with Aragorn and even the two elves during the next two days, and not even the thought of spending the next few weeks with Seveawen – with whom he was now on speaking terms, much to everyone's surprise – could cheer him up. In the end, it was the duty that bound him to Owaeran as his apprentice that convinced him to stay behind, and even that he did highly unwillingly.
But Legolas stayed firm; he refused to go to Dale with two reckless young men, and to that opinion he held, even though it earned him a snicker from Celylith every time he mentioned it and deadly glares from Aragorn and Seobryn.
Aragorn was, as expected of course, the most annoying patient one could imagine, and Legolas found himself hard-pressed not to drug his friend again. The healing burns hurt and itched, his aching head threatened to explode on his shoulders and his whole body twitched from lying still in a bed the whole time, or so the young ranger claimed.
Celylith was very glad that Legolas head was almost healed, even though his ribs were still giving him some trouble. There was no way he would be able to deal with both of them at once, he stated more than once.
It was on the day before their departure that Legolas and Celylith allowed the young man to get up, and they could stop hardly stop him from seizing this chance to escape them and their 'mothering attitude'. They caught up with him when he was about to sneak out of the house with Seobryn's help, who had obviously decided that he needed to aid the ranger since the two elves had an unfair advantage over him.
Glaring darkly at both of the young men, Legolas and Celylith dragged their human friend back to his room and forced him to lie down again, and Aragorn even complied rather quickly, feeling rather exhausted after his little escape attempt.
"But I almost made it," he stated gleefully, swatting Celylith's hand away that was trying to press the hated goblet with the pain killing drug into his hands. "Stop that please, I won't drink it this time. The burns are healed enough as it is."
The silver haired elf looked at his elven friend, who simply shrugged. If Aragorn wanted to have his bandages changed without the aid of pain-reducing potions, then he was welcome to try.
"You're a horror, Aragorn," Legolas stated, stopping himself from running his hand through his braided hair. Suddenly he understood very well how Lord Elrond and Hithrawyn had to feel all the time. "If you do that again, I swear I will send you back to Mirkwood."
The young man only snorted.
"You are just angry that it took you so long to catch up with me."
"But we did," Celylith stated firmly, unwrapping the linen strips that wound round the man's chest.
"I knew I shouldn't have asked Seobryn for help," Aragorn muttered, his eyes growing wide when the elf began to clean the burns. "He couldn't sneak up on a troll."
Legolas watched the stoic face of his friend, shaking his head. Of course the ministrations hurt the dark haired ranger, but he was too stubborn to admit that. Once again he asked himself how it was possible for one of the Second People to be so incredibly stubborn.
Just when he was about to tell his friend that he would take the potion, now, whether he liked it or not, a knock sounded on the door and a servant carefully peered inside the room.
"I am very sorry to disturb you, sirs, but there is an elf downstairs that wants to talk to all of you. He says he is being expected."
Legolas smiled at the man, giving an inward sigh of relief. So they had got the message, very good…
"Yes, indeed he is. Please, show him up here."
Aragorn blanched. That was the very last thing he wanted, to have a strange elf see him like this.
"Legolas, couldn't you…"
"No, dúnadan, I cannot. Anardir is an old friend, I know him from my warrior training. Besides, this is your fault, and do you know why?" His hand shot out with lightening fast reflexes to grab his human friend's right shoulder and pin it to the bed when the ranger couldn't suppress his body's reactions any longer and unconsciously jerked away from Celylith's touch. He gave the man an exasperated smile. "This is why. Had you only taken the potion, I could speak to Anardir downstairs. This way I will have to help Celylith and he will have to come here, young one."
Aragorn glared daggers at the grinning elf, all pain forgotten.
"Do not call me young! I am not young!"
"Yes, you are, Estel," Legolas replied laughing, tightening his grip on the young man's shoulder. "Now stop squirming, one could think that our dear friend Celylith here is trying to murder you."
Celylith looked up from where he was carefully applying a healing salve to the burns, which really looked much better already. He gave Aragorn his best Sadistic-mass-murderer-on-the-run-grin.
"Who, me?" he asked friendly, ignoring Legolas' pealing laughter. "Whatever gave you that idea, my lord?"
Aragorn glared at the silver haired elf.
"I had trusted you to be at least a bit more subtle."
Celylith grinned even more broadly at the indignant human, once again turning back to the task at hand when he heard the footsteps of the servant draw closer.
"Oh, but why ruin such an enjoyable thing with something as boring as subtlety?"
Aragorn's glare even darkened at that, if such a thing was even possible.
"You…"
Another soft knock on the door interrupted what had promised to become a rather inventive curse, and all three turned towards the door. The servant was back, followed by a tall, rather anxious looking elf with golden hair that swept down his back. The man excused himself while the elf bowed before Legolas, who had got up from the edge of the ranger's bed to greet him.
"My prince," the elf said respectfully, but his deferent tone changed quickly when he took a closer look at the fading mark at the side of the elven prince's head and the bruises and wounds that could clearly be seen on the young ranger's face and torso that was right now in the process of being re-bandaged by Celylith who sported a deep cut running across his forehead.
"I knew it!" he exclaimed, giving all three of them a reproachful look. As if to himself, he added, "Wonderful, there goes my favourite dagger." He remembered his manners and nodded at Aragorn and the other elf. "Strider. Celylith."
Legolas raised an eyebrow and sat down in his armchair, motioning the other elf to do the same.
"Anardir?"
"Oh, nothing, my lord," the other elf retorted. "Just a little discussion a friend of mine and I had earlier, nothing of great importance."
"I see," Legolas muttered unconvinced, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Did you all get here safely or is the river already frozen over?"
Anardir was one of the elves that spent most of their time travelling from Mirkwood and Lake-town and back, returning the empty barrels the merchants had brought back to the Lake-men. The barrels that were not needed anymore left the palace via a stream that joined the Forest River a little bit further away from the palace, for the river flowed under part of the palace and could be reached through large trapdoors in the cellars. The barrels that were thrown into the river were collected by elves a little bit downstream and, tied together and used as rafts, the wood-elves brought them back to their place of origin where they were eventually refilled and carted back to the halls of the woodland king.
"'Twas a safe, albeit rather uncomfortable journey, my lord," Anardir replied. "It was the last one this year using the rafts though, in a week the surface will be frozen solid. We will have to use the sledges then."
If the river was frozen, the elves used large sledges to bring the barrels downstream, a highly enjoyable pastime. Legolas resolved to do this once they were back at the palace; it was something he had always wanted to show his human friend.
"Very good," the elven prince nodded, a slightly calculating look stealing over his eyes. "My friend…" Legolas began.
Anardir almost winced inwardly. Legolas could be scary indeed if he wanted something from you, and he was rather sure that this was something King Thranduil wouldn't approve of. That brought him back to the condition the prince and the young ranger were in, and the wince turned into something of a whimper. If the king saw them in this shape, he would be … unhappy. Very unhappy, to say the least.
'I will not ask what happened, I will not ask what happened, I will not…'
"Anardir?" Legolas questioned again. He was beginning to get worried about the other elf; he was behaving very strangely today.
"Yes, my lord?" the golden haired elf retorted, forcing himself to look at his prince. "Please, do continue."
The other elf shot him an odd look, but began to speak again.
"My friend," Legolas once again began, "It is correct that you are returning home tomorrow?"
"Yes, your Highness," Anardir nodded, giving Celylith and Strider a cursory look. The silver haired elf had finished bandaging the other's wounds, and both were looking at him with a pitiful sparkle in their eyes that did not bode well for his future.
"Wonderful!" Legolas exclaimed and added so quickly that the others could hardly separate the words, "Then-you-won't-mind-informing-my-father-that-we-will-go-to-Dale-will-you? Thank-you-very-much-my-friend-I-knew-I-could-count-on-you."
The elven prince turned back to his friends as if this matter were closed, causing the golden haired elf to stare at him stunned. After a few seconds, Anardir had separated the words and assembled them into sentences that were slowly beginning to make horrifying sense.
"What?" he blurted out, jumping to his feet and looking at the three beings in front of him. "Yes! I mean no! I mean, there is no way I am telling him that!"
Legolas turned back to him, a sad smile on his lips, and Anardir realised with a heavy heart that he had already lost this fight. The fair haired elf would simply order him and that was it.
"I am sorry, Anardir, but it is of the utmost importance that we leave for Dale as soon as possible. That you and your men arrived here yesterday was but a lucky coincidence."
"Lucky?" the other elf asked incredulously, slight panic beginning to colour his thoughts now. "Lucky? Forgive me, my prince, but I cannot see at all what is lucky about all this! Do you know what the king will say? Do you know what the king will do?"
Legolas winced slightly. He could very well imagine that. He walked over to a small desk and picked up an envelope made of fine parchment, the clear, flowing Tengwar letters shining crisp and black against the yellowish paper. He handed it to Anardir who took it with a scared look on his fair face.
"Here," the prince explained, "Everything is explained in this letter. Tell the king that we are sorry and will return as soon as we can."
Anardir looked at the envelope with a sigh, trying very hard not to scream in frustration. This was not fair, Ilúvatar, it was not fair! Why him? What had he done? Suddenly the Grey Havens seemed like a very desirable place to be.
"As you command, my lord," he said, getting back to his feet and stopped himself from glaring darkly at the fair haired elf. Legolas was his prince, after all, so he owed him his obedience and respect. But still, he decided, as soon as the other elves and the ranger would have returned to Mirkwood, he would make them pay for this. He didn't know how yet, but he would think of something. Oh yes, he would…
Anardir bowed slightly and turned to the door, disappearing soundlessly out of the room. After a moment Aragorn began to grin and he turned to his elven friends.
"He was not happy," he stated, chuckling quietly. "Elbereth, rarely have I seen someone this mortified."
"I just wonder what he meant with 'There goes my favourite dagger'," Legolas wondered aloud.
At that Celylith began to laugh loudly, giving both of them sly looks. After a slap that Legolas had aimed at his forehead the silver haired elf managed to calm down slightly, and he leaned forward in his armchair, wiping tears of mirth out of his eyes.
"You mean you didn't know?" he asked, looking at both of them as if they had just stated that they wanted to move to Dol Guldur.
"Know what?" Aragorn and Legolas asked simultaneously.
Celylith began to chuckle again, but a warning glare from his prince caused him to calm down once more.
"The younger warriors have a … bet going, I'm afraid," he stated, looking as earnestly as he could. He didn't see a reason to mention that there were in fact more than one bet, and that he himself was participating in quite a few of them.
"A bet?" Legolas asked, both of his eyebrows moving into the direction of his hairline.
"Yes, my lord," Celylith confirmed. "It is about which of you will manage to get himself injured first. And who will end up dragging the other to the healers." He noticed the dark looks on his companions' faces and added hastily, "Or something like that. I don't rightly know, I am of course not interested in frivolities such as these."
"Of course not," Aragorn mumbled under his breath.
Celylith gave the man a dark look before he looked innocently at his elven friend.
"I think I will go to the stables and see how the horses are doing."
Before any of them could say a word, he had disappeared out of the door. Legolas turned to Aragorn, eyebrows still raised.
"A bet?" he asked incredulously. "A bet? I will have to have a word with them, I think… It is disrespectful to bet about such things! Not to mention that the warriors shouldn't bet about their superiors."
"If we had known sooner we could have placed a few bets ourselves," Aragorn muttered thoughtfully.
"What?" Legolas exclaimed, staring at the human in disbelief.
"It would be easy," the dark haired ranger insisted, leaning back against the wooden headrest. "You know, we could simply place a bet on me dragging you back to the palace and then…"
"Then what?" the elven prince asked, unconsciously shifting back in his armchair.
"Oh, you could have an accident or something," the young man shrugged, grinning at him evilly. "You know, just before we reached the gates you could fall off your horse or something similar. I would bring you back to the palace and we would have won."
"I do not fall off horses, human!" Legolas retorted, eyes flashing in mock anger. "You wouldn't dare."
"I wouldn't?" Aragorn asked, an amused smile playing about his lips. "Are you so sure about that?"
The fair haired elf shook his head as he got up and began to pack his bags for tomorrow's journey. He was just stuffing his spare tunics into one of the bags when he said,
"No, to be honest I am not. You are Elladan's and Elrohir's brother, after all. One can never be sure with you three, son of Elrond."
Legolas turned to his human friend and gave him a slight smile.
"Now rest before I knock you out myself. We will leave tomorrow, and I really do not want to pick you off the ground because you are too exhausted to stay on your horse."
Aragorn merely raised an eyebrow at that and leaned back into the pillows, turning serious.
"Do you really think there is a treasure?" he asked thoughtfully.
The elf put down the bags he had already packed and shrugged.
"I am not entirely sure, but it would explain a lot. I can understand Gwemyr's actions, and the 'Fox's' employer as well, to a certain degree, but I somehow cannot understand the third group."
"Why not?" the other asked, arching a dark eyebrow.
"They … they are not your typical treasure hunters," Legolas explained with a helpless shrug. "Believe me, my friend, I have seen many of them, and they are too … organised, I think. Besides, that … man in the warehouse," he glanced at Aragorn's carefully emotionless expression, and was interrupted by his friend's soft voice.
"Lomar," the young ranger said softly, closing his eyes.
Legolas winced and cursed himself for bringing up this topic, but knew better than to change the subject now. Aragorn would not appreciate this 'over-protective' behaviour.
"Lomar," he repeated quietly, inwardly cursing the man in all the tongues he knew for hurting his friend like this. "He killed himself." He looked at Aragorn's surprised face. "I forgot to tell you earlier, it seemed hardly important. He pushed the knife into his own heart, so afraid was he to get captured. He feared something or someone, Aragorn, and he feared it so much that he was willing to die rather than take the risk of being forced to tell us about it."
The elf looked at the young human with serious eyes.
"They are not normal treasure hunters, believe me. There is something more to this, and my heart tells me that it cannot be good."
"There I agree," Aragorn nodded slowly. He turned to the elf, silver eyes emotionless. "Then who or what do you think they are?"
"I don't know," Legolas answered, frowning in thought. "I don't know yet, but I have the rather distinct feeling that we are going to find out."
He looked at the young ranger, suppressing another feeling, namely that they were all going to get into real trouble before this was over.
TBC...
ada - father (daddy)
dúnadan - 'Man of the West', ranger
*sighs* And again, no cliffy! I think I have caught the 'be-nice-to-your-readers-virus' again, I think there are no decent cliffies for a few chapters now! I'm sorry about that, guys, really, but my alter ego's on vacation right now. *g* So, next chapter's going to be interesting, since ... *drums* ... Estel's finally talking about his nightmares! Not quite voluntarily, but hey, who cares... *evil grin* So, send me a review to get the chapter out sooner! It really works, try it out and see for yourselves! Please?
Additional A/N:
Coreinha - 'The brilliant reviewer'? Who are you talking about? I really don't know... *g* Okay, okay, only joking! Really! *gulps* 'Minor grammatical errors'? Where are they? Please tell me, I had the feeling that were a couple of things that sounded odd! I really hate it when that happens, but a few always slip through, I have no idea how they do it either... Hmm, and I kinda liked the other name better, but well, this one isn't bad either... *g*
Fliewatuet - *hangs head* Yeah, I know, but not even C&S update every day. So I don't have to either! Don't tell me, I know myself that that's a rather dumb logic... And yes, you could say that Legolas and Celylith grow a little bit wicked, but then again, frightening others can be lots of fun, too. Oh, I don't feel sorry for the 'Fox' either. He's stupid and evil and stupid and did I mention stupid? He deserved what he got. *nods* He did.
XsilicaX - Oh, come on, you LIKE the 'horrible pain' I've been putting your 'poor Estel' through. I know, I know, you would prefer Glorfindel, and I will see what I can do about that in the next story, okay? 'Major memory flashbacks and horrible nightmares in his future'? Uhm, let's just say that it's a possibility, okay? As in 'very likely'. And yes, I know that you don't want me to kill Celylith, and I promise I'll try not to. But there is this little voice in my head that urges me to, so... *g*
Reginabean - Exactly! I in fact love my cliffies, but I'll admit freely that it is probably a little bit different if you already know what will happen in the next chapter... A day camp? That sounds in fact very stressful... Don't work too much, and remember, humans DO need sleep from time to time... *g* Thanks for the review!
Nilbrethiliel - *heult* Natuerlich habe ich dich vermisst! Und wie! Ich habe vor lauter Trauer kein Auge mehr zutun koennen! Und ich bestehe drauf: Ich bin nicht boese - nur anders. Genau. *nickt* Das ist's. Ich bin noch am Leben, weil sie ganz genau wissen, dass sie lieber nicht hand an mich legen sollten - es sei denn, sie STEHEN auf torture session... *g*
Mouse - Yeah, well, Legolas was really rather ... uhm, let's say upset, shall we? *g* I'm glad you like the scene with the two elves in the end, I was rather afraid it had been too ... I don't know either, but I wasn't sure about it. *shrugs* And no, unfortunately I didn't watch Bruce Almighty, but believe me, I wish I had! The Hulk was just bad. *shudders* Really bad.
Elladan - *g* You check your mails every day to see if I have updated? Really? Well, you could just do it 4-5 days after the last post, then the odds are wuite good... If FF.net doesn't load it immediately, just put an 'a/' behind the link, so for example '...=chapter13a/'. That works most of the time. A useful little trick Coreinha told me some time ago, I am eternally in her debt for that! *g* Thanks a lot for all your revieww!
Carrie - Well, _some_ of us HAVE to post fast, don't they? *pointed look at Carrie* And no, Celylith (whom I will KILL soon, Mhahahahaha!! Whoah! Calm down, J/k! *g*) will not suck my blood, because he isn't stupid. He knows I would kill him sooner than he could say 'You will be my dinner'. Oh, and yes, go on, slap Thranduil all you want! He is an idiot, but I am sure he will have trouble explaining THIS to Elrond. Serves him right. Moron. *g* And yes. *sighs* You were right, of course. 'The Hulk' was the most idiotic movie I have seen in a long, _long_ time. And that means something, it was even worse than "The Scorpion King". No, wait, I think that one was just as bad. *g*
Zam - *wide-eyed* Uhm ... jeez ... I mean, who'd have thought ... are you alright? *backs away slowly* I never actually SAID that I would kill him, did I? I mean, he _could_ make it out alive, okay? Hold on to that thought, will ya? You're scaring me here ... more than usually, I mean... *g* Uhm, and I cannot kill Glónduil since he isn't even here - but perhaps he will be in the next story. And Seobryn is too ... young to die? Uhm, that was lame, I admmit that, but I can only kill people I like, and I don't like him that much. That doesn't make much sense, does it? But I think about not killing him, okay? I don't want a dead animal in my closet, after all...
*giggles* I really don't think that it was a good idea to push Rivendell off that cliff, really! Elrond most certainly won't be happy... *g* *reads poem* That was ... uhm ... *notices dark glare that Zam shoots her* ... beautiful! Really! I mean, a piece of art! Wonderful!! And don't you think all that making Celylith part of the horde was a good idea? *shrugs* It's your horde, so... *g*
Alexa - You like Celylith too, then? As I said, I'll think about not killing him, okay? LOL, well I love seeing them hurt, so I would never miss a chance to mention the injuries! *evil grin* Don't tell me, that makes me a weird, sick person... *g*
Arwen-Evenstar - *blushes* Great you like it! And that's what I would have in Legolas place, let Misien drug him, I mean. Aragorn can be soooo stubborn at times... *g* Well, I hope this was soon enough to get you off the edge of your seat? Thanks one again for all your reviews!
Gwyn - Aww, come now, that was NOT a cliffy, not really, anyway! And this one certainly isn't! Is it? And come on! Here is the next chapter, so: Admit it! You actually _like_ me, right? Admit it! And let me tell you one thing: If only one of the loonie... uhm, I mean readers of course, if only one of them gets through, I will stop writing altogether! I will! *g*
Alex Mistress Squirrel - Well, your screenname is at least something you won't forget so soon! I'm glad you like the chapters, hope this one is okay as well? Thanks for reviewing!
Seveawen - Yeah, well, I wouldn't know about Bruce Almighty, since I was stupid enough to watch "The Hulk". That was a mistake, and I admit it. *sheepish grin* *nervous smile* You are feeling well, aren't you? But okay, SURE you will marry Seobryn and have lots of little human kids. Suuuuuuure, hold on to that thought. Well, 'hysterical' is a good word to describe that feeling too, I guess - knowing you, a very fitting word... *evil grin*
MidnightWolf - Well, you have to admit, you were scared too if a crazy elf pinned you to the wall while his friend threatened to eat you! I would be! LOL, I like the sound of that! Legolas: Tell me or my friend will eat you! Celylith: Eat _that_? Are you crazy? No way! Not before he has washed!! *giggles* That'd be very funny indeed... Oh, and Aragorn will get him back, in ch 16, that is. You'll have to wait a bit... *g*
LeggyLover03 - *nods* Oh yes, you definitely are. Bloodthirsty, I mean. But hey, so are 99,9% of the people here, so it doesn't really matter, does it? *g*
Imbefaniel - Well, you _definitely_ can have Legolas, since I most certainly don't want him. Go ahead, have fun! *g* I always like Gil-galad, I always have to think of that sad poem in FOTR "Gil-galad was an elven king, of him the harpers sadly sing..." *sniffs* So sad. And sure I know Blind Guardian, and since they definitely are NOT my favourite band, I still like the CD. 'Nightfall' isn't bad. *g*
Cestari - *reads her suggestion* I like it! Really! Though I think that the Hulk bit was a bit too evil, even for the 'Fox'. Believe me, no-one deserves _that_! Glad you liked that last chapter, I hope you'll like this one as well! Thanks for your reviews!
Alilacia - *grins as well* Nope, he definitely shouldn't have attacked the ranger. That's always a mistake, but the evil dudes are just too stupid to get that, you're right... *g* Eeep! That's horrible, the bit with your vein and all that! I told you, I'm afraid of needles, and now I will _never_ be able to give blood, thank you very much! *g* Oh, and believe me, Celylith WILL get hurt. Either that or he will die. *shrugs* Don't tell me, I'm evil. *evil grin* Yup, I definitely am.
Halo - Oh, so you LIKE Celylith too? Who'd have thought? Ah well, you know, I never DID promise you not to kill him, that must have been a misunderstanding... But I'll think about it, okay? Sorry, but no guarantees... *evil grin*
LOTRFaith - I hate burns too. They are horrible and painful and ugly and did I mention painful? *evil grin* Guess I did... But I love doing the things I hate to my poor ickle ranger, and I still have to have him wrench his knee... *evil cackle*
ShadowWarrior - *g* I have to admit, an angry Legolas is a sight to behold, unless he's angry at you, that is... And well, I guess I really should start an official Celylith Fan club, huh? Well, you're right, of course - he IS adorable! *huggles heavily resisting elven warrior* Great you like uit so much! Thanks for the review!
Critternut - Uhm, your friends say you have evil eyes? That's ... interesting... *g* Well, if you aren't back till the 11th you won't read that right now, but in two days! I can wait that long! *smiles*
Lina - Uhm, I really hate to disappoint you, Lina, but it - was - not - his - fault! Really, I promise you... And as I said in a lot of replies, I don't know yet whether to kill Celylith or not, but believe me, if I do, I will move somewhere where you can't find me, like Antartica or China or something... *g* LOL at the cloak! I am sure Celylith appreciates it... 'Mama-Lina's gonna make it all better'? Well, yes, you could say so, it was probably because of _you_ that Lomar killed himself! *g* ROTFL!! 'CATCH ME BABY, I'M ALL YOURS!'??? Lina, you have a serious problem, you really do... *adopts wide-eyed stare of near panic* I am sorry ... for your bosom ... really Lina, I am... so glad you fed Celylith and saved Aragorn too ... Éomer! Get that nut case away from me! She's INSANE!!!!!
Maranwe - Well, great you liked the "Count Celylith" bit so much, but please, don't die of laughter either! Then who would send me lovely reviews! *g* If you like long chapters, you're right here, because I seem to be unable to produve chapters that are shorter than 15 pages. I don't know why either, it's a curse. Oh, and we will see Aragorn's "revenge" for being drugged in chapter 16. Poor Legolas... *g*
A Person - *g* Cool screenname! And what do you mean, I and my cliffhangers? That wasn't a cliffy, well, not really, actually! But this one most definitely isn't! *snorts* The elves and do anything stupid? Never.... *g* Thanks for the review!
Grumpy - Well, I don't know really... There are actually quite a lot of people out there who want to take care of Aragorn... Cathy, Carrie, Trin, me - lots of people! *g* Besides, he has Celylith and Legolas looking after him, what more could a ranger want? Uhm, that did sound soooooo wrong... *g*
Stacee Phelps - *nods* I updated. And see, I even did it again! And of course Aragorn is okay, as I said before: I am neither stupid nor suicidal, I would never kill him ... I think... *evil grin* Oh, and the 'bloody' revenge is coming in chapter 16, so you have to wait for a bit, I'm afraid... *huggles Stacee* Thanks for all your reviews! I love them, thanks!
Amelie - *blushes* What poem? I have no idea what you're taliking about... No, but really, I am sorry, but I don't think I will put it in here. That is one of the things I will never learn, composing poems in English, I mean. Sorry, but I wouldn't be worth reading, really. Thanks for all your complimetns though, and tight now I am trying not to kill Celylith, which I really, _really_ want to do right now. *sighs* I'll try not to do it, but... *g*
CrazyLOTRfan - *hangs head* Sorry, no, no cliffy, and there are a few chapters without, I'm afraid. No real life-or-death cliffies, anyway, sorry... *sad smile* Yes, you're right! Celylith is my personal bodyguard/vampire now, so don't flame me for my lack of cliffies! *hopeful sparkle in eyes* You mean the American could want a Nili Day? That would be fantastic!!
Salara - Neid, meine Liebe? Als ob IHR es nicht schaffen wuerdet, unsere Lieblinge in Schwierigkeiten zu bringen! 'Forschungszentrum für die Regeneration menschlichen Gewebes'? *rot werd* Uhm, nun, dann weisst du auch wahrscheinlich, dass meine Behandlungsmethoden nicht ganz echt sind? Ich meine, ich weiss, dass man solceh Brandwunden eigentlich nicht verbindet und auch nicht mit Salbe beschmiert, aber - es passte in die Story. Kuenstlerishce Freiheit, genau... Und Recht hast du, ich quaele wirklich, was ich liebe, aber da ich auch fair bin, kommen Legolas und Co. auch nicht zu kurz. Oh, und WvdvW: Ich hasse ihn! ir mussten ein GANZES von seinen dummen Gedichten auswendig lernen!! Furchtbar!! Uhm, und um den 'Fox' wuerd' ich mir keine Gedanken machen, der kommt diese Geschichte nicht mehr vor - allerdings hast du mich gerade mit einem boesen Plot Bunny fuer Geschichte #4 versorgt... Mhahahah! *reibt sich die Haende*
Firnsarnien - No, don't worry, for the next time there won't be any cliffies, I think. I don't know, perhaps again in chapter 17 or something, we'll see. And I agree, I wouldn't want to meet Celylith and Legolas either when they're angry... *g* Thanks for the review! I missed you!
LOTRMatrixStarwarsfan - No, he would probably not drink man blood, I'll give you that, but there are vampires mentioned somewhere in Tolkien's stories/letters/whatever, so there _are/were_ vampires there. LOL, they're forming some sort of pattern? That's an interesting way to see it, but I think you're right... *g* I'm sorry about the survey, I really would have liked to help!
TrinityTheSheDevil - Yup, someone out there hates us. I think it's Aragorn because we do all those horrible things to him... Well, I would like to tell you that you can kidnap Celylith, but I'm afraid that Zam has already done that. He lives in her closet now. Sorry. *g* And I did never say that he would be whipped, did I? I haven't planned that far yet, so perhaps, but probably not, sorry. I have other things in mind for him though... *g*
Marbienl - FF.net hates us, I just know it does... *g* LOL, you your poster came off the wall? That would scare me too, I think... And Celylith wasn't trying to say that Estel was fat or anything, really! It just sounded wrong, okay, he didn't mean it, really! And I think that Estel is by now recovered from the skull fracture, it's been 2-3 months now! Well, let me tell you one thing: If I awoke after being tortured by stupid evil dude to find a spider rubbing itself against my face, I would drop dead! Really, I would! And as I said: Celylith might be fine. But then again, he might not... *evil grin* Oh, and I definitely love long reviews! You can keep sending them! Please??? *g*
NaughtyNat - Well, 'The Hulk' most certainly did NOT rock. I hated it, in fact, and I don't know yet if I will watch 'Pirates of the Carribean'. Hmm, I probably will, since it has Johnny Depp. He is perfect... *sighs* Well, English is an easy language to learn, that's true... but I learnt it for 7 years at school, so I should be able to speak it a bit, shouldn't I? You're drinking Orangensaft? Well, that's ... good, I guess... *g* Glad you liked the chappie!
TigerLily713 - Well, you certainly shouldn't, should you? I mean, if you have a death wish, sure, go ahead, but otherwise... *g* Thanks for all your reviews, again!!
Alisha - Awww.... *hangs head* A short review is better than no review, you're right. And it's not THAT short, so I'll be happy. Yay! *grins happily* It would be 'interesting to see how he reacts to pain'? Alisha, really! Shame on you! You are blood-thirsty!! Poor Celylith, but don't worry: I will either kill him or do something equally horrible to him, so you should get your chance to see just that... *g* Thanks for the 'short' review, I always love your reviews! Really!
ManuKu - Glaub mir, die meisten dieser Szenen entstehen wirklich, wenn ich schlechte Laune habe... *g* Man koennte wohl sagen, dass der 'Fox' genug Mut hatte, um ihnen Auskunft zu geben - vielleicht war er aber auch ganze einfach nicht lebensmuede. ICH wuerde mich ganz sicher nicht mit denen anlegen! *stellt sich Legolas und Celylith als Guter Cop - Boeser Cop vor* Ja, das koennte man wohl sagen - abgesehen davon ist's 'ne interessante Vorstellung... *g* *guckt schnell auf ihren gerahmten Leitsatz* Neeeeeeeinn, so was habe ich doch nicht... niemals... *g*
As I have mentioned before, I _love_ reviews! A huge Thank you to all my reviewers!! We lovess you, we doesss, precioussss... *g*
A/N:
Wow, calm down, folks! I never said I was actually going to KILL Celylith, now did I? *shoots nervous glances at Zam Kenobi* I don't say that I haven't toyed with the idea, because I have, quite often to be honest, but I haven't decided yet what to do with him. So, he might get away with an injury or a little bit of torture, but then again, he might just as well end as Nólad II. No guarantees, sorry. *evil grin*
Very well, now that's settled, time for another announcement:
I will be visiting my friends in England between the 30th of July and the 1st of September. Yes, I know what you're thinking: Again? Can't she just stay in her own country, for crying out loud?
The answer to that is that I love England and my friends, and that I need a vacation. Anyway, before you begin to threaten me with sharp, pointy objects: I want to get me a laptop in the next few weeks, and if I do, I will probably be able to keep posting. I don't know whether I will still be able to do it as frequently as now, but I'll try. So, no need to panic, right? *g* Okay then.
Oh, and for all who wondered: "The Hulk" is a really, really, _really_ dumb movie. The story was stupid, the actors looked embarassed at being in the whole thing in the first place and what annoyed me to no end was that that stupid green person was jumping around like a giant kangaroo all the time!! *takes a deep breath* Really stupid and nothing but a waste of money.
Okay, once I am able to free Celylith from Zam's wardrobe, we will have the next chapter, in which the poor guys finally get a break. They really need that from time to time, don't you think? *g*
Have fun and review, please!
Chapter 13
"Are you serious?"
Aragorn raised a dark eyebrow, looking at his elven friend intently, searching for any signs that would indicate that Legolas was joking.
"I am," the elven prince nodded, ignoring Celylith's grin. He had in fact asked the 'Fox' the exact same thing yesterday evening.
Aragorn turned to the only other occupant of the room, wincing slightly when he moved his left arm.
"Is he serious?"
"He is," the silver haired elf said, a smile beginning to spread over his features. These two were really too much alike sometimes.
"But Legolas, please!" the young ranger exclaimed, shaking his head slightly, one hand already beginning to sneak up to fiddle with the bandage there. Legolas' hand shot out and grabbed the human's wrist, pressing it down. The dark haired man glowered at the prince. "He told you a fairy tale to keep you happy, that's all."
"Oh, no," Legolas shook his head, smiling mirthlessly. "He most certainly did not, my friend. He was too afraid that Celylith would eat him to lie to us."
Aragorn did a double-take, blinking slowly. He didn't even want to know, he decided after a second, he just didn't want to know. Slowly he was beginning to understand why his father didn't even bother to listen to their stories; not knowing certainly had its advantages.
"I see," he mumbled quietly, giving both elves dubious looks. "So you believe him?"
"Yes," Legolas nodded and added, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, "The reason why everybody in this town wants to kill us is," he injected a dramatic pause and grinned at his companions, "a buried treasure!"
Aragorn simply snorted, leaning back into his pillows.
"Come now, Legolas, that is the stupidest thing I have heard in a long time!"
"No, Aragorn, think about it," Legolas said, turning serious again. "It explains a lot, actually. You said yourself that all men desire money. And it would explain why Gwemyr disappeared so quietly."
"But, Legolas! A treasure! What kind of treasure? And where? Whom does it belong to?"
The fair haired elf sat back into his chair, grimacing slightly.
"I don't know all the answers to these questions myself."
"Well, what do you know?" Aragorn asked exasperatedly. Sometimes the elvish habit of avoiding questions or only answering in riddles became most annoying indeed, even to him. Besides, his chest hurt fiercely, as did his head, but he would most certainly not tell Legolas. His friend would only use that for an excuse to drug him again, and sleeping for an entire day was more than enough in his opinion.
Legolas hadn't missed the undertone in the human's voice, and he leaned forward again, a suspicious look in his eyes.
"How do you feel?"
"I'm fine," Aragorn sighed a little bit too quickly, refusing to meet his friend's gaze.
The elven prince merely snorted. Snorting, Aragorn decided, was one of his father's habits that was slowly but surely threatening to get out of control. Every person or more precisely elf that was spending any time in the Lord of Rivendell's company was quickly adopting that particular trait. It was quite unsettling, really.
Celylith gave the young human an evil look.
"That would be 'fine'-fine, I presume?"
Aragorn returned the glare in kind but didn't answer. He looked up alarmed when Legolas nodded at his elven friend who in turn quickly began to mix yet another foul potion in a goblet. He was beginning to hate that goblet, he decided.
"No," he stated flatly, locking eyes with the elven prince.
"No what, human?" Legolas asked, obviously enjoying this opportunity to mother his friend immensely.
"No, I am not drinking that," the ranger shook his head, looking stubbornly at his friends.
"Yes, you are," Legolas smiled at the man, but there was a steely glint in his gaze.
"No, I'm not."
"Yes, you ar…"
"Elbereth!" Celylith exclaimed, rolling his eyes at them. "You are adults, both of you!" He turned to Aragorn, forcing the cup into his hands. "Stop being so difficult and just drink it!" The young ranger opened his mouth to protest, and so he added, "I have to change the bandages, and this will dull your senses. There is no need for you to go through this kind of pain. I promise it will not send you to sleep."
Inwardly, he added,
'Not instantly, anyway.'
That was true enough, he thought with a mental shrug. Well, yes, maybe the potion made humans sleepy, but that little detail would just have slipped his mind.
Aragorn scowled at the two elves, staring with hateful eyes at the cup in his right hand. He would get them for this, one of these days he was going to get them…
"Fine," he snapped finally, taking a sip of the concoction. "But only if you tell me what the 'Fox' told you, and I mean word by word. Otherwise I will not touch it again, and not even the Valar could convince me!"
Legolas couldn't quite hide a smile when he imagined Aragorn argue with Manwë and Varda, the greatest amongst the Kings and Queens of the Valar. He could just imagine the ranger shaking his head no while the greatest of the Valar tried to make him understand that he really, really needed to take his medicine.
"Alright," he agreed, putting his hand under the base of the cup and forcing the man to empty it. "I will tell you."
Celylith was already beginning to unpack his healing utensils, rummaging through his pack searching for the salve Lord Elrond had left behind. He grabbed a small pile of bandages and put them next to the marigold lotion he had brewed yesterday morning while the young ranger had been sleeping.
While he was still readying his things, waiting for the potion to take effect, he listened to Legolas' voice that was beginning to recount what they had done yesterday evening, going to great lengths to describe the way they had 'convinced' the 'Fox' to tell them all that he knew.
A few minutes later, Aragorn asked, trying to suppress the laughter that was threatening to overtake him,
"You … you threatened to drink his blood?"
Celylith looked up from the bandages and grinned, the cut on his forehead already fading.
"Well, I haven't had any since those prisoners we took when we brought you back to the palace." He grinned even more broadly when he saw the wide-eyed look on the human's face. "You didn't really think we turned them over to the Men of Dale, did you?"
"You are scary," Aragorn stated seriously, shaking his head. "Really scary. Even I believed you there for a second."
"I told you the 'Fox' hadn't lied to us," Legolas grinned at him. "After that he was most forthcoming, in fact."
"What exactly did he say?" Aragorn leaned forward, almost not noticing that Celylith was carefully beginning to unwrap the bandages that wound around his torso. He knew that Legolas was talking to him to keep him distracted, and to be perfectly honest, he didn't even mind.
The elven prince turned serious, frowning when he tried to remember what exactly the man had told them.
"Well, as I said, he claimed that this is all about a treasure. He didn't know what kind of treasure, only that the late Drabo started talking about it; that was about two weeks ago. They apparently got drunk together, and then Drabo started boasting about how he and his friends would become rich very soon, without having to do anything about it."
Legolas grimaced in disgust before he continued.
"Apparently, the 'Fox' listened closely to what Drabo had to say, and according to him, that wasn't that much either. He only said that Gwemyr knew of a treasure that would serve to make them all rich men, and that he knew the way there. The 'Fox' told his employer, who in turn approached Master Gwemyr and his friends with a business proposal: He would give them money, horses and provisions and would provide guards, and they would in turn hand over a part of what they'd find. He claims that Gwemyr accepted, because he and his friends were loath to ask their families for money."
"So he did leave on his own account?" Aragorn asked, keeping his face carefully neutral while Celylith was cleaning the already healing burns. His father's salve was really doing wonders for the burns, but if this was what it felt like when his senses were dulled, then he would hate to experience it undrugged.
"More or less," Legolas answered, thoughtfully. "The 'Fox's' employer was apparently rather persistent that they didn't inform their families. That the men came here and asked questions should avert suspicion from their master, and it did, as you will remember. But there's more."
"Yes?" the young ranger asked through clenched teeth, fighting the very tempting urge to beat his head against the mattress to deal with the pain. He was sure that Celylith did what he could, but right now he longed for nothing more than be home in his own bed and to hear the soothing voice of his father and the bad jokes of his brothers.
The silver haired elf stopped his ministrations and looked at him worriedly.
"Estel? I am sorry for causing you pain, but this has to be done. Would you like a sleeping potion that…"
At the grim look the human shot him he fell silent and shrugged lightly.
"As you wish. I will try to get this over with as quickly as possible."
"Aragorn?" Legolas asked worriedly as well, and the young ranger had to bite back a sarcastic remark. He hated it when people spoke his name as if he might shatter if they talked a bit more loudly.
"I'm fine," he said flatly, not caring whether he was believed or not. "Please, go on."
The elven prince shot him an dubious look but complied.
"Well, as I said, they weren't allowed to inform their families. But the 'Fox' told us that his employer has other plans for them as well. The guards that has been sent with Gwemyr and his friends have the orders to kill them once they have led them to the hiding place."
"Nobody would know," Aragorn nodded and hid a sigh of relief when Celylith was beginning to rewrap his chest, doing his best to stop his body from shaking. Staying awake was becoming more difficult by the second, and he was beginning to suspect that it had been a sleeping potion after all.
One of these days, he decided again, he was going to get Celylith for those accursed concoctions of his. One day soon, very soon.
"Precisely," the fair haired elf agreed, nodding his head. "Owaeran's competitor would get all without doing anything for it. A treasure without having to look for, dig for it, endanger oneself for it. It is perfect. Apparently worth dying for, and worth killing for."
"And what about the … other group?" Aragorn asked, wincing inwardly at the memories these words conjured. "Did he say anything about them?"
Celylith fastened the end of the last bandage and shook his head.
"No, even though I was looking very hungry at that point. All he could tell us was that there had been a group of men in the town at about the same time that had been asking more or less the same questions we did. He didn't know where they came from or even how many there were, but they disappeared about eight days ago after they had shown a special interest in the good Master Drabo. Two days later, his body showed up in the lake."
"So," Aragorn said quietly, forcing his mind back to the present, "What do we do now? Do you know where this treasure is supposed to be or whom it belongs to?"
"Yes and no," Legolas nodded, smiling grimly. "The 'Fox' told us that he didn't know whose treasure it was, and he didn't seem to care either. That was the reason he was so afraid of elves, by the way, he thought we had come to claim the treasure for our own." He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "But he told us where it was, or at least what he knew." He paused slightly before adding, "He claims it is near Dale."
"Dale," Aragorn mumbled, finding that his eyes were beginning to slide shut. Prying them open, he glared at Celylith before turning to look at the elven prince. "When do we leave?"
"Leave?" Legolas exclaimed, looking at the young human as if he had just told him that he wanted to become a hermit and would go and live in a shed in the Misty Mountains from now on. "Leave? You are not going anywhere!"
"Legolas," Aragorn said quietly, forcing his tired brain to co-operate, "We cannot let them kill these men! We have got to try and help them, and only Ilúvatar knows what will happen if the third group arrives on the scene."
"Help them so you can get into even more trouble," Celylith muttered, shaking his head. He turned to Legolas. "Please, my lord, do not listen to him! He is weak and in pain and is not thinking clearly, that much is obvious. I will not return to the king dragging your bodies behind! Please, just send a message to the King of Dale and let them take care of this! This is none of our business."
The elven prince turned to his friend, an eyebrow arched incredulously.
"None of our business? Have you already forgotten what they have done to Aragorn?"
The aforementioned human rolled his eyes in annoyance, battling with the sleepiness that was threatening to cloud his senses. If he hated one thing, then it was being spoken about as if he wasn't even in the same room.
"I don't want any of us to get into trouble because of me."
"Well, I do!" Legolas shot back, eyes gleaming with a hidden fire. "I will not let them get away with this! They will pay, every single one of them! Of course it is our business! We will leave as soon as you are healthy enough."
Aragorn only snickered sleepily while Celylith rolled his eyes, muttering in frustration, and Legolas realised that he had just contradicted his own statement. Cursing himself for his own stupidity, he hastily added,
"And I mean healthy enough, reckless human. You will rest and stay in bed and drink the medicine we give you, or I will send you back to the palace with Celylith."
"What?" Celylith exclaimed, eyes wide and unbelieving.
"You wouldn't," Aragorn mumbled, already on the verge of sleep. "You couldn't make me if I don't want to, stubborn elf."
"Yes, I could and I would," Legolas confirmed, ignoring his elven friend's indignant spluttering, "If you are rested enough we can leave in a few days."
"The day after tomorrow," Aragorn corrected, his voice already so soft that the elves could hardly understand him.
"In a few days," the fair haired elf repeated and pulled his friend's covers up his chin. "Now sleep."
The young ranger only smiled slightly as his breathing evened out and he fell back asleep, and Legolas leaned back in his armchair. As rewarding a task as drugging the man was, he would have to be careful during the next few days. Aragorn hated being drugged with a passion, and there was no telling what he would do once he was strong enough to stand on his own feet again.
Celylith's voice drew him out of his thoughts.
"You were not serious, were you?"
Legolas shook his head and raised his eyes to meet his friend's.
"I was, Celylith. Somebody needs to inform my father of our plans, otherwise he will really send a guard corps after us, and I really would like to prevent that. You must go."
The silver haired elf shook his head, and Legolas was taken aback by the stubborn glint in the other's eyes.
"No."
"No?" he asked incredulously. Never before had Celylith disobeyed one of his orders, if one ignored the spider incident a few weeks before, that was.
"No," Celylith repeated, narrowing his eyes. "I cannot do that, my lord, I am sorry. I have promised the king not to let yourself or the ranger get killed, and I will keep that promise. And I cannot protect the two of you if you go alone to yet another human town where probably even more persons will want to kill you! I will not allow that."
"Celylith…" Legolas began, but he was quickly interrupted by the firm voice of his childhood friend.
"No, Legolas. I will not leave, and you cannot order me to. Please do not make me break a promise to your father. I would rather die myself than return to him bearing the news of your death."
The fair haired elf studied his friend's resolute face for a moment before he sighed deeply.
"Very well then. I assume I really could use help to keep an eye on that reckless human."
Celylith grinned at him, obviously relieved he wouldn't have to defy his friend's commands.
"Only on him, my friend? I distinctly remember having to fish you out of the lake not too long ago."
"Really?" Legolas retorted, smiling slightly. "I cannot remember that…" He turned serious again and looked at his elven friend. "If you do not go to inform my father, then who will? We have to tell ada, otherwise he will inform Lord Elrond and both of them will be coming after us. If we are unlucky they might even bring Glorfindel and the twins."
Celylith shuddered slightly at the mere thought. That would be horrible indeed.
"Well, my lord, I am sure you will think of something. You are the prince, after all."
"Oh, now I am the prince?" Legolas asked teasingly.
"You always are, Legolas," the silver haired elf replied seriously. "And therefore it is my duty to protect you as well as I am able, and I intend to do just that, or die trying." He looked at his prince, blue eyes dark as night. "And it would be well worth it."
Legolas smiled at his friend, gratitude and annoyance in his gaze.
"Thank you, Celylith," he said, reaching out of put a hand on the other elf's shoulder. "I know you would, my friend, I know. I realise that I don't make it very easy on you either, but I am perfectly capable of looking after myself. Now that we know what we are up against, Estel and I will be fine, you'll see."
Celylith look at him with serious eyes, a frown creasing his brow.
"I hope so, Legolas. I pray to the Valar that you are right, for if this was only the beginning, I seriously doubt that any of us will live to see the next spring."
Later that same day, Legolas sat in Owaeran's study, looking calmly at the man that was staring at him as if he had just turned into a cave troll and back.
After another minute or two which Legolas had used to count the wooden panels behind the man's back – twenty-six, to be exact – the blonde man regained his ability to speak and promptly used it.
"Are you insane?" he exclaimed and added after a heartbeat's pause rather hastily, "Prince Legolas." He took a deep breath and continued. "Please, my lord, you cannot be serious! You will get yourselves killed!"
Another horrifying thought occurred to him.
"And I would have to inform your father!"
"No, you wouldn't, Master Human," Legolas explained patiently, asking himself dryly if his father was truly so fearsome that the mere mention of his name turned most beings into quivering heaps on the ground. "I will find a way to notify him myself. Don't you want to help your brother?"
Owaeran's eyes seemed to light up angrily at that.
"Of course I wish to! How dare you even suggest that I would not? I love my brother, and nothing he does could make me abandon him, despite what you obviously want to imply…"
"Peace, Master Owaeran," the elf raised his hands in an appeasing gesture. "I did not mean to insult you or your brother, please forgive me if I have. I meant no offence."
The elderly human ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
"No, please forgive me, Master Elf. I am angry and afraid for Gwemyr, I did not think before speaking. Of course I want to help my brother, but I don't want you to get hurt in the process. This does not concern you."
"There you err," Legolas replied and leaned forward slightly, his eyes boring into the trader's. "It does concern me. It became a concern to Mirkwood the moment I heard about various groups stirring up unrest so close to our borders. It became a concern to us the moment we heard that there had been people murdered for none other reason than because they knew your brother. And it became a concern to me personally the moment my friends were attacked. I do not suffer my friend to be hurt. Those responsible will pay for their actions, and I will certainly not allow them to hurt others as well!"
"But … but…" Owaeran spluttered, not even knowing why he even tried to argue with this elf. The prince was so much like his father, the King of Mirkwood, that it was almost scary, the same quick temper, the same pride and the same stubbornness. He almost buried his face in his hands. Why couldn't King Thranduil just keep his offspring in his woods where it belonged?
"My lord," the human began cautiously, "I understand your motives, and of course I do not want to see my brother or anyone else hurt, but you should reconsider. You have already gone through more than enough only because of my brother's folly."
"As I said, Master Owaeran," the fair haired elf shook his head slightly, "It is too late for that now. The decision is made; we will leave in a few days, if that is acceptable for you."
The man closed his eyes and counted slowly to five, suppressing the urge to scream. He wanted to help his brother of course, he wanted to prevent anyone else from getting hurt, but what he did not want was explain to the Elvenking that his son and his two companions had died because of his, Master trader Owaeran's brother. His mortal brother, his human brother, his brother that would be responsible for robbing the king of his immortal son and heir.
"There is no way to dissuade you from this course of action then?" he asked, opening his eyes again.
"None," the prince confirmed with a thin smile.
Owaeran clenched his teeth and inwardly cursed the House of Oropher and the elven race in general. If there were more irritating beings in Middle-Earth, which he doubted, by the way, he had never met them. Elves could be incredibly haughty and infuriating, not to mention so stubborn that it astounded him time and again, even after all these years of trading with the wood-elves.
"I am not in the least surprised," he managed with a forced smile, sighing in defeat. "When do you wish to leave?"
"In two to three days, I think," Legolas replied, hiding a smile. That human was on the verge of strangling him, he was sure of it. "It depends on how quickly the ranger will be well enough to travel."
"How is he?" Owaeran leaned forward, placing both of his hands on the desktop, either in an attempt to calm himself or restrain himself from strangling the stubborn elf in front of his desk.
"As well as can be expected," the blonde elf replied and smiled slightly. "He is already complaining about the bandages, the medicine, about having to stay in bed, about being treated like a child…"
The man chuckled quietly.
"That sounds very much like my daughter when she gets sick. He is still young, and young ones are the same everywhere, I think."
"That they are, Master Human," Legolas nodded and made a mental note to tell Aragorn that he had just been compared to a seventeen-year-old girl. That should garner an … interesting reaction, that much was sure.
"I will provide you with provisions, of course," Owaeran added thoughtfully, obviously already planning their journey. "Do you think you will find our way to Dale or should I hire a guide for you?"
Legolas thought about it for a second before answering.
"Well, essentially all you have to do is follow the River Running upstream to Erebor, haven't you?"
"That is correct," the elderly man nodded. "Much of the destruction the dragon dealt out is already gone, and the lands are becoming fair and green as they once were. It can still be dangerous though, for some paths will lead you to a swift death if you are not careful."
"We will be fine," the fair haired prince stated firmly. "It has been some decades since I last set foot in the valley of Dale, but I think I will find my way there. Your offer is greatly appreciated though."
"That is the least I can do," the trader stated, inwardly adding that it might convince the woodland king that he had done everything in his power to help his son. He had no misguided notions of King Thranduil's reaction though, he would probably still order to have him thrown into the dungeons for the rest of his life. Thoughtfully, he muttered, "And I think I will have to chain Seobryn to the house. He is rather fond of you and especially the ranger. He will not be happy about being left behind."
"No," Legolas replied, rising from his seat and moving into the direction of the door after a small polite bow to the blonde man behind the desk. "He will not be. But is it more than enough to have one irresponsible, reckless youth with us, I will not take a second one with me. Besides, I do not think that he will be so averse to staying here, in my opinion he has come to treasure … your … company."
The blonde elf moved swiftly out of the room, an unreadable expression on his face, and Owaeran remained behind, asking himself three things.
First, why the elf thought that Strider was the only reckless, irresponsible being in the group, second, what in the name of the One he had meant by that last remark, and third, what he, Owaeran, had done to deserve all this.
Seobryn was not happy, that much was true. In fact, he was rather unhappy, not to say extremely irritated.
He tried to argue with Aragorn and even the two elves during the next two days, and not even the thought of spending the next few weeks with Seveawen – with whom he was now on speaking terms, much to everyone's surprise – could cheer him up. In the end, it was the duty that bound him to Owaeran as his apprentice that convinced him to stay behind, and even that he did highly unwillingly.
But Legolas stayed firm; he refused to go to Dale with two reckless young men, and to that opinion he held, even though it earned him a snicker from Celylith every time he mentioned it and deadly glares from Aragorn and Seobryn.
Aragorn was, as expected of course, the most annoying patient one could imagine, and Legolas found himself hard-pressed not to drug his friend again. The healing burns hurt and itched, his aching head threatened to explode on his shoulders and his whole body twitched from lying still in a bed the whole time, or so the young ranger claimed.
Celylith was very glad that Legolas head was almost healed, even though his ribs were still giving him some trouble. There was no way he would be able to deal with both of them at once, he stated more than once.
It was on the day before their departure that Legolas and Celylith allowed the young man to get up, and they could stop hardly stop him from seizing this chance to escape them and their 'mothering attitude'. They caught up with him when he was about to sneak out of the house with Seobryn's help, who had obviously decided that he needed to aid the ranger since the two elves had an unfair advantage over him.
Glaring darkly at both of the young men, Legolas and Celylith dragged their human friend back to his room and forced him to lie down again, and Aragorn even complied rather quickly, feeling rather exhausted after his little escape attempt.
"But I almost made it," he stated gleefully, swatting Celylith's hand away that was trying to press the hated goblet with the pain killing drug into his hands. "Stop that please, I won't drink it this time. The burns are healed enough as it is."
The silver haired elf looked at his elven friend, who simply shrugged. If Aragorn wanted to have his bandages changed without the aid of pain-reducing potions, then he was welcome to try.
"You're a horror, Aragorn," Legolas stated, stopping himself from running his hand through his braided hair. Suddenly he understood very well how Lord Elrond and Hithrawyn had to feel all the time. "If you do that again, I swear I will send you back to Mirkwood."
The young man only snorted.
"You are just angry that it took you so long to catch up with me."
"But we did," Celylith stated firmly, unwrapping the linen strips that wound round the man's chest.
"I knew I shouldn't have asked Seobryn for help," Aragorn muttered, his eyes growing wide when the elf began to clean the burns. "He couldn't sneak up on a troll."
Legolas watched the stoic face of his friend, shaking his head. Of course the ministrations hurt the dark haired ranger, but he was too stubborn to admit that. Once again he asked himself how it was possible for one of the Second People to be so incredibly stubborn.
Just when he was about to tell his friend that he would take the potion, now, whether he liked it or not, a knock sounded on the door and a servant carefully peered inside the room.
"I am very sorry to disturb you, sirs, but there is an elf downstairs that wants to talk to all of you. He says he is being expected."
Legolas smiled at the man, giving an inward sigh of relief. So they had got the message, very good…
"Yes, indeed he is. Please, show him up here."
Aragorn blanched. That was the very last thing he wanted, to have a strange elf see him like this.
"Legolas, couldn't you…"
"No, dúnadan, I cannot. Anardir is an old friend, I know him from my warrior training. Besides, this is your fault, and do you know why?" His hand shot out with lightening fast reflexes to grab his human friend's right shoulder and pin it to the bed when the ranger couldn't suppress his body's reactions any longer and unconsciously jerked away from Celylith's touch. He gave the man an exasperated smile. "This is why. Had you only taken the potion, I could speak to Anardir downstairs. This way I will have to help Celylith and he will have to come here, young one."
Aragorn glared daggers at the grinning elf, all pain forgotten.
"Do not call me young! I am not young!"
"Yes, you are, Estel," Legolas replied laughing, tightening his grip on the young man's shoulder. "Now stop squirming, one could think that our dear friend Celylith here is trying to murder you."
Celylith looked up from where he was carefully applying a healing salve to the burns, which really looked much better already. He gave Aragorn his best Sadistic-mass-murderer-on-the-run-grin.
"Who, me?" he asked friendly, ignoring Legolas' pealing laughter. "Whatever gave you that idea, my lord?"
Aragorn glared at the silver haired elf.
"I had trusted you to be at least a bit more subtle."
Celylith grinned even more broadly at the indignant human, once again turning back to the task at hand when he heard the footsteps of the servant draw closer.
"Oh, but why ruin such an enjoyable thing with something as boring as subtlety?"
Aragorn's glare even darkened at that, if such a thing was even possible.
"You…"
Another soft knock on the door interrupted what had promised to become a rather inventive curse, and all three turned towards the door. The servant was back, followed by a tall, rather anxious looking elf with golden hair that swept down his back. The man excused himself while the elf bowed before Legolas, who had got up from the edge of the ranger's bed to greet him.
"My prince," the elf said respectfully, but his deferent tone changed quickly when he took a closer look at the fading mark at the side of the elven prince's head and the bruises and wounds that could clearly be seen on the young ranger's face and torso that was right now in the process of being re-bandaged by Celylith who sported a deep cut running across his forehead.
"I knew it!" he exclaimed, giving all three of them a reproachful look. As if to himself, he added, "Wonderful, there goes my favourite dagger." He remembered his manners and nodded at Aragorn and the other elf. "Strider. Celylith."
Legolas raised an eyebrow and sat down in his armchair, motioning the other elf to do the same.
"Anardir?"
"Oh, nothing, my lord," the other elf retorted. "Just a little discussion a friend of mine and I had earlier, nothing of great importance."
"I see," Legolas muttered unconvinced, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Did you all get here safely or is the river already frozen over?"
Anardir was one of the elves that spent most of their time travelling from Mirkwood and Lake-town and back, returning the empty barrels the merchants had brought back to the Lake-men. The barrels that were not needed anymore left the palace via a stream that joined the Forest River a little bit further away from the palace, for the river flowed under part of the palace and could be reached through large trapdoors in the cellars. The barrels that were thrown into the river were collected by elves a little bit downstream and, tied together and used as rafts, the wood-elves brought them back to their place of origin where they were eventually refilled and carted back to the halls of the woodland king.
"'Twas a safe, albeit rather uncomfortable journey, my lord," Anardir replied. "It was the last one this year using the rafts though, in a week the surface will be frozen solid. We will have to use the sledges then."
If the river was frozen, the elves used large sledges to bring the barrels downstream, a highly enjoyable pastime. Legolas resolved to do this once they were back at the palace; it was something he had always wanted to show his human friend.
"Very good," the elven prince nodded, a slightly calculating look stealing over his eyes. "My friend…" Legolas began.
Anardir almost winced inwardly. Legolas could be scary indeed if he wanted something from you, and he was rather sure that this was something King Thranduil wouldn't approve of. That brought him back to the condition the prince and the young ranger were in, and the wince turned into something of a whimper. If the king saw them in this shape, he would be … unhappy. Very unhappy, to say the least.
'I will not ask what happened, I will not ask what happened, I will not…'
"Anardir?" Legolas questioned again. He was beginning to get worried about the other elf; he was behaving very strangely today.
"Yes, my lord?" the golden haired elf retorted, forcing himself to look at his prince. "Please, do continue."
The other elf shot him an odd look, but began to speak again.
"My friend," Legolas once again began, "It is correct that you are returning home tomorrow?"
"Yes, your Highness," Anardir nodded, giving Celylith and Strider a cursory look. The silver haired elf had finished bandaging the other's wounds, and both were looking at him with a pitiful sparkle in their eyes that did not bode well for his future.
"Wonderful!" Legolas exclaimed and added so quickly that the others could hardly separate the words, "Then-you-won't-mind-informing-my-father-that-we-will-go-to-Dale-will-you? Thank-you-very-much-my-friend-I-knew-I-could-count-on-you."
The elven prince turned back to his friends as if this matter were closed, causing the golden haired elf to stare at him stunned. After a few seconds, Anardir had separated the words and assembled them into sentences that were slowly beginning to make horrifying sense.
"What?" he blurted out, jumping to his feet and looking at the three beings in front of him. "Yes! I mean no! I mean, there is no way I am telling him that!"
Legolas turned back to him, a sad smile on his lips, and Anardir realised with a heavy heart that he had already lost this fight. The fair haired elf would simply order him and that was it.
"I am sorry, Anardir, but it is of the utmost importance that we leave for Dale as soon as possible. That you and your men arrived here yesterday was but a lucky coincidence."
"Lucky?" the other elf asked incredulously, slight panic beginning to colour his thoughts now. "Lucky? Forgive me, my prince, but I cannot see at all what is lucky about all this! Do you know what the king will say? Do you know what the king will do?"
Legolas winced slightly. He could very well imagine that. He walked over to a small desk and picked up an envelope made of fine parchment, the clear, flowing Tengwar letters shining crisp and black against the yellowish paper. He handed it to Anardir who took it with a scared look on his fair face.
"Here," the prince explained, "Everything is explained in this letter. Tell the king that we are sorry and will return as soon as we can."
Anardir looked at the envelope with a sigh, trying very hard not to scream in frustration. This was not fair, Ilúvatar, it was not fair! Why him? What had he done? Suddenly the Grey Havens seemed like a very desirable place to be.
"As you command, my lord," he said, getting back to his feet and stopped himself from glaring darkly at the fair haired elf. Legolas was his prince, after all, so he owed him his obedience and respect. But still, he decided, as soon as the other elves and the ranger would have returned to Mirkwood, he would make them pay for this. He didn't know how yet, but he would think of something. Oh yes, he would…
Anardir bowed slightly and turned to the door, disappearing soundlessly out of the room. After a moment Aragorn began to grin and he turned to his elven friends.
"He was not happy," he stated, chuckling quietly. "Elbereth, rarely have I seen someone this mortified."
"I just wonder what he meant with 'There goes my favourite dagger'," Legolas wondered aloud.
At that Celylith began to laugh loudly, giving both of them sly looks. After a slap that Legolas had aimed at his forehead the silver haired elf managed to calm down slightly, and he leaned forward in his armchair, wiping tears of mirth out of his eyes.
"You mean you didn't know?" he asked, looking at both of them as if they had just stated that they wanted to move to Dol Guldur.
"Know what?" Aragorn and Legolas asked simultaneously.
Celylith began to chuckle again, but a warning glare from his prince caused him to calm down once more.
"The younger warriors have a … bet going, I'm afraid," he stated, looking as earnestly as he could. He didn't see a reason to mention that there were in fact more than one bet, and that he himself was participating in quite a few of them.
"A bet?" Legolas asked, both of his eyebrows moving into the direction of his hairline.
"Yes, my lord," Celylith confirmed. "It is about which of you will manage to get himself injured first. And who will end up dragging the other to the healers." He noticed the dark looks on his companions' faces and added hastily, "Or something like that. I don't rightly know, I am of course not interested in frivolities such as these."
"Of course not," Aragorn mumbled under his breath.
Celylith gave the man a dark look before he looked innocently at his elven friend.
"I think I will go to the stables and see how the horses are doing."
Before any of them could say a word, he had disappeared out of the door. Legolas turned to Aragorn, eyebrows still raised.
"A bet?" he asked incredulously. "A bet? I will have to have a word with them, I think… It is disrespectful to bet about such things! Not to mention that the warriors shouldn't bet about their superiors."
"If we had known sooner we could have placed a few bets ourselves," Aragorn muttered thoughtfully.
"What?" Legolas exclaimed, staring at the human in disbelief.
"It would be easy," the dark haired ranger insisted, leaning back against the wooden headrest. "You know, we could simply place a bet on me dragging you back to the palace and then…"
"Then what?" the elven prince asked, unconsciously shifting back in his armchair.
"Oh, you could have an accident or something," the young man shrugged, grinning at him evilly. "You know, just before we reached the gates you could fall off your horse or something similar. I would bring you back to the palace and we would have won."
"I do not fall off horses, human!" Legolas retorted, eyes flashing in mock anger. "You wouldn't dare."
"I wouldn't?" Aragorn asked, an amused smile playing about his lips. "Are you so sure about that?"
The fair haired elf shook his head as he got up and began to pack his bags for tomorrow's journey. He was just stuffing his spare tunics into one of the bags when he said,
"No, to be honest I am not. You are Elladan's and Elrohir's brother, after all. One can never be sure with you three, son of Elrond."
Legolas turned to his human friend and gave him a slight smile.
"Now rest before I knock you out myself. We will leave tomorrow, and I really do not want to pick you off the ground because you are too exhausted to stay on your horse."
Aragorn merely raised an eyebrow at that and leaned back into the pillows, turning serious.
"Do you really think there is a treasure?" he asked thoughtfully.
The elf put down the bags he had already packed and shrugged.
"I am not entirely sure, but it would explain a lot. I can understand Gwemyr's actions, and the 'Fox's' employer as well, to a certain degree, but I somehow cannot understand the third group."
"Why not?" the other asked, arching a dark eyebrow.
"They … they are not your typical treasure hunters," Legolas explained with a helpless shrug. "Believe me, my friend, I have seen many of them, and they are too … organised, I think. Besides, that … man in the warehouse," he glanced at Aragorn's carefully emotionless expression, and was interrupted by his friend's soft voice.
"Lomar," the young ranger said softly, closing his eyes.
Legolas winced and cursed himself for bringing up this topic, but knew better than to change the subject now. Aragorn would not appreciate this 'over-protective' behaviour.
"Lomar," he repeated quietly, inwardly cursing the man in all the tongues he knew for hurting his friend like this. "He killed himself." He looked at Aragorn's surprised face. "I forgot to tell you earlier, it seemed hardly important. He pushed the knife into his own heart, so afraid was he to get captured. He feared something or someone, Aragorn, and he feared it so much that he was willing to die rather than take the risk of being forced to tell us about it."
The elf looked at the young human with serious eyes.
"They are not normal treasure hunters, believe me. There is something more to this, and my heart tells me that it cannot be good."
"There I agree," Aragorn nodded slowly. He turned to the elf, silver eyes emotionless. "Then who or what do you think they are?"
"I don't know," Legolas answered, frowning in thought. "I don't know yet, but I have the rather distinct feeling that we are going to find out."
He looked at the young ranger, suppressing another feeling, namely that they were all going to get into real trouble before this was over.
TBC...
ada - father (daddy)
dúnadan - 'Man of the West', ranger
*sighs* And again, no cliffy! I think I have caught the 'be-nice-to-your-readers-virus' again, I think there are no decent cliffies for a few chapters now! I'm sorry about that, guys, really, but my alter ego's on vacation right now. *g* So, next chapter's going to be interesting, since ... *drums* ... Estel's finally talking about his nightmares! Not quite voluntarily, but hey, who cares... *evil grin* So, send me a review to get the chapter out sooner! It really works, try it out and see for yourselves! Please?
Additional A/N:
Coreinha - 'The brilliant reviewer'? Who are you talking about? I really don't know... *g* Okay, okay, only joking! Really! *gulps* 'Minor grammatical errors'? Where are they? Please tell me, I had the feeling that were a couple of things that sounded odd! I really hate it when that happens, but a few always slip through, I have no idea how they do it either... Hmm, and I kinda liked the other name better, but well, this one isn't bad either... *g*
Fliewatuet - *hangs head* Yeah, I know, but not even C&S update every day. So I don't have to either! Don't tell me, I know myself that that's a rather dumb logic... And yes, you could say that Legolas and Celylith grow a little bit wicked, but then again, frightening others can be lots of fun, too. Oh, I don't feel sorry for the 'Fox' either. He's stupid and evil and stupid and did I mention stupid? He deserved what he got. *nods* He did.
XsilicaX - Oh, come on, you LIKE the 'horrible pain' I've been putting your 'poor Estel' through. I know, I know, you would prefer Glorfindel, and I will see what I can do about that in the next story, okay? 'Major memory flashbacks and horrible nightmares in his future'? Uhm, let's just say that it's a possibility, okay? As in 'very likely'. And yes, I know that you don't want me to kill Celylith, and I promise I'll try not to. But there is this little voice in my head that urges me to, so... *g*
Reginabean - Exactly! I in fact love my cliffies, but I'll admit freely that it is probably a little bit different if you already know what will happen in the next chapter... A day camp? That sounds in fact very stressful... Don't work too much, and remember, humans DO need sleep from time to time... *g* Thanks for the review!
Nilbrethiliel - *heult* Natuerlich habe ich dich vermisst! Und wie! Ich habe vor lauter Trauer kein Auge mehr zutun koennen! Und ich bestehe drauf: Ich bin nicht boese - nur anders. Genau. *nickt* Das ist's. Ich bin noch am Leben, weil sie ganz genau wissen, dass sie lieber nicht hand an mich legen sollten - es sei denn, sie STEHEN auf torture session... *g*
Mouse - Yeah, well, Legolas was really rather ... uhm, let's say upset, shall we? *g* I'm glad you like the scene with the two elves in the end, I was rather afraid it had been too ... I don't know either, but I wasn't sure about it. *shrugs* And no, unfortunately I didn't watch Bruce Almighty, but believe me, I wish I had! The Hulk was just bad. *shudders* Really bad.
Elladan - *g* You check your mails every day to see if I have updated? Really? Well, you could just do it 4-5 days after the last post, then the odds are wuite good... If FF.net doesn't load it immediately, just put an 'a/' behind the link, so for example '...=chapter13a/'. That works most of the time. A useful little trick Coreinha told me some time ago, I am eternally in her debt for that! *g* Thanks a lot for all your revieww!
Carrie - Well, _some_ of us HAVE to post fast, don't they? *pointed look at Carrie* And no, Celylith (whom I will KILL soon, Mhahahahaha!! Whoah! Calm down, J/k! *g*) will not suck my blood, because he isn't stupid. He knows I would kill him sooner than he could say 'You will be my dinner'. Oh, and yes, go on, slap Thranduil all you want! He is an idiot, but I am sure he will have trouble explaining THIS to Elrond. Serves him right. Moron. *g* And yes. *sighs* You were right, of course. 'The Hulk' was the most idiotic movie I have seen in a long, _long_ time. And that means something, it was even worse than "The Scorpion King". No, wait, I think that one was just as bad. *g*
Zam - *wide-eyed* Uhm ... jeez ... I mean, who'd have thought ... are you alright? *backs away slowly* I never actually SAID that I would kill him, did I? I mean, he _could_ make it out alive, okay? Hold on to that thought, will ya? You're scaring me here ... more than usually, I mean... *g* Uhm, and I cannot kill Glónduil since he isn't even here - but perhaps he will be in the next story. And Seobryn is too ... young to die? Uhm, that was lame, I admmit that, but I can only kill people I like, and I don't like him that much. That doesn't make much sense, does it? But I think about not killing him, okay? I don't want a dead animal in my closet, after all...
*giggles* I really don't think that it was a good idea to push Rivendell off that cliff, really! Elrond most certainly won't be happy... *g* *reads poem* That was ... uhm ... *notices dark glare that Zam shoots her* ... beautiful! Really! I mean, a piece of art! Wonderful!! And don't you think all that making Celylith part of the horde was a good idea? *shrugs* It's your horde, so... *g*
Alexa - You like Celylith too, then? As I said, I'll think about not killing him, okay? LOL, well I love seeing them hurt, so I would never miss a chance to mention the injuries! *evil grin* Don't tell me, that makes me a weird, sick person... *g*
Arwen-Evenstar - *blushes* Great you like it! And that's what I would have in Legolas place, let Misien drug him, I mean. Aragorn can be soooo stubborn at times... *g* Well, I hope this was soon enough to get you off the edge of your seat? Thanks one again for all your reviews!
Gwyn - Aww, come now, that was NOT a cliffy, not really, anyway! And this one certainly isn't! Is it? And come on! Here is the next chapter, so: Admit it! You actually _like_ me, right? Admit it! And let me tell you one thing: If only one of the loonie... uhm, I mean readers of course, if only one of them gets through, I will stop writing altogether! I will! *g*
Alex Mistress Squirrel - Well, your screenname is at least something you won't forget so soon! I'm glad you like the chapters, hope this one is okay as well? Thanks for reviewing!
Seveawen - Yeah, well, I wouldn't know about Bruce Almighty, since I was stupid enough to watch "The Hulk". That was a mistake, and I admit it. *sheepish grin* *nervous smile* You are feeling well, aren't you? But okay, SURE you will marry Seobryn and have lots of little human kids. Suuuuuuure, hold on to that thought. Well, 'hysterical' is a good word to describe that feeling too, I guess - knowing you, a very fitting word... *evil grin*
MidnightWolf - Well, you have to admit, you were scared too if a crazy elf pinned you to the wall while his friend threatened to eat you! I would be! LOL, I like the sound of that! Legolas: Tell me or my friend will eat you! Celylith: Eat _that_? Are you crazy? No way! Not before he has washed!! *giggles* That'd be very funny indeed... Oh, and Aragorn will get him back, in ch 16, that is. You'll have to wait a bit... *g*
LeggyLover03 - *nods* Oh yes, you definitely are. Bloodthirsty, I mean. But hey, so are 99,9% of the people here, so it doesn't really matter, does it? *g*
Imbefaniel - Well, you _definitely_ can have Legolas, since I most certainly don't want him. Go ahead, have fun! *g* I always like Gil-galad, I always have to think of that sad poem in FOTR "Gil-galad was an elven king, of him the harpers sadly sing..." *sniffs* So sad. And sure I know Blind Guardian, and since they definitely are NOT my favourite band, I still like the CD. 'Nightfall' isn't bad. *g*
Cestari - *reads her suggestion* I like it! Really! Though I think that the Hulk bit was a bit too evil, even for the 'Fox'. Believe me, no-one deserves _that_! Glad you liked that last chapter, I hope you'll like this one as well! Thanks for your reviews!
Alilacia - *grins as well* Nope, he definitely shouldn't have attacked the ranger. That's always a mistake, but the evil dudes are just too stupid to get that, you're right... *g* Eeep! That's horrible, the bit with your vein and all that! I told you, I'm afraid of needles, and now I will _never_ be able to give blood, thank you very much! *g* Oh, and believe me, Celylith WILL get hurt. Either that or he will die. *shrugs* Don't tell me, I'm evil. *evil grin* Yup, I definitely am.
Halo - Oh, so you LIKE Celylith too? Who'd have thought? Ah well, you know, I never DID promise you not to kill him, that must have been a misunderstanding... But I'll think about it, okay? Sorry, but no guarantees... *evil grin*
LOTRFaith - I hate burns too. They are horrible and painful and ugly and did I mention painful? *evil grin* Guess I did... But I love doing the things I hate to my poor ickle ranger, and I still have to have him wrench his knee... *evil cackle*
ShadowWarrior - *g* I have to admit, an angry Legolas is a sight to behold, unless he's angry at you, that is... And well, I guess I really should start an official Celylith Fan club, huh? Well, you're right, of course - he IS adorable! *huggles heavily resisting elven warrior* Great you like uit so much! Thanks for the review!
Critternut - Uhm, your friends say you have evil eyes? That's ... interesting... *g* Well, if you aren't back till the 11th you won't read that right now, but in two days! I can wait that long! *smiles*
Lina - Uhm, I really hate to disappoint you, Lina, but it - was - not - his - fault! Really, I promise you... And as I said in a lot of replies, I don't know yet whether to kill Celylith or not, but believe me, if I do, I will move somewhere where you can't find me, like Antartica or China or something... *g* LOL at the cloak! I am sure Celylith appreciates it... 'Mama-Lina's gonna make it all better'? Well, yes, you could say so, it was probably because of _you_ that Lomar killed himself! *g* ROTFL!! 'CATCH ME BABY, I'M ALL YOURS!'??? Lina, you have a serious problem, you really do... *adopts wide-eyed stare of near panic* I am sorry ... for your bosom ... really Lina, I am... so glad you fed Celylith and saved Aragorn too ... Éomer! Get that nut case away from me! She's INSANE!!!!!
Maranwe - Well, great you liked the "Count Celylith" bit so much, but please, don't die of laughter either! Then who would send me lovely reviews! *g* If you like long chapters, you're right here, because I seem to be unable to produve chapters that are shorter than 15 pages. I don't know why either, it's a curse. Oh, and we will see Aragorn's "revenge" for being drugged in chapter 16. Poor Legolas... *g*
A Person - *g* Cool screenname! And what do you mean, I and my cliffhangers? That wasn't a cliffy, well, not really, actually! But this one most definitely isn't! *snorts* The elves and do anything stupid? Never.... *g* Thanks for the review!
Grumpy - Well, I don't know really... There are actually quite a lot of people out there who want to take care of Aragorn... Cathy, Carrie, Trin, me - lots of people! *g* Besides, he has Celylith and Legolas looking after him, what more could a ranger want? Uhm, that did sound soooooo wrong... *g*
Stacee Phelps - *nods* I updated. And see, I even did it again! And of course Aragorn is okay, as I said before: I am neither stupid nor suicidal, I would never kill him ... I think... *evil grin* Oh, and the 'bloody' revenge is coming in chapter 16, so you have to wait for a bit, I'm afraid... *huggles Stacee* Thanks for all your reviews! I love them, thanks!
Amelie - *blushes* What poem? I have no idea what you're taliking about... No, but really, I am sorry, but I don't think I will put it in here. That is one of the things I will never learn, composing poems in English, I mean. Sorry, but I wouldn't be worth reading, really. Thanks for all your complimetns though, and tight now I am trying not to kill Celylith, which I really, _really_ want to do right now. *sighs* I'll try not to do it, but... *g*
CrazyLOTRfan - *hangs head* Sorry, no, no cliffy, and there are a few chapters without, I'm afraid. No real life-or-death cliffies, anyway, sorry... *sad smile* Yes, you're right! Celylith is my personal bodyguard/vampire now, so don't flame me for my lack of cliffies! *hopeful sparkle in eyes* You mean the American could want a Nili Day? That would be fantastic!!
Salara - Neid, meine Liebe? Als ob IHR es nicht schaffen wuerdet, unsere Lieblinge in Schwierigkeiten zu bringen! 'Forschungszentrum für die Regeneration menschlichen Gewebes'? *rot werd* Uhm, nun, dann weisst du auch wahrscheinlich, dass meine Behandlungsmethoden nicht ganz echt sind? Ich meine, ich weiss, dass man solceh Brandwunden eigentlich nicht verbindet und auch nicht mit Salbe beschmiert, aber - es passte in die Story. Kuenstlerishce Freiheit, genau... Und Recht hast du, ich quaele wirklich, was ich liebe, aber da ich auch fair bin, kommen Legolas und Co. auch nicht zu kurz. Oh, und WvdvW: Ich hasse ihn! ir mussten ein GANZES von seinen dummen Gedichten auswendig lernen!! Furchtbar!! Uhm, und um den 'Fox' wuerd' ich mir keine Gedanken machen, der kommt diese Geschichte nicht mehr vor - allerdings hast du mich gerade mit einem boesen Plot Bunny fuer Geschichte #4 versorgt... Mhahahah! *reibt sich die Haende*
Firnsarnien - No, don't worry, for the next time there won't be any cliffies, I think. I don't know, perhaps again in chapter 17 or something, we'll see. And I agree, I wouldn't want to meet Celylith and Legolas either when they're angry... *g* Thanks for the review! I missed you!
LOTRMatrixStarwarsfan - No, he would probably not drink man blood, I'll give you that, but there are vampires mentioned somewhere in Tolkien's stories/letters/whatever, so there _are/were_ vampires there. LOL, they're forming some sort of pattern? That's an interesting way to see it, but I think you're right... *g* I'm sorry about the survey, I really would have liked to help!
TrinityTheSheDevil - Yup, someone out there hates us. I think it's Aragorn because we do all those horrible things to him... Well, I would like to tell you that you can kidnap Celylith, but I'm afraid that Zam has already done that. He lives in her closet now. Sorry. *g* And I did never say that he would be whipped, did I? I haven't planned that far yet, so perhaps, but probably not, sorry. I have other things in mind for him though... *g*
Marbienl - FF.net hates us, I just know it does... *g* LOL, you your poster came off the wall? That would scare me too, I think... And Celylith wasn't trying to say that Estel was fat or anything, really! It just sounded wrong, okay, he didn't mean it, really! And I think that Estel is by now recovered from the skull fracture, it's been 2-3 months now! Well, let me tell you one thing: If I awoke after being tortured by stupid evil dude to find a spider rubbing itself against my face, I would drop dead! Really, I would! And as I said: Celylith might be fine. But then again, he might not... *evil grin* Oh, and I definitely love long reviews! You can keep sending them! Please??? *g*
NaughtyNat - Well, 'The Hulk' most certainly did NOT rock. I hated it, in fact, and I don't know yet if I will watch 'Pirates of the Carribean'. Hmm, I probably will, since it has Johnny Depp. He is perfect... *sighs* Well, English is an easy language to learn, that's true... but I learnt it for 7 years at school, so I should be able to speak it a bit, shouldn't I? You're drinking Orangensaft? Well, that's ... good, I guess... *g* Glad you liked the chappie!
TigerLily713 - Well, you certainly shouldn't, should you? I mean, if you have a death wish, sure, go ahead, but otherwise... *g* Thanks for all your reviews, again!!
Alisha - Awww.... *hangs head* A short review is better than no review, you're right. And it's not THAT short, so I'll be happy. Yay! *grins happily* It would be 'interesting to see how he reacts to pain'? Alisha, really! Shame on you! You are blood-thirsty!! Poor Celylith, but don't worry: I will either kill him or do something equally horrible to him, so you should get your chance to see just that... *g* Thanks for the 'short' review, I always love your reviews! Really!
ManuKu - Glaub mir, die meisten dieser Szenen entstehen wirklich, wenn ich schlechte Laune habe... *g* Man koennte wohl sagen, dass der 'Fox' genug Mut hatte, um ihnen Auskunft zu geben - vielleicht war er aber auch ganze einfach nicht lebensmuede. ICH wuerde mich ganz sicher nicht mit denen anlegen! *stellt sich Legolas und Celylith als Guter Cop - Boeser Cop vor* Ja, das koennte man wohl sagen - abgesehen davon ist's 'ne interessante Vorstellung... *g* *guckt schnell auf ihren gerahmten Leitsatz* Neeeeeeeinn, so was habe ich doch nicht... niemals... *g*
As I have mentioned before, I _love_ reviews! A huge Thank you to all my reviewers!! We lovess you, we doesss, precioussss... *g*