Disclaimer: For full disclaimer, please see chapter 1.


A/N:

First: I have no idea where the bold text disappeared to, I will try to find out tomorrow and replace it, right now it's too late though. I'll replace this as soon as possible, sorry for the non-bold-version!

*waves cheerfully* Hi!!!

Well, I'm back and sorry for the seven days I couldn't post, but believe me, there was absolutely no way. The last week's been more chaotic than anything else I've ever seen, and believe me, that means quite a lot, especially with moving in and out of flats and all that... But I got my laptop *huggles it* - Yay Nili! It's SO beautiful - and very useful too. So all I had to do was find the right adapter, install AOL (which I loathe, but the things I do to be online so I can update for you guys! *g*) and voilà! I'm back! *grin*

I have to admit that I won't update as frequently as I have been before all this, but don't worry, it won't be longer than six or seven days in between chapters, I think. I am quite busy here in the wonderfully sunny Southern England (yes, you did read that correctly! Sunshine in England, will wonders never cease... *g*) and don't have much time to write - and there's still that college paper I have to finish... Oh, and yesterday I went to a Robbie Williams concert in Knebsworth, there were 125.000 people there! Can you believe that? It was wonderful, but I very much felt like a Rohir in Helm's Deep... *g*

*scratches head* Okay, that was _way_ off topic, must be the English food, it makes me even weirder than I am anyway. I knew it was a bad idea to eat that pork pie... *evil grin*


Very well, that was more than enough ranting, on to the story! Finally, chapter 18 is here, and I really don't know who started the whole 'Oh-my-God-it's-such-an-evil-action-loaded-chapter' thing. There's not that much action in it, but it IS a cliffy, I freely admit that... *g* Plus, we have lots of dwarves, which is always good *huggles her little dwarves*, Estel meets some old friends, and Celylith .... *trails off* Ah well, I think I'll be going now... *grins evilly*

Have fun and review, please!



Chapter 18


The three of them followed their guide mutely, Aragorn for his part very glad that there were torches in finely carved stone halters every few metres. He didn't possess the elven ability of being able to see in the dark as perfectly as in the light of day, and even the dwarf that was leading them seemed to have no problems whatsoever finding his way in the darkness.

'Wonderful,' he thought somewhat grumpily, beginning to doubt himself that coming here had been a good idea, 'And once again it's only us lucky humans. Even hobbits have better eyesight than we do.'

Pushing these rather childish musing to the back of his mind, he once again concentrated on not stumbling and following Frór deeper inside the mountain. Aragorn needn't look at his elven companions' faces to see the discomfort on their features. Elves were never happy when they had to leave the wide openness of nature, and entering a cave was for most of them their worst nightmare. That would be, right after entering a cave with a dwarf as their guide, he corrected himself quickly with a small smile.

The smaller being led them swiftly down the smooth, carefully paved road, and the young ranger barely had the time to look at the beautiful carvings and almost elegant looking runes that adorned the walls. The River Running flowed through a channel to their left, running down the deep, straight gully noisily and disappearing behind them, flowing down into the valley at the Front Gates and growing to the mighty stream that entered the Long Lake far to the South.

After some time they reached something that looked like a dead-end on first glance. In front of them was a rock wall, and from a dark opening the Celduin sprang forth. Legolas glanced at the water, wondering how interesting it was that he had never wanted to see this and even more interesting that he didn't feel good either now that he had in fact seen it, when the dwarf turned and disappeared through an opening to their right.

Sighing inwardly and giving Aragorn a glare that would even have made his father proud, the elven prince followed the smaller being. Now they were beginning to climb countless steps that led up and down and then up again, and they passed through more doors than he cared to count.

The farther they walked the more dwarves were beginning to appear, and while the atmosphere was not openly hostile, there was something in the air that very clearly said that they were anything but welcome here.

After climbing some more steps and beginning to feel distinctly like a chamois, Legolas finally stopped when Frór halted in front of an open door and beckoned them to enter. The fair haired elf asked himself briefly if he wanted to lure them into a trap of some kind, but then quickly came to the conclusion that that would be highly unnecessary since they were already deep under the Lonely Mountain and surrounded by dwarves, so there would be absolutely no need for deception or traps.

He sighed inwardly and brushed past the dwarf, simultaneously giving his human friend another cold look that promised dismemberment or something similarly uncomfortable in the near future. With some satisfaction, far more than he should really feel, he saw that Aragorn cringed slightly under his glare.

'Finally!' he thought, this small victory lightening his black mood a bit, 'If I keep practicing, I will be just as threatening as ada.'

He quickly shook his head and asked himself where that rather childish thought had come from, and raised his head to look at the room they had just entered. It was a small cave, not much bigger than fifty square feet, but the walls were adorned with carvings and tapestries. A small table sat on the one side, surrounded by benches, a small bright lamp sitting on the desktop.

"You will wait here," Frór stated gruffly. "I will see if the king will receive you." He pointed at two dwarves that looked a good deal younger than him and who eyed the elves with a mixture of awe and confused hostility. "Should you need anything, call for them. They'll be outside."

'Wonderful,' Legolas thought, 'Now we are being guarded as well.'

He turned to Celylith, who looked even unhappier than he himself felt, something which he had thought impossible. His elven friend gave him a wretched look that almost caused Legolas to laugh loudly. Celylith hated caves even more than he did, and that he had followed at all could only be put down to his loyalty to his prince.

"We will," Aragorn assured the blonde dwarf. "Thank you for your help, Master Dwarf."

Frór nodded and disappeared with the other two dwarves out of the door, leaving it slightly ajar, probably to emphasise that they weren't prisoners here.

"You should become a diplomat, Estel," Legolas said softly in Elvish, turning to the ranger that had sat down on one of the benches. "It's a shame that you won't live long enough to actually do it."

"I won't?" Aragorn asked in the same language, arching a dark eyebrow while at the same time eyeing the walls of the small cave.

'Calm down,' he told himself firmly, 'They are not closing in on you, they are not closing in on you…'

"No, ranger," Celylith assured him, sending him a look so dark that it would have made his liege proud, "Unfortunately, you will not. You will suffer an inexplicable, horrible, painful, deathly accident as soon as we get out of here. If we get out of here."

"Oh, we will," Legolas stated darkly, sitting down as well. "And be it only to make sure that he pays for this idea, Elbereth help me!"

"Think positive," Aragorn advised them, asking himself why in all the world Frór had to put them into the smallest cave he could find. He hated caves, he really, really loathed them… "He will be back soon and then we will either be allowed to see Dáin or will be escorted back out of these caves. Either way, we win."

"If you see it that way," Celylith muttered under his breath, giving the cave walls a nervous look.

Legolas gave him a small smile, knowing perfectly well how uncomfortable the silver haired elf felt. This was reminding him strongly of the days he had spent wandering with the twin sons of Elrond through the vast cave systems of Nogrodrim, and these were memories he really did not want to relive.

'Well,' he thought, trying to heed Aragorn's advice and think positive, 'At least there are no goblins here.'

No, he decided after a second, there were no goblins, but rather a lot of dwarves, and right now he was undecided what was worse: Being stuck in a cave with goblins or being stuck in a cave with dwarves. Probably the latter, he thought a little bit later, you were at least allowed to kill goblins without earning yourself disapproving glances.

He turned to Aragorn to share his new found opinion with him, and was surprised to find the young man's eyes closed and his face pale against the dark fabric of his coat. He quickly inched closer to the human, carefully putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Estel? Are you alright? Strider?!"

The young ranger's eyes shot open with a start and he smiled sheepishly at the concerned face of the elven prince.
"Yes. I'm fine."

Legolas traded an incredulous look with Celylith who had stepped closer and crouched down in front of them.
"Do we really have to have this conversation again, reckless human?"

Aragorn shook his head slightly, his smile fading a little.
"I just don't like small caves, that's all. Caves in general are alright, but I can't stand small ones."

Celylith frowned. He had never been inside the cave Aragorn had been held captive in and he was rather sure that he hadn't missed anything, but judging by what Legolas had told him about it, it had been dark, dank, unpleasant and very, very small. It was a miracle that he had even survived as long as he had, although Legolas had assured him that it had been a near thing.

They weren't sure whether it was because of his life as a ranger, the fact that he had grown up in Imladris or his elven blood, but the darkness and cramped space on top of his injuries had very nearly killed him then. No wonder he was uncomfortable with small caves.

"I don't like them overly much either, Estel," he said, trying to get the ranger's mind off the situation at hand. "Did I ever tell you about the one time Legolas and I got trapped in that small cave we were spending the night in when the snowstorm surprised us?"

The young man smiled again, silver eyes brightening.
"Now, I do not think so."

"You won't either," Legolas interjected quickly. "It is not an episode I want to relive, and to be honest, I thought you had already forgotten about it."

"Forgotten?" Celylith asked, grinning at his prince. "Nay, my lord, there are things I will never forget, and your face when you thought that the walls were coming closer is one of them!"

Aragorn began chuckling softly as he imagined that particular sight, and Legolas glared at the other elf.
"We were barely 500 years old! We were mere elflings!"

"Yes, but I didn't panic as you did."

"I didn't panic!" Legolas glared at the silver haired elf.

Celylith's grin broadened even further.
"No, my lord, of course not."

"I did not panic!"

"Of course not, my prince."

"I knew that the walls weren't coming closer!"

"Of course you did, my prince."

"I was perfectly aware that there was no-one else in the cave!"

"Of course you were, my prince."

Legolas' glare became even fiercer, and by now Aragorn was doing his best not to howl with laughter.
"That does sound interesting, my friend! One of these days you will have to tell me more about that…"

Before the elven prince could say anything – judging by the look on his face something rather uncomplimentary – the door opened and Frór stepped in, trailed by the two younger dwarves they had seen earlier.

"King Dáin will see you now," he informed them, giving the two elves a look that clearly said that he hoped they were somewhere else. He gave Aragorn a quizzical look under bushy brows. "Keep an eye on them, boy."

Legolas and Celylith glared at the small being who didn't seem to be too impressed by their combined elven stare but turned on his heel and quickly walked down the hallway. The three of them followed him, down the corridor and up even more steps until they stopped in front of large, wooden doors that were adorned with some of the most beautiful carvings Aragorn had ever seen.

Frór lifted a fist and banged loudly on the doors, and opened them after an invitation from inside. The wings were thrown open, and they entered a great hall. Benches, chairs and long tables covered the floor, fine carvings and long tapestries adorned the walls as well as dwarven axes that hung over some tables on the walls. A grey light lit the room, coming from above through an invisible opening in the ceiling. At the end of the long walkway there stood a seat, and on top of it sat Dáin Ironfoot, son of Náin son of Grór, King under the Mountain and King of Durin's Folk, surrounded by his friends and advisors.

Frór bowed slightly at the door and led the elves and the ranger down the aisle, shooting a quick look behind to make sure that they were really following.

Legolas took a deep breath and began to walk down the walkway, keeping his face carefully neutral. Celylith was walking to his left and Aragorn to his right, and even with the presence of his friends close by he was secretly wishing to be anywhere but here.

"Remember," Aragorn whispered very softly a few seconds before they reached the seat of the dwarven king, "Diplomatic. Be diplomatic. No insulting."

The elven prince resisted the urge to scowl at the man. He was a prince, in Ilúvatar's name, and he had learned from a very early age to keep his emotions in check and smile even at people he secretly loathed. Granted, he had never been very good at it, but his father had drilled enough etiquette and royal behaviour into him to make sure that Legolas would certainly not embarrass his house by insulting the King of Erebor.

In front of the king and his entourage Frór stopped and bowed again, and Aragorn had to bite down on his lip when he saw that the dwarf had trouble righting himself because of all the armour he was wearing.
"Sire, these are the three that requested an audience with you. They said it was urgent."

Dáin got up from his seat and studied the three beings in front of him. Aragorn returned the look steadily, and when he looked into the dark, intelligent eyes of the king, he found it hard to believe that the dwarves were making such things up to start a war with Dale.

The dwarven king gave a small bow, greetings his guests politely.
"Dáin son of Náin, at your service."

Aragorn returned the bow, remembering the dwarven greeting the thirteen dwarves that had come through Rivendell had taught him more than twelve years ago.
"Strider, Ranger of the North, at yours and your family's."

He turned to his silent elven companions.
"These are…"

"Legolas and Celylith of Mirkwood, your Majesty," the elven prince spoke softly and gave a slight bow as well. Both Aragorn and Dáin noticed that Legolas had said nothing about "service", but the introductions had been polite enough.

The dwarven king looked at the tall elves in surprise.
"What earns me the honour of your visit, Highness?" he asked, and Aragorn thought that there was remarkably little irony in his voice. "Is something amiss in your father's realm?"

"No, my lord," Legolas answered politely, looking hard at the dwarf. "But in yours, it appears."

A dwarf behind the king shook his head unwillingly.
"Why would an elf care for that?"

The elven prince glowered at the dwarf. Elbereth, he was trying to be polite, and how were these confounded dwarves thanking him?

"Enough, Gloin," Dáin turned slightly and looked at the other dwarf. "Prince Legolas and his companions are guests in my halls."

Gloin shifted slightly and nodded, but the look with which he graced the elves did not become any friendlier. Dáin turned back to the elves and the ranger, spreading his arms.

"Come, my guests, let us sit down for this business. I trust you are hungry?"

"Yes," Aragorn nodded, giving the king a small smile.

"No," Legolas and Celylith stated simultaneously, and the young ranger gave both of them the look.

"Yes, your Majesty, we are, thank you very much," Aragorn repeated, looking hard at the elves.

Dáin nodded slightly, and soon they were all sitting around a table laden with food and drink. Dwarven food and dwarven drink, Celylith noted darkly, taking a mouthful of mead and very nearly spitting it out again. He would get Aragorn for this, he decided quickly, trading a very dark look with his elven friend, having to visit the dwarves was bad enough, but having to eat their food as well…

"So," the dwarven king began, almost emptying the tankard he held in a single gulp, "How do you like my hall?"

Before the elves could say anything - and that was probably a good thing as well, since the most prominent words on Legolas' mind right now were "dark", "cave" and "dank" – Aragorn gave an appreciative nod and turned to the king, taking a sip of mead himself.

"This is the great chamber of Thrór, your great-uncle, is it not?"

Dáin nodded, surprise written on his face.
"Yes, ranger, it is. How did you know?"

Aragorn smiled thinly.
"Your cousin Thorin talked about this place a lot."

The dwarf's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets.
"You knew Thorin Oakenshield? How is that possible? You are far too young for that, he has been dead for twelve years now!"

Legolas had to bite back a grin while he was trying to decide if any of this food was actually edible. Dáin was beginning to grow on him, he was telling Aragorn the exact same thing all the time.

"Yes, I did. I was but ten years old when he and his thirteen companions stopped at Rivendell, at the house of Elrond. I grew up there."

"That was you?" another dwarf spoke up, looking at the young man intently. "You were that little boy that was begging us to teach you our speech and tell you stories? What was the name again … Eztil … Erdel …"

"Estel," Aragorn said with a smile, ignoring the faces of his elven companions that were very close to grinning now. "Yes, Nori, that was me."

"Well, I will be damned!" the elderly dwarf exclaimed and grabbed the ranger's hand, shaking it enthusiastically. "You have grown, Estel!"

Before Aragorn could reply anything to this, a noise that sounded suspiciously like a snicker sounded from the two elves' direction, and he turned into their direction, glaring at them darkly.

"It is always a pleasure to see old friends, Nori," he assured the dwarf. "So the others stayed here as well?"

"Not all of them," Dáin, who had watched the little reunion with a smile shook his head. "Of the thirteen companions, Thorin, Kili and Fili died. Bifur, Bofur and Bombur went to live in the Iron Mountains, claiming that they were too old for building a new home, and Balin, Dwalin and Oin went to reclaim our realm of Khazâd-dum. Only Gloin, Nori, Dori and Ori are still here."

"I see," Aragorn mumbled. "They went to Moria?"

He didn't know why, but even though he had never been to that place, something inside of him shivered at the mere mention of that name.

Dáin nodded solemnly.
"He insisted on going. He was never one that could stand doing nothing for long."

"A pity," Aragorn shook his head, "I would have very much liked to see him again."

Deep in his heart, he somehow knew that he would never see the friendly dwarf with the white beard and the scarlet hood he had always worn again either. He couldn't explain why he knew that, but he was certain that none of those who had gone to that dark place would ever return.

"Yes," Dáin agreed quietly, "But we all have to do what we have to do." He turned to the two elves. "Which brings me back to you, your Highness. Let me be blunt: Why did you want to talk to me?"

Legolas put down his tankard and sent a quick prayer to Elbereth that he would find the right words and wouldn't make this whole episode worse than it already was.
"Well, Lord Dáin, we are concerned about things we heard in the town of Dale."

"'We'?" Dáin questioned, narrowing his eyes.

"Mirkwood is concerned," Legolas clarified, an icy expression stealing over his eyes.

"This is not Mirkwood's concern," Gloin once again spoke up.

"Yes it is, Master Dwarf," the elf countered, doing his best to remain civil. "If two of our allies are threatening to make war on each other, it does very well concern us!"

"They provoked us!"

"Enough now!!" Dáin's voice boomed, and Gloin fell silent, still giving the elf dark looks. "Please," the king went on, "Nobody spoke of war here."

Aragorn grimaced. So it was here like it was in Dale, both sides were sliding into a situation they didn't really want to be in.

"Why don't you tell us what happened, my lord Dáin?" he asked, looking at the dwarven king earnestly. "We are only interested in keeping the peace in this part of Wilderland. There has been enough war."

Dáin nodded, leaning back into his chair.
"You are right, Strider. We have suffered much in the last battle, and I do not wish to go to war for this. But," he said, frowning slightly, "We demand an explanation! There have been dwarves disappearing in the past weeks, and men are disturbing our miners."

"Who disappeared?" Legolas asked, obviously reining in his temper.

"About two months ago, two of my men went to survey the western slopes of the mountain. Since the death of the dragon we have been rebuilding the interior of the mountain, and we have only just found the time to have a look at the exterior. They were meant to do their survey, go to Lake-town to pick up some goods and return here."

The king stopped shortly.
"They are my nephews. They never came back."

Aragorn felt his heart plummet into his stomach. Wonderful, they weren't only ordinary dwarves, they were the king's nephews, just wonderful…

"They should have come back a long time ago, but they didn't. Strange men are beginning to search our mountainsides and are disturbing our miners. This is not a behaviour befitting an ally!"

There he was right, Celylith thought as he took something that looked like sugared fruit and popped it into his mouth. Even though he was a dwarf Dáin was making sense. For once and as much as a dwarf could, that was.

"Are you so sure that they are Men of Dale?" Aragorn asked carefully.

"Who else should it be? Dale is the only major human settlement North of Lake-town, and…" Dáin fell silent and narrowed his eyes at the ranger. "What are you implying?"

Suppressing a sigh, Aragorn once again began to tell their story about the Lake-men they were looking for, inwardly thinking that he should perhaps get a written version of this so he wouldn't have to recite it all the time. When he had finished, Dáin looked at him questioningly.

"So you think it's them that are causing this trouble? But why are they doing it? What are they looking for?"

The young man gave Legolas a quick look, and when his elven friend nodded hesitatingly, he turned back to the smaller being.
"They are looking for a treasure, we believe."

"A treasure?" Nori laughed unbelievingly. "Here? They are twelve years too late!"

Aragorn shrugged helplessly.
"'Tis all we know. It would explain why they are searching your mountain."

"The nerve of them!" Dáin thundered. "Searching our mountain for treasure! This is an outrage!" He gave Legolas a dark look. "And your father, King Thranduil, is not interested in this? You expect me to believe that?"

The fair haired elf narrowed his eyes, silver-blue orbs blazing in fury.
"Careful, your Majesty. You are treading a thin line."

"Are you threatening our king, elf?" Gloin asked in a dangerously low tone of voice, his hand fingering the handle of his axe that lay on the bench next to him.

"I don't need to threaten anyone, dwarf," Legolas retorted, his voice just as icy. "And I will not suffer the name of my king to be spoken in such a manner!"

"Please!" Aragorn brought both his palms down on the wooden desk with a thump. "We did not come here to exchange insults!" He looked at the dwarven king, an exasperated look in his eyes. "King Thranduil does know nothing of this yet, and I would very like to keep it that way. You are right of course, your Majesty." The young man inclined his head. "This is an internal dispute and does not concern the Elves of Mirkwood directly."

Aragorn ignored the looks Legolas and Celylith gave him and continued.
"But you have also to admit that this matter could quickly deteriorate and thus become a concern to everyone East of the Misty Mountains. Who has seen these men you spoke of?"

Dáin nodded at Gloin, who looked at him unwillingly and said,

"Some of the younger lads. Unfortunately we cannot ask them right now what exactly they have seen since they have left for the Iron Mountains with Prince Thorin and my son a little more than a week ago."

Legolas would almost have given a sigh of relief. If Gloin was already this bad, then he really didn't want to see what his son was like. Probably just another obnoxious, arrogant, stone-headed dwarf that had eyes only for rocks and metal.

"Is it possible that it were the western slopes they were searching?" Aragorn asked, sudden understanding showing on his face.

"Yes, they searched the western hangs, but we do not know which part exactly," Gloin nodded his head, looking him in the eye. "What are you thinking?"

"I think I know what happened to your nephews, my lord," the young ranger nodded at Dáin.

The dwarven king quickly understood what he meant.
"You think they found the treasure and talked about it in the company of the wrong people. In Lake-town."

"Yes, your Majesty. I think they didn't watch what they were saying and talked to the people who are currently searching your mountainside. Would that fit your nephews' usual behaviour?"

"Well," Dáin began, shrugging slightly, "They are young, as I said. Young ones tend to be too careless and talkative, especially when they've had an ale or two too much."

Celylith traded a grin with Legolas and gave Aragorn a wicked look. Yes, some things the dwarf was saying were definitely making sense.

The dwarven king looked at the young ranger, looking suddenly old and tired.
"They are dead then?"

The human shook his dark head, shrugging helplessly.
"I don't know, I really don't." He looked into Dáin's dark eyes who looked at him beseechingly, begging him to tell him the truth. In a soft voice, he added, "But if they got involved with the people I told you about, the ones that casued the trouble in Lake-town, then I must say that yes, they are most likely dead."

Dáin briefly closed his eyes before opening them again and fixing them on the three tall beings that sat in front of him.
"Then I will help you find these men. They will regret having brought the wrath of the dwarves down on them, that I swear in Mahal's name!"

Legolas looked at the dwarven king and nodded his head in sudden understanding. The stubbornness and fierce spirit of dwarves was fabled even among his own people, and suddenly he felt almost sorry for the 'Fox's' men.

Almost.



A few hours later, dusk was falling when Frór escorted them back to the Front Gate where their horses were still waiting, being watched carefully by half a dozen dwarves that looked as if they were contemplating either killing the animals or running away themselves. Especially Rashwe was receiving many a hateful glare, something that filled Legolas with a wicked sense of pride.

Aragorn bowed slightly to the blonde dwarf.
"Thank you for all your help, Master Frór, it is greatly appreciated."

Frór looked down on him with a fatherly sparkle in his eyes, no small feat since he was several feet shorter than the young man.

"No need for that, boy," he told the ranger, and for a sudden, irrational moment Aragorn was afraid that the smaller being would try to ruffle his hair. "I'm glad that we're finally doing something about these damned humans – no offence intended," he quickly added.

"None taken," Aragorn assured him and stepped closer to his horse, ignoring the impatient looks his two elven companions shot him. He was looking very much forward to getting away from here as well, but that was no reason to be rude. His father would have his hide if he was rude to someone just because he or she was a dwarf.

"Well," Frór announced, smiling at him from his position at the great wooden doors, "If you have enough of them elves, come to us and have some mead with us, lad! We know how to celebrate, contrary to them." He made a face. "Always drinking wine and eating green stuff, bah!" He took a step forwards and gave Aragorn what was probably supposed to be a friendly slap on the back, but what felt more like a sledgehammer that hit him in the small of the back. "A young one like you needs meat!"

Aragorn mounted his horse quickly before the dwarf could decide to adopt him – after all, he was probably a lot older than him.
"I will think about it, Master Dwarf," he smiled at the smaller being. "Farewell."

With a last nod at the dwarves at the entrance, the three of them turned their horses and made their way down the road that led into the valley of Dale. When they were out of the dwarves' earshot, Celylith burst out laughing.

"Valar!" he chuckled, grinning evilly at the young ranger. "It appears that you have just found a second foster father, Strider! If you are not careful, you will be collecting them like you are your names!"

"He might be right there, mellonamin," Legolas began to grin as well, the lines around the corners of his mouth and between his brows smoothing again. He took a deep breath of the crisp mountain air and eyed his snowy surroundings happily. He really, really, really didn't like caves, not to mention caves that were populated by dwarves. "I really think he wanted to ruffle your hair for a moment."

"Go on, laugh," Aragorn mumbled grumpily, giving both of them dark looks, not admitting that that was the exact same thing he himself had though a few moments ago. He turned to the fair haired elf while their horses were carrying them down the path. "At least I didn't very nearly start a war with Erebor."

Legolas raised an eyebrow, giving his friend the most arrogant look he could manage right now.
"I didn't try to."

"But you still did!" the man exclaimed. "Really, Legolas, I thought you had more sense than that! You and Gloin very nearly latched onto each other's throats, by Elbereth's stars!"

"That dwarf was obnoxious," Celylith tried to defend his friend.

"Yes, I will admit that he was," Aragorn nodded his head, still glaring at the elven prince. "But that was no reason to rise to his bait!"

"I didn't 'rise to his bait', human," Legolas informed the ranger. "Had I risen to his bait, he would be dead now." After a second, he added, "And I would feel a lot better."

Celylith began to grin, but quickly stopped when Aragorn gave him the look. He fell silent, once again contemplating that he really would have to have a talk with Lord Elrond in the near future. No, he resolved after a second, he would send him a letter, that was what he would do. Letters were a lot safer than personal meetings, especially if the Lord of Imladris ever found out about all this…

"Well, they did agree to help us and not start any hostilities, did they not?" he asked rhetorically, trying to point out the positive things. "That is something, isn't it?" After a moment he added, "Oh, and remind me to kill you at an appropriate time, will you, Estel?"

The ranger shook his head, eyes dancing with amusement.
"Are you still angry about the visit? We achieved a lot!"

"Yes, dúnadan," Legolas grumbled. "And were almost killed, insulted and nearly poisoned in the process."

"Poisoned?" Aragorn asked surprised. "What are you talking about, in Eru's name?"

"One word: Mead," Celylith said with loathing in his voice. "That brew is even worse than cram in my opinion."

"Come now!" the young man laughed, "You are exaggerating! It's just…"

"Disgusting," both elves finished the sentence.

"Frór was right," Aragorn grinned evilly. "I should go and have a drink with them. You two have not the slightest bit of humour. Not to mention taste, of course."

Legolas looked at his elven companion questioningly.
"Do you still remember what I told you earlier today, my friend? About the wooden spoon?"

"Oh yes, my lord!" the silver haired elf exclaimed and quickly began to search his clothing. "Wait … I have one here, somewhere … it's a little bit rough around the edges, but …"

"That is perfect, do not worry," Legolas assured him, giving the dark haired man that rode next to him a probing glance, as if he was really contemplating where to start with disembowelling him.

"Funny. Really, really funny," Aragorn said tonelessly, doing his best to hide the grin that was beginning to spread over his face.

Celylith looked at him, eyes serious and dark as coals while he was desperately trying not to laugh.
"It wasn't meant to be, ranger. I will send you back to your family in little pieces."

"Will you now?" Aragorn grinned at the elf. "And face my father's wrath?"

"On second thought, I think that revenge is highly overrated and that we should forget the sins of the past. Forgiveness is a virtue, after all," Celylith quickly continued, the mere mention of Lord Elrond sending shivers of fear down his back.

He would rather escape to Mithlond than to tell either Lord Elrond or King Thranduil that anything had happened to their sons. No, he decided quickly, the Grey Havens or Valinor were not safe enough, they would only follow him. He would go to … to the Dark Tower, yes, that was it, he would hide in Sauron's dungeons. They would never find him there!

"A very sensible decision, my friend," Aragorn announced smugly. "Let bygones be bygones, that's what I always say."

"Excuse me?" Legolas asked incredulously. "Did I hear that correctly? Who else but you glued my brush to my hair?"

"Ah," the young man waved his hand dismissively, "There are exceptions."

"So, will we look for their camps tonight or tomorrow?" Celylith asked quickly, trying to lead the discussion away from this particular topic. Legolas hadn't forgiven the ranger for that one yet, and he doubted that he would in the near future.

"Camps?" Legolas asked his elven friend, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, camps, my friend," Aragorn nodded, turning serious again. "The Lake-men's and the third group's. Lomar's friends have to be somewhere close by if they are interested in this treasure as well."

"If they are," Legolas nodded as well. "I still think they are not your usual treasure hunters, Aragorn."

"Well, we will find out once we find their camp, wouldn't you agree?" the young ranger asked, silver eyes darkening. He was rather sure that he would find no rest tonight, not after being stuck underground for the better part of the day, in a cave that had only served to bring back dark memories.

"And to answer your question, mellonamin," he continued, smiling slightly at Celylith. "It is already too late to do anything today. I think it would be best if we returned to Dale this evening and set out early tomorrow morning, after having informed the king, of course. Bard needs to know that Erebor means him no harm."

Legolas nodded seriously.
"I agree. It's getting dark, and I am very much looking forward to a meal that does not consist of mead and…"

Suddenly he stopped his horse, Celylith doing the same only a fraction of a second later. Aragorn rode on for a few paces until he saw that his friends had stopped, and he turned in his saddle, looking questioningly at them.

"Legolas? What is…"

He stopped when Legolas raised his hand in the universal gesture asking for silence. All three of them listened intently, and after a moment the elven prince announced,

"There is something wrong here."

Aragorn quickly studied his surroundings. They had stopped about five hundred yards before the road made a bend to the left, avoiding a rather tall hill that barred the sight of the path. Young trees lined the road left and right. With the falling darkness, the young ranger couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, but then again, no matter how much or hard he trained, he would never be able to rival elven senses.

"Where?" he asked quietly, one hand already on the hilt of his sword.

"Just ahead," Celylith answered for his prince. "The trees are whispering of danger and … Look out!!"

Aragorn barely had time to react when the silver haired elf urged his horse to a sudden leap, pushing both of them to the side. A second later an arrow cut through the air where he had been mere seconds earlier, and all three of them looked somewhat stunned for a second as a large group of men emerged from behind the bend, coming closer at a breakneck speed. The young man gave them a quick look and saw that there were about ten of them, too many for them to fight without killing a large number in the process.

Legolas seemed to have come to the same conclusion, turning his horse to the left where a long, rather steep slope led down to the banks of the River Running.
"Go!"

Aragorn and Celylith needn't be told twice and followed their friend as quickly as possible, and the young man quickly began thanking Ilúvatar that he was riding an elven horse, for he really thought that he wouldn't have made it down the slope this quickly on a common one.

Suddenly, when they were halfway on their way down, they saw more riders approach from the left, coming up from the river's banks. Legolas quickly reacted and changed his course to the right, trying to avoid the men as best as possible.

'Wonderful,' he berated himself, 'You are over 2500 years old and lead your companions right into a trap! A decades old elfling could have recognized this as the trap it is!'

Legolas looked behind him, checking if his friends were still following, even thought he heard the sounds of their horse's hooves that were slipping and scraping over the loose snow-covered rocks that covered the entire slope.

With some satisfaction he saw that the first group of the men had stopped at the edge of the road; they had apparently wisely decided that they would only break their necks if they tried to follow their prey down there and were trusting their companions to catch the elves and the ranger.

He was just watching Celylith who had grabbed Aragorn's arm when the young human threatened to slide off his mount as the animal lurched suddenly to the side as it momentarily lost its footing, when suddenly his senses flared to life, and he watched as if in slow motion how a young man in the first group notched an arrow to his bow and aimed at both of his friends.

A moment before the human released the arrow, he felt his heart fall straight into his stomach, and he cried out, his eyes wide,

"Celylith! Behind you! Look out!!"

His silver haired friend looked up in confusion, and just when the man up on the road was firing his arrow, he was beginning to turn around and move his horse to the side at the same time. Both was too late, however, and Celylith's body was thrown forwards against the neck of his horse when the projectile hit him in the back with a sickening noise.

"No!!" Legolas anguished cry echoed through the valley, multiplying and resounding in the forest that surrounded them. "Celylith!!!"

His elven friend merely looked at him; to Legolas it appeared that Celylith looked at him for an eternity, shock and swiftly growing pain etched onto his features. He opened his lips as if to say something as he blinked slowly in confusion, but no sound could be heard over the noise their horses were still creating as they were rushing down the slope.

Suddenly, the spell was broken, and Celylith gave him a small, pain-filled smile, only a ghost of the smiles he had flashed him only minutes earlier. Then his eyes rolled back into his head and he slid bonelessly off the running horse, his body hitting the stony ground with a thud and rolling down the slope, oblivious to his prince's frantic calls.

Legolas tried to stop his horse to go after his friend, but Rashwe was clearly frightened and unable to stop his momentum as he half slid and half rushed down the slope, and so the only thing the fair haired elf could do was watch helplessly as his friend's body impacted with a large boulder shortly before the end of the slope and came to a halt with a bone-jarring crash.



TBC...



ada - father (daddy)
mellonamin - my friend
dúnadan - 'Man of the West', ranger



*giggles nervously* You know, it wasn't my fault ... it was HER, my alter ego ... uhm, an alien entity? The English food? I think I need to be somewhere right now - bye! *runs off to escape the 'Celylith Lives' foundation* So: What will happen? Is Celylith dead? Will Legolas and Aragorn get caught? Who are the attackers? Why the heck is Nili so evil? The answers to all these questions (well, most of them anyway *g*) in the next post, which will be here Friday or Saturday I think, I'll try to make it Friday if I get proper encouragement... *evil grin* Meaning: Review? Yes please?



Additional A/N:

Cathy/XsilicaX - You know, this brings me to a problem I've been pondering for some time now. Should I answer to your reply as XsilicaX or as Cathy? It's far from important and doesn't really matter, I know, but it's just something I've been asking myself... *grimaces* Yes, Nili the Snake indeed. The skin is coming off my arms right now, and I am distinctly beginning to feel like an overgrown Boa Constrictor... *g* And about the Bovril: I've threatened all my friends with serious bodily harm should they even bring a glass of that stuff anywhere near me, and I think they've got the message... *g* I hope you feel better now! *huggles*
Coreinha - Well, I'm still not sure about the beards, I can't remember Tolkien ever mention anything about it... *g* And you should know by now that I'm not normal! I mean, I am QUITE normal, but not entirely, I'll admit that... Thanks, the trip was indeed safe and I got there on time, which is a miracle when you use Ryanair, one of these cheap airlines. *shrugs* We got there, that's something, at least... *g*
Amelie - *watches Amelie run around in circles* Uhm, so you were looking forward to this chapter? In fact, I think you were in fact looking forward to chapter 19, but we'll see... Okay, Ma'am, one Celylith clone coming up now! I hope you'll enjoy him - oh, that did sound rather weird, huh? I didn't mean it like that... *evil grin* *blinks* You will kidnap Celylith ... and then ... Okay, you do know that you need help, don't you? You have a rather unhealthy obsession there, you know? Uhm, was that a threat? Did you threaten me with something horrible should I do something to Celylith? *beams* Thanks! I love death threats!
Aratfeniel - Well, to be honest, I'm not sure yet whether or not Legolas and Celylith will do anything to him at all! Right now I think they have much more pressing problems than an obnoxious ranger... *evil grin* I really hope you didn't have to wait for too long for this, there was really no way to get this out any sooner! Sorry!
Shadow Warrior - *g* Oh yes, Aragorn got himself into trouble - or all of them into trouble, to be precise... Oh yes! My laptop got to me in time! *huggles it* It's so beautiful! *grins* It's not normal to positively adore one's own laptop, is it? *huggles her* Thanks! I am sure I have lots of fun, since the weather is supposed to be really good ther next few days!
Tapetum Lucidum - Well, I would definitely be scared! I imagine that disembowelement hurt no matter what, but I decided that it hurts the worst when done with a wooden spoon... *evil grin* 'Somehow I don't think he will sleep well tonight' - LOL! No! He will not, but I don't think that that will be the reason. *g* I love elves-dwarves scenes as well (D'oh! That's why I put them in here!), I hope you'll have fun with this chappie then! *blinks* London ... Chinatown ... Uhm, I've been there, and I have to admit, I haven't seen any, but... Well, I will be on the look-out for them next week when I go there...
Alex Mistress Squirrel - Great you didn't give up while I have been preparing all this - it took some time and I was afraid people would be deciding that it was taking too long... I pity both the dwarves and the elves, actually, but most of all Aragorn! *g* Thanks! I'm already having a great time!
LeggyLover03 - *shakes head in exasperation* You guys and your ranger pain, you're just insane... I promise you there will be plenty next chapter and the one after that, okay? And I don't need to ask Cathy, I DO know that you love it, my friend... Great you still like it!
Cestari - *cackles evilly as well* Yeah, they are indeed with the dwarves, and neither they nor their hosts are especially happy about it! And yes, he will get a dwarf-elf 'couple' as companions, but the poor guys doesn't know that yet, does he? And we shouldn't tell him either, or he might try to escape again... *g*
Sirithiliel - Well, define 'much trouble' then, please! I mean, there's much trouble and there's much trouble... I don't think it's too much trouble anyway - it could always get worse! *g* And I wouldn't know about betas since I don't use one, but I guess they can be evil, yes... *g* Thanks for your reviews!
The InSaNe oNe - Oh dear God, two reviews! I think I will not survive this without lasting brain damage - but I'll definitely try! Mhahahaha! *watches Legolas have a fistfight with a tree* Now he's lost it, poor guy... I knew he couldn't last forever with them, it's a miracle he managed this long anyway... Fire swamps? D.O.U.S.es? Menfil-less trees? Lightning sand pits? Lashes with a wet noodle? Wrestling with a lion? R.O.U.S.es? Cannibalistic D.O.U.S.es? Hard headed dwarves and elves? Really, Miki, I hate to say it, but I think you are just losing your mind, really. Just a friendly warning, nothing more... *g* And always remember: I never said I would kill Celylith! There is still hope!!!! *huggles TiO* Thanks so much for your reviews! They are great - insane, but great...
Zam - *talks very quickly* Don't worry, I don't think Fliewatuet meant it like _that_ - not everyone likes him like you do! *looks at giant tuna* That's a bit excessive Zam, put it down! Down, I say! No threatening my reviewers with giant fish, understood? So YOU gave that spoon to Celylith? I might have known - and I am wuite sure that Aragorn will be quite interested in that... *g* *averts eyes when Zam leaps into Celylith's arm* I have to agree with Legolas: This is something I SO do not want to see! It burnssss our eyesesssss, preciousss... And don't wory, there are lots more dwarves coming up, yay!
TrustingFriendship - Yup, one could say that, even though Legolas and Dáin are trying to be reasonable there IS quite a lot of squabbling, I'll admit that... *g* And I agree with you, but the thing is that's not only any horse. It's Legolas' horse, and therefore more or less untouchable - you know how he is with his things... Great you still like it, thanks _so much_ for all your reviews!
Gwyn - Two whole weeks without internet access! My God! *gags* That's against human rights, that's what it is! I know how terrible it can be... And don't you worry, there is a REAL cliffy coming up, at least I think so. And we have one next chapter and the one after that, and the one after that I think, so lots and lots coming up! You want elf torture then? Don't worry, just hang on for one or two chapters and you shall have it... *evil cackle*
TigerLily713 - *g* Thanks! And trust me, I am having lots of fun already! Thanks for reviewing!
TrinityTheSheDevil - Oh that's perfectly alright, not reviewing, I mean. I know that there's something called RL out there, it's supposed to be, anyway. I've heard about it, but if you ask me, it's more like a myth... *g* Thanks for your reviews though! I hope you had lots of fun in New York!
Lina - Oh, I am sure Jack and Will are loving it with you and the Rohirrim! I mean, riding South and catching you all the time, who would NOT want that job? LOL, Bow to the Beard!!! That is SO FUNNY! I will never be able to look at Gimli's beard again! *grins evilly* Nope, you're right, Geran won't hurt your precious ranger, no, he won't... *watches Lina attack Celylith with a plastic spork* This is not a good idea ... no, not really ... Lina! Will you stop it! I cannot stand it when you attack my characters, you know that! Jeez, it's like talking to a telephone pole... And yes, we know that you like it when ANYONE is forceful... *g*
Reginabean - I honestly don't know whether or not they will remember to do something horrible to Aragorn. They definitely have more pressing problems at the moment.. *evil grin* Don't worry, the laptop's here! Really! *huggles it* It's so wonderful, I simply love it... *g* Cloudly days ahead, yes, one could say so, I guess!
Fliewatuet - Uhm, how many insults... I really don't know, I haven't counted them... *g* But Legolas is doing his best to remain civil, he is a prince after all! Well, as I said, I have no idea who started the 'lots-of-action' rumour, I certainly never said that! There is a cliffy, yes, and there is the little Celylith thing as well, but not THAT much action. *thinks* Then again, in comparison to the last few chapters there probably is a lot of action... The move went well, thanks a lot, althought I think I got about three hours of sleep in as many days, and the laptop's here! Yay Nili! *grins from ear to ear*
Critternut - Well, England is a little ... weird (*g* J/k!), but lots of fun, believe me! Plus the weather's really nice at the moment... And yes, Geran will definitely be trouble, m'dear! He is a villain, so that's his job, I'm afraid... *growls* His name, girl, is Johnny Depp, and he is one of the best actors of the last twenty years. He is a really GOOD actor, and he has made some really good, unusual films, not only that usual Hollywood stuff. *nods* He is great. Understood? *g* G - R - E - A - T.
Maranwe1 - Well, I think FF.net's policy of adding numbers to the names is really weird and stupid, but okay. It's - unfortunately - their webpage, so they can do whatever they want. *g* You're right, you know, English people say 'brilliant' quite a lot, now that you mention it! And wow, your life sounds quite stressful as well! But, the move went well, I think you could say, and I have to announce that sleep is highly overrated anyway. Who needs it? I don't... *g*
Jack Sparrow1 - Oh, you like Adruran? *huggles* Thank you! I love it when people like my OCs and that did sound rather stupid... *g* Anyway, thanks. And I hope this update was soon enough! *g*
Firnsarnien - Wow, that's a rather good program, I have to admit that. I think the 'Celylith Lives' Foundation will cause real problems in the near future - for me, that is... And it's a good thing that I'm not at home at the moment - you'll never find me here in Essex! Uhm, did I just say that? Forget about that bit of information, will you? So Gwaihir's too fast for Patriot Missiles? Well, uhm, what about ... nets then? Have you seen Reign of Fire? That's what I will do do... *g* LOL, Celylith is like Rainean and Trelan lovable and unkillable? If you say so, dear ... hold on to that thought... And I hate to say it, but this is a cliffy - so you'll have to wait for a bit longer till you find out what's happening to Celylith, sorry... No, scrap that, I'm not sorry, I love being evil! Mhahahahaha!
Marbienl - Congratulations! *shakes her hand* You conquered FF.net and managed to submit a review! I am very proud of you, FF.net is a fiendish enemy... No, to be perfectly honest, I am in fact not very patient ... but I can't have them heal too fast, unfortunately. I mean, poor Estel's only human, and all that. But thanks, I'm glad someone appreciates it! *grabs Marbienl and drags her back* Stop it, for Christ's sake! I need Celylith, and please call your spider back, too! I am really getting tired of this! I need both the elves, and I promise you Estel will not get hurt - not by Celylith, that is... *evil grin* *hides face in hands* And don't antagonise the horse ... no ... not a good idea .... I can't watch it... *g* I don't know yet whether Aragorn's horse will get a name, I'll think about it. Perhaps in the next fic? And I will simply call ma dog who will eat your stupid spider - she likes to do that, the bigger the better... *g* And yes, lots of Estel pain in chapters 19/20/21, so hang on!
Imbefaniel - I know! It's so mean! Sirius and Remus were the only characters I really likes, and there she goes and kills poor Padfoot! It's just not fair... *starts sobbing* Great you like the bickering, there's much more coming up!
Seveawen - Oh, that's no problem at all, it's sweet that you're reviewing at all! Thanks a lot! And don't worry, I talk to everything, and I mean everything. Cars, computers, characters in movies, characters in books, TV sets and so on and so forth... Uhm, and this chappie is the last you're going to read till end of August? Poor you! I hate to say it too, but it IS a cliffy. I'm sorry, but I couldn't help myself, I NEEDED one... I hope you have lots of fun on your trip though!
Alilacia - Yes, sweet ickle Estel should become a diplomat! *hugles resisting ranger* That's what Legolas and Celylith think, too... *g* LOL, it's a vicious circle indeed! Just look at the twins, they have been at it for the past 2800 years... You're moving too? Well, congratulations, it's very exciting, I think, and can be lots of fun too - if you don't value sleep too much, that is... *g* Good luck with it and enjoy the great weather! Isn't it simply great?
Aron - Yup, Aragorn's quite dumb somtimes, not exactly the brightest crayon in the box... *g* I wouldn't have said that if I were him either. *shrugs* Ah well, it's his life, not mine. *grins evilly* Yes, my friend, they're in trouble, very deep trouble, and it's getting worse every second, they just don't know it yet. And you're right yet again, Celylith and Legolas aren't exactly very happy right now. But believe me, they will get even unhappier, so... *g*
Strider's Girl - You're back nine days earlier? Why that? I hope you didn't get robbed or hurt or anything?! And thanks, I got here safe and sound, and even the weather's great! *points at cloudless sky* Can you believe it? I certainly can't, not after the last summer here... Great opportunity to get a sunburn! *g*
ManuKu - *g* Ja, ich weiss... Die ganzen Typen hier sind mindestens genauso verrueckt wie ich... Ich habe allerdings keine Ahnung, ob ich nun der Erfinder der Dialog-Review bin oder nicht, ich nehme einfach mal an nicht. Ich schreibe erst seit einem Jahr reviews, und ich glaube, die waren schon weitaus laenger im Umlauf. *unschuldig guck* Hoehepunkt? Ich? In dieser Story? Niemals! Ich doch nicht! Ich halte nichts von Hoehepunkten, musst du wissen... *g* Ich gebe zu, dass die Story ohne Legolas/Aragorn/Celylith ziemlich ... leer .. waere, also werde ich doch wenigstens nicht alle umbringen. Danke fuer die guten Wuensche, und Spas habe ich ganz sicher!
Salara - Das Wetter ist hier momentan wirklich toll! Ich kann's kaum glauben, und nicht so heiss wie bei uns in Berlin! Und du hast Recht, ich nehme an, dass Aragorn es schon jetzt bereut, nach Erebor gekommen zu sein - das ist ein Job den ich um kein Geld der Welt haben moechte! Hmm ... so, wie du das gerade darstellt gebe ich zu, dass unserer aller Lieblingscharatere Chancen, aus allem wieder heil 'rauszukommen, nicht unbedingt sehr gut stehen. Aber wart nur ab, irgendwie schaffen sie das schon, glaube ich jedenfalls... *g* Das mit den Spatzen hoert sich nach einer guten Idee an! Ich wuerde mich auch mit altmodischen Methoden (Erschiessen, Ertraenken, Erschlagen... *g*) zufriedengeben... Und du bist aus Pankow? Ich gebe zu, ich bin da eher aus dem anderen Lager, also Charlottenburg. Auch schoen. Und an dich und ManuKu: Ich finde eure Story immer noch toll, werde aber wahrscheinlich keine Zeit zum reviewen haben. Also nicht denken, dass ich euch im Stich gelassen habe! *knuddelt beide*
Carrie - Carrie! *huggles* Great to see you, I missed you! Really, I did! And I know exactly what you mean, my laptop and computer are my babies as well! *hugs laptop* It's just the most perfect laptop I've ever seen! The best thing Legolas has done in this fis is near-drowning? LOL, you're evil, you really are... *g* And yes, I AM IN ENGLANG RIGHT NOW!!!! Mhahahahahahaha! And it's great! Mhahahahahaha! *gets a grip* Okay, so I'll admit it, I am evil too...LOL, Legolas as a pirate ? That's definitely an interesting idea, and I am SURE that Thranduil would simply be delighted! Thanks so much for your review, and I am sorry if I'll not be able to review much in the near future, but as I said: I'm in England and it's not very polite to be in front of the screen the whole time... *g*
Kaeera - *muedes Seufzen* Nein, ich habe in der Tat nicht angenommen, dass du diese Geschichte vergessen haettest, das waere wohl zuviel des Guten gewesen. *g* Und keine Angst, ich bin nicht wirklich normal, aber ich behaupte immer noch, dass ich nicht so durchgeknallt bin wie ihr. *nickt* Definitiv nicht. Ist doch schoen, dass es dir gefallen hat, und ich glaube auch, dass Estel seine Entscheidung mittlerweile bereut. Ich hoffe, du hast noch einen tollen Sommer, England ist gar nicht SO toll. *eine Sekunde Pause* LUEGE! Es ist super! Mahahahahaha! *g* Sorry, aber ich bin sicher fu hast trotzdem Spass.
LadySandrilene2 - *g* I love dwarves too! They're adorable! *huggles resisting dwarven warriors* And I based Rashwe's character on my sister's horse, which is just the same, believe me. I think there is a surprising amount of evil horses out there... *g* So you have control over cloth? Uhm, I'm sure Adruran will think twice now before doing anything rash. Thanks! *takes her sincere hopes* It's here, so it worked! Thanks a lot! *huggles her and the laptop*
Nikara - Exactly! Dwarves are cool! You were a counselor for a week? Well, that's interesting at least... Hope you had fun?! Thanks a lot, England is great, as is the weather, which is nothing short of a miracle. *g* But I'm not complaining!
Alisha1 - Well, I have to admit that I liked the names without the numbers better, but then again, I understand FF.net, somehow. And I'm glad that no-one else is stupid enough to chose a name like mine, so I probably won't get a number myself - I hope. *smiles smugly* See? I told you so! He's bloody fast, that one! It's your own fault that you got caught! Oh, and if I were you I would check if my sister wasn't being employed by the enemy or something, the gear sounds quite ... eccentric! LOL! 'Imagine my surprise when I found this one woman alone in the forest, with so many strange objects, holding a fish.' Oh, I can SO imagine that! This is priceless... *giggles* I am very sorry that you had to go to a funeral, really. I hope it wasn't too bad. Btw, I wouldn't say that Nólad was a bad guy, I'd rather say he was ... uhm, good-evil? Not quite evil? Just a tiny bit evil? And well, you know, I like to write not-so-predictable stories, plus I somehow really wanted to kill him. Whether or not he does in the end, you will find out soon, so don't worry... *g* And about the computer: Did you ever consider that the computer isn't working _because_ you are slamming heavy things into the poor thing? Huh? Just an idea, really... *huggles* Thanks a lot for the great review! It absolutely made my day!

Well, I hope I got all the reviews, since FF.net seriously screwed up this time. I got some review alerts for reviews that never showed and lots of reviews I never got the alert for. *shrugs* It's evil, that's what it is...