A/N: Hi I'm back again with chapter four. I was gonna post soon but the school system is stupid and kept stopping and going off line. But here I am with part four. YAY!

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the story. Yay over twenty reviews! Thanks to...Shaan Lien...Shadow Venus...White Wolf...Ursula...Ringwraith9 (My Beta also keep singing Hi Ho when I told her how many there were. However in my defence I asked my other friend to randomly pick a number and she picked seven.)...legolasluva...Legilmalith (I got all my Elvish from the website www.grey-company.org/Circle/language/phrase.htm so I hope that helps!)...Legolas's fanatical fan girl...Goma-Ryu...person named bob.

So thank you to every one and I hope you like part four. Please read and review as always!

Updated A/N: Hi again. Sorry this update has taken soooooo long but I've had trouble loaded the story onto fanfic.net. I am also on study leave at the moment and this story is on my school file. However hopefully this will now post and you can enjoy chapter 4

Part Four

Aragorn suddenly froze; the hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end. The grip on his sword tightened and he spun round searching for an enemy. He frowned when he found nothing but shadows. He though he heard someone shout his name, echoing through the darkness. His thoughts at once returned to Legolas. He hadn't wanted to leave the Elf but knew he needed to scout ahead before searching aimlessly for a way out. Strider remembered the signs of Dwarves he had found, perhaps Dwarves had found the fallen prince and Aragorn shuddered to think what may have happened. Turning sharply in his heels he retraced his steps, quickly following his tracks.

He stopped when he saw the light a head of him. He dropped his torch, so not to draw attention to himself. He could hear Dwarves laughing, the tunnel echoing the sound. Cautiously he stepped forward, hiding in the crevasses on the walls and staying to the shadows. He waited briefly, locating the enemy; seven of them surrounded the Elven prince. Strider could see Legolas on the floor between them, blindfolded and gagged. His golden blond hair had slipped from his braids and had fallen in front of his face. His hands weren't bound however one was wrapped around his ribs and the other holding him upright. The Ranger bit down on his tongue, holding back the rage that was racing through him. He could see the confusion and barely hidden fear on his friends pale face. After spending his life among Elves Aragorn knew how much they hated blindfolds, or anything to cover their eyes. He remembered how much his adoptive brother Elladan had panicked when he had covered his eyes with a blindfold for a practical joke.

Estel knew there was nothing to do but try and surprise the Dwarves, he also pulled out an Elven blade Elrond had given him and he stepped out of the shadows. The Dwarves turned to look at him and sneered brandishing their axes. Aragorn let his sword twist round in his hand and suddenly swung at the Dwarves. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Legolas cock his head to the side, hands pulling off the blindfold sensing the close knot of Dwarves leaving him.

"Legolas, behind you!" he shouted, tossing the Elven blade towards him.

Legolas grasped the blade firmly in his hand, striking out at the nearest Dwarf. They roared and charged at the Elf and man. Aragorn let his blade become an extension of his body, digging his sword into flesh. He ducked under an axe and stabbed his sword upwards allowing the blade to sink right to the hilt. The Dwarf gasped, air stolen from his lungs as he tried to cry out. He pulled his sword from the Dwarfs rib cage and swiped at the next, crying out at the axe dragged down his arm and a line of blood soaked his tunic. Legolas stabbed his blade into a Dwarfs neck as he bent over to deliver a blow with his axe. He rolled out of the way and used his good leg to kick another approaching from behind. The blow hit the Dwarfs head and he collapsed on the floor.

One Dwarf remained standing and swung his axe at Aragorn. The ranger parried the blow, metal grinding on metal, the force made his arms shake. He took a step back taking another swing and the Dwarf met him blow for blow. Aragorn felt his arm ache as the warm blood seeped through his tunic. There was a blur to his left and the Dwarf froze, his axe dropping to the floor. Strider saw his blade in the Dwarves side and glanced over to see Legolas leaning against the wall, dropping his arm. Aragorn gave him a small nod in thanks and swung his sword round, slicing through the Dwarfs neck. The body collapsed onto the floor and Estel let his sword also drop.

Aragorn stepped over to Legolas and gently pulled off the forgotten gag from the Elf's mouth. He also untied the blindfold that was hanging round the prince's neck. Wordlessly Strider placed a hand on his friend's chest, feeling to see if anything was broken.

"Amin hiaetha Legolas" //I'm sorry Legolas// he said quietly, sitting beside him.

"It's not your fault my friend" Legolas whispered leaning his head back against the wall, "We must leave soon though"

"Ai" Aragorn nodded in agreement, "Can you walk?"

"I think so," The Elf said trying to get to his feet. He would have fallen again had Estel not grabbed him. Once Legolas was able to stand the ranger retrieved the weapons and picked up another torch one of the Dwarves had dropped. He passed the Elven blade back to Legolas and then continued down the tunnel, knowing his friend would follow. They travelled in silence, following the tracks Strider had left. Aragorn watched the Elf out of the corner of his eyes, watching him limp slightly and his eye dart around the caves. His grip on the blade was turning his knuckles white. Aragorn placed a hand on his shoulder to reassure his friend and was surprised when Legolas jumped, half raising his blade until he realised that it was only Estel. Legolas dropped his gaze, embarrassed to have shown any fear. Aragorn was worried about is friend however did not know how to approach the subject. The Elf was stubborn and would not admit to anything.

'One day you stubborn streak is going to get you in trouble mellon nin' //my friend// Strider thought.

Finally he broke the silence wanting to comfort the Elf and take his mind off what ever was troubling him.

"Did I tell you about the time I turned Elrond green?"

The sentence got the affect he had been hoping for. The Elf's head sot up and wide blue eyes started at the ranger unsure if he was joking.

"Pardon?"

Aragorn smiled as the memories came back to him. "I was about seven years old and some how Elladan and Elrohir had changed the colour of all my tunics to pink. I needed to dye them back to green with out anyone knowing and the quietest place I could find was the wash room used by ada //father//"

Legolas' eyes twinkled with amusement and he laughed lightly. Strider grinned wider when he heard his friend's laugh, glad to take him away from whatever dark place he had been.

"I managed to finish dyeing my tunic and I took them away to find somewhere to let them dry. However I forgot to get rid of the water and when I returned ada was already in there."

"Did he not notice?" Legolas asked through laughter as he knew what was coming.

"Apparently not as when he came out his skin was as green as a frog!"

The friend's laughter echoed through the cave and Legolas tried to picture the Lord of Rivendale with green skin.

"What happened then?" he asked breathless from his laughing.

Estel grinned again and said, "The dye stayed on for nearly a week, during which time ada had many council meeting he had to attend."

"And did you hide for this time?" Legolas asked

Aragorn grinned wider, "The twins were given the blame and had to stay in their rooms for a month."

"Reminds me of the 'Elf who cried Orc' I was told as a child" Legolas said able to picture Estel's brothers protesting their innocence while towered over by a green Elrond.

"Surely you have done such a thing mellon nin" Aragorn said raising an eyebrow.

"I have never turned my ada green" Legolas said with a laugh, "I was a well behaved child"

"This I find hard to believe prince Legolas" Estel said sarcastically jesting his friend.

Legolas smiled at the jest, "If I have it is only through your brothers and you I have encountered trouble."

"You are nearly three thousand! How can you say you have never done such a thing?"

The Elf smiled as memories came back to him and he started quietly,

"I must have been about 6 humans years, my friend Amrod and I had been told stories of mystery and deception, and from then on we were on the look out for anything suspicious. One day an unknown Elf came to Mirkwood and Amrod and I became convinced that he was in disguise."

Legolas paused for a moment and Aragorn smiled, "Ah, I see where this tale is going"

"So Amrod and I chose to confront him. We saw him sitting at a banquet so I snuck behind him and when Amrod jumped onto the table yelling, "He is a traitor", I attempted to pull off his wig and mask"

Strider was laughing hysterically and managed to ask, "Who was it?"

Legolas looked sheepish as he looked up at the ranger and said, "Lord Celeborn."

If any Dwarf or dark being at attacked at this moment Legolas was sure they would not be able to fight back. Aragorn was leaning heavily against the wall of the tunnel his laughter echoing through the passage. Aragorn smiled at his Elven friend,

"And I thought I was bad as a child"

Estel was sure the saw a slight blush on the pale Elf but it was gone in a second. The smile vanished from his face when Legolas stumbled, his broken leg jarring and he fell, slamming into the stone floor. The surprised Elf couldn't hold back his yelp in pain. Strider fell to his knees beside his friend.

"I am fine Estel" Legolas said before the ranger could speak.

"Stubborn Elf" Strider said helping him to sit.

"We can keep going" Legolas said, attempting to stand.

"Haro dad Legolas" //sit down Legolas// Aragorn said sternly, "we will rest here"

"What if the fire goes out?" Legolas asked.

Aragorn raised his torch and studied the ceiling. Smiling he cut down some of the roots that had broken through and started another fire.

"I will not let it go out" he said, "Now rest mellon nin" //my friend//

Legolas allowed his body and mind to relax and his thoughts to drift away. Strider watched as his friend's body stilled and his breathing became shallow. His open eyes glazed over in sleep like all Elves. When he was sure the Elf was sleeping Aragorn allowed his mind to wander, pondering what was worrying his friend. He knew Elves weren't fond of caves, preferring to be in the trees and open fields.

Aragorn watched the sleeping Elf stir slightly, forehead creasing and his fists clenched. The prince muttered something in Elvish that Estel couldn't catch.

"Legolas are you awake?" he asked quietly.

The Elf moaned in reply muttering words that Strider did not understand and he looked over his sleeping friend gently shaking his shoulder to make him wake.