Okay, I'll try really hard not to have too many cliffhangers in the next story, 'cuz this chapter ended in a cliffie too. I'm sorry! Well. the next chapter won't be a cliffie. . . of course, it will be the last chapter. . . ::cheeky grin::

I've decided to upload this one pretty early because I'm going to be away for a little while at a volleyball tournament. I didn't want to leave you with that cliffhanger for too long, so I decided to leave you with this one, instead. Be sure to send your thanks in the reviews. ::still wearing a cheeky grin::

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'Don't let your neck brake, Legolas,' the elf told himself. He knew that he would buy himself a couple more minutes if he could avoid that.

The lever was pulled, and Legolas dropped. He held his breath, waiting for impact.

"No!" Aragorn was fighting as hard as he could to break away from the men holding him. He couldn't believe this was happening.

Legolas gasped as his body slammed to the ground. He looked up, surprised and confused. A broken rope dangled fifteen feet above him.

Aragorn stopped, his mouth wide open. Had he really seen that? He saw his proof. The shafts of two arrows were protruding from a post where they had severed the rope holding his friend. The guards at his side started, temporarily forgetting about their prisoner. He ran forward.

"Legolas! Get up! Run!"

The elf heard his friend's voice, but his world was slowly spinning in front of him, and he had to fight just to stay conscious.

"Legolas! Go! Please!"

The crowd began to react. They pushed towards Legolas, and Aragorn feared that they would kill him themselves. "No!"

He went to make his way through the mob, but someone forcefully grabbed his shoulder. "Estel!"

The human spun. "Elladan! Elrohir! Oh thank the Valar, things were really bad."

"We noticed," Elrohir said, his bow still in hand.

"Did I detect a hint of sarcasm, El?" Elladan jibed his brother, making him smiled. He sobered quickly and turned to Aragorn. "Elrohir and I are going to fight them off. You are to get Legolas and run, as far away as possible. Just run. Rivendell is to the North. It is closer than Mirkwood, so make for there. Do you understand me?"

Aragorn nodded.

"Good, then go!" He gave his human brother a shove, then he and Elrohir went to work.

In a daze, Aragorn headed straight for his friend. The mob did not even notice him, so bent were they on their anger. He watched in awe as the twins began clearing a small but sufficient path for him. He turned back to Legolas.

"Legolas? Are you okay?"

The elf nodded, holding himself up with one hand, while the other was clutched to his stomach. He was bleeding again. "Come on, we're getting out of here." He pulled the noose over the elf's head, and threw it into the pressing crowd. He was disgusted at how the people tried to get at it. He pulled the elf to his feet and started to run.

Legolas could barely keep up with the human. His breath was becoming raspy, and he felt his body failing him.

"I need more of your potion, human."

Aragorn knew that it was a joke, but he also knew that it was true. He wasted no time responding the elf. The twins couldn't hold out forever, and they needed to reach Elrond as soon as they could.

Legolas fell, nearly taking the human with him.

"Legolas!"

The man's voice fell on deaf ears. Legolas was unconscious. "No, no, no. This is all wrong." He bent to pick the elf up. He needed to keep running. After this stunt, both of their lives depended on it.

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Aragorn could last no longer. His own fear made him stop. "Legolas, wake up."

He put salts under the elf's nose. A second later, Legolas groaned.

"Take this," Aragorn said gently. He handed the elf a little bottle.

Aragorn shook his head, realizing the elf didn't understand. He put it against Legolas' lips, and tipped it down his throat.

Legolas knew better than to try to refuse it. If it took away the pain, he was all for it.

Satisfied that Legolas would make it, at least until he could get to Elrond, Aragorn was back on his feet and running again.

The next few hours were a blur to Legolas. His body was fighting itself between its strong desire to sleep, and the potion's purpose of preventing that. He paid little attention to anything else, and had no idea where he was. He had vague senses of Aragorn administering more drugs to him, but his thoughts began to haze. He lost all concept of time. He might as well have been asleep, for there was little difference to how he was now feeling.

Aragorn struggled to keep Legolas moving. It was a miracle they had not run into the enemy yet, and he wondered if that was not by accident.

Every so often, he would catch murmurs of elvish that escaped the prince's lips. Other times, he would hear cries of pain, confusion, and fear.

Elves were immortal. They were not supposed to ever venture so close to death. Aragorn knew they could, but it seemed so impossible. He glanced at Legolas. The elf was hovering dangerously close to death's door. He wondered if Legolas had the halls of Mandos within his vacant sight.

Through his worries for Legolas, he did not notice his own weariness until it fully overtook him. Suddenly, with no warning, consciousness fled him, and dropped to the ground, pulling Legolas with him.

The prince's mind did little more than acknowledge the drop. At this point, there was no differentiation between the physical world and the world of mist that hovered just out of his grasp.

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"Are they dead?"

"No, they can't be."

"Legolas' eyes are closed. That shouldn't happen."

"Dan, look at his wound. My eyes would be closed too."

Aragorn forced his body to wake. He recognized those voices. "Elrohir!"

"Aragorn, goodness, what happened after you left?"

"Where is Legolas? Is he okay?"

Elladan placed a hand on the human's shoulder. "We don't know. We are taking him, and you, to Father."

"Forget about me! I am not hurt!" He was vehement in his reply.

"Not hurt indeed. I suppose that is why we found you lying in a heap in the middle of the road."

"The middle. . . but why didn't. . . why didn't the orcs come after us?"

Elrohir exchanged a glance with his elven brother. "You were well within the borders of Rivendell when you fell, little one."

"But they were chasing us! And that woman wanted to kill Legolas. She would not have let us escape like that!"

Elladan nodded his head. "I know. We has an easy escape as well. We will find out why later. Right now, you need to see Father." He glanced at Legolas.

Aragorn followed his gaze. He started to move to his friend's side, but a hand stopped him.

Elrohir nodded. "It's okay. We'll get you back to Father and then you can tell us your story." He looked at Elladan, who was checking Legolas' vitals. The elf shook his head sadly.

Elrohir helped his human brother to his feet, then lifted him and sat him on top of his horse. He climbed on behind, gathering the reins quickly. "Catch up to us, Elladan."

Aragorn looked between the two elves. "Wait, why isn't he coming now? I have to be with him!"

"He will follow us. He still needs to mount and I dare not waste any more time with you here." Whether or not the answer satisfied Aragorn, it did not matter. Elrohir sped off towards Rivendell before he could ask any more questions.

Elladan was left with Legolas' still body. It seemed as though Aragorn had given him some sort of sedative mixed with another drug- one of life prolonging. But that's all it would do, just prolong the stay of a dying soul- it would not prevent death.

It did not prevent death. He sighed, then removed his cloak. He carefully wrapped the prince's body in it, then mounted his own horse. With one hand held tightly around the prince, he rode home.

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Reviewers: Uhm, please don't kill me? Pretty please? There is another chapter, this isn't the end! And I swear the next chapter isn't a cliffhanger, okay? And I know it was really short, but that's where it had to end. Also, you guys know that you're allowed to say bad stuff too? Lol, everyone's just been so nice! ! !

SPEOD: Uhm, can I ask what LotR time is? Does that mean it goes on during the trilogy? Like, basically rewriting Tolkien's stuff? (Sorry, I'm sick and that makes me confused.) Haha, if I knew what it was I'd consider doing it. ::smiles:: Well, for me, background knowledge of Thranduil would tell you that Mirkwood elves distrust any race other than their own, including other elves, so naturally Legolas wouldn't trust Aragorn at first. Then, with Legolas' past and all. . . Did you figure out who "him" was? We will learn of Leggy's past, just not all at once. It would be too much for Aragorn to handle in one big rush. He'll get pieces over time. I'm sort of working on a back-story to "Family Ties." We'll see. Apollo is still pretty young, I'm gonna wait for my trainer to ride him a few times before I do, then I'll decide if I want him or not. I think I will though. I'm working at a ranch. . . I live for it. Oh, you need to start, dearie. Thanks for that incredibly long review!

Bec: Sheesh, I just did update! Doesn't the wait make you appreciate this chapter all the more? Uhm, well, I was actually considering the PotC approach to this situation, but I decided to bring the twins back. I missed them. You know, I've considered that dream thing. Having all these long stories, a million of them, and then have Legolas wake up on the tree branch, hiding from Tarduain's army. We'll see, that could be something fun, huh? Ideas, ideas. . .

Stella Pen: Oh, seriously, don't feel bad! I'm the same way, and if I had really thought about it, I would have added it. Honestly, I love when people point that stuff out to me. It just shows me where I need to be careful. Please, I really appreciated it! Ah, thanks! Yeah, I was going for a Galadriel-esque type thing with her. Don't worry, we're not done with her yet. ::evil grin:: I feel bad now too, I was only kidding with that, "I hate you" line. Really, I don't. You know I luv ya! I appreciate your reviews so much.

Tamara: Yeah, I know. Haha, thanks!

Wilwarin: Nope. Tarduian ended up in the cell with Elrohir, Legolas, Orophir, and the other three unknown elves in Family Ties. Legolas killed Orophir, and Tarduain was put into the dungeons or whatever. Haha, I forgot too. (And I'm the author.) So eventually he did die because of Legolas, but only indirectly.

Lei Dumbledore: Wow, I'm amazed at the people willing to beg for Legolas. Uhm, well, he made it through this chapter (mostly), yeah? Thanks for the review!

Moro the Wolf God: Lol, thanks! You have no idea, I felt so bad for missing that one review a while back. Lol.

Jadelyn Rashwe: Lol, I'm sorry, okay? I swear I'm trying for all the cliffhangers. Oh jeez, and then there was THIS chapter. Holy monkeys. Don't hurt me. ::puppy dog eyes::

Lomiothiel: 28. And as you can see, I didn't hang Legolas. No, there are plenty of other, slower ways to kill him. Oh, and 29. Uhm, this chapter wasn't a cliffie, right? Haha, lol.

Luthien: Well how many times can one she elf save Legolas? I'll see if I can get her in next time the elf ends up in Mirkwood, if he makes it out of this okay, savvy?

Gwyn: Uhm, I was thinking the English version. The boulder must be French. Or from the Salem Witch Trials. It is slightly scary that you know that, but hey, whatever. . . lol, thanks for the review!

Sky: I'm really impressed. Uhm Turn of the Tides ended, I read Wilted Leaf. And hey, you have more up there that I didn't know about! Sheesh, I'm working on it, I swear! I didn't know Wilted Leaf had a sequel. I'm sorry.

Dimostiel: Haha, sheesh. I've been cracking up tonight. Someone else was making fun of Estel. "What is your name?" And Aragorn pops up with, "Legolas, don't tell them your name!" I was busting up. But your really punny! And thank you very much!