Chapter 29

Legolas and his group waited in the barn for the sun to set. They had traveled there secretly hidden on the back of a wagon amongst the various crops so to hide in there undetected by the southern elves. They were wearing light cloaks of tan material to blend in with the wheat field that spanned the last distance between them and the wood. Cloaks that could be quickly discarded to reveal the forest gear beneath once they'd reached the tree line. The crimson light on the back wall dimmed and then snuffed out altogether as the day's light vanished entirely. Twelve wheat impersonating rescuers leapt into the field.

Stealthily Legolas and Fathiel advanced on the edges of the wood, moving with imperceptible slowness all senses tuned up to the extreme. He could see the darkened shapes of elves moving about on suspended bridges that lined the edge of the forest, just beyond the first thick layer. Getting in would be difficult.

"There aren't that many of them. If we can arrange a distraction far to one side, we may be able to sneak in unnoticed."

Legolas grimaced. "They're all carrying slings and blunted arrows, whomever the distraction is will have a hard time."

Fathiel smiled somberly and slipped backwards. He picked up a faint trail of hesitant agreement and then silence. Fathiel appeared at his side again and tensed for a run. He rose slightly to increase his speed and waited, muscles bunched for a leaping start.

After a few moments all of the guards he could see turned and then ran to the right drawing bows. Iiten threw off his torn cloak and openly charged the wood to their right, dodging a barrage of blunted projectiles as he trampled the grain.

Legolas didn't hesitate and darted forwards into the brush, Fathiel and Holil flanked him on either side. Their group slipped into the darkness of the forest unnoticed. Immediately they discarded their cloaks bundling them and burying them under a layer of the dark leaves. The guards were still distracted thanks to Iiten and they slipped under the hanging walkway to the deeper forest.

Shortly the dirt lightened into the white gold sand which sank with their footsteps. Protruding from the soft ground were odd serrated trees with branches only at the top and too thin to bear any steady weight. The odd trees ranged from shoulder height, with the frilled fronds brushing their necks to soaring far above them. They continued south, heading towards the distant pounding of salt water on sand.

It was much more difficult to detect the sound of walking but thanks to their tuned up senses they heard the group moving towards them. They had barely enough time to climb up one of the taller trees, shielded by the fronds. It was a group of three, one of which, Iiten was supported by the other two and being virtually dragged along. If it were not for his occasional steps he would have thought him unconscious. From where he was in the space above he could see the many bruises that Iiten had suffered all over his form. He must have ploughed on until he had to stop due to the amount of injuries.

Since it was the surest and quickest way to find the city, they followed the trio. They had been trailing the other group for only a few miles when another group came up behind them. This group though was not escorting someone, they were hunting someone. A group of near twenty was heard behind them. The soft SShh of moving sand would never have been noticed if Iiten hadn't had a sudden collapse and call them all to a halt. In the silence they detected their followers. Legolas didn't want to have to reveal more of their number, he had planned on having near all of them to help search the city but it was inevitable in this situation.

"I didn't realize they could track things in this stuff." Fathiel hissed angrily, kicking at the sand. "Damn southies!"

Legolas silenced him with a look and after a quick calculation the ten other members of their group split up and began running in various directions. There was an instant reaction, the group tracking them had almost converged on them already and they easily saw the ten or so figures running with difficulty across the sand. The effect was instantaneous. The group shattered and raced off in pursuit of the sprinting elves. As far as they could see not many actual fights took place. Five or six were knocked out by well aimed blunted arrows, or stones hurled from cloth and leather slings. Another two were tackled, pinned and tied while the last few managed to engage their pursuers in combat. However none managed to get far. Legolas and Fathiel waited until they were all shifted or led away from where they were hiding before descending. Only then did he climb down to the level of the fronds. They were flat on top, a mat of overlapping leaves. He leapt onto the top of one, and then to the next. Southern elves could never track a skill they had never learned. Slowly, but undetectably the two made their way after Iiten, towards the city, and hopefully Lilluil.

They reached the city at midnight. The houses were built twenty feet off the ground in courtyards of sand walled in by walls woven with the fronds. There were hundreds of them, all similar in style and make, the only difference being size and shape in some cases. He froze in the face of the sheer numbers, rows and rows of the elegant woven houses. She was in one room, in one house somewhere among them all and he had no idea where to start.

Fathiel dragged him into a courtyard with a yank as elves turned onto the slim alley. They pressed up against the cold stone, hugging the shadow darkened wall. The footsteps disappeared around another corner and they stepped out onto the street again.

Kirel leveled his wooden staff at the first elf's neck and smiled. "What have we here?"

Legolas narrowed his eyes at the unexpected foe. He vaguely remembered the elf as the sensible one in charge of the party he had taken Lilluil from originally. He had encouraged her to leave, he had seen him nod slightly when she looked to him for his opinion, but that didn't mean he respected them. In all likelihood, he was simply being practical, considering the statistics and logically saw that they had little chance of doing anything but what he had done. At the time Legolas's party had a huge advantage on them. Now Kirel on his own held a huge advantage, that of territory.

Kirel was also aware of this. "We've been expecting you," he told them smugly. "But who is your companion."

Fathiel scowled, and remained silent.

Another elf passed by, Kirel quickly lowered his staff and glared at the figure with annoyance. "Come on, this way." He started purposefully down the street. Legolas and Fathiel had no choice but to follow him. If they disobeyed, he had only to call out and they would be immensely overwhelmed. When odds are more than three to one the one is more likely to be heavily injured due to the sheer confusion of mass amounts of fighters attacking all at once without regard to the others.

He led them into a courtyard and a groundlevel stone building right on the edge of the water. Kirel grinned as he spotted the figure leaning casually against one of the walls, a small lantern of iridescent green-blue hanging loosely from one hand.

Legolas ran forward as soon as he spotted the figure. Lilluil! Three feet before he reached her though, she held out a stopping hand. With her other hand she lifted the lantern, several bright pearls hanging by strings in a metal ball covered with sea-green cloth. She was not Lilluil.

Almost an exact replica though, she had flowing brown hair but a few shades darker. Her eyes were the same too, but the soul behind them had seen so much more, more pain, more joy, more everything. Inside also lurked a keen mind, that could tell more about him at a glance than he could ever hope to perceive about it's owner. She scoffed lightly, switched the lantern from one hand to the other and then pulling back slightly punched him in the gut. Kirel grinned. He doubled over in pain, clenching his teeth to keep from making a sound. She shook out her hand and slipped the ribbon back around her wrist.

"Serves you right for not guarding her carefully enough." She stated bluntly. "Come on, I'll take you to her, no doubt she's eager to see you too."

Fathiel placed a questioning hand on his back but Legolas shrugged it off and hurried to keep up with her. He quickly glanced over her slim form, the tall proud stature with a posture that demanded respect. For some reason he couldn't see her as Lilluil's sister in any way but appearance. She was nothing like the understanding gentle girl he knew.