DISCLAIMER- I would dearly love to own Aragorn and Legolas, but I'm afraid
it's a bit difficult because I am in no way related to Tolkien... I'm
trying to hold a séance to request his permission to all the rights, but
it's not working very well...
Anyway, YES! It's an update! Just so you know, the prequel that introduces you to the series, (which NOW has a name! ^_^) has been posted. Its called 'Hope and Greenleaf', and it also tells you what Nilmé means, that being the series' collective title. ^_^
Reviewers replies!
ElizabethBlack4- All right Amy, I'll do a *really* long chapter! ^_^
MoroTheWolfGod- Yeah, it's like... "And what's behind door number 3? Lord Elrond!" Aragorn and Legolas sigh; "It's about bloody time!"
Irish QT- I was just imagining you doing a Busted jump with your tennis racket guitar there... ^_^ Yeah, I'm just hoping he remembers his script for this chapter... his mind blanked it out for the last one, and we had to do about 15 takes... ^_^
leggylover03- Suffering? Oh, your wishes are finally going to be fulfilled my dear...
Stephanie-Lou- Bloody Hell! You are *really* sadistic, you know?!... Not that that's a bad thing... ^_^ Yes, I'd love to see a story by you torturing my little Estel... *sniff* My baby's all growed up and getting tortured by fic writers! *sniff*
anonymous- Thank you!
Gilraen3- I know, I thought that Elves would have a bit of a connection with their horses, so the Twins having twin horses seemed like a cute little idea! ^_^
Jo- Yes, the Infamous Bingo Caller has permanently screwed up his mini- mind! ^_^
Kawaii Elf Girl- WAIT!!! JUST A COUPLE MORE CHAPTERS AND *THEN* YOU CAN KILL MARETHIEL!!! Just a couple more!
RougeElf- Yeah, I thought I'd toy with the idea of turning friend on friend... seems to be getting rather interesting! ^_^
elf-mage- Yup, THE SADISTS CODE RULES ALL!!!... *ahem* sorry, got a bit carried away there... ^_^
Elven Kitten- EVIL CLIFFIES OF DOOM! I write them coz I enjoy making my readers *suffer*!!! =D
Right then, lets get on with this story...
~*~*~*~
Aragorn jumped back from the door slightly as it rattled with the turn of the key, the doorknob turning ominously, slowly twisting in the hand of the one who grasped it from the other side. He could only pray it was Legolas...
Into the dusty dim room shuffled Marethiel. He shivered; an unexplainable spasm of fear had overtaken him...
~*~*~*~
Legolas found himself staring at the weapons on the table. Were they really the objects to murder him in cold blood? He had been told so. Yet somehow, somehow it all seemed wrong...
The golden writing curled and danced around the edging of the quiver, down the side of the bow. He *had* seen it before... hadn't he?
"Vanya sulie... quel fara."
He stopped, shocked. Where did those words come from? He had just said them yet he could not remember where they were from.
A scuffling sound from the room where his guardian had entered knocked him out of his train of thought...
~*~*~*~
"I should have known you would cause problems. Your kind always do..." snarled Marethiel. Her black eyes glittered dangerously. Aragorn backed away slowly.
"I don't know what you want with my friend, but I am telling you now, you had better stop, or I'll... I'll-!"
"You will do what, little child?" taunted the witch, her knarled bony hand reaching for him. "Bite me?" She laughed haughtily. "No, child," She spat this word with contempt. "I am more powerful than you could ever dream of."
The woman's comments had given Aragorn an idea! As her skinny finger went to tighten around his collar, he opened his mouth wide and bit down as hard as he could. Marethiel shrieked and whipped her hand away, the bottle she held within her hands flying from them. She turned, cradling now bleeding fingers in a tight fist, and watched helplessly as it smashed into pieces on the floor, shimmering as it settled like stardust in the sky.
"You!" she screamed, her furious blazing eyes fixed on the youngster before her. "Well, I can merely dispose of you, then that brat shall still be mine. I can wait a month!" She grabbed for the boy again, but Aragorn swiftly dodged her surprisingly nimble fingers and bolted for the door.
Marethiel would not let him get away though...
~*~*~*~
Legolas shrank back underneath the table as Estel ran from the room, panic in his features. "Come on Legolas, we have to go!" he shouted, grabbing for the Elf's wrist. He was shocked when Legolas pulled away from his grasp.
"Keep away from me!" he screamed, terrified that Marethiel's words would come to pass, that the boy would kill him.
Aragorn stepped back. Someone whom he thought would have went with him, wherever it may be, had just flinched away. He could not comprehend...
He could not finish his thoughts as a sharp pain hit him from behind and he fell to the floor in a daze.
~*~*~*~
Marethiel had used some of her black powers, summoning up all her strength into her scrawny fingers. Small blue sparks zipped and jumped from each to the next, and with almost youthful precision she took aim, firing at the one who seemed so hell bent on destroying her plans. It only took one month of the Moon's cycle to create a potion, a poison it could also be called, and then she would have her desire; immortality. A prolonged life span in which to commit more sinister deeds... but not if that idiot Edan was to interfere! Did those two brats not realise how difficult it was to catch Elves these days?!
As Aragorn fell to the ground, she walked over with swift, commanding strides. Bending over the dizzy child, she sneered. "Thought you'd get away?" She tutted sarcastically. "Bad boy..."
Aragorn watched as she generated more magic into her fingers. "Night night..." she hissed. Although he felt numb all over, he thrashed about, frantically fighting against her hands, though he could not control his movements totally; he had to try...
~*~*~*~
He looked over to the struggling little boy who fought so defiantly against, who he thought, his only relation. He felt no sympathy... until their gazes locked.
The Estel child's eyes were wide with fear. "Legolas, please, help me!" he pleaded. The stare he received tormented Legolas' heart; he swore he'd seen it before...
And suddenly it hit him, like a great wave in a dark storm would hit the rocks and break upon them, a memory, slightly fuzzy, but clear enough for him to see... a valley, a waterfall, and a boy... he remembered something about pebbles... and twins...
The boy was Estel. He remembered those eyes, seeing those glittering young orbs for the very first time, and for some reason trusting the owner with his friendship. Fresh waves of remembrance hit him again and again, all focused on one thing; trust. He trusted this boy with his secrets, with his friendship... with his life.
"Estel..." he whispered.
People could not, and still cannot explain fully how the mind works; how people work. Yet something in that split second had jarred Legolas' memory back into reality, and though he could not remember fully (his own *name* was still a mystery to him), he remembered Estel, and everything he had done for him.
And now he knew that Marethiel, behind the sickly sweet smile and soothing words, was a liar, and a monstrous, terrifying woman as well, for he could see the bloodlust in her eyes as she finally found a grip on Estel's collar and pulled him back.
He had to repay the debt. He shot out from under the table, grabbing the bow and quiver from its surface.
~*~*~*~
Aragorn stared up into those eyes as Marethiel grinned, baring her yellow teeth. He felt a burning sensation as she let her dark spell take hold of him...
~*~*~*~
Legolas watched the shaft as though in slow motion... it left the taught string, slicing through the air like a knife through butter, heading straight for the tussling pair. Marethiel turned at the last moment, watching her doom speeding towards her, now unstoppable...
The dark witch fell to the floor lifelessly, a green fletched arrow protruding from her chest. Her eyes, glazed and no longer seeing, remained open, a chilling sight. They would never blink again. Her desire for immortality had backfired in the worst possible way. Legolas stared for a moment.
He had killed someone.
Not an animal, but a *person*. How strange that at that moment he was fretting over what he'd done, yet it would become far more common practice in the future. He bent over the body of the witch, retrieving his arrow. A sudden chill bolted up his spine as he glanced at that horror stricken face; a face twisted into an expression of fear for the rest of eternity, till the ravages of time took their toll on the unwrapped, unburied body. Suddenly he remembered the young boy, him and his resistance to Marethiel's evil.
"Estel, I remembered something, Estel!" he cried happily. He turned on his heel when the boy did not reply. "Estel?"
The youngest son of Lord Elrond lay face down on the floor, unmoving...
~*~*~*~
DO NOT HURT ME!!! Ok, ok, I *know*, I'm evil, aren't I?! =D All the more fun to write it with, my dears...
R+R!!! Please?! Hey, just realised, just 5 more reviews, and I'll have 100!!! WOW!!! ^_^ I'm sooooooo proud!!! So, who'll be my 100th reviewer?
Anyway, YES! It's an update! Just so you know, the prequel that introduces you to the series, (which NOW has a name! ^_^) has been posted. Its called 'Hope and Greenleaf', and it also tells you what Nilmé means, that being the series' collective title. ^_^
Reviewers replies!
ElizabethBlack4- All right Amy, I'll do a *really* long chapter! ^_^
MoroTheWolfGod- Yeah, it's like... "And what's behind door number 3? Lord Elrond!" Aragorn and Legolas sigh; "It's about bloody time!"
Irish QT- I was just imagining you doing a Busted jump with your tennis racket guitar there... ^_^ Yeah, I'm just hoping he remembers his script for this chapter... his mind blanked it out for the last one, and we had to do about 15 takes... ^_^
leggylover03- Suffering? Oh, your wishes are finally going to be fulfilled my dear...
Stephanie-Lou- Bloody Hell! You are *really* sadistic, you know?!... Not that that's a bad thing... ^_^ Yes, I'd love to see a story by you torturing my little Estel... *sniff* My baby's all growed up and getting tortured by fic writers! *sniff*
anonymous- Thank you!
Gilraen3- I know, I thought that Elves would have a bit of a connection with their horses, so the Twins having twin horses seemed like a cute little idea! ^_^
Jo- Yes, the Infamous Bingo Caller has permanently screwed up his mini- mind! ^_^
Kawaii Elf Girl- WAIT!!! JUST A COUPLE MORE CHAPTERS AND *THEN* YOU CAN KILL MARETHIEL!!! Just a couple more!
RougeElf- Yeah, I thought I'd toy with the idea of turning friend on friend... seems to be getting rather interesting! ^_^
elf-mage- Yup, THE SADISTS CODE RULES ALL!!!... *ahem* sorry, got a bit carried away there... ^_^
Elven Kitten- EVIL CLIFFIES OF DOOM! I write them coz I enjoy making my readers *suffer*!!! =D
Right then, lets get on with this story...
~*~*~*~
Aragorn jumped back from the door slightly as it rattled with the turn of the key, the doorknob turning ominously, slowly twisting in the hand of the one who grasped it from the other side. He could only pray it was Legolas...
Into the dusty dim room shuffled Marethiel. He shivered; an unexplainable spasm of fear had overtaken him...
~*~*~*~
Legolas found himself staring at the weapons on the table. Were they really the objects to murder him in cold blood? He had been told so. Yet somehow, somehow it all seemed wrong...
The golden writing curled and danced around the edging of the quiver, down the side of the bow. He *had* seen it before... hadn't he?
"Vanya sulie... quel fara."
He stopped, shocked. Where did those words come from? He had just said them yet he could not remember where they were from.
A scuffling sound from the room where his guardian had entered knocked him out of his train of thought...
~*~*~*~
"I should have known you would cause problems. Your kind always do..." snarled Marethiel. Her black eyes glittered dangerously. Aragorn backed away slowly.
"I don't know what you want with my friend, but I am telling you now, you had better stop, or I'll... I'll-!"
"You will do what, little child?" taunted the witch, her knarled bony hand reaching for him. "Bite me?" She laughed haughtily. "No, child," She spat this word with contempt. "I am more powerful than you could ever dream of."
The woman's comments had given Aragorn an idea! As her skinny finger went to tighten around his collar, he opened his mouth wide and bit down as hard as he could. Marethiel shrieked and whipped her hand away, the bottle she held within her hands flying from them. She turned, cradling now bleeding fingers in a tight fist, and watched helplessly as it smashed into pieces on the floor, shimmering as it settled like stardust in the sky.
"You!" she screamed, her furious blazing eyes fixed on the youngster before her. "Well, I can merely dispose of you, then that brat shall still be mine. I can wait a month!" She grabbed for the boy again, but Aragorn swiftly dodged her surprisingly nimble fingers and bolted for the door.
Marethiel would not let him get away though...
~*~*~*~
Legolas shrank back underneath the table as Estel ran from the room, panic in his features. "Come on Legolas, we have to go!" he shouted, grabbing for the Elf's wrist. He was shocked when Legolas pulled away from his grasp.
"Keep away from me!" he screamed, terrified that Marethiel's words would come to pass, that the boy would kill him.
Aragorn stepped back. Someone whom he thought would have went with him, wherever it may be, had just flinched away. He could not comprehend...
He could not finish his thoughts as a sharp pain hit him from behind and he fell to the floor in a daze.
~*~*~*~
Marethiel had used some of her black powers, summoning up all her strength into her scrawny fingers. Small blue sparks zipped and jumped from each to the next, and with almost youthful precision she took aim, firing at the one who seemed so hell bent on destroying her plans. It only took one month of the Moon's cycle to create a potion, a poison it could also be called, and then she would have her desire; immortality. A prolonged life span in which to commit more sinister deeds... but not if that idiot Edan was to interfere! Did those two brats not realise how difficult it was to catch Elves these days?!
As Aragorn fell to the ground, she walked over with swift, commanding strides. Bending over the dizzy child, she sneered. "Thought you'd get away?" She tutted sarcastically. "Bad boy..."
Aragorn watched as she generated more magic into her fingers. "Night night..." she hissed. Although he felt numb all over, he thrashed about, frantically fighting against her hands, though he could not control his movements totally; he had to try...
~*~*~*~
He looked over to the struggling little boy who fought so defiantly against, who he thought, his only relation. He felt no sympathy... until their gazes locked.
The Estel child's eyes were wide with fear. "Legolas, please, help me!" he pleaded. The stare he received tormented Legolas' heart; he swore he'd seen it before...
And suddenly it hit him, like a great wave in a dark storm would hit the rocks and break upon them, a memory, slightly fuzzy, but clear enough for him to see... a valley, a waterfall, and a boy... he remembered something about pebbles... and twins...
The boy was Estel. He remembered those eyes, seeing those glittering young orbs for the very first time, and for some reason trusting the owner with his friendship. Fresh waves of remembrance hit him again and again, all focused on one thing; trust. He trusted this boy with his secrets, with his friendship... with his life.
"Estel..." he whispered.
People could not, and still cannot explain fully how the mind works; how people work. Yet something in that split second had jarred Legolas' memory back into reality, and though he could not remember fully (his own *name* was still a mystery to him), he remembered Estel, and everything he had done for him.
And now he knew that Marethiel, behind the sickly sweet smile and soothing words, was a liar, and a monstrous, terrifying woman as well, for he could see the bloodlust in her eyes as she finally found a grip on Estel's collar and pulled him back.
He had to repay the debt. He shot out from under the table, grabbing the bow and quiver from its surface.
~*~*~*~
Aragorn stared up into those eyes as Marethiel grinned, baring her yellow teeth. He felt a burning sensation as she let her dark spell take hold of him...
~*~*~*~
Legolas watched the shaft as though in slow motion... it left the taught string, slicing through the air like a knife through butter, heading straight for the tussling pair. Marethiel turned at the last moment, watching her doom speeding towards her, now unstoppable...
The dark witch fell to the floor lifelessly, a green fletched arrow protruding from her chest. Her eyes, glazed and no longer seeing, remained open, a chilling sight. They would never blink again. Her desire for immortality had backfired in the worst possible way. Legolas stared for a moment.
He had killed someone.
Not an animal, but a *person*. How strange that at that moment he was fretting over what he'd done, yet it would become far more common practice in the future. He bent over the body of the witch, retrieving his arrow. A sudden chill bolted up his spine as he glanced at that horror stricken face; a face twisted into an expression of fear for the rest of eternity, till the ravages of time took their toll on the unwrapped, unburied body. Suddenly he remembered the young boy, him and his resistance to Marethiel's evil.
"Estel, I remembered something, Estel!" he cried happily. He turned on his heel when the boy did not reply. "Estel?"
The youngest son of Lord Elrond lay face down on the floor, unmoving...
~*~*~*~
DO NOT HURT ME!!! Ok, ok, I *know*, I'm evil, aren't I?! =D All the more fun to write it with, my dears...
R+R!!! Please?! Hey, just realised, just 5 more reviews, and I'll have 100!!! WOW!!! ^_^ I'm sooooooo proud!!! So, who'll be my 100th reviewer?