Author's Notes: All right, here is the next chapter! I am glad that you
have all enjoyed it - one way or another - though reviews shall be replied
to at the end so to keep this note down in size. All I need to say is that
this chapter starts the day after the last, but quickly flashes back to
tell what happened after Legolas went out the window. This flashback will
last for the rest of this chapter and most of the next...yes, I really got
carried away! Lol.
Also, for this chapter and the next, I drew a little inspiration from Gangs of New York - I just REALLY wanted to do a big street fight scene...
*****
The Thrill of the Chase
Chapter two
Reign of Terror
*****
Walking as quickly as he could while trying to brush the dirt and blood out of his hair with his fingers, Legolas concentrated on following the barely visible path through the woods.
He had only been in the abnormally dark forest once and that was over two months ago when he had first met with his employer, Verdox. The trees seemed to fade into the shadows, disappearing within the heavy and unnaturally thick mists while the canopy seemed to strive to block out the celestial light that would be present in any normal forest. For the Elf, walking through this woodland - a place that he would normally be utterly comfortable within - was like a nightmare. Nothing stirred; no small forest animals scurried across the drying leaves on the ground, no birds fluttered from bough to bough - not even the far off howling of a wild dog could be heard.
It was an unreservedly eerie place, one that filled the Elven prince with foreboding and dread. The deathly silence of the woodland and the peculiar darkness of the night spoke wonders to the Wood-Elf. Having lived in a forest all his life and after spending his childhood and adult years surrounded by the natural noises of a thriving woodland - even in the years of Greenwoods decent into shadow, the forest still pulsed with life - he was far more equipped to understand and interpret the meaning shrouded within the deceptively calm yet ominous gloom of the woods. It spoke of evil, of a presence that cloaked the trees, the animals and even the light with its fearful threat. A threat that forced the environmental ruling of nature into submission.
Yet now, as he trekked through the dark woods, was hardly the time to be contemplating such things, not when he had a job to do. Besides, he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself should the occasion arise. Using mostly his memory, Legolas tracked his way back to the meeting spot by the large birch tree. His allocated time was up, the days having passed quickly in his search, but, luckily for him, he had completed his task; only just.
It was only last night that he had finished his job that saw Sard annihilated, and, between the game of duck and cover that he had been playing with the town's residences, he would have been lucky to have made it to the forest within the set time, let alone with his head still residing on his shoulders.
"You are late!" a voice stated out of the shadows, actually catching the Elf unprepared. "What kept you - I do not like to be waiting!"
"Verdox," Legolas replied with an even and confident tone. "I was...delayed due to a few...complications."
"Loose ends?" Verdox demanded with a malice filled tone, the human still only a vaguely opaque cluster of shadows within the thicket of trees off to the Elf's right.
"They are taken care of," Legolas reassured the man; at least the ones that knew anything were. Even as the assassin spoke the words, the notion that 'taken care of' was a complete understatement came to find, especially as his thoughts briefly fleeted back to the utterly chaotic happenings of the night before in his attempt to quietly exit the human town.
*~~~~~*~~~~~*
Flash Back
*~~~~~*~~~~~*
Jumping from the roof of the tavern over to a lower, flatter surface, Legolas heard a shout come from the open window that he had fled.
"Damn!" he hissed, knowing that Sard's thugs had found their dead boss. Freezing on the spot and listening intently to the sounds of the tavern, he could hear running footsteps. As far as he could tell, two people ran up a flight of stairs, one heavily built while the first was swift and surefooted. Shouts could be heard though he could not make out the actual words as they were muffled by the other sounds that radiated from the building.
Knowing that he had to be gone before anyone was found to have the intelligence to look out the window, Legolas retraced his earlier steps over the rooftops with ease. Lightly jumping from one to the other, he quickly made his way across town, getting well out of the region of the tavern. Behind him, he could hear shouts spilling from the now open door, the patrons in the drinking house pouring out quicker then the ale had been not that long ago.
Gangs were starting to spread out, having long left the treacherous tavern in fear of being somehow connected with the murder. Shadows moved stealthily below him, groups meeting and huddling within the dark corners of the many alleyways and already cries could be heard through the night - it looked as if everything was going to hell.
He should have foreseen this. A murder in a town such as this was enough to stir up the very wrath of Mordor if one was not careful. The entire town was divided into gangs, groups that had no other way or purpose in life other then to kill and fight. A death in one such group, not to mention one that arose suspicion of murder, could be enough to start a war. The effected group would be suspicious of their enemy's and enlist the aide of those that hated a common foe; the other side would do the same and before long, you have a mass of misguided humans yelling at each other from opposite sides of the street as they waved their pitchforks and swords in the air.
As he dropped soundlessly to the ground beside a building near the edge of town, he was once again thankful for the lack of light in the gloomy streets. It had aided him in sneaking into the tavern via his rooftop route and back out again after having set his trap within the chosen room.
He hurried down the muddy streets, cursing the humans for everything that they were worth for not having the cleanliness to actually contrive of paved roads. In the wild he did not mind - it was there that things were meant to be dirty and where he would have no problem picking his way through waist deep mud - but to have such lowly conditions within a living environment... It just showed how useless and dimwitted the human race truly was.
Rounding a bend and quickening his pace towards the gate, Legolas heard a number of heavy footsteps before he saw the emerging shadows, parting themselves from the thick darkness of the side alleyway. From the weight behind the steps, the sounds of the breathing and the soft swish of what sounded like expensive material, Legolas had no doubt as to whom it was before the shapes of the men even became visible.
The street that Legolas walked was long and narrow, with one side opening into the markets and the other into a back alley. Up ahead stood the gates, tall and ominous in their silhouetted appearance against the night sky while the gathering masses of humans lay at his wake. While it was obvious that this was not the best of places to be corned in, Legolas held no real fear of the situation - after all, all three men were rather drunk and the Elf had already had time to pre-assess them.
One of them, obviously the man with the scar through his eye judging by the sound of his footsteps, was coming from the narrow opening of the alley, cutting that route off as a possible escape just as the lanky, tall man was separating himself from the wall up ahead, coming to stand in the middle of the street.
"Well, if it is not the pretty little whore?" the clerk stated as he closed in the last escape route the Elf had available as he moved to standing in the faint light near the entrance to the markets.
Offering a small smile and a nervous laugh, Legolas decided to play them for the fools that they obviously were.
"My lord's," he stated with a small bow of his head while shuffling his feet in a sign of bashfulness. The three men demonstrated their stupidity by moving together, grouping where the tall man had been and leaving both their flanks and the side openings to the street wide open.
The tall man moved slowly behind him - as if stalking his prey - before taking two steps forward and closing the gap between him and Legolas' back. Hands suddenly found their way to Legolas' shoulders as the human pulled the Elf back on his heels, shattering his center of balance and forcing Legolas to lean into his chest. The man's left hand took up a position on Legolas' collarbone while the right moved the golden curtain of his hair to the left, exposing Legolas' neck.
"I think," the man said as he traced the pointed ear with his index finger, his breath hot and tickling on the Elf's uncovered throat, "that we should get to know you a little better." The words were emphasized as he pulled Legolas taut against him and gave a quick flick of his hips.
Letting out a gasp of mock shock, Legolas forced a timid smile to creep upon his face while lolling his head back onto the man's shoulder, moaning slightly.
"And who are you, my lords?" Legolas questioned breathlessly as he rolled his head over the man's shoulder and down under the man's chin. Blue eyes stared up into the green of the tall man, pleading cleverly fabricated into the normally emotionless depths that rivaled the colour of the deep sea.
"This," the man behind Legolas said while pointing over the Elf's shoulder and to the clerk, "is Malkon, and that fellow," he pointed to the other, "is Stran. I," he said dramatically with yet another flex of his hips, "am Caldinor. And you, my lovely? What is your name?"
Not allowing himself to show his confusion or giving into the want to scrunch up his nose at the constant movements of Caldinor, Legolas just let out what he hoped would seem to be a contented sigh. Surly these men knew that Legolas had been, in one way or another, responsible for the death of their leader. Why did they not kill him? Hand him over to the so called authorities of this town instead of dropping suggestions like heavy rain?
But then again, even to Legolas the intention behind their actions was far too obvious as was their lack of intelligence.
Either way, it was high time that he dispatched of these portentous fools and was on his way.
Feeling Caldinor lean down to place a kiss on his throat, Legolas saw his quickly forming plan flash before his eyes, showing him exactly what to do whilst hastily weighting up the pros and cons of each action. It was a well learnt skill, to quickly envision the acts before he followed through with them. To gain access into the heads of the panicked victims and predict their reactions before the process of illumination had even begun.
As lips sucked at his pale throat, he was finally ready and happy with his line of action.
"I am," he started, making as if he was about to offer the answer to a question that it was palpable that the humans had no real interest in.
Reaching up and circling his right arm around the man's long neck, he made to pull him in for a deeper kiss. As the man suckled at his shoulder, Legolas quickly rolled his weight on his feet, once again putting himself at a point of perfect balance. Grabbing hold of the back of Caldinor's shirt, he lent forward and flipped the man right over his shoulder quicker then any of the men could see.
Caldinor hit the ground hard, his weight landing painfully on the back of his neck and shoulders as his legs and hips followed the path of his upper body.
Crouching down and grasping Caldinor's crossbow and a dart in each hand, Legolas had the dart loaded within the firing track before he was even raised to his full height. Only now had the two other men even showed any signs of understanding as to what was going on, and, as Legolas stood, Malkon started to stumble backwards in his haste to be away from the danger.
Tossing the crossbow to his left hand, Legolas did not even take the time to aim the weapon at the man before he pulled the small trigger, loosing the arrow while trusting to his instincts to reassure him that the dart would hit its target.
Throwing the now useless weapon to the side, he was rewarded with a slight gurgle as the man fell into the mud, the dart protruding directly from his heart.
Whirling onto the next man, Legolas grabbed Stran's right arm before the man could even draw a weapon. Twisting the arm up and then bringing it down roughly, Legolas heard the bone snap like a twig as he felt for the cool touch of metal with his other hand in the opening of Stran's right sleeve. Finally feeling the lashings of the leather covered hilt, Legolas closed his fingers around the handle of the dagger, pulled it free from the small supporting strap and swiped it over the man's throat before he had even cried out in pain of his now broken limb.
As the man fell, Legolas threw the knife downwards by the blade, catching Caldinor in the throat as he struggled to get his abused body to function.
Casting a quick look about the three men, Legolas could see that there was not an ounce of life left in any of them. And all in under a minute - he was starting to beat his own record!
"I have no name to grace your ears," Legolas said with a sweeping bow as he took the opportunity to introduce himself, "but given your current circumstances...Legolas, the Prince of Mirkwood...at your service, good sirs!"
Pushing a few strands of hair out of his face, Legolas felt for the first time the warm, sticky feeling of blood on his hands. Pushing the feeling aside as he did his hair, he grabbed his forgotten bag, Caldinor's crossbow and his extra darts and continued his way to the gate of the town.
"You there! Halt, I say!" A voice called from the dark, once again stopping him dead in his tracks. "What happened here? Explain yourself!" Sighing, his shoulders slumping and his eyes rolling in disbelief, Legolas gathered that the man behind him was one of the few people in this Valar forsaken town that actually made a living off attempting to uphold the law. Just his luck - this was NOT his night...
Deciding that it was far better to just scare the man and be over with it, Legolas irritably blew a strand of blood soaked hair from his face and turned slowly on his heels, his face moving into the soft lighting from the burning street lamps.
As he turned, he saw the man's face fall, his eyes obviously catching onto the sight of blood splattered across the Elf's face and clinging to his otherwise golden hair.
"You murdered those men!" the officer started in disbelief, his eyes wide and shining with his fear in the light of the lamps. Through the man's lack of wit, Legolas held in yet another sigh as he silently cursed all that humans were. Useless creatures...
"Murdered is such a nasty word," Legolas mocked, moving steadily forward with his arms outstretched. "It makes me sound like a common thug! I prefer 'assassinated; executed with precision' take your pick! And I would hardly call them 'men'." The officer was matching each of Legolas' steps with one of his own in the other direction, though, to his credit, he had not yet bolted as most would. He still gripped his sword with a white- knuckled grip although his hands were obviously shaking in a way that complemented his trembling lower lip.
"The way I see it," Legolas continued, his steps still moving closer to the man as his smile grew wider; seemingly more psychotic. His face was angled down, hiding most of his features in the cover of darkness meaning that he stared up at the man from under his eyelashes, his pupils the only colour to shine through the shadows. "I did you and this town a favor. They were no-hopers. Worthless criminals that needed to be shown the error of their ways. I did that which you could not."
"Indeed, I could not murder in cold blood!" The other shot back, his words showing none of the fear that his stance illustrated.
"Cold blood is the murder of innocence," the Elf corrected the man. "There was no innocence in any of them; that was surrendered when they took purity - when they spilt blood in a way that you would deem 'cold'. The men they have killed, the family's they have destroyed, the woman they have haunted and tormented. They are the innocent - it was their blood that was spilt cold. They," he spat out, this time pointing towards the dead figures, "are who you should label the cold blooded killers."
This seemed to silence the man for at least a moment. It was as if Legolas could actually see the other thinking over what he had said, turning the words within his head and considering them from every angle.
"Anyway, my good sir," Legolas cut into this thoughts, the words said sweetly while he still looked up at the man as a tiger would its prey. "If that shall be all, I will take my leave." Arms falling back to his sides, Legolas started to turn, his head down and his hair forming a sticky curtain around his features.
"You are not going anywhere but with me!" the officer said cockily, at least a smidgen of his courage returning at the prospect of the Elf getting away.
It was as he took his first step forward that they both heard it; a loud, pained groan from somewhere along the street on Legolas' left. It was obviously human, this fact made even further obvious as the same voice hiccupped and gasped once again, a soft word slipping past the mysterious person's lips.
Like clock-work; exactly what Legolas had expected, the guard turned his attention to the alleyway, his sword dropping slightly as he lent back on his heels to try and peer around the corner of the stone building.
As soon as the man looked away, Legolas threw his hands above his head and sprung off the ground with his feet, effortlessly gliding into a soundless back flip. His right leg went over first, his left gracefully following as his dark cloak rippled through the air as if it were on water. The entire action was so fast that gravity hardly took its toll on his long hair and to anyone watching, he would have appeared to be no more then a strange smudge upon the already dark night.
Mud squelching through his fingers, he once again pushed off the ground, this time bringing his feet back upon the slippery surface. Following the first with a second and a third flip, he stopped only when he was safely within the darkness shrouded outbuildings of the local market, the entire move taking place all before the other man had even been fully distracted by the distant cry. Spinning on his boot heels, Legolas felt the cool night breeze catch in his cloak, lifting the corners of it into the air and making it flare out behind him as he completely disappeared from sight.
*****
Not knowing what to do, Gruthfrid, the guard, decided that there was only one course of action. Take the Elf with him to check upon the wounded man and work things out from there. The only problem with his plan was that when he turned around there was no one there. The Elf was gone, vanished without a trace and without a single sound. Staring intently at the ground, the man could not even see the imprints of his boots in the position that he knew the Elf had been standing in all along. He had simply melted into the night; dispersed into the air and left no single trace of his presence.
Almost thinking that perhaps he had imagined the entire thing, Gruthfrid shot another look at the dead men further down the road. The bodies were still there; someone had to have killed them and that someone was the blond Elf - he had not imagined it!
Nor had he imagined that cry. Knowing that there was nothing that he could do about the strange Elf at the present, Gruthfrid sheathed his sword and headed in the direction of the pained cry, intent on at least helping someone to escape the riots of that night.
*****
Backtracking through the markets due to the fact that Legolas had found out that he had unknowingly wandered right into the middle of the forming gangs - the gangs that were charged up due to his actions - in his haste to get away from the guard. Using every constructive curse that he could, he muttered and ranted to himself as he slunk through the shadows, intending to head back to the place where he had met with the guard and make a dash for the town gates before the warring really began.
Head poking around a wooden pillar, Legolas saw that the street was deserted. The guard had obviously moved on, hopefully, for his own sake, into the safety of his house or the watch station. Unnaturally clinging to the shadows, Legolas slowly and carefully made his way across the entrance of the markets and into the more open main street. He was about to pick his way over the bodies of the three men he had slain earlier when a loud shout reverberated off the walls of the town, filling even his heart with dread.
It was a battle cry, a challenging and angered command from the leader of a gang, and, considering the circumstances, the elected leader of a small war- party. More importantly, it was coming from the alleyway just to his current right, the same place that the small cry and emitted from before. As if the situation needed to be any further complicated and dangerous, an answering cry came from just behind him.
Quickly spinning, his boots twisting in the mud and causing small droplet to be airborne around him, Legolas looked on with fear as he saw the yellow glow of the torches held by the group that he had retraced his steps to avoid.
Letting out a small, frustrated grunt, Legolas quickly weighted up the distance between where he stood and the gate. He would never make it, and the way that these thugs were at the moment, they would not care who they killed, as long as both sides satisfied their thirst for blood. Granted that he was a good assassin - said to be one of the best - he knew that he was no actual match for an entire small army. To take them on would just be folly!
Once again abandoning the idea of the gate, Legolas sprinted across the muddy road, his head down as he plowed through the mud while heading for the large building on his right that stood on the corner block. As soon as he reached the partly paved sidewalk, he slowed his pace and lent back, holding all his weight on his left leg as he kicked the door open. The wood splintered around the lock, allowing the door to swing easily ajar. The Elf was through the gap and closing it behind him long before the door even had time to bang against the other side of the wall.
Pressing his back to the splintery wood, the Elven prince let out a deep sigh, relieved to be off the accursed streets at last.
"All right, Legolas," he said quietly to himself, "focus and find a way out of here!" Ice blue eyes darted through the darkness, taking in every tiny aspect of his surroundings. It appeared to be an empty stable, the roughly built stalls long since abandoned and the few remaining tools hanging from the walls were old and starting to rust or corrode. Apart from the one that he lent against, there was only one other door that lead to the outside world, and that was to his right, opening out into the street where he had heard the cry of the man when with the guard. The other sides of the establishment seemed soundly built, backing onto other buildings and offering no escape. Quite a few shingles were missing from the roof, letting a number of string moonbeams shine onto the floor at his feet; this route seeming to be the best chance of escape.
Up onto the sides of the enclosures, flip onto the bean, break a few shingles and he would be out of there, on the roof and home free.
Moving from the door, he was about to put his master plan into action when a variable that he had not counted on made itself known.
"I did not do this!" a familiar voice rung out over the shouting noise from the right of the building. "I was merely trying to-"
"You have got to be kidding!" Legolas muttered heatedly, the voice automatically ringing a bell. Eyes rising to the ceiling, he glared up in the general direction of the sky, "Anything else that you want to throw at me while you are at it?" he demanded of the Valar.
"He killed Jonus!" another voice called out, deep and gruff.
"String him up men!"
"I'm innoce-" the words were cut off by a deep gurgling sound as something constricted around the man's throat. Rushing to the side door, Legolas sought out the largest shaft of glowing fire light in the slowly rotting wood. Dropping to his knees, he pressed his face to the large crack and peered out through the badly constructed door, watching as the daft fool that had stopped him before once again failed at trying to be the hero of the situation.
Mind slightly boggled, it took the Elf a little longer then normal to process what exactly had happened, but once the first few actions fell into place, it was easy to see how the man had ended up with a noose around his neck.
Once he had disappeared, Legolas mused, the man must have gone to inspect the hurt man, foolishly thinking that he could help. Legolas could almost see the dense man, calmly walking up to the injured gang member and probably leaning over him - to check that he was all right. Of course, when the full crowd of the gang came around the corner to see one of their own dying in the streets with a man bending over him; it would have appeared to be something more sinister - an attack on a defenseless one of their own. The rest was pretty much history, leading up to the very moment when they were about to hang the poor sod.
Humans truly weren't the brightest of creatures!
As if he needed more convincing of that fact, the other gang came around the corner, hate in their eyes and weapons raised high. The two opposing sides took one look at each other and tempers flared like liquor fueled flame as words were yelled and swords shaken in hatred.
It was as if the entire world slowed down as the two gangs glared at each other. Legolas could look at any of the men and see what was racing through their minds; avenge their fallen leader or protect their impeached honor. And then it happened. A great yell, echoed by both sides and traveling down the lines and lines of people, and the first lot were running at each other, weapons held high as they clashed right in the line of Legolas' view.
It was an amazing thing to witness. Never had he stood back from such a huge battle and simply watched - he was usually one of the hundreds that fought, that clashed blades with someone of the opposite side and prayed that he would prove to be quicker then his opponent. But to see the two sides mingle like that, to run full pelt into the other and blend seamlessly, was truly a wonder of a frightening degree.
One side were clad in dark brown leather jerkins or wore matching leather tied about their upper arms as a form of identification and group allegiance while the other were marked with blue. Hoods, tunics, bandannas; anything and everything was used as a marker, making the fusing line of the two fighting sides all the more terrifying to behold. Weapons mingled with arms, heads with flaming torches and a sea of colour coded bodies flooded into a conflicting one as the two sides broke against each other like a wave upon a rocky shore. The shouts and cries that the wind carried from the front line echoed around the streets in a fashion that did remind Legolas of the demanding tones of the sea - or at least how it had been described to him. The call was furious, persistent and unrelenting as the sound of steel scraping against steel, ripping flesh and splashing mud melted into the hatred filled war cry. It was a sound that almost hurt the Elf's sensitive ears, his heightened sense of hearing picking up on and intensifying each and every sound while driving him to want to cringe and cover the delicate points.
As the battle grew in the midst of a moment, there was still a number of men huddled around the guard, tightening the rope and getting ready to lynch the poor fool, much to Legolas' shock. He had thought that the men would forget all about their hostage as the chance to spill blood made itself known.
Half intent to just sit there and watch the foolish human get what his idiocy deemed was coming to him, Legolas felt that stirring within him that just simply would not allow it. How he hated that feeling! That nibbling at the corners of his soul that refused to leave him alone until he obeyed, until he rendered. The constant throbbing that would start in his head, move to his ears and finally his limbs when something like this happened, forcing his will to surrender to his heart and actually do something that others would probably deem 'gallant'. He hated it, he really did! In his line of work you were not meant to be kind, not meant to go risking your own life for someone else's no matter what. Doing something like that was what would get you killed; after all, it had happened to the best of them, the very ones that had taught Legolas. You get personally involved, or you go off on some heroic mission to save someone incapable of saving their selves and you end up on the other side of the killing. But job aside, even as a prince of his people he was not supposed to do such; such an act being far too dangerous for not only him, but for his bloodline and his people.
And yet every time it happened without fail. Every time some innocent person was in trouble, normally due to their own stupidity, there was no doubt that the little voice would pop up in his head and annoy the life out of him until he actually did something about the situation.
'You are better then those humans' it would say, rather vain, but still self-sacrificing, 'it is your duty to do something to help those that did nothing wrong.' And no matter how much he told himself that they brought it upon their own heads, and that the Elves had no real need for the useless mortals, he would always find himself doing something utterly reckless in order to have that little voice just shut up and deem him the 'good guy'.
Oh, he really, really hated his conscience!
"Son of an Orc," he muttered, standing to his feet and preparing himself for what he was about to do. He had no real plan, no basic strategy - just get out there, do a bit of damage and get back inside in one piece...without forgetting the guard of course.
Opting for a more high profile entrance, the Elf glanced around the stables once more, his eyes falling on a number of crates just to the left of the door. Smiling secretively, he pulled two of them over, placing one next to the door and the other in front of that, forming a small platform. Now it was just a matter of waiting for the opportune moment...
*****
To be continued...
*****
Upcoming previews: Chapter Three:
Over the location of Larnfield the sky was lined in red and hazy black. Fire seemed to lick at the heavens above, roaring up in a frantic attempt to consume the darkness and make it surrender to the glowing embers of the flaming buildings.
Later on:
The man's voice, the sparkle in his eyes, the way in which Estel had looked down at him as Legolas retreated from his approach; that thrill that had ran laps around the course of his body as Estel finally sealed their lips...oh how Legolas hated him!
...Legolas convulsed on the bed, curling in on himself and gasping even as Elrohir struggled to keep him flat. The pain, so clearly written in the way that his face scrunched up and his eyes squeezed shut, was constantly cried out into the room, striking further panic into the hearts of all that watched. The sole Prince of Mirkwood; their beloved friend, was dying...
*****
Response to reviews: a big thank you to all!!!!
Kael Kalespel: I hope that this was soon enough, and I am glad that you liked it so much...
Sirithiliel: You are not looking forward to the Aragorn/Legolas bit coming up? Well, if that is the case, rest assured, he is not coming into it for a little while yet...i kind of got myself carried away with what was meant to be the prologue but is now stretching into three to four chapters...
Jedi Cosmos: Oh, he is, he is! It is a side of him that I have yet to really explore, but I am loving it so far!! Lol, yes, I wanted his murder scene to be artful and clever, so that it would soften the blow to any people that did not want to see Legolas in such a light...
S: The intrigue is only going to get stronger and stronger! *Sweet smile* And yes, Estel has a rather...umm...different form of interaction with our cunning little assassin...
Eeyaatoe: Damnit!!! I should have used your suggestion for Aragorn - well Estel's part in the story. You know, the idea of him being one of the people out to kill Legolas never even occurred to me! How sad is that? But oh, thank you for the assassin comment. It is really hard to put such a thing on paper, especially keeping him the way that I envision in within my head so it is nice to hear that you like it. as you can see, Legolas' calculations in the tavern paid off, though I was not actually intending for that to happen.
whispers of an angel: *Wills more chills to pass down your spine while laughing evilly*
Analia: Damn. Honestly, I try to be original and someone always beats me to it! It is the voices in my head - they like to disclose my secrets! Lol. I hope this version does not disappoint. And with the amount of story that I have written, it should not be too long between updates at all... in theory...
Silvertoeke: Yes, a new story - I can't even stick to my own plans! Lol. But I hope it is still promising.
Exrated: Hey! Long time no see - well, that would be my fault... *offers smile* how are you? Anyway, gotta keep to the point else I shall be here all night. I am glad that you liked the previews, I have decided to put them at the end of each chapter so be prepared to be teased! And see, I did post soon - it has been what, a week? Cheers back!
Julie's Here: Hehe, Legolas needs an attitude more often I think. But all attitude lovers, be warned, he is just going to get worse as we go!
Jedi Ha'Li: All right, this applied to Ihni as well, who was also put off by the degree of slash in the first chapter. It is not going to be that bad all the way through! It was just the *BOOM, I'm here, pay attention to me* beginning, if you know what I mean. But anyway, I hope I did not scar you too much, or leave unwanted mental imprints on your mind, and if I did, then I do apologize!
Ihni: *Hangs head in shame* Again, I am sorry for converting to the endless ranks of slash, but it was something that I was pulled into and utterly swamped! But it does become more Minka-ish later...well, in this chapter even.
But yes, look on the bright side, it is an update!! A rare thing for me these days. But hey, I am still here and no one is getting rid of me that easily! And hey, I shakll turn your statement around and say that since you 'pushed' me into it 'you deserved everything you got'! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Yes, it is slash, yes, I have fallen, yes I should be ashamed... *turns off the prerecorded tape with all her many apologizes that she always finds herself needing to make* I hope I can at least attempt to make it artful as you know how much I hate the stories where Legolas is this pretty little thing that gets petted upon the head and looked after by Arafuck... opps, did I say that out loud? ...Aragorn! And the way that Legolas is with humans, it is not like he is going to be all that thrilled with Aragorn at first either! Violence as been, is coming and will be plentiful within a few chapters...
Pirates will be attempted this holidays - just a short story before I get into what we discussed as that will take me ages... Question. Who was it that punched who in the face? With the running away thing and we got the images of Jack smacking Will over the head with an ore? I sort of forgot that and that is vital... And yes, stop saying that! Lol, I never know what to say and it makes me embarrassed... one day I might just turn around and write a Mary-Sue to get a different response! Lol!!!!!
*****
All right, that was it for now, though it should not be too long before the next update. I hope it did not disappoint and that you all enjoyed it.
Minka
Also, for this chapter and the next, I drew a little inspiration from Gangs of New York - I just REALLY wanted to do a big street fight scene...
*****
The Thrill of the Chase
Chapter two
Reign of Terror
*****
Walking as quickly as he could while trying to brush the dirt and blood out of his hair with his fingers, Legolas concentrated on following the barely visible path through the woods.
He had only been in the abnormally dark forest once and that was over two months ago when he had first met with his employer, Verdox. The trees seemed to fade into the shadows, disappearing within the heavy and unnaturally thick mists while the canopy seemed to strive to block out the celestial light that would be present in any normal forest. For the Elf, walking through this woodland - a place that he would normally be utterly comfortable within - was like a nightmare. Nothing stirred; no small forest animals scurried across the drying leaves on the ground, no birds fluttered from bough to bough - not even the far off howling of a wild dog could be heard.
It was an unreservedly eerie place, one that filled the Elven prince with foreboding and dread. The deathly silence of the woodland and the peculiar darkness of the night spoke wonders to the Wood-Elf. Having lived in a forest all his life and after spending his childhood and adult years surrounded by the natural noises of a thriving woodland - even in the years of Greenwoods decent into shadow, the forest still pulsed with life - he was far more equipped to understand and interpret the meaning shrouded within the deceptively calm yet ominous gloom of the woods. It spoke of evil, of a presence that cloaked the trees, the animals and even the light with its fearful threat. A threat that forced the environmental ruling of nature into submission.
Yet now, as he trekked through the dark woods, was hardly the time to be contemplating such things, not when he had a job to do. Besides, he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself should the occasion arise. Using mostly his memory, Legolas tracked his way back to the meeting spot by the large birch tree. His allocated time was up, the days having passed quickly in his search, but, luckily for him, he had completed his task; only just.
It was only last night that he had finished his job that saw Sard annihilated, and, between the game of duck and cover that he had been playing with the town's residences, he would have been lucky to have made it to the forest within the set time, let alone with his head still residing on his shoulders.
"You are late!" a voice stated out of the shadows, actually catching the Elf unprepared. "What kept you - I do not like to be waiting!"
"Verdox," Legolas replied with an even and confident tone. "I was...delayed due to a few...complications."
"Loose ends?" Verdox demanded with a malice filled tone, the human still only a vaguely opaque cluster of shadows within the thicket of trees off to the Elf's right.
"They are taken care of," Legolas reassured the man; at least the ones that knew anything were. Even as the assassin spoke the words, the notion that 'taken care of' was a complete understatement came to find, especially as his thoughts briefly fleeted back to the utterly chaotic happenings of the night before in his attempt to quietly exit the human town.
*~~~~~*~~~~~*
Flash Back
*~~~~~*~~~~~*
Jumping from the roof of the tavern over to a lower, flatter surface, Legolas heard a shout come from the open window that he had fled.
"Damn!" he hissed, knowing that Sard's thugs had found their dead boss. Freezing on the spot and listening intently to the sounds of the tavern, he could hear running footsteps. As far as he could tell, two people ran up a flight of stairs, one heavily built while the first was swift and surefooted. Shouts could be heard though he could not make out the actual words as they were muffled by the other sounds that radiated from the building.
Knowing that he had to be gone before anyone was found to have the intelligence to look out the window, Legolas retraced his earlier steps over the rooftops with ease. Lightly jumping from one to the other, he quickly made his way across town, getting well out of the region of the tavern. Behind him, he could hear shouts spilling from the now open door, the patrons in the drinking house pouring out quicker then the ale had been not that long ago.
Gangs were starting to spread out, having long left the treacherous tavern in fear of being somehow connected with the murder. Shadows moved stealthily below him, groups meeting and huddling within the dark corners of the many alleyways and already cries could be heard through the night - it looked as if everything was going to hell.
He should have foreseen this. A murder in a town such as this was enough to stir up the very wrath of Mordor if one was not careful. The entire town was divided into gangs, groups that had no other way or purpose in life other then to kill and fight. A death in one such group, not to mention one that arose suspicion of murder, could be enough to start a war. The effected group would be suspicious of their enemy's and enlist the aide of those that hated a common foe; the other side would do the same and before long, you have a mass of misguided humans yelling at each other from opposite sides of the street as they waved their pitchforks and swords in the air.
As he dropped soundlessly to the ground beside a building near the edge of town, he was once again thankful for the lack of light in the gloomy streets. It had aided him in sneaking into the tavern via his rooftop route and back out again after having set his trap within the chosen room.
He hurried down the muddy streets, cursing the humans for everything that they were worth for not having the cleanliness to actually contrive of paved roads. In the wild he did not mind - it was there that things were meant to be dirty and where he would have no problem picking his way through waist deep mud - but to have such lowly conditions within a living environment... It just showed how useless and dimwitted the human race truly was.
Rounding a bend and quickening his pace towards the gate, Legolas heard a number of heavy footsteps before he saw the emerging shadows, parting themselves from the thick darkness of the side alleyway. From the weight behind the steps, the sounds of the breathing and the soft swish of what sounded like expensive material, Legolas had no doubt as to whom it was before the shapes of the men even became visible.
The street that Legolas walked was long and narrow, with one side opening into the markets and the other into a back alley. Up ahead stood the gates, tall and ominous in their silhouetted appearance against the night sky while the gathering masses of humans lay at his wake. While it was obvious that this was not the best of places to be corned in, Legolas held no real fear of the situation - after all, all three men were rather drunk and the Elf had already had time to pre-assess them.
One of them, obviously the man with the scar through his eye judging by the sound of his footsteps, was coming from the narrow opening of the alley, cutting that route off as a possible escape just as the lanky, tall man was separating himself from the wall up ahead, coming to stand in the middle of the street.
"Well, if it is not the pretty little whore?" the clerk stated as he closed in the last escape route the Elf had available as he moved to standing in the faint light near the entrance to the markets.
Offering a small smile and a nervous laugh, Legolas decided to play them for the fools that they obviously were.
"My lord's," he stated with a small bow of his head while shuffling his feet in a sign of bashfulness. The three men demonstrated their stupidity by moving together, grouping where the tall man had been and leaving both their flanks and the side openings to the street wide open.
The tall man moved slowly behind him - as if stalking his prey - before taking two steps forward and closing the gap between him and Legolas' back. Hands suddenly found their way to Legolas' shoulders as the human pulled the Elf back on his heels, shattering his center of balance and forcing Legolas to lean into his chest. The man's left hand took up a position on Legolas' collarbone while the right moved the golden curtain of his hair to the left, exposing Legolas' neck.
"I think," the man said as he traced the pointed ear with his index finger, his breath hot and tickling on the Elf's uncovered throat, "that we should get to know you a little better." The words were emphasized as he pulled Legolas taut against him and gave a quick flick of his hips.
Letting out a gasp of mock shock, Legolas forced a timid smile to creep upon his face while lolling his head back onto the man's shoulder, moaning slightly.
"And who are you, my lords?" Legolas questioned breathlessly as he rolled his head over the man's shoulder and down under the man's chin. Blue eyes stared up into the green of the tall man, pleading cleverly fabricated into the normally emotionless depths that rivaled the colour of the deep sea.
"This," the man behind Legolas said while pointing over the Elf's shoulder and to the clerk, "is Malkon, and that fellow," he pointed to the other, "is Stran. I," he said dramatically with yet another flex of his hips, "am Caldinor. And you, my lovely? What is your name?"
Not allowing himself to show his confusion or giving into the want to scrunch up his nose at the constant movements of Caldinor, Legolas just let out what he hoped would seem to be a contented sigh. Surly these men knew that Legolas had been, in one way or another, responsible for the death of their leader. Why did they not kill him? Hand him over to the so called authorities of this town instead of dropping suggestions like heavy rain?
But then again, even to Legolas the intention behind their actions was far too obvious as was their lack of intelligence.
Either way, it was high time that he dispatched of these portentous fools and was on his way.
Feeling Caldinor lean down to place a kiss on his throat, Legolas saw his quickly forming plan flash before his eyes, showing him exactly what to do whilst hastily weighting up the pros and cons of each action. It was a well learnt skill, to quickly envision the acts before he followed through with them. To gain access into the heads of the panicked victims and predict their reactions before the process of illumination had even begun.
As lips sucked at his pale throat, he was finally ready and happy with his line of action.
"I am," he started, making as if he was about to offer the answer to a question that it was palpable that the humans had no real interest in.
Reaching up and circling his right arm around the man's long neck, he made to pull him in for a deeper kiss. As the man suckled at his shoulder, Legolas quickly rolled his weight on his feet, once again putting himself at a point of perfect balance. Grabbing hold of the back of Caldinor's shirt, he lent forward and flipped the man right over his shoulder quicker then any of the men could see.
Caldinor hit the ground hard, his weight landing painfully on the back of his neck and shoulders as his legs and hips followed the path of his upper body.
Crouching down and grasping Caldinor's crossbow and a dart in each hand, Legolas had the dart loaded within the firing track before he was even raised to his full height. Only now had the two other men even showed any signs of understanding as to what was going on, and, as Legolas stood, Malkon started to stumble backwards in his haste to be away from the danger.
Tossing the crossbow to his left hand, Legolas did not even take the time to aim the weapon at the man before he pulled the small trigger, loosing the arrow while trusting to his instincts to reassure him that the dart would hit its target.
Throwing the now useless weapon to the side, he was rewarded with a slight gurgle as the man fell into the mud, the dart protruding directly from his heart.
Whirling onto the next man, Legolas grabbed Stran's right arm before the man could even draw a weapon. Twisting the arm up and then bringing it down roughly, Legolas heard the bone snap like a twig as he felt for the cool touch of metal with his other hand in the opening of Stran's right sleeve. Finally feeling the lashings of the leather covered hilt, Legolas closed his fingers around the handle of the dagger, pulled it free from the small supporting strap and swiped it over the man's throat before he had even cried out in pain of his now broken limb.
As the man fell, Legolas threw the knife downwards by the blade, catching Caldinor in the throat as he struggled to get his abused body to function.
Casting a quick look about the three men, Legolas could see that there was not an ounce of life left in any of them. And all in under a minute - he was starting to beat his own record!
"I have no name to grace your ears," Legolas said with a sweeping bow as he took the opportunity to introduce himself, "but given your current circumstances...Legolas, the Prince of Mirkwood...at your service, good sirs!"
Pushing a few strands of hair out of his face, Legolas felt for the first time the warm, sticky feeling of blood on his hands. Pushing the feeling aside as he did his hair, he grabbed his forgotten bag, Caldinor's crossbow and his extra darts and continued his way to the gate of the town.
"You there! Halt, I say!" A voice called from the dark, once again stopping him dead in his tracks. "What happened here? Explain yourself!" Sighing, his shoulders slumping and his eyes rolling in disbelief, Legolas gathered that the man behind him was one of the few people in this Valar forsaken town that actually made a living off attempting to uphold the law. Just his luck - this was NOT his night...
Deciding that it was far better to just scare the man and be over with it, Legolas irritably blew a strand of blood soaked hair from his face and turned slowly on his heels, his face moving into the soft lighting from the burning street lamps.
As he turned, he saw the man's face fall, his eyes obviously catching onto the sight of blood splattered across the Elf's face and clinging to his otherwise golden hair.
"You murdered those men!" the officer started in disbelief, his eyes wide and shining with his fear in the light of the lamps. Through the man's lack of wit, Legolas held in yet another sigh as he silently cursed all that humans were. Useless creatures...
"Murdered is such a nasty word," Legolas mocked, moving steadily forward with his arms outstretched. "It makes me sound like a common thug! I prefer 'assassinated; executed with precision' take your pick! And I would hardly call them 'men'." The officer was matching each of Legolas' steps with one of his own in the other direction, though, to his credit, he had not yet bolted as most would. He still gripped his sword with a white- knuckled grip although his hands were obviously shaking in a way that complemented his trembling lower lip.
"The way I see it," Legolas continued, his steps still moving closer to the man as his smile grew wider; seemingly more psychotic. His face was angled down, hiding most of his features in the cover of darkness meaning that he stared up at the man from under his eyelashes, his pupils the only colour to shine through the shadows. "I did you and this town a favor. They were no-hopers. Worthless criminals that needed to be shown the error of their ways. I did that which you could not."
"Indeed, I could not murder in cold blood!" The other shot back, his words showing none of the fear that his stance illustrated.
"Cold blood is the murder of innocence," the Elf corrected the man. "There was no innocence in any of them; that was surrendered when they took purity - when they spilt blood in a way that you would deem 'cold'. The men they have killed, the family's they have destroyed, the woman they have haunted and tormented. They are the innocent - it was their blood that was spilt cold. They," he spat out, this time pointing towards the dead figures, "are who you should label the cold blooded killers."
This seemed to silence the man for at least a moment. It was as if Legolas could actually see the other thinking over what he had said, turning the words within his head and considering them from every angle.
"Anyway, my good sir," Legolas cut into this thoughts, the words said sweetly while he still looked up at the man as a tiger would its prey. "If that shall be all, I will take my leave." Arms falling back to his sides, Legolas started to turn, his head down and his hair forming a sticky curtain around his features.
"You are not going anywhere but with me!" the officer said cockily, at least a smidgen of his courage returning at the prospect of the Elf getting away.
It was as he took his first step forward that they both heard it; a loud, pained groan from somewhere along the street on Legolas' left. It was obviously human, this fact made even further obvious as the same voice hiccupped and gasped once again, a soft word slipping past the mysterious person's lips.
Like clock-work; exactly what Legolas had expected, the guard turned his attention to the alleyway, his sword dropping slightly as he lent back on his heels to try and peer around the corner of the stone building.
As soon as the man looked away, Legolas threw his hands above his head and sprung off the ground with his feet, effortlessly gliding into a soundless back flip. His right leg went over first, his left gracefully following as his dark cloak rippled through the air as if it were on water. The entire action was so fast that gravity hardly took its toll on his long hair and to anyone watching, he would have appeared to be no more then a strange smudge upon the already dark night.
Mud squelching through his fingers, he once again pushed off the ground, this time bringing his feet back upon the slippery surface. Following the first with a second and a third flip, he stopped only when he was safely within the darkness shrouded outbuildings of the local market, the entire move taking place all before the other man had even been fully distracted by the distant cry. Spinning on his boot heels, Legolas felt the cool night breeze catch in his cloak, lifting the corners of it into the air and making it flare out behind him as he completely disappeared from sight.
*****
Not knowing what to do, Gruthfrid, the guard, decided that there was only one course of action. Take the Elf with him to check upon the wounded man and work things out from there. The only problem with his plan was that when he turned around there was no one there. The Elf was gone, vanished without a trace and without a single sound. Staring intently at the ground, the man could not even see the imprints of his boots in the position that he knew the Elf had been standing in all along. He had simply melted into the night; dispersed into the air and left no single trace of his presence.
Almost thinking that perhaps he had imagined the entire thing, Gruthfrid shot another look at the dead men further down the road. The bodies were still there; someone had to have killed them and that someone was the blond Elf - he had not imagined it!
Nor had he imagined that cry. Knowing that there was nothing that he could do about the strange Elf at the present, Gruthfrid sheathed his sword and headed in the direction of the pained cry, intent on at least helping someone to escape the riots of that night.
*****
Backtracking through the markets due to the fact that Legolas had found out that he had unknowingly wandered right into the middle of the forming gangs - the gangs that were charged up due to his actions - in his haste to get away from the guard. Using every constructive curse that he could, he muttered and ranted to himself as he slunk through the shadows, intending to head back to the place where he had met with the guard and make a dash for the town gates before the warring really began.
Head poking around a wooden pillar, Legolas saw that the street was deserted. The guard had obviously moved on, hopefully, for his own sake, into the safety of his house or the watch station. Unnaturally clinging to the shadows, Legolas slowly and carefully made his way across the entrance of the markets and into the more open main street. He was about to pick his way over the bodies of the three men he had slain earlier when a loud shout reverberated off the walls of the town, filling even his heart with dread.
It was a battle cry, a challenging and angered command from the leader of a gang, and, considering the circumstances, the elected leader of a small war- party. More importantly, it was coming from the alleyway just to his current right, the same place that the small cry and emitted from before. As if the situation needed to be any further complicated and dangerous, an answering cry came from just behind him.
Quickly spinning, his boots twisting in the mud and causing small droplet to be airborne around him, Legolas looked on with fear as he saw the yellow glow of the torches held by the group that he had retraced his steps to avoid.
Letting out a small, frustrated grunt, Legolas quickly weighted up the distance between where he stood and the gate. He would never make it, and the way that these thugs were at the moment, they would not care who they killed, as long as both sides satisfied their thirst for blood. Granted that he was a good assassin - said to be one of the best - he knew that he was no actual match for an entire small army. To take them on would just be folly!
Once again abandoning the idea of the gate, Legolas sprinted across the muddy road, his head down as he plowed through the mud while heading for the large building on his right that stood on the corner block. As soon as he reached the partly paved sidewalk, he slowed his pace and lent back, holding all his weight on his left leg as he kicked the door open. The wood splintered around the lock, allowing the door to swing easily ajar. The Elf was through the gap and closing it behind him long before the door even had time to bang against the other side of the wall.
Pressing his back to the splintery wood, the Elven prince let out a deep sigh, relieved to be off the accursed streets at last.
"All right, Legolas," he said quietly to himself, "focus and find a way out of here!" Ice blue eyes darted through the darkness, taking in every tiny aspect of his surroundings. It appeared to be an empty stable, the roughly built stalls long since abandoned and the few remaining tools hanging from the walls were old and starting to rust or corrode. Apart from the one that he lent against, there was only one other door that lead to the outside world, and that was to his right, opening out into the street where he had heard the cry of the man when with the guard. The other sides of the establishment seemed soundly built, backing onto other buildings and offering no escape. Quite a few shingles were missing from the roof, letting a number of string moonbeams shine onto the floor at his feet; this route seeming to be the best chance of escape.
Up onto the sides of the enclosures, flip onto the bean, break a few shingles and he would be out of there, on the roof and home free.
Moving from the door, he was about to put his master plan into action when a variable that he had not counted on made itself known.
"I did not do this!" a familiar voice rung out over the shouting noise from the right of the building. "I was merely trying to-"
"You have got to be kidding!" Legolas muttered heatedly, the voice automatically ringing a bell. Eyes rising to the ceiling, he glared up in the general direction of the sky, "Anything else that you want to throw at me while you are at it?" he demanded of the Valar.
"He killed Jonus!" another voice called out, deep and gruff.
"String him up men!"
"I'm innoce-" the words were cut off by a deep gurgling sound as something constricted around the man's throat. Rushing to the side door, Legolas sought out the largest shaft of glowing fire light in the slowly rotting wood. Dropping to his knees, he pressed his face to the large crack and peered out through the badly constructed door, watching as the daft fool that had stopped him before once again failed at trying to be the hero of the situation.
Mind slightly boggled, it took the Elf a little longer then normal to process what exactly had happened, but once the first few actions fell into place, it was easy to see how the man had ended up with a noose around his neck.
Once he had disappeared, Legolas mused, the man must have gone to inspect the hurt man, foolishly thinking that he could help. Legolas could almost see the dense man, calmly walking up to the injured gang member and probably leaning over him - to check that he was all right. Of course, when the full crowd of the gang came around the corner to see one of their own dying in the streets with a man bending over him; it would have appeared to be something more sinister - an attack on a defenseless one of their own. The rest was pretty much history, leading up to the very moment when they were about to hang the poor sod.
Humans truly weren't the brightest of creatures!
As if he needed more convincing of that fact, the other gang came around the corner, hate in their eyes and weapons raised high. The two opposing sides took one look at each other and tempers flared like liquor fueled flame as words were yelled and swords shaken in hatred.
It was as if the entire world slowed down as the two gangs glared at each other. Legolas could look at any of the men and see what was racing through their minds; avenge their fallen leader or protect their impeached honor. And then it happened. A great yell, echoed by both sides and traveling down the lines and lines of people, and the first lot were running at each other, weapons held high as they clashed right in the line of Legolas' view.
It was an amazing thing to witness. Never had he stood back from such a huge battle and simply watched - he was usually one of the hundreds that fought, that clashed blades with someone of the opposite side and prayed that he would prove to be quicker then his opponent. But to see the two sides mingle like that, to run full pelt into the other and blend seamlessly, was truly a wonder of a frightening degree.
One side were clad in dark brown leather jerkins or wore matching leather tied about their upper arms as a form of identification and group allegiance while the other were marked with blue. Hoods, tunics, bandannas; anything and everything was used as a marker, making the fusing line of the two fighting sides all the more terrifying to behold. Weapons mingled with arms, heads with flaming torches and a sea of colour coded bodies flooded into a conflicting one as the two sides broke against each other like a wave upon a rocky shore. The shouts and cries that the wind carried from the front line echoed around the streets in a fashion that did remind Legolas of the demanding tones of the sea - or at least how it had been described to him. The call was furious, persistent and unrelenting as the sound of steel scraping against steel, ripping flesh and splashing mud melted into the hatred filled war cry. It was a sound that almost hurt the Elf's sensitive ears, his heightened sense of hearing picking up on and intensifying each and every sound while driving him to want to cringe and cover the delicate points.
As the battle grew in the midst of a moment, there was still a number of men huddled around the guard, tightening the rope and getting ready to lynch the poor fool, much to Legolas' shock. He had thought that the men would forget all about their hostage as the chance to spill blood made itself known.
Half intent to just sit there and watch the foolish human get what his idiocy deemed was coming to him, Legolas felt that stirring within him that just simply would not allow it. How he hated that feeling! That nibbling at the corners of his soul that refused to leave him alone until he obeyed, until he rendered. The constant throbbing that would start in his head, move to his ears and finally his limbs when something like this happened, forcing his will to surrender to his heart and actually do something that others would probably deem 'gallant'. He hated it, he really did! In his line of work you were not meant to be kind, not meant to go risking your own life for someone else's no matter what. Doing something like that was what would get you killed; after all, it had happened to the best of them, the very ones that had taught Legolas. You get personally involved, or you go off on some heroic mission to save someone incapable of saving their selves and you end up on the other side of the killing. But job aside, even as a prince of his people he was not supposed to do such; such an act being far too dangerous for not only him, but for his bloodline and his people.
And yet every time it happened without fail. Every time some innocent person was in trouble, normally due to their own stupidity, there was no doubt that the little voice would pop up in his head and annoy the life out of him until he actually did something about the situation.
'You are better then those humans' it would say, rather vain, but still self-sacrificing, 'it is your duty to do something to help those that did nothing wrong.' And no matter how much he told himself that they brought it upon their own heads, and that the Elves had no real need for the useless mortals, he would always find himself doing something utterly reckless in order to have that little voice just shut up and deem him the 'good guy'.
Oh, he really, really hated his conscience!
"Son of an Orc," he muttered, standing to his feet and preparing himself for what he was about to do. He had no real plan, no basic strategy - just get out there, do a bit of damage and get back inside in one piece...without forgetting the guard of course.
Opting for a more high profile entrance, the Elf glanced around the stables once more, his eyes falling on a number of crates just to the left of the door. Smiling secretively, he pulled two of them over, placing one next to the door and the other in front of that, forming a small platform. Now it was just a matter of waiting for the opportune moment...
*****
To be continued...
*****
Upcoming previews: Chapter Three:
Over the location of Larnfield the sky was lined in red and hazy black. Fire seemed to lick at the heavens above, roaring up in a frantic attempt to consume the darkness and make it surrender to the glowing embers of the flaming buildings.
Later on:
The man's voice, the sparkle in his eyes, the way in which Estel had looked down at him as Legolas retreated from his approach; that thrill that had ran laps around the course of his body as Estel finally sealed their lips...oh how Legolas hated him!
...Legolas convulsed on the bed, curling in on himself and gasping even as Elrohir struggled to keep him flat. The pain, so clearly written in the way that his face scrunched up and his eyes squeezed shut, was constantly cried out into the room, striking further panic into the hearts of all that watched. The sole Prince of Mirkwood; their beloved friend, was dying...
*****
Response to reviews: a big thank you to all!!!!
Kael Kalespel: I hope that this was soon enough, and I am glad that you liked it so much...
Sirithiliel: You are not looking forward to the Aragorn/Legolas bit coming up? Well, if that is the case, rest assured, he is not coming into it for a little while yet...i kind of got myself carried away with what was meant to be the prologue but is now stretching into three to four chapters...
Jedi Cosmos: Oh, he is, he is! It is a side of him that I have yet to really explore, but I am loving it so far!! Lol, yes, I wanted his murder scene to be artful and clever, so that it would soften the blow to any people that did not want to see Legolas in such a light...
S: The intrigue is only going to get stronger and stronger! *Sweet smile* And yes, Estel has a rather...umm...different form of interaction with our cunning little assassin...
Eeyaatoe: Damnit!!! I should have used your suggestion for Aragorn - well Estel's part in the story. You know, the idea of him being one of the people out to kill Legolas never even occurred to me! How sad is that? But oh, thank you for the assassin comment. It is really hard to put such a thing on paper, especially keeping him the way that I envision in within my head so it is nice to hear that you like it. as you can see, Legolas' calculations in the tavern paid off, though I was not actually intending for that to happen.
whispers of an angel: *Wills more chills to pass down your spine while laughing evilly*
Analia: Damn. Honestly, I try to be original and someone always beats me to it! It is the voices in my head - they like to disclose my secrets! Lol. I hope this version does not disappoint. And with the amount of story that I have written, it should not be too long between updates at all... in theory...
Silvertoeke: Yes, a new story - I can't even stick to my own plans! Lol. But I hope it is still promising.
Exrated: Hey! Long time no see - well, that would be my fault... *offers smile* how are you? Anyway, gotta keep to the point else I shall be here all night. I am glad that you liked the previews, I have decided to put them at the end of each chapter so be prepared to be teased! And see, I did post soon - it has been what, a week? Cheers back!
Julie's Here: Hehe, Legolas needs an attitude more often I think. But all attitude lovers, be warned, he is just going to get worse as we go!
Jedi Ha'Li: All right, this applied to Ihni as well, who was also put off by the degree of slash in the first chapter. It is not going to be that bad all the way through! It was just the *BOOM, I'm here, pay attention to me* beginning, if you know what I mean. But anyway, I hope I did not scar you too much, or leave unwanted mental imprints on your mind, and if I did, then I do apologize!
Ihni: *Hangs head in shame* Again, I am sorry for converting to the endless ranks of slash, but it was something that I was pulled into and utterly swamped! But it does become more Minka-ish later...well, in this chapter even.
But yes, look on the bright side, it is an update!! A rare thing for me these days. But hey, I am still here and no one is getting rid of me that easily! And hey, I shakll turn your statement around and say that since you 'pushed' me into it 'you deserved everything you got'! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Yes, it is slash, yes, I have fallen, yes I should be ashamed... *turns off the prerecorded tape with all her many apologizes that she always finds herself needing to make* I hope I can at least attempt to make it artful as you know how much I hate the stories where Legolas is this pretty little thing that gets petted upon the head and looked after by Arafuck... opps, did I say that out loud? ...Aragorn! And the way that Legolas is with humans, it is not like he is going to be all that thrilled with Aragorn at first either! Violence as been, is coming and will be plentiful within a few chapters...
Pirates will be attempted this holidays - just a short story before I get into what we discussed as that will take me ages... Question. Who was it that punched who in the face? With the running away thing and we got the images of Jack smacking Will over the head with an ore? I sort of forgot that and that is vital... And yes, stop saying that! Lol, I never know what to say and it makes me embarrassed... one day I might just turn around and write a Mary-Sue to get a different response! Lol!!!!!
*****
All right, that was it for now, though it should not be too long before the next update. I hope it did not disappoint and that you all enjoyed it.
Minka