Legolas slept through most of the night, waking in the pale predawn light.
The human was nowhere to be seen. Cautiously, careful of his leg, he pulled
himself over to the pile of the man's things. Pain shot through his leg and
chest as he dragged himself along the rough ground. He considered trying to
stand briefly, but if his leg hurt this much now, he doubted walking was a
possibility.
He sat back against a convenient tree and looked in the man's pack. There was something very interesting in there, just some food and healing supplies. There were a few little oddments that were always useful while travelling such as bowls and cutlery, and a small box of salt. He was about to leave the pack and looked through the other things, when a glint of metal caught his eye.
There was a pocket, cunningly concealed, near the bottom of the bag. Legolas reached into it and pulled out a dagger. His first thought was that it was his own long knife, but he saw quickly that it wasn't, though it was elven craft. He drew it from its sheath, looking closely at the bright, sharp blade. It was simple enough, with no gems or decorations, save for a single inscription down the blade. 'Toron'. The elvish word for brother was written in fine, elvish characters.
Legolas stared at it in curiosity. How did a human come by this? A worrying through entered Legolas' mind. If he could read elvish, he might have read the inscription on his bow, and know exactly who his prisoner was. It was unlikely though that a human could speak elvish, he had probably just bought the blade somewhere.
Another, even more worrying thought entered his mind. Perhaps he had killed an elf, and taken the dagger as a trophy. If so, he wouldn't hesitated to kill Legolas.
"Some might consider it rude to go through another person's things without permission." Legolas spun quickly, the sharp movement sending pain through his entire body, almost making him cry out.
The human stood behind him, leaning casually against a tree. He didn't look particularly angry, but Legolas didn't have much experience with men and so couldn't be sure. The surprising thing was that Legolas hadn't heard him approached. Elven hearing didn't miss much usually.
"How does it come to pass that a human owns an elven blade?" Legolas asked.
"Not that it's any of your business," the man responded, "but it was a gift from my brother." The man sat down in front of Legolas. "Though the last time I saw him he looked as though he would be willing to stab me with it."
Legolas couldn't tell if the human was being serious or not. He couldn't think of anything drastic enough to make a brother willing to kill, but perhaps it was different for humans. "What happened?" Legolas asked.
"He'd been boasting rather too much about his skill with a bow. He is good, granted, but that's no reason to brag about it constantly. Anyway, he'd invited a maiden he was rather fond of to come and what his archery practice. Then, for some mysterious reason, he couldn't find his bow." The human was grinning at this point, and something in his tone made Legolas grin too.
"I offered to help him look for a spare, and I did find one. Unfortunately, when I gave it to him he didn't have any time to check it over if he was going to be there on time, so he didn't notice the bow's string was faulty until he tried to shoot." Legolas chuckled to himself, thinking of a few back in Mirkwood he would like to play such a trick on.
"Unfortunately," the man went on, "my brother didn't find it as funny as I did. So I decided it would be a good idea to go travelling for a decade or two until he calms down." The man laughed softly, "It was worth it."
"Does your brother have a name?" Legolas asked.
"Trouble," the man muttered. Legolas guessed that he wasn't going to get a more sincere answer out of the man, so he turned the conversation to other matters.
"Where are my weapons?"
"When you're strong enough to find them, you'll be strong enough to leave."
"You'll just let me go?"
"Of course, what did you expect me to do?" The statement surprised Legolas. His father had always taught him that humans never acted out of anything but their own self-interest. For one of them to help for no reason other than kindness was inconceivable.
They fell into silence after that, and talked little for the rest of the day. Legolas wasn't willing to say much about himself, and the human seemed similarly disinclined. It was rather a dull time.
The man went off into the woods hunting again soon, and while the meat was cooking insisted on inspecting Legolas' wounds again. Legolas complained violently that it was unnecessary, but eventually submitted. He knew it was a sensible precaution, but his pride wouldn't let him back down without giving a fight.
As Legolas sat staring up at the sky through the trees, he wished he could be up in the branches. It was impossible, since right now he couldn't even stand to reach the lowest branch. He leaned back against the trunk, watching the leaves rustle in the breeze. Green against blue, mingled with the brown of the branches and. . . white?
Legolas looked closer. There was definitely something white among the branches. Something that looked suspiciously like the handle of a long, elven knife.
"You put my weapons in the tree?"
"It seemed the best place to keep an elf's things safe," the man said with a shrug. Legolas smiled at that comment. As soon as his leg was able to bear his weight for a few seconds he would be up there in the branches, and then he would be gone.
***
It was still dark when Legolas woke. So dark even elf eyes could barely pierce the gloom. He wondered why he'd woken up. There were no sounds but the rustle of the leaves, and other sounds ever present in a wood. But still he felt that something was wrong.
He raised his head slightly, imperceptibly. The man sitting against a tree, his head lowered to his chest in sleep. The camp was as it should be. Or so it seemed.
There was something moving in the trees behind the man. Something skilled at staying hidden. Legolas reached instinctively for his knife, only to find it wasn't there.
The something was getting closer. Legolas saw a blade glitter in the moonlight and called out a warning.
Too late.
Before the man was even fully awake, another man grabbed him from behind, and pressed a knife to his throat. Legolas sat up quickly, but unarmed and injured there was very little he could do.
***
Author's note: Yay! The evil cliffhangers are back. Unfortunately, so are the short chapters. But everyone was pushing me to update quickly and I do what I'm told. Occasionally.
He sat back against a convenient tree and looked in the man's pack. There was something very interesting in there, just some food and healing supplies. There were a few little oddments that were always useful while travelling such as bowls and cutlery, and a small box of salt. He was about to leave the pack and looked through the other things, when a glint of metal caught his eye.
There was a pocket, cunningly concealed, near the bottom of the bag. Legolas reached into it and pulled out a dagger. His first thought was that it was his own long knife, but he saw quickly that it wasn't, though it was elven craft. He drew it from its sheath, looking closely at the bright, sharp blade. It was simple enough, with no gems or decorations, save for a single inscription down the blade. 'Toron'. The elvish word for brother was written in fine, elvish characters.
Legolas stared at it in curiosity. How did a human come by this? A worrying through entered Legolas' mind. If he could read elvish, he might have read the inscription on his bow, and know exactly who his prisoner was. It was unlikely though that a human could speak elvish, he had probably just bought the blade somewhere.
Another, even more worrying thought entered his mind. Perhaps he had killed an elf, and taken the dagger as a trophy. If so, he wouldn't hesitated to kill Legolas.
"Some might consider it rude to go through another person's things without permission." Legolas spun quickly, the sharp movement sending pain through his entire body, almost making him cry out.
The human stood behind him, leaning casually against a tree. He didn't look particularly angry, but Legolas didn't have much experience with men and so couldn't be sure. The surprising thing was that Legolas hadn't heard him approached. Elven hearing didn't miss much usually.
"How does it come to pass that a human owns an elven blade?" Legolas asked.
"Not that it's any of your business," the man responded, "but it was a gift from my brother." The man sat down in front of Legolas. "Though the last time I saw him he looked as though he would be willing to stab me with it."
Legolas couldn't tell if the human was being serious or not. He couldn't think of anything drastic enough to make a brother willing to kill, but perhaps it was different for humans. "What happened?" Legolas asked.
"He'd been boasting rather too much about his skill with a bow. He is good, granted, but that's no reason to brag about it constantly. Anyway, he'd invited a maiden he was rather fond of to come and what his archery practice. Then, for some mysterious reason, he couldn't find his bow." The human was grinning at this point, and something in his tone made Legolas grin too.
"I offered to help him look for a spare, and I did find one. Unfortunately, when I gave it to him he didn't have any time to check it over if he was going to be there on time, so he didn't notice the bow's string was faulty until he tried to shoot." Legolas chuckled to himself, thinking of a few back in Mirkwood he would like to play such a trick on.
"Unfortunately," the man went on, "my brother didn't find it as funny as I did. So I decided it would be a good idea to go travelling for a decade or two until he calms down." The man laughed softly, "It was worth it."
"Does your brother have a name?" Legolas asked.
"Trouble," the man muttered. Legolas guessed that he wasn't going to get a more sincere answer out of the man, so he turned the conversation to other matters.
"Where are my weapons?"
"When you're strong enough to find them, you'll be strong enough to leave."
"You'll just let me go?"
"Of course, what did you expect me to do?" The statement surprised Legolas. His father had always taught him that humans never acted out of anything but their own self-interest. For one of them to help for no reason other than kindness was inconceivable.
They fell into silence after that, and talked little for the rest of the day. Legolas wasn't willing to say much about himself, and the human seemed similarly disinclined. It was rather a dull time.
The man went off into the woods hunting again soon, and while the meat was cooking insisted on inspecting Legolas' wounds again. Legolas complained violently that it was unnecessary, but eventually submitted. He knew it was a sensible precaution, but his pride wouldn't let him back down without giving a fight.
As Legolas sat staring up at the sky through the trees, he wished he could be up in the branches. It was impossible, since right now he couldn't even stand to reach the lowest branch. He leaned back against the trunk, watching the leaves rustle in the breeze. Green against blue, mingled with the brown of the branches and. . . white?
Legolas looked closer. There was definitely something white among the branches. Something that looked suspiciously like the handle of a long, elven knife.
"You put my weapons in the tree?"
"It seemed the best place to keep an elf's things safe," the man said with a shrug. Legolas smiled at that comment. As soon as his leg was able to bear his weight for a few seconds he would be up there in the branches, and then he would be gone.
***
It was still dark when Legolas woke. So dark even elf eyes could barely pierce the gloom. He wondered why he'd woken up. There were no sounds but the rustle of the leaves, and other sounds ever present in a wood. But still he felt that something was wrong.
He raised his head slightly, imperceptibly. The man sitting against a tree, his head lowered to his chest in sleep. The camp was as it should be. Or so it seemed.
There was something moving in the trees behind the man. Something skilled at staying hidden. Legolas reached instinctively for his knife, only to find it wasn't there.
The something was getting closer. Legolas saw a blade glitter in the moonlight and called out a warning.
Too late.
Before the man was even fully awake, another man grabbed him from behind, and pressed a knife to his throat. Legolas sat up quickly, but unarmed and injured there was very little he could do.
***
Author's note: Yay! The evil cliffhangers are back. Unfortunately, so are the short chapters. But everyone was pushing me to update quickly and I do what I'm told. Occasionally.