Author's note: I apologise for the slight delay. OK, maybe not so slight.
If it helps stop complaints, I'd like to say that one of the things that's
delayed this update is me learning how to use a sword and a pole axe. I may
not be very good yet, but I'm sure anyone who complains will find out first
hand.
***
"Who are you?" Legolas asked as Aragorn took some fruit from his pack and handed Legolas an apple.
"My name is Aragorn."
"But who are you? You speak elvish, but you're no elf. You speak of the sons of Elrond as though you know them."
"Of course I know them. I've spent most of my life in the same house as them. My father died when I was so young I don't remember him, and my mother took me to Rivendell. She thought it was best if I grew up under Lord Elrond's protection. Unfortunately, he didn't protect me from the twin demons known as Elladan and Elrohir." Legolas would have been angry at him for referring to elves as demons, if he didn't know the twins well enough to know it was an accurate description at times.
He'd only met the sons of Elrond a handful of times, and couldn't imagine how it must be to live with them. Rather he could imagine it, he just didn't dare. The thought was too horrific to contemplate.
"It seems strange that Lord Elrond would shelter humans," Legolas mused.
"Why? He is half-human after all."
Legolas didn't say what he had always thought, which was that Elrond had chosen immortality and therefore must be trying to forget his weaker, human side. He didn't think such a reply would be very well received by the human who's mercy he was at. So far he had been kind, but insulting his people might change that.
"And who's your friend?"
"Halbarad is a ranger, one of my people. Many of my people travel to Rivendell often, so they speak elvish, but Halbarad never took the time to learn."
"You've travelled far?"
"I've roamed the lands west of the Misty Mountains and east of the sea all my life, though I've only occasionally travelled beyond those bounds."
"So what are you doing here, west of Mirkwood?"
"I decided to go somewhere I've not been before. One might ask what a prince of Mirkwood is doing alone outside his realm," Aragorn said.
"The same thing that's driven you thus far, curiosity," Legolas said with a smile, "I've rarely been outside Mirkwood, and then only on journeys to Rivendell or the Long Lake. I decided to see what lay beyond Esgaroth, in the lands about which my people know little."
"Where were you heading?"
"I do not see that it is of any concern to you, human," Legolas said. The man shrugged, unconcerned, and turned to the fire.
"I should probably take a look at your injuries," Aragorn went on, "Halbarad has some skill, but he has not had any experience healing elves."
"And you have?"
"I've lived in the same house as Elladan and Elrohir, that alone has given me a lot of practice." Legolas could well believe that, but he wasn't happy about allowing another human to inspect him. Aragorn might well be telling the truth about living in Rivendell, but he could just as easily be lying, creating a story so Legolas would let his guard down. You could never trust humans, Isilder had shown that long ago.
"My wounds are healing," he said, "they need no more treatment from you."
"And who trained you in healing?" Legolas couldn't answer that, because of course he was no healer. He found he had to submit to Aragorn's care.
"In another day or so your leg will be strong enough for you to walk, but you should be careful of it for a while," Aragorn said, "your broken rib will take longer to heal, but you should be well enough to travel soon enough, though I'd recommend waiting a little longer."
"Why?"
"Because whoever did this to you might still be out there, and currently you're not in any condition to fight them should they come across you." Legolas hated to do so, but he had to admit the human was right. He didn't think he'd be able to fight a child in his present state, and the group who'd attacked him had been large and well-armed.
"How did you come to be in this condition?" Aragorn asked.
"I was ambushed," Legolas said, "by your kind. There were a lot of them, lying in wait in a rocky area, hidden from the path I was taking. One of them shot me in the leg, but I don't think he was aiming to kill." Legolas closed his eyes against the memory of the pain. "I think they were slavers, at least I caught a glimpse of prisoners in chains." Legolas remembered the look of terror on the faces of the prisoners. How could humans do this to their own kind? There had even been children.
"Why do you do such things?" Legolas asked.
"I don't," Aragorn replied, "There are good and evil people in all races."
"Not among the elves. We would never enslave an innocent."
"Perhaps not, but your kind have performed other crimes just as foul."
"You know nothing, human, if you can call an elf evil."
"Have you not learned your own history?" Aragorn asked, "Elves have killed those not only of their own race, but their own kin. Innocents."
"I will not be taught elven lore by a human! You know nothing of the kinslaying!"
"I know that elves are capable of cruel deeds as much as humans, or any other race on Middle Earth."
"If you call me evil again it will be the last thing you do," Legolas said, his voice low and menacing.
"I did not say that you were evil," Aragorn said unperturbed, "I merely stated that your kind are not so perfect as you would like to believe."
"I do not think that we are perfect," Legolas responded, "but we are still the Eldar, and as such are better than your kind can ever hope to be."
"And so wonderfully modest." Legolas glared. He was proud, but he had every reason to be. There was no sense in pretending that he wasn't better than this man in front of him, since he clearly was. Aragorn was just to stupid to see it.
***
Legolas was woken in the middle of the night, but Aragorn shaking him roughly.
"Get up!" Aragorn commanded, "Get up!" Legolas was slow to comply, so Aragorn seized his arm and half-hauled him to his feet. His right leg protested to the movement, but it would now support some of his weight, meaning he no longer needed to hold onto something. He was grateful for that when the human shoved Legolas' bow and quiver into his hands. He also tossed him his long knife, which he quickly fastened to his waist.
The human had an ash bow out, an arrow already set on a string. He was staring hard in one direction, though Legolas could see nothing.
"What's happening?" he asked.
"Some people are heading this way, and I very much doubt you want to be caught weaponless when they arrive."
Sure enough, it wasn't long before he heard someone approaching. A moment later he changed that assessment, since he could clearly hear more than one person. He had his bow ready, aiming an arrow into the trees in the direction from which they were coming.
As soon as the first one came into view, Legolas recognised the face. It was the man who had shot him. He was quick to return the favour, and even quicker to place a fresh arrow on the string as a large group of men charged from the trees. He kept firing swiftly, Aragorn doing the same beside him, but there were too many of them.
It wasn't long before he had to abandon his bow and draw his long knife. He slashed at the first man to reach him, cutting through the flesh of his right arm. The man dropped the sword that he was holding, but he brought his left arm round to punch Legolas in the face. Legolas staggered back, and put a little too much weight on his right leg.
With a cry of pain he fell to his knees as his leg gave out beneath him. It felt like stabs of fire were tearing into his muscle.
But he couldn't think of the pain. He needed to concentrate on fight those who decided to take advantage of his position. He brought his knife up to block sword blows, but he couldn't defend from multiple attacks.
A quick glance showed him that Aragorn was busy fighting too many enemies on his own to come to his aid. If Legolas had had the time, he might have wondered why the human was using a dagger, when his sword hung at his side undrawn. Instead Legolas concentrated on deflecting a blow that would have pierced his right shoulder, leaving him unable to fight.
As he did so, something struck him on the back of the head. Dizzy and momentarily dazed, he fell forwards. Someone seized his wrist and yanked his knife from his grasp.
Legolas struggled as his arms were pulled behind him, but the movement stretched his chest and caused his rib to protest in pain. He somehow kept himself from crying out as one of the men decided to limit his movements by sitting across his legs. His right leg flared in such agony that he could barely think of anything else.
He tried to dislodge the man, but a fist struck him in the middle of his back, pressing his chest against the hard ground. The pain was too much. He was unconscious almost immediately.
***
Author's note: Yay! A cliffie! Review or I'll go fetch my sword.
I know most of you are probably used to Legolas having two knives, but according to the book he only had one, so he's only got one in this story.
Please review.
***
"Who are you?" Legolas asked as Aragorn took some fruit from his pack and handed Legolas an apple.
"My name is Aragorn."
"But who are you? You speak elvish, but you're no elf. You speak of the sons of Elrond as though you know them."
"Of course I know them. I've spent most of my life in the same house as them. My father died when I was so young I don't remember him, and my mother took me to Rivendell. She thought it was best if I grew up under Lord Elrond's protection. Unfortunately, he didn't protect me from the twin demons known as Elladan and Elrohir." Legolas would have been angry at him for referring to elves as demons, if he didn't know the twins well enough to know it was an accurate description at times.
He'd only met the sons of Elrond a handful of times, and couldn't imagine how it must be to live with them. Rather he could imagine it, he just didn't dare. The thought was too horrific to contemplate.
"It seems strange that Lord Elrond would shelter humans," Legolas mused.
"Why? He is half-human after all."
Legolas didn't say what he had always thought, which was that Elrond had chosen immortality and therefore must be trying to forget his weaker, human side. He didn't think such a reply would be very well received by the human who's mercy he was at. So far he had been kind, but insulting his people might change that.
"And who's your friend?"
"Halbarad is a ranger, one of my people. Many of my people travel to Rivendell often, so they speak elvish, but Halbarad never took the time to learn."
"You've travelled far?"
"I've roamed the lands west of the Misty Mountains and east of the sea all my life, though I've only occasionally travelled beyond those bounds."
"So what are you doing here, west of Mirkwood?"
"I decided to go somewhere I've not been before. One might ask what a prince of Mirkwood is doing alone outside his realm," Aragorn said.
"The same thing that's driven you thus far, curiosity," Legolas said with a smile, "I've rarely been outside Mirkwood, and then only on journeys to Rivendell or the Long Lake. I decided to see what lay beyond Esgaroth, in the lands about which my people know little."
"Where were you heading?"
"I do not see that it is of any concern to you, human," Legolas said. The man shrugged, unconcerned, and turned to the fire.
"I should probably take a look at your injuries," Aragorn went on, "Halbarad has some skill, but he has not had any experience healing elves."
"And you have?"
"I've lived in the same house as Elladan and Elrohir, that alone has given me a lot of practice." Legolas could well believe that, but he wasn't happy about allowing another human to inspect him. Aragorn might well be telling the truth about living in Rivendell, but he could just as easily be lying, creating a story so Legolas would let his guard down. You could never trust humans, Isilder had shown that long ago.
"My wounds are healing," he said, "they need no more treatment from you."
"And who trained you in healing?" Legolas couldn't answer that, because of course he was no healer. He found he had to submit to Aragorn's care.
"In another day or so your leg will be strong enough for you to walk, but you should be careful of it for a while," Aragorn said, "your broken rib will take longer to heal, but you should be well enough to travel soon enough, though I'd recommend waiting a little longer."
"Why?"
"Because whoever did this to you might still be out there, and currently you're not in any condition to fight them should they come across you." Legolas hated to do so, but he had to admit the human was right. He didn't think he'd be able to fight a child in his present state, and the group who'd attacked him had been large and well-armed.
"How did you come to be in this condition?" Aragorn asked.
"I was ambushed," Legolas said, "by your kind. There were a lot of them, lying in wait in a rocky area, hidden from the path I was taking. One of them shot me in the leg, but I don't think he was aiming to kill." Legolas closed his eyes against the memory of the pain. "I think they were slavers, at least I caught a glimpse of prisoners in chains." Legolas remembered the look of terror on the faces of the prisoners. How could humans do this to their own kind? There had even been children.
"Why do you do such things?" Legolas asked.
"I don't," Aragorn replied, "There are good and evil people in all races."
"Not among the elves. We would never enslave an innocent."
"Perhaps not, but your kind have performed other crimes just as foul."
"You know nothing, human, if you can call an elf evil."
"Have you not learned your own history?" Aragorn asked, "Elves have killed those not only of their own race, but their own kin. Innocents."
"I will not be taught elven lore by a human! You know nothing of the kinslaying!"
"I know that elves are capable of cruel deeds as much as humans, or any other race on Middle Earth."
"If you call me evil again it will be the last thing you do," Legolas said, his voice low and menacing.
"I did not say that you were evil," Aragorn said unperturbed, "I merely stated that your kind are not so perfect as you would like to believe."
"I do not think that we are perfect," Legolas responded, "but we are still the Eldar, and as such are better than your kind can ever hope to be."
"And so wonderfully modest." Legolas glared. He was proud, but he had every reason to be. There was no sense in pretending that he wasn't better than this man in front of him, since he clearly was. Aragorn was just to stupid to see it.
***
Legolas was woken in the middle of the night, but Aragorn shaking him roughly.
"Get up!" Aragorn commanded, "Get up!" Legolas was slow to comply, so Aragorn seized his arm and half-hauled him to his feet. His right leg protested to the movement, but it would now support some of his weight, meaning he no longer needed to hold onto something. He was grateful for that when the human shoved Legolas' bow and quiver into his hands. He also tossed him his long knife, which he quickly fastened to his waist.
The human had an ash bow out, an arrow already set on a string. He was staring hard in one direction, though Legolas could see nothing.
"What's happening?" he asked.
"Some people are heading this way, and I very much doubt you want to be caught weaponless when they arrive."
Sure enough, it wasn't long before he heard someone approaching. A moment later he changed that assessment, since he could clearly hear more than one person. He had his bow ready, aiming an arrow into the trees in the direction from which they were coming.
As soon as the first one came into view, Legolas recognised the face. It was the man who had shot him. He was quick to return the favour, and even quicker to place a fresh arrow on the string as a large group of men charged from the trees. He kept firing swiftly, Aragorn doing the same beside him, but there were too many of them.
It wasn't long before he had to abandon his bow and draw his long knife. He slashed at the first man to reach him, cutting through the flesh of his right arm. The man dropped the sword that he was holding, but he brought his left arm round to punch Legolas in the face. Legolas staggered back, and put a little too much weight on his right leg.
With a cry of pain he fell to his knees as his leg gave out beneath him. It felt like stabs of fire were tearing into his muscle.
But he couldn't think of the pain. He needed to concentrate on fight those who decided to take advantage of his position. He brought his knife up to block sword blows, but he couldn't defend from multiple attacks.
A quick glance showed him that Aragorn was busy fighting too many enemies on his own to come to his aid. If Legolas had had the time, he might have wondered why the human was using a dagger, when his sword hung at his side undrawn. Instead Legolas concentrated on deflecting a blow that would have pierced his right shoulder, leaving him unable to fight.
As he did so, something struck him on the back of the head. Dizzy and momentarily dazed, he fell forwards. Someone seized his wrist and yanked his knife from his grasp.
Legolas struggled as his arms were pulled behind him, but the movement stretched his chest and caused his rib to protest in pain. He somehow kept himself from crying out as one of the men decided to limit his movements by sitting across his legs. His right leg flared in such agony that he could barely think of anything else.
He tried to dislodge the man, but a fist struck him in the middle of his back, pressing his chest against the hard ground. The pain was too much. He was unconscious almost immediately.
***
Author's note: Yay! A cliffie! Review or I'll go fetch my sword.
I know most of you are probably used to Legolas having two knives, but according to the book he only had one, so he's only got one in this story.
Please review.