A/N: Disclaimer is in part one! So no I don't own LOTR, or anything
remotely associated with it. Turion is my character and so is Morrigan,
who you'll meet later! Everything else borrowed courtesy of the wonderful
J.R.R Tolkien.I'll try and return them in one piece.
Legolas awoke with a start. It was the third time in as many nights he had dreamed of his dead brother. And each time, his twin had killed him. This he couldn't understand - when his brother had been alive, they had been as close as it was possible to be. They shared a bond that could not be explained by any. Why would someone who would never have lifted a finger agoinst him now be trying to kill him? "It's just a dream. It's not real" he reassured himself. Yet he knew that it must mean something, the power of elven dreams were well known, and not to be taken lightly.
His twin brother had died almost two centuries ago, lost in an attack by the giant spiders in their home realm of Mirkwood. Hunting parties had been sent out to scour the forest and find the lost prince, but the only signs they had found were his weapons, all snapped in half or buckled. Nearby though, they had found spider tracks, and following them, found a large nest nearby. Among the foul creatures had lain a fresh skeleton. The searchers abandoned
hope, fearing that this was their lost prince, and left to inform the king, seeing no way to remove the body.
But that was almost two hundred years ago - why were his brother's memories returning to trouble him now? And why were all the dreams of his sibling so disturbing?
This thought troubled Legolas over the following days as the dreams continued, and Aragorn could not help but notice the change in him. He became quiet and withdrawn, and very rarely did he respond to attempts to lighten his mood. Finally the ranger could take it no longer. "If you don't tell me what is troubling you soon, you'll drive me insane." he noted lightly, his tone deliberately light, the same as if he had said he thought it would rain that night.
The elf didn't respond, didn't even make any sign that he had heard Aragorn, although the man knew he must have. He just sat as he always did now, back to the fire, watching the darkness beyond their small campsite. With a sigh, Aragorn picked up a small stone and threw it lightly at his back. It caught his shoulder with a small thud, and the elf looked round. "What?"
"I said, if you don't tell me what is troubling you soon, you'll drive me insane! What is wrong with you?" Legolas tried to look as though he had no idea what he meant. "There is nothing wrong." it was almost believable.
"I don't believe you." Aragorn replied. He tried again, "What troubles you?"
Legolas turned to face the fire and Aragorn, knowing he would have to tell him sooner or later, and then stopped suddenly, listening.
"I will tell you, but right now, there are orcs heading this way..." he replied, picking up his bow and rising to his feet.
Aragorn didn't question him. He armed himself and waited. A few moments later, he also heard the rapid approach of many heavy feet. They carried torches, and both could see the glow of them approaching throught the trees. The effect of the firelight on the trunks of the trees, and in the branches, was disconcerting. It flickered madly, creating strange shapes and imagined terrors.
Legolas turned at a sudden sharp noise behind him. To his horror, he found that a second band of orcs had managed to creep up on them un-noticed from behind. How could I not hear them?! he thought, almost panicked. They were surrounded now. The orcs were packed right along the boundary of the small clearing they had used for camp that night, five or six deep in some places, leaving no chance for escape.
Legolas awoke with a start. It was the third time in as many nights he had dreamed of his dead brother. And each time, his twin had killed him. This he couldn't understand - when his brother had been alive, they had been as close as it was possible to be. They shared a bond that could not be explained by any. Why would someone who would never have lifted a finger agoinst him now be trying to kill him? "It's just a dream. It's not real" he reassured himself. Yet he knew that it must mean something, the power of elven dreams were well known, and not to be taken lightly.
His twin brother had died almost two centuries ago, lost in an attack by the giant spiders in their home realm of Mirkwood. Hunting parties had been sent out to scour the forest and find the lost prince, but the only signs they had found were his weapons, all snapped in half or buckled. Nearby though, they had found spider tracks, and following them, found a large nest nearby. Among the foul creatures had lain a fresh skeleton. The searchers abandoned
hope, fearing that this was their lost prince, and left to inform the king, seeing no way to remove the body.
But that was almost two hundred years ago - why were his brother's memories returning to trouble him now? And why were all the dreams of his sibling so disturbing?
This thought troubled Legolas over the following days as the dreams continued, and Aragorn could not help but notice the change in him. He became quiet and withdrawn, and very rarely did he respond to attempts to lighten his mood. Finally the ranger could take it no longer. "If you don't tell me what is troubling you soon, you'll drive me insane." he noted lightly, his tone deliberately light, the same as if he had said he thought it would rain that night.
The elf didn't respond, didn't even make any sign that he had heard Aragorn, although the man knew he must have. He just sat as he always did now, back to the fire, watching the darkness beyond their small campsite. With a sigh, Aragorn picked up a small stone and threw it lightly at his back. It caught his shoulder with a small thud, and the elf looked round. "What?"
"I said, if you don't tell me what is troubling you soon, you'll drive me insane! What is wrong with you?" Legolas tried to look as though he had no idea what he meant. "There is nothing wrong." it was almost believable.
"I don't believe you." Aragorn replied. He tried again, "What troubles you?"
Legolas turned to face the fire and Aragorn, knowing he would have to tell him sooner or later, and then stopped suddenly, listening.
"I will tell you, but right now, there are orcs heading this way..." he replied, picking up his bow and rising to his feet.
Aragorn didn't question him. He armed himself and waited. A few moments later, he also heard the rapid approach of many heavy feet. They carried torches, and both could see the glow of them approaching throught the trees. The effect of the firelight on the trunks of the trees, and in the branches, was disconcerting. It flickered madly, creating strange shapes and imagined terrors.
Legolas turned at a sudden sharp noise behind him. To his horror, he found that a second band of orcs had managed to creep up on them un-noticed from behind. How could I not hear them?! he thought, almost panicked. They were surrounded now. The orcs were packed right along the boundary of the small clearing they had used for camp that night, five or six deep in some places, leaving no chance for escape.