**Re-written**

Chapter 4

Gimli sat by the riverside watching the water rush past. His thoughts were of Legolas, wherever he was, if still alive. He recalled the battles in Helm's Deep they had shared and the death count they were boasting with each other, Legolas had lost to Gimli's count, but the dwarf had always suspected his was lying about his count

"Forty-two, Master Legolas! Alas! My axe is notched: the forty-second had an iron collar on his neck. How is it with you?"

"You have passed my score by one. But I do not grudge you the game, so glad am I to see you on your legs!"

Sighing the dwarf tossed away the memory, there was no point living in the past, after all there was the future to look forward too, but without Legolas it would be lonely. Why where they here? Still Elrond had not told them; in fact he had not seen much of the elven lord since he had given them news that Legolas was missing presumed dead. He too needed to find peace and tranquillity as did the other members.

Hurried eleven voices stirred Gimli from his thoughts as fast hooves echoed across the city.

At first he could not stir himself to rise to look upon the faces of the riders guessing they were elven. He had given up hoping Gandalf would arrive and had sunken into depression since he had learnt of his friend.

But he heard the distinct words: "Mirthrandir, Yallume! Mani marte?*"

And he leapt to his feet rushing to meet Gandalf.

"Asca, Asca!**"

Turning the corner he saw Gandalf hurry away with five other elves which seemed to be carrying something but he could not see. His heart sank. Had hurt came to Aragorn?

 No, it couldn't have – he was standing there patting his sweating horse who pawed the ground still full of unnatural energy.

 Gimli advanced to his side and asked: "What is happening?"

Aragorn handed the reins of his horse to a stable elf and warned him of her excitement before he turned to Gimli.

"We have found Legolas"

The dwarf jumped: "Is he alive?"

"Yes, though he wounded. Gandalf and Elrond are seeing to him now"

"Where did you – what happen –?" the dwarf cried unable to contain his joy of knowing Legolas was alive, a few cuts and bruises wouldn't kill him.

Merry, Pippin and Sam hurried to join them firing questions.

"Why are you back?"

"Did you find him?"

"What happened?"

"Are you hurt?"

Aragorn held up his hands in submission.

"Gandalf found Legolas, wondering Rohan on his way here. He is wounded, I don't know how badly. Nor do I know how he came to be there. I am sure he will fill us in, in due time"

"Will he be alright?" Sam asked, his face pale.

"I am sure, Sam. Legolas is very stubborn." Aragorn smiled. "Has Elrond told you where we are here when I was away?"

"No, not yet"

"Then I will" Gandalf said from behind them. "Follow me"

"When we thought the Ring of Power to be destroyed, we were wrong to believe so. The creature Gollum who had attacked Frodo, stripping him of the Ring had not fallen into the depths of Mt. Doom, but survived. And so did the Ring." Gandalf studied the shocked faces of the five that sat in front of him.

"The Ring now more powerful then before after its masters piece of theatre to fool us has been feeding off Gollum more then is has ever done before. I am surprised he did not become suspicious of it and cast it away. The Ring now uses him to fulfil its demands as Sauron call all power to him."

 "How are we involved?" Gimli asked angrily at the thought of the past travels being in vain.

"Everyone is involved in, Gimli son of Glóin" Lord Elrond said entering the circle and standing beside Gandalf. The wizard looked at him and frowned very as slightly as Elrond gazed around the circle of friends missing the wizards gaze. He was unsettled, ruffled as if shaken by something.

"Why us? Is this a punishment for failing?" Gimli pressed snatching Gandalf's attention again.

Elrond cast his eyes across the group as they watched him, hanging on his every word. How he remembered when the courtyard was filled with anger voices as many kinsmen argued over the Ring that lay before them, even Elrond was surprised when one of the little hobbits said that he would take the Ring.

"No, Master dwarf it is not", he said finally, "but each of you will have a part to play in the destruction of the Ring before Sauron has gained full power". He watched as the three remaining hobbits pass nervous glances to one another.

"Even one so small can make a difference to the face of Middle-Earth" Elrond added half smiling at the scared faces of the hobbits. The road will be harder then before, but with 'new blood' in the Fellowship there is always a glimmer of hope, even though if it might take elven eyes to see it, it was there.

 The company sat in silence, or maybe still in a state of shock. Aragorn was the first to break the long silence. He rose to his feet, towering over the smaller figures in a protective manner; he stood proud like any royal blood should.

"I will accept this quest", he said his voice even echoed his pride.

Sam tilted his head up at the man that stood beside him, catching the man's eye Sam knew which way he would go.

"I will also go, it is what Mr. Frodo would have wanted" Sam said rising off his chair.

A brief smile shot across Gandalf's features, Sam was always loyal to his master.

Not wishing to face the joinery back to Shire alone Merry and Pippin leapt off their seats to volunteer. Looking back on this day they would still be pondering why they didn't just return back to the Shire instead of being so eager to jump into unseen dangers.

 "Master dwarf?" Elrond asked.

"You need not ask him, my Lord. Where ever I will go he will follow"

 The dwarf's small eyes snapped upwards as the others turned, standing on the edge of the circle Legolas smiled through his bruised face, a lopsided, injured grin. His proud head of golden hair hacked in line with his ears had not yet been straightened, never again will he earn such respect amongst his kind despite his royal blood, he would be looked upon as an outsider, and intruder not an elf.

 The faces of the group smiled back feeling relieved that their friend was still though beaten and bruised. A couple of elves ushered him away as he began and wobble and cough, a spasm of fear and confusion passed across the company like a shiver.

 Aragorn tensed at this it was not normal for such things to happen to elves. Fortunately he like Gimli missed Lord Elrond's face, the elven Lord did not appear to share hope for the 'young' Prince, yet his grave face did not go amiss by the sharp eyes of Pippin.

The setting sun shone into the room where Legolas was resting the gentle beams fell softly upon his pale face. He had paid dearly for wondering out of bed. His body ached more then ever, he shivered under his blankets and yet his brow was damp with sweat in unnatural sickness. His left foot still tingled from where he had fallen from Beelzebub in Mirkwood; gritting his teeth he moved his toes slowly. He gasped suddenly as pain shot up his leg to his knee, which jerked violently in reflex.

 He closed his eyes against the fading light and to black out the pain that rose from his limbs. Images flickered across his closed eyelids, images and questions that had arose since Elrond and Gandalf had spoken to the company. Why was the Ring not destroyed, how was it survived? Gollum, in this opinion would not be cable of such things and there would be no way that he would give up the Ring to Sauron. Sam and Frodo told him how Gollum tried to stop them entering Mordor for the creature feared that they would return the Ring to its master. Yet Gollum was unpredictable, the Ring is evil and corruptive, anything could happen.

 Gentle footsteps tapped across the stone floor the gentle pita-a-patter of hobbit feet advancing towards him, they stopped short of the bedside seeing Legolas still with his eyes closed the feet turned to leave.

"Do not leave little hobbit, I do not sleep" Legolas said sitting up, he opened his eyes and smiled at Pippin who stood before him, with Merry at his side.

 "I came to see how you were, if you wish to sleep then I'll leave." Pippin said shyly.

"You are quite welcome my friend. You two will be able to ease the boredom of healing" Legolas laughed.

"We were worried when Elrond told us what had happened to Mirkwood; we feared you would not come"

"I know, lets not talk of it"

The hobbit nodded, but his eyes fell on Legolas' now short hair.

 The smile on Legolas' face fell as he watched Pippin's eyes search him and rose a hand sadly towards his short hair which he could see in the corner of his eye.

 "We are to set out as soon as possible to track down Gollum and the Ring" Pippin said changing the subject.

"Who's going?" Legolas asked fearing he had misheard him.

"Lord Elrond wants the remaining of the Fellowship: Aragorn, Gimli, Merry, I, Sam, Gandalf and you plus some other people I don't know."

"Elrond still want me to go?"
Pippin nodded. "We have to wait until your are better of course."

Legolas nodded in turn. "Who else is going?" he asked.

"Umm there was another elf and umm and a man that Aragorn knows. I think he said the man was Jacob or something like that. I don't remember the elf's name"

 "I do," Merry stepped into the room "He said the elf was Cassione"

"Cassione, are you sure?" Legolas asked sharply.

"Yes, do you know here?"

"Yes I do, though I haven't seen her for some time"

"Well now is your chance" Pippin said enthusiastically.

"And we are to unite the armies of Men and Elves to march against Sauron?"

"Yes" 

"Come on now, that's enough. Leave Legolas alone so he can heal your two!" a healer hushed Merry and Pippin away from the bedside.

Though he would not say it he was not looking forward to meeting Cassione again nor the quest ahead.

 There was a soft knocking on his chamber door soon after night had fallen. Elrond did not turn to the person who had entered, he knew who it was. He had been expected him to say something soon.

 "Is there something bothering you, Elrond?" Gandalf asked stepping into the firelight which bathed Elrond's tried troubled face.

"Have you spoken the Legolas?"

"No I have not. I will in the morning"

Elrond closed his eyes: "Then you have not seen what I have"

Gandalf frowned. "Tell me, what is troubling you Mellonamin?***"

Opening his eyes Elrond looked upon Gandalf's open, warm face.

"I am tired, my friend. I have seen many changes in my lifetime, yet I do not long to sail over sea. I am full of worries and fears over the quest they are about to set out on" Elrond said quietly "I fear the enemy will be waiting for them, I fear for my family – Arwen so far away from home, the twins not here and Estel leaving here, travelling into the danger."
Gandalf nodded, understanding.

"But what chills me the most is what I have seen and heard here today. I have thought, do you really think Gollum is capable of such things, Gandalf? I think not, I believe there to be another, but I do not know whom"

Again Gandalf nodded, but allowed Elrond to continue.

"The numbers of orcs that attack Legolas alarms me. How can be such a force? There is no way they could multiply in those numbers in just eight years. There is a catalyst somewhere in this I am sure. Shadows from the East stretch their hungry dark fingers over land and sky claming it for Mordor. I cannot help but think everything is out of our control, that we are sending these eight others to their deaths. I could not live with that if that is to be true."

Gandalf watched Elrond's face break, lines of age and worry creasing it. He wizard had never heard the elven lord this distressed.

"I fear for the race of elves, Gandalf" he said, his voice trembling. "I have seen the evil and powerless in Legolas eyes – it scares me. If we were to come under attack there would be no stopping them. They carry a new weapon which puts fear into my warrior heart!"

"It will not come to that!" Gandalf soothed, "We will nip this in the bud before it can escalate any further. No harm will come to your family – the race of elves will not fall under Sauron's threat. Stand and be strong, my friend! Legolas has been left alive to try and make you break, suffer and weaken – this is Sauron's plan. Do not let him win"

The tear that threatened to spill from his eyes dried immediately, taking Gandalf's words to heart Elrond stood tall – he would not allow Sauron to walk over him any more.

* = At last! What happened?

** = Hurry, hurry!

*** = My friend