Hello my dear readers! I am back from Italy and so here is a quick update for all of
you who have been patiently waiting for it.
Thanks for the many reviews – I am glad to see how many of you seem to enjoy my
writing!
Thanks to Little My for always encouraging me and beating my writing.
on with the story - and I will work on quicker updates from now on…
oh… and let me know what you think!
___
Dawn had come but Legolas had not returned. What had been unease had turned to
worry, and Gimli could see his own dark thoughts reflected in the silver gray eyes of
Elrond's sons.
The sun had risen fully when Gimli's patience finally left him. Without a word, he rose
from the place where for some time he had been silently sitting. His hands had come
to rest upon his axe, the familiar feeling of the well-worn handle soothing him as well
as strengthening him in his decision. He would not waste time in sitting here and
waiting while Legolas could be in danger.
He spoke no word as he passed the twins, ignoring them. He felt dark anger at them
for their insistence to stay here and wait, when everything in him screamed to go and
look for his missing friend.
His bundle was quickly fastened on Selena's back, but ere he could move to mount
his horse a strong hand came to rest upon his shoulder, holding him back.
'There is no use in going there, Gimli.' Elladan's voice was soft and held no tone of
command, but for the dwarf it was too much. With a violent move he freed himself
from the elf's grip, and a dangerous fire burned in his eyes when he turned on him.
'What would you know that I do not? Legolas has not come back, and I will go and
find some answers to my questions. You may come with me, but you will not hold me
back.'
The elf shook his head, a slight smile playing around his lips.
'Now I know what Legolas meant when he spoke of the stiff necks of the dwarves.'
Gimli's face darkened even more and Elladan became aware that he was quickly
becoming truly enraged. So he spoke on, hoping to steer the dwarf away from the
emotional edge on which he was balancing, and prevent him from doing anything
rash.
'Maybe I know more than you do, master dwarf,' he gently offered, and seeing the
flicker in Gimli's eyes he knew that holding back whatever he knew would not be
taken kindly.
'There is something wrong,' he said, and for a moment his eyes strayed away from
Gimli's face. His intense gaze traveled over the trees surrounding them.
'Really?' The biting sarcasm was ignored as Elrohir stepped closer to them, offering
support to his brother. For a moment Gimli felt outnumbered until, with a slight pang,
he remembered that they were supposed to be allies. Legolas was a friend to all of
them, and there was no reason to not listen at least to the twins. He may not
understand the ways of the elves, may never be able to see why they could sit here
and do nothing when one they called a close friend might be in peril. But he had
learned to trust the keen senses elves possessed, and it was this trust that made him
stay and look at the twins expectantly, instead of simply mounting and riding away
like every fiber of his being screamed at him to do.
'The trees,' Elrohir spoke up, and Gimli could hardly suppress the impulse to roll his
eyes. Why did anything concerning elves always seem to include trees?
'They speak of evil.'
Gimli sighed. Did they not always? It was nothing that would help them. But the tone
of Elrohir's voice as he spoke the next words made him freeze.
'They are angry.'
Without knowing why, a shudder went through the dwarf and his eyes sought
Elrohir's. Great distress could he read on the elf's face, and for the first time he
realized that whatever they knew worried them deeply.
'What do they say?' Gimli's voice was harsh, and he tried to ignore the fact that he
indeed was asking a tree's opinion.
'What they speak of is bloodshed and lives taken. It fills them with pain and sorrow.
But what enrages them is that the blood of a wood elf has been shed. They cry for his
pain.'
Fear. It was cold fear that curled in Gimli's stomach and he found no words as he
stared at Elrohir, afraid of what else he might say.
'Wherever Legolas is, he is no longer in that village. He has passed the trees, and we
need to follow this trail if we wish to find him.'
'What trail?' Gimli could not help but ask, although he feared he already knew the
answer.
'The trees will lead us. They will not allow a wood elf to suffer from the hands of men,'
Elrohir spat, and for once his calm façade cracked and Gimli could glimpse a short
look at the turmoil underneath. Anger and worry, so deep the dwarf felt overwhelmed.
'What are we waiting for, then?' He could not understand why they were not already
on their way.
'It is not as easy as you might think, master dwarf.' It was Elladan who spoke now.
Elrohir had turned away and he stood now with his back to Gimli, his head bowed
and his posture tense. His brother's eyes were fixed on him while his words were
directed at the dwarf. 'The trees speak of other intruders, but if they are friend or foe
we know not.'
'I care not,' Gimli answered. 'If they are friends then all is well, and if not…'
'The woods here are deep, and it could take us days to search them and still we
might find naught. These thieves have been hiding here for some time and no one
had been able to find them. Be patient, friend Gimli, for the trees might tell us what
we need to know.'
Elladan fell silent now and when Gimli opened his mouth to protest once more, a
sharp gesture of his hand stopped the dwarf. In silence Gimli waited, not really
knowing what for, but he had realized that Elrohir had not moved again, his posture
radiating deep concentration.
His patience running thin, Gimli forced himself to remain calm, to wait for whatever
the elves were doing to pass. Maybe then they could go and look for his friend.
Nothing disturbed the peaceful quiet of their surroundings as they stood there, and
Gimli became aware of the beauty of the day. The sky was a deep blue and the sun,
just risen, already warmed his skin. It only made his heart ache the more, for he knew
Legolas would not be able to enjoy it. The thought of his friend in the hands of men
once more filled him with rage as much as sorrow. He had seen once what the
malice and hate of men against the Eldar had cost his friend, and he wished not for
him to go through anything like that again.
Why Legolas had been taken was a mystery to him. Had he been careless, had he
asked too many questions? Gimli could not believe this.
Had he been recognized? Maybe, but why take him captive? There were only two
answers--for ransom or for revenge. The first would mean to challenge King
Thranduil, and Gimli doubted that anyone could be foolish enough to do this. The
second filled him with cold fear.
@@@
When awareness started to return to Legolas, it took long seconds for him to realize
the reason for the rocking motion of the world around him. The smell of horse was
overlaid with the strong odor of a man's sweat, and it almost made the elf gag.
Taking a deep breath he brought himself under control, and as his head slowly
cleared he could take in the situation he was in. His hands were bound tightly behind
his back, the strain pulling on his shoulders. He was slumped over the back of a
horse, his body pressed against the rider's. Repulsion swept through him as well as
the realization that he had no idea as to the rider's identity. But questions he could
ask later, Legolas decided. Right now he needed to get out of this slightly
embarrassing situation.
He moved quickly and took the man completely by surprise. One quick movement
and he had flung himself from the horse, calling out to it in the elven tongue. But his
sudden motion spooked the horse and it did not heed his words. Legolas landed
hard, his bound hands preventing him from being able to catch himself. He tried to
roll away from the horse, but the suddenness of his actions, combined with the
violent reaction of the man who had called out in surprise and pulled on the bridle,
caused the horse to panic. Rearing up, it threw the man from his saddle. Even the
speed of elves was not enough to bring Legolas out of its reach as the hooves came
down.
you who have been patiently waiting for it.
Thanks for the many reviews – I am glad to see how many of you seem to enjoy my
writing!
Thanks to Little My for always encouraging me and beating my writing.
on with the story - and I will work on quicker updates from now on…
oh… and let me know what you think!
___
Dawn had come but Legolas had not returned. What had been unease had turned to
worry, and Gimli could see his own dark thoughts reflected in the silver gray eyes of
Elrond's sons.
The sun had risen fully when Gimli's patience finally left him. Without a word, he rose
from the place where for some time he had been silently sitting. His hands had come
to rest upon his axe, the familiar feeling of the well-worn handle soothing him as well
as strengthening him in his decision. He would not waste time in sitting here and
waiting while Legolas could be in danger.
He spoke no word as he passed the twins, ignoring them. He felt dark anger at them
for their insistence to stay here and wait, when everything in him screamed to go and
look for his missing friend.
His bundle was quickly fastened on Selena's back, but ere he could move to mount
his horse a strong hand came to rest upon his shoulder, holding him back.
'There is no use in going there, Gimli.' Elladan's voice was soft and held no tone of
command, but for the dwarf it was too much. With a violent move he freed himself
from the elf's grip, and a dangerous fire burned in his eyes when he turned on him.
'What would you know that I do not? Legolas has not come back, and I will go and
find some answers to my questions. You may come with me, but you will not hold me
back.'
The elf shook his head, a slight smile playing around his lips.
'Now I know what Legolas meant when he spoke of the stiff necks of the dwarves.'
Gimli's face darkened even more and Elladan became aware that he was quickly
becoming truly enraged. So he spoke on, hoping to steer the dwarf away from the
emotional edge on which he was balancing, and prevent him from doing anything
rash.
'Maybe I know more than you do, master dwarf,' he gently offered, and seeing the
flicker in Gimli's eyes he knew that holding back whatever he knew would not be
taken kindly.
'There is something wrong,' he said, and for a moment his eyes strayed away from
Gimli's face. His intense gaze traveled over the trees surrounding them.
'Really?' The biting sarcasm was ignored as Elrohir stepped closer to them, offering
support to his brother. For a moment Gimli felt outnumbered until, with a slight pang,
he remembered that they were supposed to be allies. Legolas was a friend to all of
them, and there was no reason to not listen at least to the twins. He may not
understand the ways of the elves, may never be able to see why they could sit here
and do nothing when one they called a close friend might be in peril. But he had
learned to trust the keen senses elves possessed, and it was this trust that made him
stay and look at the twins expectantly, instead of simply mounting and riding away
like every fiber of his being screamed at him to do.
'The trees,' Elrohir spoke up, and Gimli could hardly suppress the impulse to roll his
eyes. Why did anything concerning elves always seem to include trees?
'They speak of evil.'
Gimli sighed. Did they not always? It was nothing that would help them. But the tone
of Elrohir's voice as he spoke the next words made him freeze.
'They are angry.'
Without knowing why, a shudder went through the dwarf and his eyes sought
Elrohir's. Great distress could he read on the elf's face, and for the first time he
realized that whatever they knew worried them deeply.
'What do they say?' Gimli's voice was harsh, and he tried to ignore the fact that he
indeed was asking a tree's opinion.
'What they speak of is bloodshed and lives taken. It fills them with pain and sorrow.
But what enrages them is that the blood of a wood elf has been shed. They cry for his
pain.'
Fear. It was cold fear that curled in Gimli's stomach and he found no words as he
stared at Elrohir, afraid of what else he might say.
'Wherever Legolas is, he is no longer in that village. He has passed the trees, and we
need to follow this trail if we wish to find him.'
'What trail?' Gimli could not help but ask, although he feared he already knew the
answer.
'The trees will lead us. They will not allow a wood elf to suffer from the hands of men,'
Elrohir spat, and for once his calm façade cracked and Gimli could glimpse a short
look at the turmoil underneath. Anger and worry, so deep the dwarf felt overwhelmed.
'What are we waiting for, then?' He could not understand why they were not already
on their way.
'It is not as easy as you might think, master dwarf.' It was Elladan who spoke now.
Elrohir had turned away and he stood now with his back to Gimli, his head bowed
and his posture tense. His brother's eyes were fixed on him while his words were
directed at the dwarf. 'The trees speak of other intruders, but if they are friend or foe
we know not.'
'I care not,' Gimli answered. 'If they are friends then all is well, and if not…'
'The woods here are deep, and it could take us days to search them and still we
might find naught. These thieves have been hiding here for some time and no one
had been able to find them. Be patient, friend Gimli, for the trees might tell us what
we need to know.'
Elladan fell silent now and when Gimli opened his mouth to protest once more, a
sharp gesture of his hand stopped the dwarf. In silence Gimli waited, not really
knowing what for, but he had realized that Elrohir had not moved again, his posture
radiating deep concentration.
His patience running thin, Gimli forced himself to remain calm, to wait for whatever
the elves were doing to pass. Maybe then they could go and look for his friend.
Nothing disturbed the peaceful quiet of their surroundings as they stood there, and
Gimli became aware of the beauty of the day. The sky was a deep blue and the sun,
just risen, already warmed his skin. It only made his heart ache the more, for he knew
Legolas would not be able to enjoy it. The thought of his friend in the hands of men
once more filled him with rage as much as sorrow. He had seen once what the
malice and hate of men against the Eldar had cost his friend, and he wished not for
him to go through anything like that again.
Why Legolas had been taken was a mystery to him. Had he been careless, had he
asked too many questions? Gimli could not believe this.
Had he been recognized? Maybe, but why take him captive? There were only two
answers--for ransom or for revenge. The first would mean to challenge King
Thranduil, and Gimli doubted that anyone could be foolish enough to do this. The
second filled him with cold fear.
@@@
When awareness started to return to Legolas, it took long seconds for him to realize
the reason for the rocking motion of the world around him. The smell of horse was
overlaid with the strong odor of a man's sweat, and it almost made the elf gag.
Taking a deep breath he brought himself under control, and as his head slowly
cleared he could take in the situation he was in. His hands were bound tightly behind
his back, the strain pulling on his shoulders. He was slumped over the back of a
horse, his body pressed against the rider's. Repulsion swept through him as well as
the realization that he had no idea as to the rider's identity. But questions he could
ask later, Legolas decided. Right now he needed to get out of this slightly
embarrassing situation.
He moved quickly and took the man completely by surprise. One quick movement
and he had flung himself from the horse, calling out to it in the elven tongue. But his
sudden motion spooked the horse and it did not heed his words. Legolas landed
hard, his bound hands preventing him from being able to catch himself. He tried to
roll away from the horse, but the suddenness of his actions, combined with the
violent reaction of the man who had called out in surprise and pulled on the bridle,
caused the horse to panic. Rearing up, it threw the man from his saddle. Even the
speed of elves was not enough to bring Legolas out of its reach as the hooves came
down.