As so many asked for a quick update for this story in their reviews – even in those for
'Mending and Breaking' – I managed for once to fulfill this request…

So for all of you who take the time to let me know how much you like my stories: a
big thank you !!!

And another one to Little My for patiently removing endless errors from my writing :-)

So, on with the story – and please: keep those many reviews coming… I love them!!!
___

'What are we to do with the elf?' It was Gudin who spoke as Gimli rose to stand.

The dwarf's eyes turned on Elrohir. 'Will he awaken soon?'

The elf shook his head. 'There is some kind of poison in his system that slows down
his healing abilities. He will not wake within the next few hours, I fear.'

'Maybe for the better,' Gimli sighed. As fierce a warrior as Legolas was, with a broken
arm he would have been more at a disadvantage than Gimli would have liked. 'We
will leave him here and draw the fight in another direction.'

His hands were already undoing the brooch that held his cloak around his shoulders,
the same one the Lady Galadriel had gifted him with during the quest for the ring.
Covering the still form with it, he ignored the looks of surprise on his companions'
faces. To leave Legolas behind like this might be a risk, but he knew of no other way.

He turned to their captive, a dangerous light glimmering in his eyes that made the
man cringe away in fear.

'Do you remember me?'

Confusion but no recognition showed on his face.

'You waylaid a dwarf some days ago and took something from him,' Gimli hissed. 'A
small thing only, but I want it back.'

A light dawned in the man's eyes and relief at understanding what the dwarf wanted,
only to be quickly clouded by fear.

'I do not have it anymore,' he whimpered.

'Who does?'

'Surdim took it away from me,' he spoke quickly, hoping to turn the dwarf's ire away
from himself.

Gimli's eyes darkened as he stepped away. Surdim again. He would truly enjoy
facing this man once more. But this time he knew the man would not get away as
easily as the last time.

Another look at their captive showed him that Cerin and Furli had taken care of him.
His bound hands were high above his head, tied to the branch of a tree, making it
impossible for the man to get away. A piece of cloth had been found to gag him to
prevent him from betraying them.

With one last glance towards the still form, barely visible beneath the protection of the
Lorien cloak even though he knew where to look, Gimli turned, giving the signal to
leave.

'He will be safe,' Elrohir's soft voice assured the dwarf, who felt greatly uneasy
leaving his friend behind like this, unaware and defenseless.

Gimli did not answer, his face grim, and the elf turned to lead them back the way they
had come. They moved away from the place where Legolas rested until they were
sure the distance was safe, then without the need of many words they separated,
hiding in the deep underbrush of the surrounding forest. They did not need to wait for
long, although the minutes that passed seemed to last forever. Then the cry of a bird,
unsuspicious to ears that did not wait for it, told them that Elladan was close.

Soon after that the sound of footsteps, stealthy but still recognizable, neared and
dwarves and elf tensed up.

The men making their way along the visible trail the dwarves had left came to
ambush a group of unsuspecting victims, rendered helpless by the draught Jerim
should have mixed into their food or water. They did not expect to be waylaid by
those they thought to be far ahead of them, and so they were taken completely by
surprise as a sudden war cry rose from Gimli's throat and four dwarves with raised
axes attacked them.

It would have been a comical sight, indeed, if anyone would have taken the time to
watch it. Shock, surprise and even terror were on the men's faces and two of them
even dropped their weapons in sudden fright. They had not become bush rangers for
their bravery or fighting skills, and even though they were twelve they stood no
chance against four enraged dwarves. Even though it had been an elf who had been
taken captive and hurt, he was a friend, and dear to all of them. And the hurt Gimli
had taken had not been forgotten either.

With relish, Gimli swung his axe at a man who had collected his wits fast enough to
use his sword. His fellow dwarves had found adversaries as well, showing in a most
impressive way that size did not matter if a weapon was wielded with skill.

Five had already fallen ere the men had recovered from their shock. Two of them
were still standing, a dazed look upon their faces as if they knew not what had hit
them. Three remembered that they had legs and how to use them, turning in sudden
terror from the sight of four deadly monsters coming after them. Yet they did not get
far, as from nowhere a tall figure emerged to send arrows flying towards them. It was
the last straw for the courage of men who had never before faced a fair fight and
panic seized them. With disgust Elladan shook his head but kept his bow trained on
the quivering men before him. They stood rooted to the spot, eyes wide with fright,
their weapons long forgotten.

Those who had dared to fight were easily overcome--only Karim still stood, his sword
in hand and his eyes darting around. He could see his fallen men and yelled to those
still on their feet.

'Fight, you cowards!'

But they did not move, their lives too precious to them as they faced either the bow of
Elladan or the axe of a dwarf.

'He belongs to me,' Gimli growled and no one spoke a word of protest.

Karim turned to face him, sweat on his brow and his eyes filled with something
between fear and fury.

'Come,' he hissed, raising his sword. 'I will cut off your head.'

'That promise I have heard before,' Gimli answered, a grim smile on his face. 'Yet no
one has gone through with it yet, as you can easily tell.'

The man lunged at him, but his sword was met and the blow shook him more than
the dwarf. He might have been the one most skilled with a sword among his men but
he had never faced an opponent of Gimli's skill.

Ere he had recovered, the back of the axe crashed into his side, not cutting but
hitting him with all the strength of a dwarf. He cried out as pain washed through him
and staggered sideways.

Gimli stood, watching him with quiet calm but not moving in for another blow. The
man rallied himself after a few moments, looking at him with a dazed expression. He
clearly did not understand why he still lived.

'Come on,' Gimli taunted. 'My head is still where it belongs.'

Something in the man's eyes shifted and with a cry of rage he charged again. Once
more his attack was blocked as the dwarf moved with much more speed than one
would expect. Yet fury directed Karim, and he rained down blow after blow on Gimli
without thought or aim, only wishing to bring down his opponent.

Elrohir had kept himself behind the dwarves, not taking part in the fight but keeping
watch that no one could get past them and get anywhere near to where they had left
Legolas. But he did not need to interfere, as the dwarves seemed to have the
situation completely under control. His brother had stopped anyone from fleeing back
to the camp. He met Elladan's eyes for a moment, a short glance between them
enough to agree that Gimli's plan had succeeded after all.

His attention turned to the duel going on right in front of him and an amused smile
grazed his features. The man was out of breath, sweat running down his face as he
delivered one more blow that Gimli easily dodged. It lacked force as the man's
strength was by now waning. Yet Gimli had not even started to really participate in
this fight.

Something else claimed the elf's attention and he turned his head, focusing on
something he had heard for a moment, before silently slipping away into the trees.

For a moment Karim faltered and it was then that the axe came down, hitting his
shoulder, but once more only with its back--and the sound of breaking bones could
be clearly heard. It was quite obviously not Gimli's intention to kill. With a howl of pain
the man sank to his knees, his sword slipping from useless fingers.

'Ai,' Gimli exclaimed, taking a quick step backwards. 'A broken arm is truly a painful
thing, is it not?'

He looked at the man who had doubled up in pain, oblivious to the dwarf's taunting.
With a sigh, Gimli shook his head. 'Maybe you should have bound me first, ere you
made your idle promise,' he spoke as he turned from the man. 'You might have had a
chance in succeeding, then.'

They herded the men together, Elladan's bow more than enough to keep them meek.
Gimli pointed at one of them.

'You, go and care for your wounded. But dare not to make a wrong move.'

The man complied, fear on his face.

'What now?' Gimli asked and his eyes sought Elladan's.

The elf smiled at him.

'It is your plan, friend dwarf. What do you suggest now?'

The dwarf glared at him for a moment, not sure if he was being mocked. Then he
shrugged, taking a long look around.

'Well,' he spoke, 'we have Legolas back. But this is not why we came here. Only that
elf's ability of getting himself into trouble did force us to lose sight of our aim.'

He studied the faces of the men for a long moment. Then he spoke again.

'The one called Surdim is not among these. And I still need to reclaim what belongs
to me.'

'So you will return to the camp?'

'If my count is correct, not many men have remained there?'

'Nay,' Elladan replied. 'Two stayed behind, but they are no more than boys. The
women and children I did not count.'

'So I would suggest we return to settle matters with the one who took so great a liking
to Legolas to keep him bound to a tree,' Gimli spoke, but there was no mirth in his
eyes.

'Our captives?'

Gimli hesitated. Six had been taken alive.

'If we had rope enough, I would like to teach them the joy of being bound to a tree,'
he mumbled. 'We have no choice but to leave them here, bound or under guard.'

It was then that Elrohir appeared from between the trees, a frown on his face.

'We will have to wait but a little longer. I fear our plans will have to change; if for the
better, I cannot tell,' he spoke.

'Why?' The dwarf's eyes bored into him.

'A group is approaching from the West. Riders. I cannot tell who they are, but they
are twenty at least.'

'This could be ill news!' Gimli exclaimed.

'Aye,' Elladan acknowledged, the smile gone from his face.

'Or maybe not,' his brother countered.

'We will see. Prepare yourselves to disappear in haste if need be,' Elladan said. 'We
will return quickly and meet you at the place we left Legolas.'

With that the elves disappeared silently into the trees once more.

'These woods are getting crowded,' Gimli grumbled.