Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, yada, yada, yada! ;) No profit is made from these stories; they are merely for the enjoyment of myself and anyone who cares to read them.
Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! And thanks to those that have put me on their favorites list as well: Luindae; krisnkriss; Lady Jaina; chescaOtaku; Elenor1; O.B.I.M.; Shauna; KC-Kick Camel; Astarael, the Weeper Sorrowful; Jessica332; ClayAikenLover; CarDi; pupulupk; Legilmalith; Hitokiri-chan; merrylyn; kelly57; szhismine; Lilly Blackstar; Lamoo; TrinityTheSheDevil; Lovely Elven Princess; Lady of the Forest1; andrea42; Anime Soccer Lobos; White Wolf1; Jenni3; Musicstarlover; enc87b; Elanor8; Jamirlyn; Nariel-of-Rivendell; Ravenclaw-Girls; mer V; Spades; Nomad6; Lei Dumbledore; leggylover03; Gwaina Baggins; Karri; and Xatia!
Please keep those reviews coming!
All the spelling and grammar mistakes are mine and mine alone! Hope there is not too many! Please keep in mind I am *not* an expert on Middle Earth geography! I only envision what Tolkien has written and make my own interpretations. So forgive me if there are errors in my descriptions of it.
Shadows and Light
Chapter 3-On the Edge of Pain
With visible effort, Aragorn shook off the solemn mood. His eyes twinkled as he turned to his brothers with a grin. "Care to go for a swim?"
Elladan laughed and gently seized the young ranger's arm, stilling his forward motion. "Estel, at least remove your clothes, unless you wish to spend the rest of the day dripping wet." He shook his head and laughed again at the human's eagerness. "Then we should be most happy to join you."
Aragorn had already unclasped his cloak. Laying it aside, he began to unfasten his tunic.
Elrohir sat next to him to remove his boots. "We will show you the perfect place from which to dive. From there you can see the entire lake."
The other twin nodded his head in agreement. "You know Estel, this place has remained hidden from the sight of most men and there are yet a few Elves who do not know of it's existence. In fact, Elrohir and I discovered it quite by accident." Elladan set his boots next to Elrohir's.
"I am glad you did Elladan for it is more beautiful than I ever imagined." Aragorn stood, clad only in his undergarments. "Come brothers, last one in is the uncle of an orc!" The ranger turned and sprinted towards the water, Elrohir close on his heels.
Elladan protested, hopping on one foot while trying to untangle the other one from the leg of his breeches. "Nay! Tis not fair Estel! I have not yet removed my breeches!"
Aragorn only laughed louder as he splashed into the cold water.
All three put the refreshing water to good use. They cleansed themselves of the grime they had acquired and let the cool water soothe their bruised flesh and sore muscles.
The young ranger floated lazily on his back enjoying the warmth of the sun on his face and the coolness of the water on his skin. He closed his eyes and sighed contentedly. Unexpectedly, water splashed his face causing him to sink below the surface in surprise.
Aragorn came up with a sputter and wiped the water from his eyes only to find Elladan watching him with a mischievous grin. The young human narrowed his eyes at the Elf and frowned. "That was not funny brother!"
"I am sorry Estel, I could not resist!" Elladan laughed harder at the look on his younger brother's face, it was priceless.
"Do not think Elladan, that I have for one moment, forgotten my promise of revenge! I would be a little more careful if I were you." Aragorn smiled wickedly at the Elf.
The Elf only shrugged, as much as he was able to while treading water, and his smile grew bigger.
Oh, he would get his brother back, of that he was sure. Aragorn smiled to himself as he thought of ways to do it.
************************
Another tired and frustrated sigh escaped Aragorn as he looked longingly at the cool water yet again. He now lay on the warm grass beside the water with his brothers. They had spent most of the afternoon swimming and diving for Aragorn had been greatly impressed with the diving spot Elrohir had shown him.
The Elves taught him how to leap gracefully from the branch of a tall tree growing beside the lake. Aragorn was reluctant to jump at first, for when he stood at the edge of the branch his heart lurched in his throat. But, instead of giving in to his fear, he closed his eyes, gritted his teeth and stepped off the sturdy branch.
Surprisingly, he found the thrill exhilarating and before he realized it, he swam towards the waters' edge so that he could do it again. Elladan and Elrohir laughed at his enthusiasm then shook their heads in amused exasperation when they could not get him to stop.
Aragorn dived several times in a row, each time climbing higher as he grew bolder. Unfortunately, his last dive had gone awry for his foot slipped and he was unable to clear one of the lower branches. The blow knocked the air out of him and he hit the water with an ungraceful splash. Alarmed, Elladan jumped in after him and hauled him back to shore.
Gingerly, Aragorn touched the bandage now covering the gash he sported on his ribs and grimaced.
Because of the mishap he had been banished to the bank. Neither twin had been very happy with him and Elladan lectured him mercilessly while treating the injury.
"It will not work Estel."
Aragorn started and turned toward Elladan in confusion. "What? What will not work?"
Elladan shook his head. "The sighs, the groans and wistful looks you give the water. You have had enough of it for today I think."
The young human shook his head. "The cut was really just a little one Elladan. I do not understand why you make more of it than it is."
The Elf sighed and spoke to Aragorn as if he were a child, which in fact to him, he was. "I already told you more times than I care to say Estel, you are just beginning to recover from falling off one tree and now you have fallen off another. Your back is still bruised and even though you do not wish to admit it, I know you are sore."
Aragorn started to protest but was stopped when a firm hand covered his mouth.
"Enough! I do not wish to argue. I am older than you and you must do as I say. If you do not rest, I shall be forced to use of one Ada's techniques to make you sleep."
The ranger narrowed his eyes at Elladan then looked to Elrohir for help. The other Elf merely shook his head and shrugged, supporting his twin with his silence. Aragorn's shoulders drooped in defeat. Elladan was right, he should get some rest. There were still a few hours of daylight left and they would have to walk a long distance yet just to reach the outskirts of Imladris. Besides, he may find the perfect opportunity to seek revenge upon Elladan while they rested. Without further comment, Aragorn lay down on his side again and closed his eyes.
**************************************
Something had woken him, what was it? Ah, there it was again.
"Estel!"
Aragorn rolled over and looked at a very angry Elladan. "What is wrong brother?"
Elladan pointed his finger at his younger brother. "You know very well what is wrong Estel! Where are they?"
He sat up and raised his eyebrows at the Elf trying hard to keep a straight face. "I do not know what you speak of Elladan? Is something missing?"
Their voices pulled Elrohir from his slumber and he sat up, alarmed. "What is it? What has happened?"
Elladan threw his twin a quick glance then glared at Aragorn again. He pointed towards the young human. "Ask him brother. Though he denies it, I am sure he was the one who did it!"
Elrohir frowned in confusion. "Did what? What are you talking about brother?"
The exasperated Elf threw his hands up in frustration. "Estel has hidden my clothes and I know not where!"
Elrohir glanced at Aragorn suspiciously. The human looked as if he was trying not to laugh and his eyes sparkled with mischief. Elrohir's expression softened and a look of understanding passed between him and the young human before the Elf turned back to his twin. "I think Elladan, Estel has taken his revenge upon you for laughing at him yesterday."
Aragorn grinned wickedly at the Elf. It was a good thing he dressed after he hid Elladan's clothes. As angry as his brother was now, he most likely would have fed his clothes to a troll and perhaps him as well. Chuckling at that mental image did not help his situation though. Elladan's eyes narrowed dangerously at Aragorn's laughter and the only warning the ranger had was a tightening of the Elf's jaw before he sprung.
The young ranger scrambled to his feet and fortunately for him, he was able to sidestep Elladan before the Elf could grab hold of him.
Aragorn let out a loud breath of air. 'Valar! That was close!' Before he could ponder what his brother meant to do with him should he catch him, Elladan turned and grabbed hold of his arm. The ranger twisted it out of the Elf's grasp then took off at a dead run. He did not want to find out just how angry Elladan was.
Elladan sprinted after him, intent on reaching his human brother. "You cannot run fast enough Estel! I will catch you!"
The ranger did not waste his breath on words. Instead, he forced his legs to pump harder. Up ahead he could see a small rise, thick with tall grasses, perhaps he could find some place to hide there. Aragorn headed straight for it, casting a quick glance behind him. Elladan was closing in on him, fast. He might not reach it after all.
With a sudden burst of determination, Aragorn forced his legs to move faster. When he reached the small hill though, he realized there would be no hiding places here. Although the grass looked thick from afar, now that he was amongst it, he saw that it grew in tight, compact clumps spread out amongst the hillside. He could not hide in them and hiding behind them would not work either, the Elf giving chase would find him in an instant.
He shot a quick look behind him again and saw that Elladan had fallen back a little. The Elf had been forced to slow his pace a little to skirt around the clumps of grass, and unfortunately, so had Aragorn. If he didn't find somewhere to hide soon, Elladan would catch him. And the last time that happened, his favorite boots and sword had gone missing for a month.
Aragorn topped the small rise and found that it sloped downwards sharply on the other side. There was very little brush on this side, but he could see a wide thicket of prickle berry bush lining the very bottom of the hill. His eyes widened in alarm, he did not want to run into those things or he would be picking the painful barbs out of his skin for weeks.
He tried to stop but his momentum continued to carry him down the hill at an unstoppable speed. Elladan now forgotten, Aragorn instead fought to halt his rapid descent down the hill. He dug his heels into the hard ground and tried to make his legs stop pumping but almost lost his balance instead. Rolling into the bushes would be just as bad as running into them.
The prickle berry was getting closer and Aragorn was getting desperate. At the last moment, he threw his weight backwards as hard as he could and landed on his backside with a hard thump. He slid downwards for several more feet before finally coming to a stop, the bushes mere inches from his face.
Aragorn let out a sigh of relief then wiped the perspiration from his brow. 'That was too close.' Now that the immediate danger had passed he started to relax then jerked suddenly as he remembered his brother. He could hear the soft steps of running and he turned to find Elladan but a few feet behind him.
Aragorn shouted a warning but unfortunately, Elladan was unable to stop his rapid descent just as Aragorn had been.
The young ranger leapt to his feet and tried to grab hold of his brother as he flew by, but all he was able to grab hold of was Elladan's hand. He could only keep his grip for a few seconds before his older brother's momentum yanked the Elf from his grasp.
The sudden pull on his arm turned the Elf around and instead of running face first into the prickle berries, he fell backwards onto the sharp spikes, taking the full brunt of the fall on his backside. To make matters worse, Elladan was clad only in his undergarments and the sharp barbs penetrated his unprotected flesh easily.
Both brothers were too shocked to say much of anything for several moments. Then pain began to set in and Elladan groaned softly. He tried to push himself up but only succeeded in getting the stinging barbs in his palms and fingers. He looked up, helpless. "Estel..." His voice faltered for a moment before he was able to continue, "Estel, get me out of here."
Elladan's plea broke the spell that seemed to have come over him and Aragorn shook his head as one coming out of a dream. He quickly surveyed their predicament. Elladan's momentum had carried the Elf a few feet inside the thicket of prickle berries, too far from the edge to reach easily and too far for Aragorn to pull him out without becoming entangled in the sharp spikes himself.
"How Elladan, how do I reach you?" Frustration began to set in. "I see no way around these cursed bushes!" Aragorn looked frantically for a clear path to his brother.
"I do not know Estel, just get me out of here!" The pain from the barbs impaling his fair skin was starting to make Elladan's head pound.
"Estel! Elladan!"
Aragorn turned his head at Elrohir's shout and called back. "We are over here! Elladan has fallen into a thicket of prickle berry!"
Elrohir spotted his brothers at the bottom of the hill and made his way down as quickly and carefully as he could. He could not help but chuckle at his twin's predicament despite the seriousness of the moment.
Elladan glared at his twin. "I do not see what is so amusing brother! These things hurt!"
"I am sorry Elrohir, but you have to admit, Estel's revenge has grown to unimaginable proportions!" He tried hard to keep the grin off his face, but it found its way to his mouth anyways.
Elladan did not see anything funny about his situation at all. Nothing at all. Between clenched teeth, he managed to grate out, "Just get me out of here!"
Elrohir's grin faded as he studied his brother. Elladan's face had paled considerably and his features were lined with pain. Elrohir immediately became serious and he turned to his adopted brother. "Estel, search for a stick, one we can use to hold the branches out of the way." His eyes were already searching the ground.
Aragorn walked quickly, making sure to check every branch he found carefully. There were not many trees here and even fewer branches lay scattered the ground. He found a couple but both had broken easily when he tested their strength. Frustration made his brow furrow and guilt gnawed at his conscious as he continued to search. He never should have hidden Elladan's clothes, then none of this would have happened. Why did he have to be so…so…what was the word he was looking… ah, this looks like a good one!
Aragorn stooped down and picked up a long, thick branch. Carefully, he tried to bend it but it did not yield. Yes, this one should do nicely. The ranger hurried over to Elrohir and presented the branch to him. "I think this one will work."
Elrohir studied the thick limb. "Yes, I think you are right Estel. Come, I fear Elladan may think we have deserted him." He smiled at the young man and squeezed his shoulder comfortingly.
Elladan was in exactly the same position as they left him. But he looked worse than before, in addition to his pale face, Elrohir could see small beads of perspiration on his upper lip and the Elf's eyes were closed tightly. 'They had better hurry, his twin did not look good.'
"Here Estel, press these branches aside with the stick. I will go in and get him." Elrohir pressed the branch into Aragorn's hands.
Aragorn clutched it tightly and pushed aside a bunch of the sharp, spiny branches, creating enough open space for Elrohir to get closer to Elladan. His arms strained with the weight of the branches pressing against the stick, it seemed as if they were trying to free themselves from the confinement. "Hurry Elrohir, I do not know how long I can hold them aside."
Giving him a quick nod of acknowledgement, the Elf stepped into the path. Several times, his arms brushed the spiny branches and came away with tiny barbs embedded in them, but he ignored the pain and pressed forward until at last, he stood before his twin.
Elladan started when Elrohir knelt next to him and touched his shoulder gently. His eyes flew open and he fixed pain filled eyes on his twin.
Elrohir frowned and his worry deepened. 'He must be in a considerable amount of pain if he did not hear my approach.' "Come El, I will help you up. Can you walk?"
Elladan could only nod mutely and allowed his twin to help him to his feet. Elrohir was careful not to touch his brother's hands for they were full of barbs and he did not want to cause Elladan any more pain than necessary.
Elladan could not keep a groan from making its way past his lips as he moved and the barbs worked themselves deeper into his skin.
"Hurry Elrohir! Some of the branches are slipping out!" Aragorn was growing frantic as his strength began to wane. He panted from the exertion and sweat stood out on his brow, but he would not let go. Not yet, not until his brothers were out of there. He called out once more. "Hurry!"
"Here El, stand behind me." Elrohir positioned the other Elf so that his body was snug against his back. Then he reached behind him, grabbed Elladan's wrists and brought his arms forward, clutching them tightly to his chest.
Elrohir moved as fast as he dared, they only had a very narrow space in which to move and his brother was leaning heavily on him, attesting to his injured state.
As he neared Aragorn, one of the branches finally freed itself from its confinement and snapped back leaving a line of stinging barbs embedded in Elrohir's cheek. He hissed in pain but did not turn his head for fear that the branch would strike Elladan next. "Tuck your head into my shoulders El."
Wearily, Elladan did as he was told and rested his forehead between his brother's shoulder blades. He was unable to see where they were going and he was in too much pain to care.
At last, they cleared the last of the branches and Aragorn dropped the stick with a gasp. His arms felt as if they were on fire and he rubbed them furiously, trying to ease his protesting muscles.
Elrohir walked a safe distance away from the prickle berry bushes then stopped. He let go of Elladan's wrists and turned to face his brother. The Elf's breath came in short, panting gasps as he tried to deal with the increasing pain. The slightest movement hurt and made the stinging nettles throb unbearably.
Prickle berries were especially good for cuts, burns and bruises, their spines however, were not. The barbs dug painfully deep into the skin and were extremely difficult to remove. To make matters worse, their needlelike stickers contained an irritant at the tip that was released upon penetration of the skin. The result felt like a bee sting. Multiply that bee sting times several hundred and this is what Elladan felt.
For a moment, Elrohir was at a loss for what to do. His first instinct was to have Elladan sit down, but that was impossible due to all the barbs in his skin. His next was to help the injured Elf walk to the lake, but that too, did not seem like a wise course of action. His brother was in too much pain and he doubted walking the long distance would help any. Finally, he helped Elladan stretch out on his stomach then knelt beside him anxiously.
Aragorn crouched beside them and looked at Elladan worriedly. His voice was soft. "There are hundreds of barbs Elrohir, how will we ever get all of them out?"
The Elf set his mouth in a determined line. "I could try making that waxy paste you dislike so much. Then we can spread it over his skin and peel it off when it dries. We may be able to get them out thus."
"That might work, I can see no other way unless we pluck them out one by one and that will take too long." Aragorn looked pointedly at Elladan. "Stay with our brother, I will retrieve our things and fill our water bottles."
Elrohir nodded in agreement then turned his attention to the Elf lying on the ground. He leaned over and called to his brother softly. "Elladan? El, can you hear me?"
Elladan opened his eyes and looked at his brother tiredly. His head hurt and the pain from the barbs made his body ache. "What?" His voice sounded raspy, even to his ears.
Elrohir touched his brother's cheek gently. "Just a little bit longer El. Estel has gone for our things, as soon as he returns, we will get those spines out of you." Elrohir's frown deepened when his brother merely sighed and closed his eyes once more.
Anxiously, his eyes searched for Aragorn's familiar form but he did not see him. 'Where was he, why was he taking so long?'
TBC…
******************************************************************************
Reviewer Responses:
Eclipse: It was a lake! ;) LOL When I was little, I always envisioned this perfect little lake, a magical place tucked away and hidden from all sight save a few. Almost like a fairy lake if you will, this is what I tried to describe in the last chapter! ;) Thanks for the review.
Anime Soccer Lobos: Ha ha! Yeah, not much of a cliffy there although this chapter may be different! *ducks hurled objects* LOL
Merrylyn: Aaaah, that Leggy plushie hair! Isn't it dreamy! *sigh* And yes, your guess was right on the money, it was a lake. I told Eclipse earlier, that I'd always pictured this magical little lake tucked away in the forest somewhere where no one, save only those special few, could find it . It is a wet and sweet smelling place, green and teeming with life and mystery. The only thing that has ever come close to being what I've envisioned is the lake that Jack jumps into to retrieve Lily's ring in the movie Legend with Tom Cruise. *sigh* Ha ha! Yeah, I did abuse the cloaks didn't I? Well, I claim innocence on *that* one, it really *was* Unintentional! Really!!!! LOL *orders a block on phone* Hurray for Gimli, so glad he kicked some serious tail! Sometimes, FF really needs a good kick now and then to keep things working properly! LOL Just be sure you don't neglect your plushies too much! I'm giving my Leggy plushie *plenty* of attention! He actually is quite contended, I just can't seem to put him down, even when I'm reading LOTR fan fic! Heh, heh! You know, come to think of it, Nebride recently asked me what a Leggy plushie was and where she could get one. I had to tell her of our whole little juicy story about this matter and I actually offered to have one specially made for her. You know, cause Nebride is just to *die for*! She's such a great author and I put her right up there with Cassia and Nili! Anyways, I'd quite forgotten I'd done that and I simply must check to see if hers is ready. I ordered her the new and improved one and I will be sure to send her all the little perks that come with the new and improved Leggy plushie, (if that's ok with you?) Anyways, yeah, I'm back and I sure hope your still around even though it took me *forever* to get this latest chappy up! *grins sheepishly* I always love hearing from you! ;)
Bumper: I tend to agree with you, I don't think his nightmares will be gone yet! LOL
Krisnkriss: Yeah, he's a target all right. I think someone must've painted one on his back while he slept with permanent paint! Forget the sign, picture a big red and black bulls eye on his back instead! LOL
NaughtyNat: I love the twin moments too! I think I've developed a serious crush on them both! Heh, heh!
Pernauriel: Thanks for the review, I'm glad you like the story! J
Estelcontar: Thanks so much for the wonderful compliments. I do try to make the love and concern they feel for each other be natural and not all sappy. Not an easy thing to do though. Glad you like how I've done it! ;)
Silica: Go figure, when Aragorn figures *that* out, I think the stories will be quite boring and bland. That is part of his charm and mystique! I wouldn't have him any other way! ;) But yeah, I agree with what you said wholeheartedly. He tries too hard for his own good sometimes. Yeah, he pretty much has his brothers wrapped around his little finger too, though they would be the last to admit it! LOL Thanks so much for your review. I'm glad you've enjoyed the story so far and I'm glad the family bond between the brothers came through as it did. That means I was successful in portraying their relationship the way I've envisioned it would be in my mind. J
Lady Jaina: Thanks so much for the review! I did try to be a bit lighter for this story although this chappy will make a liar out of me! *ducks*
Lady of the Forest1: Good guess, but no dice. It was actually a lake. If you look up top, you will find out what all the other stuff I described was. J
ThE iNsAnE oNe: Whew, I still sweat *every* time I type that!!!! Yes, update your pirate fic! I checked yesterday and still nothing!!!!! Hint, hint! Excuses don't cut it, look who's talking huh? LOL Took *me* long enough to get this chappy up, but I did, so now you have to update your story too! ;) And no, I'd never let Aragorn become troll food! *gasp* The thought! So see, even though Will runs from you, he should know by now that you'd never "hurt" him, right? ;) *NONE* of your personalities would hurt him huh? Heh, heh! Here, how 'bout I help you chase him, will that get the next chappy up faster????
leggylover03: Not much Estel pain in this chappy, will Elrohir pain suffice??? LOL
******************************
For those of you who were wondering, the beauty before them was a small lake. When I was little I'd always imagined a magical, watery place tucked away from prying eyes. Almost like a fairy place. Wet and green and teeming with life, magic and mystique. The only think I can liken my vision to is in the movie Legend with Tom Cruise. Remember the lake that Jack dove into to retrieve Lily's ring? Well, that's kinda close to what I've imagined all these years. Magic. J
*Lightning fast little creatures, near impossible to catch.--These are fish. Silver and gold.
*Tiny things whose many voices together, often lulled him to sleep back home in Imladris--This is the wonderful lulling sound of frogs at night. Many nights I fell asleep to their musical chorus. J
*Large round ones whose lumbering, slow movements often belied their true grace. --These are turtles, clumsy on land but graceful in water.
*But his favorite was the one who lived both above and below the shimmering surface, skittering here and there, always busy. --What else??? A beaver!
Hope you enjoyed that little bit of nature trivia! LOL
Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! And thanks to those that have put me on their favorites list as well: Luindae; krisnkriss; Lady Jaina; chescaOtaku; Elenor1; O.B.I.M.; Shauna; KC-Kick Camel; Astarael, the Weeper Sorrowful; Jessica332; ClayAikenLover; CarDi; pupulupk; Legilmalith; Hitokiri-chan; merrylyn; kelly57; szhismine; Lilly Blackstar; Lamoo; TrinityTheSheDevil; Lovely Elven Princess; Lady of the Forest1; andrea42; Anime Soccer Lobos; White Wolf1; Jenni3; Musicstarlover; enc87b; Elanor8; Jamirlyn; Nariel-of-Rivendell; Ravenclaw-Girls; mer V; Spades; Nomad6; Lei Dumbledore; leggylover03; Gwaina Baggins; Karri; and Xatia!
Please keep those reviews coming!
All the spelling and grammar mistakes are mine and mine alone! Hope there is not too many! Please keep in mind I am *not* an expert on Middle Earth geography! I only envision what Tolkien has written and make my own interpretations. So forgive me if there are errors in my descriptions of it.
Shadows and Light
Chapter 3-On the Edge of Pain
With visible effort, Aragorn shook off the solemn mood. His eyes twinkled as he turned to his brothers with a grin. "Care to go for a swim?"
Elladan laughed and gently seized the young ranger's arm, stilling his forward motion. "Estel, at least remove your clothes, unless you wish to spend the rest of the day dripping wet." He shook his head and laughed again at the human's eagerness. "Then we should be most happy to join you."
Aragorn had already unclasped his cloak. Laying it aside, he began to unfasten his tunic.
Elrohir sat next to him to remove his boots. "We will show you the perfect place from which to dive. From there you can see the entire lake."
The other twin nodded his head in agreement. "You know Estel, this place has remained hidden from the sight of most men and there are yet a few Elves who do not know of it's existence. In fact, Elrohir and I discovered it quite by accident." Elladan set his boots next to Elrohir's.
"I am glad you did Elladan for it is more beautiful than I ever imagined." Aragorn stood, clad only in his undergarments. "Come brothers, last one in is the uncle of an orc!" The ranger turned and sprinted towards the water, Elrohir close on his heels.
Elladan protested, hopping on one foot while trying to untangle the other one from the leg of his breeches. "Nay! Tis not fair Estel! I have not yet removed my breeches!"
Aragorn only laughed louder as he splashed into the cold water.
All three put the refreshing water to good use. They cleansed themselves of the grime they had acquired and let the cool water soothe their bruised flesh and sore muscles.
The young ranger floated lazily on his back enjoying the warmth of the sun on his face and the coolness of the water on his skin. He closed his eyes and sighed contentedly. Unexpectedly, water splashed his face causing him to sink below the surface in surprise.
Aragorn came up with a sputter and wiped the water from his eyes only to find Elladan watching him with a mischievous grin. The young human narrowed his eyes at the Elf and frowned. "That was not funny brother!"
"I am sorry Estel, I could not resist!" Elladan laughed harder at the look on his younger brother's face, it was priceless.
"Do not think Elladan, that I have for one moment, forgotten my promise of revenge! I would be a little more careful if I were you." Aragorn smiled wickedly at the Elf.
The Elf only shrugged, as much as he was able to while treading water, and his smile grew bigger.
Oh, he would get his brother back, of that he was sure. Aragorn smiled to himself as he thought of ways to do it.
************************
Another tired and frustrated sigh escaped Aragorn as he looked longingly at the cool water yet again. He now lay on the warm grass beside the water with his brothers. They had spent most of the afternoon swimming and diving for Aragorn had been greatly impressed with the diving spot Elrohir had shown him.
The Elves taught him how to leap gracefully from the branch of a tall tree growing beside the lake. Aragorn was reluctant to jump at first, for when he stood at the edge of the branch his heart lurched in his throat. But, instead of giving in to his fear, he closed his eyes, gritted his teeth and stepped off the sturdy branch.
Surprisingly, he found the thrill exhilarating and before he realized it, he swam towards the waters' edge so that he could do it again. Elladan and Elrohir laughed at his enthusiasm then shook their heads in amused exasperation when they could not get him to stop.
Aragorn dived several times in a row, each time climbing higher as he grew bolder. Unfortunately, his last dive had gone awry for his foot slipped and he was unable to clear one of the lower branches. The blow knocked the air out of him and he hit the water with an ungraceful splash. Alarmed, Elladan jumped in after him and hauled him back to shore.
Gingerly, Aragorn touched the bandage now covering the gash he sported on his ribs and grimaced.
Because of the mishap he had been banished to the bank. Neither twin had been very happy with him and Elladan lectured him mercilessly while treating the injury.
"It will not work Estel."
Aragorn started and turned toward Elladan in confusion. "What? What will not work?"
Elladan shook his head. "The sighs, the groans and wistful looks you give the water. You have had enough of it for today I think."
The young human shook his head. "The cut was really just a little one Elladan. I do not understand why you make more of it than it is."
The Elf sighed and spoke to Aragorn as if he were a child, which in fact to him, he was. "I already told you more times than I care to say Estel, you are just beginning to recover from falling off one tree and now you have fallen off another. Your back is still bruised and even though you do not wish to admit it, I know you are sore."
Aragorn started to protest but was stopped when a firm hand covered his mouth.
"Enough! I do not wish to argue. I am older than you and you must do as I say. If you do not rest, I shall be forced to use of one Ada's techniques to make you sleep."
The ranger narrowed his eyes at Elladan then looked to Elrohir for help. The other Elf merely shook his head and shrugged, supporting his twin with his silence. Aragorn's shoulders drooped in defeat. Elladan was right, he should get some rest. There were still a few hours of daylight left and they would have to walk a long distance yet just to reach the outskirts of Imladris. Besides, he may find the perfect opportunity to seek revenge upon Elladan while they rested. Without further comment, Aragorn lay down on his side again and closed his eyes.
**************************************
Something had woken him, what was it? Ah, there it was again.
"Estel!"
Aragorn rolled over and looked at a very angry Elladan. "What is wrong brother?"
Elladan pointed his finger at his younger brother. "You know very well what is wrong Estel! Where are they?"
He sat up and raised his eyebrows at the Elf trying hard to keep a straight face. "I do not know what you speak of Elladan? Is something missing?"
Their voices pulled Elrohir from his slumber and he sat up, alarmed. "What is it? What has happened?"
Elladan threw his twin a quick glance then glared at Aragorn again. He pointed towards the young human. "Ask him brother. Though he denies it, I am sure he was the one who did it!"
Elrohir frowned in confusion. "Did what? What are you talking about brother?"
The exasperated Elf threw his hands up in frustration. "Estel has hidden my clothes and I know not where!"
Elrohir glanced at Aragorn suspiciously. The human looked as if he was trying not to laugh and his eyes sparkled with mischief. Elrohir's expression softened and a look of understanding passed between him and the young human before the Elf turned back to his twin. "I think Elladan, Estel has taken his revenge upon you for laughing at him yesterday."
Aragorn grinned wickedly at the Elf. It was a good thing he dressed after he hid Elladan's clothes. As angry as his brother was now, he most likely would have fed his clothes to a troll and perhaps him as well. Chuckling at that mental image did not help his situation though. Elladan's eyes narrowed dangerously at Aragorn's laughter and the only warning the ranger had was a tightening of the Elf's jaw before he sprung.
The young ranger scrambled to his feet and fortunately for him, he was able to sidestep Elladan before the Elf could grab hold of him.
Aragorn let out a loud breath of air. 'Valar! That was close!' Before he could ponder what his brother meant to do with him should he catch him, Elladan turned and grabbed hold of his arm. The ranger twisted it out of the Elf's grasp then took off at a dead run. He did not want to find out just how angry Elladan was.
Elladan sprinted after him, intent on reaching his human brother. "You cannot run fast enough Estel! I will catch you!"
The ranger did not waste his breath on words. Instead, he forced his legs to pump harder. Up ahead he could see a small rise, thick with tall grasses, perhaps he could find some place to hide there. Aragorn headed straight for it, casting a quick glance behind him. Elladan was closing in on him, fast. He might not reach it after all.
With a sudden burst of determination, Aragorn forced his legs to move faster. When he reached the small hill though, he realized there would be no hiding places here. Although the grass looked thick from afar, now that he was amongst it, he saw that it grew in tight, compact clumps spread out amongst the hillside. He could not hide in them and hiding behind them would not work either, the Elf giving chase would find him in an instant.
He shot a quick look behind him again and saw that Elladan had fallen back a little. The Elf had been forced to slow his pace a little to skirt around the clumps of grass, and unfortunately, so had Aragorn. If he didn't find somewhere to hide soon, Elladan would catch him. And the last time that happened, his favorite boots and sword had gone missing for a month.
Aragorn topped the small rise and found that it sloped downwards sharply on the other side. There was very little brush on this side, but he could see a wide thicket of prickle berry bush lining the very bottom of the hill. His eyes widened in alarm, he did not want to run into those things or he would be picking the painful barbs out of his skin for weeks.
He tried to stop but his momentum continued to carry him down the hill at an unstoppable speed. Elladan now forgotten, Aragorn instead fought to halt his rapid descent down the hill. He dug his heels into the hard ground and tried to make his legs stop pumping but almost lost his balance instead. Rolling into the bushes would be just as bad as running into them.
The prickle berry was getting closer and Aragorn was getting desperate. At the last moment, he threw his weight backwards as hard as he could and landed on his backside with a hard thump. He slid downwards for several more feet before finally coming to a stop, the bushes mere inches from his face.
Aragorn let out a sigh of relief then wiped the perspiration from his brow. 'That was too close.' Now that the immediate danger had passed he started to relax then jerked suddenly as he remembered his brother. He could hear the soft steps of running and he turned to find Elladan but a few feet behind him.
Aragorn shouted a warning but unfortunately, Elladan was unable to stop his rapid descent just as Aragorn had been.
The young ranger leapt to his feet and tried to grab hold of his brother as he flew by, but all he was able to grab hold of was Elladan's hand. He could only keep his grip for a few seconds before his older brother's momentum yanked the Elf from his grasp.
The sudden pull on his arm turned the Elf around and instead of running face first into the prickle berries, he fell backwards onto the sharp spikes, taking the full brunt of the fall on his backside. To make matters worse, Elladan was clad only in his undergarments and the sharp barbs penetrated his unprotected flesh easily.
Both brothers were too shocked to say much of anything for several moments. Then pain began to set in and Elladan groaned softly. He tried to push himself up but only succeeded in getting the stinging barbs in his palms and fingers. He looked up, helpless. "Estel..." His voice faltered for a moment before he was able to continue, "Estel, get me out of here."
Elladan's plea broke the spell that seemed to have come over him and Aragorn shook his head as one coming out of a dream. He quickly surveyed their predicament. Elladan's momentum had carried the Elf a few feet inside the thicket of prickle berries, too far from the edge to reach easily and too far for Aragorn to pull him out without becoming entangled in the sharp spikes himself.
"How Elladan, how do I reach you?" Frustration began to set in. "I see no way around these cursed bushes!" Aragorn looked frantically for a clear path to his brother.
"I do not know Estel, just get me out of here!" The pain from the barbs impaling his fair skin was starting to make Elladan's head pound.
"Estel! Elladan!"
Aragorn turned his head at Elrohir's shout and called back. "We are over here! Elladan has fallen into a thicket of prickle berry!"
Elrohir spotted his brothers at the bottom of the hill and made his way down as quickly and carefully as he could. He could not help but chuckle at his twin's predicament despite the seriousness of the moment.
Elladan glared at his twin. "I do not see what is so amusing brother! These things hurt!"
"I am sorry Elrohir, but you have to admit, Estel's revenge has grown to unimaginable proportions!" He tried hard to keep the grin off his face, but it found its way to his mouth anyways.
Elladan did not see anything funny about his situation at all. Nothing at all. Between clenched teeth, he managed to grate out, "Just get me out of here!"
Elrohir's grin faded as he studied his brother. Elladan's face had paled considerably and his features were lined with pain. Elrohir immediately became serious and he turned to his adopted brother. "Estel, search for a stick, one we can use to hold the branches out of the way." His eyes were already searching the ground.
Aragorn walked quickly, making sure to check every branch he found carefully. There were not many trees here and even fewer branches lay scattered the ground. He found a couple but both had broken easily when he tested their strength. Frustration made his brow furrow and guilt gnawed at his conscious as he continued to search. He never should have hidden Elladan's clothes, then none of this would have happened. Why did he have to be so…so…what was the word he was looking… ah, this looks like a good one!
Aragorn stooped down and picked up a long, thick branch. Carefully, he tried to bend it but it did not yield. Yes, this one should do nicely. The ranger hurried over to Elrohir and presented the branch to him. "I think this one will work."
Elrohir studied the thick limb. "Yes, I think you are right Estel. Come, I fear Elladan may think we have deserted him." He smiled at the young man and squeezed his shoulder comfortingly.
Elladan was in exactly the same position as they left him. But he looked worse than before, in addition to his pale face, Elrohir could see small beads of perspiration on his upper lip and the Elf's eyes were closed tightly. 'They had better hurry, his twin did not look good.'
"Here Estel, press these branches aside with the stick. I will go in and get him." Elrohir pressed the branch into Aragorn's hands.
Aragorn clutched it tightly and pushed aside a bunch of the sharp, spiny branches, creating enough open space for Elrohir to get closer to Elladan. His arms strained with the weight of the branches pressing against the stick, it seemed as if they were trying to free themselves from the confinement. "Hurry Elrohir, I do not know how long I can hold them aside."
Giving him a quick nod of acknowledgement, the Elf stepped into the path. Several times, his arms brushed the spiny branches and came away with tiny barbs embedded in them, but he ignored the pain and pressed forward until at last, he stood before his twin.
Elladan started when Elrohir knelt next to him and touched his shoulder gently. His eyes flew open and he fixed pain filled eyes on his twin.
Elrohir frowned and his worry deepened. 'He must be in a considerable amount of pain if he did not hear my approach.' "Come El, I will help you up. Can you walk?"
Elladan could only nod mutely and allowed his twin to help him to his feet. Elrohir was careful not to touch his brother's hands for they were full of barbs and he did not want to cause Elladan any more pain than necessary.
Elladan could not keep a groan from making its way past his lips as he moved and the barbs worked themselves deeper into his skin.
"Hurry Elrohir! Some of the branches are slipping out!" Aragorn was growing frantic as his strength began to wane. He panted from the exertion and sweat stood out on his brow, but he would not let go. Not yet, not until his brothers were out of there. He called out once more. "Hurry!"
"Here El, stand behind me." Elrohir positioned the other Elf so that his body was snug against his back. Then he reached behind him, grabbed Elladan's wrists and brought his arms forward, clutching them tightly to his chest.
Elrohir moved as fast as he dared, they only had a very narrow space in which to move and his brother was leaning heavily on him, attesting to his injured state.
As he neared Aragorn, one of the branches finally freed itself from its confinement and snapped back leaving a line of stinging barbs embedded in Elrohir's cheek. He hissed in pain but did not turn his head for fear that the branch would strike Elladan next. "Tuck your head into my shoulders El."
Wearily, Elladan did as he was told and rested his forehead between his brother's shoulder blades. He was unable to see where they were going and he was in too much pain to care.
At last, they cleared the last of the branches and Aragorn dropped the stick with a gasp. His arms felt as if they were on fire and he rubbed them furiously, trying to ease his protesting muscles.
Elrohir walked a safe distance away from the prickle berry bushes then stopped. He let go of Elladan's wrists and turned to face his brother. The Elf's breath came in short, panting gasps as he tried to deal with the increasing pain. The slightest movement hurt and made the stinging nettles throb unbearably.
Prickle berries were especially good for cuts, burns and bruises, their spines however, were not. The barbs dug painfully deep into the skin and were extremely difficult to remove. To make matters worse, their needlelike stickers contained an irritant at the tip that was released upon penetration of the skin. The result felt like a bee sting. Multiply that bee sting times several hundred and this is what Elladan felt.
For a moment, Elrohir was at a loss for what to do. His first instinct was to have Elladan sit down, but that was impossible due to all the barbs in his skin. His next was to help the injured Elf walk to the lake, but that too, did not seem like a wise course of action. His brother was in too much pain and he doubted walking the long distance would help any. Finally, he helped Elladan stretch out on his stomach then knelt beside him anxiously.
Aragorn crouched beside them and looked at Elladan worriedly. His voice was soft. "There are hundreds of barbs Elrohir, how will we ever get all of them out?"
The Elf set his mouth in a determined line. "I could try making that waxy paste you dislike so much. Then we can spread it over his skin and peel it off when it dries. We may be able to get them out thus."
"That might work, I can see no other way unless we pluck them out one by one and that will take too long." Aragorn looked pointedly at Elladan. "Stay with our brother, I will retrieve our things and fill our water bottles."
Elrohir nodded in agreement then turned his attention to the Elf lying on the ground. He leaned over and called to his brother softly. "Elladan? El, can you hear me?"
Elladan opened his eyes and looked at his brother tiredly. His head hurt and the pain from the barbs made his body ache. "What?" His voice sounded raspy, even to his ears.
Elrohir touched his brother's cheek gently. "Just a little bit longer El. Estel has gone for our things, as soon as he returns, we will get those spines out of you." Elrohir's frown deepened when his brother merely sighed and closed his eyes once more.
Anxiously, his eyes searched for Aragorn's familiar form but he did not see him. 'Where was he, why was he taking so long?'
TBC…
******************************************************************************
Reviewer Responses:
Eclipse: It was a lake! ;) LOL When I was little, I always envisioned this perfect little lake, a magical place tucked away and hidden from all sight save a few. Almost like a fairy lake if you will, this is what I tried to describe in the last chapter! ;) Thanks for the review.
Anime Soccer Lobos: Ha ha! Yeah, not much of a cliffy there although this chapter may be different! *ducks hurled objects* LOL
Merrylyn: Aaaah, that Leggy plushie hair! Isn't it dreamy! *sigh* And yes, your guess was right on the money, it was a lake. I told Eclipse earlier, that I'd always pictured this magical little lake tucked away in the forest somewhere where no one, save only those special few, could find it . It is a wet and sweet smelling place, green and teeming with life and mystery. The only thing that has ever come close to being what I've envisioned is the lake that Jack jumps into to retrieve Lily's ring in the movie Legend with Tom Cruise. *sigh* Ha ha! Yeah, I did abuse the cloaks didn't I? Well, I claim innocence on *that* one, it really *was* Unintentional! Really!!!! LOL *orders a block on phone* Hurray for Gimli, so glad he kicked some serious tail! Sometimes, FF really needs a good kick now and then to keep things working properly! LOL Just be sure you don't neglect your plushies too much! I'm giving my Leggy plushie *plenty* of attention! He actually is quite contended, I just can't seem to put him down, even when I'm reading LOTR fan fic! Heh, heh! You know, come to think of it, Nebride recently asked me what a Leggy plushie was and where she could get one. I had to tell her of our whole little juicy story about this matter and I actually offered to have one specially made for her. You know, cause Nebride is just to *die for*! She's such a great author and I put her right up there with Cassia and Nili! Anyways, I'd quite forgotten I'd done that and I simply must check to see if hers is ready. I ordered her the new and improved one and I will be sure to send her all the little perks that come with the new and improved Leggy plushie, (if that's ok with you?) Anyways, yeah, I'm back and I sure hope your still around even though it took me *forever* to get this latest chappy up! *grins sheepishly* I always love hearing from you! ;)
Bumper: I tend to agree with you, I don't think his nightmares will be gone yet! LOL
Krisnkriss: Yeah, he's a target all right. I think someone must've painted one on his back while he slept with permanent paint! Forget the sign, picture a big red and black bulls eye on his back instead! LOL
NaughtyNat: I love the twin moments too! I think I've developed a serious crush on them both! Heh, heh!
Pernauriel: Thanks for the review, I'm glad you like the story! J
Estelcontar: Thanks so much for the wonderful compliments. I do try to make the love and concern they feel for each other be natural and not all sappy. Not an easy thing to do though. Glad you like how I've done it! ;)
Silica: Go figure, when Aragorn figures *that* out, I think the stories will be quite boring and bland. That is part of his charm and mystique! I wouldn't have him any other way! ;) But yeah, I agree with what you said wholeheartedly. He tries too hard for his own good sometimes. Yeah, he pretty much has his brothers wrapped around his little finger too, though they would be the last to admit it! LOL Thanks so much for your review. I'm glad you've enjoyed the story so far and I'm glad the family bond between the brothers came through as it did. That means I was successful in portraying their relationship the way I've envisioned it would be in my mind. J
Lady Jaina: Thanks so much for the review! I did try to be a bit lighter for this story although this chappy will make a liar out of me! *ducks*
Lady of the Forest1: Good guess, but no dice. It was actually a lake. If you look up top, you will find out what all the other stuff I described was. J
ThE iNsAnE oNe: Whew, I still sweat *every* time I type that!!!! Yes, update your pirate fic! I checked yesterday and still nothing!!!!! Hint, hint! Excuses don't cut it, look who's talking huh? LOL Took *me* long enough to get this chappy up, but I did, so now you have to update your story too! ;) And no, I'd never let Aragorn become troll food! *gasp* The thought! So see, even though Will runs from you, he should know by now that you'd never "hurt" him, right? ;) *NONE* of your personalities would hurt him huh? Heh, heh! Here, how 'bout I help you chase him, will that get the next chappy up faster????
leggylover03: Not much Estel pain in this chappy, will Elrohir pain suffice??? LOL
******************************
For those of you who were wondering, the beauty before them was a small lake. When I was little I'd always imagined a magical, watery place tucked away from prying eyes. Almost like a fairy place. Wet and green and teeming with life, magic and mystique. The only think I can liken my vision to is in the movie Legend with Tom Cruise. Remember the lake that Jack dove into to retrieve Lily's ring? Well, that's kinda close to what I've imagined all these years. Magic. J
*Lightning fast little creatures, near impossible to catch.--These are fish. Silver and gold.
*Tiny things whose many voices together, often lulled him to sleep back home in Imladris--This is the wonderful lulling sound of frogs at night. Many nights I fell asleep to their musical chorus. J
*Large round ones whose lumbering, slow movements often belied their true grace. --These are turtles, clumsy on land but graceful in water.
*But his favorite was the one who lived both above and below the shimmering surface, skittering here and there, always busy. --What else??? A beaver!
Hope you enjoyed that little bit of nature trivia! LOL