The song I used for this chapter was 'Rest in Pieces' by Saliva. It's supposed to be about a girl breaking up with her boyfriend, but I kinda twisted it around to fit the major grief in this part of the story! If you look at it the way I did, this is the best song for the story so far!

@Deana - Wait until you see the next book (which just MIGHT be up tomorrow!) there's more angst then you could hope for in that one! Thanks for reviewing!

Chapter 15

The day was nearly out and Legolas was walking alone through a thick bunch of trees. They were all long dead and frozen in place. The bark was dim and dry. The air grew cold in the shade of the mountains, but an orangey light shone to the east.

Legolas finally emerged from the small forest onto a narrow dirt path that led around a steep rocky corner. If the directions from the farm boy were right, his cousin's home should be right around the corner. Legolas looked down at the dirt path. It had been recently used.

He smiled. This must mean that his family was okay. He followed the dark path towards the farm.

~Look at me,~

~My depth perception must be off again,~

As he rounded the corner, Legolas's eyes widened. There were three covered and barred wagons parked in front of the house pulled by some incredibly poor-looking kine. There were also some mounts with black bundles tied to them and whips hanging off their flanks. He had just arrived in time to see a masked man slice open the back of a young boy. Legolas stared as the child fell to the ground, dead. A crash of glass sounded out from inside the house, but Legolas didn't hear it. He didn't acknowledge the man approaching him. He was frozen with surprise and fear.

Just a child... only a boy...

'Who are you?' demanded the masked man. Legolas finally looked up at him. Like a straw stack going up in flames, Legolas's anger swelled to a bursting point and he had his blade out. It was glowing with a fiery white light. Legolas slashed at the man, who parried and side-stepped so that Legolas stumbled onto the porch. Legolas could hear more of the gang members inside the house. He barely dodged a deadly chop from his opponent as he backed up to the left of the doorway.

His anger gave him a blinding strength and he finally slashed the man across the chest. He gasped and fell backwards. Legolas immediately headed into the house, still bearing his deadly blade. He soon ran into three gang members pillaging a room. Legolas quickly attacked, slashing cutting and killing with all the anger in his body.

When three dead adult bodies surrounded him, he heard a small whimper from the corner of the room. Legolas turned and saw a small baby half covered by a blanket. Legolas immediately kneeled down beside the child. Another crash of glass in the house told Legolas that he was still in danger, but not immediately. He carefully wrapped the nude babe in the blanket and cradled it in his arms.

Legolas suddenly thought of Elenest and how her belly would slowly be growing. He had been gone for longer then he could stand. He wanted more then anything to kiss her and hold her. He saw her eye's in the child's face, who was growing quieter and quieter.

~'Cause this hurts deeper then I thought it did.~

~It has not healed with time.~

The child was silent now, his pupils large. The veins on its head began to turn purple and swell. Legolas was suddenly brought back to the farmhouse. He watched in horror as the purple in the veins spread down the babe's face. Tears welled in his eyes and fell to the floor.

'No...' he realized that the babe had ended up on the floor from a crib in the opposite corner. Someone had thrown him. 'Please, no...' Legolas's voice cracked as he felt tears well up in his eyes. He stared, helpless as the little one began to go cold.

~It just shot down my spine.~

In Legolas's arms, which were strong and saved him from every battle, the babe died.

~You looked so beautiful tonight,~

~Reminds me how you lay us down, and gently smile.~

Legolas's tears fell to the floor and mingled with the baby's.

~Before you destroyed my life.~

This is what the gangs were doing. Innocent children and families, everyday. Destroying something that has barely begun. Tearing people up from the inside out until they got what they wanted.

In the doorway, several gang members appeared. Legolas ignored them. He was so blinded by the child in his hands that he felt nothing other then the grief. The pain was so deep in him that he couldn't describe it. Further away then the reaches of the universe but stronger then a rockslide lasting forever.

Legolas was limp as the gang members tied his hands behind his back and gagged him.

~Can you find it in your heart,~

~To make this go away,~

~And let me rest in pieces.~

~Let me rest in pieces.~

~Would you find it in your heart,~

~To make this go away,~

~And let me rest in pieces.~

~Let me rest in pieces.~

~Pieces.~

Legolas felt shattered. He could only see the dying newborn in his hands. There was nothing he could do. Nothing he could do to stop its death. He felt so pointless at that moment, wishing that the men would just kill him and make the grief and pain go away.

~Look at me,~

~My depth perception must be off again.~

~You got much closer then I thought you did,~

~I'm in your reach, you held me in your hand.~

There must've of been something Legolas could have done, but he couldn't think of anything other then the weight of guilt that hung off his neck.

The gang members pushed him out of the house into a wagon with two other people. He didn't resist or try to stop them as they removed his weapons and bundles. The people stared at him, not recognizing him. They weren't gagged and tried to talk to him after pulling down the cloth covering his mouth with the hands tied in front of them, but Legolas didn't respond. It was like a conscious coma. Legolas ignored anything they said, only able to feel the pain of the infant who died in his arms.

~Can you find it in your heart,~

~To make this go away,~

~And let me rest in pieces.~

~Let me rest in pieces.~

~Would you find it in your heart,~

~To make this go away,~

~And let me rest in pieces.~

~Let me rest in pieces.~

~Pieces.~

He just wanted to die. He wanted someone to cut him open to replace the pain in his spirit.

~Would you find it in your heart,~

~To make this go away,~

~And let me rest in pieces.~

~Let me rest in pieces.~

~Would you find it in your heart,~

~Would you find it, would find it in your heart,~

~Will I finally rest in pieces...~

~Pieces.~

~Would you find it, would find it in your heart,~

~Will I finally rest in pieces...~

~Pieces.~