Sirnonenath--:D Well, it makes me happy to know someone was excited over there being two chapters to read. That tells me it must not be too bad :) Um.heh heh.okay, you got me! The author screwed up that part! I completely forgot about poor Glorfindel (who grumbled for hours at me over that."First Peter Jackson wrote me out, and now you forget about me.), and had to get rid of him. In a simple, only a line kinda way. And it didn't work I didn't know where he lived, so I pretended he was held in high enough esteem with the King that he could help hold Mirkwood down in Thranduil's absence. Sorry about that! Lol, well that makes me feel better about the whole Gandalf slapping Legolas thing. Medical, you say? I'll remember that the next time my lovely best friend is going a bit insane Just kidding! I wouldn't slap her :) Thanks for your reviews; I love reading them!
The sun seemed reluctant to rise the next morning. There was no breeze, and the air was a bit cold. Dew covered the grass and made it sparkle from the orange-ish rays. To the elves' disappointment, the trees did not say much.
"I guess they are nervous," Elrohir commented in a low voice to his twin.
Elladan frowned. "Tis not as if we have never fought before. You do remember last year, right?"
"I did not say I am nervous!" Elrohir sounded extremely defensive.
Elladan arched a dark eyebrow. Elrohir frowned and looks about. No one was around. He stepped closer to his older twin and murmured, "Well, mayhap I am a bit nervous. But why, I wonder?"
"The atmosphere is tense," Elladan whispered back. "I can feel myself becoming high strung by just standing here."
"What do you think is going to happen?"
"I do not know. I doubt anyone does."
"Where are Legolas and Aragorn?" Elrohir changed the subject.
"I believe Estel went to wake Legolas up. Father and Gandalf had given him a drug that would put him into a deep sleep. Father sent Estel to make sure he actually woke up."
Elrohir nodded and fell silent. Elladan placed a brotherly hand on his shoulder.
"We will defeat Traemire," he spoke with confidence.
Aragorn knocked on Legolas's door. He paused and listened for any movement. Steps came towards the door, and then the knob turned. Legolas swung open the door and smiled tightly as his friend.
"We were not certain how long the drug stayed effective."
"It wore off, and I woke up about two hours ago."
Aragorn nodded and studied the blonde elf. "Are you all right?"
Legolas hesitated before nodding.
"I know this is all happening so fast, but it will turn out fine," Aragorn tried to comfort him. "Traemire will be defeated. Are you ready?"
"I will be done in a moment." Legolas watched the Ranger walk briskly down the hall until he turned the corner. Then Legolas stepped back in his room. He was halfway to his bed when he spun on his heels and faced the corner. Haldir was reclining there, observing him through narrowed eyes.
"Your game is over, Traemire," the prince spat.
Haldir continued to stare silently.
"What do you want?"
"I just want you to think about what you are about to do. You are right, we were friends."
Legolas blinked, thrown off by his completely different tactic. Then he regained his composure.
"It will not work anymore. I command you to leave!"
Haldir rushed over to the prince. Legolas raised his chin defiantly and glared.
"Nay, you do not understand! I am Haldir; Traemire merely brought me back to Earth."
Legolas looked incredulous. "If you expect me to believe that--"
"You must!" Haldir gripped Legolas's arms. "He has bound me here. He was using me to get to you. Now he is too busy preparing for your arrival to pay me mind. I have but a few moments. Listen, my friend: On the third story, there is a locked room at the end of the hall. You must go in there! You must set me free!"
Legolas opened his mouth, but Haldir was instantly gone.
'Valor! Should I believe him? What if it is true? Oh, Elbereth! I have no reason to believe anything that comes from his mouth. Unless it truly is Haldir, and he was under Traemire's command. It could still be a trap, but I will not let Haldir remain bound here. I failed him once. I will not do so again, regardless of my safety.' Legolas turned to look out the window. 'I can tarry no longer. They are waiting.'
Legolas reached the land by the stables where everyone was gathered. Elrond, his sons, Thranduil, Gandalf, and an elite of elves were going through last minute instructions. Before Lord Celeborn had departed, he warned Elrond that orc activity was high in that are; if Traemire was indeed supplying orcs as they now suspected he had been, then he would definitely have a small army himself. Elrond caught sight of Legolas. Moving to the front of the group, he spoke:
"Quiet, now! We are all here. It is a few days' travel to Aeterna Forest. If all are ready, then we depart."
All together there was over 100 elves, and of course Aragorn and Gandalf. They set out, determined and confident their victory would be the outcome.
The whole trip was uneventful. That only caused uneasiness. It was no question Traemire knew they were coming. So why were there no attacks? The thought was in everyone's head at some point.
"The fact he sends no orcs after us is making us all tense. The farther we go the more we expect something to jump out at us!" Elladan exclaimed.
"And could that not be the very reason why he does not?" Aragorn suggested.
"Ai, I did not think of that!"
"Becoming forgetful in your old age?" Elrohir teased.
"You are only four minutes younger than I," he retorted.
"Children, children," Legolas scolded in a sing-song voice, falling into step beside them.
"And you, Greenleaf, are almost a century younger than us!"
"So? My maturity level is still higher."
"Ah, royalty."
"So snobby."
"I heard the youngest prince of Mirkwood is especially pampered and spoiled," Aragorn informed the twins in a mock-whisper and a wink.
Legolas stuck his nose in the air and brushed passed the giggling twins, making sure to push Aragorn.
"Tis all right; I know when I am not wanted."
Aragorn smiled. Before he could speak again, they realized everyone in front of them was halting. The four frowned and craned their necks to see what was going on.
"We are under an hour's walk from the forest's entrance. I do not wish to continue and reach the forest when night fall is only a couple hours away." Elrond paused for a breath. "We will make camp here and rest up. We will start out an hour before sunrise. Everyone knows what is to be done. Even I am not entirely sure what will be awaiting us, so we need to be prepared for anything."
The group set down their packs and let their several horses graze where they could. A few gathered firewood while others prepared a fire. Food was passed around. Several small groups were formed as they sat down and ate and conversed quietly. Shifts were called. The elf who took the last one was instructed to wake everyone an hour before day break.
A/N: Don't actually know any of their ages; I just made that up!