Can't somebody please just review! Flame me even!!!!!! *begs*

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CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Gimli rubbed his rear as Gandalf finally stopped to rest. They had taken a way around Lothlórien and now rode through a terrain he had not travelled for many years and never thought he would cross again. The road to the Lonely Mountain was now opened for all and many dwarfs had already inhabited their old homes. A part of Gimli wanted to return to see the place where he'd been born though he had some reservations about returning. His parents was long since dead and he knew he had a sister but did not know what had happened to her. With a sigh, Gimli sat by the fire and warmed his hands. It was getting colder and colder, winter would soon be over them.

" Your mind is troubled, my friend", Gandalf said between puffs of smoke. The old wizard seemed to find many answers is his weed.

" Yes, so are yours."

" True. But I have told you my reasons, you have not."

Gimli glared at the smug wizard under bushy eyebrows but when he found his effort going to waste since Gandalf looked in a completely different direction, he snorted and smacked his hand against his leather clad leg.

" Gah, you win, wizard." He pulled out a piece of salted dried meat from his pack and chewed it quickly. " I worry about everyone that you do, but mostly for my own sake. Much has happened since I left my home and I do not know how it looks now. I worry about not recognizing myself."
" I have been there, not too long ago, my friend. And by the looks of it, I think the reconstructing goes along very well. It may not look the same as your memories tells you, but you will not be disappointed."

A long silence fell over the two companions as they sat in the warmth. After a while, Gandalf decided it was time to move on and Gimli reluctantly agreed. Gimli rode a small pony mostly used in the mining shafts. The four legged creature was unused to riders and more often than not tried to place Gimli on the ground. Once she had almost succeeded as he had been sitting in his own world and she had swiftly made a jump to the side. Unfortunately for her, he had managed to grab the pony by the short, wavy mane and kept his balance. After that, he did not trust her the least. Next to Shadowfaxe and Gandalf, Gimli felt very insignificant on his pony and he began to wonder why Gandalf really needed his help. No one would ever deny Gandalf the White anything, especially not dwarfs.

" Some things I can do, but some is beyond my reach. One man cannot do all."

" How do you do that?" Gimli said and adjusted his heavy helmet. He really did not know why he wore it, but he had grown so accustomed with it, he rarely walked anywhere without it.

" Do what?"

" Read my mind. Whatever I think about, you always know it."
Gandalf looked down, his pipe in the corner if his mouth, suddenly looking very innocent. " Oh, I cannot read your mind, Gimli, my friend. I was simply thinking out loud."

Not believing the wizard even the smallest bit, Gimli grunted his annoyance and he thought he heard Gandalf chuckle.

When the night came, Gandalf and Gimli found a place to rest by a nearby creek where the horses could graze and drink. Gimli saw the gleam in the pony's eye and made sure the rope fastened in her halter was tied securely to a tree. No matter how he disliked to ride, he knew that time was of the essence and Gandalf would not appreciate to have to wait for him. Shadowfaxe may be nice around Gandalf, but the grey horse had a problem with Gimli that was getting very obvious.

Gandalf defended the horse, of course, trying to explain that Shadowfaxe was intimidated by Gimlis gruesome appearance. One look at the gigantic horse and you could tell it was bogus.

Placing a blanket over the dried grass, Gimli thought he heard a shriek far away. He was about to ask Gandalf about it but changed his mind when he noticed the furrowed brows on his friend. There was also something very disturbing about the way Gandalf held his pipe, but never once brought it to his mouth. Whatever haunted the wizards thoughts he would keep to himself. Besides, Gimli was not sure he truly wanted to know.

***

When the night was at its darkest, Rúmil snuck out of his room to find his brother. He had not slept one bit but the adrenaline rushing through him kept his mind sharp. Making his way down the spiralling stairs along the stem, he felt equally excited and nervous. No matter what Orophin told him, he knew that what they were about to do was treason. But he had to remember that they also did it for Galadriel. Whenever he thought about her and the sad eyes she now had, he knew it was the right thing to do.

Just don't hate me, he thought, thinking of Haldir and his strong believes. But I do not agree with you.

At the base, Orophin stood tapping his foot, obviously just as wired up as he was.

' You ready?'

' I am here, right?'

They ran crouched and silent over the soft fallen leaves and wet grass, silvery moonlight just as much help as it was a curse. They knew the hardest part would be to get Galadriel out. The perfect plan had been dashed when they had found out that they would not be on duty that night. Apparently, someone had sighted the advance team of the army returning and many Marchwardens had been send out to greet them. Which meant that they had been forced to patrol the evening shift and that other guards now stood watch.

Getting to where Galadriel was held was no problem, the occasional guard that saw them simply saluted them, used to see them there. But to Orophin and Rúmil, they all looked at them with inquiring eyes and doubtful minds.

' Once we have her, we need to get out fast. This place will be in an uproar when they notice her gone.'

Rúmil nodded and peeked around the corner. Just a little further down stood two guards, silent and staring right ahead. They were obviously not very good guards. Orophin pushed him out of the way and looked for himself before walking over to them just like it was the most natural thing in the world. Rúmil stayed where he was to make sure no one got too close.

' How are you tonight', he heard Orophin ask with his most silky voice, causing Rúmil to snicker. He never heard the guards answers, but he heard his brother laugh. ' That sounds awfully boring. For my part, I am so bored I could practically do anything. Just anything…'

Rúmil was unsure if that was qualified as a hint or a suggestion. He heard the guards murmuring voices a little better now, they were arguing about whether or not they should leave their posts.

' Listen here', Orophin interrupted, sounding clearly annoyed. They were wasting valuable time by trying to rid themselves of the guards. But there was no other options if they did not want to raise immediate alarm should someone find the guards knocked out. ' I have no intention of taking over your entire watch. I just wanted to be nice, but if you want to stand here bored out of your skulls, do not let me hinder you.'

Soft thuds of approaching steps caused Rúmil to leave his lookout point to go see what his brother was up to. Half way around the corner one of the guards called out to him.

' Wait.'

Before Orophin turned, he winked at his brother, giving him a thumbs up.

' Yes?'

' If the offer still stands, we would like to go get something to drink.'

' Of course. Do not stay away too long, though. You would not want to be caught "off guard".'

When the sound of their steps disappeared, Rúmil ran silently to his brother and smiled mischievously.

' And just imagine I could do all that without lying once.'

' Oh, you did say you were so bored you could do anything… That was not entirely true.'

' That was true! A little…'

The curtain to Galadriels prison was pulled aside and the Lady of the Light sighed heavily.

' I thought we were escaping.'

***

As the darkness fell over Minas Tirith and the fires were lit along the entire outer wall, Aragorn was tired to the bone but he could not find any rest. The elves might have pulled back for now, and the knowledge that Haldir and Legolas both was still in Gondor might postpone their attack. He wanted to do something other than sit and wait, but he did not know what he could possibly do to make a difference. During the War of the Ring, it had been easy. Just show up and give the Men of Gondor their hope back and the courage to fight a superior and seemingly undefeatable enemy. He had had a destiny to fulfil and it felt like he just played along with what fate wanted. When everything was over and peace was restored, he thought he would live like a king and die of old age. But as it looked now, he would die of overusing his brain and worrying too much. It was not a graceful way to depart this world.

He began to think about Arwen and her planned journey to the Grey Havens and the Undying Lands. He remembered that Legolas, after the War of the Ring, had decided to try and ignore the calling of the ocean and what lay beyond. So far he did a good job, but when Aragorn thought about how close he had been to losing the two people that had mattered the most to him, it scared him beyond belief. What would his world have been like if Arwen had left, and Legolas as well?

Feeling his pulse begin to race, he made a decision, one that he would never in his life regret, no matter what he said later on.

None of the guards stopped him on the way over to Legolas' room and he only met one soul that quickly scurried off in another direction. At first he wondered if he should knock, but Legolas was probably asleep and he really did not want to wake him, so he silently opened the door. Three candles burned by the bed, flickering in the gust of wind that Aragorn brought with him. They cast mysterious shadows over Legolas' sleeping features, making them even more breathtaking. Deep in his heart Aragorn knew that he would die with Legolas if it ever came to that. There was nothing worth fighting for if the world was robbed of such beauty and it brought tears to his eyes to think over never seeing the stunning elf again.

Slowly making his way over the floor, careful of not making any unnecessary noises, Aragorn sat down and just looked. One word always came to mind when he looked at Legolas; Perfection. He knew it was not just his feelings for the elf talking, Legolas was exceptional.

Somehow, the elf must have felt his presence, because he stirred in his sleep and even though Aragorn sat as still as he probably could, Legolas opened his eyes and stared straight into his.

' Hello.'

Smiling back at Legolas, Aragorn summoned all his courage and took the slender hand of the elf.

' Legolas, I have something to tell you.'

' What?'

While trying to find the right words - a difficult task since Aragorn really didn't know what to say - he found himself admiring the soft lines and smooth skin on Legolas' hand.

' Estel?'

His head jerked up and met those sultry eyes and realized that there was no words to express what he wanted said. So he did the one thing he knew Legolas could not misinterpret;

Slowly he bent down and kissed him, pouring all his love into the single action to explain his devotion.

***

Elrond stood in his chambers, all the windows wide open to let in the breeze. When he allowed himself to feel it, he noticed that it nipped his skin with cold fingers.

' Winter is coming', he said aloud, looking down at the courtyard. All fightable elves were preparing to leave, horses were being shoed, reins was oiled and armour polished. At the first sign of winter, they would all be ready to leave. He sighed and walked back into the room.

' Father?'

Elladan stood in the doorway and Elrond - who had expected his coming - nodded for him to enter. His son closed the door behind him and stood irresolute as to what he would say.

' You want to come with us.' Elrond said bluntly, seeing his son shift his stance.

' Yes, father.'

A normal father would probably have said no, ordered him to stay and take care of his sister and the realm. But Elrond was no ordinary father and he knew how Elladan felt with his brother out there somewhere.

' Have your packing ready to leave at first snow. I wait for no one.'

' You are sure?'

' I can change my mind if you want, Elladan.'

Shaking his head, Elladan backed up to the door, never averting his gaze.

' Just tell me why, father.'

' Do you not think I want to go after Elrohir too? This might be our only opportunity to get him back unharmed and maybe our only chance to stop this lunacy.'

Before Elladan left he turned to his father and bowed slightly.

' Thank you, father. You will not regret you allowed me to come.'

When the door closed, Elrond rubbed his temples.

' I fear I already do, my son.'

Beginning to pace his rooms unconsciously, Elrond failed to notice Arwens arrival from the balcony. He found her sitting in his chair, her long dark hair spread loose over her shoulders.

' When did you get here?'

' Just now, father. Why did you allow Elladan to come with you?'

' You must have heard the reason too.'

She smiled and nodded.

' Yes, I did. But there has to be something more.'

Wondering if maybe Arwen had inherited some of his psychic abilities without him noticing, Elrond placed a hand on her head.

' You are right. I fear there might be an attack against Rivendell. I do not want him here if there is. I have meant to speak to you about this, so I am glad you sneaked up on me.'

' I did not sneak!' Arwen protested and crossed her arms. ' You simply did not hear me.'

Smiling faintly, Elrond let a strand of Arwens hair slide between his fingers, feeling the softness tickle his palm. She looked up at him, her big, clear eyes filled with deep concern.

' Father, what now?'

' I want you to leave Rivendell.'

' I thought we had talked about this, I do not want to leave for…'

Elrond silenced her with placing a finger on her lips, her face telling of confusion.

' I do not care where you go, Arwen. As long as it is far from harm.'

' And where is that?'

Shrugging, Elrond sat on his bedside, leaning into his hands. He heard Arwen stand and walk over to him, sitting down by his side and taking on of his hands in hers.

' Father, you scare me. I have never seen you like this before.'

Looking at his unbelievably beautiful daughter, Elrond kissed her forehead.

' Do not worry, my Evenstar. This will be over soon.'

***

Fleeing like she was through the dark forest, Galadriel felt ashamed of herself. All those centuries she had ruled Lothlórien at the best of her abilities was now nothing more than a fading memory and she did nothing to get it back. She tried to tell herself that she could do nothing in captivity anyway, but it was of little comfort. No matter what happened after this, even if she and her two rescuers managed to escape her beloved home, she knew that nothing would ever be the same after order had been restored. She could never trust Celeborn again although she loved him deeply. It felt like he had betrayed her, though none of this was his fault. Even Nenya had let her down, the Ring as much a victim under the strong will of the One Ring as she. She was unfair and she knew it, but when crawling through mud and water in the freezing cold she did not feel very forgiving.

' Your highness, we are soon at the clearing where the Marchers will relocate. As soon as they turn and head back into the woods, we have to run fast and soundless.'

She nodded where she crouched behind Orophin and Rúmil, her hands almost numb from all they had endured. But she was eternally grateful for the risks that they took to get her out.

She could see the clearing not far ahead of them, the moonlight making it bright as during the day. Soon she could see the Marchwardens coming from all directions, gathering in a circle. When all was accounted for, they began walk counter clockwise before heading back into the forest, this time in another direction.

' Now!' Orophin hissed and they crawled forward, towards the clearing. On either side of them they had one Marchwarden who now was on alert again and they stopped and investigated every little sound. Orophin cursed under his breath that of all the Wardens they would have to escape between, it had to be the two most efficient. Rúmil went so far that he drew is long silver dagger, holding it ready in case anyone got to close. It took them a considerable time to get to the clearing and then they would have to repeat the procedure to get out on the other end.

They crossed the clearing as fast as they could, although not fast enough for Galadriel not to notice all the dirt and leaves stuck to her dress and body.

' I must look awful', she thought, hoping she would have time to clean up before anyone else saw her. When hidden in the darker forest, she pulled at Orophins sleeve to get his attention.

' When we get out, where are we going?'

He looked around and waited for a "all clear" signal from his brother before answering.

' I figured we might get out of here first. Not to get our hopes up. But wherever we go, we will have them chasing us.'

She nodded and they continued crawling forward. She realized it must take them the entire night this way and prayed that she still had some power of this forest.

' Forest of old, forest of new', she chanted, feeling the trees whisper their allegiance. ' Protect us and shield us while passing through.'

A sense of complete security came over her and she noticed that Orophin and Rúmil felt it too.

' Thank you, Highness', Rúmil whispered as they ran a little faster and a little more careless than before. All she could do was to smile, because she knew that with that chant, she had made Celeborn aware of her not being imprisoned anymore and she feared for the lives of her servants that now was slaves on his tyranny.

' There!'

She looked where Orophin was pointing and she could see the tree line stop and where the plains opened up. For now on, their escape would both be easier and more risky. They were easier to detect by their followers, although they doubted anyone was after them yet. But they could also run faster and in any direction they wanted, and they headed for Moria.

***

There was something that woke Celeborn up. There was no one in his room and there was no other sound. But there was a very strong feeling. He remembered that Galadriel always had invisible barriers so that she would know when someone entered the forest. What he felt now, was someone crossing those barriers, from the inside. It was nothing unusual since the Marchwardens often patrolled the very edges of their realm. No, there had to be something else. He stepped over to the opened window and listened. At first he listened to material sounds, like someone running, shouting or making any kind of noise. When all he heard was silence, he listened to the trees.

' Protect, shield. Protect, shield.'

He started to breath heavier, a sweat broke out on his forehead. Standing bewildered for a moment, Celeborn realized that he needed to do something, so ran out of his room and all the way to Galadriels. There were no guards standing outside and he felt his mouth go dry. Slowly, and with rising fear and anger, he drew the curtain away, revealing…nothing.

Galadriel was gone.

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Oh, hell! That was even more than I could stomach! I pretty much threw it all in there. Some Legolas/Aragorn slash, Galadriels escape and Elrond preparing to leave Rivendell, maybe for good. Not to mention Gandalf and Gimlis quest to find the seven dwarf Rings. My heart is racing, I tell you!

Hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

// Zierra