Suilad all my wonderful reviewers!!!!

Ok, here is the next chapter. Enjoy.

Okay ElvenRanger13, no need to get hostile. Here is ur chapter. [smiles nervously] enjoy!

Yes Linwen, another one of the horrible cliff-hangers. But be joyous now. No cliffie this chapter. Not too bad anyway. ;) Namarie mellon nin. [Aka Taryalanca Edan] [snickers]

Thanks Lynn. I am very happy you liked it. And I am grateful for your advice. Usually when I do things like that, it means I wrote that chapter after a long day and I am tired and I should not be writing. But, I just could not stand that. Thanks.

Wow! Thanks Bill the pony 2. I am very glad u liked! And yes, it was a rather malicious cliffie. But, I am better now and do not have the cliffie disease. Ya know, that one where it makes writers become evil and start writing a whole bunch of cliffies. Hehe. But I am better now, though I think Cassia is still suffering that disease.

Well Lady Laswen, my friends think I am demented too. J But, ya know. I kinda like it. Thanks for reviewing. I am sorry your friends do not like my writing though. Oh well, easy come, easy go.

Suilad Nikki1. Glad u like where it's going. And yes, I will keep going. One of the things I hate most is fic writers that start a story and never finish, so no fears. I much plan to finish this one. J

Please Ymmas Sirron , let me live! I must see RotK! See, here is your wonderful fic!!!! Be happy. [gulps] Oh please be happy! And, as I said before, I am a little demented. But I would hardly call myself "Demon child". Thanks for your review! It made me laugh, although a little nervously. Later.

ElizabethBlack4. Wow! Are you a really fast typer, or did it take you like an hour to type all that? :o Hehe. Thanks for your review! Here is more, as you requested.

Thanks Star-Stallion! And I am glad that you put your bow away. I think it would be much easier to write without an arrow sticking out of…..[thinks] wherever you might have wanted to aim it. [shrugs] Here is more! Enjoy! And please review again! I look forward to your review.

Hey Leggylover03, I know it was an evil cliffie. And plan for more. [evil laugh] But thanks! J I look forward to the next chapter of "Never Tell". [points] Great story! Anyway, enjoy!

Ok, I hope there are no more of you. But if there are, I am extremely sorry. I will get to you next time. Just keep reviewing. And I want to give a huge thank you to all my loyal and even new or not loyal reviewers!!! Thanks, I think this is the most feedback I have ever gotten. Thanks a bunch!!!!!!!!! Your are all the greatest!!!!!!! [hugs]

Now onto the chapter!!!!!!! Enjoy all! And review!!!! Please review!!!!!

Chapter 2

Illumë

Aragorn's heart was racing a million beats a minute as he began to fall from the wall and downward.

He prayed a silent prayer to Eru that Legolas was somewhere, and was going to help him soon.

"Legolas!" his cry reverberated off the cavern walls, and he felt like covering his ears.

But he did not, he kept reaching upward, as a sort of plea for help.

"Lego-"

He was rewarded as he came to a short stop, ears ringing and arms and legs hanging limply.

Legolas groaned as he began to pull the young man up by his disheveled tunic.

"I got you mellon nin." he called down as he pulled upward, his wrist burning with pain as he strained the injured limb.

"Legolas?"

The elf laughed at the surprise in the man's matured voice.

"Estel, you think I would let you drop. Remember, nothing can tear us apart."

The young man smirked and called back up to Legolas.

"Why don't you try that theory. Drop me go back to my father and tell him you let me fall. Let's see how long our friendship lasts then?"

The elf's laughter echoed on the cave walls and he switched hands, pulling the man gently up, careful not to bang him against the cliff.

"Want to try it?" he asked jokingly.

"Oh yes, that would be loads of fun." the man scoffed. "I'll sprawl out on the floor and die and you can try and get through Mirkwood without me."

The elf prince looked questioning at Aragorn.

"Me? Have trouble with Mirkwood?" he smiled mirthfully as he pulled the man the rest of the way with a soft grunt. "I seem to remember a certain day when I scarred you half to death by talking about spiders."

Aragorn shook his head in annoyance and rubbed his eyes.

Legolas pulled him up and stood him on the cold cave floor.

"Well? Any abrasions, cracks, openings, or knots on the head I should rack my brain with?" he inquired searching the human over, turning him about gently with one hand.

Almost wincing, he shifted his weight all to his good leg and smiled reassuringly.

Estel shrugged, he had seen Legolas wince, but he knew it was no use asking and trying to help.

"Nothing but my madly beating heart. Sheesh! You think being an elf would make your reactions a little swifter."

The blonde elf sighed and turned bout on his good heal, and began to limp off into the distance.

Aragorn watched him disappear in the dark dankness of the cave.

"Greenleaf?"

His voice was answered by a cry of pain and a thud.

"Legolas!"

The man's heart leapt and he ran forward, lurching to a stop at the prince, who sat on the floor, rubbing his ankle tenderly and hissing with displeasure as he inspected the bite from the steel trap.

"Let me look?"

The elf looked up, but did not comply, he merely hugged his leg closer to himself and shook his head with a frown.

Aragorn knelt down and smiled soothingly at the elf in the dark, he placed his hand on his friend's shoulder and brought his forehead from the darkness to rest upon that of Legolas's.

"I am here mellon nin. Illumë ." The man smiled as he felt the elf go calm and his breathing slow. "Always." he whispered rubbing gentle circles on Legolas's weary and slumped back.

"Estel, it is hopeless. Sure your leg will work now. But sooner or later, you will get weary. We will be in this pit of Melkor for days, months. And we can not have that tine spent. We both need our wounds healed," Legolas let his head fall into his working hand and growled in anguish. "Besides, our families probably think we are dead."

The young man sighed and rubbed his eyes that seemed to ache in the darkness.

Being raised by elves, he had learned rather well to hate caves and darkness, though not quite as much as the elven prince.

Hating caves, was an understatement when one was considering Legolas. The blonde elf would rather be stuck in the middle of a spider colony than be in a once evil dwarf infested cave.

"I hate caves!"

Estel looked to his side and laughed at his friend who was eyeing the cavern walls with a suspicion that he slightly enjoyed.

"I know Legolas. Iston."

~*~

Both elf and man made their way slowly forward, each tired of the oppressing darkness.

They had passed many caverns, all looking about the same, and all looking ugly and well used.

Drops of water dripped and splattered on the cavern floor from stalactites that had been formed at the roof, and a dank rancid smell came ever present near their noses.

The darkness had been replaced with a little light as they entered yet another extremely large and grungy hall, old food and dried splashes of mulled beer were evident as they passed by.

In the very middle, a huge rock table lay, hewn in two from a boulder that sat in the center of the old and dirtied table.

The friends limped passed the table and Legolas sucked in a breath in utter disgust at the eating habits of dwarves.

Old deer meat and beer glasses were strewn about the room, as well as bodies that lay beneath crushed rock. All dead.

"Kinda makes you feel sorry for the little delvers."

The elf prince looked in Aragorn's direction and spat at the comment.

"Sorry?!"

The man shrugged and grinned sheepishly.

"Once you get past the beating and working. They ain't too bad. Kinda cute little fellows."

The blonde elf limped forward faster and Aragorn had to hobble to keep up.

Both friends were helping each other walk, so now both's injured legs were raised off the ground, and they were using their good legs to stand and walk.

Aragorn looked to his friend, but saw the grievous expression and looked to were Legolas was looking.

Beneath the large table, two young elves lay. Holding onto one another, each giving their friend a sign of hope. But, both were now dark like the interior, and their faces pale and lifeless.

Both the elven friends had died thinking that they would make their way out. That the huge table would save them. But instead, it had been their bane.

"They are happier Legolas?" he whispered sadly, tracing each horrible scratch and gash on the children's faces.

The elf prince nodded mutely, and kept on going.

Aragorn knew well how much Legolas hated to see an immortal life lost. He knew how deeply it hurt the elf.

As a silent sign of hope, the man squeezed his arm tighter round the elf's neck and smiled when Legolas gave him a confused expression.

"No fear hir nin. We will make it out."

Legolas shook his head and his brow creased in confusion.

"Why do you call me such things? We are friends?"

"I just thought, that you are a prince and I should-"

The elf did not stop, but slowed his pace, he looked at Aragorn with wide and unbelieving eyes. He did not know what to say.

Aragorn was his friend. He never had need to call Legolas 'My lord.' or 'my prince'. He did not even have to call him 'prince Legolas'.

"Why do you think you need to use formalities with me Estel. I use none with you. We are friends. Nothing can change that, nothing can make me think otherwise."

"Are you sure you father approves?"

Legolas was shocked, he did not understand this sudden question.

"Estel. It matters not what my father thinks. He is my father, and I love him. But, you Estel." he squeezed the man's neck against him tightly, as a gesture of closeness. "You are my mellon, my friend. Nothing! And I say it again, nothing can ever change that. Do you understand me?!" Legolas's deep blue silver eyes pleaded with the silver. And for a fragment of a moment the elf prince saw doubt flash through those eyes. "Nothing Estel! Not heritages, nor royalties, nor fathers, mothers, brothers. Nor family. No one but Eru himself can change it. And if it was meant to be, by all the valar, he would not even dare mess with a friendship such as thus." Legolas starred at his friend.

Aragorn smile softly and nodded.

"You sure?" The man asked starting walk again, the elf following , limping beside the human as Aragorn hobbled.

"Of course I am sure. What kind of question is that? Where do you get these half brain ideas?"

Estel's snickers rose off the walls.

"From the only other two who make half-brained ideas. My brothers." he finished snickering as the prince laughed and shook his head gleefully.

Both friends laughed, happy to have one another for company on the long rode ahead. And both silently vowed their bonds would never break, as they continued on down the tunnel, ever coming closer to the soft barely luminescent light at the end.

But what neither saw nor heard, was the cautious footsteps behind them and the soft light glowing from the beings that ran lightly after the two friends.

Their gentle whispers, not heard by the wounded friends before them, as the caressing wind came forth and brushed the words away, so neither man nor elf knew of the followers.

TBC~

Ok wow, long little description thing. Anyway, this chapter, was 5 or 6 pages long.

I know, short compared to most other great writers. But I just was lost for words at the moment. Hopefully this chapter was to your liking, and all you who wanted to spear me. This was not a real bad cliffie. So no need to kill m, besides, if you, no more story.

But go ahead and threaten me, I rather like it. It makes me feel…..[taps side of head] Important.

So ya, I am not going to try and predict when the next chapter will be. I have tried and it never seems to work for me. [shrugs]

Anyway, ya, so hope you all enjoyed, please R&R! As I said, any flames will be fed to my 105 year old dog. And yes that is in dog years. Thanks all!!!! B-bye!