Oh, Valar, I am sooo embarrassed! I still can't believe I made such a stupid mistake.

Okay, here is a valid explanation for the weirdest chapter ever posted in the history of angst. I had a friend over to my house, and she used my computer to write a chapter for her story. My friend is Lady Laswen, and she writes humor, if you want to read it. Well anyway, I was writing this chapter before I had my Aikido class. I really had to get down to the dojo because I was late, so I uploaded as fast as I could. Unfortunately, I uploaded my friend's chapter, which happened to have a similar title. That is the reason for the little random dash of humor. Good humor, though. Please accept my apology.

Your very embarrassed author, Dimaethor

P.S.- I was beginning to wonder why everyone hated it!

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It was near midnight, and still Aragorn and Gimli paced the room, trying to find answers.

"Now Gimli," said Aragorn. "Tell me calmly, and slowly, everything that has happened since the death of Legolas up until when you ran into my room."

Gimli nodded. "You fell over the cliff. A dying orc, who was holding the Evenstar, told me. I thought you were dead, so I took the jewel and cast it into the river, so it could go with you." At this, Aragorn looked horrified. "The Evenstar- I haven't even thought of it! You threw it into the waters?" Gimli nodded sadly. "I'm sorry, my friend. I thought you were gone for good. If I had known. . ." Gimli trailed off.

"That's all right, it cannot be helped," said Aragorn. "Pray continue."

"After I disposed of the Evenstar, I realized the elf was missing. I shouted, but no answer came. Then-" -Gimli swallowed hard- "then I saw his hand under a pile of dead orcs, about to be burned. I went to pull him out, but I couldn't. Several soldiers came to my aid, and we recovered the body. His head was gone."

Aragorn recoiled slightly. The manner of his friend's death still hadn't completely registered. "Where did you find his head?" he whispered.

Gimli winced. He still hadn't gotten over the guilt of not being able to give the archer a proper burial. Failing that, he could of at least found the rest of his departed companion. "We never found it."

Aragorn thought he had already discovered all the gruesome surprises that day. He hadn't. The man's mind reeled. This was beyond his limits. The ranger barely managed to steady himself on the table. He slumped forward in his seat.

A minute of dead silence passed. Then Aragorn spoke. "So, what you are trying to tell me is that his head is still out there? Being devoured by wargs, desecrated by orcs? Legolas was one of the firstborn, DO YOU REALIZE THAT?" By now, he was shouting.

A single tear rolled down Gimli's cheek. "I'm so, so sorry, Aragorn. So sorry." Aragorn stopped shouting. For the second time in one night, he cried. "No, Gimli," he managed to choke out. "I shouldn't have gotten angry. And anyways, if I hadn't been so careless and gotten dragged over the cliff, I could have been there. . ."

The two friends stopped and looked at each other. "No," said Aragorn decidedly. "He wouldn't have wanted this. We shouldn't sit around blaming ourselves like this. "At least, not until we have gotten through this," added Gimli.

"Now, what happened after you found his body?" asked Aragorn.

"I needed to make sure it was really him," continued Gimli. "And how did you do that?" asked Aragorn. "His clothes were covered in blood, but the hands were Legolas'. Theoden King told me to look for the head. We didn't find it. Eventually, the company needed to move out. The soldiers threw his body on the bonfire with the other fallen."

Aragorn sat with his eyes closed. "And then you arrived in Helm's Deep."

Gimli nodded. "Yes. I kept to myself and to my grief until you arrived. I told you what happened. That was earlier tonight. You were in here and I was in the garden. I became cold, so I went into my room. The journal was on my night table. I ran in here with it, and here we are."

Aragorn mused on Gimli's story. "About the book." "What about it?" asked Gimli. "How did it get here, why is it here, when did it get here, and, perhaps both most and least important, what does it say?"

"Why both most and least important?" Gimli asked. "Most, because of what apparently was the foretelling of Legolas' death," answered Aragorn. "Least important, because no one could read high tongue among us except Legolas and Gandalf."

"Then why could we not have Gandalf read it?" asked Gimli. Aragorn sighed. "Several reasons. For one, Gandalf might think it disrespectful to the dead, or he may think that the journal should be returned to King Thranduil. Secondly, there are dialects. There is one High Tongue, but there are several ways of writing it. I am not sure which one Legolas used. For all I know, he could have been taught some obscure Mirkwood branch of the original language known only to the more ancient of the Sindarin. And thirdly, Gandalf isn't there." Gimli could see the logic in this.

"What about how it got here?" Gimli posed the next question.

Aragorn thought about it. "Are you sure it was in Legolas' pocket when he was killed?"

Gimli shook his head. "I couldn't promise you that it was. He foretold his death, he could have seen fit to pass the book on to someone else, who put it in my rooms." "Good thinking," Aragorn said.

"Or it could have fallen out of his tunic when he was cut down," said Aragorn. "Then someone picked it up, recognized it as his, and gave it to his closest friend." "But how would we confirm this? There are far to many soldiers to question."

Gimli agreed. "And anyhow, I feel that this is a matter to be kept to ourselves."

Aragorn sighed. "It is too late for such deductions. You should get some sleep." Gimli nodded his consent, bade Aragorn goodnight, and walked towards his chambers.

As Gimli climbed into bed for the second time that night, he glanced at the bedside table, offhandedly wondering if there would be something else for him.

What he saw there made him shriek.

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Ooh, major cliffy! (Although one that's rather easy to guess!) Heeheehee, wait for the next installment!

Jegolas: Okay, I try. Believe me, with all the running around I do, it isn't easy. But still, twelve hours of martial arts a week can't be all that bad for you. can it? (

Obsidian Raven: You like it? Writing angst is usually a pretty thankless task, unless you're really good, like Cassia and Siobhan's level.

Sparrow Greenleaf: Wholesome LOTR goodness! Wow, no one's ever told me that before. Very nice review, and I hope you continue to like my story!

Middleman: I know, I hate it when a good angst writer takes a month to update. I will try to avoid that phenomenon!

Cheysuli: Not necessarily. I think Aragorn is just upset, you know, about the state of Legolas' death. I mean, wouldn't you be pretty upset if you found out that your best friend was beheaded and then burned? But you are right about one thing: Legolas isn't quite all the way to Mandos! Find out why in coming chapters.

NekoMegami-Chan: Haha! I hope my muses saw that. You called it a great chapter! Yippee! Yeah. . .so maybe I'm getting a bit overexcited, but thanks!

Starlit Hope: Believe me, I know a certain ranger and dwarf who would want to be hiding under their beds by the time this is all over. Tor-TURE! Tor- TURE!