Always Chapter 11 "You thought you've found a friend"

When Legolas openned his eyes, he was aware of so many things, it took him more than a few moments to register all of it. He was lying down with a blanket covering his chest, the blanket was old and smelled like it used to be owned by a pack of dogs. His position was strange also, his legs bent in an unatural position that caused unpleasant sensation in his neck. His long frame was stuff in the backseat of a car, but it wasn't a police car. The vehicule was stopped and the windows were open, a soft breeze freshned the insides. Legolas carefully sat up, reconizing the car though it was a bit hard since he was at the driver's seat last time. Outside was a nice scenery with trees, they were on an hill home to a tourist station if Legolas remembered english correctly. The car was parked under the shadow of the trees, which was nice for the sun was burning. Legolas estimated it was about late afternoon, but the day was quite hot.

Legolas took immediatly his shoes, delighting himself in being connected with nature. He didn't know the reason of him being free, he expected to be locked in a prison or worse like Arwen in a mental institute and perhaps he was. This had a certain surreal feeling, sudden freedom and something in the wind told him the tide had turned. Maybe it was that he finally reached his goal that gave him such hopefullness in the future or just being outside in a beautiful day after resting. Legolas started to walk deeper in the tree when he saw a figure sitting on a picnic table at the other side of the little park.

Aragorn was there deeply in thoughts, smoking a cigarette and holding a bottle of water in his other hand. He acted so much the ranger Legolas met, serious, sad and holding a kind of mystery and power. Legolas was now about two feet away from the former King who seeing the shadow on the ground looked up and waved.

-"Hi." Aragorn said simply, putting the hand holding his cigarrette over his eyes to shield his vision of the sun.

-"Mae Gonaven" Legolas calmly said, he decided to speak to Estel in Sindarin, after all it was his native tongue, if one decided to forget the mere first two years of his life spent with his father, and he spoke it as well as any Rivendell elves. And perhaps speaking it would bring back memory, or it could be their code language keeping others out of the conversation. They still had a long way to go before reaching Valinor and troubles were usually linning one after the other just out of annoyance.

-"Uhm... sure." Said Aragorn not reconizing the greeting, he looked down as if trying not to laugh or as to hide something. Legolas felt annoyed at what could be an affront at his heritage, he turned his tongue a few times, educating the edan on his history could wait, Legolas had to know their position first and if they were in any danger from the authorities.

-"How come I'm not in the police custody ?" Legolas asked switching back to english.

-"Ah..I explainned a few things to the officers. I heard you scream my name, so I turned around and said it was a misunderstanding." Aragorn said his tone soft but his eyes were trying to challenge Legolas. It was nor the time or place, and the immortal wasn't even sure what he shouldn't prode at, so he decided another approach was better.

-"Thank you Estel." The little elven bow was maybe too much but if Aragorn felt trapped then it would hinder his memory.

-"I believe you, you know about what you said." The human tone was hesitant, but it surprised the Elf to hear the words, even so soon. He had braced himself while walking to Aragorn to take things very slowly and gently.

-"You do?" The question escaped the Elf's lips before the thought even appeared in Legolas' train of thought.

-"I believe you're looking for me, I think you know me. I have this feeling I have met you before." Aragorn admitted his speech a bit ackward, his american accent disapeared letting a Westron influence surface. Legolas stared silently, a wave of warmth filling his heart. It seemed the despair from earlier, the negative energy was replaced by hope.

-"But, I don't believe for one minute that bullshit story about elves and whatnot kings and fairies you told me." Aragorn said before taking a breath of his cigarrette.

The hope of Legolas was now being transported on the top of the highest cliff and dropped like a heavy rock at the bottom of the sea. Legolas was vaguely remembering his first elevator ride, it give him the same nausea that he had now.

-"I thought this through, I'm amnesiac. It's an head problem, right?" Aragorn paused until Legolas absentmindly nodded. "And you have, I give you that a probably very convincing story, but you're like...hey don't take this personnally...schizo or hallucinating. It's fine by me, but I think we should head back to where we're from, right? You might need meds or something."

Legolas didn't know what was worse, what Aragorn was actually saying or the condascent tone he was taking.

-"Estel.." Legolas protested, but the words failed him and he trailed off.

-"Oh, about that. You said I have like a dozen of names, could you call me something that doesn't sound like a girl?" The american accent was on full force now.

-"It means hope! It's the name your father Lord Elrond gave you." Legolas reminded thinking for a fleeting moment at the wise Elf Lord who was, knowing him, still worrying over his foster son and his daughter's demise.

-"Still sound like a girl's name." Said Aragorn sounding apologetic.

-"What about Strider or Elessar or Aragorn?" Asked Legolas his mood turning gray.

-"Strider is fine, I guess. What about my plan Leggy?" Asked Strider, throwing away his smoke and standing up.

-"Do not call me that. I think it would be best to return to New York." Legolas looked thoughtful at the car, happy that it was still with him, his bag was inside along with his passport and money.

-"So do you have another name than Legolas.does it mean something too?" The comment was supposed to be a jest, but the tone was so foreign even if the voice wasn't that it ticked off Legolas and made him answer sharper than he woudl have liked to.

-"It means Green Leaf. My father, the King of Mirkwood gave it to me in honnor of our home before the shadow of Sauron came and destroyed part of our forest."

-"Okay. Hey, I could call you Little Leaf.or Mapple Leaf like that sport team." Said Strider as if ignoring what Legolas said.

-"Or you could call me Mellon-Nin like you used to." Legolas' comment was sharp, but over time and with the situation Aragorn couldn't read his friend, at all it seemed.

-"Melanine ? Like the subtance in our brain or the wood like material?" At that Strider scratched his head and looked every bit of the part of the dumb guy.

-"No, mellON-nin, it means my friend in our tongue. It's what we were, best friend before you were taken away. Now, I think we should get a move on and go back to the States.or maybe you have another smart ass comments, perhaps the fact I have long hair and that I look like a girl?" Legolas wished he could bite back the last comment, it was what the group of men had said not long ago when they beated him. They sounded like Strider, using dumb comments..it was incredible the loss of culture and intelligence he had to witness over the centuries after Eldarion's age and the heritage of Arwen and Aragorn diluated into the mass, even the strenght and farsighted of Faramir and Eomer's children vanished. Even if he could still see a bit of trace of the Numeoran blood, it was quite annoying.

-"Sorry, look I apologise. I didn't realise what you were saying, sorry Legolas." Aragorn's excuse was sincere.

-"No, it is I that apologise. I have been through much turmoils over the years. I should not have taken it on you. I think we should go back to the city to take another plane." Legolas said gesturing the car, his tone clearly saying that the conversation was over.

-"Fine by me." Strider agreed and looking at Legolas as if seeing him in another light.

-"Shall I drive?" Legolas asked as they walked side by side back to the car.

-"Well, I'm the one with a memory loss, so you should. Actually I meant to go back at the airport but." Strider looked down instead of answering.

-"You forgot?" Teased Legolas gently pushing Strider with his shoulder as they walked closer to each other.

-"Well, I am amnesiac." Conceeded Strider, blushing a little.

Legolas wished he could put his arm around Strider but knew it was far too soon to have such physical contact, regainning their past camaderie was a long way off, but judging by the last portion of the conversation. They were on the right road. They were a few footsteps from the car when a thought occured in Legolas' brain and he stopped straight, put off by this sudden move, Strider also stopped and looked concerned.

-"What's wrong?" Strider asked looking around at any sign of danger but there was nothing in the open.

-"I found you." Said Legolas so softly, he extended one hand and put it on Aragorn's shoulder in an half Elvish hug. The intensity of Legolas' voice made Strider tense before smilling a little and replying nonchalantly.

-"I guess so."

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