Just so no one will be confused, thoughts are in apostrophes and dialogue is in quotation marks.
Chapter 9
Aragorn could barely contain his mirth as he watched Legolas swing back and forth, suspended from a towering oak tree.
"Aragorn, this is not funny, get me down."
"On the contrary, I think it is quite comical. Wouldn't you agree?" Elladan asked his twin.
Elrohir swung down from one of the branches of the oak, laughing so hard he almost fell a couple of times. "I...I...I...a...a...agree!" he gasped. The wind had begun to blow, making Legolas swing in every direction. His hair was disheveled, the dark locks falling in his face so he could barely see. One of his legs was kicking as he struggled to free himself.
"We finally caught an elf in our trap!" Elladan said cheerfully. "Well, kind of."
"Let me down. Let me down right NOW!"
"We will, we will." Elladan turned to his twin, motioning for him to climb back up the tree to cut the rope, but the elf was still shaking uncontrollably. Rolling his eyes the older twin climbed up to the branch where the rope was tied.
"Elladan, be careful. Don't let him..."
"Oww!"
"Drop," Aragorn finished. He rushed over to his friend. "Are you all right?"
Legolas only glared at him. "Do I look all right?" His ankle was throbbing from where the rope had squeezed too tight, and his foot had fallen asleep. He rubbed his left side, where he had landed after falling to the ground. Aragorn gently took the rope and slid it off his friend's foot. As he helped Legolas rise Elrohir shouted at his twin in elvish.
"You could have hurt him. Were you even thinking?"
"Well, I..."
"You weren't, were you?"
Elladan stared guiltily at Legolas. Then he turned to his twin. "Well, it was your idea in the first place."
"You two do realize that we are still here?" Legolas questioned. Both of the twins flushed in embarrassment. "I am not hurt, so do not worry about it. Come on, let us continue or we shall never get anywhere before night falls."
******************************************************************************
As they made camp that night the four talked about where they would go the next day. Legolas wasn't really paying any attention, just gazing at the stars as he listened to the other three talk. It was one thing that never changed; whether he was human or elf, the stars were always the same. As his head was raised skywards he saw a hawk circling the camp. 'That's odd, usually they do not fly so late.'
******************************************************************************
"You wished to speak with me, Elrond?"
"Yes. Have you found anything to break the spell?"
"Of course, would you honestly think I would leave with such a problem unsolved? Which reminds me, where are they?" Gandalf had not seen either of the two all day. He suspected that he knew where they were, but he did not wish to make false assumptions.
"They have decided to leave without my permission. I do not know where they have gone."
"I see." He paused. "I have the remedy if you would like it. I can break the lock on the spell without them so that anyone can do the rest, but they must be present for the last part of the counter spell to work." He started muttering in an old language that few knew. Elrond sat quietly and listened. "It is done. I shall write out the rest and send it with a messenger. I am certain it will reach Aragorn and Legolas safely. I shall be taking my leave now. Good-bye, old friend. This was far too short a time to spend here."
"Please know that you are always welcomed here. Namaarie, and may the Valar protect you on your journey."
"Namaarie."
Gandalf went outside to the courtyard and called to one of his most faithful friends. A beautiful hawk soared into sight, gracefully diving until he landed next to Gandalf. "Please deliver this message to either Prince Legolas of Mirkwood or Estel, Elrond's son." He gave the letter to the great bird, who took it in his beak. The hawk spread his great wings and took flight. "Have a safe journey, for it may be treacherous," the wizard whispered softly into the wind.
******************************************************************************
As Legolas watched the beautiful creature float overhead, the others got ready for bed. They unpacked their sleeping gear and were soon snoring softly. 'And yet Elladan and Elrohir say they do not snore,' Legolas thought. The bird was still flying overhead, and since Legolas was unable to sleep he watched it for what seemed like hours. It was hypnotizing, and soon the prince was feeling drowsy. A few minutes before he lost consciousness the hawk flew down next to him, dropping a letter on his chest. Legolas sat and tried to read it, but he was so tired all the words blurred together. 'I guess I will just have to wait until tomorrow morning.' He put the letter in his pack, and said a quick thank you to the hawk before the great bird departed. The last thing he saw that night was the bird's shadow against the sky.
******************************************************************************
"Legolas, wake up."
"Just another five minutes."
"You said that five minutes ago. Now, you can get up on your own, or I can get the twins to wake you."
"Go ahead."
"Elladan! Elrohir!"
"I'm up! I'm up!" Aragorn smiled. The one thing that was always able to wake someone up was the threat of one of the twin's jokes first thing in the morning.
After they had packed everything up they continued on their way. After a couple of hours Aragorn realized that he and Legolas had lost the twins. "I think we should go back and wait for them."
"So that I may fall victim to another prank?" sarcastically remarked Legolas.
The two waited. And waited. And waited. When they went further back along the trail the found the twins' tracks, but after following them for a half-hour they deduced that they had climbed into the trees. Even with Aragorn's expert tracking skills they were unable to find the two elves. "We might as well continue without them. I'm sure they can find their way back to Imladris safely."
The two traveled in the forest for what seemed like ages. Legolas' throat was parched and he could barely swallow. The heat was so intense he could barely concentrate on anything. He was so hungry that he could hear his stomach growling. Yet he refused to show any of that to Aragorn. Legolas was used to being an elf without limitations, and obviously Aragorn was forgetting that he still had a human friend. Before the switch Legolas would always take little breaks for the human whenever he thought the ranger was tiring. Aragorn had not been paying too much attention to the weariness of his friend; in fact, Legolas doubted that he even noticed how exhausted he was.
As time wore on the pain from his stomach slowly stopped. Legolas no longer felt the need for food. Ironically, the thought of eating made him feel sick. The thirst was almost unbearable, and he thought about asking Aragorn to stop. He kept pushing himself, telling himself that he could make it:
'It's only one more hour.'
'It's only a few more steps.'
'You can make it past those trees.'
'You can make it another two miles.'
Every time that Legolas made it to his goal he wondered how far his next one would be. He finally told himself, 'Five more minutes. If we do not stop I will ask for a break.'
He never got the five minutes. Which each step he felt more and more lightheaded. His ears started ringing and then he went deaf altogether. One would think it would be quite frightening, but Legolas felt a sense of calmness overtake him. His vision became sharper than usual, but he was unable to see anything except black, green, and white. His peripheral vision disappeared until everything eventually blurred together. He felt weightless and then he felt nothing as he slowly crashed to the ground. Everything was in slow motion as he fell, but he had no memory of hitting the earth. He never even heard Aragorn's surprised shouts.
To Be Continued....
Author's Note: I want to give another big thank you to everyone who reviews. I want you all to know that your comments are extremely appreciated.
Helena: I think his ankle will be okay, but you never know; these characters have a mind of their own. lol. Thank you for reviewing.
Elfmage: I am undeserving of your praise. Thank you so much! And yes, I do know how you feel about spiders. I have to get my little brother to capture them and let them go outside. When he's not around I sometimes get the courage to do it myself, but that is rare. lol.
Shauna: Of course something evil is going to happen to them. I couldn't let myself finish this story without adding a little angst. ; ) Thanks for reviewing!
Fishton: Thank you for your review. I thought about adding Thranduil to the story, but it doesn't quite go with what I have planned.
Arielle: Thanks for your review. I hope this is soon enough.
Butterflyer: Your wish is my command. Thank you for reviewing.
Chapter 9
Aragorn could barely contain his mirth as he watched Legolas swing back and forth, suspended from a towering oak tree.
"Aragorn, this is not funny, get me down."
"On the contrary, I think it is quite comical. Wouldn't you agree?" Elladan asked his twin.
Elrohir swung down from one of the branches of the oak, laughing so hard he almost fell a couple of times. "I...I...I...a...a...agree!" he gasped. The wind had begun to blow, making Legolas swing in every direction. His hair was disheveled, the dark locks falling in his face so he could barely see. One of his legs was kicking as he struggled to free himself.
"We finally caught an elf in our trap!" Elladan said cheerfully. "Well, kind of."
"Let me down. Let me down right NOW!"
"We will, we will." Elladan turned to his twin, motioning for him to climb back up the tree to cut the rope, but the elf was still shaking uncontrollably. Rolling his eyes the older twin climbed up to the branch where the rope was tied.
"Elladan, be careful. Don't let him..."
"Oww!"
"Drop," Aragorn finished. He rushed over to his friend. "Are you all right?"
Legolas only glared at him. "Do I look all right?" His ankle was throbbing from where the rope had squeezed too tight, and his foot had fallen asleep. He rubbed his left side, where he had landed after falling to the ground. Aragorn gently took the rope and slid it off his friend's foot. As he helped Legolas rise Elrohir shouted at his twin in elvish.
"You could have hurt him. Were you even thinking?"
"Well, I..."
"You weren't, were you?"
Elladan stared guiltily at Legolas. Then he turned to his twin. "Well, it was your idea in the first place."
"You two do realize that we are still here?" Legolas questioned. Both of the twins flushed in embarrassment. "I am not hurt, so do not worry about it. Come on, let us continue or we shall never get anywhere before night falls."
******************************************************************************
As they made camp that night the four talked about where they would go the next day. Legolas wasn't really paying any attention, just gazing at the stars as he listened to the other three talk. It was one thing that never changed; whether he was human or elf, the stars were always the same. As his head was raised skywards he saw a hawk circling the camp. 'That's odd, usually they do not fly so late.'
******************************************************************************
"You wished to speak with me, Elrond?"
"Yes. Have you found anything to break the spell?"
"Of course, would you honestly think I would leave with such a problem unsolved? Which reminds me, where are they?" Gandalf had not seen either of the two all day. He suspected that he knew where they were, but he did not wish to make false assumptions.
"They have decided to leave without my permission. I do not know where they have gone."
"I see." He paused. "I have the remedy if you would like it. I can break the lock on the spell without them so that anyone can do the rest, but they must be present for the last part of the counter spell to work." He started muttering in an old language that few knew. Elrond sat quietly and listened. "It is done. I shall write out the rest and send it with a messenger. I am certain it will reach Aragorn and Legolas safely. I shall be taking my leave now. Good-bye, old friend. This was far too short a time to spend here."
"Please know that you are always welcomed here. Namaarie, and may the Valar protect you on your journey."
"Namaarie."
Gandalf went outside to the courtyard and called to one of his most faithful friends. A beautiful hawk soared into sight, gracefully diving until he landed next to Gandalf. "Please deliver this message to either Prince Legolas of Mirkwood or Estel, Elrond's son." He gave the letter to the great bird, who took it in his beak. The hawk spread his great wings and took flight. "Have a safe journey, for it may be treacherous," the wizard whispered softly into the wind.
******************************************************************************
As Legolas watched the beautiful creature float overhead, the others got ready for bed. They unpacked their sleeping gear and were soon snoring softly. 'And yet Elladan and Elrohir say they do not snore,' Legolas thought. The bird was still flying overhead, and since Legolas was unable to sleep he watched it for what seemed like hours. It was hypnotizing, and soon the prince was feeling drowsy. A few minutes before he lost consciousness the hawk flew down next to him, dropping a letter on his chest. Legolas sat and tried to read it, but he was so tired all the words blurred together. 'I guess I will just have to wait until tomorrow morning.' He put the letter in his pack, and said a quick thank you to the hawk before the great bird departed. The last thing he saw that night was the bird's shadow against the sky.
******************************************************************************
"Legolas, wake up."
"Just another five minutes."
"You said that five minutes ago. Now, you can get up on your own, or I can get the twins to wake you."
"Go ahead."
"Elladan! Elrohir!"
"I'm up! I'm up!" Aragorn smiled. The one thing that was always able to wake someone up was the threat of one of the twin's jokes first thing in the morning.
After they had packed everything up they continued on their way. After a couple of hours Aragorn realized that he and Legolas had lost the twins. "I think we should go back and wait for them."
"So that I may fall victim to another prank?" sarcastically remarked Legolas.
The two waited. And waited. And waited. When they went further back along the trail the found the twins' tracks, but after following them for a half-hour they deduced that they had climbed into the trees. Even with Aragorn's expert tracking skills they were unable to find the two elves. "We might as well continue without them. I'm sure they can find their way back to Imladris safely."
The two traveled in the forest for what seemed like ages. Legolas' throat was parched and he could barely swallow. The heat was so intense he could barely concentrate on anything. He was so hungry that he could hear his stomach growling. Yet he refused to show any of that to Aragorn. Legolas was used to being an elf without limitations, and obviously Aragorn was forgetting that he still had a human friend. Before the switch Legolas would always take little breaks for the human whenever he thought the ranger was tiring. Aragorn had not been paying too much attention to the weariness of his friend; in fact, Legolas doubted that he even noticed how exhausted he was.
As time wore on the pain from his stomach slowly stopped. Legolas no longer felt the need for food. Ironically, the thought of eating made him feel sick. The thirst was almost unbearable, and he thought about asking Aragorn to stop. He kept pushing himself, telling himself that he could make it:
'It's only one more hour.'
'It's only a few more steps.'
'You can make it past those trees.'
'You can make it another two miles.'
Every time that Legolas made it to his goal he wondered how far his next one would be. He finally told himself, 'Five more minutes. If we do not stop I will ask for a break.'
He never got the five minutes. Which each step he felt more and more lightheaded. His ears started ringing and then he went deaf altogether. One would think it would be quite frightening, but Legolas felt a sense of calmness overtake him. His vision became sharper than usual, but he was unable to see anything except black, green, and white. His peripheral vision disappeared until everything eventually blurred together. He felt weightless and then he felt nothing as he slowly crashed to the ground. Everything was in slow motion as he fell, but he had no memory of hitting the earth. He never even heard Aragorn's surprised shouts.
To Be Continued....
Author's Note: I want to give another big thank you to everyone who reviews. I want you all to know that your comments are extremely appreciated.
Helena: I think his ankle will be okay, but you never know; these characters have a mind of their own. lol. Thank you for reviewing.
Elfmage: I am undeserving of your praise. Thank you so much! And yes, I do know how you feel about spiders. I have to get my little brother to capture them and let them go outside. When he's not around I sometimes get the courage to do it myself, but that is rare. lol.
Shauna: Of course something evil is going to happen to them. I couldn't let myself finish this story without adding a little angst. ; ) Thanks for reviewing!
Fishton: Thank you for your review. I thought about adding Thranduil to the story, but it doesn't quite go with what I have planned.
Arielle: Thanks for your review. I hope this is soon enough.
Butterflyer: Your wish is my command. Thank you for reviewing.
