Tee hee... couldn't resist! I'm seriously enjoying writing this story! This is my FAVORITE of mine at the moment!!! So I've done a nice quick update... aren't you glad?!
Estel Elven Enchantress; Yup, blame the Elf... ^_^ Well deary, I thought you'd have picked up something with that wonderful ability of yours to see when Legolas is... let's say, not feeling quite his usual self... I was surprised! Please say you noticed! ='( Its supposed to become quite important... ^.^ Oops! Already said too much...
Connor; Thanks!!! ^_^
Sirithiliel; I like the insane cackle!!! Suits this story perfectly... =) ROTK = Incredible, don't you agree? ^_^ Did you know that if you spell a word wrong but the first and last letter are in the right place, you can still read it? Srtgane hwo taht wrkos, in'st ti?! --- and if you, or anybody else can read that, then it must work!!! ^_^
Alida-Fruit; I was hoping to have that last bit quite funny! ^_^ I adore doing angst and drama but apparently I have quite a good rating with my humour too... I do my best! ^_^ I know, I do feel sorry for Aragorn and Arwen and the baby, but hey! =) I'm an evil fic writer... what do you expect?! Even my best humour fic so far is about some misery Legolas goes through when he swallows a harmonica... yeah, that's the result of Dha's Skittles... ^_^
Darcy Took; Thank you so much Darc!!! ^_^
Anarya; Oh, is that supposed to mean something?! ^_^ LOL!!! I know what you mean... Like I said to Alida-Fruit, I like sticking little bits of humour in there somewhere; if I just kept piling the angst on this lot, they'd all die of heart attacks... especially Legolas and Aragorn! ^.^ *GASP!!!* THE FISSHESS, PRECIOUSSSS, THE FISSHESS!!! ='( Sorry to hear about your ruineded fisshess, gollum, yes, F.T.D is alive and doing well, it'll be posted soon! Ah... that explanation is VERY good!!! I like it, you don't mind if I use it, do you? I had an explanation but it wasn't all that good... =( I say it means 'the land' in MY language!!! MINE!!! MINE IT IS, MINE!!!
LEGOLAS; O-kaaay... anyone else officially freaked out?!
Gwyn; I know, I was in a bit of a rut with that ransom note... =( Sorry! That should be the only one though; you don't have to suffer again! ^_^ If you can give me any tips, that'd be much appreciated... thanks for the compliment!
Deana; Ah, finally, somebody mentioned the fact he's still sick! ^_^ Heh, you'll find out just what is wrong with him at the opportune moment... jeez, I watch Pirates of the Caribbean too much...
Callie3; Thank you!!! I liked writing the banter near the end; I giggled a bit when I thought it up, so I just stuck it down before it faded away. I know, I'm wicked!!! And not in the good way, from what half of the reviews have said... =) Yes, Faramir has been dragged in! I've thought, and I think I could get him quite a big part actually! Nice, eh?! Your story is wicked (in the good way! Curse this strange London dialect!), please write more of it soon! You'll go as crazy as Denethor?!?! You mean you'll set fire to yourself and hurl yourself off a v. v. tall... thing?!?!?! Woah... o_O
Manders1953; ^.^ Ooh!!! Yay, you noticed it too!!! Oh, I'm v. happy about that... I reviewed the new chapter of your story btw! It's wonderful, though why would I expect anything less?! Ok, here's your answer to the whole, 'wink wink hint hint nudge nudge' thing... those who like Elf Angst will like it... that's all I'm saying!!! ^_^
LEGOLAS; Why me?!?!
elfmage; I agree; I have more fun writing the long ones than the short ones! Why? Hmmm... I think I may detect a few subtle hints dropped here and there last chapter... =) I'm the MASTER am I? ^.^ Ooh, I feel so special! I've also been made President of the Sadist's Code... LOL! I'm glad you love the story!!! I love writing it, so it's nice to know my readers love it too!
XM6; Flamethrower of Doom, huh? Nice... ^.^
Well, let's see what our poor tortured characters are going through now...
.:Chapter 10:.
Dull, dreary grey clouds drifted overhead slowly, ponderously. A chilling North wind had blown in, forcing Aragorn to pull his overcoat around him more. His fingers were freezing, almost numb, and his grey-blue eyes were watering as the harsh stinging wind showed them no mercy.
Just ahead, the forests of Ithilien rose majestically into view. The trees here grew proud and tall, green and bright in the summer and mysterious and bare in the winter, though still beautiful nonetheless.
The thundering hooves of Brego were all he could hear above the whistling of the weather, and dusk was approaching faster than he'd like to admit. He was glad then, when he spotted the candlelit lamps of the village through the trees...
~*~*~*~
Legolas had slipped his injured arm into a white fabric sling before they had set off. He walked to the stable where Gimli waited patiently.
"You sure about this lad?" asked the Dwarf. He was still worried about his friend, especially now he was suffering these inexplicable stomach pains.
"I've never been surer of anything in my life, and that's a long time." replied Legolas stoically. Gimli shrugged.
"If you're that adamant, I guess I can't change your mind," he said. Legolas opened the door to the stable and the distinct aroma of horses hit them hard on. Gimli shuddered.
"Horrible beasts, horses... whoever created them ought to be trampled by one..."
~*~*~*~
"My Lord Faramir," said a doorman respectfully. "Our King Elessar is here to see you. He says it is urgent."
Faramir glanced at the man silently. Something didn't feel quite right here... normally if Aragorn had a problem he would send for him or have a messenger deliver a letter. He nodded silently and rose from the wooden desk at which he sat.
The doorman bowed low and left the room. Faramir heard the sounds of voices from around the corner. The man smiled as Aragorn appeared in the doorway.
"Aragorn!" he said, walking over and shaking his friend and King's hand warmly. "What can I do for you?"
As he stepped back, Faramir suddenly took in Aragorn's full appearance. Gondor's monarch looked worn out, dirt smudged in places around his face. His entire body language spoke volumes, and Faramir picked them up almost instantly.
"Something's wrong." he said. Aragorn nodded.
"Faramir, I need you to go to Minas Tirith and take care of the throne for me," he replied. "There is... something that I must take care of immediately."
Faramir didn't like the tired tone of his friend's voice. "Would I be intruding if I asked what has happened?" he asked gingerly, praying this subject wasn't one too delicate.
Aragorn looked down, sighing defeated, shutting his eyes. He stood like that for a moment, saying naught, only the sound of his increasingly heavy breathing cutting through the suddenly thick and unbearable silence that had descended in the room.
Faramir frowned, slowly and cautiously making his way forward and placed a gentle hand on Aragorn's shoulder. He finally looked up at the Steward, and Faramir was shocked to see a silvery bell-bottomed tear coursing its way down the man's cheek.
Aragorn choked back slightly. "They took her... they took Arwen... took her to Mordor."
It took all of Faramir's will to stop his jaw from dropping. Stammering slightly, he bade Aragorn to sit, before the King shakily began his tale from when Legolas and Gimli left the morning it all began. As he reached the point when he left, Faramir nodded bleakly.
"I will take care of Minas Tirith," he reassured Aragorn seriously. "I swear..."
~*~*~*~
"Where do you think he would have gone first?" asked Gimli, his arms around the Elf's slender waist trying to keep himself on Arod.
"Ithilien," replied Legolas, his bright eyes scanning across the plains as hid faithful horse galloped towards the woods of which he was now Lord. "Faramir is there, and Aragorn would not have left the throne unguarded. He will have asked his Steward to protect it."
It was then his keen sight picked up the form of a rider heading towards them...
~*~*~*~
Even the black ground of Mordor groaned under the Orcs' cursed feet. They marched up an ashen hill, rarely passing some blackened withered tree that had been killed by Evil's domain. The clouds here were black, stormy, and the wind whipped around poor Arwen like a leaf in the breeze. She was terrified, and what was more now; she was alone in her fear.
"Aragorn..." she thought again, swallowing, but retched slightly on the grimy rag in her mouth. "Aragorn..."
She was aware that the sky was now blocked out by rocky ceiling; she was in a cave. Just as she was fretting over this new predicament, she was dropped heavily on the cold hard ground. Arwen cried out loudly, squeezing her eyes shut. She heard the cackling and sneering of others around her.
Nothing could have prepared her for the horror she felt as she opened her eyes. Orcs, tens of Orcs surrounded her vulnerable frame, leering and staring with their great bulbous eyes.
She tried to wriggle away, but couldn't, tears streaming down her red cheeks. Elbereth, what had she done to deserve this?!
"Careful, we don't want to hurt her," said a disembodied voice. Arwen looked around wide-eyed; no Orc speech was this...
~*~*~*~
Aragorn rode on, determined, the darkened clouds of Mordor seeming closer and closer with every step Brego took...
~*~*~*~
"Faramir!" cried Legolas upon seeing his friend. The young Steward smiled grimly as he spotted the pair.
"Yes Legolas, it is I," he said, spurring his horse slightly to trot towards them. "Were it that the situation was more joyful; am I correct in assuming you are after Aragorn?"
"Of course!" said Gimli, shuffling slightly on Arod. Faramir nodded slowly.
"He told you both to stay." he said simply. Legolas sighed.
"Yes he did, I guess he told you of our misadventure?" Faramir nodded, confirming the Elf's thoughts before gesturing for him to continue. "I for one refuse to have him walking through Mordor alone, and I'm sure Gimli agrees. He has no idea what he is up against, or what the motives are, or even what weapons this new foe has. So if he thinks I'm staying here-!" He paused, collecting himself. His voice had grown louder as he talked. "He doesn't seem to reali-"
Faramir suddenly became concerned when Legolas stopped abruptly mid-sentence. The Elf now sat completely still, blue eyes closed, a death like grip on Arod's barrel chest with his knees. The hand that did not sit protected in the sling now gripped his stomach tightly. It was only now that the Man truly noticed the paleness of his face.
"Legolas?"
Gimli had realised what was happening too. He placed a rough hand on his friend's slight shoulder, and to his anxious surprise discovered that Legolas was shaking slightly. He remembered though that these would soon pass.
"C'mon laddie... just breath... there you go... you'll be ok..."
~*~*~*~
Arwen cowered slightly as she finally caught a glimpse of a very tall thin man. His eyes were dark and ominous, his nose hooked like the beak of a bird. He had greasy, lank, black hair that was cut just under his ears. One side of his face had a horrible looking scar running from his temple to his cheek. His attire consisted of completely black clothing; a long robe that covered his feet, tied at his middle with a black belt with a dirty greeny-silver buckle in the shape of a diamond, and a black cloak that dragged along the ground.
He smiled a toothy grin, and she saw in the dim light of the torches his teeth looked slightly sharp.
"My dear," he said softly, his voice quiet and sinister. "Welcome, welcome..."
He came closer to her, until his nose almost touching hers. His next phrase brought sniggering and whooping from his minions.
"We've been expecting you..."
~*~*~*~
I don't know if you're noticing it, but the stomach aches always seem to happen when he's a bit stressed, don't you think? Just thought I'd point it out in case you miss it by the end... it may be important! I'm afraid there wasn't much action in this chapter, but there will be soon. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! Pease R&R!
