A CONSPIRACY UNMASKED
By : mirkwood-elf-2931


CHAPTER 11


Legolas was visibly stunned by the answer, but quickly figured them out. It didn't matter what he had decided, they planned to kill them both all along and then himself and his father.

"Why Rem, I think you're absolutely right. Why does either of them deserve to live?"

Rembaryn's mouth turned up in an evil smile to match the mad light in his rounded eyes. "They don't."

"If that's the case, then certainly neither of you does." Only the second time Aragorn had spoken up.

"Well, it's just that we don't have any use for you." Wingdun explained with a smirk. "We could make you our servants, but I fear you would only turn on your masters."

"Are you saying you're afraid of me? That I fight better than you? A mere female?" Landailyn asked, jumping at the chance to distract them in hopes that either the Elven prince or Human king would do something to take advantage of it. And with a small smile, unnoticed by anyone else, she envisioned Thalawen doing or saying something of the same nature. Perhaps the Noldor Elf's characteristics had rubbed off on her a little.

"Shut up!" Wingdun pulled the sharp edge dangerously closer, threatening to break the skin and spill her blood.

Meanwhile, Legolas watched the scene carefully, while doing exactly what Landailyn had intended this moment for and taking advantage of the attention being taken off of him for a whole minute, having quickly slipped an arrow from his quiver.

"Well, it has been fun, has it not? But the prince here has run out of time and that so means you have too. Say goodbye, Greenleaf, to your...precious best friends." Wingdun prepared to run Landailyn's blade quickly across her throat, while with his friend's cue Rembaryn would thrust a stab at Aragorn, but from somewhere seemingly not traceable, the sound of a single arrow leaving a bowstring echoed slightly in the Great Hall.

Having his back almost fully turned, Rembaryn never knew what hit him, as it sailed directly into his neck, killing him instantly.

Once again jerking out of shock, Legolas turned to do the same to Wingdun, but the Elf knew already what was coming. Even as fast as it was all done, Wingdun still had time to get out of the arrow's way.

Legolas hadn't realized what had really happened, until a few seconds later. He had aimed the arrow lower, because he saw that Wingdun was moving, but the Elf had tricked him.

He had instead shoved Landailyn in its way.

His heart had skipped a beat, but the Elven prince now stared in relief, as the arrow whizzed passed Landailyn just in time that she hit the floor face down. Seeing that she was safe, he pulled another and killed the former servant, who was literally running for his life toward a hallway door.

Watching the intense scene, Aragorn had been unable to move a muscle, but now came back to his wits and knelt beside a stilled Rembaryn. After making sure he was definitely dead, he pried the she-Elf's knife from his tightly closed hand and swiftly joined Legolas, who was already at their friend's side.

"I'm fine, I'm okay."

He heard her say, as she took the prince's offered hand with her left, while the other went to a long shallow cut across her neck that Wingdun had managed to give her, before shoving her away.

"But now we must help your father; they've probably put him in a cell." She started to leave, but looked down, as an object hung mid air next to her arm. It was a white bone handle, golden vines running throughout it. "Hey," She smiled up, almost shamefully, at who held the blade and reached out to take her weapon back. "Thanks."

"Strider, are you hurt?" Legolas scrutinized him for possible injury the Human might not admit to.

The man shook his head, chuckling. "No, but it looks like I picked a bad time to visit. Should have gone to Rivendell first."

"Sorry about that." Landailyn grinned; part of her still felt a little guilt at not having stopped this whole thing days ago. "Did Arwen come?"

"She's in the stables." He replied with the gesture of his head in the direction of east.

"You should go to her then." Continued the she-Elf. "And I would stay there till we come get you. Please?"

Aragorn smiled over at Legolas, who didn't disagree. "Fine, but if you two don't show up within a quarter of an hour, I'm coming in after you."

"Deal." Landailyn nodded once, again going for the door, scooping up her other knife from Wingdun's body on the way.

Nearly forgetting about their mysterious shooter completely, while they talked, the person came silently forth from his hiding place. "What about me? I have to go too, don't I?"

Legolas and Aragorn took in a look at the new, smaller Elf, who stood timidly a few feet behind them.

"Yes!" Landailyn turned on him with flashing eyes. She was grateful for his help, but he had gone against her direct orders and it was something she tried not to take lightly. "You are to go home right now, like I told you to do in the first place! Your parents I'm sure are very worried about you!"

"They are." Legolas confirmed, from having actually talked to them.

The young man kept his eyes down. "Yes, my lord, my captain, I'm sorry." He rounded to leave, walking slowly toward the main doors, gathering his arrow from Rembaryn.

Aragorn and Legolas looked back at Landailyn, but she held only a sly smile for them, before calling the boy back to their attention. "Nylaro,"

Hearing his name, he stopped and turned fully back to find all three beaming brightly after him.

"Perfect shot. Thank you."

His look was blank with surprise for a moment and then he too smiled widely, almost proud of himself, but more thankful than anything that they weren't truly angry with him.

Legolas retrieved Landailyn's quiver from the wooden chest Rembaryn had opened and they went on their way soundlessly down the halls leading to the dungeons. Quietly they traversed, until the prince's calm voice broke the captain's train of thought.

"Your parents are greatly worried as well. I believe they're suspecting the worst, for as long as you've been missing."

"Are they?" She winced, it showing clearly on her face. "And I tried so hard to get away. I tried to warn you, but..." She cut herself off, sighing.

Legolas smiled sadly, putting an arm around her shoulder. "I know; it's okay."


~*~*~~*~~*~*~


Posted on either side of the door inside the dungeon, both guards stood perfectly silent and still.

While several cells down from the entrance, Thranduil was going out of his mind with worry for his son, his recovered captain and even the recently arrived Human. And the thought crossed his mind that if Arwen had come with the Gondorian king, he hoped the she-Elf did not come into the palace, at least not the same way her husband had. Perhaps if she heard what was going on before she waltzed into the room, she could run to get them all help.

He had only time to ponder this a few more moments, before the sudden ringing of metal against metal caused him to rush over to the barred window in the cell's door.

It was his son and Landailyn teamed up on the two guards in close combat with four knives and two swords, and at last as Thranduil watched the fight between the four, he saw it only as that the prince and captain were forced to bring them down.

The very second they were taken care of, Legolas was on his way to let the elderly lord out of his imprisonment, and just when he thought he couldn't be anymore relieved for the day, he found his father in good condition.

Together they slowly walked over to Landailyn, who was staring mournfully down at the deceased sentries and the blood on her knife that she still clutched with tense firmness.

"Sometimes the death of our kin cannot be helped." Thranduil rested a reassuring hand on her left shoulder. "It was what they chose to do, that cost them their lives."

She faced him and nodded her thank you to his comfort. It was just as well that they rest in peace; while the penalties of betraying royalty seemed fair, they were not very kind in the long run. "Are you all right, my lord?"

The king patted her shoulder before taking his hand away. "I'm fine, with many thanks to you and you, my son. Oh, and how does the Human fare?"

"He has a name, Father. But he too fares well. And Arwen is with him, she had gone to the stables, so we sent him to her."

Thranduil smiled. "Yes, well he's your guest, so you had better go out and welcome he and his lady. I'll have others take care of what has happened here and in the Great Hall."

Legolas smiled. "Thank you. Come on," He said to Landailyn, taking her arm and steering her toward the dungeon door.


TBC ...

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mirkwood-elf-2931 :
Threw you off, didn't I? Aragorn and Arwen didn't even have to do anything! hehehe But come on, I couldn't leave them out of the story! Besides Legolas those two are my favorite Lord of the Rings characters!
Replies to reviews:
-Well Abbey, there are now two chapters of the prequel done, but it still won't be out for a while (for one thing it doesn't even have a title yet) and I can't even really help Thala write it like I'm sure she'd like me to, cuz' I'm not quite sure where she'll go with it and she won't tell me, cuz' I don't even think she knows! LOL
-Cool, Maya, I'm glad to know you read my author's notes every time! Thank you! :) And it's cool that you haven't reviewed for a bit, but I appreciate your new one!
-And yes, Thala, you will get your CDs back soon…at least as soon as I can get my stupid brother to buy more blank CDs! We forget them every time we're in town...kinda like today! hehe...sorry.
Anyway, on a more serious note, before some major cussing starts slipping from me onto here, I think I need to stop typing, post this chapter and then get away from my computer...I got a tetanus/diphtheira shot at the Heath Department today, and my arm is really starting to get sore! :( I'm just glad I only have to get them every 10 years and that they didn't hit a capillary vessel like they did on my brother some years back...he said the needle puncture wouldn't stop bleeding for quite a while and he could barely lift his arm for several days!