A CONSPIRACY UNMASKED
By : mirkwood-elf-2931


CHAPTER 12


Arwen's brows raised at the sight of the familiar Wood-Elves, throwing a glance at the man beside her, before turning it back on the pair. "They made it...with half the set time to spare."

"It's a wonder they made it at all!" Grinned Aragorn.

"What was that?!" Demanded the captain, though she and Legolas had easily overheard their words as they approached them.

"Oh nothing, I was just telling Arwen how I'm surprised that I didn't have to go in and save you...."

"Well! I'll have you know, Human, that you've needed more saving in your short eighty-nine years than I have in nearly three thousand!"

Legolas and Arwen eyed the two, trying not to laugh.

After much more teasing and finally some all around laugher, they broke their little congregation at the stables, and Legolas and Landailyn helped their friends pack their travel bags inside, toward the guestroom they would be staying in. And by the time the group entered into the Great Hall, several servants were busy cleaning the spots where the bodies had been immediately removed.

Thranduil was also there, already heavily guarded and pacing about in obvious reflection and thought. It seemed the entire realm would know by the next day and their army would be prepared for anyone else who might be thinking about following in the footsteps of Wingdun and Rembaryn, just like the two guards who had joined them in plotting against their own kinsman.

A groan escaped Legolas, before he even realized it, knowing full well that sentries would also be placed with him and outside his bedroom.

Landailyn sighed at the sight, imagining how much differently things could have turned out. It could have been that none of them would be standing there, or worst; any of them, or all of them, could have simply ended up as prisoners with the two mad Elves that may have eventually succeeded in their plans in reining over any Elves left out of those who didn't oppose them. "I'm sorry that I didn't get here sooner. I could have been...too late, Legolas. I thought I was, but then I heard your voice…and then we found your father." She closed her eyes and hung her head, shaking it. "You cannot know how relieved I was."

"I think I can." He smiled, remembering the moment she had appeared around the corner, running to him. He had thought he was never going to find her. "I was relieved to find you faring well too, you know. Come on, it's growing late, I'll walk you home."

"Ah, yes, my parents. I can see their reactions now."

The prince chuckled. And Arwen and Aragorn just smiled at the two, only having caught this latter statement, as they had just finished speaking with Thranduil.

Saying her farewells for the night, Landailyn hugged the Gondorian king and queen and even the Elven-king, before heading out into the night with his son.

On the way, both spoke of their 'shock' that no protection had been sent with them, but that conversation ceased as soon as Landailyn's home came into view and the two friends stepped up onto the railed porch.

"Well," She turned to him. "Another day passed, another 'adventure' over...I hope."

"Me too," He paused; there was something he still couldn't get over.

"Legolas?"

"It's just...that arrow…and Wingdun putting you in its way, I thought I had..."

Landailyn quieted the prince by pulling him into a hug that surprised him into silence. "It doesn't matter now. I'm fine; we all are, because of..."

"Because we stopped them together." He finished for her quickly.

She nodded, a smile across her face that was hidden from his view. "Right," Pulling away from him, she went up to open the front door. "Naneth? Ada?" [Mother? Father?]

The elder couple sat at the dining table, appearing to be talking over mugs of tea. But at what they thought was their daughter's voice, both abandoned this scene and practically bolted upright from their chairs.

"Landailyn!" Andolan cried, running to the girl and pulling her close and tight in a warm, loving embrace. "Oh, my baby! You're all right!"

"Mother," Landailyn rolled her eyes.

Legolas was standing right there and she didn't want him to hear her mother go on and on about her 'baby', even if she was her only one. And she didn't want to look at him either and see that teasing mirthful smile she knew had to be sitting upon his thin lips right then.

After a long moment, Andolan stepped away, so Landailyn could hug her father.

"We prayed every waking moment to the Valar to let you come back to us safely."

"Thank you, father; it's good to be home." Her was tone soft in his ear, before she released him.

"Good," A new male voice found the chance to speak up. "Because you're not coming in tomorrow."

"What? No. Legolas..."

"Dear, I agree, it would best that you took a day's rest before going back on duty. Your father and I don't yet know why you were missing, but I'm certain we can be assured it was unpleasant." Said her mother.

"Exactly, and I'm ordering you as your superior, so no argument."

She half glared at the prince for a moment; then looked away without a word.

A hint of a grin was trying to take over Legolas' mouth at Landailyn's mood change. He had known she wouldn't be at all happy with this, as she was too much like him, but he only did it for her well being. She may have already had three days off now, but most likely they had been spent without sleep or rest of the body and mind for worry and anxiety over the situation and trying constant escape attempts. But he was also concerned that this stress would cause more problems from her internal head trauma at the mountains.

"Thank you, Legolas, for finding our daughter and bringing her safely home." Mylthar clasped his hand firmly in gratitude; automatically assuming he had been the one.

The Elven prince nodded in return. "I did bring her home. However, I didn't find her; she found me."

At the same time, Landailyn's mother and father glanced back at her questioningly.

"Long story. I'll tell you tomorrow, since I'll be here all day. Good night." She said to them all, exiting the room down the hallway to her bedchamber, paying no heed to the small pains in her stomach that told her to eat first, before she slept.

She wasn't mad at Legolas, and felt foolish for practically whining to him, but she just wished he hadn't decided to make her stay home. Forget the ordeal she had just been in at the palace, because she still wanted to be there reporting for captain the next day. But it was just one day; it would pass by quickly and perhaps she could get through it.


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


"Eva!" Cried Alathyn, bursting into the Great Hall and embracing her best friend. "You're okay! I was so worried! What happened?!"

"What about me?" Nylaro held his arms out.

"You too, Ny." She mumbled quickly and went back to talking with Evanyne.

Echorren laughed, as the Elf next to him creased his brows together with a frown on his lips.

Over the following ten minutes, Evanyne told Alathyn all about what happened to she, Nylaro and their captain. Everyone had been listening, until she reached the part about their escape. "Uh, well I don't know what happened after that, the captain ordered us home..."

"Landailyn found me and if it hadn't been for Nylaro, none of us would be here right now." Finished Legolas.

"What?! You snuck back in and you didn't tell me?!" Not lightly did Evanyne hit him on the upper arm. It served him right, she thought.

"Sorry!" He wailed, rubbing where her fist had connected with his shoulder. "We'd already split up, so I didn't have time! I couldn't even warn King Elessar and I had to sneak in the back way!"

"So, where is Captain Windsong?" Alathyn asked the prince, ignoring her friends for the moment.

"She's at home today, as Evanyne and Nylaro should be."

"We're fine, my lord." Said Evanyne, with a sheepish smile.

"Well," Arwen stood from the top step she and Aragorn were sitting on in front of the thrones, interrupting anything anyone might have replied. Besides, she didn't quite like the way this 'Alathyn' was staring at the prince and was glad to see that her voice had broken the girl's concentration on doing so. "I'm going to see her then. I'll be back in a while."

"Arwen," Legolas paused, waiting as she turned back to see what he wished of her attention. "Tell her I'm sorry."

Carrying a soft smile, she nodded and went on her way.


TBC ...

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mirkwood-elf-2931 :
Ah good, I'm glad I could throw you all off! ;)
Replies to reviews:
-Ooo, those incidents certainly did sound like they sucked, Deana! And I agree that something like that isn't fun to go to sleep with, cuz' as soon as my arm started hurting I had to go to bed after posting the chapter and then my back and stomach started in hurting and I got all hot and I felt like I was going to throw up...but my mom said that can easily happen...so I really hate shots...to me the shot itself actually isn't the bad part, just the after affects! LOL
-Did they ask you a bunch of 'yes' or 'no' questions and make you sign stuff when you got your shot, Sarah? I said 'no' to like all 10 or so questions and then I had to sign two forms! I've never had to before, so it was a little surprising, but I guess it's cuz' I'm 18 now...I haven't had a shot in two years and I only had to get a tetanus shot then, cuz' I had a spider bite! hehe
-And thank you, Lyn, my arm is feeling fine now! And I see what you mean about Selihar in chapter 9, and I hope this can clear it up for you...when I said: 'he had felt at times like shouting it at them and telling them that anyone could see the two were meant for each other' I meant, the way they acted around one another growing up that anyone could have seen that they liked each other as more than just friends...and now since word seems to get around quickly in Mirkwood, Selihar certainly knows that Landailyn and Legolas have revealed their feelings to one another in Lothlorien the year before, but he also knows that they still have no relationship and are just remaining friends, he was just glad they finally knew about each other's feelings and wondered to himself, if they would ever take that further.