Legolas
The word rang out throughout his mind.
"Legolas?" it came again, snapping him back to reality.
The elf turned his head to stare at his friend sitting next to him.
"Legolas, is everything alright?" Aragorn asked him, sounding concerned.
"Everything is alright Aragorn. I am fine," Legolas replied, giving a small smile.
But Aragorn saw through that smile. He knew something was bothering his elven friend. He couldn't tell what it was at the moment, but he knew it was something. Something that he didn't want to talk about just yet. Of course, he found Legolas never wanted to talk about it and it had been like that ever since he met the elf. There had always been something the elf kept hidden from him.
"It is nice that you, Elrond and the twins could make it here and Arwen as well. I haven't seen Elrohir and Elladan for quite some time now," Legolas said to the man as they headed back into the palace.
"I find it nice that we could make it. We almost didn't because of an incident that occured before we left. We managed to get it under control in time," Aragorn told him with a smile.
The two walked into the building to be greeted by Elladan and Elrohir. The four smiled at each other.
"It is so good to see you again Legolas. It has been a long time," Elrohir told him.
"Yes, it has been," Legolas told him. "Well, is there something any of you would like to do while our fathers are talking business?"
"I, personally, would like to go out on a horse ride," Elladan suggested. "What about that?"
The others nodded and they headed for the stables.
***
"In which direction should we head?" Aragorn wondered after they left the stables and led the horses out of the palace.
"Legolas, how about taking us to the forest west of the palace? Out of all the times we've been here, we've never gone there," suggested Elladan.
They three of them noticed Legolas' paleness at the mere mention of the place.
"Legolas, is something wrong?" asked Elrohir.
"Nothing, I just don't think we should head in that direction," Legolas replied, shaking his head.
"Why not? We've never gone there and this will probably be our only chance to go there. We only want to go long enough to satisfy our curiousity then we'll be back before our father and your father realize we're even gone," Elrohir told him as he began to head off.
Elladan and Aragorn followed him but Legolas stayed behind for one last moment.
"What am I doing going there again? I must be out of my mind," he quietly asked himself before following them.
***
The four rode into the forest. Legolas was becoming even more nervous, almost scared, by each passing minute and he was surprised that he managed to not let the others see his fear. Either that or they didn't see it yet.
"By the Valar! What a place! Legolas, do you think Nanaylia would've liked this place?" wondered Elladan as he glanced over at him.
Legolas stopped the horse and faced the ground. The three stopped as well and stared at him.
"What's wrong?" asked Aragorn, not understanding the situation.
"What a question to ask Elladan! How inappropriate!" Elrohir scolded his brother, sounding upset.
"Who's this 'Nanaylia'?" wondered Aragorn for he didn't know.
They all saw the immense sadness in the elf's eyes.
"She...she wouldn't have liked it Elladan. I'm sure she wouldn't have," Legloas quietly replied before leading the horse past them.
He left one very confused man and two very guilty elves. Aragorn looked at the two.
"Who's this Nanaylia? Anyone I might have met? Is she a former lover of Legolas'? Who is she?" wondered Aragorn, asking a whole bunch of questions.
"We probably brought back memories of her. You see Aragorn, Nanaylia was Legolas' younger sister," Elrohir replied.
"I don't like the word 'was'," Aragorn told them, giving a cautious look.
"Of course you wouldn't. Noone does. She died many, many years before you were born. We wouldn't have found about it ourselves if Father and us hadn't decided to visit soon after that terrible incident," Elladan sighed as they started off after Legolas.
"What incident that you speak of?" wondered Aragorn. "What happened to her?"
"You ask a lot of questions! I don't think it would be appropriate if we told you what happened to them. It is not our business to tell the story. All you need to know is that Legolas and Nanaylia were very close," was all Elrohir told him before they continued on.
***
Some time later, they travelled into the woods. Legolas was becoming more nervous by ever passing step that they got towards the evil forest: he vividly remembered what happened the last time he was here. He was hoping he wouldn't have to come this way again but he found it couldn't be helped. He really didn't want to go into detail with his company if he refused to bring them here. They didn't know of the forest's danger. His eyes were darting from side to side. His three companions noticed this action and were becoming a bit nervous themselves.
"Legolas, is everything alright?" asked a worried Elrohir. "I've never seen you this jumpy before."
"We shouldn't have come here," whispered the blonde elf.
"Then let's leave before something happens. Our curiousity has been met," replied Aragorn, turning his horse around.
The elves began to follow him and head back but they also never noticed the four sets of eyes watching them.
"Shall we?" one asked the others.
The three nodded in response as they prepared to leave but they elves heard the rustling of leaves and the moving of tree branches. Their horses began to back up a bit.
"Legolas, what's that?" asked Elrohir.
"It's them," was all Legolas said before the figures in question jumped down from the trees.
Their horses began to run away from the figures chasing after them. Aragorn and Legolas had gone in one direction while Elrohir and Elladan went in another. The creatures also separated, two going after each group.
***
Elrohir glanced back as they went forward.
"What are those things? They are unlike anything I have ever seen," he said to his brother.
"I agree with you. We might have to ask Father when we get back," Elladan agreed. "I believe that we should split up."
"Good idea," Elrohir said.
The two headed down separate paths and one figure each followed them.
***
Legolas and Aragorn hurried down the path. The elf was upset by this turn of events and Aragorn saw this.
"We really shouldn't have come here," Legolas quietly said.
"What are those things?" wondered Aragorn.
"I'll explain later. All I can tell you now is that they're creatures of the night," Legolas replied. "Now we should split up."
Aragorn nodded before they headed down separate paths. Legolas glanced back to see who was following him and recognized who it was. He soon stopped and the figure slowed and landed before him.
"Shentree," was all Legolas said.
The gargoyle cocked her head as she looked at the elf standing in front of her.
"Do I...do I know you?" she asked him.
"You just might," came the reply as he gave a small smile.
He readied his bow and aimed it at the gargoyle in front of him. She was searching her memory, trying to figure out who was the elf standing in front of her.
"I do know you, just what is your name?" she quietly asked herself.
Then it hit her and she smiled.
"I know you! You're one of the two little brats that came into our forest many years ago," Shentree told him.
***
Aragorn led his horse down the path. He was now regetting leaving Legolas' side. He was now worried that the things that were after them would harm his elven friend. He glanced back to see that whatever was following him was slowly gaining on him. His gaze returned to ahead of him.
That all changed when he saw that the road ended ahead of him. He stopped the horse and turned around to face the gargoyle. It landed on the ground in front of him.
"What are you?" demanded Aragorn.
"You ask what I am? I am a gargoyle since you should know before you die," the figure replied as she slowly advanced on him.
Aragorn soon realized that he hadn't heard of these creatures but he believed they were a dangerous race. He was caught off guard when the gargoyle rushed towards him and pinned him to the ground.
TBC...
The word rang out throughout his mind.
"Legolas?" it came again, snapping him back to reality.
The elf turned his head to stare at his friend sitting next to him.
"Legolas, is everything alright?" Aragorn asked him, sounding concerned.
"Everything is alright Aragorn. I am fine," Legolas replied, giving a small smile.
But Aragorn saw through that smile. He knew something was bothering his elven friend. He couldn't tell what it was at the moment, but he knew it was something. Something that he didn't want to talk about just yet. Of course, he found Legolas never wanted to talk about it and it had been like that ever since he met the elf. There had always been something the elf kept hidden from him.
"It is nice that you, Elrond and the twins could make it here and Arwen as well. I haven't seen Elrohir and Elladan for quite some time now," Legolas said to the man as they headed back into the palace.
"I find it nice that we could make it. We almost didn't because of an incident that occured before we left. We managed to get it under control in time," Aragorn told him with a smile.
The two walked into the building to be greeted by Elladan and Elrohir. The four smiled at each other.
"It is so good to see you again Legolas. It has been a long time," Elrohir told him.
"Yes, it has been," Legolas told him. "Well, is there something any of you would like to do while our fathers are talking business?"
"I, personally, would like to go out on a horse ride," Elladan suggested. "What about that?"
The others nodded and they headed for the stables.
***
"In which direction should we head?" Aragorn wondered after they left the stables and led the horses out of the palace.
"Legolas, how about taking us to the forest west of the palace? Out of all the times we've been here, we've never gone there," suggested Elladan.
They three of them noticed Legolas' paleness at the mere mention of the place.
"Legolas, is something wrong?" asked Elrohir.
"Nothing, I just don't think we should head in that direction," Legolas replied, shaking his head.
"Why not? We've never gone there and this will probably be our only chance to go there. We only want to go long enough to satisfy our curiousity then we'll be back before our father and your father realize we're even gone," Elrohir told him as he began to head off.
Elladan and Aragorn followed him but Legolas stayed behind for one last moment.
"What am I doing going there again? I must be out of my mind," he quietly asked himself before following them.
***
The four rode into the forest. Legolas was becoming even more nervous, almost scared, by each passing minute and he was surprised that he managed to not let the others see his fear. Either that or they didn't see it yet.
"By the Valar! What a place! Legolas, do you think Nanaylia would've liked this place?" wondered Elladan as he glanced over at him.
Legolas stopped the horse and faced the ground. The three stopped as well and stared at him.
"What's wrong?" asked Aragorn, not understanding the situation.
"What a question to ask Elladan! How inappropriate!" Elrohir scolded his brother, sounding upset.
"Who's this 'Nanaylia'?" wondered Aragorn for he didn't know.
They all saw the immense sadness in the elf's eyes.
"She...she wouldn't have liked it Elladan. I'm sure she wouldn't have," Legloas quietly replied before leading the horse past them.
He left one very confused man and two very guilty elves. Aragorn looked at the two.
"Who's this Nanaylia? Anyone I might have met? Is she a former lover of Legolas'? Who is she?" wondered Aragorn, asking a whole bunch of questions.
"We probably brought back memories of her. You see Aragorn, Nanaylia was Legolas' younger sister," Elrohir replied.
"I don't like the word 'was'," Aragorn told them, giving a cautious look.
"Of course you wouldn't. Noone does. She died many, many years before you were born. We wouldn't have found about it ourselves if Father and us hadn't decided to visit soon after that terrible incident," Elladan sighed as they started off after Legolas.
"What incident that you speak of?" wondered Aragorn. "What happened to her?"
"You ask a lot of questions! I don't think it would be appropriate if we told you what happened to them. It is not our business to tell the story. All you need to know is that Legolas and Nanaylia were very close," was all Elrohir told him before they continued on.
***
Some time later, they travelled into the woods. Legolas was becoming more nervous by ever passing step that they got towards the evil forest: he vividly remembered what happened the last time he was here. He was hoping he wouldn't have to come this way again but he found it couldn't be helped. He really didn't want to go into detail with his company if he refused to bring them here. They didn't know of the forest's danger. His eyes were darting from side to side. His three companions noticed this action and were becoming a bit nervous themselves.
"Legolas, is everything alright?" asked a worried Elrohir. "I've never seen you this jumpy before."
"We shouldn't have come here," whispered the blonde elf.
"Then let's leave before something happens. Our curiousity has been met," replied Aragorn, turning his horse around.
The elves began to follow him and head back but they also never noticed the four sets of eyes watching them.
"Shall we?" one asked the others.
The three nodded in response as they prepared to leave but they elves heard the rustling of leaves and the moving of tree branches. Their horses began to back up a bit.
"Legolas, what's that?" asked Elrohir.
"It's them," was all Legolas said before the figures in question jumped down from the trees.
Their horses began to run away from the figures chasing after them. Aragorn and Legolas had gone in one direction while Elrohir and Elladan went in another. The creatures also separated, two going after each group.
***
Elrohir glanced back as they went forward.
"What are those things? They are unlike anything I have ever seen," he said to his brother.
"I agree with you. We might have to ask Father when we get back," Elladan agreed. "I believe that we should split up."
"Good idea," Elrohir said.
The two headed down separate paths and one figure each followed them.
***
Legolas and Aragorn hurried down the path. The elf was upset by this turn of events and Aragorn saw this.
"We really shouldn't have come here," Legolas quietly said.
"What are those things?" wondered Aragorn.
"I'll explain later. All I can tell you now is that they're creatures of the night," Legolas replied. "Now we should split up."
Aragorn nodded before they headed down separate paths. Legolas glanced back to see who was following him and recognized who it was. He soon stopped and the figure slowed and landed before him.
"Shentree," was all Legolas said.
The gargoyle cocked her head as she looked at the elf standing in front of her.
"Do I...do I know you?" she asked him.
"You just might," came the reply as he gave a small smile.
He readied his bow and aimed it at the gargoyle in front of him. She was searching her memory, trying to figure out who was the elf standing in front of her.
"I do know you, just what is your name?" she quietly asked herself.
Then it hit her and she smiled.
"I know you! You're one of the two little brats that came into our forest many years ago," Shentree told him.
***
Aragorn led his horse down the path. He was now regetting leaving Legolas' side. He was now worried that the things that were after them would harm his elven friend. He glanced back to see that whatever was following him was slowly gaining on him. His gaze returned to ahead of him.
That all changed when he saw that the road ended ahead of him. He stopped the horse and turned around to face the gargoyle. It landed on the ground in front of him.
"What are you?" demanded Aragorn.
"You ask what I am? I am a gargoyle since you should know before you die," the figure replied as she slowly advanced on him.
Aragorn soon realized that he hadn't heard of these creatures but he believed they were a dangerous race. He was caught off guard when the gargoyle rushed towards him and pinned him to the ground.
TBC...