Disclaimer: MWAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!! YES!!! I OWN LEGOLAS AND EVERYTHING LORD OF THE RINGS!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! *ahem* Actually, NO. I don't own anything. *grumbles* Dammit.
*************Chapter 27*****************
AN: The first part of this chapter takes place during the previous (when Legolas and Aleka are stuck in the cell together) night, but it takes place in Aleka's and Eressa's room. A short summary: Eressa wakes up.
*********
With a deep sigh the sleeping girl turned over in bed, only to be bombarded with moonlight. Eressa groggily yawned and covered her eyes, wishing she had never woken. The memories of before were quick to come back to her conscious, and the pain…well…in her heart she felt the pain had never left.
I can't believe I tried to do what I did…she thought as she laid in bed. But it probably would have been better if I had been successful. Why did Sauron save me? Why am I so important to him?
It was only then that Eressa realized that her slumber had not been interrupted by neither the Dark Lord nor his dreams. Or was she still dreaming?
Slowly sitting up, Eressa reached over and pinched herself on the arm. "Ouch." She muttered as her nerves delivered a signal to her brain. (AN: Getting really scientific aren't I? LOL.)
So maybe I'm not dreaming. But then again, maybe I am. After all, my dreams are so real. Then she gasped. I have to be dreaming! Why am I in my room?
Looking around, Eressa saw the things that were familiar to her…Aleka's bed…the nightstand they shared in the small room, and the table and chairs they often used for working. It was night, and she wasn't in the cell with Legolas.
I am dreaming…aren't I? Eressa thought uncertainly. She didn't see any trace of Legolas or Sauron, the two persons (if you could call them people) she had dreamed of the most. It was just her…and her room.
If I'm not dreaming, Aleka should be here. The girl concluded. I don't know.
Quietly getting out of her bed and setting her bare feet on the floor, Eressa looked around the room for her friend. Aleka was also not in sight. Eressa unconsciously made her way to the door and opened it, carefully as to avoid it creaking. Luckely the doors hinges had been well oiled and it didn't make a sound as she opened it. Eressa knew that servants who snuck about at night were punished, but she wanted to find her friend.
Wait. The girl's mind commanded. I should stay here. Aleka will come back soon. I hope I'm not dreaming.
As silently as she had done before, Eressa closed the door and climbed back into bed. She planned to stay awake until Aleka returned, but unfortunately her tiredness was too much for her to bear.
I'll just lay down…for a little while. She thought to herself, reclining on the bed. That being said, she was out again, like a candle being snuffed out.
*********
Aleka hurried to her room that morning. She wanted to get to her room before Eressa awoke, so that she wouldn't have to explain where exactly she'd been. She'd just leave the explaining to Legolas.
She managed to get the guard to leaver her at the red door, stating that she knew her way around the place she lived, and took off down the halls at a pace that wasn't walking, but wasn't running either.
Aleka rounded a corner faster than she had intended, and nearly ran into a person. She and the other both exchanged cries of surprise, but then they saw who they were looking at.
"Well, if it isn't Miss Aleka?" Celda mocked. She had an armful of fabric, and looked to be having a difficult time holding it.
Aleka didn't even think of offering to help. "And you, Celda. Nice to see you this morning." Her comment was laced with sarcasm, and Celda's eyes narrowed.
"Where are you running off to so quickly?" She shot back, hoping to dig something out of the other girl.
"That's none of your business." Replied Aleka.
"I'll make it my business. I'm sure Lord Curdolin would love to hear that you're sneaking about in the early hours of the morning." Celda smirked.
Aleka scowled. "For your information, I was just returning from doing my duty, Celda."
Celda's smirk disappeared quickly, for she had understood what Aleka had meant. "Duty? What duty? Your man died some time ago."
Aleka so wanted to go on, and brag to the girl about kissing the elf, and then go on into some good lies…but whatever she told Celda would most likely be shoved back into the face of Eressa.
"Well, that shows that you have much more figuring to do." She said with a smile, borrowing the line Legolas had used on her the previous night. With that, she happily bounced away, leaving Celda angry and confused.
*********
Legolas was carefully attached to the end of the line of prisoners as they paraded through the halls. Eredor was three men in front of him, and he was shooting the elf humorous faces. Legolas smiled back at him but he had aways been puzzled by his human friend's cheery nature at the beginnings of a hard days work.
If only I could be more like that…the elf thought. Perhaps it would make the work go faster and easier.
Several other slaves were added to the line, and then they were marched out into the sunlight of the day. The new arena had made great progress over the last few days. The walls now were completely finished, and the slaves were beginning the difficult work of raising the stone pillars that had been hauled in yesterday.
Legolas gasped slightly as a huge contraption was rolled into the ring by rows and rows of slaves. It appeared to be some sort of lifting device.
For the pillars. He thought. So we don't have to stack them by hand.
Legolas was grateful for that. Little did he know, he wouldn't be as the day went on.
************
Aleka reached her door, and opened it carefully, peering in. She gave a sigh of relief. Eressa was still sleeping. Stepping into the room, her eyes rested on the unfinished tapestry still draped on her bed. Aleka mentally sighed. She was instructed to have that thing done by noon today.
I'll never get it done alone…I'll have to wake Eressa. She concluded.
But as if the other girl had heard her thoughts, she began to stir. Aleka smiled and kneeled down beside her. Eressa blinked a few times and then fully opened her eyes.
"Aleka?" She murmured, yawning.
"Good day, Eressa." The older girl replied. "How are you feeling?"
Eressa's face fell as she remembered how she had acted the previous day. "Oh…I…" she stuttered, not able to answer.
Aleka smiled reassuringly and sat down on the bed next to her. "It's alright. The important thing is that your fine."
"But I can't believe I even thought of…I even tried to do that…" Eressa murmured. "I'm so confused, Aleka. I don't even know if I'm awake anymore."
Aleka blinked. "What? Of course your awake. Your sitting here talking to me, aren't you?"
Eressa nodded, but her expression didn't change. "Yes, but my dreams are so real…I don't know the difference." The girl looked up and around. "Why am I still here?"
Aleka started to panic. "You…you…stayed here…for the night." She wasn't entirely sure how she could lie to Eressa.
If she found out the truth from Legolas, she'd never trust me again. The thought worried Aleka.
"I woke up last night…I think." Eressa began. "I thought I was dreaming because it was night and at night I'm supposed to be with Legolas and instead I was here."
"I…didn't let the guard take you, Eressa. You were still sleeping." Aleka explained.
"But when I woke up, you weren't here. Where did you go?" Eressa asked directly.
Aleka winced. That was the question she had been dreading. "Well…you see…when the guard came…and he wanted to wake you…I said no and…"
Eressa was beginning to think there was something strange about her friend's behavior. "And?" She asked expectantly.
Aleka blinked once before confessing in a fast blur. "IofferedtogotoLegolasasareplacement." She said as quickly as she could, her eyes down.
Eressa widened her eyes. "You did what?"
"I'm sorry, Eressa!" Aleka blurted. "I know I shouldn't have, but I wanted just to see what he looked like…you did say he was handsome and I wanted to find out for myself…"
Her voice trailed off and she looked up. Eressa's face was marred with confusion.
"What?" The young girl asked.
Aleka sighed. This was not going to be easy. "Eressa, can I tell you something?"
Eressa smiled slightly. "You can tell me anything. I tell you anything."
Aleka smiled in return, but very nervously. She reached over to a nightstand and pulled out a drawer, revealing needles and thread. She grabbed a few, and offered them to Eressa, who took them. "Well, here. Let's get back to work on our tapestry, and I'll tell you everything."
********
Aleka told Eressa everything. Every single detail from when she first stepping into Legolas's chamber to the kiss…well, maybe everything that happened right before the kiss. Eressa seemed to accept what Aleka had told her and was not angry. But as outgoing as Aleka most often was, she was too nervous to reveal her mistake to her friend. Now the girls were both working hurriedly on the tapestry that was supposed to be done in only a few hours.
But Legolas will probably tell her tonight…she thought worriedly. And then Eressa will wonder why I didn't tell her. I hope she won't begin to distrust me.
Aleka was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt a sharp prick on her finger. "Ouch." She exclaimed as she carefully plucked the needer from her skin.
Eressa looked up in alarm at her friend's exclamation. "What's wrong?"
"Just a prick of the finger, that's all." Answered the older girl, looking up and smiling. "It's nothing serious."
Eressa smiled in return. She was beginning to act like her old self again, Aleka decided. But tonight could change all that. She could begin to act abnormal again, and this time she might not change back.
Aleka sighed in sadness. So much was happening to Eressa at once. Sauron haunting her in her dreams, her attraction for Legolas found out…
And then there's me…the girl thought with despair. Once she finds out about the kiss she'll have even more reason to become depressed.
In her mind Aleka kept rerunning the events of last night…meeting the elf…explaining Eressa to him…trying to hit him….kissing him…
The daydreams were interrupted with Eressa's voice.
"Where are the…." She hesitated, a flash of inner pain in her eyes. "…The scissors?"
Aleka stared at her friend. She realized that the scissors reminded Eressa of the terrible thing she tried to do yesterday. Pushing the painful thought out of her mind, she turned her eyes to the nightstand, where she had placed the scissors after Eressa had tried to use them on herself.
Then she remembered. "Wait! I gave them to Legolas." She exclaimed.
Eressa looked at her strangely. "You didn't tell me that."
Aleka nodded. "Sorry. I forgot that detail. I took them with me for defense in case he tried something."
Eressa shot Aleka a boy-were-you-clueless look and smiled. Aleka shrugged in defense and continued.
"He made me give them to me anyway." she excused. "And he said…he said…" Her mind struggled to remember.
**Flashback**
"You can give me those." Legolas's voice rang in Aleka's ears.
Aleka shot her head up. "The scissors? Why?"
"Perhaps if you cooperate, Eressa will tell you. But now it is you who must tell me something." Legolas said, narrowing his eyes.
**End Flashback**
"He said that you could tell me something about me giving them to him." Aleka said, narrowing her eyes.
Eressa blinked, confused. "I know nothing, honest. No…wait…" Eressa suddenly remembered her own plan to bring Legolas the scissors to use as a carving tool.
Perhaps Legolas saw them and thought they'd make good carving tools too! She decided. And Aleka unwittingly brought them to him!
Eressa snapped out of her thoughts and turned back to a waiting Aleka. "There is something Legolas, my brother and I have been planning." She began.
Aleka eyed the younger girl with interest. "Go on," She said.
"I must know that you will never breathe a word of this to anyone else unless instructed so, Aleka." Eressa implied seriously.
Aleka nodded her head eagerly. "I promise. Go on."
Eressa took a deep breath. "We've…we've been planning to escape."
Aleka narrowed her eyes. "Go on." She ordered for the third time.
"Legolas wanted the scissors from you because he was planning to carve weapons from the planks in his bed." Eressa said. "He was going to use the weapons to aid in the escape."
Aleka smiled slightly. Escape…the entire thought fascinated her. Like Eressa, she had also been born into slavery, and had never tasted freedom.
"Can I help?" She asked eagerly, growing more excited. She never would have dreamed Eressa would be involved in something like this.
Legolas must need her for something…she thought. Something other than supplying him with tools, perhaps?
"Well…I'll have to discuss that with Legolas," Eressa answered. "I'll ask when I see him tonight, alright?"
Aleka nodded happily. "Right. Now, let's finish this tapestry."
*************
"And…PULL!!"
The cry of the guard pierced the cooling air as Legolas and his fellow slaved tightly yanked on the ropes attached to the lifting device, raising a stone pillar a few feet off the ground.
"Harder you fools! Put your backs into it!"
With a sharp exhale, Legolas gripped the rope tighter. He had been at work like this all day. The other slaves, including Eredor, had been rotating jobs throughout the day, but Legolas had been stationed here since the morning. His body ached from the abuse, but the guards and their whips were never far away, and he couldn't let himself slack off, unless he wanted another painful welt upon his back.
So far he had been lucky—the guards had sneered a couple of racist jokes and then left their harassments at that. He hadn't received the whip yet.
Legolas watched as the other slaves around him also pulled tighter, but the stone only moved upward a few more feet.
One more pull and it will be in the right position…he thought. Valar…give me strength.
Legolas closed his eyes as he envisioned his gods. With a snarl between gritted teeth, the elf pulled back on the rope one last time. One of the clothes on his hands slipped and the rope burnt his skin, but he kept pulling. Eventually, the rest of the slaves helped to raise the stone into the right position.
"Good!" Cried a guard. "Steady now…"
Legolas watched as another station of slaves used long poles to maneuver the aloft stone above the others like it. When it was in the right place, they signaled for the stone to be lowered back down.
Legolas's hands groaned in pain as the rope cut deeper into his skin. He took a step forward, and then dug in his heels, lowering the stone a little. He and the others continued this until the stone sat atop the pillar.
With that, the ropes were let go and cut. Legolas quickly replaced the cloth on his hand, wincing as the dirty cloth touched his newly burnt skin.
Suddenly, there was a strangled cry of pain from the other side of the arena.
"What's going on?" A guard called as the cry reached his ears as well.
"Help! Help! Get some of your men over here!" Came the reply.
The guard couldn't see, but as Legolas narrowed his eyes he saw a huddle of men around a cart full of stones. An array of voices crowded the elf's ears.
"He's trapped! Get 'im outta there!"
"No way I'm risking my back! Do it yerself!"
"He's suffocating!"
An arrow of fear pierced Legolas's heart. The last he saw, Eredor was working hauling the carts of stones in that area. He didn't hear Eredor's voice among the crowd, nor did he see him. Something was terribly wrong.
Quick as a flash of lightning, Legolas took off down the center of the ring. Several other slaves had started before him, but in his panic he easily passed them. He reached the edge of the crowd in a few seconds, the others huffing and puffing behind him.
"Can't we pull it off 'im?"
"No, the wheels would crush him!"
"We have to lift it!"
Legolas searched. His eyes could see nothing over the heads of the other slaves, though he was quite a bit taller than most.
There was a strangled cry of anguish from the ground, and Legolas started to worry more as he didn't see Eredor in the growing crowd around him. Ignoring the other slaves, he pushed his way to the front of the crowd, in front of the cart. Instantly he was relieved.
Eredor was among 3 men all bending down trying to heave the cart off the ill-fated man. Looking down Legolas saw him. He was face down in the dust, his eyes bulging and the occasional groan on pain escaping his lungs.
"Hurry! It's crushing 'im!"
"Somebody help!"
"Legolas!"
The elf started at the unusual sound of his name. Eredor had shouted it, obviously forgetting that the elf had wanted to keep it secret. But in a desperate situation like this few were able to hear, or remember.
"Help!" Eredor cried, and Legolas stepped forward, grasping the edges of the cart with his strong elven hands. (AN: Ooooh….hands…)
"Ok, lads!" Another slave cried. "On three! One…two…three!"
With a chorus of grunts the 3 men and the elf lifted the cart some height off the ground, and the weight was lifted from the man's back, allowing him a life-saving breath of air. Yet no one from the crowd stepped forward to pull him out.
"Eredor….get him." Legolas whispered through clenched teeth. His arms trembled from the weight, but their strength never faltered. (AN: Oooh…rippling elven biceps…yum!)
"But you…won't be able to hold it….then." Eredor answered, his own arms threatening to give way.
"I can…do it. Help him. Please." Came the reply.
Eredor bit his lip as he slowly let go and allowed Legolas and the other two men to support the extra weight. The two men showed signs of weakening as he did, but remarkably, the cart didn't lower a single inch. Looking up, Eredor saw that Legolas had now closed his eyes and appeared to be taking all the extra weight himself.
Must be that elven strength of theirs…the young man thought. I'd better hurry nonetheless.
Reaching down under the cart, Eredor grasped the injured man under his arms and successfully pulled him all the way out from under the cart. As soon as the man was safe, the two men dropped their side of the cart, exhausted. But Legolas continued to hold up his end of the cart about a foot off the ground, before finally opening his eyes and dropping his load.
"Get this fellow inside!" The voices continued shouting. "He needs to be treated immediately."
Legolas turned away from the cart and saw Eredor squatting on the ground a few feet away, wiping away the sweat on his forehead. The young man looked back up to him and smiled.
"Well that doesn't happen everyday, does it?" He jested breathlessly, slowly getting up.
"Let's hope it doesn't." Replied the elf. He turned his head and watched as the injured man was carried away by some of his fellow slaves. "He will be alright, I hope."
"He's got a few broken ribs at the least." Grimly answered Eredor. "I did that once, when I was a lad. Fell off a horse. Hurts like red hot poker shoved into your side."
"Yes, I've done that also." Agreed the elf quietly.
"How?" Inquired his curious friend.
"Same as you." Answered Legolas. "I fell of my horse an hour after I received him for my 34th birthday." The elf turned to Eredor, who seemed astonished at the mentioned age and added: "That is a lad in elf terms."
Eredor smiled. "I see." The young man looked around to see that the other slaves were departing and returning to their stations.
"Well, friend." He said kindly. "Farewell, for a while."
Legolas nodded and returned the farewell, and then turned and walked back to his station, where the slaves were already mounting another stone pillar into the lifting device, as if nothing had happened.
Humans…Legolas thought…are an enigma.
Legolas turned to glance over his shoulder at Eredor one last time before getting to work, but he couldn't see the young man among the bustling slaves returning to their work.
Who he did see, made him want to scream.
***********Personal thingy**********
AN: Ah, another nice cliffhanger for you. But that's not the important thing. This is: I apologize for the late-ness of this chapter from the bottom of my heart. But I must ask you wonderful people to be patient because I am really really behind and school and the musical and my parents aren't helping…plus this weekend and the next I'm going either up north or staying somewhere with a friend…no computer…so please be patient and wait. I love you all and I hope you understand.
Whitecoyote: Oh, please?? Can't I just borrow Will for like a day? I promise I won't hurt him!! *sticks hand behind back and crosses fingers* Honest, really I am!!
LOL. Ok. I'm glad you liked this chapter! I think Legolas is adorable too!! And I want to be Eressa too!! *cries* Why can't I be her?? Life is so unfair!! Oh…If I do go to a friends house this weekend and the next, I'm making them rent Don Juan Demarco for me now!! The Man Who Cried is ok, but Johnny in it makes it much better. He's only in there for a little bit though. He's the man who cried. LOL. Thanks!
Andmetwen: Glad you liked it! Well, you'll see in the future why he's been in a coma, but for now I'll tell you this. It has to do with all the hardships he's been going through. I'm kinda making up my own reason for his coma, not a logical reason. Well maybe a logical reason. I'm confusing myself. Seeya! Thanks!
XxDarkgoddessxX: Yep, it cut you off again, but I e-mailed you, so we're good, yes? Luv ya, chica!! *kisses*
Nikki: Hehe. I know that you meant to type 'this was good,' but it showed up 'this was god.' LOL. There were more author notes in this chapter, I hope you liked them! Thanks!
Forestsong: I'm not stopping!! I'm typing like a mad woman!! Yee-ha!!!
Nirobie: Your friends think your gonna kill them? Why would you do that? Huh? *is confused* Well, I'm glad you liked it. Yeah, I know the Legolas giving in to Aleka is a bit of a shocker, but elves have weaknesses too, and you have to remember that Legolas is a young man/elf thing…Which of my other stories are you reading? The Song of the White Wood? Well I hope you like what I posted so far, but I'm not gonna work on that one anymore until this ones done. It's just too much work otherwise. Thanks, luv ya!!
Crystal Snowflakes: It's ok! You don't have to review for every chapter, as long as you review!! *Legolas gives you hug to calm you down* Here's the deal with the coma/dream thing…He was in the coma while having the dream. Does that make sense? I hope! Thanks girl!! Bye! *hugs from all of us*
Samwise the Strong: I have surpassed 200 reviews. This is what I'm gonna do next: I'M GONNA HIJACK A PLANE, FLY TO WHEREVER THE HECK ORLANDO BLOOM IS AND I'M GONNA KIDNAP HIM (MORE LIKE INSANELY-HOT-MAN-NAP) AND TAKE HIM AWAY WITH ME TO GET MARRIED AND HAVE MANY MANY CHILDREN!!!!!!!!
*blink*
I hereby state this rule: I can have no more caffeine before I respond to reviewers. Thanks! *slaps sauron multiple times…really hard too!* Run!! *comes back and pokes you for forever!!* Hah! Beat that!! Bye!!
The Noble Platypus: Yep! Updated! Yay for being a Boylan Sister!!
Yes, you are that smart!! You're the smartest Platypus out there! I've never met another platypus that can talk and write!!
*sing song voice* Legolas was tempted…lalalalala…Hey! Don't slap my elf! Only I can do that! Mwahahah!
Yep, a S-E-Q-U-E-L. Sorry, but your gonna have to wait, cuz this story STILL hasn't even begun, and I'm already at almost 30 chapters!! But I promise I'll try and hurry, just for you!
NO, he wasn't dead. He was in a coma. You'll know why in the future, but it has something to do with the hardships he's been through and the physiological damage it's caused. And it's gonna happen again. And more things are gonna start…and overall I'm gonna give our elf a very very hard time.
Glad you thought the dream was cute! SECHOOWAL TENSHUN!! That is so fun!!
Yay! I'm smut free!! Be sure to keep that smut-radar on my story, kay? You never know what I'm gonna do next….
Thanks a bunch!! Luv ya!!
Truffles: Uh….ok