Disclaimer: I own nothing. Period.
************Chapter 37**************
Eressa awoke to the soft humming of a very musical voice. Her eyelashes fluttered open and she found Legolas hovering over her, a careless hand running fingers through her long, gold hair. He was humming a melodious and beautiful tune.
"Good morning, my love." He said, raising an eyebrow at her as she rubbed her eyes. "Slept well?"
"Of course." Came the tired reply. Eressa began to sit up, but Legolas hastily dipped his head down and lightly kissed her lips, forcing her down again. She giggled in a girlish fashion and shoved him off her, only to give him a proper kiss when she finally sat up.
"Good morning." She chirped cheerfully, and Legolas smiled. He loved to see her happy.
"That song—the one you were humming—is it an elvish tune?" She asked with curiosity.
"Yes—one of my favorites." Legolas said.
"Does it have words?" Eressa questioned.
Legolas shook his head. "Actually it's a dance piece."
"Elves dance?"
There was a chuckle from the elf. "Of course. We go about drinking and feasting and merrymaking just as you humans do."
"Do you dance?" Eressa eagerly asked.
Legolas again chuckled. "Yes. But not very well, I'm afraid."
"I've never danced in my life." Eressa suddenly realized.
Legolas leaned forward and hushed his voice to a whisper. "When we get out of here, I'll teach you to dance, and then when we get to my home…we'll throw a party in your honor."
Eressa grinned and blushed. "Just for me?"
"Just for you." Legolas said softly, suddenly becoming overwhelmed with his wanting for this young girl on the bed beside him. He leaned forward and caught her lips with his own, pressing her to him tightly.
Eressa let out a little squeal of surprise and delight, but she didn't hesitate to sink into his arms and kiss him back. Legolas was careful this time not to let his hands go astray. Instead he wrapped his arms around her slim waist and stood up, pulling her with him. He pulled away and grinned.
"It goes like this." He said, referring to dancing, again humming the tune as he and Eressa began to sway gently to and fro.
Eressa tried to mimic his steps and again giggled, but she stepped on his foot, tripping him. "Sorry!" She cried, worrying that she had hurt him.
Legolas laughed. "It's fine." He excused. He stopped the slow dance and stood still. His forehead rested against Eressa's his icy blue eyes looking straight into hers.
"I love you." He murmured sincerely. "And we're going to get out of here…and you and your brother and I will be free."
Eressa's smile faded when Legolas mentioned his plan to escape. "Have you completed the plan yet?" She asked timidly.
Legolas blinked and nodded slowly. "Yes. But…it involves your cooperation."
"What do I have to do?" Eressa questioned.
"Find out where your brother's cell is." Legolas said.
"Oh!" Eressa exclaimed. "I can do that. Aleka knows where it is."
"And there is another thing." Legolas continued. "You have to…well…let me explain."
He guided her back down to the bed and sat beside her. "You'll have to act like I'm hurting you Eressa." He said, having difficulty explaining. "Scream and pound on the door…anything to get the guards to come and let you out."
Eressa listened with curiosity. "They'll think you are hurting me?"
"Yes. They should come and let you out, shouldn't they?"
"Yes."
"Well, then I'll…I'll have my bow ready and we could make it out that way."
Eressa's eyes widened. "You mean to kill them?"
Legolas shook his head vigorously, his head not hurting at all. "Threaten them is all that I hope I have to do to them. But if they attack you or me…then I might have to use the bow."
"You've made arrows, haven't you?" Inquired the girl.
"A few. It's hard to carve them out of this type of wood…some of them break." Legolas replied with a dark tone.
Eressa could sense the elf's nervousness with the subject. He was nervous that his plan could somehow go wrong…Good. Then she wasn't the only one. She reached a hand to his face and pulled him towards her.
"I believe in you." She whispered, as she felt the elf grasp her body and hold her to him for comfort.
"I don't want to be responsible for anything…even the most perfect plans can be ruined in a single instant." Legolas murmured as he rested his head on her shoulder.
Eressa felt this was a good time to change to subject. Turning her head, she noticed the writings on the wall. "Have you been writing?" She asked.
Legolas looked up. "Oh. Yes. I've been keeping track of the days I've been here."
"What if the guards see it?" Eressa asked.
"They have. But they haven't done anything about it." Legolas replied. "I don't expect they care much."
"I bet they can't read it anyway." Eressa said softly.
"Precisely." The elf said with a grin. "But I'm glad you've reminded me—I have to put a mark for today." He pulled away from her grasp, and reached under his bed for the writing stone.
In doing so, his hand bumped into what was shaping into Eressa's birthday present, and he let a small smile of eagerness cross his face. Then his hand closed around the writing stone, and he pulled it out. Turning around and kneeling on top of the bed, he began to scratch another mark to signify his 27th day here.
Eressa watched him as he ground a mark into the wall.
"Five days." He murmured softly to himself.
"Five days to what?" Inquired Eressa, confused.
"You're birthday, silly." He teased as he paused to look at her. Then he turned back and finished the mark. Suddenly, he felt a small jab of pain in his skull.
"Ow." He said as he once again halted to put a hand to his temple.
Eressa narrowed her eyes in concern. "Legolas?"
The pain grew larger, and Legolas gripped the stone in his hand even harder. "I…I…don't feel well…" He whispered…and then it came.
He was seized by a wave of pain and suddenly hundreds of images flashed though his mind: Sauron…the Stream of the Dead…Eredor…Ithilion…his father…the boy he'd tried to save…Angarod…he was completely consumed by them.
Very faintly, Legolas could feel the hand holding the writing stone begin to move. But his mind was elsewhere.
Legolas suddenly opened his eyes and he was in something he'd never seen before…a desert. The dry, cracked ground stretched on for miles and miles…even he couldn't see a single plant or tree.
"Legolas!" There was a cry behind him. Legolas turned around, and saw two things: Eredor and Sauron. Sauron was standing much closer to him and Eredor was farther off in the distance, running towards them.
"Legolas!" He called again.
"Eredor!" Legolas said, staring at the Dark Lord that wasn't even twenty feet away from him. "Don't come any closer!"
Eredor either didn't hear him or didn't listen. He ran closer.
"Eredor!" Legolas cried. "Stop!"
Eredor kept running. Forty…thirty feet…then he approached Sauron, not even a few feet from him! The Dark Lord let the human just pass him before he trust out an armored hand and caught Eredor by the back of the neck.
"No!" Legolas shouted as Sauron lifted Eredor clear off the ground with not even the slightest difficulty. "Let him go!"
The Dark Lord, armor covering his mouth—if he even had one—could not smile so the elf could see. But Legolas saw a smile form in those fire-red eyes, glowing deep in that skull. He lifted Eredor high, and with a simple flick of his wrist, twisted Eredor's head all the way around.
There was a snap as the young man's neck broke, and the disgusting sound as his muscles and arteries tore as Sauron ripped his head clear off. He threw the head and body away, where they disappeared into the dust. Then he spoke.
I just enjoy seeing you suffer for your friends. He said, his voice rumbling the ground. Friends…I never saw the use in having friends.
He took a step closer. But we have more important things to speak about than friends, Legolas Greenleaf.
Legolas winced at the sound of his own name being spoken by the Dark Lord. "Leave me and mine alone." He choked. He wanted desperately to run, but he was planted to the ground like a deep-rooted tree. He couldn't move.
That will not happen. Sauron said rather plainly. Whether you like it or not. You cannot stop me. I am not a physical being. But I will be soon, and it will be thanks to you…and that human child you seem to care about so much. Sauron finished with a sneer in his voice.
"Don't bring Eressa into this, you monster!" Screamed Legolas, unable to contain himself. "You have frightened her enough, just leave her be!"
Sauron laughed, a terrible sound. It is not possible. She is already mine. Another laugh ripped through Legolas's skull. He closed his eyes, but he could still see red stars exploding. Far away, he felt his hand seize writing.
Then he opened his eyes.
"Legolas!" Eressa cried as she caught him as he fell backwards, saving him from hitting the back of his head painfully on the dirt floor. The writing stone dropped from his limp hand.
His eyes were open, but she could find no clues to whether he was dead or alive. His skin was cold.
It's just like his dreams…Eressa realized.
"Legolas, wake up!" She cried, shaking him. He didn't respond.
"Legolas!" She tried again, but her call was reduced to a sob, and tears began to form.
Suddenly, the elf blinked. "Eressa?"
"Le…Legolas!" Eressa shouted, overjoyed. She flung her arms around him and embraced him, but Legolas abruptly cried out in pain, and she pulled back again.
"What's wrong? What happened?" She asked eagerly.
Legolas tried to swallow, but his throat was as dry as sandpaper. "Ss…Sauron." He whispered, and she began to help him sit up. As he did, Legolas felt something warm drip below his nose.
He reached up a hand, which came away bloody.
A nosebleed? The elf thought in confusion. Has the episodes I've been having every time I have a vision been harming my physical body that much?
"Oh, here. Let me get that." Eressa quickly offered, and she ripped off a bottom piece of her skirt and wiped the blood away.
"He's not going to give up." Legolas said when she was finished, voice and face blank.
Eressa stopped tending him. "Who?" No response. She gulped. "Sauron?"
"Yes."
Eressa wiped her tears on the back of her hand. "Why can't he leave us alone? What does he want with us?"
"He told…told me that he needed us to become a physical being again." Legolas replied, a hand cradling his aching skull.
"How does he need us for that?" Eressa asked, though she knew Legolas didn't have the answers. "Damn him!"
Legolas looked at Eressa in surprise. He'd never heard her curse before. Eressa frowned and looked away in shame.
"Sorry." She muttered.
"It's alright." Legolas answered. "He should be damned. No…He already is."
There wasn't a response from Eressa. Legolas surveyed her, as she stared at the wall he was writing on only a few seconds ago.
"Eressa?" He asked. "What is it?"
"The wall." She said.
Legolas narrowed his eyes but then looked towards the wall. The elf gasped in shock when he saw elven words, in his handwriting, scrawled across the stone.
Legolas glanced down at the writing stone, which lay by his side. The sharp tip he used for writing was ground down flat.
"What do they say?" Eressa asked. "You wrote them."
Legolas didn't answer. He was too petrified to.
"Legolas?" Eressa called. "Please answer me."
She slowly moved next to him and embraced him tightly, a gesture they both found comforting. Still, Legolas couldn't bring himself to answer.
Eressa didn't give up. "Legolas, please."
Legolas swallowed as he tried to speak. He took a breath, but it seemed not to help him.
On the dark stained wall, the heavily ground marks formed the frightening and dangerous message:
The Child will bring The End.
***************Personal thingy*************
AN: Now we're getting' somewhere!
The Noble Platypus: Oh, Platy, I'm so sorry! I don't know why I keep forgetting people, especially you! I'm sorry! *begs on knees* Please forgive me!
SECHSHOOWAL TENSHUN!!! Ohmigod that is so fun! WEEEE!!!
You know what….I used to love The Land Before Time! Did you know they came out with like the eighth one? It's like, god! Drop the dinosaurs and think of something new for a change!! LOL!
Thanks for telling me it wasn't too tacky. That always makes me feel better. *smiles* Yep! Eressa loves Legolas! Legolas loves Eresssa! We're all happy! And yes, Aleka has pretty much redeemed herself. She's a good girl, she just is a little too….um…confident when it comes to men. I'll give you a spoiler…Aleka isn't gonna be in the second part of the trilogy, but she'll be in the third! In fact, she's gonna be a really important character in the third part!
OH…MY….GOD!!! Have you updated?? I'm gonna go read it right now!! *runs off* *comes back* OH, and thanks a whoooooole bunch, girl! I love you! Bye!
Legolas_gurl: I'm really very sorry for forgetting you! I just have so many reviewers to reply too and it's hard to keep track of them all…I'm sorry! Forgive me? Yeah, and I know that Orlando's got a girlfriend, Kate Bosworth. They've been going out for like 6 months. I'm NOT a fan of hers and I'm CERTAINLY NOT her! Boy would I like to be though!!! It's bad, but it's better than Orlando being all out on his own, isn't it? Thanks!
Whitecoyote: Hey! Yep, boys have dirty, dirty minds!! Thanks! And you found out at least something about Legolas's plot to escape in this chapter!
Me and Legolas: *show up*
Me: *feeling very smug cuz I kissed Legolas* Hey! Wazzup, ma homies?
You: *also feeling smug* Oh…ya know…the ususual, ma sista!
Pippen: *drilling frantically* Let me out of here before they beat me!
Legolas: Their beating you?
Will: Yes, cuz he insulted me and my manly-ness. *puffs out chest*
Legolas: *snicker* Well that's not very hard!
Will: *is shocked* How DARE you!! *begins to approach Legolas, but is intercepted by You.*
You: William, I think you've had a little too much wine!
Will: Have not!
You: Have too!
Legolas: I'll tell you one thing: I haven't had enough wine! *sits down and pours another glass*
Pippen: *finishes drilling hole thru door and begins to slowly crawl out, unnoticed*
Will: *continuing arguing* Have not!
You: Have too—wait. This is getting nowhere. We need to punish that hobbit. *turns around and sees hole in door* Oh no! Where'd he go!
Will: He escaped! We must find him!
Me: You must REALLY want to beat him up, eh?
Will: *puts on a sad puppy face* Well…well…h-he hurt m-my feelings!
You: Good grief….
To be continued!!
Crystal Snowflakes: Hey girl! I'm glad your so happy! I'm pretty happy too! Yay for both of us!! Good luck with your new guy! I have a new guy too, but he's just a friend. He's too good of a friend to go out with, you know? But I'm gonna ask him to Prom, and I bet he'll go with me if I asked! So yay! For both of us! Thanks a lot! Oh! And have you updated? Tell me when you do! Thanks again!
Nirobie: Yeah, slacking is great! My writing is the only thing I feel guilty for doing that for though! LOL! Thanks a lot, girl! Later!
PaliminoRider16: Uh…I'm confused too…what gave you the idea that I wasn't the only one writing this fic? Yeah, I AM the only one writing this, but what gave you that idea? LOL.
Deana: Yay! Cookies! I love them! Anyway, thanks a lot! It's good being a fast reader. I can read pretty fast too!
Deana (again): Yay! My chapters are "sweet"! For some reason I got a visual of a skater boy going "Dude…Sweeeet" when I read that. LOL! Thanks a bunch!
Elainor: I know…wait until the next chapter! You'll see what I mean! Thank you very, very much!
Yuna, Lady of Light: Oh, so you changed your name! That's ok, I like this one too! Pretty! Thank you for the compliments and I'll have the next chapter up soon as I can!
Nikki: You were CRYING?? Oh gosh, I wanted this chapter to be emotional, but honestly, I didn't want you to cry, Nikki! Here have a tissue! *hands you over tissues* I'm a sap for romantics too! WOW, gosh! You flatter me, really! I don't think I could ever measure up to Tolkien, and I'm sure he'd never approve of my work! He's probably rolling around in his grave as we speak! LOL. But thank you SO MUCH!! Your compliments really encourage me! Thank you!
XxDarkgoddessxX: JENNI!! Hi! OH, YAY! You found out how to keep your computer from cutting you off! That's good. I got to see Sesshy!! He's such a cool character! I'd like to try and draw him someday…I draw a lot. Did I tell you that?
Well, anywhoo…Yay for getting the PotC DVD!! I've seen my friend's DVD, but I won't be getting my own until Christmas. Darnit. Oh well. There are like four easter eggs in there, did you know that? One of them is a Japanese TV advertisement for PotC!
Good for you to enter art in the art contest! I should do that sometime! Who is Crabby? And Yay! For meeting a guy! Ohh….Gothika! I wanna see that! Tell me if it's any good!
Sux that your friend got suspended! I hope you don't get into any trouble for what that bitch lied about! Boy, you get to go on a ton of field trips! The next one I'm going on is in March! To New York City!
Ah…snow. You're lucky you have it! Here in Wisconsin we haven't had a single flake yet! I know, everybody says "It's Wisconsin, you always have snow" but for the past two years it hasn't been that way. We're lucky if we get snow for Christmas!
Thanks a ton, girl! Luv ya, and bye!
Samwise the Strong: Yeah…I've been really busy! I worked on my Spanish Project this entire weekend…like non-stop! It was terrible! Happy Birthday! I know it's belated one day, but Happy Birthday anyway! Yay! You only have one more year before you can drink legally without your parents around. Me, I'm never touching alcohol. Yeech. All alcohol just tastes gross, to me. Except Mike's Hard Lemonade. Ohh…I like those. Elijah Wood is hosting SNL on the 13th? Oh, I'd better tell my sister! She'll be all riled up and then my parents won't let her watch it cuz she's too young (she's 12)! LOL. Gosh I'm soo mean! And NO! Eressa won't die during the escape! Can't happen. Sorry! I know you want more Leggy torture, and there is more coming, but not then! Thanks a lot!
itarilde-elenastar: Oh, thanks! You flatter me, you really do! Well, that story could be pretty good…you just have to make it different from all the others somehow. I saw, think about it for a while, and if they don't forget about it and you still don't want to, you shouldn't have to. If they want a story, let them write it themselves! LOL. I'll update soon as I can, thanks a lot! Bye now!