*** Chapter 10. Sorry it's so late... I've been having boyfriend trouble,
stuff like that. Had to give him the signature "let's just be friends" and,
well, he didn't take it too well, let me say. * sigh * Plus, the format
wouldn't work! Really! * my nose hits the computer doing a Pinocchio and
makes a REAL excuse for being late--- there's a huge nose-shaped hole in my
monitor * ***
Anteruth opened his eyes slowly and with much effort--- he was in so much pain. When he saw Legolas next to him, holding his bloodied hand, he wanted to shout out, but he could barely open his eyes, let alone move his mouth.
What had happened to him? Anteruth concentrated, and soon everything was flowing back into his mind like a cold rain, drops of memories trickling back into his mind. When he remembered what had happened, he wanted to moan again.
Why hadn't he died? He wanted to die. No one would ever love him again, since he killed Erthan. Erthan! Poor, young Erthan with dark hair and bright eyes filled with excitement and hope! Erthan would never open those eyes ever again, thanks to Anteruth.
Anteruth focused his eyes on the elf in front of him, wondering why anyone would help *him.* He was worthless. He wasn't worth saving. Couldn't this elf tell what had happened? Surely he did not know, or else Anteruth would not have been cared for at all.
He closed his eyes with a sudden jerk of pain coming from his chest, this time his mouth dropping open into a long moan. No, he was not saved yet. Anteruth could die yet. He hoped it so.
Legolas's head snapped back suddenly. He had felt the kindness seeping out of him little by little- but only now had he completely gained control. So, whatever had happened to him, the kindness, was weakening and couldn't maintain control. He tugged his hand away from Anteruth's and stood up, disgusted with himself. What had gotten into him? Caring for this worthless elf was not part of the----
A sudden shot of pain coursed through Legolas's head, a pain like none other he had ever felt.
/Will you not help him?/
Legolas, with pain still surging through his head, staggered back, away from the two elves, one dead, one dying. He took another step back with struggle, nearly backing into a tree that bordered the bank, but that only made the pain worse.
Confused, he stepped back in the direction of Anteruth, an awkward expression on his face. The pain lessened by a large degree. He took another step, even more confused, and the pain lessened even more.
"What are you doing to me?!" Screamed Legolas, and he threw his arms up into the air helplessly. He furrowed his brow, furious that anyone could do this to him. To him! He looked down without pity on Anteruth. The elf's wound had stopped bleeding, but little did Legolas care.
"I am leaving," Legolas said. "You can not stop me!" He almost took a step back when pain began to surge through his head, like a blinding headache. Red and black dots covered his vision. He screamed in rage and began to run away, blinded by pain. After only a few steps on the dirt of the river egdge, the pain began to spread through his body.
/..help him?/ /Will.../ /Help him?/
The question, dominating over the pain, filled his head in jumbled orders. He soon fell to his knees, feeling the wounds on his legs open up. So this was the second tactic of the kindness... if the kindness was weakening, he wondered how so much pain was filling him.
/Will you not.../ /him!/ /Do not leave..../ /...help/ /until he is completely/ ...him!.
Legolas could barely feel his limbs through the pain. "Okay!" The pain dispersed immediately, and he laughed. He stood up and said. 'I fooled whatever that was, at last. Simple.'
He dusted himself off a bit and bent down to caress his legs a little. Pushing his loose golden hair behind his pointed ears he stood up straight and slowly stepped forward. Before his foot even touched the ground the pain had spread throughout his body once again, coursing through him like fire and blades combined.
/Stay...him/ /Healed.... Comfort/ /...him! Will... not.../ /You... healed!/
So he really would have to do what this voice said. "Fine! FINE! FINE!" The pain dispersed, but there was still a pang left in his mind, a mild reminder. Legolas would have been annoyed at the immature method of making him do what it (whatever it was) wanted Legolas to do.
The last thing in the world that he wanted to do was help this pathetic elf bleeding next to another pathetic being. The ass had tried to kill himself! Why help him? He obviously wanted to die.
Legolas twisted his face into a furious mask and stomped over to Anteruth, his legs searing with pain. His head felt like some smith of the gods had started hammering on it and wouldn't stop.
He leaned over the raggedly breathing elf, his face red with hate toward the kindness. Legolas sighed angrily and reached out to touch the elf's neck to check his pulse.
Anteruth felt the touch and felt his hand whip up and grab Legolas's. He opened his eyes and looked at the furious, yet amazed-looking elf staring back at him. He let go of Legolas's hand, scared. Legolas was staring at him... more like staring at Anteruth's chest.
He was going to die. Why was this elf helping him? He asked himself again. So much pain... wait... the pain was... gone? He looked down his nose to his chest, expecting to see the hole he himself had done, pouring with red liquid.
That was not so, he soon saw, as with an astonished gasp, he saw blood, and plenty of it, but no hole, no gash. Anteruth yelped. "How did you do that?" Legolas asked. Anteruth did not answer for a moment, for he was too busy standing up and patting his chest down, looking for any sign of a wound. There was nothing.
He finally looked up at Legolas and said, "I do not know. I... I had stabbed myself..." Legolas scowled at him, even angrier than before.
"You tried to take your own life, you fool?! You ass!" Legolas yelled, almost exasperatedly. "What is that going to do for anyone, especially you?! Well, you are healed... I shall be going now."
Legolas turned on his heel, ready for any pain, but it did not come. After all, Anteruth was healed, and Nice Legolas's order had been fulfilled. Seeing that no pain would come, and that his "headache" was gone, he checked his neck for the Ring, felt it, and set off aside the strong river as if nothing had happened, a grim scowl set upon a face.
"Wait..." Anteruth said. "What about... aren't you...?" He watched Legolas keep walking along the river. Legolas sighed and turned around. "What?" He asked. The Lorien elf took in a deep breath and turned to look at his friend lying on the ground.
"Where are you going?" Anteruth finally asked after a pause. Looking at his dead friend was worse than the pain of the wound had been. He cringed and a tear rolled out of his eye.
Legolas just narrowed his eyes and turned around and began walking again, looking ahead where the river made a slight turn. He did not even have to speak to this foolish elf, though his healing was a marvel. He especially did not have to tell him about his plans.
Anteruth let a few more tears leak loose from his eyes and ran after Legolas after a quick look to his friend. "Can... can I come with you?" He asked carefully. Legolas did not stop walking, and in fact picked up his pace.
"No." Legolas said harshly. "Now go rot next to the other dead thing." Anteruth was shocked at these rather harsh words. Why had Legolas been so nice to him, had tried to help him even, if he was so cold?
"I have nowhere else to go... I could help you," Anteruth tried. "I can tell you are not from here. I could help you get to where you are going. I know Lothlorien quite well."
Legolas turned around and grabbed Anteruth's tunic collar, pulling him close to his face. "Did you not hear me?" Legolas smacked the side of Anteruth's ears, almost playfully. "Are you unable to hear?" The elf shook his head. "Then what did I say?"
"You said no... but," Anteruth begged, "I have nowhere else to go. I will surely be killed. I am good at guiding. I am good at the sword! I can help!" Legolas threw him to the forest floor.
The Mirkwood elf observed Anteruth on the dirt, shale, and river stone covered ground. This elf *could* do him some use. He was invincible, as it seemed. Able to heal so quickly... no normal elf could do that. Also, the elf had murdered. The Lorien elf's mind might do Legolas some good in taking over Mirkwood if his father refused his offering. He wasn't very big... good for sneaking in and hiding away...
"Fine. Get your sword," Legolas said, finally. Anteruth got up and ran to the place where he had killed his own friend. Legolas watched as Anteruth kissed his friend affectionately on his forehead, whispered some prayers, and was wondered as Anteruth dug something out of his belt pocket.
The Lorien elf retrieved a small gem from his pocket and set it on Erthan's chest. "I said I would hold this for you... You have not told me to return it..." He took the small gem off of Erthan's chest. "I shall keep it until I see you in The Halls."
With that, Anteruth started to sob and picked up his sword. He sheathed it, and still sobbing, ran back over to the impatient, impassive Legolas. "I killed him. I shall never forgive myself."
"He was just one elf. Have you not killed before?" Legolas sneered. Anteruth shook his head and Legolas's scowl got deeper, more pronounced. "You will do much more killing if you venture with me."
"Will you now tell me where we are going?" Anteruth asked, and Legolas began an unusually open account of his story.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Aragorn cursed and slammed his fist against the nearest tree. Orophin frowned uncertainly and said, "I am sorry that it happened... I should have been more—"Aragorn cut him off with an angry wave of his hand.
"We can not do anything about it now, Orophin, mellon-nin," Aragorn said. "Right now we have to get messengers to Galadriel. Set out a search. We can not let Legolas have the Ring."
Haldir was leaning against the tree next to Aragorn. "I shall go gather our fastest and I shall get the elves most skilled in hunting. Legolas, I assure you, would not exit this forest with my hunters after him unless he had a very elf of Lorien helping him!"
Aragorn looked grim at Haldir's last comment, considering the possibility. He shook it off, however, thinking it foolish and said, "Come. Let us return to the talan. We must waste no time."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Not that long of a chapter, I know, but I have been EXTREMELY busy and stressed. Over the past few days of writing this since the boyfriend incident listed above, I've gotten in trouble at school, experienced an extremely grouchy mother, (Multiple times in all three areas) and I even got bombed by Siamese cats! Okay, so maybe I didn't get bombed by Siamese cats... whatever.
Please review! More reviews+ more reviews= happy Rachel13= faster update.
Anteruth opened his eyes slowly and with much effort--- he was in so much pain. When he saw Legolas next to him, holding his bloodied hand, he wanted to shout out, but he could barely open his eyes, let alone move his mouth.
What had happened to him? Anteruth concentrated, and soon everything was flowing back into his mind like a cold rain, drops of memories trickling back into his mind. When he remembered what had happened, he wanted to moan again.
Why hadn't he died? He wanted to die. No one would ever love him again, since he killed Erthan. Erthan! Poor, young Erthan with dark hair and bright eyes filled with excitement and hope! Erthan would never open those eyes ever again, thanks to Anteruth.
Anteruth focused his eyes on the elf in front of him, wondering why anyone would help *him.* He was worthless. He wasn't worth saving. Couldn't this elf tell what had happened? Surely he did not know, or else Anteruth would not have been cared for at all.
He closed his eyes with a sudden jerk of pain coming from his chest, this time his mouth dropping open into a long moan. No, he was not saved yet. Anteruth could die yet. He hoped it so.
Legolas's head snapped back suddenly. He had felt the kindness seeping out of him little by little- but only now had he completely gained control. So, whatever had happened to him, the kindness, was weakening and couldn't maintain control. He tugged his hand away from Anteruth's and stood up, disgusted with himself. What had gotten into him? Caring for this worthless elf was not part of the----
A sudden shot of pain coursed through Legolas's head, a pain like none other he had ever felt.
/Will you not help him?/
Legolas, with pain still surging through his head, staggered back, away from the two elves, one dead, one dying. He took another step back with struggle, nearly backing into a tree that bordered the bank, but that only made the pain worse.
Confused, he stepped back in the direction of Anteruth, an awkward expression on his face. The pain lessened by a large degree. He took another step, even more confused, and the pain lessened even more.
"What are you doing to me?!" Screamed Legolas, and he threw his arms up into the air helplessly. He furrowed his brow, furious that anyone could do this to him. To him! He looked down without pity on Anteruth. The elf's wound had stopped bleeding, but little did Legolas care.
"I am leaving," Legolas said. "You can not stop me!" He almost took a step back when pain began to surge through his head, like a blinding headache. Red and black dots covered his vision. He screamed in rage and began to run away, blinded by pain. After only a few steps on the dirt of the river egdge, the pain began to spread through his body.
/..help him?/ /Will.../ /Help him?/
The question, dominating over the pain, filled his head in jumbled orders. He soon fell to his knees, feeling the wounds on his legs open up. So this was the second tactic of the kindness... if the kindness was weakening, he wondered how so much pain was filling him.
/Will you not.../ /him!/ /Do not leave..../ /...help/ /until he is completely/ ...him!.
Legolas could barely feel his limbs through the pain. "Okay!" The pain dispersed immediately, and he laughed. He stood up and said. 'I fooled whatever that was, at last. Simple.'
He dusted himself off a bit and bent down to caress his legs a little. Pushing his loose golden hair behind his pointed ears he stood up straight and slowly stepped forward. Before his foot even touched the ground the pain had spread throughout his body once again, coursing through him like fire and blades combined.
/Stay...him/ /Healed.... Comfort/ /...him! Will... not.../ /You... healed!/
So he really would have to do what this voice said. "Fine! FINE! FINE!" The pain dispersed, but there was still a pang left in his mind, a mild reminder. Legolas would have been annoyed at the immature method of making him do what it (whatever it was) wanted Legolas to do.
The last thing in the world that he wanted to do was help this pathetic elf bleeding next to another pathetic being. The ass had tried to kill himself! Why help him? He obviously wanted to die.
Legolas twisted his face into a furious mask and stomped over to Anteruth, his legs searing with pain. His head felt like some smith of the gods had started hammering on it and wouldn't stop.
He leaned over the raggedly breathing elf, his face red with hate toward the kindness. Legolas sighed angrily and reached out to touch the elf's neck to check his pulse.
Anteruth felt the touch and felt his hand whip up and grab Legolas's. He opened his eyes and looked at the furious, yet amazed-looking elf staring back at him. He let go of Legolas's hand, scared. Legolas was staring at him... more like staring at Anteruth's chest.
He was going to die. Why was this elf helping him? He asked himself again. So much pain... wait... the pain was... gone? He looked down his nose to his chest, expecting to see the hole he himself had done, pouring with red liquid.
That was not so, he soon saw, as with an astonished gasp, he saw blood, and plenty of it, but no hole, no gash. Anteruth yelped. "How did you do that?" Legolas asked. Anteruth did not answer for a moment, for he was too busy standing up and patting his chest down, looking for any sign of a wound. There was nothing.
He finally looked up at Legolas and said, "I do not know. I... I had stabbed myself..." Legolas scowled at him, even angrier than before.
"You tried to take your own life, you fool?! You ass!" Legolas yelled, almost exasperatedly. "What is that going to do for anyone, especially you?! Well, you are healed... I shall be going now."
Legolas turned on his heel, ready for any pain, but it did not come. After all, Anteruth was healed, and Nice Legolas's order had been fulfilled. Seeing that no pain would come, and that his "headache" was gone, he checked his neck for the Ring, felt it, and set off aside the strong river as if nothing had happened, a grim scowl set upon a face.
"Wait..." Anteruth said. "What about... aren't you...?" He watched Legolas keep walking along the river. Legolas sighed and turned around. "What?" He asked. The Lorien elf took in a deep breath and turned to look at his friend lying on the ground.
"Where are you going?" Anteruth finally asked after a pause. Looking at his dead friend was worse than the pain of the wound had been. He cringed and a tear rolled out of his eye.
Legolas just narrowed his eyes and turned around and began walking again, looking ahead where the river made a slight turn. He did not even have to speak to this foolish elf, though his healing was a marvel. He especially did not have to tell him about his plans.
Anteruth let a few more tears leak loose from his eyes and ran after Legolas after a quick look to his friend. "Can... can I come with you?" He asked carefully. Legolas did not stop walking, and in fact picked up his pace.
"No." Legolas said harshly. "Now go rot next to the other dead thing." Anteruth was shocked at these rather harsh words. Why had Legolas been so nice to him, had tried to help him even, if he was so cold?
"I have nowhere else to go... I could help you," Anteruth tried. "I can tell you are not from here. I could help you get to where you are going. I know Lothlorien quite well."
Legolas turned around and grabbed Anteruth's tunic collar, pulling him close to his face. "Did you not hear me?" Legolas smacked the side of Anteruth's ears, almost playfully. "Are you unable to hear?" The elf shook his head. "Then what did I say?"
"You said no... but," Anteruth begged, "I have nowhere else to go. I will surely be killed. I am good at guiding. I am good at the sword! I can help!" Legolas threw him to the forest floor.
The Mirkwood elf observed Anteruth on the dirt, shale, and river stone covered ground. This elf *could* do him some use. He was invincible, as it seemed. Able to heal so quickly... no normal elf could do that. Also, the elf had murdered. The Lorien elf's mind might do Legolas some good in taking over Mirkwood if his father refused his offering. He wasn't very big... good for sneaking in and hiding away...
"Fine. Get your sword," Legolas said, finally. Anteruth got up and ran to the place where he had killed his own friend. Legolas watched as Anteruth kissed his friend affectionately on his forehead, whispered some prayers, and was wondered as Anteruth dug something out of his belt pocket.
The Lorien elf retrieved a small gem from his pocket and set it on Erthan's chest. "I said I would hold this for you... You have not told me to return it..." He took the small gem off of Erthan's chest. "I shall keep it until I see you in The Halls."
With that, Anteruth started to sob and picked up his sword. He sheathed it, and still sobbing, ran back over to the impatient, impassive Legolas. "I killed him. I shall never forgive myself."
"He was just one elf. Have you not killed before?" Legolas sneered. Anteruth shook his head and Legolas's scowl got deeper, more pronounced. "You will do much more killing if you venture with me."
"Will you now tell me where we are going?" Anteruth asked, and Legolas began an unusually open account of his story.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Aragorn cursed and slammed his fist against the nearest tree. Orophin frowned uncertainly and said, "I am sorry that it happened... I should have been more—"Aragorn cut him off with an angry wave of his hand.
"We can not do anything about it now, Orophin, mellon-nin," Aragorn said. "Right now we have to get messengers to Galadriel. Set out a search. We can not let Legolas have the Ring."
Haldir was leaning against the tree next to Aragorn. "I shall go gather our fastest and I shall get the elves most skilled in hunting. Legolas, I assure you, would not exit this forest with my hunters after him unless he had a very elf of Lorien helping him!"
Aragorn looked grim at Haldir's last comment, considering the possibility. He shook it off, however, thinking it foolish and said, "Come. Let us return to the talan. We must waste no time."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Not that long of a chapter, I know, but I have been EXTREMELY busy and stressed. Over the past few days of writing this since the boyfriend incident listed above, I've gotten in trouble at school, experienced an extremely grouchy mother, (Multiple times in all three areas) and I even got bombed by Siamese cats! Okay, so maybe I didn't get bombed by Siamese cats... whatever.
Please review! More reviews+ more reviews= happy Rachel13= faster update.