Chapter 5
Legolas' normally fair features were now etched with concern. "What do you mean your weapons were stolen?"
"Exactly how I said it, Legolas." Aragorn looked at the elf, rolling his eyes as the prince crossed his arms across his chest and waited for the man to explain. "Someone.or something came into my camp early this morning, around dawn," Aragorn continued, staring at the elf who still did not seem satisfied with his answer. Giving up, the man recounted the whole story to Legolas, watching the elf's reaction as the story neared to an end.
"Estel, you should have sent word that you were coming," Legolas replied, keeping his arms crossed and fixing his friend with a stern glare.
"In all truth Legolas, I was hoping to surprise you."
"You did, mellon nin, you did surprise me more than you think," the elf prince said, lowering his arms to his sides and biting his bottom lip, not knowing how to continue. "Aragorn, there is some evil in Mirkwood's forest. I would have warned you to stay in Rivendell until we figured out what has happened to our forest. I would have never forgiven myself if you were hurt."
"I wasn't hurt," Estel stated, staring at his friend with a firm look, "But you said I could have been. Legolas, has someone been hurt already?"
The elf prince nodded his head, and finding Aragorn's gaze too much for him, he turned his head. "Three of late have been wounded. One of whom, Aragorn, was Trelan."
Legolas stared at the ground. His strong shoulders shook involuntarily as he remembered how helpless he felt when he saw Trelan that morning. It broke his heart to see the torn body of his best friend and know he was powerless to do anything but watch as Trelan fell in and out of consciousness. Raniean was there, but they were too full of sorrow to say any words of consolation. He remembered as the healers told him that Trelan might not live.
A whimper escaped his lips, and tears slowly fell down his soft check. Aragorn was in his own world, shocked by the news of Trelan, but was brought back to reality as he heard his friend's anguish. Walking over to Legolas, who had moved a few feet away from the man, he lifted his hand and placed it on the elf's shoulder, hoping to lend some comfort to the pained elf.
The prince turned to face the man and couldn't help but smile. Estel was always there for him, and although the elf was thousands of years his senior they shared a greater bond he ever had with anyone else, except for his father. To him, the man was more like his brother than a friend, and nothing could change that.
Setting his hand lightly on Aragorn's shoulder, he gave it a comforting squeeze, reassuring the man that he would be fine. Nodding his head, he motioned for them to continue walking.
It was late afternoon as the two beings made their way toward the palace. In a few more hours the sun would set, and soon they would be able to take comfort in the stars.
Upon approaching the palace, however, Aragorn was saddened to see that the elves' usual cheer was gone, and was replaced, instead, by a mask of seriousness that the ranger hadn't seen since before Legolas' uncle was there. The man shuddered as he remembered what the twisted elf had done to Legolas' home.
So lost was the man in his own thoughts that he did not notice the uneven rocks laying in his path and barely kept himself from falling flat on his face. After steadying himself, he ran his weathered hand through his hair, and turned to face Legolas who had a wide grin on his face.
"Be careful now, young one," the elf said, knowing that it would irk the man. "We wouldn't want you to hurt yourself." Raising and eyebrow, the elf continued his teasing, "Come, you must be weary from your day, I mean, after all the running."
Legolas stopped as the man playfully punched him on the shoulder. Raising his hands, the elf quietly surrendered, and the human smiled. It was one of their unique abilities to make light of a situation, no matter how dire it was.
*****
After walking down many halls and up flights of stairs, they finally reached the one place where they were headed. Motioning with his hand, Estel entered the room which he recognized very well from previous visits, and the elf entered behind him.
Legolas strolled over to a couch in the far corner of the room and sat down while the ranger walked over to the bed and threw his pack on the floor. Unconsciously, Aragorn reached down to his side as if to get a hold of his sword that was no longer at hand.
"I'm sorry," Legolas said from where he sat, the man's action not lost on the elf, "that your weapons were stolen."
Sighing, the man laid down on the bed, relieved to be off his feet. The ranger moved aside stray locks of hair that had gotten onto his face, and turned his head so that his gaze fell onto the elf.
"Do not blame yourself; you could not have prevented it from happening. They were stolen from me, but I will get them back." Estel said, looking at Legolas with solemn eyes.
"Aragorn, it is dangerous out there. You have been lucky once. Do not chance your life again for your weapons."
".so you want me to do nothing?" the man interrupted, sitting up on the bed with his own face matching that of the elfs. "I will not stay here while I can be out there aiding you and your father. Yes, I want my weapons Legolas, but I also want to help."
The elf prince shook his head, his flaxen hair spilling over his shoulders as he propped his elbows onto his knees and leaned his head onto his upturned palms. "I know there is no way I can change your mind."
"You are right, mellon nin, you can't change my mind." Estel replied smiling at the elf.
"Aragorn," Legolas said, as he slowly lifted his head from his hands to face the smiling man, "I'm afraid we are alone this time. My father will not help us. He is keeping whatever he knows about this evil from me."
"He just wants you to be safe," Aragon said, getting up slowly from where he sat and walked over to the elf.
"No, Aragorn," the prince replied, shaking his head, "he is trying to shield me by not telling me what is going on."
".therefore he is trying to keep you safe," the man interrupted, stopping mere feet from where the elf sat.
Legolas faced his friend, his blue eyes boring into the man. "Maybe he is, but it still doesn't feel right." The elf gracefully stood up from where he sat.
The man said nothing, but turned to lie back onto his bed once more. The room was quiet for a while, both of them were lost in their own thoughts. The silence, however, was broken as a low growl was heard from the ranger's stomach.
Smiling, the man sat back up in his bed. "I believe my stomach has just betrayed me." Estel laid his hands on his stomach as if to stave off further noise.
Walking over to Aragorn, the elf proffered a hand to the sitting man and he gladly took it. "How long has it been since you last ate?" Legolas asked smiling.
Estel furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to remember the last time that he ate. "It has been about a day, maybe even two."
The elf chuckled. "Clean-up and dress so we can go eat some dinner. If you need me I'll be down the hall in my room."
"Wait! What is wrong with what I'm wearing already?" Aragorn's teasing voice reached the elf's ears, who was already halfway down the hall to his room.
"Legolas," the man urgently yelled. The elf prince rolled his eyes as he turned to walk back to the ranger's room.
"What is it Estel, can't find anything to." Legolas stopped as he reentered the room and saw Aragorn holding a rolled up note in his hand.
"Legolas," the man said concerned, "this was not in my pack when I left Rivendell."
The elf was about to run over to the man when he heard someone calling for him from down the hall. Peering out of the doorway, he saw one of his guards run by room. So intent was the elf on finding the prince that he did not notice the elf standing in the guest room.
"Turion," the elf prince yelled down the hall to the guard. "I am here. What is wrong?"
"My lord," the elf turned his head quickly at his name and quickly raced down the hall to face the prince. "My lord, there has been another attack."
Aragorn, hearing the guard's urgency, pocketed the note and ran to Legolas' side.
The guard hardly took notice of the man who was now beside the prince. "You must hurry."
Legolas' normally fair features were now etched with concern. "What do you mean your weapons were stolen?"
"Exactly how I said it, Legolas." Aragorn looked at the elf, rolling his eyes as the prince crossed his arms across his chest and waited for the man to explain. "Someone.or something came into my camp early this morning, around dawn," Aragorn continued, staring at the elf who still did not seem satisfied with his answer. Giving up, the man recounted the whole story to Legolas, watching the elf's reaction as the story neared to an end.
"Estel, you should have sent word that you were coming," Legolas replied, keeping his arms crossed and fixing his friend with a stern glare.
"In all truth Legolas, I was hoping to surprise you."
"You did, mellon nin, you did surprise me more than you think," the elf prince said, lowering his arms to his sides and biting his bottom lip, not knowing how to continue. "Aragorn, there is some evil in Mirkwood's forest. I would have warned you to stay in Rivendell until we figured out what has happened to our forest. I would have never forgiven myself if you were hurt."
"I wasn't hurt," Estel stated, staring at his friend with a firm look, "But you said I could have been. Legolas, has someone been hurt already?"
The elf prince nodded his head, and finding Aragorn's gaze too much for him, he turned his head. "Three of late have been wounded. One of whom, Aragorn, was Trelan."
Legolas stared at the ground. His strong shoulders shook involuntarily as he remembered how helpless he felt when he saw Trelan that morning. It broke his heart to see the torn body of his best friend and know he was powerless to do anything but watch as Trelan fell in and out of consciousness. Raniean was there, but they were too full of sorrow to say any words of consolation. He remembered as the healers told him that Trelan might not live.
A whimper escaped his lips, and tears slowly fell down his soft check. Aragorn was in his own world, shocked by the news of Trelan, but was brought back to reality as he heard his friend's anguish. Walking over to Legolas, who had moved a few feet away from the man, he lifted his hand and placed it on the elf's shoulder, hoping to lend some comfort to the pained elf.
The prince turned to face the man and couldn't help but smile. Estel was always there for him, and although the elf was thousands of years his senior they shared a greater bond he ever had with anyone else, except for his father. To him, the man was more like his brother than a friend, and nothing could change that.
Setting his hand lightly on Aragorn's shoulder, he gave it a comforting squeeze, reassuring the man that he would be fine. Nodding his head, he motioned for them to continue walking.
It was late afternoon as the two beings made their way toward the palace. In a few more hours the sun would set, and soon they would be able to take comfort in the stars.
Upon approaching the palace, however, Aragorn was saddened to see that the elves' usual cheer was gone, and was replaced, instead, by a mask of seriousness that the ranger hadn't seen since before Legolas' uncle was there. The man shuddered as he remembered what the twisted elf had done to Legolas' home.
So lost was the man in his own thoughts that he did not notice the uneven rocks laying in his path and barely kept himself from falling flat on his face. After steadying himself, he ran his weathered hand through his hair, and turned to face Legolas who had a wide grin on his face.
"Be careful now, young one," the elf said, knowing that it would irk the man. "We wouldn't want you to hurt yourself." Raising and eyebrow, the elf continued his teasing, "Come, you must be weary from your day, I mean, after all the running."
Legolas stopped as the man playfully punched him on the shoulder. Raising his hands, the elf quietly surrendered, and the human smiled. It was one of their unique abilities to make light of a situation, no matter how dire it was.
*****
After walking down many halls and up flights of stairs, they finally reached the one place where they were headed. Motioning with his hand, Estel entered the room which he recognized very well from previous visits, and the elf entered behind him.
Legolas strolled over to a couch in the far corner of the room and sat down while the ranger walked over to the bed and threw his pack on the floor. Unconsciously, Aragorn reached down to his side as if to get a hold of his sword that was no longer at hand.
"I'm sorry," Legolas said from where he sat, the man's action not lost on the elf, "that your weapons were stolen."
Sighing, the man laid down on the bed, relieved to be off his feet. The ranger moved aside stray locks of hair that had gotten onto his face, and turned his head so that his gaze fell onto the elf.
"Do not blame yourself; you could not have prevented it from happening. They were stolen from me, but I will get them back." Estel said, looking at Legolas with solemn eyes.
"Aragorn, it is dangerous out there. You have been lucky once. Do not chance your life again for your weapons."
".so you want me to do nothing?" the man interrupted, sitting up on the bed with his own face matching that of the elfs. "I will not stay here while I can be out there aiding you and your father. Yes, I want my weapons Legolas, but I also want to help."
The elf prince shook his head, his flaxen hair spilling over his shoulders as he propped his elbows onto his knees and leaned his head onto his upturned palms. "I know there is no way I can change your mind."
"You are right, mellon nin, you can't change my mind." Estel replied smiling at the elf.
"Aragorn," Legolas said, as he slowly lifted his head from his hands to face the smiling man, "I'm afraid we are alone this time. My father will not help us. He is keeping whatever he knows about this evil from me."
"He just wants you to be safe," Aragon said, getting up slowly from where he sat and walked over to the elf.
"No, Aragorn," the prince replied, shaking his head, "he is trying to shield me by not telling me what is going on."
".therefore he is trying to keep you safe," the man interrupted, stopping mere feet from where the elf sat.
Legolas faced his friend, his blue eyes boring into the man. "Maybe he is, but it still doesn't feel right." The elf gracefully stood up from where he sat.
The man said nothing, but turned to lie back onto his bed once more. The room was quiet for a while, both of them were lost in their own thoughts. The silence, however, was broken as a low growl was heard from the ranger's stomach.
Smiling, the man sat back up in his bed. "I believe my stomach has just betrayed me." Estel laid his hands on his stomach as if to stave off further noise.
Walking over to Aragorn, the elf proffered a hand to the sitting man and he gladly took it. "How long has it been since you last ate?" Legolas asked smiling.
Estel furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to remember the last time that he ate. "It has been about a day, maybe even two."
The elf chuckled. "Clean-up and dress so we can go eat some dinner. If you need me I'll be down the hall in my room."
"Wait! What is wrong with what I'm wearing already?" Aragorn's teasing voice reached the elf's ears, who was already halfway down the hall to his room.
"Legolas," the man urgently yelled. The elf prince rolled his eyes as he turned to walk back to the ranger's room.
"What is it Estel, can't find anything to." Legolas stopped as he reentered the room and saw Aragorn holding a rolled up note in his hand.
"Legolas," the man said concerned, "this was not in my pack when I left Rivendell."
The elf was about to run over to the man when he heard someone calling for him from down the hall. Peering out of the doorway, he saw one of his guards run by room. So intent was the elf on finding the prince that he did not notice the elf standing in the guest room.
"Turion," the elf prince yelled down the hall to the guard. "I am here. What is wrong?"
"My lord," the elf turned his head quickly at his name and quickly raced down the hall to face the prince. "My lord, there has been another attack."
Aragorn, hearing the guard's urgency, pocketed the note and ran to Legolas' side.
The guard hardly took notice of the man who was now beside the prince. "You must hurry."