Disclaimer: For full disclaimer, please see chapter 1.


A/N:

*sighs* Okay, I will say it here once and for all: The twins won't be here for the next few chapters. *ducks sharp objects, blunt objects, heavy objects and several other kinds of objects* I am sorry, okay? Believe me, it's hard enough to keep the story going as it is, and the last thing I need is a pair of reckless, stupid elven twins. *shakes head* As soon as I bring them into this they'll try to take over the plot, I know them well enough by now. So: No twins until chapter 10 at least. Sorry again, but otherwise we'll never get anything done. Trust me.

It's very nice to hear that you like my baddies though, personally I love them. I always feel pity for them, somehow, as we all know how most of them are going to end, don't we? Poor little men. This chapter yet another of them is introduced, and before you ask: Yes, the fact that all the names end with "-an" is deliberate. I thought that after Geran and Adruran I could continue with the "-an", sort of like a local tradition. And, again before you ask, I won't tell you where they come from; you'll have to wait a bit to find it out. Sorry. *g*

Oh, and I just _knew_ how the majority of you people would react to the Legolas-ending-up-in-Isáviel's-room-thing. *g* A good thing that he didn't appear in one of yours, otherwise we might have never seen him again and I would be missing one of my chief characters. *thinks for a moment* Ah well, I still have Aragorn, so no worries... *g*


Very well, be that as it may, here is ... wow, chapter 6 already, huh? Anyway, this time Legolas gets the chance to drive the poor Celylith up the walls, we see more of Reran and his friends, and, finally, Aragorn gets a tiny bit upset. Other than that, one could mention the term of 'approaching doom', I think. *g*

Have fun and review, please!






Chapter 6


Legolas looked at his friend closely, mentally running through a list of things the other needed to take with him. Giving a small nod every time he ticked off something on his mental list, he stopped dead in his tracks after a few moments, his hand that was not wrapped in a dozen bandages shooting out and gripping the other elf's arm.

"Splints! I am sure you don't have splints!"

Celylith resisted the urge to either bang his head against a tree or to take Legolas' head, bang it against a tree and then hit him himself for a little while for good measure. He gave the very inviting doors of the stables a longing look. So near – and yet so far…

"Why would I need splints, mellon nín?" he asked in the tired voice of a person who has given up on escaping his current situation a long time ago.

The elven prince gave his friend an unbelieving look.
"Why would you need splints? Well, to splint something, of course! A broken leg … a broken arm … a broken neck…"

"Oh yes, that would be helpful," Celylith snorted and shook his head. When Legolas didn't smile or show any other sign of amusement, he gave him a long-suffering look and added, "I am riding to Beorn, our ally, Legolas, whose house is, as you well know, at the western edge of the forest. Splints are made from wood. Wood you get from trees. A forest is full of trees."

That was a reasoning not even Legolas could challenge, but the blonde elf wasn't prepared to give up that easily.
"But you would save time if you wouldn't have to cut them," he pointed out. "Besides, you could break both your arms, and then you couldn't cut them at all."

Celylith gave him a look that was beyond annoyed.
"Are you trying to drive me insane with these idiotic comments or is it merely a coincidence?"

"I am merely trying to help!" Legolas protested and quickly followed the other elf who had simply walked on with a last, slightly disgusted look into Legolas' direction.

Celylith ground his teeth to refrain from answering, repeating over and over in his mind that Legolas was his prince and that he was not allowed to kill him, not even a little, as another part of his mind insistently demanded. In fact he did believe Legolas that he was trying to help. All this had started yesterday evening after they had left Estel's room via the now familiar route (the balcony), when he had mentioned – only on a casual note, one might add – that he needed to get his supplies ready for his little journey.

Legolas had been eager to help him, of course, partly because of the fact that he was going out of his mind with boredom. After two days of being prohibited to shoot, exercise, ride or essentially do anything, the elven prince was beginning to envy Aragorn who was sleeping most of the day. However, Hithrawyn had stayed firm this time, even though the lines of stress that had burrowed themselves into the skin next to his mouth and into his forehead were growing deeper so quickly that one could almost watch: Legolas wouldn't be allowed to take off his bandages until later today, and Aragorn wouldn't be allowed out of bed until tomorrow either.

Be that as it may, Legolas had been more than willing to assist, and it seemed that he had taken both their fathers' warning to heart in his own, special (and, as Celylith would have added, twisted) way: He was trying to think of even the most unlikely and obscurest things that might happen to his silver haired friend and insisted that he took all possible cures and healing utensils with him.

Right now Celylith was burdened with a very small bag that contained some spare clothes and the rest of his gear, a normal-sized bag that contained lembas, water and other provisions, and two very large bags that contained bandages, healing herbs, about every single root that could be crushed to powder, more bandages, several sets of healing utensils the silver haired warrior didn't even know the names of, some more herbs, and another pile of bandages to top everything off.

Celylith reached the stable doors and stopped, turning slowly to look at his prince whose eyes were filled with a curious mixture of real concern and wicked mischief.
"I will not take splints with me," he said slowly and very, very clearly. "In my experience one only gets attacked when travelling with one of you, and I am not planning to do something as foolish as that."

Legolas ignored the last sentence and looked back innocently, the wicked sparkle in his silver-blue eyes growing brighter.
"What about some more bandages?"

For a moment, Celylith literally saw red. With a strength of will he didn't know he possessed, he did not do what his instincts told him, namely wrapping his hands around the other's throat, but rather turned and entered the stables, looking for his horse. Legolas managed to maintain the innocent façade for a few more moments before he began to laugh and followed his friend into the stables.

He gave Celylith who had just reached his horse's box a careful look as he watched the silver haired elf load the bags onto the animal.
"No more bandages?" he asked, his voice ringing with barely suppressed laughter.

His childhood friend took a deep breath before he turned to the prince, a slowly spreading smile on his lips.
"No, Legolas. No more bandages, no more herbs, no more healing utensils. I am travelling through our home, not going into battle! Valar, I haven't been mothered this much since turning two hundred!"

Legolas arched an eyebrow.
"What happened when you turned two hundred?"

Celylith leaned back against the carved wooden balustrade that separated each horse's box from the rest of the stables. The balustrades were more like ornaments or decoration anyway, since no elf would have truly locked up a horse or tried to force it to stay somewhere it didn't really want to be. The firstborn loved their mounts, and every horse stayed out of its own free will.

"Surely you do remember? It was the first time we saw a troll and…"

Legolas winced unconsciously.
"The troll! Now I do remember … you and Glónduil needed to spend more than a week in the healing wing if I remember correctly…"

"And it took you almost a week to even wake up!" Celylith countered quickly, hiding a wince on his own at the same time.

They didn't speak often of Glónduil, who was – or had been, it was all far too complex for him to really decide – one of their best friends. For more than two thousand years they had been friends, Celylith thought bitterly, and he often missed the dark haired elf that had been like a slightly younger and more impulsive brother to him, and he had always thought he knew his heart.

Nearly three years ago that had started to change though, slowly, bit by bit and almost imperceptible. Ever since Legolas had met Aragorn and had started to spend more and more time with the human, Glónduil had started to become openly hostile towards the young ranger and had started to shun Celylith and especially Legolas, feeling betrayed that their prince preferred a human's company to theirs.

Celylith had always thought that Glónduil was merely jealous and would eventually see that he had neither the wisdom nor the right to tell their prince what to do and whose company to seek, but it had turned out to be much worse than such feelings. Unbeknownst to them, Glónduil had long ago started to supply a group of elves near Mirkwood with information, elves that had the same opinions about humans as he did and who had ultimately pulled all of them and Aragorn and his family into a dark abyss of revenge and hatred none of them had escaped unscathed. Aragorn had been the one to suffer the most, and Celylith knew that the man still awoke screaming from dreams that haunted his sleep, dreams of these elves and the men they had hired and of what they had done to him before Legolas had been able to find him.

Not even half a year ago he and Legolas had watched Glónduil leave the palace, possibly forever, and while the one part of him that had still been fuming with fury at his former friend's betrayal had been satisfied, another part of him had been devastated beyond words. He had felt betrayed, guilty and incredulous at the same time; how could he have judged his friend so wrong? How could he not have seen how deep the other's wounds were, and how they had festered until he had really believed what those elves told him, until he had believed that they didn't intend to kill Estel or Lord Elrond…

Celylith shook his head quickly. He had believed Glónduil from the start when he had claimed that he had never intended to hurt anyone, but that couldn't undo what had happened, and it couldn't make him forgive him either. He had consciously betrayed his trust, and what was even worse in his opinion, he had betrayed Legolas' as well. Legolas was not merely their friend, he was their prince, and to betray their prince was high treason, no matter how much you hadn't meant anyone to get hurt.

A hand touched his arm, and he looked up, startled, right into the eyes of Legolas which had lost all of their previous mischief.
"I know, my friend," the fair haired prince said softly. "I know. I miss him as well, the way he was when we were still friends."

Celylith grimaced and shook his head again, a hard expression on his face.
"It was his choice. He betrayed us; there is nothing more to say."

Legolas bowed his head, half to hide a smile and half in sorrow. While he and Aragorn had started to forgive Glónduil for his irresponsible actions, it seemed to be harder for Celylith. His silver haired friend took it personal, and he was rather sure that Celylith would never forgive the other elf for having betrayed his, Legolas', trust.
"There is a lot more to say," he protested in a low voice. "When you return, perhaps you and I can sit down and … remember old times?"

"Perhaps, my lord," Celylith answered curtly and turned back to his horse. "Perhaps … later."

"Very well," Legolas smiled, "Later it is then. I will hold you to your word, my friend."

The silver haired elf only nodded, but a second later he turned back to his friend with a scandalised expression on his fair face.
"Look at that!"

It took Legolas a second to see what his friend meant, but when he did a large, amused smile spread on his face. Celylith's horse had moved to the side of its box where it stood head to head with Rashwe, Legolas' horse that had been called "demon-horse" more than once. The animal didn't seem to be frightened, on the contrary: It rubbed its gleaming head against Rashwe's white neck in an obvious display of affection.

"What is wrong, Celylith?" Legolas asked with an utterly innocent expression. "They like each other, so?"

"Nobody likes Rashwe!" the other elf protested and sharply commanded his horse to follow him out of the box which it finally did, giving its master a dark, reproachful look. Celylith's voice became even more outraged, and he glared at the snickering elven prince. "I don't believe it! Keep your demon away from my horse, he is corrupting it!"

"Why, my friend," Legolas asked in surprise and reached out to pat Rashwe's neck. The horse neighed softly in contentment and promptly looked like the most normal, friendliest elven steed one could imagine. "You are beginning to sound like Aragorn! There is nothing wrong with my horse!"

"There is nothing wrong with your horse?" Celylith repeated and stared at the both of them with wide eyes. "All the horses are afraid of it, not to mention the stable hands and most of the riders. And it tried to kill Elrohir."

"Oh, come on," Legolas shook his head and gave Rashwe a last pat before turning around to follow Celylith out of the building, therefore missing the smug look the animal gave him. "You are exaggerating. He didn't try to kill him. He tried to…"

"…eat him, you are right. Forgive my slip of the tongue," Celylith interrupted him darkly. "I agree with Aragorn for once: That horse would gladly kill every single one of us with the possible exception of you."

The elven prince was intelligent enough not to protest and merely followed his friend out into the bright sunlight. Honestly, he thought to himself, he simply couldn't understand why everybody insisted that his horse was evil. It had saved Aragorn's life during their rather eventful trip to Lake-town, and all the man had said was that Rashwe had done it to be able to keep tormenting him. Rashwe was quite a nice horse, actually, one only needed to get to know him and…

"…promise me, Legolas. Legolas?"

The fair haired elf looked up to meet Celylith's eyes that held to equal parts a worried, amused and annoyed expression. He shook his head quickly, noticing to his satisfaction that the now rather familiar headache didn't make a reappearance, and gave the other elf an apologetic look.
"I am sorry, my friend, I didn't hear you. What did you say?"

Celylith rolled his eyes in mild annoyance as he secured the last bag a little bit more firmly on his horse's back and once again ascertained that he had everything he needed, including the sealed leather messenger tube. On his first assignment he had actually forgotten the letter he had been supposed to deliver, and the laughter and teasing of the other warriors of his guard had followed him for several centuries.

"I asked you to take care of yourself and of Estel as long as I'm gone. Don't do anything stupid or reckless until I'm back to look after you two again, alright?"

Now Legolas rolled his eyes; once again more than a little annoyed by his friend's over-protectiveness. Celylith took his duty to protect him very seriously, and sometimes he let him know that rather clearly.
"I never do anything stupid or reckless, Lord Celylith," he informed the silver haired elf in mock haughtiness. With a rather dark look at his arms, he added softly, "And what could I do anyway, crippled as I am at the moment?"

His elven friend shook his head in dismay, his forehead creasing into a small frown. He had suspected how Legolas felt about his mending arm that was still not back to its full strength, and to have his other arm injured now…
"You are not crippled, mellon nín," he told the blonde elf in front of him. When Legolas adamantly refused to meet his eyes, he gave his horse a pointed look that told it to stay where it was and took a step closer to his childhood friend, gently touching his shoulder. "Nor are you helpless. Have faith in yourself, and have faith in what Aragorn told you four days ago."

Legolas' head shot up sharply and he looked at the other with wide eyes.
"How do you know what Aragorn told me?"

"I don't," Celylith admitted simply. "But I can imagine. He is rather wise for one of his kind, and he is Lord Elrond's son in all the ways that matter. I am sure he has said everything there is to say, and has done it much more skilfully and eloquently than I ever could."

A small smile began to spread on the other's face and he bowed his head.
"Do not underestimate yourself, my friend. If you and Aragorn both think the same, then who am I to disagree?"

"Precisely," Celylith grinned, trying to lighten the dark mood. "I am always right, you know that."

Legolas shook his head again, eyes twinkling merrily once more.
"That is something we will never agree on, I fear."

"I think you are correct, my prince – for once," the other admitted as he mounted his horse. Celylith looked down at his friend, suddenly very reluctant to go and leave him and that reckless human behind.

Legolas seemed to sense his feelings and gave him a smile.
"Go, Celylith, or you will never make the journey in five days, and you know how ada gets when his messages arrive late. Don't let Beorn's dogs bite you – or himself, you know how he can be in his bear form, and don't forget to bring some of his honey-cakes if he still has some left."

"So that is the true reason!" Celylith exclaimed in mock reproach. "It is not about reports or despatches; it's about honey-cakes!"

The blonde prince flashed him a grin.
"I knew you would figure it out after a millennium or two."

Celylith returned the grin, but after a moment his face turned serious again. In a sudden moment of intuition he couldn't explain to himself, he reached down and gripped his friend's left shoulder, dark blue eyes boring into silver-blue ones.

"Please," he begged softly, "Be careful. I have a feeling that…" He interrupted himself in mid-sentence, not really knowing what a feeling he was having, and so he shook his head before returning his eyes to his friend's mildly confused face. "Just be careful, Legolas. Promise me."

"I promise," Legolas said without hesitation, a rather perplexed frown on his face. "You needn't worry so much. The farthest I will go is to check on a few patrols in the next few days, and I'm not sure about it yet. I will do nothing that will take me farther than a day from the palace."

"Somehow," the silver haired elf retorted darkly, "That fails to reassure me at all."

"I cannot imagine why," Legolas shrugged and briefly reached up to squeeze his friend's hand.

Just after they had come back from Dale, he had felt just the same as Celylith was apparently feeling right now, namely anxious to lose his friend. For a few days, both Aragorn and he himself had thought that Celylith was dead, and after they had found out that it was not so, he had been hard-pressed not to check on him every two hours to make sure that he was still alive and hadn't left him again.

"Safe journey, my friend. Don't forget the cakes."

The silver haired elf suppressed a wide smile.
"I will try not to, my lord. Namárië."

With a last nod at his friend, Celylith spurred on his horse, and in a flash he was gone, leaving a rather confused elven prince behind. Legolas remained where he was for a few moments until Celylith had reached the gates and had passed out of sight, and with a small sigh he turned, deciding to head for the healing wing to try and persuade Hithrawyn to take off his bandages now and not in the afternoon. And if he was really, really lucky, he might even be allowed to visit Aragorn; he was getting rather tired of climbing up and down that stupid balcony.

When he reached the steps that led up to the main building, Legolas stopped and turned around again, looking to the West into the direction Celylith had taken. He didn't know why he had appeared so anxious all of the sudden, but he had learned long ago that it was best to heed his silver haired friend's warnings. So, he decided, he would do as he had promised and be careful, even though he could truly not see what should possible happen to him before the twins arrived – after that it was an entirely different matter, of course…

With a small shake of his head he turned and began to climb the stairs, that particular thought nicely distracting him. Those little orcs would pay; he had not yet forgotten what they had done to his spare knives before they had left last autumn!

His mind was spinning with ideas and he was grinning wickedly when he entered the palace, and Celylith's peculiar pleas were quickly all but forgotten.




Night was slowly falling, and the darkness was beginning to creep over the lands like a tangible thing that devoured everything it could lay claim to. Dusk always seemed to make way to night especially quickly here, but at this time of year it happened even more quickly, something that frightened or at least unsettled most travellers.

One man, however, was exceedingly grateful for it, and he even breathed a small sigh of relief as he watched the darkness creep over his equally dark camp and obscure the tents until it was nigh impossibly to see anything, at least for a human's eyes.

Indeed, Reran thought, it was a very good thing that darkness was finally falling. He wasn't as stupid as his much beloved second-in-command; he knew very well that they were, essentially, just begging to be discovered in their current position, unless the other party was blind, deaf or generally daft, and from what he had heard about elves it was not a characteristic of their race to be any of the above. There might be exceptions of course, still, had it been up to him, Reran would never have taken the risk, but – as he had thought many times over the past two weeks – it was not up to him.

'By the Gods, stop whining like a recruit after the first day of training!' he snapped at himself, and quickly turned his head to the side, back towards the camp. He was one of the people who couldn't think well when encased in a tent or in a room, and so none of his men found it curious that he frequently wandered off to sit down somewhere under the open sky to contemplate something or generally be alone.

Of course, he thought darkly, it might very well be that his men found it curious, but they knew better than to comment on their captain's habits. He was the best captain they had at the moment because he had understood some things others never had and never would, and one of them was that you could rule men only two ways. One, through respect, and two, through fear. Reran tried hard to go the first way, and was even succeeding for the most part, even though he admitted that one or two disciplinary measures a year never hurt anybody – except those being disciplined of course, but that was the point of the whole thing in the first place.

He was convinced that ruling through fear never really accomplished anything, even though it was terribly effective sometimes. His lord was the prime example for that, even though that was something Reran didn't even dare think too loudly. He had seen how advisors, messengers, warriors and servants had tried to make excuses or concealed the real extent of some situations to avoid feeling their liege's wrath – a reaction that was absolutely understandable of course if one considered what frequently happened to the bearers of bad news. Still, it did more harm than good if your subordinates were too afraid to tell you the truth, that was something Reran had witnesses on more occasions than once.

He would never share that conviction with anyone though, for even though he had understood these things, he was far too realistic a man not to know what would happen to him should these thoughts reach his lord's ears. As mentioned earlier: His lord's rule was effective, and he had lived too long in his realm not to keep his thoughts to himself.
Actually, he didn't feel any sympathy with those who complained about their liege and promptly found themselves on the place of execution, facing the hangman and a silent crowd. These people, men and women alike, were fools to have spoken so carelessly, and deserved what they got, for the most part that was. There were some exceptions of course, for Reran really thought that some manners of death employed by the executioners were too unpleasant by far.

That one could control one's people by other means than terrorising them was something that had surely never entered Teonvan's mind, Reran hazarded a guess with a dark smile on his face. For a moment, Reran surveyed the dark camp closely; now that his eyes had had time to adjust to the darkness that surrounded them, he was able to see a little bit more than a black, shapeless mass. Teonvan was not to be seen, and neither were his two lieutenants he had brought with him and whose names Reran adamantly refused to commit to memory, a reaction he knew to be very childish himself, but he just couldn't help it. He had never before loathed a man as fiercely as Teonvan, and he hadn't even really done something to deserve these feelings.

Reran had heard rumours back home of course; in a community as isolated as theirs it was nearly impossible not to hear rumours about someone. However, these rumours were worse than most you could hear about the other captains and commanders, and they had contributed to the fact that Reran had studied the younger man very closely when they had first been introduced. That had in fact been the point when he had decided that he couldn't stand Teonvan, and now that he had spent more time with him, however unwillingly, he was beginning to believe every single rumour he had heard about him.

His thoughts continued in that direction for quite some time, and so it came that he was very glad when he finally saw a figure come up to where he was sitting on top of a small hill that was overlooking the camp. He was even gladder when he saw that it was not Teonvan, something for which he was rather thankful because he really wasn't in the mood to put up with him no matter what his lord thought about him, but Cendan, his "real" second-in-command.

Cendan had been intelligent enough to step down without hesitation when it had become public that their lord wished for Teonvan to come with them on this mission, even though Reran knew that he had been anything but happy about it. But as he had said, Cendan was too clever to let these feelings show, a trait that would probably serve him very well when he had a command of his own, if he lived that long, that was.

Reran cocked his head to the side and studied the younger man as he drew closer. Cendan's mother had been from the East, from beyond the vast sea, and from her he had inherited his darker tone of skin and his black hair. The other's eyes were a dark blue, almost grey, in exactly the colour of Cendan's father's and didn't really seemed to fit into the rest of the face.

"Sir," the other simply said and bowed his head when he finally reached him.

'There you go,' a small voice in Reran's head stated pointedly. 'Respect. That's all I ask for, respect.'

The older man smiled slightly and pushed a particularly annoying strand of greying hair behind his ear.
"Cendan," he nodded his head. "Is there a problem?"

"No," the other man hurried to assure him. "Commander Teonvan sent me to ask for your presence in the camp. The scouts have returned."

The younger man's face creased into a small frown and, for a moment, the fierce temper for which the Easterlings were known flashed in his dark blue eyes before it died as quickly as it had come. Reran would almost have smiled. This, beyond all else, showed that Teonvan was indeed as stupid as a mountain goblin. He wouldn't even recognise an excellent soldier if he was wearing a sign around his neck; that was easily proven by just looking at the two lieutenants he had brought with him – or by an action such as this one. To send an experienced, influential lieutenant who was also popular with the men to do a recruit's job did no harm, certainly, but it was not a wise move. Cendan wouldn't make more of this than it was, but he would certainly not forget it either.

And if Cendan couldn't stand one thing, Reran thought with a small, inward smile, it was being insulted, however unintentional or insignificant it might appear to others, and especially not by a "soldier" like Teonvan.

He voiced none of these thoughts though (nor the rather attractive hope that flittered through his mind, namely that Teonvan might insult Cendan further so that his second-in-command would slit his throat and would therefore spare him a lot of work) and simply gave another nod, pretending not to have noticed the other's reaction to being sent to fetch him like a lad on his first mission.

"Very well. All of them have returned? None of them was discovered?"

Cendan shrugged slightly as they walked down the snow covered hill, eyes on the ground in a vain attempt to see anything in the darkness. It never made a good impression on the men if their superiors stumbled and rolled down a hill head first.
"All four are back, sir, that is all I can say. I do not think they have been discovered, but … Commander … Teonvan did not inform me of the details."

Yes, Reran decided inwardly, Teonvan was an idiot. To openly show that he didn't trust the one directly below him in the chain of command with information as trivial as this one was nothing less than foolish, and it was something that Reran would not tolerate. He was of course of the opinion that subordinates should only be told what they needed to know, but this was something every one of his officers did need to know. He would need to have a little conversation with Teonvan, that much was sure…

Without another word the two of them reached the camp, and, ignoring the curious looks some of the men shot them, they quickly walked over to the northern end where Teonvan's tent was located. Reran didn't bother announcing their presence before entering, and so he threw back the front flap, bowing his head as he stepped into the small, dimly lit space.

When he straightened up again, he saw at first glance that Teonvan wasn't happy to see him, even though the man hid his emotions quickly enough, as anyone who had any dealings whatsoever with their lord would have learned long ago. Those who didn't learn usually didn't live long.

The dark haired man inclined his head, whether to show respect or to hide his face Reran wasn't sure, and, to be honest, he didn't care overly much either.
"The scouts are back, sir."

That, a small, annoyed voice in Reran's head noted, was something he had already seen for himself, for the leader of the men he had sent into Mirkwood nearly two days ago stood right behind Teonvan and was therefore rather hard to miss.
"Yes, I had gathered as much," he informed his temporary second-in-command coldly. He turned slightly to the side and looked directly at the man who had really managed to return from the Wood-elves' realm alive and in one piece – something he hadn't wholly expected, truth to be told. "What have you found?"

The man gave his three superiors who were crowded into the small tent with him a quick look, not at all liking the tension that hung thickly in the air. That the mission was dangerous had been clear from the very beginning, as well as the fact that their lord would most probably kill all of them should they return home empty-handed, but this kind of tension was really nothing he found comforting. He gave a quick, inward shake of his head. This was not a train of thought that would get him very far.

"My men and I travelled west for several leagues, sirs," he finally began at the impatient stare that his captain was giving him. "As you know they are very hard to find, and we are not even sure if we really have because we didn't dare come too close, but we think we have found a group of approximately the right size."

"Have you now?" Reran asked thoughtfully, leaning back against a tent pole as he thought hard. He had half expected his men not to return – he knew perfectly well how dangerous and hard to trap their prey was said to be – and so he was slightly surprised to find out that they had not only come back safely but also successfully completed their mission. Then again, he thought smugly, he might have had a little more faith in the men. He had trained them well, after all. "How many?"

"Only a small group," the man answered, unconsciously avoiding his captain's intense brown gaze, "It is hard to say. Not more than five, we believe."

"Five," Reran repeated slowly, but before he could add anything, Teonvan had spoken up, eagerness lighting up his pale, cavernous face.

"That should hardly pose a problem," he stated haughtily, interrupting his superior without a second thought. "They will never know what hit them and…"

The man fell silent as he saw the burning look Reran shot him, and averted his eyes quickly. Reran kept staring at him for a few more seconds before he turned to the other man who stood in a corner and skilfully pretended to be oblivious to what had just happened.

"You are dismissed," Reran told him, causing him to incline his head gratefully and disappear out of the tent so quickly that all the older man felt was air brushing past him. Reran turned to Cendan who was giving off the air of someone intensely pleased with what happening around him and added, "Get the men ready to travel. We will leave in half an hour. Make sure we leave as few traces as possible, and the first man who lights a fire or a torch I will personally kill myself. You may inform everyone about it."

Cendan simply nodded his dark head and gave a slight bow, and in a second he was gone too, leaving Reran alone with Teonvan, something that neither seemed to enjoy overly much. Before Teonvan could even blink twice, the older man had moved with a speed he hadn't expected from him, and from one moment to the next he felt himself being lifted off the ground and slammed into the main tent pole that trembled and shook with the impact.

"Do never again interrupt me in front of others," Reran growled quietly, dark eyes fixing unwaveringly on the other's stunned face. "I know very well that our lord desires you to come with us, but this is an operation under my command, do you understand?" The blonde man's hands gripped Teonvan's tunic a little bit more tightly, who looked back at his captain with barely disguised fear. "If you once more fail to show me the proper respect or undermine my authority in any way, I will kill you, and be assured that no-one would ever care to ask for the reason. Do you understand?"

Teonvan stared at the captain's face and hurried to nod.
"Yes, sir," he choked out past the hands that were apparently trying to squeeze all the air out of his lungs.

Reran's pierced him with a hard, threatening look and let him fall to the ground, the fury in his eyes disappearing in an instant, and when he looked back at his second-in-command who was climbing back to his feet coughing, his face was just as neutral as it was his wont.
"Good," he said curtly and turned to leave the tent. "I expect you to have the men ready to travel in half an hour."

Intimidated as he was, Teonvan still couldn't stop himself from asking,

"But, sir! You intend to go into Mirkwood now? At night?"

Reran took a deep breath and turned back around. He hadn't been entirely serious when he had threatened Teonvan; he knew just what their liege would say if he heard that he had killed the one he himself had assigned as his second-in-command for this mission, and hear about it he would. There was nothing his lord didn't hear about. No, he thought inwardly, unfortunately there was no way he could kill this loathsome man and get away with it. But, he added with a small, dark grin at the other man, that was something Teonvan apparently hadn't understood yet.

"Yes, Teonvan," he said impatiently, "We are going into Mirkwood now. They are not travelling at night, and so we have a much better chance to avoid them. We need to be at the spot the scouts spoke of tomorrow morning, for I intend to end this little game of hide-and-seek as soon as possible. We won't get a much better chance if we still want to be as close to the forest edge as we can. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir," the other said so quickly that his words seemed to blur together. "Perfectly clear, sir. The men will be ready, sir."

Reran gave him another sharp nod and left the tent, pondering the other's last words. He wasn't really sure if Teonvan had been mocking him with this exaggerated servility or had really been too afraid to even notice what he'd said. There had been fear in his voice, yes, but also something else, a certain … smugness, for a lack of better word.

Perhaps, he thought as he made his way over to his own tent, side-stepping several of his men that rushed around in the darkness in their attempts to break camp as quietly and quickly as humanly possible, he had underestimated Teonvan slightly. Perhaps he did know that he couldn't kill him and ultimately survive himself, perhaps he wasn't as stupid as he had thought him to be but rather sure of his position and the fact that he was in their lord's favour…

Perhaps, he nodded as he entered his tent, perhaps indeed. He would undoubtedly find out, but there were two ways to rule men, after all: Through respect and through fear. Well, if he couldn't get Teonvan's respect – something that he didn't really want anyway, for he didn't think the respect of someone like him worth anything – then fear would have to do.

The Gods knew that he wouldn't allow that foolish man to ruin this entire mission.




"You cannot be serious!"

Legolas rolled his eyes at the young man and gave him a reproachful look.
"Could you please keep your voice down!" he demanded in a fierce whisper. "Do you want Hithrawyn to carry out his threats and truly kill me?"

"I might!" Aragorn hissed back. "Just tell me you are not seriously contemplating what you just said and I will rethink it though!"

Legolas rolled his eyes again, but decided that the effect was probably lost on the ranger in the darkness that filled the room in the healing wing. The night was dark and starless, somehow appearing darker than the previous nights, and the only light was emitted by the slowly dying embers of the fire in form of a soft glow.

He gave the enraged human a careful look. He was no healer, but in his opinion Aragorn was already much better. He didn't sleep nearly as much anymore, and the coughing fits had stopped almost completely; even the wound in his side was healing nicely and there was no sign of infection. More than that, he was already back to his usual behaviour when forced to remain in bed: He was complaining, threatening, trying to escape and generally a nuisance.

"I don't even know why you're overreacting like this," he shrugged, trying to ignore the outraged expression on the other's face. "I will be gone for only two days."

"You want to leave me here alone!" Aragorn corrected, still fuming. "What am I supposed to do? There are not enough books here to keep one occupied for even one day!"

"Now that's not entirely correct," Legolas protested, secretly rather amused about his friend's outburst. "We may not have as big a library as Imladris, but I dare say that there are still enough scrolls to keep even a son of Elrond happy…" He trailed off when he saw the truly dangerous expression on the ranger's face and added quickly, "Or not."

"It's not about the books, Legolas, and you know it!" the man told his friend. "You really intend to leave the palace and leave me here?"

There was no easy way out of this, Legolas thought despairingly. He had known Estel would react angrily to this news, but he hadn't really thought he was well enough yet to make quite such a fuss. Apparently he had been wrong, he decided wryly, Aragorn was obviously really feeling a lot better, just as he claimed.

Very well then, he decided and lifted his chin slightly, the truth hadn't worked, appealing to his understanding hadn't worked, so it was time for the next step: Lying.

"Aragorn," he began, looking at the man with wide, innocent eyes that seemed to take up most of the space in his face, "You know that you would be very welcome to accompany me – if you were strong enough, and you are not, mellon nín. That is something you know as well as I do, as does Hithrawyn. Besides, my father wishes me to go, and I cannot refuse his request. I have been here far too seldom of late, and my duties cannot be ignored any longer."

Aragorn nearly looked convinced for a moment before his face broke into a dark grimace.
"A nice try, my friend," he told the elf friendly. "Nice, but not nice enough. Your father would never order you to leave the palace when you're not fully well, and that is something we both know."

"Well, he didn't exactly order me to go," Legolas admitted with a small shake of his head. "But someone needs to check on the southern patrols, and with Celylith gone all the other captains are busy or not here at the moment. You know that we sent a large force north-west four weeks ago to deal with the goblins there? Nearly half a dozen captains left with it. And I am fully well, human."

"You are not, elf," the man shot back immediately and leaned back into his pillows with a particularly exasperated sigh. "Just because Hithrawyn has taken off your bandages it doesn't mean that you're well." He narrowed his eyes slightly and gave his elven friend a long look that Legolas either missed in the darkness or ignored completely. "Wait at least for another day, then that demon that disguises itself as a healer will let me go as well and I can come with you. Ilúvatar only knows what trouble you will get yourself into without me or Celylith to watch your back."

Several possible answers shot through the fair haired prince's head, but he settled for an incredulously arched eyebrow, realising that the other possibilities would probably not be very much appreciated by the ranger. Besides, he really didn't want to explain to Hithrawyn why Aragorn had tried to kill him, even though that reason probably wouldn't even interest the other elf, as long as Aragorn did kill him.

"I am not having this conversation with you yet again," he declared solemnly. "We both know who gets the other into trouble, reckless human, don't we?"

"Oh yes," Aragorn agreed. "We do, stubborn elf."

Both of them continued looking at each other with dark expressions that would have convinced any casual observer that they fully intended to latch onto each other's throats in the next few minutes, but after a few seconds both their faces began to lighten into identical grins. Legolas slowly began to grin openly and swatted the man lightly.

"You know I can't wait for you, Estel. I really need to leave tomorrow morning, besides…"

"Yes?"

"I wouldn't want to wait either," the elf confessed, suddenly turning serious. "You are still not back to full strength, even if it only was a cold as you say. I am fully aware of the fact that we have the tendency to get ourselves involved in ... things when we're together, and I do not want to expose you to a dangerous situation if you are not well."

"Legolas!" Aragorn hissed exasperatedly. "Do not mother me! I am well enough to cope with anything that we might encounter!"

"There we disagree, my friend," Legolas shook his head in a stubborn gesture that was so much his father's that Aragorn had to blink to make sure that it was in fact not King Thranduil who was sitting on the edge of his bed – something that wouldn't exactly have alarmed the young ranger but at least astonished him.

"I will not wait," the blonde elf announced firmly. "I will leave tomorrow morning and be back in two days, and you will simply have to find something to do other than tormenting me."

Aragorn gave his friend the look and kept glaring at him until the other had to avert his eyes, with a rather casual flick of his head, he had to give him that. He didn't really know if he should feel angry or touched by the elf's concern, and so he settled for a third option: Acting mortally offended.

"And I thought you were my friend!" he glowered darkly. "You don't help me get away from here, you don't even let me get up since 'I am not strong enough yet', you don't help me avenge myself on that … creature that insists on keeping me here, you don't order said creature to let me get up to bid farewell to Celylith, and now you cowardly abandon me! You are in league with him, admit it!"

"With whom?" Legolas asked, trying hard to bite back the grin that was spreading on his face.

"You know who I am talking about!" Aragorn hissed, doing his best to hold onto his dark mood and failing miserably in the face of the prince's mirth. "Hithrawyn of course, who else?!"

"I am not," Legolas shook his head. "I am merely paying you back for mothering me all the time."

"I was never this bad!" the young ranger protested. "This is long past mothering and is bordering on evil."

The elven prince merely kept looking seriously at his human friend, and after a few more moments Aragorn relented, shaking his head slightly as he leaned back again, feeling to his satisfaction that his side pained him only a little bit at the movement.
"Alright," he conceded in a hurt tone of voice. "Go and check on your patrols. But if you're not back in three days, I'll take my brothers and will be coming after you."

"Your brothers won't be arriving for the next five days," Legolas pointed out, smiling at the other. Inwardly he gave a huge sigh of relief. There had been no way he was allowing Aragorn to accompany him weakened as he still was, and he was glad that the man had accepted that fact with relatively good grace.

"Oh," Aragorn shrugged, a wicked glint appearing in his eyes, "They might be early."

"I pray to Elbereth that they are not," Legolas mumbled under his breath, a far-away look stealing over his eyes. "I haven't had enough time yet…"

"Time? To do what?"

Stunned blue eyes fixed on the human's face.
"You didn't think I had forgotten what they did to my spare knives before they left, did you?"

"Legolas," the man began cautiously, "Your knives are not living beings, you know? They are objects and…" He fell silent when Legolas shot him a look that should rightly have burnt a hole into his forehead. Swallowing quickly, he added, "And of course it was irresponsible of them to glue them to their sheaths. Perfectly evil and reckless. Your poor daggers must have suffered horribly."

"Yes," the elf agreed in mock seriousness, inwardly howling with laughter at the cautious expression Aragorn wore, "They must have. And that is the reason why you will help me come up with something to get back at those little orcs when they get here."

"Oh," Aragorn raised an eyebrow, "I will?"

"Yes, you will, my friend," the prince affirmed. "Because if you don't I will advise Hithrawyn not to let you go until I get back, and considering the number of junior healers you have already driven to the brink of madness I am inclined to believe that he would be most accommodating."

"That is blackmail!" the man complained outraged.

"Yes, Estel," Legolas grinned. "I believe it is."

"I will get you back for all this," the young man grumbled darkly, watching the elf's smug face in the faint light that lit the chamber. "Once I escape Hithrawyn's clutches you'd better watch your back, elf, because I will think of something, and then may Eru help you."

"I am rather looking forward to it, human," his friend retorted, still grinning, but he quickly turned serious when he saw the truly concerned expression on the other's face. "I will be careful, my friend, I promise," he tried to reassure Aragorn. "It is simply a quiet little trip to see how the patrols in the south are doing, nothing more. We haven't had any alarming reports from that area for months, and I will be gone for only one or two days. I promise not to do anything stupid or reckless without you to drag me even deeper into trouble, alright?"

Aragorn smiled thinly, but the worry in his eyes did not diminish and his scratched forehead remained creased in a frown.
"Is that supposed to put my mind at ease?"

"Yes," the prince smiled. "Is it working?"

"No."

Legolas laughed lightly and shook his head.
"I am sorry, mellon nín, I truly am, but this is the way it has to be. I'll be fine, you'll see." He ignored the man's dark look and shifted slightly, giving the closed door in his back a quick look to ascertain that no-one had overheard them. "Now let us try to come up with something we can do to your dear brothers, I even have a rather interesting idea…"

Aragorn quickly gave up glaring at his friend and began to listen to his plans, an unbidden grin spreading on his face when he heard what exactly his elven friend had in mind. While Legolas was still explaining what he would do to Elladan and Elrohir if he ever got his hands on them, the man studied his elven friend, suppressing a sudden cold shudder that raced across his back and that had nothing to do with the illness that was slowly releasing its hold on his recuperating body.

He did not like the feeling he was having at all, the feeling that letting his friend go alone – not that he had any choice in the matter – was the worst idea he had ever had in his entire life.

No, he thought darkly, Legolas' promise to be careful did not put his mind at ease at all.





TBC...





 mellon nín - my friend
ada - father (daddy)




*g* If one listens closely enough, one can even hear the dark, ominous music, right? Well, WE all know how this has to turn out... Okay, so chapter 7 or the chapter in which everything goes straight to hell is approaching, yay! *g* It should be here on Wednesday, I think, definitely not later, don't worry. Reviews will make sure of that, besides, I am addicted to them, so: Review? Please? Pretty Please?



Additional A/N:

Deana - LOL, I admit that _would_ have been funny. But then Hithrawyn would have had a fit and would probably have killed Celylith in his fury, and then the CLF would be coming after me for killing their favourite silver haired elf, and then I would have to go into hiding and couldn't update anymore and... Well, not fun, to make it brief. *g* So, I hope you aren't too disappointed that Legolas didn't pass out. *g*
Tapetum Lucidum - Yup, I think you could say that Hithrawyn hates him. But then again, can we blame him? Not really, I think... I know I would go insane as Aragorn's healer. Oh yes, most definitely. *g* Oh, and you're right: Men ARE the worst patients. I can very well remember my brother when he had a fever of, what, 37 °C (which isn't even a fever!)? He acted as if he were about to die! *shakes head* Males... LOL, there's nothing better than a sick, demented kidnapper? Well, at least one of them is, so I guess you're lucky. *g*
Amelie - *wide-eyed* Uhm, I'm sorry? Really? I didn't mean to keep you giys waiting, but it wasn't my fault, really. So, now put away the sledge hammer and calm down, okay? I'm back and Celylith will be back. I promise. (Celylith: *sourly* You didn't mention in what condition. Nili: Shhhhhhhhh!!!) And wait a sec: I was 9 days late and therefor owe you 4 chapters? I owe you two if anything, I mean, considering I post about every four or five days... Anyway, I'm sending Celylith away because I have to get him away from Legolas. I injured Estel just for the same reason; otherwise I would never get Legolas out of the palace alone. Okay? *g* And what race is George, your fell beast? I would very much like to meet him - I love dangerous creatures...
TrinityTheSheDevil - *sighs and hauls her out of Estel's bed* Out! He needs rest! Out! *shakes head* Jeez, these people... Well, I don't exactly fall in love with my baddies, but I like them a lot. But I can still kill them, so I don't have problems like that. What's really hard is to kill the good guys - I'm still not over Nólad. *sighs* And you did what? You actually spoke with your friend about me? Well, I don't know whether that's flattering or scary... And: Elf pain's coming, don't worry, and Estel pain won't be too far behind. Patience, my friend. *g*
Gwyn - *nods grudgingly* Yeah, I guess the Glorfindel thing would work. But I'll just try not to let it come that far and keep it as a last resort... *g* And believe me: The waiting was horrible for me as well! 14 days without internet! I still think it's a miracle I survived that - though I think it míght have made me even more evil and sadistic... *shrugs* Ah well.
Joee1 - Don't apologise, that's okay, the poking, I mean. I couldn't expect all of you to check out my bio - that's something I wouldn't have done myself. And yes, poking does work from time to time! See, the next post is here! Yay! *g* Thanks for all your nice (poking) reviews!
Red Tigress - *g* Yup, it all makes perfect sense - to me at least. And I'm kinda weird, so I'm not really the right person to ask. Thanks for being so understanding, and I hope this update was fast enough! Well, faster than the last one at least...
Firniswin - The orcs from Mississippi? Do I even want to know what you're talking about? No, probably not ... and get away from me! The last thing I need is the flu! Shoo! And if I were you I wouldn't rely on your reviewers waiting patiently. *gives her own a cautious look* Some of them can become quite vicious, really... Anyway, I hope you're better now! I would huggle you but I don't want to catch the flu so I won't. You can consider yourself huggled, though. *g*
Calenore - I agree. Aragorn deserves it, that reckless, stubborn human. *nods* He does. That's weird, a lot of people liked the "smug monkey", something I hadn't though to be all that amusing. Funny... Great you liked it - and Isáviel, of course. *g* Thanks for the review!
TrustingFriendship - LOL, yeah, and I am so good to you because I love you and your reviews! It's a vicious circle, that's what it is... *g* Well, if you enjoy the slimy baddies getten beatne up, I think you're just right here since teonvan is - I admit it - a particularly slimy evil guy. *huggles her* Thanks a lot! I misse you guys too, and am MOST GLAD to be back!
Crystal-Rose15 - Yeah, all my evil dudes seem to have an evil plan. I guess that's part of the job, since evil dudes _without_ a plan tend to get themselves killed very quickly and then what would I write about? *g* LOL, the Troublesome Three? That's a really neat name - even though they probably wouldn't appreciate it all that much... And you're right: It WAS Legolas' fault. Stupid, irresponsible elfling, that's what he is. *nods*
Strider's Girl - Well, I hope the two of them are maturing a little! I mean, another year with them behaving as stupidly as they are now and they'll be dead! And you're right: I would go insane as well if I were unlucky enough to be Aragorn's healer! He's a menace ... and I would most certainly drug him too. Yup. I would.
Jenny - Oh, that would be inhuman! I mean, afer a few days in the healing wing everyone would go insane - the baddies wouldn't stand a chance... *g* Anyway, thanks for all your great reviews! *huggles* I love every single one of them!
Mouse5 - Ah, I see. Horse racing, that's something my sister would find greatly fascinating. I don't like horses all that much - and I don't bet either, not for money, that is. With my notoriously bad luck I wouldn't last two weeks... *g* And 19 million people watch it? Really? Well, it has to be fascinating then...
LOTRFaith - LOL, it wasn't exactly a tree. More a little branch. Nothing serious, really... *g* God, I'm starting to sound like Aragorn, somebody shoot me. Hmm ... impalation ... good question. I don't think it exists, since my online dictionary didn't find it, but if it doesn't it ought to! *g* I like it. A lot. Im-pa-la-tion...
Lina - Oh, poor you! Here, let my dog huggle you - sorry I can't do it myself, but I really don't need the flu or a cold right now. Besides, my dog is a nice dog. Trust me, he likes about everyone... *dog nearly bites off Lina's head* Ah well, there are some exceptions.... LOL, you're right, that scene is slightly like Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I simply _love_ that movie. *giggles* The Black Knight is great... ROTFL! Éomer the male nurse! Now THAT is something new... And don't worry Éomer: The story wasn't boring. Not at all. *g*
Elenora1 - Oh yes, it was VERY frustrating, believe me. I was very close to run amok and do something I might have regretted later - or not. *grrr* Stupid phone people... Well, it's great to hear that you like the humour, and don't worry about the angst and drama, mate. There's more than enough in chapter 8, trust me on this... *shaked head sadly* More than enough, indeed... *huggles her* Thanks for waiting so patiently! Your review was great as always!
Suzi9 - *nods fervently* That's right. Don't feed her. Yesterday she somehow got a candy stick and you don't want to know what THAT did... *shudders* A terrible memory indeed... And I don't know what you mean, your reviews are still longer than most of the others I get, honestly! I'm always looking forward to them. *blushes* Thank you! It's very nice to heat that you like my OCs, funnily I'm never afraid that people don't like them. Well, there are exceptions, for example Seveawen in the last story, but I guess that was because she's a girl. Besides, I kill most of my OCs anyway, so even of people don't like them it's not too bad... *evil grin* And Jeez, calm down! The baddies are here and won't go anywhere in the near future, so relax.... That's it, calm down... *g* Calm. Yes, Calm is good.
Shauna - Hmm, I guess this chapter is a lot of talking with little action as well, but things are starting to hear up from the next chapter on, don't worry. And I know: the two of them are really incapble of learning, aren't they? They're kinda stupid, really... *g* *blushes* Thanks for all your kind words and compliments; it's great to hear that you like the new characters. *huggles* Oh, and I'm very glad you didn't fall off your chair this time! Well done!
Zam - *g* So you liked the monkey too, right? I hadn't thought it to be so funny, well, I guess that is because there is a phrase that's rather similar to that one in German. I hadn't realised that it apparently doesn't exist in English, silly me. LOL, don't worry, Celylith hasn't really DONE anything. He didn't even flirt with the healer - well, not really anyway. I mean, she WAS beautiful with that long dark hair and the large blue eyes, but I'm sure Celylith was not interested in her. *watches Zam's head explode* Huh? What? What did I say? *wipes brow* Phew, for a moment I really thought that cloning machine really worked - we got lucky I guess....
Sirithiliel - Hmm, you're right in a way, I guess. I think Celylith's getting used to the stunts Legolas and Aragorn are constantly pulling - so I guess he's more annoyed than disrespectful by now. Great you still like it, thanks for the review!
LeapingLizard83 - Wow, I guess that's my shortest review ever. Thanks for sending it, it's great to hear that you like it!
Firegirl353 - Yeah, I guess you're right. The twins wouldn't bother with such trivialities as lighting a fire to roast them over. Hmm, I guess Reran won't go insane. He's rather annoyed by now, but not insane. He won't learn that Adruran is still alive though, I think. I'm not yet sure about it, so he might, but I am sure that Adruran won't make an appearance. Who is the mysterious lord guy? Sorry, but I can't tell you that. It would ruin the whole thing, and we can't have that, right? But don't worry, he will be in this story so, eventually, you will find out. Patience. *g*
Dha-Gal - Oh yes, I did like the Skittles. I love Skittles, yessss, precioussss, we doessss.... *g* Yeah, you're the second person to suggest something like that, but I don't think that that would be so very good, if Legolas fell off the balcony, I mean. He couldn't leave the palace then and we would have no story. See my point? And don't worry, it did make me laugh, even though I think that Hithrawyn's not as bad as Count Dracula - until now, that is. *g* *huggles again* Thanks for the review!
CrazyLOTRfan - Well yes, compared to our dear friend Leafie Aragorn is not really healing al that fast, I'll admit that. *g* Good, Reran was meant to remind people of Adruran, but no, they're not related. I think Adruran was kinda a mentor to Reran, even though he was a bit younger. And yes, Teonvan is a bit like Geran, even though I like him even less. He's just plain evil. *grabs her gun* Don't do that! You're too young for a gun anyway, besides, no hunting my baddies, understood? *glares* I seriously hope so...
Jazmin3 Firewing - Well, I am sort of hoping to publish a book one day. The only thing is that I have to start one, that's the problem... *shrugs* Well, we'll see. Perhaps I'll really start one sometime. And I think it's understandable that Hithrawyn and his merry band of healers think that a cold is a serious illness. I mean, they don't have that many humans there after all, and only limited experience with human ailments. But then again, Hithrawyn probably likes to be mean too... *g*
Nikara - Who, me? I am doing what? Sending Celylith away so I can get Legolas and Aragorn into trouble? *innocently* Whatever gave you THAT idea? *g* Well, this wasn't posted on Thursday, but I hope it was still soon enough!
Firnsarnien - Yup. Adorable. That's what they are. I love them, especially Cendan and Reran. They're kinda sweet, aren't they? And don't worry, you will get your angst and H/C! There more than enough in chapter 8... *shakes head sadly* Oh yes. Well, THIS is chapter 6, but ah well. Doesn't really matter, huh?
Sabercrazy - Oh yes, I remember you. You were THAT girl, the one that tried to get out of the room five times in as many minutes. But you're right: How can they think out 'condition' is something that's curable? Or that we want to be cured in the first place? Ignorants, the whole lot of them... *g* *slightly wide-eyed* Well, great that you like Estel's little illness and Hithrawyn's increasingly scary behaviour. Our heroes aren't so happy abou it, but as long as you guys are happy... *g*
LeggyLover03 - LOL, you said it! The 'P'-word! Don't look so innocent, you know which word I mean! *g* But okay, the p*** and angst are coming up next, but more for Legolas than for Estel right now. You'll have to be patient a bit longer yet... *g*
Bailey - *seriously* I don't know. It was a close thing, really. I think two more days and I would have been too far gone. That's what internet deprivation does to some people... *g* I wouldn't have climbed anywhere either. WE are sensible, Legolas is simply stupid. *nods* Reckless, stupid elf. And Celylith is a WHAT? I mean, honestly, would YOU stay and explain to the twins what had happened to Estel when you had any other choice? I know I wouldn't. And don't worry, I won't be trying to kill Celylith this time - I think. Hmm, we'll see, now that you mention it... *g* And yes, of course the men are evil. They are my baddies. That's their job.
Louise_Oblique - Yeah, I guess this is really better than homework, but then again, about everything is, right? Thanks for the compliment though, and thanks a lot for reviewing!
Alisha B - ROTFL! You are evil! Or that would be an evil thing to do! I think Legolas would kill Aragorn if he pretended to stop breathing... It WOULD be funny though, I'll give you that... Oh, you're having an exam? Well, my condolences then, I hope that it went well if it's already over? In the other case Good Luck!
Alilacia - *g* Go on girl, have fun. But the university staff and the phone company derserve it. *g* I don't think that Aragorn will ever become immune to the look. I mean, Elrond's is WAY scarier than his version, right? LOL, you're right, there are lots of blackmailing possibilities there! Poor Legolas, he really has no idea what he's got himself into, right? *huggles him* Poor elfling.
Iverson - You are very welcome. It was my pleasure to update. *g* And of course I missed writing evil people! Most of the time they're more interesting than the good ones. *g* You're right, Aragorn was most probably not reasonable, but he thinks he is, that stubborn human. *shakes head* He's kinda stupid sometimes, huh? And I did not describe it like a spear! I mean, it was a branch. Maybe not a really little one, but not a spear either. *g* And I don't drive him to insanity - he already IS mad. He was a long time before we met, I swear! *innocently* *hangs head* Okay, I AM sort of horrible to them. But they don't want a break, really! *covers Aragorn's and Legolas' mouths before they can protest* See? They are happy! Hmm, the names ... that depends. Some I make up, for example Cendan and Teonvan once I decided to have more names ending with "-an". Sometimes, I take real names Tolkien created, like Frór and Frerin in THOM. Sometimes, I create real elvish names with a meaning, for example Galalith, sometimes, I take elvish names and change them a little, like Anardir (from Anardil, meaning sun-friend/lover). It really depends, sometimes I even use a name generator, but not really for elvish names. I prefer them to be accurate and have at least some meaning. *g*
Mystic Girl1 - Ach, nicht doch. Ich renne doch nicht vor einer kleinen Review davon... *sieht auf Absender* Mein Gott! Von Mystic? Neeeiiinnnn!!!! *rennt weg* Uhm, na ja, wie auch immer... *g* LOL, ich mochte ganz besonders Thranduils Theorie. In einem Monsunregen ertrinken ... das haette doch mal was, nech? *knuddelt Estel* Nicht weinen, wir moegen dich wirklich. Wir sind nur ein klein bisschen abartig und zeigen es auf seltsame Weise, mach dir gar nichts draus... *g* Ich weiss genau, was du meinst. Unsere Klassenfahrten sind auch immer unweigerlich so geendet. Alle miteinander. Ein Ue-Ei-Elrond? Na, das ist nun echt fies...
Aratfeniel - *grrr* Don't mention that name. I haven't seen the Ext. Version yet, and I react rather ... irrationally sometimes when I hear its name. Okay? And I think so too. Legolas is finally learning that Aragorn gets himself in nothing but trouble. I think. Then again, he doesn't learn anything, that reckless elf... *g*
Critternut - Yup, the baddies are a lot like the last ones. They are from the same place and are serving in the same military after all, so they're bound to be alike. And Reran and Adruran are really a lot alike, which, once again, was deliberate. LOL, the evil lord is indeed mean and vicious, and don't worry, he'll be in this story a little later on. *g* I think Aragorn would be very happy about a book right now. I still don't know what I'm going to do to Legolas. I'm still rather reluctant about the legs. Hmm, we'll see. Thanks a lot for the long review, and I promise I'll think about the legs! *g*
Carla - *g* Recht hast du. Sie saessen immer noch da und wuerden erzaehlen, dass alles nur "scratches" sind wenn ihnen diverse Koerperteile fehlen wuerden... *g* Ja, das ist so mein Markenzeichen, nehme ich an. Ich kann nicht einfach sofort in die Geschichte springen, sondern brauche immer ein bisschen Anlaufzeit. Ist auch wichtig, um neue Chraktere und so einzufuehren, also gar nicht so ungut, nehme ich an. H/C bedeutet Hurt/Comfort, auch ein Genre. Fast so schoen wie Angst. *g*
Zinnith - *huggles* Great to see you again! I really missed you! And don't worry, I totally understand. RL has the tendency to interfere with your hobbies, but then again, it's REAL life after all and has the right to. LOL, if you impale Aragorn you at least know where he is? Well, that's an interesting way to see it... *g* It's great to hear that you like the story so far, thanks ver much for your review! *huggles again*
Marbienl - Ooh, fast computers are always fun. *huggles her own* I love it! It's great to hear that you're all settled in! *blushes* Thank you for saying that! It's nice to hear that my OCs are loved, I think that's because I love them as well! Come here, baby! *clings to Celylith's leg and refuses to let go* LOL, Hithrawyn is indeed learning, he's had enough time too, right? I still think he's a very, very poor elf... *pats his head in sympathy* Yes, I guess Celylith would have studied bahavioural sciences or something, I think he would've become very happy too! And yes, I'll think about the story. I guess I could do a short one like the one for Kaeera, which I wrote in about three weeks, and that was long since I didn't really write much then. So, it should be doable. And ... what dwarf? Are you sure Frór is still there? *cackles evilly as Marbienl dashes to the balcony*

See? This update was on time! I'm not always late ... hey! You! You back there! Stop laughing this instant! *threatening glare*