To Walk In Night

by Nili

Just before Aragorn should travel back to Rivendell, a Mirkwood patrol is attacked and Legolas captured. When Aragorn finally finds him and his captors, both come to realise that a dark force is stirring in Rhûn that might destroy all they hold dear.

7. Hunter, Prey

Disclaimer: For full disclaimer, please see chapter 1.


A/N:

Yes, I posted the last chapter on time. Just like this one. *threatening look* I CAN update timely, even though I haven't really managed to lately - which, of course, wasn't my fault. Things are never my fault, naturally... *g*

Well, first things first: I do NOT want to hear anything about RotK. Understood? I am going to see it on Sunday, all three movies to be precise, and the first person who tells me _anything_ about the movie will die a slow, painful, agonising death. I will give him/her to Teonvan so the good man can warm up a little, understood? I am not kidding, people! *glares at readers* Alright then. Nice to see that you're so reasonable. *g*

I am very glad to hear that most of you were indeed able to hear the dark, ominous music. It was quite audible too... And I absolutely agree with you: 'Stupid' isn't strong enough a word for Legolas' behaviour. I'm telling you, that elf _wants_ to get captured, tortured and generally hurt in every conceivable way. *hastily* Not that any of the above will be happening in this story, of course. No, I would _never_ write things like that, I prefer topics such as fluffy animals and flowers. You know, the really tense things...

Okay, I think that my alter ego has done something to my brain; I'm beginning to babble nonesense. The first person who tells me that there is not much of a difference between this and my usual behaviour will join those who tell me about RotK and have a nice meeting with our resident psychopath, Teonvan. *g*


So, the much anticipated chapter 7 is here! Most of the action is in the next chapter though, so consider yourselves warned. Other than the already eagerly awaited doom, Reran and Cendan have a little discussion and remember their dear friend Adruran, Aragorn is sulking and I already mentioned the doom, didn't I? Yup, I did. Well, it's there. The doom, I mean. *g*

Have fun and review, please!

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Chapter 7


Taking a deep breat of the clear, cold air, Legolas brushed off a little bit of the snow that had begun to coat the strands of his fair hair that had managed to escape the constrains of his hood and studied his surroundings as best as he could.

Even with keen elven eyesight it was not easy, for all he could see were the swirling, thick, icy-grey streams of snow that fell heavily to the earth, so heavily that it was hard to see anything that was not right in front of your nose. The elf was not at all bothered by the cold and in fact rather enjoyed the experience, even though he kept a careful eye on his surroundings. He thought it highly unlikely that there was something else than he out here – as Aragorn would have said, only he, Legolas, was stupid enough to be outside in a weather like this – because all other creatures he knew, including orcs and wargs, preferred to stay in their homes when the elements were raging like this, but it never hurt to be a little too careful.

It was indeed nice to be away from the palace, and considering the weather he had to admit it: He was very, very grateful that he had not taken his human friend with him.

That was of course something Legolas would not have openly admitted even under the worst of tortures since he knew perfectly well how irked Aragorn would be about a statement such as this, but it was the truth. The illness the ranger was still suffering from had once again more than anything else in the past four weeks impressed upon the elf that his friend was, after all, only human. He didn't mean it in a derogatory sense of course, even though Aragorn would undoubtedly understand it thus had he heard it, and that was a reason why he would never say it.

Even despite – or perhaps because – of what they had seen and been through in the past few years Aragorn was still not at all comfortable with his ancestry and what others called his destiny, and Legolas knew that the man had wished more than once that he could simply have remained Estel Elrondion. While his new-found identity bore heavily on Aragorn, it didn't matter to Legolas in the slightest, yet the fact remained: Even though of Númenórean blood, Aragorn was a man, and therefore possessed all the weaknesses – and strengths – of a mortal body.

To watch his friend fall ill for no reason Legolas could understand had brought back to the elf's attention that he was not nearly as resilient as one of the firstborn and that it was far easier for him to succumb to things like cold and ice. It was easy to forget sometimes that Aragorn was, in fact, not elven, since even despite his definitely human appearance he was more an elf, both in heart and in mind.

But he was not, Legolas reminded himself firmly, and that was the reason why he had insisted that Aragorn remained behind this time. No-one in Mirkwood knew much about human illnesses, he was the first to admit that, but in the last three years he had learned some very important lessons, and one of them was never to trust Aragorn when he claimed to be "fine", "alright", "well" or anything of the like. So if Aragorn said that this particular illness didnrequire one to rest for longer than three or four days, the truth was probably closer to five or six days, and Legolas was quite sure that it wasn't good either to go on a trip so quickly after having recovered.

It was for the man's own good, the elf nodded quickly. Besides, he didn't really want to explain to the twins that their human brother had suffered a relapse because they had let him go on a trip too soon, something that was rather probable as everyone agreed, especially considering their luck. Legolas grinned. His father hadn't been too unhappy to hear that Legolas was indeed going to check on the patrols – even though he was even happier to hear that he would be leaving Aragorn behind.

The prince frowned. His father had indeed been rather strange lately, and that particular behaviour seemed to have even increased after their return from their little … ill-fated hunting trip. Really, he thought annoyed, his father was behaving as if it had been their fault that they had collided with the tree! It had been an accident, but during the few times Legolas had seen his father since their return to the palace (his ears were still ringing from the lecture he had received then and he did not want to repeat that experience if somehow possible) he had been unable to convince him that that was indeed so. Thranduil just didn't want to hear anything about it, really, all he cared about at the moment was that Elladan and Elrohir would be arriving in the next five days, would stay for a little while and would then leave – with Aragorn.

Making a mental note to himself to try and convince his father to let him accompany them, Legolas carefully guided his horse around a fallen tree that lay half-way on the path, all but hidden in the swirling snow all around him. Not that he would have needed to bother, really, Rashwe was one of the most intelligent – and, if one believed Aragorn and his brothers, evil – horses he had ever had, and he wouldn't allow his master to fall because he had overseen something as insignificant as a tree.

All that the white, gleaming horse seemed to convey in a single, dark look when it shortly turned its head into Legolas' direction, and the elven prince once again found himself surprised at how much like Aragorn his horse could look. That was yet another thing he would never tell the man, of course, who would probably not be too happy to be compared to a horse, and certainly not to Rashwe.

But really, Legolas thought with a wide smile, Aragorn had looked just like that when he had come to his room in the healing wing to say good-bye – even though he had looked a little bit angrier…


"You're still here?"

Legolas raised an inquisitive eyebrow. He hadn't really expected Aragorn to be happy about the fact that he was "abandoning" him, but a bit more courtesy was not really too much to ask for, was it? The elven prince gave the scowling face of the man a quick look. Well, he admitted after a second, apparently it was.

"Yes," he replied, sitting down on the chair next to the human's bed and deciding to ignore the other's foul mood. "I am still here."

"Oh," Aragorn replied and waved his hand dismissively, "Don't stay because of me. Go and have fun without me. Goodbye."

"Strider!" Legolas said surprised, a wicked gleam in his eyes as he leaned closer and peered intensely into the other's frowning face. "Are you … sulking?"

To his satisfaction, he saw slight redness creep up the man's face as he shook his head fervently.
"No, of course I am not sulking. Rangers do not sulk."

Legolas merely looked at him with a raised eyebrow that reminded the young man eerily of his brothers when he had just told them something incredibly stupid, and so he relented with a small smile.
"Very well, I might have sulked a little. And you have to admit that it was well within my rights! You get to have fun outside this … this prison and I have to stay here till at least this afternoon."

"It won't be fun, Strider," the elf told his unhappy friend, trying to cheer him up a little. "Have you looked outside yet? It's snowing."

"So what?" Aragorn retorted darkly. "Everything is better than having to stay here watching Hithrawyn when he is wearing that particularly smug expression."

"It's only for another day, then you're free to go."

"Oh, is it?" the man asked in a silky tone of voice. "Then why don't you stay here, mellon nín?"

"Because I'm not insane," Legolas grinned. "It took all my influence to make Hithrawyn allow me to come and say goodbye; I don't even want to know how he would react if I wanted to stay here."

"It would be interesting to see it though," Aragorn commented thoughtfully. "I've always wanted to see him wrap his hands around your throat and squeeze … and squeeze … and…"

The young ranger trailed off, a dreamy expression on his face, and for a moment Legolas didn't know whether he should laugh or be offended by his friend's words. He quickly decided to ignore them and rose to his feet, knowing full well that he had only seconds left until Hithrawyn appeared in the door telling him that his time was up. The blonde healer had been very reluctant to allow him to visit Aragorn at all, and only a direct order had finally made him change his mind.

"I need to go, my friend," he said, giving his human friend a tentative smile. "Try not to get yourself into too much trouble while I'm gone, alright?"

"You shouldn't be the one talking," the ranger muttered darkly. "It is you who attracts every single foul creature in a radius of a thousand leagues."

"I beg to differ," Legolas all but huffed. "Let us not forget who impaled himself on a branch four days ago, shall we?"

Aragorn rolled his eyes at the blonde elf.
"That was entirely your fault, as has been established."

"If you are trying to engage me in our twenty-seventh debate about this very topic in order to delay my departure, you can be assured that it will not work."

"I would never do such a thing," Aragorn retorted, eyes twinkling mischievously and stating the direct opposite of that statement. He shook his head minutely, his face turning solemn again, and fixed a serious, penetrating stare on his best friend's amused face. "Be careful, Legolas, please. I do not like this at all."

"Aragorn," the elf was very close to rolling his eyes now. "You needn't be concerned. It's only a short trip; nothing will happen. I can look after myself, even as I am now."

"I know that," his friend nodded quickly. "I know that you are more than capable of defending yourself, stubborn elf. I just have a very bad feeling about this trip, that is all. Please look after yourself and do not go looking for trouble. Promise me."

Legolas shook his head, beginning to get slightly worried now himself. First Celylith and then Aragorn, that just couldn't be good… For a moment he contemplated whether he should tell Aragorn about the curious warning his silver haired friend had given him before his departure, but quickly decided against it. Aragorn would probably fly into one of his unreasonable, over-protective fits and would insist that he stayed here. The elf had to hide a small, amused smile at the thought. He could just picture it: Aragorn fluttering around him like a big, startled mother hen while he dragged him to his father's study. The inward smile turned into a frown. And his father would probably order him to stay behind, looking at him as if he got himself into all these situations on purpose. No, Legolas decided quickly, that would not do.

"I promise," he told the man earnestly. "Do not worry, I'll be back before you know it, and then may the Valar help your brothers because I will personally forbid anyone here to do it."

Aragorn gave him a rather strained-looking smile and nodded his head slightly.
"I can hardly wait." He gave his elven friend a last, long look and finally waved his hand into the direction of the door. "Go then. Leave me here to rot, I don't mind."

Legolas smiled back and bent down to ruffle the man's tousled hair just to annoy him, jumping backwards quickly when Estel growled and swatted at him. Only the man's brothers were allowed to tousle his hair, and that only because they had been successfully ignoring all his protestations that he was too old for such "childish" things ever since he had turned sixteen.

"Alright then," he told his scowling friend. "I'll go."

The elven prince turned on his heel and walked into the direction of the wooden door, but stopped when he reached the threshold. He turned and looked back at Aragorn, sincerity and a little amusement in his eyes.
"I'll be back in two days, reckless human, I promise."

With that he opened the door and quickly stepped out, closing it behind him soundlessly. Aragorn simply stared after him for a while, not really knowing himself just why he was feeling so anxious, and finally shook his head slightly.

"See that you are, stubborn elf, see that you are."


Legolas shook his head again. Aragorn could be just as bad as Elladan and Elrohir when it came to over-protectiveness, even though the man was thousands of years younger than he. Compared to him Aragorn was a mere child, and a rather irresponsible at that, but somehow the young ranger always saw it fit to mother him, Ilúvatar alone knew why.

The elven prince grinned lightly. He didn't really know why Aragorn felt that he needed his protection, but it both annoyed and touched him. It should be him who looked after his friend, and yet he found himself in the position of the one needing his help more often than he liked to remember. It wasn't that he didn't trust Aragorn or felt that he couldn't accept help from him, but it simply was not in his nature to ask for assistance or have to rely on others for help.

It was a feeling Legolas was, to his dismay, not entirely unfamiliar with, but that didn't change the fact that he didn't like it at all in the slightest. His independence was among the things he defended the fiercest, and that was the reason why he hadn't objected to his father's request to come here and check on the patrols.

The elf trusted his horse's senses that would lead them safely down the path leading southwards, and dropped his gaze to his hands. It was rather ironic that now his left arm was the stronger one, the very arm that had been giving him so much trouble since his little, rather abrupt, encounter with a cliff base. Hithrawyn had taken off the bandages on his right arm yesterday; he was an elf after all, and the injuries he had suffered when they had collided with the tree had, essentially, been nothing worse than deep scratches and rather extensive bruising.

It was already nearly healed and gave him only little trouble, and still he hoped that it had been right what he had told both of his friends repeatedly, namely that nothing would happen to him. He was really not looking forward to the prospect of having to draw a bow with two useless hands; he would probably be a greater threat to himself than to anything or anyone else.

Legolas took his thoughts off that displeasing subject with a tired sigh. He really tried to heed Aragorn's words and be patient, but he found it to be very hard. Well, he decided with a small frown, he would prove to himself that he could leave his home without suffering a dreadful accident, that would be a start; and only after that he would worry about his arm.

The elf nodded to himself, deep in thought, his white horse nearly melting into the white surroundings that were nearly obscured by the swirling masses of snow. He was already close to the first patrol's position, and should be able to visit two more before nightfall. Then he could visit three more tomorrow to the west and he would be able to get back to the palace, hopefully before Aragorn set fire to it or destroyed it in some other way in his boredom.

A large smile on his face, Legolas spurred on his horse slightly, following the winding path that led him even deeper into snow-capped darkness of the forest.




One part of Reran was grinning like a maniac, whereas another, slightly smaller part was cursing profusely inside his head. Had the man displayed those emotions openly, everyone who would have laid eyes on him would quickly have come to the conclusion that he was mad, or at least well on his way of becoming so.

These rather conflicting feelings had one very simple reason: The snow. The part of the human captain that was thinking like a soldier – and that was decidedly the larger part – was delighted about the snow. Snow could be a slight hazard of course since it hid the ground and made you prone to stumbling or falling over things you couldn't see, but that small disadvantage was made up for by the facts that snow also hid you and dampened the sounds of your footsteps – something that would definitely come in handy.

On the other hand, a small voice inside his head noted wryly, snow was also cold and wet, and if other people couldn't see you, it usually meant that you couldn't see other people either, which was not at all good in their current position.

Reran shook his head and banished these thoughts from his mind. It wouldn't help complaining about things that could not be changed; the snow was falling, and as far as he could see, it would continue doing so for quite some time as well.

The man turned back to his men and let his gaze wander slowly over the huddled forms of freezing men whose light-coloured cloaks were coated with a rather thick layer of ice and snow, helping them to blend into their surroundings. None of the men Reran looked in the eye seemed overly happy with the situation – something that was entirely understandable of course, since they had spent the night stumbling through the dark forest and had nearly got eaten by two wargs that had been aggressive and desperate for a kill.

The blonde man's eyes darkened at the thought. No-one had suspected an attack, and they hadn't had any warning at all before the two beasts had attacked them. One of his men had been killed and another injured badly before they had managed to slay the creatures, a fact that did not sit well with him at all. The wargs had been starving, and only their overwhelming hunger must have driven them to attack a group of over twenty humans.

Still, he had given orders to be extra careful, since wargs usually travelled in much larger packs, yet another fact that added to his already substantial unease. Nothing had happened though, and Reran was beginning to suspect that the two animals had been the remnants of a much larger group that had either been separated or been attacked itself not too long ago, and he was willing to bet half a year's pay that, if that had been the case, the animals had had an encounter with the very group they had come to hunt.

If that was so, the man thought wryly, the other wargs were most probably dead and would bother no-one ever again.

A small noise next to him alerted him to someone's presence, and Reran turned to find himself face to face with his lieutenant, Cendan. The older man nodded at the other, noting wryly that Cendan looked even colder than he himself felt, if such a thing was even possible.
"Cendan. How are the men holding up?"

"As w-well as can be expected, sir," the younger man replied as he tried to force his teeth to stop chattering. "Everyone has been informed of the punishment for lighting a fire or wandering off, and there have been no incidents yet."

Reran nodded his head slowly. That wasn't at all surprising, really. His men were professionals and were trained better than to do something as foolish as that, besides, none of them was foolish enough to risk being flogged to death for something as trivial as lighting a fire. His men knew that he didn't do such things for the mere fun of it, but they also knew that he never made idle threats.

"I thought as much," he said evenly. No, most of his men might be ruthless, hard-hearted sons of orcs who would sell their own mothers if they would profit from it in any way, but they were not totally daft either. "Are Teonvan and the others back?"

Cendan quickly hid the scowl on his face when the dark haired commander was mentioned, and had to fight the sudden urge to reach for his dagger. It was an instinctive reaction on his part, but he knew that his captain, even though he didn't like Teonvan either, wouldn't tolerate such a sign of disrespect and disobedience. If there was one thing Reran demanded from his men, it was respect, and anyone who forgot his place or acted in a way he was not entitled to quickly found himself facing his wrath and Cendan had yet to see one who had enjoyed that experience at all.

The dark haired man took a deep breath and shook his head. If he were given the chance, he would gladly kill that loathsome man, but he knew that he would not and so he pushed the anger to the back of his mind. He knew Reran reasonably well and was aware of the fact that he was not having such a good day. It was never wise to offend him in any way when he was in a bad mood.

"No, sir," he answered in what he hoped was a neutral voice. "But from what the scouts told us, we should be very close to them right now, and, technically speaking, they should therefore be back in a few minutes."

"Aye," Reran nodded darkly. "One would think so." He gave the quiet figure of his lieutenant a quizzical look. "What do you think of our mission, Cendan? You can speak freely."

Cendan would almost have laughed aloud. He trusted his captain, to a certain degree, but definitely not this much.
"It is not my place to question our lord's decisions," he finally said carefully.

To his surprise, Reran threw back his head and laughed.
"Very diplomatic, Cendan," he chuckled. "Very diplomatic, you may have missed your true calling." He shook his head slightly. "You are right, it was a question best left unanswered. Tell me what you think of our chances of success then."

The younger man gulped inwardly, keeping the steady, emotionless façade for that his mother's people were known firmly in place. Was this a trick question?
"I think," he began, carefully weighing his words, "That we will of course succeed. But in my opinion we could very well suffer some heavy losses, especially if the scouts were right and there are four or five of them."

Reran nodded his head in agreement with his assessment.
"A good answer, Cendan, a good answer. I for my part still hope that they were wrong and there are less than five. I do believe we could overcome even their resistance, but it would be bloody, far bloodier than I would like. I still hope to do this quickly."

"Do you think that realistic?" Cendan asked. "I see no way we can fight five of them and hope not to alert the whole forest to our presence. The chances that some of them escape into the trees are too great."

His captain nodded again, grimacing darkly.
"I know." He narrowed his eyes, looking emotionlessly at the younger man. "Tell me then, Cendan, how does one fight our prey?"

"How does one fight elves?" Cendan repeated, an amused sparkle in his eyes. "Well, I still remember Captain Adruran who always said that they are more trouble than they are worth. And the same allegedly goes for rangers."

"Correct," the other smiled. "I think Adruran was right, and therefore the right way to fight elves is not to fight them at all."

"Sir?"

Reran looked at his lieutenant with a raised eyebrow.
"I hope you don't share Commander Teonvan's view that elves are no more dangerous than any other creature in this part of Wilderland?" When the other mutely shook his head, he continued, "I for my part do not share it at all. Elves are dangerous, as Captain Adruran and his men have found out first-hand. Therefore my first course of action is to try and surprise them so they don't even have the time to fight back. Lacking that, I will not attack them until I am sure that I have trapped them as best as humanly possible before making a move. I do not intend to let one of them get away; we mustn't leave any witnesses if we are to get out of here alive."

Cendan nodded slightly, but didn't say anything. It wasn't his place to criticise his superior, besides, he did like the plan, especially the "getting out of here alive"-part. He and everyone else here knew what had happened to the men who had survived the fight on the slopes of the Lonely Mountain about two months ago. Their liege wouldn't care at all if all of them were killed by the Wood-elves, but it was rather nice knowing that your captain planned not to let that happen until it was entirely unavoidable.

Before either of them could say something else, low, murmuring sounds could be heard to the right of them, the equivalent of what otherwise would have been a loud and vociferous greeting. Loud and vociferous greetings, however, fell under the category of lighting torches and fires, and so none of the men felt overly much tempted to use one.

After waiting a few seconds, Reran turned with a small, inward sigh. On the other side of the little clearing which didn't measure much more than thirty feet in diameter three men had appeared and were right now busy pushing through the closely packed men to reach Reran's and Cendan's position.

The blonde commander forced his face into an emotionless façade, which was hard even for him who had worked for their lord for more than thirty years. The smug look of complacency and arrogance that Teonvan, obviously the leader of the three, wore, however, did make that endeavour even harder.

After a few seconds, the others had reached the two men, and the dark haired human gave Reran a respectful bow, leaving it to the other man to figure out whether or not it had been meant seriously.
"Sir. We found them."

'Finally!' a part of Reran's mind commented. 'Straight to the point; at least he is sparing you having to drag every single word out of him this time.'
"Where and how many?" the captain asked curtly.

A small flicker of what might have been annoyance swept over the other's face, hidden so quickly that it was hard to determine if it had been there in the first place.

"About three-quarters of an hour from here to the south-east, sir," Teonvan answered respectfully. "We didn't approach them, but we think there are no more than three."

Suppressing a smile, Reran nodded at his second-in-command, deciding with a heavy heart to give him some credit for his work.
"Well done, Teonvan," he told the other man whose grin only seemed to widen at that. "Well done indeed."

Ignoring the other's smug smile, he motioned the other two men to leave them and nodded at both Teonvan and Cendan when they were alone.
"Listen closely now, for I do not intend to repeat myself. We will divide the men into three groups and approach their position from the east, south-east and north-west. No-one is to come closer to them than a five-minute-distance; those who do not obey this I will kill myself, that I promise you."

He gave Teonvan a hard look who quickly dropped his eyes, matted brown hair falling forward to conceal yellowish cheeks.

"I do not care in the slightest what you think of this plan or the Elves in general; no-one is to attack them before I give the signal. Keep your men under control and impress upon them the importance of following our orders, as hard as it may appear on first glance. Understood?"

When both of them nodded soundlessly, he narrowed his eyes, looking at both of them with barely concealed urgency in his eyes.
"We don't have time for a second shot at this. If we don't succeed, we won't get out of this wood alive; it's as simple as that. And even if we did, I don't have to remind you of the fate of Adruran's men, do I?"

This time, a pair of mute head shakes was the only answer, and so Reran nodded grimly.
"I thought so. Get your men ready to travel; we will leave as soon as you're ready."

Both gave him a quick nod and turned simultaneously on their heels, their animosity forgotten for the moment. After a few moments, the horses were being readied which were standing huddled together at the far side of the clearing, looking even more displeased than the humans about all this, and only five minutes later the men had been separated into three groups and were ready to depart.

Reran remained where he was, watching the first group leave the glade, led by Teonvan and the two lieutenants he had brought with him. Five minutes after them, Cendan's groups would leave and five minutes later the last one under his command. The slowly departing figures of the eight men were quickly swallowed up by the white mass of the snow that still swirled around the dark, gnarly trunks of the trees, and the captain stared after them, running a hand through his greying hair that was right now coated with a nearly two-inch-thick layer of snow.

After a few more moments during which the second group made the last preparations for leaving themselves, he finally turned around and slowly walked over to his horse that was still waiting at the other side of the clearing, shaking his head. He was nearly certain that Teonvan hadn't really heard a single word he'd said and wouldn't learn either until an elf slit his throat, a prospect he was prepared to greet with the utmost composure and indifference.

He shook his head again when he reached his horse, making sure that he himself could leave in the next five minutes. He didn't care in the slightest if Teonvan got himself killed; he was even willing to pay an elf for doing it if he had to. If that foolish man took his, Reran's, men with him, however, it was another thing entirely, and not something he was prepared to tolerate.

No, he thought with a dark frown, this whole thing would be a lot more messy and dangerous than he had hoped; he was as convinced about it as if it had been written in the snow in front of his feet. He had never had the misfortune of having to fight an elf, and that was a fact he wouldn't have wanted to change had it been up to him – which it was not, of course.

Reran began to lead his horse over to the others with a small sigh, slowly beginning to understand that their liege's plan was a really, really bad one indeed and that they could consider themselves lucky if even half of them left this accursed forest alive.




Around, and around, and around again.

Galalith resisted the urge to clamp his eyes shut in an attempt to fight off the nausea that was beginning to take up residence in his stomach. The dark haired elf shook his head slowly as he watched Anardir complete yet another circle round the tree trunk, lightly hopping from branch to branch in an easy, inborn fashion that could have made one forget that they were in fact several dozen feet above the ground.

Under any other circumstances, Galalith might have complemented his friend – even if only inwardly – for his aptitude in the trees, but right now he found it very hard not to do something drastic to him that would bring him at least some resemblance of peace and quiet. The day was beautiful in his opinion; ever since he had been an elfling he had enjoyed snow like nothing else, and to watch the thick flakes float towards the ground was something that would have filled him with a quiet happiness and contentment – if not for Anardir's incessant pacing.

Elves did usually not pace; it was an activity reserved for the younger and more impatient races, and slowly but surely Galalith was not only getting very annoyed, but also slightly worried about his friend.

The elf pushed a reddish-brown strand of hair behind his ear and watched Anardir circle the trunk once again before he sat up on the branch he was occupying, his patience finally, after more than five hours, spent.

"Sit down," he commanded curtly, fingering his bow in a fashion that could only be described as threatening. "For Eru's sake, Anardir, sit down or I will not be held responsible for my actions."

The blonde elf stopped where he was just about to hop onto another branch a few feet above the one he was standing on, for the first time actually noticing that his friend was, after all, also sitting in this tree he was occupying at the moment.

"Pardon me?"

Galalith sighed and pointed at a spot where two thick branches met, forming a comfortable perch high above the snow-covered ground.
"Sit down, my friend, please. You are driving me insane with that continuous pacing! Even the tree is starting to complain, and if you don't stop it soon, it will surely shake both of us out of its branches."

"Sit?" Anardir questioned, looking very much as if he wanted nothing more than to wave his arms in agitation. "You want me to sit??"

"Yes," the other elf nodded patiently. "I want you to sit before I have to break your legs and force you to."

His friend's apparent calmness only served to incite the golden haired elf's temper even more.
"You want me to sit down? Our patrol has been attacked by wargs and two of our group have been injured and you want me to sit down??"

With patience he didn't know he possessed, Galalith forced himself to smile at the other and repeat himself yet again.
"Yes," he said, reached out quickly and managed to grab a brown shirtsleeve. Yanking hard on it, he brought his friend down onto the dark bark of the tree, ignoring the equally dark glare Anardir gave him. "It won't change anything if you continue driving me and this poor tree to madness. Sit down and calm yourself; I am sure that the others will be fine."

For a moment, Anardir stared at the dark haired elf, only to relent after a few more moments when his brain informed him just how immature he was behaving.
"You are right, mellon nín, I am sorry," he finally apologised. "The past few months have been … stressful, that is all."

"I know," Galalith nodded sympathetically, enormously relieved that Anardir was finally staying in one spot. "It was the right decision to leave the palace again. I dare not even think of what the prince, Lord Celylith and Strider have managed to do already."

"You are not the only one," Anardir commented darkly. "I will never forget the looks Lord Celythramir and the king gave me when we returned with both of them unconscious four days ago."

Unable to help himself, Galalith began to snicker softly and couldn't even stop when Anardir gave him a look as dark as Mirkwood at night.
"I am sorry, my friend," he finally managed to gasp, "I really am, but … a … a branch, in Elbereth's name! How do they do it, I ask you?! How?"

"It was not funny," Anardir insisted stiffly. "When we reached that accursed tree, I was firmly convinced that both of them were dead, and the Valar know that they almost did die."

"Yes," Galalith nodded, working hard to regain control over his features. "Don't worry," he repeated, wisely deciding to change the topic, "the others will be fine. The wounds are not too serious, and I am sure they will reach the palace this afternoon. There are no more wargs in the vicinity, and the two or three that managed to get away have shown no signs of returning. They will be just fine."

Anardir forced himself to nod as well. He had sent a third warrior with the other two, not willing to let the two injured elves travel through the forest alone. Even if they were attacked, which he seriously doubted, they would be more than capable of defending themselves, because Galalith was right: The wounds were not too bad, merely deep gashes and perhaps a broken arm. Still, warg bites were notorious for becoming infected, and would be feeling a lot better knowing that his men were getting all the help and care they could possibly need once they got back to the palace.

The warriors he had asked for should arrive tomorrow to reinforce them, therefore making sure that their patrol was once again back to the required strength, and so it was indeed true: Everything would be alright. Then why, he thought darkly, did he have this horrible feeling of impending doom? If he had learned one thing in the past, it was that he could always trust these feelings, and today it was exceptionally strong. Anardir had to stop himself from getting up and fidgeting again. He was not having a good feeling about this, no, not a good feeling at all…

Galalith had noticed his friend's edginess – when sitting together on the same branch it was rather hard to miss – and resisted the urge to roll his eyes, something he did far too often these past few years anyway. If he didn't take care, they would come loose and drop into his lap one of these days, a prospect that was both macabre and frightening in his opinion.

"Come now," he said with an amused sparkle in his eyes, "Are you still upset about the bet? Lord Celylith was right, you know, you owe him quite a lot…"

"He was not!" Anardir protested, giving his childhood friend an outraged look. "This was nothing that could be described as 'natural causes'!"

"Well, it was a tree."

"It was general stupidity and recklessness, that's what it was!" Anardir shook his head. "'Natural causes' has another meaning entirely!"

"Not really," Galalith retorted, the amusement he felt manifesting itself in a broad grin he was unable to hide anymore. "Everyone agrees that he won fair and square. Because none of us thought to bet on natural causes, the pool is his, which is really a shame since there is that rather nice dagger in it that belongs to one of the palace guards." He shook his head, green eyes shining with mock pity. "He really betted on a spider attack, that poor elf. Everybody knows how seldom they leave their lairs at this time of year; honestly, I don't know what he was thinking…"

"Well," Anardir injected, a nasty smile on his face, "You betted on a hunting accident, didn't you?"

"It nearly was one!" Galalith protested, eyes flashing. "No matter how you see it, anything was more likely than your prediction, dear friend…"

Anardir snorted and would have said something when both of them froze, their keen senses informing them that something, or someone, was nearing their position. Their playful bantering forgotten, both traded a short look and quickly began to move down the leafless branches of the tree, stopping when they had reached positions that offered a certain cover and at the same time a free line of fire onto the path that wound around the dark trunk of the tree they were occupying.

Both elves had soundlessly reached for their bows and notched arrows, just for the – rather likely – case that their visitor, was not friend, but foe. There was the possibility after all that the wargs were returning, and neither of the two had any desire whatsoever to be caught on the ground like yesterday evening, when they hadn't been able to retreat to the treetops before the foul beasts had been upon them.

Anardir gripped the smooth, comforting wood of the bow tightly, wondering for the umpteenth time in the past few months what he had done to the Valar to deserve this. He wasn't even a Noldo, it couldn't be some sort of punishment for the deeds of his people, could it? While he was still contemplating what he could possibly have done wrong in his more than two millennia of living – right now, nothing of the required severity came to mind – a horse became visible through the swirling snow that seemed to be everywhere, nearly melting into its surroundings due to its white coat.

The rider guided the animal around a snow drift that had accumulated next to a tree, already reaching about to a grown elf's chest level, before he stopped, his hands reaching up to throw back the dark green cloak that obscured his features. In an instant, the hood was removed, exposing a fair face with long blonde hair to the swirling snow masses.

Anardir felt the strong urge to close his eyes while the figure beneath them began to scan the dark, leafless trees that were obscured by snow and ice. This was just his kind of luck, it had to be him, hadn't it…
The golden haired elf's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Elvish words, being called by a musical voice he knew only to well. A Elbereth, why him?

"Maethyr o Thaur-nu-Fuin!"

The woods remained quiet and still though, and so the fair haired figure added with an amusedly raised eyebrow,

"Ú-dhelio le o chin nín!"

Trading a slightly long-suffering look, the two elves began to skilfully clamber down the tree they had been hiding in. It took them only a few seconds until their feet touched the ground soundlessly and they began to walk towards the horse whose rider had dismounted now, their feet leaving no trace on the ever-growing snow that hid the lands.

"My lord," Anardir said respectfully while they gave their prince a small bow. "What an … unexpected … pleasure."

Legolas couldn't quite hide the grin that laid itself over his features.
"It is good to see you too, my friends. You disappeared from the palace so quickly that I couldn't even say goodbye or thank you for all what you have done for Estel and me."

The sour expression on the others' faces clearly stated that they considered it a sacrifice well worth it if they had been able to escape the palace as quickly as possible.

"Warriors were needed for the patrols in the south, my lord, and we saw it necessary to volunteer," Galalith said softly, hiding a grin on his own. All three of them knew of course that Anardir and he had only left the King's Halls to escape the trouble that inevitably followed Legolas and his young ranger friend, but all of them knew as well that they would never voice that fact.

"I can see that," the fair haired prince nodded, the mirth on his face quickly disappearing when he eyed the two other elves whose clothing was still stained with both dark and red blood. "I met the other three about two hours from here. Are you alright?"

"We are, my lord," Anardir assured the prince, the feelings of unease and impending doom only multiplying. Now he knew at least why he was having these feelings: The reason was standing right in front of him. "How are they?"

The smile on Legolas' face reappeared as he looked at the two elven warriors reassuringly.
"They will be alright, I believe. Since they don't have horses they will arrive at the palace in the evening, but they have time. The gashes looked deep and ugly, yes, but I do not think they are badly infected. And I don't think that the lad's arm is broken either."

Galalith returned Legolas' smile, giving an unconscious sigh of relief. The youngest member of the troupe had been pinned to the ground by two dead wargs for the main part of the short, but fierce battle, and they hadn't been sure whether or not his arm had been broken. It had been the young one's first patrol, and it had been obvious that he had been in a lot of pain even though he had been trying to hide it. The dark haired elf shook his head. He was an elfling, nothing more really, and shouldn't even be here…

"Thank the Valar," he said out aloud. "He was very concerned about not being able to use his arm. He's an elfling, really, and is mortally afraid of Hithrawyn, like every sensible person, by the way."

The fair haired prince's smile seemed to freeze a little, and Galalith realised a little too late what he had said, making the dark haired elf want to hit his head against something hard and solid.

"He would be," Legolas said softly. "Not being able to shoot properly for several weeks must be unimaginable for one so young."

Anardir glared at his friend who had dropped his eyes to the ground and was studying his snow-dusted boot tips with fascination. How could anyone be so stupid? He quickly searched for something, anything, to break the uncomfortable silence that had fallen between them, and finally asked,

"Why have you come here then, my lord? Did you come alone?"

At the sight of Anardir peering anxiously over his shoulder as if expecting Aragorn and/or Celylith to burst through the trees, Legolas' face brightened again, and he laughed lightly and shook his head.
"Yes, Anardir, I came alone. Captain Celylith is delivering an important message to Beorn, and Strider is not yet well enough to travel. Humans are very fragile sometimes, it appears."

"What about you, your Highness?" Galalith asked softly. "I appear to remember some injuries you suffered yourself."

Legolas grimaced slightly, looking down at his arm that was covered in several layers of cloth.
"I'm alright, my friend, thank you for your concern. Hithrawyn took off the bandages and reassured me that I would live." The others' faces relaxed with relief, and he added playfully, "Even though I have to say that he looked rather disappointed when he said it."

"I can very well imagine that," Anardir nodded. "When we arrived at the palace, he appeared none too happy to see any of us."

"That has not changed, I can assure you," Legolas said with a smile. "And to answer your other question: I came to check on the patrols. The king demands an update on the situation which has been disconcertingly quiet of late, and I thought it best to come and see for myself. And, as it appears, things are not as quiet as they appeared to be, would you not agree?"

Anardir shook his head and waved his hand dismissively.
"Everything is quiet here, my lord, truly. The pack from yesterday was starving and desperate, otherwise they would never have attacked. They showed no signs of organised behaviour, and there are no orcs or goblins near as far as we can tell. In that case they would probably have been stopped by the western patrols anyway."

"Where is the next patrol positioned?" Legolas asked.

"To the west, my lord, about five hours by horse; seven warriors under the command of Master Legandir's son."

"Anondil," Legolas nodded. He remembered the young elf who looked very much like his father, who was a famous armourer. Legolas' own bow had been made by him, even though Aragorn had needed about six weeks to convince the elf to even consider making it for him. "He's a little bit younger than we, is he not?"

"Aye, my lord, he is," Galalith nodded. He knew Anondil as well; incidentally he was one of the young warriors who had betted on an orc attack. He had a rather good memory for things like that. "He will turn 1728 in a few years, I believe."

The fair haired prince nodded with a small smile. Somehow he always thought that this sounded ridiculous and rather random when counting in human years. The firstborn preferred to count in sixes and twelves, and their more common unit of time was a yén. Young Anondil would reach an important age soon indeed, for 1728 years were twelve times 144 years which in term were a period of twelve times twelve years. So the young elf would turn twelve yéni soon, an occurrence that always called for a great celebration.

"I trust he is already planning how to celebrate it?" he asked, remembering how excited he himself had been all these years ago when he had turned 1728.

"Oh yes," Anardir nodded. "He hardly speaks of anything else. He plans to marry on the same day."

"Does he now?" Legolas asked, very much interested now. "Who is the maiden who is to become his wife then?"

"The Lady Isáviel," Galalith answered with a small smile. "He asked her father for her hand in marriage, and he agreed, as did she. Her whole family is probably already making a list of all the weapons they want to have once the two of them are married."

For the second time in a few minutes, Legolas' smile seemed to freeze. A small voice inside his head found the whole situation impossibly amusing, but the rest of him didn't agree in the slightest. It had to be Isáviel, hadn't it? He hadn't only climbed into the room of an elf maid, no, he had climbed into the room of a betrothed, soon-to-be-married elf maid whose fiancée was known to be extraordinarily jealous for one of their kind. Suddenly, he thought darkly, the idea of accompanying Aragorn to Rivendell had become incredibly attractive…

"My lord?" Anardir asked with a raised eyebrow, "Is something the matter? You appear … pale all of the sudden…"

"I'm fine," Legolas shook his head quickly. "Nothing is the matter, I was merely…"

He trailed off and frowned, his senses suddenly reaching a level of extreme alarm. One of his hands was already moving to the quiver on his back, gripping a dagger tightly before he had even begun to turn around. Both Anardir and Galalith seemed to sense it as well, whatever it might be, for they had also fallen silent and had readied their bows again, and soon three pairs of keen elven eyes were scanning the trees all around them.

"The wargs?" Galalith asked in a low tone of voice. "Could they have returned?"

"Nay, it's not wargs," Legolas retorted, nervousness beginning to creep up on him. "It feels … different, somehow, not as mindlessly evil…"

"Whatever it is," Anardir remarked, eyes darting nervously from left to right, "It is clever. We are surrounded."

Legolas frowned, but soon found that the blonde elf was correct. Whatever it was that was nearing their position, it was all around them, quickly coming closer and closing in on them.

"You are right," he said, his hand tightening on the dagger's carved hilt, "And whatever they are, they are many. We should retreat into the trees."

The other two nodded soundlessly, obeying his command without question as they began to turn around, into the direction of the tree that had given them shelter in the night before, when they had thought that the wargs might return.

Only a fraction of a second later, Legolas turned around to follow them, but in the very moment he started to move, a small sound caused him to whirl around, and that was the moment he understood three things. First, that "they", whoever "they" may be, were already a lot closer than they had thought, second, that they would never make it back to the tree, and third, that he had exactly half a second to get himself and the others out of the line of fire.

With a cry he twisted back around and threw himself forward, crashing into the two elves in front of them. Half a second later the three of them lay in a tangle of legs and arms in the snow, and Legolas smiled despite the reawakened pain in his barely healed right arm as he heard the unmistakable, swishing sound of an arrow that flew over their heads and impacted with a tree with a sharp thud.

The three young elves desperately struggled back to their feet, Anardir just managing to avoid another arrow that would nearly have imbedded itself in his back had he not sensed it and jumped aside at the last moment. Legolas looked around them with big, stunned blue eyes, noting how shapes were beginning to become visible through the dark trees and the swirling snow masses. Two … five … eight … fifteen … too many.

"Into the trees, now!" he ordered, knowing in his heart that they would never make it that far before they would be completely surrounded, but on the other side he was highly unwilling to stay here to let themselves be shot. The others obeyed only too gladly and began to run lightly over to the nearest tree, dodging arrows as best as they could.

They had nearly reached the nearest trunk when Legolas turned, only to see that the shadows had drawn a lot closer already and would be upon them in a matter of seconds, not minutes, when his senses that were already nearing a full-blown panic were sent into what one could only describe as an absolute frenzy.

The fair haired elf's head whipped to the right where he simply knew was danger, but even as he threw himself to the side to dodge yet another projectile that would have hit him straight in the chest, he knew that he would not be fast enough to escape the second one he sensed somewhere behind him.

The first arrow barely grazed his left arm, but Legolas ignored the searing pain that even the shallow wound brought and tried to turn, knowing in his heart that he would be too late. Time seemed to slow down until everything was moving at a fraction of its usual speed, and the elven prince could even see the arrow that moved towards him, cutting soundlessly through the air, just as soundlessly as everything else around him.

Legolas was still turning, his mind screaming at him to move faster, to get out of the way, but just when he was beginning to accept the pointlessness of his actions, he heard an unarticulated shout and felt something slam into him, throwing him hard into the snow.

Time seemed to regain its former speed, and Legolas came out of his temporary trance to the lingering echo of the scream that still vibrated through the cold air. It took him some breathless moments to understand that he hadn't been hit by the arrow as he had so firmly expected, and that the weight that pressed down on him was inconsistent with that version of events anyway.

A horrible suspicion was beginning to grow in the pit of his stomach, and he began to move, frantic to free himself of what was pinning him to the ground. At his movements, a soft moan could be heard, but the last proof he had needed he received when he heard a horrified, desperate cry that cut through the air like the steel of a blade.

"Galalith!! No!!"

Legolas managed to free himself from the weight that had trapped him, and pushed himself to his knees, only to lay eyes on a scene he had never wanted to witness in his entire life. In his back there was the dark trunk of a tree, the tree he had been trying to reach before he had fallen. To his left, right and in front of him figures in light-coloured cloaks were appearing, moving around the trees with a soundlessness that almost rivalled that of the Rangers. In the one corner of his vision, he could see Anardir, his face white and horrified, running back towards him, obviously not caring anymore if an arrow hit him or not. And just next to him lay the twisted body of Galalith, a brown-feathered arrow sticking out of the side of his stomach. Dark, red blood was beginning to pool underneath them, seeping into the churned up snow.

The blonde prince stared at the body of the fallen elf with wide eyes, only slowly coming to terms with what had happened. O dear Elbereth, please no…

A second later, Anardir fell heavily to his knees beside his friend, eyes desperately searching for a sign that the dark haired elf yet lived. Legolas had to force himself back to his feet, leaving it to Anardir to care for the other elf, because he knew full well that none of them would survive if he lost it now and did nothing.

Then the white-clad figures reached them, and everything got beyond his control in a matter of seconds.





TBC...





mellon nín - my friend
Maethyr o Thaur-nu-Fuin! - Warriors of Mirkwood!
Ú-dhelio le o chin nín - Do not conceal yourselves from my eyes
yén - elvish unit of time, equivalent to 144 years
yéni (pl.) - yéni, plural of yén




Yes, I DO realise that I just made myself very unpopular. I'm getting used to it really... At least this time the CLF isn't after me, that's a relief... So, I hope to be able to post the next chapter on Monday, but since Christmas (which is celebrated on the 24th here) is drawing ever closer it is possible that it'll be Tuesday. I promise an update before Wednesday though. You know, reviews help me to update faster yadda yadda yadda. *g*

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Additional A/N:

Amelie - *interested* So, what's the answer to my story? *reads* Uhm, WHO should turn against Celylith? Beorn and his dogs? To be honest, that would be a No ... Glónduil will show up, that's another No, or at least a Very Unlikely ... and how should Legolas show up when he's captured? *grins* Well, let's just say that I have planned it a TINY BIT differently... Oh, I see. Geoge the fell beast and Fed the warg - very clever! *shakes hand* Good thinking!
Aratfeniel - *g* Yeah, that's a rather accurate prediction - we all know that Legolas just HAS to get into some trouble, right? And I'll admit that that was a rather random outburst indeed. I'm not quite sure if I should be scared or amused. *g*
Halo - Well, I DO update! And oh so far more frequently than another person whom I will not name right now! *coughsHalocoughs* Yeah, they had a big premiere party here in my city too. Viggo Mortensen was here, and all the hobbits, and Ian Mckellen, and Lv Tyler. Oh, and Peter Jackson of course. I think that was it. I didn't go there though, you know me, I'm not quite as crazy as you about all that. But Viggo Mortensen wore a green shirt and a green blazer that were simply horrible. I mean horrible. He looked appaling, really. *sighs* He should wear long dark hair all the time. I'll get a law passed ordering him to. Don't ask me how. *g*
Tinlaure - Yeah, they're your typical evil minions. I love them too. *huggles Reran* The evil lord ... hmm, to be honest, I'm not really sure. He might be in chpater 12 or 13, and a bit later a lot more. I haven't quite decided on that one yet. The review wasn't _that_ crazy. Just a little. Thanks for it!
Deana - Hmm, kill Legolas? Well that is something that sounds like a rather good idea... Ahhh! *runs off to escape reviewer's wrath* J/k! Really! I didn't mean it! And yes, Legolas gets into trouble now - did anyone expecte something else? Nah, I didn't think so either. *g*
TrinityTheSheDevil - LOL, that is a very flattering albeit rather scary fact. It's nice to hear that I'm apparently such a remarkable part of your lives - but it's still scary! *g* I see that you're waiting 'patiently', so I guess you don't mind if I go away and post later? Yes? No? Huh? *evil grin* Oh, I love being evil...
Maranwe1 - *bows* Thanks for pointing out that mistake. Plural/Singular things are one of the many things I'm still not sure about - in German that would have been singular, see? I never know when I have to use singular and when plural - very confusing, just like Latin and Greek grammar. Stupid comparison I guess... Yeah, Reran, I like him too. I don't know why, but he's huggable, somehow. And of course everyone else knows what's going to happen, but our dear elven prince is too stubborn to acknowledge the approaching doom. No-one ever said he was exceedingly clever, huh? I envy you, btw. It's great that your story moves along so well, but I seem to be stuck in chapter 11. I am tired of the whole thing lately, but if I would only find a way to get to chapter 12 everything would be back to normal, I just know it. I could jump straight from chapter 10 to 12, what do you think? *Maranwe shakes head* I didn't think so either... *sulks* Bloody chapter 11.
Gwyn - Uhm ... Celylith doesn't get into trouble? The rest sounds about right though... *evil grin* I hadn't even realised that RotK would be coming out today, believe it or not. So I hadn't planned it, but I'm glad you liked it nonetheless. *g*
Calenore - LOL, yes, I suppose so. It's a miracle that King Thranduil and Celythramir have actually made it through their childhood with their sanity more or less intact. I would have taken the ships to Valinor or would have sent them to Barad-dûr to annoy Sauron for a while. *thinks* Probably the latter since I'm evil. Whatever. Thanks a lot for the review!
Red Tigress - Yup, there's some action in this chapter, even though there is a lot more in chapter 8. And I'm glad you understand that the twins can't arrive for the next few chapters, but I can already say that their entrance won't be very timely. *pats their heads* Poor elflings, always a tiny bit too late.
CrazyLOTRfan - Oh, go on and kill FF.net, I'm right behind you. I hate that site, and it hates me right back, I swear... Sometimes it helps though to add an "a" or "a/" after the link you wish to see, that way you can sometimes access documents that are not yet visible. And OF COURSE you didn't throw a fit, we know that's something _you_ would never do... So you like a depressed Aragorn? Never fear, you should enjoy the next chapters then... *evil grin* And yes, that was indeed Aragorn's Númenórean foresight, we'll see even more of it a little later. It comes in handy, doesn't it? I hope the essay wasn't too bad!
Firnsarnien - Hmm, when is Legolas going to learn to listen to his friends? What about ... hmmm, never? *g* He's too stupid and stubborn to learn something as simple as that. *shrugs* Sad, I know, but true nonetheless. *hurt look* So you don't like Teonvan? I DO like him, really, even though the more I write him I'm beginning to feel that vague feeling of contempt and loathing. I dunno why either. *g* Yup, chapter 8 is more angsty than anything I have written for a long time, I'll give you that. The twins will be here eventually, but you'll still have to wait a little, sorry. And don't worry about Celylith, he's safe for the next chapters. I promise.
Halfling - Nope, you're right. He's not stupid enough to get captured by mere humans, nah ... *shakes head* Not Legolas, certainly... I know what you mean. Legolas' love for his weapons is mainly funny, of course, but also a little bit tragic. If you don't know how to defend yourself or are unarmed, you won't get very far in Mirkwood, that's true. Poor elfsies, all of them. *g*
Leggylover03 - Oh, I'm SURE you await the pain's arrival. I would have been very much surprised if you hadn't, to be honest! *g* But there won't be any Aragorn pain for a few chapters yet - lots of angst though, I hope that's acceptable? *shakes head* I don't know why I'm even asking...
Jenny - LOL, I guess that's a way to see it too. Poor baddies who have to capture Legolas, indeed. And what happened to Adruran? Oh, nothing specific yet. He just left, and his people at home think he's dead which is exactly the way he wanted it. He might make an appearance in a later chapter, but not in this story. Sorry.
Strider's Girl - Well, to be precise it's Aragorn and Legolas who don't feel too hostile towards Glónduil; Celylith is rather angry though. The whole betraying-Legolas'-trust-thing, you know ... stubborn wood-elf, that one. It's very nice to hear that you like the friendship between Celylith and Legolas, creating popular OCs is always quite hard. And as I said in the A/N: I don't want to hear a single comment about RotK. Really, I mean it. Not a word. *mock glare*
Conn JS1 - *blushes* Jeez - thank you! It's very nice to hear that you're enjoying this so much. I just figured that you don't just say "Oh, my life-long friend betrayed me and my best friend. Tough luck. Let's get on with our lives, shall we?" *snickers* Well, I would definitely not do that... Hmm, Celylith is pronounced [kəlyliθ], just the way it is spelled, with a 'K', like all Sindarin words with 'C'. You might be right, btw, perhaps I _am_ overdoing the whole Hithrawyn matter a little. He won't be in many chapters after this one anyway, but I'll think about it. I hope that you'll understand a little bit better why Legolas decided to leave Mirkwood after this chapter, but essentially I think it is _because_ he feels useless and unsure about his ability to defend himself. Hope that made any sense... *g* Probably not.
Alilacia - Oh, don't worry, that one part was meant to be amusing. So go on, laugh, no-one will mind. Hmm, on second thought, Legolas might... *g* Wow, how did you convince Frodo to lend you Sting? I've always loved that sword - even though I love Idhril's now, you know, the one Arwen has in the movie. I would definitely take that one... *dreamily* And yes, I guess you could say "Poor Legolas/Aragorn/Elladan/Elrohir/Celylith/Glorfindel" later. Oh yes, definitely. *evil grin*
Zinnith - LOL, yes, the frightful words of doom indeed... And the answer is: No, they don't learn. They're too thick-headed for that. *gives weird look* Yeah, I guess Reran and Cendan would have been a single big snowball - that's a rather interesting mental picture, actually... So your purple boots have feelings? I know, objects DO have feelings. I mean, my computer most definitely has - he hates me. Oh, and I know what you mean. Just wait till next chapter and you'll see...
Marbienl - To be honest, I am very sure that Beorn lives on the western edge of Mirkwood. Remember, Bilbo and the dwarves met him when they came down the mountains and then continued on the Old Forest Road. Look it up if you want to, definitely the western edge. I don't really know how much longer they will remain angry with Glónduil; a while I would say. And considering that elves are immortal... *g* And yes, I meant the dreams in THOM. Sorry to disappoint you... LOL, you're right, we shold start a new betting pool. We'd be millionaires in a matter of minutes. *cackles some more* Indeed, I stole Frór back! He's mine!!!!
LOTRFaith - Yeah, one should think he would have learned by now, but that's apparently not so. Legolas is kinda stupid, I guess... *g* And don't worry, find in what kind of trouble they get this time you shall! Soon! Like: This chapter, next chapter, the chapter after that! *g* Yeah, sounds about right...
Sirithiliel - Indeed, will Legolas meet up with the men? Well, what do you think, it's _Legolas_ we're talking about... Of course he will, stubborn wood-elf that he is. *shakes head* Reckless and stubborn idiot. *g*
Shauna - Tying yourself to the chair sounds like a very sensible thing to do. Rather drastic, but sensible. And you're right: Legolas should indeed have read the summary! That would have spared him a lot of trouble I guess...Well, I'm really sorry, but he HAS to go now. He's been happy long enough now. And don't worry, they'll have time to be happy later ... well, much later I guess... I hope you're not too unhappy that the capture is finally underway? Thanks for the review!
Elenora1 - See, you're a _responsible_reader. There are not too many out there, mind you... *g* I loke your response though. Aarrrggghhh sounds very interesting, to say the least. *g* Guilty as charged, I wrote that last chapter just to torment you. Yup. You got me. *blushes* That sentence sounded professional? Really? To be honest, I always have to stop myself to write like that too much, I always think it's too ... lofty, somehow. But I tend to use such sentences at the beginning and end of chapters/paragraphs, I'll freely admit that. Just like the last sentence in chapter 8 about which I won't talk right now. You'll see what I mean. Vignettes? Huh?
Asha Dreamweaver - Yes of course Hithrawyn is evil! Mind you, I would react just like him were I unlucky enough to be Aragorn's healer! *g* And I can't tell you what the baddies are up to now - read on and it should become clearer - a little at least. *g* A tiny little, I guess.
Nikara - *grins evilly* Yup, he is getting into a lot of trouble, stupid elf that he is. We all know that, why doesn't he? Great to hear that you still like the story, I hope you'll like this chapter as well! *huggles*
Sabercrazy - Uhm - thanks for the confetti I guess. Thanks. *gives weird looks* I knew you would like that music! Then again, who doesn't? *evil grin* Legolas and Aragorn, probably... And you might be right about the waiting part. We all know him rather well by now, don't we? Stubborn, idiotic ranger. *g*
Silvertoekee - Once again I have to say that you're right. They always get into a lot of trouble, whether they're together or not. Must be a curse or something... *g* Still, good predictions on your part. *g* Well done.
Louise_Oblique - A Merry Christmas to you too! Don't worry though, there'll be another chapter before that - not that you guys will be so happy about it, mark my words... Thanks for all your reviews, btw! They do encourage me a lot!
Firniswin - Yeah, I know. Then I didn't realise it, of coure, believe me or not. I hadn't truly realised that today is the day RotK comes out. *shrugs* Hard to believe, I know. And yes, the orcs from Mississippi are something that sound rather a lot like fever and delirium. And don't worry, I'll write more, even though I'm quite busy at the moment - it's Christmas time for crying out loud! Who isn't!?
Chrystal-Rose15 - Great I could make you happy! It's always nice to hear that people enjoy my weird little stories... And a _mourning_ CLF is the least of my worries, believe me. I'm much more concerned about a murderous CLF, actually... *g* Rashwe is actually based on my sister's horse. It hates me and is evil, trust me. In comparison with hers Rashwe is a little angel. And if you rally want to know, the twins won't be here till chapter 11 or 12. *runs off to escape her wrath*
Starlight - Och, dafuer musst du dich bei MIR ganz sicher nicht entschuldigen. Ich kenn das, und ich schwoere, dass ich der ganz persoenliche Intimfeind der Telekom bin... Das mit Rashwe koennte auch stimmen, uebrigens. Das Pferd meiner Schwester war das Vorbild, und es ist mindestens ebenso fies! Allein die Vorstellung von vielen kleinen Mini-Rashwes laesst es mir allerdings kalt den Ruecken runterlaufen... *g*
Cara - Yes, this chapter's the chapter in which Legolas gets captured, this one and the next to be precise. Your prayers seem to have worked; everything is fine up until now! A miracle! Thanks a lot!! *huggles*
Suzi9 - Uhm, the answer to that would be: Never. They will never learn, sorry. Must be genetic, really... *g* Who, me? Stubborn? I have not the slightest idea what you're talking about... Pain killers, coke and cookies? Sounds yummy if you ask me - then again, I AM insane... It's great to hear that you still enjoy my fics, but don't say anything against Scotland! I LOVE Scotland - including the constant drizzle, mist and other things. I simply love it, even though I've been there just once a year ago. I truly envy you! Whoa! _Who_ said I didn't like long reviews! I want him caught and shot! I LOVE long reviews! Great I could help with Nero, and huggle your dragon from me! They're adorable, aren't they?
Critternut - Yeah, foreshadowing all around, I guess! *g* And I don't KNOW yet if I will do anything to the leg, to be honest I am right know tending not to. I don't like leg injuries - not at this point, anyway... Sorry. I don't know yet if Glónduil will be in here, once again I don't think so. He might, but I think he would unnecessarily complicate things. I know these cardboard figures, btw, they're creepy! I would burn it if I were you! I mean it; I hate them! *g*
Mystic Girl1 - Frag mich bitte nicht warum, aber ueber "Erklaer-Baer" hab ich mich totgelacht. Ich fand's tierisch komisch irgendwie - sag's mir nicht, ich bin irre. *g* LOL, ich wuerde wirklich nicht versuchen, Rashwe zu umarmen ... das Viech ist boese. Richtig boese, ich mein' das ernst... Und keine Sorge, das Pferd meiner Schwester ist genau wie Rashwe. Ist quasi sein Vorbild; ich weiss genau, was du meinst. *beleidigt* Ich habe gar nicht vor, ihnen irgendwas zu tun! Ehrlich! *g*
Shanna - Hola yourself! Thanks a lot for the compliments - they're not too good for my ego, but nice to hera nonetheless! Thanks a lot for reviewing, they really help and encourage me a lot!
Bailey - You're evil and weird, did I ever tell you that? I guess I did... *g* Don't worry, Celylith will be in this fic. Not all the time, but more than enough, never fear. *g* And nooo, I didn't get him out of the way in order to be able to injure and hurt Aragorn and Legolas! Whatever gave you that idea? *looks innocently* And yeah, I guess that's about what will happen. Sounds about right, yes. *evil grin* Thanks for all your reviews!
Fliewatuet - YOU!!! *huggles* It's great to see that you're still with us - I was beginning to miss you! It's SO nice to hear that you haven't decided that you needed something more intelligent to read (wouldn't really have surprised me, to be honest *g*)! And I absolutely agree with you: Legolas and Aragorn are enough to drive _anyone_ insane. Thranduil and Hithrawyn never stood a chance. And you really didn't peek? Impressive... *grins and huggles again* Thanks for reviewing again!
Cicci - Me too. I've always like the baddies more than the good guys - most of the time they're so bloody ... well, good! It's highly infurianting! Great you liked mine though; thanks a lot! And stupid isn't strong enough a word for Legolas, and neither is foolish. I'll have to think of a new one. *g*
Zam - Lucky you. Christmas vacation sound very nice. *sighs* Well, only two more days here as well. LOL, yeah, I forgot you still had Glónduil's clothes. I really think you should give them back now - that can't be healthy even for an elf... *shakes head* Poor Glónduil... Don't worry, you're not pathetic. I know you have better things to do than to review. *sniffs* I don't mind. Go and have fun. *g* J/k, really.
Jazmin3 Firewing - I know, I know. The thing is, I have an inspiration of sort, but I have to look up quite a few things for it so I'm not too keen on getting started... *smiles sheepishly* I'm pathetic, don't tell me. *g*
Carla - Tja, das mit den Zwillingen ist so 'ne Sache ... ich glaube, dass Legolas ganz andere Problem bekommen wird, ehrlich... Ist doch schoen zu hoeren, dass du es spannend findest - das ist genau der Sinn der Sache! *g* Schweig ueber RotK! Ich will davon nichts hoeren! *g*
Alexa - Uhm, yeah ... he kinda is, isn't he? Poor Legolas... *pats his head* I'm sorry, but there'll be no Gandalf in this story. Most of it takes place in the East, and Gandalf himself said in TTT that he doesn't go there. I mean the book of course. LOL, I'm glad to hear that you like the 'arm-angst'. Nice term, btw. LOL again, realism is good-writing-ism? There's nothing you can say against that, really... *g*
Dha-Gal - I'm not nearly as threatening as Elrond, but it was a nice thing to say nonetheless. Thank you! Thanks for the Skittles too, I really love them. Hmm, I guess I had mentioned that before, but well. *g* And you would sick Elrond on me? You realise that I would have to stop updatin in that case, right? *g*
Tapetum Lucidum - Yeah, me too. I'm always overweight - when I fly somewhere, I mean... *g* It's great to hear that you liked the conversation between Celylith and Legolas, even though the first should definitely listen to his forbidings, you're right there. But these stubborn elves never listen, do they? *shakes head* No, they don't... LOL, Teonvan is a psychopath? I guess you could say that - and to make things worse, he's a MEAN psychopath as well... *evil grin* Well, 'The Abduction' is here! Yay! *g*

Remember: No RotK comments! Comments = Teonvan + nice little conversation. *g* Thanks for all the reviews, as always!