Chapter Four
Boromir did not share the same elatedness Legolas felt as the former plowed through the forest, for trouble and annoyance fell heavy on his brow.
If only he'd refused the task, then, then he would be sleepily happily, without hearing the angry whispered insults being spat from Elf to Dwarf. The ring was farther from him with every stride, and, as he realized this, he stopped, panting for breath.
The ring. He had been so close, so close to snatching it from the foolish halfling, so close to bringing victory to Gondor, so close.
Boromir sighed heavily, and looked up at the dark sky. His legs were exhausted from the lack of exertion for days. He sank to his knees, and quickly ate some of the dried meat Galadriel had supplied him with.
When he was finished, he jumped to his feet and continued running.
.
"Who will leave us next?" Pippin asked curiously that night, as the remaining members sat gathered around their things.
"No one's going to leave anymore." Sam replied stoutly. Frodo remained silent, and looked sadly at the gardner.
"Go to sleep," Aragorn ordered tiredly, "we leave in the morn, and you need your strength."
"I have more strength than the Old Took." Merry whispered to Pippin as the others settled down in their blankets. Pippin nodded, "I say we find the Lady, and see if we may look into her mirror."
Merry grinned excitedly, and the two remained silent until the others were alseep, and then the friends quietly slipped away from the dying fire, and further into the forest.
.
"Oh, so perfect." The girl breathed, clamboring to her feet. The man also leapt nimbly, almost Elven-like, to his buckle shoed feet.
"Stay where you are." Legolas commanded, trying not to let his voice reveal his terror. The man with the identical eyes looked startled at Legolas as he gazed longer at him.
"Who are you?" He asked.
"Legolas Greenleaf," the girl replied promptly, "the sexiest Elf alive."
"Who-" Legolas began, but the girl interrupted him, "That's Will Turner, the sexiest man alive."
Legolas dropped his bow and arrow, and advanced on the man called Will. Will furrowed the same eyebrows, and took a step closer.
It was as if the two had the same thoughts, for they both held up their right hand at the same time.
The only difference was the roughness of Will's hand to Legolas's smooth fair one.
"How is this-" Will stammered. The girl butt in, "God, I knew this was going to happen." "Explain this." Legolas demanded, seizing her by her wrists. The girl raised her eyebrows, and grinned. His confusion and intrigue had eclipsed his previous emotion, but now all the fear returned.
"Does the name Orlando Bloom mean anything to either of you?"
Legolas glanced at Will, who looked just as baffled as he was.
"This isn't going to work." The girl sighed, and was quiet for a minute, then she continued, "Alright, Legolas, when you were born, you had a twin."
"A twin." Legolas repeated unbelievingly.
"Yes, yes you did. Your dad named him Will, but Will was stolen a few days after he was born by the heathen Corsairs of Umbar, and was taken to the Spanish Main."
"The Corsairs of the south traveled all the way to Mirkwood to take my twin." Legolas interjected skeptically. The girl figited, biting her lip, "Yes, because they wanted the Elven prince of Mirkwood to side with them, but when they were heading to the Spanish Main, a hurricane struck, and a piece of lumber whacked off the points of Will's ear. Then he gave his immortality to his surrogate father, who was dying. After that, Will was thrown from the ship. He clung to a bit of driftwood, and was found by a British Navy ship. There he met Elizabeth, and grew up at Cape Royal, and that's that."
Both Will and Legolas stared at her. Then Will broke the silence by barking, "Liar."
"It's-it's true!" The girl stammered.
"My father was a merchant and a good man." Will spat.
"How do you explain the difference in our hair color?" Legolas inquired slyly.
"Forget the technicalities," the girl said airily, "let's go somewhere exciting."
"Go back to your own world." Legolas suggested forcefully.
"Make me." The girl snarled back. In a jiffy, the Elf had both his knives at her throat. Swearing loudly, the girl glared at both Will and Legolas, muttered something, and then disappeared.
"No!" Will cried, his hands darting to where she had been standing only seconds before.
"Did you love her?" Legolas asked, disgusted. Will made a face fo revulsion, "Of course not, but now I have no way to return to Cape Royal, and Elizabeth."
Legolas didn't reply, suddenly feeling rather stupid. There was an awkward silence, and then Legolas began, "Why should you not journey with me?"
"Whither do you go?" Will inquired.
"To the ruins of Malir Sul. I have been sent to close the portal allowing these women into my world."
Will's eyes lit up, "I shall accompany you, then, for I seek the same goal." "Yea, and then we may find the answer to our identical riddle." Legolas added.
.
"The point of the still eludes me!" Legolas laughed the next evening, examing the shiny buckles on Will's removed shoes.
"Decoration, really, and these," Will chuckled, tugging on Legolas's braid, "seem rather womanly, don't you think?"
"Not nearly so much as your sleeves." Legolas countered. Will grinned, and exhaled heavily.
"You didn't believe a word Suzanne said, did you?"
"Nay, my good friend, I did not."
They were quiet for a moment, and then Will explained, "I mean, the notion of us being twins, though far-fetched, would explain things."
"Except for your round ears, dark hair, and mortality."
Will 'Hmmm'ed, and then stretched out on the grass. The two had rested for the night, since Will required sleep, to Legolas's vexation. Yet again, he was weighed down, slowed by humans.
"Alas that Gandalf fell, I'm sure he might have provided us with a worthy answer."
"Is there no one else who might aid us?" Will pressed, sitting up again. Legolas thought hard. Saruman was a traitor, and his word could not be trusted. Thranduil would be able to confirm whether he had fathered twins or just one, but the palace was at the far eastern edge of Mirkwood. Then the answer came to him.
"Radagast." He muttered.
"Radagast?" Will repeated curiously.
"Radagast the Brown," Legolas continued, "I'm sure he might help us, but the problem will be in locating him."
"Where does he live?" Will inquired. Legolas heaved a sigh, and gestured widely with his hands, "Among the trees."
"Well," Legolas's counterpart began optimistically, "that limits our search to just the forests."
The Elf gave a dry laugh, throwing his head back to gaze up at the sky. After a while of silence, Legolas started, "You should sleep; I don't want to have to stop at all tomorrow."
"I'm slowing you down, aren't I?" Will said sharply. Legolas was startled. Yes, Will was a burden, but no one -no one- had ever brought up the suggestion. His statement had annoyed Legolas, almost as if he was smug or something.
"Ai, my like companion, 'twer not for you, I would be at the Gladden River by now."
"Then leave me behind!" Will exclaimed, "I am a hinderance, you admit it, and there is no reason for my presence."
"Right you are, but I insist that you continue with me, so we may find out the reason for our similarities."
"You can't just-just-" Will began indignantly, "-just order me around like your the king of England. Anyway, I'm sure I'm older than you, so if anyone does the demands, it will be me!"
Legolas repressed a grin, and, trying to keep a straight face, ask good-naturedly, "How old are you, then?"
"Twenty-four." Will replied shortly.
"I am over two thousand. That gives me quite a few years superior to yours." Legolas finished triumphantly.
Will looked hard at him, and then shrugged. "Fine. You win. I'm going to sleep now, because, if you insist, we won't lag tomorrow."
Legolas watched Will curl up and slowly fall asleep, feeling somehow that he hadn't won.
.
Early in the morning of Boromir's third day running, he heard a curious sound of hammering. He wondered wildly what other nearby settlements were nearby, but he couldn't recall a single one.
Slowly the sound grew nearer a la Doppler Effect. At last Boromir entered a clearing in the woods, and an unexpected sight held his gaze.
A woman was bent over, beating a metal rod flat. A roaring fire raged nearby with various tools half submerged in the flame. A little ways off a small house stood. By the woman lay more flat pieces of metal, and she straightened up, rubbing her brow with a piece of cloth.
Turning around, she caught sight of Boromir, and smiled.
"Greetings!" She called, beckoning him closer. As he took a few steps forwards, he noticed that she had a simple kind of beauty. Her long brown hair was wrapped high on her head to keep off her neck, and her bright green eyes flashed humourously.
"Who are you?" Boromir inquired. The woman, fanning her hot face with her apron, replied, "Anganwen the iron worker, and you?"
Boromir, holding himself a little higher, answered, "I am Boromir, son of Denethor, Steward of Gondor."
Anganwen dropped into a bow, and then bobbed up smiling. "It is an honor, my Lord, how may I serve you?"
"How skilled are you with iron?"
"All the members of my family going back to the second age have been master crafters. To not do my utmost best would be dishonorable, and I would never dare disappoint my father so." Anganwen assured him.
"Would you make me a cage?" Boromir requested.
"Of course. The dimensions?"
"Six feet by two by two."
Anganwen's eyebrows raised, "What do you intend to catch?"
"Women." Boromir replied thoughtlessly. Seeing her eyes widen, he checked himself, "Not for that purpose! No, they don't belong in this world, so I send them back to their own world. My intentions, I assure you, are honorable."
Anganwen nodded hesitantly, still looking worried.
"You have my word as the future steward of Gondor, your work will not be used for ill." Boromir swore. Finally cracking a smile, Anganwen nodded more zealously, and went back to her work.
-----------------
Imithwennyere: Long name. Thanks for reading. Can you imagine Sauron being plagued by fangirls? Or Melkor? The image makes me chuckle.
Hobbit-eyes: Sprang....Is there such a word? Ring rung rung. Spring sprang sprung. Sure. Why to like Elizabeth Swann? She wears nifty dresses and hats. She has a British accent. She gets 'drunk' with Captain Jack Sparrow and kisses Will. Who could ask for anything more?
Chrysoprase: You're name confuses me to no end... Someone will save him! Never fear!
Boromir did not share the same elatedness Legolas felt as the former plowed through the forest, for trouble and annoyance fell heavy on his brow.
If only he'd refused the task, then, then he would be sleepily happily, without hearing the angry whispered insults being spat from Elf to Dwarf. The ring was farther from him with every stride, and, as he realized this, he stopped, panting for breath.
The ring. He had been so close, so close to snatching it from the foolish halfling, so close to bringing victory to Gondor, so close.
Boromir sighed heavily, and looked up at the dark sky. His legs were exhausted from the lack of exertion for days. He sank to his knees, and quickly ate some of the dried meat Galadriel had supplied him with.
When he was finished, he jumped to his feet and continued running.
.
"Who will leave us next?" Pippin asked curiously that night, as the remaining members sat gathered around their things.
"No one's going to leave anymore." Sam replied stoutly. Frodo remained silent, and looked sadly at the gardner.
"Go to sleep," Aragorn ordered tiredly, "we leave in the morn, and you need your strength."
"I have more strength than the Old Took." Merry whispered to Pippin as the others settled down in their blankets. Pippin nodded, "I say we find the Lady, and see if we may look into her mirror."
Merry grinned excitedly, and the two remained silent until the others were alseep, and then the friends quietly slipped away from the dying fire, and further into the forest.
.
"Oh, so perfect." The girl breathed, clamboring to her feet. The man also leapt nimbly, almost Elven-like, to his buckle shoed feet.
"Stay where you are." Legolas commanded, trying not to let his voice reveal his terror. The man with the identical eyes looked startled at Legolas as he gazed longer at him.
"Who are you?" He asked.
"Legolas Greenleaf," the girl replied promptly, "the sexiest Elf alive."
"Who-" Legolas began, but the girl interrupted him, "That's Will Turner, the sexiest man alive."
Legolas dropped his bow and arrow, and advanced on the man called Will. Will furrowed the same eyebrows, and took a step closer.
It was as if the two had the same thoughts, for they both held up their right hand at the same time.
The only difference was the roughness of Will's hand to Legolas's smooth fair one.
"How is this-" Will stammered. The girl butt in, "God, I knew this was going to happen." "Explain this." Legolas demanded, seizing her by her wrists. The girl raised her eyebrows, and grinned. His confusion and intrigue had eclipsed his previous emotion, but now all the fear returned.
"Does the name Orlando Bloom mean anything to either of you?"
Legolas glanced at Will, who looked just as baffled as he was.
"This isn't going to work." The girl sighed, and was quiet for a minute, then she continued, "Alright, Legolas, when you were born, you had a twin."
"A twin." Legolas repeated unbelievingly.
"Yes, yes you did. Your dad named him Will, but Will was stolen a few days after he was born by the heathen Corsairs of Umbar, and was taken to the Spanish Main."
"The Corsairs of the south traveled all the way to Mirkwood to take my twin." Legolas interjected skeptically. The girl figited, biting her lip, "Yes, because they wanted the Elven prince of Mirkwood to side with them, but when they were heading to the Spanish Main, a hurricane struck, and a piece of lumber whacked off the points of Will's ear. Then he gave his immortality to his surrogate father, who was dying. After that, Will was thrown from the ship. He clung to a bit of driftwood, and was found by a British Navy ship. There he met Elizabeth, and grew up at Cape Royal, and that's that."
Both Will and Legolas stared at her. Then Will broke the silence by barking, "Liar."
"It's-it's true!" The girl stammered.
"My father was a merchant and a good man." Will spat.
"How do you explain the difference in our hair color?" Legolas inquired slyly.
"Forget the technicalities," the girl said airily, "let's go somewhere exciting."
"Go back to your own world." Legolas suggested forcefully.
"Make me." The girl snarled back. In a jiffy, the Elf had both his knives at her throat. Swearing loudly, the girl glared at both Will and Legolas, muttered something, and then disappeared.
"No!" Will cried, his hands darting to where she had been standing only seconds before.
"Did you love her?" Legolas asked, disgusted. Will made a face fo revulsion, "Of course not, but now I have no way to return to Cape Royal, and Elizabeth."
Legolas didn't reply, suddenly feeling rather stupid. There was an awkward silence, and then Legolas began, "Why should you not journey with me?"
"Whither do you go?" Will inquired.
"To the ruins of Malir Sul. I have been sent to close the portal allowing these women into my world."
Will's eyes lit up, "I shall accompany you, then, for I seek the same goal." "Yea, and then we may find the answer to our identical riddle." Legolas added.
.
"The point of the still eludes me!" Legolas laughed the next evening, examing the shiny buckles on Will's removed shoes.
"Decoration, really, and these," Will chuckled, tugging on Legolas's braid, "seem rather womanly, don't you think?"
"Not nearly so much as your sleeves." Legolas countered. Will grinned, and exhaled heavily.
"You didn't believe a word Suzanne said, did you?"
"Nay, my good friend, I did not."
They were quiet for a moment, and then Will explained, "I mean, the notion of us being twins, though far-fetched, would explain things."
"Except for your round ears, dark hair, and mortality."
Will 'Hmmm'ed, and then stretched out on the grass. The two had rested for the night, since Will required sleep, to Legolas's vexation. Yet again, he was weighed down, slowed by humans.
"Alas that Gandalf fell, I'm sure he might have provided us with a worthy answer."
"Is there no one else who might aid us?" Will pressed, sitting up again. Legolas thought hard. Saruman was a traitor, and his word could not be trusted. Thranduil would be able to confirm whether he had fathered twins or just one, but the palace was at the far eastern edge of Mirkwood. Then the answer came to him.
"Radagast." He muttered.
"Radagast?" Will repeated curiously.
"Radagast the Brown," Legolas continued, "I'm sure he might help us, but the problem will be in locating him."
"Where does he live?" Will inquired. Legolas heaved a sigh, and gestured widely with his hands, "Among the trees."
"Well," Legolas's counterpart began optimistically, "that limits our search to just the forests."
The Elf gave a dry laugh, throwing his head back to gaze up at the sky. After a while of silence, Legolas started, "You should sleep; I don't want to have to stop at all tomorrow."
"I'm slowing you down, aren't I?" Will said sharply. Legolas was startled. Yes, Will was a burden, but no one -no one- had ever brought up the suggestion. His statement had annoyed Legolas, almost as if he was smug or something.
"Ai, my like companion, 'twer not for you, I would be at the Gladden River by now."
"Then leave me behind!" Will exclaimed, "I am a hinderance, you admit it, and there is no reason for my presence."
"Right you are, but I insist that you continue with me, so we may find out the reason for our similarities."
"You can't just-just-" Will began indignantly, "-just order me around like your the king of England. Anyway, I'm sure I'm older than you, so if anyone does the demands, it will be me!"
Legolas repressed a grin, and, trying to keep a straight face, ask good-naturedly, "How old are you, then?"
"Twenty-four." Will replied shortly.
"I am over two thousand. That gives me quite a few years superior to yours." Legolas finished triumphantly.
Will looked hard at him, and then shrugged. "Fine. You win. I'm going to sleep now, because, if you insist, we won't lag tomorrow."
Legolas watched Will curl up and slowly fall asleep, feeling somehow that he hadn't won.
.
Early in the morning of Boromir's third day running, he heard a curious sound of hammering. He wondered wildly what other nearby settlements were nearby, but he couldn't recall a single one.
Slowly the sound grew nearer a la Doppler Effect. At last Boromir entered a clearing in the woods, and an unexpected sight held his gaze.
A woman was bent over, beating a metal rod flat. A roaring fire raged nearby with various tools half submerged in the flame. A little ways off a small house stood. By the woman lay more flat pieces of metal, and she straightened up, rubbing her brow with a piece of cloth.
Turning around, she caught sight of Boromir, and smiled.
"Greetings!" She called, beckoning him closer. As he took a few steps forwards, he noticed that she had a simple kind of beauty. Her long brown hair was wrapped high on her head to keep off her neck, and her bright green eyes flashed humourously.
"Who are you?" Boromir inquired. The woman, fanning her hot face with her apron, replied, "Anganwen the iron worker, and you?"
Boromir, holding himself a little higher, answered, "I am Boromir, son of Denethor, Steward of Gondor."
Anganwen dropped into a bow, and then bobbed up smiling. "It is an honor, my Lord, how may I serve you?"
"How skilled are you with iron?"
"All the members of my family going back to the second age have been master crafters. To not do my utmost best would be dishonorable, and I would never dare disappoint my father so." Anganwen assured him.
"Would you make me a cage?" Boromir requested.
"Of course. The dimensions?"
"Six feet by two by two."
Anganwen's eyebrows raised, "What do you intend to catch?"
"Women." Boromir replied thoughtlessly. Seeing her eyes widen, he checked himself, "Not for that purpose! No, they don't belong in this world, so I send them back to their own world. My intentions, I assure you, are honorable."
Anganwen nodded hesitantly, still looking worried.
"You have my word as the future steward of Gondor, your work will not be used for ill." Boromir swore. Finally cracking a smile, Anganwen nodded more zealously, and went back to her work.
-----------------
Imithwennyere: Long name. Thanks for reading. Can you imagine Sauron being plagued by fangirls? Or Melkor? The image makes me chuckle.
Hobbit-eyes: Sprang....Is there such a word? Ring rung rung. Spring sprang sprung. Sure. Why to like Elizabeth Swann? She wears nifty dresses and hats. She has a British accent. She gets 'drunk' with Captain Jack Sparrow and kisses Will. Who could ask for anything more?
Chrysoprase: You're name confuses me to no end... Someone will save him! Never fear!