Ok, here's chapter 6…
Why did you all get so mad at me for? Yeah, I killed her! Stories have to have SOME sadness in them! Else they're just boring.
Thanks for reviews and replies are below.
Lainfaer
Elerrina – Yes, I killed her! Heehee…
Yup, 7 year olds…shudders….
Thanks for reviewing.
Rayame325 – Yup, it was her! Yeah, he has something to remember her by…her daughter! Lols. Thanks for reviewing.
Mayrana – Here's some tissues for you. And thanks you for the hair and pendant! Heehee, lovely jubbly…
Hmm…a…potion to…turn me into a really pretty Elf-maiden so…Leggy will…fall in love with me? (I'm running out of ideas too!)
Thanks for reviewing.
frodofreak88 – What a cool name! You need tissues too. Ok…
Yeah, Chalibeth was cool. You'll find out more about her soon. Thanks for reviewing.
Elvenstar5 – Me evil? Never!
Quit sulking, doesn't suit you!
Kill Rhelin? How could I possibly kill a 7 year old? Heh heh heh…
Rabid Elves? Er…ok then. Thanks for reviewing.
In the Depp End – Cool name! I did well in Shot Put! I came 2nd out of about ten! So now I kinda like it! It's easy! Lols.
If only there were more Leggy's, Aragorn's, Hally's…we can dream and make them ourselves! Yeah, great idea! Wow, I managed to use my brain! Lols. Thanks for reviewing.
Zammy – Too short? Fine then! Did I update soon enough for you my Lady? Thanks for reviewing.
Chapter 6: Rescuing Rhelin.
And this was how Aragorn and Gimli found him, just minutes later. They had feared he had perished in the fire, and were relieved to find him alive. As it rained, they took him into the shelter, and could only watch as he grieved.
"Legolas, please, we must move on. Arod and Brego are waiting on the outskirts. Quick, before more Orcs return." He placed his hand on Legolas' shoulder.
The Elf hissed in pain. He was badly burnt on his back, and now that he was out of the rain, the pain had come back.
"Meldirnin, why do you always stay silent when you are hurt?" Aragorn asked in annoyance.
"'Tis only a few burns," Legolas replied in a whisper.
"Come on laddie. We'll bury her outside this flea-ridden town," Gimli assured him, picking up the Elfs' discarded weapons.
Legolas lifted Chalibeth up again, and they ran back out into the rain. The cold soothed Legolas' back, and he forgot his injuries for the moment.
They found the horses, and mounted. Gimli went with Aragorn instead. They galloped out, and Legolas cradled Chalibeth to his chest, his keen eyes searching for the girls.
"There!" Aragorn yelled.
Legolas followed his gaze. Many of them were running away from the village as fast as they could, Orcs still in pursuit.
Legolas rode up beside Aragorn, and passed him Chalibeth. "Look after her. Bury her somewhere. I've got to find someone." He grabbed his weapons, and galloped into the crowd.
"What does that crazy lad think he's doing?" Gimli asked in astonishment as Legolas disappeared into the drizzling rain.
"Goodness knows. Come on, she needs to be buried." They managed to dig a fair-sized hole using the sword and axe, and placed her gently in.
Aragorn laid a flower upon her chest, sighing sadly. "'Tis cruel for such a fair beauty to be snatched from our world." They filled in the hole, then galloped after Legolas…
…who was busy killing more Ors. His arrows were flying in all directions, and he wielded his knives with such a force as he had only used in the battles during the War.
"Rhelin!" he bellowed over the screams and yells.
Faintly, he heard a wail of a child, lost and alone. He urged Arod further in the mass of people, scanning the ground for a girl.
"Rhelin!" he yelled again.
"Mama!" was his answer. He turned Arod around.
A tiny girl was standing alone, tears streaming down her face. She had long dark hair, and her cream dress was torn and coated in soot.
He galloped over to her, and grabbed her before an Orc could. He swung her up and sat her in front of him on the saddle. She screamed, and tried to wriggle free.
"Hush child, I won't hurt you. I'm here to help you," he soothed, galloping away from the crowd. Her struggles ceased at his calm voice, and she just sat in his arms, shaking like a leaf.
"There he is!" Gimli yelled, pointing at the galloping Arod bringing his master back to them as fast as he could.
"He's got someone," Aragorn said, stopping Brego to wait for the Elf.
Legolas reached them, and almost fell from his saddle in exhaustion. Aragorn rode up beside him and held him in place. He stared at the tiny girl in his arms. "Legolas, who is this?" he asked.
"Rhelin. She is Chalibeths' daughter."
"Mama," Rhelin whimpered.
"Oh no…" Aragorn whispered.
"Have you done it?" Legolas asked.
"Aye, it is done."
"Diolla lle meldirnin."
"Mama," Rhelin whispered again.
Legolas held her tighter. "Shh, it's ok." He looked at the others. "Let's get out of here. Half the girls are already dead. They don't stand a hope in hell now."
All three faced the carnage they had just left. Only Ors could be seen now, plus flames and smoke. They each whispered a prayer, then, had to ride away.
They passed the grave, but Legolas could not bring himself to look at it. Aragorn and Gimli had sprinkled flowers over the top, and disguised it as much as possible.
Legolas whispered an Elven prayer as they passed by, promising again what he had sworn to Chalibeth. To protect her child, and raise her as his own.
They rode until the sun rose, and by then, Rhelin had fallen asleep. They stopped at the edge of a wood, and dismounted. Aragorn took the child from Legolas' arms, then helped his friend down. Legolas was in too much pain to even walk. He cried out as Aragorn held him, the burns becoming too much.
"Gimli, take care of the girl. I'll see to Legolas." Gimli nodded, and gently lifted the girl up. Legolas noted how gentle he was, when more pain shot through his body. He would have collapsed to the floor if Aragorn had not held him up.
There was a stream nearby, and Aragorn just waded straight in with Legolas. It was freezing, but he had to help his friend. Legolas winced as the water hit his wounds like ice, but the pain subsided a little. He held onto Aragorn for support, not able to stand on his own.
Bit by bit, they removed the burnt tunic, and Legolas was literally screaming by the end. Aragorn made sure the water went all over his back. Legolas had suffered a horrific amount of burns, and would be scarred for life.
A short while later, they left the water, and Legolas lay down on his front. Aragorn made up a paste with herbs, and layered it over the skin. It was cool, and Legolas relaxed slightly.
"Don't move," Aragorn instructed. "It will take a while to work."
"Just go and get some dry clothes on Aragorn, I'm fine now," Legolas replied, smiling.
Aragorn smiled back, and went to fetch some dry clothes.
Legolas sighed, and played with some blades of grass. His thoughts drifted back to Chalibeth, but he could shed no more tears. He was already worn out, and crying wouldn't help. Instead, he remembered the good, but short time they had had together.
Aragorn returned later, in dry clothes, but with still sopping wet hair. "You forgot your hair," Legolas stated.
"Its always wet, I'm used to it," Aragorn replied. He gently touched Legolas' back. "This is almost dry. We'll go back into the water in a minute, then leave it to air-dry. You can't wear any tunic for a while though."
"How long?" Legolas asked still fingering the grass blades.
"A good day or so. The burns have opened your skin, and they need to close. The paste is speeding it along, as is the water, but no material can touch it."
"How's Rhelin?"
"Still sleeping. She's murmuring for her mother though."
"I have to see her. Can we wash this off now?"
Aragorn checked it again. "Yeah, come on." He helped Legolas to his feet, and he was able to enter the water alone now. He washed all the paste off, then returned to Aragorn.
They went back to where they had left Gimli, and Legolas was comforted to see that Rhelin was wrapped up in Gimlis' cloak, and had some spare clothes for a pillow. She was a tiny girl, and the cloak was too big for her. But it made sure she was warm enough.
Legolas knelt down beside her, and brushed a few stray curls out of her face. She shifted slightly, but did not awaken. He smiled. "She looks like her mother," he whispered.
"Aye, she does," Gimli agreed in a hushed tone, coming to kneel beside him. "How's your back?"
"Painful, but much better thanks."
"First time you've been seriously hurt, you know that?"
"Oh yeah. I'm not used to it. It hurts." Gimli laughed. "I can go with that."
As they were eating a soup Aragorn had quickly made up, Rhelin woke up. She was scared to find herself in some strangers' cloak, and jumped to her feet.
Legolas was beside her in an instant. "Shh Rhelin, don't panic." She stared at him, her eyes looking mainly at his ears. He held out his hand. "Come on, come and have some food." He smiled reassuringly at her.
She smiled back, and took his hand. He led her over to the fire, and gave her some soup. She was re-wrapped in the cloak, and snuggled up against Legolas.
"Where is mama?" she asked after a while.
Legolas stiffened. "Um…she has…gone away for a while Rhelin."
"Gone where?"
He looked to his friends for help.
"To another place Rhelin," Aragorn answered. "Where the sun always shines, and there is no fighting."
"And no nasty Orcs?"
"No. No nasty Orcs," Gimli assured her.
"I want mama."
"Rhelin, I'm afraid your mama…won't be coming back," Legolas said softly, holding her slightly tighter.
"Why not?"
"Because she can't. It's a long way away, and there is no way for her to return. So, you're going to come and live with me instead, if that is ok with you."
"Who are you?"
"We're friends of your mama," he replied. "Before she left, she asked me to look after her for you. She says that she loves you dearly, more than anything else in this whole world. She apologised for not being able to say good-bye herself, but she had to go." He placed a chaste kiss on top of her head.
"What's your name?" she asked sleepily, putting her bowl down.
"I'm Legolas, and that's Aragorn and Gimli. We'll look after you now, don't worry."
"Legolas…nice name…" Her eyes shut, and she slumped against him, falling back to sleep.
He breathed a sigh of relief. "That was easier than I thought."
"I expect you'll get a lot more of that later," Aragorn reminded him. "Go and get some sleep Legolas, you're exhausted. We'll keep watch tonight."
Legolas nodded. He lifted the tiny girl into his arms, and lay down away from the fire. He held her close to him, and gradually fell into a deep healing sleep.
Aragorn watched his friend drift off with a sense of unease brooding inside him. "Why did he do that?" he wondered aloud.
"It's in his nature laddie, to protect others. That girl needs help, and a loving family. I expect she doesn't even know who her father is. Legolas will be her adoptive father," Gimli answered.
"But she is mortal, and when she dies, it will break his heart."
"He survived Chalibeths' death."
"True, but he hasn't known her long. He'll know Rhelin for the rest of her life. It will surely kill him to see her die."
"Well, we'll look after him," Gimli promised, settling down with a pipe lit between his teeth.
Aragorn nodded. "Aye, we will."
He remained on a furtive watch for the remainder of the morning. As the sun rose higher, he extinguished the fire, and gently shook Gimli awake.
"Time to wake them?" he asked gruffly, inclining his head to the other two, still fast asleep.
"No, leave them be for a while. They've been through a lot. They need this rest."
Whilst Aragorn readied the horses, and Gimli cleared up the camp, Legolas woke up. He was still sore from the previous day, but did feel much better. He looked down at the tiny girl still nestled in his grasp. Sometime during the morning, her hand had splayed over his chest, and a few of his golden hairs were caught in her fingers. He gently pulled them out, and left her covered in the cloak.
"How long have I been sleeping?" he asked, rubbing his eyes blearily.
"Few hours," Gimli replied.
"Where's Aragorn?"
"Sorting out Arod and Brego. Something spooked them earlier; he's trying, and quite amusingly…failing, to calm them down."
Legolas smiled at his friends' attempt to lighten the damp mood that he was in. He looked back at the girl. He couldn't seem to take his eyes off her. She was so like Chalibeth, and yet…so unlike her mother.
She stirred, and Legolas knelt down beside her. Her dark eyes opened, and for a moment, fear glittered in the depths. But then, her expression clamed, and she smiled weakly at him.
"Hungry?" he asked softly.
She nodded, and yawned. He smiled, and lifted her up. She dragged the cloak with her.
They sat down beneath the remains of the fire, and Legolas made her a soup, similar to the one they had had earlier that morning.
"When we get to Mirkwood, you will have much better food than this," he promised.
"What's Mirkwood?" she asked.
"My home," he replied, softly smiling. What would Aenil say when he brought home a mortal girl as his adopted daughter? He grinned at the look on her face of having a younger 'sister' to care for.
"Will it be my home?" she asked, a hint of fear in her voice.
"If you wish it to be, then yes."
"Tell me about it."
So then Legolas launched into tales of Mirkwood, and even when they were riding away, he carried on. She listened, fascinated by every little detail. She asked numerous questions, about the Elves and the other creatures that dwelt beneath Mirkwoods' trees. He would answer as best he could, trying to not miss anything out.
Yay, he rescued her! And buried Chalibeth…
Reviews pretty please? You know you love me!
By the way, if anyone wants to talk to me on MSN, my e-mail addy is freespirited21hotmail.com (With underscores in between the free and sprited and 21. They're not showing on here! Grr...)
You now you wanna really!
Lainfaer