"If I may be so bold as to ask, what exactly did you expect to achieve by
interrogating the Elf in such a manner?" asked Gimli. "Do you truly think
it is his fault that we are here?"
"No, of course not," sighed Boromir. "I lost my temper and took my anger out on him. I shouldn't have done so, I know that. I only hope he does not take my words to heart."
"He will," said Aragorn shortly.
Boromir cringed slightly under the Ranger's glare. "I spoke in a moment of anger, and I do not blame him at all. It is not his fault that he has a...a creature like Calaen for a brother."
"Hmm. Well, what's done is done, and we cannot change the past," said Aragorn wearily. "I suppose that Calaen would've taken Legolas anyway, and spun false stories. But none of this is making sense; it is just getting more ridiculous as each day passes."
"Would you care to run by us again, what you were told yesterday?" asked Gimli.
Aragorn nodded slowly. "Merry, Pippin and I were taken just before Legolas, but whilst we three were locked in another cell, he was shut away elsewhere. Calaen came in and tore Merry's waistcoat from him, only to hand it to one of the guards."
"Yes, and now I'm even colder than before," said Merry ruefully.
"Anyway, Calaen said that he only took us to make everything look more realistic, and Legolas would be fooled more easily," went on Aragorn. "He was surprisingly pleasant actually, more so than I have ever seen him. He promised he would not hurt us unless things got desperate, but he gave no other clues."
"Why did you not try and fight when you were brought back here?" asked Boromir.
"You saw what happened to Legolas the last time I tried to fight, and I cannot let any more harm befall him," replied Aragorn. "Besides, I am hoping that when Gandalf returns, he will bring a host of Elves, and they will be of great help. Normally, I would've fought on my own, but I did not fancy my chances against twenty other warriors."
"Understandable," murmured Frodo. "I really don't see what Legolas has to do with this, for I refuse to believe he is anything other than what he made out. Tensions are running high at the moment, and that is only to be expected. But if we quarrel amongst ourselves, we have no hope of pulling through."
"Wise words," laughed Aragorn, touching a hand to the Hobbit's shoulder.
"That reminds me," said Gimli. "How is it that Calaen did not bother to put the chains back on yourself and the other two?"
Pippin smiled vaguely, and flexed his wrists. "I don't know, but I'm not complaining about his sudden niceness. Maybe you lot could offer to clean some pots and pans for Calaen's army, in exchange for being free of manacles."
"Or maybe you could only open your mouth when you have something clever to say," chimed in Sam.
"Are you insulting my intelligence?" demanded Pippin.
"I think he is," said Boromir.
Aragorn looked across at the Gondorian and inclined his head, grateful that even in their predicament he was trying to raise the Hobbits' spirits. Frodo was right. Quarrelling among themselves would take away any hope they had of pulling through.
............................................................................................................
"So, I heard you wanted to speak with me," said Calaen, stepping into the room and locking the door behind him. "It will have to be quick though, for I don't have a lot of time on my hands."
Legolas pushed himself off the bed, and stepped straight up to Calaen. "This is wrong, all of it. You have problems, that I have always known. But what you are doing now is just...just sick. I don't understand why you should take innocent lives just because I do not agree to do as you ask."
"Don't you?" asked Calaen, as though surprised. "I thought I had made myself quite clear."
"Let the others go," said Legolas through gritted teeth.
"There really isn't much point in that," said Calaen. "After all, there are only five of them left, because you killed the Halfling and Ranger. The Wizard has gone to Mirkwood, and of course there is you. By the way, wasn't Aragorn your friend?"
Legolas turned away and looked up at the ceiling, a deep sigh escaping him. "I did not think, at first, that you would really kill Estel. I tried to convince myself it wasn't true. But yes, he was my friend. And now he has been taken from me because of your-
"No! Don't you dare place the blame on me," hissed Calaen, spinning Legolas around to face him. "Anything that has happened before, and anything that will happen in the days to come, is because of you. Why can't you understand that? Is it really so hard? Or are you just so cold that you choose not to care what about what happens to others?"
"That is not true!" spat Legolas.
"Just keep telling yourself that," laughed Calaen.
Legolas curled his lip in disgust, and wrenched away from the other Elf. "This is about your feelings towards me, isn't it? You are not content with what you did to me when we were younger, so you have decided to finish what you started all those years back."
"I am not going to kill you," said Calaen quietly.
"I know that. You are going to toy with me, aren't you?" growled Legolas. "You will push me further and further, until eventually I will beg you for death. And then you will kill me and my friends."
In a flash, Calaen was at his brother's side, both hands on the side of his face. "Listen to me, Legolas, for I will not repeat myself. I am not going to even hurt you, let alone kill you. Forget what happened in the past, alright? In fact, I don't want to hear another word about it, because it is in no way connected to what is happening now."
"Alright, let's do that," said Legolas, inclining his head.
Gently but firmly, Calaen pushed the younger Elf down to the edge of the bed, and sat down beside him. "You know what I am capable of, so why subject your friends to more pain? It is too late for the Halfling and Ranger, but can save the others. Save them from yourself, Legolas."
"Myself?"
"Yes. It was your pride that killed Aragorn, and your defiance, insolence and your anger," said Calaen. "You will not change, Legolas, and your friends will never be free all the while you resist me. Only you can save them, and all it takes is a few simple words. You know this."
Legolas closed his eyes, but did not flinch away when a hand was placed on his shoulder. "I want so much to help them, and I know that there is only one way to do that, but...I cannot betray Thranduil. Can you not see how hard this is for me?"
"I can only imagine, but if you tarry for much longer, then you will have no friends left," said Calaen. When Legolas snapped his eyes open in horror, he smiled sadly. "It may sound harsh, but all I am telling you is the truth. You know this also."
"Yes," breathed Legolas. "I do."
Calaen smiled again, and fixed his attention on the opposite wall. He could not see what Legolas was doing, but guessed that he was biting his lip and running his eyes along the floor, as though searching for a solution to the problem down there. The dark haired Elf did not remove his hand, and could feel the tremors coming from his brother's body. Suddenly, Legolas jerked away and went to stand in the middle of the room.
"Ai Elbereth!" he cried, as an unexpected burst of pain shot through him. His ribs seemed to explode beneath the bandage, and as he swayed slightly, the room darkened around him.
"Sit," said Calaen, moving across and guiding his brother down to the ground.
"Estel is dead," whispered Legolas, brushing the back of his hands across his eyes. "Estel is dead, and it...it was all my fault. Valar, forgive me. I killed my closest friend, and not only him, but Merry also."
"Yes, and that hurts, doesn't it?" asked Calaen. "It hurts, knowing that you have done something like that. But can you imagine what you will feel like this time next week? I estimate that there will be only two members of the Fellowship left. Legolas, are you doing this on purpose? Do you really want to see them dead?"
"No!" cried the younger Elf, his eyes flashing with hurt. "That is the last thing I want. But I just cannot...Please, Calaen, do not make me do this. There are other ways, surely?"
Sighing, Calaen knelt beside his brother. "No, there is no other way. If you do not help me, Legolas, I will kill your friends, and not just the ones here. I can send some of my men into Rivendell, and they can easily take the lives of Elrond and his sons. After that, I will have your father killed, and finally, you. How much do you value your life?"
"I don't," said Legolas flatly.
"Hmm, I thought as much. What about the lives of those who you hold close to you heart?" went on Calaen. "You have already had Aragorn taken from you, but his brothers remain."
Legolas turned his face away, golden hair falling down into his eyes. He knew that if he helped Calaen, he would never be able to live with himself. But he could not leave his friends here for much longer, nor could he-
"Right, I will leave you for a while and come back later," said Calaen, standing up and going across to the door. "But I should warn you that your indecisiveness has just cost another life."
"Wait!" said Legolas desperately.
As Calaen reached the door, a nasty smile crept across his face. He swiftly replaced it with a look of innocence, and turned to face Legolas. They locked eyes for a brief moment, before the younger cast his gaze back down to the ground, and shook his head.
"I need to leave," said Calaen pointedly.
Legolas raised his eyes, and took a deep breath...
............................................................................................................
Rachel13: Hee hee, that's really funny! At least you have better visions than Elladan! And that bunch of hot Elves sound really interesting!
Elfobsession2931: Quadratic formulas? Ugh, poor you!
Legolas-gurl888: You know I said I couldn't get the clip with Orlando talking to Oprah? Well I can now, so I can't wait to go and download it!
Vicki Turner: Hee hee, confuzzled! I like that word.
Renee: Hi! I'm 15, but I can't wait until I'm 18, and can do whatever I want. Being this age really sucks at the moment.
Halimanya: Oh dear, that's bad! Did you lose any really important work or anything?
eleanor rigby: Yeah, I can't wait to see Troy! Only 6 days to go, and I'm so excited. And yeah, I want to see Van Helsing, but Troy is probably first on my list.
Hee hee, evil cliffie again. OK, there were about 23 (if I counted right) reviews, and the right person was named. But, not by very many people. I'm not gonna tell you though, cos I'm evil. Luv Misto x-x
"No, of course not," sighed Boromir. "I lost my temper and took my anger out on him. I shouldn't have done so, I know that. I only hope he does not take my words to heart."
"He will," said Aragorn shortly.
Boromir cringed slightly under the Ranger's glare. "I spoke in a moment of anger, and I do not blame him at all. It is not his fault that he has a...a creature like Calaen for a brother."
"Hmm. Well, what's done is done, and we cannot change the past," said Aragorn wearily. "I suppose that Calaen would've taken Legolas anyway, and spun false stories. But none of this is making sense; it is just getting more ridiculous as each day passes."
"Would you care to run by us again, what you were told yesterday?" asked Gimli.
Aragorn nodded slowly. "Merry, Pippin and I were taken just before Legolas, but whilst we three were locked in another cell, he was shut away elsewhere. Calaen came in and tore Merry's waistcoat from him, only to hand it to one of the guards."
"Yes, and now I'm even colder than before," said Merry ruefully.
"Anyway, Calaen said that he only took us to make everything look more realistic, and Legolas would be fooled more easily," went on Aragorn. "He was surprisingly pleasant actually, more so than I have ever seen him. He promised he would not hurt us unless things got desperate, but he gave no other clues."
"Why did you not try and fight when you were brought back here?" asked Boromir.
"You saw what happened to Legolas the last time I tried to fight, and I cannot let any more harm befall him," replied Aragorn. "Besides, I am hoping that when Gandalf returns, he will bring a host of Elves, and they will be of great help. Normally, I would've fought on my own, but I did not fancy my chances against twenty other warriors."
"Understandable," murmured Frodo. "I really don't see what Legolas has to do with this, for I refuse to believe he is anything other than what he made out. Tensions are running high at the moment, and that is only to be expected. But if we quarrel amongst ourselves, we have no hope of pulling through."
"Wise words," laughed Aragorn, touching a hand to the Hobbit's shoulder.
"That reminds me," said Gimli. "How is it that Calaen did not bother to put the chains back on yourself and the other two?"
Pippin smiled vaguely, and flexed his wrists. "I don't know, but I'm not complaining about his sudden niceness. Maybe you lot could offer to clean some pots and pans for Calaen's army, in exchange for being free of manacles."
"Or maybe you could only open your mouth when you have something clever to say," chimed in Sam.
"Are you insulting my intelligence?" demanded Pippin.
"I think he is," said Boromir.
Aragorn looked across at the Gondorian and inclined his head, grateful that even in their predicament he was trying to raise the Hobbits' spirits. Frodo was right. Quarrelling among themselves would take away any hope they had of pulling through.
............................................................................................................
"So, I heard you wanted to speak with me," said Calaen, stepping into the room and locking the door behind him. "It will have to be quick though, for I don't have a lot of time on my hands."
Legolas pushed himself off the bed, and stepped straight up to Calaen. "This is wrong, all of it. You have problems, that I have always known. But what you are doing now is just...just sick. I don't understand why you should take innocent lives just because I do not agree to do as you ask."
"Don't you?" asked Calaen, as though surprised. "I thought I had made myself quite clear."
"Let the others go," said Legolas through gritted teeth.
"There really isn't much point in that," said Calaen. "After all, there are only five of them left, because you killed the Halfling and Ranger. The Wizard has gone to Mirkwood, and of course there is you. By the way, wasn't Aragorn your friend?"
Legolas turned away and looked up at the ceiling, a deep sigh escaping him. "I did not think, at first, that you would really kill Estel. I tried to convince myself it wasn't true. But yes, he was my friend. And now he has been taken from me because of your-
"No! Don't you dare place the blame on me," hissed Calaen, spinning Legolas around to face him. "Anything that has happened before, and anything that will happen in the days to come, is because of you. Why can't you understand that? Is it really so hard? Or are you just so cold that you choose not to care what about what happens to others?"
"That is not true!" spat Legolas.
"Just keep telling yourself that," laughed Calaen.
Legolas curled his lip in disgust, and wrenched away from the other Elf. "This is about your feelings towards me, isn't it? You are not content with what you did to me when we were younger, so you have decided to finish what you started all those years back."
"I am not going to kill you," said Calaen quietly.
"I know that. You are going to toy with me, aren't you?" growled Legolas. "You will push me further and further, until eventually I will beg you for death. And then you will kill me and my friends."
In a flash, Calaen was at his brother's side, both hands on the side of his face. "Listen to me, Legolas, for I will not repeat myself. I am not going to even hurt you, let alone kill you. Forget what happened in the past, alright? In fact, I don't want to hear another word about it, because it is in no way connected to what is happening now."
"Alright, let's do that," said Legolas, inclining his head.
Gently but firmly, Calaen pushed the younger Elf down to the edge of the bed, and sat down beside him. "You know what I am capable of, so why subject your friends to more pain? It is too late for the Halfling and Ranger, but can save the others. Save them from yourself, Legolas."
"Myself?"
"Yes. It was your pride that killed Aragorn, and your defiance, insolence and your anger," said Calaen. "You will not change, Legolas, and your friends will never be free all the while you resist me. Only you can save them, and all it takes is a few simple words. You know this."
Legolas closed his eyes, but did not flinch away when a hand was placed on his shoulder. "I want so much to help them, and I know that there is only one way to do that, but...I cannot betray Thranduil. Can you not see how hard this is for me?"
"I can only imagine, but if you tarry for much longer, then you will have no friends left," said Calaen. When Legolas snapped his eyes open in horror, he smiled sadly. "It may sound harsh, but all I am telling you is the truth. You know this also."
"Yes," breathed Legolas. "I do."
Calaen smiled again, and fixed his attention on the opposite wall. He could not see what Legolas was doing, but guessed that he was biting his lip and running his eyes along the floor, as though searching for a solution to the problem down there. The dark haired Elf did not remove his hand, and could feel the tremors coming from his brother's body. Suddenly, Legolas jerked away and went to stand in the middle of the room.
"Ai Elbereth!" he cried, as an unexpected burst of pain shot through him. His ribs seemed to explode beneath the bandage, and as he swayed slightly, the room darkened around him.
"Sit," said Calaen, moving across and guiding his brother down to the ground.
"Estel is dead," whispered Legolas, brushing the back of his hands across his eyes. "Estel is dead, and it...it was all my fault. Valar, forgive me. I killed my closest friend, and not only him, but Merry also."
"Yes, and that hurts, doesn't it?" asked Calaen. "It hurts, knowing that you have done something like that. But can you imagine what you will feel like this time next week? I estimate that there will be only two members of the Fellowship left. Legolas, are you doing this on purpose? Do you really want to see them dead?"
"No!" cried the younger Elf, his eyes flashing with hurt. "That is the last thing I want. But I just cannot...Please, Calaen, do not make me do this. There are other ways, surely?"
Sighing, Calaen knelt beside his brother. "No, there is no other way. If you do not help me, Legolas, I will kill your friends, and not just the ones here. I can send some of my men into Rivendell, and they can easily take the lives of Elrond and his sons. After that, I will have your father killed, and finally, you. How much do you value your life?"
"I don't," said Legolas flatly.
"Hmm, I thought as much. What about the lives of those who you hold close to you heart?" went on Calaen. "You have already had Aragorn taken from you, but his brothers remain."
Legolas turned his face away, golden hair falling down into his eyes. He knew that if he helped Calaen, he would never be able to live with himself. But he could not leave his friends here for much longer, nor could he-
"Right, I will leave you for a while and come back later," said Calaen, standing up and going across to the door. "But I should warn you that your indecisiveness has just cost another life."
"Wait!" said Legolas desperately.
As Calaen reached the door, a nasty smile crept across his face. He swiftly replaced it with a look of innocence, and turned to face Legolas. They locked eyes for a brief moment, before the younger cast his gaze back down to the ground, and shook his head.
"I need to leave," said Calaen pointedly.
Legolas raised his eyes, and took a deep breath...
............................................................................................................
Rachel13: Hee hee, that's really funny! At least you have better visions than Elladan! And that bunch of hot Elves sound really interesting!
Elfobsession2931: Quadratic formulas? Ugh, poor you!
Legolas-gurl888: You know I said I couldn't get the clip with Orlando talking to Oprah? Well I can now, so I can't wait to go and download it!
Vicki Turner: Hee hee, confuzzled! I like that word.
Renee: Hi! I'm 15, but I can't wait until I'm 18, and can do whatever I want. Being this age really sucks at the moment.
Halimanya: Oh dear, that's bad! Did you lose any really important work or anything?
eleanor rigby: Yeah, I can't wait to see Troy! Only 6 days to go, and I'm so excited. And yeah, I want to see Van Helsing, but Troy is probably first on my list.
Hee hee, evil cliffie again. OK, there were about 23 (if I counted right) reviews, and the right person was named. But, not by very many people. I'm not gonna tell you though, cos I'm evil. Luv Misto x-x