Unexpected

"B'harat? B'harat?"

The voice was persistent as was the tapping on his shoulder. Legolas awoke in a rush. He flew upright, startled to see D'nai patting his shoulder. He squinted at the sky. It was evening. He had fallen asleep without meaning to, but three days of no rest was too much even for an elf.

"B'harat!" D'nai stamped his foot in frustration. Curse his nephew for his addled brain!

"Come now, Lord Ahnad calls us, now, come."

Legolas got to his feet. He took a quick glance at the camp. He wondered how many had already eaten.

They came to the tent of Lord Ahnad, the chieftain of the easterling raiders. The tent was well lit and overly opulent. Thick rugs littered the floor, delicate padded stools and soft cushioned chairs were carefully placed. There was a bed piled high with hand woven blankets and feather stuffed pillows. D'nai and Legolas bowed very low. Lord Ahnad bade them stand with a click of his fingers. Two other warriors stood at his side, sabres drawn.

"You two will join Sh'ndai and Oruni in keeping guard tonight." He began without preamble.

"There is an edhel out there still. It will attack tonight to rescue its friends. He pointed to one corner of the tent. For the first time Legolas noticed that both Aragorn and Calad were there.

They had been washed, oiled and redressed. Calad's hair was unbound and shone as though brushed many times. He was wearing a floor length blue silken tunic and his feet were bare. Aragorn was similarly clothed. His hair too had been neatly combed and his beard shaved. In the yellow lights of the lamps he looked very young and beautiful. Legolas could not help grinning and was glad for the veil that hid his face. The ranger had been rather attached to his facial stubble.

"You will guard them with your lives. Leave the capture of the edhel to them." He nodded at the other guards. "If the fight goes ill kill them both."

Both D'nai and Legolas bowed again. They took up position next to the elf and human. D'nai drew his sabre as did Legolas. He wondered how the chieftain knew about him. The man was clever no doubt. 'However,' thought Legolas 'the edhel is already here and you have made his job easier.'

Lord Ahnad stepped outside. The camp was silent; all other tents had been pulled down. Most of the warriors were eating, others asleep. There were only two men on night watch. He had made it ridiculously easy for the edhel to come into the camp. He felt excitement course through him. This night would be glorious.

Aragorn was sitting on the soft cushions, He snaked out a hand very slowly until he felt Legolas' booted feet under it. He gave it a squeeze.

Legolas looked at the two guards surreptitiously; they were facing each other at opposite points of the tent. He chanced a quick look at D'nai. The man was staring straight ahead a dreamy smile on his face. Legolas then glanced down at Aragorn. With a quick movement he pulled up the sleeve of his tunic so that Legolas could see the manacle on his left wrist. Aragorn laid one finger on his wrist pointing to Calad who was lying prone on the soft pillows. Legolas raised his eyes to stare ahead; he would still need the key. Aragorn and Calad were chained together.

00000

Night came slowly. Lord Ahnad paced the tent and went outside many times to scan the fields. He felt almost angry, cheated in some way. Had he not sent away most of his soldiers? Had he not laid a clear path to the camp? Where was the accursed creature? He walked back to the tent with angry strides. He walked straight to the prisoners. He knelt in front of Calad who stared back at him unblinkingly. He touched the side of the elf's face drinking in his pale beauty. He caressed the tips of his delicate and pointed ears. He ran his fingertips over his silken lips. Calad stared back at him with calm eyes.

"So perfect." Said Ahnad. He lowered his hand to the V front of the tunic and slipped his hand inside its folds. He put his hand over the bandaged wound. He felt the edhel tense with a sudden indrawn breath.

"Tell me who is out there." Ahnad demanded letting his thumb rub back and forth across the bandaged wound.

Man and elf stared at each other.

"My brother." Said Calad after a long pause.

Ahnad nodded as though confirming something in his mind. "Then he will come for you."

"Yes," said Calad, "and when he does, you shall die."

Ahnad laughed.

Legolas was trembling. He felt rage at the appalling daring of the man, he felt the familiar churning in his gut, but this time it was not due to fear. His hand snaked to one of his knives which he had stuck in his waist earlier. It was now or never. Ahnad was in a perfect position.

He pivoted and aimed a ferocious kick at Ahnad's head. The easterling lord fell forward onto Calad's lap without a sound.

"Calad the key! Get the key! Legolas shouted, already moving.

But Calad was already pulling at the metal chain around Ahnad's neck.

Sh'ndai and Oruni turned in confusion, thinking that the enemy had come among them unseen. Instead they saw their lord sprawled on the floor, the prisoners scrambling.

Sh'ndai shouted, just as Legolas threw one of his knives. But his throw was off, hampered by the many folds of cloth he wore and instead of killing the man, Oruni was struck in the arm. Sh'ndai growled.

D'nai was confused. B'harat had attacked Lord Ahnad. Was the boy truly mad? They would be disembowelled and left to die in the desert. He turned to his crazy nephew a questioning and a plea in his eyes.

Legolas hesitated and then reversed the sabre and hit D'nai forcefully between the eyes. He crumpled to the ground soundlessly thinking. 'B'harat spoke, it is a miracle.'

Aragorn quickly undid the manacles and helped Calad to stand. The elf was still very weak and in great pain. The soldiers had discovered and taken away the medicinal herbs from them at Ahnad's command hours ago. The man was a beast; he had preferred that Calad suffer the pain, afraid that Aragorn would poison himself and the elf instead of submitting to captivity.

He stood there uncertainly watching as Legolas grappled with the two men. He yearned to help but Calad needed him more.

Legolas yanked the veil and turban off his head glad to be free of the confining, malodorous cloth. The two warriors recoiled in surprise. Sh'ndai's eyes narrowed as he took in the golden hair and fair face.

"For killing my men you will die edhel." He spat. He lunged at Legolas forcing him to give ground. Oruni, seeing his chance attacked Legolas from the side.

Legolas felt the sudden pain in his arm from Oruni's thrust. He threw himself back kicking out at Sh'ndai who lunged at him. He caught the easterling full in the chest. The man fell. Legolas swivelled to face Oruni blocking the man's sweep with his knife as he pushed him back. He saw Aragorn hovering holding Calad upright.

"Aragorn go, I will follow." He shouted.

Aragorn and Calad shuffled outside. The camp was filled with the sleeping sounds of men.

"It worked," said Aragorn in relief. "But how will we get out of here?"

In response Calad took a deep breath that hurt down to his very heart and gave a high pitched whistle. Soon they heard the thunder of hooves.

Legolas was in trouble. His breathing was loud and ragged. Sh'ndai and Oruni were holding him at bay in a shadowed corner of the tent. He held one of his knives in one hand and a sabre in the next. He looked from one warrior to the next. They were poised, sabres held expertly waiting for him to make his next move. Each time they both attacked him and each time they he had received slashes along his arms and chest.

Sweat was running into his eyes, blood was running down his chest soaking through his tunic and the robes he still wore. He was running out of time and he knew it. Soon he would make a fatal slip.

Oruni was the weaker fighter so he feinted to the right straight towards Sh'ndai. Sh'ndai saw the movement and moved back slightly to a defensive pose which was exactly what Legolas wanted. He swayed back to the left and ducked then lunged upward, catching Oruni as he surged in to attack. He flipped the easterling over his back and brought the knife down on his throat before he hit the ground. Blood poured from the fatal wound, but Oruni's hand had already started to move and in the spasm of death the sabre caught Legolas deep in the chest.

Legolas lurched up and flung his knife at Sh'ndai with all his strength. It caught the easterling in the face. He fell back with a shocked expression, dead.

Legolas staggered pulling the blade from his body, the pain was unbearable. He tottered to the open entrance way. It seemed to recede before him. He fell to his knees, hands flying to cover the bleeding wound.

"Aragorn…" he whispered and fell face first to the rug covered floor.

To

Shanna. Espero que mi espanol no es muy malo, porque entiendo que escribes muy bien. Es que no escribo bien pienso. Pues no importa. Mil gracias por su 'review'.

Kitsune Kida You are the greatest. Hope you like this one.

Moonflower Was this soon enough??