*Disclaimer* Wow. Chapter 15, and I still own nothing...
A/N: Hirotani, thanks for that review. In answer to some of your questions:
1)I realize that the first chapter is mostly one big block of writing. I apologize, readers!
2)And yes, it is Delaney's ignorance on Elves, not mine. Keep in mind, she hasn't read any of the Lord of the Rings; she's a Zelda fan.
3)I'm trying to work on the Elven names. You'll see more of them if I can, I promise. I didn't have an Elvish name generator on hand when I first wrote this, unfortunately.
4)In chapter 12, Della encounters the unfortunate experience of Rose slipping away from her. Because she's in Rose's body, a sort of translator happens. It comes to her brain in Elvish, but she hears it as English. I realize English doesn't exist. I hope this clears up any questions. If you have any more, please don't hesitate to e-mail me at jyro_the_pyro@hotmail.com Now then, read on!
Chapter 15- The Night Isn't Over Yet
To Delaney's mind, Rose sounded ready to kill. ~What in the name of Valar was that?! Have you completely lost your mind?~ She felt some amusement prick inside of her at that. -You should know.- Rose, however, wasn't in the mood for joking. ~I never threaten anyone, least of all Legolas! You could completely destroy any chance I ever have of him liking me, and-~ -Oh, can it!- She burst out. She had suffered enough of Legolas' ramblings; must she get them inside her head, too? -Listen, I apologize if I acted out of character, but he wasn't taking this seriously! Your chances of hooking up with him are even slimmer if you're both dead!- Rose didn't have anything to say to that one; she knew it was true. Satisfied that she had silenced both her companions, she began to pick Rose's mental brain for tracking techniques. It wasn't that hard; the sentry wasn't worried about anybody following him. In a space of moments, they had found him again. Legolas hesitantly pulled her back.
"Can I suggest something?" he asked, thoroughly cowed by her loss of temper.
"Go ahead."
"I'll go ahead, try to find the camp before he gets to it. Then we'll be ready. I hope you have a plan after that, because I've got nothing." She nodded.
"Sounds good. Don't worry, you go ahead. I'll think of something." He nodded, relieved that she hadn't let loose her wrath on him again.
"I have every faith that you will. Until then," he said, and saluted smartly. She gave a half-smile and threw a salute back. She didn't bother trying to follow him with her eyes; he was soon lost to sight, flitting among the night shadows. She kept up a leisurely pace; the sentry was going slowly.
"Yeesh, if he was going any slower, he'd be going backwards," she muttered to no one in particular. To her shock, someone answered.
"With good reason. A few more feet, and you'll trip over their camp." Legolas was right beside her, whispering in her ear.
"Whoa, how'd you do that? Didn't you just leave?" she demanded. That was twice in one night someone had taken her by surprise; it didn't improve her temper much.
"Yes. But I found the camp, didn't I? I was supposed to report back to you, and I did. Now then, I don't suppose that, in the two seconds I was gone, you thought of a plan?" She looked thoughtful.
"Maybe. We have very little time to make several decisions. One, do we drop him right before he gets to camp, so he makes a dramatic entrance? Or do we let him tell the tale, then drop him? I'm trying to decide which one's more dramatic. Then, do we head count and leave? Or stay and bug them?" Legolas twisted his lips thoughtfully.
"What I'd like to do is snuff him now. But once he heroically reenacts the battle, it'll be much more ironic if he kicks the bucket then. And we've already lost enough time; head count and leave, much as I'd like to give them something to think about."
"How would I do this without you?"
"You wouldn't. Come on, we have to wait for my cue." He went in front of her and started to circle the camp. She shrugged and followed. Seemed like the sensible thing to do. He manuvered himself so he could easily follow the sentry, and she suddenly made up her mind to go another. While he watched, she would do the headcount.
Unfortunately, there weren't too many soldiers in this camp; fifty or so. Why did this mysterious warlord make such little camps? If Awaren had any sense, or listened to theirs, these piece-meal camps would be obliterated from the forest. She crept back to Legolas, trying to fit the puzzle together.
"He's clever, this warlord." Legolas jumped, and she felt a little pride flow through her. Who was the jumpy one now, huh?
"How do you figure?"
"Well, he's either clever, recklessly brave, or recklessly stupid. As much as I'd like to think so, I highly doubt it's the latter."
"Will you please get to the point?" he hissed, keeping his arrow nocked and his eyes on the sentry, who was relating his outrageous tale to a man who was obviously the officer in charge of the camp, and a large crowd.
"Born player, him," she said, gesturing to the sentry. She enjoyed drawing out Legolas' patience, but knew not to push it when he tore his eyes off the scene. "All right, all right, calm down. I'm sure if you weren't preoccupied, it would come to you. Normally, these camps should be at least a hundred strong for protection. In an Elven forest, twice that size. But the Warlord's not stupid; quite the opposite. He knows that his ruse is working; he knows Awaren senses no danger, so look how small he makes these camps. If Awaren was on his guard, the camp wouldn't be this close, or this small. I..."
"Makes sense," he said sharply, cutting her off, "but I've got an idea. I've no idea of how trained or disciplined these soldiers are, but if they rely fully on their officer, we're in luck. I nail the sentry. Get out your slingshot and nail the officer on his forehead, or somewhere where it'll make a mark. His story's winding to a close. When I give the signal..." She nodded to show her understanding and fumbled for her slingshot. She searched the ground again, keeping one eye on Legolas, the other on the sentry. Her hand closed around a stone, a little too large to be a pebble. Perfect. She loaded her sling and waited. Occasionally, snippets of the tale reached her ears, even more outrageous than they had been in the forest. She tried not to listen, keeping her ears trained on Legolas. Finally, after what seemed like ages, the tale wound to a close, in which the sentry was in a thrilling one-on-one battle with an Elven sargent. Idiot, she thought, Elves don't have "sargents". Then, after the fictious officer bungled and was slain, the sentry bowed, as if he had just acted in a play, to furious applause by his fellow soldiers. At the height of the adulation, Legolas kicked her sharply, perhaps a touch harder than he meant to.
"Now, and make it count!" he whispered loudly. She took quick aim, drew back, and fired. A split-second after the arrow pierced the sentry's breast, the captain's head snapped back as the hard stone thwacked soundly against it, causing the skin to tear, and a small trickle of blood ran down. Chaos ensued; it appeared Legolas was correct. "I'd rather not stay and test my theory. Time we weren't here, Rose." She nodded, and they ran off, keeping their senses alert for a pursuit.
No pursuit seemed to be coming, but they kept on the alert all the same. About a hundred yards from the camp, they slowed their pace.
"Excellent work, slinging those rocks. The one you got the captain with was a beauty." She cringed slightly.
"I think I accidentally killed him. Looked like his neck snapped." Legolas shrugged coldly, no pity in his eyes.
"Serves him right. That'll give them something to think about, that's for sure. Let's go, and hopefully, we'll get all the sentries, this time." She was glad the dark hid her blush, for she was blushing furiously.
"Oi! I'll never hear the end of this one, will I?" He slapped her on the back good-naturedly, smiling slightly.
"Oh, lighten up, it was an honest mistake. I didn't see him either, did I? I promise I won't tell Tracie."
"Oh, but you have to tell Tracie, weasly bow man. Why waste such an excellent story?" He nodded.
"If you insist, fearsome-looking chappie. Come on, keep those Elven eyes of yours open!" She grinned, feeling herself get caught up in the heat of the chase. Well, they weren't chasing anything, but it was the same concept. But it was deja vu when Legolas, once again, threw out his arm to stop her. Only this time, she did a complete flip and landed, winded, on her back.
"You've got to warn me before you do that," she gasped, trying to breathe. He got down next to her and propped himself up on his elbows.
"Sorry. But I have to admit, it was fun watching you flip. See the sentries?" She twisted her lips, annoyed with the change in topic, but nevertheless, she looked for the sentries in question. Three, just like before.
"Do you think there's actually three?"
"Not a prayer. Here, find some pebbles or something." She opened her mouth to question, then closed it and crawled off in a manner Delaney recognized as commando-style to find rocks. About five minutes later, she came back, arms full of stones of every sort of shape. Legolas grinned as he saw her come back. Even in the semi-dark, her heart did acrobatic flips.
"Ah, I knew I could count on you to bring back the entire quarry. I will swear unto my grave that you have some dwarf in you." She made a face.
"I'm not sure whether to I'm being complimented or insulted." There was a small half-smile on his face.
"Take it as you wish, Lady Rosellyn." She snickered, then stopped as the one hidden sentry, the one they couldn't see, stepped out.
"Hoi! What's that noise? Haltred, someone's out there!" He turned his face to the closest sentry. Legolas shook his head despairingly, forehead in his hand.
"I've never come up against that many armies; are they all this dim-witted? Why don't they just hang banners up that glow in the dark?" The sentry in the tree loaded his bow, speaking just as loudly to the hidden sentry.
"If it's Kor, well an' good. If it isn't..." Delaney stifled a sigh as the figure licked his arrow. What did soldiers find so derring-do about that? 'Look at me, I can slit my tongue open and laugh about it, this makes me look studly', "then they got another thing coming to them!" They laughed oafishly at this. She leaned over and whispered into Legolas' ear.
"I think they've got their signals crossed. Elves have heightened hearing, they're not deaf! Idiots!" Legolas wrinkled his nose in silent amusement. Then he jumped up and, before she had a chance to silence him, or pull him down, he waved his arms over his head and shouted, in a passably good imitation of the army's vernacular.
"Oy! Haltred! Sentries 'round the camp! Tis me, Kor!" This caused excitement among the ranks. She had no idea who Kor was, or what Legolas was doing, but she had no choice but to play along. He stretched his hand down to her. "Get up, come on," he whispered, "you'll love this plan once you get it." He raised his voice again. "I got an Elven spy! I caught one!" She looked at him, wondering if he had gone insane.
"You. Cannot. Do. This!" she whispered, seperating every word. "How close do you plan to go?" He pulled his hair back into a ponytail and stood facing her squarely.
"Can you tell my ears are pointed?" She slowly shook her head, fearful. He had pulled his fair hair over the tips of his ears. He nodded, satisfied. "Good. Then we'll go as close as we can." He pulled out a small piece of Elvish rope. She started to quake.
"Legolas...I'm scared..." He smiled and took her by both hands, pulling her up.
"Don't be. I promise, nothing will happen to you." She looked into his eyes and saw sincerity shining through.
"I believe you..." she whispered. He hugged her quickly.
"Good. Now, put your hands behind your back. Struggle as much as you can. I'll bluff it out, don't worry."
"I have to worry. But I trust you." He quickly bound her hands and feet.
A/N: Wow, two cliffhangers in a row. I must be on a roll...and this mission just doesn't seem to end! But Legolas might be getting Rose into more trouble than he thinks. Typical teenage boy.
A/N: Hirotani, thanks for that review. In answer to some of your questions:
1)I realize that the first chapter is mostly one big block of writing. I apologize, readers!
2)And yes, it is Delaney's ignorance on Elves, not mine. Keep in mind, she hasn't read any of the Lord of the Rings; she's a Zelda fan.
3)I'm trying to work on the Elven names. You'll see more of them if I can, I promise. I didn't have an Elvish name generator on hand when I first wrote this, unfortunately.
4)In chapter 12, Della encounters the unfortunate experience of Rose slipping away from her. Because she's in Rose's body, a sort of translator happens. It comes to her brain in Elvish, but she hears it as English. I realize English doesn't exist. I hope this clears up any questions. If you have any more, please don't hesitate to e-mail me at jyro_the_pyro@hotmail.com Now then, read on!
Chapter 15- The Night Isn't Over Yet
To Delaney's mind, Rose sounded ready to kill. ~What in the name of Valar was that?! Have you completely lost your mind?~ She felt some amusement prick inside of her at that. -You should know.- Rose, however, wasn't in the mood for joking. ~I never threaten anyone, least of all Legolas! You could completely destroy any chance I ever have of him liking me, and-~ -Oh, can it!- She burst out. She had suffered enough of Legolas' ramblings; must she get them inside her head, too? -Listen, I apologize if I acted out of character, but he wasn't taking this seriously! Your chances of hooking up with him are even slimmer if you're both dead!- Rose didn't have anything to say to that one; she knew it was true. Satisfied that she had silenced both her companions, she began to pick Rose's mental brain for tracking techniques. It wasn't that hard; the sentry wasn't worried about anybody following him. In a space of moments, they had found him again. Legolas hesitantly pulled her back.
"Can I suggest something?" he asked, thoroughly cowed by her loss of temper.
"Go ahead."
"I'll go ahead, try to find the camp before he gets to it. Then we'll be ready. I hope you have a plan after that, because I've got nothing." She nodded.
"Sounds good. Don't worry, you go ahead. I'll think of something." He nodded, relieved that she hadn't let loose her wrath on him again.
"I have every faith that you will. Until then," he said, and saluted smartly. She gave a half-smile and threw a salute back. She didn't bother trying to follow him with her eyes; he was soon lost to sight, flitting among the night shadows. She kept up a leisurely pace; the sentry was going slowly.
"Yeesh, if he was going any slower, he'd be going backwards," she muttered to no one in particular. To her shock, someone answered.
"With good reason. A few more feet, and you'll trip over their camp." Legolas was right beside her, whispering in her ear.
"Whoa, how'd you do that? Didn't you just leave?" she demanded. That was twice in one night someone had taken her by surprise; it didn't improve her temper much.
"Yes. But I found the camp, didn't I? I was supposed to report back to you, and I did. Now then, I don't suppose that, in the two seconds I was gone, you thought of a plan?" She looked thoughtful.
"Maybe. We have very little time to make several decisions. One, do we drop him right before he gets to camp, so he makes a dramatic entrance? Or do we let him tell the tale, then drop him? I'm trying to decide which one's more dramatic. Then, do we head count and leave? Or stay and bug them?" Legolas twisted his lips thoughtfully.
"What I'd like to do is snuff him now. But once he heroically reenacts the battle, it'll be much more ironic if he kicks the bucket then. And we've already lost enough time; head count and leave, much as I'd like to give them something to think about."
"How would I do this without you?"
"You wouldn't. Come on, we have to wait for my cue." He went in front of her and started to circle the camp. She shrugged and followed. Seemed like the sensible thing to do. He manuvered himself so he could easily follow the sentry, and she suddenly made up her mind to go another. While he watched, she would do the headcount.
Unfortunately, there weren't too many soldiers in this camp; fifty or so. Why did this mysterious warlord make such little camps? If Awaren had any sense, or listened to theirs, these piece-meal camps would be obliterated from the forest. She crept back to Legolas, trying to fit the puzzle together.
"He's clever, this warlord." Legolas jumped, and she felt a little pride flow through her. Who was the jumpy one now, huh?
"How do you figure?"
"Well, he's either clever, recklessly brave, or recklessly stupid. As much as I'd like to think so, I highly doubt it's the latter."
"Will you please get to the point?" he hissed, keeping his arrow nocked and his eyes on the sentry, who was relating his outrageous tale to a man who was obviously the officer in charge of the camp, and a large crowd.
"Born player, him," she said, gesturing to the sentry. She enjoyed drawing out Legolas' patience, but knew not to push it when he tore his eyes off the scene. "All right, all right, calm down. I'm sure if you weren't preoccupied, it would come to you. Normally, these camps should be at least a hundred strong for protection. In an Elven forest, twice that size. But the Warlord's not stupid; quite the opposite. He knows that his ruse is working; he knows Awaren senses no danger, so look how small he makes these camps. If Awaren was on his guard, the camp wouldn't be this close, or this small. I..."
"Makes sense," he said sharply, cutting her off, "but I've got an idea. I've no idea of how trained or disciplined these soldiers are, but if they rely fully on their officer, we're in luck. I nail the sentry. Get out your slingshot and nail the officer on his forehead, or somewhere where it'll make a mark. His story's winding to a close. When I give the signal..." She nodded to show her understanding and fumbled for her slingshot. She searched the ground again, keeping one eye on Legolas, the other on the sentry. Her hand closed around a stone, a little too large to be a pebble. Perfect. She loaded her sling and waited. Occasionally, snippets of the tale reached her ears, even more outrageous than they had been in the forest. She tried not to listen, keeping her ears trained on Legolas. Finally, after what seemed like ages, the tale wound to a close, in which the sentry was in a thrilling one-on-one battle with an Elven sargent. Idiot, she thought, Elves don't have "sargents". Then, after the fictious officer bungled and was slain, the sentry bowed, as if he had just acted in a play, to furious applause by his fellow soldiers. At the height of the adulation, Legolas kicked her sharply, perhaps a touch harder than he meant to.
"Now, and make it count!" he whispered loudly. She took quick aim, drew back, and fired. A split-second after the arrow pierced the sentry's breast, the captain's head snapped back as the hard stone thwacked soundly against it, causing the skin to tear, and a small trickle of blood ran down. Chaos ensued; it appeared Legolas was correct. "I'd rather not stay and test my theory. Time we weren't here, Rose." She nodded, and they ran off, keeping their senses alert for a pursuit.
No pursuit seemed to be coming, but they kept on the alert all the same. About a hundred yards from the camp, they slowed their pace.
"Excellent work, slinging those rocks. The one you got the captain with was a beauty." She cringed slightly.
"I think I accidentally killed him. Looked like his neck snapped." Legolas shrugged coldly, no pity in his eyes.
"Serves him right. That'll give them something to think about, that's for sure. Let's go, and hopefully, we'll get all the sentries, this time." She was glad the dark hid her blush, for she was blushing furiously.
"Oi! I'll never hear the end of this one, will I?" He slapped her on the back good-naturedly, smiling slightly.
"Oh, lighten up, it was an honest mistake. I didn't see him either, did I? I promise I won't tell Tracie."
"Oh, but you have to tell Tracie, weasly bow man. Why waste such an excellent story?" He nodded.
"If you insist, fearsome-looking chappie. Come on, keep those Elven eyes of yours open!" She grinned, feeling herself get caught up in the heat of the chase. Well, they weren't chasing anything, but it was the same concept. But it was deja vu when Legolas, once again, threw out his arm to stop her. Only this time, she did a complete flip and landed, winded, on her back.
"You've got to warn me before you do that," she gasped, trying to breathe. He got down next to her and propped himself up on his elbows.
"Sorry. But I have to admit, it was fun watching you flip. See the sentries?" She twisted her lips, annoyed with the change in topic, but nevertheless, she looked for the sentries in question. Three, just like before.
"Do you think there's actually three?"
"Not a prayer. Here, find some pebbles or something." She opened her mouth to question, then closed it and crawled off in a manner Delaney recognized as commando-style to find rocks. About five minutes later, she came back, arms full of stones of every sort of shape. Legolas grinned as he saw her come back. Even in the semi-dark, her heart did acrobatic flips.
"Ah, I knew I could count on you to bring back the entire quarry. I will swear unto my grave that you have some dwarf in you." She made a face.
"I'm not sure whether to I'm being complimented or insulted." There was a small half-smile on his face.
"Take it as you wish, Lady Rosellyn." She snickered, then stopped as the one hidden sentry, the one they couldn't see, stepped out.
"Hoi! What's that noise? Haltred, someone's out there!" He turned his face to the closest sentry. Legolas shook his head despairingly, forehead in his hand.
"I've never come up against that many armies; are they all this dim-witted? Why don't they just hang banners up that glow in the dark?" The sentry in the tree loaded his bow, speaking just as loudly to the hidden sentry.
"If it's Kor, well an' good. If it isn't..." Delaney stifled a sigh as the figure licked his arrow. What did soldiers find so derring-do about that? 'Look at me, I can slit my tongue open and laugh about it, this makes me look studly', "then they got another thing coming to them!" They laughed oafishly at this. She leaned over and whispered into Legolas' ear.
"I think they've got their signals crossed. Elves have heightened hearing, they're not deaf! Idiots!" Legolas wrinkled his nose in silent amusement. Then he jumped up and, before she had a chance to silence him, or pull him down, he waved his arms over his head and shouted, in a passably good imitation of the army's vernacular.
"Oy! Haltred! Sentries 'round the camp! Tis me, Kor!" This caused excitement among the ranks. She had no idea who Kor was, or what Legolas was doing, but she had no choice but to play along. He stretched his hand down to her. "Get up, come on," he whispered, "you'll love this plan once you get it." He raised his voice again. "I got an Elven spy! I caught one!" She looked at him, wondering if he had gone insane.
"You. Cannot. Do. This!" she whispered, seperating every word. "How close do you plan to go?" He pulled his hair back into a ponytail and stood facing her squarely.
"Can you tell my ears are pointed?" She slowly shook her head, fearful. He had pulled his fair hair over the tips of his ears. He nodded, satisfied. "Good. Then we'll go as close as we can." He pulled out a small piece of Elvish rope. She started to quake.
"Legolas...I'm scared..." He smiled and took her by both hands, pulling her up.
"Don't be. I promise, nothing will happen to you." She looked into his eyes and saw sincerity shining through.
"I believe you..." she whispered. He hugged her quickly.
"Good. Now, put your hands behind your back. Struggle as much as you can. I'll bluff it out, don't worry."
"I have to worry. But I trust you." He quickly bound her hands and feet.
A/N: Wow, two cliffhangers in a row. I must be on a roll...and this mission just doesn't seem to end! But Legolas might be getting Rose into more trouble than he thinks. Typical teenage boy.