Yay!!! I'm very pleased to see everyone back! waves manically

Astievia; Ooh!!! Yeah, go on, I wanna see that picture! Lol, sounds funny!!!

Anarya; Ah, can't get anything past you, can I?! Lol!!!

Lainfaer; LOL, you sound like a stuck record!!! =)

Elfobsession2931; Thanks!!! =)

Dha-Gal; Thanks Dha!!! Ro, face it; your temper's nearly as big as your ego... and Dan; stop arguing...

grumpy; Oh they can get into a LOT of trouble if I want them to... which I do!!! =)

Stoneage Woman; I KNOW IT WAS SHORT!!! =( I've made sure this chapter is longer though, so you should be happy! =)

leggylover03; Here!!! =)

Coolio02; Yay! Thanks for the compliment! =)

Mellaithwen; Yes, it surprises me how quickly the reviews come through! Thanks for trying to the first though!

Ok, now that's done... I took a little bit of liberty with Legolas' wood Elf abilities in this chapter; please don't hurt me!!!

.: Chapter Two :.

Dark eyes, filled with malicious intent, scoured the area. The trees quivered as his eyes passed over them, terror wrapping itself around their boughs. The Sun was climbing higher into the sky with each passing minute; they would be here soon.

"'Ow long d'you reckon it'll take 'em to get 'ere?" asked one of the cruel hearted beings. The other growled, his yellow teeth bared.

"They get 'ere when they get 'ere, now pipe down an' SHUT UP!"

They hid in the bushes... waiting...

-=-=-=-

Legolas sat in front of Elrohir whilst Elladan was mounted with Estel. The Sun was bright and cheerful, warming them as they rode.

"So, how much are we going to catch?" asked Estel. He grinned. "I bet I could catch anything!"

Elrohir snorted. "Estel, the only thing you could catch is a cold..." Legolas and Elladan laughed at this, whilst Estel merely scowled.

"I'm not that bad..." grumbled the human. Legolas grinned.

"You're not that good either!" he remarked.

They continued riding, heading out deeper into the woods around Imladris. The sky above them almost shone a brilliant blue colour, white fluffy clouds sailing overhead.

Suddenly, the oldest of the group felt an uncomfortable chill run down his spine. Elladan frowned. Something was not right here; the forest ahead looked dark and uninviting, and the birds and trees were silent. He whispered gently to his horse, causing it to stop. Elrohir followed suit.

Estel didn't like the look on his brother's face. "Dan? What's wrong?"

Elladan, not wanting to put his brothers and friend in any unnecessary danger, held up a hand, quieting his youngest sibling. "Hold on a moment," he told him firmly. Slipping down from his steed's back and notching an arrow to his bow, he took a tentative step forward.

"Wait here," he whispered.

The grass blades barely bent under his feet as he walked forward. A heightened sense of apprehension rose in the pit of his stomach. There was no sound, nothing.

Legolas frowned as he watched his friend walk towards the shady path. The silence of the trees disturbed him; being a Wood Elf, this was understandable. He found himself concentrating very hard.

'Mani nna roeg?' he thought, trying to voice his thoughts to the living things around him. He was met with silence still. Digging deeper into the nature around him, he tried again. 'What is wrong?'

Finally, he was met with an answer.

'Danger...' whispered the trees fearfully. 'Nurta! Rima, asca!!!' [Hide! Run, hurry!]

Elladan looked about, still uncomfortable with the unusual presence in the air. Without warning, the forest floor beneath his feet suddenly heaved a groan.

Legolas' eyes widened. "DAN! GET OUT OF THERE!!!"

Elladan barely had time to register his friend's warning when the ground gave out from underneath him. Falling was the strangest sensation...

-=-=-=-

Elrohir was left in a complete state of panic as he watched his brother disappear. "DAN!!!" The twins' strong bond alerted him; he instantly knew that his brother was hurt, but how badly he could not say.

The three jumped down from the horses. Estel and Legolas began to run over to the hole, intending to try and help the older Elf, but Elrohir grabbed them both. "Wait! We don't know if there are any more holes!"

The younger two stopped in their tracks. Elrohir picked up a large rock from the ground and skipped it over the terrain. Nothing happened.

"Come on!" gasped Estel, and the trio ran forward, desperate to help Elladan. "Dan, can you hear us?!" he shouted, crouching beside the drop. Luckily for him he could not see the bottom very well; it was far too dark and he doubted that a dose of his fear of heights would help his brother.

Elrohir kneeled over the gaping hole. "Dan?! Are you alright?!" He waited for a reply, all the time thinking to himself; 'Oh, please let him be alright...'

-=-=-=-

Elladan coughed violently as the dust around him settled. A sharp pain in his right leg alerted him, and he looked down to discover the limb was pinned under a large rock.

Three dark shapes silhouetted against the bright overhead sun above him, coming in at the sides of the hole he had fallen down.

"Dan?! Are you alright?!" came Elrohir's voice. The older twin squinted as he looked up.

"I'm down here!" he shouted back.

"Yes we know that!" said Estel, a comment which only served to gain him a punch from Elrohir.

"This is no time for stupid comments Estel!" he told the sixteen year old fiercely. Legolas, not wanting to get involved in the dispute, decided to remain the clear-headed one in the situation.

"Are you hurt Dan?"

Elladan tried to shift his leg from under the small boulder. This was a bad idea as it only made his leg more painful. Most of the burning sensation seemed to radiate from around his ankle.

"I think my ankle's broken," he shouted up, wincing as the rock slipped another tiny jolt. "I'm stuck!"

Estel and Elrohir had stopped bickering as they heard their brother's cries. Elrohir stooped over the hole again, his face a mask of worry. "Alright Dan; we'll get you out in a minute!"

Estel on the other hand was busy looking at the sides of the pit. There seemed to be twigs and leaves arranged in a criss-cross fashion, some of which had snapped and fallen down with his brother. The realisation hit the young man like a tidal wave.

'This is a trap!!!' he thought to himself, horrified. Who would set a trap like this so close to Rivendell? The Elves certainly didn't use methods like this when hunting animals... this was assuming that that was what this trap was intended to catch.

Meanwhile, Elladan's teeth were gritted in an attempt to keep the pain at a bearable level. He wouldn't be able to handle it much longer though; the sharp edges of the rock were digging into the soft skin.

"Hurry!!!"

That wasn't all of the elder twin's problems though. A soft, deadly hiss close by caught his attention. He felt all of his muscles tense up in apprehensive fear. Looking slowly to his right, Elladan's eyes widened as he saw a dark green snake slithering towards him. He knew the effects of this particular poisonous snake.

One thought ran through his mind. This was a potentially deadly situation. 'Oh Valar help me...'

-=-=-=-

The Orc grinned. His companion grasped the hilt of his brutal looking sword. "C'mon!" growled the smaller skinnier Orc. "Now, let's get 'em now!"

The bigger Orc grabbed the runt's arm. "NO!" he snarled. "We wait and bide our time..."

Thoughts please!!!