Disclaimer: Alas! Neither Queenie, nor I have found a loophole around those darned lawyers. But give us time! There is always hope, after all…
A/N: …But apparently not if you're a certain Elven Prince! No prizes for guessing who ^_~ Oh go on then, maybe a cookie if you're good, and leave a review. Bribery? Me? Banish the thought!
Now… One veeerrrrryyyy important point. Queenie has been really rather busy over the last month or so, so if this chapter is reloaded at any time if she goes through it, then you know why, savvy? I just didn't want to keep you lovely people waiting too long, you see?
Oh, and the second little poem-y thing is mine. What can I say, got bored…
Reviewer Replies!
Jenihenpen: Mwah ha ha!!! Yes, once again Leggy dearest is the victim of our torture – come on, don't pretend you don't like it ^_~
Jamie: Lol, we thank you!!! Sorry this did take a while to come out, but at least it's here!
Sammy3: O_O Wide eyes hey? Lol, we're thrilled you like it! Hope you like this chapter too ^_^
evil spapple pie: Lol, your not the first to have said that mellon nin ^_^ Btw, you have THE coolest name ya know… Lol, well, being a millennia old elf Lord, Legolas has gotta seem a little naïve really, hasn't he? What a blonde… No offence in any way to blondes! ^_^
LazarusZ: Lol, sorry this took a while too! Teehee, what can I say: we love cliffies! Actually, one day, I'm going to take that phrase seriously, and leave someone hanging off a cliff by a clothes hanger… LOL! ^_^
LOTR Chic: Oh poor Leggy, yes!!! Thank you!
Futura Black: bounces back as monitor rattles angrily from Futura's hitting Sorry, sorry, sorry, honest we are precciousss!!!! We know we took ages, again… But its here now, that's a good thing isn't it? ^_^ Mwah ha ha, what have we done to Leggy indeed?! flicks pea at Legolas' head Well, no reaction – that makes a difference… Lol, I sooo know what you mean about the Elrondish-look! My mum does it all the time. And as for going insane – JOIN THE CLB, HONEY!!! ^_^
hobbitfan2: Thank you! ^_^
Astievia: avoids thrown objects from Astievia I'm sooo sorry we haven't updated sooner, honest I am!!! Please forgive me? As for joining the Nut Club… Honey, we run one. And you're in it! Mwah ha ha ha ha!!!!
Legolas: No, why can't we just look 'em in some horrible dungeon somewhere and forget where we put the key??!?!?!
Erm.. How about… No.
curious reader: out of breath I'm here, I'm here, I'm here!!! Lol, we're back, even if it did take us a while! ^_^ Hope you enjoy!!!
lulu belle: Yes! We're back, can you believe it?! Lol, something of a near miracle, me thinks… ^_~ Couldn't help but to notice how you and Queenie were talking about where we live; lol, I'm being nosey I know, but yeah, I live in the country! And you know it so totally rocks!!! She's right, t is just like the Shire when it wants to be. Of course, I don't live in the nicest area of the countryside; I'm only an hour away from central London, but there are fields and woods on my doorstep, so its not too bad I suppose! Though where I really want to live is the West Country, where my mum comes from… *sigh*
And now, enough of this inane babble – on with the story!!!
~
Chapter Four – Restless Soul, Wandering Spirit
So huge, so hopeless to conceive,
As those that twice befell.
Parting is all we know of heaven,
And all we need of hell.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Estel froze. His breathing caught in his choked chest, as he struggled to register in his mind what his eyes were seeing. No – no, no, this wasn't happening, this wasn't real… it couldn't be…
At his side, the twins stared open eyed at the motionless Prince. Neither seemed to move, doomed as they were to stare helplessly at their fallen friend. His golden hair was strewn all about him, rippling in dull, sunlit waves along the grassy floor. His pale ivory skin looked almost blue – but that was just the light, it had to be… And the faint iridescent glow that normally hung about the Prince was gone. Not even the slightest flicker of life or light passed beyond those marbleized, sapphire orbs now. To all the powers in the world, he seemed – no. No, they couldn't think that. Not yet.
It was Estel who moved first; he began to tremble. Uncontrollable waves of shuddering emotion racked his body – everything about him shivered with fear and denial. I'm not seeing this, he tried to persuade himself; this isn't happening.
"D-Dan?" he croaked; it was all he could force his suddenly parched throat to say. His gaze did not turn from his immobile friend. "Ro?"
The shaky, pitiful pleading tone in the young human's voice snapped the twins from their trance, though it seemed that they had been staring for an eternity.
"Law," muttered Elladan, "No…" and he brushed past his youngest brother to kneel by Legolas' side. Estel stifled the small sob welling up inside him, his big, dark silver eyes brimming with tears. He turned to look at Elrohir, who looked hopelessly back. He could see his litter brother begging him to say it was alright; he could almost hear his voice beseeching him to assure him that everyone would be okay, that they were all going to come through this… But he knew he couldn't – it would be a lie. He had never lied to Estel, and he didn't plan to start now. Tearing his gaze away from the grief-stricken boy, Elrohir dropped lightly and hastily to his twin's side.
Elladan was knelt cautiously by the Prince, almost afraid of touching the fragile porcelain skin, lest it should shatter. His hand moved uncertainly over his cheek, hesitating as Elrohir sat next to him. Steeling his jaw, Elladan gently laid the back of his hand on Legolas' face, holding his breath; and recoiled swiftly with a hiss, clutching his hand to him as though he had been burned.
"Dan!" started Elrohir alarmed, "Dan, what is it?!"
"So cold…" breathed Elladan, staring at his fingers as though he were expecting scorch marks to throb red raw on them – or perhaps the black lick of frost bite.
At this, Estel could take no more; he flung himself by Legolas' other side, his cheeks flooded with stinging tears and grabbed his best friend's hand, holding it tightly and shaking his body with a fierce determination as though to force him back to life.
"Legolas!" he called brokenly, his breathing hitched as he shuddered with sobs," Legolas, no, come back… Don't leave me here! Come back! Come back!"
The twins' hearts broke to such pain and suffering in their little brother, who right now looked the youngest they had ever seen him; lost and scared and alone. Elrohir nimbly swung himself over Legolas' legs and landed by Estel. He gently but firmly pried the boy's shaky white hand from the icy Prince's, and put strong, comforting arms around his shoulders.
"Estel – listen to me, Estel, we have to stay calm –" he began, but was cut off when Estel pushed him away, crouching protectively by the lifeless golden head on the floor. He eyed Elrohir like a traitor, and it stung his elven heart.
"Stay calm?" echoed Estel in disbelief, "How can you say that Ro?! He's dead Ro, HE'S DEAD!"
"Estel please, for Legolas' sake –" Elrohir tried again, but the boy threw his arms around the fallen Prince, clutching him desperately and letting the tears fall onto his forest hued tunic. He wouldn't let them do this! He wouldn't – he couldn't, he owed Legolas that much.
Elladan pulled back a little, and a sorrowful and pained glance passed between the twins. The elder nodded slightly and sighing heavily. Elrohir firmly wrapped his arms across Estel's chest and stomach, and pulled him away from the prone Prince, while Elladan carefully placed himself between his younger brother and his patient. He steadied his shaking hands, running them first to Legolas' slender neck and them to his wrist in search of a pulse. Nothing… Placing his ear to Legolas' heart, he became incredibly still and strained his hearing for anything that would tell him he was still alive…
Estel squirmed his way from Elrohir's grasp, but found his knees did not have the strength to support him. Half crawling, half dragging himself away, he sought shelter under a nearby tree, he pulled his knees up to his chin, his whole lean body racked with shuddered sobs as he hid his face in his arms. The knife in Elrohir's heart twisted still deeper, and he physically cringed when he made out the stammered muffled voice.
"H-how c-can you s-say that, R-Ro?" wept Estel. Elrohir rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. It hurt him more than he could say to be the cause of the pain in Estel's voice and the betrayed light in his eyes. Gathering himself once more, he rose and knelt quietly by his little bother's side. Without speaking, he pulled Estel into a strong embrace and inwardly breathed a sigh of relief as the boy collapsed into his arms.
"He's gone," rasped Estel dejectedly, burying his face in Elrohir's shoulder. The younger elf shifted slightly, cradling Estel's trembling, quivering body close to his chest. Already he could feel the heat of his tears through the light tunic and jerkin as his little brother tried to dissolve into him.
"Ssh," he whispered comfortingly, rocking backwards and forwards slightly and stroking the human's dark, wayward hair. He listened to Estel, but he was listening to the trees to, and the grasses… They were afraid. "Shadow and ice," they whispered, "Soul breaker and world forsaker… Ancient shadows and ice…"
"Elrohir!" Elladan shouted suddenly, his tone sharp and demanding. The younger twin caught his brother's gaze questioningly, but did not stop rocking Estel.
"Elrohir – we need to get him to father!" exclaimed the elder twin urgently, gathering the Prince up in his arms. He shivered in voluntarily as the icy coldness of Legolas' body penetrated his clothes. His lifeless flaxen head lolled against Elladan's chest. Estel's bloodshot, puffy eyes emerged from the folds of Elrohir's cloak.
"Elrohir – he's still alive!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Restless soul, lonely spirit,
Wandering far beyond your limit;
As the darkness presses in,
So your own hope wavers thin,
And all the darkness comes flooding in.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Legolas felt his head reel, and he stumbled back a few steps, clutching his heart. No...no, this wasn't real, this wasn't happening... Fear threatened to over whelm his stricken and stolen mind, but he fought it back, trying to suppress it as best he could... But when you are all alone, in the cold dark world between that of the living and that of the dead, fear is the least of your troubles. And it was so silent - there was no noise, nothing at all. He was trapped in a place of heavy, deafening silence.
His breathing began to increase rapidly as he watched, horrified as Elladan recoiled from the touch to his skin; yet at the same instant the son of Elrond had touched his now empty body, Legolas had briefly, if only for a split second felt a fleeting sense of warmth on his cheek. Stunned, he raised his own hand to feel his face where the heat had been. He was so close - so close...
"Elladan!" he cried, forcing his jelly like legs to move towards the Noldo twin - yet his voice sounded distant and far off, even to himself, as though he were listening to it from far, far away... "Elladan I'm here, can't you hear me? Elladan!" he shouted desperately, dropping down beside his friend. He waved a hand in front of Elladan's face, but the dark haired elf didn't so much as blink.
"Please Elladan, please!" he begged, unstoppable fear spiraling out of control in his heart as Elladan leant over his chest, and Legolas gasped in shock as he felt a slight pressure on his chest. Turning, he saw Estel crumple into Elrohir's arms, and for the merest of moments, his thoughts left himself and went out to the terrified, shaking young mortal - though if Estel was terrified, it was nothing compared to what the Prince was feeling.
Scrambling to his feet, he scampered along the ground to where the brothers lay arm in arm. Dimly, he saw where his feet would normally kick up the leaves, now nothing even breathed to give away his presence. He stopped in front of them, shouting again.
"Estel! Estel, please, can't you hear me? I'm right here!" he screamed frantically, tears of pure fear beginning to well up in his once bright, now dull grey eyes. "ESTEL! ELROHIR!!!!! PLEASE!" he begged again, his whole body starting to shudder violently. Suddenly, Elrohir got up, and the Prince's heart stopped as the younger twin looked straight through him, desperation written all over his features.
"YES! Elrohir, I'm here, I'm here!" he waved his arms in Elrohir's face, but just like his twin, Elrohir might have been on a another planet for all the notice he took. Then it happened - the one thing that sent Legolas over the edge, past all reason. Elrohir got up; and walked right through him. Waves of ice cold shot through Legolas' body, stealing his breath away and making his lungs burn for dead oxygen, freezing him to the spot.
He didn't know how long he was frozen there; time didn't seem to matter anymore, nothing did. It was almost as if time had completely stopped; a strange and fearful land where everything stayed the same and naught grew, or took shape, seemingly secure and normal things suddenly tumbling and exploding in shards on the floor, a world of nothingness. Finally though, his body - or rather, whatever he was now, came back under his control, but by now the twins and Estel were long gone. Legolas crawled under the tree and screwed himself into the smallest ball he could, burying his face and feeling much younger and more vunerable than the Elven Prince he was. He was scared - more scared than he had ever been in his life. Where was he - what was he? What had he become? And what... The shadow... What had it done to him?!
"Aha... I was beginning to wonder if you'd forgotten me already..."
If Legolas could have done, he would have jumped out of his skin again. His eyes wide, he span in circles on the ground, searching for the course of the voice.
"Oh you cannot see me, my dear Prince of Mirkwood... Not where you are now... You need to come deeper yet, my dear..."
"Wha- what do you want?" he called shakily, forcing himself to appear much braver than he felt.
"What I want... What I want, I already have, my dear Prince..." The voice cackled manically.
"Show yourself!" demanded Legolas forcefully, trying to ignore his heart hammering like thunder against his ribs, pounding inside of him like a terrified animal trying to escape a cage.
"I'll be taking no commands from the likes of you, pathetic Firstborn brat!" the voice snarled, and Legolas felt an icy grip on his heart make him bend double, struggling to breath as the grip tightened. He shut his eyes tightly, wishing it away with all his might.
"Wishing will do you no good here, you foolish child," the voice sneered, "You are all alone, and you will be broken..."
"N-No!" Legolas half sobbed, half hiccupped as the hold on his heart grew even tighter, "Please, stop, stop!"
"So soon, Prince of Mirkwood?" mocked the bodiless voice, "And what would your father think? You are worthless, elf-brat..."
"You know nothing of my father!" Legolas ground out through his painfully gritted teeth, his once-bright blue eyes flashing dangerously accompanying his anger flaring momentarily at the mention of his family.
"I know he thinks are a disgrace to the Kingdom of Mirkwood!" snarled the voice, "What kind of Prince is he who falls so easily?"
"No!" wept Legolas, "Leave me alone, leave me alone!"
"As you wish..." the voice whispered, and the grip on Legolas' chest began to repent, "But remember, son of Mirkwood... I will return... And you will be broken..."
Gradually, the ice vanished, like spring melting a pale winters frost that had outstayed its yearly welcome, leaving Legolas trembling furiously on the floor. For a while longer there he lay, oblivious to the world, and the world to him in kind. Finally, as the stars began to creep one by one into the sky, he began to think again, and his thoughts wandered to Elladan and Elrohir, and Estel and Elrond, and the warm comforts of Imladris... He could almost picture it now; the well lit court yard, welcoming home those whom it loved - Lord Elrond waiting upon the steps, his arms open in a wide embrace to his sons...
And suddenly, it seemed that before him, the courtyard did appear. His breath catching in his throat, Legolas looked up to see that he was no longer under the trees, but the ancient archway above the entrance to Rivendell! He tried to lean against the stone for strength, but found his hands slipped straight through it. Gulping, he forced himself shakily to his feet, and came around behind Elladan, who was still astride his horse, and by his own mare.
"Atherin," he said to himself softly, a sad tone in his voice. She couldn't hear him... Yet as soon as he spoke, the mare began to act wildly, as though a fey mood had suddenly taken her... And now, as though from far away, as he had heard his own voice, he could just make out her terrified neighs and snorts. Then too, he thought he could hear the voice of Lord Elrond… But it was quiet, and so far away… He could not make out the words…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
In his study, Lord Elrond frowned. He leant carefully against the wooden window frame, gazing out over the valley, his arms once more folded across his chest. The night was drawing in, and still there was no sign of his sons and the Prince. Not that this surprised him of course; for one thing, the twins were excellent at disappearing, and to his great annoyance they were teaching the skill to Estel, who was seemingly masterful at it. And ordinarily, their absence would cause him no great need to worry. They were often later than they claimed they would be, sleeping under the stars or wandering farther than they had intended. Tonight seemed different though. He had gathered from a stable hand that the foursome had gone for a 'light ride' just after midday. Elrond did not doubt much that it was either light or simply a ride, but he had not troubled overly about it – not until late afternoon that is. Then something close to a warning stirred uneasily in his heart, and would not be settled by reason; yet for all his wise years he could not tell why, only that it concerned him.
At that moment, a great clatter and movement of unshod hooves clattered over the cobbled surface of the courtyard. Swiftly leaving his study, Elrond swept down the corridor in a flurry of auburn robes, his footsteps hurried – the sense of ill-boding that had steadily been growing reached its peak, and he knew something was wrong; very wrong.
When he stepped out onto the wide stone steps of the entrance, he couldn't help but to notice the icy chill air, but his eyes darted to and fro quickly over the scene, taking it all in; four horses shifted and skittered nervously, but the slender grey mare that bore no rider was near to madness, half-rearing and rolling the whites of her eyes - Legolas' horse. Fear gripped the elf lord's heart, but he set it aside as the stable hands rushed forwards to tame the distressed animal.
Striding out towards his eldest, his face darkened when he saw the limp figure of Legolas slumped forwards in the saddle. Before he could even speak, he found Estel at once at his side.
"Ada – you must help him, please Ada!" the dark silver eyes begged him desperately and his frown changed at once to alarm as Elladan passed the prone body of the Prince to Elrohir, who was already dismounted – Elladan's own steed was whinnying and stamping forcefully, his coal black flanks shaking.
"Ssh Estel, let me see him," soothed Elrond gently pushing his youngest aside. Elrohir came up to his father, Legolas in his arms.
"What happened?" the Lord asked sharply, taking Legolas' hand with one of his own, and laying the other on the Prince's forehead, almost wincing at the bitter coldness of it.
"We – we don't know Ada," stammered Elrohir, "We heard a scream and –"
"-And a biting wind," whispered Elrond before his son could finish. Elrohir gazed at him amazed.
"Ada?"
"No…" murmured Elrond disbelievingly, leaving his son's question unanswered. He closed his eyes, probing deep into Legolas' unconscious mind, searching for the answer that he already knew he would find – yet there was no soul, nor any mind. He found nothing – just a blank, dark emptiness. The Elven Prince's body was now no more than a shell. He knew this evil. He had seen it before, long ago… But they had vanquished that evil! This was impossible!
"Ada?" The small voice of his youngest son repeated. Slowly, Elrond opened his eyes to find Elladan by his side, his arms draped around Estel, who was watching his father apprehensively. The lost urgency that had only seconds ago filled his ever fibre was not lost on them.
"I am sorry," he shook his head sadly, his eyes poring into Estel's, begging them to believe him. "There is nothing any healer upon the mortal plane can do for him now… He is gone."
~
Estel and Queenie hide behind big old castle walls from various thrown objects
Estel: 0_0' Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea after all…
Queenie: Oh, but they love us really…
Legolas: Yeah, that's right, they do this because they love you…
Estel & Queenie: Oh button it, you empty soul-y shell-y thing!
Legolas: *cries*
Well, there you go! Another chapter! Please review and tell us what you think! ^_^
Loadsa love, Estel xxx