Hi!

Here´s chapter three, I hope you enjoy.

Another big "thank you" to Mor and San ((huggles)).

And of course, thanks for your reviews (responses below), keep them coming!!

Alinah

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: Not mine

Wolves

"Nu!" (Down) Aragorn heard his own angry yell, slightly confused that he would even utter it. There was no doubt about the fact that his elven brother did not mean to fight. Wolf and elf collided heavily and went down in a heap. The ranger saw a flash of teeth that were tinged in red and his anger turned to fury.

Pushing a motionless Legolas out of the way he raised his branch and brought it down on the animal's exposed back with a sickening crunch. The wolf yelped and let go of Elladan, jumping to the side and landing in a crouch. Aragorn followed it swiftly, stepping between the dazed elf and the bared teeth that still threatened to kill.

"Estel, baw..." (Estel, no...)

The man ignored his brother's plea and locked eyes with the wolf, determined to kill it. The rain was pouring down on them, flattening the white fur to the animal's lean body to highlight its muscled haunches. A strange calm settled over the two opponents, freezing them. Aragorn found his thoughts drifting and he quickly disciplined himself. He was here to fight. Determined to defend the elves who seemed to have lost their mind. Determined to find Elrohir - to follow the wolf's lead...

Aragorn quickly looked away, shaking his head. His thoughts were deserting him, walking down the same treacherous paths that the elves´ will had gone. What had gotten into him? He looked behind himself and saw Legolas pulling a swaying Elladan to his feet. Both seemed exhausted, as if they had fought long and hard, but their injuries were mere trifles and nothing compared to what an angry wolf could do.

A low growl directed Aragorn's gaze back to the wolf. It stood still, looking intently at the confused human. Its stance showed that it was weary and ready to fight, but it did not attack. Why would it not attack? The ranger allowed himself to look into those dark eyes again, and what he found there was no hunger. There was fear, yes, and anger, but it was not directed against him. Not even against the elves.

And again, there was the urge to drop his weapon and simply follow the beast, allowing it to lead him where no danger could find him and families were made whole again...

He stumbled over the rolling pebbles that covered the creek's bed and the wolf ahead turned, waiting patiently for him to catch up. The cold water splashed against his legs but he hardly cared, for he could feel his brother near, in a cold far worse than the one he felt now. He was not alone, sensing two sets of light steps behind him, but it was he who had the lead. The steps behind him faltered and stumbled, more often than his own. It was he who could see the path. Around one last bend they went and the ground opened, leading into a blackness that would not allow entry to those who inhabited light and air...

The sound came upon Aragorn like a drowning wave. It rose in his back, where he could not see its origin, yet it made the pictures crumble before his mind's eye and returned him to reality. The wolf had lifted its white head, drops of rain dripping off its snarling snout. Yet when it turned to look at the ranger again its eyes were filled with a strange combination of sadness and triumph.

Then, muscles suddenly leaping into action, the great beast jumped out of the hollow they had been standing in and began to run, leaving the apple trees behind. The sound wave grew in intensity and Aragorn could feel the air push against his back, as if making way for a huge body ploughing through it. Instinctively, he threw himself down, finding that the elves had done the same, and together they gazed up in awe as the huge swarm of birds and butterflies washed over them.

The sky darkened further when the fluttering wings covered it like a living, breathing blanket. It seemed to continue forever, stretching out, apparently in an attempt to replace the heavens and take there place. Finally, a single howl arose, quickly muffled into miserable yelps.

The blanket broke, taking the clouds with it.

The birds soared into the blue, finding their songs again.

The butterflies sailed towards the ground in gentle circles.

The warm rays of the sun reappeared.

Peace fell upon them with an abruptness that, just for a heartbeat, signalled a rotten core to its beauty.

Aragorn lay panting, his mind hardly able to cope with the change that unfolded before his very eyes. Where there had been the threat of death and destruction, flowers raised their heads from the swaying patches of grass they had ducked into. Mere paces from his head, the twitching nose of a rabbit appeared, sniffing the air. Satisfied that all was well, the small animals then left its burrow and hopped away in search of some nice dandelion.

The ranger held no doubt whatsoever that the little beast would soon fill its belly in the utter perfection of the freshly blooming gardens. He just wished that he could share the rabbit's unconcerned happiness, or even is determination where to go.

With an effort, the man pushed himself into a sitting position. Elladan struggled up at his side, a glazed look in his eyes, while Legolas never even moved. To Aragorn's amazement, his friend seemed to have fallen asleep on the spot. For some reason this unsettled the ranger more than the still bleeding welts the wolf had left across Elladan´s chest, and he reached over to shake the prince. Several times. All he succeeded to retrieve from his friend was a badly aimed swat.

"Why disturb the weary?"

The gentle question made Aragorn jump. His hand froze on Legolas´ shoulder that he had just prepared to give another shove. Carefully, his withdrew and glanced up at Lómelinde. Her transparent beauty had lost none of its radiance. She smiled sweetly and sank down in the grass between the ranger and his elven friend in one fluent motion. Immediately, a few birds settled upon her shoulders and hair, singing in low tones as if not to disturb her.

Her amber eyes fixed upon Elladan who had been watching her quietly, but with growing alertness. Frowning, she took in his wounds and shook her head in sorrow. "A foul welcome was bestowed upon you, fair Eldar. Accept my apologies and my aid." She reached out with one hand, then stopped herself and settled back down, waiting for his reply.

Aragorn was torn. His heart told him to continue his efforts to wake Legolas, despite the fact that Lómelinde had effectively placed herself in his way. He could sense, however, that Elladan shared his growing unease towards the woman and would need his support. Sighing, he turned to his elven brother and sought his eyes.

Elladan´s expression was one of kind interest, but Aragorn could read him better than most. There was a deep distrust hidden beneath his smile, and the ranger wondered whether his brother had seen the same that he had when the wolf had been near. If so, the elf did not betray any obvious rejection of the creature that had so clearly been behind the wolves´ death.

The dark elf bowed his head in greeting and answered: "Aiya, yerna er. (Greetings, old one.) I am Elladan, and I gladly accept both of your offers."

Lómelinde raised and eyebrow in amusement. "I dare say that many a lady would be displeased to have such a title bestowed upon her", she replied with mirth in her tone, "yet I acknowledge your keen eye and your talent in the Old Tongue. I am glad that you will submit to my aid. It was my aim to keep harm from you, but alas, the wolves are ever hungry."

She reached out again, never upsetting the birds that rested on her arm, and waved her hand over the elf's chest. Aragorn watched tensely, but was relieved and awed when he saw the wounds closing as he watched. Within moments only the torn tunic betrayed their former presence.

While Elladan kindly thanked the Lady, delighting her by using more of the Quenya he knew, the ranger pondered on her words and remembered what she had said to him before the attack had begun. "Ai, i oio mando ngarmo."

Although his Quenya was far inferior to his brother's, he began to piece together the meaning of the sentence. "Alas, the never ending imprisonment of wolves." Now that he had witnessed her strange battle, he wondered who was imprisoned here. And who was seeking to truly aid them.
Glancing past Lóemelinde to Legolas who had still not moved, Aragorn decided to do some aiding of his own. Hoping that the woman was distracted by Elladan's attention, which would have surely been the case had she been a mortal, he rose. Yet Lómelinde was not human and she did not fail to detect his aim. More quickly than his eyes could follow, a hand shot out and grasped his wrist. While the touch was almost gentle, the ranger froze. There was no doubt in his heart that his bone would snap at a single twitch of her slender fingers.

"There is no need to disturb his rest", the lady said in her musical tone, "for it does him good. Behold, his wounds have closed already." To prove her words, she let go of Aragorn and pushed down the grass that seemed to hug the sleeping elf. Her motions revealed her words to be true, but they did not ease Aragorn's heart.

"The lady is right, Estel", Elladan spoke up, "we should leave him to his rest and take a little walk, enjoying these gardens. I am sure that the lady will gladly return to her other duties?" With his last words, he turned to Lómelinde. Sensing the ruse, Aragorn obediently sat down again, fighting the urge to hold his breath.

Elladan had a history of slipping a few lies even past his father's stern scrutiny, so there was hope.

Lómelinde looked fondly upon the elf, but there was a flicker in her eyes. It passed swiftly, though, and she floated to her feet in a light rustle. "Aye, my friends, go and seek my garden´s healing calm. I shall never be far, watching over you."

Not sure whether her last words proved a promise or a threat, Aragorn watched the lady walk away. Her golden hair floated in the breeze and attracted even more birds that swirled about her as if they were a living cloak, fluttering behind her.

The ranger made a move to finally arouse Legolas, but Elladan quickly stopped him. There was a warning in his eyes and when he spoke; his voice was barely above a whisper. "That Lady is powerful indeed, and she is not easily betrayed. Let us not try our luck by doing so again."

"But you have felt it too", the ranger answered hotly, "the darkness that seems to cling to her despite her appearance. The wolf wanted to aid us, for all its ferocity."

"Aye." There was a hint of a chuckle in the elf's tone. "Even though it took you a swing with a branch to find that out."

Aragorn scowled, especially because his brother was right, but Elladan held up his hands in a gesture of peace.

"It spoke to my mind", the elf continued, "and promised to reunite me with Elrohir. I could feel the truth behind its vow, as I can feel my twin near. There is evil afoot in these gardens, Estel, but we shall have to tread carefully. We need to play the Lady's game for a while, until we have a plan that might grant us victory."

The ranger sighed, glancing at Legolas. "She has healed us all", he said reluctantly, "and she has not yet harmed us. I feel that her motivations are dark, but I am afraid that you are correct and we will have to submit to her for now." He looked up at his brother, hesitating for a moment, but then spoke his mind nonetheless.

"It seems to be that a strange affliction befalls elves in this place", the man said, "for you, too, seemed hard to rouse from your sleep and ready to fall back to it quickly. What are you feeling now?"

Elladan seemed unconcerned by his human brother's openness. "I feel alert now", he answered thoughtfully, "but your observations are correct. At times I felt like the weariness of a century had settled into my bones." He fell silent, thinking before he went on. "I felt it again after the battle, but then it faded. It seems to me that one sleeping elf is enough."

"Enough for what?" Aragorn could hear his unease shining through his voice, but there was nothing he could do about it. Part of him wished for a physical enemy to attack his friend, for then he would have been able to defend him. But how could he battle this deep sleep?

Elladan shook his head in sorrow. "That, I cannot tell you, for I do not know. But I do not feel any danger for our friend now. We should be true to our word and wander the gardens for a while. Even though the lady is no longer close at hand, I can still feel her waking eye upon us. She is wary of us already, brother, and we should seek to disprove her doubts."

Even though his unhappiness intensified, Aragorn agreed and the two brothers rose. Elladan cocked his head as if listening and then smiled. "Come, Estel", he urged, "let us find the water that I hear calling us."

Aragorn crouched low, his eyes darting over the rough ground with practised ease. How he revelled in the use of his abilities! Their walk towards the small river had been a trying one for him, because he had to rely on Elladan hearing to guide them. The ranger grew more restless with every step that took them away from Legolas.

He had been distraught to learn that even Elladan, now alert and in full possession of his elven senses, had not been able to see past the strange barrier that seemed to surround the gardens. Both had wondered what the trees might have told them, but since there was no wood elf to ask, they had dropped the matter.

Elladan had tried to provide his brother with distractions, telling him of his own vision that he had experienced in the presence of the white wolf. "I was walking through a river's bed, but I could not see very well", he had explained, "it was as if a veil had fallen over my vision. Legolas was at my side, but he fared even worse. Still, we never strayed from our path because you were there, leading us."

There had been a hint of pride in his voice and Aragorn had not been able to stifle a laugh. "Do not praise me for a deed I have done in your dreams, brother. We both know that dream and reality can be lifetimes apart."

Elladan had tried to look miffed. "I told you it was a vision, not a dream. Being my father's son I should know the difference."

Aragorn had scoffed then, but his heart was a bit lighter now. When they had reached the stream, he had been overjoyed to find it exactly as it had looked in his own vision. Even though Elladan´s sight remained thankfully intact, the elf had urged the ranger to search for any traces of wolves. Although he had jested with Aragorn, he took visions seriously. He was certain that it was his brother's task to lead.

The soft grass that grew at the shores was free of tracks. One glance had convinced Aragorn of that fact. It was in the pebbles that lay at the border between solid ground and water that he had to search. His fingers traced the soft stones gently, and they seemed to respond to him with urgent whispers. The cool waves lapped at his fingers, and he was taken by the strange sensations that the water was real. Much more so than the trees that dangled their branches overhead.

Finally, his deft fingers found an imprint amongst the stones. It was not big, easily missed, but it was there nonetheless. His heart beating faster, Aragorn judged the stride length a wolf would have and was rewarded by finding a second imprint, then a third. He felt the urge to call out his victory, but a sweet twitter stopped him. Looking up, he saw a nightingale perched upon a branch.

The tiny dark eyes watched him intently, and when he glanced at it, the small head turned to the side and the song grew louder. The ranger growled low in his throat. No feathered spy would undo him this easily. Staying low, he searched the river bed for any clues that might aid him find this place again, and when he spotted a rounded, reddish rock that pierced the surface only an arm's length from the track, he knew he had found it.

Rising to his feet, he made a point of stretching wearily before turning to Elladan who rested against a tree.

"Come, brother, this place is beautiful but there is more to discover. Let us move on."

The elf looked up, and seeing the expression in his brother's eyes, a small twinkle appeared in his own. "Aye", he replied evenly, "let us revel in the beauty of these gardens."

And as they moved on, birds rose behind them and took off into the blue skies, forming tiny dark shadows above their heads.

TBC

Review responses:

elvingirl3737: Hehe, well, not all the animals there are cute... Thanks!

Ertia: Would I kill Elladan? Let me think - hmm - maybe...??? But not today ;-)

Coolio02: Thanks!! I´m happy you are hooked, and feel free to guess what will come next ;-)

RAPunzel007: You hate cliffies? Whyever would you do that?! lol And that feeling you have about the Lady - we´ll see about that ;-)

Alexa: Wow, thank you for the lengthy review!! I am honored that you use the words "literature" in connection to my story :-))))) I have to check out that book you mentioned, I don´t know it. And there will be a sequel to "Beckoning" I´m already jotting things down but I will need a bit more time before it´s ready to be written. Thanks!!

Mornflower: LOL!!!! Breathe, ok, breathe!!! I hope Legolas did not bring you to that garden... Hello??? Hello?? Are you awake? Oh dear, what have I done now...

Red Tigress: Thank you!!! I hope you liked this one, too :-)

Harry Estel: Thanks!! I hope the update was soon enough ;-)

Deana: Yes, poor him - but I am much kinder to him than you are veg

Lorderita: Wow, lady, one day my ego will burst if you keep feeding it like that - thank you so much!!! Yes, I tend to use little dialog and I know that some readers dislike that, but it´s just the way I write - I´m happy you enjoy it. It´s funny that you compare this story to San´s "Dead Marshes" story - we both agreed that you were right about the similarity, although none of us noticed before (even though San edits this story, lol) And we´ll see about Legolas...

Aragornwriter: Aww, thank you!! You know that you have no little influence on my writing. Hannon le, mellon-nin.

Lisha: OK, now my head DOES go through the roof. Thank you!!! That was very kind of you to say. I must say that I admire Anne Rice´s style, even though I don´t like that many of her novels, I have to admit. The first three of the Vampire Chronicles are great, though. Anyway, I do not believe I am fit for book writing, but I´ll never stop writing - it´s way too much fun!!

Thank you all!! ((huggles))