AN: thoughts

"Stay here," growled Morris, his eyes glinting-daring them to try and escape, as he finished tying them to a tree. Legolas and Lan were so tired, they didn't even try to resist him. He had pushed and prodded them all day and they didn't stop till the moon was high in the sky and the stars peaked out from the night clouds.

Legolas couldn't help but grimace once he was sure the edan was gone-Morris had roughly tied the rope, and Legolas felt it rubbing against his still healing wound from Oscar.

The Mirkwood elf turned his fair head to his companion to see how she fared. He saw her biting her lip to keep from crying out. Feeling his eyes on her, she turned her head to face him. Lan let out a laugh; Legolas noticed it wasn't graceful or melodious like some of the more delicate elf-maidens' laughs. It was huskier and seemed caught in her throat.

"Isn't this a funny sight? Two elves tied to a tree... If Aragorn were here, he would never let us live it down!" Lan laughed. Legolas shook his head and chuckled. He could picture the edan laughing till his sides were sore at the sight of them.

"Yes, and Gimli... I pray to the Valor I'll never find out what he might do!" Legolas laughed. It felt good to laugh-Legolas decided. He hadn't done so in such a long time...

"How did you meet Aragorn?" Lan asked, once their laughter of their predicament had subsided.

Legolas looked back over to her, his eyes meeting hers. Lan noticed that his blue eyes didn't seem so piercing anymore: something had changed them. She felt herself smile inside when she realized what had changed. He no longer regarded her with suspicion.

"I met him while I was on my way to visit the Lord Elrond and his family-the edan had somehow got himself caught in an orc trap."

"An orc trap?" Lan laughed. She had known Aragorn to do some stupid things, but this one was unbelievable!

Legolas laughed with her. "Yes, he was not very happy when I got him out. He kept muttering how he could have gotten out himself."

Lan shook her head, laughing. "He was always a stubborn one, and quite hard to teach when he was a ranger." Lan got a faraway look in her eyes of those memories as they lapsed into silence.

"How-I mean, what made you become a ranger? I mean, it's not like it's a bad thing, it's just..." Legolas faltered.

"'It's not a usual or respectable lifestyle for an elf.' " Lan finished for him. "I know. I've heard it all before."

Thinking that she took it as an insult, Legolas quickly tried to explain himself. "It's not that..." She looked at him hard. "Alright, so that is part of it, but I-I was just curious. Why? I mean, why did you choose to live among the edans? I mean, not that there is anything wrong as I have said before, but it's just not very, well, common... "

She took a deep breath-as if trying to come up with a way to explain why she became a ranger. It came out more like a sigh, as softly as the wind blows its gentle breezes during lazy summer days; her eyes seemed to be staring into a distant memory. "Megil and I-at first we thought we would just continue the family business of being blacksmiths. We were skilled in the trade, and our business was profitable. But one night, orcs raided our village. They set fire to everything, including our shop where we lived. Megil and I got out, but our parents didn't.

Ten elves died that night, and more were injured and left without homes. Staring at the smoldering wasteland that was once our town, Megil and I vowed to do whatever we could to protect people from orcs. But of course two elves could not just go out orc hunting by themselves-we needed a group to help us... Remembering the edan rangers who passed through our town a few days earlier, we decided to join them. Since they had previously suffered a grievous loss from the same band of orcs, they let us join without any questions. So Megil and I stayed in the same regiment, keeping mostly to ourselves. Occasionally we left the regiment to check up on things, but we mainly stuck together on quests, Megil and I, because we were all we had left..." Lan's voice trailed off.

Legolas looked back at her. Her face was tilted upward, the moonlight reflecting off her tears. Feeling his eyes on her, Lan laughed softly and wiped her tears while replying "Such a thing of the past. Here we are being held hostage by a madman and I'm tearing up..." she trailed off. Her eyes now held no sign of her tears or the pain she carried. She looked up at him. "Now that I have told you about my family, I have one question: What about your family?"

For a while, he had just stared at her, and for a moment, she didn't think he would answer her. Lan began to feel fear clench her heart; she hoped she hadn't offended him... He was her only friend, besides Aragorn, and she didn't want to lose his friendship. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you-" Legolas shook his head.

"Nay, you did not offend me. Your question merely just took me by surprise. My mother, she passed into the Hall of Mandos when I was small. My father, he, he works hard, and it was very difficult for him to raise me as a single parent. Since I was an only child, my father was very protective of me-always making sure he knew where I was going and that I wouldn't be doing anything dangerous-and yet, I became a warrior-which does not please him. He still worries everyday about me, especially with all the recent evil stirring in Dul Guldor-"

"You live in Mirkwood?" Lan incredulously.

"Yes," Legolas replied, slowly.

"What do you think of the kingdom?" she questioned, not catching his eyes. Legolas stared at her before answering, not sure what she was getting at...

"I think it is doing well. Our efforts to keep the orcs from invading our borders is fairing well for now, but I'm not sure for how long-"

"What I meant was the monarchy."

"Why do you want to know about the monarchy?" Legolas asked, growing exceedingly puzzled. She seemed kind of bitter towards it... but why? She didn't seem wiling to answer, but Legolas wouldn't give up. He kept prodding her, trying to make eye contact with her. "Why do you resent the monarchy?" he implored. Legolas was desperate to know what happened. He could tell the feelings she did harbor for it were not fond ones... He wanted to know why she harbored them. Was it his fault? He didn't recognize her, and wanted to know what happened.

Finally, Lan gave in but she kept her gaze averted. "My brother and I were turned away when we were asking for food, shelter, or even at least for some healing herbs-the edans in our group were wounded from a previous encounter of orcs we were tracking into Mirkwood. We were turned away, my brother and I by the king's own guards, and told 'never to darken the halls and woods of the realm again.' My brother's arm had needed splinting and his shoulder was dislocated; a few men needed herbs to battle the poison from the orc arrows, while others needed medical care; and I needed stitches for a cut... but we received nothing from them, except their scorn. We loss half of our men because we were two far away to reach Rivendell in time, the next place we could go for help."

Legolas pondered what she said. My father would never turn away an elf in need, or maybe even an edan, depending on how grievous his wounds were... This makes no sense! Legolas shook his head. He remembered his father had allowed Aragorn healing when he was injured from an orc attack, which was before he left to join the rang-then it clicked. Megil and Lan were turned away because they were rangers. Most elves that roamed around like the rangers did were banished.

Maybe my father thought they were banished criminals. But that doesn't explain why two exiled elves would be with edans... unless...

Legolas felt his stomach lurch. He looked back at Lan and pictured her drenched and filthy, standing beside another elf. Realization hit him hard in the stomach as Oscar's arrow had earlier. He remembered her. He remembered that night when two weather beaten elves entered the halls of Mirkwood pleading for aid. He remembered it all too well...

Flashback
Legolas peered out from the balcony overlooking the grand hall of King Thranduil. When he had first heard the voices, he didn't want to know or care about what was going on. After the assault from an elf that had tricked Thranduil into helping him, Legolas didn't feel much of anything.

It had been about two weeks since the funeral of his best friend and loyal protector Alalapho. Tears blurred his vision recalling what happened that dreaded day:

2nd flashback
It had started out as any other day: Legolas and his father, King Thranduil, were in the library: Thranduil going over maps of his kingdom, Mirkwood, trying to come up with a strategy of driving Dul Guldor-and all its vile creatures-back and away from his people; and Legolas curled up in one of the comfy armchairs in the corner of the library, reading a book about the famous elf bowman-Bowanoki. So engrossed Legolas was about the peril Bowanoki faced in his epic adventures, Legolas didn't acknowledge Seokolo enter the library.

Seokolo was an elf that, only a week ago, had come to the King for help. He was ragged looking, and half starved-the King, feeling great sympathy for the elf, sent Seokolo to one of the palace healers and made sure he was well fed and dressed. Later they learned he was attacked by a band of orcs while traveling to his home.

Thranduil looked up from his maps and was about to greet him when he was saw that Seokolo had a bow and arrow drawn, and pointed at him. At first, the kind couldn't speak-why would their guest do this?

"What is the meaning of this?!" Thranduil practically shouted once he recovered from his shock.

Legolas, hearing his father's outburst, was jarred from his reading and looked up to find Seokolo pointing an arrow at his father. Legolas stood up, not exactly understanding everything that was going on, only to find Seokolo pointing the bow at him!

"You-move over beside your father. Any tricks and I will kill him-and you before you even have a chance to scream," Seokolo snarled-his eyes glinting dangerously.

Legolas obeyed, dropping his book and keeping his hands in the air as he backed away towards his father.

"What is the meaning of this, Seokolo?" Thranduil repeated, his eyes never leaving the tip of the arrow.

Seokolo let out a cruel and maniacal laugh that sent chills down Legolas's spine. "You don't remember me, do you Thranduil?" Seokolo spat the King's name out as if it were orc blood. "Hmmm, how can I refresh your memory? Oh, I know! Does the name Mitito ring a bell?"

"Mitito..." Legolas heard his father murmur in disbelief, eyes growing wide. "It cannot be..." He whispered so softly, Legolas later didn't know if his father really spoke or if it was just his imagination. Thranduil looked back into Mitito's eyes-a faint, long forgotten memory fluttered back to him-when he was staring into those same eyes-oh how could he have forgotten them? They had haunted him for years-plaguing his dreams-along with his cruel vow, which even now came floating back to him so vividly-it was almost like a long forgotten nightmare. "Someday Thranduil, someday-just you wait-I'll be back and you'll pay for this!" The words "you'll pay for this" echoed in his mind, making his anger rise.

"I remember you..." Thranduil growled, his eyes narrowing. "You are the one who murdered Menenowa!"

A cruel smile played across Seokolo's lips-almost as if he was please with himself for committing the murder. "Ahh, so you do remember. Do you also remember turning everyone against me? Including my wife? After which you stripped me of my dignity, title, lands, and honor, then banished me away. You left me with nothing!"

Legolas couldn't speak-he couldn't move-fear paralyzed his whole body right to the spot where he stood.

Mitito smiled. He sensed their fear-he could smell it now-oh how he waited for this day to come!

"And now," he said, aiming his bow at Legolas, "you'll finally pay for all the grief and pain you gave me-you will watch your son die before meeting the same fate."

But before Mitito could release his arrow, two Mirkwood guards, having heard the King's shout, bursted into the room. Legolas saw Alalapho release an arrow that missed Mitito by only mere inches. Before Alalapho could reload his bow, Mitito shouted to them "Drop you weapons or I'll kill them both!"

The guards looked at each other-hesitating. Giving up their weapons would put them at the mercy of this mad-elf.

"Drop your weapons!" Mitito screamed, drawing his bow even farther back. Reluctantly, the elves did as they were told: their weapons falling to the floor with a clatter.

Turning back to Thranduil and his son, Mitito pointed his arrow at the King's heart. "Since I can't kill you and your brat, Thranduil, and I won't make it out of this alive-I'll take you with me!" With that Mitito released his arrow.

Everything happened so fast, afterwards, all Legolas could recall was Alalapho somehow in front of his father, screaming in pain the arrow ripped through his flesh and pierced his lung; and the other guard throwing a small knife he had concealed in his vest at Mitito, killing him instantly.

Legolas slumped to the floor under the weight of his friend's body. He was dimly aware of his father sitting next to him. Legolas felt hot tears fill his eyes: blood was already staining Alalapho's teeth, and his breathing grew labored.

Faintly, Legolas heard Alalapho whisper, "Don't cry, Greenleaf. It isn't very becoming of a prince." Legolas couldn't find it in himself to laugh as a tear slid down his cheek. He felt Alalapho's callused hand weakly brush his tear away.

"Keep out of mischief for me, alright?" Alalapho whispered, as his eyes grew distant, and the last of his breath left his body.

"Goodbye, my friend." Legolas whispered, closing his friend's lifeless eyes, his tears now falling freely.

End of 2nd flashback
Tears threatened to spill over as Legolas was drawn back to reality as he heard the great doors slam open, letting the howling winds in with the cruel and blinding rain. I feel like that storm that is outside. Legolas thought. My whole being feels as if it is being torn apart by the raging wind out there.

The resounding bang of the doors being slammed closed, blocking the storm drew him back once again to what was happening in the hall below.

"... need help...badly wounded edans... orcs attacked..." Legolas heard snippets of what an unfamiliar voice pleaded.

He peered over the edge and saw four wet guards standing with two wet edans standing in front of the head guard. The two edans were soaked, and water cascaded down their hoods, concealing their faces. Why should I care about what happens to a couple of edans? Legolas thought, as he heard the head guard try to turn them away.

"Why should we believe a couple of edans?" The guard questioned, voicing Legolas's thoughts. Legolas was about to go back to sulking when raised voices reached his ears.

"We are not a couple of edans! We are elves!" Legolas looked back over, and saw the two 'edans' throw back their hoods at the same time. That is odd. He thought, inching closer to the railing of the balcony he was on. The only people I've seen that do things at the same time are the twins Elladan and Elrohir... he felt himself gasp, for that's what those two were: not only elves, but twins! He leaned closer, examining them, for it was very rare for there to be twins in Middle Earth-practically unheard of!

They were both about equal in height, though the one he had heard earlier was a tad bit taller. He was sturdily built, and looked as if he had lived a long, hard life wandering around. His clothes, like his twin's, were muddied and torn, with blood caked around them. His left arm hung limply at his side, as if it was not attached to his body. Legolas saw that the cloth that was wrapped around it was soiled with blood. His tree-brown hair wasn't tied back in the normal elvish fashion, but hung loose, just an inch below his chin. His eyes were an unusual shade of green. It was not like the bright jade that the few elves that did have green eyes possessed, but more of a forest green mixed with brown, and they shone with determination.

His twin wore her hair a few inches longer, barely touching her shoulders, and her eyes were gray. But that was the only difference in her; otherwise she mirrored her brother exactly. Water streamed down her face and hair, but Legolas noticed it mixed with something else other than water: blood. Her blood.

While her brother tried reasoning with the Mirkwood guards, she turned her head to the side, as if taking in their surroundings. Her storm-gray eyes roamed the intricately carved pillars that held up the balcony that Legolas perched on, but the railing hid him from her view. As she turned to go back to the conversation her brother and the guards were having, Legolas caught sight of a small gash on the side of her head. A blade probably made it, for it was a clean cut-but nothing too serious.

He shifted his glance back to her brother, catching a few words of what the guard's were telling him: "No... can't help... go to Rivendell..."

This clearly angered him. "We have eight men out in the forest, bleeding and dying, and you tell us to go to Rivendell? They'll die before we get even out of this wood!" He shouted, while his sister glared daggers at them.

The head guard tried to calm the elf down but it wasn't working, the elf would not be silenced. "No, you listen to me," he shouted, jerking his good arm away from the guard who was trying to lead him out. "All we ask is for a few herbs at the very least for our group! And you don't even have the decency to-"

"We will not help a bunch of low lives, such as yourselves who have disgraced the elven race by flocking a group of edans!" the head guard interrupted, seething. "Rangers especially!" At this moment, Legolas watched as the guards ran at the two elves, trying to grab hold of them. This did not bode well with the rangers who immediately tried fending them off.

Legolas watched the fight unravel-had this been any other night, he would have cared-would have done something-but this wasn't, and all he could do was watch as the guards delivered a harsh blow to the male elf, who fought the urge of collapsing to the ground as he tried to regain his breath. Legolas could see the pain the elf felt-for it shone in his forest-green eyes.

The guards grabbed him at his moment of weakness, and twisted his bad arms behind his back while he tried to choke back the pain-his mouth open in a silent scream. It was a wonder he didn't pass out form al the pain-his whole body shuddered, just trying to keep himself conscious.

The girl was fairing better than her brother, until a guard took a punch at her head. Legolas saw her stumble back, as if she was dizzy, her eyes clenched shut, fighting a sudden wave of nausea that came over her. He deduced that the guard had opened the wound on her head, for he now saw blood trickling down the side of her face. The two guards who were fighting her grabbed her arms roughly. When her vision stopped swimming and she had overcome her nausea, she immediately began jerking her arms, trying desperately to break free from the guards' grips. But her efforts were in vain: for the more she struggled, the tighter the guards gripped her.

The head guard towered over the two siblings, his nostril flared and his eyes were steely. There was no trace of kindness in him now-he was enraged at these two-creatures-that stood before him.

Legolas watched as the guards dragged the elves to the door-the male was wincing in pain when the guard gripped his injured shoulder too hard, while the girl continued jerking, trying to escape, as the guards that guarded the outside of the doors flung them open-letting the storm's fury inside.

With a flick of his hand the head guard signaled the guards restraining the siblings to fling them out into the storm. Legolas saw the male elf land on his hurt arm and tense up, trying not to cry out from the pain.

Before the guards closed the door, Legolas heard the head guard sneer at the two elves "Away with you filth! Never darken these halls and woods again!"

While the bang of the door echoed through his mind, Legolas stared at the two elves-the girl had helped her brother up as he desperately clutched at his arm-no doubt it was throbbing with pain. Legolas tore his eyes way from the two siblings-their shoulders hunched as they trudged away from the warm glow of the kingdom towards the black forest.

Legolas felt a lump form in his throat as he stared up at the ceiling. "Why did you have to leave me, Alalapho?' he whispered to the shadows.

End of 1st Flashback
Legolas nervously glanced at Lan, not sure if he should tell her the truth or not. She had her head titled upward, eyes staring up at the sky as the gentle night wind blew her hair out of her face.

"Have you ever looked at the stars, Legolas, and, upon seeing how many there are suddenly feel really small? And wonder what destiny has in store for you?" She whispered, eyes fixed on the stars.

Staring up at the night sky, Legolas forgot all about Alalapho and that dreaded night. He found that he indeed felt small, and kind of meaningless compared to the vast sky. He never did have much of a chance to gaze at the beauty of the stars-or see how numerous they really were because the dense trees in Mirkwood obscured the view and blocked most of the sky out.

"You know," Lan continued, not caring Legolas didn't answer her question-or noticing he too was lost in the magnificence of the night, "even while I was out hunting orcs with the rangers or my brother, I always felt calm staring at the stars-especially when the moon shines its pale light-it just puts my soul at peace..." her voice trailed off.

They lapsed into silence, and all through the night, Legolas stared up at the stars, wondering what destiny had in store for them.

AN: Sorry this took so long-I actually spent 4 hours typing this up tonight-my birthday night- WOOT WOOT! I'M 15!!! CAN GET MY RESTRICTED LISCENCE!!!!! GO ME!!!!-and it is 2:10 in the morning, and I have school the next day and need to finish the rest of my homework.

EXCUSES: this is my first year of high school, and that being said, it's been really crazy. Also I only have three frees during the week to work on homework or whatever, so I don't have tons of free time to work on this. Also, I've been busy with funerals, mixers, parents in and out of town, homework and siblings.

I hope you like this chapter-I really put a lot of energy, time and feeling into it-you want proof? For this chapter, I came up with the idea while revising the last chapter-and all my other chapters have been planned out so this was a whole new idea. I typed it up, printed it out, and used 4 different colors of pens to correct it so that is was perfect and to my liking. In fact, I probably spent 45 minutes on the fight scene to the end-crossing things off and adding more. In fact, this was originally 5 pgs, not 10.

NOTES ON STORY: Megil and Lan knew Aragorn before Legolas. He stopped by Mirkwood before then, but didn't know Legolas/meet him. Aragorn and Legolas meet after Aragorn leaves Megil and Lan. I will explain that later if I make this into a series and write Aragorn's adventures with Megil and Lan.

Edan is human in elvish. I prefer writing it that way for some reason.

Ok, stupid thing cut off something so i added it. I actually posted this yesterday though. On my b-day, the 14. lol. and sorry about the divisions for flashbacks-the tools hate me to divide them.

REPLIES:

Mornflower: Sorry it has taken so long, and that the other chapter was short. Is this long enough for you? Lol. I don't think I have very many long chapters left...lol. I have never tried banging my head on the computer desk... should try that some time. Lolol.

RMC: grrr. WHY DID YOU HAVE TO GIVE Legolas THE STUPID IDEA!!! Ever since you said that, he has been chasing me around with his plastic bow and knives! Lol. Oh no! How will the torture club ever survive if its two members are sick? Lol. I'm not anymore, and I hope you aren't' either! Yeah, it is very Ironic. Hey! It might be a sign! I think it means we should form an Aragorn torture club!!

Aragorn:0.o

Lol. But they're not as fun... lol. Thanks for the compliments.

I have tow votes for TOPHAR, so, I will print what I have of it, and work on it as I work on chapter 13.

I will be leaving the 18th (this Thursday) to go to NY to see WICKED. This is my b-day and x-mas gift so I am really excited. I will be back on Sunday, and hopefully will have a chapter to post! So while you wait for chapter 13, please listen to this calming elevator type music: if you want me to change it, your gonna have to review!! Mwahahahahahahaha!