/I don't own anything you recognize in this story. /

Chapter Twelve

The days passed by Legolas, but he didn't seem to notice. All he cared about was to find Merry and Pippin safe and sound and didn't get killed by the Uruk Hai. He was also worried about Merian; her ankle seemed to have caused her more pain by the day. Legolas wished they could reach someplace where Merian could get the proper treatment for the ankle, but she would refuse to leave as well as Legolas because he knew it would dishonor him back home if his father ever found about his son leaving a quest for a woman.

One day while they were resting, Legolas scanned the horizon with his eyes. It didn't seem that they were getting any closer to where the Riders of Rohan had burned the carcasses until he saw a wisp of smoke in the distance.

"Aragorn, I think we are getting close," Legolas exclaimed.

Aragorn looked up wearily and watched the smoke rising for several moments. Legolas watched Aragorn, seeing what the human would do. Humans had their own way of doing things and Legolas could never understand them, their cultures were different than the cultures he grew up with, but never really thought about it until now.

"Well, we might as well go and see what the fate of our friends were. We're going to find out sooner or later, I reckon," Aragorn stated.

"As you wish, mellon," Legolas said.

"Not meaning any offense and believe me, I want to know what happened to the hobbits, but we just got here and we just started resting up. Why should we continue on for several more leagues?" Gimli asked.

"The sooner we get there, the sooner we know whether they lived or died, Dwarf," Merian said sharply.

"Well, excuse me for wanting my beauty rest," Gimli retorted.

"I think you're ugly enough NOT to have a beauty rest," Merian shot back.

"That's enough," Aragorn shouted, grabbing Gimli while Legolas held Merian so that they couldn't go after each other. "We're all apart of this and it's not helping anything that we're fighting. I know how it is to talk sharply to somebody, but that's not the case right now."

Silence fell upon them as they stared up at Aragorn. Legolas was silently relieved that Aragorn stopped the fight before it got anywhere. He didn't want Merian to get hurt even more or make her ankle worse.

"I think we should continue on, Aragorn. You are the one who suggested it and I'll follow any of your decisions," Legolas told the human.

Aragorn nodded. "Let's go then."

Once again, they all swung up onto their horses and were once again off towards the pile of carcasses. Legolas didn't want to know what happened to the halfings because he was afraid that they were dead, but somewhere deep in his heart he knew that they were still alive out there somewhere.

Later that day, the four of them reached the pile of burning bodies. Gimli slid off Aragorn's horse and rushed over to the pile, using his axe to move through the carcasses, trying to find anything that resembled Merry or Pippin.

As he did this, Legolas got down from the horse and helped Merian down. As she landed on her ankle, she winced and fell into Legolas' arms.

"Steady now, love," Legolas whispered in her ear. "We're in no hurry."

Merian looked up at Legolas. "I know you're right, but I want to do something to contribute. I feel so hopeless. Why won't you let me do anything, Legolas? You let me do things before."

"That was before you hurt your ankle, love," Legolas said.

Merian began to pout, but Legolas placed a finger on her lips. She fell silent and looked up into Legolas' eyes.

"What I say goes, melamin. I know how much you want to do something, but I can't let you hurt yourself more..."

Just then Gimli turned around with something in his hands. "It's one of their wee belts."

Legolas closed his eyes and opened them again, trying to fight back the tears. Why did this have to happen to them? They didn't deserve this at the hands of the Uruk Hai. He bent his head and put his hand over his heart.

"Hiro hyn hîdh ab 'wanath," he said softly. (Translation: 'May they find peace after death')

"AHHHHHH!!" Aragorn yelled in anger and kicked a helmet as hard as he could before falling to his knees.

Gimli bent his head sadly. "We failed them."

Legolas felt somebody sobbing into his shoulder and he knew that it was Merian. He tightened his grip on her and hugged her gently.

"Those poor Hobbits...they didn't deserve this," she sobbed.

"Some that die deserve life, but can you give it to them?" Legolas asked, quoting Gandalf. He had heard him say that to Frodo in the Mines of Moria and suddenly he wished the old wizard were here with them to advise them on what they should do because Legolas felt that everybody was despairing.

A few moments passed in silence, everybody was grieving. Legolas felt a pain in his chest. He had felt it there before; it had been there since Gandalf died and had never really went away. But now with another loss after Gandalf and Boromir, Legolas felt the pain more prominent. He hoped this wasn't a sign that he was dying of grief. He couldn't die just yet, because the remaining Fellowship needed him and needed his help.

"A Hobbit lay here," Aragorn said, making everybody jump, "and the other."

Legolas glanced at where Aragorn was pointing. There had indeed, but what was Aragorn saying? Why was the human reminding everybody that the two Hobbits had died?

"They crawled," Aragorn said, rolling onto his knees and began to follow Aragorn.

Legolas glanced at Merian and Gimli. They had the same confused eyes that Legolas was sure he had in his own. Legolas shrugged and started following Aragorn a few paces behind.

Aragorn began to stand up, stumbling along as he got up and continuing to move.

"Their bonds were cut. They ran over here...they were followed," Aragorn said absentmindedly with everybody now following him.

"The tracks lead away from battle, into..." Aragorn stopped in front of the forest, "Fangorn Forest."

"Fangorn Forest!" Gimli breathed. "What madness drove them in there?"

"Well, I'd rather be in there than being in the middle of a battle," Merian retorted.

Gimli didn't say anything, but he glared at Merian. The she-Elf she smirked back.

"Well, we only have one choice. To go into the forest and follow after them," Legolas stated. "They might yet still be alive. My hope has revived."

"I believe you are right, Legolas," Aragorn said. "I think we WILL go in there."

Gimli stared at Aragorn in horror. "Are you mad? You know the stories about this place? I wouldn't go in there if my fathers gave me all the money at the Lonely Mountain."

"You're fear must be great then, Master Dwarf if you refuse money and jewels to go in here," Merian said.

"Hush, you two," Legolas said. "You heard Elessar. We have to know whether our companions are alive in there or not. And we're all together, as long as we don't say anything bad about the forest and we stick together, we'll be alright."

Aragorn nodded. "Let's go, then."

Legolas turned to Merian. "Would you like to ride on my back?"

Merian smiled. "Of course I would, love."

Legolas smiled back and helped her onto his back, grasping her legs tightly and followed after Aragorn and Gimli, his hope revived that they'll see their small companions again soon.