Chapter 5. Painful Memories

A.N. hi. It's Spencer. I'm updating again! Yay for me! Thank you soooooooo much for all of you who reviewed. Especially my favourite reviewer, the amazingtechnocoloredringwraith!

OK, I rated this chapter PG-13, because there is a fight scene, and Legolas totally kicks butt, and kills some evil things so that's why its changed.

Where we left off...

Chuckling, Linny hugged him affectionately. "You two best get out of here. I've got work to do, but I baked you something special. I packed it all up in a picnic basket. You always did enjoy sneaking off. This time you can have proper food." Handing over a large basket packed with lembas bread, clear water, strawberries, cheese and a small apple pie, she shooed them out of the kitchen.

Arwen and Legolas strolled out of the Homely house, carefully ignoring the glares from Elohir and Elladan. Down into the gardens they went, hand in hand. Then perching on a fountain they decided to sample the lembas biscuits.

"O! This dress is no good for picnics!" Arwen impatiently rolled up the sleeves of her dress. "Long puffy sleeves. Valar help me if my father will ever let me wear a NORMAL dress. Well, maybe not normal, but less fluffy."

Legolas laughed then his mirth was cut off when he caught sight of a long white scar marring the white flesh along the underside of Arwen's forearm. "Is that from... before...?" He moved his fingers along the puckered skin. "Why wasn't it healed?"

Arwen pulled back her arm. "It's from before. Ada couldn't do anything about the scarring. Some sort of poison. But it no longer pains me."

"But I am sorry I couldn't have prevented this. I should have taken better care of you."

"Legolas! You saved my life! You have always taken care of me...when you could."

(-Flashback-)

"Arwen, I think I love you."

"You what? You love me?" Arwen stopped dancing, but held onto his hand. "Do you really?" Legolas laughed.

"I do! I do! I love you!" then throwing his head back he shouted to the sky: "I love you Arwen Undomiel! I love you!" He gently placed a kiss on her cheek, and then danced about her in a circle.

Arwen stared at him silently for a moment. Legolas stopped dancing and watched her. Arwen bit her lip, deep in thought. Legolas smiled and she frowned.

"Don't you believe me Arwen? I love you!"

Backing up until she hit a tree Arwen watched him warily. When she felt the tree on her back she turned on her heel and fled, brushing aside bushes, tearing her dress on brambles. Terrified, she fled, deeper in the forest. Mindless of where she was going. Leaving a stunned Legolas in her wake.

Legolas stood in the clearing. Lost for words, stunned. "Don't you love me?" He sat on a tree stump, and buried his face in his hands. Running his fingers through his long blonde hair, he sighed. Then he groaned. Raising his head he called out:

"Arwen! Arwen come back! I won't say it again! We're friends! Please come back!"

Then he leapt to his feet. He strained his ears; then again, he heard it. A petrified shriek.

"Arwen?" he whispered. Then louder, "ARWEN! I'm coming! I'm coming!"

Seizing his bow he dashed off into the forest, screaming her name: "ARWEN! ARWEEEEEN!"

Terrified, Arwen sprinted through the forest, thorns and branches tearing strips off her dress and running scratches down her face and arms. Trying hard not to listen to the growls and snarls from behind her. Trying even harder not to think of what might be making the growls and snarls. She fled into a clearing. There were growls and snarls all around her. The edge of the clearing was a cliff. A huge cliff rearing 50 feet above a roaring waterfall met by rapids. She ran back from the edge. Whimpering she grabbed a branch off the ground.

A filthy goblin burst into a clearing, riding a grolm. Then more goblins. On foot and atop of snarling grolm. The leader made a noise in his throat. All of the goblins drew rusty scimitars and crooked, dented swords. They advanced, leering down at the terrified elleth. She backed up as far as she could.

Using more instinct rather than skill, she whirled her stick and smashed it as hard as she could on the head of the nearest goblin, shrieking in terror as she did. Whirling in a circle she smashed into anything within three feet of her. Roaring, the goblins advanced, swinging their swords, tearing the branch out of her hands. One of the goblins slashed at her with his scimitar, cutting a long deep mark down her left forearm.

Arwen shrieked in pain. "HELP ME! PLEASE! HELP ME! LEGOLAAAAAS!"

Bellowing and roaring Legolas burst into the clearing. "ARWEN! I'M HERE!"

He pulled and arrow from his belt and shot, taking the first goblin through the throat. Drawing a second he shot an advancing goblin in the chest. The remaining 3goblins squared them against him, Legolas ducked a swing from a sword, and tried to dodge around a goblin to get to Arwen, but the last remaining grolm blocked his way.

He roared as he pulled an arrow from his belt and plunged it into the grolm's head. A goblin shrieked, and slashed at Arwen with his sword, Legolas leapt at him, and knocked his sword from his grasp, Another goblin leapt on HIM and held him down, the last goblin advanced on Arwen, laughing harshly in his throat.

"ARWEN! RUN!" Legolas screamed, struggling desperately. "ARWEN! NOOOO!"

The goblin plunged his sword into Arwen's side and she fell helplessly over the edge, her shriek dieing from her throat.

With amazing strength, Legolas threw the goblin off and plunged his last arrow into him. Charging at the goblin that had killed Arwen, he rammed him over the edge. He stared down the waterfall, lost in sorrow, guilt and pain.

Then turning decisively he ran, leaping over tree roots, slashing at branches with a newfound sword. Roaring and bellowing, following the course of the cliff as best he could.

A short time later he found the rapids churned by the waterfall thundering into them. He ran along the water, his eyes open for a sign of Arwen. Then he saw it. A small body, battered by the rocks, washed up, face up, onto the bank. As he stood over her, he realized how tiny and frail she looked, He gathered her into his arms, realizing she weighed nearly nothing. He set off into the woods.

He sat on a fallen tree and hugged her to his chest. The he felt it. A beat. A heartbeat. She was alive! He scooped her back into his arms and dashed into the forest with renewed vigour.

It was only later; when he heard the sound of hoof beats behind him that he realized how stupid of him it was to leave behind that sword.

Snarling in anger he carefully placed Arwen under a bush, and breaking as large a branch as he could handle of a tree he squared himself for a battle.

He held up his branch. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU! YOU HURT HER! I'LL KILL YOU!"

Screaming, Legolas met the elf coming out of the trees, knocking him of his horse with a mighty swing of the branch.

It was only after 3 elf's had him pinned to the ground did his eyes clear enough for him to see that they were royal guards from Rivendell.

The elf he had knocked off his horse commanded the others. "Let him up. He's the one were looking for. Legolas, where is Arwen? We need to find her. Everybody has been worried about her. And you."

The guards released him; Legolas leapt to his feet and threw himself at the bush he had secreted Arwen under. Carefully he drew her out from the trees. Glorfindel, the elf in command of the guards, drew his breath in sharply.

"What happened? Who did this?"

While Legolas tried to explain hurriedly, he watched anxiously as, from his pouch, Glorfindel drew athelas leaves. Murmuring words of healing, Glorfindel frowned.

"This is not right. It will not heal. We must get her back to the House. Now!"

Leaping onto his horse, he leaned down, and gathered Arwen in his arms. Legolas thought she looked like an angel, damp tendrils of hair in her face. She looked so helpless. He wanted to follow her. Stay with her and always take care of her.

As Glorfindel galloped off, Legolas felt himself pulled onto a horse. He sat behind Celedor and worried about Arwen all the way back to the House.

Whereupon arrival he was greeted by a host of elf's, led by Celebrian, Arwen's mother.

"I thank you Legolas." She said with tears in her eyes. "For saving the life of my daughter." She hugged him tightly, and Legolas felt tears spring to his eyes.

"So she will live? She will heal?"

"Yes child. She will heal."

Legolas refused all offers of bed, or food. Sitting outside the door where inside Elrond, Lord of Rivendell was tending Arwen. Trying his best to stay awake, Legolas kept a vigil of her room, until sleep overcame him, and he was washed away in dreams.

(-End Flashback-)

"I'm sorry. For not being there sooner. I should have saved you."

"Legolas, but you did save me. You saved my life. I thank you so much for that. But enough of this sad talk of old times! We have a picnic to eat!"

Arwen hugged him and then the two proceeded to give full justice to the delicious, simple picnic.

End of chapter 5.

I know, I know. Long chapter. But you guys said long, so it's long. : D enjoy. Yes, I know that a 10-year-old boy overcoming 5 goblins and a grolm is unlikely, but he ISN'T a boy! He's and elf! So there! And he's very tall, and strong for his age! : P Hope you liked!

Cheers,

Spencer