CHAPTER TEN
Though You're Not Here
'Where am I? Where is Aragorn?
He is dead.
No. He can't be, because I live. How can he be dead and I am not? And if he should be dead, Why is he and I am not? Was it me he tried to save and fell for? Or did he really try to run and was cut down. No he wouldn't run.
See, you doubt.
I do not doubt him or what happened! Aragorn lives! He is alive! No1 He cannot be dead! He said he would be back for me, he promised and he would never break a promise. He promised he would not let them hurt me anymore and would never break a promise if it were in his power to keep it!
But it is out of his power now. He is useless and so are you. You are weak and alone. You know he was killed, because of you! If he didn't have you for a friend he could have ran away and lived, but he stayed and died for you.
No. He lives, I can feel it.
But not so strong. It fades in and out like the tide and burns you with unbearable anguish; the knowledge of your friend's death.
He is not dead and he will come for me. I won't have to be here any longer. How can he be dead when I live/ He can't, not now, not here. You lie to me. My own fears lie to me and I will not fall for it. He lives and I will see him again.
Unless you die first and never get to see your father, or Rothinzil again. Or see Imladris and the friends you have that dwell there in peace. Will they even miss you Legolas Greenleaf Thranduillion?
Yes! And they will not let me fade into memory! They love me as a brother! But where is Roth? Where am I? Aragorn has to be here! He was with me! ARAGORN!'
Legolas blinked as he opened his eyes, but it made no difference, everything was still dark. He could hear voices and tried to move, but he felt heavy chains around his wrists and ankles. He had forgotten the pain of his wrists from the cuffs that he had placed on them earlier in Farlost. Now the pain was more than doubled.
But that was not the most horrible feeling. Something was on his neck. It felt hot and itchy. He felt like it was choking him and his heavily weighed down hands went to his neck and touched the strange object. He winced in shock as he felt something prick his finger, a spike of some sort.
It was then that he realized that he had a collar on. He was not frightened yet. He did not know what was going on and was not going to fear as long as he had no need to. As he tried to sit up, he felt the horrible thing tug at his throat and realized that it had a chain on it. He was being kept like a dog.
His ankles were free. The Elf whispered in the dark, "Roth? Strider?" The silence was loud as he waited for the much-wanted answer that never came. He was alone. He whispered, "anybody?" Still no answer. The dark pressed in and he felt himself trembling with fear, fear of the unknown. Was he the only one alive? Had they killed Rothinzil? Or were they all just separated?
"Is there anyone out there?" he shouted into the blackness. There was still no answer. Where was Rothinzil? What were they doing to him? Legolas tried to stand up, but the collar and chain were too short and it was plain that they were meant to hold an animal.
He felt it choke him and holding him low to the ground, keeping him near the dirt where he was expected to stay. It made him angry and he shouted, "who is here? Where am I?" At first there was an eerie silence, but then that ended in a low growl that came from the prince's left.
Legolas looked to his left in alarm and the growl turned into a malicious bark and an evil howl. The Elf knew that noise. A warg was here with him in the pitch dark. He tried to back away, but his collar hampered him. So this was their torment? He was to be a warg's play toy?
He could feel the creature's hot breath on his face and stared into the darkness. It continued barking like a mad thing, which it probably was. But, it never attacked. The blonde Elf could hear it's nails scraping the floor and its snapping jaws. It too was chained and it made Legolas even angrier to know he was placed in the company of a warg and yet separated from his friends.
He saw a light above and it shined down, causing him to blink. A door was opened above and men were coming down. It seemed he was hidden away in some sort of cellar to a large barn or some such place. He saw lanterns being lit and torches cast alight.
When the light was cast, Legolas saw that he was in some sort of shaft. Around, in cages, were animals; wargs, wild boars with fierce tusks, bulls with sharp horns and wolves along with dogs and a giant spider. In the far corner was a dungeon like cage and in the corner he saw another creature. It was small and looked nearly human, but he could not see it and his attention were diverted to his right.
Rothinzil lay on the floor in peaceful unconsciousness and his black hair was fallen over his pale face and it sifted through the spikes in long strands of midnight. His chest rose and fell methodically and yet he never stirred.
Straight ahead was a door of thick wood that led into another tunnel. They were in an old mining shaft, he realized. For in the walls were still some traces of gold or silver, glistening like lost and forgotten stars. This was still a place where gold was held in high worth and where it constantly changed hands.
Beyond that door, he could here voices and screaming, along with barks of animals and he knew what this was. He was going to have to fight. Here, lost in this dark and cryptic world until he faded or died in a battle to the death, watched by hundreds, loved by none. He would have to be here until he died alone.
But not alone. Roth was here, he would have a friend. But he knew that they would be separated and he knew that Roth, with his gentle spirit, would not last long. Roth would die of a broken heart if he was not slain first. Legolas knew that his dark-haired friend would sooner die than kill for the pleasure of others. He looked at Roth and felt his anger rise further, for he hated to see his friend's innocence and gentle spirit possibly destroyed. Why did men have to fear what they did not understand and hurt or kill it to make themselves feel better?
The men came to look at the prince that was on his knees, weighed down by the collar and the iron spikes that had been placed on his neck for his protection as much as his torment. While the collar on none would dare to go for his once defenseless neck, fearing that the horrid spikes would prick them.
As Calmir looked into the Elf's eyes he saw anger and abhorrence glittering in them. But he also saw doubt. That was a weak point he had to strike at. Smiling, he asked, "time to have some fun Elf."
Legolas looked up at the man and then his hands went to his collar and he began to grip it between the spikes, bitterly pulling at it. But it did not loosen and Legolas panted for air. The men all laughed and Calmir said, "what's wrong Elf? Not liking the dark and the pretty collar about your pretty little neck?" He walked over and taking a key from his belt, he unlocked the chain from the steak it was attached to in the ground.
He pulled and forced the Elf to get to his feet or choke himself. Legolas snapped, "you are cruel and I will never serve you. You can kill me first."
Calmir smiled and said, "but that is what you don't understand Elf. You are mine and I will do what I want with you." He pulled the chains more and Legolas did not move. The Elf pulled back and dug his heels into the ground. However, he could not hold this for long, the collar was biting him and he would have to let go or break his neck. But he was making his statement.
Someone shoved him from behind and he jerked forward, but the chains made him awkward and he fell at the feet of the man he was expected to call master. Calmir smiled and Legolas glared daggers at him before spitting on his feet. Calmir's eyes lit with a deadly fire and he kicked hard and brutal. Legolas felt his lips swell from where the boot had connected with it he gave a small cry.
Calmir knelt down and gripped the prince's collar between the spikes, hauling him up by his neck, "I do not wish to break you Elf, it makes your value go down. But I can do it or take your life."
The warg nearby growled and Calmir kicked at its face. It yelped and coward down to grovel. It had been beaten badly before and it was more than obvious that it held great respect for these men and for all human kind. Legolas vowed he would not stoop that low, he would not grovel. He also noted than Calmir liked to kick.
Calmir looked at the men around him and said, "get that other one awake. It is time to teach them who the leader is and where their place is!"
Kushor went and he grabbed Roth's limp body rolled the Elf over. Then, he grabbed a bucket of icy water, he dumped it all over the dark-haired Elf and then slapped Roth's face harshly. The dark-haired Elf fluttered his eyes open and he asked deliriously, "Wh-wha-what is go-goi-going on?" He stared around as though he was dazed, which he was and when he saw Legolas looking at him he frowned and asked, "wh-where are we mellon nin?"
Kushor slapped him in the face and Roth bit back a cry of surprise and reborn fear that chilled him. He shuddered and felt his teeth chatter a little. It was cold already and now that he was soaked, it was positively miserable. The man snarled, "no using that snake like tongue here master Elf. Next time your punishment will be severe." Roth was wide-awake now and he saw the white like look on Legolas' face and knew that something horrible was about to happen.
Calmir just chuckled and said, "lets go now." He began to drag the prince by the accursed collar and Legolas stumbled along behind as they were lead into a back room that Legolas could tell was a training room and it reeked of old and fresh blood. It filled his nostrils with a metallic odor and made his stomach do flips and his senses sharpen to a painful point.
Calmir dragged him over to where there was leather thongs attached to a pole marked with former and new blood. Legolas felt his heart enter his throat and yet he refused to tremble even though inside he was shaking like a leaf. Something told him this was going to be the first phase of horrible pain to come and he closed his eyes. He could feel the men ripping him free of his tunics and cloak, tossing them into a heap on the floor. The Elf shivered with cold and cringed inwardly in anticipation to what he was in for as the leather ropes were threaded around his wrists and pulled painfully tight.
His hands were above his head now and his back to the men. The prince rested his forehead against the smooth wood and drew in a shaking breath. He would not scream and he would not give in, they could beat him to death first. But that was a scary and horrible thought. He knew if they even started that and he got a chance, he would go mad and end his own life.
Roth looked at Legolas as he was forced to his knees before the prince and his head held in place so he could always see his prince's face that was contorted with fear. "Legolas..." he breathed in horror. "Oh, no." He closed his eyes and shivered. He knew now what it was like to be beaten by men now and he knew the things that scarred the prince's life.
The man holding his head in place by his chin, Kushor, laughed as he felt Roth's unmistakable shivers and said, "stay awake my gentle little Elf. You get to watch it all and enjoy every minute and if you miss some, we can do it all over again."
Roth opened his now bleary eyes, filmed by unspilled tears that burned as though someone had set his eyes aflame. Legolas whispered to him, "stay strong my friend. I don't want to see you break in front of me. You can do it, please don't cry for me. I will be well. Just don't succumb to what they want, we can get past this." Legolas said this with a whole lot more conviction than he had a whole lot more than what he felt.
Roth nodded and watched as Calmir took a cruel looking whip with little barbs on the end and then he drew it back and brought it down hard across the prince's slender and yet muscular shoulders. It stole the prince's breath and he closed his eyes in agony. He could feel the cursed barbs bite and burn his skin with a pain he had never felt. Now he knew why blood marked this post, but whose blood was it? He pressed his head against the wood harder and prayed, take me now Elbereth, take me now. I don't want to die, but I don't want to live now either. They will use me and break me. I know they will. Claim me first. Please. I don't want Roth or Aragorn to see me when they are finished, they will not know me. I would have them remember me this way rather than after I am broken and changed.
The lash struck again and the prince was caught unawares. He hissed and fell against the post, but shoved himself hastily away, lest they should see his pain and take joy from it. He opened his eyes with horrible pain as a barb caught his flesh in another blow and tore his back. He looked at Roth and the other Elf looked as though he was ready to cry.
Roth's chin quivered as he watched his best friend and really, older foster brother, suffer at the hands of these cruel, stupid and absolutely heartless men. He wished he could stop the pain if he willed it all away, but if he could not feel the pain he would go numb and if he went numb, what would be left to hold onto? Nothing, for he would have no heart, hearts feel pain unless they are broken and blistered. He had not fallen that far and he would rather be slain then do so.
More and more blows fell like rain upon the helpless Elf bound by raw and bleeding wrists to the post, a prisoner of pain undeserved. Legolas could feel his own blood running down his back in small red rivers. He closed his eyes, not willing to let Roth see the intense pain reflected behind them. The blows were becoming heavier and they bit and stung twice as hard as before. "Whom do you serve Elf?" asked Calmir in a stony voice as he watched Legolas raise his head and spit back,
"I serve none, save King Thranduil." He wasn't about to say that was his father. But it was becoming so much harder to answer against what Calmir was tormenting him into speaking. It was so very hard and he was more than ready to give in, but he did not want to die knowing that he had failed. He would rather die knowing that he did well and did not give in; that he had passed the test appointed to him. He wanted to tell Mandos that he was not a craven had been true to the death.
Roth was trembling with the effort not to look away lest his prince should have to endure it all over again. Legolas gave him a sharp look that plainly was telling the younger Elf to straighten up and die right. Roth did, but he was reluctant to do so. He was beginning to break down.
Calmir looked at Legolas and said in a sardonic tone of remorse, "sorry, wrong answer." Legolas cringed as he felt a barb bite into his flesh and he could have sworn it had hit his spine, save for the fact he still had feeling. The man grinned and asked Roth smoothly, "so, who to you serve?" He toyed with the whip behind the prince and Legolas mouthed the answer out for Roth, but it was hardly needed.
"I serve none save King Thranduil, his son, Prince Legolas and the other powers of good," he hissed in a firm voice that was deceivingly strong sounding. Legolas could tell that Roth's tower of strength was near ready to topple over and shatter. Roth trembled but did not look away as Calmir struck Legolas again, striking another ugly bleeding welt that had already been there and causing Legolas to blanch. As young Rothinzil saw Legolas turning an unhealthy white, he felt his heart wrench and nearly stop. He wished it would stop, he wanted to die. Oh, how he wanted to die.
Legolas wanted to die too, but something inside him just would not quit. But he wished that he would fade.
Then, going to the front of the blonde prince, the human said, "where is your ranger now?" He gripped Legolas' pale face to make the immortal meet his eyes. Legolas met his gaze head on as the man said, "where is he Elf? I will tell you: he is dead."
"No," breathed the blonde Elf sharply through pain that was so intense it was mind-boggling. Legolas jerked his head roughly away and pushed back tears of emotional agony. He pressed his forehead against the wood again so hard that he would not be surprised if he had the wooden patterns imprinted upon his pale forehead. The barbs had hurt, but this man speaking of Aragorn's death as though it was something to be widely acclaimed made the Elf's blood boil. Using Aragorn against him bit deep into the Elf's heart; it went so deep that it hurt.
"But he is, and he is not coming here for you Elf. You and your friend here are alone," said the man coldly, "this I can promise you."
Legolas spat, "you lie."
Calmir kicked Rothinzil aside sharply and grabbing Legolas' bonds, he twisted them so the Elf was with his back to the post and his hands turning blue from lack of circulation. "You are mine now Elf. Until the day I die and you linger you will be mine. Unless you die or I am forced to kill you."
Roth tried to get up from where he had been kicked harshly to the ground, but Kushor held the black-haired Elf down and whispered, "unless you want it to go worse for your friend, I suggest you lie still." Legolas heard those words and looked at the other Elf with a look that said, 'forget about me fight them.'
This Rothinzil would not do and he looked away like Legolas had never said anything.
Legolas just frowned and stared at the man with iced over eyes. "I am no ones." With that, he struck his feet out, catching the mortal's legs and the man went down into a stumbling heap onto the floor.
When he stood up, he was smiling and this vexed the prince bitterly, but what more could he do? "Elf, I think you are ready." He looked at Kushor and said, "if they lose too much blood, they will not be able to fight." He switched his piercing glance to Roth and sneered "or if they have a nervous break down."
Then he said, "but your training will be harder as you harden in this place and we can be nice if you surrender to our will. But you aren't going to do that, are you?" he spat.
Legolas just glared and then hissed as pain shot through his spine, shoulders and arms from the position he was in.
Aragorn, if you are alive, come save us soon please. I know I am not alone. I know you are well, but where are you? I need you now, so where did you go? You always said you would be here for me, but you aren't. I can't feel you by my side. But don't worry, I will wait for you. I know you will come and take Roth and I away from here. But be careful, they mean to take your life mellon nin and if it comes down to it, I would rather they take mine. But save Roth, I could not bear it if he died, though I am sure he thinks the same of you or me.
Then Legolas began to think, training...so they were being trained, but for what? To be cold blooded killers able to deal out swift and merciless death without so much as a thought to the one whose life was taken. But why would the life be taken? For the pleasure of men. He could not understand how people found pleasure in others' pain and death, how they could watch with grinning faces as one drew his last breath but didn't die for another ten minutes because his lungs were filled with blood.
To them Elves were animals and unworthy of freedom, unworthy of life and yet born to take way others. These were the hands he and Rothinzil had fallen into and now he began to wonder; did he really want Aragorn to come here and save him?
Perhaps, if Aragorn was dead, it would be better that way.
He knew that the man would come after him and Roth. That was now the scariest part of this place. His friend was coming here to get him and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Aragorn was walking into a clever trap and he would die now, for Legolas knew he was not dead and the men lied.
Legolas was taking a leap of faith. He had no other choice...did he?
Aragorn raised his head slowly from the snow, and looked with bleary eyes about the darkening and cold world he had awoken to. As he looked at the spot where his head had been, he saw crimson sunbursts in the snow; his blood.
What happened?
A sharp pain blazed up his shoulder and neck. He winced and his right hand went to his left shoulder where he felt something long sticking from the more fleshy part of his limb. An arrow? But why?
He felt the blood running down his sleeve and tunic, still hot. The small of coppery salt entered his nose and his grimaced slightly before rising to a rough sitting position and leaning back against the large tree he had found himself lying by.
Memory flooded back and he knew all of what had happened, save how he had gotten to where he was.
He had yelled for his friends to run, but of course, the Elves had not. Or rather they had but towards him and towards the danger. They did not know of the trap meant for them and so he had tried to warn them, but they did not listen. They never listened, he mused.
He had tried to fight the many men, but there had been too many and then one came that challenged every skill he had ever known. He had thought he was going under and that it was the end many times.
At last when he had been driven back up to the crest of the hill, the other drew out his bow and Aragorn watched as a projectile was released to find its way into his shoulder.
He knew then he had stumbled from the shear impact and he felt pain coursing his left arm. But then he hit something...a tree? He thought so, but he was not certain. He knew that if it had been a tree he had hit many more on the way down the hill not unlike the one he was resting against now.
What had befallen Legolas and Roth? He did not think they were dead, for the last time when they had been attacked the men had only tried to capture the Elves, not slay them. The fact that the Elves were wanted alive was slightly more disturbing than them being wanted dead...slightly. Neither sounded very appealing now that the man ran the facts through his mind once more.
Drawing a deep breath, the ranger looked around at the snowy world and tried to stand up, but his body was shaking from cold and blood loss and on coming shock of the injury. He gripped the tree for support and closed his eyes, gathering up what will he could find through his daze. It was actually a rather astounding amount building up inside considering the circumstances he was under. However, getting it to group and be directed to something that would cause him only more pain than giving up and dying would was a little difficult, but for him by no means infeasible.
He looked up the precipitous hill that was glittering with ice, slick and treacherous. He would have to struggle up that. Falling down was easier and the more whimsical part of his being said a whole lot less painful. Well...that was not always entirely true, but in this case, he mused, it most definitely was.
He staggered forward a few weak steps and nearly fell flat. His wound was still bleeding and if he did nothing to stop it he would bleed to death before he even made it to the top. But he did not have time to treat such a wound. The arrowhead was still in the wound, buried and there was no hope of getting it out at this point in time. He knew a good sized artery had to have been severed, for blood was pulsing out from around the arrow tip and staining his tunics, cloak and the snow with a deep scarlet color.
There was only one thing that he could do, and that was to tie it off at the shoulder, However, he knew he would lose complete control of that arm for a time and perhaps forever. But he was not going to let that interfere with his mission. Fear could not hold him back. Legolas and Roth would be strong for him and he had to for them.
He then began to wonder how the men had been able to capture the said Elves. Legolas or Roth would have had to have been hurt. Rothinzil was a klutz, but in a fight he knew what he was doing and could be as deadly as the next Something had to have gone horribly wrong.
One of them had to be wounded and hurting badly for that to happen, have they had been distracted. Aragorn knew that if the prince had known he was in danger then Thranduil's son would have been disturbed and slowed in a fight. Roth would have been distressed enough about Legolas to be awkward, and chances were that if there was any leverage, it was Roth's life or Legolas' captivity. In which case Aragorn knew that both of the Elves were being held alive.
Aragorn struggled on a few more hard and painful steps that tested his resolve greatly and his will not to scram. The pain was stunning and he came to what was left of an old withered tree, the made reached into his boot to pull out his dagger. It was simple but sharp as any. Taking it, he ripped a two-foot strip from his weather-stained cloak and then grimaced as he thought about what he was going to have to do.
After much annoying attempts through trial and error, he finally managed to get the blasted thing to wrap and stay tightly on his arm. He felt sick when he lost total feeling in his left and arm and he pushed down fears of his own pain and problems. Legolas and Rothinzil were in dire danger, and if he did not go after them, who would? No one, or at least not in time.
Yes, he was sure his father had at least sent Glorfindel to Mirkwood simply because he did not come home and his father was probably retraining himself from strangling the Gondolin Elf. But the Elves would never be able to pick up the trail before the winds changed and tracks were covered. Or at least he doubted it, but then again, Glorfindel was often full of odd surprises and techniques for tracking he learned years ago before the world was changed.
If Aragorn did not go for Legolas and Rothinzil, they were lost and left to torment and a bitter death. Legolas had nearly died for him, why could he not do the same for the blonde Elf? What did an Elf have more to give than his immortal life for a friend who would eventually die anyway? An Elf had nothing and so Aragorn should be willing to sacrifice all he had too. This did not need to be said, it was obvious in the ranger's heart.
But Legolas never looked at it that way, that Aragorn would ever die and that if the prince had to give his life up that he was giving it up for a mortal. He saw it as Aragorn being immortal too and never dying. Maybe it was out of denial that his closest friend would ever be parted from him forever or perhaps out of faith that the man would always live in his heart. It is hard to say.
Kixer and his men began to round up the horses into the newly fixed pen, tossing hay and straw over the fences to help lure the beasts in and calm them as they ate.
But two horses, a solid gray mare and a dapple stallion, refused to go into the pen as they were cornered in the opening. They bucked and pranced madly. The animal's nostrils flared and always their heads faced back to the trail of foot-prints and crushed snow.
They would not allow a rope of halter to touch their hide much less hold them back and they snorted and neighed. Kixer looked at the two beasts and said to his men thoughtfully, "these cannot be ours. They are too fair and much too wild for one of us to tame." He sighed as he watched them prance and frolic all about in the snow. Their ears twitched and they pawed the ground anxiously.
"They are the horses of Elves or I am a fool." His eyes followed them a little longer and he said at length, "release them. They are not ours to keep; may they bless the beings that ride them."
Legolas, Rothinzil nor Aragorn had returned. He hoped some evil had not befallen them, but he was not ready to go back and find out. Perhaps they had been part of the whole scheme and had left with the horse thieves, But now that he had spent time with the Elves and the ranger he could not find it in his heart to accuse them of such a crime again. No, he knew something was wrong. It was feeling in the pit of his stomach that rose as he watched the horses swiftly kick up the powdery snow, galloping off to the aid of their masters and friends.
He felt so horrible, yet his place was here. There were many graves to dig and many widows and children to see through the winter. Every man would be needed and every helping hand encouraged. But in his heart he was trying to find a reason to leave.
One of his men came up and said, "sir, no sign of those Elves and ranger?" His gaze connected with his senior's and Kixer shifted uncomfortably.
"They know what they are doing. I am sure they will be here. Don't you have some work that you could be doing?" he asked stiffly as his eyes watched the horizon, hoping to see three figures walking on its edge; he saw none.
Shutting the gate to the corral, he began to walk fixedly back towards the inner part of the town, his home, his people. But his heart forebode that this was not the last time he would see the Elves but he also had a sinking suspicion that when he saw them again they may not be alive.
He would have to talk to Lord Ryxen about this, but not now; now he needed to re-gather his thoughts. So many introspects were in his mind that it blurred his contemplation and he needed to rest. It had been a long couple of days and he wondered if half of it had been imaginary.
TBC...Well, our incredible lust for reviews has only achieved in growing and well...you know what that means.
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And finally we are getting to the good old ranger angst! See we haven't killed him...yet!
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Next post: Wednesday! (hopefully)
Review responses:)
Deana: Oh yes, but isn't it such fun when they get into major trouble? LOL Yes, our Elf is in a deep sense of vertigo right now. LOL Poor thing! Thanks for the review!
Linuvial Greenleaf: Hey friend! Yes...and there are only more angsty possibilities to come. We are actually beginning to lean towards ranger pain and pushing our little blonde Elf aside. Although we are sure he doesn't mind. LOL But anyway...oops! We had no idea we were spelling it wrong. -bad us!- Thank you s-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o much for telling us! It honestly means a lot! We put a lot of things off until the last minute, including original work and school projects not being the least (some how is too addictive or something). Special note from Celeb: your cover might be very well be finished by Christmas or New Years! Depends on what is going on in school. Thanks for the review!
Astievia: You saw Toby Mac? That is incredibly cool! Our favorite songs of his are 'Irene' and 'Phenomenon'. He is the coolest and you are so blessed! -grin enviously- Wow! Anyway...you are getting ahead of the story! Tin: -pokes Celeb- now you have to change it! Celeb: -shakes head- well...perhaps not...-evil grin- guess Astievia will have to wait and see (pay back for seeing Toby Mac while we couldn't! LOL). We try to update often, but is weird and of course that is old news, but we have to rant about it to someone. LOL Thanks for the awesome review!
Snow Glory: Thanks for reviewing!Yes, your Elf is in big trouble. -1? That's only about 30 degrees here. Still cold enought hough. LOL Oh...hehehehehe...you caught our error too. Thanks a lot for telling us. Its people like that who make writing such a fun learning experience. Thanks for the review.
Leela 74: Thanks for reviewing. Your reviews are always so sweet!Doesn't math just suck? LOL Glad you like the little Elf. LOL Thanks for that nice little review and good luck on all your exams and such.
elitenschweinOh...that is why you review each chapter in bunches. Don't worry, we don't have it all the time either, or at least, not both of us do. We totally understand. We also have hectic schedules and hardly any time for anything...so we totally sympathize. But if it makes it easier (and you decide to review), you don't have to review every chapter singly. It can be one long review about all the chapters...a collective review or something. But then, if you are really short on time, don't make it harder on yourself by reviewing at all. We would understand. Yes, Erestor and Glorfindel do make the most sane cooporative companions, don't they? Not. LOL Sorry if this response is short, but we are extremely pressed. Thanks for the many delightful reviews.
Marie Delcore: Hey Mellon nin! Yes! Angst precious!
Nefhiriel Hey! Yes, well we try...ur DON'T try to leave cliffies and stuff. LOL Yes...update is a VERY important word! LOL Thanks for the review!
Sorry if these are brief. But time is running out to get to first block class. If we missed someone, we didn't mean to, sorry.