Chapter 4 Evil strikes.

Time seem to pass without notice. Legolas used that time to get to know his wife again. Gimli spent much of his time with Galadriel talking of many things he did spend some of his time with Legolas and his wife but knew well enough the pair of elves needed time alone and while they waited for Gandalf's return. Gimli was aware of the tension that everyone in the eleven city had and only wished he could do something about it. At least now he could look at his friend and see the pain in the elf's eyes had gone but only to replaced be worry and guilt, also something else bothered the elf and after a few days Gimli decided to confront him, Miawynn had left the house to see Galadriel. He fond Legolas in the garden he walked up and sat by his friend.

"What is bothering you elf?" He asked gruffly. Legolas looked at him and smiled.

"Is not obvious?" Legolas sighed, his smile disappearing.

"I know you well enough that it is not just the disappearance of the others that is bothering you," Legolas gave another sigh and realised that he could hide very little from the dwarf.

"Its nothing," The dwarf snorted, Legolas sighed. "Just a dream, an impossible dream,"

"Why worry over it then?" Gimli asked him.

"Its never the same," He sighed and looked down to the ground. "I wish it was real,"

Gimli gave a sigh.

"Aragorn," He said softly. Legolas sighed and nodded. "Your bound to wish he was here, when Elrond told what was happening I to wished he was here," Gimli looked at his friend. "we can only work with what we have," Legolas smiled at him again, Gimli stood and turned back to the house. Legolas watched him leave and slowly stood himself and softly said to himself.

"It just seems so real," with that he caught up to his friend and they returned to the house together.

Loud voices ran through the house, Legolas and Gimli had both retired to the library of Elronds house but still could clearly the voices both looked at each other in concern and stood and made their way out and into the main hall. Thrandiul was with Elrond in the main hall.

"Lonric please try to calm down my friend," Elrond pleaded

"Be calm!" The elf raved. "First they took my wife and now my daughter,"

Legolas with Gimli at his side ran down hoping to help. Lonric saw Legolas coming towards and his eyes lighted up, he pulled away from Thrandiul and Elrond and made his way quickly to where Legolas stood and grabbed at the elf shoulders, Gimli unconsciously reached for his sword only to remember that he no longer wore it. Legolas how ever held out his hand to calm the dwarf.

"With you and your companion here we will be able to find them," The elf's eyes clearly showed his grief and hope.

"Lonric Mithrandir said we should not leave the city," Elrond told him. The elf looked at Legolas dismissing Elrond.

"We have no idea if he even still lives," He spat. Legolas hands came up and placed them on his shoulders.

"We have to wait he will return," But Legolas knew that the man had voiced the fear that all the elves felt. Lonric's face turned to hatred and he looked round the room.

"So that is how it will be," He hissed. Elrond came forward and tired to place a comforting hand on him. He pulled away from it. "it is easy to tell that no one from your families has been taken,"

"Lonric please," Thrandiul pleaded. "Until he returns we have no idea what we are facing," The elf turned and left room. Elrond sighed as he watched Lonric leave.

"We must find out if any one else has gone," He said softly.

"Lonric's anger is understandable," Thrandiul said to them. Elrond nodded. A sudden fear hit Legolas.

"Has Miawynn returned from Galadriels ?" He asked quickly. Thrandiuls face paled

And he shook his head. Legolas was already making his own way to the door quickly followed by Gimli. Before he reached it however it opened and much to the relief of everyone present Miawynn came in. Legolas quickly gathered her into his arms.

"What is wrong?" She asked puzzled.

"Lonric was here," He told her. "His daughter has gone,"

"Poor Lonric," She said softly, her voice saddened. "How many more are we going to loose?" Legolas wonder much the same thing his self.

Sleep did not come easy that night, five elves had been lost in the latest attack if it could be called that Legolas thought ruefully. It was nearly dawn when rose seeing no point in disturbing Miawynn with his restlessness and dressed. He made his way downstairs into the main room and was surprised to see Elrond still sitting at his desk.

"Your up early," The elf said when he saw Legolas coming in.

"I think I have to much on my mind to sleep for long," he told the elder elf. Elrond gave a weary smile.

"Yes I know that feeling ," He said " Celebrain will only allow me to for so long before she takes action," Legolas sighed as he sat down.

"We have to hope that Mithrandir returns soon and that he has been able to find out some way of defeating who ever is doing this," Elrond gave a smile.

"He is on his way, I am sure of it,"

"I hope your right,"

An hour or so later Gimli and Thrandiul came down and Lady Celebrain followed them, she looked around the room.

"Is Miawynn not up yet?" she asked.

"No my dear," Elrond said with a smile, that died away as a look of concern flashed on her features.

"But I heard some noise coming from her room and assumed that she was up," Legolas quickly stood along with Gimli and rushed up to the room he shared with his wife, Elrond and Thrandiul followed. Upon entering the room there was no sign of Miawynn, all that could be seen was a letter on the pillow to their bed, Legolas reached for it. Gimli had entered room and had moved round so that the others could also enter , when he saw a black flower on the floor, it was strange to him as he had not seen its likeness in any of vases around the house, Slowly he reached down and picked it up. Elrond looked up just as dwarf stood up right with the flower in his hand his face paled.

"Gimli drop it quickly," He shouted and clamped his hand over his mouth and nose. Gimli quickly dropped the flower and not really knowing why he copied Elronds actions. "Quickly we must leave the room now," Thrandiul grabbed Legolas and pushed him quickly out of the room the note still in his hands unopened. Elrond slammed the door shut behind him. Legolas was already in the action ripping open the note which as he read his face paled.

"What is it?" Thrandiul asked him.

"Lonric has taken her,"

"What !" Gimli roared.

"He wants us to know how it feels to have some taken," Legolas told them his voice filled with pain. Elrond turned to a servant who had came up behind them.

" Get our horses saddled we will go after him, with luck we may catch him before he gets out of the city,"

"How did he get her out of the house?" Gimli asked an edge to his voice said that he believed that some one else was in on what happened.

"The flower you picked up Master Gimli it has the power to subdue the will of any one breathes in its fragrance," Elrond told him. He pulled in a deep breath. "its used as a sedative by our race, once she was under the influence of that flower she would have done anything he told her to do,"

As news spread out into the city all searched for both Miawynn and Lonric. Reports came back to the house it became obvious that they were not in the city. Legolas's mood grew bleaker every minute. After another report came in with no word of success he stood and told the servant to saddle his horse.

"Legolas you can not go alone," His father protested. Gimli stood with a grim expression.

"He will not be going alone," He said. Legolas looked at him. "There is no way your going alone laddie," Legolas nodded.

"No other will be going," His father looked about to protest. "These creatures hunt us and I will not risk anyone else," Thrandiul's face took on an unhappy look. Elrond stood.

"I will get you some medicines," He told them. "You may need them when you catch up with Lonric," Legolas nodded. It took only a few minutes for the horse to be saddled, Legolas mounted and reached down for Gimli and pulled him up behind him.

"Legolas," Elrond said to him. "I know what he has done is wrong but Lonric is a good elf,"

"Grief can cause us not to think clearly," Thrandiul told his son. "Come back safely,"

Legolas nodded at his father, then turned the horse and rode full speed out of the city.

Chapter 5 Searching.

The first that in that impressed its self on Miawynn mind was the fact she was on horse back, the second was that her hands were bound together as she looked around herself she could clearly tell she outside the city, she suppressed the fear that brought to her mind.

"Oh Lonric what have you done?" She sighed sadly. The other elf turned to her.

"I have lost my wife and daughter to these creatures," He said to her. "And I will have help to destroy them," Miawynn realised that he had taken her to force Legolas to come after them, a fear ripped through her as she knew that he would follow. She also realised that nothing she could say would be able convince the elf to turn round and return to the city, instead she concentrated on the trees pleading for their help.

Legolas pulled his horse up sharply making his mounts rump to skid on the ground and nearly throwing Gimli off.

"What?" He asked his friend. Legolas did not answer but quickly dismounted and moved over to one of the trees and placed his hand on the bark of the tree. Gimli suddenly remembered Legolas was an wood elf. "What do they say?" He ask him.

"They past this way," Legolas gave a grim smile and turned to remount his horse. "We shall not have to keep stopping to find tracks they will guide us," Gimli gave a grim smile. The wind began to whistle through the trees and it whipped at Legolas and Gimli as they sat on the back of horse.

"Call me," Legolas looked at the trees a round him.

"Did you hear anything?" He quickly asked Gimli. The dwarf shook his head.

"No," He was surprised at the question as he knew that his friends hearing was better than his own. Legolas shook his own head dismissing what he had heard and spurred the horse in the direction the trees had given him. The last thing I need to do now is believe in the impossible he thought to himself.

Lonric kept control of the horse that Miawynn was riding pulling them both further from the safety of the city. She was grateful the other elf was not a wood elf and so did not realise that the trees were passing on their whereabouts, and also telling her that they where not far away. But suddenly another warning came to her ears.

"Lonric," She cried. "There is something out there," The other elf stopped their horses. "The trees are telling me," The other elf stared around him for a moment and quickly dismounted and drawing his sword. The horses gave a frightened nigh and pawed at the earth. Lonric placed a claming hands on their necks The bushes near to burst apart and they got to finally see the creatures that had been hunting the elves, they stood at the same height as they did but there all resemblance ended their faces looked more like a snakes and arms looked more like claws with a high pitched cry they advanced on the two elves. Lonric looked at Miawynn his eyes sad.

"I'm sorry," He said sadly. Miawynn could say nothing back. The cry of the creatures caused the horse that Miawynn was on to shy upwards being unable to grab onto anything meant she slipped out of the saddle and fell to the floor. Lonric moved forward sword still drawn and placed himself between the creatures and Miawynn.

With a hiss the three creatures advanced on them drawing their own weapons. Lonric fought hard but tired where the creatures did not despite the wounds he gave them that would have crippled most others they did not seem to be even bothered by them indeed wounds did not even seem to bleed. However the wounds they inflected on the elf were taking their toll, one fatal sword blow drove him down to his knees, they gave a triumphant cry then one moved forward and drove a now glowing hand into the elf's back, Miawynn watched in horror as slowly the elf began to turn to dust in front of her.

The trees were telling him to hurry he could hear it clearly, also saying that something was attacking Lonric and his wife. On his arrival he saw what was left of Lonric dissolve into dust and the creature start its advance on Miawynn, even before he was out of the saddle he reached for his bow and arrow flew from it before his feet hit the ground. Gimli pulled his sword out as he to landed on the ground and rushed to meet the other creature before it could carry on with its advance toward Miawynn. The arrow that Legolas had shot had hit its mark, although the creature was on the ground it still tired to make its way towards, pulling his sword out Legolas ran forward and buried his blade into it. Another creature had managed to get behind the elf without being seen, with a howl of triumph it plunged it sword toward him, Legolas had just turned the blade sank deep into his side.

"Call me!" the voice sounded more urgent. Legolas felt his knees give way as the thing pulled its blade clear.

Gimli was to busy with more of the creatures to see Legolas fall down to his knees. Pain shot through his body ,but he could hear the voice coming to him with a more urgent call.

"Call me," It urged him. The creature hovered above him a sneer of triumph on its dark face brought its sword down to deliver its fatal blow.

Gimli turned to see the downward stroke of its sword.

"No!" his shout sounded through the small clearing. He suddenly saw the elf's face lift to the sun pouring down between the trees. Then clearly heard his call.

"Aragorn!"

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I know what some of you are thinking, but I like to think that in the undying lands anything is possible. The next chapter dose go some way in explaining .Please review.

Alison