Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
Please, please review.
Sorry for not updating for so long. Been busy doing other stuff.. But here is another chapter, proof that I haven't given up on this story =) Hope you like it. Oh, Ithildin who betas all my other A/L is now beta-ing for this. Thanks =)
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Chapter Five:
Aragorn was surprised to find his men waiting for them at a small camp. He was even more shocked when Garrekk, his second-in-command, called out to question the Elven Prince. "Do you have my Lord, assassin?"
"Yes," answered Legolas as he walked to join the group before laying the cocoon he carried gently onto the ground. Carefully, he slit it open to reveal Aragorn and Haldir.
"What is wrong with lord Aragorn?" demanded the Orc as he noticed the Man had not moved.
"I hit some pressure points on his spine and shoulder. He will be unable to walk or move his right arm for the next two days," replied the Prince casually as he moved to examine Haldir's wound.
The soldiers, enraged at the treatment of their lord, would have attacked the assassin if Aragorn had not stopped them. As much as he hated the Prince, Haldir's health came first. As the Man was wounded and could not treat the Lòrien Elf's injuries, he would have to rely on Legolas to care for his lover. "Stand down, men."
Taking some bandages from his pack, the Prince bound his older friend's wounds. Looking at Aragorn intensely, he spoke, "I am a killer, not a healer. This is all I can do for him. We need to bring him back to Mirkwood as soon as possible."
The Orcs let out a wave of protest before the Man silenced them. "If we don't?"
"He will die," lied the Prince in a serious tone. It was the first time he ever used deception to manipulate another; he did not like lying but knew it was necessary. And he was very convincing for his first try as Aragorn now deliberated his options with a torn expression. Once again, the Prince was correct in his assumption that the Man cared more about his wounded lover than he wanted to admit.
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Having observed the exchange between his men and the assassin, Aragorn knew the Prince was too powerful for the Orcs to fight. If he refused to accompany the Elf, his men would undoubtedly be killed in the battle that ensued and he would be dragged before Thranduil nonetheless. He could not allow his soldiers to sacrifice their lives needlessly. Besides, he wanted to make certain that Haldir was safe. Not that he cared much about the Elf; but the Guardian of Lòrien was his lover, and thus, his 'possession'. It was a matter of pride to always take care of what belonged to him. But Aragorn was Sauron's heir; he could not possibly surrender to his enemy without a fight. It would be a disgrace to the Dark Lord; and, that, he could not allow.
The Man spent his entire life trying to please his sire. He knew the Dark Lord thought of caring for others as a weakness; so ever since he was a child, he tried to close his heart. Though he cried every night in the lonely darkness of his rooms, he persisted. As he grew older, despite the assault of his conscience, which heaped shame and guilt upon him with each atrocious act he committed as the Lord of Fire, he strived to be a Man his father would be proud of.
It was a hard battle, fighting against his conscience and his heart, but Aragorn won in the end. Over the years, he had grown numb as cruelty and mind-games became second nature, a reflex that no longer required thought. He could not abandon his secret hope for his father's love now, when the Dark Lord finally began to believe in his competence. But before Aragorn could refuse to go with the assassin, he noticed the captain of his guards, along with five of his elite soldiers were missing. They would never agree to being left out of this rescue mission. With an urgent sense of dread, the Man asked, "Where is Narod and his team?"
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The mage began to chastise himself the moment Aragorn voiced his question. He should have noticed that five of the original group was missing. Some leader he would make if he could not even notice details like this! "All of you stay here. I will go get them."
The Prince's word surprised his companions. None of them understood why an Elf would risk his life to search for a handful of Orcs. The group continued to stare at the Prince with suspicion even when Legolas added, "I have a score to settle with the spiders. I cannot let them get away with what they did to Haldir."
The assassin's charade did not fool Aragorn. He could detect a minute trace of concern in the Elf's words. This did not make sense at all. It was a law of nature for Elves and Orcs to hate and kill each other; yet this strange one seemed to be an exception to the rule. To say the Man found this genuinely intriguing was an understatement. "Aren't you afraid we will run away with Haldir when you are away?"
"No. You don't seem the type who will leave your own men behind," replied the Prince before turning to disappear into the forest.
The Man was taken back by the Elf's answer. Not that the mage was wrong. Aragorn would never leave his soldiers behind. It had nothing to do with his integrity or his 'concern' for his men. It was simply an act to boast morale and make his warriors believed they were important units of a whole. He knew the assassin felt nothing but contempt for him, yet the Prince trusted him enough to stay. Legolas was quickly becoming a very fascinating enigma that the Man wished to decipher. Aragorn had a feeling it would not be easy, but nothing interested him more than a good challenge.
Besides, Legolas had not displayed any of the typical 'goodness and light' that the other Elves possessed. Unlike his kindred, the Prince did not have the hatred towards all creatures of darkness, nor did he show love for all things in nature. Thus far, the assassin's allegiance seemed only towards Haldir. Perhaps, that meant the Elf-mage could be turned to serve the Dark Lord. Legolas was a superb fighter and would be a valuable asset to their cause. Though the Man hated the Prince for besting him twice in combat, he would try to charm the Mirkwood Elf. He was confident that given enough time, he could steal Legolas' heart as he did Haldir's. He would journey to Mirkwood with the two Elves. After all, if he could sway the Prince into siding with him, escaping from Thranduil's realm would not be a problem.
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Legolas found the Orcs surrounded by spiders in a small clearing not far from the arachnids' lair. He watched from his vantage point as the soldiers valiantly fought the beasts despite being outnumbered. The Prince could not help but take note of their courage in this hopeless battle. Aragorn had trained these Orcs well. When one spider made a deep gash in the leading Orc's thigh, Legolas decided he had been watching long enough. Nimbly jumping off of the branch he perched upon to stand in front of the offending arachnid, he commented, "It's time you pick on someone your own size."
The spiders laughed at the arrogance of the single Elf before them. "Do you think a puny creature like you can stand against our combined strength? I will squash you like an ant!" As it finished his threat, the creature raised his leg to strike the Prince.
But Legolas was no longer in front of the spider. Perplexed, the creature looked around for his prey; but its investigation was stopped short when two knives stabbed deep into its neck, severing its nerve cord. The blow killed the arachnid instantly, before it realized what had happened. As the dead spider collapsed, the Prince somersaulted onto his next target to deliver his touch of death.
As the assassin leapt onto his third victim, the spiders had recovered enough to react. A spider jumped at the Elf as he plunged his knives into the neck of his latest prey. Gracefully, the Prince pulled out his blades and leapt off the dead creature's back to avoid the attack. Fast as lightning, the assassin rolled under his assailant, bringing up his knives to split open the creature's soft belly. Before the spider fell, Legolas was on the move again, rolling out to avoid being crushed by the weight of his now dead assailant. Another creature tried to rush at the Prince, but its only reward was a well-aimed arrow through the mouth. Within two minute, five spiders laid dead on the forest floor.
The arachnids, though not very intelligent, realized that this lone Elf was much more than what he seemed. Most started to flee; but some still remained, led by a large female. They hissed as they circled the group of Orcs and Elf, trying to find an opening to catch the assassin unaware.
So far, Legolas had fought without magic. He was saving it all for a special moment to make an example out of the leader of the group. Deliberately, the Prince stowed his knives away in their sheaves behind his back and taunted with an icy smile, "Come on now, I am waiting."
Narrowing its eyes, the large female spider leapt at the now 'defenseless' Elf, thinking to crush him under her weight. But before she landed, the mage held out his hand, sending gusts of wind to keep her suspended in the air, a prisoner in the storm that originated from Legolas' fingertips. "Breath of the Earth that I let flow, lend me your power and destroy the one who stands before me."
As the mage finished his incantation, the walls of the spider's invisible prison collapsed, the blades of wind slicing through the creature's body. The force of the gale was so great that the spider was cut cleanly into many pieces before blood had time to sprout from the slashes. When the last of the arachnid's remains hit the floor, the Prince turned his attention to the other beasts, watching them with emotionless eyes as he asked, "So who is next?"
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The spiders flew out of sight as fast as their eight legs would carry them. It would be a while before they dared attack any Orc or Elf that ventured into this part of the forest. After blinking his azure eyes to banish the icy, dead expression he always wore in battle, the Prince walked to join Aragorn's soldiers. "Can you walk?"
"Yes," replied Narod, shocked that the Elf had bothered to inquire on his condition. But then, that might be because the assassin wanted to kill him if he could not walk so he would not slow their progress. One could never trust an Elf.
"Good," answered the Prince as he turned to head back to camp, mindful to slow his steps so the wounded soldier and his group could keep up.
The captain of the guards was so busy being perplexed by the strange Elf that he failed to see a protruding root in his way and tripped. He would have gone flying to the floor if Legolas had not moved to catch him. As the Orc looked up in surprise at his 'savior', the Prince steadied him before letting go. Within a few seconds, Legolas had moved back to his original position at the head of the group. The other Orcs who witnessed the event were equally stunned by this act of 'kindness'. It was not right for an Elf to help an Orc. Though curiosity burnt in their minds, the warriors had witnessed the mage's powers and did not wish to vex him. Thus, the group journeyed back to their camp in silence, wondering what was going on in this odd Elven assassin's mind. Independently, they all came to the same conclusion; perhaps not every Elf was 'evil' after all.
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The Man greeted the Elf and his followers with a relieved smile upon their return. But the mage did not need to read Aragorn's mind to know that the Man had convinced himself to show his 'joy' for pragmatic reasons. Legolas was certain that Aragorn believed everything was just an act and that he did not care about his followers at all. Lies and games were so much a part of the Man's life that deceiving himself along with the others had become natural. It would be a challenge to lure the Man out of this model he created to please Sauron. But Legolas had yet to lose a fight in his entire existence. He was not about to start now.
"Glad to see us?" asked the Prince casually as he moved to kneel by his injured friend's side. His action also brought him face to face with Aragorn who glared at him.
During his absence, the Man had asked his soldiers to help him sit up. Haldir's injured head no longer rested on the cold, hard ground; instead, the Elf was moved so that he now used Aragorn's muscular thighs as a warm pillow. To see to the comfort of an unconscious lover was not something a heartless Man would do. Aragorn was definitely not as bad as he believed himself to be.
"What makes you think that?" retorted the Man. He had shown the Prince nothing but antagonism so far. It would be 'unnatural' if he switched to his charming self immediately. He must appear annoyed that the mage had found his 'secret'.
"A hunch," said the Elf with a smile. Smiling was something he practiced for Haldir. For someone without emotions, smiles did not come easy. As the Prince really wanted the Lòrien Elf to know he appreciated his company, Legolas had stood in front of a mirror for hours, training his facial muscles to give a 'natural-looking' smile. He never thought he would be showing this to the Man. But he was doing it for Haldir's happiness, which made it all worthwhile.
Aragorn could not help being a little stunned and thrown off his original scheme as he watched Legolas check the bandaging on Haldir's head. The Golden Elf had the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. The Man could not believe he had failed to notice how positively gorgeous the assassin was before. Silken tresses, spun of glittering gold, framed the Prince's delicately sculpted face. Exquisite azure eyes, gazing at the Lòrien Elf, showed a slight trace of warmth as his full, rosy lips curved to give a shy, but sensuous smile.
Somehow, the Man knew the mage had learnt to smile this way for Haldir; and with that thought came an intense rush of irrational jealousy towards the silver-haired beauty. It was a long while before his mind calmed enough to realize that none of this made sense. He was not attracted to the assassin; he only wanted to turn him into a slave for his father. Legolas' affection for his own lover was just a minor problem that needed to be solved; he had no reason to be jealous at all.
To make this more inexplicable, Aragorn had never been jealous of anyone before. Whatever he wanted, he got either by trickery or by force. But when the Mirkwood Elf gently touched Haldir's forehead, the Man was once again overwhelmed with jealousy. This was when he realized the mage must have been playing with his senses. He did not know what Legolas wished to achieve by tampering with his mind; but whatever it was, Aragorn was determined not to lose sight of his original purpose.
Seeing the strange expression on Aragorn's face, the Prince arched his brow and asked, "What's wrong?"
The Man was tempted to yell at Legolas, "You know full well what is wrong", but he did not. He was the Lord of Fire; playing with other people's emotions was HIS specialty. Giving the Mirkwood Elf a seductive smile of his own, Aragorn replied huskily, "Nothing in particular. Just wondering how your lips would taste like. They look absolutely delicious when you smile."
To say the Man's response startled the unflappable Prince was an understatement. It shocked the Elf so much that he did not realize this was all just part of Aragorn's game. Legolas had been told all his life that he was an aberration of nature. None of their allies, Elves or Men, had ever found a creature like him desirable. Haldir was nice to him, but had only considered him a friend. It was impossible that Aragorn, who had the beautiful Lòrien Elf as lover, would make a suggestive comment to him; yet unless his ears deceived him, the inconceivable had just occurred. Not knowing how to react, Legolas began to blush and turned away.
This was not what Aragorn expected. He thought the mage would be offended. Instead, the Elf acted like a shy virgin receiving his first proposition from a male. This, of course, was not possible. A beauty like Legolas should have ample admirers. The Man would have reached out to force the Prince to face him if he could move. But since he could not, he had to settle for teasing the Elf instead. "What's this? A fearless Elven assassin scared of a cripple?"
The Man's taunt broke the spell his earlier words had on the Elf mage. The Prince now knew Aragorn had deemed him the newest 'opponent' in a mind-game and was just playing with him. Legolas was too angry at the moment to realize that this was the third time in one night the Man had made him feel emotions more intense than anything he had ever felt in his life. Furious, he spun round to face Aragorn, his azure eyes burning with a cold fire that sent chills down the Man's spine and seared his soul at the same time. In a quiet yet heated voice, the Elf whispered, "Whatever game you want to play with me, don't. You will not live to regret it."
With that warning, the assassin strolled away from their camp, scarcely aware that he had allowed the Man to best him this time. While Legolas had yet to penetrate the layers of deceit that imprisoned Aragorn's heart, the Man managed to thaw the armor of ice around his and made him angry. This time, the Prince of Ice had finally met his match.
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"We should leave now, my lord," suggested Garekk after he was certain the assassin was out of earshot.
"I have decided to go with them to Mirkwood. But I do not expect you to follow," announced the Man. He wanted his soldiers to come. But as he was sure that they would not abandon him regardless, he would give them a choice. It would make him appear democratic, though things were guaranteed to go his way in the end.
"We will follow you, my lord," replied the Orc general on behalf of the group. None of them were looking forward to traveling towards Elven lands, but they would not leave their leader to face danger alone. They would remain with Aragorn to protect him.
"Good," smiled Aragorn gratefully. Now that business was taken care of, it was time to gather more information on the assassin. To know one's opponent was the key to success. "How is it that you are traveling with the Elf?"
"We found him at your previous camp, my lord. He suggested we work together to rescue you and his friend from the spiders," summarized Garekk with a frown. He saw the exchange between his leader and the Elf mage. He knew the Prince's warning would not deter his lord. Once Aragorn's mind was set on something, he would not rest until he succeeded. But the Orc also knew how powerful the assassin was. He could not help worrying about his master's safety.
"He is a strange one, isn't he?" commented the Man to no one in particular. He wished his lover were conscious since Haldir would probably be able to provide him with a lot of useful information.
"Yes, my Lord. Not only did he saved us from the spiders, he actually helped me when I tripped," concurred Narod, still amazed at how 'nice' the Elf was to them.
"I see," muttered Aragorn, deep in thought. Though the Elf's behavior did not make much sense, the Man was certain that despite his icy demeanor, the Prince had a weak spot when it came to caring about the Orc soldiers. This was something he should keep in mind, a weakness he could exploit later.
The Man's musing was interrupted when the Lòrien Elf moaned softly in his sleep. Haldir had shifted his head and was now lying on his cut. Looking fondly at the silver-haired beauty, Aragorn used his good arm to position the Elf's head on his leg. Without thought, the Man moved his hand gently to soothe the frown that creased the Elf's brow and whispered, "Don't worry, beautiful. Everything will be all right. I won't let anything happen to you."
With the pressure on his injury relieved, the Guardian of Lòrien sighed blissfully in his slumber, jolting the Man into full realization of his own behavior. This prompted Aragorn to immediately stop his caress as he began to chastise himself. The Lòrien Elf was not even awake to appreciate his show of concern! The Man could not believe he had unconsciously slipped into his 'considerate Aragorn' act for no good reason, in front of his men no less. When Legolas returned, he would turn his attention towards the golden Elf. It would be a welcomed break from pretending to be Haldir's gentle lover; he had become too involved in these performances for his own comfort.
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Please, please review.
Sorry for not updating for so long. Been busy doing other stuff.. But here is another chapter, proof that I haven't given up on this story =) Hope you like it. Oh, Ithildin who betas all my other A/L is now beta-ing for this. Thanks =)
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Chapter Five:
Aragorn was surprised to find his men waiting for them at a small camp. He was even more shocked when Garrekk, his second-in-command, called out to question the Elven Prince. "Do you have my Lord, assassin?"
"Yes," answered Legolas as he walked to join the group before laying the cocoon he carried gently onto the ground. Carefully, he slit it open to reveal Aragorn and Haldir.
"What is wrong with lord Aragorn?" demanded the Orc as he noticed the Man had not moved.
"I hit some pressure points on his spine and shoulder. He will be unable to walk or move his right arm for the next two days," replied the Prince casually as he moved to examine Haldir's wound.
The soldiers, enraged at the treatment of their lord, would have attacked the assassin if Aragorn had not stopped them. As much as he hated the Prince, Haldir's health came first. As the Man was wounded and could not treat the Lòrien Elf's injuries, he would have to rely on Legolas to care for his lover. "Stand down, men."
Taking some bandages from his pack, the Prince bound his older friend's wounds. Looking at Aragorn intensely, he spoke, "I am a killer, not a healer. This is all I can do for him. We need to bring him back to Mirkwood as soon as possible."
The Orcs let out a wave of protest before the Man silenced them. "If we don't?"
"He will die," lied the Prince in a serious tone. It was the first time he ever used deception to manipulate another; he did not like lying but knew it was necessary. And he was very convincing for his first try as Aragorn now deliberated his options with a torn expression. Once again, the Prince was correct in his assumption that the Man cared more about his wounded lover than he wanted to admit.
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Having observed the exchange between his men and the assassin, Aragorn knew the Prince was too powerful for the Orcs to fight. If he refused to accompany the Elf, his men would undoubtedly be killed in the battle that ensued and he would be dragged before Thranduil nonetheless. He could not allow his soldiers to sacrifice their lives needlessly. Besides, he wanted to make certain that Haldir was safe. Not that he cared much about the Elf; but the Guardian of Lòrien was his lover, and thus, his 'possession'. It was a matter of pride to always take care of what belonged to him. But Aragorn was Sauron's heir; he could not possibly surrender to his enemy without a fight. It would be a disgrace to the Dark Lord; and, that, he could not allow.
The Man spent his entire life trying to please his sire. He knew the Dark Lord thought of caring for others as a weakness; so ever since he was a child, he tried to close his heart. Though he cried every night in the lonely darkness of his rooms, he persisted. As he grew older, despite the assault of his conscience, which heaped shame and guilt upon him with each atrocious act he committed as the Lord of Fire, he strived to be a Man his father would be proud of.
It was a hard battle, fighting against his conscience and his heart, but Aragorn won in the end. Over the years, he had grown numb as cruelty and mind-games became second nature, a reflex that no longer required thought. He could not abandon his secret hope for his father's love now, when the Dark Lord finally began to believe in his competence. But before Aragorn could refuse to go with the assassin, he noticed the captain of his guards, along with five of his elite soldiers were missing. They would never agree to being left out of this rescue mission. With an urgent sense of dread, the Man asked, "Where is Narod and his team?"
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The mage began to chastise himself the moment Aragorn voiced his question. He should have noticed that five of the original group was missing. Some leader he would make if he could not even notice details like this! "All of you stay here. I will go get them."
The Prince's word surprised his companions. None of them understood why an Elf would risk his life to search for a handful of Orcs. The group continued to stare at the Prince with suspicion even when Legolas added, "I have a score to settle with the spiders. I cannot let them get away with what they did to Haldir."
The assassin's charade did not fool Aragorn. He could detect a minute trace of concern in the Elf's words. This did not make sense at all. It was a law of nature for Elves and Orcs to hate and kill each other; yet this strange one seemed to be an exception to the rule. To say the Man found this genuinely intriguing was an understatement. "Aren't you afraid we will run away with Haldir when you are away?"
"No. You don't seem the type who will leave your own men behind," replied the Prince before turning to disappear into the forest.
The Man was taken back by the Elf's answer. Not that the mage was wrong. Aragorn would never leave his soldiers behind. It had nothing to do with his integrity or his 'concern' for his men. It was simply an act to boast morale and make his warriors believed they were important units of a whole. He knew the assassin felt nothing but contempt for him, yet the Prince trusted him enough to stay. Legolas was quickly becoming a very fascinating enigma that the Man wished to decipher. Aragorn had a feeling it would not be easy, but nothing interested him more than a good challenge.
Besides, Legolas had not displayed any of the typical 'goodness and light' that the other Elves possessed. Unlike his kindred, the Prince did not have the hatred towards all creatures of darkness, nor did he show love for all things in nature. Thus far, the assassin's allegiance seemed only towards Haldir. Perhaps, that meant the Elf-mage could be turned to serve the Dark Lord. Legolas was a superb fighter and would be a valuable asset to their cause. Though the Man hated the Prince for besting him twice in combat, he would try to charm the Mirkwood Elf. He was confident that given enough time, he could steal Legolas' heart as he did Haldir's. He would journey to Mirkwood with the two Elves. After all, if he could sway the Prince into siding with him, escaping from Thranduil's realm would not be a problem.
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Legolas found the Orcs surrounded by spiders in a small clearing not far from the arachnids' lair. He watched from his vantage point as the soldiers valiantly fought the beasts despite being outnumbered. The Prince could not help but take note of their courage in this hopeless battle. Aragorn had trained these Orcs well. When one spider made a deep gash in the leading Orc's thigh, Legolas decided he had been watching long enough. Nimbly jumping off of the branch he perched upon to stand in front of the offending arachnid, he commented, "It's time you pick on someone your own size."
The spiders laughed at the arrogance of the single Elf before them. "Do you think a puny creature like you can stand against our combined strength? I will squash you like an ant!" As it finished his threat, the creature raised his leg to strike the Prince.
But Legolas was no longer in front of the spider. Perplexed, the creature looked around for his prey; but its investigation was stopped short when two knives stabbed deep into its neck, severing its nerve cord. The blow killed the arachnid instantly, before it realized what had happened. As the dead spider collapsed, the Prince somersaulted onto his next target to deliver his touch of death.
As the assassin leapt onto his third victim, the spiders had recovered enough to react. A spider jumped at the Elf as he plunged his knives into the neck of his latest prey. Gracefully, the Prince pulled out his blades and leapt off the dead creature's back to avoid the attack. Fast as lightning, the assassin rolled under his assailant, bringing up his knives to split open the creature's soft belly. Before the spider fell, Legolas was on the move again, rolling out to avoid being crushed by the weight of his now dead assailant. Another creature tried to rush at the Prince, but its only reward was a well-aimed arrow through the mouth. Within two minute, five spiders laid dead on the forest floor.
The arachnids, though not very intelligent, realized that this lone Elf was much more than what he seemed. Most started to flee; but some still remained, led by a large female. They hissed as they circled the group of Orcs and Elf, trying to find an opening to catch the assassin unaware.
So far, Legolas had fought without magic. He was saving it all for a special moment to make an example out of the leader of the group. Deliberately, the Prince stowed his knives away in their sheaves behind his back and taunted with an icy smile, "Come on now, I am waiting."
Narrowing its eyes, the large female spider leapt at the now 'defenseless' Elf, thinking to crush him under her weight. But before she landed, the mage held out his hand, sending gusts of wind to keep her suspended in the air, a prisoner in the storm that originated from Legolas' fingertips. "Breath of the Earth that I let flow, lend me your power and destroy the one who stands before me."
As the mage finished his incantation, the walls of the spider's invisible prison collapsed, the blades of wind slicing through the creature's body. The force of the gale was so great that the spider was cut cleanly into many pieces before blood had time to sprout from the slashes. When the last of the arachnid's remains hit the floor, the Prince turned his attention to the other beasts, watching them with emotionless eyes as he asked, "So who is next?"
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The spiders flew out of sight as fast as their eight legs would carry them. It would be a while before they dared attack any Orc or Elf that ventured into this part of the forest. After blinking his azure eyes to banish the icy, dead expression he always wore in battle, the Prince walked to join Aragorn's soldiers. "Can you walk?"
"Yes," replied Narod, shocked that the Elf had bothered to inquire on his condition. But then, that might be because the assassin wanted to kill him if he could not walk so he would not slow their progress. One could never trust an Elf.
"Good," answered the Prince as he turned to head back to camp, mindful to slow his steps so the wounded soldier and his group could keep up.
The captain of the guards was so busy being perplexed by the strange Elf that he failed to see a protruding root in his way and tripped. He would have gone flying to the floor if Legolas had not moved to catch him. As the Orc looked up in surprise at his 'savior', the Prince steadied him before letting go. Within a few seconds, Legolas had moved back to his original position at the head of the group. The other Orcs who witnessed the event were equally stunned by this act of 'kindness'. It was not right for an Elf to help an Orc. Though curiosity burnt in their minds, the warriors had witnessed the mage's powers and did not wish to vex him. Thus, the group journeyed back to their camp in silence, wondering what was going on in this odd Elven assassin's mind. Independently, they all came to the same conclusion; perhaps not every Elf was 'evil' after all.
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The Man greeted the Elf and his followers with a relieved smile upon their return. But the mage did not need to read Aragorn's mind to know that the Man had convinced himself to show his 'joy' for pragmatic reasons. Legolas was certain that Aragorn believed everything was just an act and that he did not care about his followers at all. Lies and games were so much a part of the Man's life that deceiving himself along with the others had become natural. It would be a challenge to lure the Man out of this model he created to please Sauron. But Legolas had yet to lose a fight in his entire existence. He was not about to start now.
"Glad to see us?" asked the Prince casually as he moved to kneel by his injured friend's side. His action also brought him face to face with Aragorn who glared at him.
During his absence, the Man had asked his soldiers to help him sit up. Haldir's injured head no longer rested on the cold, hard ground; instead, the Elf was moved so that he now used Aragorn's muscular thighs as a warm pillow. To see to the comfort of an unconscious lover was not something a heartless Man would do. Aragorn was definitely not as bad as he believed himself to be.
"What makes you think that?" retorted the Man. He had shown the Prince nothing but antagonism so far. It would be 'unnatural' if he switched to his charming self immediately. He must appear annoyed that the mage had found his 'secret'.
"A hunch," said the Elf with a smile. Smiling was something he practiced for Haldir. For someone without emotions, smiles did not come easy. As the Prince really wanted the Lòrien Elf to know he appreciated his company, Legolas had stood in front of a mirror for hours, training his facial muscles to give a 'natural-looking' smile. He never thought he would be showing this to the Man. But he was doing it for Haldir's happiness, which made it all worthwhile.
Aragorn could not help being a little stunned and thrown off his original scheme as he watched Legolas check the bandaging on Haldir's head. The Golden Elf had the most beautiful smile he had ever seen. The Man could not believe he had failed to notice how positively gorgeous the assassin was before. Silken tresses, spun of glittering gold, framed the Prince's delicately sculpted face. Exquisite azure eyes, gazing at the Lòrien Elf, showed a slight trace of warmth as his full, rosy lips curved to give a shy, but sensuous smile.
Somehow, the Man knew the mage had learnt to smile this way for Haldir; and with that thought came an intense rush of irrational jealousy towards the silver-haired beauty. It was a long while before his mind calmed enough to realize that none of this made sense. He was not attracted to the assassin; he only wanted to turn him into a slave for his father. Legolas' affection for his own lover was just a minor problem that needed to be solved; he had no reason to be jealous at all.
To make this more inexplicable, Aragorn had never been jealous of anyone before. Whatever he wanted, he got either by trickery or by force. But when the Mirkwood Elf gently touched Haldir's forehead, the Man was once again overwhelmed with jealousy. This was when he realized the mage must have been playing with his senses. He did not know what Legolas wished to achieve by tampering with his mind; but whatever it was, Aragorn was determined not to lose sight of his original purpose.
Seeing the strange expression on Aragorn's face, the Prince arched his brow and asked, "What's wrong?"
The Man was tempted to yell at Legolas, "You know full well what is wrong", but he did not. He was the Lord of Fire; playing with other people's emotions was HIS specialty. Giving the Mirkwood Elf a seductive smile of his own, Aragorn replied huskily, "Nothing in particular. Just wondering how your lips would taste like. They look absolutely delicious when you smile."
To say the Man's response startled the unflappable Prince was an understatement. It shocked the Elf so much that he did not realize this was all just part of Aragorn's game. Legolas had been told all his life that he was an aberration of nature. None of their allies, Elves or Men, had ever found a creature like him desirable. Haldir was nice to him, but had only considered him a friend. It was impossible that Aragorn, who had the beautiful Lòrien Elf as lover, would make a suggestive comment to him; yet unless his ears deceived him, the inconceivable had just occurred. Not knowing how to react, Legolas began to blush and turned away.
This was not what Aragorn expected. He thought the mage would be offended. Instead, the Elf acted like a shy virgin receiving his first proposition from a male. This, of course, was not possible. A beauty like Legolas should have ample admirers. The Man would have reached out to force the Prince to face him if he could move. But since he could not, he had to settle for teasing the Elf instead. "What's this? A fearless Elven assassin scared of a cripple?"
The Man's taunt broke the spell his earlier words had on the Elf mage. The Prince now knew Aragorn had deemed him the newest 'opponent' in a mind-game and was just playing with him. Legolas was too angry at the moment to realize that this was the third time in one night the Man had made him feel emotions more intense than anything he had ever felt in his life. Furious, he spun round to face Aragorn, his azure eyes burning with a cold fire that sent chills down the Man's spine and seared his soul at the same time. In a quiet yet heated voice, the Elf whispered, "Whatever game you want to play with me, don't. You will not live to regret it."
With that warning, the assassin strolled away from their camp, scarcely aware that he had allowed the Man to best him this time. While Legolas had yet to penetrate the layers of deceit that imprisoned Aragorn's heart, the Man managed to thaw the armor of ice around his and made him angry. This time, the Prince of Ice had finally met his match.
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"We should leave now, my lord," suggested Garekk after he was certain the assassin was out of earshot.
"I have decided to go with them to Mirkwood. But I do not expect you to follow," announced the Man. He wanted his soldiers to come. But as he was sure that they would not abandon him regardless, he would give them a choice. It would make him appear democratic, though things were guaranteed to go his way in the end.
"We will follow you, my lord," replied the Orc general on behalf of the group. None of them were looking forward to traveling towards Elven lands, but they would not leave their leader to face danger alone. They would remain with Aragorn to protect him.
"Good," smiled Aragorn gratefully. Now that business was taken care of, it was time to gather more information on the assassin. To know one's opponent was the key to success. "How is it that you are traveling with the Elf?"
"We found him at your previous camp, my lord. He suggested we work together to rescue you and his friend from the spiders," summarized Garekk with a frown. He saw the exchange between his leader and the Elf mage. He knew the Prince's warning would not deter his lord. Once Aragorn's mind was set on something, he would not rest until he succeeded. But the Orc also knew how powerful the assassin was. He could not help worrying about his master's safety.
"He is a strange one, isn't he?" commented the Man to no one in particular. He wished his lover were conscious since Haldir would probably be able to provide him with a lot of useful information.
"Yes, my Lord. Not only did he saved us from the spiders, he actually helped me when I tripped," concurred Narod, still amazed at how 'nice' the Elf was to them.
"I see," muttered Aragorn, deep in thought. Though the Elf's behavior did not make much sense, the Man was certain that despite his icy demeanor, the Prince had a weak spot when it came to caring about the Orc soldiers. This was something he should keep in mind, a weakness he could exploit later.
The Man's musing was interrupted when the Lòrien Elf moaned softly in his sleep. Haldir had shifted his head and was now lying on his cut. Looking fondly at the silver-haired beauty, Aragorn used his good arm to position the Elf's head on his leg. Without thought, the Man moved his hand gently to soothe the frown that creased the Elf's brow and whispered, "Don't worry, beautiful. Everything will be all right. I won't let anything happen to you."
With the pressure on his injury relieved, the Guardian of Lòrien sighed blissfully in his slumber, jolting the Man into full realization of his own behavior. This prompted Aragorn to immediately stop his caress as he began to chastise himself. The Lòrien Elf was not even awake to appreciate his show of concern! The Man could not believe he had unconsciously slipped into his 'considerate Aragorn' act for no good reason, in front of his men no less. When Legolas returned, he would turn his attention towards the golden Elf. It would be a welcomed break from pretending to be Haldir's gentle lover; he had become too involved in these performances for his own comfort.
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