Chapter 4

Legolas sighed, relieved when the lock finally clicked open.
"Well," he said to his brother and sisters, "we're out of here." When he didn't get a reaction, he looked behind.

Limloeth sat leaned against the wall, one of her arms wrapped around Lanthir who at next to her. His head rested gently on her shoulder. Lanthir's arms were wrapped round Lainfea, who sat on his lap, leaning against his chest. Legolas smiled at the scene. Somehow, covered in orc-blood, with three dead orcs lying around, in a prison, and during an escape attempt, his siblings had managed to fall asleep. It made Legolas realize how much each of them trusted him. He felt honored, yet at the same time, frightened.
"I don't know if I can do this," he whispered. "I don't know if I can keep you safe. I'm trying, but... I just don't know…" he sighed.

He decided to wake Lanthir and arrange the orc bodies so that it looked like they had killed each other. That was a better plan than dumping the body's into the river, because it would draw the attention away from the sewer door. They just had to find a way to take the orcs knives with them, without losing the credibility of the orc-killed-orc scene. Lanthir would help. He was good at creating stories and situations. The doubt that had crept into Legolas' heart disappeared with the making practical plans.

The first thing Legolas did was to carefully lift Lainfea out of Lanthir's lap. He made an improvised bed out of the backpack, and put her sister on it, careful not to wake her. His action caused a chain reaction:
Lanthir woke in alarm when the weight was lifted of his lap, his movement
causing Limloeth to wake as well. "It's just me," Legolas reassured. "Come on. I've
managed to open the door."

With Lanthir's imagination working at top speed, they managed to create an orc-killed orc-scene very quickly. As Legolas had predicted, Lanthir had found a way to explain the stab-wounds without using the knives, by hanging two of the orcs on pins on the wall, normally used for candles. One of them held the long pin Legolas had used to pick the lock in a death grip, to explain the stabwound of the orc lying on the floor.

When he looked at the result, Legolas shivered when he thought that it was his little brother that had created this scene. He wondered if the elf was too deeply touched by the darkness to come back from it. He was also worried about Limloeth, who still turned a little green when she looked at the orc she killed. He wondered if she would kill again if needed. In spite of what he had said to her, her hesitation to act had made him doubt she could be trusted to kill a second time.

It was one of the reasons why he was glad he had two knives of his own now. He had inprovised two sheaths from a spare blanket so that the knives could be tied
to his back, within his reach if necessary, but unable to accidentally hurt Lainfea sleeping in his arms.

When he opened the door he took a deep breath. This was it. When they passed through this door, they would be out of the prison. It was the end of twenty years of captivity. Those twenty years had been long and hard, even for an elf. A lot had happened in those years and nothing of it good. He felt the elfling in his arms move when she put a thumb into her mouth.
'No,' thought Legolas. He took that back. Some good had happened, and it was about time to show her the true meaning of life.

"Legolas...I'm tired," Lanthir said. They had been walking through the sewers for
hours now. Legolas had had no idea the underground river was this long. He
sighed. "We are all tired. But we have to go on."

"I'm not tired," Lainfea said.
"Of course you're not tired," Lanthir said. "You are being carried. If someone would carry me I wouldn't be tired either."
"If you promise you will stop whining, I will carry you for a while," Limloeth offered.
"I don't want to be carried by you! You are a girl. I don't wan't to be carried by a girl," Lanthir replied.
"Well. Then I guess you will just have to walk, won't you?" Limloeth said angrily. Lanthir stuck out his tongue, but kept quiet.

For a while they went on without complaints.
"Legolas…I'm thirsty," Lainfea informed her older brother.
"We are all thirsty. But we have to go on," Legolas said.
"But I feel like I can't swallow anymore," Lainfea said, sounding as miserable as she could.

"Listen," Legolas said. "Can you see that rock further up ahead?" Lainfea nodded. "We will all drink when we reach that rock. Is that alright with you?" Lainfea nodded once more. "Good," Legolas sighed, relieved.

"How come Lainfea always gets her way?" Lanthir moped. "It is not fair.
She gets water…"
"I said: we will all get water," Legolas said, glancing back at him.
"She gets to be carried."
Legolas glared at his brother. "You know very well why Lainfea gets carried.
She is younger than you are. A mere child! She can't walk this far. You know that. You also know why we have to keep moving. We don't want to be caught again. Or do you want to go back to the prison again?" Legolas said testily. His patience as growing quite thin. Lanthir glared at him.
"No," he answered grumpily. "Well," Legolas said. "In that case, you will be strong and walk on without whining."

"It is still not fair," Lanthir said softly. While he walked he stamped his feet, to show he didn't agree.
"If you continue to walk like that it will only tire you more," Limloeth said.
"Will not," Lanthir responded.
"Yes it will."
"Will not."
"Will."
"SHUT UP!" Legolas said quickly ending the arguement.
"Hush, or nobody gets to drink!" Lainfea looked up in shock.
"But I didn't do anything wrong!"
"Legolas…" Limloeth started to say. Legolas closed his eyes. He wished he had someone to whine to. He wished his father were here, so he could whine about his sore feet. About the hunger he felt. About the weight of Lainfea in his arms. About how he simply wished to be home. 'Why can't we go home, Ada? I'don't want to be here anymore…'

He opened his eyes again. "Please Limloeth," he whispered. "Please don't start whining as well. I know it's hard. I know you are hungry and thirsty and your feet hurt. But we have to go on. Don't you understand? We have to go on."

"I do understand. And I wasn't whining. I was just trying to tell you I think we have reached the end of the sewers. Look!" Legolas looked up.
Up ahead could indeed see the end of the tunnel. They would be out of the sewer soon. Out of the sewer… and into Mordor.

Gemini969: Thanks!