Chapter 21

Lainfea didn't wait for her brothers to catch up, and began running the moment she had whistled, tugging Limloeth along. Her sister moved much slower than the Lainfea had expected her to. Maybe Limloeth had lied when she had said she could run. In that case Lainfea shouldn't have whistled.
That is what Legolas had instructed her.

She glanced behind her shoulder. Legolas and Lanthir were gradually drawing nearer.
The moment they caught up, everything would be alright. Her brothers never failed to make everything right again. Just a few moments...

Legolas shouldered his bow as he saw his sisters' slow progress. He would have to carry Limloeth; they were moving much too slow. Legolas didn't look back to see how close the orcs had gotten, because he didn't want to know.
He had to believe he could outrun them. He just had to hope.

"Lainfea, you will have to run by yourself this time."
Legolas shouted to his sister as he got closer. The girl nodded, let go of her older sister hand and sprinted ahead. A second later Legolas reached Limloeth and scooped her into his arms, ignoring the frustrated look on her face at having to be carried. Lanthir dashed past him, following Lainfea.
Legolas was close behind, Limloeth in his arms. The orcs still pursued them.
'I can do this,' Legolas told himself silently. 'I can.'

Lanthir passed Lainfea and lead the way. They had agreed on a place where they would stop and hide, but Lanthir ran past it at full speed. Legolas hesitated. "What are you doing?" he called out to his brother.
"The orcs are too close!" his brother answered over his shoulder. "They'll see where we hide!
Follow me, I have a plan!"
Legolas shifted the weight of Limloeth a bit and followed his brother, trusting that he had made a good decision.

They ran faster then the orcs, even little Lainfea with her short legs and Legolas carrying the weight of his older sister. They gained distance, but not enough to hide without the orcs seeing it. "Lanthir?" Legolas asked, between heavy breaths. The older sister, he found, was much heavier than the younger. "Where are we going?"
"Where the orcs will not follow. Trust me," Lanthir said before running ahead, scouting for hidden dangers.

Lainfea had been running silently, her blond ponytail swinging from side to side with every stride. She had followed her brother without asking questions or complaining. She knew they had to keep ahead of the orcs. "We have to hurry, Bear." she said.
Then she realized something and went into a panic. She whipped around, and darted back towards the orcs.

Legolas saw it happening, but he no hands free to prevent it.
"LAINFEA!" he shouted. "Lanthir! Lainfea! LANTHIR, get Lainfea!"
His brother immediately turned as well, sprinting to his sister at full speed.
"LAINFEA!" he shouted as Legolas had. The girl heard, but kept running in the direction of the orcs. Legolas stopped. He felt as if he couldn't move, he couldn't do anything but watch. The orcs were closing in on his little sister.

But Lanthir reached her first and scooped her up in his arms. Lainfea resisted him with all her might.
"What are you doing?" Lanthir yelled, not letting go.
The girl used both of her hands to pound on his shoulders.
"Let me go! Let me GO!" she shouted hysterically.
Lanthir only increased his grip, to the point where he feared he was actually hurting her, but there was no way he would let Lainfea run into the throng of orcs. He started running in the opposite direction again, as fast as he could without letting go of the squirming girl in his arms.
"GO!" he shouted as he ran passed Legolas. His brother shook his head as he woke from his shock.

The girl in Lanthir's arms realized she wouldn't win this fight and stared over her brothers shoulders, staring at the place they were running away from, crying huge tears that trickled down her cheeks. Lanthir noticed and quickly adjusted his grip on her to something closer to a hug.

"Why are you crying, little one?" he whispered softly in her ear. "What is so wrong?"
The elfling hiccupped a few times, and then came the answer, softly and immensly sad. "Bear," she whispered. "I lost Bear during the sneaking."

As the daylight faded into twilight, they finally gained enough distance on the orcs to let them disappear, even from elvish sight. The brothers slowed their rundown to a walk, grateful they finally could get some rest. Legolas put the extremely frustrated Limloeth on her own two feet again and took the sleeping Lainfea from his brother.

The elfling had tried so hard to stay awake, trying to convince her brothers that there was no way in the world she would ever be able to sleep without Bear, but her body had betrayed her, and she had eventually dozed off.

Legolas felt so sorry for her. She had found something to love, a way to be less afraid. For a few weeks she had been a normal little girl, who played, and pretended her toy was alive.
By following him, she had lost that life again, as quickly as it was gained. Lainfea had not lost a toy today, she had lost a friend. A friend she could tell secrets to, and a friend that would keep her safe. Her cheeks were still damp with tears.

"Legolas? "Lanthir said as he walked beside his brother. "Let's stop here for the night," Legolas shook his head. As much as he would like to do that, the orcs were still following.
"Not until we have found shelter."
Lanthir spread his arms and turned around. "Can't you see were we are?" he asked. "This is our shelter. This is the place I was leading us to. No orc will ever follow us here!"

Legolas looked around, not understanding what Lanthir meant. There were no trees here, and no rocks. There weren't even bushes large enough to hide behind. He gave Lanthir a puzzled look.
"It is a swamp. I knew about it from a book I read. " Lanthir explained. "No orc would follow us into a swamp. They can't walk like elves. They would be sucked in within the minute."
Lanthir looked very pleased with his own cleverness.
Legolas smiled. One part of his brother would never change.
"Alright," Legolas agreed. "If you can find a place dry enough to stay at for a while, we will camp there."
"Consider it done," Lanthir said, as he darted off to scout ahead.

Limloeth still walked silently besides Legolas. She moved stiffly, and looked very pale. She hadn't spoken since Lainfea had asked her if she could run. She was exhausted, felt terrible, and was disgusted with her weakness.
"Can't you heal yourself?" Legolas asked.
She shook her head. "I can't heal anyone right now. I have to rest first.
Then, maybe, I'll try."
"Lanthir is scouting for a place." Legolas tried the cheer her up. "He is right. The orcs will not follow us here."
She shook her head again. "I don't like this place," she said. "It feels... wrong."
They were silent for a while as Legolas tried to feel what she felt.
"And I don't think those lights were there before." Limloeth pointed.

Legolas had to agree.
"Maybe it's Lanthir." He tried to come up with a logic explanation, but Lanthir chose that moment to arrive, from a completely different direction.
"I found the perfect place to rest," he said triumphantly, albeit a little out of breath.
"Lanthir?" his brother asked him. "Do you see those little lights over there?" Lanthir followed his brothers finger with his eyes and swallowed.
"I thougt those were only stories," he said with a hoarse voice.
" Lanth..." Legolas asked suspiciously, "What exactly is this place?"

Lanthir took a deep breath. "It is what is left of Dagorlad," he said, and swallowed once more.
"Otherwise know as the Dead Marshes."

TBC...

Moonshine44: Thanks!

Rutu: Well I couldn't post trice.. When you reviewed the second time it was 2 at nigth here, and I was asleep.

CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur: Grin. I'm smiling again.

Karone Evertree: Yes, feeling the orcs pain must really hurt.

Nessa Ar-Feiniel: I bet they did too. They really need to be together. And yes, it couls have been one chapter. But then I would skip the nice : "OH NO , LIMLOETH!" Cliffie. And that would be a shame.