Chapter 24

They ran after Lanthir as fast as they could, trying to catch up with him. Legolas wished he had checked the water yesterday, so he would have known what to fear, but he had forgotten about it. He had been too tired, too worn out to do anything more than sit, and now it meant he was running towards an unknown danger.

Suddently Limloeth stopped running and supported her head with a hand.
"It gets stronger" she said. "It gets stronger near the water."
"WHAT gets stronger near the water?" Legolas snapped.
He felt extremely frustrated. Lanthir knew what was wrong with the water, yet he ran ahead without telling Legolas, and Limloeth could feel something,but couldn't explain. He knew nothing. Just that something was wrong with the water and Lainfea was gone.
Limloeth looked at him sympathetically, a fact Legolas found even more annoying.
"The souls, Legolas. I can feel them getting stronger. Like we're get closer towards them..."

She was interrupted by Lanthir, further up ahead. Their brother had reached the water and yelled. The other two ignored Limloeth's feelings about the water and got there as fast as they could. Lanthir had fallen to his knees, clutching the empty waterskin Lainfea had taken. The little girl, however, was nowhere to be found.

"We are too late, we are too late" Lanthir kept repeating. "They got her, she is gone. We are too late." Limloeth began shivering. Legolas glared aside. Limloeth was growing extremely pale. He could see that somehow the grip the souls had on Limloeth was increased. They would have to get out of here fast. But not without Lainfea.

"Lanthir" he said placing a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Where is Lainfea?"
"We are too late" Lanthir whispered. "We are to late to prevent it."
Legolas resisted the urge to slap his brother in the face. Why couldn't any of his siblings just answer the questions he asked? Did they think he had some sort of mystical ability to understand everything?

He sighed. "We are too late to prevent what ?"
"Can't you feel it? They are pushing us, pulling us into the water. Can't you feel?"
Legolas was about to snap at Lanthir, but Limloeth nodded.
"Yes" she said, her eyes wide. "They are inviting us. Follow the lights. Lainfea followed the lights. Lanthir is right, we are too late to prevent it." Tears formed in her eyes.
"Who? Why? What are the two of you jammering about!" Legolas asked in disgust. His siblings would so need a few lessons sharing information when they got out of here.

None of them answered. The two of them were gazing at the water, feeling something Legolas could not feel. He followed their stare to the water and then he saw them for the first time. There were dead things floating in the water. Elves, men and orcs. It was as Limloeth had said; those who had fought here and were left behind.

He could feel their souls pulling at him and he suddenly understood what his siblings meant. They were inviting him into the water. "You are one of us" they said. "You fought hard, but failed. All that you care for is lost. Join us."

"It was my fault" Limloeth said beside him. "She went to get water to wake me. If I hadn't been so weak... I had been a warrior like you... It is all my fault."
But Lanthir interrupted. "You were asleep. Nothing of this was your fault. It was mine. I should have realized something was wrong. I should have realized she was missing. I was just so angry at you, I didn't notice. I let my pride get into the way of saving my sister. She needed me and I wasn't there. I am a monster."

But Legolas knew his brother wasn't. His siblings weren't to blame. They were not the ones responsible. He was. Being the eldest, he needed to take care of his siblings. But he had let Lainfea walk away when he should have prevented it. What kind of a protecter was he, if let a little child wander off alone in a haunted swamp?

Yet deep in his heart he knew why he had. He had trusted his little sister to be stronger than this. Deep in this heart he had trusted Lainfea's strength more than Limloeth's or Lanthir's. He had believed
that she would be above all this soul-nonsense. Lainfea was far too practical to be pulled into the water by a corpse.

Yet she was nowhere to be found. They had lost her.

His mind floated back twenty years ago.

A tiny baby lay in his mother's arms as he entered.

"Hello, sweetheart" she said smiling, ignoring the orcs as she smiled at her son. "Come and meet your little sister."
Legolas, however, did not look at the baby, he looked at his mother first. She had never looked this bad. Her skin had a yellowish, sickly glow, and there were bruises all over her face. She looked so tired. Yet when she looked at the new baby, her face looked happier than it had since when they were back in Greenwood.
He looked around to Limloeth and Lanthir, both cowering in the corner, staring at the orcs. One of the orcs spit at their mother, then they gave Legolas a last push and moved away.
"Come closer" their mother said"Come here, and meet this beautiful baby. You too, Lanth.. Lim.. Come here."

The three siblings all stood crowded around their mother and the newborn baby. The child looked so vulnerable. A small body with stick-arms and stick-legs.
"This" his mother said"Is little Lainfea. Isn't she beautiful?"
Legolas didn't think so, but the dared not say it. The girl looked much too weak.

"She needs you help a little bit, sweethearts. There is not much light here, so we all need to give her some. We all have to work together and shield her from the darkness a little. Will you do that? For Lainfea?"
Legolas looked at the baby once more. The child stared back. Legolas touched her cheek with his finger. The baby moved, and one of her little hands grasped his finger. Legolas could feel her grip, and knew he had been wrong about this child.
Little Lainfea was not weak at all.
"Nana... " he said. "Don't worry. I will protect her. I will keep her safe."

But he had failed. It was all his fault. He should have died in her place.

"Come on..." an unknown voice said in his head. " Come on... give your body to us. You don't want to live anymore. We do. Come on... Give your body to us... Meet that little one again."
He could almost feel fingers pulling at his body.
From the corner of his eye he could see Limloeth moving towards the water.

His mind struggled. She shouldn't do that. There was something wrong with the water. He couldn't remember why. But there was something wrong.

He could see Lanthir move as well.

"Come on..." the voice in his head spoke again. "You are guilty of your little sisters death. You do not deserve to live. I do. Give your body to me. Move towards the water."

But there was something wrong with the water. What was wrong with the water? He didn't remember. Limloeth and Lanthir had almost reached it. They were leaving him.

"Wait!" he said. They didn't listen.
"WAIT!" he said once more, and moved towards his siblings.
"WAIT FOR ME!"

"Are we all going swimming?"a little voice came from behind. "I love swimming!"

TBC..

Roguish Smile: Thanks

Moriarwen: Poor lanthir, poor limloeth, poor legolas , poor thranduil, poor lalaith?

Karone Evertree: No.. lain wasn't the one following the lights..

CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur: grin Lain is OK..

Nessa Ar-Feiniel: I will send you the map.. Tomorrow.. Promise.. Now, I'm of the bed.

Rutu: Now, you can review while I am sleeping...

moonshine44: Cool! I have written a weird story! ( could you explain in what way? I would Love to know)

As it is 1 at night were I live, I'm off to bed. See you all later.

Liek