Chapter 39

"Lim, can you walk?" Legolas asked his sister with a hint of worry in his voice. She was still shaking, but she shone brightly.
"Of course I can walk!" she said, and straighted her shoulders. "I can enchant an entire stream. Surely I am able to walk!" She took a few steps. Legolas could see it hurt her greatly to do so.
"Come on," he said. "I'll carry you."

She looked at him gratefully as he walked towards her. "I'm sorry I'm such a weak person..."
"Weak? You?" Lanthir answered. "You can enchant an entrire stream! Surely you cannot be weak!"

Legolas smiled at his brother.
"Let's move," he said. "Before the spiders on this side of the riverbank find us

"Yes. Let us be safely home before that happens," Limloeth said, and then she stared at her brothers in shock.
"We can be home tonight," she said.
"We really, really, can be home tonight!"

She smiled, but Legolas felt only sadness.
"We will be home tonight," he said. "But Nana won't. She will never be home again. And Lainfea... Lainfea..." his voice failed.

They all stood together in silence for a while, arms around each other, giving each other silent comfort and strength.
Three strong, young, elflings, that had almost made it. Almost.

After a few minutes, Legolas lifted his head, and wiped the tears from his eyes.
"We'd better get going," he said.
The others nodded.

Thranduil rode to the front line of his riders as fast as he could, ducking the branches that were in his way. The elvenking could feel the guard behind him on the horse was terrified, as the elvenking rode with a speed far
too dangerous for use in these woods.

But Thranduil didn't care. He had to stop his guards before they accidentally hurt, or scared, his little daugther. He would have to reach her first.

Before him he could see the little girl, and admired her intelligence.
She moved in a way across the trees that was almost impossible for the guards on horseback to follow. Though she moved a lot slower, she picked a route through the forest that made the distance between her and the guards
grow with every move she made. She wiggled herself between two trees that stood close together, and dove under low branches. She made other branches sweep backwards, which made it dangerous to follow her too close behind.
But Thranduil had hope.
They were getting closer to the forest stream, and that would hopefully slow her down enough to catch up with her.

The guard behind him yelled in alarm as Thranduil turned abruptly right, in order to follow his daugther's path.

Lanthir suddenly lifted his head.
"Do you hear that?" he asked.

Legolas, with Limloeth in his arms, stopped and listened as well.
"Horses," he said.
"And they are coming this way!" Limloeth added in alarm. "Do you think they could be elves?"
Legolas shrugged.
"Maybe," he said. "Or maybe not."
"Considering the luck we've had," Lanthir added dryly, "It's probably Morgoth himself."
Limloeth slapped him. "Don't say such things!"

Legolas put Limloeth on the ground and drew his knives.
"Lanthir is right. We should prepare for the worst. That way it can only get better."

Lainfea ran as fast as she could, but the horses were still following her.
They moved too fast.

As two horsemen go too close, she sharply turned right and moved along in another direction.
Another one of the mean elves got closer. He stretched out is hand to catch her, but Lainfea dove between the horses legs to the other side.
She was out of reach again. She looked her around and finally spotted something that made her smile again.
Everything would be alright.

Thranduil almost choked as he saw the risks the elfling took as she moved between the horses.
"STOP!" he shouted at his guards. "STOP! NOW!"
But it seemed they had all turned deaf.

They thundered on, in front of him, next to him, behind him. To Thranduil it seemed they were unstoppable, and he began to lose the hope that had built itself up so easily at the sight of his little girl.
And then, all of the sudden, they stopped.

Thranduil looked around, confused. All the faces of the elvenguards had the
same expression. They all stared open mouthed to a place in the woods.

Legolas had been prepared for anything, when suddenly something launched itself at him.
He had had only a few seconds to drop his knife and catch her safely into his arms.

"Lainfea?" he asked softly. "Where did you come from? Where have you been? We were so worried!"

The little girl clutched him, holding so tight that Legolas didn't think she would ever let him go.

"I...I went to get help," she said, between sobs . "But the help didn't help, and they wanted to lock me up, and they were chasing me, and they said I was lying, and I told the tall man your name, and I didn't mean to, but
it just happened, and they were all mean and...please don't be mad...?"
"I'm not mad," Legolas said, knowing that was what Lainfea wanted to hear most of all. With his free hand he wiped the tears off of the little girl's face. "Now," he continued. "Who did you say was chasing you?"

But the girl didn't have to answer. Lanthir tugged his brother's sleeve.
"Legolas... Look.
Just look."

Legolas looked up.

Thranduil followed the gaze of his warriors.

A cold shiver spread throughout his body, and he held his breath.
He didn't dare blink.

Legolas didn't move.

A large group of elven warriors had appeared before him, but he saw only one.
The one in the center, the tall blond one, who looked as if all his dreams had come true.

He stared, not believing it was real.

Seconds passed, and all they did was stare in each other's eyes, without moving, without breathing, while tears threatened to spill over.

It was Limloeth that broke the silence first. "Ada!" she cried, and ran towards him, throwing herself in his strong, safe arms. Lanthir followed suit.

Legolas carefully let go of the little child in his arms. "You found Ada, Lainfea. You found Ada and you brought him here. Now, go... meet him."
He gave her a little push in the right direction, a grin on his face.
Hestitating, she moved towards the elvenking, until she was pulled closer by Limloeth, who hugged her, and introduced her to their father.

Legolas stayed behind a bit, giving his siblings their moment.

He watched Limloeth wiggling herself safely into her father's arms.
He watched Lainfea giggle at something he said.
He watched Lanthir talk to his father about everything that had happend to them, complete with sound effects and rapid arm movements.

He watched Thranduil; how he laughed at Lanthir's story, how he rubbed Limloeth's back, how he gave Lainfea enough distance to get used to him, without excluding her.

Then his father looked up and returned his look.
His father merely nodded at him, but Legolas knew what the nod meant; "come."
And suddenly, Legolas had enough of watching. He took off and ran full speed, right into his fathers arms.
Thranduil wrapped his free arm around his oldest son.

"My Legolas," he said. "My beautiful, brave, strong, Legolas."

It was as if the walls Legolas had built up around himself all gave way at the same time. There was nothing he could do but hold on to his Ada, and let out the thousands of tears he had not cried in the years before. He had been strong for so long, not allowing his need for love and affection show, but not any longer.

His tears fell steadily, but through those tears, Legolas smiled.

They had made it.

They were home.

They were finally home.

The End. (But don't forget to read the epilogue!)

Nessa Ar-Feiniel: Thranduil has a lot to teach, and a lot to learn about his children..That's the main theme of the sequal of "the Long Way Home": "To Trust"

Rutu: Look! a chapter without a cliffie.. That brings the total of cliffless chapters on 3.

CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur: And? Kleenex?

Kirsten: No injuries.. just tears.

Trista: yes there will be a sequal called: To Trust (but not yet..)

Isiliel: Your idea of Lainfea biting Thranduil is really good.. Mind If I use it in the sequal? (I'm not saying i will, but can I?)

And No they don't have counseling in Mirkwood, Thranduil and the siblings will have to work it out themself.

Karone Evertree.: No he didn't.. The guy is still on the horse.. No longer in control of it.. but still on the horse.

Moriarwen : Yes!

Aly K: I think Thranduil is happy now..

silverkonekotsukari: And A? Great.. I'm happy.. and I do hope your twitching is better now..

moonshine44: Yes there will be a sequal: To Trust.. I migth take a while but it will definiatly appear.