Disclaimer: Most obviously, I own nothing. Everything here belongs to J. R. R. Tolkien (well, Christopher Tolkien now, I suppose), R. A. Salvatore and a few other nameless people. I believe you can guess what is whose.

Switched Places

Chapter 2

It took Aragorn quite a while to realise that he was staring at his friend speechlessly. He would have thought the whole thing to be the elf's joke but his tone was to honest and too surprised for this to be true. Not too mention that Legolas would have known better than to joke like that in their situation. But to be honest he didn't have a slightest idea what to do if his friend wasn't joking.

"Don't you remember anything, Legolas? We were chasing orks who have taken Merry and Pippin after the fight yesterday. . ."

Seeing the lack of comprehension Strider broke in the middle of the sentence. He glanced at Gimli only to find him as lost as he was and completely shocked.

"Maybe we will start somewhere else. /you do remember lord Thranduil, don't you?"

"Do I remember who? I don't recall anybody by such name. I don't know of whom you speak, I'm sorry."

Aragorn tried to keep calm.

"Do you at least remember Eryn Lasgalen, Legolas? You grew up there and spent there most of your life after all."

"I'm sorry but I've never heard of the place. And I still don't have any idea who you are."

Aragorn and Gimli exchanged glances. If they ever thought that it could not get any worse after falling of Gandalf, breaking of the fellowship, death of Boromir and their hobbit friends being captured they now saw clearly how wrong they were. Aragorn sighed in defeat.

"I am Aragorn, also known by the names of Strider, Elessar or finally Estel. When we met for the first time you got to call me by the last of them. On your side sits Gimli, son of Gloin. . . by the Valor, Legolas, you must remember something!"

"I seem to remember quite a few things, Aragorn. The only problem is that those memories do not fit in any way to what seem to be reality. And what was the name you used to address me with? I'm afraid it's unfamiliar as well."

Aragorn took a deep breathe. Gimli, quite wisely remained silent. After all, elves were known for their 'disagreements' with dwarves and if Legolas lost his memory it didn't seem very wise to convince him to befriend a dwarf just like that.

"In other words someone or something replaced your memories by some kind of dreams. This in not good. If I was to name one person that comes to my mind to be responsible for that it would be Saruman, the master of illusion. Finding the ones to blame is something to bee dwelt upon later though. For the most current matters – your name is Legolas, you are the only soon of Thranduil, lord of Eryn Lasgalen. We were part of a fellowship of nine that was set to destroy a weapon of evil. Alas the fellowship broke, two of our companions fell and two were captured. We have been chasing orks who had taken them for a day already and we wish to reach them soon enough to be able to save our friends."

Drizzt closed his eyes. A few seconds before he could have sworn the reality he remembered was the true one. Now he wasn't so sure any more. He had nothing to confirm his memories and apart from them it seemed that it was Aragorn who was right. He decided to make a little test and tried to cover the nearest bush with a fearie light. Nothing happened. He tried again. Nothing. He sighed. Until he finds a more believable explanation he can as well act accordingly to Aragorn's theory if not accept it truly.

"You may be right, Aragorn, though it is surprising how some memories are detailed in my mind. It seems almost impossible. I'd have to have known something of a great importance though if someone bothered that much."

When he stopped the was a short silence, broken when Strider spoke again.

"I would hate the situation if it happened somewhere safe and there weren't so many problems to add to it. It's even worse now. Yet, we cannot forget what were we set out to do in the first place. Therefore I think we should concentrate on one more matter. Do you remember how to fight?"

Aragorn pointed Legolas's weapons left in an easy-reach distance from the elf.

Drizzt looked at the bow and two long, slightly curved knives. They weren't scimitars but could probably substitute them quite well. He took them up and tried them moving through a few fighting positions. He put them down never noticing a slightly impressed look on both Gimli's and Aragorn's faces. He took up the bow in order to try it as well. He picked a target and shot in it's direction. Perfectly. When he went to retrieve his arrow he heard Gimli muttering something for the first time since they'd met. It was just "Good thing he haven't lost his skills together with the memory." But it sounded as if the dwarf was really concerned about him. He smiled a little bit. When he came back he sat down and asked Aragorn to tell him as much about himself as he knew. It would be better to know everything just in case Aragorn's suspicion was to prove itself true.

After some time he realised it got completely dark. He could still see quite clearly (1) but noticeably worse in comparison to his eyesight during the day. This was a quite new experience for him. What's worse it seemed that infravision has just decided to leave him for some reason.

"Just perfect" he muttered and suddenly felt very lonely upon realising that he can't even call guen to keep him company and lighten his mood.

Catti-brie was seriously worried. Drizzt acted strangely, didn't recognise her and was looking around as if he saw the surface for the first time.

'Maybe something erased his memory back to the time when he was a child in Menzoberranzan?' she thought to herself. But then again she doubted that at any point of his life he spoke about his mother with such a love and respect. And he wouldn't speak common if her idea was true. They reached the mines now, never noticing Bruenor was left behind. It was dark inside but she didn't think Drizzt would mind, especially since they all knew the way by heart and she wanted to get him to his room as fast as possible. That's why she was really shocked when she suddenly heard Drizzt's firm voice.

"We can't go in there, my lady. It's too dark inside for us to se anything."

She looked at him with the unique look reserved only for the situations like a drow complaining that some place is too dark for him to enter.

"Drizzt, are you sure you are all right?"

"My lady, why is it you address me by this name? And could you please honour me with telling me yours?"

At that point Catti-brie began to panic.

"Da!" she shouted in the direction of Bruenor, who just came into view again and started running as he heard his daughter's yell loud enough to alert at least everybody in the mines "something is seriously wrong with Drizzt. He doesn't know who he is or who we are, he speaks strange, acts as if he has never seen the surface before and seems to be afraid of the dark."

She spoke that all on one breathe hardly noticing shocked faces of her father and everybody who came to see why she was yelling. She delicately placed her hand on her friend's forehead.

"He doesn't seem to have a fever though. What can be wrong with him?"

Legolas didn't know what to do. His eyes still weren't back to normal but he could now manage see more or less clearly what was surrounding him.

"My lady," he spoke "'I'm afraid I don't know what you are talking about and why is that you are so concerned. As for entering, I admit I was rised in a palace placed in a cave but I'm afraid my nature allowed me to find it more pleasant to enter. Besides I'd like to know something about the place before walking inside. Are you convinced, my lady, that you haven't mistaken me for someone?"

"Drizzt." the young woman started trying to sound as calm as possible "There is no possible way I could have mistaken you for someone. Even if I didn't know you face by heart right now you are probably the only drow wearing green in the whole Fearun."

"I am the only what? My lady, I'm afraid you speak in a way hard for me to understand."

"Drow, Drizzt. Drow!" The fake calmness was impossible for the woman to hold "Don't you actually know who you are? Drow, dark elf." There was a clear desperation sounding in her voice as she ended the sentence.

"Dark elf? You took me for Moriquendi? My lady, I may have not seen the light of the trees but. . ."

"Moriquendi? Light of the trees?!" Catti-brie would be probably equally or even less shocked if he told her he just had a friendly chat with a Lloth priestess. "Da, help me. We must take him to his room. He has some sort of hallucinations, I think."

(1) 'The Book of Lost Tales 2' by J. R. R. Tolkien says that Legolas had exceptionally good sight at night even for an elf.