So I have returned, and according to my wonderfull reviewers, Gozilla (I hope I updated fast enough for you!), legolasjunior (thanks for the review and encouragement), winter'sheart (thanks and chapter is spelled CHAPTER, sorry, Your pen name, is it off of the Wheel of Time Books?), and Anime Chik (I already talked to you, friends, baka.)
Legolas: hey, my elven ears, here.
(Baka is idiot in Japanese for all who did not know.)
Aragorn: Aren't you technically are still unconscious.
Legolas: So...?
Aragorn: Since when did elves in their immortal grace, and articulation start or end their sentences in 'so'?
Legolas: You said 'technically'.
Aragorn: I think it is the writers fault because she does not exactly how we talk because SHE DOES NOT OWN LORD OF THE RINGS!
Yeh, yeh, rub it in. On to the second chapter.
ANSWERING TO THE THREAT
CHAPTER TWO: Shirts, allegiances, and boar a la feu (Fire)
Aragorn knelt over Legolas' body he felt it go limp underneath his touch. 'I guess it would be less painful for what I must do.' Elladan was boiling water and Elrohir was ripping up cloth. Myliné had a hand to her mouth looking sick. Aragorn's stomach wasn't holding up well either, none of Elrond's avid descriptions came close to the reality of the bloody wound, and his brothers had sometimes come home with injuries after hunts, but never this bad, he thought.
His fingers felt through the wound a barb stuck in the elf's muscle became apparent. Aragorn pulled and it dislodged from the flesh. It came out smoothly, one king-sized splinter. Seeing it fit cleanly to the removed arrow, there would be no more tiny shards of painful wood left in the red hole, he tossed it aside with utter revulsion.
He heard someone come up behind him, he looked up to one of the twins, Elladan maybe. Only Elrond had the confident ability to tell his sons apart accurately, he supposed that their mother could have too. She was long departed over the sea by the timeEstel was born.
The twin dropped to his knee a touched the side of Legolas' neck, just above the Adam's apple. "Aragorn, we need to keep moving with this, do you need to be relieved? This is your first time dealing with an injury of the obstinacy." His mahogany brown eyes flickered from his hand on the Eldar's neck to his younger adopted brother.
"His pulse is weakening, gwador nin, you need to keep moving." His voice was soft and urgent but it didn't discourage the young newly trained dunédain.
Elrohir came over wringing out the cleaned make-shift bandages. Myliné disappeared into the woods behind tree. They all heard her ragged breathing; she couldn't stand the sight of blood, or something. Elladin looked to Estel, who returned a negative nod to the offer of assistance, and went to comfort her over the current situation.
After over half and hour of searching and removing blackened wood Aragorn finally stopped the bleeding in the elven being. The list of his injuries were low, though most of them were serious, he was resting with his eyes firmly shut. His shoulder wound, several cracked ribs, a sprained wrist, and a badly abused back, were the most prominently noticed.
They could not move him very far or risk harming him more. The lingering stench of the orc encampment was unsatisfying and sickening none the less. The two elven brother wrapped in a few bandages themselves cleaned the place up.
Aragorn found a river close by and washed up. Flakes of dried blood came off his hands and he shuddered. He grabbed a piece of cloth and washed his stubbled face. Blood was washed of cheeks as well.
Ultimately having enough of the red mixture he turned and dry-heaved into the bush. They were not fed in the orc encampment. He stripped his shirt and buried it. It was caked in blood.
He waded out into the cold water and lying on his back let the river's current clean him. Both of his brothers had said they did not sense anything, though they had not the same abilities to understand the forest's mood as a wood elf.
Aragorn left his recovered his sword on shore. It was a gift from his father, Arathorn, and was to be have been presented to him on his name day. Eventually he moved out of the water and ventured upstream to fill the water skins.
Estelshivered as the night air bit into his bare wet chest as he reattached his sword to his belt. Walking back he noticed the young woman they had found with a message for the elven kingdoms on Middle Earth sitting on a stump with her back to him. He walked up noisily so not to surprise her and sat down beside the other human, self-conscious of his appearance.
Estelnoticed she was a lot more sullen and melancholy after the Silvan elf had indirectly injured himself rescuing them. He smiled at her. Myliné did not return the gaze.Estel sobered at her and tried to think of something to say to the twenty-year- old woman, older that he by at least two years.
"Hey you," She looked at him with barely interested eyes. 'Oh that was a greatly tactful start. I should tell that one to Ada for his next council meeting.'
"Why so glum," Her face saddened even more and she looked like she was going to start crying. 'Great!' He thought sarcastically. She didn't offer anything like this to the orc's, she smiled hatefully at them, and taunted them as much the three brothers. 'Why don't I just keep my mouth shut from now on, wish Elro was here, he's a smooth talker.'
Three guilty and clear words came out of her throat. "It's my fault."
Aragorn was taken aback and flustered, "What!" He cupped her chin gently and forced her to look into his eyes. The steely orbs melted before her soft green gems. A tear ran down her cheek and wet Aragorn's hand. He removed it and looked away, "You are mistaken, miss."
He could hear her stared to softly cry more, he smelt the salt in the air.
"It is my fault we were captured, it is my fault the man had to help us. I can't even bear the guilt of that. He almost died for my foolish and irrational decision." Aragorn winced and turned to her.
Myliné started shout at him, "I promised myself to never see blood of another person shed for me. It's sickening! I don't deserve it."
Aragorn had never had a woman do this to him before. In fact he had never really been alone with a woman before, besides the little time with his mother and a few elven servants. She laid her guilt and emotion at his feet, what was he supposed to do with it?
Estel tried to think of something to say, that would comfort her, but at the same time allow him to leave. He could not, with a clear conscious leave her like this, but what was he supposed to do? Leave her out here in the elements unstable and angry with herself.
He thought of something, it was only dry humor, but that was his last available tool. "Umm, if it was your fault that we got caught by orcs and that the elf rescued us, what did the Valar have to do with this, or is there something you are not telling me."
'Hahh got her to smile!' Estel noticed with satisfaction.
She raised her eyebrow the same way as his adoptive father Elrond as she gazed at him. She made a show gazing over his partial nudity.
"Well, well, well, I know Manwe did not influence this event. That color of your face, young ranger, is most becoming on you." Her laughter burned his cheeks and he stood up.
Very politely, orderly, and gracefully he ran for their adopted camp. He stomped of towards his brothers, secretly glad he had raised her good humor again.
As Legolas regained consciousness, he immediately wished he had not.
The sun was shining entirely too bright that afternoon (?) and those birds were singing to damn loud. 'What is this, that I of all people start cursing Valars' wonders?' Legolas pondered this for a second then gave it up. He could not remember.
And then it hit him, and it felt quiet literally. He attempted to sit up as his head swam the Anduin. He felt a light hand on his shoulder gently forcing him down. That one light arm applying soft constant pressure was enough to keep Legolas stuck on his back pinned effectively.
His eyes opened again and everything swirled around his head. He could make out the fuzzy borders of someone talking to him but all he heard was a low almost deafening noise.
His head and wounds pounded with every beat of his heart. He wished those birds would stop their happy senseless chatter.
After what seemed to the disoriented elf an eternity the words clicked in his clouded brain. He answered slowly having a difficult time getting the sentences out through his migrate, "I am... well. Need some water, please?"
He was about to shake his head, being forced to talk like an uneducated dwarf – they were a commonplace, and then thought better of it.
He felt his arm being squeezed and saw two of the people talking to him. Moaning softly he rubbed his temple. Legolas swore he was seeing double. 'I wasn't aware that I had head injury as well. That would partially account for the pain.' He suddenly realized who was kneeling in front of him, whom anyway.
He suddenly understood they were calling his name.
"Hey Legolas, are you with us?"
"Do you want the water?"
"Elladan are you are sure he's awake, not just dreaming."
"Yeh, hey mellon nin, do you still want this?"
Legolas scrunched his eyes trying to figure out who said what and gave it up as a lost cause.
"Yes... I'll have the – that." Legolas slowly reached for the liquid as Elrohir, possibly, pulled it back and away.
"Legolas you know that you will just slop it on yourself. Here let me." The other twin moved behind Legolas and supporting the fair haired elf eased him into a sitting position. The first twin poured some of the clear water into Legolas' mouth. It had an odd taste the Mirkwood elf could not place. Something was added.
Elladan, he decided with certainty, pulled the flask away, let him swallow the last time. After choking down his mouthful of the vile tasting 'water' he tiredly inquired upon its secret extra ingredients.
"Told you that he would notice Elladan," said the elf in front of him smiling at their captive.
'Alas and I thought I had those two straight. Must be my phantom head injury. Got to be that.' Legolas laughed and shook his head; he most definitely and assuredly regretted that.
Elrohir laughed lightly and informed Legolas there was nothing besides a painkilling herb and a little athelas Aragorn found.
Legolas found out through out all the long years of not seeing them, he was still the most mature one. Valar knew a fourteen year old human was more mature that the twins of Rivendell in a relaxed setting and even in some tense events.
He put his good hand over his mouth to contain his mirth as the two started to discuss of what they should have added to their little remedy. It amazed Legolas what they could think of, everything from the single sole of Aragorn's boot to the left sleeve of a dead orc's shirt. 'It's is not that I would want a live orc anyway.'
Legolas lay back down to get some more real sleep, the first he had in days. A small comment came out of his lips as his eyes drifted semi shut and he entered the land of Elvish dreams, "The boot would have given it the appropriate flavor."
Myliné walked into the camp with a smile. She watched silently as the three elves talked with each other form a time. She knew now that the rescuer, Legolas, would survive.
She also noticed the unbefitting attitudes of the regal elves she had heard about all of her live. Myliné was told that the elves were stronger, wiser, older, faster, had better senses than any other race on Arda but as she watched them interact, the most injured one finally falling asleep, they seemed no different than any other mortal of their apparent age. Here anyway, now.
When the orcs had found and attempted to capture her and her message for the three elven kingdoms, those men who she had only met the day before had intended to defend her with their very lives.
She had yelled at them to leave her, she could not get away. She was not worth their lives as they fought to protect her. There were over seventy orcs, though these Men, as she had thought at the time, had severely thinned their numbers.
FLASHBACK
She had gotten caught leaving her after it's destruction for the ordered raid. The orcs had thought all of the people were dead or taken for food. They had tried to collect everyone so the Eldars did not hear news of their new advantage, and their new allegiances.
The foolish human girl had run from them. The fool commanding had not any archers in their section. He was soon found and compromised. The girl's punishment once they rejoined would be far worse; she would not suffer a quick death, such a waste really.
They had searched for her and found held up in the trees on Mirkwood's borders. They hoped not to have to chase her in their. The King was very protective of his borders. They would have him soon enough, once they rejoined their main force.
Things did not go as Onigul had planned; the little bitch had found three men to protect her. They smelled that two of them were elves, but she did not seem to notice. His forces had their numbers cut in half. Then the wretched elves had disappeared using their magic. Not for long, their new allegiances had found them, quite quickly.
There was another desperate battle. The orcs' numbers were nearly halved again. The orc's found a mild poison and coated their blades. Those men fell after that, open to the tortures of battle, however all captives were to be sent to the leader, unspoilt, for now. Their intoxicated bodies were easy to handle after that.
END FLASHBACK
Later that night Elladan stood over a spit. Reaching out to touch the roasting wild boar Elrohir and Estel had trapped and shot with Legolas' bow, he smiled. Their wild cuisine was almost done, maybe. 'Perhaps that woman Myliné can cook better than I. Besides she probably doesn't like raw meat.'
Turning away from the fire he silently glided back to where she was standing stroking that giant ill-tempered mare Legolas had called, as if it was a sleeping kitten. Moving out of kicking, stepping, and bighting range, he inquired about his small issue, not a problem really.
"My dear and intelligent lady, I have need of your professional opinion and assistance in a dire situation."
She rested her lean hand on her forehead and muttered something to the effect of, "They never grow up, really, men."
Elladan backed off and put a hand to his heart acting offended, "I will have you know that I am hundreds of times your inexperienced age, and more wise than you will ever become."
Her answered came fast and clean in this opposition of wits, "It you are so cunning, why do you, my most crafty master, need a simple villagers help?"
'I am done for.'
"How do you tell when meat, say a freshly shot wild boar on a spit, is done?"
She answered him as if talking to a young child doing something impolite in front of the minister, "When it is all brown, and no more juices are dripping down into the fire. Be care not to burn yourself." She giggled out something softly that resembled 'sweetie'.
"Ohh..." A smirk came to Elladan's face as he watched the horse make a quick shot at him. "Now my eternal quest for infinite knowledge is complete."
A strained but mocking voice came from the direction of the fire, "If that's when our dinner is done, it assuredly going to be tough and dry tonight.
Elladan was afraid to ask, but looking fear straight in the eye he asked, "Why?"
Soft laughter was coming from both Myliné and the fair haired being resting lightly against a poplar, restarting the ballad he was humming to himself. Elladan turned around to his poor feast.
It was on fire.
Another chapter is ended. Finally eh, yes I am from Canada. We northerns see all.
Elladan: So, who gets Myliné?Aragorn: Me, right?
Aragorn you can't have her, you will have other commitments sometime. And Elladan there is something about her, you don't about, mha ha ha ha.
Myliné: And what makes you think I even like any of you anyway?
Legolas: You're mean
Myliné: Simple question, who writes my lines?
Evil laughter echoing in the back ground.
Myliné: If you would be so kind and write a review for this young inspiring authoress, NOW!
I that little thing up there was all her own doing, I swear, but at least one more review for a new chapter, please! (It is almost done!) Hopefully now that I reposted this chapter, someone else on will know it exists. I have problems with that sometimes, okay every second chapter. The next chapter, expect within a week.
THANKS
