Here is another update! And in a week!! I wrought most of it last night! I spent the time in the car reading. It was too loud to write, and I was so inarticulate that I could not even do more than two pages with out consulting the thesaurus for a synonym of beast. Pretty sad mild writer's block. But I got over that to bring you this.
Elladan: Such a shame.
Elrohir: Darn.
Legolas: Though she has forced us to her will again, she does not own our rights of creation and that is the one the she cannot take from us!
Aragorn: But she can hurt us, embarrass us, annoy us, kill us, and take our pride.
Right! So now that we are clear, what do you call me.
All: Mistress Demoness
Good, now on to read!
Answering to the Threat
Chapter Five: Problems All Around
Elrohir sighed softly, Legolas was in no shape to fight, there were many foes, the dwarves were drunk, and they had to watch out for Myliné. This was more babysitting that he first thought.
Legolas looked down to the ready force awaiting their quarries first move, then gasped surprised. "The orcs!" His blue eyes rose to meet Elrohir's, "They are riding wargs! What new damn devilry is this?" Understanding shone in his eyes, "This is what attacked the human village, and the mortals had no chance. And here we are facing it with dwarves, sodden with ale."
"Yes we will have to look out for them. Hopefully they can handle the liquor better than you can fight with one arm or we will end up dragging them by their feet to your home." Elrohir's mouth was curled into a grin.
"And why would it be Nolder, that I was the last to be informed about these alliances between our enemies." The blonde elf started haphazardly shinnying down the tree. His feet touched the ground before the remaining elf started the long climb down.
Elladan yelled over to the elf as the first pair of enemies burst into the clearing, "Actually we decided in captivity to inform our betters of this mess and of course the dwarves." He glanced off to Balin, who nodded.
Legolas' head spun and he leaned against the tree, he felt it warn him of the obvious danger. He drew only one of his knives and held ready. He felt too weary to fight, as the scene became more chaotic. The cacophony of noise overcame his sense of hearing and he failed to notice a stray warg about to leap on him from the other side of the tree.
A loud shout echoed, "Duck you foolhardy elf!" Legolas had barely enough time to collapse to the ground as Balin's axe severed its head. Legolas picked himself of the ground and did not bother noticing what had happened. He turned away form the dwarf, and went to find the ranger; the twins were already watching each other's backs. He needed no help from any dwarf.
An orc on a warg came at him at incredible speed, Legolas sorely wished for the ability to lift, let alone use his bow as they pair approached. At the last possible second, he flung himself out of the way, turned sharply and lacerated the orc's throat pulling it down. The warg turned on him. He swung out accurately with his knife, but the warg moved across to his left side. It lunged smelling the dried blood of its already wounded prey; Legolas did not see its move and sharp claws scraped the out stretched arms. The white hilted blade did little but infuriate it as it scratched its nose.
Backing up he heard a loud whinny as he saw another back shape move through the darkness, her hooves crushing orcs in her way. The horse thundered to her master's side and snorted at the warg. Myliné held fearfully onto her mane. "How do you control her?!? I am going to fall off!! Help please!"
Legolas swung his knife at the warg and then threw his other hilt first to the woman. With a yelp of surprise she caught it and held it shaking towards the warg. "What am I supposed to do with this?"
Legolas was trying desperately to keep the warg for having a meal that night and the only reply that came was sarcastic. "Peel me an apple, what do you think you do with a weapon. If you can, aid me."
She held the weapon as far away from her as possible and leaned farther to make contact with the warg. Legolas impaled to warg on its shoulder but it whipped around too fast to retrieve the blade. The warhorse reared and Myliné dropped the blade on the far side of the animal. Legolas started dodging the wargs attacks and shouted to the woman who had buried her face in the black fur, in a frantic attempt to not fall off of the kicked animal. "I need my knife back. Where is it?"
He found himself pinned against an ancient tree; the warg lunged at him its paws landed on his chest, broken ribs pushed against his lungs as he fell to the ground. He saw a sword blade swing as the warg died on top of him. "Yrchion." Then Legolas' orbs glazed over, and they slid shut.
Aragorn pulled his weapon from the beast's body stuck it in the ground easily accessible, and pulled the dead body off of his companion. He dropped to his knees to feel for the elf's pulse, faint and fast. Aragorn could not see his chest rising breath. Carefully tilting his head back, he listened for the breath and watched the Eldar's chest for any movement. None was apparent. The healer true to his father's instruction, inhaled deeply, sealed the elf's nose, and breathed into his mouth, five seconds later, repeating it again.
Catching his own breath for a second, he turned around to see Elladan and Elrohir guarding him and his patient. Breathing several more times for the elf, Legolas sucked in gasp on his own. Aragorn bound his chest the take the pressure off of his lungs and rested him on his uninjured side.
He realized the small battle had ended, the dwarves milling over cradling their own injuries. Aragorn knew that Legolas probably would not appreciate a peep show while unable to do anything about it, he convinced his brothers to see the dwarves for their own injuries – on the other side of the clearing.
Working swiftly Estel took the little bandaging supplies he had and rewrapped the elf's wrist and shoulder. He frowned as he noticed the new lacerations on Legolas' other arm. He bandages those as well, then sat against a tree massaging his shoulder; it had been strained badly in the battle. His neck and upper back were becoming to stiff to move and his hand began to tingle. He knew it was not dislocated or broken; he had done that before to know what felt like. This hurt almost as bad.
He heard someone walk over, it had to be one of the dwarves, Elladan and Elrohir prided themselves, usually in front of others, as being undetectable. Balin stopped beside Estel, giving the unconscious elf a look of concern. "He was injured already, before the fight, he was. He should have rested on that black monster of his." He shook his head and went back towards his own people muttering about rash elvish pride.
Aragorn ran his hand through sweaty hair, 'That elf thinks too much off himself, and his pride.' Balin ambled back to his men announcing it was likely for that they were going to break the camp and continue on away from here.
'Well,' the Man mused, 'it is well the woodelf is very much unconscious for he would slit our throats for walking in his home after night had fallen.'
Kneeling beside his patient, he carefully reassessed the quality of breathing; it came out as pained gasping pants for air. Hardly effective, but bound to get worse from travelling to his home.
He noticed a hardly visible shadow in the moonlight, but did not hear footsteps. One of the twins approached, a makeshift bandage stained in blood wrapped his forehead. "If the elves did not leave a battle unscathed, then a mere Númenórean could not have, in any realm. How fare you, gwador nin?"
"My shoulder pains me, it is just a knotted up muscle." Aragorn stood up trying to look convincing, of not feeling severe tearing sensation in his neck, and decide the forest with a rotting leave floor was very comfortable. He turned to give the innocent smile to his brother, and encountered the cold eyebrow of his surrogate father. Elrohir was scary with that impersonation, on Elrond, it could have broken Morgoth to play with a tea set. "Okay, are you happy now, there a few minor little bruises. Just don't do the eye thing!"
"Estel, what eye thing, wait you mean like ada, I am so sorry." Elrohir genuinely shivered, and apologized to his kin. "You are one pitiful looking ranger; I should see those inconsequential bruised of yours."
Estel decided to play along and let his help him out of the stained tunic. He sucked in breath as the Eldar started gently but prodding no the less, his angrily sore shoulder. "I have deduced it is as you said, strained, but I need to see its range of motion." Giving his brother a strained smile and a shrug of his own shoulders, he gently eased to limb around to ascertain the damage.
"You stretched this nicely, penneth nin." His voiced deepened to imitate his father. He continued with his façade until his brother relaxed, "but I fear this will mean plenty of bed rest, doing absolutely nothing for a week, I will even be as cruel as to give you a plain ceiling. And if I hear, and I will hear if it happens, that your two strikingly handsome and witty brothers are in that room, you three will be washing dishes for the next great feast, all night!"
The ranger ran his hand down his face and gave his brother a small smile, "That wasn't half bad, you should compare it with Glorfindel's.
Elrohir resumed, "I have been practicing, the mighty balrog slayer has one! Take it easy for four days; start stretching it in two. Maybe you could Myliné to massage it for you." He suggestively raised his eyebrow. Estel lightly clout him in the jaw.
Elladan limped over favoring his left knee, some one a quickly wrapped it. "Can either of you get near that rabid beast Legolas calls a horse? Myliné is stuck on, it will not stay still for all the life of me, and the dwarves are pissing it off. We need to check for cuts or Legolas will surely murder us in our peaceful sleep."
Aragorn truly wished to not have and encounter with the beast, but mumbled glumly, "I have not truly tried yet."
He started away and heard his brothers' conversings: "Legolas must have traumatized the beast as a foal, who would not like us." The other one replied, "That list should be short indeed."
The ranger pondered briefly as he went to rescue her, 'It must not include the Elves, Men, fell beasts, Dwarves, or any other remotely sane races of life.'
His laughter rang out as he saw the war horse chasing dwarves who tried to aid the woman, they moved fairly fast over short distances when terrified. He could not tell if Myliné was laughing or crying.
Myliné safely returned her feet to the ground made her way to see the state of the elves. She had seen Legolas be pinned by a beast and did not rise. His horse followed her close behind, her nose resting in the small of Myliné's back. She briefed thanked that this horse did not bite.
Elladan walked to the horse whispering in a language, elvish she deduced that she did not understand. "Cary me my sister, for I must aid your master in the trip home, despite your distrust."
The horse snorted but remained still as Elladan eased himself onto her back. He directed the horse to where the others stood waiting. Elladan reached down and raised the limp elf gently in front of him and the horse acted perfect for her weary master. Legolas' were open, but nearly unseeing; pain fogged what vision he had. Breathing was hard enough.
Myliné went to Aragorn who was informing the dwarves of the plan, "We must make haste to the palace, and we know that we are being tracked. Stray not from the group, and be ever vigilant. In this most perilous land, many things would not mind us eating for a snack, and then move onto bigger prey for midday meal. Stay quiet and hopefully we will encounter a patrol to aid us." He started walking through the forest to the palace, when Myliné caught up with him.
"I thought you had never been here before." She sniffed in disgust then noticed the sword in the dúnedian's off hand. "What it wrong with your arm?"
"I haven't, and my arm is a little sore. It would be best to try to get to their unnoticed. Our little group is in no shape for another fight." He walked on in silence, every once in a while looking back and counting the number of dwarves in the group.
She moved back to quietly converse with the smoother Elladan. Inquiring softly about the two riders' health, she received roundabout answers and playful jibes. She was going to smack that elf when she could reach him. Men, they always cause unneeded stress.
She gave up on being civil and trudged through the forest peering into the shadows. Darkness was pressing in on her; she really wished that they were allowed to light a torch. Myliné shivered in the cold night air and gazed to the stars. She wished she were back home, sleeping in her hut until she had to get up and do chores, then run off with her friend down to the creek, to do things lovers did.
That was where she first saw orcs, and wargs, and that was where her lover's blood was spilled to protect her. She was not worth his love, or devotion. No one was.
A tear dripped down her faced, and she banished her thoughts. She could worry about ghosts of her past later; when she was sure she had the safety to do so. She pulled the cord out of her dress that her man made for her, an amber stone laid at its middle. She played with it, when suddenly noticed an arrow tip at her throat.
She heard several elvish voices protest, and some swearing dwarvish ones. The arrows were lifted, and she saw and elf lowered his hood and gave her his cloak. She smiled gratefully. "Umm thanks."
She was unable to tell if the elf understood or not. The dark-haired warriors surrounded the group and kept a steady watch on the forest as they went to Legolas' home. It appeared that several were distressed about Legolas' condition, and others were paying off bets. The leader walked in the center and talking with Elrohir, his face darkening.
She gasped in the sight of the etched stone walls and the large gate as she saw the elvish home. Everything looked livelier here, the trees were green and lush, lights and beautiful people walked through the grounds. One thing she did notice was that the palace though partially above ground, was a set of magnificent halls and arches of stone caves. Though for all the murals painted on the walls, she could have been back outside. The white lights streaming in air gave off a serene feeling. This place was truly beautiful.
She noticed though several elves dressed in a pale gray carrying a stretcher, and even more come through. They took their prince off as well as the helped Elladan and some of the dwarves. One came up and asked her, the pretty elf maiden if she was hurt, her voice was musical, and her smile brightened the room. Elrohir who was standing beside Myliné was staring. Responding the negative, she brought Myliné to a guestroom in the palace and brought her sweet wine and good food. Tiredly she crawled into the warm blankets on the silken bed and fell asleep.
Elladan limped of to the Mirkwood elves' House of Healing. He reluctantly let himself be aided by another elf. Her name was Alinday; she was one of the older elves, and one of the main healers. They walked slowly behind the stretcher that carried their prince, while Elrohir explained the injuries and their severity.
"Do you lady, know where my brother is? The edan?" Elladan needed to discuss with his family the council meeting that tomorrow was going to bring. The eventually ended up in a large room with several beds. Aragorn was already there, his arm was bound and he was sipping something from a goblet. The healer examined her patient and told him to take it easy on the leg; it would heal quickly but still be tender.
"Elladan, where is Elrohir and Legolas?" He looked into the goblet, and grinned. "I wonder if they realize they let the wine bottle in here." Picking it up Elladan shook his head. There was only a little left, they better save it for Elrohir.
Talking softly, they waited for the brother to return, and when he did, after he finished explaining Legolas would be fine to leave in a week, he fell asleep standing up. Estel whispered to his awake brother while getting the other into bed, "I guess he can't drink his share of the wine."
They both fell asleep until Thranduil's summons came in the late morning.
The bright light nearly blinded Legolas as he opened his eyes. He heard healers talking around him. Looking around he noticed he was safely tucked in his bed in the palace. Though it smelled and looked more like the healing rooms, with herbs and medicinal liquids on his desk.
Taking stock of himself, he disliked what he saw: both his arms were bandaged; one up to the shoulder, and his entire upper body was wrapped with small braces around his rib cage. He did not recognize the healer crushing some plant with a pedestal so he called out, he voice sounding raspy and unused, "Summon your King for I have wish to speak with him." More like apologize and brown nose until his father let him have visitors.
"That would be rather difficult right now Highness, he is in the meeting with the King Balin, and after that he will be conferencing with the Lords of Rivendell and the good ranger." The healer ignored the sharp glare and continued on with his work.
"Then I insist that you arrange for me to attend the second meeting." The healer pointedly did not notice the order in the command. Losing his temper, along with his humility, he did not shout but muttered irately, "Now."
The healer left the room and instructed a nearby guard to watch the prince inside. Lorantir, one of Legolas' friends entered the chamber and told the prince, "Thanks, now I owe the captain a week's wage. You couldn't have waited to be dragged in here two days ago could you have."
Laughing softly they continued talking until the equally irate healer returned. "The King concurs that your input in the situation is valuable, though agrees that in your condition, you should not be moved to the council chamber. I may remind that his word is final." The healer almost had a look of satisfaction on his face, while the heir face bloomed with anger.
'Then I implore you to invite the king formally and all would have otherwise attended the meeting to my chambers so that my valuable input can be expressed." The healer massaged his temple and left to give the reply the message to the king.
"Legolas, did you know how scary you look when you are mad." The guard reached into his cloak and produced a bottle of the finest vintage of wine there was to be found. "How bought a drink to the conquered healer. That is about as agreeable as they ever get."
A small while later, to the healers' distress everyone was seated in Legolas' room. Myliné was still sleeping so they let her be. They told the now worried Thranduil about the new rise of power in the enemy.
"But we believe that these wargs are not of the original breed. Some one, we suspect it is not orcs, has been breeding out different traits in the beasts to make them larger, and better rides." Thranduil had not spoken yet listening to the unfolded story pondering the facts given to him.
"Ada, My Lord, it is my assumption that this is an entirely new alliance, and not fully developed or numbered. I saw several wargs attacking their riders in the heat of battle. Nor do I believe that there are many of these wargs who have let orcs ride them into combat. All we need to do is to find the one that is responsible these acts and stop them." Legolas grimaced and shifted in his bed. Thranduil frowned at his only child.
"Those words are all fine indeed, but where do you suppose we start. Are we going to ask an orc?" Estel tried to remain reasonable. This was a bad situation. Those wargs could take out horses and riders with one well planned pounce.
Thranduil smiled, he liked that ranger, a sensible influence on his son, even if he was young for a human. "Ranger of the North, your words hold true. It should be that we also need to warn our peoples' allies so that they are not caught unaware. I will send elves to inform the Rohan as well so that they may spread word to Gondor. Though I think it is best if this atrocity does not spread to their realms. The Ishtari will hear word of it as well."
Elladan looked at his twin and they nodded and spoke simultaneously, "We shall bring forth the news to Lothlorien, once we are well enough to go."
"Then I and the ranger, with the human women shall inform Rivendell, for they need to be told as well." Legolas was both telling and asking his father at the same time.
"Lords of Rivendell, you need not my permission to ride. If you wish warriors to accompany you, just ask. Provisions will be provided when you depart." Thranduil briefly quit glare he had directed at his son. The twins took leave of the council though Estel remained. The ranger sat confused, trying to think of Legolas' sudden friendship with the ranger. Then he noticed Thranduil looking from him to the door, then doing his own look. The ranger decided to stay.
Ignoring the human he turned to his son a look of puzzled anger on his face. "Legolas you are in shape to leave."
The ranger wished it wasn't an order. "Ada," Legolas said, not My lord, "We can wait a five days and still probably arrive in Imladris before the twins get to the Golden Wood."
"What will you do if you encounter the shadow spawn? You are in no shape to fight!" Thranduil seemed to have forgotten the Man's presence entirely.
"That is why I am waiting a few days, so I can do as I am trained to! I am not a child to be coddled." Legolas seemed to have parental issues. The ranger was thinking about slipping out unnoticed.
"You may go, ion nin, I am sorry." The anger had vanished from his eyes. Thranduil had left the room. "Ranger, a word please." Estel followed him into the hall. "That display was an embarrassment, please do not judge my people by that. My son is hard hearted, and headed, take care of his actions, he is reckless."
Estel stood in the hall thinking about the incident, it was foolish. 'By Valar that elf Legolas, has got something big stuck up his..."
Legolas lay back on the bed swallowing the herbs. 'I am not his little elfling anymore. I don't need to be treated like a broken toy.' He took a ragged breath, all of the shouting and rattled his ribs. Shutting his eyes he heard footsteps enter his room.
"So we are leaving in five days?" It was Estel.
"Yes, go and tell Myliné." And leave me alone to sleep.
"You know that your father just is worried about you." Legolas opened his eyes to see the ranger gone. Something about his tone filled the elf with guilt. Letting his eyes glaze over with sleep he vowed to never give the ranger the harsh side of his tongue hurtfully again. The human was unique. He was genuinely caring.
So there we are, this chapter is done. Legolas hates his caring father, and decided to be civil to a human. Who would have guessed?
Myliné: I should hope that you would have, you wrought this.
Be quiet you.
Everyone besides Elrohir: How is it that we all have these bad injuries and he gets off with nothing?
Because he's nicer to me. You all go out of your to insult me. So be like Elrohir and review!!
Reviewer responses:
Mornflower: Umm, I hope I was fast enough. Though such threats of violence on them do not work on me. Or have you read I have done to them. I read your two Legolas stories. So when are you going to finish them?
Deana: Did you know you are probably one of my top two favorite authors of Lord of the Rings fanfics. Thanks for the spelling advice; I think I started out with it correct. What do you use for your elvish? Could you give me the URL? Thanks!
