Another Chapter for my awesome readers. And the cute cast of my story who does not belong to me.

All: Good

Except Myliné, I own her. That and the sheriff, and the four louts in the chapter. And other associated people, just not the really hot ones. Life is not fair.

All: Tough luck.

So on to read the next chapter, thanks to Deana and Navaer Lalaith for the elvish.


Answering to the Threat

Chapter Six: Dark nights, and Painful Mornings


Aragorn started another cup of drink. Myliné still sat staring uncomfortably at her first. He was listening to other conversations, to no avail, all were drunken ramblings. He knew Legolas sat up at the bar, maybe he heard something. Myliné had no luck either. He had told the innkeeper that she was his wife, so they ended up with only one bed. They go to an inn for comfort, and he gets stuck sleeping on the floor. Maybe they could get another room for their supplies, yes that would be a good excuse.

Waving down the next serving maid that walked by he told her to go get the owner. He heard, faintly over the cacophony of the people, rain pelting outside, he felt, tense, unsure, a feeling of ill at ease, came upon him.

Four big men walked in the door, and sat down at the bar. One turned and took a long look at Myliné, Estel did not like that. Finally the lout turned away and whispered something to his friends, they all laughed, and ordered drinks.

Estel still could not shake the sense of danger, he feared for friends, and his brothers. Once in his past he had gotten a feeling like this, his brothers had shortly after been chased in to Imladris' gates, followed by wolves.

A long while later, he and Myliné decided to retire for the evening. Getting half way up the stairs to their room, the heard a crash below them. Turning back down the stairs to see the problem, Aragorn swore, angrily.

There was a bar fight, and his other companion, Legolas, was involved. Estel did not know was happened, but it seemed the elf had sparked the ire of all four large, drunk men. One was thrown to the ground and started to rise, one face unmoving down on the bar, and one ready to attack the elf, the forth holding Legolas' arm behind his back. The hood was tied, his face remained unexposed.

Legolas kicked up with his feet and caught the thug in the stomach, the other man holding him did not let go. The elf slammed the back on his head on the thug's nose. Released, he turned gave the man a hard uppercut with his fist, he fell unconscious. He turned around to get slugged in the jaw. The elf staggered, and he saw Estel pushing his way through the crowd. Estel stopped dead in tracks, mad as fire when he said, "Estel, Baw!" Estel, No!

Aragorn stopped, and saw the perverse wisdom; he would endanger Myliné if he got involved the fray. One of the men produced a knife. Legolas went for the knifeman, and easily disarmed the drunk. Finishing the unarmed man off, he fell to his knees when a chair broke over his back. The last man was seeing red. The chair hit him in the head again. Legolas fumbled with on of his knives. The man kicked it away, and brought down the furniture one last time. Legolas did not rise.

A sheriff slipped through the crowd. "What in all Hell happened here?" The only aware member of the fight lied proudly to his sheriff.

"That brigand," he pointed to Aragorn's friend, "Attacked right here, out in the open. He wanted our money he did. He probably killed my three pals."

The sheriff checked the pulses of the three offenders ignoring the immobile body of the elf. "They are alive. Innkeeper, get them upstairs for the night, someone wake up this bastard, so I can his haul ass to the jail." Aragorn stepped forward, thinking quickly, "Sir I work with the sheriff in one of the towns farther to the west, near the other elves. May I be of assistance?"

"Help me get him back to the jail, now boy, stop gawking about." Aragorn lifted his friend's left arm around his shoulder gently to not strain it. The sheriff grabbed his right, ruffly, Estel winced as he heard the joint is Legolas' shoulder pop. They dragged him through the street to a little way down, a solid wooden build with no windows. It had a cellar. They threw Legolas into it after they took all of his weapons. The hood had fallen back, though the band of leather remained in place. The sheriff thought his appearance odd, but deduced nothing of it.

The sheriff instructed him to go get Legolas' baggage. Aragorn took out everything valuable, suspicious, and most of the money. Carrying it the other man, it was locked in a cabinet. Estel dreaded asking what was going to happen but he did. They reply was thus. "For a thief, probably a brigand, there will be fifteen lashings per attacked man. This is carried out publicly." Estel went white. What kind of system was this? No trial or anything? He needed get Legolas out of here.

"When?" The sheriff considered the young man's face.

"Noon, tommorow. Do you know anything of healing? Those guys hit the idiot hard. I want to know if he will survive that."

"Huh, yah I do. My dad was a healer." Estel glanced worried at the cellar. The sheriff opened the cellar, and threw down a rope latter. He attached it to a wall, and stood waiting.

"Hurry up and get down there, boy!" Estel scrambled down the latter, and noticed, that they had dropped Legolas ten feet.

Calling out that he was off the latter, and it was pulled up, he knelt by the elf's side, wondering what to do. Reaching for a pulse, he found it was excessively fast, and too weak. Legolas was probably in shock, which was the last thing they needed. He felt around the elf's spine for any swelling, before he rolled him over. He fevertly hoped Legolas did not break his neck or his back in the fall. Luck was with him there, though the obviously bleeding on the back of his head showed what could be a serious concussion. Examining his shoulders, he was relieved that he did not have to relocate them, that was very painful.

So now, whilst he debated the best way of getting his friend out of here, before noon, he concentrated on waking the elf up. "Come join us in the land of the living, hey wake up, come on." Aragorn gently slapped his face, "Hey you, come one, wake up."

"Boy, I have some smelling salts, want 'em?" The sheriff looked down at them. "By George, he looks dead."

"Yes, I need them, that and a lit candle." The sheriff lowered a candle, matches, and the salts in a basket.

Before waking the elf, he checked pupil responses, one was dilated, and one responded, albeit sluggishly. He had a concussion, and a bad one. Taking the smelling salts, he waved them under the elf's nose. The prince's eyelids fluttered, they opened, but his eyes were unfocused. They started to shut, Estel started talking to the elf.

"Hey, you need to stay awake, with that concussion." The elf moaned and bleary eyes opened.

"Boy, I am going to the inn, for an hour, you alright down there?" The sheriff, barely waited for an answer, and went out into the rain.

"Do you know your name?" Aragorn assessed the level of awareness Legolas had.

Legolas' brow crinkled, and faintly mumbled, "Legolas."

"Do you know what happened? Hey you can't fall asleep, not with the head injury."

"A large cave troll, stepped on me. I cannot remember. Who are you?" Estel reeled back, he could not remember his last fortnight?

"My name is Estel, remember. You must remember mellon nin." He hoped this was not permanent, or they were in trouble.

"Mellon nin? Na man pâd istach i lam edhellen? My friend? How do you know Elven tongue?" Legolas squinted through the darkness. "I know your face."

"You should, remember Myliné, the woman, tall, pretty, with long dark hair, opinionated." Estel really hoped Legolas had himself sorted out by the time the sheriff came back so they could escape.

"Yes, I can remember walking into the town now. I assume that was a mistake. Where are we?"

"You are the thief, about to be convicted for assault on four giants of men. That means sixty lashings." Estel worried when all the blood drained out of his friends' face.

"Have to be joking, how's that again?" Legolas' eyes closed, and he rubbed his temples.

"I think the four giants tried to rob you at the tavern, and you took exception to that. I did not see how it started. There is no trial. Rest up, so when the sheriff comes back I can take him out, and we can leave. Myliné is going to meet us by the gate."

Legolas tried to sit up but could not. "I'll try again when the room stops spinning." Legolas then turned on his side, and retched. Estel winced for him, there were in a bad way. Legolas could not sit up, let alone get out of here.

Estel handed him a cloth, Legolas wiped off his mouth. "This is royally screwed up isn't Estel. Why are we the pawns of the bored and sadistic fates? Or maybe exceptionally bad luck.

"Why are you here, you should be with Myliné?" Legolas frowned at Estel.

"I did not blow our cover, I said I worked with the sheriff in a village near Imladris." Legolas gave him a look.

"Help me sit up, please. If it comes down to it leave me here, someone needs to alert Rivendell of the wargs. Myliné does not know the way, so you must." Estel remained silent, but he did not like the way Legolas' head lolled when he sat up. They talked quietly the rest of the time, discussing the easiest ways to get out of there. Legolas' was not improving; Estel was scared to even let the elf blink his eyes.

The door upstairs opened and the sheriff called out, "Hey boy, still alive down there?"

"Yes, I am, throw the latter down so I can get up." He climbed the latter, got up, and threw his fist out into the sheriff's jaw. The stumbled back, as two of the four big men walked in. Aragorn sidestepped punch, and threw another of his own. A big one caught him in the jaw, he sat back against the floor, dizzily, and was pushed into the jail cell, landing on his friend.

Crawling off Legolas, he squinted in the dark interior; it went pitch black as the cover was put on. He swore for the second time that night.


Elrohir heard the orc's, and ran to the gate. Rain pelted down the streets making them slippery, though his light feet ran fast to get to his brother's side. He heard squeals, shouts of pain, a yell of rage, and the broken sound of someone sobbing. These men were no soldiers. Farmers equipped to deal with enemies who had no weapons with to fight back. The thought of their plight, and the innocents that he ran past, made him sprint all the harder.

He arrived, he knew something about the raid was wrong. The town's people were attacking brokenly surrounding the orcs, his twin, Elladan, was fighting in the center, being attacked from all sides. As he started gracefully maneuvering his sword through the enemy to reach his brother, he heard orcs growl, "There are two of the same, get them both."

Elladan met eyes with is brother, they bellied confusion. Though the advantage was, the orcs forgot about the townspeople, therefore they were free to attack nearly unhindered, but the twins, were being plagued by constant nets, whips, and wire, so that they could be subdued.

Elrohir parried a scythe, and felt the sting of a whip on his wrist, that was aimed for his sword. Yanking down with his arm, the whip was abandoned. The elf slew an orc and let it fall. A waste of good leather, that was. He lunged an attack, and felt a blade cut through the air where he had been. It went and hit an unsuspecting orc in the arm, he ripped it out and knifed out at Elladan, whose back turned engaging two foes, did not even see it coming. Elrohir turned to help his brother, fending off attacks, until his brother regained himself. "Okay, then guard my back, I got what is left of yours."

"Funny, funny, elf." An orc's eyes, slitted sideways like a cross eyed cat laughed at the two. Elrohir's sword decapitated it. "Dead, dead, orc." They continued on, until they both were better marked by the battle, blood flowed freely, from both sides.

Only five remained of the Men, some injured, other cowards, even some sent home by elders. The orcs changed tactics, the grabbed the remaining people, exposed their throats. Put dirty weapons against throats, they yelled out. "Shining elves, where be these good folks' rescuers tonight. We will leave tonight with out harming a soul more, as long as we have you for company.

Looking at the six orcs, they nodded. Three against one was not bad odds, especially with orcs. They stood warily, lest the orcs harm the humans, though usually had a tendency of doing that. One of the orcs keeled over, onto his captive blade falling away. They all turned, three people stood in a near by window, holding crossbows, three women. They fired, three more orcs hit the dirt. Elladan and Elrohir dispatched the other two easily.

Adrenaline became lost and they slowly worked to haul carcasses outside of the gate. Three or more people constantly guarding the entrance to their town. They wanted no more death from the townspeople. It was almost dawn when Elrohir and Elladan gave their last medical instructions, only four had died. Though it was a small number, that was four men that never said goodbye to their families, their wives, and their children. To Elrohir, he found it disturbing, human lives needed no more shortening. It was a creeping reminder of the fate his youngest brother held.

Pushing away that thought, the brothers excepting full waterskins, delicious honey bread, and other food, made their way out of the small town, thanked for there assistance. They both smiled, and nodded their heads, but enthusiasm and mirth reached their eyes not. They only counted nineteen bodies, twenty had come in. One escaped a most likely alerted the band, of the presence of the identical elves. That was their target now. Like the old cliché of all the old adventure horror stories Aragorn was so fond of, the hunters became the hunted.

Walking out into the daylight, they whistled for their horses, no came. They ran to the river, but the Mirkwood steeds were gone. Hiding there bags to retrieve them later, they whistled and called for and hour. Tracking the animals, they founded the gait to be a dead run, something was herding them, orcs. They stopped when the reached a deep part of the woods, shadowed, and dark.

Threat blasted though the twin elven minds. It had lain in wait, an unseen peril. A crunch of a branch, a muffled curse, was all needed to alert the brothers of the ambush. Trying to get away, they laughed about, following goat tracks, for the last half an hour. From out of a tree came a crossbolt, it landed in Elrohir's thigh. The elf staggered and fell. Twenty-one orcs and one Man stood grinning malicious at the two elves, both faces overwrought with concern.

"Run Elladan, the lives of the Lothlorien are above that of my own." Elrohir gasped in elvish, he hoped that the artery had not been touched, otherwise he would be dead in a few minutes.

"Nay, we will leave as one, as we have always done." He lifted his brother onto his back, and started a dead run, a crossbolt whizzed by his arm and buried itself in a tree, splinters flashed out, and the tree would have groaned had the Noldor the ability to hear it. The two made there way out into the sunlight, but kept moving, across the river, they could swim, and there was no crossing for over fifty leagues in each direction. Orcs were not known for their boat making skills, or their love of water and an affinity to swim.

Both murmured silent prayers to the spirits of the horses, hoping they were free but doubting the possibility. Elladan towed his brother across, hoping to minimize movement in the limb, and pulled him out of the water. They moved to another glade where they sat to make camp. Elrohir sat against a tree, still, and cold pallor held his normal easy nature captive. Elladan crouched down beside him, "I'll go get the supplies on the other side of the river." He lifted his brother's chin and looked into weary eyes. "Stay with me, 'Ro."

Elrohir let his head drop to his chest, feeling every single one of his scratches, he felt a foreign feeling, cold.


Myliné stood at the gate, holding the reins of two horses, the third standing just as close. She had them all saddled and packed, save for Legolas' whom had let itself out of the stable several hours earlier. Myliné stood pacing, wondering when they were coming, it was almost dawn. She sat down, exhausted of the sleepless night, and hoped that they were in no more trouble. If the sun rose, she was told to go back to the inn, and wait there. She was frightened, the law in this town was absurd, and she was scared to go around by herself. She brandished the knives that Legolas gave her, and practiced wearily.

She wished that nothing would befall her two new friends. Not so soon after her entire village's demise. A tear ran down her cheek. She wiped her face on the elven cloth; she started to hum a sweet elven song she heard sung in the corridors by the she-elves that Myliné befriended. She had no idea what t he words were, or meant, but it had the sound of a gentle peace, a lullaby for a spent heart.

She sat and leaned against the black foal she rode, who had lain beside her, to well after the Sun rose. She would not give up hope. The morning did not welcome her, nor did the innkeeper when she rode back to the inn. "I want to stable these horses, and I need breakfast."

"Do you know girl where your man is?" The innkeeper sneered, and she decided it was safer to not venture a guess. "He is in the prison as well, thirty lashings on his head. He attacked two men trying to get the brigand free. The thief has sixty coming to him."

Myliné sat down, what happened, were all men blind or just stupid. There were two men in a jail cell about to by unjustly punished for protecting themselves against brutes, one a ranger, son of an elven lord, and the other a prince of elves. She massaged her temples, with one hand, and proffered money to stable all three horses, house the three of them, and pay for breakfast.

She thought of a way to get them free, so she inquired, "When is this to take place."

The innkeeper's mouth quirked, "The sheriff decided to carry it out sooner rather than later." He laughed when she stared confused, "Right now, at dawn."

Myliné never ran so fast in her life. She pushed her way through the crowd surround the town center, two people knelt bound, hands tied infront of them. The sheriff and one of the brutes held a whip. No not yet, she cried for them as whips came down on their backs, the men counted aloud, "One, Two, and Three-"

She broke through the crowd, and held the black handled knifes before her. "Stop, now!" The sheriff turned around, but not before slicing down the whip once more. The brute continued.

"What are you interfering for girl?" He drew a sword, he eyes never leaving the knives in her hands.

"Do you have any idea who you are mistreating? That brigand is one of the elven kind. Are you blind, or do you want the immortals to kill you. And the Man, he is a ranger, very well acquainted with the High Lord Elrond, and his two sons, gallant warriors of the wilds." She tried to be threatening.

The brute stopped at fifteen lashings. He turned around, his eyes wide. The sheriff walked over and pulled the leather band off the elf's head. He stepped backwards, and fell. "Oh bloody hell." He turned to the man holding the whip, his own dropped. "Why the hell did you lie? This is going to cost the entire town. Who is the elf, important?"

Legolas collapsed to the ground, his chest heaving, but he made no utterance of pain. Estel stood and walked over to Myliné his face pale, he limped slightly. She cut his bounds, and the two approached the frightened sheriff and the unmoving elf. Aragorn knelt by his friend's side, and grimaced. He spoke softly, "Stand up mellon nin, we should depart soon."

Estel gently help his friend to his knees and cut his bonds, they raised slowly, allowing the concussed elf a chance to get his equilibrium back. Myliné noticed the obvious tiredness in his eyes and moved to support his other side. The sheriff moved to talk with Estel. "Sir, this is all a large mistake, come on, we refund you any money spent, give you supplies, free medical service, anything."

"We are staying until this afternoon, so we can rest, and then we are leaving. If I see your sniveling face again, I will relieve your shoulders of it." The sheriff backed off, through the crowd.

A woman, older approached them. "I is my job in the town to aid the sick and the injured, I offer my services to you and your friends." Myliné noticed how she approached her, shrinking back from the two warriors.

"If we need your herbs, I will send for you, if not leave us alone." Aragorn's face was of pure protective fury. Legolas stumbled again, his feet dragged on the cobblestone street. Myliné frowned, Estel was breathing hard too. The two men stumbled onto the inn. Getting in the front door, they walked past the confused innkeeper. The man glared at the three people.

They laid Legolas faced down on a bed, and removed the tattered reminets of his shirt. Legolas shut his eyes. Aragorn hastily said, "Myliné keep him talking, keep him awake." He gently took cloth and a bowl off water infused with a strong painkilling herb and washed the welts.

Legolas' raspy voice slowly talked with Myliné of his youth in Greenwood the Great. The summer forests never was there an autumn, he spoke of his friends as an elfling, and journeys to Rivendell wreaking havoc with the twins. He spoke of pretending to hurt himself so the pretty elf maidens would take pity on him, the young child. Myliné laughed and asked him if that was what he was doing now.

Legolas started to tell a tale a ballad but he did not sing, of the beauty of Luthien, and love of Beren. Estel finished wrapping the bandages. "May I interrupt your song and request the ladies help for my own back. Myliné worked gently on Estel, washing and bandaging his wounds, wishing that the rest of the journey would provide better fortune.

Fate had other ideas...


So here is the long awaited chapter, I think to avoid apologizing I will update every two weeks with school starting in all. I got yelled at for my first cliffy, I am so happy.

Elladan: Aren't we lucky, (Sarcastically of course.)

Elrohir: Why are you being cruel to me?

Because on of my readers special ordered it, thanks all of you. To those that review and those that don't. If you have and questions, comment or concerns, please review and tell me, or email me Thanks!!! Or both...


Reviewer Responses

Xkuroxshinobix: I asked Deana for the elvish dictionary, it is Sindarin, and it also has a few phrases at the bottom. I can't vouch for the phrases because they were taken off of other fan fiction and might be grammatically incorrect, or have Quenya in them. Also another on of my reviewers gave me a useful URL : If want the dictionary tell me and I will email it to you with a few more phrases I have found.

Lintered: Thanks for the review, its nice to feel apprieciated, I know I left the update about four days late, so sorry.

Navaer Lalaith: Sorry for the bad grammar, I really don't know what I am doing. Thanks for the site. You said that I could email you do you know anything about the grammar? Thanks a lot for being patient.

Mornflower: Umm hi, interesting ... review. (Laughs nervously.) Well it is always nice to know that someone sane or not thinks that much of my story. Thanks.

Deana: Thanks a lot!!!! I finally posted yeah!! Sorry.