And here I am, posting the answers to the double cliffy, I did not make one intentionally. Though I am surprised, with the lack of threats on my reader's part. Here is a little Christmas present for you people, enjoy.
Legolas: And the Christmas present involves torturing us?
Elladan: Yeh, why is it always us?
Shut up or you'll wreck the chapter for the readers.
Aragorn: Yeah elves, shut up, back off, and but out.
Why are you helping me?
Aragorn: Well I looked ahead and I saw th-
I got to end this so you people can read, there you go chapter eleven.
Answering to the Threat:
Chapter Twelve: Racing to the Old Ford
Aragorn glanced up to the bush and did a double take back to his friend. Legolas was turning his horse around mumbling for them all to be easy and follow him. The ranger loosened his sword in the scabbard and inwardly cursed. He tried to be discreet, but the observant ears of the elf heard the steel. He saw the elf swiftly turn over to him on his war-horse's back and give him the wide-eyed stare as if his best friend plummeted over a cliff. Aragorn blinked and thought, 'Just because you heard it doesn't mean they did, whoa easy buddy.'
Myliné laughed and looked around completely oblivious to what was going on, uncomprehending of the elvish, and she wasn't close enough to hear the single Western word spoken. "Okay guys, funny with the mock seriousness. What's going on? In the Common tongue, if you can help it."
Legolas gazed up to the sky and his lips moved in silent prayer. He directed his horse to her at a fast walk. Easily making the distance, quickly he nestled the two horses until they were side by side, and he reached over snaking an arm around her shoulders and talked into her ear. His low voice could faintly be heard drifting over to the ranger, "There is at least forty of our new favorite alliance in that grove of trees ahead waiting to kill us. We can outrun them to a ford a mile back, so play along." To the ranger and hopefully the enemy, they looked more like lovers that, Valar forbid, than one mordant elf, and a young woman.
Aragorn kept looking trying to causally look back to the trees. The wind was blowing hard masking the possible movement from within. He knew something was wrong with this, Legolas hadn't sensed them until they were right in the middle of the trap. What was wrong with him? Estel decided to keep that in mind, and deal with this problem first.
"Myliné, I suggest we take a race back, ranger, can you last that long in the saddle?" Legolas blanched visibly, "Noro lim." All three of the horses took off for where the ford was. Legolas moved his horse behind, letting the horse Aragorn was riding lead. The animals they were riding seemed to know where they were going, that was good, mostly because the ranger did not have a clue. Trees whipped by them, it was getting hard to duck them all.
Estel glanced backwards, Myliné looked very scared. Her face was white, and she had one of the black handled knives Legolas gave her drawn in her hand, in the other was the water stone her friend gave her. Her grip on the reins was deathly tight; she didn't look like she was going to fall off anytime soon.
Legolas had his eyes shut, concentrating on the action behind them. They had not broken out of the clearing that much was good, unless they were in the trees beside them. He heard a shout of order, "FIRE YOU MAGGOT," coming from the trees, Aragorn paled as he saw Legolas' body slam forwards into his horse's neck and toppled off her back. An arrow stuck out of his back. Legolas teetered when he rose to his knees, and stumbled to his feet. He pulled up his bow and shot backwards. Aragorn heard a scream. Legolas shot again as riderless warg burst through the clearing felled it. The warhorse rounded back for her master and Legolas swung up expertly.
"Legolas, what are your orders?" Aragorn shouted back, slowing his horse to try and cover Myliné who was terrified. He decided to try and be comforting; Legolas was too busy sitting backwards on his horse firing off arrows. He really didn't know what to say, 'oh yeah, it's fine.' "Myliné I swear you wouldn't be caught again, on my honor."
She glanced over to him, a faint smile on her face, tears in her eyes, "Thanks."
Two pairs of shadowspawn hit the ground behind them, then another one. Legolas kept firing off arrows aiming automatically, instinctively. He did not miss a shot. Aragorn slowed his horse more to see how the elf's newly acquired injury faired.
Aragorn looked back and saw Legolas swivel around facing the front. "What are you doing!? Speed up, NORO LIM." All the horses took off. Another arrow skimmed his head and landed in front, "to the Old Ford, now!"
"Why didn't we head that way before?" Aragorn shouted clinging tightly to the thin messenger saddle, even on the smooth gaited horse, the gallop strides were jarring. Myliné was not doing much better.
"I was perceived to meet resistance there; it's the expected route for travel." Legolas was crouched over in his horse, the arrow sticking out of his back. It was not very far in, 'Good,' Estel thought.
"You were wrong, elf!" The ranger joked back to the elf, Legolas did not take it that way, and he always so tense around battle scenes, did not want to wreck concentration. Aragorn decided to change that eventually.
"I may yet be correct in that theory. There is restlessness on this side of the ford." Legolas touched the side of his head that was grazed by an arrow and scowled. Aragorn then heard a few choice words; they seemed to be dwarvish in origin, odd.
Through the trees they could her the water, Myliné obviously picking up a few words in elvish meant to spur a horse on, yelled, "Come on, you know noro lim." She went farther ahead, Legolas suddenly swore viscously.
"Myliné break left, now!" Legolas kicked his mare ahead and overtook the ranger, "Ranger, follow me!"
Suddenly there was a shriek of pain, and a wounded howl of a warg. Legolas' horse was in his way, he could not see. Legolas burst ahead faster, a knife in his hand, his horse jumped over a fallen tree as he threw the white-hilted blade. Aragorn saw a warg topple over backwards, Myliné sat on the ground hands on her side. Legolas went up and ran down the orc who knocked her off her horse. He leaped off his own mount and ran to her. He held her close. Estel jumped his own mount and knelt before them.
"Easy, it's going to be fine, we're almost to Rivendell, Lord Elrond is a healer." Legolas pulled her hands away from her side. Blood stained them. She was injured more than falling from her horse. She had an orc dagger coming from her ribs. "We're here, the ranger will patch you up for now, but we need to hurry, remember…"
"It just hurts, sorry, I can't get up." Myliné was pale and looked sick. She started to shake. "Help me, we need to hurry. They are coming." She spoke softly.
Legolas gently looked at the part of the blade not in her. "It's not colored to be poisoned. I have steady her ranger, pull it out now. We only have a few moments. There are no more scouts." The elf took her shoulders and looked to him, a sad detached look on his face. Anger was lit in his eyes. He had never seen that look on anyone's face. The elf seemed to want to go back and fight, for revenge.
Aragorn grasped the handle and pulled straight out. Grabbing clean cloth he had quickly procured he held it tightly to the wound. "Legolas hand her up to me, or can you? I need to see your shoulder then too."
"Listen, we do not have time for this. You can't hold her on and maintain pace, I can. She will die if we hinder with such frivolities. Now!" Legolas jumped onto his horse and reached down easily pulling her infront of him; she laid face first into his chest. He wrapped his injured side's arm around her, not showing a glint of emotion but the animosity in his eyes. "We need to make haste, ranger, grab the reins of the other horse." He looked back and his eye's widened, they were behind them, very close.
Legolas hurried across the ford, and looked back to Estel. Estel yelled forward, "It is unlikely they will follow us now for long, Ada's retribution is swift." The river seemed to grow before their eyes deepening gradually blocking access from the ford.
"I believe your farther has already noticed, come now we are almost there." Legolas whispered the last fraise to the human in his arms, fading. "There are our allies ahead. They bring aid I am told."
Legolas' mare pumped her tired legs and they quickly encountered an encampment of sentinels of Rivendell. They all turned quickly and pulled Myliné off the horse, and carried her to beside the fire. A few healers were also there, they set to work helping her calling for medical supplies. Aragorn slid off his own animal offering the two horses his thanks for saving their lives with the speedy race and let them loose of bridles to cool down and eat. Legolas remained perched on his horse. His open eyes once filled with hatred, were now void, empty and unseeing.
"Legolas?" The ranger ventured to disturb him, for he had not the gaze when they were meditating and resting.
"Estel, what's going…on I can't feel anything. I can't-" He dropped off the other side of his horse. Aragorn ran over their limping, stiff from riding. Legolas sat against a tree, his eyes flickering open. His voice was firmer now, "Get the arrow out of my back, now, before I jam it in there farther."
A Rivendell warrior came over two them, "What has happened, Estel, Lord Legolas? You need a healer, and Estel, don't tell me you are fine, I can see bloodstains on both of you." The elder warrior looked over both of them crouched or sprawled on the ground with concern, but not amusement, just expectancy. "Lord Elrond will be concerned about letting you out there again, young one."
The elf walked away, and tapped the shoulder of one of the healers shoulders standing over Myliné, now about to be laden with blankets and sleeping, the ranger hoped, under the watch of some of Middle Earth's finest healers. The warrior looked back to them and nodded the healer over.
"Estel, are you hurt?" The young appearing she-elf's eyes scrutinized him. "Your arm was, but appears to be dressed properly for now. Oh Lord Legolas, why you again. You do this, just to get in the healing ward to pick on the nurses don't you?" She shook her head and sighed she saw his back, "Valar could only save you, if that is poisoned. Estel, hold him still. I'll need to pull it through."
The ranger gripped the elf's shoulders, and winced for him. The arrow now appeared to have been threaded through the space between two of his ribs, and a couple of inches from his side. Blood still fan freely from the wound. After the healer removed his tunic and wondered aloud at the healing wolf bites and gouges, she tied a piece of leather to the exposed piece of arrow at the front. She gripped the piece at the back tightly and broke it off and an inch from his back. Legolas felt it snap and tensed. "Relax, it will hurt less."
Legolas looked back to her, "Have you ever had an arrow pulled out of your side? Or even a remotely big splinter?"
She sighed, "Okay, it will be out in five, four, three," she pulled on it yanking out the blood soaked wood. Legolas semi-convulsed then sat, still gazing, distantly ahead. Estel kept him from falling over. "Legolas, I'll stitch this up, and then take a look at your head. After that, you can relax. Your friend, the woman, will be fine. She was frightened out of her mind, more for you two than anything. One of the other healers sent her to sleep. We will move out to Imladris tomorrow at dawn. The orcs that were pursuing you can not cross the river, if they try, their deaths will be fast, when our archers can see enough of them to get a shot."
She worked quickly closing wounds and eased the tired elf to beside on of the fires. Aragorn laid down near them, enjoying the familiar singing of the elves, people he knew and grown up beside. He shut his eyes with one last look over to Myliné, her eyes opened just then, and mouthed thanks. Both their eyes shut, sleep overtook the ranger.
Elrohir's eyes opened, and the bright light slipped in. Feeling disoriented he shut them again. 'I blacked out on Elladan, never going to hear the end of this. Must be in Lothlorien, which is good. Now I know Arwen and Grandma are safe.' He felt a pang of sadness, Arwen. He had not seen her for decades. She was often out on patrols with the border guards. He hoped to see her again soon.
He hoped Elladan had discussed the threat with Galadriel already. He would not necessary mind missing a council meeting, even if it meant resting in bed. "I wonder where Elladan is." His twin popped a head in the room, and smiled warmly.
"Hey, are you feeling alright now, the poison is gone this time, honestly I am sure." Elladan walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Speak the name Morgoth, and he shall appear," Elrohir gave a faint grin and sat against the headboard.
"Brother, correct me if I'm wrong, but did you just imply that I am Morgoth." Elladan's eyes sparkled dangerously; he was looking for a fight. It was obviously that Arwen was not at the palace of the Golden Wood. He was more defensive when she was about. She was faster with wits than the both of them.
"I only say what I say, nothing more." Elrohir felt too drowsy to make an able opponent.
"Do you say that I am another Morgoth," He leaned over his brother, a malicious grin creased his face.
"You are just annoyed that I did not have to sit through the meeting with you. Stop acting like Estel when he was two and got in trouble for doing exactly what we told him." Elrohir hit the mark accurately and felt the glare of his twin's eyes.
"Children of my daughter, I allowed the other of you two in here so that you could converse quietly," Galadriel walked in an eyebrow raised, "Not to have a foolish contestation of your said wits. Elrohir rest so that you can ride to Imladris soon, Elladan leave and volunteer to assist the cooks. You will be preparing the luncheon for the Lords and Lady's of my halls, so I know that the food served will be excellent." Her deep eyes pierced her reprimanded kin's, "With no extra additives."
"Aye, milady Galadriel, no extra additives, just excess of the normal ones." Elladan had found his fight, and was about to be out and downed, their grandmother was very experienced in dealing with mouthy kinsmen; she was the only girl in all of her siblings and cousins.
"If that is your decision, Elladan the chef, you will be like every other chef and taste all of the dishes you prepared right before you contribute to them, to ensure their quality. I shall assign the Weapons Master to watch you perform your task. He often looked after discipline in your household growing up, do you remember?" Galadriel laughed her light soft laugh and glided away.
"You just don't know when to shut up." Elrohir let his eyes glaze over with sleep. "I am sorry about the meeting; I'll take up the slack sometime soon."
"Whatever brother, it's my fault you couldn't come; I was too distracted to see that you were hurt." Elladan turned to leave. "I have to go cook dinner, this you owe me for. You started the conversation."
"You should be glad, if it was Legolas, or even Estel, you would be scrubbing the dirty dishes for the entire forest, and training under the Weapons Master, and then doing laps. I wonder how they are."
"Other than bantering more senselessly that us, probably fine. Myliné will keep them in line." Elladan walked out.
'I hope.'
There you have it, I beat up on everybody except the ranger, a Christmas present to my sister. Speaking of presents, if you can answer the riddle posted at the bottom, you will get the next chapter emailed to you, in a week, providing I can get my friend, or my Beta Mornflower, to edit the chapter early for me.
Myliné: Oh early torment, how kind.
This the second time I have ever picked on you, so suck it up princess. And I created you, behave yourself.
Christmas Challenge:
In big words, there is an equivalent to a Christmas carol's name. Here is an example: 'Homo sapien of crystallized vapor' is 'Frosty the Snowman'.
The challenge for the next chapter: 'Befell during the transparent bewitching hour.'
Elrohir: How are they supposed to get that, I can't.
Try hard.
Reviewer/Beta Responses:
Deana: Yep I updated, I wasn't that long, was it? Sorry!
Crazyrabidfangirl01: Glad you like the first three chapters so much! I'll go back to my earlier chapters and fix that.
Mornflower: You could of reviewed too! Yes, thanks for catching those two words I missed, I get thinking faster than I type sometimes, or write. See if you can figure the challenge out, that would be funny, you get the chapters at least a day early anyway.
