Author's note at bottom! As usual….

Into the Labyrinth

Author: Mirfaen (Previously Amorous)

*Chapter 16: Closing In*

Elrohir stepped into a dark bar, closing the door behind him against the night's chill. The bar was predictably crowded, loud, smelly, and poorly lit. Elrohir glanced around at the half drunk men that were filling the large room with their raucous laughter and felt immediately the urge to dash back out into the crisp, clean night air. Suppressing the urge with a small shiver of his shoulders, the Elf shoved his way up to the counter and ordered an ale.

Days ago, it had been decided that the three Elves would help Cadell Busker search for the fighting ring by gaining information undercover. Elrohir had offered to take on the bulk of it himself, since it was obvious that for the time being he was the most suitable for the job. Isorfinduil needed to lay low in the town after his brawl with Jase, so it was not ideal for him to try and mingle with the men of Rahma. Elladan's short temper had been on a rage the past several days and he had freely admitted to Elrohir that he was not in total control of his emotions.

Now, alone in a dark, cheerless bar filled with unfamiliar humans, Elrohir dispiritedly swirled the ale around in his mug and longed for the peaceful ambience of Rivendell. With a sigh, he turned to survey the tables nearby. Spotting one that was half empty, he stepped up to it and the four men already sitting looked up at him expectantly.

"This seat taken?" He indicated the chair in front of him with a nod as though he could care less. The Elf made sure to roughen his voice up and loosen his shoulders so that he did not stand quite so erect as was natural to him.

"It's all yours." One of the men stated, his intense light brown eyes boring into Elrohir. "What's a clean young guy like yourself doing in a place like this?"

"I've got some stuff I need to forget." Elrohir shrugged lightly as he dropped into the chair.

Another man with wiry brown hair leaned towards him with a toothy smile. "What'd ya do?"

"Something I'd like to forget." The Elf in disguise said severely, turning his storming grey eyes on the man. The man's eyes widened and he leaned quickly back into his chair as though Elrohir had screamed at him to shut up.

The first man, with the light brown eyes, watched Elrohir intently as the Elf swirled the ale around again and a gradual smile spread over his face. Elrohir looked up and, finding the man staring at him, raised his smooth black eyebrows as though asking what he was looking at.

The man's grin widened. "I like you." He said, pointing at the Elf as though Elrohir had won some coveted prize. The pointing finger opened into a welcoming hand. "My name is Rabonu. Though most just call me Rabo."

Elrohir deliberately looked at the hand with suspicion for a moment before shaking it. He wasn't sure whether it was a good thing or a bad thing that he had found Jase's rival gang, but he was determined to get the most that he could out of it.

"Rabo, you don't like anybody you don't know." A third man commented, glancing at Elrohir pointedly.

"That, Lanin, is because they usually fall all over themselves trying to make sure they're on my good side. This one doesn't. I like that."

"I'm right here, so you can stop talking like I'm not." Elrohir said, and lifted the mug to his lips. He took a fake swig, allowing the ale to touch the outside of his mouth but not go in while swallowing the air in his mouth.

"You going through rough times, or are you normally like this?" Rabo asked bluntly with a tip of his chin.

"A little of both."

Elrohir looked around at the four staring faces and realized that he was the center of attention. Gaining their confidence may not be as hard as he'd thought. He chatted with them for several minutes and was surprised at how open they were with him. He suspected that most of them had had a few too many ales than was good for them.

"What are you doing?" Rabo asked suddenly, leaning forward on his elbows.

"What?" Elrohir's heart skipped a beat.

"For a job. What do you do? And what's your name? Don't expect us to be the only ones giving all the information here."

Elrohir shrugged in a consenting manner, his heartbeat slowly returning to normal. "People call me Elro," he began, using just enough of his name so that it sounded slightly less Elvish but also so that if his twin or Isorfinduil used his full name accidentally, he would be justified in saying he had just given Rabo his nickname. "I was training to be a swordsmaster from my girl's father. I would help him in his metal shop in return for the lessons, but that didn't work out."

Rabo leaned back into his chair thoughtfully, running his intense light-brown eyes over Elrohir's clearly muscled shoulders and arms. The eyes rose and met the Elf's face-on. "And now?"

Elrohir paused, the mug halfway to his mouth, and narrowed his dark grey eyes at the man. "I don't have a job now."

Rabo merely nodded and said nothing, his light eyes never blinking. Sounds of drunken men laughing and yelling flooded the large bar as the five at the table thought to themselves for several minutes. Without moving a single muscle, Rabo spoke again. "Why didn't it work out?"

Elrohir let several seconds of tense silence slip by as he stared hard at the man. "I loved my girl. But I went too far a couple nights ago and they kicked me out with nothing more than what you see." The Elf paused, hoping to make the moment more dramatic by it. "That's what I wanted to forget."

Rabo dipped his head sincerely. "I apologize. I didn't mean to stir up bad memories."

Elrohir said nothing and glanced around the bar as though he was almost ready to leave. Indeed, he truly did wish to leave. The smell of liquor was strong and suffocating to him, filling his lungs and throat with an abhorrent taste. He longed for the crisp night air of the outdoors and to be away from this foul stench. He felt utterly confined all of a sudden, the precarious façade that he was now forced to maintain as well as the physical proximity of the men at the surrounding tables combining to give him a sort of spontaneous claustrophobia.

"You got a place to stay?" Lanin, the man on the Elf's left asked, breaking him out of his distressed thoughts. Elrohir looked over at him blankly for a moment, processing the man's words and then nodded.

"Yeah, I've got a place to go to."

Lanin looked at him for a moment as though waiting for him to go back on his words, then consented with a shrug. "But listen," he added in a hushed voice taking a glance at Rabo, who nodded slightly. "If you can't find a job and you get desperate for one, talk to the bartender's son. Tell him you know Rabo and Lanin and that you need to get hooked up. He'll tell you what to do from there."

Elrohir nodded his understanding, struggling to retain the delicate balance between paying attention and seeming to not need their information. If he seemed too interested in what Lanin was saying, it would be quite suspicious. And yet it would be just as suspect if he were to totally disregard their information. "Alright then," He sighed and pushed his chair back. "See you around." He nodded to each of the four men and turned to leave.

"You certainly will." He heard Lanin say ever so softly. The words would have been lost to a human, but Elrohir's heightened Elven hearing allowed him to catch what was not meant for him to hear.

**

Isorfinduil took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the cool air of the evening. The sky was dark and overcast, allowing him to walk without fear of his skin and hair reflecting the light of the stars. A faint glowing orb high above him revealed the position of the moon behind the thin layer of clouds. The young Elf stayed close to the edge of the road, avoiding all passerby's and keeping to himself. His hands rested leisurely in the pockets of the long, dark overcoat he wore. He ran his bright eyes over the dark peaks of the Misty Mountains that rose forebodingly just beyond the edge of Rahma.

The Elf thought of Legolas and Aragorn and the fighting ring. He marveled at how well concealed the organization remained and how little information they had been able to find on it. His heart was saddened as he thought of his Prince and Aragorn, gone missing, he and the twins really having no idea where to look. Only the Valar knew what had happened to them what was now happening to them…

His musing slowly drifted to a close and he walked for a few paces with a silent mind. Only then did his sharp ears pick up the soft footfalls that followed a ways behind him. For the first few minutes, Isorfinduil did not pay them any particular mind – he had already passed several people out on the roads that night. But as the minutes drew on and the soft, distant footsteps did not alter their course, he began to grow edgy. He took a glance around behind him as though admiring the buildings and found a chillingly vacant street as far as he could see. The Elf's body and mind immediately flashed to full alert.

He usually did not mind being alone; much of the time he actually enjoyed it. It was his trademark to disappear when he needed time to think or if he was merely in sorrow or pain. Legolas had once compared him to feline-like animals that lived in northern Mirkwood, which would leave their pack if they were injured. But he felt no enjoyment in being alone now. The wind whistled in the empty streets surrounding him, whispering dark thoughts and playing with his mind.

Isorfinduil heard now only his own steps on the road and walked alone in the silence of the dark night for several minutes. Gradually, the Elf realized that it could have been simply a townsperson crossing onto another road that he had heard. He began to feel foolish despite himself and tried to calm his jumpy nerves.

He was just beginning to think that he had indeed over-reacted when he heard them again – faint, almost undetectable sounds, but they were there, he was sure this time. They must have been not far behind, but it was clear to the Elf that the person was attempting to walk in silence. This time Isorfinduil did not look anywhere but ahead of him, keeping his deep blue eyes glued to the road. His mind began to race. The person in back of the Elf quickened his pace ever so slightly and Isorfinduil had to force himself to keep his own pace steady.

His heart was thudding in his chest as the young Elf passed a dark side street on his left. His eyes darted to the side and he beheld a dirty, middle-aged man in ragged clothes leaning on the side of one of the buildings in the shadows. The man's dark eyes rose and glinted strangely as they followed him by. Just before he passed out of view, the Elf was sure he saw the dark man shift and push off the wall.

Isorfinduil caught sight of another side road coming up and was about to make a break for it when a large shadow suddenly detached itself directly in front of him. A hand swiftly latched onto his upper arm and he jumped back with startled yelp, his other arm flying instinctively towards the knives on his back. His movement pulled the person forward out of the shadows and revealed the surprised features of Elrohir.

"Elrohir!" Isorfinduil cried in relief as he glimpsed the cloth tied over the other's head. Then his eyes narrowed and he whipped his head around. The street was empty. He jogged back a few paces and looked down the dark side street, but found only several discarded boxes and a pile of trash. His golden brows were furrowed as he slowly walked back to where Elrohir stood eyeing him.

"Are you alright?" The tall dark-haired Elf asked, watching as the younger threw a furtive glance behind them again.

Isorfinduil sighed in release and stared at his friend for a moment. Had he been over-reacting again? He didn't think so, but… "I think someone was following me," He stated as they began walking side by side. The wind whistled forlornly over them and the moon blinked out for a few seconds before clouding over again. The crisp night air rushed cool over their faces as they headed back toward The Stone Troll. "At first I wasn't sure. But they were there, and then there was this man in that alley back there…" He trailed off, sounding foolish and lame to himself. He was slightly embarrassed at how startled he had been when Elrohir stepped out at him.

But the Son of Elrond nodded solemnly, his smooth features pensive. Then he too searched the road behind them and pulled Isorfinduil closer to the walls of the buildings. "You were not mistaken. I saw a form walking not far behind you but I thought nothing of it. It disappeared just as I stepped out."

"I don't know what they would want."

"Could it have been Jase?"

Isorfinduil nodded – the thought had not occurred to him. "Yes. I do not know whether he would go so far as to jump me at night, though."

"I would not be surprised if he tried. He seemed to be the type that does not enjoy being bested."

"He'll have to get used to it if he's going to keep this up."

Elrohir laughed quietly as the door of The Stone Troll came into sight.

Far behind them in the dark backstreets of Rahma, six pairs of eyes burned with anger at the loss of their target as they turned and melted out of sight. Next time would not be a failure. Next time they would get him.

**

Lookie, everyone! My name has been changed! They finally let me do it! *dances around in joyful circles* Yay!

Oh yes, and anyone who has the Return of the King soundtrack – let me know how you like it. Mine should be coming in this Tuesday or Wednesday. I can't wait! I've heard good things.

Thank you to all of you who have read the first installment of Opposition Upon Meeting, I will reply to those reviews in its next chapter. Which I will be doing next, by the way. But don't worry everyone who's only reading Labyrinth – I shall swiftly return to this one.

Next Chapter: I actually know what I'm going to do next chapter, so I think I'll tell you! (Without giving anything away, of course.) Trin, you will be happy to hear that Aragorn gets a little beat up. I won't tell you how, though. And Legolas… well, he's already beat up, so he um…continues to be the way he already is…The bad twins are getting angry with Legolas and Aragorn and become considerably less hospitable (if they were ever hospitable in the first place.)

Reviewer Responses:

TrinitySheDevil – As I said before, you'll be happy with the next chapter. I figured that since Wargs are held in such high esteem than it might have sounded a bit unrealistic if a human beat it. Legolas barely got away alive as it is. Thanks for the review!

ASL – Haha, yeah, Legolas the original matador! I'm glad you liked it so much! Thank you so much for the review, they're always so flattering and encouraging!

Tithen Min – Hehe, I'm so sorry I left you there! And I didn't even update him in this chapter. You must be mad at me. But that is understandable! I promise it'll be all (or mostly) Legolas and Aragorn next chapter! Yup, I like bullfights! And yes, exclamation points are incredibly fun and useful, I quite agree!! :) Thank you so much for the review!

Bec – Yeah, I liked the name too, but I guess we'll have to live with this one! I don't think Mirfaen is too bad though, I kinda like it. I'm glad you like El and El. You got one of them in this chappie. Thanks for the review!

Yaavannie – I'm so glad you like this story. I'm not sure how many chapters it will be exactly. As the way things are going, I'm guessing around twenty to twenty-five. Maybe. And yeah, I have a few things planned after I finish this one! Thank you so much for your encouragement!

Libby – lol! Don't choke on those laces….I'll have to try that sometime! :) I am glad you have been temporarily satisfied. And fear not – there is much to come!

Leggylover03 – Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. Aragorn pain next chapter!! So you are leggy's lover but you like Aragorn pain…I see. Well, thanks for the review!

Elda Kuruni – Yeah, deathmatches are much more interesting, I agree. But I had to keep the story realistic and start things off slowly, so…but there you go! I'm glad you liked it! And sorry I didn't get to Legolas this chapter – but you'll get him next time, I promise! Oh, and great new name, I see you had more luck than me! But thank you so much for the review!!

Free-the-fairies – Thanks for reviewing, it's always great to get new reviewers like that. Thank you so much, I'm so glad you are liking it! I hope I don't disappoint you!

Marianne and Callie – Thanks, Callie! I'm glad you're liking it. Yup, I'm a big fan of action too! More action next chapter! Thanks for your review!

NaughtyNat – Thanks for the review, I'm glad you like it!

*

See y'all next chapter! Or in Opposition Upon Meeting, you're reading that too! If you haven't read it, check it out. It's about how Elladan and Isorfinduil meet.

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving!!