Lil'Annie – I tried to email you "No Control" to the email on your profile, but I received a sent failure message. Do you have another email address? Or you can email me with it. My email is in my profile.

Hypersquishy – We all vote the same. Not too much longer now.

Angelofdeadlydarkness0010- Thanks. Here you go!

ElfPrincessLarien – Sorry it took so long. I'll try very hard to spit the next one out quicker. Yeah, I decided Emlin needed to live. By the way, I love your elvish.

Anithrarith – Thanks and sorry for making you wait. Maybe I'm just delaying it because I know I'm very close to the end. Waiting does suck. I know it because I'm reading some other fanfics and waiting patiently for new chapters to post. Hope you received "No Control".

Legolaslover – I promise you there will be some serious butt-kicking. No mercy for Pallando.

TammyLuvsLeggy – Hehehe, you'll find out why I did that to him.

DreamsofDarkness – The Kozari guards will get what's coming to them. Hehehe.

Elvnchic9 – Thanks so much! I love compliments. :o)

FanficVirgin – Thanks so much. Happy ending? But of course. I can't write a bad ending. I hate unhappy endings! Hope you received "No Control".

Tat – It's a bit too explicit for this site. I haven't decided yet, but I may post it on adultfanfiction (dot) net. I'll let you know.

Tiffiany-45 – Ah yes, a wizard duel. Now that would be something, huh? You'll just have to wait and see. I haven't seen Sin City yet. Is it as good as the trailers make it out to be?

A/N – Sorry for taking so long with this chapter. I wasn't sure which direction I wanted a certain part to go.

Chapter 26 – Feeling Incomplete

Aragorn watched the exchange between Gandalf and Thranduil, trying to pick up on what they talked about. But Thranduil's stallion and Isilrö were making such a fuss nearby that he could barely hear Celegmin speaking directly beside him. "Forgive me, Celegmin, what did you say?"

"The guards at the back of the line have run into the opening at the foot of the mountain," replied Celegmin.

Even though he knew he would not be able to see it, Aragorn looked toward the mountain anyway. "We need to get closer."

"I am of the same mind," Celegmin stated flatly as he glanced at the king of Mirkwood. "Why do we wait?"

Aragorn nudged his horse forward and stopped beside the elven king, who seemed to glow much brighter in the darkness than any of the other elves in his company. Thranduil turned to him just as Aragorn noticed the concentrated look on Gandalf's face from the other side of the ancient elf. "Why do we wait, my lord? We need to engage these warriors and quickly," he implored.

"I understand your anxiety, Aragorn, for I feel it just as strongly within me," intoned Thranduil before he turned back to Gandalf.

Aragorn was beyond simply feeling anxiety. His rage was on the verge of a full-blown eruption and one he was powerless to control. If he was not so aware of the folly of his thoughts, he would have charged the Kozari soldiers long before Thranduil and Gandalf had arrived. But to do so would only result in his death and it would not save Legolas and Aleera. Releasing a loud breath of frustration, he glanced at the Istar once again, noting that Gandalf had closed his eyes and lowered his face. Thranduil had given no explanation of what the old wizard was doing. But Aragorn had seen him in this state. He was attempting to communicate with someone. Perhaps Legolas or Aleera.

Gandalf stretched his oral and audible ranges toward the far off mountain, concentrating deeply on seeking the soul of the half-Istari elf girl. He avoided the minds of the Kozari regime and fought the desire to make contact with Legolas, to assess the young elf's damage. But upon feeling his presence, he quickly skimmed forth to discover that Aleera was nowhere near him. He also avoided running into the mind of Pallando, although he realized that the other Istar was more than likely already aware of his presence. The darkness of the catacombs was encompassing as he floated onward through layer upon layer of underground caverns. The rock walls were thick and not easily penetrable, but Gandalf poured his heart and his mind to the task, feeling from the effort the fatigue within his mortal body, sweat forming on his brow. Only once had he ever been beneath the Lonely Mountain and that had been long ago when the dragon Smaug threatened the inhabitants before they vacated not long after. But the remains of the dead were left untouched in the catacombs even further beneath the many residences that were undoubtedly caved in from the constant threats of the giant spiders and fell beats. Gandalf hoped that Aleera would not have to confront those creatures on her way out. But first he needed to locate her.

Thranduil glanced to his left, beyond Gandalf, to look upon his expectant captain and elven warriors. They were prepared to fight to their deaths to rescue their crowned prince and only awaited a signal from him. His patience was wearing thin as with every moment wasted meant more pain and suffering brought upon Legolas. The elven king felt a shudder run through him at the thought of finding his son near death and that no amount of elven healing would be able to save him. The sudden love he felt for his son was inconceivable. For almost three thousand years did he have his son, but he felt that only half of those years had Legolas spent at home, while the rest were spent in travels and on patrol to defend the woodland realm. When this was over, he hoped that the presence of Aleera would keep Legolas home, only occasionally patrolling the borders instead of traveling abroad for months, sometimes years at a time. When this was over…

"I believe I have found her…" exclaimed Gandalf.

Aleera had never known such utter defeat. Even when she had been in the clutches of Seledred back in Lothlorien as he threatened to throw her over the edge of the wall to her death in the Deep Fosse, she had felt some kind of hope that Legolas or someone would come to her rescue. But here…in the dark underground catacombs of a mountain appropriately named Lonely, for that was what she felt, she had no hope whatsoever. With nothing else to occupy her thoughts, the sudden realization of the stench of rotting bones that filled the air made bile rise to her throat. Legolas was badly injured and the wayward relief she felt was solely due to the fact that she knew he was alive or she would not still feel the pain of their separation. If Legolas's life had been extinguished, the pain in her chest would have vanished and her heart would feel a void so empty that she would fade into oblivion, never to recover. She felt no comfort with that end, even though she knew she would find Legolas in the Halls of Mandos. But there their final fate would be determined, to either be sent to the Undying Lands together or return reincarnated to Middle-Earth. With the latter, they would be met with an existence where they would not even know each other. The thought brought tears to Aleera's eyes…never knowing Legolas…the overwhelming love they had for each other would not exist.

"Nay…" she cried out in a desperate whisper before her tears came flooding forth like the strongest falls of Rivendell. Her desperate sobs echoed loudly in the cramped cavern. She wanted to scream out to someone, to anyone that would hear her plea for help. There would be no one. With the many passages through the catacombs, even if someone managed to get passed Pallando's defenses, they could wander the passages for days, weeks, even months, never to find her.

Then her sobs caught in her throat at the sound of a meek voice. At first Aleera thought the Kozari queen might still be alive and she turned in the direction of the crumpled form only several feet away from her, the glow of Aleera's aura barely touching the top of the fallen woman's head. Aleera took a step toward her until she was able to look upon her face. Gwinn's eyes were open and lifeless. Her chest did not rise with the intake of life-giving breath. Nay, Gwinn was dead.

"Aleera…"

Aleera whirled around the cavern, trying to find the source of the faint voice that had called her name. "I am here!" she called in response.

"Focus…" the voice started to say, but the rest of the words faded away.

Again Aleera whirled around and then moved to the rock blocking the entryway. She believed that someone was on the other side of the rock. "I am behind this rock in this cavern. Are you there? I cannot hear you very well."

"I am not physically there, Aleera. Focus on my voice." The voice seemed stronger now, distinctly one of male origin and even though it had only uttered four words, she felt the authority and wisdom behind it. "Listen and feel me."

Aleera closed her eyes and opened her mind. "I hear you clearly now. Who are you?" A gasp escaped her throat at the sudden image that came to her mind. An old face with long grey hair and beard. She knew the face…had seen it perhaps once or twice in her life. Although she had never personally known him, she recognized him to be one of the Istari, like her great-great-grandfather, Alatar. "I know you, or rather know of you. You are Mithrandir."

Gandalf smiled in his image to her. "I have many names, young one."

Aleera's thoughts went wild as hundreds of questions fought their way to her lips. Yet only one manifested. "Are you here to aid Legolas? He is badly injured and needs immediate attention."

"As I said, I am not before you in physical form, nor can I intentionally interfere in what has transpired. It is against the rules for Istari."

Aleera's brows narrowed. "Then why do you come to me in spirit?"

"I may not be allowed to interfere, but it is not said that I cannot influence you in your endeavors, Aleera. This is your destiny and it must be fulfilled by you."

"What am I to do? I am trapped within this dark cavern with an unmovable stone lying in the path of my freedom. And even if that stone were not present, I could never find my way through the twisting passages of the catacombs beneath this mountain."

"You have the capabilities, young one, for you have the blood of the Istari within you."

"I know not the capabilities you speak of."

"Heed me quickly, Aleera, for I cannot hold this manifestation much longer from this distance. My mortal body grows weak with the effort it takes to bring myself to you."

Aleera swallowed hard and concentrated on the image in her mind. She knew of the Istari law. They were not allowed to use their powers to aid the people of Middle-Earth, or certainly Mithrandir would have already done something to stop Pallando. "I am listening."

"Look within yourself for the energy that courses through you. You will know it when you discover it."

Aleera knew what he spoke of. Yet this energy that she knew existed within her had never been something she had ever questioned. It was there and to her it was without a purpose. She had assumed all elves had it. But now she knew that it was not something borne from the elven part of her. It was of her Istari part. "Aye, Mithrandir. I feel it."

"The rock before you is a mere obstacle. Concentrate your energy to your fingertips and move it."

With narrowed brows, Aleera took a deep breath and concentrated. She felt the energy suddenly gaining strength, as if it was what brought her life, made her breath. She raised her hand up and glanced at her fingers with her mouth open in wonder. The very tips of her fingers glowed a pale green. She turned them toward the rock, thinking how she wanted to move it away from the passage. A sudden flash flew from her fingertips, like lightning, which struck the rock. Aleera screeched and nearly fell backward as the rock shattered into hundreds of pieces.

"Very good, Aleera," said Gandalf.

With the arrow still in her hand, Aleera moved toward the doorway and carefully climbed over the pile of shattered stones. Once she had made it into the passageway, she glanced left and right, remembering that she had come from the right when the Kozari guard and queen had brought her there. Several feet later she came across an intersection of other passageways. "Mithrandir, which way do I go?" she asked desperately.

"The catacombs of the Lonely Mountain are a series of mazes. The Kozari must have created maps and memorized the passageways."

"How will I find my way out?"

"Your bond with the prince of Mirkwood is strong. If I am not mistaken, you still feel the pain of your separation."

"Aye, intensely do I feel it."

"Use it to your advantage, Aleera. You will know which direction you will need to go. I must leave you now. Be swift, young one, for Legolas needs you."

The image of Mithrandir suddenly vanished from her mind's eye and Aleera found herself utterly alone again in the darkness. She tried to contain her panic in this enclosed place, her longing to breathe the outside air, to hear the call of the trees…Of the three other passages, she chose the middle one and found that as she moved forward, the pain in her chest began to lessen in minor degrees. Had she chosen correctly? Just to prove it to herself, she turned and headed back to take another path. The pain did not lessen. A sudden sense of relief came to her. Backtracking again, she entered the passage she had first taken. Indeed the pain was decreasing. She hastened her steps, her hands reaching ahead in the darkness and attempting not to touch the bones of the dead in the dug out tombs along the walls.

Gandalf opened his eyes and turned to Thranduil. He had been so focused on locating and communicating with Aleera that he had not noticed Aragorn had approached. "Aleera is deep in the catacombs and is attempting to make her way to the surface."

"Is she well?" asked Aragorn with concern. "Are there guards around her?"

"She is well, Aragorn," replied Gandalf. "Though I saw no guards, I did happen upon a woman lying on the ground. She appeared dead, her face bloodied beyond recognition."

Aragorn turned to Thranduil. "The Kozari queen, Gwinn. I do not regret saying that I find relief in knowing she is dead."

"Then all that stands in our way are these Kozari soldiers," observed Thranduil. "Let us dispose of them once and for all." When Thranduil turned toward his horse, who stood closely with Legolas's horse, both stallions began to move toward him. Thranduil stroked the nose of Isilrö, sensing his anxiety before he mounted Alagos. He waited for Gandalf to mount his horse. "Let us ride, friends and elves of Mirkwood."

Thranduil, Gandalf, Aragorn, Celegmin and the elven army advanced as one upon the Kozari soldiers less than half a mile ahead just to the west of the Ruins of Dale. They kept parallel to the Running River and then turned sharply north.

Aragorn stayed close to the elven king. The darkness in the Dale made it difficult to see anything ahead, much less the Kozari soldiers. But he drew his sword when he saw Thranduil draw his, followed by Gandalf. Directly behind him, the elves released arrows. It seemed from an impossible distance, but Aragorn knew the arrows hit their marks as the cries of the Kozari filled the air. Volley after volley of arrows passed him to hit their marks, until they had finally come upon the Kozari. Aragorn swung his sword, finding that he needed to strike in specific places, for their armor was quite strong. The neck and limbs seemed to be the best targets. To his immediate left he spied Gandalf brandishing his sword. Not many battles had Aragorn actually seen the old wizard fight. He knew that Gandalf was banned from using his Istar powers to fight in battle. But no matter what manner Gandalf fought, Aragorn was glad he was present.

Gandalf stole a glance at the sky. Much time had passed and the sun had begun to rise. But the sun continued to be shrouded by Pallando's magic. He wondered how long his fellow Istar could maintain this spell upon the sun and what it was going to take to break it.

Legolas received a kick in the gut just because he was moving too slowly along the dark and narrow passageway. He had had enough of this treatment and no matter how much pain he received afterward in the resulting consequences, he punched and kicked and sent an occasional elbow at his assailants. To know that he was causing them just as much pain and suffering was a small consolation to him. Aside from that, Legolas began to notice the air within the passageway was no longer stale and reeking of rotting bones of the dead. His left eye had been pounded on so often that it had swelled and he was no longer able to open it. With only the use of his right eye, Legolas glanced up from where he had fallen on all fours, the broken fingers of his right hand throbbing intensely. Blood dripped from his open mouth and he coughed to expel whatever had tried to creep down into his lungs.

"Get up!" said the guard directly behind him as he roughly probed the elf with his toe.

Legolas feigned a move and the guard jumped back out of the way, not wanting to receive the same from him as had his fellow Kozari. With a smile of satisfaction on his face, Legolas pulled himself slowly to his feet, the pain from the wound in his back burning a path all the way down to his feet. He heard the Istar laughing to himself several feet ahead.

"Extremely strong-willed you are, son of Thranduil," observed Pallando.

"I suppose I inherited that trait from my father," Legolas weakly replied. "Which reminds me. Whatever it is you ask of him, he will not provide."

"I ask for only one thing, elf." Pallando nodded to the guards and they nudged the elf forward. "The death of Thranduil and his son."

Legolas used the wall to help keep himself upright as he moved slowly. "What will that accomplish?"

"The Thranduil line will end."

Legolas uttered a laugh, even though the pain it rendered made his breath catch in his throat. "Your retribution is misguided," he declared through clenched teeth. He winced as he tried to keep his broken fingers from touching anything. "The vile act you attempted on my mother is grounds for your own termination."

Pallando paused to turn toward the broken elf. "You still believe your precious mother was unwilling?"

"I believe it with all my heart. Nothing you say will convince me otherwise."

Pallando's lips curved into a twisted smile. "I am an Istar. I take what I want."

Legolas narrowed his eyes. "It seems you have forgotten your vows, Istar." The Istar was dropping his defenses. Legolas received a glimpse of all that was Pallando.

Pallando turned back around and continued forward. "I merely wanted companionship, such as the kind my dear friend Alatar had found in Lothlorien."

"Alatar did not take Aewen by force. She was not bonded with anyone. His love for her was true. My father and mother were bonded. An elven bond is not easily severed."

"An elven bond…such a pitiful excuse to make others believe your kind is innocent and honorable. It is my belief that all you happy elves run around fornicating anything with legs. Male, female, animal…it doesn't matter."

"You are no Istar. You are something borne of an unholy union between an Orc and a warg."

"Enough. I am finished speaking to you, elf."

Legolas realized that the more agitated the Istar became, the more open his thoughts became. "So loathed are you are that you must force yourself upon another man's wife."

Pallando stopped again and this time moved to stand nose to nose with the elf. "Shut your mouth now or I will chop off that pretty hair of yours."

Just as Pallando turned away, Legolas had to have his final say. "Try it and I will rearrange your face." Another moment of satisfaction as Legolas sensed the Istar's will beginning to crumble. But Pallando continued walking and the guard behind Legolas nudged him forward with the tip of his sword. The air was even cleaner now and up ahead was the archway leading to the outside. The second Legolas was out, he inhaled the air and ended in a coughing fit. One of his lungs was no doubt bruised from the beating he had received by the hands of the Kozari. Even as he felt relief at no longer being confined in the caverns of the mountain, his thoughts shifted to Aleera. He felt the familiar tightness in his chest at being separated from her. Pallando had moved a rock in front of the entryway to the cavern where she had been left with the Kozari queen. He knew that if he did not get to her soon, she would have no air to breathe. Legolas pondered all that he and Aleera had been through since he first met her. Such a short time he had known her and yet he felt as if he had known her all of his life. Without her beside him, he felt incomplete.

The elf's words had put Pallando in a foul mood. After stepping out of the archway of the mountain, his mood somewhat lightened as he heard the sounds of battle not far away. Thranduil and his minions had engaged the Kozari. It was a battle Pallando wanted to observe. But the dimness prevented it. Despite his desire to keep this world shrouded in darkness, he greatly wanted to see Thranduil's expression when Pallando sliced the young elf's throat and the elven king was forced to witness his only son bleed out. Pallando closed his eyes and raised his hand up.

Legolas was aware of the battle sounds coming from below. He focused his right eye toward the sounds and saw elves battling the Kozari. Among the elves and Dagnir, the captain of the elven guard, Legolas glimpsed Mithrandir, Aragorn, Aleera's brother, Celegmin and regrettably his own father. No others did he see. Where was Lord Glorfindel, Galadron or Lord Celeborn? He watched with a longing to be in the battle, fighting side by side with his father.

All activity seemed to immediately stop as the sky began to lighten. The eclipse slowly moved from in front of the sun and its heat washed over the elves. But the moment of relief ended as the battle soon continued.