Hey! Thanks to all who liked the last chapter! Sorry that this chapter took so long, I hated it and hated it and kept
rewriting, and I still dont like exactly how it turned out! Oh well!! May greater fortune lay accross my keyboard in the
future!!!!!

"Risk of Yesterday"
Author: Spark. Just... Spark.
Email: LimeVegetaSpark@aol.com

Rating: PG13, for mentions of slight torture (no Cassia thing going on here, I could never pull that off ~_^)
and some physical abuse.

Feedback: Very welcome! The bad and the good please! One request, if your telling me it sucks, please...
tell me why!

Disclaimer: No, for those people who have the strange idea that I am J.R.R.Tolkein and own Lord of the Rings
or anything related, I don't. Yup. Sad, but true

Summary: When Aragorn pesters Legolas into letting him travel with him as he goes home he finds
himself seeing a part of Legolas's life Legolas doesn't normally show... his relationship with his father. When
time is running out, will Legolas risk himself for a man who never truly cared for him?

Notes: Like Cassia and Sio, I hold the fact that Aragorn was raised by Elrond among Elladan and Elrohir to be true
to these stories even if some do not agree.

Fairly Important only to title of story: 'A risk of yesterday' is a phrase I thought would seem like a very elven phrase,
meaning it was of the past, it was something that can not be changed, etc... as 'yesterday' to the elves is more or
less a greater idea of time. If an elf wanted to literally say it was a risk of the day before, it would make more sense
to state a more direct time reference, such as 'yesterday morning' or 'yesterday evening' or such. Thanks for
understanding my odd mind ^_^

Elven references
nin mellon: "my friend"
Estel: Aragorn's elven name, meaning in elven, Hope.
Namarie: Farewell
Mae Govannen: Well met

Think that's it! Enjoy!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Legolas moved quickly as he came upon Aragorn. The ranger opened his mouth to speak, even if it was
in whispers, but he underestimated the hearing of the Silvan and Sindar elves. Before Aragorn's vocal chords
could even begin to vibrate, an elven hand of the prince clamped down on his mouth. Aragorn's eyes widened for
a bit, but Legolas only looked around him, and made a motion for silence before removing his hand. The prince
then motioned for Aragorn to follow him.

Quickly and silently Legolas moved, always making sure Aragorn was right behind, all the way to
Legolas's own room. He pushed open the large door, and Aragorn couldn't help but give a small gasp as he
looked into Legolas's room. All the finest of things, everything, from the rug to the linens on the bed. He again
made his move to speak but Legolas again motioned for quiet. Aragorn was quite confused... weren't they safe
now that they were in Legolas's own room? But still Legolas pressed on, to the other side of the large room, and
pushed hard against a wall. For moments Aragorn thought his friend really had been pushed to the more insane
side of the elves, but finally he saw an opening appear, and it lead to another smaller room, a much less
extravagant room, and as he walked inside to have a look around, Legolas pushed the door shut behind them. He
then pointed out to another opening at the back of this room. Aragorn couldn't help but smile and sigh. Elves and
their mazes! No matter, he complied, and walked through the light doorway.

Much to Aragorn's surprise, when he went out of the room he had to blink, for the sun glared in his eyes,
and much to his surprise he smelled in the air a sweet smell, of flowers and such. When his eyes did adjust, he
found he was in a garden, with a thick stone wall around. It twas very colorful, and there were stone slabs of seats
in it. The ranger turned quickly on instinct when he saw Legolas let out his breath behind him.

"Worry not now my friend, these gardens are out of hearing distance of even the wood-elves, all the walls
so thick." He gave a soft smile at his friend, who he knew was probably very confused about now.

"Worry not? It seems if you have brought me to a sound proof area it is you who is worrying more than
me, Legolas." His words held his usual light hearted ways, but his face betrayed the confusion he was feeling.
"Really, I am sorry if I have caused to much trouble... My dagger. I realized only moments after your leaving it was
still in your custody."

Legolas's eyes mixed with seriousness and laughter. "Your dagger? I kept it? So this is what it's all
about... if only my memory was not that of a dwarf, I might have spared us both some trouble." He was quick and
graceful in retrieving the knife from the back of his quiver and taking it safely by the blade, held it out to Aragorn,
who quickly took and resheathed it under his sleeve.

"Yes Legolas, but at what cost?" His eyes came up to meet Legolas's who, like always, would not let his
gaze waver for a moment. "Will you tell me about what happened before my eyes, or shall my own mind make up
wicked stories about it? The things left untold can create larger torments of their own."

Sitting down, Legolas took a deep breath. "I do believe you deserve some such explanation... I will not
let you run to Lord Elrond telling him my father is in league with Sauron, or whatever else your imaginative mind
could concoct." A slight pause only showed that the prince was arranging his words with he greatest care. "Tis no
great sin, Aragorn. And its nothing more than a few punches at worse, I might also add. Really it is nothing."

Aragorn practically whirled on him. "Nothing? Nothing?! Why must you always play down anything that
happens to you? You get stabbed in the stomach, you insist it's nothing but a scratch! You get torn in two... and it's
nothing! I swear, if an oliphant sat on you you'd insist you had nothing but a bruise!"

Legolas shook his head. "Ah Aragorn, some things I know you can never understand. Circumstances
give different people insights. Right now I have to get you out of hear as soon as possible."

"Don't you go changing the subject on my Legolas..." He stated accusingly. "Besides, surely I must get
you out of here... let me take you to Rivendell. Surely my father will not mind!" Aragorn was mostly pleading, he
didn't like to see his friend getting hurt, small or large. And some of those words he had heard said... they made
him wince and they weren't even aimed at him.

Legolas turned swiftly, his eyes receiving a cold ice look. "Aragorn, this is my home and my home it will
stay. You on the other hand, should leave as soon as possible, my father's xenophobia I did not exaggerate."

Aragorn stood solid, he would not be moved. "Are you worried for me friend or worried for what your
father will do to you if he sees?"

Shaking his head sadly, Legolas's eyes turned to ones of compassion now for his friend. "Afraid? Of
what? Surely we have both faced greater peril together than a few careless punches and some words of whom no
one cares. I'm always worried for you above myself my friend. And it is not because your human, or anything else.
It IS because you are my friend, so it comes naturally. You misjudge, Aragorn. This is not the first time, and it will
not be the last."

Aragorn gave a deep sigh and sank down in defeat. "So why? Why do you let him do this? I see you,
you know from where the punches come. You're a much better warrior than your father, though he seems to think
not so. You could have gone off, you could have went away. Yet you linger. Why not come with me nin mellon?
Surely better times await you."

"You still see not from where I stand. I stay with my people, no matter what. A small trifle such as this is
no problem I can't get through. And as for me being a better warrior, that I have to thank my father for. From his
anger, his slights in the dark, he created a will in me to prove him wrong. My aim was never true enough in the
bow for him, so I tried and tried and now I can listen to any insults against my bowmanship and know he lies."
Legolas left off with is monologue long enough to look up at the fading sun. "The night guard soon will be up." He
turned, a smile played on his lips as he watched the still confused ranger. "I suppose you will be staying a
Mirkwood night after all. We will get you away in the morning."

Aragorn took a deep breath, trying to take in the effects of a single day. One thing still troubled him.
"Nin mellon, why did you hide this from me? Were you afraid of who I'd tell? What I'd do?"

Legolas was quick to waltz right up to Aragorn, bend down, for Aragorn still sat on one of the garden
stones, and put a hand on his shoulder. "Aragorn my friend, you know all these are not true. You had no need to
be weighted with something of little importance." He then pulled his friend up, and made his way back towards his
room.

"Quiet now, many elves may be asleep, but we needn't have any guards bounding in wondering why
they hear a human's snore." He deftly dodged the slight punch aimed at his shoulder from his friend.

"You and your teasing at all the wrong times. Let me get a little something on that cut and those bruises
before bed." He was pointing to Legolas's lip, which he hadn't thought of for a while.

"Fine Aragorn. Do with it what you want."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There was no real excitement after that, Aragorn insisted of washing the cut out a little, and finally once
Aragorn had checked over everything thrice and beyond, he looked around for a place to rest. "You get the bed
Aragorn, I'm sleeping in the side room." Aragorn started to protest, but Legolas quickly shushed him. "You're a
guest remember? Sleep human, you may need it for your trip back." Aragorn had long gotten used to the teasing,
but it still seemed very funny.

"Then I suppose you should be resting up as well, I'm not going to leave without you without a fight."
The rangers sharp words were some of the last things he uttered before falling deeply into a tired sleep. Legolas
was left just smiling, off in his own thoughts. The silly young ranger. maybe some day... maybe some day, he'd
understand. Legolas then went into the side room, door open, and fell asleep in one of the larger armchairs.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A loud yell of a royal elf of Mirkwood shot through the air, steel eyes' iris's quickly adjusting, showing that
the bearer was fully awake with the sound. Legolas quickly moved from the armchair into the place the ranger was
sleeping, his movements undetectable and much like a feline, so the already startled and on guard ranger almost
jumped out of his skin when Legolas appeared right in front of him. Legolas just looked, knew the man was awake
but for a split second, before running towards the room the sound came, glad he had slept in full attire that night.

Aragorn, meanwhile, was stunned. He quickly grabbed his sword and tunic, slipped on his boots and
ran after the elf, though the elf, being much quicker and undetectable to him easily out ran him without the extra
time. He did not stop however, and let his own tracking skills remember where the sound had came, and was
quick to take off in that direction.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Legolas had successfully gone to the room where he feared the yell came form, and his fears were
proven true. Across the room were men, rogues at that, holding King Thranduil at bay with a sword at his neck, just
asking for the elf to give them trouble. This in itself was troubling to Legolas... not only because of the dire situation,
but how it came to be that men could sneak up on an elf?

Once the initial shock had worn off Legolas could see the bigger picture, more precisely the wider
picture, and the small group of Mirkwood elves standing behind the men, keeping the king at bay. One's glance
fell upon Legolas, and his frown quickly turned to a cold smile.

"Why Prince Legolas, I would have guessed you'd be the first to hear the commotion!" Behind Legolas, a
panting figure stood behind, bending over to catch his breath until his eyes partook of the current events and
attempted to straighten himself, hand on his sword, ready to unsheathe it at a moment's notice. Legolas however
was perfectly still, and did not try to go for his bow, for fear of what they might do to his father and for lack of
understanding of what could have caused this rebellion. The elves broke that train of thought as they saw Aragorn.
"Ah! And you brought your human friend... that does save us a lot of trouble... We feared he might make trouble as
we were changing the rulers in Imladris as well."

Legolas and Aragorn both seemed to go a pale death of white, seeing this betrayal went deeper than it
seemed. Legolas licked his lips to give them a bit of moisture, swallowed, and started to speak. "What is it you
want? Elves and men trying to bring down two Kingdoms? What devliry is this?"

Thranduil now seemed to find his tongue, and spoke in a cool, unconcerned sort of voice that could fool
anyone except Legolas. "Don't you dare give them anything for which they ask Legolas. I will not see my kingdom
down on its knees paying tribute." His anger was apparent and Legolas knew deep down his father was somewhat
frightened, not for himself, for Mirkwood.

One of the men punched Thranduil in the stomach. "Quiet elf!" Thranduil bent down a bit, drawing a
small cut, though not near a major artery or vein, on the side of his neck as he grasped to stay upright or face the
blade of the sword held before him. The men though, weren't so patient and one drew a knife and slashed at
Thranduil's calf. The King couldn't help but give a small cry of pain and quickly try to steady himself on one leg.
Legolas's rage and Aragorn's as well was now growing steadily. Aragorn was trying to identify these men, and all
but one he had never seen, the one he knew was because he had seen his face on a wanted poster at Bree,
though now Aragorn couldn't quite remember the offenses.

An elf held up a hand, and silently waved for the men to leave Thranduil alone. "He will die in good time
men, but that time is not yet at hand. Young Legolas, let me tell you a little something." The words of the traitor bit
like spiders to the flesh. "The kingdoms of Rivendell and Mirkwood shall son be under rule of those who know
what true power is... And the royal families destroyed. These men will be free in the land, and take from it as they
please, and our master will be very pleased." The darkness in the talking elf's eyes gave Legolas a foreboding he
had wished he wouldn't hear. "Lord Elrond and King Thranduil will be no more, and the sons left to toil in their old
homes as servants, or taken by others until their days are darkened by our lord's coming."

Aragorn was still and silent, still trying to take in what he had heard, but Legolas was quicker. "I fear you
have overlooked a few things. Imladris will never fall. It can't. Surely we taught you more than that while you were
in Mirkwood, didn't we Kesuil?" Legolas was staying relatively calm and collected, knowing he had to do whatever
possible to get Mirkwood free of these... these traitors! "My father will be killed by no one while I am in Arda." The
prince spoke with an authority Aragorn had rarely heard him speak with. "And Aragorn goes no where until my
body lie dead." He was quickly growing louder in volume, and he began to notice many other elves trickling in from
Mirkwood, but none that Legolas knew worked in he palace.

Kesuil followed Legolas's glance. "All mine little prince. You are alone. The guards have been sent
away by a slight intrusion of rebels to the south, everyone else drugged by their evening meal. Which I can assume,
you, Aragorn, and King Thranduil did not partake?" Legolas still held completely still other than backing away a few
steps so he was right next to Aragorn, and whispered in so low a town in the language of the West, so even though
the elves could hear mumbles they couldn't translate those mumbles quick enough to do a thing.

"Aragorn, listen to me and listen close. I do not have time to repeat myself. You hear me?" Aragorn
nodded quickly, his mind ready to memorize every word the elf said. "When I give a signal Aragorn, you must take
your sword and strike the stone that's the highest one on the right touching the doorframe. Understand? That
should buy us a little time. Then Aragorn, I want you to run. Run and be very careful, get to Rivendell and tell your
father what has transpired. And this is most important... The crown will be hidden behind it's crest."

Aragorn was confused and worried for his friend. "Legolas... what are you going to do?" Aragorn was
even more perturbed by his friends lack of words. "Legolas... what are you going to do?" But his friend would not
answer him.