Right-) Hello again! Here's me with another update... I hope you enjoy it!
Deana; Ah... you know me too well, don't you-D
Dha-Gal; He he he... we're so evil to them... 3-)
Chichiri's Wanderer; Thank you! Meh... I think I'm going to give Elladan a rest for this story...
ELLADAN: Yes!
... he's going to have enough EMOTIONAL angst to deal with...
ELLADAN: 8.
Mellaithwen; Star sits down triumphantly at her computer desk, cracking her knuckles, before realising it was a bad idea as they crack and twist into strange painful shapes. However, she soldiers bravely on to read the review happily. She suggests another anime to Mellaithwen, Fruits Basket, then proceeds to write the chapter, all the while wondering how this reply managed to get into the 3rd person...
Linuvial Greenleaf; -blush- Thank you so much! –makes a note to get doors specially widened to allow big head through- Lol1 You praise me too much, I don't deserve it! ;-)
Mornflower; COOKIE! –gobbles cookie- Another cookie, please? –holds up chapter- For the chapter? Yeah!
Lynx Yamato; -blushes again- Thanks!
Faerlain; I'll be sure to tell him that! –runs off to find Hal- Hal? Faerlain says you're a dude.
HAL-SUPERBLUSH™-
He he he... he's not used to compliments, bless him...
varda101; Well, I love my cliffies... after all, nobody else does! 3-)
Stoneage Woman; -) Thanks!
Terreis; You really ARE desperate to see them together, aren't you! Lol! Ok then Terreis... I'll put in a special part just for you near the end of the story, ok? And Valentine 's Day is on the way and you know how I like my Specials... hint hint...
Astievia; I love wolves too! You'll find out why I made it a WOLF and not a WARG that attacked them a little later on, ok? I promise! ;-) Can you imagine someone actually HAVING a cow? O.o Like, woah...
Shadowfaxgal; So many people are complimenting me today... ack! Too... much! –keels over-
ELROHIR: Does this mean we get a break now?
No.
Estel with a Golden Quill; I noticed! Thanks for all your help the other day too, I feel much better now-)
shadowfox8; Does Hal have foresight? Not that I know of, but remember I'm always coming up with new fic ideas EVERY DAY... but as I do not have the gift of foresight, I'm afraid I can't give you an answer on that one I'm afraid... but, if you want him to I've got no problem with that! ;-)
Well then, now that I've dealt with the replies, I can get on with the chapter-) I hope you all like it! It's a lot lighter than the previous chapters, a sure sign that we are approaching the end... enjoy!
.: Chapter Six :.
"Come," said Elladan finally. "Let's head towards home."
Elrohir looked at him, stunned. "I thought we were to look for them!"
Elladan shushed him quickly. "We are. We've taught Estel enough to know what to do in a situation like this, and Hal has enough common sense to know what to do as well. Remember what we've all been told; if anything drastic should happen, head towards home. That's what the rest of your party will be doing, so the chances are that you'll meet up with them along the way."
Now it made sense to the younger Noldo, and he was grateful for Elladan's rapid thinking. He'd probably have scoured the land for hours looking for the others before remembering that vital piece of information.
It was with heavy hearts that they began to walk home...
-
Estel forced his feet to move, but they dragged across the floor, and he could barely hold his head up. He told himself resolutely though that he had to follow Hallataulë, who was just a short way in front of him, still carrying Legolas. He would have enough time to dwell on his aching head later.
"Are you alright back there Estel?" called Hallataulë. He was concerned about the youngster who was almost exhausted.
"Yes," sighed Estel. He staggered a few more steps.
Hallataulë frowned. "I think we ought to stop."
Estel shook his head as well as he could without aggravating his headache. "I'm fine, really," he mumbled again quietly.
Hallataulë didn't believe him, but there was not much he could do. "Alright Estel, but you must promise me if you feel you must stop, you are to tell me, agreed?"
Estel looked up at the Elf with bleary eyes. "Agreed."
A groan from the prone figure in his arms suddenly shifted Hallataulë's attention. Legolas blinked before half-opening his eyes.
"Legolas! Are you alright?"
Legolas nodded slowly. "Where's Estel?"
"He is fine," replied Hallataulë, though he knew better. However, the boy had assured him that he would warn the Elf if he had to stop, and Hallataulë trusted him to do that. He just hoped that this trust was well placed. "Right now I'm a little more concerned about you. We're going back to Rivendell now Legolas, you'll be alright soon."
"Hal, I know a place that's closer to here," mumbled Legolas quietly. The older Elf listened intently; if there was somewhere closer it would make things much easier for them all.
"Tiliath's cottage," continued Legolas. He had recognised the area; he had rode back with the twins through this place "He lives up on the hill."
Hallataulë looked at him quizzically. "How have I not heard of him before? It doesn't sound like an Elvish name..."
"He's human," began Legolas quietly. As he saw his older brother bristle at the statement, he quickly continued. "He's a Ranger. We can trust him Hal..."
"And why are you so sure?" questioned the other Elf. Legolas looked up at him sheepishly.
"Because he saved my life once before."
Hallataulë hadn't known this. This was a new and sudden shock to him. Just how much trouble had Legolas gotten into on these trips to Rivendell! And why didn't he let any of the rest of his family know! But that was for later, not for now. He would definitely be quizzing Legolas on this...
"Very well Legolas," said the older Elf tersely. "We will go there." He shifted his grip on his younger brother when Legolas squirmed slightly in his arms. "What now?"
Legolas frowned. "I've hurt my arm Hal; I'm quite capable of walking," he said, unable to keep the snappish tone from his voice. Anyway, after coming through the initial grogginess he'd felt after waking up, Legolas felt much better, despite the fact that his arm was still bleeding. Hallataulë shrugged.
"Fine. But if you fall over, blame yourself, not me..."
-
A small five year old boy ran over the wooden floor and pulled on his mother's skirts. "Mama, there's someone outside Mama!"
Ecara stroked her little boy's dark curls. "There is? Well then my dear, we shall have to see what they want, eh?" She took a glance out of the window and was surprised to see someone she recognised.
'Legolas?' she thought. 'Now what's he doing here?' She then noticed the blood that coated his arm and hand, staining his sleeves a dark crimson. She resisted the sudden urge to roll her eyes. 'Darned boy can't stay out of trouble...'
-
Legolas had told Estel and Hallataulë to hang back a little; he would knock on the door and ask Tiliath and Ecara if they could help them. As he walked towards the house, they did as told, staying back a short way away. Estel leaned heavily on Hallataulë, swallowing hard. His head was spinning something awful now.
Legolas was just about to knock on the door. As he'd approached the house, he'd wondered just what Tiliath and Ecara would think; he hadn't seen them for quite some time now. What if they already had guests? What if Tiliath was away with the Rangers again? Now that he thought about it, he'd not thought this through very well at all. If needs be though, he might end up begging them if he and the other two could simply sleep in the stable. He was pretty sure Ferdilon, the loyal steed of Tiliath, wouldn't mind very much if he had to share his hay for a day or two...
Before he could knock on the door though, it swung open quickly.
"Well hello there master Elf! Now why do I get the feeling you're here to ask for a favour?" Ecara smiled warmly at him, before looking concerned at the amount of blood pouring from his bitten arm. "My goodness Legolas... what have you been up to now!"
"If you would be so kind Ecara," said Legolas. "I would rather explain later. I-"
She cut him off though as she spotted Estel and Hallataulë further down the hill. "They are with you, correct?" Legolas nodded. Ecara rolled her eyes. "Well what are they doing back there! Honestly Legolas, did you think I was going to turn you away? Come on now, get inside and out of that rain, the three of you... you look like drowned rats..."
-
Elladan looked up a steep hill. There it was; the bottom gate of Rivendell. There wasn't much further to go now...
Elrohir hissed as a particularly sharp sting fired up in his left hand. Valar it hurt... he was almost looking forward to having his injured hands checked by his father... almost. Anyone who actually truly looked forward to one of Lord Elrond's examinations was either incredibly brave... or incredibly stupid.
An Elven guard standing atop the gate noticed them. "Elladan, Elrohir? Is that you two down there?"
"Aye," returned Elladan. "Can you please open the gates?"
"Where are Estel and the princes?" asked the guard, worried. The chances were that yet again the group had managed to find trouble... they were probably the only people he knew who could find every bit of trouble that was happening in the vicinity in a single day.
When Elladan hesitated in reply, the guard confirmed his fears. "Pay no mind to me my lord," he said. "I shall open the gate for you now."
Elrohir resigned himself to ignoring his stinging hands. After all, this was no longer simply about getting healed...
The question was how they were going to explain all of this to their father...
-
Ecara lifted the heavy iron kettle quickly, holding the hot handle in a towel. Moving across the room, she poured boiling water into a large bowl and allowed a clean rag to soak in it.
"Now Legolas, let's see to that arm of yours." Her fingers brushed Legolas' forearm, but quickly retracted as the Elf hissed. "Come along now, I'm more than sure that it needs looking at."
Legolas knew that she was right, after all the bites still hadn't stopped oozing thick red blood. It was more than a little discomforting. Grudgingly, he allowed Ecara to gently take his arm in her light grasp.
The woman winced at the sight. The material of Legolas' sleeve had stiffened with the soaking of blood it had received, but Ecara could still see painful looking, deep wounds in the Elf's arm. She decided that the best course of action would be to cut his sleeve and then tend the wound from there.
Ecara chewed her lip, deep in thought. Tiliath would be much better at this than her, but he was in the woods catching their supper. She had no way of getting a message to him, and besides, the first thing she would have probably told him would be that he should catch more as they suddenly had three more mouths to feed tonight...
Dipping her hand into the bowl of water, which had now cooled down somewhat, Ecara took up the rag and wrung the excess liquid out.
"Now, this is going to sting," she told Legolas. Legolas was just about to remark that it was of no matter to him when she pressed the cloth to his skin.
Hallataulë was sitting in the corner and resisted the urge to laugh as he saw Legolas' eyes widen and he bit his lip. The eldest prince did, however, allow himself an amused smile. After all, he wasn't a stone statue...
Though in young Tolaith's opinion, he seemed just like one.
"You don't talk very much, do you?" said the small boy from his spot on the rug in front of the fire. He looked at the Elf innocently.
"Well Tolaith," hissed Legolas through gritted teeth. "He's a rather unsociable person..."
Hallataulë scoffed. "I'm not the one who locks himself in our room when our cousins from Lothlorien arrive..." he said, grinning darkly.
Legolas looked at him indignantly. "Excuse me Hal, but I remember you said that had you the chance you would do the same... would you wish to spend more time than you had to with Rosdur and Ruithwé?"
Hal sighed. "No I wouldn't, but unfortunately I have to... one of the many pitfalls of being crown prince I'm afraid..."
Legolas grinned smugly, before the smile was wiped quickly from his face as Ecara began to wrap the bandages around his arm.
"Oh do stop complaining..." she laughed. Legolas bit his tongue to curb his reply; after all there was a young child in the room...
Once he had regained his composure, he decided to ask a more serious question. "How is Estel?"
Hallataulë looked over to the bed where the boy was sleeping peacefully. Ecara had vowed to put him straight to bed the moment he had stumbled into the house. After quickly cleaning the shoulder wound and bandaging it, she took a look at his head and concluded that apart from a splitting headache and a minor concussion which a little sleep would hopefully cure, he was otherwise fine. Now Estel was really quite content, tucked up in bed under a mass of blankets.
"He is fine."
Legolas nodded. "That's good," he said, half muttering to himself. "I would hate to think what the twins would do to us if there were any lasting effects."
Ecara finished winding the bandage around Legolas arm. "There you are, that wasn't so bad now, was it?"
The look on Legolas' face told her otherwise.
Pulling a large square cloth from her kit, Ecara folded it into a triangle and took the Elf's arm once more. She placed it gently into it and then proceeded to tie the corners just behind the side of his neck, creating an effective makeshift sling.
Hallataulë watched the woman with interest. "You have quite some skill madam," he commented. "May I ask how you learnt?"
Ecara smiled knowingly. "I shall say simply that Tiliath seems to like getting into as much trouble as your brother here..."
The woman and the older Elf both laughed, though Legolas couldn't see quite what was so funny. He resorted to simply scowling.
A loud knock on the door interrupted their exchange, and Ecara rose hastily from her seat and opened it. A very wet Ranger stood at the door...
And I think I'll leave it there for now... ;-) Don't forget to RR! You know you want to...
Oh, and one more thing... keep an eye out for Legolas and Hal's cousins... I know that they were only mentioned in passing, but I have a very funny (well, in my opinion anyway) story in which they come to Mirkwood... and you've seen how Legolas and Hal react to them... ;-) Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll be back much sooner next time with the next chapter-D