Disclaimer- Refer to chapter 1.

A/N- Wow… it's been awhile… but this is the last chapter of this story… it's been fun everyone! Bye bye….

Chapter 17- Searching

More horrible months passed with Tirnen and Ris were still stuck in slavery. "How are you faring, Ris?" Tirnen knelt down and patted her neck. "Is it almost time for you to give birth?" The Elf sat down cross-legged next to the grey ayrbi. "I think that ten months have passed here. But then again, I am not sure… time has seemed to stop ever since we have been captured…"

With effort, Ris got to her feet; a feeling of discomfort lingered inside of her. She started to pace around the room. Tirnen could tell that it was almost time.

"Well, Ris… I do not think that the boy will give you anything to ease you… so I will do my best with helping you." Tirnen had some experience being a healer, but he had never delivered a child before. He waited for Ris to lie back down again.

Finally after what seemed like an hour of waiting, Ris lay back down on the stone floor. Her breathing had quickened as she went into labor. Tirnen rushed over to her and knelt down by her tail, "Come on, Ris… you can do this… just push…"

The ayrbi gave a distressed cry before a small, wet head was visible. Tirnen gently grabbed the head and said reassuringly, "Keep pushing, Ris... you are doing fine."

After a while, Tirnen held a baby ayrbi in his arms. He set it right next to Ris's head as the mother ayrbi began to exhaustedly clean her baby off.

Just at that moment, the boy came in with his ayrbi, Phieo. "I heard that that ayrbi gave birth…" He pulled Phieo over to Ris. "That means that she can conceive once again."

Tirnen stood up and forced himself between the boy and Ris. "No. Let her rest first, at least!"

"out of my way, slave!" The boy pushed Tirnen out of the way and walked up to Ris. The mother ayrbi was protecting her newly born baby from him. "give me that baby!" He demanded. Ris pinned her ears back and bore her teeth. "Do not worry, you will get another one in ten months." He snatched the baby ayrbi up, but his hand was not able to get very far away from the mother since Ris lashed out and sunk her teeth deep into the boy's arm. The boy recoiled his limb, causing the baby to fall to the stone ground with a thump.

Ris quickly got up and gently picked up the baby with her mouth. She walked over to Tirnen and stood near him.

The young Elf saw an advantage to the situation and took it. He took Ris's baby into his arms and mounted Phieo hastily. He gave the black ayrbi a light kick to get him to run.

Once outside, Tirnen got Phieo to fly off into the blue sky with Ris following closely behind. The young Elf sighed happily, he was finally free.

.oOo.

Legolas could not stand it anymore. He was going to go out and find Tirnen… even if it killed him. His body was healed and he was ready to leave. He was going to sneak out of the palace without his adar's consent.

Silently, Legolas left to the stables and got his favorite horse, Ber. Ber was as black as night and his spirit as fierce as a wild fire. When Legolas mounted him, he bolted off in a heartbeat, out of the stables and into Mirwood's dense forest.

Legolas searched all day, but to no avail. There was just no trace of his lost friend. He called for Ber to halt and the black stallion did just that. Legolas dismounted and stroked the stallion's nose. "Rest for now, Ber…" Ber tossed his mane before he nuzzled Legolas's neck.

The Elf smiled and collected some wood. He built a small fire and lie down next to it. "Good night, Ber." And with that, he fell asleep.

The next morning brought much hope. Legolas awoke to Ber nudging his face. The Elvenprince awoke and saw his long-lost friend standing right beside him. He rubbed his eyes, believing that he was only dreaming. "Tirnen?" Was all he could manage to say,

"Yes, Legolas?" Tirnen smiled happily.

"How?... why?…" Legolas was left speechless.

"I escaped. I wanted to be free." Came Tirnen's short reply. He knelt down and embraced his friend happily. "I missed you, mellon-nin."

"And I you." Legolas smiled.

Tirnen broke out of the embrace. "What are you doing out here?"

"I wanted to find you."

The young Elf smiled.

"I also missed you. I could not bear it thinking that you were still in slavery when I was free…"

Tirnen stood up and stretched. "It has been a long ride…"

Legolas nodded. "I would imagine." Then he spotted the balck and baby ayrbi, "Who are they, Tirnen?"

Tirnen turned around and looked at them. "The black one is Phieo, and the little black and grey one is Ris and Phieo's son."

"Does he have a name?"

"No… I did not think of a name for him…"

Legolas smiled, "Well, he kind of looks like a pebble, does he not?"

Tirnen laughed a little at the comment, "Yes, he does."

"What about Sarn, then?"

The dark-haired Elf smiled. "I am sure that he would love that name."

"We should head back to the palace, then."

"One more thing, Legolas…"

Legolas turned around, "Yes? What is it?"

"Whatever happened to Haldir and Gallion?"

"All of the slaves are free now, thanks to Aragorn. He abolished slavery in Middle-Earth."

Tirnen nodded happily. "That is wonderful news." He walked back over to Sarn and picked him up in his arms. Then he walked up, next to Legolas.

The Elves walked home with all of the steeds following them every step of the way.

-END-

A/N- sigh- I miss replying to your reviews… But thanks for reading this story, everyone! -hugs everyone- Bye! Until next time…;)