Disclaimer: Not mine!! :(
Title: To New Mutiny
Rating: R
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Note:: Sorry, everyone, but FF.net and I have been having some problems over the last few days, so sorry this is so late!! Forgive me!?! :)
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Chapter 15
After the meal, they all drew closer to the fire. The travelling companions wordlessly agreed to pass the night there instead of continuing onwards. They chatted amongst themselves as the sun slowly sank lower and eventually set behind the trees in a blaze of colour.
"Will you be coming back to us, Legolas?" Ran asked shyly, watching the fair-haired Elf add fuel to brighten the fire, as the woods grew darker.
"Aye," Legolas replied, sitting back beside the young hunter and flashing him a smile, "I shall return for a time, for I need to ask a favour of Narso. But I will need to return soon to my home in Mirkwood, my friend."
Ran's eyes dropped to gaze at the fire. "I know, Legolas." He said softly, "I understand. But I will miss you."
Legolas reached out and wrapped an arm around the young man, giving him a quick hug, "I know, Ran. I will miss you also, but my home is not far, we can visit all the time."
Ran's face lit up, "Really? You would visit?"
Legolas tried to look offended, but smiled instead. "Of course! Why would I not?"
Rain suddenly swept across the forest, pattering on the leaves around them and quickly drenching the companions, who were out in the open. They quickly kicked mud over the fire to keep it from smoking and then grabbed their bedrolls and darted beneath the slight protection of the trees.
Aragorn looked over at Legolas and smiled. The Elf looked happier than the Ranger had seen him for a long while. He was listening to the forest live around him as the rain fell with a smile of utter contentment on his fair face.
"We will move on in the morning." Elladan said, "We should reach Lake Town quickly now."
Ran nodded. "Aye, we are not far now. Everyone will be glad to see you, Legolas. You have been greatly missed."
Legolas bowed his head, eyes closing sadly as he remembered that he would only have a short time with them and would have to leave them again.
Gimli saw the look on his face and scowled at Ran. "Cannot you see that this is upsetting him enough? He— "
"~Enough, Gimli,~" Legolas said softly, quickly switching to Dwarvish to try and calm his friend, "~He did not mean it that way.~"
The twins' eyes opened wide with surprise as Legolas spoke the guttural tongue of Gimli's people. The Dwarf's scowl melted away and he gazed intently at his friend, acknowledging not so much what Legolas had said, but the language he had spoken.
Eventually, he shook his head in a mixture of amazement and amusement. "~Crazy Elf,~"
Legolas chuckled, "~Stupid Dwarf,~" he shot back, before smiling warmly at Ran. "He meant no offence, my friend."
The young man nodded, smiling at the odd pair, "Tis forgotten."
Legolas ignored the incredulous looks on his friends' faces and turned to go deeper into the wood. "I will seek dry firewood."
Elladan and Elrohir followed him as he walked off through the trees.
"What was that, Legolas?" Elladan demanded, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.
"Aye," Elrohir spoke, fixing his friend with an intense gaze, "Where did you learn to speak the language of Durin?"
Legolas smirked, looking from one to the other. "You would like to know that, would you not?" He turned and walked on, leaving them staring after him.
Elladan smiled. "That is more like the old Legolas."
Elrohir gazed at the spot where the younger Elf had disappeared, brow furrowed. Legolas' act did not convince him; something was not right.
Elladan tugged on his sleeve. "Come on, Ro. These trees are letting the rain in."
The younger twin turned and followed his brother with one last worried glance in Legolas' direction. He sighed, shaking his head. Legolas was too stubborn for his own good.
When they returned to the others, they found them crouching low in the bushes, looking warily around them. They immediately took up a similar stance and listened.
"A hunting party," Elladan said softly.
"And almost upon us," Elrohir added.
Ran brightened visibly. "It must be the hunters from home! Perhaps they are looking for me."
Aragorn put a gentle, restraining hand on his arm. "Wait," He cautioned, "Let them come to us."
As they waited for the party of men, Aragorn felt the hair rise on the back of his neck. As he turned, the twins also noticed something was amiss and turned to see what it was.
"Uh…" Aragorn suddenly lost the ability to speak as his eyes fell on the trio of large, Mirkwood spiders crouched in the trees behind them.
The twins simultaneously jumped to their feet to face the new threat. At the sudden move, the evil creatures sprang from the trees into the centre of the little group, scattering them.
Aragorn immediately moved into action, swinging his sword at the spider's eyes. Legolas had taught him how to combat the hideous creatures, long ago, but in the heat of the moment, the man could not remember.
The huge arachnid knocked the Ranger aside and lunged at Ran, knocking him to the ground. The hunters arrived then, freezing in place at the sight of the strange group and their battle with the spiders.
"Ran!" Narso yelled, seeing the young man pinned under the spider at the far edge of the clearing.
The spider swung around, taking the shout as a challenge, and moved to attack the older man.
"No!" The shout came from the shadows, seconds before Legolas burst from the branches of the trees that edged the clearing and landed on the great beast's back, yelling and stabbing at it with his knife, trying to divert its attention from his foster father.
Narso could only stand in wide-eyed amazement as the Elf taunted the massive creature.
"Legolas!" He cried, as the spider screamed and bucked, trying to get the nimble being off its back. Legolas managed to hold on for several minutes, but as the dark beast gave a particularly violent pitch, he was thrown hard from its back and across the clearing, landing painfully on his side.
He heard Gimli and Narso cry out a warning as the spider loomed over him. Without thinking, he unsheathed one of his hunting knives and threw it with his usual pinpoint accuracy at the spider's abdomen. The huge arachnid screamed in agony before falling forward and lying still.
Aragorn saw how his friend had felled the creature and attacked the same spot with the one he fought, calling out the same information to his Elven brothers, who were battling the last one. Aragorn's sword pierced its abdomen and the spider fell to the ground, twitching in its death throes.
Narso rushed forward and hauled the carcass of the spider Legolas had been fighting off the Elf, where he lay on the ground. He grabbed Legolas' hand to help him up, then pulled him into a tight embrace.
"Missed you, lad." He murmured, "Good timing though," He laughed, and Legolas smiled warmly in return, glad to see him well.
"Legolas?" Elladan's voice called to him from the other side of the clearing, and Legolas turned to him. All he could see was Elladan and Elrohir, kneeling by the side of Ran, who was lying very still.
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ARGH!! Don't kill me! *ducks heavy objects* I know a lot of you love Ran! I'm sure he'll be fine! *ducks rotten cabbage* Really!! Believe me, I think I know something you don't… Hehehe!
More soon!!
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Review replies::
Cheysuli: Ah yes, fluff is good every once in a while! Hope this chapter was ok, cos as I've said before, I suck at action scenes. But at least I managed to get something other than fluff onto the page, right? Maybe the writer's block is wearing off…Shh, don't tell it I said that!! ;)
MoroTheWolfGod: No would you believe PotC isn't out over here until the 15th of August?!?!?! Grr… But I hear it's brilliant, and Orli's so cute in it, cos I've seen pics! Mmmm… ;) Glad you liked the last chapter, and this one was a little less fluffy, but hope it was ok too! :)
DXPrincess: Yeah…He's so nice! But if I told you what I had planned, it wouldn't be much fun would it?? I couldn't leave you hanging over cliffs like this one… Hehehe! ;) *blush* thank you for the encouragement! Sorry this took so long but I'll have more up in the next few days all being well! Hope you liked! :)
Lefty: Don't kill me!! I know you like Ran, so do I!! I'm sure I can work something out… I'm glad you liked the fluff and I hope this chapter wasn't as awful as I think cos I suck at action scenes! But you asked for action, and there it is! ;) Hope to have more out soon, but I have a job interview tomorrow and that's driving all other thoughts from my head… Anyway hope you enjoyed! :)
Ivory Novelist: Yes you do…but in a good way…not in a Sauron kinda way, so it's okay! ;) Don't be apologising for the shortness, I was only messing, plus, have you seen how short my chapters are?? I'll email you either later or tomorrow sometime, I've had some things on my mind, so sorry for my silence!! Hope this update was okay! =)
Sirith: Yay!! You're back! How was your holiday thing? Relaxing I hope? *blush* I'm glad you like my stories so much! And I love yours as well! And you're right, we could argue all day, so let's leave it there! ;) Glad you enjoyed the fluff and hope you liked this too! I'm looking forward to seeing more of FOTH soon too, by the way!! Cliffarama!! (I don't know what that means either…) =)
Shandrial: You're not all that evil…yet! It just makes everyone think of you cos your angst is so well written and it sticks in peoples heads! :) That's a weird thing I've found actually, ideas always come to me at one in the morning! It's very annoying cos then you have to get out of comfy bed and find somewhere to write it down cos if you fall asleep you'll forget it! And I know you liked Ran, so don't hurt me! I'll do something positive I swear!! Hope you liked the action! ;)
Karri: Good I'm glad it was entertaining as well as unbelievably fluff filled! I'm terrible with action scenes, so I hope this was entertaining too! :)
angelbird1224: Good! I'm glad it was ok! And poor Legolas, I do give him a lot to deal with don't I? Poor Elfie! :( Sorry this took so long, I don't know if it was everyone or just me but FF.net's been down on my computer for about three days! Grr… Hehehe! Anyway hope you enjoyed and more soon!! =)
Andmetwen: I couldn't cut it short just yet! Besides, I have great plans for the future of this story! ;) Shh…I can't say anything yet!! *blush* Aw I'm glad you LOVE my fic! That's so nice!! Aha, you shouldn't ask that!! That'd ruin the whole suspense element! ;) I'm evil I know! But it won't be long til we find out!! =)
Alice: Applause?? Wow… ;) Thanks! If it helps, I don't know what goes on in my head sometimes either…definitely the time zone…Glad the Legless torture is making you giggle, there's more to come later!! ;) Hope the fic's coming on ok! :)
Lady Lenna: I know you're offline, but I'll write a reply anyway so you can read it later!! ;) Hope you're not in withdrawal yet!! Anyway here's more action for you getting a bit away from the fluff factor!! Glad you liked the last chapter!! My action writing is terrible, but hope this one was ok! I'll hopefully have more stuff up for ya by the time you get back or sneak to your mate's house!! ;)
wispykitty: Good!! But don't send it after me for what I did to Ran!! Please?? That thing freaks me out… *snigger* I'll fix it, I swear!!! *peeks out from under bed* You're gonna send it anyway aren't you?? :) Hope you liked, even with the evilness of the cliffie! =)
tamara: Hopefully they'll get there soon! I already have the Mirkwood chapters written, it's just a matter of writing the ones in between!! ;) Sorry this took so long, but I hope it was okay and I'll have more up soon!! =)
Kit Cloudkicker: Thank you! I was thinking of working in the tickle thing in the next few chapters, and I'll give you credit for the idea of course! It's always great to get suggestions during writers block! Helps immensely!! Anyway hope you liked!! :)