Thank you everyone for your reviews and encouragement. A special thanks to Tap Dancing Widow for pointing out the fate of the Silmarils. Apparently I goofed in the research department and only one of the Silmarils was lost at sea instead of all three. So thanks for letting me know that. At least there is that one in the sea, so my story isn't too off. LOL

Also there was a question as to whether Falcroun is a Tolkien character. Tolkien does mention that two blue wizards came to Earth and went to the East but he didn't give them names, at least as far as I know. So I made the name Falcroun.

I hope you enjoy this next installment. Let me know!

Cold Hearts

Gilraen awoke early the next morning as screams filled the dawn. She had fallen asleep before the fire and now looked around as others were standing on their feet in alarm. The women and children looked at her in fright and Gilraen looked around for Falcroun. He was no longer in the shelter. She went to the door flaps which now hung open and peered out.

Villagers were running about in panic and fear holding their children by their hands as they tried to find a place of safety. Gilraen opened the tent flap wider and tried to motion them in but they only looked at her with more fear and ran off.

She stepped out into the open and tried to see what was frightening the ice people. Looking about down the rows of shelters she noticed great commotion. The men who had traveled with Ciril were stepping in and out of shelters, swords in hand. Gilraen gasped when she noticed blood dripping off their swords. They were slaughtering the villagers!

Gilraen felt a sickness rolling through her body. How could they do this to a people who had given them food and shelter?

A group of mounted horsemen now came into view with Ciril at their lead. They were chasing down the women and the children who were running for their lives, cutting and slashing as if they were merely thick brambles in their way.

Gilraen stood in shock and horror as a woman who had been mortally cut stumbled up next to her and fell over, her blood staining the snow. Gilraen screamed when the riders callously rode over the dying woman's body. Ciril turned his horse at her scream and yelled at her, "Get back in!" She felt a pull on her arm and turned her head to see Falcroun behind her.

"Come inside Gilraen, now!" Falcroun commanded. He tugged her backwards into the shelter and shut the flap. But he could not shut out the sounds of the terrified and the dying. The ice people that were still inside by the fire were huddled together and weeping.

"You have to stop this madness!" she yelled at Falcroun. "You are a wizard. You must stop Ciril!"

Falcroun looked at her carefully and then answered, "There can be no witnesses left Gilraen. We cannot have these people tell your father the direction which we have gone. This is the only tribe of ice people who have not joined with Ciril and myself."

Gilraen shook her head in disbelief and back away from him, a horrified expression filled her face. "They kill innocent people! My father will surely see this!"

"Yes, but the trail will stop here," Falcroun said in all confidence. "There is another reason for this as well." He turned towards the room with the Silmaril inside, motioning her to follow behind him.

She shuffled her feet slowly behind him. She was reluctant to leave the frightened people before her as if she could save them somehow with her presence.

When she came closer to the Silmaril she looked to the side and noticed the holy man that was in charge of caring for the jewel. He was laying on the ground, his eyes open in death. She gasped and glared at Falcroun in accusation. "You did this!" she said.

"He matters not," Falcroun said as he swung a hand at the dead man in dismissal. "What matters is that you take the jewel and put it into this leather satchel Gilraen." He held open the sack and waited for her to comply.

Gilraen looked at him in disbelief. "I will not be involved in this thievery and murder! If you want it, then you may fetch it."

Falcroun gave her an amused smile. "You know that would be impossible for me."

Gilraen thought on his words. She remembered now. Those with evil in their hearts could not touch the jewel. It would burn them badly and the pain of the burns would never cease until they died. But she would not do this thing. She would not take this jewel from these people. Gilraen shook her head and backed away causing Falcroun to sigh in defeat.

"Very well," he said. He left the room for a moment and came back with a crying girl. He held her cruelly by the hair and brought her up close to the jewel. He indicated what he wanted her to do with his motions and she cried louder in protest. Falcroun twisted his hand in her hair harshly and shoved her face towards the jewel.

"Stop this!" yelled Gilraen. Gilraen ran up and grabbed onto the wizards arm, trying to pull him away from the girl. Falcroun turned his head towards her and Gilraen felt a force of air push her backwards onto the ground.

The girl sobbed as she finally complied with Falcroun's wishes. When the jewel dropped into the bag, he shoved her on the floor and closed the strings of the satchel.

Falcroun turned towards Gilraen and held out his hand to help her up. "I'm sorry Princess. But I could not have you interfere."

Gilraen looked at him in disgust and rose to her feet on her own, refusing to take his offered hand. Just then a group of men entered the tent and the villagers screamed in fear. Gilraen could see all through the open flap and she screamed in despair, "No! Do not!"

They paid her no heed as they silenced the tent with their weapons. Gilraen turned her face away and wept. She fell to her knees and put her hands over her eyes in grief for the wrongs done to these people. She stayed here and wept for quite awhile as the sounds outside changed from screams to business. The men were now gathering all food and supplies and attaching them to sleds. They were taking anything of value from the village and left the bodies where they lay, seeping their life's blood into the snow.

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Legolas looked at the morning sky with hope. When the storm had become unbearable they had all taken shelter in the forest, securing down tents as well as they could. It had been a restless night for all as the wind howled and tried it's best to tear away any shelter they could devise. Now the sky was clear and even though the tracks they had been following were no longer visible, Legolas felt renewed hope.

The search party was now gathered together and prepared to leave in the direction they had been going yesterday. The King had been formulating a plan in his mind all night and now was the time to announce it.

"In a few miles, we will be on open ground away from the signs that the forest may have provided for us," he began. "There will be only snow as far as the eye can see. We no longer have the help of a trail to follow and so we will have to split into groups to continue our search. We will not be far from each other as I do not wish anyone lost in this wasteland and we must be close enough to communicate any signs we have found." Aragorn looked around at the men and elves who were listening. "Eldarion, you shall be with my group. Mendir, you stay with Elladan and Celeborn in their group. Elfwine, you travel in the group with Legolas and Gimli."

Elfwine jerked a glance at Legolas and then looked back at the King. "I would like to travel with you my Lord," he said boldly. He did not want to have Legolas in charge of him. This was not a good plan.

The King gave Elfwine a look that said his word was final. "Legolas and Gimli will be able to teach you much about tracking."

Eldarion looked at him in sympathy. "I would not mind having Elfwine with me father."

Aragorn shook his head. "You, Mendir and Elfwine have not yet seen battle. You three will observe carefully in your own groups and not be distracted with idle chat. If trouble arises, you are to hold back and let the others fight unless you are too close to danger." Aragorn sighed in frustration. He did not like that fact that these three boys might be put in dangerous situations. He did not consider this fact before as he was so grieved about Gilraen and desperate to find her. He looked over at Legolas and the two friends nodded at each other. He knew Legolas would protect the Prince of Rohan.

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Gilraen sat slumped on her horse, her face downcast and sad as they left the destruction of the village behind them. On her way out she had to look upon the bodies lying on the snow, the bright red of blood contrasting with the whiteness of the ice. Another vision had come to pass, she remembered, thinking back to the nightmare she had in Lorien of this very event. She felt as though she would never forget what she saw this day. The screams would continue to haunt her. From the corner of her eye she could tell that Ciril now rode next to her, a taunting look on his face.

"You are hard to please my dear. I get you a jewel of great value and look how unhappy you are. So ungrateful!" he mocked with a little laugh. "All those people died so that you could have your wedding gift."

Gilraen turned her face in rage towards him. "I do not want that cursed jewel! It has only brought death and sorrow to all who try to possess it!"

Ciril smiled at her, unaffected by her anger. "Then let us hope that death and sorrow will not be your fate." He kicked his horse with his heels and rode ahead.

Her eyes now met those of Falcroun who had turned slightly back to gaze at her. She hated both those men, but Ciril most of all. "Why do you tolerate him? Are you not powerful? Why do you not rid yourself of Ciril?" she said angrily.

"Ciril has his uses at the moment," Falcroun replied. He brought his horse alongside Gilraen's so that they could speak in private. "I do intend to keep my promise to you Gilraen. We will let Ciril think that he will have you as wife but we will dispose of him before this will occur."

Gilraen looked at Facroun in surprise. "I thought you were helping him against my father?"

Falcroun laughed. "Ciril thinks that he has traced his bloodline back to Isildur. He actually believes that he should be the rightful King. He has been very useful to me in gathering an army of the icemen and finding other supporters. He believes I am helping him."

"Aren't you?" asked Gilraen.

Falcroun look ahead with a thoughtful expression. "It is time for the rule of King's to end Gilraen. What everyone needs are rulers with great wisdom and power. Rulers like me and like you." Gilraen looked at him in shock. What was he saying?

"By the end of the day we should reach my tower," he continued. "We will discuss these matters more in the coming days."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Legolas glanced back at the search party he was leading. Elfwine continued to appear unhappy at having to ride in this group. He wondered if there was something that Elfwine disliked about him as he remembered back to that day in Edoras when Elfwine had grazed him with an arrow. He did not think that Elfwine hated elves as he was very friendly with Mendir.

They had been searching for signs in their assigned direction for the past three hours and so far had not found anything. Legolas called for a short halt so that they could have a bit to eat for themselves and their horses. There was nothing for the horses to graze on in this snowy desert so they had to feed them a ration of oats they had brought along.

Legolas noticed that Elfwine had distanced himself away from the group a bit. He walked over to the prince who was wiping down his horse with a determined look on his face.

"Elfwine?" Legolas said when he was near. "Can we speak?"

Elfwine gave a quick sideways glance towards Legolas and continued what he was doing without answering.

"I would know why you feel anger towards me," Legolas stated to the moody boy.

Elfwine looked at him and threw his cloth on the ground. He turned away and stomped off. Legolas followed behind him.

"We should not have this problem between us at this time," Legolas continued. "We must think only of finding Gilraen. I asked that you put this anger aside."

Elfwine spun around to face him. "Why do you think I am here? I am here for Gilraen!"

"As we all are," Legolas stated.

"Do you love her?" Elfwine said suddenly.

"What?" Legolas said in shock. Why would Elfwine ask such a thing?

"I asked if you loved her. Because I do love her and I wish for her to be my wife someday. But she loves you!" Elfwine looked at him in disgust.

Legolas stared at him with a shocked expression. "How can you say this? I have only been a friend to her."

"Perhaps that is how you think, but I know she thinks different. She has told me," Elfwine said in anger.

"I have never led her to hope otherwise! She is a child!" Legolas defended himself.

Elfwine shook his head. "Not any more."

Legolas thought back to the ball and how Gilraen's beauty had affected him that night. He had felt strangely then and could not understand it. Now he stood before Elfwine, finally realizing why he felt that way that night. Gilraen was no longer a child. She was now a beautiful maiden ready for love and admiration. The puzzle of his feelings that night was beginning to connect now in his mind. His heart had realized these things but his mind would not accept the truth.

Legolas turned his gaze towards the horizon so that Elfwine would not see the effect that this revelation had on him. "Regardless of these matters only one thing is important. We must work together to find Gilraen and bring her to safety. I ask that you unite with me in this cause."

Elfwine felt that perhaps he shouldn't have told these things to Legolas. Perhaps he had betrayed Gilraen's confidence. "Yes, let's find her," he said in a softer tone of voice.

As they returned to the horses a horn blew in the distance. Gimli shouted, "There is trouble. Let's go lads, quickly." They all mounted and rode off in the direction of the distress signal.

Please send me a review! And thanks for the e-mailfrom Akina, it got me typing again!