(-)Chapter 7(-)
"Where can you find paths without carts, forests without trees and cities without houses?" Aragorn spoke after his answer was confirmed.
Elrohir frowned, "I'd say some abandoned town were it not for the treeless forest."
"How can anything be a forest without trees?" Elladan blinked.
Legolas and Sardyn sat silently.
When no one answered after a moment Elrond cleared his throat in amusement.
Immediately he had their attention on him.
"It is a map."
"Oh," they blinked.
Aragorn laughed, "Ada! I could have won this time," he joked, though he knew in the end one of them would have figured it out.
"Either way," Elrohir grinned, "now it's his turn."
The elven lord shook his head and leaned back, "I'll stay out of it if it's all the same to you."
"Ah but it isn't," Aragorn muttered gravely, "'t is the rules I'm afraid. You answered, so you must say the next riddle."
The elf frowned slightly, "What is always coming but never arrives?"
They all went silent and stared at him.
"Balls of mud being thrown by Legolas?"
The human jumped slightly when right at that moment he was hit in the back by a ball of mud.
Legolas smiled innocently when the man turned to glare at him.
"Apparently that is no longer correct," Sardyn smirked.
"Tomorrow," Elen spoke up suddenly.
Elrond smiled and nodded then went back to speaking with Gandalf.
"A spirited jig it dances bright, banishing all but darkest night. Give it food and it will live; give it water and it will die."
"Fire," Menel murmered from where he sat a ways away from the group.
Aragorn smiled brightly, "Ah! So he does have a voice!"
Menelür smiled slightly, "I am sometimes strong and sometimes weak, but I am nobody's fool. For there is no language that I cannot speak, though I never went to school."
Sardyn laughed slightly, "Well that would be you Estel," he glanced over at the human.
Aragorn snorted indignantly, "I had schooling. And I can't speak much dwarvish... difficult language to learn when the stubborn creatures wont teach you."
Legolas shuddered slightly.
"They're not as bad as you make them out to be Legolas," he laughed.
"They live in caves... that says it all."
Aragorn sighed and shook his head, dropping the subject, "Any other ideas Sar?"
The elf smiled innocently and shook his head.
"I didn't think so."
Elladan leaped to his feet suddenly, his eyes darting around the clearing, "Where'd Elrohir go?"
Aragorn started slightly and glanced around the area, "I have no clue."
Elrohir suddenly leaped out of a nearby tree and tackled the human.
"AI! Elr-" he was cut off by the ground.
Legolas snickered, "Elrohir you're going to suffocate him."
Aragorn managed to throw the elf off him, "What was that for!"
"It was getting boring."
The human glared at his brother, "You just couldn't help yourself could you."
Elrohir smiled innocently.
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Aragorn sighed slightly as his watch came to a close, he stood silently and crept over to where his father slept. Stepping over the sleeping bodies of dreaming elves he crouched beside Elrond and layed one hand on his shoulder.
The ellf immediately woke and blinked, he sighed when he caught sight of the human, "You are leaving."
Aragorn nodded slowly.
Elrond sat up quietly and frowned, "Be careful Estel."
Aragorn smiled softly, "Of course."
The elf stared at his youngest son a moment before pulling him into a tight hug, "Good luck ion-nin."
Aragorn smiled, "Hannon lle."
He pulled back, "I'll go as quickly as possible."
Elrond frowned again, "Worry not about that, take as long as you wish, just be sure you do everything carefully."
Aragorn nodded seriously, "I will keep my eyes open ada," he reassured, "we'll be extra careful."
The elven lord nodded and glanced over at the two dragons who had been woken as the human stood and were now waiting silently for the man.
Elrond turned his gaze back to his son and stood, "Namárië ion-nin."
Aragorn smiled calmly, "Namárië ada."
The human turned and left the clearing, his horse following him out.
Elrond watched the man leave, the fear in his heart strengthening with each step he took.
"I'm going to follow him."
Elrond sighed, "He will not be pleased. He did not want you coming."
"Why do you think that is? He is heading into danger, that is why he did not tell us. He will need help."
"He did not want to get any of you hurt. Menelür and Elenoharthad will protect him."
"Can they? I don't know. Perhaps they can. But if they can't?"
Elrond sighed again, "You're not going to be dissuaded are you?"
"No."
"Go then. Do not let him know you're following unless you must. Legolas," he turned to stare at the younger elf.
The archer stared back a moment before finding himself averting his eyes, "Yes?"
"He is in great danger. Watch him carefully."
"I will," with that the elf fled the clearing with an erie silence.
Elrond turned away, hoping he'd done the right thing in allowing the younger elf to follow his son.
Only time would tell.
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Legolas paused a few hours later. The three had slowed cautiously and the elf frowned. They looked tense, as though anticipating an attack. Legolas sensed nothing nearby and it took him a moment to realize it was him that was causing the tension in the small group below him. He pulled back and sat against the rough bark of the ancient tree and went completely still, waiting for the three to continue on.
Aragorn glanced around worriedly, his father was right, this was going to be much more dangerous than anything he'd done before. They weren't out of Rivendell yet, and the human was tempted to ignore the vague presence he'd felt but was more anxious than he'd like to admit after his father's warning and monitered the other being carefully.
His hand tightened around the hilt of his sword unconsciously and he slowly continued forwards, placing his feet carefully and not making a sound. He was suddenly glad he'd turned his horse back, knowing the creature would make quite a bit of noise in the deafening silence.
The other two had noticed the way he'd tensed and immediately tensed themselves, listening carefully as they went.
Aragorn continued, his pace quickening after a while but his grip on the sword never lessened.
The two allowed themselves to go by instinct, trying to remember which way to go. After a moment Elen turned and headed east.
Menel and Aragorn followed her.
Legolas winced and started following them again.
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Aragorn crouched in the bushes with the two dragons, staring up at an oddly built dark building that stood in the midst of several blackened, dead or dieing trees.
A large circle of death seemed to whirl in the area, the four of them hiding just outside of it where the plants still did fairly well.
Around it were many creatures. Most of them orcs, but some were being held by the mithril clasps and glowing stones.
The front door opened suddenly with a loud slam and a man stepped out.
It was all Aragorn could do to keep from making any noise, "Venatral."
Legolas clung to the tree he was hidden in tightly, shooting a glare at the man. Simply put, if a persons glare was physically harming the man would have been killed not knowing what hit him.
The elf frowned worriedly as he realized one of the orcs had caught sight of him. He quickly left the area. If he was spotted he didn't want his friend to be found out as well.
He managed to get out of sight of the other three without them noticing him. The orc was now accompanied by a few more. He pulled himself into a large tree where he could hide, but before he was able to properly hide himself he was hit by three arrows. Twice in his leg and once in his shoulder. They were close and the force of the projectiles threw him off balance for just long enough to be pushed off the branch.
The last thing he thought was that he hoped they hadn't found Aragorn.
A/N
Elven Kitten: I am bored :) So I decided to torture you all with another chapter :) MUAHAHAHA! Teh ebilness that is me... sigh well! I guess I go to do nothing again! w00t:P lol, I hope you all liked the chapter, me hopes this will get better next chapter... the last few have most definately not been my best... XP lol. Thank you flamesofthemo0n, IwishChan, and Elentariel for reviewing last chapter! And thank you everyone who reviewed the one before that! I accidently forgot to thank everybody XP mean me... sorry:) Please review! They keeps me happy :)