Well, here we go again! Posting as long as it is possible, who knows how long it´ll last this time, lol.
Thank you all for your reviews (responses below), they really made my day! Please keep them coming.
A big hug to my editor San!
Now enjoy :)
Alina
Rating: PG 13 Disclaimer: Not mine
Unstable Grounds
Above the white landscape, the skies began to brighten with the approach of dawn, but there was no light within Legolas´ soul. Nor did he even feel the change in the air, the slight warming that promised hope. He had blocked out his body's signals, well aware that he would be unable to fight should he let exhaustion and pain take over.
Not far now. Not far to go and he would be with him again, the last of his lost companions. He did not allow himself to ponder on those who had fallen, their bodies covered in bloodied snow. Nor did he lose any worries on those he had left behind on the battleground, for he knew that they had been in the best of companies.
Elrond´s sons had been alight once more with the fire that ignited their hearts in battle, cutting down their foes without mercy. The Rivendell elves had quickly surrounded the last of the Mirkwood company, shielding them from the remaining humans. Among the carcasses of horse, man and elf they had held their ground, and many raiders had fled before them in horror.
Legolas knew what they had seen. He knew that the gentleness of his kind had a dark side also: A fury that, once unleashed, was far more terrible than the brute ferocity of orcs. For when elves killed, they did so with all their heart and mind. He could feel the cold flames within himself too, and he fought to keep them ablaze.
He had heard the twins´ shouts when he had pulled away from the dying battle in pursuit of those who fled; had felt his old friends´ frustration at being unable to follow. Legolas had broken their circle of defence with his move and no more elf could be spared from it lest it might become vulnerable to those raiders who had refused to run for their lives. He had never even turned, secure in the knowledge that neither Elladan nor Elrohir would abandon the wounded. They had taken this responsibility from him, and he was grateful.
It left him free for what he had set out to do.
He would not give up on any of those who had travelled with him, for he was their prince and their life was his obligation.
Before him, smoke of a small fire curled into the heavens. Beneath its spicy smell, he caught the odour of human sweat and glowered. The camp lay many paces away beyond some rocks that blocked his vision, but in front of his inner eyes he could still see them: Brute men that laughed at the battle they had escaped. But he would not grant them any more respite. His blades would take the grins of their faces and his arrows would douse the light from their eyes.
Legolas reached behind his back to retrieve an arrow and froze when his hands groped naked air. Startled, he tried again with the same result. No more arrows. Memories came to him of an arrow that pierced a man's neck just as his sword was about to come down upon an elf's exposed neck, and he wondered whether this had been his last arrow. He sat still for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts.
Why could he not remember clearly? The ride with the Imladris elves was a blur in his mind, a frantic drumming of hooves that drowned in the flakes that rained down on them. Then he had been standing to shoulder to shoulder with the twins, their combined strength and fury a whirlwind that had scattered their enemies like leaves in a blaze. The snow had melted in the blood that streamed off the victims. Where had the snowstorm gone, where the horse that had carried him so faithfully, first to the battle and then away from it?
More memories floated past him of men going down in the blast of snow that swirled from the stallion's hooves as he raced after the raiders, allowing his master to wield his blades with a deathly accuracy none had escaped. Sharp pain flooded his side but he quickly pushed it away together with the recollection of the sword that had swept past his defences.
Where had they all gone? The dead men and the elf that he had found within their midst... his horse...
Suddenly, a cold hand grabbed his arm and a startled yelp escaped him. His long dagger was in his hands and at a pale throat before he could even catch up with his own actions. Dazed blue eyes gazed up at him, and a raspy voice reached his ears. "Ernil-nin..." My prince... The wounded elf that lay beside him had difficulty speaking, but his tone was enough to pull Legolas from his stupor. Dropping his knife as if the handle had grown hot, he reached out to place a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder.
"Worry not, you are safe." Legolas tried to suppress the shiver that raced through him. If Cané was here, then whom was he still missing from his group? Who was the one still caught in the fangs of the raiders that rested not far off? He fought down the fear that seized him, for he had to concentrate on the wounded first. Looking the other elf over, he noticed that the injuries had already been bound.
Maybe he had done so before.
He could not remember. As he had almost forgotten that he had a wounded elf with him in the first place.
Legolas glanced behind him and saw the tracks that led to their position. It was only one set and it was still visible, even though the wind that blew snow across it would soon cover it completely. He must have carried his friend here, the added weight causing him to slightly sink into the soft surface.
Had he been looking for shelter?
Had he been searching for more raiders?
He did not know, but he was sure of one thing. "I will leave none behind", he promised silently, and was surprised when Cané reacted to his words. "You have not - ever..." Legolas nodded and settled down beside his friend, trying to offer as much warmth as he could. He wished he could believe the warrior's words, but doubt nagged at him.
Above, a red glow spread across the sky and the winter world awakened around the two elves, but neither was able to see it.
An icy wind blew snow from the branches, sending glittering curtains of frost down towards the tiny rider upon the dark steed. The sun had risen, but its appearance had brought light with little warmth.
Estel wondered why his dream had to be so cold, but he recalled that his brothers´ stories had always contained "hardship". When he had inquired after the meaning of this word, Elrohir had been somewhat elusive, but Elladan had explained that the expression meant things that were hard to bear. Such as cold weather, he was sure.
"I do not mind hardship, Tinw", he informed the horse, just as the animal lost his footing on the icy ground and slipped, almost sending the boy flying. Estel had often been surprised by an unexpected move his pony had made, and he had grown reflexes that had saved him from many a fall in the last several months.
His skills barely sufficed to avoid a tumble this time, and he felt his seating tilt. One of his hands had let go of the mane in his surprise, and it now groped the horse's fur for leverage as the child hung over the animal's side. The stallion whinnied at the touch, suddenly going from the swift walk he had travelled into a trot, making it more difficult for Estel to pull himself upright again.
"Really, Tinw, I did not mean to say I needed more hardship..." the boy began, once he was sitting securely once more, but then he interrupted himself to glance at his hand. It was covered in a sticky red substance.
"Daro!" Stop!
A shout filled with sudden authority made birds burst from the trees around them, creating a small snowstorm that was quickly blown apart by the harsh winds.
Estel slipped off the horse and tried to find the spot again that he had touched before, his fingers gentle now. "I know why you have done this", he said when he found the ragged cut that ran along the stallion's side.
Tinw held perfectly still but turned his head to the boy and nickered in question.
"Well, you have to help friends in adventures", the child explained, "and you want me to help you." He stepped back and thought for a moment. Often had he watched his father and brothers tend injured animals. Sometimes he had even been allowed to help, but he had never been on his own.
Making a decision, Estel dug through the pack that was bound to the horse's back, sure that he would find there what he needed. After all, the horse would not have gone unprepared. And indeed he did not take long to find a small package with bandages and a number of tiny, white- blossomed flowers.
"Aha!" the boy called triumphantly, holding up his prize. "I have found the Athelas all by myself and I know that it is good against wounds." When the horse failed to applaud him in any way, but just looked at him in expectation, Estel shrugged and stuffed some of the flowers into his mouth, chewing carefully.
"You should not ever do this with any plants you do not know...", he told the stallion by way of explanation, but then he stopped himself with a grin. "Oh well, why do I tell this to a horse? You chew on all sorts of plants, not to speak almost anything else you can get your teeth on."
Tinw did not object and held very still when the boy carefully massaged the Athelas into the wound. He could feel the edges of the torn flesh beneath his fingers, and more blood seeped onto his hands. Its sharp metallic smell settled onto his nostrils as if it never wanted to leave again. He shivered and hurried to finish his task, turning away with heavy breaths once he was done.
"All better now", he said, as much to the horse as to himself, "and you are a dream horse. This is a dream and you are a dream horse." Speaking the words out loud calmed him and he turned to the stallion again, ready to climb a tree, mount up and be on his way again.
The trees thinned as they rode on, and were replaced by scattered rocks. The gentle hills were glittering in the cold sun, and Estel wondered whether these lands still lay within the boundaries of Imladris. His bloodied fingers were cold, even though he had wrapped them in the horse's mane.
Tinw stopped and looked around, his nostrils flaring. "If you are unsure where to go, we could go home and ask Ada", Estel suggested, trying to sound casual. His dream hunger made his stomach grumble and he had failed to bring any dream breakfast. For some reason he had expected the dream to be over in the morning, but then again, his brothers' adventures had always lasted longer than one night, also.
He wondered whether it was allowed to bring his brothers along into this dreams, or whether they were even able to come here at all.
The stallion snorted and suddenly trotted off, his body taunt as fresh tension gripped it. Estel caught on to the animal's mood and his right hand went for his dagger, gripping its handle beneath his cloak. The leather-wrapped metal felt cold to the touch, and almost too bulky to hold.
Gazing intently before him with a racing heart, he could see dark shapes appearing in the snow before him. The wind had already swept some snow across them, but they were distinguishable nonetheless.
They looked human.
They were not moving.
Estel swallowed and began to mutter under his breath, unaware that he was doing so. "Sina ôl, sina ôl, sina ôl ..." This is a dream, this is a dream... he repeated over and over again, but his fear still rose as they approached. Even so, he was unable to turn away his eyes. They remained open; they saw what there was to see.
Dark patches of frozen blood marred the snow which was disturbed by a variety of tracks. Three bulks lay beneath the glittering curtain that had not yet succeeded in covering them. As Tinw walked closer, he lowered his nose to the ground and nudged the first body, causing its head to sway to the other side. The movement was cut short, though, by the arrow that protruded from both sides of the dead man's throat.
Open eyes gazed directly at Estel, piercing into him.
Unable to hold the stare that would last eternally, the boy suddenly broke into tears and buried his head in the horse's mane. Fear clenched his stomach painfully and he gasped when he felt his insides heave, causing a wave of nausea to sweep over him.
As if from far away, Estel could hear the stallion whinny, and the vibrations of the sound shivered through his hunched body. He let go of the mane and allowed himself to hang loosely, his hands caressing the wet fur of the muscular neck. The horse's voice was soothing and low, as if offering comfort.
When it suddenly turned into an angry shriek, the change caught the boy completely unawares.
Before the child could even react, Tinw side-stepped, and this time there was no swift reaction that could keep the boy on the steed's back. He slipped, and his hands groped in vain for the mane he had let go of.
His eyes opened as he fell, and he could see a bulky shape move towards the horse that loomed above him in the snow. The impact knocked all the wind out of the boy's body, rendering him motionless as he saw the stallion rear, hooves flying.
Heavy breathing suddenly graced his cheek as an arm wrapped around his neck and hauled him to his feet, placing him between the angry stallion and his attacker. Heat from the body behind him sent a shock through his bones, and the smell of blood once again assaulted him, far worse than before.
A rough voice rasped into his ear: "Help me, child, or join my comrades to bleed to death in the snow!"
Estel screamed.
TBC
Ermm - sorry for the cliffie ;-)
Review responses:
Eliteschwein: Thanks a lot! I´m happy that you are enjoying the story. I´ll try to update very regularly.
NightShadow131: You are so right about kids - sometimes they take things a bit too literally... I hope you were happy to get some Legolas in this chapter - and there´s more to come!
Dark Elf: Lol, so glad you like it! And I knew you guys would want to know what was going on, but sometimes keeping things a little in the dark has its virtues, too. I would never leave you there, though :)
Silvertears630: Thanks! Estel will finally meet Legolas next chapter - and their meeting will be an interesting one ;-)
Soul of the Evenstar: Thank you - it´s good to hear that Estel comes across as "real". I hope you´ll like the rest of the story, too.
Deana: Hehe, well, it was there and then gone again... I hope you are happy with Legolas in the chapter!
Aranna Undomiel: Well, you are quite right, Legolas was a bit harsh to Estel - but I guess even he might react to being severely stressed - they will meet again soon, and this meeting will be quite different :) I´m happy you like the horse - I have a thing for horses in my stories, lol. Thanks for putting me on your lists!
Harry Estel: Good question you have there - very good question indeed! g
Alexa : Hehe, I know what you mean about lacking co-operation (deep sigh), but now things seem to be working again! I hope you liked the look at Legolas this chapter - and you were so right that Estel has gotten himself into a TINY predicament here...It´s good to be writing again!
Sielge: Glad you like it - and it´s some "dream" Estel is having... :)
Red Tigress: Hehe, here´s some angst for you! Hoped you liked it, more´s on the way. I hope some of the "veils" have lifted for you in this chapter.
Beling: I´m very happy you enjoy this tale so much. Thanks!
Elvingirl3737: Yay indeed for being able to post again - I sure hope it´ll stay that way now. I´m very glad that you like the story!
Elizabeth Goode: Thanks - I try to update regularly (as long as I can technically do so, lol)
THANK YOU!!!