Hi!!

I thought I´d update this story real quick before I go and install my new computer (this one has been driving me crazy...), but you never know what can go wrong with these machines, so here´s my update first.

Thanks to all who are reading and especially reviewing (responses below) and, as always, to San for her wonderful editing.

Feel free to comment on this story :-)

Alina

Rating: PG 13

Disclaimer: Not mine

Pursuit

Dark clouds gathered in the skies over Imladris, casting shadows on the group of elves and horses that had assembled in the yard. Many riders were seated already, and even though none dared interfere with the quiet dispute that went on a few paces off, an air of impatience lingered around them. The horses were less subtle, stamping their hooves and throwing their heads back to show their eagerness to be on their way.

"I will not stand back when my son is in peril!" Even though Elrond´s eyes were flashing as he spoke, Glorfindel had known him long enough to sense the defeat in the elf lord´s voice. "You know that you are needed here", the Balrog Slayer said gently, "for many of the wounded are still in grave danger. Should you leave now, death will find a feast within our halls once you are gone."

Elrond sighed and glanced back towards the Houses of Healing as if his eyes could pierce the walls and gaze upon the injured elves there. He knew that his friend was right. He had not even dressed for the ride, had appointed the best of his healers to join the group - and yet now that the party was about to leave, an urge to accompany them had overcome him with a force that was hard to ignore.

The truth behind Glorfindel´s words was painful to behold, and he knew he could not dismiss it. He closed his eyes briefly, his trained senses slowing his heart and steadying his breathing as he once more reached out for the small human he had come to love. And just as before, he felt the young life force burning bright.

"We will bring him back. We will bring back both of them."

Elrond looked up, gifting his oldest son with a smile. The serious vow in Elladan´s stern gaze eased his heart.

"Aye", the elf lord agreed, "you will. And once you´ve retrieved them they will most assuredly be in need of aid." His eyes found the blue ones that had been resting on him for some time in question. "Make sure that you treat them well, Calen", he addressed the young healer, "for I want them to be fit for my wrath when they return."

The blond elf bowed his head with a smile and patted the pack with healing supplies that was tied to his horse. "Your wish is my command, my lord", he said more solemnly than the mirth on his features should have allowed, "and if need be, I shall bind Legolas to my own steed and drag him here to be treated."

"Enough of the pleasantries!" To everybody´s surprise it was Erestor who spoke up. The advisor had already guided his horse to the open gates and looked back in obvious impatience. "Fresh snow approaches, our time is rushing from us like spring water down a stream. Make haste!"

Elrond nodded his head in agreement. "Be on your way, then", he said, raising his voice for all to hear, "and may the blessings of the Valar be with you."

The words were no sooner spoken than Erestor´s steed leapt onto the path, snow flying from its hooves, and the rest of the party was hard-pressed to follow.

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Elladan cast a quick glance at his brother, making sure no pain showed on the delicate face that was slightly flushed from the ride. He was torn about Elrohir´s presence at his side, for even though there was none he would rather have cover his back in battle, he feared for his twin´s health.

Feeling the gaze on him, Elrohir turned and frowned in half-serious annoyance. "You need not watch me like a nursemaid", he complained, "for I have a much older one at my other side already. If you two do not ease up on me, I shall feel smothered before we even reach whatever battle may await us."

Elladan shot an amused glance at Glorfindel who had been riding next to his wounded charge like the shadow cast by the younger twin´s horse. "In that case", the older brother quipped, "I shall leave the hovering to my senior and see to other matters."

Glorfindel´s threat at the improper treatment met little more than air as Elladan pushed his horse ahead, easily passing Calen who had been slightly ahead of him. It took him a few moments, though, to catch up with Erestor. The older elf was leading the party without ever throwing a glance over his shoulder.

The sight of the wise advisor actually racing his horse up the steep, snow covered path would have been enough to stop the older twin in awe had he not been concerned with more pressing considerations. Even so, he wondered just how much he did not know about his long-time teacher. As he angled his steed alongside Erestor´s, he mentally swore to do some rather special research once he was back home.

The older elf threw Elladan a look that shone with silent amusement. "Afraid to lose your position at the head of the charge, Tithen Tegl Little Quill?" A smile spread over the gentle face at the cringe he produced with the name he had adorned on the older twin in his youngest years.

"Never, My Lord", Elladan replied evenly, "for I would not doubt your wisdom for one heartbeat."

Erestor chuckled. "Brave words, young warrior, and it eases my heart that I do not only posses wisdom, but also the knowledge that you live up to your boast." Turning serious with the speed of a leaf turned in the breeze, the advisor pointed ahead. "The scouts I sent out found traces of a horse down that slope. Even though the snow erased its tracks, it has shed some fur against the bark. I will follow this lead, you take your party to the battleground and seek the missing from there."

Not even waiting for an acknowledgement, Erestor broke away from the path, hardly slowing down when his horse sped down the slope in a cloud of white. The warriors that had volunteered to accompany the advisor followed suit, and soon the two groups raced away into two different directions, yet in pursuit of the same goal.

As they hurried on, the first snowflakes began to dance around them, gentle harbingers of a storm that would soon take away sight, sound and warmth.

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Legolas felt his energy drain from him with every step he took away from Cáne and the boy. He knew this effect, for he had experienced it before, yet he fought it with all his might. Even though there was no longer a need to hide the pain he felt with each movement, he would not succumb to the need of letting his posture slip.

He was sure without the shadow of a doubt that once he fell, he would not find the strength to get up again. His only option was to keep going as long as his legs would carry him. The elf straightened his shoulders and fixed his eyes to the dull shadow that he could make out in the snow ahead. He assumed that this was the remainder of the camp he had crept close to the night before.

Never allowing his eyes to lose contact with his destination, he trudged on. More than once he thought to have heard a sound behind him, but he never turned to investigate. His strength could not be wasted in such a fashion, and he had long ago learned to trust the instincts that now told him no danger was trailing him.

Ahead of him, now that was a different matter. The clouds sank even lower, appearing to touch the ground and melt into it not far away. The first icy flakes began to caress his face and he picked up his speed as much as he dared, afraid that all tracks would be gone should he linger too long. Straining his eyes beyond the camp, he could make out the footsteps that had sunk into the snow, and he followed the trail with is eyes.

In the distance, the forms of trees swayed in the deepening gloom. It seemed that the raiders had taken this path, and it angered Legolas that such foul creatures would seek shelter in their shadows.

Suddenly, something caught his foot and he almost slipped. He kept his balance at the price of a sharp burning that shot up his side and he gasped, sinking to his knees. He dimly made out the black remains of wood and realized that he had reached the camp he had been searching for. By now, however, it had lost its importance to the trail that led away from it.

Legolas stayed on his knees in an attempt to catch his breath. He could feel blood trickle down his side and swore under his breath. He knew that at some point he must have bound the injury, but the bandage had been poorly placed and was sliding against his skin now, wet with his blood.

He was just about to gather up his already tattered cloak to rip some stripes off the fabric when a fresh sound reached his ears, one that was very close and not to be misunderstood - stumbling feet and laboured breathing. The dagger he had pulled to cut his cloak swiftly turned in his hand and he stood, weapon and gaze trained on the shape that drew closer through the thickening curtain of snow.

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Estel shivered. No, he shook with the cold that seeped into his body. It almost felt as if the white ground tried to suck all warmth from his through his frozen feet. And now, as the snowfall intensified, the icy floor was joined by more cold from above.

The boy stifled an unhappy sigh that had been about to escape him. Each step sent him sinking into the snow and some crumbled over the top of his boots, trickling over his feet in cold trails. He knew that Tinw had long gone, bearing away the wounded warrior towards the warmth and safety of Imladris. It was no good to change his mind now, for the horse would not return - not before it had found Lord Elrond.

The thought of his Ada sent a sudden bolt of hope and warmth through Estel, and for a heartbeat he thought he could even make out the shape of the tall elf within the white swirl before him. He doubled his efforts to trudge through the snow in order to reach the safety the slim figure promised, but what he was not met by open arms and gentle kisses.

Instead, he found himself facing the tip of a blade and two blue eyes whose stare reduced the cold of the snow to a warm blanket. With a startled cry, Estel held up his hands and to his relief the elf immediately lowered his weapon.

Legolas stared in utter amazement at the human child that stood before him, the small body shaking like a leaf in the wind. Looking beyond the boy, the elf searched for a sign of the horse bearing his wounded friend and when he could not find any, his worry mounted. He allowed himself to sink back to his knees in front of the child and grasped the tiny shoulders.

"What happened?" he asked urgently, "where is Cáne? Have you been attacked? Speak, boy!" Huge grey eyes stared back at him and it was only then that he realized that the human´s teeth chattered as if he was extremely cold. Even though Legolas doubted that the snow would have brought the boy to such a state so quickly, he shed his cloak and wrapped it around the little one.

The gesture seemed to have an immediate effect, for Estel ground out: "N-Nothing ha-happened to C-Cá-Cáne." "Then why is he not with you?" Without even thinking about it Legolas began rubbing the boy´s back, amazed at how little warmth emanated from the child.

"I c-came a-after you..." There might have been more to follow, but the elf gasped and abruptly held the boy away at arm´s length to stare at him. He saw nothing but truth in the child´s reddened face, and anger rose in him.

"How dare you defy me like that, boy? Did I not make myself very clear when I told you to stay with Cáne?!" He fully expected the human to cringe from him, but to his surprise his anger was met with equal force.

The grey eyes suddenly seemed to grow deeper, as if a fire burned within them, and the boy managed to sound enraged even through chattering teeth. "A-And who s-said you m-made the rules in m-my dr-dream?" The statement confused Legolas to a point that doused much of his fury, and he stiffly replied: "As a visitor to Imladris you should know better than to act like that towards a prince, boy."

This phrase probably surprised the elf more than it did the child, for he rarely referred to his title, yet here he had been at a loss at what else to say. The human, however, was not impressed. "I a-am no vi-vi ... I l-live with m-my Ada! A-and you do-don´t even ha-have a-a crown!"

Fully baffled now, Legolas watched the boy´s face when it suddenly turned from anger to utter sadness, and a tear slipped down the cold cheek, soon to be followed by more. Shaking his head, Legolas pulled the boy closer again and sighed. There was not much of a choice for him.

Rather shakily rising to his feet, Legolas kept the child in his arms as he started walking again, aiming for the trees. The raiders, however, were no longer foremost in his mind. He needed to find shelter quickly, else this small creature might freeze even in his embrace.

"A crown would not suit travelling, child", he commented to the still head that was buried against his shoulder, "and much less a hunt. It would only get lost."

For a moment there was no reply, but then a small voice answered: "Aye, or y-your he-head could g-get caught in a tr-tree." Arms tightened around him and legs wrapped around his waist, unintentionally digging into his wound.

Legolas gasped, but he did not stop. The snowfall was growing ever denser, bringing with it a darkness that spoke of dusk even though midday had not yet been reached. Keeping his gaze fixed upon the blurry shapes of the trees, Legolas trudged on, his feet sinking slightly into the snow beneath the added weight of the human.

TBC

Review responses:

elvingirl3737: ROTFL!!! Hehe, good to know you have an orc to look through your closet! Too bad he did not find any nice things to offer me, such as magic rings ;-) I´d take the Legolas any time, though, even minus the chocolate! But begging is nice too, I love to hear peole beg, lol... I hope you enjoyed this chapter, too.

QuinlanRamsey: Thank you! I hope the second meeting (actually, the third, hehe) of our heroes was to your liking, too :-)

Lintulinda: Thanks a lot! Lol, you are from Minnestota? I just spent a month in Fargo and even though it was October it got pretty cold already...No wonder you can feel with our heroes. I know what you say about school, same here, even though I guess I see it from "the other side of the fence", hehe.

Red Tigress: Aww, your reviews are always great :-) Glad you liked it!

NightShadow131: Hehe, well, Estel believes he´s making the right decisions...but he sure is a bit crazy, too. You are so right, though, that Estel would not hold up so well finding out all this is not a dream!

silvertears630: Lol, lots of people saving other people in your ideas, I wonder where THAT comes from ;-) And about the nightmare - you just might be right...

Victorious Light: You were quite correct - Legolas was NOT happy finding Estel on his heels, hehe. I´m very happy that you see Estel the way you do!

eliteschwein: Oh, you are reviewing just fine - but this story needs to get written, so the posts come rather fast. Tinw sure is a caring animal and that´s a good thing- especially consideringhis rider...

Harry Estel: I think Estel did not quite hear you, lol. You were very correct about Legolas, though...

Aranna Undomiel: Lol! Yes, I guess you are right and Estel is the hero, despite Legolas´ bravery. But then again, much comes from them being together :-) I do hope Estel sees your little dance, he needs to get cheered up!

Thanks to you all!!