Here´s my next chapter, I hope you´ll enjoy.
Thank you for reading and for your wonderful reviews (responses below). I hope I responded to all, I had some technical trouble when reading them.
San - your help was much appreciated, as always.
Now have fun with the next chapter.
Alina
Rating: PG 13
Disclaimer: Not mine
Alliances
"Elladan!"
The voice reached him though a wall of falling snow. Even though he could still make out the sounds of his warriors behind him, they were clouded and drifting away from him on the strong wind. Annoyed, he realized that he had gotten farther ahead than he had anticipated and he slowed his steed, allowing Glorfindel to catch up with him.
The blond elf pushed his stallion alongside Elladan´s with practised ease. Snow had collected on his hair and within the lowered hood of his cloak, but his posture had not changed in the least. There was still alertness in it, but it was mingled with a calm the older twin could not bring himself to display. The cold wind that he might have otherwise have noted in passing, only howled at him like a laughing beast, threatening to claim his human brother forever.
"What is keeping you?" the younger elf asked the Balrog slayer, not quite able to keep the irritation out of his voice. The steady look out of knowing blue eyes cooled his temper quickly, though, and he turned further to his friend and teacher to assure him that he was listening.
Glorfindel nodded ever so slightly, accepting the attention he was finally getting, and then answered the question Elladan had posed to him.
"Safety is keeping us." The simple statement had Elladan frown, and the blond elf continued. "We have passed out of Imladris´ borders and are now on the open plains. You know there are many small lakes around, whose layer of ice might not yet carry our horses. The fresh snow hides beneath its white blanket what might easily prove a dangerous trap. Your haste puts us all in peril."
There was no accusation in his voice, but Elladan felt its sting anyway. "You are right to question my leadership", he sighed, "It seems that my worry is clouding my judgement. But is Estel´s life not worth a risk?"
"It is, brother." Elrohir had arrived at their side, the swirling snow clinging to him when the storm raised its voice to a shout, only to calm down again. The younger twin turned to Glorfindel, seemingly unimpressed.
"Your advice is just, as always, but we are willing to heighten the stakes. The child will never survive for long in this storm. Our hesitation might well prove his doom. We will ride ahead, and you follow at a more measured pace with our warriors."
Elladan opened his mouth to protest and he saw Glorfindel do the same thing, but suddenly the older elf turned away from the twins, straightening as his eyes bore into the white swirl of flakes around them. The horses´ ears pricked up, and Elrohir´s steed nickered under its breath, gently.
What they had all felt quickly proved true when the dark shapes of horses emerged from the dancing snow. The two beasts were huddled together so closely that, at first, they appeared to be one being, walking and breathing in unison. It looked as if their riders where likewise leaning towards each other, but then Elladan let out a cry of surprise when he recognized one of his warriors who was holding a wounded elf in his arms.
The older twin knew at first glance that it was not Legolas, for the silent elf's hair was dark. The rider-less horse, however, he knew to be his friend's and his heart sank. "Mae govannen, Arwa", he greeted the warrior, "what has befallen you?"
The Imladris elf stopped the horses and bowed his head to answer the greeting. "Lord Erestor was leading us farther onto the plains when this horse came towards us, carrying one of the Mirkwood elves. His wounds have been seen to but he needs proper care and rest. I was bidden to return him to Imladris while the others continued their search. There was no sign of prince Legolas or the child, but Lord Erestor was sure they could not be too far."
Elladan nodded silently, his brow furrowed when he turned towards the others. "If this is the missing warrior and he has been tended to, Legolas must have found him. Why leave him to himself then? The other Mirkwood elves informed us that they were the last two missing from their number."
Elrohir shook his head. "Legolas might not realize that this is so; the fight was still raging when he broke away. He might believe there are more missing, and you know him..."
"Aye", Elladan agreed, "leave none behind." He turned towards his warriors. "I ask two of you to accompany Arwa back home and secure his passage. The rest of you may follow us, but we will pick up our pace, as haste is needed to safe both Estel and Legolas. It is your choice how high a risk you are willing to take."
With these words, he nodded to Arwa and then urged his horse into a gallop. He did not need to turn to know that his warriors were still behind him, and the snow rose around them in a cloud, signalling their hurry to the darkened sky.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The beast was still there. Estel had closed his eyes for several heartbeats, wishing it away, but it had chosen to stay. Great, searching eyes glared up at him and another bark rang out into the silent forest. This time, however, it was answered.
"Aye, Beakon, do not make such a racket!"
It was a human voice, of that there was no doubt. Remembering the raider, Estel curled up on his branch and pulled the tattered eleven cloak around him, hoping to disguise himself. Having drawn the hood over his face, this also meant he could no longer see what was going on beneath him. Shivering, he listened.
Heavy steps crunched within the snow, drawing closer, and the animal's barks turned into excited whines. The man halted beneath the tree, and then there was silence. Estel clutched the tree, holding his breath.
"Well, that is one interesting find you have made, Beakon." The man's voice carried amusement as well as a tinge of worry. "It seems that there is a little plum left on that tree in the middle of winter. Do you think it might come down to us, or do I have to get up and pick it?"
Estel felt that he was being talked about, even though he could not help wondering at this man's wisdom, expecting a plum on a pine. He chose not to react and remained still.
After a few moments, the man´s voice rang out again. "Do not be alarmed child, I mean you no harm, and neither does Beakon. I assure you that you can look upon us without falling off that tree dead."
With a sigh, Estel obliged. There was little sense in hiding once one had been found. Slowly, he raised his head. What he saw beneath him was indeed a man, one that seemed almost too big to be true. His massive frame was clad in furs, and his bearded face was turned up to intently watch the child. When he saw Estel looking down at him, he smiled.
"See boy, my gaze will not turn you to stone. Now tell me, what are you doing up there? Did you hurt yourself and then got lost in the storm?"
Estel was puzzled by the question. "I am not hurt", he replied, "and neither are we lost. We are simply resting."
The man's features suddenly turned cautious. "We?" he asked slowly, backing off and glancing around with a hint of nervousness. "Who else is with you, boy?"
Estel shook his head to himself again. This man was surely making jokes with him, and he did not like it. "I am with Legolas", he answered truthfully, pointing at the elf, "and we are not lost. Elves do not get lost."
The man squinted and stepped closer once more, his frown deepening at what he saw. "Elf, huh? Hardly able to see that one", he mumbled, "almost blends inwith that tree..." He stopped himself when he glanced back to the boy and asked: "If you are not hurt, Beakon must have smelled the elf's blood. It is no good for either of you to stay out here in the cold, for the next wave of that storm will break loose any moment. Climb down and I offer you shelter in my house."
Estel hesitated. He remembered only too well that Legolas had forbidden him to seek help with humans, but then again, he craved some warmth. "I can climb down", he said after a pause, for Legolas had indeed not taken him farther up than he could have climbed on his own, "but Legolas is hurt and he won't open his eyes. Can you help him down?"
The man looked critically at the branches that let up to their position and then shook his head. "Nay boy, I am neither as small as you nor as light as him. But if you help me, we shall get him down anyway."
Much to Estel´s astonishment, the man un-slung a bow from his shoulder and quickly strung it. He also drew a rope from his pack and tied it to an arrow. "Do not be afraid", he said as he worked, "I know my trade and I will not harm you. My name is Bowder, and I am a hunter in these woods. What will your name be?"
The boy kept watching, getting excited as he began to understand the plan. "I am Estel", he answered, "and this is my adventure, you know?"
The man chuckled. "And quite an adventure you seem to have, boy with the strange name. I shall like to hear all about it by the fire tonight." Bowder straightened and carefully looked up into the tree, circling it for a good position. "I will fire the arrow to pass the strong branch above the elf", he informed the child. "You should stay close to the trunk and not move, and all will be well."
Trustfully, Estel hugged the tree once more, but he did not allow his gaze to stray away as the man took his time to seek out the intended course of flight. Then he raised the bow in one fluent motion and released the arrow.
As its feathers sang quietly against the air, guiding its load, Legolas´ eyes suddenly snapped open. His hand shot out, the bow within it moving up as it grazed the arrow and deterred its flight, sending it tumbling back down into the snow. Within a heartbeat the elf stood, his stance seemingly solid on the branches he had rested against, and his own bow ready and aimed at the human below him.
Bowder stepped backwards, dropping his own weapon quickly to raise his empty hands. "Peace", he said quietly, "peace, I mean no harm." He could see the sharp point trained at his throat waver ever so slightly and he swallowed, but never moved.
Estel had watched, his mouth open in astonishment that a sound as silent as an arrow had awakened the elf where all his prodding had not. Now, however, he had recovered and said: "Do not hurt him. He only tried to help us; he offered us a warm place to stay."
There was true hope in Estel´s voice and Legolas lowered his bow, but not only to ease the boy's mind. The world was drifting and the tree whispered to him to hold on. He did, swaying dizzily but still keeping an eye on the man below. He glanced at Estel and saw that the small human shivered again. The first flakes of a fresh bout of the storm began to float from the heavy skies. This was truly no place for the child. He might indeed be better off in human care.
Shifting his attention to the man again, Legolas took in the features that looked up at him. The man was clearly no raider, and his choices being as limited as they were, he came to a decision. "I will take the boy down and he might then decide whether he wants to accept your offer." The elf slowly returned his bow to his back and reached out for the boy. "Stay away from your weapons, human, or you shall regret it." The threat in his tone was clear and Bowder stepped farther away, his look one of intense attention.
Estel hesitated. He knew that it might be safer for him to climb down on his own, but he also realized that there was no reasoning with his elven companion at this point, so he reluctantly obliged.
Even so, he held his breath when he felt the elf tremble. The tree's branches swayed against the winds in agitation, shifting to assist their path, yet even they were unable to aid them when finally, having almost reached the ground, the elf's strength waned and he slipped.
Estel felt them fall, and his eyes closed tight in anticipation of the pain that would come, but instead he found himself caught by Bowder.
The man had foreseen the fall and had managed to catch both elf and child. Lowering them to the ground carefully, he looked Estel into the eyes for a moment, then turned without further ado and picked up the elf.
"Come, boy", he said over his shoulder, "the snow grows dense, but my house is not far. There is enough room for two more guests in it. There were a few other wanderers who sought shelter with me before, and we will share tales and the warmth of my fire. I´m sure Beakon will not mind your company. He likes children, and nor for dinner." With a sharp laugh the man moved on, making haste.
Having forgotten about the beast that had retreated behind its master after his arrival, Estel nervously glanced at the animal he could now see was a dog. It was big enough to be scary, but its eyes were friendly. Very much so.
Deep in thought, the boy hurried after the man, almost running to keep up with the wide strides. The dog fell in step at his side, and a sudden thought made the child smile. "Tinw sent you, did he not?" The dog did not contradict him and Estel chuckled. "I see. Ada will be a little while and you are here to keep me company, right?"
Feeling warmed already, the boy hurried after the huge man before him, and when the lights of a small house appeared among the thickening snow, his heart rejoiced. Shelter was near.
TBC
Review responses:
Sesshyangel: Hehe, sorry I scared you. I´m sort of fond of doing that to my readers :) Thanks a lot for the compliment!
Eliteschwein: Lol, I know, it´s fun to see others in peril (at least in stories) and this danger is not over yet...
Aranna Undomiel: I´m very happy you liked it! It seems that Estel has by now realized, though, that Legolas was not "Considering" this time ;-)
NightShadow131: Awww - so sorry that I kept you hanging, lol. I hope the wait was not too long. And I know about life getting in the way of reading (and writing), no problem! I´m glad you are such a faithful reviewer.
Victorious Light: Thank you! In trouble they are, no doubt about it... I´m so happy you are found of little Estel :)
Harry Estel: Hehe, you are quite right, he is such a stubborn elf - Lord Elrond would certainly have a word or two to say about that. veg
Elvingirl3737: Looks at the coat Hmmm, better than nothing, but they have found a place to stay now, thank you very much. Even though Legolas might have preferred to stay in that tree... I´m very happy you enjoy the story so much!
Carawen: Thank you! I´m honored that my descriptions work so well for you. You are quite right. Legolas is one stubborn, tough cookie :) Erestor is in the area, I assure you, but not quite there yet...
Astalder: Hehe!!!! Maybe it was not the arrow at all but your declaration of love that woke the elf ;-)
Red Tigress: Hey, that´s no problem! I know internet troubles inside-out, let me tell you...I´m thankful for the many reviews you do give me! Hehe, an oliphant? Hmmm, let me think, can we still fit it in? walks away muttering about the plot
Thank you all!!! You are the very best ((hugs)).