Here´s chapter 24, I hope you enjoy.
My dear beta is at the moment otherwise engaged so I edited this chapter myself - I hope I do not make a complete fool of myself, lol.
Please feel free to review, any comment is cherished.
Alina
Disclaimer: Not mine
Rating: PG 13
Flight to the Gallows
"Legolas!"
The elf stopped in surprise when all of a sudden two small arms wrapped themselves around his waist. He had paid little attention to his surroundings, lost in thoughts as he had been after Erestor´s announcement that they would leave immediately. Now he gazed down at the dark curls of the human boy and patted him somewhat awkwardly.
"Hello, little one. I am glad that you are well. Why are there tears in your eyes?" With a gentle gesture he ran his thumb down the boy´s cheek where it was wet.
The child´s answer was muffled. "Beakon is gone", he sniffed, "I cannot find him anywhere"
Legolas frowned, for in all honesty he had forgotten about the great dog and the animal was truly nowhere to be seen. Before he could find an answer, Estel detached himself from the archer and gave him a scrutinising look. "But I am happy that you are well - you are, aren´t you?" His sadness seemed to melt as he looked up at the elf.
Erestor chuckled. He watched the exchange with an amused sparkle in his eyes. He had seen Estel warm the heart of many an aloof elf, but to see it happen with Legolas was certainly a special treat. He had known the Mirkwood prince since he had been no taller than Estel was now and he knew that the woodelf was by no means as detached as he usually pretended to be. However, the mask he had been taught to wear seemed to have become a permanent companion in the last few years, and it filled the advisor with joy to see it slip now because of a human child.
"I am very well, thank you." Legolas shot Léod a warning glare over the child´s head but the ranger merely smiled and shrugged, keeping quiet.
Estel seemed to be persuaded of the elf´s well-being and now turned to his new human friend. "And you are well, too?" Despite his steady voice some fear still shone through the boy´s question and Léod smiled warmly at him. "I am very well, child. And I think I´ve found something that belongs to you."
The young man looked up at the elves and nodded to them. "I know that you will want to make preparations. I am happy to take care of Estel in the meantime."
Erestor immediately gave his consent and gestured for Legolas to follow him, leaving the two humans to their own conversation for now.
"Do you mean to join Lord Elrond in the attacked village?" the younger elf asked after a moment. "It seems wise to stand together against this evil."
"So it does", Erestor replied thoughtfully, "yet my heart tells me that to follow that path would lead to darkness. It is too late to unite before the strike falls."
Legolas felt a wave of cold engulf him at these words, but he did not comment. Neither did he question the advisor´s instincts, knowing full well that there was a reason why even Lord Elrond turned to him for council.
The elves were quiet for a while, watching the humans break camp in an efficient yet unhurried manner.
"There is a human village not far from here that has been spared from the attacks so far", Eerstor answered the question Legolas did not have to ask, "we will be able to reach it in no more than three hours. Apparently, these good people asked for shelter there before but were turned down."
The younger elf smiled to himself at the quiet fire in the other´s voice. He knew without a doubt that this time, the refugees would receive shelter. No human villager faced with an angry Erestor would have the courage to deny him his wishes.
The advisor halted by the horses´ paddock and turned a suddenly piercing glance towards Legolas. "Tell me truthfully, are you well enough to fight?"
The archer did not flinch from the glare. "I am well enough and more than willing. These unnatural creatures are certainly in league with the raiders who killed my warriors. They have threatened to kill the child. They have to be faced before their numbers are too great for us to overcome."
Erestor did not dwell upon the reasons for Legolas´ determination but merely nodded his approval. "Very well then. I shall like to send you and the young ranger Léod ahead as scouts. We shall follow more slowly, as there are women and old ones to take care of."
The advisor could not help but smile when the younger elf nodded without complaint, obviously eager to get onto a horse and leave. "I am glad you do not object to the company I have appointed to you", he commented quietly.
Legolas looked confused for a moment, then he seemed to grasp the older elf´s meaning and shrugged with an expression of mingled discomfort and defiance. "I understand that the Imladris warriors are needed to protect the villagers", he said, "and a ranger is still better suited not to be an obstacle than most other humans." Not giving Erestor a chance to carry this conversation further, he turned his back towards him and closely inspected the horses.
The advisor suppressed a chuckle and let the matter rest, for once not pointing out the younger elf´s slightly rude behaviour. He had seen what he needed to see, and he was glad for it.
X X X
When the elves had walked away, immediately deep in conversation, Léod mentioned for Estel to sit down with him by one of the abandoned fires. People all around them were quietly packing their meagre belongings. None seemed opposed to following the elves wherever they might lead. Few had so much as risked a glance towards the wagon that now held the bodies of their attackers. None had been a villager, and the people seemed eager to avoid any pains that lay not close to their hearts.
Léod, however, had his own heart to consider. It seemed to have escaped anybody´s attention that one person was still missing. Oh, the other rangers had noticed but Léod had calmed them, saying Tracker had already gone after the werewolves. Yet his fears for his old teacher burned in his soul. He could sense Tracker was still alive and yet he had not joined them. He stayed away as he had done so often in the last few days.
"Well?" The young boy´s expectant question pulled Léod from his musings and he smiled an apology.
"Well - it seems I have found something that belongs to you." Watching the child closely, the ranger pulled the small knife from his pocket.
At the sight of the weapon, Estel´s face showed nothing but disgust and he looked up sharply, no doubt searching for the elves. Léod felt for the young one, but he knew that the danger had not passed and that even a child should not be left unarmed.
"It served you well, so it seems. You were brave to use it." The man´s quiet words drew Estel´s attention back to him. "It´s dirty", the boy observed distractedly, "I don´t want it back."
Léod raised an eyebrow. "Is it your habit to throw things away when they are dirty?" When he received a short shake of the head as an answer, he nodded. "I did not think so. Do you remember how I tended to my sword earlier? Every loyal blade deserves good treatment." Making sure the boy still watched him, the man pulled out an oiled rag and ran it across the small knife, removing the blood.
"You should never leave blood on steel, for it eats its way inside and thus damages your weapon." He kept his voice neutral as he spoke, realizing that with the red stains some of the child´s tension had disappeared also. "It does not do to neglect the tool that might save your life. Now, once it is clean, you need to sharpen the blade. Every fight, no matter how brief, can dull it."
He took the knife carefully by the blade and held it out to Estel, handle first. The boy eyed the weapon suspiciously, as if he feared it would bite, but then he took it. Smiling his approval, Léod took out his sharpening stone and his dagger. "Watch carefully." With slow, deliberate movements he ran the dark rock along the steel edge. From the corner of his eye, he could see Estel scooting closer to watch. The fear in the boy´s eyes had made way for an intense curiosity.
After a few minutes, Léod handed the sharpening stone to the child, and Estel accepted it without hesitation. It took him only a few mild corrections before he found the correct angle. He worked with his bow furrowed in concentration.
The ranger grinned broadly. "That is very, very good, little one." He was rewarded by a beaming smile, and when the boy attempted to hand back the stone, Léod shook his head. "Keep it, Estel. I have another one and I can tell from the way that you hold your knife that you want to take good care of it from now on."
The child nodded, gingerly sheathing his small weapon, and when Legolas and Erestor came walking back towards them a few moments later, he jumped up and ran towards the elves, happily relating the tale of his achievement.
The young ranger sighed. At least there was one beam of hope in all the darkness that shrouded them.
X X X
"Can you hear anything?"
Even though the question was whispered, it broke through Legolas´ concentration and he frowned irritably at Léod. "I only hear you at the moment", the elf said sharply, "I thought I had asked you to be quiet."
The young man grimaced but shut his mouth, compressing it into a thin line to show his compliance. Legolas nodded and closed his eyes once more, intend on catching any sound that would warn them of dangers ahead.
Léod sat very still, wondering idly how the horses understood the need for silence, for there was hardly a deep breath to be heard from the two animals. Condemned to complete stillness once more, the young human let his eyes wander across the snowy landscape.
They had been on the move for about an hour now, closing in on the human village that was their destination. So far, they had found no tracks of either wolves or raiders, and Legolas seemed as uneasy with this lack of traces as Léod felt. All they had found were tracks of a dog, and Legolas had been sure that they had been made by Beakon, the great beast that had accompanied the child. The archer had offered no explanation, having none.
Both had grown more tense as they rode along, agreeing without words that something was amiss. Watching the elf now, the ranger could see his frustration at his inability to detect even the slightest sign of their foes.
The sky was beginning to lighten. It was not dawn quite yet, but the human could tell by the subtle changes in the darkness above them that it would not be long now. The trees had thinned around them and would soon make way for an open, hilly plain. The stream that had lead to their hidden shelter was still to their left, guiding the way with dark gurgles beneath the ice that covered its edges.
The wait was making Léod even more edgy and he threw Legolas an impatient glance, yet he knew better than to disturb the elf again. Suddenly, a frown appeared between the immortal´s eyebrows and he tilted his head to the side as if adjusting his position to a sound. Literally holding his breath now, the ranger slowly reached for the hilt of his sword.
"Human voices." Léod flinched at the silent words, than cursed under his breath for being so jumpy. Legolas opened one amused eye on him, then the other with a mocking glare, but his mirth was quickly overshadowed by worry when he explained. "I cannot make out the words, but there are a number of voices. Some seem very upset. And a dog barks loudly close to the humans."
"Do you think the village is under attack?" The ranger had let go of his sword and gripped the reins more tightly, ready to race to the rescue.
The elf shook his head. "Nay, that is not what it sounds like. But neither is there peace at the place we seek. We should hurry." Without visible effort, Legolas spurred his horse into a gallop, leaving the man to trail behind.
"How does he do that", Léod grumbled under his breath when he fought to catch up, "I really need to learn how he does that."
Turning on his horse as it raced along, Legolas flashed a grin at the human. "Reflexes, my friend. It all comes down to reflexes."
When they closed in on the village, a dog´s frantic barks reached Léod´s ears, growing louder by the heartbeat.
The snow crunched under the horses´ hooves when they galloped up a steep hill, foggy breath clouding the beasts´ heads. Overhead, the stars were retreating and a shade of grey crept into the skies. Suddenly, Legolas pulled his horse to a slithering stop, his hand grabbing Léod´s reins to halt his steed as well. The elf´s finger was at his lips, signalling for silence.
Now Léod could hear them too - human voices, undeniably arguing. There were angry shouts, mingled with aggressive cheers. The young man was unable to understand what was going on, but when a woman´s voice rose over the din there was no mistaking her fear, even though it was shrouded in anger.
The dog kept on barking.
Dismounting swiftly, man and elf scrambled up the hill and crouched down at its top. Below them, the human village lay nestled by the river. A sturdy wooden fence encircled the fairly large settlement, but from their higher position Legolas and Léod could clearly see the small square that lay at its centre. The large black dog could finally be seen, too, running along the fence and angrily barking at it, yet unable to overcome the obstacle.
The slowly growing light of a winter´s morning was supported by numerous torches that illuminated the village. Yet their light seemed cold and uninviting as it threw flickering shadows across the wooden structure that had been erected in the middle of the open space. People crowded around it, some in silence, many shaking their fists and yelling.
Léod swallowed. "An execution", he said sadly. "It seems that our foes do not bring enough death to our doors already. Now these people want to dispose of a criminal."
"Not a criminal. A friend."
Legolas´ quiet words were filled with anger. As Léod looked on in disbelief, the elf readied his bow and glanced at the ranger.
"I cannot explain in detail now", the archer said tensely", but I cannot allow this man to be killed. He is just and honest and his death would be a great injustice." Halting for a moment, he listened to the voices below and then continued: "They mean to hang him with the rising sun. Ride down and warn them of their actions, for if they attempt to carry through this madness, they will suffer for it."
With these words, Legolas calmly pulled arrows from his quiver and stuck them into the ground by his side. He did not leave a single one, and Léod shivered when he thought of the deadly accuracy of the elf´ s skills.
Without further argument, the young ranger mounted his horse and spurred it into a gallop. The animal whinnied and slithered on the snow but managed to keep its footing, even though horse and rider where shrouded in a cloud of white. Never glancing back, Léod began to call to the village, urging the people to stop, the gate to be opened. He knew that he had little time.
On the hilltop, Legolas watched. He forced his racing heart to calm, his head to clear. Doubts gnawed at him with the merciless teeth of wild wolves, but he would not budge. He was sure this time. He could not allow this murder to happen, even if it meant killing one of the humans who meant to carry it out.
Or more than one.
Some men´s lives were worth a fight.
His sharp eyes took in Bowder´s face as he climbed the wooden platform, his features set and his eyes determined. He gestured towards his wife who was angrily fighting the men who held her back, obviously seeking to calm her.
Yet in the face of an untimely death, what peace was there to be had?
TBC