A/N: Nothing to say. I was going to put something, but then my mind died when I looked at my Calculus pre-exam. (Looks again) /Screams/
Audience watch as authoress faints.
Elladan & Legolas clones shrug and drag unconscious authoress off stage.
Elrohir clone posts sign on curtain
Sign reads: Please enjoy the fic while I recover.
Review Replies:
HarryEstel: (Hehe, sing song )'I'll never tell, I'll never tell.' Hehe. Yeah, poor Leggy-pooh (sniffles) Okay I'm over it, time for a bit more fun. Poor Legolas he really has no luck at all. Hope the update was quick enough. Thanks for the review.
elvingirl3737: Thanks for the review and the show of interest. Here's your update. "Intriguing" seems to be the word for the first chapter you're the second one to say so and the 4th time it was mentioned.
othrilis: (rubs back of head and grins) Sorry 'bout the confusion, didn't mean to. I promise it'll all make since later. Thanks for the review, here's your update. If you still don't get it by the end e-mail me and I'll answer all questions then. If I tried to explain now I'd ruin the story for you, and that's no fun. Thanks for the interest, hope you enjoy this one.
Deana: Thanks for the review, I love your work by the way. No worries I never do anything by the reviews alone, except a few corrections here and there. Thanks though. Yeah, it would be nice if they managed to get this site bug/ problem free. (Shrugs) Oh well can't have everything. Hope you like this one too.
lindahoyland: Wow, people really like that word 3rd one to say it 5th time mentioned. I'm starting to keep score now. Thanks for the review, here's your next chapter, enjoy.
Elven Kitten: Thanks for the review, Glad U Like. Hope the update was soon enough. If life doesn't get in the way I'll try to have the next one up in about a week or so. Here's your next chapter, enjoy.
Beginning 'n' End: Oh I don't mind it's been nuts here too with my own studies. I swear my brain short-circuited in math these past month or so. (sees B'n'E running around room /sweat drops/) Oh dear looks like all that pent up R&R has finally over flowed. I think I've released a monster. (hehe) Oh yeah I kinda forgot you've read it for me. Well you'll be happy to see that bits and pieces have been added since you last read. Thanks for reviewing my other stories too. Glad you liked 'em. Good luck w/ your exams, classes, and all.
Chapter 2: Lost and Found
Elladan rode atop his brown steed trailing one other horse behind him. He was on his way back to the mountain side cell where they had found their age old friend in. They had been looking for him for days, only learning his whereabouts by chance. It had only been three days ago they were all laughing and having a grand time when a storm from out of nowhere caught them. Elladan clearly remembered how the rain came down in large, thick, almost painful drops. They had sought shelter from the downpour in a nearby cave. Since elves have a dislike for the dark unknown in the depths of rock they stayed near the entrance and watched in silence as the rain gave new life to what was once a parched woodland.
Legolas was no exception to the elven fear of closed in spaces, if anything he feared them even more than any other, but he knew something about these caves that the others did not. Elladan let out a light laugh he should have known something was amiss when Legolas stood out in the rain refusing to enter. Legolas had all but dragged them back out into the storm. He almost had to carry Aragorn out, but that had not been necessary once he informed them that the cave they were using had once been home to one of Mirkwood's largest, man/ Elf-eating spiders. It was possible that another of that spider's brood had taken up residence. Not being one to argue with that sort of logic the three brothers had, literally, run from the cave and gone in search for another shelter.
After a few hours of trudging through the rain and mud with rolls of thunder overhead, the storm finally moved on to the next place to release it water filled sacs. As their luck would have it they had found shelter when it stopped. It wasn't until that moment that they realized they had left one of their packs at the last cave they were at. Legolas had taken it upon himself to go back and get it.
'That had been the last we heard of him.' thought Elladan.
"LEGOLAS!"
The yell instantly brought him back from his thoughts. It was loud, tormented, and the edging of fear mixed with sadness and anguish surrounded the spoken name. He knew that yell, having heard many times before; it was his foster brother Estel. Many questions flew through the older twins mind as he tried to think what had happened. But one thought came that disturbed him greatly: Legolas had perished.
"Oh no." he whispered to no one as he kicked his horse into a faster pace.
When he reached his destination Elladan slowed his horse at the sight that lay before him. At the base of the mountain where the low grass meets the woods three figures laid facedown in the dirt. They were unmoving and the bitter metallic scent of blood traveled to the Elf's sensitive nose. He didn't need to see them to know that one or more had lost a large amount of blood. Panic seized in his chest. One of them he knew was the one who had kidnapped Legolas, they had killed him not long ago, before Elladan retreated to get the horses and sent Elrohir back to Mirkwoord Palace to inform King Thranduil of their find, but the other two he feared he knew very well. He had left Estel to find Legolas and set him free.
He jumped off the horse and told them to stay where the woods stopped. He recognized the other two bodies and fear came anew at the sight of them. Legolas was facedown, the side of his face sitting in a mix of blood made mud. The Elf prince appeared as if he had only passed out, but he couldn't be sure. His eyes were closed after all, and that only happened to Elves under three conditions: when they were overly exhausted, poisoned, or worse…dead.
Elladan went to Legolas's side first, thinking that he must be dead for Aragorn to have yelled like that. Tears filled the Noldor Elf's eyes before slowly flowing down his cheeks as he rolled him onto his back and looked over his fair friends face. Legolas was pale, even for an Elf. The natural elven glow was all but gone from the listless form, blood, fresh and dried, stained his tunic and leggings, which were torn around the edges. A hole was ripped at the princes knees showing the scrapes he had received. They were dirty and what looked to be the start of infection. Legolas's blonde hair had lost some of its natural sheen, and was dirty with blood, dust, mud, and dirt. His wrists were bruised and cut where what looked like shackles had been placed. Over his left eye sat two shallow healing cuts one larger sitting above another shorter. As he gazed at the light marks he could have sworn the blood beneath it burned bright red, he quickly brushed it off as a trick of the light.
Elladan raised a fearful hand to the prince's chest hoping to feel the heart beat in his breast. To his surprise it was there and strong, as if nothing was wrong. (A/N: Hey look it rhymes!)
Elladan exhaled in relief, Legolas was fine. 'He must have just passed out.' thought Elladan, 'but then why would Estel shout his name like that? Estel!'
Elladan turned to the second form. All the blood seemed to come from this one body. The dark rangers coat stood out strongly from the now red grass, but revealed nothing. Elladan cursed the Dunedain for wearing dark colors that could easily hide any number of wounds. Pushing these thoughts aside he crawled to his youngest brother's side and slowly turned him over. Aragorn let out a light pain filled moan at the movement. Elladan felt relieved at least he wasn't so bad that he could not make a sound. Better a pain filled moan then silence.
Finally getting a clear view of the wound Elladan gasped at what he saw. A long jagged knife wound traveled from the man's collar bone to his stomach. Blood began to pool in the deep gash, but he could clearly see the white bone that lay beneath. A dark crimson stain rapidly spread across Aragorn's shirt as the cloth absorbed the blood.
"Oh Estel, what have you gotten into now?" he sighed trying to push back his emotions so he could concentrate on fixing up his brother.
Looking around and thinking quickly Elladan went back to his horse and dug through a large brown pack that hung from one of the horses sides. It was big and bulky mostly due to the large amount of healing supplies tucked snuggly away inside. Aragorn had, on Elrond's orders, put the pack together, just in case they would need it when they found Legolas or if they had run into anything. Elladan shifted things around the bag was filled with so many different bottles and containers he wondered how Aragorn could ever find anything at all in his pack. His hand reached the bottom when he felt the something soft and squishy, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, he had found the bandages. He was thrilled that for once his brother had enough since to bring three times as much cloth then normal. For once he wouldn't need to rip his shirt to pieces to use as bandaging. After taking a few steps and second thoughts he went back and grabbed the whole pack then rushed to his brother's side to begin work on the grievous wound.
Elladan felt worry seep in as he bandaged his brother. At first Estel had moaned a lot, but those were becoming weaker as time went by. When he had to apply pressure to slow down the bleeding some he moved against the new pain Elladan was causing. Not long after the man had gone limp entirely, and for one heart stopping moment Elladan feared he had killed his baby brother. That the pain he had been causing was the final straw to all the torment the man had already gone through to gain the injury he was now mending.
'No! Not now! He can't die now!' Elladan thought as he frantically searched for the human's life sign.
...Elsewhere...
Elrohir dashed through the woods in the utmost of haste the thundering of his horse's hooves matching the rapid beat of his heart. He had to get home and quick, they had found Legolas, at long last. He didn't know if he should be happy they had found their friend or worry for the state he would surely be in.
He was concentrating so hard on getting home he almost missed the rapid movement in the trees and nearly trampled the other Elves that dropped down in front of him.
"Halt!" said one who Elrohir assumed was the leader.
"Please, I'm in a hurry. I must get to the palace I have a message for King Thranduil concerning his son."
"Lord Elrohir?" asked one Elf.
Elrohir recognized him instantly. His name was Curudae, an Elf who was exceptionally gifted with the skill of silence, more than what was gifted to most elves. He could hide in plain sight and even in a hurried run could easily hide his tracks without second thought, and moved between the shadows with the greatest of ease.
He had been around for as long as Elrohir could remember. A proud Elf by nature, but one who happily give it all up for those he cared for. He was a lot like Glorfindel in many ways. An original resident of Rivendell he had light brown hair and soft brown and green colored eyes. He was tall and handsome, like all of his kin, but not today it seemed. He was covered from head to toe in mud and dirt, hardly any skin could be seen through all the grime, and he was not alone. The others in his troop also looked as he did. These past few days had been hard on them all and Elrohir was sure he didn't look much better.
The head of the troop instantly stepped aside to let the young Elf lord pass. "My apologies Lord Elrohir, We did not recognize you."
"LEGOLAS!" came the tormented yell.
Elrohir's eyes grew in size as the color drained from his face. His mind raced to understand what may have happened when he left. A thought crossed his mind, did Mot not die? Or had something happened to Legolas? What about Estel? His little brother and his best friend were in danger, in trouble of some sort and here he was conversing with a few guards. What was he thinking? How could he have left them to that fate?
What about Elladan? That scream was loud enough he would have easily heard it. Was he entangled in the mess as well? Would his name be called next?
Elrohir felt his heart clinch in his chest and his breathing stop. Turning his horse around he prepared to race off and join in the fight for his friend and families lives. He didn't see the hand that grabbed the rope that served for the horse's reigns.
"Lord Elrohir stop!" said a voice in commanding tone.
"No! Their in trouble I have to help them."
"Elrohir, listen to me!" The tone held sharp enough to cut through the Elf's train of thought, "Elrohir, I have known you since you were a mere babe. I helped teach you to hunt wild bore and deer. I have protected you and your reckless brothers since you first got lost here."
"B-But…" Elrohir stammered.
"I know you want to race to their aid, as do I. After all the Prince is my friend as well is he not? You are the only one who holds information on the young prince and his father has been awaiting news for three days. Will you cause him more heart ache by denying him that news?"
Elrohir shook his head no.
"Then ride back to Mirkwood." Said Curudae gently turning the horse around in the direction of the palace. "We will tend to them. Have no fear."
Elrohir nodded reluctantly and left his horse almost flying down the path. 'I hate to leave them, I really do, but I have to deliver my message. Thranduil and Ada will be relieved.' he thought. Gritting his teeth in anger at the one who would dare to harm his family and friends as his thoughts continued. 'But as soon as that message is given I will return and kill anyone who dares to hurt them.'