Missing
Chapter three: The quiet before the storm
By: SageWriting
Email: Set in the time after the War of the ring. King Aragorn has traveled to Mirkwood to surprise his old friend. It's not until after he gets there does he learn something is terribly, terribly wrong. Legolas is gone, and with the Mouth of Sauron trying desperately to break the prince, Aragorn may have less time than he realizes to save him.
Rating: PG-13, for angst and torture in later scenes. Maybe pushing at R, though.
Disclaimer: see chapter one
Foreword: This chapter is short, and Im so, SO sorry, but we ere planning on taking a small trip and I wanted to get this out before I went. Next chapter will definitely we longer, I swear, for the next one has at least flashbacks to action, and a lot of blood. . Also, I apologize for those who waited to see exactly why the twins are as 'off' as they are right now, I wasn't able to do that. However, the next chapter will definitely have the answer! As well as the Leggy angst!
IMPORTANT: This is a reviewer run story, you MUST review if you want an update. Reviews make me happy and make me work harder to get you your update, kay? .
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"We have him, my lord." The speaker bowed, his bright green eyes downcast. "He is unconcious at the moment."
"Grishna, your brother, how is he?" Soiled, rotten teeth crumbled as he spoke, "Not feeling remorse, I hope?" His fingernails tapped on the ornate throne's arm, slowly. Dangerously.
"No, he is not, My lord." Grishna raised his face and the light showed what his voice and eyes could not. He was an orc, no matter how his voice sounded or how beautiful his eyes. "My...brother, in fact, was the one to actually subdue the prisoner."
"Was he now?" The mouth of Sauron threw back his head and laughed, a low, eerie rumble that made the captain shiver. "Good, very good." He waved the orc off, and Grishna retreated, his back straighter and gate more graceful than all of his brothers together. His orkish brothers, that was.
The mouth watched him go, a smirk gracing his face. Yes, this was good. He turned and picked up an object lying on a burned and crumbling table at his side. The golden circlet was nearly drenched in blood on one side, obscuring the delicate tracings of silver ivy leaves that adorned it.
With a sneer, he snapped it in two and let it fall to the ground.
The Eryn Lasgalen crown lay on the floor of its palace, covered in the blood of its king.
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It was so quiet, so...heart rendering. The trees, although still as beautiful as ever seemed to have lost their will to shine and the land literally mourned the loss of its people. Even so, Aragorn never thought this odd, for he knew how deep the land felt for those that protected it. Why, his father-
No, he wouldn't mention him, he couldn't. It was still too early. No, get back on track, Estel. Still though, Lothlorien mourned for Galadriel and Celeborn, their protectors for so long. They had sailed, they were gone, as was Lord Elro- Crap. He had to stop doing that. He's gone Estel, stop trying to hope he can come back- oh, how ironic. Hope. Im hoping for the one who gave me the name Estel, the name of hope. Sweet Eru, Im rambling.
Shaking his head in frustration, the king stopped by a particularly large tree, one with golden leaves and silver bark. Faint lines marred the said bark, crisscrossing over and over in gold until they created the intricate designs the elven people loved.
I stood here, once, long ago. H realized with a start, Here I...His hand reached out and he ran his finger along one delicate curve on the bark Here I sealed the fate of the one I loved. Along with my own. "Arwen..."
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Elladan let himself in his brother's room, expecting to see his twin asleep. It was late after all, very late. Yet the bed was cold and empty, not even slept in. Sighing the elder shut the door and turned instead toward the gardens of Imladris, were he was sure he would find Elrohir.
As true as ever, the younger twin sat in the gardens, perched upon a low stone wall. However, Elladan was stunned to find he wasn't alone. "What are you doing, Ro?" He hissed, emerging from the shadows, "Go put that back!"
Elrohir jumped as if he had been caught doing something he shouldn't be and immediately hugged the ancient sword in its worn scabbard to his chest. "El you startled me." He whispered, lowering the sword to his lap. His hair was braided loosely, hanging over his shoulder.
"What are you doing with that? Put that back where you got it!"
Elrohir looked sadly at the blade, before pulling it out and tracing the intricate patterns etched on the metal. "This sword hasn't been drawn in decades, El. I think we should take it with us."
"That's exactly why you shouldn't-" Elladan paused, "Take it where?" He walked over and sat next to his twin. He brushed a strand of hair away from his face and regarded his brother in silence.
"To Eryn Lasgalen." Elrohir looked at his elder brother out of the corner of his eye, a frown pulling at his lips. He saw his brother sigh visibly, and for a moment the facade leaked and he looked every second of his two thousand years.
"I was hoping to surprise you, Ro." The twin muttered, "I thought it would help us both if we took a vacation and we haven't seen Legolas in a while." His lips twitched, "I have a feeling Estel will be there too."
The sword sang as the younger brother spun it around, "Yes, but the sword will be coming with us. I think Ada would like a vacation as well." His eyes were intense as he brought the blade back to the scabbard with inhuman speed. (Father)
"Yes, Ada will be coming with us." Elladan agreed as the sword slid home, its metal glinting in the moonlight. "We will leave at dawn." The hilt hit the top of the scabbard and suddenly, the light was gone. The two brothers sat in the dark, their hands holding on to the last remnant they had of their father. Imladris was no longer home to them. It was time to leave.
First light. We leave then, Ada. (Father)
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"Elanor!" An elderly hobbit shouted, his reddish-gray hair glinting in the early morning sun. "Hurry up, we have to leave!"
A taller hobbit with golden hair called back to her father over her shoulder and resumed talking to her mother, whose arms were wrapped tightly around her oldest' middle. "I'll be fine, mother. Do not worry, and come to visit, will you?" Elanor whispered before kissing her mom gently on the cheek and rushing off to mount her white pony.
"About time." Sam joked.
"Speak for yourself, father. It took you forever to even decide whether or not to let me go." She smiled at him as they quickly rode out of the gate.
"Well, Strider's letter was very convincing."
"So you say, but I am sure you just wished to get rid of me." Elanor huffed, her voice a perfect imitation of his old mentor and great friend Frodo Baggins. "Admit to it, father. You did the same to poor Uncle Merry and Uncle Pippin when they last came."
"Now why would I do something like that?" Sam muttered in good humor as they swiftly rode toward the safe passage through the mountains and en route for Gondor.
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Two figures sat atop their ponies outside of the forest that guarded the hidden passage to the mountains. Not many knew of it, yet it was still better to keep an eye on it. They were hidden so the two ponies that flew by never noticed them.
Merry raised an eyebrow, "Was that Sam?"
Pippin nodded without even moving from his comfy spot against the tree. "And Elanor." A thought struck them at the exact same moment and both jumped.
"Merry, should we...I mean do you want to..." Pippin bounced on his mount's back, his calm and cool demeanor gone in a flash. His companion nodded, a sly smile racing across his face.
"Yeah, we never did pay him back for kicking us out of the house that one time."
Swiftly packing up their few belongings, the two spurred their steeds and hurried after the others.
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Next time: FINALLY the reason for El and Ro's offness and that Legolas angst everyone wants to see! Plus Aragorn finally gets to Eryn Lasgalen, but, naturally, its not the reunion he was hoping for. Also a prank (or two) and some lighthearted banter between old friends. A flashback to action and the evil is revealed to our elven beauty! What'll he do? What can he do? And what will that reaction cost him?