THIS STORY WAS ACCIDENTALLY RATED K+ WE MOST DEFINITELY MEANT TO RATE IT 'T'!

Ripples

CHAPTER TWO

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The First Ripple

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Marble was…interesting; Legolas mused with a soft sigh as he sat, waiting gloomily outside the throne room doors. His face was so long that he was quite sure it could be mistaken at first glance for the face of a horse. Chewing his lower lip doggedly in quiet thought, he wished wistfully that Estel were with him. He might be feeling less lonely right now and certainly wouldn't be as bored.

His eyes narrowed as he looked with keen interest at the brown and black swirls mingled with gray inside the marble of the floor. They made odd shapes and actually, if he looked closely enough it seemed as though they were depicting strange pictures, though you had to have some imagination to see them.

'This is just another one of those random incidents that proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that you are crazy,' a small voice told him as he continued to gaze mindfully at the floor, his blue eyes half-shut as he allowed his imagination to momentarily run away with him.

To get himself to stop thinking about the floor, and rocks and whether or not he had gone over the brink of insanity and if so, how far? Legolas began to wonder how Rána was doing in the Medical Wards. He had never meant to shoot the other Elf. 'It was an accident,' he reminded himself consolingly, inattentively playing with the fabric of his tunic. But all accidents had consequences, even if they were not direct punishments; they were still consequences all the same.

Trying not to think about the said consequences, the Elven Prince busied himself trying to figure out exactly all that had happened. He looked down and realized that his hands were shaking and he still felt chilled and jumpy from the previous events. Incidentally, that was why he had taken his weapons and left them in his room hanging on a brass hook by the right doorpost. He simply didn't think he could trust himself anymore. He didn't like to think that he had shot the Elf from false paranoia, but he couldn't be sure and that was thoroughly distressing to say the least.

He knew, he had a vivid imagination and was beginning to wonder if it had gotten the better of him, causing the wounding of a dear friend who didn't do anything to garner that sort of treatment. There were lots of mistakes he had made in his life, many things he regretted immensely but this was one of the worst and the one that made him nearly hate himself. Frowning in inner anger and extreme vexation over his foolish impulsiveness, the prince clenched his hands tightly so that the knuckles reflected a dingy white.

About to go into another frustrating, painful argument with himself again, Legolas shot his head up as the door to his father's halls opened slowly, just enough so that he could see the elder Elf's face peeking around the door. His stern eyes seemed unflinchingly hard, for the first time in years, causing Legolas' emotional essence to compress in anguish.

Swallowing hard as Legolas felt the celerity of his heart speed up so that it felt like it was tearing itself free, the fair-haired Elf diverted his eyes to the floor in respect and rose slowly, dragging his feet as he dreaded the conversation to follow. Fear wreathed itself around his heart and seemed to be tightening its hold, like constricting heavy noose.

Watching his every step with careful calculation, feeling unsure of himself even in his own home, Legolas managed to force himself to go beyond the ominous confines of the large dark oaken doors. A shiver or awe and hesitating misdoubt went down his spine as he glanced up at his father and then back at the floor. Thranduil said nothing, nothing at all, not even a sigh or a clearing of his throat and the room was painfully quiet, so that Legolas felt like his own breathing would give him away in the dark, so loud was it.

Deciding the silence was more than his troubled mind and heart could bear Legolas asked quietly, with shame completely evident, "are you going to say anything, father?" His gaze gradually looked up at the elder Elf, who just stood there, arms crossed firmly, watching his son through a set of narrowed eyes. "Please, say something," Legolas practically begged.

He would love a lecture right now, or even to be screamed at or sent to his room and assigned extra duties, even to be locked in the dungeons for a month or two, as long as he knew his father's thoughts. Continuing to hand his head in a most sorrowful fashion, the Elven Prince winced as he heard his father's voice. "There is nothing to say. You know what happened, and Estel told me what happened while you and Lord Elrond took poor Rána to the Healing Ward."

"There has to be more," Legolas whispered quietly, looking into his father's eyes through his own wet ones. "Please say something else, this silence is torturing me." He didn't want to cry in front of his father and add to his shame. After all he was well over a thousand yén and should be able to control his emotions enough to wait until he was alone. But today he seemed to be exactly the opposite of what he always had thought he was, or at least hoped he was. And his unspilled tears were pricking mercilessly under his eyelids…

"Very, well, if you are going to push me, then I will say this: I am very disappointed in you, ion-nin." His voice was anything but emotionless and his face was grave now, but instead of anger it now conveyed anguish and intense disappointment. Legolas' heart felt as though someone had ripped it out and was torturing it in their hand while his blood ran down their fingers and he was kept alive through some mysterious link to his vital lifeblood.

"I cannot believe that I did that because of paranoia, Ada! There had to be something out there… there was something or someone out there!" he urgently finished as his voice raised a little in his turmoil. It wasn't that he really expected his father to understand, but he did hope that he would. But all of this was better than the heavy silence of earlier.

"There were orcs," Thranduil answered simply, putting his arms behind his back and staring down his son. "Orcs, and you let your fear get the better of you." His disappointment in his sorrowful voice stung Legolas' ears and made him grimace as though he had been struck with a blow to his face.

Legolas narrowed his eyes and his forehead had unnatural creases as his brow came together. "I do not fear orcs!" he answered defensively, with an angered light coming to his eyes, causing them to look like they were burning from the inside out. His father thought he was weak, that was the only explanation for the last comment and that hurt Legolas a lot more than he had ever thought it could. You just didn't know how deep a wound would burn until you received it, he realized and became indignant with righteous frustration.

"Then are you a fool? Everybody fears orcs Legolas; everyone, including me. It is a matter of controlling your fear, pen-eth," he replied all too calmly, observing his son with a critical eye. "Use it to your advantage. Are you forgetting everything you were ever taught?" The elder Elf turned away and shook his head, as though the entire situation shamed him, which it really did. He still loved Legolas fiercely, but this had definitely created a rift that would take a while heal.

" Ada, I will not believe that it was orcs! They are foul, frightening; wicked sadists but I do not dread them! It was a feeling of being watched, as though one of the Nine were breathing down my neck; do not tell me that was a pack of strangely intelligent orcs!" Legolas disputed adamantly, as he clenched his hands at his sides simultaneously and all his muscles went taut as anger pulsed through him in a hot wave.

"Legolas, I wish I could tell you it wasn't but what evidence do we have to say otherwise that isn't pure speculation and entirely circumstantial?" he seethed, becoming now angry at his son, who was shooting back a perfect rendition of his glare. However, Legolas was more like in his mother in regards of his tenacity. "I can tell it was an accident and that you are terribly sorry and I do forgive you, my son. But you have really disappointed me and I will not be able to get over it in the blink of an eye!" He sighed tiredly and waved his hand towards the doors, as the other passed over his brow as though his head was throbbing. "I think it would be best for you to go, now. I need some time to let everything sink in. I don't want to see you until dinner."

Setting his jaw, Legolas bit back an uncomplimentary remark he might have made. Instead he answered back thickly, "as you will, father." Out of respect and general habit, he lowered his head in a curt nod and then turned his back on the elder Elf to walk stiffly out of the vast room and into the spacious corridor beyond. Eyes burning with anguish, confusion and a feeling of alienation from everything he thought he had known, not an Elf around dared to cross his path.

Suddenly, a hand clamped on his shoulder, squeezing so hard that Legolas grit his teeth and the prince spun around to glare indignantly at whoever had been so stupid. He was in the sort of mood to make anyone who dared to cross him wish they had never gotten out of bed that morning. But his fierce face quickly melted into one of complete surprise and he gave a visible start when he met the dark stormy blue eyes of the silver-haired Elf still holding his shoulder tightly. "Uncle," his voice ceded more astonishment than he wanted but it was too late to change the offhand response.

Swallowing harder than customary, the fair-haired prince coldly pulled his shoulder free as he saw that his uncle had not come to solace him. Not that he had expected that, situation being that Rána was a very close friend of the elder Elf and he imagined that Lostiâ was more than furious right now. And to be honest, he couldn't really blame him.

"Legolas, I hope I am not next, or your father, or maybe even your little edan friend, hm?" he snarled angrily, glaring at his nephew as though Legolas were Morgoth and had just slain Fingon. "Who is there that can trust you now?" His words struck a painful cord in the Elf that had already been yanked so many times it was nearly callused beyond feeling.

"I didn't mean…it was an accident! Rána ran at me with a pack of yowling orcs at his heals!" Legolas protested invariably, trying to get someone to see this from his perspective. Was there anyone who would listen to him and believe him?

"The fact is my friend is lying on a stretcher as the healers rush to remove your arrow head from his chest!" He snapped bitterly, jabbing Legolas aggressively in the chest with his forefinger to push his point, causing the prince to withdraw a few steps. "And I don't want to hear your excuses! The fact is you shot him! You shot an innocent, Legolas!" he finished in a shout that everyone in the palace most likely heard causing Legolas to pale and then flush with hot mortification.

Legolas couldn't deny those words.

Aggressively spinning his heel, Legolas' uncle thrust the heavy double doors open and walked hotly into the throne room, welcomed calmly by Thranduil, whose face had become unreadable. Legolas watched his father and uncle until the doors shut and then he stood there another two minutes in complete shock. Everything was finally beginning to sink in.

Frowning and feeling his throat constricting with emotion, the golden-haired Elf began to walk down the corridor, towards the doors that opened to the out doors and the path that lead down to the stables. As he strode down in hall, taking long strides in an effort to evade the curious gawking of everyone as quickly as possible, Legolas couldn't help but feel lost. The cold fear and alarm began to mount inside again and he sped up his pace considerably, not at all liking the feeling of pure horror and disbelief that was quickly taking over. Legolas worked to push down the red rising in his cheeks as he began to feel humiliated before his people, whose eyes he felt on his back, watching him in fear and concern.

His people were supposed to be able to look up to him and he had let them down…again.

Finally getting outside, where there were fewer Elves along with less critical eyes, Legolas walked slowly to the stables and entered under the perimeter of its thatched roofing. The sweet smell of straw greeted him in his first breath and the Elf felt all his tensions slowly beginning to ease as he breathed deeply and slowly. In and out, in and out, in and out…

It was some hours later after dark that Aragorn was walking the halls, searching vigilantly for Legolas. For the entire past two hours that had seemed to be eternities he had no luck in finding his light-haired friend and it was beginning to cause anxiety to spike in his stomach. Legolas had missed dinner completely and he hadn't shown his face afterwards to participate in the merry making that often took place afterwards, which hadn't made a real difference in the evening, Aragorn noticed angrily. Legolas' own people were scared of him and professedly felt more comfortable when he was gone.

Aragorn, unfortunately, knew that feeling. He had often felt it in Rivendell before the Elves had all accepted him as one of their own. It was the feeling of being lost shunned and unwanted and he knew just how deep those unmerciful wounds cut into the already hurting soul. Deciding without a second thought Legolas needed him more than he ever had before; Aragorn more than doubled his already painstakingly thorough search efforts.

Obviously, Legolas was not indoors therefore leaving outdoors as the only other option as to his locality. Unfortunately, that greatly increased the possibilities of where his friend could be hiding that was a rather…discouraging thought. Sighing, Aragorn decided he should start at the stables where he would be sulking and hiding himself if this bad circumstance was his own. Horses were wonderful friends when you wanted to vent to someone about anything because they couldn't contradict you or tell you how foolish you sounded. Where the phrase 'straight from the horse's mouth' came from he wasn't sure and he didn't entirely want to know anyway.

Entering the outdoors, Aragorn frowned and bit his lower lip before he called out nervously, "Legolas! Mellon-nin! It's I! Estel!" His voice seemed to echo and recherché off of the bows of the trees in a way that was eerie and he called out fearfully a second time, "Legolas, it's a bit creepy! Are you out there? Please answer me," he added as an after thought.

Hearing nothing but the wind quietly shifting the leaves, Aragorn sighed heavily. Deciding he had best go into the darkened stable to see what he could, the man took a few decided steps forward before he became more confident and his strides increased in length and dispatch coupled with the rapid accelerating of his heart. An acute feeling of dread spread in his stomach and he subconsciously put a hand on his abdomen to try and calm the crawling sensation.

Upon entering the shadow of the doorway, Aragorn gave a soft smile as he saw the prince, sprawled in the golden straw piled in a corner, his hair blending in with it to near perfection. His breathing however did not match the breathing of a deep sleeper and Aragorn asked quietly, "Legolas?"

There was a silence that to all appearances lasted at least a full decade. Aragorn wondered if it weren't possibly a century. Aragorn bit his lower lip tensely. Frowning, he was about to say something when Legolas spoke so quietly he was barely audible.

"Estel, go to bed, its late," the Elf chided softly, but without his heart in behind it. He blew a small piece of straw off of his hand without thinking about it and sat up slowly, as though his head hurt.

"Well, can I help you to your room?" asked the ranger with friendly smile at his friend, who was staring at his hands idly and flexing his fingers nervously. He felt saddened and a stab of warning flowed through his awareness.

"I am not going to bed tonight. There is…something I must do." Legolas' voice trailed off and he absolutely refused to meet Aragorn's eyes.

The ranger leaned leisurely against the door frame, crossing his long legs and looking at the ground a moment before settling his gaze back on the Elf, who was watching him carefully from the straw. "Well, whatever it is, I just want to know what time we will be getting back. If Ada wakes up and I'm not in bed I don't imagine that he would be overly happy."

Legolas sighed and shook his head before he stood up and went over to the wall, picking a bridle and saddle for his horse, taking the night and the spooking habits of horses into careful consideration as he gathered his light tack. "Well I am sure your father will not be overly upset," he answered quietly, pausing and setting his jaw as he tried to think everything through. He didn't want to be perfectly blunt and hurt Aragorn but at the same time, he didn't want Aragorn caught up in this mess. It could get dangerous.

"How are you so sure? Where exactly are we going?" Aragorn asked, pushing himself from the doorframe and taking a few unsure steps towards the Elf, who was getting ready to set his tack on a bench and open the wooden door to his white horse's stall. He was beginning to wish he hadn't dismissed the stable hands, but then again they would only interfere at a time like this. He knew that much from personal experience. "Legolas?" Aragorn asked again, this time a little louder as he tried to get his friend's attention.

"I am going to the Emyn Duir, you are going no where," Legolas answered as he laid the small blanket ceremoniously across his horse's withers and smoothed it out gently with his long hands. He did his best not to look over at his friend and kept his eyes preoccupied by getting the tack in place. He couldn't imagine how deeply he must have hurt Aragorn but it couldn't be helped. He finally breathed deeply before saying as though to rationalize his motives, "I will not put you in that sort of danger! Do you have any idea what Lord Elrond would do to me?"

"Besides tress you up, skin you and bury what's left? No. But do you know what everyone would do to me if I simply allowed you to rush head over heels into a danger that we don't even know what it is? Leaving me behind is putting me in worse danger, trust me on this."

"Well that is a risk I am willing to take," Legolas answered as he considerately slipped the bitless bridle, which was really nothing, more than a finely polished leather headstall, around the stomping animal's face. His slender fingers stroked its mane and neck as he spoke to with hushed tones in the Grey-Tongue.

"Legolas! What if something should happen?" Aragorn protested, not at all pleased with this turn of events which left this loyal heart feeling as though it was ripped open and bleeding profusely. "I can't live with not knowing whether you are captured, dead, alive, in pain, lost…" he trailed off, figuring that from that point on in the selection Legolas could make up his own possibilities or take his pick.

"I can't live without knowing what is out there, Estel! Without knowing what caused me to shoot Rána! There is something I must prove to myself, alright?" he asked, not really asking for permission, but for understanding. He held the long chestnut leather reins in his hand and began to walk the horse until he was past the doors to the stables, walking past Aragorn without looking at him.

Aragorn sighed in frustration and asked incredulously, "alone?" He widened his eyes in frank disbelief at his friend's stated plans. "Legolas, it's night! If a pack of orcs sees you riding alone do you honestly think they will spare you? The Emyn Duir is dangerous and creepy enough in daylight, and I would just bet it is completely sinister at night! It would be a whole lot safer for two to do this, trust me."

Legolas snorted and said lightly, "I think I know my own home better than you, Strider. And I-" he stopped abruptly when he saw the fierce determination on Aragorn's face and the perilous look setting into his glowing silver eyes. He had to resist the urge to swallow and step back a pace. It seemed to take a life-age until he found the courage to speak again and when he did it was regrettably harsh.

"Do wish to burden me with more blood on my hands, Strider? Is that really what you want? Rána is lying in the Healing Ward and I am being held responsible for shooting him and severely jeopardizing his life! Now you are asking me to jeopardize yours!"

"No, I am not asking you to do anything, mellon nin, because I am not your charge. I am going to follow you because I can and you can't do anything to stop me." He smiled. "And because you are my friend and I wouldn't have it any other way." He could see the pure frustration glittering in Legolas' narrowed eyes then the Elf inhaled deeply and stood straighter before Aragorn raised an eyebrow dubiously. "So when the guards come to drag me back to my room you are going to explain that tacked horse how?"

"I can command them not to hinder me."

"You would use your position that way? You would have me be placed under house-arrest for a few hours?" Aragorn's incredulity was beginning to become insulting, Legolas complained mentally.

"If you push me."

"Very well, lets see it." Aragorn answered, crossing his arms and watching his friend darkly as the Elf glared daggers at him and set his jaw. If things hadn't been so deathly serious Aragorn might have found Legolas' face to be comical. "I am waiting, your majesty."

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In an hour both of the friends were moments from the gate, still indisposed to ride the horses and were guiding them scrupulously on foot. Legolas rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation. "Tell me how exactly you talked me into this?" He was somewhat incredulous to the explanation that he had not been blackmailed or forced at arrow point, but simply gave in under Aragorn's dauntless determination to accompany him to the Emyn Duir. It just didn't sound like something he would do… devious human!

"Do you really want to hear it again? Will you finally believe it?" asked Aragorn skeptically when Legolas shot him a withering glare coupled with a soft snort.

"You Men are a strange breed."

"Elves are stranger."

"I beg to differ."

"Very well then, but so do I."

"Shhhhh…"Legolas hissed urgently, reaching over quietly and placing a slender hand on Aragorn's forearm in warning. He squeezed for a moment and then released the limb slowly, as thought to make sure Aragorn wouldn't suddenly start to talk again. "We are close enough to the gate for them to hear us."

Legolas narrowed his eyes and bit his lower lip gently, but the corners of his mouth quivered with either amusement or distress. With the darkness inching closer around them it was difficult to distinguish, Aragorn allowed, turning his attention towards the large, but rather inconspicuous, iron gates which were flanked at both doors by the dim figures of two lithe sentinels. Their inconspicuous nature was much in thanks to the heavy amount of foliage around the courtyard, Aragorn further observed.

He noticed, tilting his head up slightly to glance at the prince, standing with his eyes still narrowed and his lip still between his teeth as he assessed the entire situation. Judging from the frustrated or dismayed expression he wasn't a happy Elf. But, Aragorn had to admit with an inward shrug, he would be surprised if Legolas was overly joyous about anything right now.

The prince finally released his gnawed lip and then just frowned, or more accurately sulked. Even with him being the prince and being owed due respect; he just couldn't be one hundred percent certain of what these sentries would tell anyone once he was out of earshot. They may swear up and down that Thranduil would never hear a word, but that wasn't to say that someone else wouldn't who wouldn't know that they had sworn up and down and then somehow his father would figure everything out. Legolas, having lived with Elves and of course, being one himself, knew that there was no true way to blackmail them into anything. He was sure that Aragorn would strongly agree.

This meant that things could go one of three ways. First of all, he could have them swear up and down not to tell anyone and then somehow everything would get back to his father. Or secondly, they could give he and Aragorn no hassle and think nothing whatsoever of a midnight ride into the darker portions of Mirkwood's Forest. Thirdly, they could hinder them.

And, Legolas made up his mind decisively. If the sentinels thought that an interrogation was necessary he decided he was going to have to impose his princely authority over the pair and remind them of exactly who was in charge. And if they continued to push the issue out of over loyalty to his father, he wasn't beyond threats. As a matter of fact, due to his perilous mood, he was beginning to think that threats sounded appealing, regardless.

As Aragorn watched the mixed expressions cross his friend's face he commented under his breath, "this is going to be interesting."

Legolas gave a slight nod and answered without glancing over at his friend. "I would have to agree on that." His tone was morbid and the human sighed wearily as Legolas continued to debate and assess the situation. He could tell from the look in the Elf's eyes that he was weighing out the possibilities of things that could go wrong and things that could go right. Unfortunately, there appeared to be a whole lot more that could go wrong.

"This is going to be impossible," Legolas bemoaned, placing his head in his hands and running them down his face slowly as though he was trying to wipe off his frustration with the situation before he sighed and squared his shoulders determinedly. He looked remarkably like his father when he did that.

"And we are waiting for what?" Aragorn asked in a low voice.

"The right moment, which would be when they start to fall asleep," Legolas answered bluntly. Aragorn gave Legolas a surprised and possibly incredulous look to which Legolas promptly answered, "Yes, they do derelict their duties from time to time when it is late. We are immortal, Estel, not faultless."

Aragorn looked away, blinking rapidly in disbelief. "I have to admit that you would be one of the last people I would expect to admit that. But tell me, do they fall asleep before or after having too much to drink?"

Legolas smiled thinly and looked at Aragorn with a slightly amused expression and one raised brow. "Sometimes during, why?" He grinned blatantly as the human shook his head.

"Never mind."

"Good choice."

There was a silence that lasted a few moments between the friends before tit was broken by a cautious whisper from the ranger. "And how long is this going to take?" In his opinion, it had already taken too long, far too long if he wished to avoid being dragged back and confined to his room. Not that it was a bad room, mind you, but it wouldn't be too helpful right now.

"It all depends. If they aren't drunk already, we might as well simply go up, state our business, put the fear of blackmail into them and then get as far as we can as quickly as we can," Legolas answered dubiously.

"I see," Aragorn answered with about the same tone except his was a little more pessimistic, Legolas determined. He nodded in agreement with Aragorn.

"Are you sure you don't wish to go back to bed, young-one?" he asked, half a smile on his face making him look nearly comical.

"I hope that was a joke, Legolas. And in the age of my own people I am old enough to be out on my own, thank you very much!" He retorted with some heat, irritated.

Legolas bit his tongue to contain some…incredulous and rather animated laughter at Aragorn's blunt claim. Aragorn knew this and he gave the prince a leveling glare before his turned his attention back to their frustrating circumstances.

"Legolas, your sentinels look perfectly alert to me," he commented agitatedly.

Legolas split his smile between the circumstances and Aragorn's doubtful expression. "Well at least I know that for half the time some of them can be counted on. Odd," he commented thoughtfully after a moment. "They won't fall asleep if I want them to, but when I would rather they be awake they doze off first time my back is turned. -Not that they wouldn't be vigilant if there were an emergency," he quickly added in his people's defense.

Aragorn snickered and to Legolas' dismay, one of the sentinels turned his head towards them. He had obviously heard them and the prince shifted uncomfortably on his two feet. "Here goes nothing," he muttered dryly as he took a determined step forward, pulling his white horse after him. Aragorn followed closely in the prince's footsteps - literally.

The confrontation, if confrontation you could call it, that followed their march up to the Iron Gate, was humorous as well as tense. Legolas had acquired a demanding and frightening countenance that, unfortunately for both sentries, was intended directly at them.

Their paled faces was something to watch as Legolas stood before them, looking them up and down before demanding to know which one of them was in command. It was all Aragorn could do to uphold their air of importance and control…seriousness. He stroked his horse, standing beside the Elven prince, who was continuing to stare down his underlings with a critical look burning in his intense blue eyes.

"My lord," one of them stammered, apparently on the verge of being tongue-tied. "It was not our intention to go against your wishes. However you have to concede that this is-"

"I hope the next words out of your mouth were not going to be 'unusual situation' and I don't have to concede anything, soldier!" he ground out, clearing scaring the life out of both of the cornered guards. Who looked about as alarmed as though they were two defenseless rabbits cornered by something large, hairy and massive fanged as well as very hungry.

No, wait, Aragorn corrected mentally. One of them, a dark blonde with bright green eyes didn't look the least bit intimidated. As a matter of fact, he looked annoyed and if possible, a little belligerent towards his prince. The ranger sighed, realizing that Legolas was completely oblivious to his warrior's disposition or doing a very good job of concealing the knowledge.

The sulking Elf frowned before he asked in a barely respectable voice, "Prince Legolas, should you not be in bed? I mean, you need your rest, my lord." The last two words barely escaped being classified as a sneer in Aragorn's mind. All the same, if you considered everything, Legolas was being reasonably civil.

Legolas curved his lips up in a near snarl and asked tensely, "and what was that supposed to mean? -And I hope your explanation is exceptionally good!" he added testily, doing his best to glare down the other Elf, who still seemed less than cowering. As he stared down the other Elf, or tried to, he couldn't help but notice that he didn't really recognize this one, which wasn't entirely abnormal if he considered all the Elves returning in a retreat from the increasingly dangerous portions of the forest. It was then Legolas supposed that it was quite probably that this Elf had come from his uncle's battalion returned the past day.

"I merely meant that you should have a rest in light of the …events of this day," he finished, finally beginning to look slightly uncomfortable. His younger and more respectful companion was still looking pale and shaken from Legolas' sudden and stern conduct.

"Your concern is touching, and I thank you for it, however, what I chose to do is my business. I was hoping I wouldn't have to remind you of that," he finished, making his feelings of disappointment, frustration and annoyance explicitly clear. He was finding it disturbing that this warrior wasn't the least bit intimidated, but if he came from his uncle's contingent then he knew he shouldn't be surprised. As far as he could remember Lostiâ's regiment had always been made up of the more…unfriendly Elves.

"As you wish, my lord," the warrior replied tartly, his eyes staring back into Legolas' without blinking. The younger warrior was still watching the strange exchange with wide eyes and a pale face of confusion and shock. Legolas had to admit he was a little confused and shocked himself. He was also beginning to feel slightly uncomfortable, well, more than slightly, he amended before he nodded his head in the direction of the gate.

Aragorn didn't say anything, but mounted his chestnut mare as Legolas mounted his white gelding and they proceeded to ride past the gates at their leisure, almost as if to make a point, the green-eyed Elf noticed angrily. This must be reported. After all, certain things would need to be…delayed and manipulated. This was not supposed to happen, or at least, not this quickly, he decided, watching the human and prince's backs with an intense stare. Ah, well, these things were not his decisions to make.

Legolas looked at Aragorn uneasily and he then stared straight ahead as the minutes passed. He could feel them watching him leave and it was thoroughly disquieting and altogether unpleasant. He leaned over towards Aragorn and whispered when he was sure they were out of earshot, "something was wrong. I felt it. I do not know that Elf but I sensed… I sensed something more than disrespect. I sensed a…a hate." He fumbled for the right words, not wanting to give the wrong impression to the ranger who rode silently by him as they slowed their mounts to an easy trot.

"I felt something like that," Aragorn agreed after mulling things over in his mind for a minute or two. Those bright green eyes looked bitter and cold, he remembered. It sent shivers down his back. "What do you think is going on?"

"I cannot say," Legolas answered thoughtfully. "I wish to the Valar I could." And that was an understatement. He would give anything to be able to tell his tortured heart that he had not shot Rána out of fear, out of impulsiveness…weakness. Right now, all he could do was deny that he had been so paranoid that he had shot one of his friends. "Do you trust me Estel?" he asked softly, causing Aragorn to jerk.

"Pardon?" Aragorn said, narrowing his eyes and pulling his horse to a stop and transfixing his eyes on the fair-haired Elf before him.

"Do you trust me?" Legolas repeated before he stopped his own horse and slowly walked it back to be by Aragorn's. The golden-haired immortal drew a deep breath and let it out slowly, as though in excruciating pain.

"Legolas, that is a stupid question!" Aragorn snapped in confusion and hurt. Was his trust not obvious?

"Do you trust me?" Legolas asked again, giving Aragorn a glare that told the human the question demanded an immediate answer. No answer at all would be the wrong answer.

"With my life," replied the ranger quickly, alarmed at the question as much as the sound of Legolas' voice, which was eerily calm and cold. Suddenly the Elf seemed so distant and not the same being Aragorn had known. Shifting in the saddle, the man eyed Legolas carefully, as though trying to see through him.

"Even after what happened?" Legolas continued to question without relent. His eyes were bright and wide in the dark.

"Of course!" Aragorn's answers were nothing Legolas had not expected. "Legolas, you didn't mean to shoot Rána! As you said yourself, there was something else out there!"

"But what if I am wrong? What if it just was me? What if I…if I shoot you and I am not off a few inches?" he asked softly, lowering his eyes to observe the leaf covered soil beneath the horse's hooves. He watched as a breeze blew, causing the dead and fallen foliage to dance around about the horse's ankles. Mist crept about the ferns like spirits and he looked back up at Aragorn with burning blue eyes.

"I believe you, Legolas and I know would never shoot me," Aragorn's reassurance gave the Elf no comfort. The ranger noticed with weary sorrow, how the Elf looked back down at the ground in bitter shame and restlessness.

"Are you sure you know me that well? That after today you are not scared to walk in my shadow?" Legolas whispered, hot tears stung his eyes and he let one or two fall to the earth like delicate drops of rain. "Are you stupid?" he finished, a sob escaping him as he shook his head and bit his lower lip to prevent more choking whimpers from slipping past his lips. But Aragorn could see the guttural breaths shaking the prince's shoulders and he frowned, inclining his head so he could see his friend's face.

"Yes, I know you that well. I would be honored to walk in your shadow, mellon nin." He reached out a hand, brushing a tear from Legolas' cheek. The tear seemed to burn his hand and he looked at it, rubbing it between his fingers as he stared at it, his friend's tear. Such a simple thing caused so much pain to wreak havoc in his heart.

"I don't know who I am anymore, Estel," Legolas answered, regaining his composure enough to meet Aragorn's searching eyes without flinching. "I thought I knew, but after today…" his voice trailed off and he shook his head. "I am just not sure."

Aragorn remained quiet, listening to Legolas, whom he knew just wanted to talk and have someone listen.

"You were friends with Legolas Greenleaf, Estel. I don't expect you to stay friends with this…this mess he's made of himself," the Elf finished sensitively. His hands clenched on his horse's reins so the knuckles went white as his heart squeezed with pain and the ache spread though his chest like a consuming fire and tightened his throat. "This is why…I am asking one more time if you are sure you don't want to turn back. This is going to get dangerous and I don't know if I can predict my actions under fire anymore. Please, don't place the burden of your death on me. Abandon me rather. I already have one of my hands stained with Rána's blood, don't stain the other."

"When I became your friend it was unconditional, Legolas." Aragorn put his left hand over Legolas' right one and squeezed it gently. "I know you won't shoot me. You already had the chance and didn't. You stopped yourself. There is no way you can force me to leave without undermining everything you have set out to do, so you might as well accept that I do trust you and I am coming with you."

Legolas smiled weakly and he placed his left hand over Aragorn's so their hands were stacked. "You stubborn human," he teased mildly, still not feeling fully like himself but deciding brooding wasn't going to accomplish anything.

But Aragorn noticed there was something different about Legolas' 'old' smile. It was more sad and hopeless than he had seen it before. And he knew that Legolas' insides were being turned inside out with his emotional anguish. It took all Aragorn had to keep from letting his own smile slip as he realized his friend was flogging himself for everything that had happened he was begging for an escape.

He was no longer sure that it wasn't his entire fault, Aragorn understood. Elves felt sorrow and all forms of emotions so much deeper than any of the other races could possibly imagine and right now, Legolas' pain was beginning to create needless doubt. Aragorn simply couldn't believe that his friend had done such a thing consciously or from paranoia caused by orcs. Something or someone else was out there and he was going to find it for Legolas' sake if no one else's.

TBC….Please review! Really, pretty please!

Just to put you all on notice, we can't post every other day anymore, too much school work for Anatomy and Physiology. We will post once a week or more if we have the time, but most likely once a week. Sorry. Reviews help though, just a hint. And, another note, we can't respond to reviews now but we will for chapter two and catch up on stuff from chapter one! Te-he.

Um, yes, well this is going to be a reasonably short and tense story. Around eighteen chapters or so – not that that is short, but if you consider us…never mind. We know what you all are thinking…where's the true angst? Well its coming but "these things must be done delicately" (to quote the Wicked Witch of the West from "The Wizard of Oz") and so hopefully in the next chapter you will have more insight and there will be more blood, angst and general mayhem. The things we love best… :o)

Please review!