Active Mind of a Quiet Elf

Chapter 3

Crebain from Dunland

They left Rivendell with a few parting words from Lord Elrond. Legolas had been impatient and wary of their start but, as they passed through the treed glades and finally out into the open plains beyond Rivendell, he began to feel his nerves calm. Gandalf had told them they would hold their course west of the Misty Mountains for forty days and hopefully the Gap of Rohan would be open to them. Legolas was unfazed. Forty days to him was not a substantial amount of time. He only wished the damn Dwarf would shut up.

Legolas ignored the Dwarf for the most part, keeping his tongue like most of his people would. "'Anyone was to ask for my opinion, which I know they're not," Legolas smiled to himself. No, no one was so he might as well not give it. "I'd say we were taking the long way round." Legolas rolled his eyes and, as he did so, they fell on something in the distance. A mass that looked like a cloud but… "Gandalf, we could pass through the Mines of Moria." Dimly, Legolas felt disheartened. More Dwarves, that's all anyone needed. He wouldn't be able to stand the smell. "My cousin Balin would give us a royal welcome."

"No Gimli, I would not take the roads to Moria unless I had no other choice." Gandalf answered. Legolas would have applauded him, had he not been so fixed on the thing coming towards them in the sky. It was not an eagle; he would have been able to tell. It reminded him of smoke but their was no source and it was made up of little bodies, like birds. The Hobbits were yelling and screaming, hurting his sensitive ears but he blocked them out the best he could, trying to listen to the rustle of little wings.

"What is that?" Sam asked behind him. Oh, finally someone besides him noticed! It took a Hobbit, one of them lowest to the ground, to see.

"Nothing, it's just a whiff of cloud." Gimli said gruffly. That was such a Dwarfish attitude. Unless it sparkled it was of no significance! Oh, how Legolas wanted to strangle him. All the dimwitted comments were starting to weigh on him, making his own senses seem less sharp.

"It's moving fast…against the wind." Boromir said. Legolas could have yelled at him. Anyone could have figured that out, even the dwarf!

There was suddenly, born on the wind, a small squawk followed by another, slightly more pitchy one. It was then that Legolas realized what the birds were. He was losing his touch. "Crebain from Dunland!" Shit!

"Hide!" From Aragorn, "Merry! Frodo!" from Boromir, And the scrambling of the rest assaulted his senses as he dove underneath a bush and watched through the branches as the Crebain flew over. Mentally he cursed himself for not picking up on them sooner. This was why Elves didn't live around humans and other less…how should he put it? Legolas pushed it from his mind and waited until the birds had flow over head before crawling out of his bush. That was so undignified.

"Spies of Saruman." Gandalf said grimly. Legolas could care less who had sent them. "The passage south is being watched. We must take the pass of Caradhras." Turning his eyes to the mountains above him, Legolas felt his heart sink. Caradhras! Why hadn't he just stayed home?

They'd been climbing for a long while now. Legolas had lost count of time; his mind had wandered for a while now, past the snowy slopes and down to the trees of Mirkwood as waking dreams had pulled him under. Once or twice he'd woken to the sound of the cursed Dwarf's voice born on the wind towards him, and once when Aragorn had tapped him on the shoulder. Being an elf, he was able to sleep and walk at the same time but it didn't stop him from drifting left or right with the wind.

Now he was fully awake and content to watch the snow blowing across the perpetual white around him as his feet sunk lightly into the packed trenched the others forged ahead of him. He could have led the way but the Wizard was ahead and there was really no point anyway. The Hobbits would have still struggled through the snow and Boromir would still be muttering behind him.

It wasn't until Frodo fell and rolled across the snow to Aragorn's feet did Legolas catch a snippet of what the man was saying. As Frodo's small "ungh!" met Legolas' ears, he turned to see the small creature being picked up by Aragorn. Boromir started off back down the mountain with a small, "The ring!"

Legolas didn't move, nor did anyone else. Below, he could see Frodo desperately searching his chest and Boromir picking up something from the snow. By the glint of it as it swung from his hand, Legolas knew it was the ring.

They stood there, below for a small while and Legolas felt himself growing impatient. He may have all the time in the world but this was going to be a long climb. He felt it was better to get it over with soon…

"Boromir!" Aragorn called. Legolas watched Boromir's back but the man hadn't changed position. He was still staring at the ring, his breathing fast and shallow.

"What's going on?" One of the Hobbits whispered behind him. Legolas really wished they would stay quiet for a second. He wanted to hear what was being said below, if anything. Come on, Boromir! Gove back the ring. What was he, five and obsessed with shiny objects?

"It is a strange fate," Legolas could hear Boromir's words faintly with his Elvish hearing. "We should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing… such a little thing." He sounded entranced. Yes, he was amazed by shiny objects.

"Boromir! Give the ring to Frodo." Yes, give the ring to Frodo, please! Legolas could feel his leggings freezing to his…

"As you wish, I care not." Boromir answered. He handed the ring back, shouldered his shield and began climbing up the mountain again. Below, Aragorn's tense body relaxed and his eyes followed Boromir as he passed Gimli and then Legolas, making his way up near the Hobbits. His breath was still coming in heavy increments and his shifting eyes held on Legolas for a moment but he said nothing. Sighing deeply and convinced men were weak, Legolas began climbing again, and eyeing the pony directly in front of him and hoping it had eaten something that was agreeable with its stomach.

To My Reviewers:

Jedi Padfoot: I always seemed to think of Legolas as a little deeper and not as nice as he fronts. But, being an elf, he wouldn't let it show. I hope you liked it.

Kirsten: Thanks, I'm glad it made you laugh. I really want to make it funnier though.

Elf771: I thought of him as cynical after I watched the second movie and he says they are all gonna die. It was so touching to see a deeper him. I'm lucky to live in Canada? Thanks, I guess. I'm curious as to why though. LOL, it snowed here for the last week (where I am) and it's supposed to be warm! Where are you from?

Southern Gaelic I hope the whole Legolas/Gimli thing has gotten a little better. Thanks, and keep reading.

morph lol, I'm glad you like it. Keep reading, I really want to make It funnier.

And to anyone I may have missed or isn't reviewing, thank you.