Disclaimer: See chapter 1

Author's Note: I wish to thank a good friend of mine, for brainstorming with me on this story. Thanks Lintered. This chapter is dedicated to you.

Oh and to another certain reviewer (not mentioning names since this is just an author's note), I got the hint. You're on the list. We'll fix thier little red wagon yet.

The Delay

Van knew the direction he needed to go. Just as he had a connection to Atavus, his connection to Veri was just as strong. He would have to head back towards the mountain range, which would take him into dangerous territory. He knew from experience that the closer he came to the mountains, the more likely he would be to run into wargs. He also knew that the outcroppings of rocks in the lower parts of the range, held the best hiding places, if he was to run into one of the beasts. It was a double-edged knife. The mountains held danger, but they also held safety.

But to find the elves he would have to risk that danger. He made it safely to the lowest outcroppings of rock and began the slow steady climb. He had only been traveling through the rocky terrain for a few moments when the small hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Something dangerous was very near. He immediately hid behind a medium sized boulder.

He could hear it coming before he ever saw it. It's breathing was loud and labored to his ears, and he could tell whatever it was, it was in distress. Then the low whining noises started. The noise was so pitiful that it threatened to break his heart. He knew it was an animal, and he also knew that it was injured. He had heard the injured cries of many animals.

He watched from his hiding place as the animal came into his view. He drew in a sharp breath as he saw the largest warg he had ever seen lope to the top of a nearby boulder. He could see that it was covered in deep gashes, and was bleeding profusely. He meant to try to sneak around the boulder he was hiding behind, so he could sneak off before she could smell him. But as he turned he heard the animal cry out in pure agony. The sound seemed to pierce his heart. He didn't want to feel pity for the animal. Her race was made of animals bred for killing and no other purpose. He had seen that in his days at Minas Morgul. His father had kept many of the beasts there at one time, but they soon had to be destroyed, when the orcs lost control and the monsters turned on them.

He turned back again to the creature, thinking to watch it for but a few moments more. He watched as finally the beast fell from the boulder landing hard behind it. He could not control his urge to look. He snuck forward cautiously rounding the side of the boulder, very slowly. What he saw shocked him beyond all reason. The warg was lying on her side trying to pull herself forward, towards two small forms lying a few feet away. He could see they were warg cubs. He could also see that they were dead. Their throats had been ripped out. He watched as the warg reached the cubs and began licking them like a mother cleaning her cubs.

He knew at once what must have happened. Another animal had come across her with her new cubs and had decided to kill the cubs. Maybe even a male warg. It was known to happen. She must have fought desperately to save the cubs, and in doing so had taken mortal wounds of her own.

He had forgotten about hiding from the animal, and at that moment she sensed his presence. Her large head turned towards him and he jumped back a few paces. But he could see in her eyes that the fight had gone out of her. All he could see there was complete agony. Her eyes pleaded with him to help her. He took a deep breath and made a decision that he wondered if he would regret.

He moved forward cautiously until he was but a few steps from her, bending down with his hand stretched out towards her. She moved her head forward smelling his hand. She did not attempt to bite him. He slowly reached out feeling the cubs with his other hand. They were both stiff with death. He knew he could do nothing for them, but maybe he could help the mother.

He moved slightly closer to her placing one hand on top of her head, and kneeling in front of her. "It's okay girl. I only want to help." He whispered soothingly.

She made a mewing sound pushing her head harder against his hand. He began to softly stroke her head. "You don't want to eat me do you?" He whispered again. "No, I don't think you do. Not yet at least."

He looked over the parts of her body he could see, and couldn't count the number of gashes she had. "Do you want me to help you, girl?"

He could see what he could only term as understanding in her large dark eyes. She moved forward lying her large head in his lap, in a gesture of acceptance. "I guess that's a yes."

Van worked for several hours cleaning and bandaging the wargs wounds. He also came to realize that one of her legs was broken. He had to decide whether to use his healing gift to mend the broken bone, or to just splint it and leave her. He knew if he was to splint the leg it could heal wrong leaving her crippled, making her easy prey for predators, but if he healed the broken bone, it would steal precious time from his journey.

It was a difficult decision, but the healer in him could not see leaving her as she was. So he set about healing the leg with the gift he possessed. When it was over he slumped to the ground in exhaustion, and he knew if she wanted he would be easy prey for her then. As the darkness claimed him he could see her rising to her feet, before him.

"Legolas, where do you think they are heading?" Veri asked walking next to him.

"I'm not sure, Veri. But I only know one type of human that hunts and captures elves. Slave traders." Legolas answered watching the ground before him. He was not the tracker that Aragorn was, but a small child could follow the track the humans were leaving behind.

"Then they are probably going to Harad." Veri surmised. "Legolas, do you think Van is out here somewhere?"

He looked to her seeing the fear in her eyes. He knew he couldn't lie to her. "We should have come across him or his tracks on the journey to the cave, Veri. I can't explain it. I still believe he never left Lorien."

"I wish I could agree with you, my friend, but I know Van too well. No, he went looking for them. I'm sure of it." Veri said shaking her head.

Gimli had made his way next to them and was listening to the conversation. "Knowing that lad, he's already found them."

"That may not be a good thing, Mellon. If so he might have been captured by the humans also." Legolas sighed. "Come, we must pick up the pace. We will be out of the mountains by midday tomorrow." He said sprinting ahead of them.

"More running. I'm getting too old for this." Gimli sighed and then followed his friend.

Veri laughed at Gimli's complaint, but the laughter did not reach her heart, as she worried for those she cared for most. She wished she could believe that Van was safe in Lorien, but in her heart she knew that he wasn't.

As he woke it was to complete darkness. He wondered to himself if this was what death was like for his race. Complete nothingness. But then as he regained his senses, he realized something soft was below his cheek, and he could smell a musky, woodsy scent that wasn't his own. As all his senses came back to him, he could hear deep even breathing right behind him. He sat up and waited for his eyes to become accustomed to the dark. He turned and saw that he had been lying with his head on the warg's front legs, and she was curled protectively around him.

His movement disturbed her though and she raised her large head peering at him lazily. "Are you feeling better, girl?" He whispered reaching out stroking the hair on her side.

She stood and shook all over then walked a short distance away higher into the mountain. Then she stopped, and looked back at him as if to ask if he was coming. "Well, since it seems you are heading in the same direction as I was, I guess we will go together." He said standing and making his way to where she stood.

The warg nuzzled his hand for a moment, and then took off to the north. "Veri is going to kill me when she sees you."

Within just a few moments Van could see that she had stopped. When he reached her he could see what had stopped her. There was an underground spring running from a crevice in the mountainside. She stood back and waited for him to bend and drink. He couldn't remember how long it had been since he had tasted fresh clean water. All the water sources he had found so far were barely drinkable. He drank his fill and then sat up watching as she drank also. "You found us fresh water, now if only you could find us some food." He said rubbing his aching stomach, which had gone too long without sustenance. Hearing his words the warg stood and took off a little to the west. He decided to follow her.

As he climbed over a boulder, he could see her standing next to a stand of bushes growing from the mountainside. To his disbelief he discovered that the bushes were covered in berries. "I didn't realize wargs were so intelligent. Thank you." He said then set upon the bushes to eat his fill. As he ate he watched the large animal as she hunted a flock of birds roosted higher on the slope.

He was happy to see that she caught a couple, and then settled down to eat. "You are a unique animal. What should I call you, girl? I can't keep calling you girl." He sat and thought for a moment. Atavus had been teaching him elvish, but he only knew a few words so far. But as he looked at the large animal, only one word came to his mind. Powerful. The elvish word for power was 'bal'. "Well, I think, I will call you Bala. It fits you."

After she finished eating Bala stood and waited for Van to take the lead. He headed north again, with her loping along behind him. They made an odd sight to be sure, especially when several elves, a dwarf, and one very distraught throwback saw them.

"Van." Veri screamed seeing the warg right behind him. Legolas immediately drew his bow, notching an arrow and aiming towards the beast.

Van saw them and immediately moved in front of the warg. "Legolas, no!" He screamed as Bala pushed around him placing herself between the others and him. She began to growl in an attempt to protect the boy she had accepted as her own. "No Bala, They're friends." Van said moving up beside her and wrapping his arms around her neck whispering soothing words. "Calm down, girl. They won't hurt us."

Everyone present stared in shock at the boy hugging the beast. "Van. What is going on here?" Veri asked.

"Veri, don't be mad at me. This is Bala. She's a friend. I healed her, and now she's sort of adopted me. She lost her cubs Veri. They were killed." Van rushed to explain, before one of the elves decided to kill the warg, anyway.

Legolas lowered his bow, and shook his head at the unbelievable event. "Van, that is a warg."

"I know. But she won't hurt me. I promise. She just needed someone after she lost her cubs. Please don't hurt her, Legolas." Van pleaded with him.

Legolas looked at the spectacle before him not believing he would have to promise not to hurt a warg. But the picture of the boy clinging to the large beast, who apparently was just as attached to him, caused him to have second thoughts concerning the animal. "I will promise that, as long as you keep her in line, I will not hurt her." He compromised.

"I will. I promise." Van said smiling a huge smile, then his face changed as he remembered what he was to tell them. "But I saw Ata and the twins."

"You did." Veri immediately moved forward, but the warg growled at the woman.

"No Bala. Calm. Yes they are but a few days south of here." Van said in excitement.

"Well then we must leave immediately." Gimli spoke up.

"Yes, we must. But not south. Elladan said we needed to go back to the cave." Van said knowing the words would not go over well.

Author's Note: I know evil, evil cliffy. I'm sorry, but it's more dramatic this way. (Says ducking flying objects.) I promise, all will be explained in next chapter.