DISCLAIMER:
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, elves and dwarves, humans and hoppits (er, never mind…inside joke…) I am back. *waves to the five sleeping people in audience* All right, I am only going to say this once. I only own Endara. I do not own any of these characters (except Endara), places, names, etc., I am not making money off of it, and I do not know Tolkien personally. So. With that out of the way, we're off.
Series:
None.
Spoilers:
Um, none that I can think of—oh! Only if you haven't read the Fellowship of the Ring, actually, the whole series, but especially the Fellowship of the Ring.
One more last note. This is not slash, and I really don't write slash in general. Legolas' relation between himself and Endara is merely friendship, nothing more.
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Three Rings for the Elven-Kings
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Chapter One
The One Ring
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Legolas sighed and closed his eyes. He felt cold and tired, and faintly nauseas. The One Ring hung heavily about his neck, weighing him down. A light touch caught his attention as his friend, Endara, sat down next to him.
"My lord?" he asked quietly.
"How far from Rivendell are we, Endara?" Legolas asked wearily.
"Not more than a fortnight, according to our maps."
Legolas sighed and shivered, wrapping his arms around himself. Noticing, Endara unclasped his own cloak and put it around Legolas' shoulders, tucking it in tightly. "Sleep, my lord," the elf said firmly. "You must rest."
Legolas shook his head. "I cannot sleep. I see it in my dreams, Endara. Taunting me, tempting me—" His silvery-blue eyes turned to his friend. "I just want to get rid of this cursed thing!"
"I know, I know," Endara answered soothingly. "We will be there soon, my lord. Rest, and let me take the first watch." On the edge of camp, one of the horses nickered, as though in agreement. "The stars are bright tonight," Endara continued, tilting his head back to look at the sky. "No moon, and Earendil's Star is rising."
Legolas smiled faintly. "How is it that you always find the things in a situation, and I always find the bad things?"
"You are royalty, my lord," Endara answered cheerfully. "All royalty are negative. It comes with the job description."
Legolas laughed slightly. "All right, I will rest." Slowly he lowered himself until he was lying on his back, two cloaks twisted around him. He straightened them patiently; Endara watched him with darkened eyes. After a moment Legolas went motionless, visibly relaxing. Endara smiled slightly, watching the prince drift in the dream-state elves knew as sleep.
"Rest well, my prince," he whispered. "Tomorrow is another day, and we must cross the mountains."
* * * *
Legolas awoke with a start, scrambling for his weapons, thrashing helplessly in the tangle of covers.
"My lord, hush! Wake up, wake up, hurry!" Endara placed his lips next to Legolas' ear and whispered fiercely. "The Nine have come, my lord, we must go!"
Legolas sat up. The horses were whinnying nervously, pawing the ground. Feeling the Ring under his shirt he cursed it. "We must hurry," Legolas said, struggling up, "if we are to make the pass before they block it off."
"Come!" Endara dragged his lord to one of the horses. Legolas leapt up lightly, steering the horse back onto the path they'd been following. Endara mounted up swiftly, grimly drawing his bow. "Maybe I can hit the horses," he explained at Legolas' doubtful look.
There was no time to argue. The creatures of night were silent and long gone, fleeing the evil presence drawing ever closer. The elves leaned low over their horse's necks and urged the mounts on into the night.
* * * *
The rocky ride over the path was long and dangerous. Unable to gallop their mounts they had to resort to a fast trot, sometimes having to dismount and walk the horses over particularly treacherous footing. Small landsides were not uncommon, and both elves and their horses were covered in bruises from falling rocks. They had a feeling that the rocks were not falling on them just from random chance, and picked up the pace.
About an hour before dawn on the second day over the path they reached the crest of the mountain and looked out over the northern lands. Both were silent for a moment, and then Endara began leading the horses slowly down the gorge, Legolas following on foot.
"I think we have lost them," Endara said later that day, about a little while after sunset, gently rubbing his mount's neck and praising it softly in elvish. The horse's head was low, and his sides heaved from the long ride. Legolas' horse was little better.
Endara was busy setting up camp. They dare not light a fire, not this far into the Misty Mountains, but there were horses to tend to, food packs to pull out and water sacks to refill.
"We must rest and take it slow tomorrow. They cannot run all night and day," Legolas murmured.
"Neither can you," Endara muttered darkly. Louder, "My lord, your life and the burden you carry are far more important than the horses we ride." Even as he spoke one of the horses reared up and it shied sideways, violently throwing Endara away from the dangerous hooves. Endara looked up wincing from the ground, not understanding at first the reason for the violent shy.
Then four Black Riders came out into the clearing.
"My lord!" Endara cried. He reached for his sword and charged the foremost rider on foot. The shroud parried easily; the starlight disappeared as clouds covered the sky. Endara was thrown back, bleeding, as the Black Riders' rode past him. Stunned, he lay helpless on the ground.
Legolas stood frozen by his horse, unable to move. "Ride, my lord!" Endara called, struggling to get breath into his stunned lungs. "Ride!"
The foremost Black Rider reached out for him. The elvish horse shied away, pulled free of its rider and made a break for freedom. Legolas stumbled to his feet as the Black Riders advanced, one holding an ominous, pale dagger in one hand, a long sword in the other.
Endara staggered to his feet, spots hazing before his eyes. "Legolas!" he cried.
Legolas stumbled over his own feet, his fear getting the best of him. Strangely helpless, he was frozen as the Rider advanced. At the last moment he pulled to one side—and the dagger, rather than plunging through his heart, went through his shoulder.
Endara heard him scream, and it tore at his heart. Staggering forward, one arm dripping blood, he picked up his fallen sword and plunged it into the Rider holding the knife.
The creature screamed like no animal could and backed away from the elvish weapon.
Endara thought he heard a voice singing through the haze that was rapidly taking over is mind. At first he thought it was Legolas, but the voice was unfamiliar—and had a distinct Noldorin accent.
*A Elbereth Gilthoniel
silivren penna miriel
o menel aglar elenath!
Endara took a breath though the hazy pain from his wounded arm, and began singing along.
Na-chaered palan-diriel
o galadhremmin ennorath,
Fanuilos, le linnathon
The Black Riders screamed, as if in extreme pain, and their mounts reared up. As Legolas joined in weakly for the last line of the song, the Black Riders fled into the night.
*?*?*?*?*?*?*?*?*?*?*?*
*Song is copyright The Fellowship of the Ring. I do not own it and am only borrowing it to use in this one chapter. No copyright infringement intended.
So…what do you think? Melodramatic? Lack of detail/conversation? Bad characters, boring beginning, what? Let me know, please review!