Elrohir eyed the back of Elladan's head with a feeling very close to frustration. Aside from absolutely neccesary words, the elder twin had not spoken at all since they had made their plans to go after Estel.
Their father had not been pleased with them, going against his decision…and yet even as he had lectured them, Elrohir thought he had seen a gleam of relief in the dark grey eyes. This only strengthened his general feeling of unease. He had thought that once he and Elladan had begun their journey it might start to fade, but if anything, it had grown. A little voice was screaming somewhere in the back of his mind, telling him that his little brother was in trouble. Estel needed them, whether he liked it or not.
More than once, Elrohir had tried to get the voice to shut up by reasoning with it. Honestly. Estel was only meeting Legolas. He was less than a full day's journey from the last homely house. For the love of the Valar, he was still within the borders of Imladris! How much trouble could he possibly get into?
There was a pause, but before Elrohir could congratulate himself on his logic, the little voice burst into a long peal of laughter. This did not improve the elven warrior's mood in the slightest.
Ignoring the voice as best as he could,(not an easy feat, now it was taunting him) Elrohir concentrated once more on the back of his brother's head. The dark haired elf could feel his uneasiness plucking at the corners of his mind once more as he realized how rigid Elladan's posture was. The young elf lord's every move seemed almost stiff. Tension was creeping along his shoulders like an almost tangible object.
Swatting branches out of his way, Elrohir bit his lip. This could not be a good thing.
Elladan crouched for a moment, his long fingers trailing gently over the forest floor. Keen gray eyes searched for the slightest indent, marking every possible bent twig or bruised leaf that might lead him in the path of his younger brother. It was not easy. The tracks had been made over a week ago. However, Elladan had been following after the human for the past twenty two years.
A frown pulled the elf's dark brows into a V. His fair face grew grim as he read what the tracks were telling him. "Elrohir."
Instantly, the younger twin moved to his brother's side. "Man na den?"
Elladan motioned to the faded tracks. "Tiro."
Elrohir looked nonplussed for a moment, then suddenly saw what made his twin's face become so stern. His own fair features fell. " Dail hin celo forn."
Elladan nodded. "Aye."
With a groan, Elrond's second born raked his hand back through his raven braids. "Ai! Estel, man agorech?"
"Esten le trenaro nin."
At the sound of the new voice, both twins spun, their hands moving to weapons. Elladan was already flying to his feet as his eyes darted back and forth, trying to discover the source of the elven voice.
Before either Noldo had more than grasped the hilt of their sword, a lithe, blond figure dropped cat-like from the tree branches above. Legolas scowled at his friends darkly, obviously not in the best of moods.
And it was apparent why, Elrohir thought as he relaxed somewhat. The prince was covered with a fine coat of road dust, his blond braids in dissarray. His tunic was missing a good three inches from the bottom, as was evident by the badly frayed edges. The torn piece was wrapped around Legolas' left forearm, but even this was not enough to disguise the crimson stain peeking from underneath the dark green material. All in all, Legolas looked tired, dirty, and very annoyed.
0-0-0-0
"Do not look so happy to see me," the silvan elf snapped, taking in the horrified expressions of both brothers. Yes, he knew he looked dreadful, but what did they expect after a long trip and a small tussle with mountain goblins? Not to mention the day and a half of waiting for their younger sibling…Legolas ground his teeth together as he thought of it. To tell the truth, he was incredibly worried, and not enjoying the feeling added to his already bad mood. Where was the human? What had kept him? Seeing the twins sparked off a little hope in the prince. Perhaps Aragorn had become injured and the twins were coming in his place. "I know I'm dishevled," he grunted, "and I have good reason. Where is your brother? Please tell me he did not forget…" A light smile touched Legolas' lips reluctantly as he thought of it. Oh, if Strider had forgotten he would never hear the end of it.
Elrohir and Elladan exchanged alarmed looks. Not what Legolas considered to be a good sign.
"Did he not meet you?" Elrohir asked, his fair face worried.
"Elrohir," Legolas made his voice light, though alarm bells were clashing horrendously in the back of his mind. "I am in no mood for jest. Where is Estel?"
"We do not know," Elladan looked grim. "He left Rivendell a week ago, in the company of a group of humans, and we have not seen him since."
Legolas felt as though an iron band had just squeezed itself tightly around his heart. "A week?" he heard his own voice asking incredulously. There was no possible way that it could have taken Aragorn more than a week to reach their meeting place.
Elladan motioned briefly to the tracks at their feet. "We believe that he stayed with the humans."
"Willingly?"
The twins exchanged another look. "There is no sign of a fight," Elrohir said quietly. The dark haired elf eyed his friend, wondering how the blond prince would take such news.
Legolas noticed both pairs of grey eyes surreptitiously trained on him and he fought to remain calm. The idea that Aragorn had simply wandered off without any kind of message was hard to accept. It made him feel…hurt. Pushing his bruised feelings to the side, the woodelf summoned his royal training and kept a cool face. "Which way did they go?"
0-0-0-0
A hard smile pulled at the corner's of Elladan's mouth at Legolas' words. He knew that their friend would be willing to do anything to help him and Elrohir hunt Estel down. "The tracks lead North…"
"Legolas," Elrohir's voice was stern. "You can not be seriously thinking of coming with us."
A pair of blue eyes and one of grey latched onto the younger twin, both wide with surprise. Legolas was first to recover. Carefully pulling strands of blond hair away from his ear, the archer cupped his hand around the pointed tip. "I'm sorry, Elrohir, but I know there is no way I could have heard what I thought I heard you say." Though his tone was teasing, the blue eyes were deadly serious. "I am very seriously thinking of allowing you to accompany me as I go after my friend and beat him for letting me sit and twiddle my thumbs for a day." A grin pulled at the corners of his mouth. "That is, if you do not slow me down too much."
Elladan chuckled, but Elrohir glowered. "Legolas, you are wounded…"
"I am scratched!"
"You are tired…"
"I can go for weeks without sleep."
"You smell like a dwarf…"
"I…WHAT!"
Elladan grinned wickedly at Mirkwood's prince, ignoring the scowl said prince fixed on him. "Common enough occurrence when one has traveled far without bathing."
"I smell nothing like one of those…cave dwellers," Legolas hissed through his teeth as he folded his arms over his chest. Seeing Elrohir still looked unconvinced, the blond elf made his tone more cajoling. "Ro, it is only a shallow cut. It doesn't even hurt anymore."
"I do not think…"
"Elrohir," Elladan interjected somewhat impatiently, "We do not have time to take him back to Ada and make sure he is locked in the healing wing." The elder twin shrugged slightly. "And you know that if we tell him to go home, he will only follow us. Besides, I am sure that the prince of Mirkwood can find some way to make himself useful on this trip."
Elrohir merely scowled darkly and turned away, following the tracks that they had discovered.
"Already I can add something to this hunting party," Legolas called after the retreating Noldo. "Before I met with you, I came upon fresher tracks than these, and I wondered what a group of humans would be doing wandering through Lord Elrond's valley. I believe they were made by the same men we now hunt."
Elrohir turned, a confused expression on his fair face. "What do you mean?"
"They took a detour," Elladan said slowly, catching on to what Legolas was telling them.
"And they returned to almost exactly the course they had been traveling beforehand,"the blond elf grinned. "Now I can take you to the fresher trail, and we cut days off our trip, bringing us that much closer to injuring Strider very badly."
0-0-0-0
Sleep tugged at the very edges of his mind. He was suspended in a dreamworld, halfway between waking and slipping deeper into slumber. Voices swirled around him, no longer foreign, but a mix that he had become familiar with. He knew these men.
It had been odd for the first few days, waking not amongst his elven brothers, nor even the soft footed rangers, but with humans. They were noisy. However hard they tried not to be, their voices, footsteps, and sometimes even their breathing sounded unnaturally loud to his sensitive hearing. On the one hand, it was an interesting experience. It was exciting to be doing something that he'd never done before.
Aragorn sighed softly into his bed roll. On the other hand, it made him miss what he was familiar with all the more. Not that he would admit as much to himself.
The waking world was slowly coalescing into a tangible form, forcing dreams back into the cobwebby regions of his subconscious. Aragorn pushed himself into a sitting position, swiping dark strands of hair out of his face, a scowl wrinkling his forehead. Silver eyes probed the edges of the camp intently as he fought to recall what had slipped through his mind as he slept. The clearing they had rested in for the night was shrouded in mist as thick as the fog that slipped over his thoughts.
The last vestiges of a dream tweaked at his mind, begging for his attention. It had been an alarming dream, and he could not remember why it had disturbed him so greatly. It had not even been all that fantastic. He just remembered voices. Voices talking about a message that would never be delivered…
"Awake, are you?" Halith emerged from the pea soup of fog with a suddeness that was startling. Aragorn nearly jumped. He had been so deep in thought he had not heard the older man approach.
With the appearance of Halith's weather beaten countenance, the dream slipped away, as if it had never been.
Aragorn grinned. "I've been awake for nearly the whole night listening to you snore."
Hearty guffaws from the mist let Halith know his men had heard the young ranger's quip. He scowled in mock anger and nudged Aragorn with the toe of his boot. "Very funny, I'm sure. Get up, lazybones. We're going through a village today. It'll give us a chance to pick up some supplies." Halith turned away as he spoke, but Aragorn still heard his next words with perfect clarity.
"By the way, Strider, Ian returned. You know, the one who delivered the message to your friend."
The message.
The ranger froze as he started to rise to his feet. For a few moments, he stared into the mist where Halith had disappeared. Could it be…? No. No, he was being ridiculous. It had only been a dream. Halith would have no reason to stop someone delivering a message to Legolas. For the love of the Valar, it had been his idea!
Shaking off his momentary feeling of unease, the dark haired man shrugged and started to pack away his things.
0-0-0-0
Three days later.
0-0-0-0
Legolas eyed the two sons of Elrond from under lowered eyelids. He was leaning back against a tree, his body in a deceptively relaxed pose. Turmoil and tension flowed just beneath the surface of his calm features. It was all he could do not to jump up and run around their campsite, climb through all the trees in the forest, race through the night, something, anything to burn off the energy that coursed through his slender frame like fire.
The fair prince suppressed a grimace with difficulty. If the twins saw him making faces, they would think he was in pain, and then they would hover over him like the mother hens the continually denied that they were. However, he knew it was not the slight discomfort from his arm that was bothering him.
The far greater pain was that of his friend's desertion. Legolas frowned inwardly even as he thought the word. He knew that he shouldn't think of Aragorn's actions as betrayal, but he couldn't help it! Eru! He felt…abandoned. It made him vulnerable, and that was never something Mirkwood's heir enjoyed. What's more, he was worried. Incredibly worried for his friend.
Elladan and Elrohir were anxious as well. They tried not to show it, but Ro in particular could not keep the worry from his face. Something was eating at both of them. Legolas knew that whatever it was, it was deeply personal. So much so, that they did not feel comfortable talking of it, even to him. He would not press them. (he was not, after all, suicidal.) Yet he could not help hearing snatches of their whispered conversation. His pointed ears were even sharper than most elf folk, having lived in Mirkwood all his life, and every so often he would hear a phrase or two. Enough to realize that Aragorn had argued with his brothers before he left.
Legolas rose to his feet with cat-like grace and approached his friends slowly, giving them time to realize he was coming and halt their whispered discourse. Elladan looked up as the prince approached and nudged his twin lightly.
Elrohir turned his face toward Legolas, and for an instant, his guard was down and the blond elf could plainly see the deep anxiety that plagued his friend.
It shook him.
"Are you ready to go?" Elladan asked to fill in the sudden silence. With a swift, graceful move, he was on his feet and already moving away. Elrohir rose more slowly, as though his lithe frame were weighted.
"We should be passing near a village soon," Elladan called over his shoulder. "It will give us a chance to pick up some supplies, and inquire after Estel."
Legolas perked up a little at the thought of discovering some news of his friend. Perhaps the humans would know where Aragorn was. Perhaps Aragorn would be in the village. One could always hope. He could pray that for once everything would turn out to be easy and that no one would be seriously injured after this whole ordeal was over.
Elrohir brushed past Legolas as he followed his twin, and the blond archer got a good look at the worried expression marring his friend's face. With a groan, Legolas fell into step behind Elrohir. Even as he fixed his blue eyes on the dark braids and started to step after the young elf lord, he knew that nothing involving Aragorn would ever be that easy.
0-0-0-0
Several hours later, Legolas saw no reason to revise his opinion.
He and Elrond's sons were standing in the midst of a very busy market. Humans were jammed into the fairly small space almost shoulder to shoulder. The noise was incredible. Everywhere he looked people were buying, selling, bartering, complaining about bartering, and generally making as much noise as possible. There was hardly an inch of space between any given man, woman, or child.
Except for the five foot circumfrence surrounding the three elves wherever they went.
It might not have been so bad, Legolas reflected fatalistically, if Elladan had not been quite so worried about his younger brother. As it was, the elven warrior strode through the market with a dangerous gleam in his dark grey eyes, barking out questions to the poor merchants that could not escape from his path and frightening everyone who was not already intimidated by the pointed ears and fair, elven features.
"You know," Elrohir whispered to the prince, "we really must work on his people skills."
Legolas merely grunted as he disconsolately watched the townsfolk give them a wider and wider berth. He felt very self conscious and on display, with people staring at him and the twins(from a safe distance) as though they had never seen anything like an elf before. Which, he admitted, was entirely possible.
"Legolas," Elrohir murmured, nudging the blond elf gently. "Tiro." The dark haired elf nodded unobtrusively in the direction he wished the prince to look, and quickly glanced away, letting Legolas know that whatever it was, it was not to be stared at.
The fair elf allowed his blue eyes to casually scan the area, taking careful note of all he saw. For a few seconds, he could not comprehend what it was he should be seeing. He started to look back at Elrohir, but before he could turn his head completely away, his blue eyes lit on something very peculiar.
A dark haired woman stood in the door to an inn, and she was staring at them. That in and of itself was not so unusual. What struck the fair elf was that her expression was not one of curiousity, nor of fear.
Her dark eyes showed recognition. But also confusion. As if she thought she knew what she was seeing, but was not entirely sure.
Leaving Elladan bellowing at some poor vendor, Elrohir stepped toward the inn decisively. Legolas hastily fell in behind the younger twin, curious about the woman.
Noticing that they were approaching, she havered for a moment, throwing a desperate glance over her shoulder as though contemplating fleeing inside and shutting the door. Her slender hand was actually on the heavy wooden portal, but her indecision lasted a moment too long and Elrohir had his boot firmly planted within the door's frame before she could retreat.
"G-good evening, sirs," she stammered, taking a step backwards to put some distance between herself and the tall elf lord. Her dark eyes were wide with alarm. "How can I help you?" Looking over her shoulder, Legolas could see a cheerful looking common room, where a man in a leather apron, (apparently the innkeeper), was serving a meal to a guest.
"I would like to ask you a few questions, lady," Elrohir responded, his voice businesslike, yet courteous.
"Please," she bit her lip and glanced over her shoulder again, worry drawing lines across her forehead. Her gaze rested on the innkeeper for a moment before she turned back toward Elrohir and lowered her voice to barely more than a whisper. "Please, we have already paid you for this month. We can not afford more than you have already taken."
She most likely could not have said anything that would have surprised either elf more. Legolas felt his jaw drop down in shock as he stared at the woman. Obviously, something very strange was going on here.
Though taken greatly aback by the woman's plea, Elrohir quickly regained his composure. "My lady, I…I have absolutely no idea what you are speaking of. I meant to ask you…"
Immediately, her dark brows drew together in a frown. "You are not part of them?" she asked, interrupting the young elf lord.
Elrohir and Legolas exchanged a mystified look. This was going nowhere fast. How could either of them be confused with someone who was taking money from an innkeeper? Unless…
"Them?" Legolas interjected. "Has a group of elves come through here before?" If it were elves that were harassing these people, then he and the twins had run into a serious problem.
"No," she shook her head slowly, speaking more to herself than to the two fair beings. "No, he was not an elf, nor were his companions."
Elrohir stiffened almost imperceptibly, his gray eyes lighting up. "He?"
The woman shut her mouth suddenly. Her face was frightened. "I am most dreadfully sorry," she said quickly. "I seem to have confused you with someone else. Now if you will excuse me…" She started to close the door, but Elrohir was much to quick for her. Before she had hardly moved, the dark haired elf stepped forward, placing himself very firmly within the building. Legolas was at his side in a moment. Though both were leanly built, they were solidly muscled, and frustration fairly flowed off their bodies. To come so close to news of Aragorn…and suddenly be turned away was not to be born.
The woman gasped and took several steps back, her dark eyes wide.
Elrohir saw the fear in her and softened. Curbing his own impatience, he spoke gently. "Mistress, please. We are not here to harm you. I am asking questions simply because there is someone missing who is very dear to both of us. We want to find him. If you can help, I would be very grateful." The young elf lord tried to keep his words completely calm, but worry edged his tone.
Legolas watched the woman for her reaction to Elrohir's soft speech anxiously.
0-0-0-0
Nallon gazed at the two elves before her, taking in their features. They seemed to be telling the truth. She felt her fingers twitch nervously as she glanced over her shoulder at Huar again. He was blissfully unaware of the visitors, contentedly serving a guest.
Turning back towards the dark haired one, she studied his face carefully. His eyes were dark grey, the color of stormy skies. And she could see the worry and pain that he struggled to hide.
She felt a pang of conscience.
To speak of the men who came every month might land her family in severe trouble. Yet…if she remained silent, she was sure that the elf's eyes would haunt her dreams for the rest of her life.
With a sigh, she nodded her dark head.
0-0-0-0
Legolas sighed in relief and thanked the Valar that it was Elrohir who had spotted this woman and not Elladan.
"A few days ago," she started quietly, "a group of men came through our village." Legolas noticed the way her eyes suddenly slid away from Ro's face and noted it for further reference. There was something that she wasn't telling them.
"I have seen these men before," she said softly. "But there was someone new with them. He was young. Much younger than any others in their group. He…did not belong among them."
"What do you mean?" Legolas asked curiously.
"The…the way he moved…and…and acted…he didn't belong!" Her face twisted with confusion as she tried to explain. "I could not think of why though, not until I saw you in the marketplace. You see," she paused for a moment, as though thinking over her words very carefully. "He was dressed like them. But he moved gracefully where they stumbled. He heard things when they seemed to be deaf. And he was very polite…kind even." She shook her head decisively. "Nothing like them."
Legolas could feel Elrohir trembling with suppressed excitement. He placed a gentle hand on his friend's shoulder and squeezed, offering support, though he himself was nearly beside himself. Obviously, these men were nothing but horrible news for this woman! What was Strider doing with them! Of course, he had to make sure that it was Aragorn, but there was very little doubt left in his mind. "This man," he asked quickly, "what did he look like?"
"Dark hair," the woman said, "It came down to his shoulders." A slight grin quirked her lips for a brief moment. "He was…well…very handsome. And his eyes were almost the color of yours," she nodded at Elrohir. "But they were more silver than grey."
Legolas and Elrohir exchanged glances once again. There was no question.
"Thank you, my lady," Elrohir said fervently. "Would you happen to know which way they went when they left?"
"East."
0-0-0-0
The word was barely out of her mouth before Legolas had turned and was dashing away. A cloud of emotion threatened to tear his senses away, but he pushed it aside, to be dealt with later. For now, he would rescue the poor merchants from Elladan's ruthless questioning.
Only a few days behind Aragorn! The blond prince smirked. He knew those tracks had been Strider's.
0-0-0-0
Nallon's mouth was open, but no sound would come out. The fair elf had already sped away, and the dark haired one was bowing farewell. If she didn't speak now, she would not have the chance to again.
As the tall elf straightened, she tried to form some word. Fear rose up and choked her air away, stealing the sound from her throat. He was turning to go! She couldn't just let him leave… Not unwarned. If she let them walk into their death she would regret it forever.
Before she could think twice, she reached out, catching hold of his tunic sleeve. Surprised, he looked back. His gray eyes were wide with an unspoken question.
"Be careful!" she whispered, her voice so soft she wondered how he could have possibly heard her. But he did. His dark brows drew together in a frown.
"What do I have to be careful of, Lady?" As though reading her mind, he dropped his own deep voice down to a level that barely reached her own ears.
"These men," Nallon hissed, "are dangerous. They will hurt you if they can."
0-0-0
Elrohir felt his pulse skyrocket. He nodded his thanks once more and turned, departing. He could see Elladan and Legolas striding towards him from across the market square. She feared these men. She feared the men that his brother was traveling with. His little brother…
Estel. Elrohir ground his teeth together. If they hurt him…A deep fear chilled him to the bone even as he stepped forward to meet his twin. His little brother was in danger. The young man was with men who caused terror. Of course, he knew that there could be no way Estel was aware of his 'friends' deviant ways. The boy was headstrong, and more than a little eager to prove that he was 'a man', but he was honourable. He was noble. If even one of the humans he was with threatened anyone unjustly, Estel would try to stop them.
And then the three elves would find his lifeless body somewhere in the wild. Elrohir groaned. The mere thought of such a thing made him almost sick with dread.
"Ro!" A slender, strong hand fell on Elrohir's shoulder. The younger twin shook off his momentary horror and focused quickly on the face of his brother. Elladan's expression was worried. "Are you all right?"
Did he really look that bad? "I am fine." He caught the dubious look that crossed over Elladan's fair features and rolled his eyes. "Really, Dan."
The young elf lord still looked unconvinced. "You are pale."
Elrohir nodded grimly. He had good reason to be pale. "I have some bad news." Catching hold of Elladan's elbow, he nodded to Legolas and started to push through the crowd. "Come, I will tell you as we go…"
0-0-0-0
Ten days later
0-0-0-0
Aragorn hid a yawn behind his hand as he focused on Ian's broad back. They had been marching steadily for hours now, and though his body was used to physical exertion, he was ready for sleep. However, if, as Halith had told him, walking a little farther meant that he would get to sleep in an actual bed for a change, he was more than willing to make the sacrifice.
Step, step, step.
His movements had become so automatic, the young man almost didn't notice in time that Ian had come to a halt. With a jerk, Aragorn pulled himself to a stop, barely avoiding crashing into the older man. "What is it?" he asked blearily. "Why are we stopping?"
Halith turned back towards the ranger, his features shrouded in the darkness. "We're almost to the village. But it's sillly for all of us to go on if there's no room in the inn." His hand fluttered in a beckoning motion. "Ian, Tran. You can go make our arrangements. We'll wait here until you return."
Aragorn settled himself on the ground in relief. He was more than happy to take a break. Tired as he was, the silver-eyed ranger did not notice the sly smile that passed between Halith and the departing men.
Several minutes passed in comfortable silence.
Aragorn leaned back wearily against the trunk of a tree. A grin stretched his face for half a moment. This was usually Legolas' position when they went traveling together. The blond prince would lean back against a nearby tree as Aragorn hunched over the fire.
As quickly as the smile came, it disappeared. A twinge of guilt ate at the young man as he thought of his friend. Something deep within him knew that he should not have left before meeting Legolas. He pushed the feeling aside with mild irritation. Legolas would understand. After all, Ian had taken him a message…
"Strider!" The urgent hiss of Halith's voice caught Aragorn by surprise. Instantly awake and alert, the young man leapt to his feet and spun toward the older man.
Barely visible in the darkness, Halith held a finger to his lips and pointed towards the village. Aragorn's silver eyes swiftly followed along the line and lighted on a building. Unlike nearly every other structure, there was a small light burning within.
Confused, the dark haired man turned toward Halith, a question on his lips. What was so important about that?
Halith's face was grim. "That's not a home, Strider. It's the bakery. I know the owner personally, and he always keeps a store of cash inside, hidden in the flour bags." One rough finger jabbed at the bakery, and the dim shape of a man that could now be seen moving about within. "That is most definitely not the baker."
Now Aragorn was listening. "A thief."
"Aye." Halith stepped forwards decisively. "You stay here, I'll take care of this."
"No!" Before he had gotten too far, Aragorn caught the collar of his tunic, bringing him to a halt. "Do not be ridiculous. He may be armed. I am the only one here with a weapon that is longer than a dagger," he patted the hilt of his sword. "I will go. You see if you can raise some of the townsfolk. I'm sure they will be happy to help stop a thief."
Not giving him a chance to object, Aragorn slipped away.
0-0-0-0
Halith stared after the young ranger, a strange smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. Cunning gleamed in his dark eyes. "Foolish," he murmured, to no one in particular. "So young and foolish."
One of his men peered through the trees, squinting into the darkness. "I think he's almost made it to the bakery."
"All right then." Halith grinned at the two men left with him. "Stay out of sight. Both of you are known here. I'll go make sure the people of this fair village help our young friend catch the …thief."
The humans chuckled along with their leader.
Halith was still smiling to himself as he started off through the dark trees. A rustling to his right made him pause, his hand going to the knife in his belt. The dark eyes peered intently into the shrubbery.
Ian stepped forward, hands raised.
Relaxing, Halith nodded in greeting. "How did it go?"
"Excellent." Reaching into his shirt, Ian pulled out a small bag that made a sound like the rattle of coins as he smacked it against his palm. "Our young friend came in as I took my leave. I blocked the exits, just to make sure he stays put."
Halith's weathered face creased into a nasty smile. "Wonderful." He clapped Ian on the shoulder. "Go join the others. I have to go make sure the young fool is found."
0-0-0-0
Aragorn sheathed his sword with mild disgust. He had searched the bakery thouroughly, looking in every nook and cranny that could possibly hide a full grown man. The candle he had seen still glowed in one of the rooms, but there was no other sign of life.
The young ranger kicked a table leg moodily as he passed it on his way to the door. He had so wanted to be the hero that his brothers always were…perhaps then they would have realized that he was not the child they thought him to be. But the thief had escaped.
Aragorn grasped the latch and pushed on the door, expecting it to swing open as easily as it had when he had entered.
It wouldn't budge.
Alarm bells started sounding in the young man's mind. Not very loudly, but they were there.
All right, he thought, trying to calm himself. Don't panic. Use the front door.
His feet carried him through the shop quickly. Biting his lip, he reached out and caught hold of the front door's knob. With a swiftly murmured prayer, he twisted…
Nothing.
Aragorn swallowed hard, trying to fight the rising bubble of panic in him. What was happening? Why wouldn't the doors open?
Trapped, whispered a voice in his head that sounded like it spoke with a great deal of authority on the subject. Aragorn irritably told it to shut up and let him concentrate on how he was going to get out of this mess. Perhaps when the baker arrived in the morning he could explain the whole thing…
Something was happening outside. He could hear voices. Angry voices. They were shouting. And coming closer.
Backing away from the door, Aragorn swallowed hard. Of course. Halith had gone to alert the people of the village. Now they were coming to captrue a thief.
There was only one problem with that.
With a loud crunching sound, the door was kicked in. Aragorn had a glimpse of very angry faces before they rushed through the apeture, swarming towards him like the hive of hornets he had thrown rocks at when he was ten.
The ranger's hand flew to his sword, but he froze even as he fingers closed around the hilt. He didn't want to kill anybody. These people were not evil or doing anything wrong, they were just horrible mistaken!
"Wait!" He yelled, trying to make himself heard. "Wait, let me explain!"
They didn't wait. Before he knew it, he was beset by men all around. Blows flew in from all sides. Aragorn strove desperately to block what he could and even return a few, but there were simply to many.
"Wait!" he cried out again, even as a large man seized his wrist, twisting his arm behind his back. The young man gasped in pain as he was forced to his knees. Out of the corner of his silver eye, he saw someone approaching with ropes. It made him want to scream in frustration. Where was Halith? "Stop!" he cried, feeling the harsh hemp ropes dig into the flesh of his wrists. "You're making a mistake!"
Something heavy came down on the back of his head, and he knew no more.
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Tiro-Look.
Man na den?-What is it?
Dail hin celo forn.-These feet go away North.
Ai! Estel, man agorech?-Ah! Estel, what have you done?
Esten le trenaro nin.- I hoped you would tell me.
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