I'm SO sorry! But I actually do have a kind of sort of good excuse for how late this is. About the time I was supposed to post this chapter, we had a major storm here and our power was blown out. Not that much of a problem, except it took everything I had written at the time with it. So I had to recreate and finish the chapter. Also this is one of those chapters that's just really hard to write. It gets us from whomping a to whomping b logically because everybody wants to be at whomping b, but they like to feel like there is a plot that brings them there naturally.

In regard to the rumors I've heard about people having their stories pulled because of responding to reviews, I have checked over the rules for ff-net VERY carefully, and I have not found anything that would justify this. So I will still be responding. If my story ends up getting pulled because of it, I will set up a website of my own and post there.

So, now that I've babbled on, please do enjoy the story!

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He was floating on a wave of pain. With a gasp, Legolas' eyes shot open. White hot needles of agony raced across his rib cage as he struggled to breath. He could hear a familiar voice urging him to be calm, but paid it no heed. Where was Aragorn?

The pain was so intense it was making his vision blurry. A dark head leaned over him. Aragorn?

"Strider…"

"No, Legolas, it is I. Do you not recognize me?"

As his vision cleared slightly, Legolas saw the hair was too long (and too neat) to be Aragorn. "Elladan?"

"Closer, at any rate. It has been a long time since you confused me for my brother, oh prince."

Legolas groaned and shut his eyes again. Through the jesting tone of Elrohir's voice he could hear something disturbing. The twin was incredibly worried. For who? Where was Aragorn? Fear spiked through the fair elf's veins and his blue eyes flew open again with a snap. "Mas na Estel?" He gasped around the searing pain that enveloped his rib cage.

Elrohir avoided the prince's gaze, keeping his own eyes on the elf's many wounds. "Legolas, you need to rest."

Again, that underlying current to the twin's normally steady voice. Legolas could feel darkness creeping back around him. He wasn't going to be conscious much longer. Desperately, he tried to fight it off. He had to know what happened to his friend! "Elrohir, mas na Estel?"

But the raven haired elf would not answer. His grey eyes rested on Legolas' face and in the instant before the darkness rushed in to claim him, Legolas saw the agony that was threatening to tear Elrohir's heart into shreds. "Ro…"

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Elrohir watched his friend sink back into unconsciousness. He drew a long shaky breath. A horrible choice stretched before himself and his brother. Legolas needed help. Much more than he or Elladan knew how to give. If he did not receive it, he would most likely die. The injuries he had sustained were grave. Given the apparent severity of the beating he had received, Elrohir was grimly surprised to discover that any of the prince's ribs were unbroken, or at least uncracked on his left side. By falling curled as he had, Legolas had protected at least one side of his body. His left arm had been broken as well however, not to mention the nasty gash across his head. The fact that the fair elf had not been able to see clearly in the brief period of his waking made Elrohir extremely uneasy.

There was no doubt about it. Legolas needed Elrond's care.

But Estel…

Elrohir's eyes darted to the other side of the clearing where Elladan was pacing. The elder twin had discovered the tracks left by Halith's men. The marks at the edge of the undergrowth indicated a vicious, if short lived struggle, by someone to return to the side of the injured elf. The outcome was evidenced by a flattened area where said someone had fallen, and heavy prints pointed to him then being carried away.

Elrohir quickly came to a decision. Standing, he strode into the undergrowth, his gray eyes darting back and forth.

"Ro, what are you doing?" Elladan ceased pacing and stared after his brother as if the young elf lord had just gone insane. Which, he admitted to himself, might not be all that unlikely. Especially given their current circumstances. In fact, insanity might be one of the more attractive alternatives. It was better than facing their father at any rate. 'I'm sorry Ada, but not only did our brother, the Hope of Men, get kidnapped, the Prince and heir to Mirkwood's throne was beaten to death.' Elladan closed his eyes and massaged the bridge of his nose taking in deep breaths. One of them had to retain their senses, and at the moment it looked as though that responsibility was going to fall on his shoulders. Glaring enviously at his twin, Elladan repeated his question. "What do you think you are doing?"

"I am looking," Elrohir bent down and was lost amidst the shrubbery for a moment. "…for something like this," he finished triumphantly, straightening up with a piece of wood nearly his own height clenched in his hand.

Elladan felt both of his eyebrows raise. Stress. That was it. The stress of their situation had stolen his brother's mental faculties. "May I ask why…?"

"You might, but your time would be better spent looking for another piece of wood, as close to this size as may be." As he spoke, Elrohir was already continuing his search.

Deciding to humor him for the moment, Elladan cast a worried look at Legolas and quickly joined his brother. Within moments, he had found a good sized branch. Elrohir quickly took both pieces of wood. Retrieving his pack from where he had dropped it, the younger twin withdrew a length of rope and began to bind the wood together. With a sharp yank, he pulled the rope tight and used the slack to fashion a harness.

Catching on to what his brother was up to, Elladan swiftly yanked a blanket from his own pack and secured it between the two pieces of wood, forming a neat sled, or a handy conveyance for a wounded elf.

"One of us has to take him back," Elrohir said quietly, making sure his knots were strong.

"Of course." Elladan was already moving towards the prince, preparing to move him. "You take Legolas. I will go after Estel."

"Elladan…" Elrohir bit his lip in agony. He couldn't stand it. How could he abandon his brother? Yet he had seen the horrific injuries inflicted on his friend. If Legolas did not receive attention, he might die. Someone had to take the prince back to Rivendell.

Elladan turned at the sound of his name. His grey eyes were dark. Almost haunted. His fair features were tight. Abruptly, Elrohir was almost overwhelmed with a sense of failure. It was not his own, though he had been feeling the burden of guilt from the moment they discovered Legolas' beaten form.

The younger twin stared at his brother with a dawning sense of what Elrond's firstborn must be enduring. Elladan was the eldest, though only by a few minutes, and he had always taken his role very seriously. He held himself solely responsible for what had happened to Estel.

Elrohir sighed. As much as he did not wish to leave, for Legolas' sake, and Elladan's, he would. Without a word, the young elf lord turned his eyes back to his hands, rechecking the knots carefully.

There was a soft step. A pair of strong, slender hands fell over his own. Elrohir looked up and met his twin's gaze.

Elladan's eyes were burning fiercely. "I will find him, Elrohir. I will bring Estel home."

Elrohir forced a very hard smile onto his face. "I have no doubt." He saw Elladan's eyes stray back toward Legolas. A spasm flashed across the elder twin's face. Elrohir knew his brother felt the same agony that he himself fought. Friend, or brother? The young elf lord gripped Elladan's fingers tightly. "And I will make sure that Legolas gets to Imladris."

An echo of Elrohir's smile slid across Elladan's face. "I have no doubt."

Quickly, the elder twin turned to Legolas. Sliding his hands under his friend's wounded body, the dark haired elf lifted Mirkwood's prince as carefully as possible, doing all in his power to prevent jostling Legolas' many broken ribs.

Despite the gentleness of Elladan's touch, the blond elf moaned softly. A spasm of pain crossed his fair features. Elrohir winced as he saw it. This was going to be a long slow trip. He would have to be careful not to move too quickly with Legolas in this state.

Elladan settled their friend within the sling they had fashioned. Straightening, he stretched out a hand and helped Elrohir to his feet. The younger twin wordlessly held out the rope harness. With a nod, Elladan quickly slipped the rough hemp over Elrohir's shoulders, making sure that it was secure. "There," he said finally, stepping back.

For a moment, the two stared at each other. Elladan stretched out his hand and grasped his brother's shoulder. "All will be well." His tone brooked no argument. Grey eyes flashed as though daring someone to contradict him.

Despite his worry, Elrohir could barely conceal a smile as he pulled his twin into an embrace. "Iston."

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Elrohir grunted softly. For one of the firstborn, it was amazing how heavy Legolas' inert body had become. Then again, perhaps it was just the fact that he was traveling so slowly that made it seem like he was towing a Mumak.

"Ro…"

"Legolas!" Elrohir shot a look back over his shoulder, his eyebrows knotting together in anxiety. The prince's eyes were open, but there was a disconcerting unfocused look to them that the young elf lord did not like. Gently, Elrohir slid the rope harness from his shoulders and lowered the sling to the ground. Kneeling at the fair elf's side he carefully checked the dressings wrapped around Legolas' rib cage. Dark hair swung forward into his eyes, but Elrohir did not notice. His attention was focused on his friend. The young elf lord bit his lip as Legolas moaned softly. He had set the fair elf's arm, and done his best for the archer's ribs. It was obvious, however, that the gash across the prince's forehead had caused a fair amount of damage. He needed Elrond's care. Elrohir remembered how long it had been since they had left Rivendell and swallowed hard.

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Breathing was a torment. He could barely pull in enough air to keep himself alive before a stabbing pain forced him to release it. It felt as though his left side was on fire. He vaguely remembered turning on his side as the men beat him. Throwing up his arm to shield his head…

His arm hurt too. Horribly. Not nearly as badly as his head though…

In a daze, he watched Elrohir bend towards him. Legolas groaned and shut his eyes. The world was spinning. It made him dizzy to watch.

The fair elf cracked one blue eye open, hoping against hope that everything had settled. It had not. Elrohir was checking the bandages wrapped tightly around the prince's rib cage. Another dark haired elf knelt nearby…Elladan? "Dan?"

Elrohir looked up sharply. "What did you say?"

At the exact moment Elrohir's dark head turned towards him, so did the other elf's. Legolas shut his eyes again. Not Dan. He was seeing double. "Nothing, Ro. It was nothing."

"Legolas, look at me."

The fair elf did not want to. He didn't want to open his eyes again. Unwillingly, he did so. Elrohir was holding his hand in front of his face, the fingers outspread. "How many fingers do you see?"

Legolas tried to count them, he really did. But they kept moving… "Um…"

Elrohir sighed. "I was afraid of that."

Even as the dark haired elf spoke, his voice was fading. Legolas knew he was slipping back into unconsciousness. He tried to ask what had happened to Aragorn, but his tongue would not obey him. With a groan of frustration, the fair elf sank back into darkness.

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Elrohir bit his lip as he watched Legolas' eyes lose focus and his lids drift shut. He was more worried than ever for his friend. Swiftly, the younger twin straightened and pulled the rope harness over his shoulders once more. Determination hardened his grey eyes. Legolas would make it back to Rivendell. He would see to it.

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The sun had long ago sunk out of sight, and night's dark blanket covered the sky. The stars were pinpricks of light against the blackness, comforting Elrohir. Wearily, the dark haired elf traveled on, his light feet falling heavily with fatigue. Soon, he knew he would have to rest, or he might become careless and cause his friend pain inadvertently. For the moment, however, he pushed himself on. The best thing for Legolas would be to be back in Rivendell, with Elrond to see to his wounds.

Elrohir suddenly froze. Ahead he could see lights…fire! He chewed his lip anxiously. They might be friendly…or they might be orcs. The younger twin hastily drew the rope harness from his shoulders and pushed the sling along with Legolas into a deep portion of the shrubbery. He would be alright for a moment while Elrohir found out what was going on.

Stealthily, the younger twin crept forward, his eyes gleaming in the dark. The darkness of his hair melted into the shadows of the night, making him next to invisible. Forgetting his weariness in the surge of adreniline, his feet made absolutely no noise. One hand drifted to his belt and swiftly drew the dagger he kept there. If those around the the fire ahead were unfriendly, it would be foolish to approach them unarmed.

'Actually,' a little voice hissed from the back of his mind, 'it would probably be foolish to approach them at all.' Elrohir bared his teeth in annoyance. If he wanted to be lectured, he could always have stayed at home with Glorfindel.

The young elf lord's keen hearing could pick out the murmur of their voices now, though he was not close enough to hear what they were saying. A clear laugh suddenly rose in the still night air, and Elrohir felt a great wave of tension suddenly leave his body. Neither orcs nor men sounded so; only those of the eldar. Which meant that this company was most likely from Rivendell.

"Mae govanen, mellyn nin," Elrohir called softly, resheathing his weapon. It was almost humorous how quickly the sound of voices ceased. Immediately, several figures leapt up from their places around the fire and dashed towards him. Within seconds, Elrohir was surrounded by several of Rivendell's warriors, all greeting him enthusiastically.

"Elrohir!"

"Where is Elladan?"

"Did you find Estel?

"Where have you been?"

Elrohir held up his hands, as though to push away the torrent of words aimed at him. "One at a time! And none at the moment. Do you have a healer amongst you?"

The elves stared at their young lord in horror. True, he looked as though he had crawled through a forest and brushed his hair with a pine branch, but there did not seem to be any great wound. However, for Elrohir (or Elladan…or Estel for that matter) to be asking for a healer, there must be some very serious injury.

"Not for I," Elrohir was quick to add, seeing their expressions. "Legolas is near here and he is badly hurt."

"Aye, my lord," one of the younger elves quickly turned and started back towards the fire. "There is a healer with us. I'll fetch him…"

"No," Elrohir halted him before he had taken more than a step. "That won't be neccesary. Just tell him to be prepared. I'll bring Legolas to the fire."

The elf nodded, darting away.

The heady feeling of hope lifted the young elf lord's spirits. Perhaps things were not so dark as he had thought… Elrohir swiftly pushed his way back through the forest growth, closely followed by two elves. Reaching down into the thick shrubbery, the young elf lord seized the rop harness and gently pulled Legolas into sight…

One of his companions gasped.

"Eru," Breathed the other. The elf's dark eyes sought Elrohir's gaze in the shadows. "What happened?"

Elrohir's mouth hardened into a grim line. "Something we did not anitcipate. Help me carry him."

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Leaning his shoulders against a tree, Elrohir stared into the dancing flames. His grey eyes were blank, unfocused on what was before them. Though momentarily cheered at the realization that there was a healer amongst the party of Rivendell elves…the younger twin felt his spirits crash back down into a black pit when he saw the healer's face turn white upon catching sight of Legolas. The elf's reaction only reaffirmed Elrohir's own diagnosis. If Legolas was going to survive, he needed to be taken to Elrond.

And thinking of Elrond…

The dark haired elf slowly turned from the fire, fixing his gaze on the captain. An almost bitter smile twisted Elrohir's lips. As thankful as he was to see their warriors, he could not believe that his father had sent out a search party so quickly after he and Elladan had left. It wasn't like him. Protective Elrond might be, but he trusted the twins. Of course, the patrol did have horses, so they would have been traveling quite a bit faster…and it still did not add up. Elrohir frowned. Normally, their father would not have sent a search party after them until they had been missing for three weeks, at the least. Which meant that they should have been leaving Rivendell sometime early that morning.

"Elrohir?" A hand landed on the young elf lord's shoulder.

The younger twin jerked, so lost in his own thoughts he had not realised someone was addressing him. "Areste," he gasped. "do not startle me like that."

"My apologies, mellon nin," the healer murmured, sinking into a crouch beside the raven haired being. There was an anxious look in the elf's green eyes that Elrohir did not like.

"What is it?"

Areste swallowed. "I can't do anything more for the prince, Ro. At least not here. I have to get him back to Imladris. Those ribs…I'm afraid if I can't get them set soon, some piece will puncute his lungs, and he could drown in his own blood before we even knew it"

Elrohir swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly going very dry.

"Fortunately, we're close, so there shouldn't be too much damage from travel…"

Surprised, Elrohir stared at his friend as though the elf had suddenly declared he would like to start a society for the prevention of cruelety to orcs. "Areste, what are you talking about?" Close? "We are weeks out from home."

Now it was Areste's turn to stare. "Elrohir…we left this morning. We are barely a days ride from your father's house."

Elrohir stood abruptly, his face pale. All of a sudden, things crashed together in his mind. They had been following Estel's trail for so long, he had not thought to check direction or bearing… all the villages they had visited, instead of going North as he had thought they had for the past few weeks, were on the circumference of a very large circle. A circle he, Elladan, and Legolas had traipsed. He gasped slightly as he realised that none of the villages had been more than a days journey from Rivendell. They had left the valley traveling to the North, and now the trail Elladan followed was headed due South. Even more disturbing, Elrohir realised that the terror they had seen was not a problem that grew worse they further they traveled from home. It was at their doors. It was all around them.

"My lord?" Areste stumbled to his feet, ungraceful in his surprise. "What is it?"

"Take Legolas to my father," Elrohir said sharply. Striding across the clearing, the young elf lord whistled and gestured, bringing two of the horses trotting towards him. A graceful leap, and he was astride one's broad back. "I am sorry, Areste, but I must borrow the horses."

"Of course," was all the young healer could think to say, so surprised was he. Numbly, he watched in disbelief as Elrohir whispered something in his steed's ear, then turned to the horse alongside him and murmured something in elvish. "Elrohir! Wait…what do you want me to tell your father?"

"Tell him I am going to fetch Estel." The fierce glint of Elrohir's grey eyes took his friend by surprise. Normally, Elrohir was the gentler of the twins. Noticing Areste's alarm, the young elf lord paused. "Tell him not to worry, Areste. I am going to meet Elladan, and we will bring Estel home safely." His eyes darted towards the base of the tree where Legolas lay. "Take care of Legolas."

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He could hear voices swirling around his ears. They were fair, elvish voices. The sounds of elf folk, and the smell of trees. Was he in Mirkwood? No. That could not be. The trees here smelled green, and new.

"Take Legolas to my father."

Elrohir's voice. Who was he talking to? Legolas forced his eyes open. His vision swayed and twisted sickeningly, but the fair elf made himself bear it. He could hear the thud of hoofbeats against the ground. Through distorted eyes, he saw Elrohir swing himself onto a horse. Where was he going? He was leaving!

No! No, he could not leave!

"Ro..." The word was a faint whisper, and brought a stab of pain to his ribs, even as he forced it past his lips. He could not be left behind again… "Ro!" Still, his voice was not even loud enough to be heard over the fire's snapping.

Without being told, Legolas knew where the younger twin was going. He was heading after Aragorn. Frustration built up within the fair elf's lissom frame. Elrohir was going after Aragorn and he was being left behind! Ignoring the pain that threatened to make him black out, the golden prince slowly began to push himself up into a sitting position. No one stopped him. All eyes were focused on Elrohir.

"Tell him I am going to fetch Estel."

Legolas was tacken aback at the ferocity in Elrohir's voice. He could not force his failing vision to bring the twin's features into distinction, but he heard the fierceness of his tone clearly. "Elrohir," he whispered. He wanted to go with the young elf lord. He had failed Aragorn once…he needed to make sure his friend was safe…

"Take care of Legolas."

No!

The horses were leaving. Legolas ground his teeth, tears of pain and frustration welling up in his eyes.

"My prince, what are you doing!"

Gentle, yet firm hands pressed against his shoulders, pushing him onto his back. "You should not be up, you will disturb your ribs and Valar only know how much they can take."

Legolas made a feeble attempt to push away the hands, but nearly cried out as he shifted his left arm. With ill grace he allowed himself to be put down. A small part of him, (the sensible part, he reluctantly admitted) knew that what Elrohir was doing made perfect sense. He was badly wounded. He would only slow the twin down. It would not do Elrohir any good to have an invalid to watch over as he tried to rescue Aragorn.

The other, irrational, part of the prince's mind wept bitterly. He had failed to protect his friend. And he was being left behind.

The pain in his heart melded with the agony coursing through his body, and as the blackness rushed up to claim him again, Legolas' last thought was a fervid prayer that his friend would escape from harm, and, failing that, at least manage to survive. Somehow.

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Mas na Estel?-Where is Estel?

Mae govannen, mellyn nin.- Well met, my friends.

Mellon nin- My friend.

Iston- I know

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Stoneage Woman- Glad to hear you are enjoying the story. :) Why is Elrohir the only one who gets premonitions? Well, Elrond gets em too, but mostly (in this story anyway) it's because the storyline is centered on the twins and Aragorn and Legolas, and to me, Elrohir is kind of the more sensitive and gentler twin, so he gets the visions. But that's just my take on the twins.

QueenofFlarmphqal- Hey, I love ranger whompage too! Woohoo! Glad you liked the twin angst and such in the last chapter. I too love to make our heros suffer…that sounds so horrible, doesn't it? Yet we all know it's true. Nothing makes me happier than a story chock full of angst, torture, and all around emotional distress. : ) It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Well we didn't have ranger angst in this chapter (in fact, we didn't have a ranger,) but don't worry, the next chapter will more than make up for the lack of Aragorn Angst. /evil snickering/

Singingharp- Well by now I guess I'm down to about a chocolate Legolas toenail, huh? Sorry! I really meant to get this chapter out before now, honest! Anyway, thanks for your support, buddy. You're much awaited and long sought after ranger whomping should be up in the next chapter. And it's gonna be baaaaaaaaaaad. I know that will put a smile on your face. :)

Saerwen- /PIA emerges from behind ratty brown couch/ I'm updating! I'm updating! Good grief this chapter was a long time in coming! And a long time to hide behind that couch…/spits out several dust bunnies/ but anyway, here is the chapter, I hope you enjoy it, and in the next installment, we will have the long awaited torture and such. /PIA destroys her image as poor innocent authoress as she cackles evilly herself/ oooooh, look at the lightning…/evil grin/

Ainu Laire- Aragorn is about twenty-three in this story, so yes, he has discovered his heritage. And thank you! Oh wait, were you tellin me I was evil, or calling the bad guys evil? Well, either way, thanks very much.:) Hey, evil is a compliment on this website. True, by the end of the story, the bad guys will have wished they had made sure everyones favorite elf was quite deceased. :) fortunately for Legolas, bad guys aren't very future oriented. They don't always do what's best for them. ;)

Andromida 1971- Thank you! Glad you liked the chapter so much. Don't worry, by the end of the story the bad guys will deserve a much bigger beating than they do now…/evil grin/

Evergreene- /blushes/ Thank you sooooooo much! It is so encouraging to get positive feedback. :) Yeah, poor Legolas. He's not having a lot of fun in this story. Neither is Aragorn. But Aragorn's part is about to get much, much worse…/evil grin/

Iccle Fairy- What do you mean no fair ending it there? I'm pretty sure it's in my contract to end all my chapters on heinous cliffies. /pulls out ten foot long piece of paper covered in teen tiny writing/ See? It says it somewhere around three feet down. :) Sorry about how long it took to get this out though. Hopefully, this is the last late chapter.

Viggomaniac- I'm still here, I swear! I haven't dropped off the face of the earth or been abducted by aliens…well, maybe abducted by aliens, but they brought me right back. Anyway, sorry about the lengthy posting date. This chapter was…difficult…to say the least. Halith is indeed a nasy villain, but also quite intelligent. Me and my beloved sibling beta decided that a smart villain was the way to go for a good story, and it's nice to hear that you think so too. :) Glad you liked the elf whomping. Elf whomping is some of my favorite…but I know that you prefer the Ranger whomping, and just to make you very happy, there should be a LOT of it in the next chapter. And I do mean a lot. It will be…intense. That makes people around here so happy when I say stuff like that. I think We're all a little bloodthirsty. :)

Dueser- I made YOU sob/skips off singing Oh Happy Day/ Okay, I'm back. Wow. You made my day, buddy! Honestly, I was thrilled to receive not only this review, but also the reviews for the other chapters that you did not get to read whilst you were out of the country. (glad you are back safe, by the way) No, I don't think you would be wanting to cuddle a dead elf lord, but if it makes you feel better, he's already died once and come back…so maybe it could happen again…

Arrana Undomiel- Yes, Estel is in VERY big trouble. /evil grin/ and it's so natural for him, isn't it? Of course Estel will outsmart his captors…oh wait…I'm looking at the storyline for the LAST story. Let me check this one…um…ouch…:) but I can't give away the ending. Heh heh heh. However rest assured in the knowledge that everything will get much worse before it gets better. Wait, that doesn't sound right…:)

Deep Sorrow- Well…that was…disturbing, yet strangely appealing. Kind of like the Hamsterdance song, but without the hamster and more disturbing. Well here I am! Posting at long long last! (Legolas) Long long long last. (Estel) Long long long long last. (Twins) long long long long long long long long … (me)yeah, yeah, you all suck. Shut up. Anyhoo, thank you for all the encouragment (Legolas) nagging…(Estel) prodding…(Twins) Ceaseless torment…(Me) Who is writing this response? Me or you? Shut up! And for putting up with my uninspired self. (Legolas) you mean lazy…(Estel) Slacking…(Twins) Sarah L. Like attitude…(Me) Okay, that does it. /crosses room and prepares to unlatch violently shaking crate./ do you know what's in here? (legolas, looking nervous) there's drool coming out the side. (Estel, with a touch of panic) screams are coming from within. (Elladan) she wouldn't…(Elrohir) she did…. (Me) /throws back head and laughs evilly as I unlatch the crate and release my muse/ Ha! Now what! Take that you annoying little…/ignores screams and wails as muse hurlse herself at heros/ anyway, I can't wait till the next chapter/calls after muse/ You hear that? Save a little bit of them for the next chapter!

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Well there we go! Next chapter should be here in the usual week barring any unforseen delays. Reviews are treasured! And remember, next chapter is ranger whomping, it will be slightly intense for any who don't like that kind of thing. /crickets chirping/ Yeah, yeah, I know. Nobody like that in THIS place. Just thought I'd throw in a warning to be on the safe side.