Karriya I haven't read 'The Da Vinci Code' or 'Angels and Demon' yet, but I definitely will! They said the books are awesome! Right now, I'm finishing Melanie Rawn's 'Dragon Prince' and 'Dragon Star' series. They are so incredible I can't put them down!
Beginning-end-314 : You're also having exams? Good luck and do well, mellon!
Saerwen Yep. I'm thirty. Well, almost thirty. Watch out for my birthday this October 1st! And the tomb is going to appear very, very soon. Err…not that I mean that the tomb is for me, get my meaning? LOL!
Lomeril Glad to know that you enjoy 'Triple Jeopardy'. In this chapter, Legolas will prove to us how infuriatingly stubborn he can get! Which, of course, would only drag him into some undesirable circumstances…
Theo darkstar You have been sick too? Oh, poor you. Welcome to the club, mate!
Leralonde Mary aka Linwe is your sister? Cool! Can you please tell her that I love 'Crashed and Burned' and can't wait to finish reading it? Thank you so much!
Ceyxa Exactly. Eldarion is too young to harbor such vengeance. But don't worry. Legolas will be there to save the day…or maybe it's the other way around? Who knows?
Abbicat16 You were grounded? Whatever did you do, girl? Elope with your sweetheart, like Darion did? He he he…
Seylin No doubt about it. You are special.
Delano Indeed, Darion is so like Aragorn. Like father like son. Oh, good luck in your exam too!
Sailor Elf : All right, all right! Kel is up and at it! But…can I keep him bedridden for just one more chapter? Please?
Rutu It was brilliant of you to read my responses to the reviewers. Got some hints, eh? Very good. I'll try not to give away more of them after this. LOL! Just kidding. Oh, I do want to update once in two days like I used to. I really do. I can't promise you this, but I will do my very best, okay? On another note, keep pestering your friend to read 'To Become A Warrior'. I so love pesty readers. Har har!
Elemmr Look! I'm typing so fast my fingers are flying over the keyboard! Yippee!
Hello, everyone. I'm back after over a week of absence. Keldarion was not the only one who gets a relapse. So did I. Yikes! It was a nightmare! Thank God the viruses are all dead so now I can sit up straight without feeling as if the world is tilting on its axis! Gosh, that was terrible, I tell you.
Now, to those of you who had informed meof the interesting discussionsaboutmy fics that's still going on in the Godawful Fanfiction. net , thank you so much for your concern. I greatly appreciate it. I've been there, and read what the people said about my godawful writing, and I understand why some of you would think that they are mean. But, hey, they are just doing their things, guys. Let them at it. They just want to vent some spleen, that's all. We all do that sometimes. I'm not hurt or anything by what they said. Definitely, no hard feelings. In fact, I had some good laughs myself while reading through those threads. Truly, they are very…uh… enlightening.
Without wasting more time, here's the next chappie.
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"The food here is lousy," Legolas complained as he stepped back into the room, carrying with him a lunch tray that the boardinghouse maid had left in front of their door.
Sitting comfortably in one of the twin beds, his back propped by a couple of pillows, Keldarion gave his brother a crooked smile. "It's not so bad, considering what we have been eating in the desert. I think I have loosened a few teeth from gnawing on those hard breads for days. Hmm. That smells nice. What have you got there?"
Legolas made a face at the meals properly set on the tray. "Rice porridge, mixed with carrots and potatoes. A food fit for the invalid."
Keldarion chuckled. "Right. And this invalid is very hungry. Give that to me."
Sitting next to his brother on the bed, Legolas carefully placed the tray across Keldarion's lap. "Don't eat just yet. Let me put some crushed herbendea in it."
With a mock glare, Keldarion responded, "You are taking this doctoring a bit too much, Legolas. I have no need for the herb anymore."
"Oh, you think so?" Legolas challengingly cocked his eyebrows at his brother. "Last night, you were so out of it that we had to carry you up the stairs. You then turned highly feverish, shaking the entire bed frame when you shivered uncontrollably. Next, you trashed about under the covers like a monkey on fire. You even kicked me over until I tumbled to the floor! And when I tried to feed you some tonic, you socked me square in the face. See this?"
Legolas pointed at the bluish lump under his left eye before he added, "On top of all that, you then threw up all over me, you nut-head!"
Turning bright red from tightly controlled mirth, Keldarion bit his lower lip to prevent himself from laughing out loud. He looked the other way, finding it extremely funny to watch the comical expression on his brother's face. He actually did feel sorry for Legolas. His younger brother looked a bit wan and exhausted after spending the entire night watching over him.
Keldarion couldn't remember much of what had happened after arriving at the boarding house, except for the searing heat that had ravaged his body and how Legolas had worked diligently to bring the fever down by repeatedly giving him a sponge bath. Keldarion also recalled the worried expression on Gallard's face as the draq hovered in the background, preparing to jump to do Legolas' bidding. But the thing that Keldarion remembered with the most clarity was getting awfully sick, right onto his brother's lap. Extreme nausea was the usual side-effect of the herbendea tonic as it purged the poison out of one's system.
Oh, yes. Keldarion chuckled. No way was he going to forget that episode. Legolas had turned as green as he was!
"What are you laughing at?" the younger elf demanded.
"N…no…nothing." Keldarion faked his escaped giggles by coughing with full relish, one hand grasping his injured chest. "I wasn't laughing. I just got something stuck in my throat."
Legolas gave him a skeptic stare, not believing a word. But then he shrugged and turned his attention back to the porridge. He sprinkled some of the dried healing leaves into Keldarion's bowl before stirring it with a spoon.
"There you go. Eat to your heart's content," he said, handing the spoon to his brother. "I hope the herbendea will ultimately kill off whatever poison left in you."
"It had done its work from the very first dose you gave me last night. So stop worrying. I feel fine already," Keldarion said, taking a bite of his porridge.
"I should have known that the arrow was poisoned. I was too focused on the cut in you shoulder. If I had made you drink the tonic sooner, the poison would have died off and you wouldn't have been in so much pain and discomfort during the entire journey here. I'm sorry, Kel. I wasn't thinking."
Keldarion quickly swallowed and gazed fondly at his brother. "Enough with that kind of talk, brat. You know you're the reason that I'm still breathing. I would be long dead if not for your care. So forget about what might have been and let's focus on what's ahead of us. We need to plan a way to get into Movrak's keep and make contact with Darion. But first, where did Gallard said he went off to? I was still asleep when he took off."
"He went searching for his lunch. The food here doesn't agree with his diet." Legolas picked up his own bowl. Stirring the lumpy gruel with his spoon, he sighed. "Yuck. The food here doesn't even agree with my diet."
"Oh, quit whining and start eating already. You are never so finicky about your meal. Why start now?" Keldarion advised, his eyes rolling.
"I'm thinking of going across the street to get something from the bakery."
"No!" Keldarion all but shouted.
That caused Legolas to jump in his seat. He blinked at his brother. "Why not?"
"You are not to go out there without me." Keldarion wagged a warning finger in front of his brother's face. "You don't know this city. I do. You don't know what lurks in its alleys or behind the walls. Besides, some of the people are still smarted by their loss in the War. They won't treat you nice if they know that you are an elf, and a good friend to King Elessar no less."
"I know that. That's why I shall wear that stupid turban. They won't see my ears or my hair."
"But they will see your eyes. The color is so unnatural for any man around here. They will instantly know that you are an impostor."
"But the guards at the gate never noticed them last night. Even the manager of this boarding house didn't give me much attention when I asked him for a room."
"That's because it was dark. And the man at the front desk is colorblind. He doesn't know which is green or blue or red, trust me. Besides, everything happened so fast last night. Who would have the time to care what your eyes look like then? A good thing we hid our glow, though. If we were back at home, with that golden hair and silver eyes of yours, you could have been glowing bright like a beacon! Now let's just sit tight here and not attract any unwanted attention to ourselves."
Legolas scowled at his brother. "Kel, you are making a big fuss over nothing. All I intend to do is get some pastries from the bakery across the street and rush back here, that's all."
Putting down his now empty bowl, Keldarion frowned darkly. "I forbid you. Now stop being so stubborn."
"Who the blazes are you to forbid me?" his brother shot back. "And stop treating me like a child!"
"Then stop behaving like one!"
Hawkeye suddenly choose that moment to swoop in through the opened window. After giving a brief cry of greeting, the eagle steadily changed into a man. Gallard's big grin froze when he sensed the tense atmosphere within the room. He glanced uncertainly between the two brothers, noticing the identical flush of anger that was creeping up both elves' necks.
"Err...Did I interrupt something?"
Legolas harrumphed in irritation. He jumped to his feet, grabbed the tray and dumped it—none too gently—on top of a side table. "Yes, I was just about to upend this bowl on top of my brother's head. Thank you, Gallard, for your great timing."
Gallard blinked, resembling more to an owl than an eagle that he was. "You're welcome…I guess."
"You want my porridge?" Legolas offered, pointing at his full bowl.
"No, thanks." Gallard shook his head, wondering what in the world the brothers had been arguing about. "I've already eaten. I caught myself a…"
"Don't say it! I still need my appetite to eat!" Legolas cried out, clapping his hands over his ears.
"…rabbit," Gallard lamely finished, staring at his friend in mixed amusement and bewilderment. "I didn't catch any snakes this morning. But rabbits are quite easy to find around here, especially amid the shrubberies along the wall of Movrak's keep."
"You ate it raw?" Legolas looked a mite ill.
"Have you seen an eagle roast a rabbit over a fire before?" Gallard gave his friend a droll stare, his eyes twinkling with mirth. Embarrassed, Legolas quickly turned away to hide his blush, mumbling incoherently to himself.
Looking straight at the draq, Keldarion asked, "You flew near the Movrak's keep?"
"More than that, I flew over it. The place is highly guarded, but more to keep the slaves in than to prevent the outsiders from entering. Not much activity around there this morning, though."
"If I remember correctly, Movrak always starts his business during mid-day. He is a late riser," Keldarion said. "How about the slaves? Did you manage to get a good look at them?"
"Did you see Eldarion?" Legolas eagerly asked next.
"I didn't see him there." Gallard shrugged apologetically. He then added after seeing Legolas' crestfallen face, "But I saw him in the quarry."
Legolas' head jerked up. "What quarry?"
"A marble quarry at the limestone hill just outside the city," Keldarion answered. "Apart from a diamond mine situated further across the desert, he also operates that quarry to supply high quality marble to the Haradrim economy. Did you notice the beautiful tiles on the stairs and the floor outside? Those came from him, of course."
"Right." Gallard nodded. "His keep looks wonderful. It has these magnificent colorful domes on its roofs, and there is a large marble-paved courtyard in front of the main house. The place looks like a jewel from afar, gleaming brightly under the sun. Kylea would be extremely pleased if I could get my hands on that marble tiles for our tower."
"Good. Let's go talk about trade and business with Movrak. He would be very delighted to discover a new market for the fruit of his evil greed," Legolas said sarcastically. He knew he sounded unkind but he just didn't care.
Eldarion is forced into slavery and they are talking about stupid marble?
"We have to get Darion out of there," he continued, ignoring the odd look that Gallard was giving him. "You said you saw him in the quarry. How is he doing? Is he all right?"
Gallard smiled slightly, not offended in the least by his friend's earlier harsh words. He understood that Legolas was getting edgier by the minute, unable to sit still as he anticipated the first move to rescue Eldarion.
"The last I saw of him, he was punching the living daylights out of a guardsman," Gallard proudly said. "That boy has guts!"
"That's Eldarion, all right." Legolas grinned. "What happened afterwards? Did they punish him for it?'
"I couldn't stay to watch more. Some of the guards saw me and began shooting with their crossbows." Gallard looked disgusted. "I think they saw me as an object for their target practice."
The draq was not actually telling the entire truth. The fact was, he had flown higher out of the men's firing range. Through his high-powered vision, he could clearly see exactly what Eldarion had endured next, but he had not the heart to tell the two elves.
"Don't worry. Darion will be fine," Gallard then added to ease the brothers' worries. "He is a survivor, just like his father. We will find him kicking and fighting, and that is how we are going to send him back to Aragorn."
The three companions were silent for a while, deliberating on how to proceed their rescue mission.
Several minutes later, Legolas spoke, "So, what's the plan now?"
Keldarion lightly snorted. "What? Can't think of any bright ideas?"
"If you are so awfully smart, why don't you think of something?" Legolas fixed his brother a narrowed gaze, bristling like a mad porcupine.
Forcing out a small smile, Keldarion lay back on his pillows and burrowed deeper under his blanket. "I will if I'm not having such a terrible headache. Let me sleep for a couple of hours, and then we will see what I can come out with."
At that, he turned onto his side to face the wall, giving his brother the view of his back.
Legolas instantly felt deep remorse. There he was, getting all nasty towards Keldarion when his brother was obviously still not fully recovered from his wound. He was so mad with his uncouth mouth he felt like jamming his boot down his own throat!
When Legolas glanced at Gallard, his friend had discreetly avoided from looking at the drama between the two brothers. The man was now heading towards his sleeping pallet which had been arranged in front of the hearth.
"I'm going to catch some shut eye too," Gallard said as he lay on his back. "I suggest you do the same, Legolas. There's nothing much we can do during the day. But at night, the three of us are invincible."
Legolas nodded his agreement. Instead of lying in his bed, though, he went to sit on his brother's. Keldarion still had his back to him, his shoulders stiff and tensed, maybe a bit hurt by Legolas' brusqueness.
As Legolas peered over, he saw the deep lines of pain across his brother's forehead. Wordlessly, he reached down and placed his fingertips against Keldarion's temples, massaging them gently to ease the throbbing there. Sighing softly, Keldarion raised one hand and briefly clasped Legolas' forearm to express his gratitude. No words were said, and yet everything was all right again between them.
Legolas kept at it even after Keldarion had drifted off to sleep a long while later. Across the room, Gallard lay dozing with a stupid smile on his face. Maybe the draq was dreaming of more rabbits and…yuck!...snakes.
Due to the silence and the monotonous surroundings, Legolas started to grow drowsy. He finally left his brother's side to lie in his own bed, but a sudden growling in his stomach jerked him back upright. He groaned as he remembered that he hadn't eaten anything after all.
Muttering hotly to himself, he stood to collect his bowl from the tray. He put it back down when he realized that the porridge had gone cold.
Tastes like a cow vomit, no doubt, he thought with a grimace, staring unhappily at the lumpy looking substance. Or rather, like Kel's vomit.
He unconsciously wrinkled his nose as he recalled last night's incident. Not a pretty scene, that one. And quite a smelly one too! Luckily, the maid that was appointed for their room had been willing to wash the soiled clothes and sheets, totally unfazed even when all her three guests refused to show their faces as they conducted business and communication through a gap in the doorway.
Knowing that he must eat or his ill mood would return, Legolas rummaged through the saddlebags to look for what remains of their hard breads supply. He took one out and glared at it for a long time.
Keldarion was right. The bread had also loosened some of his own teeth!
Sighing, he tossed it back into the bag and looked around the room, seeking inspiration. He was tired, he was hungry, and he was slowly going crazy.
Hmm. Legolas stared at the sleeping Gallard. Should I convince him to turn into an eagle so that I can whack him senseless over the head before I devour him, feathers and all? I can stop being a vegetarian right about today.
Legolas chuckled to himself at that silly notion, and went to check his brother. Keldarion's sleep was untroubled. He looked serene and content, and would stay so for another hour before waking up.
His decision made, Legolas picked up his turban from the dresser and wound it around his head, the way Keldarion had taught him. Next, he tied a purse to his belt and slipped a dagger into his right boot before he knelt down near Gallard, gently shaking the draq's shoulder.
"Wh…what?" Gallard asked blearily, still half asleep.
"I'm going out for a short while," Legolas whispered so as not to awake his brother. "Keep watch over Kel for me."
"Huh?"
Legolas repeated what he had said, adding that he planned to go to the bakery to get some food.
Yawning widely, Gallard nodded. "Good. Get something for me too."
"But you told us you have eaten!"
"That's my first lunch. This is for my second lunch." He promptly fell back to sleep.
The elf stared incredulously at his friend, surprised that the draq's stomach was not so different compared to certain hobbits that he knew. Shrugging, he then rose to his feet and silently slipped out of the room, locking the door behind him.
The hallway was deserted. The maids and the boardinghouse's guests must be busy elsewhere, or they were just having a siesta to escape the afternoon heat. Assured that no one would recognize him in his disguise, Legolas went down the stairs, stepped into the small lobby, and walked past the manager's desk towards the exit.
He stopped briefly outside, looking left and right for any warnings of danger. Finding none, he started walking, sending another glance behind him. He did a double-take, almost stumbling when he got a clear view of the tavern below the boardinghouse.
At night, he couldn't completely understand why it was called 'Minas Tirith'. But in broad daylight, the reason was there for all to see. Thanks to a twisted but genius architect, the building had been constructed to resemble the white city of Gondor, complete with its miniature seven-tiered terrains with the tower of Echtelion on top of it.
Chuckling at the grim humor of the Haradrim, Legolas resumed walking, debating with himself whether he should inform this tavern to Aragorn. Knowing his friend, the man would only merrily laugh it off.
There were not many people in the streets at this hour, and those he passed by barely even gave him a glance. Most of the men were similarly attired like him, donning turban and cloak, but Legolas remembered his brother's warning and kept his gaze to the ground to avoid anyone from noticing the distinctive color of his eyes.
He reached the bakery without mishaps. His mouth watering, he stared at the assorted delicacies being displayed on the trays. There were five different kinds of breads, colorful muffins, pastries with various flavors, pretty little cakes and several other concoctions he didn't even recognize. For someone who had a sweet tooth, Legolas was in complete heaven.
He made his purchase with the proprietor in record speed, pointing this and that without saying much. Not long after, he emerged back into the street, now a proud owner of a sack filled with sweet buns and blueberry muffins. He had also bought a slice of orange cake that Keldarion loved so much, a kind of peace offering if his brother weren't too happy with what he had done.
Whistling softly, Legolas was about to dive into the alley that led to the boardinghouse when a commotion further down the street suddenly caught his attention. He paused, turned, and stared at the small crowd that was fast disappearing into another street around the corner. People were shouting, and some were laughing. He heard someone roaring about a slave trying to kill his guard, while another man cried out jokingly that the guard deserved it, or something like that.
Curious, his heart thumping slightly faster, Legolas veered towards the sound, almost running to keep up with the moving crowd. Maintaining his low profile, he slipped among the Haradrim, keeping to the walls as he fought his way to the front to see the cause of the excitement. When he finally saw what it was, his heart stopped and he nearly called out in dismay.
A young male slave was being roughly led along by two guardsmen. Shackled hand and foot, the boy didn't resist for he didn't look as if he had the energy to do so. His back and arms were crisscrossed with painful-looking welts, while his face was bruised and bloodied. Staring at his wobbly moving feet, the boy was defiantly silent.
And he was none other than Prince Eldarion, the heir to the throne of Gondor.
TBC…