Disclaimer: I don't own LotR.
Sorry 'bout any grammar and/or spelling mistakes.
Thanks goes to Lyn! I can't believe I made such an embarrassingmistake; thank you for pointing it out! How I didn't notice that when I went through and edited it is beyond me... Thanks again. n.n
Oops, sorry guys. Was looking at pics and ish last night and kinda… forgot to post this. XDD I confused my days! Sorry! ...Yeah, I'm good. Well, at least I got it out now, right? It's sooner than usual in any case. n.n;;
So… yeah, here you all go. Hope you like it. n.n Don't forget to let me know what ya think, 'kay? n.n
Hunted
Chapter Three: Lost Thoughts
Aragorn and the twins quickly looked at Legolas and then Elrond, the realization hitting them hard as they stared.
Legolas continued to gape at the elf-lord.
Now what were they going to do? The killer knew of the archer, but how well? Did he know he was in Imladris?
Elrond was at a loss as what to do, too. He would like to move the young elf from his chambers to somewhere else, but he thought it safer where he was than in the guest hall. The mad elf probably patrolled the area looking for his next victim since Imladris' elves were rarely blonde, if ever. Also, the elf most likely knew that Legolas was close friends with Aragorn and the twins, for when seen the prince was hardly alone; one of them usually accompanied him.
The elf-lord sighed deeply.
"Ada?" Aragorn dared interrupt the elder elf's thoughts—they didn't seem to be getting him anywhere anyway. Not a good sign.
Elrond looked down at the necklace he still held and then looked at his youngest son.
Turning to Legolas, he said, "I shall do all I can to keep you safe and find this murderer." That was the one thing he was sure of. He would not let the archer become one of the many victims and he swore this.
Legolas nodded in appreciation, feeling lucky that he had so many people who cared for him.
"First, I must find who this belongs to," he stated, closing his hand around the necklace. "Estel, Elladan, Elrohir, I want you to keep an eye out for anything amiss. One of you must be with him at all times."
The three nodded just as seriously, having no problem with this command. They would do everything possible to ensure their friend's safety.
With that, Elrond stepped forward and placed a hand comfortingly on Legolas' shoulder. "All shall be well, penneth."
He smiled warmly at the archer and then left to investigate. He would check up on them whenever he could spare a moment, too, for his piece of mind. He was definitely more than a little shaken about this whole terrible situation. He really should have expected Legolas to show up at this time, when a killer was on the loose; after elves only with blonde hair. He always seemed to have the worst luck.
After Elrond left, the others just stood there for a while, unsure of what to do.
"Well," Elrohir started uncertainly, "what should we do today?"
His question was met with shrugs.
"Shall we go for a ride…?" Legolas finally suggested. He couldn't help it. Riding was one of the most effective ways to get his mind off of everything.
"Another one? You are going to wear out Elen soon!" Aragorn exclaimed jokingly. He knew the blonde loved to ride and that the stallion was used to the all-too-frequent rides and enjoyed them just as much.
"Are you sure you do not speak of yourself instead, human?" the archer queried, an eyebrow raised in challenge.
"Oh, is that so? Let us race to the stables. See who wins then, elf," the young man met the challenge.
"Who said anything about winning? But… if you insist." Legolas took off towards the stables without warning, leaving the others behind.
Aragorn and the twins quickly ran after their spirited friend… after getting over their shock.
Naturally, Legolas reached the stables first, followed by the three brothers.
Legolas was inside already, patting his horse lovingly as he spoke to him in the same manner. When Aragorn, Elladan and Elrohir entered the stall, he turned to them, grinning. "So much for winning, hm?"
The others gaped at him for a moment. Aragorn's mouth opened and closed before he finally sputtered out, "You… You cheated!"
"I do not know what you are talking about… I would never do such a thing," the blonde said with a smirk.
Aragorn just shook his head, smiling in amusement.
"Shall we go then?" the archer questioned, smirk still plastered on his face.
The twins merely mirrored Aragorn's earlier movement and shook their heads, going to their own horses.
They led their horses out of the stable and started on their aimless ride, getting their mind off of the danger Legolas was in.
Later that night, during the evening meal, the five were once again gathered around the table to enjoy the food and company. However, this time it was different, for they could no longer ignore the killings or that the elf would eventually be after Legolas.
Even with this, they couldn't bring themselves to talk about it. They still tried to push it aside, tried to pretend it was nothing. Elrond was still looking into it, of course, but said nothing unless he was asked.
They barely spoke, the clinking of the dishes, fork against plate, and the fire popping the only sounds. The air was thick and tense as they struggled to control their anxiousness.
"Have you found who the necklace belongs to?" Legolas suddenly inquired, making the tension even thicker as he spoke the supposedly non-existent subject. He had waited to ask until they had all finished eating at least… if that counted for anything.
Elrond turned his gaze to the blue eyes and lowered his head.
No good, for it was unusual for the elf-lord to do such a thing.
Silence filled the room once more.
Legolas looked at each of the Imladris residents in turn.
Minutes later they still hadn't improved and he abruptly stood, the scraping of the wood against the floor deafening as it shattered the relentless silence.
"We cannot allow this to continue. This… silence is not going to help anything!" he exclaimed, hoping to get through to the others and unable to hold himself back. He was angry because they wouldn't talk at all. Even if they wished to avoid talking about the mad elf, they could talk about something else—anything else would be fine by him, so long as they spoke! However, they did need to talk about this elf and necklace, to find out what was going on.
The prince turned and left for the doors. "I shall be in my chambers should you need me," he told the shocked family, exiting and closing the doors behind him.
The remaining four merely stared at the wooden door like it was going to tell them what had just happened. They didn't know what to make of the outburst. Each of them felt guilty, though, and knew that the young elf was right. They shouldn't have let this ordeal get in the way of their fun or conversations during meals. They were just making things more difficult and frustrating for them, especially Elrond. He feared his irritation was seeping into the others and inadvertently affecting their moods as well.
The four simultaneously sighed and then looked at each other, small smiles playing on their lips and amusement in their eyes.
Aragorn stood up moments later. "I shall go check on him. I will stay in his chambers for the night so you need not worry," he suggested.
Elrond nodded in gratefulness. He was actually going to insist that one of his sons stayed with the blonde so it worked out well.
Elrohir and Elladan were going to protest, but stopped themselves before they muttered a single word. Both knew how important this was to their little brother and that their father needed this, needed to ease the trouble that plagued his heart and mind. If they argued now it would only cause him to become more stressed.
Then they realized something that made them panic: Legolas was walking alone. Aragorn couldn't have caught up with him yet.
The three scrambled up and ran for the doors and to Legolas, their hearts beating like a rat trapped a cat's game.
Finally they made it to the prince's chambers and were extremely relieved when they found Legolas unharmed, about to go through the door. Aragorn had caught up with him; they knew that the same thought had crossed his mind as well and he must have rushed.
The three elves stopped behind the friends, Elrohir slumped forward, hands on his knees, while Elrond regained his composure and Elladan just stood there in relief. That had frightened them far too much.
Legolas and Aragorn turned to face them taken aback by their behavior, the archer's hand dropping from the door.
"What's going on?" Legolas asked in confusion.
Aragorn thought he knew exactly what had caused such a reaction from his brothers and father, for he had done the same.
Elrohir straightened and, scratching the back of his head, replied, "You were walking alone. We thought the killer could have gotten to you."
The archer stared at the younger twin, unsure of what to make of this. He was kind of upset that they didn't trust his ability, but he knew that they were only doing this out of love and concern.
Looking at them, he noticed the fright he had caused them, even Aragorn, for he had seen the quick manner in which he had approached him as well.
"Forgive me," he said contritely, lowering his gaze to the floor. He felt horrible for worrying them so.
"There is nothing to forgive," Elrond started soothingly, lifting the young elf's chin. "Just… try to be more careful."
"Aye," Legolas answered quietly, not knowing what to say.
"Good," the elder elf said with a smile and dropped his hand. "Now, go get some rest. Estel shall stay with you this night."
The archer inclined his head in acceptance. He had figured one of them would be with him.
Elrond placed a hand on his shoulder again. "I am sorry you had to come here to this," he said sadly.
Legolas shook his head. "'Tis no fault of yours, you had no idea I was coming. I should have sent word."
The elf-lord smiled and shook his head in amusement. Legolas always took the blame upon himself, no matter what.
He squeezed his shoulder in comfort, letting him know it wasn't his fault either and then he turned and walked away with a "good night." He still had to find whose necklace he carried with him.
"Make sure you get some sleep!" Legolas shouted after the elder elf, knowing he would stay up all night trying to figure everything out.
Elrond stopped for a moment, but quickly resumed his walking, chuckling lightly at the young elf. He was lucky to have such a wonderful family.
His expression turned stern as he clenched a fist at his side. He would not allow this no-named elf to get his hands on Legolas.
Legolas and Aragorn said their goodnights to the twins and went into the blonde's chambers, this time with no one chasing after them.
They grabbed a blanket and pillow from Legolas' closet and threw it onto the couch.
The archer looked from the couch to Aragorn. "I can—"
"Do not even think of it, Legolas. This is your bedchamber; you are sleeping in your bed," the young man said firmly, stopping the elf. Really, he should know better by now.
Legolas merely gave his friend a small smile in return. Though the smile was small it was filled with warmth and a deep appreciation. Under the words was an unspoken promise that the chambers he stood in would always be his; there would always be a place for him in Imladris and that there really was no problem with him being there, despite this killer.
Aye, he knew his friend well enough to pick that up and he grinned at the thought.
Legolas flopped back onto his bed, arms stretched above him as he let out a heavy sigh. He closed his eyes.
Aragorn chuckled at his friend's actions and sat beside him on the bed.
"You laughing at me, human?" the blonde asked, cracking an eye open.
"Always, my friend. Always." The words were sad and nearly crushed Legolas' heart. He knew what the problem was and also knew that he could do nothing to improve the situation. Nothing except… No, he promised he would not do anything. He had to hold to that.
He watched the dark-haired man beside him closely. He couldn't see his face, but that was not needed, he could tell how depressed he felt by his body language: the way he slouched and looked down at his hands.
"Forgive me," Legolas stated once again. He couldn't help it, especially not when he saw Aragorn like this.
"Stop apologizing, for there is no need. Indeed it is good to see you and know you are safe," Aragorn said, his voice sounding strong and relieved.
I wish you would visit more often, he thought. He didn't speak the words since he knew how pointless it would be. Legolas was a prince and had his duties, especially with being the only child and heir. Speaking his wish would only cause more harm than good and deepen Legolas' already crestfallen mood.
Nothing was said in return, but nothing was needed. Legolas' gratefulness practically radiated off of him as he smiled wider than before.
Minutes of comfortable silence passed before either said anything.
Aragorn had turned to the elf, sitting cross-legged on the bed.
"Do you remember who the necklace belongs to?" Legolas suddenly asked quietly, glancing at the stormy-eyed man beside him.
Aragorn shook his head dejectedly. "Do you?"
"Nay," the blonde said even softer than the question before. "What should we do?"
Silence. Then, a wearied sigh. "I know not, mellon-nin. Perhaps in the morn Ada shall have found something," the man said encouragingly.
Legolas sat up and got off the bed, patting Aragorn's shoulder in thanks on his way.
He changed into his nightclothes and sat back down on the bed, beside his friend.
Legolas hugged Aragorn tightly. He was glad to be back with his friends, it had really been too long. It didn't really matter about the circumstances so much, even though it did lessen the fun quite a bit, but he still got to visit. He was able to see his friends; maybe he'd even be able to help them solve the mystery. The necklace was a major clue and he knew it. However, no matter how hard he thought about it, he could not think of whom it belonged to.
Aragorn and Legolas soon settled down for sleep, Legolas in his bed and Aragorn on the couch.
That night, both friends fell into a restless sleep, trying to remember the silver and blue item's owner.
So, there ya have it. Hope you all enjoyed; don't forget to let me know. n.n
Now, unfortunately, Mid-Winter Break is over and I have to go back to school Monday (..:sighs:..) but that cannot be helped. Because of this updates will slow down again… Not that they were really going that fast anyway. But we shall see. I have the next chapter ready to go—for the most part—so… yeah. I still need to work on chapter five so I'll prob'ly post a one-shot after four. I dunno yet.
Thanks to everyone reviewing, and to all of you lurkers out there. n.n
Ja ne