"Beware the ground beneath your feet" Salman Rushdie

Chapter 18 Betrayal in the Rhûn

The wizard straightened and crossed his arms against his chest, cocking a wiry, gray eyebrow at the elf's elated reaction. Like an ageless statue, he stood with his proud steed beside him, appearing strangely out of place on the bank of the Celduin, in the middle of nowhere, yet at the same time, looking every bit like he belonged there and always had belonged there for a wizard could stand wherever in Middle Earth he felt like standing, be it the deepest mine, highest mountain, most treacherous forest, or most uninhabited desert, and one would be a fool to dare challenge his belonging.

Aragorn grinned and quickly caught up to Legolas, though Neila had a slightly more difficult time making it down the steady slope to the river's bank than the elf. When they both reached Gandalf, they stopped and hesitated awkwardly in the wake of the wizard's firm visage.

"You are late," Gandalf declared, his eyes alit with an impish glee at the travelers' surprised faces. "I would expect a skilled ranger and woodland elf to not dawdle quite so much, particularly when they have so carelessly left behind their spare water canteens."

Legolas and Aragorn both opened their mouths to protest, but Gandalf held up his hand to stop them. "I know, I know, there was a fire, and a storm, and there were Orcs, and I have little doubt you two chose the longest, most dangerous path above all others and ran into creatures I have not yet even heard of! And I have no doubt my old ears will hear all about it tonight," the wizard continued with a wink as he noted Legolas' and Aragorn's multiple bruises, wounds and ragged clothing.  

A smile tugged at Aragorn's lips and Legolas' eyes twinkled merrily, causing Gandalf's own hardened features to crack from the immense relief that washed over him. "Ah, but I suppose it is true what they say – better late than never," he sighed and he gratefully embraced both Aragorn and Legolas, his heavy heart momentarily buoyed by the mere sight of the prince and future king.

Around them, the empty land sighed simultaneously with Gandalf, her cool breezes tickling the river's surface.

"Gandalf, you are nothing more than a riddle…" Aragorn smirked. "How on Middle Earth you beat us here, I will never know."

"The wise often are riddles, Aragorn," Gandalf replied. "As for how I arrived here, it is as I said – you two probably took a path up through the Misty Mountains, down to Dol Guldur and then back again before you finally ended up here. What did I tell you about using your nose to guide you, Aragorn?  A ranger cannot always rely on maps to find his way. As for the elf, I would expect better of him as well, but I understand this forest is quite the challenge, even for the most skilled navigators…"

"Mithrandir! The others! How are the others!?" Legolas anxiously asked as soon as it appeared the wizard had finished his grumpy rant.

Gandalf's face dropped and he patted Neila, whispering a brief "hannon le, mellonin" before answering. "They were fine when I left them Legolas. They escaped the fire unscathed," he assured the elf. Legolas however did not appear convinced and with a sigh Gandalf continued, "Your brother was quite worried about you of course, but I told him he would be nothing more than a fool if he thought for even a second that you would not figure a way out of that fire. Or that I would not be able to find you after I left them."

Legolas' features relaxed slightly, but concern did not abandon his eyes. "And they continue on to Dol Guldur?"

"Yes," Gandalf answered. The wizard then turned away and motioned for Aragorn and Legolas to take advantage of the clean, clear water of the Celduin which Neila now lapped up happily.  "They continue to Dol Guldur just as I ordered them too."

Legolas stood and watched the wizard closely and Aragorn paused as he kneeled at the river's edge.  Regret which neither the elf nor the ranger found comforting tinged the wizard's voice as he spoke.

Gandalf cleared his throat and considered the two of them sternly.  Again, he motioned to the river. "Legolas, if I did not know better I would think you were an overgrown hobbit child who had run amuck in Farmer Maggot's fields, you are so disheveled. Go on now, even you must be parched."

Legolas frowned, but obediently knelt by the river and splashed the clean water on his face. Though his cuts stung, the water felt good on his dry skin as it washed away the dirt and grime of Mirkwood.  Beside him Aragorn still did not turn away from Gandalf.

"Gandalf, there is much we must speak of," the ranger said firmly.

Gandalf waved him off and nodded. "Aye, Aragorn, I know, I know. There is always much to speak of these days. When there is nothing left to speak of then I will know my duty here is complete. Now go on, you smell more than usual, Strider. It's a miracle the elf still stays with you. That is loyalty indeed, though he always was a strange one…." Gandalf's voice trailed off and he sat down beside the bank, watching the two weary travelers.  His words though light, were half hearted and neither Aragorn nor Legolas bothered to put on a carefree façade as concern for the other group weighed on their hearts.

After Legolas and Aragorn relieved their thirst and cleaned themselves of the muddied remnants of Mirkwood, the three reclined by the river's bank.  A few diminutive trees dotted the edge and Legolas swiftly ascended their branches, satisfying his soul by listening to the placid murmurings of their bark and leaves. Gandalf and Aragorn sat below the trees watching and listening carefully to the river's babbles and the hollow silence of the endless land around them.

Aragorn related all that had happened to him and Legolas since the fire- the cliff, the storm, the strange dizziness and wails that overtook them, the sudden respite offered by the Rhûn, and the strange elf they encountered.  Gandalf listened carefully, sporadically nodding his head or encouraging Aragorn to continue with a brief "mmm…"

When Aragorn finished, the wizard remained quiet, absently puffing on his pipe as he fell into deep thought.

"Legolas, have you anything to add?" he finally queried. Though the wizard could not see Legolas, his voice remained level and his head did not turn as if the elf were on the ground beside him instead of up in Elbereth knew which tree.  Aragorn gazed up to search for the elf, but to no avail.  Apparently, Gandalf had grown so accustomed to the light footsteps of the woodelves that he could easily spot their presence even when they remained hidden within a maze of dark leafy branches.  The whole scene reminded Aragorn of when they first entered Mirkwood and Gandalf somehow knew it was Legolas who silently followed them, tormenting the wizard with acorns. 

Concern trickled into Aragorn's heart when a response was not immediately forthcoming, but the wizard remained patient, calmly puffing on his pipe as he waited for Legolas' answer. Just when Aragorn was about to call for Legolas himself, the elf's melodious voice traveled down from his unseen perch.

"There is naught that I would add to Aragorn's story, Mithrandir.  But the shadow grows in my mind like an eclipse and I fear something is brewing in these lands. I fear Mirkwood is slipping away to the Enemy and I fear we have only scratched the surface of the Enemy's forces."

"Aye, Legolas, I fear the same. And what do you think of this elf?"

Legolas hesitated before answering. "He was strange, Mithrandir. He did not have the light of Ilúvatar in his eyes. There was another light there, though I do not know if I would call it a light for it was more like a shadow.  Something else controlled him, something other than Ilúvatar. I could feel its power."

Gandalf nodded and considered the elf's words. "I feel the power all over this land Legolas. It is a brooding fog, poisoning the minds of its inhabitants.  This land has been forsaken by the Valar…Or perhaps the peoples here have forsaken the Valar. Either way, I fear Sauron is now stepping in where the Valar did not." Gandalf paused and turned his gaze on Aragorn. "There are many untapped forces in these forgotten lands. Lost elves, four of the seven dwarven tribes, and the Easterlings that Gondor and Rohan have been all too familiar with. Sauron knows this. He knows these peoples have been forgotten, he knows their souls are as empty as this land and are ready to be filled with his poison. Our enemies will be more than just Orcs and wargs in the wars to come against Sauron." Gandalf released a small sigh and gently shook his head. "We knew this though and that is why we sent Saruman, Alatar and Pallando to these lands. Though Saruman has returned, I have not heard from the Ithryn Luin. Alas, I am beginning to fear they have not had much success."

"Do you think we have any hope of finding the warriors Mithrandir? Or at least discovering their fates?" Legolas asked softly. He lightly hopped down from his perch and now stood in front of the wizard and ranger. Clearly, even the trees' murmurings did not bring comfort to the elf and Aragorn wondered if he heard anything at all from these trees, or if they were as empty and forsaken as the people they shared this forgotten land with.

"Even if we do find them, I fear the states we may find them in. Alas Legolas, I fear the forces your people are up against are worse than any of us imagined."

Legolas frowned. "I wonder if wisdom can ever bring comfort, or if it is always a message of ill tidings and certain doom."

Gandalf looked sharply at the elf. "I did not say certain doom, Legolas. Not yet."

"So what do we do now, Gandalf?" Aragorn asked.

Gandalf puffed on his pipe and absently gazed at the stars. "We follow the Celduin and find out what we can about the strength of the forces that are building up here. And then we will make haste to Dol Guldur to meet the others. And then, Valar willing all six of us will return to Thranduil with information that may aid him in his battles. In all of our battles."

Legolas furrowed his brows, again sensing the regret and urgency in the wizard's voice, but he remained silent, instead turning and watching the stars reflected in the river's lightly rippled surface, their radiant points drawing pictures of Beren and Lúthien and other great heroes of ages past, the subjects of the countless songs that filled the great flaming halls of Thranduil.  Legolas began to softly sing one of these songs as he traced the stars with his eyes, remembering how he would recline in his father's great beeches, listening to the cheerful songs of the woodelves and finding the stars to match them.     

Aragorn looked at the wizard who continued to gaze calmly at the night sky. "My mind speaks of danger Gandalf. I have had misgivings about both of our missions for some time now. It is Merionè. There is much he did not tell us – I could feel it."

Gandalf turned his gaze from the silver stars to Aragorn's gray eyes. "Aye, Aragorn. I feel it as well." With a sigh his eyes then fell on the river's surface. "I fear what it is that makes him suffer."  The wizard then looked at the elf whose singing had stopped suddenly. His back still remained turned as he studied the glimmering water, though a single spot seemed to capture the elf's attention.  Disconcerted that Legolas had fallen quiet and did not reply to their conversation, Gandalf stiffened and looked again at the water, wondering what it was that had so fully enraptured the elf.  Aragorn too narrowed his eyes at the water, wishing once again he could see through elven eyes. 

"What is it you see, Legolas?" Gandalf finally asked, his voice suddenly soft as if he feared who else may be listening.

Legolas did not answer as he continued to carefully watch the mirror-like surface. Something in that reflection caught his attention causing him to straighten and lean towards the water suspiciously.

"Legolas?" Gandalf asked again carefully. Upon seeing the elf lightly finger the knife on his side, Aragorn quickly grabbed his own and began to rise, when suddenly, in one swift motion Legolas whisked out his bow instead and swiveled around pointing three arrows upwards to the top of the small incline at the bottom of which they rested.

"I will shoot all of you before you have a chance to release your arrows!"

Aragorn jumped up and raised his own bow while Gandalf quickly turned and readied himself for battle. But to both of their surprises, no one was there - or at least, they certainly could not see anyone, besides the faded images of Beren and Lúthien, glittering in the night sky. Gandalf wrinkled his brow and searched the darkened peak and Aragorn slowly lowered his bow.

"Legolas, there is no one there," the ranger murmured still searching for the elf's intended targets.

Legolas held his bow for a few moments longer before finally lowering it. Then as his eyes darkened with determination, he sprinted up the hill. "Nay, I saw them block the stars of Elbereth. They are there."

Aragorn and Gandalf quickly followed Legolas and when they reached the top of the incline, they found the elf standing erect, bow shakily raised and his glittering eyes anxiously searching leagues of barren land. His darkened figure still released a faint glow in the Rhûn's unfamiliar moonlight and his shadow extended for many times the length of his own lithe body on the gray land.  The dusty Rhûn was as silent as an abandoned mine except for a soft wind that played with the elf's hair and cloak.

Aragorn turned and turned again, frustration building up in his body and mind at not seeing whatever enemy the elf was convinced was there.  He did not for a second doubt Legolas' sanity – besides, his own mind screamed that they were not alone- but wherever he looked, he saw nothing but empty, wasted land.  Gandalf too turned around multiple times, only to find nothing.  A stronger wind rustled the leaves in the trees below them and the horses began to neigh nervously.

"Show yourselves!" Legolas yelled at last. Aragorn shook his head and turned towards Gandalf.

"There is not a tree within which they could hide! Not a rock big enough, not a cave or forest where any creature could hide themselves from our view!" the ranger hissed.

Gandalf nodded and continued to search the land around them. "But we know nothing of this land Aragorn. We know naught of the secrets she hides."

Legolas continued to search and though to any observer he would appear as calm and poised as an experienced archer about to easily win a tournament (if he could only find his target) Aragorn caught the slight widening of his eyes and increasing tremble in his hand.

"You will show yourselves! We will not be hunted like prey caught in a trap! Govanno lin dagor! i Núredhil avar dág mín ned dae!" *

Aragorn's head snapped towards Legolas as the elf slipped into his Sindarin tongue. So much for concealing his heredity… Unnerved by Legolas' growing panic, he tightened his grip around his bow and desperately searched the moonlit lands for a shadow, a footstep, anything at all, if only to prove he had not lost his sanity. That Legolas had not lost his sanity.

The wind murmured to the whispering leaves and the river hummed her eerie melodies.  Beyond this, only the horses' whinnies answered Legolas' cries. Legolas turned around and turned again.  When he turned one last time towards the slick, black river, his entire body stiffened and his eyes narrowed dangerously. Noticing that the elf did not turn again, Aragorn swiftly spun and held his bow taut, ready to take aim at whatever it was Legolas already found. Gandalf however remained facing away from the river and suspiciously moved away, his astute eyes catching a strange shadow approaching Legolas' own.

But the twang of two bowstrings quickly spun the wizard around, staff raised and eyes flashing. The two horses already ran up the incline and neighed furiously as behind them, at least ten pairs of bright green eyes glimmering through shadow slowly approached. They rose like lotus flowers breaking through the shadows, beautiful, graceful, and poisonous.  One hissed and another wailed as arrows punctured their darkened flesh, but the rest approached too quickly for either Aragorn or Legolas to strike again and the two immediately switched over to other weapons. Gandalf raised his staff and with a powerful yell he dove into battle, deflecting swords and knives as easily as if they were flies, but finding it harder to wallop his enemies as their light feet moved as quickly and smoothly as a serpent, slinking, ducking and gracefully dancing out of the way of their attacker. When the wizard spun around again, his eyes widened fearfully.

"Aragorn, Legolas, behind you! We are surrounded!" Gandalf yelled.

Aragorn and Legolas struck down their attackers and turned at Gandalf's cry to face the swarm. For a moment, all was silent as the elf, ranger and wizard took in the ghostly figures of the Rhûn elves closing in on them like the rising tide of the ocean.  Then, as suddenly as a flash of lightning, the fierce storm of battle began. The ground shook beneath the thunderous blows as knives and swords whipped through and cracked the brittle air, clinging against metal, but rarely puncturing flesh.

Aragorn's deadly sword pierced the air several times where an elf stood just a second before. Their bodies seemed as protean as water, so quickly did they escape the sword of the ranger and the staff of the wizard. Yet Aragorn and Gandalf were no easy targets themselves as they too slipped past the deadly blows.  The land glowed and flashed in the wake of the shimmering metal reflecting off moonlight as the nimble fight grew in intensity in the murky, violet-gray darkness. 

Legolas fell away from the other two, engaged in his own endless battle against a foe whose skill and speed perfectly matched his own. Indeed, it seemed the elf prince now fought a mirror image of himself. His long knife met each blow and the other's knife met his attacks perfectly like a choreographed dance, almost as if both had been trained by the same swordsmen under the same traditions within the same land.

The two knives clashed in the air above the fighters and each elf held steadily to his position. Their eyes met and Legolas staggered slightly as a glimmer of recognition shone in the bright blue eyes that held his own. "I see Thranduil has succeeded in training his son as well as his warriors," the strange elf murmured softly.

Legolas' eyes widened fearfully at the familiar voice and he jumped back dropping his knife to his side. It could not be! Could it? His jaw dropped open and he gaped ridiculously at his opponent. His stomach churned sickeningly and his limbs suddenly felt as if his blood had turned to molten lead. 

"Reanur?! Reanur, is that you?!" he whispered. Reanur had been yet another captain of Mirkwood whose patrol had been lost, in addition to Merionè's and a host of other missing warriors. Cièdron's words to him in Thranduil's hall echoed in his head.  Nay, brother, Ada may not tell me much more than he tells you, but I have spied much more than you have. The Nazgul have reoccupied Dol Guldur, Legolas and in case you have not noticed, Velsier and Reanur and a host of other warriors have yet to return from their patrols of southern Mirkwood.

Reanur's eyes sparkled and he pulled down his hood, revealing his familiar face. Legolas slowly backed away, his head shaking in disbelief at the sight of his opponent – his father's own trusted captain. Around them, the battle continued, with Aragorn and Gandalf finally succeeding in felling at least a few of their opponents, but still too caught in their own deadly, confusing whirlwind to notice the unlikely reunion but a dozen yards away.

"Mae govannen Thranduilon," Reanur whispered as he drew nearer to the stunned elf prince.*

The knife in Legolas' hand trembled as he continued to back away. But his foot soon found no ground beneath it and he realized he had reached the brink of the land before it declined into the river. He froze and gripped his knife, but it was too heavy to raise, to wield against his father's captain, a sworn protector of Greenwood, an elf he had grown up respecting, dreaming that he too would one day shoot as accurately as he could, fight against the evil that invaded their wood as strongly as he fought, defend their land and their king as proudly as he did! Nay, it could not be! Never would one of Thranduil's own betray them like this! Legolas could not believe it. He refused to believe it! Thus he stood, frozen in his despair, confusion and denial like a bug caught in a spiderweb as the spider steadily approached, its long fair hair glimmering in the moonlight. Long fair hair except for a few sheared strands that fell loosely out of his ponytail… 

Aragorn fought off one elf and turned in time to see Legolas standing motionless with his back against the racing river as if he had been put under a spell as another elf, an elf that even Aragorn noticed bore a strange resemblance to Legolas, slowly approached. So eerie was the sight that a chill tickled Aragorn's spine. Feeling a sudden sense of panic rise in his stomach, he tried to call out to the elf. Gandalf too caught the sight and he struggled in vain to break free of his own fight in order to reach Legolas. 

"Costo, Legolas!" the wizard yelled above the fray.*

But the words did not reach Legolas as he continued to stand, quivering slightly in the wind, eyes wide in fright. His shaky voice whispered, "Reanur, we came to help you and the others, we came to save you… Merionè told us everything, he came to us…he was freed…." Legolas trailed off when he noticed a strange light dance in the other elf's eyes as he mentioned Merionè.

Suddenly Reanur's face broke into a wide grin. He stopped a foot away from Legolas and snickered softly causing Legolas to instinctively grip more tightly on his knife, but the elf's next words stopped his hand from raising it.

"Merionè was never freed, Legolas!"

Legolas furrowed his brow and opened his mouth to speak but gasped when suddenly a mercilessly tight grip clamped on his wrist, cruelly twisting it behind his back and forcing him to his knees. The rest of the battle did not even notice the captain bring the prince to his knees underneath the pale light of the moon and the whipping gasps of the wind.  Anyone who did though would note what an unlikely imbalance of power it was– the king's son at the mercy of his captain and both at the mercy of the growing power of Sauron.

As Legolas struggled against the ironclad grip, Reanur smirked and hissed. "No one is ever just freed after they are caught by Sauron's forces. Nay, if they are not bound by chains of iron, they are bound by chains within the mind. Did he not tell you about the oath he swore? The oath to the Enemy? Only death will free him from that oath, and I am not even sure if that is enough!" Reanur's eyes sparkled ever more brightly as Legolas struggled more vehemently against his grip. The pain in his wrist ripped through his arm and through his body, preventing anything more than a strained gasp to escape his throat.

"I suppose Merionè is in the palace with your father now, then?" Reanur tauntingly asked.

Legolas' eyes flashed furiously and he finally mustered the strength to speak. "You traitor!!" he wrathfully spat. "He is not with my father! He is…" Legolas did not finish- he could not finish as his heart stopped in fear and terror choked back the anger that flared inside of him.

Reanur's eyes flashed and he twisted the elf's wrist further causing Legolas to nearly scream in pain. "Where is he!?! Where?!"

Legolas groaned and tightly shut his eyes, sinking further down towards the ground. His head spun from the frightful realization of the betrayal of his father's captains. The betrayal of Merionè. Ai! How could it be? Merionè would travel to Valinor and back for his father! He would deny himself the sight of the stars and the moon, he would shut out the songs of the sea, cut out his own voice, block his own dreams, put it all off for another age, another world, all for the loyalty he had for his father!  Nay, Legolas could not believe Merionè had actually betrayed them. He would believe anything else – that he was tricked, he was fooled, trapped, but never would Merionè betray them!

A piercing pain in his side interrupted Legolas' thoughts. Reanur bent over and kicked him again, demanding him to tell him Merionè's whereabouts.

"He is with Cièdron," Legolas finally gasped as one more kick knocked the air out of him.

Reanur's eyes widened. "By Fëanor's jewels…. Each of the King's sons, within the palms of our hands, Thranduil at the mercy of those we now must serve…Alas, we never expected the extent of the doom that our oaths would bring upon us all! They swore an oath which none shall break, and none should take, by the name even of Ilúvatar, calling the Everlasting Dark upon them if they kept it not..." he murmured.**

Legolas stiffened and glared at Reanur. "Merionè would not betray us! You are coward and a liar! I should have pierced your traitorous heart with my arrows when I had a chance!"

Reanur smiled and chuckled at this, as if he were humoring a child. "Ah, and I have no doubt you could have Legolas, for I remember well your impeccable aim," he said as he raised his knife above him causing Legolas to struggle ever more violently against his grip.  With a final push, Legolas managed to fall back and swing his leg out, pulling out Reanur's legs below him and causing him to release his wrist.  Legolas then flew on top of the elf and brought his knife to his throat.

"I am also very skilled with my knife," he hissed. "Neither of us is in the palm of anyone's hand quite yet Reanur! Now you will tell me everything! What happened to Merionè?"

Had the circumstances been slightly different, Reanur would have laughed at this sudden turn of events. Imagine! To be at the mercy of the elfling he had at least some part in training! But as the elfling's knife pressed further into his throat, he finally had little choice but to speak. "Merionè fell under the same spell as the rest of us. You must understand Legolas, we all thought we could escape, but there is no such thing. Once you swear an oath to Sauron, no matter how indirectly, you are never released, no matter where you go!"

"And you swore this oath as well?" Legolas gritted as he pushed Reanur further into the ground and pressed his knife into his neck.

"I did what I thought I had to do to save myself," Reanur gasped. Legolas slackened as he noticed a distant light in Reanur's eyes as if Ilúvatar had been trapped somewhere deep within the elf's soul and now struggled to be let free. Reanur bit his lip and shook his head sorrowfully. "Merionè thought he could save himself as well and he will soon be as lost as I am." His voice was but an empty breath riding on the shoulders of the wind. Though Legolas sensed the sincerity of these words, he knew they were not entirely true - Merionè could not care less about himself.  

Legolas' eyes widened and he gazed sadly at the captain. "Reanur, there may be hope left for you – I can see it! I see it in your eyes!" he whispered, slowly lifting his knife as he searched for the flame of Ilúvatar. 

But the light Legolas saw in Reanur's eyes quickly vanished and the corrupted elf again rested his darkened gaze on him. "It is too late Legolas." With speed that could only be matched by perhaps Legolas himself, Reanur's hand grabbed Legolas' arm and pushed the elf off of him.  The two then struggled, kicking up dirt and pebbles that tumbled down the soft hill inches away from them, many rolling into the Celduin's currents, sinking into her murky depths.

"It is too late for Merionè as well!" Reanur shouted as he pushed back Legolas. "Had he not already betrayed you, he would not have allowed you to come to this cursed land to begin with!"

Though he was not quite sure how it happened, Reanur found himself once more at the edge of Legolas' knife. "May the Balrogs of Morgoth fall at your feet, young prince," he breathed in amazement. "Never have I seen such skill before! Alas I should only witness it now, against myself. Alas that such dark days should come!"

Legolas gaped at Reanur unsure of what to do with his knife now. Should he pity him or despise him? Was this an enemy or lost friend? Or was he neither and just completely mad?! Though he refused to lift his knife even slightly this time, the elf's confusion only grew with Reanur's next statement.

"You should have let me taken you, Legolas," Reanur whispered.

Legolas roughly grabbed his collar, ready to demand another explanation, but he started at the approaching shadow he caught in Reanur's eyes, this time not from within, but rather a reflection of someone approaching from behind.  Before he had a chance to even turn around, a piercing pain ripped through his head and as Aragorn and Gandalf continued to fight against the nonstop onslaught, Legolas fell unconscious at the hilt of a sword.  A moment later he, his attacker and Reanur were gone.

Aragorn spun and stabbed one elf and immediately knocked down another as the distant horizon faded to magenta with the coming of dawn. Gandalf finished off the elves' around him with one fatal swing. Gradually, their attackers thinned out, many of them wisely, but suspiciously deciding to pull away leaving Gandalf and Aragorn alone and out of breath amidst a dozen scattered bodies.

For a moment they stood, stunned by the sudden attack and perhaps even more stunned by the sudden ending of it.  They caught each others' eyes and immediately the same thought entered their minds. Aragorn straightened and searched the land around him, panic causing his heart to surge and race.

"Legolas!!"

Gandalf's own eyes jumped from one direction to the next, searching in vain for the elf.  Aragorn sprinted to the spot where he had last seen Legolas and gazed down into the pink river. Nothing. The entire land became as quiet as it had been before the battle, with only the water crying in celebration of the coming of a new day, oblivious to the violence that had just occurred at her feet.  Aragorn angrily sheathed his sword and gave one final cry for the elf.

"They came for him Aragorn. They kept us occupied so they could get him. It is why they decided to leave so suddenly – they got him." The wizard murmured, his voice low, but steady.

Aragorn turned wildly towards Gandalf, "But how? How could they get him?" he demanded, finding it hard to believe even his own kind could easily capture the nimble elf.

Gandalf's gaze fell upon the fallen elves. One of them caught his attention and the wizard carefully approached him, his brow furrowing as he leaned in to take a better look at the fair creature, dead by his own staff.

"I know this elf!" Gandalf whispered his eyes widening.

Aragorn looked at the wizard who now bent at the elf's side, carefully studying his clothing and weapons.

"This is one of Thranduil's elves," Gandalf continued, his voice drowned in disbelief.

Suddenly Aragorn remembered the elf that had been approaching Legolas. Aye, of course! That elf resembled Legolas because they were of the same kin! They were both woodland elves! "And that is why Legolas did not fight back," Aragorn muttered. "He could not fight against his own kind…"

"Making it that much easier to capture him," Gandalf finished, his voice dark and saturated with anger. "Traitors." The wizard faced Aragorn furiously. "Not easily do elves of any kind betray their king. There is great evil at work here."

Aragorn kneeled on the ground where Legolas had fought with Reanur and studied its markings. "There was a struggle here…" he murmured. Confusion contorted his face as he tried to make sense of what he saw. "But these markings do not tell the story before us now… Unless my eyes deceive me, it seems Legolas was prevailing…." Then his eyes fell on further tracks behind him and with an angry shout, he bolted up and whistled for the horses. Gandalf raised an eyebrow, silently demanding an explanation from the ranger.

"They attacked him from behind!" Aragorn yelled furiously and he absently grabbed his sword at the ignobility of the attack he had seen written out in the dusty ground.  "He overpowered his initial attacker only to be snuck up on and attacked from behind by one who was too cowardly to fight him face to face!"

Gandalf scowled and swiftly mounted his horse. "Come Aragorn. We will not waste anymore time. Cursed are those who betray their king and cursed are those who win their battles through deceit, but I do not trust this land and it would not surprise me if those who should be cursed are rewarded instead."

Aragorn quickly climbed upon Neila, but before they rode off, Gandalf placed a hand on his shoulder. "Do not blame yourself Aragorn. We will find him."

Aragorn nodded stiffly and the two set off, following the Celduin River to wherever Legolas may be. The simmering sun finally crept over the horizon, chasing away the night's apparitions and nightmares and bringing truth to yesterday's premonitions.  Thus a new day arose, but in the Rhûn it only brought darkness and in the forest of Mirkwood it went unnoticed.  In neither did it bring hope for the forlorn elves of what only yesterday in their minds was Greenwood the Great.

TBC

(No, I'm not on speed write (sadly) – this was originally part 2 of the previous chapter; I just figured it would be better separate. And now I must rejoin the real world, so I'm afraid once again the updates may be rather erratic, though I'll try my best to not take too long)

*meet your battle; the dark elves will not slay us in shadow (yep, I got ambitious and decided to try my hand at elvish – forgive the inevitable mistakes)

* well met, son of Thranduil

* fight Legolas!

**From The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Of the Flight of the Noldor

REVIEWER RESPONSES

I'm not going to go through many individual responses, just some quick words…

I've gotten some excited remarks about the drinking contest between Legolas and Gimli so I wanted to just tell you guys a little more about it– the tiny, little, itsy bitsy clip I saw of it was from National Geographic Behind the Movie for Return of the King. A friend of mine downloaded the clip from a web page, so though I don't know the link, it should be available somewhere in the realms of cyberspace if you try a google search (neither of us are exactly skilled computer hackers, so I can't imagine it would be too hard to find.) In fact, I think she got it from an Orlando Bloom fan page.  It was basically Legolas asking Gimli  " so what is the point of this drinking game" & Gimli tells him "last one standing wins." Hmm… so I wonder who will be the last one standing… 

Alexa -Yes, I have to agree with everything you said about the movie – I was very disappointed about a lot of things being cut out, particularly stuff about the Legolas/Gimli friendship, Eowyn & Faramir scenes & the seagulls. The scene I was waiting for in both TTT, the extended TTT, and ROTK was the one where they're leaving Fangorn and Legolas sees the eyes in the trees & wants to go back & Gandalf tells him "Stay Legolas Greenleaf! Now is not your time!" Also the agreement between Legolas & Gimli to visit the caves & the forest after they're done. But I was extremely happy with what he did with the hobbits, especially Pippin. The interaction between Pippin & Gandalf was great and the development of his character was very well done, I thought. Oh, and rumor has it the extended version may be up to 5 hours long (just a rumor of course). But who knows – maybe PJ did film much of the stuff we wanted to see & will include it in the extended version.

Badgerlock: Thank you for the advice! I believe you're right about the names – what I did was (and I should probably go back & erase some of those notes in the early chapters since they're no longer relevant) unknowingly use very famous names from the Silmarillion (since I hadn't yet read it at the time) for every single one of the original characters. It then annoyed the %^$# out of me when I read the Silmarillion, so I changed them all, at the very least to keep myself from getting too confused (very easily done, I assure you). 

All the regulars (RainyDayz, I do believe Legolas would go that far ;), thank you so so much, I love seeing your names in my inbox! I'm such a cornball, but it makes me so happy to see you guys

& all the new people, thank you also!  I'm so glad you guys found this & had the patience to give it a try, especially since I threw in so many of the dreaded "other characters." Wellduh, your reviews were very flattering – I'm a big fan of irony, so I like to try to put little bits of it in my story; Whipper - your review made perfect sense! I think I'd get bored of him rather quickly if I made him a pure, 100% ass… so I made him only 70-80%....