Hello! I am here! Hope you liked the last chapter! And I am out of school! Yay! It's about time, too! Wee! Okay, chapter!
And I finished another notebook, too! Yay! This has been a good week for me! Okay, here we go!
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Chapter 26- By the Fire
Norui's head shot up and he gazed around as the ground shook beneath him. Amidst the hail and rain, he could make out his brother who still carried Jaimea in his arms. Urúvion shrieked when another tremor boomed and the prince whispered some soothing words to the agitated horse. The wind whistled past his face and stung his skin. He looked back and saw Legolas come to a halt and look behind him. Jaimea had awoken before and they were whispering some words to each other. Putting his hand over his eyes to try and block the water and hail, the Crown Prince looked up and focused on the clouds.
The black masses spun and they gathered to one area in the sky. They swirled together, creating a monstrous funnel. A great roar filled the land and all three of the elves cried out, covering their ears.
"Legolas!" Norui shouted desperately, "Legolas, come-" He stopped. His faced turned from worry to the expression of pure terror. His breathing quickened, "Legolas, move!" He shouted as he kicked Urúvion in the ribs and he sped off.
The power funnel touched down onto the ground. Plants and trees were ripped from the ground mercilessly and were lost in the swirling mass. The riders shouted and kicked their mounts frantically, not wanting to be caught up in the vicious winds.
Legolas could feel his mare's heart pounding throughout her body and his imitated it. Espenshade trembled in the elf's pack and she screeched in terror. The young prince glanced back with wide eyes. A tornado was quickly gaining on them. He looked down to Jaimea. Her eyes were clenched tight, tears streamed down her cheeks and her mouth was open as if screaming but no noise was coming out. He could hear his brother shouting at him to move faster but Cuilpantiel was weakening. There was no way they could make it out of this.
'This is all my fault.' He thought.
"Legolas!" Jaimea screeched suddenly and he came back to reality, looking ahead of him again. His heart fell even more.
Not forty feet ahead of them, the plains dropped into a large gorge. He saw Norui jump across and he barely made it to the other side.
"We'll never make it." The young prince breathed. Without thinking, he swung his pack off his shoulders and fastened it on Jaimea's back. He bumped her forward with his body and leaned over to her ear, "Hold on tight." He whispered and she nodded. The elleth leaned forward over the mare's neck, gripping tight onto her soft mane.
Norui stood on the other side waiting anxiously for the two. The stallion pranced nervously and whinnied in fright. The ellon met his brother's gaze for a split second and gasped, knowing full well of what he was planning to do.
"Don't you even think it!" He shouted but it was too late.
The youngest prince gripped hard on Jaimea's navy blue riding gown, staring straight ahead. Once they were within twenty feet of the gap, he quickly kissed the elleth's shoulder and threw himself off the mare.
"Legolas!" Jaimea shouted as he rolled onto the ground. Cuilpantiel suddenly picked up speed at the loss of weight and leapt across the gap with ease. The prince stopped to watch but quickly picked himself up and he ran along the edge of the gap, trying to find a place to jump over.
Norui's heart leapt and he followed Legolas's path on the opposite side, Jaimea not far behind. The storm no longer mattered to them, so intent they were on getting Legolas back to them. The funnel steadily grew closer to the elves. The horses grew even more panicked and the riders had trouble controlling them.
But Norui's eyes remained on Legolas. It would be folly for the youngest prince to jump without a horse and the older ellon couldn't jump back over. But he continued to follow his brother. There was a huge gust of wind and debris blocked his sight.
The Crown Prince shouted for him but his voice was lost in the roaring wind. He continued to cry out for him but he never heard a response. He coughed and the dust caked the inside of his mouth and throat. He closed his eyes tight and covered his mouth with his dust covered arm.
"Legolas!" He wheezed but the wind was too powerful. He heard Jaimea calling out his name and he tried desperately to return to her. He found her in the same condition as he and he shouted to her, "Let us go!" He urged Urúvion on and they moved as fast as they could out of the storm.
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Legolas wheezed when he landed on his back. He arched his back, coughing, and slowly rolled to his side. The storm wasn't around him anymore but he heard it above him. He opened his eyes and found that he had fallen in a deep hole. He could barely make out his brother calling for him amidst the raging winds and rain. He tried to call back but his mouth and throat were dry. It came out in only a hoarse whisper.
Slowly and with much pain, he pulled himself from the opening but it didn't go very far in. He wrapped his arms around his knees and put his head down to block his eyes.
He sat like this for what seemed like hours to him. The howling died down and a small beam of light peeked into the cave. The prince lifted his head and crawled to the opening. The sky was blue once more and the clouds had disappeared. Even some birds were chirping in the sky.
Legolas groaned and pulled himself to his feet. He jumped and caught the top of the hole, then slowly lifted himself out of the hole. As soon as he made it to the top, he promptly laid back down. The land was so covered in the dust and debris that the elf could barely recognize it.
"Legolas!" His head shot up and he gazed around. No one. He sighed and shook his head, "Legolas!" Someone called again and the prince leapt up. On the other side of the cliff, two figures rode on horses and they shouted out his name.
"Norui!" Legolas managed to shout but winced in pain, grabbing his throat.
"Legolas! Where are you?" The Crown Prince shouted back. The ellon coughed.
"Over here!" He shouted waved his arms in the air. The other two were quickly on the side in an instant.
"You are an idiot!" Norui shouted laughingly as he hopped form Urúvion's back, "What were thinking?" Legolas smirked and glanced over at Jaimea. Her hair was matted down with dust and her clothes were wrapped wildly around her. The prince's pack was still where he put it and Espenshade's head poked out of the top of it. The elleth stared back at him with a dazed look, "How are we going to get you back over here?"
As if on cue, the sound of clapping hooves and a whinny rang through the air. They squinted to see a horse galloping towards them.
"Anfalas!" Jaimea shouted, recognizing the mare as her own, and Legolas took the opportunity. He ran towards the horse, hands outstretched, and grabbed a fistful of mane. He was swept off his feet and he swung onto the horse's back. The mare took no notice and leapt across the gap. She came to the other side but stumbled, throwing the elf off, then continued running. Norui sprinted towards him and kneeled beside him, slapping his face gently.
"Legolas, wake up!" He exclaimed. The young prince didn't say anything but he opened his eyes slowly and managed a small grin. The Crown Prince growled while trying to contain his laughter, "You want to die!" He said laughingly. Norui pulled him to his feet by his collar, then began dusting him off. Legolas laughed and pushed him away.
"Come on, Norui, just give me some water and then we must be off."
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"Can we get up now?"
"No! We must wait for Mithrandir's consent."
"But I think he has fallen asleep and his cloak smells disgustingly like pipeweed!"
Estel growled and elbowed his two brothers.
"Shut up!" He hissed and the twins fell silent. Occasionally, once would grunt in annoyance or move around more then was necessary. Finally, Estel shouted in aggravation and sprang up from the ground. Elladan and Elrohir popped up as well, grinning like idiots.
"Rise and shine!" They exclaimed in a sing song voice. One by one, the others emerged from their cover and glanced around. The earth was even more barren then before. The shrubs were all covered or torn away completely. All living things seemed to have vanished and they were the only ones left. Even the horses were gone.
"Well, now what?" Melyanna questioned to no one in particular.
"I am not sure, my lady." Mithrandir replied as he dusted off his gray robes, "This new information about our location has left me baffled." The old wizard closed his eyes in deep thought and mumbled some incoherent words. The group watched him expectantly, "If we are indeed at Dol Baran, then Isengard should be right over the mountain. Estel and I will go to see."
The two left and the others sat around, talking of their predicament. Not an hour later, then two appeared again quite out of breath.
"It is as I thought," Mithrandir began, "We found the pinnacle of Orthanc before we even came to the feet of the mountain."
"What are we to do, though? We have no horses, Lady Turwaithiel is gone again and we have three companions on their own. We do not even know how they fare." Arwen said as she took her place next to the human.
"Before we parted, Norui and Lady Turwaithiel made an agreement to meet on the southern most side of the Gap of Rohan. As long as they are still well, they will continue to that point." The wizard replied, "And I do not doubt that they survived."
Much did they argue about what to do and how Norui, Legolas and Jaimea were. Some thought that they should look for them immediately and others thought that they should continue to the meeting place. It did not even cross their minds to look for Turwaithiel. Finally, they decided to continue on foot and pray that they would meet up with the others on the way or at the meeting area.
They did not see foe, or any creature for that matter, on the path and they did not stop until the sun began to sink behind the mountains to the west. Stars began to spring up in the night sky and the elves took joy upon the sight of the star of Eärendil. And, unknown to them, their absent companions looked upon the light just as they did.
The group stopped and made camp in the open. The twins and their foster brother stayed up the whole night to keep watch. Nothing disturbed them and they slept peacefully though their dreams were filled with gleaming red and yellow eyes peering at them from the darkness.
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The fire crackled as another log was placed in it. The flames quickly swallowed the wood and licked at is hungrily. Norui sat back down next to Legolas who was chewing thoughtfully on his lembas. Jaimea sat next to him with her blanket around her shoulders, as well as the youngest prince's, staring into the hot embers.
The Crown Prince wiped his hands on his leggings and then grabbed a piece of the waybread. The horses nickered softly from their place where they were trying to find any traces of grass. The stars were shining brightly from the dark sky and the moon smiled upon the three elves.
They ate in silence, staring into the flickering flames. Norui would occasionally glance at the elleth from the corner of his eye with a frown. She had not said a word since they had almost lost Legolas again. All she had done was sigh and she had a distant look in her eyes. The prince wasn't sure if Legolas had noticed or only didn't pay attention to her so he called him over.
"Legolas?" He whispered and the golden haired elf scooted next to him.
"Yes?" He whispered back.
"Have you noticed Jaimea acting strangely?" He asked and Legolas nodded.
"I have yet I do not know why."
"Perhaps you should talk to her?" Norui suggested.
"Why me?"
"Because you have a stronger bond with her." Legolas opened his mouth to retort but Norui held up his hand, cutting him off, "Do not deny it. You two are always together, it seems. First, you bring her on this mission, then you save her from the wargs. Somehow, you healed her back to health and you slept with her in a tree," Legolas blushed at that but his brother did not notice, "You asked her to come with us again and then you rode together. I think that is enough proof." He finished, smirking triumphantly. The young prince ground his teeth together and nodded.
"Alright, I will talk to her once you have gone to sleep." Norui nodded and turned his attention back to the fire.
Legolas fingered the small piece of waybread still in his hand. His mind raced, trying to think of what to say. He sighed and kneaded his forehead with two fingers, then began to nibble on the bread again.
They sat together for a little while longer. The fire had died to small embers but no one made a move to feed its greedy tongue. Norui gave Legolas a small smirk and the golden haired prince rolled his eyes.
"I think I am going to rest now." The Crown Prince said, "Wake me if you need anything." He lay down on his blanket, crossing his arms over his chest. He soon fell into a dreamless slumber.
Legolas looked over to Jaimea. Her eyes were still fixed on the small fire and her eyes were distant as if she was contemplating endlessly yet getting no where. Checking to be sure Norui was truly asleep, he slowly moved over to the elleth. She paid no attention.
"Jaimea?" He said softly. She didn't respond and he frowned, "Jaimea, are you alright?" After a moment, she inhaled sharply and slowly met his gaze. Legolas smiled warmly at her and she returned it with her own.
"I am fine, Legolas."
"Are you sure?" She nodded and looked back to the fire. Silence reigned once more. Very slowly, Legolas moved himself closer to her so that their knees touched. He reached out and turned her face to look at him, "I do not believe you." She blushed slightly.
"It is you." She said softly and his frown deepened.
"Have I harmed you?"
"No, it is what you did." She began, "You risked your life for mine when you jumped off of that horse. You put me before yourself." Legolas smiled.
"I care for you, Jaimea, and I would have done it for anyone." The elleth smiled slightly.
"Everyone?" She asked and the prince smirked.
"Well, almost everyone. Him not included." He said jokingly, motioning towards his brother. Norui sighed softly in his sleep and rolled to face them. The elleth laughed quietly as not to wake him and smiled brightly at the young prince.
"I, um, I like your laugh." Legolas said quietly as a pink tinge traveled up to the points of his ears. Jaimea hesitated for a moment, then leaned over quickly and place a kiss on his cheek. His blush deepened to a cherry red. She smiled at him, her own embarrassment showing on her cheeks, but her smile soon faltered.
"You are a prince. You will forever be more important than I yet it did not matter to you." Humor and happiness left them once again and Legolas fond himself brushing his knuckles gently along her cheek.
"No, that is not true. We are equal. I am no more important then you are."
Jaimea leapt towards suddenly and wrapped her arms tightly around him, burying her face in his chest. The prince quickly returned it, bringing his arms around her waist and pulling her into his lap.
"You are so caring, Legolas. I do not know what I did to deserve your kindness." She whispered. He chuckled.
"Well, for one, you helped stitch up my belly. I think it is healed now." Legolas replied with a smile and they both laughed quietly. They soon sobered, "But you did nothing to deserve it except by giving me the opportunity to meet you and being kind to me as well. I am grateful."
The two elves stayed in each other's arms for a few moments longer. The prince ran his fingers through her hair gently and he sighed. He inhaled her scent and his heart and stomach fluttered. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and kissed her nape chastely. His heart raced when she kissed his nape as well and he hummed deeply in his throat. Immediately, his blush returned but the elleth paid no attention. Finally, they separated and smiled at each other. Legolas grinned foolishly and she laughed quietly. He gave her a noisy kiss on the cheek, bringing even louder laughs.
Norui mumbled something and the two elves were able to catch something that sounded like 'yes, milady' and 'feels nice'. They both struggled to keep their laughter hidden and they stared back at the fire.
Jaimea rested her head on Legolas's shoulder as he moved his legs apart for them to both sit more comfortably. The prince put his arms around her waist again and put his chin on her shoulder, grinning. She smiled and they remained silent. Only the ashes glowed bright orange now and they were almost shrouded in complete darkness. Occasionally, he would tickle her and she would laugh or vice versa. Once this stopped, they were quiet again.
"Legolas?" Jaimea asked shyly after a while.
"Hmm, yes?" He replied. The elleth shivered when his breath brushed against her sensitive ear.
"I want to thank you." She said.
"For what?"
"For everything," Jaimea said, "Everything that you have done for me." She could feel him smiling.
"I do not understand but you are welcome nonetheless." He said. When he didn't say anything more, the elleth furrowed her brow and turned to face him. He smiled curiously at her.
"Legolas, I said that I wanted to thank you."
"But you already did." He said, somewhat confused.
"No, I want to thank you." She repeated. He furrowed his brow.
"But-" He stopped mid-sentence when he realized what she meant, "Oh…" He breathed. His heart was already pounding and he feared that Jaimea felt it. Jaimea's eyes glazed over as she leaned forward. Even she noticed that she was being particularly bold but both elves were too wrapped up to notice or care.
"May I thank you?" She asked quietly.
"Will it be innocent?" He asked, slightly deeper then normal. The elleth nodded once.
"As innocent as you choose it to be." She replied. Legolas closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to clear his muddled brain. Finally, he nodded slowly.
"Then yes, you may thank me."
Jaimea placed her hands on his chest and smiled when she felt the rapid beating of his heart. Her breath tickled his lips and he trembled, falling back onto his elbows. The elleth fell with him, putting their lips onto centimeters apart.
And before the elleth could close the gap, Legolas whispered, "This is innocent."
Their lips met and they both inhaled sharply. They stared into each other's wide eyes for a moment before finally relaxing. Legolas massaged her mouth with his own and she leaned heavily on his. Fire erupted in their hearts as the kiss gradually became more intense.
"Innocent." He breathed against her lips.
"Innocent." She repeated against him, "Innocent."
Legolas deepened the kiss, shyly bringing his tongue up to trace her bottom lip. She whimpered nervously but opened her mouth for him. He moaned loudly and explored her mouth and she did the same to him. He grabbed her head and pushed it hard against his, then rolled so she was underneath him. She gasped and pulled away slightly. He frowned.
"This is innocent, right?" She asked once more.
"Yes." He replied huskily. Their lips crashed together and their tongues battled once again. Jaimea moaned, as did he, and their kiss grew.
"What are you doing?"
Jaimea gasped and Legolas leapt back, feigning innocence. The elleth sat up quickly, blush growing steadily on her face.
"I asked what you are doing."
Legolas glared over at his grinning brother. Norui had himself propped up on his elbow and Espenshade was perched on his shoulder.
"Nothing." The youngest prince responded nervously.
"That looked like something." Norui said, still grinning.
"It wasn't anything." Jaimea said.
"It was all innocent." The prince said. Norui rolled his eyes and sat up completely. The Peregrine falcon sat upon his shoulder again and looked as if she were laughing as well.
"Legolas, don't give me that." He began, "That was definitely something. Only when we are in heated passion do Glithiel and I appear as you two just did." He said. Legolas scowled.
"I'm going to bed." He spat and threw himself down upon the ground. Jaimea followed suit, lying down far from the two ellons. The oldest prince chuckled and lay back down, facing away from them. Espenshade flew off into the night, cackling to herself.
Jaimea touched her swollen lips gingerly. Her whole body shook and her stomach was flipping inside of her body. When they had kissed, she felt something that didn't happen the first time. Fireworks exploded in front of her eyes and her heart felt ready to burst. Jumbled thoughts racked her mind but she was pulled out of them when she heard something shifting around behind her.
The elleth smiled when she felt the youngest prince's arm snake around her waist. He buried his face in her brownish gold mane and showered her nape with kisses. Her eyes began to glaze in sleep when she heard him say, "That was innocent enough." And she lost herself to dreams filled with a certain elven prince.
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Norui sighed worriedly as he glanced over at the sleeping elves. He had been awake the whole time they were 'talking' and even before that. He was happy for his brother, yes, but he wasn't sure if it was a good idea for them to get involved during this mission. Too much was at stake and any distraction could prove fatal.
He would have to talk to Legolas about it later, he thought.
He yawned as sleep threatened to take him. He stole one more glance at his brother and friend and then slumber claimed him. Sweet dreams of his beloved back home filled his mind and he saw the wedding he wished would take place and all of the elflings that, together, they would create.
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I got some cool information that I just learned today! When I was looking up stuff about the Star of Eärendil, I learned that the star still shines today! We only call it Venus. That is SOOO cool! Hehe!
Okay, my reviewers!
butterfly-elf- I am glad that you like it! Yea, it is okay. As long as I know you are reading, that makes me happy. Hehe. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Jousting Elf with a Sabre- Welcome to the US of A! Please keep your hands, feet and other body parts inside the vehicle at all times and enjoy the ride! Hehe. No, she isn't in yet BUT I just started writing about her character in my original book! It shan't be long! A couple of chapters or three! Almost there! Hehe. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Lasien- You are late! I didn't think you were going to review! Hehe, lol. And hey now! I never said that they were wrong! Don't be discouraged! You keep on thinking whatever you want and you will see what was right and what was wrong when it all comes to the end! (If that happens, of course. Ug.) Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Legolas's Girl 9- LOL! wipes tear of laughter from her eye Oh, that is good! Nominee #1 for the funniest review yet! LOL! Yes, they slept together in the tree! Hah! And now look at them! Poor you! Hehe. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Swasti- I know, they should have gone with him! I mean, who wouldn't want to be with that hunk of an elf anyways! Crazy people. Lol. Even though most of them were males…hmm…oh well! If I was there, I wouldn't have left him! Anywho, I am glad you like the cute moments! I will try to have more of them just for you in the future! Keep smiling! Thanks for reading and reviewing!
That's about it! See you guys later!
Also, if you all are interested and would like a preview of the sequel for this (if this ever gets done, that is) then look up Celine Dion's "When the Wrong One Loves You Right". That should give you a clue to it. ;) Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hoped the romance wasn't…rushed…but it will get better in the next chapter, I promise. See ya!
Until Next Time,
Manwathiel
