"I will explain that to you later."
"Don't you think I have every right to an answer?"
The van pulled over to the left, earning an angry honking concert in return. When it quieted down outside, I heard Legolas move his legs. "Yes, you do."
"So?"
"You said yourself that many things can be experienced in your world without being present yourself. What if they listen to us now, too?"
He had knocked me out with my own reasoning. Kudos. After all, he wasn't wrong. I might as well have remembered that the car was bugged. "Then when exactly would be a good time?"
"When I've freed us."
When he had freed us, my ass. I couldn't ask how he was going to do that either, because if there were actually bugs hidden here, that would put our chance of escape to zero. So I counted the seconds in the darkness until the car suddenly slowed down. We made several turns - I didn't remember how many times or where, until I heard gravel crunching under the tires. At the same time, a muffled voice said something in the driver's cabin. Doors slamming.
"Come." Legolas had whispered. I felt him take my hands in his and pull me up from the ground. He was so close that his hair tickled my nose. I tried to take a step back, but he held me tight. "Shh."
Footsteps circled the car. I didn't make a sound. I had no idea what he was up to.
They certainly wouldn't open the doors without their guns, so how was he going to make a difference? And was it really a good idea to try anything? Weren't we cutting into our own flesh? What if they killed him and I was all alone after that?
My heart beat faster and faster the closer the footsteps came, and I felt Legolas' tension rise a little more with each breath. Nevertheless, his presence and his hands, which still held mine, calmed me down.
The footsteps stopped. The elf abruptly let go of me and turned around at the same moment as the right of the two doors opened. Through the narrow slit of daylight that fell in, I could see him jump against it.
A cry of pain rang out, the door slammed shut again, and Legolas, in one fluid motion, brought himself to safety on the left side, where I was also standing. Not a second too late. Shots rang out and I winced. Before the last one had faded, he grabbed me by the hand and hissed, "Go!"
The elf pushed open the door and pulled me behind him. I staggered into the bright light, squinted, and lost his hand.
Noise of battle.
Screams.
I could see nothing, was completely blinded. Someone grabbed me by the arm and tried to twist it around my back.
I reacted instinctively, reached into my pocket and pulled out the pepper spray. My attacker got a full charge of it in the face, let go of me and cried out loudly. I stumbled and fell down. Slowly my eyes got used to the light and I saw Legolas fighting with two other men. It didn't look like they would be able to stand against him much longer, and the one who had attacked me was still slouched on the ground.
I looked around. We were in the yard of a factory in an industrial area. The van was parked a bit off to the side next to several garbage cans. No sign of the others.
The last of our pursuers fell limply to the ground and not a second later Legolas was standing beside me. "We have to leave. Now."
Should it have been that easy? My hand closed tighter around the pepper spray. "I have a bad feeling."
"Me too."
We looked at each other. I just felt something was off, but I couldn't tell what. He seemed to feel the same.
I shook my head and walked to the driver's door of the van while Legolas closed the doors and dropped into the cab shortly after me.
I started the engine. "We need to get another car."
He nodded.
"And I'm hungry."
It took us a while to find our way out of the maze of streets in the industrial area and onto a main road. There was no sign of a turnoff to the highway anywhere, and my stomach growled louder and louder. When I spotted a McDonalds sign, I couldn't resist. "We'll stop up ahead. Stay in the car, I'll get something to eat."
Ten minutes later I came back with two burgers, fries and some other stuff. I tossed Legolas one of the bags and simultaneously unwrapped mine at record speed. I savored every bite and only noticed after I had finished eating that the elf was eyeing his bag suspiciously. He noticed my gaze. "How can you eat that?"
I shrugged. "I was starving."
"Even then, I wouldn't touch it."
"Oh, come one." I tossed the wrapper from my burger into my bag. "What do you usually eat then?"
"Healthier."
"Is that why you're still in such good shape at your age?"
"No, it's genes."
I had to grin and pulled over. I'd had directions to the highway explained to me when I'd picked up the food and likewise figured out that we were maybe another two hours' drive from Hamburg. As I accelerated, I thought of the possibilities I might have if I had as much time in life to accomplish my goals as the Elf. Would I grow tired of it at some point? Or know how to use the years?
"What are you thinking about?"
I gave him a quick glance before refocusing on the highway. "Immortality."
"Well?"
"What's it like?"
"You're the first to ask me that."
I frowned. "I don't think so."
His fingers played with the chain around his neck. "She's like the blink of an eye. Sometimes I feel like I've just roamed the land of my fathers, and then there are so many lives in between again. Still, things keep happening that I never thought would happen. For example, sitting in a vehicle that goes many times as fast as a horse can run."
"You haven't seen an airplane then."
He stroked his fingers over the handholds. "What's that?"
"Well, just a machine you can use to fly."
"That's impossible."
"Said the Immortal."
Legolas had turned in his seat and was staring at me. "A world of wonders."
"Not as much as yours."
"That is how you see it."
I bit my lip. To someone like him, who had probably thought he'd seen it all, the here and now had to be as confusing and fascinating as Tolkien's world was to me.
"If you had spent many centuries here on Earth instead of in Middle Earth, I would want to know so much from you about the past, ask so many questions."
"You can do it anyway."
I heard the smile come out of his voice and blushed. "I didn't mean it that way."
"I know."
We lapsed into silence as the scenery outside grew more urban. Instead of fields, warehouses and noise barriers, beyond which lay the suburbs of the big city, now lined our path.
"Did you ever get tired of it?", I asked abruptly, wanting to bite my tongue the very next moment. It was a damn personal question, and the answer was none of my business.
"Once."
I didn't dare take my eyes off the road and felt my heart beat heavily. Why had he responded? Surely no one would answer a question like that casually. "I'm sorry," I muttered.
"Don't."
Now I felt just as uncomfortable as I had when we had been sitting tied up in the back of the truck. I rubbed my index and middle fingers together and feverishly thought about how I could make the situation feeling harmless again.
Legolas took over. "Didn't you say we had to change cars?
If you enjoyed the chapter, I'm happy to receive a review. :)
