Part 2

It was raining mercilessly. Dark stormy clouds – outside the palace and inside his heart.

A little clear droplet fell on the window sill. But it wasn't the rain. Legolas sighed and wiped his eye. What had he done? What had he told Estel?

No, you can't stay here!

Estel thought he didn't have a home anymore, and he had chased him away. The young man though he had lost his family. And Legolas had done everything possible to make him believe that he had lost his friends as well.

He stood up and walked towards the door. It didn't matter that Aragorn didn't wish to see him. He had to find his friend and tell him to come back. Tell him how sorry he was.

Legolas took his bow and quiver and walked outside. But suddenly he stopped and walked back, his lips curling into a slight smile.

It's Estel after all, he thought as he picked the pack with healing supplies.

---

The most beautiful creature in Middle-earth. That was she. So fair, so pure, as if Lúthien herself had come back to give him the gift of her beauty.

Arwen. How could he ever regret meeting her? He praised every moment he was blessed to look at her, to hear her voice.

No, he would never regret seeing her, falling in love with her. Yes, it had destroyed his family and he was going to die now because of it, but he would have it no other way.

Images flashed through his mind. A face so fair, surrounded by cascades of long, dark hair, adorned by two silver eyes, deep and stormy as the Great Sea. Suddenly the image was shattered into pieces, replaced by three painfully familiar faces. His family.

The emotions on those faces made his heart break. Surprise. Disbelieve. Anger. Disappointment. Hatred?

And then another face appeared. Sapphire-blue eyes stared sadly at him, but there was no anger or disappointment this time. There was something else. Hurt.

Of course Legolas would feel hurt. What had he said? I don't care. Far away from them. And far away from you. This would be the last words his friend would hear from him. The very last.

"I'm so sorry, mellon-nin," Aragorn whispered. "I wasn't angry at you. I was only angry at myself. I hope you know it. I hope you can hear me."

But the elf couldn't. Only the spiders could hear him now.

The disgusting creatures crawled on him, biting the helpless human again and again. His clothes were completely soaked by the rain, making him shudder with cold and sorrow. The poison was taking effect. He couldn't move anymore. His world was turning black. Every breath he drew, no matter how weak, caused him great pain.

With a soft sigh he finally gave up.

---

Legolas frowned in frustration. The rain had erased all tracks and he had no idea which way the human had gone. He didn't like the whisper of the trees. His forest was trying to warn him. Against what?

The elf's hand instinctively went to his back, making sure his bow and quiver were still there. All her senses were screaming at him. Danger.

Legolas looked around in concern. Estel was somewhere close. If he was in danger, the human wasn't safe either. The elf just quickened his pace, hoping he was going in the right direction.

A dark form suddenly jumped over him. Legolas quickly took out his twin blades and cut his attacker.

"Spiders." He muttered in disgust. He was sure the creature wasn't alone. Spiders were cowardly beings, they traveled in packs and attacked lone travelers.

Legolas walked forward cautiously. He was sure the spider's companions were somewhere close, watching him, planning the best time to attack.

Let them come, the elf thought. He was ready.

And they did. Legolas was never prepared for what came. A dark wave of bodies flowed towards him, spreading darkness on its way.

The elf froze. He had never seen so many spiders before. He could do nothing to fight them. Maybe he could kill a few, but eventually they would have him. There was no way out of this.

Legolas held his twin knives and faced the evil creatures. Many of them would die before he would give up.

To his utter surprise, the spiders just passed by him. They didn't seem interested in him in any way. The elf was shocked – spiders were cowards, they loved easy prey.

Why didn't they want him? Surely he was easy prey.

Legolas gasped in horror as he realized that here was only one possible explanation why the spiders had left him. There was easier prey.

The elf though his heart would stop beating as he fully realized what this meant. Without much thinking he ran after the spiders as fast as he could although he knew very well that he was running towards his death.

Elven arrows rained over the dark creatures, each one bearing death. Legolas held his elven blades and rushed into the mass of black bodies. Many spiders had gathered around something in the center of the clearing, and the elf desperately fought to get there.

"ESTEL!" pushing aside the spiders, the elf knelt by the lifeless form and gently shook his friend. "Mellon-nin, can you hear me?!" There was no response. Aragorn's body was covered by numerous spider bites. With a pained sob the elf gathered the human in his arms. "What had I done?" I have killed you! Killed you!" he choked and pressed the young ranger tighter to his chest. "And what is the last thing I told you! Foolish human! I am the foolish one. Yes, I am. I am so sorry, my friend. So sorry…" he couldn't continue anymore as his voice was drowned in tears.

Legolas gasped and looked back as something bit him. The spiders were still there. He had almost forgotten them.

The elf gently laid his friend back down, rose and grabbed his knives, his gaze dark and threatening. They were too many. Yes, he would die, but not before they had seen his fury. And many of them would die before him.

A spider charged at him, but its body quickly rolled lifeless to the ground. The two blades swung in graceful arcs so fast that it was almost impossible to follow their motion. The ground was soon covered by dead spider bodies.

But Legolas had been bitten and the poison was quickly taking effect. He felt dizzy and unable to keep his balance. A huge spider knocked him to the ground, biting him once again.

This was a sign to the others that the elf wasn't that strong anymore. Cowardly at first, but then much more confidently, the evil creatures crawled towards Legolas.

He had been bitten too many times. The battle was lost. Legolas used all of his last strength to crawl back to Aragorn. He desperately tried to protect the human from the spiders, shielding him with his own body. Maybe his friend would somehow survive if they were found and saved soon enough. But who would find them?

No one knew where they were.

To be continued…

3