Disclaimer: I do not own The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, or any characters associated with them; They belong to their rightful owner J.R.R. Tolkien. We just borrow them to play. ;)
My Elvish sucks. Tolkien forgive me. *sobs*

A/N: My favorite element right here. I hope I managed to capture the heat of the moment in this story. ;) But anyway, this was supposed to be the third chapter, but ended up being the second. *headdesk* I keep pushing the actual first chapter back. Oh well! I couldn't wait but post this one next, it's too fantastic a chapter in my opinion. Fire...pretty fire...deadly fire. Ahem, right well please enjoy! :D

If my Sindarin is wrong, do not be rude about it. Please either politely correct me, or kindly tell me what does not exist and I will replace it with English/edit the scene. Thanks

• Mellon nín: "My friend"

• Goheno nin: "Forgive me"

• Namárië: "Farewell" (Quenya)

Fire

As summer reached it's peak, a Wood-elf and a human ranger were making their way toward Rivendell to spend the remainder weeks of summer amid the elves and the cooling waterfalls around Imladris. And right now that was a pleasant thought to the human and even the elf, whom usually wasn't too bothered by the heat of summer.

So they had been traveling a week to arrive in Imladris, and while Legolas would have preferred to go to his home in Mirkwood for the summer, Aragorn had talked him into going to Rivendell instead; with the promise that they would spend the winter in the Woodland Realm.

Not that Aragorn was eager to visit the elf's home. He had nothing against the forests of Mirkwood, it was the king he was not eager to greet. The ill tempered Elvenking would no doubt have words to say to the human ranger concerning any misadventures that he had led Legolas into. But Aragorn would not go back on his word to his friend.

At least for the time, he could enjoy the remainder of the summer among his own family, and he knew how happy it would make lord Elrond to have all his sons home for even a short time. Though he may think differently after the summer with not only Elladan, Elrohir, and Aragorn home, but a certain prince of the Woodland Realm as well.

The four could certainly get themselves into plenty of trouble in such a short amount of time.

As human ranger and elven prince rode under the trees that would take them to the river which marked the border of Imladris, they let their horses walk at an easy canter. They weren't in a hurry, and with the boughs of the trees shading from overhead, and a soft breeze blowing, it wasn't too hot so they felt the need to rush to Rivendell for the cooling waters that surely awaited them.

When the breeze suddenly shifted, however, Legolas pulled a halt to their progress as he stopped his stallion Elbehad. "Do you smell that?" He asked, frowning when he got a whiff of something foul on the wind. As Aragorn stopped next to him, the elf's keen hearing could pick up the sound of something heartbreaking for the Wood-elf.

It was the sound of trees dying.

Aragorn frowned and sniffed the air, and then his grey eyes widened. "Smoke!" He turned around in his saddle to seek out the source of the smoke so close to Rivendell. In the back of his mind, he prayed that it was not his home where his foster father lived. He knew how much Legolas loved trees, but in his mind he'd rather trees die than people.

Legolas whipped his head around, and just behind them to their left, he looked up only to see the smoke billowing up into the sky. "Estel, the forest is on fire!" He said, his voice cracking at the horrible sounds of the dying trees. He turned Elbehad toward where the smoke was and kicked his heels, the horse galloping directly into the area where the fire had started.

Aragorn cursed and turned his own mount after Legolas, kicking his heels and urging Roheryn into a hard gallop. "Legolas!" He called, swearing again. He knew of Legolas' love of nature and especially trees, and knew that if the blaze could be stopped Legolas would do everything in his power to stop it before too many trees could die.

But he was not willing to die for the sake of a forest, unlike the Wood-elf. He feared with as much smoke that was rising up into the sky, that would be a high possibility. He may have to drag the elf out of the forest by force just to save his life, and deal with the upset elven prince later when they were safe.

No more than he had thought that, was the flames visible just in front of them. And they were spreading quickly, as the fire went from tree to tree, spreading across the foliage on the ground. Flames reached the tops of the trees, engulfing them seconds after touching them.

Legolas pulled on the reins, halting Elbehad just feet from the raging fire and Aragorn stopped next to him, grey eyes wide in disbelief. They sat atop their mounts, all but frozen at the sight before them of the raging fire. The horses began neighing and shifting nervously to try and make their riders do something but sit staring.

"We need to get out of here! We will be surrounded if we stay!" Aragorn said quickly, looking at Legolas. He could see the look of pure horror and sorrow on his friend's face, and he had to reach over, gripping Legolas' shoulder and shaking him to get his attention. "Legolas! I am sorry about the trees, but there is nothing we can do for them now! It is too late! We cannot die here with them! Please, mellon nín, we have to go!"

It seemed Legolas finally managed to try and put out the sorrowful, horrific sounds of the trees dying as he turned his watery gaze onto his friend. But he still could not bring his mount to move. "We have to try and help them, Estel, we have to find a way to slow the fire!"

"We cannot!" Aragorn raised his voice and swept his hand behind them, the urgency in his voice just as apparent on his face. "If we stay we will die!" He gripped Legolas' arm firmly. "We cannot help them, we cannot stop this fire now! It is too out of control for us to slow it!" Aragorn tried to convince the elven prince.

If he had to, he would forcefully drag the elf out of the forest and across the river border into Rivendell. Even if he had to knock the elf out to do it. He would simply accept the elf's anger and upset later, when they were safe and sound.

But he would not have to do that today. Legolas loved the trees dearly, more than most elves, but he was not suicidal. The elven prince looked to Aragorn, tears still fresh in his eyes from both the smoke and the sorrow his heart felt at not being able to save this forest, and he nodded.

Just then, as the boughs above their heads caught fire, a dead branch close to falling already went aflame and came crashing down in front of Legolas' stallion Elbehad. The horse reared up, and the sudden action sent the elf flying back and into the ground with a hard thump. Frightened, Elbehad turned and bolted away from the roaring flames that lay in front of them.

"Legolas!" Aragorn turned his own stallion around and dismounted quickly, grabbing hold of the elf and looking at him with worry and for a brief moment the raging fire was forgotten in the back of his mind as concern for his friend overtook him.

Legolas got to his feet with Aragorn's help and shook his head. "I am fine. We must leave before it is too late. You are right, Estel, we cannot do anything." It truly broke the prince's heart to abandon the trees to a horrible fate, but he could not risk the life of his friend and Aragorn would not leave without him.

Relief flooded Aragorn and he nodded, quickly moving back and climbing back up into Roheryn's saddle. Legolas climbed up behind him and the human ranger turned his horse's head in the only direction the two could possibly escape through now, and with a hard kick of his heels his stallion charged into a hard gallop between the trees.

Thick smoke began filling the area as the flames leapt from tree to tree, and Legolas and Aragorn covered their mouths and noses with their cloaks, doing what they could to stop from coughing on the smoke. The flames had devoured the trees around them, reaching above them into the sky. The heat was more unbearable than the smoke itself, as it licked at their backs and from their sides, making it feel as if their exposed skin would burn off of them.

It was becoming a race against time, between the smoke they were breathing and the flames that had reached ahead of them by jumping trees. Legolas could barely stand the sound of the trees dying, and he silently prayed for their easy passing and forgiveness of not having the ability to stop the fire.

In the distance, he could hear the reply that the trees did not blame him, and it broke his heart all the more at this.

He tightened his grip on Aragorn, to which the ranger was glad for as he feared losing Legolas should the elf reconsider leaving the dying forest behind. He urged Roheryn faster, but the horse was soon overcome by the smoke and to his and Legolas' horror the beast collapsed, throwing both Legolas and Aragorn off.

So much smoke had filled the area, Roheryn had inhaled too much and now lay in a heap of coughing fits. Aragorn had the misfortune of landing face first into the ground, and Legolas atop him. He was silently thankful that the elf did not weigh much, but it still caused a sharp pain to the center of his body and he gasped as precious air left his lungs on impact.

Legolas was up and pulling Aragorn to his feet immediately, obvious concern for his friend. "I am sorry Estel, this is my fault. I should not have turned and led us toward the fire."

Aragorn shook his head quickly and gripped Legolas' shoulder. "We will talk about this when we are safe across the river!" He said, rushing back to Roheryn's aid and trying desperately to get the animal onto his feet. Legolas went and did the same, but the horse would not get back up and the flames that raged around them were eating up the foliage on the ground and greedily devouring the air around them to further swell.

"It is no use Legolas! We have to leave him!" Aragorn turned to leave, but stopped when Legolas took out his bow and notched an arrow, and after asking for forgiveness again he shot the animal in the heart, ending it's suffering instantly. Aragorn winced, but he was glad his elven friend had the sense to put Roheryn out of the misery of a painful death that was quickly approaching them as well if they did not leave.

The two then began to run, quite literally for their very lives.

Legolas, with his keen sense of direction, and his faster legs, was leading the two through the forest as quickly as he could, with Aragorn pulling up his rear close behind. Aragorn may have never run so fast in his young life, but this moment he was keeping up well with the elven prince.

The ranger might have been tempted to comment on that, if his lungs were not filling up with so much smoke while they ran, trying to get ahead of the flames that were quickly approaching from behind them. The smoke was so thick, and Aragorn was thankful that he was following an elf because he would surely have been turned around for his eyes watered with the smoke and he could hardly see ahead of him.

Legolas was struggling despite his sure footed pace, his heightened senses becoming overpowered by the flames and the smoke surrounding them. He glanced overhead just once, and he vowed not to do so again as all he seen was a raging blaze roaring across the treetops.

Branches began falling around them and they did what they could to dodge them, but the flames they were engulfed in were not so easy to evade. The branches seemed to burst into sparks of bright, burning embers and flames each time they fell, and the sparks landed many times on Aragorn and Legolas' exposed skin and sharply burned them.

The flames roaring around them was deafening and the heat the fire was emanating just seemed to spur the elf and ranger on faster. The whole forest seemed to have been engulfed by now, and the two friends were running the only path that was left open to them. And even Legolas was not sure how much farther it was to the safety of Rivendell's borders.

A branch engulfed in the fire fell but the elf could neither hear nor evade the large branch as it came falling atop him, knocking him to the ground and making Aragorn nearly go off balance while he tried stopping. "Legolas!" He yelled, his grey eyes widening in horror at the sight of his friend being under the burning branch.

The elf couldn't contain the cry of pain from the searing heat. The pain from the impact of the heavy branch itself was nothing compared to the heat of the fire that burned him instantly. Aragorn threw caution to the wind and he reached down, quick to pull the burning branch off his friend and burning his hands and arms at the same time.

He threw the branch quickly and knelt next to Legolas, throwing dirt from the ground on his friend to snuff out the fire as quick as he could manage. The elf winced and looked up at Aragorn, seeing the sweaty, sooty face of the human. He coughed several times as Aragorn helped him to his feet, both of them now struggling to breathe.

The healer in Aragorn was suppressed easily enough, he'd simply have to check Legolas' injuries later - if there was a later for them.

He took Legolas' arm and began running, and together they continued their flight for safety of the burning forest. Covering their mouths and noses with their forearms as they ran, neither could see where they were going anymore than putting one foot in front of the other as fast as they could.

And then the two were running out of the forest and into the river, cool water splashing them as they ran across the low stream. The water reached just to their knees and they waded quickly across to the other side, both collapsing as soon as they reached the shore. Aragorn and Legolas both were coughing hard, trying to clear their lungs of the smoke they had inhaled with the fresher air on the other side of the river.

When they finally got ahold of themselves, they looked over to one another, both silently checking the other for any signs of injuries. Aragorn was the first to sit up, still coughing but breathing easier. "I am fine Legolas," He said, knowing what the elf was thinking as he looked up at him. "But what about you? That branch hit you square on the back." He frowned and moved to check the elf.

But Legolas just shook his head and took hold of Aragorn's hand to stop him. "I am fine as well, Estel. It is not as bad as you think." He sat up slowly, and though he was pained from the action, he knew the wounds were not important. Instead he turned his gaze across the river, and his heart sank at the sight before them.

The entire forest was up in flames, the flames so high they seemed to be touching the sky. Dark smoke billowed out over top them, and it was difficult to even continue staring at the sight. For the human, it was the sheer amount of heat that burned his eyes, but for the elf it was because of the sadness he felt at knowing he'd failed to do anything.

"There was nothing you could do." Legolas suddenly looked up at Aragorn, again the man seeming to know what the elven prince was thinking. He stood up and reached his hand down for Legolas to take. "There was nothing you could have done, mellon nín. Do not blame yourself for this."

Legolas sighed quietly, coughing slightly as he looked at the hand offered to him. He seen the burns and he looked back up at Aragorn, guilt on his face and in his saddened blue-grey eyes. "You are hurt because of me. Had I not turned around, you would not have been burned. Roheryn would not have died. I may not be responsible for the forest fire, but I am for these things. Goheno nin..."

Aragorn grasped Legolas' wrist and pulled the elf up, then squeezed his shoulders while he looked him directly in the eyes. There was no hint of blame or upset in Aragorn's sharp grey eyes. "Legolas, you seen how fast that fire spread. Even if we had not turned around when we did, we may still not have escaped unscathed. These wounds will heal. And you had the mind to put Roheryn out of his misery. For that, I thank you."

The sound of hooves galloping their way made both of them turn their heads after a moment, and they saw the elves of Rivendell riding out toward them. No doubt to use their magic to swell the river and try to ease the flames or even put the fire out as much as they could.

Looking back at Aragorn, Legolas embraced him lightly, surprising the ranger but he soon enough returned the embrace. "I am the one that is thankful, thankful that you are still here with me. I could not have forgiven myself had you died."

Aragorn just smiled and patted Legolas' back. "Just consider us even for all the times you were injured because of some misadventure I got us into." He laughed as Legolas pulled back with a wry smirk on his sooty face. "Although I do hope I am not on the receiving end of any elven wrath you may have for the fact your hair is singed."

Legolas looked down at the strands of hair Aragorn gripped, and seen the singed ends where the flames from the branch that had landed on him burned some of his hair. He put on a mock show of horror and looked at Aragorn. Then he laughed with his best friend. "Just pray my hair has recovered before we return to Mirkwood for winter, because I do not believe there is any place in Middle-earth that could protect you from my father's wrath."

It was supposed to be a joke, but the horror on Aragorn's face was very much real at the images that comment conjured up in his mind. Legolas' musical laughter hardly reached the horrified ranger's ears.

Fin

A/N: I had to have some kind of light heartedness after that whole fiasco. XD But I hope it was enjoyable nonetheless! And don't forget, reviews are always appreciated and very motivating. :)
Namárië.