Forever Afternoon
Chapter Seven
Word Count: 3,290
Rating/Disclaimer/Summary: Same as chapter 1, really
Author's Note: I was going to have the confrontation between Varyar and Gollum when they were back in Greenwood, but it fit well here, and I thought it best to leave it here. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you see it,) going for Gollum is only the beginning of the story, and there is quite a road ahead of Legolas and Aragorn as everyone knows.

Legolas does make a brief reference to what is detailed in All Things Great and Small, but it's a quick one and easy to miss.

Threats and Possibilities

"I know I told Mithrandir that I would try and remember that I know nothing of Gollum, but if I am with him much longer, I think I will kill him," Legolas said in a low whisper, glancing toward the prisoner he had just finished tying to the tree for a moment's peace. He could not believe how that one hissed and spit and acted as though he was evil for wanting some assurance that it would not try to kill them both in their sleep.

Estel nodded, his eyes studying the wretch as though he tried and failed to summon pity for it. "It is reasonable. He did try to kill you first."

That was an experience that neither of them would forget. Few things were able to sneak past an elf's senses, and too many had of late. He knew the cause of this one, though, and it was no twisted Maia. He had been overwhelmed by the dead marches, by what he saw and felt and senses around him. The land was corrupted, one of the most unholy and foul places that Legolas had ever visited in in all his life, and seeing it had made him sick in spirit as well as in body to a minor degree. He had felt something there that made him want to leave, and it had been that unsettling atmosphere, that overwhelming sense of wrongness that had kept him from noticing the creature that slunk up behind him.

Legolas rubbed at his neck. For such a small, twisted thing, Gollum was strong and vicious. The bruises on his neck did not seem to want to fade. "I think we should—"

"It burns us, burns," Gollum screeched, trying to pull himself free from the tree. "Get it off us. Get it off. It burns."

Estel shook his head. "You cannot be trusted. We have tried to be reasonable with you—we asked you to come with us calmly, to answer some of our questions, but you attacked us instead. You will be bound until we reach Mithrandir."

Legolas grimaced. That would be a long time to listen to the creature scream. They did not even know that the Istari would still be in his father's palace when they returned. Mithrandir wandered, and he could be anywhere now.

"Burns!"

"Perhaps we should gag it," Legolas said, touching his ear. "I do not know that we have another option. Neither of us will be able to stand the noise it is making, and we still have dangerous ground to cover between here and my father's land."

Estel nodded. "He does want to provoke us to violence, if not outright murder. Or perhaps that is only me."

"I do know that you are my most valiant protector," Legolas began, a slight smile crossing his face as he remembered a certain promise in a dark cave that made the man groan at his choice of words, "but it was me he attacked, as we just discussed, so it is not only you that is provoked."

Estel grimaced. "We did just discuss that. Why did I—"

"Fatigue. You have not taken much rest since we set out from my father's palace. I think you hoped to find Gollum quickly, and so you pushed us to as fast a speed as you knew we could both sustain as long as we did. Then we detoured to the village to investigate what the trees told me, and you did not want that to add much time to our journey, so you increased our pace."

"It is little wonder I found so little to track if I kept rushing us that way," the ranger grumbled, and Legolas would have laughed if their quarry had not started screaming about how his bonds burned him again. He sighed. He did not want to have to bind the creature, but it did seem as though every time they tried to let him have some leniency, he attacked them.

"I think it is best that you rest now, Estel. We have done as we were asked, and this journey is still a long one. We will need all our strength for our return. I will keep watch, and next time it will be your turn."

"Very well," Estel agreed. "First let me find something to gag it with."

"They have the creature."

"Yes, but I do not need your senses to know that it plans to harm them when it can," Firyavaryar said, watching over the camp that the man had made. He was not surprised to see that the ranger had succumbed to the fatigue at last—Varyar himself was struggling with the pace that the man had demanded for most of the journey. He was relieved to have a minor respite, though he felt a storm coming, and when it began, this would not be a respite at all.

"True. It would do anything to escape, I believe." Nostalion looked back at the camp. "We are too close again."

"I know. I wanted to confirm something I noticed earlier when that thing tried to escape."

"And have you confirmed it?"

Varyar gave his companion a sharp nod. He might not have the greatest vision of any elf there was, and he felt certain that Nostalion's was better even without his added ability, but even without that, he had been able to get a good enough look at what he wanted to see. "They recovered his knives."

"What are you talking—wait." Nostalion frowned. "You mean the prince's knives? You think those are the same ones he had before Ogol took him?"

"I know they are," Varyar corrected, getting a suspicious look from his gwador. "They were a special set that his father gave him. He offered me one like them once."

"The king wanted to give you weapons of that quality and ancestry once? And you refused them? What kind of an idiot are you?"

"My role in those events was exaggerated. Beridhren had already injured the orc that almost killed Legolas, and I did not do much to it. Thranduil was acting out of a misplaced sense of gratitude—he would have been devastated if he had lost his son so soon after losing his wife—and he did not like me much aside from that incident. He would have regretted giving me anything—and I would have lost them by now," Firyavaryar said, shaking his head. Everything he had when he was captured and taken to Draugminaion was gone. He had never recovered it. "Still, I know those knives. I knew Legolas would want them back."

"And he has them. Are you somehow disappointed?"

"No, I am not," Varyar said. He looked over at Nostalion. "I told you that Ogol claimed he had taken Draugminaion. That he bragged to Legolas about it and showed him as a part of his torture. I did bite Ogol. Either the poison is not in my saliva, or he had a cure for it."

"You think that if the wood elves recovered his weapons they might also have recovered the information on the cure."

"Yes."

"Then when we return to Greenwood, you want to look for it," Nostalion said, and Firyavaryar nodded again. That was what he planned on doing when they reached Thranduil's kingdom again. "We can. We will. However, I suggest we do that now rather than later."

Varyar frowned. "You are suggesting that we leave them?"

"We have gained your friend's attention more than once already. If he continues to notice our presence, either he or that ranger will track us. They are not complete fools. They will know we are nearby. Even with that thing with us, Legolas will be able to smell you."

"Excuse me?"

Nostalion grunted. "We have been trailing them for weeks now, and we have not had many opportunities for either of us to bathe, even when we were following the river."

Varyar grimaced. "The river was not a convenient place to stop—

"Convenient? There could have been no more convenient place." Nostalion shook his head. "Who would have believed that the great Varyar, protector of all, was afraid of a bit of water?"

"I am not afraid of water. I did not want to go in the river because I do not think that whatever it is in the fabric that holds back the poison would be able to keep doing so when it is wet. There is a good reason why I do not go swimming."

"Because you are afraid of water."

"I am not."

"You are."

"We are too far in front of them."

Nostalion grunted. "I do not think so. We should go and gather the others and be gone before they return."

Firyavaryar sighed. In part, he agreed with that. He would rather remove his sister and brother and the new baby from Greenwood before Legolas returned and tried to persuade them to stay. He should not—they were safer there, and it was good for them to be in a place that was safe. He should want them to be within the borders of Greenwood. That was better for them.

It was not for him, and he struggled with that. He would not be able to be close to his family, and that would hurt him, but he had always done what was best for them.

"You and the others are welcome there. You can stay."

Nostalion frowned. "You are not suggesting that you leave us, are you? I have no desire to remain in Greenwood, even if Sérëdhiel likes it there. I do not share your fond memories of the place, and I do not like being where my 'uncle' is."

"Perhaps Imladris is a better choice."

"You would not feel welcome there, either, and—"

"What was that?" Firyavaryar asked, turning around to try and determine the source of the cry. He thought they had gagged the creature Gollum, and he did not blame them for that as it screeched in the most infuriating of ways, but that did not mean that Gollum had not made that noise.

"Your friend is unconscious."

"And the man?"

"Further south. Uninjured. He must have been scouting or hunting while Legolas watched over the creature. I cannot be certain. That is not how my ability works." Nostalion looked at him. "No. Let them reclaim that thing on their own. The ranger can track. We have seen that. Let him do it. It is no concern of ours."

"It is a concern of mine," Firyavaryar told him, moving forward. "Besides, that thing is coming toward us. It is only practical to stop it here."

Nostalion grunted. He would have argued about it, but Varyar did not give him the opportunity. He could smell Gollum from here, and he had no intention of letting that thing escape, especially not if it had harmed Legolas.

He stepped out right in front of Gollum, causing it to run into his legs. It backed up with a screech, baring its teeth when it saw Nostalion had flanked it. Already trapped. This was almost too easy, Varyar thought, but then he expected no less of the former assassin.

He smiled. "And where do you think you are going, ulunn?"

The small being hissed at him, and Varyar dodged when it leapt for his throat as it had done Legolas when it was first captured. He let it fall and caught its arm with his boot, holding it down in place. "You would not want to do that. You touch me and die, wretch."

The creature spat at him. "Filthy elf."

"Yes," he said, leaning down to pick up some grass and hold it in front of the being's eyes. He pulled off a glove and let his skin graze the blades, aware that Gollum was staring at him as he did. The grass wilted, shriveling up in his hand, and he smiled. "That is what will happen to you if you try and escape again."

"You should just kill him."

Varyar nodded. "Perhaps, Nostalion, and I am inclined to do so since he did attack Legolas—twice now—but they have done all this and kept him alive, so as long as they want him alive, he stays that way. Unless he attacks the elf again. Do that, ulunn, and you will die."

"Nasty elves. We hates them."

"I am certain you do, and I am just as certain that we hate you," Varyar said, smiling as he turned to Nostalion. "I am tempted to let him run so that he knows that no matter where he goes, you can find him. That he will be hunted down and killed if he harms anyone in Greenwood."

"All of my training says not to bother. He should die."

"Yes, I think he should, but all I can hear in my head is that damned Istari's voice telling me that he has a part yet to play in Middle Earth. He lives. For now."

Nostalion grunted, and Firyavaryar did not want to argue with him again. He knew that they had done what had to be done—stopped the creature from escaping while the others slept, and he did not expect the assassin's opinion. Varyar himself thought there was something dangerous about this thing, this Gollum, but he did not know that they could kill him. Not yet.

"I think the one he hit is almost awake," Nostalion said, and Varyar nodded. Legolas was an elf, and it was likely he had only been stunned when Gollum managed his unexpected attack.

"Well, then, I suppose we should get this one back where it belongs," Varyar said, waiting for Nostalion to remove his dagger before he let Gollum up.

"Here. I think it planned on eating this."

Varyar took the dead rabbit from Nostalion, lifting it up with distaste. He did not know when it had a chance to kill the hare, but that would explain the escape. Hunger was a great motivation. The rabbit had not stood a chance. Gollum tried to jump for it, but then he recoiled as the poison spread through the carcass, speeding up its decomposition. "There you are, ulunn. A nice meal."

"Filthy elves. You ruins it. We hates you."

"Remember that could have been you," Varyar told him, dropping the hare. "And will be you if you harm Legolas again. Do we understand each other?"

Gollum hacked, coughing. "Understand, yes, we does, precious, understand. We hates the filthy elves. We obey the filthy elves."

"I still think we should have killed him," Nostalion muttered, and Firyavaryar nodded. If he was not trying to atone for past mistakes, he might well have let the assassin do it.

"There may still come a time when that is necessary. If it is, I think I will let you use your dagger. That would be far more merciful than what he would get from me."

"You will not be leaving Greenwood then."

"Not as long as that thing is there, no. I will see to it he dies if Legolas is harmed."

"How is your head?"

"Less wounded than my pride," Legolas admitted, and Aragorn managed a slight smile. The elf reached up to touch the mark with a grimace. "I told Gollum that we would eat as soon as you returned, and he seemed to agree. He asked for water, and I did not expect the attack. I should have."

"I am just glad he did not get far. I did not want to have to chase him." Aragorn shook his head. "I will be glad when this journey is over."

"We are close now. I can feel it, and I welcome being back in my home," Legolas said, drawing in a breath with a smile. "I know someone else will not welcome it."

Aragorn almost laughed. He did not think he would be able to forget the way that Gollum said "filthy elves." He did not know that Gollum understood that he was not an elf. He only spoke of how much he hated the elves. That would have worried Aragorn, making him think that he would not be able to protect Legolas from another attack, but so far, Gollum had made no attempt to touch him.

In fact, Aragorn thought Gollum was afraid of Legolas.

Aragorn was almost glad that he was. That had made the second part of their journey more pleasant than the first. They had far less trouble with him when Legolas was the one to move him or feed him. Controlling him was easier, and that had to be for the best. Perhaps Mithrandir had known that was going to happen when he asked Legolas to come with Aragorn.

Crafty wizard. Aragorn knew that he would never stop being surprised by the Istari.

"I admit, I was hoping that Mithrandir would meet us before we got to Mirkwood," Aragorn told him. He was tired and dirty and ready to be rid of their burden. Gollum would try even the calmest of elves' patience—he almost wanted to see what his ada would have done with the creature. That would have been interesting.

"As would I, but perhaps he is otherwise occupied."

"Legolas!"

The elf turned, grimacing when he saw the head of his personal guard standing there. "Ehtyarion. I am glad you are here. Though you did not need a full regiment for my sake. I know that I wandered off without you or your approval—without Ada's approval—but this is unnecessary."

"I was told to use caution when it came to that thing," Ehtyarion said, giving Gollum a look of distaste. "I do not see the danger in it, as it looks so wretched, but I was warned, and I would have been remiss to ignore that warning."

Mithrandir. It must have been.

Legolas sighed. "How did you even know where to meet us?"

"My nephew told me where you were."

"Nostalion is here?" Legolas asked, excitement in his voice. Aragorn wanted to groan. "How long has he been here?"

"That is debatable. He comes and goes with more stealth than any elf I have ever known," Ehtyarion answered. "He came, he left, he came back, and I believe he will leave again soon, taking them all with him."

"Them all?" Legolas turned back to Aragorn with a grin. "Estel, it is here! I mean, she is here. The baby the trees told me about, she is still here."

"You are acting like an elfling."

"I think it is understandable. It has been a long time since we have had a gwinig in this land, and her presence has been a delight to all of us," Ehtyarion said with an uncharacteristic smile. "Perhaps she should have been called Estel."

Aragorn frowned. "I think you are—"

"Insulting you? Perhaps he is. Perhaps he is saying Estel is a girl's name," Legolas teased, and Aragorn glared at him. The elf put a hand on his arm. "Peace, mellon-nín. We are back in my home—we are home—and let us go and enjoy it. Ehtyarion will take Gollum, you and I can have a real rest and bathe—you stink, by the way—and go see a bit of hope. You and her—you should meet. We can all use more hope as these times grow darker."

"Yes," Aragorn agreed, thinking of the many tasks that might yet lie before them, especially if they were going to find the ring. They would have to find it and destroy it, and only the first part of that journey was over. A long road was still ahead of them.