A/N: Ah, here we have the last summer update of Curse of the Mary-Sue… Seems like summer went by so fast…Anyway, we thought we'd give the poor Fellowship (and Will, Elizabeth and Co.) a break for a while and torment everyone's favorite elf instead. (grins maniacally) Actually, wait… I don't think there's really any Legolas abuse, or really a whole lot of humor in this chapter…(sighs) But it had to be this way. Anyway, enjoy! (don't you worry, weirdness and all-around Fellowship and pirate mistreatment shall resume next chapter – we promise!)

Disclaimer: We don't own any of these wonderful people or places. Except Grimluck, the painfully stereotyped dwarf. Oh, how we love you, Grimluck!

Chapter Ten: Yay, Faramir!

Legolas Greenleaf was perturbed. He had been searching the Halls of Mandos for the Fellowship of the Ring (and more specifically, Gimli) for quite a while now. The walkers normally congregated in Hall #3017, along with such people as Eomer, Faramir, Imrahil, Eowyn, Lothiriel, Bilbo and some odd number of hobbits – the usual crew. But today (and yesterday, and many days before that) he had not found them in Hall #3017, or any other Hall. He was beginning to feel frustrated, and a tad concerned. He irritably left the Hall he had been searching -- #2569 – and proceeded into the next hall down, Hall #2571.

Apparently this Hall was being used for a party of sorts. There were a hundred or so men, and a handful of dwarves, all drinking deeply from mugs of ale. Sounds of laughter and back-slapping filled the room as war stories of all kinds were exchanged. Legolas carefully weaved through the crowd, trying to avoid getting splattered with ale as he passed. He scanned tops of heads as he went, looking for someone familiar. Gimli would be hard to pick out of the crowd, he decided, since he was so much shorter than the men, so Legolas tried to find the dark heads of either Aragorn or Faramir. But he quickly realized that would not work, as the group gathered here were all Gondorian, and ALL of them had dark hair. And he could see no bright heads of gold that might announce the presence of either Eomer or Eowyn. He was about to give the search of this Hall up for a lost cause, when he felt a hand on his arm.

"You looking for someone, laddy?"

For a moment Legolas thought he had finally found his best friend, and turned, hoping to see the aggravatingly smug face of Gimli looking up at him. Instead, staring blearily into his face was a half-drunk roseate-d dwarf that most certainly was not Gloin's son.

"Well, yes. I am," Legolas finally said, peering over the dwarf's head as he spoke. In his frustrated state, he felt like simply ignoring the dwarf and proceeding with his search. But he knew that would be exceedingly rude, and he didn't really need to add to the list of grievances that Dwarves harbored against the Elves. He sighed resignedly. Perhaps this Dwarf may even be able to aid me in my search, he added to himself, but his hopes were not high. "I'm searching for a group of about seven: two Gondorians, four Halflings, and a dwarf." Of course, if the Fellowship was around, there would be many more people with them than that, but since the seven walkers were really the "core" group, Legolas decided his much shortened list would suffice.

The Dwarf (who's name was Grimluck) considered for a moment, then answered, "No I don't think I have seen them." Of course not, Legolas thought, feeling even more irritated. "But have you seen my ring?" the dwarf added. "I must have dropped it somewhere…" Grimluck trailed off and took a swig from his (literally) bottomless tankard of ale he held.

"No, I'm sorry, I haven't," Legolas answered distractedly. "Well, I really must be going." Rude or not, Legolas decided he was ready to finish the conversation and continue on with his search. He gave the dwarf a quick nod goodbye, waited until he received a farewell grunt in return, and began to hastily depart from the ale-smelling room. He doubted the dwarf was sober enough to notice that he had received a small snub. Legolas glanced over his shoulder one last time as he exited the Hall, and sure enough, Grimluck looked more concerned with searching the floor for his lost ring (and stumbling about drunkenly as he did so) than he did about unkind elves. Good. Mayhap he will not remember talking to me at all. Legolas turned his head forward just in time to stop himself from running into a dark-haired man who was just entering the room.

"Faramir?" Legolas asked incredulously. Had he finally found his query? But no, none of the others followed the ex-Prince of Ithilien…

"Legolas! What are you doing here?"

"Searching for the Fellowship. Have you seen any of them?"

Faramir shook his head. "No, I haven't seen Gimli," he answered the unspoken but obvious question. "Nor Aragorn, Pippin, or any of the other walkers. Eowyn, some of the others and I have finally started a search through the Halls." Legolas felt slightly miffed that they had not tried to find him to inform him of this "search", but didn't feel in any mood to discuss it. And knowing Faramir, there probably were several good reasons behind it, which he would ask for after they had found Gimli, Aragorn and the rest. If we find them, a cynical little voice in his head said.

"How long have you been searching?"

"Oh…a few years. We would have told you and asked you come to aid us, but we could not find you. We looked in Hall 3017 for you every day for a few years, but you didn't come. Perhaps you were visiting your siblings for a while? Anyway, we finally gave up checking 3017 and hoped we would find you when we found the others." Legolas considered for a moment. Yes, he had visited his brothers and sisters not too long ago…hadn't he? Time is so difficult to track here... In any case, he had his answer and felt slightly less agitated. He shook himself from his thoughts.

"Have you checked the shore? Aragorn goes there sometimes to see if Arwen might come that way. And mayhap the other went with him?" He knew that the idea of the others following Aragorn was a stupid idea the moment he said it. It was pretty much understood among the Fellowship that Aragorn needed to be alone for such moments.

"Yes, Lord Imrahil checked that a few months ago, I believe. Nothing. Except that I believe Lord Erestor of Rivendell has arrived," he added.

"He has? Where is he now?"

"With Lord Elrond, if I am not mistaken."

"But Aragorn and the rest were not there to greet him?"

"No."

Legolas frowned as he processed this new information. Aragorn would not have missed the arrival of the elven lord if he could help it. He sighed and turned to Faramir.

"Which Halls were you searching?"

"2501 through 3000. Each of us took about 500 Halls to search. When we finish, we plan to meet again at Hall 3017."

Legolas nodded. "Which Halls are not being searched?"

"I believe no one has searched past 10,000 or looked in any of the newer Halls."

"Then I shall search them and then meet you at 3017. Farewell!"

"Farewell."