Well, guys, thanks for sticking with me! I hope that HORRIBLE pause between Nefredal and now was worth the wait. ;) A BIG thanks to all of you for reviewing this fic; it meant and awful awful lot to me. :) And I PROMISE the wait between now and the next fic will NOT be nearly as long. I've all ready gotten a fair ways into the next one, so I'm very hopeful. ;)

And now the responses:

Vicki Turner: heh-heh, sorry if I'm confusing ya. ;) No, you're not supposed to know who it is that's trying to kill Edren. (Kiera Knightly voice): It's allll a mystery. :P

Deana: Thanks once again for your Elvish help and reviewing support. :D I'm glad you've had a good time reading. ::squeeeezee::

Sielge: Thanks yet again, mate! :bounce: loved reading your avid reviews. :D

Firn: Hannon le DOZENS of times for your reviews, Firn. They're always fun to read, and make me grin like and idiot. ;) LOL! And yes, there WILL be Aragorn angst in the next fic, me promise. ;) Thanks again, girl! God Bless!

Isadora: LOL! Ooh gosh, I'm sorry about that! I usually use asterisks for italics, but FFN doesn't let them through. Bold text is an easy fall-back. Anyways, I'm VERY sorry about that, really it doesn't look that bad on my WORD processor, in fact you can't even see it very well, and I'm terribly sorry if it's driving you nuts. ::blush:: But thanks so much for reading! I'm very glad you like it so much. :)

Cassia: LOL! Yes, capturing someone like the Lord of Rivendell can end up being unrealistic-ish as it is, if not handled well. Forgetting that :doye: he has Vilya would just be icing on a poorly-written cake. ;) LOL! Thanks so much for reviewing, Cassia, it means a lot to know you've had the time to read it. ::grin:: o' course, I need to skidaddle off and do my Cell #8 reviews still…;) LOL!

Beregond: Hey, great idea! :D LOL! Yes, that 'bare' and 'bear' has umn- got to stop. ;) ::giggle:: Thanks for pointing it out, mate! And a huge hannon le for your reviews. :) I'm so glad that not only do you see the plot, but the words and even the flaws. Believe it or not, it's VERY handy to know what's wrong with my writing, cause I'm never going to be able to WRITE otherwise. ;) So thanks so much Beregond. And I'm VERY glad you enjoyed reading! ::hugs::

Leralonde: LOL! No, you didn't forget a thing. You just don't KNOW yet. ::secretive nod:: :P Thanks so much for reading, Lera, I'm VERY glad you've had fun with it- I have too. ;)

Dark Borg Drone: Hannon le, mellon-nin! I'm very pleased with how much you enjoyed it! I hope you try a hand at LOTR fanficing someday, so I can read it. ;)

Arayelle Lynn: Confused? Sorry. Umn- YEAH! Yeah blame it on the Bengwiil, atta-girl. ;) LOL! Thanks for reading, mate!

Elvin Girl: It's been super getting your reviews, mellon-nin. Really. :D You always have something bouncy to say. Thanks so VERY much for that! Write non-stop? Well- doesn't that just SOUND like me? :D ::glances at the HUGE distance between Nefredal and Ranimar:: ya know what don't answer that… ;) lol!

LegolasLover: LOL! Moulin Rouge…one I never did see, though a few of my friends think that's crazy. ;) Hannon le for your reviews, LL, it's been great having your theories, and getting your ideas. Thanks so much!

Maranwe: ::blush:: there goes my anti-spelling getting the better of me… ;) Thanks for helping me, Marawen, really. I'm very glad that there are people who pay more attention to words than I do- I wish I did, though. ;) So I can't thank you enough for reviewing, I'm thrilled to bouncing pieces that you liked it!…yuck. Nasty metaphor. :P ::squeezes Maranwe:

Legolyn Fay Greenleaf: WAH! Where'd the blue tongue come from?! Oh- oh yeah. ::giggle:: Yes, well, I find that most blue candy does that to you. But Blue Raspberry Jolly Ranchers are THE worst. ;) Thanks for posting, mate! Hope to see ya around!

WELL, everyone! Last chapter. Thanks once again, it's been great fun posting with you. ;) And I'll see you late 2004/early 2005, I hope.

-Chloe

And here 'goes…!

Chapter 14

Ranîmär

It was one, short blur of vision and thought. Legolas was off his horse one second, and in the dirt, on top of Edren the next. And SHWOOONT! an arrow landed just inches away from where the two friends lay.

Edren and Legolas both shot to their feet, ready for battle. Aragorn had all ready turned Horthor around, and was firing arrows into the bushes with his small bow. Edren began to do the same, and Legolas stooped down to examine the arrow.

It was elven.

"Edren, there is an elf in there," Legolas breathed disbelievingly, as he too loaded his bow for action. Edren and Aragorn both ceased fire, and the clearing rang with silence once more.

"An elf?" Edren repeated urgently, and Aragorn's head snapped around at the comment.

"Yes, this is no orc arrow." He held the weapon that nearly took Edren's life for the elf's inspection.

"Who would possibly want to kill Edren?" Aragorn whispered, his eyes now searching the woods again.

"I know not," Legolas shook his head, and threw the arrow away, re-stringing his own. "But let us find out. Suilad!" he cried into the shadowed trees. "I know you are one of the firstborn, and I know you mean harm to us. Ed-teli!"

'come out!'

It was as though the lack of response taunted Legolas, laughed at him for daring it to stop. He gritted his teeth, and with a sideways glance at Aragorn, repeated, "Ed-teli, lutha!"

'come out, now!'

And still, there was no response. Not so much as a bowstring tightening. It was unnerving, but Legolas was determined not to admit that to himself. His mind was reaching out again, hoping to find that someone's thoughts again, but he couldn't seem to grasp it. All he could feel was the unnerving familiarity with whoever it was.

Then, at last, there was sound. A twig snapped just behind Aragorn. He whirled Horthor around quickly, and shot. His, Edren's and Legolas' arrows all found the same mark, and a gnarled-looking orc tumbled out of the undergrowth.

And all hell broke loose.

Three orcs stepped out of the shadows, just behind the dead one, and rushed at Edren and Legolas. Aragorn would have assisted, but he had to turn swiftly around on his horse again, and start shooting at the barrage that exploded from just over his shoulder.

He fired arrow after arrow into them, but they seemed to simply keep coming. At last, it was too close-range, and he drew his sword, slicing them down one-by-one from his vantage-point on Horthor's back.

Legolas and Edren were doing well, they had managed to keep the steady flow of orcs just ahead of them away with arrows. And now, while Edren kept shooting, Legolas drew his knives, and attacked the ones that got too close.

It was a good set up, with Aragorn felling just enough of them to protect the elves' backs, and Edren and Legolas easily fending off the ones coming from the front. Too easy, in fact. Had the three not been so busy holding off the steady flow of orcs, they may have thought of that, and worried.

But as it was, it took roughly ten minutes to ward off the orcs, and then, almost instantly, they stopped coming. It was then that Legolas, Edren and Aragorn got to worrying. "Where are they?" Legolas whispered uneasily, as the last orc fell dead, with no comrades behind him.

"They can't all be dead," Aragorn stated, and Edren nodded quickly in agreement, his keen eyes scanning the forest for the third time. "And where is that elf?" he added, and the question seemed to turn the air cold. It was the feeling of following someone else's plan to the letter.

Something was about to go very, very wrong…

It did.

Out of the forest, from all sides, stepped perhaps a hundred orcs, all with weapons drawn. On impulse, Legolas, Edren and Aragorn shot several down, but the rest kept coming without flinching.

"Can we win?" Legolas murmured, as Aragorn tried to hush Horthor's nervous shuffling.

Edren shook his head and sighed. "We can try."

As one, they began to fire in three different directions. One by one, the orcs fell under the elven arrows, and still the living ones pressed steadily forward.

"Aragorn!"

Horthor was beginning to buck wildly, despite Aragorn's urgent whisperings, and it was making it harder for him to fire into the orcs. Legolas was forced to jump behind him, felling the orc that was attempting to stab Aragorn in the thigh.

After the orc fell dead, and Aragorn nodded unspoken thanks, and took up the fight once more, Legolas made a grab for the small object that the orc had tried to wound Aragorn with.

"It's a salab dart," Legolas muttered anxiously to Edren, once he sided him again, and began firing. "They're not trying to kill us."

Edren risked a glance at Legolas, and then shot an orc nearly just in front of him.

"Dartho!"

The clearing rang, and echoed with several stray arrows, before Aragorn, Edren and Legolas stopped firing, for the orcs had frozen in their steps. Three pairs of eyes jumped around the surrounding forest, in search of the new voice.

"Lay down your weapons, the three of you." It was a deep commanding voice, and seemed to be coming from just behind the three of them. Legolas spun around, yet in search of its source.

"Surrender, and I will not kill you."

Legolas' mouth opened to reply, when he felt Edren tense beside him, and turned quickly around once more. All the orcs they had killed thus far…were rising from the ground. Well, not all of them. There were some with arrows protruding from their necks, or their heads that did not rise. The rest, however, were coming nearer and nearer, weapons raised.

"Lay down your weapons!" the voice shouted dangerously. "Lutha!"

now!

Slowly, carefully, Edren and Legolas put their bows down on the ground. "And your knives, Legolas, as well as Edren's boot-knife," the voice continued, conversationally. The two complied, and heard Aragorn's sword and bow clatter to the ground.

It took an unexpected while, for every time they shed another weapon, the voice would call the name and location of some other hidden defense. How he knew about all these, Legolas had no idea, but it was unnerving. Even so, the companions did their best to make it a struggle, laying down each weapon at the absolute slowest rate…but no solutions were coming to mind, during these delays.

Oh, surely there was an alternative to captivity…

At last, the hidden elf (for the three of them had easily surmised that was who was speaking from the trees) ordered Aragorn to dismount his horse and stand beside Legolas and Edren. He did.

"Good good," the voice approved, and it was now much closer. Legolas guessed he'd finally entered the clearing. "Turn around and I shall kill you," he went on, still with a sort of hospitable tone. "Now, Legolas. Tell me, what are you doing in these woods at a time like this? The orcs are rampant, you know."

"I know," Legolas responded, just as easily, "but we came to seek Lord Elrond."

"Lord Elrond?" the response was surprised. "Is the Lord of Rivendell in these woods?"

Leoglas was not fooled. "Aye, and might I trouble you to inquire where you've taken him? It's quite important to us, you see."

"That I can understand, young prince, but I fear I have no idea what you are talking about."

Perhaps if I duck quickly to avid the arrow, I can spin and attack him before he can shoot… Legolas' mind mused. But what if the arrow is in fact aimed at Estel or Edren? Perhaps he doesn't wish to kill me, and would shoot one of them instead… there had to be a way out of this. It seemed silly for there to be no course of action they could take.

Every trap had a hole, right?

"All right, Legolas, answer me something else. Why should I not kill you?"

The sound of a bow tightening resonated about the clearing, and Legolas felt both friends tense on either side of him. "No reason," he answered easily. "Only, if you do, it will be your own problem afterwards. I am King Thranduil's son, you know."

"Yes, I'd heard that, prince," the voice retorted silkily. "Aren't you afraid of dying?"

"No."

"Not at all?"

"Not a bit." Aragorn had to admire how Legolas' voice held no trace of fear, considering the human could feel the prince shaking from head to foot.

The cold point of an arrow flexed suddenly against the back of Legoals' neck, causing him to flinch painfully, and his breath to catch in his throat on impulse.

"I see," the other responded in an infuriatingly intentional tone, tugging a stupid guffaw out of some of the closest orcs.

"What do you want?" Aragorn asked quickly, trying to drag the focus off of Legolas for at least a moment, for his pride, if not his life's sake.

"What do I want, fier? What makes you think that you would understand that?"

Aragorn couldn't resist rolling his eyes slightly, as the voice drawled on for a memorized moment. Between the snide commenting and the battle-of-wits banter, maybe they would have enough time to escape…

"No elf could understand half of what I want, no human could understand a fragment of what I want, and you could never begin to try. Take their weapons."

There was a loud shuffling, as several orcs moved forward, claiming the elven and human weapons, as well as Horthor, and bearing them off to the side to dispute over. The rest of them closed in on the three companions.

"What I want, fier, is the king's halls," the voice went on in an easy way. "I won't prattle on about just how I intend to obtain them, because, just now you and both your friends are trying to think up a way of escape, and I don't really want you to find one. Kneel, the three of you, and hold out your wrists."

As usual, there was a prideful moment of hesitation, but they complied at last, Aragorn being the first to swallow it and kneel, Edren and Legolas following. And, to none of their surprise, a few of the orcs pressed forward with ropes, binding the wrists of each.

"Right, that's better," the voice continued lazily.

Legolas' mind was fighting to recognize the elf's voice. He chanced a glance at Aragorn, and could tell that the human was trying to discover that as well. He wanted so badly just to spin around and see, but didn't dare risk the lives of his friends, if not his own. He glanced at Edren as well, hoping that his peripheral vision would help him out, but everything behind him was dark.

"I'll make this simple," the elf said at last. He must have motioned to the orcs, because they instantly started to move again.

Two sprang on Aragorn, knocking him to the ground, and pinning his bound hands to his chest. Edren was piled on by two as well, but one clung to each arm, holding him to his knees instead. Legolas almost flinched to the side to avoid them, but two of the orcs latched onto him as well, one grabbing his left shoulder, and one his bound wrists.

The three of them instantly began to fight, but Aragorn had the horrible feeling that whoever this elf was, he somehow knew they were going to do it, because neither he nor the orcs seemed too concerned. After all, they had about a hundred orcs for backup…it was all ready a losing battle.

Legolas thrashed back and forth, nearly dislodging the first orc from his shoulder, but just as he made to stand up and shake the second one, a huge behemoth of an orc ran almost out of nowhere, and slammed two huge fists down on both the prince's shoulders.

All breath was knocked from Legolas' lungs, and he went temporarily slack, giving the three of the orcs time to take hold of him. His eyes flicked blearily to Edren at his right. The elf had given a pretty good fight, it seemed, because there was a third orc clinging onto him now.

Aragorn struggled his best, but one orc straddled his back, grimy hands slamming the human's shoulders into the ground every time he tried to resist, while the other was attempting to tie the thrashing man's legs together.

"Since you can't see me," the elf's voice echoed loudly over the slowing chaos, "I'll just tell you that I am four paces behind young Prince Legolas, here, and my arrow is trained on his back. Right about where his heart is beating."

The frank statement made Aragorn's adrenaline shoot up another notch, and he gave another shot at bucking the orc off of him, but the being was stubborn, and cuffed the human soundly across the back of head, causing Aragorn's vision to blur for a moment.

There was a long pause as first Aragorn, then Legolas, and finally Edren stopped struggling.

"What do you want?" Legolas asked wearily, feeling bruises all ready forming on his forearms and shoulders where the three orcs were clinging as though for dear life. Their claws had all ready drawn blood in several places.

"As I said before, Prince, I will make this easy for you. Tell me where the tunnel is that leads into the king's bedroom, or I will kill you. And," he added quickly, with the tone of an important detail, "I will kill you, Prince Legolas Greenleaf, make no mistake."

And the prince's mouth slammed resolutely shut.

Another moment of painful silence. "Where is the tunnel, Legolas?"

Legolas' lips remained stoically tight, as both his friends knew they would.

"Will you tell me, Legolas?"

"No."

"What?"

There was more of a pause this time, and then, with all the courageous intention he could manage, Legolas repeated, "No, I will not tell you."

"I see." A twig snapped, and it sounded like the elf was backing up a step, to better his position. "I will ask you one more time, Legolas, and you have the count to nelde."

"I will not tell you."

"Er," the elf counted dangerously.

Aragorn's heart tensed inside him as he watched his friend- and then he felt clawed hands snake into his hair, and snap his head to the side. The human's body seemed to shock at the sudden movement, and his heart screamed. He struggled, but each time, the orc smacked the side of his head against the hard earth, and pressed it there again, causing stars to spark in front of his vision.

He couldn't see Legolas! The orc was turning his head away from Legolas! "Let go!" he whispered hoarsely, not exactly expecting it to work, and so it didn't. He jerked and bucked, managing to swing his gaze at Legolas now and then, only to feel it snapped to the side once more. He didn't want to see Legolas die, but what cruelty was this, not to allow him to see his friend alive one last time?

It seemed a little too intelligent for an orc…and then, for a brief moment, Aragorn could have sworn he felt the strange elf's eyes on him. They were smiling slightly. In satisfaction.

They don't want me to see Legolas. Why?! His body was telling him to work harder, to force the orcs away, but he couldn't shake them…and it seemed as though the second one had managed to tie his ankles together.

"I won't tell you!" Legolas declared loudly, and Aragorn's heart skipped a beat.

"Atta…" the elf continued. He was enjoying himself immensely.

"Legolas, just tell him!" Aragorn begged, his eyes roving wildly over the forest he had to look at. "Tell him now, and pick up the pieces later!"

"No, Estel," Legolas' voice was securely resolute. "I will not endanger my father. You would do the same for Elrond."

"You'll break your father's heart, mellon-nin!"

"I am Adar's son, and I-" his voice raised, "I will have justice prevail as he would."

"Legolas-"

"No, Estel!"

"I'm almost to nelde, Legolas," the elf warned.

"I don't care."

"Legolas, please just-!"

I'm sorry, Estel…

"Nelde!"

"Leoglas!"

SHWOONT

"No- NO!"

- - - - -

The worst is over now

And we can breathe again

I want to hold you high, you steal my pain

Away

There's so much left to learn

And no one left to fight

I want to hold you high and steal your pain!

"Broken" , Amy Lee

- - - - -

Aragorn lay still for a long, long moment, and then felt the orc climb off of him, settling for pressing the human's shoulders to the ground. Aragorn's head snapped around, his vision all ready blurred by tears of shock.

No. No…his eyes seemed to momentarily forget what they were looking for, and then remembered Legolas' resolute face again. Aragorn's heart froze inside him as he saw what he had not been looking for…

It was then that he realized who had shouted 'no'. It hadn't been him after all, though he was sure the word was in his heart when it was screamed.

It was Legolas.

The prince was shaking, crying, and hovering hesitantly over the still form…of Edren.

"Edren?" his whisper shook with tears, as his trembling fingers went to the arrow protruding from his friend's heart. The arrow he'd swerved to the side and taken for Legolas. The memory of him knocking Legolas over and out of the way, was all ready a blur in the prince's head. He couldn't believe it. It just- didn't make a lot of sense.

"Edren…?"

Edren's eyes flickered open halfway. "L-golas…I'm s-rry I lie- lied to you…there is no pe-eace in lies, Legolas, I- Suuleth was right I should have known that and- and peace is…ea er ranîmär."

'is only within truth.'

"Edren, forgive me for what I said, please…I did not- I did not mean that I was angered at you for lying." Legolas' heart broke with his own words, remembering what he had said. Remembering too, that he should have made up with Edren awhile ago. Not like this… "Rather, my friend, I hate myself for making you do it…all that pain that you went through for me…why, Edren?"

"For you."

"…why?" the prince pleaded.

Edren shook his head, his eyes closing most of the way. "You were worth it, mellon-nin."

"No, no, no I wasn't." Legolas' head shook rapidly from side to side.

"Well…" he smiled. "I think you are."

"Edren, no!" an elven tear touched Edren's blood-stained tunic. "You gave up your everything for me, you can't die now…not for me. I can never repay you, and you- you can't do that to me, you can't leave me with this debt, Edren, you can't!"

"Sh…Legolas, I can. And I do this gladly, s-so…don't hate yourself anymore, my friend…because- I…t-tell Thernäd that- th-that I love her? I do, I love her so…a-and I love her fingers." He seemed to look somewhere else for a moment. "They…they're so small, and thin and- they fit in mine p-perfectly. Tell her?"

Legolas' breath sobbed in his chest, and he could only nod, and mouth the words, 'I will'.

"And- and Legolas?" his eyes came to rest on his childhood friend again. Seeing every part of him in many ways. So much to say. No time to say it. "Le-egolas, I- I l…also…love…"

"I love you too, Edren," Legolas whispered, grabbing Edren's bound hands in his own, and kissing his fingers gently. "And Edren, I-"

The birds were chirping gently, the wind stirred a fresh breeze between the trees, and yet it was suddenly so very, very quiet.

"Edren…?"

But Edren was not breathing anymore. His eyes were shut.

He was gone.

Legolas' eyes slid closed, and his golden head lay shakily down on his friend's still chest. It felt as though his heart was literally breaking. Disbelief clouded his vision, and he couldn't think straight.

Thousands of words and memories flooded his head. All the times he'd failed Edren were painfully vivid now. All the things he hadn't done for him, and all the pain Legolas had inadvertently caused him came in a rush, and seemed to be all that was propelling the tears from Legolas' eyes.

All he could see was his own failure. Maybe because it was something he could understand. But he couldn't understand that Edren was dead. It just didn't make any sense. And it crumbled what was left of Legolas' resolve to be strong.

"I am tired of crying…"

And he was. But what other way is there to react when a friend leaves forever? Pain wrapped its arms around Legolas' awareness and would not let go. Look what you've done, Legolas. You do not know what you have done.

"I'm sorry, Edren, I'm sorry I'm sorry, I'm SORRY!" Leoglas sobbed into his friend's chest.

No one moved. No one breathed. The whole world stood still for Edren for just a moment, and then began to spin again…but so much slower, and it felt so much colder now.

- - - - -
Because I'm broken

When I'm open

And I don't feel like I am strong enough

Because I'm broken

When I'm lonesome

And I don't feel right when you're gone

Away

"Broken" , Amy Lee

- - - - -

"Time to go, Prince," the elf's voice was just beside Legolas now, towering above him. It made the prince's blood boil to hear it, and he would have hated this coldhearted elf…had there not been too much pain in his heart for other emotions.

"On your feet, Legolas."

Legolas didn't move, his bound hands slipped to his face, and he ran his thumb down his nose smoothly, reaching down and clutching Edren's limp thumb with his own.

Aragorn recognized the childhood handshake the two had shared, and a tear slipped unnoticed down his face, and made a patch of ground salty for a brief moment, before the earth soaked it in.

The elf strung his bow and pointed the arrow tip at Legolas' head, his voice harsh. "Now, Prince."

Legolas stayed still, his thumb still clasped around Edren's, and his face a blur of disbelief. The bowstring tightened threateningly.

With little guard on him anymore, Aragorn rolled easily away from the orcs, and moved quickly onto his knees, laying his bound hands on Legolas' shoulder. None of the orcs moved to stop him, so Aragorn put his face close to the prince's and whispered gently, "Legolas?"

Legolas inhaled suddenly, his breath shaking, but did not look up.

"It hurts, Legolas, I know it hurts. But y-" Aragorn's throat constricted with his own mixed emotions, but he swallowed it for Legolas' sake. "You have to leave him. If- if you don't…"

Legolas raised his sliver gaze to Aragorn's, and the human's voice became all the gentler. "Keep his sacrifice worthwhile."

The breath hitched in Legolas' throat, and he let go of Edren's hand. Instantly, the orcs leapt forward, jostling the two friends away from Edren's body.

After cutting the ropes around Aragorn's feet, they stood both of them up, and retied their wrists. Two large orcs tied and then took hold of some thick cord attached to each of the friend's ropes, and started pulling them along into the deep of the forest.

It all seemed to take a millisecond. First they were kneeling in the clearing beside the faithful form of Edren, and the next, they were being pulled into the mists of Mirkwood.

One second the world had slowed to a stop, and now it was moving much too quickly.

The sound of an arrow being fired echoed from over their shoulders. Legolas turned to look, and Aragorn tugged quickly on his rope for slack. Reaching his bound hands up to Leoglas' head, the human covered the side of his friend's face, gently turning his gaze away. "Don't look, mellon-nin." Aragorn told him quietly. "It'll be all right."

But the human's own eyes strayed to what he knew he'd see. Two of the orcs were firing a few random arrows into Edren's body. Just to be sure.

It made Aragorn feel sick, and as his gaze flicked back to Legolas, he could tell the prince was not ignorant of what his eyes had been protected from. The look on Legolas' face was heartbreaking.

A dark horse rode up beside the friends. "I am terribly sorry about shooting Edren, Legolas, but I cannot pretend it wasn't somewhat satisfying. In fact, I believe I rather enjoyed it, didn't you?"

Legolas turned a burning gaze on the elf at last, prepared to leap onto the horse and strangle the life out of this traitor elf, if the impulse took him. He'd kill him if he had to! He'd-

The gaze fell away, replaced by shock. "Oh no…" he breathed, aloud or in his head, and his heart went cold as he was faced by dark, green eyes.

They smiled, and it sent an earthquake of memories through the prince's head.

"Hello, Lindo. It's been a long time, has it not?"

Legolas' feet rooted to the ground, and the time froze stone solid.

"Mornaeg."

to be continued in…

Isten (I Knew)

-cover art on profile-

"Lindo, the great Sparrow, flies towards his- oof! His next perch!"

"Legolas, wait for me!"

"C'mon, Edren! Give me your hand."

"Just a little- a little further- got it!"

"Lindo assists Arasen into his tree, and the both of them begin their dangerous hunt for Tiro-Lim. The Guardian has been lost, and only the Sparrow and the Fawn can find him."

"Lindo and Arasen are Tiro-Lim's last hope!"

"Right you are, my friend!"

There was a quiet pause, while two small chests caught their breath, and the real woodland creatures made their usual noises.

"Oh, hang it, Legolas! I think maybe we should give up. He's just too good at hiding!"

"Nonsense, Edren, where is your courage?"

"Courage I have, but it's hot out here."

"True…I suppose- I suppose we could run into the halls, and get some pressed cinnamon wine from Edärsta."

"I bet he would let us."

"Yes, I think…why don't we do that, and then come back and look for Tiro-Lim?"

"Arasen and Lindo tear down from the- ow!"

"You all right?"

"I'm fine," Edren grumbled, and jumped down from the tree, sucking his bleeding finger. "Just a twig."

"Lindo leaps from his perch!"

"Show off."

"Oh, it's all right, Edren. You're not the flyer anyway, you're the runner!"

"I know, I know…in fact, let's race to the Halls!"

"Very well! Ready?"

"Yes."

"Er, atta-"

"SUILAD!"

"AAH!" Two pairs of small feet tore off into the woods to the sound of laughter.

Legolas stopped in his tracks, whirling around. "Aw, Tiro-Lim!"

"Don't 'aw, Tiro-Lim' me, Lindo, you were going to give up and leave me in this murderous heat!"

Legolas was giggling uncontrollably. "Aras-Ar-Edren!" he laughed. "Get back here, it's just- It's Tiro-Lim!"

"What do you say we beg and plead with Edärsta for that cinnamon wine you were going to have without me?"

"We would've brought some back for you, Tiro-Lim, we promise!"

"Oh, I know, Lindo. I was only teasing you."

"Yeah," Legolas grinned. "You do that a lot."

Mornaeg laughed. "It's only because I love you."

because I love you

because I love you

I love you…

love

Legolas' eyes snapped open.

Coming to FanFiction(dot)net, 2004/2005

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