Blood thirsty: I've decided to get off my lazy butt, and work on this last
chapter. SO SORRY ABOUT THE WAIT!
Legolas: Damn, I thought I'd get a break.
Boromir: What do you mean? You did get a break. A rather long one, I should think.
Aragorn: No kidding, sheesh. From now on we should call him 'Legolas the slacker'.
Legolas: Hey! What about the author! She's the one who's slacking!
Blood thirsty: Uh… Ahem. On with the Gimli friendship… and the very last chapter of ToS. Hehe… so much for ' a few days' huh?
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the computer and the plot. Take it if you want, but you won't get very much money for it… second thought… don't take it.
The forest was in its fullest beauty. The flowers were blooming, the birds were chirping, and a slight breeze seemed to make the leaves dance. Legolas was in pure bliss. The sweet scent of honeysuckle teased his nose.
It seemed to him that the forest was calling his name. Beckoning him into its shelter. It was here that he would be accepted. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, feeling a gentle spring rain cleanse him.
Something was wrong.
He opened his eyes, and saw a familiar crimson glow. A large wolf, larger even than a warg emerged from a tangle of vines and thorns. Its eyes glowed red, seemingly in glee. Everything around him started to die. The leaves dried out and flittered to the ground. The trees screamed in agony, and began to rot.
" Stop it!" He cried. He felt hot tears run mixed with rain run down his face. The small rainfall had turned into a treacherous storm. Thunder rolled across the sky, followed by forks of white and blue lightning.
The wolf-like creature raised its hackles, as if to grin. Malice shone in its eyes as it snarled at him. Legolas turned to run, but came face to face with Aragorn. Behind him stood Frodo and Gimli.
" Aragorn! Please, you must help me!" Legolas pleaded.
Aragorn shook his head, a cold look appeared on his face. " You have caused this, Elf. Look at what you have done to us." He said icily. He gestured to Frodo and Gimli with his hand.
Legolas tried to scream, but his voice was lost. Long gashes marred all of them. Their soulless eyes stared back with no emotion. Blood stains mingled with rain in their clothing. Legolas turned around and broke into a run, though he didn't get far. There was a deafening howl, and the wolf had pounced on Legolas. It sank its teeth into his tender flesh, letting his blood flow freely as the rain washed it into the soil. At last Legolas had found his voice, and screamed for all he was worth. He closed his eyes as the wolf bit harder. The sound of breaking bones irrupted through the night, as well as a comforting, familiar voice.
" Legolas! Awaken!"
Legolas gasped and nearly jumped out of his bed. He looked around, and saw someone familiar. He dashed into the corner of his room, and got into a defensive position.
" Legolas, my friend. Do you not recognize me?" Gimli asked, a tinge of hurt in his voice.
" I-…" Legolas went silent for a few moments. " I apologize. I just…" He trailed off.
" Had a nightmare?" Gimli asked. Legolas could only nod numbly. He lowered his head as he felt tears overflow his eyes and run down his cheeks. Gimli put a comforting hand on his shoulder, and squeezed. The blond Elf's shoulders shook even more.
" Should I leave you alone for a few moments?" The dwarf asked. Every time this had happened, Legolas had always asked to be left alone.
" If you wouldn't mind," Legolas said quietly. " I think I would like some companionship instead." He murmured. Gimli was surprised, but was more than happy to oblige.
" Tell me what happened." Gimli said, and led the Elf to his bed. Legolas nodded as they both sat at the edge of his bed.
After Legolas had finished telling Gimli about the nightmare, they had both decided to take a walk.
The forests of Mirkwood were not very cheery at night, but it was the only way to calm Legolas down; though this time it didn't seem to help all that much.
" I understand why you feared me when you first woke up." Gimli said, just for the sake of saying something.
" Again, my apologies. I fear these nightmares are getting worse." Legolas replied. Gimli nodded, not wanting to push the subject.
" Do you think it's some sort of ill omen? Is the shadow really dead?" Legolas said, though it was more to himself than to Gimli.
" I do not know, but I know if I find the shadow, it will be." Gimli said. Amazingly enough, a small smile cracked onto Legolas' usually cold features.
' Thank the Valar for the Dwarf.' King Thranduil thought. He stood on a balcony over-looking the forest. A grin spread its way across his features as his acute Elven eyesight helped him spot his son.
Mithrandir had left on something urgent. Thranduil was still thankful for how long the Istari had stayed. The king of Mirkwood often found himself worrying about Legolas. He could sense a yearning that was starting to claim his youngest son, and it was much too soon for the calling of the sea. At least, in his mind it was.
The proud ruler sighed, and slowly walked back to his bedroom. He found himself more often than not praying to the Valar for his son.
A silhouette of a very tall figure, and a very short figure sitting upon a fallen tree trunk was cast onto the ground from the moonlight. The stars glittered, and the breeze played with Legolas' blond hair.
The breeze suddenly got stronger, and the wind began to howl. Legolas shivered, and both the Elf and the Dwarf stood up.
Another blast from the wind made Legolas stop dead in his tracks. Mixed in with the howling of the wind was another sound: the very familiar cry of a wolf.
He quickened his pace and grabbed onto Gimli's arm. The stout dwarf was barely able to keep up with the pace that Legolas was running at.
Legolas could sense something behind them, so he began to run faster. He lost all sense of direction, and he began to panic.
After a while of running, it suddenly dawned on him he was no longer holding onto Gimli. He stopped and turned around, his eyes darting in and out every nook and cranny, trying to find some sort of sign of Gimli.
A snapping of a twig caught his attention, and he swiveled his head around to face the cause of the sound.
A large wolf began to walk towards him, mocking Legolas with his crimson eyes. The lithe Elf lost all composure and darted in the opposite direction of the wolf.
Fear had taken total control over the Elf, and his senses were even sharper. He could hear the beating of padded feet behind him, feel the thumping of the creature's heart, and could sense it's snapping jaws at his feet.
Legolas turned his head, and saw the malicious looking beast jump into the air. Its claws reached out to slice his flesh open, saliva dripping from its greedy mouth. Legolas lost his footing and went tumbling forward with a cry.
Immediately his hands covered his head to protect himself in vein. When nothing came, he opened his eyes, and in front of him Gimli was running towards him.
" Legolas!" He cried. Legolas managed to stand up.
Covered in mud, he stood up, shaking slightly. " Did you not see it?! T'was bigger than a warg!" Legolas nearly shouted.
Gimli looked at him worriedly. " I saw nothing. Are you sure you're all right?"
" I-…" Legolas realized that whatever that thing was, Gimli did not see it.
' I need not worry him more than he already is' Legolas thought.
" I-it was just my imagination getting away with me." Legolas said, trying to keep the fear out of his voice.
" Are you sure?" Gimli asked, looking at the Elf with disbelief. Legolas nodded, and began to take in his surroundings.
After a few moments, he spoke again. " Follow me, it's this way to get to the palace." Legolas said. Gimli smiled and began to follow.
The walked back to the palace in complete silence, aside from the howling of the wind. But for Legolas, it was the howling of something else as well…
Blood thirsty: Oh… my… god… that was the scariest thing EVER! My computer just went ahead and shut down on me… I didn't save this yet, and 'POOF', it goes black. I was soooooooooo pissed off! I came back on, and went into Microsoft word, and there it was! " Microsoft word – document1 [recovered]" * hugs the computer *
Anyhoo, here it is! The very last chapter of 'Temptation of Shadows'! Done! Stick a fork in it!
Boromir: Erh… wasn't I supposed to play a part in it?
Aragorn: No, you're dead, remember?
Boromir: No duh. You don't usually forget that you're dead.
Blood thirsty: Don't worry, you'll have a special part in the sequel, but that's all I'm saying. Now… it's up to the reviewers to answer a question about the ending of the sequel. I could make a happy ending or an angst happy ending… which do you want? Tell me!
Muses: HAPPY!
Shout outs: Ahem… I'm just gonna name the people who reviewed, and only make a few shout outs, as I am very very lazy. Sorry people. But you'll still get shout outs!
Shout outs!!!
Thanks to: Lanfear, DODO (PS. I did spell emoticons right, ( I don't know if you can see those, but those little faces are emoticons), Liadon the poet, Cham, Tia, Crystal Gold, invader Zoester, Koruri, Pergraphicus (Hee hee), Anyari no 'Min, NONAME!, Analorien, Blue Dragoness, Laurupeth, A person, Akasha queen of the damned, Syranade, Mongrel Elf, Jevvica, and Yunadax.
Special thanks to Tinabedina for being there for almost every chapter, and for Setri-an for reviewing them all! I know some of you have reviewed almost every chapter, perhaps some of you have reviewed EVERY chapter, and thanks goes to those who did, but these are just the people who stuck out in my mind… Thank you all SO MUCH!
Legolas: Damn, I thought I'd get a break.
Boromir: What do you mean? You did get a break. A rather long one, I should think.
Aragorn: No kidding, sheesh. From now on we should call him 'Legolas the slacker'.
Legolas: Hey! What about the author! She's the one who's slacking!
Blood thirsty: Uh… Ahem. On with the Gimli friendship… and the very last chapter of ToS. Hehe… so much for ' a few days' huh?
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the computer and the plot. Take it if you want, but you won't get very much money for it… second thought… don't take it.
The forest was in its fullest beauty. The flowers were blooming, the birds were chirping, and a slight breeze seemed to make the leaves dance. Legolas was in pure bliss. The sweet scent of honeysuckle teased his nose.
It seemed to him that the forest was calling his name. Beckoning him into its shelter. It was here that he would be accepted. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, feeling a gentle spring rain cleanse him.
Something was wrong.
He opened his eyes, and saw a familiar crimson glow. A large wolf, larger even than a warg emerged from a tangle of vines and thorns. Its eyes glowed red, seemingly in glee. Everything around him started to die. The leaves dried out and flittered to the ground. The trees screamed in agony, and began to rot.
" Stop it!" He cried. He felt hot tears run mixed with rain run down his face. The small rainfall had turned into a treacherous storm. Thunder rolled across the sky, followed by forks of white and blue lightning.
The wolf-like creature raised its hackles, as if to grin. Malice shone in its eyes as it snarled at him. Legolas turned to run, but came face to face with Aragorn. Behind him stood Frodo and Gimli.
" Aragorn! Please, you must help me!" Legolas pleaded.
Aragorn shook his head, a cold look appeared on his face. " You have caused this, Elf. Look at what you have done to us." He said icily. He gestured to Frodo and Gimli with his hand.
Legolas tried to scream, but his voice was lost. Long gashes marred all of them. Their soulless eyes stared back with no emotion. Blood stains mingled with rain in their clothing. Legolas turned around and broke into a run, though he didn't get far. There was a deafening howl, and the wolf had pounced on Legolas. It sank its teeth into his tender flesh, letting his blood flow freely as the rain washed it into the soil. At last Legolas had found his voice, and screamed for all he was worth. He closed his eyes as the wolf bit harder. The sound of breaking bones irrupted through the night, as well as a comforting, familiar voice.
" Legolas! Awaken!"
Legolas gasped and nearly jumped out of his bed. He looked around, and saw someone familiar. He dashed into the corner of his room, and got into a defensive position.
" Legolas, my friend. Do you not recognize me?" Gimli asked, a tinge of hurt in his voice.
" I-…" Legolas went silent for a few moments. " I apologize. I just…" He trailed off.
" Had a nightmare?" Gimli asked. Legolas could only nod numbly. He lowered his head as he felt tears overflow his eyes and run down his cheeks. Gimli put a comforting hand on his shoulder, and squeezed. The blond Elf's shoulders shook even more.
" Should I leave you alone for a few moments?" The dwarf asked. Every time this had happened, Legolas had always asked to be left alone.
" If you wouldn't mind," Legolas said quietly. " I think I would like some companionship instead." He murmured. Gimli was surprised, but was more than happy to oblige.
" Tell me what happened." Gimli said, and led the Elf to his bed. Legolas nodded as they both sat at the edge of his bed.
After Legolas had finished telling Gimli about the nightmare, they had both decided to take a walk.
The forests of Mirkwood were not very cheery at night, but it was the only way to calm Legolas down; though this time it didn't seem to help all that much.
" I understand why you feared me when you first woke up." Gimli said, just for the sake of saying something.
" Again, my apologies. I fear these nightmares are getting worse." Legolas replied. Gimli nodded, not wanting to push the subject.
" Do you think it's some sort of ill omen? Is the shadow really dead?" Legolas said, though it was more to himself than to Gimli.
" I do not know, but I know if I find the shadow, it will be." Gimli said. Amazingly enough, a small smile cracked onto Legolas' usually cold features.
' Thank the Valar for the Dwarf.' King Thranduil thought. He stood on a balcony over-looking the forest. A grin spread its way across his features as his acute Elven eyesight helped him spot his son.
Mithrandir had left on something urgent. Thranduil was still thankful for how long the Istari had stayed. The king of Mirkwood often found himself worrying about Legolas. He could sense a yearning that was starting to claim his youngest son, and it was much too soon for the calling of the sea. At least, in his mind it was.
The proud ruler sighed, and slowly walked back to his bedroom. He found himself more often than not praying to the Valar for his son.
A silhouette of a very tall figure, and a very short figure sitting upon a fallen tree trunk was cast onto the ground from the moonlight. The stars glittered, and the breeze played with Legolas' blond hair.
The breeze suddenly got stronger, and the wind began to howl. Legolas shivered, and both the Elf and the Dwarf stood up.
Another blast from the wind made Legolas stop dead in his tracks. Mixed in with the howling of the wind was another sound: the very familiar cry of a wolf.
He quickened his pace and grabbed onto Gimli's arm. The stout dwarf was barely able to keep up with the pace that Legolas was running at.
Legolas could sense something behind them, so he began to run faster. He lost all sense of direction, and he began to panic.
After a while of running, it suddenly dawned on him he was no longer holding onto Gimli. He stopped and turned around, his eyes darting in and out every nook and cranny, trying to find some sort of sign of Gimli.
A snapping of a twig caught his attention, and he swiveled his head around to face the cause of the sound.
A large wolf began to walk towards him, mocking Legolas with his crimson eyes. The lithe Elf lost all composure and darted in the opposite direction of the wolf.
Fear had taken total control over the Elf, and his senses were even sharper. He could hear the beating of padded feet behind him, feel the thumping of the creature's heart, and could sense it's snapping jaws at his feet.
Legolas turned his head, and saw the malicious looking beast jump into the air. Its claws reached out to slice his flesh open, saliva dripping from its greedy mouth. Legolas lost his footing and went tumbling forward with a cry.
Immediately his hands covered his head to protect himself in vein. When nothing came, he opened his eyes, and in front of him Gimli was running towards him.
" Legolas!" He cried. Legolas managed to stand up.
Covered in mud, he stood up, shaking slightly. " Did you not see it?! T'was bigger than a warg!" Legolas nearly shouted.
Gimli looked at him worriedly. " I saw nothing. Are you sure you're all right?"
" I-…" Legolas realized that whatever that thing was, Gimli did not see it.
' I need not worry him more than he already is' Legolas thought.
" I-it was just my imagination getting away with me." Legolas said, trying to keep the fear out of his voice.
" Are you sure?" Gimli asked, looking at the Elf with disbelief. Legolas nodded, and began to take in his surroundings.
After a few moments, he spoke again. " Follow me, it's this way to get to the palace." Legolas said. Gimli smiled and began to follow.
The walked back to the palace in complete silence, aside from the howling of the wind. But for Legolas, it was the howling of something else as well…
Blood thirsty: Oh… my… god… that was the scariest thing EVER! My computer just went ahead and shut down on me… I didn't save this yet, and 'POOF', it goes black. I was soooooooooo pissed off! I came back on, and went into Microsoft word, and there it was! " Microsoft word – document1 [recovered]" * hugs the computer *
Anyhoo, here it is! The very last chapter of 'Temptation of Shadows'! Done! Stick a fork in it!
Boromir: Erh… wasn't I supposed to play a part in it?
Aragorn: No, you're dead, remember?
Boromir: No duh. You don't usually forget that you're dead.
Blood thirsty: Don't worry, you'll have a special part in the sequel, but that's all I'm saying. Now… it's up to the reviewers to answer a question about the ending of the sequel. I could make a happy ending or an angst happy ending… which do you want? Tell me!
Muses: HAPPY!
Shout outs: Ahem… I'm just gonna name the people who reviewed, and only make a few shout outs, as I am very very lazy. Sorry people. But you'll still get shout outs!
Shout outs!!!
Thanks to: Lanfear, DODO (PS. I did spell emoticons right, ( I don't know if you can see those, but those little faces are emoticons), Liadon the poet, Cham, Tia, Crystal Gold, invader Zoester, Koruri, Pergraphicus (Hee hee), Anyari no 'Min, NONAME!, Analorien, Blue Dragoness, Laurupeth, A person, Akasha queen of the damned, Syranade, Mongrel Elf, Jevvica, and Yunadax.
Special thanks to Tinabedina for being there for almost every chapter, and for Setri-an for reviewing them all! I know some of you have reviewed almost every chapter, perhaps some of you have reviewed EVERY chapter, and thanks goes to those who did, but these are just the people who stuck out in my mind… Thank you all SO MUCH!