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Disclaimer: I do not own the character or places associated with the Lord of the Rings or Middle Earth. They are the creations of J. R. R. Tolkien and the property of Tolkien Enterprises.
“It is not fair to ask of others what you are not
willing to do yourself.”
- Eleanor Roosevelt
*********
The four riders had only collected the first herb before Aragorn spoke up.
“This might go faster if we split up,” the ranger suggested.
Elladan looked to his little brother and then it the direction they were heading and frowned. Something just felt out of place, but he could not place it.
“I would agree with your reasoning Estel, but I am against splitting up.”
Elrohir turned curious eyes to his brother.
“What is wrong?”
Elladan sighed in frustration for he really did not know.
“Something, maybe nothing, I do not know,” Elladan answered shrugging.
Elladan realized everyone was staring at him and sighed again. ‘Great,’ he thought. His father was dying, everyone was looking to him all of a sudden for guidance, and he was indecisive. Elladan, hoping he was just his father’s situation that was making him edgy, reluctantly gave in.
“Very well, Legolas go with Estel after the tumeric and be careful. We will meet back here tomorrow morning. Remember Gandalf said he we have three days at the most and I would like to get this over as soon as possible.”
Legolas and Aragorn nodded. Before Legolas rode away he exchanged a look with Elladan, one asking to look over Estel and the other one assuring he would. No words were spoken, but non were needed. Legolas turned and followed after Aragorn who was already leaving.
Elrohir said farewell to Legolas and turned back to his brother.
“Well?” Elrohir asked.
“Well what?” Elladan asked back.
Elrohir just gave his brother an annoyed look.
“I do not know Elrohir!” Elladan said irritably to his brother.
“Is it about what is happening behind us or what it to come in front of us?” Elrohir asked not dropping the subject.
“What parts of the I do not know did you not understand?”
“Look brother, we both know that you are not inclined to reason and I understand that, but I trust your feelings.”
“It is just that something does not feel right, Elrohir. I cannot explain it. I am just anxious to get this over with.”
Elrohir nodded and tried to smile reassuringly at his brother.
“It would probably be faster if we split as well,” Elrohir suggested.
Elladan frowned to himself.
“Elrohir I don’t know if we should…”
“Would you prefer I stay with you?” Elrohir asked somewhat amused.
“I am not an elfling Elrohir,” Elladan said testily, “very well, just be careful.”
Elrohir realized he had pushed a little too far and was about to apologize, but Elladan started to ride in the opposite direction.
“Wait,” he called out.
Elladan stopped and wheeled the horse back to face Elrohir. He raised an eyebrow questioningly at his brother.
“Amin hiraetha, if you feel we should stay together than we will,” Elrohir said.
“No, you are right, we are pressed for time. Until tomorrow.”
The two nodded farewell to each other and rode away in the opposite directions.
*******
Vocyn cursed under his breath as he ran through the trees toward their campsite. Emlin was not going to like this; he did not even like this. Glullyn was fixing a welcome for the group even now. The problem was that the whole blasted group was not going to be there anymore. The two dark-haired elves had not gone in the direction they had expected and would have to be dealt with differently. Vocyn was going for speed and not silence and did not worry about signaling he was coming for he knew the she elf would hear him long before he got there. He entered the area and saw Emlin waiting for him. She lifted one delicate eyebrow at the normally quite human’s rather loud entrance.
“They have split up,” Vocyn answered after catching his breath.
Vocyn studied the elf’s fair and calm features and then smiled.
“You knew the would, didn’t you?”
“Come now Master Human, did you believe they would not? Can you not collect ingredients faster when you have more people after them?”
Vocyn gave an indifferent shrug.
“I suppose so. Anyway what are we to do about the elves that are not heading toward Glullyn?”
“They must be detained. If we take care of one of them the other will not be of much use with only a fraction of what the wizard needs.”
Vocyn’s eyes took on a voracious quality as he looked at the elf maid.
“You said ‘we’. We are going together then?”
Emlin’s emerald eyes turned cold.
“Only because you would probably not be able to do it alone human.”
Vocyn snorted.
“Moving in shadows is my profession my lady and I am quite good at it. I do not have to face anyone face to face.”
“I am sure you are, but you have never tried to get the drop on an elf before,” Emlin said.
Vocyn snorted at the elf, but conceded.
*******
As they traveled away from Rivendell Legolas started to feel a sense of uneasiness. He was not sure what the source was, but he suddenly wished they had listened to Elladan and stayed together. The others were counting on them to retrieve the plant and Elrond would die without it so they really had no choice now. Legolas did not tell the young human about his feeling for there was no reason to pressure him anymore. The elf continued to scan the horizon, with the trees, though; it was hard to see any great distance.
Legolas and Aragorn continued on until it was past midday. The sense of uneasiness the elf felt only grew as the day went on.
*******
Elladan could not stop scanning the area he was traveling through. Why did he let Elrohir go off on his own? He had already retrieved what he was after and was on his way back for the long wait. At least Elrohir would be back shortly after he arrived to give him someone to wait and talk with while they waited for Legolas and Estel.
A sense of watchfulness struck Elladan right before he heard it. The gentle whoosh of something thrown sent his body reacting before he realized it. Elladan instinctively threw his upper body out of the way swinging on the horse to bring himself back up into a sitting position. He scanned the trees as he drew his sword.
“You might as well come down for you missed,” the elf called.
A dark lithe figure dropped down near the elf and Elladan was slightly surprised to find that it was a human.
The blonde human snorted slightly while eyeing the elf.
“Not bad,” the human commented shrugging his shoulders, “no one has ever dodged before.”
Elladan’s eyes narrowed at the human, although they held a slight sparkle of amusement.
“How many elves have you tried to sneak up on, boy?”
Vocyn stood in front of the elf calmly.
“Admittedly you are the first.”
“Who are you, human, and why did you try to kill me?”
“I was not trying to kill you Master Elf for I suspected I would fail. I am merely the distraction,” the human said smiling wittingly.
Elladan looked at the human suspiciously, but by the time it registered what the human was trying to say it was too late.
Before Elladan had time to look up someone dropped down behind him knocking the sword out of his hand and a knot wound around his other wrist restricting that arm. He grabbed the rope with his other hand and pulled. The two beings struggled as Vocyn rushed to help bring down the elf. Elladan’s horse, sensing the human only wanted to do harm, reared up to paw at the air in front of the human. Vocyn not wanting to get struck by the hooves hesitated.
Elladan took the confusion the horse made to grab a hold of the horse’s neck and swing around to the front and kick at the stunned human. His kick connected with Vocyn’s chest knocking the air out of him and sending him flying backwards.
Elladan hit the ground facing his attacker. His eyes widened in surprise and he nearly forgot what he was doing. Emlin took the opportunity and pulled roughly on the rope. Elladan almost lost his balance as he tipped forward, but gripped onto the horse. The horse in its fear reared up again to try and dislodge the strange rider. The movement sent Emlin and Elladan sprawling. They started to fall in opposite directions, but the rope snapped taunt jerking both elves in towards each other.
The two elves hit each other and fell in a confused heap. Elladan rolled to his feet and using his greater strength pulled on the rope as the maid was rising, overbalancing the elf. Emlin pitched forward and Elladan swung the rope around her trapping Emlin’s arms. Elladan struck behind him with the unrestrained arm to smack the human, who was attempting to sneak up on the two elves, in the nose. Vocyn stumbled back again.
Unfortunately for the human Elladan’s horse decided to help her master. The horse charged Vocyn as he was rising causing the human to drop and roll out of the way.
Emlin shot up at Elladan using her momentum to shove the stronger male back. Elladan stumbled back, tripped over the unexpected human below his feet, and fell backward. Elladan tried to catch himself as he fell, but the rope snapped taunt again and pulled him to the side as he fell and caused the elf maid to fall forward. The jerk to the side brought Elladan’s arms out wide and he fell to the ground striking his head against a rock with a sickening crack.
The dark-haired elf did not rise again and everyone, including the horse, stopped and stared.
Emlin broke the silence first.
“No,” she mumbled as she tried to untangle herself from the rope.
Emlin tore the rope off of her as Vocyn was just starting sit up holding his nose.
“Idiot,” she scolded the dazed human as she knelt next to the dark-haired elf.
“What?” he asked “weren’t we trying to stop him?”
Emlin ignored the human and with a practiced ease checked the bleeding injury. She sighed in relief when she did not feel a fracture. She looked up with hard green eyes at the procurer.
“If I wanted him dead I would have done it in the first place and not used you as a distraction.”
“Well that was the stupid horse’s fault and not mine. Besides that wasn’t too hard anyway,” he said testily.
“I bet,” she replied, “since this was your fault, after I see to the wound you get to carry him back to camp and we were lucky human.”
Vocyn glared down at the elf.
“Why can we not use the horse?”
Emlin raised an amused eyebrow at the human.
“By all means Master Human, be my guest. If you can get the horse to cooperate then you can definitely use her for the task.”
Emlin turned back to the unconscious elf.
Vocyn tried to approach the horse, but it lowered its ears at the human and backed away. Vocyn stopped, as did the horse. She pranced nervously in place never taking her eyes off the human. The human reached for the horse suddenly, but missed and the horse bolted.
Emlin hid her smile as she heard her companion curse under his breath. Almost gently she brushed a stray strand of dark hair out of the elf’s face. He had cracked his head pretty good, but she did not think the injury too bad. She stood to face the disgruntled human.
“Well Master Human, I see the animal did not like the idea of you commanding it.”
“You knew that infernal beast would not didn’t you?” he accused.
“Mayhap I did, anyway, I believe it is time we got moving,” she gestured down at the still elf.
******
Something was going to happen, Legolas just knew it. Aragorn and he were riding in close to the mountains now and every shadow looked suspicious to the elf. Aragorn caught the watchful looks his friend kept giving their surroundings.
“What is it mellon nin?” //my friend//
Legolas glanced at the young human. The young ranger was perceptive. He really should tell him what he felt anyway.
“I am uneasy Estel. I fear something is going to happen,” Legolas answered.
“What?”
“I know not, just be wary. Someone is trying to kill your father Estel, whoever that is may very well want harm to befall his children as well.”
Aragorn’s eyes blazed dangerously with anger.
“Whoever is behind this will pay and I will face whatever I must to get to the ingredients we seek.”
Despite the situation Legolas smiled to himself, he had no doubt his friend meant what he said.
“We should let the horses rest a moment,” Legolas suggested.
Aragorn was hesitant to stop ridding, but he knew the wisdom behind the act. They still had time after all. His brothers would not expect them back until the morn anyway. He nodded to his companion and dismounted.
Glullyn, up in the trees, held his breath as the riders dismounted. He desperately wished his annoying companion were here. Vocyn was much better at this hide and ambush thing. ‘And much quieter,’ he thought. With the elf’s sharp gaze seemingly piercing the foliage he felt like he was sitting up here with no cover what so ever. Glullyn barely breathed as he waited. The blasted riders had stopped just short of him and his men.
As soon as Legolas dismounted he knew it was a bad idea. Something was in the trees. He did not need to see whatever or whomever it was to know it was there. He turned to call his friend to mount again quickly, but Aragorn was already wondering over to a small stream. The faintest of movement caught the elf’s eye. It was slight enough to just be the rustle of an animal, but somehow the elf knew better.
With lightening reflexes Legolas drew bow and arrow and fired at the spot that he last saw movement. He was rewarded when he heard a strangled cry and an arrow thunk down next to Aragorn instead of in him.
Glullyn winced as the man next to him was hit in the arm by an arrow. Panic gripped at the human. Curse their luck, he should have told him to fire on the elf first. Forgetting the human for a moment, Glullyn and the man next to him fired at the same time on the elf.
Legolas was not taken totally off guard for he expected their attacker to turn on him. The elf threw himself to the side and cleared one arrow easily. Legolas’ elven reflexes could not get him out of the way for the second one, though.
A blinding flash blocked out Legolas’ vision as hot pain seared behind his eyes. When his vision cleared the elf realized he was lying on the ground. He tried to raise his head, but it felt like his head had weights tied to it. Neither his head nor his body would move at his mind’s pleas to get up. The elf stared numbly up at the canopy above him. Something large dropped down next to him and the elf managed to turn his head slightly to see a dark-haired human above him.
Aragorn jumped back as the arrow smacked in the ground next to him. He turned just in time to see Legolas lower his bow and dodge. The ranger’s heart skipped a beat as he watched one of the arrows fired graze his friend’s head. The elf was knocked backwards to land on his back and he did not get back up. Aragorn started to run to his friend when someone dropped from the trees next to Legolas aiming the next arrow right at his still friend. At that range the ruffian could hardly miss.
Aragorn took a bold step forward and fixed his fierce gaze on the other human. Glullyn resisted the urge to back away from the intensity and drew the string even harder.
“That’s far enough boy, unless you would like me to shoot your companion again, but I don’t think he’ll be dodging this time.”
Aragorn reluctantly stopped where he was.
“Throw the weapons to the side,” the swarthy human ordered.
Aragorn ground his teeth at actually having to obey this miserable excuse for a human. Undoubtedly a scoundrel involved in what was happening to his foster father. When the man again pulled the string full Aragorn’s senses over took his anger. Legolas’ life was not worth more than his pride. The ranger, jaw set firmly, did as the other human asked.
“Good boy, see that was not so hard now was it?” asked Glullyn.
Aragorn heard others approaching from behind him, but at the moment he was hardly able to do anything about that. He had to use all of his will not to attack these people any way. His father did not have the time for such intrigues! And he really wanted to make them pay double for the injury they just inflicted on his friend laying on the ground. The thought that the elf had not moved calmed the ranger down considerably as fear took the place of the anger. He could not see the injury from here for the elf’s head was tilted the other direction.
“You must let me check on my friend,” Aragorn demanded.
“You’re not in a position to demand anything boy,” replied one of the men coming up behind him.
Aragorn narrowed his eyes at the man and he hesitated while walking up to the ranger.
Glullyn looked down at the elf below him. He realized, where just a moment ago the elf had looked up at him with glazed eyes, he was now unconscious. Glullyn’s experience around elves was very limited, but he thought the elf did not look to well. Emlin had said not to kill them if necessary and this boy had to know more about healing than he did for he did not know much of anything.
“Do you know of such things boy?” Glullyn asked.
“Yes, I was taught by the best,” the ranger answered confidently.
Glullyn still looked at the young human skeptically.
“That is King Thranduil of Mirkwood’s son whom you have shot. It is considered treason amongst the elves to attack one of the royal family and I assure you his father is not very forgiving in such matters. If the prince dies the king will string you from the tallest tree in Mirkwood.”
The ranger’s tactic worked. Aragorn was relieved when the other human blanched and motioned for him to come forward. It was only a small stretch of the truth after all. He did not know if Thranduil would go far enough as to string someone up or not, but he did not want to find out. Aragorn rushed to his friend’s side and knelt down. He had to keep from gasping out loud at what he saw.