Gwaedh [Legolas Love Story] - COMPLETED

II.

When Legolas and Gimli return to Gondor after a few weeks, they reveal the king the strange event that occured in Fangorn. 

Aragorn smokes on his pipe, as it is only the three of them on the room, and the court, advisors and nobles don't find it suitable for a king to be smoking. His mind ponders on the words of the woman that were spoken by his friends. The king that was a ranger of the North has forgotten the north. 

He blows out the smoke "If anything had happened near the Shire, the hobbits would have told us."

"Indeed. The attacks must be happening east of the Misty Mountains," Legolas adds, and then looks at his friend "Now that I think of it, when I received the Woodland elves to lead them to Ithilien, they commented a few orcs had stepped on their way. They also commented some attacks on the elves that were leaving to the shores. But nothing as big as the horde we faced on Fangorn."

"No one could be creating more orcs. We must have missed a colony. Underground, the mountains, they could be hiding to survive ever since those past days and have now decided to come out," Aragorn reasons "Could be attacking small villages. Did she tell you where she was from?"

"She wouldn't even tell us her name," Legolas answers, seeming slightly frustrated. 

Aragorn looks at Gimli inquisitively, and Gimli chuckles "The woman saved his life and then ignored him, he is bitter ever since."

"I am not!" Legolas defends.

Aragorn grins and then returns to his thoughtful look. After a while, he says "Finding the woman would be helpful, but we cannot believe in another chanceful meeting. Ride for Rohan. Ask Éomer if anything has happened on the far northern borders of Rohan, or if any travelers have faced the same problems. We will decide what step we should take next according to the information." 

"And if we recieve none?" Gimli asks.

"Return, and then we will send search parties up the Anduin, find if other villages have been attacked. It would be helpful if the woman would appear and share some information too." 

"Send word for my father," Legolas speaks solemnly, after a few seconds of silence "If he has faced any trouble or has any information, he would share it with us." 

Aragorn looks at the elf and nods, though he still worries about the resilience of his friend in not returning to his own home. 

After a few days resting and gathering supplies, Gimli and Legolas ride to Rohan. Éomer merrily receives his friends, who share their concerns about this new orc wave.

"Some weeks ago, two merchants went to the woods of Lórien for some special plants. As they returned Rohan, they noticed about thirty orcs heading south. Fortunately they were able to hide and not be noticed."

"That would coincide with the orcs that attacked us in Fangorn," Legolas remarks "No other events involving orcs?"

"Nothing else. At least nothing that reached my ears." 

"With the elves gone, they could be occupying their home," Gimli observes "And Lórien is near Moria, they could be taking refuge deep in the mountains." 

Legolas nods and turns do Éomer "Let us talk to your people to see if we can discover some more. We will do some more exploring and even visit Fangorn once more, see if anything else happened. Then we return to Aragorn and decide if it is worth searching Lórien, maybe the mountains."

"Stay as long as you need, my friends, you are most welcome here," Éomer smiles at them and clasps their shoulders "Whatever you need, even the Rohirrim, you shall have."

Legolas and Gimli follow the plan. They talk to most people, specially travelers and merchants, and try to discover more about the orcs. One merchant reports an attack on the Gladden Fields around two months before, though it was only five orcs and very easy to deal with, and they could not locate where they had come from. In Fangorn, Treebeard grants them no more orcs appeared near the woods. The pair decides to return to Gondor and inform Aragorn with their new clues. 

Arwen is the one who welcomes them with a kind smile "Aragorn has told me you have returned to the good past days of hunting some orcs."

Gimli hugs the queen, and when Legolas greets Arwen in the typical elven way, left hand over each other's right shoulder, a throb runs through his arm as he detects a second heartbeat. Legolas raises his eyebrows and Arwen smiles timidly, whispers in Sindarin "He is eager to tell you the news."

Legolas smiles with complicity in return and says nothing else, not taking away from Aragorn the pleasure of telling his friends he is to become a father. 

The three join Aragorn, who quickly dismisses his council to hear the news of his friends. 

"I believe beginning the search in Lórien and then heading to Moria could be a start," Legolas says "No need to take a whole party with us, we would only attack if the number of orcs present would be bearable."

Aragorn nods "I know no one more capable than both of you." 

"Ah, Aragorn, join us this time! Let us hunt some orc together like the old days!" Gimli says excitedly.

"I would join you more quickly than sitting here listening to the court the whole day," Aragorn looks at Arwen "But I believe this time I really have to stay. Something very important deserves my attention for the foreseeable future," there is a dramatic pause and then Aragorn presents his friends with his biggest smile "Arwen and I will be parents." 

Legolas smiles promptly, but there pass four seconds before Gimli laughs loudly and excitedly, clapping and greeting the two of them with the wonderful news. The four celebrate happily for a few minutes, until there is knocking on the left door.

"Sire, the lords are impatient for the trial. They fear the longer the prisoner waits, the higher the chances of escaping." 

Aragorn sighs "Alright, let's get on with it. Bring the prisoner and lords to the throne room. We will be there right away," the guard leaves and Aragorn says as he walks out of the council room "Come too, you might as well help me in the judgement."

"What is it for?" Gimli asks as they follow Aragorn.

"A mercenary, attacked one of the lords at his own home last night. It is all I know."

They arrive to the throne room at the same time the lords do. Aragorn sits on the throne, Arwen on the throne to his right, and both Legolas and Gimli stand by his side on his left. The lords place themselves on each side, leaving the middle open for the prisoner to be brought in. 

The guards enter carrying an agitated prisoner with a burlap bag over its head, wearing brown pants and a leather vest over a dark chemise. As they reach an appropriate distance from the throne, they kick the back of its knees, the prisoner immediately kneels and grunts.

They finally remove the bag that covers the head, only to reveal the face of an angry Elarinya.  

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