A Monster Like Me ~ Legolas

Separation

"The walls of Moria!" Gimli said, awe dripping from his voice. Forn looked up at the walls, unimpressed. She had flown higher.

"Dwarf doors are invisible when closed," Gimli boasted, knocking his axe against a part of the wall. Forn jumped at the sudden sound, something about the place making her feel skittish.

"Yes Gimli, their own masters cannot find them, if their secret is forgotten." Gandalf said.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Legolas asked, Forn pressed her shoulder against him gently. Gimli, suppressed a growl.

The moon slipped out from behind a cloud, causing the door to reveal itself. Yet it wasn't open, nor did it look like a door, more like a piece of rock with carvings in the surface. Forn peered out at it, but as a dragon she could not read and the marking meant nothing to her. She instead nuded the so called door with her nose, trying to get it to move. She soon gave up and went to curl up somewhere else, letting Gandalf read the markings.

"It reads 'The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter'." Gandalf read, tracing his staff over the elvish markings.

"What do you suppose that means?" Merry asked, looking at Gandalf with awe.

"Well it's simple. If you are a friend speak the password and the doors will open." He tried some spell and everyone watched, expecting the doors to open as Gandalf has said they would. Gandalf tried again, and again nothing happened.

The soft sounds of stone hitting water filled Forn's ears and she opened an eye, glancing towards the noise uninterestingly.

"Do not disturb the water," Aragorn hissed at Merry and Pippin who obediently obeyed and dropped their stones.

"It's a riddle!" Frodo exclaimed. "What's the elvish word for friend?" Forn raised her head glancing at Gandalf.

"Mellon." Gandalf said and the doors opened. Everyone, besides Legolas walked towards the dark hole.

"You cannot fit,Forn," He said aloud gazing at his dragon with sad eyes. "Meet us at the other side."

"Soon, Master Elf," Gimli was said bringing Legolas' attention away fromForn. He began walking with the dwarf, not giving a second glance to Forn, but Forn knew why. She could feel the pain flowing off of him in waves. She wasn't about to make their parting harder for him. "you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves! Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone. This, my friend, is the home of my cousin, Balin.And they call it a mine. A mine!"

"Protect Bill," Legolas called after him, knowing at least it would give Sam comfort.

"This is no mine," Boromir said from inside the cave. Forn pricked her ear up, listening to the conversations being held.

"Goblins," Forn heard Legolas say. She tensed and moved closer to the entrance.

"We make for the gap of Rohan," Boromir declared."We should have never come here. Get out! Get out!"

With a choked scream Frodo hit the slippery ground, a creature pulling him towards the water. Forn acted on instant, hurling herself into the air she attacked the slimy thing holding Frodo.

"Frodo!" The Hobbits yelled.

"Strider!" Sam called, Forn dived, sinking her claws into the fleshy part of the creature. It roared in pain and produced more tentacles which in turn tossed her off. Forn caught herself in the air flew forward, roaring as she dived for another attack. As she attacked the Fellowship managed to to rescue Frodo from the clutches of the monster.

INTO THE MINES! Forn bellowed into Legolas' mind. I WILL HOLD IT OFF!

She didn't time to see if Legolas had followed her orders because the creature was wrapping a slimy tentacle around her middle. The thing tossed her, but this time she was unable to catch herself and she crashed into the opening of the cave, rock crumbled down after her, closing the entrance.

Forn! Legolas' mind made contact with her's.The creature began crawling towards her.

Promise that you will meet me on the other side, little one. Forn said.

I promise. Came Legolas' answer without hesitation. The creature pulled itself onto Forn and she cut off their connection before he could hear her yelp of pain. It wrapped it's tentacles around her neck and dragged her like that from out of the rubble. Forn dug her claws into the tentacles that held her captive until she managed to split them. She shook her head, dislodging the detached limbs from her neck. She stumbled backwards giving her time to let her fire charge in her stomach. The creature came closer to her unaware of its fate. She released her fire, roasting the sea creature and killing it almost immediately. Its dead body sank into the water and Forn collapsed into the shallower part. She hated using her fire, not only was it hard to use, but she always felt like a monster after doing so.

After a while of rest, Forn lifted herself out of the water. Droplets glistened like diamonds as they fell from her body. She shook herself, disrupting the water with a spray of droplets. It was only the thought of being able to see Legolas again that kept her exhausted body moving. She trudged out of the water, focusing solely on one step after another. She tripped, nearly smashing her face into the rocky ground, but she caught herself and stumbled on. Blood dripped from the gash on her underbelly, but she didn't notice. Focusing solely on the fact she needed to continue.

She found herself in a crumpled heap the next morning. She felt better, less tired and the gash on her underbelly had dried closed. She stretched her wings feeling them out to see if she could take off. Her already injured wing wasn't faring well, the stone must have injured it more and she decided against flying. And so she trudged on.

Forn found herself longing for Legolas. She felt like she was missing part of her soul, as if half of her was torn away from her and left her alone. She needed to get back to him. He was her strength, he was her Rider and she wanted him back.

Forn strained against the mud as it tried again and again to suck her feet down. She went through everything, bramble no longer worth going around and so she trampled it. She was barely aware of what was happening again, her only thoughts were on getting herself to take on more step. She finally couldn't go anymore and she fell to the ground in pure exhaustion, her eyelids closing unwillingly.

~*~

Forn awoke to a sharp pain in her underbelly. She opened her eyes to see that a man stood in front of her, a spear held out towards her. Forn bared her teeth and the man stumbled backwards, tripping over his own feet. His poking had opened the cut on her underbelly and she thought about eating him just for that. She rose to her full height, stretching out her cramped muscles before reaching out with her mind for any trace of Legolas'. She felt something, it was faint, but it gave her a direction. Forn glanced down at the man who sat looking up at her in fear. She turned away from him and leapt into the sky, leaving him behind her and he never got a second thought.

She flew and with every wingstroke he got closer, with every wingstroke, she grew stronger. She finally landed where the feeling was strongest and curled up, her head resting towards the rock. She had tried sniffing around, but all that filled her nose was the sent of Orc. Orc wasn't a very nice smell and soon Forn was too disgusted to continue, but with every second that passed worry grew in her heart. She had a horrible feeling that something was going to go terribly wrong.