Disclaimer, Notes and Acknowledgements: Please refer to Chapter 1

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Chapter 7 – Lost and Found

Aragorn and Legolas urged their horses to go faster. The two friends had traveled for many hours, relying solely on their mounts to take them where Elladan and Elrohir were last seen. The horses, having sensed their riders’ urgency, sprang forward with renewed strength.

Day turned slowly into night as the sun finally sank beyond the mountains. Shadows crept across the land, and soon the only light left was the soft glow of the elf and the stars and moon shining brightly from the sky. Aragorn drew his cloak a little tighter around his shoulders in an attempt to ward off the icy chill of the wind. These were the times that he envied the endurance of elves. Beside him, Legolas rode on without a hint of discomfort, his long blond hair whipped around his face by the gushing wind. The elf was tense, although his calm outer appearance hid his inner turmoil. He suspected that Elladan’s and Elrohir’s disappearance was some deliberate plan. There were no orcs this close to Imladris, and wild beasts hardly ventured out in this time of the year. So what had happened? Just as the thought grazed his mind, the horses slowed their pace to a slow trot and finally came to a complete stop near the small clearing where their previous riders were last seen. Pawing at the ground with their front hooves, Iarephel and Alquamor nickered softly, trying to tell the two friends what had happened in their own unique language.

Aragorn and Legolas dismounted and, in a few quick strides, made their way to the deserted camp. The two companions quickly rekindled the fire by using the remaining firewood. As Aragorn’s eyes adjusted to the brightness of the flame, he let out a small gasp as he took in the ravaged campsite. His brothers’ weapons and their other belongings were scattered all over the forest floor.

Legolas scanned the area, and his keen elven eyesight picked up a small patch of discoloration on the grass. Making his way past the young ranger, the elven prince crouched down, reaching out to touch the grass with his fingers. Even though the substance on the grass had already dried, he knew that it was blood. Legolas scooted a few feet towards and spotted another splotch.

“Estel!” Legolas called out to Aragorn, who was searching for clues on the other side of the fire. “I think I found something.” He beckoned the human over.

The ranger abandoned his search immediately, made his way hurriedly over to his companion, and squatted down beside the elf. “What is it?” he asked urgently and understanding dawned upon him as Legolas pointed at the dark patches. Aragorn stared at the stain, and a sense of dread surged through him. He felt his heart sink to his stomach.

“They’re injured!” he exclaimed and shifted his gaze from the grass to Legolas, his eyes wide, and a deep frown etched into his young face.

Legolas nodded grimly. “And it seems like whoever took them left us a trail. Look...” The elf prince pointed at an area a few feet ahead where the grass was also stained dark brown.

“I studied the tracks by the fire.” Aragorn swept his hand across the field behind him. “There were around three or four of them, excluding Elladan and Elrohir.” The man paused to gather his thoughts and continued. “There were some signs of struggle, but not enough to indicate a fight.”

“Then maybe they were taken by surprise.” Legolas added solemnly and rose to his feet while, scanning the surroundings. “The tracks are easy to follow. It leads to the east. We will have no problem tracking it.”

Aragorn stood and went over to the fire, putting out the flame within seconds, and joined Legolas as the elf began to trace the trail into the forest.

*****

The night wind chilled him to the bone, but Aragorn gritted his teeth and followed his friend closely. He was an excellent tracker, but unfortunately human eyes were not designed to see in the dark. They were now tracking in almost complete darkness, for the moon had been hidden by some clouds several hours ago, so the human had no choice but to leave the task to Legolas. All that he could do at the moment was to concentrate on his steps and try not to stumble and fall.

Legolas had drawn his hood of his cloak over his head to mask his glow so as not to reveal their presence to anyone who may be spying on them. The darkness around Aragorn reminded him of the cavern he and Legolas had fallen into several months ago. The memory sent a small shiver down his spine, as the image of Legolas lying in a pool of blood flashed across his mind. He pushed the thought ruthlessly back into his subconscious and berated himself for bringing up such dreadful memories.

“I don’t like this,” Aragorn muttered under his breath, more to himself than to Legolas, but the elf caught his words nonetheless.

“Neither do I,” the woodland being replied in a low voice. “I feel like we’re being lured into something. The tracks were clearly left for someone to follow, and I get a feeling that the someone was us.”

Aragorn chuckled, despite the graveness of the situation. “You are being paranoid, Legolas,” the ranger whispered and patted the elf prince sympathetically on his shoulder. “Who would take a person against his will and yet leave a trail for someone to rescue him.”

Releasing a small huff, Legolas shrugged off the ranger’s hand gently. “It’s a big world, Aragorn. Strange things happen. Remember the box and…”

“All right! You win!” Aragorn cut off the elf before he could finish his sentence, not wanting to go into that topic, especially when they were stuck in complete darkness. Unconsciously, he stepped nearer to Legolas, suddenly having the need to feel the presence of another living being close to him.

Sensing the tension in the young man beside him, Legolas wrapped his arm around Aragorn’s shoulder and gave him a quick hug. “I’m sorry,” he apologized sincerely, “I promise not to mention it again. I’m not very fond of the memory either.”

The human nodded slightly, knowing well that the elf could see his silent acknowledgement without problem.

“They couldn’t be too far,” the elf prince changed the subject swiftly, trying to ease the anxiety that had momentarily weighed them down.

Picking up his pace, Legolas towed Aragorn behind him by his sleeves, and the ranger was forced to quicken his pace to match the elf’s speed. But suddenly without warning, the elf stopped dead in his track, causing the human to ram into his back. The man grunted and mumbled something incomprehensible, but Legolas quieted him by placing his hand lightly over his mouth.

“Shh... I think we’re reaching the end of our search. I see a light ahead.” The elf pointed in front of him.

Aragorn squinted and strained his neck, but all the ranger could see was a blanket of darkness.

Seeing the human’s reaction, Legolas apologized and offered to take them a little closer to their supposed destination. Aragorn started to see a pinprick light, and it got brighter and clearer as they moved closer to the source. The man could vaguely see the shape of a small house, and his curiosity spiked.

“Who would build a house in the middle of the forest?”

“Let’s take a closer look. I don’t see any movement inside the house,” Legolas suggested and started cautiously towards the house.

Aragorn followed a few steps behind. For some strange reason, he started feeling a little nervous. As they got within a few feet from the structure, the front door suddenly swung open, revealing a figure silhouetted against the light. Judging from the height and build, they were sure that he was a man.

“Hello, Estel,” the man’s voice was coarse and held a tinge of malice. “How nice of you to drop by.”

TBC...