Title: Babe in the Woods ch 4

Author: sheraiah

Rating: PG

For full header, please see chapter 1.

                                                   ~

The sun had passed its zenith and begun its descent when Legolas paused and cocked an ear towards the nearest tree. Gimli stopped as well, not exactly winded, but grateful for the respite. They had left the village well before sunrise, heading South towards Gondor but had backtracked along a stream for over a league and then headed North at a brisk pace equal almost to the pace Aragorn had set across the plains of Rohan, stopping only to feed and care for the baby.

“The trees say that Abrum and his family are just beyond the stream two leagues North,” Legolas said, automatically checking the baby who slumbered in her sling across his chest.

“The trees told you two leagues? Didn’t know trees knew what a league was,” Gimli commented, grinning at the elf, who rolled his eyes.

“The trees said beyond the stream. I happen to know it is two leagues, if we must be that precise, oh mighty digger of holes,” the archer retorted. Had he not been holding the child, the temptation to swat him with the flat of an axe might have proved too strong. As it was, Gimli contented himself with a glare and a snort.

“How long ‘til we reach them, do you think, you daft, long-legged, tree-hugging, point-ear?”

“Likely the better part of the afternoon at your pace, rock-hoarder. For Brenna and myself, not long at all!” With that, the elf leapt into the tree, his laughter trailing behind him as the dwarf turned the air around him blue with curses as he tried to keep up.

“Get down from there you reckless, flighty, damned….elf! You’ll drop her!”

                                                   ~

“Abrum, Blacksmith!”

The clear voice rang out in through the clearing, startling the group of humans into a halt, the three adult males raising their weapons. “Who calls me?” the largest of the three called out in response.

“It is Legolas, and I would very much appreciate it if you lowered your weapons. I do not wish to resemble your wife’s pincushion if it is all the same to you,” the voice replied, humor clear in its tone.

“Show yourself first,” Abrum replied.

The elf stepped out from behind a large tree trunk directly ahead of the small group, startling them yet again. Abrum lowered his pike. “Master Legolas, that was a bit bolder than I’d have done, especially with a babe in my arms.”

“Nay, there was less danger than you think, Master Blacksmith. Your weapons would never have reached me, assuming that you could have located me to aim them in the first place,” the elf replied cheekily, grinning. “However, my small friend here very much wishes to make your wife’s acquaintance.” He bowed slightly to the blacksmith’s wife, who was staring at him with an expression of wonder on her face. “Mistress Mahri, this is Brenna. She is dry and clean, but I do think that she is wanting a meal as soon as possible.”

“Oh, yes of course! Here, let me take her,” Mahri said, recovering rather quickly and taking the baby. “Oh, there, you little lamb! Are you hungry, loveling? We’ll take care of that right now, we will.”

“There’ll be no more sense out of her today,” one of the young men next to Abrum said, chuckling. “I’m Raife, and this is Edrun. Abrum you know already and I’ll let him introduce his litter to you.”

“Legolas of the Greenwood, and it is a pleasure to meet you,” the elf replied, bowing with his hand over his heart in the manner of his people.

“Where is Gimli?” Abrum asked, his eyebrows rising when Legolas laughed.

“A league and a half behind and cursing both my name and those of my ancestors, I do not doubt! If you do not object, I will go now and scout ahead of us. Perhaps if I bring back dinner, I will not face the possibility of being hacked off at the knees when I return.” He grinned and leapt up into the trees again, disappearing before Abrum and his wife’s brothers could comment.

“What a strange creature he is,” Mahri commented, her gaze searching the branches above them. “Lovely, but strange.”

“That’s about the truth, sister-mine,” Edrun said, rubbing his chin. “Never seen an elf before, think they’re all like that?”

“I wouldn’t think so. Men aren’t all of a piece, so why should others be?” Abrum weighed in, leaning over to get a look at the baby. “Well, if she doesn’t look just like Tomil!”

“And now she’s going to be fed,” Mahri stated firmly, draping a shawl over her shoulder and reaching underneath to bare herself and settle the baby. ‘Yes, yes, you too, Mikel,” she said, shifting the shawl and settling her youngest on the other side when he protested the visitor’s usurping of his place.

“Best keep moving for now,” Raife said. “There’s a clearing ahead where we can stop for the night.”

                                                      ~

Unlike his tall friend, they heard Gimli long before they saw him. He hailed them much in the same manner that Legolas had, but he also made a great deal of noise moving through the underbrush. After several long minutes the dwarf broke through the brush, grumbling and stomping.

“Where is that blasted elf? I’ll bring him down to size!” he blustered, scowling fiercely.

“Master Legolas is scouting ahead. He said something about bringing back something for dinner,” Mahri said, eyeing dwarf warily.

“He’d better,” Gimli snorted. Then his scowl cleared and he bowed to Mahri. “Gimli, son of Gloin at your service.”

“Mahri, Meder’s daughter at yours,” the woman replied, still wary. “My husband, Abrum you know. These are my brothers, Raife and Edrun.” The men bowed, each in turn. “And these are Alys, Renn, Brytta, Sidda, and Mikel.” The dwarf bowed again.

“At your service, as I said. Ah,” his face brightened as he caught sight of the baby, “there’s our Little Bit! How’s she faring, Mistress Mahri?”

“Just fine,” Mahri said, shifting the baby’s shawl so that he could see her face. She thawed visibly towards the dwarf as he moved to her side, fussing over the baby.

“Good,” he replied, allowing the baby’s small hand to curl around his pinky. “Uncle Gimli’s going to have to have a word with Uncle Legolas, yes he is. Going to have to take the flat of my axe to his backside, won’t I?” he crooned to the baby, before remembering his audience and stepping back, blushing and clearing his throat. Abrum and the other adults prudently hid their smiles.

                                                 ~

A loud birdcall sounded overhead just as they made camp, startling all except Gimli.

“Oh, just get down here, you daft creature. You’re safe from my axe so long as you brought some meat with you!” He called out, not even bothering to look up. A second later, the carcass of a wild boar dropped at his feet, followed by the elf. “Well, that almost makes up for you leaving me to struggle through this forest alone, but you still owe me several pitchers of ale at the Halfling’s Raft in Dale.”

“Ugh, not that horse-water! The Stone Troll has better, and they have wine there as well. I am not going to simply sit and watch you drink with nothing for myself,” Legolas replied with an affectionate grin for his friend. “Come help me dress this boar out, elvellon.”

“It’ll cook faster if we chop it up and wrap pieces of it in leaves to cook among the coals,” Gimli opined, following the elf.

“Yes, I agree. And I also found some roots, berries, and greens to supplement the meat,” the elf said as they moved beyond the tree line, leaving the humans staring in their wake.

A bit later, Gimli returned and busied himself burying leaf-wrapped packages in the coals. He also handed Legolas’ carry-sack, half filled with berries to Mahri with a sheepish look. “Last time I tried to fix something with berries, Legolas laughed for a week. He wouldn’t dare laugh at a female, his father’d have his head.”

“Where is Legolas?” Mahri asked, emptying the sack into a wooden bowl she had taken from the family’s cart.

“He’s disposing of the parts of the boar we aren’t using. Said he saw signs of a wolf’s den not too far off on the other side of the stream. He’s going to give the rest of the carcass to the wolves so they won’t need to hunt for their little ones for a day or so. Then, if I know the elf, he’ll have a bit of a wash in the stream before he rejoins us.” Gimli chuckled. “There could be snow on the ground, and he’d still have a bath, that one.”

As Gimli watched, Mahri ground the berries into a paste, adding meal and honey from her stores. Using a pan fetched from the cart by her oldest, she began cooking little cakes made from the berry and meal paste in a bit of lard. As soon as the first one was done, Mahri broke it into pieces, distributing them to her children and Gimli.

“I don’t think he’ll laugh about these, Mistress Mahri.” Gimli nodded in satisfaction. “We might well have to fight him for them.”

“Might well have to fight me for what, Master Stone-cleaver?” Legolas asked, dropping down next to the dwarf, his freshly braided hair still damp from his bath.

“Goodness, don’t you ever just walk!” Mahri exclaimed.

“Traveling through the trees is faster and safer,” the elf replied, leaning over to examine the cakes. “Those smell wonderful, Mistress Mahri.” She broke off a piece of one for him, watching as an expression of delight crept over his face as he tasted it. “They taste better than they smell, if that is possible.” He eyed Gimli. “You may well have to fight me for them, elvellon.”

“Don’t want blood on the wagon,” Gimli quipped back, using a stick to turn the packets of meat and roots in the coals. Legolas just grinned at him.

                                                      ~

The next two days were spent traveling at as swift a pace as possible with both a wagon and small children in tow. A great deal of Legolas’ time was spent in scouting both ahead and behind. Gimli took on the task of hiding their passing as much as he could. Abrum was concerned that Restor would have them followed out of pure spite, the family having left town rather than dance to his tune. Likewise, Legolas and Gimli knew that if he got wind of Brenna’s survival, he would certainly send his lackeys to remedy the situation.

                                                 ~

The group was just beginning to set up camp when Legolas dropped from a tree at the edge of the clearing they had stopped in, his expression grim.

“It would be wiser to continue on, even as weary as the children are, my friends,” he said, walking to the wagon and adding arrows to his quiver from the extras he had made over the previous two nights.

“How many?” Gimli asked, adjusting his throwing axes in their straps and checking the edge on his walking axe.

“I saw ten, but the trees whisper of four more out scouting,” the elf replied. “I think it best that you and I confront them away from the others, elvellon.”

“Aye, makes sense to me.” He nodded and turned to Abrum. “If we do it that way, you can put some distance between any fighting and the children and you, Raife, and Edrun are here in case any of them get past Legolas and me.” His tone made it plain that neither he nor the elf intended to allow that to happen.

“I have also sent for reinforcements, Gimli,” Legolas said softly, his hand resting lightly on the trunk of an old and stately beech tree. “Adar was headed for East Lorien when I left, so he will likely be close enough to intercept us, hopefully before we have to force a confrontation.”

“Hmpf, never thought I’d be glad to see your sire, lad.” He glowered at the elf. “And I’ll string you up by those pointed ears of yours if you tell him I said that.”

“It shall never pass my lips. Far be it for me to give the two of you yet another subject to scowl at each other about.” His eyes scanned the trees, attention focused on the faint rustle of the leaves. “Come, we must find a place in which to do this, mellon nin. Time grows short, and help is farther away than I would like.” He locked eyes with Abrum, “Make as much haste as you are able. Do not stop this night unless the warriors of the Woodland Realm approach you and tell you it is safe to do so.”

With that, he turned and sprinted into the tree line, Gimli following closely behind.

                                                    ~

TBC….