Fallen Leafs, Part II
by Areli

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At one point in their run, Gimli managed to escape Legolas' grasp.  

"A dwarf does NOT need to be carried!" he yelled as Legolas kept running. 

"'Tis your own grave you dig then!" Legolas replied.  

A few moments later Aragorn reached Gimli and noticed that Legolas was no where in sight. The Nazgul's were close behind.  

"Where is Legolas?" Aragorn asked. 

"I see no reason to care where he is." Gimli huffed.  

"Come dwarf, we must find a hiding place." and picked Gimli up. 

"A dwarf is not to be carried!" Gimli yelled. Aragorn was growing impatient and more annoyed with Gimli with each step that he protested. Finally, he dropped him to the ground. 

"Fine dwarf. But it will be your fault if you are caught." he said and ran ahead.  

"A dwarf is never caught." Aragorn rolled his eyes and ran towards a ditch.  

Meanwhile Legolas had reached a bridge that went over the water Frodo and Sam had crossed. An idea struck within him that he could run to the other side and meet up with them. They could not have gone too far.  

That was when he saw it.  

Floating on top of the swift river was a little shining object. It gleamed in the afternoon sun. Legolas' eyes widened when he realized what it was. The ring!  

But did not Frodo have it? Legolas wondered.  

The shrieking of the ringwraiths shattered his wonders as he looked down the stream to find them waiting for the ring to float to them.  

Without thinking Legolas' hand dove into the water and withdrew the ring.  

He stood up, looked at the Nazgul's and ran towards where he had heard Aragorn and Gimli.  

The ringwraiths shrieked in annoyance and turned back towards Mordor to report who now possessed the ring.  

 

Legolas reached the ditch and suddenly fell to his knees. He looked at his palm and looked down at the tiny ring it held. It's energy glowed at him, telling him to use it's power for his own use.  

"Legolas!" he heard Aragorn yell. "What do you have in your..." his voice trailed off when he saw the ring. "But, Frodo...?" Legolas looked up, his eyes filled with worry. 

"I found it in the stream. I had to pick it up or else the Nazguls would have gotten it." 

"Why did you not use something else to pick it up with?" Gimli fumed. "You shall be the death of us all!"  

"I did not think..." Legolas said sadly. He traced the ring with his other hand. He could not deny that he wanted to use it.  

"Here," Aragorn said taking out a piece of cloth, "put it in this." Legolas stared at the cloth and then at his ring.  

"No..." he said. "I-"  

"Legolas! Put the ring in the cloth!" Aragorn ordered. Legolas fell backwards on to the forest floor. He simply blacked out from confusion.  

In his mind he wanted to use it despretly. Ever since he had seen it at the Rivendell counsul he had wanted to use it. The things he could do with it... 

In his heart he wanted to toss it back into the river and leave it alone. He wished he had never seen it.  

Due to this internal conflict, his body grew too confused and simply shut down.  

Gimli struted over to Legolas' side and glared up at Aragorn. 

"Take it from his hand." he told Aragorn.  

"No. I cannot touch it."  

"Well I will not either. A dwarf is not a fool." he said.  

"Why did Frodo not have it?" Aragorn wondered out loud. "Why was it floating in the stream?"  

"We should do something to the elf." Gimli said. "Look how he shakes and thrashes about." Indeed Legolas was crying out, sweat gleamed on his face as his body thrashed about wildly. 

"He is fighting temptation to use it." Aragorn said. "He is no hobbit. I do not think he can fight it for long."  

"Then we must get it away from him." Gimli said. "Use the cloth and pick it up."  

"No. I can't touch it even if I have the cloth. I was going to have him drop it in and tie it to the hilt of my sword. I don't want to have it close to me if at all possible." Aragorn explained.  

"So what do we do?" Gimli asked looking down at Legolas. Aragorn stooped down and picked Legolas up. He looked at Gimli as he tossed Legolas over his shoulder. 

"Come, we shall go back to Rivendell and see what they propose."  

"If he lasts that long. We are too far away from there." Aragorn nodded, knowing all too well. "And what of the hobbits?" 

"They will not harm them yet. We have some time. This is a slightly bigger problem than that at the moment."  

"It is 50 days from here though. He will never make it!" Gimli yelled.  

"I do not know what else to do."  

"We cannot go back the way we came."  

"I know. They are not trying to prevent us from going back this time though."  

"And why not?" Gimli yelled.  

"Because they might asume that we have given up and wish to go home."  

"I hope you are right." 

"So do I." Aragorn said as he held onto Legolas tightly to prevent him from kicking him.  

And so Aragorn and Gimli walked back as quickly as they could until they reached the boats.  

Aragon gently laid Legolas into the boat as Gimli hopped on. Taking the paddles, Aragorn started their journey back towards Rivendell as Legolas' grip on the ring grew tighter.


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