Fan Fiction ❯ Fate of the Fires ❯ The Mystery of the Blade ( Chapter 14 )

Fate of the Fires

Part XIV: The Mystery of the Blade

Lady Mars

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Legolas sat in his room, the tarnished blade in his lap. 'Why does this really matter? It's nothing more than a blade.' He sighed, staring at the tarnished steel again. 'But it must be important or the drake wouldn't have told me to go get it. But why is it so significant? What does it have to do with anything?' The elf shook his head, got up from his chair, and set the blade on his bed, picking up a book in its place. 'If nothing else, I need to find out why everyone ever associated with a fire caller keeps looking at me funny.' He sat at his desk and began to flip through the pages of the book.

"Doing a little 'light' reading I see." Legolas jumped as the dwarf's voice echoed though his room. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's quite all right, I shouldn't have gotten so into what I was reading."

"Is it interesting?"

"No, not really."

"Then why are you still reading it?"

"I'm really not sure." He shut the book and turned back to Gimli. "So what brings you here?"

"I realized ever since you have been here, I haven't spoken to you once." Leoglas hung his head.

"It's been three months. Criminy. I've been wandering around this long and… Some best friend I make."

"It's quite all right, you have been busy, distracted, preoccupied…"

"I get the picture." The elf sat up again. "So how have you been?"

"I have been good. How about you?"

"I have been sub-par. No, I was never par in the first place. The gates of Hell? No, not even close to that. Lets say somewhere between the center of Hell and eternal damnation is about where I lie at the present moment."

"So saying you're having a good day would be arbitrary, wouldn't it?" Leoglas chuckled.

"Not really. I am having one of my better days, it would be far better if this reading wasn't blander that Aragorn's cooking." Gimli laughed. "No, I'm serious. I'll give him credit it where it's due; he's gotten better, but that's not saying much. I've tasted tree bark with more flavor and I don't even eat tree bark that often." Gimli laughed again. "Now the only people worse than him would be his brothers, that's the ONLY reason I have ever tasted tree bark."

"Enough, enough master elf. Would you like me to die of laughing?" Legolas chuckled.

"Sorry, sorry. It was the only fitting description of my reading." Gimli snorted. "Pick one up and find out. I've searched through half of those books over there and still haven't found what I'm looking for."

"What are you looking for?"

"Something that would point me in the right direction. I'm so unbelievably lost right now it's not funny."

"What's the problem?"

"The problem is that everywhere I go everyone either runs in complete terror or looks at me like I'm some kind of prodigal child of some sort. It's just really bugging me."

"Oh. That is quite a problem. And these books are supposed to help?"

"No, I'm using those to solve something else I'm having problems with."

"Being?" Legolas pointed to his bed.

"That." Gimli turned and walked over to the bed.

"A sword?"

"More of a family legacy. I'm trying to figure out what it says. It's written in the old language and no one around here can translate it."

"No one?"

"No one is old enough to have been around when it was written."

"And no one else can recognize it?"

"Nope, so I'm trying to find a source that can help me, but this isn't working."

"That does present a problem now doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does." Gimli hefted the blade off of Legolas' bed and began to inspect it.

"It is quite a fine blade. Whose was it?"

"It was my father's, but I guess its mine now."

"And why is that?"
"Let's say he met with a rather untimely end. I'd really rather not go into it right now."

"Oh. OH, ok. Never mind then." Gimli rotated the blade in his hand. "This can't be an elven blade."
"What?"

"It's far too light to be elven. You do make remarkable weapons, but none this light. This is dwarven for sure."

"Dwarven?"

"Aye, dwarven. Mithril to be exact." He swung the blade lightly. "Very few of these made it out of the halls; crying shame too, beautiful weapons they are."

"It was a beautiful weapon, it is no longer."

"No, it is still a stunning weapon." He walked quietly into the elf's bathroom and returned with a cloth in his hand. "Mithril never ruins my boy." He gently wiped the blade's surface, clearing it. "And it should still be as sharp as the day it was made." He smiled lightly before handing the blade back to the elf. Leoglas carefully took the blade and gazed at his reflection in it; he looked more time worn than he had ever imagined. He sighed gently and placed the blade on his desk.

"It still doesn't help me solve the problem of the inscription."

"Could it be..?"
"Dwarvish? No, it would have been recognized as it. I don't know why I'm even bothering, it really doesn't matter. But then again, it does; my life is so confusing at this point that I get lost in my own thoughts. I wish, I wish I could escape it, escape it all even if it were for no more than a moment." He sat back heavily in his chair. "But it won't be so." Laughter floated up into the room through the open doors of Legolas' balcony. Gimli walked outside and gazed down at the action below. Aragorn was covered in mud with his two elven brothers trying to contain their hysterics and the four hobbits not.

"You shall pay for this dearly Elladan!" Aragorn growled.

"Oh yes I shall," Elladan replied between chuckles. Legolas got up and joined Gimli on the balcony. "But what army shall help you Estel." Gimli looked up at the elf beside him.

"We dare not let this act go unpunished, dare we?" he asked.

"We dare not," Legolas replied, disappearing into his bedroom. He returned a few moments later caring a basket of fruit. "How is your aim, master dwarf?"

"A rival of any human."

"Good." Leoglas hefted the dwarf up onto the railing. He handed him a random piece of fruit and then picked one up for himself. "Fire at will." Leoglas sent his weapon flying and hit Elladan square in the back of the head. The twin froze at the contact and Elrohir began to laugh until he was hit too. The pair exchanged confused looks as the assault continued. "You should know very well my friend that one does not need an army to win, just strategically placed allies." The pair turned to gaze up at Legolas and Gimli. "Do you care to continue this or shall you admit defeat?" The twins exchanged glances before replying.

"Defeat," Elrohir replied. "But you shall pay dearly for this Greenleaf!"
"And I shall be readily for it Halfelven!" The two disappeared from sight.

"Well met my friends," Aragorn yelled. "Well met!"

"I could not let an injustice like this slip away unchallenged."

"They will get you back for this, you do know that, don't you?"
"They will TRY my dear king. Do remember I have fifteen times the ears and eyes watching over me now. They shall not get me easily."
"And that is good to know my dear elf," Gimli added. "But what of me?"

"They wouldn't try. I will post hounds in your area; they shant get near you without you knowing it."

"And how do you expect to do that?"
"I do not.." The elf stopped mid-sentence when he was hit head long with a mud ball. He leaned over the rail, gazing at the Hobbits. "You shall pay dearly for that." With extreme grace, he leapt over the rail and landed on the ground with a gentle thump. The Hobbits scattered at his landing. "Do not think you can escape me, it is a difficult task!" The elf tore off after Merry. Aragorn and Gimli remained, chuckling at the elf's reaction.

"Should we help him?"

"Aye; why should he have all the fun?" Gimli jumped down and landed where Legolas had just taken off from.

"Well met my friend."
"It seems that we shall be Hobbit hunting now."

"That it seems." The pair tore off rapidly after Merry and Legolas.

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Gorfindel stood outside of Legolas' door, idly wondering where the prince had gone off to. 'It isn't like him to disappear this suddenly. I hope he isn't in trouble.' The lord's fears were quenched as the mud coated troop of Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin entered his view.

"I told you escape was futile!" Legolas said. "But you didn't listen!"

"Never doubt the words of an elf," Aragorn added. "For they will find a way to do it if possible."
"And if not, they will find someone else to do it for them!" Legolas added with a chuckle.

"Well put, well put. Elladan would be proud!"

"So we've reverted to cavorting around in the mud now have we?" The troop stopped at the sound of the lord's voice.

"L-lord Gorfindel," Legolas stuttered.

"I have been looking for you all afternoon my blonde mischief maker."
"Y-you have?"

"Yes. You must leave."
"Leave? Why? I have done nothing to..." Gorfindel raised his hands to stop the sentence.

"Lorien has sent for you."

"Lorien? Why?"
"The wraiths have been spotted again."

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