Fan Fiction ❯ Wild Blue Yonder ❯ Laketown At Last ( Chapter 40 )

Disclaimer: As before I don't own LOTR or the characters contained within, we do however contain any and all characters created by myself and my co-author.

Wild Blue Yonder

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Chapter 40 - Laketown At Last

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It was long after dark when the group finally arrived at the shore of the lake. Lights shown brightly from behind glass-paned windows, illuminating the cobblestone roadway. Rain looked curiously about, this being the first human town that she had been in since she had arrived in Middle Earth.

"I thought the entire town was situated on the lake," she asked turning towards Elrohir, who was riding silently next to her.

"It was many, many years ago when the dragon that took up residence within Erebor that the townspeople built their city upon the lake to protect themselves. Once the dragon had been slain they were able to return to living on the land, though many still prefer to live in the sanctuary built by their forefathers." Elrohir replied.

"Yes, once Smaug was killed the people were able to return to the land, providing an additional source of food through farming for their growing community." Gandalf said as he turned to look back over his shoulder at the two trailing behind him and Legolas. "Ahh, here we are."

Rain looked up at his exclamation to see that they had stopped in front of long, two-story structure. He dismounted and strode forward to rap on a smaller door to the left of a set of larger barnlike doors. Several minutes passed before the door opened to reveal a stoop-shoulder old man holding a small lamp aloft.

"May I help you?" he asked, his voice a low, graveled whisper.

"Yes, we require stabling for our horses." Gandalf replied easily. The old man peered around Gandalf to look at the rest of the group, who had dismounted and were waiting patiently together.

"Certainly sir, will you be staying long?" he said as he hobbled forward to open one of the, what Rain truly realized now were barn doors.

"A few days." Gandalf said, gesturing for the others to precede him, the conversation ending as they walked into the dimly lit stable. Fairly quickly they had all of the horses settled and with bags slung over shoulders, they set off down the road towards the bridge.

Rain looked wearily down at the bridge that extended from the land to the city, that seemed to hover over the surface of the lake. Lights were placed at even intervals along the length and shimmered on the black water, flickering gently with the soft breeze. A pair of guards leaned against a small hut placed by the entrance to the bridge, their voices wafting up to them.

The guards came up to an alert stance as the group appeared out of the darkness. The taller of the two, Rain noted, stepped forward one hand automatically coming to rest upon the hilt of a short sword resting on his hip. Rain studied the taller man carefully as they approached. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with dark brown hair and eyes. She took in the alert stance and wary expression in his eyes approvingly, this was the type of soldier that was ready for any situation.

Gandalf stopped before the man and pushed back the deep hood that covered his face. The man's eyes widened slightly in recognition before a smile spread over his face.

"Gandalf, my old friend. What brings you to our humble town?" he said heartily, stretching out a callused hand to greet the wizard.

"Adventure and mischief, Mithiand," chuckled Gandalf as he eagerly took the hand presented to him. "And you my friend, what is the Captain of the Laketown guard doing watching a simple bridge."

"I wouldn't expect any of my soldiers to do a job that I wouldn't be willing to do." Mithiand replied.

Rain approved of the man immediately with the words that he spoke so casually with Gandalf, a true leader by example. She smiled within the deep folds of her hood, one hand moving to rest lightly atop Nanook's head. The other guard, who had been standing off the to the side of the group caught her movement and stepped forward aggressively, his hand gripping the handle of his sword half pulling it from his sheath, eyes locked on the large wolf-like animal next to the cloaked figure.

Rain's hand slid down Nanook's head to grasp his collar, she could feel the growls beginning to rumble up from within his body from the hostile action. With her free hand, she gestured for Nanook to silence his growls as she reached up on pushed back the hood of her cloak, her ire rising rapidly.

"You do know that it is rude to threaten guests to your city, don't you?" she said, her voice containing the same steel she used to speak to unruly airman.

Legolas reached out and placed a hand upon her arm, forestalling any actions that she may attempt. Mithiand took a step forward between her and his erring subordinate, his hand stretched out in an attempt to calm the situation.

"Now, now. . ." Gandalf said, bring his staff down sharply on the wood of the bridge, drawing attention toward him, "we are all tired Lady Rain and I am sure that this young man did not mean anything by his curious gaze." He looked over at the man, his eyes cold belying the warmth of his words. "Your friend does have a tendency to attract attention."

"I am sorry, my lady. I will ensure that this situation will be rectified immediately." Mithiand said, executing a short bow to her as he threw a disapproving look over his shoulder at the other soldier. "I am sure that he did not mean any disrespect towards your companion."

Rain studied his contrite expression, hesitant to accept the apology. Yet she knew that she would have to face other situations like this, not many people in this land would have seen a creature such as Nanook before and therefore would either be curious or hostile. While so far on her journeys, Nanook had been accepted readily by everyone she had met, this was the first time that he had been threatened and her instincts had snapped forth to protect him.

Straightening up, she looked the Captain directly in the eyes as she replied, "Your apology is accepted, please be sure to notify your men that Nanook is not to be taken lightly and is best to leave him alone unless I am with him." A sudden wave of exhaustion washed over her and she leaned back into Legolas's embrace.

Mithiand nodded imperceptibly, immediately recognizing the amount of authority this woman was used to receiving. His gaze turned thoughtful as he looked at the arm holding her and into the blue eyes of the man next to her, a hint of warning visible within those cold blue depths.

"If you'll excuse us Mithiand, we need to get some rest." Gandalf said, gesturing for Legolas and Elrohir to take Rain down the bridge.

Luckily as late in the night as it was, very few people were about to gawk at the strange group. Legolas kept one arm around Rain's waist, guiding her behind Gandalf and Elrohir as they made their way into the city. Gandalf led them into a large building near the center of the town. Rain was vaguely aware of the smell of stale beer and sweat that came from the tavern, as Gandalf talked with a burly man in a stained apron behind the counter. Before she knew it, they were climbing a set of stairs at the rear of the bar and down a dimly lit hallway. Gandalf's voice spoke quietly to Legolas, before he and Elrohir opened one door and disappeared into a room.

Legolas supported Rain lightly as he guided her to the door directly across from the room the others had went in to. He opened the door and motioned for Nanook to proceed them, Nanook trotting inside with his nose pressed to the floor as he investigated the smells in the room. Legolas shut the door softly behind him and directed Rain over to the large bed in the corner, helping her to sit down on the edge.

He knelt down in front of her and took her hands into his, "Rain, are you all right?" he asked gently, his thumb stroking over the back of her knuckles.

"Yes, I just suddenly seem to be very tired," she said, her voice faint.

"That is understandable, we have traveled very far in so few days. Why don't you lie down and rest, we don't have to go anywhere for a couple of days," he replied, as he helped her to slip her boots off. She smiled tiredly at him as she pulled off her cloak and tossed it over the chair next to the bed.

"Thank you Legolas, for being so patient with me," she said softly, reaching out a hand to touch his cheek gently.

"I care a great deal for you Rain, so it isn't that hard." Legolas reached up and took her fingers from his cheek, bringing them down to his lips where he kissed them gently. "I shall leave you to rest then, good night," he said, before rising to leave.

Rain tightened her grip about his fingers, drawing his attention back to her. She was looking down at the floor, nervously twitching the covers of the bed with her free hand. "Uhm, Legolas. . .would you stay here tonight. I mean, I just don't want to be alone," she whispered, a slight flush crossing her face.

Legolas hid a smile as he looked down at her bowed head before squeezing her hand gently. "Of course I'll stay, if you want me to." His gaze took in her lovely face as she looked up hopefully at him, a flicker of something indescribable flashing over her face. Pulling back his hand, he reached up and released the broach holding his cloak closed, folding the garment carefully and placing on the chair with hers. He walked softly across the room and locked the door before returning to blow out the lamp hanging from the ceiling.

Moonlight filled the room as Rain carefully slipped her pants off, leaving her long-tailed shirt on before pulling back the covers and sliding beneath them. She watched as Legolas sat down on the edge of the bed to remove his boots. He stood up and quickly stripped off his shirt, folding it and placing it with his cloak. He left his pants on as he joined her under the covers, pulling her close into his embrace. She snuggled closed to his warm skin, tucking her head under his chin and resting her head on his shoulder. The gentle beat of his heart was soothing beneath her ear and she sighed softly in contentment, closing her eyes and drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

"Sleep well, my love," he said quietly, dropping a light kiss on top of her head. He held her gently, smiling softly as her breathing evened out and she fell into a peaceful sleep Hearing a soft woof, he turned his head to see Nanook looking mournfully up over the edge of the bed.

Legolas grinned and nodded to the large dog, who yipped softly before jumping up onto the bed and settling down on the other side of Rain. The trio slipped together into the first real restful sleep that they had seen since they had left Lothlórien.

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"Looks like Legolas won't be joining us tonight." Elrohir said, a sly grin spread over his face. Suddenly a loud smack, followed by a thud and a shout filled the air. "Hey what was that for." Elrohir said, one hand coming up to rub the knot on the back of his head, where a wooden staff had hit him.

"Mind your own business and go to sleep," growled the reclining figure on the bed. Elrohir scowled at the wizard before pulling the lamp down and blowing out the flame, all the while mumbling about pesky wizards and their weird sense of humor.

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A/N: Well we've reached the hallway point, the next few days for Rain and her gang will be interesting, that I can guarantee. . .Stay tuned for the next installment.

Thank you for reading and your reviews are always appreciated and welcome. ~DBZ Vegeta