Lord of the Rings 1. A Flash and Your Gone Revisied

**REVISIED**  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own and will never own (darn) any of the Tolkien characters.  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter One - A Flash and Your Gone ~~*~*~~  
  
Her obsession with fanfiction was horrible. Every morning before she even changed out of her nightwear, she booted up her computer to check her emails to see if she had gotten anymore reviews on her latest story she had been writing, and every evening after work she came home and spent several hours reading, writing and browsing for new stories. Not very becoming of a Senior NCO in the United States Air Force, was it.  
  
'Well.' she thought. 'As long as I don't let it interfere with my work it's alright.'  
  
Currently her obsession was with the Lord of the Rings fanfictions. She was totally head over heals for Tolkien's character Legolas. 'Why can't more men be like him.' she mused. Tall, handsome, sensitive and a great body to boot. 'Damn, I need to stop thinking and get moving.' she thought, bouncing out of her chair in front of her computer and heading for the shower.  
  
Quickly showering, she grabbed her towel and headed for the bedroom, tripping over the bulk lying in front of the bathroom door.  
  
"Bup-pup, what are you doing! Move it!" she cried, hopping on one foot, nursing her now bruised toe, that had come in contact with the doorframe. Looking down at the dog, who was looking back up at her, tongue hanging out with his silly doggie grin firmly in-place and his tail going a mile a minute.  
  
"No, you know that you have to wait until mommy gets dressed before you can have your cookie." with that the dog started bouncing excitedly around her feet, yipping playfully. "I swear, you have less common sense than a laboratory mouse." she grinned at the antics of her dog. He was her only companion, her best friend. Oh, she had human friends too, but he was her closest pal. Shaking her head at his antics, she quickly dried off before dropping her towel on the end of the bed. Snagging fresh underwear from the dresser drawer, she quickly put them on, opening the door to her closet as she did. She pulled out the dry cleaner bag that held her freshly press uniform. Turning back to the dresser, she took out a black t-shirt and a pair of black wool socks. Sitting on the end of the bed she proceeded to put her shirt, socks and pants on.  
  
"Man, where did I put my blousing bands?" she groaned aloud, looking for the black bands that bloused her pants over the top of her combat boots. Spying them on the headboard, she snatched them and taped off her pants over her boots. Seizing her outer shirt, she quickly headed for the kitchen, dropping the shirt across the back of a chair. Taking a cookie from the container on the counter, she tossed it over her shoulder hearing a sharp snap and crunch as Nanook caught it and happily munched it down.  
  
Opening the cupboards, she took a box of cereal out and poured a bowl. Turning towards the fridge, she went to grab the milk and to her dismay discovered none. 'Oh, yeah. I used the last of it making dinner last night.' she sighed thoughtfully as she glanced at the clock. She would have to stop and grab something on the way; there was no way she was working a 12-hour shift without at least breakfast. Who knows when she would get lunch? Pouring the cereal back into the box, she put it away.  
  
Grabbing her beret, she pulled it on over her tightly braided hair and reached for her shirt. Buttoning it up quickly and snapping her web gear belt into place, she checked to see if all of the lights where out before snagging her A3 kit bag and heading for the door. She was almost out the door when she remembered that she had left her internet connection running and turned quickly back to her den, Nanook following close at her heels.  
  
"Sorry, Bup-pup you can't go with me today. Have to go to work." she said as she leaned over her desk to begin shutting her computer down. Feeling him leaning against her, she smiled as she reached down and stroked his nose gently. "We'll go for a ride to the park when I get home." she promised, turning back to her computer she reached out to flip the power supply switch when suddenly a bright light flashed from her screen and then plunged her into darkness.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
"Are you sure this is going to work?" the dark haired elf asked cautiously.  
  
"Yes," the other elf replied, her golden hair shimmering in the light of the torches. "I've done this many times myself."  
  
There was a bright flash of light out of the midnight black onyx stone the elf was holding, then it slowly faded back to ebony.  
  
"It is done," she said somberly.  
  
The dark haired elf leaned in closer, a small frown creasing his brow as he gazed at the now quiet stone. The blond elf smiled serenely, amusement glowing in her eyes. "You doubt me, Elrond?"  
  
"Of course not, Galadriel."  
  
"And what of your mission, Thranduil? Was it successful?" She carefully placed the stone into its golden case, locking it.  
  
"He is on his way as we speak." Thranduil replied with pride.  
  
"Good."  
  
The elves were silent as they left the chamber and walked out into the brilliant light of the clearing. It was Elrond who spoke first.  
  
"She is of strong will." Once again his brow was marred by a frown.  
  
"That is why I have chosen her." Galadriel spoke confidently.  
  
"And if she refuses?" Thranduil stared at the ground, his mind focused on the repercussions should she do just that.  
  
"We must not let that happen." Galadriel said softly, yet her voice held determination.  
  
They walked a bit further, stopping only when they had come to their horses. Elrond took the reins of his steed. "We cannot hold her against her will."  
  
"If my youngest succeeds, there will be no need." Thranduil stated, climbing onto his brilliant white horse.  
  
"And if he fails? What then?" Elrond mounted his gleaming black stallion, one eyebrow arched.  
  
Galadriel calmly stroked her golden mare. "Then we must stress to her the importance of her destiny." The two lords nodded solemnly before turning their horses around and riding away swiftly. Galadriel felt the slightest twinge of guilt before she to rode away towards her home.  
  
~~*~*~~ 


	2. Damn The Commander's Gonna Kill Me

Disclaimer: As I stated before, I don't own it, just borrowing it..  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter Two - Damn The Commander's Gonna Kill Me ~~*~*~~  
  
She groaned as she struggled to sit upright, placing a hand against her forehead. "Man, did anyone get the number of that truck." she winced as her hand came across a sore patch next to her left ear.  
  
Opening her eyes, she groaned again and closed them. "Were definitely not in Kansas anymore Toto." she commented to the large dog laying next to her. Opening her eyes again, she stared up at the tall trees surrounding her, a light silver glow to the area. She was sitting on the ground at the base of an enormous tree, it had to be several hundred years old to be that big. Her A3 kit bag was several paces away and Nanook was next to her unconscious. Worriedly she quickly checked him over and sighed in relief when she found him breathing. Standing up, she placed a hand on the tree to steady herself, as she tried to assess her situation, which any good NCO would do.  
  
* Number one, she definitely wasn't at home anymore, she didn't even think it was anywhere in the US either.  
  
* Number two, her commander was gonna kill her when she didn't show up for work today. She would be lucky if they didn't call her AWOL (Absent Without Leave). And if she were really lucky when she got back they wouldn't throw her in jail for it.  
  
* Number three, she suddenly wished she had an aspirin, her head was killing her.  
  
Groaning again, she staggered over to her A3 bag and turning it over and opening it, she pawed around inside for her first aid kit and a bottle of water. Sighing with relief, she found the aspirin and the water at the same time. Downing two with a swig of water, she was closing the lid on the water when she heard a twig snap behind her.  
  
Tensing lightly, she slowly laid the bottle back down into the bag, her hand reaching for her empty holster. 'Damn, forgot I don't have my gun out yet.' she thought, remembering her extra gun was buried in the bottom of her A3 bag. Hooking her fingers around her web belt, she felt the handcuff case under her fingertips. 'Better than nothing.' she thought, slipping the handcuffs out and palming them.  
  
Very light footsteps sounded directly behind her, almost too light for her to hear. Survival situations tend to enhance ones senses and she had been known for her already sensitive hearing. Steeling herself, she prepared to face the person behind her. Feeling a hand come down on her shoulder, she suddenly attacked, snatching the hand and twisting it painfully as she used her body leverage to flip the individual over her hip.  
  
She grabbed his flailing hands and swiftly cuffed them together before jumping back away from his struggling body. She heard him yell out as he scrambled to his feet, consternation written across his features. He looked down to find some type of metal bindings around his wrists. Tugging at them, he found that they we stronger than they looked.  
  
"What are these?" he said, looking up at the strangely dress young woman in front of him.  
  
"Huh?" she said, startled. She had been prepared for an attack, not curiosity. "Umm, their handcuffs"  
  
"Hand Cuffs" he said, peering down closely at the metal rings about his wrists, before looking back up at her "Ok, you can take them off now, please." An amused expression flittering across his face.  
  
"I don't think so, buster." she growled, after all it was he who had snuck up on her and she was not about to release him until she found out what was going on.  
  
"Buster?" he queried. "My name isn't Buster, it's Legolas. Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of the Mirkwood Elves."  
  
"Le. . .go. . las? I'm . . .in. . . Middle. . .Earth?" she stammered as bright points of light suddenly seemed to pop in and out of existence in front of her eyes. She swayed alarmingly as she spotted his pointed ears and suddenly fainted dead away.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: For those of you who may be wondering what an A3 bag is, it is a green duffel type bag issued to carry gear in. Instead of being like the long tub like ones most people are used to seeing, they are a suitcase shaped bag. They are made of a heavy-duty canvas with twin soft handles at the top. They are quite large and can hold a lot of gear. Security forces personnel have been known to use these bags to carry extra gear and food for their shifts.  
  
~~*~*~~ 


	3. Dreams Can Be Worse Than Nightmares Rev

**REVISIED**  
  
Disclaimer: I wish, I wish. . . Well we all know we wished we owned it, but we don't.  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter Three - Dreams Can Be Worse Than Nightmares ~~*~*~~  
  
He sat looking down at the unconscious woman next to his feet. He had attempted to catch her as she passed out but the bands about his wrists had made it hard. But at least he had been able to cushion some of her fall. She was dressed strangely in green, black and brown patterned pants and shirt, with a dark blue hat covering her dark hair.  
  
He had seen her when she had staggered across the clearing to the green bag. He had purposefully stepped upon a dry branch to announce his presence and not startle her, but somehow she had gotten the drop on him when he had reached out to tap her shoulder, thinking she may need his assistance. It was the first time something like this had happened to him in a long, long time. Normally no one could best him, but it seemed this slip of a woman had.  
  
The darkness began to fade and slowly Rain heard the soft rustling of leaves. Suddenly she remembered the shimmering air, the feeling of being tossed around, and finally the heavy thud as she plummeted to the ground.  
  
Then the images changed. Glowing blue eyes, golden hair fluttering in the light breeze. 'It's a concussion,' she thought, dismissing the images as the by products of too many late nights pouring over stories of her favorite character.  
  
Groaning, Rain slowly opened her eyes. Her heart began to pound as her vision cleared and the same blue eyes peered down at her with undisguised curiosity. 'He's real!!,' her mind screamed as she scrambled away from him, regaining her feet, eyeing him warily as her head still pounded from earlier.  
  
"I mean you no harm." Legolas said gently, holding his bound hands up to her.  
  
She continued to watch him carefully, until she heard a snorting whine. Whipping her head around, she saw Nanook struggling to sit up. "Bup-pup." she cried as she sprinted across the clearing to skid to a halt next to the dog, going down on her knees next to him.  
  
Soothingly, she helped the dazed dog into a sitting position, carefully running her hands over his body, checking to see if he had any obvious injuries. She stopped when he whimpered as her hands slid across his side. Peering into his face, she saw the pain in his eyes, before he swiped a wet tongue across her face. Laughing she gently hugged him close. He would be alright; she couldn't find any breaks, so he was just like her, bruised good.  
  
Hearing a rustle behind her, Nanook's head came up as a threatening growl escaped his throat. Laying a calming hand on his head, she turned to see Legolas sitting beside them. She gripped Nanook firmly as he attempted to lunge, feebly, at the elf.  
  
"Shh, Bup-pup, it's alright." she murmured comfortingly to the protective dog. He settled down at her voice, his piercing blue eyes staring directly at the elf.  
  
"Careful." she said, as she watched him slowly stretch his hands out to the dog. Nanook dipped his head and sniffed at the elf. Looking up, his head tilted, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth, Nanook grinned happily at him, his tail whapping back in forth madly.  
  
"Well, that's the first time he's done that." she murmured confused. Normally Nanook was wary of all strangers unless she told him otherwise, but he seemed to genuinely like the elf right away, without her approval.  
  
"Animals know who they can trust, instinctively." he said as he scratched Nanook gently behind his ear, the dog leaning into him. "Will you trust me now?" he asked looking at her, holding his hands up.  
  
"Damn elves and your affinity with nature." she laughed at his startled expression with her language. Turning towards him, she reached for her keys and gently unlocked the handcuffs from his wrists. Her breath quickened at the touch of his pale skin beneath her fingers. Soft and warm, she could feel the gentle throb of his pulse. Though they were slender, she could feel the strength in the sinew and bone.  
  
Clenching her teeth, she forced herself to let go of his hands, taking a few steps back, afraid she might try to claim them once again. Watching as he rubbed the red marks about them, as she returned the cuffs and keys to their storage cases on her belt.  
  
"Your friend seems to need some help, though I have to say I never seen anything like him before." Legolas commented looking from her back down to the large dog now laying with his head on his lap. He reached down and gently stroked the dog behind the ears. Nanook sighed and closed his eyes, enjoying the caress.  
  
"He's a Mackenzie River Husky. They are bred for their loyalty and strength." she said, looking jealously at the lounging dog and elf, standing up as she huffed and stomped off over to her A3 bag.  
  
'What is wrong with you?!' she asked herself angrily. A tiny voice in the back of her head answered. 'You wish it was you in his lap, feeling those long fingers caressing you with such care.'  
  
Fully prepared to argue with herself, it was with a start that she realized it was true. Shock and anger warred with each other as she turned her attention back to her bag. Snatching it up by the handles and with a swift twist of her wrist slung it over her back. As she turned back towards Legolas, her gaze fell on Nanook, laying injured in his lap. In that one instant, she realized that they needed Legolas' help and that she had to try to keep her emotions under control if she was to get them home safely.  
  
"I suppose we must be going if I am going to find my way back home." she said, even though she had no idea on how to get home. It had always been her dream of meeting Legolas, and here she was right now with him and he couldn't seem to focus past her dog. What a nightmare.  
  
He was even more handsome in person than in her fantasies. His long golden hair flowed over his shoulders like a rippling waterfall brushed by the rays of the sun; his eyes were even bluer than the sky. He was tall, even taller than she was and she wasn't a tiny thing to begin with. He stood at least 6' 4" she estimated, remembering how she only reached his chin and she was 5' 10" without her boots. His lean, but muscular build was definitely one of an archer. 'Man, I need to stop. I have to face reality here.' she thought.  
  
He looked up at her and saw a flash of emotion run swiftly through her eyes before it disappeared. He wasn't sure exactly what it was. Jealousy, anger, suspicion, and something else. . .desire?  
  
"You're obviously not from around here. I would like to help you find your way home." he said, moving Nanook's head from his lap and standing up to face her.  
  
'Ain't that the truth. I suppose a little help would be in order. Especially since I have no clue on how I am going to get home.' she thought before answering him.  
  
"I would appreciate your assistance." she said professionally, falling back on her military protocol to cover up her confusion about the situation.  
  
"Good, let us go then." Legolas said, as he bent down and scooped up the injured dog. Turning he strode confidently back into the trees. Sighing she hefted her bag into a more comfortable position and followed after him.  
  
~~*~*~~ 


	4. We're Going Where? Revisied

**REVISIED**  
  
Disclaimer: As I said before, I don't own it, just wished I did.  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter Four - We're Going Where? ~~*~*~~  
  
"May I ask what your name is and about the strange clothing you are wearing?" he asked curiously.  
  
"Huh, oh sorry. My name is Rain Clearwater and the fuzzy beast you are carrying is called Nanook." she said, looking back up at him. "These are called BDUs. That's short for Battle Dress Uniform. I am a security police officer with our countries military." gesturing to her clothing and then turning her gaze back to watch the path they were walking on.  
  
"Military, I do not know that word." he said, looking slightly confused.  
  
"Well, by your standards, I would be considered a warrior."  
  
"A woman warrior." he frowned at the concept. "Are there many women warriors from were you came?"  
  
"Yes. In our country, women are allowed to join the military, though many do not see combat." she replied, sighing over the centuries old adage that women should not die in combat. Only in the past thirty-odd years had women been allowed roles that could begin to place them in harm's way. Even then, there were still some jobs that women where forbidden to enter in today's military.  
  
"Are you one who has seen combat?" he asked curiously.  
  
"Well, I have been trained to fight and survive if needed, but I have never had the need to." she replied, hopping quietly over a small log. She moved with care of her surroundings, at ease with nature, he noticed. She was almost as silent as an elf, light on her feet.  
  
"This country you are from, what is it like?" he asked interested in a land that had women warrior such as her.  
  
"Well, my world is broken into many countries. My country is called the United States. It is one of the most powerful in the world. Our country itself is broken down into separate states, each with their own name. I live in the state called Alaska. It is one of the last places in my country that is not over-crowded, with wildlife and nature living together with people, though sometimes the interaction can be dangerous." she explained, fearing that her words were not enough to make him understand her world.  
  
"Tell me more about this Al. .as. .ka." struggling to pronounce the name correctly  
  
She stopped and looked up at him, she said, "To me it is paradise. Tall mountains covered with snow all year round, forests so large that the hand of man has never touched parts of them, rivers and lakes so beautiful, they take your breath away." shaking her head slightly, a sad smile creeping over her face as she turned to look deep into the forest surrounding them.  
  
Turning back towards him, she walked forward to look down at the dog in his arms. "Nanook and I would go for trips into the woods near where I live. Just to be away from the noise and confusion of civilization. It was so quiet and beautiful."  
  
Rain stayed silent for some time as her mind wandered back to her home. She had always loved the outdoors, and for the last six months, it had become her refuge. She briefly wondered is she'd ever see it again. Nanook's gentle whine brought her back to the present.  
  
"Sorry for getting so melancholy on you, it's just that I've been too working hard lately. I have been meaning to take some time off. Kinda looks like I got it doesn't it." she chuckled ruefully.  
  
"You will be welcome where we are going." Legolas said, grinning down at her.  
  
"By the way, were are we going. This isn't Mirkwood forest, is it?" she said looking around the bright forest, bathed in silver light.  
  
"Your right. I was on my way to visit old friends when I found you." he watched as she admired the land around them.  
  
"So are you going to keep me in suspense, or are you going to tell me where we are going." she teased back, slipping easily into familiarity with him.  
  
"We are going to Rivendell, to the House of Elrond." Legolas chuckled at her startled expression as he turned and continued on the path toward his camp.  
  
"Rivendell. . .Elrond. . ." she mouthed dumbfounded.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
P.S. Rain not me, but I have used some of my experiences to help her some. For those of you who have questions about this character, Rain is a SMSgt (Senior Master Sergeant) or equivalent to E-8, the next to highest enlisted rank in the US Air Force, she is in her late 30s, and has been in the military for 20 plus years.  
  
Well, Happy Reading and thank you to all of those good people who take the time to hit the review button and leave me some words, may all of your fictions be blessed with as wonderful reviewers. 


	5. An Unexpected Encounter Revisied

**REVISED**  
  
Disclaimer: I own it, I own it. . . . eek, the fanfiction police are here, no I don't own it. I plead the fifth. . .  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 5 - An Unexpected Encounter ~~*~*~~  
  
In the three days since he had met Rain, Legolas had observed many things about her. She was definitely one of the most interesting people he had ever met. She moved with a grace almost equal to his own, moving as swiftly and silently through the woods as any elf. Her stamina was unbelievable, most humans would have wilted under the strain of their travel pattern, but she seemed to thrive. The only other human he had meet with stamina her equal was Aragorn.  
  
When he had questioned her about her abilities, she had just shrugged and said part of it was from her military training and part was her love of outdoor activities. He was currently watching her as she spitted two rabbits he had shot along the trail today for their dinner. Nanook, her dog, was curled up next to him, his head resting on Legolas's thigh.  
  
"Rain, do you miss you family?" Legolas asked, curious to know more about her.  
  
She sighed as she turned away from the fire to look at him. A small sad smile flitting across her lips. "I don't have a family anymore, Legolas. It's just me and Nanook, he's my only family."  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up painful memories." he said, chagrin coloring his tones, his eyes taking in her sad expression.  
  
"No, It's alright. I really didn't have a lot of family to begin with. Growing up it was just my mother, grandmother and myself. My father left my mother when I was less than a year old. He had found someone else that he loved better than us, I guess." she looked a little rueful at the comment. Turning back to the fire, she poked at the coals with a long stick in her hand.  
  
"My grandmother died just after I entered the military. It was hard since she practically raised me. I had so wanted for her to see me graduate from college, it was the only thing she ever really wanted for me." sighing again, she leaned back against the log next to the fire, staring unseeingly into the flames. "I did it though, I finished and then I took my diploma and put it on her grave. I think she was happy that I followed through with her wishes."  
  
Reaching out, she turned the spitted rabbits to keep them from burning, her face lit by the firelight. A pensive expression darted across her face. Legolas could almost feel her emotions as she related her sad tale to him. Loosing ones family was a hard thing. "What about your mother?" he asked softly.  
  
Tears filled her eyes as a pained expression clouded her face. "Mom. . . she passed away only six months ago. She had gotten cancer two years before, we thought it was all gone and then suddenly. . ." she stopped her voice breaking. As much as she tried, she could not get over the suddenness of her mother's passing. Staring off into the distance behind Legolas she suddenly sat forward, wiping the tears from her eyes as she gazed intently over his shoulder into the forest.  
  
"I'll be right back." she said quietly, getting up from the ground and silently moving into the trees behind her. Legolas frowned, looking around behind him to see or hear what had bothered her so much. He could not see anything, but he could hear her, barely and only because he knew what she sounded like, stealthy circling the camp. Closing his eyes, he listened carefully to his surroundings his senses extending, searching for what had caught her attention. He began to chuckle quietly when he realized what Rain was after.  
  
Hearing a thump and a yelp, he grinned at the recognized voice. Still grinning he watched as Rain forced marched another elf into camp, his hands secured behind his back with her handcuffs things. Leaves and dead branches caught in his disheveled black hair and a smudge of dirt, from where he had been shoved into the ground, adorning one check.  
  
"So Elladan, I see you have meet my friend Rain." chuckled Legolas, ignoring the dirty look he got from the other elf.  
  
"Funny, Legolas. Could you get these things off me?" he growled as he watched the woman saunter casually back around the fire and sit down.  
  
"So how is it that the a warrior, such as yourself, could be careless enough to get caught unaware by a woman, no offense Rain." Legolas countered, enjoying the sight of the normally stuck up Elladan flustered.  
  
"None taken, Legolas" quipped Rain, leaning back against the log, enjoying the fact the she had taken down now, not one but two elves. "Just remember," she said, "he's not the only one who's been caught unaware." Laughing at the chagrined expression that flitted over Legolas's face and the startled one from Elladans'.  
  
Elladan slyly looked from the woman's laughing face to the embarrassed expression now on Legolas's face. "Oh ho, so I'm not the only one, humm." he said, laughing harder as Legolas began to blush.  
  
"Rain would you please release him, so that I can shut his laughing trap for good." Legolas growled, bouncing up from his sitting position to advance on Elladan. Laughing at the antics of the two elves, Rain stepped in between the two men, putting one hand on Legolas's chest to keep him from hurting the other elf. Instantly, she was reminded of the reason why she had avoided touching him over the past few days. She became very aware of the rapid thud of his heart, the warmth of his body radiating through the soft material of his tunic, the strength barely suppressed in the muscles of his chest. Snatching her hand away as if scalded, she forced herself to remain nonchalant.  
  
"Sit down, Legolas. It's almost time for dinner and I wouldn't want to ruin my appetite by watching you two shed some blood, all right." she said as she reached up and push lightly on his chest, gesturing with her hand for him to grab the rabbits before they burned to a crisp. Grumbling impolitely, Legolas stalked over to the fire as Rain slipped behind Elladan and unlocked the cuffs.  
  
"Ok, boys. Let's try to play nice for the night, all right." she chuckled as she watched them shoot dirty looks back and forth at each other. Nanook, who had been watching from where Legolas had left him, trotted over next to Rain and placed his large head against her hip. Elladan, seeing the large unfamiliar animal jump back several paces from them, his hand going to his empty knife sheath. Feeling the empty sheath, Elladan looked confusedly down at it.  
  
"Are you looking for this?" the woman said. Looking up, he saw her twirling his knife between her fingers. Turning it over in her hand, she held it out hilt first to him. Mumbling softly, he took it gently from her hand, so as not to cut her. Snapping the blade back into the sheath, he walked around her and sat down across from Legolas against the log, staring up at the strange woman.  
  
~~*~*~~ 


	6. Company by Accident Revisied

**REVISIED**  
  
Disclaimer: I, DBZ Vegeta do solemnly swear that I do not own, nor have I ever owned any of Tolkien's characters or the Lord of the Ring's series.   
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 6 - Company by Accident ~~*~*~~  
  
Rain tried to ignore the thrill of excitement that coursed through her as Legolas settled his long frame beside her. She took his silent offering of the portion of rabbit he was holding out to her, careful not to brush against him, as his gaze settled on the other elf.  
  
"So, Elladan. Where's that annoying brother of yours?" Legolas asked the glaring elf.  
  
"Right behind you, Legolas." came Elrohir's voice. Legolas cocked an eyebrow at Rain and she just shrugged back, her eyes saying that he was the elf here, with the better hearing, not her.  
  
"Oh, don't blame your young friend here, though it was quite funny watching her take down my brother." Elrohir smirked at his glaring brother. "Oh come now brother dear, cheer up. Maybe I won't tell father that you were captured by a human."  
  
"Sure you won't." Elladan smirked back at his brother. "And maybe I won't tell him about your little escapade on his office desk." watching as a flush spread quickly over his brother's face.  
  
Chuckling over the antics of the elves, Rain picked up her dinner and started eating. Legolas sitting next to her, was grinning like a loon, watching as the brothers continued to bicker back and forth with each other.  
  
"Are they always like this?" Rain questioned softly from the side of her mouth. Legolas only grinned down at her as he nodded his head in affirmation, before standing up slowly, brushing the dirt and leaves off the back of his pants. Wrenching her gaze away, Rain ardently focused her attention on her food.  
  
"Gentlemen, please. If you are quite through, may I ask what brings you away from Rivendell?" Legolas's voice cut through the brother's arguments. They both turned from where they stood nose to nose, to look questioningly back at him.  
  
"Oh, sorry Legolas. Father sent us to meet you. The orcs have been picking up their raids lately and he wanted to ensure that you had sufficient help in case you ran into them." Elladan said as he glanced slyly across the fire at the two of them. "But if we had known that you had ample company, we would have waited to join you." chuckling sarcastically at the surprised expression on Legolas's face.  
  
Rain hackled at the insinuation that the dark-haired elf was making, growling she shot up into a crouch, glaring angrily at the elf. Legolas's surprised expression was erased from his face as he swiftly stepped in between Elladan and Rain, facing her. "Don't Rain," he murmured soothingly, "it's not worth it."  
  
"Don't tell me what to do Legolas. He just insulted my honor. He deserves to get his ass kicked." she snarled heavily at him, attempting to side step him to get at the startled elf behind him. She feinted to the left in an attempt to go around his right, but he anticipated her movement. Grasping her arm, he spun her around to come up against his body. Startled she looked up into his sky blue eyes, seeing the concern and a hint of laughter dancing in them. Her anger deflated as she became acutely aware of the length of his hard body pressed so intimately against hers. The brief moment of panic over the contact was quickly replace by the playful urge for revenge, as she peered back up at him.  
  
Looking down at the woman in his arms his body tingling unexpectedly at the contact, he barely caught the mischievous twinkle in her eye, before he found himself lying on his back looking up at the stars. Bouncing up quickly, and ignoring the howling brothers, he watched as Rain sauntered back across the clearing towards her bag.  
  
"Oh, Legolas. Where did you ever find a woman like that? And does she have a sister?" Elrohir said, wiping away the tears of laughter that were streaming down his face.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
Rain watched as Legolas explained her situation to the two other elves. She sat on the ground next to her bag, debating whether or not she still wanted to be angry at the dark-haired elf, Elladan. Nanook bounded across the clearing to swipe a long wet tongue over her face. Laughing, she grabbed the large dog by the neck and they began to wrestle along the ground.  
  
Still laughing, Rain sat up from her tussle with Nanook to see three pairs of elfin eyes watching her with amusement. Standing up, she brushed leaves and dirt off her pants and shirt, reaching up she took off her beret and smacked it hard against one leg, a small cloud of dust rising up from it. Sighing she rolled up the hat and stashed it in her right cargo pants pocket. Nanook seeing that she wasn't paying attention to him anymore, bounced happily across the clearing to Legolas, where he jumped up and placed his large paws on his chest. Staggering slightly against Nanook's weight, Legolas shifted his feet to brace the heavy dog as his hands came up and began scratching him behind the ears. Elladan took a small step backward, his wary gaze never leaving the strange creature.  
  
Rain watched indulgently as Nanook swiped Legolas across the face with his wet tongue. She had never seen him take to anyone else as he had to the elf. Striding over to the pair, she reached out and scratched Nanook behind the ears as she gazed up at Legolas.  
  
"What now?" she asked, a light grin passing over her face.  
  
"We will leave in the morning for Rivendell. Elladan and Elrohir will accompany us. We should be there by noon." he said, watching as the firelight highlighted her black hair, which had fallen over one bright green eye after she had taken her hat off. Her braid was beginning to fall loose from her pins, reaching up she plucked the pins out of her hair and shook her braid down from the back of her head. It fell roughly and smacked her back solidly as it tumbled down to brush the top of her hip.  
  
"All right then, I suppose we should get some rest before continuing in the morning." she yawned, her hand coming up to cover her mouth politely. Peering around his shoulder at the two other elves, glaring at Elladan, "You are welcome to stay, just behave yourselves." she said as she stared pointedly at Elladan.  
  
Huffing and turning his back to her, Elladan stalked off across the clearing and into the woods. Elrohir, looking amused at his brother petulance, turned back to her. "Thank you Lady Rain, we are most appreciative."  
  
"Your welcome, Lord Elrohir." she said courteously, grinning impishly up at the dark-haired elf. She liked this brother better than the other. Swinging her gaze back up at Legolas, she stifled another yawn and nodded goodnight to him, "Wake me when it is my turn for watch." Knowing that the elves would probably stay up for a while talking, she turned to get her gear.  
  
"Rain, wait." came his voice, turning she watched as he pushed Nanook off and took several steps towards her. "Since the others are here, you won't have to take a turn tonight. Get some rest."  
  
"It's all right, I still can take my turn. You don't have to worry about me." she growled annoyed, turning away as his mouth opened, "Wake me, I mean it." With that she walked away before he could say another word, Nanook close at her heels.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: Yah Yah, I know, when are we getting to Rivendell. . . Next chapter I promise. So let me know, did you like it?  
  
I think that Legolas is going to get in trouble, don't you?  
  
Again, I would like to thank all of those people who have taken the time to hit the review button. All of your comments and suggestions are duly noted and appreciated. (Hint Hint: I even take your comments into consideration when writing. (~_^) Ooo, there may be some heat beginning to rise here. . .) 


	7. Rivendell and Elrond Revisied

**REVISIED**  
  
A/N: Whew that was a close one. They finally left, but I am under strict orders that I if I mess up again they are coming back. So, without further ado - I do not own, nor will I ever own the Lord of the Rings or any work by Tolkein. ~DBZ Vegeta.  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 7 - Rivendell and Elrond ~~*~*~~  
  
A light breeze accompanied by the soft trilling of birds awoke Rain the next morning. Shifting slowly, taking in her surroundings, she found that Nanook was lying across the top of her feet. The morning sun shone brightly across the clearing, the light dappling the trees with its golden glow.  
  
Sun. Morning. Bolting upright suddenly, dislodging Nanook off her feet, she bounced up, looking around the clearing until her angry gaze encountered the blonde-headed blockhead.  
  
"Legolas. . ." her shout echoed across the clearing, startling birds out of the nearby trees and the three elves to jerk suddenly at the sound. Legolas winced visibly at the furious expression across Rain's face. Elladan and Elrohir both chuckled at the sight of the cringing elf as Rain stormed furiously across the clearing and stood towering over him.  
  
"Did I not clearly remember someone, who resembled myself, telling you last night to wake me up for my turn to watch." she snapped, her tone low and commanding.  
  
"Rain, I told you last night that you need not worry about taking a shift with Elladan and Elrohir here." he countered back briskly, trying not to let her tone intimidate him. The last time he had heard a tone of voice like that was when his father caught him sneaking out of the palace as a very young elf.  
  
"That doesn't matter, I am a part of this team and as a team we work together. Everyone pulls his or her own weight. Next time I expect this not to happen again, do you understand.," she said, growling through the words slightly. "Now, when are we leaving for Rivendell?"  
  
Legolas looked up at Rain, contemplating his answer to her since he was still smarting over her words. "We discussed it last night after you went to sleep. We'll leave within the hour. Will that give you enough time to get ready?" he said politely.  
  
"I can be ready in fifteen minutes. Whenever you gentleman are ready, just let me know." she answered smartly, ignoring the hurt in his eyes. 'He deserved the ass chewing he had gotten. She had thought they had worked out their differences already.' she thought as she turned away and strode quickly back across the clearing to pack up her gear and deal with her braid.  
  
Legolas winced inwardly as he caught the sympathetic expressions on Elladan and Elrohir's faces. Ignoring their expressions, he stood up and walked resolutely over to his pack and picked up his bow and quiver, before quietly slipping into the forest.  
  
Elrohir sighed, concerned as he watched the angry elf disappear into the trees. Legolas may look tough, but he knew that he had a soft heart that could be hurt easily. His eyes slid back across the clearing towards the woman who had just soundly told Legolas off. She was seated next to her green bag, quickly re-braiding her long black hair. Watching as she tied off the end of the long braid and pinned it up along the back of her head, he stood up and walked towards her.  
  
"Lady Rain," he said heatedly, "was is really necessary to treat Legolas like that? He was only concerned for your welfare." She looked up to find his gray eyes boring relentlessly into her green ones. Sighing exasperatedly, she stuffed her brush and excess gear into her A-3 bag before standing up in front of the dark haired elf.  
  
"Lord Elrohir," she started, "I want you to know that I understand that he was trying to be noble and let me rest, but that is not the point here."  
  
"And what was the point, to embarrass him or to hurt him." Elrohir interrupted as he snarled back at her, starting to get angry with this woman.  
  
"Neither." She snapped back, her tone turning frosty. Startled, he took a quick step back as he looked into her flashing eyes, which had turned almost deep emerald shade, her ire rising quickly.  
  
Advancing on the startled elf, she poked him hard in the chest as she stated, "He may have been trying to be kind, but I am a part of this group and I will not be treated like a hot house flower that needs to be protected every minute of the day. We worked this out several days ago and just because two other "men" have arrived does not give him license to turn his back on my abilities. You may be elves but that does not make you superior to me. Granted you have better hearing and eyesight, among other things, but I have abilities that I bring to this group. I will not be treated as an inferior because I am a human and a woman."  
  
Huffing angrily, Rain turned away from Elrohir and snatched her bag up off the ground. "Which direction is Rivendell?" she growled.  
  
"Huh, what?" Elrohir stammered at her, his mouth gaping  
  
"Which direction is Rivendell?" she asked again  
  
"The road is about a mile to the west and then its half a day journey to the north along the road. Why?" he asked confused by the sudden change of subject.  
  
"Fine, see you on the road." she said as she quickly turned and slipped quietly into the trees surrounding the clearing, Nanook close to her heels.  
  
"Lady Rain, wait." Elrohir called out quickly, and would have followed her but for the hand on his shoulder. Looking over his shoulder, he came face to face with Elladan.  
  
"Let her go." he said. "Orcs don't travel by daylight, so she should be all right. Come brother, help me pack the gear and break camp before Legolas returns." Elrohir watched as his brother turned and strode back over to the pack and began to gather them. Sighing, he looked back to where Lady Rain had disappeared before joining his brother.  
  
He empathized briefly with Legolas, having also been a victim of Lady Rain's wrath, before another, more worrisome thought filled his mind. Lady Rain's anger would be nothing compared to Legolas' when he found out that Elrohir had been the cause of her angry departure from the watchful eye of the group. Several times throughout the night he had caught his old friend's gaze wandering to where Rain slept peacefully. He'd seen the curiosity mingled with something much more dangerous cross Legolas' face. Elladan had noticed his distraction as well, and had warned his brother, with a mere glance, not to mention it.  
  
'Yes, Legolas is going to be furious,' he sighed to himself as he slowly began gathering his belongings.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
Legolas sat on a large boulder, looking out over the small stream he had found after stomping out of camp almost an hour ago. He knew that he should return so they could leave, but his mind kept playing the scene over and over in his mind. He should have known better than to let her sleep, but she had looked so peaceful that he hadn't the heart to wake her. As it was Elrohir, Elladan and himself had stayed up all night catching up on lost times. It had been almost twenty years since he had last been in Rivendell and then it had been for the Ring Counsel. He had not been able to spend any time with his friends then and been busy with matters in Mirkwood since his return from the destruction of the One Ring.  
  
Sighing, he stood up, knowing that he needed to get back. He picked up his bow from next to the rock and set off for the camp. It hadn't taken him very long before he slipped in between the trees to find Elrohir and Elladan seated next to their combined packs in the nearly pristine clearing. Looking around, he noticed that Rain was no where to be seen and even her bag was gone.  
  
"Where's Rain?" he questioned the two brothers, looking concerned.  
  
"She left almost an hour ago. Not long after you left camp." Elladan said as he stood up, picking up Legolas's pack and holding it out to him. "We have been waiting for you to return so we could catch up to her."  
  
"What, you let her leave!" shouted Legolas. "Do you have any idea what you have done!"  
  
"What do you mean? We should catch up to her quickly since she is only a human and cannot move as fast as we can." Elladan said, quirking an eyebrow at Legolas' panicked tone. His gaze slid towards Elrohir, whose face bore an expression of confusion. During the time they had waited, they'd had a rather heated discussion over Legolas' reaction to Lady Rain's unexpected departure. They had finally acknowledged Legolas' growing attraction and had steeled themselves for an explosion of anger once he realized they had allowed her to go off on her own. Neither were prepared for his frustrated resignation.  
  
Sighing heavily, Legolas shook his head at Elladan naiveté. "You don't understand, she is just as fast as Aragorn. She kept up with me for three days with no problem and I didn't travel slowly either. We will be lucky to catch up to her before she reaches Rivendell" He rubbed his brow in frustration, "We have to go now and pray we catch up before she hits the guards." With that statement, he snatched his pack from Elladan's hands and sprinted off towards Rivendell.  
  
Elladan looked quizzically at Elrohir, who shrugged back, silently saying that he wasn't sure if Legolas was joking or not. They both turned and shouldering their packs, dashed off after the others.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
Rain hummed softly to herself as she slowed down from her patterned run. She had been travelling for several hours now and had decided to take a break. Feeling a weight press against her leg, she looked down to find Nanook leaning against her, panting heavily his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth.  
  
"Are you thirsty, Bup-pup?" she asked, watching as he tiredly wagged his tail at her comment. "I'm sorry that we didn't take a break earlier, but didn't it feel good just to be by ourselves."  
  
Dropping her bag down, she sat on a log next to the road and opened it up. Reaching inside she dug out her bottle of water and her mess kit. Unstrapping the kit, she took the shallow plate out and poured half her water in it before placing it in front of Nanook.  
  
"Here you are, drink up. That's the last until we reach another stream." she said as she raised the bottle to her lips and swallowed half of the remaining water. Looking up into the sky she saw that the sun was nearing the halfway point. 'We must be near Rivendell by now.' she thought. Standing up again, she stretched her arms high above her head, easing the aching muscles in her back from caring the A-3 bag.  
  
Retracting her arms, she sat back down and drank the rest of her water, before stowing the bottle back into her bag. With a sigh, Rain admitted to herself that she had indeed felt exhilarated as she had run down the path, half of her focused on the road ahead, the other half straining to hear the sounds of light footsteps closing the distance behind her. But after a while, she had begun to miss Legolas' light chatter, his many questions about her world, the soft cadence of his voice.  
  
Somehow, she sighed deeply, he had gotten to her, despite her best efforts to keep her distance. Leaning over to pickup the plate that Nanook had been using, she became aware of the low growl that he was emitting. Looking up out of the corner of her eye, she saw that he was staring into the brush behind her, his hackles raised and teeth beginning to bare. Before she could turn around and confront the presence behind her, she felt a sharp tip of an arrow pressed into the back of her neck.  
  
"Don't move." came the voice behind her. "And if you value your life, tell your animal to back off."  
  
Damn it, she had let herself become distracted. "Down Bup-pup." she commanded quietly, while raising her hands slowly so the person behind her could see them. "I mean you no harm. I am traveling to Rivendell with several elves."  
  
"If you are traveling with elves, where are they?" came the voice again.  
  
"I left earlier than they did this morning. Elladan and Elrohir were going to wait for Legolas to return before following me." she stated calmly.  
  
"You are traveling with Lord Elladan and Lord Elrohir, along with Prince Legolas, a likely story. Get up and turn around." Snorted the voice behind her. She stood up slowly and turned around. In front of her was another elf, this one dressed in what looked like a uniform, with his bow pulled back, the arrow pointed directly at her head. His dark brown hair pulled back into several braids and his brown eyes glaring down at her.  
  
"As you can see I am no threat to you." she said quietly as she prayed he didn't think her gun was a threat.  
  
"Angainor, bind her. We will take her to Lord Elrond. He will know what to do with her." said the elf before her. Before she could react, her wrists had been grabbed from behind and bound swiftly. Jerking her roughly around, she saw another elf, dressed in the same manner of the other one, just before she saw a fist come crashing down and darkness enveloped her.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
She came to slowly, he mind fuzzy about the details of what happened. She reached out her senses, keeping her eyes closed, tying to identify where she was. She was warm and laying on something soft, the texture like silk under her fingers. A light breeze played through the room, she could hear curtains being tugged by the wind. A smell of water and pine drifted hazily about the room. Opening her eyes, she took in the light color wood along the ceiling. Shifting slowly, she sat up, groaning as the movement caused her head to ache. Placing her hand to her head, she began to look around the room, only to stop on the elf sitting in a chair next to her bed. His was older than any of the other elves that she had met, but just as handsome. His black hair was pulled back and flowed down his back, except for two braids that fell forward across his chest. His gray eyes where full of benevolence and humor, reminding her remarkably of Elrohir. In fact, he looked a lot like Elrohir and Elladan. 'Could this be their father?' she thought.  
  
"Welcome to Rivendell, Rain Clearwater. I have been expecting you. I am Lord Elrond."  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: There you go, a much longer chapter as has been requested, and I expect from here on out they all should be longer (don't quote me on that, but I will try). Well, we finally made it. Rain is in Rivendell, but where are the others. Will Legolas be upset at the brothers for letting Rain get hurt? Let me know did you like it? 


	8. Settling in at Rivendell Revisied

**REVISIED**  
  
Disclaimer: As I have been so duly ordered I do not own, not will I ever own Tolkein's work or Lord of the Rings. (sneaking a quick peek around the computer, man I hope that they haven't bugged my computer.)  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 8 - Settling in at Rivendell ~~*~*~~  
  
She stared in wonder at the dark haired elf sitting next to her bed. 'This is Lord Elrond.' she thought, stunned that he would be addressing her directly. She had figured that when she had been captured she was going to be thrown into a cell or something, not into this beautiful room. Nor had she expected to wake up and find Lord Elrond himself watching over her. Reality suddenly came crashing down on her.  
  
"Wait a minute, how do you know my name?" she asked suspiciously, remembering that he had called her by her full name when she had awoken. Struggling to sit up better, she was startled when she felt his arms come around her and adjusted the pillows behind her before laying her back against them. Looking up into his gray eyes, she saw that they were filled with concern about her.  
  
"I am sorry about the way my guards treated you." he said as he lifted his hand to brush away the hair from her forehead to examine the bruise at her temple. "Unfortunately, your sudden appearance startled them and most of the guards are wary of humans."  
  
He laid his fingers along the bruised area and closed his eyes. She felt an unexpected warmth radiate from his fingers as he smoothed them over the aching area. The pain slowly faded, as the warmth seemed to travel throughout her body. When he opened his eyes and removed his hand, her hand came up to touch her head. The bump that had been there before was gone and the ache in her head with it. Startled by the sudden lack of pain, her eyes flew up to meet his gaze.  
  
"How did you do that?" she asked curious.  
  
"My family has always had the power to heal those who needed it." Elrond responded, sitting back and taking in her disheveled appearance.  
  
"I will send for a handmaiden to help you bathe and bring you some food. I will leave you now, but I invite you to join me for dinner." He said as he stood and turned to leave.  
  
"Sir," she called. "Have you seen Legolas and the others? They were behind me before I was brought here."  
  
Elrond turned his head back to her, "They arrived just a short while ago. I will let them know that you are here and have asked for them. You can see them at dinner tonight. Until then, please accept my hospitality." With that he swiftly left her alone in the large room.  
  
"Damn, I still don't know how he knows my name." she murmured to herself. Hearing a snort, she looked away from the door to the other side of the bed to find Nanook peering over the edge of the bed, his eyes looking mournfully at her.  
  
"Oh, Bup-pup, come here." she said as the big dog jumped up onto the bed and into her arms. Sighing she cradled the large head against her chest as she softly petted his nose. "What have we gotten ourselves into, Bup-pup?"  
  
Hearing a light knock on the door, she waved Nanook off of the bed and pulled the covers up snuggly around her waist. "Come in" she called. The door opened to reveal a young elf maiden, with long brown hair, streaked with gold.  
  
"My Lady Rain." she said as she glided gracefully into the room. "Lord Elrond requested that I assist you while you stay with us. My name is Elenna." She stopped just short of the bed and curtsied charmingly.  
  
"Thank you Elenna, I would appreciate your assistance and please call me Rain." she said as she threw back the covers of the bed to get out. To her dismay, she found that they had put her into bed fully clothed with her boots still on, the dirt and mud that had been caked on them now in the bedding.  
  
"Oh my, I wish they had at least taken my boot off, it is a shame to dirty such a beautiful bed." Rain said, looking at the dirty sheets.  
  
"Don't worry my lady, while you are bathing I will take care of them." Elenna said as she moved across the room to the closet and pulled out a long light green bathrobe. "Here, if you will change into this I will see about having your clothing cleaned."  
  
Rain had just reached up and began unbuttoning the buttons on the front of her outer blouse, when the doors to her room suddenly burst open and in stumbled a disheveled blond haired elf, panting lightly. He was almost thrown to the ground as two other elves, both with dark hair tried to stop directly behind where he stood in the doorway. Rain chose to ignore the jump in her heart and the quickening of her pulse as the mere sight of him.  
  
"Rain, are you all right?" Legolas asked with a note of worry in his voice.  
  
"Don't mind him Rain, we tried to tell him that nothing would happen to you, but he wouldn't believe us." Elrohir said right behind him, pulling himself up from were he had landed on the floor after colliding with Legolas and the doorway.  
  
"Legolas, I'm all right, but what happened to you? You look like you fell into a briar patch." she chuckled as she noticed the dirt and scratch marks on his face and hands, one of his braids falling apart and several twigs stuck in his hair.  
  
Glaring over his shoulder at Elladan as he answered, "Elladan decided that he wanted to wrestle and we rolled into the bushes." She noticed also that Elladan was covered in scratches also, but much worse than Legolas. She deduced who the winner had been.  
  
"Hmpf, I don't know why you dragged me up here anyway. I'm going to my room." Elladan snorted as he stomped out of the room and disappeared into the hallway.  
  
"I take it that he is still sore about the incident last night." Rain grinned, making sure not to divulge the details with Elenna in the room.  
  
"Yes, quite." Elrohir said as he grinned cheekily back at her. "But I see we are interrupting you, please forgive us my lady, but Legolas insisted on checking on you." He winked at Rain over Legolas's shoulder as his gray eyes twinkled merrily.  
  
"Thank you Lord Elrohir. Legolas, I promise I'm all right." she said as she turned back to look at him. He quickly strode across the room to stand over her, looking down into her forest green eyes.  
  
"Are you sure?" he murmured, "We heard that you had a confrontation with two of the border guards." He quickly scanned her face for any sign of pain or injury, concerned that they may have hurt her.  
  
"Legolas" she said, as she reached up to pluck several of the twigs from his hair. "I am fine. Now would you please go, I would like to take a bath. You obviously need to take one too." she said, and let her hand trail down from his hair to rest on the center of his chest, trying to reassure him.  
  
His hand automatically came up to cover hers, gripping it lightly before releasing it. "I will then. See you in a little while." He stared down into her eyes for a few moments. Rain became lost in the depths of his brilliant blue gaze, before he turned to leave.  
  
She watched as he turned and strode out of the room. Elrohir stood grinning in the doorway, as he waved to her and closed the door behind both of them. Rain blinked quickly, before she turned to Elenna and chuckled at the stunned expression on the young maid's face.  
  
"Earth to Elenna." Rain said as she waved a hand in front of Elenna's eyes.  
  
"Oh." she said, jerking suddenly out of her trance. "You know Prince Legolas?" she sighed breathlessly, her tone questioning and envious.  
  
Rain's grin faded rapidly. "Prince?"  
  
"Yes. He is the youngest son of Thranduil, King of the Elves of Mirkwood." Elenna's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Did you not know?"  
  
"No." Rain's reply was distracted. She racked her brain, trying to remember any mention of Legolas' royalty in the books, but she couldn't recall any. Why had HE not told her he was a prince. As if Elenna could read her mind, she answered.  
  
"Of course, Prince Legolas is only fourth in line for the throne. He doesn't like to be treated special. He prefers to earn respect through his bravery on quests."  
  
Rain studied Elenna's dreamy expression and obvious devotion and thought, 'she's obviously a fan of his.' She bit her lip to hide her smile.  
  
"And you know him?" Elenna sighed enviously, clearly not upset by Rain's distraction.  
  
"Yes, we traveled here together." Rain said as she sat down on the edge of the bed and began unlacing her black combat boots. Kicking them off, she quickly striped out of the uniform, sighing at being rid of the dirty clothing. Slipping the robe on, she turned back to Elenna who had been gathering her clothes into a pile as she removed them.  
  
"How long will it take to get them cleaned?" she asked, knowing that she didn't have anything else she could wear.  
  
"They will be ready by tomorrow morning." Elenna said, seeing the dismayed look on her face. "I will bring you suitable clothing until yours are clean. There is a beautiful dress in the exact shade of your eyes that I know will fit you perfectly."  
  
Rain winced at the thought of a dress. She normally wore blue jeans and tee shirts, the only time she ever wore a dress was at the Squadron Christmas party.  
  
"I really would prefer trousers if at all possible." she said. Seeing Elenna's crestfallen expression, she relented, "All right, bring the dress. I can wear it for dinner. But, also bring me some pants and shirts for daily wear."  
  
"Oh, thank you my lady. You bath is ready, just go through there." Elenna beamed, as she pointed towards a door on the opposite wall from the bed. "While you are bathing, I will prepare your clothes." she turned and scampered happily out of the room. Rain sighed as she watched the pretty elf maid skip happily out of the room, before turning to enter the bathroom. Stepping though the door she found a large bathing area, with the tub sunken into the floor. Wisps of steam circled invitingly from the water as she dropped her robed next to the steps. Sinking into the hot water, she sighed blissfully closing her eyes, aware of the water's warmth soaking into sore muscles.  
  
Leaning back, Rain let her body relax and her mind wander. She realized with a start that she wasn't angry with Legolas for not telling her his full identity. Hadn't she done that on occasion before? A few times. Stretching out her legs and luxuriating in the feel of the steaming water, Rain chuckled as she thought of the young prince being ambushed and handcuffed by a lowly commoner. A human female at that! She briefly wondered what Elenna's reaction would be to that if she told her, but decided it would be better to keep it secret.  
  
She lounged in the steaming water for a short period before sitting forward and looking around. On a raised ledge near her head was a series of bottles and a small towel. Picking up the small towel, she took the first bottle off the ledge and opened it. The smell of lavender filled the air and she poured a small amount into her palm. It obviously was shampoo from the texture. Sighing happily, she dropped the washcloth into the tub and poured a liberal amount of shampoo into her hair. It was heavenly to be able to finally wash her hair.  
  
Quickly shampooing and rinsing her long hair, she soaped up her washcloth and cleaned off her body. Noticing that the water in the tub was still hot and clear, she wondered if the tub self-circulated through a hot spring of some sort. She looked around and found several fluffy towels next to the step of the tub. Stepping out she quickly dried off and wrapped her wet hair up into a towel, before slipping her robe back on. Striding back into her room, she found Elenna puttering around, putting clothing away into the large closet.  
  
"Oh, my lady, you're done. Here sit down and eat." she said as she shooed Rain over to a small table next to the balcony doors. A plate with fruit and a small glass was set on the table. Hungrily she ate the entire offering and sat back in the chair with a sigh, the glass cradled in her hand, as she looked out the open doors over the beautiful landscape. Yawning loudly, she jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Lady Rain, why don't you take a nap and I will come back later to get you ready for dinner. You have had a rough day and could probably use the rest." Elenna said as she smiled down at her.  
  
"You're right, I could probably use the rest. Especially if I have to deal with the three musketeers later." Rain chuckled at the confused expression on Elenna's face. "It's just a saying from where I live."  
  
"Oh, right. Well I will see you later this evening. Have a good rest my lady." Elenna said as she quietly left the room, closing the door softly behind her. Rain yawned again and put the glass back down on the table before crawling into the now clean bed. Nanook whined softly before he jumped up next to her and curled up against her, both of them falling fast asleep in moments.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: Well another chapter and we are closer to finding out about Rain's destiny. How does Lord Elrond know her name if the others had only just arrived at Rivendell? Only time will tell.  
  
Let me know, what do you think? Are you enjoying it so far? Thanks for your reviews. 


	9. Destiny Awaits Revisied

**REVISIED**  
  
Disclaimer: I claim now and forever not to own any of Tolkien's work or Lord of the Rings. I do however claim ownership to Rain, Nanook and Elenna...(Hey watch that. . . 'I own myself wench,' says Rain. ) Well onto the show. . .  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 9 - Destiny Awaits ~~*~*~~  
  
A tickling sensation tugged at her awareness. It centered on her nose, and she reached up to bat away whatever was tickling her, without opening her eyes. The tickling sensation continued this time trailing down across her cheek to the tip of her ear. She tried rolling away from the feeling, feebly batting at the area.  
  
"Stop it Bup-pup, I want to sleep." she mumbled. Hearing a low masculine chuckle her eyes sprang open and she abruptly sat up, right into a hard body.  
  
"Ouch" she cried, rubbing her forehead where it had come into contact with the body. She peered up under her bangs to see long blond hair and bright blue eyes twinkling back down at her.  
  
"Legolas, you goof. What was that for?" she growled irritably, sleep still clouding her sense. She hadn't had a full restful sleep in four days.  
  
"I was trying to wake you up. Its time for dinner and I thought I would escort you down." Legolas commented as he trailed a piece of her black tresses down her neck and across her bare shoulder, where her robe had parted and slipped off during her rest. Rain was suddenly wide awake, mouth dry, pulse racing. For a brief moment she wished it was his fingers trailing across her electrified skin, and that those fingers would dip lower, to where the silk of the robe parted. She gave herself a mental shake to chase those thoughts away.  
  
He had slipped in a little while earlier and had been entranced by her. He had never seen her hair down and he was amazed at how beautiful she was. He had thought her pretty before, but with her hair unbound and flowing around her like a halo, he had been unable to control his hand as he had gently slid his fingers along one long black lock. Her hair was softer than he had imagined and smelled of lavender, when he had brought the piece to his nose.  
  
Unable to stop himself, he had begun to tease her nose with the lock of hair, smiling as she wrinkled it and batted at his hand. He had then trailed it down over her ear and her comment had made him laugh, waking her. Looking down, he was enchanted by her sleepy countenance, her forest green eyes peering annoyedly up at him through a tangle of black hair.  
  
'Hello, Legolas, anyone in there." her voice seem to float on the edge of his consciousness. Blinking rapidly, his eyes refocused on her face. She was peering up at him worriedly, her bright green eyes flickering over his face.  
  
"What happened Legolas, I was talking to you and then you suddenly zoned out there." she said as she scooted closer to him and placed her hand on his check. He stifled a groan at the feel of her soft hand against his skin and closed his eyes, unconsciously leaning into her touch.  
  
She was startled by the tingling sensation that raced through the skin of her hand and when she saw his eyes close and felt him lean into her she could not help herself as her fingers began to caress the side of his face. Taking in the smooth contours of his high cheekbones, the proud length of his nose, and the softness of his perfect lips.  
  
They both began to lean in towards each other, unaware of the movement. Their lips almost touching, when suddenly a loud knocking at the door interrupted them, causing them to spring apart as the door swung open  
  
"My Lady Rain, I have come to help y. . ." Elenna's voice trailed off as she saw that Rain was sitting in bed with the covers pulled up tight around her waist and Legolas standing next to the open balcony doorway, both with flushes highlighting their cheeks. Chuckling knowingly, Elenna glided into the room and over to the closet to fetch the deep green dress.  
  
"Prince Legolas, if you would excuse us for a little while, I will have Lady Rain ready for you to escort to dinner." she said as she draped the dress along the bottom of the bed.  
  
"Of course, I shall await for you in the hallway, my lady." Legolas said as he bowed and quickly strode from the room. Rain watched as he almost bolted from the room, confused about what had just happened only a few moments ago. Her hand strayed to her lips, almost feeling the warmth of his breath caressing them. Hearing a light laugh, she looked up to find the knowing gaze of Elenna watching her. ' She needed to stop this now, she wasn't a blushing school girl.' she thought, as she dropped her hand and flung back the covers.  
  
"Well, Elenna, let's see what we can do with mess like this" she said as she gestured to her tangled black hair.  
  
Laughing, Elenna gestured to a chair in front of a small vanity table, where she began to comb and fuss with Rain's hair. "So, Lady Rain, how long have you known Prince Legolas." she asked as she struggled with a difficult snarl.  
  
"We meet four days ago. He was on his way here to visit with friends when he found Nanook and I." She said as she gestured to the large dog laying in a patch of fading sunlight on the balcony. "Nanook and I sorta lost our way from home and Legolas was kind enough to offer to help us."  
  
'Ain't that the half of it.' she thought. She really had not wanted to scare Elenna by telling her she was a different world. She drifted off with her thoughts of what she was going to do now.  
  
* Number one, she definitely wasn't getting back to her world anytime soon. It had already been four days and she had no idea on how she had gotten here no matter how much she contemplated the subject.  
  
* Number two, she needed to find out how Lord Elrond knew her name. Something about how he had said it intrigued her. As if he had been expecting her.  
  
* Number three, she was unsure of what was going on between Legolas and her. The example of only just a little while ago. She had almost kissed him. What was she thinking? He was much much older than her and an elf to boot. Where she would die in 50 or so more years he would live on longer. She couldn't let anything happen between them. It wasn't fair to both of them.  
  
Elenna interrupted her musings, "There done, now lets get you into your dress, before Prince Legolas wears a rut in the hallway with his pacing." Rain looked up into the mirror and gasped. Her hair had been pulled back up away from her face and was hanging in a mass of curls down her back. A green ribbon the color of the dress had been woven into the dark curls, the ends trailing down to mix with her hair.  
  
"Oh, Elenna, it's beautiful. I never have been able to do much with my hair except braid it or pull it up into a ponytail."  
  
"Now for the dress and then you can go impress Prince Legolas." Elenna said as she slipped the dress over her head. It slipped down light as a feather to settle easily about her. The material was soft to the touch, and looking into the mirror, she found a stranger staring back at her. Elenna had been right the dress did match her eyes, but not only that it slimmed down her figure considerably.  
  
The neckline was scooped and hugged about the tops of her shoulders, the sleeves were light and fell halfway down her arms to about her elbows. The bodice was close fitting to the waist where it then fell in graceful waves about her legs. The green material was shot through with silver threads the glittered as she moved.  
  
"Elenna, the dress is beautiful. Much too nice for me to wear." Rain said as she looked in consternation at the beautiful garment.  
  
"Nonsense, Lady Rain. This dress is perfect for you, no one else would look as lovely in it as you. Now, isn't someone waiting to escort you to dinner." Elenna said as she strode over to open the door. Legolas stopped his pacing in the hall as Rain stepped from the room. He almost forgot to breathe at the sight of her.  
  
He held out a hand to her and smiled as she placed hers in his. Smiling back at him, she said "Are we ready to face the lion's den then, Legolas."  
  
He frowned slightly at her words, and she laughed as she tugged on his arm. "Come on, I'm hungry."  
  
His face cleared and he led her down the hallway to the central stairs. As they descended, she saw two other elves waiting at the foot of the staircase.  
  
"Good evening Lord Elrohir and Lord Elladan." she commented as they drew even with the brothers.  
  
"Lady Rain, how exquisite you look this evening, a vast improvement from when we meet last night." Elrohir said as his took her hand in his and kissed the back gently.  
  
"Are you saying that I looked that bad last night, Lord Elrohir?" she chuckled over the slight flush of dismay across his face at her words. "That's all right. BDUs are not meant for beauty but for functionality."  
  
"Shall we go now, Lord Elrond is waiting for us." Legolas growled, unsure of the sudden feelings that he had over Elrohir flirting with Rain. Pulling her away from him, he guided her towards the open double doors across the hall. Elladan shot a warning glare to which Elrohir merely grinned impishly. He had never seen his oldest friend suffer such emotions, and being such a loyal friend, he wanted to enjoy every one of them. Still smiling, he joined his brother and followed the others.  
  
Upon entering the dining hall, Lord Elrond stood to meet them, his voice ringing out over the gathered elves.  
  
"Welcome friends of old and new. I would like to welcome a very special guest this evening. Her coming has been foretold by the Lady Galdadriel herself, Lady Rain Clearwater, fiftieth generation granddaughter of Elros Half-Even, my brother."  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: Well, well, well. . . This is an interesting predicament. If any of you have read Simarillion, Elros chose to become the King of Men, while Elrond stayed as an Elf. So, who do you think that makes her a relative of, other than Elrond and his boys. . . Hummm  
  
Well, let me know. Did you like, loathe it, detest it? 


	10. Uncle Elrond?

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Tolkien series, but I wish I did, then I wouldn't have to work 40 hours a week and then spend all the hard earned money paying off my credit cards.  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 10 - Uncle Elrond? ~~*~*~~  
  
Rain stared up in disbelief at Lord Elrond, she was related to him. She was an elf, but how could that be. 'I don't look like an elf, so how could I be one.' she thought. She tried to remember what she had read about the elves. 'Elros,' she thought, brother of Elrond. 'What had happened to him?'  
  
Her pondering was interrupted by Legolas, who with a stunned expression on his face was leading her across the room towards Lord Elrond. 'Wait a minute, shouldn't that be Uncle Elrond?' she thought hysterically. 'Get it together Rain.' she thought, straightening her back and employing her military bearing to cover her confusion. She schooled her face to display none of the emotions rolling through her. She could hear the other elves in the room talking excitedly, as if she was some sort of surprise. Trying to focus on the moment at hand, she looked up into Elrond's gray eyes, who was currently smiling gently down at her, holding his hand out to her.  
  
Withdrawing her hand from Legolas's arm, she took Elrond's as he led her up to the raised table at the head of the room. She swiftly threw an imploring look over her shoulder at Legolas. Catching the meaning in her eyes, he nodded softly and followed close behind. She sat in the chair that Elrond had pulled out for her, before he sat down on her left. Legolas quickly took the seat to her right, frowning at Elrohir who had tried to beat him out.  
  
Rain tried to focus on the meal and the conversations going on around her, but for some reason she was having trouble. Shaking her head suddenly, she startled when she felt a hand on her thigh. Looking down she saw that Legolas had covered her fidgeting fingers, that had been drumming on the top of her leg. Her eyes flew up to meet his and she relaxed slightly at his concerned expression. She curled her fingers around his, squeezing them lightly before releasing his hand to focus back on her dinner.  
  
"Rain, dear. Are you not enjoying the meal?" Elrond asked as he leaned over to talk quietly to her, watching as she circled the food around her plate.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I am just not hungry." she said, putting her fork down next to her plate and picking up the wineglass in front of her. She downed the entire contents quickly, wishing it was something quite a bit stronger than wine. 'Preferably a lot of something stronger.' she thought sarcastically.  
  
Seeing that nearly everyone had finished and were departing, she folded her napkin and turned to Elrond, "Would you please excuse me Lord Elrond, I am not feeling well and would like to go to my room."  
  
"Oh, I hope you feel better, dear. You and I will talk in the morning then. Shall I have someone escort you back to your room?" Elrond said, concern written across his features.  
  
"I'll take her Lord Elrond." Legolas spoke up before anyone else could answer, pushing back from the table to stand up.  
  
"No, please Legolas, stay and enjoy the company. I can find my own way." Rain said as she placed a hand on his shoulder to keep him in his seat. He looked up into her eyes and nodded, as he understood her need to be alone for the moment.  
  
"Thank you for the lovely dinner, till tomorrow then." she said as she turned and hurried out of the dining room.  
  
Once outside of the dining room, instead of heading up the stairway to her chambers, she turned and darted out an archway into the darkness surrounding the manor. Picking up the hem of her dress as so not to trip, she dashed quickly down a darkened path and deep into the forest.  
  
Feeling a stitch in her side, she collapsed under a large tree and pulled her knees to her chest, rocking back and forth. 'What in the hell was going on here?' she thought hysterically, her emotions now free to run rampant over her.  
  
'How could she be related to an elf? Did this mean that she was in the past and Middle Earth was really Earth, not another world or dimension?' her mind was spinning, trying to take in all of the facts and process them reasonably. Taking a deep breath, she straightened and leaned back against the tree behind her.  
  
'Ok, let's work this out.' she thought, her military logic finally kicking it.  
  
* Number one, Uncle Elrond, nope better make that Lord Elrond until I know more. Lord Elrond's brother was my ancestor about fifty generations ago. Elros was his name. I wish I had my Tolkien books here so I could research him.  
  
* Number two, If I am related to Elrond through his brother, doesn't that mean I have elfin blood flowing through me and if so is that why I have always had such excellent hearing and eyesight.  
  
* Number three, If I am really related to the elves then that means this is Earth and not another dimension. So that would mean I have been dropped back into time. But for what reason?  
  
* Number four, I really wish I had a fifth of tequila right now.  
  
Sighing, she closed her eyes trying to clear all of the thought out of her already over-crowded head. That not working she tried reciting the Air Force Values over and over in her head until she could stop thinking about what all was going on.  
  
Integrity First - Service Before Self - Excellence In All We Do  
  
She keep repeating it over and over, pacing back and forth now in front of the tree she had stopped by until she felt a tap on her shoulder. Reaching quickly, she grabbed the hand and with a twist of her hip, flipped the person to the ground and sat on him, her knee pressed painfully into his stomach.  
  
"Ompf, Rain. . . It's me. . . Legolas." came the breathless reply.  
  
"Oh, sorry Legolas." she said as she moved her knee from his stomach and sat back on top of his thighs, looking down at him. "But you should know by now not to sneak up on me." she chuckled at his disconcerted expression.  
  
"What were you mumbling before you tripped me?" he asked, not saying anything about her still sitting on him. He was enjoying it too much.  
  
"Oh, I was trying to clear my mind. Too many thoughts flying around and I needed something else to concentrate on so I was reciting the Air Force Values." she said as she leaned forward and put her hands on either side of his head and stared down into his blue eyes. "By the way, what are you doing here? Didn't I say that I would be alright by myself."  
  
"I know, but after dinner I went to check on you and you where not in your room. So I waited, but since you didn't come back I got worried and decided to look for you." he said, trying to keep his words light and even, not wanting her to know how she was affecting by being so close. Her hair had fallen forward over her shoulder to brush against his chest and the light smell of lavender was intoxicating to him. He wanted to reach up and pull her down to him and kiss her senseless. But he knew this was not the time nor the place, she needed time to adjust to Lord Elrond's announcement.  
  
Frowning down at him, she asked "How long have I been gone?" 'It couldn't have been that long, could it have been?' she thought.  
  
"You have been gone almost five hours. It is well after midnight." he said, watching the startled expression cross her face.  
  
"Five hours! Man, I didn't now that I had been gone that long. I understand now why you were worried." she grinned as she bounced up off Legolas, ignoring his groan, she held out her hand to him and hauled him up.  
  
"Come on, we probably should get back before anyone else comes looking for us." Rain firmly grasped his hand and began pulling him back down the path to Rivendell manor.  
  
"Rain wait." he said, stopping and pulling her up against him. She looked up at him startled by the feeling of his firm body pressed against hers. "Have I told you tonight how beautiful you look?"  
  
Blushing slightly at his words, she looked up into his brilliant blue eyes, mesmerized by the emotions racing through them. She watched his head dip closer and she closed her eyes as she felt his lips drop gently across hers.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: I know, I know. . . I am the master of cliffhangers, ha ha ha. Well, what do you think?  
  
A: Like it B: Love it C: Hate it D: All of the above. . . Press that review button and let me know, what do you want to see next, hummm? 


	11. First Kisses and Anger

Disclaimer: I have now and never, ever ever have owned Tolkien's work or the Lord of the Rings.   
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 11 - First Kisses and Anger ~~*~*~~  
  
Liquid fire burned through her veins as his lips brushed lightly over hers. Sighing lightly against his lips, she automatically curled her arms up around his neck as he deepened their kiss.  
  
Devouring her mouth passionately, his hands slid down her back to draw her closer to him, pressing her sweet form against his, reveling in the heat that seemed to burst through his skin. His hand glided up her back to rest tangled in the hair at the nape of her neck.  
  
She shivered at the feel of his strong fingers brushing against the skin of her neck. The thoughts that she shouldn't be doing this fled as his lips moved from hers to trail lazily down to her neck. Moaning softly, she tilted her head to give him better access to the soft skin there.  
  
So caught up in their embrace, they did not hear the footsteps that approached them, until a loud cough drew their attention. Springing apart guiltily, Rain and Legolas both quickly glanced towards the figure just entering the clearing.  
  
"So, Legolas are you going to introduce me to your beautiful companion." came the amused voice of the tall dark hair man, his gray eyes twinkling merrily at Legolas. She noticed that he was dressed in rough black trousers, with a dark gray shirt that was open at the neck. A silver pendant, gracing his neck caught the moonlight as he strode confidently towards them.  
  
"There is no need to introduce him, Legolas." Rain said as she looked coyly up at the man. "He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn, is he not. Or maybe I should call him by his elvin name, Elessar" she grinned at the confusion that spread across both men's faces. She looked up at Legolas, who at the moment seemed unable to form any words. She was delighted to see that she had rendered the elf speechless, as she turned back to Aragorn.  
  
"My name is Rain and I am a guest of Lord Elrond." she said as she held out her hand to him. He took her hand in his and was just about to raise it to his lips when a growl and a low menacing bark suddenly sounded behind him. "Oh, of course, I should not forget to introduce my large friend behind you." she chuckled, amused at his sudden reaction. He had dropped her hand and spun around into a crouch, his hand flying automatically to the hilt of his knife.  
  
Nanook stood at the edge of the clearing, his large body shadowed by the trees so that only his piercing blue eyes seem to glow eerily in the darkness. Laughing loudly, Rain went to walk past Aragorn to go to Nanook, when his hand came up to block her progress.  
  
"Stay back my lady, 'tis a wild animal." Aragorn said softly, never removing his eyes from Nanook's gaze.  
  
"Nanook is a baby, just ask Legolas." she replied as she reached to push his hand down to walk around him. His hand shot back out and gripped her wrist tightly, beginning to pull her backwards as the growling became fiercer.  
  
"Oh, enough of this." she growled angrily as she suddenly stepped into him, hooking her left leg around his right and jerking sharply against her wrist, all the while applying pressure with her thumb against the nerve point on the back of his hand. Pulling her leg back forcefully, she broke his stance and he fell, landing hard on his back. Her right knee came up and landed solidly against his neck, as she twisted the now nerveless hand up behind his head.  
  
"Nanook, down." she said without looking over her shoulder, the growling stopped. "Are you now going to listen to me?" she asked the gasping man beneath her and easing up the pressure of her leg, she watched as he took deep breaths to restore air to his lungs. His gray eyes glared furiously up at her, when they heard a choking sound next to them and turning they found Legolas sitting on the ground, clutching his stomach helplessly, head bent forward his long blond hair trailing over his face.  
  
Rain, worried that something had happened to him, quickly jumped up off of Aragorn and darted over to the elf. Kneeling down in front of him, she reached out gently to touch his head. Sliding her hand down to his chin, she worriedly raised his face to hers. Merriment twinkled in his blue eyes and tears of laughter poured down his face.  
  
'The idiot was laughing!' she thought, furious that he had worried her.  
  
"Legolas, you dork! I thought you were hurt!" she yelled, causing him to wince at her loud voice. "Oh, I have had enough of the two of you. I am going to bed. Come on Bup-pup!" she yelled as she bounced up and stormed furiously out of the clearing and back to the manor, Legolas's laughter ringing through the night behind her.  
  
Aragorn sat up gingerly, rubbing his sore neck as he looked at the laughing elf.  
  
"How did she do that?" he asked hoarsely to Legolas as he stood and brushed the leaves and dirt off the back of his clothes. Legolas, who was still chuckling, managed to standup also and walked over to join Aragorn.  
  
"Don't feel bad, Aragorn. You're not the only one that she has taken by surprise, myself included." Legolas said, pride ringing through his voice. "Come my friend, it is late and I will tell you all on the way back." He said as he slung his arm around Aragorn's shoulder and pulled him unwillingly back to the manor.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
"Damn annoying arrogant elves." Rain raged as she stomped angrily up the stairs to her room, Nanook bouncing happily behind her. Slamming open her door and then shut with a resounding bang, she angrily began tearing off the dress as she strode across the room to her bed, leaving bits and pieces of her clothes behind. Seeing that Elenna had left her nightwear, she pulled it over her head and bounced unhappily into the bed. Nanook, seeing that she had settled down, jumped up on the end of the bed, circling around several times before curling up next to her feet.  
  
"One minute he's kissing me soundly and the next he's laughing at me." she grumped, remembering the feel of his lips on hers and his hand buried in her hair. Her hand came up involuntarily to touch her softly bruised lips, still feeling the heat of his kiss. Catching herself she grunted and slid down under the covers, bound and determined to ignore the "pain in the ass" elf from now on. She didn't need the problem, she had other things to worry about.  
  
Sleep came difficulty that night, as irritation and desire warred within her mind.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
"Lady Rain. . . . Lady Rain, please wake up. Lord Elrond has requested your presence for lunch." Elenna sighed as she gently tried to walk up the reluctant Rain. It was already quite late in the morning and she gave no indication of moving anytime soon. She looked up at the large dog sitting next to her on the edge of the bed, startled when he swiped a wet tongue over her face.  
  
"Ugh. Stop that." she said, putting her hand up to stop him.  
  
"He seems to have taken a liking to all the elves he meets." came a rueful voice from the bed. Elenna turned from fighting Nanook off, to find Rain propped up on one elbow, a sudden sadness flashing in her green eyes.  
  
"Thank Valar, you are finally awake. Lord Elrond has sent for you." Elenna said as she stood up and strode over to the closet to pull out another dress, this one the color of silver.  
  
"No, Elenna." Rain said as she threw back the covers and walked to the closet past her. "No dresses today." she was not about to get caught in that trap again. Rummaging through the closet, she came up with a pair of black trousers and cream colored shirt. Digging deeper she found a heavily embroidered forest green vest and a pair of high topped laced boots. Taking her findings to the bed, she laid them out as she searched for her A- 3 bag, spying it in the corner, she grabbed it and dug her hairbrush and hair bands out.  
  
"But Lady Rain, don't you need. . ." Elenna said as she watched her quickly brush the tangles out of her hair and plait it into a long braid.  
  
"Elenna, I am sure. When does Lord Elrond expect me?" her voice took on a ringing tone that startled Elenna. Shaking her head she looked at the painfully stiff-back woman in front of her, wondering what had happened to cause her to become so aloof.  
  
"My Lady, he is waiting in the solarium for you." Elenna said formally.  
  
"Thank you Elenna. Please tell Lord Elrond that I will join him shortly." Rain commanded as she gathered the clothes in her arms and strode away into the bathroom, not looking back at the startled elf.  
  
"Yes, My Lady." she said softly as she quickly left.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: So things are beginning to heat up between Legolas and Rain, but I think that she is a little peeved with him right now. I think Aragorn is also going to be shocked when he finds out who she is also. . .have you all figured it out yet??? If not, you have to wait, I ain't tellin' yet. . . 


	12. Destiny of the Elves

Disclaimer: I wish I owned it, but I don't.  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 12 - Destiny of the Elves ~~*~*~~  
  
Rain strode quickly across the hall towards the solarium. Turning the corner she saw Lord Elrond standing next to a small table with two place settings. He turned and smiled as she walked across the sunlight-dappled room.  
  
"Ah, Rain my dear. I am so glad you could join me. Are you feeling better this day?" he asked, smiling down at her as she stopped in front of him. Reaching out, he caught her hands in his and brought them tenderly to his chest, waiting for her response.  
  
"Yes, Lord Elrond. I am feeling much better." she said, her tone low and even. Her professionalism clearly was backing up her posture and words. She nodded her head to him stiffly as she eased her hands away from his.  
  
"My child, please you do not have to be so formal with me. We are family after all." Elrond chuckled, his voice richly filling the air around them.  
  
"Shall we have some lunch and a little conversation. I am sure that you have many questions." he said as he pulled a chair away from the table and gestured for her to be seated, before seating himself directly across from her. As he sat, an elf silently slipped in and laid their meals in front of them before departing just as silently.  
  
He watched as she ate quietly, puzzling over her seeming indifference. He leaned back in his chair, his glass cradled gently between his fingers, watching the enigmatic woman before him. She was dressed in elvin clothing this morning, though not what a woman would normally wear. Her hair had been pulled back and severely braided, the tail end falling over her shoulder. Her expression was neutral and bland, but he could see emotions raging thorough her emerald green eyes.  
  
She was aware that Elrond was studying her closely, though he seemed unaware of her own scrutiny. She was able to watch several things at one time and yet be seen as not paying attention. It had served her well when dealing with mischievous airman, who thought she wasn't watching them, only to find themselves caught numerous times.  
  
Abruptly glancing up, green eyes locking with gray, she softly laid her fork down and sat stiffly upright in her chair, her hands moved to clasp fingers together in her lap. "There was something you wanted to talk to me about, sir." she said, her voice low and calm. Elrond could hear the tightly reined emotion in her voice. Something was bothering her, but he was unsure exactly what it could be.  
  
"Yes, I wanted to speak to you about why you are here. I am sure that you are genuinely confused about what has happened to you." Elrond said as he sat forward in his chair and placed his glass back on the table. Folding his fingertips together before steepling them under his chin, his elbow on the table.  
  
"I should tell you about your ancestor, my brother Elros. You know that elves are immortal, but the Half-Elven family was granted the power to choose between an immortal and a mortal life. My daughter Arwen has chosen a mortal life, so that she may be with Aragorn, and when he passes on to the next life she will not grieve to death. Such was with my brother. He chose to become the King of Men and to begin the line of Núnenor. But still the Half-Elven blood runs through his descendants, prolonging their life to a grand old age for men. My brother lived another five hundred years after he chose mortality." Elrond stood suddenly and strode over to the banister that overlooked the gardens below.  
  
"I do not understand why this would pertain to my being here, sir." Rain said as she also stood and walked over to stand next to him, her legs spread slightly apart and her hands clasped behind her back.  
  
"Elros's blood runs through you from your father. You are a descendant of the elves. Lady Galadriel has spoken of her visions of your future, of great metal birds that carry men from place to place. Of wars so terrible that more people are killed in one day than all that live currently in Middle Earth. And of how elves are no longer remembered and sadly have disappeared from the world. You are the last elf in your time." Elrond said, a great sadness creeping into his voice.  
  
"But, sir. I have two half-brothers, wouldn't they also be Half-Elven." Rain asked, confused by what he was telling her.  
  
"No, the bloodline only passes to the firstborn. You are the firstborn and the lastborn. The line of Elros will be no more when you depart from this world unto the next." he said turning, his gray eyes filled with a sad light.  
  
"It is your choice, your destiny to decide if the line of Elros lives or dies. You must decide whether or not to become a full elf, and become immortal, or stay human and die. The decision is yours."  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: Sorry for such a short chapter, but this was a great place to end it. Let me know, what do you think? Rain has a big decision to make, what is she going to do?  
  
Remember Reviews + You = My Inspiration and Your Chapter Updates  
  
So hit that button. . . . 


	13. A Release of Aggression

Disclaimer: As I have said before, I don't own it. I just wish I did, that's for sure.  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 13 - A Release of Aggression ~~*~*~~  
  
Rain paced agitatedly back and forth on the balcony of her room, her mind spinning from the information the Elrond had given her a short while ago. She was the last living elf in her time and she had to make the decision whether to allow the elvin lineage continue or fade away. Growling heavily, she dug her fingers into her hair and stopped pacing.  
  
'I can't think about this right now. I need to do something before I drive myself insane.' she thought.  
  
Turning back into her room, she spied her web belt and holster, she grinned suddenly. She knew what she could do to take her mind off her current dilemma. Striding across the room to her A-3 bag she dug out several clips and then snatched her web belt. Snapping the belt around her waist, she stowed the extra clips and bounced out her door. Lightly running down the stairs, she saw a familiar figure striding out the door carrying a bow and quiver.  
  
"Elrohir wait." she called as she changed direction towards him.  
  
"Lady Rain, a pleasure to see you this afternoon. What may I do for you?" he asked as she skidded to a halt next to him. He noticed that she was wearing elvin clothing, but the strange belt from before.  
  
"I noticed that you were carrying your bow, are you going to practice." she asked, eyes sparkling in anticipation of his answer.  
  
"Yes, would you like to join me?" Elrohir replied indulgently.  
  
"Yes, please. I was going to ask if you had a range here. I need some target practice myself." she said, a wicked grin spreading across her face as she patted the holster at her side. He frowned at her expression and looked questioningly at the holster she was patting fondly.  
  
"Oh, you'll see. It may not be a bow, but it is much more powerful than you would imagine." she chuckled at his skeptical expression as she gestured for them to proceed.  
  
He turned, shaking his head and led her down a long curving wooded path. Muted sounds of laughter and cheering drifted to her ears. Reaching a clearing, it became evident of the reason for the cheering. Legolas and Aragorn where standing next to each other both holding bows. It was apparent from the arrow-studded targets that they had been competing against each other.  
  
She watched as Aragorn brought the bow up and pulled back. The release was clean and struck the center of the target. Legolas laughed and slapped Aragorn on the back as he stepped forward to the line. She smiled suddenly, aware that Aragorn hadn't a chance of beating the elf. Legolas's pull and release was so smooth and fast that she almost missed it. The thunk of the arrow striking the target was the only indication that he had fired. Cheers echoed the clearing, for his arrow had split Aragorn's neatly down the center.  
  
"He is such a show off, Lady Rain." Elrohir's voice echoed in her ear. She turned to him, her smile taking on a challenging quality.  
  
"Do you think you could do better, Lord Elrohir." she questioned, one of her eyebrows arching up, and a wicked twinkle to her eye.  
  
Legolas, hearing Rain's voice, turned suddenly to see her standing at the edge of the clearing. Shoving his bow into Aragorn's hands, he bounded quickly over to her. Taking her hands in his, he looked down into her sparkling eyes.  
  
"Rain, I am glad you are here." he said as he tried to see if she was still angry with him. He had run into Elenna this morning and she had told him to stay away from Rain for awhile that she had seemed very upset. Having nothing else to do, he had drafted Aragorn to keep himself busy.  
  
Glancing up at the smiling Elrohir, Legolas pulled Rain away from him and down towards Aragorn. Aragorn handed Legolas's bow back to him as he turned and smiled down at Rain.  
  
"Good day to you Lady Rain. I hope you do not have any hard feelings towards me from last night." he said as he took her hand in his, before bringing it to his lips. His gray eyes where twinkling mischievously as he glanced at the growling elf next to him. Laughing, he released Rain's hand as he smiled.  
  
"No Aragorn, I have forgiven you. Please though, call me Rain." Rain chuckled at the antics of the two men. She knew that Aragorn was deliberately provoking the elf standing next to her. Feeling better than she had earlier, she turned to Legolas.  
  
"Legolas, is there anyway that I could use the range for target practice?" she said, ignoring the startled expression on his face. "But, I will need something for targets other than the archery bales." she gestured towards the targets down range.  
  
"What do you need for targets, Rain." said Aragorn as he stepped forward next to her. She looked thoughtful for a moment, her eyes scanning the clearing for any suitable item. Her eyes coming to rest on the apple trees near the end of the clearing.  
  
"Those will do." she said pointing to the apples, "I will need about twenty of the apples. If you could get them and place them on that log and then clear everyone behind me. I can then practice." she said as she gestured to the downed tree lying beyond the targets, before striding away from the two towards a table setup at the back of the clearing.  
  
Aragorn and Legolas exchanged puzzled glances as they turned and worked to complete what she had asked. Rain ignored the stares of the other elves in the clearing as she pulled the extra clips from her belt and placed them on the table before pulling her gun out of its holster. With her thumb she flipped the selector switch to safe and pressed the clip release button, catching clip in her hand and laying next to the others. Grasping the slide she pulled and ejected the round setting in the chamber. Catching it in mid air, she laid the pistol, slide open, down onto the table before sliding the ejected round back into the clip.  
  
Turning she leaned her hip against the table and watched as Legolas and Aragorn setup her targets. She watched as the pair finished and walked back towards her. Reaching the table the pair looked curiously at her weapon lying on the table. Smiling, she picked up the gun and pressed the slide release, with a loud snap the release shrugged forward. She held out the empty weapon to Aragorn.  
  
"This is a 9mm Glock semi-automatic pistol, it can hold 16 rounds of ammunition. Fifteen in the clip and one in the chamber. Hey, don't point that thing at anyone, even unloaded." she said as she put her hand on the muzzle and pointed it away from her head. Taking the gun back from Aragorn, she picked up a clip and slapped it home into the magazine, before pulling the slide back to charge the weapon.  
  
Walking forward ahead of them, she turned slightly looking back over her shoulder at them. "You may want to cover your ears, this can be loud." with that she turned and raised her arms, the gun cradled gently in her hands. Squeezing the trigger slowly, she smiled as the gun leapt in her hands and the apple on the log disintegrated. Ignoring the cries behind her, she quickly fired off several more rounds, adrenaline pumping through her veins. She always got a rush off the power she controlled in her hands, the power to take life with the simple pull of her trigger. She could just feel the stress from earlier melting away, it was almost better than sex. 'Well, maybe. But it had been so long since I had any, that I probably wouldn't remember which is better.' she though sarcastically, as she emptied her clip and turned back to the stunned Legolas, Aragorn and Elrohir.  
  
"Man, I feel better now." she said as she walked past the trio to the table. The other elves in the clearing shrank back away from her as she passed, scared of her magic weapon. Flipping the safety on, she placed the weapon on the table and unhooked her web belt and laid it next to it. Turning back she eyed the trio staring, opened mouthed, at her before walking over to Legolas and gently closing his mouth with her fingers on his chin.  
  
Shaking his head, Legolas looked down into her laughing eyes. "How did you do that? Is it magic?" he stammered slightly.  
  
"Legolas, it isn't magic. It is a weapon from my time, as common as swords and bows are in this time." she said as she took his hand in hers and led him back to the table. "See, it is just metal that has been formed into a weapon, not magic."  
  
He looked down at the weapon lying on the table and her hand that was touching it. He reached out and felt the cool metal, confirming that it was indeed real and not magic. "But how does it work?" he asked looking back over his shoulder to the mess left of the apples.  
  
"Much the same as your bow, but it is all self contained. The metal arrow travels through this barrel and then strikes the target." she tried to simplify the mechanical working of the gun so that he could understand. Sighing as she saw him frown, she picked up her belt and snapped it back on. Taking the gun, she released the empty clip before adding a new one, sliding the spent clip into the appropriate pouch. Automatically she flipped the safety off as she slid the gun back into its holster, before snapping the cover shut.  
  
"I will see you later." she sighed softly as she turned and left the clearing. 'I think that I may have scared Legolas off.' she thought.  
  
Walking back down the wooded path towards Rivendell manor, she suddenly wished that she was back home and not here faced with her current problems. Reaching a fork in the path, she looked up to see one led back to the manor and the other down the canyon. Not wanting to sit in her room and brood, she turned down the canyon path. Mind focused on her earlier conversation with Elrond, she became distracted of her surroundings until a strong arm came around her waist and pulled her back from a rocky outcropping that overlooked the river below.  
  
Struggling wildly, she was pulled back from the edge and set on her feet. Turning, her elbow up braced by her hand, she attempted to slam her attacker in the chest. He ducked and laughed, catching her around the waist and pulling her body close to him. Hearing the familiar laughter, she stopped struggling and looked up into the laughing blue eyes above her.  
  
"Looks like I caught you this time." he said as his head dipped forward over hers. "Shall I get a reward for catching the impossible Rain?" he murmured before his lips closed in over hers. Sighing she relaxed into his embrace and tried to bring her arms up around his neck, only to find them trapped against her body. Moaning lightly, she struggled softly wanting to be able to touch him.  
  
Legolas raised his head and looked down at the mysterious woman in his arms. One minute she was as beautiful as the stars and the next as deadly as any warrior he knew. He wanted her; he felt a tie to her as if fate had decided that they were to meet. But she was mortal and he an immortal, it could not last and would end in sorrow.  
  
She looked up into his eyes, aware of the turmoil raging within his soul, for it too raged within hers. But with a different passion, she had a choice to make and she needed to find out what he felt about her.  
  
"Legolas, we need to talk." she said, looking sadly up into his eyes. He nodded as he set her back down onto her feet. ~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: Uh Oh, what does Rain want to talk about? Talk about stress she must be going through, she has only been in Middle Earth for five days. Well, who know what's going to happen? Keep tuned boys and girls, its going to get rough from here.  
  
Let me know what you think. Thanks a bunch. . . . . . .DBZ Vegeta 


	14. Fateful Decision Revisied

**REVISIED**  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own it, so stop asking. . . .  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 14 - Fateful Decision ~~*~*~~  
  
Legolas looked down into Rain's bright green eyes, dread washing over his body from her words. Nodding lightly, he watched as she turned and walked down the path that led to the river, before following her. He was entranced by the sway of her braid as she strode ahead of him, shaking his head he tried to focus his mind on the matter at hand.  
  
Rain felt his gaze boring into her back as she led him down the path. She was stalling purposefully before talking with him, trying to gather her thoughts and subdue the remembered feeling of his body against hers. She needed to be clear-headed and logical when she talked with him. Spying a small clearing next to the river she turned towards it.  
  
Reaching the grass-filled clearing, she sat down near the center, tucking her legs up beneath her. Looking up she gestured for him to be seated across from her.  
  
"Legolas, I need to talk to you about what is going on between us." she said as she watched him seat himself close to her. His face was devoid of emotion, but his eyes seemed to flare at her words.  
  
"What do you mean?" he inquired blandly, his voice even and calm, reflecting none of the turmoil rolling in his eyes. She smiled inwardly, he could try the poker face but his eyes were too expressive for his own good.  
  
"I'm talking about this heat between us." she replied her voice mimicking his tone, though humor danced through her eyes also.  
  
"There is nothing to say. You are just a diversion, I guess." he shrugged, pulling his eyes away from her piercing gaze.  
  
"A diversion, humm." she murmured, knowing that he was lying, but it still hurt. He had turned away from her as he said it, an obvious indicator that he was lying.  
  
"Would I have been a diversion if I had been an elf?" she inquired, curious for his answer.  
  
He turned and looked back down at her, surprised that she wasn't furious with his answer. Unable to stop himself, he leaned forward and brought his hand to her cheek, lightly caressing the soft skin of her lips. "I'm sorry Rain, but I can't allow myself to care too deeply for you. It would be the death of me." He couldn't answer her question, wincing inwardly about his lies already.  
  
She smiled gently against his fingers, before lightly kissing them. "So you do care for me though." she whispered softly against his fingers.  
  
He quickly sat back, removing his fingers from her lips as if they had been burned. "No, I don't." he protested, a little too quickly, she noticed.  
  
"I mean, you are my friend and I will always be yours, but I can't be anything more than that." he said as he jumped up and turned away from her. His shoulders set stiffly as he quickly walked away from her and bolted back up the path to Rivendell manor.  
  
Rain watched as he ran away from her, sighing against the pain in her heart. She knew that he had been lying to not only her, but also himself. It only made her choices harder now. Groaning, she laid back on the grass, looking up at the white clouds drifting lazily in the sky. Closing her eyes, she tried to relax, but her mind continued to reply the pain in Legolas's eyes as he ran from the clearing.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
Legolas paced his room angrily. 'Why did I say that to her?' he thought, mentally chastising himself for his words earlier. He knew that the inevitable had happened, he was in love with her, but he was denying his feelings.  
  
'How could this of happened? I have only known her for five days and yet I feel as if I have known her forever.' his thoughts bounced erratically through his mind. He stopped pacing abruptly, remembering her last question to him before he had bolted out of the clearing.  
  
'Would I have been a diversion if I had been an elf?' she had said.  
  
'What did she mean by that?' he thought, trying to understand the sudden confusion her words caused him. He started pacing again, not noticing that the door to his room had been opened and closed quietly.  
  
Aragorn watched as his friend agitatedly paced back and forth, mumbling to himself. He had never seen Legolas so upset before and wondered if it had anything to do with the mysterious Lady Rain he had met. Clearing his throat, he grinned as Legolas jumped and turned abruptly, crouching against an attack.  
  
"Aragorn, I'm sorry. I didn't hear you come in, what can I do for you my friend." Legolas said as he stood up, looking embarrassed.  
  
"It should be more like what can I do for you. Are you all right Legolas?" Aragorn asked, striding across the room to stand in front of his friend. "I have never seen you this upset, what is wrong?"  
  
"Nothing. . . Everything." he said, frustration creeping into his voice. He started pacing again, aware that Aragorn was watching his every movement with confusion spread over his face.  
  
"I have done something terrible." Legolas began, raising a hand to forestall Aragorn's reply. He had to say it before he lost his nerve. "I lied to Rain today. She asked me what I felt about her and I told her that she was nothing but a diversion." Stopping his pacing he slumped heavily on the edge of his bed, burying his head in his hands.  
  
"But, she is not a diversion. I can't get her out of my mind, she haunts me every waking minute. I feel as if I cannot breathe unless she is near. I don't know what to do." Legolas mumbled through his hands. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he looked wearily up into Aragorn's compassionate gray eyes.  
  
"Legolas, why would you lie to her about your feelings. It is obvious that you are in love with her, why not tell her." he said as he slid down and sat next to the elf.  
  
"I can't tell her! She is mortal and if I let myself love her, then I will die of grief when she leaves this world!" Legolas yelled as he jumped up and continued again pacing back and forth agitatedly.  
  
"I think it's already too late for that, Legolas. Look at yourself, you are grieving now by not allowing yourself to be with her." Aragorn pointed out. "If you want another opinion, why don't you talk with Arwen. She would understand."  
  
Legolas stopped pacing at Aragorn's words. 'Yes, he could speak with Arwen, she would understand.' he thought.  
  
"Thank you Aragorn. I will take it into consideration." he said as he smiled sadly back at his friend. "Now, I know you just didn't come here to cheer me up. What did you want to talk to me about?"  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
Rain woke up to a light sprinkling of rain on her face. Opening her eyes she found that night had fallen and the clouds had thickened considerably since the afternoon. The stars where blotted out and the moon cast a very dim glow to the area. Sitting up she wrapped her arms about her knees and shivered once. She looked out into the pitch black night and wondered what it would be like to live forever, to not have to worry about old age and disease.  
  
She knew that with her mother having passed away from cancer, she was heretically predispositioned to possibly contract it also, but if she were an elf, the possibility would drastically change. But, if she were immortal, she would have to watch all of her friends die and she was unsure of how that would affect her. Sighing heavily, she suddenly wished that her mom were here to talk to. She always was able to help her through the most difficult decisions. She didn't have anyone to share her feeling with about this, she was on her own for this matter and it was a big one.  
  
The rain began to fall heavier and she decided it was time to get back to the manor. Standing up she trudged wearily back up the path, slipping occasionally as the dirt path began to become muddy.  
  
'Damn, I wish I had my combat boot on, instead of these elvin boots. They at least have better traction.' she cursed to herself as she fell heavily onto her hip, when she slipped on the muddy slope again.  
  
Pulling herself up, she attempted to brush the mud off her pants, giving up when the sticky substance clung wetly to her hands. Sighing she continued on, grasping tree limbs to help her back up the steep path, her feet sliding dangerously. She recognized her situation was perilous, but she needed to get back to the manor before the storm got worse.  
  
Stepping carefully forward, Rain missed the rock unburied by the rivulets of water washing down the path until her foot found it. Slipping, her hands losing grip on the tree, she fell heavily, striking her head against the very tree that she had been using to hold herself up with. Blood began to streak down her face and into her eyes. Prodding the area gently, she winced at the pain the hammered through her head. Closing her eyes against the pain, she drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to control the pain.  
  
~*~  
  
Legolas and Aragorn were still talking softly when the door burst open. Lord Elrond crossed the threshold, his robes swirling around him wildly.  
  
"What is wrong?" Legolas asked, feeling a tightening of fear in his heart as he stood up.  
  
"Something has happened to Rain," Elrond replied brusquely, concern etched deeply into his brow.  
  
"What?" Aragorn rose from his chair and came to stand next to Legolas.  
  
"I do not know." Elrond began to pace. "I suddenly felt this great wave of anxiety and knew that she had projected it somehow. I have checked her room and Elenna swears that Rain has not yet returned."  
  
Legolas had a sudden vision of the clearing where he'd left her earlier. His blue eyes flicked to the window, the glass blurred by the driving rains outside. Without saying a word, he raced from the room, Aragorn close behind him.  
  
~*~  
  
Pulling herself up again, she swayed slightly as dizziness overtook her. Leaning heavily against the tree, she fought to stay conscious, her only thought was to get back. Pushing herself off the tree, she struggled to place one foot in front of the other, over and over again.  
  
Hearing voices, she looked up to see the lights of the manor shining like a beacon in the night. Staggering forward, she heard yells as she collapsed heavily across the stone entryway.  
  
'I have made my decision.' she thought as blackness enveloped her.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: Oh my god, am I ever terrible. The master of cliffhangers is back, again . . . Well, you just have to wait and see what is going to happen next. Well, let me know what do you think, should she go for it and become an elf or should she decline and stay a mortal.  
  
Thanks for your reviews and continued support ~ DBZ Vegeta 


	15. Misunderstandings Can Cost You Revisied

**REVISIED**  
  
Disclaimer: Are they gone, whew. . . They came back again to check up on me to ensure that I wasn't claiming to own anything anymore. I don't own Tolkien's character, but I do own Rain   
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 15 - Misunderstandings Can Cost You ~~*~*~~  
  
She slowly became aware of warmth surrounding her and of a weight pressing against her back. Shifting slightly she heard a mumbled word in her ear and was pulled back tighter against the warmth. Opening her eyes, she looked down to see an arm tucked firmly about her waist. Her gaze traveled up the masculine arm to look over her shoulder at the head tucked against her shoulder. She could not see the face, but knew who it was by the long golden hair that spilled over the head and her shoulder.  
  
Gently she rolled over to face Legolas, reaching out she softly tuck his hair back away from his face. Still soundly asleep, he murmured again as she moved and tightened his grip around her body, pulling her closer to his heat. Moaning softly as his hand brushed against her sore hip, she watched as his eyes suddenly snapped open, looking bewildered up into hers.  
  
"Good morning." she said gently, leaning up on her elbow to look down at him.  
  
Without saying a word, he reached up a hand to gently trace the bruise that trailed down from under the bandage across her forehead to her cheekbone, lightening his touch when he saw her wince from the pain he caused. His fingers slipped from her cheek to tangle in her loose black hair, before pulling her face down to his. Lightly he brushed his lips over the same path that his fingers had been tracing, before gently taking her lips with his.  
  
The kiss was one of gentle concern and worry, not of passion, though a wonderful warmth began to flow through their bodies. Releasing her lips, he leaned back to look into her forest green eyes. Worry and sadness flashed through his eyes and she smiled softly down at him as she slid down into the bed and laid her head on his chest. She sighed as she felt his arms tighten around her as she listened to his rhythmic heartbeat beneath her ear, lulling her back into a contented sleep.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
When Rain awoke again, she was alone. Had it been a dream or had Legolas really been there next to her earlier. Only the impression on the pillow next to hers even indicated that someone had been there with her. She wondered if he really had been there and if he had changed his mind about her. Sitting up gingerly, she felt the bandage on her forehead.  
  
'At least that hadn't been a dream.' she thought, wincing at how clumsy she had been. Normally she wasn't so clumsy, and able to climb with no problem.  
  
'Well, what's done is done and in the past. I need to get on with the future.' she thought as she threw back the covers of the bed and strode over to the closet. Swinging the doors open, she found that Elenna had returned her BDUs to the closet. At the sight of them, she stopped remembering that she had another life to think about.  
  
Turning away from the closet she walked slowly to the balcony and stood leaning against the railing looking out over the forest. The decision that she had made last night weighing heavily on her mind. Gazing out she saw several figures walking through the gardens below, she recognized Legolas immediately from his bright hair. The other man was Aragorn, if she wasn't mistaken, but the woman with them, she didn't recognize.  
  
Watching them, she saw Aragorn turn and leave Legolas and the woman, who continued to walk together through the gardens. They sat on a stone bench near as small bubbling brook, and appeared engrossed with each other. Her heart contracted painfully as she watched the woman place her hand upon Legolas's cheek and laugh merrily. She could hear her beautiful laugh from where she was standing, it floated like a soft caress across her. She closed her eyes, pain racing through her, causing her legs to falter. Sitting down heavily on the bench next to the railing, she looked up in time to see the woman standing up and bending over to kiss Legolas. With a hoarse cry she bolted up and ran back into her room.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
"Thank you Arwen, I appreciate your help with this matter." Legolas said as he looked down at the hands he had clasped in his lap. Aragorn had explained what had been happening and Arwen had gladly shared her insight on loving a mortal. He looked up when she stood and placed her hand on his cheek, laughing lightly.  
  
"Legolas, you mustn't let the fear of grief keep you from your destined love. Go to her and tell her what you feel." Arwen said as she bent forward to brush a kiss across his cheek. Hearing a sobbing cry ring out across the garden, they both turned to catch a glimpse of long black hair and a white dress, flash across one of the balconies. Legolas jumped to his feet, knowing that was Rain's room.  
  
"Oh my, was that Rain." Arwen cried, her hands covering her mouth. Looking up at Legolas, she saw his stricken gaze locked on the now empty balcony.  
  
"I may be to late now." he said, his voice cracking, she saw tears lingering in his eyes.  
  
"It is never too late, Legolas. Go to her now, she will understand." Arwen said as she put a hand on his back and gave him a light nudge in the direction of the manor. Turning he nodded to her before leaving. Arwen smiled gently as Aragorn walked quietly past Legolas towards her.  
  
"Is everything all right, beloved." he said, taking her hands in his and kissing them gently.  
  
"I sincerely hope so, my love." she said as she smiled at him. "Shall we take a walk."  
  
~*~  
  
Rain fought the tight knot of nausea welling up her throat as she tore the silken nightgown off and tossed it to the floor.  
  
'How could I have been such a fool?' she chastised herself, the film of teas in her eyes making it difficult for her to dress. He had told her she was just a diversion but she had chosen to ignore him, instead believing they had something special.  
  
Anger quickly dried her tears. Anger at herself for allowing her emotions to misguide her, and anger at Legolas for using her to amuse himself until he could be with his true love.  
  
She wrenched her loose curls into a tight braid, jamming the pins into the bun, ignoring the sharp stabs of pain from her scalp.  
  
"I may have made a fool of myself once," she snarled between clenched teeth, "but it won't happen again."  
  
~*~  
  
Legolas burst into Rain's room to find her sitting on the edge of her bed lacing up her combat boots. She had once again donned her strange clothing. Her hair was braided tightly and pinned up on the back of her head, her hat lying next to her on the bed.  
  
Looking up at the sound of the door slamming open, Rain gritted her teeth and ignored the panting elf in the doorway. Finishing lacing her boots up, she grabbed her hat and stuffed it into her cargo pant pocket.  
  
"Rain, I'm. . ." Legolas started before Rain interrupted him.  
  
"I'm sorry, Prince Legolas. You will have to excuse me as I have an appointment with Lord Elrond." she said, her voice clipped and professional. Without looking directly at him, she strode past him out the door, her back held stiff and her stride measured. She continued down the hall, ignoring his cries, trying her best from turning back and punching him for playing with her.  
  
Legolas watched as she marched down the hallway and around the corner, his shoulders slumping against her doorframe, his face buried in his hand as he thought. 'I've lost her.'  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: Sorry for such a short chapter, but it is crucial for the upcoming chapter. Rain will be leaving Rivendell soon, but for where you ask. . .stay tuned and all shall be revealed. 


	16. Twin Sword of Andúril Revisied

***REVISIED***  
  
Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own it, if I did I live in a mansion on the Hawaiian Islands soaking up the sun.  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 16 - Twin Sword of Anduril ~~*~*~~  
  
"Good Afternoon, Lord Elrond." Rain said as she entered the study where she was to meet him. He was sitting behind a large oak desk, working on various documents, scrolls and books pilled around him. She grinned at the sight, it reminder her of her own desk at work.  
  
"Good day my dear. Please excuse me, there always seems to be a never- ending stack of papers that I must deal with." he said with an exasperated sigh.  
  
"I understand totally, sir. My desk also appears much like yours, always filled with performance reports and security matters." she chuckled knowingly, wondering how bad the pile looked now that she had been gone almost a week. Her grinned faded; knowing that she probably had other matters to deal with when she finally returned home, other than paperwork.  
  
'Yeah, more like a court-martial for being AWOL.' she though soberingly.  
  
"Well, my dear. Have you made your decision yet?" he asked as he walked around the desk to stand in front of her. Looking down into her pensive face, he took her arm and led her to a pair of chairs situated in front of a fireplace. Gesturing for her to sit he stood, legs spread, in front of the fireplace, his right arm propped on the mantel.  
  
"Sir, before I tell you my decision, what is involved in my becoming an elf." she asked.  
  
"A fair question, my dear. There are several steps that you will be required to complete before the transformation will be completed." he said as he began to pace lightly back and forth.  
  
"First you must travel to visit the Lady Galadriel in the woods of Lothlórien. She will provide you with the necessary equipment and knowledge required for your quest. From there you must travel through Mirkwood to the Lonely Mountain. You will find the key that unlocks the treasure of Elros, the twin sword of Andúril. With this key you will return here to unlock the sword from its resting place." he explained as she watched him as he stopped pacing and turned to face her.  
  
"Will you accept this quest and become an elf, or would you rather return to your world and let the line of Elros wither away." he asked, his eyes grave with their concern.  
  
She stood and walked over to the window, looking unseeingly out over the landscape. "If I complete the mission, but change my mind when I return, will I still be able to return to my home." she asked quietly, without turning around. She did not hear him as he silently walked across the room, until he laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Yes my dear. The change will not take effect unless you will it. With the twin sword you will be able to make your choice to stay and become an elf or return to your life in your own time." his fingers tightened lightly in her shoulder and turned her around to face him. Placing a finger beneath her chin he raised her face to his, bending slightly he placed a gentle kiss upon her brow.  
  
"No matter what you choose child, remember that you are a member of my family and always will be loved." he murmured before dropping his hand from her chin to take her hand. "Shall I prepare for your departure?"  
  
She looked up into his gentle gray eyes and closed hers, before leaning into his embrace. She felt his arms wrap gently around her and she began to cry.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
Dinner was a quiet affair, despite the curious glances from the elves when she had walked in wearing her own clothes. The BDU's had raised many eyebrows, but courteousness prevented anyone from commenting. Even Elenna had held her tongue, in spite of her obvious dismay.  
  
Rain had glanced briefly at the dress Elenna had laid out hopefully, but had quickly dismissed it. She felt the strongest, the most like her true self, in her uniform.  
  
Now, Rain sat once again next to Elrond with a silently brooding Legolas next to her. When he had entered the hall and solemnly taken his place, a pain so fierce had ripped through her heart she had gripped the edge of the table until her knuckles turned white.  
  
Rain's food held no interest for her, her senses being overrun by Legolas' nearness. The scent of him drifted across the short space, the gentle rustling of his tunic as he moved. Each sound, each gesture was a traitorous torture to her heart.  
  
It was this growing ache inside of her that firmed her resolve to leave. She needed to get away from him, from the betrayal and pain.  
  
A burst of laughter drew her attention back to the table. She watched Legolas from the corner of her eye and saw that he wasn't eating, just chasing his food around his plate with his fork. Elrond cleared his throat loudly, drawing everyone's attention before standing up.  
  
"My friends, tonight will be the last night that Rain will be with us for a long time, let us wish her well on her quest and offer her the grace of Valar that it shall be successful." he said as he raised his glass in toast to her. "Return as soon as you can, my child, for you shall be sorely missed by all."  
  
Legolas looked shocked at Lord Elrond's words, he turned to stare at Rain, who in turn stared at the table, determined to avoid his gaze and ignore the fear and pain in his blue eyes.  
  
"Rain." he said quietly, leaning close to her, "Are you leaving because of me?"  
  
"You give yourself too much credit," Rain replied softly, refusing to look into his eyes, lest he see the lie behind her words. "I've been asked to complete a mission, and I will. Besides, weren't you the one who said I was only a diversion? Now that we've arrived and you've been reunited with your lover, it's obvious I matter very little to you. My leaving shouldn't bother you in the least."  
  
Disregarding the concerned looks from the other elves, she threw her napkin onto the table, shoved her chair back roughly and began to walk away. Every muscle clenched taught as Legolas' long fingers closed around her arm.  
  
"Rain, please you misunderstood what happened this afternoon." Legolas began before she whirled around her eyes flashing.  
  
"No, you don't understand. I am NOT toy to be played with at your whim!" she hissed, anger pouring from her eyes, as she advanced on him. He pressed back further into his chair as she leaned down to whisper in his ear, "You have made a deadly enemy in me, and I do not forgive betrayal so easily."  
  
He looked shocked at her words and turned deathly white. Watching as she straighten and turned away from him, before marching briskly from the hall. His eyes locked with Aragorn, who looked bewildered by the scene. Legolas shook his head sadly at him and stood.  
  
"Excuse me Lord Elrond, but I need to talk to Rain." he said, his face impassive.  
  
"Of course, Prince Legolas. Will you be joining us in the morning to see her off?" he asked.  
  
"Absolutely." Legolas said, with every intention of leaving with Rain on her journey. He smiled slightly and turned to quickly leave the room. He walked into the entryway, wondering if Rain had gone to her room or elsewhere.  
  
"Prince Legolas, are you looking for Lady Rain." came a soft voice from nearby. He turned to see Elenna walking softly down the staircase, Nanook bouncing playfully at her heels. Seeing Legolas, he let out a happy yip and bounded down the stairs to pounce on him. Legolas fended off the wet tongue, gently pushing him down before scratching him delicately behind his ears. Nanook leaned happily against his leg, his eyes closing.  
  
"Yes, I am. Have you seen her?" he asked.  
  
"I saw her heading down the path towards the river. You may want to take her friend, I am sure he could find her easily." Elenna said as she smiled gently at him.  
  
"Thank you Elenna." he said as he turned and hurried out the entryway, Nanook close at his heels. She smiled softly again, glad that Rain had someone who cared a great deal about her.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
Legolas slipped quietly through the woods following closely behind Nanook who had his head close to the ground following Rain's scent. Suddenly Nanook's head snapped up and he bounced excitedly down the trail and into the same clearing that they had sat in the day before. He stealthy slid in behind a large tree near the edge of the clearing and watched as Nanook pounced on Rain. Her laughter was like music to his ears, gently lilting across the woods. He leaned back on the tree and watched her moonlit face turn up and gaze at the stars. Her voice whispered quietly across the clearing.  
  
"Nanook, what are we going to do?" she said to the large dog sitting on her feet. "Should I do it and live forever, humm." Reaching out she began to scratch lightly around his head.  
  
"It really doesn't matter though, if I don't have someone to spend eternity with does it." she sighed softly. "Even you would eventually leave me Bup- pup. If only Legolas had not betrayed me, maybe I would have had an easier decision." She stood and brushed off the back of her BDUs. Turning to Nanook, she said, "Come on Bup-pup, we need to get some rest. We have a long trip to take to see Lady Galadriel."  
  
Legolas watched as she walked slowly out of the clearing and back up the path to Rivendell manor. He had planned on talking to her, but her words had stopped him. 'What had she meant about living for eternity alone. She was a mortal, not an elf.' he thought.  
  
He shook his head, guiltily thinking, 'That didn't matter to him anymore, he wanted to spend whatever time she had left on this earth with her. No matter if he died from grief when she would eventually leave him for the next world.'  
  
Turning he was even more resolute to accompany her tomorrow, but before she left he planned on having a talk with Lord Elrond to discover what was going on.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: Well tomorrow is the big day, Rain is leaving Rivendell for Lothlórien. How much of a stink do you think she is going to raise about a certain elf wanting to come with her, humm? Stay tuned for the next exciting installment in our on-going saga. . . . . Thanks for reading ~ DBZ Vegeta 


	17. Hate Turns To Confusion Revisied

***REVISIED***  
  
Disclaimer: Okay, I give up. . .why can't winter just give up gracefully and go away instead of dumping more snow on us, huh. . .Oh well, I don't own the Lord of the Rings, nor its characters.  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 17 - Hate Turns To Confusion ~~*~*~~  
  
Legolas hesitated outside of Lord Elrond's study, a thin sliver of light peeking out from under the door. He raised his hand to knock, but before he could a voice called out from the other side.  
  
"Come in Prince Legolas." Startled, he reached forward and opened the door to find Lord Elrond standing in front of the tall windows overlooking the valley, his back to the door. "I knew that you would be coming to visit me tonight, Legolas. You are wondering about Rain's journey."  
  
"Yes, sir. I was curious about it. Who will be accompanying her?" he asked quietly.  
  
"Ah yes, her travel party. I was certain that you where going to approach me about it. I had planned on sending Elrohir and a small troop of warriors with her, but if you are willing to go, then I could dispense with the troops." Elrond said as he turned around to gaze at Legolas, curiosity filling his gaze. "I have noticed that you seem to be fond of my grand- niece."  
  
"Yes, Lord Elrond. I am in love with her." Legolas confessed, wanting to lay all of his card on the table now.  
  
Elrond turned back to the window to hide his grin. 'This is going to be very interesting.' he thought.  
  
"Has Rain told you about the nature of her quest?" he asked, his voice filled with amusement.  
  
"No, sir. I was hoping that you would enlighten me on it. I would sincerely appreciate knowing so that I can help her achieve her goal." Legolas said, anticipation filling him. 'Maybe now I can figure out what she was talking about.' he thought.  
  
"She hasn't told you?" Elrond questioned as he turned back around to face him, a puzzled look fleeting across his features before clearing. "I am sorry, but it is Rain's quest. If you wish to know the nature of it, you must ask her."  
  
"Oh, I will have to speak with her then. If you will excuse me, I need to prepare to depart in the morning. Thank you for your time." Legolas said, frustration creeping wearily over him, as he turned to leave.  
  
"Legolas." Elrond's voice stopped him before he could get to the door. He turned to see Lord Elrond's gray eyes brimming with compassion. "She will forgive you eventually, if you give her time."  
  
Legolas's eyes widened, "You heard her this evening." he stammered, the tips of his ears turning red with his embarrassment.  
  
"It would have been impossible not to have," Lord Elrond commented wryly, reminding Legolas of the elves keen sense of hearing. Legolas' embarrassment grew as he realized that most of the guests would have heard the heated conversation.  
  
Elrond's smile gentled as he watched the emotions play across the young warriors face. "Do not worry so, young prince, for I had the upper hand. Arwen told me what happened." Elrond chuckled at the memory. "She was quite distraught that she had caused you further pain. Rest assured, you will have plenty of opportunities to make it up to Rain on this journey." His grin spreading further across his face, as he teased. "You had better get packing, Rain has expressed a desire to leave quite early in the morning."  
  
"Thank you Lord Elrond, I appreciate your assistance." Legolas said, his heart lighter than it had been since the incident in the garden. He would have a chance to get Rain back and to make her understand how he felt.  
  
Turning he strode from the study to return to his room and prepare for the battle of his life. He knew that she was going to be furious in the morning when he joined the group for departure. Letting out a slightly wicked chuckle, 'She was going to be in for the fight of her life.' he thought. Because he was determined to get her back, no matter the cost.  
  
~*~  
  
Lord Elrond returned to his desk, both amused and concerned about this most interesting turn of events. Tonight, Legolas had declared his love for Rain, and as he remembered the emotional words spoken by her at dinner, Elrond felt certain the feeling was mutual. 'However grudgingly', he mused. This could help their plan in a way none of the royal elves had imagined.  
  
Elrond's grin of triumph faded slowly. While it could help their cause, if Rain did not let her guard down, and Legolas failed to make her understand his intentions, it could drive her back to her time, irregardless of the consequences of kin she barely knew.  
  
It was with a heavy heart and a troubled mind that he picked up his quill and wrote two letters. One to go to the land of Mirkwood. The other to the Lady of the Light.  
  
~*~  
  
"What is wrong with this one?" Elladan frowned, pointing to the pale brown mare standing in her pen.  
  
"Not good enough." Elrohir dismissed the mare easily.  
  
Lord Elrond had called Elrohir to his study just after dinner. There, he had asked him if he would accompany Lady Rain and make any preparations necessary for the journey. The elf had readily agreed, and was now in the royal stables, along with his twin, preparing a mount for her.  
  
"It has four legs, Elrohir," Elladan replied dryly, one delicate brow arched. "How is that not good enough for Rain?"  
  
Elrohir straightened up from inspecting yet another mare, a look of frustration on his face. "Rain is a special woman. She needs a special horse."  
  
Elladan regarded his brother for a long time, a look of concern on his face. "You are aware of Legolas' feelings."  
  
"Of course! That's not what I meant." Elrohir looked across the mare, his arms propped up on its back.  
  
"Can you not feel it?! We are on the verge of something momentous, and Rain is at the center of it all. Somehow she has it within her to change our very existence! I feel privileged to be a part of it, no matter how small, and I want to giver her my best."  
  
Elladan saw the passion in his brother's eyes and felt a moment of pride over his grasp of the circumstances. A smile curved his lips. "Father DID say we had full access to ALL of the resources at hand."  
  
"What do you mean?" A spark of excitement began to grown in Elrohir's heart.  
  
"What about Nayowyn?"  
  
"Father's horse?!" Elrohir's eyes widened.  
  
"She is the swiftest and fleetest of foot." Elladan's grin widened.  
  
Soon, Elrohir's grin matched his brother's.  
  
The figure watched from the shadows of the stable as the two brothers exchanged words. He chuckled at their choice of steeds. Indeed, Nayowyn was the best horse for the journey, but unfortunately, she would not be able to join them.  
  
After waiting several minutes in the silence, Lord Elrond quietly slipped out of the shadows. Nayowyn whinnied softly in greeting to her master.  
  
"I am sorry," Elrond said to her softly, laying a gentle hand upon her neck.  
  
The replies from the King and Queen had come swiftly on the wings of the falcons. Elrond knew what he must do.  
  
~*~  
  
Rain stood next to Lord Elrond, watching as the sun began its slow ascent into the sky. Its golden rays lightly brushing the tips of the trees, turning the forest a gleaming golden color for a matter of moments before the light crept higher. Rain sighed, in the short time that she had been in Rivendell, she had fallen in love with the place. She would miss it. Hearing the clatter of hooves, she turned to see Elrohir and Elladan leading several horses.  
  
"I hope you don't mind Rain, but I took the liberty of choosing your horse." Elrohir said as he led a docile mare over to her. She eyed the horse thoughtfully, stepping around her appraisingly. She ran a soft hand down the mare's flank, watching as the skin quivered beneath her touch as she reached the fetlock. Frowning, she knelt down on one knee next and gently stroked the foot, picking up the hoof easily. Grunting, she gently placed the mare's hoof back onto the ground before standing, turning to pat the mare's neck softly.  
  
"Elrohir, she's a beautiful mare, but she won't make it one day on the trail." Rain said, as ran light fingers through the mane.  
  
"What do you mean, she won't make it. Elvin horses are strong and fleet of foot." he protested.  
  
"She's right, Elrohir." came a familiar male voice from behind Rain. She shuddered and her eyes drifted shut as his hand came to rest upon her shoulder. Steeling herself, she turned and glared frostily up at Legolas. His face had a gentle smile, but his eyes looked sad she noted. His fingers squeezed her shoulder lightly before he removed his hand and took a step forward to be even with her, his hair brushing against her cheek.  
  
"The mare is lame, Elrohir. Look for yourself." Legolas said as he gestured to the mare's hind leg. He stepped aside as Elrohir stormed forward and knelt down next to the mare's leg. His head snapped up as he found that they were correct. "But. . .she was fine last night."  
  
"Elrohir, I will take her back to the stable and get a replacement. Meanwhile, Rain can use my horse, Arod." Legolas said as he whistled softly and a feisty bay stallion trotted playfully over to him. Rubbing his nose gently he turned to Rain. "I can have him saddled for you."  
  
She looked up at him, an angry expression flittering across her face, but her eyes were questioning his motives. "Why is your horse here anyways?" she growled.  
  
"I am joining your group." he answered confidently as he turned away leading the lame mare. "I will be back soon so we can leave." A wicked grin spread across his face at her angry shout behind him.  
  
"You are not going with me!" she yelled at his back, Arod throwing his head up, startled at her loud voice.  
  
Automatically she put a gentling hand on his neck, stroking softly. She heard soft laughter behind her and whirling she found Aragorn and a woman had joined their group. Startled, she realized that the woman was the one she had seen Legolas with in the gardens. Her eyes turned frosty and cold as she appraised the woman. She was very beautiful and she could understand why Legolas could fall for her. Her long black hair drifted lightly in the soft breeze and her gray eyes twinkled merrily in the early morning light. Squaring her shoulders against the sudden pain lancing through her heart, she strode quickly over to join Lord Elrond and Aragorn.  
  
"Rain dear, may I introduce you to my daughter Arwen." Elrond said as she came even with them. Rain tripped slightly over her feet, shocked by his words. 'This woman was Arwen Evenstar.' she thought dumbfounded, 'But wasn't Arwen married to Aragorn.' her thoughts echoed in her head. She looked closely at the woman in front of her and noticed that Aragorn had his hand draped possessively about her waist and she was leaning comfortably against his side.  
  
Realizing that her mouth was gaping widely, she shut it with a loud snap, grinding her teeth unconsciously. Turning rudely away from Arwen and Aragorn towards Lord Elrond, her eyes flashing dangerously.  
  
"When were you going to tell me that Legolas would be accompanying me?" she asked through gritted teeth.  
  
"I was going to suggest that he accompany you even if he hadn't asked. He has traveled the route you are going to be taking many times and is an excellent warrior. You will need his skills during your journey, plus he knows Mirkwood better than Elrohir." Elrond said gently as he smiled down at her.  
  
"Little sister," Aragorn said. "Legolas will ensure that you are able to complete your journey safely. He will not let anything happen to you." He stepped forward to place a gentle hand on her shoulder as he leaned over to whisper in her ear. "He loves you a great deal and will do anything for you."  
  
She gasped at his words, her eyes widening considerably before confusion began to seep into her heart.  
  
'Maybe she had been wrong about what had happened in the garden.' she thought as she caught Arwen's eyes over Aragorn's shoulder. She glided forward silently as Aragorn straightened and placed a soft hand on Rain's face.  
  
"Cousin, remember that not everything is always as it seems." she said before she leaned forward and gently kissed Rain on the forehead. "Good luck on your journey and may Valar protect you."  
  
Rain turned and blindly mounted Arod, ignoring the fact that he had no saddle or bridle. As her knees guided him to turn, she leaned forward and whispered quietly into his soft ear. Arod whinnied softly before dashing forward into an all out gallop, swerving lightly around a startled Legolas and his horse.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: The journey has started and its seems that the tables have been turned on Rain and she is going to have to work out what is going on between her and Legolas. Well, let me know what you think.  
  
Thanks for reading. ~ DBZ Vegeta 


	18. Journey Eastward Revisied

**REVISIED**  
  
Disclaimer: Nope, nodda, never, ever will I own it. Just doing this for fun and entertainment.  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 18 - Journey Eastward ~~*~*~~  
  
Rain concentrated on guiding Arod's headlong dash down the road, ignoring the cries of the guards as they jumped a low outpost. Her mind was racing as fast as Arod, pictures and emotions tumbling together. Aragorn's words, the look on Arwen's face, the hint of concern in Lord Elrond's eyes and the sad expression on Legolas's face.  
  
'Was I so wrong about what I saw?' her thoughts screamed as she leaned farther forward over Arod's neck urging him to go faster. She barely noticed the sounds of other hoofbeats behind her and was brought abruptly out of her reckless ride by a sharp whistle.  
  
Arod dug his feet into the ground, almost flinging her over his head, at his sudden stop. Only instinct kept her firmly on his back, her legs and hands tightening around him.  
  
Legolas rode forward on a large gray horse and stopped next to Arod. "Are you all right?" he asked, concern coloring his tones. His eyes, she saw, held what looked like pain and confusion.  
  
'Confusion, too right there.' she thought, as her own mind whirled with the same emotions. Steeling herself, she sat upright on Arod's back, stiffening her shoulders. She needed to think everything through before she could make her decision about what was happening. It was what any good NCO did.  
  
"I am fine." she ground out between clenched teeth. "Why are you following me?"  
  
"I want to help you on your quest." he said, a soft smile creeping over his lips. He had known that she was going to be mad about his presence but he wasn't going to let that stop him. He chuckled at his thoughts, ignoring the glare she sent at him. Nudging the horse with his heels, he turned and continued down the trail.  
  
"I don't need your help!" she yelled as she kicked Arod gently to follow Legolas's horse. Quickly catching up, she reached out and grasped his arm, digging her fingers in painfully.  
  
He reached over and pried her fingers off his arms as he looked down into her fierce green eyes. "Rain, you don't know the dangers of Middle Earth and though Elrohir is a good warrior, I can protect you better than he." His blue eyes suddenly became as cold as ice, shaking her straight to her soul. In that instance, she saw the cold hard warrior that he was not the soft compassionate man that she thought she knew.  
  
Shaken, she sat back on Arod and turned to stare blindly down the trail. Trying to ignore the tendrils of fear and cold that had suddenly shot up her spine.  
  
They rode in silence throughout the entire morning, before the sounds of hoofbeats behind them drifted into their quiet world. They both turned to find Elrohir racing toward them, with two packhorses in tow.  
  
"Finally, you two decide that you were going to race the entire way to Lothlórien." he asked breathing hard as he pulled the horse to a stop next to them. He turned to look at the pair, noticing that neither of them seemed to be interested in responding back. Sighing heavily, he turned and followed the quiet pair down the road.  
  
Silence prevailed for the rest of the day, none of the trio willing to speak to the other. The sounds of nature the only symphony to be heard. As darkness began to fall, Legolas turned Hasufel toward an open clearing just off the edge of the road, before dismounting. Without saying a word, he went to assist Elrohir to unpack the horses. Rain left to her own devices began to setup a rudimentary camp. By the time that the elves had finished with the horses, she had a fire going and dinner halfway complete. When Legolas turned to look back at her, he noticed that she had placed their bedding on opposite sides of the camp.  
  
Sighing he strode over to his gear and swiftly picked it up and deposited next to hers. Ignoring the frosty glare she sent in his direction, he unrolled his blanket and stretched out languidly, closing his eyes and listening to the night sounds.  
  
Rain watched as Legolas move his stuff next to hers, and cringed at the thought of having so close. Even through she was still angry with him, he still was a very attractive man and she prayed that she could handle this. Her thoughts returned to the other morning when she had woken with him in bed with her and a flush spread across her checks.  
  
Elrohir watched the silent interaction of his companions, grinning as he watched the flush spread over Rain's face. 'This was definitely going to be a very interesting trip.' he thought wickedly, with every intention of throwing the two of them together as much as possible. He had never seen two people more suited for each other than Rain and Legolas, and if everything worked out Rain would remain in Middle Earth as one of the firstborn.  
  
Elrohir shook his head and turned his attention back to Rain, who had been calling him several times. "Elrohir what's wrong?" she asked concerned.  
  
"Nothing, just thinking." he said with a slight chuckle. "What did you want?"  
  
"I was curious, how long with it take us to get to Lothlórien?" she queried as she removed the water kettle from the fire and pour some into her cup. Tea was all that the elves had and though she did on occasion like it, she suddenly craved a strong cup of coffee. Sighing she poured two more cups of the tea for the others as she turned her attention back to Elrohir.  
  
"We should be there in about two weeks. We shall cross the Misty Mountains at the High Pass and then travel to the Anduin River and follow the western shore to Lórien." he commented as he took the cup she proffered.  
  
"How far is that in distance?" she asked curious.  
  
"It would be about a hundred leagues, I would guess." he thought, as he turned to Legolas, "Wouldn't you say so?"  
  
"Yes, that is about right." he answered without opening his eyes.  
  
"Hundred leagues. . ." she murmured, doing some quick math in her head. "That's about three hundred miles, and its going to take use two weeks by horseback." she wondered. "My truck sure would be handy about now, wouldn't it." she pondered out loud.  
  
"Truck, what is a truck?" Elrohir asked puzzled.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. Sometimes I forget that you don't know about modern marvels." she chuckled at the confused expression on his face.  
  
"A truck is a machine that transports people from one place to another at great rates of speed. Even faster than horses. In my time, horses are for primarily for recreation and some work use. With a truck, I could travel three hundred miles or as you say a hundred leagues in less than one day. But of course, over this territory that we are covering, my truck would have a hard time, since it required a road to travel upon." she explained, laughing at the awed expression on his face.  
  
"Magic. . ." he breathed heavily, stunned by her revelation.  
  
"Nope, not magic. Just good old human ingenuity." she said, thinking that she had better not say anything about airplanes, knowing that would even shock him further. Yawning widely, she turned to look over at Legolas. Nanook had crawled up next to him and had his head propped up on his hip, snoring away peacefully. She watched with a small smile as Legolas's hand gently stroked her dog's head, taking care not to wake up the exhausted animal. She almost wished that it was her that he was touching.  
  
'Where did that come from?' she chastised herself mentally, shaking her head angrily. 'She was supposed to be angry with him, wasn't she?'  
  
Standing up, she walked over towards the pair and knelt down next to her bag, unzipping it. Reaching in she pulled the bedroll that she had made at Rivendell and laid it down on the ground several feet from the pair. Pulling her bag around, she used it for a pillow. Closing her eyes, she tried to ignore the soft sounds of his breathing next to her and relax. Sleep came uneasily that night, her dreams haunted by images of his sad eyes.  
  
Legolas lay on his bedroll, his eyes closed, feigning sleep. He listened intently as Rain settled down beside him, a comforting hand nestled in Nanook's warm fur. He had been surprised when she didn't moved her bed to the far side of the camp, as he had fully expected. Maybe his plan was working, he mused, a soft smile curving his lips.  
  
All day he had deliberately not spoken, allowing Rain the silence to organize her jumbled thoughts. Several times he'd seen the pensive, confused glances she'd directed at him. He knew instinctively that she would need time and space to sort out her emotions, and that pressuring her would only push her farther away from him.  
  
Hearing her breath slow, he risked opening his eyes and turned his head toward her. Her hair was still pulled back into that braid which he was coming to hate since seeing her silken tresses flowing freely over her shoulders. Several pieces had strayed from their bond to cascade gently across her face.  
  
Legolas dug his fingers into Nanook's fur to keep from reaching out, capturing a strand and caressing it. The dog grunted in his sleep, before wiggling himself closer to Legolas' thigh.  
  
His attention was once again drawn to Rain as she shifted restlessly in her sleep, a frown marring her pale brown. His own brow furrowed deeply as his mind returned to the moment before their departure. He had been slow in returning Nayowyn to the stable, curious to see Rain's reaction upon meeting Arwen.  
  
The whole time during the disastrous dinner the night before, Arwen had been seated on the other side of Elrond, opposite Rain. Both he and Aragorn, sitting next to Arwen, had noticed Rain's clear attempts to avoid eye contact with the other woman. And the only time their eyes HAD met, Rain's had been filled with anger and loathing.  
  
But at their formal introduction this morning, Rain's emerald eyes had been filled with surprise which was quickly replaced by recognition.  
  
Legolas had seen that look before. She had known him upon their first meeting, and had immediately known Aragorn, using both his human and elven name. How was that possible? he wondered, his blue eyes scanning the stars, as if for answers. How could she know so much about the people of a land she had never visited before?  
  
It was long into the night before his eyes drifted shut in sleep, his questions unanswered.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: Well the journey has started. Rain doubts herself and what she believes Legolas has done. Will she be able to overcome her fears and will Legolas be able to convince her of his love. And when is she going to tell him about her ability to become immortal also. . .hummm  
  
Oh, well that is for me to know and you to continue reading to find out.. . Let me know what you think so far and I will take any suggestions to heart.  
  
Thanks ~ DBZVegeta 


	19. Tension and Departures Revisied

**REVISIED**  
  
Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own it, I only own the characters I created.  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 19 - Tension and Departures ~~*~*~~  
  
The next morning came all too soon for Rain, who restless sleep had not allowed her the needed refreshment for the continuing day. To say it simply, she was overly cranky the next morning when awoken by Legolas. She snapped unnecessarily at everyone, including Nanook, who with one look at her expression, turned tail and hid behind Elrohir.  
  
Upon seeing her disgruntled expression, Legolas quickly turned and walked back towards the horses to prepare to leave. She snorted at his hasty retreat, grinning nastily. She had an extremely wicked side when she didn't get enough sleep, as many of her airmen had learned the hard way. No one wanted to mess with Rain when she was cranky.  
  
She stood up, stretching to ease the kinks out of her muscles before kneeling back down to pickup her blankets. With a sharp snap, she shook the dirt and leaves out of the bedding before rolling it up and stowing it away in her A-3 bag. Zipping the bag, she snagged the handles and threw it over her shoulder as she strode across the clearing to the horses.  
  
"Good morning, Rain." Elrohir said cheerfully, paling at the swift frosty glare she sent in his direction. Taking the hint from Legolas's tense shoulders, he turned and quickly found other things to do.  
  
"How far do you think we will get today?" she snapped at Legolas, dropping her bag next to his feet. He was harnessing one of the two packhorses. His hands stilled at her question, before he turned, his face schooled to show no expression.  
  
"We should reach the base of the Misty Mountains by this afternoon. We will wait until the following morning to attempt to cross the Mountains." he said casually, his tone even and steady, not betraying his inner turmoil.  
  
Her attitude this morning was being to grate on his already strained nerves and this was only the second day of their journey. The way things where going they would be at each other's throats by the time they got to Lórien. He had promised himself that he would do everything to get her back, but he needed at least a little cooperation on her part.  
  
"Good, make sure to keep me appraised of any changes." she ordered, her tone strict and commanding. Without looking back at him, she turned and strode over to Arod, snatching a brush on her way. It was a good thing that she hadn't looked back at Legolas or she would have been extremely frightened.  
  
Fury radiated from him in an almost visible wave, fire flashing in his eyes and his face carved into an arrogant sneer. 'Who does she think she's talking too like that.' flashed heatedly though his mind. He took a step in her direction when a hand came up to catch his arm. Turning, prepared to strike whoever had the audacity to stop him, his fury suddenly drained at the compassionate expression on Elrohir's face. Sighing heavily, he closed his eyes feeling the anger suddenly leave his body. Opening his eyes again, he grinned weakly back at Elrohir, his eyes indicating that he had control of himself again.  
  
Turning back to the packhorse, he secured Rain's bag to the harness, before leaning his head wearily against the horse's neck. Never had he lost such control of his emotions like that before. She seemed to bring out the deepest feeling from him, whether it was love or anger. Shaking his head, he stood up and picked up the lead rope leading the horse over to the other already packed horse.  
  
Jumping gracefully to Hasufel's back, Legolas turned to watch the others mounting before, with a twitch of his wrist, he led the packhorses and the group out of camp and to the base of the Misty Mountains.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
The next week was filled with heated glances and heavy tension. Elrohir, finally tired of the stupidity of his two friends had decided to do something about it. As the moon began to rise over the land, Elrohir did the only thing that he thought would get these two to work things out between them. He left. Rising quietly in the night, he packed his gear, took one of the packhorses and set off for Lórien. Riding alone he could be there in three days, he needed to send time with his grandmother to enlist her help, if this plan didn't work.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
When Rain awoke the next morning she found Legolas brooding heavily, staring into the dead fire at the center of camp. Looking around, she frowned when she noticed that two of the horses where missing. Turning back, she looked about camp to notice that Elrohir and his belonging we also gone.  
  
"I see that Elrohir has decided to jump ship and took off." she stated as she walked over and sat down near Legolas.  
  
Legolas didn't answer back, just grunted as he stood up and stalked out of the small camp. Sighing, Rain ignored his rudeness. She had noticed something else that concerned her greatly before he had stalked away. He was not looking well, even as confused as she still was with him; she could not help to notice that he had been barely eating over the last week.  
  
His appearance was beginning to concern her. Dark shadows haunted his eyes and his skin seemed paler than normal. She wondered that if it had to do anything with the pain she could see every time their eyes met. Shaking her head, her heart tightening at the thought that something was wrong with him, she stood up and efficiently broke down the camp and packed the horses. She knew that he wouldn't be gone long.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
Legolas walked slowly towards the Auduin River, stepping quietly through the trees, his thoughts racing. He wasn't sure if he could take more of this, the quiet, the tension that seemed so thick in the air between them that you could cut it with a knife. The sarcastic remarks or just the plain silence that she would put between them. He wasn't sure what he could do to reach out to her anymore, and his heart was breaking.  
  
Reaching the river, he sat down on a large boulder close the edge. The morning sunlight glistened off the blue-green water, reminding him of her eyes when they danced with laughter. The soft cries of morning larks drifted lightly through the air and a gentle breeze tugged at his hair.  
  
The beauty of the scene escaped him though, normally he would revel in his love of nature, but today his thoughts were turned inward, dark and brooding.  
  
If he had been aware of his surrounding he would have noticed the small band of Uruk-hai that had tracked him from the camp. As it was they caught him nearly unaware, except for the sharp sounds of gunfire and yells behind him. He turned just in time to duck under a sword that was being swung at his head. Rolling away from the Orc, Legolas pulled his twin long knives from their sheath and with a sweeping gesture from his right arm, sliced the Orc from the shoulder down.  
  
Bouncing back away from the falling body, he surveyed the others. Two orcs where to his left and one on his right. Deciding that one on one was quicker, he darted to the right, slipping under the upraised arm, slicing his blade across the orcs stomach as he passed. Jumping back away from the falling body, he pulled his bow from his back and with lightning speed, dispatched the other two orcs.  
  
Speeding back through the trees, he burst into the camp, calling out for Rain. Seeing that the packhorse was down with several heave black feathered arrows in its neck, he turned searching frantically for her. Hearing cries and yells from the other side of the downed horse, he sprinted, leaping over the animal and into the trees. He found Arod and Hasufel rearing behind Rain, who had three orcs advancing at her, Nanook crouched at her side growling fiercely. Rain had a large black arrow protruding from her right shoulder and in her left hand was a large black orc sword.  
  
Yelling as he burst through the tree, he drew his bow and fired two arrows simultaneously as Rain slashed through the third orc. As the last orc fell to the onslaught, Legolas dashed quickly to Rain's side catching her as her knees buckled and she dropped the heavy sword to the ground. Her left hand came up to cup the wounded area as she turned tired eyes up to Legolas's face.  
  
"Are you all right?" she asked as she moved her hand from her shoulder to his cheek.  
  
He's safe. He's alive, she repeated over and over to herself, unaware of her hand gently stroking the skin of his flushed cheek. Rain was no stranger to battle, nor to surprise attacks, but this time had been different. Normally, her first reaction was to quickly assess the situation, size up the enemy, and attack.  
  
But as the large Orcs had burst into the camp, blades drawn, her first thought had been of Legolas. Where was he? Were these the only Uruk-hai, or were there others attacking him? Driven by blind rage and fear, Rain had begun squeezing the trigger, angered even more when an arrow pierced her shoulder.  
  
The wash of relief as Legolas had charged into the camp had weakened her knees, so that she had sunk to the ground, as if boneless. Now, looking into his eyes, so full of compassion and a dying hint of fear, Rain knew he would never had deceived her.  
  
Yes, I'm fine, but you've be hurt." he said, a tremor to his voice as he took in her pale and sweating face.  
  
"I'm all right, it really doesn't hurt that bad." she quipped as she tried to smile, but instead a grimace passed over her face. Pushing herself upright, she stood on wobbly legs as she looked around the edge of the clearing. "Did we get them all?"  
  
"I think so, come on, let me tend to your injury." he said, drawing her along with him back into the camp. He led her to the rolled up bedrolls and helped her to sit down as he grabbed his pack.  
  
"Legolas, I have a first aid kit in my bag. It has bandages and antiseptic that can be of great use." she whispered, panting lightly against the pain beginning to swell through her arm. He turned and darted over to the downed horse, rolling it slightly to get her bag. Just as he turned back towards her, he saw that she had her gun out and pointed at his head.  
  
"Legolas, look out!" she cried as she fired her weapon.  
  
Rain's words faded as a sharp pain pierced his skull. Instinctively he cupped it with his hand, but drew it away when he felt moisture. He stared uncomprehendingly at the glistening blood dripping from fingers, before his vision began to blur and his world slowly faded into darkness.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: Well, its that a surprise. Rain is hurt and Legolas is down, but by who? Did Rain miss somehow and hit him or was it something else? Let me know what do you think.  
  
Happy reading. ~DBZ Vegeta 


	20. Uhm Opps Revisied

**REVISIED**  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own it, just hope that some day I can be successful like Tolkien.   
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 20 - Uhm. . .Opps ~~*~*~~  
  
Rain sat watching as Legolas ran back across the clearing to drag her bag out from under the dead horse. Since she was now sitting down the pain had dulled to an aching throb, but she knew the worse was yet to come, since they would have to remove the arrow from her shoulder. She was pretty sure that it wouldn't be coming out the way it went in either. She closed her eyes as a shudder ran down her spine at the thought. Hearing movement, she looked up to see that he had been successful at getting her bag from beneath the horse.  
  
Suddenly a large black shape materialized behind Legolas, startled she fumbled with her left hand to draw her weapon, glad that she had reloaded after the action.  
  
"Legolas, look out!" Rain screamed as she saw a large black shape begin to swing at his head. Steadying her shaking arm, she took aim and fired. Seeing him fall along with the creature behind him, she gasped worried that she may have hit him. She wasn't as accurate with her left hand as she was with her right, since she was right-handed.  
  
Seeing that he wasn't moving, panic began to spread through her. Shaking her head against the emotions surging though her, she holstered her gun and with her left hand pushed herself up from the ground. Clutching her injured shoulder, she staggered across the clearing and knelt heavily next to his body. He had fallen forward and she could see that his beautiful blonde hair was slowing becoming covered with blood.  
  
Reaching out her good hand, she brushed his hair away from his neck to feel for a pulse. She sighed gratefully at the strong beat beneath her fingertips. Grunting she pushed and shoved until she was able to roll him over. Looking down, she traced a shallow parallel groove along his temple and back into his hair, wincing she looked over her shoulder at the black shape lying face up on the ground behind them. A huge Uruk-hai soldier lay with a small neat hole in the center of his forehead.  
  
Rain's jaw clenched as anger raged through her, the look she tossed at the fallen Orc as cold as ice. Dismissing him, she turned back to Legolas, knowing he'd have one hell of a headache and she was going to have a lot to explain, when he did wake up. Looking down at her right shoulder, she knew she needed to do something about the arrow soon and she couldn't wait till he woke up, which by her estimate would be several hours. Pushing herself back off the ground she staggered to her bag and with much effort, managed to pull out her first aid kit.  
  
'First, I'll get Legolas patched up and then I will get this arrow out.' she thought ambitiously. Kneeling back down by Legolas, she flipped open the case one-handedly and took the bottle of hydrogen peroxide. Suddenly, she was thankful that he was unconscious, knowing how much this was would have hurt if he had been awake. She poured a generous amount over the wound, before pulling out the antiseptic salve. Dabbing some onto the wound, she taped a large gauze bandage over the area, before sitting back to survey her handiwork. Satisfied that it would hold for now, she looked back down at her shoulder, wondering how she was going to deal with the arrow. Reaching up she gently probed the area, wincing at the pain that radiated from the area. She determined that the arrow was not lodged in her shoulder, but had passed through and was sticking out from both sides.  
  
'At least this means it will be easier to get out.' she thought sarcastically. Knowing that her knife was not sturdy enough to saw through the arrow, she looked down and saw the long knifes at Legolas's waist. 'If I use one of his blades and a stable surface, I could chop through the end and push it out the other side.' she contemplated. Wincing at the thought of the upcoming pain, she resolutely pulled one of the blades from its sheath. Looking around, she spied the truck of the dead tree lying nearly. Picking up the first aid kit, she staggered over to the tree and knelt down next to it.  
  
Nanook, who had been watching the entire process from next to Legolas's head, had followed her across the clearing. He whined as he pushed his muzzle against her right hand. She hissed as pain shot through her shoulder and chest.  
  
"Stop, Bup-pup." she cried, dropping the blade and the kit on the ground before pushing his head away from her injured arm. Running her fingers through the short hair on his head, she gazed down into his eyes. "Guard." she commanded, satisfied as she saw his ears perk forward and his stance changed into a protective mode. He would ensure that nothing happened to either of them, while she was out. For she was absolutely positive that after she cut and removed the arrow from her shoulder, she wasn't going to be awake for a while.  
  
'I will be lucky if I can keep from passing out until after I have pushed the arrow out.' she thought, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Opening her eyes, she picked up Legolas's blade with her left hand and leaned forward over the log, bracing her shoulder so that the shaft of the arrow lay flush with the wood. Digging her feet in solidly, she turned her head toward her injured shoulder and raised her left hand high.  
  
'Can't miss, got to make it on the first shot.' she thought as she brought her hand down sharply, the blade of the long knife passing cleanly through the heavy wood of the shaft. Pain radiated through her entire body and her vision dimmed as she struggled against the agony racing through her body. Panting heavily, she leaned weakly against the log, ignoring the concerned whines from Nanook beside her. Slowly the pain began to diminish enough that she could see clearly.  
  
Sitting up, she knew that the hardest part was yet to come, removing the arrow from her shoulder. It would difficult and awkward to reach, but she had a good idea on how to get it out. Pulling off her belt, she awkwardly looped it around the end of the arrow, the head would prevent the belt from slipping off. Reaching behind her back, she grasped the trailing end of the belt, pulling on it lightly until she felt it pull tight.  
  
Steeling herself, knowing that the worst was about to happen, she gritted her teeth and pulled with all her strength, straightening her arm and pulling the arrow from her shoulder with a loud scream that echoed throughout the clearing. Gasping, she looked down at the end of her belt that was the bloody remains of the orc arrow that had been lodged in her shoulder. She could no longer stop the blackness that enclosed upon her world as she fell forward, the bloody arrow clutched in her hand.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: Please don't blame Rain for accidentally hitting Legolas. You have to imagine, she's right-handed and had a very large arrow stuck in that shoulder, of course your aim can't always be perfect. Well at least she didn't kill him and she did get that last orc.  
  
Well, Bup-pup is the only one that is still conscious and standing guard over our two fallen friends. Who's going to wake up first. . . the next chapter will tell.  
  
Happy Reading ~ DBZ Vegeta 


	21. Confessions of Love Revisied

**REVISIED**  
  
Disclaimer: Well, I don't own Lord of the Rings, that's for sure. Just own my portion of the story and my characters.  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 21 - Confessions of Love ~~*~*~~  
  
The sun had passed its halfway mark and was quickly making its way to the far horizon when Legolas finally regained consciousness. Struggling to sit up, he moaned heavily as he brought his hand to his pounding head. Feeling the bandage on his left temple, he winced as he closed his eyes against the pain. Hearing a sharp whine, Legolas opened his eyes to see Nanook sitting stiffly next to a fallen body.  
  
Panic spread through him as he recognized the body to be Rain and forgetting the pain that was lancing through his head, he quickly bolted across the clearing and knelt down next to her. He saw that she had somehow removed the arrow from her shoulder, since it was clutched in her outstretched hand. Taking the arrow from her hand, he found that she had chopped off the tail to remove it. Marveling at her inner strength to accomplish such a feat, he dropped the offending object before reaching out to roll her over gently.  
  
The front of her shirt was stained liberally with her blood, which had pooled beneath her as she had lain on the ground. He carefully unbuttoned the front of her BDU shirt and gently pushed it off her injured shoulder. Seeing that her tee shirt was soaked with blood, he grimly set to the task of cutting if off. He winced at the sight of the ugly wound marring her soft skin, but he knew that he needed to clean and bandage it quickly. Hopefully he was in time to stop any infection from spreading.  
  
Laying her back down carefully, he sprinted over to his pack and grabbed it before returning to her side. He saw her medical kit lying next to her feet and reach over to snag it. Worried by her pale cool skin, he quickly cleaned the wound and bandaged it with the material he found in her kit. Impersonally, he stripped the rest of her blood soaked clothing off and slid one of his shirts carefully over her head. Wrapping her in the soft cloth of his shirt, he also added his blanket.  
  
She had yet to regain consciousness and had begun to shake, as if extremely cold. He knew that blood loss and shock could cause such symptoms. He needed to get fluid into her and to warm her body. Picking her up, he stood and walked hurriedly across the clearing. He knelt next to the dead fire and laid her gently down. Adjusting the blanket that had slipped of her shoulder, he stood and quickly gathered wood for a fire.  
  
After he had built the fire, he made a thick broth from the dried meat in their packs. Sitting it next to the fire to keep warm, he turned to see that she had thrown off her blanket. Scooting closer to her, he could see that a sheen of sweat had broken out across her forehead. Reaching out, he was startled by the heat radiating from her body.  
  
"Oh, Rain." he murmured dismayed. He knew that he had not been in time and her body was beginning to fight against the infection building in her flesh. All he could do now was try to keep her warm and pray that she made it through the night. He decided that once light had risen, he would take her to Lady Galdadriel with all haste.  
  
Leaning his head back, he closed his eyes praying that she could survive the trip. He couldn't lose her now.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
Rain was barely aware of the passage of time. She felt a rhythmic movement beneath her and was aware of a warmth that was holding her tightly. Of murmured words and pleas, she heard a voice continuously calling to her, asking her to come back. She heard a whimpering whine next to her head as a warmth was pressed to both sides of her body.  
  
The light kept calling her, pleading for her to walk within the beauty. But she could not reach it, it was too far away. She struggled within the darkness of her captivity, hearing over and over again that voice, so filled with sorrow that she wanted to reach out and ease the soul wrenching pain in its depths. She cried out, her hand outstretched to grasp a hold of the voice, before darkness faded back in around her world.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A soft gentle hand stroking her brow was what finally awakened Rain. The light caress felt so cool and lovely, soothing away the darkness and bringing light. Rain struggled to open her eyes, moaning when she couldn't.  
  
"Shh, my dear. Its alright." came a wonderfully sweet voice. Rain frowned since the voice wasn't the one that had been calling to her.  
  
"Elrohir, would you please go get Legolas. She appears to be waking up." came the sweet voice again.  
  
"Yes grandmother." Elrohir replied as he bolted quickly out the door.  
  
Rain frowned again. 'Why can't I seem to wake up completely?' her tired mind asked as she continued to struggle against the darkness. Hearing a commotion, she turned her head instinctively in that direction her hand coming up from the covers. She heard a sharp gasp, before her hand was enclosed within another, which squeezed hers gently.  
  
"Rain, please wake up." came the voice that had been calling her. She knew that she had to wake up for him, she had to calm him. The pain she heard in his voice, went straight to her heart causing her to gasp raggedly.  
  
"No, Rain. Everything is all right, my love. Please just open your eyes." came his voice again. She struggled hard and finally managed to open her eyes to stare up at the face lingering close to hers. Blue eyes, filled with tears, stared tiredly down into hers. She reached up her free hand to gently wipe away the trail that had crept down him cheek, reveling in the feel of his warm skin beneath her fingers. His eyes closed as he leaned into her touch, a soft smile gracing his lips.  
  
"Legolas." she croaked hoarsely, her voice rusty from disuse.  
  
"Shh, my love. You're going to be fine now. We are in Lothlórien where you can rest and get better." he said as he opened his eyes to stare back down at her. He felt her hand come up to touch the small bandage at his temple.  
  
"I. . . I'm sorry that I hurt you." she whispered. He reached up and took her hand, pulling it to his lips. Kissing her knuckles, he grinned lightly back down at her.  
  
"I'm all right, because of you I am still alive." he said. He wanted nothing more right at that minute but to pull her into his arms and never let her go but a soft chuckle from behind him stopped him from doing so. Turning he found that Lady Galdadriel and Elrohir had moved closer to the bed.  
  
"Legolas, we are going to leave you with Lady Rain's care now. Elrohir will come back later and bring you both dinner. Please see that she eats everything that I send." Galdadriel said gently as she laid her hand on his shoulder. He nodded, unable to express his gratitude for her assistance. He watched as the two left, leaving him alone with his beloved.  
  
He turned to find that her eyes had closed again. Sighing, he gently laid her hand down and moved away to pull a chair up next to the bed. Hearing a soft whimper, he turned to find her staring up again at him, pain filled in her eyes. Kneeling next to the bed, he took her hand in his again.  
  
"I thought you left me." she said, her eyes full of pain and misery.  
  
"I would never leave you." he said, his free hand coming up to gently stroke her face. "You are my light, Rain. Without you my life would be nothing but darkness. Please don't go away like this again."  
  
"Stay with me, please." she pleaded, her eyes drifting shut, exhaustion taking its toll on her body. He moved to stand, but her grip on his hand tightened. "Stay. . ." her voice trailed off.  
  
Looking down, he carefully lifted the blankets and slid in next to her. He gently wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest, cradling her head on his shoulder. Resting his head on hers he closed his eyes, glad that she had awakened and was on her way to recovery.  
  
"Ah, Rain, I love you." he murmured against her hair as he fell into the first restful sleep he had, since she had been wounded almost a week ago.  
  
~*~  
  
"I will never forgive myself," Elrohir murmured, his gaze straying back to his injured friends before Lady Galadriel closed the door softly.  
  
"Do not judge yourself so harshly," she said, frowning gently.  
  
"If I had stayed, done what I was supposed to, this would never have happened!"  
  
"That may be so, but then they would have arrived here, still angry, arguing. The flesh wounds will heal quickly, but the scars on their hearts they would have given each other, would never have. Be thankful they are alive, and glad they have found each other again."  
  
"I'll never leave them again!" Lady Galadriel smiled at his vehemence as he turned and left. She had no doubt he would be true to his word.  
  
"That, they may not appreciate," she chuckled as she walked away.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: Rain's going to be alright and Legolas has decided finally to declare his love, but was Rain even awake to hear him? Well, time will tell. . . Let me know what do you think?  
  
Happy Reading ~ DBZ Vegeta 


	22. Rain's A Lousy Patient Revisied

**REVISIED**  
  
Disclaimer: Another chapter and yet I still don't own it.  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 22 - Rain's A Lousy Patient ~~*~*~~  
  
"Dammit, Legolas. I want out of this bed and I want out now!" Rain shouted as she banged her fists on the covers of the bed, ignoring the light pain in her right shoulder. She had been stuck in this room for three days straight since she had awakened and was getting very grumpy about it.  
  
"No you cannot leave until you are healed." he said brusquely. She had been demanding to get out of bed since early this morning and it was beginning to wear on his nerves. "Now stay here, I am going to go get our lunch."  
  
He turned to leave, ignoring the pouting Rain sitting in the middle of the bed, but before he got to the door he turned back. "If you behave yourself today, there is a summer festival tonight that I will take you to." he quipped lightly, smiling as a slight grin spread over her once grumpy expression.  
  
"I promise, I'll try to behave." she grumbled as a lightness crept back into her soul. She watched as he turned and left the room. Sighing heavily, she was grateful that he had suggested the festival, she was beginning to go stir crazy, doing nothing but sitting in bed all day. She was used to being active all the time and was never a good patient when sick.  
  
Nanook whined as he leaned against the bed, his head resting near her elbow. She reached over and ran her fingers through the short hair on his head, caressing his ears. His eyes rolled back and he whuffed happily. Laughingly, "You don't care as long as someone pets you, huh Bup-pup." she chided gently to the large dog. He opened his bright blue eyes, his tongue lolling happily out the side of his mouth as he yipped playfully.  
  
"I know, you want to play, but my jailer would be very upset if I played with you right now." she said chagrined.  
  
"Your what?" came a response from the doorway. She looked up to see Legolas and Elrohir striding through the door, Legolas carrying a package and Elrohir a large platter with covered lids.  
  
"Uhm, nothing." she covered quickly, "What do you have there?" She watched as Elrohir placed the tray on the table next to the window, smiling at her secretively as he left through the door. She cocked an eyebrow at him as she turned back to see Legolas lay the package on the end of the bed. Eagerly she reached out to grab it, but her hand was pushed away unceremoniously as she was pulled from the bed and up against Legolas.  
  
"Hey." she yelled as he swept her across the room and pushed her down into the chair at the table.  
  
"Eat your lunch or you won't get what I brought you." he said as he slid into the chair across from her. She glared at him with mock anger, as he lifted the cover of the tray and placed her plate in front of her.  
  
"You could have asked my to come to the table without manhandling me." she growled at him fire dancing in her deep green eyes, before she turned her attention to her meal.  
  
He looked up at her over the rim of his glass and surpressed a grin. She was back to her old self again and he was sincerely glad to see it. He didn't think she really understood how close she had come to dying. He shuddered inwardly at his remembered panic on the trip to Lothlórien. His thoughts drifted back to those four days of hell. It had taken every ounce of his strength and that of the horses to get her to Lothlórien as quickly as possible. As it was, he had to continue the last part of the journey on foot, as even the great horses of Rohan could no longer maintain their speed. He had arrived, road weary and sporting a fever himself, with Rain cradled to his chest in the middle of the night. Lady Galdadriel and Lord Celeborn had gladly welcomed them and had sent healers immediately to care for them both. Elrohir was remorseful that he had left them, only for them to be attacked. He had left later that night, after he had been assured that they both would survive, to retrieve Arod and Hasufel.  
  
His musings were interrupted by a cold nose pressed against his hand, which was resting on his thigh. Startled, he looked down to find Nanook staring pleadingly up at him, his tail wagging furiously behind him.  
  
"Don't let him beg for food, Legolas." Rain said around a mouthful of food. Swallowing, she continued, "He knows that it is not polite."  
  
He grinned as she turned her attention back to her plate, and when she wasn't looking, he slipped a small piece of meat to Nanook. Grinning, as he looked up unrepentantly, seeing that she had not noticed the small slip. Reaching back up to his plate again, he slipped another piece of meat down to Nanook.  
  
"Legolas!" he jerked suddenly at her loud voice. Looking sheepishly up at her frowning face, he grinned unexpectedly, wiping his hands off on his napkin.  
  
"Sorry." he said, though he wasn't sorry at all.  
  
"Oh, Legolas. What ever am I going to do with you? If you continue to spoil him rotten, he won't listen when it is needed." She ran an exasperated hand through her disheveled hair. Pulling a long lock of it forward, she frowned at it condition. ~ What I really need is a long hot bath. ~ she thought longingly.  
  
As if reading her mind, Legolas stood up and walked over to the bed. Opening the package, he pulled out two small bottles and a large fluffy towel. "I knew that you would want to get cleaned up before the festival tonight, so I asked Elrohir to find this for you." he said as he held out the bottles to her. Frowning slightly she took the proffered items from his hand and discovered that they where an elfish form of shampoo and conditioner.  
  
She looked up happily as he took her hand in his and helped her to stand. With an arm about her waist he eased her into the bathroom, where an already filled steaming tub was waiting for her.  
  
"Thank you Legolas." she smiled as she caught sight of the delicious treat.  
  
"Will you be all right if I leave you alone?" he asked, his tone holding a note of concern. She turned to look up into his eyes.  
  
"I am a big girl Legolas and can wash myself just fine on my own." she said, trying to ignore the naughty pictures that paraded through her mind. Particularly of the ones with her and Legolas in the bath together, her cheeks heating rapidly at the thought. Legolas frowned as he saw a sudden flush in color through her face.  
  
"Are you feeling all right? Do you need to sit down?" he asked quickly, reaching up to feel her forehead, worried that she had a fever again.  
  
"What I NEED is a cold shower," she muttered drily.  
  
"You need something?"  
  
"No, I'm fine. Please just leave me to take my bath. I will let you know when I am done." she covered quickly, leaning forward out of his grasp. His hand on her waist was burning though the thin cloth of her nightgown and she was very confused about the emotions ragging suddenly through her.  
  
"Please call me if you have any problems." he said as he turned and left the room, closing the door softly behind him. Rain stared at the closed door, tempted to call out to him. Shaking her head against that thought, she turned carefully and sat on the edge of the tub. Reaching down with her left hand she tugged the hem of her gown over her head, careful of her still stiff and slightly painful right shoulder. Looking down, she grimaced, realizing that she would have to have her bandages changed after the bath, since there was no way she was going to able to keep them dry.  
  
She slid into the hot water, sighing gratefully as the warmth encompassed her sore body. Carefully and as quickly as she could, she leaned forward and washed her hair. This process literally drained her of most of her energy. She leaned back after completing the task, panting lightly. She could not remember the time when she felt so helpless, that she couldn't even take care of her own basic needs.  
  
Closing her eyes as she rested her head against the rim of the tub, she turned her thoughts inward as she pondered her current situation. She remembered the battle against the Uruk-hai, Legolas had stomped out of camp early that morning and she had stayed behind to gather the packs together, knowing that he needed time alone. Elrohir's disappearance had come as a shock to him and she understood his anger.  
  
As she had been packing the bags, Nanook began to growl and she had turned to find three large gruesome beasts charging towards her. She had managed to kill the three with her pistol, but hadn't seen the fourth, fifth and six charging from the other side until one of them hit her with the arrow. She had rolled away from their charge as Nanook attacked. She had pulled the horses loose, yelling loudly as slapped them on the rumps and charged into the trees with them.  
  
She remembered picking up one of the downed creatures swords and turning to find the three advancing on her, when Legolas had burst into the clearing shooting two with his bow as she sliced through the third. She recalled the panic that had been in his eyes when he had found that she was wounded, and how gentle he had been with her when they returned to camp. She then painfully recalled the incident with the Uruk-hai sneaking up on Legolas and her accidental shooting of him. She still hadn't told him exactly what had happened yet, and she sincerely hoped that he wasn't going to be too angry with her when she did.  
  
She definitely remembered removing that god-awful arrow for her shoulder, that was something she didn't want to go through again if she could help it. But after that everything had been hazy, up until three days ago when she had woken up in Lothlórien. She remembered Elrohir and Lady Galdadriel being in the room and then Legolas suddenly appearing and her overwhelming relief to see that he was all right.  
  
But something else was nagging in the back of her mind, something important that she tried to remember. A whispered voice, tugging at her memory, begging to be released. He had said something too her as she was falling back asleep, something she knew had made her heart soar with happiness, but it stayed just outside of her reach. Her musings were interrupted by a loud banging on the door.  
  
"Rain, are you done in there yet. You have been in there over an hour." Legolas's voice called out, amusement ringing through his tone.  
  
"Yes, I'll be right out." she sighed exasperated, she had almost remembered what it had been before he had interrupted her.  
  
"Good, because Lady Galadriel expects us in half an hour. She wants to talk to you." he called through the door.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: Thanks for the patience. This week had been the week from hell and I haven't even had time to think about writing, let alone finish this chapter. I will try to put out at least a chapter a week until this story is done, but please be patient. I won't leave you hanging for long, promise.  
  
So, other than that, what do you think? Lady Galadriel has finally decided that she needs to talk to Rain, but what about, hummm? Well, we will find out next chapter, won't we.  
  
Remember Reviews + You = My Inspiration and Your Chapter Updates.  
  
Thanks for reading and reviewing ~ DBZ Vegeta 


	23. I Believe You Revisied

**REVISIED**  
  
Disclaimer: Well another day and another fifty cents, oh wait. . . I'm doing this for fun right?!? Oh well, remember I don't own Tolkien's characters, only my own.  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 23 - I Believe You ~~*~*~~  
  
Legolas insisted on carrying her to Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn's chambers. She had protested vehemently that it was her shoulder that was injured not her legs, but to no avail. She sulked the entire way that he carried her, angry that he insisted on babying her when he knew very damn well that she could have made it on her own.  
  
She watched as he stopped near an elaborately carved doorway, before he gently set her on her feet. She glared angrily up at him as he reached out and knocked softly on the door. A soft voice bade them to enter. Rain, with a stern look at Legolas, pushed open the door and strode in ahead of him, aware that he was tagging along right on her heels.  
  
Lady Galadriel was seated on a small loveseat next to an open window, overlooking the forest. She had an ethereal glow about her, as if light itself came from her. She smiled benevolently at her, gesturing with a graceful sweep of her arm for them to be seated across from her.  
  
"My dear, I am glad that you are doing better." she said, her voice like bells ringing gently across the room. Rain shivered slightly as the sound traveled up her spine, for some reason, it set her on edge. There was a power to it, concealed within the beautiful sound. She saw Galadriel's eyebrow quirk at her reaction.  
  
Rain felt a slight pressure in her mind as a voice whispered softly inside her head. *You have yet to tell him the real reason for your quest. * Rain looked startled for a moment and then with a sly grin, sent back *I know, but I want him to make the choice without knowing.*  
  
She watched as Galadriel sat up suddenly, startled by the mind touch from Rain. A hearty chuckle erupted from Rain as she said, "Good evening Lady Galadriel." who smiled softly in return. A thrill ran through Rain's body when she discovered Galadriel also shared her unique talent. Since early childhood, Rain had often stumbled across the random thoughts of others. She had tried to project her own responses back to them, but they had never responded, and in time, she had given up.  
  
That's not to say she hadn't learned control. Over the years she'd taught herself to block out the white noise of most, and focus all her attention on just one individual. This was quite useful in hand-to-hand combat training, and the men in squadron regarded her with wary respect.  
  
But, despite it's helpfulness in combat, and the occasional thwarted prank, she'd always felt alone, so different from everyone else.  
  
* You're not alone anymore, * Galadriel's voice echoed in her mind. Rain's grin widened.  
  
Legolas looked slightly puzzled at two grinning women, wondering what had set them off. They both ignored him as their conversation started.  
  
"I am sure that you are curious as to why Elrond sent you to me." Galadriel said as she shifted slightly on her seat. "Your circumstances are unique and your arrival had been preordained. The stars whispered to me of one who would come and change the future of our world. You are that person Rain. Your decision will determine the fate of us all." Galadriel stood up and paced quietly over to the open window.  
  
"Elrond told you about F?adúril, didn't he?" she asked softly. Legolas looked bewilderedly over at Rain who replied to her question.  
  
"Yes, he told me that it was the key to my decision." she said vaguely, still not wanting to tell Legolas about her choice to become an elf, at least not yet.  
  
"Have you made your decision then?" Galadriel asked as she turned back and fixed a stern eye on Rain. Rain winced, feeling the pressure of her mind again in hers. *I see that you have doubts still about his intentions. Never fear my dear, he loves you a great deal.* came the thoughts unbidden to her mind.  
  
*If you can read that then you know my answer, and I would appreciate it if you didn't poke around in my head.* Rain echoed back, glaring frostily at the woman. Galadriel suddenly laughed and withdrew her touch from Rain's mind, who stood up quickly, ignoring the dizziness that overcame her and turned to leave the room.  
  
"Rain." Legolas called out as he bounced quickly off the couch and caught her by her arm, forcing her to turn back around. "You didn't answer Lady Galadriel's question." he growled in a low undertone.  
  
"That is all right Prince Legolas, I have my answer all ready." Galadriel said from across the room, "Why don't you both enjoy the festival tonight. I will bring you the necessary maps and documents tomorrow afternoon, so that you may continue your journey, my dear."  
  
"Thank you, my lady." Rain said, as she pulled her arm out of Legolas's grasp and bowed to Lady Galadriel. Shooting a displeased glance up at Legolas, she turned on her heel and stalked angrily from the room.  
  
"Legolas." Lady Galadriel called out as he turned to follow Rain. He turned and saw that she had moved closer to him. Reaching out she gently placed her hand on his shoulder, squeezing it softly. "You must understand that she is under a great deal of stress over this journey. She holds the fate of many lives in her hands, and she needs your support, even if she won't admit it."  
  
"What is the nature of this journey, and what is F?adúril?" he asked quietly.  
  
"Rain hasn't told you yet about the purpose of the journey. I can only tell you this, she journeys from here to the Lonely Mountain, where deep inside she will find the key to unlock F?adúril, the twin sword of Andúril." she said softly.  
  
"Andúril, that's Aragorn's sword. I didn't realize that it had a twin, why would she need a Spirit sword." he asked confused, his brow knitting over his eyes.  
  
"That is for you to ask Rain about. Only she can tell you what the end result of this journey is to be. But, I wouldn't wait to tell her how you feel about her, it may only add confusion to her decision." she answered, looking into his flustered eyes. "Now why don't you find Rain, enjoy tonight's festival and relax from your travels."  
  
He bowed to her, mulling over her words as he turned and strode from the room. Walking down the short corridor, he found Rain leaning against the balcony railing, her arms twined about one of the balusters, gazing out into the night. The sounds and lights of the festival below drifted lightly on the soft breeze, laughter and music beckoning merrily for them to join the festivities.  
  
Walking quietly forward he stopped behind her, reaching out he slid his arms around her waist and pulled her back against his warm body. She tensed at first, before relaxing against his familiar length. He laid his head on hers, enjoying the silky hair that teased his cheek. They stood like this for a long time, before he shifted, turning her around in his arms and staring down into her beautiful green eyes.  
  
"Are you all right?" he asked softly, not wanting to break the peace of the moment.  
  
Sighing heavily, she closed her eyes as she leaned forward in his embrace. She just wanted this moment to continue, so she didn't have to think about the future. "I'm fine." she whispered softly against his chest. She stayed there as he gently ran his hands up and down her back, comforting her.  
  
"Rain. . .why are you doing this?" he asked, without stopping his stroking. He became aware of the sudden tension that radiated from her body and he leaned back to look down into her face. She shifted her gaze away from his probing eyes. He reached up and took her chin gently and turned her face back to his.  
  
"I only want to help you Rain." he said, as he looked longingly down at her soft mouth. Leaning forward slightly he brushed his lips across hers, light as a feather. Feeling no resistance to his onslaught, he deepened the kiss, pulling her body closer against his. He groaned low in his throat, it had been so long since he had felt her soft lips beneath his, since before their argument in Rivendell.  
  
Her hands came up automatically and buried themselves in his long silky blonde hair, enjoying the texture of the strands against her skin. He shifted and his fingers came up to caress the skin along her jaw, tilting her head to give him better access to her mouth and allow him to deepen the kiss even further. She wound her arms tighter around his neck and opened her mouth to the gentle pressure of his tongue flicking lightly against her lips.  
  
A curling warmth started somewhere deep within in and spread outward, racing through her body causing her skin to tingle. He flicked his tongue against the ridges along the roof of her mouth, caressing her teeth and delving deeper, tasting her.  
  
'Was this wrong?' she wondered, as all rational thought flew from her mind. Nothing mattered but what felt so right at that moment. A low moan escaped her throat as his fingers trailed restlessly down to the middle of her back, pressing the heel of his hand against the small of her back, his long fingers splayed hotly through the thin material of her clothing. His other hand coming up to rest against her breast, teasing the taunt nipple through the material.  
  
Somewhere nearby, soft laughter echoed through the night. Legolas tensed, abruptly pulling away, looking down at her with passion filled eyes. "We need to stop." he growled hoarsely.  
  
His harsh words were like a slap across her face, awaking her to the reality of their location. A dusky blush crept up her face as her hands swept down the front of her gown, straightening the damaged caused by their embrace.  
  
"I'm sorry Rain, I didn't mean for that to go so far. I just wanted to tell you something." he hesitated, looking down at her kiss swollen lips, wanting desperately to feel their softness beneath his again. Clearing his throat, he stepped back and knelt down in front of her. Her eyes widened as he looked up into hers.  
  
"Rain, please forgive me. I never meant to hurt you in Rivendell. I. . .I was asking Arwen's advice on how to tell you that. . . that I love you." he blurted out, his composure fading as he hoped that she would accept his apologies and his love. He was sure if she denied him then and there, his heart would stop from grief.  
  
Her eyes became misty as she listened to his confession, but she still had to know. "Legolas, will you still love me, even if I am to leave you because I am mortal." she whispered softly, steeling herself against his answer.  
  
He stood up, taking both of her hands in his as he gazed lovingly down into her forest green eyes. "I will take all of the time that you have to give me and cherish it forever, and when you are ready to depart for the next world, I will be there with you all of the way. You shall always have my love, no matter what. Please remember that, Rain, and never doubt again." he declared bring her hands to his lips, watching as tears began to fall down her face. She pulled one of her hands away from his and reached up to cup the side of his face.  
  
"Oh Legolas, I believe you. I love you also." she murmured, before standing up on tiptoe and pressing her lips to his.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: Well, Rain and Legolas have finally made up, and he has accepted that he can love a mortal. But what is he going to say when he finds out that she can become immortal. Well, we can only wait and see.  
  
Remember Reviews + You = My Inspiration and Your Chapter Updates.  
  
~ Thanks for Reading DBZ Vegeta 


	24. Let The Party Begin Revisied

**REVISIED**  
  
Disclaimer: Well as I have said before and will say again and again and again. . .I don't own Tolkien's characters, just my own.  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 24 - Let the Party Begin ~~*~*~~  
  
Elrohir bounded up the stairs looking for Rain and Legolas. When he had checked her room, all he had found was a whining Nanook, who had been scratching at the door to get out. Together they had set off to find the pair. Rounding the corner, Elrohir came to a sudden stop, Nanook bouncing off the back of his legs. Peering around the back of the elf's legs, Nanook jumped around and pelted across the room towards his mistress. Elrohir, his mouth agape, lunged after the running dog, but only managed to fall flat on his face.  
  
Legolas and Rain, hearing the commotion both looked up from their embrace to see Nanook running towards them and Elrohir lying face down on the ground with one hand outstretched. Laughing at the scene, Rain and Legolas turned to intercept the furry creature as he bounce up on them. Legolas braced Rain as Nanook's partial weight landed against her torso.  
  
"I take it that Elrohir let you, huh Bup-pup." she said as she reached her left hand up to scratch gently behind his ear. Legolas did the same, but from the other side. Nanook, his eyes closing in ecstasy from the caresses, lean heavily into the pair.  
  
"But, since he let you out, he is going to have to put you back." she said. Both Nanook's and Elrohir's head came up to peer at her. Nanook, looking very dejected as he got down off of her. Talking a step forward she leaned down and hugged him about the neck.  
  
"Nanook can come with us to the festival Rain." Legolas said as he stood behind them. Rain stood and turned back to him shaking her head, "No, I don't want him getting into any trouble or frightening anyone. He needs to go back to the room."  
  
"All right, I understand. Elrohir, get up from there and take Nanook back to Rain's room." Legolas said as he turned to look at the elf laying on the ground. Elrohir grunted as he pushed himself up from the ground and dusted his clothing off.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine, than you for asking," Elrohir said sarcastically, shooting Legolas a meaningful glance. Legolas merely cocked an elegant eyebrow and fought to hide his grin.  
  
"Go on, Bup-pup. Go with Elrohir." Rain said as she pointed in the direction of the elf. Nanook, with both his head and tail hung low, slunk sullenly over to him. Elrohir looked down at the gloomy dog before leaned over to whisper in his fuzzy ear, "We'll stop by the kitchen and get you a treat before we go back to your room." Nanook's head came up slightly and looked Elrohir in the face and before he could move, swiped a wet tongue across his face, his tail wagging gently.  
  
"Ugh, stop that." Elrohir cried as he jumped up away from the now grinning dog. Turning, he ran down the stairs, Nanook hot on his heels. Rain laughed at their antics.  
  
"Well, shall we go to the festival." said Legolas as came up behind Rain and scooped her up into his arms.  
  
"Hey, put me down. I can walk fine on my own, thank you very much." Rain squealed as he set off in the same direction that Elrohir had gone for once reveling in the feel of his warm body pressed so tightly into her. Just for tonight, she vowed, I'll have fun and enjoy my time.  
  
"Yes, I know. But it is a long ways down to the festival and I don't want you getting tired out before we get there. As soon as we are closer, I will let you walk. So just enjoy the moment, will you." he said as he walked lightly down the long spiral staircase. Rain couldn't help but smile as he voiced her thoughts, and instead of arguing with him, she turned her attention to her surroundings. The sounds of laughter and music drifted up through the air surrounding them and intrigued she craned her neck to see lights from several bonfires blazing brightly below them. Shadowed figures danced, silhouetted by the light. She was startled from her scrutiny by Legolas stopping and gently setting her down onto her feet. His hands came up and clasped her lightly about the waist as she staggered slightly. She looked up into his bright blue eyes, the lights of the fires reflected within them, causing them to glow with a fiery light.  
  
She smiled up at him, glad to see that he was finally happy. She could only take so much of a moody Legolas before it wore on her nerves.  
  
"Shall we get something to eat and then see if you feel like dancing?" he asked, squeezing her waist lightly, before he took her left hand in his and pulled her towards several long tables setup along the edge, near the dancing.  
  
"I'm really not hungry, but I could use something to drink." she said as she allowed herself to pulled through the crowds of gaily laughing elves. She cried out loudly when a drunken elf stumbled into her right shoulder, causing pain to flare recklessly through her shoulder and arm. Legolas turning quickly, gathered her close, cradling her injury side against his, protecting her from the crush of elves around them.  
  
"Are you all right?" he asked concerned, his eyes worriedly scanning her face for pain. Seeing her flinching and lines of pain forming around her eyes, he swiftly pulled her away from the milling crowd. Spying a bench located next to the path, but away from the horde behind him, he deposited her there. Kneeling down in front of her, he took both of her hands in his and looked anxiously up into her face. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing heavily through the pain.  
  
"Rain, please. . .are you all right?" he asked again, concerned that she may have been injured further. Berating himself for putting her in the position to get hurt again, he stood up suddenly, "I'm going to take you back to your room." he said as he reached down to scoop her up into her arms.  
  
Rain opened her eyes and raised her left hand to stop his attempt to pick her up. "I'll be all right in just a minute, Legolas. I really don't want to go back to my room right now." she said as she placed her hand on his chest. He slid down and sat next to her on the bench, cradling her uninjured side against him. He leaned down slightly and placed a light kiss on her hair, inhaling the soft fragrance of her shampoo.  
  
"I was worried that you had gotten hurt. I am sorry, I shouldn't have brought you down here." he said, torment lacing his voice. She looked up to see that he was blaming himself for her injury, his head handing in shame. She turned on her seat and with her good hand, tipping his head up so that their eyes met.  
  
"Legolas, it wasn't your fault. I'll be fine in a few minutes and I am sure that no damage was done to the wound." she said softly, trying to convey her feelings through her words and eyes. He still looked upset that he had hurt her. "Why don't you go get me that drink that I was wanting. I will just sit here until you return and let my shoulder rest, all right." she teased gently, trying to cheer him up.  
  
Still looking morose, Legolas bounded up and into the crowd of elves surrounding the tables. She sighed heavily, 'What am I going to do with him?' she thought, 'He thinks that I am made of glass and am easily hurt.' She gently probed her sore shoulder, wincing slightly at the pain that radiated from the injury, but assured that she hadn't pulled any of the stitches. The bandages were still clean and dry.  
  
She sat back and enjoyed the music and laughter that surrounded her. 'The elves sure knew how to throw a party.' she thought as she watched the dancers jump and leap to the music, which was hauntingly beautiful. Closing her eyes, she swayed slightly with the rhythm of the music, wishing that she could dance. It had been a long time since she had been dancing.  
  
Legolas walked back towards Rain, carrying two earthenware mugs and stopped suddenly. He smiled at the picture that she made, sitting on the bench swaying gently to the music surrounding them, her eyes closed and her long black braid thrown forward over her shoulder. The silver dress she was wearing seemed to glitter in the firelight, emitting a subtle glow about her. It was entrancing, delightfully so. Walking forward again, he sat down next to her. Rain feeling movement next to her, opened her eyes and smile gently up at him, taking the proffered cup that he held out to her, their eyes never parting. She sipped from the cup, savoring the complex flavors of the wine contained within. Hearing the music slow down, she softly sat the cup down onto the bench and gracefully stood up. Holding her hand out to him, she smiled again, beckoning him to join her.  
  
Spellbound, Legolas sat his cup down and stood up, gathering her into his arms as they swayed gently to the music, holding her body smoothly against his. They danced together, their eyes locked, never saying a word, yet volumes of emotions passing between them. They continued to dance slowly, even as the tempo of the music changed and the others began to gyrate wildly. Legolas stopped, looking deep down into her beautiful green eyes, as he leaned forward and gently nibbled upon her lips. He tasted the wine upon her lips and heard the weak moan that echoed from the back of her throat. Slipping down from her mouth, he trailed his lips down her throat. Her skin smelled of lavender and felt like warm silk against his lips. Heat pulsed through his body and his mind shut off any outside stimulus. He was only aware of this moment in time, this woman within his arms.  
  
Rain closed her eyes and concentrated on the feel of him. His lips, his hands, his tongue. Liquid fire began to seep through her veins. Her left hand came up to cradle the back of his head, as her right encircled his waist. The smell of burning wood, the feel of his hands against her body, the musky flavor of the wine intoxicated her senses.  
  
A sharp noise, like the clearing of a throat, penetrated their world. Leaning back they dazedly looked up into the amused gray eyes of the elf standing next to them.  
  
"If you want each other so bad, why don't you take that back to the room. Or have you decided to become an exhibitionist now Legolas." Elrohir chuckled at the flush that swept up both of their faces as they hastily broke away from each other.  
  
"I. . .Uhm. . .Did you put Nanook back into the room?" Rain stammered slightly as she absently ran a hand down her braid toying with the end, a nervous action that she had always had.  
  
"Yes, I left him happily munching away on a large bone that the kitchen staff was able to dig up for him." Elrohir smiled wickedly, "So are you enjoying the festival Rain?" he asked, his bright eyes saying he already knew the festival was the farthest thing from her mind. Rain felt the blush creep its way up her throat and flare up her cheeks.  
  
"Yes, I am. But I am a little bit tired and I think that I will return to my room. Good evening." she said as she turned and hurried away from the two elves. Elrohir and Legolas watched as she darted effortlessly between the crowds and up the spiral staircase towards her room. Elrohir turned back to look at Legolas, who was still watching her assent.  
  
"So, what are your intentions with my cousin, Legolas." Elrohir asked sternly, all amusement fading from his face and voice.  
  
Legolas turned and looked at Elrohir. "I assure you my intentions are honorable, my friend. I love her." he answered softly as he looked back at the staircase, making out her slight form as she entered her room. He was brought back to the present as Elrohir's hand came down smartly upon his shoulder and he looked into his laughing gray eyes.  
  
"Good, just remember that." Elrohir chuckled, "So let's get some wine and talk about old times, shall we."  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: Well another chapter done, Rain and Legolas seem to be getting hot for each other, aren't they. Okay here is the million dollar question for you. What do you want to become of their relationship in writing?  
  
Do you want a lemon, lime or heavy petting? Of course, this will not be right away, Rain's not that type of girl, but who knows in the future, all this heavy petting could get very frustrating. Let me know what you would like, I will go with the majority, so please understand.  
  
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy ~ DBZ Vegeta 


	25. Confusion Reigns Again Revisied

**REVISIED**  
  
A/N: Okay I screwed up, that what I get for trying to write when I was exhausted. Here is the corrected chapter, with the right spellings and the right characters..Thanks. :-(  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Tolkein's characters, only borrowing them for a short time.  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 25 - Confusion Reigns Again ~~*~*~~  
  
'Dammit, why am I acting like a lovesick school girl.' Rain raged as she paced furiously back and forth between the door and her bed. Nanook, laying contentedly on the floor near the end of the bed, looked up from the bone that he had been gnawing on. His ears laid back and he whined lightly as he watched her stomping around the room, waves of agitation pouring off her.  
  
'What the hell do I think I'm doing messing around with Legolas!' she yelled inwardly at herself. 'I have no right to do this. I haven't even completely figured out if I am going to stay here or return to my time.'  
  
She stopped her pacing and looked out the window into the dark night, which was lit by the many bonfires and ghostly shapes flickering around them. Her mind was racing a mile a minute, conflict and confusion raging side by side. Running her hands up her face and burying them in her hair, she closed her eyes and threw back her head. 'What am I going to do?'  
  
* If you continue to torture yourself, you shall never see the path that lies before you. * whispered a soft voice inside her head. * Rest my dear, let your worries fade for tonight. *  
  
A heaviness came over her suddenly and she laughed ruefully. Lady Galdadriel was pushing into her mind and closing it down. Stumbling, she barely made it to the bed before sleep overcame her.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A soft whisper of sound and an even lighter touch awoke her the next morning. She opened her eyes to find Lady Galdadriel sitting on the chair next to her bed. Sitting up, she brushed her hair out of her face and looked exasperatedly up at Galdadriel.  
  
"I don't know whether to be extremely angry or extremely thankful for that stunt you pulled last night." she said caustically, a slight frown pulling down the corners of her mouth. "But for now, I'll just reserve judgement for later."  
  
Flinging back the covers, she stood and walked purposefully over to the small closet, pulling out pants, shirt and her combat boots. Carrying them back over to the bed, she laid them down on the end of the bed before turning back to Galdadriel.  
  
She stared at her, feeling her anger begin to burn slowly. Rain had always been an intensely private person, preferring to keep all her thoughts and worries to herself. She didn't like the fact that Galadriel knew of her fears, nor did she enjoy the way the Lady continually invaded her thoughts, knowing Rain's displeasure at doing so. With Galadriel, Rain felt exposed and vulnerable, the two things she hated the most.  
  
"So, was there a reason that you came to see me this early in the morning." she said.  
  
"Yes, I was worried about you. You were broadcasting your emotions strongly last night." Galdadriel said, as she shifted in her chair, crossing her legs at the ankle. "Your path is still a long and difficult one, and your emotionally well-being is very important."  
  
"I highly aware of that fact. I have been in worse situations than this and I am able to keep my head. But what I do in my own time to blow off steam is my own business, no one else's." Rain replied tartly, her arms coming up to cross across her chest, staring down into Lady Galdadriel's eyes. "If you would excuse me, my lady, I would like to clean up. When would you like to cover the maps for the remainder of my journey?"  
  
Rising gracefully, Lady Galdadriel smiled enigmatically, her eyes twinkling merrily at Rain's stubbornness. "If you and Legolas would join us for lunch, we can cover what is needed so that you may continue your journey tomorrow."  
  
"Thank you, we shall join you." Rain said, her teeth gritted tightly as she tried to keep control of her anger. She watched as Galdadriel exited her room quietly before she snatched up her clothing and stomped into the bathroom to bathe and dress. Still fuming, she stormed out of the room, intent on finding a way to blow off her anger.  
  
Her expression was enough to send several elves backing quickly away from her path as she strode purposefully toward Elrohir and Legolas's room. Rapping sharply on the door before pushing it open, she looked around to find that only Elrohir was still in the room. He was sprawled haphazardly across his bed, face down, with one leg and arm hanging off the edge of the bed. He still had one boot on and his shirt was missing. A wicked grin spread over her face as she spied several limp wine bags scattered on the floor.  
  
Creeping stealthily forward till she was within inches of his head, yet out of flailing range, she drew in a deep breath. "Wake Up." she screamed loudly in his ear. She bounced back quickly as he bolted upright, tangling himself in the sheets on the bed and falling soundly off the side of the bed to the ground with a solid thump.  
  
He moaned heavily as his hands came up to clutch his sorely abused head. He moaned again as he slowly opened his eyes and found himself staring at the floor. Raising his gaze upward, he encountered first feet, then ankles and legs, he gaze traveling painfully upward until his eyes locked with the highly amused green eyes above him. Blinking blearily, he tried to focus on the person standing above him.  
  
"Rain?" he croaked hoarsely, he voice dry and rusty to his ear.  
  
Crouching down next to Elrohir, she smiled mischievously. "Drink a little too much last night, Elrohir." she said in a normal voice, watching as he winced heavily before closing his eyes and swaying slightly.  
  
"Damn Legolas." he muttered, sinking slowly to the ground and curling up into a tight ball, his arms clutched around his head.  
  
"Umm humm, you both decided to whoop it up after I left. But if you are here, were is you drinking buddy?" she said softly, taking pity on the obviously suffering elf.  
  
"Practicing, like always." he mumbled, "Leave me alone."  
  
Rain sighed as she pulled up the covers, that he had dragged off his bed, over the top of him. Hearing the muffled 'Thank you', she stood and looked around the room, noticing that Legolas's bow and quiver were missing. As her gaze scanned the room, her eyes alighted on Elrohir's bow and quiver. Looking back as the hung over elf, she picked up the bow and lightly pulled on the string. Her shoulder twinged at the weight, but not enough to hurt. A sly smile crept over her face as she slung the bow and quiver over her shoulder before she strode quickly out of the room and down the spiral staircase.  
  
Snagging a reluctant elf on the way down, she got the directions to the archery range. Walking down the forest path, she inhaled deeply enjoying the crisp tang to the air and the freshness. It nearly reminded her of home. She could get to like this place, given enough time.  
  
Stopping at the edge of the clearing, she looked about to find that Legolas was the only one practicing at the moment. She took this chance to watch him unobserved. He was standing with his legs braced apart as he flawlessly pulled and released his bow. She saw the muscles in his shoulders tighten and relax with each release through the thin cotton of his shirt. His hair drifted lightly behind him as a slight breeze stirred through the trees. He was any woman's wet dream, handsome and fierce. He was focusing totally on the target before him, seemingly unaware of her presence behind him.  
  
A wicked gleam shown from her eyes, as she reached silently up behind her and plucked the bow and an arrow from her back. Knocking the arrow to the string, she gritted her teeth and pulled the string back, her fingertips resting along the edge of her mouth as she sighted down the shaft of the arrow. Holding tight, she waited until just moments after he released his arrow to release hers. Her arrow sped past him, ruffling his hair and buried itself in the target next to his.  
  
Legolas whipped around suddenly, an arrow notched in his bow, pointed directly at her. Catching sight of Rain grinning at him, he lowered his bow, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply. Hearing the shuffling of feet through the short grass, he looked up into her concerned green eyes.  
  
"Are you all right, Legolas?" she asked, watching as his chest continued to heave as if he just finished a foot race.  
  
"I almost shot you!" he began loudly, fright overtaking his common sense. "What the hell do you think you were doing!"  
  
Her eyes narrowed and fire began to darken her eyes. "You think that you are the only one who can use this range." she growled.  
  
"No, but at least you could have done was announce yourself. You could have missed and seriously hurt me." he shouted, loosing his temper.  
  
"You doubt my abilities, even after I have proved them to you numerous times. Who was it that saved your life from the Uruk-hai! It sure wasn't you, that's for sure. Here I came down to spend some time with you, and you insult my abilities, again. Well, I'm not going to take it anymore. We will be leaving in the morning, I expect that you shall be ready to go by then. But until then, I would suggest that you stay out of my sight." she said, her voice low and even, yet there was a dangerous edge to it. A coldness that could chill the soul even on an extremely hot day.  
  
He reared back, startled by the tone and the frosty expression contained within her eyes. He winced as she looked him up and down contemptuously, before turning on her heel and stalking angrily out of the clearing. 'What have I done?' he thought, his face paling as he finally registered her words.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: Uhh Ohh. . .What has Legolas done now? Hopefully it was just because Rain woke up on the wrong side of the bed. . .or should I say in the wrong bed?!? Oh well, once again, Legolas has to dig his foot out of his mouth and work on his delivery.  
  
Let me know what do you think?  
  
Thanks for reading ~ DBZ Vegeta 


	26. Failed Apologies Revisied

**REVISIED**  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own it and never will, unfortunately. . .  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 26 - Failed Apologies ~~*~*~~  
  
Her eyes flashing as she stormed away from the clearing, Rain unseeingly followed the path back towards her room. 'Damn him, he still doesn't trust me.' she raged hotly, ignoring the elves that jumped out of her path, her fury pulsing through the air surrounding her. Stopping suddenly in the path, she turned away from the direction she was heading and down another path towards the river, deciding that she didn't want to be cooped up inside in the current mood she was in.  
  
Reaching the river, she moved farther down the bank until she was alone, away from the group of giggling elves frolicking in the water. Sitting down under a small elm tree, she placed Elrohir's bow and quiver on the ground next to her. Leaning back against the tree, she pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them balancing her chin on top of her bent knees. She stared out over the river, watching as small birds darted restlessly back and forth, catching their morning breakfast.  
  
Broodingly, she replayed the scene over and over in her head, hearing his voice yelling at her and her heated reply back. Bolting upright suddenly, she groaned and slapped a hand over her eyes, her head bowing forward as she realized what she had just done.  
  
"I am such a bitch." she whispered softly into the light breeze. Legolas's voice had been filled with panic, not accusation, she just realized. She had managed to startle him and he had reacted by drawing his weapon, as if he had been under attack. Running her hands up from her face, she buried them in her hair as she groaned. "I am a first class bitch. I can't believe that I did that to Legolas." She sat there for a long time, debating on what she was going to say for an apology to him.  
  
Looking up into the sky she saw that the sun had reached its zenith and suddenly remembering that she had a lunch appointment with Galadriel. Standing up, she brushed off the back of her pants and bent down to pickup the bow and quiver, slinging them over her uninjured shoulder before setting off the path back towards the tree.  
  
Striding up the path towards the spiral staircase, she saw Legolas ahead of her. Sprinting quickly forward, she slid to a halt next to him. He stopped and looked down at her, his expression blank.  
  
"Legolas. . .I. . ." she started hesitantly.  
  
"I'm sorry Lady Rain, but you must excuse me. I have a meeting with Lord Celeborn." he said coolly, before turning away and walking quickly up the stairs leaving her to stare dismayed at his retreating back. She continued to stare at his retreating figure as she realized that she may have gone too far this time.  
  
"Your people skills really suck, Clearwater." she muttered aloud to herself, realizing for the first time that maybe she spent too much time worrying about proving herself. So intent on being better than anyone expected of her, that she shut herself away emotionally, always focusing on her career.  
  
But that couldn't help her now. She could only understand and react properly to aggression, and she now realized that would only hurt her and Legolas more.  
  
Sighing heavily, her shoulders slumped slightly as she trudged wearily up the stairs. She needed to know how to heal the wounds she'd caused, and help learning how to prevent any more. Stopping in front of the door that lead to Legolas and Elrohir's room, she knocked softly. Hearing a groaning 'come in', she pushed open the door and saw Elrohir sitting on his bed, fully dressed with his head cradled in his hands. She walked forward and plopped down on the bed next to him.  
  
Elrohir looked up at the dejected expression on Rain's face, concern running through him. "Rain, are you all right." he asked quietly.  
  
"I really goofed this time Elrohir." she said, her voice filled with self- loathing.  
  
"Huh?" he asked, not understanding her, puzzlement flittering across his features.  
  
"I sorta accused Legolas of not trusting me this morning, when in reality I had just caused him to yell at me." she said, confusing Elrohir even further.  
  
"What happened?" he asked.  
  
He sat and listened to her as she related her story of this mornings encounter, she wisely leaving off about her laughing at his inebriated state. He sighed heavily, understanding Legolas's reaction, but was unsure of how to reassure Rain at this moment.  
  
"Rain, you have to realized that even as old as Legolas is, he has not had a serious relationship with any woman before. You are definitely a hand full, and at times he is unsure of how to handle you. Your actions this morning possibly startled and frightened him. Think about it, if you where caught unaware and drew your weapon and quite possibly almost shot someone you care deeply about, don't you think that you would react harshly to cover up your fear." Elrohir said as he draped a comforting arm about her shoulders. Rain leaned against his warmth, burying her face against his shoulder.  
  
It was with a start that she realized that she now looked upon him as family. Tears slid down her pale cheeks as she admitted to herself that she had missed having family, being able to absorb peace and comfort from their mere presence.  
  
"But what do I do to apologize to him, Elrohir. I tried to but he brushed me off." she whispered, her voice thick with distress.  
  
"Shh, my dear cousin. Everything will be all right. Just give him a little time to cool off, he will come around in time. I promise." he said as he dropped a light kiss across the top of her head. Cradling her in his arms, he let her cry herself to sleep, wondering if love was sometimes worth all the pain it could cause.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
Legolas strode angrily up the stairs away from Rain. He thoughts rolling agitatedly through his head, flashes of her eyes sneering at him, her lips curled up in contempt. His own anger and fear coursing through his veins. He had to get away from her before he said anything else that he would regret later.  
  
He arrived at Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel's door, unaware that his feet had automatically carried him there. Knocking sharply, he entered when bided from within. Walking quietly through the room, he saw the pair sitting on the balcony.  
  
"Ah, Legolas please join us." Celeborn said, gesturing to an empty seat at the table. "Where is the Lady Rain, I thought she was joining us?"  
  
Legolas stiffened slightly at the mention of her name, but covered quickly as he slid into the proffered chair. "I am sure she will be along soon. She needed to return Elrohir's bow to him."  
  
"Elrohir's bow?" Galadriel asked questioningly.  
  
"Yes, she borrowed it earlier this morning to practice." Legolas responded dryly.  
  
"Stubborn woman, with her shoulder injured as it is. I would wonder that she was even able to draw properly." Celeborn said wonderingly.  
  
"She was quite able to hit the target quite adequately." Legolas said chagrined. He had completely forgotten about her injury in the heat of the moment. It caused him to marvel that even with her shoulder injured that she was able to control the thrust and direction of her arrow as she had.  
  
"Well, until she arrives shall we discuss the maps that I have for her." Galadriel said as she looked appraisingly at Legolas.  
  
Celeborn pulled out the roll of parchments and laid them along the table. Discussion of routes and directions within the Lonely Mountain were discussed and an hour passed quickly, before Legolas stretched to relieve the ache in his back from being bent over the table. Reaching down he rolled up the maps and looked at Celeborn and Galadriel.  
  
"I will make sure Rain sees these and understands what is needed." he said, exasperated that she had still not shown up for the meeting.  
  
"Thank you Legolas. Will you be continuing your journey soon?" Celeborn asked politely.  
  
"Yes, we shall be departing tomorrow morning. I would like to thank you for your hospitality." he said as he bowed to the pair. "Now, if you will excuse me." Turning he started to walk towards the door, when Lady Galadriel's voice called out to him.  
  
"Legolas, don't judge her too harshly. She didn't mean what she said this morning." He stopped briefly, not turning around as he nodded his head and then continued on out the door.  
  
"I feel that they will have a long and difficult road ahead of them." she said to her mate, turning her eyes towards him. "I just hope that they can work through their differences before it is too late."  
  
Celeborn smiled as he gathered his wife in his arms. "Have you forgotten so easily what it was like when we first met?"  
  
Galadriel turned pale eyes up to his. "I have not forgotten," she said, looking once more at the door. "But Rain is so much stronger than I; so different."  
  
"Look carefully, my love," Celeborn murmured, laying his cheek against hers, "for I think you'll find she's not so different after all."  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: Well I think that Rain is getting a dose of her own medicine, but I think that Legolas feels just as bad. Tomorrow the journey starts again and our trio will be heading towards the Lonely Mountain. Our journey is nearing the halfway point and there is still so much more to go.  
  
Let me know, what you think should happen. . .I talk all feedback into consideration as I write.  
  
Happy Reading ~ DBZ Vegeta 


	27. And The Song Plays On

Disclaimer: I don't own it, just wish that I did.  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 27 - And The Song Plays On ~~*~*~~  
  
Why is it when one thing goes wrong everything else tends to follow right along afterwards? Its like a chain effect, rolling steadily downhill picking up speed as it gained in momentum. Or as it is put in the military, all shit rolls downhill. If it hadn't been bad enough that Legolas was mad at her and she was mad at herself for losing her temper, she had plumb forgotten about her afternoon meeting with Galadriel. Well it hadn't helped that she had fallen asleep after her emotional outburst to Elrohir.  
  
Bolting up the stairway, she ran almost smack dab into Legolas as he was coming down. She barely was able to miss him as she caught a glimpse of him from the corner of her eye when she rounded the corner. Teetering precariously on the edge of the step as she struggled not to fall over, she was aware that he was standing in front of her with his arms crossed over his chest.  
  
"A little help here, Legolas." she cried as she flailed helplessly. He reached out and easily plucked her from the edge of the step and set her down on the platform that he was standing on.  
  
She sighed in relief as she came to a rest next to him. Looking up, she was aware that his hands had not fallen from their position on her arms. He was looking down at her with a mildly angry expression on his face. She winced at the censure in his eyes before turning her head away, breaking their locked gazes.  
  
"I know, I missed my meeting with Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn." she whispered softly.  
  
"Yes, you did." he replied back, his voice emotionless. He dropped his hands from her arms and took a step back from her. She stifled the surge of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her at his actions. ~ God, he must hate me that much. ~ she thought. Steeling herself, she drew back her shoulders and looked him directly in the eye.  
  
"I assume then that you got the information that we need to continue on." she said, her voice rough, but even.  
  
"Yes, I can go over this information with you if you would like." he countered, his eyes traveling over her strained face. He was aggravated by her reaction to him, she appeared to have been crying, judging by her red swollen eyes, but she acted as if nothing was wrong.  
  
"I thank you then, shall we adjourn to your room or mine to view the documents." she said quietly, her eyes holding his steadily. She could get through this, no matter what, she could. "But first, I would like to say something to you."  
  
He didn't reply, just continued to study her closely.  
  
She took a deep breath, closing her eyes briefly before looking pleadingly up into his cold blue gaze. "I wanted to apologize for this morning. It was wrong for me to yell and accuse you like I did. Sometimes I let my temper get the better of me and I react without thinking first. I hope that you will understand and forgive me."  
  
He gazed down into her eyes, seeing the sincerity and regret that darkened them. Sighing lightly, he brought a hand up and pushed a stray lock of hair, that had fallen across her forehead, back.  
  
"Let's go to my room. We should let Elrohir know of our plans for tomorrow's departure." he said lightly, as he dropped his hand and turned to walk down the stairs.  
  
"But. . ." she stammered as she bounded after him.  
  
"We'll talk about this some more later. For now let's think about the continuation of our journey." he said as he continued to walk down the stairs. She looked bewilderedly at his retreating back as she shook her head and followed him silently down the stairs.  
  
When he pushed open the door to the room that he and Elrohir were staying, he was immediately assaulted by a large and furry creature, intent upon smothering him with his wet tongue. Laughing, he pushed Nanook down, running a hand across the top of the furry head. Striding across the room, with Nanook bouncing at his heels, Legolas dropped the small packet of maps on the table and pulled a chair out to sit down.  
  
Rain sat down next to him, her eyes focused solely on the maps that he was spreading out on the table. Her mind was a mass of confusion. ~ Has he forgiven me or is he still angry with me? ~ she thought staring off into the space in front of her, not hearing Elrohir's voice trying to get her attention.  
  
"Huh. . .Uhm, what did you say?" she blinked in confusion up at Elrohir, seeing the concern in his gray eyes.  
  
Elrohir knelt down and took her cold hands into his warm one. "Are you all right? I have been trying to get your attention for five minutes." he asked, concern coloring his voice.  
  
"I. . .I'm sorry, I was just woolgathering." she said as she tore her gaze away from his and focused on the maps spread out over the table, not seeing the gaze that passed between the two elves.  
  
"As I was saying, it should not take us long to get to the Lonely Mountain. I was suggesting that we stop at the palace in Mirkwood, before continuing on to Laketown. I can contact Gimli and have him meet us at Laketown. He should be able to lead us through the passages within the mountain." Legolas said as his finger traced the route on the map.  
  
"Gimli. Isn't he your dwarf friend from the fellowship?" Rain asked suddenly, peering up inquiringly at Legolas.  
  
"Yes, he is. How do you know that, I don't remember mentioning him to you." he said, looking curiously at her.  
  
She blushed suddenly and ducked her head. "I. . .uhm. . .must have read it somewhere." She stammered, not looking back up at him. Feeling a wet nose pressed against her hand, she saw Nanook bouncing agitatedly next to her. Standing up quickly, "I need to take Nanook out." she said, before bolting out of the room, Nanook hot on her heels. There was no way she was going to tell them that the Lord of the Rings was a popular story from their future.  
  
Legolas watched as Rain dashed quickly out of the room, before turning back to the table. He gathered the maps and stuffed them back into their carrying case, a frown marring his forehead.  
  
"Legolas."  
  
He turned to see Elrohir leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. "Rain's very upset about the incident this morning."  
  
"I know, she apologized to me, but I don't know what to do about her. One minute I want to do nothing but hold her close and never let her go and the next I want to wring her neck." Legolas moaned as he leaned forward over the table, his hand coming up to cover his face.  
  
"Legolas, love is hard. You have to work through your feelings together. I know that Rain loves you, but I also think that she is scared of that love." Elrohir said as he crossed the room and stopped next to Legolas's chair. Placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, he continued. "Rain's under a great deal of stress with this journey and need your support."  
  
"She's scared of loving me." Legolas said surprised. "Elrohir, why is she doing this? Why must she find this key to unlock the spirit sword."  
  
"That my friend is for her to know and you to ask about. Even I don't know the entire story. Father asked that I accompany you both and keep Rain out of mischief." Elrohir grinned lightly down at his confused friend. "Why don't you go find her and ask her for your self."  
  
"I just may do that, my friend. I just may."  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: Sorry for such a long break between chapters. It is finally springtime and I have been busy puttering around my yard getting ready for my gardens. I have a four days off this weekend and hope to spend sometime working on the next chapter. Thanks for reading. ~DBZ Vegeta 


	28. Confrontation and Evasion Revisied

**REVISIED**  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from the Lord of the Rings, only my own. . .  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 28 - Confrontation and Evasion ~~*~*~~  
  
As the heroine sat staring off into the sunset, she contemplated her existence in this physical plane of life. 'Man that sounds like the start of some cheap western novel.' Rain thought as she looked out over the gold tinted water. The dying sun's rays glistening off the tips of the gently flowing river, as day began to fade into darkness. She sat there for a long time, watching as day faded into night and the stars began to glow brighter one by one, her mind a turmoil of confusion.  
  
'Should I tell him the truth?' she thought. Logically if you broke it down she was really unsure about it all.  
  
Number one, if she did tell him, she was quite sure that his reaction would not be pleasant.  
  
Number two, if she did wait to tell him, his reaction would quite obviously be even worse than if she told him now.  
  
Number three, and if I tell him about my choice, should I also tell him about where I am really from.  
  
'This is too complicated, even for me.' she moaned at the thought, pulling her knees up to her chest and laying her head on top of them.  
  
'I mean, what if he freaks out entirely and take off. I don't think I could go through that. I love him too much. I know that he told me not to doubt his love for me, but this is a big thing to have kept a secret. What will I do if he rejects me?' she tilted her head back and looked up at the stars shining overhead.  
  
'I know that I could always return home, but it just wouldn't be the same without him. I've come to love this place.' She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't hear him approaching her until he called out her name.  
  
"Rain." Legolas said huskily.  
  
She jumped banging her head against the tree she was leaning against. "Oww." she cried softly as her hand came up to rub the sore spot on her head.  
  
"Are you all right." he said concerned that she may have re-injured herself.  
  
"No, I'm fine. Just bumped my head." she said, still rubbing the sore spot. "Uhm, Legolas did you want something."  
  
"Yes." he said as he slid gracefully down next to her. "I thought we could continue our earlier conversation about your apology."  
  
"Ohh, yeah right. My apology." she said gratefully that he wasn't quizzing her about her unusual knowledge of his close friends. "I really meant it Legolas, I didn't mean to lose my temper like I did. I do know that I have a wicked temper and normally can control it quite well, but. . ."  
  
"I understand." he interrupted, his voice soft. "I also wanted to apologize for the way I acted the first time you tried to apologize. It was rude of me not to hear you out."  
  
"No, that's all right. You had to have been quite mad at me. I know that I can be a royal bitch sometimes. I've lost friends because of my temper, I just hope that I haven't lost you." she said her voice trailing off into almost a whisper.  
  
He slid closer to her, feeling her pain rippling through the air surrounding them. Gathering her into his arms, he held her close enjoying the feel of her warmth against him. He felt the wetness of her tears seep through his clothes and gently rubbed her back trying to comfort her.  
  
"Rain, why are you doing this? Why is this key so important to you." he asked softly into her ear. Suddenly, Rain knew the answer and it shocked her. Legolas was the reason the key was so important. The key would allow her to stay with him forever.  
  
But it was that same key that could drive him away forever. It was the blade edge that Rain sat so precariously upon.  
  
Feeling her stiffen in his arms, he leaned back and looked down into her forest green eyes. The moonlight causing them to glow like jewels. He could see a variety of emotions darting though those eyes.  
  
Pain. Confusion. Fright?  
  
The last emotion caught him by surprise. 'Why would she be frightened?' he thought.  
  
"Rain?" he said, concerned about the fright she was projecting.  
  
She sat up abruptly, breaking his embrace. Leaning forward she wrapped her arms about her knees again and rocked slightly back and forth on her hips. She kept her face adverted from his questioning gaze trying to come up with the words to say to him. She didn't know what to do.  
  
"Legolas. . .I. . ." she stammered, trying to control her emotions raging through her body. 'Why now!' her mind cried.  
  
"Rain, no matter what you tell me it will be all right. Remember that I love you." he said as he brought his hand up to stroke along her back.  
  
Taking a deep breath, she sat up turning her head to look him directly in the eyes. Steeling herself she started, "Legolas, the key that we search for will unlock a magical sword called Feadúril. It is the twin sword to Aragorn's Andúril. It has the power to determine my destiny." she said, not telling the whole story but enough, she thought, to appease him.  
  
Apparently, she thought wrong. "Your destiny? What destiny would that be? You're not going to leave are you?" he said, worry clouding his voice.  
  
"I'm not planning on leaving if I can help it, but it all will become clear once I have the key and the sword." she said evasively. Watching the confusion in his eyes, she finally admitted that he would not be satisfied until he knew the whole truth. She suddenly felt overwhelmed, and cowardly, she added mentally, and decided to forestall the barrage of questions she could see forming in his head.  
  
"Legolas, I am tired and we are leaving early in the morning. Do you think we can go back now?'  
  
He looked down at her, questions rolling through his mind. He could see that she didn't want to answer anymore of his questions, and knew that he would have to ask them again later. Sighing lightly, he stood up, pulling her up with him.  
  
"Let's go. I'll walk you back to your room." he said.  
  
"Thank you, Legolas." ~~*~*~~  
  
Morning came quicker than it should have and suddenly they were gathered once again to leave on their journey. Of course this time, it was Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn that saw them off. As Legolas and Elrohir packed the horses, Rain approached Lady Galadriel.  
  
"I wanted to thank you for all of your assistance, my lady." Rain said as she bowed to her. Galadriel took a step forward and placed a hand gently on her shoulder.  
  
"No, my dear. It was my pleasure to assist you in your journey. I hope that all will work out for you in the end." she said, with a meaningful glance at Legolas.  
  
Rain looked over at the blonde elf who was gathering the reins of Arod and Hasufel and walking towards them.  
  
"I pray you are right." Rain sighed gently as she turned back to Galadriel. "I hope I will see you again."  
  
"Never fear my dear. We shall meet again, that I promise. Good journey." Galadriel said as she swept forward and embraced Rain. Rain, slightly shocked, hugged her back before stepping away.  
  
"Are you ready to continue, Rain." Legolas said as he stepped forward and handed her Arod's reins.  
  
"Yes, let us go."  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: Well this chapter came out relatively quick in comparison to the last one. The journey has moved into its second stage and our group is off to Mirkwood. What other unknown adventures await them? Only time will tell.  
  
Thanks for reading ~ DBZ Vegeta 


	29. Deep Dark Forest

Disclaimer: Tolkien owns the characters/places from LOTR, but I own the original story-line and my characters.  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 29 - Deep Dark Forest ~~*~*~~  
  
The days crept by slowly, though while Rain did not avoid contact with Legolas, she did avoid his questions. Each time he brought up the questions about Feadúril or the secret behind her destiny, she would either clam completely up or disappear. Frustrated, Legolas decided that he would have to corner her once they got to Mirkwood. It was the only way he could see getting any answers to his questions.  
  
"How much farther would you say we have until we get to your home?" Rain asked, looking up from the fire that illuminated the small camp.  
  
"As soon as we cross the river in the morning we shall be within Mirkwood, but the palace is still another two days away." Legolas said, leaning up on one elbow from where he was sprawled out next to her. "Tired of traveling already?"  
  
"No, its not that." she sighed, "It's just that this is taking so long to complete. At times I wonder if I am dreaming all of this."  
  
"Does this feel like a dream?" he said as his picked up her hand and brought it to his lips. He then pulled her down onto the blanket next to him, wrapping his arms about her waist as he bent his head forward to claim her lips.  
  
"Eww, could you two please do that somewhere else." Elrohir said as he stepped back into the clearing, a bundle of wood in his arms.  
  
"You're just jealous." Legolas chuckled as he released a struggling Rain. She bounced back up and moved away from him, a flush highlighting her cheeks. Nanook bounded into the clearing from behind Elrohir and seeing Legolas, pounced on him.  
  
"Umph, hey get off you great furry beast." he shouted, trying to dodge the fury of licks the dog was trying to place upon him. Rain and Elrohir both laughed as they watched Nanook and Legolas wrestle across the ground, until they both broke apart panting.  
  
"If you are finished, we should get some rest before we continue on in the morning. You know we have to be on guard when crossing through Mirkwood." Elrohir said as he laid down on his blanket.  
  
"Because of the spiders, right?" Rain commented behind her hand as she yawned loudly.  
  
"Yes, since we are traveling in such a small group, they will be more inclined to find us appetizing." Elrohir said, his eyes already closed.  
  
"That's right, Nanook should ride with one of us for the next couple of days. He would be their first likely target." Legolas said, gesturing for Nanook to lay down next to him.  
  
"Why wouldn't they go for something larger, like one of us or the horses?" Rain asked, worried about taking Nanook into the forest, where something might grab him.  
  
"They normally will go for the weaker of the group. I know, Nanook is not weak." Legolas held up a hand to forestall the comments about to pour from Rain's mouth. "But, since he his smaller, they will see this as a weak individual."  
  
"Nanook will be able to take care of himself. I have seen him face down a fully grown grizzly bear before, I think that he will be able to handle a spider, if it comes to that." Rain said sadistically.  
  
"Let's just hope it doesn't come to that. I have no desire to tangle with any spiders." Elrohir snorted, "Let's get some sleep, please."  
  
~*~  
  
Mirkwood forest was just like she had imagined it would be. Dark, mysterious, creepy and yet strangely beautiful all in one. Tangled trees blocked a majority of the light that filtered down, casting deep shadows across the trail. She remembered once reading that this forest had been bright and beautiful, before the spiders had descended upon it. She could still see remnants of that beauty, faded yet still visible.  
  
They traveled quietly, all laughter and talk stopped by the threat of danger. Nanook currently rode behind her on Arod's rump, it had taken about five minutes for the horse to adjust to the extra passenger, and especially one with claws that needed trimming. Nanook, had at first whined incessantly about having to ride, but eventually started enjoying it. He had even perfected the balance to lay down, somewhat. . .his head curled around her hip. It was uncomfortable for her, but if it kept him happy, she tolerated the discomfort.  
  
They were well into the second day of travel through the forest when it happened. Legolas had turned to tell Rain that they would soon be at the palace when he spotted a flash of light behind her. Suddenly, they were surrounded by three large spiders. Arod, who had encountered them before, stopped still and stood his ground, however Hasufel had never seen such monsters began to prance nervously. The Rohan war horse was trained for battle, but this was different.  
  
With Hasufel prancing nervously under him, Legolas knew that he would have to dismount and calm the animal. Guiding him closer to Arod, Legolas jumped down pulling his bow off his back before he hit the ground.  
  
"Legolas." Rain asked questioningly, her eyes taking in their enemy. She was turned sideways on Arod, one hand wrapped firmly in Nanook's ruff and the other holding her weapon ready. Seeing that she could not keep Nanook still on Arod's back, she slid off pulling the dog down with her. Nanook growled and tried to lung away from her.  
  
"Down." Rain snapped at him. Nanook subsided slightly, he no longer tried to move, but his growls increased in volume.  
  
Elrohir slid in behind the two of them, his bow also removed from his back. With their backs to each other they faced their adversaries.  
  
"Elrohir, you know the situation. Rain, don't let them separate you from us. Can you keep Nanook in between us?" Legolas said softly.  
  
"Yes, once I command him down, he won't move unless absolutely necessary." she responded, glancing quickly over her shoulder at him. "Legolas, what are we going to do now?"  
  
"We are going to wait and see what happens. If they attack, aim for the center of the head." he said, without turning his attention from his opponent in front of him. "Please, just be careful Rain."  
  
She nodded absently as she turned her head back towards the spider, adrenaline beginning to surge through her veins. She watched with a detached objectiveness that came with the calm before the battle, evaluating the creature in front of her.  
  
It stood well over eight feet tall and was at least six feet wide. Midnight black in color, it's multifaceted eyes gazed unwaveringly at them. Long legs sprawled out from the main body, covered in stiff hair that stood straight out from the limbs. The overall picture reminded her of a pure black tarantula, only much bigger and much nastier looking.  
  
Suddenly, as if unleashed from a spring, the three spiders simultaneously sprang forward, all reaching for the same objective. Rain started at the movement, but swiftly brought up her pistol to aim at the advancing creature. When the spiders were almost within fifteen feet of them, she prepared to fire.  
  
Without warning, a bolt of lightning flashed brightly though the air in front of them. The thunderous boom echoing loudly over the piercing shrieks coming from the spiders. The stench of burnt flesh and blood permeated the air surrounding them. Shrieks and howls of anguish became fainter as they blinked away the spots dancing in front of their eyes.  
  
Clearing their vision, the trio looked around astonished by the destruction. Two of the three spiders were splattered and smoking all over the ground and a trail of dark blue blood could be seen heading back into the depths of the forest.  
  
"What happened?" Rain questioned as she broke her grip from around Nanook's ruff. Nanook stood and shook himself sharply, before trotting over to sniff at the dead carcasses.  
  
"I'd say luck." Elrohir commented as he straightened and replaced the arrow from his bow into his quiver.  
  
"I'd say intervention." Legolas said as he looked at the hooded figure standing in the trees not far from them.  
  
"You're welcome, Prince Legolas." came the muffled reply, the voice filled with the sound of suppressed laughter.  
  
Rain and Elrohir both turned quickly at the sound of the voice, Rain automatically bringing her pistol up, trained of the form. A hearty chuckle followed their action as the man stepped out of the trees and walked slowly towards them.  
  
"My lady Rain, I am of no threat to you." he said gently, his features covered by the deep hood.  
  
"How do you know who I am?" she questioned cautiously, but did lower her weapon and slid it back into her holster.  
  
"Ah, but I know a great many things about you, my dear." he said as he stopped in front of them. His hands came up and lowered the hood from around his face. Elrohir and Legolas both exchanged surprised looks as the exclaimed,  
  
"Gandalf!"  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: Ahhh, the master of cliffhangers is back!!! That was a close one, but again if you travel in Mirkwood, you must be ready for the unexpected. Stay tuned the adventure is only going to get better.  
  
Thanks for reading and don't forget to review ~ DBZ Vegeta 


	30. Mirkwood Welcomes

A/N: Well here it is, the next chapter. But, remember if you haven't already done this, be sure to go back and review the **REVISIED** chapters in the book, since this chapter will have part of the new plot in it and I wouldn't want you to get confused.  
  
Disclaimer: As I have always said, I don't own LOTR, only my own characters and story line.  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 30 - Mirkwood Welcomes ~~*~*~~  
  
Why is it that everything in life that should go right, doesn't and that everything that shouldn't go wrong, does? It's as if life itself was playing a cruel joke upon itself. One would think that even once in a lifetime something would go right without fail. But then again, life sometimes had a funny sense of humor.  
  
The funny sense of humor for today was the mysterious arrival of Legolas's long-time friend and fellowship companion, Gandalf. 'It had been more than twenty years since the destruction of the one ring and he was still kicking around.' she thought as she watched Legolas and Elrohir talking animatedly with the distinguished wizard. Her curiosity was peaked, for as Elrond had seemed to know a great deal about her, so too it seemed that Gandalf did also. The cruel joke was that she didn't know how they knew so much.  
  
"Hey, guys. Don't you think we should be heading on, before any more of your wonderful world of spiders decide to return with reinforcements?" Rain called out to the trio in front of her. They turned and looked at her. She was leaning against Arod's shoulder, arms crossed over her chest, with Nanook perched on her feet.  
  
"You're right, we should get moving before they return." Legolas said, turning back to Gandalf. "Do you have a horse or will you need a ride with us?"  
  
"I will need a ride, as I do believe that my horse decided three spiders were three too many for it's taste." Gandalf chuckled as looked back over at Rain appraisingly. Rain hackled slightly at the look in his eyes, unable to determine what it meant. There was a calculating gaze to his deep dark eyes, a measuring glance that told too much, but yet not enough. A tendril of cold snaked lazily down her spine as she turned and broke away from his gaze to mount up on Arod.  
  
Legolas scooped up Nanook and settled him behind Rain on Arod's rump, before laying a hand on Rain's thigh. She looked down into his bright blue eyes understandingly, as she laid her hand over his and squeezed gently.  
  
"Let's get going, all right." he said softly. She nodded, watching as he swung up on Hasufel's back, pulling Gandalf up behind him.  
  
~*~  
  
The remainder of the trip to Mirkwood palace passed quickly and without incident, and just before midnight they arrive at the gates to the palace. Torches lit up the stone entryway carved into the hillside, intricate runes highlight by the golden glow. Two great trees framed the arch leading into the gloomy looking tunnel, so old and strangled by ivy and moss, few leaves could be made out in the flickering light. Two palace guards stood beneath the great trees, dressed in dark brown and green garb. They bowed formally to Legolas as we passed through the archway. The tunnel wound for ages, countless other openings leading to many passages and halls, were cut into the underground dwelling.  
  
One would think that such a wonder would be dark and damp, but yet it was lighter and beautiful to behold. Torches burned brightly along the passageway, yet it was not smoky. Intricate carvings and designs graced the wall, providing a warmth to the cold stone. As they rounded the end of the passage, a set of large stone doors stood in relief of the bright light cast by the torches. Several guards, clad in the same deep brown and greens as the others they had seen stood at attention before the doors. One stepped forward to kneel at Legolas's feet.  
  
"My Prince, your father awaits your return in the throne room." he said, his head bowed.  
  
"Thank you, Huor. We shall see him immediately." Legolas replied as he strode forward towards the stone doors that the other guards were opening.  
  
Rain gasped in surprise at the beauty of the throne room, a large open space decorated with column of black granite, the floor a golden marble. And there seated at the far end on a raised dais, was Legolas's father, King Thranduil. His golden hair was long and wild, flowing down past his shoulders was the same color as Legolas's. His skin fair and ageless, he seems almost a natural force, his countenance wise yet a supressed mirth strained at his lips. His garb a deep green, prominent with silver and gold designs, likes the stars dancing through the misty moonlight. Upon his brow, a crown of fall leaves bound red, orange and brown with chains of emerald green, barely contained the wild fall of his hair. Around his neck hung a necklace of opal and mithril, glinting in the torchlight as he shifted from his seat to stand. A scabbard of a long sword, hilt worn from centuries of use, hung from slim hips. Overall the picture was stunning, an older version of Legolas, the similarities were striking.  
  
"My son, welcome home." boomed his voice across the open space, striding quickly across the gap the separated him from the others. He swept Legolas up into a tight embrace, before stepping back to survey the other behind him. 'So this was the Lady Rain, that we summoned.' he thought as he held out a graceful hand towards her.  
  
"Lady Rain, welcome to Mirkwood. It is our pleasure that you have joined us here." he said as he bent forward and placed a light kiss on the back of her hand.  
  
She looked warily at the man before her, wondering how he knew her name also. 'How is it that every elf lord that I meet seems to know all about me?' her mind screamed in frustration. Her military protocol covered her confusion and frustration as she replied. "My pleasure, your highness."  
  
"Please, you do not have to be so formal with me. Call me Thranduil." he said, a smile coming easily to his face. 'Yes, this one is quite strong. She shall be able to do it.' he thought as he watched with amusement at the frown on his son's face. 'So, Legolas has fallen for her, this couldn't get any better.'  
  
The short message that he had gotten from Elrond was confirmed by the displeasure he saw on his son's face. He grinned again as he stepped back and turned towards his son.  
  
"I know that it is late, and you all must be tired. We can catch up on the events that have happened since you left later. Legolas, why don't you show Lady Rain to the green chamber so that she may rest. Elrohir, you are welcome to your usual room." Thranduil said before turning away from the group. Stopping in the arched doorway he turned back, "I bid you good night."  
  
Rain blinked at the unexpected departure of the King, before looking confusedly up at Legolas. He shrugged, his glance telling her that this was normal behavior for his father.  
  
"Elrohir, you know your way to your room, right." Legolas said as he led them from the throne room.  
  
"Yes, I will see you all in the morning then, good night." Elrohir said as he disappeared down a side passageway.  
  
Legolas swept out a hand, motioning for Rain to follow him down. Rain had to tear her gaze away from the jet black walls gilded in gold as he led the way out of the room. Their footsteps echoed loudly in the vastness of the room, and Legolas hid a smile as he watched Rain out of the corner of his eye.  
  
Her wide eyes darted around the huge room, taking in the elaborate decorations that seemed commonplace to him after centuries. Tension hummed from her body, a slight frown marring her soft brow. The flames from the torches glittered brightly against the gems embedded in the stone, their reflections dancing in her midnight hair.  
  
Rain gasped as Legolas pushed open what appeared to be solid gold doors, to reveal an elaborate spiral staircase. The steps shone in the light of many torches mounted on golden pillars and as they ascended, Rain ran her fingers lightly up the golden banister, marveling at the detail in the delicate scroll. Another set of golden doors stood at the top, and once again Legolas pushed them open. They moved without sound to reveal yet another lavishly decorated hallway.  
  
This one was a rich, deep pine green, the gold filigree replaced by silver threads. Huge silk screens hung on the dark walls, each depicting a great moment of some elvish battle. Silver wall scones held candles flickering in the darkness, and Rain was vaguely aware of the sweet scent of mint.  
  
Again their footsteps echoed as the walked down the seemingly endless hallway, making Rain start when Legolas' voice cut into her inspections.  
  
"I hope you're pleased with the room my father has chosen for you," he spoke softly, a slight frown of worry on his face.  
  
"I'm sure I will be," Rain replied, slightly distracted by the lavish surroundings. Once again they lapsed into silence and she became aware of a building tension in the set of Legolas' broad shoulders. Uncomfortable with the silence, Rain tried to draw him into conversation, hoping he would reveal the cause of his distress.  
  
"Your father seems to be a very nice person, Legolas," she said, following his long strides with a little difficulty as he walked quickly down the hall.  
  
"Yes, he had always had a kind streak, but he can be fierce and protective of his kingdom and its people. I can only hope that if I am ever called upon to rule that I can follow his example." he replied as he stopped in front a carved doorway.  
  
"This is your room, I am right across the hall if you need me." he said as he gestured to a door behind him. He bent slightly and placed a gentle kiss upon her lips, "Good night Rain."  
  
"Goodnight, Legolas," she replied as she backed into the room, Nanook bounding past her, her worried gaze never leaving Legolas. Without a second glance, he opened his door and vanished inside. Sighing deeply, Rain silently closed her own door and turned around.  
  
Her jaw dropped as her eyes took in the elegance of the massive room. Muted light from an unknown source shone gently against the glossy walls and floor. Dark green silken drapes hung at the window, open slightly to allow entrance to the soft breeze. Elaborate golden tables and a matching armoire sat around the room, a settee lounging just in front of the open balcony in the far wall. But that was not what claimed Rain's attention, nor that of the stunned dog. It was the bed.  
  
Rain had never seen anything so huge. She was sure it was far beyond king sized as she walked slowly across the room. The golden canopy soared into the muted darkness of the room, the silken green drapes fluttering gently in the warm breeze.  
  
Nanook stood next to the bed, a look of hope in his eyes. He whined softly as his eyes flicked up to his master. Rain tentatively touched the coverlet, her fingers caressing the cool silk. Pushing against the mattress, she was not surprised to find it soft and inviting. Suddenly she felt exhausted.  
  
Suppressing a yawn, she began to drag off her dirty clothes. She didn't even mind the silken gown of the purest silver which waited for her at the foot of the bed. Shaking out her braid, she carefully pulled back the covered and slipped between the cool sheets with a sigh. Laying her head against the soft pillow, she stretched out her legs, and gently patted the bed beside her.  
  
Nanook jumped up carefully and settled against her back. Reaching behind her, she caressed his fur as the both slipped away into a deep sleep. The last thing she heard was the contented sigh from Nanook.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: Well, let me know what you think so far? Rain is finally in Legolas's territory and feeling, well a little intimidated I would think. So, let's see what shall happen while they are in Mirkwood. . . .  
  
Thanks for reading ~ DBZ Vegeta 


	31. Uncomfortable Surroundings

Disclaimer: All characters that belong to Tolkien, belong to him. . .All the other's belong to me and my friend.  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 31 - Uncomfortable Surroundings ~~*~*~~  
  
"Father, how did you know who Rain was last night?" Legolas asked as leaned in the doorway to his father's den. Thranduil sighed lightly as he looked up at his youngest son, he knew the questions were bound to happen after he had addressed Lady Rain directly without being introduced. But there was no way he was going to tell Legolas the whole truth about the current situation.  
  
"Lord Elrond forwarded a message informing me of your desire to accompany Lady Rain on her quest. I naturally assumed since she was the only female in your group that she would have been her." Thranduil said as he watched his son walk gracefully into the office and settle himself in the chair on the other side of his desk.  
  
"He did, I hadn't realized that he would." Legolas said softly, a frown marring his forehead.  
  
"Yes my son, he sent it the night before you left Rivendell. He wanted to assure me that you were safe and would be gone longer than you had planned."  
  
"He didn't mention the purpose of Rain's quest to you." Legolas asked carefully, wondering if he could wheedle some more information out of his father about what was going on.  
  
Thranduil sat back in his chair, looking shrewdly at his son. 'So, Rain hasn't said anything yet. But then, even she doesn't know the full story.' he thought as he answered his son noncommittally.  
  
"No, he did not say anything on the message about the reason of the quest, only that you were assisting her in the completion." 'It was the truth in part, just not the part that his son wanted to hear.'  
  
"Oh, well I should go see if our guest is awake. I am sure she will be quite hungry after our long journey last night." Legolas said, standing up from the chair. "Will you be joining us for breakfast, father?"  
  
"I am sorry, Legolas. But I have a few important matters to deal with this morning. Why don't you show Lady Rain about our kingdom and I will join you both for dinner."  
  
"As you wish, till this evening." Legolas said as he bow lightly and quickly left the room. Thranduil pushed back the chair from his desk and strode across the room to look out the long thin windows cut into the mountain.  
  
"You can come out now, Gandalf." he said quietly.  
  
"I never could fool you for long could I, Thranduil." Gandalf said as he slid out of the shadows from the back of the room.  
  
"No, you never could, old friend. What can I do for you?" he said as he turned to face the aged wizard in front of him.  
  
"I was wondering why you decided to lie to Legolas about Rain." Gandalf queried lightly, a slight grin tugging on his lips.  
  
"I did no such thing. I just did not voluntarily offer information that he would have liked to hear. And don't give me that look, even you don't know the whole story." Thranduil said testily as he turned his back on the chuckling wizard.  
  
"Well then, why don't you enlighten me." Gandalf said as he took a seat and prepared himself for an interesting tale.  
  
~*~  
  
A soft whisper of sound tugged at her awareness, rousing her from her restless sleep. She vaguely felt the bed shift beneath her and the light touch of fingers ghosting over her shoulder. Squirming slightly at the tickling sensation, she shifted away from the touch, her eyes parting slowly. In the dim light filtering through the long thin window, his hair glowed molten gold and eyes deepened a dark passionate blue, burning with an inner light.  
  
She stared transfixed as he lowered his face closer to hers, her eyelids fluttering closed as his lips gently traced over hers, leaving a trail of fire in their wake as they began to slide down across her cheek to the soft skin beneath her ear.  
  
A husky moan slipped from her lips as his hand softly pushed the covers down past her hips, his lips exploring the tender skin of her throat. The silken texture of her gown, warmed by the close contact with her skin, slid softly beneath his fingertips, drawing another moan from her. Unable to stop himself, his hands drifted slowly up from her hips, skimming lightly over her skin one stopping beneath her full breasts and the other moving farther up to tangle in her long black hair.  
  
The hand resting beneath her breast moved higher and his thumb lazily brushed lightly across her nipple pulled another gasp from her. His mouth moved up from his explorations of her throat to cover her lips again, swallowing her pleasure-filled gasp. Taking advantage of her open mouth, his tongue slipped between her parted lips to gently caress hers, as his thumb tortured her peak into a hard knot.  
  
Her back arched off the bed as flames shot through her body at his touch heating her blood. Her hands that had been lingering in the bedcovers came up to tangle in his hair. He pulled back from her, staring into her beautiful face, her lips lightly bruised from his kisses. Just as he was leaning forward to kiss her again, a noise of footsteps and laughter rang through the hallway outside of her room. Like cold water having been dashed over him, he sat back suddenly and stood up away from the tempting sight.  
  
Rain watched him back away from her, suddenly bereft of his warmth. A frown creased her brow as she watched him run a shaky hand through his hair. Sitting up, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and walked towards him.  
  
"Rain, I came to see if you would like to go to breakfast?" he said, his voice husky with his frustration.  
  
"Legolas, why did you stop?" she asked quietly as she placed a hand on the center of his chest, feeling his heart beating rapidly beneath his tunic.  
  
"This isn't the time for us to do this. We need to focus our attention on your mission," he replied, grasping desperately for the control he cloaked himself in. The scent of lavender and just pure Rain, made it hard for him not to sweep her back into his embrace. "I promised you a tour of my home, didn't I. Why don't you get dressed and I will show you around after we have breakfast."  
  
Rain frowned as she watched the myriad of emotions play over his face, but she had to agree with his logic. Now was not the time for them to get involved with the horizontal mambo, no matter how much she would have liked it several minutes ago.  
  
She smiled gently up at him before she answered. "Just as well, I was getting a bit hungry."  
  
"Wonderful, I will wait for you in the hallway." he replied as he turned quickly and left. She grinned at his hasty retreat as she turned to pull clean clothing from her bag.  
  
~*~  
  
Legolas leaned heavily against the wall next to Rain's door, silently berating himself for giving into the temptation of touching her. His memory flashed back to the evening at Rivendell when he had teased her awake with a lock of her hair. He had then wanted to do more, but had been able to forestall himself. But for some reason, he was unable to do so today. She had looked incredible in that silver gown, one of the straps falling off her creamy shoulder, her hair spread wildly about her. All he could do now was pray. Pray that he could control the need to claim her, a need that grew stronger every day.  
  
'I need to stop torturing myself.' his mind cried as his hands came up to cover his face. Hearing a soft click, he turned and found Rain standing next to him in the hallway. His breath caught in his throat as his eyes caressed her slowly. She was dressed in same elvin clothing that Galadriel had provided her before they had left Lothlórien. Her foreign clothing had not been saved from attack she had suffered from the Uruk-hai, save her boots which she refused to be parted with.  
  
"Legolas, are you all right?" she asked softly as she stopped next to him, looking concerned.  
  
"I'm fine, let's get something to eat." he replied, trying to ignore the thundering pulse racing through his body. He pushed off the wall and smiled hesitantly down at her before holding out his hand to her. He was unsure of why he suddenly had a foreboding feeling sweep over him.  
  
Taking her hand, she let him lead her down the hall and the golden staircase. She cast uncomfortable glances at the richly decorated halls and was acutely aware of the splendor that lay before her. A sharp contrast to the modest home she had grown up in, a two bedroom trailer with green shag carpet and furniture that was at least twenty years old when she was little. The only redeeming quality that she remembered of her home was that it sat in the country and she spent a majority of her time in the woods surrounding her home. Somehow she couldn't imagine Legolas there with his silken tunic, and pure silver blades, sitting on the threadbare sofa amidst her mother's collection of cheap ceramic figurines.  
  
A gasp past her lips as Legolas led her into a magnificent dining room. Never before had Rain seen such opulence. The massive vaulted ceiling was made of the purest glass, allowing the bright rays of the morning sun to cascade down onto the golden chandeliers, its myriad of crystals sending a rainbow of color about the room.  
  
The walls were broken into a series of portraits, each woven of the purest silk and surrounded by a golden frame. Floor to ceiling windows, gilded with silver and gold, stood between the portraits, allowing an unobstructed view of the gardens beyond.  
  
The table itself was unlike anything Rain had ever seen. Made of the finest oak, it stood in the center of the room. The curved legs were each sculpted into the likeness of a woodland creature, while along the edge, a never ending trail of leaves was carved with the utmost detail.  
  
The chairs, molded into the same likeness as the table, were so numerous, Rain didn't even bother to count them. Each seat was covered with the plushest velvet in a blue to match Legolas' crystalline eyes. From her viewpoint in the doorway, Rain could see the many elaborate candlesticks squatting in the center of the table. Molded to favor the chandeliers, their crystals sparkled in the morning light. As her eyes slowly roamed around the room, Rain could feel her mouth go dry. 'You don't belong here!,' a voice screamed in her head, making her heart beat painfully and her palms moist.  
  
Legolas looked down into her stunned expression, unsure of why she looked that way. He looked over the room and tried to see it from her eyes. To him, it looked quite ordinary. Hearing a voice call out, he turned to see Elrohir, sitting with his father and Gandalf, waving to them from across the room. Dragging Rain reluctantly behind him, he crossed the room.  
  
"Good morning Father, Gandalf, Elrohir." he said with forced cheerfulness, as if he hadn't already spent time with his father this morning.  
  
"Ah, Legolas. Rain. Please join us, the cooks have out done themselves this morning in honor of your return and that of our special guests." Thranduil boomed heartily across the convening space.  
  
Just then, the far door opened and the most beautiful creature Rain had ever seen glided into the room. Her long, golden hair cascaded down her back in a myriad of curls. Startling crystal blue, almond shaped eyes peered through long ebony lashes. A narrow nose, high cheekbones, and rose tinted lips gave her an exotic beauty. A hint of blush on her cheeks glowed softly against the creamy, almost ethereal paleness of her delicate skin.  
  
Framing her slender body was a dress in the deepest forest green velvet, contrasting with the delicate gold chains draping the garment. The tight fitting bodice hugged her alabaster breasts, the waist narrowing dramatically before flaring into a full skirt that swirled around her, sweeping the marble floor.  
  
Jewels of the purest sapphire sparkled in her blond hair, hung from her lobes, and shone against her long throat and slender wrists. As she smiled and extended her delicate hand, diamonds and more sapphires twinkled on her long fingers.  
  
"Good morning, dear. Did you sleep well?" she asked, her voice as soft and smooth as satin.  
  
"Yes, thank you," Rain mumbled, surprised at once by the strength in the woman's grasp.  
  
"Your manners are slipping, Legolas," the woman said with quiet amusement.  
  
"I'm sorry," Legolas stammered, his sculpted cheeks flushing. "Rain, this is Lady Tiapyvain, Queen of Mirkwood, my mother. Mother, this is Rain Clearwater."  
  
At once Rain saw the striking similarities between mother and son. Both shared the pale golden hair, the high cheekbones and grace of style.  
  
The queen's smile broadened as she led Rain toward the elaborate table, before joining her husband.  
  
Rain and Legolas sat next to each other on the right side of Thranduil, the table overflowing with food. Rain was looked at the dinnerware and was astonished to find that it was gold, with silver etching laced along the handles and rims. Without sound, elvin servants appeared, setting plates before each guest. Rain clamped her jaw shut to keep it from falling as she realized the plates were solid gold. Gingerly, she picked up the fork and took a small bit of the food on her plate. It was exquisite, the flavors delicate yet bold at the same time. She felt so overwhelmed by her surroundings that she was barely conscious of the conversation around her until Thranduil's booming voice caught her attention.  
  
"Those bloody Uruk-hai raided another of my convoys to Nim Selaira! Lost many good warriors and the cargo."  
  
"Nim Selaira?" Rain asked, not familiar with the name.  
  
"Translated loosely, it means Deep Mountain Home," Gandalf replied, his eyes peering over his crystal chalice. "Of course, Thranduil uses it more as a storage facility."  
  
Rain frowned. "A storage facility for what?" It was the queen who answered in her soft voice.  
  
"My husband is an avid collector of precious ... items."  
  
At Rain's nonplussed expression, Elrohir elaborated with eagerness. "Metals. Gold, silver, mythril. Gems such as diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, and rubies. And the finest silks and spices from all over Middle Earth. The entire palace is full of them."  
  
'An entire palace full?' Rain's mind shrieked. Once again Rain's mouth dried and her appetite fled as she thought of the tiny pittance she'd squirreled away over the years as a nest egg. Her entire life's savings probably wouldn't even come close to the cost of the plate she was now eating from. Carefully placing her fork on the table, she pushed her almost full plate away before settling her hands in her lap. Rivendell and Lothlórien both had their own charm and beauty, but this was unbelievable.  
  
She glanced out the corner of her eye at Legolas and saw that he was relaxed and open. To him this was all natural, but to her. . .  
  
Legolas caught her glance and saw that she was finished eating. "Are you ready for your tour, Rain?"  
  
"Yes." she replied, before quickly pushing back from the table, eager to be away from the opulence of the room.  
  
"If you all will excuse us, I promised Rain I would show her around." Legolas said the remaining group.  
  
"I'll come too." Elrohir said, seeing the imploring look Rain shot in his direction.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: My co-author and I took the liberty of creating Legolas's mother (my co-author came up with the idea, name and description - pretty much all of her). We looked everywhere and could not find anything about Legolas's mom, so she made him one. She is going to play a crucial role in the story, so be on the lookout for her again. Her name stands for "Magic Sapphire Spirit".  
  
Let us know what do you think? 


	32. Noble Intentions

Disclaimer: While I don't own Tolkien's characters or places I do own the storyline and characters of my and my co-authors creation.  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 32 - Noble Intentions ~~*~*~~  
  
The remainder of the morning was torture for Rain, not that she wasn't enjoying Legolas's presence, but that she was being to feel totally inadequate. The richness and splendor of the dining room had only been the tip of the candle, and with each room that she was shown her depression became deeper and deeper. Where she had been comfortable and relaxed when staying with Lord Elrond and Lady Galadriel, here she was beginning to see that she really didn't belong in the world of the elves, especially Legolas's world.  
  
Looking up into his animated face, she could tell that he loved his home. Her meager home, while comfortable to her, would look like a hovel in comparison to just one room within his home. She ate off of corning ware plates with cheap silverware and plastic cups; not plates, dining ware and goblets made of purest gold and crystal.  
  
Looking away again, her mind rolling with her turmoiled thoughts. 'He didn't act like such things bothered him when we were on the trail. He was just as willing as each of us to use his fingers.' Shaking her head sharply, she brought her attention back to Legolas, who as looking down at her questioningly.  
  
"Are you all right Rain?" he asked softly as he led her into the stables where they were going to check on the horses.  
  
"I'm fine." she replied, looking away from him and into the stable, trying not to wince. Even a place as mundane as a stable glittered brightly with gold and jewels. Each stall had gold name plates encrusted with emeralds. Pulling away from him she strode across the glittering stable to Arod, opening the door to his stall and slipping inside with him. He whickered gently as she softly rubbed his nose, she laughed as he imperiously butted against her, nuzzling her pockets.  
  
"All right, I didn't forget. Here you are greedy guts." she smiled as she held out her palm with the treat he was expecting. She watched as he daintily lipped the treat from her fingers before bringing her hand up to run gently along his nose.  
  
Legolas watched as Rain turned and picked up a brush before starting to work on Arod's hide. He leaned back against Hasufel's stall door puzzling over her behavior since this mornings breakfast. She had seemed ill at ease ever since they had entered the dining room and the tension he felt going in her had continued to build throughout the day. Feeling movement next to him, he turned to find Elrohir sliding down onto the bale of hay next to him.  
  
"I don't understand her, Elrohir." he said softly as he sat down next to his friend.  
  
"What's there not to understand Legolas?" Elrohir said as he leaned back and watched Rain briskly brushing Arod.  
  
"Elrohir, quit being obtuse. Last night everything was fine, yet today she seems distant and reserved. Why?"  
  
"I'm not entirely sure, but I have a feeling that it has to do with something about your home." Elrohir chuckled at the startled expression that crossed Legolas's face.  
  
"My home? What's wrong with it?" Legolas frowned as he turned and looked at Rain.  
  
"You wouldn't see anything wrong with it since you grew up here, but to an average person or even an elf, you would have to say that it is a little lavish, wouldn't you?" Elrohir said softly as he leaned back closing his eyes.  
  
Legolas thought about his words for a minute before replying, "True, father does like to show off his wealth, but that doesn't matter to me."  
  
"Ah, but Legolas, to Rain I think it does matter. I think that she is feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the fripperies that King Thranduil loves so much." Elrohir chuckled with a remembered memory. "Do you remember when I first came here so long ago? I was quite startled by the amount of gold and jewels your father put into his decorations, and I grew up in Rivendell, which was reputed to be the most lovely of all kingdoms. Even then it was a bit more than I could take and since then he had added even more."  
  
Before Legolas could respond to Elrohir's statement, he heard a click and looked up to find Rain closing the door to Arod's stall. Standing up quickly, he walked across the space separating them and slid an arm about her waist, pulling her into his arms. She looked up as his arms slid around her waist and was confronted by his worried blue eyes.  
  
"Rain, are you ready to continue our tour?" he asked softly bending down slightly to drop a kiss on her forehead.  
  
"Legolas." she said, reaching a hand up to trace along his cheek. "I think that I need to go back to my room. The journey seems to have caught up with me." her voice echoed tiredly. The stress and strain of the their travels since leaving Rivendell, the overwhelming atmosphere she was currently experiencing and the uncertainty of her future were beginning to take their toll on her body and spirit.  
  
"I'll escort you back." he said softly. He frowned as she pulled out of his arms, shaking her head.  
  
"No, Legolas. Stay here and visit with Elrohir longer. I can find my own way back." with that said she turned on her heel and walked quietly from the stable. Legolas started after her, but was detained by a hand on his arm.  
  
"Let her go. She needs this time alone." Elrohir said as he dropped his hand and stepped up next to Legolas. Legolas nodded absently as he watched Rain walked down the path and out of sight.  
  
~*~  
  
Rain opened her eyes and stared at the filmy material covering the canopy of the bed. It was a delicate gold, shoot threw with emerald colored threads, creating a pattern of leaves delicately twining through the material.  
  
'Lavish, yet strangely beautiful.' she thought as she closed her eyes against the sight. She was used to staring up at her white sheetrock ceiling at home, not paneled wood, expensive babbles and fripperies left and right. She didn't even want to look around the room again. When she had left Legolas in the stables she had returned to her room to contemplate what was running through her mind.  
  
She had been so excited that she was finally going to see were Legolas grew up and to be able to meet his parents, but she was unsure of how to act now. She had no problems with people who had money, that wasn't the problem. The problem was the ostentatious of the decorations within his home. Money was one thing, but gold plated beds, gold plated staircases, hell even the sheets were shot through with gold threads.  
  
So engrossed in her thoughts she did not hear the gentle knock at her door, nor the fact that it had been opened and an individual had entered her room. She was not aware of this person until she felt the edge of the bed sink gently beneath the light weight. Rolling over and opening her eyes, she shot back suddenly against the headboard as she looked directly into a pair of crystal blue eyes staring back down at her.  
  
"I am sorry, I didn't hear you come in." she stuttered quickly as she bowed her head to the woman in front of her.  
  
"No problem, my dear. I could tell that you were deep in thought." Queen Tiapyvain said gently as she gracefully placed her hands in her lap and stared back at Rain. "I wanted to visit a while with you before you and my son decide to continue your journey."  
  
"I would be honored Queen Tiapyvain." Rain said.  
  
"Please call me Tia. I have seen how Legolas looks at you and can only assume that he had fallen head over heals for you. It is good to finally see that my son has taken an interest in the female species after so many centuries." she replied softly. Rain could only look at her stunned. 'How old is Legolas?' she thought, but couldn't bring herself to ask.  
  
"But you aren't upset that he has fallen in love with a human." Rain blurted out, quickly clamping her mouth shut when she realized what she had said. She looked straight into her eyes, not wanting to see the answer that may be contain within, but not backing down either.  
  
Tia smiled gently at the girl in front of her. She could see why Legolas had fallen for her, she didn't back down from a challenge, yet she could see a hint of fear and vulnerability within those deep emerald eyes. 'This girl is wonderful for Legolas. She will definitely lead him on a merry chase.' she thought gleefully, smiling softly.  
  
"No my dear. I would never be upset about such a thing, I only want Legolas to be happy. I can see that you make him happy, no matter what the circumstances of your birth may be and he has accepted that." Tia said as she shifted slightly on the bedspread.  
  
Rain looked down at her clasped hands, confusion warring within her heart. Legolas's mother accepted her freely for who she is now, but what would she do if Rain became an elf. Would she see it as a betrayal for not telling them and Legolas? She desperately needed someone one to talk to about her situation, someone who could give her advice and help her though her inner turmoil.  
  
"Are you all right my dear?" Tia's voice echoed softly into her confused thoughts.  
  
"Yes. . .No. . Oh, I don't know any more." Rain said as she leaned forward and buried her face in her hands. The tension, turmoil, and confusion she had been consumed by since she had arrived in Middle Earth finally tearing away at her mind. She had been stuck here now for more than a month, she could just imagine what kind of trouble she would be in when she finally got back home. And to top that off what was she going to do about Legolas, he obviously loved her, but was she good enough for him.  
  
'He deserves better than me.' she thought ruefully. 'I mean the man is richer than Midas and I am just a poor country girl. Plus what is he going to say when I tell him that I can become an elf, he'll see it as a betrayal that I didn't tell him sooner.'  
  
"You're wrong Rain. Legolas would love you no matter who you are." said Tia softly. Rain looked up startled into Queen Tiapyvain's compassionate blue eyes and winced.  
  
"I didn't just say all that out loud did I." she asked.  
  
"Yes you did, my dear." Tia smiled gently. "Legolas will be ecstatic that he doesn't have to lose you from his life. He would have been willing to take the time that you have no matter what, but this means that you can be together forever. And don't you worry about not being good enough for him, I think that you are perfect no matter what form you are."  
  
"But I can't compare to his wealth." Rain protested.  
  
"Rain." Tia said as she leaned forward and cup Rain's cheeks in her hands. "Legolas loves the simple life much more than the glittery glamour that my husband so adores. He spends so much of his time in the forest than he does here at home. He would give all of this up in a heartbeat to be with the one he loves."  
  
Rain stared up Tia, quite unconvinced that Legolas could so easily give up such luxuries. She knew that all mothers loved their children and could find no wrong within them. She sighed softly as she pulled back from Tia and leaned back against the headboard, shutting her eyes. Too many thoughts were racing around in her head for her to make sense of the entire conversation. She needed time to sort though each and determine her best course of action.  
  
"I see that you are tired. I shall leave you to your rest and see you in the morning at breakfast." Tia said as she stood and walked towards the door.  
  
"Queen Tia." Rain said, watching as she stopped and turned back towards her. "Thank you."  
  
"You are quite welcome, my child. If you ever have the need to talk to someone, please feel free to come to me anytime." Tia said as she closed the door softly behind her.  
  
Rain watched as Legolas's mother departed and moved to swing her legs over the edge of the bed. Nanook, who had been laying on the floor next to the bed, moved to sit next to her and pressed his wet nose to the back of her hand.  
  
"Oh, Bup-pup, what should we do? I can't tell him and I can't compete with his home. I think that we need to just go home, don't you?" Rain whispered softly him, gently stroking his fur along his head. "Right, that's what we'll do. We'll go on to the Lonely Mountain and retrieve the key and return home. It's only right that Legolas find someone of his own stature."  
  
Nanook sat quietly watching Rain slip silently through the room, gathering her belongings and stuffing them into her bag.  
  
Once packed, Rain crossed to the window and peered down into the courtyard below. In the moonlight, she could just make out the forms of the two guards patrolling the open space. She stood watching them as they walked out of view and patiently waited for they're return.  
  
Five minutes passed before they rounded the corner of the building and slowly walked past the outer door. Glancing at her watch, she calculated her window of opportunity before slinging her bag over her shoulder and motioning for Nanook to follow her.  
  
Rain sent up a silent prayer of thanks as her door swung open noiselessly. Across the hall, Legolas' door beckoned.  
  
Slowly turning the handle, she held her breath as she pushed the heavy gilded door inward. Inside, the massive room was awash in moonlight. Taking a careful step, Rain focused her attention on the huge four poster bed standing against the far wall.  
  
Amidst a mass of silken pillows and the thick satin coverlet lay Legolas. With his long legs stretched out, and his golden hair sprawling across the soft pillow, his chest rose and fell in the slow even breaths of sleep.  
  
Rain's heart leapt into her throat as her gaze collided with the deep blue of his eyes. Frozen to the spot, it was several moments before she realized he was indeed asleep. With a deep sigh of relief, she vaguely remembered reading about elves sleeping with their eyes open.  
  
Once again Rain's gaze took in the high cheekbones, flawless complexion and soft lips, committing them to memory. Clamping her jaw shut against the burn of tears in her eyes, she turned away and slipped out the door.  
  
Nanook sat in the hall, his silken ears low, a sad expression in his big, shining eyes. Seeing the regret in his face, Rain had a moment of doubt, before gritting her teeth and heading down the hallway. Nanook glanced longingly at Legolas' door before slowly following his mistress.  
  
Her steps light, Rain carefully made her way down the long hall cast in dancing shadows by the flickering flames of the torches. Just as she approached the stairwell, voices made her dash into a nearby doorway. She waited there, Nanook by her side, until the voices faded before venturing out to the stairs once again. She made it down to the main floor and across the expanse of the dining room until she reached the door that lead to the courtyard. Glancing at her watch, she prayed that the guards were on schedule before pushing open the heavy door. Poking her head out, she just caught the flash of their pale blond hair as they rounded the far corner, leaving the yard. She slipped through the door and closed it carefully behind Nanook before she dashed across the moonlit yard.  
  
Breathing a sigh of relief, she leaned against the stable door, taking in the heavy scent of hay and horses. Hefting the strap of her bag higher on her shoulder, she walked through the stable before stopping at the farthest stall.  
  
Arod perked his ears forward at his unexpected visitors before walking to the stall door. He greeted Rain with a soft snort and then nuzzled her with his velvety nose.  
  
"I need your help," she said softly, rubbing his neck gently. Arod's ears quivered as he pulled away from her touch and prodded his saddle eagerly. With an affectionate grin, Rain opened the stall door and saddled him as he curiously rubbed noses with Nanook, whose tail wagged slowly.  
  
Arod whinnied quietly as Rain climbed up and led him out of the stall. She glanced once more at her watch, checking for the guards, before spurring the horse and galloping away into the night. Her heart breaking as she cast on last look at Mirkwood palace, whispering her farewells to Legolas.  
  
So intent on her escape, Rain failed to notice the elf standing on the balcony on the top floor of the palace. Tia sighed heavily before turning and heading for her chambers.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: Please don't get mad at Rain, she is so confused right now that this seems to her to be the only viable option. Stay tuned for the next exciting installment. . .  
  
Thanks for reading ~ DBZ Vegeta 


	33. Secrets Begin To Unravel

Disclaimer: Sorry, the only thing I own in this story is the plot and my characters the rest belongs to Tolkein.

~~*~*~~**Chapter 33 - Secrets Begin To Unravel**~~*~*~~

Legolas knocked on Rain's door the next morning. He had done as Elrohir had asked and left her alone to her thoughts last night, but he was chafing to see her. Frowning at lack of response he was getting he cautiously opened the door and peered around the frame. Looking around he stepped in and noticed that she wasn't there. Wondering if she had left early for breakfast, he turned back and left the room hurrying down the stairs and into the dining room. His frown deepened as he saw that she wasn't among the people gathered at the long table. 

"Good morning Legolas. How did you sleep last night?" Elrohir called as Legolas crossed the room.

"Fine, has anyone seen Rain this morning?" he asked, looking around the group.

"She hasn't shown up here this morning. What, did you lose her?" Elrohir said slyly, a gleam twinkling in his eye. 

"No, I didn't lose her, she just wasn't in her room this morning and neither was Nanook." Legolas answered, glaring back at the grinning elf.

"Well then, there's your answer. She's probably outside with him." Elrohir retorted. "She'll be back soon, so let's get some breakfast." 

Legolas glanced longingly at the door leading to the courtyard, but knew that she wouldn't take too long outside with Nanook. Moving around the table, he sat down next to his mother smiling down at her. A slight frown crossed his face at the pensive expression gracing her face.

"Mother, are you all right?" he asked softly.

"Yes, my son. I'm fine." she answered gently, a hint of distress plainly visible in her voice. 

Legolas gazed worriedly as his mother picked listlessly at the food on her plate, concerned about her state of well-being. She looked up and smiled wanly at him, before reaching over to pat his hand gently. He covered her fingers with his, squeezing lightly before turning to his plate. He was anxious to finish and find Rain quickly this morning. Sliding back from the table, he quickly excused himself and strode out of the dining room, unaware of his mother's unhappy gaze following him sadly. 

~*~

Legolas searched the interior of the palace for most of the morning, becoming steadily worried as he hurried outside into the garden. Everyone that he had talked to this morning had not seen Rain since last night. Striding through the outer doors, he spotted his mother sitting beneath her favorite tree. Hurrying towards her, he slid to a halt next to the bench she was sitting on. 

"Mother, did Rain ever show up after I left this morning?" he asked, worry clearly coloring his voice. 

"Legolas, please sit down for a moment?" she said softly, her eyes downcast and her voice quivering.

A shaft of fear snaked through his stomach, causing it to clench down tightly. He cautiously sat down next to her, a sense of foreboding creeping though his body. His body tense and his eyes pinned on her, he waited anxiously for her to look up at him. 

"Legolas," she started, her eyes meeting his for the first time, filled with a sadness and regret, "she's gone."

His heart skipped a beat as her words sunk in, his pulse pounded in loudly in his ears. A rushing sound of wind filled his senses, causing his body to feel weak. His head fell forward, hands reaching up to tangle in his hair. "What do you mean she's gone?" he said, his words sounding hollow and foreign.

"She left late last night and it is all my fault." she whispered softly, looking back down at her hand twisted in her lap.

"What?" he said, his voice hoarse.

"I went to visit her last night, she seemed so confused at breakfast that I wanted to talk with her. She was in such agony, I could almost feel it. She doesn't think she is good enough for you and I tried to convince her otherwise. I fear that I have only caused you more pain, my son." Tia said her voice trembling as she tried to contain her sorrow for hurting her youngest child. 

"When did she leave?" he said, his voice suddenly cold and hard. She looked up, started by the tone. Rearing back slightly she stared, suddenly frightened by the cold expression that covered his face.

"Legolas?" she started, but jumped at the harsh words he uttered.

"When. . .did. . . she. . .leave!" 

"Around midnight, I saw her heading north with her beast and Arod." she said gently, trying to contain her fright and sooth him at the same time. She watched as he stood up abruptly and walked quickly towards the palace. She suddenly was very concerned for Rain when he caught up with her. 

~*~

Rain looked up from the map she had spread over her bent knees and up to the terrain they had been traveling. She was exhausted but knew that she had to travel as far as she could before Legolas decided to track her down. It had been an impulse to leave, but she knew it was for the best. Legolas deserved someone who didn't lie to him, someone who was of his own stature; not some broken down Senior Master Sergeant from his future. 

Suddenly, Rain's thoughts flew to her future. She fully intended on retrieving the sword, and then returning to her home and her life. But suddenly the usual rush of excitement that thought inspired was gone. 

She knew there would be a court martial. But how would she explain where she had been for all these days? And if by some miracle she managed to hold on to her job, would she be able to simply return to her life as if nothing had happened? 

Her mind filled with images of her irate Captain bellowing at her, followed by her returning to her empty house. No-one to share her experiences with and certainly no-one who would even care where she had been. 

Even her favorite past-times seemed to have paled. Hours spent scouring the Internet reading fanfiction about Lord of the Rings would seem redundant after having spent so much time here, getting to know the characters intimately. Even taking Nanook for a walk through the woods surrounding her home would seem lack luster after having traipsed through the lands of Middle Earth. 

Her gaze drifted down to her lap where her hand restlessly smoothed the map. Her uniform suddenly seemed drab and harsh, compared to the soft suede's and silks she'd worn since here. The dresses she could have done without, although once she'd become accustomed to them, they'd grown somewhat on her. She grinned as she thought of going in for duty dressed in the suede leggings, silk shirt and gold embossed vest she'd worn on several occasions here. She could well imagine the dropped jaws and sputtering of her squadron. 

And then her grin faded as her thoughts turned to family. In her own time, she had none left. Aside from her father who'd run out and left her and her mother to their own devices while he created a new life better suited to his whims. He didn't even really qualify as family. 

Images of Elrohir's smiling face and bursts of laughter filled her head. Memories of leaning into his solid warmth and taking comfort from the simple act of touch. Elrond's gentle smile, kind demeanor. Galadriel's guidance and mind meddling, that would all be lost. 

And then there was Legolas. Grimly, Rain realized that no man would ever be able to compete with his grace and quiet strength. No man's eyes would ever be blue enough, nor their hair pale enough or long enough. So she would be destined to spend the rest of her life alone, mourning the one she'd given up, refusing to settle for second best. 

Turning her gaze toward Nanook, she saw him laying in the clearing by Arod, his large eyes never leaving her. In those eyes she saw worry and regret. He whined softly, his bushy tail swishing slowly, as if to say, I'm sorry I can't make this easier for you. Watching him, she began to envy his way of life. He took pleasure when he found it, without worrying about its source or the consequences of it. His decisions were based on his emotions, rather than what was right or wrong. And he always chose what made him happy, unless otherwise ordered to do so. Why couldn't she be more like him? Why did she always have to wait for the moment to end with pain, instead of simply enjoying the moment for what it was? 

Rain rubbed her now aching temple with her hand wearily. What had seemed so clear last night, was now uncertain. And for the first time in her life, she began to doubt herself. Doubt her way of thinking and doubt all the rules she had chosen to live by. 

She sighed as she rolled up the map and stashed it back into it bag. She hadn't realized how hard it would be to leave him, even if it was for his benefit. Standing up, she brushed the dead leaves and dirt off her clothing and walked over to Arod. He stood tall and alert, keeping watch over their impromptu camp. 

"Come on guys, we have a long way to go today." she said as she packed away the maps. Arod nickered softly as his head turned and nudged her in the back. She slapped tiredly at his nose and swung quickly up onto his back. 

"Let's go boys." she called, closing her eyes as she leaned forward over Arod's neck. "On to Laketown."

Arod plodded carefully forward, balancing the sleeping woman on his back, instinctively heading in the direction she wanted. Ears pricking for any sign of trouble or the sound of Hausfel's great hooves behind him.

~*~

"Legolas wait." yelled Elrohir, as he watched Legolas storm angrily down the hallway and up the stairs. Hurrying quickly to catch up, he barely slid into Legolas's room without getting hit by the slamming door. He watched silently for a moment as Legolas slammed open the closet door and began throwing clothes and bags towards his bed.

"Legolas, what's. . ." he stopped mid-sentence at the heated glare thrown his direction. "Sorry." he mumbled softly. Leaning back against the closed door, he observed Legolas's actions. Something was definitely wrong, and he was going to find out what it was. 

Legolas finished packing quickly, ignoring Elrohir's looming presence. Sliding his twin blades into their sheaths, he slung his quiver and bow over his shoulder and reach out to pick up the saddlebag. Turning towards the doorway, he found Elrohir blocking his exit.

"Move." he growled threateningly, one hand resting on a sheathed blade. Elrohir's eyebrows twitched at the location of his hand.

"Not until you tell me what is going on." Elrohir replied steadily, tensing lightly in preparation of any objection to his request.

"I'm leaving." Legolas hissed, his voice cold sending shivers down Elrohir's spine. He ignored the feeling, determined to get to the bottom of Legolas's unexpected anger. 

"I can very well see that. Why?"

"Because your exulted cousin decided that she was better off on her own than with us." Legolas snapped.

"What do you mean better off on her own?" Elrohir said, confusion coloring his face and tone.

"She left late last night with Nanook and Arod to continue her mission without our help."

"Arod! How did she get him to go with her?" Elrohir replied, puzzled how Arod, who was loyal only to Legolas, would go off willing with Rain. Even if she had been riding him for the past month. 

"I would also like to know. Now, will you get out of my way so that I can catch up with her." Legolas snarled harshly.

"What are you going to do when you catch her?" Elrohir asked, worried by the feral gleam in Legolas's eyes.

"I don't know, kill her."

"Legolas. . ." Elrohir started, concerned greatly for Rain's welfare. 

"I don't know what I will do yet, I haven't decided." Legolas replied, breaking into Elrohir's words. Reaching out he pushed Elrohir aside and stalked out of the door. 

"Hey wait, I'm going with you." cried Elrohir as he jumped out of the room and ran after Legolas.

~~*~*~~

A/N: Uhh Oh, Legolas is pissed and Rain is regreting her decision. What't going to happen when our two intreped adventures meet up again. Press that button and leave a review. 

~Thanks for reading DBZ Vegeta


	34. Confession's Good for the Soul

Disclaimer: As before the only thing I own is the plot and my characters, everything else is Tolkein.  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
By DBZ Vegeta  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 34 - Confession's Good for the Soul ~~*~*~~  
  
Exhaustion finally caught up with Rain, after three days of fleeing from Mirkwood. Three days of trying to escape her past, three days of trying to escape her future, three days of trying to escape her heart. It was the last one the hurt the most, her heart. As she got further and further away from Mirkwood, a pain had lodged within her soul, slowing eating away at the edge of her sanity.  
  
The brief snatches of sleep she got atop Arod's back did nothing the help the situation. If anything it made her even more confused. The surrounding forest looked the same as it did the day she left Mirkwood, a never-ending sea of darkness, with only flashes of light here and there.  
  
She slid tiredly down from Arod's back in a small clearing at the edge of Mirkwood forest. They had finally broken through the darkness and the sudden appearance of bright light startled and confused her. Dragging her bag off Arod, she slipped the cinch of his saddle loose and let it fall heavily to the ground. To tired to even pick it up she let it lay where it fell. Grabbing her bag, she dragged it behind her to a log on the other side of the clearing. Knowing that if she sat down that would be the end of her, she slowly gathered stones and dead wood to start a small fire. Barely able to stay awake, she managed to light the fire and lay out her blankets next to the flickering flames. With a weary sigh she gratefully laid down and fell into a deep sleep.  
  
~*~  
  
Languidly, Rain rolled over onto her side and sighed gently. Cracking her eyes open, she discovered that her fire had gone out and that it was late afternoon. Yawning widely, her jaw popping with the effort, she sat up and stretched her arms high over her head. Spotting Nanook sitting next to her, panting softly, she reached out and ran her fingers through the short hair on top of his head.  
  
"Have a good rest Bup-pup?" she asked, chuckling when he whined happily and licked her across the face.  
  
"Ugh, don't do that?" she cried as she brought her arm up to scrub her face. A low chuckle behind her startled her and moving swiftly, she swung around her gun leaping into her hands and pressed unerringly between the eyes of the man sitting on the log behind her. Dark eyes twinkled merrily as the figured spoke.  
  
"That's the second time you have pointed your weapon on me. Don't I qualify as a friend to you yet or do you consider me an enemy?" the voice crackled with amusement.  
  
"Shit Gandalf, didn't anyone tell you it is impolite to sneak up on a lady." Rain snapped as she dropped her arm, adrenaline pumping furiously through her veins.  
  
"Ah, but my dear, I didn't sneak. I walked quite calmly into your camp and have been waiting patiently for you to awaken." he quipped back, a smile darting over his lips.  
  
"Humpf." she grunted noncommittally as she holstered her gun and turned away from the grinning wizard. Her nerves were shot and it didn't help when a smart-alex wizard decided to try and be cute. Rolling up onto her knees she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to calm the tension fizzling through her veins. Gandalf watched curiously as Rain sat with her back stiff to him. He had expected much more than silence from her. He had overheard the conversation that Legolas and his mother had in the gardens and managed to catch up to Rain before Legolas did. Of course, being a wizard did help at times.  
  
"Why did you follow me?" Rain asked softly, interrupting his musing.  
  
"Ah, we didn't get a chance to visit at Mirkwood, so I felt that this would be a good time as any." Gandalf said gently. Rain turned and gave him a confused looked. 'He wanted to visit, that's why he followed her.' she thought.  
  
"You want to visit? With me?" she asked astonishment coloring her tone. Her mind ran in different directions, wondering if the man in front of her was senile or just that insensitive. Here she was in the midst of the biggest crisis in her life and he wanted to visit with her.  
  
"Yes of course, I find you to be a very interesting individual and wanted to know more about you and your world." he said, his eyes twinkling brightly.  
  
'He is insane.' she thought as she pushed herself up off of her knees and walked steadily over to the dead fire. Kneeling down, she quickly rebuilt the fire and turned to pull her pack closer to her. His hand holding her pack out to her startled her somewhat, but she dismissed it as she took the pack from him. Opening it up, she pulled out a kettle and the waterbag. Pouring a generous amount in the kettle, she placed it close to the edge of the flame to heat.  
  
Going through the motions, that had become a morning ritual since she had arrived in Middle Earth, she swiftly prepared breakfast for her and her uninvited guest. Passing a cup of steaming tea, the closest thing she could find to a caffeine supplement, she took a quick sip grimacing at the taste. She still could not get used to the flavor, but it did wake her up.  
  
She eyed the wizard over the rim of her cup as he delightedly ate his breakfast, Nanook sitting at his knee hoping for any scraps that came his way. She sighed disgustedly, Nanook had become the king of beggars since they had arrived here. Nanook's eyes rolled over to her and his tail wagged heartily as he bounced across the space and flopped down next to her. His bright blue eyes beseeching her for a morsel.  
  
"You nucklehead, you had your breakfast already. This is mine." she chuckled as he rolled over onto his back, his legs waving playfully in the air and his eyes full of happiness. Low laughter from across the clearing causing to her remember her uninvited company and she sobered remembering the reason she was here in the first place. She looked up into the dark, wise eyes that peered brightly at her. She sighed as she laid her half full plate down in front of Nanook, suddenly no longer hungry.  
  
"You wanted to talk, so talk." she said brusquely, staring directly at him.  
  
"You know my dear, that he is going to catch up with you. It is only a matter of time." Gandalf said softly, ignoring the flames that seemed to dance in her green eyes.  
  
"I am doing this for his own good, not mine. It would be best for him to forget about me." she said angrily as she stood up glaring down at him. "I thought you wanted to talk about my world not my love life."  
  
"Ah, but my dear, they are one in the same." he said cryptically. She frowned as she tried to interpret the meaning behind his words but gave up, shaking her head angrily.  
  
She stood up and walked over to Arod, who nickered happily. Rubbing his soft nose briefly, she picked up his saddle and laid it on his back. Cinching up the straps, she quietly collected her gear and tied the bag off to the saddle. Walking over to extinguish the fire, she was stopped by Gandalf's voice.  
  
"Running isn't going to make matters better. You need to face your feelings and acknowledge them."  
  
"I acknowledge that I am not good enough for Legolas and that I need to return to my home where I can be of some good." she said, not looking at the wizard.  
  
"So you would rather run from a problem than to stand and face it head on. I thought you were better than that, I must have been wrong." he said, his voice mocking her.  
  
"I never run from my problems!" she yelled, whirling to glare at him, her eyes flashing angrily.  
  
"Then what do you call this?" he said, his voice now soft and calm. Her head reared back and a realization that she was just running away from her feelings instead of facing them slapped her in the face.  
  
"Oh my god, what have I done?" she whispered hoarsely, her hands coming up to cover her mouth. 'That's what she had been doing, running away from her heart instead of facing it and conquering her fears.' she thought. 'Legolas must hate me for taking off like that.'  
  
"What am I going to do now?" she said as she slid slowly to the ground, leaning forward until her head rested on her knees. She was vaguely aware that Nanook was whining next to her, his wet nose pressed against her cheek and a warm hand resting on her back. All the doubt and all the anxiety she had been feeling for the past month suddenly rushed into her, threatening to overwhelm her. Her eyes filled with tears, and a pain so harsh spread through her body it took her breath away. She attempted to breathe, but each breath she took came out in gasping ragged sobs that shook her entire frame.  
  
A soft gentle murmur filled the air with her sobs and slowly her body began to calm. She became conscious of a hard warmth and a gentle touch along her back. A fragrance of old wood and pine needles filled her senses and she opened her eyes to look directly into Gandalf's concerned face. She looked embarrassed as she pushed herself up and off of his lap, where he had held her during her emotional breakdown.  
  
"Thanks." she mumbled as she lifted a corner of her sleeve to wipe the wetness from her face.  
  
"You're welcome." he said with a soft smile. "Now are you ready to face Legolas?"  
  
"Not really, but I suppose that I will have to." she said softly.  
  
"Good, he's standing right behind you."  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: Uh Oh, Legolas has showed up. What's Rain going to do know? Stay tuned for the next chapter.  
  
Also to all of my readers, I will be going out of town for the next two weeks, so there will not be any updates until after the middle of August. Please be patient, I plan on writing while I am away.  
  
Thanks for reading ~ DBZ Vegeta 


	35. Showdown in Middle Earth

Disclaimer: As I have always quoted, I don't own the characters or places created by Tolkien. I only own the storyline and my characters.  
  
A/N: Sorry that the author's note is at the top today, but I wanted to thank everyone for being so patient for this chapter. As you know I went on a small vacation, little did I know that I wouldn't get to write as much as I wanted due to a busted transmission in my motorhome and a $1600 dollar towing bill. That doesn't even include the cost of the repairs for the vehicle. Oh well, as they say if something didn't go wrong on vacation then it wasn't a true vacation.  
  
Anyways, this chapter would still probably be haunting me if it wasn't for my co-author who helped me with a great deal of this chapter. Well on to the chapter and happy reading.  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 35 - Showdown in Middle Earth ~~*~*~~  
  
Rain turned and her eyes met the cold blue gaze of the elf standing at the edge of the clearing. She held his gaze steadily, ignoring the shiver of fear that ran up her spine, causing her back to stiffen.  
  
"Rain." Elrohir yelled as he bounced across the clearing and swept her up into his arms hugging her tightly. "We were so worried about you, why'd you take off like that?"  
  
"Now is not the time for your questions, Elrohir. Come with me." Gandalf said as he grabbed him by the collar and dragged him protesting from the clearing. Rain and Legolas's eyes never breaking from their heated gaze. Nanook whined as he looked questioningly between the two people he cared about and slunk unhappily from the clearing following Elrohir's voice. Neither of the two heard nor saw any of the actions surrounding them, their concentration focused solely on one another.  
  
Rain shivered involuntarily as she watched Legolas stride angrily across the clearing until he towered over her. His eyes cold and harsh as he stared down unblinkingly into her eyes, accusations and fury warring with each across his face. She gulped convulsively, tamping down the fear that suddenly sprung up within her, as she held his gaze. She deserved his anger, his censure for running away from him. Every fiber of her being screamed for her to run, and involuntarily she stepped backwards until her movement was halted by a tree pressing into her back. He followed steadily his eyes never leaving hers, glaring fiercely down with anger twisting restlessly within the blue depths. His hands clenched tightly into fists.  
  
Rain shivered again at the coldness she saw in his eyes. She had seen it once before, when they had left Rivendell and even then it had scared her.  
  
But now this was different, she had brought it upon herself. Anger began to well up within her. 'What right did he have to act so coldly to her? She was doing this for him, not herself!' she thought as she pushed herself off of the tree and glared fiercely up at him.  
  
"Back off buddy, if you know what is good for you." she growled hotly, flames dancing in her darkening eyes.  
  
"What's good for me?" he replied, his voice silky soft, yet filled with ice.  
  
"Yeah, what's good for you! What right do you have barging in here like you own the place and trying to bully me!" she screamed, fists clenched standing toe to toe with the furious blond.  
  
"What right do I have! I have every right! You are still in Mirkwood and this is my kingdom. That makes you subject to its rules." he roared loudly.  
  
"And his Royal Highness asserts his power over the common person. Do you want me to bow and scrap the floor when you talk?" she said sarcastically, her hands gesturing in a wide arching manner as she bent forward at the waist, her green eyes glaring mockingly up at him.  
  
"Get up." Legolas' voice quivered with barely suppressed anger, his hands clenched into fists, knuckles white. Rain straightened, forcing her lips into a sneer, ignoring her pounding heart.  
  
"You enjoy this, don't you?" he asked.  
  
"What?"  
  
"These games you play. Drawing me in, letting me get close and then laughing at me as you run away."  
  
"You know nothing about me!"  
  
"I know more than you realize. I know that these feelings you have scare you, and that when you're scared, you force them away with anger."  
  
"Oh, really? And what am I so scared of?" Rain planted her fists on her hips.  
  
"Me."  
  
With that one word, spoken so softly, so calmly, Rain's heart jumped into her throat. He did know her well. Too well. "Your arrogance is showing, Prince Greenleaf."  
  
Once again his eyes hardened. "How so?"  
  
"You assume my "feelings" are genuine. Did it ever occur to you that the reason I keep leaving, is that you are nothing more than a diversion for me? That I may be bored here?"  
  
Muscles rippled as he clenched his jaw, strong white teeth gnashing furiously. "If you're so unhappy here, then leave!"  
  
Rain snorted, shaking her head. "The irony is, I gave my word."  
  
"The word of man rarely means anything. No-one would be surprised if you just left. It's not like what happens here will affect you in your world anyway."  
  
"So, is that what you would do? Just run away?" Rain tried to hide the hurt his words had caused with derision.  
  
"How can you ask that of me?! When have I ever run away from you?!" Legolas roared. "I have stood by you! I have kept my word!"  
  
"As have I! I said I'd get this bloody sword, and I will!" Rain screamed back.  
  
"Why?!"  
  
"Because I gave my word!"  
  
"Why did you give your word?!"  
  
"I don't know!"  
  
"Yes you do, Rain! You know exactly why you're doing this. Now tell me!" He grabbed her shoulders and shook her with frustration.  
  
"Because I'm insane! Because I've dreamed of being here, being an elf, all of my life! Because Elrond offered me that choice through this sword and in that one moment of insanity, I wanted that more than anything, and I grabbed at it! Now I have no choices left!"  
  
"You always have choices."  
  
"Do I?!" Rain's voice had risen to the point of hysteria. "I keep choosing to leave you behind, and yet you keep turning up!"  
  
Legolas's glare intensified as he raised his hand back. Suddenly all his anger drained from him as he watched as two twin tears slid restlessly down her cheeks. He looked past the anger she invoked as a shield, and saw the fear and vulnerability within her soul. He dropped his hand and hunched forward, placing his hands on either side of her head against the tree, his forehead pressed against hers.  
  
"Why Rain?" he asked softly, "Why don't you trust me?"  
  
Rain opened her eyes and looked into Legolas's beautiful blue eyes, seeing the pain, the anger and amazingly the love that he was feeling for her. Unable to help herself, she unconsciously sagged forward into his body, the tears that had consumed her emotions earlier returning with alarming ease.  
  
Legolas moved to gather her close against his body, savoring the feeling of her once again in his arms. Feeling the shudders that wracked through her frame, he bent slightly and lifted her up into his powerful arms. Striding carefully across the clearing, he carried her towards the small fire ring and sat down. Draping her sideways across his thighs, he allowed her to curl up in his embrace, her face buried in his shoulder. Hot tears soaked the front of his shirt as her sobbing increased in intensity.  
  
Soothingly he rubbed his hand up and down her back as he crooned words of comfort. He wanted nothing more than for her to return to her feisty self, to sit up and argue with him. Her breakdown was not unexpected, but tugged hard upon his heart. As much as he wanted to be mad at her abandonment, at this moment he couldn't think of a reason to hate her.  
  
Cradled in his arms, her lips pressed against his warm pulse just beneath the tender skin, Rain suddenly noticed his raw, masculine scent. As if sensing her awareness, Legolas turned his head towards her.  
  
Her eyes dropped to his lips, their soft texture so inviting. She wound a lock of pale hair around her hand as he slowly lowered his mouth to hers.  
  
His lips caressed hers gently at first, the tip of his tongue tracing her lips before dipping between them. He swallowed her sigh as she opened up to him, his arms like steel as they crushed her to him, one hand tangled in her hair, the other kneading her hip.  
  
At the far edge of the clearing, three pairs of eyes watched curiously.  
  
"I believe they've come to an understanding." Gandalf ran a hand through his beard with a satisfied grin.  
  
"They do that all the time," Elrohir shrugged. "Fight and make up."  
  
"My dear, Elrohir. You have a great deal to learn about love."  
  
"If that's what love is all about, they can have it. I'll stick to hunting." Elrohir shook his head as he walked away. Gandalf and Nanook shared a knowing glance before they too turned into the forest.  
  
~~*~*~~ 


	36. Time and Again

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters nor places created by Tolkien, but I do own my own.

****

Wild Blue Yonder

~~*~*~~ **Chapter 36 – Time and Again **~~*~*~~

When the trio finally did return from the woods, they found Rain and Legolas speaking softly next to a small fire that had been built in the clearing. Rain looked up and then quickly away as they stepped out of the woods. Nanook bounded happily across the open space to pounce upon Legolas, his long wet tongue doing its best to bathe his face. As Legolas wrestled with the large dog, Elrohir silently crossed the open space and sat down on the other side of Rain.

"Rain." he started softly, looking down at her bowed head. Sighing gently, he reached out and took one of her tightly clenched hands into his, before reaching out with his other hand to tilt her head up to meet his gaze. 

"Hey." she said softly as she looked up into his soft gaze, and before he could utter another word she threw herself into his arms and hugged him tight. 

"Hey back." he said as he held her tight against him, glad that she was safe and back where she belonged within their group. He rocked her lightly as his free hand softly stroked her long hair. When Legolas finally disengaged himself from Nanook, he looked up to find Rain in Elrohir's arms. A small frown crossed his face until Elrohir looked up at him. His eyes held such relief and joy that he could not be upset at him. 

Legolas stood up, brushing dirt and dead leaves off his clothing as he turned towards Gandalf. 

"It is late, we should camp here for the night before continuing on towards Laketown. Will you be joining us for the journey, Gandalf?" Legolas said softly, as not to disturb the quiet pair behind him. 

"So you have decided to help her in finishing this quest?" asked Gandalf quietly, stroking a long fingered hand down his white beard. 

"Yes, I promised myself that no matter what I would always help her. I have too many feelings for her to just abandon her." Legolas said as he looked over his shoulder at the quietly talking pair. "Elrohir feels the same as I do." 

"So, you have gotten over your anger at her." replied Gandalf, trying to hold back a smile. 

"Well. . ." Legolas started but was interrupted by a soft hand on his arm. Looking down he smiled softly at Rain, who had come to stand next to him.

"Are we going to continue on today or are we going to camp for the night?" she asked. 

"Camp, we can get an early start tomorrow morning." he said as he turned to face her and Elrohir. 

Night came quickly for the group as they settled down into the small clearing. Rain had prepared a quick meal that they all shared and a watch had been established with Elrohir volunteering to take the first shift. Gandalf sat staring unblinkingly into the fire as Rain laid out her bed roll. Laying down, she stretched out fully sighing gratefully for the cushioning of the blankets although she wistfully thought of the large soft bed she had left in Mirkwood palace. 

"Tired?" Legolas asked softly as he sat down quietly by her head, his blankets in his hand.

"Umm, yes." she murmured sleepily, raising her hand to cover the yawn that nearly split her face. She grinned softly up at him and patted the ground next to her invitingly. "Why don't you lay down and get some rest, you have the next watch."

He smiled softly as he spread out his blankets next to hers and slid down upon them. He was slightly startled when she shifted next to him and curled up against his side. He instinctively wrapped her tight in his arms and pulled her closer to his warmth. He felt the heat from her breath as she nuzzled into his chest. 

"Legolas, why did you follow me?" she asked.

"Because I love you." he said, as he leaned down and dropped a soft kiss onto her head. 

"Why?" she asked, her breathing beginning to even out, indicating that she was falling quickly asleep. He looked down at her, unable to answer her. Unsure of exactly why he felt the way he did, he laid there, holding her close in his arms, staring out into the starlit night while his mind actively ran rampant.

~*~

Elrohir yawned tiredly as he strode back towards the camp, running a hand through his thick dark hair. Massaging his neck, he looked forward to getting some well deserved sleep. He had been subjected to a long hard chase through Mirkwood forest, enduring endless hours in the saddle and even more endless hours of stressed silence. Legolas had been so intent on his goal, fuming the entire way that he had more than gratefully accepted the silence, not wanting to bring his wrath down upon him. 

When they had arrived at the clearing, his relief over Rain's safety had overcome his concern over Legolas's anger. It wasn't until Gandalf had pulled him from the clearing and the had shouting started, he had been grateful not to be the one incurring Legolas's ire. Even though Gandalf had pulled them well away from the camp, he'd had no problem overhearing the entire conversation between the two. Of course, it had helped that they had been shouting at the top of their lungs.

However, one part of the conversation concerned him. The part about his father Elrond. He had wanted to ask Rain about it when they returned to camp, but as of yet, hadn't had the opportunity. He would have to wait until he had a better chance to talk to her alone. Had Legolas understood what she meant? he wondered to himself.

Stepping into the clearing he walked softly over to Legolas and Rain, grinning mischievously at her position, wrapped snuggly around his torso. Sitting down on the log next to the pair, he was startled to find that Legolas was wide awake and looking lost in thought. 

"What are you thinking so hard about?" he asked, keeping his voice down so not to disturb Rain, who didn't have a watch until much later in the night. 

"A question Rain asked me earlier." Legolas replied as he gently disentangled himself from Rain's arms. "Get some rest, we need to leave at sunrise." 

Standing up, he looked down at Elrohir's tired face and felt a hint of guilt at his part in putting that there. He knew that he had been ruthless in their pursuit over the past few days, however the end justified the means. Placing a hand on Elrohir's shoulder, he squeezed softly before picking up his bow and quiver and striding from the clearing. 

Elrohir watched as Legolas walked from the clearing, knowing what the touch had meant and was glad that he had silently apologized for the trouble he had put him through. Yawning again, he stood and walked a short distance away, dropping his bed roll and climbing exhaustedly beneath the blanket. A deep and peaceful sleep came quickly to his tired mind, not seeing the pair of dark eyes that twinkled merrily at him. 

~*~

The attack came swiftly and silently, dark shapes pouring through the misty dawn to pounce upon unsuspecting prey. Eyes gleaming yellow and fangs glistening with blood lust, they quickly surrounded their preys location. As the largest of the group lunged forward to pounce upon the horizontal figure, a singing sound echoed through the clearing. A loud cry and thump was heard as the form shuddered and slumped to the ground, an arrow quivering in its furry body. 

Elrohir, Gandalf and Rain jumped to their feet as the wolf skidded to a halt several feet from them. Legolas ran into the camp, sliding to a halt in between them and the glowing eyes. 

Tossing his quiver and bow to Elrohir, he drew his twin short swords as he yelled over his shoulder.

"Rain, take Elrohir's bow and stay near Gandalf. Elrohir follow me."

Moments after he uttered his words, wolves poured into the clearing from every direction. Their snarls and yelps echoing loudly though the woods. Rain reached for Nanook, but missed his ruff as he dived into the oncoming wave of bodies. She lost her focus on him as she turned to shoot at several charging shapes. She dodged and rolled away from snapping jaws, coming up next to Gandalf.

"Can't you call the lightning down like you did for the spiders?" yelled Rain as she dodged another furry form that hurtled towards her.

"Unfortunately, I do not have the power of surprise here as I did then. We will just have to do this the old fashion way." Gandalf replied as he brought his staff down across the head of one of the wolves. 

"Dammit, where did Nanook and the guys go off to?" she said, releasing her arrow into the form leaping at her. She barely was able to get out of the way of the collapsing body as it skidded to halt next to her legs. 

~~*~*~~

****

A/N: Sorry for the long wait between chapters, I had a terrible case of writers block on this story. Know where I wanted to go but couldn't find the words. However, I have done it and the next chapter is nearly finished also. Thanks you for your patience. My co-author wanted to say a few words in this chapter to you all, so here she is:

****

A/N2: Hey, everyone! This is Stacey, Lori's writing buddy from Canada! I just had to let you know how much I'm enjoying working with Lori on this story and how much your reviews mean to me. 

I'm a professional writer and had really been in a rut with writer's block when I stumbled across Lori's story. This is my first adventure in the world of Fanfiction and I'm having a blast. 

I wanted you fans to know that your words of encouragement really inspired me to get past my block and thanks to you, my novel is now finished and in the process of being typed and polished for the publishers. From the bottom of my heart, Thank You! 

A special note to mellonim - you're a sweetie and I luv ya ta death! 

I'm glad you enjoy Lori's efforts as much as I do!


	37. Sticky Situation

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters nor places created by Tolkien, but I do own my own.

****

Wild Blue Yonder

~~*~*~~ **Chapter 37 – Sticky Situation **~~*~*~~

"So, you want to tell me how we got into this mess in the first place." Elrohir said sarcastically.

"Hey, it was your idea to chase after Nanook." Legolas said, arms crossed of his chest, ignoring the muck that was seeping its way wetly through his trousers. 

"Yeah, but it wasn't my idea to fall into this hole." he snarled, trying to pull his legs out the of the ooze that trapped his lower body from the thigh down. 

"I wouldn't struggle too much, we don't know how deep this stuff is really."

"Humph." Elrohir grunted as he stopped struggling and leaned back against the dirt wall of the hole they had fallen into. In the ensuing battle, he had spotted Nanook being targeted by several of the larger wolves and had run to his aid. That had ended in a long drawn out fight that led them farther and farther away from the main clearing. Legolas had seen their retreat through the woods and had rushed to their assistance. The three had managed to finish off their enemies and had only stopped for a short breather when the ground had collapsed beneath them, trapping them in a mire of mud at the bottom of a rather deep hole. 

Nanook, luckily, had been farther away from the two elves and had not been trapped. He had stood whining at the edge of the hole for a short period of time, before suddenly disappearing. Both elves hoped that no more wolves had appeared and waited anxiously for any growls or yelps. Only silence had greeted their straining senses. 

"He'd better have been hightailing back to get Rain." Elrohir grumbled unhappily. 

Legolas stayed silent as he closed his eyes. They were going to have to be patient until someone came along to help them. Unfortunately that meant he had to listen to Elrohir's whining about the situation.

"Elrohir, quit whining. We will get out of here sooner or later." Silence prevailed between the two men uncomfortably, each in their own thoughts. 

"Legolas. . ." Elrohir finally said again after a long period of absolute quiet had stretched between them. Legolas opened his eyes and looked over at him. He was staring back at him with a curious expression on his face. 

"Yes." 

"Why do you love Rain?" 

"Huh?" Legolas said, confusion in his tone. 

"I asked, why do you love Rain? I mean, only a couple of days ago you were ready to kill her, yet today after your argument you were back to the way you were before she disappeared." Elrohir said, looking seriously at him. "Legolas, I care deeply for Rain. She is like another sister to me and I don't want anyone, even you, hurting her. So I want to know, why do you love her?"

Legolas stared off into empty space for a long time, contemplating Elrohir's words. _'Why do I love Rain?'_ he thought to himself. She was stubborn, irritating and a general pain in his ass, but underneath all that he saw something that she tried so desperately to keep hidden. Her heart. It was gentle and caring, and so full of pain that he want to wrap her in his arms and never let her go. 

"I think. . ." he started, "because she reminds me so much of myself." 

"What?" Elrohir said, looking totally confused.

"She's tough, yet gentle. Stubborn, yet thoughtful and caring of those around her. Her pride gets the better of her and she doesn't know when to back down. She's beautiful in her own special way, from the inside out. I feel good when I am with, even when we are fighting." he tried to explain. "I am not sure how to put it any other way, I just know that when I am with her, I am happy. When I am not near I her, I yearn to find her."

"Humm, well I will have to accept that, even if I am not sure what it all means. But know this Legolas, if you do anything to hurt her again. . . " Elrohir said, his voice trailing off from the incomplete sentence.

Legolas looked up and met his eyes, understanding the unspoken words that hung between them. 

"Now, answer me one other question. What did Rain mean yesterday when she said something about father offering the chance to become an elf?" 

"Huh? An elf?" Legolas said looking sharply back at him.

"Yeah during your fight, she said she was looking for the sword because father offered her the chance to become an elf. Don't you remember that?" 

"No, I don't." Legolas said, his tone turning frosty. Elrohir reared back and looked into Legolas's face, suddenly aware of a cold anger radiating off of the man. Before he could say another word and faint yelling caught his attention.

"Elrohir. . .Legolas. . .Where are you?" 

"Rain, we're here." Elrohir yelled as he looked up from the dim hole to the sky above. Just as he was about to shout again, a head appeared at the opening followed by Rain's voice.

"Bup-pup, move your bloody head, I can't see. Hey you two, how'd you get down there?" she said, as she peered over the crumbly lip of the hole.

"Don't ask, just get us out of here." Elrohir said impatiently.

"Hold tight, I'll just get the rope and lower it down to you and then Arod will pull you up." she said as she disappeared from the opening. She hurried over to Arod and pulled a length of rope from his saddle. Tying it off securely around the saddle horn, she backed him slowly over to the hole where the two elves were trapped. 

"Hey, one at a time. Wrap the rope around your waist and let me know when you are ready to go." she called as she tossed the end of the rope down into the hole. Standing next to Arod's head, she patiently waited for their call, smirking all the time.

"Ready Rain." Elrohir's voice called up. Gently encouraging Arod forward, she watched as the rope tightened and then suddenly Elrohir's head popped up from the lip of the hole. When he was free, she stopped Arod and backed him up again. As she did this Elrohir untied himself and dropped the line back in for Legolas. In a repeat move, he too was soon standing on the dry ground next to him. 

"Are you two all right?" Rain said concerned as she hurried over to them. She quickly checked over Elrohir before turning to look at Legolas, who as looking at her with a strange expression on his face. 

"Legolas?" she said quietly, worried suddenly. 

"We are all right, just wet and dirty." Elrohir said abruptly, trying to cut through the sudden tension that seemed to radiate from the pair. "Let's get back to camp so we can clean up and get some dry clothes." 

Rain broke her bewildered gaze from Legolas to Elrohir and nodded absently. Legolas, not saying one word, turned and left them staring at his retreating back. Elrohir shrugged as Rain looked at him and picked up the rope to follow after him. Grabbing Arod's reins, she followed silently.

~*~

Legolas sat starring off into nothing, his mind rolling with questions. A faint splash brought him back to reality and he looked up to see Elrohir swimming strongly across the small lake near their campsite. Sighing heavily, he stood and stripped off the mud-encrusted clothing sticking wetly to his body. 

Dropping the dirty clothing next to his bag, Legolas walked forward into the crisp clear water, enjoying the delicious feel of the coolness lapping about his bare skin before diving forward. Surfacing he swam lazily for a short time before heading back to the shallows to wash. Elrohir grinned at him as he stood up near him, waist deep in water. 

"Catch." Elrohir called and he reflexively caught the small object tossed towards him. Grinning his thanks, he set forth to use the small hunk of soap Elrohir has tossed him, scrubbing off the remaining mud from his hair and skin. Ducking, he rinsed the soap from his hair before tossing it carelessly over his shoulder. 

"Legolas." Elrohir said as he strode out of the water, his skin gleaming wetly in the sunlight. "What's wrong?" He bent over and picked up his towel quickly drying off before wrapping it around his waist. Turning he looked back at his friend still in the water.

"Nothing, I am fine." Legolas sighed as he looked away from Elrohir's probing gaze.

"Sure you are." Elrohir said sarcastically, "You've been about as fine as a week old corpse. Ever since Rain pulled us out of that mud hole, you've been brooding."

"I said I was fine, so let's leave it at that all right." Legolas said angrily as he turned back and strode from the water. Grabbing his towel, he roughly dried off his skin, before pulling on his clean clothes. 

"Sure whatever you say, your royal highness." Elrohir mocked as he pulled on his own clean clothes and picked up his bag. "I'll just leave you to your thoughts, my lord." With that he spun on his heel and strode angrily from the clearing. Legolas raised a hand as if to stop his departure, but did not say a word. He dropped his hand and looked after the retreating elf. He knew that he had just unjustly taken out his frustrations on his friend, but wasn't sure exactly how to take it back. 

Sitting down on a large boulder, he looked off into the distance trying to gather his thoughts and feelings. Was it true? What Elrohir had said about Rain becoming an elf? _And if so, why am I so angry about that?'_ he thought.

His feeling towards Rain had changed so much over the last month while they had been together that he wasn't sure what all was going on through his heart. He knew that his love for her had come about so suddenly that his mind reeled. She was such a complicated person. Many times he wasn't sure how he had fallen so quickly for her, but yet his heart ached at the thought of her. But this quest, so many unanswered questions. She continually evaded his requests for more answers and only in the heat of their argument had she dropped the bombshell and he hadn't even heard it, Elrohir had to tell him.

He should be happy that she could become an elf, if that was the true meaning of this quest. Then they could stay together forever, however, the fact that she hadn't told him still rankled him. 

A soft touch to his shoulder startled him out of his thoughts and turning he looked up into a pair of concerned emerald green eyes.

"Legolas, I think that we need to talk." 

~~*~*~~

****

A/N: Again I want to say sorry about the long wait between chapters. I am taking a class this semester that is very challenging and full of homework that requires a lot of my time. So, that said, I will probably be late again with the next few chapters until this class is done in December. Please be patient with me, I promise not to stop on this story, only slow down a bit.

Thank you for your wonderful comments and support that you have given me for this story. We are more than halfway done and the rest should be even more exciting than the beginning.

~DBZ Vegeta


	38. Secrets of a Past

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters nor places created by Tolkien, but I do own my own.

****

Wild Blue Yonder

~~*~*~~ Chapter 38 - Secrets of a Past ~~*~*~~

Rain looked up as Elrohir stomped loudly back into the clearing. She frowned as she watched him stalk across the space, tossing his dirty clothing next to his bag before snatching up his bow and quiver and going out the opposite side of the clearing. 

She watched silently as he left wondering why he was so upset. Elrohir normally was a happy soul, always smiling and joking. Something must have happened between him and Legolas. 

Sighing, she stood up brushing dirt and leaves of the seat of her pants. Motioning to Nanook to stay, she walked quietly down the path that Elrohir had just exited. Her mind whirled in a torment of thoughts. Legolas's attitude since she had pulled them up from the hole had been strange. When she had inquired about him, he had looked right through her as if she hadn't been there. His quiet repose had continued the entire way back to the clearing until he had left to bathe. 

Pushing aside an overhanging branch, she saw Legolas sitting quietly staring off into the distance. Walking forward she sat down next to him. When he didn't say anything she sighed softly before turning toward him. 

"Legolas, I think that we need to talk," she said softly. He turned his head to look down at her and she could see the pain and confusion clearing in his clear blue eyes. 

Rain's heart constricted painfully before it leapt into her throat. He knows, she thought with sudden clarity. That would certainly explain Elrohir's odd behavior, as well as Legolas' distant withdrawal from her since they'd entered the clearing. Elrohir had told Legolas of the true nature of her quest. 

Fear clawed at her throat, her pulse racing as she looked at his angular face, a muscle jumping in his clenched jaw, cool ice trying to cover the betrayal in his sharp eyes. 

"Elrohir told you, didn't he?" she asked in a strangled voice. 

"Yes," came his steely reply. Rain clasped her hands tightly in her lap, to control their trembling when he turned his glacial gaze back to the water. 

"I'm sorry," she sighed deeply, her shoulders sagging. It seemed that for every step they took forward, they were pushed back two. 

Legolas turned back to her, his eyes searching her face intently. "You should have been the one to tell me." 

Long moments passed before Rain spoke, her voice a mere whisper. "I wanted to. I even tried to, but I ...couldn't."

"Why Rain, didn't you feel that you could trust me?" he asked, the pain he felt evident in his voice.

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you the entire story behind this quest, but I have been so confused that I wasn't sure what my decision would be when I did retrieve the sword," she said softly looking up into his eyes. 

"Why don't you explain what we really are doing?" he replied. 

"All right, here's what I know so far. Lord Elrond told me that I was the last descendant of his brother Elros, who had chosen mortality to start the line of Núnenor. He also said that I was the last one with elfin blood left in my time and that it was my decision to revive the line of the elves or let them vanish completely," she said, a puzzled look on her face. "I still am not totally sure of what this all means. The key we seek has the power to unlock Andúril, which can grant me the choice of returning home or reviving Elros's line."

"So as I understand it, with Andúril you can either return home or stay and become an elf," Legolas said, as he looked down into her eyes, trying not to get his hopes up at the possibility of her becoming immortal.

"Yes, but I have a funny feeling that there's more to it than just that," She replied, a frown forming between her eyes.

"Why?" he said gently.

"Doesn't it seem strange that I show up in this place and time so conveniently and am offered the chance to become an elf. That seems awfully fishy to me." 

"Humm, you're right. I was wondering why father seemed to know you before I even introduced you," he said, a thoughtful look crossing his face. 

"It was the same with Lady Galadriel. She knew things that she should have not," Rain said.

"I wonder what is going on with those three. You're right, something is not right about this situation. The only thing that we can do about it now is to complete this quest and then find out what or who is behind all of this," he said as he turned to look out over the lake again. "Do you still want me to come with you?" 

"Of course Legolas," she said as she reached out and took his hand into hers. He turned to look down into her eyes. "Whatever they have planned has nothing to do with how I feel about you. We just need to take this one step at a time and hope for the best." 

"Yes, we do," he said as he brought his free hand up to cup the side of her face, tilting it upward. Leaning forward he brought his lips down to hers.

~*~

Elladan had just walked into the courtyard, his bow and quiver in his hand, when he looked up into he clear blue sky. A large eagle shrieked its call as it descended rapidly from the air, tumbling to the ground at his feet. Tossing his weapon away, Elladan crouched to examine the bird. 

It lay in an exhausted heap of ruffled feathers, its breath coming in great gasps, a roll of parchment tethered to one heavily taloned foot. Elladan frowned. Eagles were regal and royal birds, and as such, were never used as messengers unless the situation was grave. 

Placing a calming, gentle hand on its quivering wing, he carefully untied the leather straps and removed the roll. He instantly recognized the royal seal upon and at once understood the urgency that had spurred the great bird on. His eyes flew back to the weak eagle at his feet. It had flown a great distance, and judging by its condition, had not rested along the way. Whatever message it bore, must be horribly urgent. 

Ignoring his bow, he tucked the parchment into his belt, carefully scooped up the bird into his arms and hurried back to the palace. 

As he burst through the door of the great hall, he called to a servant. "Take him to the aviary immediately and have someone tend to him," he said as he gently laid the bird into her waiting arms. 

Pausing only long enough to watch her scurry from the room, Elladan raced to his father's study, taking the stairs two at a time. 

Elrond stood looking over the sea of trees that encompassed his home. it all seemed so peaceful. Somewhere high up in the emerald canopy which seemed to glitter with dappled sunlight, birds sang happily, their musical voices filling the warm air with gentle song. 

He sighed heavily, wishing he too was so carefree as the creatures beyond his window, but with a grimace, he knew it could not be so, for he was a king. 

For centuries his people had thrived under him and his strict adherence to honesty, integrity and honor. But now their very existence was in jeopardy, and though it had pained him deeply, he'd had to push aside his beliefs to assure their safety. 

Deceit and trickery were not common place amongst the nature of the elves, yet without it, in this instance, all could be lost. That was the argument that had raged inside his head since he, Thranduil and Galadriel had sealed their pact. Despite the time that had since passed, it did not ease the shadow of doubt and guilt in his heart. Nor did it erase the strong sense of doom aching low in his gut. 

It had begun several days ago, a sudden feeling that all was not well with their plan. Though tempted, he had resisted the urge to send a scout to spy on the party and return to him with news. 

"Father!" called a voice from behind Elrond, pulling him out of his swirling thoughts. He turned to see Elladan standing in the doorway to the balcony, a concerned look upon his face. Sighing softly, Elrond turned away from the window and walked towards him. 

"Yes, my son?" he asked gently. 

"This just arrived for you, from Mirkwood," Elladan said as he held out a sealed parchment. 

Elrond felt his heart jerk almost painfully as he looked at the paper. He knew immediately who had sent it, and that the answer to the unease he'd been feeling for the last few days lay within it. Eagerly, he reached out and took the roll from Elladan, turning away and hurrying across the room to his desk. 

A frown creased his face as he read the familiar scrawl of his longtime friend. The parchment slipped from his numb fingers, falling softly to the desktop, as he dropped heavily into his chair, his hands faintly trembling as they covered his now wan face. 

"Father, is everything alright?" Elladan asked, his voice full of worry. 

Elrond dropped his hands wearily to the desktop and raised troubled eyes to his son. Looking at the innocence shining in his eyes, he did not have the heart to tell him that his worst fear had come to pass. 

From his first meeting of Rain, Elrond had quickly come to realize that she was a tarnished soul, with a very strong will. At times her strength and force had amused him, but he'd known it could affect the outcome of the pact. Just as he'd predicted, it had. 

Elladan knew some of Rain's quest. Out of respect for his father, he'd absorbed only what had been told to him, refraining from pressing Elrond on the true objective of the quest. Elrond had been both proud and grateful to his son for his restraint, and that was what encouraged him to share the contents of the parchment with him. 

"It seems that Lady Rain has taken it upon herself to leave Mirkwood on her own to complete the remainder of the journey." One of his high brows edged up slowly as a slight grin curved his lips. "Legolas and your brother have taken off after her." 

"What?!" Elladan shouted incredulously. "I can't believe it! Why would she do such a thing?" 

Elrond chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Because it's in her nature." At Elladan blank look, he elaborated. "I have a feeling that something must have happened between her and Legolas. King Thranduil's letter vaguely hints in that direction. I have known Legolas for many years, and am sure that everything will be alright in the end." 

Turning again to gaze out of the window, he sighed deeply. "It has to be for our sake," he murmured. 

Elladan watched in concern as his father began to pace the room, his tall body fairly humming with tension. Elladan knew that Lady Rain's sudden departure from Mirkwood was not the true reason for his father's unease. He had watched his father fight in many battles over the years, and not once had he witnessed this much anxiety in his regal form. Something more, something Elrond was reluctant to share with him, had gone horribly wrong. 

He'd witnessed several hushed meetings of the Ruling Elves, and had seen both King Thranduil and the Lady Galadriel wearing that same grim expression his father now bore. Because of that, he suspected that the outcome of this quest had a deeper meaning than simply the retrieval of the sword. 

"Father?" he asked curiously, looking at the apprehensive expression on his father's face. 

Elrond turned slightly to look at his son. Feeling deep regret at the multitude of questions swimming in the bright eyes watching him, he spoke softly. "It isn't time for you to know yet. Please be patient a little longer and all shall be revealed shortly." 

Resigning himself to the agony of waiting, Elladan nodded slowly and left the room. 

~~*~*~~

A/N: Well I was able to put together another chapter, but now it is off to my homework. My mid-term is due next week and I haven't even started the paper. So, please be patient while I endure through the mountain of work on my desk. I promise that updates will occur, albeit slower that I know you would like. 

Thank you for the support and emails that you have sent me. We are getting there, slowly but surely. Happy reading.

~DBZ Vegeta


	39. Deception's Cost

Disclaimer: As I say over and over, I am only doing this for fun, not profit. So I don't own anything that belongs to Tolkien, just my own characters.  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 39 - Deception's Cost ~~*~*~~  
  
Elrond stared down at the two scrolls he had clutched firmly in one hand and sighed heavily. It was time, time that the three of them got together to clear the air. He could no longer stand the lies, the deception weighing heavily on his soul. It was time that they told the truth and he prayed that everything would be alright.  
  
Lady Rain and her group should be reaching Laketown any day now and would be embarking on the most crucial part of the quest, the retrieval of the key. He had every confidence in her ability to complete this task, however he was worried about the outcome of this venture. He knew that Lady Rain had a very high value system and their deception in the matter surrounding her could very well backfire on them. He could only hope that she would see past the deception and into the real truth.  
  
Looking up into the sky, he prayed to Valar that everything would turn out alright, before he turned and headed in the direction of the aviary, his heart and steps heavy.  
  
~*~  
  
Elladan sat in the infirmary section of the aviary with the eagle, the one who had traveled so diligently from Mirkwood, perched upon his knee. His fingers gently caressed the breast of the bird as his gaze looked thoughtfully out over the room below him.  
  
"So my fine feathered friend, you wouldn't happen to know what was contained within that scroll you carried here?" he said softly. The eagle peered sleepily back up at him before ruffling his feathers and hunkering down into a more comfortable position. Elladan chuckled softly at the birds' antics.  
  
A commotion from the room below drew his attention away from the bird and his hand stilled as he watched his father stride into the aviary. The head keeper, he thought that his name was Durnial, hurried over to greet him. The eagle on his lap cried imperiously at the lack of motion and his hand automatically continued with the caress he had been doing earlier. He watched as his father and the keeper had a short conversation, in which his father handed over two large scrolls and then turned to leave. Two other keepers came forward with large hawks perched on their outstretched forearms. Standing up, he put the now protesting eagle back into his cage, ignoring the baleful eye the bird was glaring at him.  
  
Closing the door to the infirmary behind him, he walked downstairs as the two keepers with the birds exited the aviary. Stopping behind Durnial, Elladan watched as the two hawks were sent flying off into the air, the scrolls trailing behind them.  
  
Durnial turned and took a startled step back as he almost ran into Elladan. "Oh forgive me my lord, I did not see you there."  
  
"Quite all right Durnial, I see that you are sending out some messages." Elladan inquired curiously, trying to contain his fervent desire to know the destination of the two birds.  
  
"Yes, off to Mirkwood and Lorien they are, however would you please excuse me now, my lord. I must record their departure." Durnial said as he bowed quickly to Elladan and hurried off it his office. Elladan watched him for a moment before he turned a walked out the door, passing the other two chatting keepers.  
  
His confused thoughts continued to run through his mind as his feet and body traveled down several paths unconsciously. What may have seemed a short time to his mind, was in actually much longer and by the time he became aware of his location, he had traveled several miles from Rivendell.  
  
Looking around, he heard the soft fall of water and followed the noise. Pushing back a low lying limb of a tree, he stepped into a small sunlit glade. A small babbling brook cascaded merrily over moss covered stones and a soft patch of grass glistened lightly in the sun. Walking forward he sat down, drawing one leg up and draping his arm over his knee. Resting his chin on his arm, his mind turned back to the confusing thoughts that had been plaguing him for the past several days.  
  
Ever since the eagle had dropped from the sky to his feet his father had been brooding, to the point that had begun to worry him. The line of worry and uneasiness had deepened on his fathers' face, to the point where he rarely had smiled in the last two days. So lost in his thoughts about his father, Elladan failed to notice the noises that were going on around him.  
  
"Elladan, are you all right?" came a soft voice from behind him, and before he could turn a gentle hand was placed on his shoulder. Turning his head he looked up into the concerned gaze of his sister. A few paces behind her, carrying a large basket, was her husband Aragorn.  
  
"I'm fine Arwen," he said as he straightened up and brushed dirt from his pants, "I see that I may be interrupting a picnic you had planned, especially since you only have a few days left before you return home."  
  
"No, that is all right Elladan, we would be happy if you joined us. We have plenty of food and would be delighted with your company." Arwen said, still concerned about her brother.  
  
"Yes, please stay Elladan," Aragorn said as he leaned forward and placed the basket on the ground next to his feet. "Actually we won't be leaving anytime soon. Elrond has asked that I stay until Rain has returned from her journey."  
  
"Huh? What?" was echoed by both Arwen and Elladan, confused and startled looks spreading over their expressions. Arwen took a couple of steps closer to her husband and laid one hand on his arm.  
  
"We aren't going home?" she asked softly.  
  
"Maybe this has to do with why father is so worried lately?" Elladan murmured, more to himself than anyone else. However, both Arwen and Aragorn overheard what he had said.  
  
"Worried, why would he be worried?" Arwen asked confusion in her voice.  
  
"Father received a scroll from Thranduil two days ago and since then has been very upset. I cannot get him to tell me what is going on. Aragorn, did he say anything to you when he asked you to stay?" he replied.  
  
"No, he just asked that we waited to return home until after Rain had returned." Aragorn answered, one hand coming up to rest thoughtfully on his chin. "But you are right however about him being worried. I noticed it also when I was speaking with him."  
  
"What are we going to do?" Arwen said quietly, looked at the other two. The three lapsed into silence trying to figure out what was going on.  
  
~*~  
  
To the casual observer the group that crested the hill overlooking the long valley below was quite an odd assortment of individuals. Two male elves, one human woman, old grizzled old wizard and one wolf-like animal, along with four horses. As the group halted near the drop off, the woman dismounted and walked forward to stand at the edge.  
  
Rain overlooked the valley below, her eyes drawn to the spectacular sight of the city before her. The valley spread out and towards the far end was a large lake. In the middle of the lake was a man-made island, connected to the shore by four bridges that radiated out like spokes on a wheel. The city rose gracefully from the man-made island, colorful and beautiful, flashes of green, red and brown spread out over the scenery. As Rain stood admiring the view, Legolas dismounted and walked over to stand next to her.  
  
"So that is Laketown," she said softly, not turning to look at him.  
  
"Yes, we should be there by later this evening if we keep traveling straight through," he replied.  
  
She didn't answer him as her gaze traveled away from the town below her to the ominous towering black peak that resided behind the lake. Spiraling up from nothing, the black craggy peak caused a feeling of dread to wash over her, a coldness creeping up her spine that caused a shiver to run through her.  
  
"Are you all right?" Legolas asked softly, noticing how pale she had become.  
  
"Yes, I suppose we should get moving if we want to make it to town tonight," she said, turning away from the sight that filled her with a strange sense of dread and fear.  
  
Legolas watched as she mounted Arod and turned him, trotting away from the group, Nanook on Arod's heels. Shaking his head in puzzlement, he wondered when he was going to begin to understand all of the depths within this remarkable woman.  
  
~~*~*~~  
  
A/N: Sorry for the huge wait between chapters. I had a mid-term that was killer and then right on top of that the final was due three weeks later and it was even worse, but however it is now over and I have a break before my next class begins.  
  
But just remember I work 40 hours a week, plus take classes and take care of my home. I promise that I will be a little better at getting the next chapter out sooner than this one. Have already started on it.  
  
Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think. ~DBZ Vegeta 


	40. Laketown at Last

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  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 40 - Laketown At Last ~~*~*~~  
  
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.  
  
~*~  
  
"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.  
  
~~*~*~  
  
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 


	41. Reminders of Home

Disclaimer: I do not own and will never own (darn) any of the Tolkien characters.  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 41 - Reminders of Home ~~*~*~~  
  
Morning came with a trill of birds and a glow of sunlight bathing the room in its brightness. Motes of dust sparkled through the trail of sunlight that fell from the partial opened window. Rain sleepily stirred in the bed, one hand reaching out to find the cold empty space next to her. Her eyes popped open and she sat up to look about the room, neither Legolas nor Nanook were anywhere to be seen. Realizing by the amount of sunlight pouring into the room that she had slept much later than normal. She sighed in delight as she stretched her arms high over her head, her back arching and popping audibly before she retracted her arms. Sitting up and sliding to the edge of the bed her bare feet finding the cool floor, she stood and walked over to the window.  
  
Looking out over the busy street below her, she silently watched as the multitudes of people scurried along carrying parcels or pushing small wagons with goods to be bartered. A soft knock at the door drew her attention away from the scene. Turning she hurried across the room, pulling the door open slightly conscious of the long tailed shirt as her only clothing.  
  
"Yes," she asked, looking in askance of young lady standing in front of the door. She was dressed in a plain brown dress with a long white apron tied about her waist.  
  
"My Lady, I have your bath as was requested," said the young lady, who curtsied shyly to Rain.  
  
"I didn't order a bath." Rain replied, a frown creasing her brow, though a bath at this moment did sound wonderful.  
  
"One of the gentlemen with you ordered it for you my lady," the girl replied.  
  
"Oh, well then by all means please come in." Rain said, pulling open the door.  
  
She caught sight of two burly men behind the young lady and pulled the door back to stand behind it as they carried in a large bathtub and several large steaming buckets of water, which they emptied into the tub. She continued to stand behind the door, peaking out and watching as the men continued to bring in the buckets until the bath was three quarter full and a hazy steam drifted up from the tub. She nodded to them as they passed her, both dipping their heads and tugging at imaginary caps in acknowledgement.  
  
Rain closed the door, leaning back on it as she stared at the inviting steam that swirled up from the tub. She pushed off from the door, intent on enjoying the first hot bath that she had in a long time, when she realized that the young woman was still in the room with her.  
  
"Will there be anything else that you will need my lady?" the young woman asked as Rain turned towards her.  
  
"Yes, does this inn have a laundry service?" Rain asked, suddenly aware of the aroma that was rising up from her shirt and realizing that all of her clothing needed to be washed.  
  
"Yes my lady," she replied.  
  
"Great, I have some items that will need to be washed." Rain said as she strode across the room to her bag. Flipping it over, she opened it and dumped the contents out onto the bed. Pulling together the loose, dirty clothing she came across her BDUs. Lifting up the shirt, she grimaced at the large tear in the shoulder. Galadriel had offered to dispose of the torn clothing, but she couldn't just toss it out. It was one of her only reminders of her home so far away from here.  
  
"My lady, I could mend that rip if you would like," came a soft voice from behind her. Rain turned around, the shirt clutched to her chest as she looked into the young woman's brown eyes.  
  
"You can fix it?" Rain asked softly.  
  
"Yes my lady, I can have it back to you before you finish bathing," she replied with a light smile.  
  
Rain nodded her head and returned the smile, "That would be good, since it is the only set of clean clothing that I have left." She handed the shirt and the rest of the dirty clothing over to the girl, including the shirt she was wearing. She wrapped a towel around her body and watched as the girl quickly scampered from the room. Happily she walked over to the tub, dropping the cloth from about her body and stepping into the steaming water. She sighed in pleasure as the hot water lapped up around her shoulders, soothing aching muscles from their long journey.  
  
Quick spit baths from canteens or shallow creeks had not been enough to satisfy her. The luxury of laying back in a tub surrounded by hot water was one of the many things that she had so missed on this trip. Not that she wasn't used to being deprived from bathing like this, remembering her deployment to the desert where water had been rationed and showers were not long enough. However nothing beat the feeling of soaking in a hot tub of water.  
  
She relaxed in the water until it began to chill about her body. Sitting forward she quickly unplaited her braid and began to wash her hair and body. Standing up, she squeezed the excess water out of her hair and reached for the towel, wrapping it around her dripping body. Stepping out of the tub and onto the hearth rug, she briskly rubbed the dampness from her skin and wrapped the towel around her wet hair.  
  
Striding over to the bed, she rummaged around in the gear strewn across it until she found her undergarments, tee shirt and BDU pants. Slipping on her clothing, she bloused her pants over her socks, not putting her boots on at the moment. Reaching up she started towel drying her hair as best she could before she dropped the damp towel on to the floor and reached for her brush.  
  
A soft knock at the door interrupted her brushing and she found that the young woman had returned as promised with her mended shirt. She left quickly leaving Rain to look down at the shirt clutched between her hands. The tear had been mended so well that you barely see where the material had been torn. Walking back to the bed in a slight daze she automatically resumed brushing her hair, her fingers nimbly smoothing tangles from the long black tresses.  
  
Still on auto-pilot, she unconsciously plaited her hair into a thick braid and pined it up to the back of her head. She picked up her boots and laced them tight about her ankles before pulling on her shirt, rolling the sleeves up around her elbows. Sorting through the clutter of items on the bed, she found her beret and stuffed it into a side pocket before gathering the rest of the items to place back into the bag. A soft sound caused her to turn around and found that Legolas was leaning back against the closed door to the room.  
  
"How long have you been standing there?" she asked, slightly startled from his sudden arrival.  
  
"Not long," he replied, pushing up off of the door and striding across the room to stand before her, taking in her appearance. "You're wearing your clothing that you arrived in."  
  
"Yes, I haven't anything else that is clean," she said, looking down as she unconsciously fiddling with the tail of her shirt. "The young woman who brought my bath was able to mend it. I take it was you who ordered it for me."  
  
He reached out and tipped her face up toward him, bending forward at the waist to drop a light kiss on her nose before he replied, " Of course, I was sure that you would enjoy one."  
  
"Thank you," she replied softly. He reached for her hand, and she left him take it not expecting him to pull her forward into his embrace. She found herself falling forward and reached out a hand to brace against his chest. When she looked up into his eyes, they were darkening to the color of twilight sky. Deep inside of her a familiar heat flared to life, and she told herself to pull back, that now was not the time for them to become intimate. But she couldn't move, mesmerized by his heated stare.  
  
His head moved closer and suddenly his lips brushed against hers. He claimed her lips, brushing lightly across their soft texture exploring the warmth of her mouth as she opened her lips to his invasion. One of his hands came up to press against her spine between her shoulder blades, kneading the skin though her shirt lightly. His other hand cupped her hip, pulling her flush against his body.  
  
He moved his mouth away from her lips and planted a teasing kiss to her chin. An electric jolt flashed through her at the erotic touch, answered again by another kiss caressing her jawline. His lips slipped upwards to nip at her earlobe and she couldn't hold back the moan that escaped her throat. Flickering impulses leapt beneath her skin and she struggled with the need to sag into him.  
  
He returned his attention to her mouth again, he took advantage of her gasp to delve into her mouth, his tongue circling, stroking and teasing hers, nipping lightly along the crease of her lips. She relaxed her fingers, which had been balled up into fists against his chest, and slid them upwards to encircle his neck. She gasped slightly as the hand on her hip moved to the small of her back, pulling her tight against his lanky frame. His tongue circled hers, stroked hers, and teased hers.  
  
Sensations crashed over her in a wave of longing as she struggled to match him stroke for stroke. The firm heat of him, the textures of his mouth against hers, the sweet taste of his kiss overwhelmed her. A sudden knocking at the door startled them, causing them to draw back and stare dazedly at each other.  
  
"Rain. . .Legolas, are you in there?" came Elrohir's voice through the pounding.  
  
Legolas sighed heavily, leaning his forehead against hers. "It always seems to happen that we get interrupted, doesn't it. Especially by Elrohir," he whispered huskily.  
  
She looked into his passion-clouded eyes and smiled wryly, "Yes, it does. One of these days we are going to have to tie him up, aren't we."  
  
He leaned back, a mischievous grin spreading over his face to match hers. "Why not now?" he replied.  
  
"Oh you," she said as she stepped back from him, playfully swatting at him as she walked over to the door and wretched it open.  
  
Elrohir, hand held in mid air to knock again, fell forward into the room. He looked up to find Rain standing over him with her hands on her hips, an amused expression on her face. "Hi," he said sheepishly, sitting up and rubbing a hand on the back of his head. "Um, Gandalf sent me up to find you two. The courier just arrived back with a message from Gimli."  
  
"That quickly, hmmm, he must be bored without me around." Legolas said cheekily, striding across the room to look over Rain's shoulder at him.  
  
"I wouldn't know," huffed Elrohir, picking himself up off of the floor and dusting off his pants. "I'll meet you downstairs," with that said he turned and left the room. Rain turned to grin up at Legolas, who also was sporting a large grin.  
  
"Rather testy isn't he?" she said as she stepped out of the door, watching as Legolas closed the door behind them.  
  
"Hmmm," Legolas murmured, walking down the hallway to the staircase. Rain eyes followed him before she hurried to catch up with him. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, they turned and entered into the bar. Gandalf, sitting with his back against the far wall, was smoking his pipe and shuffling several papers before him. Elrohir was sulkily sitting next to him, his chin propped up on his hand. Nanook, however when he saw Rain and Legolas, bounced excitedly across the room, jumping up and down around their feet.  
  
"You goof." Rain said with a short laugh, kneeling down to rub the ecstatic dog behind the ears and dodging his wet licks.  
  
"Ah Legolas, you're here. Good," Gandalf said, pulling the pipe from between his lips.. "Gimli has already responded to your message you sent this morning. He says that he will meet us here tomorrow night."  
  
Rain felt a thrill of excitement at the prospect of meeting the dwarf. Having read Tolkien's books, as well as countless fanfics, she knew that Gimli and Legolas had a very unique bond. She couldn't help but wonder how closely he would resemble the image of him that she'd created in her mind's eye. Rain looked up and stood, walking over to sit directly across from the pair. Legolas sat next to her, his knee deliberately brushing against hers. She frowned over at him, watching as he unrepentantly continued to play with her knee as he responded to Gandalf.  
  
"Good, that will give us time to replenish our supplies and rest before continuing on with our journey."  
  
"I could definitely use an additional set of clothes and some other miscellaneous items." Rain said, moving her knee away from Legolas's teasing touch. He was still in a flirty mood from them being interrupted a little while ago.  
  
"Then its settled, we will pick up what supplies we need and then meet back here for dinner." Legolas said as he stood, reaching down to grab Rain's hand and pull her up out of her seat.  
  
"Hey, wait a minute." Rain said as he dragged her from the room and out into the street. Nanook trailing behind them, his tail wagging madly and his eyes gleaming with amusement. Breaking his grip on her hand, she pulled out her beret and jammed it over her braid. Legolas watched, his eyes twinkling as she huffed and set out up the street, her back stiff and unyielding. Jogging quickly up behind her, he matched her stride as she walked toward the center of town, following the crowds.  
  
"Are you angry with me?" he said gently, his eyes watching her stiff shoulders and back.  
  
"No, however I would like to be include in on some of the plans without being summarily yanked out into the streets," she growled. Legolas took a large step in front of her, blocking her path and causing her to stop and look up at him.  
  
"I'm sorry, I will try to remember to ask next time," he said, his voice contrite.  
  
"It's all right, next time ask me instead of yanking me around." Rain said as she looked up into his beautiful blue eyes. Sometimes it was nearly impossible to stay angry with this man, exasperated yes, but angry no. She smiled softly as she said, "Shall we do some shopping, my dear elf."  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: Some break in the journey and the heat is building, again. . . What is with Elrohir always interrupting our pair? Are they ever going to get some time to themselves? Stay tuned to find out.  
  
Thanks for reading ~ DBZ Vegeta 


	42. Ye Merry Old Pub

Disclaimer: If I owned them, I wouldn't be working for a living...  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 42 – Ye Merry Old Pub ~~*~*~~  
  
Legolas groaned slightly as he rubbed his aching back. 'Who would believe that one woman could put such a hurt on his body,' he thought wryly. The afternoon had been spent with Rain literally dragging him from one shop to another. Most of the numerous packages they had purchased had been sent back to the inn, however Rain had insisted that he carry the few that she wanted to be sure got there today.  
  
It wasn't that she had been frivolous in her shopping, but she had definitely been thorough in her quest to obtain their supplies. She had even thought of a few items that he had never imagined to bring on a trip, and his purse was considerably lighter by the time they returned to the inn.  
  
He was currently sitting with Gandalf and Elrohir in the bar, in the same location that they had left them earlier that day. Rain had disappeared into their room, with the excuse of changing out of her BDUs and into something a little more 'local' as she had put it. Her appearance, as well as Nanooks', had drawn considerable attention throughout the day. While he had noticed that she appeared outwardly aloof to the speculation and outright rude stares, he knew that she had been very aware of every word that had been whispered around her.  
  
"When is Rain coming down, I'm hungry," growled Elrohir, looking glumly over at Legolas.  
  
"When she is ready she will be here, so just be patient." Legolas replied, he himself wondering the exact same thing as Elrohir.  
  
"Get used to it, my boy. When women set their minds to fashion, they can take forever to get ready." Gandalf said, a twinkle in his eye as he sat looking at the restless elves before him. He pulled the pipe from between his lips, a hazy cloud of blue smoke moving up to wreath his white hair, before he replied, "I have never known a woman who was any other way."  
  
"Oh and would that include me?" came a sarcastic voice from behind the trio. As one they turned and looked up at the irritated woman standing behind them her long black hair loose from its normal braid. It was gathered up to fall in a trail down her back with a large carved comb. The soft tan doeskin trousers hugged her legs almost indecently tapering into her calf-high elvin boots, while a billowy white shirt was tucked into the waistband. A wide, dark black leather belt completed the outfit, accenting her small waist and drawing their attention to her.  
  
"Oh my, wherever did you come up with that outfit?" asked a surprised Elrohir, who was out of his seat in a flash and moving to slide behind Rain, blocking the view of her from the other gawking patrons.  
  
"What you don't like it?" she said casually as she sauntered away from him and slid down next to Legolas on the bench. She looked up at him, her eyes twinkling merrily at his stunned expression. 'This is just so much fun,' she thought gleefully. She was glad to see that she had taken the trio by surprise with her attire. While elvin clothing had looked good on her, tight leather pants where always good for a chuckle.  
  
"So," she drawled, breaking their stunned stares, "what's for dinner?"  
  
"Uhmm, well. . .I," stuttered Elrohir.  
  
Gandalf took pity on him and turned to Rain before answering her question, "I ordered the house specialty and some fine wine that they have here. In fact, here it is now."  
  
Rain turned to find the young woman, who had mended her BDU shirt this morning, standing behind them with large tray covered with dishes and a large tureen. She smiled softly as she stepped forward and slid the tray down along the end of the table, quickly dispensing the bowls and utensils.  
  
"I wanted to thank you for the wonderful job you did repairing my blouse this morning." Rain said, looking up at the young lady. A soft blush spread over her cheeks at the compliment, as she quickly curtsied to them and turned to hurry away.  
  
"That was nice of you, I am sure that she doesn't receive many compliments for her work," whispered Legolas, as he leaned towards her to place her bowl in front of her. She turned and looked up at him inquiringly, "And why shouldn't I have thanked her, she did a lovely job at repairing my blouse. Better than I could have done."  
  
"It isn't customary to thank people for doing what they are supposed to do. Isn't that how it is in your home?" Elrohir asked, looking curiously at the pair as the looked up toward him. Of course he had heard their conversation, as they were only sitting across from him.  
  
"No, it isn't. People work better when they are appreciated for the job that they do, and a simple thank you can go a long ways," she replied, frowning slightly as she picked up her spoon and began eating. Reaching forward she picked up her mug and sipped at the wine contained within. She was surprised by the excellent quality of the vintage, smooth yet with a sharp bit that accented the flavor. She quickly finished the contents of her mug and was reaching for a refill when Elrohir's voice cut through her reverie.  
  
"I would be careful Rain, that is Elvin wine. It carries quick a kick and we wouldn't want you to regret it in the morning."  
  
"Oh," she said, looking up over the rim of her mug at Elrohir and taking another sip, "you think so? Wasn't it you that I found hanging half out of his bed in Lothlorien the day before we left due to the fact that you imbibed too much?"  
  
"Ah, but I drank quite a lot that night. I wouldn't think that you would be able to handle the amount that was consumed that night." Elrohir chuckled at the memory.  
  
Rain's eyes flashed in irritation at his words. 'Again with the insinuations that since she was a woman that she couldn't keep up with the men,' she thought. A wicked thought popped into her head and the grin that began to form across her face matched those thoughts exactly.  
  
Leaning forward across the table towards Elrohir, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she replied, "So would you like to make a little wager, my dear cousin?"  
  
"A wager, for what?" Elrohir gulped, as he took in Rain's expression. 'It was almost, well...scary,' he thought.  
  
"You three against me in a drinking contest. Winner gets to be waited on hand and foot for one full day." Rain said, her eyes flashing at the notion of the three having to do her every bidding.  
  
"Count me out, my dear. I am much too old for such games. I will however, officiate and declare the winner at the end of the contest." Gandalf said, a small quirk causing his lips to twitch in amusement.  
  
"Well," Rain said, looking back and forth between the two elves, "are you game? Or are you both too scared to lose to a woman."  
  
"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" said a gruff voice from behind the group. Rain glared once more at Elrohir, before turning to look up at the tall dark-haired man standing behind them.  
  
"Mithiand," called Gandalf heartily, "what brings you out tonight?" He looked up at the man standing next to the table. The Captain of the Laketown guard was dressed casually in dark pants and a rough cotton shirt.  
  
"I came to visit with you, my old friend," he replied, a bright grin spreading over his handsome face, "and it looks like I came at an opportune moment." He held up his right hand to show the two dark glass bottles he was carrying.  
  
"That wouldn't be Elenstran, would it?" Gandalf said, a mischievous twinkle lighting his eyes.  
  
"Yes indeed it is. I was saving it for a special occasion and I would have to say that this is one." Mithiand said as he placed the bottles in the center of the table and raised a hand to catch the bartender's attention. Circling one finger in the air, he gestured to the table. The bartender nodded in acknowledgment before he disappeared behind the counter.  
  
Mithiand turned back to the table and straddled the bench to the right of Rain, looking directly at her with an appraising eye. Legolas, seeing the look, immediately hackled at the interest he caught in the other man's face and a low growl escaped him before he could control himself. Mithiand looked up from his scrutiny, one eyebrow quirked up in amusement, before he began to speak again.  
  
"I overheard your challenge Lady Rain and would like to be of assistance to you," he said, "Since there are only three of you, the contest would be clearly against you. I propose we team up together, you and I, against the elves."  
  
"She will do no such thing!" shouted Legolas and Elrohir angrily shooting up from their seats, hands braced on the table, knuckles white with their grip on the edge of the table.  
  
"Oh and who died and made you God?" came a cold, sarcastic voice that sent chills shooting down the spines of the four men. As one they turned to look at the lone woman seated within their group.  
  
Her green eyes flashed with fury, her lips drawn tight as she stood. Waves of rage seemed to pour from her very being as she glared hotly around the men. The four cringed back, particularly Legolas as she turned her wrath upon him.  
  
"Where upon my person does it say 'Property of Legolas'?" she hissed. "What I may or may not decide to do is my own business! Now are you up to this challenge or are you chicken?"  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: Whoo-hoo, time to party hearty....Who's gonna win the contest and end up being the 'slave for a day'? Stay tuned, the next chapter is coming soon.  
  
Thanks for reading ~ DBZ Vegeta 


	43. A Challenge Issued and Rewarded

A/N: Sorry for the long wait, I want to thank my co-author who helped me over my bind with this chapter. I hate writers block.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own nothing, other than my own characters.  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
~~*~*~~ Chapter 43 - A Challenge Issued and Rewarded ~~*~*~~  
  
"Are you sure you want to get involved in this, my friend?" Gandalf said to Mithiand as they watched the trio argue heatedly back and forth.  
  
"Why not, old friend? I haven't had this much fun in ages." Mithiand replied as his eyes lingered on Rain's strange outfit. It was quite bold, yet enticing. "This may prove to be a very interesting evening."  
  
Looking over at the bickering trio, he leaned closer to Gandalf. "Are they always like that?"  
  
"Yes," Gandalf answered, turning toward the large burly man than approached the table carrying a heavily laden tray.  
  
Rain glanced up as the bartender slid his tray upon the table. Several small glasses along with two more bottles identical to the one Mithiand brought were placed in the center of the table.  
  
"So, are we going to get on with this?" she asked, her voice echoing her annoyance.  
  
"Rain, we don't have to do this, you know," Legolas said softly. He sighed in resignation when he looked at her and saw that stubborn look which was becoming oddly familiar and endearing.  
  
"Of course she does," piped up Elrohir, peering mischievously over the rim of his mug. "She wouldn't have it any other way."  
  
"Can it, Elrohir. Unless you sincerely want my boot in your butt," Rain growled as she reached for the glasses and bottles. "Less talking and more drinking."  
  
She ignored their dubious glances, fighting to conceal her grin as she turned to their guest. "So, Captain. Would you care to pour since you were kind enough to supply us with this drink?"  
  
"Please, Lady Rain, call me Mithiand. Captain just makes me feel old," he replied, grinning as he reached over and took the bottle she offered him. Uncapping it, he began to pour the amber liquid in each of their glasses.  
  
Rain grinned back as she picked up her glass. "I'll call you that, only if you call me Rain." She ignored the frown that creased Legolas' lips as she brought the glass to her nose, inhaling the fragrant aroma deeply. "Mmm, I have a feeling that I am going to like this Elenstran."  
  
The aroma carried tones of both the land and the sea. She could smell a type of fruit that had been used, however a slightly salty, woody smell permeated the liquid. Bringing the glass to her lips, she gently sipped the first drops from the edge of the glass, swirling the flavor around her mouth. Its flavor almost reminded her of a fine Amaretto, however as she swallowed the rest, she found that it burned like a good whiskey.  
  
"Damn, that is good! I could definitely get to like this stuff," she said, licking her lips to catch any stray flavor that remained. Legolas' blue eyes hungrily followed the path of her pink tongue, wincing slightly when he felt his breech lacings tighten.  
  
"Well? Aren't you all going to drink yours? We have to keep this honest, now don't we?" Rain looked over at the two stunned elves, who quickly picked up their glasses and threw back the contents. She chuckled at the pained expression on Elrohir's face and the watering eyes of Legolas as they both thumped their glasses back down onto the table.  
  
"Fill 'er up, my good man," Rain chortled, hand outstretched with her empty glass. Gandalf grinning back at her as he topped off the group's glasses.  
  
Elrohir tried to talk, but had to clear his throat several times. His voice was husky when he spoke. "You realize that we've been drinking this stuff for centuries?"  
  
"Oh, yes. I can tell," Rain replied dryly, smirking at their slight green hue as Mithiand this time topped up their glasses yet again.  
  
"Bottoms up!" she chuckled as she raised her glass in salute before tipping her head and tossing back the liquid.  
  
Mithiand hid his grin in his glass as he swallowed the drink, his regard for this intriguing newcomer increasing every time she downed yet another glass, thumping the tumbler on the table when she was done.  
  
Gandalf remained silent, drawing on his pipe as his sharp eyes took in the scene before him. The other patrons of the pub also took notice as the first bottle was emptied and the second opened, leaving their tables to gather around the group, cheering as each round was finished.  
  
"Ya know," Elrohir said, his hand wavering as he pointed an accusing finger at Rain, "you dond drink lika girl."  
  
"Wish I could say the same about you," Rain replied with a slight slur. Legolas and Mithiand shared an aghast look before turning wide eyes to Elrohir.  
  
Elrohir's jaw dropped. Then he clamped it shut and reached for the bottle, topping off the half glass Mithiand had poured. "Oh, yeah?!" he snapped in outrage, raising his glass. He watched her defiantly as he proceeded to toss the liquid into his mouth.  
  
The crowd fell silent, their rapt gazes focused intently on Elrohir's liquid filled cheeks. His eyes began to water as he fought to swallow the fiery brew. His Adam's apple quivered violent as he slammed the empty glass onto the table.  
  
Everyone watched with morbid curiosity as he slowly began turning a lovely shade of red. Gandalf removed the pipe from his mouth, an eyebrow cocked. 'He's going to have to breathe sooner or later,' he thought to himself.  
  
Sure enough, Elrohir gasped and then began choking and coughing. A helpful brawny observer reached out and patted him generously on the back. The force of the aid rammed Elrohir forward, his ribs mashing into the table edge. It worked, however, as the instant and almost overwhelming pain quelled the coughing fit.  
  
As Elrohir sat back gingerly in his chair with a weak smile, all eyes turned to Rain. Shrugging nonchalantly, she reached for the bottle and filled her glass to the brim. Once again the crowd fell silent as she raised it and chugged back the drink. The women in the crowd crowed loudly as Rain flipped the empty glass over and returned it to the table with a satisfied sigh.  
  
Elrohir snorted with disgust before turning his attention to Mithiand. Chuckling heartily, Mithiand raised his brimming glass in a toast before polishing off his drink in a single gulp.  
  
Legolas paled visibly as he realized he was the last one left. Rain grinned wickedly as she filled his glass and pushed it towards him. Looking like a man bound for the gallows, he lifted it to his mouth.  
  
Rain's gaze focused on his long, corded throat as he swallowed the liquid. 'Very sexy,' she mused, the tip of her finger idly tracing the lip of her glass.  
  
Legolas dropped his glass to the table as he finished. Then he belched loudly.  
  
"Oh, very princely, 'Las!" Elrohir cackled. Legolas' pale complexion blushed furiously.  
  
Round upon round continued as the four drank down drink after drink. Mithiand wove in his seat for a brief moment before he pitched forward, spared from smacking face first into the table by the cushion of his arms.  
  
Elrohir stared morosely at the last bottle, searching frantically for a way out. Then his bleary eyes caught sight of a lady sitting alone at the bar. His lips parted in a predatory grin as he stumbled to his feet and staggered across the room.  
  
Upon reaching his target, he reached out an unsteady hand and caressed the long, golden tresses before him. "You are the most boo ... buh ... beeyouteeful creature I've ever sheen," he slurred, "and I'm gunna take you up to my room, an' make mad, passionate love to you."  
  
"Oh, dear," Gandalf murmured with amusement as Elrohir's object of lust rose from the bar stool and turned. The golden waves continued in the front in the form of a long moustache and beard.  
  
"Uh-oh," Elrohir whimpered moments before a large fist connected solidly with his face. Rain and Legolas watched in shock as his head whipped back from the impact. Then as if in slow motion, he keeled over.  
  
"Guess it's just you and me now," Rain replied unsteadily, pouring the last of the second bottle into their glasses.  
  
Legolas felt his stomach heave as he looked at his glass. "We can stop now, if you want, "he said, hiccuping loudly, his voice rough and hoarse from the burn of the liquid.  
  
"Do you concede to me then?" Rain asked, her words lightly slurred. "Is it hot in here, or is it just me?"  
  
Legolas gulped as Rain loosened the neck of her blouse, giving him a brief but tantalizing glimpse of her cleavage. Again his breeches tightened painfully, causing him to squirm.  
  
"Hey, told still, will ya!" Rain frowned, her voice slurring her words, pouting as he swayed before her vision.  
  
Legolas' breath sped up as his gaze dropped from her delicate brows to her full, pouty lips. His own tingling in anticipation, he leaned forward.  
  
Rain's eyes widened in disbelief as Legolas' rear slid backward off the bench, sending him crashing to the floor hard, his feet flailing in the air.  
  
"I think we definitely have had enough," he said ruefully, looking up through the tangle of braids that had flopped over his face from the fall. Reaching up he batted at them with annoyance for blocking his blurred vision, blissfully ignoring the laughter that rained around them.  
  
"I think so too," Rain said as she swung her legs over the bench and placed her feet on either side of his legs. "Want a hand up?"  
  
"Nope, don't need it," he replied stubbornly as he struggled to untangle his legs and stand. He just couldn't seem to get them to cooperate with him at the moment. Legolas huffed wearily and looked up imploringly at her. "Umm. Looks like I do need it.. The crowd, seeing that the entertainment was done for the night, drifted off back to their own tables.  
  
Rain smiled crookedly as she stuck out her hand, prepared to pull him to his feet. But the combination of too much drink and his inhuman strength caused her to tumble forward, sprawling on top of him.  
  
She gasped when she felt his arousal press against her intimately. Heart suddenly racing, she turned her head and found him gazing at her heatedly.  
  
"We need to get out of here. Now," Legolas growled huskily. Rain merely nodded mutely before struggling to her feet. With amazing agility, Legolas leapt to his feet, and grabbing her hand, pulled her across the room and up the stairs.  
  
Gandalf watched, a mischievous twinkle in his eye, as the pair disappeared from sight. He turned to look down at his sleeping friend. "Alright, you can cut out the act, they're all gone."  
  
Mithiand's head came up from his crossed arms to grin roguishly up at his old friend. "I didn't think it would be nice to out do them on their first meeting with me," he said, sitting up straighter in his seat, his hands brushing away the wrinkles from his shirt. "Although they're opinions might change by morning."  
  
Gandalf chuckled wickedly. "I would say that hangovers will be the furthest from their minds."  
  
Mithiand's grin widened. "And what about our young friend over there?"  
  
Gandalf followed his gaze to where Elrohir still lay on the floor, snoring loudly as patrons stepped over him.  
  
"I think he'll be safe enough." Gandalf's moustache twitched.  
  
"Well, in that case!" Mithiand hefted the remaining bottle and waved it back and forth enticingly. "Would you care to join me in a toast to young love and foolishness?"  
  
"I'd be glad to."  
  
~*~  
  
Rain's back thumped hard as Legolas pushed her against the unopened door to their room. His face swooped down to capture her lips in a soul-searing kiss that ran all the way down to her toes. She twined her arms up around his neck, pulling his body roughly against hers, groaning at the contact of his highly aroused form against hers. She tangled her fingers in his silky hair as she fought to keep up with his demanding kiss. Her breasts were pressed to his chest and she felt them harden, straining to be noticed as she opened her mouth wider beneath his onslaught and the kiss moved into a new, deeper more wild level.  
  
A loud laugh and the sound of boot heels on the stairs brought them back abruptly from their passionate kiss. Suddenly Rain wanted nothing more than to drag him into their room and to the bed that was just a short distance away. She thought of making love with him though out the night and waking up in his warm embrace in the morning.  
  
"Legolas," she said huskily, looking up into his dazed and lust-filled blue eyes.  
  
"Yes," he whispered, leaning forward to drop a soft kiss on her nose.  
  
"We should go inside, the hallway isn't exactly a private place," she said softly, leaning forward to nuzzle into his neck, nipping lightly at the skin exposed by his open necked shirt. His moan echoed loudly down that hallway as he reached behind her to fumble with the door, finally pushing it open and allowing them to stumble into the room.  
  
Reaching behind him, he closed and locked the door ensuring that there would be no untimely interruptions for them. He brought his hand up to touch her chin, his fingers moving to caress the soft skin of her jaw and the side of her face. He had wanted to touch that luminous skin all night since she had walked into the bar. Tilting her head up, his mouth came over hers again in a soft loving kiss.  
  
Rain leaned forward into his embrace, struggling to deepen the kiss even as he playfully nipped at her lips causing them to tingle. She moaned in frustration as he continued to lightly stroke her lips with his, his teeth nipping at hers, his tongue lightly teasing the trembling flesh. Suddenly, he deepened the kiss, when his lips parted over her and urged her to open hers by teasing against the slip of her mouth. His hands massaged her back, gently tugging at the shirt tucked into her pants, pulling it upwards until his hands could slide beneath and caress the velvety skin of her back.  
  
Between his kisses and touch the sparks dancing along her veins turned into a raging fire that made her answer his teasing tongue thrust for thrust, taunt for taunt. Her hands, of their own violation, slipped up under his arms and began kneading the muscled of his shoulders. She loved the feel of the flex and roll of his honed muscles and shoulders.  
  
One of his hands, though reluctant to leave the creamy skin of her back, began to slide slowly down to her side and then back along the front until he cupped her breast in his hand. A moan of pleasure escaped her lips with the initial contact, and she instantly wished that her shirt and his would disappear so she could feel his hot skin against hers.  
  
Their mouths were open wide, devouring each other as Rain's hands slipped down from his back to tug at the lacings holding his shirt together. Unlacing the top, she broke away their panting breathing filling the room and she tugged impatiently at his shirt, urging him to pull it over his head. He chuckled softly as he stepped back slightly and tugged away the offending garment, before reaching over and pulling her shirt up over her head. He stared down at her, taking in her creamy colored skin with her breasts encased in a pale yellow bra. Reaching forward, he lightly slipped both straps downward until her bare breasts came into view.  
  
"Beautiful," he whispered huskily, before leaning forward to take one rosy tip between his teeth.  
  
A hiss escaped her clenched teeth as her legs suddenly wobbled from the pleasure coursing though her body. His arms came up and supported her as he guided her back towards the bed. Her knees hit the edge of the bed and they both fell in a tangle of arms and legs across the comforter. His lips worked their way back up from her breast to her neck where be began to nip and suckle on the soft skin.  
  
"Humm, Legolas," she groaned, her hands coming up to tangle in his hair, enjoying the feel of his lips on her neck. His kisses became softer and softer until he was nestled against her neck. She looked down at his head, wondering at the lack of movement on his part.  
  
"Legolas," she said softly, brushing away his hair to peer down at his face.  
  
"Legolas," she queried again as she got no response and no movement from him. Suddenly a loud snore ripped its way through the room and she look stunned down at the now passed out, half naked elf cradled against her neck.  
  
"Damn, just when it was getting good," she huffed.  
  
~*~  
  
A/N: Ain't I a meannie? (Author ducking chairs from the masses) Sorry, but it isn't time for them yet. Well, looks like Rain won by default, and I can imagine the hangovers in the morning. Stay tuned, the next day is going to be fun...  
  
Thanks for reading ~DBZ Vegeta 


	44. Stacking the Deck

Disclaimer: As I always say, I don't own LOTR, I just own the characters of my creation.  
  
**Wild Blue Yonder**  
  
#####  
Chapter 44 – Stacking the Deck   
#####  
  
Sunlight blazed through the open window, illuminating the figure sprawled across the bedding. A groan filtered up as the light crept across his face, worming its way pervasively though his closed lids. Rolling over, he flung one arm out feeling the empty space beside him.  
  
Just outside the door, Rain nudged it open a crack with her toe and peered through the opening. She'd seen him fight a variety of monsters, but she had never seen Legolas look so awful. His usually creamy, light skin was actually a pallid gray, his angular cheeks seemed sunken and his long pale tresses were knotted and gnarled. He looked like he had just fought the worst battle of his life ... and lost.  
  
As she opened the door, his eyes opened a crack moaning as pain slammed through in his head. His hands came up to clutch at his aching head as she walked into the room.  
  
"Good morning sunshine," she called out in a disgustingly cheerful voice. "Rise and shine, I brought you lunch."  
  
The smell of the food caused a rebellion within his stomach. Normally, he would have found the aroma of eggs, salt pork and fresh bread rather refreshing as a morning meal, though Elves could live on little else than Lambas bread. But even the thought of that made his weak stomach roil and he bolted from the bed and towards the basin on the dresser. Heaving, he proceeded to empty the pitiful contents of his stomach. Leaning weakly against the wall he slid down, closing his eyes and praying for death to come swiftly.  
  
"Here." Rain said softly as she held out a small damp cloth to him. He opened his eyes and looked up into her concerned face, before his took the towel and wiped his mouth. The awful taste still lingered, along with the pounding in his skull.  
  
Rain reached down and helped Legolas to his feet, guiding him slowly back across the now darkened room. He sighed softly as she helped him sit down on the bed.  
  
Taking pity on the pathetic figure he posed, sitting there so forlornly on the bed, Rain smiled gently and rummaged around in her bag.  
  
Legolas watched her curiously as she pulled out a small vessel, which she set on the bed, and a hair brush.  
  
"You're a prince," she said softly, "so we can't have you looking like a vagabond."  
  
Legolas grinned weakly thinking to himself that he was less like a prince and more like a vagabond than she thought. Looking at the brush in her hand, he realized that he hadn't felt anyone work with his hair, besides himself, since he had been a young elfling, so many hundreds of years ago when his mother would brush his hair for him. He suddenly yearned for the attention, craving the feel of her strong fingers.  
  
"May I?" she asked, holding one of his tangled braids in her hand. Too flustered to speak, he merely nodded mutely.  
  
Expecting to feel the same relaxation he'd felt at his mother's attention, he was shocked to find his body tightening unpleasantly in certain places, as her nimble fingers quickly unwound the braids. He closed his eyes and tried to lower his raging heartbeat as she gently pulled the bristles through his hair.  
  
When she had removed all the tangles and knots, Rain couldn't help but give into the curiosity that had plagued her since the first time she'd read Tolkien's books. Walking around and kneeling at Legolas' feet, Rain looked up and gasped in awe at the sight of him, his long, silken tresses free of the braids, flowing over his broad shoulders in a flaxen cascade.  
  
"You're beautiful," she whispered as he opened his sky blue eyes and looked at her. Groaning with desire, Legolas leaned forward and reached for her. And his world tilted and tumbled around him.  
  
"Whoa!" Rain steadied him carefully, reaching for the vessel she'd deposited beside him earlier. Twisting off the cap, Rain tapped two aspirin into her palm.  
  
"Take these," she said as she turned and picked up a mug of water handing it to him with two small white oval objects. He looked curiously at the tiny items before looking back up at her.  
  
"They will help with the pain and sickness you are feeling," she said reassuringly.  
  
"Thank you," he croaked, his throat still raw and sore from last nights drinking. Downing the two pills, he finished off the entire mug of water before attempting to place the empty container on the table next to the bed. Rain's hand stopped him as she took the mug from him, refilling it and placing it back into his hand. He looked up in askance as she motioned him to drink it down.  
  
"I'm afraid I don't know how to do the fancy braids that you do in your hair, only just the standard ones like I wear," she said ruefully. Legolas smiled gently, handed her the mug and quickly did the intricate braids. When he was finished, Rain nodded in approval before handing the mug back to him.  
  
He sipped slowly from the mug as he watched her move about the room, gathering up equipment and parcels that had been delivered the night before. She was dressed once again in elvin clothing, the dark pants tucked into her high boots. Her dark green vest, that Elrond had given her prior to leaving Rivendell, covered a soft cream-colored shirt.  
  
"How long have I been asleep?" he asked croakily. He coughed lightly and struggled to clear his throat of the rawness that seemed to pervade it.  
  
"It is well into the late afternoon, Elrohir is still passed out in his room," she said, as she looked up from the pack she was bent over. "Gandalf collected him from the floor last night after we left."  
  
"The floor?" he said, a bemused expression crossing his face as he vaguely remembered Elrohir landing on the floor after hitting on a blond.  
  
"Yep, 'Ro needs to remember that not all long hair belongs to women." Rain chuckled over the memory.  
  
"Huh, long hair?" asked Legolas, a confused look flittering over his face briefly.  
  
"Well, he decided to try and cozy up with a long-haired blond at the bar last night and found out the hard way that is was a man." Rain chuckled mischievously. "It was rather a rude awakening when you have a fist planted square in the face."  
  
"Oh," he said stymied, not really remembering much past Mithiand passing out. He looked up as a plate was shoved under his nose and he grimaced slightly before taking the plate. Sighing, he resignedly began eating quietly, praying that he would be able to keep down the food that was being placed in his protesting stomach.  
  
"I'll have to say, I haven't had that much fun in years," she said as she moved around the room, packing the gear that they had purchased the day before. "It seems like forever since I just got a chance to kick back and relax."  
  
"You call last night relaxing?" he said, taking a bite of the food on his plate before grimacing and putting it on the table. There was no way his stomach was going to stand for anything right now.  
  
"Yes, being able to get together with people you care about and having a good time is something I would call relaxing." Rain said as she looked up at him from where she was kneeled on the floor. He watched as a soft smile crossed her face, a faraway gaze to her eyes.  
  
"The last time was where my friends and I got together just before they left for their new assignment. We sat around in their backyard, talking and drinking and having a grand old time," she sighed softly as her expression became wistful, "I haven't talked to them since they left. I wonder how they are doing?"  
  
"Was your life always so lonely?" he said softly.  
  
She shook her head as she stood up and crossed over to the bed. "No, I just don't have many close friends. Acquaintances yes, co-workers yes, but close friends..." she trailed off, shrugging her shoulders. She smiled down at him ruefully, "I am just a hard person to like."  
  
He reached out and took hold of her hand, pulling her down beside him and wrapped a long arm about her shoulder. "I like you," he said, leaning over to place a soft kiss on her lips.  
  
"I know, but you're biased," she chuckled softly. He could see, however, that the laughter in her voice did not reach her eyes. Just as he was about to say something a loud shout from downstairs interrupted him.  
  
"Legolas...where are you laddie?" came the rough sounding voice. Legolas bolted up from the bed and dashed to the door, flinging it open to shout down the hallway.  
  
"Gimli?"

#####

A pair of pale heads, one the color of moonlight and the other the color of the sun, were bent over several parchments spread out over the table when Elrond opened the door to his study. The lighter-haired of the pair looked up and motioned for him to look at what they were studying.  
  
"The last message you got from Legolas said that they had arrived in Laketown and were awaiting the arrival of that dwarf friend of his, correct Elrond," he said, gesturing toward the map laid across the table.  
  
"Yes Thranduil, they were going to replenish their supplies before they pushed on for the Lonely Mountain. He sent a message to Gimli to meet them, since the mountain is his realm." Elrond said, smiling gently at the aggrieved expression on Thranduil's face. He still could get over that fact that Rain had managed to bypass all of his sentries when she had snuck out of his kingdom.  
  
"It shouldn't be much longer, Thranduil. Legolas will take care of Rain and they shall be fine." Elrond said, as he placed a placating hand on his shoulder.  
  
"The most critical part of the journey has arrived. Their conflicts must be resolved, for trust is the essential element in the retrieval of the key." Galadriel said, her eyes distant and farseeing, "Only their trust in one another will keep them from harm."  
  
"I am sure that all will be fine, Galadriel." Elrond said gently, "they hold the fate of us all in their hands. We can do nothing but wait. Valar help us."  
  
Elladan straightened from his hunched position next to the window, feeling guilty for eavesdropping on the elders conversation. Turning he quietly slipped away from the window and into the foliage that surrounded his home, his mind trying to process what he had heard.  
  
Turning onto the path, he walked quickly toward the gardens in need of a quiet location to process his thoughts, when he almost ran into another body.  
  
"Elladan, watch were you are going," came the sharp retort, and he looked up quickly to find his sister and her husband.  
  
"Arwen, I am sorry I was distracted," he said, looking abashed.  
  
"Why were you distracted, finally found some young elf maiden you fancy?" Aragorn teased.  
  
"No, I was just think about what I just heard." Elladan retorted, before snapping his mouth shut at his slip.  
  
Aragorn's eyebrow arched upward at his slip of tongue and looked pointedly at him. Elladan sighed, knowing that he had been caught.  
  
"Well, I sort of overheard father talking with King Thranduil and Grandmother." Elladan started. He looked over at his sister and winced. Her arms were crossed over her chest and a furious expression was on her face.  
  
"Were you eavesdropping again, Elladan! You know what Father will do to you if he finds out," she said harshly.  
  
"I know Arwen, but it was about Rain and what is going on," he said quickly, trying to forestall an outburst from his temperamental sister.  
  
"Well, what was said," she asked, looking madder by the minute.  
  
"They are in Laketown and Gimli is supposed to be meeting them so they can head out for Lonely Mountain." He said quickly.  
  
"And that was all?" Aragorn asked gently, trying to calm his nervous brother-in-law.  
  
"No, but I really didn't understand what they meant by the last part." Elladan said, a bewildered expression crossing his face. "Father said that they held the fate of us all in their hands."

#####

A/N: I know, a transitional chapter...not much action per say, but crucial to the plot. Gimli has arrived, the elders are worried, and Elladan, Aragorn and Arwen are bewildered. Oh what a tangled web we weave...Stay turned as the next chapter shan't take as long to complete.  
  
Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review. DBZ Vegeta  
  
P.S. Also for those of you wanting more to know when updates are posted and would like to ask questions of myself, I have started a Yahoo Group for my work feel free to join and ask any question that you may have. Thanks. 


	45. Return of an Old Friend

Disclaimer: I disclaim that I ever owned anything that deals with LOTR, except my copies of the books and movies.  
  
**Wild Blue Yonder  
**  
Chapter 45 – Return of an Old Friend   
  
Rain fell back across the bed as Legolas flung open the door and shouted down the hallway to his friend. Just when it seemed they were getting somewhere, something always seemed to interrupt them. Was it fate that they would never have any time to themselves until this journey was over. Just thinking about that was enough to give her a headache.  
  
Sitting up, she looked on in amusement as Legolas hung half in and half out of the door to their room. She could tell that he was gesturing wildly by the movement of his body and that he was very pleased that his long time friend had finally arrived. She could assume that the aspirin that she gave him had finally kicked in, since he was speaking loudly with the other man in the hall. Leaning forward, she put her elbows on her knees and braced her chin in her cupped hand as she listened, unabashedly at the fascinating conversation going on between Legolas and Gimli.  
  
"Well, there you are laddie. Gandalf told me you were feeling mighty poorly and said that you were still in your room." Gimli said, his voice booming loudly through the hallway.  
  
"Yes, I was feeling a bit poorly, however I am much better now. How have you been my old friend?" Legolas asked as he leaned against the open doorway looking down at the much shorter man in front of him.  
  
Gimli sighed deeply, his broad, stocky shoulders sagging. "Been doing good, though I could do with a bit more adventure now and then. Gets a bit boring sometimes, just wandering around my mountain."  
  
Legolas smiled warmly, sympathetic of the longing he heard in his old friend's voice. Gimli, however, pulled himself together quickly.  
  
"So what's so urgent that you need my help?" Then his dark eyes widened and sparkled with hope. "Is it another adventure?"  
  
"Could you two please keep it down out here, some of us are trying to die," came a hoarse voice from behind them. Turning the pair found a rumpled bleary-eyed Elrohir standing the open door to his room, he was still wearing the clothing that he had on from the night before, his hair in tangles, a dark bruise blooming on his chin and smelling heavily of alcohol.  
  
"Now my fine elf friend, what happened to you?" Gimli asked, moderating his tone down from its usual bellow.  
  
"Why don't you ask her, it was all her idea." Elrohir said, gesturing past them. Legolas and Gimli turned back to the other door to find Rain lounging nonchalantly against the door jam, her bare feet crossed at her ankles and her left hand planted firmly on her hip. The fingers of her right hand wiggled in greeting at the dwarf.  
  
Gimli's eyes narrowed as his gaze skimmed thoroughly over this newcomer. Despite the elvish clothes, which were extremely flattering to her shapely figure, he could see she was no elf. Taking a second glance, he could not deny her rather exotic beauty.  
  
Being a typical male dwarf, he tended to be drawn to the more stocky, buxom figure of lady dwarves. But he could certainly understand Legolas' interest though. Then another thought occurred to him. It was morning and this lovely creature was in his friend's room. A slow knowing grin curled his bushy moustache upward.  
  
"Legolas, you sly dog, you found yourself a wench while you were here. Quite a beauty if I say." Gimli leered, looking over her and back to him. "Must have been a good night."  
  
"I wouldn't have said that." Elrohir said softly, what little color he'd had draining away as he looked past the two friends in the doorway.  
  
Rain felt her warm smile slip at the suggestive remark from Gimli. She fought to keep it in place as disappointment and a deep hurt squeezed her heart painfully. As per usual, she slipped into her 'hard as nails' mode.  
  
"Oh, that's fine Elrohir. Master Gimli doesn't know better does he. I may just have to wipe that smirk off his face though." Rain said cheekily, however her eyes had turned hard.  
  
"Now Rain, you know he doesn't know yet about the quest. Please give me a chance to let him know." Legolas said placatingly, his hands spread wide as he stepped in between Rain and Gimli. "You can't misinterpret what he has said if he doesn't know better."  
  
"Fine, talk to him, but I expect an apology before the day is through," she said as she swirled back into the room, slamming the door shut behind her. Legolas and Elrohir both winced at the sound, before they turned back to the confused dwarf.  
  
"You gonna let a wench get away with talking to you like that Legolas?" Gimli asked in outrage, aghast at the woman's gall and total disregard for his friend's station.  
  
Elrohir's raging hangover was quickly forgotten when he saw the fiery anger brewing in Legolas' blue eyes. " 'Las," he said with caution, "don't do something you'll regret. You've been friends for a long time and Gimli doesn't have all the facts."  
  
Legolas barely spared him a glance as he drew up to within an inch of his 'old friend', anger and indignation rolling off of him in waves.  
  
"That wench, as you so rudely called her, is the reason why I summoned you here in the first place!" Legolas snarled, his long fingers clenched tightly into white knuckled fists. "I would never have expected such a discourtesy from you, or have you been rattling around alone in that mountain so long that you've forgotten, or have chosen to ignore common decency and discretion?!"  
  
Gimli's eyes widened in shock and his mouth gaped in a silent O. He'd never seen Legolas lose his temper, didn't even think it was possible. Much less at him. He turned and looked askance at Elrohir.  
  
Elrohir sighed wearily. "Rain has a rather ... special place in Legolas' heart, a fact which has a tendency to make him leap before he looks nowadays." He cast a rather pointed look in the other elf's direction.  
  
Gimli nodded rather contritely. "Then you have my most humble apology, my friend. Perhaps you are right, in that I may have been too long in trundling around in my mountain on my own."  
  
Legolas ran a weary hand over his drawn face, his shoulders drooping. "No. It is I who must apologize to you. Elrohir is correct about my brash behavior at times."  
  
"Well then, laddie, why don't we start from the beginning and you can fill me in so I don't blunder into any more sensitive areas," Gimli replied with a gentle grin.  
  
"Let's go into Elrohir's room," Legolas said as he led the way. He wanted to be comfortable, since he had A LOT to explain.

###########

"Damn men, can't live with them, can't kill them unless you have a good place to hide the bodies." Rain muttered as she stomped angrily back across the room, snatching up her boots before plopping down on the edge of the mussed bed.  
  
She knew she was being unreasonable, however it was just the way the dwarf had said those things as he had looked at her, that torked her off. And here she had been anticipating the meeting of Legolas's best friend.  
  
Shoving her feet into her boots, she quickly laced them up before standing up and grabbing a small pouch that she stashed in her front pocket of her vest. Striding back across the room, she opened the door and exited the room, loudly shutting to door behind her. There was no sign of Legolas and his companions, she could assume that they had gone into Elrohir's room. Turning she loudly stalked away, muttering all the while under her breath.  
  
Behind her in the Elrohir's room, the trio winced as the door across the hall slammed shut and angry muttering could be heard as Rain stomped down the hallway.  
  
"Man, Legolas but you are going to have a fun time calming her down later." Elrohir chuckled wryly, looking over at the pale face of his companion.  
  
"Don't I know it," he groaned, his hands coming up to cover his face, "And I thought we had gotten past this stage."  
  
"Nope, women never get past this stage, you just have to learn how to deal with it. Especially if you plan on being with her anytime in the future." Elrohir said as he patted Legolas on the back sympathetically.  
  
"And how would you know since you have never had someone this close before." Legolas said as he looked up at the grinning Elrohir.  
  
"Ah, but you have to remember, I have a sister."  
  
"Well, if it were me, I wouldn't do anything," Gimli said shaking his bushy head.  
  
Legolas frowned. "What?"  
  
Gimli leaned forward. "Let her come back to you. A mistake was made and it's up to her to recognize that. You're a grown elf! You can't be chasing her down every time there's a little upset. You must be strong. She'll respect you more if you do."  
  
"Great advice, Gimli! No wonder you're still a bachelor after all these centuries. I'm surprised some 'dwarfette' hasn't ripped off your family jewels, rammed 'em down your throat and told you to "respect that"!" Elrohir replied sarcastically.  
  
"Bah! The reason I haven't taken myself a bride is that I haven't found the right one yet!"  
  
"Yeah, one dumb enough to buy that load of crap," Elrohir muttered.  
  
Legolas tossed him a warning glance before he spoke to Gimli. "Rain is ... different."  
  
"That's one way of putting it," Elrohir chortled. Legolas smacked him.  
  
"Nonsense, laddie! It doesn't matter what the breed is, elf, dwarf or human, women are all the same the world over. They may profess to want independence, but what they truly yearn for is the strong, capable hand of a man for guidance, protection and discipline."  
  
Elrohir leaned forward. "Tell me. You have a lot of strange moulds growing inside your mountain palace, don't you? Perhaps some funny little mushrooms?"  
  
Bushy auburn brows furrowed. "Why?"  
  
"Because SOMETHING has to be messing around with your brain! That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my life!"  
  
"Keep talking like that, and it will be the LAST thing you ever hear!"  
  
"In case you haven't heard, we elves are immortal," Elrohir grinned impishly.  
  
"That might be a challenge with an axe in the middle of your skull!!" Gimli growled ominously.  
  
"Enough!" Legolas cried in exasperation before Elrohir could open his mouth to deliver a snappy reply. "Gimli, I really meant it when I said that Rain was different. She's like no other woman in this world, because she'd not from this world. Or this time."  
  
"Could someone enlighten a poor confused dwarf to the situation going on? Who is this Rain you keep speaking of?" Gimli said gruffly, looking over at the two elves sitting on the edge of the bed.  
  
"She is the lovely lady that you so calmly insulted in the hallway only moment ago." Elrohir said as he turned towards Gimli. "She is, well let's say, a very distant cousin of mine."  
  
"Cousin? She sure didn't look like an elf to me?" Gimli grumbled, looking even more confused now then moments before. Huffing, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his pipe. Lighting it up, he looked up at the other two men, a halo of bluish-gray smoke hanging about his head as he puffed on the pipe. "Now would you give me the whole story, from start to finish. I think that I may have an apology due someone."

##########

"So as I understand, you overheard Elrond saying that Rain hold the fate of the elves in her hands." Aragorn said, looking over at Elladan. The trio had retreated to the privacy of Arwen and Aragorn's wing, and they now sat in the lushly furnished front room. Except for Elladan, who couldn't sit, but rather paced back and forth frantically in agitation.  
  
"Yes! What did he mean by that? What fate is he talking about?!" Elladan ranted, throwing his hands up in the air in frustration. "I mean how ambiguous can you get?!"  
  
"It means that you shouldn't be eavesdropping on other people's conversations, now doesn't it?" came a familiar voice from behind them. Turning as one, they all groaned as Elrond closed the door behind him and crossed the room towards his inquisitive family.  
  
"I am sorry Father, but you still won't tell us what is going on and we need to know." Elladan said, hands spread before him in supplication. "Please! Won't you finally tell us what is wrong?"  
  
"Although I don't approve of Elladan's methods," Arwen said softly, giving him a pointed glare, "I do agree we should know. We have all sensed that all is not right, and the feeling grows more urgent as each day passes, as if time itself were running out."  
  
Elrond looked stern as he pulled up a chair and gracefully seated himself, adjusting his robes to drape comfortably around him. He could see the genuine concern in their eyes, and though he had hoped to spare them the gravity of their situation, he knew the time had finally come to tell them the truth.  
  
"You understand that Rain has come to our world to retrieve the Sword of FÄ—adúril, which is a twin to the one that you carry Aragorn. It was created to serve the purpose of joining the two bloodlines of elves and men, however at that time it was decided that Elros, my brother, would instead renounce his immortality and take up the rein of men. Now that is now longer an option for that to continue." Elrond said sadly, his gray eyes filled with grace concern.  
  
"You see, Rain is very special to the elves. Without her, we will cease to exist."

##########

A/N: Here Rain was all set to meet Legolas's best bud Gimli, and the first thing that happens is he insults her. Man, what a crazy day...Also why is Rain so important to the elf-kind that it means their lives? Well, hang on for the next chapter and Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review. DBZ Vegeta  
  
P.S. Also for those of you wanting more to know when updates are posted and would like to ask questions of myself, I have started a Yahoo Group for my work ). Please feel free to join and ask any question that you may have. Thanks.


	46. Is There Life After Death?

Disclaimer: As I have stated before and will continue to state, I don't own the characters from the LOTR, however I do own my characters.  
  
Wild Blue Yonder  
  
#######  
Chapter 46 – Is There Life After Death?   
#######  
  
The silence of the room was almost deafening as Elrond closed the door softly behind himself, the trio stunned by the revelations that he had told them over the past hour. Elladan leaned limply against the balcony doorframe, starring off into the darkness outside, as Arwen curled up into Aragorn's arms. Arwen shifted slightly to look up into her husband's pensive face. A face that normally could hold back the emotions that may rage within, but tonight he looked as scared as she felt.  
  
"What are we going to do?" she whispered softly, one hand coming up to grip at the collar of his shirt tightly. He turned his head and looked down at her, gathering her closer to him as he shook his head.  
  
"I don't know this time, I think that we are just going to have to trust in fate and Lady Rain," he replied, his voice unable to remain steady as his worry seeped though him.  
  
"That's preposterous!" Elladan snorted furiously, pushing up off of the doorframe and stalking angrily back and forth across the room. "Why do we have to trust someone who has no ties to this world and who couldn't care less what would happen to it!"  
  
"You're not being fair, Elladan." Arwen said gently, "Just because Lady Rain is not from here doesn't mean that she will not care what would happen to us."  
  
"Besides, our brother and Legolas are with her. Surely she will become fond of them and want to save them." Aragorn answered, praying to himself silently that he was correct in his assumptions.  
  
"She is a disagreeable woman, you saw how she treated Legolas before they left. You even saw how she was cold to Arwen that same day and you want me to put my faith and life in her hands." Elladan roared.  
  
"That is enough brother, you must calm down. This will do us no good." Arwen said sharply as she broke free from Aragorn's embrace and stood, advancing on her irate brother. "You are going to have to trust in what our Father and Grandmother are doing. They know what is best for us and we must support them wholeheartedly."  
  
She reached him and gently placed her hand in the middle of his chest over the top of his racing heart. "Believe in Lady Rain, she will not let us down."  
  
Elladan looked down at his beautiful sister and sighed resignedly. "You had better hope that she doesn't. Because if she does, I will not wait for the prophecy to come true for us before I kill her with my bare hands."  
  
With those words spoken, he wheeled on one heel and left the room, the door slamming shut behind him. Arwen stared after her brother, dread welling up within her chilling her to the very bone. She felt Aragorn's arms come up around her waist and she turned in his embrace, leaning into his strong arms, praying silently that everything would be all right.

#######  
  
When Rain finally returned later that afternoon, she was carrying several small packages and the purse that hung from her waist was considerably lighter than it had been when she had left that morning. Entering the inn, she turned to head towards the stairs when she heard her name shouted out. Looking back over her shoulder, she saw Elrohir waving enthusiastically from within the bar, gesturing for her to join him.  
  
She turned smiling at the elf, who apparently had recovered from his hangover, even though he still sported a doozy of an abrasion on his chin. She walked into the bar and almost decided then and there to turn around and return to her room when she saw who else was sitting with Elrohir. It was the entire group including one, as of yet unforgiven dwarf. She however, was one known to stand up and face her antagonists, continued on toward the group, a familiar sarcastic grin pasted across her face.  
  
"Good afternoon gentleman," she said brightly as she dropped her packages on the table and slide down onto the bench to sit by Gandalf. Legolas looked disgruntled that she chose not to sit next to him, his feelings flashing painfully clear across his face before he school it to a pleasant expression. Plainly she was still angry with him from this mornings encounter with Gimli.  
  
"Pleasant shopping, my dear," asked Gandalf kindly, his eyes twinkling as he pulled the long pipe from his mouth, a ring of white smoke curling up to circle about his head.  
  
"Yes, I found several delightful shops today and even found a wonderful armory, where I procured myself a set of long knives," she said happily as she reached across the table to open the larger of the packages. The group leaned forward expectantly as she opened the package to reveal two beautifully sheathed curved knives, reminiscent of the blade that Aragorn wore, only slightly smaller and more delicate looking. The handle grips, a deep burnished ivory color with dark gold accents, were curved to fit snuggly within her hand, and the blade as she drew if from its sheath was a highly polished silver, with what appeared to be ancient runes etched along the blade.  
  
"May I see that Rain?" Legolas asked suddenly, wondering if his suspicions were correct as he looked at the blade within her hand. She eyed him slightly, before turning the blade and holding the handle out towards him. He took it from her, their fingers brushing slightly and he almost dropped the blade as a bolt of lightning seemed to race up his arm from the contact. Looking quickly up into her eyes, he could see that she felt the same effect and her eyebrows were drawn pensively together over her green eyes.  
  
Their eyes stayed locked for a short moment, before he slowly drew his gaze away from hers back to the blade in his hand. Staring down at the runes, he frowned as they seemed so familiar to him, yet he could not place where he had seen them before.  
  
"Quite a good find, if I say so myself. They must have been very expensive," Elrohir said as he leaned over Legolas's shoulder to look down at the blade in his hands.  
  
"On the contrary, I got them for a steal. They were in the back of the armory buried under a pile of rusty chain mail. The shopkeeper seemed very eager to part with them," she replied, looking amused as she remembered the almost pathetic expression on the man's face as he tried to get her to depart his shop.  
  
Elrohir looked up at her and saw the wicked twinkle that sparkled in her eyes before he commented, "What did you do to the poor man Rain?"  
  
She attempted to look innocent, as she brought one hand to her chest and said, "Mwa, I did nothing to the man. He just seemed eager to have my departure once I had been though almost every inch of his store. I swear the man followed me around like a lost puppy, thinking that I would hurt my little self on any one of the numerous sharp blades he had in his shop."  
  
"Right, and it wouldn't happen to be that you decided to be your usual charming self, now wouldn't it." Elrohir coughed, hiding his laughter. He watched as one of her eyebrows shot upwards as she glared at him. Unable to hold it in any longer, Elrohir leaned back his head and roared with laughter. Rain looked over at him and sniffed before turning her head to hide her grin that threatened to split her face.  
  
Legolas watched the interplay between the two before reaching forward and resheathing the knife. He knew that it would take some time before he worked out the riddle of the runes on the blade, but he knew that it would eventually come to him. He cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention, before he turned towards the shorter man sitting next to him.  
  
"I believe that Gimli has a few words that he would like to say to you Rain."  
  
"Aye laddie, that I do." Gimli said as he looked across the table at the dark-haired lady sitting across from them. Her eyes, simmering with a well- placed anger, looked back at him causing a slight shiver to race down his spine. He hadn't been this nervous even when he was faced with the hoard of Uruk-hai at Helm's Deep, and at this moment he almost would rather be facing such a hoard than do what he was about to do. He cleared his throat, one hand coming up in a fist at his mouth as he looked abashedly at Rain.  
  
"Legolas was quite right this morning when he laid into me about being cooped up in mountain for so long that I have forgotten the basics in even common courtesy. I would like to sincerely apologize to you for my earlier comments this morning," he said, his voice steady as he looked directly into her eyes.  
  
Rain looked over at the shorter man, trying to judge if he was honest in his apology or if he had been put up to it by the other to maintain peace within the group. The look in his eyes showed a genuine regret for his actions and she decided in that instance to give him a second chance, however she would go about it with a wariness. She shot a look over at Legolas and saw the hopefulness in his eyes that should would forgive his best friend.  
  
Sighing lightly, she stuck out her hand to Gimli, "Well, I'll let it pass this time, but the next time..." she trailed off, her eyes beginning to glitter madly. Gimli looked up into those wicked eyes and grinned himself, he could tell almost immediately by her expression, that she was someone he was going to enjoy getting to know.  
  
A large smile crossed his face and he began to laugh as he said, "Great, now how about a round of drinks, my treat." He looked confused by the groans that echoed from the two male elves and the slightly green look to their skin at his comment and Rain's wide grin, before asking "What? Did I say something wrong?"  
  
The rest of the evening passed in a blur of laughter and tales and Rain was pleasantly tired as she flopped down onto the bed. Legolas and Gimli had remained behind, with the excuse that they had so much time to make up for, and had bid her a good night. Legolas had stood quickly before she had left and had taken her hands into his as he bent forward to whisper his goodnight in her ear. She knew that she must have flushed from the heat of his breath against her skin, by the way Elrohir had snickered as he walked past her.  
  
Of course, that had necessitated the need to thump him soundly on the back of the head and chase him up the stairs, laughter ringing out from behind them.  
  
Sighing, she rolled up and leaned down to unlace her boots, happily toeing them off and wiggling her toes. She stood up and crossed the room to her bag, pulling out the new nightshirt she had purchased the other day. Slipping into the long-tailed garment, she pulled the lantern down from the ceiling and blew out the flame, plunging the room into welcomed darkness.  
  
She was tired, but pleasingly so, not the exhaustion she had been feeling since she had arrived in this strange land. Walking back across the room, she grateful slipped beneath the covers and closed her eyes. Morning would soon come and they would once again be back on the move, yet at least this time it would not be so far to travel.  
  
Try as she might, her mind refused to let her rest, spinning madly over the journey thus far that she had taken. It seemed so long ago that she had just been getting ready to leave for work and she wondered idly what her supervisor, commander and co-workers thought when she didn't show up for guard mount that morning. She was never late and rarely ever took anytime off without notification.  
  
She frowned at the implications that spiraled through her mind, if she was to return home she would be facing serious punishment for desertion of duty. She'd be lucky to even see daylight again, they would be so fast to throw her into prison. Knowing that she wouldn't get any sleep now, she threw back the covers and padded softly across the room to stand at the window, looking out into the moonlight expanse.  
  
This was how Legolas found her when he returned to the room several hours later. He quietly shut the door behind he before he slipped across the room to place his arms about her waist.  
  
"What's wrong, Rain?" he whispered softly, his face coming down to nuzzle against the side of her neck.  
  
"Nothing, just thinking," she replied back, in an equally soft tone. She unconsciously leaned back into his warmth, soaking in the feeling of his hard muscled length against hers.  
  
"Thinking about what?" he said, leaning back to turn her around in his arms so that he could look down at her. Her face tilted upwards, the moonlight turning her skin a pale creamy white, that almost begged him to touch but he held back knowing that she needed comfort tonight, not passion.  
  
"What will happen to me when I return to my world," she said as she leaned forward and buried her face in his shoulder. Her words froze him to the core, _'Return to her world!'_, his mind shouted. He didn't want her to leave him when this quest was over, so dear she had become to him. He gently ran a hand up and down her back, trying to find the words that seemed stuck in his throat.  
  
"Everything will be all right in the end, I promise," he finally said, after several minutes of trying to talk, the dread of her leaving him still lingering heavily on his mind. He leaned back again and looked down at her, seeing the tiredness that graced her face. "Let's get some sleep and worry about this later."  
  
She nodded softly and pulled back from him, walking to the edge of the bed and laying down her back to him. He quickly stripped down and slid in behind her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her tight against his chest. He could only pray that she would come to see this world as her home and that she belonged here with him.

#########  
  
A/N: Rain is a little melancholy and the group will be leaving tomorrow to continue upon their journey, however, what will be in store for Rain and Legolas's romance and what is Legolas's sudden interest in her new-found weapons. The next chapter should fun. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review. DBZ Vegeta  
  
P.S. Also for those of you wanting more to know when updates are posted and would like to ask questions of myself, I have started a Yahoo Group for my work ). Please feel free to join and ask any question that you may have. Thanks.


	47. An Ache That May Never End

Disclaimer: As I have stated before and will continue to state, I don't own the characters from the LOTR, however I do own my characters.

Sorry for the long wait, a review from a long-time reader made me think about this stories direction and I rewrote this entire chapter three time.

Wild Blue Yonder 

**#####  
Chapter 47 – An Ache That May Never End  
#####**

The morning dawned clear and bright, a light breeze playing gently across the lake. The ripples catching the sunlight and sparkling across the tips of the waves. Rain inhaled deeply, enjoying the scent of water, trees and air. It reminded her of the lovely mornings at home, when she would get up early, sit on the back porch, and enjoy the light breezes and a cup of coffee. While Nanook would bounce happily around the yard chasing the odd insect or animal that happened to wander by.

Shifting the pack on her shoulder to a better angle, she looked up and watched with detached interest as Gandalf walked quietly ahead, nodding occasionally as Gimli nattered on, the smaller of the two waving his arms about wildly. She looked over her shoulder and smiled at Legolas before turning back to tease Elrohir.

Legolas walked quietly behind the group as they crossed the bridge leading out of the main portion of Laketown. Rain and Elrohir's lively banter played easily over the water. Thoughtfully, he looked ahead of him, his eyes slightly out of focus as he mind played over the words that Rain had whispered the night before. So great was his distraction that he didn't notice that Rain had dropped back to him, until she took his hand in hers.

"Legolas, are you alright?" she asked softly, her green eyes filled with concern.

Shaking his head slightly, he turned to look down at her lacing his fingers through hers. "No, I'm fine. Why?"

"You just...I don't know...looked,' she shrugged before continuing, "kinda sad."

"I promise that I am all right. I was just thinking," he said, turning to look back out over the water as they walked off the bridge and onto the footpath.

"About what?"

"Oh, a great many things," he evaded before turning back to her and smiling gently. "Are you ready to continue on our great adventure?"

Rain looked suspiciously up at Legolas, knowing that he was purposefully changing the subject but she would play along with him. For now.

"Yes, as nice as it was to stop and do nothing for a few days, I am more than ready to continue on. I am really not good at sitting around doing nothing. I need to be on the move and doing something all of the time." Rain grinned.

"I understand completely. Many a times I have become restless and my father would have to scold me for disappearing at inopportune moments." Legolas replied.

"Usually about the time his father came up with potential brides," chirped Elrohir, who ducked as Legolas reached out one long arm to hit him.

"Oh, is that why the great prince of Mirkwood is still single?" teased Rain, ignoring the baleful glare sent in her direction.

"Wouldn't that be to your advantage, my dear?" Gandalf voice came drifting back, as they crested the slope near the stables. Rain flushed slightly before squaring her shoulders and marching off into the dark stables. A sharp whinny and an excited voice echoed back out the open doors.

Gandalf chuckled as he and Gimli followed Rain into the dark opening. As Legolas began to follow, he was held back by a hand on his arm. He turned to look into the concerned face of his long time friend.

"So, I take it that everything is better between you two?" Elrohir asked softly. Legolas looked at the other elf briefly, before turning back to look into the darkened stable.

"She's worried about what will happen to her when she returns to her time." Legolas said softly, a painful catch to his voice. He turned again to look back at Elrohir, "I knew that she wasn't from our time and yet I have let myself hope."

"Legolas..." Elrohir said, one hand held out as if to comfort his friend.

"Don't worry about me, I'll survive," he said, a faint grin on his face, one that didn't reach his eyes. "Somehow."

Elrohir watched silently as Legolas turned and headed into the dark stable to retrieve his horse. What struck him about this situation was that even though he knew that Rain was here on a mission, he too had not taken into consideration that at the end of their journey that she could possibly leave. The pain within Legolas, though not normally noticeable to all, was very visible to those of their own kind. He could only hope that if Rain did truly return to her home, that Legolas would be able to survive the pain of her departure.

The remainder of the week passed slowly and Elrohir grew more concerned with every passing moment. Legolas continued to brood silently as they traveled, putting up a mask whenever Rain was near. He could tell that Legolas didn't want to worry her with his problems, however he knew that Rain was the root of his problems. He turned his horse, intent on remedying this situation immediately when he was brought up short. Looking down, he saw a gnarled, wrinkled old hand gripping tightly upon his reins preventing him from moving away. His eyes drifted up until them meet the wizards' dark gaze, which was full of understanding and wisdom.

"I know that you want to help them, Elrohir. But you have to let them work this out on their own. Only then will they be able to overcome this obstacle." Gandalf said sagely, his brow crinkling thoughtfully.

"But..." Elrohir started but was interrupted by Gandalf.

"Let them be," Gandalf said, his dark eyes looking over at the couple that was causing this discussion. "For now."

"All right, I will stop for now. But if they haven't worked it out before the time for her return comes..." Elrohir said, his voice trailing off with the promise he intended to keep.

Rain looked worriedly at the silent Legolas, who was riding at the head of the group. Gimli was talking away, his gestures sweeping wide, as he kept his precarious balance on the small horse next to Legolas. Legolas would occasionally nod or smile; however she could see that the smile did not reach his eyes. Something was bothering him and she was unsure of the problem.

She had noticed his withdrawal from the group the day after they had left Laketown. His laughter and conversations seemed forced, as if he wasn't totally in tune with his surroundings. When she had pulled him off to the side on that first night, he had just smiled softly and told her that he was fine. She didn't believe that for one minute.

Sharp arguing from behind her drew her attention to Gandalf and Elrohir. Gandalf had his hand on Elrohir' horse's reins and was looking sternly at the obviously upset elf. Pulling gently back on Arod's reins, she turned him and nudged him forward gently. Trotting over, she stopped and looked over at the two, one eyebrow raised in inquiry.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking over the two suddenly guilty faces.

"Nothing, Rain. Just a conversation that I didn't like." Elrohir said with one last glare at the aged wizard, before shaking him loose of his reins and guiding his horse away after the others.

Rain looked at Gandalf, who had an innocent expression plastered over his face.

"Now don't give me that look, I know better than that," she started, but was forestalled from continuing by his raised hand.

"My dear, there are things at times that must be resolved by the parties involved. Outside interference should be adverted at the earliest moment," he said, his eyes beginning to twinkle brightly.

"You really love talking in riddles, don't you?" she huffed, rolling her eyes as his smile widen perceptively.

"All shall tell in time," he replied, grinning as her exasperated look as she turned Arod away and trotted away. His smile slipped as she turned from him, and the light in his eyes turned grave. "Time shall definitely tell," he whispered softly to himself before nudging his horse to follow as well.

The sun had begun to set over the land as the tiny group crested the last ridge that led into the long shallow plains that butted up to the base of the Lonely Mountain. The mountain stood silently in the distance, the fading daylight brushing the harsh, jagged outcroppings softening the overall appearance of its forbidding facade.

"Well laddie, we should be there in time for the nightly feast." Gimli said, looking over at the group that had stretched out along the rim. "And what a feast it shall be. Red meat, still dripping from the flames, all the ale and wines you can drink, yes it will be good to be home."

"You talk like you have been away for a long time, instead of a week." Elrohir teased as he turned in his saddle to look over at the smirking dwarf.

"When one has become accustomed to the finer pleasures of life, they have a tendency to forget about all other things." Legolas quipped quietly.

A roar of laughter bellowed from Gimli, as he reach out and slapped Legolas hard on the back, almost knocking the elf from his perch. "That you are right, my friend. However, I would still live on Lembas, as bad as it was, to have another adventure with you."

"Well, this time we shall not have to worry about that, shall we." Legolas replied, as he signaled his horse to pick it way down the steep embankment. Gimli stared after him, a puzzled expression on his face, before he turned to the others.

"Is it just me, or is there something wrong with him?"

"I am not sure, Gimli," Rain replied, as she was the closest to him. Gandalf and Elrohir exchanged knowing glances behind her, which was caught by Gimli. "I wish I knew what was wrong."

"Well, my lady, I wouldn't fret. It should all work out." Gimli said, as he eyed the other two, knowing that he would have to corner them later and force out whatever they were hiding about their knowledge of the situation. "Should we continue on?" he said.

The remainder of the travel to the front gates was done in silence, the group each in their own thoughts. As they finally neared the front gates, Rain's breath caught as the sheer magnitude of the sweeping stairway and massive stone doors. The stairway, hewn from the stone of the mountain swept up the face at a gradual slope; was wide enough for them to ride their horses side-by-side from bottom to top. Her eyes traveled up to the massive doors, wide open to the world, torches burning brightly on each side and two large signal fire hearths waiting and ready for immediate action. Two guards, seen to be standing near the edge of the apron, looked down with curiosity as their group dismounted.

Gimli gestured for them to follow him, and lead his horse around the outcropping of the staircase to a low set of wooden doors set in the base of the staircase. Banging one fist against the door, he stepped back and waited. Nearly instantly, a small eager face appeared from the doors and a young human child, no more the age of ten or eleven, bounced out of the door a wide grin spreading over his face.

"Master Gimli, you're back! Did Capis give you any problems?" the boy asked in a rush of words as he reached for the reins and rubbed the small horse's nose affectionately. The little horse seemed to perk up when he saw the boy and excitedly pranced around.

"No Merdes, Capis was very good to me." Gimli said, as he reached out and ruffled the boy's hair. "However, I do have a few more charges for you and your father to take care of. Where is Reduni?"

"Father is inside having dinner. I can take care of the horses for you and make sure that they have a good rub down and grain for dinner." Merdes replied, turning to look over at the others. His eyes widened when he saw the two elves. He moved closer to Gimli, his voice easily carrying, though he appeared to be trying to be quiet. "Are they really elves?"

Gimli smiled, as he waved one hand to his friends. "Yes, they are really elves. This is Prince Legolas, whom you probably remember from all those stories you weeded out of me. And this is Elrohir, he is from Rivendell and is the son of Lord Elrond."

Merdes eyes, which couldn't possibly get any wider, stared in awe at the two elves before him. Legolas chuckled softly at the expression on the young boys' face as he dropped to one knee before him, his hand held out to greet him.

"Nice to meet you, Master Merdes. I am sure that you will care for our horses perfectly." Legolas said gently, as the youngster edged closer to Gimli. Gimli nudged the boy, who blinked quickly before wiping his hands on his pants and taking Legolas's hand fast before quickly releasing it, and then pulling Capis closer to him.

Legolas smiled as the young man quickly stepped back away from him and held out the reins to Hausfel. The boy darted back forward and took the reins before turning and quickly leading the horses into the wide open doors. An older man, standing in the doorway, moved to the side as the boy stepped into the doors, before walking forward to gather the other horses. A smile and a nod was bestowed on Legolas as he turned with the other horses and disappeared into the stable.

"Interesting young lad, Gimli." Legolas said, as they walked back around to the stairs and proceeded to climb.

"Well, a short time ago the lad's father came to me and asked for work. Since we have begun to trade with Laketown and several of the other nearby towns, it seemed necessary to have horses. However most dwarves, as you know, do not like the creatures. It was a wise decision to hire him to acquire the horses we needed for pack trains and a few for those more adventurous to try riding." Gimli replied.

"I see that you riding skills have definitely improved." Legolas said, a real smile finally lighting up his face.

"You know very well that Rohan horses are nearly impossible to ride."

"Ah, is that why you couldn't keep in your saddle?" Legolas chuckled at the distant memory.

"Hmph, some friend you are." Gimli grumbled.

Rain smiled as she finally saw that Legolas was perking up some, the smile on his face seemed genuine. As they reached the top, the two guards stepped forward. Seeing Gimli, they smiled and moved to the side allowing them passage within the open doors. Rain looked, fascinated at the intricate runes carved into the stone above the door. The doors themselves large carved stone slabs, hung on thick metal runners that glistened with oil. As they passed through the doors, the faint sound of rushing water was heard.

Seeing that Rain was looking around in puzzlement, Gimli spoke up. "'Tis the falls that you are hearing. The water from the summit of the mountain travels within and without the mountain 'til it empties in to the river below. The river feeds into the lake that houses Laketown."

"I wondered," she mused, turning slightly to catch the amused glance she received from Elrohir, but turned away not designing to acknowledge his amusement.

The passage twisted and turned lit by torches placed at intervals along the hall. Rain leaned her head back and looked into the inky darkness. No ceiling could be seen through the flickering light, she idly wondered how tall and deep these passages went.

The long passageway opened into a great exposed cavern, huge columns of stone rose into the darkness above. Torches lit the lower part of the room, flicking in the wake of their passage. Dwarves of all shapes and sizes scurried here and there, some sitting at tables eagerly consuming their meals as other carried large trays or turned huge spitted carcasses. At their arrival, all eyes turned in their direction and the noise level dropped dramatically.

Gimli led them forward to the center of the large cavern, towards several long banquet tables as the noise began to pick back up whispers traded back and forth. One small figure spotted the group and came hurtling from within the crowd to wrap themselves around Legolas's lower legs.

"Uncie Legglas," cried the childish voice.

"Now Thoron, what have I told you about grabbing onto people." Gimli growled gently, as he reached out to pull the small body from Legolas.

"That's all right, Gimli. It has been quite awhile since young Thoron has been able to visit with me." Legolas said, as he reached down and hefted the stocky child onto his hip. Thoron squealed in delight, as Legolas carried towards one of the long tables before swinging him down and sitting next to him. Rain smiled indulgently at the sight of one blonde head and one reddish-brown head bent together, Thoron's giggles sounding clearly through the din of the other dinners.

Dinner was filled with conversation and laughter, mainly from Thoron who would not leave Legolas's side. As the night grew later, the numbers in the chamber dwindled until only the small group was left. Thoron had fallen asleep, his head pillowed on Legolas's thigh. Gimli rose silently and gathered the small lad, motioning with a jerk of his head for them to follow him. He led them through a series of twists and turns before stopping in front of a pair of doors set across from each other.

"I'll see you in the morning and we can discuss the maps that you brought from Lothlorien. Have a good night," he said, before turning and disappearing around one of the bends.

Legolas turned back to the group, "Rain, why don't you take this room. We three can share the other," he said quietly before quickly turning and disappearing into the room behind him. Rain, Elrohir and Gandalf all stared at the closed door, each with a different look upon their face. Elrohir and Gandalf, both with knowing and troubled faces and Rain with the beginnings of the thunderclouds that she was become quite famous for.

"You guys don't..." Rain's voice trailed off, as she waved her hand over her shoulder at the other door, her eyes never leaving the closed door before her.

"No my dear, go right ahead." Gandalf said, opening the door and pulling a reluctant Elrohir inside. A quiet 'Good Luck' drifted out behind her as the door shut with a soft click.

Steeling herself, she reached out and pushed open the door to the room. Legolas was laying on his back on the far bed, staring blindly up at the ceiling. She shut the door behind her with a solid thump and stalked across the room to tower over him, her hands planted firmly on her hips.

"What the hell is your problem!"

* * *

A/N: A sudden change in events, something is wrong with Legolas and he seems to be withdrawing from Rain. Why? Is he afraid of a broken heart? Or is it more. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review. DBZ Vegeta

P.S. Also for those of you wanting more to know when updates are posted and would like to ask questions of myself, I have started a Yahoo Group for my work ).

Please feel free to join and ask any question that you may have. Thanks.


	48. Shadows Rising

**Fic title: **Wild Blue Yonder  
**Authors: **DBZ Vegeta/Stace  
**Rating: **PG-13/R  
**# of Chapters: **48/?  
**Category: **Angst/Action/Adventure/Romance/Suspense  
**Disclaimer: **This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J.R.R. Tolkien, various publishers including but not limited to Ballentine Books. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Author Note: **I wanted to apologize for the serious wait for this chapter. In addition to a major writer's block, I also had one family member hospitalized, another passed away and I started a new job, went out of town three separate time all over the country, had a major work inspection, along with deploying my spouse to the "sandbox". All in all the past three months have been hellious and if it weren't for my wonderful friend/co-author, this chapter would never have gotten done this soon. Thank you for your wonderful patience and I hope that you enjoy this chapter.

**

* * *

****Chapter 48 – Shadows Rising**

Soft light filtered through leaves of the slowly changing colored canopy. A gently breeze stirred the dappled light, the patterns constantly changing over the ground. A tall, graceful figure moved slowly among the trees, his expression pensive and worried, eyes unfocused and farseeing; unable to appreciate the beauty that surrounded him.

"Father?" called a soft voice, startling the tall man. He turned sharply to find his daughter and son standing behind him.

"Arwen, Elladan. What's wrong?" he asked concerned by the like expressions on their faces.

"We should be asking you the same question, Father?" Elladan said, his voice filled with his fear and confusion.

Elrond sighed gently and gestured towards a small grouping of stone benches. Taking their seats, his children looked at him expectantly.

"I know that you are concerned, I too am concerned. However brooding over this mater will not help." Elrond said, looking deep into their eyes.

"But Father, what if she doesn't..." Arwen started but was forestalled by her father's hand, that raised to stop her comments.

"Time will tell, my daughter," he said, rising and placing his hands inside the sleeves of his robes. He smiled gently to them before turning and striding away.

"Time will tell! This isn't the time to philosophize." Elladan snorted scornfully.

"No Elladan, we can't question him. He knows best." Arwen replied, though her voice was filled with he doubt.

"Best for who? Rain or all of our people!"

"Am I interrupting?" Aragorn said, as he walked up to the squabbling pair. He bent down and dropped a kiss on Arwen's brow before sitting down next to her.

"No dear. Elladan is still upset with father."

"Why are you still upset? There is nothing that we can do until they return." Aragorn said evenly.

"I'm upset because he didn't want to tell us in the first place! It's only our lives that he's hiding from us!" Elladan snorted furiously.

"Maybe he knew you that you would react this way, that is why he didn't tell us in the first place." Arwen said, frowning at him. "You are acting like a tiny elfling whose had his favorite bow taken from him."

"I am not a child!" Elladan cried, shooting up off of the bench.

"Then stop acting like one and act more befitting your age." Arwen snapped, before he stood and stormed away. Both Aragorn and Elladan watched as she rounded the corner of the pathway, before Elladan fell back to the bench with a sigh. He hung his head, hands clasped together between his knees. Aragorn looked over at Elladan before his reached out a placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You know, she's right. You are acting like a spoiled child." He watched as the petulant expression slid away from Elladan's face to be replaced by a contrite one.

"I know. I just can't help it. This situation has me totally frustrated and confused." Elladan said, not looking up from the ground. Aragorn smiled softly as he kept his hand on Elladan's shoulder and sat there companionably with his brother for the remainder of the afternoon.

* * *

"What the hell is your problem!" Rain yelled, as she stormed across the room to stand over Legolas's reclined form.

Legolas's eyes opened briefly before he closed them once again, and rolled over away from her. "Nothing's wrong." He murmured softly.

"Bull! Why don't you stop running away from your problems and face them like the adult you are!"

Legolas rolled back over and sat up, his hair falling over one shoulder. "I am not running away!" he said glaring up at her.

"You could have fooled me," she said, her arms coming up to cross over her chest. She knew that if she didn't do that, she might very well be tempted to hit him for being an idiot. She didn't know what was running though his mind, but she knew that had to do with her.

She watched as he pushed himself off of the bed and began pacing back and forth agitatedly. She leaned back against the wall next to the headboard and watched as he mumbled to himself. She almost could have smiled as he suddenly spun on his heel and pointed an accusatory finger at her, if she hadn't been so irritated with him.

"It's all your fault."

"And what pray tell, it all my fault?" she asked, one eyebrow arching upwards in annoyance.

"You are the one who made me fall in love with you and now you say you are leaving! What the hell am I supposed to do! Die from a broken heart or try to get over you now!" he glared heatedly at her, his blue eyes flashing with his anger.

"Right, die will you," she snorted, "Aren't you being a little overdramatic."

He straightened up, his arm falling to his side, his face taking on a blank expression. "You really don't know alot about elves, do you?" He stepped forward until he was inches from her, and leaned down slightly looking into her green eyes.

"How could I, Legolas? There are no elves where I come from, and the only information I have is from reading Tolkien's books."

Legolas' smooth brow creased with confusion. "Who?"

Rain opened her mouth to explain, but then quickly closed it when she realized how difficult the explanation would be. How could she possibly begin to tell him about an author who had written a fictional trilogy so captivating that there were people who devoted their lives to the study of these stories? Or that as a child, she herself had been entranced with the epic, and especially with one character in particular? Then there was the fantastical paradox of her being pulled into a world, and the lives of the characters in the flesh, that supposedly only truly existed in the pages of a book.

"It doesn't matter," she replied with a heavy sigh. "Please tell me what you meant about dying."

"Elves who have found their true soul mate cannot live without them if they are taken from them. They will wither away until there is nothing left but an empty shell...then they die," he said, his eyes boring into hers.

She could see the anger in his eyes, along with pain, sadness and an overwhelming amount of love. She reached up a hand, her fingers tracing along one high cheekbone. "Why do you think that I am leaving?" she asked softly.

"Because you worry all the time about what is going to happen when you get home," he said, his anger suddenly deflating at her touch. "But what's going to happen to us when you leave?"

"I don't know, it may not even be possible for me to return home." She dropped her hand from his face and turned away from him, pacing slowly back and forth. "There are days when I don't even want to return home, what is there to actually go home to for me?"

Legolas looked at her curiously, "What do you mean?"

She shrugged noncommittally, before looking down at the hand she had curled into his tunic and then back up at him. "I know one thing though, I know what I feel about you. I don't think that I have ever felt this way about anyone before. It's the only thing that I can guarantee at this moment in my life."

"But what if that's not good enough for me?" Legolas challenged softly.

"What?"

"I've given you my life, Rain."

"Legolas, I never asked-"

"I know!" he cried in frustration. "But that's not what I'm asking. I need to know, Rain. What is it that you feel for me?"

"I ... I...."

Legolas shook his head sadly. "You say you know, and yet you can't even give me the words. Just as you can't answer whether you'll stay with me, or leave me as if I meant nothing and return to your home."

Head bowed, Legolas turned away and began gathering his few possessions.

"What are you doing?" Rain asked in growing confusion and alarm.

"The only thing my pride and dignity will allow," he replied softly. The leather bag containing his few clothes and personal effects in one hand, and his quiver and bow in the other, he finally turned to face her. A shiver of fear raced through her heart when she saw how empty and lifeless his once vibrant cobalt blue eyes were.

"I can no longer wait at your feet like a servant, hoping for the words that would soothe my troubled mind and heart. Nor can I bear for you to see me fade before your very eyes."

"You can't leave, Legolas. Not now." Rain reached out a shaking hand to him in appeal.

"You have Gimli, Elrohir and Gandalf to aide you in your quest; you don't need me. Perhaps if I am not around, you will be able to make your decision with clarity and finality."

Legolas paused in the doorway, turning to look at her with a sad smile. "From the first moment I saw you, so long ago, I knew you were different from anyone I had ever known in my life. That intrigued me and I know that it was at that very moment that I began to fall in love with you. Each smile and laugh you gave me, knowing how rare they are, simply captured my heart even more."

Rain's breath came in ragged gasps, her eyes burning with building tears.

"I know that you've been hurt in your past," he continued with a gentle smile, "and because of that, you try to hide your emotions and guard your heart to protect yourself. You're unable to trust those around you, but you fear trusting in your own heart even more. I had hoped that you could come to trust in me, and my love for you, and in time, trust yourself. But time is running away and I now understand that I cannot force you to accept that truth until you are ready."

"Know this and keep it close to your heart. I bear no ill will towards you; no anger. For in loving you, I understand you better than you understand yourself. It is your smile, the sound of your voice speaking my name, and the feel of your heart beating next to mine that will be in my memory and heart always. From the first day, I loved you, and will do so until my last."

With one last searching glance into her eyes, he turned and left the room.

He was gone. Everything he'd said about her had been right, and now because of her stubbornness, the one person, the only person she'd ever truly been able to trust, was gone.

She suddenly felt empty and incomplete and in that instant, came to a startling realization. There were no definite answers in life, and certainly no guarantees. But while she would never know the future; never know what hurdles lay ahead, there was one thing she was now absolutely certain of.

Regardless of what lay in her future, the mere thought of not having Legolas by her side was unbearable. Were she to choose to return to her own time, her old life, she would be forever changed by the people she'd met in Middle Earth.

And Legolas. He would be lost to her in more ways than one. Never again would she be able to snuggle under a blanket, with a cup of coffee in one hand, and her beloved, dog-eared copies of Tolkein's books in the other, reveling in the wild adventure and stoic heroism of her favorite character.

Nor would she be able to spend countless hours lost in the realm of fan fiction, both reading and creating fantastic tales of Middle Earth. That would become meaningless and devoid of joy, acting as a reminder of all she'd chosen to leave behind.

Somehow, somewhere, she had been pulled from her own life, and been brought home, to a land she had come to love may years ago. And it was in this home that her heart lay, with his long, silken hair, sapphire blue eyes and calm, gentle smile.

"Legolas!!" Rain cried frantically as she raced for the door, praying it wasn't too late.

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Elrohir asked softly. Legolas had found him in his room, Gandalf nowhere in sight, and over the course of the next several minutes had told him of his decision to leave the group.

Legolas nodded slowly with regret. "I have thought about it at great length and feel this is the only choice left to make."

Elrohir began pacing the room in agitation. "It's a death sentence, 'Las! If you could just try talking to her..."

"I have," Legolas replied calmly.

"Then I'll try! And if I can't get through to her, then there's Gandalf, and my father. Maybe a female will work better, like Arwen or Galadriel."

"She has to come to me, and give herself to me, of her own free will, Elrohir. You know that."

"There has to be something we can do," Elrohir said dejectedly, his proud shoulders sagging in defeat.

Legolas placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "We have done all that we can. The rest is up to her."

"I love you!!!"

Startled, both elves turned to the doorway to find Rain standing there, tears streaming down her pale cheeks. Her wide, fear filled eyes were focused solely on Legolas.

"You were right," she continued in a wavering voice. "All my life, the people I loved have left me. And I thought that by not admitting that I loved you, by not acknowledging it, that this time, you wouldn't leave me."

Hope shimmering in his eyes, Elrohir quietly slipped from the room, carefully closing the door behind him. Neither Rain nor Legolas noticed his exit.

Not wanting to frighten her, Legolas remained where he stood, forcing himself to quell the need to run to her and crush her to him in his arms.

"Legolas, I don't belong in my world anymore, and I don't really know if I ever did. And as much as my heart is telling me that I belong here, it terrifies me to think about staying here without you. Because then I'd have nowhere to go, nowhere to belong."

Legolas did go to her then, pulling her roughly into his embrace, burying his face in her soft hair. "You do belong here, Rain. You have family that loves you, and I swear to you that I will always be here for you, standing by your side until the end of time. I will never stop loving you."

Rain clung to him, her arms clasped tightly around his lightly muscled waist, her tears of relief soaking into the fabric of his tunic above the rapid beat of his heart.

Legolas pulled away slightly, his hands gently lifting her face to his as his lips sought hers. Her heart soared as she opened herself to him, heart and soul, and their tongues danced in a duel as old as time.

Rain reached around, tugging impatiently at his tunic, frantic for the feel of his silken skin beneath her fingers. Breaking their kiss for only a heartbeat, Legolas quickly released the ties and with one fluid motion, pulled the tunic over his head and sent it sailing unheeded to the floor.

With a muted cry, Rain reached for him, her hands eagerly caressing the pale skin of his chest and flat planes of his stomach, her lips leaving light kisses in their wake.

Legolas released the band to her braid, freeing her hair and running his long fingers through the unbound curls. Bending down slightly, he once again sought her mouth, groaning deep in his throat when she came to him willingly.

Not eager to lose the contact, Rain tried to ignore Legolas' repeated tugs at her shirt. But soon, the need to feel her own bare skin crushed up against his became unbearable.

Legolas' breath came in deep gasps, his pupils dilated with an almost uncontrollable desire as he watched her rapidly remove her shirt, sending it flying to the floor to join his.

Quickly they embraced once again, heat flushed skin crushed together, their tongues entwined in a passionate battle. Hands frantically touching every curve, memorizing every plane and angle, they began a hypnotic waltz towards the bed, until Legolas' knees bounced against the edge, sending them both cascading onto the mattress in a tumble of limbs and heated kisses.

Nanook's furry head tilted first to one side, and then to the other, until he finally raised an inquiring gaze to his companion.

"I think they're going to be okay," Elrohir whispered with a smile as he removed his hear from the door. Nanook whined gently, his bushy tail sweeping the floor in hopeful arcs.

"What say we go down and get us a celebratory steak?"

Nanook's large ears perked forward and he licked his chops eagerly.

Elrohir chuckled. "My treat, buddy!"

Needing no further prompting, Nanook left his mistress to her own devices and with a decisive sneeze, padded down the worn corridor to the main cavern.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for the patience once again...I will try not to keep you in suspense that long ever again. Let me know what you think and leave a review. Happy Reading.

DBZ Vegeta


	49. A Surprise in the Making

**Fic title: **Wild Blue Yonder  
**Authors: **DBZ Vegeta/Stace  
**Rating: **PG-13/R  
**# of Chapters: **49?  
**Category: **Angst/Action/Adventure/Romance/Suspense  
**Disclaimer: **This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J.R.R. Tolkien, various publishers including but not limited to Ballentine Books. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Author Note: **Well, this chapter is finally done. I swear this new job that I have is gonna get the best of me for my writing. I just got back from a three week long school and I barely had anytime to write whatsoever. I am only home for the next six weeks and then I am off again. I think that I am going to have enough air miles for a free ticket soon….

* * *

**Chapter 49 – A Surprise in the Making**

Rain ignored Elrohir's smirking grin as she and Legolas crossed the cavern the next morning to join him, Gandalf and Gimli. They sat down together on the long bench across from the bemused trio, before picking up their plates to fill from the variety of dishes placed on the table.

"Sooo...," trailed off Elrohir, whose grin widened even further from the look that was shot in his direction by Rain, "Did you get much talking done last night?" he said suggestively.

Legolas choked on the drink he had been taking and eyed Elrohir over the rim of cup as Rain spoke.

" 'Ro, shut up."

"But Rain, the light was on so late last night, I only wondered...," Elrohir teased.

" 'Ro, run," Rain said shortly.

"Huh?" he said, before he looked up and saw the evil glint in her eye. He bolted up from the table, Rain hot on his heels. Nanook, barking and nipping happily at their feet, as he chased after the pair.

"Did I miss something?" Gimli asked, a confused expression lighting his face.

"I take it that all has worked out between the two of you, Legolas?" inquired Gandalf, a twinkle in his bright eyes.

"Yes, it has." Legolas said, his smile broadened as he watched Rain catch Elrohir and started to knuckle his head that she had trapped under her arm. Their shouts of laughter rang merrily through the cavern, as they watched on.

"Could someone please clue this poor, confused dwarf in on what's going on?" Gimli complained as they watched Rain release Elrohir, laughing happily, as the pair staggered their way back to the table, still poking and prodding at each other.

"Just something that was a long time coming," Gandalf remarked mysteriously as he watched Rain and Elrohir approach. Elrohir's hair was tangled and mussed, his tunic askew. Rain obviously faring better since she only had a few stray wisps of hair that had escaped from her tight braid.

When Rain sat down next to Legolas, he slipped his arm about her waist and pulled her close against his side. Gimli's eyebrows shot up to disappear into his browline as Legolas leaned over and whispered something into Rain's ear, causing her to sit back and smack him playfully on the arm. He leaned back slightly and watched the pair interact for the remainder of the meal. Their behavior was totally opposite that what he had observed the night before. Leaning forward again, his brows furrowed in concentration as he peered intently at his long-time friend, studying him quietly. Just then he noticed a small dark bruise barely hidden by Legolas' collar and as he was about to comment, Gandalf spoke up.

"Gimli, given your knowledge of the passageways, how long do you think it will take us to get to the key room as indicated on the map?" Gimli looked up, startled slightly for a moment, but heeding the look of warning in Gandalf's eyes before he replied.

"It should only take us about a day to get there and a day to return. However, I am unsure as to how you are going to open this room. In all our recorded history, no one has been able to enter that room and there is no documentation on what is contained within that room," he said, his shoulders shrugging with his apology.

"I have the feeling that once we are there that shall not be a problem," Rain remarked, fork held suspended in mid-air as a thoughtful look crossed her face. "I am not sure how I know that, but I just do." She lowered her fork to her plate as a frown began to take over the thoughtful look. "Gimli," she said, turning towards the dwarf, "do you have any idea as to why your people have not been able to enter this room."

"It's protected by magic," Gandalf said suddenly. All eyes slid to the old wizard as he continued, "Elvin magic."

"How would you know that Gandalf?" Legolas asked softly, his fingers involuntarily tightening on Rain's waist. She shifted away from his tight grip as she looked between Legolas and Gandalf, her green eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"There is a great many things that I know and many that I have long since forgotten," quipped the aged wizard humorously, his levity belied by the serious expression in his eyes.

"If it's protected by Elvin magic that could be the reason why the dwarves have been unable to access the room," commented Elrohir.

"But the main question would be; why would Elvin magic be protecting a place within the Dwarven realm?" Rain said, asking the very question that hovered in all their minds.

* * *

Rain grumbled to herself about the Dwarven penchant for digging dark, rocky holes as she stumbled over one more unseen obstacle. Why couldn't they live on top of the mountain, instead of tunneling under it? Even with all her military training, her combat skills and her confidence in her abilities, the yawning mouth of the entrance had given her pause, with its enveloping blackness. Moreover, she hadn't been the only one to get the willies.

Out of the corner of her eye, she'd seen both Legolas and Elrohir stiffen visibly as the party had stood briefly at the entrance. But then they'd gritted their teeth and plodded on with steely determination. Although she'd already respected them a great deal, her pride in both the elves had swelled as they'd fought against their innate dislike of anything underground. Even now, their discomfort was a physical presence, as the normally joyful, exuberant Elrohir tread quietly in the consuming darkness.

Rain grimaced as yet another bead of sweat slowly trickled down her already damp back. How the heck did the Dwarves stand the interminable heat, with their stocky bodies, heavy leather clothing, and thick bushy beards, moustaches and mane's of hair!

Rain wiped a dirty hand across her sweaty brow, unintentionally leaving behind a streak of black dust. She had removed her vest and rolled up the sleeves of her shirt, before untucking it to knot beneath her breasts exposing her midriff. The heat had increased exponentially the farther they traveled downwards, instead of cooling as she had thought it might. Even the elves had not fared well with the heat, their long hair matted and sticky with sweat and dirt. Only Gandalf and Gimli looked relatively comfortable, and she would not have put it past the old wizard to have conjured some type of cooling spell for himself, if it was possible.

_'Damn, it was hot,'_ she thought grumpily. Even the time that she had spent deployed to the desert hadn't been this bad, of course that had been mainly a dry heat as opposed to this humid dampness.

"How in the hell can you look so cool when the rest of us are boiling here?" she grumped caustically to Gandalf, the edges of her temper frayed by the looming darkness and stifling heat. She rolled her eyes as she was given a look that said, _"As if you didn't already know."_

"We're here," Gimli's voice cut through her thoughts. She looked up to see Gimli paused in front of a large archway, the heavy double stone doors firmly shut and illuminated hazily by his torch. Gandalf strode forward and held up his staff, the light from the crystal intensifying to dip along ancient elvin runes carved along the curving arch. Each of the stones double doors also carried runic inscriptions that surrounded a pair of parallel slits that were about three inches in length and ¼ inch in width, one to each door. Rain stepped forward, her fingers tracing lightly along the edges of the runes nearest the slits, her eyebrows coming down as a puzzled expression took residence on her face.

"There's something familiar about these," she said softly, her fingers tracing across the runes and to the slits.

"Familiar, how?" Gandalf asked, as he leaned on his glowing staff.

"I'm not sure, but something tells me that I should be able to read this," she replied, the look of puzzlement deepening on her face. Her fingers continued to trace the runes as her eyes studied the doors and archway. The men of the group stood back, watching Rain closely as she stepped back and dropped down to squat on her heels. She sat unmoving, staring at the runes as they quietly moved behind her to settle in for the wait.

For hours, they watched her, her body never moving other than the shallow lift of her breathing. Nanook whined restlessly and nudged at Legolas's hand, who automatically threaded his long fingers through the thick hair on his head. Legolas turned as he felt Elrohir sit down next to him and smiled softly as Elrohir held out a small leaf-wrapped package.

"No, I'm not hungry," Legolas said, shaking his head slightly before he turned back to watch Rain.

"Do you think she will be able to decipher the symbols?" Elrohir said as he took a small bite and then rewrapped the Lembas bread into its packaging. "I've never seen anything like them before. Even with father's extensive library."

"I am not sure, we can only…" his voice trailed off as Rain suddenly stood and stepped forward towards the doorway. He stood and quickly walked across the area until he stood directly behind her, the others on his heels. Rain's hands raised and traced lightly over the runes centered between the deep slits on the door. A soft glow began to emanate from the runes and began to fill the tunnel with its light. Legolas reached out a hand to pull Rain back, concerned for her safety as her voice began to fill the tunnel.

"The one from time to come shall hold the fate of the two. Join forever to preserve the march of time for both, else woe be to both and all shall be lost." Rain stepped forward as she spoke her voice carried a foreign quality to it, almost mystical. They watched cautiously as her hands dropped to her waist to pull the twin blades from their sheaths and suddenly plunged them into the two slits on the door.

Legolas and Elrohir both took a quick step forward, their hands outreached to snatch Rain back as a grating sound filled the tunnel. Dust billowed up as the doors began their slow inward motion propelled by a gust of air blew out from the opening pushing them back a step, causing the men to throw up their arms to protect their faces from the grit. A bright and brilliant light burst forth from the opening doors, blinding in its intensity. Then, just as suddenly as the light and dust appeared, it disappeared. Legolas dropped his arms from his face and stepped forward.

"Where's Rain!" he said, his voice cracking with his anxiety. The place that she had stood only moments before was empty, he pushed forward stepping into the opening of the doors and looked around. The room was round, the smooth walls devoid of decoration and directly in the center stood a raised dais, but Rain was no were to be seen.

She had disappeared completely.

* * *


	50. A Voice of Reason

**Fic title: **Wild Blue Yonder  
**Authors: **DBZ Vegeta  
**Rating: **PG-13/R  
**# of Chapters: **50 of ?  
**Category: **Angst/Action/Adventure/Romance/Suspense  
**Disclaimer: **This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by J.R.R. Tolkien, various publishers including but not limited to Ballentine Books. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**Author Note: **Sorry for the long time between posting, this new job is a bugger-bear and keeps me extremely busy. To the point where my mind is focused more on it than writing, plus I have been off this fandom for a bit now. This is a short chapter, I know, but I hope that you enjoy it anyway.

* * *

**Chapter 50 – A Voice of Reason**

She groaned as she struggled to sit upright, placing a hand against her forehead. Opening her eyes, she groaned again and closed them. "Geez, not again."

Reopening her eyes, she stared up at the tall trees surrounding her. She couldn't help to wonder were she was now, when only moments before she had been staring at the looming stone doors buried miles beneath the earth in a world that was as far from hers as she had ever been.

"Man, if this keeps happening I'm gonna have to demand frequent flyer miles," she groused grouchily, as she rolled up into a sitting position.

Looking around she found that she was in the center of a small clearing seated upon a raised stone dais. Large obelisks of stone, standing in what she estimated a rough circle and approximately 15 to 20 feet in height, surrounded the dais. Tall, leafy green trees surrounded the circle, their growth reaching out over the clearing, until little light spilled through the leafy canopy.

Pushing up to her feet, she reached back and brushed off the back of her pants while looking curiously around. The clearing was deserted of life, only trees, grass and stone. Stepping down off the dais, she cautiously paced the perimeter, looking for any signs of life or danger. Her circle complete, she looked about, disgruntled as she had found not even an opening in the tree, growing so close together that there was no way to slip through them In effect, she was inside the circle with no way of exiting.

"Now how in the hell did I get here, if there is no way in or out?" she muttered under her breath as she moved closer to the stone obelisks. Each stone, thirteen total, had ancient runes carved into them. She gently ran her fingers over one set, frowning as they seemed familiar in appearance. "Where have I seen these before?" she exhaled lightly.

In all her travels throughout her world, she had encountered many different cultures. The runes she found on the stones had a curious look to them, almost Asian in appearance. One of the cultures that she had a fondness for was Japan, the runes were similar in appearance to their written language, all sharp lines and strokes, but not exactly right.

As her fingers drifted over the symbol, it began to glow in a sharp blue color. She jerked her hand away and took several steps back, her eyes automatically looking around at the other stone columns. Each were beginning to glow in the eerily blue color as the one in front of her. She stepped back further as the glow began to intensify, bringing one hand up to shield her eyes from the glare. Suddenly she was thrown back into the grass as the glow from all the stones shot forth in the blinding beams of light to converge at the center of the stone dais, and just as abruptly the light disappeared.

She groaned as she rolled over pushing to her hands and knees; she was getting too old to keep getting knocked around like that. As she rolled up, a soft voice whispered through the clearing.

"You have come, daughter of two worlds."

He eyes blinked open and she stared up at the floating glowing figure hovering in the center of the dais. Long pale, almost white, hair curled down around her face. Pale green eyes watched her, filled with such depths, that Rain felt as if she was being sucked into them. A blue glow surrounded her body, cloaking her so that only her upper body was visible, the rest lost in the haze of blue.

"Who are you?" Rain asked, as she pushed herself back to her feet and warily dropped her hand to her pistol.

"You have no need of your weapon, I am what you have been seeking," came back the whispery voice. Rain stared at the figure, finally realizing that her lips hadn't moved. "You are right, young one."

"Will you stop it with the mind reading crap!" Rain snorted, "You are just as bad as Galadriel."

A soft laugh filled the clearing, echoing lightly. "You are much more than was expected, daughter of two worlds. I feel that you may be the one who will finally fulfill the destiny that ties our two worlds together."

"Finally?" Rain said, picking up on the one odd word within the sentence. "What do you mean finally? How many times has this happened before?"

"Three time past has the chosen one graced our world and three time past have they failed," came the whispery voice.

"Failed?" Rain asked, "Failed how?"

"The first daughter was not strong enough; she could not handle the stress of this world and was returned without completing the task. The first son was ambitious; he wanted power and domination, control over men and beasts. He too did not complete his mission, but brought upon this world a great blight that only just recently was finally defeated," the voice sounded tired and sad Rain noticed however, the face did not change her expression.

"And the last," she prompted.

"Ah the last, he had been so close to the key, that had he not thought of fame and greed, that he would have been the one to complete the task set before him. But alas, he returned to your world to exploit the teaching and history we gave him, in the name of greed and money."

Rain frowned, her mind puzzling the words presented to her. Three before her, one woman and two men, each set with the task that she herself had been appointed and each time all three had failed due to a flaw in themselves.

"What makes you think that I will not fail as the others before me have done so," Rain asked softly, wondering if she really was the one able to complete the task.

"You are different from the others, my child," said the whispery voice, "You have strength of mind and purpose, a dedication to do what is right. That alone stands you above those that came before you. I know that you shall not fail."

"But if I do fail, what happens then? Do I return to my home with nary a word said, does this world continue on as it had in the past until another like me comes to save it?" Rain said softly, trying to come to a reason for the insanity that was surrounding her. This entire journey was like out of the pages of a book, not set in stone until you turn the next page to see what was going to happen.

She looked up into the pale green eyes that hovered above her, and say what she needed to know in that instant. "This is the last chance, isn't it?"

The pale head nodded solemnly, "Yes, my child. This is the last chance for this world to continue on with elves among the inhabitants of these lands."

"What will happen to the elves, should I fail?" Rain asked quietly, a band of fear tightening around her heart as she thought suddenly of Legolas and Elrohir. How would she feel if she was the one to cause them to disappear from her life.

A softly serene smile tugged at the spirits lips, "They shall disappear into the west, never to be heard of again. They will be remembered for a short period of time, but as with all men the memories of what had come before will slowly die and become legend. Now, my daughter, it is time for you to return."

"Wait, what about the key?" Rain said suddenly as the clearing around her slowly began to shrink in upon itself and vanish. She stumbled forward towards the dias, intent on getting her answers. Darkness began to close in upon her, wrapping about her legs and arms as she struggled forward fingers gripping the stone. "What do I do to save them?" she cried as the blackness engulfed her.

Her last thoughts were filled with the parting words, "You shall know when it is time."

* * *


	51. Going Back To The Beginning

**Fic title: **Wild Blue Yonder  
**Author: **DBZ Vegeta  
**Summary: **US Air Force security police officer gets pulled into Middle Earth. What happens when she meets the man, opps elf, of her fantasies? Leg/OFC  
**Rating: **R  
**Chapter:** 51 /  
**Word Count:** 1,099  
**Disclaimer: **This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Tolkien Enterprises, various publishers including but not limited to Ballantine, Del Ray, Fawcett, and Ivy Publishing and New Line Cinema. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**

* * *

Chapter 51 – Going Back to the Beginning **

Harsh, loud voices were what brought her back to awareness. She felt a softness beneath her back and realized that she must have been moved from the chamber back to their rooms. Her head pounded, her mouth felt dry and parched and her body ached all over. In addition to these internal complaints, the external ones were beginning to drive her crazy.

"What do you mean that you don't know when she will wake up!" came Legolas' voice, distraught and agitated at the same time, she winced at the loud reply from the other individual in the room.

"What do you want me to do about it! It's not like I know how to wake her up!" She identified the speaker as Elrohir, and she almost grinned at the exasperation she heard in his voice.

"Now children," Gandalf said, his voice more soothing to her ear, "I do believe that you don't have to worry about that any longer. Good evening, my dear,"

She opened her eyes to look into the twinkling eyes of the bearded-wizard, smiling softly before she was pounced on by not only Legolas, but Nanook.

"Geez guys, get off before you squish me!" she croaked hoarsely, pushing at both heavy bodies, before giving up and wrapping her arms around them both. "I'm alright, you know,"

"What happened it you! One minute you were there and the next you were gone!" Legolas cried, leaning back to look down at her.

"I don't really know what happened. One minute I was standing outside of the room, the next I was in a glade with a stone monument," she replied, her eyes drifting off to stare across the room. Legolas looked worriedly down at her, before lifting his eyes to meet with Gandalf's in concern.

"It was weird," she started, her voice dropping in register enough to startle everyone, the monotone so unlike Rain's usual animated voice.

"It was a test, you know. To see if I was the one they wanted. Others came before me, others who came and failed. I don't even know if I passed their test,"

"Test? What test?" Legolas insisted, one hand coming up to cup her face and turn it towards his. He shivered at the blank stare that greeted his, before she blinked and life came back into her eyes.

"Legolas?" she said, "Why are you sitting on me?"

Legolas gave a bit of a half-laugh, half-sob and clutched her tight against him. She looked puzzled over his shoulder at Elrohir and Gandalf, who both had concerned expressions on their faces.

"Come on guys, its not like I'm dead or anything. Get off of me, would ya," she complained, pushing at Legolas' shoulders until she could dislodge him enough so that she could sit up.

"Now what in the hell is going on and why are we back up in the caverns? I thought we were going to head down to the key room that Gimli said he knew of," she said, looking a bit confused by the sudden concern that crossed the others faces. "What?"

"Umm, Rain," Elrohir started hesitantly, "we've been back from the rooms for nearly three days. Of which you have been unconscious,"

She sat up further in the bed, looking first at Elrohir, then Gandalf and finally Legolas, who all had the same concerned expressions. "You are telling me that we have already been down to the key room and in that time, I was rendered insensible and it has been three days since that time,"

"Yes, my dear. When we arrived, you disappeared for a short period of time and then reappeared, unconscious," Gandalf said, leaning heavily forward on his staff. "However, what does concern me is that you appear to not consciously remember what happened, but you also just told us a bit of what may have happened."

"Yeah, you said something about it being a test?" Elrohir chirped in, before he drew back away from the glares of the other two.

"A test… wait a minute, damn it," she said, throwing back the covers and sliding out of bed. She staggered slightly, shaking off the hand Legolas threw up to steady her. She paced back and forth, agitatedly, hands fisting in her hair.

"That's it… that blond haired witch," she cried suddenly, stopping and turning to look at Gandalf. He nodded back to her, understanding her meaning.

"What witch, I didn't see any witch," Elrohir said, confusion darting across his face.

"We have to go back," Rain said, still looking at Gandalf, "back to the beginning,"

"Back where?" Legolas asked, coming around to stand in front of her. Rain's eyes looked up into his and he could see a sudden sadness that took him completely by surprise.

"Back to Rivendell," Rain said.

* * *

They left early the next morning, Gimli loudly saying that he wouldn't be left behind while Legolas went of on another 'adventure'.

Legolas was worried about Rain, for the past two days, she hadn't said anything else since her declaration that night and she appeared to be deep in thought. Riding next to her, he looked over and sighed softly. She was still staring straight ahead, lost in her thoughts. He heard someone come up next to him and he looked over to find Gandalf had ridden up. With a short gesture, Gandalf indicated that he slow down. As he did, Elrohir and Gimli rode up on either side of Rain as they fell back.

"Are you all right, Legolas?" Gandalf asked gently, swaying slightly with the steps of his mount.

Legolas sighed again, his eyes taking in the figures ahead of him before he turned his gaze to the old wizard next to him.

"I don't know what to do, Gandalf. Rain hasn't said a word in two days and I am worried as to what will happen when we return to Rivendell. We are going back to where it all started, yet I am not sure if this is the right thing to do. What happens when we return? Is she going to leave me forever?" Legolas confessed his deepest, most dreaded fear to the old wizard.

"I cannot guarantee what will happen upon our return, but know this Legolas, the love that the two of you share is strong and no matter what happens, you must be true to your heart. It may be the only thing that can stand the strength of fate and destiny." Gandalf said, before placing his heels to his mount and riding forward to join the others, leaving Legolas to his thoughts.

-TBC-

* * *

A/N: I am extremely sorry for the long wait since the last chapter. This new job, can't really call it new since I've been at it nearly two years, has taken up an extrodinary amount of my time. Between that and the wonderful world of writer's block, I haven't worked on anything for a seriously long time. But the dry spell seems to be easing and I have been plinking away at all of my WIPs.

I do promise that this story with be finished, eventually. I know how it will end, it's just the journey to the end that I have to get through. Thank you for your patience and your comments are always welcome.

-DBZ Vegeta


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