Title: Forgotten Allies
By: McJen
Rated: PG-13
Feedback: legolasstory@yahoo.com

***************************************** 
 
"You know, I used to think it was awful that life 
 
was so unfair. Then I thought, would it be much 
 
worse if life were fair, and all the terrible things 
 
that happen to us come because we actually 
 
deserve them? So, now I take great comfort in the 
 
general hostility and unfairness of the universe." 
 
--Marcus Cole - Babylon 5 
 
*************************************** 
 
Chapter 13 
 
It was well after midnight as Legolas gazed out into the darkness. Except for the occassional 
passing jeep filled with German's patrolling the city, the streets were silent. 
 
Kate was sleeping quietly for the moment, for which Legolas was grateful. He did not know 
what the sunrise would bring and knew that mortals required more rest than Elves. It had 
taken some convincing to get Kate to lay down. But despite her protests that she could never 
fall asleep while they were hiding out, she eventually drifted off. 
 
Legolas stood up straight, stretching his back and gazed out the window. In the distance he 
could barely make out someone walking up the streets. The man was moving stealthily, 
making sure to keep out of the beams of the street lights. As he came closer to the hotel, 
Legolas got his first good look at him. He stared in astonishment. 
 
It was Colin. 
 
Instinctively, Legolas knew it was no coincidence that Colin was sneaking up the streets 
towards their hotel. And Legolas also knew that there was no way to warn him of the German 
soldiers without calling attention to themselves. 
 
So he did the only thing he could. He woke Kate. She rubbed her eyes and sat up. "What is 
it?" 
 
"Your brother is outside." 
 
"What?" Kate sprung to the window. A smile spread across her face. "He's alive. He looks 
perfect. Just like he did the last time I saw him." Her joy was short-lived as her thoughts 
caught up with the reality of the situation. "What's he doing? He can't come in here." 
 
Colin came ever closer while Legolas and Kate watched helplessly from above. "Don't come in, 
don't come in, don't come in," she chanted softly under her breath. But her words were 
unheeded and Colin disappeared from view as he walked into the hotel. 
 
****************************** 
 
Colin glanced around the lobby as he walked to the front desk. A man was seated in a chair 
reading a newspaper. 
 
From his dealings with the Resistance, he knew that the manager was a German sympathizer. 
However, the girl who worked behind the front desk was not. She was a member of the 
Resistance. Colin had spoken to her once before. And had wished he'd a reason to come back 
here before now. But all youthful thoughts of flirting were far from his mind as he approached 
the front desk. 
 
The girl saw him but did not smile. Her eyes cut over to the man in the lobby and back to 
Colin. Something was wrong. 
 
Colin started to speak but the girl stopped him. The girl handed him a basket, and began 
scolding him in French. A flurry of words left her mouth. Colin didn't understand one of them 
but he followed her lead. He was handed a large basket and ushered out the door. He looked 
down into the basket, at the bottom was a small piece of paper. 
 
He took one look at it and quickly rushed up the sidewalks. 
 
*********************************** 
 
The minutes seemed to stretch out indefinitely. Kate strained to hear anything from the hotel 
rooms below them but all was silent. When Kate thought she could not bare it any longer, 
Legolas pulled her to the window. 
 
They watched as Colin dashed up the sidewalks until he rounded a corner and was out of 
sight. Kate breathed a sigh of relief. She sat back down beneath the window, and pulled her 
knees up to her chest. 
 
"What do you think that was all about?" Kate asked. 
 
"I am certain Gandalf in involved," Legolas said. 
 
"But neither Gandalf nor Elrond had any idea where Colin was yesterday," Kate said. "Surely, 
they could not have found him in one evening." 
 
"Do not be so sure," Legolas said. "Gandalf has an uncanny way of showing up where and 
when least expected." 
 
************************************* 
 
A little before dawn, Legolas and Kate planned their escape from the hotel attic. After some 
inpection, Legolas discovered the side wall of the hotel beneath the window was covered in a 
vine covered lattice. 
 
Legolas slid open the window and climbed out onto the wooden lattice and gingerly eased his 
entire weight onto it. It swayed slightly. 
 
"I do not think it will carry both our weights," Legolas said. 
 
"I'll wait until you get down," Kate said. 
 
Kate watched as Legolas easily descended the wall. Once he reached the bottom she climbed 
out. However, she realized it wasn't as easy as it looked. Simply climbing out of the window to 
get onto the wooden lattice was a challenge and it took a long minute to gather her courage 
enough to lower herself out the window and let go of the window sill. 
 
Kate refused to look down and focused all her energy on taking one step at a time. Leaves 
from the vines kept going up her nose and she fought back a sneeze. Several aching muscles 
later, Kate's feet hit the ground. She smiled, turned around. 
 
And looked straight into the barrel of a rifle. 
 
The two soldiers and the officer, that had been inside the hotel, had them surrounded. Legolas 
was on the ground with a rifle barrel jammed into his back. 
 
The officer lowered his gun and said, "We knew you could not say in there forever. It was 
simply a matter of time before you made your escape." 
 
One of the soldiers pulled Legolas to his feet and brought him to the officer. In a manner of 
seconds, the officer put a hand cuff around Legolas wrist and Kate's wrist. "There, I do not 
think you will try escape with her handcuffed beside you." 
 
Legolas clenched his jaw, saying nothing, but his eyes were filled with fury. 
 
"Let's go, we mustn't keep General Bernhardi waiting. I told him I'd have you in just after 
dawn and I'm cutting it a bit close." 
 
The soldiers nudged them up the sidewalk. Kate needed no encouraging and she stumbled to 
stay out of the soldier's reach. They were escorted into the back of a car. The car roared 
through the streets of Paris. 
 
************************** 
 
The sun was hanging low on the horizon when Colin walked into the kitchen of the boarding 
house. Elrond and Gandalf were waiting. 
 
"They aren't at the hotel," Colin said. "But there are German's guarding it, waiting for them to 
come back. I've alerted some contacts to be on the lookout for them." 
 
"Legolas must have sensed the danger," Elrond said. 
 
Gandalf nodded. "If there is nothing more we can do for them, let us then help those we can." 
 
"Will you show us the prison where my sons are being held?" Elrond asked. 
 
"It isn't far," Colin said. "If you want to go today, we should leave now. Morning is the best 
time to be out. It's easier to blend into the crowds going to work." 
 
As Elrond and Gandalf rose to leave, Colin said, "Who is this Legolas?" 
 
Gandalf smiled. "He is an elf. He has seen many a battle. You sister is in safe hands." 
 
Colin nodded uncertainly. He didn't much care for the idea of his sister being in anyone's 
hands, especially that of a warrior elf." 
 
************************** 
 
Kate was in anything but safe hands as she and Legolas were escorted into the Parisian Prison. 
Instead of being taken to some dank dark cell as she had imagined on the short drive to the 
prison, they were take into an office. The door was shut and locked behind them. 
 
Legolas scanned the room and made a move to walk across the room. Nearly causing Kate to 
tumble to the ground in the process. With his swift reflexes he caught her and apologized, 
pulling her along so he could get a better look at the windows. The windows were barred. He 
shook them, checking for weaknesses but found none. And the room had nothing that could 
be used as a weapon, only a desk and 3 chairs. 
 
"Don't try anything heroic," Kate said, as she adjusted the handcuff to keep it from digging 
into her skin. 
 
"Heroic?" 
 
"Oh, you know, take on the entire German army," Kate said. "Under normal circumstances I 
wouldn't mind, but I'd rather you not try it while I'm handcuffed to you." 
 
"What would you prefer I do?" Legolas asked. 
 
"I would have preferred you taken them out when they first attacked us," Kate said. 
 
"I tried." 
 
"What happened?" Kate asked. 
 
"They threatened to shoot you," Legolas said so matter-of-factly that it took Kate off guard. 
 
"Oh," she said. "I'm sorry." 
 
"For what? Being alive?" Legolas asked, amused. "I am not sorry." 
 
Kate jumped at the sound of footsteps and voices just outside the door. Her entire body 
tensed. "I changed my mind." She said suddenly. "If it comes down to it, give them a good 
fight." 
 
Legolas caught her gaze and nodded. As the door opened, she grasped Legolas's hand. 
 
General Bernhardi walked into the room. He was a very tall and broad shouldered man, with 
short light brown hair, speckled with grey. "Take your seats, I don't plan on harming either of 
you for the moment." He grinned as if the entire situation were a comedy used for his own 
amusement. He sat down behind the desk. "We've got a transaction to make do we not?" 
 
Legolas gently lead Kate to the seats. Kate glanced at Legolas who nodded for her to speak. 
"Um. Yes sir. We had planned on making a transaction," Kate asid. 
 
"Planned on it?" Bernhardi said. "You sound as if you have changed your mind." 
 
"No-ooo sir, it's just. . .that. . . well," Kate struggled to decide what would be appropriate to 
say. Finally she decided on the truth. "We had the paintings that were to be traded in our 
pocession until last night when one of your officers broke into our hotel room and confiscated 
them." 
 
Bernhardi laughed. "I like a woman who speaks the truth. None of that beating around the 
bush with you is there?" he said. "My officer was there on my orders. I don't like to think of it 
as confiscated, I like to think of it as protecting. I wanted to make sure you're paintings 
arrived in my posession safely. You would be surprised how many people try to make deals of 
their own. Some of the best art works have slipped through my fingers that way." 
 
"I don't doubt that," Kate said. "So.. . .if you are satisfied with the paintings will you still be 
interested in making the trade?" 
 
"Certainly, that's why I brought you here," Bernhardi said. "My people are busy verifying their 
origins. Once they are completed I will be happy to give you the items you requested." 
 
"Thank you," Kate said. "Until then, we will be waiting at our hotel." 
 
"Absolutely not," Bernhardi said. "I insist you stay at my chalet as a guest. We have suites for 
both of you." 
 
"That's a very generous offer but we couldn't impose," Kate said. 
 
"I insist upon it," Bernhardi said. "Besides, I would love your personal opinion on some of my 
own works. I think you will find them quite. Enlightening." 
 
Bernhardi rose from his seat. Legolas and Kate stood as well. 
 
"One of my men will escort you to my home. Your things have already been sent there. Please 
enjoy my hospitality," Bernhardi said. He stopped and stared intently at Legolas. "I look 
forward to hearing about your life. I am sure I will find it fascinating." He left the room, 
slamming the door shut behind him. 
 
"If we are guests, how come I feel like a prisoner?" Kate asked. 
 
"Because we are," Legolas said. 
 
************************************ 
 
Colin, Gandalf, and Elrond were trying not to look suspicious as they waited in an alley across 
the street from the prison. The streets were crowded with people going to and from work and 
it was easy to blend into the surroundings. 
 
"This is the prison?" Elrond said, with almost a laugh. "Why five of my warriors could take on 
this place easily." 
 
Colin looked uncertainly at Elrond. "Those armed guards could take out 5 *warriors* in an 
instant with those guns." 
 
"Not if my archers took care of them first," Elrond said, simply. 
 
Colin sighed. 
 
"There will be time to discuss strategies later," Gandalf said. "For now, we need to know what 
part of the building are they being held in?" 
 
"The north west corner," Colin said. "We've had some men stay in there who have made it 
out. Not a lot. But a few. They have seen Elladan." 
 
"What of Elrohir?" 
 
"He has not been seen since they were brought in," Colin said. 
 
"How often to they change guards?" Gandalf asked. 
 
"Three times a day," Colin said. "They stagger the times, they change every day. Nothing is on 
a schedule here, which makes planning escapes next to impossible." 
 
"Or perhaps we could just walk in through the front door like Legolas and Kate have done," 
Elrond said. Colin and Gandalf looked in time to see Legolas and Kate walking from the 
building. Seemingly of their own free- will. They were no longer hand-cuff and Kate was 
holding onto Legolas's arm as if they were on a usual morning stroll. 
 
Colin made a cry and started to move out of the concealment of the alley but Elrond and 
Gandalf held him back. 
 
"You fool," Elrond said. "There is more going on than meets the eye. See those soldiers. They 
are being escorted somewhere." 
 
"And in the General's car," Colin said, shakily. "If Bernhardi knows they were seen with the 
both of you..he won't hesitate to kill them after he gets what he's after." 
 
*****************************