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

For some reason I can’t get this thing to format right.  If it bugs you, you can find the chapter
at 
http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=859559&chapter=13


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"If fate means you to lose, 
 
give him a good fight anyway." 
 
**************************** 
 
Chapter 12 
 
The hotel was quiet as Legolas and Kate walked through the lobby to the stairwell. 
Immediately, Legolas was suspicious. Every evening they had walked through the lobby, and 
every evening the lobby had been bubbling with conversation. But tonight it was silent. 
 
He scanned the room. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, but Legolas couldn't ignore the 
unspoken tension in the air. It was a palpable sensation he could almost reach out and touch. 
 
Cautiously, Legolas walked up the stairs with Kate following behind him. At the top of the 
stairs, he stopped. As quietly as possible, he opened the door and peered down the hall. From 
his location, he had a perfect view of Kate's room. The door to her room was ajar. From inside 
he could hear the soft murmur of voices. 
 
"What is it?" Kate asked. 
 
Legolas pulled out his dagger. "Unfortunately, a kiss will not help us avoid this confrontation," 
he said, then seriously. "Wait for me in the lobby." 
 
"Be careful," she said, before disappearing down the stairs. 
 
After Kate was out of harms way, Legolas slipped silently down the hall. Taking position just 
outside the door to Kate's room, he glanced inside. 
 
Two German soldiers were ransacking the room. The contents of Kate's suitcase was scattered 
across the bed. But more troubling to Legolas was the collection of paintings. One of the 
soldiers was loading each one into a protective carrying case. 
 
The almost inaudible sound of footsteps in the stairwell caught Legolas's attention. Sheathing 
his dagger, he cross the hallway and vanished into a storage closet. As the stairwell door 
opened, Kate tentatively peaked down the hall. From her demeanor, Legolas knew something 
was wrong. With a quick motion of his hand, Legolas got Kate's attention. At his signal, she 
dashed down the hall and into the closet. 
 
While Legolas kept watch, Kate explained the situation to him. "There's a German officer 
downstairs," she said. "I heard him asking the front desk our names." 
 
Legolas motioned for Kate to be silent. Kate leaned in to get a view out the crack in the door. 
The soldiers left Kate's room and walked towards Legolas's room. As they passed by the 
storage closet, Kate realized one of them was carrying the paintings. An instinctive cry of 
protest rose in her throat. Anticipating her reaction, Legolas covered her mouth with his hand. 
 
"How did they know we were here?" Kate whispered, after pulling Legolas's hand off her 
mouth. 
 
Before he had a chance to answer, the stairwell door opened and the German officer walked 
down the hall. He disappeared into Legolas's room. After a brief conversation with the soldiers 
inside the officer left, taking the paintings with him. 
 
Finishing their inspection of the hotel room, the two remaining soldiers stood guard at either 
end of the hallway, guarding both stairwells. Without planning it, the Germans had 
successfully cut off both means of escape. 
 
Legolas closed the storage room door and locked it behind him. He knew they could not stay 
hidden in there indefinitely. If discovered it would come down to violence. Even without his 
bow, Legolas welcomed a fight. It had been centuries since he'd last seen battle and the 
tension that was rippling through his muscles longed for release. 
 
Legolas surveyed the closet. It was small. A fight inside would not be easy. Although Legolas 
had grown up within the caverns of Mirkwood, he did not like fighting in close quarters. The 
smaller the area of attack, the less room for errors in judgement. Each move would have to be 
executed precisely. 
 
Legolas did not doubt his own abilities, but he could not guarantee those of his attackers. One 
false move and Kate could be injured. While Legolas was more than willing to take the risk for 
himself, he was not willing to risk any injury to Kate. 
 
Before they had left London, Legolas had given Kate's father a solemn promise that he would 
protect her. Even at the sacrifice of himself. It was not an oath elves gave lightly. 
 
As he glanced at Kate, Legolas realized his top priority would have to be escape. His gaze 
wandered over the 2 tall shelves piled high with linens and cleaning supplies. 
 
"We can climb through the attic, if you can get the door open quietly," Kate suggested, staring 
at the ceiling. 
 
Legolas looked up. In the ceiling was a trap door with a handle. Kate grabbed a bucket that 
was sitting in the corner of the room and flipped it over for Legolas to stand on. After stepping 
upon the bucket, Legolas reached up and pulled open the door, careful to make sure it didn't 
make a sound as it swung down. 
 
Legolas locked his fingers together and bent down. Without a word, Kate stepped into his 
hands and Legolas gave her a boost into the attic. After she had pulled herself up, Legolas 
jumped up and pulled himself up behind her. Once they were both inside, Legolas closed the 
trapped door behind them. 
 
The inky blackness of the attic was hard to penetrate. Even with his Elvish site, Legolas could 
just make out Kate's silouhette in the darkness. He gave his eyes a moment to adjust, and 
slowly the contents of the attic became visible. 
 
The attic was long, with the roof sloping down sharply on either side. The walls at either end 
had small windows that were covered in shutters blocking out what little light there was at this 
time of night. Getting to the windows, however would be a problem. The attic was piled high 
with boxes, old mattresses, and bed frames from the years the hotel had been in operation. 
 
"Where are you? I can't see a thing," Kate whispered, grasping the air blindly. 
 
Legolas grabbed hold of her arm, stopping her before she stumbled into an old bed frame. 
"Follow me," he whispered. 
 
Kate held onto the back of Legolas's coat as he weaved his way through the boxes until he 
reached the far attic wall. He adjusted the shutters on the window, until the smallest rays of 
the street lights illuminated the room enough for Kate to see. 
 
Kate sank to the floor beneath the window. "I don't understand why they'd be after us." 
 
"Perhaps, General Bernhardi thought it wiser to steal what he wanted instead of trading for it." 
Legolas peered out into the darkened streets of Paris, his eyes constantly scanning the area 
for any signs of danger. "We may have been followed since we first arrived in Paris." 
 
"If that's the case, then Gandalf and Elrond could be in danger," Kate said. 
 
"There is nothing we can do for them tonight," Legolas said. "At day break we will go back to 
the café to warn them." Legolas glanced down at Kate. "You should try and get some sleep. 
 
"You honestly expect me to sleep when for all I know the entire German army may be after 
us?" Kate asked. 
 
"That is when you need it most," Legolas said. 
 
***************************** 
 
A half an hour had passed since the man had informed Elrond and Gandalf of their 
predicament, and disappeared out the door after telling them to sit tight. Sitting tight was the 
last thing Elrond wanted to do. 
 
A Nazi informant was waiting outside to follow them. An entire battalion of soldiers was 
dismantling their hotel room at that very moment. And Legolas and Kate were walking targets 
simply for being seen in their company. 
 
And what were they doing? Hiding in a bathroom. Elrond paced the two steps in front of the 
sink and back again for the zillionth time. Gandalf was sitting upon the toilet as if it were 
merely a chair, contentedly smoking his pipe. 
 
After what seemed like an eternity, the door opened the man returned. "Hurry, we must move 
quickly. We don't have much time." 
 
Gandalf rose to his feet, extinguishing his pipe and they followed the man out the door. 
 
They walked a few blocks up the deserted streets and turned down a narrow alley. The alley 
was obviously a dead end and Elrond prepared himself for attack, assuming they had been 
tricked. 
 
"What are you taking us?" Elrond said, refusing to walk another step until he had a sufficient 
explanation. 
 
"Beneath the city," the man said. He stopped midway down the alley and began pulling the 
top off a large manhole cover. After struggling with it for a moment, he managed to remove it. 
 
Gandalf and Elrond gazed down into the darkness. "Where does it lead?" Gandalf asked. 
 
"To safety. Trust me," the man said. 
 
"We do not even know your name," Elrond said. 
 
For the first time a smile spread across his face. "Pierre. Now let's go." 
 
Gandalf climbed down first and Elrond followed closely behind him. As the cold murky water of 
the sewer soaked through his pants, Elrond found himself wishing he was back in the 
bathroom again. Pierre splashed down behind them. For a moment, there was complete 
darkness. Until Pierre flipped on a small flashlight. 
 
Elrond looked down the darkened tunnels. The ceiling arched just above his head, and they 
were knee deep in filth from the city. 
 
"And I thought the Dead Marshes smelt bad," Gandalf muttered under his breath as he 
followed Pierre through the tunnels. 
 
Pierre kept up a brisk pace. The tunnels were more complex than Elrond was expecting and 
they passed many branches of tunnels that disappeared off in both directions. Even remaining 
acutely aware of their the number of times they turned left and right, Elrond was no longer 
certain he would be able to remember the way out again. 
 
Pierre however, seemed right at home, and after 20 minutes had passed he stopped walking. 
"Wait here," Pierre said. He handed Gandalf the flashlight, before climbing up a ladder and out 
a man hole. 
 
A few minutes later, Pierre stuck his head back down the man hole and said, "This way. 
Hurry." 
 
Gandalf and Elrond climbed back up onto the streets of Paris. Elrond did not recognize their 
location, except they were in a more residential part of the city. After following Pierre a few 
buildings down, he stopped in front of a boarding house. 
 
"This is where I leave you," Pierre said. Upon the front steps of the boarding house a woman 
was waiting. "That is Marie, she is expecting you." 
 
"Thank you for your help," Gandalf said, with a bow. 
 
Pierre bowed dramatically low and then vanished up the streets. Gandalf and Elrond walked up 
the steps to the boarding house. 
 
"Marie?" Gandalf said. 
 
"Your room and a hot meal are waiting," she said. 
 
They followed her into the house. She lead them upstairs to a small bedroom. 
 
"There are a change of clothes for you in the closet. Please join us for supper after you have 
freshened up," Marie said, closing the door behind her. 
 
After changing into a suit that smelt distinctly of moth-balls, Elrond followed Gandalf 
downstairs into the dining room. Three other boarders were already seated at the table with 
Marie. Elrond sat down beside Gandalf and was listening as Marie began the introductions. But 
the introductions were cut short when one of the boarders exclaimed, "Gandalf! What are you 
doing here!" 
 
Gandalf's face was a combination of shock and delight. "Colin!" 
 
Colin rose from his seat so abruptly that he knocked his glass of water over spilling it on the 
girl who was sitting beside him. After making apologies and cleaning up his mess, he 
scrambled from his chair to give Gandalf a huge hug. 
 
"You have no idea how good it is to see you my boy!" Gandalf said, with a laugh. 
 
The other boarders and Marie were watching the reunion with amused smiles upon their faces. 
Elrond watched in a stunned silence. 
 
"How did you get here? What are you doing here?" a thousand questions escaped Colin's lips. 
Colin took one look at Elrond and quit speaking. 
 
Elrond rose from his seat. "Where are my sons?" 
 
************************ 
 
Elrond, Gandalf, and Colin sat down in the small bedroom. Colin took a deep breath before 
beginning his story. 
 
"We didn't have any trouble getting into France at all, Dad's forgeries are really top notch. I 
contacted some of the Resistance leaders who gave me the latest on crossing the German 
border. We had been told the best place to cross was where the Swiss, German, and French 
borders intersected. That way if there is trouble, it is a quick escape to Switzerland." Colin 
rose from the bed and began to pace nervously. 
 
"Elrohir and Elladan did a bit of scouting, while I waited at a safe house. The next day they 
came back with half a dozen people trying to escape Germany. With another dozen waiting 
just over the border in Germany." Colin sighed. 
 
"After that, there wasn't much choice about what we were going to do. We gathered some 
supplies and lead them over the mountains into Switzerland. We just intended to lead one 
group. But when we returned another was waiting, and then another. We had to do it. If you 
saw their faces you wouldn't have been able to tell them no either." 
 
"A couple of weeks ago, on a trip over, we were ambushed. A small band of Nazi's were 
waiting for us. Elrohir and Elladan took out over half the Nazi's before they were captured. 
That was the last time I saw them." 
 
"Do you know where they are now?" Elrond asked. 
 
Colin nodded. "They're being held at the Parisian Prison on the east side of the city. It's where 
they take all the French Resistance members. It's run by a General Bernhardi." 
 
Elrond and Gandalf looked at each other. "Bernhardi? You're sure that was the name?" 
 
"Yeah, I've seen him myself. Big guy. Nasty. Makes my skin crawl to look at him. He should be 
the poster boy for Nazi Germany," Colin said. "Do you know him?" 
 
"We've heard the name," Gandalf sighed. "Do you have a lot of contacts within the 
resistance?" 
 
"Some. Why?" Colin asked. 
 
Gandalf knew there was no easy way to say it, so he just dove in. "Kate and Legolas are trying 
to make an appointment to meet Bernhardi. But they were seen with us this evening, and 
we've been targeted by the Nazi's as resistance members. We need you to get word to them 
to warn them." 
 
Colin's face went pale. He sat down abruptly on the bed and said nothing for a long moment. 
 
"Time is extremely important here, Colin. Not a moment can be lost. The name of their hotel 
is L'Hotel du Seine," Gandalf said, softly. 
 
Colin took a deep breath and rose from the bed. "I'll get right on it." 
 
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