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

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"You can tell everything about 
 
a person's life from the way 
 
he walks through a forest." 
 
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Chapter 15 
 
Colin and Gandalf were still waiting behind the hedges when Elrond slunk back into their 
hiding place. 
 
"The house is sleeping," Elrond said. "Ramelow is not home, but his family and the house staff 
are there." 
 
Gandalf smiled. "Perfect," Gandalf said, rising from the ground. He extinguished his pipe. 
 
They crept through the back gate, quietly closing it behind them, and crossed the large yard. 
 
Once they approached the back door they stopped. The house was completely silent and dark. 
Gandalf reached deep into a bag he was carrying and pulled out a flashlight and a screwdriver. 
He fumbled with the screwdriver and mumbled to himself, "Twas so much easier when magic 
was involved and not these impossible modern locks." 
 
"I should do this," Elrond said. "You are not well-known for getting a door open in a hurry." 
 
Gandalf grimaced at Elrond's reminder. "The mines of Moria were an exception." 
 
Colin sighed, reached forward and tried the door handle. To the surprise of both Elrond and 
Gandalf if opened. Colin smiled. 
 
Gandalf let the door slowly swing open, careful that it didn't make a squeak. Once they were 
all inside, Colin shut it behind them. Gandalf looked around at their surroundings. They were 
in a small back entrance that lead into the kitchen. With a motion of his hand, the three of 
them crept through the large kitchen, through the dining room, into the living room. Where 
they stopped. 
 
From here they could either go upstairs, or down a long hallway that branched off to the right. 
 
"The painting will have to be in a study or a library," Colin whispered. "At least that would be 
my first guess." 
 
Gandalf nodded. Elrond walked down the hallway and opened several doors before he found 
the library. Once inside they knew they had come to a dead end. 
 
"There is nothing here but books," Colin said. 
 
"Perhaps, it is already on display," Elrond said. 
 
"If that's the case it could be anywhere. In one of the bedrooms upstairs or in the hall," Colin 
said. 
 
Elrond turned to Gandalf. "Give me my cloak. I shall go on from here alone." 
 
Gandalf pulled a long flowing Elvish cloak out of the bag. It was deep blue and glowed slightly 
in the darkness. 
 
"Wait for me outside," Elrond said, as he pulled the cloak around his shoulders and let his hair 
flow down his back. "This calls for the light footsteps of Elves. Both of you will do me no good 
clomping around like orcs." 
 
Gandalf nodded and head for the door, but Colin didn't move. For the first time, Colin saw an 
Elf as he was truly meant to be seen. Elrond's noble features, and his calm demeanor, and the 
shimmering cloak made him seem anything but human. The effect was so shocking that Colin 
could nothing but stand and stare. 
 
"Leave me, I have work that needs to me done," Elrond said. 
 
Gandalf took Colin's arm and lead him from the library. 
 
Elrond soundlessly climbed the staircase that lead to the bedrooms. The first bedroom was 
occupied by Mrs. Ramelow. Elrond scanned the walls, but the painting was not there. Silently, 
he went into the next bedroom. Elrond was surprised to find that it was a child's room. Toys 
were strewn across the floor and a little girl of about 5 years old was curled up in an enormous 
bed. Above her bed, was the painting. 
 
Elrond weaved his way through the maze of toys and leaned over the bed to reach the 
painting, careful not to disturb the sleeping child. He pulled the painting from the wall and was 
about to walk away when a small voice said, "Who are you?" 
 
Elrond looked down at the girl. She was watching him wide-eyed but did not seem afraid. 
Elrond smiled and sat down upon the edge of her bed. 
 
"I am Elrond, an Elven King from a land very far away from here," Elrond said. 
 
"I like your eyes," she said. "They sparkle." 
 
"And yours are twinkling like starlight," Elrond said. 
 
"Are you going to take the painting with you?" she asked. 
 
"Only if you will let me," Elrond said. 
 
The little girl nodded. "I liked the other one better, the one with the bears. Will you put it 
back?" 
 
"Where is this painting?" Elrond asked. 
 
"In my closet." She pointed to her closet door. 
 
Elrond crossed the room and opened the closet door but he did not see it. 
 
"At the top," the girl whispered, she sat up in the bed to watch him. 
 
Elrond looked at the top shelves and found the painting. It was a forest scene of a ring of 
bears dancing. Elrond smiled when he saw it. He carried it back to the girl's bed. 
 
"Is this it?" Elrond said. 
 
She nodded. "The bears, they are always laughing." The girl said as she looked at the 
painting. She stood on the bed and watched as Elrond hung the painting of the dancing bears 
back onto the wall. 
 
Standing on the bed she was still shorter than him, but she gazed into his eyes. "They sparkle. 
You really are an elf aren't you?" she said, grinning. 
 
"I am indeed," Elrond said. "But if you do not get in bed, your mother may hear us." 
 
"Tuck me in," the girl demanded. She flopped back onto the bed and waited patiently as 
Elrond pulled the thick comforter over her. 
 
"Sleep well, my dear," Elrond said. He picked up the painting and slipped out the door. 
 
***************************** 
 
For several miles, Legolas lead Kate deeper and deeper into the woods. He knew she was 
stumbling along behind him, trying her best to keep up, but Legolas wanted to put as much 
distance between themselves and Bernhardi as possible. Finally, he slowed his pace and 
picked out a safe spot in the trees to rest. One that offered a good view of the direction they 
had just traveled and an easy way to escape should the need arise. 
 
"Wait here," Legolas said. He walked a few yards back to erase any signs of their trail. Then 
he listened to the sounds of the forest. It was not by accident that Legolas had lead them 
deeper into the woods. Though he had never walked among these trees before, he knew 
enough of forests that it did not matter. As he listened, Legolas could hear nothing but the 
sounds of the night. Once he was satisfied that they were safe for the time, he returned to 
Kate. 
 
She was sitting on the ground, leaning against a tree. Legolas joined her. 
 
"Are we being followed?" Kate asked. 
 
"Not yet." 
 
Slowly Kate began to recount the events of the evening. Leaving out nothing. It wasn't until 
she came to the part about the paper weight that her voice faltered. 
 
"Bernhardi said he'd already seen the twins. . . " 
 
"Elrohir and Elladan," Legolas said, softly. 
 
Kate nodded. "And he gave me this." Kate reached into her sweater pocket and pulled out the 
paper weight. Reluctantly, she set it in his hand. 
 
Legolas stared at it in horror. His fist gripped it tightly. Legolas opened his mouth to speak but 
found that the words would not come. When he finally spoke, he struggled to say the words. . 
. . "Did Bernhardi say whose. . . .whose. . ear this belongs to?" 
 
"He didn't say. After that, everything went crazy. He started to leave to go after you and I. . . 
I grabbed Aragorn's sword off the desk and . . . . . ." Kate stopped talking and made a 
stabbing motion with her hand. 
 
"Aragorn's sword? That is what you used to injure Bernhardi?" Legolas said. 
 
"It was on the desk. The closest thing to me," Kate said. 
 
"The sword is among the hardest weapons to take up in battle. Because the fighting is done 
face to face, you must look your opponent in the eyes as you kill them. I have known some 
Elves that could not do it." Legolas looked at Kate thoughtfully. "Aragorn would have been 
proud of you. . . as am I." 
 
"I didn't know what else to do," Kate said. "I wasn't planning on that. . . " 
 
"Where did you stab him?" Legolas asked. Kate pointed at Legolas's right shoulder. "You are 
certain of this?" 
 
She nodded. "I see it every time I close my eyes, the way the sword felt slipping into his 
skin," Kate shuddered. "It didn't feel like I thought it would. I thought it would be hard, to 
puncture the skin. But the sword just slipped inside of him. It was so . . .so easy." 
 
"I doubt he is dead. The location of his wound is not in an area that would necessarily cause 
death," Legolas said. 
 
Kate sighed, visibly relieve. "You're sure I didn't kill him?" 
 
"I cannot be certain, but there is a good chance he would live if someone got to him before he 
lost too much blood," Legolas explained. 
 
"Why doesn't that make me feel any better?" Kate said. "If he's still alive, he'll be after me 
now." 
 
"We have the pendant," Legolas said. "All we must do, is get back to safety." 
 
"What about Gandalf and Elrond?" 
 
"There is no time to find them. And if they were here they would wish us to leave as quickly as 
possible." 
 
"You want to try for the border." Kate said. 
 
Legolas nodded. "I know there are supplies we will need. Maps. But we should not go back to 
Paris." 
 
"I hope I never see Paris again. At this point, I don't even want to see France again," Kate 
said. "I am ready to go home. I'll take the Fire Watch any day over this." 
 
"Are you able to go farther?" Legolas said. "We must find a better place to hide before sunrise. 
By morning these woods will be crawling with soldiers." 
 
"It doesn't sound as if I have much of a choice," Kate said. 
 
Legolas smiled and helped her to her feet. 
 
"What I wouldn't give for some pants right about now," Kate muttered as she brushed the dirt 
off her dress. Her arms and dress had been scratched and snagged by limbs and branches. 
The beautiful ivory dress was now filthy. 
 
"Ready?" Legolas asked. 
 
"As I'll ever be in this thing," Kate said. "Just try to keep me from running into anymore 
branches." 
 
"Why is that?" Legolas asked, as they started at a slower pace through the forest. 
 
"Well, if many more branches snag at my clothes, there may not be much dress left before 
sunrise," Kate said. 
 
Legolas held back a laugh and said very seriously, "Except for the cold weather, I do not see 
where that would be a problem." 
 
Kate swatted him on the arm and marched on ahead of him. "Typical. And here I was thinking 
you were some other-worldly handsome Elvish warrior. But you're just like every other guy in 
London." Kate teased. 
 
Legolas caught up with her and grinned. "You think I am handsome?" 
 
"I think you are impossible." 
 
"Shhh." Legolas said, suddenly. His body tensed and he watched the forest. Kate stood 
perfectly still, but she could hear nothing but the pounding of her heart. A smile spread across 
Legolas's face and he said, "Wait here." 
 
Before she could answer, he disappeared into the night. Legolas ran as swiftly as his feet 
would take him, dodging trees this way and that, until he came to a fence. Beyond the fence 
was a pasture and in the distance a farm house. Legolas vaulted himself over the fence with 
one quick motion and crossed the pastures. 
 
Behind the farmhouse was a stable. He opened the stable doors and crept inside. One horse 
was bedded down for the night. Legolas approached the horse, speaking softly in Elvish. The 
horses ears perked up. Legolas reached out a hand and gently stroked the horses head. He 
leaned in to his ear and whispered for long minutes. 
 
After some snorting and snuffling, the horse seemed to come to a decision and pranced within 
the stable, eager to leave. Legolas opened the stable door and the horse followed him out into 
the cold night air. Just as Legolas was about to get onto the horse, a clothes line behind the 
farmhouse caught his eye. 
 
****************************** 
 
Kate heard them coming, long before she saw them. She knew something was wrong because 
Legolas never made a sound. In fact, most of the time he was so silent his entrances always 
surprised her. So when Legolas rode up and stopped in front of her on a gorgeous black horse, 
Kate was speechless. 
 
"You look like you belong on a farm," Kate said. Legolas had changed out of his tuxedo and 
was wearing khaki work pants and a thick flannel shirt. 
 
"That's where I was," Legolas said. He handed her a change of clothes. 
 
"Pants?" Kate said. "You brought me pants?" 
 
Legolas sighed. "I brought you pants. Though it pains me to do so." 
 
"I bet," she said, disappearing behind a tree. When she came out she was wearing a pair of 
trousers that were several sizes too large for her and a long sleeved shirt. Unfortunately, she 
was still in dress shoes. 
 
"This horse isn't wearing a saddle," Kate said. 
 
"Of course not," Legolas said. "Elves do not need saddles to ride a horse, either they will carry 
us or they will not. We do not bend their will. Here, take my hand." 
 
Kate took Legolas's hand and he pulled her up behind him on the horse. Her arms 
 
"I'm gonna slide off. I know it," Kate said. 
 
"I will not let you fall," Legolas said. He took Kate's arms and wrapped them around his waist. 
"Hold on. We must ride fast." 
 
Kate clung to Legolas, her face buried into his shoulder as the horse sprinted through the 
forest. The trees pasted by them so close and so quickly that Kate closed her eyes. Suddenly, 
they were airborne, as the horse leapt over a fence. The forest was left behind, as the horse 
raced across the open farmlands. Kate closed her eyes, letting the cold wind blow against her 
face, and taking deep breaths of the crisp night air. 
 
How long and how far they rode, Kate could never be sure. For she remembered only the 
endless miles giving way beneath the horses feet. Her mind had started to wander, drifting 
over the past few days events, and in the next instant the sky was turning a dull grey before 
the sunrise. They had stopped. Legolas dismounted and pulled Kate into his arms. 
 
"I am quite capable of walking," Kate said, sleepily. 
 
"I do not doubt it. Anyone who is capable of sleeping on a horse, should find walking no 
trouble at all," Legolas said. He set her down and she swayed on her feet. 
 
Legolas turned to the horse and spoke to it in Elvish. The horse whined and stomped the 
ground before disappearing into the early morning fog. 
 
"We will rest here today," Legolas said. 
 
"Where is here anyway?" Kate asked, as she looked around. 
 
They were at the edge of a country road. A few farmhouses lined the streets. A rooster 
crowed. 
 
"I do not know what community this is," Legolas admitted. "But it will be sun up soon. We 
should be able to find refuge here for the day." 
 
In the midst of an overgrown pasture, was an abandoned barn. It looked as if it would fall to 
the ground at any moment. Kate stumbled along beside Legolas and yawned wearily. 
 
"Looks lovely," Kate said. 
 
Broken farm equipment and rotting timber littered the ground inside the bar. Legolas cleared a 
path to a corner, secluded from the entrance. He lay his tuxedo jacket on the ground. 
 
"Sleep," he told her. "I will keep watch." Kate nodded and curled up on the ground and was 
instantly asleep. 
 
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