The Land I Call My Home
Part 5: 1620 Brockminster Street, Blue Island, Maine
Within fifteen minutes, Legolas had changed into Elvish attire, ready for war. A quiver was slung over his back, full of arrows, and a bow was held in one hand. He met Aragorn and Gimli at the gate, and they both nodded approvingly. This was the Legolas they knew.
But a new fierceness was held in his eyes, one Aragorn never hoped to possess. Legolas' child had been taken, and it wasn't guarenteed that they would find her alive. Legolas was facing the only thing Aragorn truly feared.
"Let's go." He growled, setting off at a brisk pace into the woods. The man and dwarf followed.
*-*-*
"Arwen, is Legolas here?" Gandalf asked anxiously, sticking his head into the room. Arwen jumped up, from where she was sitting with the three children.
"Gandalf! You haven't heard? Legolas left yesterday with Aragorn and Gimli. Violet's been kidnapped, by Orcs." The last sentence was a mere whisper, and Gandalf paled.
"Where is his wife?" He demanded.
"She's still in her room. She refuses to come out."
"Let me see the boy." Gandalf extended his arms, as he came into the room. Arwen wordlessly handed Legan to him.
"Please, Gandalf, do something. Even I have not been able to get her to talk."
"A blow to your pride, surely?" Gandalf asked, though the customary twinkle was no longer held in his eyes. Arwen lowered her head as Gandalf left the room.
"Ari?" Gandalf tapped on the door. "Ari, I'm coming in." He pushed the door open, and stepped into the room. She sat in a chair, staring blankly ahead. He said nothing, but walked over, and handed her Legan. Legan's loving, slobbery kiss was all that it took to break the ice. She broke down, clutching Legan tightly.
"What if they don't come back?" She asked through her sobs. "I wouldn't be able to stand it."
"He'll come back. And he'll have Violet with him." Gandalf promised her, taking a chair. But he suddenly wasn't so sure.
*-*-*
*I can't lose her. I can't.* Legolas told himself, pushing himself on. He had refused to stop at nightfall, and he could tell the lack of sleep was taking it's toll on Aragorn and Gimli. It had been done years ago, but now the lack of sleep was unaccustomed to, and only Legolas was running on pure adrenaline. The solitary thought that he might lose Violet kept him going.
Silently, he cursed the land he once called home.
Once, it was loved. Once, he would have never left it. But he had tasted the forbidden land, the one free of Orcs, the one where your biggest danger was a thug, who was but a gnat compared to the cruelty of an Goblin thief.
He pressed on, his thoughts on many different things, but his mind set on one goal. Bringing back his little girl.
His thoughts, though, strayed far and wide. The land he learned to call home. Even with the thick air, and the sometimes rude people, it was a land of freedom. Free from Orcs, free from Kings. It wasn't until Legolas knew what a democracy was, that he began to loathe the monarchy he had been born into.
Why should he and his brothers have to rule, if they wished not to? He longed to free his people, yet deep inside his heart, knew that he couldn't. They were far too set in their ways.
Abandoning the thoughts he knew were useless, he began remembering the morning Violet had been born.
He remembered pacing back and forth in the hospital corridor, confused, scared, and blissfully happy all at the same time...
"Sir, it's time." A nurse had stepped out of the room nearby, and waved to Legolas. He nervously entered the room, and was greeted by Ari's soft smile. It had comforted him, and he relaxed a bit, as he moved to hold her hand.
The next few minutes moved by in a blur, and the next thing he knew, a baby's cries reached his ears, and a nurse was exclaiming, 'It's a girl!'. Ari had looked up at him wearily, and asked, brain still clouded by the medication and exhaustion,
"Let's name her Matthew after your cousin." Legolas only found it funny later, when the hospital staff, while struggling to breathe, informed him that he had agreed.
Blessed with clearer minds, they had later decided on Violet Ariel, the middle name after Ari, and the first after the rare Elven purple star, because he had claimed she was his own little star.
"I'm coming, little star. I'm coming." Legolas whispered, forcing himself on.
*-*-*
An arrow whizzed through the air, piercing the head of her kidnapper. Violet gasped, and tried to shrink into the ground. She sqeeuzed her eyes shut, fearing the worst, that maybe the mean Black Man the Orc had scared her with tales of, had finally come.
Before she even realized what was happening, she was enveloped in warm, familar arms, and she sank into them.
"Violet, Violet, I was so scared." Legolas whispered to her, kneeling on the ground, holding his little girl in his arms, holding her tightly, and keeping her safe.
"I didn't mean it, Daddy." Violet replied, with a tear-riddled hiccup.
"I know, Violet. I know." She buried her face in his shoulder and sobbed.
"He was going to hurt me." She choked out. He brushed a comforting hand through her hair.
"I won't let him. I promise."
*-*-*
"Gandalf! Gandalf! I have it!" Traedan flew up the stairs in Rivendell, whizzing past surprised Elves. He burst into the room, where Legolas sat talking to Gandalf, while playing with his two children.
"Traedan!" Gandalf exclaimed, rising.
"I found a way to make the jump more than twice!" Traedan shouted excitedly, and Legolas' head jerked up.
"Traedan, I don't think this-" Gandalf began sternly. Legolas interupted.
"How?"
"Legolas-"
"I want to know how, Gandalf. Ari and I don't want to stay here. It's too dangerous." Legolas snapped, looking down at Violet, whose only scar of the ordeal were some bad memories. Legolas and Ari on the other hand, were still quite jarred.
"I can do it. I can't explain it, but I can do it." Traedan hurriedly told him, grateful for an eager listener.
"What do you mean you, 'can't explain it'?" Gandalf demanded. Traedan looked at the older wizard with a sheepish grin.
"There...there just don't seem to be words to explain it, Gandalf. There aren't words."
"I want to go. Let Ari and I get our things together."
*-*-*
"Are you sure you won't stay?" Aragorn pushed, as Legolas finished throwing something in his bag.
"I'm sure, Aragorn. It's not safe here. I understand that you can't come, but I want to do this. This isn't my home anymore."
"Well, where is your home?" Gimli snapped irritably.
"1620 Brockminster Street, Blue Island, Maine." Legolas recited confindently. "And that's where I belong."
*-*-*
Nate stared mournfully at the two newest clippings framed on the wall. The wall was covered with plaques, and newspapers. Most of them awards to the Lapham Downhill Devils, for races, the addition of the star rider known as Elfman, and then the two. The two articles that had changed his life dramatically.
The first read, 'Elfman: A Downhill Legacy Lost: Famed Biker Dies In Car Accident.' the second, 'Downhill Racer's Family Disappears Only Week After His Death'. He slammed his hand on the desk helplessly, and let his head fall to it's cool wooden surface.
A knock on the office door caught his attention, and he wearily raised his head.
"Be right there." He mumbled, standing up, and shuffling over to the door. He opened it, and his face lit up.
"Legolas!" He exclaimed, swinging the door open. Indeed, there stood the Elf, just as Nate remembered him, in bucket hat, shorts and Lapham and Elfman Downhill Devils shirt, with two duffel bags. Ari stood behind him, Legan in one arm, Violet's hand being held by the other.
"Uncle Nate!" Violet exclaimed, ducking underneath Legolas' legs and giving her adopted Uncle a fierce hug.
"I can't believe you're back, Legolas!" Nate stuttered disbelieving.
"Well, don't just stand there, man! Wake up the neighborhood! Tell them Elfman's back and ready to ride, as soon as he gets as slice of good American pizza." Legolas laughed, as he and Ari entered the office. Nate grinned.
"I'll call Dominos."
*-*-*
Faster than a forest fire spread, spread the word that Elfman was back from the dead. A disbelieving crowd of over a hundred gathered at what was rumored to be not only the toughest course in the park, as well as the toughest course in Maine, but also the Elfman's favorite. The name Elfman was merely an inside joke, that grew to be a nickname thousands knew. Along with the Lapham brothers, Elfman had grown to be one of the best riders in the world. The Lapham and Elfman Downhill Devils truly dominated.
The office door of the Downhill Devils' on-site studio and workshop opened, and out stepped the dead man walking himself.
Elfman.
Nate wordlessly wheeled the familiar green and white bike out, and Elfman took it, kicked the tires, and squeezed the brake, nodding his approval. As Legolas wheeled the bike to the starting line, among the still silent and stunned crowd, he caught site of two figures by the building. He turned around abrubtly, the eyes of the crowd never leaving him, as he wheeled the bike back over.
"Aragorn. Gimli." The surprise was stated, rather than asked.
"We can't stay." Aragorn hastily explained. "Traedan is taking us back tomorrow at noon. We're just on a tour of your world." Legolas grinned.
"It gives 'but visiting them is out of my way' a whole new meaning, doesn't it?"
The crowd couldn't hear what was being said, but their eyes remained fixated upon the Elf nevertheless. He nodded towards the crowd, and excused himself from Aragorn and Gimli.
"I'll be right back. I've gotta give 'em a run before they all pass out from lack of breath." He made it to the starting line, hopped on the bike, and without a moment's hesistation, was off in a roar of green and white.
He skidded to the stop at the bottom in what must have been record time, the crowd on the brink of the hill errupting into cheers, which evolved into a chant of 'Elfman, Elfman, Elfman!'. It had to be him. No other rider broke rocks the way he did.
But as Legolas turned, to look back up the hill, the crowd and it's chant was forgotten. Instead, all his pride and joy was because of the lone little figure at the top of the hill, proudly holding a new stopwatch, and giving her Dad a thumbs-up.
The End.
NAT: Aaawww....how sweet...didja like? tell, oh tell, please do! R/R!
Seb was purposely left out of this, in the fact that I think he would still bike, but the kind of person he is wouldn't be likely to help out much in the office, and he isn't exactly the kind of person I would want hanging around MY kids if I had any. Jon just disappeared...he left the biking career and went to live with Garfield and Odie...the loser..no wonder he can't get girls...and the stupid line with him on the date, was written to show how stupid HE could be, not how stupid the author was..(or is)
and with that, I close.
The title now has meaning...
I hope you enjoyed:
The Land I Call My Home