Two
Aragorn landed on the deck of the ship, stunned. The ship rocked, sending him flying to wrap around the mast. He grabbed hold as the ship tilted in the other direction, almost dislodging his grip. Rain lashed his face, and wave after wave pounded against him.
He clung to the mast, too exhausted to move, too exhausted to sleep. He drifted into a halfway world where he could see himself twice. Once wrapped around the mast of a ship in a storm - and once lying in a pool of water in the middle of a forest. A thin veil separated the two worlds, and he watched as he was discovered in each. The storm ended in both places. A familiar elf pulled him from the pool, and men spilled out of the hold to check the ship, pulling him from his death grip on the mast.
Aragorn struggled to reach Legolas, and almost had his eyes opened on Middle-Earth before the men on the ship dumped a bucket of water over his head. Spluttering, he reached for his sword out of reflex, but it wasn't there. A tsking noise made him look up into the face of the strangest man he'd ever seen.
Beads and bones were strung in his hair, his beard was braided in two places, and a large, three-cornered hat sat upon his head. "Come, now, mate. Ye didn't honestly think I'd let ye keep that great sword ye had strapped on, did ye?"
Aragorn reached for his boot knife, but the man stopped him. "I'm not stupid, ye know. No man keeps just one weapon on 'im."
Suddenly, a women's voice rang out. "Jack, what's going on? Who is he?"
The man (whom Aragorn assumed was Jack) rolled his eyes. "That's what I'm trying to figure out, luv." He frowned. "And that's CAPTAIN Jack to you."
Low laughter greeted that proclamation, and a familiar voice said, "Whatever you say, Jack. Now, why don't you just ask the man?"
"I was jus' getting there, Turner." Jack growled.
"Legolas!" Aragorn cried happily, then continued in elvish. "I saw you in the clearing, but now you're here and - " He paused. "How did you get here so fast?"
Stunned silence was his only answer.
Aragorn struggled to see over Jack's shoulder, but the man just held him down. "D'ye think he's delirious?" he asked.
"Legolas!" Aragorn called, foregoing the elvish words. "How did you get here so fast?"
Finally, he was able to get a view over Jack's shoulder, but it was not what he expected. Legolas stood beside a young woman, but it was not the Legolas Aragorn had seen by the pool. Gone was the long blonde hair, and he wore strange, loose clothes. He stood close enough to the woman to make Aragorn suspicious, and without thinking, he cried out, "Legolas, what have they done to you?"
"Definitely delirious." The women replied. She moved forward to kneel by Aragorn's head. "How did you get here? Who are you?"
"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. I came through the pool."
"I think we'd better get ye below, mate. Sounds like ye've been in the sun longer than I have." Jack muttered. He turned. "Will, let's put 'im in Anamaria's cabin." He grinned. "She won't mind."
Aragorn frowned. He could have sworn the man was addressing Legolas, but he'd called him Will. He tried one last time. "Legolas, who are these people? Why have you changed?"
"C'mon, Will. No sense tryin' to talk reason into 'im. Won't do any good." Jack winked at Aragorn. "We'll have ye normal in no time."
The woman snorted, and Aragorn frowned at the unladylike gesture. "I'm sure you can accomplish that, Jack."
Men lifted him, carrying him down into the ship. He hadn't realized how tired he was until they laid him on the bunk. He drifted off to the sound of yelling above deck.
"That's CAPTAIN Jack, missy!"
He clung to the mast, too exhausted to move, too exhausted to sleep. He drifted into a halfway world where he could see himself twice. Once wrapped around the mast of a ship in a storm - and once lying in a pool of water in the middle of a forest. A thin veil separated the two worlds, and he watched as he was discovered in each. The storm ended in both places. A familiar elf pulled him from the pool, and men spilled out of the hold to check the ship, pulling him from his death grip on the mast.
Aragorn struggled to reach Legolas, and almost had his eyes opened on Middle-Earth before the men on the ship dumped a bucket of water over his head. Spluttering, he reached for his sword out of reflex, but it wasn't there. A tsking noise made him look up into the face of the strangest man he'd ever seen.
Beads and bones were strung in his hair, his beard was braided in two places, and a large, three-cornered hat sat upon his head. "Come, now, mate. Ye didn't honestly think I'd let ye keep that great sword ye had strapped on, did ye?"
Aragorn reached for his boot knife, but the man stopped him. "I'm not stupid, ye know. No man keeps just one weapon on 'im."
Suddenly, a women's voice rang out. "Jack, what's going on? Who is he?"
The man (whom Aragorn assumed was Jack) rolled his eyes. "That's what I'm trying to figure out, luv." He frowned. "And that's CAPTAIN Jack to you."
Low laughter greeted that proclamation, and a familiar voice said, "Whatever you say, Jack. Now, why don't you just ask the man?"
"I was jus' getting there, Turner." Jack growled.
"Legolas!" Aragorn cried happily, then continued in elvish. "I saw you in the clearing, but now you're here and - " He paused. "How did you get here so fast?"
Stunned silence was his only answer.
Aragorn struggled to see over Jack's shoulder, but the man just held him down. "D'ye think he's delirious?" he asked.
"Legolas!" Aragorn called, foregoing the elvish words. "How did you get here so fast?"
Finally, he was able to get a view over Jack's shoulder, but it was not what he expected. Legolas stood beside a young woman, but it was not the Legolas Aragorn had seen by the pool. Gone was the long blonde hair, and he wore strange, loose clothes. He stood close enough to the woman to make Aragorn suspicious, and without thinking, he cried out, "Legolas, what have they done to you?"
"Definitely delirious." The women replied. She moved forward to kneel by Aragorn's head. "How did you get here? Who are you?"
"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. I came through the pool."
"I think we'd better get ye below, mate. Sounds like ye've been in the sun longer than I have." Jack muttered. He turned. "Will, let's put 'im in Anamaria's cabin." He grinned. "She won't mind."
Aragorn frowned. He could have sworn the man was addressing Legolas, but he'd called him Will. He tried one last time. "Legolas, who are these people? Why have you changed?"
"C'mon, Will. No sense tryin' to talk reason into 'im. Won't do any good." Jack winked at Aragorn. "We'll have ye normal in no time."
The woman snorted, and Aragorn frowned at the unladylike gesture. "I'm sure you can accomplish that, Jack."
Men lifted him, carrying him down into the ship. He hadn't realized how tired he was until they laid him on the bunk. He drifted off to the sound of yelling above deck.
"That's CAPTAIN Jack, missy!"