Eight
Aragorn was getting very sick of commotion. A pounding headache had started in the back of his head, and it was steadily working its way forward. Will's outburst at the sight of Legolas did little to stop this.
Jack was currently holding Will down as the man mumbled deliriously, "Got to get up. Can't be happening. He's not there; I'm imagining him. I don't have a twin. I don't think I have a twin. LET ME GO, JACK!"
Slowly, Jack helped Will to his feet and supported him as a swayed dangerously. Will took a few steps forward until he stood directly in front of Legolas. The two studied each other.
"Are you my twin?" Will whispered.
Legolas smiled. "Are you an elf?"
Will giggled, a dismayed expression on his face. "I really am dreaming. This isn't real." He turned to Jack and grinned. "He just asked me if I was an elf. Did you hear what I heard?"
"Aye, mate." Jack muttered, eying Legolas with some distrust. "I heard 'im."
"If you are not an elf, then you are not my twin." Legolas said heatedly. He did not see what was so funny. "I did not come through the pool to be laughed at." The guard outside the cell turned at this, and seemed to notice Legolas for the first time. A strange expression flitted across his face, and then he took off through the hatch.
"Legolas, you didn't mean to come through." Aragorn growled, holding his temples. "Of course you didn't come through to be laughed at."
"Yes, but I..." Legolas broke off as Will gave a strangled 'meep' and pointed at his ears. "What?"
"They're...pointy!" he said, in awe.
"Of course, they're pointy, I told you I'm an elf!" Legolas growled.
Suddenly, the guard returned with three others and stopped outside the cage. He pointed at Aragorn and Legolas. "You and you. Come with us. The commodore wants to talk to you."
The friends exchanged startled looks as they were hustled out of their cell.
--------------------
Tarleton tapped his fingers impatiently against the table as Aragorn and Legolas were brought in. "So." He stated. "You've found a new friend. And how exactly did he manage to appear in the middle of a locked cell?" His eyes were bright and eager as he waited for an answer.
Aragorn shifted uncomfortably. "He came through the pool after me."
Inexplicably, Tarleton smiled. "Through the pool. Really. And where is this magical pool?"
The two exchanged glances, and Aragorn spoke. "We don't know."
"Don't know? How could you possibly not know if you came through it?" Tarleton demanded. He sighed and waved a hand dismissively. "Never mind. What did this pool look like?"
Legolas frowned. "It looked like water." He paused. "With pictures in it."
Tarleton's smile widened. "With pictures. How fascinating." He gestured to the guard at the door. "Get these gentlemen well-furnished quarters. Give them yours if you have to."
"And what of the others?" Aragorn demanded.
"You mean my prisoners?" A feral gleam crept into Tarleton's eyes. "You will find that if you cooperate, they will be treated remarkably well." His smile became fixed. "If."
"Cooperate with what?"
Tarleton spread his arms wide. "Why, with our scientific efforts. A pool has been found that shows scenes from other places. Certain parties have been attempting to solve the puzzle, but so far it just seems a useless object." His eyes gleamed. "But if you came through it....perhaps it can be put to some use after all."
"Have they tried walking through it?" Legolas asked.
Tarleton nodded. "They've tried everything."
"What use would you put it to?" Aragorn asked suspiciously.
"Don't worry about that." Tarleton soothed. "You will be rewarded, make no mistake." He smiled. "Now, I think it's time you gentlemen retired to your rooms. If you would follow Murtogg, I'm sure he would only be to happy to show them to you."
"We would rather be with the others, if you don't mind." Aragorn said stiffly.
"Down there? Surely not." Tarleton saw the determined gleam in the man's eye and sighed. "All right. But remember, this was your choice. Don't blame me." He nodded at the guard, and the friends were escorted back to their cell.
----------
"What did they tell ye?" Jack muttered to Aragorn.
"They want our help." Aragorn replied. "They have a mystery that needs solving, and they think we could solve it."
"And what's this great mystery?"
Aragorn frowned. "I'm not sure you would believe me. I'm not sure I believe it myself."
Jack grinned. "I don't know. I've been chased by skeleton pirates. There's not much I won't believe."
"You will have to tell me that story some time, my friend." Aragorn smiled back. "We - Legolas and I - are both from another place." He hesitated. "And another time, apparently."
Jack's grin slipped a little. "Oh." He rubbed his chin idly. "So what's this big mystery they want you to solve? How you got here?"
Aragorn nodded. "We came through a pool. I do not know how, and neither does Legolas. This pool was in our time, our place. Now, it seems that others have found a similar pool. It could even be the same one." He sighed. "Tarleton found out that we came through it, and now he wants us to show them how it works."
Jack stared at him for a minute, and then shrugged. "Have fun, mate. If ye find time in your busy schedule for a last minute rescue, please keep us on your list." He leaned back against the wall. "We're gonna need one."
----------------
Legolas peered closely at Will across the cell, searching for even the slightest difference in the man's features.
There wasn't one.
Will noticed him looking, and got awkwardly to his feet. "I think it's time we finished our conversation." He stumbled over to sit next to Legolas. "Hello. I'm William Turner." He offered his hand.
Legolas peered at the hand for a minute in confusion, then answered. "And I am Legolas Thranduilion."
Will lowered his hand uncomfortably. "Right." He shifted uncomfortably. "So, is it true, what you said before, about being an elf?"
Legolas nodded.
"I'm sorry, I just thought that elves were small. With pointy ears and..." Will smiled. "I guess you have the pointy ears part."
"Small?" Legolas asked. He frowned. "Have you never seen an elf?"
"Well, no." Will muttered. "Should I have?" Silence was his only answer. "So, if you're an elf, and I look like you, why am I not an elf? Should we not be related somehow?"
"Perhaps we are." Legolas smiled wearily. "You have tools I have never seen before. This very ship is more advanced than any I have ever heard of. I could be your ancestor of long ago." He sighed. "Or we could be perfect strangers, and none of this means anything."
"Perhaps we should assume that that is true." Will murmured. "For the sake of sanity."
"Perhaps." Legolas said quietly. "And perhaps the pool will hold the answers."
"Pool?" Will questioned.
Legolas smiled. "And perhaps, for the sake of sanity, I should not mention that."
"No, tell me. Is that what Tarleton wanted you for?"
"Yes. They've found a pool much like the one Aragorn and I came through to get to your world." He shifted slightly. "It could help us to return home." His voice became determined. "And we must return home. If we do not ...our world will fall."
Jack was currently holding Will down as the man mumbled deliriously, "Got to get up. Can't be happening. He's not there; I'm imagining him. I don't have a twin. I don't think I have a twin. LET ME GO, JACK!"
Slowly, Jack helped Will to his feet and supported him as a swayed dangerously. Will took a few steps forward until he stood directly in front of Legolas. The two studied each other.
"Are you my twin?" Will whispered.
Legolas smiled. "Are you an elf?"
Will giggled, a dismayed expression on his face. "I really am dreaming. This isn't real." He turned to Jack and grinned. "He just asked me if I was an elf. Did you hear what I heard?"
"Aye, mate." Jack muttered, eying Legolas with some distrust. "I heard 'im."
"If you are not an elf, then you are not my twin." Legolas said heatedly. He did not see what was so funny. "I did not come through the pool to be laughed at." The guard outside the cell turned at this, and seemed to notice Legolas for the first time. A strange expression flitted across his face, and then he took off through the hatch.
"Legolas, you didn't mean to come through." Aragorn growled, holding his temples. "Of course you didn't come through to be laughed at."
"Yes, but I..." Legolas broke off as Will gave a strangled 'meep' and pointed at his ears. "What?"
"They're...pointy!" he said, in awe.
"Of course, they're pointy, I told you I'm an elf!" Legolas growled.
Suddenly, the guard returned with three others and stopped outside the cage. He pointed at Aragorn and Legolas. "You and you. Come with us. The commodore wants to talk to you."
The friends exchanged startled looks as they were hustled out of their cell.
--------------------
Tarleton tapped his fingers impatiently against the table as Aragorn and Legolas were brought in. "So." He stated. "You've found a new friend. And how exactly did he manage to appear in the middle of a locked cell?" His eyes were bright and eager as he waited for an answer.
Aragorn shifted uncomfortably. "He came through the pool after me."
Inexplicably, Tarleton smiled. "Through the pool. Really. And where is this magical pool?"
The two exchanged glances, and Aragorn spoke. "We don't know."
"Don't know? How could you possibly not know if you came through it?" Tarleton demanded. He sighed and waved a hand dismissively. "Never mind. What did this pool look like?"
Legolas frowned. "It looked like water." He paused. "With pictures in it."
Tarleton's smile widened. "With pictures. How fascinating." He gestured to the guard at the door. "Get these gentlemen well-furnished quarters. Give them yours if you have to."
"And what of the others?" Aragorn demanded.
"You mean my prisoners?" A feral gleam crept into Tarleton's eyes. "You will find that if you cooperate, they will be treated remarkably well." His smile became fixed. "If."
"Cooperate with what?"
Tarleton spread his arms wide. "Why, with our scientific efforts. A pool has been found that shows scenes from other places. Certain parties have been attempting to solve the puzzle, but so far it just seems a useless object." His eyes gleamed. "But if you came through it....perhaps it can be put to some use after all."
"Have they tried walking through it?" Legolas asked.
Tarleton nodded. "They've tried everything."
"What use would you put it to?" Aragorn asked suspiciously.
"Don't worry about that." Tarleton soothed. "You will be rewarded, make no mistake." He smiled. "Now, I think it's time you gentlemen retired to your rooms. If you would follow Murtogg, I'm sure he would only be to happy to show them to you."
"We would rather be with the others, if you don't mind." Aragorn said stiffly.
"Down there? Surely not." Tarleton saw the determined gleam in the man's eye and sighed. "All right. But remember, this was your choice. Don't blame me." He nodded at the guard, and the friends were escorted back to their cell.
----------
"What did they tell ye?" Jack muttered to Aragorn.
"They want our help." Aragorn replied. "They have a mystery that needs solving, and they think we could solve it."
"And what's this great mystery?"
Aragorn frowned. "I'm not sure you would believe me. I'm not sure I believe it myself."
Jack grinned. "I don't know. I've been chased by skeleton pirates. There's not much I won't believe."
"You will have to tell me that story some time, my friend." Aragorn smiled back. "We - Legolas and I - are both from another place." He hesitated. "And another time, apparently."
Jack's grin slipped a little. "Oh." He rubbed his chin idly. "So what's this big mystery they want you to solve? How you got here?"
Aragorn nodded. "We came through a pool. I do not know how, and neither does Legolas. This pool was in our time, our place. Now, it seems that others have found a similar pool. It could even be the same one." He sighed. "Tarleton found out that we came through it, and now he wants us to show them how it works."
Jack stared at him for a minute, and then shrugged. "Have fun, mate. If ye find time in your busy schedule for a last minute rescue, please keep us on your list." He leaned back against the wall. "We're gonna need one."
----------------
Legolas peered closely at Will across the cell, searching for even the slightest difference in the man's features.
There wasn't one.
Will noticed him looking, and got awkwardly to his feet. "I think it's time we finished our conversation." He stumbled over to sit next to Legolas. "Hello. I'm William Turner." He offered his hand.
Legolas peered at the hand for a minute in confusion, then answered. "And I am Legolas Thranduilion."
Will lowered his hand uncomfortably. "Right." He shifted uncomfortably. "So, is it true, what you said before, about being an elf?"
Legolas nodded.
"I'm sorry, I just thought that elves were small. With pointy ears and..." Will smiled. "I guess you have the pointy ears part."
"Small?" Legolas asked. He frowned. "Have you never seen an elf?"
"Well, no." Will muttered. "Should I have?" Silence was his only answer. "So, if you're an elf, and I look like you, why am I not an elf? Should we not be related somehow?"
"Perhaps we are." Legolas smiled wearily. "You have tools I have never seen before. This very ship is more advanced than any I have ever heard of. I could be your ancestor of long ago." He sighed. "Or we could be perfect strangers, and none of this means anything."
"Perhaps we should assume that that is true." Will murmured. "For the sake of sanity."
"Perhaps." Legolas said quietly. "And perhaps the pool will hold the answers."
"Pool?" Will questioned.
Legolas smiled. "And perhaps, for the sake of sanity, I should not mention that."
"No, tell me. Is that what Tarleton wanted you for?"
"Yes. They've found a pool much like the one Aragorn and I came through to get to your world." He shifted slightly. "It could help us to return home." His voice became determined. "And we must return home. If we do not ...our world will fall."