"Estel?" Legolas pulled his friend to his feet. "Are you alright?"
Estel nodded, but his eyes were troubled. Mithrandir was leaning over Pippin, and the two of them hurried to his side, relieved when the hobbit's eyes snapped open. Legolas expected Estel to stay for the questioning, but instead the man wandered away. It went without saying that the prince followed.
They returned outside, Estel taking deep breaths as he stared at the sky.
"Talk to me, mellon nin."
He turned his gaze to Legolas. "I felt him. Sauron. It was like he was inside me, inside my mind. I feel… tainted, unclean."
Legolas had been friends with Estel since he'd been a child, and rarely had he seen his friend so disturbed. He thought for a moment before making a decision. "Come."
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see."
"I'm not sure we should go far –"
"They'll manage fine without us for a few hours. This is more important."
Legolas led them through the ruins of Isengard and all the way to Fangorn Forest. He pressed a hand to the nearest tree, listening intently as it answered his question.
"Legolas, are you sure we should be out here?"
"Come on, lazy human, quit your complaining."
Soon enough, they came to a lake. Legolas had grabbed his soap before they left, and tossed it to Estel. "Go on. Get clean."
His friend smiled gratefully and started undressing. Thinking he may as well wash too, Legolas followed his example, smiling as he slipped into the water. Estel grumbled about the cold, but the prince could tell he was pleased to be there.
"Hey, hey, stop it!" he cried, suddenly noticing how hard his friend was scrubbing. "You'll take your skin off."
Estel glanced down, finding his skin slightly red. "Oh."
Sighing, Legolas took the soap out of his hand and took over washing his friend. Estel's face went bright red, but the elf paid it no mind.
"I'm not injured, mellon nin," Estel grumbled. They'd washed each other plenty of times while recovering from various wounds, but this wound couldn't be seen so easily.
"Not yet, and I'll have it remain so. Now be quiet and let me do this."
The night was quiet for several minutes as Legolas worked. When he started washing Estel's hair, he chuckled softly. "Valar, you must be upset. The last time I tried to wash your hair, you nearly drowned me."
"Maybe I just don't want a prissy elf complaining about getting grease in his perfect locks every time he hugs me."
Legolas wondered if his luck would stretch as far as Estel letting him braid his hair. It seemed his luck didn't stretch that far, as the man twisted away from his fingers before they could complete a single braid.
"Can't blame an elf for trying," Legolas murmured. "Your Ada is going to kill me if you return to him this disheveled."
"Well, we're not returning to Imladris now, so you have nothing to worry about." Legolas didn't miss the wistful note in his friend's voice. The two of them dressed, but Estel seemed reluctant to return just yet. They sat side by side, their shoulders just touching.
"You miss home?" Legolas asked.
"I do, tonight more than ever. I wish the twins were here. They'd know how to take my mind off things."
"Why, Estel, if you wanted honey poured in your shoes, you should have said something."
"Don't you dare! Merry and Pippin would never let me hear the end of it." At Pippin's name, the man became thoughtful again. "Do you think he'll be ok?"
"Mithrandir will take care of him. What about you? How are you feeling?"
"Better," Estel admitted.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
The man hesitated. "You know the feeling you've described to me that you get when we're close to something evil? Like orcs, or worse? I never understood what that felt like before. Now, I think I know. It wasn't coming from my surroundings, though. It was inside me. I can't seem to shake it."
Legolas knew all too well what Estel was describing. He remembered how long it had taken him to get over the experience of the Balrog; the feeling of its evil had been slow to fade, even after the beast itself was long gone.
"Here." He took Estel's hand and pressed it down onto the ground between them. "Close your eyes and breathe deeply," he instructed. He waited to be sure the man was doing it before continuing. "Feel the air around you. Feel the earth, the trees. Smell the water. Let them take over your senses."
Legolas knew that a human couldn't do this nearly as well as an elf, but Estel should still be able to capture the feeling, to some extent. He put a hand over his friend's, adding his own link with nature, helping along the connection that was there in everyone on some level.
He knew it had worked when Estel's eyes snapped open, but they were unfocused. "I can feel it," he whispered. "The forest, the animals, everything… How?"
"It's something I do when I feel overwhelmed. I let the forest console me. All of us have a connection to nature, albeit to differing extents. I'm simply helping yours along. Now close your eyes and send your senses out."
They must have sat there for at least an hour. Legolas leaned back against the tree, relaxing and enjoying the experience. It had been too long since he'd communed with the forest in this way. When Estel finally opened his eyes, his face was wondering and somehow much younger than usual.
"I thought I was supposed to be the healer here. That was amazing. I feel… refreshed."
"Good," Legolas said lightly. "And do not give me the credit; it is the trees who did the true healing. If you'd like, I can teach you. You have elven blood, and though small, the amount is sufficient to grow your connection with nature, if you wish. If you practice hard, you should eventually be able to do this without my help."
"That would be amazing." Estel's face fell. "Though I'm not sure either of us will live long enough for that."
"Estel." Legolas put an arm around his friend's shoulders. "So many times, you have been my hope. Now, let me be yours. We will make it through this, I promise you."
"And how, exactly, do you know that?"
"Because if we were doomed to die, Elrond would have seen it. Do you really think your father would have let you leave Imladris to go marching to your death? Or me to mine?"
Aragorn snorted. "He'd have chained us to his desk if he had to."
"Exactly. We will be fine, mellon nin, worry not."
The two of them sat in silence for a time longer, simply enjoying each other's company. Eventually, Estel stirred reluctantly. "We should go, the others will be wondering where we are." He gave Legolas a hand up, and pulled him into a hug. "Thank you, mellon nin."
"Any time, Estel. Any time."
The two of them got up and started making their slow way back to the group. Legolas saw Estel trailing a hand over a tree trunk here and there, his expression thoughtful but no longer troubled. Glad he had been able to help, Legolas focused on the song of the forest as they made the walk back to their friends.