Aragorn was fairly certain that he had never been so cold in his young life. The rain was cold enough of might as well have been ice and the howling wind only made things worse. His thick warm clothes and cloak felt like nothing more than thin paper. It was the storm the likes of which could steal the breath of life from a mortal with hardly an effort, and the elves knew it.

Even his brothers and Legolas looked slightly uncomfortable with the cold, and they were forced to shout to one another to get heard over the wind. Aragorn knew they were having an argument, the same one they had been having since their last turn. Well, Elladan and Legolas were arguing and Elrohir seemed to put his full attention to his little brother.

The weather had been good all week, perfectly fine fall weather. Most of the day had been just as good until the storm struck with no notice.

They were winding up a path, the climb rising significantly to their left and the drop climbing just as fast on their left. For a moment the wind was quiet.

Elladan took advantage of their time, "Legolas I don't think this is a good idea. Ada has told us never to come this way. They do not like us here."

"I know you don't but you're going to have to trust me. We have to get Estel out of the cold, you said so yourself. I do not play with lives Elladan, I know this is the best idea." Legolas looked back only so they could hear his words, but his steps did not slow.

"They do not like strangers," Elrohir added, for the first time in nearly an hour he had participated in the argument, most of his focus had been on his little brother during it.

Legolas was still unfazed, "Neither do we."

"Yes but not even Trolls, Orcs, Goblins or Bandits would try to seek shelter this way. That is saying something in these mountains"

"Or Rangers," Aragorn added, his teeth chattering. Even if he had not been Lord Elrond's son, the Dunedain had their own warnings about the Avari. Very graphic warnings.

But he trusted Legolas with his life.

"So they should have plenty of room" Legolas paused, turning around much faster than Aragorn would ever dare to on such a thin and see cliff, "Also if any of you draw your weapons do not hesitate to think we will be dead in seconds. They stay where they are."

Without waiting for a response, Legolas turned and walked just a bit faster. Coming to an end to their climb he turned right, into a long and wide crack in the mountain.

Two skulls hung on each side of the entrance. Legolas didn't even look at them, the twin couldn't look away.

With a strike of lightning, a group of elves appeared the likes of which Aragorn had never seen before. Most in the party had partially shaved heads and the remaining strands were done in all sorts of decorative braids adorned with beautiful jewels and carved rocks. The Avari.

Elladan and Elrohir kept Legolas' threat in mind about drawing their weapons, but they both moved a bit closer to their little brother. After the howling wind for so long, the silence of the small cavern seemed even more deafening.

Legolas bowed with his hands held in a uniquely strange manner that seemed befitting of the other elves. And then he said something that even if he could not understand Aragorn could tell was broken.

The other elves laughed at him and both of the twins tensed, while Legolas laughed along with them. The leader among them, a strong female with markings over her mostly shaved head said something to cause everyone to laugh further.

Legolas turned partially to his friends, "She's making fun of my accent, says my fathers is much better."

Turning back to the Avari he said something else that seemed just as broken but slightly better, Aragorn recognized Thranduil's name and the knew another had been mentioned but the name was in no language he had ever heard.

Even if there was no wind here, the rain was still very, very cold and Aragorn struggled not to let his teeth chatter. It seemed such a uniquely human and vulnerable thing to do in such a setting.

Then the elleth said something in a different language than the first but not as well and Aragorn was starting to feel very out of his depth. She gestures loosely to them as she spoke. Legolas laughed again and Aragorn found himself glad that the prince was so cheerful naturally.

"She switched to a language of a tribe closer to my father, one we are equally bad at. Since they do not care to learn any of your language."

Then they spoke back and forth for a bit before without a decision seemingly being made all the Avari began to depart at once, and had climbed up the rock wall and disappeared in seconds.

Desperately, finally, Aragorn let his teeth chatter. His brother set about trying to warm him as Legolas turned back and stepped closer so they would not echo. "She said she remembers me from last time I came with my father and that we are allowed to pass since I personally vouched for all of you. Now come, let us get him somewhere warm."

Then he set off further down the labyrinthine the services and tunnels, quickly but warily the brothers followed. Elladan spoke for all of them, "Legolas, should we not have a guide? Or, something?"

"No, I remember the way."

"As well as you remember their language or actually remember?"

Legolas stopped and turned back very suddenly and Aragorn knew his stubborn side had been stirred. He stopped a bit too close for comfort had he been Elladan. "Well, they are already gone so if you do not trust me then we can go back the way came and take Estel back into the storm and hope he doesn't freeze or we don't get crushed by a rockslide. Or how about you get them back and then you ask them for directions in the language you had no idea existed until five minutes ago.

Elladan rolled his eyes, "Valar princeling, you could have just said yes."

"I did say yes."

"I would hate to break this up," Aragorn interrupted, "But I'm really cold."

"Well don't look at me, its Legolas who knows the way and is just standing there." Elladan replied.

"Oh for Valar sake," Legolas turned back and continued the sentence in the language of the Avari with enough confidence that Aragorn knew they were curse worse.

To his credit, he remembered the way perfectly. But he did not lead them to a grand city but a small door in the side of the stone that one would miss if they did not know it was exactly there. Or maybe somebody among you needed to know it was there for any of you to see it at all, he had heard about enchantments like that.

He knocked with a very specific rhythm upon the door.

Aragon just focused on not shivering, Elrohir continued trying to rub warmth into him.

After a minute or so of waiting just as he was about to ask Legolas to knock again, the door swung open and warmth wafted out. "Prince Legolas! They told me that you were coming but I wasn't sure it was actually you! It has been many moons since I have seen you last." Surprisingly it was in fluent Sindarin.

The twins exchanged a confused glance and he was comforted a bit by the fact that Legolas had never mentioned being personal friends of the Avari Tribes before to them either. "I know, forgive me. We have been busy in the wood."

"Yes, when your father brought you to me with that bite of yours I knew dark things were again to be returning. It is cold and I see you have brought a mortal, they are susceptible to such things you know, come inside."

And then finally there was warmth. So much warmth.

Before he even knew what was happening Aragorn was betting pushed behind a privacy sheet with an armload of simple but dry sleeping clothes. It wasn't until he stepped out with his soaking wet clothes in his arms that he realized the others had received the same treatment.

"Hang them over the fire, if you will." The Avari elf asked politely.

As he did as he was told, Aragorn took the opportunity to look around, recognizing a healers ward the moment he actually looked at one. He had spent enough time in his fathers and not just because of foolish childhood injuries.

Elrohir looked at Legolas after adjusting his pants to his particular liking, "What bite was he talking about?"

Legolas adjusted his shoulders almost involuntarily, "Just a spider bite, nothing I've never had before."

From behind them, the other elf added, "Well I certainly hope that is not true because in all my years of being a healer of the tribes I certainly have never seen such a thing before in my life. Full venom sting right to the spine, it's been a while I've seen an elf so sick make a full recovery."

"Yes. Thank you Celekulmar."

"Oh, sorry."

Legolas didn't say anything, just turned away and got a blanket off the shelf for Aragorn while Celekulmar set about getting him something from the fire to eat.

"Why didn't you tell us?" The twins asked as one, they did that sometimes. Almost always by accident.

Legolas said something to their host in that other language. With a nod of his completely bald, but covered with runes head their host left with a smile at the words.

The space was rather cheerful even if the atmosphere wasn't currently, much different than Aragorn had been expecting. Full of lush rugs of rich reds and deep purple. Two fires, one burning at each end kept the room a delightful temperature.

Sometimes it felt like he and his brothers were friends with different versions of Legolas than he, and sometimes he couldn't help but feel his version was the more recent one.

At some point, after he no longer lived in Imladris Aragorn began to notice that Legolas would discuss much darker or more personal things with him alone. Never among his brothers.

With still chattering teeth, Aragorn answered for his friend, "Because then you would look at him that way you always do whenever anybody talks about his home. That pity look, the same once I get when somebody's finds out about what happened to my family."

Legolas glanced at him in thanks for a moment, "And if you are also talking about not telling you about Greenwood's friendship with the tribes it is not my fault because it is literally written in the treaty that I do not mention it."

And there was part of the realization, those in Imladris often forgot what Legolas being a prince often meant. Elladan looked like he might say something, but Elrohir laid a hand in his brother's shoulders. "Legolas I apologize, I do not want you to feel as if we are attacking you. I am only concerned; for your father to seek treatment for you outside your own people your life would have to be in danger."

"And I want to know about our host." Elladan added, "He seems like he would be fun to have a conversation with. In fluent Sindarin."

Elrohir tightened his grip on Elladas shoulder significantly until his twin winced. "You were right. Thank you for getting Estel somewhere warm."

"Yes." Aragorn agreed under his mound of blankets by the fire, "Thank you."

Legolas somehow knew exactly where to find everything to make a delicious smelling tea in only a few minutes, "Celekulmar learned Sindarin to read medical books and letters. He is the head healer for all over the tribes nearby. It's why Ada brought me here. He's the one that originally came up with the antivenom anyways."

Thranduil or rather, Legolas in his father's name had sent a sample of the venom to their father as well asking for help in coming up with an antivenom, Elladan and Elrohir had spent much time trying to figure out exactly how they got so much of it untainted into a jar. Elrond was not able to come up with one better antivenom than the one the wood elves already had.

He passed a cup of tea to both Aragorn and Elrohir but left Elladan's on the table waiting to be retrieved and settled himself in a cozy looking chair. The older twin did so without a comment.

"How did it heal?" Elrohir asked, sipping the tea cautiously. He and Elladan might be twins but out of the two of them, he got much more of his father's healing soul.

Legolas adjusted his shoulders again, just like before. "Fine. It took quite some time to heal, but it's fine now that it's over. It left a magnificent scar though."

"I can only imagine."

"I hope so."

After being so cold for so long it was not long after that Aragorn drifted off into one of the coziest sleeps of his life. They woke him late the next morning and they were on their way once more. He did not see once single Avari elf on their journey out and never again after that.

He had learned later that their host had gone to get them warm fresh bread and fresh water and food for their packs, and that the four of them had sat up talking late into the night. It felt as if he ought to be angry with himself for missing such an opportunity, but if he had to miss it for something he was glad it was for one of the best sleeps of his life.

After the Ring War Aragorn had asked once, what had happened to the tribes. Legolas was pleased to tell him that while they had suffered very heavy losses the same as Greenwood, they were doing very well and that he and his father had visited them on his last visit home.

It was a pleasant thought.

….

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