The elf prince had seen Aragorn and Sarcayul fall from the edge of the pathway, from his hiding place he trailed the Silvan elves waiting for the right moment to free the young human.
When he had recovered enough from the shock of watching his friend pulled over the cliff face, realizing that Hebrilith was near, he gave up the safety of the wooded area and ran to the edge of the pathway, calling to his friend.
Throwing himself down on the dirt path, he leaned out over the edge. He could hear Aragorn calling his name. "Strider!" The elf could see no one but he could still hear the human frantically calling him.
"Strider I am right here!"
Aragorn's voice quieted and he allowed himself to calm down, resting his head against his arms still, suspended over his head.
"Where are you?" Legolas' voice floated down to him. "I can't see you!"
Elladan and Elrohir had heard the commotion and had crested the hill from where they were hunting Hebrilith; their position just above the rogue elf and the chaos that was spreading through Sarcayul's warriors as Legolas shouted angry commands at them. Not seeing their brother anywhere in the vicinity they had pressed their horses over the small pass and joined the group of elves that were staring over the cliff.
"I am here." His voice broke as he called up to them, the pain in his arms catching his breath, "Get me up."
Elladan threw himself down next to Legolas, "Tell me it's not Estel."
"It is." Legolas glanced worriedly at the older twin.
"Estel!" Elladan leaned out trying to catch sight of the human.
"Elladan! I am below the outcropping. I am stuck on a tree root." His voice trailed off as he drew in a shaky breath, it was hard to breath suspended as he was. "Help me!"
One of Sarcayul's warriors glanced over the rock face, "What of Sarcayul?"
"He's gone." Aragorn looked back towards the rock face and quietly repeated himself, "He's gone. I am so sorry."
The sharp hearing of the elves picked up his torn apology and Elladan closed his eyes shaking his head at the grief he heard in the human. He turned on Sarcayul's warrior fiercely and shoved the elf away from the edge, "Get back, all we need is more of you down there."
Legolas motioned with his head to the group of warriors standing unsure on the pathway, "Go, see to the horses. Get yourselves back to our camp. I know you know where it is, and leave us two of the animals. The one Sarcayul rode and Strider's. Move!" He barked the commands angrily at the elves. His anger rose from his fear for Aragorn and his frustration with Sarcayul for his stubborn refusal to accept the human.
"I'm going down there." The prince stood and walked to the group of warriors. He grabbed Sarcayul's horse by the reigns and stopped the beast from pacing as he quickly searched through the dead elf's packs. Pulling a length of rope from the saddlebag he ran back to the twins and wrapped the cord around his waist, tying it off, he passed the end of the rope to Elladan who tracked it quickly around the base of a nearby tree to give them better leverage.
Legolas stepped to the edge of the cliff, faced the twins and simply pushed off, disappearing from their sight. The brothers steadily fed him the line as he descended down the steep incline. Lightly, he touched down on the rock shelf above Aragorn and called up to the twins to tighten the rope for a moment. He felt the cord pull around his waist as he knelt on the small outcropping and leaned over to stare down at the human.
Aragorn hung a good four feet below the ledge, his eyes locked onto the elf. Legolas noted the way his hands were turning purple from lack of blood flow and the crimson stain that was spreading through the rope gave him cause to worry.
"I'm stuck." The human looked up at him helplessly.
Legolas smiled softly back down at the man, "I'm so glad you are."
Aragorn chuckled and rolled his eyes, "Can you get me up from here?"
"Can you feel your fingers?"
"No." Aragorn tried to move them but the ropes about his wrists had been wrenched too tightly.
The elf nodded and glanced back up towards the cliff ledge. "Elladan! More slack, I've found him." The cord eased slightly and loops of it fell around him where he sat. "That's enough!" He called back.
Sitting on the ledge Legolas swung his legs over and slipped down the cliff face until he was even with Aragorn. He caught his fingers in the ranger's coat and drew himself near. Using the rock as leverage he eased himself underneath the man until he was face to face with the human.
"I lost him Legolas." Aragorn's eyes were huge and sad. "I couldn't hold onto him. I tried, but..."
Legolas glanced between them quickly, spotting the place far below where Sarcayul's broken body lay. Closing his eyes against the sight he refocused on Aragorn, "Its not your fault Strider. His lust for vengeance and foolish pride took his life, not you."
Unwinding a second length of rope from his belt the elf wrapped the cord around the human's waist, tying the man off to himself. When he was content that the knots would hold he drew his boot up to his hand and slipped a small knife from inside it.
"I am going to cut the ropes." He held the human's gaze intently, "It will probably hurt." When Aragorn nodded he continued, "A lot Strider. Don't worry about holding on to me, I have you."
Aragorn nodded as the elf slipped the sharp blade between the palms of his hands and cut the bindings from his wrists. He groaned in pain as his arms fell to his sides, the muscles in his shoulders, released from the tension, contracted sharply and the blood flowing to his fingers was more painful than anything he had imagined. He fell against the elf, trying unsuccessfully to keep from crying out as the prince pulled him tightly against him, shouting to the twins to pull them up.
Aragorn breathed in deeply, filling his lungs that had been unable to expand as his body hung from the side of the cliff.
"Stay with me Aragorn." The prince whispered in his ear as they were slowly pulled to the edge of the cliff. He shifted one arm and pressed the man's head against his shoulder as the human tensed.
"Where would I go?" the ranger ground out through clenched teeth, trying to ignore the pain his body would not dispel.
Legolas laughed softly, "You know your father is going to kill us."
"Wouldn't be the first time." Aragorn closed his eyes and tried to relax as blood flowed once again through his extremities.
Hands reached down and pulled the pair the last of the way to the edge, dragging them to the far side of the pathway before they were cut loose of one another. Aragorn made no attempt to rise but simply lay where he was. His heart was hammering in his chest, the adrenaline in his system was finally abating and he began to tremble uncontrollably. His shoulders ached and he still couldn't feel his fingers. His eyes were closed tightly as he worked to calm himself now that the danger was over and it surprised him slightly when he realized that someone was holding his hands.
He opened his eyes and stared up at Legolas. The elf was gently massaging the man's fingers in his hands, trying to get the blood to flow back into them and feeling to return. Elrohir draped a blanket over the human as Elladan kept watch.
"We aren't alone." The elder twin whispered at his companions. He stood very still, watching a small grove of trees. A flock of birds burst from its canopy. "We need to move now."
"Give me a minute." Legolas was watching Aragorn worriedly; the young human was worn out from his ordeal.
"No, Elladan's right," the ranger glanced about them, "Hebrilith is nearby. When he discovers I am not dead, he will try again. We have to go."
"Can you make a fist?" Legolas released the man's hands. Aragorn concentrated but his fingers would not fully cooperate. Elrohir quickly wrapped strips of cloths around the cuts left in the soft flesh of his wrists by the rope bindings. The human winced, drawing his breath in sharply as his brother tied them off.
"Until we get to camp that will have to do."
Aragorn nodded and stood to his feet with some help. He was surprised when Legolas gently wrapped his arm around the man's shoulder and herded him quickly towards one of the horses that Elladan had pressed next to the mountain that bracketed the path, using the hill itself as a shield.
"You won't be able to ride if you can't grip the reigns, you'll ride with me." The elf gracefully mounted the horse and reached back down. Aragorn raised his hand up towards the elf and cried out in pain when the prince grabbed his forearm to pull him up. Legolas immediately released him and slid off the horse. "Your shoulder could be dislocated."
"We haven't got the time!" Elrohir jumped from his mount and raced towards them. Locking his fingers together he caught Aragorn's boot in his hands and boosted the human up. Legolas steadied him as he gained his seat and swung up behind the man, wrapping an arm lightly around his waist while holding the reigns in his other.
Elladan was waiting for them, his bow drawn and notched as Elrohir gained his mount again and turned the horse to follow his brother down the mountain.
"He will be waiting. Ride and do not look back, I will cover us." Elladan whispered to the others. "Go!"
Elrohir and Legolas spurred their horses forward and raced back down the path towards their camp. As soon as they were away from the safety of the rock overhang, Hebrilith targeted them.
Legolas wrapped himself around the ranger and shouted at his steed, urging it on as Elrohir followed fast on his heels. The twin dropped the reigns of his mount and unslinging his bow he notched two arrows and released them towards the area where the attack originated. Between he and Elladan, they were able to drive Hebrilith back with their barrage of arrows, effectively covering their escape.
Hebrilith glared at the retreating forms. He still could not understand why they had saved the human. He was frustrated that his attempt to kill the man had gone awry again and confused that the elves had thwarted him. Straightening slowly from his hiding he place he walked back to his camp. There would be more time, there would be another opportunity and he would not fail and if any of the three of those elves got in his way again...
He smiled softly to himself committing their faces to his memory. He had plans to make.
The three horses tore into the makeshift camp, stirring up the dry dust of the pathway in their wake.
Sarcayul's men stood from the fire they had started and cautiously walked towards Elladan. Leaderless and confused they were unsure as to what their next move should be.
The elder twin glared at the elves and they stepped back. "Sarcayul is gone. He died because of his own stubborn pride. You came here hunting my brother, in my lands. You are no longer welcome. Tomorrow you will leave by way of the vale pass. Do not go back the way you came it is dangerous." Without a backward glance he turned away from them and stalked toward Legolas and Aragorn.
"Elladan?" An elf called to him. When the Noldor elf turned back the warrior continued, "We would help."
"You have helped enough." He brushed their request aside, "I'll speak to you about it in the morning if I have changed my mind."
Aragorn slid to the forest floor, leaning back against the trunk of the large tree behind him and closed his eyes.
"Don't touch me." He whispered as a hand was laid gently on his shoulder. His whole upper body was on fire and even the slight pressure hurt.
He didn't pay attention to the elves as they talked quietly about him a few steps away.
"I think his left shoulder was dislocated. The weight on his body was enough to do this." Legolas glanced at the human.
"Then you know we have to set it." Elladan glanced between the two elves and the prince grimaced remembering how the dwarves had set his own shoulder when it had become dislocated in Moria.
Aragorn opened his eyes and watched them warily as Legolas approached him and knelt down in front of him. "What?"
"I need to see your shoulder for a minute."
The ranger arched an eyebrow, not moving his arms from where he had them resting across his midsection.
"I think your shoulder is dislocated."
"That's all right." Aragorn had no intentions of suffering any further and was hoping to put the elves off.
"No, it's not." Legolas laughed lightly. He picked the man's left arm up and gently moved it, the pain almost caused the human to jump to his feet as he tried to get away from the elf.
Aragorn simply wrapped his good arm around his hurting left one and hugged it to him. "See. I'm all right." He scooted a bit away from the elf.
With a wry grin the elf answered him, "No, you are not."
Elladan knelt near his right and Elrohir stepped in front of him, blocking his path. For a second the human actually panicked.
"Your shoulder is dislocated. If we set it quickly the worst of the pain will be over." Elladan placed his hands against the human's right shoulder and held him in place against the tree.
"I don't think this is a good idea." Aragorn looked from one elf to the other. Legolas braced the young ranger as best he could on the man's left side and glanced at Elrohir who leaned over and gently grasped Aragorn's arm.
It took every ounce of strength the man had to not cry out as his brother carefully but forcefully reset the bones in the shoulder socket. He slumped forward, his head resting against Legolas as Elrohir gently placed his arm back across his chest.
"I've had enough for one day." Aragorn said quietly, his voice muffled by the elf prince's tunic.
"Me too." Legolas sympathized with man, gently wrapping his arms around the ranger, thankful that the human was simply alive. "Why don't you rest?"
Aragorn nodded against the elf and let himself be lowered to the forest floor. He pulled the edges of the blanket around him that Elrohir had draped across his shoulders and closed his eyes, letting his body slowly relax. His shoulder did feel better but the stress of the day had taken its toll and within moments the human was sleeping lightly near the fire.
When Aragorn awoke he lay unmoving where he was, wrapped in a warm blanket and tucked in Elrohir's cloak. He watched the late night fire and listened to the quiet conversations of the elves and humans in the camp. His body ached, but not the fiery ache from earlier, now the pain was just a dull over-all feeling.
No one had noticed that he had awakened and he took advantage of the inattention, concentrating on the quiet argument that his twin brothers were having with Legolas.
"There has to be a way to draw Hebrilith out. We can suffer no more accidents or injuries." Elladan leaned forward, speaking softly.
"I think it would be best to send the hunters home also. You saw what the dark elf tried to do to Estel." Elrohir glanced at Taradin and back to Elladan, "They are a liability to themselves and to us." Sarcayul's warriors had already left, heeding Elladan's strong advice to them earlier. Legolas hoped they would go back to Mirkwood and find a new path now that Sarcayul's questionable influence was removed.
"I agree with Elrohir. In the morning we can ask Estel to send them home." Legolas looked over at the still form of his friend. A smile brushed his lips when he saw the silver eyes watching him.
The twins turned to stare at the human as he slowly rose, clutching the blanket and cloak tightly about him and seated himself stiffly in their circle.
"How long have you been awake?" Elladan asked ruffling up his hair.
"How do you feel?" Legolas leaned forward and interjected before the human could answer.
"I feel better." He nodded at his friend. "And I have been listening to your talk. I think its good to send the men away and I will explain the necessity of it to them. I also have an idea of how to draw Hebrilith out so that no one else gets hurt."
The elves leaned in and listened intently while the man explained his idea.
"That's insane!" Elladan sat back, staring hard at his human brother.
"You must have hit your head on that rock outcropping Estel, what are you thinking?" Elrohir glared at him shock, "It'll never work."
"We won't let it work." Elladan muttered darkly.
"No, Estel has a good point." Legolas looked between the twins, "he is right, Hebrilith will come after him. He alone knows where the rogue lives and he has been in his dwelling. That by itself is enough to mark him out for death in Hebrilith's mind. Allowing himself to be used as bait is the best way. The dark elf will not come after us, but he has been hunting Estel."
The twins both protested at the same time.
"It's a stupid idea." Elladan cut the argument off.
"It is not a stupid idea!" Aragorn countered. "It can work, besides the three of you will be right there the whole time. He'll never get to me." The ranger smiled at the elves, totally confident in their abilities to protect him.
Elrohir looked to the far side of the camp and did not speak. Elladan simply glared at the ranger, shaking his head.
"What?" Aragorn raised his hands palm out in question, "You don't want anyone else hurt, I already am, there's nothing to lose."
"Good argument Strider." Legolas muttered sarcastically, smiling at the human.
"Elladan," the young ranger reached out and touched his brother on the arm drawing the older elf's eyes back down to stare into the human ones, "You have the hard job. The three of you must put him down. Mine will be easy, nothing will happen to me with you there."
Silence fell over the small group. Elrohir picked up a branch and shifted the logs in the fire quietly, stirring up the embers. Legolas glanced to the men's campfire and noted that the humans were starting to retire for the night.
Elladan spoke first, "It is a good plan Estel. I just wish you were not the bait. You'll be the death of me yet little brother." He sighed deeply and locked eyes with his twin.
Elrohir dropped his gaze nodding his head. "But we can't let Hebrilith get a hold of Estel."
The others nodded their agreement.
"So what do you think, should we go up the high pass tomorrow and track back into Hebrilith's territory? I am sure we won't get far before he finds us." Aragorn was plotting out the most logical course of action. He fully intended to lead the elves straight to the rogue elf's lair.
They discussed the specifics late into the night, agreeing that taking the fight to the elf was the best route. Aragorn would send the men home first thing in the morning and they would head out.
When the plans had been decided and the twins had moved off to rest for the night, Legolas unrolled his bedding and laid it next to Aragorn's carefully propping his bow up against the trunk of a tree not inches from his head and within quick reach should he need it.
He rolled over and looked at Aragorn, "You're sure about this Strider?"
The ranger glanced at the elf sleepily, "It needs to stop Legolas. I am not worried, you'll be there." He smiled and closed his eyes, "Go to sleep. I think tomorrow may be a very long day."
Morning came very quickly and it took Aragorn a bit of persuading to convince Taradin and his men to leave the mountain while the elves tracked the rogue. Reluctantly the group of hunters left.
Taradin turned in his saddle and glanced back at the ranger, "You'll let us know when it's safe to return?"
"You have my word."
The hunter nodded, that was good enough for him. He smiled at the man and waved his goodbye, "Then happy hunting to you Strider. Watch yourselves." Prodding his horse he galloped after his men.
Aragorn turned back to the camp to find the elves slightly upset. They were carefully inspecting their bows and their quivers.
"What's wrong?" the ranger walked up next to Legolas and frowned at them as he sensed the seriousness that had fallen over them.
The elf prince looked up from his inspections. He was running his hands carefully along the spine of his bow, feeling for fractures or anomalies in the smooth wood. "My bow was on the ground on the far side of the tree this morning. I did not leave it there last night." He frowned at the ranger.
"You think one of the men moved it?"
"What reason would they have? They were never near our side of the camp." Elrohir spoke up, "But my bow was also moved during the night."
"Is there anything wrong with them?" Aragorn took the weapon from his brother's hand and stepped into a patch of sunlight, letting the bright morning light play along the wood, hoping to detect any damage that might have occurred. "I see nothing." He continued, handing it back.
"Neither did I." Elladan replied, "But the fact that they have all been moved bothers me greatly."
"Did you see tracks of anything nearby? Animals? Men? Elves?" Aragorn asked the last with anxiety, if Hebrilith had been in their camp last night they could be in more serious trouble than they realized.
"Nothing." Legolas shook his head as he slung his bow over his shoulder. "I cannot imagine that anyone could have gotten past the watch *and* approached us without our knowing. I suppose it must have been nothing more than the strong night winds. Still... it is disturbing."
Elrohir walked back to the others, circling two horses near the dying fire and holding the reigns of one out to his twin. "We'll stay a good pace behind you two, but we will keep you in sight at all times."
Elladan fastened the strap of his quiver across his chest and mounted the horse his brother had brought to him. "If you get into trouble or see anything, signal us."
Legolas nodded and he and Aragorn set off down the trail, back towards Hebrilith's lair.
"Estel!" Elladan's voice stopped the pair, "Don't get yourself killed, I really do want to be able to return home and face father."
Aragorn smiled, "You worry to much! We'll be fine."
The twins allowed the friends to climb a good pace into the woods before they set out, paralleling their path on the northward passage.
When they had finally reached the high pass it was mid-morning and there had been no signs of Hebrilith.
"You don't think he would have followed the men do you?" Aragorn questioned Legolas as he searched the wooded area for the path he had discovered earlier in the week that would lead them to Hebrilith's lair.
"It's unlikely that he would stray far from these parts." Legolas tugged at the ranger's sleeve and pointed towards the barely trampled edge of what appeared to be a little used pathway. "Is this it?"
"Yes, that's it." Aragorn stepped onto the run and turned eastward. Now that he knew what he was looking for it was easy to see where the hidden path ran under the forests overgrowth. He glanced behind them for a glimpse of the twins but did not see them.
Legolas looked over his shoulder and listened carefully, "I can hear them, they are just beyond that hedge there. They will move out when we do."
"I can't hear them." Aragorn stilled his breathing and focused his hearing but only the sounds of the forest floated to him on the light breeze as they walked up the barely visible path.
The elf prince laughed softly and turned to the ranger, "Strider, you don't have elven ears and you never will. Trust me, they are still behind us."
Hebrilith watched the odd pair from his hiding place. He let the elf and the human pass by him and waited patiently. They had spoken as if there were others nearby. He had nearly given up when two elves appeared on horseback, whispering quietly and watching the ground. They easily picked their way through the foliage and silently followed the ones on foot.
So that was how they wished to play this. Hebrilith smiled to himself; that was well. He had prepared for just such a surprise as this, ever since he had found that ranger in his home, he had set about protecting it. He was ready. It didn't matter this time that they were elves, they had protected that human, the one who had violated his home. In the end, if he had to kill them all to get to the ranger what were three elves?
Stealthily, Hebrilith left the area and circled back up the mountain, placing himself between the mounted elves and the ranger and his companion; checking his traps. He needed to take care of the horses first. The human thought he was so smart bringing them back up this way, well Hebrilith had something fun in mind for them. He had wondered if he would ever have a chance to test his little diversion. It delighted him that today would be that day.
Elrohir and Elladan picked their way carefully through the undergrowth, silently following their brother and the prince. As the pair picked up the trail and moved out the mounted elves followed.
Elrohir's horse spooked and shied sideways. The twins stopped their mounts and listened for any sounds out of the ordinary. The forest still chattered incessantly about them, bugs in the fields, birds in the canopy overhead. They could hear the light footfalls of the ones they followed. It must have been nothing. Elladan motioned for them to continue and pressed his heels against his horses' flanks, urging the animal forward.
A tiny snap beneath his horses' hoof was all the warning that the twins had. Hebrilith had rigged a snare net, the type that humans and dwarves were fond of using when trapping; the type capable of ensnaring an entire glade at one time. He had staked one edge into the ground and the other side of the net he had tied to green tender saplings, bending their thin wiry trunks backwards close to the forest floor and pinning them there. When Elladan's horse had triggered the release, the rope holding the trees down had been loosened and the saplings threw the net high into the air as they snapped back and forth their tension gone out of them. The far side of the net had been weighted with rocks and as it flew over the elf's heads it came swiftly crashing back down behind their mounts.
The horses reared up at the unknown threat attempting to throw their riders, but the elves were not easily unsaddled and the net quickly caught them all, bearing the steeds to the ground with the twins pinned on top of them.
Immediately the warriors began attempting to cut the thick, steel-bound ropes away. Their attempt at stealth had been caught, their presence noted and Aragorn and the prince were in danger.
"Legolas," Aragorn whispered to his friend, "It's over here, we are almost there."
"Wait!" Legolas had frozen and turned back the way they had come, "Did you not hear that? I think we are not alone and I believe we have lost your brothers!" The elf prince began to walk quickly back down the path towards the sounds he had heard, thinking the ranger was following him.
But the ranger hadn't heard his friend's warning and proceeded to cross the open glade without the prince. It wasn't until he had gained the other side that he realized he was alone and a spike of fear shot through him as he turned back to search for his friend.
A dark shadow erupted from the trees on Aragorn's left. Without warning, Hebrilith charged the human, he spun at the last possible moment and with the force of his circular movement he smashed his elbow into the ranger's chin, knocking the man off his feet and stunning him.
The elf kicked the human onto his stomach and quickly bound Aragorn's hands behind his back. The ranger came to his senses seconds later. Realizing what had happened, he kicked out with his legs, connecting his boots with Hebrilith's shin. The unexpected resistance knocked the elf backwards and Aragorn turned over onto his back, trying to right himself.
Hebrilith recovered quickly and with a lethalness that made the ranger's blood run cold, the elf removed a long, thin, curved blade from its sheath on his waist. He stalked back to the human and kneeled down on the man, pressing the air out of Aragorn's lungs with his weight. Without warning he pinned the man to the earth, driving his dagger through the ranger's left shoulder.
Aragorn arched against the pain, his mind was reeling but with no air in his lungs he couldn't even cry out and bright spots of light danced before his eyes as consciousness threatened to leave him.
The elf was speaking to him but he had a hard time understanding the words.
"Did you?" Hebrilith moved off the human and grabbed a handful of the dark hair slamming the man's head back down hard against the ground, "Did you really think you could capture me?"
Aragorn gasped air into his starved lungs as Hebrilith pounded his head hard down against the earth again, "What are you just a toy to them? Obviously, they care nothing for you or they would never let you come back near me. I have been waiting for you, fool of a human. Did you honestly think I'd let you live after I found you in my home?"
The quiet rage in the elf scared the ranger and he stared up into the incensed face. He was a having a hard time focusing on the elf and at times it seemed like there were two Hebriliths staring down at him.
"Oh don't worry about your friends on the horses I already took care of them and I will see to your other elven friend too, right after I kill you." He whispered to the man. With a cruel smiled he pulled the blade from Aragorn's shoulder, causing the man to cry out. He forced the ranger's head to the side, exposing his jugular vein.
"Strider, I don't hear your brothers, I think we should go back." Legolas called softly to the human scanning the surrounding forests. When his friend didn't respond, the elf looked over his shoulder and realized for the first time that the man had gone on without him. "No!" he turned and ran headlong back for the glade where they had last been. He heard the human cry out and reached the end of the glade as the rogue elf pressed the man's head to the side, ready for a quick kill.
"Let him go Hebrilith!" Legolas stalked forward, his bow strung and notched. "Let him go, now." The elf prince stopped part way into the glade as the rogue elf turned quickly towards him.
Hebrilith smiled and looked back down at the human, "Care to watch me take your friend out?" He lifted Aragorn's head and beat it hard back against the forest floor, just for spite, as he stood and faced down the angry elven prince.
Hot anger flared through Legolas and he stepped closer, "Move away from him and do not touch him again." He cautioned dangerously.
Aragorn tried to lift his head but it hurt so badly, the woods seemed to be spinning slowly around him and he could see the stars moving in and out between the trees.
"I'll kill your friend." Taunted the rogue elf.
"And I will kill you." Legolas motioned the elf away from the prone human, "Move now."
"Really?" Hebrilith crossed his arms a slightly amused grin on his face, "Will you now?" Slowly he picked up his foot and pressed his boot down against Aragorn's throat, leaning down slightly he taunted, "I think not."
Aragorn struggled weakly against the new abuse, panic at the lack of air and a sudden sense of wrongness flooding his awareness. Hebrilith wasn't afraid of Legolas. He had no fear that the elf prince would shoot him. It almost seemed as though he wanted Legolas to try. Why?
Legolas stared unflinchingly at the dark elf. Hebrilith laughed lightly and stepped away from Aragorn and towards the prince, allowing the ranger to breathe again. He opened his hands' palms out displaying his lack of weapons or defence, "Well shoot me. Isn't that what you came here for?" Something like a deep look of satisfaction crossed the elf's face.
Aragorn rolled slowly over onto his side and awkwardly moved into a kneeling position just out of Hebrilith's range of sight
Legolas increased the tension on his bow, the wood beneath his hands quivered slightly. The movement was odd and the prince frowned as he concentrated, attributing the waver in his weapon to his own nerves. He had known this moment was coming but still he was unprepared to kill the elf in cold blood even though he knew it must be done. Hebrilith could not be allowed to continue to harm men or others elves and if Legolas didn't stop him, he would surely kill Aragorn.
Aragorn watched between the two elves. The seconds slowed immeasurably as he looked from his friend to the rogue. Something was seriously wrong. Legolas' bow wobbled slightly under the increasing pressure – the image of finding the bow in the wrong place earlier that morning flashed through Aragorn's mind. He glanced at Hebrilith. And cold fear shot through his veins as he realized, that wasn't a look of satisfaction on the rogue elf's face it was amusement. Everything that happened since this morning clicked in the ranger's mind – Hebrilith had sabotaged their weapons.
"Legolas, No!" He called out in warning to his friend, trying to gain his feet.
The elf prince started to release the arrow when his friend called out to him. He allowed the arrow to fall from his fingers and turned his face away from the bowstring, moving the bow away from his body. The arrow clattered to the forest floor and his bow snapped backwards, the powerful tension released in it as the string broke in half and whipped wildly outward. One half caught his hand and slashed across the top of his fingers causing him to cry out and drop the bow to the ground. The other half lashed into his hair. Had he not turned his head away, the force of the tension released when the string broke would have cut his face open, perhaps even blinding him. Now he knew why his bow had been moved. Somehow, Hebrilith had indeed gotten past all of them, he *had* been in their camp last night and had carefully nicked their bowstrings. If they had thought to use them, the strings would have snapped just as his had done, causing horrible damage to their users.
Hebrilith turned on the human in pure rage. He slammed the man backwards with his forearm causing Aragorn to stumble as he tried to regain his balance. The force of the impact split his temple and he slumped to the ground, half conscious.
Legolas turned back in time to see his friend fall to the forest floor. "Strider!" But even as he called out he knew he was too far away to stop the dark elf. He ran forward trying to intervene, but Hebrilith was not about to let the man get away again. He had had enough of the two of them. It was time to kill the human, he could deal with the other elf afterwards.
Aragorn couldn't move. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't think. His overly abused body betrayed him and refused to respond to any of the jumbled commands coming from his brain.
Hebrilith knelt over his prey, ready to finish the young ranger off completely. The long, wicked knife gleamed in the elf's fingers as he drew back his hand...
Suddenly a swift, booted foot kicked the knife out of Hebrilith's grip. A second kick knocked the dark elf off of Aragorn and onto his backside on the ground.
"This one is not for you!" Legolas said fiercely as he put himself protectively between the young human and the dark elf who sought his friend's blood.
Hebrilith retaliated with surprising speed from the suddenness of the attack and Legolas had to jump to the side to avoid a sweeping blow from the other elf's knife. In an instant, Legolas' own weapons were in his hands, one blade in each fist as was his want.
Hebrilith matched his opponent, drawing a second knife of his own and for a moment they circled each other warily. When Hebrilith attacked it was with the lightning swift responses and graceful moves of the elves. Legolas countered just as swift, evading one sweep, stepping under the follow-up jab and returning with his own blows that were just as skillfully evaded.
Aragorn tried to pull himself up off the ground, tugging against his bound wrists but his head whirled dizzily as the serious concussion he had sustained made his vision blur. Falling back and catching his breath, he could do little more than watch helplessly as Legolas and Hebrilith turned and whirled, sometimes almost faster than sight, slashing, parrying, ducking, dodging... locked together in their graceful dance of death. It was both terrifying and oddly beautiful in a horrid sort of way. Aragorn had never seen two elves fight one another with deadly intent before and the young Dùnadan was dismayed to see that Hebrilith seemed to be every bit as good a fighter as his friend was.
Hebrilith rolled away underneath one of Legolas' advances and Legolas jumped lightly to the side only just in time to avoid a swipe aimed for his legs. Both were holding their own, but neither seemed to be able to get an advantage.
"This has nothing to do with you son of Thranduil!" Hebrilith spat at the prince. "Leave the human to me to face the fate that all his race deserves! He's not worth your consideration!"
"He is my friend Hebrilith! The killing must stop! You can't live this way forever. You cannot punish all for the sins of a few!" Legolas reasoned as they circled again. The two elves' eyes never left one another, watching for an opening, a misstep... any sign of weakness.
Hebrilith jabbed and Legolas deflected the blow, returning with a sweep of his own, which Hebrilith sidestepped. Lashing out with the side of his foot, he caught Legolas' still-healing leg. Grabbing Legolas' arm he tried to spin the other elf around onto the point of his blade, but Legolas twisted his wrist and threw his body to the side, flipping Hebrilith over his back instead. The dark elf landed as easily as if he had meant to do that and lashed out with a rapid series of double-handed slashes and strokes that drove Legolas back a few paces, causing the prince to have to go on the defensive. They both knew that this was a contest that only one of them could walk away from alive.
"Your friend?" the dark elf sneered, his beautiful face twisted with cold rage. "How can any elf call a human friend after all they have done amiss in this world? Especially you, little whore of Dorolyn! Or did you enjoy what they did to you there?!"
Legolas' jaw tightened and his eyes flashed deadly fire. He hadn't realized that Hebrilith knew of his own past, but since this elf seemed to know their every move before they made it, he shouldn't have been so surprised. The other elf's words had a far more unsettling effect on the prince than he would have liked to admit.
Hebrilith followed his last jab up with a twisting, sweeping stroke, which Legolas sidestepped. Unfortunately, that was what the dark elf had expected him to do. As Legolas moved to the side, Hebrilith was already there, and Legolas only just got his arm up in time to keep the dark elf's knife from cutting straight into his throat. With no time for a proper block, Legolas caught the knife with his unprotected forearm. The sharp elven blade bit deeply into the prince's flesh and Legolas could not help wincing as he jumped back, making the knife tear a ragged gash along his arm as he yanked it away.
Red blood flowed freely from the cut in his sleeve, staining the emerald fabric and running down over the prince's hand, making his grip on his weapon slippery. Legolas recovered quickly, driving his opponent back with a quick series of slashes and forcing his right hand to remain closed tightly about the hilt of his knife despite the blazing pain that it caused.
"It stings, doesn't it?" Hebrilith glowered coldly, meaning much more than Legolas' injury. "You don't fool me!" the dark elf hissed, his eyes slitting as he circled for another opportunity. "You and I, we're no different. You hide your hate and fear under words and platitudes that you have been taught, but I see it inside you. You claim this human is your friend, but you run from him when he gets too close."
Another series of moves drove Legolas back again. The prince grit his teeth against the pain of his injury and the fury that Hebrilith's taunting words were building in his chest. Fury... and pain. Fear. Those last two emotions disturbed Legolas, for they should not have been present. Did some part of him fear that Hebrilith was right? The uncertainty tossed the elf off balance, putting him more and more on the defensive.
Hebrilith's lips twitched in a feral grin. "Oh yes, I've been watching you. I know more about you than you know about yourself. You're a liar Legolas, Greenleaf! And the most pathetic thing is that you lie to yourself!"
Legolas knew that Hebrilith was trying to psyche him out, taunt him into making a mistake... the frightening thing was that it was almost working. The elven prince steeled his resolve and tried to close his mind and heart against his opponent's words.
Aragorn watched the confrontation with growing horror. He hated what he saw Hebrilith trying to do to Legolas and wanted to yell, wanted to tell his friend not to listen to anything the twisted elf said! But he was afraid of tossing off Legolas' concentration, so he kept silent and twisted against the bonds on his arms and wrists. His head was still throbbing and blurring mercilessly, but he struggled anyway.
"You don't know me half as well as you think Hebrilith!" Legolas shot back. Both elves were beginning to breathe hard now as the fight dragged on and the intensity level only kept increasing. "Maybe it wasn't as far behind me as I thought it was, but I will *never*, EVER be like you!" He shoved his opponent's blade back on itself, cutting low and swinging sideways to extract himself from the cornered position that Hebrilith had been attempting to manoeuvre him into. As he spun away, Hebrilith brought the hilt of his knife down in an unexpected move, driving it painfully into Legolas' wounded arm. At the same moment, he brought his knee up into the prince's healing thigh once more. The harsh shot of agony from his injuries, both old and new, threw Legolas' concentration off a tad and the elf prince stumbled, ever so slightly. With an orc, or a man as an opponent, the small slip would have made very little difference, it was only a moment of inattention, but in a battle between elves, it was all that Hebrilith needed.
The dark elf drove one dagger around behind Legolas' neck, forcing the prince to move closer him to avoid the blade, at the same time thrusting the second one forward at waist-level. They were barely three inches apart and Hebrilith's grin hardened cruelly as he watched Legolas' eyes registered both shock and pain as the long knife slid into the prince's side. Legolas moved sideways at the last moment as he felt the slick pain of the blade enter his body, twisting away in a desperate effort to keep the weapon from its intended path into his vital organs.
"No!" Aragorn's cry echoed in the fighting elves' ears, but they were too locked in their own life or death struggle to pay the hapless human much attention.
Legolas' movement made the knife catch on one of his ribs instead of going straight into the unprotected soft tissue of his belly, as had been its original aim. The sharp blade skittered along the bone before sliding off and hitting another. Bouncing off this one as well, the knife dipped and slid between the next two ribs, burying itself deep into the elf prince's side, but damaging nothing immediately fatal. The pain, however, was shockingly indescribable and momentarily debilitating. Hebrilith twisted the knife sharply and Legolas cried out without meaning to, doubling forward.
Hebrilith's look hardened as Legolas doubled over and the dark elf started to turn the knife inward, bringing his other weapon up to finish the job, but Legolas took advantage of their close quarters. Circling his good arm up, he knocked the dark elf's second knife hand away before it could find its target. Instead of trying to pull away, as Hebrilith expected, Legolas moved in closer, ignoring the jolt of pain from the knife still in his side, and whammed his forehead against that of the other elf, knocking his adversary back several paces. Slashing quickly, Legolas landed a deep cut across Hebrilith's left shoulder, bringing the handle of his other knife down across the dark elf's hand and making him drop one of his weapons.
But Hebrilith still had his hand on the knife in Legolas' side and when he yanked that free, the blinding flash of pain made the elf prince reel. Hebrilith grabbed the opportunity and landed a sound punch to Legolas' injured side and midsection, swinging around and whacking the younger elf across the face and knocking the blade out of his injured hand. Legolas grimaced and stumbled sideways, but refused to lose his footing. Kicking out hard and twisting away from a second blow, he caught Hebrilith in the knees, causing the dark elf to stumble back and nearly fall down. Unfortunately, the prince was not in good enough shape to press his advantage while he had it. He needed the moment to recoup his own strength.
Pressing one hand to his injured side, Legolas felt the flow of warm, sticky blood that was making its way freely from the deep wound. Holding his remaining weapon in his good hand, Legolas crouched defensively, watching as Hebrilith regained his footing, ready for the dark elf's next attack. The elf prince's breath was coming in short, ragged gasps and yellow spots danced before his eyes, accompanying the burning pain from his side, arm and re-injured leg. Things were looking desperate, but he refused to let defeat be an option. Because he knew that if Hebrilith won, the price would not only be his life, but Aragorn's as well. Legolas would not let that happen. Not while he had a breath of life left in him.
"Give it up Princeling!" Hebrilith taunted, but his own breath was coming more than a little short. "Is the human worth your life? Leave now while you still can!"
Legolas did not waste his breath answering, but moved forward, feigning low and driving high. Hebrilith met him and the two locked weapons, parted, locked again, and parted. Legolas was wearying, critically so. Hebrilith could see that, so he kept his opponent moving, forcing Legolas to expend his energy just matching the dark elf's blows.
Horror coursed through Aragorn's veins as he saw Legolas' knife tremble in the prince's hand. He had seen Legolas fight on many occasions, but he had never seen his friend this weary. Ugly, dark crimson was spreading quickly across Legolas' tunic and the young ranger had no way of knowing how badly his friend had been hurt. His own helplessness was maddening and he thrashed desperately against his bonds. Stars and black spots erupted in his vision and his efforts were rewarded by a wave of dizzy nausea that nearly made him pass out. His concussion was not pleased by his vigorous movements, nor the heightened adrenaline and panic that were flowing through him.
Through blurry, doubled vision, Aragorn saw the two elves tangle and go down, their fight turning into a wrestling match on the ground. He didn't see how it happened, but another of the knives had been lost and now the two elves struggled for control of the remaining one that hung between them.
Hebrilith nailed Legolas in the side at every opportunity, using the other elf's injuries to his advantage. Legolas rolled the dark elf over and over, seeking to avoid giving his opponent the chance to use his weaknesses against him. The two elves' blond hair fell about them as they struggled, and it was nearly impossible to tell whose was whose.
Legolas ended up on the bottom again and this time Hebrilith pinned him there, sitting on the prince and locking him down with his legs as they struggled for control of the knife. Hebrilith pressed the blade down towards Legolas' throat, but the prince fought him and the knife stayed locked between them.
"You fight well," Hebrilith grit out through his teeth, frustrated by the difficulty he was having overcoming this one, wounded elf. "But against the wrong things! You fight your memories so you can pretend they didn't happen, so you can hide what's truly inside you! But I know. You can't hide it from me. I lived that nightmare. I learned cruelty and I learned it well. Men taught it to me and I have returned the favour!" Hebrilith drove the knife slowly downward, closer to Legolas' neck.
"I will never forget. I *can* never forget!" there was pain as well as twisted rage in the dark elf's hard eyes. "But you know what it's like, don't you? The hands, the eyes, the touch, the beatings, the helplessness... again and again until you want to go mad! And you hate them! Hate them so much you want to kill them all! Tell me it wasn't so? Tell me you did not rejoice to see the men who did that to you perish! Tell me you did not enjoy the fact that they died a horrible death?! But you can't, can you?"
Legolas momentarily closed his eyes, his breath coming quick and fast as the dark elf rubbed his face in things he had worked long and hard to forget. Hebrilith was hitting way below the belt with these tactics. The knife dropped lower, until it was resting against Legolas' exposed throat and only a little more pressure would end the elf prince's life forever.
"Legolas! Don't listen to him!" Aragorn shouted desperately, murderously angry at the games Hebrilith was playing on his friend. He knew Legolas' own insecurities on this subject, knew that Legolas had already been having his own doubts... now the dark elf was using those doubts and those old hurts as a deadly playing piece.
The young ranger blinked rapidly, trying to see which of the two sets of fighting elves were real as he finally dragged himself halfway to his knees. "You are so much more than he says you are!" Aragorn struggled to stay conscious.
Aragorn's voice pulled Legolas back from the seductively hopeless power of the dark one's words. His grip on the knife handle tightened.
Hebrilith scowled at him. "Yes, yes, listen to the little human. Yet he has not the strength to save himself, or you. Men are weak! They deserve to die!"
Legolas' eyes hardened. "So you say. Yet I have learned much from this one, about forgiveness and letting go of the past, something you should have done long ago Hebrilith!" the prince ground out between his teeth. "I do not deny that I was not sorry to see the men who hurt me die! But I did not take their lives, and I have not sought the lives of others to pay for their crimes!"
Legolas looked squarely into Hebrilith's cold eyes. "I am *not* like you Hebrilith. I never will be." For the first time, Legolas really believed that as he said it, and the resolve strengthened him.
Hebrilith growled in anger and pressed down hard against the knife, leaning on his arm and adding the weight of his body to force the weapon downward.
Suddenly, in one quick move, Legolas risked swinging one arm free of the struggle and struck Hebrilith upside the head, his curled fist seeking out the soft spot just below the dark elf's ear and jaw, which were pressure points unique to elves.
The move worked and Hebrilith's eyes rolled back in his head as he was momentarily stunned. Legolas seized the advantage to roll him over and gain the upper position, placing the tip of the knife directly over the dark elf's heart for the cleanest, fastest kill. Yet... the prince hesitated. It was hard, hard to think of taking the life of someone who could not fight back. He knew that Hebrilith intended to kill both he and Aragorn, he knew that Lord Elrond was probably right, there was no other way... yet warrior though he was, Legolas was not a killer by nature or inclination.
Hebrilith blinked slowly as the stun wore off, and Legolas knew he may be losing his chance, but when he looked down at the elf below him he felt such incredible sadness... so deep it nearly broke his heart. If compassion was a weakness, then it was one of Legolas' faults.
Hebrilith took in the situation but did not move. He knew that Legolas could kill him instantly with a move, but the elf prince hesitated... he didn't know why. "Do it," he said darkly.
"Hebrilith..." Legolas shook his head slowly. "I don't want to kill you."
The elf looked up at Legolas with a slightly nonplussed look on his face. "Then you really aren't like me," he said coldly.
"Hebrilith, let us help you," Legolas pleaded softly. "Lord Elrond and the others... they would help if you let them! You could be free... if you just let go of your hate and your pain..."
Hebrilith met Legolas' eyes with a surprisingly honest stare. "It's far too late for that," he whispered. "There is no help for me in this life."
Away through the trees they heard the sound of people approaching. "Estel? Legolas? Estel!" it was Elrohir's voice calling desperately from a distance off.
Hebrilith's face tightened. "I will not be taken a prisoner! I will not live behind bars again!" Moving suddenly, Hebrilith grabbed Legolas' hands and forced the knife down, into his own heart.
Shocked by the sudden, unexpected move, Legolas pulled away from the knife, bending forward quickly, but it was too late for Hebrilith.
"It's better this way..." the dark elf murmured as his eyes closed. "If you wanted to set me free son of Thranduil... you have..." Then he breathed no more and his spirit fled away, free at last of the tortured existence it had led.
Legolas folded the dead elf's arms over his chest, removing the knife. "May you find peace for your hurting soul beyond the halls of Mandos," he whispered quietly.
Moving slowly and painfully to Aragorn's side, Legolas used the bloody knife to cut the ropes between the Dùnadan's wrists and ankles. Aragorn didn't know if it were Hebrilith or Legolas' blood on the knife. Aragorn could hardly sit up on his own, so Legolas helped him up and the young ranger leaned slightly against his friend.
"Aragorn... you're hurt..." Legolas blinked several times to keep his own vision clear.
Aragorn laughed weakly, but his eyes reflected his true concern. "That's the pot calling the kettle black, isn't it?" he asked, observing his friend's bloodstained appearance.
Legolas smiled but was too weary and drained to retort.
Elladan burst into the clearing with Elrohir not far behind. They took in the situation quickly. Hebrilith dead on the ground, Aragorn half leaning against Legolas, with the elf prince bending over him... they did not yet see Legolas' injuries.
"Estel! Estel are you all right?!" Elrohir dropped to his adopted brother's side, concern etched across his features.
"I told you this was a bad idea!" Elladan sank down on the other side. "Estel you could have been killed!" He gently moved the ranger's cloak from his shoulder and inspected the knife wound the man had sustained.
"Yeah... I know," Aragorn regarded them wryly, he flinched slightly from his brothers' attention to his shoulder, and simply held his throbbing head, while the elf tried to staunch the bleeding. "Next time I volunteer to be bait, please just shoot me first, all right?"
"I may take you up on that brother!" Elladan shook his head, obviously relieved beyond words to find his little brother alive.
"Hebrilith is dead then," Elrohir said softly, glancing over at the still form.
Legolas nodded slowly, battling the haze in his vision. "I-I think he actually wanted it... he..." suddenly Legolas fell backwards, consciousness fleeing him without his leave.
"Legolas!" Aragorn and the twins said at nearly the same time. Elladan checked the prince's vitals while Elrohir moved Legolas' bloodstained hand away from his side, revealing the nasty-looking injury concealed beneath.
Aragorn pressed forward, despite his own wooziness. "He-he fought Hebrilith to save me... I think he was hurt pretty bad. We've got to get him back to father..."
"We will Estel, we will," Elladan assured as they quickly bound up Legolas' wounds to stop the worst of the bleeding. The wounds were serious, but not fatal, and nothing that couldn't be healed completely in Rivendell.
"You know..." Elrohir couldn't help shooting his human brother a small grin. "This really is going to top it all off, I hope you realize. Father is going to get *so* tired of you dragging this poor prince back to him to get fixed up... honestly, do you two hunt out trouble, or does it just find you?"
Aragorn gave his older, elven brother a withering glare, but was spared from answering because Legolas was waking.
"I heard that," the elf prince murmured as Elladan helped his twin brother manoeuvre their semi-conscious guest onto the back of Elrohir's horse. "I can walk," he protested. "Just once I'd like to enter your house under my own power..."
"Not today," Elrohir held Legolas still with a firm hand as he swung lightly up behind the prince. "You've lost a lot of blood my friend, don't make this more complicated for us all."
Aragorn laughed as he struggled to his feet, only to stagger and have Elladan catch him.
"That goes for you too Estel," Elladan added, fixing the young human with a dry look that wiped the smile off the Dùnadan's features.
"But I'm fine! It's just a little knock on the head, a flesh wound that's all..." Aragorn protested, but his brothers would have none of it and in the end he was seated on Elladan's horse with his older brother's arms wrapped firmly around his waist. In reality, he supposed he oughtn't to complain so much, his head was still hammering so painfully he was surprised that no one else could see the sparks flying and his shoulder throbbed incessantly from the knife wound. The young ranger tilted unsteadily to one side, but his elven brother's strong arms were there to keep him balanced and secure.
"Rest now Estel, you've had a rough couple of days... kidnappings, cliffs, attempted murder... I think you've got some kind of new record going," Elladan shook his head as he settled his little brother's weight back against his body more fully. He glanced sideways at where the Prince of Mirkwood was similarly situated in Elrohir's protective hold. The elder twin shook his head, letting his chin rest lightly against Estel's dark, wind-tossed hair. "You know Legolas, I'm beginning to think that you're a bad influence on our little brother!"
"Me?!" Legolas protested. "I had a perfectly normal life until your brother inflicted himself upon me! Just look what has happened since!" The jest was gently meant and they all knew it.
"Normal, right," Aragorn rolled his eyes, then winced because that hurt. "Father's not going to like this at all, is he?" he sighed as they made their way through the woods. It seemed he was forever ending up in trouble for his jams and scrapes... but they weren't his fault... really... well, maybe a little, but...
"Oh just wait until he hears about your brilliant bait idea..." Elrohir shook his head, an impish glitter in his eyes. "You really outdid yourself Estel, even for a human..."
"Hey, it worked didn't it? Maybe not like we planned..." Aragorn protested.
"Nothing you come up with ever works like it's planned!" Elladan laughed.
"You know, you two went along with it Elladan, what do you think Father's going to think about *that*?" Aragorn mumbled with semi-playful grumping.
The twins exchanged a look. "Oh Valar," Elrohir sighed. "We're *all* going to be in trouble."
It was so ridiculous that they all laughed a little, despite everything.
A highly un-amused Lord Elrond found himself once again having to patch up Legolas and his foster son. At first Legolas' stab wound and Aragorn's concussion had him a little too concerned for levity, but once the true danger was past he did not miss an opportunity to note the reoccurring irony of their situation.
"You know Estel," the elf lord remarked as he changed the dressing on Aragorn's shoulder wound. "Until you came along I lived many generations in the contentedly mistaken thought that Elladan and Elrohir were as much trouble as a father could ask for."
Aragorn grinned around a wince. "They're just better at hiding it."
Elrond chuckled despite himself. "Considering I didn't have to remove an arrow from either of them until they were well over 100 years old, and I have taken three out of you in the first twenty years of your life, not to mention concussions, stab wounds and the odd assorted poison oak incidents..."
Predictably, Aragorn protested that had been his brother's fault, and Elrond quietly ignored him. "...I would have to agree with you," the elf finished, tightening the bandage.
"It's not fair to compare us, elves age slower and live longer." Aragorn pointed out.
"And watching you I begin to understand why!" Elrond shook his head. "Estel, given what I have seen of you thus far, if you had the lifespan of an elf, I would hate to see what kind of shape you would be in by the time you reached your brothers' age."
Aragorn gave into his father's teasing and settled back against the headboard of his bed. "With your excellent care? I'll be fine."
Elrond smiled somewhat softly. "The world is changing and many things are drawing near in the mist-shrouded future. I cannot say what they portend, but I feel that the wheels which shall turn them have already been set in motion. I may or may not always be here Estel. Someday my time to pass over the sea shall come and I will leave Middle Earth as so many have already done."
Aragorn sobered and nodded. "Would I sound selfish if I hoped that it did not come too soon?" he said quietly.
"Fear not young one," Elrond assured. "I will not depart and leave these fair lands to the creeping darkness. If the elves do not oppose the evil one, who will? But things must soon change, for better or worse. Besides," his gaze turned warmer. "I would not leave until I have seen you come into your destiny Estel, wherever it may lie."
Elrond rose from the bedside and passed to the door. "Now Estel, I have some good news for you. Moranuen has recovered almost fully from the injuries the townsfolk dealt him. He woke up several days ago and has made rapid progress."
Aragorn sat up once more, a happy smile lighting his face. It eased his heart to know that his old friend was going to be all right. "Can I go to him?"
"No," Elrond shook his head and Aragorn looked slightly crestfallen. "Young one," the elf lord smiled gently. "You are not well yet and I am still concerned about the after-effects of your concussion. You need to remain still for a time and take it easy. However..." Elrond opened the door. "There's no saying he can't come to see you."
A dark-haired elf, slightly shorter than Aragorn's brothers, entered the room. One arm was still in a splint and carefully tucked into a sling across his chest, but his merry eyes were smiling and alert, a thing which did Aragorn's heart good to see.
"Mora!" Aragorn said when the elf seated himself on the edge of the bed and gave the ranger a careful hug. "They didn't tell me you were up and about. I'm so glad you're doing better."
Moranuen smiled. "Which is more than I can say for you. What happened to you Estel? You look like a cave troll got at you!"
Aragorn rolled his eyes. "It's a long story..."
Two or three days passed uneventfully, which, as Elrond saw fit to remark, was unusual with Aragorn around. Aragorn was finally released from his enforced bed rest on the conditions that he takes it easy yet until Elrond told him otherwise.
Legolas was also able to be up and about and right now he had found a moment alone in the great Hall of Fire. The elf sat cross-legged in the corner, perched easily on the high, thin, decorative shelf that spanned the upper half of all the walls of the room. He was staring thoughtfully at the fire when the young ranger entered.
Aragorn wondered how his friend had gotten up there, but had finally given up paying much attention to the elf prince's penchant for taking repose in unusually odd places and flopped quietly down into the seat of a chair below.
"Better view from up there?" He inquired of the elf above his head with a small smile.
Legolas jumped down gracefully, lighting almost weightlessly next to the young human's chair. "Quieter. You should try it sometime." The elf was incredibly mobile considering that his injuries were still so fresh.
It was late and the great hall was empty except for the two friends and the many roaring fires. Shadows danced and flickered across Legolas' face and Aragorn watched his friend with concern.
"I didn't mean to interrupt," Aragorn apologized. "If you want to be alone..."
Legolas shook his head as he took a more normal seat next to his young friend, reassuring the human that no intrusion had been made.
"Thinking of Hebrilith?" Aragorn queried softly after a few moments of silence. He immediately wondered if it had been a wise thing to say, but before he could tell Legolas to ignore the question, the prince spoke quietly.
"Yes, I was. Of him... and other things," Legolas' eyes were distant, still seeking the fire. "I'm glad he is at peace now. He was right about some things you know."
Aragorn's brows knit tightly. "Legolas... the things he said to you... they weren't-"
Legolas raised his hand for silence, his eyes finding his friend's at last. "He was right that I had not let go of what happened to me as much as I told myself I had. The pain was still there if something prodded deeply enough to disturb it, but I didn't realize that. It took you, and he, for me to really see what I've been carrying around all these years. But he was wrong about what it meant, my pain did not poison my soul as his did."
Aragorn remained silent. There was nothing he could think of to say. Legolas' frank confession to him was startling. He would never have dared ask for, or expect his friend to be so entirely candid with him about the very personal hurts of the prince's past.
"As strange as it may sound Estel," Legolas shook his head slowly. "I am glad for everything that's happened. And I'm glad I met Hebrilith, even under those circumstances. He forced me to look at things I didn't want to look at. But I needed to see them, so I could finally let go of the hurt... and let go of my own fear that it had somehow changed me deep inside, planted something dark there that I needed to fear..." Legolas had never admitted that secret fear to anyone in all the hundreds of years of his existence. Until now, he could not have.
Legolas stopped and couldn't help smiling at the very serious, almost overly-intent look on his friend's face. "I've lost you, haven't I?" he chuckled lightly.
"No, no!" Aragorn shook his head. "I understand completely..."
Legolas' smile widened, but it was gentle. Aragorn was too young and unburdened to understand the effects of long-buried pain like Legolas had had to deal with. "No, you don't, and I'm glad for it. All too swiftly the world will rob you of your innocence and I would not see that happen too soon."
Aragorn was used to essentially being told he was too young to understand things by the elves around him and sighed good-naturedly. "Well considering I shall never have your hundreds of years of experience, I suppose I shall have to take your word for it," he replied with a puckish grin. "But I already knew that something was working for the better inside that elvish head of yours."
"Oh?" Legolas raised an eyebrow inquiringly. "And why is that?"
Aragorn's eyes softened a shade. "Because when I checked your bandages earlier you did not pull away from me when I touched you," the young human said quietly. "And when I looked in your eyes, you were only seeing me, not ghosts of the past."
Legolas was taken by surprise. He had never realized that Aragorn was aware of the involuntary reaction he sometimes had to the human's touch. The elf blinked several times as he absorbed that. "It was never because of you."
"I know," Aragorn nodded simply.
Legolas smiled softly. "Maybe you understand more than I gave you credit for."
"Finally!" Aragorn smiled playfully at the elf, trying to lighten the mood, "I've been trying to tell my family that for years."
The elf shook his head confused momentarily, "What?"
"That I understand more than I am given credit for!"
"Oh, right." Legolas moved a pace back from the human before continuing, "That same old argument, 'I am older than you think I am'. Is that the one?" He smiled openly at the ranger.
"The one he will never win." Elladan had quietly entered the room, hearing the tail end of their conversation. He walked up behind Aragorn and ruffled the young man's long brown hair as he passed him.
Aragorn tried to move out of the way but he still ached severely from the abuse he had taken from Hebrilith and his actions were noticeably slower. He glowered at his elven brother and graced his friend with the same scowl, knowing the elves were taking advantage of his weariness.
"So what makes you think you are suddenly so much older than you were two days ago?" The eldest twin seated himself out of the range of the human's reach. He knew full well that his taunting would have garnered him a good fight if the man had felt any better.
"I don't recall anyone addressing you during our conversation." Aragorn growled at his brother.
Legolas stepped back near Aragorn and seated himself on the chair's large arm, his eyes locked onto the human's, "No I do believe it is true. You understand more than you are given credit for human." The elf smiled at the dark eyes, watching him carefully, "And you are able to teach more than you realize. Without your help, I would have been defeated by Hebrilith. It came very close."
Elladan smiled and stood to his feet, leaning down as he passed by the young human, "I guess father was right in keeping you Estel, instead of selling you to the traders." He teased the ranger, knowing full well Aragorn wasn't up to the challenge.
"Yes, it's you I question Illuvitar on Elladan." Elrond entered the room, smiling at his eldest son, caught in the act of tormenting his younger brother. He had heard the old taunt throughout the many years the human had been under the roof of their house.
Elladan's face turned red, having been found out. Aragorn smiled wickedly up at the twin, "Told you he always liked me best." He whispered fiercely at the elf.
Legolas couldn't help himself as he started laughing at the easy banter and the look on Lord Elrond's face as he barely overheard his youngest son's taunt.
Elladan leaned down on the armchair pressing in close to Aragorn, speaking so low that Legolas had to strain to hear him, "It's a good thing young human that you are still wounded or Elrohir and I might have to take you out for a little trip into the hills."
"Why so I could beat you again?" Aragorn smiled innocently back up at the elf.
Legolas easily grabbed the human and pulled him back against the arm of the chair he sat on, out of reach of the twin. Aragorn tipped his head back so his gaze was redirected, "Perhaps you would be safer if you accompanied me home. Raniean and Trelan should be here any day now. You might live longer that way."
The offer of protection caused the human to laugh. "They can't kill me. Father would have their hides."
"No, but it does seem that they do try from time to time." Elrond moved away from the window he stood near and approached his sons, smiling at the eldest twin and interrupting the conversation.
"Sorry father we failed again." Elladan smiled sweetly at the elderly elf.
"That's not funny!" Aragorn glanced at Elrond who simply shook his head.
"Out Elladan." Elrond motioned towards the door, "I need to see to these two for a few moments, alone and without you aggravating them."
"I'd love to stay and help. Perhaps I can change Estel's bandage for you." He smiled at the human knowing the offer was only in jest.
"Out, now." Elrond turned to the elf, "You may take him out later when he's well and finish this conversation then. But not in my house or while they are still wounded."
"Yeah gives you an unfair advantage." Aragorn cocked his head to the side thinking, "Although you may need it."
"Enough!" Elrond pushed the twin out the door and glared at the prince who was still laughing at the whole exchange, "Estel, you do not help your situation at all."
"And you." The elf lord approached the young prince and guided him over to a chair seating the elf in it and carefully looking over his nearly healed wounds.
"Forgive me my lord." Legolas glanced at Aragorn, "I miss the banter, being an only child."
"Lucky, that's what I call it." Aragorn murmured.
"Estel, hush."
"He's still outside the door I can hear him breathing out there." Aragorn argued.
Elrond walked over and kneeled down in front of the human, his eyes smiling as he worked gently with the man, "You keep me young my son. But you also take years off my life coming home as you do."
"I'm sorry father. Truly I am." The ranger turned serious. "You know we were only teasing."
"Yes." He stared at the man, "And so does Elladan. You scared them more than you can know. Both of you did." He turned and glanced at the prince, who dropped his gaze. "But I sense something different about you, both of you. You are older Estel, somehow calmer. And you young prince, " he turned back to the elf seated across the way, "You are free." His smile was sad, "It has been many years, but I can see the difference in you. It is a welcome one."
Legolas' smile was bright and he nodded once in understanding as Elrond stood. "If you would remain our guest, I will send to your father. It is spring and the mountains are beautiful this time of year. It would please us if you stayed on a few more weeks."
"Stay." Aragorn leaned forward. "You haven't seen the best parts of Rivendell yet." A small smile played across the ranger's lips, "Besides I think I could use the protection."
A soft snicker could be heard just outside the door.
"Elrohir!" Elladan's hushed voice came to their ears.
"He's right! He's going to need protection from you!" Elrohir protested.
"Be more loud would you?" the elder twin's voice was exasperated.
Elrond glanced at the friends and pressed his finger to his lips, silently walking back near the door. "Both of you are loud! Have neither of you anything better to do?" He stepped into the hallway, startling the eavesdropping twins.
"I wanted to make sure Estel and the prince were all right." Elrohir's face came into view around the edge of the door, "You will stay won't you?" He addressed the question to the prince, "There is a great pool that we swim in, in the summer, we would love to show you."
Aragorn glanced at Legolas, "What about it? Stay a bit. Let me show you my home. There is more to do here than get into trouble."
The prince smiled back at him from where he sat, "I would love to stay longer." He looked to the elderly elf, "Lord Elrond I would take you up on your offer. Would you please inform my father that I will be staying?"
Elrond nodded and was about to speak when Elladan's voice could be heard from the hallway, softly muttering, "Good that should even things up a bit."
"He's teasing father." Elrohir spoke quickly as the lord of the manor turned a dark glare upon the twin.
"No I'm not."
"No he's not." Aragorn spoke at the same time his brother answered the retort.
"This will be fun." Legolas laughed from his seat.
"Yes, maybe you can teach them how to shoot too, they are after all Noldor elves." Aragorn spoke up.
"What!?" The chimed response set the friends to laughing.
"Illuvitar help us." Elrond rolled his eyes, "I'll need to keep an eye on you after all. Hopefully, we can return you to your father in one piece someday young prince."
"Just not today." Aragorn smiled the elf ignoring his brother's threats.
The summer would prove to be very full and interesting indeed with an extra young elf under Rivendell's roof.
But we get ahead of ourselves for that is another story entirely...
THE END
A/N:
Another happy ending, I think the day Aragon or Legolas comes home without any injuries will be the day for celebration.
Anyway, the next story is called Family trouble.
I may post 2 stories tomorrow, as this is a short one-shot.
Summary: A disastrous run-in with some villagers leaves Aragorn and Legolas trapped and in a bad way. To keep despair and claustrophobia at bay, Aragorn coaxes Legolas into telling him a story about the elf prince's past when Legolas spent some time in his father's dungeons. Legolas relates why his mother left for the havens and Aragorn finds out that there's still a few things about his friend he did not know. Meanwhile, time for them is running short...
See you soon
XXX
Rae