The first thing he was aware of was the pounding of his head, followed shortly after by the pain radiating from his shoulder. He felt unnaturally hot.
'Must be running a fever,' he thought.
He felt some cold brushing against his arm, and realized his hands were chained together. He kicked his feet, but no chains were evident.
"Are you awake?" someone asked.
He cringed, he hadn't been aware there was anyone in the room. But he couldn't hear anyone. Frowning, he concentrated, fighting against the noise of his head. He could hear someone breathing softly.
'An elf!' he realized. 'Or a very quiet human…'
"Yea, I am awake," he said quietly. He felt someone crouch down next to him. He opened his eyes, and looked at the unfamiliar face hovering above him. A bruise on his right temple marred the pale face of the elf.
"Can you remember what happened to you?" he asked, his healer instincts taking over. The Elf smiled.
"I could ask the same of you," he said, brushing his fingers over the wound on Aragorn's head.
"Fell off a horse," Aragorn grunted.
"Fell off or shot off?" the Elf asked, his eyes sparkling with mirth.
"Shot off," Aragorn muttered, a small smile creeping onto his face.
The elf frowned as he placed his cool hand on Aragorn's burning forehead.
"You have a fever" he announced.
"I know."
"And you could have concussion…"
"My name is Estel; the sky is blue and Orcs smell."
"Huh?" the Elf said confused.
Aragorn blushed, and muttered, "Just a joke my Brothers and I had."
"Had?"
'Oops,' Aragorn thought. The fever was making him careless.
"Aye, I don't seem them now. Family problems," Aragorn said.
"Oh."
"Are you sure you don't have concussion?" Aragorn asked. The Elf looked surprised at the question, before answering.
"As sure as Trolls are stupid, the grass is green and my name is Legolas"
"Prince Legolas of Mirkwood?" Aragorn asked, frowning as he recognized the name.
"I really don't think titles are appropriate in the middle of a dungeon in an orc infested mountain!" Legolas joked.
"Not really," Aragorn said with a low laugh.
"What are you doing here?" Legolas asked him. Aragorn sighed, and related his tale. Legolas's face grew more and more serious as the tale progressed.
"So you don't know what happened to Laren then?" Legolas asked.
"No."
Legolas suddenly looked scared and thoughtful.
Aragorn felt confused by the Elf's reaction, "What is it?"
Legolas sighed, "I will tell you what happened to me, then it will be clearer."
For the next quarter of an hour, Legolas related the ambush, the awakening and what happened to Rethan.
"So, he is going to "deliver a message" to your Father?"
"That is what she said."
"Hmm… I hope Laren is dead. Better death than a soulless existence" Aragorn said.
"Soulless?" Legolas said startled.
"That is what it sounds like."
Legolas bit his lip and frowned.
"What I'm trying to understand is why you are here."
"I'm sure all will be revealed soon. And by then, we'll wish it was still unrevealed" Aragorn sighed.