Wolf's Cry 4?

Disclaimer: I do not own one thing that pertains to Lord of the Rings. That privilege lies with the wonderful J. R. R. Tolkien.

Summary: Following Aragorn's fall from the cliff at the Gap of Rohan as they journey to Helm's Deep, Legolas struggles to come to terms with the apparent death of his friend and how it affects himself and all those round him.

Category: Hurt/comfort.

Thank you to my wonderful Beta Barbara. Also huge thanks to Katy, Terri, Mysty and Deana for their love and encouragement.

Authors note: Set before A Gull's Cry...

Sindarin vocabulary

Losto mae …. Sleep well


Chapter four

The black horse seemed to eat up the miles as it made its way back to its former home. He could feel the urgent need to get his new master back to the dark and cold Helm's Deep. He had been disconsolate when his kind Theodred had passed out of this world. No man could take his place, or so he had thought.

And then he had met this kindly tall dark stranger. A stranger who spoke as the Firstborn! He had calmed him when he was panicked because the men wanted him to do something he had not wanted. The he had set him free to roam the countryside. To feel the wind through his mane, the joy of running just for the sheer fun of it!

Life had suddenly and unexpectedly been good again.

And then when he had needed water he had found the man again, this time only to find him unconscious and not responding. What was a horse to do? He kissed him. But did the man taste awful! And that smell, orc and warg, if not worse! He would not be doing that again. Ever!

Luckily, the man awoke and slowly mounted, with a lot of help from Brego himself. The stallion had been very tempted to dump him back into the river so that he would be clean, but had feared alienating the man, so he had put up with the smell.

Now with the wind rushing through his mane, he was pleased that he had chosen to do so. The smell no longer bothered him at all.


The sun shining in his eyes woke Aragorn as Brego made ground-eating strides across the plains of Rohan.

His mouth was dry and his head thumped in tune to his heart beat. He was driven by one thought. He had to get to Helm's Deep, and soon.

The dream he had just experienced of Legolas had frightened him. Legolas had looked so alone, extremely tired and thin. So… So… unlike the Legolas he knew and loved so well.

The fact that Sauron had targeted Legolas with this evil did not surprise him. He too had heard the Ring's evil whispers, felt its insidious ripples as they had made themselves known throughout the Fellowship's journey.

The Ring's voice had told him he could have it all. He could take the Ring and have Arwen. He could take his place as the King of Gondor and have all the things he wanted as his right. He need only stretch out his hand and claim the Ring as his…

It had been hard to shove the insistent voice to the back of his mind, to smother the evil whispers as he went about trying to find Merry and Pippin. Legolas and Gimli had helped. Of course the dwarf had helped, but having Legolas beside him like this was more than he had hoped. His friend had chased the darkness from his world, chased it and kept it away.

To see Legolas like that in the dream had hurt. But, it was only a dream, was it not? Legolas would never feel that despondent. Would he?

The dream had felt so real. It was almost as if he was being shown what was happening on the other side of Rohan, almost like a peek into a palantir. Why would it feel like that? As if it was really happening?

Unless… it was not a dream after all? He did, after all, have the blood of Elros, Elrond's twin brother, running in his veins. This could be a vision of what was to come…

Could Legolas be fading? That thought alone made his stomach clench with fear. The thought of Middle-earth without the presence of the Eldar did not sit well with him.

He could not let Legolas fade, he would not. He would go to the Valar and beg if necessary! Ai! By the Valar, he needed his friend, his gwador, beside him! He needed to know he was there at all times.

Silent Sentinel. That was what the men of Rohan had taken to calling Legolas. To those he did not know he could give that impression. But, to those he counted among his friends, he could be vastly different, greatly different. His laugh was a joy to hear! And his smile… his smile could outshine the Silmarils!

"Noro lim, Brego, saes, noro lim." He urged the horse to greater speed, for suddenly in the back of his mind was a growing, nagging feeling that things were worse than he realised.

/Legolas does have need of you, Aragorn son of Arathorn, my foster grandson./ Galadriel's voice sounded in his mind, startling him so much he nearly toppled from Brego's back.

/Did you show me…/ Aragorn had to ask.

/Yes, Estel. Legolas was in need of hope and hope is what you have given him. He still fights the darkness that seeks to consume him and we must make sure that he endures. You must hurry, Penneth. Go with our great love…/

/I will./ There was grim determination in Aragorn's voice.

With that he urged Brego onward.

He only stopped when he had to. He was too worried about Legolas to take longer stops and Brego seemed to be cognizant of what was happening so that even when they did stop, the horse seemed to be anxious to carry on. It was as if he was saying that he needed to hurry as well.

The longest time that Aragorn stopped was when he caught first sight of the giant orc army crawling across the plains, like a river of dark menace, and that had been because of the sheer shock of the sight. So many! There were so many of the fell creatures. This added a new urgency to his mission.

"We need to warn Théoden, Brego. I am sorry, mellon-nin, but we can no longer stop. I think we are another day's ride from Helm's Deep. They need to be warned."

Brego nickered softly as if in agreement, not wanting to warn the foul, stinking creatures of their presence.

They hurried on into the fading day. The army of Isengard moved behind them, unaware that they had been spotted and that their foe would be alerted to their growing, frightening numbers.


Gimli sat watching Legolas. In fact, he was terrified to take his eyes off of him. He feared that, if he did, Legolas would vanish into a puff of smoke. That possibility scared him greatly.

When Legolas had passed out again, Gimli's heart had dropped right into his sturdy boots, sure that this time the shock had proven too much for his friend. He had been positive that his questing fingers would find nothing when they reached for the pulse point. He had actually shuddered with relief when a pulse had been present. All right, it was not quite what he expected to feel, not the healthy bounding that he had known it should be, but it had been there! That at least gave them a fighting chance to help Legolas.

Now, they also had to deal with Legolas' state of mind when he woke. This chopping and changing was worrying to the extreme. Gimli did not know what to do to help.

Talleth still worked hard to keep Legolas' from bleeding to death. The blood thinner had done a lot of damage and Legolas had lost a lot of the vital life-giving fluid, and not just from his head either.

The wounds on Legolas' back had split open once more and had bled more than he would have thought possible.

Gimli had said nothing to Talleth about it. It was obvious that he felt bad enough about what he had done. Rubbing his nose in it, no matter how tempting that seemed, was not going to help Legolas and that at present was the priority.

Talleth made certain in the end that Legolas lay on his back and put pressure on the wounds, to try and stop the blood from leaving in such a great hurry. Gimli himself held a bandage against the Prince's head, pressing it against the freely bleeding wound.

"What are you going to do?" Gimli's voice was gruff with worry.

"If you are alright sitting here with the Prince, I will be across the room making some tea and poultice. I need to give him something to stop the bleeding."

"Of course. You're not leaving the chamber?" He wanted the human nearby so that he could call him should the need arise.

"No, I would not do that to either of you, Gimli. I will be by the fire." Talleth told him.

"Thank ye, Laddie." How could he blame Talleth for an honest mistake? For he recognized that was what it had been, an honest mistake that could have happened to any healer dealing with a new race.

"Why are you thanking me?" Talleth's voice held a note of deep self-hatred and self-recrimination. "Without me, he would not be in this mess!"

"Without you, Talleth, Legolas would have been in serious trouble long before now, possibly no longer with us." Gimli told the healer as he glared at him.

"We will talk later. I have a patient that I must see to." Talleth hurried over to the herb table and set about making both an herb poultice and herb tea to stop the bleeding both internally and externally.

He used a mixture of herbs. Yarrow mixed with witch hazel and even some nettle, anything he could think of to help staunch the bleeding.

Once the tea was made he handed it to Gimli, they could at least give it to Legolas while he finished with grinding the herbs for the poultices. They would begin to work and that would buy Talleth some time.

"How is the bleeding?" Talleth leaned to look at the wound on his head.

"Slowed, but not stopped." Gimli lifted the cloth that was pressed over the saturated bandage. The dwarf was too right about that.

"That is a start. Give him this tea? Are you comfortable with doing that?" Talleth suddenly realised that the dwarf was not a healer, but a friend.

"Aye, I have nursed family before and this is nothing. My GrandDa was caught in a rock fall once. We nursed him for months, flat on his back." Gimli accepted the tea.

"That must have been hard." Talleth was sympathetic.

"He was an old Devil. He wanted to go for a smoke every five minutes, demanded food and drink when he wanted. Would be awake and demanding when others should sleep. He drove my Grandma to a nervous wreck! I thought she would take her axe to him. If I recall she almost did, but Da stopped her." Gimli chuckled at the memory. "They were devoted until the day she died. GrandDa pined. So sad."

As he was talking Gimli was rather expertly feeding Legolas the tea with a gentleness that was incredible to watch. Who would have thought that Gimli could be like this, the tough hard-headed dwarf?

"It is sad." Talleth was back to preparing the poultice, they could still talk across the chamber. "I remember when my parents passed from this world. My grandparents passed when I was a child and I don't really remember them clearly. My parents passed at different times in my adulthood. They had good lives and I was grateful for that."

"It always helps. I still have both of my parents, brothers as well. I could knock their heads together sometimes, when they get to arguing over ale." Gimli laughed once more. "Poor Legolas is an only child. His mother died when he was but an elfling. I get the impression that he has suffered with that for a long time, aye, a very long time. I don't think I have heard him mention her once, but his father he speaks of frequently and I think they are very close. He must have been a lonely child."

"Aye, it is something some of us have to deal with. I have no brothers or sisters." Talleth felt very sorry for the Elf Prince. The one thing that kept him going was the thought that one day they would all meet again in the next world. What would it be like to live forever and never get to see your loved ones once more? "The thought of never seeing my parents again is not one I like to think about. Imagine living forever and never seeing them again…?" He shook his head in sad contemplation.

"They believe that they will be reborn and meet in Valinor. They will be together and be happy. But it must have affected him." Gimli put the empty goblet to one side and reached to brush the hair away from the sallow, grey face.

"It would have, if he was young." Talleth spread the heated herbs onto a cloth and folded it. He made certain it would not burn the Prince. That was one of the dangers with poultices, they could burn an immobile patient quite badly and one accident with the prince was more than enough as it was.

"I think that is one of the reasons that he and Aragorn got along so well. They shared such a devastating loss at such an early end. I truly wish that Aragorn was here. I would give anything to be able to ask advice on how to treat Legolas." Gimli looked at his elven friend sadly.

"We will manage and get him through this until Mithrandir arrives." Talleth was sure of that.

"But he thinks that Aragorn is alive. How can we let him go on thinking that Aragorn is coming back to him? You saw how he was." Gimli could not carry on as worry filled him.

"I did, but if it gets him through these next days, what is the harm?" Talleth was puzzled at the dwarf's attitude.

Gimli continued. "How can we let him go on believing that Aragorn will return, believing that he will suddenly walk in through the door as if he had never been away? I may not know a lot about elves…" Talleth snorted. From what he had witnessed, Gimli knew more than he let on. "But this blindly believing falsehood is not one of them. I no longer believe that they suck the blood of our young as my older cousins told me. I also do not believe that Legolas' father kept mine starving in the deepest, darkest dungeons he owns. Oh, there was some truth in it, but all? No. Da was bitter at being caught by Thranduil. One day I will know the truth." Gimli looked up, a mischievous look in his eye. "One day Legolas will tell me what happened."

Talleth laughed at that. "My suggestion, if you wish to do that?" Gimli nodded. "Get him drunk. Use our ale. It is very strong. I will join you. The evening will be fun. I have never seen a drunken elf before." The healer laughed.

"Neither have I. The idea does have its merit, mind you. I could even find out if he really does talk to the trees." Gimli laughed at the old joke.

"He talks to the trees? How can he talk to the trees, and what about?" Talleth asked stunned.

"The consistency of squirrel droppings?" Gimli commented innocently.

Talleth looked at him in surprise before guffawing. He stopped what he was doing while he went into hysterics.

"Squirrel droppings? That is the funniest thing I have ever heard! You had me going then, Gimli. I thought you were serious. How could anyone talk to trees?" He chortled once more.

"He can talk to trees. I have witnessed it myself. It is the most amazing thing to see." Gimli spoke with awe.

"I can imagine. Can I have help here? The poultice is ready." Between them, they pulled Legolas forward and Gimli held him upright while Talleth finished removing the soiled dressings.

Gimli watched with keen eyes as Talleth winced. Legolas' back was still bleeding steadily and he washed it quickly to get a good look at the wounds. They looked better than they had, but showed little signs of healing. Talleth then applied the poultices, making sure there was enough to cover the wound on the Prince's arm that was also bleeding.

"How is it?" Gimli could not see the wounds from where he was perched before Legolas. His elven friend was eerily quiet and he did not like this, not at all.

"Still bleeding heavily. We can see if this works. I will check in fifteen minutes and we can decide where to go from there should something more be necessary." Talleth helped Gimli to gently lay Legolas back and made certain that the poultice and wounds were not jostled.

"That should help." He sighed. Legolas looked pale.

"I hope so. When do you think he will waken?" Gimli was worried. Legolas had his eyes closed. He had to smile, albeit a small smile. To think he was worried about an Elf. That fact still surprised him. He had always been told that elves slept with their eyes opened, but had decided that was a lie. How could they? Their eyes would be damaged. He had scoffed at the very idea.

Now he knew differently.

Elves definitely slept with their eyes wide open. Little Pippin had screamed aloud the first time he saw Legolas asleep. He had been certain that orcs had crept into the camp and killed him. Gimli did not think that anything Aragorn or Gandalf said could have convinced the hobbit that the elf was alive.

Luckily, Legolas had chosen that moment to waken and jump to the halfling's defence. The memory could still make him chuckle. That had startled the young hobbit too.

But to see them, like this, to witness his eyes closed was more frightening than he would ever put into words.

"I don't know, not with blood loss this bad. I wish I did know and could answer you." Talleth admitted softly.

"'Tis not your fault, Laddie. I understand." Gimli told him.

"Thank you for being so understanding. I wish all of my patient's relatives and friends were this understanding. It would make my life and job a lot easier." Talleth told him gratefully.

"Ah, you are doin' your best. What more could I want?" Gimli was pleased with the comment. He could, after all, be gruff and offhand at times without realising it.

"How about some food? You have not eaten for a while." Talleth asked him.

"That sounds a good plan. Some taters, as young Sam calls them, would be nice with some meat and bread." Gimli's stomach rumbled in the large chamber.

"You're hungry, some ale with that as well?" He knew of the dwarf's preferences in the alcohol side, they had shared their likes earlier as well.

"That sounds grand, Laddie." Gimli was pleased that Talleth had recalled that he preferred ale to wine.

"I'll get you some. Stay with Legolas and I'll see if someone will get it for us. I don't really want to leave Legolas until the bleeding has stopped." Talleth straightened and gave a tired stretch. Luckily, the healing wing was not busy at present and was ready for the onslaught that they all knew was coming. At least it meant that he could spend the time helping Legolas. On top of that, he had also been given express orders from Théoden King to look after Mirkwood's Crown Prince.

"I am glad of that, Laddie. I would expect nothing other than that. You are a good healer and a fine person." Gimli watched amused as the healer blushed a fiery red.

"I… I will go and sort out the food." Talleth practically ran from the chamber.

Gimli chortled. "Ah, Laddie I wish you could have seen the way he coloured just then. It did this old heart good to see it. Now, if you were to wake up, I would be even happier about all this." He told Legolas. There was no answer.

Gimli slumped back with a sigh. He wanted nothing more than to see Legolas open those blue eyes and show him that he was alright, wanted to hear him say that he was better and that he knew Aragorn was not coming back.

That worried him to the core, these mood swings, how one minute he was so depressed Gimli had been worried that he might do something incredibly stupid. Not something that he would have given thought to normally… Legolas suicidal? That would have been laughable just a few short days ago. Then the other side of it, his sudden denial that Aragorn was dead at all.

"Please wake up, Legolas. This place is cold and empty without you. I need you here with me to help me manage these smelly humans. They can get a little rowdy at times. Not as rowdy as us dwarves, of course… Now, we really can throw a good party. You will have to come to one when this is all over."

Gimli could just imagine the look on Gloin's face when he saw Thranduil's son in his home. That would be worth going through all this, just to see that.

"I would love to show you my home. It is beautiful, Legolas, nothing like Moria." He still felt deep grief at Balin's loss, but the fact remained that they had dug far too deeply in search of mithril. They had disturbed things that should have been left alone, left well alone.

Gimli had a stout heart, would face anything with his axes and fight with all of his heart, but that Balrog… He shivered unknowingly. He had never been as scared in his life, never. It was also rare that he cried, but he had cried after Gandalf had fallen seemingly to his death, sobbed like a dwarflet had been more like it.

That had been when he had truly begun to see that Legolas was not who, or what, Gimli thought he was. Legolas had spent time with each of the hobbits on the road to Lothlorien, trying to help them deal with Gandalf's death, even though he really did not understand it fully himself. The look on the Prince's face when they rested for those few short minutes outside of Moria had showed that plainly, a shocked mixture of confusion, sadness and disbelief.

He had even helped Gimli, told him tales of his childhood to take his mind off of all that had happened. Oh yes, he owed Legolas a debt and by Aulë he would be repaying it and more for some time to come. At least, if he had his way he would.

"And the caves are not that deep. We could stay near the top if that helps you." He would love to show Legolas his home, to have him spend the winterfest season with them and see what the dwarves really could do with food and drink.

How could someone not like caves? They were warm and welcoming. Did the elves of Mirkwood not live in a Cavern? That was what his Da had said, a big huge cavern hewn from the rock. And Legolas was afraid of the caves? He had been unsettled and irritable the entire time. Nay that was wrong, it started even before they had entered Moria. The elf had been making snide comments, not that he had been much better he admitted now.

It was the only thing that made sense, that Legolas had to be afraid of the caves. Well, who would have thought it? If it had not been so serious, it would have been laughable.

"I have arranged for the food. Any change?" Talleth hurried back in. He hated the thought of leaving the Prince for this long, but he had not been able to find the maiden who normally dealt with these things.

Gimli looked up. His hand was still pressed against the Prince's forehead and he had barely moved. He lifted the poultice and looked. "I think it is slowing."

Talleth crossed to his side, this was good news. If the Prince's bleeding had slowed then he would cry his joy to the sky. He looked at the wound, hardly daring to hope that this was so, but it was. The bleeding was not just slowing, it had stopped. The herbs were working.

"This is brilliant news, Gimli. The yarrow and other herbs are working. Let us hope that the Prince's back is responding as well. Luck might finally be working in our favour." Talleth was smiling, relieved that he finally had some good news for the new friend at his side.

"I hope so, Laddie, I hope so. Do you want to check his back now?" Gimli asked him, not yet willing to really give in to the hope that was threatening to bubble up within him.

"Yes, do you think you could help again?" Talleth's eyes were bright once more as he looked at Gimli.

"For the Laddie? I would do all that I could and more. He is, after all, going to come and visit my home once the Ring has been destroyed, even if I do have to ride that demon he calls a horse." Gimli did not really mean it. He and Arod got along just fine as the tide went, as long as Gimli was not on his back!

They gently sat Legolas up from the bed. With Gimli holding, him Talleth looked at the wounds from the warg and orc attack.

"They have not stopped entirely but they are not far from it. I will make him another tea and that should help." They lay him back on the bed. "You are going to take him to your home?"

"Aye, that sounds a good plan to me. I will give him the tea. Do I need to continue to…?" He gestured to Legolas' forehead.

"What? Oh, no, thanks. That should be fine now. I will just…" He gently probed the area, but jumped when Legolas groaned.

"Legolas? Laddie?" Gimli was there in an instant. He was rewarded with another groan. "That's it, Laddie. Wake up now. You have been asleep far too much."

"Prince Legolas?" There was caution in Talleth's voice.

Legolas turned his head towards them, although he did not make any other move or sounds.

"Legolas, are ye going to wake up, you Pointy-Eared Princeling?" Maybe the old fun insult would work. He missed seeing the shocked look on Talleth's face at his words.

"S…smelly Dwarf." The voice was little more than a whisper on the breeze, but it was music to Gimli's ears.

"Legolas?" The joy in Gimli's voice was unmistakable.

One blue eye slowly opened and it was joined finally by the other.

"How are you feeling, Laddie?"

"Sore. Thirsty." Legolas was surprised at how weak he sounded.

"Here is some water. I'll help you." Gimli poured the cool water into the goblet and helped Legolas to drink.

Legolas lay back with a sigh. He had been so dry and the water had been like a blessing from the Valar.

"Hennad, Gimli. What happened?" He looked around him in a daze.

"You were bleeding, Legolas. It has been stopped now. Is the pain very bad?" Gimli did not want his friend to be in any sort of discomfort.

"No, more of an ache than anything else. What time is it?" Legolas asked.

"Early morning. Are you hungry?" Talleth asked him.

"Yes, I am, very hungry." His stomach growled. He grinned weakly, slightly embarrassed.

"Good, we have food coming, but I think some porridge for you would be best. I will organise it." Talleth left once more.

"Legolas, what do you recall about earlier?" Gimli was not sure how he should go about asking Legolas about his belief that Aragorn was alive.

"We were looking at the stars. I explained about Eärendil's star. Aragorn came to me in a dream. He is alive and returning to us." There was utter belief in Legolas' voice.

"How I wish that could be so. Legolas, you have to face up to the fact that Aragorn is dead and cannot return to us. This is not like Gandalf, he can't return." Gimli felt almost desperate to convince Legolas.

Legolas lightly shook his head, his eyes bright. "You will see, Gimli. He is coming and when he does, we have work to do. There is going to be a great battle fought here. The sky sings of it. We need to prepare for that." Legolas tried to push himself upright, but was too weak. Gimli easily pushed him back down.

"You will rest and stay there until Talleth says that you can leave that bed. You have been through a great ordeal these last few days. I will not let you hurt yourself more." Gimli's voice was grim and determined.

"I will rest, Elvellon Gimli. I will have need of my strength when we fight." Legolas told him with a small smile.

Gimli openly gaped at him. Legolas really and truthfully thought he would be strong enough to fight? Maybe the stress really had turned Legolas' head. He was living in a dream land.

"Here is your porridge, Highness." Talleth entered with the steaming bowl in his hand. He stopped when he realised the tension that had suddenly filled the chamber. "What is wrong?"

"Legolas tells me he will be fighting." Gimli sounded angry.

"Not under my care when he looks as he does at present. I will strap him to the bed if I have to!" Talleth told them both, just as grimly.

"Good, I will knock him out if it becomes necessary." Gimli was certainly not joking.

Legolas glared at them both. He just said one sentence to them "We will see."

"There is time enough for that later. Eat, Highness." Talleth handed the bowl to him.

Legolas winced as he took the bowl and then swapped the bowl to his good hand. The movement had pulled on the wound on his arm. He settled the bowl on his lap and began to eat the hot food.

It was good, but it would have been better with some honey in it, but beggars could not be choosers. They were lucky to have what they got during a siege.

As he was eating, two women arrived with Gimli and Talleth's own meals. They ate in companionable silence.

When they had all finished, Legolas sat back with a sigh. He felt uncomfortable with his stomach so full after such a long time. He looked critically at his friend. Gimli looked as if he had gotten all too little sleep lately.

"Gimli, go, get some rest, mellon-nin. You look exhausted. I will be alright and staying awake for a time sounds like a good idea to me." Legolas suggested to his small friend.

"I don't know, Laddie. I am not so happy at the thought of leaving you." Deep down he was still incredibly frightened that Legolas was still going to die.

"I will remain with the Prince. He will not be alone. If you take the bed I used earlier, you will be within shouting distance if needed." Talleth was all too happy to do this for the two friends. Their relationship was rather unique. He felt privileged to know them both.

"You will wake me if needed, even for the smallest of things?" Gimli speared him with his eyes.

"I promise that, yes, I will waken you, for even the smallest of things." Talleth informed him.

"If ye dinna, ye'll feel the hard edge of my axe!" Gimli squinted one eye at him in promise.

"I understand, Master Gimli. I fully understand." Talleth grinned. He truly was a loyal and steadfast friend.

"Losto mae, Gimli."

"Humph!" Gimli's replied as he slipped his boots from his feet. He then settled on the bed. No sooner had he lain back than he was snoring loudly.

Legolas shook his head with affection. Only Gimli!

"I will make you a tea that should end the remainder of the bleeding. Is that alright, Highness?" Talleth was watching the elf. "I will also add herbs for the pain you refuse to acknowledge!"

"Legolas, please, my name is Legolas. Forget 'Highness' and 'Prince'. To my friends I am Legolas. I would like to count you as my friend.

The pleased grin that crossed Talleth's face was reward enough for the elf, it was obvious he had touched a chord with the man.

"Thank you. Theodred always said the same as well. He was a good man and will be sorely missed, as will Lord Aragorn." Talleth could have kicked himself when he realised that he had mentioned the elf's fallen friend. He glanced nervously at Gimli and was relieved to see the dwarf still slept, snoring to the heavens.

"Do not give up hope for Aragorn yet. Gimli and you are going to be in for a great shock." There was a serene smile on Legolas' fair face. "To answer your question, yes, I will take your tea."

"Good, for you have no choice in the matter." He was already chopping and mixing the herbs and roots he needed. "Will you take Gimli to your home when all this is finished?"

"If we come through all this, yes. Although I am not too sure how Ada will take having a dwarf walk his halls once more. He was not happy the last time." Legolas laughed weakly and then coughed before wincing.

The sight caused Talleth to work all that much faster and soon Legolas had the tea to drink. He sipped it gratefully, ignoring the bitter taste. He was used to it from when he had been injured in the past and had to take even more foul-tasting medicines than this.

"Ada? What is 'ada'?" Talleth was watching him drink the brew, making sure he really did drink the concoction.

"It is the Elvish word for 'father'." Legolas clarified for him.

"Ah." It suddenly made sense to him. "He doesn't like dwarves?"

Legolas finished the brew and reached out to put the empty goblet aside, wincing when the skin on his arm and back pulled painfully with the movement.

"Let me." Talleth took the empty cup and placed it aside. He poured out more water and handed it to the elf.

"Thank you." Legolas made certain to speak in Westron, so as not to confuse the man further.

"You are more than welcome, Legolas." He smiled at the elf.

"To answer your question, no, my Ada does not like dwarves. We had a problem with them a few years back and it soured the relationship somewhat. Not that there was much of a relationship to start with. I am sure Gimli will change all that." He smiled once more at his sleeping, snoring friend.

"He does have a way with people, doesn't he?" Talleth had to laugh, that had come over so clearly.

"Aye, he does. Only he could walk through Lothlorien and speak ill of the Lady only to fall into rapture with her the minute they meet. He was lost for words. If anyone were to say a bad word against her, Gimli would be the first in line to defend her."

"He would do that?" Talleth was amazed.

"Yes, that and more. I have seen him stand up to far more than that. You should see what he does to orcs with his axe!" Legolas shook his head. He really was feeling so much better since his dream of Estel. He knew it was not a normal dream. He knew that Estel was on his way back to them. He would be well and on his feet to meet him when he returned.

"What does he do?" Talleth could not wait to hear this story. He settled himself once more in his chair beside the Prince's bed. The change in Legolas was really incredible to see. Was this the same despairing elf from earlier? There was a slight pink tinge in his cheeks and he had a real twinkle in his eyes, a twinkle that had not been there earlier.

"He uses his axe to make certain that they cannot procreate." Oh, yes, there was an evil grin on his face now.

"Ouch. With the axe?"

"Yes, with the axe. Works every time as well."

"As long as the foul creatures do not spread their evil spawn over Middle-earth, he can do what he wants to them, but that I do like."

"Aye, he may not be fast but he is accurate and deadly. I would not want to face him when he is angry." Legolas suddenly yawned

"Rest. You need the sleep." Talleth told him.

"I have just woken." Legolas protested.

"You have been ill. Rest will do you some good." Talleth looked a little smug. It raised Legolas' suspicions.

"You added sleeping herbs!" His expression turned incredulous.

"Indeed and if you could see how you looked, you would have done so as well. Sleep. This way, by the time the battle begins, I may let you have your weapons."

Legolas glowered at him. "You will let me do more than that! I will get you back for this, Talleth. You are as bad as Estel and Elrond. They do this as well." The threat lost its potency as Legolas let loose a great wide yawn once more.

"I will take that under advisement, but for now, sleep. I will leave neither of you." He helped Legolas to settle in the bed.

Once certain that Legolas was asleep, he crossed to fetch his book on elves. He would have the time to read this time. He did not want to repeat what had happened earlier. He still felt terrible about that.

He settled with a hot tea and began to learn more about the Firstborn of Middle-earth.


It was late afternoon before Gimli woke with a grunt. For a moment, he was startled as to where he was. Then memory flooded back. He sat up quickly.

"Relax, Gimli, he sleeps still and I have to admit he looks much better." Talleth looked up from his station beside Legolas.

Gimli did not even bother putting on his boots. He rose and padded in his stockings to where Legolas slept.

Talleth was right. Legolas did look better. Not back to his normal rude health, but better all the same. He was no longer grey, just incredibly pale.

"You are right, he is looking better. I will be happier when he is on his feet and teasing me once again, but this is still much better than he was." Gimli was still worried about what would happen when it really hit home to his friend that Aragorn would not be returning. Two more nights and Gandalf would be here and able to help Legolas. He had to keep hold of that and hope.

"Why don't you take the chance to bathe and relax a little? I am sure you would feel better for that." Talleth suggested.

"I will do that. A bath sounds grand and the chance to wash the orc blood from my beard even better. I can also bring Legolas back his weapons. I am sure that will please him." Gimli liked that idea.

"I will have some food brought here in an hour and a half. That should give you time to see to yourself and get everything sorted."

"Food sounds good. In fact ale with my bath sounds wonderful. I will go and find one. Thank you, Talleth. That is a grand idea. You will stay with him?"

"I will, Master Gimli."

"Good, I will be back." Gimli left the chamber.


The halls of the Deep were alarmingly empty. Every now and again he would come across a cluster of scared and worried-looking women talking in low whispers. They all nodded at him and carried on.

He finally found the kitchen and talked the cook into giving him both food and ale to enjoy while he bathed. He was, after all, still a growing dwarf.

He carried it back to the chamber he had shared with Legolas. Pushing open the door, he stopped and looked around. It looked so empty without his friend there. Legolas had a way of lighting up a room.

He left the food and ale on the table and went to collect some towels. He then headed off for the bathing chambers.

Someone had already run a bath for him and the maid that he had spoken to earlier showed him the tub he could use. They had even crumbled some dried rose petals in the water and he sniffed at this. They obviously were trying to tell him he stank, even though he had already had one bath, although he had not taken the time to wash his hair and beard. It took time to fix his braids the way he liked them. Now he could do that.

He set the food and ale on a chair and drew it up to the side of the bath. He then stripped and settled into the hot water.

It was a relief to relax a little. The water was soothing against his sore muscles. Content, he reached out for the hunk of bread and cheese from the plate. This was the life. Legolas was a little better and asleep. He could take some time for himself.

Once he had finished eating, he let himself slide under the water. His hair floated in a rust-coloured cloud around him.

When he sat back up it was with a smile. Did Legolas have a duck, to use in the bath? Did elves do such things? It would be interesting to find out. It would make a perfect present for the winterfest.

Once the water was getting cold, he decided to get out.

His hair and beard were quite matted and it took some time to comb that out and then properly braid it again. Once he was happy with it, he returned to the bedchamber.

He picked up the Prince's weapons and made for the door. He had made it almost to the healing wing when he was stopped by Éowyn.

"Gimli, the most wonderful news!" She was smiling and radiant once more.

"What is that, Éowyn?"

"A rider has been spotted, a lone rider. They cannot see who it is yet but it looks to be a man. There are none of our men out. There is a possibility that you were wrong and that Aragorn is alive." She was grinning from ear to ear.

"Éowyn that is not possible. It is more than likely that this is one of Éomer's men sent back on some mission. Don't torture yourself like this. Let Aragorn go."

"But what if you and Uncle are wrong? What if Aragorn was left to find his own way back without any help? It haunts my dreams."

"Come to the top and show me the rider. I will be able to tell if it is Aragorn or not." They made their way slowly to the top to look out over the Deep.

It was a beautiful late afternoon. The sun shone low in the sky and all seemed to be at peace in the world. No animal could be seen, it was as if they had all gone into hiding. Everything was quiet, too quiet. It was like the lull before the storm or the quiet that could be heard before an explosion. The very air seemed to still in anticipation.

"It is too quiet, Gimli. I do not like this." Éowyn shivered in the cool wind atop the wall.

Gimli quoted. "The world waits with bated breath to see what joy the dawn can bring." It was a saying his Da used a lot.

"That is so true. Hopefully the dawn will be a good one, we can hope at least, hope and pray." Éowyn sighed, they would lose a lot of good people in this fight, but if Rohan and Middle-earth prospered it would be a sacrifice worth making.

"Aye, but we will not give in without a fight. You will see. I wish I could see who this is. It is certainly in the right direction." Gimli grumbled. He knew there was one could see the human that was riding towards them, even though he was yet a small black speck on the horizon. But he also would not do that to Legolas. Gimli would not build up hope in his friend, only to have it dashed once more.

"Yes, I would be most happy if it was Aragorn." Éowyn worried at her lip.

"Lady Éowyn, I have said this to Legolas and I do not like having to say it to you as well, but Aragorn is dead. We saw the aftermath. Legolas has the jewel in his keeping. Please, stop this foolishness. It will only hurt you in the long run."

Éowyn watched him with tears in her eyes. "I just need to have some hope, Gimli. We all need to have something to cling onto at this point in time. I fear what the morrow brings."

"I know, Lassie. I do understand, it is just not healthy and Aragorn would not wish for you to be like this. Come, we need to get you into the warmth and I need to give Legolas his weapons."

Gimli gently led her back into the Deep, conscious that she was shivering in the cold of the late afternoon. Sunny it may be, but it was still early in the year.

"How is Legolas? We heard he had collapsed. Uncle wanted to come and visit him but he has been so busy organising the men for the fight. It is almost all done, but there are still some plans that need to be made. So much to do and so little time." Éowyn lamented.

"Aye, that's always the way. Legolas has awoken and has eaten. He was asleep and looked a lot better when I last saw him. I believe that he has turned the corner, at least until Gandalf comes back."

"That is good news, Gimli. I am so pleased to hear that and Uncle will be as well. Can I see him?" Her smile was bright.

"Aye, come and sit with us for a while. You look as if you could do with a break." Gimli could see how tired she was. The last few weeks had been a great strain for her, for all of them.

Talleth was still reading while Legolas slept when they arrived in the healing halls. Éowyn crossed to Legolas' bed and looked down at him with a critical glance.

Gimli was right, he did look a lot better, not well yet, though. He was far too pale and so still, but so much better than he had earlier looked.

"You are right, Gimli. He does look better. You have done a good job, Talleth. Uncle will be most pleased." She smiled brightly at the healer at her side.

"Thank you, My Lady. He has been a pleasure to look after." Talleth told her. "Please sit. Can I get you a drink? You look cold."

"That would be most welcome, Talleth, thank you." Gimli sat with her while Talleth went to make the tea for her.


The sun was falling low in the sky when Helm's Deep finally came into view, much to Aragorn's relief. The tall, imposing rock formation was the most incredible he had ever seen. Not even Gondor's White City looked this imposing.

Bracketed by the sun it looked impenetrable and, having seen the orc army, he was pleased of that. They would need all the advantages they could get until Gandalf came.

He gently rotated his left shoulder. It had stiffened during the day. It would be nice to have his many wounds treated.

But that could and would wait. He had two things he needed to do before he could have them seen to. He had to warn Théoden King of the force marching their way and he had to see that Legolas really was alright. Legolas had to be alright. He would not believe any other.

Relief in his heart, Aragorn urged Brego ahead. Soon they could both rest, at least for a short while. He just wished that he had not lost the Evenstar that Arwen, his beloved, had given him. Now that she had sailed to Valinor it was the only thing he had left of her, apart from his memories. It felt wrong not to have it hanging from his neck, as wrong as it would have felt without Barahir on his finger.

He pushed those thoughts from his mind, reluctantly. He had to focus on the next few days, not linger in the past.

If he did not concentrate, all of this would be academic.

Just as long as Legolas was by his side he could cope.

The Deep loomed large in his vision and he could finally see the guards taking on features. He could faintly hear their cries of greeting and surprise as they recognised him…


To be continued.

Well, another chapter down. I hope you continue to like this. Please let me know what you think? All your reivews are greatly appreciated. If you leave me your email addresses I will get back to you.

More very soon,

Love,

Shell