Author's Note: I do not own Lord of the Rings, or Shades. Lord of the Rings belongs to the genius that is J.R.R. Tolkein, and Shades belongs to my friend Erin. No one gave me a correct answer to my question, so I'll just give you the answer: I got the name for Caradocs from the mythical character Sir Caradoc, who was a knight of the Round Table, bitten by en enchanted snake.


Chapter Four

"What did it do?"

"Is he going to be all right?"

"You can cure him, can't you?"

The worried questions barely registered in Legolas' clouded mind. When he regained some consciousness, he realized he was lying in a soft, warm bed. He also realized he wasn't alone. Blearily, he forced his eyes open.

He was in a small room. There was wood paneling on the walls, and there was a window in the wall to his right. Standing in a worried cluster in the corner were Aragorn, Gimli, Elizabeth, and Shades. The fifth figure, however, was hidden from view. They had lowered their voices now, so he couldn't hear what they were saying.

"Hush," the voice was soft and placating, and the remaining group members quieted immediately. "The effects of the poison are very minor. Shades, whatever you said, I think you exaggerated a bit."

Shades turned pink through her white fur, which was quite some feat in Legolas' mind.

Aragorn glanced over at the Elf, and, seeing that his friend was awake, moved to the bedside. "Are you all right?" he asked him, sounding concerned.

"I'm fine," Legolas replied, sitting up easily. "You know I've suffered far worse than this, Estel."

"You were fortunate that there were only a few Caradocs in that cave," the girl said, moving closer to the bed, "My name is Melannen, by the way."

Legolas had already completely recovered, thanks to Melannen's healing abilities, and Shades volunteered to lead them back through the pass to Gondor. "This time," she said, "no exploring."

So, the trio returned to Gondor, safe and sound. No one ever found out what really happened. As Shades had put it, "What happens in Erabez, stays in Erabez."


Author's Note: Yeah, well, that was a kind of anticlimactic ending, huh : ( But hey, it's my first complete fic, go easy on me! I will probably write another LotR fic eventually, so stay tuned for it!