Beta: Kalisona
Chapter 4: Together
The first thing he could sense after waking up was a strange rocking sensation. The wound at his side hurt worse than before, and he felt that it had opened once again. There was an unpleasant taste in his mouth, and he decided that he didn't want to remember where it had come from.
He slowly lifted his head and looked around. A burning, dark glare fixed on him, and he stared back. That explained what was causing the rocking sensation.
He was being carried on a stretcher, going up some narrow stairs. They were leaving the dungeons and going to the healing wing. The air was noticeably fresher than before, which made him think that he was not underground anymore.
Kalet looked back up. The prisoner had woken up and Tessal hadn't noticed, but the man was sure that this was for the better. The captive surely wouldn't survive another outburst of rage and could use the little break he had been given. He silently cursed his Lord's decision to appoint Tessal to heal the prisoner. That man was bound on revenge and was more likely to further injure his patient.
Aragorn sighed in relief when the man's attention turned away from him. His condition was worse than before, but this wasn't enough to change his decision. He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. He would need to think clearly for what he was about to do.
---
Finally. A victorious smile graced the prince's lips. Legolas stopped his steed and took a vial out of his pack. This was the third day he had been riding, and he had finally reached a relatively large human settlement. He didn't think there were too many towns and villages this high in the mountains, so this was most probably the town Merzak had come from.
Therefore, Aragorn had to be somewhere here. Legolas looked around and frowned. If his friend had found the box and gone back, he should have returned by now. This meant that the man was either still here, looking for the precious wooden object, or… or… He didn't want to think about the second option. No, it wasn't an option at all!
He was surprised by what he found. These Men had lived so close to the Elves of Mirkwood, and yet they had never come in contact with them. But the Elves seldom ventured into the Grey Mountains, and never in those parts, there was no reason for them to come here, so that might explain it. Besides, the humans here probably didn't care much about the world outside of their small settlement, so they hadn't come to Mirkwood. Whatever the reason, this incident showed him that it was always important to know one's surrounding and one's neighbors. They should have investigated long ago who lived close to them. If the Men had already known them, many problems and misunderstandings caused by ignorance could have been avoided.
Legolas raised the vial to his mouth and drank its entire contents. He had been overdosing for three days already, and there wasn't much of the potion left. He didn't want to think what would happen when he ran out of it. Besides, he was sure there would be side effects sooner or later, but he expected to be dead before he felt them.
The elf knew that entering this human town would immediately put him in grave danger. The people who lived here had suffered great loss, and somehow believed that the Elves of Mirkwood, their Prince in particular, had been responsible for the deaths of their loved ones. It wasn't hard to guess what their reaction to seeing an elf would be.
The hood of his cloak concealed his golden hair and pointed ears completely and cast a shadow over his fair face, and he had to count on this to keep him safe. But that couldn't last long. The men would sooner or later grow suspicious of this stranger. They would wonder what he was doing in their secluded town, and would ask themselves why he was bent as if he was wounded. At this thought Legolas swiftly straightened his back, although his body protested the movement.
Mounted on his dark stallion, the Prince of Mirkwood entered Gradek, a human town in the Grey Mountains, ruled by Lord Merzak.
---
The Elves' hearts twisted in pain and horror at their King's desperate cries. Never before had they seen Thranduil so defeated.
"He is gone!" He looked around wildly, almost expecting Legolas to miraculously appear from somewhere. "My child is gone!"
"We will go after him, my Lord," a dark-haired elf said gently, his voice soft and soothing. "There is no need to worry about Prince Legolas. He cannot go too far away."
"He had taken the fastest horse!" Thranduil hissed in frustration. "And you are saying that he cannot have gone too far away! I know my son! When he makes up his mind, he could be as stubborn as a mule. Yes, he is unwell, but that won't stop him from going as far as he wants!"
Hirvegil's dark blue eyes were fixed on him. If Thranduil had turned to look at them, he would have seen that they were moist with grief and regret. The elf stood some distance away, sorrow and guilt tearing his heart apart. "It is our fault that Legolas left in the first place," he whispered to Pelilas. "We have to tell it to the King. I can bear the guilt no more."
"We can do that," his friend answered, his voice soft and sad as usual. "But it will help no one."
Hirvegil sighed, slightly frustrated with his friend. Trust me. This is the right thing to do, Pelilas had said. The right thing to do! Things couldn't have gone more wrong!
"Do you realize what will happen if they capture Legolas?" He asked softly. "I don't want to imagine him in their dirty hands! He said that this Merzak had orcs under his command. You know better than anyone what this means!"
A shadow passed over Pelilas' sorrowful eyes, and Hirvegil suddenly felt guilty for reminding his friend of those dark moments. The elf had been held captive by orcs for almost fifty years, and had managed to escape and return to them only a few months ago. He never talked about his escape, always saying that the grief was still too near.
They never knew what had happened to him and had thought him dead. Fifty years ago one of the patrols, led by Legolas, had been attacked by orcs and almost everyone had been killed. It had been found by another patrol soon enough to save the survivors. The Elves' grief was lightened by the fact that their prince and a few of his companions were still alive, although severely wounded. They had carried the injured back to safety, and had returned to collect the dead Elves' bodies to bury them.
They had been surprised when they hadn't found Pelilas' body, but had assumed that the elf had been dead. Later it turned out that the orcs had taken his unconscious body form the battlefield after the second patrol had left. He had been one of the few survivors, but they had missed him.
Hirvegil remembered the day when his friend had returned. He had been happy then, but this happiness was shadowed. Pelilas' usually lively and cheerful green eyes now looked dull and sad, and even in the merriest moments the sparkle in them never returned. Fifty years of orc capture had marred him forever, and although they had never managed to break his spirit completely, it was damaged beyond repair.
Hirvegil's heart filled with dismay when he realized that this might be the fate awaiting his prince.
---
Kalet froze and screamed in shock and surprise. Things had happened so quickly that he had been unable to follow them completely. How had the half-dead prisoner managed to jump from his stretcher? Wasn't he supposed to have a terrible stomach ache and be unable to move? And where had he found the dagger he now pressed against his throat?
Tessal turned back and his dark eyes looked like two burning coals. "You, filthy scum! You will pay for this!"
Aragorn stared back at him, trying to control his ragged breathing. The pain at his side had intensified tremendously by the sudden movement and his knees threatened to buckle under him. Right now he wished for nothing more than to let himself fall to the floor and sink into darkness, but he fought against this desire. Legolas still needed him.
"I wish to talk to Merzak," he said, surprised by his own voice. He was terrified at how weak it sounded.
"It is Lord Merzak for you, filth!" Tessal shouted, his eyes narrowed to mere slits.
"There is no murderer I would ever call a 'Lord'," Aragorn answered stubbornly. "I want to speak to him now. Take me to him or your friend will die." Despite the weakness, his voice sounded cold and determined. Nevertheless, he had no desire to kill the healer and hoped that it wouldn't come to that.
"You pathetic, stinking murderer!" Tessal's voice was filled with pure hatred. "If I had ever doubted that you have helped the Elves and their Prince, I never will anymore."
"You have no idea how right you are," Aragorn said, not caring about the implications of what he was saying. "I have always helped the Elves of Mirkwood. And I will always help them. And I would die for their Prince."
Tessal's eyes burned with cold fire. The prisoner had just confessed his crime. He had just confessed his role in the murder of his family.
---
"Wait! Who's there?" The town guards raised their hands, indicating to the newcomer to stop.
Before them stood a magnificent dark stallion mounted by a slender figure wrapped in a gray cloak. "My name is Mâlin and I come from the South," the traveler said in a hoarse voice and dismounted. Legolas didn't even have to alter his voice to conceal its typical melody. The poison had made it hoarse enough. "I am a merchant and I am looking for people interested in what I have to offer."
"A merchant? What do you sell?" A guard asked.
"Weapons," Legolas replied, having a hard time making his voice steady. He felt the blood rush to his face and was glad for the hood hiding it. He had always been a terrible liar. "My apprentices are nearby," he continued, "and they have a cart filled with weapons I sale. I am only traveling around to find interested men, and I carry a few samples with me."
"May we see the samples?" One of the guards prompted.
Legolas pulled out his twin knives and laid them before the eyes of the stunned man. He had never seen anything like that before. He lifted one of the knives and examined it closely, discovering that it was very light and very sharp at the same time.
The other guard, however, had traveled outside their town and was familiar with what he saw. "These are elven weapons," he suddenly said, his voice dry and unable to be interpreted.
The other guard froze at those words and stared at Legolas. The elf was also confused; he had not expected such a reaction. And he said the first thing that came to his mind.
"They did belong to an elf."
The guards quickly exchanged a glance. Those words made them realize two things about the man before them. First, he was obviously not an honorable merchant. They did belong to an elf. Apparently he was also a killer who stole his victims' weapons and sold them. But they paid no heed to this observation. Their second discovery had their entire attention.
"You have killed an elf?" One of the guards asked.
Legolas nodded. I have no idea who invented the hood as a part of the clothing, but if I knew, I would thank them, he thought. He was sure his face had never been a brighter red.
The guards looked at him carefully, their respect for him suddenly growing. This man had killed an elf, one of those despicable creatures that had harmed them so much. Whatever the reason, he deserved their sincere gratitude.
"I think we should take him to Lord Merzak," one of them whispered to the other, unaware that the stranger's keen ears could easily hear every word. "The Elves will probably attack us after we poisoned their prince. We have to be prepared and more weapons could help."
Legolas listened carefully and leaned on his horse for support, overwhelmed by emotions. He was going to face Merzak once again. A strange mixture of joy and apprehension was tearing him apart.
---
"So this is the merchant?" Merzak's eyes carefully scanned the man before him. "Welcome to Gradek! I am interested in your merchandise and would gladly discuss it with you."
"Thank you, my Lord," Legolas bowed almost imperceptibly, afraid that if he bowed slightly more, his head would spin and he would fall to the ground. He had trouble staying on his feet and upright, but was so far masterfully managing to hide it.
"Will you not remove your hood now that you are inside?" Merzak asked, a sudden suspicion crawling into his mind.
"I am sorry, my Lord, I mean no disrespect. Five years ago I was caught in a terrible fire and since then I bear ugly scars that I prefer to hide."
"A fire, you say?" Merzak's suspicion had suddenly increased and it could be heard in his voice.
Legolas felt his heart skip a beat, but he quickly came back to his senses. "It was the Elves, my Lord. They set fire to my house and did this to me. I have hated them ever since. This is the reason why I killed the elf whose weapons I showed to your guards."
Lovely work, Legolas. You hoped to persuade those men that your kin would never harm anybody except in defense of what is good and beautiful, and now you gave them another reason to believe that Elves are dishonorable villains. Well done, he silently chastised himself, although he knew that he didn't have a choice. Right now his first concern was to find Aragorn, and to do this the men had to trust him.
"The Elves did this to you?" All suspicion was gone from Merzak's voice, replaced by sympathy and understanding. "I am sorry. You will be welcome here as long as you need. Please, make yourself at home."
Legolas' heart revolted against the reaction Elves provoked here, but managed to control his emotions. He was about to force himself to thank Merzak for his hospitality when they were suddenly interrupted by a loud commotion in front of the door.
"My Lord!" Tessal rushed into the room, his face flushed in anger. "I am sorry to disturb you, but the stinking scum wanted to see you. He threatens to – "
"To kill your man if you refuse to listen to me, Merzak." Aragorn stepped inside, his knife still pressed at Kalet's throat.
Legolas couldn't stop the loud gasp that escaped his lips at the sight of his friend. The man's side was soaked in blood, his legs seemed shaking and unsteady, his face was ashen, and the unnatural glimmer in the gray eyes suggested that a fever had begun to settle in the battered body. Ai, mellon nîn, what have they done to you? Fortunately, everyone was surprised by the event and no one noticed his reaction.
"Speak," Merzak prompted, his voice cold and filled with contempt.
"The Elves have nothing to do with the murders and your revenge is misplaced. But there is still time to turn back. I want the box. Otherwise I will kill your man."
Merzak sighed, once again looking bored by the ranger. "I have no doubt that you will kill him, as you have killed many others before. But why would I give you the box? This is only a single man. I value the life of my men, but a single one is not as much worth as all the dead that I seek to revenge by killing the Elven Prince."
Kalet paled visibly at those words, his face matching the color of his snow-white tunic. Nevertheless, Legolas couldn't help the painful observation that his face color was much healthier than Estel's.
"I never thought you would fall so low to leave one of your men to die, Merzak," Aragorn answered and Legolas' heart clutched painfully at how weak the man's voice sounded. "Your hatred towards the Fair Folk is ill placed. I am sure their prince has nothing to do with the murder of your family. Give me the box and give him a chance to live. Then I will prove to you that he is innocent, and if I cannot, you will have my life. You have my word." He had barely finished speaking when he suddenly staggered forward and took a few quick steps to steady himself.
Merzak didn't answer and smiled inwardly when he saw the man falter. Instead, his eyes locked with Kalet's and then briefly moved towards Aragorn. Kalet lowered his gaze to indicate that he had understood the command.
Legolas' eyes widened in shock. Obviously his friend was too exhausted to see this; usually the ranger would easily notice such an exchange. He wanted to scream a warning, but it was too late.
Before the elf could do anything, Kalet's fist collided with Aragorn's injured side. The man immediately fell to the ground with a pained gasp. Kalet grabbed the dark hair and slammed his head into the hard floor. "I was wrong to defend you! I should have left Tessal kill you!" He took the knife out of the ranger's limp fingers and pressed it against his throat. "How does it feel now, ungrateful murderer? Do you enjoy it?"
Legolas felt sick at the sight and his eyes stung with warm tears. He fought the urge to rush to his fallen friend's side and tear Kalet apart limb by limb. But revealing his true identity wouldn't help anyone. Aragorn needed him free and out of suspicion.
Tessal grinned widely at the other healer's last words. "Yes, I should have killed you!" He ran to the fallen figure and let his foot land on the man's back, once again forcing the air out of his lungs. "How dare you?!"
He continued to kick and hit the fallen man with the rage of a wild beast whose cub had been killed.
Legolas felt his own heart beat wildly with fear, rage, and helplessness. Calm down, they have to stop. They would have killed him by now if they wanted him dead. They want him alive. They will stop.
But they didn't. Kalet's and Tessal's rage was too great and they poured it all on the semi-conscious body on the floor. The elf cast a brief glance at Merzak, who was watching the scene dispassionately. He closed his eyes, but his keen ears easily heard the weak, pained yelps. And he could take it no more.
For Aragorn the last few minutes looked like a mist of pain and fear. He could see a deep chasm of darkness, and every kick, every hit bought him closer to the edge. He was so close now. He could just let himself fall and forget everything. Everyone.
No! He could never forget everyone. There was a reason he was fighting, a reason he was still breathing.
Another kick. Another step towards the edge.
And then, suddenly, the light came. Someone roughly pushed away his two assailants, and he found himself held protectively by slender and gentle arms. The soft words whispered in his ear made his hear beat in joy and fear for his friend at the same time.
"I do not know what they have in store for us, mellon nîn. I only know that whatever it is, we will face it together."
TBC
You might think that I was evil again and gave you no hints, but I actually did :-) I hope you can see them.
Note: I am going to Germany next week and I'll have no internet access there. I'll do my best to write the next chapter before that, but if I can't I just wanted to warn you that I won't post anything between July 5 and 15.
To the randomer: Well, you are not really supposed to guess who was still alive, but I'm glad you are trying to figure out :-) I'll just tell you that the baddies will be two – you haven't seen one of them yet, but the other one appears in the earlier chapters of "Friendship…" Maybe you could guess who he is. They'll both be mentioned in the first chapter of the sequel, but I think I'll start it after I finish this story. Thank for the review, like always. I agree, overdosing is not really sensible, but right now Legolas is hoping to be dead before he feels the effects of the overdose. Elven optimism :D
The next chapter is called "Worse than Death".
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