I know it's been ages since my last update. I don't want to delay you with excuses and such things.
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"Legolas!" The human exclaimed, only making out the slight difference in the height of the snow now. He dropped down to his knees and brushed the snow aside. Shocked at what he saw he drew in a sharp breath.
Legolas' face was as white as the snow he was covered with. His lips held a pale blue. Numerous cuts and bruises covered his face and blood matted his golden blonde hair to his head.
"Help… Ego [S: be gone]… Estel…. Please… Edraith enni [S: Save me]… Á pusta [Q: Stop]… Help… Nîdh![S:It hurts]" Legolas whispered in a broken voice. His voice was so faint Aragorn was barely able to hear him and had to lean his head closer to understand the jumbled mix of Sindarin, Quenya and the Common speech.
With careful movements Aragorn brushed more snow from Legolas' pale face, noticing the slight pink hue to his friends' face. He quickly pulled the gloves from his hands and held them to the prince's cheeks. Even though being covered in snow the skin under his rough hands was warm to the touch. Too warm.
"Mellon-nîn, what has happened to you?" He questioned the fallen elf with a soft voice. A low man was the only answer he received. Using the loudest voice he could manage, Aragorn called the twins' names, hoping their elvish hearing could reach so far. "Elladan! Elrohir! I found him!"
While he waited for his brothers, the human began to dust the snow of his woodland friend. The more he uncovered, the more he wished he didn't. The elegant travel clothes of the prince were torn and dirty. Blood matted most of it. Through tears in the fabric he was able to see deep gashes, blood frozen to the skin. His arms and legs were bend in unnatural ways, telling a story of many broken bones.
Careful not to hurt his friend, Aragorn ran his hands over the broken body. The skin he touched felt cold to the touch. Even though the high fever running havoc in his friends body he was frozen. Broken bones jabbed his careful fingers more often than he would have liked. Thankfully the spine of the elf was unharmed.
Just when he finished his first examination of the prince, he felt the presence of one of the twins behind him. He tilted his head to the side and saw the worried form of Elladan sprinting towards him. In no time at all, the elf reached his side and fell ungracefully to his knees beside him in the snow. The following gasp was the only sound that left the lips of the dark haired elf.
After a few moments of silence the elf sprang into action and pulled the blonde elf in a sitting position against his chest. "His heartbeat is slow, his body cold. We need to bring him to Ada as fast as possible." Stated Elladan, his fingers pressed against Legolas' throat.
"Where is 'Ro?" questioned Elladan. Aragorn didn't have to answer before the second twin ran towards them, the horses galloping behind him. "Thank the Valar." Elladan breathed when he saw his brother.
As soon as Elrohir saw the blonde prince popped up against his twin, worry clouding Aragorn's and Elladan's features, he spread a blanket on the icy ground. With practiced hands Elladan and Elrohir lifted Legolas body onto the blanket and started to peel the frozen cloths of the cold body, while Aragorn began to unpack his medical supply.
"I wish we were able to clean his wounds." Stated the human, looking at the dirty cuts. "But it would take too much time to heat the water now." What worried the human more than any of the wounds could have was the stillness that came from the prince. Since he mumbled the few words, he didn't utter another sound, much less move. His eyes were open, even if barely so and they moved sluggishly around.
"Legolas, my friend, can you hear me?" Aragorn asked, his hand resting against the clammy cheek. The only response he got was a slight movement of Legolas' eyes. Elladan and Elrohir exchanged a concerned look over the humans head and continued with their task.
Soon all of Legolas' wounds lay uncovered, waiting to be cleaned and bandaged. Unpacking a few herbs and taking a bandage Aragorn began binding the worst injuries, while the twins began with splintering the broken limbs. Legolas right arm was broken in two places while all fingers of his left hand and three of his right hand were crushed. At least five rips were cracked, his left collar bone shattered. The bones in Legolas' left leg were broken into pieces, one even piercing the skin. His right ankle looked to be sprained.
Legolas right leg suffered from a large gash, blood clinging to the skin. His right shoulder told a tale of an arrow being ripped out in the middle of a fight, the edges torn and bloody. Both of his arms held deep gashes from swords and daggers, while a deep stab wound was present in the middle of the pale chest. Those were only the worst injuries. Numerous smaller cuts and huge blackish-blue bruises covered all of Legolas body.
"How can he be even alive?" Elladan whispered to himself, eyes traveling over the broken, bloodied body.
"I do not know, brother." Elrohir answered, shaking his head sadly.
The rest of the water they had from the night before was carefully dripped into Legolas' mouth.
By now the shadows of the oncoming night were falling over the white landscape. And with darkness came the heavy burden of making a crucial decision. "Should we ride towards Imladris or should we make camp in the woods?" Elladan asked his brothers. Staying in the open would surely mean his humans brother's death, while making camp could bring death to the injured prince.
Elladan didn't know what to do. He worried for Legolas' life as much as he worried for his brothers health. He cast a quick glance to the human and saw the pale face, ice crystals clinging to his hair, before he looked at his other half, asking for advice without words.
"Estel…" came the quiet moan from the prince.
"I am here, my friend. Do not worry. We will get you help." Answered the human, leaning in close to his best friend.
"Please… Nîdh!" Whimpered Legloas, before his eyes closed.
Hearing the hoarse voice of the proud prince, Elladan decided. "We shall ride towards Imladris. Legolas needs healing or he won't make it. We cannot risk losing him now." Determination shone in his eyes. "We will take the way through the woods. The horses won't be able to continue in this weather, when the temperatures will drop. The trees should provide us some cover."
With a glance in his human brothers direction, Elladan saw that Aragorn was glad about his decision. The human didn't want to risk his best friends life for his own health. The trees should provide enough cover for him during the bitter cold of the night. Nodding to the twin Aragorn carefully picked up the prince and carried him to the horses.
Elladan followed his brother and saddled his horse, holding his arms open to receive the blonde prince. Aragorn made sure that Legolas was save in the twins arms, before he took his bag from the other twin, who had packed the bag with practiced, fast hands. In his other hand rested the missing twin to Legloas' two identical blades. "I found it in the snow." Elrohir explained, binding both blades to the saddle of his own horse.
"Legolas will be glad when he awakens." Replied Aragorn, knowing how much the blades meant to the prince. The queen of Mirkwood gifted them to her son, shortly bevor she died.
"Shall I ride towards Imladris and inform father?" The younger twin asked, looking at his older brother for advice.
"Nay. It will take you almost as much time as it will take us all to reach home, even if we ride slow. You cannot risk speeding your horse through this weather and injure yourself along the way. And if we encounter problems along the way, I won't be able to fight while keeping an eye on Legolas at the same time. We will need you here, 'Ro. Though I am thankful for your offer." Elladan smiled at his younger brother before spurring his horse in a soft gallop, careful not to aggravate Legoals' injuries further.
Aragorn quickly took the lead, vanishing in the trees followed by the twins. The darkness growing with every passing second.
Sooooo... I hope you enjoed reading this chapter and I hope I wasn't to hard on poor Legolas. After all the worst didn't happen yet... more or less... *evil laugh*
It would be awesome if you told me what to improve, what you didn't like, what you hated, what you loved... or tell me about mistakes I made and such things. Just talk to me ;) - Be awesome and leave a review
Love, your BlackButterfly