First Meetings- Chapter 6

Well, things are looking a little better for Legolas. Did anyone seriously think I would kill him off? He's just too darn cute!

Disclaimer: see Chapter 1

Something changed.

The darkness wasn't so dark anymore, it was tinged with grey. Shadows swirled on the edge of his vision, but he pushed them away, for they didn't bother him anymore. No longer did they crowd around him, taunting him viciously with images he didn't care to think about. No longer could he feel the tendrils creeping around him, pulling him deeper and deeper into their grasp. Something had given him strength, and ever since then he had been climbing.

The darkness had now given way to grey light, and he began to feel something. He struggled, trying to break through the last of the shadows and work out where he was. Finally they gave way, and he felt the world around him.

He was lying in a bed. Someone was nearby; he could hear their soft breathing. He tried to move, and immediately a sharp pain shot through his abdomen and down his arm. He stopped, confused. Why did he hurt?

Where was he?

The confusion gave way to panic, and he moved again, frantically trying to open his eyes. Finally they flickered open, but he was dismayed to find that the world around his was an indistinct blur. He blinked rapidly, trying to force it into focus. Where was he? What had happened?

"Adar" he gasped out. "Adar?"

A darker shape moved across his range of vision, and he desperately tried to move away as brief, flickering memories surged forth and his mind screamed at him he was in danger. He panicked, but strong arms held him down and he struggled in vain, pain searing across his abdomen.

"Legolas."

He stopped. Who was this? Who knew his name? The soft, melodious voice came again.

"Sidh, mellon-nin."

"Lasto beth-nin."

A second voice was entwined with the first now, soothing his panicked mind. Legolas swallowed, relaxing back into the soft bed slightly. "Where am I?" he breathed, his voice catching in his throat. "What's happening?"

"You're safe" said the voice soothingly. "You're in Imladris."

"Safe?" he murmured.

"Aye" said one of the voices. Legolas felt a hand gently smooth back his hair. Suddenly, he felt unbelievably weary, and his eyes began to close. They fell shut against his will, and he slipped back into the darkness.

0-o-0-o-0

Elladan and Elrohir grinned at each other as they sat back silently from the bed. They both breathed a sigh of relief and moved back, allowing their father to come closer to the bed.

"He woke up" murmured Elrohir.

"Aye" said Elladan. "He woke up."

Elrond stood up and looked at the twins. "He should be fine" he said softly. "But obviously is very disorientated and confused. I want at least one of you to remain in here at all times. I don't know if his memory is damaged in any way, and if he wakes up alone, it could prove…"

"Bad?" suggested Elrohir.

"I was thinking more unfortunate" replied Elrond. "But bad will do. One of you remains here at all times. When he wakes next, fetch me." He looked back at the now sleeping form of Legolas. "Next time he wakes, hopefully he won't be so confused."

Elrohir nodded, and took a seat with Elladan next to the bed. The sun was sinking in the sky now, and trickles of light spilled into the room. It looked so much inviting than it had when Legolas had been truly unconscious, fighting the fever that had gripped him.

The twins exchanged smiles of relief. Their friend would be alright.

0-o-0-o-0

The next time he struggled back to wakefulness it was slightly easier. The shadows gave way quicker, and he didn't have to climb as far to reach the dim lights that floated above him.

And slowly, ever so slowly, he crawled his way back to wakefulness.

His eyes flickered open, and he had vague memories of this happening before, but he wasn't sure. Had he been here before?

He blinked, his vision blurred as he tried to make out where he was. Did he know where he was? He couldn't remember.

A sudden sense of panic started to overwhelm him and he tried to move, to get up and rub his eyes so he could see where he was. But as soon as he shifted a flash of pain raced through his body and he collapsed back down with a groan.

The pain ebbed, and panic took over once more. Why was he hurt? Why was he injured? He flexed his right arm and found it wrapped tightly in some sort of bandages. He swallowed hard, blinking to try and clear his vision. The room around him slowly began to take shape, but it did not help. He did not recognise it.

He tried to get up again, but this time the pain that shot through his stomach was so great that he couldn't help but cry out quietly as he went limp and fell back down to the bed. Where was he?

He heard the sound of running feet, and then a person, unrecognisable in the slight blur that was his vision, approached him. He frowned and tried to sit up. He managed to prop himself up on the bed, but the flare of pain made him gasp and he didn't attempt to go any further.

"Legolas, mellon-nin, it's alright."

Legolas stopped. He recognised that voice. He blinked again, trying to see who it was, and gradually a face swam into view. He frowned. It couldn't be. How were they standing in front of him?

"Elrohir?" he croaked, his voice rough. "Or Elladan?"

"Elrohir" confirmed the elf, and Legolas felt himself sag forwards. Elrohir ran forwards and caught him quickly, gently pulling him back onto the bed. Legolas fell back onto his back with a wince.

"Sorry" said Elrohir. "You had to wake up when I was out of the room, didn't you?" He looked over his shoulder. "Elladan!" he called out. "Elladan!"

A door creaked open and Elladan appeared. He took in the scene in the room for a second, before a large grin spread across his face. "Is he…?"

"Aye" said Elrohir, pushing Legolas back down gently as the blond elf tried to rise again. "Where is Adar?"

"I shall fetch him" said Elladan, and the door swung shut.

Elrohir turned back to Legolas. "Mellon-nin? How do you feel?"

Legolas didn't really hear him. His breath was coming in short sharp gasps as waves of pain washed over him again and again. He tried to rise up from the bed again. "What…?"

"It's alright" murmured Elrohir, pushing Legolas firmly back down. "You've been badly wounded, mellon-nin. You are in Imladris. You have been here for ten days now."

Legolas frowned, his breathing slowing slightly. "Ten days?" he rasped. "Why…?"

Elrohir was about to answer, but the doors swung open again and Elrond came through, closely tailed by Elladan. He made his way to the side of the bed and crouched down. "Legolas?" he asked gently. "Legolas, how do you feel?"

Legolas frowned. "My Lord…Elrond?" he asked through gasps.

Elrond nodded. "Aye" he murmured. "You're safe here, you are in Imladris."

Legolas relaxed slightly back onto the bed. "What…?" he asked wearily. "What happened?"

"You arrived on horseback ten days ago" said Elrond gently, feeling Legolas' pulse and looking into his eyes. "You were badly wounded, injuries to the torso, and the arm and shoulder. A fever set in, but it broke after the fifth day and you have been healing ever since."

Legolas nodded slightly. He frowned. He was trying to remember what had happened, but everything seemed so confused and jumbled in his head. Didn't he remember riding into a courtyard? He thought he could remember seeing two figures, silhouetted against torchlight. But beyond that, there was little that he could make sense of.

He shook his head. "I can't...remember" he murmured. "Why can't I remember?"

"You were gravely injured" said Elrond. "And you have been through a lot. The memories should come back easily, once you are rested enough."

Legolas nodded slightly. "My father?" he asked quietly. "You know that…"

"He doesn't really like us?" chipped in Elladan. Elrond glowered at him, but Legolas managed a weak smile. Elrond pulled back the blanket covering Legolas and began to check his wounds as the younger elves talked.

Elrohir smiled. "He is hopefully on his way" he said. "Glorfindel rode out to fetch him."

Legolas nodded. "Good" he said softly. He hissed as Elrond pulled back the last layer of bandages from his stomach and his face went white. Elladan sat down in the chair next to the bed.

"Just try to relax" he murmured, giving Legolas' hand a reassuring squeeze.

Legolas nodded and forced his muscles to relax so Elrond could examine the wound. He had been through this sort of thing many times before, though never lying in a bed in Imladris. He grimaced.

"My father…"

"We will deal with when he arrives" said Elrohir firmly. "He liked us by the end of our visit, I think. At least, he said he approved of us. Things might be a bit tense when he arrives, but I don't see a war breaking out any time soon."

Legolas chuckled, but it turned into a groan. He shut his eyes briefly. "True" he murmured. "Maybe he will be alright." He hissed again as Elrond began to wrap bandages back around his wound. "How long…?"

"At least five days" said Elrond firmly. "You need to rest, to regain your strength. I don't know how long you were on that horse, and what happened before that.

Legolas nodded slightly, managing to relax back onto the bed. "I don't…"

Elladan reached over to the sideboard and handed a cup to Elrohir. Elrohir smiled slightly, seeing what it was. He brought a cup of something to Legolas' lips. "Drink this."

Legolas turned his head away, realising what it was, and Elrohir sighed. "Legolas, you cannot be stubborn. Drink, or I will force it down your throat."

Legolas managed a weak smile at Elrohir, and raised his head slightly. He choked down the bitter liquid before relaxing back on the bed. He turned his head to look at Elrohir.

"Hannon le" he murmured.

"Sleep" said Elladan. "At least one of us will be here when you wake up. Your father might have arrived by then as well."

Legolas' eyes, against his will, slid shut and he drifted off into the realms of darkness.

0-o-0-o-0

Arwen looked up from her book as the door to the healing wards swung open and her two brothers rushed through. "Quiet" she hissed. "He is sleeping."

Elladan and Elrohir silently walked over to the side of the bed, Elladan reaching out and gently touching Legolas' forehead. He let out a slight sigh of relief as he felt it, still cool. He glanced at Arwen. "Has he woken at all?"

Arwen shook her head. "A few minutes ago he was shifting slightly, but stayed asleep and soon fell still." She looked at him carefully. "He is far from healed, is he not?"

Elrohir twitched back the blanket covering Legolas, nodding with satisfaction as he stay the tight bandages around his torso, still white. The wounds were staying closed.

He looked over at Arwen. "Aye" he murmured. "But we know Legolas, and he will surprise you, dear sister. I wager it will take him only three days to sneak out of bed when are backs are turned."

"I wager five" said Elladan quietly. "Adar told him not to, so it may prevent him from doing so for another few days."

Arwen raised one eyebrow. "It sounds like two other elves that I know" she murmured. "Don't you to constantly do the same?"

"I think you are thinking of someone else" said Elrohir carefully. "Maybe Glorfindel. Certainly not us. We would never disobey orders to stay in bed when we are injured."

Elladan snorted with laughter, but the sound made Legolas shift and groan slightly as the movement pulled at his injuries. Elladan grimaced guiltily. "Sorry, mellon-nin" he murmured.

"He should be fine" said Elrohir softly. "He will be fine."

"And hopefully he will wake again before Thranduil arrives" said Arwen, picking her book back up and turning to a page. She looked up, surprised to see a look of near panic flit between her brothers. "What is it?" she asked softly.

Elrohir glanced down at her where she sat next to the bed. "Do you know where Adar is?" he asked slowly. "That is why we came in here in the first place."

Arwen shook her head. "Try the library" she said. "He was looking up something to do with fever reducing herbs. He said he wanted to find a way to bring down a fever quicker, something that would have helped Legolas better. Why?"

Elladan sighed. "Go and fetch him, will you Arwen? Elrohir and I will stay with Legolas in case he wakes up."

Arwen sighed, marking her place in the book and standing up. "He won't like being disturbed" she warned.

Elladan shook his head. "I think this time, Adar, will not mind."

Arwen frowned. "Why?" she asked. "Is something going to happen?"

Elrohir glanced out of the window. "We just received word from one of the border patrols" he muttered. "Thranduil is coming."

To Be Continued...

Dun dun dun! Thranduil is coming...