Thanks for your patience and understanding! I know it's been a while since this story was updated, but I'm finally getting back into the swing of things and life is somewhat easier. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: me poor college student. i own nothing. but i would like a legolas to keep me company...anyone want to share?

Chapter 9

Legolas sat propped against a group of rocks, a black arrow protruding dangerously from his side. His face was ashen, but he was still lucid enough to continue issuing commands. One hand was clamped down over the entrance wound, blood seeping through between his fingers. For just a moment, he paused and ground his teeth, fighting off the pain.

"Legolas!"

"Lena…are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she replied, easing down next to him. She batted his hand away from his side, and grimaced at what she saw. The arrow hadn't hit anything important from the looks of it, but if it were barbed like she believed it to be, it would be too dangerous to simply pull out. Several years under the tutelage of Lord Elrond hadn't been in vain, she hoped.

"You have two choices, Legolas. I can push it through the rest of the way, break off the head, and then pull it out," she suggested.

Legolas blanched. "That doesn't sound very pleasant. What's my other choice?"

"I can cut it out."

"I'm truly not too fond of either of those. Can't we just leave it in?"

"No. The more you move, the greater the risk of puncturing something important. It needs to come out. Now."

"Which will be less painful?"

Elenayave was silent for a moment. Then she answered, "Neither, honestly. It's going to hurt, and badly."

Legolas met her eyes and nodded. "Do whatever you have to, Lena."

She smiled grimly. "Armereth, hold his legs down. Caranthir, I want you behind him to keep him steady. I need as little movement as possible."

The three Elves quickly set to work, making Legolas as comfortable as he could be. Even with the slight move to allow Caranthir space behind him caused him to groan. Legolas wasn't normally one to voice his pain, as he usually saw it as a sign of weakness that he could not allow in front of his people. Elenayave knew he must have really been hurting. His eyes were screwed closed tightly, and his brow was furrowed, with tiny beads of sweat clinging to his pale skin.

"I'll do this as quickly as I can, melethron," she promised, feeling the stabbing ache in her side, knowing that whatever he was feeling was many times worse.

He didn't speak, but simply nodded, his breath coming in short, harsh gasps. His hands fisted and spread repeatedly, as if he was trying to calm himself. She worked quickly, cutting bandages from the supply Caranthir had provided, making sure she would have enough. If she didn't watch what she was doing, Legolas would bleed out before she could staunch the blood flow after the arrow was out. Carefully, she slit a rather large cut from the entrance point to the hem of his tunic, so she could pull the bloody material out of the way. Upon second glance, the wound looked a little deeper than she had previously estimated, making her decision easier. There was less distance for the arrow to cover to come out the other side, than the distance she would have had to cut in around it with a knife.

"This is going to hurt, but I'm just going to try and see exactly where it is before I do anything," she said, taking a grip of the shaft. She gently moved it side to side, feeling where it gave and where it didn't. She didn't want to run in through his entrails if she could help it.

Legolas clenched his teeth and let out a hiss as he went tense against the two Elves holding him down.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. She took a flask off her belt and held it to his lips. "Drink some of this. It'll take the edge off."

Legolas made a face as he swallowed a couple swigs of the liquid. "What in the name of Arda is that? It's foul."

"It's whiskey. Aragorn gave it to me. It should help with some of the pain."

"Your human friend has strange tastes, melethin," he teased, despite the pain that marred his face.

"Is he not your friend as well?" she asked, deciding that talking to him might keep some of his attention elsewhere rather than on what he was feeling.

Legolas scowled. "He is a foul smelling human, covered in filth for the majority of the time. But underneath the dirt and grime, I suppose he is not all that bad, and I find myself with some affable feeling for him, I suppose."

"I'm sure the future King of Men will be glad to hear that."

"I'm sure. Future King of Men, indeed. For now, he is simply Telcontar."

Elenayave thought on the name. Telcontar…Elvish for Strider, of course. Only Legolas would have come up with such a thing. And Aragorn had probably encouraged it, no doubt.

"He has plighted his troth to Arwen, did you know?" she asked, keeping his mind occupied while she readied herself to drive the arrow through his side.

Legolas opened his mouth to answer, but his speech was cut off by the pained scream that tore from his throat when she put her weight behind the arrow and forced it through the flesh of his side. He jerked against the two Elves pinning him down, thrashing in pain. Quickly, she snapped off the barbed head of the arrow and examined it for any sign of poison. Seeing none, she made sure the edges were free of splinters and then yanked the shafted back through the entrance wound. Blood now poured steadily from his side over her hands and clothes as she rapidly made to clean and bandage the gash. His face was contorted in pain, and he shook in his attempts to remain silent.

"I'm so sorry, Legolas," she whispered. She had almost swooned herself, as the shooting pain lanced up her side. The sound of his cry had made her cringe, and she hoped, almost ashamedly, that Legolas hadn't drawn any unnecessary attention. They were still under attack, after all, and secluded places only remained secluded for a little while.

Finally, Legolas managed a tenuous grasp of his dignity and his harsh breathing slowed somewhat. "The Evenstar? Bound to a mortal man? Why?" he ground out, gazing up at his wife, awaiting an answer.

"Because she loves him. The way that I love you, I suppose."

"Aye," Armereth broke in. "It takes true love to yank an arrow from your beloved's body while on the field of battle. Especially when he whines so much."

Legolas shot Armereth a halfhearted glare, which he rapidly turned on Caranthir was forced to stifle a laugh. But rather than using his remaining strength to banter with his friends, he chose instead to sulk.

"Watch your tongue, Armereth," Elenayave said sharply, knowing Legolas' pride had already taken a blow from the weakness he had already shown. "I doubt you'd do much better with a wound like that."

"It's not so bad," Legolas supplied, softly, watching her with interest as she tied off the bandage around his abdomen.

"Liar," she countered. "I know it hurts. I felt it, too. Though not nearly as badly as you did, I'm sure."

"Can I still fight?" he inquired, making to sit up away from Caranthir, despite the burn that tore through his body.

"No!" all three of them said at once.

"Don't be ridiculous, Legolas," Caranthir snapped. "Do you want to make it worse?"

Legolas looked surprised briefly, wondering at the usually reserved ellon's outburst. Turning his eyes back to Elenayave, he saw her shake her head.

"He's right. It's not a good idea. I only just stopped the bleeding. If you get it started again, and ignore it like I know you will…"

Legolas scowled again. "I understand." After a moment, he asked quietly, "Did the reinforcements come?"

Elenayave nodded. "They passed right by you. Didn't you see them?"

Legolas shook his head. "I had my eyes closed most of the time," he admitted. "Do you know how many…" his voice faltered before he continued. "How many we lost?"

"Not yet," she said. "We did take a hard blow. I'm not sure who made it and who didn't. I haven't seen anyone in our guard save you three."

"Nilfalath?"

"Last I saw him, he was with you."

Legolas sighed and lowered his eyes to the ground. "I can't believe we didn't see this coming. We knew the enemy was hunting him. We should have had a larger guard."

"This is not your fault," Elenayave stated firmly, gripping his shoulders and looking him square in the eyes. "If anything, it is my fault. I suggested we let him come outside. And it is completely on me if he managed to escape, which I'm sure he did. No one really paid him much attention after we were attacked."

"Ada will not be happy."

"No. He won't," she agreed, thinking of her imminent meeting with the King. That was one conversation that wasn't going to go too well. "He won't be upset with you. You did the best you could. That's all that matters."

"It wasn't enough," Legolas insisted.

"Sometimes it isn't. But you can't think on it too much. You've already defeated yourself." She paused for a moment. "Caranthir, find a horse and get him back inside the gates. Make sure he sees a healer."

The tall Elf nodded, and Armereth aided him in getting Legolas to his feet. He whistled shrilly, and a powerful chestnut steed appeared from the other side of the outcropping. As carefully as possible, they pushed their prince up onto the horse and made sure he wasn't going to slide off. Caranthir mounted behind him and took the reins, urging the horse into a pressing pace.

"Now what?" Armereth asked, glancing over at her.

"Now we get back out there and see what's going on."

"My lady!"

Elenayave whirled around to face the approaching group of Elves. They looked dirty and slightly worse for wear, and a few had superficial injuries, but they were very much alive.

"The orcs are in retreat."

"And Gollum?" she asked, allowing for a little bit of hope.

"Gone, your highness. As we expected. The tracks lead south."

"South?" Armereth questioned.

"Dol Guldur," she murmured.

"We assume," the Elf answered. "What would you have us do, Princess?"

Elenayave steeled herself for what was to come. "Gather the dead," she replied. "We make for the gates."

dun dun dun! uh oh. so how bad is the damage going to be? now we've got the ball rolling...everyone knows what's coming soon...the fellowship!!! yay!

please leave me some love! review!

linilya elf