Part 10
Aragorn opened the door to their room as he helped Legolas. The Elf had been sure it would just be a discomfort that would come and go as before but this time it remained. He sat on the bed, his arms wrapped around his middle as he leaned over. Aragorn shut the door, before going over to him.
" What's wrong?" he asked as he kneeled before the Elf.
" I don't know ", the Elf replied as he shook his head. He closed his eyes and grimaced as Aragorn laid his hand on the Elf's knee.
And suddenly, that voice returned to him, much to Legolas' dismay.
" Elf...what ails you Elf? " it said lowly. Legolas looked up, his blue eyes wide with fear. Where was it coming from?
" What's wrong with you? " it taunted. " What is so very wrong?" it repeated as Legolas' stomach twisted inside. The Elf doubled over, hissing in pain. Why did this voice sound familiar?
" Legolas?" Aragorn said.
" Oh, look. It's the ranger. How long do you think before he kills you? Oh, and he wants to, Elf. He hates you ", the voice said. Legolas looked up at Aragorn, his eyes hurt, and the man's eyes confused. " He'll slit your throat just as you deserve, you filthy little creature. Death is too good for you ", it continued to spat. " Then let me kill you slowly ", and it felt as if some one grabbed his stomach from the inside and squeezed it. Legolas let a gasp of pain escape him as he hung his head.
" Legolas, what's going on?" Aragorn questioned as he took his friend by the shoulders. Legolas looked at him in turmoil both physically and mentally.
" That voice. Make it stop ", he pleaded.
" What voice? " Aragorn asked.
" Now he thinks you're crazy. Just another reason to loathe you", the voice interjected.
" Make it stop ", the Elf said again. Aragorn looked at him helplessly. He didn't know what to do.
" Are you enjoying it, Elf? " the voice questioned as another burning pain filled him. " The man relishes your torment ", it added as Aragorn stared at his best friend. Legolas hung his head in agony.
" Leave me alone ", he whispered, as a tear slipped from his eyes.
" Legolas, what's wrong? " the ranger asked again as he stood and placed his arms around his friend.
And this forced the voice back. Legolas gasped as he felt it disperse. The pain stayed with him though. He was panting and sweating, and Aragorn was now thoroughly worried.
" Legolas, what ails you? " he inquired.
" I don't know. It's some sort of witchcraft. That voice. It taunts me..", the Elf explained as he panted.
" All right, all right. It's okay now", the ranger comforted.
" Lie down and rest for a while. It looks like you have a fever", he said as he felt the Elf's forehead. Legolas obeyed and lay down, trying to catch his breath and drive the memory of that voice from his mind. Aragorn helped him drink some tea to help with the pain, and sat loyally at his bedside, whispering words of comfort. The fever lowered, as did the pain, only to rise up again later with the return of that infernal disembodied voice.
Aragorn stayed up with him long into the night, whispering and stroking his friend's head, watching helplessly in frustration as the Elf suffered.
As the moon shone down upon them, Legolas looked to Aragorn, pale with fever and pain, his breath shallow and his furrowed brow beaded with sweat.
" Aragorn ", he choked. " Sing to me, please. Drive out the voice", he pleaded. Aragorn nodded. He sat on the bed, taking Legolas in his lap, and bowed his head to watch his friend as he stroked the silvery blonde hair. And he began to sing. In Elvish, it soothed the Elf and fought back the voice until Legolas was finally able to sleep in peace.
But the battle wasn't over yet.
Aragorn opened the door to their room as he helped Legolas. The Elf had been sure it would just be a discomfort that would come and go as before but this time it remained. He sat on the bed, his arms wrapped around his middle as he leaned over. Aragorn shut the door, before going over to him.
" What's wrong?" he asked as he kneeled before the Elf.
" I don't know ", the Elf replied as he shook his head. He closed his eyes and grimaced as Aragorn laid his hand on the Elf's knee.
And suddenly, that voice returned to him, much to Legolas' dismay.
" Elf...what ails you Elf? " it said lowly. Legolas looked up, his blue eyes wide with fear. Where was it coming from?
" What's wrong with you? " it taunted. " What is so very wrong?" it repeated as Legolas' stomach twisted inside. The Elf doubled over, hissing in pain. Why did this voice sound familiar?
" Legolas?" Aragorn said.
" Oh, look. It's the ranger. How long do you think before he kills you? Oh, and he wants to, Elf. He hates you ", the voice said. Legolas looked up at Aragorn, his eyes hurt, and the man's eyes confused. " He'll slit your throat just as you deserve, you filthy little creature. Death is too good for you ", it continued to spat. " Then let me kill you slowly ", and it felt as if some one grabbed his stomach from the inside and squeezed it. Legolas let a gasp of pain escape him as he hung his head.
" Legolas, what's going on?" Aragorn questioned as he took his friend by the shoulders. Legolas looked at him in turmoil both physically and mentally.
" That voice. Make it stop ", he pleaded.
" What voice? " Aragorn asked.
" Now he thinks you're crazy. Just another reason to loathe you", the voice interjected.
" Make it stop ", the Elf said again. Aragorn looked at him helplessly. He didn't know what to do.
" Are you enjoying it, Elf? " the voice questioned as another burning pain filled him. " The man relishes your torment ", it added as Aragorn stared at his best friend. Legolas hung his head in agony.
" Leave me alone ", he whispered, as a tear slipped from his eyes.
" Legolas, what's wrong? " the ranger asked again as he stood and placed his arms around his friend.
And this forced the voice back. Legolas gasped as he felt it disperse. The pain stayed with him though. He was panting and sweating, and Aragorn was now thoroughly worried.
" Legolas, what ails you? " he inquired.
" I don't know. It's some sort of witchcraft. That voice. It taunts me..", the Elf explained as he panted.
" All right, all right. It's okay now", the ranger comforted.
" Lie down and rest for a while. It looks like you have a fever", he said as he felt the Elf's forehead. Legolas obeyed and lay down, trying to catch his breath and drive the memory of that voice from his mind. Aragorn helped him drink some tea to help with the pain, and sat loyally at his bedside, whispering words of comfort. The fever lowered, as did the pain, only to rise up again later with the return of that infernal disembodied voice.
Aragorn stayed up with him long into the night, whispering and stroking his friend's head, watching helplessly in frustration as the Elf suffered.
As the moon shone down upon them, Legolas looked to Aragorn, pale with fever and pain, his breath shallow and his furrowed brow beaded with sweat.
" Aragorn ", he choked. " Sing to me, please. Drive out the voice", he pleaded. Aragorn nodded. He sat on the bed, taking Legolas in his lap, and bowed his head to watch his friend as he stroked the silvery blonde hair. And he began to sing. In Elvish, it soothed the Elf and fought back the voice until Legolas was finally able to sleep in peace.
But the battle wasn't over yet.