Note: None of these are my characters. This fic contains slash between Aragorn and Legolas! Elvish speech is in ''. I plan on ending this fic within the next two chapters. This chapter is Rated R for mention of attempted rape and violence. Takes place about four hours after the last chapter.
Denial
Aragorn shifted slightly, as he sat dozing with Legolas on his lap, with the human's wounded arms holding the Elf close to his injured chest. Though it hurt Aragorn to hold the sleeping Elf, he refused to lay Legolas on the ground. He preferred to hold his Elven lover, for the human felt that if he let go, Legolas would slip away from him.
Gimli sat nearby, watching the two.
The scratches on the Elf's face were already beginning to fade, as were the bruises. A soft moan followed a whimper as Legolas stirred. Emerald eyes slowly focused on Aragorn's face, as a yawn escaped from the Elf's perfect lips.
'Aragorn?' Legolas whispered, uncertain if the one he loved was truly asleep. If he was, the archer did not want to awaken him. Most of the physical wounds had partially healed; the combination of Legolas' healing ability and the medicine was responsible for this. So it did not hurt the Elf to move as much as it had earlier. The pain he felt now was minor, compared to his earlier agony.
Aragorn had fallen asleep finally, and did not wake, as Legolas carefully climbed off of his lap and out of his arms.
"Glad to see you awake," Gimli grumbled. "You've been sleeping for hours."
Legolas stood, and turned to face the dwarf. "Where did you come from?" he questioned. He'd been unconscious when Gimli had arrived with the Riders of the Mark. "And how did Aragorn and I get free?"
Gimli smiled slyly. "I rescued you both, with a little help from the Riders of the Mark."
"Then I thank you, Master dwarf," Legolas said earnestly. "I was worried that the Orcs and Uruk-Hai were going to seriously wound Aragorn. A human does not heal as easily as an Elf, after all."
"We were more worried about you," the dwarf bluntly said.
A pucker appeared on the Elven face. Legolas inquired, "Why?"
Gimli could not believe his ears. "Because of what nearly happened to you, and the fact that you cried out in your sleep the past few hours, begging for 'them' to stop."
"Nothing did happen, as you seem aware of," Legolas finally said. "I do not need your concern, nor Aragorn's. I am fine." A slightly haunted look was in his eyes, which the Elf hoped Gimli did not see. "Worry more about Aragorn, for his injuries will slow him down and it will not make him happy."
"Why are you hiding your pain?" Gimli asked, a frown on his face. "Not even an Elf can shrug something like that off like it was nothing."
"I said I'm fine," Legolas snapped angrily.
Aragorn awoke to hear Gimli and Legolas arguing.
Gimli muttered under his breath, "Stubborn Elf…" He then took out the archer's bow and arrows, and tossed them to Legolas.
The Prince of Mirkwood caught them gratefully. The dwarf also handed over his Elven daggers and short sword.
"Did you find the Evenstar necklace that Aragorn wears?" Legolas asked. It pained him to ask such a question, but he knew how much it meant to his lover.
Gimli nodded. "Along with Anduril. I'll give them back when Aragorn awakens."
Legolas sighed, before nodding. "I'm going to scout around and see if any enemies are near us. I am not certain of where we are; perhaps the trees will speak to me soon."
'You are going nowhere alone, Legolas,' Aragorn said in Elvish, as his grey eyes opened to meet the bewildered emerald eyes that now gazed at him.
'Why not? Someone needs to find out where we are,' Legolas argued.
Aragorn frowned slightly. 'We should not split up, for none of us know this land very well. All I know is that we are somewhere near where the Ents live. What if you accidentally enter Fangorn?'
Legolas frowned. 'Why are you treating me like a child?' An unusually sharp edge was in the archer's smooth voice.
'Why are you acting like one?' Aragorn retorted. 'I know you too well, Legolas, and I know when you are trying to pretend that something does not bother you.'
'I already told the dwarf I'm all right, and now I must convince you?' Legolas asked angrily. 'I am fine. Nothing happened. If I cannot go scout around, then why do we not continue our search for Merry and Pippin, instead of wasting time?' The Elf slung his quiver over his back, and sheathed his daggers and sword.
Gimli and Aragorn exchanged a troubled look at the way Legolas was acting.
Legolas sighed again and looked at Aragorn. 'Forgive me if I was sharp, my love, but I am over two thousand years old, Aragorn. I do not need to be fussed over as if I am nothing more than a babe.' His voice was gentler this time, but a closed expression was on his face.
Aragorn finally nodded and stood, before he walked over to Legolas. He gently touched the archer's cheekbone, careful of the scratches. The Elf was a little afraid at first, but leaned into the caress after a few moments.
Warm lips pressed together, as the two faces grew closer together. Soft at first, dainty little nibbles, before desire took over. The kiss grew deeper, until a distinct cough sounded. Man and Elf turned as one to look at the dwarf, who had a slightly amused expression.
"We should get going now," Gimli said calmly, ignoring the irritated look that Aragorn gave him. "We need to find Merry and Pippin. Who knows what's been done to them?"
An unreadable expression appeared in Legolas' eyes, before he nodded. "I agree. Though I do not believe they have been tortured, for Saruman knows that one of the Hobbits possesses the Ring. He would not want the Uruk-Hai or the Orcs to take the Ring for themselves."
Aragorn looked at Legolas sharply, and saw the tense look on the Elven face. "You may be right, Legolas. But that does not mean that they are unharmed." He sighed. "And I no longer have Anduril to wield."
Gimli chose that moment to remove the sword from his pack and handed it, hilt first, to its owner. The dwarf then gently picked up the Evenstar necklace and offered it to Aragorn.
Legolas narrowed his eyes but said nothing, as his lover took it and hung it around his neck once more. The archer shifted his position, and waited until Aragorn finally decided which direction they were going to head in.
The two horses that had been lent to them by Éomer had been brought to the clearing and tethered to a nearby tree by Gimli. The dwarf had not been idle during the hours that Legolas had been sleeping.
Legolas flinched as he untethered the gray horse and removed its saddle, calling the stallion 'Arod'. He carefully mounted, without any assistance from the other two. Beads of sweat were on his forehead as the archer looked at the other two. "We don't have time to be idle," Legolas pointed out. "Pippin and Merry are counting on us."
Aragorn mounted the other horse, and looked at Gimli. "Who do you want to ride with?"
Gimli frowned and thought for a few moments. Bareback or with a saddle? Which would be worse, he wondered.
Legolas tensed slightly, as Gimli finally said, "I'll ride with the Elf." A pale, slender hand was offered to the dwarf, who took it and swung up behind the Elf.
A hiss sounded from Legolas, as Gimli clung to him. He shrugged off the concerned expressions, for Legolas knew that his wounds would be healed very soon. They only hurt, after all. Nothing to worry about.
Aragorn led the way, and urged his horse into a gallop. Legolas did the same, but remained silent as they traveled for hours, until a break was called. All three needed it.
Gimli grumbled, "I will not be able to sit down for at least a week. How Elves can like horses is beyond me." The dwarf was glad to be back on the ground.
Legolas normally would have jested with him, but the Elf just dismounted and tethered Arod to a nearby tree.
Aragorn's eyes were on the slender archer, who looked back at him wordlessly, before silently walking away. It seemed like magic to the human. One moment Legolas stood before him, and in the blink of an eye, the Elven Prince had melted into the forest.
Gimli looked at Aragorn. "Why is he so stubborn? It's obvious that he's upset."
"Elves are naturally stubborn, son of Gloin." The human spoke carefully, lest Legolas overheard him, as he tethered his own mount. "I will go find him, if you wouldn't mind watching the horses."
"Fine," Gimli muttered. Watching horses couldn't be too dangerous, the dwarf figured.
Aragorn nodded, before he went after the Elf.
Legolas made his way to the nearby stream, which sang as it skipped over stones. The archer knelt, before he cupped the water in his hands and drank deeply. He then splashed it onto his face and wiped it away with his
Get a hold of yourself, Legolas told himself firmly. You aren't the only one who was attacked by Orcs. Others suffered much worse than you and were not rescued.
To the Immortal's shock, his vision blurred slightly, and a single tear dripped down his face. He frowned and touched the salty liquid. What did this mean, Legolas wondered. Only Mortals such as Aragorn could cry. Elves were not able to show their grief in such a way.
The Elf's face went pure white, as he realized what this meant. 'No…' Legolas whispered hoarsely. 'It can't be…' He started trembling, and shook his head, before he began violently shaking. 'It's not possible… It can't be…' Legolas buried his face in his hands.
To be continued