A/N We are at the close... :( Thank you all so much for such an enjoyable ride! Also, sorry for the late update. I was so exhausted last night that I couldn't edit this properly. Actually, I still wasn't overly happy with how this chapter turned out, but I didn't want to keep you guys waiting any longer.
Disclaimer: not mine.
Chapter Fourteen
It took them almost three more days of riding before they reached Imladris. The sun was just beginning to set when they caught sight of the large gates leading inwards to a warm house, good food, and a comfortable bed.
When the gates opened to let the four friends in, they found Elrond waiting on the other side. A relieved expression was clear on his face as he hurried towards them.
"I see you found him alive and at least somewhat well," he said dryly, passing each of his sons and coming to a stop near Legolas. He examined the prince with a critical eye. When he was sure that the prince wasn't about to kill over in the saddle, he directed them towards the steps.
"I feel so loved," Elrohir remarked testily as he leaped off his horse and stood next to his father. "Not so much as a hello."
Elrond turned to face the younger twin, "Hello, Elrohir," he said graciously. Turning back to Legolas, he grabbed his arm and gently helped him slide from his mount. The prince half collapsed into his arms and he supported him until he got his injured leg back underneath himself.
By this time, his sons had all dismounted and were waiting for further directions. Elrond nodded towards the inside and they all started up the steps. Elrond wrapped his arm around the archer's waist and supported him up, giving him such a look that that any protest that he might have had died on his lips.
When they reached the room that had been Legolas' for as long as Aragorn could remember they all crowded in and gathered around the bed that Elrond was easing the prince onto.
"Tunic off," Elrond ordered, already working on the bandages that covered the leg. Legolas did as he was asked , knowing that it would be better than arguing with the much older healer. "Hand me that salve, Elladan." He pointed to a table of medication that he had obviously prepared beforehand, seeing as for once he knew the nature of injuries he was to be dealing with before his patient came stumbling through his door.
The twin did so, and Elrond dipped his fingers in it, spreading the goopy substance thickly over the wound. Legolas face grew taut but he did not pull away. Elrond worked with Legolas for over an hour and until his nimble fingers were rewrapping the wounds in fresh bandages. Legolas' face was paler than before, and his breath was coming in with forced control, but Elrond looked pleased.
"How long did his fever run?" Elrond asked casually as he wiped his hands on a small cloth. He looked first at Aragorn, and then the twins, waiting.
"It broke the evening before yesterday," Aragorn stated, glancing at the twins for affirmation. "It was exceedingly high when I found him."
"I am not surprised to hear so." Elrond leaned in closer to Legolas, lightly laying a hand against his skin to check for himself. "His wound is still infected, if only slightly." Taking pity on the bedraggled elven prince, he stepped back, allowing him to drag a fresh tunic over his shoulders.
"I've sent for some food," Elrond was saying as Legolas dressed, "After you eat, I want all four of you to go to bed as you have all been through a rough couple of days."
"I thought we were too old to be sent to bed like children," Elrohir protested, making a face, "We are adults after all."
"I don't always believe that," Elrond muttered, loud enough for just Legolas to hear. Legolas broke out smiling and stifled his laughter as a cough. The three brothers simultaneously aimed glared at their friend and the elf held up his hands in mock surrender, still smiling.
A loud knock on the door indicated that the food had arrived and the elf Lord and his sons all went to help with the food. Legolas started to rise as well, but Aragorn's sudden dark look and the sharp pain in his body caused him to sink slowly back to the bed.
They feasted together on the food and when they had finished they sat together in lazy silence. Aragorn continued to stare at his pale absentmindedly as Elrond swirled his wine glass thoughtfully. The twins were slouched down in their chairs in such a way that spoke of contentment as Legolas was nodding off with his head tipped sideways against the chair, his weariness and lingering weakness taking hold.
When Elrond saw this, he shook himself out of his own daze and got to his feet. "Bed," he ordered loudly, jerking the younger elves and human back. The twins straightened automatically and Aragorn stretched as Legolas rubbed sleep from his eyes, yawning widely as he did so.
"You three, off to bed you go." Elrond began to stack the plates up as he caught Aragorn following Legolas' example. "I'll stay and help Legolas get settled."
"I'll be fine one my own, Hir-nin," Legolas stated at once, as expected. They just ignored him. The twins left the room first, bidding them all a good night. Their father stopped them momentarily, drawing each close in a hug that expressed how glad he was to have them safely back home.
Aragorn hesitated before he left, glancing back at Legolas, and Elrond strode towards him.
"Legolas will be fine, Estel," he insisted, leading the man towards the door. Aragorn nodded. He knew that, but his heart hadn't caught gotten over almost losing Legolas after leaving him behind.
"Good night, Legolas," he called over to his friend, who was still sitting in the chair.
"You as well, Mellon-nin," he replied and then Elrond shepherded the human out and into his own rooms.
"It is good to have you back, Ion," The Lord whispered, hugging the man just as he had the twins.
"It is good to be home," Aragorn said, his eyes lighting up as he looked around his own room. Elrond left, and the man breathed a happy sigh. Everything was exactly how he had left it and how he liked it. Somehow, he doubted he would ever get over the feeling that came with coming home.
The next morning, the first thing that he noticed was that Legolas wasn't in the dining room for breakfast. Upon noting the human's confused look as he scanned the room, Elrond put down his fork.
"I 'sentenced' Legolas to limited activity for the rest of the week and bed rest for today," he explained. "You can go and cheer him up after you eat. I'm afraid that he isn't overly happy with me at the moment."
"I am sure he is not," Aragorn agreed with a shake of his head. "He'll get over it as soon as you 'free' him." Going over to the table, he sat down and began to pull a bowl of fruit over.
"No doubt he will. He usually does, after all." Elrond smiled thinly, buttering his toast. They chatted together for several minutes. When the human was done, he excused himself and headed back up the stairs. He knocked loudly on the door of Legolas' room and waited for the elf's responding,
"Come in!"
Before pulling the door open.
He found Legolas slouched against many pillows, looking rather dissatisfied with his arms crossed tightly over his chest.
"You look like happy," Aragorn stated, perching easily on the foot of the bed. Legolas seemed to resist the urge to glare and him, and instead sighed dramatically.
"Your father has deemed it fit that I remain confined to this absurd bed for an unknown amount of time."
"I thought it was just today, and then limited activity." Aragorn frowned slightly, wondering if Elrond has changed his mind since talking with Legolas.
"Oh, that is what Elrond said," Legolas ruefully stated, pushing himself up straighter against the pillows. "But you healers always find excuses to make it longer."
"Well, usually, there is a reason we are forcing you to stay in bed. When you chose to undo all our hard work, of course, we are going to make you stay there longer," Aragorn fired back, grinning as Legolas huffed at him. "The time will fly, I am sure. I mean, you will have me to entertain you, after all." Aragorn smirked, trying to get the elf to smile. Legolas did, throwing a pillow at his friend's head.
"I'll probably be ready to kill you if I have to endure that," Legolas teased, smirking a little himself as Aragorn recovered from the hit.
"Ha,ha,ha," Aragorn said dryly, tossing the pillow back at the prince.
"Oh, you don't want to start that," Legolas grinned, raising the pillow threateningly. He never missed, and it was unwise to engage him in such a battle as a pillow fight.
"I might, but because I am a responsible adult, I won't," Aragorn joked, leaning back on his elbows.
"That wasn't funny because you are a responsible person," Legolas stated with an eye roll as he slouched back.
"Sometimes I break into my childish side." The human smiled back at the elf and rolled over onto his stomach at the end of the bed.
"You can do that. Sometimes." Legolas lightly kicked Aragorn with his good foot, causing the human to groan dramatically and roll further away so that he was out of distance of Legolas' jabbing foot.
"Come, I challenge you to a game of dice," he suggested instead, pulling a pair out of his pocket.
NOWANDFORALWAYS
It was a week later that Elrond set Legolas 'free' though he did restrict him to using a cane. Aragorn and the twins mocked the elf relentlessly, but he took with good humor, pulling his blackmail cards when he deemed it needed. Needless to say, none of Elrond's sons were happy with this and soon learned to keep the teasing to a minimum. By the end of the month, Legolas had managed to somehow 'lose' the cane, but Elrond did not press the matter. When Aragorn announced that he was going back to Mirkwood with Legolas, Elrond did not press the matter, though it was clear the he wanted him to stay home for a little longer.
"Be careful and try to be safe. Also, please attempt not to drive King Thranduil up the wall," was all he said. Thranduil had come far with Aragorn, but the human still managed to confuse and sometimes frustrate the old being.
The elf and the ranger left less than a week later.
"They will be alright," Elladan assured his father as they and Elrohir watched the gates swing shut behind their brother and friend.
"They look after each other," Elrohir added, slumping casually against the steps. "When they are not busy getting themselves out of trouble, that is," he muttered.
"Of course, they do. It does it ease my heart, some. Estel will always have a confident in Legolas." Elrond tapped Elrohir's shoulder, causing the younger elf to straighten to a more dignified posture. "I would expect the same from the man I raised."
From across the wall, Elrond thought he heard Estel's laugh and looked up at the same time as the twins did, scanning the sky.
"I really, really, hope Legolas is not telling Estel that story about us. I may have gone too far in teasing him the other day and he said he might," Elrohir said in a mildly worried tone.
"And if he did, wait. What time are talking about?" Elladan asked, turning a bemused expression on his brother.
"You know, that time."
"No, I don't. Which time?" Elladan continued to look confused and Elrond raised an eyebrow. Elrohir sighed, washing a hand over his face.
"We really need to come up with code words so that we can talk clearly in front of other people," he lamented, his voice muffled by his hands.
"Is this something that I need to know about?" Elrond asked, turning to look at each son in turn.
"No, Ada!" they both replied simultaneously, their suddenly loud voices making a bird take flight from a nearby apple tree. Elrond shook his head, turning to walk back up the steps. From behind him, he caught the sound of Elrohir whispering something to his twin and twisted back around in time to see the older twins eyes widen dramatically.
"Oh! That time!" he was saying in a loud whisper. "If Legolas tells him that, then I will kill him. Estel will never let us hear the end of it!"
Elrond turned back around, shaking his head once more as he mounted the steps. Oh, how he loved his boys.
NOWANDFORALWAYS
Legolas leaned over, grinning enthusiastically at Aragorn, who was laughing hard enough to look slightly demented.
"I don't believe it! I don't believe it!" he sniggered, and the elf laughed with him.
"Oh, that is nothing! One time…" Legolas began with happiness sparklingly in his clear, blue eyes.
To an outsider, they were just two friends off on some unknown, but great, adventure. One that only the best of friends could have.
And that is what they were; now and for always.
THE END
Well, everyone survived and it ended happily. :) Now, I know some of you might be wondering if there is another story to come...
Yes, there is, but I am not as on top of the game as I wish. Therefore, there will be a slight delay of a few to several weeks before I am able to get out the next one. :) At this point, all I can promise you is Legolas and Aragorn will be involved with some sort of h/c or angst to go along with it. :)
Review Replies:
Rita Orca: A story is in the works! I hope to have it up in a few weeks, but cross your fingers all the same. Sometimes I misjudge things like this. I can, however, promise pain! I don't think I can write something that doesn't involve some sort of pain. Thank you so much, for your kind words and for taking the time to read and review! :)
Atlantis: Elrond scenes delivered. :) I love Elrond, he is one of my all time favorite Tolkien characters, so there is usually a good bet that he will at least make an appearance. I'm so glad you liked that! I love to end my stories with a them going off together, it just seems like them. Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review! :)
Lord Illyren: I'm glad! And yes, it is almost very amusing. Stupid, stubborn, Legolas. Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review!