Elvish translations (S):
Iston: I know
Beta: Chris
A/N 1: I am truly sorry for the delay. I know I said in my review replies that I now stick to my "One chapter per week" schedule, but real life was so busy I could not manage that. Please understand that I need time to write the chapters, and as English is not my native tongue, it takes me a bit longer than the average writer. :o) And then Chris needs time to beta, and then I need time to check it again and correct it. And THEN I post. I only do all the work to present to you a chapter with as little mistakes as possible. :-)
A/N 2: On my profile page there is an Alert section now. I will post there when I have problems posting the next chapter or how long it will take to post, what the progress is and so on. So, now you are informed about the story all the time. ;-) The current alert has gone unnoticed by most, and you can ignore it for the moment.
A/N 3: Wow, much to say today. Alas, I am not able to reply to reviews this time, but I will answer your questions as soon as I can. I enjoy reading your reviews very much, and I copy them all to save them. Thanks to you all, you are wonderful. :-)
"Even in pain, our heart recognizes those that only want to help us and we do not want them to be guilty because of their compassion. But they are, because to cause us pain, causes them pain as well."
The next morning dawned cold and bleak. The sun was veiled by thin white clouds, and the night's dew had frozen to cover the grass with tiny ice crystals. A soft breeze blew and Aragorn shivered under the cloak and blankets. He had fallen asleep shortly after his brother began to tell the old tale, but his night had not been undisturbed.
More than once he had woken due to some pain or another, and in the end Elrohir had made him drink another cup of pain reducing tea, claiming that Aragorn needed the sleep to reclaim some of his strength. Strength he would need for the next day and the upcoming journey towards Imladris.
Another shiver raced up and down his body, and when a high twittering reached his ears, Aragorn reluctantly opened his eyes. He felt warm and quite comfortable under the covers, and he knew that the shivering resulted from lack of sleep and injuries, and not the cold. He inwardly cursed the annoying bird; for a moment he pictured a great cat in his mind, which chased the bird away, but the annoying "chilp-chilp" would not end. Sighing, he blinked a few times, and when the world shifted back into focus, he saw that his brothers and Legolas were already up; if they had rested during the night at all, that was.
Legolas, seeing Aragorn awake, smiled and made his way over to him. Kneeling down, he gently touched Aragorn's forehead, checking for fever. He frowned slightly when he noticed the warmth that radiated off the man's skin, but the fever was not yet high; perhaps they could break it before it manifested itself completely.
Aragorn, for once, did not mind the fussing of his friend. He knew that as soon as the pain reducing tea lost its effect, he would be in considerable pain; something he was not looking forward to. If he had his way, he would drink the teas until they reached his home, but he knew that that was not possible. The herbs that were needed to make the tea only grew in summer, and although the twins had brought more than usual with them, they would not last the journey to Imladris. They would have to be careful when to use them and when not.
A soft sigh escaped Aragorn's lips, and he unconsciously snuggled deeper into the blankets. He was tired, but now that he was awake, the desire to leave this place and go home grew stronger. And, the fact that they were poisoned, with no cure, made him wish to be home already, in his father's care.
Shivering again, he suddenly felt Legolas's hand on his shoulder. Focusing on his friend, he saw the concern and worry that lined the elf's face.
"Estel, how do you feel? Are you cold?"
"No, I am not cold. And I feel…" he had wanted to say "fine", but the moment he saw Legolas's raised eyebrow, he concluded his sentence with, "…tired."
"That is understandable, Estel. You were awake most of the night, and your injuries kept you awake. But as soon as we are on our way, you can rest."
In that moment, Elladan joined their conversation. "Aye, but first, you should eat something, Estel. And have some more tea to warm you, although you are not cold." A twinkle had appeared in Elladan's eyes, and they all knew that the twin tried to lighten the mood. For, although no one had yet said it aloud, they all knew what awaited them this morning.
Aragorn's more serious wounds had to be checked, as that had not seemed wise last night with only the light of the moon and the flickering firelight.
Stirring the sweet smelling tea that already bubbled over the fire, Elrohir smiled at his younger brother, "Estel, do not worry. I cooked, not Legolas. There will be no maggots in your breakfast."
A small snigger escaped Aragorn's lips, and Elrohir, satisfied that he had made his brother smile, grinned smugly.
Gently, Legolas and Elladan helped Aragorn to sit up and move closer to the fire, while Elrohir poured some of the tea into a cup and then added some water from his flask to cool it to a drinkable temperature.
Wrapped in the blankets and still wearing Legolas'scloak, Aragorn drank the tea without complaining, only now feeling how thirsty he still was. Now that he had moved, the aches in his body had woken, too, and he felt that the tea he had had last night slowly lost its effect. But still, he could sit relatively painless, and with some satisfaction and relief he noted that his broken ribs were bandaged sufficiently to only give him slight discomfort.
Breakfast consisted of bread, cheese, dried meat, apples and some spicy herbs. It seemed the cook in Imladris had meant well with the twins when they had left and had provided them with all they needed. Aragorn did not mind, and although he was not truly hungry, he ate a little bit of everything. He knew that he had not eaten much during the last few days, but since the first attack of the poison his hunger had left him. Nevertheless, he ate to replenish some of his lost strength and to make his brothers and friend feel more at ease.
Suddenly, just as he put his empty plate down and reached for his cup of warm tea, a haughty voice resounded across the clearing.
"Hey, elves! What about me? Shall I starve to death here?"
Dagnir…
Fury blazed in Elladan's eyes, and Legolas gripped his apple so tightly that his fingers actually created little holes in the fresh flesh of the fruit. Elrohir turned around and regarded Dagnir with such a disgusted look that any other would have wished to be swallowed by the earth. But not Dagnir.
"Hey, scum! Still alive? Such a shame these elves showed up, really. I would have enjoyed some more private time together. You, I, my knife…"
Faster than lightning, Elladan and Elrohir sprang to their feet, ready to strangle Dagnir there and then, no matter the consequences. But Legolas was even faster. With quick reflexes born out of years of warrior training, he drew his arm back and threw his apple at the man. The fruit picked up such an enormous speed, that it knocked Dagnir out cold, the moment it hit the man's forehead.
He slumped in his bonds and did not move anymore, the mashed apple landing right next to him in the frosty grass.
Aragorn, who had paled considerably the moment the man had spoken, stared at his friend in open-mouthed shock. He blinked, blinked again, and then snapped his mouth shut. Had he not seen it with his own eyes, he would not have believed it. As it seemed, his brothers thought the same, for they looked at Legolas as if he had sprouted a second head.
Clearing his throat, Aragorn could not help but comment, "Legolas, what…was that?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Legolas answered, "I missed."
"Pardon?" Aragorn lifted an eyebrow and looked at the now slightly grumpy looking archer.
Sighing, Legolas glanced back at Dagnir and then at Aragorn, "Aye, I missed. I intended to hit him directly in the face. To shut him up. But he moved."
For a moment it was completely silent, and then the twins sat down again. Taking a deep breath, Elladan took up his plate, "There, there Legolas, and here I thought the Wood-elves had an unequalled accuracy."
"True, Legolas. You need more training. Oh, and next time, please use something else as projectile. You are too old to play with your food," Elrohir added dead serious.
Another moment of silence met these statements, but then Aragorn could not suppress his snicker any longer, and a moment later they were all sniggering and grinning widely. Unconsciously, Legolas's action had reduced the threatening person of Dagnir into a comical joke. Well, at least for a few minutes, that was.
Only too soon, they finished their breakfast, and Aragorn knew that the time had come to tend to his wounds. He dreaded the moment and wished that they could just leave his injuries as they were. To tend them would not only hurt, but hurt terribly, despite the pain reducing tea that he just drank.
Glancing around nervously and shifting his weight a little bit, he watched with trepidation as Elladan spread a blanket over the still frosty grass, and Elrohir went to retrieve the healing supplies. He sighed audibly, although he did not notice that. He was no coward, had never been one, but it was one thing to fight bravely in battle, and an entirely other thing to be helplessly caught in severe pain and nervousness.
Aragorn did not know what was worse, the fact that he knew that it would be very painful, that he could not change that, that his brothers and friend had to witness his pain, or that he forced them to "cause" this pain. For he had no doubt that they all would share in his suffering and feel indescribably guilty for causing him more pain.
At least, he thought wryly as Elrohir returned with a leather pack and another flask of fresh water, Dagnir is unconscious and cannot witness what will happen here this morning.
After cleaning away the breakfast plates and most of the other packs to free some space around the fire for all of them, Legolas gently helped Aragorn, hampered by his injured hand, to open the laces of the tunic he wore and to lift it over his head, exposing his upper body. Then, he helped Aragorn to lie face downwards on the blanket that Elladan had prepared, and kneeled down near his head. From this position, Legolas would not be in the twins' way, and at the same time he could support his friend and restrain him if necessary.
A shiver raced down Aragorn's back, this time from the cold, and Legolas spread a cloak over his friend. Turning, his eyes searched for the twins. What were they waiting for? The sun had already risen nearly an hour ago, and they all knew that they needed to make haste; Imladris was far away, and every day that they lingered or tarried, could cost them dearly.
Elladan and Elrohir were standing on the other side of the fire, speaking in hushed tones and gesturing with their hands. It was clear to Legolas that they were arguing, which surprised him greatly. Normally, the twins were like egg and hen, or fish and water. They complemented each other and very seldom disagreed; this went even so far that some elves claimed that the twins could read each other's thoughts.
And that they were now arguing worried Legolas. He could not make out the words, but when Elrohir gestured towards Aragorn and him, he knew that they were talking about the treatment of the wounds.
Legolas felt another shiver race through Aragorn's body, and then the low voice of his friend reached his ears. Aragorn was facing away from the fire, and therefore he could not see his arguing brothers, but as it seemed, he knew them well enough to at least guess what was going on,
"Are they not yet finished arguing?"
Surprised, Legolas shook his head, only to then realize that Aragorn could not see the gesture, "No, they are still talking. How did you know, can you hear them?"
It was not likely that the man could hear the quiet talk of his brothers, when even Legolas could just make out the voices. But he had to ask nevertheless, his curiosity piqued.
"No, I cannot hear them. But they do this every time I am injured. Have you never noticed, mellon nin?"
"No, I have not." To his own surprise, Legolas had to admit that now, after Aragorn had mentioned it, some happenings out of the past appeared before his eyes. After some moments, he nodded his agreement.
"You are right, Estel. They do this nearly every time you are injured. Why have I not noticed before?"
A soft sigh came from Aragorn, and he shifted under the cloak, bringing his arm to his face and bedding his head on it.
"Perhaps because you were injured yourself at the times, or you were too worried. Or both."
"What are they talking about, do you know?" Legolas tugged a strand of blond hair behind his ear, but the wind blew it into his face only a moment later.
"They are debating who is going to tend to the injuries. Elladan claims that he is the older of the two, and that it is his duty to do so. Elrohir counters with the fact that he always says that, but that that does not make the fact more impressing. He wants to tend to the injuries."
Frowning, Legolas stared at the still arguing twins. "I do not understand, Estel. Why do they argue about that? Why do they not both tend to you?"
It was silent for a moment, and then Aragorn said softly, "Legolas my friend, how would you feel when you had to take that arrow out of my shoulder, tearing flesh and muscle, perhaps even damaging the bone? How would you feel if you had to cause me immense pain?"
I would feel sick, Legolas thought. Very, very sick. And suddenly he understood. The twins were arguing, because either of them wanted to spare the other the emotional pain that would inevitably be caused by tending to their foster brother. Not for the first time in his life, Legolas felt deeply affected by the strong bond that the Elrondions shared with each other.
But, he had no time to dwell on this any longer, for right then the soft voices ceased, and in the next moment Elladan and Elrohir knelt down on either side of their human brother. Both had pulled up the sleeves of their tunics, and braided their hair away from their faces. They looked…different.
Legolas could not help the thought that this time the twins looked very different from all the other times that he had seen them tend the wounded. Perhaps it was because Aragorn's life was not in danger, and they were in no haste to stop some bleeding or other. Or it was because the twins themselves looked tired and exhausted. He did not know what it was, but whatever had caused the feeling, Legolas knew that the twins would do their best to help their brother.
And, it seemed as if Elladan had won the argument.
He kneeled in the grass next to Aragorn's wounded shoulder, the light grey leggings he wore already turning a darker shade at his knees, where the frost on the grass melted and wetted the cloth.
Elrohir kneeled down on Aragorn's other side, cloths, herbs and a small knife in his hands. He smiled at Aragorn, and when the man nodded briefly and closed his eyes tightly, Elrohir gave his twin a silent signal to start.
And so it began.
Legolas took Aragorn's healthy hand in his own and squeezed it tightly while he placed the other on Aragorn's uninjured shoulder to lend him his support and restrain him from moving too much.
He watched how Elladan removed the cloak from his brother's shoulders and then exposed the bandaged wound. Once the red stained bandages had been removed, he gently probed the wound with his long fingers.
Legolas felt the muscles in Aragorn's back tense, and the man's hand squeezed his own tightly, but otherwise he gave no outward sign of pain. The wound looked angry, but it was not yet inflamed, which in itself was a good sign.
But the wound had bled during the night, and the dried blood had crusted at the edges of the wound and made the shaft of the arrow stick even more to the skin. Now, with the weak light of the hidden sun and the firelight as well, Legolas could see that the shaft had not cleanly snapped, but that tiny wooden splinters had drilled themselves into the skin. It would be difficult to remove the arrow and the splinters, and more likely than not, some splinters would have to be removed out of the wound once the arrow was gone as well.
After long moments of probing the injury, Elladan grabbed the shaft of the arrow, close to the shoulder, and pressed his other hand against Aragorn's back to use the leverage. The movement caused Aragorn to take a deep breath and tense in anticipation of what was to come.
Giving his twin a short look and taking a deep breath himself, Elladan licked his lips, and then, without further warning, pulled at the arrow. At first, it did not move, and Elladan used more strength. Red blood welled up and ran down Aragorn's shoulder to stain the blanket, but still the arrow did not move an inch.
Legolas could feel the muscles in Aragorn's body tense even further, and his friend squeezed his hand so tightly that he slowly lost his feeling in his fingers. Sweat appeared on Aragorn's forehead, and his face was so pale that Legolas thought the man would faint. But, he did not, and only his tense body and the tightly pressed pale lips showed the amount of pain he was in.
Giving Aragorn a reassuring squeeze with his free hand, Legolas gazed at Elladan. He had paled as well, but determination glittered in his eyes. He had let go of the arrow shaft, and reached his hand out to his twin. Elrohir placed the clean knife in Elladan's hand, and then gently wiped at some of the red blood that ran freely down Aragorn's back and shoulder.
Without hesitation, Elladan placed the razor sharp knife against the skin, and made four small incisions into the flesh around the arrow, almost like a compass. One to the north, south, west and east. More blood flowed, but the cuts were small in comparison to the arrow wound, and would heal quickly.
Placing the knife on the blanket to not dirty it too much, Elladan once more grabbed the arrow shaft. He took a deep breath and then rotated it in tiny movements around, before he, with a resolute jerk, pulled at the arrow. At first, nothing happened, but then the shaft slowly moved, and the arrow slid out of the shoulder, inch by inch.
Legolas could feel Aragorn stiffen under his fingers and then tremble slightly. His face was grey and seemed to have lost all colour; sweat stood on his brow and dampened his dark hair. It seemed as if Aragorn was holding his breath, and inwardly Legolas wished that his friend would loose his consciousness. It would be better, not only for himself, but for the twins and especially Elladan as well.
After what seemed like a small eternity, the arrowhead appeared in the wound, and after another tug, the arrow came free with a sickening squelching sound. Bright red blood oozed from the wound, but Elrohir was quick to press some cloths over the injury to staunch the bleeding. The linen soon turned red and was soaked through, and Elrohir added another cloth to the layer he was already using.
Disgusted, Elladan quickly examined the arrow for poison or any other signs that greater parts of the shaft were missing, which would indicate that they had stayed in the wound. Satisfied that the shaft looked smooth and undamaged, he threw it into the fire, where it hissed and smoked before the flames greedily consumed it.
While Elrohir tried to stop the bleeding, and Elladan cleaned the knife for further use, Legolas wiped the cold sweat from Aragorn's forehead. The ranger had his eyes still closed, his face was grey, his lips pale. His breathing was quick and raspy, and Legolas had no doubt that the procedure had been immensely painful.
He could not help but admire his friend a little bit for his strength of will. Legolas was not sure if he had been able to keep silent while someone removed an arrow from his shoulder like this, and furthermore in an already weakened and exhausted state of body and mind. But Aragorn had proven his ability to suffer in silence many times before, and Legolas knew that his friend would always try to keep silent in situations like these, to spare his family and friends pain.
Slowly, Aragorn's breathing slowed, but his body was still tense and stiff. Gently, Legolas removed some sweat dampened strands of dark hair out of Aragorn's face, and then leaned down and spoke soothingly to him in elvish. His words seemed to calm Aragorn, and after a few minutes Aragorn took a deep breath, and some of his tense muscles relaxed.
Smiling relieved, Legolas resumed wiping Aragorn's brow, hoping that his steady movement could help his friend to calm down and be at the same time like an anchor to the world. Aragorn's hand that was still holding Legolas's relaxed as well, and Legolas felt his blood rush back into his fingers. Immediately they began to tingle as if thousands of tiny needles pricked them, but Legolas did not remove his hand, but instead gave Aragorn's hand a tiny reassuring squeeze.
Some minutes passed, but the blood flowed still freely from the arrow wound, slowing only marginally. Elrohir met Elladan's eyes over Aragorn's back, and Legolas could see the worry that glimmered in both their eyes. Judging by the pressure that Elrohir was using and the amount of cloths that already padded the injury, the blood flow should have lessened considerably by now, if not stopped at all.
Taking a deep but inaudible breath, Elladan handed his brother another pad of cloths, and then pressed down on the wound as well. Aragorn jerked for a second, but then lay still again, bearing the treatment in silence.
Another few minutes passed, but the new cloth finally showed red spots as well, and Legolas knew that they had to try something else. Aragorn had already lost enough blood to weaken him, the more blood he lost, the unlikelier it was that they would make it to Imladris in time.
For neither of them had forgotten about the poison, and from what they knew, the venom could strike any minute and attack them. Aragorn needed all the strength he could get; he could not loose any more blood.. -->
Elladan exchanged a wordless conversation with his twin. They were both trained in the healing arts, and although they had given their life to war and battle, they had not forgotten the many lessons that they had shared with their father in the Healing Wing of the Last Homely House; and they knew that the only thing that they could do now was to burn out the wound.
But to cauterise the injury would be terribly painful, and the last thing the twins wanted to do was to put their foster brother through more agony. Aragorn had already endured much, and to have to endure such a painful treatment would weaken him even further; the opposite of what they wanted to achieve.
Elrohir shook his head once, and mouthed "one more". Nodding, Elladan reached for another pad of cloth and pressed it on the wound, atop of all the other blood soaked bandages. It would not do to remove the bandages; they served as a good compress and helped stopping the bleeding.
Legolas eyed their effort with growing unease. He had not missed the silent excahnge, and as an archer he knew that the only other way to stop the blood flow was to burn out the wound. Stitching would not help; once the wound was closed, the blood would continue to flow, only slower. It would not solve the problem, and more likely than not lead to infection.
No, to cauterise the wound was the only option that was left, should the wound not stop bleeding on its own.
Minutes passed, and Legolas began to hope that, indeed, the treatment had finally worked. Some more moments passed, but then a red spot appeared on the white cloth, growing and blossoming like a flower in spring.
Legolas's heart sank into his stomach, and his mouth went dry. Unconsciously, he squeezed Aragorn's hand and swallowed thickly. He saw how Elrohir closed his eyes in defeat, and how Elladan lowered his head, his shoulders slumping slightly.
Aragorn trembled slightly, and only then did Legolas realise how cold Aragorn's skin had become. Being exposed to the frosty morning air and the soft breeze, it was no wonder Aragorn was freezing. And the blood loss and the pain did the rest.
Gently, he rubbed his free hand in small circles over Aragorn's back, trying to warm him a little, but he knew that it would not help much. But, what else could he do? He watched in silence how Elladan removed his blood soaked hands from the bandages, cleaned them with water from the spare flask, and then took up the knife he had used earlier.
Placing it into the flickering flames, he prepared the things they would need to cauterise the injury. Elrohir had not removed his hands from the wound, and none of them had yet spoken of what they were about to do.
For a brief moment, Legolas wondered whether it would not be better to give Aragorn a sleeping draught. He had asked the twins this question the night before, when they had discussed their further steps, but both twins had told him that it would be too dangerous to send Aragorn into a herb induced sleep. His weakened body could use the opportunity to sink into a deep unconsciousness, from which he would not be able to awake easily.
Just as Legolas thought about knocking Aragorn out to spare him from what was to come, Aragorn spoke softly. His voice was raspy, but the words were easily understandable for them all.
"It does not stop bleeding, does it? I can feel it."
Exchanging a quick look with each other, it was Elrohir who answered, "No, it does not. But do not worry, Estel."
Elladan could not help but glance at the heating knife at these words, but what else could Elrohir have said? But they were not surprised when Aragorn nodded, and then said tonelessly,
"Then you will have to cauterise the wound. I will loose too much blood otherwise."
"We know, Estel. But…it will hurt, gwanur."
"Iston." Aragorn took a deep breath, "But it has to be done, and I have rather you do it now, then when we are somewhere in the forest, with wolves or orcs around. With Legolas around, one can never know what happens."
"Hey!" Legolas said with mock hurt, but he knew that Aragorn only tried to keep his mind off of what was to come. "It is you who always gets us into trouble, mellon nin. Your charm is not lost on the orcs, you know. Perhaps they like you so much because you smell like them."
Now it was Aragorn's turn to sound offended. "I do not smell like an orc. Elladan does from time to time, but I do not."
And so they bantered for some moments, everyone knowing that it was only a show to keep their frayed nerves under control. But their minds never forgot what was to come, and when Elladan slowly took the now red gleaming knife out of the fire, they all fell silent.
Squeezing Aragorn's hand tightly, Legolas felt the shiver that ran through Aragorn's body. Unconsciously, he scooted even nearer, and placed his free hand on his friend's cold back. He bit his bottom lip, and then took a deep breath. Maybe a piece of wood or a leather belt to help protect his teeth would be nice. -->. Legolas felt nervous and skittish, his stomach felt slightly sick, and he wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and turn deaf. He had witnessed such a treatment before, but never had it been with someone he called his best friend, or sworn brother.
Suddenly, Legolas felt very selfish. After all, it was Aragorn who had to endure such a horrible procedure, not him. When he already felt this bad, how terrible had his human friend then to feel? He gripped Aragorn' hand tighter, feeling the man's cold fingers close tightly around his own.
With big eyes, Legolas watched how Elladan turned the knife in his hand, and then nodded towards his twin. Elrohir removed his hands from the wound, but instead of taking away the many layers of cloths, he reached beside him and lifted one of the still clean pieces of fabric from the pile next to him. He folded it into a pad, and then held it in front of Aragorn's mouth.
The man took two deep breaths and then took the piece of cloths between his teeth without opening his eyes. In that moment, Legolas remenbered that it was not the first time that Aragorn underwent this treatment, and his heart beat heavily in his chest. How horrible it must be to not only know that it would hurt, but to know exactly what was going to happen and how much it would pain him.
He gripped the cold hand more tightly. Aragorn was not alone in this.
Swallowing, Elladan waited until his twin removed the blood soaked layers of cloths, and then, without hesitating, pressed the gleaming dagger on the wound. The reaction was instantaneous. Aragorn arched his back, and a scream of agony, muffled by the cloth, could be heard. Elrohir leaned over him and restrained him, trying to press him back onto the blanket, but when Elladan turned the knife to press it a second time against the wound, Aragorn's body twisted again and Elrohir had to use all his strength to hold his brother down.
Legolas, wincing, spoke soothingly to his friend, but the words were lost on Aragorn. His face had taken on a green touch, and he was now so pale that Legolas could see the tiny blue arteries under the skin. His breath came in quick gasps, and the cloth in his mouth was not helping his breathing.
Elladan did not look better. He was pale and his face showed his determination to bring this treatment to an end, as well as the pain he felt for causing his human brother pain. He looked as if he became sick any moment. But then, he removed the knife from the ugly looking wound, and without further ado he cast it away into the grass, as if it had bitten him.
Quickly but gently, he placed a wet piece of cloth against the wound, and then another one and another. The cloths were drenched in herb induced water, and they would help cool the flesh, keep the wound clean and at the same time reduce swelling and pain.
Slowly, very slowly, Aragorn's breathing calmed, the muscles in his body relaxed somewhat, and he loosened his tight hold on Legolas's bruised fingers. Elrohir removed the cloth from Aragorn's mouth, and Legolas saw with little surprise that it was tinged with a bit of red. Aragorn had more like than not bitten his lips and cheeks as well to keep from bolting and to handle the pain.
Stroking the damp hair of his friend, Legolas did not cease his flow of soothing words, and after what seemed like a small eternity, Aragorn opened his eyes and smiled at him weakly. Legolas helped him drink a little water, and then resumed wiping the sweat from his brow.
A gust of wind brushed by them, and when Aragorn shivered violently, they covered him with Legolas's cloak again. The wound would need some time to calm, before they could bandage the injury. Minutes passed and no one spoke, but finally they gently helped Aragorn into a sitting position and then bandaged his shoulder tightly.
To their relief, Aragorn's face had lost the greenish tint, but he was still pale like a wraith, and although he had pulled his tunic on and had been wrapped in a blanket, he shivered and trembled slightly.
Soon, Aragorn fell into a light exhausted sleep, and the twins and Legolas cleaned away their herbs, bandages and healing utensils. They all were tired as well; to not only see a loved one in pain, but knowing that one was, at least partially, responsible for this pain, was hard to bear.
While Aragorn slept, Elrohir brewed another pain and fever reducing tea and Legolas kept watch over his friend. Elladan had gone to check on the horses, claiming that they needed to make sure that the animals were alright and ready for the treck home.
When Legolas commented on that, worry for the older twin evident in his tone, Elrohir gave him a weak smile. "Leave him be, Legolas. He needs to be alone for some time, but he will be alright. Do not worry, we have been through this many times. Although, never before has it been this hard."
Nodding, Legolas gently stroked some damp locks of dark hair from Aragorn's forehead, and then asked the other question that was burning on his tongue, "Elrohir, what about his knee?"
Elrohir gave his sleeping brother a long and pitiful look before he answered, "Not today, Legolas. I think he cannot endure more today, and…I cannot, and I am sure Dan cannot as well. We let him sleep, and then we make for Imladris."
And nothing more was said of that matter, although they all knew that Aragorn's knee was hurt badly, and that it needed treatment as well. They all knew that, had the cauterisation of the arrow wound been bad, the treatment of the knee would be worse. Much worse.
After perhaps half an hour, Elladan returned from the horses, his face still pale and his eyes guarded, but he said nothing of the matter, and neither Elrohir nor Legolas commented on it. They packed their belongings in silence, making sure not to wake Aragorn, and then Elrohir filled one of the water flasks with the fever fighting and pain reducing tea. The herbs would loose some of their power this way, but to have the tea at hand at all times was an advantage.
Having packed their belongings, they turned to the task of burying the two dead humans. They could not left them lying around in the open; scavengers would feed on them, and the stench would attract not only wolves, but perhaps orcs as well. No, it was better to bury them properly, no matter what they had done.
As the earth was too frozen to attempt digging without shovels, and burning was out of the question as well, as they would then be forced to stay and make sure that the fire did not spread, they decided the bury the two humans under the stones from the rockslide. There were enough rocks scattered over the area, and therefore burying was a rather quick affair.
When the sun stood high in the sky already, they gently woke Aragorn and helped him on one of the horses. -->. It was Elladan's steed, and quickly the elf mounted behind his brother. Neither Legolas nor Elrohir had argued with him, when he had asked them if he could ride with Aragorn first, as they knew the older twin needed the contact to his brother to feel more at ease.
Together with Elrohir's help, Legolas unbound the still unconscious Dagnir, and then they bound his hands behind his back and his feet as well. Without being overly gentle, they placed him over the back of one of the human's horses, like a sack of flour, and then tied him to the stirrups and the saddle to make sure that he could not fall off. With a bit of satisfaction Legolas noticed that Dagnir sported a huge blue bruise on his forehead, right where his apple had hit him.
Elrohir and Legolas mounted their horses as well and turned them around eager to leave. But just when Elladan turned as well, Aragorn stopped him,
"Dan, just a moment."
Frowning, Elladan followed his brother's gaze, and when he saw that Aragorn's gaze lingered on the huge grey rock pile of the landslide, he knew why his brother had stopped them. In silence they waited, and after a few moments, Aragorn nodded, took a deep breath, and turned his gaze away. He had said his last prayers to his faithful horse.
Without another look at the clearing, they left the Misty Mountains behind, and started their long journey towards Imladris.
Tbc…
End of chapter 20.
So, what do you think? "hint-hint" Btw, do you think we can make the 200 reviews with this chapter:-)