"When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened." ― Billy Graham

It was still dark when he regained his consciousness somewhere in the forest. "Easy there."

He pulled himself up into a sitting position and leaned against a trunk of large tree its roots wide and strong. Looking around he realized that the elves had set up camp. Two archers were perched on trees as guards while the rest either ate or rested from the battle.

"How do you feel?"

"I've had worse." He whispered throat parched from lack of water. The lieutenant handed him a flask head cocked to the side.

"How did you do it?"

A confused look flitted over Arrai's face. "I don't understand…"

"Shelob," he flinched involuntarily at the name. "How did you defeat her? Three years she has terrorized our wood. We saw you, you were nearly one with the darkness. How did you fight it?"

Arrai shook his head. "I, I don't know." He accepted the wrapped ration and fumbled with it his lieutenant's eyes still scrutinizing him.

"Perhaps it was my Vanyar blood…" He said at length. His cursed blood, it seemed that perhaps it had its uses.

"Perhaps, one thing is certain my prince you saved us all."

"If I hadn't ordered the regrouping we would have never entered into such a mess." The prince's hair was still matted in black and red blood. Face haggard from the ordeal dark blue eyes sparkled in the darkness full of pain.

The Lieutenant shook his head allowing his hand to rest on the elf shrouded by the night's darkness. "No you have saved us all. If we had not regrouped when we did, we would have been overrun and sent to the halls of Mandos. A single elf is strong but only with many can you fight the darkness."

The prince frowned but accepted the response leaning his head back to rest against the tree.

It was hard for Lysanthir to believe that this elf was barely older than a century. The difficulty lay in his courage his inane disregard for self-preservation. His battle prowess made the most convincing argument of all. To take on the Queen of darkness never before having faced her kind and emerging the victor, such a feat was no feat for a mere youngling just barely past the elven adulthood mark.

What has struck him the most however was his own reaction. There were things even he feared, the loss of his own life being among them. He had not look toward himself nor toward captain Tulien for orders but from the elf. The elf who looked like he could move mountains in the instant that the danger became apparent. So like his older brother. It was his stance his demeanor his battle readiness. And for a moment he felt like he was standing side by side with Legolas once more.

It was an hour into the prince's sleep when Lysanthir heard moaning. Upon feeling the younger elves forehead he felt the fever that he had been expecting. He ordered the patrol to rise. This would be a long night.

It was light and warm no traces of the cursed darkness. He could hear the tinkling of water and the fresh smell of athelas. He sighed in relief. He was safe in Lothlórien, Glorfindel would be coming in through the door any moment now half raging at his near death encounter and lack of self-preservation half laughing and crying at his recovery.

He could feel pressure on his hand. "Ada?"

He could hear a chuckle. "King Thranduil still walks the realms of the lost but with your presence perhaps he shall recover. Your actions caused quite a stir no doubt Lord Glorfindel has taught you to be far more than an excelled orator."

Forcing his eyes open he could see the fair haired elf peering down at him with blue grey eyes. "Captain Galion?" he struggled to get up but the Captain held him in place as his encounter assailed him pain wracked through his body. "Astaldar!" He could hear footsteps light as they were but rapid and with purpose. The door was flung open and an elf with a face as kind as it was ancient peered at him critically holding him down as his body shuddered.

Dark green eyes studied him. "Here young one, swallow this." It tasted far better than the things Elrond cooked up but he could also sense it was weaker. It helped regardless as he was actually able to swallow all of it without gagging.

"What, where-"

"Easy young one," the elder elf waved Galion away as he settled on a chair next to Arrai's bed. The elves hair was tied back into a braid reaching to his knees. It was so light it appeared white in the moonlight flowing in from the wide windows opening into the gardens. An odd elven ruin hung from his ear, ᶚ, an elven letter was it? The elder elf did not seem to mind the scrutiny and instead rose and busied himself with breaking another herb into the bowl and then feeling his patients forehead.

"You are in the Mirkwood halls of healing." His voice had an odd accent to it. One he did not hear in most elves. The confusion must have been evident on his face for the elf chuckled lightly and then placed another wet clothe on his forehead. It felt good though it was strange for he had not felt any heat in his body.

"How many days was I out?"

"Only one."

"Why am I here?"

"The black breathe young one." The elder elves eyes narrowed as they looked into his eyes. "Do you know with whom it was you were fighting?"

Arrai closed his eyes in pain though he did not remember being wounded. "Fighting? It seemed like a one sided engagement to me what with my role mostly being a midafternoon meal." The words came out in a near whisper; he himself was surprised at his weakened state.

The healer laughed. "By Ilúvatar and here I was worried you'd be another Thranduil!" The laughter subsided as another wave of pain overcame him. Worried eyes met his own as the healer made him drink another floral concoction. "The being you fought was the spawn of Ungoliant. A creature who nearly killed Morgoth himself. It is a miracle that you are even awake now, let alone alive."

He closed his eyes as he remembered the last few moments of the battle. He had not killed her! "Glorfindel could have done it and finished the job." He struggled to rise but the healer held him down.

"I don't know who has been putting such thoughts of your lack of self-worth but what you have done even he might not have been able to do it. Let alone on his first try. Have you ever even fought the creatures before?"

There was a prolonged pensive pause. "No." The healer nodded guessing as much. "Listen young one I don't know what my good friend has been teaching you but I can assure you that if he was planning on another living legend he has made one."

"You knew Lord Glorfindel?" The incredulity on the prince's face was almost too much. Astaldar grinned wickedly, not letting any of it show of course, ah the tales he could tell, he'd have to be careful though or Glorfindel would have his head..

"Oh yes, who do you think had to put him to gather after his near death encounters? Elrond wasn't around when the Balrog tore his body nearly into shreds."

"So those scars…?"

The thin smile graced the healer's lips. "Oh yes every stitch. Though they must be very faint by now my prince."

Arrai cringed at the title but relented. "I suppose now none will have qualms about my ruler ship…" The healer's eyes narrowed at the depth of the assessment. "Yes well quite a number of your friends have been wanted to see you should I let them in?"

The serene façade of the elf unnerved him but he shook his head. "I suppose I'll need to speak with Captain Galion about Kingly duties and all."

Astaldar opened the door and allowed Galion in and let himself out. "You don't do anything by halves do you?"

Arrai sighed as he struggled to sit but at length relented realizing that he had the strength to sit up but not enough strength to actually keep sitting. "The spider may think otherwise." Galion chuckled but his smile did not reach his eyes and at length he frowned peering at the younger elf with worried eyes. "You are insane you know that?"

"I do not think-"

"NO! YOU DO NOT THINK! What if you had died? What if you had not returned?"

Arrai's eyes flashed dangerously at the livid tone of his Captain. "I am sorry for wishing to protect the realm but I have returned safely Captain Galion…" His voice cut through the air like ice forcing the captain to take another look at the prince.

"When I heard what happened…I thought you would die! Do you know how many succumb to the darkness? If you would have died… King Thranduil would have surely faded!"

Arrai's face softened at the mention of his father all traces gone of his cold features no doubt inherited from his father as he had seen Thranduil wear such faces too often to count. Thranduil had save his life countless times. One son? Could he not even protect one of his friend's sons? What kind of captain was he?

"And I have returned." He whispered. "And I can assure you I will not be leaving for quite a while." The wan smile was endearing he had to give the prince credit for that.

"So what do I do as King?"

"Impatient are we? Truth be told I shall take care of the paperwork. You go enjoy your well-earned glory."

Arrai grimaced. "Then why do you need me here? Why even bother? You could rule in my father's stead."

Galion studied him his eyes inscrutable but his face troubled. "The loss of the prince was not just a loss of one elf. But a loss of an icon, how would you feel if that which was considered to you immortal suddenly died?

Arrai shuddered. An image of Glorfindel struck down on an unknown battlefield covered in blood. He felt a wave of pain wrack his body. "I am sorry I did not mean-"

"No its fine I am merely tired." Arrai's eyes fluttered struggling against the sleep but it seemed Astaldar had experience in dealing with patients who tended to escape the healing ward. The young one lost the battle to whatever herb was insidiously added to his drink and sleep took him. Galion looked down in pity at the younger elf. Barely fully grown and already facing such forces of darkness? Was Valar preparing him to fight something far greater? He hoped not. There was enough darkness in the world, enough pain.

It was hard to imagine that this young elf fought Shelob the greatest darkness that had entered Mirkwood. But he had. And Galion had seen the King in him with his own eyes, in the throne room he was one other's would follow. One he would follow. But could he reach Thranduil? That was a different matter entirely.

Note: For those of you waiting for Legolas's stuff don't worry, I'm getting there!

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Side Note: Yes according to legend Glorfindel was allowed to come back etc etc by the gods and all but that's a bit farfetched in that he's the living proof that the gods still care about those living in middle earth, as they gave them their champion back, so another way to survive a near death encounter is to…hint hint….that's right! Have a good healer! Those of you who prefer the cannon just bear with it I mean even if he did return someone would have to help him heal and stuff. Also Astaldar is an amazing healer but he doesn't have Elrond's ring so he can in fact do crazy stuff because of his age but Elrond is the most renowned/best of the healers while Astaldar prefers to stay quietly in Mirkwood.