Chapter 26:
Legolas did not know how to think or even how to feel. His entire world had come crashing down around him in a matter of moments.
Aria was still alive.
Yet she was barely hanging on.
Once the twins had reached where Aria lay in Legolas' arms, they had carefully moved their sister from the area where the orc attack was taking place and immediately began the process of removing the arrow from her shoulder, which should had stopped the bleeding.
But it had not stopped.
Instead the crimson blood had turned dark black as it continued to flow. The twins knew exactly what that meant.
Poison.
The tip of the arrow had been laced with some kind of poison and now the poison freely flowed in Aria's blood stream, threating not only her life but also that of the baby. Aria was not the only afflicted with this ordeal. There had been numerous victims within the Halls of Mirkwood – just like Aria had foreseen.
The twins consulted had with the other healers as to what the best course of treatment was for all the victims who had survived once they had managed to move Aria to the Halls of Healing. The entire time, Legolas sat motionless next to his wife's bedside. Deep down inside, Legolas could careless about the other elves that suffered at the moment. Right now the only thing that matter to him was his wife and unborn child. His father could worry about the others. Part of him knew that this was wrong, but he did not care.
Eventually the twins obtained and applied some sort of herb remedy to her wound, which had slowed the bleeding for now and bandaged it.
By this time about an hour had passed from the initial attack to now. "It is best to let her rest and allow her to heal on her own," Elladan said placing a hand on Legolas' shoulder.
"No. I will not leave her side until she is fully healed," Legolas said without taking his eyes off of Aria. The twins looked at each other before silently departing the room where Aria lay.
"I'll stay here and watch over Aria as well," Elrohir whispered once they were in the hallway.
"And I will go send word to ada." Elladan countered.
By the next morning, Aria still had not regained consciousness. During the course of the night, Legolas had connected with Aria through their bond and he had felt her warmth. Yet he could also feel Aria struggling against something. But what, he could not tell.
"We have sent word to our ada," Elrohir said as he sat down in another chair next to Aria's bedside where Legolas sitting was keeping his vigil.
"Knowing him, he should be here in a week's time." Elladan said, standing behind them both. "But you need to rest too, Legolas. If will be of no use, if you keep giving her your strength if you have none. Even though we tell you not to."
Legolas wearily looked at the twins. "I know she is fighting something. I feel it in our bond. How else am I to aid her?"
Elladan squeezed his shoulder. "I wish I knew."
Thranduil stood in the doorway of the suite that Legolas and Aria shared. From his position he silently took in the scene before him. His son sat slumped over in a chair, one of his hands gently resting on Aria's uninjured shoulder. It had been several days since the abrupt attack on his Halls. And since then he had not seen his son leave Aria's side – from the time that she had been in the Halls of Healing to when she had been moved back to their quarters. Legolas had stood watch over his wife the entire time. And after the last time that Legolas and Thranduil had spoken, the king felt that it was best to leave his son alone.
Without a word, he turned away from the doorway and quietly made his way back down the hallway. As he walked, various thoughts ran through his mind.
This should have never happened.
He should not have been so stubborn.
He had never given much credence to elves with the gift of foresight. Yes, all elves did have it to a certain extent. Then there were those with enhanced abilities such as Lady Galadriel and Lord Elrond. And he especially did not give any thought to peredhils with the ability. Yet for as long as he had known Aria, she had never been wrong.
And now he may pay the ultimate price for it. He would not only loose a daughter in law and a grandchild, but he would also loose his son if Aria were to die. He knew that if Aria and Legolas would to be separated by death then Legolas would follow his wife and unborn child to the Halls of Mandos if that were the only way to be reunited with them since there was very little to tie him to Arda.
He silently asked the Valar not to allow that to happen.
A little over a week had past since the attack on Mirkwood.
Memorials had been held for those who had perished.
And those who had been poisoned had recovered.
All but Aria.
"Ada, she has been unresponsive since loosing consciousness," Elladan whispered in hushed tones. "The poison was from the Mirkwood spiders. The healers were able to concoct a serum to help those who were poison, yet Aria has not recovered."
Elrond, Glorfindel and Erestor had just arrived in Mirkwood. Immediately the twins ushered their father to Aria's bedside and made Glorfindel and Erestor keep Legolas out of the room. There were things that the Mirkwood Prince need not know at the moment. At least not until Elrond could verify them.
"Legolas said that he could feel her fighting something through their bond. He kept giving her strength." Elrohir added. "Now he says that she is merely protecting something."
Elrond began to examine his daughter – starting with the injury to her shoulder and moving down to her pregnant stomach. The wound to her shoulder had long since stopped oozing the blackish colored blood and was starting to heal. Yet what concerned him now was the unborn elfling. He gently felt her stomach and sighed.
"When was the last day the child moved?" he asked looking at his sons.
The twins looked at each other before answering. "Four days ago." Elrohir responded.
Elrond sighed again before standing up and leaving his daughter's bedside in search of Legolas.
He did not have to go far to find him sitting with Erestor and Glorfindel just down the hallway. "Come Legolas," Elrond said. "We need to talk."
Legolas stood up without saying a word and fell in step with Elrond as they made their was back into the room where Aria lay. He motioned for Legolas to sit in one of the chairs besides Aria's bed, while he sat down in the other.
"You told the twins that through the bond it seems that Aria is protecting something?" he asked after a brief silence once they had been seated.
Legolas nodded wordlessly.
"I think that the best course of action is to deliver the child early. It may be the only way to spare Aria's life. But even then I cannot guarantee her survival. She may be too weak from not allowing herself to heal."
"Her wound has healed." Legolas said, a bit confused at what Elrond was trying to tell him.
"Her wound maybe healed yet her mind has not. That is why she has not yet awoken. All the others who were poisoned have long since recovered correct?"
Legolas nodded.
That was when Legolas understood what had happened. The poison that had been on the arrowhead had not only infected Aria's blood, but also killed their unborn elfling. He turned to look at his wife as several different emotions swelled in his chest – anger, frustration, sadness – yet most of all he simply wanted his wife to awake from this horrible nightmare that now consumed them both.
"How long will the delivery take?" Legolas asked, hesitantly looking back at Elrond.
"Elladan will assist me. It should not take very long since I have to cut the child from her."
"Do it." Legolas softly said as he turned to run a finger gently down Aria's cheek.
Thranduil and Laurian joined the small group that was sitting in the hallway awaiting news that Elrond and Elladan had been successful. Legolas sat closest to the door and was not taking his eyes off of his for a moment. On top of that he concentrated on his bond with Aria. He felt for her warmth. As long as he could feel her warmth, he knew that she was still alive. And that was all that mattered to him.
'Come back to me, meleth nin,' he said to her through their bond.
Much to his surprise, he received a response – the first one in over a week. 'Always.'
Elrond gently removed the elfling from Aria's body and placed it in the awaiting blanket that Elladan had for him. It was, as he feared. The poison had killed the child. Aria had used too much of her strength in fighting a loosing battle. Now would the cost be her own life?
He began to work quickly on stitching her back up.
"Ad…a…" came a weak voice just as he put the last stitch into her stomach.
Elrond looked up at Aria's face as her eyes were slowly opening. "Shh," he immediately said placing his hand against her cheek. "You need to save your strength, iell nin."
"Tell Legolas, I'm sorry," she whispered as a tear slid down her cheek.
"There is nothing to be sorry about."
She slowly nodded yes as she closed her eyes. "I won't be returning to him…" she sluggishly said as she took her last breath.
Something was wrong.
Legolas could feel it.
Aria's warmth was suddenly gone. He felt cold and alone – it was almost as if he would never be warm again.
Without thinking, he stood up and bolted for the room where Elrond and Elladan were preforming the surgery on Aria.
Yet he was not prepared from the scene that awaited him. Elladan was motionless watching his ada leaning over Aria, pleading with her.
"Aria, lasto beth nîn, tolo dan nan galad," Elrond said as he grasped his daughter's shoulders. "Aria, lasto beth nîn, tolo dan nan galad!"
There was no response.
With heavy footsteps, Legolas made his way to his wife's bedside and crumpled to the floor. His world was completely shattered.
Aria was gone.
His newborn son was gone before he ever came into the world.
There was nothing left for Legolas now.
Aria smiled down at the small bundle wrapped tightly in a blanket in her arms.
"Aria, lasto beth nîn, tolo dan nan galad!"
Aria turned back and looked into the darkness. She was confused for a moment. Why was someone calling her back from the light when the pull was much too strong? Besides, she knew that if she went back, she would have to leave her son behind. He was too tiny to leave on his own.
So she kept walking into the light…
AN: *runs and hides* - Please don't hunt me down and hurt me! I promise that things will get better. I promise! Reviews will be lovely, especially since December 29th is my birthday!
So until the next chapter comes out, why don't ya'll go bug SleepyHollow5 for a while. She hasn't updated in a LONG time and she needs a swift kick in the butt to get her going! Tell her, I sent you!
Also - Aria, lasto beth nîn, tolo dan nangalad means 'Aria, hear my voice and come back from the light!'
Lord Elrond had said it to Frodo in the 'Fellowship of the Ring'.