A/N 1: Hi! Here is the next chapter. Review replies went out yesterday. Some of you replied anonymously, so I could not reply, sorry. Perhaps you can review the next time with an email adress, than I can answer your questions. :o) This chapter is a bit longer than the average, but I had the feeling you wanted the story to progress a bit and have some action. Well, I wanted to have some action. ;)

A/N 2: This chapter is not betaed, I am sorry for all the mistakes. Please keep in mind that English is not my native tongue.

Elvish terms:

Aníron gwanna: I wish I could leave.

Daro: Stop

Hebo estel: Have hope

Man mathach: How do you feel?

No diriel: Be watchful

Sedho: Quiet

Yrch: Orcs

"In the darkness does hide threat and fear,

you shiver, sweat and swear, oh bear!"

Chapter 25: A danger in the dark

Glorfindel stood in his own study, staring out of the window. He had been standing there for quite some time; with his hands folded behind his back and his rigid posture, he looked more like a stature than a living being. He had not been able to find sleep during the night, and had decided to get some work done, but his thoughts had been elsewhere and so he had abandoned his work, left his papers lying scattered across his desk, and instead watched the night fade into grey twilight and then a rosy dawn.

The hidden valley of Imladris spread in front of his window, high up in the Last Homely House. He could see the green meadows and the white cliff walls, the sparkling rivers and the ponds and lakes. The forest spread out below him, and the ancient trees swayed slightly in the morning breeze, causing the last leaves to sail to the ground lazily.

It was a wonderful morning; the night's dew had frozen and glittered like silver pearls in the cobwebs, the first shallow lakes had started to freeze over and the air was fresh and pure. Not able to resist the temptation, Glorfindel reached out and opened the window, letting the cold air wash over him.

He took a deep breath, and when he exhaled, his breath misted in front of his face. For many hours he had debated with himself, whether he should talk to Elrond about his idea. Elrond would not like it; it would make him feel useless and only serve to increase his worry. But still, Glorfindel though that something needed to be done, and the sooner the better.

Taking one last look at the valley below him, he closed the window and turned. With a few quick steps he was at his door and out in the corridor. And when he finally reached Elrond's study, he was determined to tell his Lord and friend about his idea.

Knocking, Glorfindel waited, and upon receiving the permission to enter, he opened the door and stepped inside. As he had assumed, Elrond stood near the window, wearing the same robes that he had worn the day before. There was no need to ask whether Elrond had slept, Glorfindel could tell by the paleness of his skin and the dark circles under his eyes that he had not.

Closing the door behind him and making his way to the large desk that stood in front of the window, Glorfindel noticed the tray with untouched food and the neatly folded blankets on the couch, but said nothing. What he had come to say would upset Elrond, and he felt no need to add to the strain that he would undoubtedly put on Elrond.

Elrond took a deep breath and then gestured at one of the chairs that stood in front of his desk, indicating that Glorfindel take a seat. But Glorfindel only shook his head; he did not want to sit down right now. Always when he sat in one of those chairs, he got a feeling as if he was still an elfling, talking to some mighty elven Lord. No, it would be easier to say what he had come to say while standing.

Elrond frowned slightly when Glorfindel shook his head, but said nothing. He knew his friend well enough to know that Glorfindel had not come to wish him a good morning or to ask if he wanted to join him for breakfast, and the fact that the Gondolin elf refused to sit down only underlined that impression.

Without his conscious thought, Glorfindel took on his warrior stance, and when he caught Elrond's frown and then the lifted eyebrow, he knew that he could no longer delay the inevitable.

Clearing his throat, he said, "Good morning, Elrond. I hope you have been able to sleep some hours."

Elrond only gave him a sad smile, "No, I have not. Glorfindel, I think we know each other long enough to be frank with each other. Say what you have come to say and I will listen."

"You will not like what I have to say, my friend."

"Has that ever stopped you?"

Now it was Glorfindel who smiled sadly, but then he became serious once more, "More than a week has passed since the twins left, and we have had no word. I think we should sent out a search party."

For a long moment Elrond simply stood near the window, his face guarded and his eyes not betraying his emotions. Then, he asked softly, "And the part that I will not like is?"

Glorfindel stated firmly, "You will stay here."

"I do not like it."

"I know, mellon nin. Elrond, I will take some of my best warriors, and we will divide into two groups to be able to cover more ground. One of the groups should be able to find the twins, and with a bit of luck Estel will be with them. We will do all we can to bring them home safely."

Elrond took a step away from the window, "And what if they have been injured or their condition has worsened drastically? I could help them."

"And what if they come home and you are not here to help them?"

Elrond flinched at the words, and then turned his back on Glorfindel to look out the window. Deep inside Elrond knew that his friend was right, but sometimes it was so hard to not be able to follow the heart, but the mind.

Seeing his friend's inner struggle, Glorfindel stepped up to him and placed on strong hand on his shoulder, "I will find them, Elrond. I promise."

Once more, a sad smile flittered over Elrond's face, "Aníron gwanna."

"Iston, mellon nin."

Silence fell, but after some minutes of silent support, Glorfindel asked softly, "No word from Mirkwood or the rangers?"

Elrond shook his head, "No. Mirkwood is too far away to expect an answer yet, and the rangers, although nearer, have not answered. Perhaps the bird never found their camp."

"Aye, perhaps. But perhaps they are already out there, looking for Estel. If I am not very much mistaken, Halbarad is stationed in the camp near the Ettenmoors, and you know how he is if Estel is late."

A small sad chuckle left Elrond's lips, "Oh yes, I know. He is almost as worse as we are, mellon nin."

Glorfindel squeezed Elrond's shoulder, and with a voice that held all the hope and strength that he had, he reassured his Lord and friend, "We will find them and bring them home. You will see, all will be well in the end. Hebo estel, Elrond."

Placing his own hand atop of Glorfindel's, Elrond nodded, "Go with my blessing, Glorfindel. Be quick and safe."

Glorfindel nodded, and left the study. But Elrond, despite his friend's words, felt the darkness surround him, and he stood for many hours at the window, unseeingly starring at the world outside.

--oOo--

Morning grew into midday and midday into afternoon, but still Aragorn had not woken. The elves had alternatively sat by his side, talked to him in soothing voices, tended to the fire, cared for the horses or cleaned and sharpened their weapons. There was nothing else to do, but the waiting made them uneasy, and they all felt the need to do something.

They had discussed if they should wake Aragorn, but decided that it would be best to let his body get the sleep it needed, and make plans as soon as he woke up. Already it was so late that they would not leave, but stay at least for another night near the brook.

Currently, Elladan and Elrohir took stock of their provisions, while Legolas sat close to Aragorn, singing an old elvish tune:

"Whispering winds grace lands and seas,

caress mountains as well as trees.

To listening ears they tell a story,

Of ancient deeds of fame and glory.

°°°°°

"A battle was fought in lands far away,

For many months through night and day.

Of death they tell and bloody end,

But not for you and me my friend.

°°°°°

"Dust turned to life…"

In the distance, Legolas could see some bird of prey circle in the air; the animal was barely moving its wings and solely using the warmer winds to sail across the sky. Following the bird with his eyes, Legolas could tell that the animal had found some prey or another, but just as the bird pressed its wings at his body and dove to the ground, Legolas's attention was drawn to a movement beside him.

Instantly forgetting the bird and song, Legolas leaned closer towards Aragorn and looked intently. There! Aragorn's eyelids fluttered, and the man stirred under the cloak and blankets.

Feeling his heart pound in his chest, Legolas was not able to keep the note of excitement out of his voice, "Estel? Can you hear me?"

When Aragorn moaned softly and then tried to curl into a ball, Legolas's excitement turned into worry.

"Estel? Are you awake? Estel?"

Aragorn's eyelids fluttered once more, and then the grey eyes opened slowly. Aragorn blinked a few times, and to Legolas it seemed as if he had trouble focusing, and when Aragorn simply closed his eyes a moment later and wrapped his arms around his chest and drew his knees towards the same, Legolas felt his stomach twist painfully.

"Estel? Please, talk to me."

Gently, Legolas placed his hand on Aragorn's too cold cheek, needing the contact to reassure himself that Aragorn was still with him.

Having heard the raised voices, the twins quickly came over and crouched down beside their brother and friend, immediately taking in the protective posture of Aragorn. Exchanging a quick look with his twin, Elrohir gently stroked some of the dark hair away from the pale face,

"Estel? Can you hear me?"

For a few moments, Aragorn merely lay motionless on the ground, but then he uncurled and nodded. His eyelids fluttered and he opened his eyes, and from the glassy look of them the elves could tell that he was in severe pain.

Keeping his voice low so as not to hurt Aragorn even more in case he had a headache, Elladan asked gently, "Man mathach?"

Aragorn seemed to contemplate the question for a moment, but then he said hoarsely, "Hurts."

"What exactly hurts, Estel?"

Swallowing, Aragorn took another breath, but Legolas could see that it was shallow and that Aragorn flinched a bit doing so. A sinking feeling entered Legolas's stomach, and all of a sudden he did not wish to know how Aragorn felt exactly. The moment he had tried to get Aragorn to resume breathing played before his inner eye, and the way he had pushed down on his friend's chest and broken ribs.

It was Aragorn's voice that brought him back to the present, "Breathing hurts and my broken ribs hurt, too."

Legolas could not help the flinch that appeared on his features, or the fact that he could not look Aragorn in the eyes. It was his fault that his friend hurt so much, his fault that Aragorn was in pain.

While Elrohir left his brothers' side to get a cup of the pain reducing tea, Legolas let his eyes wander over Aragorn's face. The man was pale, so pale that Legolas had no problems seeing the tiny blue arteries under the skin, or tiny red spots of fever on his cheeks. Aragorn's eyes were glassy with pain, and the white of them was lined with red where the arteries had been damaged.

Aragorn took another painful breath, and then suddenly began to cough, when his battered chest constricted in agony. He rolled onto his side and pulled his knees up, but that movement seemed to cause him only more pain, as his injured knee protested at the motion. Gasping and coughing, Aragorn struggled to regain his breath, and to Legolas mounting horror, he had to watch helplessly as his friend broke out in cold sweat, and then began to tremble slightly.

Feeling the need to help, to do something, Legolas reached out and placed his hand on Aragorn's shoulder, wishing to support him in his pain and help him pull through it. But to his terror, the moment he laid his hand on Aragorn's shoulder and squeezed it gently, the man cried out in pain and curled into a tight ball.

Terrified, Legolas snatched his hand back as if he had burnt it, staring with wide eyes down at his suffering friend.

/On no, his shoulder! How could I forget/

Legolas began to shake his head from left to right, the apology on his lips, but the arrival of Elrohir stopped him from saying a word.

Crouching down by his trembling brother, Elrohir glanced briefly at Elladan and Legolas, and then peeled the blanket and cloak away to lay open the tunic and shirt Aragorn wore. To their dismay, the tunic spotted some red specks were it lay over the bandaged shoulder, and when Elrohir gently touched the shoulder, Aragorn moaned in pain.

Soothing Aragorn with gentle words, Elrohir checked his forehead for a fever, and upon Elladan's questioning look, he nodded sadly. Guilt and worry flittered over both twins' faces; they knew that the strength Aragorn had used to save them from the poison had drained him, leaving his body open to infection. And furthermore, the actual attack of the poison had not helped to let his body heal.

Sighing softly, Elrohir caressed Aragorn cheek, and when the man opened his glassy eyes, Elrohir said gently, "Estel, you have a fever. We need to treat your wounds again."

Reaching behind him and retrieving the cup he had brought, he smiled, "Here, Estel. Drink this. It will help with the pain."

With the support of Elladan, Aragorn managed to drink half of the tea before he had to stop, gasping for air and bracing his good arm against his ribcage to at least try to staff off the pain from his broken ribs.

Some long minutes later, he finished the tea, and Elladan laid him back down on the ground, using a spare piece of cloth to wipe the sweat off of Aragorn's brow. While Elrohir busied himself with readying the things he would need to treat his brother, Legolas quietly sat beside Aragorn, watching the brothers' interaction and feeling like a woollen blanket in summer: absolutely useless and left forgotten in some corner.

The pain reducing tea slowly took effect, but when Elrohir peeled away the tunic around the wound, and then cleaned the wound and rebandaged it, Legolas could see how much energy and self-control it cost Aragorn to not cry out in pain or fight his brother's hands.

Using the opportunity, Elrohir also treated the burnt hand and the numerous scratches and bruises that Aragorn had suffered from the rockslide, and then he checked the broken ribs and wrapped them tightly. The knee, he left untouched, knowing that even with the tea, Aragorn would not be able to bear the pain in his current state.

Soon after Elrohir had tied off the last bandage and Elladan had wrapped Aragorn in the cloak and blankets again, the man fell asleep, his cheeks flushed in fever and his breathing shallow and irregular even in sleep.

Sitting back on his haunches, Elrohir wiped a hand across his brow and sighed deeply, "He has become worse. The fever is not high and we should be able to bring it down with the herbs we have with us, but I fear for him. In his current state, any new injury could mean a complete breakdown of his system."

Closing his eyes at this news, Legolas let his head hang. To him, it was to a part his fault that Aragorn was worse than before. Oh yes, he knew that his actions had probably saved his life, but right now, the guilt he felt at causing him more pain overweighed this thought. With a low voice he asked timidly,

"Have I broken any more ribs?"

"Hm?" Elrohir glanced at Legolas in confusion. But then it hit him like a woodman's axe, and he shook his head agitatedly,

"No, Eru no, Legolas. You did not hurt him, you saved his life, mellon nin. Without you, Estel would be dead by now. Legolas, I have not thanked you yet for saving my little brother."

And with that, the younger twin kneeled down in front of Legolas, placed his right hand over his chest where his heart was, bowed his head, and said seriously, "Hannon le, Legolas. I owe you."

Mirroring his twin, Elladan did the same from where he sat beside Aragorn's head, and Legolas was shocked to hear the words and then see the twins' postures.

"No, you do not have to thank me." Legolas said quickly, shaking his head. "He is my friend. He would do the same for me, and has done it many times."

Nodding, the twins smiled at Legolas, feeling relieved to see their friend more at ease now. Settling down near Aragorn, the three of them spoke softly about all and nothing, waiting for the man to wake.

Aragorn did wake more than once during the night, caught in his fever and pain, but when the morning dawned frosty and clear, the fever had broken and his sleep had turned into a true deep sleep that brought rest and healing.

The elves were all relieved that the fever had broken so quickly, and Elrohir thought that they had detected the fever early enough to stop it from manifesting itself completely, and they had fought it before it could settled in the weak body.

Just as the sun had fully ascended from behind the horizon and gone on its journey across the light blue winter sky, Aragorn's groggy mind drifted towards wakefulness. The first thing he became aware of was the twittering of birds; not the cheery spring birds or the loud summer singers, but a mixture of fall cheerers and lonely winter birds.

Groaning inwardly as his still somewhat feverish mind associated this winter birds with the small twittering nuisance that had made his life so miserable in the clearing he had been trapped in, Aragorn tried to focus his hearing instead on other sounds.

After some moments, he could make out the sound of a crackling fire and then low voices reached his ears. He could not make out the words, but the voices sounded not overly agitated or tense.

Feeling relieved to hear the voices of his brothers and friend, and being assured that they were all right, Aragorn tried unconsciously to snuggle deeper into his blankets. He felt tired and weak, the ordeal of the last day and night still clear on his mind. Oh, what would he give for a good night's rest, in a soft bed, with pillows filled with down,and the help of his father's sleeping tea.

Of course, he did not like the tea, and whenever his father made him drink it he pretended to not need it, but right now, he would not complain. The nightmare he had had a few night's back had not been the first one since all this had started, and Aragorn simply wished for some hours of refreshing sleep.

Alas, it was not to be, for when he snuggled deeper into his blankets, shifting his position to lye more comfortably, Elladan spotted his movements, and soon his brothers were checking his injuries, making him drink some soup, eat some rather dry bread and drew him into their conversation.

Aragorn, thinking that it would not help to argue with his brothers, did what they told him to do, answered their questions, and ignored the signals of pain and tiredness his body send him as best he could. And it was not easy; more than once he missed a question, and when he accidentally addressed Elrohir as Elladan, the twins exchanged worried glances.

"Estel, do you feel all right? Do you have a headache?" From the tone of Elrohir's voice, Aragorn could tell that the younger twin was not only worried, but extremely concerned.

Shaking his head, he tried to sound convincing, "No, Ro. I am fine, or as fine as can be excepted."

"Are you sure? You look pale, brother, and you act strangely."

"More strangely than usual?" Aragorn could not help but smile at the twins, although it turned out to be more a grimace than a true smile.

Giving Aragorn a surprised look, Elladan tried to match his brothers levity, "Well yes, actually you act a bit more strangely than usual."

Not wanting to go back to worry and tension, Aragorn tilted his head sideways and gave Elladan his most innocent look, "How so? Care to elaborate?"

Seeing that he had manoeuvred himself into a corner, Elladan shot his twin a pleading look, but Elrohir simply shrugged his shoulders as if to say that Elladan had to help himself out of this.

Swallowing, Elladan looked back at Aragorn, who sat motionless near the fire, waiting for his answer.

"Mh, well you see Estel, first, you drink your tea without complaining." Elladan stuck out his right forefinger to count off his points of argument.

Aragorn grimaced, "Thought it was juice."

"Second, you confuse me for Elrohir."

"Mortal eyesight."

"Third, you slept nearly a whole day and night."

"Was tired off your bickering."

"And last but not least, you have not even once given use your 'I am annoyed at your constant mothering' look."

"I gave up on you ever stopping your mother hen attitudes."

Elladan gave Aragorn a mock hurt look, and the two off them stared at each other for a long moment, both trying hard not to laugh; Elladan because he did not want to be the first to break his façade, and Aragorn because he knew that it would annoy his brother if Elladan would be the first to laugh.

Both their plans were screwed as a soft snicker came from the other side of the fire. Glancing sideways, Aragorn saw how Legolas had clamped a hand over his mouth, his eyes screwed shut, and his whole body shaking noiselessly with silent laughter. Another snicker escaped from behind his hand.

"Legolas, you are not helping matters." Aragorn grumbled.

It was all the elf needed to lose his self control, and soon he was holding his sides laughing so hard, that Aragorn and the twins readily joined him in his merriness. Indeed, it did feel good to have a moment of happiness, no matter how short it was, or ill timed.

When the merry sniggers and chuckles died down, Aragorn gasped for breath, his ribs and lungs hurting fiercely; but he did not regret it. He felt more at ease now, and his tiredness had made place for complete wakefulness. Feeling ready to start the day and get on the road again, he got slowly and painfully to his feet, trying to put almost no pressure on his injured leg.

Which was hopeless of course. He swayed and would have fallen to the ground, but strong arms wrapped around his uninjured upper arm, steadying him and holding him upright. Nodding his thanks to Legolas, Aragorn took a deep breath to fight the pain that had erupted in his whole body, and then slowly made his way over to the river with Legolas's help.

The twins cleared away the camp; they extinguished the fire and shattered the ashes, they packed their bags and readied the horses for another long day of riding.

Having reached the stream, Legolas gently lowered Aragorn to the ground again, and then handed him a clean piece of cloth. He helped Aragorn wash his face, neck, hands and arms, and also cleaned as much of the dark and unruly hair as was possible without wetting the hair completely. To catch a chill would be no good for Aragorn right now, and riding with wet hair in cold weather like this would only encourage the fever to return with new vengeance.

After shaving and donning a fresh tunic, the last clean tunic that Aragorn had in his pack to be precise, Legolas attempted to comb his friend's hair. They had to pass the time until the twins had broken camp, and he only knew too well from his own experience how one felt after having had a night like Aragorn's. A clean body and combed hair worked sometimes wonders.

But still, Legolas had to grin as the comb got stuck in the tangled knots that Aragorn called hair, and after some minutes of rather fruitless tugging and plucking, he simply took some of the dark strands and braided them quickly, so that they would not fall into Aragorn's face. The hair was a bit too short for real elvish braiding, but it looked decent and would serve its purpose.

The fresh water revived Aragorn even more as the laughing had done, and as soon as the twins had finished packing, Legolas helped him to the horses and then into the saddle in front of Elrohir. As Elladan had rode with Aragorn the last days, it was now Elrohir's turn, while Elladan would guide Dagnir's horse. Legolas was to ride at the front, scouting and making sure that the road was safe and obstacle free. The humans' horses would follow them, carrying most of the provisions, as they had no riders.

Settling as comfortable as possible on the horse, and gently replacing Elrohir's supportive hand a bit higher up on his chest to keep it away from his broken ribs, Aragorn cast a quick look at Dagnir. The man was still gagged and bound, but somehow that did not stop Aragorn from feeling threatened by him.

In the last few days, and especially after Legolas apple attack, the menacing figure of Dagnir had hovered somewhere in the back of Aragorn's mind; always present, but nothing but a shadow. Only now he realized that his brothers and Legolas had truly made a good job in keeping Dagnir away and out of his sight. It seemed the old human saying "What you cannot see, seldom bothers you" was right after all.

The attack of the poison had changed that, though. As a ranger, Aragorn was used to injuries, and he could deal with the pain or at least bear it. But the poison, which attacked without warning, scared him. Perhaps it was because he never knew when it would attack, although the time span was roughly four days, as they had found out. Four days, three more days and the poison would most likely strike again…

Giving his head a curt shake, Aragorn forced the thought away. It would not do to think about that now. And deep inside, Aragorn knew that he was not so scared of the venom because he did not know when it would attack next. No, it was rather its whole unpredictability.

To feel your body react to something that you could not understand, that could kill you in a heartbeat or turn you into a crying, slobbering, hurting or whining thing at will, that was what made the poison so scary. What if the next stage of the poison made them hallucinate and attack each other? What if it muddled his senses and mind, turning him into a crazy maniac?

A small shudder raced through Aragorn body, and he felt Elrohir strengthen his hold on him, and then wrapping his cloak tighter around his shoulders to staff off the cold. Little could Elrohir know that the cold Aragorn was feeling was not coming from the outside…

A soft snort of a horse lifted Aragorn out of his dark thoughts and, thankful for the diversion, he looked to the left. Legolas guided his horse beside Elrohir's and nodded, "I think we are ready and can move out. If the weather holds, we should make good progress."

"Aye, Elladan? Are you ready as well?" Elrohir asked over his shoulder.

Now, with Legolas so close and at eye level, and without the struggle to keep on his feet, Aragorn for the first time noticed the small bruise that marred Legolas right temple. Frowning, Aragorn said surprised,

"Legolas, what happened? Where did you get that bruise?"

For the tiniest of moments, Legolas's eyes widened, but then he gave his friend a small smile and Aragorn could tell that Legolas was going to tell him a well prepared lie.

"Oh that. I was collecting some firewood yesterday and I overlooked a low hanging branch in the dark. Do not worry, it is nothing."

Aragorn knew that Legolas was lying. He always, or at least most times, knew. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, Elrohir spoke up, "Shall we?" And without waiting for the others, he spurred his horse on.

Legolas quickly sped to the front of the group and Elladan stayed in the back. Confused and slightly irritated at his brother's behaviour, Aragorn asked lowly, "Ro? What truly happened?"

"It is as he says, Estel. Now rest, we have a long day before us."

And with that, Elrohir pressed Aragorn gently against his strong chest, so that he could rest without straining his numerous injuries. Releasing the air he had been holding in a long suffering sigh of defeat, Aragorn settled back. But he had not given up, and he would find out what had truly happened while he had been sleeping. If his brothers and Legolas wanted to hide something from him, fine, but that did not mean that he would give up without a fight.

And when the small party left the clearing beside the river and once more rode under the leafless branches of the high trees, Aragorn wondered whether he had only imagined the bruises on Dagnir's face, when he had given him the quick glance.

--oOo--

The day passed uneventful, and in the evening they settled down near some old oaks, lit a small fire and spent the night under the protection of the trees. The ride exhausted Aragorn more than he cared to admit, and he feel asleep almost immediately after finishing his food.

The elves made sure that Dagnir was cared for as well, tended the horses and then set up watches to make sure that nothing threatened them during the night. Dark clouds gathered in the sky, and when the moon rose behind the bare trees, its light showed them that the clouds would bring the first snow. Then, the clouds hid the moon, and stillness came with the darkness.

Despite the darkness that was surely inviting to predators of all kinds, nothing stirred in the forest surrounding them beside some owls and mice, and when morning dawned cold and misty, the small group packed away their belongings and set out towards Imladris.

This day, Elladan rode with Aragorn, Elrohir led Dagnir's horse and Legolas once more scouted the road, claiming that he was the only one who was uninjured and therefore able to react prompter should a threat arise.

Around midday they stopped near some clusters of rocks to rest the horses and eat some food, and then headed out again. To his own surprise, Aragorn began to hate the times they would stop for rest. It was not that he wished to stay on the horse all day, with one of his brothers behind him to make sure he would not fall off, but after a few hours in the saddle, his various hurts began to grow numb. He still felt them when the horse shifted under him or he himself moved, but that was nothing in comparison to the times they stopped for rest.

Because then, he was ripped out of his stupor and thoughts, back to the world of the living. Dismounting the horse with stiff limbs was excruciatingly painful and difficult; his shoulder would scream at him furiously, his knee would neither bend nor support his weight and his broken ribs would give him a hard time breathing.

And then, he would sit on the ground or some log or rock and massage his aching limb back to relative smoothness, only to then mount the horse again and begin the circle all over again. The first hour after the rest was almost as painful as the first hour in the evening after dismounting, and with ever step the horse took Aragorn wished to get down from the horse.

But, he never said a word. When the time came to dismount for rest and food, he clenched his teeth and let his brothers or Legolas help him dismount; he did not complain when his muscles cramped or his vision blurred, nor did he show openly how painful it was for him to get up on the horse again.

What reason was there to burden his brothers and Legolas with this? Aragorn knew they all felt bad enough, and he did not wish to add to their unease. So, he bore the hours of riding and resting stoically, the thought that they would reach Imladris in two to three days giving him the strength he needed.

On the evening of the second day after they left the river behind them, they entered a part of the forest that consisted of mostly firs. The dry needles of the firslittered the forest ground, swallowing the horses' steps.

The air scented fresh despite the bare trees, and the stillness of the gloaming was only interrupted by the snorting of the horses and the occasional snap of a twig. Pines grew here as well, and they towered over the riders like protecting sentinels, shadowing them and giving them all the feeling of unimportantness.

As they were only a few days travel away from the hidden valley, they all knew this area relatively well, and therefore the twins had opted to ride through dusk to reach the shelter of some old ruins that stood in this forest since the beginning of the Third Age.

None of them had disagreed, and so they rode on through the dusk, the sky growing darker and the air colder. Aragorn could feel the first chill of snow in the air, and for the first time that day he wished to dismount and instead sit close to a warm fire, with some hot tea and perhaps one of Legolas's stories of Mirkwood's spiders to keep his mind off the pain in his body.

The cold of the day had settled in Aragorn's limbs, despite his best efforts, and he knew that dismounting the horse would be difficult. Already his legs were practically numb, and his hands had problems holding onto the saddle's pommel. So far, Elladan seemed to not have noticed his brother's discomfort, and Aragorn was at least glad to have spared his brother that particular worry. After all, he would find out as soon as they reached the ruins.

Knowing that he would not see much in the growing darkness, Aragorn let his head rest on Elladan's strong shoulder and closed his eyes. He was tired, no question, and Elladan would not mind if he rested until they reached their campsite.

Suddenly, Aragorn felt Elladan stiffen behind him, and for a second he thought his brother was indeed bothered by his movement, but then the whispered words of Legolas reached his ears, "Daro!"

Opening his eyes, Aragorn could just make out the form of Legolas, who had stopped his horse only a few yards in front of Elladan's, his right hand lifted in the universal gesture to stop. His head was tilted to the side, and he seemed to listen carefully.

Elladan stopped his horse, as well as Elrohir, and both looked at their friend questioningly. Just as Aragorn felt Elladan take a breath to speak, Legolas spoke again, "Sedho! I hear something coming."

Legolas reached towards his back and took off his bow and nocked an arrow, before he tilted his head to the other side to listen. A few moments passed in which none of them spoke, but then Elrohir asked softly, "Yrch?"

"No, I do no think so. The trees are not speaking of the foul beasts, although I cannot be sure, for most of the trees here are already sleepy with winter."

Aragorn could not help the sinking feeling in his stomach, and without his conscious thought his hand moved to his side, where his sword should have been. He cursed silently under his breath as his hand met only thin air. His brothers had taken the sword and his other weapons back from Dagnir, but with his injured shoulder, knee and broken ribs, they had deemed it wiser if he did not carry the heavy sword, but only a hunting dagger in a sheath at his other side.

Of course the twins were right with that, the weight of the sword would have aggravated his injuries and made riding with his brothers difficult and unpleasant, but still, Aragorn wished he had his trusted sword ready.

Then, Elladan whispered into his ear, "Do not worry, Estel. I will protect you should we be attacked. Just stay on the horse, or if you have to dismount, stay close to me."

Aragorn nodded, somewhat relieved, but that did not help the feeling of foreboding that settled over his senses. What could be in these woods so close to the borders of Imladris? The border patrols usually drove the wolves out of this area, and Legolas had said it were no orcs…

The horse shifted nervously under them, and then the steed began to paw his hoof agitatedly into the ground. Patting the animal absently, Aragorn tried to hear what Legolas was sensing, but besides the wind rattling the branches and the nervous snorting of the horses, he heard nothing.

Elrohir rode up beside them, holding the rope that secured Dagnir's horse to his own in the one hand, and his sword in the other, as the elvish horse he rode obeyed his spoken commands loyally.

Exchanging a quick look with his twin, Elrohir directed his horse to the left, while Elladan moved his own a bit to the right, with Legolas in the middle and at the front. This way, they would be prepared for an attack from all sides. The humans' horses stayed somewhat in the back, pawing the ground nervously and flicking their ears. Whatever was in these woods, the horses sensed it as well.

A few long moments passed, and Aragorn could tell that Elrohir had increasingly difficulty controlling the horse Dagnir was riding. While the elvish horses snorted nervously but obeyed their masters, the horses of the humans neighed frightened and tried to break loose.

Feeling the unease of his own horse, Legolas chanced a quick look over his shoulder, and advised softly, "No diriel! Whatever it is, it is coming closer."

Aragorn gripped the handle of his hunting dagger tightly, while he felt Elladan tense behind him. The wind rustled the dry leaves and needles on the ground, blowing into their backs. And then, the wind suddenly changed direction and blew into their faces.

Almost instantly, all hell broke loose. The humans' horses neighed frightened, swishing their tales in fear; they reared and pulled at the ropes that secured them to Elrohir's horse, making the younger twin drop his sword and grip his horse's main tightly to stay atop.

Legolas and Elladan's steeds snorted agitatedly as well, sidestepping and clearly scared. While Legolas had little difficulty calming his horse, Elladan needed all his strength of will to calm his own. The horse was flicking its ears, eyes rolling in its sockets, hooves dancing over the ground. With two riders, the horse felt hampered, and its instincts told it clearly to flee and not to fight.

And then, just as Elladan thought he had controlled his horse, a loud growl reached their ears, and then the even louder roar of…a bear!

The moment the animal broke through the bushes in front of Legolas's horse, the horse reared, throwing Legolas to the ground. Legolas rolled to the side, avoiding the flying hooves with difficulty, and then jumped to his feet, bow raised and ready to shoot.

For a second he stared directly into the eyes of the huge black bear, and then the animal growled once more and vanished into the darkness. But Legolas could still hear it; the bear moved to the right, silent but not silent enough to escape the excellent hearing of an elf.

For a fleeting moment Legolas wondered why the animal was showing itself; bears were usually aware of elves or humans long before the elves or humans sensed the bear, and encounters were rare. Bears were shy and tried to avoid meetings with other creatures at all costs.

Unless they were protecting food or their young.

Before Legolas could follow that train of thought any further, he heard the bear growl once more, and his heart jumped into his throat. His eyes widened, and he aimed at the animal, but…too late.

With mounting horror, he had to watch helplessly as the bear broke through the underbrush right next to Elladan and Aragorn.

A bear! Aragorn could not believe their rotten luck. Of all animals that they could encounter in a forest, it had to be a potentially dangerous black bear. He saw how Legolas was thrown off his horse, but he was relived to see his friend regain his footing almost immediately. The bear vanished from sight, and in the darkness Aragorn could not see where it was going.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Elrohir struggling with his own and Dagnir's horse, and knew that the younger twin would not be able to join in the fight, should it proof necessary to battle with the bear. The other horses were still neighing frightened, and it seemed only a matter of time before the three horses shook off the restraining ropes and broke free.

Just as Aragorn began to ask himself why the bear had shown itself at all, a deep growl came from his right. Their horse neighed afraid and in the next moment the steed reared, its front hooves pounding the air.

Aragorn felt himself sliding backwards, and he frantically grabbed for the pommel of the saddle to keep himself on the horse. Elladan yelled something that he could not understand, and when the horse's hooves crashed to the ground the next second, such a fierce pain shot through his broken ribs that tiny stars appeared in his line of vision. His heart raced, but before Aragorn had time to settled himself securely on the horse once more, the animal reared again.

Aragorn felt his brother loose his grip on him and slide from the horse, and the next moment he felt himself slide to the side, and then the stomach turning sensation of falling. With a breathtaking thud he landed on the hard and frozen ground himself, ears ringing and blood rushing to his head.

The crash drove the air out of his lungs, and his shoulder and chest were aflame with hot pain. Dimly Aragorn was aware that Elladan was yelling at him, and that the horse had taken off into the woods, but his body would not obey his commands, and so he could do nothing else but lay on his back on the cold ground, watching how the huge bear came closer and closer.

The dagger he had carried had been knocked from his hands, and Aragorn knew that he would stand no chance against a bear. Already he could see the five un-retractable claws on the paws of the beast, and the eyes of the bear glimmered dangerously.

Another loud roar filled the air, but before the bear could come any closer, a tall form positioned itself in front of Aragorn, sword in one hand, knife in the other. Elladan shot his brother a quick look over his shoulder, and then focused his attention on the bear in front of him.

Oh, he would not let his brother get hurt. First, this bear had to get through him.

Slowly, Aragorn regained some control over his body. Groaning in pain, he lifted his upper body off the ground and onto his elbows, and then pulled his legs up under his body. He needed to help Elladan, he had to get up!

And then suddenly, strong hands were placed behind his back, and in the next moment he was lifted onto his feet. A strong hand around his upper arm steadied him, and Aragorn looked up to see Legolas stand beside him.

Nodding his thanks quickly, Aragorn looked back towards Elladan. The elf was standing protectively in front of him, facing the bear, which had taken to a clockwise movement between the trees. The bear was still growling and roaring from time to time, but it was not coming any closer.

Slowly, Elladan backed away from the bear, as did Aragorn with Legolas's help. They all knew the bear could attack them any moment, but the backing away from a bear was the best thing one could do in situation such as this.

But, as it seemed nobody had told the bear this wisdom. As soon as Elladan moved, the bear growled deep inside its throat, and then suddenly advanced. Its huge paws dug into the ground, it lowered its head menacingly, and then charged.

Elladan had barely enough time to jump to the side, and Legolas had no other choice but to pull Aragorn to the side, when he was not able to move out of the bear's path fast enough. Grimacing and hissing in pain, Aragorn stumbled, but Legolas held him upright, and when the bear had passed them, Legolas pushed Aragorn behind his body to protect him.

The bear growled and then moved around, ignoring Elrohir and Dagnir completely, but then it saw the other horses and roared even louder. It was all the scared horses needed to finally break free.

Neighing and stomping the ground, the animals broke free from Elrohir's hold, and then tried to escape the threat. One of the horses simply ran away into the darkness, but the other two seemed confused and panicked. With rolling eyes, they suddenly charged away, but not into the forest, no…right at Legolas and Aragorn.

The horses made a huge arch around the bear, seeking to escape the beast, but that brought them directly into the line of the two friends.

While Elladan watched in horror, the two horses ran straight for Legolas and Aragorn, who could not escape the running steeds due to Aragorn's many injuries and the close proximity of the still growling bear.

For Legolas, everything happened so fast that he did not even think about what he was doing. And had he thought about it, he would have done the same. In one fluid motion he turned around, shoved Aragorn to the ground, and then covered him with his own body, holding his strong arms protectively over his friend's head.

In the next second, he felt the first panicked horse run over them, the hooves letting the dry needles fly into the air, and the ground trembling. One of the hooves barely missed Legolas's leg, and the elf curled around the human more tightly to protect him from the heavy animals.

The second horse neighed frightened and then Legolas felt the earth shake under him as the steed approached, and then ran across them. Suddenly, a breathtaking pain erupted from his right shoulder, and in an instant Legolas knew that the horse had hit him, had trampled him and Aragorn under its hooves.

For a moment, Legolas could not breathe as the pain spread through his body, but he did not move, and the next moment he felt the horse move on. The earth stilled, and all was quiet besides his own blood rushing in his ears and the frantic yells of both twins.

Lifting his head, Legolas grimaced in pain as his shoulder protested the movement, but there was not time to rest. Scrambling to his knees, Legolas shot a quick look over his shoulder, saw that the bear was still close, and then more dragged than helped Aragorn to his feet. The man swayed a moment and groaned in obvious pain, but Legolas ignored Aragorn's discomfort as well as his own, and quickly helped his friend behind a huge tree.

Pressing Aragorn against the rough bark and holding his friend upright with his own body, Legolas glanced around the tree. Elrohir was still atop his horse, trying to calm his steed and at the same time hindering Dagnir from escaping, while Elladan shouted at the bear to divert its attention away from Legolas and Aragorn.

When it did not work and the bear roared, barring sharp teeth, and then advanced at the tree Legolas and Aragorn were hiding behind, Elladan took up a stone from the ground and threw it at the bear. The stone bounced off the thick fur, but the bear did not even show that it had noticed it.

/Why is the bear attacking us at all? And why us especially/

Looking around frantically for a means of escape, Legolas eyes suddenly lightened on something brown and shady under some bushes to his right. Looking closer, he saw that whatever it was, it was moving.

And then it hit him! Of course! Some bears in this region were known to bear cubs in winter; obviously they had accidentally stumbled upon a mother and her cubs. And that was the reason the bear had attacked them and was now trying to fight Legolas. They were not only threatening the bear, but her cubs as well; every animal would attack an intruder in a situation such as this one.

Taking a deep breath and trying to ignore the sharp pain in his shoulder, Legolas slowly pulled a very pale Aragorn close to his chest, and then began to back away from the tree and towards the bushes to his left. Perhaps if he could bring some distance between them and the cubs, perhaps the bear would leave them alone.

After some steps, Legolas felt how Aragorn tried to support his own weight, but the man was in far too much pain to be able to stand firmly on his own feet, and Legolas tightened his grip on his friend. They made some more steps away from the bear, and the animal stopped close to the tree they had been hiding behind.

Taking another deep and calming breath, Legolas manoeuvred himself and Aragorn towards the position of the twins, his eyes never leaving the beast. The bear gave another growl and then strolled into the bushes, its black fur mingling with the darkness. A few moments later, the bear had vanished in the forest, and Legolas sighed in relief. The danger had not passed completely, but as long as they did not near the bear and her cubs again, they should be relatively safe.

As if the disappearance of the bear had broken the spell, the pain in his shoulder suddenly intensified, and he gasped, stumbled and would have fallen, had Elladan not grabbed his arm and steadied him and Aragorn.

"Easy, Legolas, easy."

By now, Elrohir had managed to calm the two remaining horses down. He dismounted quickly, wrapped the reins around some tree, and rushed over towards them.

"Are you all right? Is anyone injured?"

Elladan shook his head to show his twin that he was all right, but then he gestured at Legolas, "The horses trampled him and Estel. I do not know how bad it is."

Aragorn, now more surefooted that he was not forced to walk, freed himself from Legolas's grip and turned around to face his friend. Legolas looked pale; needles and dirt clung to his clothing and hair, a scratch on his cheek indicated that he had indeed fallen from his horse.

"You saved my life, Legolas. Again. I do not know how I can…"

"No need, Estel. You would have done the same."

Aragorn gave him a small lopsided grin, and then stepped closer to take a better look at Legolas shoulder. They could all see that Legolas was in pain; his face was paler than usual, sweat stood on his brow, and he held his arm protectively pressed against his chest, now that he was no longer supporting Aragorn.

But Aragorn was not fit himself, and the moment he took his step, his leg bucked under him and he would have fallen to the ground, had Elrohir not wrapped his arms around his middle to catch him.

"Oh no, Estel, take it easy. We will take care of Legolas while you rest."

"Elrohir, I…" But his protest was cut short when Elladan gave him such a fierce look from behind Legolas, that Aragorn shut his mouth mid-sentence.

With that settled, Elrohir and Elladan steered Legolas and Aragorn to where Elrohir had left the horses. Helping Aragorn to sit down on a fallen log, Elrohir examined him quickly for new injuries, and then helped Elladan with Legolas.

"Dan really, it is not that bad. I just sprained my shoulder a bit, really."

Elladan snorted, "If you call that sprained, then what does a broken shoulder blade look to you?"

Legolas was spared an answer, as Elrohir used that moment to step up to them, "How bad is it, Dan?"

"It is broken. A clean break from what I can feel, but broken nevertheless."

Legolas sighed, and then stared at the ground in defeat while the twins prodded and poked his exposed shoulder. Not only that it hurt, but it hurt fiercely. Every time one of the twins touched his shoulder, a jolt of hot pain raced down his side and arm, making him clench his teeth to keep quiet.

Valar, it hurt. After what seemed like an eternity, Elrohir stated, "Aye, definitely broken. Legolas, you will not be able to use that arm for quite some time. The bone will need time to heal. But I am sure as soon as we are home, ada will be able to give you something to heal faster.

"Alas, for now we can only bind your shoulder, strap your arm to your chest so as to make sure that you won't aggravate the injury, and give you something for the pain."

Another sigh escaped Legolas lips, but he had known that his shoulder was broken the moment he had felt the horse trample him. To hear it now from the twins, made him only feel worse.

Lifting his head and flinching at the pain the movement caused, he looked around. "With what do you want to bind it? Our provisions have just run away."

Elrohir stared at him for a moment or two, and then cursed softly under his breath. Of course! They had loaded their provisions, or most of them, onto the humans' horses to relief their own. They all knew there was no way they would be able to catch the horses; they would be long gone by now.

Looking around the area, Elrohir saw Elladan's horse stand between the high trees, almost lost in the darkness that had settled; the horse had returned after it ran away, but Legolas horse was nowhere to be seen.

"This trip is getting better and better." Elrohir murmured, before he simply took out his knife and began to cut his cloak into long strips. With them they bound Legolas injured shoulder, secured his arm to his chest, and then cleaned the various scratches they had all received.

When they finally helped Aragorn onto Elrohir's horse and Legolas mounted Elladan's, night had fallen completely, the moon veiled behind thick grey clouds.

"And now?" Elladan asked.

Elrohir sighed wearily, "I think we should make for the ruins and rest there for the night. Perhaps tomorrow we find some sign of Legolas's horse and can retrieve it, but there is nothing we can do tonight."

And with that, they set out into the night, Aragorn and Legolas riding, while the twins guided the horses through the dark forest. They gave the thicket into which the bear had vanished a wide berth, and it took them nearly two more hours to reach the ruins.

Exhausted, in pain and quite depressed at the moment, they set up camp and waited for the night to pass. Aragorn and Legolas soon fell asleep beside each other, but the twins sat for many long hours, staring into the night and wondering how they should ever make it alive towards Imladris, now that they had neither enough horses, nor provisions.

Tbc…

So, what do you think? Do you like it? I would love to know. I will try and post the next chapter next friday, but I am visiting some friends next weekend, and I do not know whether there will be time to do so. But I'll try. Promise! And...reviews make me post faster. ;)