Disclaimer: I apologise for the cliffhanger I left you all with for the last two chapters. Anyway, I hope this clears everything up for you and I hope you all enjoy the end of this chapter. I did!

Chapter 26

After stopping for what seemed like the hundredth time since they left the palace, Estel sighed. The two had been travelling for about an hour and all they had found was a dead spider and a set of confusing tracks, first heading in one direction and then in another.

Finally, the dark-haired human's eyes sought out what they had been looking for all along. About fifty feet in front of where the two stood, a body lay. Face-down and unmoving, the Elf lay sprawled among the fallen leaves. Estel did not dare to wait too long, for fear that his mind would try and convince him that the Elf was already dead, or worse, beyond help and destined for a slow death.

"Legolas! Mellon-nin, answer me, open your eyes!" Estel cried as he fell to his knees beside the fallen prince. Reaching for Legolas' wrist, he felt a faint beating beneath his fingers, the only visible sign that the prince still lived.

"Oh no." The Ranger whispered, his blue eyes widening in realisation. "Ada, look."

Elrond's face was soon to don an expression similar to his foster-son's. Estel pointed to Legolas' shoulder. There was a small wound there, but it leaked blood, and it wasn't the normal colour. This was a thick blackish fluid.

The Lord of Rivendell peeled back the prince's tunic, revealing the injury. It was swollen and inflamed. The wound itself was the same size as a pinprick. Unlike most of the other wounds that the Elf had, this was not of Thranduil's doing.

"Spider's poison." Those words sent dread into the hearts of the two leaning over the unconscious prince. "We need to get him back to the palace."

Estel swiftly gathered his ill friend into his arms and they started back. The journey itself was uneventful, with Legolas stirring being the only thing to make them hesitate. For a moment, the Elf looked as if he would wake, but the poison had done its job well, and kept him firmly in its grasp.

With the task of returning to the palace in their minds, Estel and Elrond did not make as many water stops as they had on the way in. Fortunately, the place where Legolas had fallen was not so far from their destination and it took less time than either had expected.

Thranduil stood anxiously at his post at the top of the staircase leading into the palace. But when Elrond and Estel entered the courtyard with Legolas still in the Ranger's arms, the King did not move. A couple of guards rushed toward their King, asking for instructions, but were firmly told to remain as they were.

This as it was, the Elf and human took their patient inside, unaccompanied and headed quickly for Elrond's chamber.

Once there, Estel gently placed his friend on the bed, noting the colour of the Elf's skin. A thin sheen of sweat was visible on Legolas' face and yet he did not feel hot to the touch or have any other sign of fever.

From past experience however, the Ranger knew that with any kind of poison, the symptoms could change very quickly and they would just have to watch the prince.

"Sit him up, Estel. I will have to get this tea into him to delay the effects of the poison." The Lord of Rivendell held a cup in one hand, using the other to steady the Elf's lolling head. Thankfully, the swallowing reflex did its job and even though it took time, the prince did eventually take in all of the tea.

Estel and his foster-father could only look on as the prince began shaking with cold, then sweating in a vicious fever, his tightly closed eyes a sign of just how ill the poison had made the already weakened body.

During these fits of cold and hot, Elrond draped blankets over the Elf and asked Estel to lie beside him, in an attempt to calm the ailing prince and to break the fever. A cold cloth was continually wetted and placed over Legolas' forehead before being removed and soaked again.

The Elf's body was once again wracked with spasms as a wave of cold hit him. The muscles clenched and relaxed over and over, and during one of these, both in the room heard a clatter as something hit the floor.

"The Medallion!" Estel said loudly as he stooped to pick it up. It dangled from its chain as the Ranger held it up in disbelief. The gold caught the light and sent tiny beams across the room.

"Could you go and tell Thranduil that Legolas had retrieved the Medallion and then he can end the challenge for the rest of the competitors." Elrond asked, hoping that this would finally please the King.

Estel did as asked and went straight to find Legolas' father.

"My lord," he said, bowing to the Elven King, "Legolas has retrieved the Medallion, the challenge has ended."

For a few moments, Thranduil looked surprised, but that expression quickly faded as one of the officials walked up.

"I apologise, hir-nin, even though your son found the Medallion, he had help in getting back to the palace and is therefore disqualified. I am sorry." The official looked slightly nervous after saying this.

However, the King nodded and turned away after instructing the guard to blow the horn twice, signalling that the challenge had indeed ended. Estel, feeling angry, also turned and strode back towards where Legolas was being treated.

"He has been disqualified, Ada!" The Ranger cried on entering the chamber. Elrond looked up in disbelief. "He had retrieved the Medallion, but had help in returning to the palace and it has resulted in disqualification."

Outside, however, as the three remaining challengers gathered around, it was announced that the person who found the Medallion had been disqualified after accepting inside help and so the title of Champion would go to the Elf with the highest level of points from previous challenges.

Elves from all three nations gathered round Elladan, who had been declared the new winner.

TBC

Replies:

Joslin: I agree, he has had it tough, but it makes everyone else happy.

orlandochick05: Sorry, I didn't get your review until I had written this chapter so your suggestion isn't included. But hey, it's the thought that counts and thank you so much for contributing your ideas! Hope you like what I did with the situation anyway!

Fluffy's fangirls: Hope I updated quickly enough for you. Lol, thanks for reviewing!

Happyface 72: Well, I'm glad you won't be angry if I hurt him coz I do that quite a lot. As for killing him, I don't think I could even if I wanted to!

kel: I hope that you didn't have too hard a job waiting till I posted my next chapter! I understand how hard it can be. Of course your reviewing is appreciated, it's the second thing I look forward to most. Apart from writing the stuff of course!

The One And Only Skande: I quite liked the thought of a 20lb skittle. But if this chapter doesn't satisfy and I don't get my skittle, then I suppose that the little skittles will just have to do! Anyway, I hope that you enjoy this chapter and I apologise for leaving you hanging – again!

Moonyasha: Fantastic, I think that Thranduil will be a bit chewy/ tough though. Hope that doesn't put Tsume off. Continue munching Elfies. Only bad ones though.

spanishgoddess86: Even though he is badly hurt, I doubt if I will kill him. I also have a good feeling that following chapters will have Leggy even more hurt, hope this is suitable. Lol, thanks for reviewing.