Author's Note: Hi everyone! Sorry once again for how long this has taken
to get out. I found myself with a few minutes today and decided to finish
off the last of this chapter. It's been a work in progress for about four
months sorry! Junior year of college is far more complicated than
I had anticipated. I have been carefully reviewing this story and I love
it, but I have decided to end it. I promise one more chapter to wrap the
story up. When I have a bit more time I want to continue on with this as
sort of a series. I had plans all along to make this like that, but when I
realized just how many chapters I was at, I thought maybe I should stop!
So hopefully I will be getting out the last chapter fairly soon - I have a
week's break coming up and maybe I can do it then :) But here you go, I
hope you enjoy this and tell me what you think!
~ Lady Winter
I AM FAR BETTER COMPANY THAN YOUR CONIVING BROTHERS
The mists were slowly fading from Aragorn's mind. It was a pleasant feeling. He had been recently used to waking up to pain or the quaking of his body and this new change was more than refreshing. Before he opened his eyes, he focused all of his senses on the world around him. He could smell the fire burning hungrily at last season's wood as well as the scent of the light breeze that whispered into the room. He could hear the fire as well as the slight rustle of the curtains that no doubt led to a balcony, which the Ranger in him rationalized to mean he was not on the ground floor. Aragorn's body was warm and had seemed to sink down into the bedding which formed around his body in a cushion of comfort. Warm as he was, the fine elven silk that the bed coverings were made of allowed his body to breathe so that it was not hot. Listening carefully he could hear a person shift almost soundlessly, and he detected soft, even breaths coming from the side of his bed.
"I know you are there, Legolas," he said quietly in elvish and was pleased to hear the elf jump slightly in surprised. He opened on eye just a crack to look at the Prince who was glaring at the Ranger without any attempt to mask his annoyance.
"You are the most infuriating Man I have ever had the displeasure of meeting. I can clearly see that Elladan and Elrohir had a very negative influence on you," growled the Prince, still clearly irritated that Aragorn had again caught him off guard.
Aragorn could not help but smile, enjoying the feeling of safety and familiarity he felt in Legolas' presence. The thought of his brothers was a good one and he could not help but be amused at Legolas' annoyance.
"You sound like Ada," Aragorn finally replied, grinning. How he missed his father even though it had been such a short time ago that he had seen Elrond.
"The Eldar save me if that is true." Legolas was frowning as he looked at the young Man before him.
"Dare you tarnish the name and thought of Lord Elrond?" Aragorn questioned, raising a brow curiously, which strangely enough gave him the likeness of the elf in question. Legolas' face reddened slightly at the serious look on Aragorn's face.
"Don't bait me so, Estel. You've obviously been sleeping too long," the Prince responded to avoid giving the young Ranger the upper hand.
"How long have I been asleep? Through the night?" Aragorn asked, unable to keep himself from yawning, reminding Legolas of an elfling. Aragorn was trying to figure out just how long he had been asleep, but he was quite confused from all the fading in and out of a distrustful sleep.
Legolas chuckled before answering, causing Aragorn to look at him in surprise. "The night Estel? You have been fighting a fever for a week."
"A week?!?" Aragorn shot up in bed, immediately regretting the action because of the burning complaints his body was faced with when he tugged unmercifully on the nearly-healed stitches. He hissed in pain as Legolas reached out in concern to steady the impulsive man. "Where are my men?" he finally managed to ask. Concern was evident in his silver eyes as he contemplated what could have come to pass while he had fought the darkness of the fever.
"Do not worry, mellon nin," Legolas hurried to assure him and Aragorn searched the elven-archer's eyes for some clue. He was afraid of the answer, but found that he trusted the elf almost implicitly. "They have departed, excepting Lancen and Cressen, to take word of you to Halbarad before he decided to come looking for you himself."
"Lancen and Cressen are here alone?" Instantly, Aragorn wondered about the wisdom of that decision. Of all the Rangers, Cressen was the only one he most feared for there in Mirkwood. Why had he not been awake to keep his eye on Cressen? Once again, Aragorn felt the weakness of something he could not control, but he desperately wanted to control it.
"You will not stay as young as you are if you worry as much as you do. They are very safe. My father has let the matter drop and all of us, including your Rangers, agreed that Cressen might be of more help here with some healing knowledge, in case we did not know enough of the health of Men."
Aragorn frowned, but nodded, pleased that he truly did trust Legolas. The elf was a pleasant surprise to him. Of course, he had always been more than comfortable with elves, but he knew wood elves were some of the most disagreeable elves there were. Legolas was little like his kin.
Switching his thoughts back to the situation at hand, Aragorn mustered a smile and glanced down for the first time at his carefully wrapped arm. A tendril of fear crept through him. How serious had the injury truly been? What if he could no longer use his arm? As if reading Aragorn's thoughts, Legolas suddenly spoke.
"The healers say you should make a full recovery. Father set the bone well. Perhaps even Lord Elrond would even be impressed. However," he paused and Aragorn could feel his own face contort with fear of what the Prince would say. "However, I was told that you must promise to rest or the healing will take far longer than anticipated," the Prince grinned, clearly pleased that he felt he had for once surprised the Ranger as opposed to the other way around.
Aragorn tried to frown at him, but could not and found himself letting out a deep breath that he had not known he was holding. "I promise. After this journey, I am ready for a bit of rest, though I must admit Mirkwood is not my preferential resting place."
Legolas tried to look offended, but in a way that only elves could, he failed. "I know that we are not exactly like Imladris, but you must admit that I am far better company than your conniving brothers," he said with marked contempt for the twin sons of Elrond. Aragorn smiled openly now, happy at any mention of his beloved family.
"Were it that we were in the House of Elrond I would have you reprimanded for such a remark, but since we are in the House of Thranduil, I will confess that you have much truth to what you say," he said quietly in an amused fashion, shifting on the bed, and yawning tiredly.
"Rest, my friend, and when you are better we will walk these halls and I will show you all of the places the King would never allow any previous Man to venture. And you will heal, and we will train together. Perhaps we may even teach your two young Rangers as well."
Aragorn blinked at the elf, pleased with how Legolas had seemed to plan out his next few weeks. He felt relieved. Perhaps it was time to stop thinking of the destiny he did not want and be the young man he was - like he was with Elladan and Elrohir.
"I would like that Legolas."
And so they did as the Prince said. Days passed and Aragorn began to heal. He was pleased with the progress of the bones as they knit together to form a bond stronger than had been there before. Lancen and Cressen relaxed and settled into the Elven Kingdom, and to the surprise of both Legolas and Aragorn, they spent much time with Thranduil. The King, in a manner very uncharacteristic of him, seemed delighted in the two young Men and sought to teach them Elven discipline and to teach them of the mysteries of Mirkwood. Aragorn would look back later and be pleased at this development, for when he was widely recognized as Captain of the Dunedain, well on towards his sixtieth year, it was these two brothers that liaised with Mirkwood and gained the support of Thranduil.
Aragorn and Legolas spent their time together and Legolas was honored with being able to see the juvenile young Man that Estel truly was when not wearing the serious mantle of Ranger Captain and prodigy to the throne of Gondor. Legolas was pleased to find him with good humor, a sense of mischievousness and an unending brash sense of adventure. In turn, Aragorn found that Legolas was much more than the loyal Prince of Mirkwood, but a friend to be trusted and respected. They trained together as Aragorn healed and it was in these weeks that their fighting skills attuned to one another, making them formidable opponents, especially together.
However, time could not stand still. Halbarad, though assuaged by the return of Aragorn's men, would not be satisfied until he saw the Ranger that was in his charge. And when he arrived in Mirkwood, he did not arrive alone.
~ Lady Winter
I AM FAR BETTER COMPANY THAN YOUR CONIVING BROTHERS
The mists were slowly fading from Aragorn's mind. It was a pleasant feeling. He had been recently used to waking up to pain or the quaking of his body and this new change was more than refreshing. Before he opened his eyes, he focused all of his senses on the world around him. He could smell the fire burning hungrily at last season's wood as well as the scent of the light breeze that whispered into the room. He could hear the fire as well as the slight rustle of the curtains that no doubt led to a balcony, which the Ranger in him rationalized to mean he was not on the ground floor. Aragorn's body was warm and had seemed to sink down into the bedding which formed around his body in a cushion of comfort. Warm as he was, the fine elven silk that the bed coverings were made of allowed his body to breathe so that it was not hot. Listening carefully he could hear a person shift almost soundlessly, and he detected soft, even breaths coming from the side of his bed.
"I know you are there, Legolas," he said quietly in elvish and was pleased to hear the elf jump slightly in surprised. He opened on eye just a crack to look at the Prince who was glaring at the Ranger without any attempt to mask his annoyance.
"You are the most infuriating Man I have ever had the displeasure of meeting. I can clearly see that Elladan and Elrohir had a very negative influence on you," growled the Prince, still clearly irritated that Aragorn had again caught him off guard.
Aragorn could not help but smile, enjoying the feeling of safety and familiarity he felt in Legolas' presence. The thought of his brothers was a good one and he could not help but be amused at Legolas' annoyance.
"You sound like Ada," Aragorn finally replied, grinning. How he missed his father even though it had been such a short time ago that he had seen Elrond.
"The Eldar save me if that is true." Legolas was frowning as he looked at the young Man before him.
"Dare you tarnish the name and thought of Lord Elrond?" Aragorn questioned, raising a brow curiously, which strangely enough gave him the likeness of the elf in question. Legolas' face reddened slightly at the serious look on Aragorn's face.
"Don't bait me so, Estel. You've obviously been sleeping too long," the Prince responded to avoid giving the young Ranger the upper hand.
"How long have I been asleep? Through the night?" Aragorn asked, unable to keep himself from yawning, reminding Legolas of an elfling. Aragorn was trying to figure out just how long he had been asleep, but he was quite confused from all the fading in and out of a distrustful sleep.
Legolas chuckled before answering, causing Aragorn to look at him in surprise. "The night Estel? You have been fighting a fever for a week."
"A week?!?" Aragorn shot up in bed, immediately regretting the action because of the burning complaints his body was faced with when he tugged unmercifully on the nearly-healed stitches. He hissed in pain as Legolas reached out in concern to steady the impulsive man. "Where are my men?" he finally managed to ask. Concern was evident in his silver eyes as he contemplated what could have come to pass while he had fought the darkness of the fever.
"Do not worry, mellon nin," Legolas hurried to assure him and Aragorn searched the elven-archer's eyes for some clue. He was afraid of the answer, but found that he trusted the elf almost implicitly. "They have departed, excepting Lancen and Cressen, to take word of you to Halbarad before he decided to come looking for you himself."
"Lancen and Cressen are here alone?" Instantly, Aragorn wondered about the wisdom of that decision. Of all the Rangers, Cressen was the only one he most feared for there in Mirkwood. Why had he not been awake to keep his eye on Cressen? Once again, Aragorn felt the weakness of something he could not control, but he desperately wanted to control it.
"You will not stay as young as you are if you worry as much as you do. They are very safe. My father has let the matter drop and all of us, including your Rangers, agreed that Cressen might be of more help here with some healing knowledge, in case we did not know enough of the health of Men."
Aragorn frowned, but nodded, pleased that he truly did trust Legolas. The elf was a pleasant surprise to him. Of course, he had always been more than comfortable with elves, but he knew wood elves were some of the most disagreeable elves there were. Legolas was little like his kin.
Switching his thoughts back to the situation at hand, Aragorn mustered a smile and glanced down for the first time at his carefully wrapped arm. A tendril of fear crept through him. How serious had the injury truly been? What if he could no longer use his arm? As if reading Aragorn's thoughts, Legolas suddenly spoke.
"The healers say you should make a full recovery. Father set the bone well. Perhaps even Lord Elrond would even be impressed. However," he paused and Aragorn could feel his own face contort with fear of what the Prince would say. "However, I was told that you must promise to rest or the healing will take far longer than anticipated," the Prince grinned, clearly pleased that he felt he had for once surprised the Ranger as opposed to the other way around.
Aragorn tried to frown at him, but could not and found himself letting out a deep breath that he had not known he was holding. "I promise. After this journey, I am ready for a bit of rest, though I must admit Mirkwood is not my preferential resting place."
Legolas tried to look offended, but in a way that only elves could, he failed. "I know that we are not exactly like Imladris, but you must admit that I am far better company than your conniving brothers," he said with marked contempt for the twin sons of Elrond. Aragorn smiled openly now, happy at any mention of his beloved family.
"Were it that we were in the House of Elrond I would have you reprimanded for such a remark, but since we are in the House of Thranduil, I will confess that you have much truth to what you say," he said quietly in an amused fashion, shifting on the bed, and yawning tiredly.
"Rest, my friend, and when you are better we will walk these halls and I will show you all of the places the King would never allow any previous Man to venture. And you will heal, and we will train together. Perhaps we may even teach your two young Rangers as well."
Aragorn blinked at the elf, pleased with how Legolas had seemed to plan out his next few weeks. He felt relieved. Perhaps it was time to stop thinking of the destiny he did not want and be the young man he was - like he was with Elladan and Elrohir.
"I would like that Legolas."
And so they did as the Prince said. Days passed and Aragorn began to heal. He was pleased with the progress of the bones as they knit together to form a bond stronger than had been there before. Lancen and Cressen relaxed and settled into the Elven Kingdom, and to the surprise of both Legolas and Aragorn, they spent much time with Thranduil. The King, in a manner very uncharacteristic of him, seemed delighted in the two young Men and sought to teach them Elven discipline and to teach them of the mysteries of Mirkwood. Aragorn would look back later and be pleased at this development, for when he was widely recognized as Captain of the Dunedain, well on towards his sixtieth year, it was these two brothers that liaised with Mirkwood and gained the support of Thranduil.
Aragorn and Legolas spent their time together and Legolas was honored with being able to see the juvenile young Man that Estel truly was when not wearing the serious mantle of Ranger Captain and prodigy to the throne of Gondor. Legolas was pleased to find him with good humor, a sense of mischievousness and an unending brash sense of adventure. In turn, Aragorn found that Legolas was much more than the loyal Prince of Mirkwood, but a friend to be trusted and respected. They trained together as Aragorn healed and it was in these weeks that their fighting skills attuned to one another, making them formidable opponents, especially together.
However, time could not stand still. Halbarad, though assuaged by the return of Aragorn's men, would not be satisfied until he saw the Ranger that was in his charge. And when he arrived in Mirkwood, he did not arrive alone.
