Chapter 41

The time passed, but there was no sign of Legolas. Aragorn kept looking around for his friend, hoping to see him at any moment, but nothing happened. Slowly but surely he became very worried and afraid that something had happened spreading through his heart. They should never have left him alone. Because now they were here, without Legolas and without knowing how he was and how the fight had gone. Gandalf kept guiding them through the narrow, dark corridors, but the further they went, the more nervous the ranger became. He couldn't go! The handsome prince was not there yet, maybe hurt or worse. With this thought, a cold shiver ran down his back. No, Legolas was strong. He was definitely fine. But all these considerations were of no avail. The heir to Gondor became more and more worried and at some point, he couldn't stand it.

"Gandalf, we have to find him!" The group stopped and only now did the concern on the faces of the others become apparent. So he wasn't the only one who worried.

"Aragorn, we can't turn back. That would risk running straight into the orcs' arms. Legolas will find us." But Aragorn was getting angry. No, he would not go out here without his friend.

"What if he's hurt? If he needs our help? I'm not going without him!" The ranger had to swallow hard at the thought of a seriously injured Legolas. Sam nodded firmly.

"Strider is right. Legolas has done so much for us and protected us. We cannot just leave him behind." The wizard sighed but seemed to realize that the ranger would not go without the prince.

"Fine." The ranger immediately turned and ran. He didn't care what he had to do to reach his blonde friend. The man walked back down the hallways they had walked, the fellowship followed. His heart was beating incredibly fast and the fear grew. What kind of picture would he expect? The ranger would not be able to bear if his friend were dead.

Suddenly he saw something. A thin, blonde figure knelt on the floor. Aragorn's heartbeat quickened as he ran toward the being. Relief spread through him. Legolas was alive! But then the man saw something that froze his heart for a moment. The elf's back was covered in blood. Apparently, the many cuts had come up again in the fight. "Legolas," breathed the ranger, kneeling behind his friend. His arms wrapped around the elf's narrow waist and he put his chin on his shoulder. Aragorn could not express how relieved he was to see his friend alive.

"Estel, you should go," said the prince in a soft voice and put a hand over the rangers. The latter closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again and looking at the dead figure in front of them. Eero was dead.

"You did it, my friend." Even without looking, the ranger knew that the archer smiled sadly.

"Yes, I guess I did." Now the handsome warrior also put his second hand over Aragorn's, who was still trying to put his relief into words. "We should go," Gandalf said behind them and the man knew that the wizard was right.

"Can you get up, Legolas?", the healer asked, looking at his friend with concern. His gray eyes wandered over his body and apart from the wounds on the prince's back, he had another deep cut on the arm that needed care. But the elf nodded, although Aragorn noticed that his friend's blue eyes were full of pain. When Legolas got up, he almost collapsed again, but the ranger caught up just in time. The blood loss, the exhaustion, and the pain really had to aggravate him. The Mirkwood elf gave him a thankful smile before he straightened up and the fellowship continued to try to leave this place.