Chapter 6
Pain. That was the first thing Legolas felt when he halfway came to. He didn't know how long it had taken for the pain to overwhelm him and for him to fall into the endless darkness. But just now, the elf wished he could return to it. His back burned like fire, the many stab wounds and cuts on his arms hurt.
The last thing he remembered was the man pulling something from his belt, then a burning pain in his back had exploded. After that everything was black.
The prince knew that he could not move. He was too weak and the pain was too intense. With a tortured, soft sigh, the archer closed his eyes again.
He could only hope that Aragorn would appear soon. Otherwise, he would probably be lost. With this thought the beautiful warrior let himself fall back into the redeeming darkness.
It was already the middle of the night when Aragorn reluctantly decided to take a break. He wanted to continue, but his horse was exhausted and in the darkness, it was almost impossible to see the tracks, even if they were very clear.
So the ranger sat down in a small clearing with a soft sigh. Here he was very well protected by the many trees and bushes around him. The night was cold but very clear and the stars were shining in the sky. The moon bathed the forest in his silver light and made nature seem mysterious.
'Legolas would feel very comfortable here,' thought the ranger, and his heart grew heavy at the thought of the beautiful elf. They had known each other for so long, had gone through so many dangers together. The human knew that he would not bear it if the prince were no longer alive. The thought was so painful that Aragorn could no longer think about it.
With a desperate sigh, the ranger let himself sink against a tree and looked up into the stars. It was all so incredibly unfair. Why did they kidnap the archer? He had done no harm to anyone. Instead, Legolas did everything for peace and his friends, even risking his life.
The ranger knew that his friend would give his life for him anytime, which was a gift and an incredible burden at the same time. The man never wanted that, he never wanted that the prince risks his life for him. But that was the way the elf was. He had a big heart and was incredibly loyal.
And Aragorn knew that it was time to give something back to his friend. He would free the beautiful warrior if he had to risk his own life for it.
The human slept for about two hours, ate and drank something, and set off again at the first ray of sunshine. Fortunately, the tracks were still clearly visible and the wind had not destroyed them. The ranger was more than relieved that he hadn't found any more blood. Maybe it had really only been a small wound and Legolas was fine. But his heart told the man something else. Something told him that something was wrong.
As so often, the man wished he had the ability to talk to the trees. Maybe they could have given him some answers. Like who or what he would encounter. A lump formed in his throat, but he swallowed it down. Aragorn just hoped he wasn't too late. That the creatures had not yet harmed his Elvish friend. Again, his heart contracted at the thought.
Suddenly he saw something and took cover behind a large shrub. An old, abandoned building opened up in front of him. Originally, it seemed to have been a fortress but not much was left of the probably once magnificent building. But the traces led right in there.
His feeling told the ranger that Legolas was in there. But it was impossible to attack now, especially since he did not know how many were inside.
With a sigh, Aragorn retreated and although his heart cried out to get his friend out of there immediately, he had to wait for the darkness, for better or worse.