*****
"Legolas," a firm hand touched to the elfs shoulder jarring him from slumber.
Without a drowse Legolas turned his head, eyes wide with clarity. A sigh threatened to spill from his lips as he realized the scene had been but a nightmare. Still a concerned pair stared into the classic elvish pools. Noses only a hand width apart, lips barely the same, Legolas stared at Aragorn only hoping the Man had not been suddenly gifted to see into another's nightmares.
"What is in your sleep," Aragorn's whisper was decided and fragrant of the drinks they had shared waiting for dusk to pass into night after a meager supper.
"That I wish I knew. As I wake it escapes me,"
Aragorn's hand had not left Legolas shoulder and the warmth of contact was near smoldering as far as Legolas could feel it. Aragorn may not have felt the same, for he kept his intent concerned stare perhaps hoping for a sudden revelation. Legolas looked away before down at his slender callused fingers. After a repetitive inventory of his grime stained digits he looked back to the Man and gave his best deceptive sheepish smile.
"You look as though I've grown a new head Aragorn," Legolas managed an innocent slight grin.
"Perhaps you have," the Man grinned back, leaning back from Legolas also giving allowance to his heavy hand to slide away from the elf's shoulder.
Legolas shut his eyes briefly, remembering in horrific vivid detail, the feelings that washed over him as he realized his arrows mark and took off into the woods. It was a woods they had not yet crossed in their search for Merry and Pippin and certainly a woods he hoped they would not traverse in their journey. It felt so true and so real, like a piece of the past remembered, but certainly not the past – yet.
Legolas opened his eyes not wanting to give away his lie of a lost dream memory. Aragorn was sat back from him only a foot pace. His arms crossed resting on his drawn up knees. The moon gave the only interrogatory aiding light between them both. Legolas could only ease his heaviness of spirit translating to body behind him against the tree trunk that he had chosen for sleep. Aragorn bowed his head and took a deep breath. He yearned for sleep, but apparently the mystery that he had been privy took up his conscious energy.
"Ranger, have your rest, we go in the early morning," Legolas consoled in vein.
"The 'Ranger' can get no rest with the screams of an elf at night beside him,"
Legolas' head turned, eyes resting on Gimli, a slumbered dwarf snoring.
"Gimli seems asleep. My screams can not be all that loud,"
"Your dwarf has a better friend in his slumber, his greatest friend perhaps other than spoils of war and feasts," Aragorn easily put, raising his head from it's bowed state.
Legolas folded his arms and nodded his head to the side resting it against his shoulder ably. He gave Aragorn an impish wink and closed his eyes.
"Sleep Ranger, I'll button my lips for the rest of the night. You have my word,"
The unpromisable flowed from Legolas lips like the purest hymn of truth. Aragorn couldn't help but give in to belief. His two legs stretched out synonymously with his back slowly lowering behind to the cool dirt of the rocks they had chosen for their place of nightly rest. Legolas watched as Aragorn's body straightened in repose. He waited for the tell tale signs of his chest heaving to signal sleep.
Legolas lifted his head and sat straight, drawing his knees to his body, much like Aragorn had before him. Wrapping his arms around his knees he lowered his head, no sound allowed as the elf's tears banked, rolling across his fair flawless cheeks, settling to the earth once perspired from his chin. These lonely hours were becoming more frequent and Legolas felt the sting of the tricks played on his mind. He could only hope to pinpoint from where they came and make an end to them. Aragorn would not be the one to let something so blatant scathe by without a reason and remedy. Legolas could not face him with the contents of his unconscious foreboding mind. That would be to have Aragorn distrust him as well as to have Legolas distrust himself.
