Note: None of these characters are mine! This fic contains slash between Haldir/Legolas and implied Aragorn/Legolas. I'm using Elvish in ' ' and the translation is in ( ). There are going to be flashbacks in the upcoming chapters of A/L and H/L. Language warning! All questions will be answered eventually.

Broken Words; Bitter Hearts

Part 4

Legolas was the first to awaken early the next morning. He knew instantly that the fire must have died sometime in the night, for there was a distinct chill in the air. Or maybe it was just inside of him, Legolas mused. He kissed his lover on the forehead, before he slowly left the warm arms that encircled him. Haldir stirred a little, but did not awaken.

Legolas smiled fondly at Haldir, as he sat up and reached for the leggings that he had discarded last night. After carefully dressing, the younger Elf left the room silently, so he did not awaken his lover. A frown settled on his face as he saw Strider asleep on the couch. Legolas completely ignored him, and went over to the fireplace.

It was as he had thought; the fire had gone out. He sighed, and winced a little as his side pained him. But it was not unbearable, so Legolas ignored it and started placing wood into the fireplace, along with some kindling and charred cloth. He then picked up the flint and struck it together, watching as the sparks struck the cloth, and finally caught it on fire.

In very little time, a warm fire was going. Legolas used a long stick to stir it absentmindedly, for his thoughts were on other things. Particularly on the Man who slept less than five feet away from him.

Emptiness was what Legolas tried to feel as he thought of Strider. Yet he also felt anger, betrayal, and sorrow.

In Legolas' opinion, it was easier to hate Strider when he was far away in Gondor. Seeing him face-to-face once more hurt. He remembered the conversation he and Haldir had had last night quietly the night before, after renewing their love for each other.

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Flashback

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Haldir looked at the one he loved, before speaking quietly. 'Lle ant nyar- ho mankoi lle tyar sina men. Amin uum henia i tyar ned lle al- an trenar- ho.' (You need to tell him why you act this way. I do not understand the cause of you not to tell him.)

'Ro duraya amin al-, Haldir. Amin uum mali. Ro awr amin ah al- dur-ien e' amin,' Legolas bitterly answered. (He would believe me not, Haldir. I do not care. He pain me with not believing in me.)

'Lle nurt ha o ho, a'maelamin. Mankoi?' Haldir questioned. (You hide it from him, my beloved. Why?)

'Amin uum sint, melamin.' (I do not know, my love.)

Those words finally ended the conversation, though Haldir disapproved of Legolas' choice. But nothing the older Elf could say would change his lover's mind, so he gave up trying to convince Legolas to tell Aragorn the truth of where he'd been that night when Arwen was killed.

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Aragorn stirred when he heard a cracking sound. He opened his eyes and saw a bare-chested Legolas tending to the fire, before the Elf prepared a pitiful breakfast of more weak broth.

The human was angry, because he was supposed to hate Legolas- wasn't he? Hating was much easier when you were not with the one you were supposed to hate. Aragorn watched, keeping a neutral expression on his face, as he saw Legolas shiver slightly when the Elf stood and turned away from the fire. Their eyes locked for a few moments, and Legolas lifted his chin slightly, daring Aragorn to say anything.

"Why do you eat that…stuff?" Aragorn asked, making his voice sound harsh and bitter.

Legolas scowled instantly. "Well, Haldir and I cannot just walk into a town and buy something, now can we?" His tone was sarcastic. "We're lucky to have something to eat at all, considering that we went without food for nearly two weeks before we found the roots to make the broth."

Aragorn felt guilty- and then despised himself for feeling guilty. Why should he feel guilty? Legolas had brought this on himself by killed Arwen. Pity was creeping up on the King of Gondor, as he took in how baggy the leggings that Legolas wore were on him. The Elf was so thin that each rib that he had stood out clearly.

Legolas rolled his eyes when Aragorn said nothing. "You don't have to eat it if you don't want to, Strider. It's probably beneath you to eat broth for a meal, anyway. I mean, you are a king and all, Strider."

"My name is not Strider," Aragorn growled. He hated hearing Legolas speaking to him as if he were a stranger.

"Well, which name would you like me to call you by?" A mocking note was in Legolas' voice. "Dunadan? Elessar Telcontar? Estel? Heir of Isildur, son of Arathorn? You have so many names that it's hard to know which one you are currently using." A hidden smirk was in his voice.

Anger flashed in Aragorn's eyes. "Untie me and I'll tell you," he snapped.

Legolas' blue eyes held a hint of triumph. "I think not, Strider. I rather enjoy watching you lay there tied up and completely helpless." A cold smile appeared on his face, as he cocked his head to one side. "How does it make you feel, Strider, to know that you are as helpless now as I was then? To know that I could kill you at any moment and you could do nothing to prevent it?" Privately, Legolas knew that he could never kill Strider, but he wasn't about to tell the human that.

"I would expect little more from a murderer," Aragorn said cruelly. He wondered if he'd gone too far when Legolas stalked over and brought his hand back. A firm grip kept his hand from slapping the human when he brought it down.

Legolas looked and saw that it was Haldir. A disapproving look was on the older Elf's handsome face.

"Legolas, you heard me tell him that as long as he does not hurt either of us, we will not hurt him," Haldir said sternly. He had been listening to the conversation that Aragorn and Legolas had been having.

"His very presence hurts me," Legolas muttered.

Haldir raised an eyebrow. "Can you not tolerate him for even a little while?"

Legolas responded, "Why would I?"

Aragorn's reflexes had made him flinch as the pale, slender hand had struck at him. The human was surprised that Haldir had prevented Legolas from striking him, but had not shown it. He glared silently at Legolas, before looking at Haldir. "You asked me to stop trying to kill him for one night. Well, it's now the next morning, and I think payback is due," Aragorn hissed angrily.

Cold laughter came from Legolas. "How do you plan on getting revenge when it is you who lies there, unable to move?" An amused note was in the Elf's voice.

"Stop baiting him, Legolas," Haldir snapped, tired of the fighting.

Legolas turned his glare on Haldir then. "I never wanted HIM here! For all I care, he could have died, and it would not have met ANYTHING to me!" the blond archer shouted. Though he knew he was lying.

Haldir frowned at Legolas. "You know that's not true, Legolas. You would have cared if he had died."

"Would I have?" Legolas asked, a mocking tone in his voice. "We'll never know, will we?"

Aragorn was stunned. He wondered when Legolas had become so cold and cruel, as he heard the bitter words the Elf spoke. The human struggled to break free of his bonds again, but could not. "What are you going to do to me?" Aragorn snapped. "Whatever it is, I'd like to get it over with."

Haldir looked at the human. "You haven't left us many options, King of Gondor. If we release you, you will try to kill Legolas. Yet we do not need the trouble of dragging you where we are going."

"And where is that?" Aragorn muttered.

"You don't need to know," Legolas told him coldly. "We are far more determined- and more capable- to find Arwen's true murderer. You will only slow us down." He looked at Haldir. "We could knock him out and place him inside the borders of Gondor."

"The soldiers will try to kill you on sight, Legolas," Haldir pointed out. "Especially if they think he's dead."

Aragorn bitterly laughed at that statement. "That would be a pleasing sight to wake up to."

"So would the sight of my sword in your heart," Legolas snapped.

"Enough!" Haldir shouted.

Both his lover and Aragorn turned to him, their mouths hanging open slightly.

"We don't have a choice, Legolas. We'll have to bring him," Haldir stated flatly. "At least until we figure out what to do later."

Legolas yelled, "No! I refuse to go anywhere with him!" He looked beyond furious, as he glared at Strider.

"As much as it might surprise you, I actually agree," Aragorn spat out. "I am the King of Gondor. You have no right to treat a King like this."

'Lle naa haran e' nausalle,' Legolas said, smirking. (You are king in your imagination.)

Aragorn attempted to lunge at Legolas, and surprised the Elf by actually knocking him onto the floor. The human fell onto the fallen archer, who cried out in pain as most of Aragorn fell onto his injured side.

Haldir easily lifted Aragorn in one hand and put him back onto the couch. He then knelt beside Legolas, who was curled on his good side, with his hands pressing against his deep, re-opened gash.

'A'maelamin?' Haldir whispered. (My beloved?) He lifted Legolas into his strong, supporting arms, before he stood carefully. The older Elf whispered with his lover for a few moments, before nodding.

Legolas looked directly at Aragorn, his blue eyes accusing. Pain was written on his face, as he gazed wordlessly at the human.

Aragorn felt guilty that he had injured Legolas further, but his pride wouldn't let him show it. Then Legolas spoke an Elvish sentence that devastated the human, before Haldir carried the one he loved back to their room, so the older Elf could treat the injury again.

'Amin delotha lle, Strider, ten'oio. Amin um on lle amin vesta si.' (I hate you, Strider, forever. I do give you my oath now.)

To be continued