Thank you all for the amount of reviews I received for the last chapter!!!! I love it !!!
Willow: thank you for the rose! *smile*
I hope none of you took any permanent harm from my not posting yesterday :-)
Please, my dear readers, keep away from staircases, bridges and cliffs and I will keep on writing... promise!
Special thanks go to Little My for beta reading!!!
So, here is what you all asked & begged for... and I hope you will not forget to let me know if you liked it... :-)
___
All of a sudden they were ripped apart, and it happened so fast that he was unable to react in time. Then she was gone and he knew a moment of utter panic. The emptiness around him offered no protection against the attack he feared to come, and he would have turned and bolted had he not, for just a moment, felt a familiar presence.
He froze in place, torn between the urge to run and lose himself in the nothingness surrounding him and the sudden longing to feel close to another being again. It was not in the nature of elves to be cut off from their surroundings, and their awareness of life pulsing around them came as naturally to them as breathing. And it proved to be as essential.
For days Legolas had shut himself off as fear and terror ruled his mind, and he was by far not free of them now. But even as Amayn left him, he could sense someone else close by, a presence that he knew and trusted. He was a warrior at heart and not one to give in easily to fear, and even as the memory of the torment he had gone through still lingered, a spark of resistance flared up. For a moment he wished nothing more than to break free from the world he was lost in, and with a strength born from desperation he flung himself towards the presence and clung to it.
It did not respond to him the way Amayn had done; did not reach out to him or lead him but it did not withdraw either. Holding on to it, he was able to find a direction to go and slowly, hesitantly he took another step. And another.
Nothing attacked him, nothing became changed and twisted. And slowly, he came closer and closer.
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Aragorn had reacted the moment he saw Amayn collapse, rushing to her side. He had never noticed Calenuial entering the room but the elf was there only a heartbeat after him. Gently the man lifted Amayn in an upright position, softly calling her name. She moaned faintly, her eyes dazed and out of focus and for a moment Aragorn was at a loss of what to do.
Calenuial took the decision from him as he held a cup to her lips, and gently coaxed her into sipping the powerful liquid. Tears were forming in her eyes and the anguish radiating from her was painful to observe. Thranduil's arms came up to encircle her, and with a quiet sob she placed her head against his shoulder. Calenuial stepped back, a lost expression on his face.
Only now did Aragorn allow himself to look at the bed, and the friend he feared to be lost to them. He did not look any different than before; one could have thought him asleep if not for the closed eyes. His heart clenched painfully in his chest, as the knowledge that the friend he had come to love dearly most probably was no longer there formed in his mind.
His eyes moved up to look at Gimli, expecting to find the utter anguish he knew the dwarf would feel expressed upon his face. What he saw took him by surprise.
@@@
The moment Gimli could see Amayn lose her hold on Legolas, the dwarf's eyes flitted to his friend's face. It showed nothing of what was happening deep inside, and for a moment utter disbelief filled him. He refused to acknowledge the sudden feeling of despair and anguish filling the room.
He could not even start to think that Legolas might be gone, even though Amayn's and Thranduil's reaction should have left no doubt. And then he felt something and all thoughts froze. He had never before experienced a sensation like this, but immediately knew what it was. What it had to be.
He kept still, unmoving, barely daring to breathe. His eyes closed as he concentrated solely on what he felt. There was something touching him, touching his mind and a rushing wave of hope passed through him.
No one had needed to tell him that Amayn's try to reach Legolas had been their last chance. He had known, as it was written in her eyes, that if she failed Legolas would be lost forever.
He had no knowledge of what to do, or how to react to what he could sense. He tried to offer his strength by concentrating on the strange contact his mind had with whom he dearly hoped to be Legolas. His fingers tightened around the still hand of the elf as he fought to hold on.
And slowly his hope grew as he felt the sensation become stronger.
@@@
'What...' Faramir's question was stopped by a sharp gesture from Gandalf, who had taken in the scene in front of him and realized what was going on. The look on Aragorn's face showed that he knew, too.
The room fell into a strained silence, as all of them became aware of the strange behavior of the dwarf. His face held a look of deep concentration as he sat there, hunched over with his eyes closed. He held on to Legolas' hand as if fearing he would slip from his grasp any moment.
Long moments passed as it became clear to all of them what exactly was going on, and with trepidation they watched the silent fight for Legolas' life.
@@@
He was close, so close that he thought he could touch Gimli at any moment. He could not say when he had become aware of who it was he was holding on to, but he knew. He was there, an unwavering source of strength and assurance against the terror that still lurked within the elf's heart. Any disturbance, any change in their connection might have caused Legolas to flinch away and lose his last hold on reality as well as his sanity. But Gimli stayed where he was, an unshakable rock in the chaos of emotions that Legolas had to battle with every step he took.
The wide emptiness around him started to fade as he became aware that he was no longer walking. He was floating now, being pulled along, and after a short moment of panic he allowed himself to be drawn towards the sudden light he could see. Something had a strong hold on his hand and he tried to move it, blinking to focus his eyes.
'Legolas?'
Aragorn's whisper broke the silence and Gimli's concentration. He felt like he was waking from a deep dream as he slowly forced his eyes to open. He was rewarded with the sight of a pair of dark brown eyes, slightly unfocused but definitely awake.
Legolas struggled weakly against his hold and he let go of the elf's hand.
Utter joy filled the dwarf's heart and the burning sting of tears made him blink furiously. Voices rose in exclamations of relief and joy as the tension broke.
Confusion shone in Legolas' eyes and he flinched away from Aragorn's touch. The expression of deep fear the simple gesture brought to the elf's face made the man freeze in mid movement, and slowly he withdrew his hand.
Dark brown eyes flitted through the room, still slightly unfocused, and it became quite clear that the elf was overwhelmed. After being closed off from his surroundings for so long, he could not deal with the amount of sensations he felt at once.
Gandalf perceived this at once and his voice was soft as he spoke.
'It is too much, too soon for him. He needs time and space to recover, and we should leave to grant him this.'
Quietly they followed his order, reluctant to leave Legolas but realizing the Istari was right. Only Amayn and Thranduil stayed behind with their son.
Gimli had not offered a word of protest as he left the room.
A group of elves was standing outside, their faces tense in anticipation. Calenuial stepped to them and his quick words brought joy to their faces. Some of them rushed away to spread the happy news that the youngest son of Thranduil had awoken.
Gimli's face had changed, Aragorn noticed. The expression of joy had faded and the strain that had shown there during the last days had returned. It was more than simple worry over the elf's state of mind, the man realized. They still knew not how this experience had effected Legolas and maybe it would still take some time until they would know for sure.
But something else was eating at Gimli, and he had a good guess at what it could be. For he knew the dwarf felt a deep guilt for what had befallen Legolas and he could not even disagree with that completely. He had hurt the elf, physically as well as emotionally, and this had made him more vulnerable to the attacks he had been exposed to. But their deep bond had been what had brought Legolas back, and it was an indication of how strong their friendship was, despite the fight.
To leave the elf so soon after he had woken was hard on Gimli, but he heeded Gandalf's words without hesitation. The last thing he wanted to do was cause Legolas any more pain. His heart was torn between happiness that the elf had finally woken and deep fear of what was to come. He had suffered torment that Gimli could not even begin to imagine, and he knew not how this would effect his friend. Would he still be the lighthearted and merry elf he had known? Or would this experience leave him changed?
He feared this more than anything else, even more than losing Legolas' friendship due to his own foolish behavior.
Willow: thank you for the rose! *smile*
I hope none of you took any permanent harm from my not posting yesterday :-)
Please, my dear readers, keep away from staircases, bridges and cliffs and I will keep on writing... promise!
Special thanks go to Little My for beta reading!!!
So, here is what you all asked & begged for... and I hope you will not forget to let me know if you liked it... :-)
___
All of a sudden they were ripped apart, and it happened so fast that he was unable to react in time. Then she was gone and he knew a moment of utter panic. The emptiness around him offered no protection against the attack he feared to come, and he would have turned and bolted had he not, for just a moment, felt a familiar presence.
He froze in place, torn between the urge to run and lose himself in the nothingness surrounding him and the sudden longing to feel close to another being again. It was not in the nature of elves to be cut off from their surroundings, and their awareness of life pulsing around them came as naturally to them as breathing. And it proved to be as essential.
For days Legolas had shut himself off as fear and terror ruled his mind, and he was by far not free of them now. But even as Amayn left him, he could sense someone else close by, a presence that he knew and trusted. He was a warrior at heart and not one to give in easily to fear, and even as the memory of the torment he had gone through still lingered, a spark of resistance flared up. For a moment he wished nothing more than to break free from the world he was lost in, and with a strength born from desperation he flung himself towards the presence and clung to it.
It did not respond to him the way Amayn had done; did not reach out to him or lead him but it did not withdraw either. Holding on to it, he was able to find a direction to go and slowly, hesitantly he took another step. And another.
Nothing attacked him, nothing became changed and twisted. And slowly, he came closer and closer.
@@@
Aragorn had reacted the moment he saw Amayn collapse, rushing to her side. He had never noticed Calenuial entering the room but the elf was there only a heartbeat after him. Gently the man lifted Amayn in an upright position, softly calling her name. She moaned faintly, her eyes dazed and out of focus and for a moment Aragorn was at a loss of what to do.
Calenuial took the decision from him as he held a cup to her lips, and gently coaxed her into sipping the powerful liquid. Tears were forming in her eyes and the anguish radiating from her was painful to observe. Thranduil's arms came up to encircle her, and with a quiet sob she placed her head against his shoulder. Calenuial stepped back, a lost expression on his face.
Only now did Aragorn allow himself to look at the bed, and the friend he feared to be lost to them. He did not look any different than before; one could have thought him asleep if not for the closed eyes. His heart clenched painfully in his chest, as the knowledge that the friend he had come to love dearly most probably was no longer there formed in his mind.
His eyes moved up to look at Gimli, expecting to find the utter anguish he knew the dwarf would feel expressed upon his face. What he saw took him by surprise.
@@@
The moment Gimli could see Amayn lose her hold on Legolas, the dwarf's eyes flitted to his friend's face. It showed nothing of what was happening deep inside, and for a moment utter disbelief filled him. He refused to acknowledge the sudden feeling of despair and anguish filling the room.
He could not even start to think that Legolas might be gone, even though Amayn's and Thranduil's reaction should have left no doubt. And then he felt something and all thoughts froze. He had never before experienced a sensation like this, but immediately knew what it was. What it had to be.
He kept still, unmoving, barely daring to breathe. His eyes closed as he concentrated solely on what he felt. There was something touching him, touching his mind and a rushing wave of hope passed through him.
No one had needed to tell him that Amayn's try to reach Legolas had been their last chance. He had known, as it was written in her eyes, that if she failed Legolas would be lost forever.
He had no knowledge of what to do, or how to react to what he could sense. He tried to offer his strength by concentrating on the strange contact his mind had with whom he dearly hoped to be Legolas. His fingers tightened around the still hand of the elf as he fought to hold on.
And slowly his hope grew as he felt the sensation become stronger.
@@@
'What...' Faramir's question was stopped by a sharp gesture from Gandalf, who had taken in the scene in front of him and realized what was going on. The look on Aragorn's face showed that he knew, too.
The room fell into a strained silence, as all of them became aware of the strange behavior of the dwarf. His face held a look of deep concentration as he sat there, hunched over with his eyes closed. He held on to Legolas' hand as if fearing he would slip from his grasp any moment.
Long moments passed as it became clear to all of them what exactly was going on, and with trepidation they watched the silent fight for Legolas' life.
@@@
He was close, so close that he thought he could touch Gimli at any moment. He could not say when he had become aware of who it was he was holding on to, but he knew. He was there, an unwavering source of strength and assurance against the terror that still lurked within the elf's heart. Any disturbance, any change in their connection might have caused Legolas to flinch away and lose his last hold on reality as well as his sanity. But Gimli stayed where he was, an unshakable rock in the chaos of emotions that Legolas had to battle with every step he took.
The wide emptiness around him started to fade as he became aware that he was no longer walking. He was floating now, being pulled along, and after a short moment of panic he allowed himself to be drawn towards the sudden light he could see. Something had a strong hold on his hand and he tried to move it, blinking to focus his eyes.
'Legolas?'
Aragorn's whisper broke the silence and Gimli's concentration. He felt like he was waking from a deep dream as he slowly forced his eyes to open. He was rewarded with the sight of a pair of dark brown eyes, slightly unfocused but definitely awake.
Legolas struggled weakly against his hold and he let go of the elf's hand.
Utter joy filled the dwarf's heart and the burning sting of tears made him blink furiously. Voices rose in exclamations of relief and joy as the tension broke.
Confusion shone in Legolas' eyes and he flinched away from Aragorn's touch. The expression of deep fear the simple gesture brought to the elf's face made the man freeze in mid movement, and slowly he withdrew his hand.
Dark brown eyes flitted through the room, still slightly unfocused, and it became quite clear that the elf was overwhelmed. After being closed off from his surroundings for so long, he could not deal with the amount of sensations he felt at once.
Gandalf perceived this at once and his voice was soft as he spoke.
'It is too much, too soon for him. He needs time and space to recover, and we should leave to grant him this.'
Quietly they followed his order, reluctant to leave Legolas but realizing the Istari was right. Only Amayn and Thranduil stayed behind with their son.
Gimli had not offered a word of protest as he left the room.
A group of elves was standing outside, their faces tense in anticipation. Calenuial stepped to them and his quick words brought joy to their faces. Some of them rushed away to spread the happy news that the youngest son of Thranduil had awoken.
Gimli's face had changed, Aragorn noticed. The expression of joy had faded and the strain that had shown there during the last days had returned. It was more than simple worry over the elf's state of mind, the man realized. They still knew not how this experience had effected Legolas and maybe it would still take some time until they would know for sure.
But something else was eating at Gimli, and he had a good guess at what it could be. For he knew the dwarf felt a deep guilt for what had befallen Legolas and he could not even disagree with that completely. He had hurt the elf, physically as well as emotionally, and this had made him more vulnerable to the attacks he had been exposed to. But their deep bond had been what had brought Legolas back, and it was an indication of how strong their friendship was, despite the fight.
To leave the elf so soon after he had woken was hard on Gimli, but he heeded Gandalf's words without hesitation. The last thing he wanted to do was cause Legolas any more pain. His heart was torn between happiness that the elf had finally woken and deep fear of what was to come. He had suffered torment that Gimli could not even begin to imagine, and he knew not how this would effect his friend. Would he still be the lighthearted and merry elf he had known? Or would this experience leave him changed?
He feared this more than anything else, even more than losing Legolas' friendship due to his own foolish behavior.