CHAPTER 4
There was a heavy feeling in the air, the darkness of the night undaunted by the shining moon and stars. It was a night of evil, and Aragorn could feel it. His gray eyes searched the surroundings, probing, waiting for anything out of the ordinary. He knew something was going to happen this night, he just wasn't sure what or in what form. And this put him ill at ease. He had volunteered for the first watch that night, and he was glad more than ever that he had, for now he could protect his companions - his friends. Aragorn turned slowly, from the forest surrounding him, to glance upon his companions and flinched mightily upon hearing his own back pop. Age hadn't caught up with the agile ranger's body yet, but it had its own way of reminding him it was still there.
His clear gray eyes swept over the resting travelers. They first came to rest on a very disgruntled Gimli. After the stunt Legolas had pulled that morning he had been very edgy and not in an exactly exemplary mood. At the moment though, he was sleeping soundly, lying flat upon the forest floor, his pack tucked under his head. Aragorn couldn't help smiling at the sound of soft snores emitting from his frame.
Then there was Gandalf. Aragorn had been beyond glad and even further startled to see Gandalf when he had suddenly appeared in the forest. But he couldn't have come at a better time. He may be as good a healer as Elrond, but Aragorn was not a god. He could not work with nothing. And so Gandalf had helped him to heal Legolas and return him to health. The wizard was now resting comfortably, back against a near tree, his hands folded in his lap and his head hung forward. His thick gray beard hung loosely down the front of his white robe and his long, wild hair was tied behind him in a low ponytail. Aragorn sighed to himself, realizing once again that the quest would have been lost long ago had it not been for the Maia.
But now, Aragorn's eyes finally settled on the elf, lying straight against the earthen floor, legs crossed over one another in a light doze. As all elves do, his eyes were open as he slept, an almost unnoticeable film over their absent stare. But, something seemed to flicker the elf's pool blue eyes, something cold and terrifying. To any onlooker, Legolas' resting pose would have seemed nothing out of the ordinary. But to Aragorn's sharp, knowing eyes, he could tell something was very wrong. Aragorn frowned. The elf's body was stiff, unmoving, and he could not see the rise and fall of his chest.
Suddenly, Aragorn became worried with the unthinkable and silently jumped to his feet. His brows knotted together as he made his way swiftly to the side of the elf, ignoring his duty as watch. He slowly studied Legolas' body, sighing in relief when he noticed the slight and shallow intake of breath of the figure. The immortal's body was tense, rigid, and Aragorn started when he noticed sweat glean on the fair brow of his friend. He frowned deeper with concern as he looked into the elf's eyes. He pushed a stray lock of his dark hair behind his ear and studied Legolas further.
The ranger suddenly stood up as his intense gray eyes met the gleaming blue ones of the elf. He heard his own sharp intake of breath as he looked on. Legolas' eyes were startling. They seemed to hold a panic in them, a nameless fear. Though it was not visible to the untrained eye, after spending his whole life among elves, Aragorn could tell that Legolas was having a dream – or a nightmare. The pupils in the glazed eyes in front of him were dilated, their obvious confusion and absent look of horror unnerving. Aragorn could not break his gaze away from that of the icy eyed elf.
The ranger managed to shake him self away though, then bent down to the side of Legolas, resolved to wake the tormented elf.
But he didn't get the chance for suddenly, with a sharp gasp of pain, Legolas bolted upright, startled from his horrid nightmare. Legolas looked around wildly, searching for something of recognition. His eyes finally came to rest on those of Aragorn. The ranger could not keep his face emotionless, and involuntarily took a step back, the shock and concern showing plain on his face. As he looked into eyes ruled by wild terror and panic of one who has seen the end of all beings, and of himself.
"Aragorn…" Legolas' fair voice was weak, soft with relief and renewed hope, and tinted with an undertone of a conquered fear. Exhaustion radiated from the lithe frame of the elf. As if he had just witnessed the greatest trauma in his thousands of years; as if he had just fought a gruesome battle lasting many a year, he seemed too wearied to even stay awake. At that moment, Legolas did not seem immortal. He was any other human having a bad dream. Aragorn wanted to go to him, comfort him – but he warned himself against the pride of the elves.
Suddenly something in the ranger's mind clicked, and his intense eyes shot up to meet those of the elf. But it was too late, and no sooner had Aragorn taken a breath, Legolas was clutching his wound, eyes wide in pain and taking sharp intakes of gasping breath. His face contorted in pain as he gazed mindlessly ahead, eyes unseeing of the man in front of him, hands groping at the wound that was now healed over. Then, all too soon, it had ended, and Legolas had collapsed again against the forest floor.
Elrond's foster son stared, mouth agape at the convulsing elf in front of him, at a total loss on how he should react. But before he could do anything, Legolas' form was once again still, and his eyes glazed over to the absent gaze of sleep they took on every night.
A/N: Hey everyone, sorry about the shortness of this chapter, and the long amount of time it took for me to update. And thank you all for the reviews! MORE. I LOVE it. Umm, yeah, I would have written more for this chap. but I don't get a lot of time with school and finals and all. So I decided to just leave it here and send it out to keep you all happy and sated. I can just make the rest of what is supposed to be this chap. next chap. Very well then, type to you all soon. Oh, and I may not be very soon, probably not until school is over actually – sorry. You understand, school and all. Well, later. And REVIEWS PLEASE! (
Ithilien ~ Don't worry, I don't really know where that last chapter was going either, I'm just typin' as ideas come along. Hehe. Well, here another useless chapter, up just for you.
( Oh and I LURVE your stories, I'm so glad one of my favorite authors likes my stories!
keeper-of-grace ~ Thank you for the review and I'm glad you liked it. *big smile*
JastaElf ~ Well don't worry, you soon find out about that little dream *grin*. Hope you like the new installment. Thanks again!
Tara ~ *literally tearing* ( I am SOOOOOO happy you like my fic!!! Really! I appreciate your review very much; hope to hear from you again.
PepperVL ~ Don't you worry you little head about Legolas there *evil grin*, he'll be JUST fine… we hope. J/K. Thank you SO much for the review. Keep checking in and you'll soon see where this is going. : D
Erin-21 ~ Sorry my friend, no romance. But I'm glad you still like it. And thank you for reviewing on my other story "Another Path". I'm gonna try to update soon on that, but I kinda have a writer's block up here *points to oddly shaped head*. ; P But thank you again for the wonderful review.
There was a heavy feeling in the air, the darkness of the night undaunted by the shining moon and stars. It was a night of evil, and Aragorn could feel it. His gray eyes searched the surroundings, probing, waiting for anything out of the ordinary. He knew something was going to happen this night, he just wasn't sure what or in what form. And this put him ill at ease. He had volunteered for the first watch that night, and he was glad more than ever that he had, for now he could protect his companions - his friends. Aragorn turned slowly, from the forest surrounding him, to glance upon his companions and flinched mightily upon hearing his own back pop. Age hadn't caught up with the agile ranger's body yet, but it had its own way of reminding him it was still there.
His clear gray eyes swept over the resting travelers. They first came to rest on a very disgruntled Gimli. After the stunt Legolas had pulled that morning he had been very edgy and not in an exactly exemplary mood. At the moment though, he was sleeping soundly, lying flat upon the forest floor, his pack tucked under his head. Aragorn couldn't help smiling at the sound of soft snores emitting from his frame.
Then there was Gandalf. Aragorn had been beyond glad and even further startled to see Gandalf when he had suddenly appeared in the forest. But he couldn't have come at a better time. He may be as good a healer as Elrond, but Aragorn was not a god. He could not work with nothing. And so Gandalf had helped him to heal Legolas and return him to health. The wizard was now resting comfortably, back against a near tree, his hands folded in his lap and his head hung forward. His thick gray beard hung loosely down the front of his white robe and his long, wild hair was tied behind him in a low ponytail. Aragorn sighed to himself, realizing once again that the quest would have been lost long ago had it not been for the Maia.
But now, Aragorn's eyes finally settled on the elf, lying straight against the earthen floor, legs crossed over one another in a light doze. As all elves do, his eyes were open as he slept, an almost unnoticeable film over their absent stare. But, something seemed to flicker the elf's pool blue eyes, something cold and terrifying. To any onlooker, Legolas' resting pose would have seemed nothing out of the ordinary. But to Aragorn's sharp, knowing eyes, he could tell something was very wrong. Aragorn frowned. The elf's body was stiff, unmoving, and he could not see the rise and fall of his chest.
Suddenly, Aragorn became worried with the unthinkable and silently jumped to his feet. His brows knotted together as he made his way swiftly to the side of the elf, ignoring his duty as watch. He slowly studied Legolas' body, sighing in relief when he noticed the slight and shallow intake of breath of the figure. The immortal's body was tense, rigid, and Aragorn started when he noticed sweat glean on the fair brow of his friend. He frowned deeper with concern as he looked into the elf's eyes. He pushed a stray lock of his dark hair behind his ear and studied Legolas further.
The ranger suddenly stood up as his intense gray eyes met the gleaming blue ones of the elf. He heard his own sharp intake of breath as he looked on. Legolas' eyes were startling. They seemed to hold a panic in them, a nameless fear. Though it was not visible to the untrained eye, after spending his whole life among elves, Aragorn could tell that Legolas was having a dream – or a nightmare. The pupils in the glazed eyes in front of him were dilated, their obvious confusion and absent look of horror unnerving. Aragorn could not break his gaze away from that of the icy eyed elf.
The ranger managed to shake him self away though, then bent down to the side of Legolas, resolved to wake the tormented elf.
But he didn't get the chance for suddenly, with a sharp gasp of pain, Legolas bolted upright, startled from his horrid nightmare. Legolas looked around wildly, searching for something of recognition. His eyes finally came to rest on those of Aragorn. The ranger could not keep his face emotionless, and involuntarily took a step back, the shock and concern showing plain on his face. As he looked into eyes ruled by wild terror and panic of one who has seen the end of all beings, and of himself.
"Aragorn…" Legolas' fair voice was weak, soft with relief and renewed hope, and tinted with an undertone of a conquered fear. Exhaustion radiated from the lithe frame of the elf. As if he had just witnessed the greatest trauma in his thousands of years; as if he had just fought a gruesome battle lasting many a year, he seemed too wearied to even stay awake. At that moment, Legolas did not seem immortal. He was any other human having a bad dream. Aragorn wanted to go to him, comfort him – but he warned himself against the pride of the elves.
Suddenly something in the ranger's mind clicked, and his intense eyes shot up to meet those of the elf. But it was too late, and no sooner had Aragorn taken a breath, Legolas was clutching his wound, eyes wide in pain and taking sharp intakes of gasping breath. His face contorted in pain as he gazed mindlessly ahead, eyes unseeing of the man in front of him, hands groping at the wound that was now healed over. Then, all too soon, it had ended, and Legolas had collapsed again against the forest floor.
Elrond's foster son stared, mouth agape at the convulsing elf in front of him, at a total loss on how he should react. But before he could do anything, Legolas' form was once again still, and his eyes glazed over to the absent gaze of sleep they took on every night.
A/N: Hey everyone, sorry about the shortness of this chapter, and the long amount of time it took for me to update. And thank you all for the reviews! MORE. I LOVE it. Umm, yeah, I would have written more for this chap. but I don't get a lot of time with school and finals and all. So I decided to just leave it here and send it out to keep you all happy and sated. I can just make the rest of what is supposed to be this chap. next chap. Very well then, type to you all soon. Oh, and I may not be very soon, probably not until school is over actually – sorry. You understand, school and all. Well, later. And REVIEWS PLEASE! (
Ithilien ~ Don't worry, I don't really know where that last chapter was going either, I'm just typin' as ideas come along. Hehe. Well, here another useless chapter, up just for you.
( Oh and I LURVE your stories, I'm so glad one of my favorite authors likes my stories!
keeper-of-grace ~ Thank you for the review and I'm glad you liked it. *big smile*
JastaElf ~ Well don't worry, you soon find out about that little dream *grin*. Hope you like the new installment. Thanks again!
Tara ~ *literally tearing* ( I am SOOOOOO happy you like my fic!!! Really! I appreciate your review very much; hope to hear from you again.
PepperVL ~ Don't you worry you little head about Legolas there *evil grin*, he'll be JUST fine… we hope. J/K. Thank you SO much for the review. Keep checking in and you'll soon see where this is going. : D
Erin-21 ~ Sorry my friend, no romance. But I'm glad you still like it. And thank you for reviewing on my other story "Another Path". I'm gonna try to update soon on that, but I kinda have a writer's block up here *points to oddly shaped head*. ; P But thank you again for the wonderful review.