Authors notes: - Thanks again for the great reviews from Yours Truly
and Lady Daine. I love them!!! I get so worried that some things
aren't believable. Feel free to email me and give me tips or ideas
for other stories! Enjoy!
Chapter 10
Aragorn took off his cloak and boots. He dove into the water and searched frantically for his friend. The pool was clear and the moon lit the water making it quite simple for him to locate the drowning elf. He grasped Legolas's arm and pulled the elf towards the surface. His bright eyes turned towards Aragorn and the man despaired at the utter hopelessness they showed. They broke the surface and he turned to see if Legolas was well. He cursed. The elf had closed his eyes and was limp making him a dead weight to the tired ranger. Gandalf and Gimli stood waiting at the bank and helped pull the elf onto land.
"He is not breathing!" Gimli cried. Aragorn immediately bent over the elf and tilted his head back. He had done this once before on a ranger that had fell through the ice into a freezing lake. The ranger had died and he was loath to let that happen to his friend. He pinched his nose and breathed into his mouth. He watched in satisfaction as the chest rose and fell. He leaned backwards and watched but Legolas did not take a breath. Again Aragorn tried with the same results. He felt his pulse it was weaker than normal but still he thought it was there. Again and again he tried but the elf didn't breathe by himself.
"Come on!" he said desperately.
"Let me try." Gandalf said gently pushing the desperate ranger and concerned dwarf out the way. Gandalf placed his hand on the still chest of the elf and closed his eyes. He recited some ancient elvish words and a white glow spread out from his fingers. It spread across Legolas's chest. The two fiends waited for something to happen anxiously. An eternity seemed to pass but it could have only been a few seconds when the elf suddenly choked. Gandalf rolled him onto his side and rubbed Legolas's back as he brought up all the water he swallowed.
Gimli leaned towards his friend to make sure he was indeed breathing. Too quickly for the dwarf's eyes to follow Legolas's arm shot out and grabbed the dwarf's neck in a vice like grip. The elf opened his eyes and they were again black. Liran had taken control. He sat up abruptly.
"Why Gandalf you have been become slow in your old age." The voice that came out of Legolas sneered. Liran stood still holding Gimli in the air with ease. The dwarf was tugging at the elf's hand while going a purple colour and making gasping noises.
"Let him go!" Gandalf said loudly.
"And if I do you will just let me walk out of Mirkwood?!" Liran laughed. A harsh bitter sound the complete opposite of Legolas's. "Do you think I am that stupid!"
"Yes because you will not leave this forest or even this clearing whether or not you have the dwarf as a hostage." Gandalf replied watching as the dwarf's struggles intensified. He also saw Aragorn move behind the elf with his sword drawn. Liran opened his mouth to reply but the words were lost as Aragorn crashed into him. Liran was knocked off balance and his grip on the dwarf was lost. Gimli fell to the ground clutching his throat and gasping for breath. Liran growled in frustration and flung out his arm causing Aragorn to fly backwards across the clearing. He turned and walked across the clearing intent on leaving but was frozen in his tracks when Gandalf yelled out a spell.
"Legolas fight him. Fight him with everything you have got." Gandalf implored the brave young elf knowing he was but he needed to fight with every fibre of is being for the spell to work. Gandalf walked over to the frozen elf. The black eyes flashed dangerously as they watched the wizard. Gandalf watched as Aragorn slowly regained his feet and went to the aid of Gimli who was still on the floor making wheezing noises. Liran's fury increased and darkness flooded the surrounding area. Legolas was fighting desperately trying to regain his body but anytime he found a give in the spirits hold another wall was put up and he was buried even deeper within his own mind. He was growing weaker and desperately needed Gandalf to hurry up and do whatever he was planning on doing. The wizard placed his palm on the forehead of the frozen elf and began to recite a spell. Liran growled and broke away knocking Gandalf to the ground with black magic. "Did you really think that I would be that easy to defeat? Pathetic!" But Gandalf was smiling as he got back up. He had planned on Liran being able to break the spell so he had performed a quick spell that would remove Liran's magic. The dark elf had yet to realise that this had happened, as he was so engrossed in baiting the wizard into doing something stupid.
Aragorn picked up his sword and advanced again. Liran laughed.
"Foolish man you cannot defeat me." He waved his hand intending to crush him like an annoying bug. Nothing happened. Aragorn allowed a grim smile to grace his features. He lunged forward but Liran having possessed an elf was quicker. He dodged and withdrew one of his knives slashing forcefully trying to severely injure Aragorn. Aragorn had anticipated this and side - stepped bring his sword up. Liran stumbled backwards to avoid the blow and Aragorn pressed the advantage. Legolas cried out as the sword slashed his arm. Aragorn froze. It was Legolas's voice not Liran's. Aragorn flinched as Liran began to laugh, a cold cruel laugh.
"Ahh you don't want to hurt your precious elf." Legolas's lips curled in a sneer and Liran rammed the elf's arm into a tree. Everyone flinched as they heard bones snap and Legolas's cry of agony. Gandalf noticed that Gimli had regained his feet and was moving towards the trio with his axe clutched firmly in his hands. Gandalf nodded at Gimli who shook his head when he realised what the wizard wanted.
+Do it Gimli. You are saving him+ Gandalf said projecting his voice into the dwarf's mind. Gimli raised the blunt end of the axe and brought it down hard on the elf's head. Legolas dropped like a stone and Gimli fell to his knees dropping his axe.
"By the valor I hit him" he gasped staring with a dazed expression at the crumpled form of his best friend.
"You had to do it Gimli." Gandalf said soothingly as he placed a hand on Gimli's hunched shoulders. Gimli shook his head.
"What if I severely injured him or killed him. I forgot that elves are not as sturdy as dwarfs. He'll never forgive me. How can I forgive me! I hurt my best friend."
Aragorn looked up from where he was knelt at his friend's side checking how much damage Gimli had done.
"He still breaths Gimli. He will not blame you. He will understand. He was suffering and being knocked unconscious was probably the best thing for him."
Aragorn turned his attention from the distraught dwarf back to the elf. He had a nasty cut on his cheek. Aragorn had pressed some cloth ripped from his cloak against it to try and slow the bleeding.
"Gimli I need you to hold this to stop the bleeding." The dwarf didn't move.
"Gimli!" Aragorn said loudly trying to break through the dwarf's shock. "I need to set his wrist and check his head."
Gimli lifted his eyes and moved slowly placing his hands on the cloth. Aragorn ran his hands over the elf's head. He felt a large lump where Gimli had hit him.
"He is going to have a concussion at the least." Aragorn said. He then moved to set Legolas's wrist. Gandalf meanwhile had mixed some herbs together that would keep the elf heavily sedated until Gandalf had completed the spell. He poured some into the elf's mouth and pressed a pressure point on his throat causing the elf to swallow. The effect was immediate and the elf's eyes closed.
"We need to get him back to his room." The wizard said sighing deeply. Aragorn moved Legolas into his arms. The elf was totally limp, his head rolled and his right arm hung limply. Aragorn stood and shifted the elf until his head was resting in the crook of his shoulder. Gandalf picked up the right arm and laid it across the elf's chest.
"Let's go." Gimli slowly got to his feet, picked up the elf's knives and followed with a sad heart.
Chapter 10
Aragorn took off his cloak and boots. He dove into the water and searched frantically for his friend. The pool was clear and the moon lit the water making it quite simple for him to locate the drowning elf. He grasped Legolas's arm and pulled the elf towards the surface. His bright eyes turned towards Aragorn and the man despaired at the utter hopelessness they showed. They broke the surface and he turned to see if Legolas was well. He cursed. The elf had closed his eyes and was limp making him a dead weight to the tired ranger. Gandalf and Gimli stood waiting at the bank and helped pull the elf onto land.
"He is not breathing!" Gimli cried. Aragorn immediately bent over the elf and tilted his head back. He had done this once before on a ranger that had fell through the ice into a freezing lake. The ranger had died and he was loath to let that happen to his friend. He pinched his nose and breathed into his mouth. He watched in satisfaction as the chest rose and fell. He leaned backwards and watched but Legolas did not take a breath. Again Aragorn tried with the same results. He felt his pulse it was weaker than normal but still he thought it was there. Again and again he tried but the elf didn't breathe by himself.
"Come on!" he said desperately.
"Let me try." Gandalf said gently pushing the desperate ranger and concerned dwarf out the way. Gandalf placed his hand on the still chest of the elf and closed his eyes. He recited some ancient elvish words and a white glow spread out from his fingers. It spread across Legolas's chest. The two fiends waited for something to happen anxiously. An eternity seemed to pass but it could have only been a few seconds when the elf suddenly choked. Gandalf rolled him onto his side and rubbed Legolas's back as he brought up all the water he swallowed.
Gimli leaned towards his friend to make sure he was indeed breathing. Too quickly for the dwarf's eyes to follow Legolas's arm shot out and grabbed the dwarf's neck in a vice like grip. The elf opened his eyes and they were again black. Liran had taken control. He sat up abruptly.
"Why Gandalf you have been become slow in your old age." The voice that came out of Legolas sneered. Liran stood still holding Gimli in the air with ease. The dwarf was tugging at the elf's hand while going a purple colour and making gasping noises.
"Let him go!" Gandalf said loudly.
"And if I do you will just let me walk out of Mirkwood?!" Liran laughed. A harsh bitter sound the complete opposite of Legolas's. "Do you think I am that stupid!"
"Yes because you will not leave this forest or even this clearing whether or not you have the dwarf as a hostage." Gandalf replied watching as the dwarf's struggles intensified. He also saw Aragorn move behind the elf with his sword drawn. Liran opened his mouth to reply but the words were lost as Aragorn crashed into him. Liran was knocked off balance and his grip on the dwarf was lost. Gimli fell to the ground clutching his throat and gasping for breath. Liran growled in frustration and flung out his arm causing Aragorn to fly backwards across the clearing. He turned and walked across the clearing intent on leaving but was frozen in his tracks when Gandalf yelled out a spell.
"Legolas fight him. Fight him with everything you have got." Gandalf implored the brave young elf knowing he was but he needed to fight with every fibre of is being for the spell to work. Gandalf walked over to the frozen elf. The black eyes flashed dangerously as they watched the wizard. Gandalf watched as Aragorn slowly regained his feet and went to the aid of Gimli who was still on the floor making wheezing noises. Liran's fury increased and darkness flooded the surrounding area. Legolas was fighting desperately trying to regain his body but anytime he found a give in the spirits hold another wall was put up and he was buried even deeper within his own mind. He was growing weaker and desperately needed Gandalf to hurry up and do whatever he was planning on doing. The wizard placed his palm on the forehead of the frozen elf and began to recite a spell. Liran growled and broke away knocking Gandalf to the ground with black magic. "Did you really think that I would be that easy to defeat? Pathetic!" But Gandalf was smiling as he got back up. He had planned on Liran being able to break the spell so he had performed a quick spell that would remove Liran's magic. The dark elf had yet to realise that this had happened, as he was so engrossed in baiting the wizard into doing something stupid.
Aragorn picked up his sword and advanced again. Liran laughed.
"Foolish man you cannot defeat me." He waved his hand intending to crush him like an annoying bug. Nothing happened. Aragorn allowed a grim smile to grace his features. He lunged forward but Liran having possessed an elf was quicker. He dodged and withdrew one of his knives slashing forcefully trying to severely injure Aragorn. Aragorn had anticipated this and side - stepped bring his sword up. Liran stumbled backwards to avoid the blow and Aragorn pressed the advantage. Legolas cried out as the sword slashed his arm. Aragorn froze. It was Legolas's voice not Liran's. Aragorn flinched as Liran began to laugh, a cold cruel laugh.
"Ahh you don't want to hurt your precious elf." Legolas's lips curled in a sneer and Liran rammed the elf's arm into a tree. Everyone flinched as they heard bones snap and Legolas's cry of agony. Gandalf noticed that Gimli had regained his feet and was moving towards the trio with his axe clutched firmly in his hands. Gandalf nodded at Gimli who shook his head when he realised what the wizard wanted.
+Do it Gimli. You are saving him+ Gandalf said projecting his voice into the dwarf's mind. Gimli raised the blunt end of the axe and brought it down hard on the elf's head. Legolas dropped like a stone and Gimli fell to his knees dropping his axe.
"By the valor I hit him" he gasped staring with a dazed expression at the crumpled form of his best friend.
"You had to do it Gimli." Gandalf said soothingly as he placed a hand on Gimli's hunched shoulders. Gimli shook his head.
"What if I severely injured him or killed him. I forgot that elves are not as sturdy as dwarfs. He'll never forgive me. How can I forgive me! I hurt my best friend."
Aragorn looked up from where he was knelt at his friend's side checking how much damage Gimli had done.
"He still breaths Gimli. He will not blame you. He will understand. He was suffering and being knocked unconscious was probably the best thing for him."
Aragorn turned his attention from the distraught dwarf back to the elf. He had a nasty cut on his cheek. Aragorn had pressed some cloth ripped from his cloak against it to try and slow the bleeding.
"Gimli I need you to hold this to stop the bleeding." The dwarf didn't move.
"Gimli!" Aragorn said loudly trying to break through the dwarf's shock. "I need to set his wrist and check his head."
Gimli lifted his eyes and moved slowly placing his hands on the cloth. Aragorn ran his hands over the elf's head. He felt a large lump where Gimli had hit him.
"He is going to have a concussion at the least." Aragorn said. He then moved to set Legolas's wrist. Gandalf meanwhile had mixed some herbs together that would keep the elf heavily sedated until Gandalf had completed the spell. He poured some into the elf's mouth and pressed a pressure point on his throat causing the elf to swallow. The effect was immediate and the elf's eyes closed.
"We need to get him back to his room." The wizard said sighing deeply. Aragorn moved Legolas into his arms. The elf was totally limp, his head rolled and his right arm hung limply. Aragorn stood and shifted the elf until his head was resting in the crook of his shoulder. Gandalf picked up the right arm and laid it across the elf's chest.
"Let's go." Gimli slowly got to his feet, picked up the elf's knives and followed with a sad heart.