"And the Fellowship of the Ring Shall Be Ten"
Chapter X ~ "The Fellowship Reunites"
Teneriel felt dizzy and the pain in her shoulder had increased volumes in the last few hours. Her strength was quickly ebbing, and she was still miles from Lothlorien. She stumbled, falling to her knees in the clear waters of the Nimrodel.
Instantly, a voice snapped, "Halt! Who dares to encroach upon our borders?"
Teneriel raised her head slightly, her mind slowly recognizing him. "Haldir? Is that you, my friend?" she whispered, pain lacing her every word.
Footsteps came closer, and hands gripped her arms. "Teneriel? I was told that you fell in Moria!" Haldir said, kneeling beside her.
"No, but if I do not reach Lothlorien soon, I will die. Orc poison even now robs me of my strength, Haldir," she breathed, gazing deep into his eyes.
Haldir nodded, swinging her into his arms. He whistled and a horse cantered out of the woods, nickering softly at him. Haldir lifted her onto Arasel and leapt up on his back. A moment later, they were flying through the woods.
Teneriel saw the trees flash by but she couldn't focus on them. Her vision was fogging over quickly. She closed her eyes briefly and leaned against Haldir, letting go of the pain and worry and concentrating solely on staying awake.
He looked down at her and groaned, murmuring urgently to Arasel. "Fly, Arasel, fly. We carry precious cargo, and she is fading quickly."
~~~~~~~~
Gimli stared at the bow Legolas held out to him, his forehead furrowing. "And what exactly do you want me to do with this?" he asked, watching the Elf warily.
Legolas laughed, shaking his head. The grief he felt for the last few days had lessened since he had been spending more time with the Dwarf. "Shoot it, my friend."
Gimli took a deep breath and took the Elven bow, sliding his calloused hands over the smooth wood. "It is well-made, I will give your people that consideration. You craft good weapons." He hefted the bow and set an arrow to the string, pinching it between his fingers.
Legolas closed his eyes as the Dwarf let go of the string, not wanting to see the disastrous effects of his friend's attempt. The arrow screamed through the air and embedded itself deep into a tree trunk, about thirty feet away from the Dwarf's intended target. His lips twitched as Legolas tried desperately to hold in his laughter. Sadly, his efforts were unsuccessful. Peals of laughter issued from the Elf as Legolas leaned against a nearby tree.
Gimli whirled on Legolas, shoving the bow back at him. Fury blazed in the Dwarf's deepset eyes. "What did I do wrong, Elf?"
"You held the arrow," Legolas said, slowly gaining control over his mirth. He took the bow from Gimli and showed the Dwarf the proper way to place and hold an arrow. Pulling the string back, Legolas aimed and fired. His arrow split Gimli's down the shaft to the very tip.
"Give me that," the Dwarf snapped, taking the bow back. But before he had time to even set an arrow to the string, a massive white horse thundered past. It would knocked the Dwarf over had Legolas not caught him.
Legolas watched the horse gallop away, a feeling of familiarity passing over him. The white horse carried two, one was Haldir, and the other looked to be female. Actually, she looked a lot like ~ "Teneriel," Legolas whispered, his blue eyes following the horse. "Come, my friend," he said, glancing down at Gimli. "I believe one of our fallen companions has returned from the dead."
~~~~~~~~~~
Haldir jumped off Arasel and pulled the unconscious Teneriel off as well. He kicked open the door to the healer's flet and stormed in. The healer glanced up, an eyebrow raised. "Have you a reason for destroying my door, Haldir?"
Haldir lay Teneriel on a nearby bed, quickly pulling off her outer garment and ripping off the left sleeve of her long shirt. The wound had not closed, nor had it even begun to heal. The black tendrils had spread over her entire left arm and shoulder, and as he watched, the tendrils groped farther through her veins.
The healer brushed past him and his face blanched at the sight. "She is badly hurt," he muttered, pulling leaves and herbs off various shelves. "This may be beyond my power to heal."
Haldir turned, his cloak flowing behind him as he left the flet. "I will find Aragorn," he said. "If he cannot heal her now, then no one will."
Legolas watched as Haldir ran down the many steps, his eyes narrowed. The older Elf took no notice of them, so intent was he on his task. "Haldir!" Legolas called. "What has happened?"
Haldir glanced at Legolas and Gimli, turning to them. "Teneriel is in the healer's flet, I would suggest that you go to her. If I see any other members of the Fellowship, I will tell them to meet you there." And with those words, he was gone, off to find Aragorn.
"Come, Legolas," Gimli ordered, already running up the steps. "Let it not ever be said that a Dwarf could beat an Elf in a race."
Legolas glanced in the direction that Haldir had taken for a moment, then he turned and followed Gimli quickly up the steps, easily over-taking the Dwarf. Only a few moments later, they arrived at the healer's flet. Gimli walked in first and crossed over to the bed, Legolas only a few steps behind.
Teneriel's face was pale, almost ghostly, in appearance. Her skin was cold to the touch, save her forehead, which was burning hot with fever. Her eyes were closed, a clear sign that her life was in danger.
Legolas slowly put a hand in one of hers, shuddering at the icy feel of it. "Is she beyond hope?" he asked, gazing unflinchingly at the healer.
"For my hands, yes," the healer answered, laying a hand on her forehead and shaking his head. "I think so."
Merry, Pippin, Frodo, and Sam all poured into the room at the same time, just in time to hear those words. Pippin ran forward, grabbing Teneriel's other hand. Tears poured down his cheeks.
Gimli groaned, turning away from the bed. "So we will lose her, then."
"Not if I can help it," a voice said from the door, wrought with authority. Aragorn swept past them all, kneeling beside the bed. He passed a hand over her mouth, smiling slightly. "There is still warmth in her," he murmured. "Legolas," he snapped, not even looking at him, "find me atasphel. Sam, start boiling water." The two in question obeyed instantly, Sam running over to the fire and Legolas flying out of the flet.
Aragorn stood and scanned the many shelves in the flet. He grabbed two heart-shaped leaves and crushed them into his hand, scattering them into her wound. The effect was instantaneous and red blood slowly started seeping out of the punctures. Tiny amounts of black poison came with it, but not enough to be called success.
Pippin looked at Aragorn, then at Teneriel, his young face paling considerably. "Aragorn," he said quickly, "I think she stopped breathing!"
Chapter X ~ "The Fellowship Reunites"
Teneriel felt dizzy and the pain in her shoulder had increased volumes in the last few hours. Her strength was quickly ebbing, and she was still miles from Lothlorien. She stumbled, falling to her knees in the clear waters of the Nimrodel.
Instantly, a voice snapped, "Halt! Who dares to encroach upon our borders?"
Teneriel raised her head slightly, her mind slowly recognizing him. "Haldir? Is that you, my friend?" she whispered, pain lacing her every word.
Footsteps came closer, and hands gripped her arms. "Teneriel? I was told that you fell in Moria!" Haldir said, kneeling beside her.
"No, but if I do not reach Lothlorien soon, I will die. Orc poison even now robs me of my strength, Haldir," she breathed, gazing deep into his eyes.
Haldir nodded, swinging her into his arms. He whistled and a horse cantered out of the woods, nickering softly at him. Haldir lifted her onto Arasel and leapt up on his back. A moment later, they were flying through the woods.
Teneriel saw the trees flash by but she couldn't focus on them. Her vision was fogging over quickly. She closed her eyes briefly and leaned against Haldir, letting go of the pain and worry and concentrating solely on staying awake.
He looked down at her and groaned, murmuring urgently to Arasel. "Fly, Arasel, fly. We carry precious cargo, and she is fading quickly."
~~~~~~~~
Gimli stared at the bow Legolas held out to him, his forehead furrowing. "And what exactly do you want me to do with this?" he asked, watching the Elf warily.
Legolas laughed, shaking his head. The grief he felt for the last few days had lessened since he had been spending more time with the Dwarf. "Shoot it, my friend."
Gimli took a deep breath and took the Elven bow, sliding his calloused hands over the smooth wood. "It is well-made, I will give your people that consideration. You craft good weapons." He hefted the bow and set an arrow to the string, pinching it between his fingers.
Legolas closed his eyes as the Dwarf let go of the string, not wanting to see the disastrous effects of his friend's attempt. The arrow screamed through the air and embedded itself deep into a tree trunk, about thirty feet away from the Dwarf's intended target. His lips twitched as Legolas tried desperately to hold in his laughter. Sadly, his efforts were unsuccessful. Peals of laughter issued from the Elf as Legolas leaned against a nearby tree.
Gimli whirled on Legolas, shoving the bow back at him. Fury blazed in the Dwarf's deepset eyes. "What did I do wrong, Elf?"
"You held the arrow," Legolas said, slowly gaining control over his mirth. He took the bow from Gimli and showed the Dwarf the proper way to place and hold an arrow. Pulling the string back, Legolas aimed and fired. His arrow split Gimli's down the shaft to the very tip.
"Give me that," the Dwarf snapped, taking the bow back. But before he had time to even set an arrow to the string, a massive white horse thundered past. It would knocked the Dwarf over had Legolas not caught him.
Legolas watched the horse gallop away, a feeling of familiarity passing over him. The white horse carried two, one was Haldir, and the other looked to be female. Actually, she looked a lot like ~ "Teneriel," Legolas whispered, his blue eyes following the horse. "Come, my friend," he said, glancing down at Gimli. "I believe one of our fallen companions has returned from the dead."
~~~~~~~~~~
Haldir jumped off Arasel and pulled the unconscious Teneriel off as well. He kicked open the door to the healer's flet and stormed in. The healer glanced up, an eyebrow raised. "Have you a reason for destroying my door, Haldir?"
Haldir lay Teneriel on a nearby bed, quickly pulling off her outer garment and ripping off the left sleeve of her long shirt. The wound had not closed, nor had it even begun to heal. The black tendrils had spread over her entire left arm and shoulder, and as he watched, the tendrils groped farther through her veins.
The healer brushed past him and his face blanched at the sight. "She is badly hurt," he muttered, pulling leaves and herbs off various shelves. "This may be beyond my power to heal."
Haldir turned, his cloak flowing behind him as he left the flet. "I will find Aragorn," he said. "If he cannot heal her now, then no one will."
Legolas watched as Haldir ran down the many steps, his eyes narrowed. The older Elf took no notice of them, so intent was he on his task. "Haldir!" Legolas called. "What has happened?"
Haldir glanced at Legolas and Gimli, turning to them. "Teneriel is in the healer's flet, I would suggest that you go to her. If I see any other members of the Fellowship, I will tell them to meet you there." And with those words, he was gone, off to find Aragorn.
"Come, Legolas," Gimli ordered, already running up the steps. "Let it not ever be said that a Dwarf could beat an Elf in a race."
Legolas glanced in the direction that Haldir had taken for a moment, then he turned and followed Gimli quickly up the steps, easily over-taking the Dwarf. Only a few moments later, they arrived at the healer's flet. Gimli walked in first and crossed over to the bed, Legolas only a few steps behind.
Teneriel's face was pale, almost ghostly, in appearance. Her skin was cold to the touch, save her forehead, which was burning hot with fever. Her eyes were closed, a clear sign that her life was in danger.
Legolas slowly put a hand in one of hers, shuddering at the icy feel of it. "Is she beyond hope?" he asked, gazing unflinchingly at the healer.
"For my hands, yes," the healer answered, laying a hand on her forehead and shaking his head. "I think so."
Merry, Pippin, Frodo, and Sam all poured into the room at the same time, just in time to hear those words. Pippin ran forward, grabbing Teneriel's other hand. Tears poured down his cheeks.
Gimli groaned, turning away from the bed. "So we will lose her, then."
"Not if I can help it," a voice said from the door, wrought with authority. Aragorn swept past them all, kneeling beside the bed. He passed a hand over her mouth, smiling slightly. "There is still warmth in her," he murmured. "Legolas," he snapped, not even looking at him, "find me atasphel. Sam, start boiling water." The two in question obeyed instantly, Sam running over to the fire and Legolas flying out of the flet.
Aragorn stood and scanned the many shelves in the flet. He grabbed two heart-shaped leaves and crushed them into his hand, scattering them into her wound. The effect was instantaneous and red blood slowly started seeping out of the punctures. Tiny amounts of black poison came with it, but not enough to be called success.
Pippin looked at Aragorn, then at Teneriel, his young face paling considerably. "Aragorn," he said quickly, "I think she stopped breathing!"