Chapter 2
It seemed to take hours before Aragorn finally returned to aid his ill companion, and was stunned to see the arrow that Eowyn pointed out. "Legolas-I can not believe you did not notice this!" The ranger cried.
"Never mind the commentary, Aragorn." Eowyn said, standing up. "He needs to have the metal taken out of him immediately or it will infect him further."
Aragorn gaped at the fair-haired woman before him and then turned to the rest of the villiagers, who were watching the situation with wide eyes.
"Please do not touch me," Legolas begged. "It hurts."
"I understand it hurts. But Eowyn is correct-it must be removed."
"I can't watch." Gimli gasped and hurried to go stand in a corner as Aragorn pulled out a dagger from his belt. He was a healer, and had to remove the tip of the Morgul blade from Frodo months earlier, so he was experienced in this type of simple surgery. Eowyn looked at Gimli and then at Aragorn and back down at Legolas.
"Hold my hand. He must do this, Legolas. The poison will still be in you, but at least you will not be infected by the metal as well."
Legolas grasped Eowyn's hand tightly and squeezed his eyes shut as the ranger began his work. A few women hurried over with towels and fresh water to clean out the wound once the metal was removed. The process was VERY painful, and even as he squeezed Eowyn's hand very tightly (She even grimaced in pain a bit), he still cried out.
"There." Said Aragorn, holding the triangular piece of metal in front of Legolas. "It is out. But you are now bleeding, unfortunately. Thank you." He told the women as he accepted their towels.
"You are most welcome, Lord." They replied.
"We must get the dear back to Rohan. He can not remain here at Helm's Deep." Eowyn told Aragorn. "He needs to be in a warm bed."
Aragorn glanced over his shoulder and smirked-the dwarf still stood facing the stone wall in the corner. "Gimli-it is over." Aragorn insisted.
"What?" The dwarf cried.
"The arrow is out I mean. You may turn around."
Gimli nodded and did so, but saw the blood seeping through the towel and THUD. Eowyn laughed, as did Legolas a bit, but he gasped as a seering pain shot through his arm. "Let me retrieve Gandalf from above and see if we can not place Legolas on Shadowfax and have him brought to your Uncle's house." Aragorn told Eowyn. "You are right-it is not safe for him to be lying on a stone ground in this condtion."
Legolas started coughing again, and Eowyn eased him into a sitting position till the fit ended. "Would you care for some more water?" She asked gently.
"Thank you." Legolas told her. "Aragorn-I am suddenly so very cold. I n-need a blanket."
"You are boiling." Aragorn told him. "Do you feel hot and cold at the same time?"
Legolas nodded.
"He is running chills then." Eowyn clucked her tongue. "Go and get Gandalf-I will sit with him till you return."
"You are leaving me again?" Legolas asked in a whimper.
"I will be back, Legolas. I promise. We're going to try and bring you to Rohan." Aragorn nearly stepped on the still form of Gimli before heading back up to the fortress. He caught sight of the white wizard, kneeling beside the fallen form of Haldir. Theoden was walking about the grounds, counting the number of dead men and aiding the wounded. The few boys who had not been injured in the large battle, were huddled together at one end of the fortress, trembling in fear. War, obviously, was not something they had hoped to see in their lifetime, no matter how glorified the stories of old were. War was all but glorious.
"Tis a pity he had to fall in this way." Gandalf said quietly, his eyes closed. Aragorn nodded sadly. Haldir had been a friend and he was starting to feel the pain of the loss at this moment as he watched the pale face.
"And more ill news I bring to you, Gandalf." Aragorn replied.
"More ill news?" Gandalf looked up. "Neither Legolas or Gimli have fallen I do hope!"
"No-they have not fallen." Aragorn promised. "However, I bring ill news of Legolas. The Elf has fallen very sick and we must get him back to Rohan quickly."
"Rohan? Now Aragorn, that is a very trecherous road to take. Especially at this time. We do not know if this is the only arm of orcs Saruman has unleashed."
"But he cannot stay here!" Aragorn yelled. "He cannot or he will die, surely!"
"How did he fall ill?"
"He did not tell us about a wound he had received at least two weeks ago. We are assuming he received it before Boromir fell or after. The arrow was poisonous."
Gandalf stood quickly. "Lead me to him. Have you removed the arrow?"
"Yes."
"What are his symtpoms at the moment?"
"He is running a very high fever and chills. He also has a cough, but that does not seem to be all that apparent."
Gandalf nodded, and, after blessing Haldir, followed the ranger back down into the caverns. He approached Legolas and noticed that Gimli was sitting, holding his forehead, looking very annoyed about something. He also noted that Eowyn was beside the Elf, cradling his head in her lap. "Legolas." Gandalf announced, kneeling down, setting his staff on the ground.
"Gandalf." The Elf gasped.
"I am here, lad."
"Are we-are we going to Rohan?" Legolas asked weakly.
"Yes, judging from the looks of things."
Aragorn smiled. "He may ride Shadowfax then."
"In deed."
"Am I going to die?" Legolas wanted to know, his eyes glazing over a bit with the pain. Gimli touched Legolas's arm and smiled through his thick, auburn beard.
"Nonsense. You won't die if I have anything to do with it."
The Elf smiled weakly before allowing Aragorn to ease him to his feet. Gandalf let out a high-pitched whistle that sounded more like a voice singing, and an enormous white horse approached, rearing a little before coming to a complete stop. "Ah-thank you for coming quickly." The white wizard smiled at the horse, patting its neck. "We have a very ill Elf that needs to get back to Theoden's house in Rohan."
Aragorn aided Legolas onto the horse's back and Gandalf hopped up behind him. "We will leave now. Tell the King and come after me as soon as you can. Away, Shadowfax!" The horse immediately started to gallop away, and, Gimli, out of pure fright, started to chase after it but was soon pulled back by the scruff of the neck by Aragorn.
"No, Gimli. You will ride with me."
Eowyn touched Aragorn's arm. "I am terribly sorry about your companion. I wish you all of the best."
Aragorn smiled. "Thank you, Lady Eowyn. Come, Gimli. Let us inform the King of our leaving and we will ride away."
Gimli sighed heavily. "All right. Good night, Lady." He bowed respectfully to Eowyn before following the ranger.
It seemed to take hours before Aragorn finally returned to aid his ill companion, and was stunned to see the arrow that Eowyn pointed out. "Legolas-I can not believe you did not notice this!" The ranger cried.
"Never mind the commentary, Aragorn." Eowyn said, standing up. "He needs to have the metal taken out of him immediately or it will infect him further."
Aragorn gaped at the fair-haired woman before him and then turned to the rest of the villiagers, who were watching the situation with wide eyes.
"Please do not touch me," Legolas begged. "It hurts."
"I understand it hurts. But Eowyn is correct-it must be removed."
"I can't watch." Gimli gasped and hurried to go stand in a corner as Aragorn pulled out a dagger from his belt. He was a healer, and had to remove the tip of the Morgul blade from Frodo months earlier, so he was experienced in this type of simple surgery. Eowyn looked at Gimli and then at Aragorn and back down at Legolas.
"Hold my hand. He must do this, Legolas. The poison will still be in you, but at least you will not be infected by the metal as well."
Legolas grasped Eowyn's hand tightly and squeezed his eyes shut as the ranger began his work. A few women hurried over with towels and fresh water to clean out the wound once the metal was removed. The process was VERY painful, and even as he squeezed Eowyn's hand very tightly (She even grimaced in pain a bit), he still cried out.
"There." Said Aragorn, holding the triangular piece of metal in front of Legolas. "It is out. But you are now bleeding, unfortunately. Thank you." He told the women as he accepted their towels.
"You are most welcome, Lord." They replied.
"We must get the dear back to Rohan. He can not remain here at Helm's Deep." Eowyn told Aragorn. "He needs to be in a warm bed."
Aragorn glanced over his shoulder and smirked-the dwarf still stood facing the stone wall in the corner. "Gimli-it is over." Aragorn insisted.
"What?" The dwarf cried.
"The arrow is out I mean. You may turn around."
Gimli nodded and did so, but saw the blood seeping through the towel and THUD. Eowyn laughed, as did Legolas a bit, but he gasped as a seering pain shot through his arm. "Let me retrieve Gandalf from above and see if we can not place Legolas on Shadowfax and have him brought to your Uncle's house." Aragorn told Eowyn. "You are right-it is not safe for him to be lying on a stone ground in this condtion."
Legolas started coughing again, and Eowyn eased him into a sitting position till the fit ended. "Would you care for some more water?" She asked gently.
"Thank you." Legolas told her. "Aragorn-I am suddenly so very cold. I n-need a blanket."
"You are boiling." Aragorn told him. "Do you feel hot and cold at the same time?"
Legolas nodded.
"He is running chills then." Eowyn clucked her tongue. "Go and get Gandalf-I will sit with him till you return."
"You are leaving me again?" Legolas asked in a whimper.
"I will be back, Legolas. I promise. We're going to try and bring you to Rohan." Aragorn nearly stepped on the still form of Gimli before heading back up to the fortress. He caught sight of the white wizard, kneeling beside the fallen form of Haldir. Theoden was walking about the grounds, counting the number of dead men and aiding the wounded. The few boys who had not been injured in the large battle, were huddled together at one end of the fortress, trembling in fear. War, obviously, was not something they had hoped to see in their lifetime, no matter how glorified the stories of old were. War was all but glorious.
"Tis a pity he had to fall in this way." Gandalf said quietly, his eyes closed. Aragorn nodded sadly. Haldir had been a friend and he was starting to feel the pain of the loss at this moment as he watched the pale face.
"And more ill news I bring to you, Gandalf." Aragorn replied.
"More ill news?" Gandalf looked up. "Neither Legolas or Gimli have fallen I do hope!"
"No-they have not fallen." Aragorn promised. "However, I bring ill news of Legolas. The Elf has fallen very sick and we must get him back to Rohan quickly."
"Rohan? Now Aragorn, that is a very trecherous road to take. Especially at this time. We do not know if this is the only arm of orcs Saruman has unleashed."
"But he cannot stay here!" Aragorn yelled. "He cannot or he will die, surely!"
"How did he fall ill?"
"He did not tell us about a wound he had received at least two weeks ago. We are assuming he received it before Boromir fell or after. The arrow was poisonous."
Gandalf stood quickly. "Lead me to him. Have you removed the arrow?"
"Yes."
"What are his symtpoms at the moment?"
"He is running a very high fever and chills. He also has a cough, but that does not seem to be all that apparent."
Gandalf nodded, and, after blessing Haldir, followed the ranger back down into the caverns. He approached Legolas and noticed that Gimli was sitting, holding his forehead, looking very annoyed about something. He also noted that Eowyn was beside the Elf, cradling his head in her lap. "Legolas." Gandalf announced, kneeling down, setting his staff on the ground.
"Gandalf." The Elf gasped.
"I am here, lad."
"Are we-are we going to Rohan?" Legolas asked weakly.
"Yes, judging from the looks of things."
Aragorn smiled. "He may ride Shadowfax then."
"In deed."
"Am I going to die?" Legolas wanted to know, his eyes glazing over a bit with the pain. Gimli touched Legolas's arm and smiled through his thick, auburn beard.
"Nonsense. You won't die if I have anything to do with it."
The Elf smiled weakly before allowing Aragorn to ease him to his feet. Gandalf let out a high-pitched whistle that sounded more like a voice singing, and an enormous white horse approached, rearing a little before coming to a complete stop. "Ah-thank you for coming quickly." The white wizard smiled at the horse, patting its neck. "We have a very ill Elf that needs to get back to Theoden's house in Rohan."
Aragorn aided Legolas onto the horse's back and Gandalf hopped up behind him. "We will leave now. Tell the King and come after me as soon as you can. Away, Shadowfax!" The horse immediately started to gallop away, and, Gimli, out of pure fright, started to chase after it but was soon pulled back by the scruff of the neck by Aragorn.
"No, Gimli. You will ride with me."
Eowyn touched Aragorn's arm. "I am terribly sorry about your companion. I wish you all of the best."
Aragorn smiled. "Thank you, Lady Eowyn. Come, Gimli. Let us inform the King of our leaving and we will ride away."
Gimli sighed heavily. "All right. Good night, Lady." He bowed respectfully to Eowyn before following the ranger.