Chapter 3
Every form of movement was agony. Legolas leaned back against Gandalf limply as Shadowfax galloped over the hills towards the villiage of Rohan. "Hold on, lad." The wizard encouraged. About an hour or so into the trip, the Elf had to get sick, and Gandalf ordered Shadowfax to stop so Legolas could dismount and vomit.
"What-is-happening?" Legolas gasped once he'd finished. "G-Gandalf-I must lay down."
Gandalf dismounted from Shadowfax and went over to his companion, rubbing the Elf's back as he continued to vomit again. "It is all right, Legolas, son of Thranduil. I am sorry, but you may not lay down as yet. We have a fortnight till we arrive in Rohan."
Legolas let out a groan of pain as the wizard aided him back onto the horse. "I am so cold." The Elf whispered.
Gandalf removed his white cloak and wrapped it about the shoulders of the Elven prince, hoping to comfort the Elf as much as he could before they reached the city.
By nightfall they had to stop and camp in a grove of pine trees. Legolas lay on the ground, his eyes shut tightly and murmering inaudible words in his sleep. Gandalf conjured a small fire to keep the Elf warm. "Tell my father," Legolas whispered, "That I am sorry."
"You are NOT going to leave us." Gandalf snapped. "I will make sure you do not. We need you, Legolas Greenleaf. More than you will ever know."
Legolas tried to fight a small flood of tears that made their way down his pale cheeks. He missed Gimli and needed the dwarf's dry sense of humor now more than ever.
Gimli ignored the tears that poured from his eyes as he rode behind Aragorn on the way to Rohan a few hours later. Theoden and Eowyn were with them as well, along with the band they had originally started off with. No one spoke, for grief had taken over. Legolas was slowly dying from a poisonous wound, and all of them prayed to the Valar that he would be well.
"We were not fond of each other at first you know," Gimli said through his tears to Eowyn, who was crying as well. "I will miss him terribly if he leaves us."
"He will not leave us, Gimli." Aragorn promised. "When we get to Rohan, we will get him into a bed and I will look into my pack and see what I can come up with to slow the poison. Athelas may work."
Eowyn wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. So much had happened in such a small amount of time. So much was still to come, she could sense it in the back of her mind. They prepared to camp once darkness fell, and prepared a meager meal of bread and cold soup. Eowyn chewed on her bread and cried as she listened to Gimli talk about the good times he and Legolas had together on the Quest, despite the peril that did occur as well.
"And so he said," Gimli chortled as he drank from his canteen, "Why does that not surprise me? The nerve of him!"
Eowyn laughed in the midst of her tears. "But then," Gimli added, slapping his knee, "He rescued me before I nearly fell off of one of the cliffs in Moria. It is unheard of, usually, for a dwarf to befriend an Elf, but there is a first time for everything I say."
Eowyn looked at Aragorn, who had lit his pipe and was smoking it, gazing up at the stary sky. He murmered "A Elbereth Gilthoniel, o menel palan-diriel, le nallon si di'nguruthos! A tiro Legolas, Fanuilos!"
"What does that mean?" Eowyn asked softly as she scooted over to sit closer to him. Aragorn looked at her as he blew a smoke ring into the air before speaking.
"It means: O Star-Queen Star-Kindler, from firmament afar-gazing, to thee I cry here bneath death-horror! O watch over Legolas, Fanuilos." He smiled. "We need every prayer we can muster."
"Then allow us all to pray together," said Gimli, standing up. Eowyn joined him, and the three wound up holding hands tightly and closing their eyes as they chanted the same phrase in Elvish:
"A Elbereth Gilthoniel, o menel palan-diriel, le nallon si di'nguruthos! A tiro Legolas, Fanuilos!"
Theoden was watching the process from his position a few feet away and looked down at the ground. He had lost his own son, Theodred, to orcs not long before. He hoped that Aragorn and Gimli would not suffer such a loss also.
Within a few hours, the company went to sleep.
Close to evening the following day, Gandalf and Legolas arrived in Rohan. The Elf was half-spent by the time the wizard carried him up the steps and into the main hallway. Rohan was now deserted following the attack of the orcs, and the house of Theoden was empty as well. He carried Legolas to the closest bed chamber, and lay the Elf down atop of the quilts.
"Are they here?" Legolas asked weakly after the wizard put him under the blankets and prepared a bowl of luke-warm water to bathe the wound.
"Not as yet, Legolas." Gandalf replied.
"Will they be here soon, then?"
"As soon as they are able. Rest now, Legolas. I must tend to your wound."
"Ah." Legolas gasped as the water touched the indent the arrow tip had made, which had now swollen and had turned a gruesome greenish black. The Elf's uneven breathing was the only sound in the house. "Might I have a drink of water?" Legolas asked in a hoarse voice. Gandalf nodded and retrieved the half-empty canteen.
"Slow sips now, lad. That is it."
Soon the two heard the doors to the house fly open and the sound of footsteps pounding down the corridors. "GANDALF!" Aragorn called.
"Where are they?" asked Eowyn in a worried tone.
"Legolas, laddie! Where ARE you?" Gimli called, trying to lighten the mood.
"Here!" Gandalf hollored, and all stopped dead in their tracks.
"It sounds as though his voice came from that corridor there," Eowyn suggested, pointing ahead. "Come-follow me." She hitched her skirts and led the way. They entered a dim corridor, its floor covered by blood red carpet. "Gandalf? Are you in one of these rooms?" Eowyn called.
"The second one on the right."
They found it and entered.
"Ah ha." Said Gimli, pointing at the Elf in bed. "Found you."
"Yes," Legolas said weakly. "In deed you did."
Eowyn hurried over to the wizard. "How is he?" She asked hopefully.
"The same." Gandalf replied solumnly.
"Oh Gandalf-look at the wound. It is so swollen and discoloured!" Eowyn covered her hands with her mouth and for a moment, Aragorn was afraid she was going to be sick herself.
"Green?"
All heads turned to see Elorian standing in the doorway. "Wait till I tell Anian!"
"Elorian! How did you find us in here, you rascal?" asked Eowyn with a chuckle as she went to scoop the child into her arms. "Where is your mother?"
"In the villiage. She said I could come and look for you."
"It is not safe for you here. Not now, Elorian." Eowyn insisted.
"Let me see her," Legolas insisted.
"I've never met an Elf before, though I have heard stories all about them!" Elorian gasped.
"Then you shall." Said Legolas in the midst of a cough.
"Are you certain you are strong enough?" asked Gandalf with uncertainty as Elorian hurried over to the sickbed and peered at the creature with her blue eyes wide as saucers. "Your eyes are the same color as mine! My Mama tells me mine are the color of the sea in the summer."
Legolas smiled weakly. "They are."
"Can I touch you? To make sure you're real and that I am not asleep?" Elorian asked hopefully.
Legolas nodded, holding out his hand, and the little girl gently touched the very warm skin. "You are burning. He is very ill, isn't he?" Elorian turned to Eowyn who nodded.
"Which is why," She said, lifting the girl again, "You should not be here. Come now-let me take you back where you belong."
"Okay. It was a pleasure to meet you, Master Legolas. I do hope you are well soon."
Legolas smiled again, before turning his head again and closing his eyes. Gimli bowed his head, a slight smirk on his face, as Eowyn left the room with the little girl. Aragorn was grinning as well as he watched Eowyn disappear through the doorway and then he turned to Gimli. "Let Legolas rest. You and I shall have a chat over some fresh meat and a good glass of wine."
"If there is any left in the house," said Gandalf with a smile.
"We will find some." Aragorn promised, before touching Legolas once more on the arm and leading Gimli away.
A/N: Wow-I am overwhelmed by the wonderful feedback I have received for this! Thank you! This is my first attempt at a story using Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn as the main characters. A quick note, though: Elorian and Anian are made up children of Rohan. Elorian became friends with Eowyn on the journey to Helm's Deep, and that is how they know each other. As you can tell, Elorian is fascinated by Elves. Hee hee. Hope you enjoy this chapter! Please read and review!
Every form of movement was agony. Legolas leaned back against Gandalf limply as Shadowfax galloped over the hills towards the villiage of Rohan. "Hold on, lad." The wizard encouraged. About an hour or so into the trip, the Elf had to get sick, and Gandalf ordered Shadowfax to stop so Legolas could dismount and vomit.
"What-is-happening?" Legolas gasped once he'd finished. "G-Gandalf-I must lay down."
Gandalf dismounted from Shadowfax and went over to his companion, rubbing the Elf's back as he continued to vomit again. "It is all right, Legolas, son of Thranduil. I am sorry, but you may not lay down as yet. We have a fortnight till we arrive in Rohan."
Legolas let out a groan of pain as the wizard aided him back onto the horse. "I am so cold." The Elf whispered.
Gandalf removed his white cloak and wrapped it about the shoulders of the Elven prince, hoping to comfort the Elf as much as he could before they reached the city.
By nightfall they had to stop and camp in a grove of pine trees. Legolas lay on the ground, his eyes shut tightly and murmering inaudible words in his sleep. Gandalf conjured a small fire to keep the Elf warm. "Tell my father," Legolas whispered, "That I am sorry."
"You are NOT going to leave us." Gandalf snapped. "I will make sure you do not. We need you, Legolas Greenleaf. More than you will ever know."
Legolas tried to fight a small flood of tears that made their way down his pale cheeks. He missed Gimli and needed the dwarf's dry sense of humor now more than ever.
Gimli ignored the tears that poured from his eyes as he rode behind Aragorn on the way to Rohan a few hours later. Theoden and Eowyn were with them as well, along with the band they had originally started off with. No one spoke, for grief had taken over. Legolas was slowly dying from a poisonous wound, and all of them prayed to the Valar that he would be well.
"We were not fond of each other at first you know," Gimli said through his tears to Eowyn, who was crying as well. "I will miss him terribly if he leaves us."
"He will not leave us, Gimli." Aragorn promised. "When we get to Rohan, we will get him into a bed and I will look into my pack and see what I can come up with to slow the poison. Athelas may work."
Eowyn wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. So much had happened in such a small amount of time. So much was still to come, she could sense it in the back of her mind. They prepared to camp once darkness fell, and prepared a meager meal of bread and cold soup. Eowyn chewed on her bread and cried as she listened to Gimli talk about the good times he and Legolas had together on the Quest, despite the peril that did occur as well.
"And so he said," Gimli chortled as he drank from his canteen, "Why does that not surprise me? The nerve of him!"
Eowyn laughed in the midst of her tears. "But then," Gimli added, slapping his knee, "He rescued me before I nearly fell off of one of the cliffs in Moria. It is unheard of, usually, for a dwarf to befriend an Elf, but there is a first time for everything I say."
Eowyn looked at Aragorn, who had lit his pipe and was smoking it, gazing up at the stary sky. He murmered "A Elbereth Gilthoniel, o menel palan-diriel, le nallon si di'nguruthos! A tiro Legolas, Fanuilos!"
"What does that mean?" Eowyn asked softly as she scooted over to sit closer to him. Aragorn looked at her as he blew a smoke ring into the air before speaking.
"It means: O Star-Queen Star-Kindler, from firmament afar-gazing, to thee I cry here bneath death-horror! O watch over Legolas, Fanuilos." He smiled. "We need every prayer we can muster."
"Then allow us all to pray together," said Gimli, standing up. Eowyn joined him, and the three wound up holding hands tightly and closing their eyes as they chanted the same phrase in Elvish:
"A Elbereth Gilthoniel, o menel palan-diriel, le nallon si di'nguruthos! A tiro Legolas, Fanuilos!"
Theoden was watching the process from his position a few feet away and looked down at the ground. He had lost his own son, Theodred, to orcs not long before. He hoped that Aragorn and Gimli would not suffer such a loss also.
Within a few hours, the company went to sleep.
Close to evening the following day, Gandalf and Legolas arrived in Rohan. The Elf was half-spent by the time the wizard carried him up the steps and into the main hallway. Rohan was now deserted following the attack of the orcs, and the house of Theoden was empty as well. He carried Legolas to the closest bed chamber, and lay the Elf down atop of the quilts.
"Are they here?" Legolas asked weakly after the wizard put him under the blankets and prepared a bowl of luke-warm water to bathe the wound.
"Not as yet, Legolas." Gandalf replied.
"Will they be here soon, then?"
"As soon as they are able. Rest now, Legolas. I must tend to your wound."
"Ah." Legolas gasped as the water touched the indent the arrow tip had made, which had now swollen and had turned a gruesome greenish black. The Elf's uneven breathing was the only sound in the house. "Might I have a drink of water?" Legolas asked in a hoarse voice. Gandalf nodded and retrieved the half-empty canteen.
"Slow sips now, lad. That is it."
Soon the two heard the doors to the house fly open and the sound of footsteps pounding down the corridors. "GANDALF!" Aragorn called.
"Where are they?" asked Eowyn in a worried tone.
"Legolas, laddie! Where ARE you?" Gimli called, trying to lighten the mood.
"Here!" Gandalf hollored, and all stopped dead in their tracks.
"It sounds as though his voice came from that corridor there," Eowyn suggested, pointing ahead. "Come-follow me." She hitched her skirts and led the way. They entered a dim corridor, its floor covered by blood red carpet. "Gandalf? Are you in one of these rooms?" Eowyn called.
"The second one on the right."
They found it and entered.
"Ah ha." Said Gimli, pointing at the Elf in bed. "Found you."
"Yes," Legolas said weakly. "In deed you did."
Eowyn hurried over to the wizard. "How is he?" She asked hopefully.
"The same." Gandalf replied solumnly.
"Oh Gandalf-look at the wound. It is so swollen and discoloured!" Eowyn covered her hands with her mouth and for a moment, Aragorn was afraid she was going to be sick herself.
"Green?"
All heads turned to see Elorian standing in the doorway. "Wait till I tell Anian!"
"Elorian! How did you find us in here, you rascal?" asked Eowyn with a chuckle as she went to scoop the child into her arms. "Where is your mother?"
"In the villiage. She said I could come and look for you."
"It is not safe for you here. Not now, Elorian." Eowyn insisted.
"Let me see her," Legolas insisted.
"I've never met an Elf before, though I have heard stories all about them!" Elorian gasped.
"Then you shall." Said Legolas in the midst of a cough.
"Are you certain you are strong enough?" asked Gandalf with uncertainty as Elorian hurried over to the sickbed and peered at the creature with her blue eyes wide as saucers. "Your eyes are the same color as mine! My Mama tells me mine are the color of the sea in the summer."
Legolas smiled weakly. "They are."
"Can I touch you? To make sure you're real and that I am not asleep?" Elorian asked hopefully.
Legolas nodded, holding out his hand, and the little girl gently touched the very warm skin. "You are burning. He is very ill, isn't he?" Elorian turned to Eowyn who nodded.
"Which is why," She said, lifting the girl again, "You should not be here. Come now-let me take you back where you belong."
"Okay. It was a pleasure to meet you, Master Legolas. I do hope you are well soon."
Legolas smiled again, before turning his head again and closing his eyes. Gimli bowed his head, a slight smirk on his face, as Eowyn left the room with the little girl. Aragorn was grinning as well as he watched Eowyn disappear through the doorway and then he turned to Gimli. "Let Legolas rest. You and I shall have a chat over some fresh meat and a good glass of wine."
"If there is any left in the house," said Gandalf with a smile.
"We will find some." Aragorn promised, before touching Legolas once more on the arm and leading Gimli away.
A/N: Wow-I am overwhelmed by the wonderful feedback I have received for this! Thank you! This is my first attempt at a story using Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn as the main characters. A quick note, though: Elorian and Anian are made up children of Rohan. Elorian became friends with Eowyn on the journey to Helm's Deep, and that is how they know each other. As you can tell, Elorian is fascinated by Elves. Hee hee. Hope you enjoy this chapter! Please read and review!