Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
Please, please, please, please, please review. Sorry, a bit high on ether. Some idiot used my speed-vac to dry their samples in ether solvent without telling me, so I got a significant overdose of sniff stuff when I was cleaning out the trap in lab... okay, that has absolutely nothing to do with our Elfy. Sorry..
Song = If I never knew you from Pocahontas. I took only the verses I want =)
Took a line out of Never been Kissed too =) Chapter not really funny. In an extremely strange frame of mind right now, both light-headed and hyper at the same time. Occupational hazard of working in a lab with many organic chemicals....
... = thoughts or my babbling.
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Chapter 10:
Legolas was surprised when his fellow students seemed to welcome him into their midst during lunch hour. His friend, Gimli, had returned to their room to change out of his armor for the afternoon's archery practice. Earlier during the swords training with Haldir, the Guardian told the Dwarf that he would not have the flexibility to draw a bow correctly in his heavy armor. The Elf had gained Gimli's respect during their practice session and the Dwarf decided he would heed the archer's advice in the matter. Upon repeated reassurances from the Elven Prince stating he would be alright on his own during lunch, Gimli reluctantly left his new friend and headed back to their room.
Though Haldir was a good swordsman, it was not his fighting abilities that gained Gimli's friendship; it was the fact that they had a common goal. Both the Dwarf and Guardian of Lòrien wanted to help Legolas with his mission. They were also united in their goal to assist the Prince in finding joy in his personal life. After trading information, the two decided that Aragorn was the best prospective match for the golden Elf. They were certain that the Man and the Prince were completely infatuated with the other, though both parties were trying to hide their feelings at the moment. United by their wish to see the Prince happy, Gimli and Haldir formed an unlikely alliance in their matchmaking attempt.
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"Come, sit with us, Lasgalen," said a particularly handsome Elf. He wore a simple grey shirt and black leggings that hugged his lean but well-muscled form sensuously. The dark colors complemented the Elf's russet brown hair, which was held back in warrior braids. His high cheekbones and strong square jaw spoke eloquently of his strength and masculinity; his expression softened as his well-formed lips curved into a charming smile. But it was his eyes that captured Legolas' attention. They were in the most amazing shade of emerald the Prince had ever seen.
Legolas had met good-looking Elves before, but when this one smiled at him, the golden Elf found himself blushing shyly. He could hardly believe a fellow trainee, other than Gimli, would want to sit with him. With a small nod, the Prince walked to join the handsome dark-haired Elf and his group at the table.
"I am Yulion. These are my friends, Aldarion and Calimehtar," introduced the dark-haired Elf.
"Hi, it's nice to meet you," replied the Prince with his most charming smile.
"The pleasure is all ours," said Yulion with a small bow.
This idiot is more gullible than I thought. secretly thought the dark- haired Elf. He noticed how their human commander favored Lasgalen. Being an arrogant being raised to believe himself superior, Yulion thought it an insult to be placed under the command of a Man. The Elf could not strike directly at the filthy human because of Aragorn's rank, but he could make the Man's pet's life miserable. Seeing how shy and pretty Lasgalen was, Yulion immediately marked the other Elf as a ditsy blond, all looks and no brains. His only worry was the mean looking Dwarf who hovered by the fair- haired Elf's side. Despite his low opinion of Dwarves, Yulion knew this particular one was not one to be trifled with. When the dark-haired Elf saw Gimli left his roommate's side, he knew his chance had come. But he did not expect things to be THIS easy!
"I was looking for you in line earlier, but I couldn't find you. You haven't got your food yet, have you?" inquired the dark-haired Elf.
"No, I was talking to Gimli. He was really worried about leaving me alone. I hope there is food left," replied the Prince as he stood up to leave so he could get in line.
"There is no need for that. I got some for you since I figured you might be late," said Yulion with his most brilliant smile as he produced a plate of what appeared to be herb-baked chicken. Well, it was difficult to tell what the meat was since it was completely covered with bits of green-leafy- herb-like substance..
"Why, thank you," said Legolas as he picked up a piece and placed it into his mouth. It was the strangest tasting dish the Prince had ever tried. Being rather skilled in the culinary arts, Legolas was surprised that the herb was unlike anything he had ever used in his own cooking. It had a rather bitter taste at first bite; even after swallowing, it left a strange pungent odor in his mouth. To tell the truth, the golden Elf wanted to spit out the mouthful of meat; but being the well-mannered Prince that he was, Legolas had no choice but to eat it.
"Do you like it? I had to beg the cook to give me one more portion just for you," asked Yulion.
Being the diplomat that he was, the Elf nodded as he took a long sip of water in hopes of washing away the horrible flavor of the so-called food in his mouth. Legolas knew there was no getting out of this one. If he wanted to make friends with Yulion and his gang, he would have to eat the whole thing. The Prince's astute observation told him that the dark-haired Elf was extremely popular among the new recruits. If he could gain Yulion's approval and friendship, it would be a big step towards the success of his mission. And Legolas would do whatever it took to fulfill his duties to Mirkwood, even finishing that disgusting dish in front of him. Forcing a smile, the Prince continued to work on his food.
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Legolas was saved by the bell that signified the beginning of their archery lessons. If he had to eat one more bite of that herb-baked chicken, the Elf would definitely emptied the contents of his stomach onto Yulion.
As the dark-haired Elf hurried away for class with the other new recruits, the Prince discovered that he was having difficulty standing. The floor would not stop spinning; it was giving Legolas a mild headache. The golden Elf put a hand on the table in an attempt to stabilize himself, but missed, causing him to completely lose his balance and fell onto the ground. Legolas knew he should be ashamed of his clumsiness but for some strange reason, the situation seemed immensely funny to the fallen Prince. Almost unconsciously, the Elf began to laugh. Peals of melodic laughter reverberated in the dining halls as Legolas rolled on the floor, laughing so hard that he was holding his side and tears were beginning to form.
It was in this state of uncontrollable mirth that Gimli found his friend. Immediately, the Dwarf knew something must be wrong. "What happened?"
"Nothing, I met some really nice Elves at lunch. They let me sit with them and got me food," replied the Prince between fits of laughter.
"What did they feed you?" asked the Dwarf.
"The foulest tasting herb-baked chicken on Middle Earth. But that's not their fault. People in Rivendell should really consider firing their cook," replied Legolas as he sat up. The Elf was finally able to gain control of his emotions and was perplexed by the sudden mirth that assaulted him earlier.
"Well, we will talk about this later. We are going to be late for archery practice. Can you walk?" said Gimli.
"Yeah," replied the Elf as he attempted to stand. However, he was immediately overcome by light-headedness that caused his knees to give way, sending him back onto the floor with a thud.
"Ouch," exclaimed the Prince.
"This is not good. You wait here. I will go tell Aragorn and Haldir," said the Dwarf.
"No, please. I can do this. Just give me a moment," pleaded Legolas. He did not want to miss his first day of archery practice, especially since he actually was making progress in the morning's swordsmanship lessons. Gathering all his strength, the Elf managed to propel himself back onto his feet without assistance. His joy, however, was short-lived as he noticed the ground was still spinning. Determined to participate in their afternoon training session, Legolas began to walk okay, it's more like stumble out of the lunchroom and into the archery field.
Watching his friend zigzag his way through the dining area, Gimli knew the Elf would be in big trouble at their lesson. The Dwarf knew Legolas had been drugged, but with his limited knowledge could not figure out what his friend had ingested. He only hoped it was not something poisonous or overly harmful. He could hardly wait for his roommate to point out who these 'new friends' of theirs were. He wanted very much to introduce them to a friend of his, his trusty axe.
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Legolas was not doing well in archery practice. There were way too many targets in front of him. Not to mention he all of a sudden seemed to have grown three extra of arms. He tried to take aim at his target, but he couldn't tell which bow arm in front of him was his. For the past ten minutes, the Elf had been releasing one arrow after another, none of which had hit his own target. It was a good thing that the targets were placed in front of a sturdy wall, which took the brunt of Legolas' assault. If not, the high-flying shafts would have hit many innocent passer-bys walking behind the archery field. Okay, if they were walking BEHIND a target, maybe they deserved to be shot... The Prince did, however, managed to hit the mark next to his four times and the one furthest from him twice. It was not too bad for a first try. Maybe not the first try, but it was the first time Legolas had held a bow since his warrior training when he was still a chubby little cherub..
Aragorn and Haldir walked into the scene of the golden Elf swaying back and forth slightly as he prepared for his shot. Both immediately knew something was wrong. The Man called to Lasgalen to get his attention. What he did not expect was the Elf to turn towards him with his bow still drawn. Everyone within range had the foresight to duck; but being a Man, Aragorn's reflexes were not as quick as the other Elves. Gimli was behind Legolas, so he didn't feel necessary to duck. Besides, even if he didn't move, the Dwarf would still be too short for the Elf's arrow to hit him. When the Prince saw that it was his beloved who said his name, Legolas let go of his bowstring to raise his right arm to wave. Unintentionally, for the first time in the lesson, the Prince hit the thing that he was pointing his arrow at; except that it was not a target.. Yup, it's Aragorn!
It was a good thing that the drug had decreased the Elf's strength to a point where his arrow, even at close range, did not cause too much damage. It was only shallowly embedded in Aragorn's shoulder. Now that the threat was over, the twins stood and inspected his foster brother. The Man was still in shock, and would not respond to any of their calling or poking. Elladan proceeded to stalk towards the Prince and yanked the bow out of his hands.
"You are a disgrace to our Race. Are you retarded or something? Even an Orc would know not to point a notched arrow at an ally!" exclaimed the elder twin.
"You have assaulted a commander of the army. Go and pack your things. I want you gone from the camp by the end of the day," continued Elrohir.
The Elf in question was too stoned to understand the gravity of the situation. He ignored his two Elven commanders and headed straight for the Man he loved.
"Get back here.." yelled Elladan.
Haldir interrupted the dark-haired Elf before he could finish his admonishment. "Can't you see that there is something wrong with him? Gimli, what happened?"
"I left him alone for lunch. Some new recruits pretended to befriend him and fed him some 'herb-baked chicken'. He had been like that ever since," replied the Dwarf.
Things began to make sense to the Guardian of Lòrien. The Prince had been drugged. Given Gimli's description and Legolas' condition, it was likely that someone gave the Elf a heavy dose of pipe-weed to eat. The smoke itself could easily intoxicate an Elf; Haldir hated to think what ingesting it in large quantities would do. He was surprised the Prince was still standing and somewhat functional. The archer knew he must tell Aragorn; maybe the Ranger could help Legolas.
"It's clear that Lasgalen had been drugged. It was not his fault that he shot Aragorn. It was just an accident. Besides, it should be up to the Man to decide this recruit's punishment. After all, he was the one who was hit," reasoned Haldir.
The twins wanted to get rid of the golden Elf to keep themselves save from their sister's wrath. But they also knew how terrifying their little brother could be. It was best to back off and let the Man handle this. "Very well. What do you say, Estel?"
As they collectively turned to the Man, they were greeted by a very strange sight. The golden Elf was grinning while his brow furrowed with puzzlement; reaching up gingerly, he touched the arrow that was sticking out of the Man's shoulder. "Why do you have an arrow in you? Doesn't that hurt?"
Aragorn knew that his student had been drugged with pipe-weed. He had seen these symptoms before. When the Man found out who did this to his golden Elf, he would make them pay very dearly for the wound in his shoulder. Gritting his teeth, he pulled the arrow out of his injured body and threw it onto the ground. At that very moment, Lasgalen lost his balance again and stumbled into the Man. With his good arm, Aragorn steadied the Elf in his embrace and whispered, "I think you have enough practice for the day, little one. Let me carry you back to your room."
Legolas' smile widened as he nodded. He had never been carried by anyone before since he was a child. But that was different. The prospect of being in the Man's arms filled his befuddled mind with song. The Prince lifted his voice and began to sing of his affections for Aragorn in front of the entire camp.
// If I never knew you, if I never knew this love, I would have no inkling of how precious life can be. //
// If I never knew you, I'd be safe but half as real. Never knowing I could feel, a love so strong and true. //
// I'm so grateful to you, I'd have lived my whole life through, empty as the sky, never knowing why, lost forever, if I never knew you. //
The touched but more than a bit embarrassed Man scooped Lasgalen into his strong arms and began to head back to the barracks. He had never been sung to before; least say by an exquisite Elf with the voice of an angel. Aragorn was usually the one composing songs to praise another's beauty and none of those sounded as heart-felt as the one the golden Elf had sung just now. Despite being extremely moved by Lasgalen's affections, Aragorn wished he had not announced his attraction with the entire army as audience. The Man would rather Arwen not find out about this until he made all the necessary preparations to break up with the Evening Star.
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Aragorn laid the Elf down gently on his bed. He attempted to rise to go to his medicinal chest to get some athelas to counteract the effects of the pipe-weed. However, he was stopped when Lasgalen gripped his arm very, very tightly to hold him there, sitting on the side of the bed. The Man would have done something inappropriate, like kissing the drugged Elf, if Haldir and Gimli had not rushed into the room shortly after.
"You two, go get some athelas leaves. Boil three of them in water and bring the brew," said the Man.
Eyeing each other, and then Aragorn, suspiciously, the two stood at the doorway, reluctantly to leave their intoxicated friend with the Man alone. "What are you two waiting for? Go, NOW!" roared Aragorn.
Startled, Haldir and Gimli rushed out to get the requested items with the speed of jack rabbits fleeing from a fearsome predator. Better yet, a gazelle being chased by cheetahs. That didn't really adequately describe their quickness, but I don't remember cheetahs, the fastest land animal ever, running from anything that was about to eat them.. But anyway, it sufficed to say they left the Man and Elf alone as fast as their legs could carry them. And might I add it was rather amazing to see a Dwarf move so swiftly. If not for the height, one might mistake Gimli for an Elf from his quickness of feet.
The Man stared after his fleeing companions for a while, before turning his attention to the golden Elf. Lasgalen was smiling at the Man sweetly as he blinked his tired, dry eyes. To Aragorn, the simple movement was suggestive beyond description as those long, golden lashes fluttered over the Elf's stunning sapphire eyes. Looking at the beauty before him, the Man could not understand how a creature could be so innocent yet so sensual at the same time.
The Man opened his mouth to speak, but was silenced by a slender finger placed gently upon his lips. Under the influence of the weed, Legolas lost his usual shyness and the inhibition he careful built around his heart. The urge to reveal his feelings to his beloved was just too great to deny. "You know, Adele penguins.."
"Penguins?" questioned the Man. He had never heard of that creature before. Truth be told, I am not even sure if they exist on Middle Earth. But please bear with me, and assume that some do live by the sea. No, Legolas had not seen one either, he read about them in a book on nature.
"Yes, penguins," replied the Prince with a smile. "They pick one mate. They spend their whole lives looking for that one other penguin and when they find them, they know. That's the penguin they stay with for the rest of their lives."
Perplexed, Aragorn merely nodded to indulge the incoherent Elf as Legolas continued, "And when you kissed me last night, I know. You are my penguin."
Now, the Man was really lost. He could not help commenting, "But I am not a penguin."
Before anything more could be said, Haldir and Gimli returned with the athelas brew. Obediently, the Elf drank the medicine his beloved offered and fell into a deep slumber with a genuine, most adorable grin on his face, leaving the Man to his pondering..... what exactly was a penguin?!
Please, please, please, please, please review. Sorry, a bit high on ether. Some idiot used my speed-vac to dry their samples in ether solvent without telling me, so I got a significant overdose of sniff stuff when I was cleaning out the trap in lab... okay, that has absolutely nothing to do with our Elfy. Sorry..
Song = If I never knew you from Pocahontas. I took only the verses I want =)
Took a line out of Never been Kissed too =) Chapter not really funny. In an extremely strange frame of mind right now, both light-headed and hyper at the same time. Occupational hazard of working in a lab with many organic chemicals....
... = thoughts or my babbling.
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Chapter 10:
Legolas was surprised when his fellow students seemed to welcome him into their midst during lunch hour. His friend, Gimli, had returned to their room to change out of his armor for the afternoon's archery practice. Earlier during the swords training with Haldir, the Guardian told the Dwarf that he would not have the flexibility to draw a bow correctly in his heavy armor. The Elf had gained Gimli's respect during their practice session and the Dwarf decided he would heed the archer's advice in the matter. Upon repeated reassurances from the Elven Prince stating he would be alright on his own during lunch, Gimli reluctantly left his new friend and headed back to their room.
Though Haldir was a good swordsman, it was not his fighting abilities that gained Gimli's friendship; it was the fact that they had a common goal. Both the Dwarf and Guardian of Lòrien wanted to help Legolas with his mission. They were also united in their goal to assist the Prince in finding joy in his personal life. After trading information, the two decided that Aragorn was the best prospective match for the golden Elf. They were certain that the Man and the Prince were completely infatuated with the other, though both parties were trying to hide their feelings at the moment. United by their wish to see the Prince happy, Gimli and Haldir formed an unlikely alliance in their matchmaking attempt.
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"Come, sit with us, Lasgalen," said a particularly handsome Elf. He wore a simple grey shirt and black leggings that hugged his lean but well-muscled form sensuously. The dark colors complemented the Elf's russet brown hair, which was held back in warrior braids. His high cheekbones and strong square jaw spoke eloquently of his strength and masculinity; his expression softened as his well-formed lips curved into a charming smile. But it was his eyes that captured Legolas' attention. They were in the most amazing shade of emerald the Prince had ever seen.
Legolas had met good-looking Elves before, but when this one smiled at him, the golden Elf found himself blushing shyly. He could hardly believe a fellow trainee, other than Gimli, would want to sit with him. With a small nod, the Prince walked to join the handsome dark-haired Elf and his group at the table.
"I am Yulion. These are my friends, Aldarion and Calimehtar," introduced the dark-haired Elf.
"Hi, it's nice to meet you," replied the Prince with his most charming smile.
"The pleasure is all ours," said Yulion with a small bow.
This idiot is more gullible than I thought. secretly thought the dark- haired Elf. He noticed how their human commander favored Lasgalen. Being an arrogant being raised to believe himself superior, Yulion thought it an insult to be placed under the command of a Man. The Elf could not strike directly at the filthy human because of Aragorn's rank, but he could make the Man's pet's life miserable. Seeing how shy and pretty Lasgalen was, Yulion immediately marked the other Elf as a ditsy blond, all looks and no brains. His only worry was the mean looking Dwarf who hovered by the fair- haired Elf's side. Despite his low opinion of Dwarves, Yulion knew this particular one was not one to be trifled with. When the dark-haired Elf saw Gimli left his roommate's side, he knew his chance had come. But he did not expect things to be THIS easy!
"I was looking for you in line earlier, but I couldn't find you. You haven't got your food yet, have you?" inquired the dark-haired Elf.
"No, I was talking to Gimli. He was really worried about leaving me alone. I hope there is food left," replied the Prince as he stood up to leave so he could get in line.
"There is no need for that. I got some for you since I figured you might be late," said Yulion with his most brilliant smile as he produced a plate of what appeared to be herb-baked chicken. Well, it was difficult to tell what the meat was since it was completely covered with bits of green-leafy- herb-like substance..
"Why, thank you," said Legolas as he picked up a piece and placed it into his mouth. It was the strangest tasting dish the Prince had ever tried. Being rather skilled in the culinary arts, Legolas was surprised that the herb was unlike anything he had ever used in his own cooking. It had a rather bitter taste at first bite; even after swallowing, it left a strange pungent odor in his mouth. To tell the truth, the golden Elf wanted to spit out the mouthful of meat; but being the well-mannered Prince that he was, Legolas had no choice but to eat it.
"Do you like it? I had to beg the cook to give me one more portion just for you," asked Yulion.
Being the diplomat that he was, the Elf nodded as he took a long sip of water in hopes of washing away the horrible flavor of the so-called food in his mouth. Legolas knew there was no getting out of this one. If he wanted to make friends with Yulion and his gang, he would have to eat the whole thing. The Prince's astute observation told him that the dark-haired Elf was extremely popular among the new recruits. If he could gain Yulion's approval and friendship, it would be a big step towards the success of his mission. And Legolas would do whatever it took to fulfill his duties to Mirkwood, even finishing that disgusting dish in front of him. Forcing a smile, the Prince continued to work on his food.
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Legolas was saved by the bell that signified the beginning of their archery lessons. If he had to eat one more bite of that herb-baked chicken, the Elf would definitely emptied the contents of his stomach onto Yulion.
As the dark-haired Elf hurried away for class with the other new recruits, the Prince discovered that he was having difficulty standing. The floor would not stop spinning; it was giving Legolas a mild headache. The golden Elf put a hand on the table in an attempt to stabilize himself, but missed, causing him to completely lose his balance and fell onto the ground. Legolas knew he should be ashamed of his clumsiness but for some strange reason, the situation seemed immensely funny to the fallen Prince. Almost unconsciously, the Elf began to laugh. Peals of melodic laughter reverberated in the dining halls as Legolas rolled on the floor, laughing so hard that he was holding his side and tears were beginning to form.
It was in this state of uncontrollable mirth that Gimli found his friend. Immediately, the Dwarf knew something must be wrong. "What happened?"
"Nothing, I met some really nice Elves at lunch. They let me sit with them and got me food," replied the Prince between fits of laughter.
"What did they feed you?" asked the Dwarf.
"The foulest tasting herb-baked chicken on Middle Earth. But that's not their fault. People in Rivendell should really consider firing their cook," replied Legolas as he sat up. The Elf was finally able to gain control of his emotions and was perplexed by the sudden mirth that assaulted him earlier.
"Well, we will talk about this later. We are going to be late for archery practice. Can you walk?" said Gimli.
"Yeah," replied the Elf as he attempted to stand. However, he was immediately overcome by light-headedness that caused his knees to give way, sending him back onto the floor with a thud.
"Ouch," exclaimed the Prince.
"This is not good. You wait here. I will go tell Aragorn and Haldir," said the Dwarf.
"No, please. I can do this. Just give me a moment," pleaded Legolas. He did not want to miss his first day of archery practice, especially since he actually was making progress in the morning's swordsmanship lessons. Gathering all his strength, the Elf managed to propel himself back onto his feet without assistance. His joy, however, was short-lived as he noticed the ground was still spinning. Determined to participate in their afternoon training session, Legolas began to walk okay, it's more like stumble out of the lunchroom and into the archery field.
Watching his friend zigzag his way through the dining area, Gimli knew the Elf would be in big trouble at their lesson. The Dwarf knew Legolas had been drugged, but with his limited knowledge could not figure out what his friend had ingested. He only hoped it was not something poisonous or overly harmful. He could hardly wait for his roommate to point out who these 'new friends' of theirs were. He wanted very much to introduce them to a friend of his, his trusty axe.
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Legolas was not doing well in archery practice. There were way too many targets in front of him. Not to mention he all of a sudden seemed to have grown three extra of arms. He tried to take aim at his target, but he couldn't tell which bow arm in front of him was his. For the past ten minutes, the Elf had been releasing one arrow after another, none of which had hit his own target. It was a good thing that the targets were placed in front of a sturdy wall, which took the brunt of Legolas' assault. If not, the high-flying shafts would have hit many innocent passer-bys walking behind the archery field. Okay, if they were walking BEHIND a target, maybe they deserved to be shot... The Prince did, however, managed to hit the mark next to his four times and the one furthest from him twice. It was not too bad for a first try. Maybe not the first try, but it was the first time Legolas had held a bow since his warrior training when he was still a chubby little cherub..
Aragorn and Haldir walked into the scene of the golden Elf swaying back and forth slightly as he prepared for his shot. Both immediately knew something was wrong. The Man called to Lasgalen to get his attention. What he did not expect was the Elf to turn towards him with his bow still drawn. Everyone within range had the foresight to duck; but being a Man, Aragorn's reflexes were not as quick as the other Elves. Gimli was behind Legolas, so he didn't feel necessary to duck. Besides, even if he didn't move, the Dwarf would still be too short for the Elf's arrow to hit him. When the Prince saw that it was his beloved who said his name, Legolas let go of his bowstring to raise his right arm to wave. Unintentionally, for the first time in the lesson, the Prince hit the thing that he was pointing his arrow at; except that it was not a target.. Yup, it's Aragorn!
It was a good thing that the drug had decreased the Elf's strength to a point where his arrow, even at close range, did not cause too much damage. It was only shallowly embedded in Aragorn's shoulder. Now that the threat was over, the twins stood and inspected his foster brother. The Man was still in shock, and would not respond to any of their calling or poking. Elladan proceeded to stalk towards the Prince and yanked the bow out of his hands.
"You are a disgrace to our Race. Are you retarded or something? Even an Orc would know not to point a notched arrow at an ally!" exclaimed the elder twin.
"You have assaulted a commander of the army. Go and pack your things. I want you gone from the camp by the end of the day," continued Elrohir.
The Elf in question was too stoned to understand the gravity of the situation. He ignored his two Elven commanders and headed straight for the Man he loved.
"Get back here.." yelled Elladan.
Haldir interrupted the dark-haired Elf before he could finish his admonishment. "Can't you see that there is something wrong with him? Gimli, what happened?"
"I left him alone for lunch. Some new recruits pretended to befriend him and fed him some 'herb-baked chicken'. He had been like that ever since," replied the Dwarf.
Things began to make sense to the Guardian of Lòrien. The Prince had been drugged. Given Gimli's description and Legolas' condition, it was likely that someone gave the Elf a heavy dose of pipe-weed to eat. The smoke itself could easily intoxicate an Elf; Haldir hated to think what ingesting it in large quantities would do. He was surprised the Prince was still standing and somewhat functional. The archer knew he must tell Aragorn; maybe the Ranger could help Legolas.
"It's clear that Lasgalen had been drugged. It was not his fault that he shot Aragorn. It was just an accident. Besides, it should be up to the Man to decide this recruit's punishment. After all, he was the one who was hit," reasoned Haldir.
The twins wanted to get rid of the golden Elf to keep themselves save from their sister's wrath. But they also knew how terrifying their little brother could be. It was best to back off and let the Man handle this. "Very well. What do you say, Estel?"
As they collectively turned to the Man, they were greeted by a very strange sight. The golden Elf was grinning while his brow furrowed with puzzlement; reaching up gingerly, he touched the arrow that was sticking out of the Man's shoulder. "Why do you have an arrow in you? Doesn't that hurt?"
Aragorn knew that his student had been drugged with pipe-weed. He had seen these symptoms before. When the Man found out who did this to his golden Elf, he would make them pay very dearly for the wound in his shoulder. Gritting his teeth, he pulled the arrow out of his injured body and threw it onto the ground. At that very moment, Lasgalen lost his balance again and stumbled into the Man. With his good arm, Aragorn steadied the Elf in his embrace and whispered, "I think you have enough practice for the day, little one. Let me carry you back to your room."
Legolas' smile widened as he nodded. He had never been carried by anyone before since he was a child. But that was different. The prospect of being in the Man's arms filled his befuddled mind with song. The Prince lifted his voice and began to sing of his affections for Aragorn in front of the entire camp.
// If I never knew you, if I never knew this love, I would have no inkling of how precious life can be. //
// If I never knew you, I'd be safe but half as real. Never knowing I could feel, a love so strong and true. //
// I'm so grateful to you, I'd have lived my whole life through, empty as the sky, never knowing why, lost forever, if I never knew you. //
The touched but more than a bit embarrassed Man scooped Lasgalen into his strong arms and began to head back to the barracks. He had never been sung to before; least say by an exquisite Elf with the voice of an angel. Aragorn was usually the one composing songs to praise another's beauty and none of those sounded as heart-felt as the one the golden Elf had sung just now. Despite being extremely moved by Lasgalen's affections, Aragorn wished he had not announced his attraction with the entire army as audience. The Man would rather Arwen not find out about this until he made all the necessary preparations to break up with the Evening Star.
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Aragorn laid the Elf down gently on his bed. He attempted to rise to go to his medicinal chest to get some athelas to counteract the effects of the pipe-weed. However, he was stopped when Lasgalen gripped his arm very, very tightly to hold him there, sitting on the side of the bed. The Man would have done something inappropriate, like kissing the drugged Elf, if Haldir and Gimli had not rushed into the room shortly after.
"You two, go get some athelas leaves. Boil three of them in water and bring the brew," said the Man.
Eyeing each other, and then Aragorn, suspiciously, the two stood at the doorway, reluctantly to leave their intoxicated friend with the Man alone. "What are you two waiting for? Go, NOW!" roared Aragorn.
Startled, Haldir and Gimli rushed out to get the requested items with the speed of jack rabbits fleeing from a fearsome predator. Better yet, a gazelle being chased by cheetahs. That didn't really adequately describe their quickness, but I don't remember cheetahs, the fastest land animal ever, running from anything that was about to eat them.. But anyway, it sufficed to say they left the Man and Elf alone as fast as their legs could carry them. And might I add it was rather amazing to see a Dwarf move so swiftly. If not for the height, one might mistake Gimli for an Elf from his quickness of feet.
The Man stared after his fleeing companions for a while, before turning his attention to the golden Elf. Lasgalen was smiling at the Man sweetly as he blinked his tired, dry eyes. To Aragorn, the simple movement was suggestive beyond description as those long, golden lashes fluttered over the Elf's stunning sapphire eyes. Looking at the beauty before him, the Man could not understand how a creature could be so innocent yet so sensual at the same time.
The Man opened his mouth to speak, but was silenced by a slender finger placed gently upon his lips. Under the influence of the weed, Legolas lost his usual shyness and the inhibition he careful built around his heart. The urge to reveal his feelings to his beloved was just too great to deny. "You know, Adele penguins.."
"Penguins?" questioned the Man. He had never heard of that creature before. Truth be told, I am not even sure if they exist on Middle Earth. But please bear with me, and assume that some do live by the sea. No, Legolas had not seen one either, he read about them in a book on nature.
"Yes, penguins," replied the Prince with a smile. "They pick one mate. They spend their whole lives looking for that one other penguin and when they find them, they know. That's the penguin they stay with for the rest of their lives."
Perplexed, Aragorn merely nodded to indulge the incoherent Elf as Legolas continued, "And when you kissed me last night, I know. You are my penguin."
Now, the Man was really lost. He could not help commenting, "But I am not a penguin."
Before anything more could be said, Haldir and Gimli returned with the athelas brew. Obediently, the Elf drank the medicine his beloved offered and fell into a deep slumber with a genuine, most adorable grin on his face, leaving the Man to his pondering..... what exactly was a penguin?!