Chapter 3
Authors notes: Thank you all who reviewed. They are really great!! I hope
you like this chapter. I am trying to make them longer but time conspires
against me!! I am considering writing more of the Dark Lord given the
amount of threats I am getting! :) Also please could the authors of A
little nudge out the door and Unravelling the Tale if you are reading this
could you please update your stories!! Please!!
***
"What did he say?" Elladan asked shocked recognising the language of Mordor.
"He called me master." Aragorn said looking at his friend in horror. Legolas had screwed his eyes shut and had curled up. He was whispering
"I am sorry, I am sorry, I am sorry."
"What have they done to him?" Elrohir asked kneeling down next to his friend. Reaching out he attempted to calm the distressed elf. At Elrohir's touch Legolas began screaming. The sound made the three of them jump.
"Legolas calm down." Aragorn soothed.
"Sorry.sorry.please!" the blonde elf cried.
"Elrohir pass me the blue bottle." Aragorn said as Elladan reached down and restrained the thrashing elf.
"You are going to sedate him?" Elrohir questioned searching for the bottle in question.
"Look at him Elrohir!" Aragorn snapped the exhaustion and worry finding their way to the surface. "He is suffering. He is in no fit state of mind to comprehend that we are helping him."
Elrohir passed him the bottle his expression full of sadness. Aragorn reached forward and held the bottle to the elf's lips. The expression of complete terror that graced his friend's features tore at Aragorn's heart and his hand wavered.
"Amin hiraetha Mellonamin" (I'm Sorry my friend) Aragorn whispered as he grabbed the elf's chin and held it firmly. The elf's eyes widened in fear and Legolas latched onto his arm. He poured some of the liquid into Legolas's mouth and then placed his hand over the mouth to prevent Legolas spitting it out. Elladan raised the elven prince's head slightly to prevent him from choking. Aragorn ignored the pain of the elf's nails as the elf tightened the grip as he swallowed the liquid. It worked fast and the elf's grip lessened and his eyes closed.
Aragorn sighed shakily brushing his damp eyes with the back of his hand. He looked at his friend who was now resting peacefully and looking very young and vulnerable.
A hand on his shoulder interrupted his line of thought and he looked up to see Elladan looking at him.
"We must leave. Glorfindel left us our horses."
Aragorn nodded. He got to his feet.
"I will take Legolas." Elladan said reaching for the prince.
"Nay. You and Elrohir need to ride ahead. Watch out for orcs." Aragorn walked up to his horse and wearily mounted. He held out his arms and Elrohir passed Legolas up to him. Settling the elf against him his head resting on Aragorn's shoulder Aragorn reached around the elf with one arm and grasped the reins, with the other he held onto the elf. The other two elves mounted and they headed off to follow the army.
***
Three hours later the sun had risen high in the sky but the chill in the air remained. Winter was approaching. Aragorn had rested his head lightly on Legolas's, the golden hair tickling his nose. His eyes closed and he drifted off. A hand on his arm roused him.
"You were heading for an impromptu meeting with the ground." A teasing voice said. The blonde elf lord smiled at him from atop his horse. Aragorn responded with a yawn.
"Is he still asleep?" Glorfindel asked. Aragorn looked down at his friend. He frowned the elf's breathing had become harsh and ragged. Halting his horse he placed his hand on Legolas's forehead. He was burning up.
"He had a fever." Aragorn said dejectedly wondering what else could possibly go wrong.
"The army has set up camp just behind the tree line. We can stop there."
Half an hour later they reached the main camp. Exhausted soldiers sat around small fires eating slowly as if the very effort of opening their mouths was too much. Picking their way through the soldiers they found the group of Rivendell elves resting on the ground.
"Where is Gandalf?" Aragorn said as he passed his friend to Elladan.
"He said he would be back. He had something to do." A dark haired elf said as he took Aragorn's horse from him. Aragorn sighed.
"Aragorn!" a voice boomed. Gimli. He winced knowing the dwarf's anger at the discovery of his friend's condition. Turning he saw the dwarf marching determinedly across the clearing. Aragorn watched Gimli's face change as he caught sight of Legolas.
"Legolas." He whispered stopping mid pace his face reflecting the deep shock he felt at seeing his friend. He marched forward.
"What happened? How is he?" he questioned reaching his friends side. "He is running a fever! Where did he get the burns?" Gimli fired questions at the exhausted man. Aragorn held up his hands to stop the obviously upset dwarf.
"Peace Gimli. I will answer all your questions but first we need to get the fever down." Gimli nodded determinedly and picked up a bowl and went in search of water. Aragorn watched him go and suddenly all energy left his body. He sank to his knees and reached out and held his friends hand in his own.
"I am sorry. So sorry that I took so long to find you. I know you suffered but please don't leave know. You are safe know." He whispered softly.
"Its not your fault Estel." Elladan said softly joining him on the ground.
"What if Sauron has so completely destroyed his mind that we can never get him back?" Aragorn questioned desperately.
"I.we have looked for so long but . but have we taken so long. I cannot heal him because I do not know what is wrong with him. He is my best friend and I cannot help him!" Aragorn said distraught. Elladan pulled Aragorn into an embrace trying to comfort the man he thought of as his brother.
"Here." Elrohir said handing Aragorn a streaming cup "It will help you sleep.ah before you say anything Gimli, Elladan and I will try to lower his fever. Mithrandir will be here soon. He will know what to do. Legolas is strong and he will fight it."
"What about."
"Drink. Sleep. You are in no help to us exhausted." Aragorn sighed and drank. Soon the worry left his body and his eyes drooped and closed. Elrohir laid a blanket over him and turned his attention back to Legolas.
"Come back my friend. Fight it for me, for Gimli, for Aragorn. Please."
***
***
"What did he say?" Elladan asked shocked recognising the language of Mordor.
"He called me master." Aragorn said looking at his friend in horror. Legolas had screwed his eyes shut and had curled up. He was whispering
"I am sorry, I am sorry, I am sorry."
"What have they done to him?" Elrohir asked kneeling down next to his friend. Reaching out he attempted to calm the distressed elf. At Elrohir's touch Legolas began screaming. The sound made the three of them jump.
"Legolas calm down." Aragorn soothed.
"Sorry.sorry.please!" the blonde elf cried.
"Elrohir pass me the blue bottle." Aragorn said as Elladan reached down and restrained the thrashing elf.
"You are going to sedate him?" Elrohir questioned searching for the bottle in question.
"Look at him Elrohir!" Aragorn snapped the exhaustion and worry finding their way to the surface. "He is suffering. He is in no fit state of mind to comprehend that we are helping him."
Elrohir passed him the bottle his expression full of sadness. Aragorn reached forward and held the bottle to the elf's lips. The expression of complete terror that graced his friend's features tore at Aragorn's heart and his hand wavered.
"Amin hiraetha Mellonamin" (I'm Sorry my friend) Aragorn whispered as he grabbed the elf's chin and held it firmly. The elf's eyes widened in fear and Legolas latched onto his arm. He poured some of the liquid into Legolas's mouth and then placed his hand over the mouth to prevent Legolas spitting it out. Elladan raised the elven prince's head slightly to prevent him from choking. Aragorn ignored the pain of the elf's nails as the elf tightened the grip as he swallowed the liquid. It worked fast and the elf's grip lessened and his eyes closed.
Aragorn sighed shakily brushing his damp eyes with the back of his hand. He looked at his friend who was now resting peacefully and looking very young and vulnerable.
A hand on his shoulder interrupted his line of thought and he looked up to see Elladan looking at him.
"We must leave. Glorfindel left us our horses."
Aragorn nodded. He got to his feet.
"I will take Legolas." Elladan said reaching for the prince.
"Nay. You and Elrohir need to ride ahead. Watch out for orcs." Aragorn walked up to his horse and wearily mounted. He held out his arms and Elrohir passed Legolas up to him. Settling the elf against him his head resting on Aragorn's shoulder Aragorn reached around the elf with one arm and grasped the reins, with the other he held onto the elf. The other two elves mounted and they headed off to follow the army.
***
Three hours later the sun had risen high in the sky but the chill in the air remained. Winter was approaching. Aragorn had rested his head lightly on Legolas's, the golden hair tickling his nose. His eyes closed and he drifted off. A hand on his arm roused him.
"You were heading for an impromptu meeting with the ground." A teasing voice said. The blonde elf lord smiled at him from atop his horse. Aragorn responded with a yawn.
"Is he still asleep?" Glorfindel asked. Aragorn looked down at his friend. He frowned the elf's breathing had become harsh and ragged. Halting his horse he placed his hand on Legolas's forehead. He was burning up.
"He had a fever." Aragorn said dejectedly wondering what else could possibly go wrong.
"The army has set up camp just behind the tree line. We can stop there."
Half an hour later they reached the main camp. Exhausted soldiers sat around small fires eating slowly as if the very effort of opening their mouths was too much. Picking their way through the soldiers they found the group of Rivendell elves resting on the ground.
"Where is Gandalf?" Aragorn said as he passed his friend to Elladan.
"He said he would be back. He had something to do." A dark haired elf said as he took Aragorn's horse from him. Aragorn sighed.
"Aragorn!" a voice boomed. Gimli. He winced knowing the dwarf's anger at the discovery of his friend's condition. Turning he saw the dwarf marching determinedly across the clearing. Aragorn watched Gimli's face change as he caught sight of Legolas.
"Legolas." He whispered stopping mid pace his face reflecting the deep shock he felt at seeing his friend. He marched forward.
"What happened? How is he?" he questioned reaching his friends side. "He is running a fever! Where did he get the burns?" Gimli fired questions at the exhausted man. Aragorn held up his hands to stop the obviously upset dwarf.
"Peace Gimli. I will answer all your questions but first we need to get the fever down." Gimli nodded determinedly and picked up a bowl and went in search of water. Aragorn watched him go and suddenly all energy left his body. He sank to his knees and reached out and held his friends hand in his own.
"I am sorry. So sorry that I took so long to find you. I know you suffered but please don't leave know. You are safe know." He whispered softly.
"Its not your fault Estel." Elladan said softly joining him on the ground.
"What if Sauron has so completely destroyed his mind that we can never get him back?" Aragorn questioned desperately.
"I.we have looked for so long but . but have we taken so long. I cannot heal him because I do not know what is wrong with him. He is my best friend and I cannot help him!" Aragorn said distraught. Elladan pulled Aragorn into an embrace trying to comfort the man he thought of as his brother.
"Here." Elrohir said handing Aragorn a streaming cup "It will help you sleep.ah before you say anything Gimli, Elladan and I will try to lower his fever. Mithrandir will be here soon. He will know what to do. Legolas is strong and he will fight it."
"What about."
"Drink. Sleep. You are in no help to us exhausted." Aragorn sighed and drank. Soon the worry left his body and his eyes drooped and closed. Elrohir laid a blanket over him and turned his attention back to Legolas.
"Come back my friend. Fight it for me, for Gimli, for Aragorn. Please."
***