Chapter 4
Authors notes: - This ones a bit longer! Hope you enjoy it. Thank you for
all the reviews. Been having computer troubles!!!! So sorry it took a while
to update! Happy Bonfire Day to all in the UK.
*** Gimli filled the bowl with water and hurried back to his friend. They had found him. He couldn't believe it! He had hoped for months that they would find Legolas but as time passed he silently hoped the elf had passed onto the Halls of Mandos and was not the elven prince that was rumoured to be a captive of the dark lord. He couldn't imagine what Legolas had been through and he was going to do whatever was in his power to make him better. Now that they had found him and he had survived torment and darkness, Gimli wasn't going to let a fever defeat his friend.
Kneeling down next to the sedated elf he grabbed a cloth and wet it in the water. Wringing it out he placed it on the forehead of the burning elf.
"The burns are probably infected." Elladan said joining the dwarf on his knees.
"Burns?" Gimli questioned.
"He has bad burns on his arms and chest. He also has a wraith's blade wound above his collarbone on the right side." Gimli didn't ask where or how these wounds had occurred he just peeled off the soiled bandages.
"Has a healer been found?" the dwarf asked gruffly trying to hard the emotion in his voice.
"Elrohir has gone to fine Analitheth she is one of the best healers. He has also gone to find Mithrandir who will hopefully be able to dispel the darkness that has invaded his soul."
The dwarf nodded and pulled off the remaining bandages. He couldn't hide the wince when he caught sight of the burns. Analitheth hurried across the clearing and joined the duo.
"We have to clean the wounds and bandage them. How long has he been sedated?"
"Sedated?" Gimli demanded.
"He was extremely agitated. We could do nothing for him. The orcs were almost upon us." Gimli looked suspiciously at the dark haired elf.
"About 4 hours." Elladan answered the healer.
"He's malnourished and dehydrated which is expected as I guess he was not fed properly." She said indicating the ribs that were clearly visible through the skin.
"We need to get water into him and we need to get his temperature down. I need cloths and water." Elladan jumped up and disappeared to the stream. The female elf quickly set to work. She pulled out some herbs and put them in a bowl and grinded them into a paste. Adding a touch of water she stirred it and then placed it gently into the wounds. She bandaged the burns and then turned her attention to the Wraith wound. It was in a nasty state and she was glad Legolas was unconscious.
"Place this in the flames." She said handing him a knife. Gimli nodded and did so. She prodded the wound and watched the black blood run down the pale skin. Gimli returned and handed her the knife. He watched as she cut away the dead and infected skin. The smell was intense and Gimli's stomach rebelled. He through himself away and through up in the bushes. Taking deep breaths he tried to settle his stomach. His heart ached for his friend and wished with all his heart that events a year ago had gone different.
He saw Elladan re - emerge with water and cloths and returned to the healer's side. The wound was now bleeding red but it was a dark wound and even if it were clean the poison would have flooded his body. Analitheth poured some of the herb mixture into the wound and bandaged it up.
"Wet the cloths and place them on his chest, wrists and legs. Don't put them on the bandages." The two complied and Analitheth continued checking for other injuries.
"His wrist was broken and it has healed badly. We will have to re - break it and set it again but that can wait. Quite a few of his ribs have been broken." She moved her hands through the elven prince's hair checking for injuries. There were healed cuts and bumps but nothing she could tell the extent of when he was unconscious.
"He has other injuries but they can wait until we get his temperature down. I need to get some liquid in him. Hold his head up slightly."
Gimli complied and lifted his friend's head. Analitheth put some herbs into the water and poured a little into his mouth. She gently shut his mouth and pressed a pressure point and the elf swallowed. She continued until the cup had emptied.
"Keep him cool by changing the cloths continually. I will return to change his bandages in a while. If he awakens give him some more sedative. If what you say about his mental health is correct then it will be simpler for him and us if he remained unconscious. I will try to find Mithrandir. There is evil in his blood which I cannot heal and for him to stand a chance of pulling through it must be vanquished." The healer got up and walked off quickly in search of the wizard. Gimli focused his attention on his friend and smoothed his tangled and dirty hair away from his clammy hot forehead. He watched as Elladan replaced one of the cloths with a cooler one. Gimli caught the elf's eyes.
"He will live Gimli." Elladan said with certainty in his voice.
"Indeed I hope you speak the truth and that he has not suffered too much grief to return to us."
* Aragorn dreamed, he dreamed of his friend. He was in a meadow in Mirkwood. It was summer. The birds darted between the trees and a gentle breeze moved the tall grass. It felt so real he could almost feel the sun's ray's warm his skin. He remembered the day. It was a year before the council meeting. The last time Legolas and he had seen each other before they were summoned to Rivendell. Before he had returned to the wilds and Legolas had joined the war parties that patrolled Mirkwood's borders. Legolas had shown him this meadow, a small one near the palace where he would go to think and get away from being a Prince. His friend hated the royal duties he had to perform and just that morning he had had to sit in a meeting where the elven lords debated which food and wine they would have at an upcoming feast. Aragorn had found Legolas on the verge of banging his head repeatedly against the wall when one of the lord's had dismissed the whole of the wine stores as not suitable as they were not red enough. They had both 'escaped' the palace and had gone to the meadow. He had remembered that he had drenched Legolas with water and a water fight had ensued. It had been fun. Both of them temporarily forgetting their stations and acting like little children. They had both collapsed laughing and had lain next to the stream talking for hours until it had clouded over and started to rain.
Aragorn turned and walked through the meadow down towards the stream. Legolas was sat on a rock. His arms were wrapped round his knees and his head was resting on his arms. Blonde hair billowed round his face and his eyes watched him approach. Aragorn sat down across from the elf.
"I waited." Legolas said so softly it was almost lost in the breeze. "For you to come." The elf continued. "But you never came. I waited."
"I did try Legolas." Aragorn whispered. Legolas carried on as if he never heard him.
"It was so dark but I knew you would come. You are my best friend and you wouldn't leave me.you never came."
"I tried, believe me I tried. I am so sorry. Forgive me!" Aragorn pleaded tears running down his face.
"You never came." Legolas whispered and Aragorn watched in horror as his pale skin changed and became burned. Blood ran from his shoulder and his skin cracked. "You never came."
*
Aragorn jerked awake and sat up abruptly. He wiped the tears from the cheeks with shaking hands. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply trying to shake off the image of his friend.
"Are you well?" a voice asked and he turned to see Gimli looking at him from his side next to Legolas.
"Aye. How is he?" Aragorn asked. Gimli looked at him disbelievingly but let the matter drop.
"The fever has not lessened and he has not yet awoke." Aragorn caught the look of despair on the dwarf's face and he knew it mirrored his own.
A commotion on the other side of the clearing caught their attention. Gandalf appeared with Analitheth and Elrohir. The wizard marched determinedly towards the injured elf.
"How much sedative did you give him?" he demanded immediately, feeling the elf's forehead.
"There is darkness all through him. So much that I can barely feel the light of his soul. There is poison is his veins. Hand me that green bottle." He said holding out his hand not taking his eyes off the elf. Grabbing the bottle he opened and poured some into the elf's mouth.
"He is too deeply unconscious for me to assess how deeply tormented he has been. The sedative keep it at hand so if he becomes distressed we can administer it quickly."
"If we keep sedating him forcefully then he will think us no better than the ones who did this too him!" Gimli exclaimed.
"He is terrified and very ill Gimli, he will not heal when he is extremely agitated. Elrohir also said that when Aragorn touched the dark mark he saw the eye. If that is so we don't want Sauron to locate us or try to damage the elf's mind any further. I only have Legolas's best interests at heart Gimli I assure you." Gimli nodded. Gandalf opened the bottle and poured some into Legolas's mouth. After a few moments the elf's eyelids began to flicker. Everyone's eyes watched the elf closely. Gandalf leaned forward and opened one of Legolas's eyelids.
*
The darkness was receding. He tried to stay in the dark because it was safe. There was no pain, no nightmares and no eye. The eye that watched him constantly in his dreams, when he was awake. It was always there, watching him. Unconsciousness was his salvation. Darkness faded and he woke. He heard noise near him. Voices. They had come for him again. He refused to open his eyes; if he didn't then there was no pain. He was hot, so hot. It was burning. They were touching him, holding him down. The pain would come. It was coming. He felt hands on his face and then someone opened one of his eyes. He shied away but his eyes remained open. They knew he was awake there was no point in hiding. He hated his eyes. They betrayed all that he knew was real. There was no colour, no greens or browns of the trees, no blue sky, and no stars. He couldn't tell if he was outside, inside or if it was day or night. In fact he couldn't see shapes just people, blurry people like they were ghosts. He saw a man appear in his line of sight. The man's lips moved but the words came out as hisses. The man reached towards him and he tried to move out of the way but his body refused to co - operate. The man's hand touched his forehead. The pressure was too great like he was trying to crush his skull. Legolas whimpered. He wanted to go back to the darkness. Suddenly the eye appeared and he heard Sauron's voice. 'My little elf you have failed me. I forgive you my poor misguided pet. I will come for you and show you the error of your ways.'
"No please." Legolas cried. "I am sorry master forgive me. I will not fail you again please!" he begged in the dark tongue.
'Hush my pet. It's alright' the eye expanded and the rushing sound deafened him.
"NO!" Legolas screamed in terror. He struck at the man near him knocking him backwards. He had to get away. Then more people appeared and held him down. Liquid again was poured down his throat. The darkness approached and he welcomed it. Letting it take him and pull him in.
*
Gandalf held his cheek where Legolas had hit him and marvelled at the strength of the weakened creature. He watched as Aragorn and Gimli got the elf comfortable. Pulling his cloak closer around his shoulders he pondered what he had learned. The eye was fixed on the elf. Sauron was actively looking for Legolas. The prince spoke the dark language of Mordor and the darkness had flooded the elf so completely that he was not sure the elf would be able to recover. Lord Elrond would be needed if he had a chance in restoring the destroyed soul of the elf. Legolas would have to be kept sedated until they could reach Rivendell and get Lord Elrond's help.
*
*** Gimli filled the bowl with water and hurried back to his friend. They had found him. He couldn't believe it! He had hoped for months that they would find Legolas but as time passed he silently hoped the elf had passed onto the Halls of Mandos and was not the elven prince that was rumoured to be a captive of the dark lord. He couldn't imagine what Legolas had been through and he was going to do whatever was in his power to make him better. Now that they had found him and he had survived torment and darkness, Gimli wasn't going to let a fever defeat his friend.
Kneeling down next to the sedated elf he grabbed a cloth and wet it in the water. Wringing it out he placed it on the forehead of the burning elf.
"The burns are probably infected." Elladan said joining the dwarf on his knees.
"Burns?" Gimli questioned.
"He has bad burns on his arms and chest. He also has a wraith's blade wound above his collarbone on the right side." Gimli didn't ask where or how these wounds had occurred he just peeled off the soiled bandages.
"Has a healer been found?" the dwarf asked gruffly trying to hard the emotion in his voice.
"Elrohir has gone to fine Analitheth she is one of the best healers. He has also gone to find Mithrandir who will hopefully be able to dispel the darkness that has invaded his soul."
The dwarf nodded and pulled off the remaining bandages. He couldn't hide the wince when he caught sight of the burns. Analitheth hurried across the clearing and joined the duo.
"We have to clean the wounds and bandage them. How long has he been sedated?"
"Sedated?" Gimli demanded.
"He was extremely agitated. We could do nothing for him. The orcs were almost upon us." Gimli looked suspiciously at the dark haired elf.
"About 4 hours." Elladan answered the healer.
"He's malnourished and dehydrated which is expected as I guess he was not fed properly." She said indicating the ribs that were clearly visible through the skin.
"We need to get water into him and we need to get his temperature down. I need cloths and water." Elladan jumped up and disappeared to the stream. The female elf quickly set to work. She pulled out some herbs and put them in a bowl and grinded them into a paste. Adding a touch of water she stirred it and then placed it gently into the wounds. She bandaged the burns and then turned her attention to the Wraith wound. It was in a nasty state and she was glad Legolas was unconscious.
"Place this in the flames." She said handing him a knife. Gimli nodded and did so. She prodded the wound and watched the black blood run down the pale skin. Gimli returned and handed her the knife. He watched as she cut away the dead and infected skin. The smell was intense and Gimli's stomach rebelled. He through himself away and through up in the bushes. Taking deep breaths he tried to settle his stomach. His heart ached for his friend and wished with all his heart that events a year ago had gone different.
He saw Elladan re - emerge with water and cloths and returned to the healer's side. The wound was now bleeding red but it was a dark wound and even if it were clean the poison would have flooded his body. Analitheth poured some of the herb mixture into the wound and bandaged it up.
"Wet the cloths and place them on his chest, wrists and legs. Don't put them on the bandages." The two complied and Analitheth continued checking for other injuries.
"His wrist was broken and it has healed badly. We will have to re - break it and set it again but that can wait. Quite a few of his ribs have been broken." She moved her hands through the elven prince's hair checking for injuries. There were healed cuts and bumps but nothing she could tell the extent of when he was unconscious.
"He has other injuries but they can wait until we get his temperature down. I need to get some liquid in him. Hold his head up slightly."
Gimli complied and lifted his friend's head. Analitheth put some herbs into the water and poured a little into his mouth. She gently shut his mouth and pressed a pressure point and the elf swallowed. She continued until the cup had emptied.
"Keep him cool by changing the cloths continually. I will return to change his bandages in a while. If he awakens give him some more sedative. If what you say about his mental health is correct then it will be simpler for him and us if he remained unconscious. I will try to find Mithrandir. There is evil in his blood which I cannot heal and for him to stand a chance of pulling through it must be vanquished." The healer got up and walked off quickly in search of the wizard. Gimli focused his attention on his friend and smoothed his tangled and dirty hair away from his clammy hot forehead. He watched as Elladan replaced one of the cloths with a cooler one. Gimli caught the elf's eyes.
"He will live Gimli." Elladan said with certainty in his voice.
"Indeed I hope you speak the truth and that he has not suffered too much grief to return to us."
* Aragorn dreamed, he dreamed of his friend. He was in a meadow in Mirkwood. It was summer. The birds darted between the trees and a gentle breeze moved the tall grass. It felt so real he could almost feel the sun's ray's warm his skin. He remembered the day. It was a year before the council meeting. The last time Legolas and he had seen each other before they were summoned to Rivendell. Before he had returned to the wilds and Legolas had joined the war parties that patrolled Mirkwood's borders. Legolas had shown him this meadow, a small one near the palace where he would go to think and get away from being a Prince. His friend hated the royal duties he had to perform and just that morning he had had to sit in a meeting where the elven lords debated which food and wine they would have at an upcoming feast. Aragorn had found Legolas on the verge of banging his head repeatedly against the wall when one of the lord's had dismissed the whole of the wine stores as not suitable as they were not red enough. They had both 'escaped' the palace and had gone to the meadow. He had remembered that he had drenched Legolas with water and a water fight had ensued. It had been fun. Both of them temporarily forgetting their stations and acting like little children. They had both collapsed laughing and had lain next to the stream talking for hours until it had clouded over and started to rain.
Aragorn turned and walked through the meadow down towards the stream. Legolas was sat on a rock. His arms were wrapped round his knees and his head was resting on his arms. Blonde hair billowed round his face and his eyes watched him approach. Aragorn sat down across from the elf.
"I waited." Legolas said so softly it was almost lost in the breeze. "For you to come." The elf continued. "But you never came. I waited."
"I did try Legolas." Aragorn whispered. Legolas carried on as if he never heard him.
"It was so dark but I knew you would come. You are my best friend and you wouldn't leave me.you never came."
"I tried, believe me I tried. I am so sorry. Forgive me!" Aragorn pleaded tears running down his face.
"You never came." Legolas whispered and Aragorn watched in horror as his pale skin changed and became burned. Blood ran from his shoulder and his skin cracked. "You never came."
*
Aragorn jerked awake and sat up abruptly. He wiped the tears from the cheeks with shaking hands. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply trying to shake off the image of his friend.
"Are you well?" a voice asked and he turned to see Gimli looking at him from his side next to Legolas.
"Aye. How is he?" Aragorn asked. Gimli looked at him disbelievingly but let the matter drop.
"The fever has not lessened and he has not yet awoke." Aragorn caught the look of despair on the dwarf's face and he knew it mirrored his own.
A commotion on the other side of the clearing caught their attention. Gandalf appeared with Analitheth and Elrohir. The wizard marched determinedly towards the injured elf.
"How much sedative did you give him?" he demanded immediately, feeling the elf's forehead.
"There is darkness all through him. So much that I can barely feel the light of his soul. There is poison is his veins. Hand me that green bottle." He said holding out his hand not taking his eyes off the elf. Grabbing the bottle he opened and poured some into the elf's mouth.
"He is too deeply unconscious for me to assess how deeply tormented he has been. The sedative keep it at hand so if he becomes distressed we can administer it quickly."
"If we keep sedating him forcefully then he will think us no better than the ones who did this too him!" Gimli exclaimed.
"He is terrified and very ill Gimli, he will not heal when he is extremely agitated. Elrohir also said that when Aragorn touched the dark mark he saw the eye. If that is so we don't want Sauron to locate us or try to damage the elf's mind any further. I only have Legolas's best interests at heart Gimli I assure you." Gimli nodded. Gandalf opened the bottle and poured some into Legolas's mouth. After a few moments the elf's eyelids began to flicker. Everyone's eyes watched the elf closely. Gandalf leaned forward and opened one of Legolas's eyelids.
*
The darkness was receding. He tried to stay in the dark because it was safe. There was no pain, no nightmares and no eye. The eye that watched him constantly in his dreams, when he was awake. It was always there, watching him. Unconsciousness was his salvation. Darkness faded and he woke. He heard noise near him. Voices. They had come for him again. He refused to open his eyes; if he didn't then there was no pain. He was hot, so hot. It was burning. They were touching him, holding him down. The pain would come. It was coming. He felt hands on his face and then someone opened one of his eyes. He shied away but his eyes remained open. They knew he was awake there was no point in hiding. He hated his eyes. They betrayed all that he knew was real. There was no colour, no greens or browns of the trees, no blue sky, and no stars. He couldn't tell if he was outside, inside or if it was day or night. In fact he couldn't see shapes just people, blurry people like they were ghosts. He saw a man appear in his line of sight. The man's lips moved but the words came out as hisses. The man reached towards him and he tried to move out of the way but his body refused to co - operate. The man's hand touched his forehead. The pressure was too great like he was trying to crush his skull. Legolas whimpered. He wanted to go back to the darkness. Suddenly the eye appeared and he heard Sauron's voice. 'My little elf you have failed me. I forgive you my poor misguided pet. I will come for you and show you the error of your ways.'
"No please." Legolas cried. "I am sorry master forgive me. I will not fail you again please!" he begged in the dark tongue.
'Hush my pet. It's alright' the eye expanded and the rushing sound deafened him.
"NO!" Legolas screamed in terror. He struck at the man near him knocking him backwards. He had to get away. Then more people appeared and held him down. Liquid again was poured down his throat. The darkness approached and he welcomed it. Letting it take him and pull him in.
*
Gandalf held his cheek where Legolas had hit him and marvelled at the strength of the weakened creature. He watched as Aragorn and Gimli got the elf comfortable. Pulling his cloak closer around his shoulders he pondered what he had learned. The eye was fixed on the elf. Sauron was actively looking for Legolas. The prince spoke the dark language of Mordor and the darkness had flooded the elf so completely that he was not sure the elf would be able to recover. Lord Elrond would be needed if he had a chance in restoring the destroyed soul of the elf. Legolas would have to be kept sedated until they could reach Rivendell and get Lord Elrond's help.
*