Sickness

By: Alilacia

Rating: PG-13

Feedback:

Spoilers: None that I can think of.

Disclaimer:

I do not own the Lord of the Rings, or anything to do with the film or books. That honour goes to Peter Jackson (et all) and J.R.R Tolkien. I have no permission what so ever to use these characters, will not receive any money for this, and am doing this for my own enjoyment. And to get away from doing my college assignments

Series:

Mortality

Lessons

Wandering

Learning Curve

Sickness

Summary:

News of a disease spreading from village to village reaches Imladris. Estel, his brothers and Legolas decide to help. But can a human with Númenorian blood survive when all other humans are fading?

Mae govannen!

This is the fifth instalment in The Lennath Series. According to the site I found on the internet 'Lennath' is apparently journey's in Sindarin. I apologise if it isn't, my elvish skills are not the best in the world.

So in English it is basically 'The Journey's Series'. I decided to call it The Journey's Series, because that is basically what all the stories are about: Legolas' and Aragorn's journey's though life, and the paths it takes them on.

This is the third chapter of Sickness, and I hope you all enjoy it.

First I am going to make it clear that this is a NON-SLASH, so you won't be finding any relationship between Legolas and Aragorn that is any closer than brothers. I'm sorry if you don't like that, but I'm not going to make it any different.

I've decided to take a leaf out of Cassia and Siobhan's book and put all the answers to the reviews before the story rather than after it as I have done in previous chapters. If anyone does not want to read them simply bypass all the bold print. And unless you want to read them, they are quite long. The story will start though when you skip past all the bold print :sweatdrops:

Lol. ThE iNsAnE oNe, your reviews never fail to bring a smile to my face

I love how much the twins mother over Aragorn constantly, it always makes me smile when I see it in other fics, and so I just had to put it in mine. :-)

Oops::blushes::grins sheepishly: yeah, you're right about that mistake. I've gone back and changed it now, so it should be mistake free (I hope).

I have not read the Silmarillion, or any of the other history/information books published regarding the Lord of the Rings. So I apologise if there are any mistakes in these stories. Feel free to let me know if there are. I am learning new things each day, and I owe quite a few people major thanks for some of that information.

This story isn't actually beta'd (in fact none of them have been so far) so there are probably quite a few mistakes in them.

Namárië nin mellyn

Alilacia

Sickness

In the corridor outside the healing room, three figures were sitting haphazardly in the chairs. Elrohir was sitting in the chair furthest from the door, and was attempting to engage his brother in a conversation. Elladan was ignoring his brother and gazing thoughtfully at his hands. Sometimes a frown would crease over his forehead, and other times he would shake off Elrohir's poking as the younger twin got tired of being ignored. Estel was sitting in the chair next to Legolas, and would alternately glance at his brothers, at the door, and then over to the wall. Legolas was leaning casually against the wall, his hands tapping out a light rhythm on the stonework, as they waited for Lord Elrond to emerge.

The four figures looked up as the door swung open slowly and an elf walked out. Lord Elrond looked exhausted, a clear sign of the hours it had taken the lord to stabilise the man, and he rubbed his hand over his face before walking up to the group waiting for him to speak.

All four stood, and Estel offered his chair. Elrond nodded wearily in thanks, and sat down. The others gathered around him as Estel knelt on the ground next to the chair.

"How is he ada?" Elrond looked down at Estel, who had a look of worry on his face. Elrond smiled down at his youngest and let his fingers thread through Estel's dark hair for a moment.

"Do not worry unduly my son, the man is fine. Although the fever was deeply set into his body the herbs were able to drive it away." Elrond lifted his head and looked at the three other elves, "as with any illness, all he needs now is rest."

"Do you know what it is that ails him ada?" asked Elladan.

Elrond sighed and shook his head. "The cause and the disease still eludes me. I have not encountered anything like this before."

"Could it not be a simple fever?" asked Elrohir from his spot on the wall.

"I thought so too, but there are some symptoms like bleeding from the eyes and ears. Although I was able to stop it, I have not seen any such symptoms in humans with a simple fever before." said Elrond, and he rose from his chair. Estel rose from the floor as well, a thoughtful look on his face. Worry was also intermingled with the intent look, and he stepped out of the way as Lord Elrond started to walk down the corridor. "I would not think about it. The human is responding well to the herbs, and he should be back on his feet within a week."

Aragorn and Legolas chuckled from the corner of the room. They were watching Elrohir and Elladan argue over who had been responsible for the mishap in the hunting trip two weeks ago. It had been a comment from Aragorn that had reminded the twins, and they had been bickering for about half an hour now.

"Honestly brother, it really was your fault that we came back with no game that day." As Elrohir scrunched up his nose and opened his mouth to protest again, Elladan started talking. "I mean, you could have been a little quieter. With the noise you made as you crashed through the bush I'm surprised Glorfindel's group caught any at all. A herd of Oliphaunts would have been quieter."

Elrohir scowled and punched his brother in the arm lightly. "Well I was not the one who screeched loudly when a flock of ravens suddenly burst out of the undergrowth and nearly shot Calil-Garion. Even Glorfindel heard that, and he was halfway across Imladris by that time."

Legolas and Aragorn couldn't stop themselves from laughing when a flush spread across Elladan's cheeks. Elladan glared at the pair and was about to retort when Lord Elrond walked in through the doors, a smile tugging at his lips. Elladan glowered and flushed slightly again as he realised that the elder elf must have heard all that was said.

"I take it you are discussing the hunting trip two weeks ago." Elrond smiled as the flushing of Elladan cheeks answered for them, "yes, I remember that one. Glorfindel told me about it. Something about a certain son of mine and 'screeching like an elven woman.' Yes, that was it."

Elrohir, Estel and Legolas started laughing from their places in the room, and Elrond could not stop the grin that stretched over his features. Elladan scowled at everyone, but after a while even his lips started to spread into a smile no matter how much he tried to hide it.

"How is he ada?" asked Elrohir, his grey eyes betraying his worry and concern. His face blank of all levitivity as the seriousness of the situation sunk in again.

"I was hoping that he would respond much better to the herbs I have been giving him in his tea. Although he has been lucid enough to take them, the human drifts between awareness and sleep. Never really leaving either." The elven lord frowned and sat in the nearest chair. He rested his head in his hands and raised puzzled eyes to stare ahead of him. "It is most puzzling, but only time will tell."

The twins frowned and Elladan opened his mouth to say more when there was a tentative knock on the door. A dark-haired elf was standing nervously in the open door-way, and seemed reluctant to enter the room.

"I apologise for intruding my lords, but it's the human." Elrond frowned again, and moved up from the chair. He motioned to Isindil to follow him out of the room, and only the three elves in the room caught the softly muttered words. "He passed away sometime this morning my lord."

Aragorn tilted his head in question, and then a look of understanding sorrow passed over his face as he easily read what could not be said in his brothers faces. Legolas too looked moved and upset by the news, and Aragorn glanced thoughtfully at his friend until Elrond walked back into the room.

Legolas was lost in his thoughts as his elven hearing easily picked up the muttered words. Although he held no love for the race of men, he still did not like to see people suffering. And loss of life was something that the elven prince did not like either. Although he did not know this man, he had to have a family somewhere. Aragorn and his elven family weren't the only people who knew the harsh grip that the loss of a loved one caused.

"What did Isindil want ada?" asked Estel. Elrond looked over to his youngest, and sighed.

"I'm afraid the human passed away earlier this morning. I do not understand why," Elrond sighed again and ran his hand over his face. Estel could understand why his ada was so frustrated. As a healer, it was saddening and frustrating to lose a patient when they seemed to be improving. "I will go and see if I can discover why the young man lost his life," Elrond continued and started walking out of the door. When all four rose to follow him the elven lord raised his hands and shook his head. "Not this time my sons, Legolas. I wish to do this on my own." Estel nodded and sat back down, pulling Legolas back into the seat next to him. The twins required a stare from Elrond until they acquiesced, and sat back down in their chairs. Elrond nodded in satisfaction, and with a final warning look the elven lord walked out of the room.

"Well, that spoiled our plans for the rest of the day." Elrohir muttered from where he sat, "and here I thought the day wasn't going to be a boring one."

"It hasn't been, we've already lost a life." murmured Elladan

"That's not what I meant and you know it Elladan. I mean, why don't we go out and do something. It's better than sitting here waiting for ada to finish."

"So long as it doesn't involve orcs, wargs, injuries or potentially dangerous situations, count me in brother."

"With Estel in the house?" Estel stuck his tongue out at Elrohir, and Legolas chuckled when Elrohir returned it. "And besides, where is your sense of adventure. You're usually the first up to go out and see what trouble we can stir up."

"I haven't lost it brother, I just know that wherever we go Estel will follow, and wherever Estel goes, Legolas will go. And therein lies the problem." said Elladan with a jerk of his thumb towards the two individuals in question.

Elrohir raised his eyebrows at Elladan and looked at Estel and Legolas, both of which were looking at Elladan with veiled annoyance at being called 'a problem'.

"When ever we take Estel out, he always gets injured, and Legolas will try and save him, and then we will have to take both of them back to ada to be patched up. Again." Elladan explained.

Estel flushed but glared at his brother. Elrohir started laughing at the reminder. "Oh yes, I remember now. Honestly Estel, it was a simple river to cross, you had to be the one to lose your balance and fall down it. And of course Legolas tried to stop you and fell in himself." Elladan's lips curved into a smile, and a chuckle broke past his lips.

That day had been as normal as any other. Until they had decided to go out and hunt for some more food for the larder. It had only been a matter of days since Estel had returned from his trip to Mirkwood with the elven prince, and already had Estel gotten into trouble.

They had been hunting near the Bruinen, coming up to the borders of the Trollshaws, and the sudden appearance of a herd of stags had spooked Estel's horse, and threw him off. It just so happened that Estel was crossing the river at the time and he fell into the lightly rushing waters. Legolas had immediately rushed to stop Aragorn's trip, and underestimated the power of the running water.

They were found a little way downstream, soaked and scraped up. It didn't take long for Elrohir and Elladan to find them and things went downhill from there.

Estel and Legolas both had to be taken back to a very unamused Lord Elrond.

"It was not my fault that the horse was surprised by that herd." Estel complained, turning to glare again at his laughing brothers. "And besides," he added when Legolas started laughing as well. "I thought elven horses were supposed to be not easy to scare. So far every single horse I have ridden on was spooked by something."

"It must just be your way with horses Estel," said Elladan through his laughter. "They can sense if you are afraid."

"That's dogs Elladan." said Aragorn as he lightly hit the chuckling elven prince around the head. Legolas didn't bother to dodge the blow, and shook his head.

"With all the tales I have heard, it is any wonder that Lord Elrond still has any hair left."

Elrohir chuckled along with his twin, and glanced at Estel. "I am surprised as well. Estel was a terror as a child. Couldn't keep his hands off anything. It was great fun at mealtimes though, wasn't it Elladan."

As Elladan nodded, only Aragorn noticed the small smirk on Legolas' face and wondered what his friend was thinking.

"Oh, I'm sure that Estel was a handful as a child, most human children are. But," Legolas' smirk widened and he glanced out of the corner of his eyes at the two oblivious elven twins, "I was not talking about Estel. No, all the amusing tales I have heard were about the two of you."

Estel broke out into a fit of chuckles as the smiles on his brothers' faces froze, and they turned to look at the smirking elven prince in tandem. Legolas could only keep that up for too long, before he dissolved into a fit of laughter. The pair's laughter increased at the incensed and slightly fearful look on their faces.

"Where did you hear that from?" asked Elladan as he quickly ran through all the people who could have told the elven prince. Thranduil? no, he didn't have a funny bone in his body. And the twins found that out the hard way when they accidentally broke one of his ornate vases when they were younger. Calil-Garion? he might have been looking for an excuse to get Elladan back since the aforementioned twin nearly shot him. Ada? possible, he did have a dry sense of humour, and would have thought nothing of telling Legolas all about the mishaps they got up to. Glorfindel? Elladan shuddered as the image of the smirking elven lord flashed before his eyes. The elven lord had a mischievous streak that was covered up with a sense of nobility. Only those who knew him well knew that the elven lord gave as good as he got. Yes.

It was more than likely Glorfindel that told Legolas, thought Elrohir as he glanced at his brother. Now all they had to worry about was what Legolas was told.

"I swore not to tell," said Legolas, that smug expression not vanished from his face. "But the person who told it to me was very forthcoming. He told me about the time the two of you went on a trip to my fathers halls..."

Elladan darted out of his chair and quickly clamped a slender hand over Legolas' mouth. "And it was a very boring trip, one that need not be reaccounted here."

Legolas grinned and ducked out of Elladan's grip, smirking as Estel started getting very interested in the path the conversation was going. "What? Legolas, what did my brothers do at your father's halls?"

All his life he had never heard any stories of what the twins were like as a child. Estel made a note to talk about this with Legolas later.

"Estel wants to know." Legolas grinned, ignoring the fuming and nervous looks on the elven twins' faces. "It would be rude of me not to tell your little brother all about his brothers now wouldn't it?"

His tone was sugary sweet, and the twins groaned. Whoever told Legolas was going to be in deep trouble.

"You see Estel," Legolas turned to face the grinning human, "your brothers are far from as perfect as they make out to be. They made themselves out to be absolutely perfect when we first met. Little angels." sarcasm dripped from the elven princes' voice, and he raised his eyebrow. Shaking his head, he continued. "I soon found out how much those words do not apply to your brothers. Within the first week, we had seven broken plates, four ripped tapestries, two deer running through the halls, and several accounts of food going missing from the kitchens. Only to turn up all over the walls and floor." The grin returned as Estel started laughing, and when he saw the mortified looks on the twins' faces.

"And I'm sure you were just as bad Legolas, in fact we have heard quite a bit about you." Elladan muttered and glared at the laughing human and elf, "for example you..."

Elladan paused and glanced quickly at this brother. "Help me out here a little Elrohir."

"You don't have anything do you?" said Legolas with a smug expression as Elrohir started thinking.

"Well, I heard about the time when- no, that was us." Elrohir frowned. "Or what about... no, that was Estel. Or when- no, that was us again."

"Elrohir, you are not helping..." muttered Elladan and that set off another wave of laughter in the corner.

Lord Elrond paused wearily in the door, and couldn't help his smile at the sight that greeted him. The twins, it appeared, were trying to gang up on Legolas. Legolas was standing behind the chair Estel was sitting in, and the aforementioned human was laughing too hard to be of any help to his friend. A grin was pulling at the elven princes' lips, and he raised an eyebrow as he easily dodged Elrohir as the elf tried to grab at his tunic.

"Come on now Legolas, fairs fair. We should really be telling Estel about some of the things you did." Elrond's attention was drawn away for a moment as a figure stepped in by his side and chuckled. Elrond turned to see Glorfindel standing at his side with a smirk on his face.

"Some things never change." The elven lord commented as he watched Elladan jump over the chair to get to Legolas.

"Why do I get the feeling that you had something to do with this my friend," Elrond said with a smile.

Glorfindel simply smiled, and shrugged. "I might have." and then started walking back down the corridor, chuckling as Elladan shouted a war-cry from inside the room.

Elrond shook his head, and look back into the room. The twins had brought Estel into their fight now, and Legolas was using him as a human shield. A rather ineffective one as Estel was laughing too much to pose as any kind of barrier from his brothers.

The picture that the four of them made Elrond's heart lighten. Such sites were rare, even for the twins and Estel, and they usually took themselves outside and mock fought there. And it was even rarer to see Legolas taking part, for the elven prince rarely visited Imladris.

Elrond's gaze fell onto the laughing human who had moved out of Legolas grip, and was actually helping the elven prince to fend off his brothers. Elrond never regretted his decision to bring Estel into this house, and in doing so they had not only gained a loving brother and son, but a new light that had not been seen since Celebrian had been lost.

Elrond cleared his throat and had to grin when the twins immediately stopped what they were doing. As soon as they caught sight of him standing in the door, Elrohir pushed Estel into Elladan's seat, and Elladan started brushing the wrinkles out of Legolas' tunic. Legolas brushed the hands away with a grin and sat down in Elrohir's seat.

The twins darted into the only two remaining seats and narrowly missed colliding with one another.

"Hello ada." started Elladan.

"Have a good day?" finished Elrohir.

The twins turned to glare at Estel as the human started to muffle his chuckles under his hand. Legolas wasn't any better, although his mirth only showed in the twinkling of his blue eyes.

"I see you found something to amuse yourselves." Elrond wiped his face clear of the amusement he was feeling and looked critically around the room. The room was a mess, and various cushions were now lying on the floor. Elladan and Elrohir followed his gaze and winced imperceptibly.

Elrond walked into the room and shook his head. The smile that was threatening to spill onto his lips had to be held back even more as the twins darted out of their seats and started to pick up all the pillows. Two were thrown into the twins' empty chairs, one was thrown at the elven prince who chuckled and easily caught it, and the last was thrown at the laughing human. Aragorn didn't notice until the cushion hit him square in the face, and fell back onto the floor.

He picked it up and turned to glare at Elladan who was trying to look innocent as he sat back down into his chair.

"Elladan!"

Elrond held his hand up before Elladan could say whatever he was going to, and smiled. "I see that you've once again taken to removing each and every cushion from the chairs. And I thought that you had grown out of that."

"Oh no Ada, they will never grow out of that." said Estel with a smile. This time the human was prepared for the cushion that was thrown his way, and he caught it with a smirk. As Elladan reached over for Elrohir's cushion, Elrond chuckled and held up his hand again.

"Enough." All eyes turned to him, and Estel threw the cushion back. Elrond glared half-heartedly at Estel, before looking back at them all. "Although your actions were amusing, I must tell you what I found out about the human. Ginyc."

The elven lord held their rapt attention, and sat down in the only chair that was empty. "I believe that the human died because his body was simply too weak to fight the disease. The man had age working against him, and he was already weary from the long trek here. It would exhaust the most hardy of men, and for someone who was already ill.." Elrond trailed off and sighed, "his body simply did not have the strength to fight it."

"Have you found out what it was?" asked Elladan

Elrond shook his head. "No, I have not. Although the symptoms point to a fever, some of the herbs specific to fever did not want to work."

"Which herbs did you use ada?" asked Estel as he placed the cushion back behind him.

"I tried all those which seemed to work with you when you fall ill Estel. And some herbs to keep him asleep. I do not understand why the Aloe and White Willow did not seem to work completely against this disease. It was most puzzling as the herbs seemed to work for a time, and then his health fell dramatically."

"Did he say anything at all Lord Elrond?" Legolas asked, before reaching out to pluck the cushion from Estel's hands when he shifted it from under him again.

"I did manage to find the location of the town before he fell asleep last night. I fear that the people there will be in a similar state, and many of them could be dead already. From what I can gather, after the onset of the symptoms, the patient doesn't have long. That is not the only problem though." Lord Elrond sighed and shifted in his seat. "There is no way of telling how easily this disease is spread. There is every chance that the disease could spread from village to village, systematicallyeliminating the race of men."

TBC…