Their night had long turned to day. They all had been riding along their horses for what seemed like an eternity. Paddamill had nearly fallen asleep on her horse, along with Gimli who could barely keep his eyes open. But they knew that if they were to fall asleep an attack would be probable so they kept their eyes open and their senses heightened. How they did it was unknown to them, but whatever it was they wished it wouldn't stop. Aragorn, like many times before, lead the group of three. Gimli sat in front of Legolas like he had before, Legolas had made a joke about him falling off the back of the horse therefore leading to Gimli sitting up front. Although they didn't want her to, Paddamill rode in the back of the three. She had told them it was only fair to alternate, but Aragorn had always refused. Obviously fed up with the arguing he finally agreed and allowed her to trail behind but to be aware of her surroundings.
So far, her surroundings consisted of trees of all sort, apple, pine, and even dogwoods. Aside from having trees all around her the most annoying thing to have was the sun on her back. It were as if it were pointing directly on her lower back causing her to feel uncomfortable. It felt good for a while since her back was a little sore, but now it had been there for nearly an hour or so and it was burning. She wouldn't be surprised if her whole back caught on fire. A nuisance to them all were the acorns that kept falling on top of them or around them. Whenever the wind picked up pace they usually began to fall, but they knew it was better to have acorns hitting you rather than swords from the enemy.
Paddamill let out a sigh of relaxation, boredom, and tire. She jumped slightly when she felt an acorn hit her left cheek and slide into her slightly open shirt. She frowned and looked down and pulled it out with her right hand. she looked up at the tree and saw the tree limb rustle quite a bit. Her heart began to pick up pace as she looked around panicked. When she saw a squirrel jump to another tree limb her body relaxed and her nervousness subsided for the moment. Tensions were running too high, she was beginning to feel sick from worrying so much. Paddamill looked around he forest once more and then back to the horse walking slowly ahead of her. Their pace had slowed down quite a bit since they stopped and had breakfast. They knew their horses would pass out from tire if they weren't slowed down. Aragorn had asked Legolas if he felt there was anything nearing them, everyone let out a sigh of relief when he had declined saying they were far but not far enough to not find them by dinner. Aragorn planned to ride slow for the early afternoon and then ride hard during the upcoming evening.
Paddamill looked back down to the acorn she was rolling in her hand and pulled it up a bit closer to examine the way it was shaped. For a brief moment she looked up at Legolas' horse and then over to Aragorn. She jumped once again when she felt yet another acorn land in her shirt. She rolled her eyes and pulled it out. Paddamill bit her lower lip for a moment then grinned. She took her hands off of the horses leather rein and put one acorn in her left hand. With the other in her right, she pulled her arm back and threw it at Legolas' back. She watched it fly through the air and suddenly bounce towards her after hitting him in the back. She let out a low giggle and then threw the other one. Legolas frowned feeling the small object hit his back two times, he could only look back at Paddamill on reflex as to what that was. He stopped frowning when he saw Paddamill grinning evilly at him. It was obvious she was trying to find a way to entertain herself. He raised his eyebrows pointing at her with his index finger. He gave her a grin and told her to be nice otherwise he'd get off the horse and do something mean to her. Paddamill let out a little laugh and bit her lower lip. That didn't sound like a bad idea. Legolas turned his grin turned into a smile. He winked his left eye once then turned to look ahead. Paddamill let out a silent sigh. She looked around feeling her butt go completely numb. She frowned and slightly shifted on the horses hard saddle. She petted the back of Menyagûl's neck. Paddamill could only think how he felt having to walk all the long places and hardly no breaks. He was probably ready to toss her off and run away. When Paddamill adverted her eyes off of Menyagûl's long neck and mane she noticed Legolas looking over his shoulder with a vivid frown. Paddamill frowned and looked around. Before she could ask him what it was that was ringing in his ears, Paddamill felt it.
Out of nowhere a large Orc jumped onto her horse and pulled her off the saddle. The horses soon began to panic stomping and neighing loudly. Aragorn looked behind him and then turned his horse "Legolas!" he called out in surprise. Legolas practically flew off the horse and to the ground to attack the large creature. Aragorn looked up and saw a few more of the animals coming after them. Gimli jumped down off of the horse and got his axe and jogged over toward an oncoming band. Aragorn was attacked as Paddamill was. Paddamill sat up feeling a bit dizzy from the sudden attack. She gasped when she saw a sword swoop down. She quickly scooted back and gathered to her feet she grabbed the small dagger on her thigh and looked at the Uruk-Hai standing in front of her. She frowned looking deeply into its soulless eyes. Paddamill charged forward and quickly jammed the daggers sharp blade into its neck. She gasped when she fell back with the heavy animal on top of her. Legolas ran over to her and pushed off the creature. He had shot it in the back with his deadly arrow. He looked down at her body to see if she had any wounds. Legolas didn't forget the vision he saw when he had touched Paddamill a few days ago. How could he? It had haunted him in his sleep ever since. He was going to make sure to take good care of her because he sure as hell didn't want her to die. Legolas had helped her to her feet then turned to fight the enemy.
The grunts and heavy breathing of Aragorn and the Orcs echoed throughout the air. The sounds of sharp swords clanking together and then sliding off one another rang out into the forest. A noise nobody had wanted to hear for a long while. They had heard enough of screams, cries, gasps, swords, and arrows flying past their heads during the battle at Helm's Deep. Never hearing those sounds all at once would, to them, be like a gift sent from the heavenly creatures up above. But all of that quickly fled their minds while fighting. This wasn't a wish that hadn't been unfulfilled but a method of surviving, which all took a wicked turn. When Aragorn saw another Orc collapse to the ground he turned to see Legolas shooting arrows off into the distance and Gimli toss an axe at something. Paddamill was pulling her sword out of the torso of some bewitched Orc, but his worries didn't stop when he saw them, only raised. He frowned and saw something in the corner of his right eye move. He turned and toppled back when he saved himself from getting an axe in the head. He lifted his right arm up and dodged the Orcs powerful force as the blade of the axe hit against his metal sword that was stained with blood, but as he was holding he couldn't help to look over at Paddamill. His surprised face was quickly drawn into a frown when he saw an Orc practically flying at her. She frowned and jerked back finally getting her sword to come out of her enemies body. It was funny to Aragorn, the moment felt like it were in slow motion and that the weight of the heavy axe had just disappeared. He blinked once and looked over at Gimli and Legolas who too were occupied with something else. He frowned and turned his head back to Paddamill to see the Orc swinging his arm down and towards her.
"Paddamill!" Aragorn called out with all his might. He held his sword in his right hand. Black blood was pouring down the silver blade quickly towards the handle. The green leaves on the trees rustled a song as the wind blew lightly, telling everyone it was spring. The hidden path the four had been following was covered up by high weeds and from the dry land showing signs of no water. Gimli turned around with his eyebrows raised. The yell Aragorn had just screamed out would make anyone turn their head. It sounded as if someone had been miles away. The sound of his heavy sword falling to the ground made a slight 'thump' and bounced once before settling on a bed of weeds after he slewed the Orc in front of him. Legolas' bow made a light 'twang' and the sound of the arrow whizzing past her head rang in her right ear. He would be the first to make it to her.
She just stood in shock gripping the handle of her sword with all her might. The four of them had been ambushed by five large Uruk-Hai. They had been well rested and fairly energized, the opposite of the remaining company, who had gone a day and a half without food and two days without rest. They were just living by adrenaline and fear of being attacked. It had been a quick battle, but it was very hard for them to win. Being neglected of such things made the company weak and although they knew the consequences they forged on. But knowing what they knew now, they would have all agreed to pitch camp the night before even if that meant delaying their task by half a day.
Paddamill couldn't move. She couldn't think. She couldn't even see. Everything had gone blank. For almost a whole minute she didn't see, hear, or do anything. When she felt the burning sensation in her back and smaller stings in other places, her senses were given back to her. The bright morning that was filled with birds chirping, bee's buzzing, and a cool breeze had all of a sudden faded. The world to Paddamill looked disoriented, like a dream. She began light headed quickly, the birds had stopped chirping, the bee's didn't buzz anymore, and the breeze had faded and it was now hot and very humid. The only sounds she could hear was the 'Ksssh, ksssh, ksssh' of dead weeds being stomped upon by Legolas' boots. Paddamill wanted to jump up and down because her skin painfully itched, she wanted to tell Legolas to stop walking because the sound hurt her ears, and she wanted to rip off all of her clothes so she could breathe.
Although she wanted to do all of that she didn't. She just stood still barely leaning forward, breathing heavily as she watched Legolas' feet come to a halt a few inches in front of her. She slowly tilted her head up to see him frowning heavily and moving his mouth. Paddamill frowned thinking to herself. Was he talking? Was he just kidding around with her? But...Why on earth would he do a silly thing like that? All of a sudden Paddamill's head became lightweight, yet she couldn't hold it up. The heat was so unbearable it were as if her mouth and nose had been covered by a wet wool blanket. Her eyes became heavy. What was happening?
"Paddamill!" Legolas' voice rang in her ears along with a retched sound of something sharp being scrapped against metal. All of a sudden she could see hear again, she could breathe, and she could hold her head up. She saw his eyes widen and his face grow pale. He jumped at her and put his arms around her in a tight grip. Paddamill had placed her palms on his shoulders as she looked up at him. She frowned feeling agonizing pains in her back. What was going on? "Paddamill! Talk to me, Paddamill!" Legolas said in a scared voice that was drawn out into a small plea. Paddamill looked down at his chest and she felt for the first time the worst thing in her life. It was starting from her back and coursed through he veins and seemingly ended in the front of her waist.
Paddamill looked even further down to see her wool clothing soaking up dark red liquid. It was blood. It was her blood! Paddamill looked back to Legolas' chest then lazily up to his face. Her eyes were wide as the reality set in and before she could do or say anything her weak, wobbling knees buckled, giving her no strength to stand. Paddamill began to collapse to the ground. "No! Paddamill!" Legolas cried out loudly almost as if he were about to cry from seeing her undesired action. Legolas caught Paddamill before her head and body hit the hard earth.
Legolas sat on his knees holding her head in his left hand, while he held her and lowered her down on the ground with his right. Paddamill looked up at the tall treetops that seemed to go on forever, they swayed side to side in a lymph manner with the small strained clouds appearing lightly behind them on the light blue backdrop. The sky. Paddamill looked up to Legolas who sat on her right side. She reached her left hand up to touch his face since he looked so scared. But when she saw it was stained with crimson liquid she quickly turned it into a fist and looked at it.
"Paddamill!" Aragorn whispered out. He came into view and fell down to the left of her. "Paddamill! Can you hear me?" Slowly she looked at him and pursed a smile on her lips.
"Yes. There is no need to shout." Aragorn allowed his worried frown to fall for the moment. That was good, He thought. She was still awake and very aware of her surroundings to make humorous remarks about something as serious as this.
"She has been struck by a poisoned arrow, it entered from the back and exited from the front. " Paddamill cried out in pain when Aragorn touched the wound with his hand trying to see what had happened as Legolas explained.
"I'm sorry, Paddamill!" He said quickly touching her left cheek. "We have to put pressure on your wound, okay? It will hurt a lot but the sooner we slow down the bleeding the better chance we have." Paddamill frowned hurting as she breathed. In an attempt to breathe and not cause her exit wound to bleed she panted. He looked up to Legolas and Gimli. "We need to speed the healing and stop the bleeding. Legolas you stay here, I need to find the Calendula plant, Gimli you must help me! It's a plant with pale green leaves and golden orange petals. Do you think you can find it?" Gimli rose quickly from sitting on his knees.
"I have an eye like a hawk! Just tell me where to look and it shall be fetched!" Gimli ran off behind Aragorn. Legolas watched them rush into the bushes and out of sight allowing the fear to sink in even deeper. Paddamill frowned beginning to pant. Out of pain she clenched her jaw.
"It hurts." Paddamill moaned out in pain mixed with tears. Legolas frowned looking down at her. His blonde hair brushed lightly against her cheek.
"I know it does, but they will be back shortly! It's going to be okay." Legolas said in a soft comforting tone as he watched her eyes fill with tears. He quickly grabbed his wooden quiver that held his arrows. "Here," Legolas raised her head slightly and slid it underneath her head allowing it to be propped up hoping for slight comfort. "I'm going to put pressure on your wound, this is going to hurt." Paddamill nodded understanding the situation. She was in so much pain right now she wanted to scream. Legolas pushed the palm of his right hand over the bloody mess feeling the hole and the warmth of her skin. Paddamill gasped and let out a yelp of pain. Legolas rubbed her face with his left hand trying to calm her.
"I don't want to die." Paddamill whispered, feeling the tears fall from her eyes and trail towards her ears. Legolas frowned continuing to rub her left cheek.
"You're not going to die, Paddamill. I won't let you." Paddamill frowned. How he could think such a thing when she was hurting so bad and was beginning to feel more and more distant to reality.
"I feel dizzy. And really tired."
"You're going to be fine!" Legolas screamed at her as if she were an enemy. He was on the verge of crying. There was the legendary courtesy of the elves, Paddamill thought as she watched Legolas frown looking around in the woods for some sign of progress. Although Paddamill couldn't see them, Aragorn had shaken his head at Legolas telling him he couldn't find it. Legolas swallowed the lump in his throat, along with his tears. This was his friend. The person he spent many months with while trying to help Middle Earth. She was everything to him. He had even told her he loved her. And the same love had been returned. He couldn't let her die! Not now! Paddamill squinted as she felt the pain course through her body.
"Legolas!" Paddamill cried out in a low tone. He raised his eyebrows high as he moved his attention back down to her. He could see that the pain was getting worse since the realization of the powerful and bloody mess underneath her clothes.
"What? What's wrong?" He questioned looking at her body, waiting to see her wound growing larger. He could only thank his imagination. Her breathing was picking up pace and she wasn't sweating anymore. Legolas grabbed his leather canteen and pulled the cap off. "Here...drink this!" Legolas said to her in a bitter attempt to comfort her in some way. Paddamill moaned as she lifted her head slightly. He squeezed the bottle and watched the water squirt into her dry mouth from the thin nozzle. She drank it down and wished she had the elixir with her. But she allowed Éowyn to use it on that man, since then she hadn't seen a single sign of it.
This wasn't fair! This wasn't supposed to happen! Out of all the dreams she had wished of being reunited with her parents, not a single one popped into her mind. Despite the pain she still could think. The only thing she wanted was to live, to see another sunrise and another sunset, kiss Legolas' sweet intoxicating lips for once, hear Gimli growl and fuss, see Aragorn smile, laugh at Merry and Pippin, speak to Frodo, and hug Sam again! But most of all... just live to be reunited with her friends.
"Legolas..." Paddamill whispered lowly. He looked at her and leaned in.
"Yes, Paddamill. I'm here." She looked into those blue eyes enveloping the last moment she would face. A smile curved on her lips as she focused on his face instead of his eyes. "Do you need anything? More water? Um...here...do you need a softer object to lay your head on?" He stood up on his knees willingly ready to take off his cloak. Paddamill grabbed his left arm and kept her smile as he looked down at her with such a fearful glance. He leaned down tilting his head to the left so he could slightly see her face from a normal position. She shook her head from left to right very slowly.
"No." Paddamill whispered.
"What is it, Paddamill? Tell me!" She raised her eyebrows and turned her smile into a fading grin that was slightly filled with sadness, but overpowered by love.
"I just want you to hold my hand." As if he acted like a fool before, Legolas frowned with great empathy. He nodded and sighed out through his mouth that was red and inflamed due to his hysterical yell to know what she needed. He pulled his legs out from under him and sat on his bottom. With his right hand he lifted it up off the ground and over her chest where she held up her bloody right hand. As if it were clean he took a hold of it, paying not attention to the claret. Paddamill weakly smiled and looked into his red eyes. "Don't cry, Legolas. No matter what happens nothing can tear me away from you. Do you know why?" Legolas didn't want to respond, but he was lucky since she concluded as soon as she asked him. "Because I love you!" Legolas frowned even harder than before. He let out a small hiccup and kissed her hand.
"I love you too, Paddamill. I love you too." For a moment she was comfortable. She remembered what he had just said after the moment had passed by. He loved her. He didn't hide it, he didn't lie, he didn't do anything. He just let it alone. The way love was supposed to be. She was in love and she was loving every inch of that love, ignoring the pain that was fading away. Although you feel invincible when love was showering over you like that of a waterfall, love couldn't stop death from approaching or let alone happen. But as Paddamill's pain began to subside and she stopped fighting the tears that weren't coming, she realized that tomorrow was a gift. A gift that nobody should have taken away from them. Let alone be set back. As if it were your birthday everyone should accept what the day brought you. Like it was all there for you. A gift that you could take and cherish, even if you wouldn't remember what happened! Everyone should act as if it was the day you were to make everything yours. Everyone should've understood how great that single moment felt. Paddamill realized it wasn't just her gift to see another day, but everyone's gift. The first gift that everyone could share and make it yours...because honestly...nobody really knew when 'The Gift' could stop coming.
Paddamill frowned feeling pain course through her body making sure to not miss a single place. She took in a deep breath only to cough violently afterward. Legolas frowned and rubbed her head. "Paddamill, you're going to be fine....going to be just fine." He looked up and over into the wooded area to see if he could spot the two who were still frantically searching. When he heard Paddamill gasp for air he looked down at her heavily distraught face. She looked up to see him speak to her without having any sound come out. His face and everything surrounding him quickly began to blur and the sun that once was hanging high above them all quickly lost its light and everything was black.
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A/N: Thank you all for the reviews I cannot tell you how I enjoy logging online to see I have a FanFic review alert waiting for me! Not to mention it boosts my ego ^.~
Okay on a serious note! In an upcoming chapter (maybe two or three away)...I want to put in a nice Paddamill/Legolas sex scene! Not only is it nice for the two of them (which I think they totally need it as a little *treat* for saving the world!) but it is fulfilling in a relationship standpoint and on an emotional level! But I'm not talking about this sweet little fluffy love scene like you'd read in a Christian Book, but I am talkin' detailed, hot, sexy, steamy, yummy yummy, sex scene! Not only for the characters but to satisfy my perverted mind! Sorry, the thought of me having Orlando Bloom and bed sheets...I swear you'd never see me again! TMI right?? BUT!!!! I am not sure if I should due to the fact that J.R.R Tolkein's books aren't like that, after all he never used 'shit' and 'damn' in his novels...but I guess that's what makes mine unique, correct? Plus, the fact that this is a PG-13 fic. But hey I can ^ up ^ the level of racy can't I? Heck this is MY dang story! I really, really need your input on this! Drop a note and tell me "yay" or "neigh" to the Paddywaddy Leggyloo love scene. Hey you are, after all, my captivated audience and I want to make you like the story even more! (Even if that means no sex scene)
So that would be widely appreciated!
On another Chapter note, not Chapter 18 but Chapter 19 I had some major help with it. I have to thank the book and Sparknotes since I had no idea what to do for my fight scenes. *Sniff Sniff* I feel an ending coming along.....but not anytime soon!!!
*Meg*
ENJOY CHAPTER 18........
