Aftermath: Chapter Three

Thanks for all the reviews. I would reply to each personally, but i've been really busy lately. That and i'm lazy. ;) Sorry I made you wait for a long time. To make it up to you, i'll post chapter three, and then chapter four right after. Two chapters at once! So this part will be even longer.

Author's Note: I know there's a 99.99% chance Legolas is an only child, but i'm saying he has a sister. It'll be the beginning idea for a sequel. Her name (which will be mentioned) is the elvish translation of my name! (My real name). 'Cause there's this website that translates names to any Middle-Earth language! (Almost any).

For all other notes: See previous chapters.

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Chapter Three: Continuation

"He's not getting better is he?"

Aragorn was standing at the doorway of Legolas' room. Gandalf was still there with him.

"No, i'm afraid he's not. This poison is proving impossible to cure."

"What about Athelas? Would that help?"

"No, Aragorn," Gandalf replied. "It would not. Even though this is a common orc poison, it's not one often seen, and no one knows its cure. And neither I or any of the elf lords know how to cure it."

Aragorn was devestated. "But you cannot let him die!"

Gandalf frowned at Aragorn. "Did I say that?" he asked, with a hint of mystery sparkling in his eyes.

Aragorn shook his head and sighed. "I will never understand a wizard's wish to confuse others," he teased.

Gandalf chuckled. "And you never will, my friend."

Aragorn became serious again. "But Gandalf--"

"Do not worry, Aragorn," Gandalf interupted. "You humans are so persistent. We will not let Legolas die, and that is final. You needn't know how. Not yet, anyways." Gandalf looked briefly at Legolas before looking back up at Aragorn again. "You can stay with him for the night, if you wish."

Aragorn nodded. Gandalf left, and he sat down next to Legolas, gently feeling his forehead. "Mellon nin," [My friend] he muttered. "Lle ta undoruhim, le mener." [You will live through this, I promise you].

"What did you say to him?" Gimli asked sullen-faced, as he stood in the doorway.

"I told him--I promised him that he would make it through this."

"I hope so." Gimli sat down on the chair opposite Aragorn.

Aragorn looked at Gimli. "What are you doing?"

"I'm sitting, what does it look like i'm doing?" Gimli said, rather grumpily.

Aragorn laughed for the spite of it.

"What?" Gimli asked, irritated. A sudden movement stopped Aragorn from replying.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Lord Thranduil?" Gandalf was surprised to see the King watching over the workers re-build the Deeping Wall.

"So much damage was done here. I truly wish we would have come to your aid."

Gandalf let out a low chuckle. "Yes, well, actually I came to Theoden's aid."

"Yes, Theoden told me about your heroic venture to find the lost Riddermark. Tell me, Gandalf," Thranduil turned to face Gandalf, "what would you do if you had a son who was dying? How far would you go to save him, your only heirloom to an entire kingdom?"

"I think you should ask Theoden about that. After all, he did lose his son."

"I already talked to him. He provided little comfort," Thranduil said coldly.

Gandalf sighed. "Legolas is not the only heirloom to your kingdom."

Thranduil frowned. "You mean Harathiel?" Thranduil looked away from Gandalf. "Harathiel is a shield-maiden. She is not meant to sit around on a chair all day, listening to rather long requests from the most boring people imaginable." Thranduil looked back at Gandalf and sighed, a twinkle glowing in his eye.

"In fact, she and Legolas would make sure those requests wouldn't be too long," he teased. "They would always cause mischief, and would always squirm in their seats. Whenever they would go hunting for a single rabbit living twenty yards into the forest, they would find themselves coming home with spider bites and broken arms."

Laughter erupted from behind them. The startled beings turned to find [A/N: This list is rather long, so sit back with some popcorn ;)] Aragorn, Gimli, Galadriel, Theoden, Eomer, Celeborn, Haldir, Eowyn, Elrond, and Hallith, son of Hama, laughing like they had never laughed before. Propped between Aragorn and Haldir was Legolas, who was also laughing.

"Come now father," he teased. "Surely we weren't that bad?" he broke into laughter again.

Thranduil frowned at being teased, but seeing his son laugh helped him get over it. "Legolas, shouldn't you be resting?"

"I woke up. I needed to stretch a bit."

"You've been poisoned. I don't think that's a good idea."

Legolas sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yes, father."

Thranduil walked over to his son and gave him a gentle hug. "Cormamin lindua ele lle."[My heart sings to see thee].

Legolas hugged his father back. "Nae saian luume,"he replied. [It has been to long]

Thranduil pulled away. "Now let's get you back to your room."

Aragorn and Haldir helped him back to his room. Gimli and Eowyn followed. The other elves and Gandalf stayed behind.

"He seems alright," Thranduil commented.

"It's an effect of the poison," Elrond replied. "Sometimes he will seem alright."

"But do not be fooled," Galadriel cut in. "Inside him there is a great battle. He must stay strong. He must know his friends are here, with him."

"Legolas is a strong person," Celeborn said. "As is Aragorn. Legolas will need Aragorn's help to overcome this."

Thranduil nodded. "I feel you're right. Is there anyone who might be able to better heal Legolas?"

Galadriel pondered for a moment. "Yes...and no."

Thranduil frowned. "Meaning what, exactly?"

"Someone may be able to help the prince. Not with the poison, but to keep his mind and stay himself. Someone he has a great bond with, one that cannot be broken. They have known each other for many a year, you might say."

"Who?" Thranduil asked.

"Harathiel," Elrond replied.

Thranduil shook his head. "She is helping her cousin hunt a pack of orcs."

Galdriel raised an eyebrow. "She is. But what makes you think she isn't close?"

Just then, barking was heard on the open plain, half a kilometer away.



Aftermath: Chapter Four

Author's Note: The beginning has a few references to The Hobbit. And I don't know if Legolas was at the Battle of the Five Armies (does anyone know?) but we'll say he was.

For all other notes: See chapters before.

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Chapter Four: Not again!

The barking kept growing louder. Men, women and children would stand by the wall or out the doors to try and see what was going on. The elves had no problem seeing, and they weren't to happy about the view.

"Wargs," Thranduil spat angrily. "Long have they plagued the forest, running freely, eating whatever flesh they find. Making alliances with orcs and goblins. Wrecking havoc with spiders. Even when the Necromancer was driven out of the forest by Gandalf and the other wizards, they were still a threat. One of them almost killed my son."

"Yes, well," Theoden said, coming up from behind Thranduil. "They are coming this way, and we would highly appreciate your help."

Thranduil nodded, and most of the elves and men went out to meet the wargs, most of them on horseback.

"Father," a voice said.

Thranduil turned to see Legolas, holding his bow, his quiver on his back.

"I wish to fight. I know I am not in a healthy condition, but I must do what I can. Especially if Harathiel is with them."

Thranduil glanced at Elrond, who nodded. Thranduil nodded to his son, but showed his reluctance. Legolas got onto his horse, Gimli sitting behind him.

~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~

It was utter chaos when they arrived. Many of the orcs were dead, but nearly all of the wargs were still alive. And considering at least twenty wargs were killed, that was saying alot.

Thranduil immediately spotted Harathiel. She was on her horse, shooting arrows. Her cousin was on the ground; her horse was slewn. She was fighting with an orc. There were at least three dozen other elves. Two were dead.

Harathiel has long, auburn hair, which was not common among elves. She had blue eyes, like her father and brother. She was 1407 years old, but she looked no more than 14.

Harathiel shot another warg before glancing at her father and the company with him. She noticed Gimli. 'A dwarf? It's highly unusual that father is in the company of dwarves,' she thought. She looked around, and noticed someone else.'Legolas,' she thought, and was distracted for a brief second.

Unfourtunately, that second was all a nearby orc needed to shoot an arrow at her. Fourtunately, orcs have relatively bad aim, so the arrow hit the horse's neck. Harathiel was thrown off her horse, and a warg stormed towards her.

Haldir, seeing this, shot an arrow at the warg, and it fell right before it would have stomped over her. She stood up quickly and looked at the shooter.

"Thank you, Haldir of Lorien," she hailed.

"You're quite welcome, Lady Harathiel," he called back.

The Rohirrim and elves charged into battle, as they did once before. This time it went alot better, but not entirely for the Mirkwood elves.

Here's what happened: While the Rohirrim were fighting the wargs, the elves were all staying where they were, and they were shooting the wargs and orcs. They all looked out for each other.

The Mirkwood elves were facing the Lorien elves. There was some twenty-thirty feet between them. The Mirkwood elves were slowing getting drawn closer and closer to the chasm that Aragorn had fell down.

The Mirkwood elves were realizing they were backing up, but they didn't know about the chasm. The others were too busy. They only realized when all the wargs and orcs charged at them, causing them all to almost fall over the cliff. There was a loud crack, and part of the rock that was making up the edge of the gap somehow broke off. So all elves, wargs, orcs, and other beings that were on it, tumbled down the cliff, many feet, until a large splash was heard.

Thranduil and Legolas weren't with them. They was with the Lorien elves. When Thranduil saw the trap the orcs had made, it was too late. The entire company watched, horrified, as three dozen Mirkwood elves, fifteen wargs, and seven orcs fell.

Including Harathiel.

"NO!" Both Legolas and Thranduil shouted, but it was too late. Harathiel tried to save herself and her friends, but it was all in vain. Thranduil saw a warg bit Harathiel on the arm before their plumemet to the waters below. He saw another one thrust a spear into a guard's stomach. Utter chaos.

~~~~~~*~~~~~~

The fight was over. The surviving wargs and orcs had fell off the cliff. Legolas and Thranduil both jumped off their horses to look down into the cliff. They saw water, being reddened by blood. They saw somw warg bodies on the sides of the rocks, being swept into the current. They saw orc bodies floating in the river.

Nothing more.

"This cannot be," Thranduil muttered, falling to his knees. He placed his head in his hands, trying to block the tears. Everyone else showed up and looked down, stricken by the bloody mess below.

Aragorn placed his hand on Legolas' shoulder, not saying anything. Legolas put his hand over Aragorn's. Legolas sighed and looked at him.

"Do you really think they're alive?" Legolas asked sullenly.

"Well, I survived. And i'm not an elf," he replied, trying to re-assure his heart-broken friend.

Legolas smiled. "Thank you," he muttered.

"Come on," Aragorn said. "You need your rest."

Legolas was reluctant to follow. Thranduil had to literally be dragged halfway to his horse until he would move. Slightly embarassed that he had to be dragged, Thranduil got on his horse gracefully. Legolas got on his horse, and Gimli followed suit. He clambered up after Legolas.

The company parted. The Lorien elves felt a great loss, yet all didn't believe they were dead. Elves are slightly magical, as you know, and they can sense things. Haldir sensed they weren't dead, and they would help them at their time of need. But for now, they had to get back to Helm's Deep.

As they were leaving, Thranduil looked back one more time, deeply saddened by the events that transpired there today. Yet in his head, a question troubled his already troubled mind:

What were elves, hunting wargs in Mirkwood, doing in Rohan?

TBC

Not completely an evil cliffhanger, but that's only my point of view. After all, I am the one writing this fic! ;)

*starts working on Chapter Five*