Legolas squinted through the powdered snow that rose everywhere. It was hard to see where the valley that was so just in sight had gone. He sighed heavily as he looked at his bruised arms. There were so many moments where he wished that he would just fall asleep into a dream and never wake up. The blond elf lifted a hand brushed the streak of blond hair from his face as his remembered the night a month back. The bruises between his knees were becoming too much. After all that, everything was clear to him.
Legolas closed his eyes for a moment as his hands shook. He held back the thoughts that were flooding in his mind. Something told him he would rather be dead than to live here.
"Are you cold?"
He looked up at the man who walked beside him and shook his head He could feel his cheeks turning red as the stranger smiled at him. The storm was growing fierce and the wind howled all around them. But the cold had little effect on him, he was used to it.
For a little bit they walked in silence. Aragorn looked over at their newfound companion every few seconds.
First he was caught up in admiring the elf's perfect body and elegance but he soon realized that Legolas seemed to look down uncomfortably at his arms every once in a while as if remembering something disturbing.
It was growing darker and harder to see through the densely gathered trees. Aragorn turned toward Legolas to ask him if there was a place to rest for the night but he noticed that he had stopped and was looking around nervously. "Is something the matter?" He asked gently brushing the hair from the pretty elf's eyes.
"…No, nothing." Legolas replied softly. "I'm sorry." He was used to apologizing after everything. 'They would never be able to find their way out alone.' He thought worriedly, 'But I can't bring them back with me.' Legolas groaned softly as he pressed a hand at his side. Blood was seeping through; he had not bandaged the wound tight enough the previous night. He remembered being held against the ground and his arms being bound. The strong grasp that was nearly choking his blood numbed his body.
"Where do you live?" Aragorn spoke not noticing the elf wince in pain.
"… I live a lot deeper down the road…" Legolas pointed down a darkened path, "It's quite secluded…"
"If you don't mind me asking…" Aragorn spoke slowly, "Why?"
"What do you mean why?" Legolas repeated as he turned his eyes in surprise. No one has ever asked him that, although he had spent many hours pondering.
"You seem to me the type of person that would be much happier around others."
"Do I?" Legolas replied, slightly flattered. "Well… to tell you the truth, I'm not sure myself." He paused for a moment and smiled at the stranger beside him. "I've been here ever since I was little, I remember a great fire… and shouting… " He stopped there as the images that had haunted him for years ran through his mind once more. "And Then… I was here." He had not bothered to put in the finer points that still brought to him so much pain.
"You don't live alone?" Elladan chimed in for he had been listening in silence.
"No, I don't." Legolas answered quickly, "I have someone…. He takes care of me…"He muttered more to himself then to anyone else. He was, perhaps, trying to convince himself
Aragorn said nothing. If this someone did care for the elf, then shouldn't he be out looking for him? Shouldn't he be out here helping him? But clearly, this was a subject he did not want to push any further.
"There is a cave ahead… You should be able to rest there till the night is over. The path is quite easy to find in daylight. " Legolas spoke up, turning the subject away from himself. He opened his mouth to bid them goodbye but he was beaten to it.
"Will you not stay till the storm calms down?" Aragorn cut him off.
"I can't. I must get back. He is expecting me."
"He will not want you to be wandering around in this weather…" Elrohir said warmly, "Stay with us, just for the night."
Legolas hesitated. He knew that if he did not return, he would be in for a lot. But then again, there was something in this ranger-like man's eyes that he trusted. No, it was beyond trust, more like… friendship. He could not think of anything else to say so he simply nodded. Aragorn smiled and they walked on.
Conabar glanced bitterly at the door. Where was he? It did not matter, he would come back, he had nowhere else to go. Oh how he hated that whore… and yet lusted after that perfect body. It gave him that satisfaction to run his hands down the smooth skin and his fingers through the silky long hair. The elven beauty was all his and that was the way he liked it.
How lucky he had been when he found the elf only a mere child of fifteen and bought him for nearly nothing. Yet he had done nothing to force himself upon the poor beautiful elf till only recently. It seemed fit to make the elf dependent on him, and then, he would be his forever.
Legolas watched as the snow piled up outside the caves. He shook as he leaned against the cold cave walls. He was not afraid the cold but the pain from his bruises and cuts seemed to numb with the frozen temperatures.
"I have never seen it snow so heavily... and I have been to my share of places." Aragorn said softly as he came to join the elf.
"You have not seen how beautiful it can be…" Legolas answered in the same soft voice, for the elven twins were asleep in the near distance, "On a bright winter morning… when the sun reflects off miles of pure whiteness… almost like a heavenly light…"
Aragorn leaned back against the cave walls beside him. He had never heard words spoken with such innocence and exquisite poetry. And to hear it spoken from a voice that sounded like song almost put him in a daze. "No, I haven't… perhaps… sometime, you could show me."
"I would love that." Legolas answered after a slight pause. He looked over to see the pair of grim yet friendly eyes showering him with flattering looks. "I'm sorry," He said quickly, "You must think I am quite unbalanced talking like this."
"No, not at all." Aragorn replied in surprise. He had also never seen anyone as self-conscious. He looked over at the pretty elf. For a moment he seemed frail and lonely as those sad blue eyes wandered from the scene outside to him.
"You must be sick of hearing about me…" Legolas dropped his eyes, "What about you? Where do you come from, and what are you doing around here?" His voice was not suspicious but kind and tender.
"Well…" Aragorn began to speak of his journey and the things he came across before getting lost in these woods. Legolas seemed fascinated, as if a child who has never seen the world.
"… I always wished I could travel… a bit like the way you do."
"Then why don't you?"
"No, I could never leave here." Legolas said sadly. He could feel a lump growing in his throat as he remembered what was going to happen to him. He gasped softly as the pain came back to him in sudden blazes.
"What's wrong?" Aragorn sat up quickly.
"I…" Legolas tried to say that he was fine but the pain was too much for him to swallow and he gave a soft cry of agony as he pressed a hand to his side.
"Let me take a look…" Aragorn muttered quietly as he lifted the thin elven body into his arms and tore apart the clothing where Legolas's hand was pressed.
He gave a small shudder as he looked at the quickly bandaged spot, which was now dripping with fresh blood. It was obvious that a knife had dug deep into the flesh.
"What happened?" He whispered as he looked into the eyes of the one who carried the wound.
"… Nothing…" Legolas lied, "I did it to myself…" He turned away as the sharp, knowing eyes glanced over him. He had not noticed that he was being held in the strong arms of another. Somehow, it did not feel painful, the way Conabar's grasps had always seemed. It felt comforting to him.
Aragorn said nothing as he began to tend to the wound. He knew that the elf was lying but he felt it better not to question any further. After a little while, he noticed that Legolas had fallen asleep. He smiled at the sweet, gorgeous beauty resting in his arms as the soft blond hair brushed against his skin. It was almost as if he was holding an angel. As his arm flinched involuntarily, he heard a voice that was barely a whisper coming from the pale lips.
"No…" Legolas groaned, "No please…please… stop…"
Aragorn felt Legolas's slender hands cling to him as his body tensed.
"… Legolas…" He said softly in an attempt to wake the elf.
"… Please don't…" Legolas was still saying, now louder than before and his fair elvish face was scrunched in despair.
"Legolas… awake," Aragorn said gently shaking the poor elf. Legolas seemed to have calmed down a little bit and after a moment he looked up, his eyes were now sparkling with tears.
"What… are you alright?" Aragorn said with concern in his voice as he cupped a hand upon the elf's cheek.
Legolas quickly pulled away in shame. He was dreaming of the night again, like he has been for the past weeks. He wiped his eyes and calmed himself the best he could before turning back to Aragorn. "I'm sorry…" He uttered softly, "It… it isn't you. I don't know… lately I've been… a little stressed." He was trembling all over as he looked into Aragorn's eyes.
"It's alright, you don't have to apologize." Aragorn said rubbing the elf's shoulders soothingly.
"I fell asleep on you didn't I?" Legolas looked down in embarrassment.
"Don't worry about it." Aragorn whispered.
"… Thank you." Legolas gently said as he straightened his voice.
Aragorn nodded and leaned back against the wall. He had an urge to slip an arm around the fair elf but resisted. Legolas shivered and smiled weakly at the ranger.
"Why don't you get some rest?" Legolas sighed, "I probably will not get any sleep for the rest of the night. I can watch for the storm and any other danger."
"No, I'm not tired, I will stay up with you." Aragorn laid a hand upon the elf's icy one. They sat in silence for a while, each stealing glances at the other. Aragorn had a strange urge to protect and care for Legolas, and to make him happy. It seemed that he was thinking about the elf that he slipped into gentle dream.
It was bright morning before he awoke. But when he opened his eyes, Legolas had gone. But the elf's cloak was covering him. "Where…" He began but Elladan cut him off.
"He left when we awoke; he told us to let you rest for a little longer for he had caused you much trouble last night. He seemed pretty upset but he did want us to thank you for something."
"Legolas…" Aragorn whispered sadly.
Legolas cracked open the door that lead to all his pain and breathed deeply. "I… I'm back." He breathed softly, "The storm, I…" Before he could finish he felt himself being pinned against he wall where as a splinter dug into his back. He blinked in horror and tried to tear away but the grip was too strong…