A/n: EEK! Sorry for not writing for so long!! ^^; me is so sorry!!!

A Sunset Love

Chapter 14: To heal the healer

"Mithdelothwen!" Legolas cried, rushing to his fallen beloved's side. Aragorn and Boromir watched with utter confusion. She had been fine earlier that morning, and the Lembas should've been able to keep her on her feet. Legolas turned her over so that she was lying on her back. Her skin was a pinkish reddish color, and when Legolas felt her forehead, it was burning to the touch.

"She has a fever!" Legolas exclaimed. Aragorn came over to feel the scorching temperature of her forehead.

"From what could she have gotten this?" Aragorn asked, while looking in his bag for a leaf of the athealas (kingsfoil) plant. Legolas thought for a moment.

It couldn't have been the food.. they'd all eaten some, and everyone else was still alright. The water? No... they'd all drank that too. What could it be?

Suddenly, an idea came to him.

"Boromir, what did it feel like, when you were shot with the arrow?" Legolas asked. Boromir frowned.

"Well, it was obviously painful." was his blatant reply. Legolas was losing patience.

"I'm serious! Were there any burnish sensations, anything?!" Legolas' voice began to raise ever so slightly. Mithdelothwen's life was becoming endangered, and Boromir was joking with him. Boromir had to think back to the horrible event to remember what he'd tried to forget.

"There was definitely burning when it pierced my flesh.. but there was something else. Something felt like it was sucking my life away.. like-"

"Poison." Legolas confirmed, lifting Mithdelothwen's shirt to expose where the stomach wound had been. He was shocked to see that the wound had come back, when it had healed right before his eyes just yesterday. It was smaller than the original wound, but was red and badly infected. Legolas cursed a word in elvish that no one, save Aragorn, understood. Aragorn put his hand on Legolas' shoulder, then handed him the athealas leaf.

Legolas ripped the leaf in two, then began nibbling on the first half, before placing some of it into the stomach wound. He then looked at the rest of the men, waiting.

"What?" Gimli wondered. Legolas rolled his eyes, and then told them to turn around.

"Why?" Boromir asked, although he was turning, all the same.

"Because I have to address the other two wounds, which are on the upper part of her body." Legolas' informative answer replied.

"oh." Gimli answered, feeling like an idiot. Legolas had to lift Mithdelothwen's shirt all the way, and was thankful that she still had another shirt on underneath. Taking a deep breath, he focused on what he was supposed to be doing. He decided to tend to the shoulder wound first.

You are healing her shoulder.. her SHOULDER. Don't look anywhere else... Legolas repeated in his mind, as he placed some more of the athealas 'paste' onto her shoulder wound. Before tending to the last wound, Legolas looked at her face. It was frowning slightly in pain.

"Ille na 'tourna quil, melamin. Tersa nin." [You are going to be all right, my love. Trust me.] Legolas whispered, stroking her face gently.

Legolas blushed, thinking about the last wound. It was beside her left breast, and to treat it, would mean taking off the other shirt she had on.

"Oh Valar help me.." Legolas whispered under his breath.

"Are you done yet?!" Gimli impatiently asked, ruining Legolas' concentration.

"No.. not yet. Give me another minute will you?" Legolas answered slightly annoyed.

"Leave him alone.. he's very worried about Mithdelothwen's well being." Aragorn chided softly to Gimli. Legolas closed his eyes and concentrated again. Right... last wound. Damn.

He put the athealas paste onto her wound as quickly, and as carefully as could be managed without running away. He then fished clean strips of cloth out of his bag, wrapping up her stomach, shoulder and chest tightly. He was very much relieved when her shirts were pulled down to cover her again. He then told the other three men they could turn around. They laughed out loud seeing Legolas' relieved and bashful expression.

"What's wrong, Legolas? Couldn't you handle it?" Boromir teased, causing Legolas to look to the side.

"Let's continue, shall we?" Aragorn said, half in truth, but also in defense to Legolas. Legolas looked to Aragorn gratefully as he gathered Mithdelothwen into his arms, as he would carry her on the rest of their journey. It was lucky that she was light, and he was strong, for even with her in his arms Legolas' speed or movement wasn't hindered.

They continued walking with just a few more stops until nightfall, exhausted. Throughout, Mithdelothwen had barely stirred, but Legolas checked her temperature every so often. They took refuge in another forest, where there was a stream nearby as Legolas could hear the gushing water's sounds. Aragorn advised Legolas to properly clean Mithdelothwen's wounds, and pointed out a secluded cluster of trees right beside the stream.

Legolas carried Mithdelothwen over to the trees, and lay her down. Putting the tips of his fingers into the water, he concluded that the water was very cold. With a little less hesitation this time, Legolas unwrapped the cloths from around her body, and cleaned the wounds with a clean cloth dipped in the cold water. When he had finished, he wrapped her body up again, and felt her forehead. It wasn't as hot as before, but it was still too warm for his liking. He took another cloth, dampened it with cold water and placed it on her forehead. He then carried her up in his arms and brought her to where the others were. Upon looking on her face, he could see that she was doing much better, but something didn't seem to make sense. When she had healed Boromir, he didn't suffer any after effects. But why did it seem like her body couldn't cure the poison? After all, she was a healer elf, shouldn't she be able to heal practically anything?

Letting that thought rest, he looked off into the sky.

"Legolas, what troubles you?" Aragorn asked, seeing Legolas deep in thought.

"Something doesn't seem to make sense. She could heal Boromir of the poison. Yet she couldn't heal herself." Legolas answered. Aragorn looked at his sleeping "sister's" face.

"When healer elves heal others, they give most of their life energy away, depending on how serious of a wound they are healing. Most elves, who start healing serious wounds, end up like Mithdelothwen. In order to heal wounds without suffering the effects, they must be exposed to that kind of condition at least once. I suspect that she's never healed anyone to that extent before." Aragorn explained.

"Do you suppose she knew this would happen before she healed Boromir?" Legolas asked, and Aragorn closed his eyes briefly.

"Perhaps she did. She's not stupid after all.. I suspect that she knew the consequences and took a chance." Aragorn answered.

Some time later, Legolas changed the cold cloth on her forehead. The fever was dropping steadily, but it still had not broken. Aragorn and Boromir were taking watch that night, with Aragorn on first shift.

In the middle of the night, Mithdelothwen whimpered, making Legolas wake up instantly. Stroking her face gently while whispering words of comfort to calm her down, she suddenly cried out.

"Enantoion, stop! Please leave me alone! Don't... please don't!" She was now crying in her sleep and Legolas was trying to calm her down.

"Melamin, he's dead. Remember, I killed him before? You don't have to fear him anymore." Legolas coaxed, unaware that Aragorn was listening.

This 'Enantoion' fellow tried again. hm? Well, I can't say that I didn't warn him about getting killed..." Aragorn thought, although he wondered why Legolas hadn't said anything about it when he and Mithdelothwen returned from LoriĆ”.

Then again, it is none of our business... Aragorn finalized, although as an older 'brother' to Mithdelothwen, he would've liked to have known.

Mithdelothwen stopped crying out but when she opened her eyes, they were clouded and the outline of Legolas looked like the outline of Enantoion to her. Her body went into survival mode and she began lashing out at him, thinking he was Enantoion. Legolas jumped away in surprise, unharmed, but Mithdelothwen took that as an opportunity to get up, and run into the forest. She was blocked by Aragorn, who gently grasped her shoulders, and bent slightly to look her in the eyes.

"Mithdelothwen... this is Aragorn. Do you remember me?" He asked carefully. She nodded. "good.. you remember Legolas, don't you?" He asked as he turned her around. However, she still thought Legolas was Enantoion.

"That's Enantoion! Oh Valar, I thought Legolas had killed him!" Mithdelothwen cried, trying to hide behind Aragorn. Aragorn kept her from running, and brought her closer to Legolas.

"No no... look into his eyes. Who is he?" Aragorn asked patiently, as if speaking to a child. Mithdelothwen reluctantly opened her waterlogged eyes to peer into his eyes.

Hmm.. those aren't Enantoion's. She thought curiously. She was looking into bright, pure, crystalline blue eyes. Eyes that seemed to root her to the spot, staring right through her. She felt a shiver down her spine, but it wasn't in fear. She continued to search his gaze, finding concern, kindness and love in his eyes. Love. Definitely not Enantoion's eyes.

Aragorn had let go of her some time ago, knowing that she was rooted to the spot and wouldn't move. Legolas and Mithdelothwen's faces were mere centimeters apart. Tentatively, Mithdelothwen reached a hand up to Legolas' face.

Her touch is like magic, Legolas thought, as he felt her delicate fingers roaming over his smooth skin, the high cheekbones, his strong jaw and over all, features that she already had imprinted deep into her mind. She sent every nerve in his body into overload.

"Legolas!" She cried, throwing her arms around his neck, burying her face into the crook of his neck, holding onto him for dear life. Legolas held her tightly in his arms, thankful that she recognized him. She pulled away slightly, and he felt her forehead. the fever had broken. Shyly, Mithdelothwen looked up at Legolas, bringing her face slightly closer to his. Legolas smiled just a tiny bit, as he kissed her full on the lips, sweetness of his kiss reminding her that he was not Enantoion. His kiss seemed to penetrate her skin, igniting a fire in her soul, making her feel powerless in his arms. When they drew apart, she smiled gently, resting her forehead against his.

"Forgive me for doubting you, my love. Normally, I would never run from you." She whispered. Legolas just held her close to him, reveling in the moment.

"It wasn't your fault, it was the fever." Legolas murmured, kissing the top of her head, while walking back to where they had been sleeping. Aragorn gave him a small smile, which Legolas returned, as he held the most precious thing to him in his arms, drifting off to sleep.

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

Sorry for not posting in a long while... kinda forgot. ^^;; PLease Read and Review!

Oh, BTW.. I've decided to dress up as Mithdelothwen for Halloween this year! *^^* 09.02.02