Special Thanks to………

Melissa Greenleaf and KayteUnfading: Thanks for the email!! Oh, there I go again all red and stuff……… *goofy laugh*

Andufeniel: I promise to make the other chaps longer! Don't worry!! :)

Lomelinde: Then you will never know what will happen!! BWAHAHAHAHAHA-- just kidding. But really……… SPARE ME!! I'll continue just please, take the knife away!! Take it away!! I don't like sharp things………

Stary Night: Hmm……… will I kill off Legly? Hmm……… keep reading to find out!! =p Can't spoil the surprise ya know!!

Elven Maiden: It ain't slash!! People, it is NOT SLASH!! Legolas is a man……… elf, I mean but what I meant about man was that he prefers she-elves or women or me!! MWAHAHAHA!! (I pray too hard, don't I?……… sigh)

Erhothwen: Yes, thank you for correcting me. Sorry! :p but thanks for reading and reviewing my fic.

For those who aren't mentioned!! Don't worry!! I still love ya'll!! You're wonderful!! sob! you like me!! You really really like me!! *sniff sniff*

Oh and um, I suck at action scenes so sorry……… ^_~

Okay, I'll shut up now………

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Legolas' strength was fading fast; the elf had gotten so weak, Aragorn had already prevented him from falling off his horse thrice as they hurried their journey back to Rivendell. Legolas was breathing so heavily it was as if the air around him was scarce. The prince's skin was no longer fair but pale, so pale that he looked like a ghost that of a tormented soul. His brow creased, obviously, of pain and Aragorn couldn't stand it. Sweat dribbled down all over Legolas' body, a wet patch on his tunic formed a V-shape across his chest. The glow around Legolas was slowly dimming, almost revealing the end of the elf's immortality.

Aragorn stared absentmindedly ahead, blaming himself for the pain Legolas was in. He sighed, his breath shaking. Why couldn't it have been him instead? Why did it have to be Legolas? Aragorn clicked his tongue against his teeth and shook his head feeling angry with himself for no particular reason he could find. He felt like flinging himself off his horse and down a rocky hill where he'd let any vicious animal eat him to his bones. He felt so stupid for not knowing what kind of plant poisoned his best friend, so stupid that the size of his brain could hardly make it half of his thumb. Aragorn felt himself fuming and his eyes had shrunk into little slits.

"Estel," Elrohir's voice interrupted his self-criticism, "I hear something heading our way."

"I hear it, too." Elladan said.

"What is it?" Aragorn asked the twins, a pang of dread hitting him hard.

"Don't know but it's coming fast." Elladan replied.

"It can't be orcs, now, can it?" Aragorn asked again a hint of pleading in his voice as the memory of being ambushed by half a dozen orcs a few days ago came back to him.

The twins shrugged. It couldn't be orcs, not now. Aragorn glanced at Legolas who was staring at him but didn't seem to be actually seeing him, his mouth slightly open and his eyes were half-closed and the blueness in them were fading and slowly turning to gray. Aragorn tore his gaze from them and back to Elladan and Elrohir. He looked down and stared at the ground below them for a moment, thinking. Hasufel's hooves stamped the hard soil occasionally.

"Elladan, climb a tree and see what it is, won't you?" Aragorn asked. Elladan nodded and swung off his horse, his feet falling soundlessly onto the ground. Aragorn watched him disappear behind the branches of a nearby tree. "They're coming." A hoarse voice whispered behind, making the ranger jump. Aragorn turned; Legolas was looking at him intently as if he was trying to make out who sat on the stallion in front of his.

"Wha—who's coming?" Aragorn asked glancing at Elrohir, he, too, heard Legolas.

No answer came but even if there was, there was no time for it to be heard. Elladan jumped down the tree, his feet landing so softly on the hard ground, it seemed it barely touched the ground. He turned to Aragorn, his fair face stern.

"Orcs."

Aragorn cursed under his breath but he did not panic, he grabbed the reins of Legolas' horse as suggestions of fighting ran through his head and gave out commands to Elrohir and Elladan. The twins nodded and rode away, somewhere into the trees. Aragorn did not idle time away waiting for the despicable wretched creatures to come but turned and rode past the trees, leading Legolas in search of a place to hide him. He rode on for a while, making sure there was enough distance between them and the path they were taking. Aragorn halted his and Legolas' horse. He swung off Hasufel, listening for any sound, and approached Legolas. He reached for the elf's arm and placed it around his own shoulders. Aragorn, then, placed his hand on his friend's far waist and gently pulled him down.

Legolas fell limply to his feet but seemed to stand up with all the strength that was left in him. "I can't breathe………" Legolas whispered desperately as if pleading for air.

"I know, I know. I wish I could do something about it, Legolas, but………" Aragorn's voice broke and trailed off unable to say anything anymore, unable to look into the prince's now pale eyes.

It was so unlikely for Legolas to sound like that, so desperate. He was an elf for crying out loud, elves don't despair, it just isn't……… never ever possible. Aragorn sighed inwardly trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall, he was just so angry with himself and with everything else that existed. How could you have let this happen to him? An angry voice raged in him. This is all your fault. All yours……… but he didn't know……… he didn't know, didn't know what had done this to his best friend.

Distant footsteps echoed into Aragorn's ears making him almost jump. The orcs were near.

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What d'ya think? What d'ya think? Eh? Is it long enough? Read and review people!! Hope you enjoyed!! Thanks again for reviewing!! :p I like putting cliffhangers……… BWAHAHAHAHA!!! I had too much sugar again……… sorry.