Chapter 5
Secrets
'Stop, please!' begged Estel as a renewed wave of pain flew over him like an electric shock. 'It hurts! Stop!' He writhed and cried as the pain slowly subsided. 'Please, don't do it again!' the elves around him sighed.
'We must do it one more time Estel.' said Gildaen. 'Your wound will not heal if we do not treat it. You must lie still.' Legolas was kneeling beside Estel on the fluffy bed in a royal chamber at the Mirkwood Fort. He clasped Estel's hand and let him squeeze it as Gildaen and Anlamras removed the spear from the piercing.
'Estel, let them take it out.' he pleaded. He could see the beads of tears clinging to his eyelashes. 'If you ever want to walk again, they have to take it out now.' Estel laughed.
'You don't need to lie to me, Legolas.' he said through gritted teeth. 'I know a deadly wound when I see one. I just need a break.' Legolas smiled and nodded.
'Prepare the athelas as well as you can. I will make rounds and check the others.' with that, he left.
'So you and Legolas have grown to be quite close friends, I hear?' said Gildaen as he crushed several herbal leaves in a wooden bowl.
'That is true.' said Estel, trying not to laugh again. Any movement at all made him hurt all over. 'We know much about each other. We bonded immediately at Rivendell.'
'What did you speak about?' asked Anlamras. Estel smiled again.
'I'd rather not say.' he said. 'It's a private affair.' The elves nodded in respect but were disappointed they couldn't hear something about the Elven prince they didn't already know. Moments later Legolas returned.
'The rest are fine.' he announced. 'Have you had your break, Estel?'
'I suppose.'
'We'll only take it out when you're ready.' he paused before answering.
'I am ready.' Legolas smiled and put his hands on the human's shoulders. Gildaen and Anlamras flanked him and put their hands around the shaft of the spear. Estel shut his eyes tightly, waiting for the ripping pain once more.
With a sharp twang and an agonized yell from the man the spear was out and the wound bled. The two elves started to insert the poultice of herbs and dabbed the piercing gently. Estel screamed again as they quickly lifted him into a sitting position. He clenched his fists and grit his teeth, not looking at the wound. The elves carefully wrapped cloth around his abdomen and fastened it tightly.
'Done.' sighed Legolas. Estel looked down at himself to see a stained red cloth wrapped around his biceps. 'When the bleeding stops, I'll change the bandage.' he offered Estel some water in a wooden cup. He drank thirstily.
'Could you excuse us, please?' he asked to the two captains of the recruits. The elves bowed and left the room quietly. 'Well done, Estel.' he said, grinning at the human. 'I bawled my head off when I received my first battle wound.' Estel smiled.
'What happened?'
'Well, I was three hundred and forty-two and was fighting against a troll. It had two spears and-'
'No, I mean when you ran into the Orcs. I heard you speaking to them, but didn't understand what you were saying.' Legolas's eyes widened.
'I... I don't know what you're talking about.' Estel narrowed his eyes at him.
'You're hiding something from me.' he guessed more then asked. Legolas looked away and licked his lips. 'Why can't you tell me?' Legolas sighed and looked at him. His eyes were suddenly full of something like defeat and surrender.
'Because you're a human.' Without another word, he stood and left.
*
Estel spent two days in the royal bed chamber. In the morning of the second he was surprised at the strange phases he went through. First was a stiff pain that kept him absolutely still. After he ate a mid-day meal the stiffness left and was replaced with simple soreness, like he had been swimming too long. Last was when he awoke at night when nothing but his head and his stomach ached. He decided that the evening would be a good time to explore the fort.
He dressed himself in the elven robes at the end of his bed and pulled on his own leather boots. Gildaen walked in on him just as he finished.
'Do you wish to see the fort?' he asked. Estel nodded.
Gildaen showed him everything. There was an armory near the entrance and stockades below in the roots of the trees that made the walls. The ceiling was a thick tangle of branches, vines and leaves. In the middle of it all was a massive oak that stretched higher then the others and had the smoothest of surfaces. There was a large deck that surrounded the trunk of the tree very high up. Gildaen said it was where the soldiers slept and ate. Estel asked where Legolas was at the end of the tour.
'He left this morning and hasn't returned. I think he's grieving.' Estel felt as though he was bowled over.
'Why is he grieving?' Gildaen sighed.
'I'm sure I should be the one to tell of it. He will explain when he's ready. Don't worry: he'll be back for dinner-time.'
Sure enough, Legolas returned from the woods later that evening while Estel was eating. He sat in the center of the table that faced all the recruits who chewed their food and talked consistently. Estel met the elf prince's glance just before he began to eat the bread.
'How was your day?' he asked politely.
'Very good; Gildaen gave me a tour of the fort.
'I take it you're feeling better?' Estel knew he was replying to a stone and that he wasn't really listening.
'Yes, much.' They finished their meal without another word.
Secrets
'Stop, please!' begged Estel as a renewed wave of pain flew over him like an electric shock. 'It hurts! Stop!' He writhed and cried as the pain slowly subsided. 'Please, don't do it again!' the elves around him sighed.
'We must do it one more time Estel.' said Gildaen. 'Your wound will not heal if we do not treat it. You must lie still.' Legolas was kneeling beside Estel on the fluffy bed in a royal chamber at the Mirkwood Fort. He clasped Estel's hand and let him squeeze it as Gildaen and Anlamras removed the spear from the piercing.
'Estel, let them take it out.' he pleaded. He could see the beads of tears clinging to his eyelashes. 'If you ever want to walk again, they have to take it out now.' Estel laughed.
'You don't need to lie to me, Legolas.' he said through gritted teeth. 'I know a deadly wound when I see one. I just need a break.' Legolas smiled and nodded.
'Prepare the athelas as well as you can. I will make rounds and check the others.' with that, he left.
'So you and Legolas have grown to be quite close friends, I hear?' said Gildaen as he crushed several herbal leaves in a wooden bowl.
'That is true.' said Estel, trying not to laugh again. Any movement at all made him hurt all over. 'We know much about each other. We bonded immediately at Rivendell.'
'What did you speak about?' asked Anlamras. Estel smiled again.
'I'd rather not say.' he said. 'It's a private affair.' The elves nodded in respect but were disappointed they couldn't hear something about the Elven prince they didn't already know. Moments later Legolas returned.
'The rest are fine.' he announced. 'Have you had your break, Estel?'
'I suppose.'
'We'll only take it out when you're ready.' he paused before answering.
'I am ready.' Legolas smiled and put his hands on the human's shoulders. Gildaen and Anlamras flanked him and put their hands around the shaft of the spear. Estel shut his eyes tightly, waiting for the ripping pain once more.
With a sharp twang and an agonized yell from the man the spear was out and the wound bled. The two elves started to insert the poultice of herbs and dabbed the piercing gently. Estel screamed again as they quickly lifted him into a sitting position. He clenched his fists and grit his teeth, not looking at the wound. The elves carefully wrapped cloth around his abdomen and fastened it tightly.
'Done.' sighed Legolas. Estel looked down at himself to see a stained red cloth wrapped around his biceps. 'When the bleeding stops, I'll change the bandage.' he offered Estel some water in a wooden cup. He drank thirstily.
'Could you excuse us, please?' he asked to the two captains of the recruits. The elves bowed and left the room quietly. 'Well done, Estel.' he said, grinning at the human. 'I bawled my head off when I received my first battle wound.' Estel smiled.
'What happened?'
'Well, I was three hundred and forty-two and was fighting against a troll. It had two spears and-'
'No, I mean when you ran into the Orcs. I heard you speaking to them, but didn't understand what you were saying.' Legolas's eyes widened.
'I... I don't know what you're talking about.' Estel narrowed his eyes at him.
'You're hiding something from me.' he guessed more then asked. Legolas looked away and licked his lips. 'Why can't you tell me?' Legolas sighed and looked at him. His eyes were suddenly full of something like defeat and surrender.
'Because you're a human.' Without another word, he stood and left.
*
Estel spent two days in the royal bed chamber. In the morning of the second he was surprised at the strange phases he went through. First was a stiff pain that kept him absolutely still. After he ate a mid-day meal the stiffness left and was replaced with simple soreness, like he had been swimming too long. Last was when he awoke at night when nothing but his head and his stomach ached. He decided that the evening would be a good time to explore the fort.
He dressed himself in the elven robes at the end of his bed and pulled on his own leather boots. Gildaen walked in on him just as he finished.
'Do you wish to see the fort?' he asked. Estel nodded.
Gildaen showed him everything. There was an armory near the entrance and stockades below in the roots of the trees that made the walls. The ceiling was a thick tangle of branches, vines and leaves. In the middle of it all was a massive oak that stretched higher then the others and had the smoothest of surfaces. There was a large deck that surrounded the trunk of the tree very high up. Gildaen said it was where the soldiers slept and ate. Estel asked where Legolas was at the end of the tour.
'He left this morning and hasn't returned. I think he's grieving.' Estel felt as though he was bowled over.
'Why is he grieving?' Gildaen sighed.
'I'm sure I should be the one to tell of it. He will explain when he's ready. Don't worry: he'll be back for dinner-time.'
Sure enough, Legolas returned from the woods later that evening while Estel was eating. He sat in the center of the table that faced all the recruits who chewed their food and talked consistently. Estel met the elf prince's glance just before he began to eat the bread.
'How was your day?' he asked politely.
'Very good; Gildaen gave me a tour of the fort.
'I take it you're feeling better?' Estel knew he was replying to a stone and that he wasn't really listening.
'Yes, much.' They finished their meal without another word.