Authors Note: I AM SO SORRY!!!! I speak to whom I yelled at the other day. I spoke too harshly and was not thinking. I am sorry if my words hurt or offended you in any way. PLEASE forgive me…..When I get some sort of review that says something is wrong, I get a little edgy and that is why I am not a good writer. I know that there will be many people that will shun my stories and I need to learn to take the good and forget the bad. Your review was actually quite kind and I am sorry…my actions were immature and I am sorry that I have had to make all the other readers read this squabble. I do try my best to take all the advice I can. I am not good at direction though and too much of it gives me a meltdown…that may also be the cause of my 'little' outburst. So please do forgive my rash words and I hope you all enjoy the next chapter. And in that I mean everyone!!!!!! I am now alright with criticism, just not yelling. But I do enough of that. So please enjoy and add your comments.
Chapter 6
Estel hissed as his damaged body connected with the soft silky bed, the green quilt was laid over him and a fire was started as the many healers in his room tried to figure out what to do for the boy.
Many spoke in wild whispers, some looked at him with wide eyes, and some simply checked over him, gently. None could decide what to do for the brave young man.
"How is he not dead?" one healer asked the others. All the group could do was shake their heads in confusion.
"We are not certain, Prince Legolas said that his body came in almost complete contact with the troll hammer."
"I believe," another that was assessing Estel's condition spoke up, his brilliant lavender eyes piercing them all with a fiery gaze. "that only his right side came in contact with the hammer, and his head did not feel the touch of the hammer at all." The healer, whose name was Saliel, carefully pulled the blanket away from the young man's body. Gently, with a deft finger he traced the deep black and purple bruises that marred the boy's entire right side, save his head. Aragorn almost looked charred from the bruises.
"How are we to heal these grievous ruptures?" the, seemingly pessimistic, elven healer snapped at Saliel. He did not like the younger elf, Saliel was a much newer healer than he, and still in training, but even still he was far better than many of the older elves.
For the first time, the bright gleam died from the lavender eyes, and he whispered so softly the others had to strain their perfect hearing to catch his mournful, "I know not".
"Well, what will we tell Prince Legolas? That his friend is going to be a caeleb [bed-ridden] cripple for the rest of his mortal life?" the first healer asked incredulously.
"He should be thankful he is mortal and not an elf to have to live with it for an eternity."
Aragorn, who had been aware of the conversation around him, shivered but it was not from the cold. 'Bed-ridden' the words caused tears to pool in his eyes. 'For the rest of my life.' He wanted to smash his fist into the bed, but could only cry out in pain when he began to move his extremely tender right arm.
Saliel put a gentle hand on Estel's chest. "Be still." he commanded as he looked down at his feet and closed his eyes. Thinking to himself about how he could possibly help the boy.
"Let us go, Saliel, give him some of the pain killing drug. That is all we can do."
The young elf nodded politely and watched as the elder elves left the small room to tell Legolas the horrible news.
They had not let the prince in with them, he had been left out in the hall to pace and worry. As the door opened he looked up and smiled, but it quickly faded when he saw the expressions on the healers' faces. The Prince of Mirkwood then overheard their last statement to Saliel.
"Let us go, Saliel, give him some of the pain killing drug. That is all we can do."
His smile quickly faded and tears of guilt streamed down his face, but he did not acknowledge them as they trailed all the way down his thin and fair neck.
"How is he?" he quickly asked, already knowing what they were going to say, but he also knew that he needed to hear it from their mouths. He had to know, he would not be lied to, or put off with false hopes. "Will he-?"
"Live?" the older eldar finished the question, and took a step towards Legolas. A frown creased on his brow. "The injuries are grievous….but luckily nothing was punctured. I think he will live, Lord Greenleaf."
A sigh of relief flowed from the prince's mouth and he sank back onto the upholstered bench that decorated the hall. "That is relief to my ears Master healer." he smiled sadly and a bright glimmer of hope came to his eyes. "May I see him?"
"Of course, but do not move him or touch him, unless you seek to bring his body pain. We have given him medication for the pain, but it will not mend the bones, and the breaks are indeed the most dire I have ever seen." the healer patted the elven prince gently on the shoulder. "The best remedy that he can have…..is a friend to stay by his side. That is what he needs most."
The words echoed in the elf's guilty mind. 'What he needs most….what he needs most……What he needs most.'
The young prince nodded softly and was surprised to feel more guilty tears falling from his soft silver blue eyes. The elf sucked them back and turned towards the door and entered.
As soon as he entered the room he looked to the bed, immediately seeking out the prone pale figure that lay motionless. Estel's eyes were clenched shut and his lips squeezed into a fine line that reveled that the man was in great pain. His right arm was laid over his stomach and he watched as the young man struggled to draw breath.
"Estel?" the whisper was broken and even though the elf was in no pain himself, the anguish in his voice was for the other.
Two silver, torture glazed orbs opened and sought out the elf. "Legolas." he rasped.
"How do you feel?" he asked, dreading the coming answer and the question hung in the crisp air. The wind blew through the small window that was carved out of the cave wall.
"Like a jewel some dwarf dug out of a mine, then discovered that I was not a jewel, but a common rock, and in his disgust he threw me down and stepped on me." Estel answered somewhat hastily, and coughed lightly. "But other than that, fine."
The elf inclined his head slightly and smiled at the other's attempt of sarcasm and humor, pleased that his companion was able to jest at the situation. Legolas approached the bed, and sat down while looking the human over again.
The prince bit back a hiss as he took in the battered, bruised, and half broken body of the young man. It was amazing to all, that Estel had indeed lived through the torture his body had been put through. Some said he was extremely blessed by Eru, some said he was lucky, and many said it was a curse.
'He looks horrible.' Legolas thought, grimacing inwardly, but on the outside kept his composure.
"How bad is it?"
He turned his fear hidden eyes to Aragorn's.
"They did not tell me." he informed the elf, who was looking at him confused by the question.
"They think you will live." he answered vaguely, not wanting to be the one to bear the news to the young boy, the boy who, before he had come to Mirkwood, had possessed so many talents, aspirations, so much life.
"But?" Aragorn inquired, he was no fool, he knew that the elf was hiding something from him, Legolas always hid things from him. He had hidden his feelings of men from him, he had told Lingwen, but he had not told Aragorn…..Legolas did not even think to give him a chance to prove himself. So the mortal had decided he would HAVE to make the elf see that not all men wished death for the eldar. But look where it had gotten him, a totally broken body.
"But what?"
"What is the problem, how will I be able to leave or even move?" he sucked in a rather painful breath. "How can I live?" he whispered looking out the dark window to see the peaceful night sky. The stars glittered and shone brightly, each winking in their own turn.
The elven prince decided it was time to change the subject. He would not have his friend, that thought stopped him, 'His friend.' Yes, he would not let Estel despair. He cleared his throat and caught the attention of the wounded edan.
"How about we play a game?" he suggested, he knew that neither of them were in mental shape to play a fair and clear game, but how else was he going to become better acquainted with Estel.
"What kind of game?" Aragorn asked, the pain starting to subside from the drugs.
"How about we make up one?" Legolas suggested, trying desperately to think of something quick.
"You make one up." Estel stated, wanting the elf to do the thinking for him, it had, after all, been Legolas' suggestion.
"Why just me?" Legolas asked, trying to buy more time to think of something suitable.
"Because I am lazy."
"You are not." Legolas stalled some more.
"Yes I am." Estel said, catching on to the fact that the elven prince was trying to stall him, and enjoying his companion's trouble.
Legolas snorted. "Fine! I have an idea anyway." he stood up and smiled. "One of us finds something around the room and they tell the other what color or shape it is, then the other may guess until he gets the right thing. What do you think?"
"Sounds good." Estel agreed, the mortal would not admit it, but he would rather do anything than sit there bored, with only his predicament to think about. He did not feel like a game at the moment, but he humored the elf.
"Alright, I will guess." Legolas said, and sat down waiting for the mortal to pick something.
A mischievous gleam entered his silver gaze, and a wicked smile came over the man's face as he turned it back to the elf. "The thing that you must find is green." the edan stated smiling at the elf in mock innocence.
"GREEN?!" Legolas asked incredulously, as he looked about. Almost everything was green! He muttered to himself before looking around the room once more.
The whole room, that was actually one of the larger sized quarters of the palace's accommodations, and on the west wall was the bed, it had many variations of green on it's quilts and pillows. There was also a rug on the floor that had green in it and two of the three chairs were green. Even the tapestries were mostly green.
He silently cursed the edan for his choice in colors and swore that when it was Estel's turn he was going to pick something really vile.
"The rug."
"I can't believe you…."
A smug smile deepened on the elf's face.
"got that totally wrong." the young mortal finished, snickering as he watched the look of annoyance grow on the elf's face.
"You sick little edan."
"I am not sick!" The man smiled and coughed softly. "Only ill minded."
The elf frowned in concern as he watched Estel's cough deepen and his breath become short.
"Are you alright?" he inquired worry written all over his face. The elf began to stand up, ready to help if need be.
Aragorn put his unbroken hand up to wave the elf off, and smiled comfortingly. "I…..am fine." 'Well, as fine as one can be when he has been hit by a cave troll, which should be in a cave.' he thought to himself, then he shoved those thoughts aside and stared up at Legolas's fair features and pale golden hair. It reminded him of the wheat in the fields on a cloudy day, when the sun has been hidden from view.
He had always liked those days, when he could run through the fields and meadows without the sun burning down upon him.
He was lost in the thought of those days, when a voice brought him back out.
"How much did you hear?"
The elf gave the mortal a terrified look, this was the question he had been eager ask, and had never strayed far from the back of his mind. He had hoped only a few words, not much. But, he had not the heart to ask, until now, that is.
"How much of what?" Estel asked, the man's mind was rather foggy and he was not certain what Legolas was talking about.
"How much of the conversation that took place when you were supposed to be sleeping?"
"You know that really narrows it down." the young man cut into the elf's question, his voice sarcastic and a slight smiled on his pain drenched face.
"Lingwen and I were speaking of men, that one!" the elf snapped, a little to hastily for his own liking, but then again, this man was starting to grit on his nerves.
"Oh, that one…about," Estel rolled his eyes to the top of his bandaged head as if in thought. "half." he answered in a sigh.
"Half!!!" the elf clenched his fists until his knuckles turned a ghostly white. "Which half?"
"The first half." he answered quietly. "I think. I woke up right after Lingwen came and fell asleep right after I awoke, I hope that makes since. My head is not in the finest shape at the moment."
"I know that." the elf answered almost laughing. "I am not daft edan."
"Are you sure?" Aragorn was feeling quite risky right at the moment.
The fiery glare returned to the elf's eyes and he gave the human a look that would have sent the Rohirrim riding for the hills. "Oh, you are so fortunate edan…..Fortunate that I can not macerate you. If you were not under the healers guard, I swear you would not live to see the dawn!"
Legolas arose from his seat and gave the boy another ardent glare, and Estel thought that this time he was sure that if his friend did that anymore his eyes might explode.
But as soon as Estel looked petrified enough, Legolas lessened the look and gave him a gentle smile.
"I think I will be leaving now so I can be no longer insulted by the injured. If you need me, tell one of the healers to get Galanion…."
Aragorn looked up and whined. "But Galanion is-" he thought about how to say his next words so they did not disrespect the older eldar. "old." Estel whispered, looking around to make sure that the other blonde was not hiding about the room somewhere, like last time.
The elf prince laughed freely now, he put a hand to his cheek and snickered at the thought of the elf actually hearing Estel say those things.
"Old?"
"Well you know, he is like Glorfindel. He tries to teach me history while I am stuck in bed and gives me some kind of Grey Tea." It was easy to detect disgust at the mention of the foul drink.
"Grey Tea is used to heal."
The man sighed. "I know that, but the only thing it does for me is make me sick. Ada does not give it too me at home because he knows that I am allergic to the ingredients."
"Oh, I see."
"Galanion thinks that when I tell him I am allergic, I am trying to make an excuse."
Legolas nodded and remembered well one time when the older blonde had sat with him and made him drink his tea. He had not thought it too bad, but still, he much preferred Green Tea.
"Well then, tell them to get me."
"Alright." the elf was pleased at how much more happy the tone of the man sounded.
"Legolas?"
The prince turned, and smiled when he saw the sleepy eyes that were looking at him.
"Hannon le. [Thank you]"
The elf carefully blew out the candle near the door and whispered back. "'Twas no trouble mellon nin. [my friend]"
And with that he carefully closed the heavy door behind him, and headed for his own room. His heart and mind still on one thing as he entered the room right next to Estel's, how would the young human get better?
He elegantly slipped the worn , dirty tunic from his body. Then carefully slid out of his leggings and undid the braids that adorned the hair right above his gracefully pointed ears.
"If he heard all that I said." he muttered to himself, while slipping into his night attire. "How come he saved me, why did he do so much for me?"
The elven prince climbed into bed. "I persecuted and beat him, and his kind down. I even cursed him, yet he still let me be his friend. Why?"
He laid his head against the pillow and let all thoughts go as the gentle winter sounds beyond the windows lulled him into a peaceful elven sleep.
TBC~
Authors Note: Yes, there is more!!!! I am not going to stop quite yet. Maybe in the next chapter. I don't know'! But anyway R&R….I tried to make it longer, I tried to describe more, I tried to get my grammar right. But let's face it….I stink at grammar.
I tried to follow all of your logical wishes, and I got myself someone to check the chapters over for me. I think.
And what is up with Aragorn, well the cave troll hammer broke a lot of the right side of his body, if you could not tell. And they are having trouble setting it, and helping the bones heal. 'cept his head, that did not get hit….but it had a kind of rough collision with the tree.
Well there it is! Like I said if you don't like something I did you can yell at me just don't be TOO harsh k?