Yay, another chapter, hope you all enjoy it and thanks very much for the reviews

" Legolas we must move." Eowyn urged, pulling slightly on his arm. " We are barely twenty yards from the carriage. If they have sent scouts after it they will be bound to find us." There was a small impatience in her voice and Legolas managed a soft apology willing his legs to move, imploring his body to stop his torment.

His foot caught a root and he would have fallen had Eowyn not caught him by the arm. " Your highness-" But she broke off, eyes searching his face. " What ails you?'

" Nothing." Legolas practically wheezed. She furrowed her brow and he continued. " I have not had any sort of physical activity for the past few days and am sorely out of shape considering my girth…as you said we must move on…" And this time it was he who moved past her. She rolled her eyes and followed as they wound their way deeper into the forest and away from the path.

"Legolas we can stop now." Eowyn latched a slender hand around his arm as he veered off towards the left. " We are a safe distance. You need to rest." Reluctantly he did not pull out of her grasp and came to a standstill. Their silence was broken by a sharp gasp from the elf. Eowyn's eyes quickly appraised Legolas's appearance and once more a frown creased her forehead.

" I merely need to sit down." Legolas mumbled before grimacing. He ignored all of Eowyn's attempts to help and sank down against a tree, his back against the trunk. A slow hissing breath escaped and he closed his eyes trying desperately to block out the pain. He could feel the energy from the tree and tried to capture some of it but to no avail.

" Are you positive?"

" Yes." Still her gaze lingered and then with a sigh she glanced back towards the way they had come.

" I'll go scout ahead, to see if they've followed our tracks. Do not move…" Legolas nodded silently through another spasm of pain and Eowyn looked reluctant to leave. With another sigh she turned and disappeared back into the foliage.

Legolas lay still for a moment contemplating the situation. Eowyn is my only means of help and I've just sent her off into the woods…by the Valar what is wrong with me? He cried out sharply as another contraction shook his frame. Cold shivers raced down his back and he moaned arching slightly against the pain. He could feel the sweat beading and rolling down his neck, the back of his shirt stuck to his skin and he twisted helplessly unable to find the strength to move.

* * * *

Eowyn tilted her head delicately listening for any sounds of intruders or followers but heard none save her own breathing. Glancing about quickly she pulled several of the blankets and pillows from the back of the abandoned carriage and slung them over her shoulder.

She'd seen the look on Legolas' face countless times before, he could not hide it from her and she knew from experience that it would be a long wait though the particulars of the occurrence were foreign to her.

With a grunt she shouldered the large bundle and set off in the direction in which she had come.

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

Dead bodies lay strewn about the path though thankfully the bulk of the casualties lay with the enemy. Men of the royal guard hurried to a fro tending to the wounded and clearing away what bodies they could.

Aragorn and Faramir stood to the east of the chaotic mess, eyes scanning the wagon tracks in the road. " They wouldn't have gone far, Legolas couldn't have endured the travel." Aragorn said softly taking a few steps forwards. " He looked ill at ease this morning." Faramir nodded trying to regain his breath.

" But there are still a few days yet my Lord." Faramir stated tiredly. " We must find them." Aragorn nodded and the pair set off in the direction they deemed best.

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Eowyn dropped the mess onto the ground, pillows rolling and blankets making a soft 'oomf'. Legolas didn't so much as glance up at the sound of her approaching footsteps and she crouched down beside him. " My Lord?" She questioned softly reaching forwards the place a delicate hand across his brow. Her eyes strayed to a dark stain on the ground.

" Ah…" Legolas gasped quietly

" You sit in a puddle of water…water to the best of my knowledge is your own." She stated quietly. When Legolas did not answer she continued. "And you say that you are well?"

" Nay…I am not…I…" Legolas broke off suddenly curling in on his side, eyes clenched shut. Eowyn's eyes widened in concern and she watched him intently, her hand traveling to his stomach. She could feel the muscles moving and then her hand encountered a thick substance, a stick one at that, making the fabric cling to her fingers. Swallowing back a disgusted look she raised her hand to inspect it.

Blood stained the pale digits and a cold fear gripper her. She shifted backwards and craned her neck to the side. It was, as she had feared. The whole bottom half of Legolas' tunic was stained with the crimson stuff and she took a deep breath to calm herself.

" I've brought blankets and pillows my lord." She said finally. "They will ease your discomfort thought what they can offer, I'm afraid will do little for your pain…"

" I do not care…" Legolas said quietly. His hand clenched around a tuft of grass and with a grunt he jerked forwards, pulled the delicate green blades loose from the soil. With a soft cry he let them fall and slumped back against the tree, eyes glazed.

During this Eowyn had grabbed one of the more cushioned blankets and turned to face the prince. "Roll to the side…" She instructed gently, compassion shining in her eyes.

Legolas did not answer but very slowly moved his body to the left. A pained expression had twisted his normally stoic features into a tortured grimace and it was obvious to the lady that the effort took great resolve. As quickly as she could she spread the blanket out across the space he had so recently occupied and then helped ease him back onto the quilted surface. Hastily she arranged some of the pillows behind his back and head, adjusting them until she was satisfied with the result.

"Thank you…" Legolas said finally once she'd sat back again. The pain seemed to have passed for the time being and he closed his eyes in exhaustion though he knew sleep would be impossible to attain.

Vaguely he could hear Eowyn moving about in the background but didn't take any notice, the pain was starting to build up again.

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"There are only so many places they could have gone." Faramir muttered tiredly scanning the ground before them.

" We are in a forest Faramir, you do not realize the reality of your words!" Aragorn voice rose as he spoke and he took a step forwards. A dark shape loomed in the distance and raising an eyebrow he started towards it, unmindful of whether the steward followed or not.

The identity of the shape made itself known almost immediately. " It's the carriage!" He called over his shoulder, hastening his speed. His momentary relief turned into confusion and a look of dismay slowly wormed its way onto his face as he came to a half before it. " It is empty…" He sighed peering into the canopied back. Faramir arrived seconds later.

" Nearly all of the furnishings are gone…you are a better tracker than I, in which direction did they leave?"

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

Eowyn watched helplessly as Legolas doubled over. Face contorted with pain. He clutched her hand tightly, so tightly Eowyn was afraid he might break it though she did not voice these fears. Her eyes drifted once more to the blanket on which he lay. The blood had seeped down into the once pristine fabric, staining it a vivid red. Worry lines creased her face and she bit back a yelp as Legolas twisted to the side yanking her hand with him.

The pain came to him in waves, rolling over him, crashing into him and nearly consuming him. He writhed in its clutches and cried out without thought. Perhaps Eowyn was sitting beside him, perhaps she had offered her hand as a means of support and perhaps he was in a forest but he could not tell. He was alone in his pain and it blocked out all else.

Legolas moaned, biting down hard on his bottom lip and tasted blood. A string of elvish curses fled his lips. The spasm was slow to release him from its agonizing depths and with a ragged breath he sank back into the pillows now aware once more of the blood on his clothes and the sweat clinging to his body. He felt as though he were going to be sick.

" Prince Legolas?" He cast a tired gaze on the women beside him, taking note of her worried expression, pale face and bloodied hands. My blood…He reminded himself with a shudder.

" Aye…"

" I would fetch some water but I fear to leave you alone." She murmured softly. So she too can hear the trickle of a stream…the elf thought absently.

" It will be a few minutes' time until the next Eowyn…if you deem it necessary then go." He managed, surprised at the thickness of his voice. Exhaustion tugged at his senses but he stubbornly ignored it.

" Are you sure?"

" Yes…" He could hear her climbing to her feet and trailed her progress as she disappeared back into the foliage.

Raising a shaking hand to his face he pushed the hair back from his forehead and let his eyelids lower.

Something wet touched his face and he started, eyes snapping open. Slowly a pair of ice-blue eyes came into focus and he blinked trying to remember where he was. " Eowyn?" He questioned softly.

" Yes my lord?" She held a wet strip on cloth in her hand. Delicately she bathed his face and he welcomed the cool sensation on his heated skin. He opened his mouth to speak but the first ripplings of another contraction caught him off guard and he shut it quickly. " You were asleep when I returned." She said in reply to his unspoken question.

He nodded slowly and unconsciously wrapped his hand around a section of blanket. Seconds later the pain assaulted him afresh and he cried out arching forwards and then doubling in on himself. Stars exploded behind his eyes and he clenched his jaw. Eowyn's voice had dissolved into a buzzing in the back of his mind and he tried to bring it back, concentrate on it. Anything, he thought, to distract me from this. Again the attack was slow to recede leaving him panting and more tired than before.

" Here…drink." The edge of a canteen was pressed to his lips and he drank greedily. The cool liquid soothed his parched throat and dry lips. Soon it was pulled away and once more the cloth was wiping at his face and soothing his hair back. Chest heaving he sagged backwards, shivering.

" There is too much blood." He muttered. Eowyn's gaze flickered upwards briefly and then she continued her ministrations without answering. " This comes a month early at the least." He added.

" Yes…but that does not mean all will not be well, we will wait for Aragorn and Faramir. Aragorn is a skilled healer, he will know what to do…"

" I doubt he has had experience with a male giving birth. The concept is as foreign to him as it is to me and I am the one in labor…"

" Do not be so negative." Eowyn answered.

A soft breeze filtered in through the tick foliage and she smiled at its cooling caress, welcoming the brief distraction.

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

"Faramir you must keep up, we need to find them!" Aragorn called over his shoulder for what seemed to be the hundredth time since they'd passed into the forest. He found at every turn the man was slow to follow and short of breath.

With a frustrated cry Aragorn skidded to a halt, turning exasperated eyes onto his companion. "I cannot-" But he paused finally taking full stock of Faramir's appearance. " Are you injured?" He asked softly taking note of the pale shiny face that stared back at him. A cold concern gripped him but he remained quiet waiting for an answer.

" I…I-" Faramir faltered, one hand firmly clutching his side. " I was hit during battle…it is nothing serious."

" Let me see for myself." Aragorn muttered striding quickly across the distance between them. Faramir shook his head and took a step back. With a surprised yelp he tripped and hit the ground with a thud, his head bouncing off one of the rocks with a sickening crack before going still.

Aragorn stood completely still for a moment trying to comprehend everything that was happening. Gently he kneeled down and the grim realization that Faramir was now bleeding heavily from the back of his head settled in on him like a thick fog.

" AI!!!!!" The sharp cry pierced him deeply and he leapt to his feet.

" Legolas!"