DISCLAIMER- Tolkien's. Not mine. Thank you.
Review replies now... ah, let's see... only one at the moment, well, who is it? Ok...
Ebony Falcon- You may be right about Saurar taking his immortality. We'll find out what happens to the rest soon. Wow, you've added this to your favorites list?! I'm so proud! =)
On with the story then...
~*~*~*~
"Where is he?" thought Tathiel. "Where is he?!" She was desperate to find Legolas. "Please be alright... by Manwë, please be alright!" She turned around the corner and froze at what she saw...
~*~*~*~
It was so cold... it hurt so much... he let the darkness take him once again...
~*~*~*~
Aragorn leaped down from the horse and sped into the cave. Gimli quickly followed behind, but their running seemed to gain an extra boost of necessity as they heard sobbing noises up ahead.
The two friends whipped around the corner to find the source of the cries. Gimli felt his heart wrench inside as his eyes fell upon the lifeless form of Legolas being cradled gently by Tathiel, who was weeping as she rocked his head back and forth. He immediately feared the worst.
Aragorn sprinted over and was stunned at the elf's pale face. He kneeled beside his motionless friend and checked his breathing; it was still there, but it was rapid and shallow.
He put his hand on Legolas' forehead to check the temperature. Gimli was startled as he saw Aragorn withdraw his hand like he'd been burnt.
"Surely he's not that hot?!" he exclaimed.
"No, in fact, quite the opposite. He's so cold..." The king paused as Legolas shivered and closed his eyes tighter with the pain. "We have to get back to the palace right away..."
Tathiel made no sound; the panic had temporarily robbed her of speech.
"Tathiel, there's some spare blankets in the pack over there, go and get them," said Aragorn. The young elf stood silent.
"Tathiel?" Still she made no movement.
"Tathiel!" shouted Aragorn. This shook her out of the stupor.
"I-I'm s-sorry," she stammered, and ran over to the pack.
Gimli bent down alongside Aragorn. His eyes scanned over Legolas' virtually pure white face, his shivering body, his clenched eyes and gritted teeth.
"What evil is this?" asked the dwarf. Aragorn looked at Gimli with desperate eyes.
"The answer to that I do not know," said the king sadly. "As far as I can see there is nothing physically wrong; no cuts, bruises... I fear this is something beyond our knowledge."
Without warning, their friend's eyes suddenly snapped open. Aragorn jumped, startled.
"Legolas? Are you alright?" he asked tentatively. The elf drew in a breath and his mouth opened slightly... and he began to speak; but then Aragorn noticed his eyes. Legolas' eyes were pure black, not the calm blue they normally had. The voice was raspy, like someone who they did not wish to think about right now, not the elf's own.
"He's in my grasp... I have the power of the light... I'd watch him closely if I were you..."
With that, Legolas' eyes returned to their normal hue, and he slipped out of consciousness again...
~*~*~*~
What happened next was a blur for Tathiel. All she seemed to remember was Aragorn and Gimli shouting... her body doing things that she wasn't really thinking about, like running back with the blankets... the sheer panic as she saw that there was something seriously wrong with her older brother... the rapidness of mounting the horses, the swiftness of the horses footfalls as they galloped away on Brego and Arod... and now?
Now they were back in the halls of their home, and she had been shunned out of the room of the healers, whilst Aragorn stayed with Legolas inside, and Gimli sent with her to keep an eye on her.
~*~*~*~
Aragorn had used all the herbs he could find, athelas included. Now all he could do was pray to Manwë that his friend be spared... he was released from his prayers when he heard a faint groan. Legolas had woken ever so slightly, and the first thing Aragorn checked was his eyes; no, they were still blue.
"Aragorn?" whispered Legolas.
"Yes?" asked the former Ranger.
The elf swallowed slightly before continuing. "...hurts... darkness... don't." he paused for breath. "...don't let me fall Aragorn... please, don't let him take me away..."
Inside, Aragorn felt his heart break as his friend slowly shut his eyes again and drifted from the waking world...
~*~*~*~
Never before had she felt so distanced, so alone, so... afraid. She just wanted to know how he was!
"Is that too much to ask?!" she shouted aloud sarcastically, salty droplets streaming from her eyes. Gimli got up and slowly walked over to the young elf-girl, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Do not fear, little one," he said. "I'm confident that Legolas will be fine, after all, Aragorn has pulled many back from the brink before... and surely that rascal isn't that far gone yet!" He smiled, and for a brief moment Tathiel felt a tiny ray of hope.
The door clicked, and she turned to see Aragorn peering round the door. He looked quite frantic. "Gimli, I need you to get one of the messengers down to Rivendell right away, tell them that it's a matter of extreme urgency," he said. Gimli nodded and sped off as fast as he could down the halls. Aragorn then turned to Tathiel.
"Tathiel? I know that this has been a horrible time for you, and if I could, I'd leave you alone to try and sort things out, but I need you to help me," he said understandingly. Tathiel looked down at the floor, unsure of how to put it.
"Do you have any idea what is wrong with Legolas?" asked Aragorn. He turned round and picked up a cup of water. "Do you want a drink?" The young elfling shook her head. As he began to turn away, she spoke.
"How long do half mortals live?" she asked, her voice sounding strangely forced and broken. Aragorn was confused.
"Why do you ask?" he inquired, and all Tathiel had to do was look at him with her eyes which were overflowing with tears for him to understand.
The cup dropped, like his jaw, and smashed on the floor in pieces...
~*~*~*~
There you go, there's chapter ten! Now, all you have to do is tell me what you thought by R+R! Pleeeeeeeeeeease?! =)
Review replies now... ah, let's see... only one at the moment, well, who is it? Ok...
Ebony Falcon- You may be right about Saurar taking his immortality. We'll find out what happens to the rest soon. Wow, you've added this to your favorites list?! I'm so proud! =)
On with the story then...
~*~*~*~
"Where is he?" thought Tathiel. "Where is he?!" She was desperate to find Legolas. "Please be alright... by Manwë, please be alright!" She turned around the corner and froze at what she saw...
~*~*~*~
It was so cold... it hurt so much... he let the darkness take him once again...
~*~*~*~
Aragorn leaped down from the horse and sped into the cave. Gimli quickly followed behind, but their running seemed to gain an extra boost of necessity as they heard sobbing noises up ahead.
The two friends whipped around the corner to find the source of the cries. Gimli felt his heart wrench inside as his eyes fell upon the lifeless form of Legolas being cradled gently by Tathiel, who was weeping as she rocked his head back and forth. He immediately feared the worst.
Aragorn sprinted over and was stunned at the elf's pale face. He kneeled beside his motionless friend and checked his breathing; it was still there, but it was rapid and shallow.
He put his hand on Legolas' forehead to check the temperature. Gimli was startled as he saw Aragorn withdraw his hand like he'd been burnt.
"Surely he's not that hot?!" he exclaimed.
"No, in fact, quite the opposite. He's so cold..." The king paused as Legolas shivered and closed his eyes tighter with the pain. "We have to get back to the palace right away..."
Tathiel made no sound; the panic had temporarily robbed her of speech.
"Tathiel, there's some spare blankets in the pack over there, go and get them," said Aragorn. The young elf stood silent.
"Tathiel?" Still she made no movement.
"Tathiel!" shouted Aragorn. This shook her out of the stupor.
"I-I'm s-sorry," she stammered, and ran over to the pack.
Gimli bent down alongside Aragorn. His eyes scanned over Legolas' virtually pure white face, his shivering body, his clenched eyes and gritted teeth.
"What evil is this?" asked the dwarf. Aragorn looked at Gimli with desperate eyes.
"The answer to that I do not know," said the king sadly. "As far as I can see there is nothing physically wrong; no cuts, bruises... I fear this is something beyond our knowledge."
Without warning, their friend's eyes suddenly snapped open. Aragorn jumped, startled.
"Legolas? Are you alright?" he asked tentatively. The elf drew in a breath and his mouth opened slightly... and he began to speak; but then Aragorn noticed his eyes. Legolas' eyes were pure black, not the calm blue they normally had. The voice was raspy, like someone who they did not wish to think about right now, not the elf's own.
"He's in my grasp... I have the power of the light... I'd watch him closely if I were you..."
With that, Legolas' eyes returned to their normal hue, and he slipped out of consciousness again...
~*~*~*~
What happened next was a blur for Tathiel. All she seemed to remember was Aragorn and Gimli shouting... her body doing things that she wasn't really thinking about, like running back with the blankets... the sheer panic as she saw that there was something seriously wrong with her older brother... the rapidness of mounting the horses, the swiftness of the horses footfalls as they galloped away on Brego and Arod... and now?
Now they were back in the halls of their home, and she had been shunned out of the room of the healers, whilst Aragorn stayed with Legolas inside, and Gimli sent with her to keep an eye on her.
~*~*~*~
Aragorn had used all the herbs he could find, athelas included. Now all he could do was pray to Manwë that his friend be spared... he was released from his prayers when he heard a faint groan. Legolas had woken ever so slightly, and the first thing Aragorn checked was his eyes; no, they were still blue.
"Aragorn?" whispered Legolas.
"Yes?" asked the former Ranger.
The elf swallowed slightly before continuing. "...hurts... darkness... don't." he paused for breath. "...don't let me fall Aragorn... please, don't let him take me away..."
Inside, Aragorn felt his heart break as his friend slowly shut his eyes again and drifted from the waking world...
~*~*~*~
Never before had she felt so distanced, so alone, so... afraid. She just wanted to know how he was!
"Is that too much to ask?!" she shouted aloud sarcastically, salty droplets streaming from her eyes. Gimli got up and slowly walked over to the young elf-girl, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Do not fear, little one," he said. "I'm confident that Legolas will be fine, after all, Aragorn has pulled many back from the brink before... and surely that rascal isn't that far gone yet!" He smiled, and for a brief moment Tathiel felt a tiny ray of hope.
The door clicked, and she turned to see Aragorn peering round the door. He looked quite frantic. "Gimli, I need you to get one of the messengers down to Rivendell right away, tell them that it's a matter of extreme urgency," he said. Gimli nodded and sped off as fast as he could down the halls. Aragorn then turned to Tathiel.
"Tathiel? I know that this has been a horrible time for you, and if I could, I'd leave you alone to try and sort things out, but I need you to help me," he said understandingly. Tathiel looked down at the floor, unsure of how to put it.
"Do you have any idea what is wrong with Legolas?" asked Aragorn. He turned round and picked up a cup of water. "Do you want a drink?" The young elfling shook her head. As he began to turn away, she spoke.
"How long do half mortals live?" she asked, her voice sounding strangely forced and broken. Aragorn was confused.
"Why do you ask?" he inquired, and all Tathiel had to do was look at him with her eyes which were overflowing with tears for him to understand.
The cup dropped, like his jaw, and smashed on the floor in pieces...
~*~*~*~
There you go, there's chapter ten! Now, all you have to do is tell me what you thought by R+R! Pleeeeeeeeeeease?! =)