Author: Mirrordance
Title: Sacred Betrayal
Summary: Elrohir forfeits the life of his brother Elladan for a secret price and Aragorn and Legolas go to unspoken dangers to discover the cause of this most sacred of betrayals…
PART 6: Reunions
* * *
Elladan had stumbled down the gentle decline to land upon his rump ungracefully on the old dirt road. Rubbing at his tender ribs and wincing, he looked up from his personal torment just in time to see a rider take a curve in the road maddeningly fast. He watched wide-eyed as the man halted his horse before it mauled him.
"Estel!" Elladan exclaimed, "Do you want to kill me?!"
Aragorn's jaws hit the ground, just before his booted feet when he hurriedly dismounted his horse and laughingly embraced his brother, who winced at the assault upon his injuries, but smiled at the warmth of the reception.
"I cannot believe it!" Aragorn exclaimed, "You are safe! Ada will be so thrilled. Mellon, you would not believe the gloom Imladris has been under since you vanished."
From behind Aragorn, another rider arrived. Elrohir's eyes were wide and watery at the sight of his brother, and Elladan fancied he must have looked as delightfully stunned himself.
Smiling impishly, he did not say the things that did not need saying; he was overwhelmed at the joy that seemed to want to burst from his heart. Instead, he said to his twin, ~What in the world is the human doing here? Didn't we have an agreement, brother?~
~You know how clever he is,~ Elrohir said as he dismounted his horse, deliberately slowly, and he walked towards his brother in the same mannered pace, as if he wished to relish the reunion, or perhaps, to ensure that it was indeed real.
~You should have asked me for a different promise,~ Elrohir said, his eyes dancing as he embraced his brother, ~To knock him over the head and keep him tied up until all was over.~
Chuckling, Elladan rose to his feet with Elladan's help, just as more riders approached them. Some were of Rivendell, most likely sent after Estel and Elrohir, and some of Mirkwood, probably guardians of the borders and wondering what in all of Arda they were all doing there.
"Come," Elladan said, "We must fetch Legolas."
Aragorn's brows rose, "You left him alone somewhere?" he asked, implying not that it was irresponsible of Elladan to have done so, but it was a danger to leave the mischievous Prince of Mirkwood up to his own devices.
"I was to go for help," said Elladan, "He could not travel."
Aragorn's forehead creased in worry, "Then we must be away."
"But I suggest we leave the horses," said Elladan, "Stealth is better than speed at this point. The orcs were hard upon our heels and it is better to catch them unawares. Either way, he is not very far."
* * *
Elladan's conclusion was indeed the most prudent one to take; when they arrived at where he had left Legolas, the area was already overrun by at least two dozen orcs.
Low amidst the grasses against their stomachs, the small crowd of elves and human watched in mounting despair as their friend and kindred was surrounded by the enemy and lying upon the soil. They could see him from the gaps between the orcs' legs, shivering and coughing.
"Look it here," growled an orc happily, "We have us a present from the elves. He will make a fine, fine meal."
Aragorn's muscles tensed, poised to attack even as his mind calmed him, and he looked towards Elladan and Elrohir, and the stunned Mirkwood and Rivendell guards who were looking toward them for counsel. Aragorn shook his head at them, not yet. Legolas was too deeply entrenched in the line of fire. They would rapidly loose control of the situation the moment and orc finds the brains to raise him up and threaten his life if the others did not surrender. Not yet.
"What's wrong with it?" one of the orcs asked, just as an uruk-hai commander pushed his way forward and scowled at the fallen elf.
"It looks ill," he said.
As if on cue, Legolas began to gag, and shake harder. He coughed and choked against his own vomit, gasping desperately for air.
Aragorn tensed some more. If they did not move soon, Legolas would cease to breathe…
"I would not touch it," the uruk-hai said, spitting on the ground near Legolas' head, "You eat that soiled flesh you might end up like him. Move out."
"Should we rush his passing and ease his suffering?" leered an orc.
"I would rather watch him expire in pain," laughed another, and the troupe lingered, malicious and intently attentive, as the elf gagged, and choked, and at last did his eyes roll back, and his body lost all its tension and fell boneless against the ground, unmoving.
Aragorn watched breathlessly. If the orcs left now, and they acted quickly, it would be easy enough to revive him if his air passages were cleared. But they were desperately pressed for time…
"Move out," the uruk-hai commanded, "One of them still lingers here, and we come too close already to Thranduil's realm. We must find him quickly, or the master will be displeased."
Grudgingly, the orcs moved away, the beast holding the tail end passing by Legolas with a sadistic kick to the stomach, before scurrying off after the rest of his group.
Aragorn waited a breath for the orcs to vanish from ear-shot, and watched in awe and amusement as Legolas' eyes leveled suddenly, and cautiously trailed after his would-have-been assassins.
Chuckling as he rose from the ground, Aragorn fell to a knee beside the elf. ~I never knew acting to be one of the many talents of the Prince of Mirkwood.~
Legolas grinned up at him lazily and wiped at his mouth with his sleeve, ~It's not acting. It's playing dead. There lies a difference. The detestable retching, however,~ he sighed as he closed his eyes for a moment and pressed his palms against them, ~Is real enough so I am obliged to advise you not to stand too close.~
Elrohir, who had been aiding Elladan in walking all this while, assisted his brother to sit on the ground. The other soldiers behind them, he commanded in groups to return with the horses, send word to Rivendell of their safety, and to secure the surrounding area.
~What is ailing you, mellon?~ Aragorn asked Legolas, gently taking his hands from his eyes.
~Spider bite,~ he replied, gulping down another impulse to gag, his stomach heaving, ~The venom was a paralytic. I couldn't find its foil along our route, so I countered it with a herb that is also poison on any other occasion, but has the reverse effect. Each should cancel the other. Nothing to worry about, I promise. It is just dreadfully uncomfortable.~
Aragorn laid a hand against the elf's forehead, finding it feverish, which was understandable given the situation. His heart also beat very rapidly, but none of his symptoms were a cause for immediate concern, if they kept him well-rested and taken care of.
~Satisfied?~ Legolas smirked at him as he opened his eyes and pushed himself up.
~For now,~ Aragorn replied, helping him sit.
~What are they all doing here?~ Legolas asked Elladan, who was sitting beside him wearily but also smiling, ~Did you limp all the way to Rivendell and back?~
~We did say Estel was honorable and stupid, didn't we?~ he laughed, ~And so he managed to come here on his own. Although it seemed you did not need much of our help after all.~
~You called me honorable and stupid?~ Aragorn demanded.
~You're here, aren't you?~ grinned Legolas.
TO BE CONTINUED…