@Deana - You think Legolas is suffering now... just wait until Book V!
This chapter is longer then most of the others. I think it's rather happy- ish compared to the ones from before!
Chapter 8
For the rest of the night and all the next day, Redd and Fallon were constantly attending to Legolas. They were forced to strap him down to keep him from falling off the bed during his ugly seizures. When his fever went up, they took off his blanket and placed a cold compress on his forehead. When he started a chill, the added more blankets or changed his sweat- drenched clothing that they dried over the fire.
Legolas's face was pale until midnight when the color began to return, slowly but surely. There were several frightening moments when his lips would turn blue from the chills and there was nothing more they could do to warm him up. Fallon found it hard to remember the night since she and her husband were already near exhaustion. However, she fell asleep by the fire dirty and overworked.
Redd woke her the next afternoon. She said she was rested, but that wasn't enough to convince her spouse.
'He should be okay for awhile, and I want to talk to the children. Can you watch him?' Fallon smiled and nodded.
Redd went into the living room to see his children barely awake on the sheep skin on the floor. His son immediately stood up with a thin blanket clutched tightly to his chest.
'Is he all right father?' he asked in earnest. 'Is he going to be okay?' Redd took his son and two daughters under his arm and held them close.
'We still don't know for sure if he's going to live, but he's looking a lot better then last night.'
'Who is he?' one of his daughters asked.
'We don't know yet, but we'll find out soon. He's still very sick, so we need you kids to go feed the animals and get the firewood from the woods. Can you do that, son?' the boy nodded and the three children left.
'Honey?' asked Fallon who peaked around the door. Her eyes snapped brightly with excitement. 'He's awake.' Redd rushed into the room to see Legolas smiling at him.
'And you are Redd, am I right?' he asked. Redd smiled and nodded back. Legolas felt thoroughly exhausted but the flares of pain were no longer coursing through his body and the harsh earthquakes had finally stopped. He could barely even lift his head he was so tired.
'How are you feeling?' he asked as his eyes glittered with hope.
'I think I'll survive.' said Legolas.
'If you don't mind, sir,' said Redd. 'But I have not learned yet your name.'
'I am Legolas, from Mirkwood.' he said. Redd's eyes widened.
'The... the Mirkwood prince?' Legolas motioned for Redd to come closer. Redd obeyed and leaned close to the elf's pointed ear.
'Nobody can know that I am here.' he whispered. 'Call me Fermanir if you must use a name. Don't tell anyone that I was here. I will explain later.' with that, the prince drifted off and fell asleep. Redd stood straight, dazed.
'We have to nurse him back to health, Redd.' said Fallon. 'He can't even hold his head up.'
'Fallon, you need rest. We all do.' replied Redd. 'I'll stay with him for awhile and make sure he is all right.' Fallon protested but was soon defeated by Redd's insistence.
Redd rested for awhile against Legolas's bed. Legolas dozed off and rested peacefully for the first time in days. Redd couldn't help but smile. They had won the battle against the disease that thwarted the elf. He felt a warm wave of satisfaction and self-praise wash over him before his eyes drifted closed.
*
When Redd awoke he was lying in a bed. At first, he didn't know what had happened or how he got there. Piece by piece he remembered the elf in the woods and the fight for his survival. He heaved his torso out of bed and ran his fingers through his mass of blonde hair.
'Father!' Redd looked to the doorway of his room to see his younger daughter run and leap on him.
'You've been sleeping for almost two days!' she exclaimed as she huddled in his lap. 'The snow is up to my knees and Legolas has been playing with us since you were sleeping!' here eyes were bright with fascination and happiness. Redd smiled.
'Has he now?' he asked. He wasn't surprised that Legolas had recovered his strength faster then him. He was, after all, an elf. 'And where is he? Have you tired him out all over again?'
'No!' she laughed her high-pitched laugh. 'He's outside playing with Gabrielle and Rye!' Redd smiled and set her down on the floor.
'Want to come make me breakfast, Hanna?' he asked. His daughter smiled and nodded and they went to eat.
Redd ate a meal of hot porridge and fresh goat milk alone at the table while Hanna went back outside to play. He caught a glimpse of his children bolting by the window, but hadn't seen Legolas at all. He could hear the excited shrieks of Rye and the melodic laughing of Hanna and Gabrielle. Soon, Fallon came in and kissed him on the cheek.
'He's fully recovered, I think.' she said while massaging his shoulders and chest. 'So we ought to talk to him.' Redd nodded.
'Yeah. I'm really curious about his reason for being here and needing a different name.' he quickly downed the rest of his milk and placed his dishes in a large empty bin where they would wash themselves along with the dishes. He then went outside to see Legolas chase his children past the swine pen. The prince's face was alit with enjoyment. His smile was bright and his eyes twinkling.
'Gabrielle!' called Redd. All his offspring and Legolas stopped their game and watched him. 'I believe it's time for you kids to do your chores!'
'Aw, Father!' complained Rye, who fell in the snow pretending to be exhausted.
'Don't complain young man! Get to work.' the children scattered quickly. Legolas watched Redd, waiting for something. 'Come inside, Legolas.' he said. Legolas obeyed silently, the smile fading from his face.
Legolas was definitely feeling better. He managed to walk through the porch to the kitchen without the floor creaking or the fur on the rug to be pressed down. Redd motioned for him to sit at the table. Again, Legolas followed the request. Redd crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe while Fallon sat down across from Legolas.
'You said earlier, that you wanted to be called Fermanir and that nobody could know that you were here.' Legolas nodded he could remember telling them that when he was feeling sick. 'Could you explain to us now why you want your being here to be secret?' Legolas sighed and nodded. These people has saved his life, they earned the truth from him.
He then told them the whole story, leaving out the pregnancy of Elenest. Nobody knew about that yet. Not even his father. He had planned to tell him after the ball, but plans had changed.
Redd and Fallon were silent when he had finished.
'But I didn't do it.' he said. 'I explained to you what happened and I'm telling you I'm innocent!' he found himself yelling and standing up from the table. Fallon's eyes were alit with surprise.
'Legolas, we believe you!' insisted Redd. 'We really do! We need to talk about the situation before we decide what to do though.' Legolas sighed and clenched his fists. Fallon and Redd left the room and Legolas could hear what they were saying very clearly. The house wasn't large and the walls were thin and packed with mud. Legolas could even hear the mice scuttling around in the attack a floor above him.
'We can't just send him out into Rohan. He won't stand a chance.'
'But if we let him stay here, the elves of Mirkwood won't spare us if we help him!' argued Fallon. 'What about Gabrielle, Hanna and Rye? Don't you care about their safety?' at that, Legolas felt like running from the farm right then and there. He had played with the children all day and quickly grew to love them like they were his own. The last thing he wanted were the palace search parties to murder them. He stared at the ground, ashamed that he had put these people in so much danger even after they had saved him.
Without warning, Redd and Fallon came back into the room. He must have missed the rest of the conversation. Fallon's eyes seemed to be sparkling with some kind of excitement.
'We can't let you stay here long, Legolas.' said Redd. 'But we won't send you off without our help.' Legolas smiled, appreciating their concern.
'Thank you,' he said, standing up. 'But if the Mirkwood elves find out I'm here, and that you saved me, they won't spare any of you. I'll just leave now.'
'Oh now you don't!' said Fallon. 'If you leave now, all clean and pretty, they'll know who you are on the spot. The gangs will take you and ask a ransom from the Mirkwood kingdom.'
'If anyone else finds out who you really are, you won't stand a chance.' said Redd approaching Legolas and placing a hand on his shoulder. 'We'll have to disguise you before you go anywhere!' Legolas shook his head.
'No, you don't. I've caused you enough trouble already. You need not do anymore for me.'
'Please, Legolas let us help.'
'No. I am a skilled fighter and can fend for myself.'
'Not in Rohan you can't, there's too much violence there these days. That's why we are here.'
'I'll just leave now and you won't have to worry about me.'
'But we'll feel guilty-'
'Oh for crying out loud!' exclaimed Fallon who finally just stepped between them and shoved Legolas back down in a chair. 'Men can be so stubborn!'
At that moment the children came back in from their chores. 'Perfect! Rye, I want you and Hanna to unpack all of Mr. Legolas's things and lay them out on the floor in the living room. Gabrielle, run and get me the shears from the tack shed.' the children obeyed quickly and went off to so more chores.
Fallon then handed several buckets to Redd. 'Run and get some water, honey.' she said as she set a blanket over Legolas's front. Redd gave Legolas a perplexed look and he shrugged back.
'Legolas, there's a couple things we're going to have to change if you want to look like a Rohan man, all right?'
'You can make me look like a man?' he asked Fallon.
'She thinks she can do anything, that woman.' murmured Redd as he pulled on his coat.
'I heard that!' scolded Fallon. Redd made a mocking cringe and hurried out the door just as Gabrielle returned with the shears.
'You ready?' she asked Legolas. Shutting his eyes tightly he replied:
'Yes.' He could hear the shears working away.
This chapter is longer then most of the others. I think it's rather happy- ish compared to the ones from before!
Chapter 8
For the rest of the night and all the next day, Redd and Fallon were constantly attending to Legolas. They were forced to strap him down to keep him from falling off the bed during his ugly seizures. When his fever went up, they took off his blanket and placed a cold compress on his forehead. When he started a chill, the added more blankets or changed his sweat- drenched clothing that they dried over the fire.
Legolas's face was pale until midnight when the color began to return, slowly but surely. There were several frightening moments when his lips would turn blue from the chills and there was nothing more they could do to warm him up. Fallon found it hard to remember the night since she and her husband were already near exhaustion. However, she fell asleep by the fire dirty and overworked.
Redd woke her the next afternoon. She said she was rested, but that wasn't enough to convince her spouse.
'He should be okay for awhile, and I want to talk to the children. Can you watch him?' Fallon smiled and nodded.
Redd went into the living room to see his children barely awake on the sheep skin on the floor. His son immediately stood up with a thin blanket clutched tightly to his chest.
'Is he all right father?' he asked in earnest. 'Is he going to be okay?' Redd took his son and two daughters under his arm and held them close.
'We still don't know for sure if he's going to live, but he's looking a lot better then last night.'
'Who is he?' one of his daughters asked.
'We don't know yet, but we'll find out soon. He's still very sick, so we need you kids to go feed the animals and get the firewood from the woods. Can you do that, son?' the boy nodded and the three children left.
'Honey?' asked Fallon who peaked around the door. Her eyes snapped brightly with excitement. 'He's awake.' Redd rushed into the room to see Legolas smiling at him.
'And you are Redd, am I right?' he asked. Redd smiled and nodded back. Legolas felt thoroughly exhausted but the flares of pain were no longer coursing through his body and the harsh earthquakes had finally stopped. He could barely even lift his head he was so tired.
'How are you feeling?' he asked as his eyes glittered with hope.
'I think I'll survive.' said Legolas.
'If you don't mind, sir,' said Redd. 'But I have not learned yet your name.'
'I am Legolas, from Mirkwood.' he said. Redd's eyes widened.
'The... the Mirkwood prince?' Legolas motioned for Redd to come closer. Redd obeyed and leaned close to the elf's pointed ear.
'Nobody can know that I am here.' he whispered. 'Call me Fermanir if you must use a name. Don't tell anyone that I was here. I will explain later.' with that, the prince drifted off and fell asleep. Redd stood straight, dazed.
'We have to nurse him back to health, Redd.' said Fallon. 'He can't even hold his head up.'
'Fallon, you need rest. We all do.' replied Redd. 'I'll stay with him for awhile and make sure he is all right.' Fallon protested but was soon defeated by Redd's insistence.
Redd rested for awhile against Legolas's bed. Legolas dozed off and rested peacefully for the first time in days. Redd couldn't help but smile. They had won the battle against the disease that thwarted the elf. He felt a warm wave of satisfaction and self-praise wash over him before his eyes drifted closed.
*
When Redd awoke he was lying in a bed. At first, he didn't know what had happened or how he got there. Piece by piece he remembered the elf in the woods and the fight for his survival. He heaved his torso out of bed and ran his fingers through his mass of blonde hair.
'Father!' Redd looked to the doorway of his room to see his younger daughter run and leap on him.
'You've been sleeping for almost two days!' she exclaimed as she huddled in his lap. 'The snow is up to my knees and Legolas has been playing with us since you were sleeping!' here eyes were bright with fascination and happiness. Redd smiled.
'Has he now?' he asked. He wasn't surprised that Legolas had recovered his strength faster then him. He was, after all, an elf. 'And where is he? Have you tired him out all over again?'
'No!' she laughed her high-pitched laugh. 'He's outside playing with Gabrielle and Rye!' Redd smiled and set her down on the floor.
'Want to come make me breakfast, Hanna?' he asked. His daughter smiled and nodded and they went to eat.
Redd ate a meal of hot porridge and fresh goat milk alone at the table while Hanna went back outside to play. He caught a glimpse of his children bolting by the window, but hadn't seen Legolas at all. He could hear the excited shrieks of Rye and the melodic laughing of Hanna and Gabrielle. Soon, Fallon came in and kissed him on the cheek.
'He's fully recovered, I think.' she said while massaging his shoulders and chest. 'So we ought to talk to him.' Redd nodded.
'Yeah. I'm really curious about his reason for being here and needing a different name.' he quickly downed the rest of his milk and placed his dishes in a large empty bin where they would wash themselves along with the dishes. He then went outside to see Legolas chase his children past the swine pen. The prince's face was alit with enjoyment. His smile was bright and his eyes twinkling.
'Gabrielle!' called Redd. All his offspring and Legolas stopped their game and watched him. 'I believe it's time for you kids to do your chores!'
'Aw, Father!' complained Rye, who fell in the snow pretending to be exhausted.
'Don't complain young man! Get to work.' the children scattered quickly. Legolas watched Redd, waiting for something. 'Come inside, Legolas.' he said. Legolas obeyed silently, the smile fading from his face.
Legolas was definitely feeling better. He managed to walk through the porch to the kitchen without the floor creaking or the fur on the rug to be pressed down. Redd motioned for him to sit at the table. Again, Legolas followed the request. Redd crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe while Fallon sat down across from Legolas.
'You said earlier, that you wanted to be called Fermanir and that nobody could know that you were here.' Legolas nodded he could remember telling them that when he was feeling sick. 'Could you explain to us now why you want your being here to be secret?' Legolas sighed and nodded. These people has saved his life, they earned the truth from him.
He then told them the whole story, leaving out the pregnancy of Elenest. Nobody knew about that yet. Not even his father. He had planned to tell him after the ball, but plans had changed.
Redd and Fallon were silent when he had finished.
'But I didn't do it.' he said. 'I explained to you what happened and I'm telling you I'm innocent!' he found himself yelling and standing up from the table. Fallon's eyes were alit with surprise.
'Legolas, we believe you!' insisted Redd. 'We really do! We need to talk about the situation before we decide what to do though.' Legolas sighed and clenched his fists. Fallon and Redd left the room and Legolas could hear what they were saying very clearly. The house wasn't large and the walls were thin and packed with mud. Legolas could even hear the mice scuttling around in the attack a floor above him.
'We can't just send him out into Rohan. He won't stand a chance.'
'But if we let him stay here, the elves of Mirkwood won't spare us if we help him!' argued Fallon. 'What about Gabrielle, Hanna and Rye? Don't you care about their safety?' at that, Legolas felt like running from the farm right then and there. He had played with the children all day and quickly grew to love them like they were his own. The last thing he wanted were the palace search parties to murder them. He stared at the ground, ashamed that he had put these people in so much danger even after they had saved him.
Without warning, Redd and Fallon came back into the room. He must have missed the rest of the conversation. Fallon's eyes seemed to be sparkling with some kind of excitement.
'We can't let you stay here long, Legolas.' said Redd. 'But we won't send you off without our help.' Legolas smiled, appreciating their concern.
'Thank you,' he said, standing up. 'But if the Mirkwood elves find out I'm here, and that you saved me, they won't spare any of you. I'll just leave now.'
'Oh now you don't!' said Fallon. 'If you leave now, all clean and pretty, they'll know who you are on the spot. The gangs will take you and ask a ransom from the Mirkwood kingdom.'
'If anyone else finds out who you really are, you won't stand a chance.' said Redd approaching Legolas and placing a hand on his shoulder. 'We'll have to disguise you before you go anywhere!' Legolas shook his head.
'No, you don't. I've caused you enough trouble already. You need not do anymore for me.'
'Please, Legolas let us help.'
'No. I am a skilled fighter and can fend for myself.'
'Not in Rohan you can't, there's too much violence there these days. That's why we are here.'
'I'll just leave now and you won't have to worry about me.'
'But we'll feel guilty-'
'Oh for crying out loud!' exclaimed Fallon who finally just stepped between them and shoved Legolas back down in a chair. 'Men can be so stubborn!'
At that moment the children came back in from their chores. 'Perfect! Rye, I want you and Hanna to unpack all of Mr. Legolas's things and lay them out on the floor in the living room. Gabrielle, run and get me the shears from the tack shed.' the children obeyed quickly and went off to so more chores.
Fallon then handed several buckets to Redd. 'Run and get some water, honey.' she said as she set a blanket over Legolas's front. Redd gave Legolas a perplexed look and he shrugged back.
'Legolas, there's a couple things we're going to have to change if you want to look like a Rohan man, all right?'
'You can make me look like a man?' he asked Fallon.
'She thinks she can do anything, that woman.' murmured Redd as he pulled on his coat.
'I heard that!' scolded Fallon. Redd made a mocking cringe and hurried out the door just as Gabrielle returned with the shears.
'You ready?' she asked Legolas. Shutting his eyes tightly he replied:
'Yes.' He could hear the shears working away.