Part Nine: Helm's Deep

"Stupid hard headed elf" he heard as he came back to himself.

"Not half as stupid as some rangers I know." He whispered weakly. He could feel soft fabric being wrapped around his hand and wrist.

"Don't you ever do this again!" Aragorn growled as he helped the prince to sit and began to mop up the blood. "Do you understand me?"

Legolas nodded. "Forgive me, mellon-nîn. I had to know."

"You could have died, nift. Have you any idea how much blood you've lost?"

"It is nothing." The elf said dismissively. "You're overreacting as usual."

"Nothing!? Overreacting am I!?" Aragorn's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. "Listen to me, you stubborn prideful prince. When I found you, you barely had a pulse. You are drenched in blood and the only wound I can find is the one on your hand. Do not tell me that I'm overreacting. I hope what you found out was worth this."

"It was."

Aragorn gazed into his friend's sapphire eyes. "And?"

"Saruman has her, Aragorn." He replied, dropping his gaze from the ranger's and tried to stand. Unfortunately, in his weakened state his knees buckled and darkness threatened to claim him.

"Stubborn elf." Aragorn growled, catching the prince, who hissed in pain as his back landed against the ranger's chest. "What's wrong?"

"It's not me, mellon-nîn." Legolas groaned, resting his head against the human's shoulder. "I gave Ithilin some of my strength and took her pain from her."

"Why?"

"To buy her silence. Sauron and Saruman believe her to be bound to you, my friend."

Completely stunned by those words, Aragorn nearly dropped the prince. "What?!"

"You didn't know?" Legolas gave a gasping chuckle, smiling up at his friend. He should have expected as much. "She was meant for you, Estel. But no one seemed to count on free will in this plan. Or me and Arwen, for that matter."

Aragorn opened his mouth to say something, but no sound came out. He tried again, but still he couldn't make his voice work.

"You do look like a fish gasping for air, Estel. Please stop."

"Do you want me to drop you?"

"No. But at least say something."

"What can I say, Legolas? That I'm glad that spitfire isn't my wife?" He shifted the elf so that he was supporting him, not carrying him. "Valar, you're heavy!" He groaned then noticed the pained grin on his friend's face. "What?"

"Ithilin? A spitfire? Valar, please say it isn't so, Aragorn."

"You know damn good and well that she is and you like it that way."

"Yes, mellon-nîn. I would not have her any other way." Chuckled the prince as they slowly made their way back to their room. "But I worry that she will not survive this."

"You must have hope, Legolas, or all is lost."

* * *

Ithilin hung painfully in her chains, letting them support her weight. Blood stained and matted her long hair. Burn marks and bruises marred her pale peach skin. Her wrists were bruised and lacerated from being knocked against the manacles. Another lash cracked across her much abused back. She was in so much pain now that it barely registered.

"Still you refuse to tell me where your mate is, little one." Saruman paced in front of her, tapping his lips thoughtfully. "I see I have miscalculated your strength. But no more." He produced a small vial from his robes. "This should break down your defenses. Dragon's Fire is most effective when used on open wounds."

He poured some of the blood colored liquid onto a cloth and placed it over one of the open welts on her back.

Although her eyes widened in shock, she remained silent and gritted her teeth against the pain that coursed through her body.

"Not enough, I see." He said as he poured it directly on an open cut.

Ithilin balled her hands into fists and strained against her chains but still refused to cry out.

"Perhaps I can help, my lord." Wormtongue offered as he pulled a brand from the coals and held it between her legs.

Her body trembled at the nearness of the heat. Terror shot through her as the rod contacted the soft skin of her thigh. A soft cry escaped her throat.

"Oh yes. You like that, don't you. Yes, I can see that you do." He picked up another brand and pressed it into her other thigh, eliciting another moan.

"I will tell you nothing, Saruman." She hissed against the pain as another of Grima's rods contacted the flesh just under her breast.

* * *

"Aragorn!" Legolas called, looking around worriedly. He had seen the ranger just moments before as he attacked an orc. Now he was no where to be seen. "Aragorn!"

"Aragorn!" Gimli shouted.

Legolas bent down, looking at the warg tracks that led toward the cliff's edge. What he found disturbed him greatly. Someone had been dragged by the beast, and that someone wore boots of elven make.

An orc laughed behind him. Turning toward the sound, he saw Gimli step over the foul creature, axe in hand.

"Tell me what happened and I will ease your passing." The dwarf growled.

"He's dead!" the orc laughed, coughing up black blood. "He took a little tumble off the cliff!"

The creature half laughed, half coughed once more then breathed no more. Something sparkling, in the dark being's hand, caught the elf's attention. The Evenstar.

"No!" he whispered as he retrieved the elven jewel from the hand. Slowly he made his way to the cliff's edge, stopping next to Théoden. He gazed down into the torrent of water rushing below. There was no way the ranger could have survived that fall.

:Ithilin?: he called.

:A'maelamin.: came the pained reply.

:Aragorn has fallen.:

Silence.

"Get the wounded on horses." Théoden called to his men. "Leave the dead."

Legolas starred disbelievingly at the king. How could this man honestly expect him to leave Aragorn, dead or not.

:Legolas.: Ithilin called weakly, :There is hope in the twilight. Look for his coming before the light fades.:

"Come." The king said laying a hand on the elf's shoulder.

Legolas winced slightly at the touch but followed Théoden, clutching the Evenstar tightly in his hand.

* * *

"I grow weary of asking you about the whereabouts of Isildur's heir, young one." The Istari knelt in front of his captive, stroking her bruised cheek.

"You want to know, Curunír?" she said , smiling darkly. "He is dead."

"That's a lie!" Wormtongue said laying the lash across her shoulders.

"Tell me the truth, child."

"Would you know the truth if you heard it?" Ithilin laughed, ending in a coughing fit that left blood dripping from the corners of her mouth. "You were once respected for your wisdom, Curunír. Then Sauron corrupted you." Her eyes were calm. She had accepted her fate. It would not be much longer. "Do what you want to me. It will not change the fact that he is dead."

"Take her with you," Saruman hissed at an Uruk-hai. "Make sure she is seen, then slit her throat."

* * *

"Gimli, where is the king?" Aragorn asked as he disengaged himself from the dwarf's crushing embrace.

Gimli nodded in the direction of a set of large double doors. Quickly the ranger headed toward them not paying attention to anything else. Until he was stopped by elven boots and a slender green clad body.

"Le abdollen." The elf grinned wickedly, noting the confusion on his friend's face. "You look terrible."

Aragorn laughed, giving the prince a lopsided grin.

"She knew you would return, mellon-nîn." Legolas said softly, pressing the Evenstar into the ranger's hand.

He looked at the pendant, then at the elf who smiled mysteriously. "Hannon le."

* * *

Legolas sat carefully cleaning Aragorn's wounds, while the ranger spoke with Théoden. However, as soon as the king left, the human's attention turned toward the elf.

"You're not going to weasel out of telling me how you knew I'd return, Legolas." He said, capturing the elf's gaze.

"Ithilin told me to look for you at dusk."

"How?"

"How little you know of elves, mellon-nîn." The prince replied smartly.

"You didn't cut yourself again, did you?"

"Even if I did, which I didn't, you weren't here to stop me."

"Then why is your hand still bandaged?"

"The wound is of a nature that it will not heal until she is back with me, Aragorn. It bleeds very little and is not a hindrance. I am not concerned."

"OK. If you didn't cut yourself, then how did you know I wasn't dead?"

Legolas graced the ranger with a secretive smile, "That's for me to know and you to find out, human."

"All right, be that way." Aragorn growled. "Let me see your hand."

"Why?"

"I just want to satisfy my conscience."

"Satisfy it elsewhere, Estel. I'm fine." He said, playfully pushing his friend away.

"Legolas, stop being stupid. You don't want it to get infected, do you?"

"I'm an elf, Estel. It won't."

"Famous last words, mellon-nîn." Quickly, Aragorn grabbed the elf's slender wrist and began to pull the bandages away from the wound. Bright red blood welled up out of the cut as soon as it was unbound. "It bleeds very little, does it? Legolas how long has it been like this?"

"It hasn't." the prince answered in an alarmed whisper. "Something is wrong, Estel."

"What?" He said as the prince's eyes unfocused.

A silver tear ran down the elf's fair cheek as he looked the human in the eye. "She is dying."

"Legolas, listen to me. I can not lose you." Aragorn said emphatically, "You must hope that she will survive this."

"But I can feel it, Aragorn. Her body has been pushed beyond even the endurance of the elves. She knows it as well as I do. She will die before the sun rises."

"No!"

"I fear so, mellon-nîn. There is nothing that we can do to stop it. I accepted this fate long ago, when I bound to her. A battle that we may not survive is before us this night. We can not get to her in time."

"Trust me, Legolas. Do not lose hope yet."

* * *

Lightning lit up the leaden sky as thunder cracked ominously overhead. A cold rain pelted down, plinking off of the metal armor of the soldiers. Legolas stood on the Deeping Wall with other elves from Lórien and Imladris. Gimli, too, stood beside him. Occasionally he would close his eyes, testing the bond. So far it remained strong, but he knew it couldn't last.

"You could have picked a better spot!" The dwarf grumbled beside him as Aragorn's hand rested on his shoulder. "Well lad, whatever luck you live by, let us hope it lasts the night." The shorter being continued.

A fork of lightning rippled across the sky and another clap of thunder split the air.

"Your friends are with you, Aragorn." Legolas said, leaning against his bow and smiling slightly.

"Let's hope they last the night." Gimli muttered sarcastically.

Gimli began to jump up and down, trying to look over the wall. His actions eliciting snickers from Legolas and some of the other elves around them.

"What's happening out there?" the dwarf growled as he jumped again.

"Shall I describe it to you?" grinned the elf, looking down at his companion. "Or shall I find you a box?"

The dwarf glared up at the fair being and began to laugh.

Another flash of lightning exploded overhead, lighting up the horde of orcs below. Yet that was not all the elf prince saw. The orc captain dragged a limp figure up to stand beside him. It was clad only in a tattered, bloodstained tunic.

"Ai, Valar! It's Ithilin!" he whispered in horror as the creatures brayed their war cry.

"What!?" Gimli yelped, surprised. "Let me see!"

Legolas quickly sheathed his bow and picked up the dwarf.

"What have those things done to her?!" he cried as the elf set him back down.

"Do everything you can to avoid hitting the she-elf!" Legolas called to the others, drawing his bow and sighting down the arrow. "Faeg i-varv dîn na lanc a nu ranc!"

To his horror, the orc captain drew a long sickle-shaped knife and held it to Ithilin's throat. He changed the direction of his aim, sighting the creature who held his mate.

"Hado i philinn!" Aragorn yelled.

Legolas released his arrow and drew and nocked another while he watched the first speed toward its target. It hit the orc with such force that it threw him to the ground to be trampled beneath the advancing horde. The little she-elf still stood, a weak glow coming from her battered form.

:Hannon le, meleth-nîn.: he heard in his mind.

:Find cover, fire of my heart.: he sent back, :I will find you later. Hold on to me.:

:Your wish is my desire, heru-nîn.:

Her elven light dimmed and she slid beneath the outcropping, out of sight of the advancing orcs.

* * *

"Nan barad!" Aragorn called as he sliced another orc in two, "Nan barad! Legolas! Haldir! Nan barad!"

The two elves raced to the keep, felling orcs along the way. Legolas looked back at the rock outcrop, sighing in relief that he could still see a faint luminescence underneath it.

"They have broken through!" one of the soldiers called behind him, "The castle is breached! Retreat1 Retreat!"

"Hurry, Legolas, Gimli, Haldir! Inside!" Aragorn shouted grabbing the elf's arm, as Legolas tried to slip past him. "Get the others inside!"

"Aragorn!" Legolas hissed, his voice breaking slightly in panic. "Aragorn, Ithilin is out there!"

"I can not spare you, mellon-nîn!" Aragorn could see the fear in his friend's eyes. "She will have to stay where she is."

"She will die!"

"Legolas!" the ranger grabbed the elf by the shoulders and forced the fair being to look at him. "As long as you draw breath, she will not die. I will see to that. Now, come!"

Legolas nodded, his eyes darted back to where Ithilin lay concealed. All he could do now was look for hope in the dawn.

Author's Note: What do you think will happen? (Evil chuckle) I'm trying to reconcile the books and the movie, not a task to be take lightly, so bear with me. Please Review!!!!!! Reviewers are like lembas (or Legolas for that matter) , you can't get enough.

Elvish Translations for those of you who haven't seen the movies:

"Faeg i-varv dîn na lanc a nu ranc!" - Their armor is weak at the neck and beneath the arm.

"Hado i philinn!" - Release the arrows!

"Le abdollen." - You're late.

"Nan barad!" - To the keep!

P. S. Hit the review button, NOW!