Chapter Two: FIDES
Aragorn's face had stirred in shock at the sight of the Elf's injured body: blood had made a trail from Legolas' head to his chin, the half of an arrow was still stuck in his left shoulder and his smooth Elf armor was ripped, revealing a part of his bruised chest and legs.
"Bring him to the hospital wing, second stairs on the right!" demanded Aragorn, pointing in the direction of seven staircases.
The Centaur did as he wished and made his way to the hospital wing, while Aragorn re-entered the beautifully decorated Entrance Hall. His eyes darting from head to head, finally finding Gimli.
"Gimli!" called Aragorn, ignoring the guests that were bowing and greeting him, for he had no time for such nonsense.
The Dwarf Gimli looked up at the king, with a hopeful expression on his face. "Aragorn! You found him?" he asked.
"Yes, I have found Legolas indeed. Badly injured, carried by the Centaur you mentioned before. As far as I have seen, there were no other Elves nor beings accompanying him," told Aragorn hastily, already looking for the Centaur over the many heads.
"Where is he then?" Gimli asked, concerned and bemused.
"Alive I hope. I've sent the Centaur to the hospital wing in this citadel ... there he is!" Aragorn walked away from Gimli and moved trough the crowd towards the Centaur.
The Centaur, half man, half horse, had not the face of a human, but that of an Elf. His long hair braided and his ears pointed. His horse body was black and gray, his eyes deep green. He bowed for Aragorn. "King of Gondor, friend of Legolas, I am Fides of Lorien, son of Fastosus," the centaur introduced himself, still looking exhausted.
"Let's go to my private quarters, and meanwhile, tell me, Fides of Lorien, what happened on your journey?" Aragorn asked and lead the way to his quarters, while the Centaur told him what had happened.
"We traveled with 4 men, that includes me, Legolas and two Elves, from Lorien to Rivendell, to bring a message from Celeborn and Lady Galadriel to Elrond," he paused as Aragorn closed the door behind them. "Once in Rivendell, Legolas received the inventation to your wedding, and we suggested to accompany him on his journey. They went by horses, of course. But, when we arrived in the area of Rohan, a troop of Wargs, about 15 at least, attacked us, for no reason that I can recall. One of the Elves was biten to death ... one has gone towards the city of Rohan for help. Legolas has used Flaming Arrows to scare the Wargs off. Nevertheless, he was hurt badly and passed out. I wanted to continue to Rohan as well, but that would make me travel a huge forest if I had done so. The chance of being attacked was a risk I couldn't take. Therefor I took a shortcut to Minas Tirith instead," Fides finished.
Aragorn stayed quiet for a while, staring at his hands, deep in thought. "An Elf has been murdered by a Warg ... tell me, how come you are not injured?"
"The Wards did not attack me, as if they were only after the Elves. I tried to attack the Wargs, of course, I would do anything for Legolas ... " Fides said.
"Would you? What kept you from defending him, then?" asked Aragorn calmly.
"An Ent. I was held back by an Ent," answered Fides.
Aragorn frowned, opened his mouth, closed it again, frowning again. "An Ent? A living tree? The ones who stood at our side three years ago? Tell me, in what way must I see this? Have Wargs and Ents combined their powers for some kind of goal?"
"The answer to that question, I do not know. I only know that the Ent was not a friendly one as I'm familiar with," the Centaur replied, before there sounded a knock on the door.
"Enter," called Aragorn.
Fidelis entered. "My Lord, the one called Legolas has awoken and is asking for you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Legolas had opened his eyes to the illuminating light in the white room he was laying in. The man that had sat beside him, reminded him of an Elf, but was with no doubt one of the Men, though visualy shorter. He suddenly remembered the dreadfull attack of the Wargs on his journey to Minas Tirith.
Not knowing it for sure, Legolas had questioned if he was indeed in Minas Tirith. The answer had been positive and he had asked for Aragorn.
The door of the room opened and Aragorn made his way in, closing the door behind him. Legolas was now sitting up and bowed, his eyes focused on Aragorn's face. He felt how a sting of pain shot through his body and he sat up straight again.
"Legolas, my friend, I have heard of the unfortune that passed you on your journey," greeted Aragorn, sitting down beside the bed.
"So there has been. It is good to see you again, Aragorn," said the Elf, his eyes still unblinkingly focused on the man's face.
"It is good to see you are still alive ... one of your companions did not have that fortune," replied Aragorn, sadly narrowing his eyes.
"Yes ... Valens was a true friend indeed,... so sadly he had to end this way ... " Legloas had finally casted his eyes from Aragorn's face to his own hands, narrowing in pain.
Before Aragorn could reply, the door opened once more, and Arwen entered the room, carrying a bottle with silvery liquid.
Aragorn's face had stirred in shock at the sight of the Elf's injured body: blood had made a trail from Legolas' head to his chin, the half of an arrow was still stuck in his left shoulder and his smooth Elf armor was ripped, revealing a part of his bruised chest and legs.
"Bring him to the hospital wing, second stairs on the right!" demanded Aragorn, pointing in the direction of seven staircases.
The Centaur did as he wished and made his way to the hospital wing, while Aragorn re-entered the beautifully decorated Entrance Hall. His eyes darting from head to head, finally finding Gimli.
"Gimli!" called Aragorn, ignoring the guests that were bowing and greeting him, for he had no time for such nonsense.
The Dwarf Gimli looked up at the king, with a hopeful expression on his face. "Aragorn! You found him?" he asked.
"Yes, I have found Legolas indeed. Badly injured, carried by the Centaur you mentioned before. As far as I have seen, there were no other Elves nor beings accompanying him," told Aragorn hastily, already looking for the Centaur over the many heads.
"Where is he then?" Gimli asked, concerned and bemused.
"Alive I hope. I've sent the Centaur to the hospital wing in this citadel ... there he is!" Aragorn walked away from Gimli and moved trough the crowd towards the Centaur.
The Centaur, half man, half horse, had not the face of a human, but that of an Elf. His long hair braided and his ears pointed. His horse body was black and gray, his eyes deep green. He bowed for Aragorn. "King of Gondor, friend of Legolas, I am Fides of Lorien, son of Fastosus," the centaur introduced himself, still looking exhausted.
"Let's go to my private quarters, and meanwhile, tell me, Fides of Lorien, what happened on your journey?" Aragorn asked and lead the way to his quarters, while the Centaur told him what had happened.
"We traveled with 4 men, that includes me, Legolas and two Elves, from Lorien to Rivendell, to bring a message from Celeborn and Lady Galadriel to Elrond," he paused as Aragorn closed the door behind them. "Once in Rivendell, Legolas received the inventation to your wedding, and we suggested to accompany him on his journey. They went by horses, of course. But, when we arrived in the area of Rohan, a troop of Wargs, about 15 at least, attacked us, for no reason that I can recall. One of the Elves was biten to death ... one has gone towards the city of Rohan for help. Legolas has used Flaming Arrows to scare the Wargs off. Nevertheless, he was hurt badly and passed out. I wanted to continue to Rohan as well, but that would make me travel a huge forest if I had done so. The chance of being attacked was a risk I couldn't take. Therefor I took a shortcut to Minas Tirith instead," Fides finished.
Aragorn stayed quiet for a while, staring at his hands, deep in thought. "An Elf has been murdered by a Warg ... tell me, how come you are not injured?"
"The Wards did not attack me, as if they were only after the Elves. I tried to attack the Wargs, of course, I would do anything for Legolas ... " Fides said.
"Would you? What kept you from defending him, then?" asked Aragorn calmly.
"An Ent. I was held back by an Ent," answered Fides.
Aragorn frowned, opened his mouth, closed it again, frowning again. "An Ent? A living tree? The ones who stood at our side three years ago? Tell me, in what way must I see this? Have Wargs and Ents combined their powers for some kind of goal?"
"The answer to that question, I do not know. I only know that the Ent was not a friendly one as I'm familiar with," the Centaur replied, before there sounded a knock on the door.
"Enter," called Aragorn.
Fidelis entered. "My Lord, the one called Legolas has awoken and is asking for you."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Legolas had opened his eyes to the illuminating light in the white room he was laying in. The man that had sat beside him, reminded him of an Elf, but was with no doubt one of the Men, though visualy shorter. He suddenly remembered the dreadfull attack of the Wargs on his journey to Minas Tirith.
Not knowing it for sure, Legolas had questioned if he was indeed in Minas Tirith. The answer had been positive and he had asked for Aragorn.
The door of the room opened and Aragorn made his way in, closing the door behind him. Legolas was now sitting up and bowed, his eyes focused on Aragorn's face. He felt how a sting of pain shot through his body and he sat up straight again.
"Legolas, my friend, I have heard of the unfortune that passed you on your journey," greeted Aragorn, sitting down beside the bed.
"So there has been. It is good to see you again, Aragorn," said the Elf, his eyes still unblinkingly focused on the man's face.
"It is good to see you are still alive ... one of your companions did not have that fortune," replied Aragorn, sadly narrowing his eyes.
"Yes ... Valens was a true friend indeed,... so sadly he had to end this way ... " Legloas had finally casted his eyes from Aragorn's face to his own hands, narrowing in pain.
Before Aragorn could reply, the door opened once more, and Arwen entered the room, carrying a bottle with silvery liquid.