Just 10 more reviews till 100! Please review!

So many guesses in those reviews about what's wrong with Legolas! Many of you thought it was to do with his sister, Celeblaith, as that was his last thought. Nope, wrong! Heeheehee…

If you read on, you'll find out what's really wrong with our dear Prince. Go on, what are you waiting for?! ^_^

~Lainfaer~

Espel- We write cliffies cos we have to keep our readers interested! Thanks for reviewing! ^_^

EnglishMystic- Did I update soon enough? Thanks for reviewing! ^_^

Idril Miriel- I keep hurting him because it makes the story much more interesting! ^_^ Thanks for reviewing.

Kawaii ningen kitsune- Nope, not grief! New reviewer? Thanks for reviewing. ^_^

Deana- I posted it asap again for you! You can stop jumping now. Read on. ^_^

Elerrina- Yep, I am mean! Hee,hee,hee. No guess? That's not like you! Please read on, and you will find out what is wrong with him. ^_^

Gwyn- One of your guesses is right! Read on, and you will find out which one! You were the only person who guessed right though! I'll try and sort out the paragraph thing for you. ^_^

Chapter 24: Unpredictable. 

"Where's Legolas got to?" Elladan asked his brother, about half an hour later.

"I don't know Dan. He's been gone ages. Do you think he's ok?"
"He's been all right the past couple of days, but he is still tired. I'll go and look for him."

"I'll got his way." The twins walked off in opposite directions, easing their way through the large crowd.

"Have you seen Legolas recently?" Elladan asked Dolenmíl.

"Not since I danced with him, why?"
"I can't find him anywhere, and I'm starting to worry."
"I'm sure he's ok."
"He went out for some fresh air half an hour ago, and we haven't seen him since. What if something's happened to him?"
"He probably just wandered down to the gardens for a bit, you know what he's like. He'll be back soon, don't worry."

"Alright, thanks Dolenmíl." He walked off in the direction he last saw Legolas go.

He eventually came to the balcony, and there, he found Legolas. On the ground, eyes tight shut.

Elladan crouched down beside him. "Legs! Legolas, wake up!" He felt the Princes' forehead, and found it coated in a thin sheet of sweat. "Legolas, wake up!" He squeezed his shoulder but got no reaction.

"Damn!" He started cursing in every language he knew.

//Elrohir, Elrohir, can you hear me?//

{Yes.}

//I've found him. He's on the balcony, just to the right of the fireplace. Get out here quick.//

{On my way.}

The younger twin turned up shortly afterwards. Elladan had covered Legolas with his cloak. "Quick, get father. He's unconscious."

Elrohir ran back inside, pushing through everyone.

"Adar, Adar come quick, its Legolas!"

Elrond looked up at his son. "Elrohir? Slow down, what's happened?"
"Please just follow me, there's no time for explanations." He started running back to the balcony. "Come on!"

Elrond stood and followed him. The whole hall had gone silent now, wondering what in Middle-Earth had happened. They cleared a path for the Prince and his Father.

"He's not breathing!" Elladan said worryingly when they got back.

Elrond crouched down beside Legolas. "Legolas? Legolas, can you hear me?" He felt for a pulse. "Its very weak. Go and get a room ready Elrohir." Elrohir ran off again.

Dolenmíl suddenly appeared at the door. "What's happened?"
"Dolenmíl, make sure there is a clear path for us to get through. Legolas needs immediate help," Elrond instructed her. She turned round and started issuing orders to everyone to move out the way.

"Elladan, carry him for me. I need my things."

Rédethuil then came out. "Follow me," he said. "Prince Elrohir has found a nearby room."

Elladan lifted Legolas into his arms, and started walking back into the hall.

The Elves cleared a path for him, worried looks on their faces. It was completely silent, and the Mirkwood Elves looked more worried for their Prince.

They reached the available room, and Elladan gently laid Legolas down on the bed. Elrond quickly set to work.

"What's wrong with him?" Elrohir asked in a whisper to Gandalf.

"It's an after-effect of his fight with the Dagnir-o Lóre," Gandalf replied. "We thought he was ok, but clearly not."

Elrond was calmly whispering charms in Elvish over the Princes fevered face. A cool cloth was being washed over his forehead, trying to cool him down.

"Get this tunic off him," Elrond told his sons. They gently unlaced it, and gasped in horror.

Legolas' chest looked as if it was just one big bruise. From just below his shoulders to the top of his abdomen was a blackish purple colour.

"Poisoned?" Elladan asked fearfully.

"Yes," Elrond replied grimly. "The Dagnir-o Lóre must have got it into him somehow. It is slow-working, and causes the victim a lot of pain when it finally reaches its destination."
"Which is?" Elrohir asked, already fearing the worst.

"The lungs." 

****

Dolenmíl paced restlessly outside Legolas' room, her hands clasped behind her back. No news had been brought to her. He had only been in there a few minutes, but her heart was racing in her chest as she panicked about him.

//What happened out there?//

The door opened, and she stopped pacing. Elrohir stood there, tears clear in his eyes. She looked at him. "Elrohir?" she asked in a choked voice. "What's wrong with him?"
Elrohir rubbed his eyes and shut the door. "He's been poisoned," he replied softly, the tears breaking loose and running down his cheeks. 

"What?" she asked, not believing him. He nodded.

"It's clogging up his lungs and he can't breathe. If father doesn't act soon, he's going to effectively drown in whatever poison it is."
"Oh God no!" she cried, her tears falling. She fell to her knees, head in her hands.

Elrohir knelt down beside her and took her into his arms. She sobbed onto his shoulder, her heart breaking for her Prince in there.

"He's got to live, he's got be ok," she said between her sobs. "His father won't be able to stand the pain. And his mother…oh no! Celeblaith! He loves her so much! She'll grow up without an older brother." She continued to cry.

"He will be ok," Elrohir assured her, absently kissing the top of her head. "Adar is the Master of Healing. If anyone can save him, he can. He will," he corrected himself.

They waited outside, Elrohir still holding Dolenmíl close to him. Her sobbing had ceased, but she was still shaking in his arms. No one else was out there. They had all been ordered to remain in the hall, out of the way. The music had been carried on, but no one was dancing any more. All their minds were occupied with thoughts of Legolas, and what was wrong with him.

Elladan helped his father, passing necessary herbs, and potions to him. He was mixing it all in a bowl, whilst Gandalf bathed Legolas' forehead with the damp cloth.

"What are you going to do with that Adar?" Elladan asked him.

"Feed it to him. It is a poison itself, and it will hopefully displace the poison that was injected into him. Bit I have to get the amounts just right. If not, it could cause him more pain and damage, and he will probably die. His chances of living will definitely decrease at any rate."

Elladan bit his lip in worry. Elrohir had just gone out to tell Dolenmíl what was going on, and even though the closed door, he had heard her wail when she found out what could happen to him. "How come you did not see this before Adar?"

"Like I said, it is slow-working, and almost impossible to detect. Right, here goes. Make sure a bowl is here, as he will be sick," Elrond instructed his son.

Elladan knelt beside the bed with a bowl at the ready. He made sure Legolas' hair was all out the way.

Elrond poured the mixture into a smaller bowl, and placed it against Legolas' now blue lips. He had paled dramatically in the past minutes, and Elladan was growing increasingly more worried.

Elrond fed him some of the mixture, but Legolas wouldn't accept it. Elrond sighed. "Any ideas of how to get it into him? It'll just dribble out this way."

"We'll have to feed it to him ourselves," Elladan suggested.

"You had better do it, as you're closer to him. Be careful, do not swallow any, else you'll be the poisoned one." Elladan nodded, and passed the bowl to his father, who gave him the poison that could save his best friends' life. He took a few deep breaths, and put some into his mouth.

It was the foulest thing he had ever tasted. But he pushed the thought away, and leant over Legolas. He fed it into him, being careful not to swallow any of it himself. He was kissing his best friend to save him. He massaged Legolas' throat to force him to swallow it.

Once he had checked Legolas had swallowed every little drop, he took another mouthful and did it again. It took four full mouthfuls to empty the bowl. Then Elladan washed his mouth out thoroughly.

"Don't eat or drink anything for a while," his father told him from the floor beside Legolas' bed.

"Here, let me," Elladan said. He swapped places with his father, and waited for Legolas to be sick.

It soon came. Gandalf was on the other side of Legolas, so as soon as Legolas awoke, he pushed him gently towards the bowl. He rubbed his back as he coughed it all up.

"That's it, come on Legolas," Elladan encouraged. The stuff coming out was dark green in colour, and was thick and extremely disgusting.

It took a good minute or so for it all to leave Legolas' body. He then fell back against his pillow, out of breath and sweating profusely. Elladan gave the bowl to his father who got rid of it. He started bathing Legolas' forehead again, holding his hand at the same time. "There that's better," he whispered.

Legolas looked over at him. Elladan bathed his whole face. He smiled thinly. "Diolla lle," he whispered.

"Shh, you need to get your strength back. Get some sleep. I'll stay here," he promised. Legolas nodded weakly, and shut his eyes.

"Diolla lle Adar," Elladan whispered, looking over at Elrond.

The Elf-Lord smiled. "He's going to be ok now."

"I'll go and tell the other two," Gandalf said. He opened the door.

Elrohir and Dolenmíl looked up from their position on the floor. "What just happened?" Elrohir asked. "We heard someone being sick."
"It was Legolas. The poison is all out of him now. He's going to be fine." Dolenmíl breathed a sigh of relief and fell back against Elrohirs' chest, shutting her eyes. "Thank Eru," she sighed.

They went into the room as quietly as possible, and went stood behind Elladan, who was now on a chair. "Gandalf says he's going to be ok," Elrohir said softly.

Elladan nodded. "He's just sleeping now. That took all his energy."
"How did you make him sick it all up?" Dolenmíl asked him.

"We gave him another poison to counter the one in his body."
"How? He was unconscious?" Elrohir asked. 

"I had to give it to him, mouth to mouth. Anything to save his life."

"Well done big brother," Elrohir congratulated him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Dolenmíl kissed his cheek. "Thank you, for saving him," she whispered.

They stayed there a while longer, just watching Legolas sleep. "How did he get poisoned in the first place?" Dolenmíl asked.

"The Dagnir-o Lóre got it into him somehow when they were fighting," Elladan told her. "Perhaps when he grabbed his leg. That thing had bloody sharp claws!" They laughed softly.

****

"I don't know how I can ever repay you Dan," Legolas said a few days later. He was sat up in bed, plenty of pillows supporting him. Elladan sat beside him. They had been talking all morning. He had woken up two days after he had passed out, and was feeling much better.

"It's what any friend would do," Elladan replied, a faint blush rising to his cheeks.

"You saved my life."
"You saved Elrohirs', plus the whole population of Imladris, plus inhabitants from Mirkwood! I think we're quits now." Legolas laughed gently. Too hard would hurt his chest.

"Fine."

"You have nice lips by the way."
"Dan!"
"Just joking!" He grinned at Legolas' red face. "I can see why the girls like kissing you." He ducked to miss a slap round the head, but Legolas was expecting this. He aimed his other hand down, and managed to hit him. "Ow!"

"Shut up then!"
Elladan scowled, and then they burst out laughing together, Legolas flinching at his chest. "Ooh, ow, not too much laughter!"

That just made Elladan laugh harder.

So…he is ok. Of course! You don't think I would really kill Legolas did you? That is just illegal!

Chapter 25 coming when I get… 8 reviews. I think that's a fair deal! After this, there are only two chapters left, so we're nearly at the end! It's gone so quickly…

See you next chapter my lovely readers. ^_^

~Lainfaer~