Chapter 3
Aragorn opened his eyes and blinked a couple of times. "Did it work?" he asked. He looked in the mirror. Disappointed, he only saw Legolas.
"Apparently not," Legolas muttered. His head was pounding and the bright flash of light had not helped anything.
"What happened? Gandalf, why didn't it work?"
"The spell was sealed with a very powerful kind of magic. It cannot be broken by me alone."
"Do you mean that we are stuck like this forever?" Legolas did not want to spend the rest of his life as a human. An hour was long enough for him, and he couldn't even remember why he wanted to know what it felt like to be human in the first place.
"Of course not. Where there is a problem, there is always an answer. We just have to find it." Gandalf gave an encouraging smile towards the distraught Legolas. He looked like he could use a little hope. In truth, he didn't know if the spell could be reversed, but he didn't want to tell the two that just yet. "I must consult with a few others, but never fear, we will solve this eventually." He gave another smile towards Legolas, but his eyes had a teasing glint to them. "Until then, I suggest that you do not stray far from the palace; you wouldn't want anyone to realize what had happened." His glance was teasing, but he was extremely serious. The knowledge that the prince of Mirkwood and the hope of the humans were in this position could be dangerous. Gandalf shuddered to think what could happen if the knowledge fell into the wrong hands. He shook himself from his dark thoughts and faced the friends. "I must take counsel with Lord Elrond. I shall see to this when I am done." He left quickly, hoping the two would be able to confine themselves to the enormous building.
After they heard the door snap shut softly behind him, Aragorn turned to Legolas. "So, what do you want to do?"
Legolas' glare was priceless. "What do you 'think' I feel like doing?"
"Well, you probably feel like going back to bed and sleeping for a million years, but where is the fun in that?"
"Out of everyone in Imladris I would expect you to understand. That medicine did not help. I feel worse than I did before."
"Well, while you sleep, I'm going to go find my brothers. They are always able to find something to do." He headed from the door. In the most mocking voice he could muster he said, "Feel better soon," before rushing out the door, never giving Legolas a chance to retaliate.
Aragorn stood outside the door for a few minutes, listening to Legolas mumble under his breath, every word of which Aragorn caught. 'I never realized how sharp elven hearing is. I have to start watching what I say in this house,' Aragorn thought to himself. He silently laughed, skipping down the hallway to Elladan's room. It was the place he would most likely find his two brothers. He was rewarded when he got there, for he found his brothers chatting merrily beside the fireplace next to Elladan's bed. He strode into the room, sitting between the two elves. "What are you talking about?" He was not ready for the response he got.
"Legolas!"
"What are you doing here?"
"Shouldn't you be with Estel?"
"You haven't left his side in days!"
"Are you feeling okay?" The last response was accompanied by Elrohir's hand brushing against his cheek and forehead, checking for the fever that he knew was not present.
"Estel kicked you out again, didn't he?" Aragorn figured they wouldn't believe him if he said otherwise, so he played along.
"Yes. Your brother can be very stubborn sometimes."
"Yes, we know." Elladan started laughing. "He can be as stubborn as an oliphant and as stupid as an orc sometimes."
"I know we haven't told you this, and promise you won't tell Estel we told you...." Elrohir looked to Aragorn for conformation that he wouldn't share whatever information he was privileged to; Aragorn nodded his head, urging him to continue. "Well, he was horseback riding in the woods one time, and he got lost. We found him, but he refused to come home until he could find his own way. We left him out there, waiting for two days. When we went back for him he had gotten so lost he had fallen down a cliff, and was unable to walk due to a sprained ankle. Still, he refused to ride with us."
"He had lost his own mount," Elladan added.
"Right. Anyway, he walked home on that ankle. It was swollen and blue for weeks, but he still refuses to admit that he was wrong for not riding back with us in the first place." By that time both twins were howling with laughter, but Aragorn's face started to turn red.
"What's wrong, Legolas? Did you not find it funny?" Aragorn laughed, but only because he thought of the different ways those two were going to pay for that. He no longer wondered how Legolas knew all those stories about him.
"Would you like to come to the main hall with us? There is a huge party tonight, and everyone's going to be there."
"Sure, just let me change my clothes. Is it okay if I meet you down there in fifteen minutes?" When the twins agreed to wait for him outside the main hall, Aragorn sprinted to his room, until he realized he didn't really have any clothes for him in his room. All of Legolas' clothes were in the guestroom. He went in there looking for the green dress clothes he had seen Legolas wear on occasion. He stopped in awe when he looked through Legolas' closet; it was so tidy and organized. He grabbed the clothes and put them on. He rushed into his room to check on Legolas.
"How do I look?" He turned around in a full circle in front of Legolas.
"Great, but your hair is messed up. Why are you dressed up?"
"There is a party downstairs that I'm going to."
"Oh." Legolas looked a little odd.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine." His words were soft and he sounded a little....hurt.
"Are you sure?" Aragorn couldn't figure out what was wrong. Legolas' face darkened for a second, but it instantly brightened.
"Come here, I'll braid your hair for you." Aragorn sat on the bed while Legolas tried to find the energy to sit up. He gently brushed all the tangles out and set to work. In a few minutes he handed Aragorn a mirror to let him admire his handiwork.
"Thanks. It looks great. I'll see you in a couple of hours. Do you still want me to come by if it's late at night?"
Legolas' face regained the look of sorrow. "No, I'll be fine. Just go and have fun." He watched Aragorn sprint towards the door, his heart aching to say what he felt but his pride denying it. He told himself he didn't need Aragorn to keep him company; he could entertain himself. However, he couldn't help feeling lonely as saw the door snap shut. The room instantly seemed a little colder and darker.
To be continued....
Author's Note: Thank you to all of my wonderful reviewers. You truly make writing fun.
Elfmage: Your reviews always brighten my day. Thank you so much!!! Hopefully the next chapter will have a little more angst in it.
Grumpy: The part with Aragorn not wanting to go bald (Chapter 2) wasn't even in the first draft. When I rewrote that I added it in. I'm glad you liked it.
OBStar20: Thanks for your review.
Deana: I was going to do that originally, but I changed my mind. I always appreciate your reviews, so thank you!
Aragorn opened his eyes and blinked a couple of times. "Did it work?" he asked. He looked in the mirror. Disappointed, he only saw Legolas.
"Apparently not," Legolas muttered. His head was pounding and the bright flash of light had not helped anything.
"What happened? Gandalf, why didn't it work?"
"The spell was sealed with a very powerful kind of magic. It cannot be broken by me alone."
"Do you mean that we are stuck like this forever?" Legolas did not want to spend the rest of his life as a human. An hour was long enough for him, and he couldn't even remember why he wanted to know what it felt like to be human in the first place.
"Of course not. Where there is a problem, there is always an answer. We just have to find it." Gandalf gave an encouraging smile towards the distraught Legolas. He looked like he could use a little hope. In truth, he didn't know if the spell could be reversed, but he didn't want to tell the two that just yet. "I must consult with a few others, but never fear, we will solve this eventually." He gave another smile towards Legolas, but his eyes had a teasing glint to them. "Until then, I suggest that you do not stray far from the palace; you wouldn't want anyone to realize what had happened." His glance was teasing, but he was extremely serious. The knowledge that the prince of Mirkwood and the hope of the humans were in this position could be dangerous. Gandalf shuddered to think what could happen if the knowledge fell into the wrong hands. He shook himself from his dark thoughts and faced the friends. "I must take counsel with Lord Elrond. I shall see to this when I am done." He left quickly, hoping the two would be able to confine themselves to the enormous building.
After they heard the door snap shut softly behind him, Aragorn turned to Legolas. "So, what do you want to do?"
Legolas' glare was priceless. "What do you 'think' I feel like doing?"
"Well, you probably feel like going back to bed and sleeping for a million years, but where is the fun in that?"
"Out of everyone in Imladris I would expect you to understand. That medicine did not help. I feel worse than I did before."
"Well, while you sleep, I'm going to go find my brothers. They are always able to find something to do." He headed from the door. In the most mocking voice he could muster he said, "Feel better soon," before rushing out the door, never giving Legolas a chance to retaliate.
Aragorn stood outside the door for a few minutes, listening to Legolas mumble under his breath, every word of which Aragorn caught. 'I never realized how sharp elven hearing is. I have to start watching what I say in this house,' Aragorn thought to himself. He silently laughed, skipping down the hallway to Elladan's room. It was the place he would most likely find his two brothers. He was rewarded when he got there, for he found his brothers chatting merrily beside the fireplace next to Elladan's bed. He strode into the room, sitting between the two elves. "What are you talking about?" He was not ready for the response he got.
"Legolas!"
"What are you doing here?"
"Shouldn't you be with Estel?"
"You haven't left his side in days!"
"Are you feeling okay?" The last response was accompanied by Elrohir's hand brushing against his cheek and forehead, checking for the fever that he knew was not present.
"Estel kicked you out again, didn't he?" Aragorn figured they wouldn't believe him if he said otherwise, so he played along.
"Yes. Your brother can be very stubborn sometimes."
"Yes, we know." Elladan started laughing. "He can be as stubborn as an oliphant and as stupid as an orc sometimes."
"I know we haven't told you this, and promise you won't tell Estel we told you...." Elrohir looked to Aragorn for conformation that he wouldn't share whatever information he was privileged to; Aragorn nodded his head, urging him to continue. "Well, he was horseback riding in the woods one time, and he got lost. We found him, but he refused to come home until he could find his own way. We left him out there, waiting for two days. When we went back for him he had gotten so lost he had fallen down a cliff, and was unable to walk due to a sprained ankle. Still, he refused to ride with us."
"He had lost his own mount," Elladan added.
"Right. Anyway, he walked home on that ankle. It was swollen and blue for weeks, but he still refuses to admit that he was wrong for not riding back with us in the first place." By that time both twins were howling with laughter, but Aragorn's face started to turn red.
"What's wrong, Legolas? Did you not find it funny?" Aragorn laughed, but only because he thought of the different ways those two were going to pay for that. He no longer wondered how Legolas knew all those stories about him.
"Would you like to come to the main hall with us? There is a huge party tonight, and everyone's going to be there."
"Sure, just let me change my clothes. Is it okay if I meet you down there in fifteen minutes?" When the twins agreed to wait for him outside the main hall, Aragorn sprinted to his room, until he realized he didn't really have any clothes for him in his room. All of Legolas' clothes were in the guestroom. He went in there looking for the green dress clothes he had seen Legolas wear on occasion. He stopped in awe when he looked through Legolas' closet; it was so tidy and organized. He grabbed the clothes and put them on. He rushed into his room to check on Legolas.
"How do I look?" He turned around in a full circle in front of Legolas.
"Great, but your hair is messed up. Why are you dressed up?"
"There is a party downstairs that I'm going to."
"Oh." Legolas looked a little odd.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine." His words were soft and he sounded a little....hurt.
"Are you sure?" Aragorn couldn't figure out what was wrong. Legolas' face darkened for a second, but it instantly brightened.
"Come here, I'll braid your hair for you." Aragorn sat on the bed while Legolas tried to find the energy to sit up. He gently brushed all the tangles out and set to work. In a few minutes he handed Aragorn a mirror to let him admire his handiwork.
"Thanks. It looks great. I'll see you in a couple of hours. Do you still want me to come by if it's late at night?"
Legolas' face regained the look of sorrow. "No, I'll be fine. Just go and have fun." He watched Aragorn sprint towards the door, his heart aching to say what he felt but his pride denying it. He told himself he didn't need Aragorn to keep him company; he could entertain himself. However, he couldn't help feeling lonely as saw the door snap shut. The room instantly seemed a little colder and darker.
To be continued....
Author's Note: Thank you to all of my wonderful reviewers. You truly make writing fun.
Elfmage: Your reviews always brighten my day. Thank you so much!!! Hopefully the next chapter will have a little more angst in it.
Grumpy: The part with Aragorn not wanting to go bald (Chapter 2) wasn't even in the first draft. When I rewrote that I added it in. I'm glad you liked it.
OBStar20: Thanks for your review.
Deana: I was going to do that originally, but I changed my mind. I always appreciate your reviews, so thank you!
