Chapter 4
"Knock, knock." The gentle rapping roused Legolas from his thoughts, but it was unable to completely clear them from his mind.
"Estel, are you awake?" Elrond was concerned for his youngest son. Aragorn usually put up more of a fight when he had to stay in bed. He gently opened the door enough for him to stick his head through and check to see if the ranger was asleep. Instead, he found two silver eyes peering back at him. "May I come in?"
"Yes." The voice was rough, as was expected when he was sick, but it crackled a little in an unusual way. The ranger's nose was a little red, which surprised Elrond because the ranger had not complained of a congested nose. However, he realized with a start that his son had been crying. He had never seen the ranger cry since he was a child.
"My child, what is wrong?"
"Nothing, Lord Elrond." Legolas may not have realized his mistake, but Elrond did. He had never heard Estel call him Elrond, and most certainly not Lord Elrond. However, he wisely said nothing.
"What troubles you?"
"Nothing." Again, Elrond did not fall for it. He could tell that the ranger was hurting, but he couldn't pinpoint why.
"Are you not feeling any better?"
"No. Honestly, I feel worse." That did it. Elrond went into a semi-panicked state as he realized this was not his son. Aragorn would never openly admit to being ill, even if he was on his deathbed. Elrond took a good look at the man in front of him. He was not Estel, but he felt familiar, somehow.
"Well, why don't you tell me what's bothering you, and maybe you'll feel better."
Legolas knew he wasn't talking about his physical hurts, but he ignored the question. "My head hurts and I feel sore all over." He also couldn't stop the shudder that went down his body. Elrond saw it, and brought his hand to Legolas' face.
"Hmm, your fever is rising." Elrond couldn't help his frown. He didn't want to worry Legolas, but his fever should be dropping, not rising if he was indeed recovering.
"How was the party?" The words were soft, barely whispered, but Elrond was able to catch them. He finally realized what was bothering the person lying on the bed.
"It is still not over. Everyone is having a good time, I think." He studied the face in front of him carefully. "Everyone except one."
"My lord?"
"I know you feel left out being stuck in bed, but some things can not be helped." He studied the face really deeply, until realization hit him. "Don't worry, Legolas, you will feel better soon, and then you can join everyone else at the party. I really don't think you missed much."
"Thank you, my lord."
"Get some rest. Goodnight." He rose gracefully to his feet and excited the room. Only after he left did Legolas realize the implication of his words. He stared at the door, wondering how Elrond knew.
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Aragorn was trying to be as quiet as possible as he stepped up to his room. The party had not ended until late in the night, and he was one of the last to leave. When he got to the door of the guestroom he threw himself on the bed. He was exhausted, but not like he usually was. 'Elves are so lucky; they do not get as tired as humans,' he muttered to himself. At that thought, Aragorn felt a pang of guilt. He got up quietly and crept into the next room. He watched his best friend sleep, snoring softly. The pang grew stronger. He felt awful for what he had done to Legolas. As he looked closer, he saw tear marks running down his face. "I'm sorry, mellon-nin," he quietly whispered. "I'm so sorry." Aragorn felt like crying himself. He knew how hurtful it was to have all of your friends leave you out of something. He also knew that Legolas would never leave and go to a party without him. Aragorn knew he should have stayed by Legolas' side that night. However, there was nothing he could do about it now. As a tear ran down his cheek he silently pleaded for Legolas' forgiveness.
Legolas had felt the presence of another in his room. He woke up when he felt a small drop of water hit his face. He could hear sobbing in the background. "Please forgive me mellon-nin." It rang in his ears. He realized what was happening, but he was too tired and sore to do much. He could barely open his eyes. As he fell back asleep, he muttered three little words, almost semiconsciously: "I forgive you."
For a moment he thought his ears were playing tricks on him, but Aragorn was sure he heard those three words. He smiled to himself a little. "Thank you, Legolas." He got up and retired to his room. The guilt was still there, but it had lessened greatly.
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The next morning Legolas awoke to find that Aragorn was asleep in a chair in the corner. He looked exhausted, if that was possible for an elf. Legolas quietly picked up the book that he had been reading earlier and patiently waited for Aragorn to wake. He was still asleep when the twins brought Legolas breakfast.
"Shh, Estel may not be up yet," Elladan cautioned his younger twin. However, he found the ranger sitting up when he arrived with the tray. He opened his mouth to give a loud greeting, but was silenced when Legolas put a finger to his lips. He gave a meaningful glance to the figure in the corner of the room.
"Sorry, we didn't notice." Elladan glanced at whom he thought to be Legolas. "What did you do to him? Did you drug him because he wouldn't stop bothering you?" Legolas softly laughed and shook his head.
"I should be asking you. I've never seen him that tired before. What happened at that party?" At the mention of the party the two twins looked at each other.
"You know, he drank a lot of wine last night," Elrohir had a wicked glint in his eyes. Elladan caught on quickly.
"I've never seen him drink so much before. I'd imagine that he will have huge hangover this morning." His eyes gained the same look as Elrohir's.
"What are you guys going to do?" Legolas was starting to fear for his friend. He remembered the first time he had too much to drink. The twins had pulled the meanest prank they could think of.
"Elrohir, go fill the bath with some cold water." As Elrohir started running the presumably near freezing water in the next room, Elladan got some rope and started tying Aragorn's hands and feet together. When Legolas started to laugh, Elladan gave him a threatening glare. "I know you are sick, but if you ruin this for us you will wish you had never been born." Legolas immediately stifled his laughter. "Elrohir, are you ready yet?" Elladan softly called.
"Ready." The two grabbed Aragorn, instantly waking him. he struggled against his captors, but he was terrified to find that his limbs were tied together. He had no time for his groggy mind to comprehend what was happening before Legolas heard a huge splash. Aragorn found himself extremely cold and wet; however it was his aching head that hit him first. The twins' loud laughter did not help matters. He moaned slightly under his breath, which only increased the twins' mocking.
"What happened last night, Legolas?"
"We haven't seen you get drunk since...uh..." Elrohir had to pause mid-sentance, thinking extremely hard.
"I don't think we have since that first time."
"And that was hundreds of years ago!" The entire time Aragorn glared at Legolas, who could only look back, puzzled.
"I'm going to go change my clothes," he said in a huff before storming out of the room.
When he returned the twins had left, hoping to escape before Aragorn got back.
"How come you never told me that elves could get drunk," he shouted. He winced, the sound making his head pound more.
"Excuse me?" Legolas was extremely nonplussed. He couldn't understand how this was somehow his fault.
"You always boasted about how elves couldn't get drunk. I would have watched how much I drank last night if I knew they could."
If Legolas had not been so furious he would have found it funny. "One, I did not expect you to ever be an elf. Two, you should have watched your alcohol intake anyway. Three, how could you not know. You grew up around elves! You've never noticed someone becoming a little tipsy when they had too much to drink?"
Aragorn looked a little taken aback and embarrassed. He knew he should have known, but he hadn't been thinking at the time. He had always thought the elves were invincible to all the little things that bothered humans; it was hard for him to accept that they weren't perfect. He had been really excited to become an elf, even if he knew it wasn't permanent. He had thought that with Legolas' body came absolute freedom. Freedom from pain, worry about his health, and many other things. Now he wasn't so sure. While he pondered this Legolas changed the subject.
"Do you want some breakfast? I'm not very hungry; you can have mine."
Aragorn studied his friend carefully. "Are you sure that you don't want it? Are you not feeling any better?"
"No, I feel fine," Legolas lied. "I just thought you might want some so you wouldn't have to walk all the way downstairs to get something to eat." He tried to smile a little more so that Aragorn wouldn't notice how badly he felt. "Actually, I feel a lot better. Maybe I can get out of bed today?" Legolas didn't know what possessed him to say that, because it was the opposite of what he wanted to do. However, as many times as he told Aragorn that he didn't consider him weak while he was sick, Legolas felt he had to prove that he wasn't as feeble as everyone thought he was.
"If Ada says it's okay." Aragorn's worry increased, but he didn't say anything about his concerns.
"Great! Do you want this piece of toast?" He paused for a second, "And do you want to explain to me why you were in my room this morning?"
"I couldn't sleep. The glow that elves have is so annoying!" Legolas laughed as Aragorn started rambling about how the light prevented him from getting his sleep.
The two chatted amicably until Elrond came to check on Legolas. They waited anxiously for his verdict.
To be continued....
Author's note: Again, not what I really wanted, but I guess it will have to do.
Deana: At least I made Aragorn feel guilty over leaving Legolas. (I couldn't imagine him not feeling bad over that.) Thanks for your review.
Websterans: Thanks for your review. I usually have a little trouble keeping our worlds apart. I will try to do better in the next chapters.
Elfmage: Again, thank you so much for your review. They really mean a lot to me.
Soul: Yes, poor Legolas. Fanfiction writers are always picking on him. lol
Grumpy: Thanks again for your review. I'm not quite ready for them to switch back yet.
"Knock, knock." The gentle rapping roused Legolas from his thoughts, but it was unable to completely clear them from his mind.
"Estel, are you awake?" Elrond was concerned for his youngest son. Aragorn usually put up more of a fight when he had to stay in bed. He gently opened the door enough for him to stick his head through and check to see if the ranger was asleep. Instead, he found two silver eyes peering back at him. "May I come in?"
"Yes." The voice was rough, as was expected when he was sick, but it crackled a little in an unusual way. The ranger's nose was a little red, which surprised Elrond because the ranger had not complained of a congested nose. However, he realized with a start that his son had been crying. He had never seen the ranger cry since he was a child.
"My child, what is wrong?"
"Nothing, Lord Elrond." Legolas may not have realized his mistake, but Elrond did. He had never heard Estel call him Elrond, and most certainly not Lord Elrond. However, he wisely said nothing.
"What troubles you?"
"Nothing." Again, Elrond did not fall for it. He could tell that the ranger was hurting, but he couldn't pinpoint why.
"Are you not feeling any better?"
"No. Honestly, I feel worse." That did it. Elrond went into a semi-panicked state as he realized this was not his son. Aragorn would never openly admit to being ill, even if he was on his deathbed. Elrond took a good look at the man in front of him. He was not Estel, but he felt familiar, somehow.
"Well, why don't you tell me what's bothering you, and maybe you'll feel better."
Legolas knew he wasn't talking about his physical hurts, but he ignored the question. "My head hurts and I feel sore all over." He also couldn't stop the shudder that went down his body. Elrond saw it, and brought his hand to Legolas' face.
"Hmm, your fever is rising." Elrond couldn't help his frown. He didn't want to worry Legolas, but his fever should be dropping, not rising if he was indeed recovering.
"How was the party?" The words were soft, barely whispered, but Elrond was able to catch them. He finally realized what was bothering the person lying on the bed.
"It is still not over. Everyone is having a good time, I think." He studied the face in front of him carefully. "Everyone except one."
"My lord?"
"I know you feel left out being stuck in bed, but some things can not be helped." He studied the face really deeply, until realization hit him. "Don't worry, Legolas, you will feel better soon, and then you can join everyone else at the party. I really don't think you missed much."
"Thank you, my lord."
"Get some rest. Goodnight." He rose gracefully to his feet and excited the room. Only after he left did Legolas realize the implication of his words. He stared at the door, wondering how Elrond knew.
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Aragorn was trying to be as quiet as possible as he stepped up to his room. The party had not ended until late in the night, and he was one of the last to leave. When he got to the door of the guestroom he threw himself on the bed. He was exhausted, but not like he usually was. 'Elves are so lucky; they do not get as tired as humans,' he muttered to himself. At that thought, Aragorn felt a pang of guilt. He got up quietly and crept into the next room. He watched his best friend sleep, snoring softly. The pang grew stronger. He felt awful for what he had done to Legolas. As he looked closer, he saw tear marks running down his face. "I'm sorry, mellon-nin," he quietly whispered. "I'm so sorry." Aragorn felt like crying himself. He knew how hurtful it was to have all of your friends leave you out of something. He also knew that Legolas would never leave and go to a party without him. Aragorn knew he should have stayed by Legolas' side that night. However, there was nothing he could do about it now. As a tear ran down his cheek he silently pleaded for Legolas' forgiveness.
Legolas had felt the presence of another in his room. He woke up when he felt a small drop of water hit his face. He could hear sobbing in the background. "Please forgive me mellon-nin." It rang in his ears. He realized what was happening, but he was too tired and sore to do much. He could barely open his eyes. As he fell back asleep, he muttered three little words, almost semiconsciously: "I forgive you."
For a moment he thought his ears were playing tricks on him, but Aragorn was sure he heard those three words. He smiled to himself a little. "Thank you, Legolas." He got up and retired to his room. The guilt was still there, but it had lessened greatly.
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The next morning Legolas awoke to find that Aragorn was asleep in a chair in the corner. He looked exhausted, if that was possible for an elf. Legolas quietly picked up the book that he had been reading earlier and patiently waited for Aragorn to wake. He was still asleep when the twins brought Legolas breakfast.
"Shh, Estel may not be up yet," Elladan cautioned his younger twin. However, he found the ranger sitting up when he arrived with the tray. He opened his mouth to give a loud greeting, but was silenced when Legolas put a finger to his lips. He gave a meaningful glance to the figure in the corner of the room.
"Sorry, we didn't notice." Elladan glanced at whom he thought to be Legolas. "What did you do to him? Did you drug him because he wouldn't stop bothering you?" Legolas softly laughed and shook his head.
"I should be asking you. I've never seen him that tired before. What happened at that party?" At the mention of the party the two twins looked at each other.
"You know, he drank a lot of wine last night," Elrohir had a wicked glint in his eyes. Elladan caught on quickly.
"I've never seen him drink so much before. I'd imagine that he will have huge hangover this morning." His eyes gained the same look as Elrohir's.
"What are you guys going to do?" Legolas was starting to fear for his friend. He remembered the first time he had too much to drink. The twins had pulled the meanest prank they could think of.
"Elrohir, go fill the bath with some cold water." As Elrohir started running the presumably near freezing water in the next room, Elladan got some rope and started tying Aragorn's hands and feet together. When Legolas started to laugh, Elladan gave him a threatening glare. "I know you are sick, but if you ruin this for us you will wish you had never been born." Legolas immediately stifled his laughter. "Elrohir, are you ready yet?" Elladan softly called.
"Ready." The two grabbed Aragorn, instantly waking him. he struggled against his captors, but he was terrified to find that his limbs were tied together. He had no time for his groggy mind to comprehend what was happening before Legolas heard a huge splash. Aragorn found himself extremely cold and wet; however it was his aching head that hit him first. The twins' loud laughter did not help matters. He moaned slightly under his breath, which only increased the twins' mocking.
"What happened last night, Legolas?"
"We haven't seen you get drunk since...uh..." Elrohir had to pause mid-sentance, thinking extremely hard.
"I don't think we have since that first time."
"And that was hundreds of years ago!" The entire time Aragorn glared at Legolas, who could only look back, puzzled.
"I'm going to go change my clothes," he said in a huff before storming out of the room.
When he returned the twins had left, hoping to escape before Aragorn got back.
"How come you never told me that elves could get drunk," he shouted. He winced, the sound making his head pound more.
"Excuse me?" Legolas was extremely nonplussed. He couldn't understand how this was somehow his fault.
"You always boasted about how elves couldn't get drunk. I would have watched how much I drank last night if I knew they could."
If Legolas had not been so furious he would have found it funny. "One, I did not expect you to ever be an elf. Two, you should have watched your alcohol intake anyway. Three, how could you not know. You grew up around elves! You've never noticed someone becoming a little tipsy when they had too much to drink?"
Aragorn looked a little taken aback and embarrassed. He knew he should have known, but he hadn't been thinking at the time. He had always thought the elves were invincible to all the little things that bothered humans; it was hard for him to accept that they weren't perfect. He had been really excited to become an elf, even if he knew it wasn't permanent. He had thought that with Legolas' body came absolute freedom. Freedom from pain, worry about his health, and many other things. Now he wasn't so sure. While he pondered this Legolas changed the subject.
"Do you want some breakfast? I'm not very hungry; you can have mine."
Aragorn studied his friend carefully. "Are you sure that you don't want it? Are you not feeling any better?"
"No, I feel fine," Legolas lied. "I just thought you might want some so you wouldn't have to walk all the way downstairs to get something to eat." He tried to smile a little more so that Aragorn wouldn't notice how badly he felt. "Actually, I feel a lot better. Maybe I can get out of bed today?" Legolas didn't know what possessed him to say that, because it was the opposite of what he wanted to do. However, as many times as he told Aragorn that he didn't consider him weak while he was sick, Legolas felt he had to prove that he wasn't as feeble as everyone thought he was.
"If Ada says it's okay." Aragorn's worry increased, but he didn't say anything about his concerns.
"Great! Do you want this piece of toast?" He paused for a second, "And do you want to explain to me why you were in my room this morning?"
"I couldn't sleep. The glow that elves have is so annoying!" Legolas laughed as Aragorn started rambling about how the light prevented him from getting his sleep.
The two chatted amicably until Elrond came to check on Legolas. They waited anxiously for his verdict.
To be continued....
Author's note: Again, not what I really wanted, but I guess it will have to do.
Deana: At least I made Aragorn feel guilty over leaving Legolas. (I couldn't imagine him not feeling bad over that.) Thanks for your review.
Websterans: Thanks for your review. I usually have a little trouble keeping our worlds apart. I will try to do better in the next chapters.
Elfmage: Again, thank you so much for your review. They really mean a lot to me.
Soul: Yes, poor Legolas. Fanfiction writers are always picking on him. lol
Grumpy: Thanks again for your review. I'm not quite ready for them to switch back yet.
