~ To start anew ~
by Ola
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A/N~ It's hot. Damn. It's. HOT!!! Jeez. A freaking furnace. And no air conditioning in my room. I'm gonna die. Okay, okay, now that I'm done with the complaining, I'll jump right into the "I'm so sorry phase." So sorry to make you wait so long, so sorry to make it less longer than the last chapter. *sigh*
So here is the next chapter, for anyone who's still reading, and haven't simply drifted off from lack of updates. *sigh again*
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Part 11~ Evil healers
"So who out-willed, out-stubborned, and out-glared whom?" Healer Vanyar stuck his head into Legolas's room, before the rest of him followed soon after, seeing that the 'war' was over and it was safe to enter the battleground.
Two pairs of blue-gray eyes swiveled to look at him, and he quickly raised his hands in surrender. One of those two elves was bad enough when provoked. But two? Together? That was asking for trouble. Major trouble. Even if it was mock-trouble. The healer grinned, remembering the countless times either the son or the father were his patient. Yes, those two are most definitely related!
"Stalemate then?" he hazarded when no answer was forthcoming. A few moments of silence later, he shrugged.
"So, how is my patient faring this fine spring morning?"
"Better."
The king snorted, and his son glowered at him before he rolled his eyes and shrugged as well.
"I've been better Vanyar, but it's not as bad as…before." The young prince seemed to turn his look inward for a moment, as if perceiving his past. What he found there was not much to his liking, for he returned to the present with a look of melancholy on his fair face, even as he smiled reassuringly at the two older elves.
"What can I do, besides drinking your evil brews I mean, to speed up the recovery?" Legolas quickly changed the subject, and his father pounced on this opportunity.
"You have to eat more. How wish you to regain your strength if you refuse to nourish your body?" the king's voice held no small amount of concern for the welfare of his offspring and Vanyar nodded, raising a hand to forestall any comment from the prince.
"No, hear me out youngling. Your father is right. You do have to eat in order to replenish the energy you lost. It will not appear out of thin air. Believe me when I tell you that I do w how hard it is to force yourself to eat while your stomach flips upside down at the very thought of food. But it is important for you to do it. The more you will eat, the easier it will be. But I fear that I cannot help you make the first step. No medicine will give you a heartier appetite; it unfortunately does not work that way. You can do nothing more before you regain at least a little of your strength back because at this moment, anything you would gain by exercising, you would automatically loose by weakening your body even further."
"I will try, although …" Legolas sighed, but did not finish his thought.
"That is all I ask."
King Thranduil then squeezed his son's shoulder and rose. "I will see you this evening sunshine. Take heart. All will be well." And with a final encouraging smile, he left the room to make his way into the council room, for the illness of his son had neither slowed petitioners from coming to see their kings nor destroyed the small bands of orcs lurking at the edge of Mirkwood. The world kept on turning, paying no heed to the beings that lived on it.
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Alone in the room with Vanyar, Legolas fell into silence, while the healer busied himself with preparing some medicine. Finally, he seemed to come to a certain decision, and spoke.
"Vanyar?"
"Yes youngling?"
"Has it ever bothered you when I…when I tease you and…make life difficult for you?" there was a strange note to his voice as if he was unsure of himself and half afraid of the answer.
"Now you ask me?" The healer said incredulously. "Youngling, I do not know what on Middle-Earth has made you ask me such a silly question. You are like a little brother to me, and I enjoy your taunting as much as I enjoy teasing you myself. I am very fond of you youngling, even during your…ah…more difficult temperaments." He flashed his teeth in an infectious grin that soon spread to the 'youngling' in question.
But as soon as Vanyar left on other errands, after having fed him a little more, Legolas returned to his previous thoughts and to the person who had prompted them. Lord Elrond. Why did he leave so suddenly this morning? Vanyar and father didn't seem to take anything amiss. What was it I said? Ah… "you evil healer." But it was a jest. Surely he did not take this seriously! This was not the first time I spoke such things, and never before had he taken offense.
Legolas stared out the window without seeing anything. He was too preoccupied with his own thoughts, and they wouldn't leave him alone until he found an answer that would hold true.
Surely he does not blame himself for…asking me all those questions a few days ago…It was certainly not pleasant in any way, but I understand now why he acted as he did. I was ready to strangle him then, had I only had the strength, or simply leave to the Halls of Mandos right there and then to stop him from tormenting me so. But now…Eru knows whether I would have made the same decisions had he not come to me that day. Perhaps I would still be laying in bed while those memories ate at my mind and refused to let me be in peace. Well, I still am in bed, but at least on the road to recovery, whatever that word may mean, concerning me.
But what if he does?
And what thinks he now that I called him an "evil healer"? Aii…
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Legolas vowed to talk to the Lord of Imladris, and draw the misunderstanding into the light. But as the days rolled by, he could not broach the subject. Not because he felt uncertain and unready, but because he could not catch the Eldar alone. Every time he came to see the prince, Lord Elrond was either accompanied by healer Vanyar or King Thranduil, and Legolas did not wish to raise their suspicion or to embarrass the Eldar in their presence. That would be no manner of an apology if it then required another to fix the new problem.
But the way Lord Elrond slipped out whenever Legolas was about to talk to him was so aggravating! Had the elf a sixth sense to know to the precise minute when he could enter the room without fear of being the only visitor? Argg!! This is so frustrating! And I cannot simply rise from bed and go looking for him, or corner him somewhere! And I would wager he knows very well that I wish to speak to him, and what the subject is as well. I cannot do anything about it, short of speaking to him in front of everyone, which I will not do. But I cannot leave it off like this! I cannot!
At that moment, there was a soft knock on the door before a little head stuck in from behind the wall. A head full of black hair from under which two huge gray eyes stared at him, no more than four feet from the floor.
Legolas looked back at the child, as a smile spread on his face.
I got you now, Lord of Imladris…
The smile grew into a mischievous grin that did not bode well for whoever might find himself at the receiving end of the…event.
A someone with long dark hair, pointy ears and twin sons, someone who has grown as nebulous as mist of late. Someone who will find himself 'somewhat' uncomfortable in a very short while…
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"Aaaaadaaaaa!!!" a ball of terrified energy burst into the Lord of Imladris' guest room. It stopped in the middle of the room and dissolved into Estel, face bright red with exertion, and unable to regain his breath. Lord Elrond was on his knees next to him in less than a heartbeat, holding his son by the shoulders to keep him from sagging. His mind whirled with all the possibilities of trouble, as his heart constricted painfully at seeing his son so distraught.
"Estel? What is it? What's wrong? Are you hurt? Estel?"
Estel finally looked up, his big eyes brimming with tears, and took one last, long shuddering breath before saying one word. One word that drained all blood from his ada's face.
"Legolas…"
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A/N~ so what did you think? *evil grin* Don't worry, the next part will be up in a week or less. =) in the meantime, please review, and thank you for all you lovely people who reviewed the last chapter! *hugs the reviews and waves happily*
