Woo, this chapter was hard to write. I think most of it's quite shit, but it will get better I promise! As much as I try to space writing the chapters over the week, I keeping finding myself furiously typing it on Friday night and Saturday mornings. Would you believe that there are more cinemas showing fucking Giggly err… Gigi umm… Gigli, than Ned Kelly?! What the fuck?! What is our obsession with bloody Americans with no personality invading this country? First that hairy thing (who I believe, along with Martin Keown, is the missing link between man and ape) sitting in a box, and now there's speculation that on the 44th day, he'll suddenly disappear and reappear in Trafalgar Square. Fine. Don't care. Here's a better idea, why don't you disappear now and reappear in America where people give a flying fuck. Then we let that god-awful excuse of a film (and that god-awful excuse for a couple) on our cinema screens! Aaaargh!
Chapter Ten: A Slow Recovery
It was a grey and gloomy morning and the dawn could barely break through the clouds. It was still raining, the water running down the window bleakly and Legolas gazed across the unfamiliar land uncomfortably. Dressed in Roi's clothes, the elf ran a hand through his blond locks tensely and his nervous pacing eventually woke his ill friend. Estel stared at him blearily, his head thumping more than ever and his skin flushed with fever, he moaned unintentionally, rubbing his eyes with a clammy hand.
"How do you fare?" He asked softly.
"I am fine." The young human lied, limping toward his friend.
Legolas glanced down at him. "You are a bad liar."
"There was a time when you thought different." He muttered, gazing out of the window. "It does not look the same as last night."
"The darkness alters many things." The elf replied softly, watching as Estel steadied himself against the windowsill. "I could not wake you from your dreams last night, I was worried."
He didn't reply and stared at the trees across the plain.
"Did he…?" Legolas questioned tentatively.
Estel turned to him, face blank. "As I said, he did not get the opportunity." He said calmly, before looking the floor. "He told what he was going to do though. Every last detail… I cannot- promise me that we shall never see them again."
Legolas knelt in front of him, and pulled his chin up so that their eyes met. His grey eyes were too sad and fearful for an eleven year-old, the sparkle that had threatened to return last night was nowhere to be seen. Instead there was a pleading that tugged at the prince's heart, a plea for hope.
"We shall not see them again." He replied firmly, barely believing it himself.
"You are a bad liar."
The fair elf closed his eyes, knowing it was they who had betrayed him, before kissing his unnaturally warm forehead gently and pulling him into a sombre hug.
"You are afraid we have become a sitting target, don't you?" He asked; voice muffled by his friend's shoulder. "We should move on before we are discovered. I do not wish to endanger this family."
Legolas pulled away and rested his forehead on Estel's. "You are too ill to go anywhere."
"I am well."
"No, if we set off when you are this feverish, you will only slow us down and get us caught. It is better if you are fit and able to bear arms if needed." He explained quietly.
"I cannot fight them! I am not strong enough." His voice squeaked with alarm.
"You are a fine swordsman, Estel. Strength is not the key, quick thinking is and that is why you must stay here until your fever passes and your injuries begin to heal." He whispered with a smile.
"Goblins are different. I am not afraid of them, but Carinyc and Raenir… I cannot face them again, Legolas. My hands start shaking just thinking about them." He mumbled, and the elf felt him tense and his breath quicken. "Can we not just sneak away, under the cover of darkness? We are both light enough on our feet to travel unnoticed-"
"Estel-"
"We could be back in Rivendell within the week-"
"Estel, no. You are light on your feet when you are well. I know you want to go home, but if we set off now… we will not get out of this land alive." Legolas spoke calmly, eyes locked with the frightened child's. "I'm sorry, but I will not risk it."
He nodded sadly, and stepped away, rubbing his neck uncomfortably and closing his eyes.
The blond prince frowned. "What is wrong?"
Opening his eyes, he peered at his friend groggily. "I feel so strange." He mumbled, trying to brace himself against the bed.
His knees buckled and he fell to the wooden floor with a thud, letting out a meek whimper as he rolled onto his back. Calling out for help, Legolas rushed to his side, the fever burning savagely.
An hour passed, and Legolas stood in the corner of the small bedroom, watching as Shana tended to him quietly. She glanced over at him cautiously from time to time, as if she were nervous of his presence now that her husband and son were not in the house. Estel laid in a sickly slumber, hands shaking and body sweating, his eyes barely closed.
"I feared it would get worse before it got better." She said softly.
"How ill is he?"
"He is in a bad way, this fever has taken quite a hold of him, but he should recover."
The elf sighed, running a hand through his long hair. "How long do think it will be until he makes a full recovery?"
"I could not say, if his fever breaks by tonight, then he will be on his feet in no time, but his injuries will not heal properly for a long while." Shana explained, turning to face the fair being.
Deep in his thoughts, he pursed his lips and walked toward them silently. "We must leave as soon as he feels well enough, it does not matter if his injuries have yet to heal, his father can take care of them."
"And who is his father? Do we not deserve to know more about you both?" The red haired woman asked more boldly. "I would never turn my back on those that need help, but I would feel more at ease if you were more than just 'Legolas and Estel from the north'."
Legolas paused, gazing at the slightly plump woman, her dark eyes glowing with question.
"I'm sorry, we are injured and exhausted, and in a strange land with people we dare not trust. From what I have seen, you are noble and kind-hearted, but please understand, I cannot reveal too much for our own safety." He replied softly. "Estel is the foster brother of my dear friends."
"He lives with elves?" She presumed wide-eyed.
"Yes, he has a foster father and two foster brothers who love him dearly that are no doubt searching tirelessly for us. Though I suspect they are not getting too far; the weather has made the ground rock hard so there will be few tracks to follow and our captors have been very careful." He explained grimly.
"But it has rained recently, surely that would have aided them?"
"I doubt it, I think we had travelled over one hundred and fifty miles before autumn finally came and the first rain in months fell. They are supremely skilled and are probably on our trail, but I do not think they will find us, especially after our escape into the river. It is a miracle I even found Estel after that." Legolas admitted quietly, pushing back a dark lock from the boy's clammy forehead. "I cannot give him the comfort he craves; he needs to see his family and his home again."
* * *
A few days passed, Estel recovered from his fever after some much-needed rest and Shana's seemingly never ending meals, and now was feeling stronger than he had in almost a week. He was still troubled by the deep wound from Carinyc's knife; sometimes becoming so painful that he could barely walk. It was very trying and his spirits were sinking lower than ever, not even Yolanda, who had taken quite a fancy to him, could make him smile. He rarely spoke to the family; his trust of anyone other than the elf had been severely destroyed, and could barely stand Shana touching him when she cleaned his gashes.
Legolas was becoming increasingly concerned about their position, though he did not speak of it; if Raenir and the others were hunting for them, which he was almost certain they were, their days of safety were indeed numbered. He had asked Roi to keep an eye out for anyone searching for them, and instructed him that if it was anyone other than an elf (in the unlikely event that Elrond and his sons reached them before Raenir did) then he should not tell them a thing. Each day, he and Kaimin would return with no news, and he relaxed, trying to comfort his despondent young companion with their report. He was still untrusting of these humans, it was not personal, but he continued to avoid their questions, preferring to care for Estel. The elf's own injuries still bothered him a little, his back was often quite stiff, as was Estel's, but his step was still as silent as the grave, which unnerved the family greatly. Yolanda was amazed by his hair, and the fair being sometimes had to sit uncomfortably as she tried to plait his blond tresses. Often, after the young human had fallen asleep, he would venture outside to gaze up at the stars as the family stared wide eyed at the gentle glow that emitted from him, and Roi and Kaimin would watch in awe when he practised his archery with the bow the shaggy haired man owned but rarely used.
It was on the fourth night that father and son had returned to the humble old house with grim faces. Legolas and Estel were sitting in the dining room, spirits a little higher now that the pain in the boy's hip was now fading into a dull ache. The fire burned gently, the warmth soothing on their still aching limbs and the dark haired youth had snuggled into Legolas' slender arms, and was now in an almost half slumber. Their boots clunked against the floor and came to a halt in the doorway. Kaimin looked down at his hands and Roi cleared his throat uncomfortably. Glancing at them, the elf's heart skipped and he unwittingly tightened his grip on Estel.
"Two men approached our fishing company this afternoon, they were asking everyone questions." Kaimin said quietly.
"What did they look like?" Estel asked, but he already knew it was them.
"Both had dark hair, and were tall and broad shouldered. One had deep brown eyes, the other's were cold blue." Roi replied. "I didn't like either, they had a nasty feel about them. They asked about a blond elf travelling with a young lad, said they weren't to be trusted. We told them we knew nothing and we weren't likely to see an elf in these parts, let alone an elf and a boy together…"
"But…" Legolas could tell in his voice that something was not right.
"I do not think they believed us." He said quietly, brushing his hand against his stubbly chin. "I fear that they followed us back to the village."
Legolas nodded gently, feeling his young friend's heart thumping hard in his chest. He thought this might happen. The fair elf rose to his feet quickly, and Estel followed suit, clinging to his arm anxiously.
"We must leave, and leave quickly." He announced.
Roi nodded and marched to the corridor, opening the door to a small cupboard. He pulled out two pairs of boots, and rummaged further inside, before eventually emerging with a smaller cloak.
"They are Kai's old things, I hope they fit."
Estel thanked him and tugged them on, although they were a little big, they were still reasonably comfortable. He glanced up at his friend and couldn't help but smile, no matter how afraid he was. Legolas was wearing heavy black boots, Roi's clothes were too big on his slender form, and the dark green cloak that he had just draped over his shoulders also dwarfed him.
"Very elegant, my dear elf." He smirked with unexpected mirth.
Legolas glared at him, but was warmed by his spirit. He suspected that although this situation was very dangerous for them both, he was glad to be making a move for home. Cuffing him playfully across the back of his head, they stalked toward the kitchen, where Shana was preparing some food and packing some other supplies into an old brown bag. She smiled anxiously at them and hastened her movements, Estel helping her.
"Kai, go and fetch your father's bow and a couple of his fishing knives. We could not send them out unarmed." She instructed.
The younger human nodded nervously and jogged toward the door.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
They all froze. Estel's eyes widened, the blunt butter knife shook in his hand until it finally fell, hitting the table with a clatter. Legolas glanced over at him and reached for his hand and Estel took it gratefully. They walked across the room slowly, only a very slight scraping noise from their unfamiliar heavy boots making a sound. He peered at Kaimin, who stood next to the front door, completely still.
"Is there another way out?" The elf whispered, hoping that he had somehow missed it when looking the other day.
Roi, who stood in the kitchen doorway, shook his head apologetically. "Hide in the attic, and I will get rid of them." He murmured.
Legolas glanced over at the door; it was Raenir and Carinyc, he could feel it, and agreed reluctantly. He led Estel silently into the corridor, amazed how quiet the young boy had managed to remain as he could tell he was absolutely petrified.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
They stopped halfway up the wooden stairs, and Estel let out a frightened squeak. It wasn't loud, but enough for Legolas to increase their pace, knowing that the longer they delayed opening the door, the more suspicious they would be. They climbed the smaller, winding steps to the attic and closed the small door behind them. Stepping across the blackened room, the moonlight creeping in from a small window the only light, they avoided boxes and other various unknown objects. Estel moved to the window and glanced down warily; he could see Carinyc standing a few feet from the door. He moved away quickly, and bumped into Legolas, who held him still against his body.
He heard the door open and Raenir's cold voice speaking. Estel was breathing hard, and he clasped a hand across his mouth. The elf's acute hearing could pick up most of what they were saying, and he heard another person speak. It was Kaimin. He frowned; listening to a slight clink and, whom he thought was Raenir, saying 'Thank you'. Footsteps were drawing closer and he took a deep breath.
"Ta naa neuma." He whispered. [It is a trap.]
TBC…
Mwahahahaha! You didn't think I could go more than a chapter without a cliffy, did you? There was a distinct lack of reviews this week *sniff* Don't you love me anymore? Who says I can't be neurotic?
Simbelmyn – Aaw, thank you! Though I warn you, getting addicted to my stories is like getting addicted to Heroin – it's a long hard road to recovery… but with no needles, so that's something. Rest…kind humans… hmm. Sorry, you'll have to wait and see how that turns out!
Lita of Jupiter – It was an accident! Pesky elves…like blood mice running off in different directions…bloody Galadriel…can't hurt me…mutter…mutter. I blamed you of course. I think she's gonna do that whole freaky mind speaking thing she does to you. Hehe. Oh, I don't think turning me into a fluffy bunny is a very good idea, I doubt I can post with paws…
TigerLily713 – That's a good idea… wait, do they have duct tape in Middle Earth? It's a fair question, I guess if sheep managed to get in there, duct tape may have too. A question for miss smarty-pants here: Can mute people burp?
Grumpy – I thought cliffies might get boring, but I couldn't resist it this time! I found Legless and stuck him back in there, he was trying to get a sneaky cigarette in before he found him… bloody poof. Can Aragorn read maps? I thought he just knew everything and didn't need to use one.
Jadelyn Rashwe – They're together, but trouble always comes of it, so should we be glad of their reunion? Hmm…
Alex Squirrel Mistress – It's a term of endearment! Honest… You started it dammit! But keep reviewing, they always make me giggle. Legolas has arrived, but I still can't find the others, I think they may have gone to a strip club in Ibiza…
Tithen Min – No need for randomness pills, just get me some Valium and we'll call it quits! Why is Dublin so treacherous for umbrellas? I opened a brand new one once and the top just flew off into the River Thames. Sigh. Oh, I could love Hugo in a dress, I could love him in anything (except perhaps a thong)