A CONSPIRACY UNMASKED
By : mirkwood-elf-2931


CHAPTER 4


The knife was plunging downward, so the she-Elf shut her eyes tightly. The usual stinging, hot pain caused by a stab wound that she had felt before, however, never came. The second after she had blocked her vision, another figure came up behind, this one much taller and so silent the being in front of it heard nothing, as its head was jerked upward and its throat was slit.

A thud near Landailyn's feet made her crack an eye open to see what had happened. It was the familiar silhouette of Legolas.

"Come on!" He held his hand out to help her up.

She took it, grabbing up her knives from where they had fallen and together they exited the cave, half jumping, half climbing for their lives down the mountain side, as more of the enemy poured out and soon completely filled the Orcish domicile they had just left behind.

"Athron! Ahadathyn!" Legolas called for their waiting steeds, back tracking eastward full speed toward the wood where they had come from.

Still lightheaded and growing dizzy, Landailyn was trying her best to keep from this and keep up with the prince. And just when she thought she was going to make it all right to her own transportation, arrows began reining down all around them, sticking into the ground near their feet, into tree trunks and disappearing into the foliage on either side of them.

Directly ahead, the two horses neighed loud and clear, letting their Elven masters know their position and were soon both in sight.

Landailyn dodged and weaved around the thick bolts without too much difficulty, only stumbling a few times. However, this task was much less difficult for Legolas, who hadn't been injured in the slightest and easily vaulted up into his saddle. Landailyn climbed upon her steed more slowly though, even if they didn't have the time, she felt she didn't have the strength to move any faster.

Angry cries from the building army could be heard closing in back of them; the two were being followed as much was expected. But their horses raced away at top speed until their gait could go no stronger, and with Legolas checking from time to time, a pleasing conclusion was eventually made. "I think we've lost them."

"Thank the Valar." Was all Landailyn was able to utter, somehow still managing to keep from passing out.


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Several soldiers talked amongst themselves, watching in worry, as their temporary charge paced the south edge of the camp. It had been over an hour since they had left the prince and captain. What was taking them so long? Just when Romendis was ready to send out a small search party, the galloping of hooves raised all pointed ears to alertness.

A mare and a stallion, Ahadathyn and Athron, almost glowed in the moonlight with their bright white coats, as the figures riding upon their backs also should have been, but their inner light was barely there. They had toned it down, as they made their getaway into the darkness, so the Orcs could not make them out as well beneath the boughs of the full topped trees.

"My lord! Captain!" At least six other Elves besides Romendis ran to meet them.

"We're all right, we're fine." Landailyn assured them, once on the ground; ignoring her slowly worsening condition. "We were just sort of...noticed. See that more watchers are set; we're sure we've lost them, but they may trace us back to this location."

"Aye, but...are you sure you're all right? You do not look...Captain!"

As Legolas' led his horse northward, his head snapped over westward at an abrupt commotion. He couldn't see exactly what was going on from so many gathered Elves in the way, but he could see that Romendis was kneeling in the grass, the same spot where his captain had just been talking to him. Captain, he thought. And then it hit him. "Landailyn!" He squeezed through the crowd to get to her; soon seeing for himself that she lay on her stomach, eyes closed. "What happened?!" He demanded.

"We were talking and s-she…she collapsed!" Romendis stuttered. "I swear I did not notice her injury..."

"Neither did I." The prince confessed quietly, dropping to his knees next to his friend. In the cave he hadn't actually seen her take the blow to her head, but now he knew why she had been on the floor in the first place and had needed aid. He chided himself for not taking better note to her lack of coordination. Then again, they had both been a bit preoccupied with running for their lives. "Landailyn, you must wake up!" Legolas smoothed back the fair tresses that had fallen over her cheek, talking to her all the while. He needed her to be conscious, for whatever kind head trauma had occurred could be deadly. "Come on, please..."

Romendis stood. "Go, give us some room! Summon a healer!" He ordered those who were merely standing around doing nothing to help the scene. As he reached the ground again, he heard a quiet moan come from the she-Elf's lips; at least one good sign.

"That's it," Whispered Legolas. "Now open your eyes for me."

Landailyn knew that her friend was right next to her, she could feel his touch, even though his voice sounded small and far away. But she understood his words and therefore knew what he wanted her to do; only her eyelids felt so incredibly heavy that she didn't think at the moment she would be able carry out this request. But she would try with all the strength she could muster to open them, if that was what the prince wished of her.

"Landailyn, come on!" Legolas was afraid he was losing her, not only back to unconsciousness, but to a fate that he could not bare, when finally relief spread through him as her eyes flitted open.

Only a few seconds after, a woman appeared across him, but she carried nothing with her, with the exception of a small glass vile in her palm of what looked like crushed red leaves. She had brought this only as she was informed by some of the frantic warriors that Romendis had sent off, that the captain would not fully wake.

Smiling, the prince made Landailyn keep her confused gaze on him, while the elder she-Elf checked her over, determining her symptoms.

"Was she struck in the head?"

Before Legolas could answer, the captain was murmuring in Elvish, for it seemed much easier to speak when she was unable to think as clearly as normal. "Yes, by…a spear handle…"

Knowing for sure now, fortunately the healer had dealt with what Landailyn had a few times before and would know how to treat her. "Well, I say she has a concussion then, but it is a closed injury, so I will not be able to tell how serious it is, until she shows more signs." Yet there was one thing she could check for at that moment, which was if any memory loss had occurred. "Landailyn? Do you know where you are?"

"Camp...at the Enchanted River..."

"Good." Then she looked up at Legolas, giving him quick, hushed instructions. "My lord, I would not advise she be moved from this spot. Watch her closely. And do not let her go to sleep no matter how much she wishes to. There is really nothing I can do now, but I will be back to check on her often."

He nodded. "Thank you, Laianna."

Landailyn tried not to listen to the noise going on around her. She felt as if she had been heavily drugged and the substance was just wearing off, which produced a massive headache. And adding to her head pounding, her entire body now felt completely drained of all her original strength, rendering her listless. And even though repeated to her several times that she absolutely could not go sleep, it was all she wanted to do; to give in and be oblivious to this accursed unpleasantness.

Over the following minutes, her eyes would close for a split second and reopen. Five seconds later, the same thing happened and again some seconds after that. Landailyn wondered how long she could keep this up, before she simply became unconscious again and never awoke, not even for Legolas.

Soon the prince in mind was back, laying out his bedroll next to her and covering her with his Lorien cloak. And then he started in talking to her, which didn't help at all. Now she wanted to go to sleep to his soft, nonstop voice. But she let him talk; for a couple of hours.

"Legolas,"

The older Elf closed his mouth, realizing his companion had just spoken up for the first time, since she had been brought out of unconsciousness.

"How much longer...ere I may actually sleep?"

He smiled sadly, as her drooping lids half covered eyes that stared blankly back at him. "Laianna didn't say. I'm sure it will be a while, but I'll go check." He stood from his sitting position on the makeshift bed. "Promise me you won't…?"

"I promise."

Legolas eyed her as he walked away, but her lids remained open and blinking.

The Elven girl tried very hard to keep to this promise. She had to stay awake; she had to for her friend. She hated when he was worried and fussing over her. Trying to drown out the soothing sounds of the forest surrounding the camp, so they would not put her to sleep, she heard voices some feet left of her. They were two males and they sounded like ones she had spoken to recently. Ah yes, two of the young four that had snuck along, she thought, but what were they talking about? Something strange, something...dangerous.

"DON'T...!" She turned her head quickly to the opposite side from which she faced to see the pair from where she lay and immediately wished she hadn't. Intense, sharp pains shot through her whole head, nearly causing her to black out. She was even ready to cry aloud, not caring who heard it; when not quickly enough did the panging subside to more dull throbbing behind her eyes.

Echorren and Nylaro froze, looking back at her with wide guilty eyes, as her face wrinkled in great discomfort, realizing the pain she was in was their fault.

But she didn't make even a whimper.

"Do you not see the water...is black." She breathed the words with slight difficulty, rather than actually said them; just as when one is short of breath after a long run. "It is cursed. And is said that anyone...who comes into contact with it will fall…into a deep sleep. Do not touch it."

"Sorry, we...we didn't know..." Said Nylaro, glancing back down at it.

"Just be more careful."

"We'll try." Echorren agreed, extremely relieved they had been cautioned and had not put their hands into the river.

Meanwhile, the other young male watched Landailyn curiously. "Captain, what happened to you?"

She smiled faintly, her eyes slowly closing. The movement of her head and this much speaking was easily wearing her out. "It seems Orcish spear handles...are made very thick." And soon the smile disappeared completely, but neither of the Elves at the river's edge seemed to take notice. They went back to talking, playfully arguing over whose idea it had been to bother the water and only did they look over once more, when someone walked very hurriedly in their direction. Something had alarmed and apparently feared the Prince of Mirkwood.

"Landailyn!" He sank down at her right, cupping her face in his hands, but the she-Elf didn't make any signs of consciousness. "No, you promised..." Legolas did everything he could, but this time she wouldn't wake for him. "Laianna!" He yelled over his shoulder for help.

There had also been a change in her breathing rate. It had become considerably lower; or one could say it was hardly there at all.

Nylaro and Echorren stood in shocked silence, looking at one another and wearing frightened faces, wondering if this too was their fault.

As gently as possible, Legolas rolled her over on her back, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and cradling her head at the bend of his elbow. He swallowed hard. "Don't worry, you know I won't let anything happen to you."

The healer came more swiftly than the first time and with the same single supply as before. Bringing out the little vile containing a strong scented herb, she waved it under Landailyn's nose.

At this shock, the unconscious girl's eyes were forced wide open and she gasped in air for her starved lungs, all as her own body's reaction. Seeing the familiar woman and the prince there, she realized what she had done. "I'm sorry...I couldn't..." Many tears ran down her temples and into the half braided part of her hair.

Supporting her firmly, Legolas rocked her slightly to soothe her anxiety. "It's okay, you're all right now." He paused, looking up hopefully at Laianna. "Is she not?"

"I believe so," She sighed from the relief. "But as I said, I will only be able to tell in long term. I am afraid mild symptoms can sometimes last up to weeks."

"Weeks?!" It was Landailyn who protested, not Legolas, as the healer had expected that he would be the one to speak up first in concern.

"That could only mean minor things such as headaches, fatigue, poor attention and lightheadedness; not necessarily loss of consciousness."

This list of physical abnormalities that an Elf usually did not experience, blackouts or not, was displeasing for her to have to hear. Landailyn had a job to do and did not need these 'interruptions' occurring when she least expected them to.

"Shhh, relax." Legolas bid his friend quietly.

The elder female Elf smiled a little. "Yes, only please try to keep awake for at least a few more hours, then I promise you may sleep as you wish."

The captain didn't particularly like this news either, but knew she had no choice and was forced to agree.

With a look at the prince that told him he knew where to find her if anything else went wrong, and with her patient's compliance to keeping awake, the healer left their presence.


TBC ...

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mirkwood-elf-2931 :
That stuff about the concussion is all factual, as I did some medical research on the net about different types of them, what the symptoms are and what to do if someone has one. And then I had to bring it down to only what an Elven healer could do to treat that kind of case, which was not much as you could see! LOL Anyway, the healer, Laianna is a new character I made up of course. She's supposed to be the eldest and therefore head of all the healers at the palace.
Sorry the chapters have been kinda short, but at least this one was longer! I just wish I had more to write about. :( Anyway, I'll probably post chapter 5 one day next weekend or so, cuz' this weekend I'm going to Beth's again! I get to see Tony! Yay! hehe Beth said he wrote me a two-page letter and he's gonna give it to me while I'm there! I can't wait to see what he has to say!
Awww, Abbey, I'm sorry you have the flu…I hope you feel better soon! And Marine Chick, good luck if you get to go to boot camp! And hey, Thala, hope you have a good time tonight on your year anniversary with Chad! ;) Happy Anniversary by the way! I'll probably come see you tomorrow night at work to show you my new haircut and highlights!