A/N: Finally, the long-awaited Chapter 3. I really hope this doesn't suck.
So sorry for the delay.I've been in a rut, but I actually did it...PLEASE
read and review..I also updated Brothers in Heart, so go read! Thank you to
all my wonderful reviewers! I think there might be an evil cliffhanger at
the end of this..Anyway, enjoy!
BTW: The chase scene in this was written to Enya's *Pax Deorum.*
Chapter 3
Aragorn woke up with a stifled groan, reluctant to open his eyes. He propped himself up on one elbow and looked to Legolas, who still slept deeply. Elves were typically light sleepers, and the ranger knew that his best friend slept so because of the poison. The herbs had helped, but Legolas was still suffering from a fever that had arisen during the night. A sheen of sweat covered his face, and Aragorn grimaced in dread. He sighed as he lay his hand gently on the Elf's head, the golden hair like silk against his skin. Legolas' eyes fluttered at the touch. Aragorn's eyes strayed to the twins, who were still sleeping closely in each other's arms. He smiled faintly, for the sight of those two was a sweet thing to behold. Again, his gaze fell back to Legolas.
" Mellonin," he uttered. Aragorn was unwilling to wake the archer, having full knowledge that the poison was zapping Legolas' strength and rest was very much needed. Legolas moved his head slightly, hesitant to wake. "'Las," Aragorn whispered fondly, using a nickname that did not go beyond the four of them. The prince finally did wake, lifting open his deep, blue eyes to look intensely up at his best friend. Aragorn offered a small smile.
" We must head off again, mellonin," he informed the Elf.
Legolas didn't answer him, only upheld his stare as tears blurred his vision. He was in pain, felt sick as hell, and knew he was dying. He was scared and miserable and just wanted to sleep. Tears began to stream down his pale face as his lips quivered. He choked as Aragorn leaned over and lay his forehead to the Elf's, before wiping away the tears with tender fingers. The Man scooped Legolas up in his arms and stood, striding swiftly to his horse. The twins stirred as he helped Legolas on the patient steed, before mounting behind his best friend. Elladan was first to open his unearthly gray eyes. Very much like Aragorn, he propped himself up on one elbow and looked wistfully upon Elrohir, who slumbered beside him. After a long moment, Elrohir opened his eyes as well, and looked up into his brother's face.
" Why are you staring at me like that? " he asked.
Elladan shook his head lightly without replying, seeming to be entranced by his twin. Something in Elrohir's face had him focused, with something passing in his gray eyes with the reflection of twilight. He breathed as he stared at Elrohir as if something profoundly moved him there, in his brother's face. Elrohir was a bit alarmed, made uneasy by that stare Elladan had.
" Elrohir," Elladan breathed. " You mean more to me than anything or anyone in the whole of Middle Earth. You're my sun, my moon, my stars. We are two halves of one whole, and I cannot be complete without you. All the beauty I adore is diminished in light of your face. In your eyes, I find not only your soul, but mine as well. And - and I fear that I might lose you, that we may come unto a crossroads and go separate ways. I could not bear a life without you, Elrohir. Without the star to light the darkness, how would the pilgrim find his way? " Elladan spoke with such passion, it moved Elrohir, and the younger twin sat up.
" I look at you now, in this hour of twilight, and I fear," the elder twin admitted shakily. " I fear that a day will come when I shall awaken and no longer have your face to greet me as the first thing I see. "
" Elladan," Elrohir began, shaking his head slightly. " I do not understand." Elladan took his twin by the shoulders firmly and stared at him as if looking through his very soul.
" Elrohir, a day will come when each of us must choose to take the gift of immortality or to choose the life of a mortal. Our father was parted from his brother at the same choice and long has it been a bitter despair unto him. I could not live with that despair, Elrohir. I could not live all the ages of the world alone," he said with such convicting fervency.
" Elladan," Elrohir sighed, eyes gleaming. " I will not take a path that would lead away from you. No love such as ours exists otherwise, and I will not forsake it. Do not fear. We shall not be parted."
Elladan grinned weakly and lay his lips to his twin's forehead affectionately. Aragorn did not miss Elrohir's eyes slip close and his hands catching Elladan's between them. His own hand was still curled on Legolas' leg as the Elf sat rigidly atop the Man's horse. The blonde's face appeared in turmoil, bowed to his chest with eyes shut. Apart from the hot tears that haunted his unnaturally pale face, he was cold to the point of shivering, regardless of the fact that he was very much wrapped up in his gray cloak.
Elladan backed away from his twin and stood tall once again. Elrohir remained grounded and looked up at his brother with glassy, gray eyes. His raven hair swirled about his neck and shoulders. Elladan offered a long hand to his twin, who took it, and pulled him up close.
" Estel." Legolas' trembling voice brought both the twins' heads to turn. The archer was looking down at his best friend narrowly with an expression that would soften anyone's heart with pity. They could see Legolas was shaking and a few stray tears escaped the pools of his eyes and disappeared.
" Estel, I'm so ill," Legolas whimpered. " Please, just let me stay here. Let me sleep." His voice was laced with tears and it almost brought Estel to weep to hear Legolas begging, pleading with him. He shook his head.
" I cannot let you do that, mellonin. We must get to Imladris, lest we lose you." Legolas only stared at him as he trembled, his big eyes desperate. " Please," the prince offered again in a breath. Estel only let his hand drop away from the Elf's thigh and mounted his horse behind Legolas. His arms came around the archer's slender body once more, catching the reins. Aragorn squeezed in on his best friend and lay his head on Legolas' slim shoulder as the archer dropped his head back on Aragorn's. He was crying consistently now, feeling so utterly miserable and ill that he wanted to die instead of ride any further.
" We'll make it," Aragorn murmured to him reassuringly as he leaned his head against the Elf's. " I'll hurry, I promise. I won't let you fall." Legolas whimpered as Aragorn clicked to his horse and they started off again. The twins both mounted their own horses behind and began to follow their little brother. Elrohir rode ahead of his twin,a flurry of chestnut hair and pale, gray Elven robes. His horse whinnied and reared up on its hind legs as he looked back over his shoulder at Elladan. Their eyes locked for the moment before Elrohir's mount sped off again, and Elrohir almost seemed like a vision of their sister Arwen. He breathed an unheard breath through parted lips and a tinge of pink rose in his pale cheeks like the light in his dark eyes.
" Follow my heart, " came his soft, pleasant voice in Elladan's head. The image of Elrohir's slender hand cupped over his chest filled his vision, Elrohir's bowed head rising up to reveal lambent gray eyes and an ethereal face. Elladan urged his horse on after Elrohir and hoped they reached home in time to save Legolas.
The sun was high and bright in the sky, and there was not a cloud to be seen. A breeze was in the foliage of the scattered trees. They had come out of the heart of the forest and now rode in the outskirts. It would not be long now - perhaps only a day to Imladris. Legolas was fading fast. Aragorn could feel it happening in his arms. He was pushing his horse to its limits, as were the twins behind him. They could not lose the prince.
The voices of the Elves filled Legolas' head now. They haunted him, yet he found it beautiful just the same. He wondered where they were coming from. The archer's head was bobbing against his chest as Aragorn's horse galloped beneath him. He gathered his strength and somehow lifted his head to face the sky. His pale blue eyes widened as a white light peaked above him.
" Elbereth," he whispered breathlessly.
" Legolas? " Aragorn said, worried.
The Elf could see her - Elbereth. Her face was fairer than any being of Middle Earth could ever imagine. The light shone around her, and her ripples of hair fell down around her face like the night sky, stars laced in them and shining on her brow. Her face was the moon full and bright. Her eyes were orbs of time and heaven that pierced his own. She offered a small smile unto him.
" Greenleaf, my child," she breathed.
" Elbereth," he gasped again.
" Legolas? " Aragorn called again. Something was wrong with his best friend. He must be hallucinating. The poison was taking hold more than he had thought. Aragorn clapped his hand over Legolas' breast where the Elf's heart beat. Legolas' breath hitched and Elbereth vanished from his sight.
" It's all right, Legolas," Aragorn murmured to him as his eyes closed against the wind. He held Legolas to him and shielded his beloved Greenleaf from the cold. He had almost lost the archer, unbeknownst to him.
Everything came to a skidded halt when his horse jerked to a stop and reared up on its hind legs. An arrow had lodged itself into the ground before its hooves, scaring it. The twins stopped behind him, and there was a mesh of horse grunts and nervous whinnies.
" Yrch," cried Elladan, his head turned to look behind.
Elrohir's head snapped around and his gray eyes were wide as he inhaled. The wind had picked up, and the waves of raven hair belonging to the twins flowed all about their heads. Aragorn clamed his horse and turned around, clutching Legolas to his chest. His own gray eyes were wide in anticipation.
//" Noro lim,"// Elladan screamed. //" Noro lim."//
//Run fast.//
Time seemed to stop and all motion slowed. Elrohir turned back around and began to urge his steed onward. Elladan passed his twin and Aragorn. Yrch were running toward them, at least half of the hoard they had faced before, if not more. Aragorn knew he could not fight them. Legolas would die. They would all die. He snapped his horse back around to follow his brothers. The twins' long, gray robes whipped up behind them as they rode, mingled with their raven tresses.
//" A Elbereth Gilthoniel,"// Legolas uttered. His blue eyes closed as he felt the wind on his face. // If death comes, let it come quickly. //
Elladan was ahead of the all, racing against time. He peered over his shoulder every other moment - at Elrohir, at Estel, at Legolas, at the Yrch. They could not fight them. They could not win. They couldn't stop and let Legolas die. He could not let them kill Mirkwood's prince. He couldn't let Estel suffer that loss. He couldn't let them get to Elrohir.
// Follow my heart. //
Elrohir rode harder than he had in a long while. His hair and his garments, his horses' mane and tail were all caught in such a wind stirred up by their speed that the sound roared in his pointed ears. He did not fear the beasts. He did not fear them, he did not fear them - yet a part of him did. As much as he hated the creatures, he had never forgotten what had happened to his mother at the hands of those beasts. And as much as he despised the weakness of it, he feared what would become of him they were to capture him. Orcs would keep Elves alive if they could - to torture and mutilate. A swift death in battle with them was a merciful fate. He would die if they caught up with him now. Elrohir thought of the sword that was sheathed at his hip. He had an impulse to stop and turn around, to draw that sword and raise it up against them with all the power and grace and fearlessness of the Elves.
// I could not live all the ages of the world alone. //
Aragorn panted along with his horse as it fled. He glanced over his shoulder once again, his tattered gray cloak fluttering in the wind from his shoulder. The Orcs were gaining on them. Legolas was fading. Above them, the sky had turned gray. The sun had been hushed away. It had all happened so fast. Legolas was limp in his arms, but the Elf could see the sky in his closed eyes. The ranger whispered the archer's beautiful name like the wind itself. The muscles of the horse flexed and contracted visibly in its powerful legs. The prince smiled as he heard it through the song in his mind.
// Noro lim. Noro lim. //
BTW: The chase scene in this was written to Enya's *Pax Deorum.*
Chapter 3
Aragorn woke up with a stifled groan, reluctant to open his eyes. He propped himself up on one elbow and looked to Legolas, who still slept deeply. Elves were typically light sleepers, and the ranger knew that his best friend slept so because of the poison. The herbs had helped, but Legolas was still suffering from a fever that had arisen during the night. A sheen of sweat covered his face, and Aragorn grimaced in dread. He sighed as he lay his hand gently on the Elf's head, the golden hair like silk against his skin. Legolas' eyes fluttered at the touch. Aragorn's eyes strayed to the twins, who were still sleeping closely in each other's arms. He smiled faintly, for the sight of those two was a sweet thing to behold. Again, his gaze fell back to Legolas.
" Mellonin," he uttered. Aragorn was unwilling to wake the archer, having full knowledge that the poison was zapping Legolas' strength and rest was very much needed. Legolas moved his head slightly, hesitant to wake. "'Las," Aragorn whispered fondly, using a nickname that did not go beyond the four of them. The prince finally did wake, lifting open his deep, blue eyes to look intensely up at his best friend. Aragorn offered a small smile.
" We must head off again, mellonin," he informed the Elf.
Legolas didn't answer him, only upheld his stare as tears blurred his vision. He was in pain, felt sick as hell, and knew he was dying. He was scared and miserable and just wanted to sleep. Tears began to stream down his pale face as his lips quivered. He choked as Aragorn leaned over and lay his forehead to the Elf's, before wiping away the tears with tender fingers. The Man scooped Legolas up in his arms and stood, striding swiftly to his horse. The twins stirred as he helped Legolas on the patient steed, before mounting behind his best friend. Elladan was first to open his unearthly gray eyes. Very much like Aragorn, he propped himself up on one elbow and looked wistfully upon Elrohir, who slumbered beside him. After a long moment, Elrohir opened his eyes as well, and looked up into his brother's face.
" Why are you staring at me like that? " he asked.
Elladan shook his head lightly without replying, seeming to be entranced by his twin. Something in Elrohir's face had him focused, with something passing in his gray eyes with the reflection of twilight. He breathed as he stared at Elrohir as if something profoundly moved him there, in his brother's face. Elrohir was a bit alarmed, made uneasy by that stare Elladan had.
" Elrohir," Elladan breathed. " You mean more to me than anything or anyone in the whole of Middle Earth. You're my sun, my moon, my stars. We are two halves of one whole, and I cannot be complete without you. All the beauty I adore is diminished in light of your face. In your eyes, I find not only your soul, but mine as well. And - and I fear that I might lose you, that we may come unto a crossroads and go separate ways. I could not bear a life without you, Elrohir. Without the star to light the darkness, how would the pilgrim find his way? " Elladan spoke with such passion, it moved Elrohir, and the younger twin sat up.
" I look at you now, in this hour of twilight, and I fear," the elder twin admitted shakily. " I fear that a day will come when I shall awaken and no longer have your face to greet me as the first thing I see. "
" Elladan," Elrohir began, shaking his head slightly. " I do not understand." Elladan took his twin by the shoulders firmly and stared at him as if looking through his very soul.
" Elrohir, a day will come when each of us must choose to take the gift of immortality or to choose the life of a mortal. Our father was parted from his brother at the same choice and long has it been a bitter despair unto him. I could not live with that despair, Elrohir. I could not live all the ages of the world alone," he said with such convicting fervency.
" Elladan," Elrohir sighed, eyes gleaming. " I will not take a path that would lead away from you. No love such as ours exists otherwise, and I will not forsake it. Do not fear. We shall not be parted."
Elladan grinned weakly and lay his lips to his twin's forehead affectionately. Aragorn did not miss Elrohir's eyes slip close and his hands catching Elladan's between them. His own hand was still curled on Legolas' leg as the Elf sat rigidly atop the Man's horse. The blonde's face appeared in turmoil, bowed to his chest with eyes shut. Apart from the hot tears that haunted his unnaturally pale face, he was cold to the point of shivering, regardless of the fact that he was very much wrapped up in his gray cloak.
Elladan backed away from his twin and stood tall once again. Elrohir remained grounded and looked up at his brother with glassy, gray eyes. His raven hair swirled about his neck and shoulders. Elladan offered a long hand to his twin, who took it, and pulled him up close.
" Estel." Legolas' trembling voice brought both the twins' heads to turn. The archer was looking down at his best friend narrowly with an expression that would soften anyone's heart with pity. They could see Legolas was shaking and a few stray tears escaped the pools of his eyes and disappeared.
" Estel, I'm so ill," Legolas whimpered. " Please, just let me stay here. Let me sleep." His voice was laced with tears and it almost brought Estel to weep to hear Legolas begging, pleading with him. He shook his head.
" I cannot let you do that, mellonin. We must get to Imladris, lest we lose you." Legolas only stared at him as he trembled, his big eyes desperate. " Please," the prince offered again in a breath. Estel only let his hand drop away from the Elf's thigh and mounted his horse behind Legolas. His arms came around the archer's slender body once more, catching the reins. Aragorn squeezed in on his best friend and lay his head on Legolas' slim shoulder as the archer dropped his head back on Aragorn's. He was crying consistently now, feeling so utterly miserable and ill that he wanted to die instead of ride any further.
" We'll make it," Aragorn murmured to him reassuringly as he leaned his head against the Elf's. " I'll hurry, I promise. I won't let you fall." Legolas whimpered as Aragorn clicked to his horse and they started off again. The twins both mounted their own horses behind and began to follow their little brother. Elrohir rode ahead of his twin,a flurry of chestnut hair and pale, gray Elven robes. His horse whinnied and reared up on its hind legs as he looked back over his shoulder at Elladan. Their eyes locked for the moment before Elrohir's mount sped off again, and Elrohir almost seemed like a vision of their sister Arwen. He breathed an unheard breath through parted lips and a tinge of pink rose in his pale cheeks like the light in his dark eyes.
" Follow my heart, " came his soft, pleasant voice in Elladan's head. The image of Elrohir's slender hand cupped over his chest filled his vision, Elrohir's bowed head rising up to reveal lambent gray eyes and an ethereal face. Elladan urged his horse on after Elrohir and hoped they reached home in time to save Legolas.
The sun was high and bright in the sky, and there was not a cloud to be seen. A breeze was in the foliage of the scattered trees. They had come out of the heart of the forest and now rode in the outskirts. It would not be long now - perhaps only a day to Imladris. Legolas was fading fast. Aragorn could feel it happening in his arms. He was pushing his horse to its limits, as were the twins behind him. They could not lose the prince.
The voices of the Elves filled Legolas' head now. They haunted him, yet he found it beautiful just the same. He wondered where they were coming from. The archer's head was bobbing against his chest as Aragorn's horse galloped beneath him. He gathered his strength and somehow lifted his head to face the sky. His pale blue eyes widened as a white light peaked above him.
" Elbereth," he whispered breathlessly.
" Legolas? " Aragorn said, worried.
The Elf could see her - Elbereth. Her face was fairer than any being of Middle Earth could ever imagine. The light shone around her, and her ripples of hair fell down around her face like the night sky, stars laced in them and shining on her brow. Her face was the moon full and bright. Her eyes were orbs of time and heaven that pierced his own. She offered a small smile unto him.
" Greenleaf, my child," she breathed.
" Elbereth," he gasped again.
" Legolas? " Aragorn called again. Something was wrong with his best friend. He must be hallucinating. The poison was taking hold more than he had thought. Aragorn clapped his hand over Legolas' breast where the Elf's heart beat. Legolas' breath hitched and Elbereth vanished from his sight.
" It's all right, Legolas," Aragorn murmured to him as his eyes closed against the wind. He held Legolas to him and shielded his beloved Greenleaf from the cold. He had almost lost the archer, unbeknownst to him.
Everything came to a skidded halt when his horse jerked to a stop and reared up on its hind legs. An arrow had lodged itself into the ground before its hooves, scaring it. The twins stopped behind him, and there was a mesh of horse grunts and nervous whinnies.
" Yrch," cried Elladan, his head turned to look behind.
Elrohir's head snapped around and his gray eyes were wide as he inhaled. The wind had picked up, and the waves of raven hair belonging to the twins flowed all about their heads. Aragorn clamed his horse and turned around, clutching Legolas to his chest. His own gray eyes were wide in anticipation.
//" Noro lim,"// Elladan screamed. //" Noro lim."//
//Run fast.//
Time seemed to stop and all motion slowed. Elrohir turned back around and began to urge his steed onward. Elladan passed his twin and Aragorn. Yrch were running toward them, at least half of the hoard they had faced before, if not more. Aragorn knew he could not fight them. Legolas would die. They would all die. He snapped his horse back around to follow his brothers. The twins' long, gray robes whipped up behind them as they rode, mingled with their raven tresses.
//" A Elbereth Gilthoniel,"// Legolas uttered. His blue eyes closed as he felt the wind on his face. // If death comes, let it come quickly. //
Elladan was ahead of the all, racing against time. He peered over his shoulder every other moment - at Elrohir, at Estel, at Legolas, at the Yrch. They could not fight them. They could not win. They couldn't stop and let Legolas die. He could not let them kill Mirkwood's prince. He couldn't let Estel suffer that loss. He couldn't let them get to Elrohir.
// Follow my heart. //
Elrohir rode harder than he had in a long while. His hair and his garments, his horses' mane and tail were all caught in such a wind stirred up by their speed that the sound roared in his pointed ears. He did not fear the beasts. He did not fear them, he did not fear them - yet a part of him did. As much as he hated the creatures, he had never forgotten what had happened to his mother at the hands of those beasts. And as much as he despised the weakness of it, he feared what would become of him they were to capture him. Orcs would keep Elves alive if they could - to torture and mutilate. A swift death in battle with them was a merciful fate. He would die if they caught up with him now. Elrohir thought of the sword that was sheathed at his hip. He had an impulse to stop and turn around, to draw that sword and raise it up against them with all the power and grace and fearlessness of the Elves.
// I could not live all the ages of the world alone. //
Aragorn panted along with his horse as it fled. He glanced over his shoulder once again, his tattered gray cloak fluttering in the wind from his shoulder. The Orcs were gaining on them. Legolas was fading. Above them, the sky had turned gray. The sun had been hushed away. It had all happened so fast. Legolas was limp in his arms, but the Elf could see the sky in his closed eyes. The ranger whispered the archer's beautiful name like the wind itself. The muscles of the horse flexed and contracted visibly in its powerful legs. The prince smiled as he heard it through the song in his mind.
// Noro lim. Noro lim. //