'lo all…thanks for reviewing. They're like a kick that get's me to write these faster. School just started so I'm writing these during classes disguising them as notes. It's a good thing my teachers can't read my writing or else I'd have a rather interesting time trying to explain them. This also means that I will be updating irregularly, about once or twice every week. Sorry for the shortness of the first chapter. I wanted to get it in before school, or else I never would have.

See first chapter for summary and disclaimer and all that other fun stuff.

Chapter two

Watch your back

The fire burned low and hot. It reflected off of the sleeping form of Aragorn, a curled bundle with his back turned towards the fire. The night was relatively warm, heated by the late summer warmth. The fire served only to keep away unwanted guests. Legolas sat opposite of Aragorn and the flames. The elf's back was pressed firmly against an oak tree. His eyes were not glazed over in elven dreams. Instead, his entire body was tense and watchful. In about an hour, Legolas would wake Aragorn for his turn on watch. The archer rolled his shoulders back, touching the tree, and tilted his head until it to rested on the solid oak. He breathed in a deep breath of the night air and let himself enjoy the company of the forest. Legolas did not know the terrain as well as Aragorn in their current area, so he had to take the rangers word that there was a town nearby. The young dúnadan made it seem like he had wanted to go there on the morrow, but he seemed to be holding something back. Whatever it was, it didn't matter, Legolas trusted Aragorn with his life.

The elven archer served out the rest of his sentry letting his mind wander, while keeping watch of their surrounding, and on Aragorn. Legolas obtained a certain pleasure in the calm stillness on the dark hours of the night. It was undisturbed and soothing.

When his last hour was up he rose from his position on the ground and soundlessly crept over to the sleeping ranger. Kneeling, Legolas tapped Estel and held back a smile when Aragorn jumped slightly. He peered at his friend, sleep clouding his eyes.

"Ai, mellon-nin, do you seek to rob me of my sleep and dreams so early!?" Yawned Aragorn starting to lie back down.

"Aye, I did intend to. But I find that I would drag you from them so I might be able to find rest." Legolas stood and prodded Aragorn with his foot.

Aragorn rolled over "Then try."

"I would not say that, Estel. I have learned many a way to wake you from your brothers. Many you would not find as amusing as I." Legolas leaned down and whispered into Aragorn's ear.

Aragorn sat up rigidly, his eyes narrowed, trying to hide the panic in his voice, he growled at Legolas, "you wouldn't."

"I would."

Aragorn stumbled hurriedly from his bed on the ground and ran a hand through his tousled hair. "I am up."

"That is good, wake me in a few hours." Legolas took a place near the fire stretching out on the ground. Aragorn watched as Legolas's face became calm and in moments his eyes were glossed over, signaling that his friend was walking the world of elven dreams.

Aragorn was having trouble keeping his eyes open. The combined efforts of both hot fire and warm night air were having undesirable effects on the young dúnadan. It felt as though there were bricks attached to his eyelids, sleep was creeping up on Aragorn whether he wanted it or not. The danger of going to sleep with no one on sentry was not lost on Aragorn. If indeed slumber was going to overwhelm him, he needed to fight back. Slowly getting to his feet, Aragorn started to walk in the direction he thought the stream was. In the darkness, the trampled grass that marked Aragorn's path to the stream was not visible.

Just when Aragorn though he had gone to far, he stepped with a wet splash into the water. Shaking his foot and cursing under his breath, Aragorn stooped low to scoop up a handful of the shockingly cold water to splash his face. The contact with the glacier water had just the effect Aragorn had in mind. The water took away his breath momentarily and left him wide eye awake for a few seconds. Small droplets of water were thrown into the air when Aragorn sprayed another handful onto his head. A certain redness was beginning to grow in Aragorn's cheeks, due to the temperature of the stream water.

Dark shapes were starting to mass in the shadows around Aragorn and the stream. The ranger had not yet noticed them, seeing as he was not fully awake. It would not be long before he did come to his senses, but by that time, he would be surrounded.

The wargs padded softly surrounding their prey. Long fangs glistened in the waning moonlight dripping saliva in long strands to the ground. Sharp growls directed the pack and restored authority. They waited with tongues running over gums and teeth, waiting to sink razor incisors into the soft fleshed reward of their hunt.

Aragorn bent his head to wipe away the moisture, then thought better of it. He started to walk back to camp when he first noticed them. Two score pair of gleaming red eyes stopped his in mid stride. His first thoughts were that he only had his hunting knife with him. Aragorn had only seconds before half a dozen leapt for his throat.

Legolas was awake at the first snarls of the beasts. When he saw Aragorn gone he stood and stared into the fading darkness. Grabbing Aragorn's sword, Andúril, and slinging his own bow and quiver on his back with the long handled knife in it's sheath, Legolas began to stalk through the forest in search of Aragorn. He did not have to go far before he found the man's boot tracks. They were imprinted lightly in the mud left from a previous rainfall. Legolas followed them and found they led to the stream Legolas had directed Aragorn to last night. Scanning the ground, the elf became Increasingly worried. The grass was matted all over in warg and human prints. He did not have to wonder where his friend was any longer, for a sharp cry rang through the stillness.

"Legolas!"

Legolas immediately picked a path through the woods, his elven senses using the cry to pinpoint exactly where Aragorn was at. When that last lingering notes died in his ears he called out frantically.

"im teli!" (a/n, I come!)

Legolas ran full tilt through the wood. Even with his normal grace, bushes slashed at him and caught his clothes. Also, he was burdened with Aragorn's sword as well. The sound of snarling was his directions now, he followed them, fearing what might be at the end.

A few more strides brought him into a large clearing. A number of warg bodies lay motionless on the ground, and more still hid in the gloom and prowling the edge of the dell. Aragorn was pinned beneath one, and trying to shake off another that had his boot in it's mouth tugging viciously. Aragorn did not see Legolas enter the glade. Instead he writhed fiercely beneath the creature, trying to keep it from tearing his throat out. The struggling ranger let loose a new strangled scream, his voice cracking from the strain and exhaustion.

"Legolas! Legolas!"

Aragorn could neither hear nor see Legolas. Tears pooled in his eyes and spilled down his face. If the elf was not answering his shouts then something must have happened to him. //if only I had stayed at camp. This would not have happened!// thought Aragorn. His strength was failing him. The beast was gaining the upper hand and the ranger could feel it's rancid breath upon his neck. Just before his arms gave out, a white feathered arrow slammed through the warg's neck and it lay still upon the ranger. The warg at his feet gave a yelp and ceased it's attack on Aragorn's boot. The heavy animal was hefted off of Aragorn and he was pulled to his feet and into a tight embrace. When Aragorn realized it was Legolas he returned the hug ardently.

"Mae govannen, mellon-nin." (a/n, well met, my friend) Aragorn mumbled into Legolas's chest.

Legolas smiled and held Aragorn at arms length, clasping his shoulders, squeezing affectionately. After a minute he, in letting go, presented Aragorn's sword.

"I could not let you become dinner for a warg. It would be a most unflattering way for a ranger to go."

"Then I am glad you did not." Aragorn smiled his relieved thanks.

The moment did not, sadly, last for long. The wargs were starting to regroup and launch another attack. Although now both ranger and elf were ready to meet them. Standing back-to-back, Aragorn and Legolas readied themselves. A warg hurdled into the pair, separating them and was the signal for the rest to join in the fun. Burning with the strength born of desperation, Legolas and Aragorn met their foe.

Aragorn, having been separated from Legolas, had no one to watch his back. He was continually turning about to ram Andúril into the belly of a warg trying to sneak up behind him. Aragorn could not always watch all ways at once, when he let his concentration loosen of only a moment a large warg plowed into him, knocking him on his back with Andúril sprawled a few feet from his outstretched hand. The warg howled in triumph and bent it's head down from it's head down to sink his fangs into Aragorn's leg. Strider cried out in pain as the warg dug deeper into his calf his, hands scrabbling helplessly against the earth.

Legolas was running out of arrows fast. He was down to only two before he would have to unsheathe the long handled knife. The warg that had separated His and Aragorn now lay dead, pierced by an elven arrow. Legolas, being faster than Aragorn, was able to watch his own back and provide a certain protection for himself better that the dúnadan. Although, a battle with wargs is hardly something that is considered safe even for an elf.

The last two arrows were fired in quick succession, one taking a warg through the heart, and another in the shoulder. The wounded warg took advantage of Legolas's split second handicap and raked it's claws down the elf's ribs, tearing through cloth and flesh. Legolas bit back a cry of pain when the warg withdrew it's claws from the gashes. The knife was now out of it's sheath, quicker that the eye could follow. Legolas rammed into it's gut, causing it unleash a earsplitting scream as the elf twisted the blade savagely, emboweling the creature. Pivoting around the dieing warg, Legolas let his blade caress over another's throat, slicing through the jugular vein. Bright blood spurted from the wargs neck, soaking Legolas. It's death howl was ended in a liquid gurgle. The elven price wiped blood from his face with a sleeve of his tunic.

Grimacing it disgust. When his eyes were clear of the warg blood that clogged them, he peered around the glen looking for Aragorn. A small tremor ran through the elf when he spied Andúril lying by it's self. Looking closer and pawing more blood from his eyes he found that Andúril was not lying alone, Aragorn was in fact pinned beneath a warg, trying to franticly claw at his sword.

Legolas ran towards the warg and Aragorn, grabbing an arrow from a corpse on the way by. Without slowing he knocked the arrow and fired it with deadly accuracy, snuffing out it's life. Aragorn felt the warg go still and saw his friends shoes beside him. He stopped struggling and started to push the heavy body off of himself. Legolas offered his hand to the human, who clasped it gratefully.

"Truly, I would see Elladan's face if he knew that you have need of to save you from wargs, ranger." Legolas rested his hand on Aragorn's shoulder.

Aragorn added his own smile and griped Legolas's shoulder, jarring his injury and causing him to wince. Aragorn did not fail to notice the elf's reaction and rested his hand more gently upon his friends shoulder.

"You are wounded, mellon-nin?"

Legolas shifted hastily away from Aragorn shrugging,

"It is nothing, I am fine."

Aragorn made the mistake of trying to walk towards Legolas. His injured leg buckled and threatened to collapse were not for Legolas darting to his side to throw an arm about his shoulders. Strider gritted his teeth against the pain shooting up his leg, spreading it's fiery finger throughout his entire body. He thought to push Legolas away, but his leg protested the lack of help and he let him stay.

"A sorry sight me must look, fortunate are we that my father isn't here." grinned Aragorn

"Aye, and your brothers, they are worse." laughed Legolas. His face grew serious and he added "But we must depart from this area quickly, they will not be long in returning."

Legolas helped a limping Aragorn out of the clearing after stopping long enough to go collect Aragorn's sword and what arrows that were still useful, and retreated into the woods, knowing that the ranger would not last long if his leg was not treated soon. It would only be a matter of time before the wargs would pick up the sent of fresh blood and continue the hunt.

Even with Aragorn's injury, they traveled a good distance before Aragorn's leg, at last, gave out. Falling to his knees nearly brought them both down in a heap. Legolas regained his balance with ease, where as Aragorn…did not.

Aragorn felt the elf's strong arms around his shoulders hauling his to his feet. Legolas practically carried Strider over to a dense thicket of trees so that if any wargs did attack, they would not be able to jump. He set Aragorn down with his back against a tree. Kneeling so that he was face to face with the young dúnadan he questioned his,

"Do you still carry your herbs?"

Aragorn nodded and pulled a small satchel from a pocket within his cloak. Opening it, he began to sort through them and hand them to Legolas.

"Water?" asked the elf.

Aragorn threw the bag to Legolas, who extracted a small flask from the inside. Legolas ripped a strip of cloth from his under tunic. Careful so as not to spill any water, he dampened the rag and began to gently clean the wound, wiping away warg blood and dirt. Aragorn moaned an jerked his leg away, he had a white knuckled grip on his cloak. Legolas let his catch his breath before resuming his care to the injured ranger.

"This is bad Estel, but the bone is not broken."

He crushed the herbs he was to bind the wound with in the palm of his hand and wrapped Aragorn's calf with a second strip from his under tunic. Both noticed now that dusk was only a short time away. Wordlessly they rose, Legolas supporting Aragorn, and started out again to reach the safety of a town.

The herbs began to soak into the wound, taking away the pain and stiffness. It became much easier to walk, although he still was supported by Legolas. The dúnadan might have walked on his own, but for now he was glad he had a friend to lend a hand.

Legolas tried to ignore the pain that ripped through his chest with every breath, but breathing was becoming increasingly difficult. So lost in concentration was he, that he did not notice when Aragorn suddenly stopped. Were it not for his elven speed, Legolas would have found himself with a mouthful of dirt and dead leaves. Blinking as few times helped his head to clear.

"Are you all right?" he asked with a frown of concern.

"I am fine…you are not." stated Aragorn with a mater of fact air.

Legolas's frown now turned to one of annoyance "I am fine, leave me be."

He tried to continue walking but Aragorn's firm grip on his shoulder halted him.

"If I believed you every time you have said you were "fine", you would have been longs dead."

Legolas could not push away Aragorn, seeing as he was the only thing keeping him up. He was, quite literally, trapped.

"Estel, we can not stop here, it would not be safe."

Strider firmly planted his feet on the ground. Legolas raised his eyes to mean Aragorn's stern gaze.

"I mean now."

Together they hobbled over to a small spring that flowed steadily through the silent wood. Legolas was about to ease Aragorn down, but he surprised him by pulling away and limping to the water unaided to refill the flask. When he came back Legolas was still standing, watching Aragorn, ready to catch him if he fell.

Aragorn pressed the elf onto the ground in a sitting position. He motioned for him to take off his tunic. Legolas slowly and sullenly complied, scowling stubbornly. Aragorn nodded upon seeing the gashes that marred the elf's fair skin. He mumbled something under his breath that sounded much like "stubborn creature" and "just fine".

It was now Aragorn's turn to tear a few strips of cloth from his cloak. The wounds on Legolas's chest were red and inflamed, dry and crusted blood stuck to the slashes and his flesh. It took a bit of painful rubbing to get the blood off of his stomach and chest. The elf gasped as the wet rag was pressed against the injuries inflicted by the warg.

Soon Legolas too sported a bandage, wrapped snuggly around his ribs, it was the only thing that marked the warg battle on both of them.

A brilliant array of orange and red marked the sky, Dusk was upon them. The shadows were long, but in the late summer, there would be light for a few more hours. Eager barks and howls rang in the not so far off distance. They were gaining on them now. Aragorn and Legolas limped quickly through the thinning woods.

"There," cried Aragorn, pointing to lantern light that marked a town. The howls died away, for the wargs would not enter a town so populated as this. Legolas and Aragorn we on the very outskirts. The elf appeared to be willing to go into the main square, having sensed no danger within the limits. Aragorn hurriedly grabbed his arm and dove behind a shrub when two humans came from the town holding lanterns and casting small pools of warm light on the ground.

"Did you see tha'. There was somethin' I tell ya." one man raised his lantern higher to search for Aragorn and Legolas, whom were the something that he had seen.

The second human also raised his light peering past the shrub the two were concealed by.

Legolas looked at Aragorn with a raised eyebrow,

"You wanted to tell me something, mellon-nin."

Legilmilith: Thanks a bunch for the info on a dictionary, I didn't find near enough on the Sindarin language. This'll help me, and hopefully make it look like I know what I'm doin'

darkphoenix4: I'll try my best. Thanks for the support.

Lauranna Starbreeze: Thanks for lovin' it. Also, kudos for you giving me the heads up about the reviews thing. I wasn't aware that I wasn't taking anonymous ones.

Elf Warrior6: I hoped it was accurate enough, thanks, and about the spelling errors, your right no body is perfect, least of all me, but I'll pay special attention when I do a comb over, K.

Leggylover03: Sorry if I kept you waiting so long!