To Rivendell

The world had been reduced to shifting grey shadows. They moved around him slowly lulling him into a quiet trance like state. He watched them dance around him with unblinking eyes until one of them drew very close. His heart skipped a beat and his breath quickened.

"Legolas?' Veren called the young elf's name softly. He leaned over and peered at him. The prince's cloudy blue eyes followed his movement but as he drew near they widened in panic.

"Legolas, we must leave here. I must get you to Rivendell. Elrond will know how to help you. I have not the skill. We can tarry no longer." Veren looked at him anxiously but his eyes gave no hint that he understood. He drew back.

Legolas saw the grey monster back away. He closed his eyes wearily, wishing they would all go away. Instead he felt strong arms lift him from his rest. They carried him for a very long time. He felt the cool air around him change to stinging, hot, suffocating wind. He turned away from it and pressed his face against the cool soft skin of his captor.

On reaching the camp, Veren placed the young elf on the ground and saw Elladan help Elrohir to sit.

"Elladan," he called urgently, "find me clothing for him to wear. The sun affects him."

Elladan pawed through the bag and finally unearthed a soft white shirt. He passed it to the elven warrior, who slipped the long sleeved, knee length shirt over Legolas' head. His skin was still hot and showed no sign of waning, but the shivering and sweating had stopped.

Elrohir mounted his horse stiffly and Elladan seated himself immediately behind, for though Elrohir could walk unaided, he suffered unexpected moments of dizziness. It would not do for him to fall off his mount. Veren raised Legolas to his feet and bodily placed him on the waiting horse. Mounting quickly as did Elladan, they rode away from the mountains.

Legolas felt the monster's arms around his waist and leaned back wearily onto his enemy's chest. Every bone in his body ached and every touch burned his already burning skin. His eyes were aching pools of fire in his head and his head was pounding. His every heartbeat sent pain throbbing in his temples. 'I must burst soon,' he thought, 'only a super being far stronger than I could contain such pain.' But that was not his only trial. Every motion of the animal beneath caused his skin to chafe painfully against the clothing he wore. He plucked at the long sleeves unhappily. The hot air of midday beat against his unprotected face and soon his world shrunk even more. It had become a place of unbearable torment.

Veren called an early halt as night fell. It had been his intention to ride through the night, but Legolas had been squirming in obvious pain for quite some time and the twins had started to fall behind. He realized he would put them all in danger if he continued.

Elrohir dismounted with a groan and would have fallen if Elladan had not been there to catch him. They camped under the trees, huddled close together on the ground. No fire was lit for they had no wish to attract unwanted attention. Veren changed the dressing on Elrohir's wounds. They all drank the clean cool water taken from the pool they had left behind. Legolas drank greedily when Elladan put the sack to his lips but he would not eat the bread.

Elrohir fell asleep resting in the crook of his brother's arms while Veren hovered over Legolas trying to cool the heat that burned fiercely from his skin.

Time passed and in the still of the night Elladan spoke.

"When last did you sleep my Lord?"

Veren turned tired eyes on the younger elf who held his twin in his arms.

"If I do what will become of us? That orc lives still and there are many foul creatures that hunt the weak in the night shadows. They can smell our wounded and our fear from leagues away."

"Even so, tiredness in the strong makes us weaker still. I will keep watch until I cannot. This I promise you."

Veren did indeed long for rest, his body quivered minutely in his near exhaustion. Yet he looked long and hard at Elladan. Finally he leaned back on his haunches and nodded saying,

"If Legolas awakens, wake me immediately."

Elladan nodded in assent.

"Wake me if you hear anything odd."

Elladan nodded again, trying not to smile. Veren spoke as though he were an elfling.

"Wake me even if what you hear is a strong breeze pen neth."

At this Elladan did grin, but Veren simply wrapped himself loosely in his cloak and was almost instantly asleep. He put himself between Legolas and the twins.

000

The night air was cool; it blew gently through the leaves of the sleeping trees. The wind naughtily picked up the auburn hair of the elf that was leaning against a tree trunk and tossed it across his face. The elf did not stir for though his eyes were half lidded, he was lost in elven dreams.

The wind blew the long black hair of the elf that lay sleeping on the ground, but he did not awaken. It took the black silken strands and tickled the nose of the golden haired elf who lay with wide open eyes, staring at nothing. He blinked. The wind gusted merrily under his short shirt, up his thighs over his torso and brought the scent of greenness to his nose.

Come and play said the wind.

He took a deep breath and his fingers twitched. He turned his head to the side letting the black hair slide off his face. A pale face was next to his under all that black hair. A beautiful face with closed eyes, straight black brows, a delicate nose and masculine lips. Those lips were slightly parted and small puffs of air went in and out.

Legolas sat up and was amazed at the two headed creature that lay not far from him. Both faces were identical. One pair of the creatures eyes were closed, the other was open. Both heads were breathing in tandem. The elf with the pale golden hair got quietly but shakily to his feet. The wind ever playful blew his unbound hair back from his face… then straight into his eyes. The elf turned around trying to evade the wind, but it caressed his hot skin and lifted the edge of his white shirt. Legolas gasped at the intrusion and tugged at the offending cloth; but the wind blew a little stronger and pulled the shirttail out of his hand. It blew straight at him and caused his hair to stream backward like a living river. Legolas gave a little laugh. He opened his arms wide and tilted his head back. He closed his eyes and let the wind have it way. What a picture he struck.

Whether caused by the heat that consumed him or no, his body glowed with special radiance. A maia of gold and white he seemed to be, poised with bare legs braced and white gold hair flying in utter abandon and ultimate joy. It was a breathtaking sight and it was the only thing that saved their lives, for the orc, having only death and blood on his mind could do more than pause before the unearthly sight.

But the wind was no friend of the orc or other despoiled things that walked the face of Arda. It blew away from the stench of its hideous body and the scent was carried unerringly to the one who lay half sitting, half lying clutching his replica to himself. And it was so that the elf came awake, hazel eyes focusing in sudden alarm and he leapt to his feet, letting his double fall to the ground and he drew his sword to face the enemy.

The orc, hearing the sound, turned with a snarl, stepped forward into the shadow of the trees and his eyes glowed with hatred. He saw the black haired elf roll and knowing he was the more dangerous of the two, fired two black tipped arrows in rapid succession. They ploughed into the elf's body and pinned him to the ground. Dropping his bow the orc drew a curved pitted blade and turned to do battle with the elf of hazel eyes.

Legolas saw the creature of his nightmare. He saw the creature with glowing red eyes and dripping fangs come striding out from under the trees. He saw the loosed arrows hit the elf of midnight black hair and heard his grunts of pain. He dropped to his knees at the elf's side and somehow a silver sword was in his hands. He leapt over the immobile elf and ran to do battle with the creature.

The orc parried a thrust and kicked the elf in the midriff. The elf staggered back and tripped over the body of his twin. Giving a howl of victory the orc swung his blade down in an arc toward the unprotected neck of the sprawled elf.

But his blade met a silver one and the resultant clang echoed under the trees. Startled the orc looked up only to see the feverish blue eyes of his desire.

"Gildak!" he cried his eyes going wide in disbelief.

But all Legolas heard was a slow, yawning, rumble of dark noise and what he saw was his enemy's mouth open and yellowed fangs protrude. So he forced their blades up and around in a continuous arc until the creature's sword was pinned beneath his. With lighting fast speed that not even the orc could follow Legolas spun and the sword cut through the orc's neck like a scythe through ripe wheat. Black blood gushed from the headless body and rained on the elf until he was covered with it. But Legolas did not stop for fear and rage burned equally in him and he hacked at the dead body like a mindless thing.

Elladan rushed to him and stopped him in mid swing. He saw madness blazing in his friend's eyes and wrenched the sword from his grasp. Legolas stared up at the brown haired elf for a long moment then opened his mouth wide and began to scream.

0000000000

The horses galloped with long strides and sweat lathered their sides, yet they did not slow or falter for their riders' need pushed them to their limit. The rider's faces were grim. Veren's shoulder had been ripped by one of the orc's arrows and it bled freely. Elrohir's slashed back was no better and Veren suspected that the warg's claws had introduced some natural venom into his elven blood. He rode double with Elladan who held him tightly around the waist.

It was Legolas though, who had them all worried for after his screaming fit in the wood, he had begun to rant at them and claw at himself. Veren had tied his hands and now they rode together. Legolas leaned against him like a limp rag, his skin still burned and he was covered in black ichor. But it was the incessant mumbling of incoherent words that came tumbling from his lips that caused Veren to ride like the dark souls of Morgorth were on their heels. Legolas was using the black speech.

00000000000

It was Aragorn who first heard the horses clatter over the wooden bridge that led onto the courtyard. He jumped off the stone bench and ran with all speed to the front of the house. He had taken to sitting in the garden everyday under Legolas' favourite tree. He skidded to a halt at the front steps. A very dishevelled Veren was taking a limp and dirty golden haired elf from his horse.

"Legolas." Aragorn whispered in disbelief. He ran forward only to be held back by Glorfindel who had appeared out of nowhere.

"Wait Estel." He cautioned.

Elves poured out of the house. He saw a healer take Legolas from Veren and hurry inside. Elladan passed carrying Elrohir and even Elrond could not make him give up his brother to stronger arms. Aragorn tried to pull away then, but the elf lord was having none of it.

"Wait Estel, let them work. Your father needs all his energy focused on healing them right now. If you go in there you will distract him, you know you are not well and he will worry about you."

Aragorn nodded, but it was the hardest thing he had ever done. Together they went into the foyer. Glorfindel held Aragorn as the young man sobbed quietly. Not many days ago, Aragorn's life had hung in the balance, now, only a few days later he was a mere shadow of himself. Glorfindel knew why he cried. Legolas had looked close to death. The elf lord prayed with his whole heart and soul that the young prince live. Losing him would be hard enough. But if he died they would have to bury not one but two, for he knew Aragorn would not survive it.

000000000000

The healers worked feverishly over Elrohir. He had taken in with fever and his back was inflamed. Many anti venoms were tried before one finally gave good results. By that time his body was soaked with sweat and his breathing was fast and shallow. Elladan knelt on the floor by the bed, where he could see his twin's face. He refused to move even when Veren, who had already been bandaged and deemed healthy, came and held him by the shoulder.

"Let him sleep Elladan. He is all right now."

Elladan stubbornly shook his head. He reached out a trembling hand and tucked a wayward strand of hair behind his brother's ear. He was more than a little shocked when Elrohir's hand reached for his.

"Yes Lada, go away and let me sleep, you snore awfully." He whispered weakly with a tiny smile.

Elladan did not answer but grasped his brother hand. They stayed that way until Elrohir fell into a heavy sleep.