Yep, another Roz story. [roz stories never make sense] And hopefully, this should be a 'short' story. But then again, I've seen the end of one of my short stories….*snort* short, my arse. About as short as Cassia's stories! Pfft! *ahem* but, this IS a short story. Its only meant to be a bit of fluff. Hurt/comfort. Not meant to be taken too seriously! I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: You know, I almost wish that my stories would get enough attention for me to get sued! But as it goes, I do not own anything, I am not making a profit out of this and if I were, I wouldn't tell you anyway but keep it in my very secret Swiss bank account with the number 555-876-294-291, right?

Author: Roz

Email: aeterno_estel@hotmail.com

Title: Curiosity Killed The Cat

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Hurt/comfort/angst

Summary: Legolas takes Estel out on a simple hunting trip but Estel's devious curiosity gets the better of him and he makes a simple mistake that could easily cost him his life. As things go from bad to worse, it's a race against time to save the Edain child.

Feedback: *rolls eyes* Nah, I hate feedback! Of COURSE I love it! Give me loads of it! I adore it! I live for it! You getting that hint here?

Archival: Please ask first so I can visit your site as well.

*PREFACE* - This story takes place when Aragorn is still called Estel, and is the adopted son of Elrond, and therefore his brothers are Elladan and Elrohir (by adoption of course) but Elrond treats the human, as his own elven son, right? Estel is around….er….12/13 years old. And I've just shoved Gilraen off a cliff ok? She doesn't exist.

And lets begin!

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[Prologue]

How had it come to this? How could a simple trip have turned into something so disastrous? And why did this type of thing always happen to him??? All of these thoughts and more flashed through Prince Legolas, Son of Thranduil, King of Mirkwood's head as he quickly jogged through the forest, his pace fuelled by his anxiety for the small, shivering, delirious bundle that he carried.

Legolas cursed and cursed again, wishing that he had brought a horse, wishing that someone with a horse would pass him by, wishing that the twins were out in the forest right now, just wishing for some help. Mainly wishing that he could turn back time to where everything had started to go wrong…….but there wasn't a single point where it had gone wrong, it had been a sequence of wrong events……..but if there was a point, where someone would point out that everything had started to go wrong, it would've been when the child had pulled out that accursed pipe. Who would've known it? WHO in the VALAR could've possibly known that something so INNOCENT could cause so much grief? That plain childish curiosity could end up in such tragedy?

Curse human's curiosity! Legolas thought vehemously as he continued to run. Why do they always feel the need to touch everything? To TRY everything? Why must they try to prove themselves when they are still ONLY children?? If all Edain children acted the way this one did, Legolas was amazed that humans managed to get past childhood and grow up. However, the presence of all the men in the kingdoms surrounding the elven ones suggested that humans did indeed survive their childhood……..however the one that Legolas carefully held in his arms, might not.

It was dark under the trees. The moon was out but her light was waning as the sky was covered in clouds. If any nocturnal forest animal had the eyesight to spot the pair running through the woods, they still would not have seen much. They might've seen a quick movement in the darkness, a patch of deeper darkness that suggested that there was something solid there, if only for a second before it had moved on. If they had've looked harder, they might've even seen a flash of blond hair before it disappeared amongst the trees again. If they had've been listening very hard, they might've even heard the slight crunch of leaves under the elf's feet as he hurried along. Legolas was being as quiet as he could but still trying to move as fast as he could. However, the faster you wished to go, the less quiet you were. But Legolas was an elf, an elf with a light, quiet tread. He also had the trees on his side, and they whispered to him, apparent words of encouragement as he ran along. They also rustled their leaves in an effect to shield the sound of his footfalls, to keep him protected from the enemies that also ran beneath their canopy.

Legolas knew this, but knew that unless he ran faster, it might not help. The prince cursed again, this time in dwarfish as elvish just didn't have the words to express his feelings, and then prayed to the Valar for some help.

Instead, it started to rain. Not pouring, deadening, drowning rain but rain none the less. The canopy of the trees tended to break it up but still the rain fell. Cold on the elf's flesh, and cold on the cold flesh of the bundle he carried precariously. The rain grew heavier. Cursing, the elf tried to cover his bundle with his cloak that he was wearing. There wasn't enough time to stop and take the cloak off to cover the bundle with. The child was so cold.

In his arm, cradled carefully against his chest, Estel, adopted son of Elrond, Lord of Imaldris, huddled. The rain fell on the boy's pale face, it's whiteness contrasting starkly with his dark hair and eyelashes. The boy's mouth was slightly open, panting shallowly for the life giving oxygen. The boy was dangerously weak and delirious, Legolas could feel the young Edain's heart beating erratically through his tunic and when the prince stumbled slightly over a raised tree root, the boy moaned quietly, shivered violently and for no apparently reason, started gasping for breath.

Legolas skidded to a halt as he felt the Edain's chest heaving frantically and the young human's hand clutched at his tunic. Oh Valar, not now. Not when he was so close.

The boy's eyes were wide open, panic and fear tainting their grey irises…..Legolas could see that the boy was slowly suffocating, and he quickly but gently eased the fragile bundle to the forest floor, and trying to ignore the choked cries of pain that he caused, he leaned the boy slightly forward while rubbing soothing circles on the boy's back. Oh Valar, not now, please not now. Please help him, help the human child.

"L-L…..Leg…g-golas….." The boy struggled to draw in a breath and his hand blindly searched for the elfs. "I-I…..c-can..t….b-b…reat-the…."

"I know, I know…but Estel, try! Try…..slow breaths….in and out…slowly….sshhh…everything will be fine…just breathe for me…..try….." In response, the elf grabbed the human's hand and placed it against his chest, letting the boy feel the rise and fall in his own chest. Legolas' own heart was beating frantically, he was terrified for this child. He could not die! Legolas would not be able to handle it if the child passed away, especially since the Edain child had been under his care.

Long seconds passed when the boy gasped, the choking sounds tearing at the elf's heart. "Come on Estel! You must breath! Breath with me! Try!.......feel my chest…….feel it moving……..in and out……you must Estel! You must! Try! Try for me! Please Estel!" Several more long seconds passed but then to the elf's relief, the boy managed to draw in a shaky breath, the glazed look leaving his eyes and his lips losing the blue tinge of oxygen deprivation.

But it was not over yet, Legolas slid his hands under the boy's body to pick him up when suddenly Estel started coughing. The racking coughs tore at the boy's already broken and fragile body as Estel struggled to bring something up. Legolas could feel the child's body straining and trembling. The Edain child's eyes watered and his vision blurred, and fearfully, not quite knowing if it would help or hinder, Legolas forcefully thumped on the boy's back.

Estel gurgled in pain, and then with a huge cough expelled blood out all over the prince's tunic. Legolas held the panting and gasping boy in shock, surveying his bloody clothes with horror. He knew that Estel had been badly injured, but he had not realised that it was this bad. He had not realised that Estel was slowly drowning from a punctured lung. Now maybe the elf may have realised too late. Legolas sat in shock, surveying his bloody clothes. He will not survive this, Legolas thought with horrible clarity, He is only human! He is only a child! How can he hope to survive such horrible injuries? Oh Valar, if you are listening, please a little bit of help!

The young Edain, exhausted by his efforts, allowed himself to go limp and clung feebly to the elf's tunic, "I-I'm….s-sor…ry…" The boy murmured before passing out. The boy's apology snapped the prince out of his reverie and Legolas reprimanded himself for being so negative yet he still feared for the child, Humans are more resilient then you could ever know, he thought to himself.

"Don't be young human. Don't be." Legolas quickly got to his feet, and fearfully assessed the boy's condition. If it were possible, his face had grown paler, his heartbeat was weaker and more erratic and his breath was noisy and shallow.

Oh Valar. Legolas knew that if he didn't get back to Imaldris soon, the boy would die. Very soon. The boy was already fading fast. As every second went past, Legolas could almost see the child's life power draining away. He could almost feel the heart's beat slowing. With a concentrated effort, Legolas fed some of the boy his life power, but he knew that he could not do that forever. He knew that no matter how much power he fed the child, the boy would still fade. He could bind the child's soul to his, but that would take immense energy, energy that he needed to make it back to Imaldris.

Still, the boy faded.

The wind started to blow. Legolas cursed even more. It was as if, all the elements of nature were conspiring against him. The wind was bitterly cold and made the rain lash against Legolas and Estel's face. Making a quick decision, Legolas halted and quickly removed his cloak. With exaggerated care, he bundled the cloak around the child, making it so that Estel was protected from the biting wind and rain. Hopefully, it would offer the child some warmth and comfort from the prince's footfalls. Legolas did not doubt that his running hurt the child as it jostled his broken bones. Estel sighed in slight relief as the warmth penetrated his chilled body and he tried to snuggle deeper into the coat in his unconsciousness.

Legolas continued his relentless journey.

"How could've it come to this, Estel?" Legolas murmured as he forced himself to run faster until the trees were just a blur of green, brown and grey. "How could it have possible come to this Estel? Whatever did I do wrong? Is this the consequence of your curiousity? Of your pride? Oh Estel! I wish that you could answer me! I wish that you could hear me! I wish that none of this was happening! Alas, I fear for you Edain. You are so weak, such a fragile race." With a gasp, the prince thought of Elrond, "Your Ada is going to kill me when I return to him like this." Legolas' face blanched as he thought of the Lord's face when he passed through the gates of Rivendell. "But I would face anything, if only to see you well again child. I want to see you smiling again, that little devious smirk, I want to see you playing with your brothers again, I even want to see the new pranks that you devise with the twins. You must not give up now Estel! You must not die! You have a bigger future in which you must play your part. I do not know what your future is or where your path will lead, but I know that it must be an important one. You cannot pass through the veil Estel. Think of all those that you would leave behind! Think of Elrond! Think of Elladan and Elrohir! Think of me! Please Estel! Do not give up!"

In a futile attempt to distract himself from the unanswering silence, the pale hand whose grip on his tunic grew weaker with every passing minute, the heartbeat which grew slower, more erratic and the breaths that grew more shallow and pained, Prince Legolas thought back to the very start of this whole innocent adventure.

The very start.

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Ok, i'm sorry that that was very short, but I hope you enjoyed it and that it gave you a kind of insight into the plot. This is my very first serious lotr fic (my toilet humour one does not really count as a fic) so please forgive me for everything i do wrong.