Hey all, I hope the formatting not still all screwed up. . . so sorry if it
is. . . Oh, and even though it's not the same, thanks to Angel With No
Wings. . . I'll give credit where credit is due. Great minds think alike.
"What? Legolas!" The elf fell limp in his brother's arms. "Strider!" He yelled, gently lowering Legolas to the forest floor. "Strider, help me!"
The human was by his side in an instant. "What happened?"
"I don't know. He's so pale. Can you help him?"
"Yes," Aragorn answered. Not being able to help his friend was simply inconceivable. He felt for the heartbeat. It was racing erratically. Aragorn couldn't figure it out. He lost some blood, but surely not enough to warrant this reaction.
"The blades couldn't have been poisoned; they were his own." Aragorn emptied the contents of his bag looking for something—anything—to help. Had Legolas said anything that could give him a clue? Dar had died. . . the spider hunt. . . the spring festival. . .
"Legolas, wake up. I need you to wake up now." He pressed his hand over the elf's heart to keep from panicking. Legolas did not respond.
"Legolas, please, I can't help you like this. Come back to us."
The eyes shifted slightly.
"Legolas?"
"I'm here."
They all breathed a sigh of relief. Nifren, keeping watch, told Aragorn to hurry; they were about to have company.
Aragorn threw the herbs into his sack again. "Tell me what's wrong with you, and don't you dare tell me that you're fine."
Legolas nodded, encouraged by the urgency in his friend's voice. "I don't know. My hands. I think a rib may be broken."
"Are you having trouble breathing?"
"No."
"Then there's something else. What is it?"
"Help us here, Legolas," Mithfalas added.
"I. . . I don't know."
"There has to be something, Legolas! Think! Quickly!" He searched Legolas' eyes frantically.
"Strider!" Nifren warned, retreating to them. Mithfalas pulled Legolas to his feet. The prince tired to fight the wave of nausea that overtook him. He slipped into darkness, uttering a single word.
"What did he say?" Aragorn asked, following Mithfalas up a tree.
"Spiders. He said spiders."
Aragorn's feet disappeared within the foliage just an instant before a group of 30 or more men entered the clearing.
"Search everywhere! I know they are near!"
Mithfalas locked eyes with Nifren. With Legolas out and Aragorn caring for him, they were the only two able to fight. Two against 30 were impossible odds.
"We'll have to escape through the trees. It's the only way."
"Wait, I have to help him," Aragorn said quietly.
"There's no time, Strider. I want to help him just as much as you do, but right now, we need to go." Mithfalas was eyeing a man below who was trying to see through the leaves. "I can't escape with him," Mithfalas mouthed as Aragorn slipped something under the prince's tongue. Both he and Aragorn knew this.
"I will not leave him," Aragorn pleaded desperately. He had never abandoned his friend, and he did not intend to start now.
As he had grown so used to, Mithfalas pushed his emotions aside and shoved Aragorn forward. The human had no choice but to jump to the next tree, or fall to their hunters. He gave a final apologetic glance to his brother. "Stay safe."
Legolas woke to the sound of men laughing and his head throbbing. "Strider?" he mumbled in a groggy state.
The camp fell silent. Then, "Hey Boss, he's awake!"
"Ah, good." Mar walked toward his captive, who had been bound to a tree. "Good evening, Legolas. I'm afraid your friends are not here. They seem to have abandoned you."
Legolas said nothing.
"But that's all right. As it turns out, Lady Luck has turned her eyes my way today. I came here with no intention of finding you. As it stands now, I have you, and will soon have your brother as well. The Lady will be satisfied then."
None of his words registered in Legolas' mind. He felt better, but still horrible ill.
"No words of defiance, Elf?"
"They killed you."
Mar laughed. "No, they didn't. They were idiots for not checking. Are you aware that I mean to kill you?"
Legolas remained silent. The glazed look in his eyes told Mar that he was not fully coherent yet.
"Leave him be. If anyone so much as looks at him, I will have their heads!" He turned on his heel and left the glade.
Aragorn had not spoken since their hasty retreat out of the woods. He knew they had to leave, but somewhere deep-down, he hated Mithfalas for leaving Legolas alone. All he could do now was hope that the herbs he gave the elf had helped.
"Strider, someone's at the door."
Routinely, as soon as the door was opened, a sword rested at the base of the visitor's throat.
"I don't think you want to kill me."
"You have no idea," Aragorn growled. "Where is Legolas?"
Mar's eyes fell on Mithfalas. "He is safe. For now."
"And look what happened last time you said that."
Mar adverted his attention back to Aragorn. "You gave him the poison, not me."
"Why are you here?" Nifren asked, stopping the argument before Aragorn ended up killing the intruder.
"To negotiate."
"What is it you want?"
Mar smiled. "For you to stop interfering." He looked at Mar. "And him. For the elf we now hold."
"No."
Mithfalas shook his head. "Strider, let the man speak."
Aragorn gaped at the elf, but Mar took the opportunity to continue. "In return, Legolas will be returned to you, and you will have our word that you will not be harmed."
"No."
Mar shrugged. "That's fine. Seeing as how neither of us want Legolas, I will just have to dispose of him."
Mithfalas was standing behind Aragorn by now. "You will return Legolas to them alive and unharmed."
"You will get exactly as I said."
"And you said only that you would return Legolas. You said nothing about his well being."
Mar smiled. "You've learned well, dear elf. So, do we have an accord?"
"Mithfalas, don't do this! There has to be another way!"
Mithfalas walked around the human, now facing him with his back to Mar. There was a very meaningful look in his eyes. "This is the only way. Trust me, Strider." He left the room, allowing Mar to close the door.
"He's an idiot. It's a family trait. I've never met two elves more stupid-"
"Strider, he has a plan. Did ye not see it in his eyes?"
"His plan won't work. Get the others out of their rooms and find me in the forest," Aragorn instructed as he climbed out of the first level window. He'd be damned if he let anything happen to Legolas or his brother.
Reviewers:
Deana: Ah, you make me smile. Hope this was soon enough!
Jazi: So, how did Fiddler on the Roof go? I bet you sang beautifully! We just Wizard of Oz. A nightmare and a half. Lol, I love your reviews, hilarious.
Wildfire2: Nah, that plotline is very overused. Leggy just gets threatened with it a lot. . . Well, they couldn't very well go down and stop him, I mean, yeah, it's Leggy but better than two hands than four lives, right?
F h c: Keep writing? Lol, like you could stop me! Not all of them are planned, but at least the next three are.
Angel With No Wings: I swear to the Heavenly Father above that I did not plagiarize your story! I've had that particular scene written out for ages, and I was very saddened when you posted it first. I DID NOT COPY! ! ! I promise!! ::Pouty face:: Please believe me. (I'll give away part of a future story for you. . . same thing happened with one of Cassia and Sio's stories. . . I haven't posted mine yet. . . I wrote it first. . . I was so mad! But since I didn't post yet, they thought of it too. Sigh.) And ah! You're so sweet!
Nenya: Earlier in the chapter, Leggy broke a rib. THAT'S what Fal meant. And yeah, he'll be able to use 'em again. Promise.
Arayelle Lynn: Lol. I'm not a cat!
"What? Legolas!" The elf fell limp in his brother's arms. "Strider!" He yelled, gently lowering Legolas to the forest floor. "Strider, help me!"
The human was by his side in an instant. "What happened?"
"I don't know. He's so pale. Can you help him?"
"Yes," Aragorn answered. Not being able to help his friend was simply inconceivable. He felt for the heartbeat. It was racing erratically. Aragorn couldn't figure it out. He lost some blood, but surely not enough to warrant this reaction.
"The blades couldn't have been poisoned; they were his own." Aragorn emptied the contents of his bag looking for something—anything—to help. Had Legolas said anything that could give him a clue? Dar had died. . . the spider hunt. . . the spring festival. . .
"Legolas, wake up. I need you to wake up now." He pressed his hand over the elf's heart to keep from panicking. Legolas did not respond.
"Legolas, please, I can't help you like this. Come back to us."
The eyes shifted slightly.
"Legolas?"
"I'm here."
They all breathed a sigh of relief. Nifren, keeping watch, told Aragorn to hurry; they were about to have company.
Aragorn threw the herbs into his sack again. "Tell me what's wrong with you, and don't you dare tell me that you're fine."
Legolas nodded, encouraged by the urgency in his friend's voice. "I don't know. My hands. I think a rib may be broken."
"Are you having trouble breathing?"
"No."
"Then there's something else. What is it?"
"Help us here, Legolas," Mithfalas added.
"I. . . I don't know."
"There has to be something, Legolas! Think! Quickly!" He searched Legolas' eyes frantically.
"Strider!" Nifren warned, retreating to them. Mithfalas pulled Legolas to his feet. The prince tired to fight the wave of nausea that overtook him. He slipped into darkness, uttering a single word.
"What did he say?" Aragorn asked, following Mithfalas up a tree.
"Spiders. He said spiders."
Aragorn's feet disappeared within the foliage just an instant before a group of 30 or more men entered the clearing.
"Search everywhere! I know they are near!"
Mithfalas locked eyes with Nifren. With Legolas out and Aragorn caring for him, they were the only two able to fight. Two against 30 were impossible odds.
"We'll have to escape through the trees. It's the only way."
"Wait, I have to help him," Aragorn said quietly.
"There's no time, Strider. I want to help him just as much as you do, but right now, we need to go." Mithfalas was eyeing a man below who was trying to see through the leaves. "I can't escape with him," Mithfalas mouthed as Aragorn slipped something under the prince's tongue. Both he and Aragorn knew this.
"I will not leave him," Aragorn pleaded desperately. He had never abandoned his friend, and he did not intend to start now.
As he had grown so used to, Mithfalas pushed his emotions aside and shoved Aragorn forward. The human had no choice but to jump to the next tree, or fall to their hunters. He gave a final apologetic glance to his brother. "Stay safe."
Legolas woke to the sound of men laughing and his head throbbing. "Strider?" he mumbled in a groggy state.
The camp fell silent. Then, "Hey Boss, he's awake!"
"Ah, good." Mar walked toward his captive, who had been bound to a tree. "Good evening, Legolas. I'm afraid your friends are not here. They seem to have abandoned you."
Legolas said nothing.
"But that's all right. As it turns out, Lady Luck has turned her eyes my way today. I came here with no intention of finding you. As it stands now, I have you, and will soon have your brother as well. The Lady will be satisfied then."
None of his words registered in Legolas' mind. He felt better, but still horrible ill.
"No words of defiance, Elf?"
"They killed you."
Mar laughed. "No, they didn't. They were idiots for not checking. Are you aware that I mean to kill you?"
Legolas remained silent. The glazed look in his eyes told Mar that he was not fully coherent yet.
"Leave him be. If anyone so much as looks at him, I will have their heads!" He turned on his heel and left the glade.
Aragorn had not spoken since their hasty retreat out of the woods. He knew they had to leave, but somewhere deep-down, he hated Mithfalas for leaving Legolas alone. All he could do now was hope that the herbs he gave the elf had helped.
"Strider, someone's at the door."
Routinely, as soon as the door was opened, a sword rested at the base of the visitor's throat.
"I don't think you want to kill me."
"You have no idea," Aragorn growled. "Where is Legolas?"
Mar's eyes fell on Mithfalas. "He is safe. For now."
"And look what happened last time you said that."
Mar adverted his attention back to Aragorn. "You gave him the poison, not me."
"Why are you here?" Nifren asked, stopping the argument before Aragorn ended up killing the intruder.
"To negotiate."
"What is it you want?"
Mar smiled. "For you to stop interfering." He looked at Mar. "And him. For the elf we now hold."
"No."
Mithfalas shook his head. "Strider, let the man speak."
Aragorn gaped at the elf, but Mar took the opportunity to continue. "In return, Legolas will be returned to you, and you will have our word that you will not be harmed."
"No."
Mar shrugged. "That's fine. Seeing as how neither of us want Legolas, I will just have to dispose of him."
Mithfalas was standing behind Aragorn by now. "You will return Legolas to them alive and unharmed."
"You will get exactly as I said."
"And you said only that you would return Legolas. You said nothing about his well being."
Mar smiled. "You've learned well, dear elf. So, do we have an accord?"
"Mithfalas, don't do this! There has to be another way!"
Mithfalas walked around the human, now facing him with his back to Mar. There was a very meaningful look in his eyes. "This is the only way. Trust me, Strider." He left the room, allowing Mar to close the door.
"He's an idiot. It's a family trait. I've never met two elves more stupid-"
"Strider, he has a plan. Did ye not see it in his eyes?"
"His plan won't work. Get the others out of their rooms and find me in the forest," Aragorn instructed as he climbed out of the first level window. He'd be damned if he let anything happen to Legolas or his brother.
Reviewers:
Deana: Ah, you make me smile. Hope this was soon enough!
Jazi: So, how did Fiddler on the Roof go? I bet you sang beautifully! We just Wizard of Oz. A nightmare and a half. Lol, I love your reviews, hilarious.
Wildfire2: Nah, that plotline is very overused. Leggy just gets threatened with it a lot. . . Well, they couldn't very well go down and stop him, I mean, yeah, it's Leggy but better than two hands than four lives, right?
F h c: Keep writing? Lol, like you could stop me! Not all of them are planned, but at least the next three are.
Angel With No Wings: I swear to the Heavenly Father above that I did not plagiarize your story! I've had that particular scene written out for ages, and I was very saddened when you posted it first. I DID NOT COPY! ! ! I promise!! ::Pouty face:: Please believe me. (I'll give away part of a future story for you. . . same thing happened with one of Cassia and Sio's stories. . . I haven't posted mine yet. . . I wrote it first. . . I was so mad! But since I didn't post yet, they thought of it too. Sigh.) And ah! You're so sweet!
Nenya: Earlier in the chapter, Leggy broke a rib. THAT'S what Fal meant. And yeah, he'll be able to use 'em again. Promise.
Arayelle Lynn: Lol. I'm not a cat!