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Chapter 4: The Way Home

Elladan and Legolas began to walk towards Rivendell in silence. Normally, from where they were it would take about two or three days, walking. It was an agonizing wait...not knowing what would happen. Not knowing if Estel was even alive. Elladan didn't feel any extreme sadness through his twin's bond, though, so he assumed that things were alright...for now.

They walked for about a day and a half when Elladan glanced over at Legolas, who had stopped for a moment, leaning against a tree, breathing harshly. His eyes were glassy with weariness and his hands trembled.

Elladan walked over to his friend. "Mellon nin, you should rest." He told him gently, offering his hand to help him to the ground.

"Nay," Legolas breathed shakily.

"You will do no good to Estel if you pass out walking home. Please just rest a moment, Legolas." The older twin warned.

Legolas looked as to protest, but just sighed and slid to the ground roughly. "Fine, you win 'Dan." He mumbled and was immediately asleep, his eyes unnaturally closed in exhaustion.

Elladan smiled gently at his friend and sat down beside him. For the next few hours he drifted in and out of sleep before finally succumbing to welcoming slumber he had not planned for, the strain of the past days catching up with him.

Elladan didn't even realize he'd fallen asleep until an eerie howl piercing the night and he sat up quickly.

Legolas winced in pain as he stood up. It seemed when he ran from the orcs he had done something to his ankle, possibly broken it, and the past day of walking had done it no help.

'Why didn't I notice that earlier?'

"Man na en?" he asked Elladan quietly. What is it?

"Warg." The elder twin replied bitterly.

Legolas cursed under his breath.

'I never should have fallen asleep.'

The pair quickly dodged throughout the forest towards Rivendell as the yowls came steadily closer. Suddenly, both elf hearts took a leap when they heard a very close howl...from less than a mile in front of them.

"Come," Elladan urged, motioning to the right. "There is another way home, longer, and over some rocky areas, but it is likely we will evade the beasts there."

Legolas nodded briefly and the two elves quietly made for the alternative route. His ankle began to burn and his vision blurred. He felt so tired.

'Why do I feel like this?'

"Why can't we just climb trees?" The prince half-pleaded.

Elladan turned in confusion as he ran. "You never know if there will be orcs with wargs, in which case trees would make no refuge." He noted his friend's dazed, feverish look. Legolas hadn't been exactly 'on top of things' the past day and seemed very weak. He desperately hoped it wasn't poison.

They ran for literally hours until the noises faded away, but continued to keep at a swift, steady pace past daybreak and onto the next day.

Around noon of their third day on their trek home, Legolas crumbled weakly onto one of the many surrounding rocks, panting painfully.

"Please," He pleaded breathlessly. "Dan, I cannot run any longer. I need. To. Res-"

Elladan settled beside him, steadying the prince by wrapping his arm around his shoulder.. "That is fine, Legolas. Rest. I will keep watch."

Legolas nodded gratefully.

A moment later, a very, very nearby howl was heard. Elladan jumped at the noise and gripped his bow instinctively.

"Legolas," he said urgently, shaking his prone friend's shoulders. "Legolas you must wake. Please."

The prince did nothing.

"Legolas! If you do not wake now-" the twin looked up in horror.

"Legolas," he hissed. "They are here."

He grabbed his friend under the arms and yanked him upward. Legolas moaned softly and his eyes fluttered open.

"Wha-?" he began and then was jerked into total awareness by the too-close- for-comfort growl. He stood up abruptly.

Elladan thrust his bow and quiver to Legolas, who had no other weapon, and he knew could not do close-combat fighting in his health. The twin unsheathed his own sword.

Then he charged forward. There were only about ten wargs, but ten wargs against two elves, one sickly, is not good odds.

The wargs barked excitedly at their finally found prey and raced forward.

Elladan quickly stabbed one animal angrily, and then swiped his sword horizontally, killing another two with perfect skill, as Legolas struggled to put the quiver over his shoulder and ready an arrow. The twin's heart beat wildly, but not for fear of himself, but fear for his friend.

For the moment, no beasts bothered to attack the prince. Elladan killed an additional one, but his luck was short lasted. As he stabbed his sword through the warg's back and turned his head, he watched in dread as another two approached his friend.

"Legolas!" He shouted breathlessly as he wounded yet another creature and the Mirkwood elf managed to shoot one of his attackers.

Legolas grabbed another arrow, about to fire, just as the warg jumped onto him, shoving him to the ground violently. Its claws dug into his arm ruthlessly and Legolas instinctively raised his other to protect himself.

Doing so, he unknowingly stabbed the warg in the throat with the arrow. He watched in amazement as the creature rolled, dead, to his side.

Elladan was forced to finish off the beast he had injured and the other leaping for his leg. He glanced over to Legolas with tears in his eyes, believing the warg had certainly attacked him. The prince was no doubt dead by now, and he could do nothing.

Then he watched in wonder as the prince shakily stood up.

The older twin plunged his blade into the last predator's neck and rushed to Legolas as the elf's legs gave way. He caught him and gently lowered him to the ground carefully.

"Legolas...?" he asked breathlessly, overwhelmed with relief. "Are you alright?"

Legolas flinched and pulled his bloody arm against his chest with a hiss of anguish. Then his eyelids flickered shut and he went limp in Elladan's arms.

Legolas slowly opened his eyes and stared into a blurry tan ceiling.

Rivendell.

He tried to clear to grogginess from his mind. Somehow Elladan had managed to get him home, he figured.

'Why were we in such a hurry?'

'Estel!'

He quickly tried to sit up and looked around the room.

"Calm, Legolas," he heard a voice say and looked up at Elrond.

The Elf Lord's voice was fairly even, but there was something wrong. He wasn't as calm and serene.

Something was very wrong.

"Estel?" Legolas questioned softly.

Elrond closed his eyes, and icy fear gripped Legolas.

"I'm sorry Legolas...I'm sorry, but...We tried, but..."

TBC!!! - How can you not love cliffhangers?