Aragorn watched as the elf leaned against one of the trees for a moment before continuing on. The stubborn elf had not fully recovered yet refused to take a break. They had been walking in stony silence for two hours now ever since leaving Gandalf's presence. The elf had also made a point of keeping a couple of lengths between them. It was really beginning to wear on Aragorn's nerves. Seeing the elf lean against another tree Aragorn finally raised his voice. "We should take rest."
The elf's eyes flashed. "I am fine human."
Aragorn stopped himself from stating the obvious. "It was not only for your benefit elf. There is only an hour to sundown, it's dark in here already and it will only get worse. If we try to continue on we may loose the trail."
The elf raised his chin defiantly and for a moment Aragorn thought he would argue, then the elf nodded. "Fine. There is a small clearing up ahead. We will rest there."
Aragorn growled in Quenya knowing that Sindarian elves rarely learned the Noldor tongue. He was rather surprised when the elf whirled on him angrily.
"And is it above common courtesy from where you come from, not to talk about someone when that someone is right in front of you." The elf returned in perfect Quenya. "And for your information human it is man that has the idea they are superior to everyone else."
Aragorn reigned in his surprise and found himself apologizing. "I am sorry that was uncalled for."
The elf's eyes widened slightly at the man's admission of guilt. He nodded before turning and heading to their destined camp.
~*~*~*~
Legolas was already sitting, leaning back against a tree as the man entered the tiny clearing. He had been surprised that the man knew the elder tongue of the elves and was puzzling over this mystery. Granted, the man could have learned it off of Gandalf but there again the man spoke it perfectly like it was his first language. He did not move like most humans either. He had a grace and carriage that lacked in other mortals. There was also the fact that Gandalf had called the man Estel.
Legolas was beginning to have unsettling thoughts as to who this human was. He had not visited Imladris for a while but the twins had spoken to him of a young human child that Elrond had taken as his own. They had written many times of the child's exploits and mischief making. He had enjoyed the letters and had wondered about the little human. Looking across the fire to the dark haired young man he wondered where Lord Elrond had went wrong. This man was rude, ignorant, and stubborn.
But the man had apologized.
He looked up seeing the man gathering wood for a fire. "You don't want to do that."
The man looked at him open confusion on his face. "Why not?"
"Trust me you don't want to do that."
The man stayed knelt beside the wood for a moment looking utterly lost. He glanced around at the forest for a moment before looking back at the kindling then to the elf. "I know there is probably a very good reason to listen to you but, we need the warmth and the light. You need to have that bandage checked. I need to make us some food and tea. And unlike you I will get cold."
Legolas shrugged, "all right then, be my guest."
The man was wary now as he returned to building the fire looking around several times as he frowned in confusion. He made a grunt of pleasure as the fire finally sprung to life. He warmed his hands for a moment then looked at the elf pleased. His eyes widened as he looked past the elf.
Legolas knew what the man saw. What seemed like thousands of eyes surrounding them all caught in the glow of the fire, some were yellow others green and some redder. They gleamed from all around even the tops of the trees. Sometimes they faded from one place only to appear in another. The worst was no matter how hard you looked you could never make out the forms behind the eyes. The eyes weren't the only things either. The large black and gray moths that inhabited the forest flocked and hummed around the fire.
Seeing how spooked the human was becoming Legolas reached into his pack throwing a small bundle of herbs onto the fire. The moths disappeared almost immediately and some of the eyes withdrew. "Nothing will approach the fire."
The human acknowledged what the elf said with a nod his eyes not leaving the surrounding forest. The man took a deep breath and seemed to focus himself before turning and opening his pack. Legolas watched as the man set things out to make tea. He had to admit the man was handling the situation better than most.
"How many elves did the spiders take?"
Legolas rubbed at his sore shoulder wincing as he remembered his companions. "Nine."
The man searched through his belongings a moment before approaching the elf with bandages and medicines. "Here let me take a look at your wound."
Legolas flinched away from him. "I can take care of it myself, thank you."
The man met his gaze for a moment before setting the supplies beside him and turning back to the fire. Legolas unlaced the top of his tunic and pushed the cloth back revealing the wound. He found himself rather unable to take care of it by himself. He glanced up hearing the human clear his throat but Estel was not looking at him.
"I know we didn't get started off on the right foot but I don't mean you any harm. I want to help you if you let me. Even the greatest of us need help once in a while." The man looked over at him hesitantly before turning back to the small kettle.
Swallowing a sharp retort Legolas sighed. "You are right. I could use your help if you would give it."
The man approached him quietly trying to make himself as less threatening as possible. Legolas smiled inwardly at the action. He wasn't able to stop himself from recoiling though as the man touched the wound. A low throb of pain radiated from the damaged area.
"I'm sorry." The man replied. "I'll try to be quick."
Legolas nodded.
"It's healing quickly." The man murmured. "Can you remove your tunic some more it would make it easier to refit the bandage?"
"No." Legolas said sharply before softening his tone. "No just get done with it."
TBC
I know short but don't panic I have already started on the next part. I have also started on the next chapter of Reunion in the Shire. Things are still busy over here. And NO this will not be slash I don't write it. I know this part is a little slow but it will pick up and I promise that next week you will have a chapter to this and to Reunion.
The elf's eyes flashed. "I am fine human."
Aragorn stopped himself from stating the obvious. "It was not only for your benefit elf. There is only an hour to sundown, it's dark in here already and it will only get worse. If we try to continue on we may loose the trail."
The elf raised his chin defiantly and for a moment Aragorn thought he would argue, then the elf nodded. "Fine. There is a small clearing up ahead. We will rest there."
Aragorn growled in Quenya knowing that Sindarian elves rarely learned the Noldor tongue. He was rather surprised when the elf whirled on him angrily.
"And is it above common courtesy from where you come from, not to talk about someone when that someone is right in front of you." The elf returned in perfect Quenya. "And for your information human it is man that has the idea they are superior to everyone else."
Aragorn reigned in his surprise and found himself apologizing. "I am sorry that was uncalled for."
The elf's eyes widened slightly at the man's admission of guilt. He nodded before turning and heading to their destined camp.
~*~*~*~
Legolas was already sitting, leaning back against a tree as the man entered the tiny clearing. He had been surprised that the man knew the elder tongue of the elves and was puzzling over this mystery. Granted, the man could have learned it off of Gandalf but there again the man spoke it perfectly like it was his first language. He did not move like most humans either. He had a grace and carriage that lacked in other mortals. There was also the fact that Gandalf had called the man Estel.
Legolas was beginning to have unsettling thoughts as to who this human was. He had not visited Imladris for a while but the twins had spoken to him of a young human child that Elrond had taken as his own. They had written many times of the child's exploits and mischief making. He had enjoyed the letters and had wondered about the little human. Looking across the fire to the dark haired young man he wondered where Lord Elrond had went wrong. This man was rude, ignorant, and stubborn.
But the man had apologized.
He looked up seeing the man gathering wood for a fire. "You don't want to do that."
The man looked at him open confusion on his face. "Why not?"
"Trust me you don't want to do that."
The man stayed knelt beside the wood for a moment looking utterly lost. He glanced around at the forest for a moment before looking back at the kindling then to the elf. "I know there is probably a very good reason to listen to you but, we need the warmth and the light. You need to have that bandage checked. I need to make us some food and tea. And unlike you I will get cold."
Legolas shrugged, "all right then, be my guest."
The man was wary now as he returned to building the fire looking around several times as he frowned in confusion. He made a grunt of pleasure as the fire finally sprung to life. He warmed his hands for a moment then looked at the elf pleased. His eyes widened as he looked past the elf.
Legolas knew what the man saw. What seemed like thousands of eyes surrounding them all caught in the glow of the fire, some were yellow others green and some redder. They gleamed from all around even the tops of the trees. Sometimes they faded from one place only to appear in another. The worst was no matter how hard you looked you could never make out the forms behind the eyes. The eyes weren't the only things either. The large black and gray moths that inhabited the forest flocked and hummed around the fire.
Seeing how spooked the human was becoming Legolas reached into his pack throwing a small bundle of herbs onto the fire. The moths disappeared almost immediately and some of the eyes withdrew. "Nothing will approach the fire."
The human acknowledged what the elf said with a nod his eyes not leaving the surrounding forest. The man took a deep breath and seemed to focus himself before turning and opening his pack. Legolas watched as the man set things out to make tea. He had to admit the man was handling the situation better than most.
"How many elves did the spiders take?"
Legolas rubbed at his sore shoulder wincing as he remembered his companions. "Nine."
The man searched through his belongings a moment before approaching the elf with bandages and medicines. "Here let me take a look at your wound."
Legolas flinched away from him. "I can take care of it myself, thank you."
The man met his gaze for a moment before setting the supplies beside him and turning back to the fire. Legolas unlaced the top of his tunic and pushed the cloth back revealing the wound. He found himself rather unable to take care of it by himself. He glanced up hearing the human clear his throat but Estel was not looking at him.
"I know we didn't get started off on the right foot but I don't mean you any harm. I want to help you if you let me. Even the greatest of us need help once in a while." The man looked over at him hesitantly before turning back to the small kettle.
Swallowing a sharp retort Legolas sighed. "You are right. I could use your help if you would give it."
The man approached him quietly trying to make himself as less threatening as possible. Legolas smiled inwardly at the action. He wasn't able to stop himself from recoiling though as the man touched the wound. A low throb of pain radiated from the damaged area.
"I'm sorry." The man replied. "I'll try to be quick."
Legolas nodded.
"It's healing quickly." The man murmured. "Can you remove your tunic some more it would make it easier to refit the bandage?"
"No." Legolas said sharply before softening his tone. "No just get done with it."
TBC
I know short but don't panic I have already started on the next part. I have also started on the next chapter of Reunion in the Shire. Things are still busy over here. And NO this will not be slash I don't write it. I know this part is a little slow but it will pick up and I promise that next week you will have a chapter to this and to Reunion.