CHAPTER VIII – I' QUEL ELEN, I' FOR ELEN

"A-Aragorn…?"

The man lifted his head off the edge of the mattress and looked frantically at the Elf. "Is something wrong, Legolas? Do you want me to get the healers?"

"No. Will you help me up?"

"Legolas, I don't want to aggravate your injuries."

"Please, Aragorn?"

"I don't want anything to happen to you on my account. I don't want you to…"

"Aragorn, this will not kill me. Now please help me."

Aragorn caved. He walked around to the other side of the bed and helped Legolas sit up. The Elf put his arm over Aragorn's shoulder and staggered to his feet, suppressing a cry of pain. He felt Aragorn tense for a moment then relax as Legolas lifted his head, showing that he was still conscious and alive. "The balcony," he whispered. The pair walked together, Aragorn sometimes having to pause when Legolas became overwhelmed with pain or the urge to faint, but never once did Legolas ask to return to his bed. Aragorn admired his determination now more than he ever had. They finally reached the glass doors that opened onto the balcony. The glass was etched with frost and the balcony itself covered with a thin layer of snow. Aragorn now thoroughly disliked this idea, but Legolas continued. The Elf pressed his bare shoulder against the cold glass. The cold wind bit at them both, but Legolas had never been so grateful for something cold. After the Mordor incident, he never wanted to see another flame. After a moment of basking in the icy wind he took another few steps forward. Outside was where he has wished to go and outside is where he had made it, so, as to not do himself more harm (though being outside in the middle of winter without a shirt or cloak couldn't be too good either), he halted. Aragorn felt him starting to shake with fatigue and moved to turn around and go back inside, but the Elf still had enough strength to defy him.

"Legolas, we're going to freeze out here," Aragorn said.

"I only asked you to help me this far, you may go back inside if you like," Legolas said sincerely.

"And leave you out here?"

Legolas shrugged. His knees suddenly gave and he collapsed into the fine blanket of snow on the marble balcony. He was very tired and knew that he probably should be sleeping, but he was too tired to sleep; if that was even possible. He rolled onto his back, his arms stretched out like wings, closed his eyes, and took a very deep breath, filling his lungs with clean, cold air, that seemed to make a large difference to his health. "I' quel sul… i' for sul… The good wind… the north wind…" he sang quietly. Legolas slowly opened his eyes again and gazed up. The moon had not graced the forests with her presence this night, but the stars… never before had they shone brighter. Legolas knew all those stars by name, so he could call upon them like dear friends, and some he loved. His mother's star shone in the north and eleven new stars shone around it. He felt his eyes begin to sting at the memory of his lost brothers. "I' quel elen… i' for elen… The good star… the north star…"

Aragorn laid down in the snow next to Legolas, his arms also outstretched, almost touching the prince's pale fingertips. He heard Legolas whispering, but could not understand what he said. The stars shone brightly tonight. Aragorn wished that he knew the names of them all, so that he could know them rather than just admire them. His worry had subsided slightly as he glanced at his companion, seeing how at peace he had become now that he was outside. This time, Aragorn heard what Legolas was humming to himself: "I' quel elen… i' for elen…"

"Aragorn?"

"Hn?"

"Nevermind," Legolas said with a sigh. It would've been extremely childish to ask anyways. He shouldn't be thinking that way, but it was easier said than done. Was he going to die? He felt as though he would. Earlier, when he had been inside, he had gone so numb that he thought he was dead, and then the searing pain of everything came back and Legolas wondered if this was the way death was; toying with your emotions and making you wonder just when it was going to happen, how you were going to spend your last moment; numbness followed by a pain that no living thing deserved to endure. As Legolas came out of his thoughts, he realized that he was crying. When he breathed in, a distressed cry liberated itself from his lips.

"Legolas?"

If he opened his mouth he knew all there would be was a sorrowful noise. A cold hand clasped around his. "Nîn na aut a' gurth. I'm going to die"

Aragorn sat up and moved closer to Legolas. "Don't say that, mellon nîn. You're… You're going to be fine. Everything's going to be all right," he said, his voice reflecting that he was on the verge of tears himself. Aragorn slowly lifted Legolas up into his arms, steadying the Elf's neck body against his shoulder. Legolas wanted to sob, but restrained himself to a few tears. Even then his eyes were mournful and Aragorn noticed that, if you stared into them long enough, you could see the stars dancing in the deep wells of his eyes, making them sparkle deceivingly. "The good star, the North Star," he said quietly…