Reviewer responses:

HarryEstel: Glad you are enjoying the story. Yes, those two are just magnets for trouble. And...when I write them...they are magnets for more trouble than I think they reasonablely would have been able to handle if they were living, breathing beings!

Mornflower: Sigh...what can I say, Morn!? Your reviews are also wonderful and a little off the wall! But I love them so much anyway! You are one of my more strong supporters and I appreciate it! I haven't gotten around to read that chapter you updated...pouts about that...but I will!!

Faceted-mind: Hey there! I'm glad you like the story! Thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy the update!

A/N: I have decided that where I originally ended the story...well I have decided to write MORE. Lucky or not for you guys! That means, I'm not done with it yet. But I have a few more chapters after this one before I get to the point I'm still writing so don't worry just yet about late updates! Those of you who know me...I WILL finish the story. And this won't be like When a Shadow Falls because I have no beta here.

-Gwenneth

Chapter Three: Nearly There

Estel was about to ask how the Elf knew "they were coming", but there was no time. Besides, he know knew too. Spiders began to scurry across the tree tops, webbing was quickly dispersed and the two were in essence locked into a circle of trees.

The man, nearly panicking now, held his sword at the ready. Legolas suddenly fired his arrow and had another strung and leaving the bow before Estel fully registered that a shot had been fired.

They weren't kidding about the archery…Estel thought to himself as he watched the Elf fire arrow after arrow until there were none left in his quiver. Then he pulled free two Elven knives and crossed them in front of him. Despite the injury, the Elf was more than formidable.

"Make for the less dense portion of the webbing," he whispered, gesturing toward their left. A portion of their web prison was not as thick as the rest. Some spider had not done its job well. Estel nodded and began hacking away at the spiders as he made his way toward the edge of the web circle.

Legolas covered their retreat, weaving a deadly pattern of death with his knives, but quickly tiring. He had not healed enough for this. The sickly sweet aroma of the Elf's blood drove the spiders into a feeding frenzy and they swarmed the two intruders.

The Elf heard a short cry and turned just in time to see a spider's sharp front talon, one of the ones it used to create webs, slice across his new-found companion's back.

Estel angrily spun and lobbed the creature's head from its body. He met the Elf's eyes and Legolas nodded, impressed.

The man smiled and then turned and sliced through the webbing, making a large hole in the pearly white material.

He and Legolas were through in an instant and the spiders suddenly found their web a hindrance. They had to tear a larger hole through before they could follow their quarry and it wasted precious time.

Estel and Legolas fairly flew across the forest floor, the Elf in the lead. He seemed to move with such ease through the bramble while Estel struggled and cursed at the burrs that clung to his clothing.

But, they didn't slow, and soon they were no longer within hearing of the spiders, who had decided not to leave the safety of their nest and to instead await the arrival of the next blundering travelers.

Legolas immediately sank to the ground and clutched his wound and Estel, catching his breath, didn't see at first the pained expression on the Elf's countenance.

Then, he did, and he hurried over and flung himself down beside Legolas. "Mellon nin!" he cried without thinking. "Are you all right? Let me see!"

The Elf looked up, his eyes as big as saucers. "You called me your friend," he said. "So soon…you already trust me with your life." He was struggling to keep his voice from breaking.

Estel sighed. "You are worthy of my trust. Am I not worthy of yours?"

Legolas didn't answer. He couldn't. It was too soon. "I don't know. It is so hard to trust after so many years of hate, Estel. I…I can't think now…"

He bent over, almost double, and it took a bit of prying on Estel's part to get him to uncurl. The bandages applied earlier were filled with blood and Legolas' eyes were glazing in shock.

"You'll be all right, let me get the bleeding under control…" Estel murmured. He whipped his own pack out and fished around until he found what he was looking for. Athelas.

Legolas, seeing the plant, glanced at Estel. "You carry those?"

The man nodded. "If you know my brothers, you know why."

The Elf nodded. He knew the twins, though he had not seen them since his mother's murder. He had traveled no further than the borders of Mirkwood since then. Few left the forest since the death of the Queen.

He managed to stay relatively quiet until the athelas were actually applied. Touching the wound was immensely painful and he cried out and balled his hands into fists, clenching his leggings at his thighs.

Estel worked quickly, ignoring the cries and trying to ignore the labored breathing. It was more the breathing that bothered him than it was the cries, because it meant that Legolas was not doing well.

The spider battle had not done him good and Estel feared that unless they reached the palace soon he would not be able to keep Legolas conscious and moving.

I'll carry him if I must, though I do not know the way,the man thought to himself. He has saved my life twice now…I owe him at least this.

Legolas, however, did not pass out, nor did he lose consciousness at any point during Estel's administrations. He gritted his teeth when the pain hit, but wrapping the bandage was far less painful than applying the athelas had been.

"Hannon le, mellon," the Elf muttered. He hadn't said "my" friend, but friend was a start, Estel noticed. Perhaps this friendship would not be doomed after all.

"You're welcome, Legolas."

He eased the Prince to his feet and looked at him with concern. Seeing the expression in the man's eyes, the Elf sighed. "I must go on. I will be all right. I am weary for my home, Estel. It will help me heal."

The man acquiesced without complaint, but he was a bit leery about the welcome he would receive in Mirkwood. He knew that he had at least partially gained the Prince's trust, but he worried that if he was separated from the Elf in the palace, he would not be safe from harm.

Legolas suddenly stopped. "Estel!" He cried out in alarm. "You were cut by one of the spiders!"

The man nodded. "It is all right, merely sore and crusted. We have to get you to the healers."

But the Elf rapidly shook his head, his eyes wide with some unreadable emotion. "The spiders in Mirkwood are highly toxic! Your wounds should have been cleansed immediately! I am sorry, I did not think!"

He pulled the man to a halt and moved to expose the cut across Estel's back. The man stopped him. "Wait, I can do this. You just wait until I get the shirt off."

He didn't want the Elf to pull that wound anymore than he already had. If he went about trying to remove Estel's shirt he would do more damage.

In moments, Estel had the tunic off and the wound exposed. He heard the sharp intake of breath from the Elf and he frowned. He could not see his own back.

"Well?"

Legolas, meanwhile, was taken aback by the wound. It was jagged and blood covered the whole of Estel's back. How the man had not been in pain, Legolas did not know. Or perhaps he had been and had not told the Elf.

"This must hurt terribly, Estel." He gently touched the man's shoulders. They visibly slumped. "It does then…" the Elf muttered. "And the skin is bright red. The venom did get on you. We must clean it. Do you have a water skin?"

Estel nodded and moved to gather it, but Legolas forced him down. "No stay. I will do this for you."

He moved, albeit stiffly, away from the man, who used this opportunity to again watch his Elven companion. He could see the underlying grace in the Prince's movements, though it was hindered by the pain he was in. Estel knew that when well, this was one Elf he would love to see in action.

"This will hurt," Legolas said, returning to Estel's side with water and rags. "But I will be gentle."

Estel smiled. "I hurt you to help your wounds, it is fitting that you do the same."

Legolas didn't answer. He went about his task with an almost mechanical efficiency. Estel wondered just how many times he had treated spider venom, bites and scratches. Probably many, from the way he did it with such ease.

In a few minutes, the work was done, but Estel was beginning to feel the effects of the venom. He was becoming dizzy and his stomach felt like emptying itself.

"Do Elves get sick when they are bitten?" Estel asked groggily.

Legolas frowned. "Yes. It is not pleasant. I do not know what it will do to a mortal. I have not had occasion to treat one before."

Estel nodded. "Right, then perhaps we had better get on. I don't want to find out the hard way that we need some medicinal herb I don't have."

He gingerly pulled his shirt back on and began to move forward, only to wobble precariously until Legolas reached out and steadied him.

"Oh my," Estel muttered. "This could complicate matters. I am quite dizzy at the moment."

Legolas moved him forward. "We shall aid each other then, for neither of us can walk well unaided."

And so Elf and Man hobbled through the darkening forest of Mirkwood and Estel hoped that they would arrive in the palace soon. His vision was darkening as the day did.

Hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think!!!