For the next four days, all that Legolas did was eat and sleep. He didn't have the opportunity yet to read any of the books that Thranduil had brought, for he was always too fatigued. Elrond had assured him that it was normal; so Legolas ignored his worry and let his body get as much sleep as it needed.
Legolas found, to his dismay, that his coughing continued. The illness that he'd suffered was apparently one that demanded a long recovery, but he was immensely grateful that most of his chest pain had disappeared. The rash on his arms remained, to his annoyance, but Elrond assured him that it would fade when he was through taking the drug.
At the moment, Legolas was laying in his bed, sleepily staring out the balcony. He'd started to read the 'Legolas of Gondolin' book an hour ago, but had fallen asleep and had woken to find no one else in the room. It was the first time that he'd been alone since he'd fallen ill, and he was relieved to have no one hovering over him.
Closing his eyes, Legolas enjoyed the soft patter of the rain as it fell. He wished that he could go outside, but knew that he'd never be allowed to, after having been so ill. But I am currently alone…I do not need to ask permission!
Sitting up, Legolas scooted to the side of the bed and slowly stood, holding onto the bedpost when dizziness clouded his senses. He was shocked at how drained he felt, and his legs shook as he all but shuffled towards the balcony, picking up his robe on the way and shrugging into it.
The trees gently swayed, and the sight enticed Legolas to open the balcony door. A chilly breeze immediately blew into the room, and though it made the recovering elf shiver, he closed his eyes with a smile as his hair danced in the wind.
"Legolas!"
Giving a startled gasp, Legolas turned around to see his father, Elrond, and Aragorn entering the room. It was Elrond who'd called his name, and Aragorn rushed over to him, frowning.
"What are you doing?!" he exclaimed, grabbing Legolas' arm. "You are recovering from a serious illness! You should not be out in the rain!"
Legolas frowned. "I did not go out in it."
Aragorn shook his head. "If we had not arrived at this moment, would you have?"
A sheepish grin was Legolas' only answer.
"Get back into this bed!" Thranduil exclaimed, fixing the sheets and pillows.
Aragorn pulled his friend away from the balcony, and they suddenly heard a thump
Thranduil hadn't seen the book on the bed, and had accidentally knocked it to the floor. Elrond bent down to pick it up, and found that a piece of paper had fallen from within its pages. Picking it up, he looked at it, giving a loud gasp.
Everyone looked at him, but as soon as Elrond stood, his face paled and he stumbled back a step, as if in shock.
"Elrond?" said Thranduil, grabbing his friend's arm.
It was then that they saw something in the healer's hand, and Elrond grabbed the chair beside the bed, dropping into it heavily. He said not a word, seemingly unable to speak.
Aragorn rushed to his side, grabbing the paper from his father. As he read what it contained, he saw the reason for his father's shock and looked at Legolas, stricken.
"What is it?!" Legolas exclaimed. At first he'd wondered if the paper contained the vanwacoi cure, but by his friend's dismayed reactions, that couldn't possibly be it.
Unless…"Legolas," said Aragorn, his voice sounding strangely shaky. "The vanwacoi…" He stopped, closing his eyes and lowering his head.
Thranduil grabbed the paper then, panic gripping his chest. "This is the cure!" he shouted, reading the paper. "Isn't it?" he added, seeing the looks of utter desolation on Elrond and Aragorn's faces.
Legolas was rooted to the spot where he stood, his breathing rate increasing from fear. He had a feeling of what was about to be said. "Aragorn?" he said, forcing his voice to remain steady.
"One of the plants," Aragorn said, his eyes still closed. "It's…it's extinct."
Legolas felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. Extinct…the vanwacoi cannot be cured! he thought. This means that I have only three months to live, thanks to Raenwe's poison… His lungs suddenly refused to allow him any air, and grayness suddenly clouded his vision.
Aragorn gave a cry of alarm when he saw Legolas abruptly drop to the floor, and everyone rushed to the fallen elf, who sat with a hand to his chest as he gasped loudly, suddenly unable to draw air into his lungs.
"Ai!" Thranduil exclaimed, as he grabbed his son. "No, Legolas! Breathe! Breathe!"
Aragorn rushed to the nightstand, grabbing the bottle of juniper oil and finding it nearly empty. Shocked disbelief nearly made it fall from his hands as he ran back to Elrond and handed it to him. "I need to get more!"
"Hurry!" Elrond shouted. "Thranduil…tea! Tea!"
The elf-king didn't want to let go of his son, but he stumbled to his feet and grabbed the pot of water that sat near the fire. "It's cold!" he exclaimed, mournfully, holding it over the fire with shaking hands.
Elrond held Legolas tightly, stroking the golden hair. "Follow my breathing pattern, penneth!" he cried, desperately.
Legolas tried, but he couldn't do it. His lungs felt as if they had simply stopped functioning.
Elrond held the juniper bottle before the other elf's face, hoping that the little amount would do at least something for him. He watched with terror as Legolas' face turned whiter than he thought possible and his lips took on a bluish hue.
Elrond's eyes welled with tears. Please…he prayed. Don't let this elfling die in my arms! Please!
The door suddenly burst open, making both Elrond and Thranduil startle badly.
Aragorn ran into the room, dropping to his knees with a painful thud as he poured the undiluted juniper oil onto a towel, handing it to his father.
Elrond quickly held the towel before Legolas' face, relieved at the scent of the powerful vapors as they filled the air. "Heat some up, and assist Thranduil," he said.
Aragorn looked at his friend, not wanting to leave him.
"Estel!" said Elrond. "Go!"
The human complied, rushing towards the fire.
"Calm yourself, Legolas," Elrond said, soothingly. He used one hand to hold the sick elf's head against his shoulder, and the other to hold the oil-laden towel. "Be calm."
The tension suddenly left the Mirkwood Prince's body, and Elrond looked down at him. "Legolas?"
Legolas' eyes were closed and he was no longer gasping…for a terrifying moment, Elrond thought that he had died.
Dropping the towel, he laid Legolas on his lap, quickly checking if he still breathed. To his relief, he saw that air still entered Legolas' starved lungs, but in a very troubled fashion. The sick elf's heart was beating much too fast, in response to his attack, and Elrond looked up with relief when Thranduil and Aragorn returned.
"Legolas!" Thranduil shouted, when he saw that his son was unconscious.
Elrond lifted Legolas up higher, again resting the elf's head against his shoulder while he grabbed the pot with his other hand. "He still breathes. Is the tea made?"
"Yes," said Aragorn, pouring it into a cup.
Thranduil watched nervously as the human carefully fed Legolas the tea. He stopped when the cup was still half-full, and Thranduil realized that his son was waking. "Legolas!" he exclaimed, grabbing his arm.
"Hush!" said Elrond. "Do not overwhelm him!"
Legolas' breathing rate increased as he regained consciousness, and Elrond brought the pot of oil closer to his face.
Aragorn placed the cup against his friend's lips again, and Legolas obediently drank. When he finished, Aragorn put the cup on the floor and took the pot from Elrond, holding it for him.
Everyone watched as Legolas regained his breath, leaning against Elrond with his eyes closed.
"Is it…true?" Legolas suddenly whispered.
Thranduil's eyes welled with tears and he closed them, in utter grief. Legolas' attack had made him forget what had been said…
Elrond wrapped his other arm around the younger elf, holding him tightly as he sighed. "Aye, Legolas…one of the herbs needed to make the antidote is extinct."
"But," said Aragorn. "Mayhap another herb exists with the same properties! Do not despair, mellon-nin, there may still be a way."
Thranduil's eyes opened when he heard that, but the tears still slipped down his face. "Where is the paper?" he asked, forcing his voice to sound steady. He saw it on the floor before anyone had a chance to answer his question, and retrieved it. "Which plant is it?"
"The blackstalk," said Elrond. "Obviously characterized by its black stalks. It no longer grows in Middle Earth, and hasn't for centuries."
Thranduil sighed, lowering the paper.
Legolas suddenly started coughing, reminding everyone that the poor elf was still sick.
Elrond stood, lifting Legolas into his arms and carrying him to his bed. "Estel is right, penneth," he softly said in the younger elf's ear. "There may be another herb that we can substitute for the blackstalk. Do not lose hope."
Legolas gave no answer and remained quiet when his coughing fit ended, leaning against the pillows with his eyes closed. His face was too pale and he looked very frail.
Thranduil immediately sat on the bed beside his son, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him into a comforting hug.
"Come," Elrond whispered to Aragorn. "Let us do research on some herbs."
Aragorn looked at Legolas, not wanting to leave his friend but knowing that they needed to find an herb with blackstalk's properties as soon as possible…if there was such an herb.
Elrond crossed to the nightstand, picking up the bottle of miruvor and holding it up. "Have him drink some of this," he told Thranduil.
The king nodded silently.
"Come," Elrond said to Aragorn, wanting to leave the father and son alone for a while.
Aragorn obediently followed Elrond, taking the paper with him. When they entered the library, Aragorn sighed at the sight of the books that they'd searched through when looking for the paper that he now held. This was supposed to be a joyous day, he thought, staring at the paper. Not a despairing one!
Elrond had the same thoughts, and he sighed as he looked at his son. He didn't expect to see a shocked frown on the human's face as he stood reading the antidote ingredients. "Estel?"
Aragorn looked up, before turning the paper over, and back again. "Ada…you wrote the ingredients of the vanwacoi itself on the other side."
Elrond blinked. "Did I?"
Aragorn nodded. "Blackstalk is listed among them."
"It's listed as an ingredient for the vanwacoi?" said Elrond, walking forward.
Aragorn nodded again. "Do you realize what this means?" he said. "Raenwe must have the plant! He needed it to make the vanwacoi!"
Elrond took the paper, seeing that his son was right. He had indeed listed the vanwacoi ingredients, and the first one on the list was the blackstalk.
Aragorn headed for the door, intent on telling Legolas and Thranduil, but Elrond grabbed his arm before he could leave.
"Wait!"
Aragorn looked at him, askance.
"We need to ponder this first," said Elrond. "You are too quick to react, ion-nin. Have you thought on how we would get Raenwe's plant in our possession?"
Aragorn said nothing, realizing the truth in his father's words. They had no idea where Raenwe dwelt.
Elrond sighed. "I cannot see him willingly giving us the plant."
Aragorn shook his head. "He would not. He would never give it to us, knowing that we could deny him the antidote after we have it." He echoed Elrond's sigh. "We would need to discover where he dwells, and retrieve the plant from his home."
Elrond studied his son, knowing his thoughts. "Do not get any foolish ideas, Estel."
Aragorn gave Elrond a determined look. "I would do anything for Legolas, ada. Anything."
Elrond kept their gaze for a few seconds, before dropping his eyes, nodding. "I know," he whispered. "You are not the only one, ion-nin."
Aragorn smiled at his father as Elrond looked at him again, smiling slightly himself.
"Come," said the elf. "We have news for our friends."
Thranduil sat against the headboard of Legolas' bed, holding his sleeping son against his chest. Legolas had been exhausted after his breathless attack, as it had been quite severe.
Thranduil couldn't help but sigh as he gently smoothed his son's hair. For Legolas to be sleeping after finding out that he only had three months to live…it testified to the frail state of the young elf's health, and Thranduil was terrified at the notion of watching his son weaken further and further until…
No! he thought, closing his eyes tightly. Do not think on it…Elrond will find a way to help Legolas…he will…he always has…
Suddenly the door opened, and Elrond and Aragorn peered around it. When they saw that Legolas was asleep, they walked in quietly.
Thranduil looked up at them with an expression of hope, correctly assuming that they'd returned so quickly because they had good news for him.
Aragorn reached down to touch his friend's arm. "Legolas?" he whispered.
"Must you wake him?" Thranduil likewise whispered.
Aragorn nodded. "He may sleep more soundly when he hears what we have to say."
Thranduil smiled, looking at his son when Legolas stirred.
The Mirkwood Prince looked up at everyone, blinking sleepily. "What is it?" he asked, sounding groggy.
Elrond sat on the bed, holding up the paper. "I'd written the ingredients for the vanwacoi itself on the other side of this paper. Blackstalk is one of them."
"It is?" said Thranduil. "The extinct plant needed to cure it is also needed to make it?"
"Exactly," said Aragorn. "Which means that Raenwe has the plant that we need."
Legolas blinked, saying nothing for a minute, almost afraid to believe what he was hearing.
Everyone watched him, waiting for a reaction.
Finally, Legolas smiled, looking at Aragorn with a twinkle in his eye. "When do we leave, mellon-nin?"
Thranduil and Elrond both immediately protested.
"You are still ill! You are not fit to travel!"
"You cannot go anywhere, Legolas! Your health will remain too much in question even after you fully recover from this illness!"
Those were the only excuses that Legolas heard before he put his hand over his ear, using his father's chest to block the other.
Elrond held up a hand, telling Thranduil to stop. "This needs careful thought, penneth," said the healer. "There are reasons why you should not go, as well as reasons why you should."
"Reasons why he should?" Thranduil repeated, shocked.
"Suppose that I managed to find my way to Raenwe," said Aragorn. "What if I am somehow prevented from bringing the blackstalk home with me? If Legolas is there, he has a better chance of actually ingesting the cure."
"And, it will take time for Aragorn to find Raenwe and then return to Rivendell with the plant," said Elrond. "It could very well take too much time, if you understand my point…"
Thranduil blinked, unable to speak.
Legolas said nothing, knowing that if he opened his mouth, he would start to cough. He tried valiantly to prevent it, but his body defeated him.
Thranduil helped him sit up, pulling his son's hair back and smoothing it gently while Aragorn retrieved the pot of juniper oil and sat it in Legolas' lap.
Everyone watched Legolas with concern. His cough was improved, but still harsh.
"That is the reason why you should not go," said Elrond.
"But it's worth the risk," Legolas said, forcing himself not to gasp.
Aragorn took the pot of oil and held it closer to his friend's face, as Thranduil reached over for the bottle of miruvor, which he still had yet to give his son.
Elrond reached over and took it from the king, pouring the strength-giving drink into the cherry-bark tea.
Legolas drank it gratefully, secretly finding the mixed flavor of the two drinks to be quite good. Handing the cup back to Elrond, he smiled his thanks.
"Legolas—" Thranduil started to say.
"Wait," said the younger elf. "You cannot deny that it truly is worth the risk, for Aragorn is right; he might not be able to bring the plant here."
The elven-king was forced to agree. Sighing, he said, "The journey may prove to be too much for you. You are very strong in mind, ion-nin, but you are currently weak in body."
Legolas echoed his father's sigh. "And the longer that I live without the cure, the weaker I will become! I need to go, ada."
"We shall all go," said Elrond. "After you have recovered from your illness."
Everyone was silent for a few seconds; Legolas pleased at the healer's words, Aragorn feeling a mixture of relief and concern for his friend, and Thranduil's emotions were in nothing less than turmoil.
"Hannon le, Elrond," said the king, his voice full of gratitude. "You are the truest friend that an elf could have."
Elrond smiled.
"But," said the king, with a sigh. "What is our destination? Where will we find where this coward-of-an-elf resides?"
"North of the palace," said Legolas. "When he set me free, he told me that I was closer to home than I thought, and to ride south."
Everyone's eyebrows rose at this sudden piece of information.
"That is an unexpected help," said Elrond. "We need only journey towards Mirkwood and continue north."
Legolas nodded. "I was unable to view my surroundings, but I recall that there were not many trees on Raenwe's property." He sighed. "I know that is not much help, but Gwaeren should know the way…mayhap we can get her to lead us."
"That is true!" said Thranduil. Smiling, he wrapped an arm around his son. "We will be victorious, ion-nin! You shall soon be well and rid of this terrible affliction, and life will once again return to normal."
Legolas couldn't help but shoot Aragorn a smirk at his father's words. Normal?
The human smiled back, unable to resist a chuckle.
(grin) Everyone still want to hunt me down? LOL (runs)