Hey everyone! For some reason this chapter wasn't showing up for everyone, so I deleted it and posted again. Everyone who already reviewed, don't worry, your reviews should still be here! :) For the people who don't know this...when you see an updated story but can't see the new chapter, simply change the chapter number in the url to the new one. Like my story, for instance...this chap wasn't showing in the list, so when you click on chap 20 and that chap pops up, simply change the 20 to 21 and hit enter; 21 will then show up. Thank God there's a way, lol!

"Legolas, Legolas, Legolas."

The Mirkwood Prince turned around to see Aragorn standing in his doorway, shaking his head.

"You do not mean to tell me that you were going off alone?" said the human, trying to sound amused, though the elf could hear the concern in his voice.

Legolas shook his head, placing his pack on the bed. "No. I was going to attempt to convince you that we need to leave now." He sighed lightly, sitting in the empty chair beside his bed. Looking towards the window, he stared out at the darkened night.

Aragorn walked into the room, sitting on the bed to face his friend. "You do not need to try, for I agree with you."

Legolas looked at him, surprised. "Indeed? Despite my current 'condition'?"

Aragorn nodded. "Much can happen between here and Raenwe's. I do not think that we should linger here; there is too much at stake. We are rushed for time, mellon-nin, and I do not wish to come too close to…disaster," he said, unable to think it, nevermind say it.

Legolas nodded, agreeing.

Aragorn sighed, not wanting to voice his next words. We do not know when Raenwe's poison will begin to affect you…you may be unable to travel if we do not leave soon.

"What is that?"

Aragorn looked down at his hand, at the piece of paper that he held. "A letter to our fathers," he said.

Legolas suddenly smiled. "So you intended to leave tonight, also?"

Aragorn grinned, nodding.

Legolas shook his head, still smiling. "We are too much alike."

"Aye, we are," the human agreed, standing. He held out the paper and a quill. "Do you wish to add anything?"

Legolas took it, quickly reading it over before adding something to the bottom. He placed the letter on his bed, feeling a twinge of guilt at the panic that he knew it would cause his father.

Aragorn left the room and Legolas followed, grabbing his pack. After walking the few steps to the door, the room suddenly seemed to tilt and he grabbed onto the doorframe, blinking the lightheadedness away. Ai…he thought. Will this illness never leave?

Aragorn didn't see his friend falter, as he picked up his own pack, which he'd left in the hallway.

Quietly, they walked through the corridors, leaving the house and making their way to the stables.

Legolas was surprised when he found that Aragorn had already readied their horses, but he said nothing, as his lungs were burning with the need to cough. He tried desperately to hold it back until they were away from the grounds, not wishing anyone to hear him.

Aragorn looked at his friend with concern when he started coughing. Frowning, he suddenly noticed something that greatly upset him. "Legolas?"

Legolas looked at him, trying to force his lungs to stop their spasming.

"You do know that it's nearly winter?" said the human.

The elf nodded.

"Please tell me that you brought a coat with you, my friend!" Aragorn exclaimed.

Legolas nodded again, trying to regulate his breathing. "Of course. I may be lacking my elven healing ability, but I do still possess my mind."

Aragorn sighed with relief. "Do you? That is open to debate."

Legolas smiled.

Aragorn pushed his hair back when the wind suddenly blew it into his face. "It is a cold night, Legolas, why are you not wearing it? You are recovering from a serious illness; you will only hinder your recovery with your pride."

Legolas shot him an indignant look. "Pride does not keep me from wearing it," he said. "Curiosity does; I merely wanted to see how the weather affected me."

Aragorn nodded. "Well, as I can see by your shivering, it is affecting you badly," he said, sounding slightly sarcastic. "Put on the coat or I will stop and go no further until you do!"

Legolas glared at his friend, but understood the human's worry. Turning around on the horse, Legolas pulled the coat from his pack and quickly donned it.

"It is not very thick," said Aragorn, reaching over to feel the material. "How did it come to be in Rivendell?"

Legolas looked down at himself. "I never needed a thicker one before. Do you recall when I visited you in the winter a few years ago? I'd worn it on the trip, but neglected to take it back with me, as it was summer when I returned to my home."

Aragorn nodded. "You were fortunate that it remained in Imladris."

Legolas nodded.

Aragorn looked at his friend, suddenly realizing something. "Legolas…the book that the vanwacoi cure was in. You mentioned reading it often when you were an elfling?"

Legolas nodded.

"Then how was that paper never noticed until today?" Aragorn asked. "Ada said that you were very young when vanwacoi was banned…which means he hid the paper during the time when you often read it."

Legolas shook his head. "There is only one explanation. One summer I was visiting Imladris…I would have been the age equal to an eight-year-old human. One particular day I had begged your brothers to take me riding, and I remember reading the book while waiting for them. I left it in the library, and on our ride, something happened to my horse and it threw me."

Aragorn's eyebrows shot up. "Why?!"

Legolas shook his head. "I cannot remember. It threw me and I broke my leg. Your brothers brought me to your father, and once I was healed enough to walk again, I went back for the book and couldn't find it. No matter where I looked, it refused to be found. I went back home not long after, and when I returned the following summer, I was caught up with finally learning weaponry. I didn't think much of the book, but when I again tried to find it, it continued to be elusive. When my father brought it to me a few days ago, I was pleasantly surprised."

"Interesting," said Aragorn. "I wonder where it had been all that time."

"Apparently it was misplaced," said Legolas. "Someone must have eventually found it and put it on the shelf again, none the wiser."

Aragorn nodded. "We shall have to ask ada why he chose that book to put the paper in."

Legolas nodded, falling silent. It was a few minutes before he spoke again. "I did not wish my father to come on this journey," he said, suddenly.

Aragorn looked at him.

"I did not want him to face Raenwe," the elf continued. "I feared that Raenwe would kill him."

Aragorn nodded. "Their confrontation would have been very violent, and your father's understandable rage could have proved to be his undoing."

"Aye," said Legolas, with a sigh. "I hope that it shall not prove to be yours."

Aragorn looked at him, frowning at the anxious expression on his friend's face.

"I do not wish for you to risk your life in confronting Raenwe either," said Legolas. "But I knew that I could not go alone. These illnesses…the inevitable effects of the poison…"

Aragorn rode closer to his friend, placing a hand on his arm. "I would never have let you go alone. If someone hurts you, they hurt me." He smiled slightly. "I have every right to confront the elf that harmed my brother."

Legolas smiled back, a sudden lump growing in his throat. "Hannon le," he whispered. "You know that I feel the same."

Aragorn nodded, squeezing his friend's arm before letting go. "Speaking of 'feelings'," he said, his expression changing. "How do you physically feel?"

Legolas faced forward again, not wishing Aragorn to see the lie in his eyes. "I feel fine."

"No you don't," said the human. "You couldn't possibly; you have hardly had any time to recover!"

Legolas' horse chose that moment to snort, as if agreeing with Aragorn.

Aragorn chuckled. "Even Gwaeren knows when you're lying."

Legolas smiled as he patted his faithful horse's mane.

"How is your breathing?" Aragorn asked, studying his friend closely.

"Untroubled," Legolas told him.

"If you have any difficulty, tell me immediately," said Aragorn, pointing to a bag attached to his saddle. "The herbs and juniper oil are in here."

Legolas nodded, seeming to not be paying much attention.

"Legolas?"

The Mirkwood Prince looked at his friend, realizing that his attention had wavered. "Forgive me…I was thinking."

Aragorn knew that his friend had much to think on. "Did you hear my words?"

Legolas nodded. "Yes…your bag contains the herbs that I need."

"As well as the vanwacoi cure, minus the blackstalk," said Aragorn.

Legolas' eyes widened. "You assembled the rest of the ingredients?"

"Yes," said Aragorn. "I made it this evening." He picked up the bag and removed a glass bottle, which contained a light brown liquid.

Legolas reached over and took it from his friend. He felt a shiver of anticipation as well as a feeling of anxiety. The contents of this bottle will return to me my elven healing, he thought. But it is useless while lacking the blackstalk. At the end of our journey, will I be triumphant, or despondent?

Aragorn watched his friend, his heart clenching at the thoughts that he knew were running through the elf's mind. Before he could say anything, Legolas again started to cough.

Taking a waterskin off his saddle horn, Aragorn stopped his horse—which made Gwaeren halt herself—and handed it to Legolas.

The elf took it, coughing harshly, his other hand pressed to his chest and his eyes closed.

Aragorn held his friend's arm, afraid that he would fall off his horse. "Drink that, Legolas…it's the cherry-bark tea, it will help."

The elf opened his eyes, fumbling for the cover of the waterskin before realizing that Aragorn had opened it for him.

The human watched worriedly as his friend drank the tea. "Do you need the juniper?" he asked.

Legolas shook his head, breathing heavily.

"Are you sure?" Aragorn asked, unconvinced.

Legolas nodded. "I'm fine," he said, his breathless voice contradicting his words.

Aragorn could see that though Legolas' breathing was labored, it was controlled, so he took his friend's word. "We should make camp soon."

Legolas frowned, slinging the waterskin over his shoulder. "But we have not ridden long!"

Aragorn returned the frown. "You cannot ride all night without sleep."

"I have done so countless times!" Legolas protested.

"Not while recovering from a serious mortal illness!" said Aragorn.

Legolas had no reply for that.

"Mellon-nin," said Aragorn. "Think back to all the times that you've seen me ill. The times that I pushed myself too far when I was not well enough. Do you remember trying to force me to rest, trying to prevent me from doing too much? The roles are now reversed."

Legolas saw his point, but stayed silent.

"You were very, very sick," Aragorn continued. "Answer me this; if I felt as ill as you did a mere few days ago, would you even let me out of bed yet?"

Legolas silently shook his head.

Aragorn realized that he'd struck a chord in his friend. "Forgive me, Legolas; but I do not wish you to have a relapse."

"You are right," Legolas said. "We will soon stop."

Aragorn inwardly cheered his victory, though he wondered how much further Legolas intended to go before they camped.

After another hour—and four coughing fits—Legolas finally stopped his horse, coughing yet again.

Aragorn dismounted, pulling down his bag of herbs. He'd noticed that each of Legolas' coughing fits had lasted longer than the ones previous, and he wouldn't believe his friend this time if he again insisted that he was fine.

Legolas was aware of the human's concern, and tried to quell the painful spasms in his lungs. He didn't expect it to work, and indeed it did not.

Aragorn heard a sudden wheeze in his friend's breathing, and reached up to take his friend's arm. "Come down," he said.

Legolas obeyed, unable to protest when he felt his friend helping him. When he touched down, he felt dizzy, still coughing.

Aragorn pushed him to a sitting position on the ground, handing him the waterskin of cherry-bark tea and grabbing the bag on his saddle. Opening it, he sat beside his friend and grabbed the bottle of juniper oil, holding it before the elf's face.

"I'm all right," Legolas gasped, his coughing finally halted. "It's not bad."

Aragorn said nothing, not moving from his position.

Legolas continued to regain his breath, both of them noticing that the wheezing sound wasn't going away.

Aragorn handed Legolas the bottle and stood, pulling the packs down from the horses. "Will you be all right alone for a few minutes?" he asked, intending to get some firewood.

Legolas nodded, his breathing under control.

"I shall return," said Aragorn. "Do not move from here."

Legolas gave him a look as if to say, 'of course I won't!'

Aragorn watched his friend for a minute to make sure that he was all right, before quickly walking into the woods.

Legolas dropped his head into his right hand, blinking back dizziness caused by his lack of air. He suddenly felt the need to yawn, but somehow held it back, not wanting to irritate his already unhappy lungs. Fatigue swept through his body, and his eyes closed on their own accord.

"Legolas!" he suddenly heard.

Startled, he opened his eyes as his upper arms were grabbed, and he looked up into Aragorn's worried face.

"Are you all right?" the human asked, having been quite frightened to see the elf sitting that way; shoulders slumped and his head in his hand, not moving even when he'd noisily came out of the woods.

Legolas blinked tiredly, realizing that he must've dozed off. "Aye," he said.

Aragorn sighed, letting go of his friend. "How is your breathing?"

"Nearly normal," Legolas said, too tired to bother lying.

Aragorn stood, grabbing the bedroll and pack off Legolas' horse and placing them beside the elf. "Lay down."

Legolas scooted onto the bedroll, laying back and suddenly meeting with resistance. Turning his head, he found that Aragorn had placed the pack behind him.

"You mustn't lay flat," said the human. "This will help your breathing."

Legolas realized that he was still holding the bottle of juniper oil, and he placed the cover on it and sat it down. "Hannon le," he said to Aragorn, as the human laid blankets over him.

Aragorn smiled, retrieving the pile of firewood and soon setting it aflame.

Legolas inwardly sighed with relief at the welcome heat. He had a feeling that his illness was making him more susceptible to the weather, as he felt colder than it actually appeared to be, for Aragorn was not showing signs of feeling excessively chilled.

Aragorn poured some of the cherry-bark tea into a pot and held it over the fire, watching Legolas as his eyes kept closing and reopening again. "I would advise you to sleep, but you should eat something first, mellon-nin."

Legolas' eyes reopened, though not fully. "I ate dinner."

"You need to build back your strength," said Aragorn. He put the pot of tea down and pulled his own pack closer, taking out a sack. "So you are not hungry, then?"

"No," said Legolas, re-closing his eyes.

"Not even for this?"

Legolas opened his eyes again, seeing the smiling human holding up a blueberry pastry.

Aragorn smiled, scooting closer. "Come, now," he said. "I know that you are unable to resist!"

Legolas reached out a hand and took it, smiling himself. "Stubborn human."

Aragorn chuckled. "Stubborn elf," he replied, pouring the tea and adding miruvor to it.

"That is quickly becoming a favorite drink," said Legolas, around a mouthful of pastry.

Aragorn looked up him, his eyebrows raised with surprise. "A favorite? You actually enjoy your medicine?" He shook his head, amazed. "This is difficult for me to comprehend!"

Legolas smiled. "The miruvor does it. You should try some."

Aragorn sniffed the tea before taking a sip. His eyebrows rose even higher. "You are right; it is very good."

Legolas nodded, reaching out a hand to take it.

Aragorn ate his own pastry, relieved to see that his friend seemed to be breathing normally.

Legolas could barely stay awake, and quickly finished his tea before setting the cup down on the ground. His eyes seemingly closed by themselves, and as he heard Aragorn reach over to take the cup, he hadn't even the energy to reopen them.

"Sleep well, mellon-nin," he heard Aragorn whisper.

Legolas had no time to reply before sleep arrived to claim him.

Thranduil slept better that night than he had in a while; feeling new hope that Legolas would soon be cured. He'd tried to stay in his son's room, as he'd done every night, but Legolas had convinced him that he did not need to. Thranduil knew how much his son hated to be treated like an elfling, and knew that if he was in his son's place, that he would like to be alone without everyone hovering over him. So reluctantly, he'd obeyed.

But the next morning, as the king stood in Legolas' empty room and read the note that he'd found sitting on the bed, he wished that he hadn't listened.

"ELROND!"

LOL poor elf-king...(runs)