Chapter 6 beyond belief.
Suddenly all the warmth was sucked out of the small clearing and the sun shining so brightly dimmed almost to black, the creature that was attacking Legolas stopped for a second then with a snarl continued the attack only to have his sword blocked by another before it could deliver its fatal blow. The sword swung upward taking the hand with the sword in it with it. The creature howled in pain, the sword then swung round and took the its head from its shoulders. The rest of the creatures fled from the clearing as daylight once again returned to the forest.
Gimli rushed across the clearing and freed Miawynn from her bonds, once free she dashed across to where Legolas and another now sat.
Legolas had still been expecting the downward blow felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Why did you wait so long?" A voice asked him, slightly tinged with anger. Legolas turned towards the voice then gave a weak smile.
"Well old friend," he said with a slight smile. "I think that some would doubt my sanity if I told them that I had dreamed that to get your help all I had to do was call,"
Miawynn rushed across to him her arms wrapping around her husband, she looked up to the man who had just saved all their lives, with a sense of astonishment her hand reached out to touch his face.
"Estel," She shook her head. "But its not possible," Aragorn gave a small smile both to her and the astonished Gimli.
"Who is to say what is possible and what is not," He said lightly looking down at Legolas. " Let me look at that wound,"
"Its nothing," He protested. Aragorn frowned.
"Legolas the last time you said that you nearly died," Aragorn said crossly. "Now do as I say," Legolas grumbled as he removed his hands from the gash that ran down his side. Upon seeing it Aragorn sighed, Gimli swallowed.
"I'll fetch what medicines we have," He said quickly and turned to where the horses were still tied. As Aragorn looked his features did take on a relieved look.
"It does not look like these creatures use any kind of poison," He said with some relief. "The wound looks clean," Gimli returned to them carrying a bag that Elrond had given them when they had left and handed it to Aragorn. With skilled hands he cleaned and bound the wound.
"We should ride back to the city," Aragorn told them, he turned to Gimli. "What happened to Lonric?"
"Dead," Gimli answered. He could not find it in himself to feel any regret at the death of the elf. Aragorn nodded the helped Legolas to his feet he winced when he stood.
"Sorry to rush you my friend," Aragorn told him "We have return to the city before it gets dark. The darkness increases their power and you are not in a fit condition to defend your self or anyone else,"
"What are they?" Gimli asked.
"I'm not sure," Aragorn answered. "But Gandalf will know,"
"Will he be returning soon?" Legolas asked as he mounted his horse wincing as he did so. Aragorn saw it.
"Yes," He told him. "We will take it easy," Gimli had rounded up the horses and Aragorn mounted the horse that Lonric had used and pulled up Gimli behind him. Gimli looked across at his eleven friend then whispered.
"Should he be riding with that wound?"
"We don't have any choice," Aragorn told him softly. "We must get back before the creatures come back with reinforcements,"
"from what Elrond said it dose not make any difference where we are,"
"Believe me it does," Aragorn told him softly.
Gimli looked and saw the worried look on Aragorn's features as he looked to where Legolas sat on his horse along with Miawynn. Legolas looked back at Aragorn a wry smile on his face.
"Then we had better move then," Aragorn silently cursed eleven hearing.
During the ride back to the city Aragorn saw his friend slump further down in the saddle and had silently cursed the need for speed and was grateful when they finally entered the city.
Many an elf had gathered in the streets as the group passed, many where made quiet when they saw Aragorn with them, but his concern lay with his friend. Miawynn looked towards him her own face anxious.
"How much further?" He asked her quickly, still keeping his eyes on Legolas.
"Not much further," She told him. "Thrandiul and I moved down to Lord Elrond's when the troubles started," Aragorn sighed and began to think that trouble may be the word when he arrived there. Within minutes they arrived and had dismounted in the yard. Aragorn helped Legolas dismount, the elf tired to remain standing alone but had soon reached for the support of the horses neck. Aragorn quickly took up the elf's arm and helped him walk towards the entrance of the house, Gimli rushed ahead calling for help, while Miawynn walked on the other side putting direct pressure on to the blood soaked bandage that had been placed on the wound earlier. Sounds of activity soon reach their ears and Thrandiul was the first in the main hall to greet them closely followed by Elrond and Celebrain, shock on their faces at seeing him followed quickly by disbelief. The doctor in Elrond soon took over when he saw the blood soak bandage on Legolas.
"Take him upstairs," He told Aragorn and began to give instructions to servants that had come into the hall to see what was happening. Thrandiul came and helped Aragorn to take his son up stairs and lay him on a bed. Elrond entered with another elf who brought in fresh bandages, he moved quickly to the injured elf's side and began to remove what Aragorn had put on earlier, Miawynn had washed off the blood on her hands but stood at the side of the bed her eyes never leaving her husbands face. Gimli moved to Aragorn's side his own face showing worry.
"There is no sign of any poison," Aragorn said to Elrond. Elrond merely nodded at him. Another elf came into the room carrying a cup.
"See if you can get to drink him it," Elrond told Aragorn quickly. Aragorn made his way to the top end of the bed and supported his friends weight while Miawynn took the drink and offered it to her husbands lips.
"Drink this," She instructed him.
"What is it?" He asked weakly.
"Its just to deaden the pain Legolas," Thrandiul told him. He did not also say that it would also send him to sleep. With Miawynn's help he managed to drink the mixture down and soon was asleep. Aragorn moved from behind his friend allowing Elrond to continue his work.
"What happened to Lonric?" Thrandiul asked them.
"He is dead," Gimli told him grimly. "The creatures attacked him and Miawynn, lucky we had just caught up with them," Gimli looked at Thrandiul his eyes saddened. "You can count your missing elves as dead,"
"How?" Gimli shrugged.
"Their touch," Miawynn pulled herself away from the bed.
"It not just their touch," She told them shuddering with the memory. "its entire hand glowed then it pushed it into him and he just," She pulled in a deep breath her face pale. "dissolved all that was left was a pile of dust," Thrandiul placed an arm around her in comfort. Elrond looked at her and quickly said something to the elf that had come in with the drink. He nodded and quickly left. "Legolas would have been killed if it had not been for Estel," Elrond signalled to Aragorn to come to him though he still did not look at the human.
"Make sure that she drinks the potion," He told him. "She to needs rest," Aragorn nodded.
"Yes I will," He said softly. The elf turned and left the room Aragorn sighed.
"Give him time Aragorn," Thrandiul told him. "It is a shock to him and indeed the rest of us to see you here," Aragorn nodded.
"Yes," He said softly.
"Ha!" Gimli snorted. "If you think it a shock to see him here, you should have seen his arrival," Both Thrandiul and Aragorn smiled.
"Master dwarf I would have liked to have seen it," Thrandiul said to him. "You managed to save Legolas and Miawynn and for that I will always be grateful," Aragorn bowed.
"I only wish that we had not had to aggravate the wound by rushing back here,"
"You did what you had to," Thrandiul sighed. "I doubt that Legolas will hold it against you,"
The elf had returned with another cup of drink, which Aragorn took from him.
"Miawynn," He told her softly. She turned to face him. "You need to drink this,"
"But!" She glanced at her sleeping husband her face anxious.
"There is nothing more to be done tonight," Thrandiul told her. "And you need rest," She bit her lip still unsure.
"Legolas will not thank you for getting ill," Gimli told her. Aragorn offered it out to her.
"We will all be within a call," He said. She reluctantly took the drink and began to drink it. Then lay on the bed next to Legolas.
"We will stay with them," Thrandiul told him. "You should go down to Lord Elrond," Aragorn nodded and quietly left the room to face his foster father.
Elrond had not looked directly at Aragorn since their arrival, but now knew that he would have to face him as he entered the room.
"How is it that you are here?" He asked with some bitterness. Aragorn sighed was just about to answer when another voice interrupted him.
"Because the power of a promise made brought him," They all turned and saw Gandalf entering the room with a very weary Frodo behind him. "Legolas's promise to stay in middle earth until Aragorn's death involved a great sacrifice on his part,"
"It surely couldn't be just that?" Galadriel said.
"Probably not," Gandalf told them in all seriousness. "May be the Valar sent him to help as well," He sighed as he sat in a chair by the fire. "I think they know we can not hear them the same as they can not hear us,"
"They dare not risk sending any elf so they sent Estel instead," Galadriel said with a tone of wonder. Frodo looked around the room.
"Where is Legolas?" He asked in some concern.
"He was injured finding Miawynn," Elrond told him. Gandalf looked sharply at the gathered elves.
"What happened?" He asked them. Elrond then told him what had happened.
"Lonric was mad with grief with what happened to his family,"
"That still did not give him the right to do what he did," Gandalf said stiffly.
"That's something we both can agree on," Aragorn said softly. Gandalf gave a small smile, then looked at Frodo who sat in the corner head drooping with sleep.
"Go and get some sleep Frodo," He told the hobbit.
"I think that Mithrandir you should do the same," Elrond said. "I do not doubt that you will want Legolas to hear what you have found out, and as I doubt that Thrandiul, Miawynn or Estel will let you disturb him till he has had time rest and heal" Elrond glanced at Aragorn with a smile on his face. Aragorn felt a sense of relief at this and knew his foster father had gone some way to forgiving him for being here and not his daughter.
"That is very true," Aragorn laughed. "But I do think that we should all follow that advice,"
"I agree," Galadriel told them. "Today has been a hard day all round and tomorrow looks much the same. I think we all will be much better for nights rest,"
They all nodded and began to file out of the room. Aragorn made his way to the room shared by Legolas and Miawynn and was surprised by to find Gandalf and Frodo following him.
"How badly was the prince hurt?" Gandalf asked him.
"The injury its self was not to bad," Aragorn told him. "But the pace at which we had to return to the city aggravated it," Gandalf nodded.
"Was anything said to you about all of this before you returned?" Aragorn shook his head.
"It was all strange what happened," Aragorn told him. "I knew that something was wrong but what I did not know,"
"So you have no idea who it was that sent you back,"
"No," Aragorn shook his head.
"Perhaps he was not meant to know," Frodo told them. Gandalf looked with some surprise at the hobbit.
"He may be right," Aragorn told him. "If the worst happens I can not tell what I do not know," They walked along in silence for a way.
"I am going to check on Legolas," Aragorn stated then added with a smile. "If Gimli will let me in,"
Gandalf and Frodo bid him goodnight and went to their rooms. Aragorn stood beside the door to Legolas's room and knocked lightly on the door and entered. Gimli stood and crossed over to him.
"Thrandiul went to his bed," He said softly and glanced at the bed on which both Legolas and Miawynn slept. "After all these years it seams strange to see him sleep with his eyes closed," Aragorn nodded.
"Its healing sleep," He told the dwarf. "Its what he needs most," He turned to Gimli who was leaving the room to go to his own. "Gandalf has returned,"
"Good," The dwarf grumbled as he left. Aragorn walked towards the bed and quietly lad a blanket over both elves, then turned and left the room.