Oh my gosh...I am so sorry, I had no idea that my last post was 10 days ago! (gasp) I can't believe how fast the time went by...how weird! (runs)
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Morning dawned in Rivendell again, and Legolas still lay motionless, burning with fever. His temperature had finally lowered slightly, but it wasn't enough to bring the elf out of danger.
Elrond and his sons had stayed in the room all night, diligently caring for their wounded friend. The Mirkwood Prince's physical state made them sick at heart.
He is too weak, Elrond thought. His wounds have left him too weak to fight the fever. Looking at his sons, he knew that they had the same thought.
The three younger beings were unusually quiet, but that suddenly changed early in the afternoon as Aragorn fed Legolas some herbs.
"Ada!" he exclaimed, startling everyone. "His fever has lessened!"
Elrond and his sons dashed over, the twins nearly tripping each other in their haste. They touched his arms to feel the heat emanating from their friend's skin as their father felt his forehead.
"Indeed it has," said Elrond, sighing with relief.
Aragorn's smile nearly split his face, and everyone's spirits were very much improved.
Relieved that their friend would live, the twins went in search of information again, heading back to the scene where they'd found Legolas.
The injured elf's temperature went down a little more throughout the day, but Legolas still had yet to wake.
"Do you have any idea who these humans could be?" Aragorn asked Elrond.
The healer tipped his head to one side. "There are several villages to our north, as you know. They could be from any one of them."
"I cannot fathom why they tried to kill Legolas," said Aragorn, rewetting the cloth on his friend's forehead.
Elrond shook his head. "None of the towns have shown us recent hostility. I cannot make sense of it either, especially since his attire and appearance makes him obviously not a resident of Rivendell."
Aragorn sighed. "I wish that he would wake!" he exclaimed, frustrated. "He may know exactly who did this to him! We need to know what happened!"
"Peace, Estel," said Elrond, reaching across the bed to touch his arm. "Mayhap your brothers will have more information when they return."
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As it was, the twins had even less information than they'd had the day before. To their dismay, they found that the tracks left by the humans had been washed away.
It rained? Elladan thought. He'd been so worried for Legolas that he hadn't even noticed the inclement weather.
Looking at Elrohir, he sighed, angrily. "We cannot follow tracks that no longer exist!"
"This is ridiculous," Elrohir agreed. "We have no idea which village the men came from!"
They were both silent for a minute, before Elladan sighed again. "Some trackers we are! All that was can do now is ask our people if they saw anything suspicious."
Elrohir nodded. "Aye. I pray that someone did."
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Thranduil, Heredil, and their troops managed to ride most of the night, only stopping when the horses could no longer run. Thranduil kept an eye on his friend, knowing that he'd had little—if any—rest since he'd been injured, and he didn't want him to collapse along the journey, especially when they needed to get to Rivendell with all haste.
Around noontime, the inevitable finally happened, and Heredil passed out on his horse, nearly toppling from the steed.
The King saw his friend suddenly tip, and he managed to grab him before he fell. Stopping the horses, he pulled Heredil onto his own before continuing. "Rest, mellon-nin," he murmured, uselessly.
Heredil's eyes were closed, testifying to his exhaustion.
Another hour passed before Thranduil unexpectedly spotted an elf riding towards them. He obviously hailed from Rivendell, and Thranduil spurred his horse on faster, desperately hoping that he had news of his son.
"King Thranduil!" the elf shouted, as they drew closer. His voice showed obvious surprise.
"Have you news of Legolas!" Thranduil exclaimed.
The elf nodded as his horse slowed. "Aye, I bring you word from Lord Elrond. Legolas lives, but is very seriously injured."
He lives! Thranduil felt faint at the words. Legolas lives…my son lives!
"Your highness…?" said the messenger, looking concerned at the other elf on the King's horse.
Thranduil had to swallow a few times before he was able to speak; choked up with relief that Legolas was alive. "He was with Legolas, and returned to fetch me."
The messenger's eyebrows rose. "Lord Elrond will be relieved to hear that! No one was able to give an account of what had happened to the Prince."
The King sighed. "And yet, there are still questions that need answering. Come!" he said, kicking his horse into a gallop.
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"I believe that we have outgrown our usefulness."
Elrond and Aragorn looked up at Elladan, as the twins walked into the room.
Elrohir shot his brother a look as if to say, 'speak for yourself'.
"We discovered nothing," Elladan said, sounding saddened and angry at the same time. "Rain washed away the men's tracks, and no one in Rivendell saw or knows anything about the attack on Legolas!"
Aragorn jumped to his feet, surprising everyone. "So we have nothing to go on? No way of finding out who did this, why, and whether or not they'll try to kill him again!"
The twins and Elrond stared, not having expected such a scene.
"Forgive us, Estel," Elladan said, softly.
His words made Aragorn literally deflate, and he shook his head, lowering his eyes. "Oh, Elladan, forgive me, I did not mean to imply that the fault is yours!" He sighed. "Forgive me…it's just…" he looked at Legolas, gesturing with his arm. "Look at him."
"We know," said Elladan, moving closer to the human. Elrohir joined them, and they stood staring at Legolas' deathly-pale face.
"Have hope, Estel," said Elrohir. "Be true to your name."
Those words struck a chord in Aragorn, and he gave his brother a slight smile.
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Thranduil was so elated that his son was alive, that he barely noticed the rest of the journey. He was brought out of his reverie when Heredil finally woke, well after night had fallen.
"Thranduil?"
The Mirkwood King was startled at the sudden voice, and he stopped his horse. "Heredil? How do you feel?"
Heredil glanced around, confused. "How did I come to be on your horse?"
Thranduil smiled. "You nearly fell off your own!"
Heredil straightened up, noticing the Rivendell elf. He looked at Thranduil again, wondering why he was smiling.
Thranduil laughed at his friend's expression. "Heredil, Legolas is alive!"
Heredil's jaw dropped. "A-alive? He lives?"
"Yes, mellon-nin!" said the King. "He is in the care of Elrond, who sent a messenger to inform me. He lives, Heredil!"
Heredil was so shocked that he nearly passed out again. Speechless, he sighed heavily with relief.
Thranduil's smile faded when Heredil began to dismount. "What are you doing?"
Heredil frowned. "I can ride on my own. It has obviously been hours! I am well rested now."
Thranduil watched him, seeing that he did look better. He knew that time was of the essence, so he nodded. "All right. But I intend to have Elrond have a look at your wound when we arrive."
Heredil nodded, not wanting to waste precious time with futile arguments. Legolas survived! Looking at Thranduil, he smiled.
Thranduil returned it, and they resumed their journey.