Sorry to make everyone wait. I've been utterly exhausted lately, no good writing would come of it. Waterpolo season is over now, so hopefully I'll have some more time on my hands. I've come to a sort of an impass with the story, and I can't decide which way it should go. Hopefully I choose the right way...you'll know in a couple of chapters what I mean. *Legolas looks puzzled* Hope you like this chapter!
To my reviewers:
ancalimawen: Yeah, I'm evil like that. Luckily for you I wasn't in an evil mood.:)
Sparrow Greenleaf: I don't know why, but I get that a lot. It's a mystery to even me...
deana: Anxious, are we? Hope you're not dissapointed with chapter 14:)
Barbara Kennedy: Yeah, see, that's what I was going for. I've been trying to get Pippin's character down carefully, but I don't think I quite have it yet. I don't think I quite have it yet, but your reviews always tell me whether I'm doing it right or not.
elfmage: Thanx, that makes me happy inside:) *does a happy dance* I'm not very happy about this chapter though. I kinda wrote it as a stress reliever...hope it doesn't suck.
Beguile: I don't know either. I think it was more like ever-growing ransom demands and threats rather than a war...
randomramblings: Don't break that chair! It has so many years of sitting to look foreward to!
dragonfly: Thanks, I put a lot of effort into it. That reunion left me emotionally drained, so I hope it was good.
Saxaphonebaby: As always, a very enthused review. Thanx!
Starlit-hope: Don't get your hopes up (haha, play on words), he's not out of the woods yet (haha, another pun!)
cyclone996: Mocks? What are these mocks you speak of?
Viresse0: Uh, about that updating soon thing...he-he...don't hurt me, patience is a virtue!
grumpy: well, he's used to looking immaculate compared to everyone else, so it just seemed natural for him to feel that way.
butt-faced-monkey lover(Teari); Stop throwing creatures at me! That Gollum has pointy elbows! he could stab my eyes out!
Kellene: Thanks! I love comments like that!
boromir: Godd golly Miss Molly! I like that! very amusing!
Kirsten: Wow, for someone who is speechless, you write good reviews:)
********
Problems Along The Way
Chapter 14
Down and Out
********
Aragorn gently placed Legolas on his cloak on the ground, removing his quiver as he did so. He looked at his friends pale, unseeing eyes and felt his heart pull and break. He had seen Legolas in poor condition before, they had been on many adventures together. But this? He had never once, in all his years of knowing him, seen defeat in Legolas' eyes. He became angry.
//Gandalf said that there was no way! That Pippin couldn't possibly been right! That--// and there he stopped. He became angry at himself. //Mithrandir is not to blame. It is I. I chose not believe Pippin. It was I who couldn't save Legolas, and even tried to stop Pippin from doing so.// Aragorn began to despair, and silently started to remove the wrappings from Legolas' chest.
The rest of the Fellowship looked on in silence. Gandalf stood leaning on his staff with dark eyes. Legolas was a sight, but Gandalf could sense something more. Something was working inside of Legolas, for good or evil, Gandalf could not tell. He tore his eyes away from Legolas as odd, small sound caught his attention. Boromir entered the clearing, and Gandalf realized that the sound was of Pippin crying.
//Fool of a took...// he thought with sad fondness. Aragorn's head whipped around at the noise and stared at Boromir and Pippin. His eyes were sad and full of remorse, that Gandalf felt he was to blame for. After a moment, Aragorn turned back around to Legolas. //Oh, Pippin...// was all he could think of.
He grabbed his water-skin from nearby and began to wipe the caked on blood and dirt from Legolas' body. He became vaguely aware of a small voice asking Boromir to put Pippin down, but the Man of Gondor didn't seem to be complying.
Aragorn's attention was turned back to the task at hand, and he gasped when he finished removing the filthy binding's from Legolas' chest. Dozens of bloody puncture wounds covered his side, and the bandages had been hiding the worst of the damage. Aragorn had been shocked by the welts and bruises that he could see, but Legolas' now revealed torso made Aragorn fear for his friend's life. All along his chest and side, Aragorn couldn't see Legolas natural skin color. It was one big, swollen, black bruise, covered in dried and fresh blood. The skin was rough, and as Aragorn ran his fingers over it, he felt several protrusions that should not have been there.
He had the creeping feeling that this was not the friend that he knew, that Pippin had found some stranger by mistake. //It does not feel the way one of the Firstborn should...it's almost like-// but he was disturbed from his musings by a hand on his shoulder. His eyes locked with Gandalf's, and he realized that they were filled with unshed tears. Gandalf squeezed Aragorn's shoulder, and looked down at Legolas.
Aragorn cleared his head and set about silently wiping the dried brownish blood from Legolas broken ribs. Frodo rose from the ground and moved to stand by Gandalf, but Gimli stopped him and sat him back on the ground. Frodo did not argue. Pippin was silent now, but every now and again, one could see his back heaved as his breath hitched. Boromir held him tightly.
With the aid of Gandalf, Aragorn tightly bound Legolas' ribs, and the Elf's chest moved silently up and down. He moved down to the bloody mass of flesh that was Legolas' calf and set about differentiating between flesh and cloth. It was a messy business, and the Ranger was glad that the hobbits couldn't see. After what seemed like nearly an hour, Aragorn moved up and began washing the blood and grime from Legolas' face and hair. It was swollen, and it was at that time the Aragorn was glad that Legolas couldn't see it. He knew how the Elf would feel about his marred flesh. He gingerly combed the snags and tangles out of Legolas golden mane of hair, and felt suddenly uncomfortable. He sat up and stared at the glazed over eyes of his friend.
"Legolas?" he tried quietly.
"Yes," Legolas answered weakly.
Aragorn was taken aback. He thought that Legolas had been unconscious. "How long have you been awake?"
"Since you lowered me to the ground," he said in a small monotone, turning his eyes to his friend. Aragorn couldn't hold his gaze. He felt the way he did when he was being scolded by Lord Elrond or Erestor at home. For the first time since he had know him, Legolas looked old. Aragorn saw the age and experience of nearly 3000 years in Legolas' eyes, and it made him feel uncomfortable and small. He didn't like it. Legolas sighed, catching the look in Aragorn's eyes, and Gandalf knelt down next to him.
"Legolas?" he asked in a soft voice.
"Mithrandir?" Legolas answered in a small voice.
"How are you feeling, Little Prince?" he asked, sweeping a strand of hair from Legolas' eyes.
Legolas smiled faintly at the old title. Gandalf had not addressed him as such in at least two millennia, and it comforted him a little. "I've seen better days," he replied in a breath.
"I should hope so," Gandalf said with a little smile.
Legolas breathed in deeply and cringed before he let his breath out. He laid silent for a long moment. Then he turned his eyes to Aragorn, who caught his breath as he tried to hold Legolas' gaze.
"Where is Peregrin?" Legolas asked at last.
Both Gandalf and Aragorn looked back to were Boromir was still holding the now silent Pippin. With a tentative glance at the little hobbit in his arms, Boromir walked over and knelt down by the weary Elf. Pippin drew his face away from Boromir's shoulder, and the Man of Gondor quickly dismissed the notion that the hobbit was asleep. He sat Pippin on the ground in a slump, and realized that the little Took was still clutching Legolas bow and arrow. Pippin sat for a moment staring at his toes before he raised his eyes to Legolas' glistening blue ones. He dumbly searched around his head for something to say.
"I brought your bow back," he said in a tiny quavering voice. He held out the Elvish weapon for emphasis.
Legolas was a bit taken aback by this. He simply stared at his bow before saying, "Hennaid evyr, melonin," and raising a weak arm, recieved his bow. He could see that Pippin's eyes were red and swollen and he was shaking slightly. Now it was his turn to search around dumbly for something to say.
"Are you well?" he asked, and immediately regretted it. Pippin's eyes swelled with tears and his breath hitched in his throat. He nodded slightly before staring at his toes again. Legolas made to sit up, clenched his teeth, and fell back down. Aragorn made a move foreword as if to catch him, but stopped short.
Legolas just laid there for a moment breathing. He felt so weak...he didn't like it. He looked long at Pippin before simply saying, "Thank you."
Pippin looked at him and said "You're welcome," in a voice so small it was almost a whisper. He got up slowly and walked over to were the other three hobbits were sitting. Merry looked up at him, held out his arms, and Pippin collapsed into them.
Legolas watched him for a moment before simply turning his face up to the leaves above. After a moment or two, his eyes glazed over letting Aragorn know that this time he truly was asleep. Gandalf and Aragorn looked at each other, then Gandalf stood and said, "I suggest that you all get some rest while you can."
Aragorn was a little hurt that Legolas hadn't spoken to him, be he supposed it was better that way. What would he have said to him? That he thought he was a little off? That he truly was a sight? No, it would be better if he could think about it first. He looked at Legolas for a long moment. He looked so peaceful, so helpless, almost like a child. He lay down on the bed of leaves and slowly drifted off to sleep. Little did he know, Legolas was not having a peacful sleep at all.
********
Like it? I'm a bit peeved with it because when I was in the middle of writing it, my brother unplugged the computer and I hadn't saved my work. Grrr...*Legolas puts brother on hit list* Please R/R!
To my reviewers:
ancalimawen: Yeah, I'm evil like that. Luckily for you I wasn't in an evil mood.:)
Sparrow Greenleaf: I don't know why, but I get that a lot. It's a mystery to even me...
deana: Anxious, are we? Hope you're not dissapointed with chapter 14:)
Barbara Kennedy: Yeah, see, that's what I was going for. I've been trying to get Pippin's character down carefully, but I don't think I quite have it yet. I don't think I quite have it yet, but your reviews always tell me whether I'm doing it right or not.
elfmage: Thanx, that makes me happy inside:) *does a happy dance* I'm not very happy about this chapter though. I kinda wrote it as a stress reliever...hope it doesn't suck.
Beguile: I don't know either. I think it was more like ever-growing ransom demands and threats rather than a war...
randomramblings: Don't break that chair! It has so many years of sitting to look foreward to!
dragonfly: Thanks, I put a lot of effort into it. That reunion left me emotionally drained, so I hope it was good.
Saxaphonebaby: As always, a very enthused review. Thanx!
Starlit-hope: Don't get your hopes up (haha, play on words), he's not out of the woods yet (haha, another pun!)
cyclone996: Mocks? What are these mocks you speak of?
Viresse0: Uh, about that updating soon thing...he-he...don't hurt me, patience is a virtue!
grumpy: well, he's used to looking immaculate compared to everyone else, so it just seemed natural for him to feel that way.
butt-faced-monkey lover(Teari); Stop throwing creatures at me! That Gollum has pointy elbows! he could stab my eyes out!
Kellene: Thanks! I love comments like that!
boromir: Godd golly Miss Molly! I like that! very amusing!
Kirsten: Wow, for someone who is speechless, you write good reviews:)
********
Problems Along The Way
Chapter 14
Down and Out
********
Aragorn gently placed Legolas on his cloak on the ground, removing his quiver as he did so. He looked at his friends pale, unseeing eyes and felt his heart pull and break. He had seen Legolas in poor condition before, they had been on many adventures together. But this? He had never once, in all his years of knowing him, seen defeat in Legolas' eyes. He became angry.
//Gandalf said that there was no way! That Pippin couldn't possibly been right! That--// and there he stopped. He became angry at himself. //Mithrandir is not to blame. It is I. I chose not believe Pippin. It was I who couldn't save Legolas, and even tried to stop Pippin from doing so.// Aragorn began to despair, and silently started to remove the wrappings from Legolas' chest.
The rest of the Fellowship looked on in silence. Gandalf stood leaning on his staff with dark eyes. Legolas was a sight, but Gandalf could sense something more. Something was working inside of Legolas, for good or evil, Gandalf could not tell. He tore his eyes away from Legolas as odd, small sound caught his attention. Boromir entered the clearing, and Gandalf realized that the sound was of Pippin crying.
//Fool of a took...// he thought with sad fondness. Aragorn's head whipped around at the noise and stared at Boromir and Pippin. His eyes were sad and full of remorse, that Gandalf felt he was to blame for. After a moment, Aragorn turned back around to Legolas. //Oh, Pippin...// was all he could think of.
He grabbed his water-skin from nearby and began to wipe the caked on blood and dirt from Legolas' body. He became vaguely aware of a small voice asking Boromir to put Pippin down, but the Man of Gondor didn't seem to be complying.
Aragorn's attention was turned back to the task at hand, and he gasped when he finished removing the filthy binding's from Legolas' chest. Dozens of bloody puncture wounds covered his side, and the bandages had been hiding the worst of the damage. Aragorn had been shocked by the welts and bruises that he could see, but Legolas' now revealed torso made Aragorn fear for his friend's life. All along his chest and side, Aragorn couldn't see Legolas natural skin color. It was one big, swollen, black bruise, covered in dried and fresh blood. The skin was rough, and as Aragorn ran his fingers over it, he felt several protrusions that should not have been there.
He had the creeping feeling that this was not the friend that he knew, that Pippin had found some stranger by mistake. //It does not feel the way one of the Firstborn should...it's almost like-// but he was disturbed from his musings by a hand on his shoulder. His eyes locked with Gandalf's, and he realized that they were filled with unshed tears. Gandalf squeezed Aragorn's shoulder, and looked down at Legolas.
Aragorn cleared his head and set about silently wiping the dried brownish blood from Legolas broken ribs. Frodo rose from the ground and moved to stand by Gandalf, but Gimli stopped him and sat him back on the ground. Frodo did not argue. Pippin was silent now, but every now and again, one could see his back heaved as his breath hitched. Boromir held him tightly.
With the aid of Gandalf, Aragorn tightly bound Legolas' ribs, and the Elf's chest moved silently up and down. He moved down to the bloody mass of flesh that was Legolas' calf and set about differentiating between flesh and cloth. It was a messy business, and the Ranger was glad that the hobbits couldn't see. After what seemed like nearly an hour, Aragorn moved up and began washing the blood and grime from Legolas' face and hair. It was swollen, and it was at that time the Aragorn was glad that Legolas couldn't see it. He knew how the Elf would feel about his marred flesh. He gingerly combed the snags and tangles out of Legolas golden mane of hair, and felt suddenly uncomfortable. He sat up and stared at the glazed over eyes of his friend.
"Legolas?" he tried quietly.
"Yes," Legolas answered weakly.
Aragorn was taken aback. He thought that Legolas had been unconscious. "How long have you been awake?"
"Since you lowered me to the ground," he said in a small monotone, turning his eyes to his friend. Aragorn couldn't hold his gaze. He felt the way he did when he was being scolded by Lord Elrond or Erestor at home. For the first time since he had know him, Legolas looked old. Aragorn saw the age and experience of nearly 3000 years in Legolas' eyes, and it made him feel uncomfortable and small. He didn't like it. Legolas sighed, catching the look in Aragorn's eyes, and Gandalf knelt down next to him.
"Legolas?" he asked in a soft voice.
"Mithrandir?" Legolas answered in a small voice.
"How are you feeling, Little Prince?" he asked, sweeping a strand of hair from Legolas' eyes.
Legolas smiled faintly at the old title. Gandalf had not addressed him as such in at least two millennia, and it comforted him a little. "I've seen better days," he replied in a breath.
"I should hope so," Gandalf said with a little smile.
Legolas breathed in deeply and cringed before he let his breath out. He laid silent for a long moment. Then he turned his eyes to Aragorn, who caught his breath as he tried to hold Legolas' gaze.
"Where is Peregrin?" Legolas asked at last.
Both Gandalf and Aragorn looked back to were Boromir was still holding the now silent Pippin. With a tentative glance at the little hobbit in his arms, Boromir walked over and knelt down by the weary Elf. Pippin drew his face away from Boromir's shoulder, and the Man of Gondor quickly dismissed the notion that the hobbit was asleep. He sat Pippin on the ground in a slump, and realized that the little Took was still clutching Legolas bow and arrow. Pippin sat for a moment staring at his toes before he raised his eyes to Legolas' glistening blue ones. He dumbly searched around his head for something to say.
"I brought your bow back," he said in a tiny quavering voice. He held out the Elvish weapon for emphasis.
Legolas was a bit taken aback by this. He simply stared at his bow before saying, "Hennaid evyr, melonin," and raising a weak arm, recieved his bow. He could see that Pippin's eyes were red and swollen and he was shaking slightly. Now it was his turn to search around dumbly for something to say.
"Are you well?" he asked, and immediately regretted it. Pippin's eyes swelled with tears and his breath hitched in his throat. He nodded slightly before staring at his toes again. Legolas made to sit up, clenched his teeth, and fell back down. Aragorn made a move foreword as if to catch him, but stopped short.
Legolas just laid there for a moment breathing. He felt so weak...he didn't like it. He looked long at Pippin before simply saying, "Thank you."
Pippin looked at him and said "You're welcome," in a voice so small it was almost a whisper. He got up slowly and walked over to were the other three hobbits were sitting. Merry looked up at him, held out his arms, and Pippin collapsed into them.
Legolas watched him for a moment before simply turning his face up to the leaves above. After a moment or two, his eyes glazed over letting Aragorn know that this time he truly was asleep. Gandalf and Aragorn looked at each other, then Gandalf stood and said, "I suggest that you all get some rest while you can."
Aragorn was a little hurt that Legolas hadn't spoken to him, be he supposed it was better that way. What would he have said to him? That he thought he was a little off? That he truly was a sight? No, it would be better if he could think about it first. He looked at Legolas for a long moment. He looked so peaceful, so helpless, almost like a child. He lay down on the bed of leaves and slowly drifted off to sleep. Little did he know, Legolas was not having a peacful sleep at all.
********
Like it? I'm a bit peeved with it because when I was in the middle of writing it, my brother unplugged the computer and I hadn't saved my work. Grrr...*Legolas puts brother on hit list* Please R/R!
