Thank you for all the reviews, everyone! I really do appreciate them all.

I'm really sorry that my chapters are steadily getting shorter. I'll try to reverse that for my next chapter.

Once again, I own pretty much nobody in this fic. Definitely no one in this chapter.

The Curse of Mortality

Legolas finally stopped late that night to give Arod a much-needed rest. He built a small fire to help protect the three of them, and pulled out a piece of Lembas. He broke off it in half and gave a piece to Gimli. "We can only afford to rest for a couple of hours," he said.

Gimli frowned at him. "You never told me what the hurry is, laddie."

"I know," Legolas said quietly. "There was no time earlier. Aragorn is dying, and no one knows why. I had hoped that I might be able to find a cure, which is why we are heading toward Lothlorien."

Gimli nodded. "I see. But what makes you think you will find anything there?"

Legolas put his hand to his forehead and sighed. "Nothing. But I would rather try and fail than not try at all." He shivered and crept a little closer to the fire.

"Surely Galadriel would be able to help," Gimli said.

"I hope so." Legolas pulled his cloak tighter around himself and moved even closer to the fire. He was starting to doubt that he would ever get used to being so cold all the time. How did the mortals stand it? He stared out toward the dark mountains. They were unusually blurry, but he scarcely noticed. "What happens if we fail, Gimli?" he asked quietly.

"We worry about that when it happens."

"That does not help much," Legolas said.

Gimli shook his head. "What do you want me to say? There is nothing we can do right now but work on accomplishing our quest. We worry about the results when we are done."

"That advice is far easier to say than to do." Legolas shivered again, and scooted toward the fire again. It did not go unnoticed by Gimli this time.

He removed his cloak and held it out to Legolas. "Take it. You have more need of it than I do."

Legolas shook his head and pulled his knees up to his chest. He needed more warmth, but he refused to take away Gimli's in order to do it. "You need rest," he said at last. "I'll wake you up when it is time to go."

Gimli took back his cloak in disappointment. "I will then, but my offer still stands." He lay down near the fire, stretched his cloak up over himself, and was soon asleep.

Legolas watched for a while, then looked over at Arod. "It seems to be just you and me right now," he whispered, but Arod had fallen asleep as well. Legolas sighed and looked out to the north. They had made good progress today. If nothing happened, they would make it to Fangorn within a few days. Lothlorien should be only a couple more days after that. If only the cure was in Fangorn, though. It would allow them to be back at Minas Tirith all the sooner, and right now, that was the most important thing to Legolas. They had to hurry back, and make it in time to save Aragorn.

XXXXX

Legolas never felt his eyes close. All he knew was that one moment he was staring into the darkness, and the next moment he was on the ground with sunlight streaming onto his face. He blinked a few times. He suddenly jumped up as he remembered what he was doing out here, and ran over to wake Gimli up. He grabbed Gimli's shoulder and shook it violently. "Gimli! Gimli! Wake up right now! We needed to leave a long time ago!"

Gimli sat up, glaring at Legolas. "Not all of that was necessary," he said in a grouchy tone.

Legolas ignored it and pulled him onto his feet. "Come on, just get on Arod. We need to leave right now!"

Gimli muttered something under his breath and let Legolas help him onto the horse's back. Legolas quickly made sure the fire was out, climbed up in front of Gimli, and made Arod break into a run.

As they raced across the empty fields, Legolas cursed himself for sleeping in so late. Why had he done it? He had always had control over his sleep before. But of course, that was before he had become mortal. He scowled. His new mortality had better not get in the way again. He could not risk the added danger that would mean for Aragorn.