Here it is the final chapter to the story. First, let me apologize for it taking so long. I just haven't had time! I would like to thank all of the reviewers...you are the reason I finished this story! This story was a blast to write and I hope you enjoyed as much as I did. And now... FINALLY the last Chapter!

Part 15

An Unexpected Guest

Legolas awoke to a dark room; the curtains were drawn preventing the light of a full moon from escaping into the chamber. He moved to stretch his right arm and found it was immovable. In a panic he groped in the darkness with his left arm and felt the soft bandages that encircled his forearm from the palm of hand to his elbow. The prince ran his hands over his face feeling small scabs from the scratches he had received in the forest.

Suddenly his Elvin hearing picked up faint wheezing breaths coming from the corner of his room. Legolas, curious to see what it was, pushed the blankets off himself and awkwardly climbed out of the bed. He approached the chair with caution stumbling only slightly when he tripped over one of his boots that protruded from under his bed.

Warily, Legolas pushed the form that resided in the large plush chair eliciting soft moan of pain as the gentle touch aggravated the sleeping form's bruised ribs. Aragorn's unruly hair appeared from beneath a dark green blanket followed by a slightly annoyed and accusing stare.

"Aragorn," Legolas whispered fiercely, "What are you doing here, are you not still healing?"

"So what?" Aragorn grinned and shrugged his shoulders wincing in pain at the movement. "Why did you have to push my side so hard?" the human complained quietly as he gingerly rubbed his side.

"How long have I been here?" Legolas asked confused by his friends more relaxed condition.

"I'd say about two days. Ada created the antidote and now I feel fine." Aragorn stated nonchalantly.

Legolas his reflexes being much faster than the weakened humans reached out with lightning speed and brushed Aragorn's side.

Aragorn was thankful that it was dark because he knew his face had turned a pale white. He bit his tongue to keep from crying out, but his rapid breathing was not lost on the prince.

"Liar," Legolas said accusingly, "do not make me carry you to your own bed human."

"What do you plan to do Elf, carry me with one arm?" Aragorn laughed softly, which caused him to cringe in pain.

"I could always wake your Ada, I am sure he would be more than happy to help." Legolas threatened thinking he would win the battle.

"I'm also sure that he would be most pleased to see you up and about as well. Let us go and wake him together." Aragorn said sarcasm laced through every word.

"Human, you think you are so smart don't you?" The prince laughed softly.

"Let's not start on who we believe is more intelligent, for we already know the answer to the question." Aragorn stated with mirth.

Legolas was sure Aragorn had flashed a grin in the darkness and he resisted punching the ranger in the arm knowing the pain it would cause him. However, the prince's hand again contacted with the young humans side causing Aragorn to hiss in pain.

"Oh, that was mature." Aragorn ground out between gritted teeth.

"Sorry, my hand slipped." Legolas said sarcastically suppressing his laughter to the best of his ability.

"Legolas," Aragorn's tone had become suddenly serious.

"What is wrong Aragorn, are you well?" Legolas sounded worried.

"Yes, yes, I am well. I just wanted to thank you for, you know, everything." Aragorn said quietly.

"Aragorn I will do anything for you, you are my friend and the brother that I never had. I will protect you no matter what danger crosses our path." Legolas replied with a smile.

"Unless its in a cave." Aragorn muttered with a laugh despite the pain it sent through his body.

"Human, you wait until you are well again, then I will give you something to laugh about." Legolas threatened.

"What are you going to do, lecture me to death." Aragorn gasped in fright and resumed his soft laughter.

"What am I going to do with you?" Legolas asked, joining in on the laughter.

"Well, what ever you do, lets make sure you do it inside of Rivendell's gates." Aragorn's voice again resumed a sarcastic tone.

"Agreed!" Legolas replied quickly with a soft smile.

"Well, if you do not mind, mellon nin, I would love for you to remove yourself from the arm of my chair, so I may resume my peaceful rest that was so rudely disturbed." The ranger said with a grin. "And try to snore a little softer, it's hard to fall asleep."

"I do not snore!" Legolas declared loudly sounding insulted. "You on the other hand, my friend, need to breath softer yourself, for if I recall correctly it was you that woke me up!" Legolas said with a chuckle as he rose from the chair and began walking toward his bed.
"I'm glad we are home again." Aragorn whispered quietly to the retreating shadow of his elven friend as he snuggled under the thick blanket that despite the heat of the summer night. He was once again safe.

"Me too." Legolas replied softly and smiled as the soft sounds of the young ranger's breathing reached his ears.

Hope you enjoyed the story! And as promised I have a small preview to my next one...
Aragorn sat crouched in the small dark space for what seemed like an eternity. His back and legs ached horribly from being crammed into the small area for so long a time.

Suddenly a bright light assaulted his senses. He shied away until he realized that the light was coming from above. The young ranger knew he was free for he had already tried profusely to get out from above. Aragorn, despite his bound hands, quickly clambered out of the small space in the floor. He would rather face what ever waited for him in the light then be locked back up in the small damp hole in the ground that he was kept in.

The large stone room that suddenly surrounded him caused the ranger to feel miniscule compared to its towering walls. Barred windows, strategically placed all about the top of the walls, let in an eerie light that seemed to come from nowhere. There were two doors situated opposite of each other; one was about the size of a man, but the other was strangely small and narrow. If opened Aragorn was sure they would simply slide into the wall and disappear for from where he was he could see no possible way of opening them.

There were dark stains spread out unevenly across the grey floors and walls, and until his eyes adjusted Aragorn simply thought they were the oddly cast shadows of the bars. When his vision had become accustomed to the light, horror and fear quickly filled his eyes as he discovered that the splotches were not shadows, but dark red blood stains. Aragorn's mind soon displayed terrible ideas and visions of what could have killed or been killed in this room. Whatever it was, he thought to himself, he was not going to wait around and find out.

Aragorn stood in the center of the room frozen with fear as a loud grating noise filled the chamber. The sound echoed strangely off the stone walls well after the smaller of the two stone doors had finally locked in place with a crash. Aragorn crouched with a wince into a defensive position and dared to peer into the darkness of the newly open tunnel.

Darkness, complete and utter darkness stretched out before the young ranger as he peered into the cramped tunnel. Aragorn strained to see if there was anything threatening there and almost lost his balance as a soft padding noise echoed out of the darkness.

Aragorn scampered back away from the passageway, as the noise grew louder not knowing what to expect. Then he saw it, yellow-green eyes peering out with an eerie glow from the darkness. A growl reverberated throughout the large room and Aragorn's eyes grew wide as the light revealed the spot flecked coat of a large leopard. Its soft feet padded and scraped against the stone floors as it tested the air with its blackish-brown nose. It did not take long for the beast to set it's hungry yellow eyes on the pale figure that now stood opposite of the prowling animal.

I look foreword to writing my next story! Thanks again!