Hey everyone! Thanks SO much for your excellent reviews! Here's chapter 2 :)
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"They said that they would arrive today."
"You believe their word? When have they ever arrived on time?"
Elladan chuckled as he and Elrohir walked through the halls of their home. "Aye, too true. It would be a surprise if they arrived today."
"It is nearly night anyway," said Elrohir, approaching a window. "If we cannot see them from here, then they likely are camp—"
The younger twin cut himself off with a gasp and suddenly started running down the hall.
"Elrohir!" said Elladan, rushing to the window to see what had so alarmed his brother. The sight he beheld made him echo the gasp, and he followed after his twin.
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Legolas walked on, his steps stumbling as his headache threatened to overcome him and his legs kept trying to buckle. He refused to obey his body, his one goal being to get Aragorn to Imladris.
The gate suddenly appeared before him. "We made it, mellon-nin!" he gasped. "We are home; you shall soon be fine."
Still unconscious, Aragorn had grown feverish, intensifying the elf's terror for his friend's life, fearing that infection had set in.
Sudden running footsteps greeted Legolas' ears, and he was suddenly grabbed, nearly dropping Aragorn.
"Legolas!" Elladan exclaimed. "What has happened!"
Elrohir took Aragorn from the elf, and the sudden absence of the human's weight overbalanced the exhausted Legolas, making his legs finally buckle.
Elladan swung the blond-haired elf into his arms, and the twins burst back into their home, yelling for their father.
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Elrond was quite taken by surprise at his sons' frantic yells, and he followed the sound, meeting them at an intersecting corridor. "What happened to them!" he exclaimed, a stab of fear clutching his stomach.
"We know not," said Elladan as they rushed down the halls. "Legolas arrived carrying Estel," he told his father, looking down at the younger elf to see that his eyes were now closed.
Arriving at the healing wing, they burst in and laid their patients on two beds. Elrond quickly assessed Aragorn, finding the stab wound and the presence of fever.
Elladan removed the packs and weapons from Legolas' body before looking his friend over, seeing the bruise on his temple. He reached over to check Legolas' eyes for evidence of concussion, but they suddenly snapped open and the elf tried to get off the bed.
Elrohir, having stood near his father to see how Aragorn fared, rushed to the other side of Legolas' bed, trying to hold him down.
"No!" Legolas cried, disoriented. "Estel!"
"You are home, Legolas!" Elladan exclaimed. "Father tends Estel! He will be fine and so will you!"
Legolas blinked, becoming more aware, but still fighting to get free. "I must see him!"
"He is right there," said the older twin, pointing.
They helped Legolas sit up, letting him see. The Mirkwood Prince stopped struggling, but he suddenly gave a sob and leaned against Elladan.
The twins sat beside the younger elf.
"He gave his life for me," Legolas said, as Elladan wrapped his arms around him.
"No, Legolas, he lives!" said Elladan.
"His wound does not look serious," said Elrohir. "Fear not."
"An orc knocked me down and tried to stab me," Legolas continued. "When I woke, I found that Estel had taken the wound instead…"
At the words, 'when I woke', Elrond looked at his sons and gestured to his head, instructing the twins to check the Prince's injury.
Elladan nodded. "Lay down, Legolas, let us have a look at you. Aragorn will be fine."
To their surprise, Legolas didn't protest; allowing the twins to resettle him on the bed. By the time they'd assembled cloths, herbs, and water, the exhausted elf was fast asleep.
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Elladan sat beside Legolas while Elrohir sat with Aragorn. The human's fever wasn't too high, but he still had yet to wake.
Legolas' eyes were closed, and he was as motionless as the human. As Elladan studied his friend, he wondered if the younger elf had fallen unconscious rather than asleep.
The twins were quiet as they watched their charges, both elves thinking of Legolas; of how upset their friend had been at Aragorn's condition.
"How is he?" Elrohir suddenly said.
"The same," said Elladan. "Estel?"
"The same."
They fell silent again, but suddenly Legolas made a soft sound and scrunched his eyes.
"Legolas?" said Elladan, reaching out to touch his arm.
The Mirkwood Prince opened his eyes with a gasp, trying to sit up before he was even fully awake.
"No, Legolas, be still," said Elladan.
"Aragorn?" Legolas said, nervously.
"He lives," Elrohir told him.
Legolas sighed with relief, his eyes closing and opening again drowsily.
Elladan studied Legolas' eyes. His pupils appeared only slightly dilated, to his relief. The elf would be fine with rest.
"Sleep," said Elladan, patting his arm.
Legolas tried to stay awake, wanting to verify for himself that Aragorn was indeed all right, but his body didn't cooperate, and he fell asleep.
The twins gave each other a smile, relieved that their friend would be fine.
Elladan sighed, standing and walking the short distance to his brother's bed. They saw that some color had returned to the human's face, but they both realized that it was a fever-flush, not a reduction of his paleness.
Elrohir felt their brother's forehead, frowning. Before he could say anything, the door opened as Elrond entered.
"His fever has risen, ada!" said Elladan.
Elrond sighed, as if he wasn't surprised at the news. He hastened his pace and laid his own hand on Aragorn's head. Removing it, hechecked Aragorn's wound, finding the redness along the edges increasing, looking more purple than red. There was no unusual discharge from the injury, so he deduced the cause to be poison.
"Poison?" Elladan fearfully asked, echoing his father's thoughts.
Elrond nodded. "I gave him herbs to fight against possible poison, but since they were not given to him immediately, it apparently still had time to affect him."
The twins looked over at Legolas, wondering how he would react to the news.
Elrond followed their line of sight, concerned to still see the elf's eyes closed. "Has he not yet woken?"
Elrohir nodded. "He did, a few moments ago, but fell back to sleep."
Elrond was relieved at that, and he moved to a table to mix some herbs for Aragorn.
Elrohir rewet the cloth on Aragorn's head, and Elladan pulled the bedcovers off the human in an effort to cool him further. He then went to the window, but hesitated, wondering if Aragorn would consider it warm or chilly on this late-spring day. He saw that there was no wind, so he didn't bother.
Elrond returned to the bed and slowly poured the medicine down the human's throat. That done, he retrieved a chair and sat beside his youngest son, unable to prevent a worried sigh.