The next day found Legolas feeling much better. His headache had dimmed to a tolerable level, and he felt more rested. The bruise was fading from his head—which was more than could be said about the ones on his legs caused by the chair.

Aragorn was less groggy today, though he had to rely much on Elrond's painkilling herbs. He insisted to everyone that he was fine, hiding his pain especially from Legolas.

The twins and Prince stayed with the human, Legolas never leaving the room. The next day, quite expectedly, Aragorn asked to get out of bed.

"It's only my shoulder!" he said. "That is not reason enough to stay here."

"Perhaps not," said Elrond. "But your blood loss is."

Aragorn sighed, knowing when to give up.

The next morning though, Aragorn woke to find the room empty. It didn't remain so for long, for Legolas eventually came in.

The elf smiled when he saw his friend awake. "How do you feel?"

"Fine," Aragorn answered.

Legolas chuckled. "A exaggeration, I am sure. Nonetheless, I have come to spring you."

Aragorn's eyebrows shot up. "You have?"

Legolas smiled, pulling the bedcovers off his friend. "Indeed. The twins and I have plans, and they involve you!"

Aragorn smiled, sitting up with Legolas' help. Aware that this was his first time standing since his injury, he waited for a minute and stood up slowly. Dizziness assaulted him anyway, and he felt Legolas tighten his grip on him.

"All right?" Legolas asked.

Aragorn nodded, blinking his eyes.

Legolas helped him dress and they left the room, the elf's arm wrapped tightly around his friend in support. They went out the first door that they reached, making their way around the house.

Aragorn was so glad to be outside in the warm, sunny weather, that he didn't ask where they were headed. It soon became obvious when they entered the garden. The twins' voiced became heard, and they found the two elves sitting on a blanket under a tree. Beside them was a large picnic basket.

Aragorn smiled at them. "Ada is going to kill us."

The twins smiled back. "We know."

Legolas helped Aragorn sit down, and Elladan suddenly produced a pillow, sitting it against the tree and pushing the human to lean against it. "Feeling better today?" he asked, eyeing his brother's sling.

Aragorn nodded. "Aye."

Elrohir scooted closer and handed him a canteen. It contained painkilling herbs, as the human expected. "Hungry?"

Aragorn nodded eagerly, and they unloaded the basket.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Elrond walked down the hall on his way to Aragorn's room. He glanced out a window as he walked past, and two steps later he stopped and dashed back, seeing a sight that actually didn't surprise him much. "Legolas…" he sighed.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Legolas laughed uproariously at the story that Elladan was telling, of an incident that had occurred when Aragorn had been a young man of seventeen. There was an elf maiden that had caught his eye, and while watching her walk past, he hadn't noticed where he was going himself, and had run right into a horse trough, tripping and falling in with a loud splash.

The maiden—and horse—had been quite amused.

Aragorn smiled at the memory, shooting a mock-glare at his brother for telling the tale.

Elladan laughed, spreading his arms as if in apology. "The memory of an elf is long, Estel."

"Indeed it is," they heard.

Their laughter stopped instantly, and they turned to see Elrond standing behind them with his arms crossed.

Aragorn smiled sheepishly. "Good day, Ada."

"I seem to recall something myself," said the older elf. "Telling you that you could not get out of bed."

"Aye," Aragorn agreed. "But that was yesterday."

Legolas had to raise his hand to hide a smile.

Elrond glared for another minute before shaking his head and turning, to leave.

"Ada," said Aragorn.

Elrond turned.

"Why do you not join us?"

Elrond hesitated, realizing that there was no reason why he could not.

"We have wine!" said Elrohir, raising a cup.

Elrond couldn't resist a chuckle as he walked onto the blanket and sat down.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Everyone had an enjoyable day, but Aragorn found that he was feeling worse as time went by. The day was warm, but he started feeling cold, and found that his body was shaking slightly.

Elrond had eventually left them, having duties to see to. Aragorn wished that he had stayed with them, as he knew that the healer would've eventually ordered him into the house to rest. He didn't want to request that they bring him inside, for they'd know that something was wrong if he did.

"Estel?" he suddenly heard. Opening his eyes, he found that he'd dozed off.

"Come, let us get you inside so you can sleep," said Legolas.

The human was relieved at his words and let the blond elf pull him to his feet. He was dizzy again but fought not to show it as they brought him inside, the twins following after grabbing the basket and blanket.

When Aragorn felt the soft bed under his body, he sighed with relief. Opening his eyes, he gave his friend and brothers a smile before falling asleep.

No one knew that anything was wrong with him until late that night.

Legolas was still sharing the room, still feeling guilty over what had happened, though he hid his feelings well. An odd sound woke him up and he turned over to see Aragorn moving restlessly. He jumped out of bed and quickly rushed over to his friend. "Aragorn?" he said, touching his arm.

The human made no reply, breathing too fast.

Legolas gently shook him, assuming that he was having a nightmare, but it didn't wake the human. He felt his friend's forehead, shocked to find that his fever had returned. With a gasp, he dashed out the door, running towards Elrond's room.

The older elf was sleeping peacefully when he was startled awake by his bedroom door being thrown open. He sat straight up, to see a frantic Legolas run into the room.

"Aragorn!" Legolas gasped, grabbing Elrond's arm and yanking him out of the bed. "His fever has returned!"

Not stopping to grab a robe, Elrond allowed the younger elf to pull him out of the room and they both ran down the hall.

Aragorn was still in the same condition as when Legolas had left, and Elrond quickly mixed some herbs and fed them to the human.

Legolas watched, panicked.

Elrond checked Aragorn's wound and found no sign of infection.

"I should not have brought him outside," Legolas whispered.

Elrond shook his head. "You blame yourself unfairly. I do not believe that to be the cause. The poison was obviously stronger than we knew."

Legolas sighed heavily, plopping into the chair beside the bed, dropping his suddenly aching head into his hands.

Elrond placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort.

Aragorn restlessness calmed, and they watched him for a minute before Elrond squeezed Legolas' shoulder and let go, leaving to fetch a bowl of water. He came back and wet a cloth, laying it on the human's head.

Legolas watched, rubbing his forehead in an effort to disperse the unexpected ache.

Elrond moved back to the herb table, seeing the other elf's discomfort, which he knew to be caused by a combination of his recent head injury and stress over his worry and misplaced guilt.

"I will only take that if there are no sleeping herbs in it!" Legolas called.

Elrond smiled, respecting the Prince's wishes. He brought him the cup and took it back after Legolas drank it.

The blond elf sighed, rewetting the cloth on Aragorn's head. He watched Elrond as the healer sorted through herbs, and suddenly noticed his disheveled appearance. "Forgive me!" he exclaimed, realizing what he had done.

Elrond smiled, reaching up a hand to smooth his hair, inwardly wondering how he looked. "No need, Legolas. You know that you are a son to me. I was not angered by your…er…unexpected appearance in my chamber."

Legolas smiled sheepishly.

"Do you not recall long ago," Elrond said. "When you visited as an elfling? When your father was not here with you, whose room did you slip into when a storm woke you in the night?"

Legolas smiled. "Yours."

Elrond returned the smile, leaving the herb-laden table. He grabbed another chair and placed it beside Legolas', wrapping an arm around the younger elf. "Let go of your guilt," he said. "It is unnecessary. Aragorn shall soon be fine and this incident will eventually be forgotten."

Legolas wasn't sure about the 'forgotten' part, but he appreciated what Elrond was trying to do.

For the rest of the night, the two elves sat there, watching over Aragorn and enjoying each other's company.

TBC