Hey everyone! Here's chapter 6; enjoy! Don't kill me for the horrible cliffhanger that you are about to read, for if you do, you won't be able to read chapter 7, which is the last chapter! lol! (hides)

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When Aragorn woke the next morning, he had no idea what had happened. He felt very drained, and wondered why as he looked at the next bed, to see Legolas sitting on it, fashioning his warrior braids.

Legolas glanced at him a few seconds later and saw his eyes open. With a gasp, he let go of the braid and jumped off the bed. "How do you feel?" he asked.

Aragorn smiled at the sight of the half-done braid. "Tired."

Legolas removed the wet cloth from the human's head, and Aragorn frowned at the sight of it. "What happened?" he asked the elf.

Legolas sighed, rewetting the cloth and replacing it. "Your fever returned overnight."

Aragorn's eyebrows shot up.

Legolas nodded. "It is a good thing that I was in the room." His eyes suddenly twinkled. "I literally dragged your father out of bed."

Aragorn chuckled at the mental picture that his friend's words created. "I would have liked to see that!"

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A few weeks later, Aragorn had fully recovered from his injury. Seeing the human back to his old self helped Legolas to finally bury his guilt, and they and the twins spent many enjoyable days dong anything that they wished: Elrond giving his sons a holiday away from their duties.

One day, though, Legolas received a message from his father asking him to come home. At the same time, the Rangers sent word to Aragorn asking for his assistance.

"I shall accompany you on your trip home," said Aragorn. "And join the Rangers after."

Legolas was happy to accept his company.

They left a week later by horse and traveled at their leisure. It would have been better if they'd hurried, because what happened two days later would have been avoided…

"Estel."

Aragorn woke at his friend's call, finding that dawn was not far from rising.

Legolas was pointing his bow at the trees, and Aragorn quickly jumped up, grabbing his sword.

"Orcs," Legolas told him, before he had a chance to ask.

Before the human had a chance to react, the creatures suddenly burst out of the woods, shouting their attack.

Legolas fired his arrows, taking down the archers as Aragorn engaged the others. There were many orcs, about two dozen. Legolas eventually switched to his knives, fighting side-by-side with his friend.

Eventually only one orc remained and Legolas dropped his arms as Aragorn finished it off. Suddenly sensing something behind them, Legolas turned, to see an orc aiming its bow at the human's back. Without hesitation, he jumped behind his friend and raised his own bow, shooting the orc in the throat.

However, the creature had already loosed his own arrow, and Legolas fell back against Aragorn when it struck him.

Aragorn was propelled forward and lost his balance, falling to his knees as the weight of the elf fell off his back and landed on the ground. Quickly turning, he gave a loud cry at the sight of his bleeding friend. "Legolas!"

The elf made no reply, the arrow deeply embedded in his chest.

"No! Legolas!" said Aragorn, grabbing his friend and trying to stem the flow of blood with his hand. "Legolas!"

The elf slowly opened his eyes, gasping with pain. He reached out with one hand, latching onto Aragorn's arm.

Tears poured down Aragorn's face as he gripped his friend's other hand. He couldn't bring himself to look at the arrow, knowing that it was a fatal injury.

Legolas tried to speak, but words wouldn't come.

Aragorn shook his head. "Hush, mellon-nin! Be still."

Legolas closed his eyes and licked his lips. He was barely able to breathe, and knew that he was dying. Reopening his eyes, he looked at the arrow that had gone straight through his heart, and wondered how he was still alive. Looking at Aragorn, he could see the same storm of emotions on the human's face that he knew were on his own when the human had taken the injury meant for him two months ago.

Now, the debt had been repaid.

"A-accept-able…r-risk…" he whispered, repeating the words back to Aragorn that the human had so recently said to him. His eyesight grew dim, and his quivering heart seemed to give one last effort at beating before everything turned black.

Aragorn's breath hitched in his lungs nearly as bad as his friend's. "No!" he shouted. "I did not die from the wound that I took for you; you cannot die from the one that you took for me! No! Wake up! Please! Wake up, Legolas!"

The elf's breath let out with a wheeze and the hand clutching Aragorn's arm went limp, falling to the ground.

"Legolas! No!" Aragorn shouted. "No! NOOOOO!"

TBC (hides)