Disclaimer: I do not own LotR. Man, I'm getting tired of saying that over and over and over again. .:sighs:.
Warnings: Rated R for rape.
Sorry 'bout all grammar and/or spelling mistakes.
Sorry 'bout the long wait everyone! I've been sick for the past couple of weeks… it's pretty much gone now, but not quite. Grrr… can't shake it off, man. .:shakes head:. But, anyway… hope you guys will forgive me. n.n Finished the research project, too, so don't have to worry 'bout that. Yayness! n.n;; Yeah… well, just enjoy, the chapter. I don't like it much, but I hope that some of you will at least. n.n
Unforgivable Pain
Chapter Seventeen: Help
A day after Legolas' confessions Elrond was startled by a maid shouting for him while he walked down the hall deep in thought.
"My lord, you must come quickly!" she cried repeatedly, reaching out to drag the elder elf, but then remembering her place she retracted her hand.
"What is it?" he demanded more sternly than he meant. All the thinking from before about how he could help the scarred Legolas and just the shock from seeing him act the way he had been, was wearing on him.
"One of your sons' horses has returned…" the maid replied, trailing off when the elf-lord rushed to find the horse. Only one had returned? And only a horse? What about his sons?
Valar, what have I done? he thought despairingly, horrible scenarios running through his mind no matter how hard he tried to stop them.
Once outside he was met with an unexpected sight.
The horse the maid had spoken of – Elrohir's by the looks of it – was fighting against the elves that were trying to calm him. The horse knew his master needed help and was determined to get it, knowing the right person he was supposed to retrieve (having done so times before).
Elrond ran to the stallion and shooed everyone else away.
"Shh, Alkar, everything is alright," he soothed the horse, rubbing his neck gently.
The stallion calmed but was still agitated, that much was obvious.
"Get some horses ready! I shall take some warriors to search for my sons!" he commanded the elves surrounding him. They did not hesitate and quickly went to do their lord's bidding. Elrond had selected warriors to accompany him before leaving.
Walking quickly back to Legolas' room, he entered, relieved to see the archer still fast asleep. He had been resting more often now. The nightmares still plagued him; however, the elf-lord had given him the sleeping herbs whenever possible. He feared that the younger elf was only sleeping to avoid reality.
Thranduil looked up at him when he entered the room.
Elrond beckoned for the elf king to go into the hall with him, trying to hold back his impatience.
The blonde turned back to his son, but stood up, feeling the need to hurry from his friend.
He joined the elder elf in the hall; quietly closing the door behind him so they wouldn't wake the archer. He just hoped he would not wake while they were gone. He would surely panic then.
"Elrohir's horse has returned… alone. I am going with some warriors to find my sons," Elrond said, getting straight to the point. "I thought you should know. I know not if you should tell Legolas, though."
Thranduil stared at the brown-haired elf in shock. "Is he injured?" he asked in disbelief about the horse.
When the elf-lord shook his head he let out a breath of relief. Though it wasn't much, it still gave him some hope. However, it was only one horse… and none of Elrond's sons...
The elf king didn't know if it was that great of an idea for the healer to go after them, but he could understand his reasoning perfectly. If it was his son he would be after him in a heartbeat. As it was, he wished to help his long-time friend,but Legolas needed him and he would not abandon him, especially in his state. He needed his father more than ever.
"Very well. I wish you luck, mellon-nin," the blonde said with a smile, hand on Elrond's shoulder.
The elf-lord smiled in return, placing his hand on that of Thranduil's. "Hannon le."
Opening the door to make sure Legolas was still doing alright; he then said his farewells to the father and son, after preparing a few sleeping herbs for the elf ahead of time, not knowing when he would be back.
The elder elf got his things together and then went back to the stables. He was glad to find that the warriors and horses were ready.
"Everything is ready, my lord," a dark-haired warrior said.
Elrond nodded in appreciation and mounted his horse, after tying his pack onto the stallion.
"Let us go," he said once he was ready.
They started off in a gallop with Elrohir's horse in the lead, then Elrond followed by the warriors.
Thranduil closed the door behind him and sat down heavily. He didn't like what was going on at all. For one of the horses returning and none of the sons… he didn't want to even think about what could have happened.
"What is it, Ada?" The elf king jumped at the voice, opening his eyes and looking at Legolas. He saw the young elf staring at him in concern.
"Nothing, ion-nin," the elder elf answered, hoping the blonde would actually drop the topic. If he had known that the herbs had worn off and he had woken up already, he would have hidden his concern more. "How do you feel?" he changed the subject.
The archer merely shrugged in response. He had awoken to find himself alone; both elves no where close by. To say the least, he had panicked, but hearing their voices in the hall just outside the door, he had been able to finally calm down, though it was not easy.
"Any word on Estel, Elladan or Elrohir?" he asked after a while. He had heard Elrond mention Elrohir, though it had been too quiet for him to understand the rest.
Thranduil was taken aback by the question, for he could tell that his son knew something was going on. He had thought they had been quiet while talking. He wondered just how much the archer had heard.
He sighed deeply, knowing he wouldn't be able to keep it from his son now.
Legolas watched his father, getting nervous with his hesitance.
"Elrohir's horse made his way back here; we know not if he was sent. However, he was not injured," he took a deep breath, unsure of how to continue. "He is the only one that has returned thus far. Estel, Elrohir, and Elladan are still out there somewhere. Elrond has gone to look for them."
The blonde stared at his father in disbelief, letting it sink in. When a horse was sent back (if indeed that was the case) it usually meant that one or more of them were seriously injured; too injured to ride on their own. And it was his fault. If he had stopped them or hadn't even came to them in the first place then they would be safe still. He was useless; only causing harm to those he cared for most.
Thranduil lifted the younger elf's chin. "Nay, Legolas. Do not blame yourself. None of this, and I mean none, is your fault. I shall say it as many times as I need to until you understand," he said sternly, looking directly into his son's tearful eyes. The young elf's self-blame had shown clearly by the way he had his head lowered and body slouched. How he wished he could have been the one to get revenge for his traumatized son. What the human had done to him… taken from him, was irreplaceable, and he feared that he'd never recover. It tore his soul in two, thinking about what the human had done to Legolas. He prayed that, with time, it could be mended.
Legolas blinked and a tear that had been threatening to fall finally did just that. He was surprised by the comment and devotion in Thranduil's voice. He still thought it was his fault,but hearing his father speak like that helped a bit. He had originally thought his father would want nothing to do with him and was still shocked to see that he – and everyone else – actually wanted to help him recover what he could. However, he still couldn't get rid of the shame and self-blame.
"What if they—"
"Stop, Legolas. It was their choice. Even if you had been fully healed there's no way you could have stopped them from going," the elf king said firmly, trying to erase some of the blame his son had placed upon himself. He could tell this definitely wasn't going to be an easy task… to say the least.
The archer turned his head away, causing Thranduil to let go, and looked towards the balcony listlessly.
The elder elf watched his Greenleaf sadly, hoping that Elrond would return soon, and with his sons alive. He knew for a fact now that, if any of them were to die, Legolas surely would as well. That would cut the final thread connecting him to the living. It broke his heart to know that that was truth, too.
Aragorn groaned when he felt a drop of water splash on his neck with more to follow. He had been leaning heavily on his horse for hours now, every step jostling his injuries. This was the second day already and they had only stopped a few times; the strain was becoming too much for the human. He wanted to stop, but would not say anything. Elladan was determined to get far away from the human encampment. Both of them wished to get back to Elrond to get Elrohir the treatment he desperately needed, who still had yet to awaken.
Elladan looked over at his youngest brother in concern. The rain definitely wasn't going to help him at all. The chance of him becoming ill was all too real and, even though he had had to treat the human too many times to count, treating a fever was not something he often did, for that was usually where their father would come in. He could if need be, but he wasn't so sure, especially since everyone was so wounded.
He looked back down at his twin. He didn't know what to do about him either. He pulled off his cloak and draped it over him, not knowing what else he could do. They still hadn't come across any shelter that they could use. Looking around again, he found no place to protect them from the rain. The threat of orcs attacking was still too near.
Aragorn turned to his eldest brother, a depressed sigh having attracted his attention. He saw him looking down at his twin with an expression of utmost sadness.
He himself was extremely worried and depressed over the fact that Elrohir still hadn't regained consciousness; he couldn't imagine what Elladan must be feeling. Elrohir was his twin, his life-line, his other half. Aragorn wasn't sure if his eldest brother would be able to carry on without his twin… not that he was going to be leaving them anytime soon…
"He shall be alright," he reassured Elladan, placing a hand on the elf's shoulder and squeezing gently. It sounded as if he were trying to convince himself too, however.
The brown-haired elf turned to the human and smiled, appreciating the support. "I hope so…"
They continued on, though weary and in pain; the rain still falling heavily. They kept an eye out for any place they could use as a shelter.
Aragorn, once again leaning heavily against his horse, pulled his cloak around himselfas tightly as he could in his position, too exhausted to move more than that. It was getting colder; the rain not helping. He had pulled his hood up too, but it seemed to do little now, for the material was soaked through. The pain in his side had only been growing as time passed, and he had to clench his teeth to stop any sound of discomfort that may have escaped.
The human closed his eyes, unable to keep them open any longer.
"Estel!" Elladan shouted when he saw the ranger's eyes shut. "You must stay awake, my brother." He feared what would happen ifthe human were to sleep in his present condition.
Aragorn slowly opened his eyes. He couldn't resist the pleading that he heard in the elf's voice.
"Hang on a while longer. We shall find shelter soon," Elladan promised, hoping he was right.
Aragorn nodded wearily, forcing his eyes to stay open, even if they weren't focusing completely. They had already been riding for hours in the rain with no prospects of shelter and he didn't really think one would show up for quite a while still. The spot they had used before finding the human's encampment would be of no use since it wouldn't protect them from the rain that well.
Minutes later they were startled to hear horses approaching.
Elladan and Aragorn halted their horses. Neither had any idea what to expect. Was it their father that had found them? Or was it the humans coming back for revenge after regrouping?
The ranger forced himself to sit up, though he still slouched slightly, he didn't wish to seem weak no matter whom it was.
They went behind some trees and bushes that, unfortunately, weren't very dense, trying to hide themselves as best as they could. They had no idea if the riders were hostile or not and with the two of them they would stand no chance if they turned out to be enemies.
Elrond kept a sharp eye out, watching his surroundings intently. He had thought he had heard his sons' voices; however, they were not within sight, their voices gone as well. He wasn't sure if his exhausted mind was just playing tricks on him. They had taken few breaks, since he had wanted to find his sons as quickly as possible, and while his warriors had been able to get some rest, he had received none whatsoever. He was too worried to, even with his warriors' pleas for him to get some sleep.
Elrond's head snapped up from the ground (trying to find some footprints – or horse – that could lead him to his sons) when he saw two horses come from behind the trees.
"Ada!" Elladan shouted beyond relieved.
Seeing the condition of the three, especially the younger twin, took away most of the relief he had felt at seeing his sons. Still, they were alive!
Aragorn looked exhausted and he could tell he was having trouble just staying upright. He couldn't help but notice how he held his hand to his side tightly as if it greatly pained him.
"Come this way, my sons. There's a place where you can rest," the elder elf told his exhausted and wounded sons. He wanted to treat them right then and there, but it wasn't safe. The last place they used for a break wasn't too far back and shouldn't be too difficult to reach, even with them in their current condition. The rain was still falling as well and he didn't want to stop in the middle of it… Aragorn was already soaked. Where Elladan and Aragorn had hidden would only be enough to protect three, maybe four, people from the rain; not the warriors he had with him. The leaves of the trees were few as well. There was no way he'd leave them out in the rain either.
Elrond rode up next to Aragorn, seeing him shivering badly. Taking off his cloak, he draped it over the human.
"It's good to see you, Ada," Aragorn said wearily.
"You too, ion-nin, you too. You have no idea how good it is," the elf-lord said, glad that his sons were alive.
What about Elrohir, though? He looked over to his other side, seeing the younger twin unconscious. "What happened to Elrohir? And what about the humans? Tell me everything that has happened." He needed to know how exactly they got so many injuries. He knew the main reason, but he needed to know the outcome.
Well, there ya guys go. Like it or not. I don't like how Elrond reacts and I think I had it go by a bit too quick, but… well, what do you expect from me after being forced to take a break… .:sniff sniff:. It makes me mad. I was on such a writing spree (I think I used up all my words writing this, since I can't think of any other way to word that XD) before, too. I think I jinxed it. ;-;
It's too freakin' hot to do anything, though! It was all nice and rainy and stuff and then bam! outta no where freakin' sun comes out and is all extra hot. ;-; …yeah, me no like the sun. Especially when it fries everything and everyone! .:hisses:. It's freakin' 88 degrees in here; even hotter in my room… .:shakes head:. Sorry 'bout that got distracted and startled to ramble. .:bows in apology:. Gomen, gomen!
Review Responses
inulover28 – Lol. Yes, you're a procrastinator, too! High five! n.n;;; Lmao! You're right. I love bishi and elf torture. .:grins evilly:. Lol… I'm not very skilled at that… yet, anyway. I'm hoping to be able to do it eventually at least. .:shrugs:. Well, of course. I didn't expect it right now… sheesh, who do ya think I am? …though I really wouldn't mind… n.n;; You didn't even know where it was? XD
empath89 – Glad to hear that. n.n That's always good, too. I like being able to concentrate on what I'm reading. …not to mention writing. Before I couldn't do that at all. Wrote a few pages and they were garbage, so I decided to not write when sick… XD .:raises hands up:. Hey, hey, that may usually, and pretty much always happen, but this time, I think, I may not have them… not planning that yet anyway…
Haldir's Heart and Soul – I hope so, too!
SivanShemesh – That's awesome. I love it when that happens. n.n Thank you so much, too! Don't worry, I won't stop this fic. It's actually my fav to write… and my fav fic out of the ones I've written. n.n Lmao! I so agree with that! Ya just can't help it, man. XD Thanks again! n.n
HarryEstel – Yup, but thankfully that's out of the way! Now, I only have a bunch of make-up work to do from being sick and missing four days of school. XD Yeah, he will, but not quite yet…
Saerwen – Of course you can have another update… it's just a matter of how soon. XD
Lost some people… hmm… am I doing something wrong with this now? Just curious. Well, I know I'm not liking it as much but I don't know about all you peoples. .:shrugs:. Thx for those of you who are sticking with me, and to the newcomers. n.n
Man, one of the freakin' computers won't stop beeping since it's all over-heated and ish. .:sighs:. I think they chose one of the most annoying sounds for that…and it's been goin' on the whole weekend too… off and on anyway. Extremely annoying when you're trying to sleep, too… Just havin' all sorts of problems this weekend...
Anyway… I'll stop complaining now… Hope you guys are having fun doing whatever you're doin'. n.n Hah ha! I have Monday off of school… had Friday, too. Yayness! Hopefully I'll have another chapter written up so I can type it… We shall see. It'll prob'ly be for Heart's Truth, though. Sorry!
Plz Review and let me know what you think. Pointers are always welcomed as well. n.n
Ja ne
