To New Mutiny

by Tithen Min

After an attack, Legolas is confused and alone and will need to trust his friends to get him home. Sequel to 'From Ancient Grudge', but can be read alone. *AU*

29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: Not mine! :(

Title: To New Mutiny

Rating: R

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Okay folks, sorry for the delay once again and thanks for being so patient! Here's the next one and hope you like!!

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Chapter 29

Tolren and Thranduil were at the top of the stairs when their sharp hearing picked up the sound of the Dwarf's clattering footsteps as he rushed after them. Their eyes met in identical looks of alarm.

"Something is wrong…" Thranduil whispered. Tolren nodded slowly and they turned in unison to head back the way they had come.

Gimli shot around a corner at an impressive speed for such a short being and crashed headlong into Tolren, sending them both to the floor with a crash that echoed through the long hall. Thranduil gaped at them both for a moment before grasping the Dwarf by the back of his neck and hauling him upright.

"Gimli, what is the meaning of this? Is something the matter with Legolas?" He demanded sharply.

Gimli nodded frantically. "He…he is…Aragorn said…it was to do with…the drug in his system…" He explained breathlessly.

Thranduil turned to Tolren, who was wincing in pain while trying to rise from the ground. "Tolren— are you alright?"

The younger Elf nodded, finally regaining his feet and glowering at the Dwarf. "We must hurry, Thranduil. What drug has he been given?"

Thranduil sighed as they turned and ran for his son's room. "It was Darathnil…"

Tolren stumbled slightly, shocked. "Darathnil?! But…where can that even be found these days?"

Thranduil shook his head. "I know not,"

They rushed through the door to the prince's room and over to his bed, where Aragorn was holding him upright and bent over his knees to ease his breathing.

"What is happening, Aragorn?" Thranduil demanded, gazing with wide eyes at his son, "What is the matter with him?"

Aragorn shook his head distractedly. "Something is interfering with his respiratory function…he cannot breathe!"

Tolren hurried over and laid his head on Legolas' chest, hearing how the young Elf struggled for breath. He muttered something softly and placed one hand on Legolas' chest. The younger Elf's body jerked and he took a deep breath, then another.

Everyone in the room visibly relaxed as Legolas began to breathe on his own, each breath coming slightly easier than the one before it. Thranduil's eyes flicked from Aragorn to Tolren and back again, trying to judge the seriousness of the situation from the two healers' expressions.

"What happened?" He finally voiced quietly, "Is he alright?"

Aragorn sighed. "Fluid was gathering on his lungs…it put pressure on them and made it almost impossible for him to breathe."

Tolren glanced at the Human. "You are a healer also?"

Aragorn nodded. "Though not quite as skilled as you,"

Tolren smiled and silently shook his head. "We had best stay with him, you and I," He spoke softly, "He may need us again."

"Aye," Aragorn agreed, "I fear you may be right."

Thranduil sighed, his face seeming to show every one of his many thousands of years as he asked what he feared the most. "Will he live?"

Aragorn looked him full in the eyes and was shocked by the depth of emotion and worry he saw. "We will do the best we can, your majesty."

* * * * * * * * * *

As they sat up with the young Elf, Tolren began to get a full idea of Leglolas' extremely fragile state, immediately seeing that there was more to it than he knew.

"Tell me, Ranger of the North," He said softly, "I feel that there is more to this than meets the eye…what happened?"

Aragorn looked over at Legolas sadly, cringing at the horrible wounds on his friend's body.

"There is undoubtedly a story behind all this that I do not know, all I know of this is that I found Legolas living in Lake Town, with a scar on his face and no memory of his past at all…myself and Gimli helped him remember enough to make him wish to come home— " he sighed, "Maybe it would have been best if we had not,"

Tolren looked shocked by this, looking from Legolas to Aragorn with wide eyes, before recovering himself enough to speak. "Do not say that, Ranger. He would never have healed fully had you not helped him remember, although it must have been a vicious attack indeed to make him forget in the first place…"

"Aye," A voice came from the doorway, startling them both, "It was meant to kill him."

They watched as Thranduil came quietly into the room, his eyes immediately going to his son, checking him over to ensure his wellbeing.

"Meant to kill him?" Aragorn questioned, "But who would want to kill Legolas?"

Thranduil sighed, taking a seat beside Legolas and gently stroking his forehead, being careful not to apply too much pressure, but letting his son know he was there.

"It was all Anamaer's doing," He said softly, "It seems he wanted us both out of the way so that the kingdom would pass into his keeping."

Tolren's eyes narrowed. "Is Anamaer not your chief advisor, Thranduil, or does my memory deceive me?"

The king closed his eyes. "Aye, he was, but no more. He will be lucky to live long enough for me to strip him of that title once they find him…" He growled, his touches unintentionally becoming harsher, making Legolas whimper softly.

Thranduil swiftly lifted his hand and whispered soothing words in Sindarin until the prince quieted once more.

"He thought that if he got rid of Legolas, that I would succumb to grief and allow the kingdom to pass to him. He had Legolas lead a group of his followers into Mirkwood, saying they were amateur scouts needing training…he joined them and they all turned on Legolas…"

A tear slid down the king's face at the thought of such a brutal attack against his gentle son. "For so long I hoped, until Anamaer convinced me he was gone when the search parties turned up nothing. That was not part of his plan, Legolas disappeared, I suppose the people of Esgaroth found him there. He was raging at Legolas for disappearing and making his plan take longer than it should have…"

He glanced at Aragorn briefly before turning his eyes back to Legolas, "His plan almost succeeded, I was so close when Legolas returned…"

Aragorn nodded. "Legolas sensed as much. He was worried for you,"

The king closed his eyes again. "If he had not come back none of this would have come to pass— "

"And you would still be dying, Thranduil." Tolren said quietly, "Do not be wishing for that which cannot be changed, we must focus on helping Legolas now, he needs our support."

Aragorn nodded. "He is right, my lord. Legolas' recovery and Anamaer's safe capture should be our top priorities,"

Thranduil sighed heavily. "You are both right…but my warriors are trying everything within their power to locate him and it seems that he has simply vanished! I do not know what to do any more,"

"More often than not, you make the right decision, Thranduil. That is why your people love their king," Tolren said, not meeting the elder Elf's eyes, "You are a good ruler, Thranduil. I noticed how your people are mourning for you, even before you have passed."

Thranduil shook his head. "They still grieve for Legolas,"

"Maybe so, but they also grieve for you." The younger Elf insisted, "They would be lost without you,"

Thranduil was stunned. "I thought you hated me, Tolren?"

Tolren chuckled, "No Thranduil…I was a little angry maybe…but my sister loved you, and she was a wise woman. I will not question her loyalty, so you should not question mine."

The Elven king nodded dumbly while Aragorn looked on in amusement. He had never known anything to shut Legolas' father up so quickly.

The young Elf in the bed whimpered softly and the mood in the room immediately sobered as all eyes in the room turned to their patient. He was trying to shift, but even that slight movement seemed to be causing him incredible pain.

The two Elves and the Human leaned over him, attempting to quiet him, and were all startled when the grey eyes flew open suddenly.

"Where am I?" The prince demanded, his voice choked with pain.

"Hush my little one, peace. You are safe now," Thranduil soothed, gently brushing the hair out of his son's face.

Legolas' eyes focused on him and the young Elf sighed. "Ada…you are alright," He smiled weakly, "I feared for your safety…"

"Hush, little warrior, you must save your strength." Tolren warned softly, "It was a very noble thing that you did, but you will not be doing it again until I have shown you how." The softness in his eyes belied the sternness of the comment.

Legolas looked at him in wonder. "Uncle? I thought you left us after Naneth's passing,"

Tolren looked sharply at Thranduil, who would not meet his eyes. "I did for a while, little warrior, but I am back now."

Legolas smiled. "Tis good to see you again,"

Tolren nodded, "As it is to see you, nephew. Now you must rest, or you will never recover!"

Legolas smiled slightly and nodded, his eyes flicking to Aragorn, and he lightly squeezed the hand that lay lightly on his chest.

"I am glad you came,"

Aragorn smiled. "As am I,"

Legolas nodded and shut his eyes, almost immediately falling back into a deep unconsciousness.

Thranduil turned to the two healers. "That is a good sign, is it not?"

"It is a step in the right direction," Aragorn said.

"Aye, he is gaining strength quicker than I had anticipated, but he still has a long way to go." Tolren sighed, "This will not be easy for him,"

Aragorn snorted. "He is always saying that anything easy is not worth doing…"

Thranduil smirked. "Aye, he is a stubborn little Oliphaunt."

Tolren laughed. "Just like his father,"

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There you go, no cliffie!! Can I come out of hiding yet? ;)

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Review replies::

MoroTheWolfGod: I'm really getting slack with this whole updating regularly thing aren't I? *sigh* I think I'm gonna have a bunch of rabid readers knocking at my door any day now… anyway hope this chapter was worth waiting for for you!! :) I'll have more up as soon as it's done!! Thanks for the review!! =)

DXPrincess: GOOD!! I'm glad you liked the pressie! I thought it'd be nice… :) Yeah I like Tolren too…he's annoying me now though he's sitting in the corner glaring at me cos he didn't get more lines… *sigh* can't please everyone… ;) I haven't even decided what I'm gonna do with Nar and Thranduil yet, but I'll let you know as soon as I find a plot bunny or two…suggestions?? Heh… :) Hope you got some nice pressies for Christmas and thanks for reviewing! I'll see ya soon!! *huggles* =)

Lefty: Well, I try! A present if you will… Sorry about the cliffie!! I do that a lot don't I?? That's ok I've watched it too many times as well! What did you think of the extended version!! He was twitching!! ;) Yeah I wanted to put something in with those two cos conflict is fun!! :) And you know how much I like my fun! Anyway I hope this worth waiting for and I'll have more up soon! Thanks for the review *huggles* :)

LegolasLover2003: Oh no!! *picks author up* Are you ok?? 0_0 Um…I think Tolren saved him…and I think he'll survive and not pass to the Halls, does that answer all your questions or did I miss one?? ;) You didn't honestly think I could kill him did you?? You did?!? Hmmm… Teehehe!! I'm evil… Hope this was worth making you wait a month for and I'll see ya soon! Thanks for being patient!! =)

Sirith: Hints?? Well, I didn't know myself until about three days ago, so will the chapter do instead?? Sorry for keeping you waiting ages! Hope it was worth the wait… thanks for the lovely compliments! You're a star! I'd love to see some more of your story as well whenever you have it written I love that story!! Anyway I'll have more up as soon as I can and see ya then! *huggles* ;)

Sparrow Greenleaf: I'm sorry!! I kept you waiting after the evil cliffie from Mordor didn't I? Sorry!! Don't hurt me!! Hope you didn't fall… heh… hope this chapter cleared it up a bit for ya and was worth the length of time that I made you wait! Unintentional I swear!! Hope you liked and more soon! Thanks for the review *huggles* =)

Black Hawk: **blush** Compliments!! I can't take it! Thanks I'm glad you liked the last chapter and sorry for keeping you waiting so long! I need to shape up!! ;) Hehehe yeah that was my small bit of comic relief but it wasn't very noticeable…oh well!! Hope you didn't mind waiting so long for this and liked it and stuff! Thanks for the lovely review as always!! :) I'll get more up as soon as I have it done!! *huggles* =)

Deana: I know I'm being really awful about my updating aren't I?? *sigh* I can't seem to be regular any more! Oh well…sorry to keep you waiting so long!! Feel free to hunt me down, but I'm not even sure where I am at the moment…Tee he he! ;) Anyway hope it was worth the wait and see ya soon! :)

Alice7: Lay off Legolas?? What's that? I'm confused… Sorry for giving you heartburn though that wasn't intentional!! Sorry about the cliffie! My love of suspense reared its ugly head again… *sigh* Happy late new year to you too and please don't hunt me down with umbrellas! You know how much I hate them!! And I had enuf of them the last few days… *grumble grumble* Anyway hope you liked and more soon!! *huggles* for the review!! =)

Rath: Sorry!! I won't kill him I couldn't kill my fav Elf! I don't think so anyway… ;) *snigger* I didn't entirely make it up there's a neurotransmitter in the nervous system that does that sort of thing I just adapted it a little bit… How about that I was actually listening in one of my nursing studies lectures!! 0_0 *gasp* Anyways gotta run. Hope this was worth the wait!! :)

angelbird12241: Thank you!! I'm glad you enjoyed it and thought it was worth waiting for and I hope this one was as well… sorry you had to wait so long I'll have to go kick myself now… *ow* Anyway hope you liked it and I'll see ya next post. Thanks for the review!! :)

Lolita: Um…wrong story!! Hehehe!! I'm terrible! Yes, I'm trying to kill him in two stories at the same time! Ooh can I have the fish?? I like fish… he's almost better now anyway by the looks of things, but you never know… *runs away* Hope it was worth the mammoth wait and see ya next post!! Thanks for the review!! :)

alex: I'm sorry!! I'll get the rest up as soon as it's out of my head and into the computer I promise!! You spent the last two days reading them?? Wow…I didn't know they were worth that… but thanks!! :) Did I make everything alright or did I make it worse?? Heh… I have a tendency to do that…hope it was worth waiting for and hope your world is still intact! Thanks for the fab review and I'll see ya next post! *huggles* ;)

ConnJS1: NO!! I've not quite given up yet! I'm sticking to it til I'm finished it! :) I've just got a few more things on my mind than I did last year… Sorry!! I'm glad you liked the last chapter cos it was kinda rushed out in time for Christmas…but I'll have more from Narso next chapter. I hope this chapter answered some of your questions for ya and I'll have some more up as soon as it's done! Thanks for sticking with me! :)

itarilde-elenastar: I like it!! 'meep!' it's a great word I might have to steal it… *ahem* Anyway… *blush* I'm glad you like the stories so much it makes me smile!! You didn't explode did you?? I am so sorry for making you wait so long feel free to send me hate mail… ;) Hope this was worth waiting for and thanks so mush for your reviews and encouragement they really help! See ya next post! =)

Wynjara: Hehehe!! You're just like me! I love the odd bit of Leggy torment too! Obviously cos I spend so much time writing it…I'm just stating the obvious aren't I?? *sigh* I'm odd… Thanks for the review anyways and hope you liked this chapter too, even though I took so long with it! I'll get more out as soon as it's written… Hope it was worth the wait!! =)

Freak In The Back: Don't know if I'll have another one…but if I do it's a good idea! Just wanted the titles to show the story was a continuation…you know? Anyway hope you liked this one and I'll have more up soon! Thanks for the review!! ;)

Riva van Dyk: Yeah it is a bit confusing isn't it?? I'll have to remember to explain myself better in future… I'm glad you like my three projects so much it always makes me smile to hear people say that!! And 4 hours?? Wow…that's impressive! Thanks for your lovely review and compliments they're great boost for the ego! Hope this chapter was worth waiting for and I'll have more up as soon as it's done! =)

SuperSailorStarburst: Did you get that email I sent you?? I hope so cos it answered some of your questions for ya. I'm glad you like the story I'm exactly the same I'm more of a friendship fic reader than a slash fic reader… although they can be funny sometimes… ;) Frilly pink gown?? Hehehee!! That's a really funny image… anyway better run along thanks for the lovely long review and see you next post hopefully! :)

Kit Cloudkicker: Thank you!! I'll have to get that printed and framed and hang it on my wall! 'cliffhanger champion'… Okay going a little overboard there! Anyway I hope you liked this one too and no cliffhanger at the end!! :) I'll get some more up as soon as it's from my head onto paper/screen whatever comes first… Cheers for the review!! =)