A/N: OMG, I am soooo sorry that it took me so long to get this up. Believe me, it was supposed to be up a lot sooner but this stupid site wouldn't let me log in! GAH! Then, when it did finally let me in, it didn't let me get into document manager! ARRGGGHHH! I love this site yet I hate it too. Anyone else who feels that way? Good, I didn't think I was the only one. Anyway, thank you all so much for your reviews, they made my entire week! A huge thank you to my beta enb2004! As promised, here is Chapter 17. Enjoy!
As Legolas half carried, half dragged Estel away from the Valar forsaken cave, he could not help but think that their escape had been too easy. He feared that this was some kind of elaborate trap. He wouldn't put it past Gorothdil.
That was one reason Legolas was trying desperately to put some distance between them and the cave. The farther away they were from Gorothdil's lair, the better. He knew they could not continue at this pace though. The arrow is Estel's collar bone had to come out and soon. There was a very real possibility of it being poisoned, and Estel's condition would seem to indicate that it was.
"Estel, are you still with me mellon nin?" Legolas questioned worriedly. Estel was barely upright and his breathing sounded rather ragged to his ears.
"Aye, I'm here," Estel whispered. His body was slowly but surely failing him. He needed to be treated and soon.
Legolas sighed and he mentally calculated the small amount of distance that they had traveled. It was not nearly as far away as enough as he would have liked, but if he wanted Estel to survive, he needed to stop and tend to his injuries.
"All right mellon nin, we're going stop here for a few moments. I need to get that arrow out of you," he said while gently lowering Estel to the ground.
Looking around, Legolas cursed when he realized that he did not have any medical supplies on him and neither did Estel. He was going to have to make do.
"Okay Estel, this is going to hurt," Legolas said as he grasped onto the protruding end of the arrow.
"Just do it," Estel said as he closed his eyes.
Legolas nodded and took a deep breath. With one swift movement, he grabbed the arrow and pulled it out as fast he he could without doing Estel more harm.
Estel bucked as agony coursed through his body like liquid fire when the arrow was pulled out. Unable to to contend with the pain and the abuse his body had been put through, Estel passed out, to exhausted to fight it anymore.
Legolas felt Estel go limp under him and cursed while quickly checking the man's pulse. To his relief, he found it easily though it was somewhat faster than normal and a bit thready.
As worrisome as it was, it was probably for the best that Estel was unconscious. At least this way, he wouldn't feel the pain of having his wounds bandaged.
Legolas glanced down at his friend and grimaced when he saw how much blood there was. Hastily, he ripped off a part of his tunic and tired the staunch the bleeding. Once it had stopped, he tied the piece of fabric around the wound and hoped that it would help prevent infection, if only for a little while.
Looking at his handiwork, Legolas noticed the blood soaking Estel's right arm and swore. It looked like the old wound had opened, probably thanks to Gorothdil, again. When he got a hold of that bastard...
It did not do to dwell on it right now though. He had to get Estel back to Mirkwood and quickly. Looking at the arrow he had pulled from Estel's collar bone, he saw that his fears had been confirmed. It was poisoned.
Pulling Estel into his arms, he stood up and eyed the forest warily. He hoped that his father and Elrond noticed that they were missing soon. Legolas didn't think that he and Estel could last all that long within the depths of Mirkwood between the normal residents of the forest and the one psychotic elf that was out for their blood.
Slowly, he walked away from the small clearing while praying that they did not encounter any of Mirkwood's notorious creatures.
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Gorothdil smiled with pleasure as he watched his prey head unknowingly into a pack of wargs. The wargs would catch their scent long before the princeling would be aware of them. Pity.
He would let the wargs have their fun, but he wanted the two alive, if in several pieces. That elf brat needed to be taken down a peg or two anyway. Gorothdil couldn't wait to break the both of them. Perhaps, by breaking the human physically, he would break the elfling mentally. Yes, that would work great.
Speaking of the human, the urchin was already in very bad shape, much to his delight. He had hoped the poison would take a fast effect and it had. Gorothdil couldn't wait until he got a hold of the human again. He was quite eager to test the brat's limits, and he had just the thing to do it he believed.
Poisons could be incredibly nasty, but not all of them were lethal. He had more than a few poisons that were particularly nasty but not lethal. Gorothdil smiled at the thought of using them on that urchin. Oh yes, he would have his fun. For now though, he would watch the wargs play with their unsuspecting prey.
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Himband was in the healing wing and was getting dizzy by watching Elrond pace in circles nonstop. Finally, he could take no more. "Elrond! Please stop, you are making me dizzy!"
Elrond stopped momentarily and leveled his infamous glare on Himband before going back to pacing and muttering to himself. "How, how in the name of the Valar did I allow Glorfindel and Celeborn to convince me to stay here while they go out and search for Estel and Legolas!"
"Mellon nin, we have been through this before. It was the most logical decision to make. You are needed here in case Estel and Legolas manage to drag themselves back home half dead, which they have been known to do," Himband said trying rather unsuccessfully to keep Elrond calm.
"How, how did I let them convince me!" Elrond said seemingly ignorant to Himband's words.
Himband rolled his eyes. It was no wonder Elrond's children were so thick headed. Just look at their father! That was probably where they had learned their stubbornness. "Elrond, please. As I recall, they did not convince you. In fact, they never included you in their conversation as you were, um, sleeping," he said.
Elrond stopped pacing and glared at Himband again. "And as I recall, I was not sleeping. I was drugged which is very different from sleeping. Need I remind you exactly who gave me the sleeping herb without telling me?"
Himband shook his head meekly. It would not do to anger Elrond anymore than he was. An angry Elrond Peredhil was a force that no sane, life loving being wanted to reckon with and Himband prided himself on having a keen sense of self-preservation.
"My son is out there in the hands of a murderous traitor and no one sees fit to tell me that they are leaving on a rescue mission! When I get my hands on the twins, Thranduil, Celeborn..." Elrond started to rant but didn't finish.
"You'll what Elrond? Murder them all with your bare hands?" Galadriel said walking calmly into the room.
Himband breathed a sigh of relief that the Lady had interrupted Elrond. He was positive his name would have come up in the list of those that Elrond apparently wished to get a hold of and kill. The Lady Galadriel wouldn't let Elrond kill him. Would she?
"It is a distinct possibility," Elrond snapped at Galadriel. He wasn't all that pleased with her either.
"Elrond, you must have faith. They will bring Legolas and Estel home to us alive, if not in one piece," she said calmly.
"How can you be so sure of that Galadriel!" Elrond said. "They are in the clutches of an insane elf who long ago proved to have a very large grudge against the race of men and anyone who had any contact with them!"
"I have faith Elrond, as you must have. Estel and Legolas are two of the most stubborn individuals I have ever known. They will not give up so easily," she said calmly.
Elrond sighed and sunk wearily into the nearest chair, much to Himband's relief. "Perhaps you are right, but I am very worried for the both of them."
"As we all are Elrond. Like the Lady said, they are very stubborn. I am willing to bet that they have already escaped Gorothdil's clutches and are on their way back to the palace," Himband said optimistically.
Elrond snorted but said nothing. He knew very well that trouble found Estel and Legolas without either of them really trying. Even if they had somehow escape Gorothdil's clutches, they were still in the nighttime forest of Mirkwood, which was when all of the more vile creatures came out and fed.
Either way, Legolas and Estel were in serious danger and they had no way of knowing what their condition was or where they were.
"All that we can do now is hope for the best and be prepared to treat Estel and Legolas once they arrive," Galadriel said.
Himband and Elrond's said nothing but they both agreed with her. All they could do was hope for the best and what would come, would come. They could only hope that the ending would be a happy one.
Translations:
Mellon nin: My friend