18

The next few weeks were a nightmare for Aragorn. Legolas wavered between raging fever and ice cold temperatures. Aragorn kept the arbour warm and made thin gruel out of melted snow and slices of meat to nourish them both. Most times Legolas was not lucid and pushed away the meagre meals, but sometimes on a quiet day he would drink peaceably and go back to sleep leaving Aragorn to watch and worry. Aragorn foraged through the surrounding forest sometimes, butit yielded nothing edible. He knew that even through winter there were ground shrubs that bore a sweet yellow berry, but it seemed that they did not grow in this forest or else they grew in a different area and he was not willing to search further away. The only time he ventured far out was the day he retrieved Legolas' knife that was stuck in the belly of the rotting orc. And this he had done only out of necessity. The days passed slowly and the snow fell almost every day. Aragorn would climb up and watch the snow fall. He had grown accustomed to the dread silence of the forest and the ways of the trees. It no longer surprised him when he found things out of their place of felt thin fingers in his hair or on his face during the night. When their stock of firewood began to run low, branches would suddenly appear about the place. Aragorn thanked them for this, but they never replied or if they did he could not understand them. For warmth and to alleviate his loneliness he slept curled up next to Legolas on the grass bed. He would talk to him then whether he was awake or not. Aragorn sometimes felt that he was descending into madness.

……………………………….

Legolas woke properly for the first time one cold night.Blinking to clear his eyes the first thing he saw was a small fire glowing not too far away. He wondered how Talen had allowed him to sleep so long, he always made him start the fire every night. Puzzled he sat up and gasped his body protested passionately. He hand went to his side and felt the bandage there. It was then that he felt the warmth of the person next to him and heard their soft snores. His lips curled in hatred. Drunk again. Why Talen had taken the time to dress his latest wound he did not know. Maybe the human was in a rare good mood. Knowing that he would not sleep Legolas tried to shift out of the bed quietly, but he had lain there for weeks and his body was having none of it. As he groaned a hand shot out and grabbed his arm. Legolas stiffened as Talen sat up. He expected the giant to hurt him, taking pleasure in his pain. But an unexpected voice cut through his thoughts.

"Legolas," the voice said and a face that he had forgotten came out of the shadows banishing the image of Talen from his mind.

………………………………

Aragorn added more branches to the fire and the arbour warmed up. The trees leaned over stretching their thin arms closer to the heat gratefully. Legolas was eating some of the thin soup like meal Aragorn had put together. The ranger was almost gaunt and Legolas noted how his hands shook as he worked.

"How much food is left," Legolas asked him when he came back and sat on the bed.

"Not much," Aragorn answered, looking down at the shallow bowl in his hands.

"How much Aragorn?" Legolas insisted, his voice husky from disuse.

"After this there is half a carcass left." Aragorn admitted looking up at him. His grey blue eyes were tired and bruised. His face was thin and drawn. He looked terribly young and ill used sitting there. On impulse Legolas touched his cheek.

"You have yet to take me to Mirkwood's halls ranger." Legolas reminded him.

Aragorn smiled. It made Legolas' heart clench.

……………………….

With Aragorn's help Legolas hobbled around the arbour for the next few days to force some strength back into his legs. Hewas appalled at his weakness. Back and forth they would walk until he felt he could walk no more.

"We will have to try for the mountains soon." Legolas said as he sat gingerly on the bed one day.

Aragorn looked at him surprised, "But it has been snowing for weeks. We have no food, no weapons."

"I know, but I am unable to hunt and you do not know the ways of this forest. To stay here would mean slow death."

'For me,' thought Aragorn. 'I am naught but a burden.'

But Legolas, correctly interpreting the look on his face said.

"Not even I could survive here Aragorn." When the ranger looked at him incredulously he continued.

"Maybe at one time when I was in peak condition and training I could. But not now, not after so many years of…" he left the sentence unfinished and looked down at his hands lying still in his lap.

Aragorn knew the shame and agony he must be feeling, but he knew not the words to comfort him. After all what could one say to such a thing; unbidden the image of Talen's flayed skin came to his mind.

"Aragorn," Legolas said quietly after a while.

"Yes," Aragorn replied.

"Thank you."

"For what?" the ranger asked.

"For riding down out of the mountains that day, for," Legolas began but then could not go on.

Suddenly his face crumbled as hot tears filled his blue eyes and spilled down his lean face. Aragorn held him as years of grief, pain and hopelessness welled up out of the place where he had held them tightly in check. Aragorn held him as out side the sun set and the evening shadows came. He held him as the night settled in and the snow finally stopped falling. He held him as the tears finally stopped and quiet stole over the arbour.

………………………..

It was much, much later that night when the ranger was sleeping peacefully that Legolas slid from their grass bed and padded to the back of the arbour soundlessly. Since he had recovered from his injuries he had not seen the image of Talen again. The red haired giant neither haunted his dreams nor his waking world. Legolas did not know how or why it had stopped but he did remember the awful deed he had done while in the throes of hate and revenge. He did not want Aragorn to see this evidence of madness. He knelt and felt along the ground for the place where he had buried Talen's skin so many weeks ago. He found the soft soil and delved into it. When his fingers encountered nothing but earth, he began to dig feverishly, wondering if perhaps it had sunk lower in the ground. He uncovered the entire grave and found nothing. Surely Talen had not come to reclaim his skin! Even as the wild thought entered his mind he knew what had happened. Aragorn had found it, found and destroyed it. Legolas felt his heart sink into his boots. He bowed his head in shame.

………………………..

Aragorn found that Legolas was unusually quiet the next day. He had found the elf brooding when he awoke,a frown marring his forehead. He was seated on the ground hands soiled with earth. But Aragorn said nothing, he went about gathering snow and cutting the last of the meat into two even pieces. He could feel the elf's eyes follow him. He lit the fire and put the snow to boil adding the bark to it to make the bitter drink that Legolas loved so much. He warmed the meat afterwards and then when the brew was cooler poured it into two mugs. He gave one to Legolas with his half of the meat and kept the other for himself. He hated the taste of the drink but it kept him warm.

They ate in silence and if Aragorn was bothered by it he showed no sign. Legolas mentally wrestled with himself and finally decided that he would leave it alone. As though hearing his silent decision Aragorn turned to him with an agreeable look and held out the battered pot with the remainder of the drink.

"More," he inquired.

Legolas nodded in consent.

Legolas spent the rest of the day whittling two broadish pieces of wood. Aragorn inquired as to their purpose but Legolas would say nothing, he only pursed his lips and kept on working. When he put them aside they were nearly wafer thin and rectangular in shape. He then asked Aragorn to find him a thin long branch. Intrigued Aragorn searched until he found something suitable. Legolas whittled quickly and this time Aragorn had no trouble discerning what it was. A bow took shape under the elf's skilful fingers. Legolas bent it several times to see if it would break but the branch was very supple. Hardly pausing he pulled several strands of hair from his head and twisted them together. He then strung the bow.

"What shall we do for arrows?" Aragorn asked.

Legolas raised his brows. "Such impatience," he said.

In less than two hours Legolas had carved twenty five arrows. Since there were no feathers with which to fletch the arrows Legolas fluted the base of the shaft instead.

"I do not think they will fly true but at least it is better than nothing," he said.

Aragorn who had been mesmerized by his skill nodded wordlessly.

……………………………

The snow was just beginning to fall gently from the sky that morning when Galad rode out through the gates of the kingdom of Mirkwood.

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Viggomaniac----------you are welcome as always and thanks for such a beautiful review.

LegolassQ-------------thanks, I am a bit morbid.

Lyn---------thank you Lyn and thanks for the information

Tmelange---------thanks for reading still

Ciryaquen----------I shall convey your message to said tree. Thank you .

Lindahoyland-------I just love them Mirkwood elves.

Kittimarlowe------ So do I, can't get over elves just yet.

Gracias Shanna, a veces mezclo el portugues con el espanol.

Grumpy------ thought of my mother nudging for that bit. Thanks.