AN: I actually have nothing to say this time. Waste of an author's note, I know.
Chapter Eight: Complications
"Should we wake him, 'Dan?"
"I don't know...he looks so peaceful when he's sleeping."
"Aye, almost innocent."
Estel groggily cracked one eye open, groaning at the identical faces staring down at him with mirrored expressions.
"Good morning, Estel," Elladan said cheerfully.
The human groaned again, straightening in his chair and rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "Morning?" he asked. "I was asleep?"
"No longer than half an hour," Elrohir said reassuringly, rolling his eyes at Elladan. "As you can see, our dear eldest brother managed to return from the spider hunt unscathed."
Estel suddenly remembered where he was and sat straight up. "Legolas!" he cried, or would have had Elrohir not clamped a hand over his mouth.
"The prince is still sleeping," the younger twin said in a cautionary tone.
The human wriggled away from his brother's hand, making a face as he did so. "Elladan's right, your hand does taste funny," he complained, keeping his voice low.
Elladan chuckled at this. "I thought you might like to know that the guards are organizing parties to hunt out what Great Spiders might be left in the area around the palace," he said, drawing his brothers some distance away so they wouldn't wake the prince.
Estel was interested. "Are you joining them?" he asked his brothers.
The twins shook their heads. "We don't know the forest well enough," Elrohir explained.
"It's better if we just stay out of the way," Elladan concurred. "Are you all right, Estel?"
"I'm fine," the human said softly. "Not a scratch on me."
He quieted, looking over to the bed where his friend lay sleeping. "He saved my life, didn't he?"
The twins glanced at each other with concerned expressions. "We don't know that the spider would have killed you," Elrohir said gently. "But yes, he did save you."
"It's my fault he's like this," Estel continued, glancing up at his brothers as he felt tears gathering behind his eyes. "If I had just moved out of the way..."
Elrohir and Elladan knelt and enfolded their brother in a gentle hug. Estel sniffed, burying his face in one of the twin's tunics (he couldn't tell which). Now that the moment had passed, and the rush to treat Legolas, the events of the morning were finally setting in.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, tears rolling down his cheeks. The twins had known Legolas almost as long as the prince had been alive...and in one short afternoon Estel realized he could have permanently ended that friendship.
"He'll be fine," Elladan said, pulling away to look Estel in the eyes. "Don't worry yourself about it."
"He would have felt worse if you had been hurt," Elrohir added, giving Estel an extra squeeze before standing. There was a prominent wet spot on his tunic, so at least Estel could tell which shoulder he'd been crying on.
"It's in his nature to protect his friends," Elladan explained, sitting cross-legged on the floor and looking fondly over at the prince. "When he wakes up remind us to tell you something about his time in Imladris. I can't count the number of times he's been injured trying to protect us."
"Even when he was too small to do much," Elrohir said with a soft laugh.
Estel suddenly noticed something odd. "Haven't any of his family come up here?"
The twins grew grave. "The king was informed, but he's been unable to leave the court just yet. Some dispute concerning one of his guards and one of the visitors." Elladan said.
"I don't know if all of his sisters have heard," Elrohir added. "Or the crown prince, though I daresay he's stuck in court with the king."
"Oh, but we found out Belegdur left this morning."
Estel was startled at this. "What? To go where?"
Elladan nodded. "Yes, he left before daybreak to visit a friend in the village, about half a day's journey from here."
"Oh, he'll be furious when he finds out about this," Elrohir said with a sigh.
"Apparently he often goes on these visits," Elladan shrugged. "I guess it gives the rest of the family time to recover before his next outburst."
Estel sighed heavily. "Is he really going to be all right?" he asked, looking back at Legolas.
"He'll be fine," Elrohir replied, placing an encouraging hand on his little brother's shoulders. "I spoke with Celebalqua...the next day or two might be a little rough, but he should be back to normal in time for the award ceremony."
"So don't worry," Elladan teased, poking at Estel. "Just concentrate on keeping him cheered up."
"Aye, this ward is a gloomy place."
Estel snorted. "And ours is so cheery," he said dryly.
Elrohir laughed and was about to respond when the door to the healing ward flew open, banging against the wall behind it.
It was King Thranduil, and he did not look happy.
"Celebalqua!" the king demanded, calling the healer forward. "Where is my son?"
The she-elf bowed to the king and led him back to where Legolas lay, startled awake by his father's entrance.
Two dark-haired beings, an elf and a she-elf, followed the king at some distance. Estel recognized them as members of the royal family, but could not tell which ones.
"Legolas," Thranduil said in a gentle tone, standing over the prince. "What happened?"
"It was a spider, My Lord," Elladan piped up, seeing that the prince was still weak. "He was bitten."
"I did not ask you, Elladan Elrondion," the king said, turning to glare at the younger elf. Estel gulped and stepped a little closer to Elrohir.
"But since you have spoken up," Thranduil continued, taking a step toward the brothers, "would any of you care to explain this? Would any of you like to tell me why my son is lying in the healing chambers?"
"Ada," the she-elf whispered sharply.
"I wish to know what happened," the king said, his voice low and dangerous. "I want to know why my son almost died!"
Estel gasped and felt his knees grow weak. He barely heard Elladan—or was this Elrohir?—stammering out an explanation as a strange ringing filled his ears and he grabbed onto a nearby chair for support. He felt like he was about to pass out. Was this true? Had his brothers been shielding him from the complete truth?
Had his friend almost died because he was too stupid to get away from a spider?
"I have heard what happened!" the king thundered. "What I want to know is why you were there...what was so important to take my son away from the safety of these walls?"
Estel swallowed, and straightened as best as he could. "P-please, Sire," he stammered. "It was...h-he was trying to help me with my archery."
Thranduil stared at the human, his eyes glittering. "Your archery?" he asked in a dangerous-sounding voice. "I do not want to see you near my son again," he said softly, but in a tone that would allow no argument.
"My Lord," Elrohir protested, but the king was already turning away.
Tears filled Estel's eyes and he looked down, afraid to even see his friend's reaction to the king's words. If Thranduil felt this way...surely Legolas would hate him, too.
"Come with me," the dark-haired elf, who had entered with Thranduil, gently tugged on Elladan's sleeve.
"It's best if we leave," he continued as they stepped into the hall. "My wife will speak with him...she can usually reason with her father."
Elladan put an arm around Estel, gently squeezing his shoulders as he did. "Was he serious?"
The elf sighed, shaking his head. "The king is very protective of Legolas, as we all are. As soon as he has a chance to calm down and sees that the prince will be all right he'll likely change his mind."
He looked up, dark brown eyes softening. "Thranduil knows that you would never purposely lead the prince into danger. But with the events of the last day, Belegdur's accusations at dinner, the dispute with some of the guests, and Legolas' history..." the elf let his voice trail off and shrugged. "We'll just have to see if Luinlothiel can get him to understand that he might be overreacting."
Estel looked up at Elladan, who gave him an encouraging smile. "I'm sorry," the human said quietly.
The elf, who Estel now recognized as Gilfaroth (Luinlothiel's husband) smiled kindly. "I don't blame you for what happened," he said. "It was an accident."
"But if I had moved faster," Estel choked out, tearing up. "If I hadn't been so slow he wouldn't have been hurt."
"The gaze of a Great Spider is somewhat hypnotic," Gilfaroth said, leaning against the wall as he looked at the three brothers (who all had guilty expressions). "There are few who can escape it who have never seen one before."
"Tell me," Elrohir spoke up, resting a hand on Estel's shoulder, "what is the difference between a Great Spider and the other spiders?"
"The guards said they were a greater threat," Elladan interjected. "But they didn't say why."
Gilfaroth nodded thoughtfully. "The Great Spider," he began, "is the largest breed of spider in Mirkwood, and until about half a millennia ago it was the rarest. They are known to be as intelligent as an orc chieftan, and have a language all their own though some have learned Elvish or the Common Tongue."
"Where they the spiders those dwarves ran into a few years ago?" Elladan asked curiously.
"No, those were the more common Green Spiders. Less cunning and more greedy; entire colonies of Green Spiders have been killed because of infighting over their prey. They are easy to manage or avoid, and do little harm if they're left alone. Unless, of course, a Great Spider finds their colony."
The elf sighed, pushing away from the wall to pace a few steps. "One of the most dangerous things about the Great Spiders is that they have the ability to control lesser breeds and organize them into attack forces, like the spiders you saw today. They also rarely build webs, though they will take over other nests, and prefer to hunt their prey. And the prey they prefer are elves."
Estel shivered. "What do you mean?" he asked, ignoring the illusion of tiny legs crawling up the back of his neck.
"A Great Spider will go out of its way to snare and capture an elf, whereas other breeds of spiders are willing to wait for whatever comes their way. A few centuries ago a group of Great Spiders attacked one of the outlying settlements and took six elves. We only retrieved three, and two of them died later from the poison."
"I thought spider venom only paralyzes," Elrohir said, puzzled.
"It does, but the poison from a Great Spider causes other complications. If left unchecked it can damage the heart and lungs, cause permanent paralysis, and even kill."
"But Legolas will be all right, won't he?" Estel asked.
"I believe so. He only went untreated a few minutes, so he's not in any danger unless treatments stop."
"He seemed fine earlier."
"The medicine had just begun working," Gilfaroth explained. "We've been dealing with Great Spiders for centuries now, I've seen bites like his dozens of times. He'll be in some pain and be chilled for a while, but that's all. The stomach cramps that vile brew Celebalqua calls medicine are worse than the effects of the poison," he added with a laugh.
Estel sighed in relief, though he still felt guilty that his friend had to suffer so much for saving him.
His focus drifted slightly as one of his brothers asked about the parties that were setting out to hunt the spiders. Part of him wanted to excuse himself and go back to their chambers, as he didn't seem to be doing any good here, while the rest of him desperately wanted to burst into the healers' ward and throw himself at Thranduil's feet to apologize for what happened.
He was so lost in thought he almost didn't notice when the door to the ward opened and the dark-haired she-elf, Princess Luinlothiel, stepped out.
"How is he?" Gilfaroth asked, sweeping an arm around his wife.
The princess gave a small smile. "He wants to see you, Estel," she said to the human.
Estel was startled. "But the king said..."
"My father wants to see you," Luinlothiel reiterated. "Alone," she added as Elladan and Elrohir moved to join their brothers.
"Everything will be fine," Elrohir whispered, squeezing Estel's shoulder reassuringly.
Estel nodded numbly, slipping past the princess and into the ward.
He hesitated on the threshold. He couldn't decide if he felt more like running for his life or pleading for the king's mercy.
"Come here, please, Estel," the king called from behind the partition where the healers had placed Legolas.
Swallowing back his fear, Estel timidly crossed the room to stand at the foot of his friend's bed, facing the king.
Thranduil studied the human for a few moments, as though gauging his emotions. "I believe I may have overreacted," he finally said. "Legolas has told me that the events of this morning were no fault of your own."
"Y-yes, Sire," Estel stammered, shifting his weight uncomfortably. "I'm sorry," he blurted out. "I didn't mean for it to happen. If I had known there was any danger I wouldn't have said anything about archery. If you really want me to, I-I'll go away and never come back."
The king's gaze never wavered, but Estel thought he saw something soften in the slightest. "I understand that the incident with the spiders was not your doing," he finally said, "but it is not in my nature to forget the danger you placed my son in so readily. At his request I am lifting the ban I placed upon you, but know this," he added, his voice hardening ever-so-slightly, "if I feel that you are putting my son in danger unnecessarily, I will have you banished from this palace without a second thought. Do you understand, Estel Elrondion?"
Estel's eyes had dropped to the floor, unable to match the king's gaze. He swallowed, fighting back tears at Thranduil's condemning words. "I understand," he whispered.
"Legolas has asked to speak with you privately," the king continued, rising to his feet. "Good day, Estel."
The human barely nodded, not daring to look up. He shuffled over to the chair and sat down, studying his fingers and blinking back tears.
"Estel?" Legolas asked softly, his voice still rough and weak-sounding.
"Yes, Prince Legolas?" Estel replied.
A hand groped out to take his, pale fingers trembling slightly. "I'm sorry," the prince whispered.
At this Estel finally looked up, shocked to see how grieved his friend was. "It's not your fault!" he exclaimed, jumping out of the chair to kneel beside the bed, holding the elf's hand tightly. "If I had moved out of that spider's way none of this would happen...you can't blame yourself for any of this."
"My father," Legolas shivered, his grip on Estel's hand tightening slightly for a moment. "What he said...I am so sorry, Estel."
The human looked down, sighing. "He was right. It was my fault you were in danger."
"Those spiders were likely attracted to the palace by all the visitors who have been coming, and the tournament and everything that's been going on," Legolas said quietly. "If they hadn't attacked us, they likely would have snared some of the travelers going home after the tournament."
Estel blinked in surprise. He hadn't thought of that. "Thank you," he said, tears once again threatening to gather in his eyes, though this time tears of gratitude rather than shame or grief.
Legolas looked at him, a puzzled expression screwing up his face. "For what?"
"For saving my life."
The prince smiled, squeezing Estel's hand reassuringly. "I would do no less for a friend, Estel."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Estel was walking down the long hall to the healers, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes with one hand.
He couldn't remember at what point he, Elladan, and Elrohir had stopped reminiscing with Legolas the night before and gone to their chambers to sleep, but he knew it was now morning and wanted to find out how his friend was getting along.
He rounded the corner to the healers, stopping in front of the large double doors.
Something was wrong. He could feel it.
He tentatively pushed the doors open, stumbling back in surprise as they were pulled open from the inside.
Belegdur glared down at him, brown eyes sparking in anger. "How could you?" the prince demanded, his voice echoing hollowly in the healers' ward. "He tried to be your friend...how could you let this happen?"
The older prince stormed away from Estel and down the hall.
Heart pounding in fear, Estel pushed into the ward, his shaking steps somehow taking him back to where Legolas had been sleeping.
His brothers appeared, towering over him. "How could you, Estel?" Elladan asked, his face dark with hatred.
"He was our friend for longer than you've been alive," Elrohir added cruelly. "We shall tell Adar of this."
"I'm sure Lord Elrond will be pleased at what his son has done," Elladan spat out, putting a cruel and sarcastic tone on the word 'son'.
The twins pushed by Estel, following Belegdur's steps out the door and away from Estel.
Swallowing a lump of cold fear in his throat, Estel continued to make his way toward Legolas' bed, though everything inside him was warning him to run.
The king was sitting beside the bed, his golden head bowed. "You killed him," Thranduil said accusingly.
He whirled around and grabbed Estel by the tunic. "You killed my son!"
Estel caught a glimpse of the bed behind Thranduil.
Legolas was lying there, pale and still as death.
"I didn't mean to," Estel protested, though his words didn't seem to have any sound.
"You killed him," the king replied, pushing Estel away from him so that the human landed painfully a few feet away.
"No," Estel whispered, looking down at his hands.
They were covered in blood.
"NO!"
"Estel! Wake up!"
Estel jerked away, panting for breath. Elladan's concerned face hovered just inches away from his. "'D-Dan?" he asked. "I killed him."
The older twin sighed and simply wrapped his arms around Estel. "It was a nightmare, Estel, just a nightmare."
Mind still reeling from his dream, Estel could only cling to his brother as he cried and trust that Elladan was right.
TBC...
Reviews? Flames? Tar and Feathers?
Almost done...only two chapters and an epilogue to go! And I should be able to get chapter nine up Monday or Tuesday, unless something drastic comes up.
By the way, if anyone's interested, I've based a lot of this spider stuff off of the spiders in the Mirkwood Forest level (Spiders and Flies) of Sierra's The Hobbit video game. If you've played it, I'm considering the three spiders at the end of the level Great Spiders and their minions lesser spiders. Now, let's not talk about spiders anymore because I keep thinking I feel them crawling on me. Eugh, there go the heebie-jeebies again.