AN: Anyone like to guess why this post's a few hours late? I'll give you a hint; "Hello! My name is Yuggster's Computer, and I decided to crash multiple times in a row while she was trying to write this chapter." Grrr. So my computer is likely going to the computer doctor soon, so I might not be able to finish this story by Christmas like I was planning. Again, Grrr.
Due to events in the story changing, I have had to alter a tiny part of chapter six. It's nothing drastic, I've just changed the secondary tournaments to exhibitions. I tried to continue the story with the other tournaments but it got too bogged down, so this makes my life so much easier and lets me interject some stuff I liked that got cut out in the early draftwork. Sorry if you were really looking forward to another tournament.
Chapter Nine: Recovery
Estel awoke slowly, vaguely aware that someone was holding him. He blinked for a moment, wondering at the curtain of dark hair that was obscuring his vision. His hair wasn't that long, was it?
Then he remembered. The nightmare...his brother waking him up and holding him as he cried himself back to sleep...a second nightmare in which the spiders had gotten both his brothers...waking up to Elladan's soothing voice, assuring him they were just dreams...
He shuddered, accidentally waking his brother up as he did.
"How do you feel, Estel?" Elladan asked in concern, sitting up and looking down on the human with concern in his eyes.
Estel shrugged, pushing himself up against the pillows. He drew his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. He hated this feeling...that he was showing that he was just a weak human, unable to control his own dreams.
"I'm sorry," he finally said quietly.
The elf looked puzzled. "For what?"
"For having all those nightmares," he explained with a sigh.
"It's not your fault," Elladan said softly, gently drawing his little brother into a hug. "After everything that happened yesterday...I'd be surprised if you didn't have a few bad dreams."
Estel sniffed, rubbing his eyes with one hand. "Where's 'Ro?" he asked, noticing the younger twin was absent.
"After you went to sleep last night he said he was going to go back to the healers' wing," Elladan explained. "One of the healers promised to teach him more about spider venoms and antidotes."
"Do you think he's still there?"
"Aye...he would have come by here to let us know if he was going to be anywhere else."
Estel nodded at this, though he wished his brother were here. He felt a little selfish, though, at wanting so much comfort when Legolas was the one who was hurt.
"Would you like to go see Legolas?" Elladan asked.
The human started, staring at his brother. Visions from his nightmare flashed unbidden across his mind. "I-I don't know."
"He'll be all right," the elf said reassuringly. "Elrohir would have come back if anything had happened." Elladan studied Estel for a moment, and the younger being felt himself being scrutinized by a gaze not unlike his father's. "The best way to put your nightmare out of your mind is to see for yourself that it's not true," he finally said quietly. "At least come with me and see that he's all right. If you feel like leaving after that we can go."
Estel finally nodded in agreement, and watched as his brother dug some clean clothes out of the mess that had become their quarters (a mess that drove Elrohir mad, but with Elladan and Estel it was a losing battle to keep things neat).
He shakily dressed, hanging on to his brother's words that he'd get down to the healers and find that everything was all right. Elladan had asked him if he was ready to talk about the dreams, but Estel had refused. They were still too fresh in his mind.
"Ready?" Elladan asked, slapping one hand to his leg to check that his sword was in place, then obviously remembering that he hadn't put it on because they weren't allowed to wear weapons in the palace.
Estel followed his brother out the door and down the hall, through three cross-corridors and down two more halls, to the healers.
He hesitated in front of the door, pausing as though seeing it for the first time.
"Is something wrong?" Elladan asked.
Estel looked up. "The door...in my dream there were two, like the doors to the throne room."
Elladan smiled. "I told you; just a dream." Keeping one hand on Estel's shoulder in a supportive gesture, the elf pulled the door open and ushered his brother inside.
The human caught his breath, a little taken aback at the activity he saw in there. Evidently someone had been injured that morning, for there were two or three healers hovering around one of the other beds in the ward.
"Good morning Elladan, Estel," Celebalqua called from where she was observing a younger healer chopping fresh herbs.
"Elladan! Estel!" Elrohir jumped up from a chair off to one side, the book he had been reading falling to the floor much to the annoyance of the chief healer. "Good morning!"
Elladan couldn't quite hold back a laugh at his brother's excitement. "Are you that excited about what you were reading?"
Elrohir made a face at his twin. "No, I just wanted to tell you...Legolas has a fever!"
Human and elf stared in consternation. "Are you sure that reading all night hasn't driven you mad?" Elladan asked in mock concern.
"It means the poison has lost its hold," Elrohir retorted, ignoring his brother's jabs. "His body has recovered enough that he can fight it without all those medicines."
Estel brightened slightly at this. "Is he all right?" he asked. "I mean...how high is his fever?"
"It's only slight," Elrohir said hurriedly. "They don't even need to treat it...Celebalqua said it should disappear within a few hours, if he keeps improving."
"Can we see him?" Elladan asked.
Elrohir looked back at the healers. Celebalqua nodded, gesturing to the partitioned area with a nod. "He might be sleeping," she said cautiously.
"That's okay, we'll wake him up," Elladan retorted cheekily, earning him a swat from his twin.
The twins, bickering quietly, easily approached the bed where their friend lay while Estel came at a somewhat slower pace. In his mind he knew that his brothers and the healers were right, but he couldn't help being just a little afraid that this would be just like his nightmare.
His brothers beckoned him forward, and Estel screwed up his courage and stepped up to the edge of the bed.
He was sure everyone in the room could feel his relief. Legolas was sleeping, eyes open a crack, but there was the slightest hint of color in his cheeks where before he had been deathly pale.
"I told you he'd be fine," Elladan whispered.
Estel could only nod, sitting shakily on the vacant chair.
"Will you be all right here by yourself?" Elrohir asked, giving his twin a look that clearly said they needed to talk.
The young man looked up at his brothers. "I think so," he said with a nod.
"Good," Elladan smiled. "We may need to find some extra practice today. Aren't the archery exhibitions beginning this morning?"
Elrohir clapped one hand to his forehead. "I completely forgot!"
"You still have time," a somewhat groggy voice piped in. "Just tell the Archery Master that you want to participate."
The three brothers turned to face the bed in one accord. "Legolas!" Elladan and Elrohir exclaimed. "How do you feel this morning?" the older twin continued, crouching beside the bed to look the prince in the eye.
"I'm fine," Legolas replied, ignoring the theatrical groans from the twins.
"He feels fine, 'Dan," Elrohir said sadly.
"Dear me. He must be dying," Elladan retorted with a wink at Estel.
Estel relaxed a bit. Evidently this was some inside joke between his brothers and Legolas.
"Perhaps we should skip the exhibition," Elrohir said slowly.
Legolas shook his head. "Please, don't miss it on my account," he asked.
Elladan shot Elrohir a warning glance. "We at least need to consider it. Come on, 'Ro, let's go."
As the twins left, Estel turned back to see that the prince was shaking with laughter. "Was that as transparent to you as it was to me?" the elf asked.
"Aye," Estel sighed and sank back in his chair. "Though it's not so transparent as ''Dan—come with me, I need to check on my horse'," he added, naming another of the rather poor excuses the twins had used when they wanted to talk in private.
Legolas grinned and shifted positions slightly. "Do you suppose they think we're falling for anything?"
"Who can tell with those two," Estel replied with a shrug.
The two were silent for a few moments, Estel frantically searching for something to say. "Are you going to be able to go to the exhibition?"
"If the tyrant lets me out," Legolas replied, casting a beatific smile toward Celebalqua when the healer looked his way.
Estel couldn't help but laugh at this. "Just be glad you aren't in Imladris," he told the elf. "My father would have drugged you unconscious by now, just to make sure you don't try to get up before you're ready."
Legolas chuckled in agreement. "He's done that to me before," the prince admitted. "I always wondered why a broken leg required his 'special tea'."
"I think it comes from centuries of dealing with Elladan and Elrohir," Estel said thoughtfully. "Every time one of them gets injured the other bets on how long it will take his twin to escape the healers'."
Estel broke into a grin as he was rewarded with another laugh from the prince. It was good to see his friend recovering so rapidly—that helped dispel the nightmares of the previous night. "Were they like that when you lived with them?" he asked.
If Legolas was surprised that Estel knew he had lived in Imladris he didn't show it. "Of course," he replied. "In fact I think your father threatened to tie Elladan to his bed if he didn't keep trying to escape."
"That's one of his favorite threats," Estel chuckled.
"And I trust I will not have to use it?" Celebalqua interjected playfully, standing at the foot of the bed.
"Why ever would you?" Legolas asked innocently.
The healer simply rolled her eyes. "I came to see if you were ready to be up on your feet yet," she said.
In reply Legolas pushed the blanket back and sat up a little too quickly, groping for support on the bed as his face grayed.
"Not so fast," the healer scolded. "Your body is still weakened...these things take time."
She sat on the bed beside Legolas, placing her hand against his forehead. "You're fever's dropped a bit," she murmured. "If you can make a circuit around the room I think you might be able to make the last archery exhibition today."
Estel brightened. If the twins entered Elladan would bein the last exhibition, and Elrohir in the first the next day. "How can I help?" he asked.
"You can support the prince from one side," Celebalqua said, stepping back to show Estel what she meant. "Let him lean on you, and the two of you stand together."
The pair followed her instructions carefully, and Estel was pleased to notice that the prince's weight, slighter than either of his brothers', wasn't difficult to bear at all.
"Now walk around the room. Slowly."
He was alarmed to feel the prince shaking a bit when they'd made it halfway around. "Are you all right?" he asked in concern.
"I'm fine," Legolas whispered. "Just keep going."
It was on the tip of his tongue to call the healer, but seeing the determination on his friend's face made him change his mind. He discreetly let the prince lean more of his weight against him, supporting his friend as much as he could.
"How do you feel?" Celebalqua asked as they returned to the bed. "Did you have any dizziness?"
Legolas shook his head, wincing as she pushed his shirt up to unwrap the bandage around his shoulder.
"It looks good," the healer commented after studying the wound for a moment. "Everything is healing normally. You should regain full use of your arm in three days."
The prince nodded, and Celebalqua wound clean bandages around his shoulder. "I think we'd better put you in a sling now that we don't have to keep checking the bite."
Legolas pushed his arm through the loose sleeve of his shirt and sat patiently while the healer tied a sling around his neck and fed his left arm through it. "Just let it rest, Prince. Don't think about moving it around on your own to loosen it up; it needs rest."
The blonde elf nodded at the healer's instructions, obviously relieved to see some progress. "Will I be able to go to the exhibition?" he asked hopefully.
Celebalqua smiled. "Unless your fever returns or you suffer a dizzy spell, I don't see why not."
Estel and Legolas exchanged grins. He couldn't have been any happier, despite the lingering terror of the nightmare.
His friend was truly going to be all right, and he'd get to see his brothers in the exhibition!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
When it came time to go down to the field to watch the exhibition, Estel was surprised that Celebalqua had ordered an apprentice healer named Falmadil to accompany them. The elf in question was somewhat aloof, and only replied in monotones when he was addressed. Legolas confided to Estel that he'd overheard the apprentice arguing with Celebalqua about having to 'babysit' the prince and his human friend.
But Estel refused to let one grumpy elf's complaint damper his spirits. Legolas had almost recovered enough to walk down to the archery field on his own, but the healers didn't want to risk him collapsing and so he had to lean against Falmadil most of the way.
When they arrived on the archery field, most of the stands were already filled but there was a spot saved with the royal family for Legolas, with just enough room for Estel. Estel barely noticed the somewhat frosty look he received from one of the princesses, so focused was he on the event on the field.
The second-class archers were just finishing their exhibition, each one trying a complicated trick shot. Even though none of them succeeded, they were all congratulated with thunderous applause from the crowd.
Then the third class took the field, and Estel easily spotted his brother among the other archers. Elladan caught the human's eye and waved, nudging the archer beside him and commenting on something. Probably pointing out Estel as his brother, the young man mused.
The exhibition began with a straight show of marksmanship, each archer aiming for increasingly distant targets. No scores were called out, though Estel was sure someone was keeping track as there seemed to be bets running through the crowd. Then the archery judge began to loose moving targets—elves on the sidelines tossing clay balls or other items out for the archers to hit.
Estel was enthralled by the exhibition. Beyond mere accuracy, the archery judge led the third-class archers through complicated maneuvers and relays, some solely for the Mirkwood archers to show what they were capable of, and some for all qualified elves. He didn't even realize that well over an hour had passed until the sun struck him on the face and he realized it was nearly setting.
As a final exercise the archery judge set up the trick shot that the second-class archers had attempted, which was met with similar success. Two of the archers nearly got it, but for the most part all failed. Legolas explained that this was the sort of shot that only the fifth-class, and occasionally the fourth-class, could make.
When the third-class archers left the field, Estel was surprised to see another group of elves enter. "I thought they were only doing three classes today?" he asked Legolas.
"This is a swordsmanship exhibition," the prince explained. "One of the upper classes...my brother and brother-in-law are both in the top class. You see, originally the exhibitions were organized as a show of fighting skills, in defiance of the shadow to show that there are still capable warriors in Mirkwood and to bolster our people's courage. It's a tradition that has been going on since long before I was born, and it's likely to continue until the end of Mirkwood itself."
"I hate to interrupt this enlightening conversation," Falmadil interjected. "But Celebalqua said you needed to return as soon as the archery exhibition was finished."
Estel was seething at the apprentice healer's tone, but Legolas merely raised an eyebrow. "Very well," he said with a sigh. "Estel, you can stay here if you like."
The human shrugged. "I think I'd rather come back with you," he said, fighting back a grin as the apprentice healer gave another long-suffering sigh. "My brothers will worry if they can't find me, anyway."
Legolas nodded in agreement, rolling his eyes as Falmadil insisted on helping him stand. "Maybe tomorrow we can stay longer," he offered.
"Maybe," Estel agreed, following the prince and healer back to the palace. And even if they couldn't, he was happy just knowing that Legolas was well on his way to recovering from that horrible accident, even if it meant he would still have nightmares.
Reviews? Flames? Tar and Feathers?
I have a new short story up, titled A Short Parody. It's just a one-shot, and just something my insane brain thought up while battling writer's block.