Disclaimer: All characters and places are property of the Tolkien estate. I am not making any money from this story.
Thank you again for all the lovely reviews, hope you all like this chapter.
-----------
A loud elvish curse rang out as Elladan began to lose the last remaining shreds of his patience. "By all the Valar, how many does that make it? It will be a miracle if we ever find them."
Elrohir gazed at the dead end before them (the same one that Legolas had faced that morning, had they but known it) as though his stare would cause it to melt away. He did not want to vocalise the thought, but he was beginning to agree with his twin. It was well past midday and they had been searching for hours without result. The mountains were so vast, that was the problem.
"Maybe - "
A piercing whistle interrupted Elladan. It sounded twice, paused, and then gave another two short blasts. Elladan looked at his brother, a faint hope returning.
"They have found something!"
----------
"Come on, Estel. We are nearly there."
The man groaned. "You've been saying that since we started, Legolas. I'm not sure I believe you any more."
"Ah, but this time I mean it," replied the elf. "Look, the ground flattens out just down there. Then it will take just over an hour to reach Imladris, maybe a few more to actually get to the house."
Estel bent over, his hands on his knees. "I cannot walk for that long, not without a rest. Legolas, can't we stop for a moment?"
The prince helped Estel stand, supporting him as much as possible. "No. We will stop at the bottom, I promise, but until then we need to keep moving. Come on, it is not far now."
"All right, all right." Estel staggered onwards, leaning on Legolas far more than he would have liked. His back still hurt, despite the healing salve, but there was more to it than that – he simply felt bone-achingly weary, every inch of his body in pain. The young man did not tell Legolas of this, for he did not want to appear weak, but all he wanted to do was lie down and not get up for a very, very long time.
"We are here, Estel. We can have a short break now," announced Legolas presently, relinquishing his grip on the man. In truth, the prince was glad of the respite. His shoulder was hurting more than it should and half-carrying his companion down the mountains had not helped. Estel was a well-built young man and his weight was not insignificant.
"How are you feeling?" Legolas was slightly concerned about the man, whose condition had been deteriorating steadily since they had left the cave.
"Like death warmed up. Have we any water left?"
Legolas fished the flask out of his pack and handed it to Estel. The human drank deeply before apparently remembering his manners and proffering the flask back to Legolas. The elf shook his head.
"Ten minutes, Estel, then we should set off again," he warned.
Estel murmured acceptance of this time limit and stretched out on his front, trying not to put any undue pressure on his back. "Legolas, I – I wanted to say thank you. I mean for coming after me and getting rid of the orcs like that. It was – well, it was very brave of you."
"Brave?" Legolas' tone was light. "Alas, I am afraid that my reasons for coming after you were slightly more base. It would have done our trade agreements no good at all if I had returned bearing news of your disappearance, having done nothing to prevent it."
Estel scrutinised the elf closely, unsure if he was joking. A twitch of the prince's mouth gave the game away and Estel laughed, forgetting his aches for a moment.
"Seriously, Legolas, hannon le. I owe you my life."
The prince waved a dismissive hand. "Do not dwell on it, Estel. Just try to think a bit more about your actions in future."
"I will. And I'm sorry about the hole, too. It was a silly idea."
"A futile one, if nothing else. Laying a woodland trap for an elf of Mirkwood? It was doomed to failure, as your brothers should have known."
"Mmm," agreed Estel, his mind flying back to the twins. "Where do you think they are? They won't know what's happened, what if they're out looking for me? They'll be worried."
"There is not much we can do if they are," replied Legolas practically. "You should have told them what you were up to. They might have persuaded you to stay and there would not have been a problem."
Estel made a face, searching to turn the conversation away from his stupidity. "What's Mirkwood really like, Legolas? I've heard a lot about it, but I've never had a proper picture of it in my mind."
Legolas' eyes lit up at the thought of his beloved forest. "It is beautiful, Estel, regardless of the creeping shadow that haunts us now. In days gone by it was known as Greenwood the Great and all manner of birds and animals called it home – indeed, many still do. We have numerous streams and brooks and the whole is so big that to explore it thoroughly takes decades. The sunlight filters through the trees, so that the very air is green and earthy, while the rain . . ."
Lulled by the elf's musical voice, Estel allowed himself to drift away into a world of dreams, where his flesh no longer pained him and everything was good . . .
----------
"I have never seen anything like this. They seem to have turned against one another, look. No elf or man killed these beasts."
Elladan's words could not be denied. There were five orc corpses scattered on the floor and all of them appeared to have been killed by their own kind. Elrohir turned to Faromel, one of the healers who had volunteered to search.
"How long have they been dead?"
Faromel shrugged his shoulders. "It is impossible to say for certain, but I would estimatethree hours at least. And my lords - "
The healer hesitated and both twins stared at him. "What, Faromel?" asked Elladan impatiently.
"We have found blood – human blood, to be precise, leading away from here. The evidence suggests that Estel was here for a time and then left. We do not think that orcs were with him, but we are not sure."
The brothers looked at each other, the same thoughts running through their minds. A trail could only be good news – it meant they were getting closer – but if Estel was injured, time may have already run out.
Elrohir's hand settled on the hilt of his sword. "Faromel, gather the others. We must move quickly if we are to catch up."
The dark-haired elf nodded and moved off. The twins headed out of the gloomy cave, determined to find their little brother.
-----------
"And in the spring, when the weather improves again - " Legolas broke off abruptly, suddenly aware that he had been talking for much longer than ten minutes. His shoulder ached still and he rubbed it absently. "Estel? Are you awake?"
The man lay on his front, eyes closed.
"Estel?" Legolas shook his companion gently. "Estel, we need to leave." Frowning, the elf felt Estel's forehead. It was feverish – far hotter than it ought to be – and the man's injured back was red and inflamed. Legolas cursed as he realised the full significance of this.
Those whips the orcs used . . . they must have had something on them. Why did I not think of this earlier? It did not have to be poison, Legolas knew. Even the grease that the creatures used to oil their weapons could infect a young elf or human with little resistance. Estel would be a prime target, having lived a sheltered life in Imladris and therefore not having had the chance to build up any resistance against the orcs' foul concoctions.
"Hang on, Estel. We will get you home." All of Legolas' dwindling strength was required to lift the bulky human and he felt the arrow wound begin to bleed sluggishly. Disregarding it, he awkwardly shifted his position until he could walk reasonably quickly while not aggravating Estel's back further.
Grimly, the elf headed back towards Imladris.
-----------
"Ouch! Oh, this dratted thing!"
"Gilraen!" Elrond turned, startled by the clatter. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Lord Elrond," replied Gilraen, soaking her hand in a convenient bowl of cold water. "I was just trying to make a cup of tea, but the wretched cup slipped and it went all over me."
"Gilraen, calm down," said Elrond gently, righting the errant cup. "They will send a runner as soon as there is any news."
"But why haven't they found him yet?" burst out the distraught woman. "A runner came over an hour ago to say they'd found a trail! Surely they must have some idea by now of what's happened."
Elrond rubbed her back soothingly, murmuring comforting platitudes. He hated to see Gilraen so upset, especially when there was nothing he could do to console her.
The quiet moment was broken by Erestor's noisy entry into the study. "My lord!"
Elrond looked up, surprised to see his usually unflappable councillor so excited. "Erestor?"
"Lord Elrond, Prince Legolas has returned – and he has Estel with him."
"Estel!" Gilraen practically flew to Erestor's side, her scalded hand forgotten. "Where is he? Is he well? What - "
Erestor raised a hand to stem the flood of questions. "They are both in the healing wing with Berihûn. Estel's back is marked by whips, but the prince does not seem badly injured."
Both Elrond and Gilraen headed swiftly for the healing rooms. There they found the unconscious Estel, facedown on a bed. Berihûn, Imladris' chief healer, save for Elrond, was already attending to the man's wounds as Legolas watched from the side of the room.
"Estel! Estel, speak to me!" Gilraen was crying, the tears born out of relief and fear. She whirled round to face Legolas. "What happened?"
The prince looked trapped. "He ventured beyond the borders – we were separated - "
"You let him go off on his own? Just like that? What were you thinking? Anything could have happened! How could you have been so irresponsible? I - "
"That is enough, Gilraen," Elrond said. "Legolas, you and I will talk more of this later, so that I may ascertain the precise nature of events." His words carried an undertone of displeasure that was not lost on the younger elf. "Until then, I would appreciate it if you both left the room and gave us some space."
"No," said Gilraen stubbornly. "I am sorry, my lord, but I am not leaving."
"Please, Gilraen," said Elrond patiently. "I need you to make sure a message is sent to the twins, letting them know that they can come home. Estel is in the best possible hands, you know that."
The woman hesitated, then nodded, turning to go. Legolas made to follow her and Elrond noticed the state that the prince was in.
"Legolas, do you need a healer yourself?"
The prince shook his head mutely. Elrond sighed resignedly. "Go away, then. I will come and find you later."
Legolas slipped out of the door after Gilraen and Elrond turned to Berihûn. "How badly is he hurt?"
"Prince Legolas says he was whipped by orcs, but the cuts do not appear dangerous in themselves," said the healer stoically. "What worries me more is this fever. Apparently he was complaining of aching and tiredness before he fell unconscious. I fear it is some kind of infection."
"A fast-working one, if it is," pointed out Elrond and the taciturn Berihûn grunted in reply. "How long has he been unconscious?"
"A little over three hours, according to the prince. I do not think he is in any immediate danger, Elrond, but I would like to get that temperature down."
"All right." Elrond cast a worried glance at his adopted son. "Did Legolas say how Estel came to be captured in the first place?"
Berihûn frowned. "Not really. I did not ask. I have the impression that the prince followed Estel and helped him escape, but I am not certain of the facts."
Elrond nodded, gathering needle and thread. Some of those cuts would have to be sewn shut. Hold on, Estel.
---------
Legolas emerged into the corridor to see Gilraen and Erestor talking quietly. He ignored them, hoping to slip away quietly to his room, but luck was not on his side. Gilraen stepped out, blocking his path, while Erestor hurried off in the other direction.
Gilraen looked at the prince, her eyes still bright with tears. "What happened, Legolas? Why did Estel go off on his own?" Her voice was hard, an accusation in her tone.
The prince put a hand to his temples. His head was pounding fiercely for some reason and he urgently needed some sleep after the draining journey from the mountains to Imladris. He was not in the mood to be interrogated. "I was helping Estel with his tracking and the path forked. He thought we should take one each – he insisted that he would be fine. I did not see any reason to refuse - "
"You did not see any reason to refuse?" repeated Gilraen in disbelief. If she noticed the elf's discomfort, she did not bother to acknowledge it. "Legolas, he is still a child! You should have known better – would you have sent an elfling off on their own?"
"He is an adult in mortal terms," retorted Legolas, feeling put-upon. None of this had been his fault – he had saved Estel. And all he had received for his pains were an agonising shoulder and a horrendous headache that refused to go away. "If he is incapable of watching out for himself, then somebody should have told me. I cannot read minds."
Gilraen scowled. All the anger and fear that had been building up since Estel went missing poured out of her now in a deadly torrent. "Don't you dare speak to me like that! You are a prince, allegedly, more than capable of taking care of others as well as yourself. Why didn't you bother with Estel? Is it because he is human – isn't he worth the effort?"
Legolas drew himself up, his own wrath beginning to stir. "Do not be so ridiculous. You do not know what happened."
"I'm not being ridiculous!" shouted Gilraen, the last vestiges of self-control gone. She was crying openly now, the sobs muffling her words. "My son could be dying in there, for all I know! And I can tell you this, Prince Legolas – if anything does happen to my boy, you can forget your trade talks. It will be war that you'll be dealing with, not business!"
Legolas turned on his heel and stalked away before he said or did something he would regret. A small part of him dimly realised that Gilraen did not truly mean all she said, but that did not make it any easier to accept. The prince was afraid, too, that what the woman had said about the trade talks was true. It was not hard to envision a scenario where Elrond also blamed Legolas and sent him home in disgrace. What then of Mirkwood?
The Silvan elf entered his room and dropped his bow wearily onto the bed. He felt violently ill and the room appeared to be swaying slightly. Groaning, Legolas made his way to the small sink in the corner, dunking his head in the cool water. Feeling marginally better, he threw open the window and sat by it, trying to determine the best course of action.
-----------
"Gilraen!"
Gilraen looked up to see the twins hurrying towards her. They were both breathing heavily and had clearly just run a substantial distance.
"We came as quickly as we could," said Elladan. "I cannot believe we spent all that time searching when Estel and Legolas were already on their way home!"
"How is he?" asked Elrohir anxiously, noting Gilraen's red eyes.
"I don't know," she replied, making a gesture of hopelessness. "He was unconscious when Legolas brought him back . . . your father and Berihûn are in there now with him. They've been in there for over two hours, but I don't know what's happening."
Before the twins could respond to this, Berihûn came out of the healing room, stripping off his gloves. He looked surprised to be immediately accosted by Gilraen, Elladan and Elrohir, all demanding to know Estel's condition.
"He is fine, honestly," he assured them. "Sewing those cuts was fiddly and time-consuming, that is all. He will be up and about in no time."
"Can we go in?" asked Gilraen.
Berihûn considered. "I don't see why not – but be quiet!" he called after the three retreating backs.
---------
Gilraen breathed a sigh of relief to see her son sleeping normally and peacefully. He looked much better than the unconscious body Legolas had dragged in earlier.
"I thought I'd lost him," she whispered, stroking Estel's forehead.
"So did we," agreed Elrohir. "We were going out of our minds with worry."
"But we have him back now," said Elladan optimistically. He looked at his father. "You're sure he won't wake up until tomorrow?"
Elrond nodded firmly. "I have given him a mild sedative. He will not awake tonight – he needs the rest."
"Oh, Estel," murmured Gilraen. "What on Middle-Earth possessed you to go off on your own like that? If you'd only stayed with Legolas . . ."
Elrond's sharp eyes caught the fleeting guilty looks that crossed the twins' faces. "I do not suppose you two know anything about that?"
Elladan looked at Elrohir, who tilted his head slightly. Trying to keep things from Lord Elrond was a fruitless exercise. The older twin cleared his throat nervously.
"Well, it was part of a trick we were playing on Legolas."
"A trick? You mean another of your practical jokes?" interjected Gilraen incredulously.
Elrond frowned. "Carry on, Elladan." His son obeyed, looking ashamed. He explained about the hole and the fake trail, how Estel had been instructed to leave Legolas and meet the twins elsewhere.
"But he never turned up and when we went to the hole, Legolas was not there. The rest you know."
"I wish I did," snapped Elrond. "So this was all started by this ridiculous rivalry you have with the prince?"
"It was not meant to end like this," Elrohir said quietly. "We did not think that Estel would leave Imladris completely."
Gilraen's hand had slowly risen to her mouth while Elladan was speaking. She looked horror-struck. "Lord Elrond, I need to find Legolas. I didn't know any of this and I – I told him off for not staying with Estel. I said that it was his fault; I thought maybe he just hadn't been bothered about Estel. If what the twins say is true, I should apologise."
"So should they," pointed out Elrond. He looked at his sons. "Particularly as the prince was the one to find Estel and bring him back. Do you want to go and find him?"
The twins could recognise an instruction when they heard one and they lost no time in leaving the small room. Gilraen looked up at Elrond.
"Did he wake at all? Did he say – will he remember what's happened?"
"No, he did not wake. I should think he will remember, though. Hopefully he will give us the full story tomorrow, but as far as I can work out, it was simply a case of misplaced curiosity. Estel was fortunate that Legolas followed him. Had it been otherwise . . ."
Gilraen took a deep, shuddering breath. "I do not want to think of it. Lord Elrond, what am I to say to Legolas? I accused him of abandoning Estel, when now it seems that he rescued him."
"I think - "
What Elrond thought went unrecorded as Elrohir burst in. "Ada! It's Legolas – he has collapsed in his room and he's not breathing!"
------------
Please review . . . next post should be up in a couple of days.