Overthrown
Chapter Two
Poisoned
Aragorn laid Legolas down gently and then rushed around, ordering guards and house staff, and anyone else he could find to get him clean rags, blankets, boiling water and herbs. Arwen entered at one point in time and Aragorn ordered her off to the kitchen to get food.
"But, Aragorn…" Arwen protested in the doorway, straining against his hands to see Legolas lying on the bed. "Aragorn, what…"
"I don't know." Aragorn said as soothingly as he could, "Please, just go. Get me as much food as you can carry and get someone from the kitchen to bring up cold water, and a bowl." Arwen looked confused but nodded and left.
The next few minutes were hectic as everything was brought for him. Then he ordered everyone out but the Captain of the guard and Arwen and shut the door.
Moving to the bed with a small table, Aragorn set up a work station as Arwen gently pulled Legolas' shirt off and probed the injury on his side. The Mirkwood elf tensed and pulled away from her but his eyes were still glazed and half closed, as though he were unconscious.
Arwen looked up, confused. "He's warm." She announced. Aragorn looked up from his herbs and stared at her.
"What?" He asked. Arwen's hand was resting on Legolas' bare chest.
"He's warm, his skin." She said. Aragorn moved around the table and sat on the bedside. Arwen was right, his skin was hot and sweat ran in drops down his sides. That was impossible, Elves didn't get sick. Then his attention was drawn to the wound near Arwen.
The arrow was sticking in his side straight so he'd been shot from the side. He'd obviously snapped the shaft off so he could continue fighting. Blood pooled on the sheets, mixing with a black, jelly-like substance. Leaning over his friend, Aragorn fingered it and brought his hand to his nose, smelling the black on the end of his fingers. It smelled strong and burned his nostrils like fire.
"Aragorn." Arwen breathed, pointing. Aragorn got up and came to her side. Now he could see the wound more clearly. He didn't know how deep the arrow had gone but it wasn't that which was worrying him. Small black tendrils under the elf's pale skin had woven their way up his sides as though they were new veins, branching out from the wound in all directions.
"Poison." Aragorn said grimly. Arwen pulled her hand away as though she had been burned and eyed the black lines dangerously. Aragorn moved to the bed's head and leaned over Legolas, rubbing his cheek to get his to wake.
In Elvish, he asked what had happened. After a few minutes, there was silence. Aragorn was just about to give up when the elf.
"Surprised." He whispered, his teeth chattering. "Night…surprised."
"How?" Aragorn asked. He couldn't believe that the elves of Mirkwood…or any elves in Middle Earth, for that matter, could be surprised. Their excellent eyesight and hearing alone were a well enough warning. Legolas' blue eyes slowly turned to him.
"Spiders…they attacked…"
"Spiders don't use arrows." Aragorn said simply. Legolas shook his head and swallowed hard. "Someone was with the spiders?" Legolas nodded. "The spiders were…"
"Diversion." Legolas said. Aragorn nodded and implored him to go on. Legolas seemed stronger now and began speaking more clearly, as though vengeance was the cure to his poison. "They came and we fought them…to many. They were everywhere, falling from trees and buildings…coming up from the river." An appalled looked crossed his face. "We managed to retreat to the throne room…all of us…"
"How many were killed? How many of your people are dead?" Legolas' brow furrowed and his eyes strayed to Arwen.
"I don't know." He answered. His eyes slowly moved from the Queen to the room around him, as if he was looking for an anchor to hold on to. "But then, men came."
"Men?" Aragorn asked. Legolas nodded. "Did you know them?"
"They were a mixed force, different armor." Legolas answered. His eyes had crossed the room and he stared at Kelser who had stayed silent. "I recognized some from Esgaroth the Long Lake and…and…others. I do not know their armour. They wore almost a gold and green. They had trees in green…" Aragorn's brow furrowed. Why would the men of the lake attack Mirkwood? They were allies.
"Any other?" He asked. Legolas nodded. "I'm going to clean you up, keep talking; I don't want you to stop."
Arwen smoothed the hair from his face as Aragorn moved around the bed and began crushing up some herbs he hoped would help.
"There were others, but I do not know their shields. Many others…" Legolas answered, watching Aragorn crush up some of the herbs and add them to a large steaming bowl of water. "My father, he sent me out. I should not have gone! I should not have left them!" Legolas whispered. Aragorn shook his head and came to Legolas' side, setting the bowl on the floor beside him.
"No, my friend. Without you, we would not have known." Legolas looked away. Aragorn got up again and went to the table. He began crushing some different herbs into the glass of cold water and stirred them with a spoon. "How did you get injured?"
"I was running…I was running to the stables, and one of the strange men shot me." Legolas answered. Aragorn turned to Kelser.
"I want you to send riders to Edoras, Lorien and Rivendell." Aragorn said. The Captain nodded. "Swift riders, give them the news of Mirkwood and Legolas; tell them to send men here for a meeting." Legolas reached out and grabbed Aragorn's arm.
"If we wait, it will be too late." Aragorn took Legolas' hand but didn't look at the Elf.
"Send someone to the Glittering Caves. Gimli should know. Have them all get men ready for potential battle." Kelser nodded and left. Aragorn turned back to Legolas whose arm had dropped. "Did anyone but you make it out?"
"I left with four others, two are dead for certain…I got separated from the other. I do not know where she is." Legolas closed his eyes completely. "My father…"
"Legolas, hush." Aragorn ordered. He sat down on the bed and held out the glass. "Drink this. It will help with the pain that is to come." Legolas took the glass and lifted his head enough to drink. Making a face, he handed it back to Aragorn. "Tell me when you feel its effects."
"How will I know?" Legolas asked, laying back. Aragorn smiled and watched as Legolas' brow furrowed and his eyes began to droop. "I think its working." Aragorn prodded the elf's side and he pulled away slightly.
"Tell me when you feel no pain anymore." Aragorn said. Legolas nodded and closed his eyes, his breathing coming slower and calmer now. Aragorn waited a few more minutes and then jabbed Legolas' side hard. The Elf flinched but didn't make a sound, his eyes still closed.
"What does that do?" Arwen asked. Aragorn took the cloth from the bowl and rung it out, lifting it to the gash on the elf's side. Legolas didn't move or make a sound.
"It puts him to sleep." Aragorn said. Arwen stared at the young elf's closed eyes. "It's so powerful, he relaxes first and all his muscles go slack, even in his eyes. Then he falls into slumber."
Arwen marveled at Legolas' closed eyes and then turned back to Aragorn. He had managed to get the blood and ooze away from the wound and now prodded it.
"Arwen, on the table is a knife. I need you to get it for me." Aragorn said. Arwen nodded and moved to the table, searching over its top for the knife. It was there, half hidden beneath a rag. She handed it to her husband and then fell to her knees beside the bed. "Thank you." He said. He pressed the tip to Legolas' skin and began to cut away, blood rolling from the new wounds he was making. "Keep as much blood away as you can, with this." Aragorn held up the cloth.
They worked together for some time, Arwen mopping up the blood and black ooze that fell from the elf's side, Aragorn cutting deeper and deeper. The shaft seemed to go on forever and Aragorn was just worrying that they'd see no end of it when, after a shallow stroke, a gush of thick black ooze flowed over his hands and onto the white sheets.
The smell was powerful and burned their noses, making Aragorn's eyes water. On the bed, Legolas' face scrunched up but he didn't wake. Aragorn dropped the knife and reached into the elf's side, searching around inside. Finally, he grabbed the point of the arrow and managed to ease it from his friend's body.
The arrow was of normal make, human but barbed in a way he'd never seen before. The arrow's head was covered in the thick black poison and Legolas' blood.
"By the Valar." Arwen whispered, taking the arrow from her husband. She laid it on the floor and handed Aragorn the cloth.
"Get me another rag." He said. Arwen grabbed one from the table and threw it to her husband, grabbing another bowl of hot water two and her husband's herbs. She brought them all back as Aragorn washed his hands.
"Had this been a normal arrow, he would have healed even a little already." Arwen said. Aragorn nodded and handed her the contaminated bowl. She took it to a table at the far end of the room and then took her place on the floor again.
Kelser was back. He knocked softly and opened the door, peering in. Aragorn motioned to him and the Captain made his way to the end of the bed.
"Sir, the messengers have been sent." He announced. Aragorn nodded. "How is he?" Aragorn shook his head and dipped the cloth into the bowl.
"I'm afraid I do not know." Aragorn answered, slipping the cloth into the wound and peering inside. "Can you open the window in the corner, we need fresh air." Kelser nodded and moved across the room, throwing open the balcony doors. Natural light seeped into the room along with a sudden gust of cool air. Moving back to the bed, Kelser caught a whiff of the acrid poison and turned away.
"I've never seen this poison before." Aragorn said, extracting the now black cloth. Setting it on the ground, he picked up the bowl with fresh steaming water and began pouring it slowly on the wound. Black ooze seeped up with the blood, wetting the sheets around Legolas. "Captain, have you?"
Kelser turned and looked over his King's shoulder at the wound. He eyed the tendrils of black on the elf's side and shook his head. "The smell is something new."
Aragorn nodded and picked up his herbs. "It's seeped into his body. No matter how much I try, I can't get it all out. I'll have to cover it and see if Legolas can heal on his own." Aragorn sighed and laid his head against an unsoiled part of the bed. "I'll need more herbs, all we have in the kingdom to fight poison. I don't know if any will work."
Kelser nodded. "I'll send some men out to find some." He said. "Would you like me to find a healer?" Aragorn didn't turn to his Captain but shook his head.
"No. Just send out people for the herbs." Kelser nodded and left the room again. Sighing, Aragorn began dressing Legolas' wound and then called for servants to bring new sheets. Aragorn sat in the corner of the room later, waiting for his friend to wake up while studying the sheets and the black liquid on them. Another mystery for him to solve.
And, these mysterious attackers weighed heavy on his mind. The Men of the Lake…what other places were close enough to attack Mirkwood? Leaning his head back against the wall, he watched Legolas sleep and slowly, dreams took him to.
TO MY REVEIWERS:
Morph: Thank you for your review. By the way, I went to your passport thing. I was going to read something you wrote but I didn't have time right then. I love the quotes and stuff from different movies. They made me laugh!
Elessar-Lover: Yay! You added me to your author alert! No one tells me when they do that so it's really cool to know. Thanks for the review! I have a question, how do I get into your character gallery? I tried but it wouldn't let me.
Feagil: Thanks for the review, I hope this was long enough. I wrote this chapter the day I wrote the first one, I usually don't get chapters up this fast! I have to work on my other fiction! I have two that I have to update. LOL. Please keep reading and reviewing!
Kirsten: Hey! For a second, I thought my friend from school had reviewed me (as you could guess, her name is Kirsten) anyway, she said it wasn't. It struck me as funny for some reason…to much caffeine!
Zammy: Hey Zammy! Thanks for reading my work, I hope you stick with it.
Elfaddict: I love your name! I'm one two…well, for a certain blond bombshell named Legolas…drool…anyway, Thank you for the review. Poor Leggie? Awe, well, he'll be okay…maybe. Lol, I love being cruel. He's so hot and, when he's sick…he's vulnerable. No I'm just messing! Please keep reading and reviewing.
Tinnuial: I did end there! Sorry, and I hope you forgive me for ending where I did on this chapter two. Ewe, that black gunk made me sick. The only way I came up with it was I had pudding for dinner, chocolate. I was going to read you're story, The Rising Of The Sun but, like I said in a review above, I've been really busy.
MistressSerenity: Thanks for the review. I went to and looked through your work. You're really good.
Gemini969: I hope it will be fun to read, especially when Gimli comes into it. I got to read chapter one of Legolas, your story, but I didn't have time to review. I'm sorry. I'll review later. LOL.
MidKnightDragonz: I updated soon! Claps. I usually take a week to update but I had written this the day I wrote the first chapter so it was easy. LOL. I hope u forgive me for what I'm doing to Legolas. I don't know if I'll forgive myself. I see you wrote a Final Fantasy 7 Fic. I got half way through the game and then my friend wanted it back. Did you know they were coming out with a movie for it?
Yanzen Uroloki: I hope you'll be able to tell if you like it now. I hope you do and I'd love to get another review from you.
Snow-Glory: Thanks for the update. I'm glad you enjoyed it and I hope you enjoy the next one just as much. Will Legolas be okay? I don't know, we'll have to wait and see. You like Jesse from Mutant X? I love Brennan. He used to be hot when he was younger.
Elf771: Most exciting first chapter you've ever read! That's huge and I'm so honored, thank you. I really loved your review; it made me blush so badly my mom thought I was looking at something bad on the internet. Thank you and I hope you liked this chapter just as much.
Jogreenleaf: Well, I continued. Thank you so much for your review! Please keep reading and reviewing. I was looking through your stories and I saw the X-Men one, Memories of the Dead. I don't think Jean is dead either. My sister does though.
Aya-Shoru: I hope you stick with this story, it's gonna get better (at least in my mind, lol) and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Please keep reading and reviewing!
JC: Thanks for the review! I liked the start, I wanted it to be shocking…I think I got that eh?
Deana: You would not believe how happy I was to get a review from you. I know this may sound stupid and corny but I am a big fan. I've read almost all of your work (I'm sorry I didn't review very much). I was so happy I told my parents all about it. Anyway, thank you.
And to anyone I may have missed, I'm sorry and thank you. You can yell at me if you want. And to anyone who is reading this and not reviewing, thank you also.