The Twisted Web of Fate

by Sinister Sindar Sisters

Thranduil and his young son travel to a trade meeting very soon after the death of their wife and mother. Unknown to them, darkness follows them. Will they survive and make it back to their beloved home alive?

6. 6

Twisted Web of Fate

By the Sinister Sindar Sisters

Disclaimer: Try as we might, we still don't own any part of the world created by the genius of J.R.R. Tolkien, so we just drop in and borrow a few characters for these stories. We write them for our amusement, not for pay.

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oWARNINGS:

Yuck warning – Description of badly infected wounds. (As written by the sinisterly superb Shell, who does know what she's talking about.)

Mucho angst in this one, intense scenes ahead that could have been cliffhangers. Hold on to your seats. Yes, there is a big cliffhanger at the end, bring rope.

Tissue warning too – maybe a five tissue rating? You will cry. That's an order.

It looks like you will all just have to get used to long chapters. We don't know when to quit writing. – Barbara, the cheeky one.

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Chapter Six

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Doroniel thought she was hallucinating, that her mind had finally succumbed to the fatigue and the headache that was slowly increasing in intensity, in spite of the herbs for pain that she had taken. When Captain Bremoline greeted the newcomers and wished them welcome, she realised that her eyes were not deceiving her.

"Mae govannen, Aran Thranduil, how may we help you?"

The speaker was Gailarphen, Elrond's senior healer, his second-in-command among the healers of Imladris. Gailarphen was tall, taller than most, and thin! He had jet-black hair that fell far below his waist. It was elaborately braided in a thick plait that hung down the middle of his back. His eyes were a grey/blue and his aristocratic face showed wisdom of long experience. His eyes had a kindly glint to them, but his face was stern. His black tunic, although sodden, was well-made and of good quality, trimmed all around with grey braiding. The clasps were adorned with a blue stone that matched the colour of his eyes. His leggings were of a dark grey. The effect was startling.

Doroniel wanted to loudly cry her thanks to the Valar when she recognized him, but she somehow managed to contain herself. She turned to Thranduil. He looked as shocked as she felt at their early arrival.

Thranduil stared at Gailarphen for a moment. "Help Legolas…. Doroniel….can tell you… better than I.…I do not…" Doroniel frowned at hearing her King speak. His voice was weak and strained. He sounded vague and breathless, almost as if he could draw no air into his lungs. The weight of his sword seemed too great to support as he lowered it.

"Thranduil, are you alright?" She saw him raise his left hand to rub at his chest. "Maybe you should sit down and rest. Does your chest pain you again?" She was aware that all the newcomers were staring. Some had their mouths open in shock. Only one had crossed immediately and knelt beside Calandor, the only one of the injured not to have someone attending him. She hardly noticed him. Thranduil was her main concern for the moment.

"Thranduil, saes, I know your feet pain you greatly. Won't you sit down?" Doroniel reached to help him. She wondered if she should ask Bremoline for help with the King. She was concentrating on Thranduil. He stared blankly at her as she spoke. He seemed confused and unable to comprehend what was being said. Thranduil did not speak, but blinked vaguely at her as his sword fell, un-heeded.

Then, as if in slow motion, Thranduil's eyes closed and he began to fall, agonizingly slow. Doroniel was too far away to help. She could do nothing.

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Bremoline heard the sword clatter to the ground as it slipped from Thranduil's fingers a moment before he began to pitch forward. Aran Thranduil had passed out again! He managed to catch the King with his free arm as his knees buckled. Rithlin also dropped his sword and hurried to help him. Between the two of them, they lowered Thranduil's limp form gently back onto his pallet.

Gailarphen wasted no time, but shrugged off his soaked cloak and crossed to Thranduil at the fireside. He motioned for Rithlin to move aside and knelt beside Thranduil's pallet. He swiftly sought the pulse point on the King's frighteningly pale throat.

"What has happened, Doroniel?" He was relieved that Thranduil's pulse was strong, although it beat a little faster than normal, not enough to frighten him. He frowned at the unsteady rhythm. He could also feel fine tremors that seemed to run through the King's entire body.

"Almost four days ago, there was a battle with Orcs that came upon us as we traveled. We slew the Orcs, but not before one found and injured the Prince. The battle occurred during a fierce storm and there was a lightning strike to a nearby tree that also caught Aran Thranduil, the Prince and Calandor. They all sustained injuries. Calandor had even stopped breathing and later had a seizure, but the injuries to the Prince seemed the most grievous. He has been fitting as you can see, the first seizure was a febrile convulsion, but what this is, I do not know." Doroniel turned slightly to call over her shoulder. "Thoronhen, I need that tea, NOW!" Legolas was still in the process of the eerie seizure, still screaming so silently and quivering in every muscle in his small frame.

Thoronhen sheathed his own sword and moved with an urgency that spoke for itself. He carried the tea to her. She had him slowly spoon-feed Legolas the tea while she held him. Thank Eru that the small jaw was not clamped shut this time.

While the newcomers entered the cave and exchanged greetings around them, Doroniel and Thoronhen slowly but surely fed Legolas the tea. As they did, Legolas seemed to slowly calm and relax in her arms until the second healer from Imladris gently took him from her and carefully laid the Prince back on his pallet.

Doroniel turned to Thranduil immediately then. She wished she could reach Thranduil's side to check on him as well, but she was too proud to ask for help in front of her fellow healers, or to crawl.

Bremoline commented from where he knelt beside the King. "What Doroniel has neglected to tell you, Master Healer, is that she also is injured. She too was caught up in that same lightning strike. I would imagine that her headache has returned, along with the pain in her feet. If you give her anything for her pain, you will have to hold the cup. Her hands shake too much to hold it herself." He turned to face her. "Doroniel, you promised that once help came, you would become the patient that you truly are, so stop glaring at me like that!"

Doroniel looked down, embarrassed that her own words had been thrown back at her. What could she say? He spoke naught but the truth.

Bremoline smiled ruefully at the mortified look on the wounded healer's face. "You were not going to tell him yourself, though I do not know how you hoped to hide it from him. You need to be cared for as much as the others do, perhaps more, because you have been caring for them and not yourself."

"I would have told Gailarphen." She was aware that she sounded like a petulant Elfling and it was only made worse by the knowing, amused look on Bremoline's face.

Gailarphen smiled kindly as he spoke and his entire face seemed to change. "We both know that you would not have told us. All healers are the same. They make the worst patients Arda has ever seen. Sit back, Doroniel, you have deserved the rest. I will check you over in a short time. You said that Aran Thranduil was also caught by the lightning? Was he knocked out?"

Doroniel was thankful that she would not have to stand or crawl. "No he was conscious and holding the Prince's head, though he could not see or hear much at the time. He was temporarily blinded by the flash and deafened by the crash of the thunderbolt."

"The lightning's shock would account for the unsteady rhythm of his pulse, but why did he lose consciousness at this time? Is that something new?" Gailarphen was quickly and efficiently checking Thranduil out. Apart from the unsteady pulse, he could find nothing amiss, nothing that could account for Thranduil's sudden collapse, at least.

"This is the second time that Aran Thranduil has fainted without a known reason. He has been rubbing his chest and has seemed to be short of breath at times. I am worried that the lightning strike may have damaged his heart or lungs. He has complained of severe headaches, dizziness and nausea. He has had tingling and pain in his hands and feet, as I have also had." She looked ruefully at Bremoline when she spoke because she was sure that he would have informed Gailarphen of her symptoms once more if she did not.

Bremoline just nodded at her, pleased that she was seeing sense at last.

The healer who was attending Legolas spoke up and Doroniel realised with a start that she knew him as well. "Doroniel, you said before that the Prince was hurt. How was he hurt?" The voice belonged to Nestoron. He had been in training a couple of years ahead of her and they had become close friends during her time at Imladris. She wondered why she had not recognized him earlier.

"He hit his head badly. An Orc found his place in the tree where Aran Thranduil had Legolas hide and dragged him from it. He hit his head when he was pulled down. His ankle was deeply cut by the Orc's filthy claws and it has become badly infected causing a high fever. I have been dressing it twice a day. His hands were slightly burned by the lightning too. We also found out recently, by accident, that his ankle had been fractured. The swelling had hidden it from detection but it is back in place now."

Doroniel watched as Gailarphen moved over to examine Calandor and she found herself more relaxed. She trusted these two healers, almost as much as she trusted Hir Elrond.

"We may have to take these sutures out. The swelling is going to cause problems soon." He was gently palpating the Prince's forehead around the sutures. Nestoron spoke almost absentmindedly, as if he had forgotten that they were in a cave with over twenty other people.

Doroniel shared a shocked look with Thoronhen, who had just seated himself near them. It was then that she first saw him properly since the night before. She noted the bruising of his eye, the one the Prince had found with a flailing fist during his fit of the day before. The eye itself was almost swollen closed. Thoronhen realized she had just noticed and gave a lopsided grin of embarrassment.

"Bremoline, why did you not tell me that Thoronhen's eye had been injured?" Her voice was unintentionally hard.

"It did not seem important at the time. We had more serious problems to contend with." The Captain shrugged as he made the admission.

"And you complain about me hiding my injuries." This time, her voice held humor.

"I know. We are all as bad as each other." Bremoline could not help but smile even with the seriousness of the situation.

Hethuaur, by this time, had made it over to the fireside. He had helped with the distribution of food, supplies and dry clothing that they had brought from Imladris while others tended their tired mounts and two pack horses, removing their loads and rubbing them down.

Craban made certain that the two Ellith helped place the new bundles of wet wood near the fire so that it would dry and be suitable for use later on. They need not worry about that now and had enough provisions to last until Hir Elrond was expected to arrive in a couple of days.

"How do Calandor and the Prince fare?" Hethuaur was watching them both worriedly.

"Calandor did not have any further seizures after you left. We did worry because he did not waken until last night, just before the evening meal. He seemed alright then. He was a little dizzy and in some pain, but well enough to joke with us. He should recover fully." Bremoline smiled at Hethuaur's look of relief.

"And the Prince?" He watched as Bremoline's easy smile failed.

"Not as good, I am afraid. He has a high fever and has had two seizures. His leg is infected and broken. Also, his head wound is giving him problems as well. He has not re-gained consciousness in all this time."

"That is ill news. We have been very worried about him. Is his fever the reason for the pit?" He was interested in the small water-filled hole by the fire, a hole just big enough for the Prince and no one else.

"Yes, the pit was used to cool him when his fever grew dangerously high." Doroniel looked worried once more.

"How are you? Both of you look exhausted!" Hethuaur could not believe how tired and worn-out they both looked.

"You should take a good look at yourself. Have you rested or eaten at all? You must have made no stops, or very short ones, and pushed yourselves and your horses hard to return from Imladris this quickly. Come, sit down, drink some tea and tell me what happened." Bremoline had his Captain's Voice on and had already moved to the pot of boiling water on the fire.

Indeed, Hethuaur looked nothing like his normal immaculate self. His raven-black hair was still plastered to his head and back by the rain. His clothes were sodden and mud-spattered. His face was pale and his eyes had deep black rings around them. With a sigh of relief, he sat near the fire and stretched his legs in front of him.

"Was Lathron injured?" He had just realised that his friend was lying on the other side of the fire on a pallet next to Calandor, sleeping with his eyes closed.

"In a manner of speaking, yes he was. When Legolas was seizing, he kicked Lathron hard and caught him …somewhere very sensitive. I gave him some pain relief and a sleeping tea as he was in a great deal of pain." Doroniel answered his question but did not look him in the face when she did.

Hethuaur's eyes went wide as he took in what the Mirkwood healer had just implied. "You mean…?" At Doroniel's nod, he winced and looked away for a moment.

"Exactly. He will not be happy riding for a few more days." Somehow, Doroniel kept a straight face, but suddenly the poor Elf's injury seemed to be very funny.

Bremoline came back with two goblets of tea. He handed one to Hethuaur then crossed to Doroniel and sat down.

"This is for you and I will not take a 'no'. You have not been drinking enough either. I do notice." He saw the way she raised her eyes at him. "It is only plain tea." Truthfully, he had been sorely tempted to ask one of the other healers for sleeping herbs to give her, but had found he felt too guilty about it to do so.

"What can I do to help?" Hethuaur enjoyed the warmth of the fire and the tea. It was nice to sit down and a great relief to have returned from his assigned task, but he knew there was work to do.

"You will sit and drink that tea and then you will go to your pallet and sleep for as long as you need." Bremoline made it plain that it was an order. "You also need to explain to me why you and Randis split up after we sent you out together." He raised his left eyebrow in inquiry.

Hethuaur gave his Captain his full attention then. "We decided, Captain, once we left, that it might be better to do so. We were so close to Imladris and, as we did not know how badly they were injured, we thought it best to get some help as soon as possible. Upon my return, I would say that Randis was right. We only stopped long enough to rest the horses. I was fortunate to meet no trouble along the way. I hope that Randis is as fortunate. I was provided a fresh horse at Imladris. I wanted to return as soon as possible."

When he finished his tale, Hethuaur watched the two Imladris healers as they continued their examination of their most grievously injured patients.

"I am glad you did….this time. You are right. We do need the help. We have been struggling to carry on, but Doroniel is exhausted and has not properly slept for quite some time." Bremoline was helping Doroniel to drink her tea, despite her embarrassment at being helped like a very small Elfling.

"I am not exhausted!" Doroniel was indignant when he lowered the goblet from her mouth.

"Yes, you are." Bremoline glared at her. He conveyed much concern and frustration with that one look.

"Alright, very well, you're right… I am." She looked down at the shaking hands in her lap.

Bremoline gently rubbed her arm, as a comfort. "It does not mean you are weak, far from it. All of us, well almost all of us." He glared at the cook fire where Imles and Ruthwen were making a great fuss over greeting the warriors that had arrived from Imladris. "Everyone that matters, we all think you have done an exceptional job. We all think well of you and hold you in the highest regard, including Aran Thranduil."

Doroniel had tears in her eyes as she shook her head. "No, Legolas had a broken leg and I did not even notice it. What kind of healer does that make me?" As she spoke, she saw Nestoron call Gailarphen over to where he knelt over Legolas.

"What is wrong?" She called, fear rising inside her.

Gailarphen waved her off. "In a moment." He sounded tense.

Doroniel shared a concerned look with Bremoline, her mouth went dry with worry.

She had expected the older Healer to go to Legolas' leg, because of the infection, but he went to his head instead. Had she missed something? She relaxed a fraction while he examined the small, swollen forehead. But then, he began gently pressing the top of Legolas' head with great concentration. She had been trembling before, but it was nothing to the shaking that overcame her then. Something else was wrong, she knew it.

"Doroniel?" Bremoline gently called her. He could see that her attention was not on him. "Doroniel?" No response to his voice. She just watched Gailarphen, her face white and shocked. Tears still threatened to spill from her eyes. Bremoline noticed the dark circles of fatigue under her eyes most strongly at that moment.

"Gailarphen? What is wrong?" Her voice sounded small and pleading. It matched the way she looked. Never would Bremoline have thought that she could look so much like a scared little Elfling.

"Just one moment, Doroniel." He sounded more concerned than he had before.

Bremoline set aside her half-full cup and put his arm around the healer's trembling shoulders. She needed the support of a friend and over the last few days that was what they had become. They had known each other before, but only in passing. That had changed greatly over the last few days.

He was absolutely certain that he would trust her not only with his life, but those of his whole family, his wife, his daughter and her husband and his grand-daughter. He intended to tell her that later, when the air was not so charged and tense. She had a warrior's spirit and would fight for everything she cared for and believed in, he knew that.

Gailarphen finished his examination and sat back on his heels. He seemed deep in thought as he sat there, with his eyes closed and brow creased, considering what he had found. When he opened his eyes, he looked directly at Doroniel. His blue eyes were kind, but troubled. "This is not your fault Doroniel. With all that you have been through and the nature of your injuries as well, this is not your fault."

"Why? What is wrong?" There was panic in her voice as she began to crawl to them. Bremoline tried to stop her but she shrugged him off. "Please tell me what it is."

Somewhere from behind her, she heard Ruthwen's voice. "So the perfect heryn has fallen. What a surprise."

It was followed by a slap and Craban's irate voice. "Be quiet! I will not tell you again!" The Imladris soldiers looked scandalised. He had just struck an elleth! That was unheard of. Many of the other Mirkwood guards looked very surprised as well. They all knew Craban was usually very hard to anger and when he did get angry, he struck out with words, not his hands, and certainly not against an elleth!

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Doroniel made it to Legolas' side. "What is it? What did I miss?" She did not notice that Nestoron moved to the pot of water on the fire. She was only focused on Legolas and Gailarphen. She was unaware that Bremoline hurried after her and helped her to sit.

"The Prince has a fractured skull. The swelling and bruising have hidden it."

"No!" Her voice held pure panic and Bremoline knelt and held her. He also looked to the small Elfling lying so still on the pallet between them and Gailarphen. He looked so small and vulnerable at that moment. Ai, Elbereth, they could not lose him, surely not?

"Doroniel, this is not your fault!" Gailarphen's voice was determined.

"No, it cannot be. Please, I examined him and..." Doroniel suddenly could not speak as she began to shake uncontrollably, with tears running down her face. This was too much. This could not be happening. How could she possibly miss that?

"Doroniel, you are ill, you have survived an Orc attack and been struck by lightning. Your hands tingle and shake until you cannot use them. I would not expect even Hir Elrond to be able to diagnose this, under those conditions. Please, sit back."

She didn't move, but just sat there overcome with sobs and shaking while Bremoline tried to calm her. "No, I should have known. I thought I felt something, but dismissed it. My fault, it is all my fault. Aran Thranduil will never forgive me. I should have known when he began fitting. I should be banished. Ai, Eru, what did I do? What will I do?"

Doroniel hugged herself and rocked back and forth, unaware of what was being said and done around her. All she could see was Legolas as he lay there, looking so pale and bruised and so very hurt.

"Doroniel, saes, come sit down." Bremoline tried to persuade her to sit back near the fire. Rithlin passed him a blanket and watched with sorrow on his face as it was put around her. All the Mirkwood Guard somberly watched with concern. It was hard to see their healer and friend brought so low. They were also greatly concerned by Gailarphen's news of the Prince. Of all present, Ruthwen and Imles alone did not wear expressions of great worry.

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Ruthwen stood, still 'sobbing' in the arms of Faergon, one of the Imladris warriors who had been shocked at Craban's actions. He had come to her defense and now stood watching Craban with a distrustful look as Craban continued, alone now, to prepare a hot meal for everyone.

Faergon was unaware that Ruthwen's distress was all an act, put on for their benefit, and that she was in fact secretly sharing smirks over his shoulder with Imles as she was being comforted by the warrior and her companion.

Craban was grim and red-faced as he worked. How had he let her provoke him to strike her? He was appalled at himself and had no explanation for his action. He was not one to normally strike out in anger. It was his nature to wound with words and biting humor when his tempered flared. He could not even bring himself to oppose the Imladris warrior when he took the two away from their duties, as he obviously thought to protect them.

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"Doroniel, you have done nothing wrong." Gailarphen kept his voice stern in the hope that he would get through to the hysterical elleth. Nestoron had said he was going to prepare a sleeping tea for her. In the meantime, Gailarphen hoped to calm her enough to give the tea to her without a struggle.

It was clear to all, but especially to Gailarphen, that she was far past being exhausted. Because of this, she was not thinking clearly. It was also evident that she was not well. He had known her for some years now, and this was not the efficient and calm healer that he knew her to be. She was in desperate need of sleep and it would also give him a chance to examine her thoroughly and speak with Aran Thranduil before she awoke. Gailarphen was confident that the King would awaken later, but should probably remain resting when he did.

Doroniel was obsessed now. "I may have also missed something with Calandor and Thranduil. Ai, Eru, what if it was his heart? Ai, Calandor's hands! Are they healing as I thought?" She was crawling franticly across the dirt floor as she tried to get to her patients to check them out once more and reassure herself.

"Doroniel!" Bremoline tried to stop her. He looked inquiringly to Gailarphen, uncertain what to do when she ignored him.

Gailarphen spoke quietly across the fire. "Nestoron, is the tea ready yet?"

"Yes…just." Nestoron brought the goblet to them. They had stopped trying to prevent Doroniel from going to Calandor and she had reached his side, too distressed to care what anyone would think.

Bremoline and Gailarphen crossed to kneel beside her. Bremoline spoke first, very gently. "Doroniel, come, we have a tea for you, it will help you to get warm." He reached out and took hold of one of her hands to try to coax her away. He could tell it was cold before she pulled it away. He could hear her teeth chattering from where he sat beside her. She was in a state of shock.

"I need to check his pupils and his responses. And his hands, they may be infected, his feet, he could be crippled! Bremoline? I will need new bandages and hot water... and my herbs. Athelas would be best I think…we must get more athelas..." She was muttering to herself as she stared at Calandor, refusing to look at Bremoline or Gailarphen when they spoke to her. Tears trickled steadily down her pale cheeks.

"Doroniel, I will help you with whatever you wish me to do, but you are cold and you need to look after yourself before you can help Calandor or Thranduil." Bremoline was calm and his voice held concern for his friend.

Her voice was pleading now. "I need to check them, Brem. I could have killed them! How would I live with that?" Her teeth chattered as she spoke and her lip quivered.

"I understand, but come, drink this before we begin. I will help you. Come, let me give you this tea." His steady coaxing finally got through to her and she blinked at him, her face wet with tears.

"Tea?" Her voice was so low and quiet that they had to strain to hear it.

"Yes, Dor, just tea. It will warm you. Will you drink it, saes?" Nestoron handed Bremoline the tea goblet and pulled back, wary of making Doroniel nervous. She looked as if she would run from the cave had she been physically able to.

For one long moment, he thought she would refuse the tea, but she nodded and he gently hugged her with one arm before he helped her drink the tea.

The only sound was the soft falling of the rain and the 'sobbing' from Ruthwen. Everyone, including the warriors from Imladris, was watching in shocked silence as the little tableau played out before them.

Slowly, he helped Doroniel with each sip of the tea. She was shaking too much to even think of holding the goblet.

He had not expected her to succumb so soon, but almost immediately after she had taken the last sip, she slumped limply against him. "Doroniel!"

Looking up, startled, he caught Gailarphen's somber blue eyes and the older Healer leaned forward and checked her.

Gailarphen nodded. "She is asleep. She must have been close to fainting, for the herbs to have worked that fast." He raised an eyebrow in query as he spoke.

"She has not been eating or drinking enough. We have been trying to get her to take food, but she has been dizzy and nauseous. She has also been vomiting because of it. She passed out once as well and slept for a time after that."

"Her stomach being empty will have worked for us then. It helped the tea to work faster. Help me settle her onto her pallet." Between the two of them, they carried Doroniel over to the nearest pallet that was available on the far side of Thranduil. They gently settled her and covered her with blankets to help counteract the shock that she had suffered.

"How is Aran Thranduil? Was she right about missing something?" Bremoline asked as he tucked the young healer in firmly, just as he had done with his own daughter when she was an Elfling.

"No, she was right when she thought the lightning may have affected his heart or lungs. It is more likely to have been his heart rather than his lungs. His heart's rhythm tells me she was definitely right. She was right with her assessment of Calandor as well. I have examined him and Doroniel's diagnosis is correct. She has not misdiagnosed anyone, not even Legolas. That was not her fault."

Gailarphen turned and frowned as he watched Ruthwen who had stopped 'crying' and had turned her attention back to the fire, and the other Imladris warriors, who seemed to all be standing near her. "I will not have Doroniel blamed for something that was beyond her help."

He had heard the scathing comment she had made before and did not have an ounce of sympathy for the elleth that made it, though he had also been surprised to see her struck, even lightly as it had happened. He had also noted, with curiosity, that Captain Bremoline had not reacted to his soldier's action.

"I am glad. Doroniel is an exceptional healer and we would not want to lose her." Bremoline smiled at Gailarphen.

"You are right about her being an exceptional healer. She was head of her student group when she was training in Imladris and surpassed all the others at the time. Hir Elrond offered her a place at Imladris but she wished to return to Mirkwood. You are lucky to have her." Gailarphen gently moved a strand of hair that had fallen across her face.

He looked up in time to see the looks of surprise that passed over the faces of the other Elves. "She has not told you." It was a statement. It was evident from the expressions he saw. "I am not surprised. She is not one to show off her accomplishments. She is a very private person. I would wager that not even Aran Thranduil knows of her achievement."

Bremoline shrugged. "I could not tell you about that. I am relieved that you do not hold the Prince's condition against her. I fear that some here would do so." Bremoline glowered at Ruthwen, who in turn stared defiantly back at him, unaware of what was being said.

Hethuaur spoke up from beside the fire. "She has still been up to her tricks?"

"Yes, even more than they were before. I have never come across a more irritating pair in my life! Aran Thranduil warned them that, if they were not careful, he would send them on to Imladris without horses, even though a fierce storm raged outside at the time!"

"That reminds me, Captain, I wanted to tell you what we observed about these storms. It is very strange. We had ridden no more than three, or maybe four, miles and the rain stopped and, although there were signs that it had rained, it was not as heavy as this. It was the same when we returned over the mountains. I have no idea why the storm would be so localised like this. It is beyond me!" Hethuaur explained as well as he could, but his confusion was clear to see.

"It was not raining in the mountain pass? But, we have had severe thunderstorms, heavy rain and high winds. Even now the rain is..." he turned to look out of the cave only to find the rain had lessened from the heavy, constant fall of that morning to a gentler rainfall and the wind had nearly calmed as well. He blinked with surprise. Hethuaur was right. This was odd, decidedly odd. This would bear watching.

He turned his attention back to Hethuaur. "Thank you for reporting this news. We must keep an eye on this. If you notice any other strange happenings, you report them to me." He kept his voice low so that Hethuaur and Gailarphen were the only ones who could hear.

"You think that something is affecting the weather?" Gailarphen asked with the same quiet voice.

"I do not know. There are few with the power that would require. I would worry if they were opposing us." Most knew he referred to the Necromancer in Dol Guldur, the one responsible for the slow darkening of their beloved Greenwood to the state it was in now, earning it the new name of Mirkwood. Bremoline turned back to where Nestoron was still examining Legolas' forehead, worrying over the swelling and the sutures. "How is Legolas? His leg is awful and you will probably have to soak the bandage off. Thank Eru, Doroniel said his hands, at least, are healing and should not need bandaged again."

Nestoron was still focused on the bruised and swollen forehead. "He is sleeping now from the potion you gave him. I am worried about these sutures. The swelling around them has increased since we arrived. Gailarphen, would you check his leg? I want to keep a watch on this wound."

Gailarphen leaned over to check the wound himself. "I would take them out rather than wait any longer. The sutures are pulling far too much. If you leave them in, the wound will scar and take longer to heal. It seems obvious that the Prince is having problems with healing. This cut should have been healed in the time since it happened."

"Prince Legolas came very close to fading after the loss of his mother. Doroniel said that he was still very fragile." Bremoline pulled back in surprise as Gailarphen jerked his head up.

"He came close to fading? Did Aran Thranduil?" Gailarphen was thinking fast. That would account for some of the King's symptoms. If Thranduil was fading then his heart would be vulnerable to start with.

Bremoline lowered his voice so it was only heard by Gailarphen. "Yes. He admitted as much to me in confidence, but it seems important enough that I will tell you. He told me that the fact that his son needed him was what helped him to overcome it." Bremoline remembered the conversation they had shared earlier. "He did say that he feared that if Legolas died he would not survive long enough to reach the Grey Havens, however."

"I see. I am grateful that you told me. I believe we can rule that out regarding Thranduil's heart. If he has resisted the fading this long he would not be as affected. It has been just over a year since the loss of Queen Minerella. I think it is only due to the shock of the lightning strike." Gailarphen was beginning to gather the things he would need to examine Legolas' leg.

"Good, we were all aware that Prince Legolas was fading after the Queen died. It was well-known that he had been badly injured at the time she was killed and everyone wanted news of him. Aran Thranduil has only just admitted that we missed all the signs with him. He had hidden himself away in his grief, seeing only his personal healer and striving to help his son to heal." Bremoline felt guilty that no one else had known of the depth of Thranduil's grief. "Legolas had just started to recover enough to remember how to smile and laugh again, before this happened."

Bremoline knew Gailarphen was ready to check Legolas' leg wound. "I will help you with that. Doroniel said help would be required to redress Legolas' leg, due to the fracture." Bremoline looked up to notice curious eyes watching them from across the fire. "Hethuaur, I thought you were going to have your drink and then retire to your pallet. That is your third drink, Mellon-nin, if you are not careful you will have to visit the privy and you would not wish that on the Ellith would you?" Bremoline could not help but tease his friend.

"I will retire. I just needed to get warm and dry before I did so, and to eat." He lifted the full bowl of stew that Rochon had just handed to him. "When did the privy appear?"

He watched as Bremoline held the small leg, as directed. As he ate, Hethuaur watched them soak the bandage so it could be removed. Bremoline had been right about that point. The bandage was caked to the wound beneath the splints. It had formed a hard layer that made it impossible to remove normally. It could have been removed with a sharp knife, as before, but the danger would be that they would catch the swollen skin underneath and cause more injury to the limb.

Hethuaur had finished with his stew by the time they had soaked the bandage enough to be able to remove it. While they had been working, Lathron had awakened. Although he was still in a lot of pain, he seemed better in himself. He talked quietly with Rithlin, who told him about what had happened while he slept.

Bremoline was glad to see him awake and coherent. He disliked seeing anyone in pain, even more when it was a friend. Rithlin's presence helped while he was too busy to visit. So, as Gailarphen tended to the small leg that he held, he told them the tale of the privy.

The laughter that spilled from the three Elves near him was a much-needed relief. It seemed an age since he had heard the sound of easy laughter. He smiled back at them and Gailarphen was still chuckling to himself as he removed the last of the bandages.

Once he had removed it, however, all traces of hilarity were wiped from his face. The leg was worse than Doroniel had described. He looked to Bremoline to find that an equally shocked and serious face looked back.

"This is worse than it was the last time I saw it. It was bad then. Doroniel has worried that Prince Legolas would loose his leg, but this?" Bremoline shook his head, truly lost for words.

The swelling was greater than it had been. The skin was beginning to look tightly stretched. The wounds were green-tinged and seeping freely, drying into the crust that had held the bandages. Bremoline could only liken it to the top of a volcano that was kept contained by the crust of old lava. The wounds themselves now had a black ring around them. The infection showed in a mixture of green colourations and the smell was sickening. The small leg had red streaks leading from the wounds. He knew without being told that the wound had gone beyond serious in spite of the herb paste and ointment that had been applied to it at each change of the bandages.

"I can see why she was worried about that. Nestoron, is there any infection in the head wound?" Gailarphen had set aside his shock and concentrated on the job in hand.

"No, this is purely swelling." Nestoron had already taken the sutures out and had cleaned the wound afterwards.

"That is good. Once you are done there, I will need to have some athelas paste made up. I also need my magnifier and a slide. It is in my saddle bag." Gailarphen then turned to Bremoline. "Keep as still as you can, I will be taking a sample of both tissue and fluid from the Prince. Nothing we do will hurt him. If we do not get this infection under control, Prince Legolas will not have a chance to worry about losing his leg."

Bremoline was too shocked to answer. He just nodded and held as still as he could.

It was Hethuaur who had returned to Gailarphen with his pack. Under his instructions, Hethuaur removed the silk pouch and also the small, square leather pack. The latter held clear glass squares used for samples. Before he cleaned the wounds, Gailarphen took the samples using ten of the slides, from different parts of the wounds. When he had taken all of the samples, he handed them over to Nestoron, to fix them so that they would not be lost at all. Gailarphen then began to methodically clean the wound, much as Doroniel had done.

One by one, he cleaned the long claw marks until none of the green pus remained. It revealed the neat sutures in the two deepest wounds that Doroniel had put in. It said much for the worsening state of her health that they remained in place. They were pulling sharply on the skin and in one or two areas the sutures had pulled and torn out of the skin, leaving another small wound. It had probably happened during the stresses of the last seizure. She would surely have removed them had she been well.

Gailarphen said nothing and would say nothing. He did not wish to give the two very unpleasant Ellith across the cave anything else to hurt Doroniel with. He had no doubt that it was what it would be turned into and a witch-hunt too. It was clear they held a great animosity toward the young healer for some unfathomable reason.

Doroniel had done all that she possibly could for the wound. If his hunch was correct, she would not have carried the right herbs with her to fight this anyway. It was only because of Hethuaur's description of the infected wound and the fact he had been told that that Legolas had lain in the muddy water when first wounded that he had brought such an extensive variety of herbs and ointments with him as he had.

He would not let Doroniel be held at fault for this. With a low sigh he picked up a clean blade and removed the sutures. As he laid the blade back down, he caught the look on Bremoline's face. He shook his head and was glad that the two ellith could not see his face.

"Later." It was low enough for just them to hear.

Bremoline nodded and watched as Gailarphen took the bowl of athelas paste from Nestoron and inquired. "How is the prince's forehead now?"

"The sutures came out without a problem. There is no change. I dressed it with Athelas. There is little more I can do at the moment besides wait and watch"

"Good. Have you treated the slides?" He knew the answer before he finished the question.

"Yes, they are ready for you to examine. Do you want me to take a look at Lathron? He looks to be in a lot of pain since he awoke." Bremoline looked across the fire at the archer. He did look to be in great discomfort.

"Doroniel said that he would have no wish to ride a horse for a while." He wondered how long he would be in such pain. He had not seen harn gweth quite this bad before. The bruising was bad.

"She was right. It sounds as if the Prince caught him with a powerful kick." Gailarphen had to smile.

"Yes, he did. We thought that the crack that sounded came from him, not the Prince." Bremoline still could not help but shake his head with wonder. "It was how we discovered the broken bone in his ankle."

"That will be one of the reasons Lathron will be so sore. We will probably be wise in keeping pain herbs crushed and ready for all of them. Aran Thranduil will also be in need of it. The pain from his headache, feet and hands can bother his heart as well."

"His heart?" Bremoline was suddenly worried again. Was Thranduil's heart damaged beyond healing?

"Yes, the pain will not help his heart, so if we keep his pain under control..." He did not need to carry on with his sentence for the Mirkwood Captain was nodding his head.

"If you need help with cutting herbs or anything other task, you only have to ask. My men and I are only too happy to help." Bremoline watched as Gailarphen was beginning to bandage the small limb again.

"Thank you. That would be of great help." Gailarphen looked up as Nestoron made his way back to them. "How is Lathron?"

"He is swollen and very sore, but there should be no lasting damage, apart from his pride." Nestoron had to try hard to prevent the laughter he was feeling from escaping him. "He told me that he had been injured many times before and that we could give him wounds from Spiders and Orcs, but that this was the most painful he had ever had!"

Bremoline had to bite his lip to prevent the gust of laughter he felt. That really was something Lathron would say.

"You have given him pain relief?" Gailarphen's eyes were twinkling and his mouth twitched.

"Yes, he took it without argument. How is Prince Legolas? Lathron and Rithlin asked, but I said I would have to get a proper update from you." The other healer knew well enough that as Gailarphen was effectively the healer in charge, any statements on health would come from him.

"Just say that he is seriously ill, but that we will do all in our powers to help him." Gailarphen was just finishing the placement of the splints.

Bremoline spoke as they settled the splinted leg on the small cloak-padded pack again. "I will tell them, I know that you need to look at Doroniel and also Calandor. You will also want to be near to Legolas and Thranduil. Any running around will be done by me or my men. All you need do is let us know us what is needed."

Bremoline seemed pensive before he spoke again. "There are two in our party that you cannot trust in any way. I regret to say it is the two Ellith by the fire. I apologise for Craban's actions earlier, but the two Ellith have provoked us to no end with their comments. I can see by the distress on his face that Craban regrets what has happened. Aran Thranduil instructed that they help in the preparation of all food and also to tend to the privy after it has been used. This decision was partly because of their actions, but also their unwise comments to Aran Thranduil himself, the Prince and Doroniel. Craban was given the duty to watch over them because he is known for his patience and even temper."

"I could see that he was under stress at the time of the incident. I heard some of their comments earlier. I will talk to our men once I see that our patients are taken care of and I am satisfied with their condition. There, that will hold until I redress the leg. Nestoron, I would like you to check Calandor and redress his wounds. Use athelas on them, though I am sure that Doroniel already has." He looked at Bremoline for confirmation and was warmed that the Captain nodded. "I will look at the King and check that the Prince's heart has attained no injury. I will then look at the samples. I really would like to get the right herbs into Prince Legolas as soon as possible to fight this infection."

"I will leave you and speak with my men and let them know Legolas' condition." Bremoline moved off as Gailarphen leaned down to rest his ear against the small chest to listen to Legolas' heart. When he sat back up he was happy with what he had found. There were a few missed beats, but considering what he had been through and his overall condition, that was more than he could have asked for.

Feeling Legolas head once more for fever and shaking his head at the heat that met his hand he turned his attention to Doroniel. She had not moved since they had settled her onto the pallet. He knelt beside her and looked to the cave entrance. It was mid-afternoon already, much to his astonishment, but then, he had not stopped working since they had arrived.

Gailarphen noticed that the cave was a hive of activity. Since the rain had nearly stopped, most of the horses were taken outside to graze, drink and exercise while the area at the back of the cave where they were sheltering was being shoveled out, as Bremoline had threatened to have the two irritating Ellith do.

The Mirkwood and Imladris Elves were working together, apart from Craban. He was alone at the cook fire trying valiantly to cook a meal for over twenty people. It was fortunate they had the meat of the stag for a stew. As he was working, the Elves from Imladris would knock into him or drop things into the pots. He would be putting a stop to that the minute he was through seeing to his patients.

Gailarphen could feel his anger at their actions rising and that said a lot for one of his placid nature. There was something about the atmosphere in this large cave that seemed to have everyone on edge. Emotions were running high at the moment.

Gailarphen shook his head as he bent back to business. First, he checked Doroniel's hands and then her feet, looking for any signs of nerve damage. They were all very red, even her hands. He was relieved to find none. After what she had admitted earlier, he had been worried. It would be uncomfortable for some while but they would heal.

He found that Doroniel's leggings were torn and her knees were badly skinned from her crawling about earlier. He cleaned them and applied a healing paste. Her heart's rhythm was like Legolas' had been. She had a few missed beats and it was a little fast, but that could also be put down to a mixture of the shock that she had suffered and the lingering physical signs of the lightning strike. Her emotional outburst earlier had just been a further symptom of the stress and illness she suffered. Stress was one of the few things known that could make an Elf truly ill.

Out of interest, as he sat there he tested out the elasticity of her skin, something that Bremoline had said niggled at him. Taking a small amount of skin on the back of her hand between his finger and thumb he lifted it. Normally the skin would bounce back straight away. This time it did not, this time it slowly returned to how it should be. Doroniel was dehydrated. Bremoline had been right about that. When she woke, she would be drinking one cup of water an hour to replace the fluids that she was missing. It would also not be helping with either her headache or her dizziness.

Moving on he made his way to her head and, not wishing to waken her, even though he knew he would not, he did not look into her closed eyes to check the pupil responses. He knew she was alert and had all her faculties about her. Since he knew that dizziness and ear problems were also a factor following lightning strikes, Gailarphen checked out Doroniel's ears. To his surprise, he found dried mud covering some of her ear and in the hair behind it. He was about to call for Bremoline when a crash made him look up.

What he saw made him sigh and stirred his anger once more. He stood and turned slightly to face the side. "Nestoron take care of the injured. I will be back in a short while." He did not wait for an answer but went to help Bremoline, who was helping Craban up from where he had been shoved to the ground. Hethuaur was by his side. Rithlin was holding back Faergon, one of the Imladris soldiers.

To one side, he could see the two Ellith. The satisfied look on Imles' face and the cruel delight on Ruthwen's chilled him when he saw it. Oh yes, he would certainly be keeping an eye on these two. There was something, he was not sure what, but there was a feeling that something about these two was not right.

"Faergon, stand back and calm down!" His voice reflected his anger and it was a sign that this was a rarity when Faergon immediately stopped struggling against Rithlin's hold and stood back, looking surprised. Rithlin released him and stepped slightly behind Hethuaur, watching the Imladris soldier, ready to help again if needed.

After he made sure that Craban was unhurt, Gailarphen turned to the Imladris soldier before him. Faergon looked defiant. "What is going on, Faergon? I have noticed you being off hand and rough with Craban. Who started this fight?" Gailarphen stood watching him carefully. Faergon held his hand to his chin and it looked as if it was difficult for him to speak, but speak he finally did.

"He hit me!" Faergon's voice was muffled but sounded indignant, as if shocked. He removed his hand and there on his jaw was a large red patch that would undoubtedly turn into a large colourful bruise.

"Only because of what you said!" Craban sounded angry. "All afternoon you have made comments and pushed me. I am trying to make something suitable for all of us to eat and your interference does not help!"

"Who would want to eat anything you prepared? You are worse than an Orc, you Elleth beater!" Faergon knew he had gone too far by the tight look on Gailarphen's face.

Craban would not stand for that insult and he swung his fist once more, only this time he missed as Faergon swayed back out of the way. Hethuaur ducked at seeing his friend's fist coming towards him, but unfortunately for Rithlin behind him, he did not. Before he knew what happened, Rithlin was sitting in a stunned heap on the floor. His hand clutched tightly against his left eye.

Craban froze, horrified at what he had just done. "Rithlin, I am so sorry."

Before they could go on, Bremoline stepped forward. "Enough! You two." He pointed to the two who had been fighting. "Outside! NOW!"

Faergon was going to answer him back. "I do not care that you are from Imladris, I still outrank you! Get outside and now! Do not even bother crying out that it is raining!" Gailarphen nodded his agreement.

"You two as well." This was to Thoronhen and Hethuaur, who looked highly surprised. What had they done?

They moved, and fast, to do as their Captain told them. His voice was clearly that of someone who expected to be obeyed immediately. It was also clear that he was angry.

Gailarphen followed behind the small group. In passing, he caught a glimpse of Ruthwen exchanging a triumphant look with Imles. He paused near her and leaned close as if to speak in confidence. Ruthwen leaned close as well, pleased for the attention, but she was very surprised at his softly spoken words. "I am watching you and I can see what you are trying to do. It will not work with me. If I were you, I would stop these little games, now. We are all in this together and, if you continue, you will be put into jeopardy. I will speak with Aran Thranduil when he wakens. Bear this in mind. I am watching you." With that he left the cave, fully aware of the joint glares aimed at his back.

v-v-v-v-v-

Outside, the grey skies were gradually being replaced with lighter colours. Although the rain still fell in steady streams, it was not falling with the intense force that it had been. In the brighter light, the world gave the impression that it was waking from a long sleep. The grass and trees glowed with brilliant greens and browns.

Craban and Faergon both looked embarrassed as all four of them stood at attention next to each other in the rain a short distance from the mouth of the cave. As Gailarphen and Bremoline joined them, Faergon opened his mouth as if to speak, but Bremoline spoke first.

"Faergon, there are things that have happened on our journey that you have no idea of. The two sweet Ellith that you have been protecting are far from it. Aran Thranduil gave them specific instructions that they are to help Craban with the cooking of each meal. That was done for a reason. They have been making trouble with sly comments at the wrong times against the Prince and our Healer."

"I heard one earlier while you were seeing to the horses, so I can vouch for what the Captain is saying." Gailarphen made sure that Faergon was listening to what he was saying. "There is something wrong about those two."

"Given the emergency we have been dealing with and the fact that we all had to pull together, you will be shocked to know that Ruthwen and Imles expected to have everything done for them. They expected that they would be waited on hand and foot. Aran Thranduil would not have that. In the end, he was forced to give them an ultimatum; stop the comments, help with whatever needed doing or make their way back, on their own, to either Imladris or Mirkwood."

Bremoline noted that the Imladris warrior looked more shocked with each passing comment. "Their tasks, apart from help with the food preparation, were to see to the cooking fire at all times and to tend the privy after use by our wounded. That is what they have been doing. It is also what they will be going back to doing, without fuss, or I will carry out my earlier threat."

"Which was?" Gailarphen was interested to know what the threat was.

"It was to muck out the horses." He held up his hand as Faergon tried to protest that. "We have all had to do things during our wait here that we do not like. We have not complained and even Aran Thranduil joined in with any tasks that he could do, given that he was wounded." Bremoline had to fight to keep his face serious and stern when he heard the muffled snigger from Gailarphen.

"When you go back into the cave you will ignore the two Ellith. They will be once again helping at the fire. Thoronhen, I would like you to oversee the cooking from now on and you will be in charge of the two Ellith. I think it would be best if you, Craban, stayed away from them. You will be assisting me with the care of our injured. You, Faergon will be working with Hethuaur, I do not want to see you away from his side unless it is to see to private business or when you are sleeping. It is clear to me that you need supervision to keep you out of trouble. Who is your Captain?" Bremoline asked the now sullen-faced Imladris warrior.

"You have no right to do this. I am not under your command!" Faergon sounded affronted that a Wood Elf would treat him thus.

Gailarphen narrowed his eyes at this response. "Perhaps not, but you were placed under my orders. I agree with every comment made by Captain Bremoline. He also outranks you by two ranks. You would expect another of your level to respect your Captain's orders, give the Captain that respect in return. Both Hir Elrond and Hir Glorfindel will be hearing about this. I have watched all afternoon as you goaded Craban. Yes, what he did was wrong, but he was heavily provoked. Also I could see that he was horrified and troubled by his own actions. Now, answer Captain Bremoline. Who is your Captain? Or do I do this?" Gailarphen's voice was cold.

As the healer had been speaking, Faergon's attitude had changed. He had brought himself upright so that he was standing at attention and then at the mention of Elrond and Glorfindel's names he had blanched.

When Gailarphen had finished, Faergon spoke clearly and crisply. "Yes, Hir-nin. I apologise Captain Bremoline. My Captain is Ivorhen, he is with Hir Elrond's party at Fornost. I apologise to all of you for my behaviour. It is not fitting for a warrior to act thus. I apologise to you also, Craban, for my actions this afternoon. I know you from old and I should have known that you would not normally act thus unless greatly provoked. Will you accept my apologies?"

"Only if you will accept my apology as well, I should not have struck out at you." Craban was willing to accept his part in this incident. He still did not know why he had struck out as he had.

Bremoline turned to face Faergon. "Well, now that we have that out of the way, I should also let you know that I am a personal friend of your Captain. I will have no choice but to speak with him about this incident, but I will also add that you readily accepted your responsibility. You may go in with Hethuaur. Craban, please stay, I wish to speak with you."

It had not been lost on them that, although Craban had spoken with Faergon and had accepted his apology, he still stood at attention, awaiting punishment with grim acceptance written on his face.

Bremoline waited until Faergon returned to the cave before he spoke again. "Craban, Mellon-nin, stop berating yourself. We all know that you would not intentionally hurt any Elleth. I know how close I came to hitting them. I was this close." Bremoline was holding his thumb and index finger close, barely apart. "I do not hold you responsible. Aran Thranduil will understand, not that I will be telling him." Bremoline was smiling at his friend's astonishment. He had obviously been expecting to be disciplined. It struck Bremoline that he almost seemed disappointed that he was not.

Gailarphen placed a long-fingered hand on Craban's shoulder in assurance. "I agree with Captain Bremoline. Just stay away from those two, they are up to something. I know not what it is yet, but when you were fighting with Faergon, they were standing back, enjoying it. We need to watch..."

"Gailarphen! You are needed!" It was Nestoron's voice, raised in a loud cry from within the cave.

v-v-v-v-v-

Not one of them wasted a moment. They ran straight in and directly for the other healer. Bremoline found that his heart was pounding and he fully expected to see Legolas in the throes of another fit, but he was still sleeping peacefully as they had left him.

Nestoron knelt beside Thranduil! Ai, Valar! Not his heart, saes not his heart! Mirkwood would fall to the encroaching darkness. Legolas was too young to take over the throne and would very likely fade if his Adar died, there was no doubt of that.

He stumbled to a halt just inside the cave entrance, and leaned heavily against the cool rock wall. He did not wish to witness what he expected to see. Bremoline closed his eyes and stopped himself from hearing. He suddenly could not deal with this, not after everything else that had happened this day. This was the final straw. His own exhaustion was beginning to erode his self-control. He could feel the strands of his life beginning to unravel...

"Bremoline!" He could hear his name being called, but he did not want to open his eyes and see this new reality. "Captain Bremoline!" Someone was shaking his arm. He could ignore it no longer.

Bremoline opened his eyes to see Craban looking at him with wide-eyed worry. He blinked. "Craban? Aran...?" He could not bring himself to ask the question.

"He is awake and giving the healers trouble." Craban looked at him intently. "I think you should really try and get some sleep. You look exhausted."

Bremoline blinked in surprise. "Pardon?"

"When did you last sleep?" Craban watched as his Captain and friend stood there and had to think. "If you have to think about it, then it is too long. Come and sit by the fire. Aran Thranduil wants to speak with you." Bremoline let himself be led towards the fire.

It only became reality once more when he heard the familiar voice complaining. "I do not care what you say. I will sit next to my son and check him myself. You cannot keep me here!"

Yes, their King really was still with them and this was the truth. He shared a knowing smile with his friend. "Aran Thranduil asked to see me?"

Craban nodded, relieved that Bremoline no longer seemed ready to collapse on them as well. "Yes, Captain Bremoline." Now this was the warrior that he knew and respected. He watched as Bremoline took a deep breath then went to sit beside Thranduil.

"You wanted to speak with me, Aran-nin?" Bremoline took a critical look at his King.

v-v-v-v-v-

Slightly earlier...

Nestoron had just finished bandaging Calandor's hands after checking the progress of his burns. They were healing nicely. Doroniel had done a wonderful job on treating them. He looked up to see Faergon and Hethuaur return to the cave. Strangely they stayed together.

A low groan caught his attention then. He checked all his patients from where he knelt, next to Calandor. He looked to Lathron first, as he still seemed to be in pain. The last to be checked was Thranduil. Out of all of the injured, he was the most stable. The sound had come from the Mirkwood King, who seemed to be waking. Nestoron stood to make his way over to Thranduil, who was groaning and becoming more agitated by the minute. Nestoron soon realised that the King must be in the midst of a nightmare.

Thranduil suddenly blinked and opened his eyes fully. The King's blue eyes were full of confusion. Before the healer could get to him, Thranduil stood quickly, stumbling and almost landing on his face. Somehow, much to Nestoron's surprise, he actually made it to a standing position then, although he wavered like a leaf on a tree in autumn. There was a look of pain on his face.

"Aran Thranduil, please sit down. You are too unsteady on your feet." Nestoron tried to keep his voice calm.

Thranduil just looked even more confused. "Bremoline? Doroniel?"

"They are indisposed at the moment, Aran-nin."

"Indisposed? Where are they? What have you done with them? Who are you?" Thranduil sounded threatening. "Where is my son?"

"They are all asleep, Aran-nin. I am Nestoron, from Imladris."

"Elrond is here? When did Elrond get here?" He unsteadily looked around for his friend.

"No, Aran Thranduil. I came from Imladris with aid for you..." Nestoron quickly realised that Thranduil was very confused and did not realise who he was. They had not had time to be introduced this morning. "Please, sit down, and I will explain to you what has happened."

"No, I need..." Thranduil stopped in his tracks. He would not tell this stranger such intimate details. He was simply going to the privy. Surely, he did not need to know that.

"What do you need, Aran-nin?" He was willing to do anything that the King needed, if he would just sit and rest before he excited his heart too much and passed out again.

Thranduil just shook his head and tried to move away from Nestoron.

"Saes, Aran Thranduil, sit down. I can see you are in pain..."

"Aran Thranduil, May I help you?" Hethuaur came to the healer's aid.

"Hethuaur?"

"Yes, Aran-nin. How can I help?" Hethuaur stepped between Thranduil and the healer.

"I need to go outside." Thranduil was pleased to see a face he knew.

"I do not think that is a..."

Thranduil grew impatient when his wishes were stymied yet again. "I do not care what you think! I need to go outside and I then want to sit with my son. I also want to know what is wrong with Doroniel and Bremoline!" Thranduil looked regal in that moment, regal but in pain. His arms were crossed. It was evident that he was becoming angrier by the minute.

Hethuaur recalled the conversation he had overheard earlier about possible heart problems. It was not good for Thranduil to be doing this.

"I will help you, Aran-nin, just keep calm and sit while we get you something for your pain." Hethuaur tried to offer his arm to guide him back to his pallet, but Thranduil would have none of it.

"I have told you what I want. Now either you help me outside or I will go by myself!" Hethuaur hesitated, just a fraction too long for Thranduil's strained patience. Just that fraction of hesitation was all it took for Thranduil to decide to move on his own, just as he had warned. Unfortunately, his trembling body was not ready for it and he found himself pitching head-first to the ground as the pain in his feet flared once more. Hethuaur gasped and rushed forward with Faergon, both trying to catch him before he landed hard on the floor.

Nestoron had seen little of what occurred because he had taken a step behind the Mirkwood scout so he would not further disturb the King. When he saw them leap to the king's aid, he did not hesitate either and urgently called out. "Gailarphen! You are needed!" He did not think about his words. He did not consider that his words may cause worry and alarm. He simply meant it as a statement of fact.

The two other Elves helped lower Thranduil back down to the pallet that he had not long risen from. Once Thranduil had sat back and gotten his breath back he glowered fiercely at them.

"You had no right to do that!" Nestoron moved in to check him once more and Thranduil slapped at his hands. "Stop that! If you will not let me go outside, I want to see Legolas. You cannot keep my son from me! Either you will help me over to him or I will get there myself. Well?" Thranduil glared around as if he was unsure where he was.

Thranduil was oblivious of the hurried and worried entrance behind him. He did not hear them rush to his side, did not see Bremoline stop as they made it into the cave, did not see the colour leave the Captain's face sickeningly fast, did not see his Captain close his eyes and waver where he stood, did not see Craban rush to Bremoline's side.

"Where is Bremoline or Doroniel? Why are they not with Legolas? I want to see one of them. I do not care which one. Well? Fine, I will make my own way to... Gailarphen? Where did you come from?" The healer had just dropped to one knee beside him.

"I arrived this morning, Thranduil. Do you not recall?" Gailarphen was watching Thranduil critically from where he had knelt beside the King. He noted Thranduil was confused, pale and agitated, no, combative he decided, as Thranduil slapped aside Nestoron's hands again.

"No, why will you not let me see my son?" Thranduil glowered at him. Was this too much to ask?

Nestoron continued. "You are unwell. You must let us help you. You need it as much as Legolas. You need to stay there and let us help you."

"I do not care what you say. I will sit next to my son and check him myself. You cannot keep me here!" The more they tried to dissuade Thranduil from his self-appointed task, the more he insisted that he do so.

Then, suddenly, Bremoline appeared at the king's side as if from nowhere. He also looked far too pale for Gailarphen's liking. It showed up the thick dark rings under his eyes that had not been evident before. He also looked far more shaken that many Elves had ever seen him before.

"You wanted to speak with me, Aran-nin?" He had a smile for the King, but it seemed a bit strained at the moment.

"Bremoline, where have you been? They told me you were 'indisposed'! Have they hurt you, Mellon-nin? If they have..."

"No, Thranduil, I was taking care of some business outside." The scare that Bremoline had just experienced was enough motivation for him to do his best to calm the King down as fast as he could.

Thranduil nodded slightly. "Ahhhh, I understand that now. If they had simply said that, it would have saved a lot of argument. Actually, that is what I wanted to do, but they would not let me." Thranduil turned a scathing look to the Imladris healer at his side. "Was that your doing, Gailarphen? I would not be surprised."

Bremoline was pleased that Thranduil seemed to be calming with his presence.

"It is still raining outside and I do not think your feet are up to the trip again, if you recall the last that we took? Could I help you to the privy?"

"Not now, I seem to have lost the urge." He looked around for the young Mirkwood healer again. "Where is Doroniel?" Thranduil felt himself calming and he was less confused as he calmed. His nightmare had greatly frightened him. He could still recall it clearly. He had been looking for Legolas again. It had been dark... but worse than that was the feeling of dark malevolence and outright evil. That was what had brought him awake and so confused.

"She is sleeping, Aran-nin." It seemed that the less he spoke the more it calmed Thranduil.

"Really Bremoline, Mellon-nin, and how many times do I have to tell you to call me Thranduil? I am your friend and I always will be!" Thranduil chidingly admonished the Captain of his Home Guard, unaware of the look of utter surprise that crossed Gailarphen's face. Never had he seen the Mirkwood King this at ease with anyone, other than his own Lord and friend, Elrond

"Many, but you must forgive me if I occasionally forget. It is not easy for me." Bremoline gently sat down beside his King.

"I will bear that in mind, Mellon-nin. Now what I want is to go to Legolas." Thranduil smiled at his Captain, pleased that he was with him once more. Bremoline would understand his desire to be with Legolas.

"Legolas is in need of his sleep, Thranduil. Do you recall the last seizure that the Prince had?" Bremoline tried to keep Thranduil calm, if he could.

"Yes, you bathed him, but that was... was..." Thranduil looked towards the cave entrance and could see that it would not be long before dusk would fall. "Why is it so late? Why is it not raining? It was in the middle of a storm! Bremoline, what….?" He turned his head a little too fast back to the other Elf and groaned as the pain was reawakened and the dizziness returned full force. He clutched his head, trying to stop the spinning sensation.

Bremoline reached out to help Thranduil lay down when he saw the dizziness return, but the King tried to move away from him. "I do not need to lie down, I have just woken up. Saes, will you tell me..." They all watched as comprehension suddenly dawned. "I have slept all day?"

"Yes, Thranduil, you need the rest as well. The lightning strike has taken more out of you than we all realised." Bremoline was trying to explain without going into detail. The last thing they needed was to scare the King into thinking there was something seriously wrong.

"I know that! Doroniel told me that. Is she alright? I am worried about her. She has had no rest and practically nothing to eat. She is not well either." Thranduil watched Bremoline worriedly.

"She suffers the effects of the strike, like you, Prince Legolas, and Calandor, but with rest, she, like you yourself, will recover." Bremoline put emphasis on the word rest. Thranduil failed to catch the hint.

"I know that. All that I want is to see Legolas and make sure he is alright. Is that too much to ask?"

He was so immersed in watching Bremoline that Thranduil was unaware of anything else around him, so he did not see that the numbers in the cave had once more increased.

Hethuaur rose from the spot where he and Faergon had settled to greet the guard who had stepped in from the outside.

"We have company." Andras spoke with a very low tone that only they could hear.

"Do you know who it is?" They moved towards the cave entrance.

"Yes, it is Randis with Hir Elrond." The guard had to smile at the look of relief and surprise that passed over Hethuaur's face. How could they possibly be here this soon? They were not expected for at least two days.

"That is good news. That is very good news. How far away are they?" Hethuaur needed to get an accurate time to take back to the cave.

"Five to ten minutes. They are moving at a great rate. I believe that Randis is pushing them to their limits." Andras was smiling.

"He would have to, for them to be here this quickly. I need to inform the King. Please excuse us. Faergon we need to go back in."

v-v-v-v-v-

"All I want is to see Legolas. I will rest once I have done that! Stop telling me what I should be doing! Once I see my son you will have no arguments from me!" Thranduil was still arguing with Bremoline and Gailarphen. He sat with his arms crossed and for all of Ardhon he looked like a recalcitrant Elfling who was not getting his own way.

Hethuaur made his way over to the group who were being watched by the rest of the cave's occupants. Reaching the fire, he turned to Thranduil and bowed.

"Your pardon, Aran-nin, I must speak with Captain Bremoline for just one moment." Hethuaur suddenly found no amusement in the situation when he saw how grey and tired the King looked.

"Very well, if you must. See to what Hethuaur needs then, Bremoline." As Bremoline was taken aside by his scout, Thranduil turned to the Imladris healer he had known for centuries. "Gailarphen, I promise that if you let me see Legolas I will rest. I... I just need to see that he is alright. The last thing I can recall is that he was having a fit." The King had become a worried and frightened Adar within a heart-beat and Gailarphen's heart went out to him as he recalled Bremoline's words of earlier.

"Aran Thranduil, if you accept help, I will help you over to the Prince, but only if you accept aid from both myself and Rithlin."

"If that is what it takes to see my son, I will accept the aid." Gailarphen motioned for Rithlin to join him at Thranduil's side.

Rithlin had sat quietly near Doroniel's pallet, watching over her, after his black and swollen eye was tended by Nestoron. He did not blame Craban. It had been an accident and he had not moved fast enough to avoid it. He would speak with Craban. He could see that his friend still blamed himself for what happened.

The moment Thranduil was lifted to his feet again, he was very grateful for the help. His feet had not felt this bad before and he never would have made it on his own. It was pure sweet relief when he was seated next to the pallet that his small and frail son lay upon. He reached out with shaking hands to brush the blond hair from the pale face.

"He is so hot!" It was barely above a whisper, as if afraid to waken him.

v-v-v-v-v-

Dark angry eyes watched his every move. So, the Brat had once again claimed the attention of the Elves in the cave. She was getting bored and annoyed with this. Even unconscious, he took the attention away from her and the weak-minded fools had helped him get away from her. He should not be allowed to waken. She had finally snapped where he was concerned. When she married, they would all bow beneath her and beg for her forgiveness, but until then... Legolas would not stand a chance.

Her eyes left the King and she gazed at the Prince with blank eyes as she allowed herself to be drawn into him, into his power. Oh yes, she would enjoy this, she would enjoy this immensely...

v-v

Thranduil was unaware of the malicious look that he and Legolas were receiving. He just wanted to comfort his son in any way that he could. Reaching out with a shaking finger, he stroked the pale cheek. "Ada is here, Legolas. I will not let anyone harm you again, nin Dian Las..."

He was caught off-guard by the deep gasping breath that his son took before arching his back clear of the pallet and he began to fit once more.

It caught everyone else off-guard as well, for such a tender moment to become so terrifying.

Gailarphen was there, on Legolas' other side, in a blink of an eye.

Gailarphen's voice carried to all parts of the cave, his words crisp and clear. "Nestoron, I need more anti-seizure herbs brewing. I heard about the pit earlier, is it still warm, the water?"

Rithlin was the one to reply. "Yes, we have kept it ready, just in case!"

"Good! We may have need of it. Test it for me." It was not a request and Rithlin moved to do as he had been told.

Gailarphen rested his fingers on the pale throat. Legolas had made this easy. His head was thrown back. To Thranduil's horror, he was once again doing that awful eerie silent keening as he had the last time. Thranduil recalled the nightmare vision, all too clear now, horrifyingly clear.

"He's breathing!" Gailarphen could not believe the relief that flooded through him at being able to say those words. He was just about to snatch his hands away when the fast, uneven pulse gave a double beat…..and stopped. His expression said enough.

Legolas was no longer keening, but then, he no longer breathed either.

"Bremoline, massage his heart! I will breath for him! Nestoron I need herbs to clear his lungs and another to kick his heart!" They all moved into place like a well-versed team that had worked together before.

Bremoline did not even realise that he had pushed Thranduil down to the floor, but then, Thranduil did not realise it either. All he was concerned about was Legolas. The thin, grey Legolas before them. He appeared to be dead and already in Mandos' Halls and not the laughing, loving Elfling he knew. Thranduil was having trouble breathing again, excessive trouble breathing.

All movement in the cave stopped as the stunned Elves all realized the healers tried to save the life of their Prince and, unknowingly, the life of their King.

Craban stood to one side, his eyes wide with horror until he realised that Thranduil was in great distress. He crossed to his side to help him. As he moved, he noted the two Ellith sitting by the fire. Imles had an odd look on her face. Her eyes were blank and staring at the King. She looked as if she too were dead. Ruthwen was rigid in her seat, face pale and pained. She too stared at nothing, but her mouth moved silently as if in prayer. He shook himself away from that thought and turned his attention back to Thranduil.

Thranduil could not move and he gasped for breath in short, sharp pants. "Lay back, Aran-nin, it will help your breathing." He tried to lay the King down but Thranduil would have none of it. In the end, Craban knelt close behind Thranduil to keep him from falling. He did not realise he was also shaking until a cloak was placed over his shoulders and a blanket over Thranduil. The King didn't seem to notice.

Craban looked around and found Faergon kneeling next to him, a sad, forlorn look on his face. Craban found himself reaching out to the other Elf in comfort, although he was not sure for whom.

Bremoline meanwhile was pumping on the small chest. His own face drawn and grey. Sweat pouring down it, but not all was sweat. The mighty warrior was crying without even realising it. Tears streamed down to run off his chin and onto Legolas' blanket. He was wordlessly praying to the Valar to let the Elfling Prince live.

No one noticed when a figure in blue and grey ran into the cave. His steps faltered just a short distance into the cave. He wearily shook his head, causing his long raven-dark hair to fly about his head before he made his way swiftly to the fireside and the horrifying scene that met his eyes. Lord Elrond of Imladris had just arrived. Valar grant that it was in time.

"Continue with what you are doing, Gailarphen." Elrond already had his fingers on Legolas' carotid pulse and sighed grimly when he felt nothing.

"Nestoron? Glorfindel is com... here. Help him clear the cave immediately. Get everyone out who can be moved. I need space to work and Legolas needs the privacy."

He looked up to see Faergon comforting a Wood Elf who in turn was trying to comfort the hyperventilating Thranduil. "Faergon? Can you move Thranduil..." He got no further before Thranduil reached out and closed his hand around Legolas' undamaged ankle. He was going nowhere. The message was clear. "Alright Thranduil, you can stay. Faergon? Take your friend out and stay with him. Make sure the Mirkwood Elves are given warm drinks and comforted. I will let you know when you may return."

Elrond watched with impatience as the cave was emptied of its Elven inhabitants, though it happened quickly. Soon though, only his men, Thranduil and Bremoline remained. Even the two Ellith had been taken, carried from the cave. Calandor and Doroniel were left to rest where they were, however, because neither was expected to waken for some time. Imles had tried to fight and stay, but had lost the battle in the end. Her dark eyes shone in the rising moonlight and it looked to all of them as if she were on the verge of tears. Ruthwen remained unresponsive as she had been in the cave and Imles began to help her friend out of what looked like a trance.

Once the cave was empty, Glorfindel sat beside Thranduil and talked quietly, trying to comfort and calm him. Elrond took a deep breath and looked at Bremoline. "What you will see you must never speak of to anyone. Do I have your promise?"

His words came out in a sob as he continued the desperate rhythm with his hands on the small chest. "Yes. Just save the Prince!" Deep within his heart, he knew Elrond was the only one able to save Legolas. He was willing to promise anything to make it happen.

"We will speak later, I promise." Elrond then closed his eyes and raised his right hand above the Prince's head. A sudden bright glow caused Bremoline to look away. Once it had faded, he looked again. There, encircling the ring finger of Elrond's hand was the most beautiful ring he had ever seen in all his long years. It seemed to glow with an inner radiance and he could feel the cool power from where he knelt. A ring of power! This must be one of the three Elven rings of legend.

Eyes still closed, Elrond rested his right hand on Legolas' bruised and swollen forehead and the left over his heart. Gailarphen had stopped breathing for Legolas and took Bremoline's hands off Legolas' chest to allow Elrond access.

"What are you doing? The Prince will die if we stop!" Bremoline fought to shake the healer off.

"No, Bremoline, watch." Gailarphen nodded to Elrond as he gripped Bremoline's shoulder in reassurance.

When the Captain looked, he had to blink and shade his eyes again. Legolas and Elrond were surrounded by a beautiful white glow that brought comfort to him deep within. It had appeared as soon as Elrond's hand made contact with Legolas' heart. Unknown to them all was the fact that Thranduil was also included in this tableau. Not until Glorfindel reached for Thranduil to find him limp, eyes closed and glowing with the same gentle bright light did they realise that he still firmly held Legolas' leg.

Bremoline moved to break the King's tight grip, but Glorfindel stopped him. "It is too late for that. We can only wait." The blond Balrog-Slayer tried to reassure the shaken Mirkwood Captain.

"What is happening? What is he doing to Legolas?" Bremoline was becoming more and more confused. They needed to help Legolas, not sit back and watch him die as they currently seemed to be doing.

Glorfindel knew Captain Bremoline and was shocked at the grey pallor of his face. "Elrond is helping Legolas in the only way possible now. We can do nothing more but be here for them when they waken. You look like you could use a drink of miruvor."

Glorfindel and Gailarphen knew from past experience that this could take some time.

ooooo

Flashback to the battle with the Orcs, four days ago.

Legolas was frightened, as frightened as the day he had lost his beloved Nana. The tree whispered to him, tried to reassure him, but through its limbs, he could see his Adar in a battle with the terrifying monsters that scared him so much. Ada moved swiftly, as if by magic, his sword swirled and shined. Monster after monster fell to his blade. He saw his Adar even stop one of the terrible monsters before it could hurt Calandor, his new friend.

His entire body shook with fear and he could not keep from crying. He could only repeat to himself in a whisper, like a prayer. "Ada promised to come for me. Ada promised to come for me... they will not take Ada from me. Ada promised."

Legolas was torn between wanting to watch the battle and a desire to close his eyes and hide from the evil creatures he found so terrifying. He chose the latter and leaned into the tree, seeking the comfort that it offered him.

The storm seemed to get heavier and the darkness deeper, the only light was the lightning that flashed across the sky in answer to the thunder's deep rumble. Most Elflings of his age were normally terrified of nature's raw fury, but not the small Prince. He found it fascinating and awe-inspiring. He loved to stand in his window and watch as the storm played out before him. Many times, his father stood with him, if he could get away from court or other duties that too often claimed his time. There was something about this storm that did not feel right, though, it had begun to frighten him too. Something made his skin prickle and crawl.

The tone of the tree's voice changed to one of panic. It screamed at him to climb down and run for cover, it even seemed to push him to leave it. Legolas hesitated, his Adar had told him to stay where he was and in the safety of the tree. As he tried to decide what to do, he was given no choice. Something sharp clamped around his ankle and pulled at him. He looked down to see the hideous face of one of the monsters leering up at him, its filthy, long-clawed fingers digging into the flesh of his lower leg.

It licked its lips hungrily with a disgusting tongue before it spoke. "She sed I'd find ye in this 'ere tree, like an apple ripe fer the pickin'. Get down here ya tree-rat." It twisted and pulled at his small foot. There was a sharp pain and a loud sound as if a tree limb had broken. His scream was filled with all the pain and fear that suddenly consumed him. He wrapped his hands around the nearest limb, hanging on desperately.

The pain from his ankle stole his breath away and he tried to pull himself away from the monster that caused this hurt. He could feel the trees' sudden anger around him. It caused him to panic and he tried to pull himself away and climb back into the safety of the tree.

As he let go with one hand to grab at a higher branch, he felt another sharp hard pull and then he fell, unable to stop himself. His forehead connected with another thick limb and he was plunged into deep darkness.

oooooo

Legolas blinked himself awake and looked around. His breath hitched in his chest. Instead of the trees bearing the buds of spring, these were thin black horrible-looking things. The tree he had hidden in was charred black and strands of webbing were twisted among the skeletal branches. Webbing that was all too familiar - Spiders. How could the trees have changed in the blink of an eye? Where were the monsters? Where was his Ada? He could feel the panic rising within him. His Ada would not leave him, he promised!

He suddenly noticed that his ankle did not hurt and neither did his forehead. He realised then, if there were spiders about, he should not be sitting on the ground in invitation!

Where should he go and how would he find Ada? He shivered in fear. He did not like it here, it scared him. The monsters might find him again. He sniffled. What should he do? He didn't even know where he was.

He shakily stood on his feet and took a really good look around. The trees seemed to surround him and he shivered even harder. These were not the friendly trees of his forest. The darkness was not that of the darkness of night, this was even darker than that. Beyond the trees, there was nothing that he could see. He could see no starlight to guide him. Legolas did not know where to go and did not know where to start looking for his Adar.

He hugged himself. It was cold here as well, far colder than an Elf could stand. A strong chill wind began to moan around him, causing his hair to whip around his head. Nothing Legolas did could keep his hair controlled and he eventually gave up and just let it sting his face.

Legolas thought the best place to start looking for Ada would be here with the trees. They should know where his Ada was. He was, after all, the King of the Wood Elves.

He wasn't sure he wanted to, but he made his way over to the twisted tree that has been his friend. He took a deep breath then gently set his palm to the blackened bark. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate as he had when he first talked to the trees.

So, it's the tree-rat.

Legolas gasped. This was nothing like the friend he had made earlier. This tree's voice was cold and sounded just like the Monster from before and used the same words.

"I need your help, Master Tree."

Why should I help a nasty little tree-rat like you?

"B...Because you are a tree and I am a Wood Elf and you are my friend!" That was what his Ada had always told him, but this tree was beginning to scare him. He really was not sure if he liked it.

I do not have to help you, Tree-rat, and I will never help you!

Legolas looked up, startled by the animosity he heard in the voice, but he also felt it wash over him in frigid waves. Never had he felt such hate before and it chilled him to the bone. If that chilled him though, what he saw in the tree froze him to the spot.

Looking down at him was a blackened face, a face that looked like one of the Monsters. The eyes glared menacingly at him in the dark. The way it looked at him made him want to be anywhere but here.

He was so frightened that he could not speak. "I... I... I..." Legolas did not know what to either say or do. "I am sorry. I did not mean to bother you. I… I will leave." Legolas backed slowly away from the tree. He wanted to move faster but he was scared of what might happen if he did. His hopes died as something seemed to grip his ankle and trip him.

Where do you think you are going, Tree-rat?

"J...Just going." Legolas stuttered. He was so scared his teeth chattered. He tried to edge his way backwards, away from the tree. He stopped to cover his ears when the tree let out a cruel wheezing laugh.

You wouldn't be trying to get away from me, would you? It would not be wise. Who knows what nasty things may be out there?

Legolas found that he did not really care about what might be out there, he just did not want to be here with the tree! What he really wanted was his Nana or Ada.

Something wrapped itself around his wrist and he became more panicked than ever. A grey mist began to swirl around on the ground and slowly seemed to move towards him.

The Lady wants you gone, Tree-rat, and she gets what she wants. You will never see your Adar again. You will never leave here. You will become one of us.

Legolas breathed hard and tried to break the grip on his wrist with his other hand. Whatever held him, it had him in a painfully tight grip and Legolas sobbed with panic.

"N... nana? Saes, I want my Nana..." In his panic he didn't even remember that Nana was gone, killed by the monsters over a year ago. It did not make sense NOT to call for his Nana. Any time he had ever been scared or hurt she had always been there. "Saes, Nana!"

The tree laughed cruelly as the mist slithered ever closer. He could not get away. He wanted away from here and he wanted his Nana! Fear flooded him as the mist thickened. "Nana!"

Just as Legolas believed that he would never see either his Ada or Nana ever again, a bright glow appeared before him. It seemed to glimmer and then grow brighter. The nearer it came to Legolas, the brighter it became. As the light grew around him, enveloping him in the glow, he felt calmer. It was as if it was all for him, this glow, this love. He looked up with one last frightened sob and was shocked at what he saw, he did not know whether to cry again or laugh. It was his Naneth! His Naneth was here!

Nana smiled at him. Legolas had gone from being scared out of his wits to feeling calm and warm. At that moment he felt so loved and happy. She bent down to touch his face and in that moment the tree screamed then grew silent. Whatever had been holding him vanished as if it had never been there.

"Legolas, nin muin Legolas." Minerella held out her arms and Legolas did not hesitate, but flew as fast as he could into the warmth and safety of her embrace.

Once more tears rolled down his pale face, but this time from happiness, a joy greater than he had ever felt before.

"Nana, you came, you came! I called and you came!"

"I will always be here when you need me, Legolas. How could I leave you so frightened?" Minerella brushed the tousled hair from his face before kissing him gently, breathing in his unique scent.

"That tree was nasty, Nana, it scared me. He was going to hurt me, why would a tree hurt me?" Legolas held her with all his strength.

"He is not a real tree, Dian Las, and I will make him go away. I promise he will never hurt you." Minerella rocked her child and tried to calm him once more. Legolas was content to remain here wrapped in her arms.

Long minutes passed while the tree moaned. As soon as Legolas had calmed in her arms she turned to the tree. The hideous face on the tree grimaced as if in great pain while its limbs waved in distress. The mist had vanished and the dark seemed to have receded somewhat.

"You will leave here and never again touch my son." Minerella's voice was hard.

We will have him. He is ours and he has been marked. You can't keep him safe. You can't always protect him.

"My son will never be one of yours. You are a creature of evil as your mistress and in turn her master. You say he has been marked? Perhaps he has, but not as one of their kind. Well, take this message to your mistress. It is the will of the Valar that my son shall remain safe. He is destined to be a courageous Elven warrior with a love of nature that is unrivaled by any that has been or will ever be. He will be known for great deeds throughout Arda. You may try to hurt him but it will fail. Begone and leave my son alone!" Minerella raised her hand and a bright white light shot from it. As it hit the black and twisted tree, the whole vista changed.

Where the dark had been, there was now bright golden sunshine and birdsong filled the air. The trees were brilliant with green leaves and the air seemed to be alive with love and happiness.

"There, my darling, it has gone. Rest, I am here. Sleep." She began to sing an old favorite lullaby. Legolas yawned before blinking his suddenly-tired eyes and with a smile he sank back into sleep, filled with happiness at being in his mother's arms once more.

oooooo

Bremoline was not sure how long they sat there. It seemed like hours for the shaken warrior. It was fully dark now and Gailarphen had left the cave once to give the worried group outside news that the Prince was stable and still with them. He also took provisions so that they could have hot food and drink. It was a blessing that this was the first night in weeks that the sky had cleared and there was no rain.

He carried a message for Hethuaur from Bremoline, saying that if he was not asleep, he would be in trouble. Gailarphen had not needed to pass it on for Hethuaur was bundled into a cloak and deep in an exhausted sleep, with eyes closed, next to Faergon.

It had amused Bremoline greatly to hear that Faergon would not leave the Mirkwood warrior's side. On top of that, Craban hovered protectively next to them. It seemed that a new friendship had sprung up between the previous antagonists.

The only worrying news that Gailarphen brought back was that Ruthwen wore a smug look on her face.

They had just settled back and become comfortable once more when Elrond gave a huge convulsive lurch, throwing his head back, in pain or concentration, they could not tell which. The anxiously waiting group was stunned to see silver tracks where tears were running down Elrond's face. They all shared worried looks and seemed about to take action of some sort when Elrond settled back to his previous stance, the tears drying unheeded on his cheeks.

"What was that?" Bremoline hardly dared ask in the silence.

"I do not know. I have never seen anything like it. Gailarphen?" Glorfindel asked the healer.

"You have known Elrond longer than I, Mellon-nin. But, no I have never seen this before." Gailarphen sounded as puzzled as Bremoline felt. "He seems to have settled once more. How is Aran Thranduil?"

"He has not moved." Glorfindel could not hide his worry.

ooooooo

Elrond was dismayed as he pushed further into Legolas' fea. Normally, an Elfling's fea was bright and happy. Legolas' fea, however, seemed to be burdened with fear and hurt. It pained him to see just a small part of that hurt in one so young. He vowed that once Legolas was back with them, he would help him heal from these hurts. He would not be able to take away all the pain and fear, but he could help. As he sank deeper searching for the spark that represented the core of Legolas' being, he was gripped by these sensations and had glimpses of his thoughts and emotions. Legolas felt things quite strongly for one of his age.

Now he had to thread his way through the darkness and towards the light. He reluctantly made his way, unaware that he was crying for the pain this youngling had been through and knowing just how much he would have to face in the future.

He was not aware that he was not alone on his journey, that his friend was following him closely.

oooooo

Legolas was warm, warm and loved, just as he had wanted to be all of the last year. Somewhere inside he knew that his mother could not truly be here with him, he knew this could not be real and yet it felt so real, so real and so right.

He sleepily blinked his eyes as he woke up once more, His own arms lay against his chest, but he was still held in his mother's warm arms. He looked around. Night had fallen and the stars winked down at him. He could not help smiling up at them. He no longer felt so afraid. How could he with his Nana there?

His Ada would be worried about him and scared with all those monsters around. He had to find him!

"Nana? I have to find Ada. He will be scared and worried for me." Legolas kept his voice calm, tried to keep himself from showing how terrified he was at the thought of possibly being close to the monsters once more.

"I know, Ion-nin. He is safe, but worried about you. He loves you as much as I do. He also needs you more. Wait here and he will come to you. I can wait a while, but I have to go soon. As soon as I know they are near. I will leave then. Rest and sleep until then I will not let anything harm you." Minerella smiled down at her son as he snuggled deeper into her arms.

"He misses you." The voice was sleepy. "I do not want you to go. I want to stay with you. Nana."

"I know and I miss him also, Penneth. We will meet again, all of us."

How long they sat like that Legolas would have no way of knowing. He slept in between times waking from a nightmare, panicked and short of breath sure that the monsters had returned. He was shivering with cold, his teeth chattering as his mother calmed him down once more.

Then once he was calm she sang him back to sleep, her hand brushing through his hair.

oooooo

Elrond was searching for that spark of light. Once he found it amongst all that pain and darkness they could begin the healing process to a point where he could bring Legolas back from that darkness. He just did not have that much time in which to so.

He also knew that much more than Legolas' life depended on the outcome of this. More than those around him knew. Galadriel had 'spoken' with him on their long journey to the cave. There was a great evil at work here, they had both felt it. It was currently focused on Legolas, but they all know that it would not remain so. All they knew was it was the same evil that had taken Minerella and almost taken Legolas just slightly over a year ago.

They would all need to be on guard and careful for the foreseeable future. He was also worried that he had made the wrong decision to bring his twin sons to Fornost with him. They could be endangered as well. He knew they were safe there, for now. Galadriel would have informed him otherwise. His hope had been that they would be able to help Legolas over his grief. He just hoped they got that chance.

Then... there! A small weakened light. He did not hesitate, but headed straight towards the dim glow. He slowed down, and then stumbled wearily to a halt. He blinked and then blinked again. He could not believe what he saw. Legolas lay closely protected in Minerella's arms. He could not be seeing Legolas lying in the arms of his dead mother? Could he?

Could he have been wrong with his initial assessment? Could Legolas have been nearer to entry into Mandos' Halls than he thought, or fading? Or was he himself more exhausted than he thought and hallucinating?

Minerella looked up at him. "Suilad, Elrond, mellon-nin. I knew you would come for Legolas. He is scared and wants his Adar. I knew you would come to lead him back." Elrond blinked and once more tears began to fall.

"Minerella? Is that really you?" He wanted nothing more than for it to be true.

"Yes, Elrond it is I. I have been sent back to aid Legolas until you could come for him. He needs your help."

"I know. He is fading."

"No, Elrond, he has been targeted by a great evil. That is what he faces. It used the trees to attack him. He needs to be with his Ada, Elrond he need..." Legolas began to keen and buck in her arms.

"Take him!" She thrust her son into his arms. "He needs your help now, Elrond, not me." She gave him a sad, bitter-sweet smile. "Please tell him I love him?"

"He knows that, Minarella, he has seen you."

"Not Legolas, Thranduil."

"Oh, yes, of course." She smiled sadly at him once more and then vanished like morning mist blown away by the winds.

Elrond gathered Legolas more securely into his arms and began to pull back. He needed to get Legolas back where he was safest, with his father.

oooooo

Thranduil blinked as he looked around. He seemed to be flying through the air. One minute he had been lying in the cave when Elrond arrived and Legolas had stopped breathing, then he had clamped his hand about his son's ankle to stop them from moving him from his side and then...suddenly, he was here, wherever this was.

H seemed to slow and gently came to a full stop. The dark gave way to light and a calm sense of peace seemed to flood through him. A peace he had not felt in a long time. A peace he had felt only with his wife.

Eagerly, he looked around. There, out of the darkness, she appeared, Minerella, his beautiful melethril, Minerella. Neither spoke. They had no need of words after all of the time they had spent bonded one heart to the other. A low sob escaped him that was echoed by Minerella as they rushed at each other, each eager only to be in the arms of the other, neither shamed by the tears that poured down their faces, tears of loss and of joy intermingled.

His voice was soft and plaintive. "Minerella, muin melethril. I cannot tell you how much I have missed you." He held her enfolded in his arms as if he feared she would disappear if he did not hold her there, as if he would never let her go ever again. He kissed her gently then lowered his face and did something he would possibly never have the opportunity to do ever again. He buried his face in her hair. It was something he had always loved, immersing himself in her golden tresses.

"Melethron-nin, I know, Thranduil, as I have missed you. Meleth, I must speak with you. I was sent…"

Thranduil drew back in sudden fear and would not let her continue. "No! You cannot take Legolas with you! I need him here with me!" He was crying even harder.

"Thranduil, listen to me! Legolas..."

"If you take him...I will follow. I cannot remain in this world without him… without you."

"Thranduil, meleth. Saes. Listen to me!" She waited until he could calm himself before she spoke again. "I have not come to take Legolas from you. He needs you and Middle Earth has need of you both. I came because our son needed me. Elrond has Legolas safely in his care now. I am here because I bring you a warning. There is darkness and pain ahead for you both. It will be hard, but you will both weather it. Remember always, meleth, I will watch over you, but I cannot stay and you cannot follow now. One who desires to be close to you is not what she seems. Be wary. Another uses her against her will and deceives her. They mean great harm to Legolas. They have tried many times now. They must continue to fail. If they succeed, my sacrifice will have been for naught. This time they came too close and I was sent here to give you and Elrond time. Please remember I love you, you are the world to me. Look after my baby. I do not wish to see either of you pass through Mandos' Halls. I can tell you that we will all meet again on the white shores of Valinor someday. The Valar watch you both and you will have many years until we will all be together again. Look after him and tell him I love him." Minerella kissed him long and hard before reluctantly pulling away.

"I love you. I will remain strong for our son, I promise you. We will both be strong. Thank you, Melethril, thank you for saving Legolas. I would not have survived losing both of you. I nearly followed you when they brought your broken body and our son back to me that day. I do not want to be parted from you again." Tears fell anew from his blue eyes and she wrapped him in her arms.

"You will not be, Thranduil. Legolas is with you, he needs you. I must leave you now, but when you hear the warm summer winds blowing in the trees, I am with you still. I love you."

Thranduil reached out to hold her once more only to find himself in darkness and alone.

ooooooo

There were few sounds heard in the cave save for the crackling of the fire that Bremoline tended and the occasional shift of a tired horse. The last thing that they needed now was for the Prince to be chilled. He was extremely vulnerable at present. At least, Bremoline hoped he was still able to be sensitive and vulnerable to the cold. It would mean he yet lived.

The three of them had picked at the food that Thoronhen had quietly brought to them at the cave mouth. He had kept his anxious face averted from the trio that still held so frighteningly still by the fire. He had not dared to look at them, afraid of what he would see.

They had heard all of the queries from those outside at Thoronhen's return from the cave, though he could not tell them any more than they already knew.

After the group in the cave had eaten, they each had a drink of the miruvor that Glorfindel had brought with him and resumed their silent vigil over the Elven Lord, the Mirkwood King and the tiny Elf Prince

Bremoline fidgeted. It felt so wrong to sit like this and do nothing to help. He looked around for more wood for the fire. He could at least stack that and make sure they had plenty to hand. He went quietly about his self-appointed task before he went to check on both Doroniel and Calandor. Gailarphen had deemed them both too ill to be moved outside. Both still slept deeply, although Calandor had his eyes slightly open now. It was a great relief to Bremoline to see that and it could only mean that the archer was recovering from his ordeal. He knew that it would be a long time before Calandor could return to his post on patrol, but at least he would recover with time.

Full night had fallen now. The moon and the stars were shining from a clear sky for the first time on this journey, although those in the cave were unaware of this. Outside, machinations had been in progress, since they had received no news on Legolas' condition in what seemed a long while. They all wanted news. This caused much heated conversation as to who should be the one to go into the cave and gather such information. This was watched by Ruthwen with a sarcastic amused grin on her face. Imles was asleep by her side, causing no trouble for the Lady. She would soon be rid of the annoying, weak Elleth. Then she could truly work to realize her plans for making her dreams come true, without having a clinging, whining sycophant always expecting help. As soon as the Prince was out of her way, she could really begin to work on the King. She would be Queen before anyone knew what really was going on...

In the end, and much against his own wishes, Craban was the one chosen to go and speak with his Captain. He entered the cave as if he was walking to his own execution. He was watched by them all, apart from the lucky, or exhausted, few who had been able to go to sleep.

Ruthwen watched as her devious smile grew. Oh, this was good. This was just what she needed. With a quick look around, she closed her eyes and concentrated hard. Below her, on the ground, Imles seemed to squirm in discomfort in her sleep and a deep frown marred her brow.

Bremoline looked up as Craban walked in. Like Thoronhen, he had deliberately kept his face turned away from Legolas.

"Craban, what are you doing in here? Prince Legolas needs privacy right now." Bremoline was not impressed that orders were not being followed and his voice was hard. He was more than exhausted, he was stressed on top of that and now his men had decided to rebel on him!

"We just wanted to know how..."

A loud, deep gasp filled the cavern causing all eyes to look at Elrond, Thranduil and Legolas. Legolas seemed to be fighting Elrond. He was trying to squirm away and seemed to reach for someone, someone who was not there. Suddenly, after one last convulsion, he again went limp under Elrond's hands. Horrified, all four of them moved closer to offer what aid they could, if any.

They all stopped, held rigid with fear when they clearly saw Elrond's pale face, it again glistened with a silver sheen of tears. Thranduil, too, was crying, even more frightening than Elrond's response was the look of utter loss and despair upon Thranduil's grey face. Apart from their laboured breathing, they made no move at all.

Bremoline turned to Glorfindel to ask for advice, but from the stricken look on the blond warrior's face he feared he already knew the answer to his question.

That Prince Legolas Thranduilion was no longer among the living...

OOOOOOO

To be continued...

OOOOOOO

How's that for a cliffy? (Sinister laughter.)

Translation from Sindarin (Elvish)

Adar, Ada – Father, dad

Aran, Aran-nin – King, My King

Ardhon - world

Elleth, Ellith – Elf-maiden, Elf-maidens

Fea – soul, spirit

Gweth - Manhood

Harn - Wounded

Hir, Hir-nin – Lord, My lord

Ion-nin – My son

Mae govannen – Well met (greeting)

Meleth - love

Melethril, Melethron – lover (fem., masc.)

Miruvor – Cordial of the Elves. Miruvor was a warm and fragrant clear liquid. Its special property was to give the drinker renewed strength and vitality. – Source: The Thain's Book site.

Nin Dian Las – my Little Leaf

Nin muin Legolas – My dear Legolas

Penneth – Young one

Saes – Please

Suilad – Hello (greeting)

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Daw the minstrel: Thank you. Suspicious about the 'Witches'? why would that be? Innocent blink! We are glad you like it...

Deana: LOL, so glad that you like it, As you say poor thema dn yes they are in need of serious help...

Zammy: Nope sorry not Vilya and not Elrond. Here's your update!

Jenetri: Thank you! You will have to wait and see if they all get well...

Karon Evertree: Thank you. yep, Calandor's awake and he's joking! We're glad that you love Bremoline, we do too. As for Thranduil more of that in this chapter.

Kel: Thank you, we do to but lets wait and see!

Sindauviel: Blushes, sorry. Thank you, though! Legolas? You will have to read on...

Mistopurr: Silly, silly, the warning was there for a reason! LOL. You named the spider? ROTFL! That is so funny! It wouldn't last that long in my house, them or me! I'd move out! This chapter is even longer, I'm afraid. Sorry if Legolas' leg freaked you out.

SilverWolf7: Of course I don't mind you calling me Shell, Hi! Thank you for your kind words. Go do the Nursing course! It was the best thing I ever did, wonderful prefession, hard and sat at times but worth it. We're glad you like Doroniel, we worked hard so that she wasn't a MS, hate those. There will be more of her and Calandor. The last point you raised is mem I'm afraid. Nature still has to take its course, why hide it? Any medical help you need for your stories all you have to do is ask. I won't mind!

Well, that's it for the minute, more very, very soon...

Love,

SSS