Chapter 7

Legolas's POV

The octopus continued to follow after us and so I was forced to stay behind and slow it down. I shot an arrow at its right eye in the hopes that if slightly blinded he would not be quick. When it screamed in pain I turned and began running back inside of the doorway. I saw Adette kneeling on the ground, Aragorn's arms wrapped around her waist to keep her upright.

"Adette! Adette!" I cried, running to them. I dropped to my knees beside Aragorn and reached out to stroke her cheek. Her eyes were closed, her lips slightly parted Her head had fallen against Aragorn's shoulder. "Dúlin?"

"She's fainted Legolas." He didn't hide the concern in his voice for her, and looked down at her stone face.

"Is she alright?" Frodo's face was horrified as he leaped down from Boromir's arms. He stood on the other side of Aragorn, looking down on her as well.

Suddenly she let out a faint sigh, and her lips closed. Slowly her eyes fluttered open, slightly glazed over. She blinked a few times before registering the faces surrounding her.

"M-mani marte?" She breathed, lifting her head from her brother's shoulder. He did not unwrap his arms from around her as she slowly kneeled upright.

(What happened?)

"You fainted. Lle anta yulna en alu?" I asked as Adette's hands suddenly flew to her neck. She pulled the top of her tunic up, shaking her head.

(Do you need a drink of water?)

"I'm fine now." She slowly got to her feet as Aragorn's arms left from around her. Frodo handed her sword to her, which she must have dropped when she fainted. She took it and gasped when the weight brought her arm down.

"No you aren't." I rushed forward but she backed away. She then tried to sheathe her sword again, this time succeeding.

"Now let's go." She looked set on her decision.

"We now have but once choice." Gandalf interrupted us, walking ahead of everyone. "We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard. There are older and fouler things than orcs, in the deep places of the world."

He led us by his lit staff. I marched right past Aragorn, Gimli, and the Hobbits. Without stopping I grabbed Adette and threw her easily over my right shoulder. I would have been happy to carry her but she wouldn't let it go without a fight. She began punching my back and wriggling about.

"Put me down Legolas! Amin delotha lle!"

(I hate you!)

I only chuckled at her harsh words, knowing that she did not mean them. She continued to shout at me and punch me until Gandalf turned back to face us.

"Quietly now. It's a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed." He rolled his eyes at our argument before turning back around to continue on.

"Lle tela?" I asked quietly once she gradually stopped punching me.

(Are you finished?)

"Hmph."

I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her forward to carry in my arms. It was much easier and much more comfortable for the both of us although she wouldn't admit it. She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled.

"I can walk." She muttered angrily.

"Sleep." I ordered gently, looking down. The second I did she looked down, still scowling. Her eyebrows were pulled together.

"No." She argued in a hard voice. She did, however, lean her head against my chest.

"Kaima." I repeated, pulling her closer.

(Sleep.)

When she didn't answer I looked up. The walls were lit dimly by Gandalf's small light. Aragorn looked back, smiling when his eyes fell upon Adette. He looked as though he was trying to keep from laughing. I looked down to see that she had fallen asleep. Her arms slowly fell limply away from her chest.

"Oh!" I took her arms and wrapped them around my neck carefully. "Quel kaima Adette."

(Sleep well Adette.)

We stopped several hours later to sleep for the night. I laid Adette close to the fire we had built, taking my cloak from around her. She was slipping in and out of a feverish sleep, her shaking becoming worse. Her teeth chattered.

"I don't think it's hypothermia but it could be pneumonia." I told Aragorn when he came to help me. He pressed a wet piece of cloth to her forehead, smoothing it down onto her skin. Water dripped down her temples and into her hair.

"She needs rest and warmth to her body." He looked up. "We should probably change her clothes as well. Is there anything else for her to wear?"

"I brought along an extra tunic just in case." I went to the saddlebags and searched for it. The tunic was a burgundy color with a black belt around the waist. The sleeves were long and white and should keep her arms warm. I returned with it as Aragorn gently lifted his sister and led me behind a large rock.

"Lle anta amin tu?" He asked, laying her down against the cool ground.

(Do you need help?)

"No." I began pulling off her tunic as Aragorn returned to the fire. She began shivering more as the clothes left her body, and I apologized quietly as I tried to quickly redress her. She opened her eyes but once.

"Amin hiraetha." She whispered.

(I'm sorry.)

"Mani?" I asked curiously as she tried to sit up. She fell back into my arm as it shot out to stop her fall. She weakly lifted her head, raising a hand as if to touch her neck. Before she could it dropped limply into her lap before she was asleep again.

(What?)

She's tired. I thought as I carried her back to the camp. Aragorn was sitting next to Boromir, smoking his pipe. Gandalf was sitting with Frodo on a rock farther from the fire. Everyone else was sitting on their bedrolls, trying to get warm. I laid Adette on her own bedroll, covering her with my cloak and Aragorn's, which I assumed he had left for her.

"How is the lass?" Gimli asked suddenly. I was surprised – it was the first time that he had spoken civilly to me. I looked away from her to look at Gimli. He sat on the opposite side of the fire, smoking.

"Weak. She needs much rest." I replied grimly.

"I hope she'll be alright Pri-Legolas." Sam offered, shoving a piece of lembas bread into his mouth. He made a funny face but swallowed it anyways.

"Thank you Sam, I'm sure she will be."

Frodo then joined Sam beside the fire, looking a bit troubled. He stared in the flames for quiet some time before lifting his head in my direction. He looked once at Adette as she slept before turning back to me.

"Legolas?" He asked in his soft, calm voice.

"Yes Frodo?"

"What does…dúlin mean? I've heard you call Adette that before." He struggled with the word but I understood what he meant. I smiled.

"It means, 'nightingale'."

"It's very fitting."

"I wonder why you two don't have any children running around yet." Pippin agreed. "She'd make a good mother."

"Adette can't bear children." I admitted quietly, offering a sad smile to the Hobbits. They looked deeply saddened by what I had told them. "She was…raped by an orc during our first year of marriage. He destroyed her womb."

FLASHBACK

I cared not of the noise I made as I ran through the forest, my feet snapping dead branches and scattering fallen leaves. My eyes were burning with anger and hatred as I remembered Adette's beaten and bloody body back in Mirkwood. She had looked so vulnerable and weak, and that was not my Adette.

The band of orcs could not have gotten far, for night had fallen and they would be stopping to rest overnight. From where I was running I could see the glow of fire from around a bend. My pace quickened and I arrived in only minutes.

Crude tents were pitched in different areas of the quarry. Many orcs were gathered around the fire while others were cackling and talking about other things. I took out my bow and got an arrow ready. I would get revenge whether or not I died doing it. An orc had gotten up and was wandering my direction.

"Gurth gothrim lye!" I bellowed for all to hear. The arrow went right through the unsuspecting orc's head. The orcs all looked up to seem me standing there.

(Death to our foes!)

"Who are you?" One asked in a monstrous voice, standing.

"You soiled and hurt something of mine." I spoke in a softer voice. I then rushed into the pack of orcs, my sword slashing off arms and heads at left and right. It didn't take them long to begin fighting back. Blood spurted from the stump of an orc's arm and he howled in pain. I was quick to end it by plunging my sword into his chest, drawing it out quickly to push through the face of an advancing orc.

When I thought I had slayed them all I fell to my knees. Suddenly something kicked the side of my face and I fell back. A foot pinned me down by my chest and I looked up to see a bloody orc standing over me.

"Ah, so you're the one." His voice was high pitched and crackly. "Throduk, come out here!"

I turned my head to see a gigantic orc emerge from a tent. His skin was the color of charcoal, dark green war painted splashed onto his abdomen and chest in odd designs. His teeth were jagged and yellow, drool dripping from them. His hair was pulled into a ponytail on the top of his head.

"So he's her husband eh?" He questioned the other orc, pulling out his own weapon. It was a sword with an oddly shaped tip. When he said this I tried to fight against the orc's foot, but he only pressed harder.

"What should we do with him?"

"Let him up Kraggath, he wants his revenge." Throduk laughed menacingly as Kraggath removed his foot. When he had I grabbed a knife from my waist and flung it into his chest. He gasped in pain, staggering back. When he fell I retrieved my beloved knife and turned back to Throduk.

"You will die." I promised in an icy tone, swinging my sword after I had picked it up from the ground.

"Did she?" He grinned and I could no longer contain myself. I charged at him, yelling in fury as my sword met his. Our swords clanged and clattered against each other all around the camp. The stench of death and blood began to overpower my senses and I became ravenous. I leaped at Throduk, sending my sword straight through his lower abdomen.

"You will never again haunt Middle Earth." I promised him, sheathing my sword. He fell back onto the ground, still alive. He tried to get up but I kicked him in the ribs and sent his sword flying through the air. I then took out my bow and ended his pain with an arrow between the eyes.

END OF FLASHBACK

As if on cue, Adette began to whimper loudly. She moved around in her sleep as if fighting against someone. I turned and pulled her up into a hug right away. She continued to shake and whimper as I held her close.

"Vanimle sila tiri, dúlin. Oio naa elealla alasse'. Amin mela lle, nîn herves."

(Your beauty shines bright, nightingale. Ever is thy sight a joy. I love you, my wife.)

Slowly her whimpering stopped and she settled back into an almost peaceful sleep. She still shook a little. As I pulled her away to lay her down again I noticed bruises on her neck. I leaned in closer and saw that they had been made by fingers. Someone had tried to strangle her.

"Who did this?" I asked quietly, looking up at everyone in the circle. Everyone looked at me with blank expressions. I laid Adette back down and stood. "I said," I unsheathed my sword, "who did this?"

"Sheathe your sword and I'll tell you." Gimli said sharply. I did as he requested, waiting for him to tell me. "It was Boromir."

I looked over in the direction of Boromir and Aragorn. Boromir was sitting a few inches from Aragorn, looking away from him. Their backs were to me. I let out an animalistic roar and ran at him, grabbing him around the waist and launching him down the rocky hill.

"Legolas!" Aragorn jumped to his feet and grabbed my shoulders.

"He tried to strangle Adette!" I wrenched myself from his grasp and tackled Boromir, who had stood, back down onto the hill. We wrestled on the ground, the terrain scraping my back when he held me down. Before a punch could collide with my face I moved my head to the side and flipped us over. His knuckles were scraped and bleeding from hitting the rocks. I balled up my fist and hit him in the face, holding his collar with the other hand.

"Legolas! Legolas!" Adette's voice cried. I felt fingers around my wrist, pulling back my fist before I could hit Boromir a third time. I turned to see her fall back in exhaustion as she let go of me.

"Adette-"

"It's the Ring. It's tainting his mind and making him do things he wouldn't normally do. Please forgive him, I already have." She said between breaths.

I turned away to look at Boromir who was unconscious.

"Aragorn, sana ho." I muttered, rising to my feet. I gathered Adette's body in my arms and carried her back up the hill as Aragorn passed me to go and collect Boromir. He looked furious about his sister but remained calm.

(Aragorn, take him.)

"Lle awra?" Adette asked as I laid her down on her bedroll. Her hand reached out and took mine. I made a fist and she kissed the knuckles before prying my hand open. She shook her head.

(Are you hurt?)

"Kaima dúlin." I kissed her forehead lightly before sitting back to keep an eye on her. I looked up to see Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin all huddled together. When they saw me looking they all got up and wandered away.

(Sleep nightingale.)

Great, now they're afraid of me. I thought sarcastically. I smoothed back Adette's hair and watched as Aragorn lugged Boromir to the camp and set him down on a bedroll.

"We must be aware of him." I told him as he sat down next to Adette's head. He sighed heavily and nodded in agreement.