Chapter Ten

The Last Defense

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All he could feel was a dull pain. He didn't know from what, he couldn't remember…he just felt the pain.

Aragorn opened his eyes and blinked, his vision more than a little bleary. He couldn't recognize anything around him, couldn't remember…all he knew was that he was in a strange bed, in a strange place…

A figure stood near the door as several others passed out of it…then the door closed, and the person walked towards him, becoming clearer with each step he took. He recognized the eyes…the brilliant silver blue eyes that shone so gloriously…

"Inzil, thank the Valar, it's you…"

And then it all came rushing back.

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Legolas still felt the urge to hold Aragorn, but he fought it. He had work to do. He crossed to the wardrobe and opened it, and picked out the clothes he had arrived in. he stripped off his shirt and replaced it, and then replaced his new breeches with the old ones. He found a bit of ribbon from a dress uniform and tied his hair up with it, then returned to Aragorn.

He knelt next to him, and began to examine the wound in his shoulder. He could see that the arrow had gone almost all the way through, and that none of the cloth had gone with it. He reached out to peel away the cloth, and see exactly the extent of the damage underneath, but Aragorn pulled away.

Legolas looked up at him quizzically.

"I am just trying to help you…"

"You abandoned me, you and the others, and that got me into this mess."

Legolas could see the hurt in his eyes, and it hurt him too. He hadn't wanted to leave, he had wanted to stay…

"Please, Aragorn, I never wished for this to happen to you, I would have rather stayed with you…but I have other responsibilities…"

"But you left."

Legolas was silent for a moment, then placed a slim hand alongside his face, brushing back a few strands of his hair as he did.

"You told me that you trusted me…and that I should trust you too…I trust you Aragorn, but do you trust me?"

Aragorn just looked at him for a moment, then sighed, and put his hand up to Legolas's for a moment before replying.

"I guess I have to, don't I?" he smiled slightly, then let his hand go, still looking at him intently.

Legolas nodded, and then peeled back the blood soaked cloth.

It didn't look pretty. He kept his face neutral, and crossed to his medicine chest, and pulled out several things he would need for the healing.

He laid out his supplies on the bed, and then turned to Aragorn.

"You have two options. Either I cut your sleeve off entirely, or we take off your whole shirt. Either way, it's not salvageable…"

"Just cut the sleeve off…"

Legolas nodded, and took off the sleeve, along with some of the shirt itself. Aragorn grimaced in pain as Legolas lifted his arm, and saw that though the skin on the other side was not broken, the arrow was nearly through, making a distortion that was rather large in the skin. He grimaced himself. This complicated matters a bit. He looked up at

Aragorn, who trusted him so completely…

"This is going to hurt quite a bit…" he trailed off, an idea coming to him. "Yell as loud as you want…it will make them think I am doing my job."

"What?"

"The others…someone will most assuredly be posted nearby—they are expecting me to be torturing information out of you…"

Aragorn looked at him shocked, but nodded all the same. Legolas tried to smile reassuringly, but it came out as more of a grimace. He set his mouth in a determined line, and placed his stiletto lightly on his skin. Then, in one fluid motion, he slit Aragorn's arm open, revealing the tip of the arrow as he did.

Aragorn cried out in agony, his face reflecting the pain in his arm. Legolas ignored the cry and kept working, stopping for only a moment to sponge off some of the blood that was coming from both side of the wound now, covering his own hands and arms.

He stared to push the arrow out through the new cut, but it would not move very far. Legolas tried to brush some of the hair out of his eyes, but only managed to smear blood onto his visage. He pressed Aragorn's arm up close to him and split the wound open further, eliciting more cries of pain. The arrow was caught on the bone, and it was keeping it from moving any further. He could feel the blood starting to seep onto his shirt, but ignored it and cut some of the tissue so he could push the arrow out at a slant. It slid out easily, what was left of it coming out whole in his hand.

He didn't pause, but sutured up the one side of the wound, the new cut he had made, then began to look for splinters or anything else that could cause infection on the other side. He found a small splinter, and cleaned it out, then sutured that wound as well.

Legolas looked up at Aragorn. He lay there, looking at him, a slight smile on his face, despite his paleness and the slight sweat that covered his brow.

He smiled in return, and then began to bandage the cuts, laying the material on thick, so it would absorb more of the blood that would still flow for a few hours.

"Done." He pronounced a moment later, tying the last knot in the bandage.

He looked up at Aragorn and smiled.

"That went much better than I thought it would."

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Aragorn stared at the blood-covered elf in front of him, and could not help but to chuckle weakly.

"Thank you." He said, sitting up slightly, and putting a hand tenderly over his shoulder.

"It was the least I could do to help repay all the kindness you showed to me."

Aragorn smiled at him, but then it faded, a thought coming to his mind's eye.

"Inzil? What was that uniform you were wearing before?"

Inzil stared at him incredulously. He got up and crossed to the other side of the room, a grim look on his face.

"I had told you that there were things that you didn't know about me, things that you would hate me for…" he threw away his bloodied sponges, then put his supplies away and crossed to the door, his hand resting on the handle.

"I don't want you to hate me just yet."

He swung the door open, and stepped out, calling out as the door closed:

"You had better rest for now…I will return shortly."

Aragorn just stared after him, more questions formed than answered.

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Legolas was shaken. He could not tell him who he was, but he could no longer hide it…his secrecy was being whittled away…slowly but surely his last defense was being turned to dust.

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Haldir was shocked at the sight of Legolas. He had expected him to come back, but not in the state he was in. Blood was smeared across his face, and splattered over his clothes…his arms were covered in it as well.

(What happened!)

Legolas ignored him and spoke directly to Elrond, who looked equally shocked.

(This man will be far more useful alive than dead.)

(What do you mean?)

(He is extremely valuable, and knows much more than he lets on…besides, I have discovered his identity.)

Elrond's interest perked at this.

(Who is he?)

Haldir just stared at him, wide eyed. The fact that he would give away his identity so readily…

(If I tell you, he must be kept alive, and placed in my care. He must also be treated with the respect you would grant anyone else.)

(Of course.) said Elrond, eager to know the name.

(He is known among men as Aragorn, son of Arathorn, who is currently king over Gondor.)

Both Haldir and Elrond stared at him, at a loss for words.

Elrond was the first to recover his wits.

(He shall live, and stay in your care. You are right, general. He will be more useful alive than dead.)

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Aragorn was staring out the window at the city when Inzil came back in. He was pale faced, and seemed to be looking anywhere but at him. He shifted in bed slightly, so as to see him better, and frowned slightly as he crossed the room, and opened the wardrobe door, hiding himself behind it.

"Are you okay?"

There was a slight silence in which Aragorn could hear him sigh softly, as if he were about to cry.

"I had to tell them who you are."

"What do you mean?"

"I had to tell them who you are…" he emerged from behind the wardrobe, a fresh shirt on, though not buttoned, and moved to the washbasin on the other side of the room, where he began to cleanse himself of the blood.

"I had to tell them who you are, and who your father is in order to save your life…" he turned around, the blood gone, but a sad look in his eyes. "Please forgive me."

"You did nothing wrong…if you had not told them, I would have. Will you answer my question now?"

"What question?"

"The one of your uniform. What is it for?"

Inzil stood rigid for a moment, then sighed, and crossed to sit on the bed. He perched on the bed in such a manner that he would not have to look Aragorn in the eye if he did not want to, but he was still next to him.

"I am not who you think I am. I am someone that you would not care for, but oppose, and maybe even kill."

Aragorn listened with keen interest as Inzil stared into his palms, and began to tell him his story.

"Many years ago, we elves lived our own, free lives. But then man came, and began to enslave my people. There were a few of us... a few fool hearty idiots who thought we could free our people again…Free them and restore our old way of life before men ever began to terrorize our lands…We became part of the rebellion, which was lead by the last great elves of our time, Galadriel, Celebron, Elrond, and Tharandiul. They each had their Generals, great leaders like themselves, whom were either sons or great military minds. Two of them would be killed almost as soon as they were appointed, and the other two dedicated their lives to freeing their people. One of them is known to you as Varin…a faithful servant of innumerable years…the other was me."

Aragorn felt his jaw drop, but kept quiet, and let Inzil continue with his story.

"Our rebellion didn't last long. Elves may have strength of arms, but Men had strength of numbers. Both Celebron and Tharandiul, my father, were struck down in battle. The lady Galadriel was captured by men while trying to save Elrond's children from her burning city…she too would later be killed. We began a steady retreat to the north, to this safe haven where Elrond was waiting for us. But we would never make it. We were ambushed before we could make it here, just outside of Rohan. The Men burned the city, driving out the women and children. They were herded up and sold into slavery. The last of the elves in the city stood to fight, but we failed…those of us who were not killed were also sold…At first I thought I would die…but hope still dwelled inside me…hope that someday I would be free, along with the rest of my people. So for almost two thousand years I have lived in slavery, working in the fields, as a personal slave, and even in whorehouses…I had seen everything…enough to nearly make me forget about all the people I had killed, all the lives that had been lost for no reason, lost in a battle already won…but then I was sold to someone new…someone I had been trained to hate…someone who reminded me so strongly of my past…A royal in the family I had fought so hard against…but I found that I could not hate him. I didn't want to hate him. He was kind, and really seemed to care…and I cared about him…more than I probably should have…and more than I should."

He looked up at Aragorn, tears streaming down his face.

"Now you know Aragorn. I am a general still for the cause, as is Varin…I had planned on escaping all along…but I had never planned on falling in love with you."

Aragorn just sat there, too shocked to say anything.

Inzil looked into his eyes almost pleadingly.

"Do you hate me?"

Aragorn snapped out of his shock and smiled softly at him. He used his good hand to trace Inzil's chin, down his neck, and then entwined his fingers in the stray hair that fell over his shoulder.

"How could I ever hate someone I love so much?"

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Legolas stared at him stupidly for a moment, then put his hand on top of Aragorn's, almost relishing his soft touch. He smiled at him.

He would have never thought it possible to love a man, or a male for that matter, but he did…he felt Aragorn pull him forward slightly, and he followed, wishing to be close to him.

He felt Aragorn's lips brush his and pulled away slightly, startled, but then smiled and leaned into his arms willingly.

As Aragorn kissed him he felt as if the rest of the outside world had been wiped away, leaving only the two of them behind.

Legolas didn't know how, or even why this man had gotten so close to him, but he had achieved something thought to be unattainable…he had broken the wall around who he was, and now only one stone remained between them…a stone that he wanted gone as soon as possible.

He pulled away from Aragorn's sweet mouth, and looked him in the eye.

"Aragorn, there is something I want you to know."

He looked at him concerned, and pulled him close, rubbing softly on his back as he did.

"What is it?"

He snuggled closer to Aragorn, who began to run his fingers through his silky hair.

"My name isn't Inzil…it is Legolas."

Aragorn pushed him back so he could look him in the eye properly. Legolas felt himself beginning to blush under his fierce gaze.

"Legolas, I love you, now and forever."

Legolas smiled at Aragorn. It felt like magic, to finally hear his name in so wonderful a man's mouth.

"Say it again."

"I love you."

"No," he said with a slight kiss, "My name."

Aragorn smiled.

"Legolas."

He felt alive, truly alive for the first time in years. He gladly succumbed to the pull of his lover, and let Aragorn kiss him, and lost himself in a wonderful world where only they existed.

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Aragorn looked down at Legolas, who lay asleep in his arms. He finally knew who he was, and despite what Legolas thought, he didn't hate him or it. In fact, he admired the courage it must have taken to admit his past to someone who had once owned him…

But as Aragorn thought, he realized he never really had owned him…He had never owned any of them…And he was surprised to find that he was glad for it. He would never want to own another being, another person, especially one of Legolas's kind. They deserved to be free…

Aragorn looked down at the sleeping figure once again, and hugged him close.

"Some day, my love, I will see you and your people are all made free…"

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There were burning buildings all around him, and screaming women and children ran out into the woods, hoping to find safety…but there was none. There never would be again.

The wall…the wall he had worked so hard to build was gone, and the men had attacked immediately…Legolas watched the world around him die, burning to the ground, and he felt so powerless to stop it…there was nothing he could do to stop it…

He felt like he was burning up, burning up…

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So, Yay? Nay?