Title: Maethor Ada

Chapter 4: Legolas' Healer

Aragorn had Legolas astride his horse before he got on behind the young elf. Legolas felt Aragorn gently reach around him to gather the reins. As they approached Rivendell at lightning fast pace, Aragorn heard cries of "rider" and "open the gate". Legolas moaned with pain and once Aragorn had pulled the horse to a stop, Arwen came to meet him and the wounded Legolas. She saw Legolas' wounds and she asked Aragorn, "What happened to my cousin?" Aragorn replied softly, "His father beat him and whipped him," and Arwen responded, "I cannot give him the love you can to nurture him, Aragorn. He needs a father."

"Can you at least heal him? He is young, Arwen, and I do not understand him the way you can." Arwen helped Aragorn lower Legolas from the saddle. Arwen spent four hours with Legolas, giving him medicine and watching him as his fever went down. When Arwen finally emerged, Aragorn anxiously stood and she said, "He wants to see you." Aragorn quietly entered the room, shutting the door behind him. "A-ada?" Aragorn wrapped Legolas in an embrace and Legolas started to cry again, all the while whispering, "Hannon le, maethor ada."

"Legolas, I'm so sorry. I should have never taken you back there." Aragorn heard Legolas whisper, "It's okay, ada, you didn't know about the King of Mirkwood." Neither one of them heard the door open, but Arwen was standing in the door watching as Aragorn and Legolas embraced one another. Elrond passed by and saw her smile gently as she left. She nodded towards the room and Elrond looked in to see Aragorn and Legolas both in tears. Aragorn and Legolas finally separated and each were happy, but there was sadness locked away in Legolas' eyes. "Legolas, why are you sad?"

Legolas shook his head and in response, said, "It's nothing." Aragorn placed a hand under Legolas' chin and said, "Legolas, please tell me the truth." Legolas was almost starting to cry at the gentleness he now received after the hurt and pain he felt after his father beat him. "It's…just that…my…my father…before you found me, if I had said that I would rather live in Rivendell with…Arwen and Elrond, he would have…beat me much worse than what you saw." Aragorn noticed that Legolas was falling asleep, and suddenly he knew Arwen was right. "Le melon, Legolas."

Le melon—I love you (lay mell-on)