Story Name: Dark of Night
Pen Name: Elena Roan
Disclaimer: Don't own any of them, written purely for enjoyment.
Rating: M
Warnings: very dark
Summary: When Legolas journeys from Mirkwood to Rivendell seeking answers to his unease and troubling dreams, little does he realise what awaits him and his gwador.
Editor: Michelle
Timeline: III 2990 (Aragorn 59 years old)
Note: AragornStriderEstel

Chapter 9: Dark Developments

Glorfindel carefully guided the three horses behind him along the smoothest road he could find. Raven had taken his leave of them once they had left the area surrounding the clearing well behind them and was now on his way back to the Dùnedain camp to report to Halbarad on the events. Glorfindel glanced behind him to check on them and noted almost absently that Legolas' horse seemed to be taking greater care in the placement of her hooves than normal, probably induced by the prince's high anxiety about the still form in his arms.

With half an ear he listened to the conversation behind him, noting half absently that Legolas' replies had become more infrequent over the last hour. Abruptly the pieces clicked together in his head and sent all the warning bells inside of him ringing. Turning in his seat he looked again at those behind him, concentrating this time on Legolas' face. What he saw troubled him; the prince was no longer truly aware of what was going on around him. He glanced at Elladan and saw the older twin looking at him curiously. With a flick of his eyes he redirected the raven haired elf's attention to the blond next to him while he slowed his own horse to a stop, prompting all three horses behind him to do the same.

"Legolas?" Elladan asked softly, sidling his horse up to the prince's, "are you well?"

Elrohir came up on the other side of him when Legolas didn't respond, concern shining in his eyes.

Elladan met his twin's eyes. 'I shall take Estel on my horse, you check Legolas.'

Elrohir nodded and Elladan reached out and gently pulled Estel from the prince's arms into his own and repositioned him in front of him. While he did that Elrohir reached out and clasped Legolas' arm, speaking intently in elvish trying to get a response from the non-responsive elf.

"Why did he not say something?" Glorfindel asked worriedly, watching their actions.

"It could have been too subtle for him to notice until it was too late and then he would not have been able to even think to say anything," Elrohir answered as he continued to try and get a response from the other elf.

After trying for a while and getting no response the younger twin carefully hooked his arm around his friend's waist and pulled him off his horse and positioned him in front of him.

With a quick, "aphado (follow)." to Legolas' horse they set off again towards Imladris. As they rode Elrohir kept up a steady stream of elvish directed at Legolas in the hope it would bring him back to full consciousness.

No more than half an hour later Elrohir nearly leapt out of his skin as Legolas suddenly let out a sigh and slumped in his arms.

"El!" Elrohir called frantically as he pulled the now unconscious elf back against him and searched for his pulse.

Instantly Glorfindel spun his horse around to see what had prompted the cry and Elladan moved his horse over to his twin's. One glance was enough to tell the older twin that the prince was no longer conscious in any form.

"He breathes still?" Elladan asked already sure of the answer as his twin was not scrambling from the horse in order to try and revive the prince.

"Yes," Elrohir replied, looking up at his twin with fear in his eyes. Fear that was well placed for they still had no idea what it was that afflicted both of them.

"Then let us ride, the sooner we get to Imladris the sooner they shall be in the care of ada (dad)," Elladan stated, not intending to be harsh but rather give his brother something to focus on.

Elrohir nodded and all of them rode on, stopping only long enough to spell their horses.

---

It was just dusk when they finally rode into the courtyard of Imladris. The sight of the five of them on three horses and a riderless horse was enough to send a servant scurrying to inform Elrond of their arrival and interrupt his meal.

Within moments the Lord of Imladris, the greatest healer in Arda, was there, almost before they could dismount.

"What happened?" Elrond asked, first checking Estel then Legolas.

"We do not know," Elladan answered unhappily.

"Nothing we have tried has made any impact," Elrohir added.

Elrond looked at his two Elven sons and realised that the entire situation was wearing on them, their inability to rouse or treat their brother and friend pushing them to the limits of their endurance.

"Let us move them to the healing wing, there you can tell me everything that has happened."

The twins nodded and followed, Glorfindel following silently behind them.

If they'd hoped for a quick cure or recovery that was quickly dashed. Even Elrond couldn't summon them back to wakefulness, all attempts to discern whether they were affected by some poison met with failure.

As the days dragged on they filled the small room the two shared with the scent of athelas while they kept trying to find the cause of the strange malady. There was always one in the room watching over them.

Elladan was on duty several days later when Legolas suddenly started moving restlessly.

"Legolas," Elladan called softly, hurrying to his bed, "all is well, wake up now."

The elf didn't open his eyes but mumbled softly, "lhaew (sick)."

The soft word was barely warning enough for the older twin to grab a basin and get the wood elf on his side. He murmured soothing words while the ill elf retched violently. He suppressed his horror as he saw that what his friend was bringing up was black.

Drawn by the disturbance both Elrohir and Elrond ran into the room as the prince's heaves died down. Elladan stepped back and allowed his father to attend to Legolas. The elf still hadn't opened his eyes and fell back into unconsciousness even as Elrond tried to rouse him fully.

Elrond sighed and turned to his eldest. "What happened?"

"He began moving restlessly, I thought he was waking up," Elladan replied softly, almost despairingly, "he said 'lhaew' (sick), which I took to mean he felt ill, then he began..." He took a shaky breath, as bad as it was to see the prince like that he had held onto hope that it meant he was beginning to recover. Having him slide back into unconsciousness had dashed that hope.

Elrond reached out and grasped the younger elf's shoulder. "Do not despair, ion nín (my son). Go, take some rest."

"Ada (dad)," Elladan protested.

"You need it," Elrond cut him off gently. The situation was wearing on all of them and he knew his eldest was blaming himself, however irrationally. That Halbarad and a few Rangers had arrived the previous day and Thranduil was due in a few days was not helping any of them.

Elladan sighed and nodded before leaving the room.

Several hours later when he returned he found them cleaning up Estel after a similar episode, except the adan (human) had not roused enough to warn them.

"Are they getting better or worse?" Elladan whispered in dread.

"I do not know, ion nín (my son)," Elrond answered, wishing he had something else he could answer.

The next few days dragged by, all of them watching them hoping for a sign that it was the beginning of recovery and not the beginning of the end.

---

He drifted towards consciousness, after how long he had no idea. But given that no parts of his body were screaming in pain he had a feeling it had been a while. Blinking he found himself looking up at the ceiling of a healing wing room.

Looking around he wondered how he had landed here this time, especially when the last thing he remembered was nowhere near the elven sanctuary. His eyes alighted on two elves talking softly near the entrance, his brothers. They looked worried and he regretted having caused that worry.

Elladan and Elrohir talked softly, Thranduil had arrived and Elrond had gone to meet him and hopefully prepare him somewhat for his son's condition. Elladan glanced over his twin's shoulder at the two beds and froze as his eyes met the rather foggy but alert grey eyes of his human brother.

"Estel?" he barely breathed, hardly daring to hope. He pushed past his twin and nearly ran to the bed. "How do you feel? Do you know who I am?" The last question got a strange look from Estel before he answered.

"I feel quite well. And of course I know who you are, Elladan. Why would I not? What happened this time?"

Elladan allowed a tense but relieved smile to form on his face while Elrohir answered.

"I wish we knew what had happened, muindor (brother). Do you remember anything?"

Estel frowned, trying to remember, but all that he could remember was his horse screaming in terror. "What happened to my horse?"

The twins shared a look, then Elrohir slipped out of the room to go find Elrond. After he'd left Estel fixed his gaze on Elladan.

"Elladan?"

"Your horse is dead," Elladan stated with a sigh. "I am sorry."

"Oh."

"I hope you are not going to say that about my horse," another voice interjected, causing Elladan to spin around and look at the other bed.

"Legolas!" Elladan exclaimed. "How do you feel?"

"Well," Legolas replied, starting to sit up only to have the twin push him back down. "What happened?"

"What do you remember?"

Estel rolled onto his side to watch the conversation, a frown on his face as he took in that Legolas had obviously been in the same condition as he yet he couldn't remember his gwador (sworn brother) being anywhere near him.

"We were returning to Imladris after having found Estel...and...then nothing," Legolas answered with a frown. "What happened?"

Any reply that Elladan could come up with was interrupted by the return of Elrohir with Elrond and Thranduil hovering behind them.

Aragorn and Legolas shared a resigned look as Elrond began to check them over thoroughly and throw question after question at them. As comforting as the familiar fussing by the family was, neither of them could shake the terror they felt at what had happened. They were warriors, trained to fight the Shadow of Mordor and they were good at it. But this was not something they could draw a sword on or shoot an arrow into. They couldn't even name what it was and have something to give what they'd been through substance. Both elf and human hoped that they never encountered it again.

Author Note: Please stay tuned for the sequal; "Echo of the Night"