Story Name: Echo of the Night
Pen Name: ElenaRoan
Disclaimer: Don't own any of them, written purely for enjoyment.
Rating: PG
Warnings: well...Michelle called me evil after she read it...does that count as a warning?
Summary: A year on from the events of Dark of Night, is everything as fine as it appears?
Betas: Geris (Grammar and Spelling), Michelle (Comprehension)
Timeline: III 2991 (Aragorn 60 years old)
Chapter 1: Breaking of the Storm
He was yanked from sleep back to wakefulness by a nearly overwhelming nausea that gave him no opportunity to even try to make it to the basin in the small adjoining room.
As the violent heaves shook his frame, sending black vomit over his bed clothes, all he could do was hope he would have a chance to clean up before facing anyone over this.
His hope was dashed as the door to his chambers was thrown open.
"Ion nín (my son)?" His father took in the scene with rapidly growing horror, he turned slightly to face someone approaching, "Summon the healers immediately!" Ignoring the guard now that he'd given the elf an order, he raced to his son's side.
"Ai! Legolas, what is the matter?" Thranduil asked in a slightly panicked tone, pulling the now damp hair of his son away from his face and rubbing the back of the still intermittently retching elf.
"I do not know, ada (dad)." He replied in a shaky tone, trying desperately to calm his rebellious body. "I was not injured, nor poisoned, while we were out. I brought us back because we were all exhausted."
Anything else the king might have asked was interrupted by the entire population of palace healers pouring through the doorway.
The healers' attempts to discover the cause of the unusual nausea tried Legolas' patience.
"I hope you give me more credit than that." The prince snapped in response to a question about whether he had eaten anything unknown. Completely out of patience he extracted himself from his bed and stalked into the small adjoining room. Once there he poured some of the water from the jug into the basin and splashed his face.
The anger inspired strength faded quickly, however, and he soon found himself swaying, necessitating that he grab hold of the counter to prevent himself landing ungracefully on the floor. A strong arm wrapped around his shoulders.
"Havo dad, ion nín (sit down, my son)." Thranduil said, guiding the younger elf back from the counter and sitting him on the floor with his back to the wall.
"That was stupid." Legolas mumbled, pulling his knees up, crossing his arms on them and putting his head in his arms.
"Only if you knew your strength was not as it should be."
"Sire, we need to move him to the healing rooms." One of the healers ventured.
"Allow him to regain some of his strength first." Thranduil stated in irritation, not at all impressed with the healers at that moment. They'd managed to agitate his son so much that it nearly resulted in his collapse, losing strength the young elf could not afford to lose at this moment in time.
"But sire..." The healer got no further.
"It is not your place to dictate such without taking into consideration the strength of the patient!" A strong voice sounded from the doorway.
Legolas raised his head from his arms and regarded the figures in the doorway with bemusement. A half smile found his way onto his face; he always forgot that the twins had royal blood in them too, more than he in fact. Though for them to take a stand on it was rarer even than for him to do so.
While the palace healers stood there dumbfounded the twins split up, one heading directly to Legolas while the other went to take a closer look at his bedding.
"How do you feel?" Elladan asked softly, crouching down near the prince and putting his hand on his forehead.
"Do you really want me to answer that?" Legolas asked wearily.
Elladan smiled faintly before glancing up as Elrohir joined them.
"It is the same thing." Elrohir stated softly as he crouched down alongside his twin.
"Same thing? Same as what?" Legolas asked in confusion before alarm lit up his face, "Estel? Is Estel well?"
The twins quickly shifted their hands to rest on his shoulders, keeping the agitated elf from rising.
"Relax Legolas! You will help no one, least of all Estel, if you make yourself worse."
Legolas levelled a glare at them, "Tell me."
"Estel is being tended by ada (dad). We would be by his side except we needed to make sure you were not affected first."
"This is related to what happened a year ago?" He couldn't think of anything else that had included both of them and affected them anyway similarly.
Elladan hesitated for a moment, "Yes."
"I do not recall anything like this."
"You...were both unconscious at the time." Elrohir answered hesitantly.
Legolas made a face at the news.
"Let us move you to the healing rooms." Elladan stated.
Legolas sighed, "Help me up, I shall walk."
"I do not think so." Elrohir stated firmly, "You are already trembling; you try to walk, even with our help, and you will end up back on the floor."
Legolas sighed but let them carry him to the healing rooms.