Scars Chapter 17- A Boy No More
Disclaimer: This story is being written for enjoyment only. I do not own any of Tolkien's characters.
Author's Note: Thank you all for your kind words regarding chapter 16! I hope you enjoy this next chapter as well! :)
'Be careful!' He had wanted to utter forth. Instead his words were. "May the Valar be with you, brother. May they be with us all!"
A pain-filled moan drew his attentions away from the foreground into which Estel had only moments before disappeared, as Elladan looked down once again toward the ailing Elf beneath his touch. Legolas' body continued to tremble as he shifted uncomfortably upon the bed of tender brush Aragorn had assembled beneath him. The fair-haired Elf's now closed eyelids exhibited increased activity beneath their depths. This worked along with Legolas' ghostly pallor to amplify the alarm now spreading within Elladan's breast. The Rivendell Elf moved a hand forth attempting to comfort his friend's agitation. Yet as he made contact with Legolas' fevered flesh, he could not help but flinch away as slender fingers realized once again the abnormal heat emanating off his friend's body. Woeful grey eyes stole a quick glance toward his own brother, for Elladan knew Elrohir's body burned likewise with the same intensity.
Elladan's heart strings drew tautly within his chest at the dire situation now facing him, while his grave stare turned from Elrohir, to Legolas, and then back toward the darkened vista before them. Mumbling to himself, Elladan's long, gentle fingers followed by the curve of his palm drew tenderly toward Legolas' sweat slicked brow and he began to soothingly comb through the suffering Elf's dampened locks, while muttering softly words of comfort
"Be at peace, Legolas. All shall be well shortly. Estel has gone in search of succor. He will be back soon."
At the mentioned of his friend's name, the Silvan Elf startled in his unconscious state, crying out incoherently, "No, Estel . . . He needs us . . . Help him . . . Help him!" before swallowing convulsively as tremors returned to haunt his slight frame.
A foreboding chill passed through his raven-haired companion causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up at this portentous warning. Yet pushing his apprehension aside, Elladan did his best to lull Legolas' fears while answering. "No, mellon-nin. Estel is fine. He shall return to us soon. You shall see and when he does, he will bring with him the herbs needed to aid in yours and my brother's recovery. Hush, now, mellon-nin. Do not fret. All will be well shortly . . . " Elladan finished while his comforting hands carried on their soothing ministrations in an effort to calm his friend. Elladan, however, couldn't keep his alarmed gaze from stealing back toward the hinterland as his current thoughts were set adrift becoming preoccupied by a new set of worries.
'The absurdities this life presents . . . ' He pondered anxiously. 'For it seemed like only yesteryear that I was loath to allow him from my sight . . . wanting to protect him . . . And now I send him from me . . . out alone into the darkness in dire search, while who knows what might still be lurking about . . . But then again, do I hold such sway over him anymore? Would he not have chosen to do the same himself if given the chance to decide? It's been many years now since he's broke close ties with Rivendell and myself to live among these Wilds. Yes, he's still the brother of my heart, but no longer a child to be mollycoddled and safeguarded . . . He is a Man now in his own right . . . a boy no more . . . But then again, he never was after that fateful encounter . . . They stole that from him, and it is thus, which I've come to regret most of all . . . '
"Ah, Estel!" Elladan now called out woefully. "Keep safe, brother! For I do not know if my heart holds the strength to recover yet again should anything happen to you. Iluvatar, watch over him . . . " The Elf murmured as he continued to distractedly stroke Legolas' damp brow, while his thoughts once more turned regrettablytoward the past.
His mouth was dry. No matter how much water and tea he took, he could not seem to relieve his present discomfort. A miserable side effect from the poisons that had coated the Orc blade. Donning a flowing robe to cover his bare chest and leggings, he prepared to set out from his room for the first time since his hurried return homeward. He winced sharply as the dressing upon his arm caught in the fabric of his robe, its contact presenting an unforseen obstacle. But gritting his teeth hard, he drew his sleeve up over the heavy binding though his eyes now watered from the pain it caused him. Tying the garment about his waist with some difficulty, he began his mission crossing over the threshold that led out into the corridor, and then attempted to make his way unsteadily down the hallway separating him from his brother's suite of rooms. His progress was both slow and ungainly for an Elf. He needed to stop frequently to reach out for the wall beside him using its solid support to remain upright. He did not, however, allow his present condition to deter him. He must find out how Estel fared. Both his father and Elrohir had been by numerous times to visit with him and reassured him that the boy was indeed recovering, but Elladan needed to see so for himself.
Quietly, as much as his condition would allow, he stole down the hallway like a thief in the night for his father had forbid him from leaving his chamber until he was sufficiently recovered. He gave up a quick prayer of thanks that his life at the moment did not depend on his ability to remain stealth, for he came up embarrassingly short of such a goal. Thankfully the hour was such that much of the household staff was otherwise engaged, and his little foray down the passageways of Imladris would go unnoticed at least until he had made it to his brother's suite to see for himself the state of Estel's current health.
Rounding the corner, the boy's door was now within sight. But as he drew closer to his quarry, voices from within caused him to hesitate and remain just outside its confines. The strain of conversation drifting outward to greet him proved devastating to the Elf in hiding.
"Will he walk again?" Elrohir asked unable to keep the emotion of the moment from cutting into his voice.
"It is too soon to tell." His father answered gravely. "The damage done to his leg was severe. It appears from the splint remaining that your brother tried to set the initial damaged to his leg himself, but somehow during his ordeal, the limb was fractured apart yet again. Even if he does recover the use of it, there is no telling how much residual damage might still effect him. It is very likely that he will walk with a distinct limp for the remainder of his days upon These Lands. "
A sob sounded from the room at this pronouncement, and Elladan did not have to ask from whom it originated. For he recognized his brother's anguished cry, since the same lament now played out within his own aching head.
"Do not grieve, Elrohir . . . " Elladan heard his father cut into his brother's mournful despair. "For he could have lost the limb. Such a possibility was uncertain for quite a while. Thankfully the flow of blood has returned. If you've noticed, his flesh is pinking up once again."
"How can you tell, Father?" The distraught Elf lashed out unexpectedly. "His body is covered with so many bruises and hurts. Is there a patch of flesh left unharmed by those monsters? ARGH! I wish I had the chance to face off with his tormenters again! For I would make them pay doubly for what they've done to my brother!" The Elf finished in unveiled anger and frustration.
The sound of muffled sobs filled the room, and Elladan took this moment to steal a glance into its interior. His father's and brother's backs were now toward him. The Elf lord held his middle son against his breast, his arms cradling the tearful Elf while his hands stroked soothing against his son's back and fall of dark hair. "Hush, Elrohir! Hush! All will be put to right!"
"How can it, Father? You've just informed me that my brother may never walk again! How can it ever be right again? Such rage burns inside of me! For you do not know what they did to him! But I do! I cannot close my eyes without the memories of it coming back to haunt me! The sights, the sounds, the fears! Look at him! Look at the ravages done to his body! He will never recover fully from them. His flesh is not like ours! He will always carry the scars from this! Why just his face alone . . . every time he stares into a looking glass he will be reminded . . . "
"Stop this, Elrohir!" His father entreated. "You do your brother little credit with such talk. Estel is resilient! He will bounce back with time."
"How can he, Father? After all that he's been through? After all you have said?"
"We will help him to do so. We will be there for him. You, your brother, myself . . . "
"He's been through so much, Father . . . you do not know . . . " Elrohir began again.
"Hush, my son. You've all been through much these last few days. But we must put our trust in that we shall overcome this together. You must rest, Elrohir. For you, yourself, have yet to recover fully from your ordeal. Your brother knows not how you've supported him already. Come! Let me help you to your room, for you look ready to collapse."
Ducking into a nearby alcove, Elladan waited out as his brother and father made their way down the long hallway toward Elrohir's suite of rooms. When they had disappeared, the now trembling elf crept into his youngest brother's bed chamber. The sight that greeted him stole his breath away. The child's battered body lay unmoving upon the cot now supporting him. Elladan's shaking legs gave out beneath him as he collapsed toward the floor having to use what remained of his strength and the bed's frame to pull his ailing body upward. Leaning against its post, he stared on in shocked disbelief. Elladan remained transfixed, while his eyes slowly moved to take in all the damage that had been done to the boy's seemingly frail body. Dark bruises or layers of swathing seemed to cover nearly every inch of exposed flesh, but it was when the Elf's eyes finally reached his brother's once youthful features that a ragged sob was torn from him.
"What . . . What have they done to you, Estel?" No longer able to view the violence present before him, the Elf hid his face within his hands. His palms meeting up with the dampness of his flesh as he sobbed onward. "Forgive me . . . forgive me, brother . . . For I have failed you . . . "
Elladan never remembered how he made it back to his own room that dreadful day, but the knowledge did return to him that it was many weeks before he was to meet up with his youngest brother again.
Stilling his prior soothing motions against Legolas's hair and brow, the Elf moved his hands away up toward his own countenance finding his flesh once again dampened by the flow of tears. Scrubbing them away with the back of his hand, his distracted attentions were immediately diverted by a sudden noise converging upon the landscape now in front of him as Halfdan made his way out of the thicket carrying the much sought after bucket of water.
"My lord!" The Dunadan gasped startled by the scene which now greeted him. That of the Elf from Rivendell cradling the fair-haired one within his embrace while tears of sorrow streamed down his face. Imagining the worst, the Man put his thoughts into words. "Is he dead?"
"No . . . NO!" Elladan immediately retorted, violently denying the possibility of such a truth from ever occurring before barking out. "But he burns with fever and my brother's wounds must be treated again! Quickly! Quickly! Help me with him while I set about tending to my brother. You must help to reduce his fever! He's already suffered from tremors as a result . . . "
As Elladan's voice trailed off, Halfdan used this time to pose yet another question. "Where is Strider?"
"He is gone out into the Wild to seek help . . . "
"He best hurry..." The Ranger muttered to himself as he applied the first of many dampened lengths of cloth to Legolas's fevered flesh, while noting already the steady decline that had taken place within the Elf during the short span of time he was away.
Author's Closing Notes: Well if you've reached this point then thank you for reading Chapter 17. I hope you enjoyed it. I'm sorry it took so long between current chapters. Work has picked up again.
Nerfenherder-Wonderful connection! I can't take the credit for the horse Aragorn was riding upon in 'Horizons' as being Berior, but I'd like too. :) Thank you for bringing it to my attention, because it would make sense.
Well until next time! Sue a.k.a Quickbeam