Ok, sorry about the long wait, and I'm sorry that it's so short, but one, I had to cut it off where I did cause I couldn't resist. :D Second, I'm working long hours and having problems finding time to write. Third, there really wasn't much for Legolas and the babes to do till they get to Mirkwood. *blushes* If I get reviews, I will you get you another chapter VERY soon. Enjoy this short chap.
*****
Legolas woke to soft crying the next morning. A small hand was on his face, and he looked down to see Bandemil touching his face, her eyes bright as she waited patiently for him to awaken. Legolas smiled down to her. "I'm awake." He said.
In the crook of his other arm, Nanufirin was crying softly, rubbing at his face in fevered pain. Legolas frowned, not knowing what to do for the small human but get him home as soon as possible. He kissed the babies' forehead gently, wincing at how hot it was. "You're going to be all right, I promise." He told the child.
Nanufiren just continued crying, and Legolas sighed. "Who am I kidding? What am I doing? I don't know anything about babies of my own kind, much less a HUMAN babe! Plus he's sick, what do I know about illness? I've never been sick a day in my life, and neither has anyone I know." He felt like beating his head against something.
He looked down to the babes. "Don't look at me! I have NO idea what I'm doing!!!" Baindemil gave a small gurgle, and Legolas simply sighed. "Yes, but who else will do it? I'm the only one here, so it's up to me." He squared his shoulders. "Up to me." He repeated.
Looking down, he shook himself out of his reverie. "Well, we'd best get a move on! I may not be able to heal you, but I can get you to someone who can. Let's go!" He said as cheerily as he could manage.
Quickly he got to his feet and returned the babies to their makeshift carrier. He had to make haste, and the humans would just have to hold on to life for him. There was nothing he could really do for them. He had some knowledge of herbs, but he was still young and it was slim. His chances of being right in his guesses of what to give them were very bad. His best bet was to get them to his home as quickly as possible. At a full gallop, it would take him all of the day and through the night into the next morning to reach home, if he didn't stop.
Legolas pulled himself up onto the horse. Time was running out.
*****
Hours later, as the forest started to get darker, it began to rain. Legolas could not feel the raindrops yet, but he could smell it in the air and hear the sounds of the raindrops above. Soon, he knew that the water would make it's way through the foliage and begin to soak him and his small burdens. He slowed his horse, Celegthala, down to a walk and readjusted the carrier, pulling it around so the babies were against his chest and, removing his cloak from his pack, pulled it over his shoulders and clasped it before pulling the hood up. He positioned the cloak so that it would block the rain from the small ones against his breast.
It was then that he finally looked down at the babies. Nanufiren's breathing was shallow and labored, and his eyes were glazed and unfocused. Legolas bit his lip. "Come on, Nanu, hold on for me. We're more than halfway there. Please, don't die…" He finished in a whisper, feeling a twinge of something deep inside that he had never before felt. For some reason, he felt responsible for the small being in his arm.
He placed his face in the baby's hair and kissed it. "You have to be strong. Your mother wouldn't have wanted you to die, I'm sure." He looked at Baindemil. "And you cannot leave your sister alone, you are all she has left."
He didn't know then how wrong he would prove those words.
Nanufiren looked at him for a moment and coughed, his eyes wet with unshed tears, and his tiny fists clenched.
Worried, he urged Celegthala back into a hard gallop, clinging tightly to the children that had already wormed their way into his heart, without even knowing how. He didn't want them to be jarred anymore than needed. Soft wails started when they began moving at a fast pace again, and, in a desperate attempt to calm them and stop the crying, he began singing an elvish lullaby. He was sure that his soft voice could barely be heard by the babies, plus the fact that it was hard to sing while riding, but the gentle vibrations of his chest as he sang seemed to calm them somewhat, and what they could hear conveyed a calmness to them that they quickly adopted.
*****
Legolas didn't know what it was, but something was wrong. His breath was fast and he was worried, yet he could see no reason for alarm. Finally, he pulled back his cloak to check on his young charges.
His heart stopped beating for a very long, frightening moment.
Nanufiren wasn't breathing.
*****
Eek! Evil cliffy!!! Have mercy!!!
If you hurt me, who will write you posts?!!
*****
Legolas woke to soft crying the next morning. A small hand was on his face, and he looked down to see Bandemil touching his face, her eyes bright as she waited patiently for him to awaken. Legolas smiled down to her. "I'm awake." He said.
In the crook of his other arm, Nanufirin was crying softly, rubbing at his face in fevered pain. Legolas frowned, not knowing what to do for the small human but get him home as soon as possible. He kissed the babies' forehead gently, wincing at how hot it was. "You're going to be all right, I promise." He told the child.
Nanufiren just continued crying, and Legolas sighed. "Who am I kidding? What am I doing? I don't know anything about babies of my own kind, much less a HUMAN babe! Plus he's sick, what do I know about illness? I've never been sick a day in my life, and neither has anyone I know." He felt like beating his head against something.
He looked down to the babes. "Don't look at me! I have NO idea what I'm doing!!!" Baindemil gave a small gurgle, and Legolas simply sighed. "Yes, but who else will do it? I'm the only one here, so it's up to me." He squared his shoulders. "Up to me." He repeated.
Looking down, he shook himself out of his reverie. "Well, we'd best get a move on! I may not be able to heal you, but I can get you to someone who can. Let's go!" He said as cheerily as he could manage.
Quickly he got to his feet and returned the babies to their makeshift carrier. He had to make haste, and the humans would just have to hold on to life for him. There was nothing he could really do for them. He had some knowledge of herbs, but he was still young and it was slim. His chances of being right in his guesses of what to give them were very bad. His best bet was to get them to his home as quickly as possible. At a full gallop, it would take him all of the day and through the night into the next morning to reach home, if he didn't stop.
Legolas pulled himself up onto the horse. Time was running out.
*****
Hours later, as the forest started to get darker, it began to rain. Legolas could not feel the raindrops yet, but he could smell it in the air and hear the sounds of the raindrops above. Soon, he knew that the water would make it's way through the foliage and begin to soak him and his small burdens. He slowed his horse, Celegthala, down to a walk and readjusted the carrier, pulling it around so the babies were against his chest and, removing his cloak from his pack, pulled it over his shoulders and clasped it before pulling the hood up. He positioned the cloak so that it would block the rain from the small ones against his breast.
It was then that he finally looked down at the babies. Nanufiren's breathing was shallow and labored, and his eyes were glazed and unfocused. Legolas bit his lip. "Come on, Nanu, hold on for me. We're more than halfway there. Please, don't die…" He finished in a whisper, feeling a twinge of something deep inside that he had never before felt. For some reason, he felt responsible for the small being in his arm.
He placed his face in the baby's hair and kissed it. "You have to be strong. Your mother wouldn't have wanted you to die, I'm sure." He looked at Baindemil. "And you cannot leave your sister alone, you are all she has left."
He didn't know then how wrong he would prove those words.
Nanufiren looked at him for a moment and coughed, his eyes wet with unshed tears, and his tiny fists clenched.
Worried, he urged Celegthala back into a hard gallop, clinging tightly to the children that had already wormed their way into his heart, without even knowing how. He didn't want them to be jarred anymore than needed. Soft wails started when they began moving at a fast pace again, and, in a desperate attempt to calm them and stop the crying, he began singing an elvish lullaby. He was sure that his soft voice could barely be heard by the babies, plus the fact that it was hard to sing while riding, but the gentle vibrations of his chest as he sang seemed to calm them somewhat, and what they could hear conveyed a calmness to them that they quickly adopted.
*****
Legolas didn't know what it was, but something was wrong. His breath was fast and he was worried, yet he could see no reason for alarm. Finally, he pulled back his cloak to check on his young charges.
His heart stopped beating for a very long, frightening moment.
Nanufiren wasn't breathing.
*****
Eek! Evil cliffy!!! Have mercy!!!
If you hurt me, who will write you posts?!!