Prompt 23 Tepid Bath
Fall was a beautiful season. October was clean and crisp, the nights were chilly and clear. Stars seemed to shine with an extra radiance as the tree leaves changed to a blaze of warm colors.
Adult enough not to show it, but young enough to feel it, Legolas was excited. This year there was going to be a proper hunting party. The orcs and spiders had been hiding instead of attacking in recent years. Not that they didn't attack, but they no longer seemed as coordinated and as stray bands or nests the elves could fight them off.
The feeling of being less besieged was a welcome reprieve, though they knew it would not last. The woodland elves were determined to fully enjoy every moment of their more peaceful existence however temporary.
As the last few years had been calm, Thranduil had decided he would go hunting as he used to. A large group of elves would hunt the summer fattened deer and other animals to be preserved for winter storage. Another couple of groups were foraging regularly throughout the safer section of the forest for berries and plants to put up for the winter as well. Plenty of this collected bounty was being sent to the kitchens as the fall feast loomed.
Secretly, Legolas hoped they would find some of the rare white deer this year as well. Thranduil had not had the opportunity to hunt the more elusive prey for several years. Legolas was hoping to sight them himself. It would give him a chance to give his father something special in a way.
Duties had kept both members of the royal family quite busy. Legolas was in the lower ranks of the warriors who protected the realm and Thranduil was in demand morning to night as always.
As challenging, and sometimes pleasant, his experience was while serving as a warrior. Legolas had been away enough he missed the closeness he used to have with Thranduil. At least being close in proximity had allowed him to see his father most days.
Today was special though, as the prince, Legolas automatically would be riding with Thranduil's hunting party. Even if there would be other elves, at least Thranduil and Legolas would get to ride together.
Striding down the halls, Legolas could hear the sounds of the courtyard getting louder. Stepping out into daylight a fresh thrum of anticipation ran through him. The open space was packed with horses. Well trained horses, but nickering and whinnies were heard as the festive atmosphere excited the animals and their riders.
Male and female, elves were everywhere. A few were already mounted, most milled around talking. Legolas worked his way towards where he saw his horse waiting, greeting friends as he passed. Taking the reins, Legolas thanked the stable attendant. Talking quietly to his horse, Legolas now just waited for Thranduil to make his appearance.
Unknown to Legolas, Thranduil was just as pleased to have his son around today. With Legolas gone so much their living quarters had become empty and lifeless. Cendir's presence kept Thranduil from being actually alone but suffice it to say, Legolas was missed.
As a father, Thranduil was thankful that Legolas at least seemed to be thriving. He was already building a reputation as a talented fighter and his commanders were already noticing he had a gift for strategy.
Legolas was unaware, but Thranduil had to privately ensure that Legolas would not be advanced up the ranks yet. Legolas needed more time and experience regardless of how talented his commanders considered him. Thranduil was not eager for Legolas to bear the greater responsibilities of leadership for a few centuries yet.
Checking from a discrete window, Thranduil knew it was almost time to join the crowd. Enjoying the freedom of movement his hunting attire gave him. Thranduil started toward the courtyard, his bodyguard and friend, Cendir, at his heels.
There was a stir in the crowd and eager elves mounted up as Thranduil walked to his impressive stallion. Swinging himself up gracefully, Thranduil looked over each elf, all waiting on his command, with a twinkle in his eye.
"We ride!" Thranduil announced loudly and just like that, they were gone.
After the first adrenaline spiked burst of speed the riders slowed to a walk. Scouts ran ahead through the trees, seeking for their first herd to hunt.
Within the first six miles of travel a cry came up as a scout returned. A herd had been sighted to the front and right of their position. The hunting party made for a direct course, Thranduil allowed the elves to keep him surrounded, taking center position of the group, for now at least. More peaceful times or not, caution was still wise. Many elves were reluctant to risk their king on some forgotten orc trap.
Scouts flushed the deer in the hunters direction, carefully the elves culled the older and infirm deer first. Thranduil's group, smaller now, moved on leaving the first kills to be claimed, cleaned and returned home by the successful hunters.
Continuing along, Thranduil smiled to himself, watching Legolas enjoy the ride. Wanting to move more freely, Legolas aligned himself more to the edge of the group. Soon they got a new signal and galloped off to cull the new herd.
By mid afternoon the horses were tired and were allowed to return to the stables. The hunting party had been reduced to a mere couple dozen as others had successful kills to return home with. Opting to continue hunting on foot or through treetops, Thranduil and Legolas had not even drawn their bows yet. They had been too focused on the rare chance to ride freely through the forest for the day.
Their time was running low though, the day was past its peak. Thranduil was starting to hunt seriously and Legolas still had not seen a glimpse of white deer anywhere. He knew he was hoping against hope at this point, but he stretched his visiont to the limits.
The remaining elves moved quietly though the branches in a loose formation, Thranduil in the lead now, Cendir following like an ever faithful shadow. Legolas couldn't help but wonder how long it took for Thranduil to become accustomed to such relentless shadowing .
Ready to wrap up the hunting, Thranduil prowled through the treetops, keeping a keen eye out for a new herd. As the group moved forward, Legolas, desperately searching for a white deer, gradually separated from the group without realizing it.
Eventually pausing in his travel along the branches, Legolas slowly realized he was alone. Long afternoon shadows showed how late it had become. Cautious but not overly concerned, Legolas changed direction to rejoin the hunting party based on where they should be headed. As he progressed he excitedly thought he saw a flash of white. Dropping to the ground, Legolas soundlessly crept forward to see if his hopes had prevailed.
A deep drift of fallen leaves had collected around a cluster of rocks. Beyond the rocks, where he thought he saw the white, Legolas needed to get a look. Legolas moved very carefully., not making a sound, he crouched behind his screen of rock and held his breath. Raising his head up to peek he saw an adorable pair of tall fawns, of an age they were losing the last of their spots. The last of their white spots must have been what Legolas saw.
Very disappointed, but appreciating the charming view, Legolas shifted himself to a more comfortable standing position. Stiffening, he felt a crack under his foot. Everything underfoot began to shift and the drift of leaves sank into the ground. Wildly flinging himself to the side, Legolas' last ditch efforts to reach solid ground, flung him painfully into a solid wall of earth.
Rebounding off the wall of the sinkhole, Legolas gave a terrified yelp as he fell. Air rushed past him for several feet, then within a heartbeat, agony exploded in his leg. Before he could scream, his head met a rock, rendering him blissfully oblivious to his pain and the world.
While Legolas realized his error and had turned to find the last of the hunting party. Thranduil had sighted a fine, beautiful, young buck. He took it down with one perfect shot as expected. The rest of the group had shot the animals they wished, allowing the rest to flee.
As everyone gathered, congratulating each other for their abundant start to filling the pantries with winter provisions. Thranduil reached his deer and retrieved his arrow, he began to clean and gut his game when a sense of disquiet and unease distrubed him.
Looking round he could see no reason for concern. Thranduil, now distracted, barely noticed when another elf stepped in to finish the work he had started. Cendir noticed Thrandil's upset state and shifted closer. Analyzing the situation again, Thranduil unhappily realized Legolas was not to be seen.
Washing his hands, Thranduil grabbed his weapons and rearmed himself. Elves started to gather around, unsure what was happening.
Searching the area one last time, though with little hope, Thranduil confirmed Legolas truly wasn't in sight.
"Has anyone seen Legolas?" Thranduil asked quietly. The surrounding elves went still. When no one spoke, Thranduil tried again, "When did each of you last see him?"
A general consensus soon established that it had been at least a few hours. Most recalled seeing the prince as they left the horses. One elf thought he had seen him soon after they left the horses, Cendir was sure he had seen Legolas with the group an hour after the hunting party took to the trees.
Frowning, Thranduil tried to keep the worry from his face. There was no reason to worry. Legolas was well trained, he could safely travel alone. But then, there was no good reason for him to have left the group either.
Deciding it was better to find his wayward son then wait, Thranduil dispatched almost half the group to return home with their fresh provisions. Taking the leftover group of thirteen, including himself and his bodyguard, they spread out to retrace their path and gather at the location of their afternoon stop if nothing was found.
Spreading out, staying in pairs, their search began as evening fell.
Staying in reasonable line, they swept back over their path. Each elf pairing was inside the whistle range of the next pair. This allowed the group as a whole to cover more ground at once.
So they searched, Cendir silently watched as Thranduil fought down increasing panic.
Be it the instinct of a worried parent or a happy accident, Thranduil happened to be the one to pass near the sinkhole. He almost proceeded on his way with a cursory glance at the rocky section, when something felt uncomfortably familiar. Dropping to the ground, Thranduil could see an odd shape in the deeply shadowed area near the rocks.
Prodding his memories for answers, Thranduil sucked in his breath when he realized it was the perfect location for a certain kind of orc trap. It had been popular with the last generation or two, before the orcs tried new plans. Dread caught in his throat and his lungs felt tight as he walked toward the shadowed ground. Vaguely, Thranduil registered Cendir jumping from the branches to guard his back.
Reaching the shadowed space, Thranduil's experience led him to crouch and test the ground as he shuffled forward. His hands suddenly met air as soft dirt crumbled away at his touch. Now able to make out the dim outlines of a pit, not wanting to risk an unstable edge he lay on his belly and slid forward. Cendir held a grip on his ankle as a precaution.
The rim was indeed soft and ready to give since the old supports had collapsed. Thranduil found himself looking down a fifteen foot deep hole. Sharpened stakes lined the base of the pit sticking up only a few feet. With a mounting sense of horror, he could just make out pale strands of hair on the bottom far edge.
Legolas appeared half buried, face down against a chunk of rock, right arm draped around his head. Dirt and leaves covered his shoulders down to his knees where one leg was unseen but the other was impaled on a thin stake, holding his right leg above the dirt at a grotesque angle.
WIth a choked cry of despair, Thranduil kicked off Cendir's protective grip and scrambled delicately but without hesitation around the edge all the way to where it met with the rocks. Ignoring Cendir who was now signaling for help with piercing whistles, Thranduil hung his feet over the edge.
"Thranduil! Stop!" Cendir demanded frantically, to no avail.
Allowing his body to slip down the sheer side, Thranduil tried to keep his weight pressed against the wall. Heart pounding, his adrenaline jumped as he didn't hit the ground but splashed into murky brackish water. Leaves had fallen on the top, suspended without disturbance, disguising it perfectly.
Catching his arm on a stake tip as he tried not to fall, Thranduil tore open his upper arm. Not caring in the least, Thranduil forced his way along the edge of the stakes. Feeling even more desperate now that he knew Legolas was not buried but largely underwater, he waded through the hip deep muck.
Achieving his goal. Thranduil examined Legolas' head first, he found a large bump where blood had matted into the hair and dried, stopping the bleeding. Legolas' skin was every bit as icy cold as Thranduil feared. Gently lifting Legolas up from the frigid groundwater, Thranduil crouched to drape Legolas over his shoulder, his body so cold and still Thranduil listened for the faint heartbeats to reassure himself that Legolas was alive.
Hands now free to work the leg up off the stake, Thranduil came to the terrifying discovery that, ugly as it was, the impaled leg was the only thing that preserved his son from drowning.
By this point, Thranduil could hear a significant amount of noise above his head. Holding Legolas to his chest, Thranduil offered what body heat he could. Turning his head to the opening above he waited, cold seeping through out his body, knowing help was on the way.
After a time that was probably not long, Thranduil jerked to alertness, amazed to see Cendir already lowered halfway down on a rope. Thranduil worked his way toward Cendir, keeping Legolas between himself and the wall. A couple of angled stakes tore at his clothes but the jerkin was a sturdy leather. Cerdin stood waiting, another rope in his hands.
Shivering, Thranduil reached Cendir, almost completely soaked; he had little resistance to the cold left.
Ready to hand Legolas over and watch Cendir carry him above, Thranduil's numbed legs stumbled as Cendir pressed Legolas back into Thranduil's arms. Steadying his friend, Cendir quickly wrapped the rope around Thranduil and himself with Legolas supported between them.
Trusting Cendir, Thranduil didn't argue and allowed his head to droop forward on his son's head. Senses slowed, Thranduil took a few minutes to realize they had been pulled out and were being untied. Now, Cendir did take Legolas and then ran. A couple of elves tried to drag Thranduil into a run as well but when his legs refused, he found himself thrown over someone's shoulder and was carried instead.
Cold night air chilled Thranduil further but even in his hazy world, he was grateful he wasn't carried far. Someone had returned with horses and Thranduil was soon held before another as they rode. Thranduil tried to ask about Legolas, but couldn't get words to form properly. Shivering violently, he lost track of time.
Awareness of a change, drifted to Thranduil. His shaking frame was being handed down off the horse and carried inside his great gates. Struggling to keep his eyes open, Thranduil was dimly comforted to see Cendir was the one carrying him, then concerned because Cendir was supposed to have Legolas. Before he could think about this further they had reached the healer's wing.
Cendir hauled him to a room off the wing, it had a fire roaring and two tubs of water set up. Legolas was being supported in one tub as Herthiron was yelling at a assistant,
"I said tepid. I meant TEPID bathwater!" Herthiron bellowed at a younger assistant.
Mildly confused as Cendir began stripping him down to his leggings, Thranduil watched blankly as Herthiron stormed up and rested a hand on Thranduil's forehead and grimaced. Turning and adjusting the second bath to his apparent preferences.
Thranduil blinked and found himself submerged to his neck in what felt like painfully hot water. Fighting it at first, Cendir refused to let him move. Giving up his weak attempts to rise, Thranduil tipped his head in Legolas's direction. Between forcing swigs of warmed wine in Thranduil's face, Cendir told him how Legolas was doing much better. Warming, Thranduil fought an overwhelming desire to sleep, watching for Legolas to wake up. As hotter water was added and his shivering subsided, Thrandui lost his battle with sleep.
Thoughts foggy, Legolas tried to figure out where he was. As memories slowly trickled back, he groaned. Hunting, he had somehow hurt himself on the hunting trip.
A cool hand rested on his forehead. Fighting to open his eyes, Legolas winced as his head throbbed. Grimacing as he was pulled into a more upright position he still couldn't open his eyes. Medicine trickled down his throat and he swallowed, grateful for the moisture if not the taste. Then the world faded.
This time, Legolas woke feeling clear headed. Easily opening his eyes, he recognized the quiet rooms in the healer's ward. Too comfortable to move more than necessary, Legolas looked around him. There was a chair, Cendir was sleeping in it. This surprised Legolas till he saw the second bed and his father sleeping, blankets tucked up to his chin.
Panicking, Legolas tried to propel himself out of bed. He failed miserably, only managing to twitch a limb or two. Giving a muffled moan as his leg throbbed and ached at the movement, Cendir instantly woke up. Casting his gaze at both the beds, he gave a weary grin, happy to see Legolas awake.
"Hey, 'Las, how are you feeling?" Cendir asked softly, grabbing a glass of water from some place out of sight.
Legolas gulped the water, surprised at his thirst. Setting the cup back out of sight, Cendir sat next to Legolas on his bed.
"Better?" Cendir asked, still speaking quietly.
Legolas nodded, already starting to feel drowsy. Not sure he felt up to talking, he flicked his eyes back at his father and Cendir smiled kindly.
"He is fine. Just recovering. Just like you," was Cendir's answer to the unspoken question.
Confused, Legolas stared. Cendir chuckled. "You are going to fall back asleep very soon, but your father will be delighted you finally woke up."
Blinking slowly, Legolas tried to look demanding. He knew he failed when Cendir grinned widely.
"You look like a disturbed owl at midday young prince," Cendir said, teasing his prince..
Nearly pouting, Legolas refused to look at Cendir any longer.
"Now, now, I will give you the short version to hold you over. That sound reasonable?" Cendir coaxed.
Feeling even sleepier, Legolas struggled to focus, but nodded. Cendir used a damp cloth to wipe down Legolas' face and arms, slightly refreshed, Legolas waited.
"Short version is that you fell in an orc trap, quite an old one too. You got a concussion, a massive lump on the head, several bruises, and a good sized hole in your leg. The biggest problem was you were in cold water for hours." Cendir's weariness showed on his face, but then he smiled encouragingly. "Fortunately, your father found you. He almost threw himself in that forsaken pit, scooped you up and warmed you best he could while keeping you from touching the water again."
Legolas' eyes filled with tears and he turned to gaze at Thranduil's sleeping shape.
Cendir brushed Legolas' hair back and his voice sounded husky, "We almost lost you 'Las, If he hadn't found you, If he hadn't got to you when he did." Cendir had to pause and swallow thickly.
"He will probably be mad I am telling you this, but you both ended up poisoned, from the trap or the water we don't know. We almost lost you both to the illness on top of the cold."
Tears dripped down Legolas' face as he considered life without Thranduil just being there.
"Shhh, it is alright 'Las, he is healing even faster than you are." Cendir said soothingly, wiping the tears away. "Now that you understand, can you rest 'Las?"
Swallowing his tears, Legolas nodded. Cendir gave him another chance to drink, then fussed about settling him back in. Exhausted from even that little bit of activity, Legolas yawned, blinking again.
"Thank you," Legolas murmured as Cendir hummed the same tune he had hummed to Legolas for centuries.