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Chapter 6: Unexpected Once More
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"H-how are you?", Legolas panted after a while.
"Could be... worse", Aragorn replied. "Do you...want me to carry you?"
"Ha...ha...", the elf feigned a laugh, "if at all, I should...carry you, my friend... you walk like... an old man..."
"Speaking of...old... you should be... talking..."
"I... I... will show you..."
Bickering like that, they slowly but steadily made progress, trying not to think of anything else than staying on their feet and keeping the other one upright, or what came closest to that.
.
"What if...they hear us?", Legolas asked after a while.
"They...would hear us anyway...stomping through the bush...as we are", Aragorn replied. "And...they can easily...track us... but...I...I... cannot think about that...now..."
Legolas understood what he meant, even if it did not really make sense.
The very idea of being recaptured was too horrible.
Even as he knew that it was not very likely for them to escape, he desperately wanted to believe that they were safe.
They had managed to flee, at last, did that not count for anything?
"You...stomp", he therefore panted, keeping up the distracting dialogue they both needed so badly, even though every word was laborious, "I glide...graciously..."
"Ha...", Aragorn now said, "You...you wish..."
Legolas sighed: "I wish... I wish Alba... was here..."
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He did not notice that Aragorn was suddenly gaping:"How did you...how did you do that?" he panted.
"Do what?", Legolas asked.
But then he looked up- and saw Alba. She was coming towards them, Ragnar following behind her.
When the horses had reached them, Aragorn marvelled at the white mare once more: "You...followed us...", he stated and felt relief flooding through him.
Ragnar neighed softly and knelt down, but Alba remained standing.
"She...you...", Aragorn struggled to get some sense into what he thought the horse was thinking. "We should...both ride on...him...", he finally managed to get out. "Otherwise you...you might fall."
"I would never...fall", snorted Legolas indignantly, but pulled his friend towards the stallion nevertheless.
Aragorn helped him to mount, causing Legolas to grimace because of his leg. When they were both seated, Ragnar got up, nearly causing the two to lose their balance.
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"Stop... shifting about...", Aragorn said.
"Easy to say...", Legolas replied. "My leg...is so stiff... I am sitting...all weird."
"I...I will not...let go", Aragorn reassured him, and with his good arm tightened his grip around Legolas´ slender midriff.
"Good ...good..."
Meanwhile, Alba had taken the lead again.
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The rocking motion, as smooth as Ragnar´s gait was, ungently reminded the elf and the Ranger of what they had been through, but on the other hand, it kept them awake, preventing them from falling down off the horse´s back.
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"Where...are we going?", Legolas asked after a while.
"I have no...no idea", Aragorn said. "Your horse...master elf..."
"Ah...well...she is wise...she will...find..."
"Find...what...?"
"Find...find...find somewhere..." Legolas said vaguely, waving the question off with one hand.
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Despite their efforts, they eventually fell silent; Legolas felt curiously light-headed due to the blood loss, and Aragorn felt as if his head was under water while being stomped on at the same time. His sight was still blurred, and it was a relief to close his eyes; he did not even feel that he was sitting on a horse anymore.
The hours were passing by in a haze of changing light.
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At some point Legolas noticed that Aragorn´s grip had loosened considerably.
"Aragorn", he said, his own voice sounding as if far away, "are you alright?"
"Am... fine", the Ranger murmured.
Legolas stopped Ragnar: "No, you are...not", he replied. As if on cue, the horse knelt down again.
The elf felt his friend slip off the horse´s back and heard him retch. He struggled to get off as quickly as his leg allowed and had to fight off a sudden assault of queasiness.
When he turned to help Aragorn, the Ranger had already lain down and closed his eyes.
"Legolas", he murmured, "I cannot...go on."
The elf could see that this was true, that Aragorn´s strength was spent, but he refused to believe it: "Yes...you can", he begged, "you have to!"
Aragorn smiled faintly, but he was too tired to open his eyes. He felt very ill.
"You...have the kindest heart...Legolas", he whispered. "But...I have to...have to stop here..."
Legolas shook his head in despair: "You must not...give up like this...", he pleaded, "we have...come so far...and it will be...getting dark soon..."
"I...am sorry...cannot...head hurts so..."
Wearily, Legolas eased himself down on the grass next to him, taking his friend´s hand: "You will...be alright", he whispered. "I will not... leave you alone..."
Aragorn did not answer anymore.
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Legolas closed his eyes; he had lost any sense of direction, but evidently they were far from safe.
Ragnar neighed softly, waiting for them to remount, and Alba started to nuzzle the elf´s face.
Legolas looked up at her: "I know...", he murmured, "you want us... to hurry. I-"
He fell silent abruptly, because the horses had suddenly stopped moving about and stood as still as statues, their ears straight.
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Horror crept up Legolas´ spine before he heard it as well: the Orcs were approaching.
He could hear movement in the undergrowth, and it sounded like they were quite close already.
Legolas gasped, then he struggled to his feet, grasped Aragorn´s uninjured shoulder and his belt and started to pull him back towards Ragnar.
Aragorn did not react and was unable to help, but Legolas somehow managed to get him on the horse, fear and anger triggering his last reserve of energy.
He mounted behind Aragorn, grimacing at the pain in his leg, and Ragnar got up at once.
"Run, Ragnar!", Legolas urged the horse, which did not hesitate but swiftly followed Alba.
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With one arm, Legolas held Aragorn, with the other he had seized a handful of mane and was holding on to it.
The horses were galopping as fast as possible, having reached the edge of the forest by now, and were dashing along a river, which the elf hoped to be the Bruinen. If it was, it could not be far to Rivendell anymore.
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They crossed the river at a shallow spot.
As soon as they had reached the other side, Alba sped up and was soon out of sight.
This sparked new hope in Legolas, as it might mean that they were close to safety, or at least close to help.
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Lord Elrond of Imladris was walking through the gardens with his chief counsellor.
The air was crisp and clear, and on such a fine autumnal morning they liked to talk about matters outside rather than in Elrond´s study.
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"...see the necessity in that", Erestor was saying, when they heard someone calling out Elrond´s name.
It was Tiriel, the head of Rivendell´s guard, and he looked distressed:
"My lord", he said, approaching in fast strides, "A riderless horse has just arrived."
Elrond and Erestor looked at each other, frowning.
"A riderless horse?", Elrond repeated and set off towards the courtyard at once, not waiting for Tiriel´s answer.
Erestor and Tiriel were following at his heels.
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It was a white mare, and Elrond recognized her quickly: "Alba", he said quietly and reached out for her.
She came nearer and allowed him stroke her. He could sense her distress.
"She is Prince Legolas´ horse", Elrond said with a sinking feeling. "Something is wrong. She has run through the night."
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Legolas found it hard to keep his eyes open, a sensation that he had rarely experienced in his life.
He felt drained and wearier than ever before. His leg hurt, and his head seemed to be wrapped in tissue, for everything seemed hushed.
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As cautiously as Ragnar was walking, having slowed down again, he could not prevent the inevitable.
Legolas felt his grip on consciousness and his grip on Aragorn weaken simultaneously, but was helpless.
He simply slid off the horse´s back, blood loss and exhaustion having finally caught up with him.
He barely noticed hitting the ground anymore and was oblivious that Aragorn landed next to him when Ragnar stopped.
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The horse nuzzled their faces, trying to wake them up, but to no avail: neither of the friends responded.
Their flight was over.
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TBC
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Author´s note: Okay, so my favourite elf and beloved Ranger are not out of the woods yet, literally speaking. Sorry for the cliffie, but it had to be done so I could feel all mighty and powerful er, I mean, to keep us the suspense of course...(clears throat). Hope you enjoyed it!