Summary: Legolas and Aragorn ride ahead to Mirkwood to celebrate an
occasion but never make it.
Disclaimer: I don't own them for their own good.
A/N: Written for a challenge issued on Mellon Chronicles.
Chapter 12
Elrond wasted no time getting Estel and Legolas into the healing wards. The others followed, Legolas cradled in Thranduil's arms. "He will bleed to death and die if you do not do something!" Thranduil shouted as Elrond's attention was drawn away to Estel.
"My Lord, should you not save Legolas?" one of the healers dared to ask.
Elrond's heart was torn. Yes, Estel was more gravely injured, but should he use all his skills in healing to save him, and let one of the firstborn die, his friend's son at that?" Elrond could not think about anything as Estel begged for a release from the pain. The words being mumbled from his lips sent shivers down his back, bringing his decision to him. "I must save Estel. I cannot let my son die, for I would soon follow."
"What of Legolas? What of my son, your godson."
"Elladan shall help Legolas," Elrond told him turning back to the now sobbing Estel. Elrond poured the steaming water into the wound and watched as crimson water flowed back out. His son, technically not his son but his by every right laid before him dying. He had cleaned the wound, he had stitched him, and yet Estel still screamed in agony. Estel's other wounds were broken open, the sheets underneath him were now stained red.
Elrohir had not spoken, choosing to help his father as much as he could, but his eyes glistened with new tears, as the others had fallen to mix with the blood on the sheets. "Elrohir, please hold your brother still so that I can assess his other injuries."
Elrohir did not move to help his father but instead stared down at the bed. "Elrohir, you must help me if I am to help your brother!" Elrond now yelled. Elrohir stared down at the bed and then looked into his father's eyes. The look was so haunting that Elrond stopped what he was doing. "What is it?" It did not take long for him to see what haunted Elrohir so. His son's normal pale hands were covered in Estel's blood, the blood of the one he swore to help protect years ago.
Elrond took the cloth he was holding and wiped Elrohir's hands, but it did not erase the image that was burned into his head. "Please Elrohir, I cannot do this alone."
Elrohir shuddered but took Estel's hands and held them to his side as his father worked on his injuries, though each time Estel winced or whimpered a new shudder coursed through his body.
Elladan was having his own dilemma. Before him laid his friend of many years, his brother's protector, the only one to befriend him in the unforgiving world of elves for humans. Legolas tried to bear the injuries but even he could not stop himself from crying out as his wound was cleaned. Thranduil couldn't help himself as years of built up tears rolled from his eyes. His son laid before him torn, battered and bleeding. A similar vision came to him of his wife. She too laid in a bed, her skin too pale, a sheen of sweat marring her features. "Will he live?" Thranduil whispered to Elladan, afraid of the answer.
Elladan looked from Legolas to Thranduil not wanting to give false hope. "It shall be in the Valar's hands now. I have stitched his wounds, and given him all that I can. It is now a waiting game."
Thranduil stared down at his son. Legolas looked so small, so helpless. He wanted to wrap his son into his arms and make all of what happened disappear but he couldn't. Tears once again filled his eyes, spilling onto the bed, and he made no move to wipe them away. He cared not for anything but Legolas but the small hiccupping breaths coming from Estel's bed made him look up.
Estel's face was ashen, almost to the extent of seeming as if he was already dead. "He is not going to make it," Elrond whispered as he watched Estel's breathing slow. His injuries are to severe."
Elladan shook his head "No Ada, we cannot give up hope!" Elrond however did not hear him. Elrond was trapped in his own thoughts. Those thoughts took him to another time, a time when Celebrian laid on a bed before him, broken, her spirit fading. Thranduil could see the despair in his friend. Everyone in the room watched as Elrond sunk his head into his hands. Erestor who had been standing in the doorway was now at his friend's side. "Elrond, we must not give up yet. Estel yet lives, his spirit still clings to us."
Hours went by and each person fell into a fitful sleep, Thranduil with Legolas in his arms, but Elrond could not be consoled. He sat by the bed on the floor, a trancelike state overtaking him. He was not catatonic as would seem, but instead remembering the small child entrusted to his care, the one he grew to love.
As dawn broke in the elven kingdom Legolas stirred, his eyes flittering open. "Estel!" he screamed, sitting up too fast. Everyone in the room ran to his side, trying to push the now struggling Legolas back down on the bed. "You will injure yourself further." Elladan tried to tell him, but Legolas was not listening.
"I must help him!" Legolas yelled too distraught and not yet awake. The twins and even Thranduil tried to calm him, but it was the stern voice of Erestor that seemed to work.
"You will calm yourself now. Estel lays beside you." Legolas looked to his left and saw that indeed Estel laid in a bed near him. His breathing slowed, and he turned to his father who was holding his hand. "Will he be all right?"
Thranduil looked to the twins and then to their father who still sat in a trancelike state on the edge of the bed, tears stains on his face. "We do not know. His life is in the hands of the Valar." This news disheartened Legolas and his own tears mixed with those of his father's.
"Come, no one here has slept or ate in two days. Let us go and bathe and eat something and then we shall return. The twins stood up, their rumpled tunics and uncombed hair showing the signs of the trying night One by one they left the room, Elrond being lifted from where he sat by Erestor.
As night descended Elrond returned to the room unable to be away from his son. When he opened the door he found Thranduil staring at him. "I did not think you would be away for too long."
Elrond took a seat beside his son, and took Estel's hand in his. "He is so still as if the life has already left him. How could I let him be taken? Why has the Valar sent him to me, only to let him be taken so soon?"
"I cannot say. Know that I am praying that they each recover. Thousands of years we have been distant with each other, and Estel showed me the friend I had forgotten. Forgive me for putting old attitudes before friendship."
Elrond nodded. "He has also taught me as well. If our sons can overlook the differences between their races then so can I forgive all that has happened." Elrond and Thranduil then grew silent as they took steady watch over Legolas and Estel.
Two more days past spent in sleepless nights and even the strong elven endurance wore thin and Elrond and Thranduil slept. It was on the evening of the second day that Estel stirred. Elrond having not slept did not notice his son's movement, but another did. "Estel?" Legolas called from his own bed where he had awoken minutes before.
Estel turned his head to see that of his friend. "Legolas, is it a dream or are we home?"
"Aye, tis not a dream. We are safe, but I daresay that I am not comfortable at all. My side burns, and aches."
Estel not thinking started to get up from his bed. Immediately he yelled, falling to his knees on the floor, which brought the whole of the house running into the room. Elladan was a his side instantly, pulling him up into his arms. Erestor was having his own ordeal trying to hold Elrond away from pouncing on the young man.
"Days, we have sat and waited for you to awaken, but I knew the Valar could not be so cruel," Elladan said. Estel knew that his brother was lying. He could see the hair uncombed, the wrinkled clothing telling him that Elladan had slept in his clothes, too tired to change.
It was as Estel turned to face his father that he saw the magnitude of everything. His Ada had always been strong, never faltering. Now his father's eyes held tears, his face a picture of the days he had spent at his side. Estel grabbed his father's hand in his own. "I am well Ada, do not cry."
Elrond's face smiled as fresh tears rolled down his face. "You are far from well, but I am glad to hear your voice. The Valar have not taken you from me and for that I am grateful." After spending a full hour checking both Estel and Legolas over Elrond and Thranduil finally allowed the others to convince them to sleep and eat. It was only after the door closed and the room again fell silent that Legolas dared to speak.
"Estel, are you really well?"
Estel sat there thinking of truly how he felt. "My body is not healed and neither is my mind but in time both will mend."
Legolas leaned his legs over the edge of the bed, and fought back the sense of nausea sweeping over him. He took careful steps as he crossed the small distance between the two beds and sat down on Estel's his face covered in sweat. "You are not alone in this Estel. I too feel the weight of what happened. I too remember what almost transpired. Please Estel, talk to me."
Estel stared into blue eyes, ones that knew his every fear, knew the fears he had built up. All his defenses fell and he laid his head in Legolas' lap and wept. The strain of being captured, the thoughts of what the men did to them both came rushing back and Legolas and Estel talked till both felt better.
"Legolas? Does it hurt you?"
"Yes, my injuries are still fresh and pain me."
"That is not what I am speaking of. You too were hurt, your very life force almost taken as those elves tried to take what was not theirs to take. You tried to shield me from their blows, and in turn saved me from certain death. How can I repay you?"
Legolas' face took on a solemn appearance and his voice cracked when he spoke. "You already have repaid me Estel. If not for you I would have died long ago, choosing to leave Arda, but your friendship has helped me to forget the pains of the past."
Estel and Legolas talked for a few more hours, both crying until no more tears would come. It was only when darkness was settling in again that Estel gasped. "What is it Estel?" Legolas said, scared that Estel was somehow in more pain than he let on.
"I almost forgot the very reason we came here at all."
"My father will not mind considering what has happened." Legolas said, trying to persuade Estel to lie back down.
Estel was stubborn and swung his legs over the side of the bed. When he tried to stand his vision blurred and he came close to fainting. "I am not well Legolas. I do not know if I can make it to the closet."
Legolas came over and offered Estel his hand. "You are not well either Legolas. You cannot support your own weight, much less mine."
"I can retrieve it for you. Please stay in bed." Estel nodded that he would and Legolas made his way over to the closet. With great effort he searched until he found the bag inside, and brought it back over to the bed. Estel took it and opened the clasp. Inside, still securely wrapped lay the necklace.
"How are we going to get downstairs?" Estel asked, his breaths again coming in short gasps from the little bit of movement.
Legolas smiled, a wicked smile. "I think I know a way to bring them to us." Estel quirked his head wondering what Legolas was thinking and then it dawned on him. "That truly is wicked Legolas, and not at all nice either. Your father and mine will have our heads if we do such a thing."
Legolas tried to look angelic, sending Estel into a fit of laughter, causing even more pain. After settling down both of them took as deep a breath as they could and began to yell. Not even a minute later they could hear the thundering footsteps coming up the stairs.
"Perhaps we should have done something else," Estel said, as he knew any second the door would come flying open. Sure enough Thranduil and Elrond came running through the door, followed by Elladan and Elrohir, Erestor just behind them and guards standing at the door swords and bows drawn.
"What is it?" Thranduil asked Legolas who was looking quite scared now. "Are you in pain? Has someone tried to enter this room?
"Well, we, I mean ..." Legolas could think of nothing else to say, so he said the only thing that came to his mind. "Ada, please stay here with me. I don't wish to be alone right now."
Estel nodded his head at Elrond, and both fathers sat down on their beds. "You are far too old to need your father's hovering over you while you sleep aren't you?" Elrond said with a gleam in his eye.
"Ada, I will never be too old to not need you, even if I live to be as old as you are."
"Now that would be a mighty feat indeed," Thranduil said from where he sat.
Elrond turned on his friend. "It is you not I who is the oldest here."
Thranduil raised his head high. "You would do well to remember that young one," he said before chuckling to himself. Estel sat up in his bed the hiss at doing so bringing Elrond's attention back to him. "You should lie down Estel before you tear your stitches."
"I already did," Estel whispered, pulling back the covers to show the sheets beneath him. Elrond gasped and immediately sent one of the guards to fetch his bags. "How did you manage this?" he asked still trying to push Estel down on the bed.
Estel reached beneath his pillow and brought out the bag. "I had to get King Thranduil's gift. It is the reason we were coming here."
Elrond stared down at the bag. He knew the contents within but the sound of the guard returning brought his attention back to his son's bleeding wound. "You may give him the gift now, for I fear you may not be awake once I start stitching you back up." Estel gulped, knowing the pain having his wound closed would cause him. Carefully he handed the bag to Elrohir, who in turn handed it to Thranduil.
"What is this?" he asked, staring down at the bag.
"I found it. It is yours and I am returning it to you. It seemed a fitting gift for your birthday," Estel said. Estel's face grimaced in pain as his wound was cleaned, and he gripped the sheets on the bed.
Thranduil looked around the room and then pulled what was inside the bag out. Now laying in his hand was a necklace, but not just any necklace, the one he gave his wife on their wedding day. He had long thought it gone, having never found it when she was attacked.
"How? Where?" he asked.
"He found it in a shop during his travels. He traded his sword for it, and all the money he had that day," Legolas answered. Thranduil had not noticed the tears rolling down his face, but Legolas had. "He wanted you to have this."
"Elladan, please hold your brother's hand while I do this," Elrond said.
Elladan went to do as his father asked, but Thranduil was there instead. "If I may I will," he said, taking Estel's hand in his own. Elladan and Elrond nodded, and Elrond began the task of re stitching Estel's wound. It was not long before the pain became too much and Estel again was unconscious. "Your son, he has given me something I never thought I would lay eyes on again, and he did this even though I have never given him reason too."
Legolas smiled. "Estel needs no reason, but he did say that it was because a father should not be parted from those he loves, or those he has lost."
"A wise statement for one so young. Our sons have bonded, more than friends I dare say they are. From today on so shall the bond of our friendship be renewed Elrond. Too long have differences and feelings stood in the way of it."
"Aye, too long indeed."
Thranduil held the necklace to him gently, and then stood. "I shall go and place this somewhere safe," he said, wiping the tears from his eyes. "I shall return, but first I must inform the cooks that a celebration is to be made."
"Erestor already did," the twins chorused. "Your cake is being made now, and come tomorrow you shall have to blow out the candles or it will burn all of Mirkwood to the ground."
The following day cake and punch was served in the healing room. Estel and Legolas ate very little, but those around them knew that they were on their way to recovering. Hearts and minds would heal as long as they had each other and their families.
THE END