Beta: Kalisona (hugs)

Chapter 6

The rain had stopped a long time ago, but almost none of the bright sunlight could enter the darkness of Mirkwood. Uncomfortable coolness had settled under the thick canopy of the trees. Estel shuddered, but it had nothing to do with the cold or with the spider toxins still running through his veins. Darkness had settled in his heart, and it was much thicker than the one around him. And none of the sunlight could ever reach it.

The gloomy forest had always intimidated the young man, but murky or not, it was his best friend's home, so the darkness never had seemed too deep.

But not anymore.

Elrond walked slowly, supporting his son, who was still dizzy from the toxins. A sense of dread filled his heart, and he could only hope that the twins and Legolas were safe. But somehow he doubted it.

"I don't like this," the ranger protested once again. "We should go looking for Dan and Ro."

The elven lord shook his head. "I told you, Estel, they are probably headed towards home. We will meet them there."

"But it will be more than a month until we reach Imladris!" The young man wasn't going to give in easily. "And I am walking so slowly! What if they aren't there when we get home? It will be too late to help!"

Elrond sighed. He had to admit he was worried. He trusted his sons, but he didn't know what they were up against.

But he couldn't go after them with Estel. The human was still ill and would need more help before he recovered completely. The long journey to Imladris was dangerous enough for him, even if they didn't stray.

A sudden idea crossed his mind. "Thranduil's palace is just a few hours away," he said. "We can get help there. The Wood elves are used to dealing with spider poison. I am sure they will have all the herbs that we have in Imladris, possibly more."

Elrond was reluctant to make this suggestion. If they went to the palace, Estel would soon learn that Legolas had gone after him. True, the man would get help there, and would probably feel well enough to handle the news, but the elven lord wasn't looking forward to telling his son that his best friend was captured, and they didn't know where he was and in what condition.

Estel froze and stared at his foster father. Thranduil's palace… that would mean seeing Legolas again. Yes, he wanted to speak to his friend, to tell him how sorry he was, but at the same time he was afraid. Afraid of the rejection in his friend's usually warm blue eyes, afraid of the disdain, or worse, the indifference he was going to face. Could he ever be able to repair the bond, once so strong, that he had broken so carelessly?

" Ada, I don't need help, I'll be fine," he muttered softly. "Let's go back and look for Dan and Ro. Please."

Elrond studied the young man with surprise and concern. He watched as his son's gaze darkened, and he looked away, as if afraid to meet his eyes.

"What is it, ion nín?" The elf gently lifted his chin. "Are you still feeling guilty for loving her? I told you I have forgiven you. No, I have never been angry with you."

"It is not that, Ada." The young man tried to force a smile, but failed miserably. Another shudder went through his body. Elrond, wrongly thinking that the ranger was cold, took off his cloak and wrapped it around his human son's slim, but sturdy form. Little did he know that the coldness Aragorn felt wasn't coming from outside, and cloak could not warm his heart.

"What is it then, Estel?" He asked gently. He had noticed that the human had paled, and it worried him.

"Nothing really. I am just worried about Elladan and Elrohir," the man replied, still refusing to meet his gaze.

"I will leave you at the palace and will go to look after them immediately," Elrond replied, and the ranger nodded reluctantly. Ready or not, he had to face Legolas.

Estel took another slow step, when he felt his foster father tense.

"What is it, Ada?" He asked in alarm. But before the elf could answer him, he could hear it as well.

Someone was coming.

---

"El!" Elladan desperately tried to get his twin's attention. "El, look at me!"

"It is all my fault," Elrohir muttered brokenly.

"What are you talking about?" The older twin stared at him in shock. Valar, please don't tell me that he has contracted Estel's guilt problem!

"I should have eaten the herbs. I failed you, El, and I failed Legolas!" He glanced at the pile of golden hair still lying on the ground.

Elladan sighed. So his brother had contracted Estel's guilt problem.

"You only tried to help." He tried to comfort his twin. "If it is anyone's fault, it is the orcs'."

Elrohir only shook his head. "We could have defeated them, El, and you know it! If only I had eaten the leaves Ada gave me…" he trailed off and closed his eyes. "And now Legolas is going to die. And we will most probably starve to death."

"Stop it!" Elladan was starting to get annoyed by his brother's self-condemnation. "No one is going to die! If you focused your mind on making an escape plan, instead of reproving yourself, we could be free by now!"

Elrohir sighed and left his head hung forward. "Goheno nin (forgive me). I had no right to lose hope," he muttered.

"It is alright, brother," his twin whispered. "I am sure Ada and Estel will come to look for us. But, before that, we should try everything possible to escape on our own.

"Any ideas?" Elrohir looked questioningly at his brother.

A wide grin was the only answer he received.

---

"Faster, scum!" A fierce kick in Legolas' ribs was punishment for the elf falling once again. He tried to rise, but the kick sent him, panting, to the ground once again.

The journey through the hills was a blur to Legolas. His head was still spinning wildly because of the spider toxins, and the harsh treatment he was receiving wasn't helping the matters.

He tried to rise once again, but the orc's heavy boot landed on his back with full force, pushing the air out of his lungs. The elf gasped and tried to crawl away, but the boot pressed him further down.

"I think I told you to walk faster," the orc hissed. "My master will be happy to see you. The sooner we get there, the sooner I get my prize. On the other hand…" He suddenly seemed to reconsider his plan. "The longer we take to get there, the more fun I am going to have."

Legolas didn't like the new turn of events. He had had enough experience with orc fun in the past to know that he wasn't looking forward to it. "I will do my best to walk fast," he replied. "I can't wait to get rid of your company. I don't know who your master is, but I'm sure he can't possibly stink as bad as you."

His words were rewarded by another kick. "Are you trying to make your situation worse, scum?" The orc asked incredulously.

"Can it get any worse than this?" The elf challenged.

The evil creature grinned widely. "Oh, trust me, elf, it can always get worse. Much worse."

---

"Mae govannen, mellyn!" Elrond raised his hand to greet the Mirkwood border patrol.

"Lord Elrond!" The elves recognized him and slightly bowed their heads in respect. "Are you travelling to the palace, my Lord?" Miresgal, the leader of the patrol, asked.

"Yes, my friend. My son was bitten by spiders and needs help."

" Ada, you don't need to come to the palace," Estel suddenly interrupted. "I can come back with the patrol, and you can go and look for Dan and Ro."

Elrond had to admit the idea made sense. This would save them some time even though he hated to leave the man sick as he was. "Would you escort Estel to the palace?" He asked the elves.

"Of course, my Lord," Miresgal replied. "Do not worry about Lord Estel, he will be safe with us."

Elrond sighed. He was still reluctant to leave the ranger. "Do you want me to prepare you more of the antidote, ion nín?" He asked. "You have taken only one dose, and with all the poison you have taken, you will need at least five or six to recover completely. The effect of the first dose will wear off soon and you will feel terrible again."

"We don't have time for this, Ada," the young man replied resolutely. "Don't worry; I'll get the antidote when I arrive at the palace. I'll be alright, I promise."

"Very well," the elven lord said, although he still seemed hesitant. "I had some herbs that you could chew without boiling them in water, but I gave them all to Elrohir, so we need to do without them. Tell King Thranduil that you have been bitten by spiders and that you need to drink the antidote immediately."

"I will." The young man nodded. "Now, please Ada, go and look for Dan and Ro. I would feel better if I knew that you were looking for them."

"Get better, my son," Elrond lightly touched the ranger's shoulder and walked back towards the clearing. He had a very bad feeling about leaving Estel, but tried to ignore it.

He is safe, he tried to assure himself and walked forward.

But another voice resounded in the back of his mind, He is never safe.

---

"Maybe there is no need to hurry after all." The orc grinned, still without removing his foot from Legolas' back. "Then I must look for a place where we can spend the night."

The elf sighed inwardly. It seemed he had indeed managed to make matters worse. It seemed to come naturally for him. He could only guess what the orc meant by 'spend the night', and none of the guesses seemed enjoyable.

"You wait here while I return," the orc grunted and lifted his foot, but then froze. "Wait! How do I know that you won't run away?" He suddenly took out a long knife and before Legolas could comprehend what was happening, a sharp pain pierced his shoulder. The elf gasped and concentrated all of his strength in not voicing his agony.

The orc had stuck the knife through his shoulder, pinning him to the ground.

"Good." The evil creature looked at him carefully. "You won't be able to go anywhere like that."

Giving the pinned prince a last glance, the orc climbed the hill and disappeared from sight.

---

"Lord Estel?" Miresgal asked worriedly when the young man stopped. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, my friend, but I need to go back," the ranger said.

"Back?" The elf turned wide eyes at him. "But Lord Elrond said – "

"I know what he said, but I need to speak to him. I forgot to tell him something. Something important."

The elves exchanged glances. "We promised him to get you to the palace safely."

"He will understand. You shouldn't worry about that. Please, my friends, it is really important that I speak to him. You can go back to the palace, I will come when I can."

"You mean to follow him alone?" Miresgal was incredulous. "If you need to go back, I could send someone with you."

"I will be fine alone. I don't want to bother you," Aragorn replied. "You can go back, I will stay safe, I promise."

Miresgal sighed. He somehow felt it was wrong to leave the human, but the ranger was not a child anymore and he had no authority to order him anything. "Very well, My Lord Estel," he spoke slowly. "I hope you are doing the right thing."

Aragorn thanked them and turned back, his heart filled with guilt and satisfaction at the same time. He felt guilty for lying to his father and to the patrol, but it had been necessary. Now he could go and help his brothers. They needed him, he could feel it.

Moreover, now he wouldn't need to face Legolas. He wasn't ready for that. He couldn't bear the rejection. But would he ever be ready?

The ranger walked towards the clearing, his steps slow but determined. He stumbled a few times, and with every step he took, his vision grew more blurry. He took another tired step and fell to the ground. He rose panting to his knees and shook his head, hoping to stop the world from spinning around him. Great, he sighed in frustration. The antidote is wearing off. Ada warned me.

But it was too late to change anything, and besides he wouldn't go back even if he could. He rose to his unsteady feet and focused, moving forward. He would find his brothers, no matter what.

Soon he reached a clearing and stopped to lean on a tree to catch his breath. He couldn't help shuddering when he saw the numerous spider bodies littering the ground. The memories were still too near.

He could easily follow the tracks his brothers had left, and he observed that Elrond had followed them. But there were other tracks, slightly older, and it seemed that the elves had followed them. This confused him, but he was feeling too dizzy to think, so he just walked along the tracks.

Wherever his brothers were, he would find them soon.

To be continued…

Thank you for the great reviews last time, my friends! Heh, bribery worked – I hope you liked the strands of Legolas' hair :-) I still have a few left, in case you decide to review :D

The deadline for the "Spiders" competition had been extended to April 30. If you want to submit a story, you still have some time. If not, you can still visit the EAC site and read the other spider stories. Links on my profile page.