Aragorn dug through his pack in a controlled frantic pace. He selected several herbs before tossing the pack aside and leaning over Elladan. Crushing several of the herbs, he gently opened his brother's mouth and placed the herbs under Elladan's tongue. He held a hand over Elladan's heart and pulled the blanket around his brother with his other hand.

"I gave him a powerful herb that will hopefully strengthen his heart before it is too late. I do not know why his heart is weakened so," Aragorn said as he monitored he elf's pulse.

"Could someone have poisoned him?" Athernon asked as he fed some wood to the fire.

"It is possible but I do not know of any herb that could do this. There must be a reason why Gorgias dumped Elladan here and not keep him with Elrohir and Elrond."

"He intended it as a message for when we found Elladan dead. Gorgias did not expect us to find him so quickly. He thought we would still be a distance away and not so close," Athernon said softly and passed Legolas some dried meat.

"Athernon is right. Gorgias assumed we would wait until night to attack the camp to discover that your family was not there. Since we attacked when we found it, we are several hours up on him. We have the advantage of surprise," Legolas said as he wrapped his arms around his knees.

"Are you well, Legolas?" Aragorn asked as he eyed the elf.

Legolas nodded and started to rock back and forth slightly. He squeezed his eyes shut and mentally battled his nightmares that had suddenly come upon him. Aragorn's voice washed over him and he concentrated on that to keep hi mind attached to reality. The warmth of the fire seeped through his bones and kept him comfortable. He fought back the delusions and the images of Bretharso.

"Bretharso is dead…Aragorn is alive…I am alive… Bretharso is dead…Aragorn is alive…I am alive," he mouthed silently to himself.

The nightmare drifted back and released him as he sighed in relief. His fingers loosened their grip upon his legs and he looked up to Aragorn. Nodding to Aragorn who was watching him worriedly, he sat up straighter and rubbed his face. He needed to concentrate on Elrohir and Elrond and help them.

"What is our plan tomorrow?" Athernon asked as he watched Aragorn check his brother's respiration.

"Follow the trail after Gorgias as quickly as possible. The drugs seem to be strengthening Elladan's heart and the beat is stronger. He could awaken at any point and will be able to travel."

Legolas could hear the worry and concern in Aragorn's voice as he tended to his brother. Aragorn decided to wait until morn to dress the wounds. Blood no longer oozed from the wounds and they were slowly starting to heal. He hoped that Elladan would awaken soon but he knew it was unlikely given the elf's injuries. Aragorn was worried about the elf's heart and how weak it sounded and felt. He couldn't understand the cause or how it happened but he would do his best with the symptoms that was presented to him. Aragorn watched as Legolas and Athernon prepared to sleep. Neither of them asked about who would take the watch. Aragorn would stay awake all night to watch over Elladan and monitor his heart rate. He passed the night silently, occasionally checking Elladan and watching over his friends.

(I)(I)(I)

"Hold him gently, Legolas," Aragorn said as he spread a cream over the whip marks upon Elladan's back.

Legolas nodded and held Elladan's upper body against his chest. The dark head rested on Legolas' shoulder as Legolas wrapped an arm around his lower back. Elladan remained unconscious for the entire night and it was now an hour or so after dawn. Aragorn gently place a bandage over the wound and bound it tightly. Athernon was breaking down the camp quickly as they prepared to leave.

"Estel, I think he is waking," Legolas whispered when he felt the dark head shift against his shoulder.

Aragorn moved to Legolas' side and looked at Elladan's face. The elf's face was scrunched up slightly and he softly moaned.

"Elladan?" Aragorn asked softly and brushed a strand of dark hair behind the elf's delicate ear.

"Estel?" he murmured weakly as his eyes fluttered.

"How do you feel?"

"Weak," he replied and struggled to open his eyes.

"Your heart is terribly weakened, Elladan. You need to sleep and let your heart heal and strengthened," Aragorn whispered and gently cupped his brother's cheek and rushed his thumb over Elladan's cheekbone.

Elladan murmured something before falling asleep with his eyes closed. Aragorn glanced worriedly at Legolas before finishing binding the wounds. He knew that Elladan shouldn't be moving around to put any stress upon his heart. Sighing, he stood and brought his horse over and mounted. Legolas carefully passed Elladan up to the human and Aragorn held his brother in front of him. Legolas and Athernon mounted their horses and they rode along the trail at a steady pace. Aragorn kept a loose grip around Elladan's waist and the elf's head rested upon Aragorn's shoulder with his face turned into the human's neck. The steady wisps of breath against Aragorn's neck were comforting as he guided the horse one-handed. Athernon and Legolas spoke softly to each other and left Aragorn to concentrate on Elladan and his condition. The two elves kept watch as they moved along steadily, following the path.

They stopped next to a brook and let the horses rest as they sat on the grass. Aragorn checking Elladan's pulse and felt the elf's throat convulse as he swallowed. Holding a hand over Elladan's heart, Aragorn moved closer to his brother.

"Elladan?" he questioned softly and heard his brother groan.

"Estel?" he replied faintly as his eyes slowly opened.

"It is I, Elladan. Do not try to move. You have been badly injured though I do not know how," Aragorn said and turned to his healing pack.

"What happened? Where…where is Elrohir and Ada?" he murmured and turned his head to look at Aragorn.

"Legolas, Athernon and I found you unconscious while tracking Gorgias and his men. Your heart was badly weakened and almost ceased beating. We are resting now for a moment before moving on."

"He has a sorceress," Elladan said softly as Aragorn loosened a string on a small pouch.

"Who has a sorceress?"

"Gorgias has one. She used Elrohir and me to…control Ada. She was doing something…to him as per Gorgias' orders. He resisted and…she almost killed me. Left me," he mumbled and wheezed slightly.

"What did she do to you, Elladan? I need to know if I am to help you," Aragorn said softly and brushed his fingertips over Elladan's forehead.

"Something in my chest…squeezing inside my chest. Could not breathe…heart pounding, light-headed…passed out."

Aragorn nodded and noticed how tired Elladan was becoming just from speaking. Shushing his brother, Aragorn slipped the herbs under the elf's tongue and waited a few minutes before carefully giving him some water.

"Rest, Elladan," he soothed softly as the elf slipped into sleep.

Aragorn looked up at Legolas as the Mirkwood elf knelt beside him. Legolas' face looked a little drawn and weary to the human as Aragorn glanced over his friend.

"How are you feeling, Legolas?" he asked softly.

Legolas rolled his eyes and waved a hand in dismissal of the question. "How is Elladan?"

Aragorn raised an eyebrow before sighing. "He is still greatly weakened. Gorgias seems to have a sorceress with him. She was using Elrohir and Elladan as leverage against Elrond. He said that she did something to his chest or inside his chest. Since his heart is so weakened, I would assume the sorceress did something to his heart. Elladan also said that she was doing something to Elrond."

"Like what?"

"He did not elaborate. We need to be very wary when we catch up to Gorgias and his men," Aragorn answered and wrapped the blanket around Elladan. He took one of his hidden daggers and slipped it into Elladan's soft boot against his calf. If worse came to worse, he wanted Elladan at least a bit protected if he was forced to engage in battle.

Legolas nodded and glanced to Athernon before turning back to Aragorn. "Athernon is ready to travel as am I when you are ready to be on the move."

"We should go. If Elladan is this bad after a shortened time with them, then I hate to think what Elrohir and Elrond are like," Aragorn said as he stood with Elladan in his arms.

In a few minutes they were riding again at a steady pace. Aragorn felt Elladan's heartbeat steadily get stronger but he remained unconscious as his body healed. The sky become overcast and thunder was heard in the distance as dusk approached. Athernon cocked his head and listened closely before looking to Aragorn.

"Riders approach," he said and both elves drew an arrow.

"No." Athernon and Legolas looked to Aragorn as he shook his head. "We are outnumbered with too many variables. Let us see it through."

Neither elf was happy with it but they did as the human said and put away the arrows. From the next hill came a group of about eight men that galloped straight towards them. They were soon surrounded with arrows pointed at each of them. Aragorn tightened his grip slightly around Elladan's waist as he warily watched the other men.

"The witch was right. She said they would be here," one of the men said as three of them slipped off their horses.

"Pass over your weapons slowly."

"Are you going to take us to Gorgias or kill us here? Aragorn asked and stared at the man approaching him.

"To Gorgias. He wants to kill you himself, Ranger."

Aragorn nodded and glanced at his companions as he drew his sword slowly. He handed over his obvious weapons and even one hidden one but still had two other hidden daggers. Athernon and Legolas handed over all their weapons with a slight sneer. They remained surrounded as they were escorted forward. Aragorn wanted to know what Gorgias was up to and why he kidnapped Elrond. They would wait to act until he felt comfortable and knew everything. Never attack unprepared.

Cresting a hill, a much larger hill was seen in the distance with torches flickering at the top. Aragorn glanced at Legolas and Athernon before looking back to the hill. He could see several horses and people in the circle of light watching as they rode across the plain. A gust of wind came down from the hill and swept into them. A chill ran up Aragorn's body and the small hairs on his forearms stood as the horses started up the hill. Something trailed across his skin and he shivered slightly before looking at everyone else. No one gave the illusion of feeling the chill or anything else. It felt familiar to him; he knew it and it knew him. And it was not happy with the intruders on its hill. Aragorn felt his pulse speed up when the horses reached the top of the hill and stopped.

Aragorn felt Gorgias' stare at his back as he dismounted and carefully brought Elladan down. Laying the elf on the ground, he looked at Legolas as he stood.

"Whatever happens, stay back," he said softly before turning to Gorgias.

Elrohir lay at Gorgias' feet bloodied and bruised with his back to Aragorn. Something thick was wrapped around his neck tightly and Aragorn stood a bit taller to get a better look. A thick rope was in Gorgias' hand and Aragorn's jaw flexed when he realized what it was. Gorgias held Elrohir on a leash like a common animal. Elrohir's tunic was in tatters and Aragorn could see deep gashes upon the elf's back.

Aragorn looked to the kneeling figure at Gorgias' side and felt a jolt of shock upon recognizing Elrond. The elf lord was also bloodied and a six inch long gash marred the left side of his face. A cloaked figure stood beside him with a pale hand resting upon the dark head. He couldn't see into the dark hood but knew that whoever or whatever in there was watching him. Elrond's eyes were blank as he stared at the large spherical black stone. There was no flicker of life or intelligence in those eyes as Aragorn searched for it. A rage started to build inside him as Aragorn turned his gaze to Gorgias.

"I see you have been busy, Gorgias," he said calmly and walked forward a few steps.

"Glad you noticed, Strider. I must say, I was surprised at how quickly you appeared in Gildorcrest to rescue your friend. I thought it would have taken you longer to find the trail," he said and jerked on the rope as Elrohir shifted at his feet.

Elrohir's body convulsed and he groaned before stilling again. Aragorn's pulse started to pound louder in his ears as he pushed his anger down before it could choke him.

"What do you want, Gorgias? Why did you take my family?"

"I only want Elrond. Only he has the ability to do what I want," Gorgias said and handed the rope to the cloaked figure.

"And what would that be?" Aragorn questioned as he watched Gorgias walk towards him.

"The power that resides in that rock is what I want," he said and slowly circled Aragorn.

"That power is not for you or for anybody else. You mess in things far larger than anything you can imagine, Gorgias."

Aragorn heard the whisper of displaced air a moment before Gorgias' fist slammed into his left lower back. The blow knocked a soft cry from his lips as he collapsed to his knees. He heard a scuffle behind him as he leaned forward on his hands.

"Stay, Legolas!" he chocked out and tried to breathe. "Do not interfere!"

Gorgias grabbed Aragorn by the hair and pulled him up to his knees and forced him to look at Elrond.

"Sinta is making him pool the energy in one mass and then will force it into me. Sinta said the process could be deadly to the median or else she would be doing it. Instead, we decided to use your father, the great elf lord, as he median. Then, when I have that power, I will kill your family and friends before slowly killing you," he snarled by Aragorn's ear.

"All of this to kill me? You plotted all this just to kill me?"

"All of this to kill the cause of my brother's death."

"Your brother?" Aragorn asked confused and flinched as Gorgias tightened his grip on Aragorn's hair.

"Bretharso was my brother, human, before you brought him down." Aragorn jerked in shock and surprise at Gorgias' words. "Then, I will bring Bretharso back from Mandos' Halls and put his spirit in someone's body. I was thinking of using another body but perhaps one of your brothers…or what about your blond haired friend? He would be a good shell."

Gorgias pushed away Aragorn and stood over the human and pushed back his hair. The elegant tips had been cut away crudely to round the ears. Aragorn knew the pain must have been excruciating for Gorgias.

"Why?"

"Because a human moves around easier in villages than an elf. Easier to plan it all," Gorgias answered and slowly walked around Aragorn.

"He is ready."