Midnight-chan: YAY! NEW CHAPPIE!

Estel: 'Bout time

Legolas: I agree

Midnight-chan: Wasn't my fault. Had stuff to do. ANYWAY! I'm gonna try and get all my fics updated at least once or twice before I go back to school...grrrr...And face *gulp* YEAR 11! ON WITH THE FIC!

Chapter 3: Blood and Letters

Elrond was the first to recover from his stupor, he sat beside Legolas and pulled him into a gentle, caring embrace. After a short while, Legolas eventually calmed down and pulled back from the embrace of the elf he considered a second father. Elrond reached up and wiped away the last few silver tears from Legolas' pale face. They just sat there in saddened silence while Elrond ran his fingers through Legolas' beautiful, long, blonde hair. Until Elrond finally broke the silence;

"Legolas, I must change your bandages, you're bleeding again." Elrond whispered to Legolas as he discretely showed him the scarlet red blood on his hands from the hug of moments ago. "I'm going to need my sons help now, I'm sorry."

"'Tis fine." Legolas replied.

Elrond turned towards his sons, they were looking at Legolas with sad eyes. He beckoned them over and began instructions-

"Elrohir - I need some fresh athelas. Elladan - I need some warm water and a cloth. Estel - I need you over here, we need to get these bandages off."

Elrohir and Elladan ran from the room to complete their tasks. Estel walked over to Legolas and started taking off the bandages on his left arm while Elrond gently ripped down the ones on his torso. What Estel saw horrified him. The bone deep cut, that went from Legolas' elbow to the end of his hand, was an angry red. It was infected. Estel looked up at his friend. Legolas wasn't breathing.

"ADA!"

"We almost lost him 'Ro..." Estel said sadly to the younger twin

"It was Orc poison. Orc poison! I do not believe this! How can that happen! I was so sure that we got it all out..." Elrond shook his head in the middle of his rant and his voice lowered to a whisper, "I was so sure..."

Estel could not stand seeing his father so distraught. He walked over and embraced the kind elf, whom had taken him in out of the goodness of his immortal heart and had tended to any and all of their injures while also treating Legolas like another son. It lightened his heavy heart when his ada embraced him back.

"It happens ada. The main thing is you saved him." Estel said, breaking the hug

Suddenly the doors burst open to the healing ward and revealed Elladan looking rather flushed and out of breath.

"ADA! A message from King Thranduil arrived!" He shouted, waving the letter around, "He wants to know if we've seen his son!"

"Ai Valar!"

Elrond's head snapped over to Legolas, who was still sleeping peacefully in the land of elven dreams. His breathing was even and he wasn't showing any signs of discomfort at all. Elrond looked over to his three sons.

"I have a letter to write, I trust you all to care for Legolas. I'll be in the next room if you need me."

And with that Elrond took off, striding into the next room to write to a concerned father. Who would, no doubt, be in Rivendell a VERY short while after he received his next letter. Estel sat on the chair next to the bed and moved his hand to rest upon Legolas' as his eyes tightened in fear. Legolas was having another nightmare.

"Legolas, mellon-nin, come back to us. Come back from the world of shadows and let your memories haunt your dreams no more." Estel whispered

Estel placed his hand in Legolas' and gave it a reassuring squeeze. The golden haired prince's features relaxed very visibly and his eyes started to open. Estel smiled as he saw his friends blue eyes sparkle in recognition.

"Estel."

Said person ran his thumb along Legolas' hand in a caring manner.

"'Tis I, mellon-nin. All is well and you are safe once more."

Legolas smiled, a real smile. One Estel had wanted to see since he first woke up after his unexpected arrival. Moonlight shone through the open window and stars lit up a clear sky. Estel looked over to see both his brothers asleep on a couch a few metres from where Legolas lay. He could hear their light breathing and his ada's pen scratching away at paper. All was calm in the house of Elrond. A piece of paper caught Legolas' eye. He could see the stamp of Mirkwood on it. Estel's eyes followed Legolas' line of vision and his gaze rested on the letter from king Thranduil. He got up and walked over to were it lay, on the table next to 'Dan and 'Ro. Estel picked it up and walked back over to Legolas.

"Your father wrote. Asking if we had seen you."

"I am not surprised. I have been missing over a week. I take it from the pen scratching, that Elrond is writing back?" Legolas asked holding back a yawn

"Pretty much. And quite quickly if I hear correctly."

Legolas smiled at his friend's words and looking back over to Elladan and Elrohir, he reminded himself that he was getting quite weary again.

"Sleep, my friend, your father will no doubt run through the doors soon."

Legolas' eyes drifted closed in exhaustion. Too many near death experiences in a week will do that to you. Estel moved from his seat to the room next to the healing halls - where his father was. The only sound he could hear was the light breathing of the elven lord. And sure enough, Estel's ada was sleeping in the chair by the desk. Head down on his arms next to a pen and an open stamp. He had sent the letter and fallen asleep. Estel could only imagine the look on the elven king's face when he was woken up in the middle of the night with a letter from Rivendell.
Estel picked up his father and moved him over to the comfy sofa in the middle of the room. Draping a blanket over him and placing a kiss upon his head, he left the room. Quietly closing the door. Elrohir had started to wake and Estel went over to him and Elladan, placing a blanket over them. He stroked Elrohir's cheek to calm him and the younger twin fell back to sleep, both twins had peaceful, unseeing grey eyes. Estel made his way back over to Legolas and lay where his ada had only one night ago.

Midnight-chan: AWWWWWW! REVIEW PLEASE! No flames... BECAUSE I WILL USE THEM TO CREATE FIREBALLS TO THROW AT YOU! No but seriously;

Love ya,

Midnight-chan! :D