A/N You guys deserve something for all that reading and reviewing that you have been doing! *hands out cookies* Thanks a billion to all you awesome people! (Did any of you see the Hobbit: BOFA trialer... Things are going to get intersting. :)

Dislciamer: not mine

Chapter Eleven

The night was only just starting to change from blackness to an inky blue when Aragorn and Legolas stopped to rest and gather thier strengh. It had taken them a good deal longer than it should have to even come as far as they had, for Legolas' injuries had slowed them down considerably.

As they rested, Aragorn watched Legolas with a practiced eye, and he did not like what he saw.

The prince's face was pale, his eyes sunken into their sockets with lines of pain and tiredness clearly etched into his finely chiseled features. The bruises and cuts that adorned his body not only heightened his drastic appearance but made his skin appear even more chalky white. The elf's normally soundless breathing was heavy and strained, a sickly, wet sound to it that Aragorn excepted had to do with his near drowning not but a few hours ago.

Aragorn sighed heavily at the last thought, playing with a twig that he had found on the ground and twirling it in his fingers. He needed to get the elf to a safe place to recover and rest, and their original camp site seemed the ideal place, but now he was rethinking that. They still had a few hours left to go before they would reach it and Legolas was struggling even now as they rested.

Taking another deep breath he got to his feet and threw the twig back to the ground.

"Are you ready, or do you want to rest for a few more minutes?" he voiced with concern. Legolas glanced dully over at him, his body only upright because of the tree that supported it, and gave a slow nod, though he looked anything but ready to move on, "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Legolas said tiredly, his words short and to the point as his broken ribs protested any drawing in of air. His pain was growing ever stronger and more present, but Aragorn had no herbs to dull it, though he had looked.

Wrapping his fingers around the strong, and thankfully low, branch of the tree, Legolas heaved himself to his feet. Aragorn was immediately at his side, hands out stretched to catch his wavering elvish friend in case he should fall.

Legolas didn't notice, or else the human would have been given a telling off, and merely coughed feebly as the change in position caused his lungs to have a need to be filled with more air. Aragorn, who was still hovering anxiously, ducked under the prince's limp arm and took the elf's weight as he let go of the tree and stumbled to the side.

Slowly they started off again, Aragorn taking slow and measure steps to match those of Legolas'.

They had been traveling for an hour when they caught sound of a fast flowing, roaring stream and a few minutes later they were able to see the treacherous looking liquid. Aragorn's concern grew at the sight and he glanced sideways at his friend. How was Legolas going to be able to cross without being carried, and he knew that the elf would rather die first.

"Let's take a break." He state firmly, pulling up which automatically forced Legolas to do the same.

"Not because of me." Legolas protested in a weak whisper, turning to face Aragorn. The man sucked in a breath, startled to see such a drastic change in his friend as what had occurred. The elf had turned a startling white as his whole body trembled, a film of cold sweat covering his brow.

"Legolas, you must rest, you have pushed your body past what it can endure." Aragorn insisted, trying to help the elf to sit.

"No! I am fine." Legolas protested, or at least tired to. The vehemence of his response irritated his throat and he began to cough harshly and was forced to sink to the ground, Aragorn's arms supporting him. When the fit had ended, the prince too exhausted to do much else but shift his gaze to Aragorn's face.

"Five minutes…" he murmured, watching Aragorn heave a sigh of exasperation.

"More than five, you stupid elf." He stated, rolling his eye as he assisted the elf over a few feet where a large rock helped hold him up right, "Stay here. I am going to go scout out the river and see if there is anyway around it."

Ten minutes later, he was back, his head hanging with discouragement. Legolas, who looked much better after the rest, interpreted his facial expression before the man could say anything.

"We'll have to cross, won't we." He croaked as he had to raise his volume higher than a whisper to be heard.

"I did not see any other way." Aragorn said with dismay. He pulled his knees up to his chest and laid his chin on them, looking sideways at the elf. "You look better now." He mused aloud, "Do you think you can make it across?"

"I can." Legolas agreed, determination flashing through the pained lines on his haggard face. Aragorn scoffed lightly at that, but did not say anything, letting the elf have his way. Getting back up his feet, he pulled the prince up behind him, supporting him when Legolas sagged against him as his legs threatened to give out.

Reaching the water's edge they gave each other a second glance, before Aragorn gave a reassuring nod.

"We can do it." He said over the rushing of water. When the elf nodded back at him, the ranger took a large step into the icy-cold current. Legolas followed suit and felt as if the air had been knocked out of him as the coldness of the water shocked his already weak body.

The water rushed over their feet, mounting higher and higher until they where wading through water just above their knees. The bottom was rocky and uneven, trapping their feet in its cleverly laid traps as their slippery, moss covered surface heighted the danger of slipping.

About mid-way through the river, disaster struck.

Aragorn had just raised his foot against the current when Legolas stumbled, his feet slipping and pitching him forward against the human, who was thrown off balance. Rocking unsteadily, the ranger stuck his foot back down and instictvly let go of Legolas, throwing out his arms to catch his balance, and if it should come to it, his fall.

Legolas fall like a bag of rocks when the human accidently let go and hit the water face first for the second time in less than 24 hours. Panicking, the elf thrashed, fighting desperately to bring his head back to the surface as liquid invaded his lungs once more. His body was weak, though, and he knew it.

Suddenly, in the rush of the fast flowing water, his hand caught hold of something. Aragorn's leg, he realized with hope. Without thinking, the elven prince clawed his way up, breaking the water with a gasp that sent him reeling into a coughing and spluttering which sent waves of agony shutting up his chest. Despite this, he pulled himself up, using Aragorn as leverage.

The man was still struggling to regain his balance, his arms waving from side to side, and swore rather loudly. Legolas' actions weren't helping matters any, and for a moment, it appeared as if he would also go down. But then, by some miracle, he managed to stay upright. His feet found a secure place and he stood still, catching his breath.

Legolas' also stopped moving, his breath coming in fast sharp gasps with one arm wrapped firmly around the human's knee and his forehead resting against the man's lower thigh.

"Legolas?" Aragorn asked both worry and relief lining his tone. The elf only shook his head slightly as the energy drained out of him, leaving him with pain, all consuming fiery agony that was seeming spreading across every inch of his body ending all thought. It just hurt too much…

"I'm so sorry. Are you all right?" Aragorn voiced guitly, reaching down and grabbing the elf's arm so that he could pull him out of the freezing water. To his surprise, Legolas resisted his grasp, pulling away and huddling closer to his leg. "Legolas!" he said in bewilderment, raising both eyebrows at the unusually reaction.

Legolas could faintly hear Aragorn talking to him, but the pain blocked everything out and they floated paste him and onto the wind. He was too tired of fighting to even want to get up, which could only bring more pain, and that scared him more than he wanted to admit. He was too exhausted to go on.

The water rushed in torments over his body and with it seemed to flash away any sense, leaving his thoughts jumbled and hard to focus on. For a moment, he considered just letting go and sliding into its icy depths for, after all, wouldn't it put out the fire of agony…that was what water did.

Aragorn was again talking to him, his voice softer and gentle as if he was trying to coax a scared animal to come to him. The prince's mind refused to focus and the next thing he knew, he was loosening his clutch around Aragorn's knee with a flitting hope that the pain would now stop. The swift current immediately tugged at him, pulling him under with its long, graceful fingers…

An instant later he was being dragged up and lifted into the air by the collar of Aragorn's coat, which he was still wearing, before being placed roughly on his feet as his upper arms where suddenly gripped in an iron hold.

"What did you think you were doing?!" Aragorn cried, his voice raised above his normal pitch as he shook the elf forcefully, his heart now beating a mile a minute from fear. The harsh breeze that had followed them all through the night rushed past them and lifted Legolas' wet hair out so that it fluttered behind him. Legolas stuttered out a response but his voice faded and he stared back at his friend with wide, unseeing eyes.

"Legolas — Legolas, answer me. Tell me that you are fine!" Aragorn urgently said, the fear once again building inside of him. Reaching up he placed the back of his hand against Legolas' cheek, wondering if he had a temperature. It was the exact opposite. "You are freezing." He stated, eyes now searching his companion's features with a certain degree of panic.

Legolas didn't respond, his gaze going seemingly straight through the man. Aragorn shook him again, hoping to snap him out of whatever trance he seemed to have fallen into. Instead, Legolas seemed to lose all feeling in his legs and swayed alarmingly, before crumpling into the man's arms.

"Legolas!" Aragorn yelled frantically. Sliding an arm under the elf's limp knees while wrapping the other around his back, he heaved him up into his arms. The prince's eyes were closed and his skin was so white that Aragorn feared he would never gain any color back Glancing desperately around, the human made for the shore, once again bearing dead weight.

This was all too similar to what had happened only hours again and Aragorn felt brutal barbs of terror striking deep into his heart. This lent him strength to navigate the tricky river bottom and the rough current without mishap.

Splashing though the water, Aragorn staggered onto dryer ground, his breathing heavy. Legolas stirred feebly in his arms, giving a low whimper as his eye lids flickered and the human shushed him gently, the single symbol caring large amounts of relief. If Legolas was awake, maybe it wasn't that bad…

Hurrying over to a nearby tree where he intended to lay Legolas, he frowned. He needed to get to the bottom of this, because what was happening was as far from normal as an orc was from being called beautiful.

"Estel…" the Mirkwood prince murmured wearily, weakly shivering but even that seemed to drain his normally abundant energy and as he gazed up at the man's upturned face, it was with a feeble air. He didn't even ask to be put down, Aragorn realized with a jolt of fear.

"Who else?" Aragorn answered, his tone lighter than his heart. Gently he lowered the elf to the ground, leaning him back against the rough bark of the tree.

To his surprise, Legolas let out a soft scream, his body arching under Aragorn's hands and his eyes rolling shut again, though the deep lines of pain clearly showed that he was still awake.

"Shh, shh, be still, it will pass." The man whispered with calmness that he didn't feel. Bending down, he pressed their foreheads together in what he hoped was an act of comfort. He could feel the sweat gathering on Legolas' clammy face as well as hear every strained, shuddering, gasp that the prince took in between grinding teeth. The human's right hand threaded itself through the damp, golden locks, steadying the prince's head while his left gripped the elf's shoulder, lending his strength.

Finally, though, after what seemed to be ages, Legolas stilled. As he relaxed limply back, Aragorn released him and sat back on his heels, now more worried than every about what was happening.

"Where does it hurt?" Aragorn asked anxiously, his hands hovering over the lithe form.

""m chest…" Legolas slurred discoordinately, panting heavily as he clenched his fist tightly. Aragorn, with his course now set, instantly began to undo the buttons on his coat that the elf wore, his finger fumbling with haste. Every few seconds he glanced up at Legolas's pasty face, offering a comforting smile whenever they locked eyes.

Sliding the material off the prince's arms, Aragorn dropped it to the ground and pulled his boot knife free and began to cut at the torn and already ruined tunic and undertunic that the elf wore. There was no point in putting Legolas through any further pain when the clothes where past saving anyway.

Legolas didn't appear to care either, laying listlessly on the ground and breathing as little as possible. His eyes where closed in pain and as Aragorn paused to press his hand against the prince's throat he found his heart-beat uncomfortably fast.

"Talk to me, tell me how you feel." Aragorn demanded, wanting to keep the elf awake for as long as possible as he could see that the Legolas was starting to drift off into unconsciousness. The Mirkwood prince only shook his head, a small whimper escaping his bloodless lips. It was then that Aragorn realized that they were in deeper over their heads then he had first realized.

TBC...

hehehe, I bet no of you saw that coming! (Well, I am suer you saw the cliffie coming, but not everything else) :) Tune in next time to see what is wrong and if they can fix it!

... I feel really sorry for Legolas. I didn't even give a day's rest to recover from almost drowning.

Feel free to tell me anything, good or bad!

Review Replies:

Nameless: Haha! That would be so awesome! I would drive all the elves insane with my fangirling and they would kick me out. :) Thanks!