A/N Wow, I have been running around most of today (one thing lead to an another, and my day just disappeared) so count yourselves lucky that I love you guys enough to take to do this instead of collapsing on the couch and watching Netflix. :)
Disclaimer: not mine.
Chapter Ten
"Good boy! Good boy!" Aragorn yelled over the water, laughing once again as he carefully adjusting his grip on the leather. The horse turned and began to swim towards the bank."Good boy." Reeling Legolas in closer, he fisted his fingers urgently into the wet cloth of his friend's tunic and with a grunt of effort, swung him around until Legolas was also gripping the leather of the horses bridal. Together they clung.
The man shifted his firm grip on Legolas waist, hugging the elf closer, and the prince slowly raised his drooping eyelids. Exhaustion, fear, and sickness were easy to read in his unguarded and dazed eyes.
The frothing water around them began to calm, its slapping touch lessening the closer they inched to shore until it could hardly lap at their chins. The horse stopped in ankle deep water and turned it large, magnificent head to watch Aragorn with bright eyes. On the bank stood the other horse, it head bowed in apparent exhaustion.
Aragorn let go of the leather and landed on his feet with a splash next to Legolas, patting the horse back in gratitude. "Mellon-nin, hannon le," he murmured shakily before moving to grasp Legolas' shoulders firmly.
"You may let go now, Legolas." Aragorn shrugged under one of the elf's arm, nudging him lightly to let go. "Come, I have you. I won't let you fall." Legolas' finger appeared frozen and he remained with his face turned towards the horse, his breathing rugged, wheezing, and harsh. It was a minor miracle, in Aragorn's mind, that he was attempting to cough out a lung, but it still hurt to hear the harsh sound. "Legolas," he said calmly and slowly. "Look at me, let go of the horse." He reached out, gently rubbing the elf's fingers until they began to loosen.
With a soft sob, Legolas let go and folded against the human. "Wha-, hey, hey," Aragorn said, startled by this most unusual behavior. Silent tears were streaming down the prince's face. "Hey, it's alright, we survived." Legolas only mutely shook his head, staring dazedly ahead at nothing. "Here, how about you come sit down."
Legolas shook his head, pressing his lips together as more tears made their way down his gaunt cheek. His face was pale, taking an almost translucent look. The river crossing had not agreed with him, that was clear.
Wrapping an arm around the elf's lithe waist, he began to drag the elf forward, leading him to a dry, grassy, spot beneath an overhanging tree. His skin was unnaturally cold, especially for having a fever, and the man wondered if he had gone into shock or if it was just from being wet. Easing the prince down into the tall grass, Aragorn joined him.
Wrapping both arms around his friend's shaking, shivering, shoulders, Aragorn began to rock, making soft shhing sounds of comfort. Soft sobs continued to shake Legolas' body, and the ranger began to put his money on the elf being in shock. He just held him, moving hypnotically back and forth as Legolas shuddered against him.
The horses moved past them, taking advantage of the rest and nibbling on the grass.
"I'm sorry." Legolas' soft voice made Aragorn look down.
"Why? What do you…" he asked, hugging the elf a little closer. The elf's tears were still trickling down, slow and steady.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," the prince moaned, continuing to croak the words in a whisper. He ignored Aragorn's words, just shaking his head. "I'm sorry." He began to rock himself, his breath coming in in rapid pants around the words. Shock, it was defiantly shock.
"Legolas!" Aragorn barked. The sharp, forceful voice made Legolas jump and his eyes went wide. After several blinks, the unfocused, glazed look in his eyes slowly left his face. "Legolas," the ranger began again, this time softly and tenderly. "Are you alright?"
Legolas blinked rapidly, seeming to realize for the first time that he was crying.
"I'm…I'm…" he said shakily. He raised a hand, trying to brush his face clear of the betraying tears only to find that he was trembling enough that he couldn't control his hand. Catching Legolas' elbow, Aragorn gently laid it down in the elf's lap. The gentle wind had turned into a stiff breeze and both of them were now shivering as they sat there in their wet clothes as night quickly fell.
"It's alright, let go of it all. It is alright to not be fine."
Legolas pushed sharply away from Aragorn, his eyes flashing with sudden anger.
"I. Am. Fine." he hissed, before he sank towards the ground as tearing, deep, coughs once again shaking his figure. Aragorn swiftly caught him before he could connect forcefully with the ground and gently lowered him to rest in his lap. Hunching over his form, he hugged him tight in the best form of support he could offer.
They stayed that way for a long time, ever after the energy draining coughing stopped. Aragorn protectively bend over Legolas with his head rested against the elf's as he supported him.
At long last, as darkness began to truly fall, Legolas shifted. Immediately, Aragorn leaned back, keeping a steadying hand on the elf's shoulder just in case.
"Estel…" the prince's voice was almost whipped away by the wind, but Aragorn caught it and slackened his grip lightly as he leaned forward once more. Legolas whispered his name again before letting out a soft sigh and allowing himself to still against the man.
"Oh, no, Legolas, we have got to move now." Aragorn shook him, but it was as halfhearted as his voice had been. He himself was exhausted and was trying to fight up the energy to get up off the ground. His body was aching, his right leg especially where the horse had kicked him and where he was sure a praiseworthy bruise was to be forming.
The elf only moaned feebly as he shivered in his soaked clothes. Aragorn's teeth were also chattering and a tiny voice began to speak to the tired, weary, and cold part of his body. It was, after all, just a few hours and they were both wet and cold. It would benefit Legolas to rest and dry off. Besides, it really was only a few hours...
"Alright, Legolas, we will rest, but just for a little while." Legolas didn't raise the energy to react and, when Aragorn pulled him partly back, he found that he was practically asleep. "Get some sleep." Lightly rubbing the elf's arm he eased the prince off his lap and pillowed the elf's head on the grass. He stayed on his knees for a few moments longer, before abruptly rocketing to his feet.
They would need a fire, for more than one reason. First and most important they needed to dry their clothes and warm their bodies. Secondly, it wouldn't hurt to have an actually warm meal instead of the tough, dry, bread and meat they had been eating. Well, Aragorn had been eating. Legolas hadn't been up to it, but maybe he could fix something that would tempt the elf.
Shrugging out of his own tunics, he flung them carelessly aside and bent over the elf, freeing him of his freezing and wet clothing as well. Moving swiftly now, the ranger had a roaring blaze up and going before long.
THEHANDSOFAHEALER
As the very first light of dawn began to creep across the inky black sky, changing it to a faint velvety purple, Aragorn bent over Legolas, gently shaking his shoulders.
"Legolas…Legolas, it is time to wake," the now fully dressed man whispered. Legolas did not stir and a flutter of fear touched his heart. "Legolas," he said louder, shaking him more forcefully. A low moan left the prince and he shifted, rolling his head to the side. "No, Legolas, you must awake." The man sighed, patting the elf's gaunt cheek firmly and again issuing the command.
This time and much to Aragorn' relief, Legolas' eyelids fluttered and his rapidly stiffening posture signified that he had once again returned to the land of pain.
"Come on, Legolas," Aragorn insisted. Picking up the elf's hand, he grasped it firmly. "Speak to me, mellon-nin," The Mirkwood prince only shook his head jerkily. Aragorn let it pass, changing the subject in consideration of the elf. "Do you think you can sit up? I made a thin broth." Aragorn waited a moment to see if Legolas would respond, and before sighing once more. "Alright. Here we go." Sliding an arm under Legolas' shoulders, the man placed a hand gently on the elf's chest and heaved him upright.
Legolas cried out, his eyes flashing open as he made a wild grab and found Aragorn's anchoring arm. His face blanched and his eyes began to roll back as he threatened to go limp in the man's arms.
"Whoa, Legolas take it easy!" Aragorn quickly moved to further support the elf as he let him lay limply against him.
"'m 'lright," Legolas slurred, letting his head loll back. He cracked an eyelid to meet Aragorn's clearly worried face. The man snorted, rolling his eyes.
"You have been over using that phrase by 50 years at the least. Stop staying it, please," he rebuked gently, once again trying to ease him upright. Legolas moaned breathlessly but did not appear to be in as much distress as before.
"I'm sorry, Legolas." Aragorn laid his head momentarily against his friend's and then picked up the flask that he had filled with broth. The warmth of the liquid had soaked thought the skin, warming Aragorn's palm as well. "Here, try and drink some of this, It will give you some more strength." Lightly tipping the top against the elf's lips, Aragorn waited until Legolas parted them before allowing some to dribble in. He watched anxiously for the prince to swallow the tiny bit before doing it all again.
The process took longer than Aragorn had hopped and the light of the new day was truly edging in on the darkness when he lowered the flask.
"Rivendell is hopefully only a day's ride ahead of us," Aragorn said slowly as he corked the flask. "We are going to make it." There was a forced brightness to his voice that didn't carry over to his action as he wearily tied the still half full flask to his belt. Planting a painfully large smile on his face as he used the corner of his cloak to dab at the broth that hadn't quite made it down the elf's throat. "And once we get there and Ada finds the cure and you are all better, then I swear I will never forget the fact that a human had to pull you out of the water instead of you pulling your own stubborn hide to safety." Aragorn thought he saw the corner of elf's lip twitch upward and continued to ramble, teasing the elf lightly as he wrapped his ill companion in his cloak and blanket.
"I'll be right back," he assured as he broke off the comforting mumbling and laid the elf back into the tall, thin, grass. Hurrying over to the almost dead fire, the man swiftly put it out and readied the horses to go. After the bank of the river appeared as if no one had spent the night there, Aragorn returned to the prince's side. Legolas had not so much as twitched.
The worry and panic that had settled into the pit of his stomach long ago began to bubble with new heat. The river crossing appeared to have been too much for the elf, it had drained him of his already feeble strength. The elf had nothing left to draw back on; the clock was clicking faster than ever. It was going to be a close finish to the race, but Aragorn was determined to win.
As the light brightened and the day lengthened the only constant thing in Legolas' rapidly declining condition was his heavy wheezing. It was surprisingly loud and every single breath made Aragorn's heart flutter and his stomach turn over in knots. He kept one hand firmly rooted on the elf's chest, measuring each strained and desperate breath. And then waiting anxiously for the next. The future king of men kept a constant ramble going in an attempt to distract the elf, who was obviously suffering, but nothing he did was helping.
As night once again began to cast her cloak of darkness, Legolas began to mumble softly and incoherently himself, scaring the man more than his frayed nerves could take. That was when he truly begin to push the horses and Legolas to their limits.
The cloud that had been so constant that summer began to darken once more, and Aragorn could not resist a soft curse. If they rode through the night, hard, then they would reach Imladris sometime in the morning, but if it rained yet again there was a chance that they would be forced to stop. Legolas couldn't afford that.
"I don't know, Legolas. I just don't know," he said, wishing that the elf was in a condition that would allow him to give advice. When Legolas chose to give advice, it was almost always sound. The elf only rolled his head fitfully against the man's shoulder, mumbling something that Aragorn didn't even try to understand. The clouds grew increasingly dark as the wind began to pick up, visibly blowing the clouds in their direction. A distant rumble of thunder shook the ground and Legolas jerked feebly, causing Aragorn to tighten his arm that was wrapped around his chest.
"We still got time," he decided outloud. "We can still make a good distance before the storm hits." The elf made no reply. "The race is on," he finished grimly.
Before the storm could strike, though, the venom coursing through Legolas' veins played a card all of its own. The wheezing that Aragorn hated with all the breath of his own body began to slowly, but surely, take one a definite wet, gurgle.
Aragorn, concentrating on other impeding dooms, did not pick up on it until Legolas began to thrash. Violently.
"Hey!" Aragorn swore. The hand that was planted against the elf's heaving chest pressed down, trying to calm his friend. "Legolas," he ordered. His eyes flickered to the sky, gauging the clouds. They were only darkening. "Legolas, listen to me!" The prince's only response was to slam his head into the man's chest and Aragorn grunted, letting go of the reigns as he gripped Legolas' arms forcefully. The gurgling that had replaced the wheezing was increasing, the elf's jaw working franticly.
Aragorn began to hum softly as he hugged the elf close, but the comforting sound was drowned by the rumbling of more thunder and Legolas didn't react. The man frowned and resisted cursing as he only hummed louder. The elf had the past reacted to this method, but even as Aragorn began to sing loudly directly in his ear, Legolas fought him.
Suddenly his friend's far too warm fingers were wrapping around his forearm and digging into his skin. They were squeezing hard enough that Aragorn knew marks would be found there within minutes.
"Legolas, let go and take a breath. Cough! Cough for me, Legolas! Bring it up, cough it out!" But Aragorn had lost all control of the prince. Thehorrible, strangled, gurgling was leaving Legolas' bulging throat as he swung his limbs, his body straining upwards. Aragorn could not hold him down, not as he seized and thrashed, nor could he assist him.
"Legolas!" he yelled, "Stop! Stop! Calm down!" The elf slammed his head repeatedly into Aragorn and he felt his own air leaving his lungs. "Daro!"
At the command the horse skidded to a stop and both the straining elf and the ranger were thrown forward against the animal's neck. Lightening flashed and the first few drops of rain splattered against the dirt, but Aragorn had taken his mind completely off the storm. He half slid half fell from the horse's back, dragging Legolas with him. The ranger's legs folded on impact with the ground and the two friends hit the dirt together, Aragorn taking the brunt of the fall. Immediately, Aragorn was on his knees, grasping Legolas by the shoulder so that he could flip him around.
The shocked, desperate, gagging sound was scaring the man, leaving the elf's lips blue as he dug his heels into the soft dirt floor and arched his back. His fingers came together to form claws and he began to tear at his chest with a ferocity that was unknown to Aragorn. His lips were a darkening in color and his eyes began to budge out of their sockets. A trail of saliva dribbled down his chin from his working jaw and not even the drops of rain that were hitting his face at an ever increasing rate could mask the lines of pain and desperation.
"Legolas! Legolas, come on! Cough!" Aragorn struggled to yank the elf's arms forcefully back, but the prince jerked his arm back, catching the man hard in the chin. The man rocked back at the powerful hit, landing in the quickly forming mud. The gasping gurgling hitched and Aragorn scrambled back, shaking rain and mud from his hair.
Legolas was convulsing, his fingers tearing into his chest as his mouth hung open and his eyes rolled back in his head and he went from taunt as a stalking cat to limp as a ragdoll in mere seconds. Along with consciousness, the terrible, rasping, sound faded altogether, replacing it with horrible silence. Aragorn never would have guess that he would miss the wheezing, but this was so much worse.
Legolas' chest continued to heave up and down in a useless attempt to draw breath between his blue lips.'
TBC...
Oh deary me. That wasn't a good note to end on, if you ask me. ;)
AS ALWAYS! Feel free to tell me the good and the bad. I'm a touch cookie, I can take whatever you throw at me. :)
Review Replies:
ElvenPrincess: Well, you didn't get a very long break from them I am afraid. :) And to answer your question, no, I don't think that you did. But that is alright, I understand how life gets. :) Thanks so much!
Lord Illyren: Aw, thanks so much! I hope you survived to this new chapter, so that I could add more pain and angst. :) Again, thanks for reviewing!
WoodElfJedi: Well, that may be so but I am fairly positive that the one above certainly counts. :) I'm glad that you enjoyed it! And at least this time there was no drownings, lack of air, yes, but no drowning. :) Thanks so much!
Guest (1): You would indeed be right about that certain cliff hanger. :) I originally cut the chapter differently, but it was working with length and such so I cut it there instead. I will keep your words in mind. :) Thanks so much for all your kind words and your honest opinion! I love hearing what my readers think!
Guest (2): I'm sorry, but there isn't going to be any Aragorn h/c this time around. Angst, yes. Again, I am sorry that we don't love to do the same thing. Thanks for your suggestion, though! :)