Chapter 3

"Elladan, I am so sorry!" Elrohir cried, rushing over to peer down at his brother. "I did not mean to hurt you." He was distraught, fingers raking clawlike over his hair.

"Calm down, Ro," Elladan said, having to play older sibling even in such a time as this. He resisted the urge to snap.

"Can you come back up?" Legolas asked, also looking over the edge. He seemed efficient and professional, as if he had dealt with crises before.

Elladan took inventory of his body. "I believe the lower part of my leg is broken. So no."

The pale young elf frowned for a second, then produced a length of sturdy grey rope from beneath his cloak.

"Why don't you tie this end of the rope around one of the trees? Make it a good knot." Elrohir rushed off to do just that. Legolas tied the other end around his own waist and was giving it a yank as Elrohir returned.

"Why can't I go down?"

"You're guilty and upset, and a bit too quick in your decisions. Besides, I am smaller than both of you and may not be strong enough to get your brother up. I will go down, do preliminary medical care and help you to get him back up. Then I can hopefully climb back up, but if not, the rope will help. Does that plan sound satisfactory to you?" Elrohir nodded, and watched as Legolas climbed down, not relying on the rope at all.

Legolas cut the pant leg away from Elladan's injury, which had already begun to swell. He felt it with cool, feather light hands, careful not to hurt anything.

"My brother is a handful, isn't he?" Elladan murmured.

Legolas grinned. "He sure is. Why-." He kept talking, voice low and soothing.

Elrohir heard a shriek of surprised pain. "What?" He tried to see around Legolas' back. "What?"

"He had to set the bone," Elladan said, teeth gritted. "It's okay." Legolas did his best to splint it. In the silence that followed, all three of them detected the whisper of movement.

"I'm sorry, did I mention injury usually draws spiders?" The princeling tried his best to joke, but he was pale and trembling a little. He drew his bow and nocked an arrow to it. Elladan followed suit a little awkwardly, but he was glad he did when several spiders came out of the trees on the far side of the river. By the sound of his shouts, Elrohir was facing his own spiders.

As he and Legolas shot at the approaching spiders, Elladan felt his chest slowly compress until it was on fire. "You should go up and help Elrohir. I'm not letting him get hurt for my sake." Legolas spared him a worried look.

"I can't abandon an injured person. He, fully healthy and on his feet, has a better chance than you, their target. I understand that you want to protect him, but I cannot do so while conforming to my own standards of morality." Elladan was silent. As the two shot arrow after arrow, he couldn't help but notice how clean and accurate Legolas could shoot. He marveled at the killing machine with such a young face.

It was an eternity before the spiders had stopped coming from the opposite side, but when they did Legolas made his way easily up the rock face to help Elrohir. He looked back over in a couple seconds. "He has killed all of them. I guess your brother does not need assistance." He climbed back down and helped Elladan get up onto one foot. He tied the rope around the Peredhel's waist. "You may begin pulling. Slowly."

Elrohir gave a thumbs up and began to pull his brother. "You should eat less of those minced pies, brother," he joked. As Elladan came up over the edge, Elrohir took his hand and pulled him up. The brothers shared an embrace.

"Everything is okay," Elladan said, clapping his brother on the back. Legolas stowed his rope and bow. They made their slow way back to the halls, not encountering any other spiders.

They were exhilarated as they snuck limpingly back in through the exit they had left by. A movement caught Elladan's eyes and he stopped. It was Thranduil, pale and thin lipped in all his kingly displeasure. "Oh, Manwë," he muttered. By then, the other two had seen him too.

Legolas dipped his head, as if he longed to be a turtle so he could be walled off from that wintry stare. Thranduil seemed to have a change of heart. "You're not hurt?" he asked intently.

"No, Ada."

"Go on, then. Bring your friend to the healers." Legolas smiled at his father as if he had just been given a pardon from death.

"Yes, Ada. Right away." The Peredhil let out twin sighs of relief.

There are a couple things I would like feedback on. I'm not that good at describing how the characters do things, and sometimes (usually at inappropriate times) I go into more detail than necessary. Then, other times I don't really describe things at all. XD Any tips? Also, do I do too much stuff with adjective and comparisons (like similes or whatever)?

~Shadow