Your soul has a resiliency and a capacity to endure suffering that is beyond anything you can imagine." ― Bryant McGill
"Are you mad!" Galion all but screamed as the younger elf supported by himself made their way down the hall.
"I would hope not." Arrai gasped rubbing his side.
"What possessed you to go up against one of the most Legendary swordsmen? Do you want to die!"
"I had to try!" Arrai snapped. "Well your fortunate it seemed to work, he could have killed you!"
"He didn't," Arrai righted himself pushing Galion's assisting hand off. "I knew what I was…doing." He hunched over in pain and Galion sighed gripping him by the arm.
"I still think you're mad, you're only just recovering and your already picking fights, fights you can't win mind you! I swear you're just as bad if not worse than Legolas!" Galion's frown deepened as he practically dragged the younger elf to the healer's wing.
"Back already?" Astaldar hummed as he rearranged several of the herbs he had left to dry in the sun as they were too potent in their raw form.
"Indeed, and perhaps while you are at it you can instill some self-preservation into the prince." Astaldar chuckled to that much to Galion's chagrin as he assisted the prince onto one of the beds in the healers ward. "Telling Glorfindel's ward to stay from a fray is like telling Glorfindel to stop driving himself to near collapse." Galion's lips set into a thin line. "Yes well when said young one is as Legendary as his mentor he can have such privileges."
"Said young one is right here you know." Arrai hissed as Astaldar pried open his tunic. "You may have a broken rib," he methodically stated as he made the younger elf lie down and pressed here and there asking where it hurt. "What do you do in your free time? Battle Balrogs?"
"Not exactly," Arrai grimaced.
"Said young one should care more for his life." Galion snapped. "Even if his highness is back, that does not mean you are free to do as you please."
Astaldar looked up sharply at the words. "Thranduil is awakened?"
"It would appear so." Galion answered as Arrai hissed at the pressure to another one of his ribs. "How?" Astaldar's eyes widened, "You didn't!"
"Did what?" Galion asked now fully confused. Astaldar sighed as he rummaged for several items on the shelves.
"When one is fading it is at time possible to bring them back." Galion's eyes widened. "It is? Then why is it not more commonly used?" He demanded.
Astaldar sighed as he returned to the back with a swad of bandages and several herbs. "It is, but it does not always work and it can reiterate quite terribly. It is well know that the elven princes of Dol Amroth are descendants of elves and therefore have long lives and some even hear a calling to the sea. One of the Kings sons was such a prince; he assisted in several battles against the orcs and foul creatures that were left behind after the dark ones defeat. His lover was an elf who was slain in one of the skirmishes. Her death caused his fading as she was not his first loss, that one being his mother who died at an unfortunate young age. At the time King Thranduil was still grieving his fathers and I was loath to leave him but Elrond made a journey from Rivendell to stay with him while I traveled, but I digress." Astaldar sighed as he pressed on another of the prince's ribs causing Arrai to hiss. "This one's only bruised." Astaldar commented as he returned to his story. "I arrived and attempted to shock him into awakening. What occurred next…was what then became known as the massacre of Dol Amroth. No one speaks of it for the shame it brought the house but nearly half of the palace was slain by unknowingly by his hand. The story ended with him throwing himself upon his sword."
Galion's eyes widened in horror as his eyes bore into the prince. "You knew this?"
"No," Arrai said weakly his horror stricken face looking at Astaldar for assistance. Astaldar frowned. "Then how do you know of this technique?"
Arrai swallowed heavily as he sat up testing his new bound ribs. "When Lord Elrond's wife sailed Elladan was most affected, or so I heard. It happened slowly and then around forty or so years ago he snapped and began fading so Lord Elrond had Elrohir and myself try to snap him back as I heard Elrond tried with his wife."
"Yes I heard she still sailed." Astaldar frowned. "But Elrond should have cautioned you against such actions though it is possible he assumed that you would never need to do such a thing again. But he is right, you know it was he who first came up with an attempted cure for elven fading." Astaldar putt the extra bandages and herbs away and began mixing some sort of concoction from the herbs. "Though in many cases it simply does not work, there are two phases of the fading, the stage of indifference and the stage of heavy and intense grief, for the shock treatment to work the subject must not be beyond reach at times the grief is too much to bear. And it varies as do most medicines with the individual, some are brought in directly into the grief stage and so heavily does it fall that they fade within week's at times even days." Galion folded his arms.
"Then we are fortunate Thranduil awoke when he did or you would not be among the land of the living."
"Drink this," Astaldar handed a cup to the younger elf folding his arms across his chest mirroring Galion. "I wouldn't be so sure, Thranduil is a difficult man, kind, but difficult, and he has lost much. It may be that you are merely prolonging the inevitable, and if the grief is too great he will merely relapse into fading once more. Remember that."
Arrai nodded as he nearly choked on the potion, muttering a curse under his breath much to Astaldars amusement. "If you don't want to be subject to such treatment then don't get hurt young one."
The two older elves laughed at the prince's expense as he muttered several more colorful phrases only Glorfindel dared to let loose, and for if only just one moment all seemed to be well in Mirkwood.
The shadow approached slowly, but he could feel it permeating his bones. A fathomless darkness radiating such intense fear Legolas could not restrain the involuntary shuddering of his body. Through lidded eyes he saw it pause by Orestor bringing an armored boot over the semi-conscious elves arm pressing downward. Legolas's eyes widened as he heard something snap, a bloodcurdling yell filling the call. His eyes widened as the dark haired elf was lifted like a dry twig by the neck. "Not yet spent?" The Nazgûl chuckled
Orestor struggled against the hold, Legolas himself struggled against his bonds unconsciously his sole focus on his friend as the Nazgûl threw Orestor against the wall the body crunching and falling by Luminar a moan released by the elf. "Monster!" Legolas hissed. Unable to restrain himself any longer as he pulled at his restraints, "Let me free so I can show you elven might! You coward!"
The shade hissed with laughter, bloodied clawed hands at his jaw the cold metal digging once more into his flesh.
He clenched his teeth eyes boring into the darkness. It was suddenly cold, so very called like when his Naneth had died, like when he returned from skirmishes with more elven lives lost. It was every bad thing every memory full of sorrow and agony concentrated in one point carving at his heart. He gasped when the shade laughed as if woken from a trance. "Still quite the resilient one, are you?" It laughed the sound echoing twistedly off the walls.
"Give me a bow so I could show you how resilient I can truly be." Legolas all but snarled eyes on the prone forms of both elves, suddenly realizing that he was shaking very badly. The shade laughed as it dragged its claws down the same hand it had previously dragging flesh down with it nearly reaching the bone. Bloodcurdling yells filled the room as Legolas fought against the darkness that was at the corners of his vision. Something foul was poured down his arms and face. He struggled in his binds only to have the Nazgûl grip his face and force more bile down his throat. It was burning hot like eating fire. Legolas choked on it too exhausted for any more defiance on his part.
"Oh I will give you a bow elfling, but first I would like to ask you a simple question. In your current state, could you truly defeat me? Could you truly kill me with a mere arrow? Or do you need something more?" The Nazgûl's mouth was by his ear whispering the words its breath like ice on his neck.
He attempted to twist out of its grin but it merely laughed. "Think about what it is you truly need to defeat me and my kind, and when I next return have your answer, and perhaps I shall even think to spare your little elven friends." The shadow left leaving Legolas in the darkness once more heaviness overtaking his body and then painful darkness.
Read and Review! Will try to get another update by next week, depending on my schedule etc.