Chapter 33

Of hurt and recovery.

Every moment felt like a lifetime of men. I could not stop looking at her so pale, her long red hair… her lips so blue… Over the last few days, I had tried all my Ada had taught me of healing poison and yet none seemed to work. But she was not gone yet and maybe that was a good sign in the end.

Lauriel had been moved out of the tent I shared with Tauriel as her recovery from her scrapes went a lot smoother than what my wife struggled with. The king had also begged to see me several times now and I had declined all of his requests. I did get his anger and frustration, but assaulting me for it? No not at all.

Idril on the other hand wanted me to stretch my legs and come out of the tent some, yet I had refused all her pleas so the cunning elf sent someone she thought I would listen to. Why did we make her our Captain…

"Elwen, may we speak?" A soft voice asked from outside the tent sheets.

"Not now Legolas I am busy…" I responded coldly as I could not take my eyes off her.

"I ask only for a few moments, Idril will stay with Tauriel, please come," he asked again in more of a begging kind of voice.

"Legolas…"

"Tauriel would not want you cooped up in the tent for days. You know so, now come." He said again.

"I will be right back my love," I whispered as I kissed her cheek and reached for my sword as I came out I saw both Legolas and Idril standing there. "What is it?" I asked them both coldly.

"You need to move your body Elwen, Tauriel will be well and she will not be pleased if you are stiff and slow due to just laying around all day," the blond elf boy said with a teasing tone in his voice.

"How would you know? Did you swoon over her when she served your king?" I asked him harshly.

"Nay I did not," Legolas said as he started to walk. "For I had no hope after our trip to your fair home. Tauriel was so smitten by you her whole body and fea radiated it" he said as his hands were on his back and made sure I was still walking beside him. "She and I were only friends and it hurt me seeing her in such pain and it hurt me now seeing you in pain as well. She is a brave elf with lots of skill in battle." He added.

"I wish she had stayed at home… in Imladris," I said with sadness in my voice.

"You know well she would not have done so, I have been told of how she stood against two of the nine saving one of your warriors during the siege and several other acts of her bravery" He looked to the sky. "You knew this was the elf you courted and married Elwen. She has a heart for all, but those she loves she will die for…" he stopped talking as he felt his words tasted sour as he spoke them.

"As she is now you mean?" I asked coldly and stopped bowing my head. "I could not save her Legolas. If she dies it is all my fault…" I said Tears slowly falling down my cheeks.

"Nay it is not Elwen, it was the orc that stabbed her and you killed it. Tauriel would have run to you, me, or anyone she cared for to help them. You know so do you not?" he asked me.

"I know so Legolas. I hope I did not lose my wife on this task…" I spoke low and took a deep breath.

He gave me a look and seemed to fear to ask, but he had to in the end.

"Why were you here? Surely not to help the river folk?" He asked with curiosity in his voice.

"Nay it was not for them," I said shortly.

"Then why? Why not celebrate your victory with your people?" he said and gave me a sad stare.

"Because we knew of your force gone missing, we set out to help…" I said cutting myself off and I took a deep breath. "How could we not? You are kin. You stood with Tauriel as she grew up alone without family. It was the least we could do Legolas" My heart hurt so bad as I spoke.

"Elwen…" he said and slowly hugged me. "I am so sorry for your losses and I hope with all my being Tauriel makes it. Is there anything I can do to help?" He asked with a worried face.

"Nay… The Poison is of Morgul make, and I have done all I know to prevent it. Unless your healers are used to treat such venom?" To this, he shook his head.

"Nay we are not. But it seems as we should be if the enemy uses it so close to our borders." He said and let me go a little.

"Yes… for the world will not become any less dark in years on years to come…" I said and looked back at him. With so a gust came from the north and ruffed both our hair and a blood-red sun rose in the east for all those that had died.

"My lady…" a careful voice said as I let go of Legolas and there I saw a man standing with a woman I remembered.

"Ergon, Morgan" I responded and both bowed to me. "Let me introduce to you both Legolas, prince of the woodland realm." Both of them looked at him and bowed again.

"Pince Legolas, you do us honor as does your father and king," Ergon responded.

He bowed back to them. "Nay we do not, you do on us sharing your camp and food with us. I wish we had more to give in return." He said and his face was sad about that fact.

"Nay lord. Do not say so, if not for your elven kin of the West we would not live to see this day. Nor would my wife be with me. Lady Elwen. If there is any we may do?" Ergon said before Morgan took over. "Lady, if you wish for any service while with us please tell me, you brought me out of darkness and your healers continued your work. Is there nothing I may do to return what was given to me?" she begged.

"Morgan, I know not if all is my fault for coming here. Your illness or that of your kin… please do not praise me as if our arrival had not happened to you…" Ergon then interrupted me. "Nay lady, Morgan was already ill, they came before any word of you had come. Do not say you are to blame for you are not. Without your aid, we would have died by illness or raids alone. Many have we lost these last years and short it will be until we are no more…"

Legolas looked sad at them and so did I. For they were indeed too few to stand now against raids from orcs or other creatures. Many had died of the illness of the east and others died fighting with us. That was when I came to think of the Eotheod.

"How many is left of your kin?" I asked looking at Morgan and Ergon.

"Maybe two hundred with all hunters counted when they return. Most are women, children, and old." They responded.

I nodded and looked at Legolas.

"We have had little dealings with them, but if I remember rightly you and your father have traded with the Eorheod?" I asked.

"We have, they have a city due north of here." He responded shortly.

"Then do me a favor Legolas. Take these people with you when you return to your realm and lead them north to their kin. Strong I see the Eotheod to be in years to come and need be we will stand with them" I said.

"Your wish is my command, my lady," he said and bowed as he walked back to camp and his father.

It was quiet for a moment, Morgan and Ergon stood there speechless for a moment before talking to me again.

"How can we thank thee Elwen Lady of Imladris" they said with bowed heads as I looked at them.

"Live your life, have many children for they will be needed ere this age is over," I said as I looked due east towards Dol Guldur and southeast towards Mordor.

"How will it end?" Morgan asked carefully looking at me with worry.

"It will be long until it does, do not worry yourself about such matters as sad as it seems neither of you, your children, or even great-grandchildren will be here to see it" I answered and smiled at them to comfort them.

"Please…" Ergon then asked. "Will it be in darkness or light? The people have asked us to take up the lead of them after Belethor died…" cutting himself off.

"I will say this. The last of the elder days evil will be defeated after many long years of war and suffering, peace will come for a time and much will change." I sighed as I said it.

"As in?" Morgan asked curious as she was.

"The next age will be of men" I responded shortly. "The time of the elves and dwarves will come to its end and we will leave these shores never to return. The dwarves will vanish into their mountain halls and so too will their end come." I said and smiled at them only to be met with sad faces.

"We cannot see a world without your kin or how thankful we are…" they started to say.

"Hear me Ergon and Morgan. The next age will be of men. It is as it has to be, for we will be remembered through stories and songs you and your kin will make. I too feel sad about what may come even if peace returns. But it is not In my hands to decide what must be and not to be" I said holding their shoulders. "Now walk back to camp with me. I must see if my wife is better" I said and led them back.

The moment we returned the elves and men stood to us. The elves to me and the men to Morgan and Ergon. None said much but bowed their heads as we walked past. I simply bowed my head and walked aside to the tent where Tauriel rested and that was when I saw the Queen sit at her side along with Idril.

"Queen Lauriel?" I asked.

"I could not leave her, please forgive my intrusion. It just hurt my heart to know she was stricken with poison when getting me. I still remember her laughter playing with Legolas growing up in the palace… I never took her in fully to my heart and I regret it so…" she said and a tear formed in her eye.

"Do not blame yourself for it, Tauriel always spoke fondly of her time in the woodland realm," I said as I lay down by her and started playing with her red hair. "She never said she wished for more than you, the king and prince gave her" I stated as the fact it was.

"It somewhat helps to hear you say so. But still. Tauriel should have had more of a mother in her life" she stated firmly.

"She had, even if it was not said," I responded looking up at the queen.

"Thank you, you are too kind…" As she spoke Tauriels breathing got frantic for a moment and turned into deep gasps. I turned her head to me as fear got to me. "Tauriel," I said firmly "TAURIEL" I cried out and her breathing slowed down again as her nose twitched like it did whenever she was to wake. Yet it felt different to me.

"Please my ears are ringing" she spoke in such a distorted voice I would not have known it was her if I had not seen her lips move.

"My love!" I said kissing her frown, cheek, nose, and chin like I could never stop. Lauriel and Idril slowly left the tent and Tauriels eyes slowly opened.

"Elwen?" she asked as her eyes seemed to focus more.

"Yes my love I am here, do you need anything please tell me," I said with enthusiasm.

"I did not fail you?" she asked as I saw tears slowly form in her eyes.

"Nay you did not my love. Please tell me if you need anything" I said again.

"Just one thing…" My redhead wife asked.

"What please tell me!" I said again.

"A kiss or nay. Many kisses like you do that never seem…" and I let her speak no more before I kissed her so deep with those repetitive kisses she loved so much.

For the rest of the morning, we just lay in the tent, slowly kissing and resting. She was still so weak and I did not want her to push herself too hard. Idril came to say hi, Lauriel returned, the elven king visited and Legolas too, but I never let any of them stay for long, just to say hi and out with them.

Her strength seemed to return more and more for every hour to pass and I thanked the Valar for it and made sure she ate well and drank. She had lost weight and I was not happy about it. I knew that posion could take long to go back to full strength and it had not been so long after all.

The next week was much the same, much rest and recovery for Tauriel yet the nights where long and though, it was if a darkness came over us when night fell and she was scared, I tried my best to comfort her, yet it sat in her fea. What was left would be the burial of those who had fallen. They had already been placed into the ground with stone mounds over them, but I denied any service until she was well enough to attend or if she had to join them. Thankfully that did not happen.

Slowly we got her into her armor again and cloak. Her face showed she was strained by it and I said in a worried tone.

"You need not wear the armor, my love, your underclothes are more than enough…"

"Nay I must. I will show them the respect and honor they deserve for what they did! Anything less would be shameful!... how many did we loose?" she said with force and sadness as I supported her weight and Idril helped dress her.

"As you wish… many… we lost many… about fourty of our company" I said with worry yet she struggled through it and tears came from both our eyes as we remembered them. Slowly we walked outside to see the men and elves standing ready for us. The walk over took a bit, but nobody wanted to rush her and her arm stayed on my shoulder as we stood by the mound as Thranduil spoke.

"Elves of Las Galen, Imadris, and the river folk. We are gathered here today to remember those who have been lost under the shadow of the East. I will say do not mourn their passing for they fought bravely for each other and you. No regret can be put on such a noble choice. But alas sadness we will all feel still no matter the nobility of it. For myself, I want to thank the river folk and the elves of Imladris. Without your aid, my wife the queen would be lost to me and I know not the horror of how I would feel if that were to come to pass. Even though many that once were are now lost I hope we all can look to a brighter future together and once light returns without the dark we will all celebrate with you or your descendants." He then got quiet and looked at Ergon.

"Thank you King Thranduil for your kind words. I want to say that the responsibility that has now been put on my shoulders is not something I ever wanted. For one I showed great distrust in the ladies Elwen and Tauriel when they came with other elves armed for war. I was sure they served a dark enemy even with such beauty that it could not be. How did they repay my distrust? By saving my people and my wife. My bern will not grow up alone without a mother and father. If anything has been shown to me the time you have spent with us and those who no longer are with us is simple, we stand united or we fall. Sadly we will have to depart this land and leave north as said by the lady Elwen to me." The crowd gasped at the idea at first and he raised his hand. "For our losses are great, but the losses we took will never be forgotten. From our former leader to the youngest boy who took up arms we will stand by what we did here today and never cower for the evil in the east ever again. Thank you for the aid, healing, and courage shown to us, my ladies, King Thranduil and Queen Larueil. The Eldar is blessing us with your company and compassion, I thank you all for it.

His hand now coming to me and Tauriel. We did not move forward as she was tired already yet I spoke as I held her.

"I have little to add to your speeches king and lord," I said. "Except to say a new day will come when we are alive without fear of darkness and evil doings of orcs, men, and wraiths. Sadly not all here will live to see such a time, but fighting evil wherever it shows up is our duty as children of the one. Those we lost already know the glory they have received in death as will all that falls in service of good and a just cause. Yes, we feel pain for them as you all have seen me suffer without my lady at my side. Yet I was lucky enough that she returned to me beyond hope. May the Valar bless you all, elf and man, woman and child." I said and bowed my head to them as did my wife and the elves of our company.

Slowly the crowd dispersed as they chattered and packing was under way for the order given by Ergon and Morgan. The new lord and lady of the river folk of the Anduin. There was no time for a great feast to honor the dead properly, yet we would do so when we returned home.

"My love" I heard the soft and worn voice of my wife say.

"Yes, my love?" I responded.

"May we sit for a moment? My legs cannot hold me much longer" she said with a sad face.

"Of course my love!" I said and waived Idril over and she came to us with our guard.

"My ladies?" she asked.

"Help us get our armors off, The lady needs to rest and I think we shall do so outside by the trees. Order the company to prepare to leave tomorrow. At first light. I said firm. Idril and Tauriel looking at me. "We are going home," I said with a smile. Home is such a strange thought after such a long time.

Our guard helped us remove the armor and left me with my sword only as we walked over to the trees, blankets were laid out, and sat down as Idril and one of the guards helped Tauriel down between my legs so she would rest on me.

"I have missed this" Tauriel said and looked at them and me. "I have missed the woods in peace so much" she added to it.

"Me too my love" I smiled and held her. "Please get us some food and drink and rest yourself," I said to Idril bowing, yet our guards did not and moved out in a circle around us, far enough away to give us privacy, yet not far enough that they could not aid if need be.

Idril, Tauriel, and I looked at them, but none said anything before I again gave them my order.

"I said you all could rest, please do so" and the most senior of them under Idril. Cenriel turned towards us.

"We will not lady, we will guard thee, now rest and care for the lady and allow us to serve. We will not obey any other command!"

We could do little but smile and Tauriel in her weak voice said.

"Thank you. All of you!" and they turned, bowed to her, and turned back around to see any danger before it happened.

And so we sat there, Tauriel between my legs and her head resting between my breasts and her happy humming made me smile. Elves guarded us so we could rest and the king and queen came to us.

"I see she is recovering well," the king said dryly, yet with a smile.

"She takes her time, as I would having my mate as such a pillow" the queen added.

"She offered, how could I not say yes?" Tauriel responded to them both.

"I know what my wife loves," I said and kissed the top of her head.

"Yes, you do" the king responded as they sat like us by the tree beside ours. "as is the duty of a mate" he added cheekily.

"Yes it is," I said playing with her long red hair.

A few moments when he and Lauriel sat as we did and he looked at me.

"Legolas has asked us to lead the river folk to the Eotheod. We will take the longer path to make sure they get there safely and I will tell them I would see it as a favor to the elves east and west of the mountain if they look after them and give them a place with their people."

Tauriel not caring a moment for what he said, just humming to herself as she had her favorite spot of all with me playing with her hair.

"I thank you. They will need the protection and if the Eotheod can grow stronger for it the better it will be for us all later on" I said and smiled.

"Your Ada told me of your skill with foresight. Did you see all of this?" the king asked me straight.

"Nay I do not see all, even if I wish I did. Saving Lauriel and Tauriel being injured was just what happened as a result of your people not arriving when they were supposed to" I said somewhat in thought.

For a moment it got quiet and we all sat there having some water and resting.

"May I ask… is there any advice you may give me from what you have seen?" the king asked.

"Thranduil. Can you not allow her to rest for a moment, her wife has just returned to her!" Lauriel said with some anger.

I smelled Tauriels hair before I looked at him again.

"What I have seen will not happen for years to come. Nothing that will aid you short term" I said. "But from what I have seen, we should not isolate ourselves from the men and other races. War will come and we will need them as they need us." The moment I said it Thranduils face grew dark and Lauriel looked up at her mate.

"It is as I have said, husband. Elwen sees it too and she is wise beyond her years" To this I blushed a little and smiled at the queen.

"She may be, yet I do not wish for any more loss." He calmly responded.

"Open war is to be upon us, what we wish matters little when it comes to it… I do not say so to be cruel my friend. I say it so we may prepare for it and thus lose less than we would if we didn't know and did nothing!"

He took a breath before looking at me again.

"I know, and I do appreciate your council, my friend. Your ada was wise when teaching you!" he said with a smile.

"My ada is very wise and kind. I could not ask for a better one!" I said and smiled back. "I wish he was not at war and would be home at our return" my face soured as I spoke.

"As does he wish Elwen. I know so when Legolas is out with the scouts or at the border posts I always worry and wish him home" Thranduil said.

"Where is Legolas?" Tauriel asked out of nowhere.

"He is readying our departure and told us to rest or rather me to rest" Lauriel responded. "And I wanted my husband with me so here he also is" she smiled as she looked up.

"He is a good elf," I stated simply. "I hope he finds happiness as well" Tauriel added.

"He will. I just think he is too devoted to his duties…" Thranduil said as he cut himself off.

"As you were?" Lauriel shot in with a smile "Before I came into your life?"

"Yes as I were" he smiled and kissed her frown. "As I were" he repeated.

Little more happened that day except for small talk, food, and goodbyes. We would not stay any longer nor would the woodland elves so the humans would go with them and hopefully it would keep them safe. For if the strength of the Rohirrim would be greater in the future the better off we would be.

The trip home took us long as we did not rush for it. Back to the high pass and over it. All were tired and disheartened as we left our kin that fell, but it was as it had to be. Tauriel was too weak to ride alone so I held her with me on my horse and she loved the closeness. The weather was good to us as we traveled and night fell when we finally came up on Imladris, the guards bearly noticed us, and no horn was blown before we had passed them.

While we rode down the hill towards the bridge I heard my wife let out a happy sigh.

"Home!" she said and I felt happy for it as well.

"Yes my love, home!" I kissed her on the cheek as our banner carriers blew their horns and elves came out to see who arrived back. The valley was strangely empty as many were at war in the north. But we were not going. Our losses had been many and Tauriels health was my main concern.

Some of the court guards came and stood by our horse as we dismounted Nana and Arwen came running out of the house.

"ELWEN, TAURIEL!" they cried out loud, and before we knew they were hugging us like never before and kisses came so fast we had no chance to react to them.

"You are home!" Nana cried out and Arwen joined in. "Sister wife I have missed you so much, You too Elwen!" she said as Nana and her changed places. That was when Tauriel lost her footing alittle and I stepped in to hold her.

"What is wrong?" They both let out in worry.

I made sure her arm came around my neck before I answered them and it was a bad idea to hold back. The questions bombarded us like arrows from a host of orcs.

"Tauriel got injured and needs rest. She's healing, but it will take time."

"Injured!? How!" they cried out.

"It is nothing" Tauriel said with a brave face and I had to say my mind.

"Orc filth acting dead and springing on her as she found the Queen" I responded shortly.

Both had horrified looks on their faces and I looked to the house.

"Let us get inside and we will tell you all," I said to their nods and slowly I turned to Idril.

"Take care of elf and horse, friend and then yourself. All of you rest as it is well deserved." The only answer we got was a bow from all and we went into the last homely house east of the sea for some much needed rest and recovery.