Post by Móreadhiel on Jun 13, 2006 15:40:51 GMT -5
Lifting his leg another time to take a step forward was a bit of a chore at this point.
Though Aragorn did not weigh much for a man, he still was heavy, and Legolas knew that he might not be able to carry him much farther.
Up ahead, Elladan clucked softly to shift the horses towards the correct pathway.
“Elrohir?” he whispered as the twin came alongside, ushering another of the tall beasts into the right direction. “How is Estel?”
The younger twin shook his head. “Not good. He is paler than a ghost, and his skin is bone cold. I don’t think he will live the trip.” this brought tears to the younger and he bit his lip to help from crying.
“And Legolas?” Elladan asked, hardly able to keep his mind off their little brother, much less the elven prince.
Elrohir scoffed. “Stubborn foolhardy elf-brat!” he turned his eyes to glare at the blonde elf. “He’s going to kill himself. He’s already stumbling;” the twin looked up. “he’s lost too much blood, Elladan.”
“I know.” the older twin nodded, then whistled.
The horses began to run, trot, and limp along the path at a faster pace. All four knew the way to Imladris and did not need guidance.
“I wish he would let us take Estel!”
Elrohir smiled. “You know, Elladan. I don’t think you understand.”
“I understand how stupid and arrogant Legolas is, if that’s what you mean.”
“No, you don’t understand why he is carrying Aragorn when we could just as easy, easier in fact.”
The older twin met his brother’s silver gaze and waited for him to continue.
“I believe that Legolas thinks this is his fault. And I believe that he knows what I do- Our brother, his best friend, and brother at heart, will not make it home.”
~_~
Tears escaped Legolas’s eyes as he looked upon the human’s sheet-pale face.
‘I have only known you for so long, mellon nin.’ The prince’s heart yearned to speak the words, but his mouth was dry and his throat clenched hard as he let the broken sobs drift from his lips.
‘I wish to tell you things that have not been said between us. You are my best friend, Estel. I feel as if I am losing a brother.’
He watched in great mourning as Aragorn took shallow breaths. Each time the man gulped the air in, the prince was showered with thoughts that it might be his last.
‘Please! Do not leave me!’ his heart cried as much as his eyes and he felt his soul breaking. ‘I am not mad. I love you.’ he sighed as he remembered back to the days before.
“Legolas?”
Shaking his head from the memories as well as helping the tears fall from his eyes, he looked up and saw Elrohir pointing to the path before them.
“Imladris, it is only a few more miles.”
The prince smiled, a new hope flared in his heart.
With gentle movement he heaved Aragorn up higher in his arms, so not to let him fall, and continued on. A renewed vigor pouring from his spirit and energizing him.
What worried him most was that Estel did not even wince. He did nothing but lay motionless in Legolas’s arms.
“Ala gurth, ala lerya. Aquista mellon nin, aquista.” the words brought no affect on the human, but they put a side of the prince’s heart at ease.
He continued to trot softly as small flakes of snow began to fall, and a few unwanted rain drops pattered on the foliage and pathway ahead.
~_~
“Lord Elrond?”
The half-elven lord looked up from his papers, and though he seemed to be continuing his paper work, he was not.
All the two days Aragorn had been gone, his heart thumped with pain and worry.
‘Why was I so hard on him? How did I forget, why did I push him? I should not have, I could loose him.’
As these thoughts whirled around, Elrond saw Erestor trot into the room, his eyes wide.
“Lord Elrond, horses! A ways up the valley, and it seems some figures are following them!”
The half-elf barely breathed, he turned to see if he could spot them out the balcony.
“They are closer to the bridge, I doubt you will be able to see them from there.”
Elrond leapt from his seat and dashed out of the room, green robes flowing behind him and Erestor in tow.
Out the door and down the stairs he stopped as he tried to see the beings in the blurry of snow and frozen rain.
As he watched, two horses erupted from the swirling mass of snow, and behind them two other horses came limping. One was having a more difficult time than the other and that one was Amon.
Elladan lead the tired horses into the stables while Elrohir ran toward Elrond, eyes wide with horror. The half- elf felt his mind go numb and all sounds stop as he watch the younger twin trying to speak through the silence.
Elrond’s attention was immediately drawn to the figure that was wearily walking through the gate, each step seemed to be a burden to great for the young elf.
But Legolas’s gaze only held Elrond’s for a second, the silver-blue eyes drifted down to the form and the elf lord’s eyes followed the prince’s.
He felt his lungs cease and a rushing filled his ears and Elrohir’s barely heard voice became totally inaudible.
“Oh, Eru-” he breathed, thinking maybe one prayer would help him overcome this numb state he felt himself in.
He was snapped quickly from his trance and he let his healer instincts take over.
“Elrohir! Take Estel from Legolas, bring him up to his room!” he pointed to Elladan who was coming from the horse stalls. “Elladan! Make sure Legolas, does not collapse, bring him up to Estel’s quarters. I will take a look at both of them there. Noro!”
With those last echoing words, each turned to his task.
Elrond quickly sent for a servant to bring warm water to the room as well as cold. Food was readied and carried quickly up to Aragorn’s bedroom.
But the elf lord was not bothering with this, he was quickly readying his adoptive son’s bed and making a place for Legolas to sit.
He would have sent the prince to his own room, but seeing the bond between elf and man was not hard and he decided that it would be better to let Legolas stay with Aragorn. Had he put him in his own room, the prince would not have been there long.
A few moments passed and finally he heard the soft elven footsteps at the door. Elrohir walked in, his mournful eyes on his younger brother.
Elrond watched as the young elf entered silently and, with great sorrow in his eyes, he put the boy down upon the beautiful elven bed.
The candlelight played upon Aragorn’s pale face and the elf lord felt a deep pang of guilt rise up inside his heart.
‘This is your fault Peredhil!’ he tried to push the voice away. But it would not budge, it continued to condemn him with painful thoughts and vivid images.
With a guilty conscience and a harshly beating heart, Elrond set to work to save the young edan’s life.
~_~
Seven hours later, Elrond did not know what to say.
He had wrapped and splinted his son’s leg and he had repaired the punctured lung, as well as tend to all other injuries.
He was now staring at the pale and relaxed face of his son’s best friend. The elf prince was grimacing as the elf lord wrapped a bandage tightly around the lad’s wounded arm.
“Now,” he tried to keep the fear from his voice. “I do not want you to lift anything with this arm. And no shooting arrows either.” he smiled as the blonde elf grinned.
Both smiles faded as Legolas tried to peer over Elrond’s shoulder to see Aragorn.
“W-willll h-he bbbbee alllrighttt?” the younger elf asked as he looked upon Estel’s placid face.
The man’s form was small among the many comforters that had been brought. His shredded leg was levitated by a mound of pillows and it showed well beneath the cascade of quilts.
A flames blazed in the fire-place and even though it was warm inside the room. Outside, Elrond could see the snow falling and the crystallized rain splattering upon the balcony.
Rising to his feet, the elf lord murmured a gentle word as he gracefully glided over to the balcony and pulled the heaviest of the curtains so that the November chill could not reach the room’s occupants. Or, more importantly, the human that lay near frozen to death under the pile of blankets.
Looking back at the prince, Legolas could see the pain the shimmering in the tears that cascaded down Elrond’s ageless face.
Hiding the pain in his heart, Elrond smiled. “I think so.” he felt his insides cringe. He knew how Estel was doing, and truth be told, he was doing anything but good.
Walking past Legolas, he continued to the door. His smile faded as he faded to the shadows that the candlelit room supplied.
“Tell me, should any change occur.”
Legolas watched as he opened the door and walked out, looking one more time to the figure on the bed, then leaving the room.
As the door was closed, he turned back to his best friend.
Scooting closer to the bed, he smiled and took Aragorn’s hand. He knew, from experience, that touch seemed to help just as much as voice.
But to his disappointment, Estel showed no sign of acknowledging the prince’s presence. Instead, he remained silent and still as stone. The only sign he still lived was his chest slowly rising and falling.
Gently, as if Aragorn made of glass, but firm enough, so he would be able to feel it is he was anywhere near consciousness, Legolas squeezed the man’s freezing cold hands.
He knew how close they had come to loosing Aragorn that night. Elrond had not found out about the man’s lung until near two hours after they had arrived in Imladris. And that was not the half of it.
Estel had lost much blood during that time, that combined with the punctured lung and the freezing cold had sent him into a numb state.
This meant, he seemed not to notice the world around him, not even when he was caused pain.
The prince smiled and leaned forward so that his elbows touched his thighs, all the while he held Estel’s hand. He felt it as a sort of lifeline. Like if he let go, Estel would never return to them.
“R-remember wwwhenn t-those bbboys-s att-tacke-d usss?” he asked, slowly leaning a little to the side.
The prince yawned, and smiled at Aragorn. “Y-you ssssaved m-me.” he whispered, letting his eyes slip half way over and his smile fading to a barely noticeable smirk. “G-ood nnnigh-t gwador nin.”
~_~
“Thranduil! You are once again not listening to a word I say!”
The elf king turned his eyes to Elrond, he felt his blood begin to boil and his eyes flickered with annoyance and fear.
“What do you mean ‘leave‘?!” he snapped, taking his seat back on the couch in the library and picking up the book that he had been reading.
“King Thranduil! Legolas will die if you stay here!” Elrond sat down next to the king, the tears in his eyes forming again. “Have you not seen the bond that our sons share. It goes farther than friendship. It is almost as if they are kin, Thranduil. And when Estel dies, the prince will follow.”
“Die?” Thranduil set his book down, his eyes confused and showing no lack of heart for the words. “ I thought you cured him? You cured my son, and none of my healers had known at all what to do. How can you not heal Estel?”
Sucking back to tears, but showing no sign of real emotion, Elrond sighed. “It is not that easy, mellon nin. Estel has suffered a puncture to his left lung, he has broken three ribs and his leg is so torn, I could scarcely tell what it was. Plus that, he has suffered a major head wound. He lies unconscious still, unaware of anything but slowly dying.”
“What?” The king rose to his feet, looking down on Elrond.
“He is in a coma, Thranduil.” Elrond said, no longer able to keep the tears from entering his voice. “ He may never wake up.”
The king was about to ask his questions, but Elrond interrupted him.
The half-elf’s voice was almost haunting as he stared off into nothing. “My son, my little boy, is slowly starving to death. And I can do nothing about it.”
Thranduil watched as the tears cascaded down Elrond’s strong face and his eyes seemed to deepen in the candlelight.
“My advice,” Elrond wiped the droplets away and let his head droop a little. “Thranduil, is to take your son and leave Rivendell. Return to Eryn Lasgalen, before you son has to live through another painful death.”
“But-” the elf king stammered. “What about his healing? What about-”
“As far as I am concerned, Legolas is healed. He can speak, though it is labored. It will become more smooth over time.”
Opening his mouth to fight against the elf lord, he stopped. He looked more closely at Elrond’s wise features.
He could easily make out the deep circles of worry under the usually bright eyes and though he knew his son would not come easily, he relented.
“ I will go pack our things.” he whispered, turning around he began to walk away from the sobbing elven lord.
“Thranduil?” he looked back, noticing that Elrond’s weary eyes were on him once again. “I am sorry.” the elf lord said, letting his head drop back to his chest so no one could see the trails of wet drops spill down his careworn cheeks. “I will write should Estel live. Farewell Thranduil.”
Nodding his head, the elf king turned back and continued to walk from Elrond.
He knew that he had tried all he knew, and he was sure he could see Elrond’s heart already breaking.
But deep inside, his mind reeled on how he would explain this to his son.
~_~
Legolas awoke to a light shaking of his own form.
His eyes snapped open excitedly and he looked to Aragorn, but the man’s body was as still as he had been, only moving by the shaking of Legolas’s own hand.
“W-what?” he turned his silver- blue gaze to the elf at his shoulder and squinted tiredly. “A-adda?”
The elven king smiled and gently patted his son’s slim shoulder, then rubbed them soothingly.
“Good morning, my son, a new day arises.”
The prince, though excited that his father was in such a cheery mood, could not help but feel the foreboding concern in his nature.
Turning his eyes back, Legolas continued to watch Aragorn’s slow and labored breaths.
“Legolas?” the elven prince did not turn, he did not even acknowledge his father. He knew exactly what Thranduil wanted, it was not hard to tell. It never was hard to deduce with him.
“Legolas, I think we are needed home. Our horses are outside, waiting for us, I packed your things.”
The prince, he did not move. He hardly showed any sign of life except that he still breathed. All he did was continue to watch his best friend’s docile face.
“Please, Legolas? Elrond promised that Estel would write to you once he was well. And you can come visit. But I need to leave, the kingdom may need us.”
Biting his lip, the prince let the tears roll down his cheeks as he unrelentingly watched Aragorn.
‘How could he leave him?’ his mind reeled. ‘What if Estel awoke and he was not there? What if-’
“Legolas?”
He pondered on this a few more moments as he silently watched Estel’s pale face. He smiled.
‘If only you knew how pale your face is, Aragorn? You look like the sheets on the bed.’
“Legolas? I am sorry. But, we must go.”
Turning quickly, silver-eyes finding the matching pair he begged. “J-jussst a few momentsssss f-father, pl-leasssse?”
Thranduil looked behind him to see Elrond standing silently in the door. His head was bowed and he was fighting away the tears and sorrow that clung to his heart.
A soft nod from him was all the elf kind needed, he rose to his feet and backed a way to let the friends have a bit of time to themselves.
~
Packing my bags this morning,
Was the hardest thing to do,
But packing my bags was so easy,
Compared to standing outside your door,
Right now, to say goodbye to you-
~
Scooting off the chair, he knelt beside Aragorn’s bed and took the man’s pale hand once more, hoping that it might bring his friend back to consciousness.
It did not. He remained as pale and still as ever before.
Tears dripping down his chin, the prince smiled and fixed the blanket so it came up to his friend’s neck, save the hand that he still held.
“Sleep w-wellll and r-recovver.” he bowed his head a bit to compose his emotions. “I am going to come back next year, after you right and we will go riding. And we will have a race, I will win.” he chuckled and let the droplets cascade down onto the quilts that covered Aragorn’s prone form.
~
Think of me,
I know you’ve never seen me cry,
Think of me,
But it’s so hard to say goodbye,
Think of me,
What can I say to show you,
I’ll never give up on you,
I will be waiting for you.
~
“I love you, my brother. You taught me more than any teacher ever could. And you know what, when you come and visit me, we will go on one big long adventure and we will catch more deer than your brothers ever could-” Legolas would have kept going if he could. But at this point his mind was reeling and his heart was thumping painfully in his chest.
His sobs were heard by Thranduil, and the elf king stooped down and pulled his son into his embrace.
“It’s alright.” he whispered, letting his son rub his face deep into his blue tunic. “Go on to the horses, I will be there in a second.”
Stumbling a bit, the prince went to the door, but before he left, he turned his red brimmed eyes on the figure that lay in the bed. “Namarie, mellon nin.” he whispered brokenly and let himself slowly stagger out into the hall and down the stairs.
He let his hearing drift far back, to listen for someone to answer. That was what always happened in the stories.
A friend or lover left broken hearted whispering goodbye and then as they disappeared around the corner, they would hear a faint whisper.
This, however, did not happen when Legolas turned the corner. Nor did it happen later down the hall. Estel did not wake up.
When the prince was far enough away, Thranduil looked to Aragorn’s bruised and placid face.
Memories of the first time he had seen the happy smiling child fled in and hit his heart with a lurch.
He sucked in a deep breath. “Thank you, Estel.” he whispered, his heart breaking as the words echoed in the silent room. “Thank you for returning my son’s voice and being his voice when he could not speak.”
He bowed low in respect and let himself glide closer to the bed. Biting his lip, he bent down and clasped a small brooch onto his white tunic.
“I know Legolas would want you to have this.” he sighed. “It was his mother’s. She wore it the night of her death.” he straightened and wiped away the tears. “Take good care of yourself.” unable to look upon the man anymore, he turned and took his leave.
The last thing he heard as he left the house of Rivendell was Estel’s bedroom door as it was closed and the elf lord inside began to weep.
And as he did, he held Aragorn’s heavily bandaged form in his strong arms.
Though Aragorn did not weigh much for a man, he still was heavy, and Legolas knew that he might not be able to carry him much farther.
Up ahead, Elladan clucked softly to shift the horses towards the correct pathway.
“Elrohir?” he whispered as the twin came alongside, ushering another of the tall beasts into the right direction. “How is Estel?”
The younger twin shook his head. “Not good. He is paler than a ghost, and his skin is bone cold. I don’t think he will live the trip.” this brought tears to the younger and he bit his lip to help from crying.
“And Legolas?” Elladan asked, hardly able to keep his mind off their little brother, much less the elven prince.
Elrohir scoffed. “Stubborn foolhardy elf-brat!” he turned his eyes to glare at the blonde elf. “He’s going to kill himself. He’s already stumbling;” the twin looked up. “he’s lost too much blood, Elladan.”
“I know.” the older twin nodded, then whistled.
The horses began to run, trot, and limp along the path at a faster pace. All four knew the way to Imladris and did not need guidance.
“I wish he would let us take Estel!”
Elrohir smiled. “You know, Elladan. I don’t think you understand.”
“I understand how stupid and arrogant Legolas is, if that’s what you mean.”
“No, you don’t understand why he is carrying Aragorn when we could just as easy, easier in fact.”
The older twin met his brother’s silver gaze and waited for him to continue.
“I believe that Legolas thinks this is his fault. And I believe that he knows what I do- Our brother, his best friend, and brother at heart, will not make it home.”
~_~
Tears escaped Legolas’s eyes as he looked upon the human’s sheet-pale face.
‘I have only known you for so long, mellon nin.’ The prince’s heart yearned to speak the words, but his mouth was dry and his throat clenched hard as he let the broken sobs drift from his lips.
‘I wish to tell you things that have not been said between us. You are my best friend, Estel. I feel as if I am losing a brother.’
He watched in great mourning as Aragorn took shallow breaths. Each time the man gulped the air in, the prince was showered with thoughts that it might be his last.
‘Please! Do not leave me!’ his heart cried as much as his eyes and he felt his soul breaking. ‘I am not mad. I love you.’ he sighed as he remembered back to the days before.
“Legolas?”
Shaking his head from the memories as well as helping the tears fall from his eyes, he looked up and saw Elrohir pointing to the path before them.
“Imladris, it is only a few more miles.”
The prince smiled, a new hope flared in his heart.
With gentle movement he heaved Aragorn up higher in his arms, so not to let him fall, and continued on. A renewed vigor pouring from his spirit and energizing him.
What worried him most was that Estel did not even wince. He did nothing but lay motionless in Legolas’s arms.
“Ala gurth, ala lerya. Aquista mellon nin, aquista.” the words brought no affect on the human, but they put a side of the prince’s heart at ease.
He continued to trot softly as small flakes of snow began to fall, and a few unwanted rain drops pattered on the foliage and pathway ahead.
~_~
“Lord Elrond?”
The half-elven lord looked up from his papers, and though he seemed to be continuing his paper work, he was not.
All the two days Aragorn had been gone, his heart thumped with pain and worry.
‘Why was I so hard on him? How did I forget, why did I push him? I should not have, I could loose him.’
As these thoughts whirled around, Elrond saw Erestor trot into the room, his eyes wide.
“Lord Elrond, horses! A ways up the valley, and it seems some figures are following them!”
The half-elf barely breathed, he turned to see if he could spot them out the balcony.
“They are closer to the bridge, I doubt you will be able to see them from there.”
Elrond leapt from his seat and dashed out of the room, green robes flowing behind him and Erestor in tow.
Out the door and down the stairs he stopped as he tried to see the beings in the blurry of snow and frozen rain.
As he watched, two horses erupted from the swirling mass of snow, and behind them two other horses came limping. One was having a more difficult time than the other and that one was Amon.
Elladan lead the tired horses into the stables while Elrohir ran toward Elrond, eyes wide with horror. The half- elf felt his mind go numb and all sounds stop as he watch the younger twin trying to speak through the silence.
Elrond’s attention was immediately drawn to the figure that was wearily walking through the gate, each step seemed to be a burden to great for the young elf.
But Legolas’s gaze only held Elrond’s for a second, the silver-blue eyes drifted down to the form and the elf lord’s eyes followed the prince’s.
He felt his lungs cease and a rushing filled his ears and Elrohir’s barely heard voice became totally inaudible.
“Oh, Eru-” he breathed, thinking maybe one prayer would help him overcome this numb state he felt himself in.
He was snapped quickly from his trance and he let his healer instincts take over.
“Elrohir! Take Estel from Legolas, bring him up to his room!” he pointed to Elladan who was coming from the horse stalls. “Elladan! Make sure Legolas, does not collapse, bring him up to Estel’s quarters. I will take a look at both of them there. Noro!”
With those last echoing words, each turned to his task.
Elrond quickly sent for a servant to bring warm water to the room as well as cold. Food was readied and carried quickly up to Aragorn’s bedroom.
But the elf lord was not bothering with this, he was quickly readying his adoptive son’s bed and making a place for Legolas to sit.
He would have sent the prince to his own room, but seeing the bond between elf and man was not hard and he decided that it would be better to let Legolas stay with Aragorn. Had he put him in his own room, the prince would not have been there long.
A few moments passed and finally he heard the soft elven footsteps at the door. Elrohir walked in, his mournful eyes on his younger brother.
Elrond watched as the young elf entered silently and, with great sorrow in his eyes, he put the boy down upon the beautiful elven bed.
The candlelight played upon Aragorn’s pale face and the elf lord felt a deep pang of guilt rise up inside his heart.
‘This is your fault Peredhil!’ he tried to push the voice away. But it would not budge, it continued to condemn him with painful thoughts and vivid images.
With a guilty conscience and a harshly beating heart, Elrond set to work to save the young edan’s life.
~_~
Seven hours later, Elrond did not know what to say.
He had wrapped and splinted his son’s leg and he had repaired the punctured lung, as well as tend to all other injuries.
He was now staring at the pale and relaxed face of his son’s best friend. The elf prince was grimacing as the elf lord wrapped a bandage tightly around the lad’s wounded arm.
“Now,” he tried to keep the fear from his voice. “I do not want you to lift anything with this arm. And no shooting arrows either.” he smiled as the blonde elf grinned.
Both smiles faded as Legolas tried to peer over Elrond’s shoulder to see Aragorn.
“W-willll h-he bbbbee alllrighttt?” the younger elf asked as he looked upon Estel’s placid face.
The man’s form was small among the many comforters that had been brought. His shredded leg was levitated by a mound of pillows and it showed well beneath the cascade of quilts.
A flames blazed in the fire-place and even though it was warm inside the room. Outside, Elrond could see the snow falling and the crystallized rain splattering upon the balcony.
Rising to his feet, the elf lord murmured a gentle word as he gracefully glided over to the balcony and pulled the heaviest of the curtains so that the November chill could not reach the room’s occupants. Or, more importantly, the human that lay near frozen to death under the pile of blankets.
Looking back at the prince, Legolas could see the pain the shimmering in the tears that cascaded down Elrond’s ageless face.
Hiding the pain in his heart, Elrond smiled. “I think so.” he felt his insides cringe. He knew how Estel was doing, and truth be told, he was doing anything but good.
Walking past Legolas, he continued to the door. His smile faded as he faded to the shadows that the candlelit room supplied.
“Tell me, should any change occur.”
Legolas watched as he opened the door and walked out, looking one more time to the figure on the bed, then leaving the room.
As the door was closed, he turned back to his best friend.
Scooting closer to the bed, he smiled and took Aragorn’s hand. He knew, from experience, that touch seemed to help just as much as voice.
But to his disappointment, Estel showed no sign of acknowledging the prince’s presence. Instead, he remained silent and still as stone. The only sign he still lived was his chest slowly rising and falling.
Gently, as if Aragorn made of glass, but firm enough, so he would be able to feel it is he was anywhere near consciousness, Legolas squeezed the man’s freezing cold hands.
He knew how close they had come to loosing Aragorn that night. Elrond had not found out about the man’s lung until near two hours after they had arrived in Imladris. And that was not the half of it.
Estel had lost much blood during that time, that combined with the punctured lung and the freezing cold had sent him into a numb state.
This meant, he seemed not to notice the world around him, not even when he was caused pain.
The prince smiled and leaned forward so that his elbows touched his thighs, all the while he held Estel’s hand. He felt it as a sort of lifeline. Like if he let go, Estel would never return to them.
“R-remember wwwhenn t-those bbboys-s att-tacke-d usss?” he asked, slowly leaning a little to the side.
The prince yawned, and smiled at Aragorn. “Y-you ssssaved m-me.” he whispered, letting his eyes slip half way over and his smile fading to a barely noticeable smirk. “G-ood nnnigh-t gwador nin.”
~_~
“Thranduil! You are once again not listening to a word I say!”
The elf king turned his eyes to Elrond, he felt his blood begin to boil and his eyes flickered with annoyance and fear.
“What do you mean ‘leave‘?!” he snapped, taking his seat back on the couch in the library and picking up the book that he had been reading.
“King Thranduil! Legolas will die if you stay here!” Elrond sat down next to the king, the tears in his eyes forming again. “Have you not seen the bond that our sons share. It goes farther than friendship. It is almost as if they are kin, Thranduil. And when Estel dies, the prince will follow.”
“Die?” Thranduil set his book down, his eyes confused and showing no lack of heart for the words. “ I thought you cured him? You cured my son, and none of my healers had known at all what to do. How can you not heal Estel?”
Sucking back to tears, but showing no sign of real emotion, Elrond sighed. “It is not that easy, mellon nin. Estel has suffered a puncture to his left lung, he has broken three ribs and his leg is so torn, I could scarcely tell what it was. Plus that, he has suffered a major head wound. He lies unconscious still, unaware of anything but slowly dying.”
“What?” The king rose to his feet, looking down on Elrond.
“He is in a coma, Thranduil.” Elrond said, no longer able to keep the tears from entering his voice. “ He may never wake up.”
The king was about to ask his questions, but Elrond interrupted him.
The half-elf’s voice was almost haunting as he stared off into nothing. “My son, my little boy, is slowly starving to death. And I can do nothing about it.”
Thranduil watched as the tears cascaded down Elrond’s strong face and his eyes seemed to deepen in the candlelight.
“My advice,” Elrond wiped the droplets away and let his head droop a little. “Thranduil, is to take your son and leave Rivendell. Return to Eryn Lasgalen, before you son has to live through another painful death.”
“But-” the elf king stammered. “What about his healing? What about-”
“As far as I am concerned, Legolas is healed. He can speak, though it is labored. It will become more smooth over time.”
Opening his mouth to fight against the elf lord, he stopped. He looked more closely at Elrond’s wise features.
He could easily make out the deep circles of worry under the usually bright eyes and though he knew his son would not come easily, he relented.
“ I will go pack our things.” he whispered, turning around he began to walk away from the sobbing elven lord.
“Thranduil?” he looked back, noticing that Elrond’s weary eyes were on him once again. “I am sorry.” the elf lord said, letting his head drop back to his chest so no one could see the trails of wet drops spill down his careworn cheeks. “I will write should Estel live. Farewell Thranduil.”
Nodding his head, the elf king turned back and continued to walk from Elrond.
He knew that he had tried all he knew, and he was sure he could see Elrond’s heart already breaking.
But deep inside, his mind reeled on how he would explain this to his son.
~_~
Legolas awoke to a light shaking of his own form.
His eyes snapped open excitedly and he looked to Aragorn, but the man’s body was as still as he had been, only moving by the shaking of Legolas’s own hand.
“W-what?” he turned his silver- blue gaze to the elf at his shoulder and squinted tiredly. “A-adda?”
The elven king smiled and gently patted his son’s slim shoulder, then rubbed them soothingly.
“Good morning, my son, a new day arises.”
The prince, though excited that his father was in such a cheery mood, could not help but feel the foreboding concern in his nature.
Turning his eyes back, Legolas continued to watch Aragorn’s slow and labored breaths.
“Legolas?” the elven prince did not turn, he did not even acknowledge his father. He knew exactly what Thranduil wanted, it was not hard to tell. It never was hard to deduce with him.
“Legolas, I think we are needed home. Our horses are outside, waiting for us, I packed your things.”
The prince, he did not move. He hardly showed any sign of life except that he still breathed. All he did was continue to watch his best friend’s docile face.
“Please, Legolas? Elrond promised that Estel would write to you once he was well. And you can come visit. But I need to leave, the kingdom may need us.”
Biting his lip, the prince let the tears roll down his cheeks as he unrelentingly watched Aragorn.
‘How could he leave him?’ his mind reeled. ‘What if Estel awoke and he was not there? What if-’
“Legolas?”
He pondered on this a few more moments as he silently watched Estel’s pale face. He smiled.
‘If only you knew how pale your face is, Aragorn? You look like the sheets on the bed.’
“Legolas? I am sorry. But, we must go.”
Turning quickly, silver-eyes finding the matching pair he begged. “J-jussst a few momentsssss f-father, pl-leasssse?”
Thranduil looked behind him to see Elrond standing silently in the door. His head was bowed and he was fighting away the tears and sorrow that clung to his heart.
A soft nod from him was all the elf kind needed, he rose to his feet and backed a way to let the friends have a bit of time to themselves.
~
Packing my bags this morning,
Was the hardest thing to do,
But packing my bags was so easy,
Compared to standing outside your door,
Right now, to say goodbye to you-
~
Scooting off the chair, he knelt beside Aragorn’s bed and took the man’s pale hand once more, hoping that it might bring his friend back to consciousness.
It did not. He remained as pale and still as ever before.
Tears dripping down his chin, the prince smiled and fixed the blanket so it came up to his friend’s neck, save the hand that he still held.
“Sleep w-wellll and r-recovver.” he bowed his head a bit to compose his emotions. “I am going to come back next year, after you right and we will go riding. And we will have a race, I will win.” he chuckled and let the droplets cascade down onto the quilts that covered Aragorn’s prone form.
~
Think of me,
I know you’ve never seen me cry,
Think of me,
But it’s so hard to say goodbye,
Think of me,
What can I say to show you,
I’ll never give up on you,
I will be waiting for you.
~
“I love you, my brother. You taught me more than any teacher ever could. And you know what, when you come and visit me, we will go on one big long adventure and we will catch more deer than your brothers ever could-” Legolas would have kept going if he could. But at this point his mind was reeling and his heart was thumping painfully in his chest.
His sobs were heard by Thranduil, and the elf king stooped down and pulled his son into his embrace.
“It’s alright.” he whispered, letting his son rub his face deep into his blue tunic. “Go on to the horses, I will be there in a second.”
Stumbling a bit, the prince went to the door, but before he left, he turned his red brimmed eyes on the figure that lay in the bed. “Namarie, mellon nin.” he whispered brokenly and let himself slowly stagger out into the hall and down the stairs.
He let his hearing drift far back, to listen for someone to answer. That was what always happened in the stories.
A friend or lover left broken hearted whispering goodbye and then as they disappeared around the corner, they would hear a faint whisper.
This, however, did not happen when Legolas turned the corner. Nor did it happen later down the hall. Estel did not wake up.
When the prince was far enough away, Thranduil looked to Aragorn’s bruised and placid face.
Memories of the first time he had seen the happy smiling child fled in and hit his heart with a lurch.
He sucked in a deep breath. “Thank you, Estel.” he whispered, his heart breaking as the words echoed in the silent room. “Thank you for returning my son’s voice and being his voice when he could not speak.”
He bowed low in respect and let himself glide closer to the bed. Biting his lip, he bent down and clasped a small brooch onto his white tunic.
“I know Legolas would want you to have this.” he sighed. “It was his mother’s. She wore it the night of her death.” he straightened and wiped away the tears. “Take good care of yourself.” unable to look upon the man anymore, he turned and took his leave.
The last thing he heard as he left the house of Rivendell was Estel’s bedroom door as it was closed and the elf lord inside began to weep.
And as he did, he held Aragorn’s heavily bandaged form in his strong arms.
