Round Robin
Chapter 19
By Val

The oil lamp was still blazing with soft light as Aragorn seized one of the knives in a bloody hand. He held it over the flame, waiting for it to glow with the heat.

The room was becoming increasing hotter. Outside the thin walls of the cabin, Aragorn could hear Elladan speaking with the fisherman over the sound of the rise and fall of waves against the dock.

The tip of the knife began to shine pink. He pulled it away and tilted it, trying to catch his thoughts as to what to do next. They had two severely wounded elves on board; and if they did not get away cleanly, they had maybe hours before they were back in the hands of the traders. Legolas needed immediate help and he needed it quickly. As for Elrohir, cauterization would work well, if only he had more than a hot knife and a pair of red-hot pliers.

Elladan walked back in, face terse. "There's a ship upon the horizon."

Aragorn's blood froze as he jerked the knife away from the lamp. "Is it--"

"I am not certain," his brother replied in a tired voice. "It seems to be going parallel, so perhaps another fishing vessel."

"We can only hope," Aragorn replied, turning toward Elrohir. "I am going to use this to attempt to slow the bleeding. Could you look about on the deck and see if there is any netting?"

Elladan nodded and swept back out.

Aragorn laid the knife down on a patch of dead wood and then turned to Legolas, who was still unconscious, his pallor nearly translucent in the darkening light. "Hold on, Legolas," he said, squeezing the Prince's hand.

He turned back and ripped the bottom of his top into a long shred, then pulled up Elrohir's own tunic and began to clean off the wounded area. Elladan returned a moment later with an armload of fish net. Aragorn quietly asked him to pry apart to netting to make a suitable hold. He then turned with the knife and set to work.

After several minutes, he began to see that whatever the heat from the knife had done, it was mostly futile. Several warm knives lay scattered about, and Aragorn was covered from shoulders down in the blood of his brother, but the bleeding had finally slowed. He sat back, glancing at the hot blade in his hand. "That might have done it," he said under his breath, turning to once more heat the knife over the open flame.

Elladan had returned to keep a lookout for the ship and returned a brief moment later frowning. "Our guide has decidedly left us," he announced.

Aragorn looked up and pulled the knife from the flame and returned it once more to the unconscious elf's wounds. "What does that mean?"

"He felt the need to take our oars as well," Elladan replied, his voice without humor.

Aragorn set the bloody blade aside and stared at his older brother for a moment before a deep laugh came from well within him. In seconds the cabin was filled with the sound of laughter.

"At least he received payment for tending to our boat," Aragorn said, letting the tears in his eyes subside as the seriousness of their situation came over them. "I believe Elrohir's bleeding will stop for now."

Elladan nodded, his eyes falling onto the blonde elf. "What of him?"

"We will have to keep him as warm as we can," Aragorn replied, his voice not hiding the anxiety he was feeling over the fact the elvish prince hadn't yet gained consciousness since they'd taken the boat.

"I refuse to perform another operation," Elladan said flatly at the look in Aragorn's eyes as he absentmindedly handled his knife.

"I do not plan on it," Aragorn finally said, kicking the blades toward the center of the cabin.

"Night will fall soon," Elladan said, glancing at the space of white light.

"It will not change our circumstances," Aragorn said in his dark voice as he rose, crossing the small cabin and placing a bandaged hand on his elder brother. "We have to hold out tonight and then come up with a solution tomorrow. As long as we sail tonight, there is little chance we will be found."

Elladan nodded. "Fair enough. Now that you have tended to Elrohir, I am going to look at your leg."

Aragorn sighed and limped out onto the deck, where the remaining sliver of sunlight did little to warm him. He sat on the edge of the deck, his leg able to dangle, granting Elladan ease of use to treat it.

"It is not that badly injured," Elladan said, frowning slightly. "Perhaps we should use this... cauterization on your joints as well." He tightened the cloth around his leg, knotting it with the shredded bits of netting he'd managed to find.

Aragorn's eyes widened until he saw the teasing glint in his brother's eyes.

It was not long before Elladan saw a figure approaching them along the shore. It was a man; he splashed into the water next to their small craft and hailed them. Still wary, Elladan pulled him up the side of the boat, while Aragorn kept his hand on the knife he was carrying as a weapon.

"Who are you?" Elladan called out. "Identify yourself."

"I'm Leithand's brother," came the reply. "You can call me Captain. He sent me to guide you; I know these waters far better than he."

As Elladan finished getting the man aboard, he could see the resemblance between Leithand and this man. He was older; and there was a hard look in his eyes, as though he did not trust people easily; but the resemblance between him and Leithand was unmistakable. He wore a worn shirt over canvas trousers, now wet to the hip, as well as a pair of salt-rimed sea boots.

Elladan and Aragorn exchanged a glance: Leithand's brother, yes; but could they trust him? But both of them knew they had very little choice in the matter; unless they wanted to leave Legolas and Elrohir--both of them in a fragile state--to sail the boat. Finally, Elladan nodded, and Aragorn said, "Thank you. We would welcome the help."

They both rose and after waving to their new Captain, they re-entered the cabin and sat on either side of Legolas. "He needs water and warmth."

Elladan gestured toward a large pile of blankets in the corner. Taking the bundle, he returned, using several of them to cover Legolas, and taking two for his own twin. Aragorn meanwhile scrounged the cabin in search of water and located a canteen underneath one of the cots. Pulling it out, he approached Legolas' bedside and recoiled in horror at the color of his skin. This time, there was a blue tint about his lips.

"We may not have until tomorrow," Elladan said, speaking the thoughts in Aragorn's mind as he glanced at the blonde elf. "We need to get him medical attention as soon as we can."

"Can you go and speak with the captain?" Aragorn asked lightly as he uncapped the canteen. "I am going to make them both drink."

Elladan nodded and swept out.

Aragorn turned to Elrohir first, who began to wake up when Aragorn tipped the canteen toward his mouth and edged his weight to sit his elder brother upright. "Easy," he advised as Elrohir choked down the water.

After the elder elf lay back down, Aragorn turned to Legolas. After tipping up his blonde head, he leaned the canteen down and with his other hand opened up the elf's bluish mouth. The water he gently poured in came flowing out and dribbled down his chin and cloak, but Aragorn didn't care as long as Legolas swallowed some water.

Even though his frame was limp and was steadily getting colder, he could tell that he was taking in some water, because less came out than was going in.

He let out a sigh of relief as he gently settled Legolas back onto the cot and wrapped him tightly in blankets.

Elladan returned at that moment, calm and unblinking. "He says that we will reach a small port village come daybreak."

"That will have to do," Aragorn said with a tired sigh as he dropped down at the foot of Legolas' cot. "If we do not do something soon, he will die."

There was a dark light in Elladan's eyes he didn't quite understand. "What is it?" Aragorn asked softly.

"This is all too convenient," Elladan muttered, standing against the doorway. "Our rescuer happens to come about when we are attempting to escape a ship. We have two nearly dead elves in our care and suddenly he comes to us. This is just a bit too perfect."

"I can sense nothing evil of him," Aragorn finally said after his thoughts began to dwell on it. "But if he slits our throats when we sleep, then we will no longer have to concern ourselves with the matter at all."

Elladan grinned into the darkness. "Never have you been more right, my brother."

With a silence between the two, they gathered what blankets they could and sat on the floor. Elladan was punching into shape a stack of fishing net he had decided to lie on.

Aragorn rolled over on his back, pleased that they had finally stopped Elrohir's bleeding but anxious over Legolas' worsening condition.

Knowing that they couldn't help him more than they could help themselves, Aragorn closed his eyes and fell into a troubled, light sleep.

TBC...