Disclaimer and Acknowledgement: As in Chapter 1

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Chapter 7 – Unfriendly Welcome

Varil dragged the oversized pack over to the ranger and sat down beside him, watching intently as he undid the bandage around Legolas’ head and packed the athelas paste into the wound before re-dressing it.

The young ranger proceeded to examine the elf’s broken arm and was satisfied by the healing progress. The elf’s natural healing abilities had done a wonderful job in mending the broken bone. The swelling had gone down and the bruise had faded a little although not by much. However, healing only occurred when the injuries had been properly treated and he worried about the elf’s broken ribs. Unwinding the bandage around the prince’s chest, his heart sank when he saw that the bruising had spread from the left side to the center of his chest. The elf was bleeding to death slowly and if they did not find help soon, he would not survive. Packing more athelas onto the bruised skin, Aragorn rebound the elf’s chest.

All this while, Varil watched silently as the man tended to his friend. He saw Aragorn chewed on the leaves and that reminded him of his hunger. His stomach growled loudly and he looked at the bunch of leaves beside the dark haired man.

"Can that be eaten?" Varil pointed at the athelas when Aragorn shifted his attention away from Legolas momentarily.

"I’m afraid not," the young man replied mildly.

"But I’m hungry..." the small boy whined and stifled a sob.

Aragorn pulled Varil over to him and wrapped his arm around the child’s shoulder. "When was the last time you ate?" he asked.

"Yesterday morning," Came the shy reply.

"You mean you haven’t eaten since yesterday?"

Varil nodded.

"Where do you live?" the ranger tried to get some information from the small child hoping to find a way to get him home and in the meantime get some help for Legolas.

"In a village. But I can’t find it now. The Chief doesn’t allow any of us to leave the place and I’ve never been out before..."

"Then why are you out here?" Aragorn was curious to know what happened.

"I ran out on a dare. The older children... they called me a coward and dared me to leave the village…"Varil trailed off obviously ashamed for what he had done. "Father is going to be so mad." He buried his face in Aragorn’s cloak and sobbed.

"Don’t worry, we’ll get you home," the ranger ruffled the boys hair and Varil snuggled against him.

"Strider..." Legolas’ soft moan drew the human’s attention back to him. The elf looked a shade paler since Aragorn last examined him. Sweat beaded on his forehead and his skin felt cold to the touch. The raging fever that had engulfed his body was gone and was replaced by a deadly chill which now made the elf shiver.

Varil crouched down and touched Legolas’ face with his tiny fingers but withdrew them immediately.

"He’s so cold." the boy said to the ranger before removing Aragorn’s cloak from his shoulders and draped it over Legolas. "He can have the cloak. I’m not cold anymore," he said in a small voice. "And I can carry the pack for you if you need to help Legolas," the child added.

Aragorn smiled and nodded approvingly at Varil. The boy would grow up to be a great man, just like Legolas… always willing to sacrifice for others.

Biting back the hot fiery pain in his chest and ankle, the ranger lifted the elf into his arms. As he waited for the aches to subside, he saw Varil lift the pack with both hands and hugged it against his chest.

"Do you remember which direction you came from?" the ranger asked as he adjusted the weight in his arms.

Varil pointed to his left while gripping tightly onto the pack with his other hand. "There. I remember passing a river yesterday."

"Follow closely beside me where I can see you, Varil." the ranger instructed as he prompted his feet to start moving.

The late afternoon sun was slowly setting towards the horizon and it would be dark in a few hours which would make tracking more difficult for Aragorn. Legolas panted heavily with each step they took, his lungs refusing to process the air he took in any longer. It took them almost another hour before they came across the river.

"Is this the river?" Aragorn asked Varil as he tried to catch his breath.

The boy nodded, stumbling to a stop beside the ranger. "I think so. We have a river in the village too."

Aragorn’s heart leapt at his words. This could be the same river that would lead them into the village! Quickening his pace, the man called out to the boy. "I think I may be able to find your village. Hurry along!"

After a moment’s travel, a flicker from a torch some distance away could be seen and Aragorn was encouraged to move faster. "I think we are close."

Varil was trying hard to keep up with the ranger’s long strides, his small hands still wrapped around the pack. Straining his neck, the boy tried to see what the ranger saw but he was too short to see anything. "I cannot see it," he complained but Aragorn had already moved on. Running towards the ranger, Varil followed Aragorn as fast as his short legs could carry him.

 *****

The village was enclosed within a circle of high wooden planks, two torches burned brightly at each side of the heavy gate. Varil ran to the wooden door and banged his small fist against it while calling out for his mother. Recognizing the child’s voice, the guard by the gate released the latch and the small boy ran into the compound without hesitation. Aragorn followed cautiously behind Varil not knowing if he was welcomed into their home but the guard only gave him an annoyed glance without stopping him. Setting Legolas down in the middle of the field, he watched as a group of people ran out from their huts towards the boy and surrounded them.

"Varil!" a young girl pushed past the crowd and threw her arms around the boy, tears of joy streaming down her face. "We thought we will never see you again!"

Two more figures, a male and a female which Aragorn assumed were his parents, ran towards Varil and embraced him tightly. Cries of joy filled the evening air.

"When you ran away and didn’t come, we thought you were dead… like Herbenna’s son." The mother caressed Varil's face. "The Chief forbade us from going out to look for you," she whispered. "I’m so glad you’re alright." The woman kissed him on the head and a smile broke out from her tear-stained face.

"Strider found me and brought me back," Varil explained, turning back to look at Aragorn who stood silently behind him.

"Strider?" The boy’s father asked.

"Yes. He and his friend found me." Then he suddenly remembered Legolas. "Legolas is sick! Can Deyron help him?"

"No," a deep scratchy voice said from outside the crowd. Immediately, the crowd went quiet and the villagers made way for the village chief to enter into the circle. "You know we don’t take in outsiders."

"Medovir, he did save my son. How can you repay his kindness by throwing him and his friend out?" the younger man interrupted.

"You know our rule, Notiviel. No one leaves or enters our village. It has been our law for generations," the elderly man interjected. "Besides, I can’t help him," he added flatly.

"But I can."

"Deyron!" Varil ran up to the healer and hugged him around the leg. "Please help Legolas!"

Deyron bent down and picked up the child.

"Please..." Aragorn spoke for the first time since he and Legolas entered the village. "We just need some water, clean bandages and a place to rest," he begged Medovir. "My friend will die without help." Looking down at the prince as he struggled to breathe, his stomach did a flip-flop as Legolas coughed and choked up a mouthful of blood.

"Then let him die!" the elderly man shouted at the ranger.

*****

To Be Continued...