Disclaimer: See default chapter

A/N: This one is a little bit shorter. :-\ Hope you can forgive me. Only 10 pages instead of the usually 11-13. Was really busy this week. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I for one was thrilled. I got Lord of the Rings Risk and lol, my mom got me a figurine of Legolas and Gimli atop Arod. My mom! Lol. I still chuckle. But, I would love to hear what you all got!

Wishing you all a wonderful New Year! Full of prince's and rangers;-)

Chapter 15

When you cried.

I'm so tired of being here

Suppressed by all my childish fears

And if you have to leave

I wish that you would just leave

'Cause your presence still lingers here

And it won't leave me alone

(Bridge)

These wounds won't seem to heal

This pain is just too real

There's just too much that time cannot erase

(Chorus)

When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears

When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears

I held your hand through of these years,

But you still have, all of me

(My immortal by Evanescence)

*~*~*

Galion shook his head, Legolas' many wounds were already starting to heal ensuring that they could soon move him back to the realm. The whip marks on his back were healing nicely, and soon there wouldn't even be scars to show what had happened. Physical ones at least.

As his hands moved expertly across the skin checking the bruises and other marks, he couldn't help but feel the involuntary shudders running through the lithe body. Having been a healer for more than six thousand years, and having treated mortal and immortal, he could guess at why the shudders racked Legolas' body. But he said nothing, instead continuing his examination as quickly as possible then pulled the sheets back over to cover the half-naked body.

He was most worried about Legolas' leg. The kneecap, shin and ankle bone had all been shattered, sending bits of bone into the flesh. It would be an impossible task to retrieve each bone fragment, so Galion had done the best he could and decided to do nothing further until they would be able to get back to the palace.

But as Galion gently unwrapped the splints, his hands froze. It was red and swollen twice it's normal size, but what shocked Galion was the coloring. It was very faintly starting to turn a yellowish color. Keeping his face a careful mask he re-bandaged the leg and walked outside to talk to Thranduil.

"Galion." Thranduil smiled. "What news?"

Galion slowly wiped his hands on a towel flung over his shoulder. "We need to get him back to the palace as quickly as possible." Galion said in a low voice. "His body is healing well, but it is his leg that I am most worried about." He shook his head. "If we don't get him back within the next three days, we could loose him."

Thranduil gaped at the healer. "What?" He sputtered, shocked beyond words.

Galion sighed. "Legolas' leg is starting to get infected. I have neither the means nor the skill alone to deal with this. Either Legolas gets back to the palace or several of the staff come here. I would rather we go back to the palace because it is cleaner and we would have all of the herbs necessary on hand."

Thranduil slowly nodded, his mind working over the route back and how easy or hard it would be on his son.

Galion nodded and whirled back inside. "We need to leave as soon as possible." He called over his shoulder.

"Will now work?" Thranduil called back dryly.

Galion threw and amused glance at the king before he closed the tent flap. "Of course."

Thranduil sighed, his mind running every which way figuring out the easiest way back. "Lomion!"

"Yes ada?"

"We are leaving. Now." Thranduil's voice was urgent.

Lomion gave a short nod, quickly turned and began calling out orders. He turned as a sudden thought came to him. "What about the prisoner?"

Thranduil hesitated, and then slowly nodded. "We will bring him as well."

*~*

Lord Elrond quickly swung down beside the still figure. His fingers rapidly going to work checking his eyes, pulse and then wound. He shook his head.

"Aragorn!" He called his youngest son. "Stay with him! Elladan! Elrohir! I need your help!" He quickly rose and with unsurpassed elven grace quickly darted back upon his horse and galloped off around a corner and disappeared.

The ranger exchanged glances with each other and then with the other elves from Lothlorien. Aragorn grinned up at his fellow rangers. "Might as well get down." He said calmly, taking every in stride. "He might not be back for a while. Liam, get some water boiling. Tasik, take Brion and go get some dry wood. Halbarad set up some guards." He dolled out the orders easily and watched as the men quickly went on their way. "Gavin." He addressed the usual healer in the group. "Check the other elves, make sure they don't have any wounds."

His eyes flickered to Haldir's and then to Telos who was still sitting frozen on his saddle. Haldir nodded and maneuvering his horse to Telos' side grabbed the reins and quickly moved him and the horse away from the fallen prince.

Satisfied his men were doing as ordered, Aragorn turned his attention back upon Thalion and gently began to open the tunic and shirt. He winced at the sight of the blackened flesh. He stood and taking off his leather coat, folded it and tucked under the blonde head.

After a few moments Thalion's eyes started to flutter as he regained consciousness. "What happened?" He asked weakly.

Aragorn kept the smile off of his face, not wanting to offend the Mirkwood prince. "You fainted." He said calmly, not meeting the prince's eyes.

Thalion grinned, knowing that Aragorn was trying not to offend him. Letting his normally hidden mischievous side out, he decided to see how far Aragorn would go not to embarrass him. "I what?" He asked incredulously.

"You uh fainted." Aragorn replied, looking around trying to find a way out.

"An elf does not faint, son of Arathorn." Thalion said sternly, yet unable to hide the twinkle in his eye.

"Of course they don't." Aragorn agreed readily, still not looking down.

Thalion hid a smile, and started to get up.

"Don't." Aragorn ordered. "Your wound is poisoned. Ad.. I mean, Lord Elrond is finding the right herbs to treat it."

Thalion grimaced, no wonder he had felt so awful. But when he received the wound? His mind quickly flashed back to the fight only hours before.

* Flashback *

"Haldir!!!! Help arrives soon!" Elrond called out to Haldir.

Distracted, Thalion averted his gaze away from the enemy. A sharp pain turned his head again, and to his utter shock, an orc stood not two feet away from him, the blade of the scimitar already cutting through the pale flesh.

Because the orc had used both hands to swing the weapon, his right side was unprotected and Thalion's sword easily decapitated the foul creature. He carefully touched the wound but quickly saw another warrior about to be overpowered and quickly banished the wound from his mind.

* Flash Forward *

Thalion gave the ranger a tight-lipped smile. "There have been too many times I had forgotten about wounds that have gotten me in trouble." He said wryly.

Aragorn laughed softly. "I know what you mean."

"You?" Thalion laughed back. "All you and Legolas have ever done was hid your wounds."

Aragorn shrugged defensively. "I can't help it if ad.. I mean Lord Elrond's herbal drinks taste awful!"

"Why do call him by his title as Lord rather than a father?" Thalion asked quietly.

Aragorn bit his lip. He had been struggling with the issue for several months now, ever since his trips away from Rivendell had become longer and longer. "He is my foster-father, but I have learned so much of my birth father, that it almost seems disrespectful of calling Lord Elrond my father."

Thalion smiled. "And here I thought it was a lot bigger than that." He said dryly.

Aragorn frowned. "What?"

"Arathorn might be your birth father, but Elrond was, is your daddy. Arathorn might have helped conceived you, but it was Elrond who raised you. It was Elrond who taught you how to be the man that you are. He instilled within you many of the characteristics that I bet you have even now."

Aragorn sighed, nodding in agreement. True Elrond had taught him many things that he would not have known had he traveled with the rangers all of his life. His mother had said that he had always had a healing touch, yet under Elrond's careful instruction, the healing touch had blossomed and there now there were few who could heal as he could.

Though he had also learned many skills with the rangers, many of them had started in Rivendell as a boy. He had learned how to track under the care and watch of his two elven brothers, learned how to properly shoot a bow under Legolas' care and there were so many things that he had learned under the Elven Realm, that he could not have otherwise.

He smiled, and Thalion could see the shadow in the young man's eyes disappear. "Thank you Thalion." Aragorn whispered gratefully.

Thalion smiled back, but his answer was cut off by the sound of pounding hooves. Looking up he saw Elrond quickly leap off his horse, holding a fistful of some sort of green colored leaves.

Thalion grinned up at Elrond. "Legolas has told me about your healing powers." He said casually.

"Has he now." Elrond replied, kneeling beside the prostrate prince.

"Ah yes." Thalion was desperately trying to fight the pain off. "Especially how awful your herbal drinks taste." He curled on his side as the pain reached unbearable.

Quickly pealing off several of the leaves from the branch, Elrond handed them to Aragorn who stared at them. "Athelas?" He questioned.

Elrond nodded. "I need to prepare another brew for him. Elladan and Elrohir are still searching for the right herbs." He searched Aragorn's eyes. "I need you to do this for me."

Aragorn nodded quickly, accepting the leaves. He knew full well what he was doing by not only accepting the leaves, but also by using them to heal Thalion. He knew that all of the rangers and elves knew of the prophecy regarding the return of the king of Gondor.

"Hands of a healer."

The line echoed in his mind as his hands busily tore the leaves apart. He blew on them then put three of them in his mouth and quickly chewed, after a few moments, satisfied he took the now wet, green glob and pasted it upon the ugly wound.

Thalion moaned his fists tightening as he tried to hold back the pain flooding his being.

"Shh." Aragorn soothed. "Just let the herbs work."

Elrond glanced up from his work over the small cheerily blazing fire. Morgul poisoning was something that he had not had to deal with in a long while. It worried him how the orcs were becoming increasingly bolder.

Turning his attention back to the boiling pot, he quickly threw in some more herbs and stirred it. It would help Thalion with the pain and though it smelled wonderful it had a tendency to taste quite the opposite. Or as Legolas would have put it: "It tastes like an orc smells, and then it makes you think that there is an orc nearby when you're in the drugged state, so you are always trying to find the orc to kill it."

Elrond's lips twitched as he remembered Legolas' complaining about that particular time. Then he sighed. Legolas. He could easily be residing within Mandos' Halls at that very moment. He shook himself free of the dark thoughts and quickly stood and strode over to Thalion's side.

His fingers probed expertly on the blackened flesh, looking to see how far the poison was inside and how much of the drug Thalion would need to start the healing.

Thalion hissed in pain. It was not the first time he had been wounded or poisoned. But it was the first time that he had felt such a dark pain inside of him. It somehow felt evil.

Elrond shook his head; the prince would need more than just a drugged drink and athelas. He needed to get the prince back to Rivendell so that he would get a full treatment, so he would get completely healed. The last thing that Elrond needed was another prince half dead and having to tell Thranduil.

Elrond's stomach clenched in thought of the Mirkwood king. Legolas was one of the brighter spots in the king's life. And if Legolas' had died, Elrond couldn't even begin to imagine the pain the king would be in.

Hearing hoof beats he looked up to see sons gallop up. They threw themselves off the horses and quickly show their father what they had gathered. Quietly working alongside their father and younger brother, they hurriedly bandaged the wound and then lifting the now unconscious prince up in front of Haldir, they quickly rode off to Rivendell. A full day's hard ride.

~*~*~

Lothgil stared at the letter in the messenger's hand. She could feel herself start to shake. There was only one person that would have sent her something. Only one person, and that was Thorinell. But he had wanted to break off the relationship. Wanting to only remain as friends. She grew aware of the messengers stare and quickly took it. Thanking the messenger she turned and slowly began walking to her room. She gently slid her finger under the side of the letter and popped the seal open.

The words sprang out at her.

"Begging your forgiveness... Dissuade you of my love for you... A dream to me... Suffered too much... Your Adar needs you... Meant for me... Utmost importance... Most sincerely..."

The words blurred as tears rose in her eyes. She tried hard to stop the trembling in her hands, but found she couldn't. The letter dropped gracefully to the floor. Trying to wipe her eyes, she bent down only to find another hand gripping the letter. She looked up to meet Tasari's eyes.

He carefully folded the letter back up and handed it to her. "Thorinell?" He asked softly.

Lothgil sniffed. "How did you know?" Her voice broke.

Tasari smiled. "You're my sister, if anyone dared hurt you I would go out and challenge him." He searched her eyes. "Has he hurt you?"

"No." Lothgil tried to smile amidst the tears. "He loves me!"

His face breaking into a grin, Tasari swept his still sobbing sister into his arms. "I'm happy for you." He whispered. Wishing his own love life was so sure. Adrielle was, for now just a good friend. He knew that at the time, she didn't want to enter a serious relationship. Though it hurt him, he had accepted it and let her alone. He only saw her when he showed her how to train her horse.

He made no effort to try and see her daily, knowing that if she truly was the one for him she would come around. He didn't want to break her heart when it might not be his to have in the first place.

Letting Lothgil sob into his shoulder, he sent a silent prayer up hoping that the Valar would answer it.

*~*~*

Legolas winced at the healer poked and prodded his leg. Though he had been given a drug that let left him in a pleasantly numb state, he could still feel the fingers on his leg.

He let himself drift in a sea of hazy recognition. He heard the voices all around him, but didn't have the strength to force himself to recognize the person speaking. He knew that they were worried about him. He could feel their concern for him through the soft worry in their voices.

He didn't want to sleep, even though he was exhausted. Every time he shut his eyes, he could still hear his voice, whispering degrading things in his ear. He could still feel his hands in places where they shouldn't have been. He could still taste him on his lips. And it frightened him more than he thought possible. He was terrified to the fact that the Easterling had touched his very soul. He was deeply ashamed that he had fallen apart in his Ada's arms. He hadn't been able to hold back a single thing.

Not the fear, the shame, the hurt, the pain, the self-reproach. His eyes burned beneath his eyelids. He had cried too much. He had shown too much of his pain.

"Legolas?" Thranduil's voice sounded gently in his ear.

"Yes ada?" Legolas replied quietly.

"We are going back to the palace, so Galion is going to give you a stronger drug, so that you won't wake up on the way back" Thranduil said.

Legolas nodded, accepting his Adar's words. Thranduil frowned momentarily surprised at the calm acceptance in Legolas' face. Normally he would protest that he wasn't in so much pain that he would have to be drugged. But then again, these last couple of days, or rather last week had been anything but normal.

Regarding his youngest son with a look of utmost sorrow, that the young prince couldn't see, he stood and walked to the tent entrance. He gave a short nod to Galion who quickly produced a cup full of liquid and walked over to the prostrate prince. As Galion knelt by Legolas, Thranduil couldn't help but watch as his son, so full of light and laughter, drink the drug dully, lifelessly. As if the drug was the only thing that could help him now.

Hesitating before exiting the tent, Thranduil cast one more long look at his child, then bowed his head and let the tent flap fall gracefully behind him.