Kicking his horse into a slower walk, Aragorn looked over the rocks to see if there were any cave entrances; it was quite unusual to come upon orcs in the daylight, and Aragorn knew that come nightfall, the orcs may come looking for them.

A sudden drop of water landed on his nose, and Aragorn saw that it was starting to rain. Just what we need! he thought, sarcastically. His anger lessened when he realized that the rain would hamper the orc's attempts to find them.

Looking again at Legolas, the Elf was still in the same position, eyes still shut tight, clearly suffering. He seemed to not even notice the rain.

Sighing, Aragorn resumed his search of a cave, his eyebrows shooting up when he spotted one. Halting the horses, he dismounted and made sure that Legolas wasn't in danger of falling off his horse before taking his friend's bow and cautiously walking towards the cave.

Picking up a good-sized rock, he threw it into the entrance, wanting to see if any beast occupied it. Steadily pointing the bow and arrow, he waited to see if anything jumped out at him.

Nothing did, so he quietly walked inside, relieved that there was enough light going into the cave to be able to see clearly.

The cave was empty, and stretched quite deep. Aragorn sighed in relief and ran back out to get his friend.

Legolas hadn't moved, still clutching the neck of his horse.

The sight frightened Aragorn, and he quickly jogged the distance, touching his friend's arm. "Legolas?"

Legolas said nothing, but after Aragorn repeated his name he opened his eyes slightly—as if to reassure his friend that he was still conscious—before shutting them again.

Reaching up, Aragorn took hold of the Elf and carefully slid him off the horse, holding him in his arms like one would carry a child.

Legolas was very light, and Aragorn had no trouble bearing his weight as he quickly headed towards the cave. He heard the soft groan that Legolas couldn't prevent, and sighed. "I have found shelter, mellon nin," he said, not sure if Legolas realized it.

The Elf said nothing, but he groaned again as Aragorn entered the cave.

Walking towards the back of the cavern, Aragorn carefully laid his friend on the ground, not expecting him to suddenly gasp and cry out in pain.

Aragorn frowned, holding his friend by the arms to prevent him from moving. "Legolas, can you hear me? Open your eyes!"

The Elf did, and Aragorn could see him struggling to compose himself.

"I found shelter," the human told him. "We escaped the orcs. Try to keep yourself still while I prepare a stronger medicine."

Legolas gave no reply, sighing as he again closed his eyes.

Standing, Aragorn ran back out into the rain, bringing the horses closer to the cave opening, and taking their supplies inside.

Picking up dry wood that he always brought with them for rainy trips, Aragorn quickly made a fire and mixed the medicine. As it warmed, he went back over to his friend. "Legolas? Let's get that wet cloak off you."

Legolas opened his eyes and tried to sit up, but his head felt like it weighed fifty pounds.

"Wait," Aragorn said, kneeling beside him. Opening the leaf-clasp at Legolas' throat, he slowly pulled the wet cloak out from under him and laid it on the ground to dry. Standing, he went back to the fire and took the pot of medicine, bringing it with him as he retrieved one of their packs and took out a dry cloak.

Legolas gave another moan of pain as Aragorn returned.

Sighing, the human covered his friend with the dry cloak, before putting an arm under his shoulders and helping him to sit up a little. "Drink."

Legolas obeyed, swallowing the medicine quickly. Please, let it work this time! he thought.

Gently laying his friend back down, Aragorn sat cross-legged. "Talk to me, Legolas, tell me how you feel."

Legolas hated to complain, but at this point, he'd look like a fool to try to hide his discomfort. "It feels as if dozens of dwarves are using axes inside my head."

Aragorn sighed. "I can not understand why this is…tell me again, when did the pain begin?"

Legolas echoed the sigh, trying to think. It hurt. "I woke up with it after the first night we camped in the lifeless woods. It grew steadily worse as time passed."

"Did you eat anything other than the food we brought with us?" Aragorn asked.

"Of course not, neither did I drink anything other than the water we brought," Legolas said.

"Did you—" Aragorn stopped when Legolas suddenly closed his eyes, barely holding back a cry of pain.

Putting a hand on his arm, Aragorn felt helpless.

Legolas gasped suddenly, the held-back cry finally being released.

"Squeeze my hand, mellon nin!" Aragorn said, having no other way to ease his poor friend's suffering.

Legolas didn't hesitate, practically crushing it. He whimpered, bringing up his other hand to cover his eyes and forehead.

Aragorn had hoped to never end up in a situation where he wasn't sure what to do, but that time had finally come. It was agonizing to know that it was happening with his best friend.

Legolas' grip on his hand lessened after a minute or two, but Aragorn didn't let go, hoping to somehow lend his friend some much-needed strength.

Legolas groaned softly, breathing heavily until his tensed-up body suddenly went limp.

"Legolas?" Aragorn said, alarmed.

He got no answer.

"Legolas!" Aragorn put a hand on his friend's chest, feeling the heart that still beat within.

Closing his eyes in relief, he saw that his friend had merely passed out. Sighing, he was saddened that Legolas' pain was so severe, and he hung his head, upset that he could think of no remedy.

Still holding the Elf's limp hand, he thought back to everything that his father had taught him. He could think of nothing that caused such a severe headache in Elves, and he let go of Legolas' hand so that he could pull his medicine bag closer.

As he let go, he felt something sticky on his palm.

Looking at it, he saw what looked like dried pieces of sap, and the answer hit him like an orc's club.

The trees! Their sap is toxic!

Leaping to his feet, he grabbed a canteen and poured some water into a pot, leaving it by the fire to warm. Grabbing his medicine bag, he picked out some herbs that he knew would remove sap, and mixed them together in the warming water until they formed a paste.

No wonder there is no living thing in that forest! Aragorn thought. The effects of the tree sap drove them away!

Rushing back to his friend, he found that one side of his face had sap on it too. From when he sat leaning against the tree…he realized. He was getting more of the toxin into his body while I watched!

Succeeding in removing the sticky sap, Aragorn made sure that he removed it from his own hands now. It shouldn't affect me, he thought. It has dried, and so cannot be absorbed into my skin…oh Legolas, look at what your love of trees has cost you!