Legolas felt himself seemingly floating and then laid on something hard. His sluggish mind was slow to comprehend it, and he was blissfully pain-free…for a few seconds.

Suddenly it all came rushing back, and he couldn't stop the cry of pain.

"Legolas!" he heard. Suddenly someone was gripping his arms, and he opened his eyes halfway.

Aragorn's worried face was above him, and Legolas realized that he was lying on the ground. He frowned at the sight of the moon, confused. We were in a cave before…weren't we?

"Legolas, mellon nin, please say something!"

Legolas felt guilty, suddenly realizing that Aragorn had been talking and he'd shown no recognition towards him. "Estel?"

Aragorn closed his eyes, in relief. Opening them again, he saw that his friend had closed his own. "Legolas? Are you all right?" What a ridiculous question…

Did he really just ask me that? "Where are we?" he whispered, the pounding in his head nearly drowning out his words.

"I believe that we made it out of the silent forest," Aragorn told him. "We have been traveling all day. I hope for us to reach Rivendell by tomorrow night."

The thought of being out of that strange place put a spark in Legolas' eyes. "We have left it? Truly?"

"I believe so," Aragorn said.

Trying to look around without moving his head, Legolas tried to listen for the sweet 'voice' of the trees. His head was pounding so horribly that it was difficult to hear anything.

Aragorn knew what Legolas wanted, and knelt beside his friend, gently taking his arm and placing his hand on the bark of the closest tree. He'd settled his friend there purposely, hoping the Elf would gain comfort from them.

Legolas felt joy, despite his pain, when the tree immediately responded to his touch.

Aragorn saw his smile, and wished that he could also hear what so pleased the Elf. "What are they saying?"

"They are glad of my return," Legolas told him. "They fear for my life…"

Aragorn felt a stab of terror at his words. They 'fear' for his life…not 'feared'…"You will be fine, mellon nin," he found himself saying. "We will reach my father tomorrow."

Legolas almost nodded, but caught himself. Suddenly wincing, he closed his eyes as his pain abruptly increased.

"Legolas?" Aragorn said, touching his arm.

The Elf actually bit his lip to avoid crying out. He said nothing, unable to answer.

Leaping to his feet, Aragorn searched out any herbs that would create a stronger painkiller, but he found nothing that he didn't already have. He wondered if he should put his friend to sleep again, but the first dose had knocked Legolas out for so long that Aragorn wasn't sure if it was safe to use it again so soon…Maybe a light dose? Enough to aid real sleep, rather then induce an unnatural one?

A poorly-stifled groan sounded behind him, and Aragorn went back to his friend, not wanting him to be alone during such torment.

"A-Aragorn…?"

"I am right here, mellon nin," he said, gently lifting the Elf's head and laying it in his lap.

Legolas winced, but the pained expressed lessened as he felt softness under his aching skull.

"Breathe slowly," Aragorn said, not liking the speed in which his friend took in air. "The pain will lessen if you do. Breathing too fast hastens the heartbeat, which in turn hastens blood flow. That will make the pain worse."

Legolas barely heard him, his friend's voice sounding far away as his consciousness wavered.

Aragorn saw this, and spoke a little louder. "Legolas, slow your breathing." He gave him a little shake, hoping to make him more aware.

It worked slightly, and Legolas opened his eyes. What he saw surprised him.

He could see Aragorn's face, thanks to the light given off by the fire, but everything looked distorted. He saw his friend's mouth moving, but it didn't seem to match his words.

"Legolas?" Aragorn said, alarmed by his friend's puzzled expression.

The Elf said nothing, closing his eyes again, breathing more evenly now.

Aragorn decided to wait until his friend recovered from the flare-up before asking him what had happened. He refrained from speaking, not wanting his voice to cause more pain.

Finally, Legolas sighed, slowly reopening his eyes.

The puzzled look was gone, but the Elf blinked repeatedly. "What just happened, Legolas?" Aragorn whispered. "Why did you look confused?"

"My…vision," the Elf said, sounding weak. "I was…unable to see…properly."

That statement sent a jolt of fear into Aragorn's heart. "What do you mean?"

"Everything was distorted," Legolas explained, sighing. "But it has passed."

Aragorn sighed. "It is your brain's reaction to its suffering."

Legolas echoed the sigh, bringing up a hand to cover his eyes. Despite all the injuries he had in his life, he'd never felt such pain.

Aragorn noticed his shakiness, and patted his arm. "Do not fear, tomorrow we will be in Rivendell, and all will be well."

"I know," Legolas whispered. "'Estel' is a name that suites you, my friend."

********************

The night was a worry-filled one, as Aragorn couldn't get the tree's 'words' out of his mind. They fear for my life, Legolas had said, as if there was the possibility that the toxin could kill him.

Sighing, Aragorn ran his hands through his hair, looking down at his friend.

Legolas was out like a light. Aragorn had given him a light dose of the sleeping herbs, hoping that it would relax him enough to fall asleep on his own, which he would’ve never been able to do while in such pain.

Suddenly thinking back to when he was a child, Aragorn remembered the fear he'd felt the first time he'd seen an Elf asleep…eyes wide open.

He couldn't remember how young he'd been, but he'd snuck into Elrond's room in the middle of the night after having some sort of nightmare. When he'd seen the Elf, he'd thought him dead, and his scream was loud enough to wake the entire house. It had taken quite a while to grow used to the fact. Sighing, he looked at his friend again.

Legolas' eyes were closed; as only happened when the Elf was terribly weakened.

Aragorn's own eyes suddenly drifted shut, but he forced them open again. He couldn't afford to sleep tonight; if they were attacked, Legolas had to be protected.

But than again, he couldn't afford not to sleep, as exhaustion would hamper his efforts to get Legolas safely to Rivendell.

Lying down next to his friend, he settled about two feet away from him. Close enough should Legolas need him, but far enough that if he rolled over in his sleep, he wouldn't accidentally jostle the Elf and increase his pain.

Reaching over, he felt Legolas' forehead, making sure that he was still fever-free. He sighed in relief at the feel of the Elf's cool skin, and fell asleep wondering at the bizarre effect of the toxic sap.