Title - Even Elves Can Fall - Chapter One - The Battle Goes Ill

Author - Jules

Summery - The Battle for the Pelennor Fields goes ill for Legolas and the Sons of Elrond

Disclaimer - they do, I don't.

Rating - PG13 for angst and violence

Authors Notes -  Having watched Return of the King twice I have noticed that after the battle of the Pelennor Fields that when the leaders return to the citadel to discuss what is to be done next, through-out the entire scene Legolas has his right hand tucked tightly to his left side, and is grasping his right forearm in a strange way. It kicked my muse in the bum and sent a plot bunny scurrying for cover. Also this is based loosely on book-verse, meaning the Sons of Elrond are in attendance and have not been completely obliterated from existence ALA movieverse. 

Even Elves Can Fall

The battle raged on, swords clashed and made the fields echo with the sound of steel upon steel. Blood was everywhere, coating weapons and making them hard to grasp when one could ill afford an error. The dark substance stuck to his hair, coating his skin and plastering itself on his tunic. He had long relinquished his bow for his knives, the proximity of the battle making clean long shots near impossible and forcing him to use the long ivory hilted knives to carve his way through the enemy. He had lost sight of Aragorn a short while ago, the whirling black mass that was Islidur's heir almost indistinguishable from the masses of black orcs that they fought. Elladan and Elrohir also fought valiantly, the stars on their brows and the bright mail of their armour the only thing that marked them apart from the swarming black masses. Legolas could hear rather than see Gimli, his stout voice shouting his score above the din, also letting the elf know he was unhurt. He spared a moment to once again look for Aragorn, all would be lost if the King was cut down in this battle and unable to assist in drawing out Sauron's forces further from the Black Gates.

Still unable to locate the ranger Legolas fought his way over to the Sons of Elrond, hoping they would have more luck in finding their foster brother. Hordes of the Undead swarmed around them, driving many of the orcs and uruks back but enough escaped their grasp to leave plenty for the warriors who were still very much alive. The blonde elf reached Elladan first, the dark elf whirling and slashing in a deadly dance of precision swordsmanship.

" Elladan! Have you seen Estel?" Legolas shouted over the din, praying the other elf heard his words over the clashing of steal and the cries of the dying.

" Nay, is he not with you?" The elder twin shouted back, concern masking his grey eyes. He also knew what Aragorn meant to the war, and he turned to shout to Elrohir who was busy dispatching a particularly ugly uruk, and waited until the younger twin had run the ugly being through before raising his voice. The elder twin's guard dropped as he shouted his concern to his twin, and while Legolas was busy exchanging blows with another orc, a black archer carefully took aim, releasing the bolt directly towards the twin. The distinct whistle of a spiraling arrow tugged at Legolas' awareness, and he turned, catching only the glint of sunlight on the arrowhead as it sped towards his elven companion. He had not the time to react properly, knowing he only had time to either shout a warning which would probably not be heard since Elladan was already shouting at his twin, or try and get Elladan out of the way. Legolas leapt sideways, causing the orc attacking him to miss its strike, and ran with all his might, covering the relatively short distance between the elves and throwing the dark twin to the ground at the last moment. For a moment everything was still, the battle still raged about them, but for the two elves on the ground the moment seemed to stretch to eternity. Elladan trusted the blond elf implicitly and knew that if Legolas had thrown him to the ground it was only for his own good!

The dark elf only heard the whistling of the arrow as it drew nearer, the mortal blood flowing through his veins making his senses less keen than those of the archers'. Just as he through the arrow may have missed them completely the body on top of him convulsed, the breath the Mirkwood elf was holding released in a cry of pain as the arrow imbedded itself in his ribcage. The Imladris Elf rolled to his side, allowing Legolas to gently fall to the ground and himself to render aid to the fallen archer. He screamed for his brother, desperately calling for the younger twin to cover them and then find Aragorn while the elder twin tried to help Legolas. The fair elf had gone pale in the few moments Elladan's attention was diverted and the oldest son of Elrond quickly began examining the fallen prince, trying to assess if any internal organs were pierced by the arrow that still lay imbedded in his side. Realising that there was no easy way to do what he had to, Elladan whispered a few words to the grimacing elf in apology, before firmly grasping the arrow as close as he could to the tip, and reefing it backward and out of the Prince's body. The blonde elf convulsed in pain, his back arching high off the ground as a great cry was torn from his lips. As quickly as he could Elladan tore strips off his cloak and wadded up the fine material, making a pad to staunch the bleeding as he expertly bound it in place with longer strips of torn cloak. Sweat sheeted from the Prince's brow, soaking his hair and causing Elladan to second guess just to what extent the archer had been injured. Blue eyes fluttered open, staring hazily into the dust above him before locking onto the grey eyes of the elder twin.

" We must leave his place and reach the House of Healing, I fear the arrow may have been poisoned." Elladan explained. His eyes held a question within them and Legolas nodded, allowing himself to be aided into sitting, and then standing. Elladan positioned himself on Legolas right side, hooking the archers arm over his shoulder and accepting the majority of the other elf's weight. Once as organised as they were going to be Elladan nodded to Elrohir, signaling him to go in search of Aragorn while he aided Legolas to the House of Healing.

Step by step the two struggled on, Elladan cutting a path through the orcs with his blade as they slowly made their way towards shelter. Legolas gasped again when a blade not quite deflected by the Imladris elf crashed into his right arm. The blow, intended on taking Elladan's head off crashed into Legolas' wrist, and if not for the vambraces he wore to protect against such attacks, would have taken his hand clean off. As it was he felt one of the delicate bones give way under sudden impact, his mind threatening to give in to the sensory overload of pain and slip into the deep realms of unconsciousness. He squeezed his eyes shut against the onslaught of pain, his body only kept upright by the unrelenting grip the other elf had on his arm, forcing the Prince to keep moving towards safety.

After what seemed like an age they were almost there, still cutting their way through a bloodbath of orcs, but before them, in the middle distance they could see the closed wooden doors that marked the House of Healing.

" Just a little further, can you see the doors?" Elladan asked his injured companion, who opened his eyes just enough to see the welcoming sight of the oak doors. He grunted a reply and kept moving, his whole being focused on putting one foot in front of the other and not passing out from the pain. Closer they inched, until the doors seemed but within grasp, then suddenly he was on the ground, the impact of his broken wrist hitting the dirt making his vision swim and darken dangerously. Legolas held his breath and cracked open an eye just in time to see Elladan cut down by an Uruk-Hai wielding a brutal falchion that resembled at first glance an oversized meat-cleaver. The Uruk had disarmed the dark elf by hooking his weapon before attempting to cleave the twin in two. Elladan managed to get far enough back as to avoid being cut thus, but was not far enough away to avoid the incoming sword altogether. The blade cut through his armour as though is were not there, slicing the fabric of his tunic before laying open the flesh of his chest, skimming off each of his ribs and causing the elf to crumble to the ground. The Uruk whirled, intent on finishing the dark elf off entirely as he lay writhing in agony, but found himself with a white knife imbedded within the unprotected area under his arm. The Uruk fell instantly, nearly toppling the reeling Prince as it fell dead to the side.

Legolas' knees gave out from underneath him and he sank to the earth, crawling over to the now still Elladan and trying to rouse him, but with little response. He glanced at the doors that were but a few yards in front of him and hauled himself to his feet. Uncertain were his steps but determined was his mind as he hooked Elladan's armpits with his elbows, and begun to drag him the remaining way to the doors. He silently thanked whoever crafted his vambraces as they kept his wrist more or less immobilised as he dragged his companion. The blonde elf was utterly spent by the time he reached the doors, having only enough strength to pound upon the great doors with his good arm and shout for aid before falling once again to his knees. Darkness again invaded his vision as he gathered Elladan's head into his lap, not wanting to be alone if these were to be their final moments. Pain erupted in his body as his injuries caught up with him, sending fire to course through his veins and making his vision swim. Just before he succumbed to the relentless pull of blackness he heard the doors open and a gasp of surprise from within the light and airy halls. They had been found!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

How long it was he had been asleep Elladan did not know, only that he had thought himself dead until he was being roused by a familiar hand on his shoulder. Groggily he opened his grey eyes to peer into those of sky blue, blonde strands veiling a fair face that was smiling down at him.

" Awake Elladan, the sun is shining and there is much yet to be done" Another voice called tauntingly, a voice sounding very much like his own. He shifted his blurry gaze from one face to the one standing slightly to the side, Elrohir smirking as he mentally marked the score of one-up-ing his older brother.

Groaning Elladan pushed himself upright, wincing as the motion pulled on his healing chest and he pulled one hand up to feel the numerous bandages that held the flesh in place while it mended.

" Estel?" he asked huskily, his voice rough from not being used.

" He is fine, he is with Eowyn and Faramir presently" Legolas answered, sensing the elder Twin would need to know of his foster brother before he would allow himself to rest and heal. Sleep tugged at Elladan's consciousness, his wounded body forcing his mind to succumb to the deep healing sleep of the elves. Elrohir watched as his twins' eyes glazed over with sleep before turning to the blonde archer.

" Now you, my Prince. Your dressings need to be changed." Elrohir shoed the Prince towards his own bed next to Elladan's. With a grimace that spoke of wounds that were still healing the archer lowered himself down, removing the vambrace around his wrist and allowing himself to be aided in removing his tunic. Inwardly he was relieved that Elladan would recover swiftly, for the blade was not poisoned, but his own wounds still needed tending. He gasped as Elrohir carefully pealed the dressing off his ribcage before gently smothering the wound with a mixture of herbs and wrapping a new set of bandages around the elf's chest.

" Estel has called a meeting for as soon as Elladan is well, should we go and regale our tales of valour before things turn to more important matters?" Elrohir asked quizzically as he finished rebinding Legolas' wrist.

" Indeed we should, I must inform Gimli of my final count" Legolas answered with a smile. Accepting Elrohir's hand in standing the archer shrugged back into his tunic, refixed his vambrace and headed off to find his dwarven companion.

Several days later the meeting convened in the citadel, Aragorn, Legolas, Mithrandir, Eomer, Gimli and the Sons of Elrond all in attendance. Much was spoken off, yet during the meeting Elladan rested upon a bench discreetly placed in the room for him, and Legolas, although mostly healed, gently supported his own hurts. And it was decided that together they would draw Sauron's forces out of Mordor, ride upon the Black Gates themselves and demand vengeance, all but to give Frodo a chance.