Rating: PG

Author’s Notes: I’m so sorry this took me so long. I know I promised that it will be out last year but… but… oh well, no more excuses. LOL! So here it is. My thanks to those reviewers who “urged” me to finish this story. You know who you are :D Love ya’ll!

Beta: Karri

Feedback: Constructive criticisms will be kept close to the heart, and flames will be used to power the balrog that I’ll be sending after you. LOL!

Spoilers: Painful Experience. I insist that you read it! It’s very short! Won’t take you more than 5 minutes! LOL!

Archive: Feel free to do so. :D

Disclaimer: Not mine. Will never be. Have no money and make no money from this. Don’t sue me :P The only thing I can give you is a splinter :P

Summary: Sequel to Painful Experience. Could Aragorn have made a wrong diagnosis? Just doing a little justice for our poor elf.

‘thoughts’
“speech”

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Chapter 1 - Overreaction

The leaves of a tree rustled softly as if disturbed by a gentle breeze. However, the air was still, and there were no signs of wind at the moment of the disturbance. The leaves shifted again, but this time a lithe figure appeared among the foliage, his golden hair reflecting the faint moonlight that shone upon his head. A few moments later, the still sulking Prince of Mirkwood landed gracefully and stealthily on the ground.

Legolas made his way to his sleeping friend and settled down beside the fire with a huff. He had been hiding up in the tree for the better part of the night, feeling embarrassed for what had happened earlier. Maybe he had overreacted, the elf thought ruefully. Definitely overreacted, a small voice inside his head mocked, but he quickly extinguished that thought with a shake of his head. No, something wasn’t quite right. A mere splinter would never hurt so much. His right index finger was still throbbing painfully several hours after Aragorn had removed the offending object. In fact, he felt that it had gotten worse rather than better.

He considered waking Aragorn but decided otherwise when he thought of the humiliation that he would have to endure when the ranger found nothing wrong. He didn’t think that he was ready for another one so soon. This one was enough to last him for a few centuries. Besides, the human was always grumpy when woken up in the middle of the night, and Legolas didn’t want to be at the receiving end of the ranger’s wrath.

After tossing another piece of wood into the fire, the elven prince prodded at the burning embers with a long stick. Was it his imagination or was the night getting warmer? Reaching up with his right hand out of habit, he brushed the sweat from his brow and winced when his injured finger came in contact with his skin. Letting out a frustrated sigh, the elf examined his finger under the flickering firelight. The digit looked red and inflamed, and the pain flared with each beat of his heart. Other than that, nothing else was amiss... or so he thought.

Thinking that perhaps applying some medicine would dull the pain, the elf rose to his knees. Being as silent as possible so as not to rouse the hibernating bear he called his friend, he crept over to the ranger’s pack and dragged it towards the fire. Sifting through the bag, he quickly found what he needed. His knowledge of healing was limited, but being with Aragorn all these years had taught him a trick or two, and he had no problem finding the healing salve that he required. Spreading the gel-like substance liberally onto his finger, he tore a small strip of bandage and bound the digit.

After replacing the pack to Aragorn’s side, Legolas sauntered towards a nearby tree and sat down under it. Maybe it would be better by morning, he thought optimistically. He had promised Aragorn that he would keep watch tonight, but the warm night was making him drowsy. Having sensed no danger in the woods around them, the elf decided to rest for a while before taking up sentry duty again.

o-o-o-o-o

Aragorn stretched and yawned widely on his bedroll as his brain slowly withdrew from the world of dreams. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up sluggishly and blinked at the late morning sun. Why hadn’t Legolas awoken him yet? Maybe the elf was still mad at him for laughing at his little tantrum yesterday night, the ranger thought with a grin. After combing out the tangles in his hair with his fingers, the man scanned his surrounding for the sulky elf, half expecting him to be still hiding somewhere in the trees. To his surprise, the said elf was leaning against a tree, and judging by the glazed and unfocused eyes, he was asleep! Creeping nearer to the slumbering elf, Aragorn took a deep breath and shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Wargs!”

The man doubled up in laughter when the elf leapt three feet into the air with a small yelp.

"What?!! Where?!"

Looking around frantically for the foul creatures, Legolas notched an arrow to his bow with amazing speed, even for a slightly dazed elf. The said elf blinked furiously to clear his vision and gradually realized that it was mid morning as his brain caught up with the rest of his body. That, and there were no wargs around. The only beast he saw was Aragorn clutching his stomach and laughing uproariously.

“Estel!! I swear you will be the death of me!!” the elf roared heatedly at the infuriating human.

Raising his hands in the air in a gesture of truce, the ranger choked back his laughter before approaching the still-fuming archer. “I am sorry, my friend, but…” Aragorn stifled another giggle but paused suddenly and raised an eyebrow. “Weren’t you supposed to be on watch?”

“I was only resting,” Legolas defended himself quickly, but in his heart he knew that he had indeed fallen asleep. The thing that worried him was he didn’t even remember doing it.

“Right...”

Secretly, Legolas was glad that the ranger did not continue his taunting. They both knew how important it was to keep watch at night, especially during dark times like these but since they were so close to Rivendell, they were relatively safe. If Aragorn didn’t think so, he would have lectured off Legolas’s ears!

The two friends shared a light breakfast and broke camp. Loading their horses with the games that they had caught the day before, the human and elf began their journey home. Due to the heavy burden that the horses were bearing, Aragorn and Legolas had resolved to travel on foot.

They walked in companionable silence for several long minutes before Aragorn suddenly asked with a barely suppressed snicker. “So… how is the finger?”

“The finger is fine. Thank you for your concern,” Legolas replied calmly. He was not about to give the human a chance to tease him again. But in truth, the finger was not fine. Not only his finger was hurting, his entire hand seemed to be throbbing now. However, he did not dare to reveal it. Instead, he kept his right hand out of the ranger’s view and settled on making small talks with the man to take his mind off the unpleasant feeling.

TBC...

Disclaimer, Notes and Acknowledgements: Please refer to Chapter 1

o-o-o-o-o

Chapter 2 – A Turn for the Worst

Legolas felt the weather turning warmer and warmer as they traveled on, until the heat was making him slightly dizzy. Why wasn't Aragorn complaining? He was always the first to complain about hot weathers. Another wave of dizziness assaulted him and he staggered slightly, trying to regain his footing. Instinctively, the wood elf reached out to steady himself on his mount, but unfortunately, the horse had moved on without him. He did not realize that he had stopped walking. Stumbling sideways a little, he thanked whatever gods that were watching over him when his hand found a tree. Grabbing onto the woody plant, he promptly braced himself against the trunk before he made a fool of himself by sinking to the ground. He took deep, even breaths to calm his racing heart and swallowed convulsively when a sudden wave of nausea hit him without warning.

Aragorn slowed his pace when he realized that his companion had lagged behind. Turning his head to look over his shoulder, he was alarmed to see his friend in the state of near collapse. With a few quick strides, he made it to the elf's side.

"Legolas? What's wrong?" Taking the elf's arm, Aragorn lowered him gently onto the ground. His face scrunched up in concern as he took in his friend's pallid complexion. Pressing his palm on Legolas' forehead to check his temperature, he was astonished to find the skin beneath his hand hot to the touch.

Legolas moaned softly when a cool hand was placed upon his brows. He allowed his burning eyes to drift shut but was pulled out of the daze when Aragorn shook him lightly.

"You are burning up! What happened?" When the elf turned his eyes upon the man, Aragorn noticed that the normally clear blue eyes were now glassy and slightly unfocused. Tapping Legolas gently on the cheek to gain his attention, the man tried again. "What ails you, my friend? Please tell me."

"Finger hurts..." Legolas finally managed after several seconds of being question. He could not believe that he had to admit to that eventually. He would definitely be mocked to death now.

"The splinter?"

When Legolas nodded, Aragorn lifted the elf's right hand and immediately realized that something was wrong. Legolas' hand was swollen and was warm to the touch, and the skin had turned an unhealthy shade of red. Quickly unbinding the index finger, Aragorn had to suppress a shocked gasp. The tissue around the incision he had made yesterday was purple and the finger had swollen to almost twice its original size. Dark blood oozed slowly from the cut when he pressed on the surrounding area lightly.

"When did this happen? Why didn't you say anything?!" Aragorn almost yelled at the elf, more out of fear than anger.

"I...I didn't want to worry you unnecessarily. When I bandaged it, it was only inflamed," said the elf in a small, shaky voice. He felt like an elfling being reprimanded by his father for doing something wrong.

Aragorn inspected the wound closer but could not identify what was wrong, aside from that it was badly infected. The utensils he used to remove the splinter were sterile, he was absolutely sure of that. So what had happened then? Removing his pack, the man searched for the water canteen. Pouring a little water out on a bandage, he placed the damp cloth on the elf's forehead and helped Legolas take a sip of the water.

"I'm fine," insisted Legolas. "Just let me rest for a while and we can be on our way." Without allowing Aragorn a chance to retort, he let his eyes slip shut with a small sigh.

Aragorn shook his head at the elf's antics. His pride and stubbornness will one day be his downfall, thought the ranger. With nothing else he could do, Aragorn cleaned his friend's finger, applied more salve and re-bandaged it. He then eased the elf down onto his side. Legolas did not protest but allowed Aragorn to lower him down onto the grass. The man replaced the damp cloth on the elf's forehead after pouring more water on it.

After making sure that Legolas was resting comfortably, Aragorn unloaded the horses and allowed them to graze on a nearby patch of grass. It would be some time before they continued their journey. He wanted Legolas to get as much rest as they could afford. As much as he wanted to get home, he didn't want to risk aggravating Legolas's condition.

The sun was slowly sinking towards the horizon, and it would be dark in a few hours. Aragorn did not have the heart to wake Legolas, but if they didn't make it back by nightfall, his brothers would most probably be sent out on a search and rescue party. He had no intention to be ‘rescued' by his brothers. In addition, he wanted to let his father have a look at Legolas as soon as possible. The elf's long slumber had him worried and his fever did not get any better. Thankfully, it did not get any worse, either.

Crouching down beside the elf, Aragorn said in a gentle whisper, "Mellon nín, it's time to wake up." The human watched as Legolas let out a small moan but did not wake. Reaching out and tapping his friend lightly on the arm, he tried again. "Legolas... come on... open your eyes..." the man coaxed the sleeping figure.

Ever so slowly, the elf pried his heavy lids open. "I'm awake,'' Legolas replied groggily as he tried to shake off the remnants of sleep. Pushing himself up a little too quickly, he regretted it immediately when the world around him started spinning out of control and he felt as if he were trapped in a barrel as it was tumbling down a waterfall. Clamping his eyes shut, the elven prince swallowed quickly to suppress the bile that threatened to rise from his throat. It wouldn't do his ego any good if he got sick now. After taking a few deep breaths, he risked opening his eyes a little and was relieved to find that his surrounding had returned to their original state. A shadow fell over him and he looked up, only to be greeted by pair of intense silver-green eyes that silently voiced their owner's worries and fear. Forcing a smile, Legolas opened his mouth to say something, but was promptly cut off by Aragorn.

"Don't say you're fine because I know you're not."

Accepting Aragorn's help, Legolas rose shakily to his feet.

The man steadied the wavering elf and gently brushed a lock of stray hair from his face. Legolas did not look well even after the rest. His face was still flushed with fever, and his eyes were cloudy and glazed. The areas beneath his eyes were puffy and slightly swollen, too.

Aragorn wrapped his arm around the weaken elf's waist and led him towards the horses. "I'm sorry, mellon nín, I don't know what went wrong. I was sure the knife and needle were clean..."

Legolas interrupted the man with a small wave of his uninjured hand. "You do not need to apologize for things that are out of your control. I trust your skill as a healer, and I'm sure you did everything right.''

Heartened by Legolas' words, the ranger gave his friend an appreciative smile. As they approached their mounts, Legolas noticed that most of their burden had been loaded onto Aragorn's horse, while his own horse only carried half of her original load. It was clear that Aragorn intended for him to ride. Legolas start to protest, but was silenced when Aragorn gave him 'the look' that told him that any attempt to dissuade the ranger would be futile. With a defeated sigh, the woodland being allowed the future king of men to help him mount. He was surprised how weak he actually felt and was secretly grateful for the human's aid.

"Try not to fall off.''

The human's attempted joke drew an indignant snort from Legolas, but the elf knew that there was some truth behind those words. He hoped that he could stay on the horse long enough for them to reach Rivendell.

After Aragorn made sure that his friend had settled securely on his horse, he gave the chestnut mare a pat on her neck. Then he took the rein of his own horse and the two companions began their journey home.

TBC…

Disclaimer, Notes and Acknowledgements: Please refer to Chapter 1

o-o-o-o-o

Chapter 3 – Holding On

Their surroundings grew dimmer as they traveled on. Legolas knew that nightfall would be upon them soon, but fortunately they were only an hour or so from their destination. The rocking motion of his horse was making him slightly nauseated. He could feel cold sweat trickling down his neck and back, soaking into his tunic. The pounding headache that he had developed half an hour ago added to his misery. Not wanting to worry his friend, the elf had kept his latest ailment to himself.

Aragorn kept glancing worriedly at his friend while keeping pace with the horses. It seemed to him that Legolas had gone a shade paler since the last time he had looked at him which was less than five minutes ago. The elf was gripping the rein so tightly with his uninjured hand that his knuckles had turned white and his hand was trembling slightly, either from the strain or the weakness of the body, the ranger couldn't tell. Concerned for his friend's well being, Aragorn placed a hand on Legolas' knee and gave it a small squeeze, a gesture showing his genuine distress.

Legolas turned towards Aragorn, glazed silver-blue eyes trying to focus on the blurry image before him but failing miserably. So instead, he settled on forcing a smile at the general direction of his friend's face.

"I'm fine," he uttered. The most outrageous lie made even he himself cringe. Kicking himself mentally for not being able to come up with something more believable, he quickly averted his eyes and pretended that he was indeed all right, and that Aragorn's concern was overrated.

The ranger would have snorted if he weren't feeling so guilty for not realizing that something was amiss until his friend's collapse. He had wanted to abandon the game that Legolas' horse was bearing and ride home with the elf, but the stubborn-headed archer had refused none too politely. This had been the best hunt they had had for many, many months, and Legolas did not want to risk losing their catch, even though Aragorn said that someone could always come back to collect what they had to leave behind. However, Legolas did suggest that he could ride home himself, but the man had insisted that it was too risky. With the raging fever, Aragorn was surprised that the elf had managed to stay on his mount thus far. Therefore, they were back to where they began. Fortunately, they were almost home.

A cool night breeze swept over the trees. Legolas shivered involuntarily and pulled his cloak closer around his shoulders. The joints in his fingers ached so badly that he could hardly hold on to the reins any longer. To add on to his misery, his chest was becoming tighter, making breathing difficult. His vision swam sickeningly, and Legolas feared that he would topple off his horse at any moment.

Aragorn reached out to steady his swaying friend. "Hold on, my friend, we're almost home." Leading the animals towards the gate of The Last Homely House, the man let out a sigh of relief when he saw the gates open and his elven brothers rushing out to greet them.

"Estel! Legolas!" Elladan called out as he walked briskly towards the two friends, Elrohir closely behind him.

They had been alerted by the guards of their brother's and friend's return, but it was the state of their return that worried them. Knowing that Legolas would never take the horse and let Aragorn travel on foot unless something was very wrong, Elladan did a quick visual scan of the elven prince. Even in the fading light, the older twin could see that the Mirkwood elf was not faring well. The prince was hunched over the horse's neck and if not for Aragorn's support, Elladan doubted that he would be able to remain seated on his mount. The look on his human brother's face was enough to urge him on.

Quickly closing the distance between themselves and the two weary travelers, the twins took the reins of the horses and led them into the courtyard.

"What happened, Estel?" Elrohir asked anxiously as he pulled a semi-conscious Legolas off the horse, holding him upright as his knees gave way under his weight.

"I don't know! It was only a splinter, and I was sure that the knife and needle were properly disinfected and I made sure that I got everything out and..." the words rushed out of Aragorn's mouth in torrents, but before he could continue, Elladan stopped him.

"Slow down, brother! You're not making any sense!" Patting the distressed human on the shoulder in an attempt to calm him down, Elladan maneuvered him towards the house. "Let's get you two inside first. Then we will find out what happened."

But when Elrohir attempted to wrap his arm around Legolas' waist to support him, the delirious elf swatted annoyingly at the younger twin's hand.

"I can walk..." he mumbled and promptly staggered into the dark haired elf. Regaining his footing as fast as his uncooperative body would allow him, Legolas tried again, only to collapse into the waiting arms of Elrohir, almost falling flat on his face had his friend not caught him.

"Right. You can walk." Elrohir snorted loudly and hoisted the unsteady prince back onto his feet. "You either let me help you or you can crawl back into the house. Your choice," The young lord of Imladris threatened and watched with amusement when Legolas' mouth snapped shut as he quickly swallowed his intended protest.

Mumbling darkly under his breath, Legolas finally nodded his agreement. So, with the help of Elrohir, he made it into the house and into the healing wing without further incident, all the while mumbling something that sounded like 'a stupid splinter' to Elrohir. The dark haired elf shook his head with an exasperated sigh. He had no idea what the younger elf was talking about and, truth be told, he didn't think he wanted to know either. Perhaps later, but definitely not now.

TBC...

Disclaimer, Notes and Acknowledgements: Please refer to Chapter 1

o-o-o-o-o

Chapter 4 – Misdiagnosis

Elladan was already armed with various healing herbs and utensils when Elrohir settled the incoherent and almost unconscious wood elf onto the bed. Aragorn, however, was looking around with wild and searching eyes.

"Where is father? Why is he not here!" The human asked in a near frantic voice, but before any of his brothers could answer him, the man twirled around and his gaze settled on the prone elf on the bed. "I swear the needle and knife were clean! I made sure that I did everything correctly!" The string of words flowed out of his mouth and suddenly Aragorn turned towards his older brother with a deep frown etched onto his worried face. "What went wrong!" he asked as his fingers unconsciously latched themselves onto Elladan's forearms, digging painfully into the elf's flesh. "Do you know what went wrong!"

It took the dark haired elf a moment to pry the human off him and pushed him into a nearby chair. "One question at a time, Estel." Elladan crouched down beside his little brother. "Father was called to Lorien for an urgent meeting yesterday. But worry not, Elrohir and I are more than capable of handling this little emergency..." Elladan trailed off and stole a glance at his twin, who was cutting away the bandage carefully from Legolas' swollen hand.

Aragorn wiggled on his seat with the intention of getting out of the piece of furniture and to his friend's side, when Elladan pressed him back down forcefully. "You either sit here and stay out of our way, or we'll be forced to throw you out."

Aragorn slumped back into the chair with an exasperated sigh. He knew that tone of voice and it usually meant business. There was no room for arguments. Elladan had won again. So he sat obediently as Elladan left him and hurriedly joined his twin.

The two brothers conversed softly but urgently with each other, occasionally reaching out a hand to check Legolas' temperature and pulse, or peering into his glazed silver-blue eyes. Several minutes later, the twins seemed to have come to a conclusion as they nodded at the other. The elder twin went over to the table and quickly prepared a mild sedative. They would rather not have the prince conscious while they performed the painful procedure.

After some unsuccessful attempts on Legolas's part, the twins managed to force the drink down the stubborn elf's throat and, within seconds, the prince succumbed to the effect of the tea.

With a small sigh of relief, Elrohir picked up a small knife from the healing utensils that were spread out on the table. He ran the blade over the candle fire to disinfect it. Wielding the knife in his right hand, he let it cool a little before lifting Legolas' injured hand and pressing the tip of the blade into the prince's palm, slicing it open with practiced ease.

Dark, almost black, blood oozed from the wound and Aragorn grimaced as Elladan caught the poisoned blood with a basin, as his twin continued to draw out the liquid and allowed it to drip off the blonde elf's fingertips. Gradually, to everyone's relief, the blood flowing from the deep cut turned from dark to bright red, indicating that they had successfully removed all traces of poison in Legolas' swollen hand. With the gruesome task done, Elrohir wiped the remaining blood from the prince's hand while Elladan prepared a bowl of herbal mixture to bathe the wound in before stitching it closed.

Aragorn watched with anticipation as Legolas' hand was bandaged and tucked beneath the blanket. When that was done, Elladan placed one hand on the elven prince's chest and the other on his forehead. Elrohir, in turn, rested his right hand over Legolas' bandaged hand and placed his left hand on the back of his twin's shoulder. Together, the brothers channeled their healing energies into their injured friend in an attempt to force out the remaining poison in his body.

The ritual did not last long and, when Aragorn saw that his brothers were done, he sprang to his feet and in a few quick strides made his way to the bed. "Will he be all right?" The man asked rather shakily.

The slight tremor in the human's voice directed Elrohir's attention to the young man. Setting aside the towel that he was using to dry his sweaty hands, the tall elf moved to his brother's side and patted his shoulder reassuringly. "Worry not, brother, Legolas will be fine in time. Though I must ask..." he trailed off as he saw Elladan move out of the room, no doubt to prepare the foul tasting herbal tea that would counter the remaining poison in the prince's body. "Are you sure it was a splinter that you removed and not a thorn?"

With his mouth slightly ajar, Aragorn was about to confirm his diagnosis when the frown on Elrohir's face made him think twice. Closing his mouth slowly, the man played yesterday's situation over in his mind. The fragment was about half an inch in length, a little long for a thorn but rather strong for a splinter. A frown worked gradually onto the human's features as he mentally tried to discern between a thorn and splinter.

Elrohir watched with sympathy as the man's frown deepened. With a soft laugh, the elf asked the stumped ranger. "Have you forgotten what Adar told you about the Cyprius trees? Or were you sleeping during that particular lesson?" he teased and watched with a smirk as Aragorn's face turned swiftly red from embarrassment.

'Dear Valar! Cyprius trees!' How could he have forgotten all about that? Elrond had specifically drilled that lesson into him. The thorns of a Cyprius tree were very thin but sharp. It would easily pierce a person's skin and was often being mistaken for a splinter due to its appearance. To make things worse, the thorns of a Cyprius tree were poisonous! Aragorn suddenly had the urge to bang his head on the table. How could he have missed it? It was so obvious! Sighing for the umpteenth time since they returned home, the ranger sank into the chair beside the bed and ran his hands over his tired face, suddenly having this urge to bang his head against something solid.

Giving the human a gentle pat on the shoulder, Elrohir proceeded to clean out the bloody basin and returned the clean utensil to the table while waiting for Aragorn to come to terms with his mistake.

"It could have cost him his arm," the man said with a small whisper, his voice shaky from the shocked of his error.

"It could have, but it didn't. You got him back in time."

Elladan chose this moment to make an appearance, much to Elrohir's relief, for he was sure that Aragorn was going to launch into one of his I-am-an-idiot modes. The elder twin was carrying a pitcher of water and a cup of steaming concoction. The pungent smell from the herbal mixture was slowing diffusing into the air in the room, making Aragorn cringe. The man fervently hoped that the tea would not taste as bad as it smelled. Legolas would not be happy when he was forced to drink that horrid medicine. And it was all his fault. After watching Elladan set the items on the table, Aragorn turned his attention back to his friend and was surprised to see Legolas struggling to wakefulness.

TBC…

Disclaimer, Notes and Acknowledgements: Please refer to Chapter 1

o-o-o-o-o

Chapter 5 – A Lesson Well Learned

Legolas groaned and shifted slightly on the bed. The throbbing pain in his hand had subsided and so had the aches in his joints. He still felt uncomfortably warm, but it was to be expected as his body was still fighting the lingering effects of the infection. Forcing his eyes open, the elf squinted at the blurry image of his friend's face. Several seconds later, he finally managed to bring his vision into focus and found himself staring into a pair of anxious silver-green eyes. The woodland prince gave the human a small smile in attempt to put him at ease and to wordlessly let him know that he did not blame him for what happened. At least not until he heard of the human's error in his diagnosis and suffered the side effects of the anti-toxin drink that Elladan was about to shove down his throat.

"How do you feel?" Aragorn asked gently as he watched his friend fighting his way to consciousness from the sleeping draught.

"Better," the elf replied as he tried to push himself up from the bed, hissing in pain as he accidentally put pressure on his injured hand. Legolas stared at his bandaged hand, dumbfounded. Not only his finger but his entire hand was wrapped down to the wrist in the white linen. "What happened?" he asked as Aragorn propped him up with several pillows.

"It's a long story that I'm sure Estel would love to tell you," Elladan winked at Aragorn and earned himself death glare from his youngest brother. The Noldo elf chuckled and handed the foul-smelling tea to the human. "Give this to him and make sure he drinks plenty of water after that."

Legolas wrinkled his nose at the greenish-brown liquid when Aragorn pressed the cup into his uninjured hand. "What is this?" he turned his head away from the stench, trying not to gag.

"It will help draw the poison out from your body," answered Elladan with a calm voice.

"What poison?" Legolas was truly confused now. When was he poisoned?

Elrohir grinned mischievously. "All will be revealed in Estel's tale." Stealing a glance at the man, the dark haired elf

Legolas raised an elegant eyebrow at the elder twin's comment. "What's with the water part?"

"You'll need water to…" Elladan paused and turned to look at his twin, seeking aid to explain the situation subtly to the unfortunate prince.

"To flush out the remaining poison in your body," Elrohir added helpfully.

That was an ingenious statement.

The older twin smiled inwardly. He couldn't have said it any better. "Right. This is very important. At least half of the pitcher." Elladan nodded in agreement as his elven brother tried to suppress a snicker with a rather fake cough. Then, he grabbed the clean basin and shoved it into Aragorn's hands. "You'll be needing this," he said as he shared a sympathetic smile with Elrohir. With that, the twins made their retreat hastily from the room, closing the door behind them to allow the two friends some privacy when the inevitable happen.

Aragorn frowned at the twin's antics and dropped the basin carelessly beside the bed. His brother's actions sometimes left him completely baffled. With a shake of his head, the human poured out a cup of water and urged Legolas to swallow the horrible tasting draught before asking him to drink the water immediately.

Legolas winced as the tea burned his throat all the way down to his stomach. He suppressed the urge to gag as he was then made to drink a cup of water, but before he could do anything else, Aragorn returned with a second cup of water and forced it into him.

o-o-o-o-o

Elladan and Elrohir stood outside the closed door and shared a knowing grin.

"I'm certain Estel will never forget the properties of Cyprius trees any time soon." Elrohir observed as he leaned casually against the wall.

"Too bad he is going to learn this lesson the hard way." Elladan winced as muffled sounds of gagging and retching flitted into their sensitive ears from beyond the closed door.

"Yes," the younger of the two elves agreed with a cringe, "at Legolas's expense I'm afraid."

More sounds of retching were heard before someone spat a string of rather undignified curses, followed quickly by a tirade of profuse apologies. Aragorn was obviously not amused by the outcome of his brothers' remedy, but at this moment, he felt more apologetic rather than irritated.

"Do you think Legolas will ever forgive him?" asked Elrohir. He hated to see an honest mistake do damage to years of friendship.

Elladan lifted an eyebrow, a perfect imitation of his father's expression when he was asked an obviously silly question. "Of course he will," and with a short pause, he added mischievously, "perhaps in a century or two." He knew that Legolas would eventually forgive the human but it definitely would not happen in the next few hours. He would be feeling too miserable to be in a forgiving mood.

"Very funny," Elrohir snorted indignantly and swatted at his brother's arm, although there was no true anger in his voice, knowing well that his brother was only teasing him.

Elladan pushed himself off the wall lazily and motioned for his twin to follow. They would leave their human brother to explain his error to their woodland kin and suffer whatever consequences that was to come. At least that would teach him to pay attention to what his elders were telling him. Smiling to himself, Elladan ushered his brother into the Hall of Fire for some well earned rest, assured that Aragorn would be able to handle things from there. The next morning would prove to be another challenge, for they would need to rehydrate the poor elven prince and get some solid food into him to build up his strength. But after tonight, Legolas might never want to see food again.

o-o-o-o-o

Elladan balanced a tray of food in his hands as he and Elrohir approached the healing wing. When they reached the door leading to the room where the prince of Mirkwood currently occupied, Elrohir depressed the handle and pushed open the door quietly. He did not bother knocking, for he did not want to risk waking either Aragorn or Legolas. Judging by what happened yesterday, they knew that the two friends would have had a rough night and they deserved whatever rest that they could get. The twins had decided to let their brother sleep in, even though it was almost midday.

Elrohir poked his head into the room and was not surprised to find the human dozing off in a chair beside Legolas' bed. The man sat slumped in the chair with his head bent forward, his chin touching his chest. What amused Elrohir is the object that was clutched against the man's body. On Aragorn's lap lay a basin – thankfully a clean one – and the human held it as if it were some precious treasure. Shaking his head with a small smile, he motioned Elladan to enter and, before waiting for his twin to set down the tray, he proceeded to relieve the sleeping man of his "treasure". Even though he tried to be gentle, Aragorn woke with a start and sprang to his feet in an instant. Still groggy from sleep, the man staggered and crashed into Elladan. Being knocked off course, Elladan stumbled forward with the tray of food still balanced precariously on his hands. Fortunately, the nimble elf managed to regain his footing before having an impromptu meeting with the floor.

"Sorry," the man mumbled an apology as he tried to rub the sleep from his eyes, one hand still clutching the basin securely. "I thought Legolas needed…" Aragorn trailed off without finishing the sentence. He didn't have to because the twins knew very well what the elven prince might have needed.

Elladan threw his brother a small smile as he set the tray down on the table as Elrohir promptly relieved the human of the basin and placed it at the foot of the bed.

"We brought you breakfast," announced Elladan cheerily. "Come, eat something, for I don't think you had a proper dinner yesterday." The elf winked at Aragorn, and the ranger made a face at him, drawing a light chuckle from the dark haired being.

Stifling a yawn, the man made his way to the table and sank into a chair. He poked around the food until he came upon a piece of freshly baked bread. Scooping up a generous amount of honey, he spread it over his breakfast before sinking his teeth into it. "Mmm…" he let out a contented sigh as the sweet nectar filled his mouth.

The twins pulled up a pair of chairs and joined their brother at the table, watching in amazement as he gobbled down another four slices of bread, three pieces of ham, a bowl of soup, an apple, two pears and one huge chunk of cheese.

Silently, Elladan wondered where all the food had gone to. He didn't think a person's stomach could fit so much, especially in the morning.

"What?" Aragorn mumbled over a mouthful of food when he realized that Elladan was staring at him with a bewildered look.

"Oh nothing… Just amusing myself watching you eat." The elf shared a grin with his twin, who choked on the water that he was drinking as he tried to stifle a snort.

"So tell me," Aragorn continued casually as he popped a strawberry into his mouth, "did you do it to punish me for my incompetence?"

Elrohir raised an eyebrow at the question. "What?" he asked, not quite sure what the ranger was referring to.

"That ‘thing' you gave Legolas yesterday." Aragorn set down the napkin that he was using to wipe his hands as he spoke.

"No!" Elrohir exclaimed, a little shocked that his brother would think that they did it intentionally. "Of course not! We would never deliberately hurt any of you!"

Aragorn grinned at his elven brother's reaction. "I thought so, too." He reached over and punched Elrohir in the arm playfully. "But what happened?" Curious minds wanted to know.

"The anti-toxin we gave him was very potent. It acted almost instantaneously as it settled in his stomach by drawing the poison out from his blood." Elladan explained patiently, and Elrohir continued where his brother left off.

"But because of the corrosive nature, we needed to remove it as soon as possible so as to minimize the damage done to his body. Believe us, brother, that we would not have resolved to this if we had any other choice."

Aragorn nodded. At last he understood the cause of Legolas' sickness.

The elf had continued to suffer from painful cramps and dry heaves for hours even after he had emptied his stomach. It had taken the human almost all night to settle the exhausted elf into a fitful rest. Only about an hour ago did the elven prince finally drift into a more restful sleep, but the experience had left him drained beyond belief.

TBC…

Disclaimer, Notes and Acknowledgements: Please refer to Chapter 1

o-o-o-o-o

Chapter 6 – To Err Is Human

Aragorn sighed for the umpteenth time since they had returned home, his eyes drifting back to the sleeping elf at his left. As he watched his friend's chest rise and fall rhythmically, a surge of guilt overwhelmed him. It was his fault. There was no excuse this time. His friend could have died because of his ineptitude. Well, perhaps he wouldn't have died, but he could definitely have lost his arm, and that would be worse than death to a warrior elf. Unconsciously, Aragorn moved back to the chair beside the bed and left his brothers to clear up their breakfast table.

The door clicked shut almost soundlessly as Elladan and Elrohir slipped out of the room, leaving the adan to his musing.

Watching the elf sleep with his eyes closed doubled his guilt. The man adjusted the blanket over his friend, not knowing what else he could do to make Legolas more comfortable. After fussing about for a while, Aragorn finally settled back down into the chair. He ran his hands over his tired face as he tried to recall that particular lesson about Cyprius tree but failed miserably. No matter how hard he tried, he could not bring to mind the lesson that was taught to him many years ago. The ranger whimpered in distress at his inability to remember. It wasn't like he had forgotten about the lesson. It was like he never had the lesson at all! Frustrated, he had this insane urge to bang his head against something solid but, instead, he pounded his head with the heel of his hands hard enough to perhaps give him a mild concussion. He snorted at the thought as he rubbed his eyes in defeat.

"I'm so sorry...," the man whispered bitterly to the prone figure on the bed. "I really should have paid more attention to my lessons." Aragorn sagged into the chair and buried his face in his hands. "It is all my fault..." And this time, it was indeed his fault. No misplaced blame and no unwarranted guilt. The thought that he had laughed at the elf's discomfort the night he removed the -splinter- repulsed him. If he had realized the seriousness of the situation, he would never have made fun of his friend. If he had known that the -splinter- was a thorn from a poisonous tree, he would have treated the wound immediately and spared his friend the pain and misery. If he had paid more attention in class… If he had been more attentive… If… If… So many ifs, but it was too late for regrets now. The damage had already been done.

Tears of frustration and self loathing escaped his eyes, and the man wiped them off ruthlessly with the palm of his hands. No use crying over spilt milk, he admonished himself, but he couldn't help feeling that he had betrayed his best friend. Legolas would give his life for him and what did he do to repay his loyalty? Pain and suffering? Humiliation and misery? What kind of friend was he?

So absorbed was he in his self blame that he did not realize a pair of wary silver-blue eyes were watching his struggle with his internal demons.

o-o-o-o-o

Legolas was exhausted from the night's event. He ached terribly from the constant retching and dry heaves that had plagued his body ever since Aragorn had forced that cup of foul mixture into him. The elf shifted slightly when he heard his friend's guilt laden voice as he struggled to escape the clutches of sleep. Although he felt like he could sleep for a week, he knew that he had to settle things with the man before he drowned himself in sorrow. With great effort, he forced his heavy lids open only to find that the ranger had already started on his guilt trip.

"Estel..." he managed weakly and would have laughed at the man's reaction under better circumstances.

The ranger almost jumped out of his skin, his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide as a saucer. It took him a few seconds to realize what happened. "Legolas!" he cried with shock and joy. "You're awake!"

The elf winced at the loud voice and let out a groan. "Not so loud. I can hear you just fine," he chided, but was afraid that his friend had taken it the wrong way when Aragorn's expression became solemn.

"Legolas..." the man started, "there's something I need to tell you. I'm not asking for your forgiveness, if you do not want to give it. I just need to tell you the truth." Aragorn finished with a sigh.

Now Legolas was puzzled. What was the human talking about? Did he miss something important while he was sleeping?

"Estel, what..." but before he could finish, he was interrupted.

"Remember the splinter you got in your finger?"

Legolas nodded dumbly. "Yes..."

"Well, it wasn't exactly a splinter..." And in the next several minutes, Aragorn explained in explicit details what had really happened.

"I can't tell you how sorry I am, Legolas. I should have known better. What a sorry excuse for a healer I am." The man hung his head in shame. "I know I should have paid more attention to my studies..."

The blond halted the tirade of apologies that he knew was coming by placing his good hand on Aragorn's arm.

"To err is human, Estel," Legolas said gently and gave the human a tired smile. "The important thing is that you learn from your mistakes."

"At your expense," replied the man bitterly. It was clear that the ranger had not forgiven himself yet.

"I have done things that I'm not proud of myself but I have come to terms with them and learned from my mistakes. Everyone does things that they regret once in a while and I forgive you."

Aragorn nodded solemnly and then placed his hand lightly atop Legolas's, that was still resting on his arm. "To err is human," the man repeated the phrase and, after a short pause, he added with a soft smile. "To forgive, divine."

Legolas return the smile and allowed his eyes to drift shut. He was still tired, but he could now rest peacefully knowing that things were well between Aragorn and him. He might still need to beat some sense into the human's thick skull, but that could wait until later. Now he needed to sleep to regain his strength to perform the said task.

-The End-