Chapter Two

Aragorn continued down the corridor with his best friend in his arms. He mounted two more flights of stairs toward the family’s private wing of the house. His father and brothers were keeping pace behind him. They each knew they would all have to wait until Estel was ready to talk to them before they would get any answers from him.

When Aragorn reached the room Legolas always stayed in while in Rivendell, Elrohir rushed ahead and pushed down on the gold handle of the large oak door, which swung open on silent hinges. He then ran across the room to the glass doors that led to the balcony on his right. He grasped the hunter green velvet curtains and pulled them aside, flooding the room with bright sunlight.

The elf then pushed on the balcony doors, opening them until they lay back against the wall on either side. Legolas couldn’t stand being closed in even by curtains and clear glass doors. He was only comfortable when he could not only see the sky, but listen to the trees and feel the breezes as they blew into his room. Thus, both curtains and doors were only closed when the elf prince was not in residence.

There was a light breeze blowing inward just now, and the room was soon filled with the fresh scents of Spring.

Meanwhile, Aragorn lay Legolas on top of the bedspread, whose leaf-pattern was the same color as the curtains and the carpet. The room had been decorated with the leaf pattern and dark green color especially for the woodland elf.

Aragorn carefully made sure the elf’s legs were straight, and then with his hands behind Legolas's head, he gently lowered it to the fluffy feather pillow that rested at the base of the ornate wooden headboard.

Elrond noted with trepidation that Legolas hadn't made even the slightest movement nor did any sound escape his lips. He was totally limp and unresponsive. Elrond moved up beside Aragorn and put his hand on the young man’s shoulder.

It was then that Aragorn turned the saddest expression a human is capable of making toward his father. With the shake of his head he repeated the words he had said to Elladan just moments before. "He isn't wounded."

Elrond had already noted in a quick visual inspection that there was no blood on the archer. Nor was there any other mark that he could see without a thorough examination. Aragorn was also a healer and would have checked Legolas before bringing him home. He would know if a wound was present. Elrond trusted both his foster son’s skills and his judgment.

Very softly, he asked, "What ails him?"

"That's just it, Ada. I don't know," Aragorn said helplessly. With that he turned toward the bed and removed Legolas's belt. Then, he began to undo the elf’s outer tunic. There was a gentleness in his movements, but at the same time, he seemed to move almost too deliberately. It was painfully obvious that he was working very hard to keep a tight rein on his emotions. One crack and they would all come flooding out. He couldn't afford that indulgence right now. His best friend needed him.

Elrohir pulled Legolas's soft suede boots off and set them together on the floor at the foot of the bed. Then, he stood silently and watched his two brothers undress their friend.

Elladan had crossed to the far side of the bed, with his back to the balcony and was helping Aragorn pull Legolas into a sitting position. Together they removed his tunic. Elladan had to put one hand under Legolas's chin and grip it firmly to keep his head steady. They then pulled his leggings off, leaving him wearing only his long silk shirt. Aragorn lifted the elf up while his oldest brother pulled the bedding back. When Legolas was lowered back down, the covers were pulled up to his chest. Aragorn pulled Legolas's arms from under the cover and crossed them gently over the elf's stomach.

Aragorn still held onto one of the archer's hands as he sat down on the side of the bed and leaned forward. "I'm sorry, mellon nin. I'm so sorry." There was both infinite sadness and a large measure of guilt in those words.

Elrond picked up on the guilt he heard but decided that now was not the time to discuss it. He would have to ask about that later. "Estel, let me look at him. Perhaps, I can find what the trouble is."

Aragorn didn't move or say a word at first. He just stared at Legolas's face. Then, he slowly nodded his assent and stood up. He knew if anyone could help Legolas, Elrond could, though he had the deep-seated feeling that even the power of the elf Lord would do no good in this case. It had nothing to do with his father’s abilities, it was.... He didn’t know what, and it was that lack of knowing that scared him as much as anything else.

After half an hour, Elrond had made a thorough examination of every inch of the elf’s body. He even undid Legolas's braids and examined his entire scalp. Finally, Elrond stood up and faced his three sons. "I know not what is causing this." There was a note of apology in his voice and a look of heartbreak on his ageless face.

Aragorn sat back down on the bed, gripping the elf’s hand once more, and then he closed his eyes. Those words from his father confirmed his own feelings of despair. All along he had the feeling that there was something evil involved that was behind what was wrong with his friend. If his father couldn’t find a physical reason, then Aragorn was terribly afraid he was right. But, he wasn’t ready to speak of that just yet.

Aragorn was pulled out of his thoughts, when Elrond said, “I will find out.” The elf Lord’s firm voice reflected his attempt to be as reassuring as he could. It was far too early to give up hope. To continue, though, he needed details.

“What can you tell me about what happened? Was he attacked by someone or something?” That seemed the most logical place to start.

“I can’t answer any of your questions,” Aragorn said somewhat harshly. He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Ada. I’m just so worried.” He kept to himself that he was also so tired he could hardly move. That fact, he knew, they were all very aware of. An elf was much better at hiding weariness and much better at detecting it in others than any human. The look of concern in his father’s eyes was also for him, as well as Legolas.

He looked up at Elrond. “I have no idea what happened. We were setting up camp for the night. Legolas tended the horses, as usual, and went off to hunt for dinner while I set up the camp. When he didn’t come back in a reasonable length of time, I went looking for him. I found him lying in the grass just as you see him now. I couldn’t rouse him, but I couldn’t find anything wrong, either.” He laughed bitterly and waved his hand toward Legolas. “Unless you consider this condition as being nothing wrong.” More softly he said. “There’s no physical clue as to why he’s like this. You saw that for yourself.”

The tears that Aragorn had been holding back threatened to spill out, but he managed, with a great deal of effort, to keep them from falling. “What can we do, Ada? How can we help him, if we don’t even know what’s wrong with him?”

Elladan wanted to know the answer to those questions himself. He came around to the side of the bed where his foster brother sat. He steeled himself for the argument he was sure was coming. “Estel, Legolas is safe. He is in no immediate danger. You need to get some sleep before you collapse.”

“I have to stay with him.” Aragorn whispered tiredly.

“ Not if it means you make yourself sick,” Elladan replied firmly. “I promise that Elrohir and I will not leave this room until you wake and return here. I am sure Ada will be hard at work, looking for answers, in his books of healing.” He took Estel’s free hand. “Please, for all our sakes, if not your own, get some rest.” He looked toward Legolas. “He will need your strength later.”

Everyone was surprised when Aragorn nodded. It was proof that he was too exhausted to argue. Aragorn reluctantly let go of Legolas's hand, as Elrond took him by the shoulders and pulled him to his feet. He gave a small smile of encouragement to his weary son.

Aragorn gave his brothers as stern a look as he could muster. “Promise me you’ll come get me, if there’s any change, no matter how small.”

“We promise,” Elrohir said, nodding.

Elrond had his arm around Aragorn as he guided his son from the room. The intricately carved door closed softly behind them.

Elladan looked out of the open balcony doorway and noted it was about mid-afternoon. He pulled one of the two chairs in the room up next to the bed, and a moment later Elrohir did the same.

They sat down to wait.

TBC