Rating: PG-13 to R (Angst... proceed with caution)

Summary: When Legolas is forced to make a decision that could very
well determine the fate of all Middle Earth, what will he do? And
what consequences will his choice have?

// = elvish translations
# = flashbacks
* = thought

Disclaimer and Acknowledgements: As in Chapter 1

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Chapter 22 - The Inevitable

Days passed swiftly and the prince had regained his usual appetite. On the day of his presumed attack, everyone waited anxiously and prepared for the worse. If the treatment were not effective, the attack would come sometime in the morning. Legolas paced in his room and fidgeted uncomfortably under the scrutiny of the elf lord and his three friends. They watched him apprehensively as if he was going to sprout an extra head at any moment.

"Would you stop looking at me like that?!" Legolas snapped unintentionally and immediately regretted. "I’m sorry," he sighed and dropped down onto the bed burying his face in his hands.

No one said a word for they all knew how hard the situation was for the woodland elf. Everyone was tense, their nerves strung so tight that the slightest wrong move or word will cause them to snap. Morning slowly turned into afternoon and nothing had happened. The quintet finally came to an agreement of not staring at each other but to go on with their routine. After all, they would know when it happened. It was hard to miss with screams loud enough to wake the dead. Time passed easier without four pairs of eyes staring down at him and Legolas let out a sigh of relieve when day turned into night. The day was finally over without any incident. Tomorrow would be another day to overcome.

Day after day, they waited, hoping against hope that maybe the treatment would eliminate the attacks all together. Their hope was shattered in the morning of the tenth day. Legolas’ scream sent Aragorn crashing through the door into the elf’s room with Elrond and the twins following shortly after. If the door had not been unlocked, Aragorn would probably have crashed right through it.

The scene before their eyes was shocking. The prince was writhing on the floor, having obviously fallen off the bed when the attack assaulted him. His once pleasant features now twisted in pain, his beautiful blue eyes clamped tightly shut. The blanket that was still wrapped around his body was spotted with blood and that was then they noticed that the blonde elf’s lips were stained dark red. More blood splattered onto the white sheets as the agonising choking screams continued.

Not knowing what else to do, the four knelt beside the thrashing elf, two attempting to calm him and other two trying to restrain him from clawing his eyes out. The screams quickly turned into a wet gurgle and Legolas went into a convulsing fit, a trail of blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth. Terror gripped at the hearts of Elrond and his sons as they watched the inevitable.

Finally, after what seemed like hours which was actually only minutes, the fit ceased. The prince slumped back heavily onto the floor, the slight rise and fall of his chest was the only indication that he was still alive. Other than that, he looked like death. His face was grey and covered with bloody scratch marks when he clawed at it madly during the attack. His blood stained lips were parted slightly but no blood was coming from it anymore. Aragorn exhaled sharply and silently thanked Ilúvatar that is was over… for now. Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir were busy attending to the unconscious elf, settling him back into bed, cleaning him up and tending to his injuries, trying to make him as comfortable as possible. None of them noticed that Aragorn was gone.

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The ranger easily back traced the path taken by Legolas that fateful night. Not able to witness the sufferings Legolas was doomed to endure anymore, he finally made up his mind to track down the lair of the dark elf. Although he knew it was risky, he still wanted to try his luck in retrieving the anti-poison. The young ranger had snuck out of the house while his father and brothers were preoccupied. He had taken off on foot instead of taking a horse, a small sacrifice he had to make in exchange for stealth.

A flash of lightning streaked across the sky and the sound of thunder followed several seconds later. Aragorn looked up at the quickly darkening sky and cursed his luck. Pulling his cloak tighter around himself, he quickened his pace. The interval between the lightning and thunder grew shorter as he made his way through the woods, an indication that the storm was approaching rapidly. From the looks of it, the ranger knew that it would be a full-blown thunderstorm when it hit.

The cave entrance was well hidden but Aragorn found it easily due to Legolas’ detailed description. Concealing himself behind some bushes, he watched for any movements around the cave. Legolas claimed that Delund worked alone but it never hurt to be cautious. He waited until the first raindrop fell and decided that it was time to make a move. Crouching low, he found his way to the mouth of the cave, straining his ears to listen for any signs of danger. Finally, he took a deep breath and worked up his courage before venturing into unknown territory.

The tunnel was dimly lighted by a single torch, the flickering flame casting eerie shadows on the walls. Aragorn detected neither sounds nor movements as he moved deeper into the cave. The only audible sound was the howling wind behind his back. *Maybe luck is on my side after all,* thought the young ranger. The tunnel led into the home of the dark elf. Delund did not have much possessions. The only piece of furniture he had was a stone table. On the table lay a rectangular wooden box. Aragorn approached cautiously and picked up the box. He flipped open the lid and was greeted by a long knife and a small bottle. He knew immediately that it was the poison. Everything was exactly as Legolas had described. He reached out to touch the vial. It was hard to imagine something so innocent looking could contain something so deadly. Prying the bottle out of the casing, Aragorn tugged it securely inside his tunic. Even if he failed to find the anti-poison, bringing back the poison may help them understand its nature better. Maybe by getting a more in depth look at the potion, his father and the healers could concoct up something to neutralize it. His mind wandered for a few seconds and the distraction gave Delund the perfect opportunity to sneak up behind the ranger.

"Looking for something?"

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To Be Continued...