The forest of Mirkwood was quiet this morning. The sun shone through the canopy onto various spots of the lush green below. Legolas sat quietly in the high branches of an oak, listening to the quiet sounds of the morning and softly humming an old elvish tune. He began to drift into a light sleep when he was startled to the sound of horse's hooves on the forest floor. Legolas was up and cradling an arrow in his bow, ready. He watched carefully the direction of the noise and waited for something evil, something terrible to jump out of the trees. Instead it was a brown mare, a bleeding body barely holding onto the reigns. The face looked up, his gray eyes filled with pain and sadness, and still some anger. Legolas jumped from the tree and managed to catch the mans body just as it fell off the horse to the ground. He placed the bruised and bleeding body on the grass, "Estel, what happened to you?"
Legolas looked into his eyes with worry. He spoke in elvish, with a voice barely audible to men. But the elf listened carefully, "I was on my way to see you when a pack of orcs attacked me." Legolas held Estel's body close to his, rocking back and forth. "I killed most of them, but I received four arrows and many blades to my body, I have pulled out the arrows but-" His voice trailed off and his eyes shut, his breathing was shallow, and he had lost too much blood. Legolas threw Estel on the horse and mounted behind. He rode swiftly to the healers house, whispering an elvish prayer.
He arrived at the healers house and rushed inside to place him on a bed. "What is it? What is wrong?" Mora was asking in a worried elvish voice. His eyes fell onto Estel and grew dark with worry.
"He was attacked by orcs before the borders of Mirkwood, he has been shot four times by arrows and has suffered many sword wounds."
"Help me get his shirt off so I can see what has been done." Mora told Legolas as he began to unbutton the blood soaked shirt.
Legolas' jaw dropped when he saw the damage to Estel. The wounds where the arrows had been were coloring black around the edges, Legolas questioned this. "The tips of the arrows had been poisoned. He will die if we don't act fast. Hand me that jar there."
Legolas was quick to help. "The herbs will help to kill the poison, but now all we can do is just wait for him to regain consciousness." Legolas walked over to the basin that sat in the room and brought it over with a cloth. He began to wipe the blood off Estel's body, face and out of his hair. His face contorted when he washed ever so lightly over the cuts and arrow wounds. He gazed at Estel lying on the bed, and felt so much love for him he felt his heart would burst. A voice interrupted his thoughts, " Legolas, you are covered in blood, go get cleaned up."
Legolas looked down at Estel " I will watch him, go now." Legolas agreed and left the room into the castle where he ran into his father. His eyes grew fearsome at the site of the blood on Legolas' shirt," What happened? Are you hurt?..."
Legolas held up a hand to stop him, "I am fine, it is Estel, he was attacked by orcs on his way here, he is in the healers house now." Legolas pushed past his father figure to his room.
Inside he stood at the balcony for a moment, the day still so early for so much to be happening. He changed his shirt and brushed he hair to get the dried blood out. When he was done he quickly hurried back to Estel. "How is he doing?" Legolas asked quietly to Mora.
"The poison is subsiding but he has not yet woken up." Mora sighed, "It is all we can do now, he needs to rest, the arrows poison gave his body a shock that only time can repair."
Legolas pulled a chair to the side of the bed and sat. He picked up Estel's icy cold hand, and held it in his. He brushed a few strands of hair from his face and kissed him softly on the forehead. For hours he sat there, holding his hand, gazing into his face, hoping that he would wake up.
"Prince Greenleaf," a small voice spoke from the doorway, he glanced up, "Your father requests that you come eat something, he says you haven't eaten since this morning." He nodded and gently placed Estel's hand back on the bed, and left the room. Mora was still sitting in the corner, and nodded that he would keep watch.
At dinner, Legolas found himself not hungry, he was too worried for his dear Estel to eat. After hearing his father and councilors talk of the day, he noticed that he did not miss much, for nothing of real importance to him happened that day other than Estel. He rose to leave when his father spoke, "Tell Mora that Estel shall receive the best of care, as if he was one of my own."
With that Legolas nodded and left. The room was dark except for a few candles lit around Estel's bed and on the ledge of the balcony. He noticed that Mora was out on the balcony listening to the night sounds of the woods. Legolas walked over to Estel's bed and sat down on the edge. He looking longingly into his face, he bent over to kiss his cheek, wanting to feel the comforting touch he always received, but he did not. He sighed, "Oh my love, why won't you come back to us?" And with that he said a fair goodnight to Mora and went to his room.
He lay in his bed trying to sleep, but it would not come, for he was stricken with sadness and worry. At last sleep came, but an uneasy one. He dreamt of many things, many dark things. He woke with the dawn's light, and quickly got dressed to go see Estel. Mora was already up and cleaning his wounds.
"How was he in the night?" Legolas asked with uneasy eyes.
"Better than you." Legolas gave him a confused look. "It was a rough night I assume; I heard you shout."
Legolas dropped his gaze to the floor, "Oh, I am sorry, I didn't know I woke anyone, forgive me."
Mora lifted Legolas' chin with a soft hand and gazed into his eyes, "Do not let it trouble you, a lot has happened to you these days my little one." He placed a small kiss on his forehead and bent to continue his work on Estel's wounds. "There is a gash on his leg that I did not see yesterday, and it has become infected".
Mora pulled down the sheets and took off Estel's leggings. Legolas took a cloth and placed it over certain parts of Estel, "I don't want him to be embarrassed, even if he is unconscious." Mora nodded in understanding. The gash in his leg was horrible, it was a sickly green color, and was very deep. Mora began to cleanse the wound and Legolas could see Estel's face contort from the pain. After an hour of cleaning and mending, Estel's leg was actually looking better.
Days passed, and Estel stayed asleep. Everyday Legolas sat by his side, only being torn away for meals and to sleep. Mora was very understanding. He would let Legolas stay all day with him, never protesting when he would bring his meals in or sleep there. It had been almost three weeks now, and as usual, Legolas was by Estel's side, holding his hand, singing to him old elvish songs that he knew he loved. The next day Legolas was out in the field, a place he hadn't been since Estel's arrival, and was practicing his aim at a tree in the distance. The air was quiet; a gale sung a sweet song in the distance, which was a good sign. His quiver grew very light and as he was about to shoot his last arrow, he was disturbed by the voice of Mora calling to him from the balcony.
"Legolas! Come quick! It is Estel!"
Legolas dropped his bow and shed his quiver and ran for the healers house. He was just entering the door to the building when he was met by Mora, "What is it? What is wrong with Estel?"
Mora just grabbed his arm and ran with him to the room. Legolas entered the room and as his eyes quickly adjusted to the darker room, he nearly cried, and he would have, if not for the presence of Mora. In the bed, sat Estel, he was smiling at Legolas.
"Ai! You are awake!" He rushed to the bedside and hugged Estel gratefully.
"Yes, it was your sweet songs and many nights that brought me back." He brushed a hand across Legolas' face before it rested again in his lap.
"You gave us all a scare, my dear Estel." Mora said as he sat on the edge of the bed. The three talked for a while but the conversations were ended with the firm voice of Mora, "Estel, you need your rest, and something to eat. My dear Legolas, you need to sleep."
Legolas nodded and bent down to give a slight kiss to Estel's forehead. "Goodnight Legolas, sleep well." He bowed to Mora and left quietly. Estel found that after eating he began to drift into a warm, comforting sleep, tomorrow will be better, he spoke to himself as his heavy eyelids slipped closed.
Estel awoke to the happy face of Legolas. He smiled warmly and sat up, "My you are up early."
Legolas smiled in return, feeling a little shy. "How do you feel?" Legolas spoke to him and he gazed into his eyes.
"Me? I feel like a new man! The arrow wounds are subsiding and I feel only slight pains in my leg."
Legolas laughed to himself.
"What is so amusing, Master Elf?" Estel was teasing him, as usual, which meant he really was feeling better. "I swear by the Valor, you really are an elf disguised as a man, for I have know only elves to heal as quick as you have."
They laughed and talked for most of the morning when Mora brought food in for the both of them, "The both of you must eat, I will not have any of you in my house on my beds again!"
He teased the both of them, and handed them trays with bread and jellies. The jelly was sweet and the bread was warm, both Estel and Legolas ate the food quickly, Estel laughing heartily when Legolas managed a giant drop of jelly onto his chin. "Mora, will Estel be allowed to leave the bed today? Please? I wish only to walk with him in the gardens for awhile." Legolas looked with pleading eyes to Mora.
"I swear, those eyes will be the death of me, yes, he may leave, but only if he feels up to it, Estel?" He glanced toward Estel who smiled, "Yes I think it would do me some good to take a walk and breathe fresh air and get my legs moving."
"Very well then, but heed my warning Legolas, don't get him hurt." Mora was teasing again, it seems that everyone was in a better mood today.
After Estel was dressed again, and was standing without faltering steps, the two of them were off. As Estel stepped out of the doorway into the sunlight, he closed his eyes, he was not used to the sunlight. It was a beautiful day, the sun shone into the holes in the ceiling of the garden, making everything look almost unreal. They sat on a stone bench surrounded by the sweet smells of flowers and herbs.
"Ai, I forgot how beautiful this place can be," Estel sighed and smiled, "Tis just the way I remember it, all of it."
Legolas held Estel's hand as they both sat, just sat there, on a small stone bench, saying so much, yet not uttering a word. "It has been to long since you've come here, I hope you will stay for awhile, even after you are healed."
Estel put a soft palm to Legolas' cheek and spoke soft elvish to him, "I would stay for an eternity and it would still not be long enough."
Legolas let go of Estel's hand and laid down on the soft grass. He smiled to himself and thought of all the times that Estel had been there, growing up with him, and he knew, in his heart, that Estel would always be there. Forever.
The End.
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