Fan Fiction ❯ Demons in the Dark ❯ Chapter 13

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Italics indicate memory or dreams.

Commonly used Sindarin words:

Ai: Oh!
pen-neth: young one
muindor: brother
gwador: sworn brother, not those by blood
Ada: dad
melethron: lover
a'maelamin: lover
ernil-nín: my prince
ion nín: my son

*~*~*

Glorfindel sent Estel and the other warriors ahead to alert Elrond that they were coming back. Among their own, they sustained only minor injuries, including the cut to Elladan's arm that he'd forgotten about, hidden under the long sleeve of his shirt. Glorfindel, Elladan, and Elrohir would travel with Legolas, riding for an hour, then stopping for a break. Glorfindel told Estel to have Elrond prepared for a major casualty, but not to ride out and meet them. They had no way of knowing how long it would take them, and Elrohir could take care of any problems en route.

The terrain had been rough enough that Glorfindel decided a travois would be harder on the Prince than riding with Elladan. So they rode as hard as they dared, Elladan keeping a close on his lover with his arms wrapped around the blonde's waist. The Prince's breathing was shallow and labored, but for the first hour, he made no movement or sound. They stopped briefly, to feed Legolas water and for Elrohir to tend to the wound on his back, which was still bleeding.

"You're bleeding," Elrohir observed as he helped Glorfindel settle the Prince in front of Elladan. "Let me see." He tugged gently at Elladan's hand.

"It's nothing," he said, but didn't pull away.

Elrohir rolled up his sleeve and probed gently at the wound. Elladan drew in a sharp breath. Red tendrils spread out from the wound. "Poisoned," Elrohir muttered. "Glorfindel? It must be slow acting," he said, mostly to himself.

The blonde aided Elrohir in splitting some athelas leaves to pack around the wound. "It'll help slow the poison, but Ada will have to take a look at you when we get home."

"Let's go then," he responded, pulling his sleeve back down over the bandages. They had precious time to waste. He spurred his horse forward, knowing the other two could easily catch up. Legolas was a dead weight against his chest, but Elladan refused to give up hope, as long as the Prince drew breath, he had to believe that he would live.

Sometime during the second hour Legolas stopped breathing. He gave a shuddering wheeze, and then went still against Elladan's chest.

"Elrohir!" Elladan shouted, pulling his horse up short. "Legolas? Love, breathe," he spoke into the Prince's ear.

Elrohir was at his side in a flash, helping get Legolas off the horse and stretched out on the forest floor. Elladan dismounted as soon as he was clear and joined his brother kneeling on the ground.

"Breathe for him," Elrohir said, beginning to undo the buttons on the tunics they'd wrapped him in.

"Right," Elladan answered. He crouched over the unconscious blonde, aware of Elrohir checking the Prince over and Glorfindel bustling around behind him. Remembering the technique his father had taught him, he sealed his lips over Legolas' and blew air into his mouth while holding his nose shut. He watched the bare chest rise under Elrohir's fingers after each breath.

He supplied his lover with air for some minutes, until Elrohir's light touch on his shoulder stopped him. Legolas coughed lightly, then began breathing on his own again, shallowly, but on his own.

"We must hurry," Elrohir said softly, buttoning the Prince back up. "I'm worried he won't last much longer."

"I know," Elladan admitted, though he didn't want to believe it. "Let's get moving."

The got Legolas back atop Elladan's horse and pressed harder, making good time.

They didn't stop until they were about an hour from the manor, when Legolas stopped breathing again.

"You can't leave me, Legolas," Elladan spoke softly as Elrohir leant his breath to the Prince. Elladan was dizzy and short of breath on his own, partly from the poison he now actively felt in his system, and partly because of the tug he was feeling on his own feä as his lover slipped father from him. "I don't know that I can live without you, ernil-nín. I don't want to know what the world is like without you." Though they hadn't formally bonded, Elladan knew, without a doubt, that the Valar approved of their bond, and he had the suspicion that he would be lost to grief if Legolas didn't survive.

Elrohir paused to grab a breath for himself. Elladan held his breath and waited. Slowly, Legolas' chest continued to rise and fall on its own.

"Let's rest for a few minutes, give him a few minutes to stabilize." Elrohir patted Elladan on the shoulder and walked over to where Glorfindel was caring for the horses, giving his twin a moment of privacy.

"Wake up, Legolas," Elladan urged softly, caressing the too hot face with his fingertips. "Wake up. Open your eyes, just for a moment, and then I'll let you rest. Wake up and tell me you love me, that you hate me even for what I said, anything. Just," Elladan took a deep breath, trying to gain control of himself. "Don't leave me, melethron. I couldn't bear it." He pressed his lips to his lover's, just a brush of skin against skin. "I love you."

Legolas moaned softly, but didn't wake. "Wake up, Legolas. Saes, ernil-nín," Elladan urged again, as hope surged at the reaction. "Wake up, please love. Just don't leave me," he repeated. He stroked the blond head for a few minutes, resting as Elrohir suggested, watching Legolas breathe, and hoping that they would get him to his father in time.
Translation:
feä: spirit, or more precisely, the eternal flame within all elves.
Saes: Please