Lord Of The Rings Fan Fiction ❯ Soulmates ❯ Immortal Fount ( Chapter 9 )

"The trees say it's in this area of the forest!" Legolas snapped irritably.

"Legolas, we've been searching for three months!" Gimli sighed.

"I know, but it has to be here!"

"Are you whining?" Glóin asked, sounding amused.

"So what if I am?"

"I have honestly never heard of an Elf whining like a child before."

Legolas blushed, staring at his friends. They all wanted to give up. Tears welled in his eyes and he sobbed, spinning around and sprinting through the trees. He ignored the ones calling his name and skittered up one of the huge trees, embracing the trunk. He sniffled, poking at one of the smaller limbs.

"Excuse me, brethil, but would you mind if have some of your sap?"

The tree whispered its permission and Legolas snapped a branch and put the torn end of the side connected to the tree in his mouth and began to suckle. He relaxed and settled into the rhythm of the forest. He connected mentally to the trees and felt the life pulsing through the plants and trees. He found his friends and was surprised to "see" them searching around still. He wandered past them and a little way away he saw something that made his blood freeze. Orcs.

He leaped from the tree, swallowing the rest of the sap, and raced for his friends. He got to them just in time. Sam had his head in a bush, looking for any sign of the pool, and an Orc was behind him with his blade raised. Legolas screamed in outrage and tackled the foul creature, making the Hobbit spin around and his other friends run for them.

"Horrid beast!" Legolas spat in Sindarin. "Die!"

He snapped the Orc's neck easily then grabbed the blade. Gimli and Glóin had their axes out as the rest of the Orcs jumped out of hiding. The Hobbits raced back to camp to get their swords, and some of the Orcs followed them. Legolas tried to follow, but was stopped but three Orcs who were looking at him oddly.

"You are one of us, Elfling," one said in Black Speech. And Legolas froze. He understood that.

"I am an Elf. I am no Orc," the Elf said angrily.

"You were raped. That is how Orcs are formed. The pretty Elves become us when they die for long periods of time without actually tasting death. And that is only done by rape and magic put together."

Legolas felt a clawed hand trail down his back and a blast of power rushed through him. He moaned in pain as his hair blackened and his skin began to grey.

"What magic do you use to keep the effects at bay?"

Legolas swallowed and said haltingly in Black Speech, "I know no magic but what is passed down by my father."

That was the truth. Apparently Mormerilon had possessed great magic and Treebeard suspected that Legolas had inherited at least some of it.

The Orc growled. "Allow me to finish what the others started."

He grabbed Legolas by the waist and spun him around then shoved him to the ground.

"Gimli!" Legolas screeched as the Orc grasped his pants and began tugging them off.

Five seconds later there was a soft thud as an axe embedded itself in the Orc's skull. Glóin killed the other two Orcs and Gimli helped the Elf up. There was a scream that sounded from the direction of their camp.

"The Hobbits!" Legolas gasped, racing away with the Dwarves as he fixed his trousers.

They got there and tore through the remaining Orcs, of which there were extremely few left. The Hobbits had done well. Merry and Pippin were kneeling next to something on the ground.

"Samwise!" Legolas exclaimed.

"Legolas," he moaned.

Blood was everywhere, gushing from a wound in his stomach.

Legolas felt frantic as he stared at his dear companion, becoming aware of a dull pain in his own stomach. He stood up after a few seconds of trying to staunch the blood flow and began pacing, his bloody hands working together. He suddenly inhaled deeply.

"I smell water. Fresh water. Come, bring him."

The small party followed the Elf, who followed his own nose. He brushed aside some bushes and found a lovely pool. He touched the water and it made his skin tingle. It was also warm. Legolas narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Could he have found it?

"Undress him and give him to me," Legolas said as he disrobed and slipped into the pool.

"Here you are, Legolas," Gimli said, handing Sam to the Elf.

Legolas lowered the Hobbit into the pool, keeping his head above water. Sam gasped, tensing and pawing at the Elf's chest. Light erupted from the wound and the blood flowing out of it turned into silvery clouds. The poor little Hobbit screamed, but it didn't sound like pain. The others watched in amazement as Legolas lifted the naked creature out of the water. The wound was gone. Legolas beamed in joy.

"This is the Immortal Fount!" he crowed. "Everybody, get in!"

"Are you sure, Legolas?" Gimli asked.

The Elf released Sam and took a long draught of the water. It was cool to the mouth and quite addictive. To his own surprise, he found himself drinking it greedily. Gimli grabbed his hand just when Legolas thought he might burst from the amount of water he'd consumed.

"Stop! You'll make yourself sick!"

"More!" Legolas demanded, but the Dwarf forced him out of the water.

"I'll bathe in the fount and drink of its water if you stay here," Gimli said softly.

Legolas blinked slowly and nodded. "All right. It tastes good."

He watched his friends slip into the water, leaning back lazily against a tree. As he watched them swim, he regained his senses and grimaced. His stomach was too full. He looked over and noticed Gimli swallowing large mouthfuls of water. The others started doing the same. Sam started coughing first, but he was still trying to gulp down more water. Legolas jumped in and pulled him to the bank, patting his back. The poor little Hobbit coughed harder even as he tried to crawl back to the water.

"No, Samwise!" Legolas said harshly, tugging the Hobbit backward.

Merry and Pippin started coughing at the same time so Legolas dove in after them. Once he got them to the bank, Gimli and Glóin started in on it. When they had all came back to themselves, they dressed and hurried away, every one of them bothered by the power the pool held over them. That night as they were eating, Legolas was restless. The others went to bed, but he stayed up, staring into the fire. As the fire burned low, he noticed something. His friends were literally glowing, emitting a soft, silvery light. Legolas frowned and poured water on the embers. The lights grew stronger and stronger and the Elf realized that he was glowing himself. He lunged over to Gimli.

"Buhelê! Please, wake up!"

Gimli sat up and grabbed for his axe, but froze when he saw Legolas.

"Laddy! You're glowing!" he exclaimed.

"So are you!"

Soon everybody was up, staring at each other. Legolas' sharp Elven eyes began seeing small changes in his friends. Their faces were altering slightly, becoming fairer and smoothing out. Legolas grasped Gimli's face, trailing his fingers over the alterations.

"I guess it was the Immortal Fount," the Dwarf said quietly.

"I guess so," Legolas replied with a smile.