Gwaedh [Legolas Love Story] - COMPLETED

XIII.

Both guards are on the ground, their throats slit, and three men walk away from them. Elarinya picks her bow and shoots two in the back, the third takes his weapon and before he can speak, she throws a dagger to his throat.

Elarinya hears a baby cry and enters the room, five men are already inside. The fight begins as soon as they notice her entering. She takes her sword and easily takes down the first man, as men always tend to undervalue her abilities. They start to surround her, but her father has trained her for this. She trespasses the abdomen of the second man as a third shoots her in her side. 

She is suddenly out of this world as the pain bursts in her flank, where the arrow is still embeded, crossing the fur blanket and the cape, but Eldarion cries harder. Elarinya shakes her head and returns to normal, just in time to block an attack and slice the throat of her opponent. She yells enraged at the other two just as the alarm bells ring on the palace. They are killed in a few seconds.

Elarinya throws her sword to the ground and rushes to Eldarion. The baby is fine, no single drop of blood lays on his white clothes, but he cries. The woman picks him up and rocks the baby softly, shooing him to calm down and whispering sweet words. Her head feels very light, but the baby is calming down and she smiles.

Aragorn bursts into the room with the sword on his hand, Legolas by his side ready to shoot. They lower their weapons as they see her, and both Arwen and Aragorn race to her. Elarinya hands Arwen the baby "He is alright, they didn't touch him."

Arwen holds him tightly and starts crying, even Aragorn has tears in his eyes and holds them in his arms. Elarinya sighs in relief and the world around her spins. She holds herself to the baby crib and takes a step back. Her eyes roll back and she falls. 

She never hits the ground as Legolas is there to catch her against his chest. He had noticed the foul smell of poisoned arrows and the arrow on her. The couple is alarmed with her fall, and Legolas picks her in his arms "I'm taking her to the Houses of Healing. Gimli, stay here and protect them."

Legolas rushes with the woman in his arms. Though poison means nothing to an elf, he knows how quick he has to be for her. He tries to call her name, speaks in Sindarin, but she doesn't wake. He says a few prayers on the way. 

As soon as he enters the Houses of Healing, an old experient woman receives her and as Legolas puts her down on a bed, she pours a liquid inside her mouth. It seems to do nothing to Elarinya right away, but he knows the source of the poison must be taken away. The healer pulls the arrow away, blood pouring out of the wound. After she cleans the blood and puts some lotion over the open orifice, she turns to Legolas "She was lucky, the poison must have dispersed through all the layers she wears." 

Thank the Valar for all her clothing pieces, Legolas thinks, and assists the healer with everything she asks. He rests his fingers on her neck, her pulse is still strong and rythmic. He helps the healer take most of her clothes off, only staying with the chemise and pants. Elarinya is still uncounscious and there is a cut over her eyebrow, bleeding down her forehead to her hair, a trail from the same cut ran down her cheek. He takes a cloth and cleans it carefully. Her mortality bothers him immensely, and had things been different this arrow could have taken her life away. It doesn't seem fair. 

The healer has done everything she could and tries to comfort Legolas, saying there is nothing more that could help. She moves to other patients but Legolas refuses to leave her side. He pulls a small bench and sits by her bed. 

An hour passes and Aragorn and Gimli appear. Legolas affirms she should be fine and Gimli assures the threat has been handled. The elf demands his friends to go to sleep, as he will keep her company throughout the night. 

When he returns to her side, Elarinya seems to be having a nightmare and whimpers in pain. Legolas worries, but among her whispers he distinguishes a certain word. Athelas.

Of course, the healing plant. He searches for the plant on the healer's cupboard and makes a paste. Tauriel had done it once before to the dwarf she liked and it healed him, so had Arwen on Frodo. Perhaps Legolas could try too, even though his many centuries alive, healing was never one of his expertises. He raises the side of her chemise, undoes the bandage and applies the paste, whispering the healing prayer "What grace is given me, let it pass to her. Let her be spared". He repeats the prayer over and over, until she seems to be under a calm and profound sleep. He rests his fingers on her neck, her pulse still strong and rythmic. 

Legolas sighs and covers the wound, something inside him feeling bitter as she doesn't wake up. He sits again, and holds her wrist next to him, feels the rythmic pulse underneath her fragile skin. As long as it is there, intense and regular, his own heart rests and he stays awake. 

The sun rises and light fills the Houses of Healing. Legolas turns his head to her face as he hears her inhale deeply, and soon her eyes open slowly, wandering and confused. He holds her wrist tighter "I'm here, you are not alone."

Elarinya turns her head to him and her voice seems choked "The baby?"

"You saved him, everyone is alright." 

"Where-"

"In the Houses of Healing. The arrow you were hit with was poisoned. But you're awake now."

They stay quiet for a while, her eyes stuck on his. She can read it all on his face, relief and worry cover his skin, and she even feels it on the way he holds her wrist tightly "Thank you, Legolas." 

"No need to thank me, Umbra. Just get better, your friends want you to be well."

"Elarinya," she says, and Legolas tilts his head, perhaps wondering what other word she wanted to say. She clarifies "My name." 

His eyes are so blue and clear, and the simple smile he greets her with warms her heart "Morning star." 

She nods and smiles in return, then teases tiredly "Even though I do not feel as beautiful as a star this morning."

Legolas chuckles "You will feel better in a while." 

The healer approaches and Legolas lets go of her wrist. She checks her wound and it is suspiciously clear and healthy, instead of the expected dying flesh, the orifice of the wound is still open but starting to heal. The healer looks suspiciously at the elf, and gives Elarinya another small vial of antidote, just to be sure. After the healer and he help her sit on the bed, Elarinya calls "Legolas, I need to speak to the king." 

Legolas nods and goes warn Aragorn that she is awake and wishes to speak to him. Gimli and the hobbits pop in the hall at the same time and are excited to hear she is awake. All of them, even the queen, rush to greet her. 

It's a small chaos on the Houses of Healing, with Merry, Pippin and Gimli expressing a mix of glee and worry as they scold her, yet tell her she was very brave. Gimli berates "For Durin's sake, I do not know if you bring trouble or if you appear just on time to save us, lassie! You disappear for weeks and then arrive like this!" 

Elarinya seems regretful "I am sorry, Gimli."

Arwen sits on the side of her bed and holds her hands "There is nothing you need to apologize for. Thank you, thank you so much." 

Aragorn rests his hand over her shoulders "We owe you everything, Umbra."

"And I owe you something too," Elarinya says, her eyes meeting the king's "My name, and the truth."

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