After a moment, Legolas walked over and glanced at Nikandros' bound hands and feet, "If you try to escape again, I will shoot you and your wife. My men and I don't miss." He explained stoically.
Nikandros hardly heard Legolas. He began to realize that his wounds had not been properly treated, and he was just trying to block out the pain.
Legolas bent down and looked at Nikandros in the eyes, "Do you understand?"
Nikandros closed his eyes, "Yes." He managed to say. Satisfied, Legolas walked away as another elf sat down a little distance away from Nikandros, guarding him.
Nikandros drew his knees up and leaned his forehead on them. He groaned softly as the pain flared up in his back. Every wound he had hurt. The lash wounds on his back had become infected badly as well. It seemed strange to him that it hurt this bad. He certainly didn't remember it being this bad while they were in Mirkwood.
Then he realized that he was too busy to feel pain. He had been so worried about Thea, and about her injuries, that he hadn't thought about his own injuries.
An elf on watch nearby noticed Nikandros' face tightened in pain and walked over.
"Are you alright?" The elf asked.
Nikandros swallowed, "A few...injuries." He said, his voice slurred slightly.
"Where does it hurt?" She asked.
"My back." Nikandros told her, knowing he needed help.
"Take off your shirt." The elf, Analia, ordered him.
"My hands...are tied."
She glanced around the camp until her gaze fell on an elf, sitting on the ground, sharpening his blade.
"Nolwen!" She called, her voice clear.
Nolwen glanced up and strode over, "Yes? What's going on?" His eyes flicked over Nikandros and back to Analia.
Analia gestured to Nikandros, "He is injured. I need to attend to his wounds. While I do this, I need you to keep a bow pointed at him." She raised an eyebrow, "Understand?"
"Are you sure Prince Legolas would approve of this?" Nolwen questioned.
"Yes." Analia said definitely . Truthfully, she wasn't sure. But she knew this prisoner needed healing.
"Okay..." He unslung his bow, "Do you need help untying him?"
Analia shook her head, "I'm fine." Addressing Nikandros, she said, "Any attempt at escaping will be rewarded with more pain for you, and more pain for your wife. Understand?"
Nikandros simply nodded, and Analia began picking at the knots. It took a few minutes, but she eventually succeeded. Tossing the ropes to the side, she ordered, "Now take off your shirt."
Nikandros obeyed, and painfully removed his shirt, reopening some of the wounds.
Analia gasped when she saw Nikandros' back, "Why didn't you say something?" She exclaimed. Not giving him time to respond, she barked out some orders in elvish to a nearby elf. The elf scurried off to obey and returned a few minutes later carrying water, rags, and salve.
Analia worked swiftly cleaning Nikandros' back. When she was finished cleaning she applied the salve and bandaged it.
Nikandros sighed, "That feels better."
Analia smiled and waited for a few moments before saying, "I'm sorry, but now we have to bind you again."
Nikandros sighed and nodded.
Analia picked up the ropes and bound Nikandros' hands again, not as tight this time though, and left.
After an hour or so, the elves began packing up camp. The sun was warming the plains quickly and bathing bright lights over everything.
Legolas went back and forth through the camp, helping load and prepare to leave. Once he finished talking to Aratên, he headed over to Nikandros.
Seeing Nikandros without a shirt on and a crisp bandage around his torso, Legolas looked genuinely surprised. "Who did that?" He gestured to the bandages.
"I don't know." Nikandros told him.
"Don't tell me you can't remember what they looked like..."
Nikandros said nothing, not knowing if what Analia had done was not supposed to be done.
"Answer me." Legolas said sternly, not wanting to deal with any problems right then.
"They didn't tell me their name." Nikandros answered evasively.
Legolas kneeled down in front of Nikandros, balancing on the balls of his feet. He leaned in towards Nikandros' face, his own face showing his confusion, "Wait, are you...protecting the elf that helped you?" Legolas let out a quiet chuckle, "You think I would hurt one of my own because they helped you? Really, human, you amuse me. Now...look around the camp and tell me who did it."
Nikandros refrained from making a comment, and glanced around the camp. Analia was among a group of elves, smiling and laughing. He hesitated a moment before nodding towards her, "She did."
Legolas stood up and yelled in Analia's direction, "Analia! Please come over here!"
Analia looked over in Legolas' direction and nodded once. She stood up from where she was on the ground and walked over to Legolas.
"Yes, my lord?" She asked, having an inkling of what this was about.
"Did you do that?" Legolas asked, pointing at the bandages wrapped around Nikandros' middle.
Analia nodded, "Yes."
"And you didn't think to ask me before you untied him?"
"I had Nolwen with a bow ready for any attempt at escape." Analia explained, "He had many lash wounds, and they were all infected. I thought the best course of action would be to clean them quickly."
"Under normal circumstances that would be the right thing to do, but not in this situation. Analia, this boy has already caused us much trouble and I don't want to give him any opportunities to take advantage of. He is dangerous." Legolas glared at Nikandros.
Nikandros returned the glare.
"My lord," Analia began, "he could have died with those wounds."
Legolas clenched his fists and turned back to Analia, "That doesn't matter. I don't want you to come near him unless I give you permission. Understood?"
Analia bowed her head, "Yes, my lord."
Suddenly, a loud scream resounded through the camp.
Oh boy, another cliffy! And let me tell you, this one is going to a be a doozy! WARNING...you are in for a chapter filled with emotion and feels. Just so you know.
Buuuut....it shouldn't last forever:) hopefully. And you'll get through it. We *cough* did. Hehe...
Any ways, don't forget to be wonderful readers and vote, comment, or follow! Thanks millions of times over and over again all!!! You are awesome! Yes! I mean YOU!
Ithildae, Evara, and Aris
Writers:
Thea-Ithildae
Nikandros-Evara
Legolas-Ithildae
Aratên-Evara
Analia-Evara
Nolwen-Ithildae
Random elves-Evara and Ithildae
{in case you were wondering why Aris hasn't been writing for any of these characters for a while, well, she has an important character coming up soon so you'll see her writing then!}