A/N: Not mine. Legolas and Arwen appear to be 12 years old.
------
A Simple Game
------
"Remember Legolas, no peeking!"
"I know.I'm not a cheater! And besides, I don't need to cheat. In case you didn't know, I'm a skilled hunter," Legolas puffed out his chest as if to prove his point.
"I'm so sure," Arwen shook her head. "You can start whenever you're ready."
Legolas turned towards the trunk of a large tree, covered his eyes, and began counting, "Min.tâd. neled."
Arwen kept a close eye on her blond haired friend before tiptoeing into the dense forest. She bounded forward with the speed and agility given to her people before deciding to climb up a tree in hopes of throwing Legolas off her trail. Nimbly she leapt from branch to bough and continued her way deeper into the forest.
Finally content that she had bought herself some time, she jumped back down to the solid earth again and took off in search of a decent hiding spot. Running as fast as her legs could carry her, she faintly heard a whistle in the distance.
Legolas was now beginning to search for her.
Arwen's heart pounded against her chest as she wildly looked for some form of cover. She ran through a hedge of bushes, only to realize that the ground beneath her feet took a sharp decline down a steep wooded hill.
Not being able to recover her balance, Arwen braced herself for the inevitable pain she knew was coming. And as if in slow motion she saw herself fall, carried by her own momentum, until the impact of the ground knocked the breath out of her.
Arwen was all but unconscious by the time she reached the bottom of the steep, wooded, hill.
------
When Legolas had finished counting and turned around and smiled. He would enjoy tracking Arwen, although he was sure she could not prove so difficult to find. He pulled out a whistle from around his neck and blew into it; its high pitched sound echoed in the distance. He was now on the hunt.
------
It didn't take Legolas long to figure out which direction his fair friend ran off in.and he caught on quickly to her tricks to throw him off. He did have to admit, however, that she was pretty clever to take to the trees. It was harder for him to track her trail up there. Moreover, he was impressed with the amount of distance she managed to put between them. She was proving to be an interesting chase.
It was late afternoon when Legolas reached the end of her trail. Peering through the hedge of bushes he glanced down the hill. He knew for sure Arwen wouldn't attempt going down it.although her trail indicated that she did.
Legolas smiled to himself, she was a tricky one indeed! He doubled back and retraced her steps, determined to find her actual pathway.
------
After a while Legolas came back to the bushes. There was a knotted feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something was not right. He focused on the clues left behind and searched for anything he may have overlooked.
He carefully made his way down the slope, stopping every once in a while to survey his surroundings.
It was dusk when Legolas caught sight of something partially covered at the bottom of the hill. His heart dropped to his stomach.
"Arwen!!" he shouted and skidded and stumbled as fast as he could towards her body.
Legolas pushed aside her raven hair and saw many cuts and scrapes across her fair face. He could see from the unnatural position of her leg that it was probably broken. He didn't know what to do.should he try to move her, or would that make things worse?
Legolas cupped Arwen's cheek and called to her. Softly at first, then he gently shook her. It was to no avail. Legolas decided that they were no place to be against the coming of night and decided to carry her. He glanced back up the hill, trying to figure the best places to climb.but he knew that he could not scale it with Arwen in his arms. It was too dangerous, too easy to make a mistake and both be sent tumbling back down.
He had to find another way.
Legolas bent down and ever so gently, cradled Arwen's limp body against his chest. He slipped an arm underneath her legs, careful to not agitate her broken limb, and lifted her.
Noting where the sun was setting, Legolas began his trek east.
------
Night fell upon the two elves, but did not hinder Legolas' determination to get Arwen home. They came upon a small stream and he carefully set Arwen down upon its bank.
Ripping his sleeve off his tunic, he immersed it in the stream's water and squeezed it over Arwen's face. Feeling the icy water, Arwen's eyes flew up.
The world was a blur of shadows and shapes and she blinked hard to focus. Everything stopped spinning are her violet eyes recognized the sapphire ones staring at her with worry and concern.
Arwen tried to speak but her throat was dry. A throbbing pain came from her side and her right leg seemed to be numb.
She could see Legolas speaking to her but the dizziness in her head kept her from understanding. She watched him wipe her face with a cool cloth before brushing his hand away.
Arwen tried to sit up but her breath caught in her throat as the pain from her side grew worse. She winced in pain and Legolas was immediately there, supporting her and helping her sit upright.
"How are you feeling?" the soft words met her ears.
Arwen swallowed hard before answering, "My head keeps spinning, and my side hurts. I can't feel my right leg."
Legolas frowned and stayed silent for a while. Then, he moved down to her feet and gently picked up her leg. Arwen gasped from the pain. She could definitely feel her leg now.
"I think it's broken," he said more to himself than to her. "I'm gonna take a closer look at it, okay?"
Arwen nodded and dug her nails into the ground to keep from crying. Legolas gave her a very sincere look of apology before undoing the strings of her boots. The real torture came when he pulled her foot free of its constraint. Shooting pain ran up and down her side.Arwen thought she might pass out right on the spot. Tears began forming at the corners of her eyes but she clenched her jaw shut to keep in her sobs.
Legolas saw bruising around the ankle, toes and shin. Her normally porcelain skin was colored different hues of blue, purple and green. He slowly began to rotate her foot, which caused a sob to escape from Arwen. Legolas looked up and saw tears streaming down his friend's face. Legolas went to her then and held her against his chest.
"Do not be afraid," he whispered in her hair. "I will take care of you, I promise." Arwen was comforted and gave in to the darkness and fatigue.
------
When Arwen awoke she felt surprisingly better. Her eyes saw that she was in her own room, in her own bed, with her parents sitting next to her.
"Arwen, darling, how are you feeling?" Celebrian asked as she helped her daughter sit up in bed.
"Better," was the simple response. In truth, Arwen was feeling miles above better than when she last woke up. The pain had all but left her save the soreness in her leg. She was again, so grateful for her father's skill in healing.
"You took quite a fall, what were you doing?" Elrond asked as he sat down next to his wife.
"Legolas and I were playing a simple game. I was looking for a place to hide and these bushes were hiding the edge of the hill.so when I ran through them, I had no where to go but down," Arwen explained.
"It was good then that Legolas found you and could bring you home," Celebrian motioned to Legolas' frame asleep in a chair next to Arwen's bed.
Arwen looked with complete adoration at her best friend. What would she do without him? He had found her and took care of her. Arwen smiled. So perhaps he wasn't so bad a hunter after all.
------
Fin
------
Min.tâd. neled : One.two.three
------
A Simple Game
------
"Remember Legolas, no peeking!"
"I know.I'm not a cheater! And besides, I don't need to cheat. In case you didn't know, I'm a skilled hunter," Legolas puffed out his chest as if to prove his point.
"I'm so sure," Arwen shook her head. "You can start whenever you're ready."
Legolas turned towards the trunk of a large tree, covered his eyes, and began counting, "Min.tâd. neled."
Arwen kept a close eye on her blond haired friend before tiptoeing into the dense forest. She bounded forward with the speed and agility given to her people before deciding to climb up a tree in hopes of throwing Legolas off her trail. Nimbly she leapt from branch to bough and continued her way deeper into the forest.
Finally content that she had bought herself some time, she jumped back down to the solid earth again and took off in search of a decent hiding spot. Running as fast as her legs could carry her, she faintly heard a whistle in the distance.
Legolas was now beginning to search for her.
Arwen's heart pounded against her chest as she wildly looked for some form of cover. She ran through a hedge of bushes, only to realize that the ground beneath her feet took a sharp decline down a steep wooded hill.
Not being able to recover her balance, Arwen braced herself for the inevitable pain she knew was coming. And as if in slow motion she saw herself fall, carried by her own momentum, until the impact of the ground knocked the breath out of her.
Arwen was all but unconscious by the time she reached the bottom of the steep, wooded, hill.
------
When Legolas had finished counting and turned around and smiled. He would enjoy tracking Arwen, although he was sure she could not prove so difficult to find. He pulled out a whistle from around his neck and blew into it; its high pitched sound echoed in the distance. He was now on the hunt.
------
It didn't take Legolas long to figure out which direction his fair friend ran off in.and he caught on quickly to her tricks to throw him off. He did have to admit, however, that she was pretty clever to take to the trees. It was harder for him to track her trail up there. Moreover, he was impressed with the amount of distance she managed to put between them. She was proving to be an interesting chase.
It was late afternoon when Legolas reached the end of her trail. Peering through the hedge of bushes he glanced down the hill. He knew for sure Arwen wouldn't attempt going down it.although her trail indicated that she did.
Legolas smiled to himself, she was a tricky one indeed! He doubled back and retraced her steps, determined to find her actual pathway.
------
After a while Legolas came back to the bushes. There was a knotted feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something was not right. He focused on the clues left behind and searched for anything he may have overlooked.
He carefully made his way down the slope, stopping every once in a while to survey his surroundings.
It was dusk when Legolas caught sight of something partially covered at the bottom of the hill. His heart dropped to his stomach.
"Arwen!!" he shouted and skidded and stumbled as fast as he could towards her body.
Legolas pushed aside her raven hair and saw many cuts and scrapes across her fair face. He could see from the unnatural position of her leg that it was probably broken. He didn't know what to do.should he try to move her, or would that make things worse?
Legolas cupped Arwen's cheek and called to her. Softly at first, then he gently shook her. It was to no avail. Legolas decided that they were no place to be against the coming of night and decided to carry her. He glanced back up the hill, trying to figure the best places to climb.but he knew that he could not scale it with Arwen in his arms. It was too dangerous, too easy to make a mistake and both be sent tumbling back down.
He had to find another way.
Legolas bent down and ever so gently, cradled Arwen's limp body against his chest. He slipped an arm underneath her legs, careful to not agitate her broken limb, and lifted her.
Noting where the sun was setting, Legolas began his trek east.
------
Night fell upon the two elves, but did not hinder Legolas' determination to get Arwen home. They came upon a small stream and he carefully set Arwen down upon its bank.
Ripping his sleeve off his tunic, he immersed it in the stream's water and squeezed it over Arwen's face. Feeling the icy water, Arwen's eyes flew up.
The world was a blur of shadows and shapes and she blinked hard to focus. Everything stopped spinning are her violet eyes recognized the sapphire ones staring at her with worry and concern.
Arwen tried to speak but her throat was dry. A throbbing pain came from her side and her right leg seemed to be numb.
She could see Legolas speaking to her but the dizziness in her head kept her from understanding. She watched him wipe her face with a cool cloth before brushing his hand away.
Arwen tried to sit up but her breath caught in her throat as the pain from her side grew worse. She winced in pain and Legolas was immediately there, supporting her and helping her sit upright.
"How are you feeling?" the soft words met her ears.
Arwen swallowed hard before answering, "My head keeps spinning, and my side hurts. I can't feel my right leg."
Legolas frowned and stayed silent for a while. Then, he moved down to her feet and gently picked up her leg. Arwen gasped from the pain. She could definitely feel her leg now.
"I think it's broken," he said more to himself than to her. "I'm gonna take a closer look at it, okay?"
Arwen nodded and dug her nails into the ground to keep from crying. Legolas gave her a very sincere look of apology before undoing the strings of her boots. The real torture came when he pulled her foot free of its constraint. Shooting pain ran up and down her side.Arwen thought she might pass out right on the spot. Tears began forming at the corners of her eyes but she clenched her jaw shut to keep in her sobs.
Legolas saw bruising around the ankle, toes and shin. Her normally porcelain skin was colored different hues of blue, purple and green. He slowly began to rotate her foot, which caused a sob to escape from Arwen. Legolas looked up and saw tears streaming down his friend's face. Legolas went to her then and held her against his chest.
"Do not be afraid," he whispered in her hair. "I will take care of you, I promise." Arwen was comforted and gave in to the darkness and fatigue.
------
When Arwen awoke she felt surprisingly better. Her eyes saw that she was in her own room, in her own bed, with her parents sitting next to her.
"Arwen, darling, how are you feeling?" Celebrian asked as she helped her daughter sit up in bed.
"Better," was the simple response. In truth, Arwen was feeling miles above better than when she last woke up. The pain had all but left her save the soreness in her leg. She was again, so grateful for her father's skill in healing.
"You took quite a fall, what were you doing?" Elrond asked as he sat down next to his wife.
"Legolas and I were playing a simple game. I was looking for a place to hide and these bushes were hiding the edge of the hill.so when I ran through them, I had no where to go but down," Arwen explained.
"It was good then that Legolas found you and could bring you home," Celebrian motioned to Legolas' frame asleep in a chair next to Arwen's bed.
Arwen looked with complete adoration at her best friend. What would she do without him? He had found her and took care of her. Arwen smiled. So perhaps he wasn't so bad a hunter after all.
------
Fin
------
Min.tâd. neled : One.two.three