Mire
By: Cheryl W.
Disclaimer: I don't own The Lord of the Rings or anything in conjunction with The Lord of the Rings nor am I making a profit from this story. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note: I was in the mood for some harm/comfort/angst and so this story got its beginnings. (I seem to get in those moods a lot.) I have received permission from Cassia and Siobhan to make vague references to their wonderful stories. This story is considered AU because, though the movie indicated a prior friendship between Legolas and Aragorn, the books did not.
***********************************************************************
'The stag is laughing at me,' Aragorn darkly thought as he limped back to the meeting spot he had arranged with Legolas, Elladan and Elrohir. He had set out to ensnare the stag but the stag had lead the chase into the mire and it was Aragorn who found himself ensnared.
'No elf would have twisted his ankle in the muddy mire, lost his footing and sank into the mud only to have a spike of wood bury itself into his thigh. No, only a clumsy human could be so foolish.'
He flinched in shame as he recalled the cry of agony that had escaped him, sending the watching stag into a frightened run. Gratitude had swept though him when no elves surrounded him at his cry. He needed no spectators to his humiliating scene.
With much pain and effort, Aragorn had extricated himself from both the spike of wood and the mire. Collapsing on sure ground, his breath ragged, he turned his healer eyes onto the wound. It was a deep wound that bled freely and pained him greatly. 'Stupid Dunedain,' he cursed himself as he wrapped his spare shirt tightly around the wound and tied it into place. Then he lay back on the ground, gathering his strength for the trek to the meeting spot and the journey back to Rivendell.
Now as he neared the rendezvous point, his mind was decided. He would not mention his clumsy accident to his companions, would not prove to them, once again, that he was not worthy to be in their company, let alone have the honor of being called brother and friend. No, he would hide his well-deserved injury and tend to it himself this afternoon back in Rivendell.
Upon hearing Legolas' and his brother's voices, Aragorn buttoned up the bottom of his overcoat, concealing his wrapped knee. Forcing the limp that had been prominent with his every step to disappear, Aragorn joined his fellow hunters.
The three elves' eyes all alighted on Aragorn and he worried that their keen eyesight would see through his ruse.
"I don't see that stag upon your shoulder, Estel?" Elrohir taunted.
With relief, Aragorn countered, "Nor do I see it's carcass burdening you. Any of you."
"I had no wish to carry it the long distance to home," Elladan retorted as if the outcome was totally of his planning.
"Yes and my father told me to never out hunt my hosts," Legolas explained.
"You are terrible liars... and hunters, it would seem," Aragorn accused with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Tomorrow that stag will be mine," Elrohir boasted as he put an arm around Estel's shoulders and steered his brother toward the path that lead to Rivendell.
Normally, Aragorn welcomed his brother's touch but within Elrohir's grasp, he was forced to match the elf's tireless pace. At each step, agony tore up Aragorn's leg and throughout his body. But he allowed no pain to register nor his steps to falter. However, when Elrohir pulled his arm from his shoulder and turned his attention toward Elladan his relief was scarcely concealed.
Hoping to be nonchalant, Aragorn slowed his pace, allowing his brothers to take up the lead. He fell into step with Legolas, shooting a sideways look to see if his best friend detected that anything was amiss. Aragorn almost groaned as Legolas' eyes rested on him intently.
In an effort to distract his friend from his inspection, Aragorn began a familiar topic with the wood elf. "So, what did you have to promise your father this time so that he would allow you to visit me?"
But Legolas was not to be sidetracked from his building concern. He knew his best friend well, even though every time Strider returned from the rangers he had changed a little more. However, his friend had not changed so much that he could not sense when Aragorn was concealing something from him.
With stark forwardness, Legolas demanded lowly, so that the twins would not overhear, "What are you concealing from me, Aragorn?", his expression dark with concern.
An elvish curse sprang to Aragorn's mind. 'I should have known better than to try to conceal anything from Legolas. And if he senses something amiss, it won't be long before my brothers do as well.'
Lying seemed a valid choice...until Aragorn's eyes met Legolas' worried look. No, he could not offer up an out and out lie...not to Legolas nor to his brothers. But there were many courses of action between lying and telling the truth.
With true chagrin Aragorn confessed, "I was bested by that stag," his eyes forward on the path.
"We all were," Legolas stated briskly as if that was oblivious. He drew in a breath to demand that his friend reveal the true matter he was concealing from him but Aragorn spoke first.
"If I had only cut him off before he reached the mire," Aragorn bit out, again cursing his foolishness at letting the stag taunt him into venturing into the bog.
In Aragorn's bitterness, his voice had reached his brothers' ears. Instantaneously, as if it were a choreographed move, Elladan and Elrohir swung around to face their human brother.
"Mire?!" Elladan exclaimed as Aragorn and Legolas halted in direct reaction to the wall the twins posed in their path. Elladan's eyes bore into his little brother's, "Tell me you did not enter the mire, Estel?!"
Before Aragorn could even think of his answer, Elrohir demanded, his eyes intently searing into Aragorn's, "Did you get hurt, Estel?!"
Aragorn met his brothers' looks with a set jaw. They had backed him into a corner with their direct questions. He had yet to determine if he would tell a white lie or the truth.
In the end, he didn't need to make a moral decision. His set jaw and silence had answered for him.
"Oh Valar!" Elladan breathed in anguish and then the next second he was attempting to pull open Aragorn's coat, intent upon looking for a wound on his brother's body.
Indignantly, Aragorn stepped back from his brother's grasp, "I am not a child, Elladan," his voice gave a warning of steel.
Elrohir came face to face with Aragorn. "What you are, is our brother. So you will have to pardon our concern. Now answer and answer truthfully," the elf's voice held more stern reprimand than Aragorn had heard from his brother in a very long time. "Did you suffer an injury, Estel?"
With a sigh of defeat, Aragorn confessed, his self-disgust evident, "I followed the stag into the mire and I stumbled upon the remains of a tree trunk."
Without preamble, Legolas pulled out one of his knives and sliced off the bottom buttons of Aragorn's coat that had been keeping the coat closed. Before Aragorn could do more than give a cry of shocked outrage at the damage to his favorite coat, Legolas pulled open his friend's coat and revealed the blood soaked shirt that wound around Aragorn's thigh.
TBC
********************************
I would love to hear what you think!
By: Cheryl W.
Disclaimer: I don't own The Lord of the Rings or anything in conjunction with The Lord of the Rings nor am I making a profit from this story. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note: I was in the mood for some harm/comfort/angst and so this story got its beginnings. (I seem to get in those moods a lot.) I have received permission from Cassia and Siobhan to make vague references to their wonderful stories. This story is considered AU because, though the movie indicated a prior friendship between Legolas and Aragorn, the books did not.
***********************************************************************
'The stag is laughing at me,' Aragorn darkly thought as he limped back to the meeting spot he had arranged with Legolas, Elladan and Elrohir. He had set out to ensnare the stag but the stag had lead the chase into the mire and it was Aragorn who found himself ensnared.
'No elf would have twisted his ankle in the muddy mire, lost his footing and sank into the mud only to have a spike of wood bury itself into his thigh. No, only a clumsy human could be so foolish.'
He flinched in shame as he recalled the cry of agony that had escaped him, sending the watching stag into a frightened run. Gratitude had swept though him when no elves surrounded him at his cry. He needed no spectators to his humiliating scene.
With much pain and effort, Aragorn had extricated himself from both the spike of wood and the mire. Collapsing on sure ground, his breath ragged, he turned his healer eyes onto the wound. It was a deep wound that bled freely and pained him greatly. 'Stupid Dunedain,' he cursed himself as he wrapped his spare shirt tightly around the wound and tied it into place. Then he lay back on the ground, gathering his strength for the trek to the meeting spot and the journey back to Rivendell.
Now as he neared the rendezvous point, his mind was decided. He would not mention his clumsy accident to his companions, would not prove to them, once again, that he was not worthy to be in their company, let alone have the honor of being called brother and friend. No, he would hide his well-deserved injury and tend to it himself this afternoon back in Rivendell.
Upon hearing Legolas' and his brother's voices, Aragorn buttoned up the bottom of his overcoat, concealing his wrapped knee. Forcing the limp that had been prominent with his every step to disappear, Aragorn joined his fellow hunters.
The three elves' eyes all alighted on Aragorn and he worried that their keen eyesight would see through his ruse.
"I don't see that stag upon your shoulder, Estel?" Elrohir taunted.
With relief, Aragorn countered, "Nor do I see it's carcass burdening you. Any of you."
"I had no wish to carry it the long distance to home," Elladan retorted as if the outcome was totally of his planning.
"Yes and my father told me to never out hunt my hosts," Legolas explained.
"You are terrible liars... and hunters, it would seem," Aragorn accused with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Tomorrow that stag will be mine," Elrohir boasted as he put an arm around Estel's shoulders and steered his brother toward the path that lead to Rivendell.
Normally, Aragorn welcomed his brother's touch but within Elrohir's grasp, he was forced to match the elf's tireless pace. At each step, agony tore up Aragorn's leg and throughout his body. But he allowed no pain to register nor his steps to falter. However, when Elrohir pulled his arm from his shoulder and turned his attention toward Elladan his relief was scarcely concealed.
Hoping to be nonchalant, Aragorn slowed his pace, allowing his brothers to take up the lead. He fell into step with Legolas, shooting a sideways look to see if his best friend detected that anything was amiss. Aragorn almost groaned as Legolas' eyes rested on him intently.
In an effort to distract his friend from his inspection, Aragorn began a familiar topic with the wood elf. "So, what did you have to promise your father this time so that he would allow you to visit me?"
But Legolas was not to be sidetracked from his building concern. He knew his best friend well, even though every time Strider returned from the rangers he had changed a little more. However, his friend had not changed so much that he could not sense when Aragorn was concealing something from him.
With stark forwardness, Legolas demanded lowly, so that the twins would not overhear, "What are you concealing from me, Aragorn?", his expression dark with concern.
An elvish curse sprang to Aragorn's mind. 'I should have known better than to try to conceal anything from Legolas. And if he senses something amiss, it won't be long before my brothers do as well.'
Lying seemed a valid choice...until Aragorn's eyes met Legolas' worried look. No, he could not offer up an out and out lie...not to Legolas nor to his brothers. But there were many courses of action between lying and telling the truth.
With true chagrin Aragorn confessed, "I was bested by that stag," his eyes forward on the path.
"We all were," Legolas stated briskly as if that was oblivious. He drew in a breath to demand that his friend reveal the true matter he was concealing from him but Aragorn spoke first.
"If I had only cut him off before he reached the mire," Aragorn bit out, again cursing his foolishness at letting the stag taunt him into venturing into the bog.
In Aragorn's bitterness, his voice had reached his brothers' ears. Instantaneously, as if it were a choreographed move, Elladan and Elrohir swung around to face their human brother.
"Mire?!" Elladan exclaimed as Aragorn and Legolas halted in direct reaction to the wall the twins posed in their path. Elladan's eyes bore into his little brother's, "Tell me you did not enter the mire, Estel?!"
Before Aragorn could even think of his answer, Elrohir demanded, his eyes intently searing into Aragorn's, "Did you get hurt, Estel?!"
Aragorn met his brothers' looks with a set jaw. They had backed him into a corner with their direct questions. He had yet to determine if he would tell a white lie or the truth.
In the end, he didn't need to make a moral decision. His set jaw and silence had answered for him.
"Oh Valar!" Elladan breathed in anguish and then the next second he was attempting to pull open Aragorn's coat, intent upon looking for a wound on his brother's body.
Indignantly, Aragorn stepped back from his brother's grasp, "I am not a child, Elladan," his voice gave a warning of steel.
Elrohir came face to face with Aragorn. "What you are, is our brother. So you will have to pardon our concern. Now answer and answer truthfully," the elf's voice held more stern reprimand than Aragorn had heard from his brother in a very long time. "Did you suffer an injury, Estel?"
With a sigh of defeat, Aragorn confessed, his self-disgust evident, "I followed the stag into the mire and I stumbled upon the remains of a tree trunk."
Without preamble, Legolas pulled out one of his knives and sliced off the bottom buttons of Aragorn's coat that had been keeping the coat closed. Before Aragorn could do more than give a cry of shocked outrage at the damage to his favorite coat, Legolas pulled open his friend's coat and revealed the blood soaked shirt that wound around Aragorn's thigh.
TBC
********************************
I would love to hear what you think!