A Chance To Say Sorry: Part 1
Disclaimer: None of the characters portrayed in this story are owned by me, but are owned by JRR Tolkien. I am not doing this for money, just enjoyment. Yada Yada, now that that is out of the way....
Summary: Aragorn and Legolas have always been best friends for as long as they can remember. But when a misunderstanding rises between the two, will they be able to overcome it? Or will it be too late to say "I'm sorry."
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It was cold. The wind howled through the bare trees, mercilessly chilling everything in its path. Snowflakes were blown in wild disarray, spinning and twirling and dancing quickly to the ground, meshed together with the millions of others that had fallen before. The snow was deep and thick, quickly covering any tracks that may have been left behind. It was just a gloomy night.
But through the cold and endless white, there was life, huddled in the small mouth of a cave. Two beings trying to stave off the cold and snow, huddled in blankets and surrounding a small meager fire that seemed as though it was hanging onto its last threads of life. Suddenly, carried on the wind there was a soft sound that ebbed and died almost as quickly as it arose.
"You did what!?" the golden haired being exclaimed incredulously. He began to laugh again as his companion decided to repeat what he just had said, trying not to laugh as well.
"I just colored his hair...red. Let me tell you, it was definitely befitting of him. All he needed was a dress and some bows and he would have looked ready for a ball," the man repeated, trying to hold back the laughter in his voice, but his eyes betraying the mirth that was hidden behind his features. Another bellowing sound engulfed the two in the cave as his companion once again was consumed in fits of laughter.
"Oh, Aragorn, I don't see how you lived through that! He surly must have tried to kill you!" Legolas' blue eyes sparkled in the light of the fire as he once again tried to contain his laughter and utter amusement.
"When you live in the house of Elrond, you have to learn to be witty and devious. Trust me, he never saw it coming, and he was never able to catch me." Aragorn winked at his companion with this statement that just sent Legolas into another laughing fit.
"I swear Aragorn, if your brothers let you live past the age of thirty I'll be thoroughly impressed." Aragorn began to laugh at this.
Both beings were having a merry time on their winter hunting trip, almost totally forgetting about the freezing wind and endless snow that surrounded them outside of their small sanctuary. Both were still empty handed, even after two days of hunting, but that didn't dampen their spirits. The game was unusually sparse, even for winter, but the two friends didn't mind, they were just happy to be in the other's company.
As the laughter once again died down Aragorn felt a small chill up his spine and instinctively pulled his blanket closer around him. He then turned his brown eyes down to their dying fire.
"We are going to need more firewood." He announced, pointing to the fire. "I'll be right back."
"Be careful Aragorn, don't run into wild rabid animals, or your brothers out there." Legolas said, winking at his friend and leaning his back against the wall.
Aragorn smiled. "I'll only be a few minutes." He then pulled his cloak tightly around him and ventured out into the cold. He walked a few paces around the cave entrance looking for any low hanging branches that had by chance remained dry enough to burn. By luck he found one, a little damp, but dry enough and large enough to get them through the night. He pulled out his blade and began to saw at the branch when he heard a small noise behind him. Aragorn quickly stopped sawing and began to listen intently, his body tense and ready to spring into action if necessary. His breath became slower and quieter as he listened carefully, trying to hear the sound again.
Suddenly a burst of movement from behind him caught him off guard and he was thrown to the ground. He frantically tried to hang onto his knife, but it was thrown out of his reach when he was thrown to the ground. He quickly struggled under his attackers weight and readied to strike back when he heard the loud sound of laughter. His attacker then rolled off of him, collapsing again to the ground in another fit of laughter as he watched the disgruntled human slowly realize what had happened.
"Legolas!" he exclaimed. "You scared me to death!"
"That was the idea." Legolas said through his chuckles. "You were going on and on about how your brother's couldn't catch you, I just had to see if the rumors were true! Apparently not! Oh Aragorn, you should have seen your face!" And with that picture Legolas once again began to laugh as the human slowly got back to his feet. Legolas watched as Aragorn began to brush the snow off of his tunic. Suddenly Aragorn made eye contact with him, a glint in his eye.
"Aragorn...what..." and then Aragorn was upon him. He quickly tackled Legolas to the ground and the two sunk deep into the snow. Legolas quickly rolled out from under the human and ran with Aragorn in hot pursuit. Aragorn was trying to keep track of the elf as he ran to get his revenge, but Legolas quickly disappeared in the thick flurry of snow. Aragorn slowed his running and realized he was at the back of the small cave. He kept his eyes sharply peeled for any movement, resolving not to let that prince get the best of him again. But before he realized it a hard cold object hit him square in the face. Aragorn held a shocked look for just a second before he got a mischievous glint in his eye and quickly bent to make a bigger better snowball, then quickly ran after the laughing form moving through the trees.
The two wrestled through the snow laughing and playing like two young children. Finally Legolas noticed that Aragorn was shivering and put a stop to their antics. Legolas quickly finished gathering the wood and they both returned to the mouth of their small cave to wait out the night.
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The next day the two arrived back in Rivendell by mid-evening. After waking and a quick snowball fight the two had packed their things and began their trek back to the elven dwelling. It seemed that their return hadn't gone unnoticed, for it seemed right as they entered the gates to the peaceful elven colony they were encountered by the sons of Elrond.
"Well, well, the two skilled and brave warriors and hunters come back from their hunting trip empty handed. This is one to go in the books." Elrohir teased.
"We should have sent the children out, they would have done a much better job!" Elladan added with a big smile on his face.
"We missed you too." Aragorn said rolling his eyes at the twins and their harmless jabs. Legolas laughed lightly, slightly embarrassed that they had come back empty handed, but not overly bothered.
"I'd like to see you try!" Legolas ventured. "The game was incredibly scarce. I've never seen such a lack of game, even in the winter."
"I think it was just your poor aim." Elrohir said with a wink.
"Alright, alright, why don't you two give the two weary travelers some time to get warm and dry and changed." A voice said from behind. They all looked up from their antics to meet the smiling face of Elrond. Legolas bowed his head in respect while Aragorn dropped his pack and quickly hugged his father. "I see that you two weren't very successful," he stated with a gleam in his eye.
"That's just what we were pointing out." Elladan said with a smug grin.
"I'm sure you were more than pointing it out." Elrond said laughing. "But enough of this, you two look wet and tired, why don't you warm yourselves and join us for a warm dinner, I'm sure you are hungry."
Aragorn, at the mention of food, felt his stomach growl. "Alright, lets get warm and go eat." He said to Legolas. "Race you to the palace!" he exclaimed, then took off. Legolas just looked at Elrond with small impish smile then tore off after Aragorn in an attempt to salvage the race.
"Those two will be the death of me." Elrond said laughing.
"Only if we aren't first." Elrohir added, and Elrond couldn't deny it.
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Aragorn sighed happily as he entered his room. As much as he loved to travel, a part of him was always relieved and content when he came home. He threw his pack down at the door and slowly walked to the large bed, sitting softly on the silky sheets and taking comfort in the fact that he was home. He lay out on the bed for a moment just breathing, staring at the familiar ceiling and letting the familiar sounds and smells of his house invade his senses. It was only the smell of warm bread and cooked pheasant that drew him out of his thoughts, reminding him once again of how hungry he was.
He quickly began to remove his moist cold tunic and picked out a nice deep blue one for dinner. From the smell of dinner he wouldn't have time to bathe before the food was prepared, but he cold at least look nice. He quickly grabbed a brush from the table by his bed and quickly ran a brush through his thick black locks. Then feeling stiff, he ran his hand over the back of his bare neck. Bare. Aragorn's heart suddenly froze. He quickly began feeling around his neck again, sickly confirming that his neck was indeed bare, and his necklace missing. He felt his heart begin to pound heavily in his chest and his legs felt weak. His necklace, the one that his mother had left for him before she had died, was gone. He felt a surge of panic well up in his chest and he suddenly found it hard to breath.
He quickly ran from the room in search of the one other person who may possibly know where it could have ended up.
Legolas was just pulling on a fresh new tunic when his heard quick footsteps approach his door and seconds later a hasty, almost panicked knock.
"Come in," he said, already knowing who stood outside his door.
Aragorn quickly burst in with a slightly frazzled look in his eye and Legolas noticed that he kept running his hand over the back of his neck.
"Aragorn, what is wrong?" he asked deeply concerned.
"Legolas, please tell me you've seen my necklace." Aragorn asked, not even bothering to mask the worry in his voice.
Legolas immediately knew what he was speaking of, but was at a loss for words. He hadn't seen Aragorn's necklace. "I'm sorry Aragorn, I haven't seen it. I assumed you were wearing it."
"I was!" Aragorn said, exasperated. "Where could it have gone!?" he asked aloud. Legolas again was unsure of what to say. He rarely saw Aragorn in such a panicked and uncontrolled mood. He was unsure if he should even say anything, afraid that he would upset the man.
"Oh no, it must have fallen off when you attacked me out in the snow. I remember having it on before then." Aragorn's voice got even more frantic as he realized that the necklace was probably lost out in the snow miles from here. "Oh, Legolas why did you have to do that!?" he said, frustration and anger taking over his feelings. "Why did you have to wrestle me!?"
Legolas was suddenly taken aback by this change in attitude. He began to realize that it was his fault that Aragorn's necklace had been lost. He suddenly adverted his eyes to the floor, his blond hair spilling around his face.
"That was the necklace my mother left for me before she died. It's the only thing I have to remember her by, and now it's gone!" he ranted, being controlled now totally by his emotions and not his common sense. Legolas chanced a glance up and realized that Aragorn was now pacing back and forth, his eyes wild and angry and panicked.
"Aragorn, I..." Legolas started, but was abruptly cut off.
"What did you have to do that Legolas? I would still have it, but now I have nothing left, nothing to remember her by!" Aragorn was yelling now, his common sense totally pushed behind his emotions. Deep down he knew that it wasn't Legolas' fault, that it was an accident and he was placing blame on someone that didn't deserve it. But now he was being controlled by his emotions, which were overwhelming him with disappointment, sadness, and anger at the situation. He needed someone or something to blame it on, and that someone just happened to be the elf in front of him who had once again let his shamed blue eyes fall to the ground.
"Aragorn...I'm sorry..." Legolas said quietly, hoping this time Aragorn would hear him.
"It's too late for apologies now, Legolas, the necklace is gone." Aragorn said bitterly, putting too much bite in his response. Legolas flinched openly at the harshness of his answer. Aragorn suddenly felt tears well up in his eyes as the loss began to sink in. Without another word the man turned quickly and strode from the room, letting the door slam behind him.
Legolas, feeling weak in the legs and overwhelmed by the feelings of shame and guilt slowly sank to the bed and let his face fall in his hands. He had never seen Aragorn so upset and knowing that he had caused it was too much for him to handle. His stomach began to churn and he realized he was no longer hungry, and even if he was, he couldn't face Aragorn, not after the hurt he had caused. Legolas slowly pulled his long legs up onto the bed and rolled over on his side letting his back face the door. He tried to keep his breathing slow and even, but the guilt was drowning him and he felt it hard to breath. Before Legolas even realized, he was curled up on the bed, his face buried in a pillow, and he was softly crying.
Aragorn felt numb as he made his way to dinner. He suddenly wasn't hungry but knew that his family would not tolerate his absence at dinner. He didn't feel right without that necklace around his neck, it was like a very important part of his soul was missing. When he reached the dinning room he slowly and quietly slid into his chair letting his eyes scan the plate.
Elrond immediately noticed his son's change of mood. Just earlier had had been joking merrily with Legolas and his brothers out in the courtyard, and now he wouldn't even make eye contact with his family. Elrond also couldn't help but notice that Legolas was absent, his chair sitting empty and untouched at the table. Once dinner was placed in front of them Aragorn barely made a move for his eating utensils. It was when Elrond noticed him picking at his food that he couldn't stay quiet anymore.
"Estel, what is wrong?" he asked, concern written on his face. Elrohir and Elladan looked at Aragorn as well wondering just as intently what could be bothering their brother. Aragorn stiffened slightly and couldn't help but look up at the empty seat across from his table setting. Elrond caught this but continued to wait until Aragorn was ready to speak.
"Nothing Ada." Aragorn said, trying to mask the disappointment in his voice.
"Don't lie to me child." Elrond said with a small amount of authority behind his voice. "I know you and I know when you are not happy. You are not hiding it well. Now what has happened in the past hour that has caused you to be so upset and Legolas to be absent for dinner?"
Aragorn sighed and looked at his father, carefully setting down his eating utensils that had yet to be put to use. His had once again instinctively went to his neck and once again he felt a small pain in his heart knowing that what he wanted to find wasn't there.
"My necklace was lost during the hunting trip, the one that my mother gave to me. It's gone, Ada." He said softly. "I just realized it disappeared while I was changing for dinner."
Elrond nodded softly, noticing for the first time that the necklace that normally surrounded Aragorn's neck was indeed not there. He again glanced at the empty seat that was normally occupied by Legolas, but decided to let Aragorn speak.
"I know what happened to it. While I was getting firewood last night to rekindle our fire, Legolas came up from behind and startled me and we wrestled in the snow. It must have come off during that time because I remember having it on before I left to get the wood. When I found it missing I went to ask Legolas if he had possibly seen it. He said he hadn't." Aragorn then trailed off from his story, remembering how harsh he had been on Legolas just a short time ago and realizing with a sinking feeling that Legolas must have been deeply affected, why else would he have elected to skip dinner.
Elrond nodded at this, knowing how much that necklace meant to the man and how disappointed he must feel. But that still didn't answer his questions about why Legolas wasn't at dinner. He again looked at his son's face and was surprised to find that the disappointment that had covered his son's features was now replaced with guilt. He watched as Aragorn's eyes once again fell on the empty seat across from him and began to realize what must have taken place.
"Estel, you should talk to Legolas." He said. Aragorn started, but was only half surprised that his father had figured him out. He nodded softly, guilt still playing over his features as he realized that what he did was wrong. Elladan and Elrohir, who had been silent listeners, watched as their brother slowly got up and made his way out of the dinning room.
"Ada, why does Estel have to apologize to Legolas?" Elrohir asked.
"I feel that Estel's hurt and anger of losing the necklace was directed at someone that it should not have been." Elrond answered. He watched as his son disappeared around the corner and hoped that Aragorn would straighten things out with his best friend.
Aragorn slowly walked down the hall. As he continuously mauled over the argument he had had with Legolas in his mind he realized more and more how unreasonable he had been. He just hoped that Legolas could forgive him for being so brash. He barely noticed that he had arrived at Legolas' closed door. He stood outside for a minute, listening for any sound inside, but realizing that he was just stalling. Aragorn lifted his hand and brought his hand to knock on the door, but stopped himself. He couldn't bring himself to face Legolas right now. His guilt still overwhelmed him and he didn't feel like he could face the hurt elf right now. He suddenly felt very fatigued, the emotions of the night finally catching up to him. Aragorn let out a soft sigh, cursing his feelings. He stood a few moments longer outside of the door trying to get the courage to speak to his friend. Finally Aragorn turned and quietly walked back to his room, leaving things unresolved for now but making a silent promise that he would talk to the elf and fix things on the morrow.
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Legolas' eyes came back into focus quickly as he realized that he must have dozed off. He lifted his head from the tear-stained pillow and closed his eyes as all of the guilt and shame quickly pounded back into his head and heart. He quickly remembered Aragorn's angry eyes, but even more the hurt and disappointment spread over his face as he rightly blamed Legolas for losing his necklace. Legolas took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead. He didn't know if Aragorn would ever forgive him for being so irresponsible, but he could try and make it right. Legolas suddenly knew what he had to do. He looked out the window and started when he realized it was already getting dark outside. The sun was just sinking below the trees and the moon was slowly showing its pale face to the world.
Legolas went to his wardrobe and picked out his Mirkwood tunic that he wore when traveling. He quickly sheathed his knives and placed them on his back, pulled some of his blond hair away from his face, and ran a quick brush through his hair. Legolas quietly opened the doors to the balcony and walked out feeling the bitter cold wind tousle his hair, nip his face and envelope his body. He closed his eyes for a moment trying to push the image of Aragorn's face out of his mind. He felt a small flake hit his nose and looked up, seeing the snow begin to fall from the sky.
"Great," he softly said aloud. "More snow to make this even more difficult." Then he grimly added in his thoughts that he deserved as much for the pain he had caused his friend.
The elf lightly jumped upon the railing of the stone balcony and nimbly leapt into the nearby tree. He quickly climbed to the ground and made his way swiftly to the stables trying to stay hidden from all seeing eyes. When he entered the quiet barn the horses softly whickered at the sight of him but one was more excited than the rest. Legolas quickly rushed over to his horse that was anxiously pawing at the ground, excited beyond measure that his master had come to visit him.
"Shhhh, quiet boy," Legolas said in a soothing voice placing his slender hands upon the horse's wet nose. "Do you want to wake someone?" The horse let out a grunt in response then quickly began to nuzzle his master, his tail happily whipping back and forth. "I need your help." Legolas said, speaking softly to the excited steed. "Are you ready to go for a ride?" The horse responded by stamping his hoofs into the soft stable dirt and nuzzling his master's hair. Legolas laughed softly and scratched the horse's nose. "We have to get out of here without being seen, do you think you can be quiet?" The horse again nuzzled his elf in response. "Good," the prince replied softly. He softly opened the stable door and quietly walked his horse out of the barn.
Once he was sure he was past the gates without being noticed he hopped onto the horse's back, but before he gave the signal to ride, he chanced a look back to Elrond's dwelling, but more specifically to Aragorn's room. The light was out and there was no movement from inside, meaning the man had already gone to bed. Legolas sighed again trying to push the guilt out of his heart then forced his gaze away from the window and rode off into the snowy night.
It only took a few hours to reach the previous night's campsite now that he was on horseback. It had been a long and cold ride, but now that Legolas had reached the cave he carefully slid off the horse's back and quickly lit and started a small fire with the small amount of dry wood he had brought along to provide some light.
He heard a soft wicker behind him and turned to find his ride looking at him curiously, it was clear that the horse was ready to go back to the warm barn. "Sorry boy," Legolas said softly, "We can't go back yet, not until I find what I'm looking for." The horse nuzzled his master's shoulder. "Go and relax, I know it's cold, but hopefully this won't take long." Legolas silently hoped that this was true. He wanted to make it back before sunrise, before everyone else in the colony awoke. He didn't want his absence to be noticed.
With this in mind Legolas quickly set to work. He knelt into the now deeper snow right around the area that he had tackled Aragorn just a night before. He began to softly and carefully dig in the snow so as not to miss even a single inch. He tried to ignore the stinging and numbing cold that was engulfing his hands as he dug through the snow.
Quiet hours past and Legolas began to realize that he probably wasn't going to make it back before sunrise. He didn't plan on returning at all until he found the necklace, but his hopes of finding it quickly were slowly diminishing. He couldn't help but shiver a little as the strong cold air whipped around him. Normally he wouldn't be strongly affected by the cold, but he had been out in the winter night for hours now and even that was a little much for an elven body.
He lifted his numb hands from the snow and pulled them to his body trying to regain some feeling in his cold fingers. He closed his eyes and pulled his cloak tighter around his body. He was beginning to feel like he would never find the necklace, and that made him feel sick to his stomach. He finally got the courage to open his eyes and once again begin his search when something shiny caught his eye. The small object lay, mostly buried in the snow, but occasionally glinting whenever the light from the dying fire struck the silver surface. Legolas felt his heart lift with joy and he crawled over to the small object. He carefully pulled the delicate object out of the snowdrift and eyed the small gem that hung on the long silver chain. A small smile formed on his face. Aragorn would have his necklace back.
Legolas just sat, suddenly not feeling the cold as he used to, staring at the small object that had caused so much heartache. But now things would be fixed, or at least he hoped they would. He carefully placed the necklace deep in his pocket so it would stay safe. He was so engulfed in his thoughts that he neglected to hear the soft plodding footsteps as they slowly came upon him and didn't realize the danger that had surrounded him until it was too late. Legolas was ripped from his thoughts when a low menacing growl resonated from the bushes behind him. Legolas froze and silently cursed himself for not paying closer attention. His senses began to work into overdrive, trying to calculate exactly the amount of danger he had fallen into. He slowly reached for his bow, but his hand came up empty. He cursed under his breath, he had left the bow behind in his hurry to leave Rivendell. All he had were his long hunting knives.
He saw his horse not far from where he was crouched. The horse was pawing wildly at the ground and emitting a low threatening sound, its dark eyes darting back and forth trying to spot the threat it perceived. Legolas had a fleeting idea, maybe if he moved fast enough and could get on his horse he would be able to flee the area before the rest of the pack had descended. Another growl came from the bushes to the side and he realized that if he were going to have a chance to act it would have to be quickly.
He suddenly darted for the horse at full speed, but his movement caused the hungry wolves to also spring into action. Legolas was quickly at his horse's side and leapt upon the steeds back. The horse, feeling his master finally on his back, bolted for the trees. Legolas breathed a short sigh of relief, but his escape was ended suddenly as a wolf launched itself out of the bushes and collided with the elf. Legolas was quickly pushed off the horse's back, letting out a soft grunt as the wolf's body connected with his. A sharp flash of pain shot up his side as he hit the ground and sank into the cold snow.
He heard his horse let out a soft wail at the sudden loss of his master, but the horse was too spooked to turn back now and quickly disappeared into the trees heading back to the safety of Rivendell. Legolas didn't have time to watch his horse disappear for a wolf was already leaping on top of him. Legolas quickly unsheathed his knife and thrust the blade deep into the side of the wolf, causing it to let out a loud yelp as it hit the ground dead. Legolas took this short amount of time to get himself up off the ground, but before he knew it more wolves were appearing from the trees. He only had a second to curse his bad luck when two more wolves launched themselves at him.
Legolas quickly parried out of the path of one but felt a stabbing pain as the second sank his teeth into the elf's shoulder. Legolas let out a soft cry as the weight of the animal dragged him to the ground. While he was fighting with the one on his shoulder, another bit into his calf, dragging his teeth along the soft skin of the fighting elf. Legolas let out another cry and finally dispatched the one on his shoulder quickly turning to the one on his leg jabbed the knife into the throat of the beast.
Two more suddenly appeared giving Legolas no time to recover. He quickly killed one but the other attacked his unprotected side. Legolas felt a searing pain as the teeth sank deeply into his flesh. He suddenly held the deep suspicion that he was not going to make it out of this attack alive. He quickly stabbed his knife into the attacking wolf. He tried to pull himself to his feet, sensing that there were more, but stumbled. His head was swimming, he could hardly breath. The pain was severe and he could feel the large amounts of blood leaving his body. He heard movement from his left and turned as fast as he could and threw his knife into the attacking animal, felling it before it had a chance to reach him.
He quickly reached for his second knife as two more approached. Both leapt at him at the same time again knocking the weakening elf to the ground. Legolas desperately struggled with the one who had climbed upon his chest in an attempt to rip his neck open. The other roughly bit into his side once again causing white dots to appear in front of the elf's eyes from the pain. He finally managed to dig his knife into the neck of the first, but before he could get his knife back the body was pushed off him and was quickly replaced by the second wolf that had decided to end the fight. The large wolf loomed over him, his nails digging into the elf's chest as Legolas tried desperately to fend off the thick animal. He could feel the strength draining from his body. He desperately reached for his weapon that was still buried in the throat of the previous animal. The large wolf upon his chest let out a loud growl and pushed closer to the elf's neck. More spots of pain began to dance through the prince's gaze as he used his remaining strength to fend off the large brute.
Suddenly Legolas pushed all of his remaining strength at the unsuspecting animal, pushing the body off of his chest. The wolf was thrown to the ground and quickly tried to regain its footing. Legolas used the short momentary distraction to quickly grab his knife and throw it into the neck of the creature. It let out a loud yelp, a soft gurgle, then slowly fell to the ground.
Legolas stood ridged, listening for any hint of another threat, but none came. Suddenly his head felt light and he began to waver on his feet. He slowly placed his hand on his side wounds, surprised by the amount of blood flowing from them. Legolas tried to take a few steps but quickly sank to the ground letting out a soft moan. His head was spinning, his breath coming in short painful gasps. He tried to stand again but again fell to the ground. He began to realize that his body was trembling uncontrollably. He dizzily surveyed the area and saw the mouth of the small cave. In the back of his mind he knew he wasn't going to make it back, but at least he could get out of the cold wind. He tried for a final time to pull his body to his feet and willed himself to remain standing. Grasping his side he began to stumble to the cave, white flashes began to appear in his gaze but he was determined to at least get himself out of the open.
He finally made his way to the opening just before collapsing once again, his strength spent. He spared a glace at the fire which was long dead then continued to drag himself farther in, finally collapsing against the far wall. The world continued to spin around him and he absentmindedly pulled his cloak tighter around him, though he knew it wouldn't help him now. His world began to darken as he weakly watched the sunrise and a soft bitter smile formed on his paling face. His last grim thought before darkness consumed him was Aragorn would never find his necklace now, and he had failed him.
TBC....
Disclaimer: None of the characters portrayed in this story are owned by me, but are owned by JRR Tolkien. I am not doing this for money, just enjoyment. Yada Yada, now that that is out of the way....
Summary: Aragorn and Legolas have always been best friends for as long as they can remember. But when a misunderstanding rises between the two, will they be able to overcome it? Or will it be too late to say "I'm sorry."
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It was cold. The wind howled through the bare trees, mercilessly chilling everything in its path. Snowflakes were blown in wild disarray, spinning and twirling and dancing quickly to the ground, meshed together with the millions of others that had fallen before. The snow was deep and thick, quickly covering any tracks that may have been left behind. It was just a gloomy night.
But through the cold and endless white, there was life, huddled in the small mouth of a cave. Two beings trying to stave off the cold and snow, huddled in blankets and surrounding a small meager fire that seemed as though it was hanging onto its last threads of life. Suddenly, carried on the wind there was a soft sound that ebbed and died almost as quickly as it arose.
"You did what!?" the golden haired being exclaimed incredulously. He began to laugh again as his companion decided to repeat what he just had said, trying not to laugh as well.
"I just colored his hair...red. Let me tell you, it was definitely befitting of him. All he needed was a dress and some bows and he would have looked ready for a ball," the man repeated, trying to hold back the laughter in his voice, but his eyes betraying the mirth that was hidden behind his features. Another bellowing sound engulfed the two in the cave as his companion once again was consumed in fits of laughter.
"Oh, Aragorn, I don't see how you lived through that! He surly must have tried to kill you!" Legolas' blue eyes sparkled in the light of the fire as he once again tried to contain his laughter and utter amusement.
"When you live in the house of Elrond, you have to learn to be witty and devious. Trust me, he never saw it coming, and he was never able to catch me." Aragorn winked at his companion with this statement that just sent Legolas into another laughing fit.
"I swear Aragorn, if your brothers let you live past the age of thirty I'll be thoroughly impressed." Aragorn began to laugh at this.
Both beings were having a merry time on their winter hunting trip, almost totally forgetting about the freezing wind and endless snow that surrounded them outside of their small sanctuary. Both were still empty handed, even after two days of hunting, but that didn't dampen their spirits. The game was unusually sparse, even for winter, but the two friends didn't mind, they were just happy to be in the other's company.
As the laughter once again died down Aragorn felt a small chill up his spine and instinctively pulled his blanket closer around him. He then turned his brown eyes down to their dying fire.
"We are going to need more firewood." He announced, pointing to the fire. "I'll be right back."
"Be careful Aragorn, don't run into wild rabid animals, or your brothers out there." Legolas said, winking at his friend and leaning his back against the wall.
Aragorn smiled. "I'll only be a few minutes." He then pulled his cloak tightly around him and ventured out into the cold. He walked a few paces around the cave entrance looking for any low hanging branches that had by chance remained dry enough to burn. By luck he found one, a little damp, but dry enough and large enough to get them through the night. He pulled out his blade and began to saw at the branch when he heard a small noise behind him. Aragorn quickly stopped sawing and began to listen intently, his body tense and ready to spring into action if necessary. His breath became slower and quieter as he listened carefully, trying to hear the sound again.
Suddenly a burst of movement from behind him caught him off guard and he was thrown to the ground. He frantically tried to hang onto his knife, but it was thrown out of his reach when he was thrown to the ground. He quickly struggled under his attackers weight and readied to strike back when he heard the loud sound of laughter. His attacker then rolled off of him, collapsing again to the ground in another fit of laughter as he watched the disgruntled human slowly realize what had happened.
"Legolas!" he exclaimed. "You scared me to death!"
"That was the idea." Legolas said through his chuckles. "You were going on and on about how your brother's couldn't catch you, I just had to see if the rumors were true! Apparently not! Oh Aragorn, you should have seen your face!" And with that picture Legolas once again began to laugh as the human slowly got back to his feet. Legolas watched as Aragorn began to brush the snow off of his tunic. Suddenly Aragorn made eye contact with him, a glint in his eye.
"Aragorn...what..." and then Aragorn was upon him. He quickly tackled Legolas to the ground and the two sunk deep into the snow. Legolas quickly rolled out from under the human and ran with Aragorn in hot pursuit. Aragorn was trying to keep track of the elf as he ran to get his revenge, but Legolas quickly disappeared in the thick flurry of snow. Aragorn slowed his running and realized he was at the back of the small cave. He kept his eyes sharply peeled for any movement, resolving not to let that prince get the best of him again. But before he realized it a hard cold object hit him square in the face. Aragorn held a shocked look for just a second before he got a mischievous glint in his eye and quickly bent to make a bigger better snowball, then quickly ran after the laughing form moving through the trees.
The two wrestled through the snow laughing and playing like two young children. Finally Legolas noticed that Aragorn was shivering and put a stop to their antics. Legolas quickly finished gathering the wood and they both returned to the mouth of their small cave to wait out the night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next day the two arrived back in Rivendell by mid-evening. After waking and a quick snowball fight the two had packed their things and began their trek back to the elven dwelling. It seemed that their return hadn't gone unnoticed, for it seemed right as they entered the gates to the peaceful elven colony they were encountered by the sons of Elrond.
"Well, well, the two skilled and brave warriors and hunters come back from their hunting trip empty handed. This is one to go in the books." Elrohir teased.
"We should have sent the children out, they would have done a much better job!" Elladan added with a big smile on his face.
"We missed you too." Aragorn said rolling his eyes at the twins and their harmless jabs. Legolas laughed lightly, slightly embarrassed that they had come back empty handed, but not overly bothered.
"I'd like to see you try!" Legolas ventured. "The game was incredibly scarce. I've never seen such a lack of game, even in the winter."
"I think it was just your poor aim." Elrohir said with a wink.
"Alright, alright, why don't you two give the two weary travelers some time to get warm and dry and changed." A voice said from behind. They all looked up from their antics to meet the smiling face of Elrond. Legolas bowed his head in respect while Aragorn dropped his pack and quickly hugged his father. "I see that you two weren't very successful," he stated with a gleam in his eye.
"That's just what we were pointing out." Elladan said with a smug grin.
"I'm sure you were more than pointing it out." Elrond said laughing. "But enough of this, you two look wet and tired, why don't you warm yourselves and join us for a warm dinner, I'm sure you are hungry."
Aragorn, at the mention of food, felt his stomach growl. "Alright, lets get warm and go eat." He said to Legolas. "Race you to the palace!" he exclaimed, then took off. Legolas just looked at Elrond with small impish smile then tore off after Aragorn in an attempt to salvage the race.
"Those two will be the death of me." Elrond said laughing.
"Only if we aren't first." Elrohir added, and Elrond couldn't deny it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aragorn sighed happily as he entered his room. As much as he loved to travel, a part of him was always relieved and content when he came home. He threw his pack down at the door and slowly walked to the large bed, sitting softly on the silky sheets and taking comfort in the fact that he was home. He lay out on the bed for a moment just breathing, staring at the familiar ceiling and letting the familiar sounds and smells of his house invade his senses. It was only the smell of warm bread and cooked pheasant that drew him out of his thoughts, reminding him once again of how hungry he was.
He quickly began to remove his moist cold tunic and picked out a nice deep blue one for dinner. From the smell of dinner he wouldn't have time to bathe before the food was prepared, but he cold at least look nice. He quickly grabbed a brush from the table by his bed and quickly ran a brush through his thick black locks. Then feeling stiff, he ran his hand over the back of his bare neck. Bare. Aragorn's heart suddenly froze. He quickly began feeling around his neck again, sickly confirming that his neck was indeed bare, and his necklace missing. He felt his heart begin to pound heavily in his chest and his legs felt weak. His necklace, the one that his mother had left for him before she had died, was gone. He felt a surge of panic well up in his chest and he suddenly found it hard to breath.
He quickly ran from the room in search of the one other person who may possibly know where it could have ended up.
Legolas was just pulling on a fresh new tunic when his heard quick footsteps approach his door and seconds later a hasty, almost panicked knock.
"Come in," he said, already knowing who stood outside his door.
Aragorn quickly burst in with a slightly frazzled look in his eye and Legolas noticed that he kept running his hand over the back of his neck.
"Aragorn, what is wrong?" he asked deeply concerned.
"Legolas, please tell me you've seen my necklace." Aragorn asked, not even bothering to mask the worry in his voice.
Legolas immediately knew what he was speaking of, but was at a loss for words. He hadn't seen Aragorn's necklace. "I'm sorry Aragorn, I haven't seen it. I assumed you were wearing it."
"I was!" Aragorn said, exasperated. "Where could it have gone!?" he asked aloud. Legolas again was unsure of what to say. He rarely saw Aragorn in such a panicked and uncontrolled mood. He was unsure if he should even say anything, afraid that he would upset the man.
"Oh no, it must have fallen off when you attacked me out in the snow. I remember having it on before then." Aragorn's voice got even more frantic as he realized that the necklace was probably lost out in the snow miles from here. "Oh, Legolas why did you have to do that!?" he said, frustration and anger taking over his feelings. "Why did you have to wrestle me!?"
Legolas was suddenly taken aback by this change in attitude. He began to realize that it was his fault that Aragorn's necklace had been lost. He suddenly adverted his eyes to the floor, his blond hair spilling around his face.
"That was the necklace my mother left for me before she died. It's the only thing I have to remember her by, and now it's gone!" he ranted, being controlled now totally by his emotions and not his common sense. Legolas chanced a glance up and realized that Aragorn was now pacing back and forth, his eyes wild and angry and panicked.
"Aragorn, I..." Legolas started, but was abruptly cut off.
"What did you have to do that Legolas? I would still have it, but now I have nothing left, nothing to remember her by!" Aragorn was yelling now, his common sense totally pushed behind his emotions. Deep down he knew that it wasn't Legolas' fault, that it was an accident and he was placing blame on someone that didn't deserve it. But now he was being controlled by his emotions, which were overwhelming him with disappointment, sadness, and anger at the situation. He needed someone or something to blame it on, and that someone just happened to be the elf in front of him who had once again let his shamed blue eyes fall to the ground.
"Aragorn...I'm sorry..." Legolas said quietly, hoping this time Aragorn would hear him.
"It's too late for apologies now, Legolas, the necklace is gone." Aragorn said bitterly, putting too much bite in his response. Legolas flinched openly at the harshness of his answer. Aragorn suddenly felt tears well up in his eyes as the loss began to sink in. Without another word the man turned quickly and strode from the room, letting the door slam behind him.
Legolas, feeling weak in the legs and overwhelmed by the feelings of shame and guilt slowly sank to the bed and let his face fall in his hands. He had never seen Aragorn so upset and knowing that he had caused it was too much for him to handle. His stomach began to churn and he realized he was no longer hungry, and even if he was, he couldn't face Aragorn, not after the hurt he had caused. Legolas slowly pulled his long legs up onto the bed and rolled over on his side letting his back face the door. He tried to keep his breathing slow and even, but the guilt was drowning him and he felt it hard to breath. Before Legolas even realized, he was curled up on the bed, his face buried in a pillow, and he was softly crying.
Aragorn felt numb as he made his way to dinner. He suddenly wasn't hungry but knew that his family would not tolerate his absence at dinner. He didn't feel right without that necklace around his neck, it was like a very important part of his soul was missing. When he reached the dinning room he slowly and quietly slid into his chair letting his eyes scan the plate.
Elrond immediately noticed his son's change of mood. Just earlier had had been joking merrily with Legolas and his brothers out in the courtyard, and now he wouldn't even make eye contact with his family. Elrond also couldn't help but notice that Legolas was absent, his chair sitting empty and untouched at the table. Once dinner was placed in front of them Aragorn barely made a move for his eating utensils. It was when Elrond noticed him picking at his food that he couldn't stay quiet anymore.
"Estel, what is wrong?" he asked, concern written on his face. Elrohir and Elladan looked at Aragorn as well wondering just as intently what could be bothering their brother. Aragorn stiffened slightly and couldn't help but look up at the empty seat across from his table setting. Elrond caught this but continued to wait until Aragorn was ready to speak.
"Nothing Ada." Aragorn said, trying to mask the disappointment in his voice.
"Don't lie to me child." Elrond said with a small amount of authority behind his voice. "I know you and I know when you are not happy. You are not hiding it well. Now what has happened in the past hour that has caused you to be so upset and Legolas to be absent for dinner?"
Aragorn sighed and looked at his father, carefully setting down his eating utensils that had yet to be put to use. His had once again instinctively went to his neck and once again he felt a small pain in his heart knowing that what he wanted to find wasn't there.
"My necklace was lost during the hunting trip, the one that my mother gave to me. It's gone, Ada." He said softly. "I just realized it disappeared while I was changing for dinner."
Elrond nodded softly, noticing for the first time that the necklace that normally surrounded Aragorn's neck was indeed not there. He again glanced at the empty seat that was normally occupied by Legolas, but decided to let Aragorn speak.
"I know what happened to it. While I was getting firewood last night to rekindle our fire, Legolas came up from behind and startled me and we wrestled in the snow. It must have come off during that time because I remember having it on before I left to get the wood. When I found it missing I went to ask Legolas if he had possibly seen it. He said he hadn't." Aragorn then trailed off from his story, remembering how harsh he had been on Legolas just a short time ago and realizing with a sinking feeling that Legolas must have been deeply affected, why else would he have elected to skip dinner.
Elrond nodded at this, knowing how much that necklace meant to the man and how disappointed he must feel. But that still didn't answer his questions about why Legolas wasn't at dinner. He again looked at his son's face and was surprised to find that the disappointment that had covered his son's features was now replaced with guilt. He watched as Aragorn's eyes once again fell on the empty seat across from him and began to realize what must have taken place.
"Estel, you should talk to Legolas." He said. Aragorn started, but was only half surprised that his father had figured him out. He nodded softly, guilt still playing over his features as he realized that what he did was wrong. Elladan and Elrohir, who had been silent listeners, watched as their brother slowly got up and made his way out of the dinning room.
"Ada, why does Estel have to apologize to Legolas?" Elrohir asked.
"I feel that Estel's hurt and anger of losing the necklace was directed at someone that it should not have been." Elrond answered. He watched as his son disappeared around the corner and hoped that Aragorn would straighten things out with his best friend.
Aragorn slowly walked down the hall. As he continuously mauled over the argument he had had with Legolas in his mind he realized more and more how unreasonable he had been. He just hoped that Legolas could forgive him for being so brash. He barely noticed that he had arrived at Legolas' closed door. He stood outside for a minute, listening for any sound inside, but realizing that he was just stalling. Aragorn lifted his hand and brought his hand to knock on the door, but stopped himself. He couldn't bring himself to face Legolas right now. His guilt still overwhelmed him and he didn't feel like he could face the hurt elf right now. He suddenly felt very fatigued, the emotions of the night finally catching up to him. Aragorn let out a soft sigh, cursing his feelings. He stood a few moments longer outside of the door trying to get the courage to speak to his friend. Finally Aragorn turned and quietly walked back to his room, leaving things unresolved for now but making a silent promise that he would talk to the elf and fix things on the morrow.
~~~~~~~~~
Legolas' eyes came back into focus quickly as he realized that he must have dozed off. He lifted his head from the tear-stained pillow and closed his eyes as all of the guilt and shame quickly pounded back into his head and heart. He quickly remembered Aragorn's angry eyes, but even more the hurt and disappointment spread over his face as he rightly blamed Legolas for losing his necklace. Legolas took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead. He didn't know if Aragorn would ever forgive him for being so irresponsible, but he could try and make it right. Legolas suddenly knew what he had to do. He looked out the window and started when he realized it was already getting dark outside. The sun was just sinking below the trees and the moon was slowly showing its pale face to the world.
Legolas went to his wardrobe and picked out his Mirkwood tunic that he wore when traveling. He quickly sheathed his knives and placed them on his back, pulled some of his blond hair away from his face, and ran a quick brush through his hair. Legolas quietly opened the doors to the balcony and walked out feeling the bitter cold wind tousle his hair, nip his face and envelope his body. He closed his eyes for a moment trying to push the image of Aragorn's face out of his mind. He felt a small flake hit his nose and looked up, seeing the snow begin to fall from the sky.
"Great," he softly said aloud. "More snow to make this even more difficult." Then he grimly added in his thoughts that he deserved as much for the pain he had caused his friend.
The elf lightly jumped upon the railing of the stone balcony and nimbly leapt into the nearby tree. He quickly climbed to the ground and made his way swiftly to the stables trying to stay hidden from all seeing eyes. When he entered the quiet barn the horses softly whickered at the sight of him but one was more excited than the rest. Legolas quickly rushed over to his horse that was anxiously pawing at the ground, excited beyond measure that his master had come to visit him.
"Shhhh, quiet boy," Legolas said in a soothing voice placing his slender hands upon the horse's wet nose. "Do you want to wake someone?" The horse let out a grunt in response then quickly began to nuzzle his master, his tail happily whipping back and forth. "I need your help." Legolas said, speaking softly to the excited steed. "Are you ready to go for a ride?" The horse responded by stamping his hoofs into the soft stable dirt and nuzzling his master's hair. Legolas laughed softly and scratched the horse's nose. "We have to get out of here without being seen, do you think you can be quiet?" The horse again nuzzled his elf in response. "Good," the prince replied softly. He softly opened the stable door and quietly walked his horse out of the barn.
Once he was sure he was past the gates without being noticed he hopped onto the horse's back, but before he gave the signal to ride, he chanced a look back to Elrond's dwelling, but more specifically to Aragorn's room. The light was out and there was no movement from inside, meaning the man had already gone to bed. Legolas sighed again trying to push the guilt out of his heart then forced his gaze away from the window and rode off into the snowy night.
It only took a few hours to reach the previous night's campsite now that he was on horseback. It had been a long and cold ride, but now that Legolas had reached the cave he carefully slid off the horse's back and quickly lit and started a small fire with the small amount of dry wood he had brought along to provide some light.
He heard a soft wicker behind him and turned to find his ride looking at him curiously, it was clear that the horse was ready to go back to the warm barn. "Sorry boy," Legolas said softly, "We can't go back yet, not until I find what I'm looking for." The horse nuzzled his master's shoulder. "Go and relax, I know it's cold, but hopefully this won't take long." Legolas silently hoped that this was true. He wanted to make it back before sunrise, before everyone else in the colony awoke. He didn't want his absence to be noticed.
With this in mind Legolas quickly set to work. He knelt into the now deeper snow right around the area that he had tackled Aragorn just a night before. He began to softly and carefully dig in the snow so as not to miss even a single inch. He tried to ignore the stinging and numbing cold that was engulfing his hands as he dug through the snow.
Quiet hours past and Legolas began to realize that he probably wasn't going to make it back before sunrise. He didn't plan on returning at all until he found the necklace, but his hopes of finding it quickly were slowly diminishing. He couldn't help but shiver a little as the strong cold air whipped around him. Normally he wouldn't be strongly affected by the cold, but he had been out in the winter night for hours now and even that was a little much for an elven body.
He lifted his numb hands from the snow and pulled them to his body trying to regain some feeling in his cold fingers. He closed his eyes and pulled his cloak tighter around his body. He was beginning to feel like he would never find the necklace, and that made him feel sick to his stomach. He finally got the courage to open his eyes and once again begin his search when something shiny caught his eye. The small object lay, mostly buried in the snow, but occasionally glinting whenever the light from the dying fire struck the silver surface. Legolas felt his heart lift with joy and he crawled over to the small object. He carefully pulled the delicate object out of the snowdrift and eyed the small gem that hung on the long silver chain. A small smile formed on his face. Aragorn would have his necklace back.
Legolas just sat, suddenly not feeling the cold as he used to, staring at the small object that had caused so much heartache. But now things would be fixed, or at least he hoped they would. He carefully placed the necklace deep in his pocket so it would stay safe. He was so engulfed in his thoughts that he neglected to hear the soft plodding footsteps as they slowly came upon him and didn't realize the danger that had surrounded him until it was too late. Legolas was ripped from his thoughts when a low menacing growl resonated from the bushes behind him. Legolas froze and silently cursed himself for not paying closer attention. His senses began to work into overdrive, trying to calculate exactly the amount of danger he had fallen into. He slowly reached for his bow, but his hand came up empty. He cursed under his breath, he had left the bow behind in his hurry to leave Rivendell. All he had were his long hunting knives.
He saw his horse not far from where he was crouched. The horse was pawing wildly at the ground and emitting a low threatening sound, its dark eyes darting back and forth trying to spot the threat it perceived. Legolas had a fleeting idea, maybe if he moved fast enough and could get on his horse he would be able to flee the area before the rest of the pack had descended. Another growl came from the bushes to the side and he realized that if he were going to have a chance to act it would have to be quickly.
He suddenly darted for the horse at full speed, but his movement caused the hungry wolves to also spring into action. Legolas was quickly at his horse's side and leapt upon the steeds back. The horse, feeling his master finally on his back, bolted for the trees. Legolas breathed a short sigh of relief, but his escape was ended suddenly as a wolf launched itself out of the bushes and collided with the elf. Legolas was quickly pushed off the horse's back, letting out a soft grunt as the wolf's body connected with his. A sharp flash of pain shot up his side as he hit the ground and sank into the cold snow.
He heard his horse let out a soft wail at the sudden loss of his master, but the horse was too spooked to turn back now and quickly disappeared into the trees heading back to the safety of Rivendell. Legolas didn't have time to watch his horse disappear for a wolf was already leaping on top of him. Legolas quickly unsheathed his knife and thrust the blade deep into the side of the wolf, causing it to let out a loud yelp as it hit the ground dead. Legolas took this short amount of time to get himself up off the ground, but before he knew it more wolves were appearing from the trees. He only had a second to curse his bad luck when two more wolves launched themselves at him.
Legolas quickly parried out of the path of one but felt a stabbing pain as the second sank his teeth into the elf's shoulder. Legolas let out a soft cry as the weight of the animal dragged him to the ground. While he was fighting with the one on his shoulder, another bit into his calf, dragging his teeth along the soft skin of the fighting elf. Legolas let out another cry and finally dispatched the one on his shoulder quickly turning to the one on his leg jabbed the knife into the throat of the beast.
Two more suddenly appeared giving Legolas no time to recover. He quickly killed one but the other attacked his unprotected side. Legolas felt a searing pain as the teeth sank deeply into his flesh. He suddenly held the deep suspicion that he was not going to make it out of this attack alive. He quickly stabbed his knife into the attacking wolf. He tried to pull himself to his feet, sensing that there were more, but stumbled. His head was swimming, he could hardly breath. The pain was severe and he could feel the large amounts of blood leaving his body. He heard movement from his left and turned as fast as he could and threw his knife into the attacking animal, felling it before it had a chance to reach him.
He quickly reached for his second knife as two more approached. Both leapt at him at the same time again knocking the weakening elf to the ground. Legolas desperately struggled with the one who had climbed upon his chest in an attempt to rip his neck open. The other roughly bit into his side once again causing white dots to appear in front of the elf's eyes from the pain. He finally managed to dig his knife into the neck of the first, but before he could get his knife back the body was pushed off him and was quickly replaced by the second wolf that had decided to end the fight. The large wolf loomed over him, his nails digging into the elf's chest as Legolas tried desperately to fend off the thick animal. He could feel the strength draining from his body. He desperately reached for his weapon that was still buried in the throat of the previous animal. The large wolf upon his chest let out a loud growl and pushed closer to the elf's neck. More spots of pain began to dance through the prince's gaze as he used his remaining strength to fend off the large brute.
Suddenly Legolas pushed all of his remaining strength at the unsuspecting animal, pushing the body off of his chest. The wolf was thrown to the ground and quickly tried to regain its footing. Legolas used the short momentary distraction to quickly grab his knife and throw it into the neck of the creature. It let out a loud yelp, a soft gurgle, then slowly fell to the ground.
Legolas stood ridged, listening for any hint of another threat, but none came. Suddenly his head felt light and he began to waver on his feet. He slowly placed his hand on his side wounds, surprised by the amount of blood flowing from them. Legolas tried to take a few steps but quickly sank to the ground letting out a soft moan. His head was spinning, his breath coming in short painful gasps. He tried to stand again but again fell to the ground. He began to realize that his body was trembling uncontrollably. He dizzily surveyed the area and saw the mouth of the small cave. In the back of his mind he knew he wasn't going to make it back, but at least he could get out of the cold wind. He tried for a final time to pull his body to his feet and willed himself to remain standing. Grasping his side he began to stumble to the cave, white flashes began to appear in his gaze but he was determined to at least get himself out of the open.
He finally made his way to the opening just before collapsing once again, his strength spent. He spared a glace at the fire which was long dead then continued to drag himself farther in, finally collapsing against the far wall. The world continued to spin around him and he absentmindedly pulled his cloak tighter around him, though he knew it wouldn't help him now. His world began to darken as he weakly watched the sunrise and a soft bitter smile formed on his paling face. His last grim thought before darkness consumed him was Aragorn would never find his necklace now, and he had failed him.
TBC....