The way to Gondor (Aragorn and Legolas fanfic)

Shadow in the dark

Éomer POV

It was already deep night when I woke up on my bed on the floor. Named one consisted of straw spread on the cold stone and it wasn't very comfortable, but considering the fact that I had been in battle all day long, it felt like heaven and I had slept quite well. However, now I felt uneasy and I didn't know why. The thought that something bad had happened pestered me, and without further thinking I stood up and climed over the bodies of the sleeping people around me. There were Gimli and Éowyn, who both had their beds next to me, and a few inches away was Haldir. But in the dark I couldn't see him.

Therefore I was confused at first, when I noticed a slim figure standing at the entrance of the caves. He held a small candle in his hands, but his face was turned away and looking out into the corridor ahead. The only thing I could make out, was his long blonde hair and elegant posture and a long silver nightgown. Who was this person and why was he up so late? I should better check.

...Especially because he looked so damn beautiful standing there with the light in his hands, that lit up his contours and made him look like an angel...

While approaching him, the man turned around and noticed me. With slow steps he came up to me, stopping a few meters away. Still, the only thing I could see from his face were his eyes, bright and blue and deep as an ocean. Suddenly I felt dizzy and for a brief second I lost my balance. If this was who I thought it was, it was more than I could endure. 

"Éomer, why are you awake?"

The person spoke with such a heartwarming voice that I felt almost embraced by it. My head spun and I felt like standing on the deck of a ship. For a short moment, my vision blurred. But suddenly I saw clearly who the person was. Standing in front of me was Haldir of Lórien, the most impressing elf I had ever met, and who had been in deep sleep just a few hours ago. I didn't know why or when he had woken up, the only thing I knew, was, that he seemed to have an influence on me, that I couldn't explain. He seemed to capture me with his eyes, draw me towards him, setting me out of balance.

"Are you alright? You look a little strange", Haldir spoke. 

The world around me started to spin and the ground was upside down. My vision was blurred, except for those captivating blue eyes that drew me closer, and closer, and ... And finally I had reached him and my mind lost control over my body. I clutched the collar of his tunic and he was the bastion of calm in the spinning world of my senses. My hands pulled him closer, my legs started trembling, and my mouth kissed the perfectly curved lips before me

"What are you doing?!", Haldir whispered angrily and pushed me away. And suddenly it wasn't Haldir anymore, but Legolas. He looked at me and anger and confusion were written all over his face. 

And I lost consciousness.

Third person POV

Legolas was standing in the darkness of the caves and stared down at the brother of Éowyn. It took him some seconds to wrap his head around what had just happened, and to finally react to Éomer collapsing on the floor. His brain just couldn't understand the events that had occured, especially the man's strange behaviour and him ki ... No, he couldn't say it. 

Kneeling down, the elf put his hand on Éomer's forehead and found it burning hot. Within the blink of an eye, he had put a pillow under his head and a wet cloth on his forehead and hurried to wake Éowyn up. She was sleepy and unconcentrated, and didn't understand what Legolas half gestured half told her about the situation, but eventually, she realised her brother was sick and her help was needed. 

As she reached Éomer, he had started shaking uncontrollably, and the woman knew it was a terrible fever that had attacked her brother. She told Legolas to wake Gimli up, because he was to help her, and then immediately started warming a bowl of water to prepare a herbal medicine. Soon, the dwarf had arrived and they started treating Éomer.

What no one noticed in the hurry of the situation, was, that Legolas had disappeared. He had left the caves quietly and his absence was discovered only in the next morning light. But by then, he'd had enough time to find a hiding place in the crooked alleys and dark corridors of the fortress of Helm's Deep. Nobody could find an elf that didn't want to be found.