Nepenthe [Legolas]

19

They travelled through the night into the next day, navigating hills and paths overladen with grass and rock from years of disuse.

For only an hour they paused, still behind a towering hill, lodged between mighty rocks as they watched an army march forward.

By then, Aragorn recovered enough strength to hold his head high, eyes staring darkly at the soldiers as they went. They were distant shapes then far away from view, but their numbers were undeniable.

"Isengard has been emptied," Viridis said.

"There must be ten thousand of them," Aragorn added grimly as he watched but for a moment longer as the army steadily marched toward Helm's Deep.

They rode the rest of the way in a haste, without a moment's rest and without another word. Hours more later and they descended, traveling past Great Lakes, treading around their edges as the mighty gorge came into view.

The stone grey gates opened on their command when then entered, people parting quickly to get out of their way as they rode through the fortified gorge, up the many steps toward the king's room.

Coming to a stop only in the main square, Viridis dismounted quickly, helping Aragorn down as people all around them muttered, surprised by their presence when all other hope had nearly been lost.

"Where are they? Where are they?" A voice called out from the crowd, belonging not to one person Viridis could see, he searched for Gimli as the Dwarf shoved through the crowds to greet them. "Get out of the way. I'm going to kill them!" He shouted.

Viridis just smiled as he brought a hand up to brush the horse's mane.

"Hello, Master Gimli." He merely said when the Dwarf finally made his way to the front.

Gimli just paused, any rage falling away from his face the moment he saw both Aragorn and Viridis alive. He let his hands fall, voice audibly softer than moments before when he'd been threatening to kill them. "You are the luckiest, the canniest, and the most reckless man I ever knew." He engulfed Aragorn in a hug and cried out in happiness. "Bless you laddie."

"Just lucky enough for Viridis to warrant me saved," Aragorn said when Gimli pulled away.

"That's right," Gimli said, rolling the r. He looked then to Viridis. "Even more reckless! I thought you were dead! You scared me to death, Master Elf." He chided but nonetheless repeated the process, hugging Viridis so tightly that he had to suck in a sharp breath as the Dwarf's iron steel arms wrapped firmly around his waist. "I never doubted you for a second." He added with a wide smile. Viridis hugged back despite the pain. He'd missed the Dwarf, he would not lie.

"Gimli." He said as he pried the Dwarf away from him. "Where is the king?"

The Dwarf merely jutted his head to point them in the right direction.

Viridis smiled in thanks, squeezing the Dwarf's arm as he parted, following Aragorn as they treaded up the final steps towards the king's room.

Legolas was waiting for them just outside.

His eyes were reddened from the last time Viridis had seen them. His cheeks were more shallow, eyes more sunken. Rest had not come to this Elf and Viridis felt a pang of guilt.

Legolas spoke first, voice wavering but not breaking as he gazed at Aragorn who now stood soundly in front of him.

"You're late." He said in Elvish, eyes scanning Aragorn for his injuries. His lips drew into a frown, brows knitting together as he switched back to the language of man. "You look terrible."