NEW LEAF (Legolas FF) | ✔️

Chapter 19.1: Winter Chill

LEGOLAS

My heart was clawing its way out of my chest as I focused on the hand that held mine. I had to get her to safety. We ran past the trees, going further into the darkness of the forest. I could hear them, their running making the ground tremble. There were too many of them and somehow, I knew they weren't alone. Something powerful and strong was with them but I did not dare look behind me as we stumbled through the roots and weeds.

I tightened my grip on her as she kept up with my speed. I forgot about the pain in my back momentarily, thinking only of getting somewhere safe. My father's halls were still a good few leagues away. I barely managed to dodge the arrow flying swiftly in front of me. What was going on? Why was the forest so full of enemies?

When the pain screamed for attention, I stopped. I shut my eyes tight, never have I felt this kind of pain before. I feel hands on my back before it jerks the arrow out of me. I hiss in pain as Turwaithiel's voice flows in my ears. She was apologizing and mumbling words I could not understand. I felt her push me, grabbing my arm and dragging me to a large tree.

"Legolas," she calls again and I felt her warm hands on my face. I tried to focus on her face but all I could see was a vague image of her. I could hear her panting for air. Hear her heart drumming inside her chest and her mind a jumble of thoughts. She cups my face in her hands and calls to me again and her face becomes clear. I stumble backward, feeling the hard earth behind me.

"Go," I slur, swatting her hands away from me. "Go." I repeat and she watches me for a moment like I had grown two heads. The sun was sinking somewhere, as the darkness grew around us. Where were we? Where were the orcs? She still didn't move.

"Turwaithiel-"

"-No," she states firmly, shaking her head but tears had formed in her eyes as she watched me. Her expression was a mixture of pain and confusion as she quickly took out the small vial in her pocket.

"Turwaithiel-" I start to argue. I couldn't hear our enemies anymore and the silence worried me more. She continues to shake her head opening the vial and turning my back towards her with force. The pain was unbearable. The wound was burning as she dabbed into it with a wet cloth of some sort. Lady Galadriel seems to have forgotten to mention the painful part. Before I could even get a scant of breath she had grabbed my arm and we were bounding through the woods again before we reached the part of the forest where the trees were thick and almost rooted together.

"Can you climb?" She asked in a hushed tone, her eyes darting everywhere. The forest had grown deadly silent. I give a soft nod before we started climbing the trees. We reach the top most part, where the branches were thick enough and I rested myself on it, feeling the burning wound lessen into an annoying throb. I breathe heavily and was aware that we were not aline anymore, we were surrounded. Her eyes scan the ground before us, seeing orcs appear and disappear in the trees and bushes.

"There are so many of them," she says, her voice shaking with the fear she felt. "Night will be upon us soon, who knows what will happen in the dark."

She looks at me, worry creasing her features as her eyes stoop low to the wound in my lower abdomen.

"You- you should have ran when you could," I tell her and she shakes her head.

"I am not running," her lips quivered as tears appeared in her eyes. "I am not running away again." Her hands find my face and I hold on to them. To their warmth. We both knew that chances were we weren't going anywhere for that time and who knows how long the medicine will need to take effect. There was a moment of silence as she was deep in her thoughts and I was beginning to drift into sleep. I strain my eyes open feeling her hold loosen. She was counting them.