Fading Light

Wait For Me

Aragorn groaned as his flickered open. He was lying on a soft bed and he was dressed in a light green tunic and grey trousers.

His wounds had been tended to and he was no longer in any pain. What he was wondering was, How long have I been laying here?

"So the human lives."
Aragorn shot up in bed as his eyes darted around the room until they landed on a tall, imposing figure.

At first he thought it was Legolas, but upon closer inspection he realized that the elf before him was not his friend, but his friend's father.

Thranduil....

"You brought my son here."
Thranduil stepped forward until he was standing just two feet away from Aragorn's bed.
"He was wounded and nearly dead. How did it happen?"

Aragorn had to force himself not to cower under the piercing gaze of the elvenking. Though his voice was calm it had traces of anger and fear for his son.

"How long have we been unconcious?"
Aragorn asked boldly.
"Three weeks."
Thranduil replied sharply.
"And my son has yet to awaken."

Three weeks?

"Now answer my question. What happened to my son?"
Aragorn closed his eyes and took in a deep breath.
Where should he start?

From what he had gathered from the letter Thranduil already knew about him, so he might as well start from when he was ambushed near the mountain pass.

Aragorn forced himself to relive every moment of his and Legolas' capture. He told him about Legolas' failed rescue attempt, his torment from the leader, how he had been poisoned, he told Thranduil everything.

After he finished Aragorn could see the fire that was burning in the elvenking's eyes.

"It was my fault, the orcs wanted me not Legolas. I promised him that I would keep him safe and I failed."

Aragorn could feel tears burning in his eyes but he held them back.

"Legolas was harmed because of me. I will take whatever punishment you believe is necessary."

Thranduil didn't say anything for a moment, he stared blankly at the wall while Aragorn waited for an answer.

"The orcs were hunting for Isildur's heir."
Thranduil said quietly.
Aragorn nodded.
"Yes."

"What they did not know was that the one they sought lay right in their clutches the entire time."
Thranduil turned back to him with a look of pure disgust.

"You said that you tried to protect Legolas? Then why did you not give the orcs what they wanted and saved him?"

Thranduil's voice rose and he seemed to grow even taller, Aragorn flinched and wanted to back away but there was no where for him to go.

"Whether I revealed myself to them or not wouldn't matter. They were going to kill Legolas no matter what I did."

"If my son hadn't gone anywhere near you in the first place none of this would have happened!"

Aragorn felt as if a heavy boulder had just been placed on his chest. Crushing and preventing him from breathing.

Thranduil was right....

He was the reason why Legolas had been captured, why he had been beaten and tormented, it was all his fault.

"I only wanted to help him."
Aragorn said softly.
Thranduil's eyes burned into the human causing him to flinch.
"I want you out of my lands by dawn."