Caught (a legolas fanfiction)

Cold

A/N: Thank you everyone for your wonderful reviews! They are very encouraging.

To those of you who don't review: tell me what you think, please! Talk to me!

On another note, I am thinking about writing a songfic centering on Thranduil during the weeks after his wife's death. I could either write it as a one-shot or add it as another chapter for "Hello". The song I was thinking of is "Just a Dream" by Carrie Underwood. Listen to the song and let me know if I should write it!

Chapter 23

When Thranduil and Elrond arrived in the clearing where they knew Legolas to be, their hearts practically stopped. Legolas was lying, face pale as moonlight and hair bright as sunshine, in a pool of his own blood in the snow. His chest remained motionless.

"LEGOLAS!" Elrond yelled, running over and kneeling by the younger elf, who remained unresponsive. "Legolas, please! You can't do this to us! You can't die!"

A cry of distress came from his right, and Thranduil took his son in his arms, cradling his light, thin body.

"Legolas, please!" he said, looking at the far-to-pale face in front of him. "Legolas, wake up!"

Legolas heard the voices through the dark blanket of death that had descended upon him once again, this time without his consent.

Yes! He thought. Ada, help me! I want to get out of here!

His final moments had been awfully painful, but he was willing to endure it again if it meant he could return to the world of the living.

Thranduil closed his eyes and took a deep breath. If anyone could reach Legolas's mind, it would be him. He reached for the bond he shared with his son.

When he entered Legolas's mind, it was all dark and absolutely empty. He could see, very far away, a tiny speck of light. He flew towards it, panicking as it grew fainter and fainter before his eyes.

'Legolas! Hold on for another moment, please!' he thought. He was so close, and yet the glow was close to disappearing.

'I'm trying, Ada!' he heard a faint, weak voice reply in the moment before he reached the light. 'I'm trying, but...I can't...'

'Legolas, ion-nin, please! Just one more moment!'

'I'm sorry...'

'LEGOLAS!'

Thranduil finally reached the little light just as he was sure it was all over. He surrounded it with his own presence, covering it in warmth and light.

One of the features of the bond was that, when they wanted to, Legolas and Thranduil could take on a physical form within it. Now, seemingly out of nowhere, Thranduil appeared in the endless darkness.

"Legolas! Where are you? It's alright, ion-nin. You're safe now," he called. He sent a trickle of energy toward the mind of his son, and eventually Legolas had enough energy to materialize as well.

"Ada," he whispered. He was so worn out he couldn't even lift the head of a body that wasn't his real one. He collapsed onto the ground.

"My little Greenleaf," Thranduil whispered, taking his son in his arms. "Come on, Legolas. Let's go back to the world of the living."

Not waiting for a response, Thranduil flew out in the direction he had come, and eventually he reached the real world. His eyes snapped open, and Legolas was welcomed into his real body with a fit of coughing and spluttering. He didn't move from his place on the ground.

"Legolas, ion-nin? Can you hear me?" Thranduil asked, leaning over the body, which now at least was breathing.

One blue eye opened a crack, watery, and then it closed again.

Aragorn, Gimli, Glorfindel, and the twins, who all must have arrived while he was searching for Legolas, all began to talk at once. Legolas, startled by the sudden calamity, curled in on himself and put his gloved hands over his pointed ears.

"Be quiet!" Elrond commanded. Everyone fell silent.

"What is wrong, Legolas?" asked Elrond.

"I...It's loud...so bright ..." Legolas mumbled. He took his hands off of his ears. "I'm sorry, it's...just ...I'm so tired..."

"Go to sleep, penneth," Elrond said. "We will take care of everything. Just sleep, and recover your strength."

Legolas's eyes closed gently, and his breathing evened out within five seconds. Glorfindel frowned in worry.

"He should not be like this, Elrond," he whispered. "He should not have to sleep with his eyes closed, nor should he be so tired."

"We were so close to losing him," Aragorn said. He turned his face toward the ground in shame. "I should've stayed with him. Maybe then this wouldn't have happened."

"That doesn't matter, laddie," said Gimli. "As long as the elf is alive now, that's all that's important, right?"

Aragorn nodded reluctantly. "I guess you're right."

"Of course I am," Gimli huffed, crossing his arms. "When have I not been right?" Aragorn began to list the times he'd been completely off base during the Quest, and Gimli went furiously red as the elves laughed.

"Ah, well, I guess there were a few times," he mumbled, making the elves, especially the twins, laugh even harder.

Suddenly, Legolas began to shudder furiously, and everyone looked to him in surprise. His breathing was fast and uneven, and he curled in on himself for warmth.

"We need to get him inside," Elrond said worriedly, "He is much more prone to the cold than any of us, now, even Gimli and Estel."

Thranduil picked up his son, bridal style, and his heart almost shattered as he saw the lines of pain on the usually fair face. Blue eyes opened unsteadily.

"Go back to sleep, penneth," Thranduil said softly.

"C-cold..." Legolas murmured, and Thranduil brought the thin body closer to his own unconsciously.

"I know, ion-nin. But you will be warm in a minute, alright? We're just going inside now."

Legolas gave a small nod and tried to burrow within his father's robes but didn't fall asleep. Thranduil walked easily on top of the snow, and within minutes they were within Elrond's house.

Legolas's face visibly relaxed when they entered the building, which had a warm, comforting fire in almost every room. His eyes finally closed once again, and he went completely limp within his father's arms in a deep healing sleep. Thranduil looked sadly upon him and began to make his way up to the healing room. The rest of the group trailed behind him.

When they arrived, Thranduil almost tripped over the two trays of food that had been placed on the floor when Elrond and Glorfindel had originally arrived. Elrond sighed when he saw them, still and untouched.

"We still didn't get him to eat anything," he mourned, looking at how pitifully skinny Legolas looked. "And food is one thing he definitely needs to improve."

Thranduil put his son gently upon the bed, pulling the covers up over him. Then he made his way to the fireplace and kindled it. Soon, there was a warm, blazing fire, and the room finally reached a comfortable temperature.

"We need to find the cure to the poison, and quickly," he murmured as he looked upon his ailing son.

No one dared to think what would happen if they didn't.

A/N: Hope you all liked this chapter!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American readers! And anybody else who celebrates it, I guess.

Do you people in other countries have to go to school today and tomorrow? I got out at 11 yesterday and I don't have school until Monday.