Unlikely Rescue

Chapter 27 - Lost Again

Hello again! As I have said, these updates will slow down, but please don't lose faith, as I am still writing. With my school having just closed because of coronavirus, hopefully I'll get more time to write. Thanks for reading and all your support :)

He lay still, staring up at the great canopy above him. The thick branches swathed in green leaves and speckled with the slight orange tint that hinted at Autumn's close arrival intertwined high above him in an endlessly changing pattern of beauty and nature.

Sharp blue eyes followed the twisting lines of sapphire between the interlocking twigs, leaves and branches, watching intently as nature flowed in an endless, graceful dance.

Pointed ears caught the sound of a bird, passing high above him, and a damaged mind pictured the creature, wings spread wide, soaring on forever, revelling in its natural freedom.

His eyes wandered back to the trees, following the green patterns, marvelling in the extent of colours and shades in one place. His gaze travelled down, to where the branches thickened, and then became sparser, and rested upon the roots at the base of the ancient wooden guardians of the forest.

Legolas Greenleaf remembered the day they had left Mirkwood for good. How the trees had supported him, given him strength, and how they had whispered warnings to him when he ran away from Rivendell because Aragorn was-

Aragorn.

The trees might be the only beings he dared to call friends, but Aragorn had saved his life multiple times. He needed to find him.

And yet this time, Legolas had risked everything for the human. He had almost been caught freeing the prisoners - surely that was all that he could do? His mind tried to convince him that he should leave, that there was nothing more he could do for the human, but his heart told him that he should stay. And he knew that his mind had lied to him before, but his heart... his heart always told him the truth, even if the truth broke it. He needed to find the human, for both their sakes.

The elfling sat up abruptly as the memories rushed back to him. The escape. Creeping through the camp. Being discovered. Cutting the rope. The chase. Then lying, waiting for hours, too scared to move lest he be discovered, and eventually a month of exhaustion catching up to him, and falling into blissful sleep.

But he wasn't asleep now.

Jumping somewhat unsteadily to his feet, he instantly clutched at the base of the tree he had just been admiring as his vision darkened and the world span around him. Now that part of the exhaustion which had consumed him previously was gone, his mind span with thirst. Having not drunk for about a week, for that was how long it had been since he had been captured by Thranduil, and not eaten for about two weeks, since he had last been able to find proper food, his mind was overwhelmed by hunger and thirst. Not to mention his whole body was filled with the pain of multiple injuries.

But right now, he needed to find Aragorn.

Stumbling forward, he tripped over a twisting root which he knew he should have seen. How could he find Aragorn if his brain refused to work properly?

His mind span, the forest around him seeming to pulse, fading in and out of clarity before returning to a green blur. His breathing echoed loudly in his own ears as the world began to shift and tilt, lurching him around as he struggled for balance, grabbing at anything in a desperate attempt to stay upright, swaying and stumbling onward, one thought filling his mind as he forced himself to move in any random direction, just to move, and not to let the pain, hunger or thirst conquer him.

I have to find Aragorn.

At the same time, one thought echoed in the mind of a human ranger struggling to continue.

I must find Legolas.

Aragorn felt as though lifting one foot was like dragging a boulder through a dense forest. Each movement hurt, and they had not been gentle in their punishments. He knew his brothers were the same, but there was one key difference between them. His brothers were elves. And he was only human.

But he had to go on. They had been searching the forest for hours, constantly having to pause, to duck back behind trees, or under some rather prickly foliage in order to avoid Thranduil's ceaseless patrols.

They had awoken with a thud as they hit the ground, bonds cut and no eyes on them. The camp had been in chaos, with Thranduil's soldiers all streaming in one direction. What was most surprising, though, was that the elves all ran in the same direction - away from the newly freed prisoners, and out of camp.

The human had been unable to make out anything in the darkness of the night, but Elladan whispered to him. "They're chasing after someone. I think it's Legolas."

That explained it. Aragorn still thought that it would be more tactical for Thranduil to split his forces, some to stay with the prisoners, but he honestly couldn't complain. Thranduil was clearly rage-consumed and hung over, and the human thanked the Valar for it.

Not one to waste time, he pulled his brothers with him as they slipped unnoticed out of the now deserted camp. He couldn't fathom how the elfling had managed to set them free and escape, but he could only hope that the adrenaline of the chase would keep Legolas on his feet until he found a way to avoid the guards. Aragorn was no fool: he knew that if Legolas was caught now, he would be killed.

"Come, brothers. We must find him, and quickly."

And so they had set out, scouring the forest for signs of the young elf that they had suffered so much for, and who had suffered so much for them.

Hours passed. They were weary, in pain and desperate. Each one was troubled with the same thought, but none of them spoke it aloud.

What if Thranduil found him before us?

But Aragorn continually pushed the thought away. If that were the case, Thranduil would have sent guards after us. But nobody is here.

Indeed, the only guards they had encountered had been discussing their search for the elfling their King hated so much. Not a word was spoken about the other prisoners.

The three of them continued to search well into the night. Aragorn knew that his elven brothers could carry on for much longer, but his human body was tiring. He would never admit it, but he was beginning to struggle.

Thankfully, he didn't have to admit it. When he stumbled for the fifth time, Elrohir caught his arm. "Look, Estel, up ahead."

What the human saw banished his exhaustion. Stumbling forwards, he broke into a run, sprinting toward the figure stumbling through the trees ahead. He was grabbing desperately at tree trunks, falling often, muttering to himself. When the human reached him, Legolas fell into his arms, exhaustion overcoming him. He fought to stay awake, trying to tell the human something, and after a few attempts at forming coherent words, he managed to mumble, "...Have to... find... find Aragorn." before falling into a deep sleep in the human's embrace.

Thank you to everyone who is reading this! Your comments are what inspire me to carry on writing this, so please tell me what you think! Also, I have a question for y'all:

What do you think is going to happen next in the story?

Oh, don't forget to vote :P

Also this is for New-Identity :
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