A Healing Touch

Brr.... I just finished shoveling a whole lot of snow from my driveway and needed to get some circulation flowing back into my fingers so I decided to post this chapter now. Ain't I nice? j/k.

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Starwind: Mwahahaha... here's your update, that's all I'll say...

louise_oblique: Thank you, yet again. *hugs* here's your next chappie.

Steph: Ok, good, and thank you for loving me, I feel so appreciated now. Oh, thank you. *hugs*

Silent Archer & Lancesgurl: LMAO, you two are quite a pair, and I love yous for it. Here you are, ladiYourYour next chapter. Enjoy!

Mawgy: Hmm.. well, I suppose Legolas would be a few inches shorter than either of them, but not by much. About... half a head shorter, I guess. Believe it or not, when I originally wrote this, Legolas' brothers were going to be the ones that save him, but I eventually changed my mind and for that reason, you'll see soon enough. Sorry to say, but Erestor won't be in the story for quite a few chapters, and even then his appearence in r. Dr. Don't worry, I'm writing new chapters as we speak and I will give him longer scenes... and eventually a good fuck, as you so colourfully put it. I promise.

Dreemseer: Lol, bang-able in what way? *wink, wink, nudge, nudge* I know, I gotta get my mind out of the gutter.

lilith: Don't worry, I won't even read a story that has character death in it, unless its one of those stories about Aragorn's final days. But... I'm not promising I won't hurt them.

y: Um... bec?
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Elrond awoke with a groan. His head was spinning and he felt as if a million tiny dwarves were inside, hacking away with their axes. He blinked several times to clear his vision. What had happened? Where was he?

The memories all came swimming back to him when he heard a chorus of growls about seventeen feet away from him. The orcs. It was then that he realized both his wrists wore iron cuffs which were attached to two long chains, about seven feet long, that were quite securely connected to a wooden post. He definitely wouldn’t be escaping anytime soon.

They were outside, in a small clearing in the forest. It was night time, obviously. The orcs wouldn’t be out in sunlight. The trees surrounding them were ancient, at least as old as the Peredhil. The ground on which he sat was not moist with green grass, but bare with dry dirt.

Elrond clenched his jaw as he turned his attention back to the group of orcs who were surrounding a fire they had built and what appeared to be the carcass of a dead elf.

The elf lord’s heart skipped a beat. Where was Legolas? Before Elrond had a chance to panic, he quickly scanned the area around him, noticing an unconscious golden haired figure not three feet afromfrom him, chained in the same manner as himself to another post. Elrond sighed in relief. The younger elf was still breathing, though he still had the arrow that had struck him lodged in his left shoulder. Painfully, Elrond crawled over to his motionless lover and gently touched his lower arm.

"Legolas?lronlrond whispered into his ear. "Legolas, awake."

The elfling groaned as he shifted and turned his head towards the Lore master, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. "Elrond," Legolas mumbled. "what happened?"

Elrond furrowed his brow "We were attacked by orcs. Do you not remember?"

As the prince shifted to his side, he hissed in pain and looked down at the arrow embedded in his shoulder. "On the contrary, I remember perfectly."

When Legolas lifted his right hand to remove the arrow, he noticed the cuff around his wrist and looked up questioningly at Elrond. The elder elf merely shook his head. "Do not bother. They are unbreakable. I have been searching for any weak points in them. They are very well crafted."

Legolas nodded weakly and returned his attention to the arrow in his shoulder. With his right hand he reached over and tugged on it firmly only to abruptly let go as he gasped in pain. The prince took long deep breaths, trying not to whimper as he reached back over to the arrow to try pulling it again but before he could grasp theft oft of the arrow, Elrond gently took his hand away from it.

The lore master sorrowfully looked into Legolas' watery eyes and shook his head before he licked his dry lips and spoke to him in almost a whisper. "It is an orc arrow, Legolas. Their kind are unmerciful when thent.\nt." he let out a shaky breath. "Their arrows are barbed. We cannot pull it out. Forgive me, meleth-nin, but the only way to remove it without causing any further internal damage is to push it the rest of the way through."

For a split second, a flash of distress passed on Legolas’ face that did not slip Elrond's notice. Gently, Elrond pulled the younger elf into a sitting position, leaning the prince's back on the post his chains were linked to. The elven lord felt Legolas tense and whimper lightly when his body was shifted. "Shh, Legolas. I know this is frightening for you but you must remain very still otherwise you may cause more damage." Elrond tenderly cupped Legolas' face in his hand. "I will try and make this as quick and painless as I can."

"I doubt it will be as bad," the young elf panted, with an attempted smile. "as the incident with the snake."

The healer nodded, recalling the memory keenly. When Legolas was still an elfling, Elladan and Elrohir had taken him through the forest during their patrol watch and Legolas had a very unpleasant encounter with a poisonous reptile.


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FLASHBACK
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"Legolas Greenleaf, come hither at once!"

Elladan was growing very impatient with the young prince as he kept straying from his side, climbing the trees and hiding behind rocks. Now was not the time for games. They had a job to do and even though Elladan could be very fun-loving, (and often very immature), even he knew when there was a time and a place to be serious.

With Legolas' constant giggling and shouting, a foe would most likely here them coming from three miles away. Why had he brought this little one along again? Ah yes, because Glorfindel needed a break from the little terror and Elrond and Arwen were spending some quality time together which left himself and Elrohir to play 'nanny'.

Poor Glorfindel. No wonder he was always so exhausted after spending a whole day with this bundle of energy. It was hard to believe that this timid and shy child could be so free spirited. Had he eaten any sugar today? Elladan couldn’t recall. All he knew was he was going to need a nice hot relaxing bath when he got back home.

Elrohir on the other hand, was quite amused with Legolas' playful streak today. Every time the elder twin turned and glared at him, all he could do was try to sober and stifle a smile. "Oh come now, brother. No harm has been done. Let him enjoy himself, do not be so concerned. If an enemy approaches, we will hear them long before they come within range." Elrohir turned his attention bto tto the prince. "Legolas, don’t you wander too far."

Legolas had reached a group of young trees and stood for a moment trying to decide which one he should climb. Finally choosing one with many branches, he giggled as he dodged up an apple tree, jumping from branch to branch as if it was a second nature to him. Through his merrymaking, the prince immediately froze as he heard a hissing noise behind him. Slowly, he turned around and found himself face to face with a rattle snake coiled up around the trunk of the tree, and completely froze in panic.

Both Elladan and Elrohir grew concerned when the joyful laughing from the small child had abruptly stopped, and the brothers started jogging towards where they had seen him last when their calls to him went unanswered. There was a sudden shriek from a tree then and Elladan had just reached it in time to catch the princeling as he fell. "Elrohir! Come quickly!"

When the younger twin had run up to where he heard his brother cry, his gaze immediately dropped to the small form curled up in Elladan's arms, sobbing hysterically. Swiftly he ran up to them and knelt beside his counterpart, searching for whatever it was distressing the child.

"What happened!?"

"A-a snake b-bit me!" the small child sobbed.

"A snake!?" Elrohir glanced up into the tree above them noticing a tail of different shades of brown slither farther up into its boughs. "Ai! a rattle snake! "

The younger twin then noticed the child clutching at his thigh. Quickly he pulled the small elfling's leggings down, revealing the swollen and bruised fang marks. He immediately ripped a piece of his cloak off and tightly tied it around Legolas' thigh just above the punctured wound, cutting off the blood circulation.

Holding the child's leggings in his arm, Elrohir got back up and turned to his brother. "Quickly, Elladan, we must get him to ada. Go on ahead, I will meet up with you as I search for kingsfoll. Be swift!"

Elladan quickly stood with the still sobbing child in his arms and took off towards the Homely House, closely followed by Elrohir as he kept his eyes open for any plant that could slow the poison.

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Elrond and Arwen were sitting in the elven lord’s study when they heard shouts coming from outside.
Curiously, Elrond raised an eyebrow and stood, peering out the window. He immediately frowned when he saw his two sons dashing towards the palace with little Legolas curled up in the elder twin’s arms.

"Father," Arwen d, hd, her brow creased in worry, "what is wrong?"

Elrond shook his head, still staring outside. "I am not certain. Come."

The lore master walked quickly out the door closely followed by his daughter and together they made their way to the front steps where the twins were just ascending with the crying child clutched to Elladan's breast. "What happened!?" Elrond barked.

"He was bitten by a rattle snake, ada."

"Quickly, Elladan, bring him to the healing room. Elrohir, go find Glorfindel. He should be in the Halls of Fire."


Elladan, Elrond and Arwen all but jogged down the hall to the healing rooms, Elrond questioning his eldest on their way down. "Did you find athelas?" he shouted over the child's wailing.

"Nay, ada, there was none on our path."

Elrond mentally cursed. "How long ago was he bitten?"

"No more than fifteen minutes ago. He hasn’t stopped crying since then."

"Aye, snake venom can be very painful."

Elrond turned a corner and through a doorway into the healing room, Arwen and Elladan on his heels. "Quickly, lay him on the bed!" he said as he opened a cupboard, retrieving some herbs.

Elladan gently spread Legolas' body out on the closest bed to him, having a hard time prying his little fingers from his tunic as he whimpered.

Elrond walked over to Legolas and stroked his head soothingly, noticing the light fever that broke out on his brow. The Peredhil took one of his tiny hands in his and Legolas tightly grasped the offered hand in turn.

"Shh, it will be alright, Legolas. I am going to give you some medicine. It may hurt a little but afterwards you are going to feel all better, alright?" the prince sniffled and nodded. Elrond tenderly wiped away the tears trailing down the small child's face.

When Glorfindel all but slid through the room with Elrohir right behind him, they were both panting heavily from the long run and the seneschal had a look of distress on his face. "Elrohir told me what had happened. Is he going to--"

Elrond looked up from where he was hovering over the elfling. "Nay, he will be alright if we treat him quickly. Hurry, I may need your help."

Elrond then turned to his three children as Glorfindel walked up to Legolas' side, taking his hands as he continued to whimper, his fever steadily rising. "Would you three please excuse us. We need room to work and being crowded will not help the situation."

"Of course, ada." Arwen replied and headed to the door, followed by Elladan.

"Is there nothing we can do?" the younger twin asked.

"Nay, Elrohir, the best thing right now to do is to give us some room. However if you wish to make yourself useful, you may ready Legolas' bed and send out another scouting party." Elrohir nodded and hurried out the door.

"And what do you want of me, Elrond?" the seneschal asked as he stood at Legolas' head as the small child clutched his hands for dear life.

"I need you to hold Legolas and keep him calm while I do this. I must make an incision in his leg to draw out the poison and I fear it may be quite painful for him."

Chills seemed to run down the elder elf’s spine. "Do you not have anything that will ease the pain? Or at least make him lose consciousness?"

"Nay, that would be too dangerous at this time. He must stay awake and not be drugged."

Glorfindel nodded and climbed up on the bed crossing his legs, sitting Indian style. He then pulled the small form of the boy into his lap. Legolas clutched the ancient elf’s robe in his hand tightly as he rested his head against his broad chest, trembling with chills from the rising fever.

Glorfindel suddenly noticed the purplish bruise on Legolas' bare thigh and took a closer look, noticing the twin fang marks. "Ai, they went deep." He murmured. A shifting movement from the elfling suddenly caught his attention, and he gently pulled Legolas' hand away as he started tugging at the tightly tied piece of cloth around his leg in an attempt to release the knot. "Legolas, daro. If you remove that, the poison will travel up your blood stream and reach your heart where it will kill you."

"It hurts," Legolas whimpered. "I don’t like it."

"I know, penneth, but it must stay until we rid your body of the poison. It will come off soon, I promise."

Elrond then walked back over to the pair. In one hand he carried a bowl of freshly ground herb juice and in the other a freshly cleansed dagger and he laid both on the small table beside the bed.

The prince’s eyes went wide as he gazed at the instrument fearfully. "Saes! Please don’t!" he cried, clutching at Glorfindel's robe tighter as new tears sprung to his eyes. The seneschal hugged Legolas to his breast, rocking him gently in an attempt to sooth him.

"We must make a small cut in your leg to draw out the poison, Legolas. It must be done otherwise you will become ill." Elrond explained as he dabbed around the swollen area with a clean cloth.

"Nay!" Legolas struggled in Glorfindel's strong grip trying to free himself, but the seneschal, being the bigger elf, had the upper hand on the battle.

"Legolas," Glorfindel firmly said to the boy, "be still! We are doing this for your own good so unless you wish to travel to the Halls of Mandos, you will allow us to perform this procedure." he immediately regretted those harsh words when a look of even greater fear passed the child's face, but knew it had to be said. He sighed and continued in a gentler tone of voice. "I know you are frightened, Legolas, but I am right here and I will not leave your side. Please do not make this more difficult than it has to be. We love you, Legolas, and we do not wish to lose you. Saes." Legolas stared up into the crystal blue eyes a few moments and then he slowly snuggled back into Glorfindel's embrace with a small sob, and buried his face into the Eldar’s chest. "That’s it. Just relax."

Elrond approached the child slowly, pulling his leg out straight over Glorfindel's so he could have better access to the bite mark. Legolas immediately tensed as he felt the cool metal of the dagger press over his wound and let out a heart wrenching wail when the weapon sliced painfully into his leg, tightening his hold on Glorfindel as if his life depended on it.

Glorfindel, in the meantime was trying to keep the small, wriggling body still with one hand and rubbed soothing circles with his other hand on the prince’s back while Elrond pressed down on the small leg trying to keep it still.

Gently but firmly, the elven lord pressed both hands on either side of the wound, squeezing the poison out of the small thigh, and when no more of the vile venom would ooze out, he brought his head down and placed his lips over the wound, sucking the rest of the poison out, and spit it out into a bole sitting beside him on the end table.

Legolas' body trembled as he sobbed into Glorfindel's bosom and the seneschal gently rocked the small body and continued to circle his back with his free hand as he cooed into his ear. "Shh, shh. It’s alright, Legolas. It’s all over now."

Elrond gently dabbed the herb juices onto Legolas' thigh with a clean bandage before he untied the cloth that was still tightly secured around it, letting the blood finally flow its path. "You were very brave, Legolas." Elrond cooed to the child as his teary eyed face turned to look up at him. "I am very proud of you."

"As am I," replied Glorfindel. "you did very well, penneth."

Legolas sniffled and wiped his sleeve over his moist face. He looked down at his wound and started to blush as a look of embarrassment crossed his face.

Elrond cocked his head to the side with a raised eyebrow. "Legolas, what is wrong?"

Legolas looked up shyly at the elf lord. "Lord Elrond .......Where are my breeches?"


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END FLASHBACK
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Elrond sighed as he leaned towards the younger elf and snapped the feathered tip of the arrow off. He then firmly laid one hand on Legolas' chest to still him and pressed the palm of his other hand on the back of the arrow’s shaft. He could feel the prince tense as he pressed upon it and knew he was preparing himself for the on-coming pain.

Legolas took in a shaky breath as he tried to calm his rapid heart, turning his head to the side, and fixing his eyes on one of the great pine trees in the near distance as he tried to keep his face impassive. "If you must do this then please just get it over with." Elrond nodded even though he knew Legolas was not looking at him before he put his weight down on the arrow, pressing firmly.

Legolas clenched his teeth and shut his eyes tightly as he tried to stifle a whimper as he felt the sharp arrow tear through his shoulder. When he felt the arrow about to puncture through the back of his shoulder, he could no longer hold back his resolve and let out a strangled cry and dug his fingers into the earth below him.

Elrond felt a pang of guilt as the prince tried to stifle a sob as the arrow finally pushed out the other side. Gently as he could, he reached his hand around Legolas' back to pull the shaft the rest of the way out. When the arrow was finally out, the elfling immediately collapsed his trembling body into Elrond's awaiting arms and heaved in heavy ragged breaths.

The lore master leaned Legolas' body against his chest as he rested his own back against the post, letting the younger elf regain his composure as he held him. "Easy, Legolas. Take slow deep breaths…That’s it."

There they lay in the same position for about fifteen minutes until the approaching sound of footsteps could be heard and the orcs interrupted them. One orc stalked up to the two elves and roughly grabbed Legolas by the arms and hauled him up onto his feet causing a grunt to escape the elf’s lips and he wavered slightly as he stood in place, The orc never giving up his hold on the young prince.

Another orc did likewise with Elrond but the elf lord stood tall and proud, not flinching for a second as his eyes challengingly stared into the one that held him within its grasp. Just as the two elves and two orcs stood in place, a third orc, much bigger than the rest, stepped forward with a cruel grin on his face.

"So," the beast replied. "This is the great Elrond Peredhil." The elf lord did not waver and kept his face impassive but the orc continued. "Such pride, such dignity you carry. I did not expect the fight you and your charge put up. You are quite the opponent. It is no wonder you and Gil-galad were victorious in the great war," the orc sneered. "but your battle skills will not save you this time. Answer me truthfully and I might let you live, though I will make no promises. So tell me, where is it, half-elf?"

Elrond narrowed his eyes at the foul beast before him. "I do not know to what you are referring."

"Do not toy with me, Peredhil!" the orc barked. "I know Gil-galad entrusted it to you before he was killed in the Last Alliance. Give it to me and perhaps I will let you go."

Elrond's heart was pounding, drowning out all other sound in proximity but his features were unreadable. He did indeed know what the orc was asking for. But to give it up would mean risking the fate of the elves as well as Middle-Earth. "I told you, I do not know what you mean."

"Very well, be stubborn. It will be your charge that will pay the price for your defiance." The orc growled and walked over to stand in front of Legolas. The prince kept his face a stone mask as the beast hissed into his face. "Legolas Greenleaf, the youngest son of king Thranduil. I’ve heard about you, little prince. Apparently some of my kin had quite some fun with you when you were but a boy." The young elf felt chills go up his spine as his memory travelled back to that cruel night, but like Elrond, he remained impassive and silent. "Don’t worry, little one," the orc then roughly slammed his hand against the elf’s shoulder and fiendishly raked its claws over his wound. Legolas flinched at the touch but made no sound. The orc merely chuckled. "You will break."

"I will not." Legolas growled, eyes flaming in fury.

"Do not get cocky, little prince. That alone may result in punishment! I will enjoy my time with you."

The orc stepped backwards, joining his kin. With a series of growls to the two holding Elrond and Legolas captive, they roughly, with their heavy forms, pinned the two elves against the posts and clawed their clothing none too gently from their struggling persons, then stepped back away from them, exposing their fully nude bodies.

The pack growled and cackled as the lead orc turned back to Elrond. "Where is your dignity now, Peredhil?" Elrond stood proud, ignoring his nudity as he glared at the foul beast before him. The orc turned back to the others. "Leave them for now. We will enjoy our time with them later." With one last icy glare to the elves, the lead orc lead his kin back over to their fire.

Legolas finally let loose a suppressed shiver as soon as the orcs turned away. "I do not like this, Elrond. Fate does not seem to be in our favour this eve."

The Peredhil turned apologetic eyes to the younger elf as he pulled them both down and held his body against his chest. "Do not despair, Legolas. We will escape. Somehow, I promise, we will escape."

"Elrond," Legolas said in barely a whisper. "what did that orc mean? Of what do you have in your possession that they want so badly?"

Elrond sighed and lowered his eyes guiltily. "I cannot say, penneth. To do so would be to risk the fate of all Middle-Earth. I am so sorry for all of this."

Legolas was silent for several moments and looked at the elven lord lovingly. "I know not what you are protecting, Elrond. But if it is as important as you say then I will gladly protect it with my life no matter what sort of torture those beasts have planned for us."

Elrond gently squeezed Legolas' unwounded shoulder and pressed his own brow to his. "I know you will, my dear prince."

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penneth: young one
ada: dad
daro: stop
saes: please

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I know, not my best work, but hey, it's an update, right? BTW, there will be quite a few flashback scenes in the next few chapters. I wanted to make more chapters of Leggy's childhood, but some of you were so eager to see him grown up and getting some, so I thought this was a good way to have it both ways.

One more thing... Where are you, Isis? I miss you!

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