A Healing Touch

Hey guys! Gee, I sure was a bitch last chapter, wasn't I? Yeah, I'm really sorry about that, I know my end comment wasn't exactly appropriate. Well, at least you guys didn't seem to mind. ::Hugs everyone:: On to the reviews...

Isis: LoL, glad you think so. Anyway, in a nut-shell, I was in the shower, and my mother has these porcelain angels on the window ledge. I bumped in to the window ledge, knocked the ornament over, it shattered against the wall, fell, and the head of what was the angel hit my ankle, making a deep split over the inner ankle bone. It was pretty gros, I could have used two or three stitches but there was no way I was going outside it that weather, the snow was coming down pretty hard and there were patches of ice all over the road, so I just made sure to close the wound with LOTS of bandages and butterfly-clip thingies. LOL, actually, it looked like someone was murdered in the bathroom, blood was everywhere. Thanks, though I doubt it could have been as painful as what happened to you. Fortunately, for me, I don't dance. I'm too much of a clutse. Anyway, hope you feel better soon. Oh, and Mawgy says, and I quote; "you are moelcoelcome," and "It was a lot of hard work but I have this wonderful author wrapped around my finger, much like Ungoliant and the orcs".

lilith: LoL, caught you by surprise, didn't I? I thought that was exactly what Erestor needed, a young arrogant elf that wasn't phased by him in the least. Anyway, literally Narofea means: Fiery Spirit. Naur is fire or flame in elvish and fea is spirit, so I just added the two together, mutating the words slightly, and there you have 'Narofea'.

Mawgy: So you're happy then, right? LOL, I am pleased that you are pleased. Anyway, true enough about the beastiality thing, but I doubt I would have done something like that in the first place, I'm not really in.... to the whole Beauty and the Beast thing, if you know what I mean. Yeah, I know that was pretty lame. I have a very dry sense of humor. Anyway, yeah, so it was you who fucked up my format thing, eh? I was wondering about that. Ah well, and no not not going to delete it.
Anyway, as much as I would enjoy having you worship the very ground I walk on, I don't think I'd want to piss God off by breaking the 1'st commandment, (Even though I've broken just about every other rule, short of committing adultery and murder and coveting my neighbour's wife) though I wouldn't mind a bunch of cute little frogs hopping around, I'd hate to be responsible for having a bunch of cute little lambs slaughtered because of my ego, so I am afraid I will have to kindly decline your offer. But you're welcome for the chapter, and thanks for kissing my foot better.

shannondey: Thank you, and you're welcome. Yeah, I figured that eventually Erestor needed to get that plug out of his arse before he went praying mantis on somebody, lol.

giggle: Yes, elf smut is a must! And I'm glad you enjoyed it. And you're welcome about the dragon. Anyway, yeah, winter sucks! LoL, I think it does anyway. The snow is pretty, but the cold wind isn't really that pleasing. Then again, I hate summer too, can't stand the heat. Spring, that's the way to go! Flowers blooming, baby animals being born, trees getting their thick beautiful leaves back... *Ahem* anyway, yeah, February sucks, lol.

Morelwen: No, no, Haldir's not bad, he just has a sick sense of humor and doesn't really know when to keep his mouth shut... kind of like me, actually. That's why I'm quiet most of the time, because whenever I do speak I end up saying something stupid or inappropriate. Anyway, sorry I bastardized your favorite silmarillion character, I like Turgon too but he just seemed to suite the part. LoL, awe... *hug* I'm glad I made you happy. Here's the next chapter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Legolas flinched as his oldest brother pressed a damp cloth against the gash in his bare arm. Earlier that day when he had ventured to the infirmary with his father to visit Elrond and Glorfindel he had been allowed to stay longer than expected. He had remained at Elrond's bedside cuddled in his warm embrace, taking as well as giving some much needed comfort. Both had kept close vigilance on the former Balrog slayer from afar, awaiting him to escape unconsciousness but fate was cruel this particular day and Glorfindel remained in his comatose state. Despite the many drugs that the healers had given him, he did not wake, and barely showed signs of recovery from the spider venom snaking through his veins. And so Legolas waited, doing small things to occupy his mind; singing quietly to Elrond or feeding him, seeing as he was immobile at the moment. The elf lord was still in great pain from the operation, though he tried to hide it, and together they stayed in each others company until Galadriel came and ordered him to return to his chambers and have his own wounds tended to and get some much needed rest.

And so Legolas reluctantly left his lover's side and returned to his chambers, Nava at his side whom had been ordered by Thranduil to keep vigilance on his youngest, wayward brother, seeing as the king had important duties to perform and could not remain at his son’s disposal.

Nava dipped the cool cloth into the small bowl beside him, soaking up a fair amount of the anti-bacterial herb juice that it held before again pressing it gently against the gaping wound in Legolas' arm, causing him to release a strangled yelp. Until Thranduil had bathed the unconscious prince earlier on, the wound had only been wrapped in a makeshift bandage by a piece of Elrohir's cloak to stop the profuse bleeding that the prince barely noticed, too occupied in battling Ungoliant and her orc's to realize the extent of the damage the orc's blade had caused. The twin sons of Elrond had only noticed the wound on their ride back to the palace and had bound the injury as best they could until they had the proper utilities to correctly heal it and Thranduil had only removed the bandage to clean the wound before he could stitch it close, which he did not have time to do when Legolas awoke, pleading to see his injured lovers and ignoring his own injuries.

So now the eldest son of Thranduil sat beside his little brother on the bed, gently cleaning the wound before it could be properly sutured closed. Other than the small hisses and grunts of pain, and Nava admonishing Legolas for not keeping still, the two were utterly silent, Legolas occupied with his private thoughts, and Nava too concentrated on treating his injured brother, though the quietness unnerved him. Silence was the last thing he wanted to hear after a battle. It seemed so... lifeless. So he decided to strike up conversation while he carefully washed away the dirt from the wound. "So," he sighed. "How did everything work out?"

The younger elf merely rolled his eyes, scrutinizing his older brother. "I am still alive, am I not?"

Nava raised an eyebrow at his brother, but somehow not surprised at the response. "Well yes but, Legolas, you battled with Ungoliant, herself! Surely that is a story worth telling? We all thought her to be destroyed long ago."

"If you already know the story then I fail to see the point in telling it." was Legolas' reply.

"But I do not know the story through your eyes. I only know what basically happened. All Elrohir told me was when he and the others reached you, the lifeless body of the queen spider lay across from you, and the corpses of four orcs. And regarding your past with orcs, it is a wonder that you could have faced them so bravely."

"Must everyone remind me of my past with the orcs?" The elfling snapped. "I do not wish to be reminded, Nava. Living my life everyday without thinking of it is difficult enough. I do not need others to remind me of what they took from me."

Sorrow etched the heir's handsome features, immediately regretting his words. "I am sorry, Legolas, I did not mean to cause you pain. All I meant was that you have become an amazing warrior, muindor-tithen, perhaps even greater than your lord Glorfindel, the famous Balrog slayer."

The younger prince's eyes snapped to his brother's, and in them Nava could see anger as well as a hint of sorrow. "No warrior is greater than Glorfindel."

"Legolas, why are you being like this? I just meant--"

"No! Glorfindel is the greatest warrior that ever lived and despite all that he has suffered, the fall of Gondolin, the slaying of a Balrog, falling and then being resurrected from the dead, he has still managed to live on. And just wait and see, he will defeat this sickness as well!"

Nava nodded, finally revealing the truth behind his brother’s distress. "Legolas... the healers are doing all they can."

Legolas sighed, trying to calm his pent up nerves. "I know, but... I just feel that it is not enough. Perhaps if I did not allow my to to slip, to not let my fear control me, Glorfindel would not be in this mess."

"Is that what you think?" Nava whispered incredulously. "That this is your fault?" at Legolas' sad nod, he cried, "Ai, Legolas. There is naught that you could have done to prevent what happened. It is a miracle that the two of you survived at all. Glorfindel would not fault you for this."

Legolas remained silent, blinking back unwanted tears, as his brother pulled him into a tight embrace. After several silent minutes the young prince murmured, "It hurts."

Nava pulled back. "I know, Legolas. I will stitch it closed, now." the prince reached for the clean needle and catgut but Legolas' voice interrupted him.

"No," Legolas whispered. "Love hurts."

The crown prince sighed. "War affects us all, muindor, I understand. I would much rather be reciting poetry or making love to my wife, or perhaps taming a horse rather than slaying other living creatures. And it is understandable that you love Glorfindel. He has been like a second father to you most of your life. Have faith in our healers. He will get better, just be there for him."

The younger elf nodded but did not comment, not feeling it to be his place to reveal to his brother about his relationship with the seneschal and the lord of Imladris until he had discussed it with them first. Few knew of their relationship, and Elrond was a very private elf and seldom revealed his personal affairs. Not even the children of Elrond knew, and perhaps that was a good thing. If the twins ever found out about the relationship, they would feel betrayed by their father, especially Elladan, and Legolas had no wish to upset his adoptive family. Thranduil would most likely reveal the relationship to the prince's brothers sooner or later anyway, so there was no hurry to tell them. But Legolas secretly feared his brothers opinion, especially Tallen's. The middle son of Thranduil shared many of his father's perspectives, including same sex relations. Thus a triple bondage would most likely crush him. Tallen always held great respect for both the Imladris lord and his seneschal and Legolas did not wish to relinquish that.

"Now," the eldest prince of Mirkwood continued, guiding his younger brother to lay down on his side. "Be still. I do not wish to hurt you any more than necessary."

Legolas tensed in anticipation and hissed in a sharp breath through his teeth as the needle pierced his sensitive skin, his hands balling into fists and his jaw pressed firmly together with eyes tightly clinched shut. With no drugs available to dull the pain, due to the lack of medicine out of treating the injured involved in the battle, the procedure was far more painful and Legolas was forced to suffer it the whole nine yards. He whimpered as he felt the thread burn his skin as it was slowly weaved in and out of his wounded flesh, the needle continuously biting into his skin with every stitch. He bit his lower lip in attempt to stifle the groans that tried to escape his mouth but could not hold back a yelp as the needle pierced a particularly sensitive area of flesh where the wound was deep and bruised, and he gasped audibly as the thread dragged its fiery course after.

"I know it hurts, muindor-tithen, worry not, I am nearly finished." Legolas gave a short, sharp nod as he pressed his head deeper into the pillow it rested on, his eyebrows knitted together and his eyes still fiercely shut as he tried to block out the pain his body was enduring.

On the final stitch, Legolas breathed a sigh of relief, attempting to ease his heavy panting. Nava snipped the remaining thread and bandaged the arm before he took a fresh wash cloth and soaked it in the water, ringing it after and tenderly dabbed it over his brother's sweaty brow. "Be at ease, Legolas. It is done," Legolas nodded but said nothing, afraid his voice might quaver or sound hoarse. "You should get some rest now, little one."

For several moments Legolas lay unmoving before he reluctantly sat up, rising on unsteady feet. As he pulled his discarded nightgown back over his bare chest, Nava pulled down the covers of his bed and helped his brother lay comfortably before pulling the sheets back over him and snuffed out the candles in the room. Legolas was already half asleep when Nava bent down and placed a brotherly kiss on his forehead, whispering, "Worry not, muindor-tithen. Things will look better in the morning." and with that he left the room, closing the door soundlessly as the little prince’s mind strayed from his body.

~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~~~

Elrond glanced up from his book as a small band decorated with a single sapphire was presented to him in the palm of a pale hand and he glanced up to meet the ice coloured eyes of the Mirkwood king. “I thought you might want this back.”

The lore master nodded, placing his book aside to shift his position in the bed. He winced slightly and was somewhat surprised when Thranduil reached down to help him in a more comfortable sitting arrangement amongst the cushy pillows set behind him. Elrond sighed, returning his gaze to the golden haired elf and gently took the ring from his hold. “Thank you.”

“You are welcome,” the king replied as he watched curiously as the ring immediately disappeared from sight as it was slipped back on to its rightful owner’s finger. “Quite the trouble that little thing has brought to us.”

“It has,” Elrond agreed. “but it was necessary. Had the enemy gotten their hands on it the consequences would have been dire.”

“What I would like to know is how they came to find out that you possessed it in the first place.”

“So would I. But I suppose that is a mystery that will forever be unsolved.”

“So it would seem.” Thranduil muttered. “How are you feeling, Peredhil?”

“As if I was stepped on by an Oliphant, but I am better than I was, thank you.”

Thranduil glanced across the healing wing, his gaze halting on the still form of the Balrog slayer. “What of him? Has he improved much?”

“Nay,” Elrond sighed sadly, momentarily casting his eyes down. “His condition hasn’t gotten any worse, but he has yet to wake.”

The elven king’s next words were a soft whisper meant only for the Peredhil’s ears. “Are you concerned?”

The lore master swallowed, his own gaze remaining locked on his seneschal. “I am very worried for him, yes. But Glorfindel is strong, he will pull through.”

“You must really love him.” Thranduil murmured, and Elrond drew his stare to him.

“I do love him, as does your son. He will be heart broken should he-” the elf lord caught himself, shaking his head as if to rid himself of the thought. “There is no point in dwelling on that now. The Valar did not send him back for nothing, he will be fine.”

“How is it possible, Elrond?” he asked. “How can you share your heart with more than one person? I admit that in my youth I had taken consorts, but I had never truly fell in love until I met my wife… and there has not been another there after.”

A sad smile crept up the Rivendell lord’s lips in silent reverie. “I oft wondered that myself when I had wed Celebrian. How was it possible to love more than one elf? I had heard of triple bonding but I had never once believed that I would be involved in one. Celebrian… she was the only one for me. But then she left and I felt as if my heart had been shattered.” Elrond sighed, shaking his head to himself. “I nearly died of grief, Thranduil, I would have, had Glorfindel not been there for me. I had spent many nights weeping in his arms, but after a while I slowly fell in love again. And then Legolas… dear, sweet little Legolas came to us.”

“A terrible tragedy.” The elven king commented harshly.

“Yes,” Elrond replied. “And no. He healed us, Thranduil, as much as we did him. It was as if we were given a second chance, a chance to raise a family of our own. He brought joy to all our hearts, in helping him heal, we were healed as well. In time we grew to love him, as a son at first, but those feelings slowly evolved.”

“I do not know how a feeling of paternal love could turn to one of romance.”

“Nor would I have thought so, but Thranduil, do you really believe that Legolas would have allowed any other person to claim his heart as we did after what he had suffered through?”

The elven lord was silent, thinking over the question in his mind. These two elves had helped raise Legolas, they were his second family, his mentors, people he had come to rely on and completely trust. “No, I do not.”

“Legolas loves us, Thranduil, as we do him. He is part of us both, and we would never hurt him. And we will only make love to him with his consent.”

“Have you?”

Elrond raised an eyebrow. “Made love? Yes, but I promise you, Thranduil, we have only done so with the utmost gentleness.”

The golden haired elf cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly. “Yes, well, I am glad then. You should get some rest, Elrond, you look as though you are about to collapse.”

“I will, thank you.”

“Can I get anything for you?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. You can have my chambers prepared for me. I would prefer to return there, if it’s not too much trouble. I long for my privacy and I am not entirely comfortable being fussed over in the presence of others.”

Thranduil’s lips quirked in slight amusement. “I will see what I can do… if Lady Galadriel permits it.”

“May the Valar have mercy on me.”

~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~<>~~

The next few days were long and gruelling for the residences of Mirkwood. Together with the help of the Rivendell and Lorien soldiers, Thranduil's folk worked on restoring their homes and his renowned magic gates. Legolas too assisted in repairing the damage, attempting to keep his mind occupied from Glorfindel's condition which remained unchanged. Elrond had been removed to his quarters, but still required long periods of rest to recover. So with so much spare time on his hands, the youngest son of Thranduil offered his services.

Now as Legolas stood side by side with Haldir while the two were repairing one of the gate doors, his gaze wandered over his homeland, scrutinizing the able elves who were lucky enough to only receive minor wounds from the battle. Unfortunately there were not many who escaped unharmed. There were few people on the premises, mostly she-elves and small elflings that were old enough to handle tools. There were few soldiers in the field, most in the infirmary being healed. The prince’s gaze settled on a group of three young elgs, gs, brothers and a younger sister, it looked like, barley waist high. The youngsters seemed to be gathering boulders and sticks from the ground, clearing the paths to the cave’s main entrance and the sight made Legolas' heart wrench. These children should be running and playing in a field of tall grass or building a small fort in a tree, not gathering debris in the aftermath of a war. The innocent, especially children, should not have to taste the bitterness of war when they are too young to even understand the meaning of it. The prince's mind came to wonder if they had escaped the war unharmed. Did they lose anyone? Their father, or an older brother perhaps? Legolas was so deep in thought that he did not realize Haldir was speaking to him until the March warden placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Legolas?"

The young elf jumped at the voice, and immediately focused his attention on Haldir. "I am sorry, mellon-nin, were you speaking to me?"

Haldir released an irritated sigh. "The gate, Legolas, help me lift it."

"Of course, I apologiz wal walking over to the group of elves who stood at the gate wall, ready to pull the rope to raise the massive door, Legolas and Haldir got in line, and giving the order, the soldiers who stood atop the wall prepared to latch it. With the order to pull by the prince, the company of elves began to pull the rope with all their might, and with a number of grunts and heaves, the heavy door slowly rose from the ground.

"Your mind seems to be elsewhere." Haldir breathlessly replied to the prince once they released their hold, leaving it up to the soldiers to now latch the doors firmly in place. The two slowly made their way down the winding path, Legolas' view shifting back to the three elflings he had seen earlier. They were now climbing atop the pile of rocks that had been formed, rocking on the unsteady boulders.

The prince sighed and turned his attention back to Haldir. "This isn't right, Haldir. People should not have to suffer like this."

"I agree, never the less there is nothing we can really do. The cold fact of nature, Legolas, is that war is a common occurrence. It happens for many reasons; power, property, personal beliefs, but no matter what, it cannot be controlled."

"What of diplomacy? Surely it should have some effect."

"There are cases where it does, but unfortunately not all people have the same beliefs and opinions and cannot be motivated."

"But... can they not see that it hurts people?"

Haldir sighed and cast his eyes down. "They can see, they just choose not to."

"I wish it could be different." Legolas mumbled.

"Well," Haldir said. "If all goes as planned, perhaps this new alliance between our realms will have a small impact alone. You know, Legolas, you could be a diplomat and represent your house."

Legolas shook his head. "Nay, I would not suite the roll. Besides, Nava is my father's heir. Such responsibilities would fall on him. He has always been like a second advisor in my family."

"And Tallen is the warrior." at Legolas' nod of the head, Haldir continued. "So where does that leave you?"

Legolas stopped mid-stride, slowly raising his eyes from the path he and Haldir walked. Truth be told, he didn't really know where his feet stood under his father's roof. While Nava was heir, poet and scholar, Tallen was the warrior, captain of the guard, no less as well as an experienced tracker and a fine dancer, though loath to admit it. And while Legolas was unmatched with a bow, and was a fierce fighter, it occurto hto him that he had no real responsibility in his realm.

When Legolas opened his mouth in reply, his voice was cut short by the sound of tumbling rocks, and a high pitched wail soon after. Both elves swung their heads around, their gazes landing on the three young elflings Legolas had been observing earlier.

The little she-elf had apparently slipped off one of the rocks and was now sitting on the sandy ground, tightly clutching her lefee aee and whimpering as tears tracked down her cheeks while her brothers hovered over her, looking panicked and at a loss of what to do. Seeing this, the prince immediately jogged over to them, closely followed by Haldir.

"What happened?" Legolas asked, immediately crouching down to see to the girl's injury.

"It was an accident, my lord," one of the boy's answered. "We were climbing the rocks and she slipped."

The prince nodded, though not taking his eyes off the young form beside him whom, with a small pout on her lips, continued to whimper. "Here, now. Let me see." he said quietly as he gently pulled away the elfling's arm that covered the wound. The cut was not serious, a small scrape at the least but it still bled and the sight alone seemed to upset the child. Looking up into the elfling's bright hazel doe eyes, he smoothed back the wavy hair and tried to reassure her with a small smile. "There now, it doesn't seem too bad. Let's see if we can make it better, alright?" in response the child dragged her sleeve over her nose and nodded. Picking the girl up gently in his arms, Legolas carried her over to a nearby stream and perched on a felled tree, placing her carefully down beside him. "What is your name?" Legolas gently asked.

"Gliraew." was the child's short reply.

Legolasded.ded. "And does your mother know where you are, Gliraew?"

"Uhuh," the girl mumbled. "Nana told us to help with the clean up while she takes care of ada. He was hurt in the fight with the spiders. "

A pang of guilt ran through Legolas at the admission, and he quickly regretted bringing up the subject. He did not wish to burden the child's parents with matters that he could clearly take care of himself but he figured if the girl was injured then her parents would most likely wio kno know. "Do you think your nana would be angry if I brought you home?" the elfling shook her head. "Good, then we shall clean your wound and then I will take you home."

Stretching her tiny leg over his lap with the utmost care, Legolas leant down and dipped his hand in the cool stream, scooping up a handful of water. When the child tried to pull back with a short cry of panic, he gently tried to calm her fears. "Shhh, it’s alright. This is only water, I promise it won’t hurt you."

The little elf flinched as Legolas gently dribbled the water onto the scraped knee and whimpered in fear, but soon calmed as the prince murmured nonsense into her small pointed ear and realized that the water caused no pain at all.

Haldir watched from afar with the girl's brothers, silently smirking to himself as he watched the Thranduilion’s gentle ministrations. Legolas seemed to have a knack for dealing with children as well as animals, he mentally noted.

After Legolas had finished cleaning the elfling's wound, he and Haldir were lead by the girl's brothers to their dwelling at the side of the cave, the girl carried in Legolas' protective embrace. Needless to say, the children’s mother was grateful for their assistance. After a grateful thank you, and an offering of tea, which both elves politely declined, Legolas and Haldir dismissed themselves, waiving goodbye to the three little ones as they turned and left for the palace.

Once the two were out of earshot, Haldir turned to the younger elf, a smirk plastered onto his face. "Not diplomatic, you say?"

"I did nothing commendable."

"Except convince an injured child to allow a complete stranger to tend to her wound, and without the accompaniment of a parent no less."

Legolas scowled at his companion. "I am their prince."

"Aye, but there is no guarantee that she knew that and besides, to a child it would not matter who you are," The young prince rolled his eyes and Haldir sighed. "You may contito dto deny it all you wish, cunneth, but you have a gift. Your wit is sharp and your heart is true. Do not dismiss this so easily. You are capable of great things, Legolas. Use that to your advantage. You said you wished that things could be different and you, my friend, seem to have the power to make that happen. Do not throw that away so lightly."

Legolas was silent, taking the March warden’s words to heart. The two looked up as a hawk cried as it flew across the sky and both noticed the sun beginning to set in the distance. Placing a hand on the prince's shoulder, Haldir motioned for the cave. "Come. It is getting late." the two walked in companionable silence on their trek back to the cave, and secretly Legolas considered his friend's suggestion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Legolas entered Elrond's chambers slowly closing the door behind him, eyes downcast. Lifting his gaze to the elf lord who lay comfortably on the bed, propped up by several pillows and reading an old book, he soundly walked over, his feet scuffing against the floor and his face with a look of dismay catching the attention of his lover who smiled at him. "Well now, why is it that my little Greenleaf looks so discouraged?"

The prince sat on the edge of the bed, removing his boots before carefully snuggling up to Elrond's embrace. "It is nothing. I just... had a strenuous day," he murmured. "Have you heard any good word of Glorfindel's recovery?"

The lore master shook his head. "I am afraid not, penneth. He is not getting any better but nor is he getting any worse."

Legolas nodded sadly against Elrond's chest, trying desperately to ignore the pain in his heart. Changing the subject, he lifted his head slightly to look into his lover's eyes. "Are you in any pain?"

"It is painful to move," Elrond winced as he leaned over to support his weight on one arm. "Very inconvenient for me, as you can see. I cannot even move myself from this bed to relieve myself."

"Have the nurses been neglecting you?" Legolas said albeit a bit angry. "Are they not helping you with--"

"No, no, no. It’s not them," Elrond sighed. "I just-- I would rather not... burden them with my... personal matters."

A slow smile appeared on the prince’s face and he was quite surprised to see Elrond blush. He put a sympathetic hand on the elf lord’s shoulder and gently rubbed it with a hint of amusement. "I will retrieve your chamber pot."

"If you please, Legolas," Elrond awkwardly cleared his throat. "I would rather you helped me to the privy."

Legolas' smirk only seemed to widen and he shook his head slowly. "Confound you and your pride." Elrond spared the younger elf a glare as he pulled down the covers and gently slid his arms under the elf lord's legs and back as if to lift him, but Elrond’s stern voice halted his movement.

"I can walk, penneth."

"But I thought you said it hurts to move."

"Aye, but something about being carried around like an elfling is somewhat unappealing to me and I would prefer to keep what little dignity I have left." Legolas rolled his eyes and let Elrond lean his weight on his shoulder while he wrapped his arm around the wounded elf’s uninjured side."

"Glorfindel was right, healers do make the worst patients," the prince mumbled, earning a glare from Elrond. "Are you sure you would not prefer to change out of your nightgown as well?" he added sarcastically. Elrond's response was a deep glower.

The pair made their treacherous walk down the hall, Elrond limping every step of the way, at times groaning into the prince's shoulder but all the while refusing to let Legolas carry him. Luckily their destination was not far from them and reaching the door, Elrond sighed in relief as he leaned against the wall after the door had been shut, his face contor in in pain as he tried to sooth his injured hip by running a hand it. it. Legolas still supported his shoulders, not fully convinced that Elrond could support his own weight. "Would you like me to leave? Or do you think you will need my help?"

For the second time that day, Elrond's face turned scarlet and he looked awkwardly down at his feet, much reminding Legolas of the shy elfling he had been. Knowing the answer, the prince placed a tender kiss on Elrond's temple. The yoelf elf saw in Elrond's eyes the fear he tried to hide of appearing so vulnerable, and it was understandable considering how independent the elf lord was. He was ancient compared to the prince, an able warrior and a respected lord whom was not accustomed to being so exposed, and the fact of the matter was that he was embarrassed to appear so susceptible. But Elrond had helped him many times in similar situations, all without disgust or pity, and Legolas felt that the favour deserved to be repaid.

Still supporting the lore master around the waist, Legolas used his free hand do pull up his nightgown and stood behind him, letting Elrond's back rest against his chest. "Do you need to sit down, Elrond?"

"No… yes," Elrond rasped, clearly in pain, as well as embarrassed to the extreme. "I just need you to help me." Legolas nodded and guided him to the privy, holding him gently around the waist, the lower half of the gown bunched in his hand and gently sat him down. “Would you please… excuse me?”

“Of course,” the prince nodded, though he was secretly reluctant to leave the elder elf, but Elrond could be painfully modest at times, and he had no intention of causing the lord more embarrassment than necessa“I w“I will wait outside the door. Call for me if you should need help.” Legolas left the small room then, leaving Elrond to relieve himself until he was ca bac back inside. After several moments, a sudden yelp of pain alerted the young elf, and not caring if he was violating elven modesty and privacy, he pulled the door open with a loud creak from the old rusted hinges, to catch view of the Imladris lord struggling to stand on trembling, exhausted legs.

“Elrond,” the blond elf admonished as he hurriedly walked to his side to support him before he fell. The elf lord nodded his thanks to his young lover as he was held beneate are arms from behind though he did not meet his eyes. Legolas merely nuzzled his neck, deciding to save a proper tongue lashing till later. "Now what was so difficult about that?" he teased but immediately regretted it when Elrond frowned and cast his head down in… was that shame? The prince placed an apologetic kiss on his cheek before whispering to him, "Please, nd, nd, it hurts to think you could still be so embarrassed with me after everything we’ve been through. I could never think any less of you, you know that."

The elf lord let out a shuttering sigh. "I know. Forgive me, I just-- I feel so weak, so... vulnerable, like a defenceless child. I do not like this feeling, Legolas."

"Shh, it’s alright. Everything will be alright. I will help you through this, Elrond, just as you have helped me in the past."

Elrond nodded, enjoying the feel of Legolas' body wrapped protectively around him and peered over his shoulder at him. "May we return to my chambers now? Although I am truly enjoying this position, my body is wary and it would be rather awkward if someone were to come in right now and saw us like this in here." Legolas chuckled and nodded, and shifting to Elrond's side they made their way back to the elf lord’s chambers.

Resting Elrond on the bed after they had made their way back to his chambers, with the gentlest of touches, Legolas changed the dressing on the elf lord's wound after closely inspecting it for signs of infection. Satisfied with the healing process, the prince nodded to himself and went about changing the Imladris lord's nightgown but was stopped by a hand on his as he lifted the fresh robe to pull over his head. Legolas looked at him questioningly as the lore master took the clothing from him and tossed it to the bottom of the bed. "Make love to me, Legolas."

For a moment, Legolas looked uncertainly at his lover. "But... your wound--"

"Please," Elrond begged, looking pleadingly into his lover's eyes. "I need you. Too long have I gone without your touch."

Clearly hesitant to hurt his love, but willing to please him, the prince cautiously nodded. Carefully aligning his body against Elrond's, Legolas began with long, passionate kisses, his tongue tracing every contour of the Lore master's delectable, moist m, th, their tongues wrapping together in a fiery, erotic dance. As their mouths lovingly melded together, Legolas slowly dragged his hand down the other elf's naked body, stopping at his chest to flick and tease each nipple, causing goose bumps to raise over the elf lord's flesh and guttural moans to escape his otherwise possessed lips. Lowering his hand fer, er, the prince trailed light fingertips over the Noldorin’s abdomen, tickling the sensitive skin, but carefully avoiding the bandaged wound.

Intentionally avoiding Elrond's hardening member, Legolas, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, began straying to the side, stroking the hips then the inner thighs, only making brief contact with the appealing sac that hung in between. Elrond moaned, begging to be touched as the young prince wantonly teased him.

Finally feeling mercy for the groaning lord beside him, Legolas gently ran his hand up the underside of the lord's proud shaft, tracing the vein with the tips of his fingers and lightly brushing the bald head, smearing the tiny pearl of liquid across the small crease. Elrond's body shuddered at the much needed contact and gasped in delight. Curling his fingers around the base of the lord's erection, the blond elf slowly slid his hand up and back down, enjoying his lover's attempt to buck into the contact, but laid a gentle hand on his uninjured side to still him, concerned that Elrond's movement may cause more harm.

Removing himself from his present position, Legolas kneeled beside his lover, slowly peeling his own tunic and shirt from his well muscled limbs and bare chest. The Peredhil’s eyes raked over the heavenly creature before him, relishing his unremarkable beauty, but he immediately frowned when he noticed the bandage covering the upper arm,entaentarily forgetting about his own passion. "What happened here?" he rasped as he gently brushed over the blood-spotted bandage.

"It is nothing," the prince replied. "A cut across the arm, nothing more."

Elrond did not have time to question further because as soon as he opened his mouth, Legolas pressed his lips against his and found himself in another breathtaking kiss. Soon the prince's lips were reluctantly pulled away from their mates but Elrond sighed contentedl the the kisses trailed down across his body from his jaw, down his neck and down the crease of his pectoral muscles. There the hungry mouth stopped to envelop one hard nipple into its hot form, sucking it greedily, the moist tongue circling and flicking it and soon it was abandoned so its counterpart could receive the same treatment, Elrond's panting a sure sign of his enjoyment.

Legolas soon resumed his course down the taut stomach, pausing to dip his tongue into his lord's naval, and continued down until he reached his final destination. Suddenly feeling very shy, the elfling looked up at Elrond with unsure eyes, whom looked down at him knowingly, trying to calm his laboured breathing. "I... I would like to pleasure all of you with my mouth, Elrond, but... I have never done this before." he admitted with a blush.

Elrond gave his lover a sympathetic and understanding smile. "Hollow your cheeks, Legolas, then bring your mouth down, take in only as much as you can and relax your throat. Start with the tip then slowly work your way down and be mindful of your teeth." Legolas nervously settled in between the elf lord’s legs and slowly brought his head down, immediately tensing when he felt a hand on the back of his neck. "Shh, it is alright, Legolas, I will help guide you. Just relax." Legolas swallowed, licking his dry lips before flicking out a tentative tongue, lapping at the small crevice and grimacing slightly at the salty taste, causing Elrond to chuckle. "Yes, it is an acquired taste, I’m afraid. You will eventually get used to it though."

The prince mentally noted Elrond's words and bashfully continued his ministrations. He took a nervous sigh before securing his lips around the pulsing tip, gently sucking the delicious piece of flesh before doing as Elrond had told him, and hollowed out his cheeks, slowly sliding down his hot, wet mouth. Elrond gasped at the wonderful sensation and fought the urge to thrust into that inviting mouth, keeping in mind Legolas' inexperience in this matter. Reaching down for his lover's hand, the elf lord firmly placed it around the base of his pulsing cock, seeing as if Legolas attempted to swallow him any deeper he would surely gag. The prince was already incredibly overwrought at this new experiment, and Elrond did not wish to make his first experience at doing this particular activity a frightful occurrence by becoming too excited and end up choking him on ecstatic impulse.

As Legolas' mouth continued to pleasure his lover's weeping member, and his hand fondled the twin globes beneath, Elrond's hand's ran themselves through the golden head, shivering in ecstasy and crying out as the prince’s talented tongue ran its way up the pulsing vein and between the slit as his mouth continued to desperately suckle the appreciated flesh like a new born babe latched on to its mother's teat. "Ai, Legolas! If you continue like this I shall surely explode!" Elrond was on the brink, his body shuddering, his heavy panting erratic. Legolas, sensing his release, instantly ceased his actions, releasing the painfully swollen cock from his mouth, earning a frustrated groan from the elf lord.

Legolas smiled mischievously, crawling up the side of the elder elf's body. "What ever happened to your self control, meleth-nin?"

"Legolas Thranduilion, you shall be the death of me!" the prince grinned and Elrond growled. "Remove those accursed leggings, now."

If Legolas had not known the Lord of Imladris better, he would have been frightened by his vicious command, but Elrond had raised Legolas with love and care and had never harmed him in the least. And so the prince knew he had no reason tor hir his guardian and lover and he eagerly obliged to the demand. In one smooth motion Legolas removed both his leggings and breeches at once, exposing his own arousal and firm buttocks, the only physical reminder of his captivity with the orcs being the brand mark below and slightly to the side of his naval. The elfling pushed the painful memories aside for the time being and sighed, and looking at his lustful and passionate lover, he all but pounced back to Elrond's side, and playfully nipped at his lower lip, sneaking his hand down to reclaim the elf lord's prick, but before he could get a firm grasp, the elf lord grabbed his wrist and pulled it back up, kissing the upturned palm. "Ah! No more of that, penneth."

Legolas smiled cheekily. "Do you wish to take me now?"

Elrsmirsmirked. "No, I wish for you to take me."

The prince’s face sobered. "In your condition? But, Elrond, I don't wish to cause you further harm by jostling your body--"

Elrond cupped his lover's face and placed a kiss on the beautiful pink lips before him to silence any further objection. "It is the only way, melethron. I do not have the strength to take you, it would be more strenuous and painful on me." Legolas' nervousness resurfaced in his eyes and Elrond had to smile at the prince's candour. "You are so innocent, Legolas. And everyday I thank Iluvatar for blessing me with you. You will not hurt me, penneth, I swear to you."

The blond elf nodded in reluctant acceptance as his and Elrond's eyes locked. "Very well," Legolas' eyes then shifted uncomfortably. "How shall we do this?"

Elrond shifted onto his uninjured side. "Come up behind me, Legolas, and align your body with mine."

With the utmost care, the younger elf did as he was told spoospooned behind the Eldar, just barely pressing their bodies together. Bringing his hand up to Elrond's lips, the Lore master willingly engulfed two of Legolas' fingers, lapping and moistening them for his own preparation. Releasing his hold on the elegant digits, Elrond willed his body to relax as the younger elf placed hesitant fingers at his puckered entrance. The prince then slowly eased the fingers inside, carefully probing, all the while purposefully lapping at the pointed tip of Elrond's ear to distract his attention, the desired affect causing the elder to shudder in delight. As he continued to tease Elrond's ear with his talented mouth, Legolas delicately eased his fingers out, shifting his body before replacing the tip of his painfully throbbing flesh at the small starburst opening. "Elrond," he whispered into the pointed ear, pausing his ministrations. "I am going to enter you now, are you ready?"

"Ai, Elbereth, yes!" Elrond cried, a chill running down his spine in anticipation.

Legolas nodded before placing a tender kiss on the elf lord's temple. Reaching around in front of him, the younger elf gently pulled Elrond's leg up and hooked it over his own thigh before he grasped his lover's hard flesh, fondling it while continuing his kisses and licks across Elrond's ear and neck, carefully easing his own swollen member into the tight heat and bit back a moan of pleasure as the tight walls surrounded his aching need.

Elrond stiffened at the invasion, and sensing his distress, the younger elf stilled his movements and began pumping his lover’s cock, the desired effect quickly relaxing Elrond as he concentrated on the delicious contact, and while he was distracted, the prince eased the rest of his way in, immediately brushing against the Eldar's prostate and causing a moan to escape his sweet lips. Only when he was certain his lover was not in pain did Legolas begin to gently thrust into him, sucking on his shoulder as he continued to pump Elrond's hard member. The prince's moans and cries of ght ght soon joined those of his mate's and together in a chorus of ecstatic song their bodies melded together as one, Legolas increasing the tempo of his thrusts as his flesh became ever the more needy ,and while he continued to rapidly milk his lover's need, their slim muscular bodies pressed firmly together, confident in their movements now, and slick with perspiration.

Elrond suddenly tensed, and with the combined feeling of Legolas' engorged cock continuously brushing against his prostate, and the firm hand engulfing his own throbbing prick, he soon cried out his lover's name as stars burst behind his clinched eyelids and his hot seed burst from his body, and there he lay panting, sweat rolling down his forehead and his skin flushed.

Legolas trembled as he felt Elrond's muscles contract around his hard shaft as he spent himself across the bed sheets, and thrusting upward one last time, the prince finally allowed his own release, groaning into the elf lord’s shoulder as his own cock pulsed, spurting its remaining drops of cum deep within his lover.

Legolas lifted his head from where it lay nestled against the junction between Elrond's neck and ear, placing tiny kisses over the creature he so lovingly worshipped. Elrond could feel the prince's still rapid heartbeat against his back, while his arm remained draped over his waist and his now limp member still buried within. "Ai, Legolas," he panted breathlessly. "Where did you get your talent?"

Legolas grinned. "I was taught by the most incredible teacher."

"Oh," Elrond mused, a smirk quirking his lips. "And who might that be?"

Legolas giggled into the lord's neck, then craned his head over and stole a kiss from an exhausted Elrond.
Almost forgetting himself, the Sindar gently eased out of his lover and reached down to pull the sheet over them before replacing himself behind Elrond and nuzzling into his neck while wrapping a possessive arm around his waist and allowing the lore master to use his other arm as a pillow. Legolas sighed contentedly. "The hour grows late, perhaps I should return to my chambers."

"No," Elrond mumbled, his mind slowly drifting into unconsciousness. "Stay with me, love. I do not wish to be alone this night."

"What if the nurses come in while we are asleep?"

"Then so be it."

The prince smiled at Elrond's barely audible reply, the raven haired elf clearly already half asleep after their intense exercise. Kissing his lover one last time on the temple, Legolas too settled himself and entered the world of elven dreams.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Prince Legolas has requested a moment of your time, sire."

Thranduil glanced up from the scroll he was now reading at his desk to gaze into the grey eyes of Galion whom was standing in the doorway of his study. With a nod of his head Thranduil motioned to the door. "Send him in, then."

With a low bow to his king, the butler stepped out of the spacious room and soon after the barley audible sound of voices, the youngest prince of Mirkwood occupied his former place. Legolas bowed slightly in respect to his father and king. "Father."

"Good morning, my son." Thranduil noticed the tension in his son's stance and suddenly realized that he was nervous. Wondering what could possibly cause his agitation, but not wishing to pressure Legolas about the unknown situation, he swept his hand over and motioned to the chair that stood in front of his desk opposite to him which Legolas took eagerly. "What may I do for you?"

"Adar..." the prince hesitated. “I wish to speak to you of... a proposal of sorts."

Thranduil's interests piqued, and he raised an eyebrow. "A proposal, you say? And what prompted this?"

"Recently it has come to my attention that here in Mirkwood I have no real obligation as a member of the royal house." Legolas replied, his eyes cast down and his hands wringing together.

"You wish for some form of office? Some long term task?" at Legolas' nod of his head, Thranduil asked, "is there anything of particular interest that has taken your curiosity?"

Legolas bit his lip and swallowed hard before slowly raising his head so that his eyes could meet those twin globes of his father's. "Diplomacy, father. I wish to serve as a representative of our house for future council."

Thranduil was silent for several seconds, doing naught but gazing at his son, his expression unreadable. When he finally opened his mouth he spoke in low volum"I "I see. This position would be beneficial to me, to say the least. With Nava at my side mastering the reign of the kingdom, and Tallen commanding the legion, that leaves little time for either of them to master in the arts of statesmanship, which you certainly seem to have a penchant for."

Legolas smirked. "Haldir said something similar."

The king nodded. "Indeed. It is time that you found your feat in Mirkwood, ion-nin, but the question is, are you willing to live up to your responsibility?"

The younger elf frowned. "Of course, why would I not?"

"Have you truly considered what you are proposing, Legolas? If you choose this path, you must realize that you must resign here for the duration of your time. That means infrequently will you see your beloved Elrond and Glorfindel."

Legolas' face fell, taking on a despairing look. "I had not thought about that."

"As I had assumed," Thranduil sighed. "Legolas, we all knew that once you had reached your coming of age you would have to return home and take on your responsibilities as a prince of Mirkwood. You were expected to return eventually, perhaps that day has finally come. You and I both know you cannot stay in Rivendell for ever, no matter how great your love for that land... for its people is."

The prince looked on with sorrow, his heart now in conflict between the love he held for the lord of Imladris and his seneschal, and his desire to help and protect his people. For as much as he loved the two Noldor elves, he was still a prince first, and had responsibilities to his kingdom to fulfill.

Thranduil too saw the raging emotions in his son's eyes and felt a pang of sympathy go out to him, though he knew there was nothing he could do. This choice was his son's, and his alone. And as much as he knew that Legolas would make the right decision, he could not help but wonder the toll that his heart would suffer at making such a sacrifice for the good of his people. While Nava and Tallen took on the features, as well as the demeanor of their father, Legolas inherited the features of his mother as well as the gentle heart that she possessed, and Thranduil could not help but think of her whenever he looked at him and felt the same heart ache that his youngest son was feeling. No, not the same, for Legolas' love's still lived, which made it all the more difficult. Though they would be capable of seeing each other as much as they wished, duty demanded that they not and Legolas was ever loyal and as much as it pained him, he would not betray his people by abandoning them.

Thranduil was distracted from his brooding by urgent steps racing towards his door. Legolas must have heard them as well, for his eyes stared expectantly at the door. The king of Mirkwood immediately bade entrance at the knocking of the door and Thranduil's chief advisor, along with a nurse from the Halls of Healing, stood shoulder to shoulder, the out of breath nurse clutching tightly to the door frame. "My lord," the nurse panted, trying to regain her heavy breathing. "Lord Glorfindel, he has awoken."

Before Thranduil had a chance to reply, Legolas shot up from his seat and pushed past the two elves in the door frame and quickly dashed down the hall. Thranduil was quick to follow, as he too rose from his chair and beckoned the two other elves to follow.

When Thranduil and the other two elves reached the end of the hall that lead to the infirmary, they intly tly noticed the delicate form of Legolas whom stood stalk still in between the doorway, looking on in seemingly disbelief and from those tender pink lips uttered a single word, in no more than a barely audible whisper. "Glorfindel."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ada/adar: father
nana/naneth: mother
cunneth: princeling
penneth: young one
ion-nin: my son
meleth-nin: my love
melethron: beloved
mellon-nin: my friend
hen-nin: my child
muindor: brother
muindoe tithen: little brother

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*

Wooh, long chapter. Were coming near the end of part one, folks. Soon we'll be moving on to part 2

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~