Niphredil Elentary (Legolas love story) / first book

Chapter 17: Feelings

Doom. Grief at last wholly overcame them, and they wept long: some standing and silent, some cast upon the ground.

Niphredil fell to the ground. The right side of her clothes was soaked in her blood. But her grief was more than her pain. Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli knelt beside her. Legolas pulled out some cloth and pressed them to her wound from both sides and let the remaining of his power to flow in her. Niphredil's pain and bleeding decreased instantly. Aragorn and Gimli helped Legolas to bandage her shoulder.

"we have to leave here before the sunset." Said Niphredil weakly. "Aragorn, lead us to Lothlórien. We have to reach there soon."

Aragorn nodded and stood and went to the others. "but you have to rest, lassie. You have lost too much blood." said Gimli, concerned.

"I can walk. Don't be worry about me. I'm an elf." Said Niphredil.

"Boromir, get them up." Called Aragorn. "Give them a moment, for pity's sake!" yelled Boromir in response.

"By nightfall, these hills will be swarming with Orcs. We must reach the woods of Lothlórien. Come, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, get them up." replied Aragorn.

Gimli and Legolas helped Niphredil to stand on her feet and Gimli went to the other hobbits.

"Niphredil. Let me carry you. You must rest." Said Legolas worried. Niphredil shook her head. "No. you are tired too. You need your strength. I can manage." Said Niphredil.

A few minutes later, the Company went down the road from the Gates. Legolas looked at Niphredil who was walking beside him. she had wrapped her cloak around her. No sign of pain cloud be seen in her features, but she was too pale. Even if she had any pain, she refused to show it.

They had a short pause near the Kheled-zâram lake and then continued their way. The road now turned south and went quickly downwards, running out from between the arms of the dale. Some way below the mere they came on a deep well of water, clear as crystal, from which a freshet fell over a stone lip and ran glistening and gurgling down a steep rocky channel.

"Here is the spring from which the Silverlode rises," said Gimli. "Do not drink of it! It is icy cold. Soon it becomes a swift river, and it gathers water from many other mountain-streams" said Aragorn. "Our road leads beside it for many miles. For I shall take you by the road that Gandalf chose, and first I hope to come to the woods where the Silverlode flows into the Great River – out yonder." They looked as he pointed, and before them, they could see the stream leaping down to the trough of the valley, and then running on and away into the lower lands, until it was lost in a golden haze.

While they were talking, Niphredil went to the well and cupped some water in her hand and splashed it to her hot face. The water was freezing and she shivered but it helped her a lot. She didn't show anything, but each passing minute she felt worse. She was sure she had a fever.

"Niphredil! Are you fine? We can take a break." Asked Legolas, his eyes filled with worry and fear for her life. Everyone was watching her. Niphredil shook her head. "we must reach the woods by nightfall. I can manage. Let's go." She said and began to walk soon followed by others. For some time Frodo and Sam managed to keep up with the others, but Aragorn was leading them at a great pace, and after a while, they lagged behind. They had eaten nothing since the early morning. At last Legolas turned, and seeing them now far behind, he spoke to Aragorn. The others halted, and Aragorn ran back, calling to Boromir to come with him. "I am sorry, Frodo!" he cried, full of concern. "So much has happened this day and we have such need of haste, that I have forgotten that you were hurt, and Sam too. You should have spoken. We have done nothing to ease you, as we ought, though all the orcs of Moria were after us. Come now! A little further on there is a place where we can rest for a little. There I will do what I can for you. Come, Boromir! We will carry them."

So Boromir and Aragorn carried them. Soon afterwards they came upon another stream that ran down from the west and joined its bubbling water with the hurrying Silverlode. Together they plunged over a fall of green-hued stone, and foamed down into a dell. About it stood fir-trees, short and bent, and its sides were steep and clothed with harts-tongue and shrubs of whortle-berry. At the bottom there was a level space through which the stream flowed noisily over shining pebbles. Here they rested. It was now nearly three hours after noon, and they had come only a few miles from the Gates. Already the sun was westering.

Niphredil slid down near a tree and leaned against its trunk and clenched her shoulder. She was trembling hard and her vision was blurry. Legolas was beside her instantly. He touched her forehead. "you are burning." He said with deep concern. Niphredil couldn't take it more. She was almost unconscious. She felt someone helped her to lie down and sensed the smell of Athelas and then the darkness took her.

***

Legolas was worried beyond measure. Niphredil was unconscious and had a high fever. He wiped the beads of sweat from her beautiful face. Gimli had helped him to clean the wound and bandage it again. She was bleeding again. The old bandage was soaked in blood. That only means one thing. The blade was poisonous. She needed help and needed it soon.

Aragorn sat near him. "how's she?" he asked quietly. "we have to take her to Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn. She has been poisoned. It's killing her." answered Legolas, not taking his eyes off of her. He felt a swirling storm inside. He had failed to protect her. His heart was aching from seeing her in this condition. "I can carry her." they heard Boromir and turned to him. Legolas furrowed. "I can carry her myself. Thank you, Boromir." He said coldly.

"I just wanted to help. We must leave soon. I'm going to help the hobbits." Said Boromir and left. Legolas looked at his back. Something was in Boromir's eyes when he was looking at Niphredil that Legolas didn't like at all. Aragorn patted his shoulder and went to help the others.

Legolas lifted Niphredil in his arms. she was lighter than the last time. She wiggled a little and moaned. "just hold on a little more, Elentary. We are going to arrive soon." He whispered near her ear and then kissed it.

Slowly he was getting sure of his feelings. It seemed he had fallen for Niphredil Elentary.