Forbidden Love {Legolas Love Story}

Chapter 5

Thalia's POV
When the morning came, I knew something was very wrong. Legolas was still resting, and elves don't rest like that for more than a couple of hours. If they do, then they must be very sick. I rushed over to Legolas and gently shook him.
"Legolas, are you feeling any better?" I asked him urgently. He sat up and tried to nod but I could tell what he was truly thinking.
"You're feeling worse, aren't you?" I sighed and tried to think of something. I knew that it was some kind of poison but I didn't know what. I decided to take off the bandage and see for myself. When I unwrapped it a horrible smell greeted me. The wound looked infected- black and swollen. There were no signs of healing, instead it looked worse than before. I knew then that I didn't have the means to treat such an infection. I quickly changed the bandage while Legolas looked frightened.
"Thalia, am I going to die?"
"Not if I can help it," I said with fierce determination. Artemis was packing up and readying the horses so I went and helped her.
"We have to get to Lothlórien. It's our only hope." I told her the grim reality.
"But he isn't strong enough to walk. And we only have two horses." She was looking seriously worried now.
"He will ride with me. You must lead us and take all the shortcuts you know. I think we will need all the time we have."
Artemis nodded. "Lothlórien is famous for its healers and supplies of healing herbs."
"Will they let us in? I mean, I am from Mirkwood."
"And I am a princess of Lothlórien. I also know the guard we will see very well," she said with a wink. "We were very close when I lived there."
"What is his name?" I asked.
"Haldir," Artemis replied, sighing a little. I grinned.
"Alright, the horses are ready," Artemis changed the subject. "Let's get going." Together we boosted Legolas onto Hadron and then Artemis helped me up behind him. She checked everything one last time and then swung herself onto Gil-galad. And with that, we were off. On horseback, we soon reached the Anduin and turned south towards Lothlórien.

That night we paused, having ridden hard all day.
"Do you think we can ride through the night?" Artemis said, swinging down from Gil-galad's back to stretch.
Before I could say anything, Legolas replied, "No." We both looked at him worriedly.
"Why not? Do you need rest or what?" I asked warily.
"Rest," he answered.
Artemis made it clear that she would not argue by kicking off her boots. She took hold of Hadron's mane and led him to a tree stump so that Legolas and I could dismount. I jumped off easily, while Legolas sort of slid off ungracefully. We made a small shelter and Legolas curled up under it. Neither Artemis nor I felt the need to rest, so we sat together and watched the moon rise.
"How far to Lothlórien?" I said after a while.
"Six days if we could ride nights. If we ride fast in daylight we might make it in nine or ten," she replied.
"Are you sure they won't keep me and Legolas out?" I asked fearfully.
"Legolas is related to Lady Galadriel. And if they keep you out I will vouch for you. Haldir will listen to me," she smiled, reaching out to hug me. "Don't worry. I promise I will get you in somehow."

The next morning Legolas was no better. I changed the bandage again, and when I looked around Artemis was missing. My heart rate quickened in fear. To my relief she soon returned, holding a small plant which I immediately recognised.
"Athelas!" I cried happily, taking the herb. "It may not heal him, but it should slow the poison down."
Legolas looked worried but I comforted him as Artemis prepared the horses. We rode off before first light.

We had ridden hard for four days. By now Legolas was not even capable of managing Hadron. It was left to me to guide him. Despite the athelas I had been using, the poison was still moving around his blood. And according to Artemis we were only halfway.
"Please don't die," I whispered to Legolas while he and Artemis were both resting. "We need you. I need you."

After one more day of riding it was all Legolas could do to remain conscious. He was so pale and his skin felt ice cold. Artemis eventually had to tie him to Hadron's neck to stop him falling off. Nothing was working any more, but the one upside was that we could now ride nights.

The next evening we could just see Lothlórien in the distance with our Elvish eyesight. Legolas was getting worse every hour. Now completely unconscious, he'd started thrashing, and I was having trouble keeping him on Hadron's back, despite the rope. He was crying out, too, and each cry tore at my heart. I felt like a failure. This was supposed to be what I was good at!
"I can't keep him on the horse!" I called to Artemis.
"Rest tonight. See if he calms by morning," she replied, already dismounting gracefully. "Besides, we've ridden hard for seven days, with little rest."
I nodded and slid off Hadron's chestnut back, then untied Legolas and, with Artemis' help, got him down. I went into the rest state almost immediately, leaving Artemis to brush Hadron as well as Gil-galad.

Slowly, Lothlórien drew closer. But Legolas worsened by the hour. No longer thrashing and crying out, he hung limply in the ropes holding him. I had never encountered this poison before, but this happened with most. I knew this meant we would lose him soon if we didn't do something. Very soon.
"Artemis!" I called. "We're losing him!"
"Oh no," Artemis replied. "How long do you think he has?"
"A day or two?" I guessed. "How far is Lothlórien?"
"One more day," Artemis answered fearfully. "We must ride fast." And with that she dug her heels into Gil-galad's side and galloped off. I directed Hadron to follow.
"Stay with me, Legolas," I whispered in his ear, though I knew he could not hear me. "You can't leave me. Not now!"