Festering Darkness

A Soldier's Duty

__King Thranduil's Point of View__

He didn't understand and there's no way I could make him do so. I watched him from behind the cover of a willow tree as he tried to take another shot. Like the ones before, it landed slightly to the right, not a bad shot from the standards of an average bowman, but my son was well above that and the whole kingdom knew it.

I was late, the dew had already sprinkled the grass in a misted shower of water. He didn't know I had come, or if he did, he didn't show it. His brow was furrowed and his movements were far from smooth. I watched as he emptied his quiver again, only hitting the center a few times. He huffed and marched to retrieve them, the moonlight giving just enough for me to see how his clothes stuck to his back, soaked in sweat. My heart sank. I thought he was healing.

He came back, standing poised with an arrow ready. I let him empty it before I lifted the willow's limp boughs and stepped out of the shadows. "I thought you might be out here."

He jumped and something twisted in my gut. "Adar," he said with the slight bow of his head. "I--I couldn't sleep, so I thought I would practice a bit. What are you still doing up?"

I stepped closer and I could hear his heavy breathing and see the way his hair stuck to his skin. It wasn't even warm out. "I was looking for you," I answered and tried my hardest to swallow the steadily forming lump in the back of my throat. "I wanted to see you before I turned in but you were gone."

He looked away. "I apologize, Adar. I didn't mean to cause you any inconvenience."

I shook my head and waved away the apology. "The only thing you should be apologizing for is worrying me. I'm not sure you should be out shooting yet? Did the healers give you clearance?"

Legolas tucked in his lips and fiddled with his bowstring. "Not exactly. I feel fine though, really. I'm just tired of being tired of being inside, adar. I need to get back out into the field. My men need me."

I took a step forward with a sad smile and placed my hands on his shoulders. He tensed at the gesture but I let it go. "I know they do, ion. But they need you hale and whole. Coming back injured will only lead to them having to carry you back again and that will not help anyone, least of all you. There is no shame in taking rest, even in times of war."

He nodded, but I could tell by the way he held himself tall, almost defiant, that he hadn't truly grasped a word I said. He didn't understand the weight of what he was trying to do. Going back now would likely get him and others killed. The thought made my blood cold.

He shivered and I let go of him. "Come. I think that's enough practice for one night." I reached down and took the bow from his hands. He let me have it reluctantly and followed me back inside.

I helped him back to bed as his strength left him. It made me nervous. I hadn't spoken with the healers recently, but spider venom shouldn't have taken this long to recover from. I didn't comment on it though and sat down beside him after tossing him another shirt to change into and laying the covers over his shivering body.

I placed my hand on his forehead only to find it burning. My lips parted in shock as I drew my hand away.

"I'm fine, Adar. It will pass I'm sure. I probably just overdid it a little." He let out a breath and a cough came with it. I frowned. He hadn't had a fever in days... He should have been over it by now.

"I'm sorry, Ion nin. But the healers need to know of this. It's not normal and you know it."

He opened his mouth to respond, but coughed again instead, wet and rattling, the sound quaking my very core. I turned towards the door and stepped out, calling over the closest servant and ordering her to retrieve a healer immediately. She scurried off and I returned to my son's side.