Aragorn found himself in a rather nice house, or what was considered nice in this town's standards. To the ranger, it came across as creepy and disturbing. According to the people he kindly dubbed as kidnappers, this was the doctor's house.

'And they accuse the elves of being sorcerers and witches,' Aragorn thought grumpily. 'Then they do the exact same thing here.'

This was not what Aragorn would call an apothecary or home of a healer. It looked more like a goblin house due to all the garbage and strange objects that hung around the walls and ceiling. Where Aragorn sat now was at a table, waiting for whatever the witch…pardon, 'doctor' was going to give to him.

At least the woman looked somewhat normal.

"Caiside said you were gone for over a month,' she said pleasantly, strangely. It came off as condescending. "Now this enchantment may be stronger because of that, but you'll be back to your senses soon enough."

Aragorn felt like gagging when he stared at the contents in the bowl this possibly unstable woman basically threw onto the table. He swallowed down whatever tried to creep into his mouth. "What even is that?"

"It will help you not see that monster as your friend or whatever," the doctor sounded affronted that he would even question it.

"If it is supposed to make me more aware of things, I do not need to eat it." Aragorn sounded a bit sick while he pushed the container away.

The woman scowled. "Confound those fairies and the aelf!" she slapped a hand on the wood and scurried off to grab something else. "I feel bad for every harmed soul, sir, and though you do not live here, I pity you just the same."

"The feeling is mutual," the ranger replied dully.

"What? We are not the evil ones! We just want to live our lives without being bothered by those creatures!" The other human placed a book on the table.

Aragorn stared at that too. "The elves do nothing but try to live their lives as well. I doubt they come near your villages so often like you think they do."

The doctor half glared as she considered this outsider. She then smiled compassionately and put a hand on his head. Aragorn had to force all his willpower to not jerk away. "You have been indoctrinated, no? Do not worry, sir, you will not be their slave anymore." She opened the book to a page.

The drawing depicted an elf-either Thôndir or Legolas-if they were corrupted. Along with the vines, slime dripped from their clothes, an evil looking glow surrounded their body, grinning sadistically.

Aragorn blinked slowly, disturbed, though he had to keep a face-up. These people thought he was crazy already, even though he was not. At least he hoped not. "What exactly are you trying to do?"

"You see this fairy as a beautiful creature, no?"

Aragorn felt something inside of him die. "My friend is not a grotesque monster like this if that is what you are asking."

"But it is! It is a dangerous, ugly monster that everyone should stay away from!" The doctor replied vehemently before she calmed a bit. "I mean, I did catch a glimpse of it and…" she sighed like she was going to swoon.

Aragorn snorted and a smirk got on his face. The antics of women when faced with a handsome looking male...

"No," she hissed and snapped out of it-though Aragorn could tell she was in denial. The look she gave him made him nervous though. "It is not your friend. You think it is, but you're its slave. In time you will be freed by my practices!"

"How do you know if I am infectious or not?" the ranger questioned innocently, wanting to have a bit of fun in this awkward and possibly fatal encounter.

The woman stared at the ranger like the thought never came to her. "You are right. It is spreading! Please, come back later once I put the garlic and mistletoe around here."

Aragorn left the building like he was being chased by a mad dog. He sighed in relief and walked away from the isolated hut to the village. The dúnadan did not see where they took Legolas to, and something told him it would be no simple search. The man had a whole town against him. They thought him an enchanted delusional who did not know what he was talking about.

Aragorn sighed helplessly as he entered the square, ignoring the words of concern and well-wishing from the residents. These people did not mean harm, but they were exceedingly misinformed.

"Are you cured?" the woodworker asked like it meant so much to him to know.

"I will be," Aragorn decided to be vague. He would remain honest, though being blatant about it will not help him now.

The other human sighed in relief. "I told you not to go there, but it no longer matters. I hope you will not have nightmares or scarred for the rest of your life because of this."

This Aragorn could not be vague about. "I think I have been scarred for life somewhat."

"Ohh," the villager agonized. "Please, it is not much, but take this when you are able to leave. Just stay away from the forest this time, alright?"

Aragorn grabbed the satchel as it was thrust into his arms practically. "Thank you," he answered without much sincerity and walked back to where he came.

The ranger found a place to think in peace. The situation weighed heavily on Aragorn's mind, and gazing into the forest, he came to multiple conclusions. Legolas would be alright if Aragorn simply left. The elf had gone through this many times before, and eventually, he would be saved by his brothers or wingman.

"You fool," Aragorn growled aloud. "What sort of thoughts are these? He is your friend, who had given you much when you did not. Yes, with the ideas these villagers have about me it will not be easy, but…"

'I cannot simply abandon him when he has been given wrong impressions of men already.' Aragorn finished mentally.

Aragorn did not want to lose this special friendship with the prince. At the same time, this could be a chance to prove men's ability to be trustworthy and reliable to the silvan of Greenwood. The second reason was more of hoping too much, and the elves trusted the Dalemen well enough, thus made the idea void. But Aragorn would not leave, even if these villagers tossed him out.

The man steeled his resolve and stood up. Looking to the sky, Aragorn saw it was close to evening. He grimaced when he remembered the "appointment" with the doctor. If he did not go, she would tell the other folk about it, and it would add to their suspicion if he were caught in the village still. The one loophole he could use though was the woman did not specify a time when he should come back to see if she was done.

To be safe, Aragorn reasoned, he would go back when the sun dipped over the horizon. This would give him plenty of time to look for potential holding places.

Aragorn walked again among the folk trying to appear normal in their eyes. They regarded him warily and with concern, but for the most part let him be. Seeing the satchel he carried, they assumed he would leave soon. Discreetly, the ranger glanced at the buildings, and annoyance crossed his face seeing that they all looked the same. He would have to look behind them and get up close if he was to find anything worthwhile.

'The only thing I have to go off of is a cellar, from what Legolas told me of that one mishap…' Aragorn mused.

Yet would they house what they deem a high threat in any home? The most secure house or cellar would be more likely, and Aragorn did not think they would keep a "dangerous creature" near their leader's house. He would ask where the mayor or chieftain lived, hopefully without causing alarm.

Aragorn delayed in asking that question though, deciding to look near the walls first and barely get a glimpse in the back. Out of all the houses, only four had ground-doors that would lead to a storage area. One though-

"What are you doing?" someone interrupted his line of thought.

Aragorn spun on his heel to face what looked like the town guard. "I am seeing what there is to see," he answered.

"For?" the guard pressed.

Aragorn quickly tried to find an excuse for him snooping around. "I have…" the ranger looked down at his belt, and his eyes lit up in rage.

The sword Thôndir gave him was gone.

"I seem to have misplaced my weapon," Aragorn answered as calmly as possible in spite of this new revelation.

"That totem of unluckiness?" The guard scoffed nervously. "That and the other trinkets that imp had are going to be destroyed."

Aragorn blinked a few times. "Where would-"

"I was told not to tell victims where those things are, sir. Can't trust you with the chance of you freeing the sprite and then enslaving us all."

The ranger nodded slowly after being interrupted. "Of course," he said blandly. "May I ask whose house this is?"

"No ones. It's the feast hall, largest and securest storage we have."

That information made Aragorn brighten. He smiled to himself before he plastered an uninterested expression on his face. The guard gave him a strange look at that. "I see. It would be good for us to carry on our way, yes?" Aragorn tried to brush it away.

"Do you need someplace to stay," the guard asked oddly. "The doctor says the enchantments make you stay awake beyond what we mortals are capable of. People can die from exhaustion."

Aragorn lost his fake cheeriness at that. "I have to see your…healer, soon. I am sure she would be more than happy to accommodate me."

"Right then," the guard replied awkwardly after some silence. "Good night, sir."

Aragorn stayed put and watched the man walked away. Quickly looking left and right the ranger turned back to the cellar doors and pulled on the handles, praying they would not be locked.

They were.

Aragorn growled again and pressed an ear against the wood. He had no reason why, but…footsteps? He could hear a muffled voice, but he did not know the tone nor the owner. The ranger kept this position while looking up once in a while to make sure no one else was coming. He heard the footsteps get closer to the doors, and swiftly Aragorn got off the wood. He laid in the grass next to the cobblestone right when the cellar doors shot open, and a frazzled guardsman stepped out.

"Why do they expect me to watch the thing?! I am not cut out for this! It keeps staring into my soul!"

Aragorn raised his head, relieved the other man did not turn to look in this direction nor bothered to lock the doors again. He got up and lifted the wood up before descending into the dark cellar. He felt glad seeing it was well maintained, for the elf's sake more than anything. Aragorn did not say anything as he strode across the underground portion of the feast hall. He saw another door and came to it, peering through the hole found at the center.

Inside the smaller chamber was Legolas: chained at various places in a corner, still gagged, and asleep.

"Legolas," Aragorn beseeched as he pulled on the knob. This remained locked, making the ranger sigh. He quickly searched for some sort of metal wire to use to pick the lock, or a sharp object to stab at the wood enough for the door to loosen, without making it evident that someone had tampered with it. Though he searched the cellar, he did not find any small enough tool to wedge into the lock. Aragorn resorted to the satchel he was given and delved through its contents. He nearly gave up when he found a nail at the bottom.

Aragorn picked up the object, dumbfounded and confused. Was this intentional or forgotten? If this was intentional, the dúnadan had a difficult time deciding if the woodworker was incredibly stupid or smart for doing so.

"Stop being surprised," Aragorn reminded himself aloud. "Nothing makes sense anymore, especially after this disaster," he muttered. For all that mattered, he had what he needed to pick the lock.

The ranger did quick work with it after smashing the end to bend a little, and the lock was not a hard mechanism to trick. The door swung open, and Aragorn's eyes watered, overwhelmed with the scent of very aromatic herbs that were present in the chamber.

Aragorn did not let that stop him, moving quickly to where Legolas was. The man frowned seeing the chains at his ankles, wrists, chest, and neck even. That would be no easy thing to unravel, and there were no locks that he could see. He would worry about that later. "Mellon, wake up," Aragorn spoke concernedly while he ripped the gag off in one swoop.

Legolas had his mouth somewhat ajar, not fully registering that the object preventing him from closing it completely was gone. The elf came aware somewhat and opened his eyes.

Aragorn grinned happily, "Hello there."

"What is wrong with your face," Legolas spoke roughly and groggily.

"If you are referring to my nose being crooked or half its original size, or you see things differently, blame it on the plants they have stuffed this room with." To make a point the mortal sniffed.

"I told you that is what they always do," Legolas shifted a bit and made the chains rattle. The elf then grinned, but this smile was different from the rest. Aragorn this time could classify it as a very peeved elf or being high on something. "They always do it! Can they not get creative every once in a while?" the prince rambled and then started laughing angrily-if it was possible. "I'll kill them! I will kick them with my fists and-!"

"Not so loud. I do not know when a replacement is coming, but I do not want to draw attention here." Aragorn clamped a hand over Legolas' mouth, at the moment glad for the restraints. The prince shot him a hard glare in response. A minute later and Aragorn allowed his friend to speak again.

"Do forgive me for my tirades here, you have those sedatives to thank." Legolas retorted in a second of clarity with a jerk of his head. "You may want to step outside every once in a while if you want to stay awake."

When Aragorn received that information, a wave of dizziness hit him. He nodded vaguely. "Right…" he said and walked out of the room.

"Do not forget to close the door behind you!" Legolas again raised his voice.

"I am not leaving yet," Aragorn answered patiently as he took a few deep breaths of the somewhat cleaner air. The plant's odor would eventually spread to the rest of the cellar if that door remained opened for too long. Turning around and entering, he was welcome with a bored looking elf.

"How nice of you to join me."

"Try to drop the sarcasm, Legolas. Help me here." Aragorn requested evenly and held a bit of the chain.

The prince shook his head and lifted his chin up dramatically. "Nay, I have done what you told me to do! Go, leave me to my suffering-I will waste away to nothing till my saviors come again!"

"I am not leaving you," Aragorn told his drugged companion.

"Oh yes, you are-you all do!" Legolas spat. "It is a selfish, selfish world." He blinked and looked up at Aragorn.

"There is a problem with that because they happen to have my sword, along with your cloak and equipment." The ranger informed

"Do I own that sword?"

"No," Aragorn stepped out of the room again for a couple of minutes.

"You left," Legolas said matter of fact once Aragorn came back, pouting. "I told you."

"You also told me to leave once in a while if I want to stay awake," Aragorn sighed. "Help me, Legolas, so I can help you."

The elf appeared skeptical and uncharacteristically distrusting toward the human he proclaimed to be his friend. "Well, you cannot help me. These mortals are stupid, sure, but they are crafty little-"

"Yes," Aragorn interrupted. "The chains. How can I remove them? They have been made with the design of being closed shut without the ability to be reopened."

Legolas tilted his head back as he tried to think through his fogged brain. "That depends. Smash the connections with a heavy boulder, which you are incapable of doing, or heat one of our elf blades. They are magic after all."

"You mean I should melt them?" Aragorn asked while stepping out…again. He made that conclusion already, but speaking to the only other person he could trust in this place eased his frustrations.

"I know some blacksmith tools can do just the same. And let me tell you about all the times I had to get things melted off me. Most unpleasant you know."

"I can imagine."

Legolas leaned forward to try and see Aragorn beyond the corner. "Those are some more helpful facts from your dear elf here. I am not saying any of it works, but it might."

Aragorn thought about the options. The less back-breaking way would be trying to heat the metal off. The ranger went back into the suffocating chamber to examine the bindings more closely, trying to come up with better alternatives.

"I have to give it to you, Estel, watching you go back and forth is most amusing," Legolas mentioned while he chuckled stupidly.

"I am glad to make your suffering more bearable," Aragorn replied, noticing his voice also beginning to sound off. He sighed and stepped back a final time. "I will leave you for a while, my friend, but I will come back. There is an appointment that I did not consent to that I must attend, and when I do come back, I will have our stuff with me."

"Hmm," Legolas acknowledged tiredly as he expressed annoyance again.

"I swear I will not leave without you." Aragorn reiterated with a frown. "This is the least I can do in payment to what you and your people have done for me."

Legolas blinked at those words while the dúnadan made motion to leave. The mortal disposed of the plants on the way out, but he closed the door again. The prince sat in the corner alone…

"He left," he said to no one. Silence for ten minutes. "I am lonely."

A/N One can probably tell I had fun with this chapter...and I was meaning to have it be a bit more serious and maybe suspense building, but I wanted to torment Aragorn more with this wacky adventure. :P The poor man is just on a wild ride, and now Legolas gets to suffer with him. Speaking of the elf, that too I wanted to be more serious and touching, though that'll happen in the near future me thinks.

The quality: this goes back to my comment of it could have been suspense building. For one I have not really done this sort of thing in this setting, or without other people being involved in a role play setting. Part of the struggle comes because the villagers/antagonists aren't necessarily evil like in a lot of "Legolas/Aragorn gets captured and then needs to be rescued by one or the other" stories, so the desperation effect is not really present. Aragorn doesn't need nor really wants to kill anyone here. He just wants to get in and out with his baggage...I mean friend. Think of it like Link from Twilight Princess trying to sneak around as a wolf in a good aligned city, but once he is seen you have to go somewhere else away from that lookout. :P

If I did somehow create suspense, then your welcome for managing to do so for you.

Also...my humor is rather simple. The idea of them trying to have a conversation with Aragorn going in and out all the time is funny to me. Sort of similar to Thor in Ragnarok at the beginning.