TITLE: Shadows (1/2)
AUTHOR: Thalisirwen
RATING: PG13
SPOILERS: None
SUMMARY: Strange things are afoot in Mirkwood...and what has happened to Legolas?
NOTES: First un-slash, un-'ship fic. Galanwen is an original character. Please excuse any bad elvish, if you find a mistake, please email the correction!
DISCLAIMER: Middle-Earth, Mirkwood, Characters etc, are not my creation, they belong to Tolkien. However, Don't sue, I'm broke.
Mirkwood's favourite prince had returned, and there was much celebration. It had been a long time since Legolas had been in his kingdom, and he had been greatly missed by those around him.
But something was different about him. He was unhealthily pale, yet his alabaster skin seemed to radiate life, and his eyes shone with a light never seen before. Never had the elf looked so...so alive.
Thranduil was worried by the change in his son, this was obvious to many of his subjects. Legolas used to be a happy soul, always joining in festivities, walking through the sunlit gardens, and was always smiling, greeting others as if they were his greatest friend. But many moons had passed since the elf last smiled. Now, he only walked at night, barely acknowledging the other elves around him. He moved so stealthily, that now not even the most talented elven tracker could follow him.
Thranduil knew this, for he had been worried about Legolas's whereabouts during the night. Several times had he seen his son disappear into the dangerous woodland after dark, not returning until almost sunrise, then retiring to his room for the day. A maid had once worriedly reported 'I cannot clean Prince Legolas's room, for he sleeps all day and cannot be woken,"
"Clean it during the night then," the king had replied, muttering to himself "He'll be out at night."
He never saw that maid again, her family did not know where she had gone. Rumours around the palace were that she had run off with a stable hand who had gone missing several days before.
So Thranduil had called for the best trackers in his kingdom, and sent them to follow his beloved son on his nightly trips out of the palace. So far, three trackers had been sent out to follow Legolas. One reported he had followed the elf far into the forest, then he had simply lost all trace of him, as if he had never been there. Another elf claimed that Legolas had disappeared the moment he entered the forest, no sight, sound, sign or scent of him showing his way. The third elf, and the last who had been sent out, wasn't seen alive again. He was found, dead, suspended from a spiders web. The group of hunters sent to find him had killed the spider, cutting the lifeless form down and carrying the body respectfully back to the palace. Later examination showed where the spider had injected the elf with poison. A strange thing noticed by a healer, was that the body had no blood in it. Everyone supposed the spider had merely drunk it, and the spiders were cursed and hated more than ever.
Severely vexed by this unexpected death, and the sudden disappearances of several more elves, Thranduil assembled an army of warriors to go into the forest and kill every spider they came across. A great many spiders were killed, yet sadly few warriors returned. Those that did looked pale and tired, sleeping for days after their return. When quizzed about what had happened, none of them could remember much.
Several claimed to have heard strange growls in the forest, going to investigate, and then waking up later in a clearing. But either most or all of the spiders had been killed, they were sure of it. Again, the bodies found were drained of blood, with the same puncture marks where the spiders had bitten.
Despite the slaughter of the spiders, people still continued to disappear.
*********
A strange hush had fallen on the kingdom. No longer did the elves dance and sing; they walked cautiously and hurried about their business. After sunset, none went out, and not a window or door was left unlocked. Everyone lived in fear, fear of being the next one to disappear, to be caught by the spiders, or whatever was out there.
Unbeknownst to many, another group had been sent into the forest, and had found nothing but dead bodies of the spiders and other creatures of the forest. The spiders were gone for good. There was something else to deal with.
Thranduil sighed on hearing this news. He was feeling too old for this. The Grey Havens called to him, and he longed to see the faces of those who had passed there before him: his wife, his mother, and his father. Yet Mirkwood needed a king. Legolas was the obvious successor, for all who knew him truly loved him. But Legolas was no longer the son Thranduil knew and loved. He had changed. Things were different to how they had been before the elf had left. The king had not seen his son for many months; for the young elf had always been sleeping during the day, a sleep that he could not be awoken from. After dark, the elf disappeared. Never did anyone see him leave the room, neither by door nor window, yet when the room was opened, Legolas was not there. Food sent up was left uneaten, the decanter of water left on the table remained there untouched, the water slowly evaporating. Healers, called to check on him during one day when the elf seemed particularly motionless, claimed they could find nothing wrong with him, despite his paleness, and that he seemed healthier than ever. Yet they could not explain the elf's state of sleep, nor how or why he continued to disappear all night. Increasingly worried, Thranduil had even placed someone in his son's room, to watch over him. Still Legolas went out. The guard had reported, "One minute he was there, then he was not...it was if he had never been there."
The king eventually decided that he, himself, would watch over his son. Reclining in a chair brought into the room, Thranduil settled down for the night, his eyes never leaving the bed where his son lay. Then as if a dream, he saw his son dissolve away, like a mirage. Jumping up and staring at the empty space on the bed, he shouted for guards. They rushed in, weapons to hand, then stopped, looking startled at the empty bed.
Thranduil stood looking a little confused, then turned to the elves behind him. "Send out a search party. Find my son." He ordered "And send out a messenger to Lord Elrond as soon as the sun rises. Tell him it is a matter of extreme urgency, get him to come at once. We need his help."
The guards nodded, then saluted, leaving the room.
Thranduil sank down onto the edge of the bed, holding his head in his hands,
"My son..." he whispered to himself, "Where is my son?"
***********
Thranduil awoke with a start. He blinked a few times, trying to clear the blurriness from his red-rimmed eyes. A young elf maid stood before him, looking anxious. "Your majesty?"
He peered at her as the blurriness left his eyes. "Yes?" he asked tiredly.
"A messenger has been sent out to Lord Elrond as you requested..." she trailed off, as if there was something else she did not wish to say.
"What else?" inquired Thranduil, seeing that she was keeping something from him.
She sighed, and looked at the floor. "The search party have returned...they cannot find Prince Legolas anywhere."
Thranduil studied his hands which la folded in his lap. "Thank you," he eventually sighed, wordlessly dismissing the elf maid. Glancing up, he saw she was still standing there, biting her lip and looking as if she'd like to say something more.
"Is there something else?"
"Well sire, I...I know it's a bit forward of me, and something I shouldn't ask, but...Prince Legolas...he's...he's going to be alright, isn't he?"
Thranduil gazed at the girl, her clear green eyes showing nothing but true anxiety, and told of a sadness Thranduil had believed only he felt. Dark shadows blemished the skin under her eyes, suggesting that the girl had lost a great many hours sleep worrying.
"You're very...*fond* of my son, aren't you...what is you're name again?" he enquired. The girl looked a little flustered at his questions, and wrung her hands as she answered, "My name is Galanwen, and yes, sire, I admit I am fond of Prince Legolas...many are." She shuffled her feet and turned her eyes to the floor again, her cheeks turning a little red.
"Let me tell you something, Galanwen," Thranduil began. "But you must promise not to repeat this to anyone." The maiden nodded, and Thranduil began. "I'm sure you have noticed a change that has taken place in Legolas. The healers claim there is nothing wrong with him, he is at the peak of physical health. Yet no one can explain why he sleeps so long. Over the past few months he was retreated further and further into himself. He never smiles, never speaks, he doesn't eat anything sent to his room, yet he still musters the strength to disappear into the night, and not return until just before sunrise. I saw my own son disappear before my very eyes, just...just *vanish* into thin air, like a ghost. Now he has disappeared, and the sun is up, yet my son has not returned.
"You ask if he is going to be alright, yet I myself do not know. I'm beginning to think..." he paused, and sighed heavily. "I'm beginning to think that the person we've been seeing these past few months..." He trailed off and turned away shaking his head, gazing out of the window towards the trees in the distance, not wishing the elf maid to see the tears that were threatening to roll down his cheeks. "...its not Legolas."
***********
A knock at the door disturbed Elrond from his reverie. "Come," he commanded.
The door opened and an elf entered, dressed in the colours of Mirkwood.
"Yes?"
The elf bowed to the lord, and stood to attention, speaking quickly, "His highness King Thranduil has sent a message, asking that you come immediately, for it is a matter of extreme urgency."
Hearing the urgency in the elf's own voice, Elrond stood up, and began to leave the room, motioning for the messenger to follow. "Do you know what the problem is?" he inquired as he walked hastily along the hall his robes flowing behind him.
"I know not sir," the messenger replied, "although I can guess, it may be about the many disappearances in Mirkwood...or it could be about Legolas."
Elrond stopped in his tracks. "Legolas?"
"Yes sir, it seems something is wrong with him. He behaves strangely, goes out at night and does not return until day. King Thranduil appears very worried."
A concerned expression spread across the older elf's features. "And what of these disappearances you speak of?" he asked
"Many of the Mirkwood residents have disappeared. Little trace can be found of them, although some..." the elf paused and swallowed as if some painful memory was coming back to him "Some were found in the forest, dead. It looked as if the spiders had got them, for they all had puncture wounds like those the spiders would make. But believe me, sir, I've seen wounds inflicted by spiders, and I've seen the wounds on the bodies with my own eyes. Those were not made by the spiders."
"How can you be so sure?"
"His Majesty sent out a great many warriors to kill the spiders, they are long gone. Those that remained have left, for there is no sign of them. There is something strange about the bodies of the elves we found in the forest though...they had no blood."
Glancing over his shoulder, the messengers worry-stricken face informed Elrond that every word was true.
"Be outside at the stables and ready to leave for Mirkwood. And tell the stable hand to prepare my horse," he ordered the messenger, and waved for him to leave. The he called to a maid walking down the hall. "Go to the kitchens and have the cook prepare a package of food to sustain two for the journey to Mirkwood. Have someone deliver it to the stables as soon as possible."
With that, Elrond dashed to his rooms and sorted a pack to take with him. In afterthought, he pulled a book from the shelves that stood in the corner, adding them to the pack, then pulling out a small wooden box from under his bed and pushing it into the top of the pack. He then picked up his sword from the corner, grabbing his pack as he left the room.
********
Thranduil paced the hallway. Something was not right. Elrond should have arrived by now. The deaths and disappearances had suddenly stopped. Legolas had been the last one to disappear. The kingdom had grown evermore silent in the past weeks. Once the halls rang with the laughter of his subjects, music ebbing and flowing on the breeze. Now, the only sounds were the sounds of his light footfalls, echoing through the empty halls like ghosts.
Hearing other footsteps behind him, the king whirled around, yet no one was there. Turning back, his heart leapt for joy as he saw Legolas out of the corner of his eye. "Legolas! My son!" he called aloud, turning to him. But when he turned he saw nothing but the empty hallway. "Legolas? Legolas!" he called out weakly, leaning against a wall and sinking to the ground his hands covering his face.
Which is where Lord Elrond found him upon finally reaching Mirkwood.
"King Thranduil?" The king looked up at the lord, his swollen, red-rimmed eyes betraying his tears.
"Where is my son?" he asked tiredly.
Elrond bent down to talk. "Sir, I would advise we a private room where we can talk about these matters you called me here for." He stood and then held a hand out to Thranduil, head bowed slightly. Heaving a sigh the king took the other elf's hand and pulled himself up.
"My study is this way," he murmured, walking along the hall.
********
The two elves spent hours in conversation, as Thranduil slowly gave all the details of the past few months happenings to Elrond, who sat listening, nodding as if some things did not surprise him.
Thranduil finished his tale and sat observing the lord, who was obviously deep in thought. Elrond looked dishevelled, his hair untidy and robes grubby and ripped.
"What happened on your journey, Elrond?" he inquired, "you look as if you ran into troubles."
Elrond nodded, and explained, "Your messenger and I came across a strange beast in the forest. It was taller than any man or elf, and certainly larger. The horses gave fright and reared, so we were thrown down to face the beast alone." He paused and pushed a stray tendril of hair away form his face, "We did not kill it, for two is too small a number to defeat such a beast. Yet after fighting for a great while, the beast was distracted by something and wandered off into the depths of the forest. After it left we walked the pathways until we found the horses. Then we rode here, without stopping during night nor day if we could help it."
"Interesting..." Thranduil pondered for a moment turning and gazing at a point on the wall. After a few moments he turned back to Elrond. "Well I am sure you are worn after a long day riding. Call for a maid to show you to a guest room."
Elrond stood and bowed respectively before nearing the door.
"And Elrond?" he turned back to the king.
"Thank you for coming so soon."
"Lordship, Legolas's disappearance pains us all. I only hope I can assist you during these dark times to find him..." and with that he bowed one final time, and closed the door. "...or what has become of him," he muttered to himself as he walked away.
*********
After reaching his room, Elrond drew a long bath and sank back into the warm water, allowing it the bathe and cleanse the cuts he gained whilst battling the forest creature.
He thought about the tale Thranduil had told. It reminded him of something, something he had not seen since he was young - much before the time when he had battled against the evil Sauron alongside Isildur.
After bathing, he dressed in clean robes and pulled a book from his pack. It was old and leather-bound, the yellowed pages crinkled and torn. Elrond sat down and carefully turned the ancient pages, scanning the tiny writing on each page for what he needed. He turned another page, and found what he needed. He read the first few lines, and discovered that his suspicions were correct. At the next thing he read, his heart froze in fear. "No," he whispered to himself "It cannot be true."
But it was true. Written on the page before him, the ancient text spelt it out.
Legolas was good as dead.
**********
AUTHOR: Thalisirwen
RATING: PG13
SPOILERS: None
SUMMARY: Strange things are afoot in Mirkwood...and what has happened to Legolas?
NOTES: First un-slash, un-'ship fic. Galanwen is an original character. Please excuse any bad elvish, if you find a mistake, please email the correction!
DISCLAIMER: Middle-Earth, Mirkwood, Characters etc, are not my creation, they belong to Tolkien. However, Don't sue, I'm broke.
Mirkwood's favourite prince had returned, and there was much celebration. It had been a long time since Legolas had been in his kingdom, and he had been greatly missed by those around him.
But something was different about him. He was unhealthily pale, yet his alabaster skin seemed to radiate life, and his eyes shone with a light never seen before. Never had the elf looked so...so alive.
Thranduil was worried by the change in his son, this was obvious to many of his subjects. Legolas used to be a happy soul, always joining in festivities, walking through the sunlit gardens, and was always smiling, greeting others as if they were his greatest friend. But many moons had passed since the elf last smiled. Now, he only walked at night, barely acknowledging the other elves around him. He moved so stealthily, that now not even the most talented elven tracker could follow him.
Thranduil knew this, for he had been worried about Legolas's whereabouts during the night. Several times had he seen his son disappear into the dangerous woodland after dark, not returning until almost sunrise, then retiring to his room for the day. A maid had once worriedly reported 'I cannot clean Prince Legolas's room, for he sleeps all day and cannot be woken,"
"Clean it during the night then," the king had replied, muttering to himself "He'll be out at night."
He never saw that maid again, her family did not know where she had gone. Rumours around the palace were that she had run off with a stable hand who had gone missing several days before.
So Thranduil had called for the best trackers in his kingdom, and sent them to follow his beloved son on his nightly trips out of the palace. So far, three trackers had been sent out to follow Legolas. One reported he had followed the elf far into the forest, then he had simply lost all trace of him, as if he had never been there. Another elf claimed that Legolas had disappeared the moment he entered the forest, no sight, sound, sign or scent of him showing his way. The third elf, and the last who had been sent out, wasn't seen alive again. He was found, dead, suspended from a spiders web. The group of hunters sent to find him had killed the spider, cutting the lifeless form down and carrying the body respectfully back to the palace. Later examination showed where the spider had injected the elf with poison. A strange thing noticed by a healer, was that the body had no blood in it. Everyone supposed the spider had merely drunk it, and the spiders were cursed and hated more than ever.
Severely vexed by this unexpected death, and the sudden disappearances of several more elves, Thranduil assembled an army of warriors to go into the forest and kill every spider they came across. A great many spiders were killed, yet sadly few warriors returned. Those that did looked pale and tired, sleeping for days after their return. When quizzed about what had happened, none of them could remember much.
Several claimed to have heard strange growls in the forest, going to investigate, and then waking up later in a clearing. But either most or all of the spiders had been killed, they were sure of it. Again, the bodies found were drained of blood, with the same puncture marks where the spiders had bitten.
Despite the slaughter of the spiders, people still continued to disappear.
*********
A strange hush had fallen on the kingdom. No longer did the elves dance and sing; they walked cautiously and hurried about their business. After sunset, none went out, and not a window or door was left unlocked. Everyone lived in fear, fear of being the next one to disappear, to be caught by the spiders, or whatever was out there.
Unbeknownst to many, another group had been sent into the forest, and had found nothing but dead bodies of the spiders and other creatures of the forest. The spiders were gone for good. There was something else to deal with.
Thranduil sighed on hearing this news. He was feeling too old for this. The Grey Havens called to him, and he longed to see the faces of those who had passed there before him: his wife, his mother, and his father. Yet Mirkwood needed a king. Legolas was the obvious successor, for all who knew him truly loved him. But Legolas was no longer the son Thranduil knew and loved. He had changed. Things were different to how they had been before the elf had left. The king had not seen his son for many months; for the young elf had always been sleeping during the day, a sleep that he could not be awoken from. After dark, the elf disappeared. Never did anyone see him leave the room, neither by door nor window, yet when the room was opened, Legolas was not there. Food sent up was left uneaten, the decanter of water left on the table remained there untouched, the water slowly evaporating. Healers, called to check on him during one day when the elf seemed particularly motionless, claimed they could find nothing wrong with him, despite his paleness, and that he seemed healthier than ever. Yet they could not explain the elf's state of sleep, nor how or why he continued to disappear all night. Increasingly worried, Thranduil had even placed someone in his son's room, to watch over him. Still Legolas went out. The guard had reported, "One minute he was there, then he was not...it was if he had never been there."
The king eventually decided that he, himself, would watch over his son. Reclining in a chair brought into the room, Thranduil settled down for the night, his eyes never leaving the bed where his son lay. Then as if a dream, he saw his son dissolve away, like a mirage. Jumping up and staring at the empty space on the bed, he shouted for guards. They rushed in, weapons to hand, then stopped, looking startled at the empty bed.
Thranduil stood looking a little confused, then turned to the elves behind him. "Send out a search party. Find my son." He ordered "And send out a messenger to Lord Elrond as soon as the sun rises. Tell him it is a matter of extreme urgency, get him to come at once. We need his help."
The guards nodded, then saluted, leaving the room.
Thranduil sank down onto the edge of the bed, holding his head in his hands,
"My son..." he whispered to himself, "Where is my son?"
***********
Thranduil awoke with a start. He blinked a few times, trying to clear the blurriness from his red-rimmed eyes. A young elf maid stood before him, looking anxious. "Your majesty?"
He peered at her as the blurriness left his eyes. "Yes?" he asked tiredly.
"A messenger has been sent out to Lord Elrond as you requested..." she trailed off, as if there was something else she did not wish to say.
"What else?" inquired Thranduil, seeing that she was keeping something from him.
She sighed, and looked at the floor. "The search party have returned...they cannot find Prince Legolas anywhere."
Thranduil studied his hands which la folded in his lap. "Thank you," he eventually sighed, wordlessly dismissing the elf maid. Glancing up, he saw she was still standing there, biting her lip and looking as if she'd like to say something more.
"Is there something else?"
"Well sire, I...I know it's a bit forward of me, and something I shouldn't ask, but...Prince Legolas...he's...he's going to be alright, isn't he?"
Thranduil gazed at the girl, her clear green eyes showing nothing but true anxiety, and told of a sadness Thranduil had believed only he felt. Dark shadows blemished the skin under her eyes, suggesting that the girl had lost a great many hours sleep worrying.
"You're very...*fond* of my son, aren't you...what is you're name again?" he enquired. The girl looked a little flustered at his questions, and wrung her hands as she answered, "My name is Galanwen, and yes, sire, I admit I am fond of Prince Legolas...many are." She shuffled her feet and turned her eyes to the floor again, her cheeks turning a little red.
"Let me tell you something, Galanwen," Thranduil began. "But you must promise not to repeat this to anyone." The maiden nodded, and Thranduil began. "I'm sure you have noticed a change that has taken place in Legolas. The healers claim there is nothing wrong with him, he is at the peak of physical health. Yet no one can explain why he sleeps so long. Over the past few months he was retreated further and further into himself. He never smiles, never speaks, he doesn't eat anything sent to his room, yet he still musters the strength to disappear into the night, and not return until just before sunrise. I saw my own son disappear before my very eyes, just...just *vanish* into thin air, like a ghost. Now he has disappeared, and the sun is up, yet my son has not returned.
"You ask if he is going to be alright, yet I myself do not know. I'm beginning to think..." he paused, and sighed heavily. "I'm beginning to think that the person we've been seeing these past few months..." He trailed off and turned away shaking his head, gazing out of the window towards the trees in the distance, not wishing the elf maid to see the tears that were threatening to roll down his cheeks. "...its not Legolas."
***********
A knock at the door disturbed Elrond from his reverie. "Come," he commanded.
The door opened and an elf entered, dressed in the colours of Mirkwood.
"Yes?"
The elf bowed to the lord, and stood to attention, speaking quickly, "His highness King Thranduil has sent a message, asking that you come immediately, for it is a matter of extreme urgency."
Hearing the urgency in the elf's own voice, Elrond stood up, and began to leave the room, motioning for the messenger to follow. "Do you know what the problem is?" he inquired as he walked hastily along the hall his robes flowing behind him.
"I know not sir," the messenger replied, "although I can guess, it may be about the many disappearances in Mirkwood...or it could be about Legolas."
Elrond stopped in his tracks. "Legolas?"
"Yes sir, it seems something is wrong with him. He behaves strangely, goes out at night and does not return until day. King Thranduil appears very worried."
A concerned expression spread across the older elf's features. "And what of these disappearances you speak of?" he asked
"Many of the Mirkwood residents have disappeared. Little trace can be found of them, although some..." the elf paused and swallowed as if some painful memory was coming back to him "Some were found in the forest, dead. It looked as if the spiders had got them, for they all had puncture wounds like those the spiders would make. But believe me, sir, I've seen wounds inflicted by spiders, and I've seen the wounds on the bodies with my own eyes. Those were not made by the spiders."
"How can you be so sure?"
"His Majesty sent out a great many warriors to kill the spiders, they are long gone. Those that remained have left, for there is no sign of them. There is something strange about the bodies of the elves we found in the forest though...they had no blood."
Glancing over his shoulder, the messengers worry-stricken face informed Elrond that every word was true.
"Be outside at the stables and ready to leave for Mirkwood. And tell the stable hand to prepare my horse," he ordered the messenger, and waved for him to leave. The he called to a maid walking down the hall. "Go to the kitchens and have the cook prepare a package of food to sustain two for the journey to Mirkwood. Have someone deliver it to the stables as soon as possible."
With that, Elrond dashed to his rooms and sorted a pack to take with him. In afterthought, he pulled a book from the shelves that stood in the corner, adding them to the pack, then pulling out a small wooden box from under his bed and pushing it into the top of the pack. He then picked up his sword from the corner, grabbing his pack as he left the room.
********
Thranduil paced the hallway. Something was not right. Elrond should have arrived by now. The deaths and disappearances had suddenly stopped. Legolas had been the last one to disappear. The kingdom had grown evermore silent in the past weeks. Once the halls rang with the laughter of his subjects, music ebbing and flowing on the breeze. Now, the only sounds were the sounds of his light footfalls, echoing through the empty halls like ghosts.
Hearing other footsteps behind him, the king whirled around, yet no one was there. Turning back, his heart leapt for joy as he saw Legolas out of the corner of his eye. "Legolas! My son!" he called aloud, turning to him. But when he turned he saw nothing but the empty hallway. "Legolas? Legolas!" he called out weakly, leaning against a wall and sinking to the ground his hands covering his face.
Which is where Lord Elrond found him upon finally reaching Mirkwood.
"King Thranduil?" The king looked up at the lord, his swollen, red-rimmed eyes betraying his tears.
"Where is my son?" he asked tiredly.
Elrond bent down to talk. "Sir, I would advise we a private room where we can talk about these matters you called me here for." He stood and then held a hand out to Thranduil, head bowed slightly. Heaving a sigh the king took the other elf's hand and pulled himself up.
"My study is this way," he murmured, walking along the hall.
********
The two elves spent hours in conversation, as Thranduil slowly gave all the details of the past few months happenings to Elrond, who sat listening, nodding as if some things did not surprise him.
Thranduil finished his tale and sat observing the lord, who was obviously deep in thought. Elrond looked dishevelled, his hair untidy and robes grubby and ripped.
"What happened on your journey, Elrond?" he inquired, "you look as if you ran into troubles."
Elrond nodded, and explained, "Your messenger and I came across a strange beast in the forest. It was taller than any man or elf, and certainly larger. The horses gave fright and reared, so we were thrown down to face the beast alone." He paused and pushed a stray tendril of hair away form his face, "We did not kill it, for two is too small a number to defeat such a beast. Yet after fighting for a great while, the beast was distracted by something and wandered off into the depths of the forest. After it left we walked the pathways until we found the horses. Then we rode here, without stopping during night nor day if we could help it."
"Interesting..." Thranduil pondered for a moment turning and gazing at a point on the wall. After a few moments he turned back to Elrond. "Well I am sure you are worn after a long day riding. Call for a maid to show you to a guest room."
Elrond stood and bowed respectively before nearing the door.
"And Elrond?" he turned back to the king.
"Thank you for coming so soon."
"Lordship, Legolas's disappearance pains us all. I only hope I can assist you during these dark times to find him..." and with that he bowed one final time, and closed the door. "...or what has become of him," he muttered to himself as he walked away.
*********
After reaching his room, Elrond drew a long bath and sank back into the warm water, allowing it the bathe and cleanse the cuts he gained whilst battling the forest creature.
He thought about the tale Thranduil had told. It reminded him of something, something he had not seen since he was young - much before the time when he had battled against the evil Sauron alongside Isildur.
After bathing, he dressed in clean robes and pulled a book from his pack. It was old and leather-bound, the yellowed pages crinkled and torn. Elrond sat down and carefully turned the ancient pages, scanning the tiny writing on each page for what he needed. He turned another page, and found what he needed. He read the first few lines, and discovered that his suspicions were correct. At the next thing he read, his heart froze in fear. "No," he whispered to himself "It cannot be true."
But it was true. Written on the page before him, the ancient text spelt it out.
Legolas was good as dead.
**********