All known characters and settings belong to Tolkien the rest are my OC's.
Wow, thank you to everyone who responded to my question last chapter and I am pleased to announce that the favourite among all of you is, drum roll please... Lasanden! Who was followed closely by little Legolas. I'm so happy that one of my OC's is getting so much love and attention. (Even though we have the results do not hesitate to tell me who your favourite character is if you have not done so already.
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Lasanden groaned from the onslaught of pain that welcomed him back into consciousness, he felt a hand gently caress his forehead. Slowly he cracked an eye open and saw his father's concerned face hovering over him.
"Ion nin" He gently called. "Can you hear me?" Lasanden nodded but immediately regretted it when his head throbbed viciously causing him to groan again.
Thranduil frowned at his son's distress. He placed a hand on Lasanden's shoulder. Lasanden welcomed the silent support. After his head stopped pounding he opened his eyes to see that he was in a cave.
He tried to sit up but fell back down from the pain the movement caused. Thranduil grasped his uninjured arm and helped Lasanden into a sitting position.
"Adar!" Lasanden said shocked. "Your back!" Thranduil shrugged, his son stared wide eyed at his bruised and torn back. "Where is your tunic?" His son demanded, sounding more like Thranduil than he realised. While Lasanden was waiting for an answer he realised that his arm was bound to his side by the very tunic he was questioning his father about. "Oh." Lasanden whispered.
Thranduil gave a small smile at his son. "How do you feel?"
"I'm fine." Lasanden answered automatically. Thranduil raised an eyebrow giving him the -oh really- look. Lasanden grimaced, and changed the topic.
"Where are we?" He asked looking around.
"I have no idea." His father answered. Lasanden looked at his father in surprise, Thranduil never sounded less than sure of himself. "We were carried down the river very far and the night is a cloudy one. The stars offer no help. Our best bet is to wait till morning, then make our way back to the ravine and walk upstream where, Valar willing, we will meet a rescue party." Lasanden nodded and closed his eyes leaning against the cave wall. Thranduil sat down and positioned himself behind Lasanden letting him lean against his chest.
"Hannon le, Adar." Lasanden sighed.
"Shhhh." Thranduil soothed. "Rest, Lasanden."
"Hush, Legolas." Mirineth soothed, but it was as if the youngling couldn't even hear her. His wailing turned horse as the young one started to wear himself out, he had not stopped crying since he was brought home this afternoon.
After what seemed like an age he finally slumped against his mother. Legolas thought he had literally used up all his tears.
"Nana, can I have some water?" HE croaked. Mirineth got up and filled a goblet with water and brought it back to her baby. She gently tilted his chin up and let him hesitantly sip at the water. She went to the bathing chamber and wet a cloth, gently wiping Legolas' face cooling it down from his hysterical tears.
"Time for bed." She ordered, not unkindly. She pulled Legolas' small tunic and leggings off and put on his stockings and lose night tunic. She placed him in the large bed pulling the covers up to his chin.
"It's my fault, Nana." He whispered. Mirineth had to strain to her child's almost silent words.
"What is my heart?"
"It's my fault that Ada and Lasanden are lost in the river. If I had never fallen in..." Mirineth interrupted him probably more sharply than she intended.
"No! Legolas this is not your fault." She said looking straight into his eyes. "Your Ada and Lasanden would never think that and neither should you." Her child nodded but Mirineth could tell that he still felt a deep guilt. "Sleep, Legolas." She crooned, stroking his fair head. She stayed with him until his eyes slid half shut in elven sleep.
Mirineth quietly closed the door and made her way down the hall to her and Thranduil's chambers. She quickly dressed for bed, and crawled into her empty bed. Again like so many other times that day she wished that Thranduil and Lasanden were safe. She would not let her children see, but she was worried sick about her husband and eldest.
Mirineth had confidence in her second son Lasland that he would find them, but wished that she could go and look for them herself. In the end though Legolas needed her right now and she had to stay here and be a mother to her youngest while her eldest was missing. She thought about this over and over until sleep finally overcame her.
Lasland walked along the river bank trailed by almost the whole Homeguard and the older of the novices. The night was almost half over and they had found no sign that his brother and father had exited the water in any way. Of course they were only searching one side because there was no safe way to get across the churning waters.
To Lasland's right was Hithron- Lasanden's bodyguard- and to his left was Malantur his bodyguard, the two seasoned warriors scanned their surroundings looking for any sign of the two royals. Hithron and Maloftur were close friends of Thranduil's. When first Lasanden, then hundreds of years later Lasland, had pledged their faith as warriors, Thranduil had appointed each of them a bodyguard to protect and advise them.
Hithron was beside himself that his charge was missing, even though Hithron was not under any obligation to protect Lasanden when they were off duty. Over the hundreds of years he had been Lasanden's bodyguard/ keeper he had become very fond of him and counted the crowned prince as one of his closest friends.
Something suddenly caught Lasland's eye, he strained his sight against the blackness of the night and saw something tangled amongst the roots.
"No!" He shouted as he ran towards the mass. His mind was racing. Was it his father? Was it his brother? Were they dead? Alive? Lasland almost dove down to the floating object and Malantur cried out grabbing his belt to hold him in place. Lasland reached down, once he had hold of the thing he shouted to Malantur to pull him up.
Once safely on shore Lasland looked down in confusion at the body of a badger. The poor creature had probably been caught in the current trying to take a drink. He breathed a sigh of relief placing the badger down.
Lasland was usually annoyed by his overbearing father and strict, perfect brother, but at this moment he wanted nothing more than to know his father and brother were safe.
The early morning sunlight filtered through the tree canopy giving the forest new life with the coming day. Birds sang with the joy of the morning, small rodents scurried up and down trees gathering nuts and berries, while two elf royals limped through the forest.
Thranduil wrapped his arm around Lasanden supporting him as they slowly made their way through the forest. "Are you alright?" his father asked for the hundredth time.
"I'm fine." Lasanden lied; in truth was he was far from fine. His father had tried to set his arm as best he could but it still hurt terribly. He had many cuts all over his body and was having trouble breathing.
Thranduil sighed as his son disregarded any problems towards his health, but Thranduil knew he was lying. Lasanden didn't so much as breath on his broken arm and Thranduil heard the slight wheeze of his breathing.
"I have been thinking" Thranduil began. "How would you feel about taking some time off?" Lasanden turned to his father, his face hardening.
"What for?" He asked.
"It's not that I doubt you." Thranduil immediately assured. Lasanden's face softened slightly. "I just think you work too hard; I don't want to see duty consume your personal life." Lasanden shock his head slightly.
"I like what I do, Adar." He retorted. "It gives me purpose to serve the realm and keep it safe. And besides, free time does not seem to agree with me." He said pointing to his broken arm.
Thranduil laughed sarcastically. He winced as Lasanden shifted the arm and it rubbed against Thranduil's injured back. Lasanden immediately stopped and looked at his father sternly.
Thranduil smiled at his son before he replied simply. "I'm fine." Lasanden laughed outright at his father's mock of him.
Lasanden was tiring, unconsciously leaning on his father more and more. His foot misjudged the height of a root and caught, sending him to the ground. Thranduil caught him quickly and Lasanden bit his lip drawing blood so he wouldn't make a sound of pain.
"Lasanden?" his father said, worry lines creasing his face. Lasanden breathed hard. It removed almost all his dignity to ask his father this.
"Could we rest for a moment?" Thranduil nodded, laying Lasanden against a tree. Thranduil was worried beyond reason that his son would put aside his pride and ask for a break.
Thranduil took the opportunity to rest his legs, but his head snapped up at the sound of a sickening clicking noise. Lasanden's eyes flew open as well at the all too fermiliar sound.
Above them crawled as much as half a dozen giant spiders. Lasanden never got used to how disgusting these creatures were.
"Click, Click, Click." The sound echoed through the area as their large pinchers snapped together hungrily. Thranduil groped the forest floor looking for any kind of weapon.
"Tough." One of the spiders mourned.
"Big though!" another shouted excitedly.
"Meat to feed the children!" At this all of them snapped their pinchers wildly.
Thranduil and Lasanden's eyes met. What were they going to do?
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What would you rate me as a writer 1- 10? Why?
In the beginning of the story I said the Lomad was Lasanden's bodyguard but I changed it to Hithron.