Hey guys! Thank you all for not killing me. I really appreciate that. Now, I guess you're all expecting to see why Legolas burned the flower, right?
Sorry, no. You'll have to wait for that.
In the mean time I hope I'll provide enough distraction with some action/drama.
And I got 8 reviews in this chapter. That's gotta be a record!
Nemaloppe – Thank you for not killing me YET. Here, have a Legolas plush as bribe.
lois010101 – LOL! People in Middle Earth love burn things. Worse than that just that plant Athelas or something. Really, I don't know why people bother making medicine when that herb heals just everything. ¬¬
I. Am. Cheese. And. Cheese. Is. Me – Thank you, I guess. O.õ And sorry about your nick being wrong, wouldn't let me write it right.
the wise and the brave – Sorry, you'll have to wait and see.
Aprilicity – You praise me way too much, but I still like it. XD
Aralas – You scared me! When I read your review I was like 'OMG! She/He will completely run me over with her/his fan-knowledge!'Thankfully you didn't do that. I really thought the flower thing would be kind of dumb so thank you for saying it wasn't.
kilala-hunters – Here you go. Updates are usually on Fridays so keep tuned!
DesperatelyInloveWithYou - Another chapter here! Hope you'll like it!
Now on with the story! Our dear green leaf with finally have proof he is not as disliked as he thinks!
Narcisus
Chapter 9 – Lost
Run. That's all Estel could do. Run and run, to a faraway place that doesn't hurt. A place where he could breathe, close his eyes and not see the flower he had worked so long to find burn into nothing.
A place Legolas didn't break his heart.
Still such a place could not be and soon the child tripped and fell face first into the dirty, hard ground. Breathing hard like never before, Estel managed to pull his trembling body to a sitting position and look around. He stood there for a moment, his troubled mind trying to understand what happened while he blinked away as many tears as he could.
Perhaps it would be better to remain unaware.
Dark, twisted trees surrounded him, the outlines lost to the human eyes, fading into the darkness that seemed to swallow everything. There were no green in those woods, no sign of life, just dry trunks and claw-like branches ready to come to life and rip him apart. Scared, Estel looked around, searching for something, anything that could guide him back but there was nothing. He run blindly so far, and his mind remembered nothing of the path he took. Poor child didn't even remember leaving the palace!
"Ada…" – the child tried his last card, looking around again in hopes to see the familiar elf appearing from nowhere. It happened when he was hurt or had nightmares, and although part of him was saying it wasn't the same thing, Estel was too afraid to care – "Ada, I'm here! Please! I'm lost, Ada!"
But lord Elrond did not appear. No one did.
"Dan! Ro!" – Estel screamed again, mind running as fast as his legs had done a moment ago – "Someone!"
Alas, no one came. The woods remained dark and silent, with no other life to drain comfort from.
"Please…" – the boy begged, hugging his knees. It didn't take long for the small body start trembling and new tears hit the soil.
"S-stupid Lelas. It's all his f-fault." – Estel mumbled, head still down – "Ada was right. You don't l-like me. I'm not mellon to you. "
And if he wasn't mellon, he couldn't became meleth.
"I fought Ada for you!" – raising his head at least the boy screamed his frustration to the woods, the worse of this situation slipping from his mind for a moment – "I fought him to be your friend and you said you wanted us to be friends too! You lied to me, Legolas! You lied!"
Throat sore from all the screaming and crying, Estel started to cough. The anger didn't left his eyes though and, once he could breathe again the child brutally dried the tears with a dirty sleeve.
"Fine! I don't need you! I'll find the way on my own!"
Pushing his tired body back in two feet, Estel gritted his teeth and started walking. His head was high and his chest was puffed. He would find his way back. There was no doubt on the matter.
Legolas watched the sky clear with heavy eyes. Not only had he not rested, he had spend the night thinking, trying to discover what had gone wrong.
"You said you understood." – the prince sighed. He had asserted the situation time and time again but was yet to make sense of it. The only reasonable explanation was for the boy not to know the legend but this possibility brought as much heartache as any other. Because, if Estel did not know, there would be two paths left:
Estel misinterpreted the words and got ahead of himself, confusing the feelings. Said feelings in the end were just simple friendship, and would never change.
Or…Estel had lied to him.
"I feel so childish." – the elf admitted with a whisper. True, he was still very young for a firstborn, but even that should be old enough to grant him a little wisdom. At the very least Legolas should know how to defend his heart.
And yet here it lies. Not broken, it was stronger than that, but exposed and bleeding.
It hurt. Deeply.
Alas, there was nothing to be done. Both Estel and he would be leaving within the next hour, maybe earlier. The child would return to the last homely house, where he would spend his childhood under the watchful eyes of lord Elrond. Away from such darkness, the boy would soon forget his little misadventure and move on, blossoming in the beautiful man Legolas knew he would became. Estel has an important destiny, the prince could tell, and would rise to it when the time came.
And Legolas…Legolas would still be here, hunting spiders, defending a place that was no long his home. Until one day he would receive a wound that was just too deep, feel a poison much too strong, or lose the ones he cared for the most. Then there would be nothing left but wait for death, be it from weakness or grief.
Like so many others before him, Legolas would fade.
But he would still remember, the prince was sure of it. No matter how many centuries passed, he would still remember the sweet, innocent human that cast all titles away without a second thought. A lifetime of manners obliterated with a simple smile.
Legolas wouldn't have it any other way.
Time came. With a sight the elf tore his eyes from the window to the small pack on his bed. Checking some more important items, the prince took the bag, his bow, arrows and knifes and finally left the room, hoping to leave all the memories and heartache behind. He had a mission to accomplish and many lives on his hand. Now was not a time for foolish emotions.
Still…
"May our paths cross again, if the Vallar think it wise." – Legolas prayed before finally closing the door, letting his feet carry him through the still empty corridors.
If someone had told Elrond when he awoke that his day would be filled with terror and lost, the lord would have ignored it as a cruel joke. The twins were leaving soon, Estel would be away from the cold prince and the antidote against the new bred of spider was nearly done. Now Elrond only needed someone unlucky enough to be poisoned to test his theory (something he would probably get very soon since the soldiers were leaving to destroy the nest) and he could go home as well.
Yes, everything was just fine.
At least until the lord decided to wake his younger son. Opening the door to Estel's room, Elrond prepared to see the cute little face of the sleeping child. Alas, the sight that received him couldn't be more different: Elrohir and Elladan were there, looking at each other with wide eyes full of panic, faces pale like never before.
Upon seeing the elder, both twins turned, and Elrond opened his mouth to question why they seemed so desperate. He didn't have to, though, for his eyes fell straight into Estel's bed.
And it was empty.
"Where is he?"
The question shattered the dream, leaving everything else to be consumed by chaos. Soon all three elves were searching the palace, asking maids and guards and everyone save the king himself about the missing human child. Unfortunately no one saw a thing.
Elrond was approaching the stables, holding desperately in the chance his youngster was just inside playing with the horses. By then he had barely any hope left and his chest was heavy with fear. He was starting to think Estel had indeed being kidnapped. Worried, the lord ignored the soldiers taking their horses from the stables, at least until he saw a blond elf.
Legolas.
Blood boiling, Elrond marched to the unaware prince, yanking him from his horse and holding him by the tunic.
"Where is he?" – Elrond nearly screamed, his face as close as Legolas' as he could – "What did you do to him?"
To say the prince was surprised didn't even begin to describe it. Never before had he seen the lord so angry or wild. It was most fortunate Elrond did not carry weapons or Legolas suspected he would be already on the ground bleeding to death. Yet as fate has it, there were no weapons in Elrond's hands, and the prince twisted free from his hold without a second thought.
"Calm yourself before you shame your reputation and the one of your home." – Legolas spoke in an icy voice, sounding every bit the prince he was raised to be.
"Only if you tell me where is my son!" – Elrond demanded, not even cringing at the tone. He had heard Thranduil speak like that countless times before.
"Estel is missing?" – the ice threatened to break, and a flash of worry took over the blue eyes. He thought the boy would go for his father and brothers for comfort. Apparently, he was wrong – "Are you sure?"
"You think I would be wasting my time with you if I wasn't?" – the lord barked, taking Legolas' questions as fear forward him – "Where is he?"
"I do not know. I saw him last yesterday." – the prince admitted, mind already going through the possibilities. Could it be? Estel was indeed lost? Turning around, he faced the soldiers – "Who was at the gates last night?"
"My brother was." – one of the soldiers came forward – "He didn't tell me of anything unusual, but he arrived home complaining about Harn again."
Only centuries of iron control above his emotions kept Legolas from cursing aloud and, most importantly, going out for Harn's blood. That elf has the strange ability to never arrive at the right time and, most often than not, had to be dragged out of his house to fulfill his duties. Normally someone so irresponsible would never have such responsibilities, but those were dark times and no elf, no matter how useless he seemed, could be spared.
Unfortunately that made completely possible for Estel to pass unnoticed. Which left Legolas with a rather impossible choice to make. Could he leave his squad? Would they understand? Could Legolas forgive himself for not going with them? Wouldn't it be worse to abandon a child in the dark woods?
Was Estel still alive?
No! He has to be! I'll not believe him dead until I have his corpse in my arms! – determination burning on his eyes, Legolas turned to his second in command, Ereg. He took a deep breath and opened his mouth, ready to either order or plea, whatever worked better, but the other beat him on that.
"Go." – he said, a knowing smile on his face – "I'll take care of the nest. You bring the child back."
"But…"
"Estel is your friend. Go get him." – another elf added his two sentences.
"No one knows the woods like you. You'll find him in no time!" – another. Soon every one of the elves had smiles on their faces and encouraging words on their lips, all telling the same thing: to find Estel.
If Legolas' heart wasn't already small with worry, it would swell with joy. Casting his squad a grateful look, the prince didn't waist more time. Jumping back into his horse he took off, riding hard in the direction of the gates. Soon he was out of view even for the keen eyes of elves.
A moment of silence passed, in which Elrond could only stare, mouth agape, as he tried to make sense out of it. He was brought back to reality as the remained soldiers surrounded him.
"We will let this time pass, since you are not on your right state of mind, my lord." – Ereg spoke with a solemn voice – "But do not threat Legolas like that again. He is our prince but most of all he is our captain. Lord or not, you had no right to mistreat him."
And with those words Ereg went away, riding hard with his companions for the same gate, disappearing in the same wood. And once again Elrond could do nothing but stare, wondering when Legolas managed to get such respect.