DISCLAIMER: All I own is the computer – which has been cranky of late!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, this is a part of the reunion – but the more interesting part will come later. ;)
Thanks to Calenlass Greenleaf1, Calathiel of Mirkwood, Din, OnCeInABlUeMoOn14, triolet, ArwenGranger, Lady Ambreanna, ProRodeoCowgirl, Writing Destiny, Galyn Solo and Rose for reviewing!
CHAPTER 14: Reunion
"Watch, elfling!"
A blade gleaming in a sudden flash of lightning, and then an elleth's scream.
"NANA!"
"Legolas…"
Already her voice was fading.
"Nana… No, please, don't do this! Let her go!"
He tried to pull himself free but the Men had him held too tightly.
"Please," Legolas begged. "Kill me if you must, I won't stop you, but let her go. She had no part in any of this!"
"I will kill you in any case, my little warrior. But first I will kill your mother."
"He's dreaming again."
"Legolas…"
"Nana! Hold on, please hold on!" Legolas was fighting to keep his voice steady. "You are an elf, Bregolien – one of my father's warriors! How can you do this?"
"Wake up, elfling."
"Legolas… Namárië…"
"No, please!"
"Legolas, wake up!"
Legolas groaned and opened his eyes, expecting to see either Eredhion or Voronwë sitting beside him. He blinked and waited for his vision to clear.
"Ada?"
"Good evening, Legolas."
Legolas tried to push himself up into a sitting position, but a pair of firm hands held him down.
"Don't even think about it, elfling," Elladan said.
"But –"
"Look at it this way," Elrohir said. "Each of us has things to say to you – things you will not enjoy hearing – and we have not begun saying them yet only because you are injured. Sit up, and we will assume that you have recovered sufficiently to hear everything we have to say. Do you understand, elfling?"
"You shouldn't have come here," Legolas said. "I told the trees to lead you away, but they wouldn't do it. Treacherous oaks."
"We know about Bregolien, elfling."
"But he's not alone this time – you don't know what he's done, and what he's planning. You shouldn't have come; it's too dangerous –"
"I see," Thranduil said, a dangerous glint in his eye. "It's safe for my son, who does not even seem to have the brains Eru gave a sheep, to be wandering around here with just one of his guards for protection, but it is dangerous for me to be here with the commander of my army and a dozen of my finest warriors."
"And the valiant sons of Elrond," Elrohir put in, grinning.
Legolas pushed himself up on one elbow.
"But I'm –"
"Don't you dare!" Elladan snapped, so furiously that even Thranduil and Elrohir looked surprised. "You're not fine. You have caused us enough worry to last for years, even by your standards! You are now going to do exactly as you are told, and if you even think of arguing, elfling –"
Legolas' eyes widened and then narrowed.
"I am not an elfling and I will thank you to stop treating me like one!"
Estel, tired of sitting with the archers, who seemed to do nothing but test their bowstrings and count their arrows, went inside the cave to find his brothers.
"Ro," he began as soon as he was inside, but then the words died on his lips. All he could do was stare at the scene in front of him; Legolas and Elladan were glaring at each other so fiercely that they seemed about to come to blows. Thranduil was sitting back against a protruding rock, watching them with what Estel thought was an unseemly amount of amusement.
Elrohir looked amused as well, but he put one hand on Legolas' arm and the other on Elladan's shoulder.
"Calm down, both of you. We can take this discussion up later. You're still angry, Dan, and Legolas, you are in pain – there's no point denying it – and you will both just say things you will regret later. Calm down."
Neither Legolas nor Elladan seemed remotely inclined to calm down, and there was no telling what would have happened had Estel not chosen that moment to say, "Hello, elfling."
The four elves turned to him, Legolas looking appalled.
"Elfling?"
Estel flushed, but before he could apologize, Elrohir said, "Naturally. As long as you behave like one, what else do you expect us to call you? Come and sit, Estel."
Elladan moved to make place for the young human, very careful not to look in Legolas' direction as he did so. Legolas was avoiding Elladan's eyes equally assiduously, and it was in a grim, uncomfortable silence that Estel lowered himself to the ground between his brother and the elven prince.
"Are you still going to give me archery lessons?" Legolas looked startled. "You said you would."
The elf chuckled.
"Of course, penneth. We can even start now –"
"No," Elladan said firmly.
"Or perhaps in an hour when I am better rested –"
"No."
"What can I do, then?" Legolas demanded.
"Talk about archery," Elladan replied calmly.
"Talk about archery? Do you think –"
The rest of Legolas' sentence was cut off by Arbellason, who ran inside and said urgently, "Thranduil – they're coming."
Legolas tried to get up again, and this time it was Estel who held him down.
"You're in no condition to fight," the human said, prompting laughter from all the elves except the outraged prince.
"You see, tithen gwador," Elrohir said, chortling helplessly. "Even a child like Estel can tell that you are injured. The two of you stay here quietly, and let us deal with this." Seeing that Estel was about to protest, Elrohir drew the young man to his feet and pulled him away. "Somebody needs to stay here and see that the elfling behaves," he said softly. "And since he is likely to be politest to you, you're the one with the best chance of doing it!"
"I heard that!" Legolas said irritably.
"You were meant to."
Thranduil shook his head and got to his feet.
"Legolas, I'm sending Rochendilwen in to see you – she will want to fight, and I do not want to prevent her, but you should talk to her first."
Rochendilwen, whetting the blade of one of her knives, was summoned from the task by Thranduil.
"My king?"
"Legolas wants to see you."
She flushed.
"My king, I will fight. He cannot prevent me –"
"He is your commanding officer, penneth," Thranduil said mildly. "All he wants is to talk to you."
Rochendilwen nodded and ducked into the cave, where she found Legolas sitting up with some help from the young human. She raised a questioning eyebrow.
"Did somebody give you permission to sit?"
"I do not need permission to sit," Legolas said. "Are you sure you want to fight?"
"Yes," the elleth said firmly. "You cannot dissuade me, elfling. I must do this."
"You cannot kill him. You know that."
"Why not? I am perfectly capable of defeating him, and if I ever had any love for him, his own actions have destroyed it."
"Rochendilwen, sidh. I was not disputing your ability. But whatever he has done, he is your brother, and you cannot be the one to end his life."
"I disown him," the elleth muttered. "He is no brother to me."
"I'm not telling you not to fight – fight if you must. Fight Bregolien if you must. But do not kill him unless you are in the last extreme of defending your own life."
"How can you say this? After all he has done to the realm and done to you, you defend him!"
"I am not defending him! For his crimes he will answer to my father's law – to our law, Rochendilwen. And even if he is to die in battle, it is not meant to be by your hand. You know this."
Rochendilwen scowled.
"You are not even fighting this time, Legolas. You have no right to give me orders. By our law."
"Quite right," Legolas said. "I don't. Feel perfectly free to ignore me."
For a full minute Rochendilwen held his gaze defiantly, and then she flushed and dropped her eyes, muttering, "You and your big blue eyes! You know I will not disobey you, elfling."
As the elleth left, Estel asked, "Bregolien is her brother?"
"Yes, penneth."
"Dan and Ro told me what he did." He noticed that Legolas' breathing was getting laboured, and shifted his grip so that he was giving the elf more support. "Is that better?"
"Mae… Le hannon."
Estel smiled.
"Ada is teaching me to be a healer. He says it is something every warrior must know."
"Lord Elrond is wise."
"Legolas?"
"Yes?"
"Why don't you want her to kill Bregolien?"
There was a moment's silence while Legolas considered his answer. Finally he said, "The elves of Eryn Lasgalen have been accused of many things – we are less wise, less noble and perhaps even less valiant than our kin to the south and to the west. But never has one of my father's subjects been accused of kinslaying – to an elf that is a truly abhorrent crime."
Estel nodded.
"I think my naneth would like to meet you."
"I would be honoured to meet her."
Estel heard the pain in the elf's voice, and in an attempt to distract him, said, "How long have you commanded the Colhador?"
Legolas frowned in thought.
"We do not reckon time as humans do… Perhaps a thousand years. I took over when Thorontur decided that he was getting too wise and ancient to ride out to battle."
"Thorontur used to command the Colhador? I didn't know that!"
"He took command of the Colhador before my parents' wedding, I think. Ada hoped that he would command it as long as we remained in Middle-earth."
Rochendilwen shifted uncomfortably, aware of Aeroniel's eyes on her.
"I am fine."
"Indeed."
"I am fine, Aeroniel!"
"I never suggested otherwise." Aeroniel leapt nimbly onto a boulder and peered into the trees. "They will be here in a few minutes." She raised her voice. "Defensive positions! We have to end this quickly!"
The archers, their numbers augmented by Eredhion, Voronwë and the twins, strung themselves out in a loose line. Arbellason and Thranduil stood behind them, also with bows ready. As Aeroniel jumped to the ground and took her place in the line, Arbellason said, "We have the high ground. That will work in our favour. Hold the line as long as you can."
Rochendilwen shivered, hoping nobody had noticed.
And then the cloaked riders burst from the trees.
"Can you tell what's happening?" Estel asked.
Legolas raised his head briefly.
"The trees seem cheerful enough, so I suppose we're winning. I can't tell exactly what they're saying from here." He shot the human a sidelong glance and went on in a carefully casual tone, "We could go outside and try to get a closer look."
Estel grinned.
"I was warned about this! No, elfling, we could not go outside. Dan and Ro would have my head! And yours, for that matter." Legolas sighed heavily, prompting a chuckle from Estel. "You should not have run away."
The elf scowled.
"I did not run away. I – I went for a walk."
"A walk? In the middle of the night, with your pack and your weapons, without a word to anybody? Forgive me if I do not quite understand the difference." Estel's grip tightened marginally. "I would never have forgiven myself if something had happened to you, elfling."
"Estel, I am a warrior of Eryn Lasgalen. Every day when I leave my room I know I might not return."
"So you stop taking the most elementary care of yourself? You deliberately walk into danger?"
Legolas groaned.
"I thought you at least would spare me the lecture."
"I was terrified," Estel said softly. "And if I was terrified, I cannot begin to imagine what Dan and Ro and your father were feeling."
"I left specific instructions that nobody was to worry," the elf muttered.
Estel laughed.
"With your leave, elfling, I think I would like to be present when you tell my brothers that you left specific instructions that nobody was to worry. I might learn more Quenya that way."
"You can do as you please," Legolas said, "provided you tell Lord Elrond that I had nothing to do with any – interesting – additions to your vocabulary."
Bregolien, riding in after the last of his soldiers, smiled at the sight of the elves.
"And so it begins." He raised his sword and brandished it, shouting, "How long will you stand, Thranduil? I will have my vengeance, and you will see your beloved son dead by my hand before the sun rises."
Sindarin Translations
Elleth - Female elf
Nana - Mum/Mummy
Namárië - Goodbye
Ada - Dad/Daddy
Penneth - Young one
Tithen gwador - Little (sworn) brother
Sidh - Peace
Mae - Yes (Well)
Le hannon - Thank you
Naneth - Mother
Good? Bad? Indifferent?