A/N: No, the story is not complete yet, if you are wondering. But the last two chapters are clearly not co-operating, and seeing as Chapter 19 was posted almost two months ago, I decided to be nice and post the next chapter. Think of it as a little treat for taking this long. Also, since I don't know the proper translations for Elvish, some conversations in this chapter in between mean it is spoken in Elvish. Other than that, nothing complicated!

Chapter 20

Dawn broke upon the kingdom of Yelren, but despite the promise of the sun for a new day, a storm raged within the walls of the dilapidated keep. Screams of rage could be heard from within, as well as shouts and thunderous footsteps. Those not within the king's court cringed at the clamor and puzzled at its cause.

Kel, the traitorous advisor to the now imprisoned king of Yelren, sat upon the throne, his eyes dark and narrow, a sure sign of his displeasure. Before him, his loyal man Tiruc rampaged through the crumbling hall, tearing anything that reached his fingertips. Among the growing pile of debris, lay three severely beaten men, all of whom were under the command of the man who now sought to destroy the room. All three groaned with pain even as droplets of their blood seeped from open wounds on their faces and bodies, proof that Tiruc was indeed crazed. The men had been unfortunate in that they had been the nearest things once all of the room's chairs had been destroyed.

"How dare they!" Tiruc screamed, spittle soaring from his mouth, "They dare! They dare to defy us!" With each enraged word, he continued to destroy the room, tearing the tapestries from the walls, pushing over the tables and armoires. When he finally faced a bare wall, he turned back to Kel and uttered a ferocious growl. "What now, Kel?" he demanded, stomping over to him, "This was not in your plan, was it? What do we do now?"

If he hadn't already been incensed by the current situation, Kel would surely have wondered at the distraught state of his friend. Never had he seen such primitiveness in a man before, for Tiruc surely had reverted back to the functions of ancient men. The desire to destroy with rage because of unexpected circumstances, the wild light that blazed in his eyes, this was not the Tiruc that Kel had known through his lifetime. Seemingly, his friend was now replaced with this…beast.

Nevertheless, this new behavior did not bode well with him. "Calm yourself, Tiruc!" Kel barked, his anger rising with annoyance. "All is not lost! You would know it had you thought with your head instead of your loins!" He smirked when he saw his friend stop abruptly, his face turning purple with indignation. "Do not speak!" he added, warningly. "For it will only further your troubles!"

Tiruc glared at him, his eyes narrowed down to dangerous slits. He opened his mouth stupidly, then just as quickly shut it. He stalked over to an unbroken chair and threw himself upon it.

"I will agree that the absence of the Elves is most displeasing," Kel told him, slightly turning to him, "especially since we could not be any more specific with the time and place in our ransom note. But, it is a minor thing, I assure you. The Elves will not abandon their own." He brought his fingers together and pressed them to his chin, thoughtfully. "They refuse to follow our rules," he murmured, "That tells me they will attempt to do things their way…the only question now, is when and how?" He fell silent as his thoughts washed over him.

Tiruc continued to glare from his seat. "And what, pray tell is 'their way'?" he demanded, sourly. His eyes fell again to the three men that lay on the ground and felt his lip curl contemptuously.

"If I am not mistaken, Tiruc," Kel shot back, "Elves are known for their stealth, are they not?" When the angry man grudgingly nodded, Kel smirked. "That is 'their way,' Tiruc," he answered. "I do believe the Elves will attempt to steal back what we have taken….without our knowledge." He looked pointedly at his unenlightened friend, as if willing him to understand.

Tiruc sat there for a moment, processing his words, then felt his eyes widened as if he had not thought of the possibility they now faced. "I will double the guards and watchtowers around the keep," he said, leaping to his feet.

Kel chuckled. "Yes, good suggestion, Tiruc," he said.

From the shadows of the woods that stood behind the stronghold of Yelren, Legolas watched the flurry of activity before him. He watched as the rotted wood gate of the outer wall pushed open, sending out a storm of about fifty men, all dressed in armor. These men added to the protective ring that already surrounded the once great building, widening its radius by several more feet. Above them, more men scattered along the wall, also in armor and took their posts. Shouts of orders could be heard in the air, as well as their replies.

Legolas turned to the crouching figure of Aragorn beside him and darkly smiled. "Arwen will surely have my head now," he murmured.

Aragorn smiled, holding back his chuckle. "Not just yet," he whispered. He cocked his head to the side, listening. "We must move," he murmured. "They've sent their watch this way."

Legolas nodded and quietly followed his friend deeper into the woods. The trees grew closer together with each step they took towards the heart of the forest, causing the air to find other ways of moving through its growth. They stopped only when the light grew dimmer and the sounds of the forest grew quieter. They glanced around, then quickly climbed the trunk of the nearest tree: a large, fully grown oak.

High above in its branches, the rest of their company sat waiting. Gimli looked very unhappy to be precariously balanced on a thick branch several feet above the ground. Legolas took one look at his face and nearly laughed; it was reminiscent of the face the Dwarf had had when he'd learn they would be riding a horse during their hunt after Merry and Pippin.

Gimli saw his friend struggling to hold back his laughter and growled. "Quiet!" he hissed.

Ziendriel smiled softly at him, almost laughing aloud when he nearly lost his balance. Her hand shot out to steady him, then turned her eyes to her husband. "What news, Legolas?" she asked.

"It is apparent that our absence was missed last night," the prince answered, somberly. "And it was surely not appreciated." He exchanged grim looks with Aragorn.

"They have set more guards in and around the keep," Aragorn explained, slightly shaking his head. "Although it will make our entrance more difficult, it can be done, nonetheless."

"What do you propose?" Lorith asked, frowning.

Ziendriel strained to listen as Aragorn proposed his plan, but her concentration was interrupted by an all too familiar ring in her ears. She uttered a soft, "Oh!" then felt herself quickly falling backwards.

Jhad went to her immediately, catching her securely before she could fall from her perch. He watched as her eyes rolled back and her body went limp as the vision washed over her. Only when she blinked did he help her into a sitting position, gently rubbing her ears.

"What did you see, meleth?" Legolas murmured, coming to her side. He saw the violent tremble of her body and frowned at it. He had never seen a vision that made her tremble like this and it worried him.

It was a long moment before she answered. "I-I don't kn-know," she answered, wiping a few tears away. Her eyes met his for a moment, then turned away.

What is it, Ziendriel? He sent to her.

Nothing, Legolas. Came the reply, I-I…it was nothing, melamin. Nothing.

She slightly turned away, only to find Adrianna beside her. "Milady?" she murmured, her face pale with worry. She took her hand and gently patted it. Jhad, sensing the privacy needed between the two friends, discreetly left them alone.

Ziendriel weakly smiled and gave her hand a squeeze. "Before this is over, Adrianna," she whispered to her, "there will be many things that will have happened that we will not understand why." She softly sighed.

Adrianna peered at her closely. "I do not understand, milady," she whispered back, well aware that the prince now watched them. "What will we not understand? What things must happen?" She looked earnestly at her.

Ziendriel shook her head. "You will remember my words and understand later," she answered, and said no more, much to the handmaiden's dismay.

Legolas was also put off by his wife's evasiveness. There was something she was not telling him and he knew it had to do with the vision she had just received. He watched as Jhad helped Ziendriel to her feet, noticing that she avoided his gaze. This did not sit well with him, for it was obvious that this latest vision had clearly shaken her.

He did not receive the opportunity to press the issue, for in the next moment, Gragoc was urgently motioning for him. He complied and joined his friend, then abruptly stopped. They could see through the leaves and branches below them that several of Yelren's men were fanning the area, walking directly under their tree. Legolas motioned for them all to remain quiet, keeping his eyes intently on the Men. He ordered Gragoc, Lorith and Jhad to spread out among the tree, while keeping Aragorn and Gimli beside him. He was just about to order their attack when he heard Adrianna urgently whisper, "Milady, no!"

Whirling around in his spot, Legolas was just in time to see Ziendriel disappear below the branches. He watched in shock as she landed gracefully to the ground and took off running. "Meleth!" he yelled, forgetting the soldiers.

It was too late. The guards had already caught sight of the Elf maid running and immediately turned to follow her. Shouts and thundering footsteps echoed within the forest, sure to bring more of Yelren's men.

"MOVE!" Legolas ordered, and as one, four Elves, a Dwarf and a Man disappeared from the treetops. Unaccustomed to this sort of activity, Adrianna struggled down the trunk of the tree, only to feel a hand grasp her ankle.

Terrified, Adrianna looked down, then nearly fell from surprise. "Milady!" she gasped, "What-"

"Not now, Adrianna!" Ziendriel cried desperately, "Get back into the tree!" She pushed her upwards and scurried after her.

They had just made it back into the tree when more guards came crashing through the brush. Ziendriel held a finger to her lips, motioning for her handmaiden to quiet her heavy breathing. They silently watch, terrified of being discovered as the Men glanced about the area. A shout suddenly sounded, leading the Men away. In the distance, they could hear shouts and yells of Men, Elves and Dwarf and the clashing of weapons. Ziendriel cringed with every clash and felt the tears stinging her eyes.

And then….silence.

Ziendriel felt her heart leap into her throat and held her breath. Please let Legolas and the others be alright! She prayed silently, Please! A moment later, she heard footsteps growing closer to their hiding place. Below them, a whole storm of guards stalked by, six prisoners being roughly led after them.

Beside her, Adrianna began to silently weep.

The inside of the Men's stronghold met Legolas with a glaring deafness that made him wince. One look at the crumbling walls and grime covered floors brought to mind the tombs of those long ago departed, which surprised the Elf. If anything, he had expected Yelren to take upon itself the maturity and age of a small kingdom worthy of claim to Gondor. This decaying place looked nothing like what he had envisioned.

The same thoughts ran through Aragorn's mind, for he did nothing to mask the emotions that crossed his face. His eyes took in his surroundings with sorrow and astonishment, for in himself did he put the blame of Yelren's obvious demise. He shook his head and cast his eyes shamefully to the ground.

"What has happened to this place?" Jhad murmured, though to no one in particular. His hands, like that of the others, were bound behind his back, but did not prevent his curious eyes from wandering the hall. His voice held wonder, but did not mask the surprise at the crumbling sight before him.

One of the guards roughly poked him in the back, catching the Elf by surprise and causing him to stumble. "Quiet!" the guard barked, his face contorted in a sneer. Jhad returned the gesture, but his was far more intimidating between the two. The guard immediately dropped his eyes to the floor and mumbled something incoherent.

Jhad shared a small smirk with the others before they were ushered into the main hall. Though the sun shone brightly outside, it was not hard to notice the difference inside: light was evident, but the mood was not. In fact, the tension immediately enveloped the small group, giving evidence of the under current of anger that permeated through out the room.

Upon the dais, sitting slouched with anger, sat a Man. His dark eyes remained focused upon the group as they were ushered before him, his jaw clenching with each passing second. They were a curious group of mixed races: Elves, Man and Dwarf; what common good could they all share?

Tiruc wondered the same, but unlike his friend, did not keep his thoughts to himself. He sneered as he demanded, "What business does a Man, a Dwarf, and four Elves have here?"

Both Aragorn and Legolas fought to keep their laughter smothered, even as Gimli broadly grinned. It was reminiscent of their great friend Eomer, now king of Rohan. The seasoned warrior had uttered much of the same words when he had come upon the Three Hunters during their quest to rescue Merry and Pippin from the Uru-kai.

Gimli opened his mouth to reply, only to stop when Aragorn painfully stomped on his foot in warning. The Dwarf frowned at his friend, but shut his mouth.

Aragorn stepped forward and bowed. "We are merely a band of friends who have unwittingly wandered into your lands," he began, but was cut short by Legolas.

"I've come for my son!" the Prince of Mirkwood bellowed angrily. Aragorn inwardly groaned at the Elf's sudden outburst of impatience.

This took the Men by surprise. "What did you say?" Kel demanded from atop the king's throne.

"Several weeks ago your Men attacked a company of Elves," Legolas answered. "My son was among them; you took him and I want him back!"

Tiruc stepped forward, the astonishment clear on his face. "The Elfling is yours?" he demanded. When Legolas belligerently nodded, he frowned. "Then, that would mean the Elf maid…" he trailed off, the comprehension dawning. His face contorted with rage. "NO!" he screamed, unsheathing his sword. He took one menacing step forward, his weapon raised.

"Tiruc, halt!" Kel barked, astonished at his friend's rash behavior. Two guards unwillingly stepped forward to block the crazed man's advance on the now thoroughly confused Elf. Kel stood from his seat and rushed to the struggling man. "I know of your intent, my friend," he told him, "but, we cannot think of him in his true capacity…yet." When his friend continued to struggle, Kel lost his patience. He shoved him off to the side, growling. "You will listen to me, Tiruc!" he demanded, grabbing him around the neck. "This Elf has been sent in accordance to our instructions! For all we know he may be the one blessed with the power of the sorceress! And I'll be damned if I let you kill him!"

Tiruc returned his glare. "How do expect me to react, Kel?" he muttered, sneering. "That Elf-"

"That Elf," Kel interrupted, his voice dangerously low, "is the key to discovering Aìnu's power. You follow through with your intentions, Tiruc, and I swear that I will throw you into the dungeons myself!" His eyes glinted treacherously.

This silenced Tiruc, but did not diminish the dark cloud of rage around his face. He glanced towards Legolas, who was watching the exchange curiously and found his blood begin to boil once more. He tore his eyes away and returned their gaze upon his friend. "For now," he muttered, darkly, "I will stay my hand against the Elf…but once we discover who it is, I will, as you say, follow through with my intentions!" He roughly shoved Kel's hand away from his neck and stalked out of the chamber.

Kel returned his attention upon the group. "Enough interruptions!" he said, stepping closer to them. "We will go straight to business. Where is the Elf that we have requested?"

Frowns immediately appeared on all four faces that were Elven. "Do not speak so lightly of our race, as if we were mere things to you," Legolas growled. He fixed his eyes, now a chilling blue, upon the Man.

For a moment, Kel was taken aback by the fierceness in those eyes. They were more dangerous than Tiruc's crazed ones, for this Elf was calm and sane as anyone present. And, it was in those eyes that he saw the Elfling, and knew without a doubt that this was the child's father.

Kel regained his composure and airily waved his hand in dismissal. "I will ask again," he said. "Where is the Elf?"

"Not until we are able to see the Elfling," Aragorn answered, calmly.

Their captor laughed nastily. "And why should I take orders from you?" he demanded, unkindly. "You are nothing but a Ranger; an old and dated one, I might add." He laughed again and was joined by his men.

Aragorn shared a look with his friends, suppressing his grin. The idiots did not recognize him as their king; this could definitely work to their advantage!

Aloud, Aragorn said, "A Ranger I may be, but until our request is granted, the identity of the Elf you desire will remain secret."

Kel raised a questioning brow. "I could always torture you," he threatened.

At this, Aragorn smiled. "Ah, but what good will it do if your torture leads to our deaths? We have been through more horrible things than you can imagine and have been made stronger for it," he answered. "We are the only ones who know the identity of the Elf and you shall receive our deaths upon your head before we reveal our secret."

"You lie!" Kel hissed.

"Perhaps," Aragorn murmured, "But, I do not think you are willing to take that chance." He pleasantly smiled, as if their conversation was merely about the weather. "Surely you have noticed that the time of the Elves has passed and more and more leave for the lands of their people. After us, there will be no more Elves to torture information from."

The decision weighed heavily upon the advisor, insomuch that it took him several long moments to process it. Finally, with a sneer, he ordered one of the guards to fetch the child from the dungeons.

Erundil sat content upon his rickety bench, his blue eyes focused upon the mouse that wandered freely through his cell. He smiled as he watched the furry creature sniff around the grimy floor, its tiny nose twitching and scrunched with each breath. A giggle escaped him as he tried to imitate the mouse with a nose twitch of his own.

Taking a small piece of day old bread that had been given to him this morning as breakfast, Erundil quietly hopped down from his bench. His grin grew broader when the mouse did not scurry away from his movement. Ada would be very proud! He thought. He silently crept closer, crouching slightly with each step. Finally, he was a mere arm's length away and held out the bread as an offering.

The mouse immediately went on guard and froze. Its tiny nose twitched in anticipation, then in curiosity when it caught the scent of the bread. Cautiously, its head leaned forward, inspecting the offering.

A loud noise suddenly echoed through the dungeons, startling the occupants within. Erundil frowned when the mouse scurried away, frightened. He threw the bread towards a corner, then straightened up. From in between the bars he could see a lone guard stalking through the dungeon, the scowl evident on his dirty face. The Elfling watched as the guard continued down the walkway, then stop abruptly at his cell. A ring of keys were produced and used to unlock the cell door. The guard stepped inside and pointed a finger at the child. "Come!" he barked.

Erundil, who had not yet mastered the language of Westron, turned curious eyes to him. From behind the guard, one of the Men in the cell across from him was mouthing something to him, accompanied with various hand motions.

Seth, one of the King's oldest members of the cabinet, pointed to Erundil. "You," he mouthed. "Go." He formed his index and middle fingers into a V shape and pointed them downwards into the palm of his other hand; he made a walking motion. "With him!" He pointed at the guard.

Erundil nodded, even as the guard whirled around to face Seth. "What are you telling him?" the guard growled.

Seth glared at him. "He doesn't understand you, fool!" he answered, motioning to Erundil. "How do you expect him to follow your orders when he cannot understand?"

The guard muttered something obscene, then turned back to the waiting child. He stepped forward and grabbed Erundil roughly by the arm, and all put dragged him out of the cell. Seth saw the now frightened look upon the child's face and cursed at the guard. "He'll go willingly, you idiot!" he yelled. "Let him go and he'll follow you!"

The guard released Erundil's arm and in the same moment lunged for Seth in between the bars. "I grow tired of your name calling, old man!" he yelled, the frustration and irritation written all over his face. "You would do well to remember who is in charge here!"

Seth smirked from the safety of the farthest wall. "As long as idiots like you and that bastard Kel are in charge," he told the younger man, "I'm afraid the name calling will never cease." He boldly winked at Erundil, who merely smiled. Though the child could not understand the exchange, he knew enough by the men's body language and displays of emotions.

With a growl of anger, the guard reached for his keys. But, before he could find the appropriate one, another guard came rushing in. "What are you doing?" he demanded, irritated. "Lord Kel is waiting; impatiently, too, I might add!" He yanked at his comrade's arm.

Reluctantly, the first guard put his keys away. "This is not over, old man!" he growled at Seth. To Erundil, he lifted his arm and forcibly pointed towards the exit. "GO!" he barked.

Erundil shrugged, then began to walk. He turned at the last second to wave good-bye to Seth. He quietly giggled when he heard the guard snarl in frustration.

The journey from the dungeons to the main floor of the stronghold did not take very long; at least not in Erundil's estimation. It was faster now that he knew where he was going and what to expect. The day the guards had brought him down into his cell, Erundil had marveled at what seemed like thousands and thousands of steps that he'd had to take; now it seemed like less than a hundred as he climbed the spiraled staircase towards the surface. And the stairway did not seem as dark as before, even with the many torches that lined the solid rock walls.

The door that led to the main floor did not look intimidating either; even as the guard unlocked the set of large devices that sealed it tight, it appeared as any other door might to a young child.

Nothing seemed scary anymore, not when Erundil thought of it now. Of course, he had been afraid when he'd first arrived in Yelren; being kidnapped by wild-looking Men could do that, he supposed. But now, after being here for weeks now, it wasn't so bad. The Men that had also been imprisoned (he still had not found out why they were down in the dungeons) were very nice Men who seemed very concerned about him. They were even trying to help him understand Westron, which made the time in their dreary cells pass faster.

Atara will be pleased, I suppose, he thought, grinning slightly, Learning another language while being held captive should count for something!

His thoughts were interrupted when his eyes beheld the sight that awaited him in the king's court. There, surrounded by the many wild-looking Men who had kidnapped him, was his father and his uncles. There was also a Dwarf and a Man that looked similar to the Men of Yelren, but his countenance seemed kinder. Erundil wondered at it for a moment, then turned his eyes back to his father. As if not believing that he really stood there, Erundil blinked. "Ada?" he said, uncertainly.

The older Elf crouched on his haunches, even as a grin broke out onto his face, its familiarity stunning the child. Erundil recognized that grin; it was the special grin his father reserved for him alone, and he had seen it so many times, there was no denying it or his father.

"Ada!" the child exclaimed, returning the grin. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him and went flying into his father's chest.

Legolas felt the tears of joy sting the corners of his eyes. He could feel his son's arms clasped tightly around his neck, felt his face buried into the crook of his neck. He felt his heart burst with happiness long suppressed and allowed one tiny sob to escape him. He wanted more than anything to hold his son, but his bonds prevented him from that one simple pleasure.

Erundil stepped back and placed both hands on his father's cheeks. "You are here!" he exclaimed, happily. "I have missed you, ada!"

Legolas smiled at him. "Not as much as I have missed you, son!" he told him. "Are you alright? They have not hurt you, have they?" His eyes quickly scanned over the little one's body until he was satisfied that he was in no way injured.

"I am fine, ada!" Erundil giggled. "The Men in the dungeons have been very nice to me."

"Men in the dungeon?" Legolas questioned. "What Men do you speak of, Erundil?" He looked curiously at his son.

The young Elf shrugged. "They were put in the dungeons the same day I arrived," he answered. "I do not know why they are down there."

Before anything else could be said, Kel stepped forward and pulled Erundil away. "You have seen the Elfling!" he announced, the hard gleam in his eyes returning, "Now tell us what we desire!"

Legolas watched as his son was handed to the guard that had brought him in, watched as Erundil's eyes filled with tears. He felt the anger grip his heart tightly, felt his eyes narrow to angry slits. He got to his feet and opened his mouth with the intent to tell these Men to go straight to the depths of Mordor, but was interrupted by the shake of Aragorn's head. He saw the wisdom and concern in his friend's eyes, saw the experience he had and trusted, and therefore bit his tongue back from throwing out the insults these Men deserved.

He was further saved by the arrival of more guards, who stormed into the chambers. The leader stopped before Kel and quickly kneeled. "Milord, more Elves!" he announced, excitably.

Legolas swore as his friends frowned with disappointment. They had hoped Ziendriel had been able to escape, but with this new development, they knew it not to be so. With heavy hearts, they watched as Ziendriel and Adrianna were led into the room, unbound, surrounded by a number of guards.

The atmosphere inside the chamber immediately lightened at the arrival of the Elven maids, which dissipated the tension. All eyes were upon the two new captives, some in awe, others in undisguised lust. The sudden bombardment of unchaste thoughts of these ladies reached the minds of the four Elven lords, causing their eyes to widen in surprise at such boldness.

Ziendriel stopped a few feet away from Kel and gracefully curtsied. "Milord, I am Ziendriel, Princess of Mirkwood," she introduced. "And, I believe I have what you seek."