Disclaimer: I own nothing Tolkien created.
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Mirkwood's Plague
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Chapter 6 ~ More Bad News
"Well, I certainly don't understand it but then who does understand the minds of Elves?" Gimli said gruffly.
"I wouldn't speak like that in a realm full of very fierce warrior Elves, Master Gimli," Gandalf's voice boomed with a hint of comedy hidden behind his stern words. Although he was only half joking.
The four Hobbits laughed at the horror on Gimli's face when he heard this warning. He squinted his eyes and began scanning the canopy of the trees, presumably looking for an Elf poised with an arrow to strike him down should he dare insult them again. Instead of arrow tips he merely saw numerous sets of stone-cold eyes staring coolly back at him.
"Well…the Mirkwood Elves have been very nice so far," Gimli said overly loudly, quickly plastering a smile across his face, hoping the guards wouldn't take his first comment too personally. Gandalf laughed at the Dwarf who was still looking around nervously for the weapon which he believed any minute would hit him.
"Don't worry, Gimli. I'm sure they won't attack you," Gandalf smiled.
"Something seems…I don't know…wrong," Frodo said, listening to the silence all around them. "They aren't singing. I thought the Elves always sang."
"Maybe they have nothing to sing about," Pippin suggested cheerfully, as always looking on the bright side.
"Where did Legolas – sorry, Prince Legolas – go?" Merry asked, looking to Gandalf for an answer.
"Something is happening in Mirkwood. Frodo is right, something is wrong and it is not just the lack of singing. There is a shadow over Mirkwood that I have not felt for a long time. They feel it also." Gandalf gestured to the Elves concealed in the trees.
"What is it?" Pippin asked cautiously.
"Now, that's for the King and Legolas to answer. No doubt there will be an official announcement soon enough."
"There's something you're not telling us," Frodo stated.
"Yes indeed, but it is not for me to divulge. I am not the King of Mirkwood. It is not my place to answer such questions. Like I said, it is up to the prince or king," Gandalf said sternly.
"Well, let's go and find Legolas then," Gimli grumbled, walking towards the palace, still eyeing the trees nervously. The others just smiled and followed him.
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Legolas sat by his father's bed watching him silently. The King had been sleeping for several hours, not moving or making a sound. Legolas, although being told by Elrond that his father was in no immediate danger, found this extremely unnerving.
"Legolas?" Thranduil finally mumbled, still keeping his eyes firmly shut.
Legolas leaned closer, gently taking his father's cold hand in his own. He had never seen his normally strong father in such a state before and it was frightening to know the king could be so vulnerable instead of the strong, unflappable leader the prince and Mirkwood's people knew so well.
"Ada, I'm here," Legolas whispered.
"Legolas," the king repeated, this time opening his eyes and fixing them on the concerned - and slightly bruised - face of his son.
"It's alright, Ada. You're going to be fine," Legolas reassured. Thranduil blinked several times, clearing the blurriness from his vision before staring up at his obviously concerned son.
"What happened? I don't remember anything," Thranduil said, his unusually weak voice laced with confusion and concern.
"It is nothing to worry about for now. Just try and rest," Legolas soothed.
"Ion nin, you will never know how sorry…"
"Shhh, Ada."
Thranduil closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again and focusing properly on Legolas. He frowned when he saw the bruise forming on his son's face. He raised his hand and touched the bruise, not missing Legolas' flinch.
"I did this," Thranduil murmured under his breath brushing his fingers over the bruised flesh until Legolas took his hand and replaced it on the bed with a reassuring squeeze.
"Ada, it doesn't matter. Please, it's not important. Just rest," Legolas urged not wanting to remember or mention the things his father had said and done to him earlier.
"What else did I do?" Thranduil asked, looking sleepily at his son.
"Shh, Ada. Rest." Legolas moved forward and squeezed Thranduil's hand gently, reassuringly.
"Tell me, please," Thranduil said with a note of pleading in his hoarse voice.
"Ada, it's not important. I'm fine. I really am. But you are still unwell, you must rest. You don't want to disobey Elrond's instructions and he says it is important that you rest."
"And since when did Lord Elrond give the orders around here?" Thranduil smiled weakly.
"Since you became so difficult," Legolas laughed. He realised that Thranduil was already back asleep and he couldn't hide his relief that he didn't have to explain it all to his father. He was massively grateful that Thranduil didn't remember anything either.
"Legolas?" Elrond's voice came from the door. "Is everything alright?"
"Yes. Ada was awake just now though," Legolas replied, standing up and walking over to Elrond before their voices woke Thranduil.
"That's good. How was he?"
"A little confused but at least he was more like himself this time. I don't think he remembers much about what happened. I thought it best not to tell him until he gets better."
"That's probably for the best," Elrond smiled, looking critically over at the king.
"I hate lying to him though," the prince sighed.
"I know but telling him the truth now will only make him more distressed. Trust me, you did the right thing," Elrond put his hand on Legolas' shoulder, hoping to offer some comfort to the prince.
"Did you have any luck figuring out what was wrong with Rumil?" Legolas asked. "Do you know what's wrong with Ada?"
"I don't. I have an idea but I must confirm it first."
"If you think you know what's wrong with him then please tell me." Legolas looked at him with pleading blue eyes.
"Legolas, I..."
"Please, Elrond."
"Alright. I believe your father is 'infected' with the same thing as your brother and his guards. I traced back some of his symptoms and looked at the bodies of the other victims. From what I've seen, the symptoms match Thranduil's. I'm sorry." Elrond had been dreading telling Legolas this but he knew the prince had a right to know what was going on.
"Are you certain?" he asked quietly.
"Legolas, I know this is difficult but I have to be honest with you, I'm almost certain this is not grief; the symptoms are just all wrong. The next logical assumption is that the same thing that killed the others is also affecting the king." Elrond watched as Legolas moved to sit on a near-by couch.
"Is…is my father going to die?" Legolas asked in a voice filled with grief and concern.
"I'm sorry, Legolas but I am still no closer to finding a cure. There is nothing in any of the usual texts about such a disease," Elrond answered.
"Is it poison?"
"No I don't think so. I found no traces of the recorded poisons in Rumil's body. I would say this was a disease of some kind. It would explain how it spread so quickly through that town and passed onto the guards and Rumil."
"A disease?" Legolas questioned, suddenly much more alert. "But Elves are immune to all illnesses."
"There are some diseases – although they are incredibly rare – that do affect Elves. I have never come across one myself but I have read about them. They are usually far more vicious and contagious than those of Men or Dwarves."
"But there must be a cure, something you can do to help him," Legolas pleaded, a twinge of hope in his otherwise saddened voice.
"I don't know that there is a cure."
"So you will not try?" Legolas yelled standing and no longer caring about waking his father as his temper irrationally flared.
"Calm down, mellon nin. Of course I will try. I will do everything in my power to help your father but…"
"But what?"
"But I don't want you getting your hopes up too high. However, you and I have far more important things to worry about right now."
"What could possibly be more important than the king's welfare?"
"How about the welfare of the king's realm?" Elrond whispered, not wanting to alert Thranduil or anyone else of their conversation.
"What?"
"This disease is obviously able to spread quickly. It went from the town to Rumil and his party almost instantly and killed every one of them. Who do you think it's going to affect next?"
"Mirkwood," Legolas breathed, realisation dawning on him.
"If it is affecting the king then it's already in Mirkwood."
"We have to evacuate the kingdom," Legolas said, his voice more determined now.
"And where do we go? We have no idea whether it's going to affect other races or even other Elves. If we leave Mirkwood we risk spreading the disease and killing even more people. We can't do that no matter how much you want to protect your people."
"Of course, you're right. So, what do we do? We can't just stand by and watch this disease kill off every Elf in Mirkwood," Legolas said, trying to keep his voice level despite his rising terror.
"I will continue to search for a cure. In the meantime you have to inform your people and make sure they don't panic. No one can leave or enter Mirkwood."
"And my father?" Legolas asked nervously, looking over at Thranduil who was lying completely still on the bed; only the gentle rise and fall of his chest showing that he was alive.
"Like I said, until I know what it is, there isn't much I can do other than make him comfortable."
"Just do everything you can. I should go and tell the others what is happening, they have a right to know the truth," the younger Elf said.
"The truth about what?" Aragorn's voice came from the door. "Legolas, is everything alright?"
"What's not alright?" Gimli's voice came from the other direction.
"What? What's going on?" asked a very confused Pippin.
"Nothing is going on," Legolas sighed, hoping their voices wouldn't wake the king who was – so far – still sleeping. "Please keep your voices down."
"What happened? Is your father alright?" Merry asked, trying to get a better look at Thranduil by standing on his tip-toes and craning his neck.
"Come with me to Ada's office and I will explain everything," Legolas ushered everyone but Elrond out of the room. Before he left, he cast a nervous glance towards Thranduil then shifted his gaze towards Elrond who gave him a reassuring nod. Legolas just smiled his thanks and left the room.
Translations:
Ada: Dad
Ion nin: My son
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