Legolas grumbled as he played with the figures on his desk. He had been locked in the room for three days after his escape attempt. He had not gotten far, barely down the hall when Uru had caught him and dragged him back. Mairon had been unhappy, not really angry, just severely disappointed and as he had been warned, Legolas found himself locked in. It was a familiar situation, he had lost count of how many times he had been restricted to his room in Greenwood. Though his Ada had relaxed about that as he had gotten older. Perhaps realizing that Legolas could not live out his entire life within the confines of the palace. But it was starting to look like he was going to spend it locked away in the palace of Mordor instead. He jumped as the door unlocked and Mairon stepped in, not bothering to knock. Legolas regarded him only for a moment before turning back to his figures determined to ignore his host.
"Legolas, You didn't eat your breakfast." He commented. But Legolas remained silent. Moving the figures of the elves around his desk. He could feel Mairons frustration at his silence but really did not care. None of this could change the fact that he had been kidnapped, that he was a prisoner. That his kingdom likely thought him dead. He worried for his Ada, that was what had spurred on his attempt. Surely the thought of losing him would send the King of Greenwood to his grave.
"..I want to go home." He finally spoke, painfully aware of the childishness in his voice. He heard Mairon approach and sink his hand into his hair before he could protest. He closed his eyes prepared to resist the fog that Mairons touch always brought with it. He had thought it was getting better, it had gotten easier to function through it when he was ironically not resisting it.
"Legolas.. If you were not here they would have killed you. Lord Sauron… wants the woodland realm. I had to convince him to let me have you instead. You are only safe here." Mairon spoke after a moment staring out the window. "I admit that I had always hoped one day you and your father would come to live with me.."
Legolas frowned, he had tried for weeks to get some answers, and he did not like this one even if it made sense. Dol guldar had been Saurons stronghold in the north for almost as long as he had been alive, if not longer. "Ada will die…" His voice broke at the thought. "If he comes for me and if he stays thinking me dead."
"No, He will live. He will know you are alive, and when he comes for you he will be welcomed into these halls and my home as well." Mairon said firmly. Legolas finally lifted his head to look at the man.
"...You love him." He wasn't asking, Legolas had already figured that part out.
"More than I have ever loved anything else in this world." The elf-like being smiled sadly. "But we both had other obligations that kept us from our hearts desires."
"Like him being a king and you a servant of mordor?" Legolas asked dully. He was too tired to put any venom in his words and if he was honest he did not feel any for Mairon on this subject.
Mairon looked thoughtful for a moment and dropped his hand from his hair offering it to him instead. "Come with me, I have something to show you."
"We are going out?" Legolas accepted his hand using his free hand to push his hair back behind his ears. He had not brushed it in a few days but it barely needed it anyways. Though his braids could stand to be fixed from their haphazard state.
"Yes, I think you have had enough of your punishment. I am sure you won't try to run again."
Legolas nodded in response and followed behind Mairon. "I don't think i would get much farther…" He admitted.
"You would be right, gave Uru more guards to help her. Though I must say, I was disappointed that you couldn't come up with a better plan. You've got a good head on your shoulders."
"Do you want me to escape?"
"I would love to see you try."
Legolas frowned. So that was it, Mairon was testing him? Daring him to be and do better? He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. Why would a servant of Sauron want him to be a threat, A million questions bounced around his head. And it seemed like every answer just created more. He let out a frustrated noise but let Mairon continue to guide him. "Where are we going?"
"I want to show you my oldest passion." Mairon answered as he pushed open a door. Beyond his shoulder Legolas was surprised to see a workshop and forge.
"Oh.." Legolas followed him inside looking amazed at the things around him. There were various bottles of liquid, papers covering the walls with sketches and notes. A forge on the far wall that burned steady ready to be used. "You are a blacksmith?" he asked.
"Yes, I was once considered the best among my people, but that was a very long time ago." he smiled wistfully and walked over the desk where a half finished contraption sat.
"What is that?" Legolas couldn't help his curiosity, it looked like a bow but it was so small.
"A prototype. It isn't working on the small scale yet." Mairon did not go into anymore detail and put it away in a drawer. "Your grandfather would never have accepted a simple blacksmith…" he said after a moment.
"My…. oh.. I'm sorry." Legolas bit his lip and looked awkwardly around the room at the sketches. He found many were for armor, weapons, and one that looked newer was of a set of crowns. "Do you….is this what you do for your lord?"
"Some of it. I also command his armies and hunter packs, I am only one of his generals after all."
"And what are these then?" Legolas wandered further in frowning as the sketches and notes became more biology based. He almost gagged as he realized that these bottles contained organs.
"...My less… pleasant work. Orcs have to come from somewhere now don't they?" Mairon came over, pulling a curtain divider in front of Legolas who felt a little uneasy but nodded.
"Alright...Your workshop is very nice… I admit I do not have many practical skills outside my bow." He felt embarrassed with how sheltered he had been, he read a lot and sang. His father had allowed him to learn archery as a means of protecting himself.
"I can teach you. If weapons are not your thing, I can show you how to make finer things. Jewelry, crowns." Mairon sounded hopeful again as he led him back to the forge. "Actually I was sketching out something for you. You are a prince after all." his tone had softened into teasing.
"Oh please no crowns. My adas are more than enough for both of us." Legolas groaned as he thought of his fathers various crowns, he was fond of his wood one, but he had several others that were far more extravagant. Including one that resembled his Elks antlers.
"A circlet then, Like Lord Elrond is fond of?" Mairons smile faltered a little as he mentioned Elrond.
"Oh.. I.. that would be fine… do you know Elrond too then?" Legolas felt a wave of grief for the elven lord who had been like a second father to him. Surely he thought that he was dead, and the thought of Elrond writing him off as dead hurt more than his thoughts of his Ada.
"You are really fond of him aren't you?" Mairon dug his fingers into his hair again and this time he welcomed the touch and the comfort it always brought.
"Yes… He always made time for me during his visits, Ada would let him take me out for rides before the forest became too dangerous. And he took me in after I.. ran away I guess."
"That is why you were in Rivendel? Because you ran away?" He was disappointed in him, Legolas could feel it. "Why did you leave?"
"Because I was trapped… I was as trapped in Greenwood as I am here." He leaned into his touch moving a hand to lay it against Mairons.
"One day, all of Middle earth will be open to you. I am sorry that you must still wait." Legolas believed him, even though he knew if that were to happen it would be a middle earth that had been turned to rubble and ash. He forced himself to smile and pulled away from the touch.
"Thank you for showing me this…" He felt a twinge of guilt. "I'm sorry that it prevented you from being with Ada…" he didn't care if that would have meant he would not exist. His Ada would have been happy, instead of attempting to drink himself into oblivion everyday.
"As I said this was not the only reason we could not be together. I was already… Allied with Lord Sauron when I met your father." Mairon shook his head and stepped back. "Why don't you have Uru take you out to the garden? I have work to do here."
Legolas was disappointed at being sent away so soon but nodded in response. "I would like that… will you join me later?"
Mairon smiled at the request. "If that is what you'd like, my morningstar." He teased gently before he nodded Uru who had entered some time after them.
Legolas was surprised by the endearment and tilted his head slightly. "I would… and thank you again Mairon."
Legolas followed behind Uru as they were joined by more guards he noticed that these were different ones. More similar to Uru in their build. "So uh… new guards? After I slipped past the other ones?" he asked as he assessed the situation.
"Yes, the little master is too smart for common orcs." Uru replied a small smile teasing its way onto his face to Legolas' surprise. He had never considered that orcs were capable of smiling, unless taking satisfaction in the pain of others.
"Common orcs? You mean the… less… normal looking ones?" He wasn't sure how else to put that. Uru looked more like Azog, advanced, non mutated.
"Yes, we are not common, made by the master to be… better." She nodded at the four new orcs. "They are the same, Master had them recalled to help me."
"Better.. Was azog like you then? You look very similar to him."
Uru scoffed a little at that. "Azog was failed. We came after. New blood."
"Failed… er… new blood from what?" Legolas tried to imagine how Azog could have been a failure in any sense. He had seemed rather perfect for an orc killing machine. And he had a guess about the new blood and now regretted asking.
"I do not know." Uru admitted. "I only hear about Azog, that he was failed. Not what the master had wanted." She explained as they walked.
"But you are what he wanted?" Legolas pressed hoping for an answer that would make sense.
"Yes, Master chose me to get the little master and bring him here." she looked proud of herself. "Bring the little master in, keep him gentle"
"Was that what Mairon told you? To be gentle with me?" He had to admit that after he had been identified she had been gentle with him, her pack had as well. As little as he actually remembered about the trip here. "Why am I little master?"
She looked confused at him for a moment before shrugging. "Master told us you are little master now." She apparently did not have an answer for the first question.
Legolas nodded and ran a hand through his hair. This was frustrating at best, terrifying at worst. If Azog had been a failure than what type of horror were they trying to make? Certainly not a gentle orc like Uru seemed to be, to him at least. He had seen her kill another orc who had spat at him one day. So she was definitely not to be messed with. He smiled when they finally reached the garden. Uru let him pass her and slip into the trees. He always felt safe here, he wished the trees would talk to him. But the sound of the leaves and wood was enough. He spent some time in the tree before he noticed that something was off in the garden. He was quiet for a moment before he realized he was hearing footsteps from the other side, they were soft, too soft to be Orc, too loud to be elven. So human, he concluded and climbed down to go find Uru. "Who else is allowed in the garden?" he asked.
"Human youth." Uru confirmed. "The guards know who,Little master should go say hello." She urged gently and Legolas felt his ears burn slightly with shyness. Friends and playmates had been rare if not nonexistent as he had grown up. His skills at making friends were therefore lacking. Uru touched his shoulder gently. "Go say hello." She repeated.
Legolas sighed and nodded. "Was this Mairons idea?" He asked raising an eyebrow at Uru rather playfully. He had grown very fond of the orc despite himself and had even felt guilty for making her chase him down during his escape attempt.
"No, Little master shouldn't be alone." She replied, giving him a gentle push towards the voices.
Legolas whined a bit but obeyed after another gentle push. He knew it was childish of him. But he did not particularly want to make friends here. Particularly with whatever humans were twisted enough to ally themselves with Mordor. Easterlings if he recalled correctly, he tried to think of what he knew about them, they were nomadic tribes, considered to be less advanced among men. So possibly not the best of company. Legolas frowned as he walked, not paying attention to where he was going until he ran into someone. His quick reflexes stopped the person, a girl from falling over. "Oh! I'm so sorry!" He said. The girl pulled herself upright and gasped at him.
"Guys! It is true!" She called up into a tree. She was rather small, he did not think she could be more than 15 years old. Two others dropped down from the tree. Another girl and a boy, both taller and older looking than the first girl.
"We can see Mina." the older girl commented. "Hi, I'm Jaya." She said grinning at Leglas who felt like he was being sized up.
"Oh uh.. Hello." Legolas rubbed the back of his neck. "What is true exactly?"
"Ohh! Well we heard that there was a new elf in Mordor." The boy spoke up with a crooked mischievous grin on his face. "I'm Naveen, Jaya's big brother."
"...You are five minutes older than me!" Jaya protested giving her brother a shove. "Ignore him, Goblin kings have more sense."
Legolas nodded frowning. "Are there… more elves in Mordor?"
"Of course there are." Mina spoke up again playing her hair and the vail that she wore over it. "Though they do tend to keep to themselves and none of them look like you."
"..I uh..what are they doing here?" Legolas struggled to think of a reason elves would come to Mordor willingly, after all the first orcs had been created from tricked, trapped, and tortured elves. He shivered at the thought and glanced up towards the tall spire and the burning Eye that remained turned towards Greenwood and Erebor. He noticed that it shook slightly as though it was angry.
"Well they live here, where else were they supposed to go after being banished." Naveen replied following his gaze, "oh yeah uh the Eye has been like that for a while. It hardly looks towards Gondor as of late… best not to think about it…. What's your name by the way?"
"Legolas… uh…" he hesitated, his last name might be a giveaway if it was given to banished elves. "Legolas Morningstar." He said straightening up.
"Nice to meet you Legolas, what did you do to get your own garden?" Jaya asked as she pulled herself back into the tree.
"I don't know.. As far as I have seen, all I had to do was exist." He admitted.
"Fair enough." Mina shrugged and sat down by the trees roots. "So… what did a kid do to get banished by the elves?"
"I wasn't banished, I.. ran away from home.." He admitted after a moment as he sat down as well. "..but my friend was banished…"
"Is your friend here too?" Naveen looked interested as he leaned against the tree trunk.
"No.." Legolas sighed and smiled sadly as he thought of Tauriel. "She found a home among the dwarves."
"I thought elves hate dwarves though?" Mina frowned. "Or maybe that's just the ones here. There aren't any dwarves here because they kept fighting and attacking each other. The dwarves stay in the hills now."
"Yeah uh…. I guess a lot of elves don't like them. I personally have nothing against dwarves and considering Tauriel married one I'm guessing that she doesn't either." He laughed softly as he remembered the letter he had gotten about the wedding and how much Tauriel had enjoyed the forced politeness from his ada. "She is like a sister to me."
"So why come to Mordor then? And why run away if you didn't do something to get banished?"
Naveens question made Legolas frown as he picked at the grass. "...I was.. Kept inside most of my life, Ada, my father was always worried about where I was, what I was doing… It was suffocating." He sighed and threw down a handful of grass. "He was always… he taught me to be calm and collected no matter what, when he is notorious for his own temper."
"So daddy is a hard ass." Jaya laughed from her perch on the tree. "Hardly a reason to come to Mordor….or that is the best teenage rebellion ever." She jumped back down and gave Legolas a wide grin. "I think you are going to fit in just fine around here."