A/N Small mistake in the last chapter. In the first bit, Lord Elrond says, "13 years isn't long for an elf, but it is when you're starving in a prison like that one." and than the last line says "Aragorn sighed again, realizing that after three years, he wouldn't believe it either." To confirm any confusion you might have, Legolas was there for three years. Yeah. Okay, remember this story is AU, or alternate universe. I'm going to clear up all the confusing stuff in this chapter, how he got captured and stuff. Okay? Okay! Let's go!
Aragorn left Legolas' chamber late that evening. He felt foolish, telling the elf he was brave. He knew in his heart that the elf was, but the thought would only cause the elf suffering. He did not want to make his friend suffer. That was the last thing in the world he wished to do. Legolas had always been bright and never greatly worried before his capture. At least, if he had, he never showed it. But since he had come back, he had a faded light in him. He shook in his sleep, and of course when he had spoken for the first time. What had he said?
"How is he, Strider?" Frodo's voice disrupted his thoughts.
"Frodo, you surprised me. He's all right, I suppose. He went back to sleep." Arargorn turned away to look at the stars. Frodo came up next to him.
"He's worried isn't he?" Frodo said. "Scared he is, I could see it in his eyes. You can tell from his voice. The poor elf seems to think Saruman's still going to hurt him."
"Saruman's powerless now, all he had left was Legolas. And his orcs of course, but we took them out."
Frodo didn't say anything. He stared longingly at the stars. Bilbo used to tell him that the stars could tell you about the past. If that was true, Frodo wanted to know if the stars could tell him why. Why did he have to suffer so much over those three years? Was it because of that ring? But no... the ring was gone. Sauron was gone. Evil was gone, for good. But pain would last forever.
"Strider..." Frodo broke the silence after about ten minutes. "Please, tell me what happened. What happened at Helm's Deep?"
"I fear it's not something we should talk about. Let us forget that moment until Legolas returns to us." Aragorn sighed. "Frodo my lad, I'm sorry this had to happen to you."
"Bilbo said the same thing to me once..." Frodo looked away. "No, I don't want to forget it! Bilbo wouldn't want me too!"
"Bilbo wouldn't want you to suffer over him! Bilbo would want you to be thankful that one of your brothers returned to you!"
"I knew Bilbo better than an elf could if he spent all his immortal life with him!" Frodo yelled, angry now.
"If you must know the story of Helm's Deep, I shall tell you. You are right; I did not know Bilbo as well as you. Frodo, you have suffered more than any of us. You had to carry the ring to Mordor with only Sam by your side, than resist the urge to keep it for yourself and have absolute power. Thereafter you come home to find your good elf friend was captured long before and you had no idea. Than just when you were getting over it..."
"Than he died!" Frodo yelled through tears. "Than Bilbo left me! I had no one!"
"You had me." Arargorn said. "And Sam, Merry and Pippin as well. And Gandalf! Gimli too! You had all of us, Frodo; can't you be thankful for what you have? Please Frodo, it's all over now. Bilbo died, but he died happy. He finished his book, he did. You remember the ending, right? 'And he lived happily ever after, to the end of his days.' That was true. He did. And now Legolas is back..."
"Is he?" Frodo asked, wiping away a tear. "Or was part of him lost in Mordor?"
Arargorn said nothing.
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Legolas lay asleep in his chamber, dreaming a gruesome dream. He was back in his dungeon, and was being tortured again.
"Please stop!" Legolas begged. He had never done that before. He just let Saruman have his fun. Never let him know he was in pain. But this time Legolas could tell he was dieing. "Help! Gimli! Gandalf! Help!" Legolas cried as he was beat against the wall. Death. He could see it. It was coming. Faster, faster. Closer and closer with every hit. And Saruman just laughed through it all, while the elf screamed and cried.
Legolas began to see happy times in his life. He saw over 2000 years ago, when he was 16 and hit his first bullseye. Climbing his first tree. Every moment his father told him he was proud of him. Lothlorien in the spring. He saw when he joined the fellowship and first met Gimli. He saw all of his friends. But than he was back in the dungeon. And the pain was still there.
But so were his friends.
"Help!" He wailed. "Please, Aragorn, Gimli, help!" But they just stood there, laughing, as Saruman cackled. His friends had betrayed him. The last joy that kept him from dieing of grief had left him. There were two ways elves could die. Grief or physical death. Saruman never wanted to kill him, only torture him and use him as the last bit of power he had. Now that he there was no happiness left, the only other possible death was out in the open. He saw it and grabbed.
And than he was back in his chamber. The physical pain was gone, but he could still feel it in his mind. It was only a dream, he told himself harshly, but the pain was hard to convince. Where had his happiness gone? Where had his joy, his pleasure? He left it in Mordor. It left him every time his blood left him and landed on the floor of his cell. Every time that staff waved, a little more left him. Every time the door to the cell opened and Saruman entered, and the orcs snarled in praise of their master, and he saw a glimpse of death. That was when he forgot joy.
He wanted to see his father again. He wanted to climb a tree again. Take a swim in the lake. Shoot targets. Something that would remind him of happiness. He tried to sit up, but his back hurt too much. He wailed again. Where was his healing ability? It might heal his scars, but it could not work on the wounds on his spirit. He could feel that dream, and it scared him. It scared him more than Saruman did. Saruman could be excused for his evil, but he could never forgive Gimli and Frodo or anyone else if they betrayed him.
Was this some sort of message? A prophetic dream? No, he could not bare it if it were. Legolas seen prophecies before, but he knew it was almost impossible to tell a prophecy from a normal dream.
Or nightmare.
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Gandalf was going for an early morning stroll along the pond in the heart of Rivendell. He enjoyed doing this each morning, for it was a way of clearing his mind of troubles and focusing only on the things that mattered. But this morning, there was not one thing that mattered enough to be thought of in his meditation. So he tried to think of the past three years. Sauron had been gone for about two and a half years, while Saruman and his orcs were drained of their power one year later. Of course, they had not been destroyed yet.
That was the reason the Men of Gondor and Rohan set out with the remaining seven fellowship members to Mordor. After Sauron fell, Saruman moved his forces to the more powerful Mordor. Rumor had it he was trying to become the next Dark Lord. But even after the dreaded slaughtering in Helm's Deep, there was still a large enough army, elves and dwarves as well, to wipe out most of the army in a final battle. In a matter of weeks, Saruman lost all power. All he had left was a small band of guard orcs and his prized prisoner from Helm's Deep. Legolas the Elf, Prince of Mirkwood.
He remembered his fear when his elven friend was captured. He thought he would never see him again. Truth be told, he was terrified. He felt as if all was lost. Some thought Gandalf hadn't any fear at all. Hobbits at least. Dwarves and Men knew he was one of the bravest wizards out there. He proved himself worthy of the bridge of Kazad-Dum. Elves treated him as an equal. That's why he liked Legolas so much. Gandalf sometimes regretted being so much more knowledgeable than his companions. While Legolas acknowledged his greatness, but still treated him equally. It made him seem more of a partner than a leader. He liked that feeling.
"Good morning, Gandalf." It was Aragorn.
"Hello there, Aragorn." Gandalf smiled at the sight of his friend. "What are you doing out so early?"
"I should ask you the same, I suppose." Aragorn laughed. "I could not sleep. I was thinking of Frodo, and Legolas. Frodo wishes to know what happened," He paused, "At Helm's Deep."
"Oh. I see." Gandalf looked away to the pond. "Always said he was curious for a hobbit. Just like Bilbo. Do you plan on telling him?"
"I am unsure." Arargorn sat down next to Gandalf. "I have wondered why he did wish to know. It did not concern him. It was only men that were lost; Bilbo did not die in that battle. He didn't even die in battle, he was sick. Oh Gandalf, I am not the one to tell him! I would not know how to tell him. Could you?"
"I would, but I do not know what did happen. I was not there. It was a horrible battle. Many men were lost. Gimli was close to death, and Legolas captured. How many men, not including yourself, were left after the battle?"
"Eleven. With me and Gimli, thirteen."
"Odd." Gandalf and Aragorn sat in silence for a minute or two, watching the sunrise. "I'm assuming he wants to know because of Legolas. If you wish Aragorn, I will tell him, but he will not be happy. He wants the full story. But I will do my best. I know you don't want to relive that battle. You almost died yourself."
The old wizard stood up and left, leaving Aragorn hanging on that last sentence.
a/n pointless chapter, but explains a little bit. What happened at Helm's Deep? Why did Aragorn "hang" on that last sentence? Will Legolas ever get better? Will Aragorn tell Frodo what happened? Will Katie ever answer these questions? Find out soon!