Disclaimer : See yesterday's.

He! He! I'm glad not receiving any death threat for my terrible previous chapter. I'm still mad at that 'someone' though! There's still a scene of elf torture here. Read it or leave it!

@tbiris ; It's a pre LOTR. Legolas was 2,500 years old, and Aragorn was not born yet. But I already have the storyline for them both in the future. If I live that long, I'll post it here. Wait and see!

Keldarion sat huddle in the corner, hugging his knees to his chest. His shoulders shook in heartbreaking sobs. He had not the heart to look at his brother anymore. Thranduil rubbed his son's back in sorrow, trying to calm him down. The king's own heart was breaking into million of pieces. But he must stay strong for the sake of them all.       After he finished bandaging Keldarion's wound, Thranduil turned his attention to his other son. "Legolas?" Like several times before, the prince did not respond to his call. He did not even stir. His head lolled weakly on his chest, his face covered by his gold spun hair.

                Then the king started to sing. Not the usual song that was usually sang by the royal minstrels, but lullabies from millenniums ago. Keldarion had grown quiet, listening intently to his father's fine velvet voice. As hope soared inside his chest, he prayed for miracle to come their way.

                But he wished it would not be too late for his baby brother.

**************

                Elrond sighed and grumbled in annoyance. The twins were at it again. Right now, they were betting on the exact time they will reach the Mirkwood palace.

                "I bet we will be there before dusk," Elladan said adamantly.

                "Get real! Your mount can't even match our pace. You'll drag the rest of us. We're lucky if we get there after midnight!" Elrohir countered back.

                "Look who's talking! Your horse lost to mine in that race last week!"

                "You were not playing fair! You feed my horse too much water before the race!"

                "I did not!"

                "Yes, you did!"

                "Did not!"

                "Did..."
                "Silence, both of you!" The Rivendell lord lost his patience once again. Amazing! His two sons always have the powerful ability to drive him over the edge. He was about to knock his head to a nearby tree trunk but caught himself just in time. Closing his eyes, he counted to ten…then twenty…then fifty. Nope, still not feeling better. He started counting again…backwards.

                All the while, the two brothers stared at their usually dignified and calm-collected father in amusement. Their escorts knew better. They avoided watching the family scene, their lips twitching in full mirth.

                Opening his eyes, Elrond glared at his sons. "We will reach Mirkwood palace in the morrow at dawn. We will spend the night here in the woods. Any question?" The two brothers shook their heads. "Good. Now look for a clear area to set camp."

                They all followed his bidding, moving about the woods to find the suitable place to settle down for the night. Still, the twins would not admit defeat. "Say, do you want to bet who will find it first?"

                Elrond did knock his head against the nearest tree trunk then.

***************

                She read the parchment, a small frown forming in her forehead. The frown did not mar her enchanting beauty, though. Turning to her soul mate, she gave him the hastily written message. "He sounds terribly distraught," she said in her wonderful voice.

Lord Celebron nodded. "What is it that you see now, my dear?"

Galadriel's face reflected a deep sorrow. "The child is already in despair. Dark shadow is claiming him as we speak." She turned to the gray-cloaked person who had passed them the message. "They are all in great evil darkness. We must make haste before the realm of our woodland kin is forever lost to us."

**************

                Legolas moaned. Thranduil's and Keldarion's head snapped back to him when the sound caught their attention. "Legolas? Can you hear me?" Keldarion called. "Legolas?"

                His brother moaned again but he was still not fully conscious. His head started to move but fell forward and grew still once more. Thranduil grabbed the bar in desperation. "Please, Legolas. Wake up. Return to us, my son!"

                No respond. It became Thranduil's broken point. He slammed his fists to the wall in frustration, again and again, until they drew blood. He cursed himself to hell and back.

Keldarion grabbed his father's hands hastily. "Stop, father! Don't do this to yourself!"

"I've failed! I promised your mother to protect the both of you. I've failed her! I've failed you and your brother! I've failed my people!"

"No! Don't say that! Please, father. Do not despair. All will be well if we stay true to ourselves. You taught us that, remember?" Keldarion brushed away his father's tears. "I believe there's still hope for us. It's not over till it's over. Just don't break now."

Thranduil looked up proudly at his firstborn; already wise beyond his age. "I think you are ready to be king even if you are not yet married."

His son laughed weakly at that. "Don't start, father."

"Well, well, well. Family bonding. So touching." Arulin suddenly appeared. She looked at father and son, smirking. "Need I remind you that you are still under my captivity?"

The Mirkwood royalties glowered at her. Keldarion clenched his fist, having a terrible time in controlling his rage. She will die by my hands, he vowed.

Arulin whirled to look at Legolas. "Hmm, still unconscious, is he?" She came nearer to his limp form. "That's why I come prepared."

An orc had walked in with a pail of water. Thranduil and Keldarion looked at it anxiously. "What are you trying to do now, Arulin? He's had enough already! Leave him be!"

"I just want to wake him up," she said. "Don't worry. He'll definitely wake up. It's not just plain water. I've put quite a lot of salt in it."

"No!!!!" Thranduil and Keldarion yelled when the orc lifted the pail and doused Legolas with the content. Legolas woke up screaming and thrashing in agony. The welts all over his body protested mightily by the brutal treatment. His scream was long and hard, even the orcs cringed in terror and disbelief.

Arulin was grinning evilly. "At last, your scream. How wonderful it sounds to my ears." She looked deeply into Legolas's eyes. "You yield?"

"Go…to hell!" Legolas spat. Arulin cried out in outrage. She slapped him again and again like a woman possessed. "You should have yield to me by now! You must! I do not accept failure! Yield to me now!"

"Never! Just kill me and be done with it!" Legolas was yelling at the top of his lungs. He forgot about his pain, his nudity, his restrain, his surroundings, everything! All he saw was Arulin's beautiful but hateful face. He'd lost it and he didn't care! "Kill me now so I can haunt you for the rest of your horrible life!!"

Arulin pressed her fingers at Legolas's temples. "Or better yet, let's turn you into a zombie, just like the Garmadris elves." Legolas eyes widened in fear. He would not fall subject to this mad female! He trashed wildly, straining his arms to its limits. Still Arulin pressed forward, forcing her evil power through her fingertips.

However, after a full minute, nothing happened. Arulin stumbled backwards in shock. "This could not be. Why aren't you transforming?" She stared into Legolas's clear silver eyes, now turning icy stormy gray, not red. She then remembered. "The stone of Manya! I should've known!" She took out the stone from her pocket. It glowed in the dark like torchlight. "This stone knows you. It is protecting you somehow, shielding you from my power."

Putting back the stone into her pocket, she said, "I will break you, Legolas. See if I…ahh!!!" she cried out when Legolas lashed out with his leg all of a sudden and hit her in the stomach. She landed on her hips in pure indignity.

Arulin hurriedly got up and advanced angrily towards the prince. Taking out a dagger, she stabbed it into Legolas's thigh. He jerked, biting his lips to prevent himself from crying out. She then twisted the dagger in pure menace. Legolas hissed, then started to curse her in Quenya, Sindarin and Westrons.

"My lady?" An orc called her suddenly.

"What?!!! Can't you see I'm busy?"

"It's quite important, my lady. Our patrol caught sight of some traveling elves at the edge of the woods." Hearing that, Arulin hurried out of the cell without a backward glance, the dagger still stabbed deep inside Legolas's thigh.

***************

                Elladan looked up at the trees and listened intently. "You hear that?"

                Elrohir also looked up. "What?"

                "The trees are whispering. They are trying to tell us something."

                "That you're a loser?"

                Elladan glared at his brother. "Just listen to it, will you?" Grinning, Elrohir obeyed, then he frowned uneasily. "Something is wrong. I can also feel it."

                They turned to their father. Lord Elrond had already stood at attention. "Be prepared, my sons. We're not alone."

TBC…