Chapter 6
"Who are you?" Legolas demanded.
"Just someone sent to collect a package young prince," the intruder said mockingly. "However I have no need of you both."
With preternatural speed both elves responded to the threat by nocking bows, however the intruder was faster. Both hands rose and expelled a strange black ball of energy, which flew towards and engulfed both elves.
The effect was instantaneous, writhing in agony, darkness seemed to slip over them, and both slumped forwards in a deep and unnatural sleep.
The intruder then approached Legolas' horse. The horse, sensing the danger to its master moved away and snorted in distress. The strange figure paused for a moment, although only to release another ball of energy this time directed towards the horse. Legolas' stallion became rigid with a sudden paralysis, and the intruder moved forward once more.
Once at the horse's side he pulled Legolas from his mount before hoisting the slight figure of the elf over his shoulder and disappearing into the woods.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thranduil had almost finished reading the draft of the treaty between Mirkwood and Gondor when his door crashed open. Trasyn, one of his more experienced warriors stood at the doorway practically vibrating with tension. Thranduil frowned, knowing instinctively that he would not like this news.
"My Lord, the steeds of Celdarion and your son have returned," Trasyn bit his lip before continuing. "Celdarion was still on the back of his steed, but he is unconscious. Your son has not returned."
Thranduil felt a moment's calm before the news actually seemed to hit him, and then he was all furious motion.
"Where is Celdarion?" he asked in a quiet voice, all the more frightening for it's hint of restrained violence.
Trasyn escorted the King to the palace's infirmary. Celdarion had been placed on a bed and looked to be asleep, yet as Thranduil got closer, he felt dark magic in the room, and centred around the form of the unconscious elf.
"Who has done this to him?" Thranduil asked.
"We do not know Sire. The horses returned to the palace, and would let none of the mortals touch them. Cirwen and Firnen were summoned to deal with them. We found Celdarion slumped on the back of his horse. Of the Prince there was no sign, but Cirwen swears he felt traces of magic about the Prince's steed."
"Trasyn, hurry and fetch Lord Elrond, inform him that we have need of his healing hands. Then fetch Lord Denethor, inform him that my son is missing and one of my party attacked."
Trasyn nodded and ran off to carry out the orders of his king.
"Where are you my son?" Thranduil muttered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lord Elrond was in the middle of directing some of the servants of the palace in the needs of the elven dignitaries that must be fulfilled when Trasyn found him.
"My Lord, please come quickly, your presence is required in the infirmary. Prince Legolas is missing and his protector Celdarion is attacked by magic."
Elrond said nothing, merely strode quickly towards the infirmary. Trasyn left in search of Lord Denethor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thranduil glanced up from his seat by Celdarion's side as Elrond entered.
"What has happened here?" Elrond queried.
"I do not know. Legolas left this morning with Celdarion to ride in the forest outside the palace. Their horses returned and bought with them Celdarion as you see him. Of Legolas we have no clue. I have dispatched some of my own party to search the woods for sign of him, but as yet I have no word. Perhaps if you heal whatever has been done to Celdarion..." Thranduil trailed off as his throat closed in an overwhelming feeling of helplessness. He raised watery eyes to meet Elrond's gaze. "If they require a ransom, I will pay anything. Legolas is the most precious thing in my kingdom."
Elrond nodded. "I will try old friend," he said simply.
He sat on the edge of the bed and placed both hands to either side of Celdarion's head, frowning in concentration as he tried to sense what had been done to the unconscious elf.
His frowning increased. "I feel the presence of strong magic. I fear what ails him is beyond my ability to heal. We must await the arrival of the Lady of Lothlorien. I am sure she can banish this magic," he announced finally.
At that moment Lord Denethor came rushing into the infirmary. "I have just heard. This is terrible. What could have happened? We must send out troops in search of Prince Legolas."
"Easy Denethor," Elrond said. "King Thranduil has already sent out a party of elves to scour the woods for clues. We can do nothing until they bring back news of their findings."
Denethor sighed and seemed to fold in on himself a little. "Aragorn must be sent for immediately."
Thranduil frowned, "Who is Aragorn?"
Elrond looked up with a start of surprise, "I thought you knew, Aragorn is Prince Elessar."
Thranduil laughed, so much now made sense, a short burst of bitter laughter, and now it was Elrond's turn for confusion. He raised a questioning eyebrow at Mirkwood's king.
"Legolas was marrying Prince Elessar out of a sense of duty to our kingdom, whilst having become quite taken with a young man called Aragorn."
Elrond smiled faintly. "Indeed, this will be a happy revelation for him once he is recovered."
Thranduil smiled sadly. His gaze once more returning to the stricken elf on the bed next to him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many hours later the parties that had been sent out into the forest returned to bring news of their findings. Thranduil sat with Elrond and Denethor as his scouts made their reports.
"My Lords, we found the site of the incident. We saw the tracks of both horses. There are also tracks made by another. A man we think, since the tracks of the feet are consistent with the weight of a mortal. The tracks that move away from the horse are slightly heavier, and we believe that he may have been carrying something. Possibly the Prince, Majesty."
Thranduil looked saddened but nodded for them to continue.
"These tracks travel a little further into the forest and there they are joined by that of an unknown creature. It is here we believe that the Prince's captor used some kind of beast as transport. The tracks go as far as the edge of the forest and then they disappear. It is possible that magic was used to transport the group away, or that the beast was capable of flight."
"Then they could be anywhere," Denethor stated.
A gloom settled over the gathered party.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the meantime urgent runners had been sent out to hasten Aragorn back to the palace, although the runner had little hope of catching up with Gondor's prince before he had reached the gathered dunedain.
An elven messenger was also sent out to meet the party from Lothlorien containing the Lady Galadriel, beseeching them to make their passage to the palace swift in order to help with Celdarion, and locating the missing elven Prince.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Legolas felt consciousness return without the instant alertness that he was used to. He blinked slowly in an attempt to clear the cloudiness from his vision, and as the world became clearer he let his gaze wander trying to take in information about his current surroundings.
He remembered riding with Celdarion, and then being attacked by a strange man. The attack had been magical in origin and Legolas had found no chance to retaliate, so swift was the aggressor. He hoped that Celdarion was uninjured. Yet he could be sure of nothing.
Now Legolas found himself in a large room. It was underground by all appearances for the walls seemed to be hewn from rock.
The room itself was stark aside from the bed he was lain upon and a small table alongside the bed. The table had a jug of water and a small goblet.
Legolas saw that he was alone, and he slowly tried to force his body into a sitting position, however he found his body resisting his commands and he was unable to do little more than twitch his fingers and move his head.
Legolas cast his mind back to his attackers words. He was to be captured for someone else. Yet who could that someone else be? Movement in the doorway caught his attention. It was his attacker.
"I see you are awake young prince," the man said, his voice conversational as if they were long time friends.
Legolas said nothing.
"I must apologise for the method in which you were taken. I would simply have arranged transport for you, had I though you would have been amenable." The stranger gave a little laugh.
Legolas glared, and attempted again to rise.
"Please do not trouble yourself so. The spell that was cast upon you will take a while to dissipate, until then I'm afraid one of the disadvantages is partial paralysis. But all this talking, you must be curious as to who my employer is. Well wait no longer, for he has arrived."
The stranger moved aside and another man stepped through the doorway.
Legolas gasped in recognition.
"Who are you?" Legolas demanded.
"Just someone sent to collect a package young prince," the intruder said mockingly. "However I have no need of you both."
With preternatural speed both elves responded to the threat by nocking bows, however the intruder was faster. Both hands rose and expelled a strange black ball of energy, which flew towards and engulfed both elves.
The effect was instantaneous, writhing in agony, darkness seemed to slip over them, and both slumped forwards in a deep and unnatural sleep.
The intruder then approached Legolas' horse. The horse, sensing the danger to its master moved away and snorted in distress. The strange figure paused for a moment, although only to release another ball of energy this time directed towards the horse. Legolas' stallion became rigid with a sudden paralysis, and the intruder moved forward once more.
Once at the horse's side he pulled Legolas from his mount before hoisting the slight figure of the elf over his shoulder and disappearing into the woods.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thranduil had almost finished reading the draft of the treaty between Mirkwood and Gondor when his door crashed open. Trasyn, one of his more experienced warriors stood at the doorway practically vibrating with tension. Thranduil frowned, knowing instinctively that he would not like this news.
"My Lord, the steeds of Celdarion and your son have returned," Trasyn bit his lip before continuing. "Celdarion was still on the back of his steed, but he is unconscious. Your son has not returned."
Thranduil felt a moment's calm before the news actually seemed to hit him, and then he was all furious motion.
"Where is Celdarion?" he asked in a quiet voice, all the more frightening for it's hint of restrained violence.
Trasyn escorted the King to the palace's infirmary. Celdarion had been placed on a bed and looked to be asleep, yet as Thranduil got closer, he felt dark magic in the room, and centred around the form of the unconscious elf.
"Who has done this to him?" Thranduil asked.
"We do not know Sire. The horses returned to the palace, and would let none of the mortals touch them. Cirwen and Firnen were summoned to deal with them. We found Celdarion slumped on the back of his horse. Of the Prince there was no sign, but Cirwen swears he felt traces of magic about the Prince's steed."
"Trasyn, hurry and fetch Lord Elrond, inform him that we have need of his healing hands. Then fetch Lord Denethor, inform him that my son is missing and one of my party attacked."
Trasyn nodded and ran off to carry out the orders of his king.
"Where are you my son?" Thranduil muttered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lord Elrond was in the middle of directing some of the servants of the palace in the needs of the elven dignitaries that must be fulfilled when Trasyn found him.
"My Lord, please come quickly, your presence is required in the infirmary. Prince Legolas is missing and his protector Celdarion is attacked by magic."
Elrond said nothing, merely strode quickly towards the infirmary. Trasyn left in search of Lord Denethor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thranduil glanced up from his seat by Celdarion's side as Elrond entered.
"What has happened here?" Elrond queried.
"I do not know. Legolas left this morning with Celdarion to ride in the forest outside the palace. Their horses returned and bought with them Celdarion as you see him. Of Legolas we have no clue. I have dispatched some of my own party to search the woods for sign of him, but as yet I have no word. Perhaps if you heal whatever has been done to Celdarion..." Thranduil trailed off as his throat closed in an overwhelming feeling of helplessness. He raised watery eyes to meet Elrond's gaze. "If they require a ransom, I will pay anything. Legolas is the most precious thing in my kingdom."
Elrond nodded. "I will try old friend," he said simply.
He sat on the edge of the bed and placed both hands to either side of Celdarion's head, frowning in concentration as he tried to sense what had been done to the unconscious elf.
His frowning increased. "I feel the presence of strong magic. I fear what ails him is beyond my ability to heal. We must await the arrival of the Lady of Lothlorien. I am sure she can banish this magic," he announced finally.
At that moment Lord Denethor came rushing into the infirmary. "I have just heard. This is terrible. What could have happened? We must send out troops in search of Prince Legolas."
"Easy Denethor," Elrond said. "King Thranduil has already sent out a party of elves to scour the woods for clues. We can do nothing until they bring back news of their findings."
Denethor sighed and seemed to fold in on himself a little. "Aragorn must be sent for immediately."
Thranduil frowned, "Who is Aragorn?"
Elrond looked up with a start of surprise, "I thought you knew, Aragorn is Prince Elessar."
Thranduil laughed, so much now made sense, a short burst of bitter laughter, and now it was Elrond's turn for confusion. He raised a questioning eyebrow at Mirkwood's king.
"Legolas was marrying Prince Elessar out of a sense of duty to our kingdom, whilst having become quite taken with a young man called Aragorn."
Elrond smiled faintly. "Indeed, this will be a happy revelation for him once he is recovered."
Thranduil smiled sadly. His gaze once more returning to the stricken elf on the bed next to him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many hours later the parties that had been sent out into the forest returned to bring news of their findings. Thranduil sat with Elrond and Denethor as his scouts made their reports.
"My Lords, we found the site of the incident. We saw the tracks of both horses. There are also tracks made by another. A man we think, since the tracks of the feet are consistent with the weight of a mortal. The tracks that move away from the horse are slightly heavier, and we believe that he may have been carrying something. Possibly the Prince, Majesty."
Thranduil looked saddened but nodded for them to continue.
"These tracks travel a little further into the forest and there they are joined by that of an unknown creature. It is here we believe that the Prince's captor used some kind of beast as transport. The tracks go as far as the edge of the forest and then they disappear. It is possible that magic was used to transport the group away, or that the beast was capable of flight."
"Then they could be anywhere," Denethor stated.
A gloom settled over the gathered party.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the meantime urgent runners had been sent out to hasten Aragorn back to the palace, although the runner had little hope of catching up with Gondor's prince before he had reached the gathered dunedain.
An elven messenger was also sent out to meet the party from Lothlorien containing the Lady Galadriel, beseeching them to make their passage to the palace swift in order to help with Celdarion, and locating the missing elven Prince.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Legolas felt consciousness return without the instant alertness that he was used to. He blinked slowly in an attempt to clear the cloudiness from his vision, and as the world became clearer he let his gaze wander trying to take in information about his current surroundings.
He remembered riding with Celdarion, and then being attacked by a strange man. The attack had been magical in origin and Legolas had found no chance to retaliate, so swift was the aggressor. He hoped that Celdarion was uninjured. Yet he could be sure of nothing.
Now Legolas found himself in a large room. It was underground by all appearances for the walls seemed to be hewn from rock.
The room itself was stark aside from the bed he was lain upon and a small table alongside the bed. The table had a jug of water and a small goblet.
Legolas saw that he was alone, and he slowly tried to force his body into a sitting position, however he found his body resisting his commands and he was unable to do little more than twitch his fingers and move his head.
Legolas cast his mind back to his attackers words. He was to be captured for someone else. Yet who could that someone else be? Movement in the doorway caught his attention. It was his attacker.
"I see you are awake young prince," the man said, his voice conversational as if they were long time friends.
Legolas said nothing.
"I must apologise for the method in which you were taken. I would simply have arranged transport for you, had I though you would have been amenable." The stranger gave a little laugh.
Legolas glared, and attempted again to rise.
"Please do not trouble yourself so. The spell that was cast upon you will take a while to dissipate, until then I'm afraid one of the disadvantages is partial paralysis. But all this talking, you must be curious as to who my employer is. Well wait no longer, for he has arrived."
The stranger moved aside and another man stepped through the doorway.
Legolas gasped in recognition.