Author's Note: No, I'm not Tolkien, I don't own his characters and am
making absolutely no money from this. Thanks once again for the reviews
and here's some more for you to enjoy, or hate, whatever.
Elentari Manwe: Close, very close! *winks*
Chapter 15
Morning came and the small amount of sunlight that was able to filter through the single window in Legolas' room woke him. He looked about for a few moments, the recent events of last night evading him. Quicker than he wished, he remembered what had all happened and he groaned softly. He did not want to move, anticipating that his body would be more than a bit sore, but he was not prone to lying in bed longer than was necessary.
With a grim sigh of resolution, the young elf prince carefully sat up in bed. The fresh wounds on his chest from the lashings and from the she- elf were tender and there was an incessant throbbing in his head. But he could get his muscles to cooperate almost effortlessly and he knew that he would be able to move about with no trouble. He was healing, even if it was a little slower than normal.
Legolas stood up from the bed and went to the small wash basin on the far side of the room. He picked up the pitcher and poured water into the basin. He was faintly surprised that there was even water in the pitcher, but then decided that the other elves had probably not yet thought of trying to deny him water. Legolas splashed the cold water on his face and rubbed his neck. He washed as much dried blood and dirt from his chest as he could and then turned away from the basin. He pulled on a green tunic he found in the armoire that smelled of dust and age and then sat back down on the bed. There was nothing else he could do so he sat cross-legged and tried to envision what would be in store for him today. He hoped it would not be another failed dinner party.
Hours dragged by and nothing happened. Legolas had long since stood and was standing by the thick window, trying to make out what little of the scenery he could. From the small window he could see that there were many trees on the outside. They were tall and very old and created such a dense foliage that little of the sun could be seen through them. Vaguely the trees reminded Legolas of the tales of Fangorn forest and he wondered if maybe that was where he was. Yet there were many old forests in the tales of Middle-Earth and Legolas had a feeling that this was not Fangorn.
From what he could see, Legolas could tell that he was definitely not in Rivendell, so all ties to Imladris were broken in Legolas' mind. He also knew that he was not in the wood of Lothlorien and definitely not in Mirkwood, so these elves had to be an entirely separate race from anything he had known. Ones who favored darkness and metal over wood and light.
Legolas turned from the window. All the information it provided him was only able to help him rule out possibilities, and to him he had just ruled out every possibility. These elves should not exist.
Eirien's taunting voice came back to him. 'Think back to the earliest legends.'
Most of the legends that Legolas knew were of the Sindarin elves and the major occurrences in the history of Middle-Earth. These elves did not fit in anywhere with that. The only tale that even remotely fit was the one of the elf who had befriended the dwarves and loved their metalwork. But that would not account for Glorfindel being here. Legolas had one more bit of information that was tied to the legend of the dwarf-friend and that was that he had not been a friend of the Gondolin. Glorfindel had been the chief of the Gondolin. He would not be helping one who was not a friend.
Legolas wished to speak to Glorfindel again. He would be the only one he would be able to get a straight answer from. He certainly would get no where with Eirien. She answered with taunts and riddles if she answered at all. Legolas hoped he would be able to see Glorfindel today, perhaps at the dining hall.
Thoughts of the dining hall suddenly brought something else to Legolas' attention. He was actually quite hungry. He had had very little to eat yesterday and no food had been brought to him today. In fact, he had been left alone for a long while today. That was unusual. Legolas gauged that it had to be at least mid-day. Normally he was given something to eat in the morning and then told that the elf lord had some sort of outrageous request for him. Then again, he had only been here for little less than a week, it was hardly enough time to develop a routine. Maybe the elf lord had run out of ideas for him and was simply going to leave him alone. Legolas hoped for that option.
The day dragged by and soon what little sun was filtering through the trees and window stopped. Darkness fell quickly and completely. Legolas lit the single lamp in his room and went back to the pacing he had been doing for the bulk of the day. He was still hungry but decided to not pay any attention to it as it would do him no good. He was becoming anxious as the hours passed by. This was the longest he had been left alone, and it was making him uneasy. It made him feel that the elves and the elf lord were busy contriving something to do to him. A new trick or act to be played out.
When it became clear that nobody was coming to get Legolas to bring him to the evening meal Legolas blew out the lamp and slipped into the bed. At the very least he should be thankful. He would be able to regain his strength and rest up without harassment.
Two more days passed in the same fashion. The lack of food was bothering Legolas, but the lack of water proved to be worse. On the second day he had drunk the dirtied water from the wash basin to slack his thirst and then used what little was left in the pitcher on the third day. Now the water was gone and Legolas was starting to go slightly mad from the isolation. He was reminded of the first few days he had spent down in the stone dungeon, but this was hardly a better situation. Rather he was placed in a seemingly cheerful situation in order to go mad.
Legolas could not sit still. He had tried sleeping most of the days away, but that proved to be impossible and now the hunger pangs kept him from sleeping at night. It was the night of the third day in his isolation and he could do nothing but pace. He had to keep moving even though the very act of it made him sick. He had no bonds to struggle against, he had regained all of his strength and the wounds on his chest were now little more than small marks. The freedom of his body mocked his situation, that he could move about yet still be able to do nothing.
His previous tries with the window had prevented him from trying to break it, but in his growing fervor he found himself eyeing it again. He knew the thick crystal that occasionally let in what little sunlight there was was next to impossible to break, but he walked to it anyway.
Legolas flexed his palms on it and tried to see if he could maybe push the window up or down, but it did not budge. There were no tracks indicating that it was even meant to open and Legolas slapped a hand against it in frustration. He went back to his pacing.
There was a small sound at his door. Legolas stopped in his tracks and watched from the other side of the room, not wishing to go any closer to the door until he knew what was going on. The door was pulled open effortlessly and the dark-haired elf lord stepped inside. He smiled brightly at Legolas.
"Are we having a good time?" he asked.
Legolas did not bother to answer. He noticed the items the elf lord held in his hands immediately. The elf lord had a crystal glass with water and a small plate that held bread and small amounts of fruits. Legolas held himself still and waited to see what would happen.
The elf lord looked about the room absently and sighed to himself. "Not much to do here," he commented softly. Then he turned his dark eyes back to Legolas. He held the plate and the cup high, "Would you like something to eat?"
Legolas' jaw twitched at the words but he remained still. He knew that the elf lord was not particularly kind towards him. There was a catch somewhere, there had to be.
The elf lord was watching Legolas carefully. He cocked his head to one side. "No? You are not hungry? I had thought that you would be." He let his sentence hanging and smiled at Legolas.
Legolas grit his teeth. He knew what the elf lord was doing, but he was very hungry. "I would not turn down the food and drink," Legolas chose his words carefully, hoping that it did not sound like he was playing right into the elf's hands and begging.
The elf lord nodded solemnly. "As I suspected. Here you are then." The elf lord put the plate and glass down on the small end table that was closest to the door and stepped away from it. He stood and crossed his arms, waiting.
As much as Legolas wanted the food he still kept himself in his position. For some reason he did not have any desire to have the elf lord watch him eat. Long moments stretched between the two and when it became clear that the elf lord was not leaving until Legolas ate something Legolas slowly took a step forward. He walked very carefully, feeling as though he was in the woods trying to avoid the stalking of another predator.
With his eyes locked on the elf lord the entire time, Legolas reached the small table and picked up the cup. He raised it to his lips and took a small sip. The water was fresh and cold and he wanted to gulp it down in one swallow, but Legolas forced his arm to lower and he stood holding the glass, still watching the elf lord. Nothing happened.
The elf lord remained where he was with a smile on his face. He nodded once and then turned to leave. "By the way," he said as he stepped past Legolas to the door, "my men came back from Mirkwood today. They had a lot of interesting things to tell me."
A sinking feeling suddenly overwhelmed Legolas and he hastily put down the glass. "What do you mean?" he called out right as the elf lord was pulling the door open to let himself out.
The elf lord paused and turned his head over his shoulder to look back at Legolas. He took in Legolas' anxious expression and smirked slightly. "I only mean that I had sent a few of my men out to tell your father some news and take notes on what was happening. As you know Mirkwood is in trouble."
Legolas had a flash back to his dream of the spiders attacking his father. He couldn't shake it off. "Is my father well?" Legolas asked quickly, stopping to think after he had blurted the question.
The elf lord shrugged. "I have not talked to my men fully yet, they just now got back. Rest well." With that the elf lord quickly turned and exited the room, pulling the door shut behind him and locking it.
Legolas was left shaking with repressed emotion. That was why the elf lord had come to see him, only to taunt him with as little knowledge as possible. At least my father knows I am here now, Legolas thought to himself, but then stopped. The elf lord had not exactly said that his men had told Thranduil that Legolas was here. Legolas did not think that the elf lord would have gone through all of this if it were a simple ransom he was after. Legolas told himself not to underestimate the elf lord. One thing became clear to Legolas, he had to get out of this place and to his father. But he would focus on that later, right now he had to eat.
Elentari Manwe: Close, very close! *winks*
Chapter 15
Morning came and the small amount of sunlight that was able to filter through the single window in Legolas' room woke him. He looked about for a few moments, the recent events of last night evading him. Quicker than he wished, he remembered what had all happened and he groaned softly. He did not want to move, anticipating that his body would be more than a bit sore, but he was not prone to lying in bed longer than was necessary.
With a grim sigh of resolution, the young elf prince carefully sat up in bed. The fresh wounds on his chest from the lashings and from the she- elf were tender and there was an incessant throbbing in his head. But he could get his muscles to cooperate almost effortlessly and he knew that he would be able to move about with no trouble. He was healing, even if it was a little slower than normal.
Legolas stood up from the bed and went to the small wash basin on the far side of the room. He picked up the pitcher and poured water into the basin. He was faintly surprised that there was even water in the pitcher, but then decided that the other elves had probably not yet thought of trying to deny him water. Legolas splashed the cold water on his face and rubbed his neck. He washed as much dried blood and dirt from his chest as he could and then turned away from the basin. He pulled on a green tunic he found in the armoire that smelled of dust and age and then sat back down on the bed. There was nothing else he could do so he sat cross-legged and tried to envision what would be in store for him today. He hoped it would not be another failed dinner party.
Hours dragged by and nothing happened. Legolas had long since stood and was standing by the thick window, trying to make out what little of the scenery he could. From the small window he could see that there were many trees on the outside. They were tall and very old and created such a dense foliage that little of the sun could be seen through them. Vaguely the trees reminded Legolas of the tales of Fangorn forest and he wondered if maybe that was where he was. Yet there were many old forests in the tales of Middle-Earth and Legolas had a feeling that this was not Fangorn.
From what he could see, Legolas could tell that he was definitely not in Rivendell, so all ties to Imladris were broken in Legolas' mind. He also knew that he was not in the wood of Lothlorien and definitely not in Mirkwood, so these elves had to be an entirely separate race from anything he had known. Ones who favored darkness and metal over wood and light.
Legolas turned from the window. All the information it provided him was only able to help him rule out possibilities, and to him he had just ruled out every possibility. These elves should not exist.
Eirien's taunting voice came back to him. 'Think back to the earliest legends.'
Most of the legends that Legolas knew were of the Sindarin elves and the major occurrences in the history of Middle-Earth. These elves did not fit in anywhere with that. The only tale that even remotely fit was the one of the elf who had befriended the dwarves and loved their metalwork. But that would not account for Glorfindel being here. Legolas had one more bit of information that was tied to the legend of the dwarf-friend and that was that he had not been a friend of the Gondolin. Glorfindel had been the chief of the Gondolin. He would not be helping one who was not a friend.
Legolas wished to speak to Glorfindel again. He would be the only one he would be able to get a straight answer from. He certainly would get no where with Eirien. She answered with taunts and riddles if she answered at all. Legolas hoped he would be able to see Glorfindel today, perhaps at the dining hall.
Thoughts of the dining hall suddenly brought something else to Legolas' attention. He was actually quite hungry. He had had very little to eat yesterday and no food had been brought to him today. In fact, he had been left alone for a long while today. That was unusual. Legolas gauged that it had to be at least mid-day. Normally he was given something to eat in the morning and then told that the elf lord had some sort of outrageous request for him. Then again, he had only been here for little less than a week, it was hardly enough time to develop a routine. Maybe the elf lord had run out of ideas for him and was simply going to leave him alone. Legolas hoped for that option.
The day dragged by and soon what little sun was filtering through the trees and window stopped. Darkness fell quickly and completely. Legolas lit the single lamp in his room and went back to the pacing he had been doing for the bulk of the day. He was still hungry but decided to not pay any attention to it as it would do him no good. He was becoming anxious as the hours passed by. This was the longest he had been left alone, and it was making him uneasy. It made him feel that the elves and the elf lord were busy contriving something to do to him. A new trick or act to be played out.
When it became clear that nobody was coming to get Legolas to bring him to the evening meal Legolas blew out the lamp and slipped into the bed. At the very least he should be thankful. He would be able to regain his strength and rest up without harassment.
Two more days passed in the same fashion. The lack of food was bothering Legolas, but the lack of water proved to be worse. On the second day he had drunk the dirtied water from the wash basin to slack his thirst and then used what little was left in the pitcher on the third day. Now the water was gone and Legolas was starting to go slightly mad from the isolation. He was reminded of the first few days he had spent down in the stone dungeon, but this was hardly a better situation. Rather he was placed in a seemingly cheerful situation in order to go mad.
Legolas could not sit still. He had tried sleeping most of the days away, but that proved to be impossible and now the hunger pangs kept him from sleeping at night. It was the night of the third day in his isolation and he could do nothing but pace. He had to keep moving even though the very act of it made him sick. He had no bonds to struggle against, he had regained all of his strength and the wounds on his chest were now little more than small marks. The freedom of his body mocked his situation, that he could move about yet still be able to do nothing.
His previous tries with the window had prevented him from trying to break it, but in his growing fervor he found himself eyeing it again. He knew the thick crystal that occasionally let in what little sunlight there was was next to impossible to break, but he walked to it anyway.
Legolas flexed his palms on it and tried to see if he could maybe push the window up or down, but it did not budge. There were no tracks indicating that it was even meant to open and Legolas slapped a hand against it in frustration. He went back to his pacing.
There was a small sound at his door. Legolas stopped in his tracks and watched from the other side of the room, not wishing to go any closer to the door until he knew what was going on. The door was pulled open effortlessly and the dark-haired elf lord stepped inside. He smiled brightly at Legolas.
"Are we having a good time?" he asked.
Legolas did not bother to answer. He noticed the items the elf lord held in his hands immediately. The elf lord had a crystal glass with water and a small plate that held bread and small amounts of fruits. Legolas held himself still and waited to see what would happen.
The elf lord looked about the room absently and sighed to himself. "Not much to do here," he commented softly. Then he turned his dark eyes back to Legolas. He held the plate and the cup high, "Would you like something to eat?"
Legolas' jaw twitched at the words but he remained still. He knew that the elf lord was not particularly kind towards him. There was a catch somewhere, there had to be.
The elf lord was watching Legolas carefully. He cocked his head to one side. "No? You are not hungry? I had thought that you would be." He let his sentence hanging and smiled at Legolas.
Legolas grit his teeth. He knew what the elf lord was doing, but he was very hungry. "I would not turn down the food and drink," Legolas chose his words carefully, hoping that it did not sound like he was playing right into the elf's hands and begging.
The elf lord nodded solemnly. "As I suspected. Here you are then." The elf lord put the plate and glass down on the small end table that was closest to the door and stepped away from it. He stood and crossed his arms, waiting.
As much as Legolas wanted the food he still kept himself in his position. For some reason he did not have any desire to have the elf lord watch him eat. Long moments stretched between the two and when it became clear that the elf lord was not leaving until Legolas ate something Legolas slowly took a step forward. He walked very carefully, feeling as though he was in the woods trying to avoid the stalking of another predator.
With his eyes locked on the elf lord the entire time, Legolas reached the small table and picked up the cup. He raised it to his lips and took a small sip. The water was fresh and cold and he wanted to gulp it down in one swallow, but Legolas forced his arm to lower and he stood holding the glass, still watching the elf lord. Nothing happened.
The elf lord remained where he was with a smile on his face. He nodded once and then turned to leave. "By the way," he said as he stepped past Legolas to the door, "my men came back from Mirkwood today. They had a lot of interesting things to tell me."
A sinking feeling suddenly overwhelmed Legolas and he hastily put down the glass. "What do you mean?" he called out right as the elf lord was pulling the door open to let himself out.
The elf lord paused and turned his head over his shoulder to look back at Legolas. He took in Legolas' anxious expression and smirked slightly. "I only mean that I had sent a few of my men out to tell your father some news and take notes on what was happening. As you know Mirkwood is in trouble."
Legolas had a flash back to his dream of the spiders attacking his father. He couldn't shake it off. "Is my father well?" Legolas asked quickly, stopping to think after he had blurted the question.
The elf lord shrugged. "I have not talked to my men fully yet, they just now got back. Rest well." With that the elf lord quickly turned and exited the room, pulling the door shut behind him and locking it.
Legolas was left shaking with repressed emotion. That was why the elf lord had come to see him, only to taunt him with as little knowledge as possible. At least my father knows I am here now, Legolas thought to himself, but then stopped. The elf lord had not exactly said that his men had told Thranduil that Legolas was here. Legolas did not think that the elf lord would have gone through all of this if it were a simple ransom he was after. Legolas told himself not to underestimate the elf lord. One thing became clear to Legolas, he had to get out of this place and to his father. But he would focus on that later, right now he had to eat.