Author's Note: Ha-ha, I am now the triumvirate of speedy updates! Bow
before the all-powerful! At least for this chapter. Anyways, need I say
again I gain no profit whatsoever from this story? Right, cause I don't.
Enough with the chit-chat, on to the story!
Chapter 17
Walking swiftly away from the room of the young elf prince, the dark elf lord went to meet with his returning messengers. He was eager to hear what they had to say and anxious to learn whether Thranduil had been overly suspicious or not. The elf lord reached his chambers and strode in, stopping before the four elves that already stood in the room. Apart from them stood Glorfindel and Eirien. The four elves bowed respectfully when they saw him, but the elf lord hardly acknowledged it.
"What of your journey?" he asked simply.
"I told the elf king what you wished to be said. He now believes Legolas to be held in Rivendell seeking refuge from a renegade band. He is sending out an envoy as soon as possible."
The elf lord smiled. "How large an envoy?"
The elf hesitated before answering. "I did not gather the number that he was to send. I wished to get out of there before any more suspicion could rise."
The elf lord's smile faded. He narrowed his dark eyes, "Thranduil is suspicious then?"
Again the elf hesitated. "He was at first, but as soon as he heard I had information on his son it seemed to leave him. However I believe that his advisors were suspicious as well."
"You spoke to Thranduil when he was surrounded by his advisors," the elf lord asked in a low voice. The elf squirmed under his piercing gaze but did not answer. Sighing, the elf lord turned his attention to the three other elves. "And what of the borders, the forests?"
"The forests are as you said, it is all the Mirkwood elves can do to keep it from falling completely. There are guards posted at the gates, but not a large number."
The elf lord nodded. "Very well, and their only stronghold is in the North, correct?" The four elves nodded. The elf lord was silent for a moment, deep in thought. He looked up after a moment, "You can go now," he told the elves. They gave another small bow and then quickly filed out of the room, small signs of relief written on their faces. They knew it was often a bad thing to bring news to their lord that was not to his liking and they had been unsure of how he would respond to their reports.
"Lord Lomion," Glorfindel spoke up from where he stood on the other side of the room. The dark elf lord turned his gaze towards him. "What is to become of the young prince now?"
The elf lord waved his hand as if it was an unimportant question. "I will still use him as I previously planned. His welfare is not for your concern," he gave Glorfindel a piercing look. Glorfindel stood placidly, his eyes thoughtful.
"Why do we not just send the prince to Rivendell?" spoke up Eirien. "It will save me a lot of trouble in the end."
"Because I will not have Lord Elrond know of what is happening until we have secured Mirkwood. I have no need nor desire to associate any more with the Noldor than necessary."
"Why not ask for their assistance?" Glorfindel asked in turn. "It would be easier to save Mirkwood with a larger force."
The elf lord paused for a beat before answering. "We do not need any help, that is what the prince is for. I assure you my lord Glorfindel, Mirkwood will be turned over with ease."
Glorfindel nodded and then did a small bow. "Please excuse me, I have personal matters to attend to." The elf lord gave a nod and Glorfindel walked gracefully past him and out of the doors.
Eirien and the elf lord were left alone. "Are his thoughts troubled?" Eirien asked when the doors were fully closed again.
Lomion shook his head. "His thoughts are purely noble and virtuous. If nothing else he remembers his heroic virtues."
"Does he recall much more?" Eirien asked carefully.
"No. He does not like to dwell on the songs of his praise. He concentrates on his next virtuous quest, the saviour of Greenwood the Great." His lips twisted up into a smile as he fell silent and his thoughts overtook him.
Eirien looked down to the floor. "My lord," she said hesitantly, drawing his attention back to her, "the dreams will no longer work."
Lomion gave her a sharp glance. "You were careless?" he accused. Eirien knew he needed no confirmation so she did her best to justify herself.
"I thought he would be too weak to wake up. The young prince gets edgier every day. He is no longer in a vulnerable state."
The elf lord stared at Eirien for a moment and Eirien was forced to drop her gaze again. Like the elves before, she knew it was not a good idea to give him news that would anger him. After a terrible beat, Lomion shrugged.
"It matters not," he said. Eirien looked up hopefully. "He thinks of himself as a true prince and has proven that he cannot be swayed from his father. That too we can use to our advantage. Do not worry, all is still well."
Eirien smiled widely. She had been dreading telling him of the failed dream experience. "Leave me now," the elf lord said to her, "I have to see to the final preparations."
Eirien bobbed low in a hasty curtsy and walked quickly out of the room.
Legolas was now becoming used to a new routine of sorts. He remained in a state of isolation with no other elf to be seen or heard near his room. A small plate of food was given to him in the evenings and that was the most interaction he had. Despite the isolation, Legolas had to admit that it was better than what had been happening to him before. He preferred the smaller rations of food over facing the hostility of the strange elves.
Two slow days had passed since after the elf lord had come in to tell him that he had had messengers sent to his father. He almost hoped that the elf lord would come into his room to terrorize him about something so that Legolas could at least try to get some more information out of him about his father. But no such thing happened.
Legolas did not see anymore of the she-elf either, and for that he was particularly glad. His food was brought by a different male elf every evening that would refuse to even look at Legolas. He also had no more dreams of the she-elf and Mirkwood.
Despite the small respites that he was grateful for, Legolas found himself continually on edge. The lack of attention to himself made him think that there was something on a more grand scale going on. He had the feeling that the strange elves were preparing for something, and he could only hope that it did not involve himself.
The young elf prince spent most of his time studying and learning every inch of his confinement. He now knew every nook in the room. His study had first started with the hopes that he would find some weak spot and thus be able to free himself, but that proved to be futile. Along with the strange metal door, he came to the conclusion that the walls too had to be the same kind of metal plastered over. And various more experiments with the window had finally taught him to give up all hope on that being a possibility. As much as he hated to admit it, all Legolas could do now was sit and wait to see what would happen. He hardly felt that it was the elves' intention to merely keep him a captive forever in this room.
All signs of physical abuse had long since left him and Legolas felt that he had regained the majority of his strength. The only thing keeping him down now was the small rations of food, but he knew he could quickly adjust to that. As a hunter and a warrior, his body automatically adjusted to make the most out of any quantity of food. This too puzzled Legolas. He had assumed in the beginning that he was to be kept a prisoner and in a weakened state. Now he had been untouched for up to six days. Yet his suspicions were too high to let this knowledge comfort him. It felt like the calm before the storm. One that he had no idea how long it would last.
Personal Notes: Lyn Myn-mae- don't hate me because I'm beautiful, oh wait, nevermind (retracts invalid statement)
Legolas' Wife- will we see more elf torture? Oh come now, who do you take me for? Of course!
Prophecy- okay, everything's okay, I gave you more, everybody's happy right?
Iarejedi- too kind, too kind
Elentari Manwe- I want a Legolas plushie too!
Brittney- keeping people hanging off the edge of their seats? Moi? he-he
Aredhel Ereinionchil- please don't die, I assure you more is on the way!
Arbariel- I'd like to thank all the little people, the hobbits, for my golden-globe award, and oh yeah, don't totally die until the story's over at least!
Nilmandra- well that's two chapters where he didn't get beat up now, I think I'm losing my touch
Chapter 17
Walking swiftly away from the room of the young elf prince, the dark elf lord went to meet with his returning messengers. He was eager to hear what they had to say and anxious to learn whether Thranduil had been overly suspicious or not. The elf lord reached his chambers and strode in, stopping before the four elves that already stood in the room. Apart from them stood Glorfindel and Eirien. The four elves bowed respectfully when they saw him, but the elf lord hardly acknowledged it.
"What of your journey?" he asked simply.
"I told the elf king what you wished to be said. He now believes Legolas to be held in Rivendell seeking refuge from a renegade band. He is sending out an envoy as soon as possible."
The elf lord smiled. "How large an envoy?"
The elf hesitated before answering. "I did not gather the number that he was to send. I wished to get out of there before any more suspicion could rise."
The elf lord's smile faded. He narrowed his dark eyes, "Thranduil is suspicious then?"
Again the elf hesitated. "He was at first, but as soon as he heard I had information on his son it seemed to leave him. However I believe that his advisors were suspicious as well."
"You spoke to Thranduil when he was surrounded by his advisors," the elf lord asked in a low voice. The elf squirmed under his piercing gaze but did not answer. Sighing, the elf lord turned his attention to the three other elves. "And what of the borders, the forests?"
"The forests are as you said, it is all the Mirkwood elves can do to keep it from falling completely. There are guards posted at the gates, but not a large number."
The elf lord nodded. "Very well, and their only stronghold is in the North, correct?" The four elves nodded. The elf lord was silent for a moment, deep in thought. He looked up after a moment, "You can go now," he told the elves. They gave another small bow and then quickly filed out of the room, small signs of relief written on their faces. They knew it was often a bad thing to bring news to their lord that was not to his liking and they had been unsure of how he would respond to their reports.
"Lord Lomion," Glorfindel spoke up from where he stood on the other side of the room. The dark elf lord turned his gaze towards him. "What is to become of the young prince now?"
The elf lord waved his hand as if it was an unimportant question. "I will still use him as I previously planned. His welfare is not for your concern," he gave Glorfindel a piercing look. Glorfindel stood placidly, his eyes thoughtful.
"Why do we not just send the prince to Rivendell?" spoke up Eirien. "It will save me a lot of trouble in the end."
"Because I will not have Lord Elrond know of what is happening until we have secured Mirkwood. I have no need nor desire to associate any more with the Noldor than necessary."
"Why not ask for their assistance?" Glorfindel asked in turn. "It would be easier to save Mirkwood with a larger force."
The elf lord paused for a beat before answering. "We do not need any help, that is what the prince is for. I assure you my lord Glorfindel, Mirkwood will be turned over with ease."
Glorfindel nodded and then did a small bow. "Please excuse me, I have personal matters to attend to." The elf lord gave a nod and Glorfindel walked gracefully past him and out of the doors.
Eirien and the elf lord were left alone. "Are his thoughts troubled?" Eirien asked when the doors were fully closed again.
Lomion shook his head. "His thoughts are purely noble and virtuous. If nothing else he remembers his heroic virtues."
"Does he recall much more?" Eirien asked carefully.
"No. He does not like to dwell on the songs of his praise. He concentrates on his next virtuous quest, the saviour of Greenwood the Great." His lips twisted up into a smile as he fell silent and his thoughts overtook him.
Eirien looked down to the floor. "My lord," she said hesitantly, drawing his attention back to her, "the dreams will no longer work."
Lomion gave her a sharp glance. "You were careless?" he accused. Eirien knew he needed no confirmation so she did her best to justify herself.
"I thought he would be too weak to wake up. The young prince gets edgier every day. He is no longer in a vulnerable state."
The elf lord stared at Eirien for a moment and Eirien was forced to drop her gaze again. Like the elves before, she knew it was not a good idea to give him news that would anger him. After a terrible beat, Lomion shrugged.
"It matters not," he said. Eirien looked up hopefully. "He thinks of himself as a true prince and has proven that he cannot be swayed from his father. That too we can use to our advantage. Do not worry, all is still well."
Eirien smiled widely. She had been dreading telling him of the failed dream experience. "Leave me now," the elf lord said to her, "I have to see to the final preparations."
Eirien bobbed low in a hasty curtsy and walked quickly out of the room.
Legolas was now becoming used to a new routine of sorts. He remained in a state of isolation with no other elf to be seen or heard near his room. A small plate of food was given to him in the evenings and that was the most interaction he had. Despite the isolation, Legolas had to admit that it was better than what had been happening to him before. He preferred the smaller rations of food over facing the hostility of the strange elves.
Two slow days had passed since after the elf lord had come in to tell him that he had had messengers sent to his father. He almost hoped that the elf lord would come into his room to terrorize him about something so that Legolas could at least try to get some more information out of him about his father. But no such thing happened.
Legolas did not see anymore of the she-elf either, and for that he was particularly glad. His food was brought by a different male elf every evening that would refuse to even look at Legolas. He also had no more dreams of the she-elf and Mirkwood.
Despite the small respites that he was grateful for, Legolas found himself continually on edge. The lack of attention to himself made him think that there was something on a more grand scale going on. He had the feeling that the strange elves were preparing for something, and he could only hope that it did not involve himself.
The young elf prince spent most of his time studying and learning every inch of his confinement. He now knew every nook in the room. His study had first started with the hopes that he would find some weak spot and thus be able to free himself, but that proved to be futile. Along with the strange metal door, he came to the conclusion that the walls too had to be the same kind of metal plastered over. And various more experiments with the window had finally taught him to give up all hope on that being a possibility. As much as he hated to admit it, all Legolas could do now was sit and wait to see what would happen. He hardly felt that it was the elves' intention to merely keep him a captive forever in this room.
All signs of physical abuse had long since left him and Legolas felt that he had regained the majority of his strength. The only thing keeping him down now was the small rations of food, but he knew he could quickly adjust to that. As a hunter and a warrior, his body automatically adjusted to make the most out of any quantity of food. This too puzzled Legolas. He had assumed in the beginning that he was to be kept a prisoner and in a weakened state. Now he had been untouched for up to six days. Yet his suspicions were too high to let this knowledge comfort him. It felt like the calm before the storm. One that he had no idea how long it would last.
Personal Notes: Lyn Myn-mae- don't hate me because I'm beautiful, oh wait, nevermind (retracts invalid statement)
Legolas' Wife- will we see more elf torture? Oh come now, who do you take me for? Of course!
Prophecy- okay, everything's okay, I gave you more, everybody's happy right?
Iarejedi- too kind, too kind
Elentari Manwe- I want a Legolas plushie too!
Brittney- keeping people hanging off the edge of their seats? Moi? he-he
Aredhel Ereinionchil- please don't die, I assure you more is on the way!
Arbariel- I'd like to thank all the little people, the hobbits, for my golden-globe award, and oh yeah, don't totally die until the story's over at least!
Nilmandra- well that's two chapters where he didn't get beat up now, I think I'm losing my touch