I am glad so many do not think that Thranduil is evil beyond belief or abusive, or whatnot. Thanks so much for all the reviews. And yay, FF.N is finally up and running! Let us hope it stays that way!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"My Lord," one scout spoke up, as he came near Thranduil's horse.
"Have you found something?" Thranduil demanded.
"Only this, milord," the scout said, and handed Thranduil a thin scrape of cloth.
Thranduil looked at it. The same material and color that Legolas had been wearing that day that he was taken. Thranduil's lips pressed tightly together as he beheld that the green cloth was stained with blood, and his hand clenched around it.
"We are on the right path, and we must hurry. Tell the others to get upon their horses or travel within the trees, time is running short," Thranduil snapped.
The scout bowed and quickly ran back to find the others near the area.
Thranduil unclenched his hand and stared at the strip.
"We are coming, Legolas. Be strong, my son," he murmured, and then motioned his mount onwards.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Legolas, where are you headed?" Thranduil asked.
Legolas turned, that sad, sweet smile upon his face, "Hunting, Father. Do you want to come?"
"I fear not, Legolas, though anything would better then attending to these other things. But go on, and be careful," Thranduil said, returning his son's smile.
Legolas nodded, and strolled out.
Thranduil turned back to his work, when a dark feeling came to him. He turned to call Legolas back, but the feeling passed. He felt it just fatherly worry, and returned to his work.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
He shook his head. If only he had listened to what his heart had been telling him. Legolas wouldn't be gone if he had only listened. He had been devastated when he heard that Legolas had been taken, by the same creatures that had killed his oldest brother no less. Minuiind, his oldest son, had died protecting his last and youngest sibling from the creatures, and Legolas had never truly gotten over it.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"He's dead, isn't he?" Legolas whispered and Thranduil attended to the marks upon his fair check.
Thranduil looked down, trying to hide the tears from his son.
"Father, please tell me the truth," Legolas pleaded, his voice betraying the pain within him.
"Your brother fought bravely, Legolas, and he paid for your life with his own. He loved you dearly, my son, and you must never forget that," Thranduil said softly, turning his glistening eyes to his son's tearful ones.
"He can't be gone," Legolas whimpered, tears slipping down his battered face.
Thranduil closed his eyes for a moment in sorrow, his heart aching. He then picked up Legolas and placed him in his lap. Legolas wrapped his arms around his Father's neck, and buried his face in his shirt. Thranduil held his son close, and silently cried with him.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Thranduil sighed, and a tear trailed down his check as he rode on, ahead of those in his command. He couldn't lose the last one. All of his children were dead, murdered, or died of some unknown cause. All except one. His little one, Legolas.
"I've buried too many children in this life, but I shall not bury another one," he vowed.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"My Lord," one scout spoke up, as he came near Thranduil's horse.
"Have you found something?" Thranduil demanded.
"Only this, milord," the scout said, and handed Thranduil a thin scrape of cloth.
Thranduil looked at it. The same material and color that Legolas had been wearing that day that he was taken. Thranduil's lips pressed tightly together as he beheld that the green cloth was stained with blood, and his hand clenched around it.
"We are on the right path, and we must hurry. Tell the others to get upon their horses or travel within the trees, time is running short," Thranduil snapped.
The scout bowed and quickly ran back to find the others near the area.
Thranduil unclenched his hand and stared at the strip.
"We are coming, Legolas. Be strong, my son," he murmured, and then motioned his mount onwards.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Legolas, where are you headed?" Thranduil asked.
Legolas turned, that sad, sweet smile upon his face, "Hunting, Father. Do you want to come?"
"I fear not, Legolas, though anything would better then attending to these other things. But go on, and be careful," Thranduil said, returning his son's smile.
Legolas nodded, and strolled out.
Thranduil turned back to his work, when a dark feeling came to him. He turned to call Legolas back, but the feeling passed. He felt it just fatherly worry, and returned to his work.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
He shook his head. If only he had listened to what his heart had been telling him. Legolas wouldn't be gone if he had only listened. He had been devastated when he heard that Legolas had been taken, by the same creatures that had killed his oldest brother no less. Minuiind, his oldest son, had died protecting his last and youngest sibling from the creatures, and Legolas had never truly gotten over it.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"He's dead, isn't he?" Legolas whispered and Thranduil attended to the marks upon his fair check.
Thranduil looked down, trying to hide the tears from his son.
"Father, please tell me the truth," Legolas pleaded, his voice betraying the pain within him.
"Your brother fought bravely, Legolas, and he paid for your life with his own. He loved you dearly, my son, and you must never forget that," Thranduil said softly, turning his glistening eyes to his son's tearful ones.
"He can't be gone," Legolas whimpered, tears slipping down his battered face.
Thranduil closed his eyes for a moment in sorrow, his heart aching. He then picked up Legolas and placed him in his lap. Legolas wrapped his arms around his Father's neck, and buried his face in his shirt. Thranduil held his son close, and silently cried with him.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Thranduil sighed, and a tear trailed down his check as he rode on, ahead of those in his command. He couldn't lose the last one. All of his children were dead, murdered, or died of some unknown cause. All except one. His little one, Legolas.
"I've buried too many children in this life, but I shall not bury another one," he vowed.