"For the last time, are you sure you know where you are going?" Elrohir asked for the tenth time. The rain was coming down hard, he was wet, mad, hungry, and to top it all off, his brother wouldn't answer him.
"Yes. Elizabeth told me she came this way. Just going straight across the river, which we did, and then keep going." He turned and looked at his twin brother. He pulled out a bag and handed it to Elrohir. "Eat up. I already ate my share."
Elrohir opened the bag to find bread, and fruit. Elladan always brought that. He pulled out the bread and ate it in one bite. "What are we going to do when we find them? We can't fight men when there are only two of us."
"I have a feeling Alca and Runya told adar and King Thranduil that we left. I'm sure they will send some help." He jumped over a branch and waited for his brother. He knew they were close. Just a few more hours and they would be freeing everyone in the palace. Including Legolas and Estel.
Elrohir walked behind his brother in silence. Everything seems to be happening so fast. Estel grew up so fast, Elrohir had trouble keeping up with his age. Legolas grew up too, but it's been long since he see as seen his friend. Those two always found trouble, or trouble always found them. Either way, the twins would be there to help them and didn't mind. He smiled as he remembered the last day Legolas stayed with them. Elrohir had a hard time getting the hair dye out of his hair. He looked up when he heard singing and ran up beside his brother.
"What's that?"
"Singing."
"I know that. Does this mean we're close?" He hoped they were. He was tired of the rain already. He ran ahead of his brother and jumped on a tree branch, his eyes getting big and letting out a gasp. Elladan jumped next to him and saw what caused his brother to gasp. Below them was a field with poles, flowers, dirt, and blood. Men and women were outside in the rain, singing and standing by one pole. They held hands and looked at each other. From where the brother were, they could see the people were crying. For what? What was going on?
"I have a bad feeling about this," Elrohir said. He couldn't take his eyes off the pole. It had chains running down it.
"Same here." Elladan looked around and finally saw one man he was looking for. Estel. He was standing with some guy, holding the shoulders for support. He looked like he was in a fight with bandages around his head. "There's Estel, but where's Legolas?"
"There." Elrohir pointed to the person walking out of the palace, a chained elf following behind him. "L...Legolas? That can't be him."
"It is. Remember, Elizabeth said they cut his hair. You can see his ears more clearly now. I don't like the look of this."
"We have to go and help. If he's taking Legolas to that pole, I have a feeling we're going to be telling King Thranduil his youngest is dead." He stood up, only to be stopped by a hand. He turned around and saw Alca.
*Dungeon*
Legolas looked up at the small window, watching the rain continue to fall. He wanted to see the trees and sky. Not darkness. He knew he was fading, for he wasn't even trying to get free. He was weak and he was not healing like he should. The chains tightened around his bloody wrist as he moved them to get blood flowing in his fingers. He ddin't know how long he's been chained up like that, but he really wanted to get away from this and be at home. He lifted his head up and saw Celva walking towards him.
"I see our elf friend is awake," he said with a smile. "I'm sure you don't mind all this. I'm just trying to protect my slaves from you."
"Why are you blaming the elves for all this? It's not their fault you went to battle."
"It's all their fault. They were suppose to protect my parents, and they killed them. Right in front of me. Ever since then, I vowed to get revenge. To prove to people that elves are evil and should all be dead."
"That was ages ago. Why live in the past?"
"I'm not like you. You can go with your life, not dying and not worrying about the past. Nothing will happen to you. Me, a mortal man, must live with the past. What he sees will haunt his life forever." He pulled the chain connected with the elfs wrists. "I'm going to show everyone what's it's like to see an elf die by a man." He dragged Legolas across the floor before he stopped to pull him to his feet. "You will walk."
"You can not do this. If you kill me, then a war between man and elf will start and you will might not win."
"I will not listen to you." He backhanded Legolas across the face and smiled as blood spilled from his mouth. "Do not talk or I will gag you." He pulled the chain once more and half dragged Legolas up the stairs and outside. Once outside, Legolas looked at all the slaves. It seems Celva ordered everyone to watch his death. One person caught his eye and, even his situation, he smiled. He saw Strider, alive and well. Has he passed his friend, he stopped.
'Have no fear for me. Just make sure you escape with or without me,' he said in elvish.
'I will not leave you behind. I will take you home alive if that means I have to chain you to a pole myself and force you to go.'
"Enough talking," Celva said. He pulled the chain, making Legolas fall in the mud. He stood up and lifted his chin. If he were going to die, he will die with honor. Celva pushed Legolas up against the pole and tied him to it with the chains. He turned around to face all the slaves and smiled. "My slaves. Today you will all witness the death of an elf. Not many man have tryed to kill one of these creatures because they all think they are nice. Well, I will tell you they are nothing but killers. They can't even protect a King and Queen. I will kill this elf and then send his remains to villages, near and far, as a warning to all who try to protect an elf or befriend an elf." He turned to Legolas and pulled out his sward. "As god as my witness, I hereby sentence you to death by my hands." He raised his sward and the first thing he did was cut his chest, watching blood run down from the wound.
Legolas did not even flinch when he was cut. If Celva wanted him to scream in pain, then he would be waiting for a long time. His friends and family didn't call him stubborn for a reason. He smiled when Elrond himself called him stubborn. Said he was the most stubborn elf in all Middle-Earth. Well, this stubborn elf was proud about it. He did, thought, gasp a little when Celva dug the sward tip in his side, but that's all. He watched threw blury eyes as Celva took the bloody sward and held it over Legolas' head.
"Once I kill you, I will find your family and kill them. Then I will kill their friends and family until all elves are dead and gone. Have pity on your soul." He brought the sward down, but was stopped by Striders yell.
"Wait, King Celva," he said. Everyone turned to look at him, including Celva. "Please, do not kill him. What he says is true about elves. They do not miss their target. They would not kill a man, woman, or child. I lived among them and found out they mean no harm to anyon or anything. This elf you are about to kill is a Wood Elf."
"So. An elf is an elf," Celva spit out.
"Not true. All elves are different. Do not kill my friend or you will be making a big mistake."
"No. I will kill this elf, and then I'll send you to go to that Mirkwood place and give his family his body."
Strider was running out of arguments and his friend was a minute away from being killed. He bowed his head and thought of a way to make the king pay for his crimes. King Thranduil will want to kill him, but the king didn't see his son being killed right in front of him. That's right. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small knife Joko gave him and got ready to kill that king right there.
"Wait, Strider," Roboto whispered. "Why wait for him to kill Legolas? Let us kill him now. It's the only way we can escape and live is if we kill him now."
"Guards are everywhere. No one will know what to do," Strider said, watching Celva laughing at Legolas, pushing the sward forward like he was going to stab him, but then pull back in a flash.
"Yes. But if we..." Roboto was stopped when he looked up into the trees right in front of them. He smiled and looked at Strider.
"But if we what?" Strider asked, not knowing what Roboto was smiling about.
"Tell me, your family, do they have black or blond hair?"
"Black. Why?" Strider looked in the direction Roboto was looking and smiled. Mirkwood guards, King Thranduil and sons, and his family. Then he got an idea. He saw Elladan bow his head and smiled.
"Farewell, elf," Celva said. He brought the sward up once more and then brought it down. It was inches away from Legolas' head when a yell stopped him.
"King Celva. One more thing I forget to tell you about Legolas and about elves," Strider said with a smile. The other elves were getting close to them.
"What is it this time?"
"I was just wonder if you know who Legolas really was."
"Who is he?"
"Prince Legolas of Mirkwood, son to King Thranduil, brother to Princes Alca, Runya, and Feaelen."
"So. Am I suppose to bow to him or something?"
"No. I just thought you should know the penalty for abusing and killing a prince."
"I don't care about that. As if they will know I did it. I could say I caught you killing him. Now, what is you want to tell me about elves."
"They get mad when one of their young gets taken from their home, used, and then killed. The King of Mirkwood will call an army to find his youngest."
"And why should I be concern?"
"Because you are about to kill my son," a voice boomed.
Everyone turned towards the voice, even Celva. There stood about fifty Mirkwood guards. King Thranduil stood next to them, his three sons right next to him.
"Who the hell are you?" Celva asked.
"King Celva," Strider said with a smile. "Let me introduce King Thranduil of Mirkwood and his sons, Prince Alca, Runya, and Feaelen."
"We risk our lives and he just ignores us," a voice said from behind him.
Strider turned around and saw Elladan and Elrohir. Standing side by side.
"Strider, are those your brothers you told us about?" Madilen asked. She got a dirty look from Celva, but he then went back to watching Thranduil.
"Yes, Madilen. My introduce my brothers, Elladan and Elrohir. My father, Lord Elrond." He looked to his right when he saw Elrond standing next to him, his eyes on Legolas.
"So they all came to see this elf die?" Celva got everyone looking at him now. "Then I shall put on a good show." He slaped Legolas across the face and laughed. "Look, Prince Legolas, your family come to see your death. Don't you want to say hi to them?"
"You bastered!" Alca yelled. He went to shoot an arrow at Celva, but Thranduil stopped him.
"You will only cause Legolas more harm. Let Elrond work his magic and then we can do ours." Thranduil still eyed his youngest son. He was about to do just what Alca was going to do. He looked over at Elrond and knew the half-elvin was about to work his magic.
"King Celva," Elrond said. He walked passed Strider, his twin sons following him.
"What now? I'm trying to sentence an elf here to death!" Celva was getting pissed now. All he wanted to do was kill this elf and go on with his revenge.
"I am Lord Elrond of Rivendell, my sons are Lord Elladan and Elrohir. You have broken into Rivendell, taken my foster son, Estel, and now you take Prince Legolas."
"If you are going to tell me what I'm doing is wrong, save it. All elves are evil, so I'm going to get rid of this one."
"If you kill him," Elladan said, "King Thranduil will have his men kill you where you stand."
"Then so be it. If it will make other humans kill elves, then so be it." Celva thrust his sward at Legolas' neck, but someone was in his way. It was Roboto. Roboto put himself between Legolas and Celva.
"Roboto!" Strider yelled. He watched as Roboto fell to the ground, his eyes looking up at Legolas, a smile on his face. Strider ran pass Celva and knelt next to his fallen friend. He looked up at Legolas and saw his friend have tears running down his face.
"King Celva, you have gone to far," Elrohir said. "You took Estel from us, tried to kill our friend, and now you just killed their friend. You will pay for all this."
"Enough talk!" He thrust the sward at Legolas and this time it did meet its target.
"Yes. Elizabeth told me she came this way. Just going straight across the river, which we did, and then keep going." He turned and looked at his twin brother. He pulled out a bag and handed it to Elrohir. "Eat up. I already ate my share."
Elrohir opened the bag to find bread, and fruit. Elladan always brought that. He pulled out the bread and ate it in one bite. "What are we going to do when we find them? We can't fight men when there are only two of us."
"I have a feeling Alca and Runya told adar and King Thranduil that we left. I'm sure they will send some help." He jumped over a branch and waited for his brother. He knew they were close. Just a few more hours and they would be freeing everyone in the palace. Including Legolas and Estel.
Elrohir walked behind his brother in silence. Everything seems to be happening so fast. Estel grew up so fast, Elrohir had trouble keeping up with his age. Legolas grew up too, but it's been long since he see as seen his friend. Those two always found trouble, or trouble always found them. Either way, the twins would be there to help them and didn't mind. He smiled as he remembered the last day Legolas stayed with them. Elrohir had a hard time getting the hair dye out of his hair. He looked up when he heard singing and ran up beside his brother.
"What's that?"
"Singing."
"I know that. Does this mean we're close?" He hoped they were. He was tired of the rain already. He ran ahead of his brother and jumped on a tree branch, his eyes getting big and letting out a gasp. Elladan jumped next to him and saw what caused his brother to gasp. Below them was a field with poles, flowers, dirt, and blood. Men and women were outside in the rain, singing and standing by one pole. They held hands and looked at each other. From where the brother were, they could see the people were crying. For what? What was going on?
"I have a bad feeling about this," Elrohir said. He couldn't take his eyes off the pole. It had chains running down it.
"Same here." Elladan looked around and finally saw one man he was looking for. Estel. He was standing with some guy, holding the shoulders for support. He looked like he was in a fight with bandages around his head. "There's Estel, but where's Legolas?"
"There." Elrohir pointed to the person walking out of the palace, a chained elf following behind him. "L...Legolas? That can't be him."
"It is. Remember, Elizabeth said they cut his hair. You can see his ears more clearly now. I don't like the look of this."
"We have to go and help. If he's taking Legolas to that pole, I have a feeling we're going to be telling King Thranduil his youngest is dead." He stood up, only to be stopped by a hand. He turned around and saw Alca.
*Dungeon*
Legolas looked up at the small window, watching the rain continue to fall. He wanted to see the trees and sky. Not darkness. He knew he was fading, for he wasn't even trying to get free. He was weak and he was not healing like he should. The chains tightened around his bloody wrist as he moved them to get blood flowing in his fingers. He ddin't know how long he's been chained up like that, but he really wanted to get away from this and be at home. He lifted his head up and saw Celva walking towards him.
"I see our elf friend is awake," he said with a smile. "I'm sure you don't mind all this. I'm just trying to protect my slaves from you."
"Why are you blaming the elves for all this? It's not their fault you went to battle."
"It's all their fault. They were suppose to protect my parents, and they killed them. Right in front of me. Ever since then, I vowed to get revenge. To prove to people that elves are evil and should all be dead."
"That was ages ago. Why live in the past?"
"I'm not like you. You can go with your life, not dying and not worrying about the past. Nothing will happen to you. Me, a mortal man, must live with the past. What he sees will haunt his life forever." He pulled the chain connected with the elfs wrists. "I'm going to show everyone what's it's like to see an elf die by a man." He dragged Legolas across the floor before he stopped to pull him to his feet. "You will walk."
"You can not do this. If you kill me, then a war between man and elf will start and you will might not win."
"I will not listen to you." He backhanded Legolas across the face and smiled as blood spilled from his mouth. "Do not talk or I will gag you." He pulled the chain once more and half dragged Legolas up the stairs and outside. Once outside, Legolas looked at all the slaves. It seems Celva ordered everyone to watch his death. One person caught his eye and, even his situation, he smiled. He saw Strider, alive and well. Has he passed his friend, he stopped.
'Have no fear for me. Just make sure you escape with or without me,' he said in elvish.
'I will not leave you behind. I will take you home alive if that means I have to chain you to a pole myself and force you to go.'
"Enough talking," Celva said. He pulled the chain, making Legolas fall in the mud. He stood up and lifted his chin. If he were going to die, he will die with honor. Celva pushed Legolas up against the pole and tied him to it with the chains. He turned around to face all the slaves and smiled. "My slaves. Today you will all witness the death of an elf. Not many man have tryed to kill one of these creatures because they all think they are nice. Well, I will tell you they are nothing but killers. They can't even protect a King and Queen. I will kill this elf and then send his remains to villages, near and far, as a warning to all who try to protect an elf or befriend an elf." He turned to Legolas and pulled out his sward. "As god as my witness, I hereby sentence you to death by my hands." He raised his sward and the first thing he did was cut his chest, watching blood run down from the wound.
Legolas did not even flinch when he was cut. If Celva wanted him to scream in pain, then he would be waiting for a long time. His friends and family didn't call him stubborn for a reason. He smiled when Elrond himself called him stubborn. Said he was the most stubborn elf in all Middle-Earth. Well, this stubborn elf was proud about it. He did, thought, gasp a little when Celva dug the sward tip in his side, but that's all. He watched threw blury eyes as Celva took the bloody sward and held it over Legolas' head.
"Once I kill you, I will find your family and kill them. Then I will kill their friends and family until all elves are dead and gone. Have pity on your soul." He brought the sward down, but was stopped by Striders yell.
"Wait, King Celva," he said. Everyone turned to look at him, including Celva. "Please, do not kill him. What he says is true about elves. They do not miss their target. They would not kill a man, woman, or child. I lived among them and found out they mean no harm to anyon or anything. This elf you are about to kill is a Wood Elf."
"So. An elf is an elf," Celva spit out.
"Not true. All elves are different. Do not kill my friend or you will be making a big mistake."
"No. I will kill this elf, and then I'll send you to go to that Mirkwood place and give his family his body."
Strider was running out of arguments and his friend was a minute away from being killed. He bowed his head and thought of a way to make the king pay for his crimes. King Thranduil will want to kill him, but the king didn't see his son being killed right in front of him. That's right. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small knife Joko gave him and got ready to kill that king right there.
"Wait, Strider," Roboto whispered. "Why wait for him to kill Legolas? Let us kill him now. It's the only way we can escape and live is if we kill him now."
"Guards are everywhere. No one will know what to do," Strider said, watching Celva laughing at Legolas, pushing the sward forward like he was going to stab him, but then pull back in a flash.
"Yes. But if we..." Roboto was stopped when he looked up into the trees right in front of them. He smiled and looked at Strider.
"But if we what?" Strider asked, not knowing what Roboto was smiling about.
"Tell me, your family, do they have black or blond hair?"
"Black. Why?" Strider looked in the direction Roboto was looking and smiled. Mirkwood guards, King Thranduil and sons, and his family. Then he got an idea. He saw Elladan bow his head and smiled.
"Farewell, elf," Celva said. He brought the sward up once more and then brought it down. It was inches away from Legolas' head when a yell stopped him.
"King Celva. One more thing I forget to tell you about Legolas and about elves," Strider said with a smile. The other elves were getting close to them.
"What is it this time?"
"I was just wonder if you know who Legolas really was."
"Who is he?"
"Prince Legolas of Mirkwood, son to King Thranduil, brother to Princes Alca, Runya, and Feaelen."
"So. Am I suppose to bow to him or something?"
"No. I just thought you should know the penalty for abusing and killing a prince."
"I don't care about that. As if they will know I did it. I could say I caught you killing him. Now, what is you want to tell me about elves."
"They get mad when one of their young gets taken from their home, used, and then killed. The King of Mirkwood will call an army to find his youngest."
"And why should I be concern?"
"Because you are about to kill my son," a voice boomed.
Everyone turned towards the voice, even Celva. There stood about fifty Mirkwood guards. King Thranduil stood next to them, his three sons right next to him.
"Who the hell are you?" Celva asked.
"King Celva," Strider said with a smile. "Let me introduce King Thranduil of Mirkwood and his sons, Prince Alca, Runya, and Feaelen."
"We risk our lives and he just ignores us," a voice said from behind him.
Strider turned around and saw Elladan and Elrohir. Standing side by side.
"Strider, are those your brothers you told us about?" Madilen asked. She got a dirty look from Celva, but he then went back to watching Thranduil.
"Yes, Madilen. My introduce my brothers, Elladan and Elrohir. My father, Lord Elrond." He looked to his right when he saw Elrond standing next to him, his eyes on Legolas.
"So they all came to see this elf die?" Celva got everyone looking at him now. "Then I shall put on a good show." He slaped Legolas across the face and laughed. "Look, Prince Legolas, your family come to see your death. Don't you want to say hi to them?"
"You bastered!" Alca yelled. He went to shoot an arrow at Celva, but Thranduil stopped him.
"You will only cause Legolas more harm. Let Elrond work his magic and then we can do ours." Thranduil still eyed his youngest son. He was about to do just what Alca was going to do. He looked over at Elrond and knew the half-elvin was about to work his magic.
"King Celva," Elrond said. He walked passed Strider, his twin sons following him.
"What now? I'm trying to sentence an elf here to death!" Celva was getting pissed now. All he wanted to do was kill this elf and go on with his revenge.
"I am Lord Elrond of Rivendell, my sons are Lord Elladan and Elrohir. You have broken into Rivendell, taken my foster son, Estel, and now you take Prince Legolas."
"If you are going to tell me what I'm doing is wrong, save it. All elves are evil, so I'm going to get rid of this one."
"If you kill him," Elladan said, "King Thranduil will have his men kill you where you stand."
"Then so be it. If it will make other humans kill elves, then so be it." Celva thrust his sward at Legolas' neck, but someone was in his way. It was Roboto. Roboto put himself between Legolas and Celva.
"Roboto!" Strider yelled. He watched as Roboto fell to the ground, his eyes looking up at Legolas, a smile on his face. Strider ran pass Celva and knelt next to his fallen friend. He looked up at Legolas and saw his friend have tears running down his face.
"King Celva, you have gone to far," Elrohir said. "You took Estel from us, tried to kill our friend, and now you just killed their friend. You will pay for all this."
"Enough talk!" He thrust the sward at Legolas and this time it did meet its target.