((Author's note: here it is…and it's late so no long author's note for once…))
Disclaimer: if you think I own Legolas…then you need severe help. BUT I GET TO SEE HIM IN A FEW WEEKS!!! Well...not Legolas…but Orlando Bloom.
Dedicated to David for the information he gave me on Julius Caesar, though it was sickening.
The Stars Are Shining Tonight
By Eck
Aragorn paced the throne room nervously. "Where is he?" he said aloud.
Faramir once again shrugged, as he had done the countless other times that Aragorn has asked this question. "We have guards searching the streets at this very moment, my king…"
"It is not enough!"
Bowing his head in submission, Faramir held his peace over the bitter words flung in his direction.
"I should have gone after him right away," Aragorn muttered, mostly to himself.
Faramir did not say a word.
"But I thought he would be alright. He is, after all, an elf. He can take care of himself." Aragorn made a sharp turn seconds before he ran into one of the marble statues that adorned the throne room.
Faramir made a mental note to ask the servants to move all the statues against the wall.
"For all I know, he could have left Gondor again!" Aragorn swerved to avoid another statue.
Silently, Faramir winced as he imagined the only remaining statue of Isulidir crashing to the floor in a thousand pieces. On the other hand, maybe he would just move the statues himself.
"Where is he?"
Faramir shrugged. "My king…"
"Yes, I know that the guards are scouring the city streets!" Aragorn pounded his fist into one of the walls with a resounding bang. "And I tell you, it is not enough!"
Faramir nodded in mute acceptance of the king's words. One second thought, the best thing might be to remove the precious statues from the throne room entirely.
"He could be halfway into Lothlorien by now!"
A servant poked his head in to see what the commotion was about.
Faramir swiftly motioned him away.
The servant took one look at the irate king and did as he was told.
"Have you checked the stables to see if Legolas has taken a horse recently?" Aragorn barked, pausing his furious pacing to look fully at his Steward standing in the corner.
Faramir cleared his throat and nodded. "Yes, my liege."
Aragorn harumphed his approval and then resumed his pacing. "Well?"
Uncomfortably, Faramir shifted his feet around. "No horses have been taken from the stables by an elf."
"What if they did not realize he was an elf?"
Faramir decided it would be best not to answer.
Aragorn ran his fingers through his hair. "Why are your guards not back yet?"
"Gondor is a big city…"
"Yes, but it is not that big."
Faramir eyed the interpretive statue of the Valar. He had never been quite sure which one it was and at the rate Aragorn was headed for it, it appeared that it would not matter much longer.
Aragorn swerved around the Valar.
Faramir sighed in relief.
"Where is he?" Aragorn stormed once again.
How it happened next, Faramir was never quite sure.
Somehow, Aragorn's foot caught on one of the ornate rugs. He was too caught up in his thoughts to even notice at first.
Watching in mute horror, Faramir felt frozen as he watched his king fall with his arms outstretched to catch himself, directly toward a bust made in the likeness of Lord Elrond.
There was a silent moment in the throne room before Aragorn collided with the bust and it was filled with the sounds of shattering marble as Aragorn and the bust connected with the hard floor.
Shaking himself free from his petrified state, Faramir ran the few steps to his king's side kneeling to help him up. "King Aragorn? Are you alright?" Aragorn?"
Slowly, the king of men raised his eyes to meet those of his steward. "You know, Faramir," he said, "we should really move these statues out of the throne room. Or at least we should move them up against the wall."
The bar was slightly darkened and full of crowded noises. Smells of intoxication lingered liberally in the air and men staggered about to the tunes of a happy folk song being played on the low piano in the corner. It was getting late into the evening, the sun was beginning to set outside in a beautiful blend of vibrant colors.
A few more sober girls paraded here and there as they swung their scantily clad hips and bosoms. With an air of sweet sultriness, they urged the men to just have one more drink before stumbling off to their beds…and their wives.
Legolas shook his head in silent rejection as one of the more adventurous girls tried to cheer up the handsome stranger with the sad look on his face.
She walked away with a backwards glance over her bare shoulder. "I think he's an elf," she murmured to the other girls awaiting her return. "A handsome one at that."
Sighing pitifully, Legolas lowered his head until his blonde hair fell like a curtain around his face. Aragorn was probably looking for him by now. He had wandered the streets all day until he had finally found his way here.
A sob almost tore out his throat but he stopped it in time. He had run again. Coward! His mind screamed at him. Not deserving to be called and elf! You ran! Just like the time… Legolas took another sip of the brew in his hand, effectively drowning out that train of thought as he tried not to gag at the bitter taste. Yet it had a comforting note too. With a bitter smile, he remembered the first time he had ventured into one of these bars…and had come out stone drunk. Right after…
"Hey, Sweetie."
It was another bar girl. This one had long shimmering blonde hair.
Legolas made an effort to focus his blurry eyes on the hair. Not the face.
She smiled taking it as a sign of approval that he had not shaken his head. Lowering herself gracefully onto the stool next to him, she laid one delicate hand on his arm. "Buy me a drink?" she whispered.
Legolas stared a the hand.
Long fingers came from a soft white palm, untouched by the labors of hard work. Red nails showed great care and attention, not chipped or scarred like one who fought. They were not Eowyn's hands.
He removed her hand none too gently and stood. "I better be going," he mumbled to the floor.
She reached up pulled at his arm. "Is something wrong?"
"No…I just…"
"He is just a little intoxicated," finished a smooth voice to Legolas' left. A firm hand reached out and took his shoulder. "Do not trouble yourself, miss, I shall take care of him."
"You know him?"
"Know him?" the man laughed. "We were practically soul mates when we traveled together out in the Wilds together. Is that not correct, my little Legolas?"
Something inside Legolas flashed out a warning. He should not be feeling this woozy after only after half a drink. Besides, he was an elf. It took a lot to get an elf really drunk. "What…"
The hand on his arm tugged slightly. "Come on, my young friend. You need to be getting to bed."
That voice…Legolas struggled through his hazy thoughts. Where have I heard that voice before… A distant memory flashed through his brain. "Come, my young friend, this shall not be unpleasant…" Legolas jerked visibly as if a blow had struck him. "No!" he tried to shout, but it came out as a weak murmur as his senses dulled further. He drugged my drink… A part of him reasoned logically.
The hand tugged again, drawing him through the bar and towards the swinging door.
Colors blended together before him and he stumbled as his legs grew rubbery beneath his weight. Using the last of his strength, he tried to pull away from the hand but it held firm.
"Do not struggle!" the voice hissed in his ear. "It will only be worse for you."
Legolas felt his fight drain away. He knew what worse would be from this man. Allowing himself to be dragged through the bar, he concentrated on keeping his legs underneath him.
With a final tug, the man and him were through the doors and into the cold air outside.
Looking with blurred vision towards the sky, Legolas took peace in the dimly shining stars. Even as a hand clamped around his waist, lifting him fully from the street and as the cloth smelling of something sweet was place over his mouth and nose, Legolas kept his gaze fixed on the winking stars. He did not tear his gaze away until his eyes glazed over in a sleep that he was not sure he would ever awake from…
((wow…that was more of a cliff hanger than I thought it would be. But it was a really good one. Do you not think?))
