Chapter 8
"Where did you see him last?" asked Elrohir.
They had been searching for hours and still no sign of Elros.
"Not far from here, but I doubt he'll come back to the exact same place,"
answered Legolas, carefully listening, trying to perceive a noise that would
betray Elros' presence.
"Well... we'll just have to keep searching..."
"Hey! Come over here!" shouted Legolas, a few meters away.
They both ran up to him, and raised an eyebrow when they saw what he had
discovered.
"That's just a fox, Legolas. We know you always feel sorry for dead animals
but I think we have more important things to do!" said Elrohir with a smile
full of compassion.
"Yeah! We want to see our uncle!" said Elladan with a grin.
" *You* want to see our uncle!" added his brother.
The two, despite their great age, were still quite childish, and would often
quarrel or even fight about the smallest things, and they never agreed about
anything except to play a trick on someone.
"Well your dear uncle, like you say, is a Vampire! Which means he's probably
the one who fed on this animal," said Legolas, kneeling to take a closer
look.
"Well, 'probably', like you said! Maybe it's not even him."
"Elladan! Elros is an Agarylnaer! Am I going to have to drill this in your
head? He's not...nice!" snapped Elrohir.
"I know what a Vampire is! But I think family bonds are stronger. And maybe
we could change him back, like him!" Elladan answered irritably, nodding
toward the blond Elf.
"Family bonds?!" retorted Elrohir, "Ech uchand! And Elros' transformation is
complete, he has been a Vampire for years! Unlike Legolas!
"Don't start arguing you two!" cut in the Prince, who, contrary to the
twins, was very mature for his young age. Maybe being brought up as an only
child after Heleghin´s death had something to do with it. Legolas already
had many responsibilities for his age. Being a king's son didn't have as
many advantages as one might think. And Mirkwood wasn't the most pleasant
place to dwell now that it was infested with spiders.
Legolas' interruption had certainly calmed the two Elves, but it was harder
than that to completely stop them from arguing:
Elladan glared at his brother. "And maybe he could be a nice Vampire! If we
are nice to him!"
"My poor brother..." Elrohir answered with a sigh, "dhôl chîn nâ cofn!"
Elladan´s eyes were shooting assassin's lightning at his grinning brother
and he was about to grab his bow when...
"Stop it! Both of you!"
Legolas leapt between them, breaking the eye contact between the twins.
"By the Valar! You´re not children anymore!"
They both lowered their gazes and blushed slightly, even if they were doing
their best to hide it.
"Well, at least Elros won't be long in finding us with all the noise we've
been making..." Legolas added, to show the twins he wasn't truly angry with
them.
"If he *wants* to find us!" pointed out Elrohir.
"And why wouldn't he want to see his nephews? I mean, aren't we adorable?!"
said Elladan, beaming.
They both burst out laughing and hugged each other.
And Legolas was watching them. Watching the sweet, affectionate embrace they
were sharing. A smile played on his lips, a sad smile...
They look so happy, he thought. He felt almost jealous of the closeness and
love these two were sharing. He didn't and couldn't understand their
arguments or their games.
And at this moment, Legolas realized one thing: he had had no childhood. He
had grown up too fast. He did sometimes play around with Celebalph, his best
friend, but most of the time, he stayed alone in one of the many secret
caves of his father's palace. He would stay there hours and hours, to read
or simply think.
"Legolas!"
The blond Prince emerged from his thoughts with a cold hand around his neck.
He immediately recognized Elros' grasp, and only he could have such cold
blood. As for the twins, they were both pointing their bows toward the
Vampire, Elladan a little more hesitantly - even if he didn't let anything
show on his fierce face - because, unlike his brother, he felt terribly
impressed by his uncle. And the resemblance between he and Elrond did not
aid in stopping the trembling in his hands.
"Why does your heart beat so fast?"
The Vampire's question rang in Elladan's ears like a hundred bells.
"Let Legolas go!" cut in Elrohir's strong voice.
"And what will you do to me if I don't? Stab me with all the arrows in your
quiver?" said Elros amusedly, the hand around Legolas´ neck tightening.
Elrohir looked at him defiantly:
"I'm not afraid of you!
"No you´re not... unlike your brother," Elros darkly whispered, locking eyes
with Elladan, who lowered his bow at once.
The Vampire then turned his head slowly back to Elrohir.
"Maybe you're not afraid of me, even though you should be, just ask
Legolas..." Elros continued, with a quick glance at the blond Elf he was
still holding tight with one ghostly-pale hand.
"But maybe you will fear for your dear brother..."
Elladan blinked in surprise at Elros' words, and next thing he knew, a cold
metal blade was on his neck. The Agarylnaer was terrifyingly swift. He had
let go of Legolas and ran to Elladan so fast that even the Elves could
barely see his movements.
Elrohir looked at Elros with wide eyes.
As for Legolas, he had fallen to his hands and knees when the Agarylnaer had
freed him. His mind was blurred, and so were his eyes. Seeing and feeling
Elros again had brought up some of his old Vampire feelings and the side
effects of the potion he had drunk. That's why he didn't even react when
Elros attacked him. Why he didn't try to get free. A part of him still
wanted to be a Vampire...
"Now I control everything. You do anything that displeases me and you can
say goodbye to your brother. I can end his immortality in the blink of an
eye." Elros told Elrohir.
He was holding Elladan's chin up in a steel grip as his other hand was
pressing a silver dagger to the Elf's neck.
Elrohir looked at the Vampire and then at his brother, whose eyes were
pleading. But he didn't know what to do...
"First, I want to know how you changed *him* back." Elros said, tilting his
head to Legolas, who was still panting heavily.
"We...we don't know. His father and an Istari used a spell on him and he was
back to normal before we even arrived here..." answered Elrohir, putting his
bow back on his shoulder. He understood Elros was the strongest by far and
he had to be very careful with the Vampire, for the sake of Elladan's life.
"And why did his wise and clever father let his son come back to the exact
place he met me?"
"He doesn't know we're here, but Legolas wanted to find you."
The blond Elf lifted his head up when he heard his name. The Vampire had a
small laugh.
"That doesn't surprise me, that's why I chose him. He doesn't listen to
anyone except himself, and that's good!"
Elladan whimpered ever so softly, his stare not leaving his brother's eyes.
"Please...let him go..." whispered Elrohir, "you wouldn't kill your nephew."
"No, but maybe I could do something else to him," answered Elros, showing
his fangs as he spoke.
Elladan fidgeted against the Vampire who quickly quieted him down with a
nudge of his dagger.
"Please, put that knife down... We don't mean you any harm," ventured
Elrohir.
The Agarylnaer had a deep, dark laugh, before throwing the dagger a few
inches from Elrohir's foot and pushing Elladan down on the fresh grass.
"Mean me no harm?! What could you do to me anyway? Even if you wanted to?
And do you think I need a knife to kill you and your twin in less than three
seconds? I got this dagger from an Elf I fed on a few days ago. He was
almost drunk, it wasn't very hard to surprise him... But he tasted terribly
nice, must be that wine of yours..."
Elrohir's fury floated back up and the expression on his face suddenly
changed.
" You murdered an Elf?! A first-born?! What right do you have to take an
immortal's life?
"Do not speak to me about immortality! I have tasted more than one Elf and
I'm about to kill two more who are starting to get on my nerves...and
immortal blood is the best one can find! Maybe you should have asked your
father to tell you the real story about me and him, being half-Elves -But even Elrond doesn't know the truth!"
Legolas' clear, crystal voice surprised all three of them. He had heard all
of their conversation and was now sitting on his heels, his arms settled
loosely on his thighs. His large blue eyes staring at nothing. As if lost in
a dream, or a nightmare...
"What?"
Elros probably hadn't been so surprised in a long time. He usually
anticipated and expected everything. But his astonished expression soon
turned into a devilish smirk.
"You're very gullible, little Elf! When you're mine, I'll teach you to trust
no one, except me."
To the twins' surprise, Legolas didn't even blink or flinch at the idea of
becoming a Vampire, again. He didn't react to anything and didn't even seem
frightened of Elros.
"No, it's true! Father doesn't know you had no choice!" cried out Elladan.
He continued, ignoring the look his brother was giving him. He told Elros
everything he knew, and the things he did not know.
All this time, the Agarylnaer was leaning against a tree, occasionally
running a hand through his lush, dark hair.
"And that is why we were searching for you. Elrond wants to see and talk to
you!" concluded Elrohir, who was starting to understand why his brother was
so eager to know Elros a little more.
The Agarylnaer didn't answer. Instead, he knelt down and picked a tiny blue
flower. The fallen leaves, long grass, and muddy forest floor were enough to
hide all the cobalt blue plants. But Elros seemed to know they were there,
hidden in the hostile environment.
"This plant is called a Sea Eye," the Vampire stated in a surprisingly soft
tone, "it attracts insects with its bright colour and sweet scent and then
slowly closes its petals, while the insect is stuck in the pollen. That's
the way it feeds..."
Elros threw the tiny flower and stood back up.
"It's Elrond´s favorite plant. He finds it 'exceptional', his very word."
Elladan and Elrohir looked at each other.
"Remember when we found that dried flower in one of Father's books from the
library?"
"Yes. And it was blue."
"It was, and then he told us off like he never did before!"
"And the Sea Eye was in a red leather book. A book about dragons, goblins
and ... vampires," cut in Elros, his voice still as sweet as honey.
The twins both stared at him with wide eyes and open mouths.
"How do you know? Did you give him that flower?"
"Yes, and that day he told me he would take care of me forever, which, as
you know, he did not do," the Agarylnaer answered, his tone hardening as he
went on.
"And when I felt Death was very close, I remembered that book, remembered
the creatures in it, the immortal creatures. I gathered information on
Vampires during the last year of my reign. The spell in itself wasn't very
difficult; the hardest part of all was to find the will and determination to
accomplish the incantation. But for me, it wasn't a problem. I concentrated
on a painting of myself that was done when I was younger, and here I am. Now
you know the whole story."
He lifted his gaze to meet Legolas' blue eyes. Even though he was talking
with the twins, his attention was focused on the blond Elf. He wanted him,
and maybe he even loved him, in his way...
"Will you come home with me? Lord Elrond is there and -
"Will you talk with him, or are we just wasting our time and risking our
lives for nothing?!" interrupted Elrohir, whose patience had suddenly gone.
Elros slowly turned his beautiful dark head to face Elrohir.
"Oh, I'll talk to him... And I probably won't have too much trouble
recognizing him with his immortal elven features!"
"Why are you torturing yourself?"
The Vampire's eyes snapped up at Legolas unexpected question.
"I have been thinking of nothing else during hundreds of human lives! You
can't even imagine how hard it was for me! My mind kept torturing me...
Every night, every day, during my sleep... I stayed awake for hours each day thinking of why *he* was chosen, why he was everyone's favorite. Why I
was destined to die. But what is death? I might have been happier just
accepting my fate, accepting death. And now? I hope you don't expect me to
just forgive him! Even if it wasn't his fault, he should have realized I
wasn't well, he should have seen the fear behind my cheerful face! I
couldn't be angry at him then, but I had time to think it all over and now I
can't feel anything else for him but an infinite hatred!"
None of them knew how to answer the bitter Agarylnaer, but he didn't seem to
expect an answer anyway, and after a moment, Elladan spoke.
"But after so many years, can't you forgive him?
"Forgive him? Why? You just told me he didn't know! All your story is based
on lies, I'm afraid."
Elladan promised himself to think twice before speaking again to the
Vampire.
"You don't seem to really understand who or what I am. My heart is harder
and colder than stone! And after all these years, I don't even feel like I
have a heart anymore. It speaks a language I don't understand, it still
beats as steadily as ever, but it doesn't allow me to feel love, tenderness,
or friendship, certainly not after all the unforgivable things I've done..."
Silence fell between them.
"We must return to Thranduil's palace now, before he realizes we're gone,"
Elladan insisted.
End of Chapter 8
Ech uchand = You're stupid
Dhôl chîn nâ cofn = Your head is empty
(Elvish shamelessly stolen from the net.)
"Where did you see him last?" asked Elrohir.
They had been searching for hours and still no sign of Elros.
"Not far from here, but I doubt he'll come back to the exact same place,"
answered Legolas, carefully listening, trying to perceive a noise that would
betray Elros' presence.
"Well... we'll just have to keep searching..."
"Hey! Come over here!" shouted Legolas, a few meters away.
They both ran up to him, and raised an eyebrow when they saw what he had
discovered.
"That's just a fox, Legolas. We know you always feel sorry for dead animals
but I think we have more important things to do!" said Elrohir with a smile
full of compassion.
"Yeah! We want to see our uncle!" said Elladan with a grin.
" *You* want to see our uncle!" added his brother.
The two, despite their great age, were still quite childish, and would often
quarrel or even fight about the smallest things, and they never agreed about
anything except to play a trick on someone.
"Well your dear uncle, like you say, is a Vampire! Which means he's probably
the one who fed on this animal," said Legolas, kneeling to take a closer
look.
"Well, 'probably', like you said! Maybe it's not even him."
"Elladan! Elros is an Agarylnaer! Am I going to have to drill this in your
head? He's not...nice!" snapped Elrohir.
"I know what a Vampire is! But I think family bonds are stronger. And maybe
we could change him back, like him!" Elladan answered irritably, nodding
toward the blond Elf.
"Family bonds?!" retorted Elrohir, "Ech uchand! And Elros' transformation is
complete, he has been a Vampire for years! Unlike Legolas!
"Don't start arguing you two!" cut in the Prince, who, contrary to the
twins, was very mature for his young age. Maybe being brought up as an only
child after Heleghin´s death had something to do with it. Legolas already
had many responsibilities for his age. Being a king's son didn't have as
many advantages as one might think. And Mirkwood wasn't the most pleasant
place to dwell now that it was infested with spiders.
Legolas' interruption had certainly calmed the two Elves, but it was harder
than that to completely stop them from arguing:
Elladan glared at his brother. "And maybe he could be a nice Vampire! If we
are nice to him!"
"My poor brother..." Elrohir answered with a sigh, "dhôl chîn nâ cofn!"
Elladan´s eyes were shooting assassin's lightning at his grinning brother
and he was about to grab his bow when...
"Stop it! Both of you!"
Legolas leapt between them, breaking the eye contact between the twins.
"By the Valar! You´re not children anymore!"
They both lowered their gazes and blushed slightly, even if they were doing
their best to hide it.
"Well, at least Elros won't be long in finding us with all the noise we've
been making..." Legolas added, to show the twins he wasn't truly angry with
them.
"If he *wants* to find us!" pointed out Elrohir.
"And why wouldn't he want to see his nephews? I mean, aren't we adorable?!"
said Elladan, beaming.
They both burst out laughing and hugged each other.
And Legolas was watching them. Watching the sweet, affectionate embrace they
were sharing. A smile played on his lips, a sad smile...
They look so happy, he thought. He felt almost jealous of the closeness and
love these two were sharing. He didn't and couldn't understand their
arguments or their games.
And at this moment, Legolas realized one thing: he had had no childhood. He
had grown up too fast. He did sometimes play around with Celebalph, his best
friend, but most of the time, he stayed alone in one of the many secret
caves of his father's palace. He would stay there hours and hours, to read
or simply think.
"Legolas!"
The blond Prince emerged from his thoughts with a cold hand around his neck.
He immediately recognized Elros' grasp, and only he could have such cold
blood. As for the twins, they were both pointing their bows toward the
Vampire, Elladan a little more hesitantly - even if he didn't let anything
show on his fierce face - because, unlike his brother, he felt terribly
impressed by his uncle. And the resemblance between he and Elrond did not
aid in stopping the trembling in his hands.
"Why does your heart beat so fast?"
The Vampire's question rang in Elladan's ears like a hundred bells.
"Let Legolas go!" cut in Elrohir's strong voice.
"And what will you do to me if I don't? Stab me with all the arrows in your
quiver?" said Elros amusedly, the hand around Legolas´ neck tightening.
Elrohir looked at him defiantly:
"I'm not afraid of you!
"No you´re not... unlike your brother," Elros darkly whispered, locking eyes
with Elladan, who lowered his bow at once.
The Vampire then turned his head slowly back to Elrohir.
"Maybe you're not afraid of me, even though you should be, just ask
Legolas..." Elros continued, with a quick glance at the blond Elf he was
still holding tight with one ghostly-pale hand.
"But maybe you will fear for your dear brother..."
Elladan blinked in surprise at Elros' words, and next thing he knew, a cold
metal blade was on his neck. The Agarylnaer was terrifyingly swift. He had
let go of Legolas and ran to Elladan so fast that even the Elves could
barely see his movements.
Elrohir looked at Elros with wide eyes.
As for Legolas, he had fallen to his hands and knees when the Agarylnaer had
freed him. His mind was blurred, and so were his eyes. Seeing and feeling
Elros again had brought up some of his old Vampire feelings and the side
effects of the potion he had drunk. That's why he didn't even react when
Elros attacked him. Why he didn't try to get free. A part of him still
wanted to be a Vampire...
"Now I control everything. You do anything that displeases me and you can
say goodbye to your brother. I can end his immortality in the blink of an
eye." Elros told Elrohir.
He was holding Elladan's chin up in a steel grip as his other hand was
pressing a silver dagger to the Elf's neck.
Elrohir looked at the Vampire and then at his brother, whose eyes were
pleading. But he didn't know what to do...
"First, I want to know how you changed *him* back." Elros said, tilting his
head to Legolas, who was still panting heavily.
"We...we don't know. His father and an Istari used a spell on him and he was
back to normal before we even arrived here..." answered Elrohir, putting his
bow back on his shoulder. He understood Elros was the strongest by far and
he had to be very careful with the Vampire, for the sake of Elladan's life.
"And why did his wise and clever father let his son come back to the exact
place he met me?"
"He doesn't know we're here, but Legolas wanted to find you."
The blond Elf lifted his head up when he heard his name. The Vampire had a
small laugh.
"That doesn't surprise me, that's why I chose him. He doesn't listen to
anyone except himself, and that's good!"
Elladan whimpered ever so softly, his stare not leaving his brother's eyes.
"Please...let him go..." whispered Elrohir, "you wouldn't kill your nephew."
"No, but maybe I could do something else to him," answered Elros, showing
his fangs as he spoke.
Elladan fidgeted against the Vampire who quickly quieted him down with a
nudge of his dagger.
"Please, put that knife down... We don't mean you any harm," ventured
Elrohir.
The Agarylnaer had a deep, dark laugh, before throwing the dagger a few
inches from Elrohir's foot and pushing Elladan down on the fresh grass.
"Mean me no harm?! What could you do to me anyway? Even if you wanted to?
And do you think I need a knife to kill you and your twin in less than three
seconds? I got this dagger from an Elf I fed on a few days ago. He was
almost drunk, it wasn't very hard to surprise him... But he tasted terribly
nice, must be that wine of yours..."
Elrohir's fury floated back up and the expression on his face suddenly
changed.
" You murdered an Elf?! A first-born?! What right do you have to take an
immortal's life?
"Do not speak to me about immortality! I have tasted more than one Elf and
I'm about to kill two more who are starting to get on my nerves...and
immortal blood is the best one can find! Maybe you should have asked your
father to tell you the real story about me and him, being half-Elves -But even Elrond doesn't know the truth!"
Legolas' clear, crystal voice surprised all three of them. He had heard all
of their conversation and was now sitting on his heels, his arms settled
loosely on his thighs. His large blue eyes staring at nothing. As if lost in
a dream, or a nightmare...
"What?"
Elros probably hadn't been so surprised in a long time. He usually
anticipated and expected everything. But his astonished expression soon
turned into a devilish smirk.
"You're very gullible, little Elf! When you're mine, I'll teach you to trust
no one, except me."
To the twins' surprise, Legolas didn't even blink or flinch at the idea of
becoming a Vampire, again. He didn't react to anything and didn't even seem
frightened of Elros.
"No, it's true! Father doesn't know you had no choice!" cried out Elladan.
He continued, ignoring the look his brother was giving him. He told Elros
everything he knew, and the things he did not know.
All this time, the Agarylnaer was leaning against a tree, occasionally
running a hand through his lush, dark hair.
"And that is why we were searching for you. Elrond wants to see and talk to
you!" concluded Elrohir, who was starting to understand why his brother was
so eager to know Elros a little more.
The Agarylnaer didn't answer. Instead, he knelt down and picked a tiny blue
flower. The fallen leaves, long grass, and muddy forest floor were enough to
hide all the cobalt blue plants. But Elros seemed to know they were there,
hidden in the hostile environment.
"This plant is called a Sea Eye," the Vampire stated in a surprisingly soft
tone, "it attracts insects with its bright colour and sweet scent and then
slowly closes its petals, while the insect is stuck in the pollen. That's
the way it feeds..."
Elros threw the tiny flower and stood back up.
"It's Elrond´s favorite plant. He finds it 'exceptional', his very word."
Elladan and Elrohir looked at each other.
"Remember when we found that dried flower in one of Father's books from the
library?"
"Yes. And it was blue."
"It was, and then he told us off like he never did before!"
"And the Sea Eye was in a red leather book. A book about dragons, goblins
and ... vampires," cut in Elros, his voice still as sweet as honey.
The twins both stared at him with wide eyes and open mouths.
"How do you know? Did you give him that flower?"
"Yes, and that day he told me he would take care of me forever, which, as
you know, he did not do," the Agarylnaer answered, his tone hardening as he
went on.
"And when I felt Death was very close, I remembered that book, remembered
the creatures in it, the immortal creatures. I gathered information on
Vampires during the last year of my reign. The spell in itself wasn't very
difficult; the hardest part of all was to find the will and determination to
accomplish the incantation. But for me, it wasn't a problem. I concentrated
on a painting of myself that was done when I was younger, and here I am. Now
you know the whole story."
He lifted his gaze to meet Legolas' blue eyes. Even though he was talking
with the twins, his attention was focused on the blond Elf. He wanted him,
and maybe he even loved him, in his way...
"Will you come home with me? Lord Elrond is there and -
"Will you talk with him, or are we just wasting our time and risking our
lives for nothing?!" interrupted Elrohir, whose patience had suddenly gone.
Elros slowly turned his beautiful dark head to face Elrohir.
"Oh, I'll talk to him... And I probably won't have too much trouble
recognizing him with his immortal elven features!"
"Why are you torturing yourself?"
The Vampire's eyes snapped up at Legolas unexpected question.
"I have been thinking of nothing else during hundreds of human lives! You
can't even imagine how hard it was for me! My mind kept torturing me...
Every night, every day, during my sleep... I stayed awake for hours each day thinking of why *he* was chosen, why he was everyone's favorite. Why I
was destined to die. But what is death? I might have been happier just
accepting my fate, accepting death. And now? I hope you don't expect me to
just forgive him! Even if it wasn't his fault, he should have realized I
wasn't well, he should have seen the fear behind my cheerful face! I
couldn't be angry at him then, but I had time to think it all over and now I
can't feel anything else for him but an infinite hatred!"
None of them knew how to answer the bitter Agarylnaer, but he didn't seem to
expect an answer anyway, and after a moment, Elladan spoke.
"But after so many years, can't you forgive him?
"Forgive him? Why? You just told me he didn't know! All your story is based
on lies, I'm afraid."
Elladan promised himself to think twice before speaking again to the
Vampire.
"You don't seem to really understand who or what I am. My heart is harder
and colder than stone! And after all these years, I don't even feel like I
have a heart anymore. It speaks a language I don't understand, it still
beats as steadily as ever, but it doesn't allow me to feel love, tenderness,
or friendship, certainly not after all the unforgivable things I've done..."
Silence fell between them.
"We must return to Thranduil's palace now, before he realizes we're gone,"
Elladan insisted.
End of Chapter 8
Ech uchand = You're stupid
Dhôl chîn nâ cofn = Your head is empty
(Elvish shamelessly stolen from the net.)