@Young Storyteller : Actually, the idea came from 'Selendang Delima'. Do you remember that one? LOL! Legolas is always being rescued by a handsome prince! Who else if it's not his own brother, Kel!
@Menthol : If Legolas lives in this time of age and has a good life insurance, he will be rich! Just like some of us here! You should get one policy for yourself, just in case.
@Aranel of Mirkwood : Like you, I'm waiting for a lot of things to happen! ROTK, the Malaysian F1 GP, Troy, etc. Time is so slow!
@Volcanic Plug : He! He! Sorry. You will never know who the child is until the last chapter! Keep guessing please! And no, you're not the only one who is confused. So am I!
@Lady Lenna : Brotherly bonding is one of the reasons that I picked a novel to read. I can't get enough of them! The authors like Nora Roberts and Josie Litton are very good at this theme.
@Karina : Someone is indeed going to be in trouble with a capital 'T'! And I agree with your first opinion.
@Jamie : Thank you. I'll try my best to do justice with your trust in me.
@Leggylulu : Due to some technical problems, 'Trouble In Telcontar' will make its debut only in late November. Sorry for the delay. I am trying to reformat the fic from NC-17 to PG-13, you know what I mean? Don't worry, mate. It will come.
@layla146 : Hmm. Aragorn and Legolas in the Path Of The Dead sounds interesting for a vignette. I'll see what I can do.
@FFE Rocks My Socks : Thank you, mate! December 2nd? Oh, no! It's too far away! Yes, it is unelvish to roll your eyes. LOL! But I just couldn't help it! I have this one friend who keeps rolling his eyes every few minutes! Err…nope. I cannot tell you which brother she takes. Author's secret.
@Alkvingiel : Whenever I see 'Lion King', I'll cry all over again at the scene when the father dies in that stampede! Waa!!!
@Queen Of Shadows : I'll go look for 'Into the Woods' right away!! Thank you for telling! And thank you for that 'ion' thing. Oh, great theory by the way!
@Manders1953 : Dude, thank you! I'm glad to know you're writing a story. I'll check it out!
@Szhismine : So, you still value your hair? What color is it anyway? Want to change it? I have several tins of colorful paint here to throw over while you hang on to that cliff!
@Sparrow Greenleaf : You're welcome.
@Mystical Wood Elf : Thank you so very much for keep on reading!
@feanen : The cliffie was especially for YOU!
@Kayo ; The guys told me that POTC will be out on December 2nd! Yes, Disney movies are changing too fast too much! I miss the singing voices in the background and all! Kel fall in love with that girl? LOL!!
@purplesmackers : Young Thranduil, hmm…Well, you might see more of it!
@CrazyStar314 : I couldn't find anything wrong with your review. I like it! Thanks!
@Lomiothiel : Their mother's reaction will be known to you in the last chapter. Sorry to make you wait. (Nope. Not sorry at all! ~_^)
@kurafoxgirl : Okay! Okay! It's coming!
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"Thranduil…"
The king of Mirkwood snapped straighter in his seat. Did someone just call my name? He looked around him, even knowing that he was alone in his study, save for his precious books and journals.
He shrugged. Must be my imagination, he thought, rising from the chair that he had been sitting in since that morning. As he flexed the muscles of his stiff shoulders, Thranduil walked to the opened window and stared at the scenery beyond. The realm of Mirkwood looked even more mysterious in winter, all white and silent. Not too different from the time when it was still known as Greenwood the Great.
Thranduil stared in the direction of Dol Guldur. His paternal heart beat rapidly as he wondered in concern at his children's safety. They are warriors. They know how to take care of themselves, he mused. Still, a devoted father like him could not help but worry and fret whenever his children were out of his sight.
He smiled, thinking of his two sons. Such magnificent beings they have become! he thought. So beautiful, and so precious! I can't ask for more.
Thranduil glowed with pride when Keldarion's handsome face came to his mind. His eldest son and heir had already become such a great warrior at young age. He was strong yet gentle, intelligent and very protective of his younger brother. Keldarion, without a doubt, would make a fine king one day.
Then he recalled the exquisite features of Legolas, his golden child. The prince was loved by all for his charm and beauty. And as a manyan, Legolas was deeply cherished for his healing gift. But everyone in Mirkwood also knew that Thranduil's youngest son was smart, impulsive, and mischievous. At this, Thranduil chuckled involuntarily. That boy is always in trouble no matter what the occasion! How Kel manages to control him, I have no idea!
Deciding to abandon his study for that day, Thranduil headed for the royal gallery. There, he gazed lovingly at the painting of his deceased wife, Marwana. The last queen of Mirkwood gazed tenderly back at him, looking wonderfully lovely in a lilac gown with her long raven hair left unbound. Legolas' hands with paints and brushes were indeed incredibly talented at capturing such a striking image of his mother, the one person that he had only seen in his dreams.
Thranduil smiled again, hoping that she'd found happiness in the Hall of Mandos, and praying that they could see each other again in Valinor…somehow.
"My lord!" Golradir, the head servant of the palace suddenly appeared at the gallery doorway. "Forgive me, my lord. I have disturbing news for you."
Thranduil frowned as he turned to the other elf. "Well, what is it?"
"I think you should come to the stable and see it for yourself, my lord," Golradir blurted, looking extremely troubled.
The king tightened his rein on his impatience, the same impatience and temper that Legolas had inherited from him. "Just out with it!"
Golradir gulped before he explained, "Red Star has returned, but Prince Legolas is nowhere in sight!"
Thranduil's heart suddenly stopped beating. "The stallion has returned alone?"
The other elf nodded. "Yes, my lord. Alone. With no rider, and no sign of the rest of the company or Prince Keldarion."
The Mirkwood king was instantly engulfed with anxiety and slight annoyance. What have the boys gotten into this time?
"Get me Linden!" he said, referring to the commander of his army. "Tell him to see me in the stable!" Then he rushed out of the gallery, the previous smile now absent from his face to be replaced by a stiff unyielding mask.
*********************
When Keldarion returned to Legolas' side, he found his brother deathly still. Alarmed and worried, Keldarion hastily put down the blankets he had just retrieved and nudged his brother. "Legolas?"
The younger prince did not reply, his face seemed paler and his eyes were closed, which was not a very good sign.
"Legolas!" Keldarion nudged harder, near to panic.
"Huh? What? Where?" Legolas' eyes suddenly flew open and gazed wildly around before settling on Keldarion's anxious face. Then he relaxed. "Oh. It's you."
Keldarion heaved a sigh of relief, thanking the Valar and all the gods above. "Don't do that again!"
Legolas was perplexed. "Do what?"
"Sleep with your eyes closed! It scared the devil out of me!"
Grinning sheepishly, Legolas replied, "Sorry. I wasn't aware I did that." Then he frowned. "I thought you said you wanted to go get the blankets."
"I already did." Keldarion showed him the warm woolen material.
"That was fast," Legolas said, his voice a little weak. "I didn't realize you were gone."
Now it was Keldarion's turn to frown. He saw the glazed look in his brother's eyes and knew that Legolas' injury was even worse than he thought. He quickly took the damp cloak off Legolas and started to take the quiver off his brother's back as gently as possible. Legolas' bow had been thrown somewhere in the fall earlier. Then he unclasped the catches of Legolas' tunic, feeling with dread at the icy dampness that clung to his brother's clothes.
"Kel?" came Legolas' trembling voice.
"Yes?"
"I'm cold."
Keldarion's fingers froze for a moment before he resumed his task. "I know. I'll bind your ribs first, then I'll take you someplace less soggy. After that, we'll figure out how to get home."
There was a long silence afterwards as Keldarion used his dagger to cut the blanket into several long wide strips. He then wound the strips around Legolas' bruised torso, cringing himself when Legolas moaned and groaned in agony. "Just a little bit more, brother," he murmured softly, pulling tight at the fabric.
"Do you…do you think Jaden and the others will come…this way?" Legolas asked through gritted teeth as he tried to ignore the pain.
"I'm not sure," Keldarion answered. "The path along the cliff is completely blocked. They might take the long way around."
"Which means we are stuck in here."
"Not if I can help it," Keldarion announced. He had finished tying the end to the strips and was refastening Legolas' tunic before wrapping him in the other blanket. Pulling back on his own cloak, Keldarion then reached down and placed his arm under Legolas' shoulders. "I'm going to help you sit. Can you manage?"
Legolas weakly nodded. "I can manage."
"All right. Here goes." Slowly, Keldarion lifted his brother's upper back. Legolas winced and grunted but did not stop until his head was resting against Keldarion's chest. For a moment, he just sat there leaning against his brother, panting and wheezing. "Well…that was…fun."
Keldarion softly chuckled. "Now let's try something much more fun. How about standing up?"
With full determination, Legolas firmly planted his feet in the snow and heaved himself up. He was already standing, supported by his brother when Legolas suddenly gasped and bent forward, his face screwing in pain.
"Legolas!" Keldarion was instantly alarmed.
"I…I'm fine. G…give me…a moment…" Legolas panted, wrapping one arm around his ribs. A long while later, he smiled feebly at his brother. "You were right. That's even more 'fun'!"
"You and your bad jokes!" Keldarion shook his head in amusement. He leaned down momentarily to pick up his sword and Legolas' quiver from the ground. "Next task, then. Let's find someplace dry enough for you to rest properly." His face sobered when he saw the darkening surrounding. "Night is about to fall."
Step after painful step, they moved forward. Legolas clutched tightly at his brother for support, while Keldarion leaned against him for balance. Keldarion's ankle was still throbbing and the biting cold was not helping any. On they went as the elder prince guided his brother through the white mounds of snow.
Unknown to them, a pair of eyes was silently watching.
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Thranduil was even more disturbed when Jaden returned with the rest of the Mirkwood warriors from the border…without the Mirkwood princes.
"Where are they?" Thranduil asked the warriors that gathered in the palace courtyard. "Where are my sons?"
Jaden blinked in surprise. "Y…your sons?" He exchanged puzzled looks with the elves in his company before turning back to the king. "But my lord, the princes have returned! I mean, they headed back here ahead of us!"
"Well, they never got here!" Thranduil clenched and unclenched his fists, his heart assailed by a storm of worry and fear. "Where in Arda would they be?!"
Knowing how close the king was to losing control, Linden intervened, "Jaden, didn't you see any sign of them on your way back here?"
"No, commander," said Jaden, shaking his head. "But we have not taken the normal route, though. We found that the usual path along the cliff was blocked by a recent avalanche. So we backtracked and took the long course around the hill. "
Thranduil looked at Linden, already deciding on the next actions. "Investigate the avalanche site. If they got caught in that, we must find them before it's too late." Then the king signaled to a servant. "Prepare my horse! I'm coming along!" With that, he whirled around and rushed back into the palace to don his riding attire.
When Thranduil was looking so stern and forbidding that way, no one dared to tell him differently.
TBC…