The elf walked silently through the hallway and looked out the windows at the snow covered courtyard. The edges of the windows were frosted from the cold and several elflings were outside playing in the snow. He smiled brightly and continued on his way to his father's study as he though of the past few years. When he had woken up, Aragorn had already been gone. His father had told him that Aragorn had received an urgent letter from Elrond and had to leave immediately. That would have been fine with him but he hadn't seen his close friend in five years. He had started to sense that something was going on that he didn't know about.
Reaching his father's study, he knocked before opening the door and stepping in. His father was seated behind the desk with papers stacked around him. Legolas had also noticed that there had been no letters or other correspondence from Imladris.
He snapped his fingers to attain his father's attention and held his gaze as he made several hand motions. It was an highly adapted form of hand signals that the warriors used while in combat. If Legolas didn't have a signal for it then he would write or mouth it. It had soon evolved into an intricate dance of hand motions that visitors found impressive.
"I told you Legolas. Aragorn was called away by Elrond; I have no knowledge beyond that. It is true that he has not been by here for five years but he is a Ranger. He may be too busy to visit you," Thranduil replied and flipped through the papers.
'Aragorn would not do that to me,' he mouthed and his temper flared when his father wasn't watching him.
He slammed the palms of his hands on the desk, startling Thranduil. He knew that his father was keeping something from his as well as everyone else in the palace.
'He would not do that to me.'
"Well he did Legolas. You should not have placed your trust in the doomed race of man, especially that of Isildur's heir."
Legolas pushed away from the desk with a snarl and walked out of the study, slamming the doors behind him. His fingers raked through his hair in frustration. He wished he could get some straight forward answers.
"He is not able to come here."
Legolas turned and looked at the elf that walked around the corner. The head healer, Hiwai-thian bowed to his prince and clasped his hands behind his back.
'What do you mean: not able?'
"After Aragorn stitched up the wound, your father and Aragorn stepped outside your room to talk. It was mostly Thranduil speaking and it was more like yelling."
'Yelling?'
"Well accusing actually. He blamed everything on Aragorn which happened to you. He said that he was undeserving of you and your friendship and some other things concerning his lineage and heritage. Then he banned Aragorn from the Elvin realm," the healer said and Legolas stepped back in shock. "And if he ever returned then he would immediately be shot upon sight."
'Why?'
"It has been five years and you have not spoken a word. Thranduil knows what Aragorn did to save you and blames his incompetence for you losing your voice. I believe that Estel was already feeling guilty about the outcome and your father succeeded to solidify it. He departed soon after that and no one has seen him since. I have talked with warriors that return from Lake Town and they have heard nothing of Strider. He has virtually fallen off the edge of Arda."
Legolas leaned against the wall and covered his face with his hands. He was dismayed that his father had lied to him about someone as important to him like Aragorn was. No wonder there were not letters from Imladris.
'Why are you telling me this?'
"I respect young Estel and his abilities. It took great courage to do what he did for you. He has your health at the forefront of his mind. He would not let me near him until I double-checked over you and then only if I treated him in the same room that you were in."
'What was wrong with him?'
"A few fractured ribs, cuts and scrapes, and a nasty cut on his temple. Normally, it would not have been worrisome but he had pushed it aside for too long. I patched him up and that was it. I worry now for him."
Legolas stared blankly at the wall in front of him as his mind struggled to comprehend everything. He couldn't believe that his father had gone behind his back like that. It hurt more than he thought possible, but it did.
'I am leaving.'
The healer nodded and stood back, out of the way of the prince. Legolas walked to his room and quickly changed into his traveling clothes. Packing a small pack of clothes, he grabbed his weapons and walked out of the room heading towards the stables. Reaching the stables, he found his horse and led the beautiful animal out of the stall and into the aisle way. He stopped suddenly, almost running into someone blocking his way.
Apparently one of the guards had seen him going towards the stables with his weapons and had decided to notify his father. Thranduil stood in front of him with his arms crossed across his broad chest. His eyes were hard as he looked over his son.
"Where do you think you are going?"
'To find Aragorn.'
"Do not waste your time with that human; he is not worth your time or effort."
'You are wrong father! Aragorn is worth all of it and even more. He has saved my life more times than I can remember and I will find him.'
Legolas dropped his arms to his side and stepped past hi father to open the stable doors to allow a cold gust of wind to blow in. He swung up onto his mount's back and cast one more look at his silent father before nudging his mount forward. He wore his winter traveling clothes and a fleece lined jerkin under his thick cape. The winter had been harsh and he was prepared for any delays he may encounter. He would not have been surprised to come across Aragorn on his endeavor, half frozen and injured in some Valar forsaken place.
His horse casually cantered through the forests of Mirkwood, responding to the subtle muscle twinges of the elf's leg muscles. Losing the ability to speak, the elf and horse had formed a special, one-of-a-kind bond. Not being able to speak to his horse had been hard on Legolas but it had soon turned into a blessing. All the elf needed to do to communicate with his horse was simple presses and movements of his lithe body. He had already been extremely close to his horse but it had been pushed to a new level. Legolas would find his horse moving before he even though of cueing the animal.
Legolas slowed as he neared the edge of Mirkwood forest and eventually stopped his horse just past the tree line. He sighed and double-checked his weapons to assure himself.
'Now, where did you go Aragorn?' he thought as his gaze traveled across the plains.
Choosing the most logical, he started straight for the Misty Mountains and towards Rivendell. If Aragorn was to communicate with anyone is would be Elrond, his foster-father. Surely Lord Elrond would know where he could find Aragorn.
Legolas was in no mood for this. He was chilled and slightly hungry and he had to be the one to encounter the only goblin clan out in this weather. His knives danced around him as he spun and beheaded another of the foul creatures. His cloak swirled around him as he spun, effectively confusing them with his sudden disappearance. A sharp whistle pierced the air and was quickly followed by a high-pitched whinny as his horse broke away and galloped towards its master. Switching both knives to his left hand, he reached up with his right and caught a chunk of thick mane as his horse galloped past. The cloak he wore snapped sharply behind him as he leapt upon the moving horse and leaned over the steed's powerful neck. Pressing a hand against the horse's neck, he silently urged the horse to go faster and leave the mountain behind. The Elvin horse snorted and spread its body out to gain more distance with his powerful strides. Legolas buried his face into his steed's mane to stop his watering eyes from the bitter cold as they raced along. Feeling his mount slow, Legolas looked up and around at the forest they were in. Stopping the horse, he turned slightly and looked back to the Misty Mountains. Glad to be down from the mountains, he rode a bit deeper into the forest and set camp for the night.
"I do not believe father was very happy after that," the elf said to his companion as they rode through the forest.
"Nay, he was not. I have never seen Glorfindel become that angry before," the other replied as he paused to remember.
"It was a good thing that I told them you did it."
"You told them what?"
"That you did it all."
"Nay brother! You helped, therefore we both are guilty."
"How many days should we give them to calm down?"
"Days, Elrohir? I was thinking more along the lines of weeks or maybe a few months."
The elf twins were silent for a few moments as their mounts walked through the snow.
"It was quite funny though," Elladan murmured and Elrohir laughed.
Sounds of merriment died on their lips as both warriors heard soft sounds of an approaching horse. Instinctively, both swung their bow from their back and notched an arrow but did not draw. Ahead of them and around the bend in the path, a rider emerged and stopped upon seeing the two warriors.
"Who are you traveler?" Elrohir asked and slowly prepared to draw as the rider lifted his arms.
Pale hands pushed back the hood to reveal flaxen colored hair and a bright smile. The twins slid the arrows into their quivers and slung their bows over their backs.
"Mae govannen son of Thranduil. Long time it has been. How are you?" Elladan said and rode up next to Legolas to grasp his forearms.
Legolas smiled and nodded his head as he turned to grasp Elrohir's forearms.
"Your voice has not returned?" Elrohir asked and sighed in disappointment.
"Aragorn has not found a cure? Where is he anyway? I was sure both of you always traveled together," Elladan commented and was shocked at the sudden paleness that was on Legolas' face.
"What is wrong Legolas? It looks as if you have seen a dwarf."
Legolas mouthed something and the twins looked at each other in confusion. He tried to say it slower but they still did not understand. Legolas wanted to scream in frustration and wished he had a quill or something to write with. His horse stamped his foot and Legolas saw snow fly from his horse's hoof out of his peripheral vision. Swinging off his horse, he pulled Elrohir off his horse and knelt in an undisturbed portion of the snow. With a gloved finger, he quickly wrote elvish words in the snow before looking up at Elrohir.
"Nay, Aragorn is not here. We believed that he stayed in Mirkwood with you after Elrond wrote him back," the dark haired elf replied confused.
Legolas slumped backwards and sat in the snow. He cradled his head in his hands and struggled not to sob. He reached out and wrote in the snow again, dreading to hear his fellow elf's reply.
"We have not seen or heard from him in at least five years. What is it?"
Legolas sighed and wrote something again before getting to his feet. Elrohir read the words and stood up as he looked at his brother.
"He wrote that we shall finish talking at home. He wishes to speak also with father."
Elladan watched as the silent elf mounted and rode quietly down the path. He looked over at his brother and slowly raised his eyebrows.
"I am getting the feeling, brother that we are not going to like this very much."
"Ai! I full heartedly agree."
The twins rode after Legolas and rode beside him as the three neared Imladris. Legolas looked around the Elvin safe house and only felt a fragment of the peace that Imladris offered. He had been dismayed to discover that Aragorn was not at home; even more dismayed when Elrohir said that Aragorn had not been see or heard from in five years. He knew that if Aragorn did not wish to be found, then he would not be found. He only hoped that after a few months he would stop being overly cautious. There had to be people that would remember meeting Aragorn. He could be very hard to forget if he projected a certain persona. Legolas planned to find a group of Rangers first and question them as to the movements of Strider.
He pulled his thoughts to the present as the horses crossed the bridge and walked into the small courtyard. Snow fell silently as the three elves walked up the stairs and their horses were led away. All three wanted to see Elrond immediately and a servant told them that he was in the library with Mithrandir. Legolas shook his head to shake off the snow from his fair hair and followed the twins to their father's library.
The three young elves found Elrond and Mithrandir sitting in deep cushioned chairs, drinking tea. Both looked up at the three elves and Elrond sighed as he put down his tea cup.
"What is it? All three of you have that look that makes me wish to lock you in your rooms and never let you out," he sighed and laced his fingers together on his lap.
"Adar, have you heard lately of Aragorn?" Elladan asked anxiously.
"No, last I heard, he was traveling with you Legolas."
The said elf dropped into a chair and leaned forward to rest his head in his hands. He couldn't believe this was happening to him. Tears stung his eyes at the personal betrayal of his father. Lifting his head to look at Elrond, he asked the question that would confirm it.
'Did my father say that?'
"He did Legolas. Does it trouble you for some reason?"
'He lied Lord Elrond! My father lied to you and I. He told me that you called Aragorn home for an emergency. I have not seen Aragorn for five years. But wait, he told Aragorn not to come back because he threatened to have him shot!'
"He said what to Aragorn?"
'From what I learned from the head healer, my father blamed everything on Aragorn. That Aragorn made a mistake and caused me to become a mute. Father called Estel weak and brought up the Isildur's heir memory and said that he did not deserve my friendship. Then he proclaimed an edict that if Estel ever stepped onto Mirkwood soil again that the warriors will shoot him on sight.'
Elrond stood and started to pace the library. Elladan and Elrohir were still confused but knew if their father was pacing then it must be bad. Mithrandir watched silently and sipped his tea. Legolas grabbed a quill and wrote something on a parchment before holding it to Mithrandir. The wizard read the question and his bushy eyebrows shot up in shock.
"Where did you hear of Sauros?"
Legolas leaned over the table and wrote something again before handing the paper to the wizard.
"Elrond, do you recall Sauros?" Mithrandir asked as he stood up from his chair.
"Was that not the name of a dragon from the First Age?"
"It was and Legolas says that a group of men asked him about Sauros before they attempted t hang him."
"I had come to believe that all the dragons had departed from Middle-Earth," Elrohir interject4ed.
"Most of the dragons did. The dragons were hated by all the races, including elves. They were feared as agents of Melkor, which was ridiculous beyond comprehension but they were. Humans, elves, and dwarves sought to hunt all the dragons down and kill them. Apparently Sauros decided to stay here," Gandalf mused and handed the parchment to Legolas.
"Could this Sauros help us find Estel?" Elrohir asked as he crossed his arms across his chest.
"It is possible, but I have not spoken with Sauros in many years. I do not even know where I may find him or if he will heed my call," the wizard replied honestly.
"Could you try Mithrandir?"
He stood and walked to the closed veranda doors that led to the balcony. A cold wind swept in as the elves silently watched and Gandalf held his staff in front of him. Taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it, he closed his eyes and centered his power to his staff. The stone at the top of the staff started to slowly pulse and gained power with each pause. The air around them started to tingle with restrained power as it built up. The energy suddenly exploded in a large radius and radiated across the courtyards, mountains, rivers, and plains. Opening his eyes and turning away, Gandalf closed the doors and nodded to the elves.
"I called Sauros, hopefully he will reply."
"How long till he arrives?"
"Two days at the most. Dragons fly very quickly when it is needed of them. It would be best to post a trustworthy warrior on the roof during the night. Sauros will reveal himself during the night as a precaution."
"I will ask Glorfindel to do so," Elrond replied instantly, knowing the elf would not object.
"That is well. Another elf may shoo Sauros with an arrow."
"Elladan, please show Legolas to the royal guest chamber. Evening meal will be served in two hours time in the dining hall," Elrond said, effectively dismissing the group.
Legolas bowed deeply to the elf lord and followed the twins out of the room. He was anxious to start hunting for Aragorn as soon as possible but knew he had to bid his time. Aragorn was more than capable of defending himself but Legolas still worried about his human friend. He also knew that Aragorn had the amazing ability to get himself into trouble. The blond elf saw the obvious worry in the twin's eyes when the left him at the guest room. His family was even worried he mused and tossed his cloak o0n a chair. He spied his pack on the bed and mentally thanked the servant that brought it from his horse. Sighing, he pushed the pack aside and laid out on the bed. He still expected Aragorn to come banging through the doors with a new adventure the two could go on. Legolas sighed, knowing that it might never happen again.
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There is the new chapter and I just wanted to say thank you to everyone (well the few people) that have reviewed my story. I just love it when people read and review my story and give me some good ideas. I love you review people.
Star-Stallion-I really love your name; just have to get that out real quick. Anyway; thank you so much for the compliment on my story, I love reading them. It makes me just so giddy! Thranduil is more than stressed he is…is…anal retentive, maybe? And yes the dragon is coming back in the next chapter after this one. I promise.
Myst's Child-Yup, Thranduil has a little bit of a temper but hey, that is what we love about him. His son got a bit of his temper also as you'll see in the next chapter. Thank you so much for the compliment about the medical stuff. I always try to research everything that I attempt to write about. If I do not know enough about it then I will search and find out what I need.