The Orcs had finally been pushed back out of the forest. They may
have been strong and numerous, but they didn't know the trees like the
elves did. But they did manage to leave their mark before they left. Many
trees and roofs were still smoldering from recent fires. Few had lost
their lives, yet for the families of those who had mourning began. And it
would soon become common knowledge that among the dead was Mirkwood's heir,
Belegtathar.
Legolas did not know how to react when he saw Aranel, one of his best friends, bent over the body of his dead brother. There was an Orc knife in her hand. A thousand thoughts had to be running through his mind, none of which made any sense.
How could she?
Aranel jumped to her feet, then looked down at herself. Blood had splattered all over herself, and the dripping knife was still in her hand.
"Legolas," she whispered as the tears began to flow. "Please, I didn't- he was-"
Legolas did not stay to hear her pleas of innocence. He turned and ran.
Aranel didn't care that she was surely running to her death, that Legolas had given her a possibly inadvertent chance at escaping, but she took off after him. She had to at least try to explain herself, explain to them who Belegtathar was…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Legolas burst into the King's throne room, where a recount of all that had happened during the attack was being relayed to Thranduil. A look of great distress was planted across his face. Aranel ran in just moments later, stopping at the door and collapsing in weariness she had never felt before.
"Belegtathar is dead!" Legolas shouted, his voice clearly strained. He turned to where Aranel had collapsed. "And she is the one who killed him."
Malkemen and Nimhithdil turned immediately to face Legolas. They did not believe what they were hearing. Aranel used all of her strength to pull herself back to her feet.
"Please, you have to listen to me…" Aranel pleaded.
"What is the meaning of this, my son?" Thranduil asked, standing himself.
"It is just as I said. Aranel is a traitor, and a murderer!" He yelled. Silence followed, for several long moments Aranel had to face the eyes of all that where in the room. They took in her bloody dress, the scratches on her arms, the knife that she had forgotten to drop…
"Aranel, is what he says true?" Malkemen asked her finally, breaking the unbearable silence.
"No," she said as her strength gave out, and she slipped back to the floor. "And yes."
"What does that mean?" Malkemen shouted, but his voice was overpowered by that of his father's.
"What happened, exactly, Legolas? If my son is truly dead, I must know why."
A guard grabbed Aranel by the arm and sat her down on a chair, as Legolas began to tell what he saw. He told them that he was out in the woods, heading to help push the Orcs out of the forest. That's when he came across Aranel. She attacked Belegtathar by surprise, and pinned him to the ground. There was an Orc knife in her hand. Her face was twisted in hate as she brought the knife down on him.
"That isn't all that happened!" Aranel shouted. But Thranduil raised his hand to silence her.
"You will have your chance to speak. Go on, Legolas."
"It was a perfect cover," Legolas continued. "Aranel was never pleased with Belegtathar, and we all know this to be true. There were Orcs swarming everywhere. No one would ever know that it was she, and not an Orc who had killed the heir of Mirkwood."
"How could you accuse me of such an outrageous story?" Aranel shrieked. But Legolas merely walked over to her, and picked up the bloody knife. It was indeed an Orc's knife.
"Outrageous? I think not."
"What do you have to say to all of this, Aranel?" the king asked.
Aranel took a deep breath, "Belegtathar was a traitor! I saw it with my own eyes. He was conversing with an Orc! And then he attacked me, knocking me right to the ground!"
"You were both standing when I first saw you, and it was you who knocked him down," Legolas interrupted. "There where no Orcs when I arrived."
"Let her speak, Legolas!" Malkemen said.
"Are you not listening to what she is saying, Malkemen?" Nimhithdil asked. "She is saying that our brother is a traitor."
"It's impossible!" Legolas added.
"Just answer us this, Aranel," Thranduil said. "Did you stab Belegtathar?"
Aranel looked around. Her three best friends, who were practically her brothers, all awaited her answer. They would not believe the truth. They didn't want to hear it. Perhaps it would be better this way. No matter what she told them, it wouldn't change the fact that she took his life. So Aranel decided to give in.
"Yes, I did. I killed him."
Legolas did not know how to react when he saw Aranel, one of his best friends, bent over the body of his dead brother. There was an Orc knife in her hand. A thousand thoughts had to be running through his mind, none of which made any sense.
How could she?
Aranel jumped to her feet, then looked down at herself. Blood had splattered all over herself, and the dripping knife was still in her hand.
"Legolas," she whispered as the tears began to flow. "Please, I didn't- he was-"
Legolas did not stay to hear her pleas of innocence. He turned and ran.
Aranel didn't care that she was surely running to her death, that Legolas had given her a possibly inadvertent chance at escaping, but she took off after him. She had to at least try to explain herself, explain to them who Belegtathar was…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Legolas burst into the King's throne room, where a recount of all that had happened during the attack was being relayed to Thranduil. A look of great distress was planted across his face. Aranel ran in just moments later, stopping at the door and collapsing in weariness she had never felt before.
"Belegtathar is dead!" Legolas shouted, his voice clearly strained. He turned to where Aranel had collapsed. "And she is the one who killed him."
Malkemen and Nimhithdil turned immediately to face Legolas. They did not believe what they were hearing. Aranel used all of her strength to pull herself back to her feet.
"Please, you have to listen to me…" Aranel pleaded.
"What is the meaning of this, my son?" Thranduil asked, standing himself.
"It is just as I said. Aranel is a traitor, and a murderer!" He yelled. Silence followed, for several long moments Aranel had to face the eyes of all that where in the room. They took in her bloody dress, the scratches on her arms, the knife that she had forgotten to drop…
"Aranel, is what he says true?" Malkemen asked her finally, breaking the unbearable silence.
"No," she said as her strength gave out, and she slipped back to the floor. "And yes."
"What does that mean?" Malkemen shouted, but his voice was overpowered by that of his father's.
"What happened, exactly, Legolas? If my son is truly dead, I must know why."
A guard grabbed Aranel by the arm and sat her down on a chair, as Legolas began to tell what he saw. He told them that he was out in the woods, heading to help push the Orcs out of the forest. That's when he came across Aranel. She attacked Belegtathar by surprise, and pinned him to the ground. There was an Orc knife in her hand. Her face was twisted in hate as she brought the knife down on him.
"That isn't all that happened!" Aranel shouted. But Thranduil raised his hand to silence her.
"You will have your chance to speak. Go on, Legolas."
"It was a perfect cover," Legolas continued. "Aranel was never pleased with Belegtathar, and we all know this to be true. There were Orcs swarming everywhere. No one would ever know that it was she, and not an Orc who had killed the heir of Mirkwood."
"How could you accuse me of such an outrageous story?" Aranel shrieked. But Legolas merely walked over to her, and picked up the bloody knife. It was indeed an Orc's knife.
"Outrageous? I think not."
"What do you have to say to all of this, Aranel?" the king asked.
Aranel took a deep breath, "Belegtathar was a traitor! I saw it with my own eyes. He was conversing with an Orc! And then he attacked me, knocking me right to the ground!"
"You were both standing when I first saw you, and it was you who knocked him down," Legolas interrupted. "There where no Orcs when I arrived."
"Let her speak, Legolas!" Malkemen said.
"Are you not listening to what she is saying, Malkemen?" Nimhithdil asked. "She is saying that our brother is a traitor."
"It's impossible!" Legolas added.
"Just answer us this, Aranel," Thranduil said. "Did you stab Belegtathar?"
Aranel looked around. Her three best friends, who were practically her brothers, all awaited her answer. They would not believe the truth. They didn't want to hear it. Perhaps it would be better this way. No matter what she told them, it wouldn't change the fact that she took his life. So Aranel decided to give in.
"Yes, I did. I killed him."