Chapter Four
"Yes?" Thranduil turned from the sight of his son laughing with Elrond's miscreants to the messenger.
"Gollum has escaped."
"WHAT?!?!?!"
"He escaped yester eve when being allowed his nightly climb. There were wolves and orcs."
"Any survivors?"
"One escaped, but he died on after reporting."
Thranduil's voice carried down into the gardens. Legolas looked up as his father began to rant.
"Oh dear."
Elladan turned his eyes from Umbothel who was chattering with Lorintal to look curiously at Legolas. "What's wrong?"
Legolas gestured to the king's study. "My father has lost his temper."
Elrohir glanced at Legolas then turned his attention to Lorintal. "I recall the last time you lost your temper. Don't you, Elladan?"
Elladan chortled "Of course, we had to cool him off with the lake in mid winter."
Legolas glared. "Yes, as I recall, you and my older brother had lots of fun with me as I was struggling to the shore."
"Which reminds me, how are you crown prince when your brother is older?"
Legolas smiled sadly. "He gave up the right to the throne."
Elladan's eyes widened. "What?"
"He decided he wanted to decide whom he would marry. But it was too late. Thranduil had arranged for a bride with Galadriel. Callórë ran away a few weeks ago to avoid meeting her."
"When's she coming down?" asked Elrohir curiously.
"Right about now, along with your sister."
"What's going to happen to her?"
Legolas sighed. "I'll probably end up marrying her."
Elladan and Elrohir nearly choked.
"Excuse me?"
"You are going to marry her?"
"Quite probably."
"Without knowing anything about this girl?"
"I'm sure your grandmother has good taste-"
"She wouldn't, would she?"
"Yes, she would."
"Who? What?-"
"Legolas!!!!" called Thranduil.
"Yes sir?" Legolas ran across the courtyard.
"We lost Gollum. He escaped last night." He held his hand up to stop Legolas before he could interrupt. "I've sent a message to the Rangers. They only left yesterday. They shouldn't be too far away yet. In the meantime, I want you to increase patrols throughout Mirkwood."
"Yes sir."
"Ask Elrohir and Elladan to help you. I've sent a message to their father that until you are able to go, they will stay with you."
"Does he know what it's about?"
"No, the message of an escapee must be delivered by royal lips, and, as neither you or I are able, it must wait."
Legolas nodded solemnly and went to share the news of a prolonged visit to his friends.
`~`~`*`~`~`
(Three Weeks Later)
Legolas stood before his father's throne.
"Legolas, Elrond is calling a council together. I need you to go with an escort to inform the Council of the loss of Gollum."
Legolas shuttered. This was bad. His father was admitting the loss of a prisoner. That was admitting defeat.
Thranduil caught the look on his son's face and sighed. "I know. But Gandalf says we have done all we can. Perhaps Elladan and Elrohir have had more success since leaving us a week ago."
Legolas bowed. "When do I leave, Father?"
"At first light, my son."
`~`~`*`~`~`
The next morning, Legolas, Lorintal, Umbothel, and a royal escort departed for Rivendell. At the same time, another group was making for Rivendell...
"NILETH!!!" Haldir screeched.
Calmly Nileth walked over to her cousin. "Yes, cousin?"
"GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!!"
She giggled at the sight of Haldir hanging upside down from the oak tree, wrapped in his own tent. "I can't."
"Why not?!?"
"I didn't put you up there."
"Callórë!!!!"
Callórë wandered out from the post his watch had positioned him at. "Yes?"
"Get me down! That's the seventh prank you've pulled this week!..." As Haldir rambled on, Callórë winked at Nileth.
"Nileth! Granddaughter of Gil-galad and Bearer of the Stars, I beg of you, release your cousin from this madman's snares-"
Callórë froze. "What did you say her name was?"
"Nileth Finduilas, Granddaughter of Gil-galad and Bearer of the Stars. Why?"
Callórë threw a knife through the vine holding Haldir upside down. Haldir landed with a thud.
"Callórë? What is wrong, nin mellon?"
Callórë dropped his voice to a whisper. "I gave up my rights to the throne."
"And?"
"And the heir to the throne will be the one who marries your cousin!"
Haldir's jaw dropped. "Anyway, to take it back?"
"Only if Nileth were to fall for me and not Legolas."
Haldir grimaced. "I didn't know Legolas was next."
Callórë laughed. "Yes, nin mellon, it is Legolas. Straduil was killed shortly after you last saw me."
"Well, I can't guarantee she'd pick you and-"
A scream pierced the camp. "Yrch!"
`~`~`*`~`~`
The battle was over almost as soon as it had begun.
Nileth attempted to care for the wounded, and, thankfully, many of the wounds were not poisoned. But Callórë.
Callórë was shot in the chest by a poisoned arrow. Even as Nileth chewed on the altheas to moisten it for his wound, Callórë was dying. The altheas wasn't strong enough to save him, but it dulled the pain enough for Callórë to speak.
"Nileth," he watched her through her veil of gold hair, "Nileth, I... I... I'm sorry. I would have loved you."
"What?" Nileth glanced up sharply from her herb bag, digging for a poultice she knew she had somewhere.
"I would have loved you, and treated you honourably as my wife."
"You were my intended?" Nileth almost dropped the bag.
"I was. Now it is my younger brother, my loth. I can only do that now..." He rolled his eyes back as his essence crossed over.
"Loth? A dream?" Nileth couldn't keep tears from springing up in her eyes. "I would have loved you too." She broke off as more and more tears wracked her body.
Poor Nileth. Poor Callórë. Poor audience.
"Yes?" Thranduil turned from the sight of his son laughing with Elrond's miscreants to the messenger.
"Gollum has escaped."
"WHAT?!?!?!"
"He escaped yester eve when being allowed his nightly climb. There were wolves and orcs."
"Any survivors?"
"One escaped, but he died on after reporting."
Thranduil's voice carried down into the gardens. Legolas looked up as his father began to rant.
"Oh dear."
Elladan turned his eyes from Umbothel who was chattering with Lorintal to look curiously at Legolas. "What's wrong?"
Legolas gestured to the king's study. "My father has lost his temper."
Elrohir glanced at Legolas then turned his attention to Lorintal. "I recall the last time you lost your temper. Don't you, Elladan?"
Elladan chortled "Of course, we had to cool him off with the lake in mid winter."
Legolas glared. "Yes, as I recall, you and my older brother had lots of fun with me as I was struggling to the shore."
"Which reminds me, how are you crown prince when your brother is older?"
Legolas smiled sadly. "He gave up the right to the throne."
Elladan's eyes widened. "What?"
"He decided he wanted to decide whom he would marry. But it was too late. Thranduil had arranged for a bride with Galadriel. Callórë ran away a few weeks ago to avoid meeting her."
"When's she coming down?" asked Elrohir curiously.
"Right about now, along with your sister."
"What's going to happen to her?"
Legolas sighed. "I'll probably end up marrying her."
Elladan and Elrohir nearly choked.
"Excuse me?"
"You are going to marry her?"
"Quite probably."
"Without knowing anything about this girl?"
"I'm sure your grandmother has good taste-"
"She wouldn't, would she?"
"Yes, she would."
"Who? What?-"
"Legolas!!!!" called Thranduil.
"Yes sir?" Legolas ran across the courtyard.
"We lost Gollum. He escaped last night." He held his hand up to stop Legolas before he could interrupt. "I've sent a message to the Rangers. They only left yesterday. They shouldn't be too far away yet. In the meantime, I want you to increase patrols throughout Mirkwood."
"Yes sir."
"Ask Elrohir and Elladan to help you. I've sent a message to their father that until you are able to go, they will stay with you."
"Does he know what it's about?"
"No, the message of an escapee must be delivered by royal lips, and, as neither you or I are able, it must wait."
Legolas nodded solemnly and went to share the news of a prolonged visit to his friends.
`~`~`*`~`~`
(Three Weeks Later)
Legolas stood before his father's throne.
"Legolas, Elrond is calling a council together. I need you to go with an escort to inform the Council of the loss of Gollum."
Legolas shuttered. This was bad. His father was admitting the loss of a prisoner. That was admitting defeat.
Thranduil caught the look on his son's face and sighed. "I know. But Gandalf says we have done all we can. Perhaps Elladan and Elrohir have had more success since leaving us a week ago."
Legolas bowed. "When do I leave, Father?"
"At first light, my son."
`~`~`*`~`~`
The next morning, Legolas, Lorintal, Umbothel, and a royal escort departed for Rivendell. At the same time, another group was making for Rivendell...
"NILETH!!!" Haldir screeched.
Calmly Nileth walked over to her cousin. "Yes, cousin?"
"GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!!"
She giggled at the sight of Haldir hanging upside down from the oak tree, wrapped in his own tent. "I can't."
"Why not?!?"
"I didn't put you up there."
"Callórë!!!!"
Callórë wandered out from the post his watch had positioned him at. "Yes?"
"Get me down! That's the seventh prank you've pulled this week!..." As Haldir rambled on, Callórë winked at Nileth.
"Nileth! Granddaughter of Gil-galad and Bearer of the Stars, I beg of you, release your cousin from this madman's snares-"
Callórë froze. "What did you say her name was?"
"Nileth Finduilas, Granddaughter of Gil-galad and Bearer of the Stars. Why?"
Callórë threw a knife through the vine holding Haldir upside down. Haldir landed with a thud.
"Callórë? What is wrong, nin mellon?"
Callórë dropped his voice to a whisper. "I gave up my rights to the throne."
"And?"
"And the heir to the throne will be the one who marries your cousin!"
Haldir's jaw dropped. "Anyway, to take it back?"
"Only if Nileth were to fall for me and not Legolas."
Haldir grimaced. "I didn't know Legolas was next."
Callórë laughed. "Yes, nin mellon, it is Legolas. Straduil was killed shortly after you last saw me."
"Well, I can't guarantee she'd pick you and-"
A scream pierced the camp. "Yrch!"
`~`~`*`~`~`
The battle was over almost as soon as it had begun.
Nileth attempted to care for the wounded, and, thankfully, many of the wounds were not poisoned. But Callórë.
Callórë was shot in the chest by a poisoned arrow. Even as Nileth chewed on the altheas to moisten it for his wound, Callórë was dying. The altheas wasn't strong enough to save him, but it dulled the pain enough for Callórë to speak.
"Nileth," he watched her through her veil of gold hair, "Nileth, I... I... I'm sorry. I would have loved you."
"What?" Nileth glanced up sharply from her herb bag, digging for a poultice she knew she had somewhere.
"I would have loved you, and treated you honourably as my wife."
"You were my intended?" Nileth almost dropped the bag.
"I was. Now it is my younger brother, my loth. I can only do that now..." He rolled his eyes back as his essence crossed over.
"Loth? A dream?" Nileth couldn't keep tears from springing up in her eyes. "I would have loved you too." She broke off as more and more tears wracked her body.
Poor Nileth. Poor Callórë. Poor audience.