Disclaimer still applies.
And now we get to read about the Council of Elrond! But don't worry, it's the many-times-condensed version. Just a tiny bit of bookverse in this chapter.
Sorry about the wait for this chapter, I keep getting sidetracked. Thank you for the reviews, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story! As always, said reviews are much appreciated.
Kindly forgive small errors.
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Chapter Two: Truths and FalsehoodsLegolas' head was beginning to nod, and he caught himself. It would not do for him to show his boredom, much as he did feel it. He had sat through the speech of the Dwarf Glóin, of the troubles in Moria and the appearance of a messenger from Sauron. So, too, was the tale of the Ring told, most of which he knew and knew well. Boromir of Gondor, son of the Steward, told of Gondor and the dream that troubled him. And so it went, through the presentation of the ring, the telling of Frodo's story, and of the Grey Pilgrim's. All through it a great portion of his interest was feigned; most of these things he had already been told, and so they were not of concern to him at the present.
At last, however, the subject of the creature Gollum was brought up, and it was Legolas' turn to speak his tale, the reason for which his father had sent him. He hid the beginnings of a smirk before anyone could notice, and began his act.
"Alas! alas!" he cried, giving all pretense of distress. "The tidings that I was sent to bring must now be told. They are not good, but only here have I learned how evil they may seem to this company. Sméagol, who is now called Gollum, has escaped."
This and what followed it he spoke as one who truly knew great sorrow at the events he described, but in his memory and in reality they were not quite as he now told it.
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As Legolas rounded the corner, he was expecting a straight shot from the stairwell to the doorway, but instead he was met with a green-clad body, topped with dark brown hair. In response, said body staggered back a few steps at the blonde elf's equally unexpected impact. That, and an utterenace of "mmff," coupled with a muffled expletive.
"Ondorion! Pardon me, I didn't see you there," Legolas did his very best to look contrite, though a playful half-grin snuck into his expression.
"A statement of the obvious, little princeling. Where might you be off to at such a pace, may I ask? Nevermind, that doesn't matter. Alassëon is looking for you; something about the one Mithrandir brought to us. I suspect you'll find him where I left him, which would be at the entrance to the dungeons."
"Thank you, Ondorion. I'll go right to him, then, " Legolas grinned as he spoke, and fingered a lock of his hair, "In the meantime, I might suggest a mirror before you get to wherever it is you're going."
With that, he took his leave of the Elf known quite well for his longwindedness, and went towards the location to which he had been directed (as well as the direction he had originally intended to go). He'd never had anything to do with the creature once known as Sméagol, but this was opportune. Perhaps he had not yet been brought out for the day, when he would be permitted out of the confines of the dungeons. If that were the case, it would make things easier for him, as he wouldn't have to push his rank to get down there.
Upon his approach, the unintelligible cries of the creature reached his sensitive ears. They were not cries of distress, nor were they cries of pain; alternately, he sounded rather irate. Legolas rounded another corner (this time bereft of obstacles, both animate and inanimate), just in time to find a swearing guard finish his run up the steps at an apparently extraordinary pace. Considering how far down he would have been, this was no mean feat.
"Alassëon!" the Elf-prince called out, "You wanted me for something?"
"Legolash! It'sh about damn time you got here," the guard's words were slurred, and he had clearly been drinking more than a cupful, even at this relatively early hour of the day. He seemed to realize to whom he was speaking, though, and made an effort to correct his speech. "That Gollum creature is being an interminable nuisance. Everyone else went out hunting for the day, and left him to me. Do you think you could try to get him up here?"
Legolas did his best not to laugh out loud, and chose instead a look of gracious patience. "Certainly, Alassëon. I will do my best."
For the second time that day, he took his leave of another fool, and headed down the winding stone steps to the deeper of the dungeons, where Gollum was being held. He'd calmed down a bit by the time Legolas got there, but he started right back up again when he saw this new Elven intruder.
"Nassty, dirty Elvses! What does it want with us, hmm? To make us go up there again, stuck in a tree like little birdses in a nest?"
"Gollum, Sméagol, whichever you prefer, you must listen to me, and quickly! Before someone else comes to see what's taking so much time. I can help you get out of here, but I need you to cooperate with me, or it'll never work. Do you understand?"
His great, luminous eyes were eager now, and he could not hide the excitement in his voice, "Yes, yes, we understand! How, how do we escape, precious?"
"You must come up with me, and go into a tree as you have done in the past. But this time, you must stay there and not come down. You climb too well now for them to try to get you down from it- they'll have to wait for you to come down yourself. That's something you musn't do, however! You have to stay there, and if you wait long enough, you will be free. Will you do this, Gollum? Sméagol? Will you come with me, now?"
"Does the Elf tell us the truth, precious? Does he? If he does not, we will find him when we come down. Oh, yes, we will. And he will feel our hands around his pretty, tricksy throat. Does the Elf understand us?"
"Yes, I understand. You will find, though, that there will be no need for that. Now, come! There is no time left!"
And with that final affirmation, Gollum emerged from the unlocked cell and tolerated the collar of rope which Legolas looped around his neck (not Elvish rope, but of the more mundane sort), and padded softly behind the Prince of the Woodland Realm all the way up those winding stone stairs.
Alassëon was justifiably surprised. He hadn't expected that the prince would actually be able to get the creature to follow him. His amazement grew as Gollum remained passive even when he accepted the "leash" from Legolas. At this point, he surmised that the youngest son of Thranduil really was capable of anything, and thanked him profusely before escorting Gollum on his outing.
The Greenleaf leaned against the doorframe with one shoulder, glad to have that over with. His part was done- tonight, however, held much more in store than anyone of Mirkwood could ever imagine. Because then, the "rescue party" would arrive, and the vital prisoner would escape in the midst of chaos. It would be merely the beginning of many years' preparation, and Legolas smiled to think of what came next.
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..endchapter..
We're getting there, ever so slowly..but why is Legolas doing this, you ask? That's just something I'll have to leave you to stew about for now, I think. In the meantime, you Icould/I review to pass the time, perhaps?
The accuracy of the names is questionable, but you won't be seeing those two again. Oldorion might reappear briefly (his name, by the way, is derived from the Quenya word for "hard"…I couldn't resist).