Anastasia Who, Deana, Chrysler ~ Glad you liked it, thanks for the reviews.
To those who asked about Aragorn knowing Sindarin in Perfect Time ~ The Dunedain would have used Sindarin among themselves from what I read, so Aragorn would probably have been fluent in that as well as common even before he reached Rivendell.
Chapter Two
Legolas opened his eyes and looked around him. At first, he thought he had not opened them at all. It was pitch black. He tried to open his eyes and realized that he really had opened them. His hands were above his head for some reason and he realized he was sitting up with his back to a stone wall. The floor seemed damp and muddy, as if the room was frequently flooded. Legolas tried to lower his hands to his lap, but something held them in place. It slowly dawned on the young prince that his hands were chained above his head. He tried to figure out where he was, but his mind seemed slow and foggy. Legolas wondered if he had been drugged. That would explain why he felt so drowsy.
His last memory was of fighting a large band of men and orcs on the north-eastern border of Mirkwood along with the patrol he was part of. Legolas could not remember anything after killing a large, dark man. He wondered whether the rest of his patrol was with him. His heart quailed at the thought of being trapped in the dark and alone.
"Ithilion?" he whispered. There was no answer. "Ithilion, are you here?" he called softly. Still no answer. "Gilion?" he tried next. No answer this time either. "Is anyone here?" he called. No one answered him. Legolas called louder. The only answer was his voice echoing against the stone walls of the prison. The silence sent chills down his spine. Was he the only one left alive?
Hours went by. His arms were sore from being chained above his head. His eyes ached from trying to see in the darkness. Finally, he saw a small, flickering light and heard footsteps. Legolas heard keys rattle and the door creak open. The light came toward him and he realized it was someone carrying a torch. The man's footsteps echoed loudly in the silent prison. As it got nearer, Legolas saw that one man was carrying the torch followed by a small group of men and orcs. He fought against the chains that bound him, trying desperately to flee from the orcs and the men that commanded them. He could now see the chained, still forms of a few of the members of his patrol in the torch light.
Legolas looked up into the face of the man holding the torch. The man was, apparently, middle-aged, with dark hair and dark eyes. His face bore a fierce expression. "This is the one," he stated. Two of the orcs held his arms while one of the men unlock the shackle that chained his right wrist to the wall. He then fastened another chain in its place. Legolas's left arm was released next and fastened to the other end of the short chain connected to his other wrist. The orcs then pulled him to his feet. "Walk," the man ordered, looking at Legolas.
The prince gave him a defiant look and refused to move. All three orcs forced him forward, but he determinedly fought back. Legolas lunged for the man bearing the torch, who side-stepped him, leaving the young prince to crash to the muddy prison floor. The orcs again pulled him to his feet and, with the help of the other three men, forced him to walk out of the dungeon.
********
The bright light blinded Legolas after so many hours in the dark dungeon. He could just make out the form of a tall man seated a few feet away before his feet were kicked out from under him. The prince rose back to his feet.
"Ah, Prince Legolas. Welcome," the man said with a kindly facade. His face looked fair as he smiled in greeting.
Legolas looked up at the man. He saw a crown on the mortal's head. "Let me go!" he yelled.
"I must apologize, my prince, but I'm afraid I can't do that yet," the king told him. "I need your help."
"If you needed my help, why did you kidnap me?" the prince demanded. "My father would have sent me had you asked him."
"Legolas, I know your father is the king of Mirkwood and an elf, but I must require that you show me the respect any other subject would show a king," the mortal chided him in a rather friendly manner.
Legolas's eyes flashed. "But you kidnapped me, your majesty!" he spat with an outraged sneer. "And I am King Thranduil's subject, not yours."
"Your father is abandoning you," the mortal king said viciously, abandoning any attempt to seem kind and fatherly to the young elf. "It was his wish that you and your patrol be my captives and subjects. He told me."
"No!" Legolas cried, fearing the possibility. "My father never betray anyone like this!"
The king smiled. "He did," he taunted. "And you will acknowledge me as your king."
Legolas calmly looked him in the eye. "Never," he said quietly and firmly.