Thranduil was soon blindfolded and led further into the forest. He hated
giving in to these creatures but if it was the only was to save his son, he
felt he had to do it. He had already lost his daughter to wolves, he wasn't
planning to lose his son as well and especially not to gargoyles.
After a time, he felt the temperature change. It became warmer and he was soon forced to stop.
"So he agreed to it?" came a female voice.
"He agreed. Now all we have to do is wait and see what we can to do with him," replied Shentree.
The blindfold was taken off of Thranduil's eyes and he looked to see the strange gargoyle standing before him and Legolas was on the floor behind her. He hurried up to his son's side. Legolas' eyes were slightly red and swollen from crying. He was also shaking slightly and curled up into a ball.
"What have you done to him?" he demanded of the female gargoyle.
"I did nothing to him," Narcissis replied.
It was now that Thranduil had a better look at the different gargoyle. Her hair was indeed almost blonde, just like the twins and Aragorn had said, much lighter than that of the others. Her skin was also lighter than the other gargoyles.
"Where did you come from?" he asked.
Narcissis cocked her head to look at the king. She gave a small smile and laugh.
"Where did I come from you ask? It doesn't matter where I come from. The only thing that matters is where you're going," she replied.
The older elf gulped as he cradled his son in his arms.
***
"What do you think you're going Aragorn? Thranduil told us to go back to the palace," Elladan complained.
"I know that but are you willing to leave him and Legolas in the clutches of those things?" Aragorn replied.
"Well, I certainly don't want to," Elrohir said as they walked further away from the others.
"That's the point. If we don't help them, there will be no successor for the throne of Mirkwood if both Legolas and Nanaylia are dead and their father is as well," Aragorn told them.
The twins looked at each other and shrugged, knowing that Aragorn was right.
"Alright, where do we even begin to look? Those things can fly so we can't easily follow them," Elrohir protested as they went further into the forest.
"That is true and they might have come from different direction than what they came in but it's worth a try checking it out," Aragorn told them.
The twins sighed as they followed him. Both silently agreed that this man was very stubborn.
***
Manlin was walking in the woods, towards the place the gargoyles were so he could give them their orders before returning to the palace. He soon heard noises in the trees nearby. He crouched behind a bush as he watched the two elves and one man pass him, talking to themselves.
'So, someone's still here?' he thought to himself. 'Looking for Thranduil and Legolas. They need to be taken care of immediately.'
He waited a few more minutes before deciding not to head to the gargoyles' position. He stood up and looked in the direction the trio went.
"They'll have to deal with these three on their own," he muttered to himself before heading back to the palace. "I hope they don't mess things up. If they do, something has to be done."
***
After a part of the day had gone by, Legolas was semi-consicous and laying in his father's arms. It was in the middle of the afternoon and Thranduil was becoming more worried by each passing moment as Legolas seemed to be becoming weaker and weaker as each minute passed. As he held onto his son, he was listening in on the conversation the gargoyles had just began.
"Where is he? We have to get our orders with what to do to these two," whined Shentree.
"I'm not sure. This is something he wouldn't do unless something else came up. I say we keep them here until he gets a chance to come and tell us what to do," Narcissis said as Sathed nodded in agreement.
"But what if he doesn't come?" wondered Banside.
"No, he definately wouldn't do that. He wants to witness this and he's been waiting too long to let it slip between his fingers now," Narcissis replied, shaking her head.
The four sighed. Shentree glanced over at them before sauntering over to them. Thranduil looked up at her.
"What have you done to him?" he demanded. "I know you have done something."
"I remember you asking us that before and I remember Narcissis replying that she did nothing. None of us did. We actually weren't intending to do anything...yet," she replied with a lopsided smile.
"I don't believe that! He is failing with each passing moment! What is it that you have done to him?" Thranduil wanted to know.
"We did nothing to him except for the shoulder wound of course. Well, nothing since we brought him here. Maybe you should ask him what has happened if you get a chance to," Banside told him as he walked up to the two elves. "He's the one who should be telling you, not us. Besides, would you believe us if we told you?"
Thranduil quietly growled as he looked over the four. His stare came back to Narcissis. He studied her as she moved from her current position to a chair across the room. She sat down in it and continued with her wait.
'Why does her moves seem somewhat familiar to me? It's as if I've met her before. But how is that possible?' he asked himself.
***
Aragorn led the twins into the woods. All three were nervous as they moved further in.
"We should go back. Being this far in here is without a doubt dangerous," Elladan told him.
"I know. Maybe we should head back," agreed Aragorn.
They stopped and turned around to head back. It was then that Elrohir noticed something in the distance. He had to stop and look at it. He squinted his eyes and began to walk towards it. Aragorn and Elladan watched as he did this.
"What is that? It looks like a building of some sort but all the way out here?" he wondered.
"It must be the place where the gargoyles are staying! It has to be! Why would there be a building out here besides that?" replied Aragorn. "We have to go in and save Thranduil and Legolas. They need our help."
The three headed towards the building. Aragorn looked into the window to see that Thranduil, Legolas and the gargoyles were indeed there. It appeared to the man that the four were waiting for something or someone. He looked over at the father and son to see that Legolas was still. He appeared to be worse than before from his shoulder injury.
"What are we waiting for? Let's get this over with!" cried Banside as he finally stood up.
"No, we wait. Even if it takes him a long time to get here, we wait for him. He will want to witness this," Shentree replied, jumping in between Banside and the two elves.
"I'm tired of waiting for him," Banside growled at her. "Let's do something about these two."
"Well, we have to wait some more," Shentree told him, also growling.
They stared at each other for a few tense moments. Sathed looked between them, not wishing to get involved. Narcissis sighed, rolled her eyes and stepped in between them.
"Knock it off. We have enough trouble already without getting into fights amongst ourselves," she told the two of them.
***
"I say we go in now. They have been here for hours and Legolas appears to be failing by each passing moment," Elladan whispered to the other two, who nodded in agreement.
They readied their bows and prepared to head in the room. Elladan released his bow and it landed to one side of Narcissis' foot. Her face showed surprise when the two elves and one man hurried into the room.
"I thought you three said they were heading towards the palace," she yelled at them.
"We did see them go! they must have came back for these two," replied Shentree.
"I told you to go back to the palace," Thranduil told them, sounding a bit angry.
"Well, we're here anyway," Aragorn replied with a smile.
Shentree and Banside prepared themselves with bows while Narcissis hurried over to Thranduil and Legolas and aimed her bow at them.
"Get away from them," Elladan told the gargoyle.
"No," she replied, not turning her stare away from the two in front of her.
'What can we do to stop them and get Legolas back to the palace where he can get help?' Elrohir asked himself.
It was then that he thought of something that might work. He looked out the window.
"Hey, look! He is here!" the elf suddenly said, pointing outside.
The four gargoyles followed his gaze and they became confused.
"Where is he? I don't see him," demanded Shentree.
Thranduil took this opportunity to grab Narcissis' bow, yanking it out of her arms and throwing it to the ground far away from her. Aragorn, Elladan and Elrohir took this time to do the same with the other two. Thranduil picked up Legolas as gently as he could before running out the door with the others.
The four looked at the place where the two elves once sat and the spot where the two other elves and man recently stood.
"He's not going to like this," Narcissis said with a sigh.
"No, he's not. Not at all," agreed Banside. "Now we're in trouble. Big trouble."
TBC...
After a time, he felt the temperature change. It became warmer and he was soon forced to stop.
"So he agreed to it?" came a female voice.
"He agreed. Now all we have to do is wait and see what we can to do with him," replied Shentree.
The blindfold was taken off of Thranduil's eyes and he looked to see the strange gargoyle standing before him and Legolas was on the floor behind her. He hurried up to his son's side. Legolas' eyes were slightly red and swollen from crying. He was also shaking slightly and curled up into a ball.
"What have you done to him?" he demanded of the female gargoyle.
"I did nothing to him," Narcissis replied.
It was now that Thranduil had a better look at the different gargoyle. Her hair was indeed almost blonde, just like the twins and Aragorn had said, much lighter than that of the others. Her skin was also lighter than the other gargoyles.
"Where did you come from?" he asked.
Narcissis cocked her head to look at the king. She gave a small smile and laugh.
"Where did I come from you ask? It doesn't matter where I come from. The only thing that matters is where you're going," she replied.
The older elf gulped as he cradled his son in his arms.
***
"What do you think you're going Aragorn? Thranduil told us to go back to the palace," Elladan complained.
"I know that but are you willing to leave him and Legolas in the clutches of those things?" Aragorn replied.
"Well, I certainly don't want to," Elrohir said as they walked further away from the others.
"That's the point. If we don't help them, there will be no successor for the throne of Mirkwood if both Legolas and Nanaylia are dead and their father is as well," Aragorn told them.
The twins looked at each other and shrugged, knowing that Aragorn was right.
"Alright, where do we even begin to look? Those things can fly so we can't easily follow them," Elrohir protested as they went further into the forest.
"That is true and they might have come from different direction than what they came in but it's worth a try checking it out," Aragorn told them.
The twins sighed as they followed him. Both silently agreed that this man was very stubborn.
***
Manlin was walking in the woods, towards the place the gargoyles were so he could give them their orders before returning to the palace. He soon heard noises in the trees nearby. He crouched behind a bush as he watched the two elves and one man pass him, talking to themselves.
'So, someone's still here?' he thought to himself. 'Looking for Thranduil and Legolas. They need to be taken care of immediately.'
He waited a few more minutes before deciding not to head to the gargoyles' position. He stood up and looked in the direction the trio went.
"They'll have to deal with these three on their own," he muttered to himself before heading back to the palace. "I hope they don't mess things up. If they do, something has to be done."
***
After a part of the day had gone by, Legolas was semi-consicous and laying in his father's arms. It was in the middle of the afternoon and Thranduil was becoming more worried by each passing moment as Legolas seemed to be becoming weaker and weaker as each minute passed. As he held onto his son, he was listening in on the conversation the gargoyles had just began.
"Where is he? We have to get our orders with what to do to these two," whined Shentree.
"I'm not sure. This is something he wouldn't do unless something else came up. I say we keep them here until he gets a chance to come and tell us what to do," Narcissis said as Sathed nodded in agreement.
"But what if he doesn't come?" wondered Banside.
"No, he definately wouldn't do that. He wants to witness this and he's been waiting too long to let it slip between his fingers now," Narcissis replied, shaking her head.
The four sighed. Shentree glanced over at them before sauntering over to them. Thranduil looked up at her.
"What have you done to him?" he demanded. "I know you have done something."
"I remember you asking us that before and I remember Narcissis replying that she did nothing. None of us did. We actually weren't intending to do anything...yet," she replied with a lopsided smile.
"I don't believe that! He is failing with each passing moment! What is it that you have done to him?" Thranduil wanted to know.
"We did nothing to him except for the shoulder wound of course. Well, nothing since we brought him here. Maybe you should ask him what has happened if you get a chance to," Banside told him as he walked up to the two elves. "He's the one who should be telling you, not us. Besides, would you believe us if we told you?"
Thranduil quietly growled as he looked over the four. His stare came back to Narcissis. He studied her as she moved from her current position to a chair across the room. She sat down in it and continued with her wait.
'Why does her moves seem somewhat familiar to me? It's as if I've met her before. But how is that possible?' he asked himself.
***
Aragorn led the twins into the woods. All three were nervous as they moved further in.
"We should go back. Being this far in here is without a doubt dangerous," Elladan told him.
"I know. Maybe we should head back," agreed Aragorn.
They stopped and turned around to head back. It was then that Elrohir noticed something in the distance. He had to stop and look at it. He squinted his eyes and began to walk towards it. Aragorn and Elladan watched as he did this.
"What is that? It looks like a building of some sort but all the way out here?" he wondered.
"It must be the place where the gargoyles are staying! It has to be! Why would there be a building out here besides that?" replied Aragorn. "We have to go in and save Thranduil and Legolas. They need our help."
The three headed towards the building. Aragorn looked into the window to see that Thranduil, Legolas and the gargoyles were indeed there. It appeared to the man that the four were waiting for something or someone. He looked over at the father and son to see that Legolas was still. He appeared to be worse than before from his shoulder injury.
"What are we waiting for? Let's get this over with!" cried Banside as he finally stood up.
"No, we wait. Even if it takes him a long time to get here, we wait for him. He will want to witness this," Shentree replied, jumping in between Banside and the two elves.
"I'm tired of waiting for him," Banside growled at her. "Let's do something about these two."
"Well, we have to wait some more," Shentree told him, also growling.
They stared at each other for a few tense moments. Sathed looked between them, not wishing to get involved. Narcissis sighed, rolled her eyes and stepped in between them.
"Knock it off. We have enough trouble already without getting into fights amongst ourselves," she told the two of them.
***
"I say we go in now. They have been here for hours and Legolas appears to be failing by each passing moment," Elladan whispered to the other two, who nodded in agreement.
They readied their bows and prepared to head in the room. Elladan released his bow and it landed to one side of Narcissis' foot. Her face showed surprise when the two elves and one man hurried into the room.
"I thought you three said they were heading towards the palace," she yelled at them.
"We did see them go! they must have came back for these two," replied Shentree.
"I told you to go back to the palace," Thranduil told them, sounding a bit angry.
"Well, we're here anyway," Aragorn replied with a smile.
Shentree and Banside prepared themselves with bows while Narcissis hurried over to Thranduil and Legolas and aimed her bow at them.
"Get away from them," Elladan told the gargoyle.
"No," she replied, not turning her stare away from the two in front of her.
'What can we do to stop them and get Legolas back to the palace where he can get help?' Elrohir asked himself.
It was then that he thought of something that might work. He looked out the window.
"Hey, look! He is here!" the elf suddenly said, pointing outside.
The four gargoyles followed his gaze and they became confused.
"Where is he? I don't see him," demanded Shentree.
Thranduil took this opportunity to grab Narcissis' bow, yanking it out of her arms and throwing it to the ground far away from her. Aragorn, Elladan and Elrohir took this time to do the same with the other two. Thranduil picked up Legolas as gently as he could before running out the door with the others.
The four looked at the place where the two elves once sat and the spot where the two other elves and man recently stood.
"He's not going to like this," Narcissis said with a sigh.
"No, he's not. Not at all," agreed Banside. "Now we're in trouble. Big trouble."
TBC...