Elladan gasped and stepped back one step. His foot connected with a fallen
tree branch and it broke in two. Legolas gasped at the sound and turned to
see the elf standing there. He tried to crawl away from him.
"Elladan, what are you doing here?" demanded Legolas.
"Legolas, I came out looking for you. I was worried about you because of your injury," Elladan replied.
Legolas glanced to see the gargoyle behind him. He pointed at her.
"And what is she doing here?" he wanted to know, almost sneering.
Elladan looked in the direction he was pointing.
"She led me here Legolas. I told her to and it's not like she had a choice. She can't go anywhere very quickly besides that," Elladan replied.
"It's not like I asked for it either," she muttered.
Elladan gave her a cautious look as he knelt beside Legolas. He looked at the crying elf as he placed a hand on Legolas' good shoulder
"Let me help you," he told Legolas.
"No, I can't go back. Father will hate me if he found out the truth," Legolas replied, turning away from his friend.
"Come here," Elladan said in a soothing voice.
Legolas accepted the offer and he sat in Elladan's embrace, the tears continuing to fall down his face. It was then that Elladan picked up an arrow and hit Legolas over the head with it. The elf looked at him, surprised.
"What was that for?" demanded Legolas, placing a hand over his head.
"It doesn't matter anymore, does it? It is over with, is it not?" Elladan posed with a smile on his face.
"I guess so but you still could've hurt me," Legolas told him as he looked at his hand.
"The way I see it Legolas, you can either go on about what I just did or forget about it. The same goes with Nanaylia's death. You can't keep going on that you're responsible when you're not! Can't you see that? You were always the one who took the responsibility whenever something happened to her. You were always her older brother and the best one I ever knew. You are not to blame for what has happened to her. I know I don't know the whole story but one way or another, you have to get over her death," Elladan quietly told him. "I miss her so much as well but we cannot keep blaming ourselves for anything that happened."
Legolas looked up him before wiping away the tears from his face.
"Maybe you're right but there's only one thing," Legolas replied.
"What's that?" wondered Elladan.
"I still miss her and I guess I've been blaming myself all these years so I still feel responsible for it. I have this voice in my head that keeps telling me that I'm at fault. I think it will still be there to a point," Legolas replied as they stood up.
Elladan allowed Legolas to lean on him as the two elves walked over to the gargoyle, who was still clinging onto her injured shoulder.
"What does your master intend to do?" demanded Elladan.
"What is it to you? By the time you get back, it will be too late to do anything," she replied with a laugh.
Narcissis began to cough before Elladan lifted her to her feet.
"What does that mean?" Legolas wanted to know.
The gargoyle began to laugh again, making the two want to get back to the palace sooner. Elladan knew that it would take some time because of Legolas' injury as well and Narcissis'.
***
Shentree was behind the group of elves as they were being led towards the throne room.
"Why are you doing this?" Arwen wanted to know.
"What do you think? Power! My people have been oppressed for centuries! A little known reason that my people have dwindled in numbers because of our appearance. They judged us because of our wings, our hair, our habits, everything," Shentree snapped back.
"You don't know how much ridicule we received," Banside told Arwen.
"And what of you? What do you think?" Arwen asked Sathed.
The gargoyle simply looked at her for a moment before laughing, making the female elf confused.
"Sathed was never one for talking. He's been like that since before Shentree and I met him," Banside told her.
Thranduil looked at Chimone, Elrond and Arwen. He felt slightly responsible for having the father and daughter brought into this mess.
'Where are you Legolas? Wherever you are, I hope you're nowhere near here,' he thought to himself.
"Where are you taking us?" Elrond demanded to know.
"Oh, we're taking you to our leader. He will decide what will happen to you," replied Banside.
"Right now, he's making himself at home," Shentree told him with a smile.
The four elves looked at each other, wondering who they were going to come face to face with. Chimone had a feeling she knew who it was but she wasn't certain.
***
Manlin was sitting in the throne, looking around at the room.
"I have so wanted to look at this room from here," he muttered to himself.
Soon, he heard a door open and he looked to see Shentree, Banside and Sathed walk into the room.
"We have them, as you ordered," Shentree told him.
"Good, bring them in here," Manlin ordered.
The group of four were led inside the room and Thranduil couldn't help but gasp once he saw the elf.
"It was you all along. I should have know," Thranduil said with a sneer.
"Of course it's me. Who else would you expect to plan a full scale assault on the Mirkwood palace with gargoyles?" he replied with a smile.
"How did you do it?" Elrond had to ask.
"Do what exactly? I've done several things over the last little while," Manlin wanted to confirm.
"The gargoyles. They're a dying species. How did you come to have an army of them?" Elrond told him.
"It's simple really. I am a practioneer of the dark arts. There are ways of creating an army through magic. Living, breathing creatures. Oh, the gargoyles you see out there are not illusions, believe me and they are capable of destruction and one can certainly touch them. Also, the three you see here, the actual gargoyles in this operation, they are powerful than what they were before. They are the leaders of my armies, my minions. We will take over and all of you will all do my bidding," Manlin told them. "Now all I want right now is to see King Thranduil beg."
"Never," Thranduil replied as he gave a sigh and shook his head.
"I knew you'd say that but I can wait. Narcissis is away right now and I am certain that she is following the dear Prince Legolas. I am also certain that she will bring him back alive. It would be nice to have him here as well," Manlin told him before laughing.
Thranduil lowered his head, hoping that Legolas would not be captured.
***
Legolas was sitting in front of the gargoyle as Elladan led the horse back towards the palace. Neither of them were enjoying it and Elladan could almost feel the tension in the air as they got ever closer to their destination.
He felt the tension grow worse once he saw Aragorn and Elrohir in the distance.
"Elrohir!" cried Elladan.
"Elladan. I'm so glad you're alright," sighed Elrohir as he headed up to his brother.
"What's wrong?" Elladan wanted to know.
"What's...wrong?" repeated Aragorn.
"You wouldn't be out here in the middle of the night unless it was a really good reason. What is it?" replied the slightly nervous elf.
"It's the palace. It's been overrun with gargoyles," sighed Elrohir. "We manged to escape and we thought you were still there along with Legolas."
They heard laughing from on top the horse. The four watched as Narcissis jumped from the horse and faced them but not before wincing.
"It's over. You won't be able to defeat him now. My comrades are leading the armies and nothing you do can stop them," she said with a cough.
Aragorn stepped up to her and grabbed her shoulders. She winced slightly in pain from her injury and she tried to keep the pain from showing.
"We can most certainly well try. This war isn't over yet," he told her.
"I love to see you try," Narcissis said with a smirk, the pain evident in her voice despite her efforts.
Legolas had to narrow his eyes as he looked at the gargoyle.
'I don't like this at all. She keeps reminding me of my sister in more ways than one. I wish I could get past this feeling of Nanaylia,' he thought to himself as he turned away.
"Come on. You're going to be our bargaining tool against this elf, whoever he is. I'm pretty sure he will want to have you back," Aragorn told her as he led her in the direction towards the palace.
The gargoyle sighed, knowing that she wasn't going to like the situation one bit.
TBC...
"Elladan, what are you doing here?" demanded Legolas.
"Legolas, I came out looking for you. I was worried about you because of your injury," Elladan replied.
Legolas glanced to see the gargoyle behind him. He pointed at her.
"And what is she doing here?" he wanted to know, almost sneering.
Elladan looked in the direction he was pointing.
"She led me here Legolas. I told her to and it's not like she had a choice. She can't go anywhere very quickly besides that," Elladan replied.
"It's not like I asked for it either," she muttered.
Elladan gave her a cautious look as he knelt beside Legolas. He looked at the crying elf as he placed a hand on Legolas' good shoulder
"Let me help you," he told Legolas.
"No, I can't go back. Father will hate me if he found out the truth," Legolas replied, turning away from his friend.
"Come here," Elladan said in a soothing voice.
Legolas accepted the offer and he sat in Elladan's embrace, the tears continuing to fall down his face. It was then that Elladan picked up an arrow and hit Legolas over the head with it. The elf looked at him, surprised.
"What was that for?" demanded Legolas, placing a hand over his head.
"It doesn't matter anymore, does it? It is over with, is it not?" Elladan posed with a smile on his face.
"I guess so but you still could've hurt me," Legolas told him as he looked at his hand.
"The way I see it Legolas, you can either go on about what I just did or forget about it. The same goes with Nanaylia's death. You can't keep going on that you're responsible when you're not! Can't you see that? You were always the one who took the responsibility whenever something happened to her. You were always her older brother and the best one I ever knew. You are not to blame for what has happened to her. I know I don't know the whole story but one way or another, you have to get over her death," Elladan quietly told him. "I miss her so much as well but we cannot keep blaming ourselves for anything that happened."
Legolas looked up him before wiping away the tears from his face.
"Maybe you're right but there's only one thing," Legolas replied.
"What's that?" wondered Elladan.
"I still miss her and I guess I've been blaming myself all these years so I still feel responsible for it. I have this voice in my head that keeps telling me that I'm at fault. I think it will still be there to a point," Legolas replied as they stood up.
Elladan allowed Legolas to lean on him as the two elves walked over to the gargoyle, who was still clinging onto her injured shoulder.
"What does your master intend to do?" demanded Elladan.
"What is it to you? By the time you get back, it will be too late to do anything," she replied with a laugh.
Narcissis began to cough before Elladan lifted her to her feet.
"What does that mean?" Legolas wanted to know.
The gargoyle began to laugh again, making the two want to get back to the palace sooner. Elladan knew that it would take some time because of Legolas' injury as well and Narcissis'.
***
Shentree was behind the group of elves as they were being led towards the throne room.
"Why are you doing this?" Arwen wanted to know.
"What do you think? Power! My people have been oppressed for centuries! A little known reason that my people have dwindled in numbers because of our appearance. They judged us because of our wings, our hair, our habits, everything," Shentree snapped back.
"You don't know how much ridicule we received," Banside told Arwen.
"And what of you? What do you think?" Arwen asked Sathed.
The gargoyle simply looked at her for a moment before laughing, making the female elf confused.
"Sathed was never one for talking. He's been like that since before Shentree and I met him," Banside told her.
Thranduil looked at Chimone, Elrond and Arwen. He felt slightly responsible for having the father and daughter brought into this mess.
'Where are you Legolas? Wherever you are, I hope you're nowhere near here,' he thought to himself.
"Where are you taking us?" Elrond demanded to know.
"Oh, we're taking you to our leader. He will decide what will happen to you," replied Banside.
"Right now, he's making himself at home," Shentree told him with a smile.
The four elves looked at each other, wondering who they were going to come face to face with. Chimone had a feeling she knew who it was but she wasn't certain.
***
Manlin was sitting in the throne, looking around at the room.
"I have so wanted to look at this room from here," he muttered to himself.
Soon, he heard a door open and he looked to see Shentree, Banside and Sathed walk into the room.
"We have them, as you ordered," Shentree told him.
"Good, bring them in here," Manlin ordered.
The group of four were led inside the room and Thranduil couldn't help but gasp once he saw the elf.
"It was you all along. I should have know," Thranduil said with a sneer.
"Of course it's me. Who else would you expect to plan a full scale assault on the Mirkwood palace with gargoyles?" he replied with a smile.
"How did you do it?" Elrond had to ask.
"Do what exactly? I've done several things over the last little while," Manlin wanted to confirm.
"The gargoyles. They're a dying species. How did you come to have an army of them?" Elrond told him.
"It's simple really. I am a practioneer of the dark arts. There are ways of creating an army through magic. Living, breathing creatures. Oh, the gargoyles you see out there are not illusions, believe me and they are capable of destruction and one can certainly touch them. Also, the three you see here, the actual gargoyles in this operation, they are powerful than what they were before. They are the leaders of my armies, my minions. We will take over and all of you will all do my bidding," Manlin told them. "Now all I want right now is to see King Thranduil beg."
"Never," Thranduil replied as he gave a sigh and shook his head.
"I knew you'd say that but I can wait. Narcissis is away right now and I am certain that she is following the dear Prince Legolas. I am also certain that she will bring him back alive. It would be nice to have him here as well," Manlin told him before laughing.
Thranduil lowered his head, hoping that Legolas would not be captured.
***
Legolas was sitting in front of the gargoyle as Elladan led the horse back towards the palace. Neither of them were enjoying it and Elladan could almost feel the tension in the air as they got ever closer to their destination.
He felt the tension grow worse once he saw Aragorn and Elrohir in the distance.
"Elrohir!" cried Elladan.
"Elladan. I'm so glad you're alright," sighed Elrohir as he headed up to his brother.
"What's wrong?" Elladan wanted to know.
"What's...wrong?" repeated Aragorn.
"You wouldn't be out here in the middle of the night unless it was a really good reason. What is it?" replied the slightly nervous elf.
"It's the palace. It's been overrun with gargoyles," sighed Elrohir. "We manged to escape and we thought you were still there along with Legolas."
They heard laughing from on top the horse. The four watched as Narcissis jumped from the horse and faced them but not before wincing.
"It's over. You won't be able to defeat him now. My comrades are leading the armies and nothing you do can stop them," she said with a cough.
Aragorn stepped up to her and grabbed her shoulders. She winced slightly in pain from her injury and she tried to keep the pain from showing.
"We can most certainly well try. This war isn't over yet," he told her.
"I love to see you try," Narcissis said with a smirk, the pain evident in her voice despite her efforts.
Legolas had to narrow his eyes as he looked at the gargoyle.
'I don't like this at all. She keeps reminding me of my sister in more ways than one. I wish I could get past this feeling of Nanaylia,' he thought to himself as he turned away.
"Come on. You're going to be our bargaining tool against this elf, whoever he is. I'm pretty sure he will want to have you back," Aragorn told her as he led her in the direction towards the palace.
The gargoyle sighed, knowing that she wasn't going to like the situation one bit.
TBC...