Chapter 6 is finally here! Okie dokie then, time to reply to reviews----
thank you so much for every single one! Yay 14! That's not so shabby, for
me!
Jazi- Yeah, I think Thranduil's being so stupid. Yeah, that's a good idea, I think I'll put any A/Ns at the end--- to keep the drama flowing. Thanks so much!
Deana: I don't think you said yay enough. lol Cool! I see you all over the place—you review to all the stories I read! Kk, then, I'll add some angst into it. Thanks for reviewing!
LegolasLover2004: Thanks! Thranduil sounds like he has gum stuck in his lobes! Oh yeah, I'll check out your story--- sry, I nearly forgot.
Anastasia Who: Poor Legolas--- the iron bars don't go with his new tacky red outfit. I feel your pain. Lol Thanks.
Immortal-grace: Oh well, happy birthday!--- because I feel like it!
Iray Kentia Moon: I can't just leave it there?! Who says? I am the author here! * cough *
Feanen: Wow. Short review. A record two words—oh well, thanks!
AngryTolkeinPurist: Always give me ideas! I'm always happy to get some! Thanks much!
2lazy2signin: Interesting name. Lol Thanks, and I will.
**** Okay, ON TO THE STORY! ****
Chapter 6
Thranduil's hands shook with rage. His fool of a brother-always finding some way to make an elf's day cursed. What was that failure doing with his son? Arwen rose her eyebrows in humor, yet she was also a little frightened, at the act that the king was putting on.
She watched as Thranduil's face turned a rather disturbing shade of red. Arwen had never seen him this way—yes, she had seen him angry, usually at Legolas and her twin brothers for pulling a silly prank, but never this cross.
"Arwen... I think I must apologize," He said at last, confining some anger as he sank into his chair again. "You were right..."
"It does not matter any longer, sire," She replied, "But we must go for Legolas; for reasons obvious to all. Taurnil is treating him horribly, whoever he is--- sire, would you explain to me what is happening?"
"Ah, yes, I should explain, but first---Orthnein, who brought you this message?" Thranduil asked.
"A rider—he—or she, we couldn't tell---was cloaked in red, if that helps any," He replied, instantly alert.
"Is he still here?" Thranduil asked.
"No, sire, he shot the message into a tree with an arrow—if you'll care to notice the hole...?" Orthnein waved his hand at the letter, and as Thranduil looked down, he saw that there was indeed a rather neat hole at the top.
Thranduil rubbed his temples- surely no one knew the way to Envindurrn; he himself did not know, for it was not marked on any map, nor had it been visited by any resident of his kingdom.
"If you can, try to find someone, anyone, who knows where Envindurrn is."
"Envindurrn?"
"Yes," Thranduil replied rather testily, and Orthnein left in quite a hurry. "Now, then. I was about to...?"
"What is Envindurrn?" Arwen said, bringing a knee closer to her as some support to sit up.
"I will start from the beginning—though you should lie down---"He said, and motioned for her to stay. Arwen sighed and did what he said. "Taurnil is my brother—my older brother by far, actually. Father never favored him--- he was very... separated. Whenever something upset him, he would simply stare, his gaze colder than ice, not telling anyone anything. This separated him from Oropher every day, this silence—further and further every moment.
"When my mother died--- before the Last Alliance of Men and Elves, even, he showed no sympathy. He merely stared, not talking to anyone, not letting his emotions out at all. Eventually, he began to become more aggressive..." Thranduil fell silent for a moment.
"What happened?" Arwen asked, slightly afraid of the answer that would come.
"He murdered a child, once. I do not wish to say more about that, if you do not mind. But, after that, father shunned him. He never had anything to do with his eldest child--- it was no perplexity that I was given the throne, really." Thranduil sighed, a deep, sigh, a breath full of memories that he wished to forget.
"Taurnil ran away, two months before my father's death and thus my coronation," He said. "I received one letter from him—a rather hateful one, at that. He threatened to take my first child—to take him and kill him," Thranduil said, his eyes lowering. "I did not think much of it until the day of Legolas's birth."
"What happened, sire?" Arwen asked, eager to find out more. She realized that Thranduil was going under great stress telling her this as his gaze turned cold—just like how he described Taurnil's coldness.
"You know how Legolas's mother died, no?"
"No..."
"She was murdered," He said. "It was the most painful thing that had ever happened to me." He paused a little, recounting the events. "A knife through her neck."
"Valar, no," Arwen gasped.
"That knife was not meant for her, however. We found a note tied to the hilt of the hunting knife that killed her..." He paused once again. "We never found the person who threw it, nor how that person entered the palace..."
"What...what did the note...?" Arwen dared to ask.
"It is not hard to remember. It stays in my mind like a bright light. It said that 'Now that your son is dead, perhaps the king will recall that the throne is not his...' No one but I knew what this meant..."
"That is terrible," She sighed.
Thranduil threw his fist down on the arm of his chair, and Arwen flinched. "And now he has Legolas..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Legolas saw the first of Uruviel he had seen in what seemed quite a while. She simply came walking out the building, a think cloak covering her lithe body, and stood in front of his cage. "Why are you here?" He asked.
"What?" She drawled. "No welcome?"
Legolas merely glared, a sneer forming on his face. This elf was more like a human than anything to him. She made herself seem like an underling not equal to an elf.
"Well, since you are so eager to know, I will tell you why I've come," She said, pacing a little. "I just got back from sending your father a message—"
"What did you tell him?!" Legolas said in a growling voice.
"Settle! I merely left a note. Do you think I am so dull that I would stay for a bit of wine, perhaps?" Uruviel said, stopping in front of him.
Does she really want me to answer that? Legolas thought with a smirk.
"He will not come."
She sighed, turned, and walked slowly in to the hall, bumping into Nevweneh as she walked out. Nevweneh nearly dropped the food she was holding as Uruviel yelled at her, "Be more careful, servant!" Nevweneh nodded, but her face was colder than the air.
Legolas smiled at her. "Do not show recognition," She said as she moved closer. "I am not supposed to come in contact with you... I am merely your food server, remember?"
Legolas instantly stopped smiling, a little ashamed of his foolishness. "I know this is not much, but it is more than I was permitted to bring, so do not anger at me."
Legolas nodded curtly, "I would not anger if you brought me nothing."
Nevweneh set the food down in front of the bars of the cage and turned to leave, but was held back by a shout.
"Hold!" Legolas turned his head slightly to see the source of the noise. It was an elf, a guard clad in red.
The elf maiden turned to the guard now walking toward her, "What is it that you need, sir?"
"The lord asks for your presence."
Nevweneh turned her head, for a slight second, at Legolas before she walked toward the guard. He took her arm and roughly pulled her in the direction of the hall. Legolas watched, unable to help, as she was taken inside.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The two elves sat in silence for a while before hearing a knock upon the door. "Enter," Thranduil said in a clear voice.
Orthnein entered with a man behind him. "Orthnein, why did you bring *him*?" asked Thranduil, looking very confused. The man behind the elf was Gafell. Gafell was a convicted criminal held in Thranduil's dungeons temporarily.
After entering Mirkwood without leave, murdering two of Thranduil's subjects, stealing several jewels, including the Emeralds of Girion, which Thranduil had received from Bard just about three years before then--- that was the final misdemeanor. Gafell had received the death penalty, and in fact was about to be executed that day before the guards asked him of Envindurrn--- that was his free ticket out.
Yes, Gafell did indeed know of Envindurrn—quite a bit of slave trade went on around there, (And he himself had been in the cage in the middle of town at one point for stealing a couple) so he did business there often.
"He claims he knows of Envindurrn, sire," Orthnein said, "He did quite a bit of damage there also, from what the guards have told me." Thranduil stared at Gafell suspiciously. Surely the man thought that this was his free passage out.
"Gafell, if you lead us to Envindurrn, we shall not release you," Thranduil said, and the man's eyes glinted pitifully for a moment. "But we shall lift the death penalty." It hurt to say that, but there was no other way. Thranduil believed that the filth should die for killing his subjects, but he also did not want his son hurt.
The man bowed low in an almost mocking fashion. "I will do what I can for you, your majesty. I am at your service."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Well! That took forever, huh? I couldn't find this file for a while. Haha. That rhymed. File, while. * cough * New chapter soon.
Jazi- Yeah, I think Thranduil's being so stupid. Yeah, that's a good idea, I think I'll put any A/Ns at the end--- to keep the drama flowing. Thanks so much!
Deana: I don't think you said yay enough. lol Cool! I see you all over the place—you review to all the stories I read! Kk, then, I'll add some angst into it. Thanks for reviewing!
LegolasLover2004: Thanks! Thranduil sounds like he has gum stuck in his lobes! Oh yeah, I'll check out your story--- sry, I nearly forgot.
Anastasia Who: Poor Legolas--- the iron bars don't go with his new tacky red outfit. I feel your pain. Lol Thanks.
Immortal-grace: Oh well, happy birthday!--- because I feel like it!
Iray Kentia Moon: I can't just leave it there?! Who says? I am the author here! * cough *
Feanen: Wow. Short review. A record two words—oh well, thanks!
AngryTolkeinPurist: Always give me ideas! I'm always happy to get some! Thanks much!
2lazy2signin: Interesting name. Lol Thanks, and I will.
**** Okay, ON TO THE STORY! ****
Chapter 6
Thranduil's hands shook with rage. His fool of a brother-always finding some way to make an elf's day cursed. What was that failure doing with his son? Arwen rose her eyebrows in humor, yet she was also a little frightened, at the act that the king was putting on.
She watched as Thranduil's face turned a rather disturbing shade of red. Arwen had never seen him this way—yes, she had seen him angry, usually at Legolas and her twin brothers for pulling a silly prank, but never this cross.
"Arwen... I think I must apologize," He said at last, confining some anger as he sank into his chair again. "You were right..."
"It does not matter any longer, sire," She replied, "But we must go for Legolas; for reasons obvious to all. Taurnil is treating him horribly, whoever he is--- sire, would you explain to me what is happening?"
"Ah, yes, I should explain, but first---Orthnein, who brought you this message?" Thranduil asked.
"A rider—he—or she, we couldn't tell---was cloaked in red, if that helps any," He replied, instantly alert.
"Is he still here?" Thranduil asked.
"No, sire, he shot the message into a tree with an arrow—if you'll care to notice the hole...?" Orthnein waved his hand at the letter, and as Thranduil looked down, he saw that there was indeed a rather neat hole at the top.
Thranduil rubbed his temples- surely no one knew the way to Envindurrn; he himself did not know, for it was not marked on any map, nor had it been visited by any resident of his kingdom.
"If you can, try to find someone, anyone, who knows where Envindurrn is."
"Envindurrn?"
"Yes," Thranduil replied rather testily, and Orthnein left in quite a hurry. "Now, then. I was about to...?"
"What is Envindurrn?" Arwen said, bringing a knee closer to her as some support to sit up.
"I will start from the beginning—though you should lie down---"He said, and motioned for her to stay. Arwen sighed and did what he said. "Taurnil is my brother—my older brother by far, actually. Father never favored him--- he was very... separated. Whenever something upset him, he would simply stare, his gaze colder than ice, not telling anyone anything. This separated him from Oropher every day, this silence—further and further every moment.
"When my mother died--- before the Last Alliance of Men and Elves, even, he showed no sympathy. He merely stared, not talking to anyone, not letting his emotions out at all. Eventually, he began to become more aggressive..." Thranduil fell silent for a moment.
"What happened?" Arwen asked, slightly afraid of the answer that would come.
"He murdered a child, once. I do not wish to say more about that, if you do not mind. But, after that, father shunned him. He never had anything to do with his eldest child--- it was no perplexity that I was given the throne, really." Thranduil sighed, a deep, sigh, a breath full of memories that he wished to forget.
"Taurnil ran away, two months before my father's death and thus my coronation," He said. "I received one letter from him—a rather hateful one, at that. He threatened to take my first child—to take him and kill him," Thranduil said, his eyes lowering. "I did not think much of it until the day of Legolas's birth."
"What happened, sire?" Arwen asked, eager to find out more. She realized that Thranduil was going under great stress telling her this as his gaze turned cold—just like how he described Taurnil's coldness.
"You know how Legolas's mother died, no?"
"No..."
"She was murdered," He said. "It was the most painful thing that had ever happened to me." He paused a little, recounting the events. "A knife through her neck."
"Valar, no," Arwen gasped.
"That knife was not meant for her, however. We found a note tied to the hilt of the hunting knife that killed her..." He paused once again. "We never found the person who threw it, nor how that person entered the palace..."
"What...what did the note...?" Arwen dared to ask.
"It is not hard to remember. It stays in my mind like a bright light. It said that 'Now that your son is dead, perhaps the king will recall that the throne is not his...' No one but I knew what this meant..."
"That is terrible," She sighed.
Thranduil threw his fist down on the arm of his chair, and Arwen flinched. "And now he has Legolas..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Legolas saw the first of Uruviel he had seen in what seemed quite a while. She simply came walking out the building, a think cloak covering her lithe body, and stood in front of his cage. "Why are you here?" He asked.
"What?" She drawled. "No welcome?"
Legolas merely glared, a sneer forming on his face. This elf was more like a human than anything to him. She made herself seem like an underling not equal to an elf.
"Well, since you are so eager to know, I will tell you why I've come," She said, pacing a little. "I just got back from sending your father a message—"
"What did you tell him?!" Legolas said in a growling voice.
"Settle! I merely left a note. Do you think I am so dull that I would stay for a bit of wine, perhaps?" Uruviel said, stopping in front of him.
Does she really want me to answer that? Legolas thought with a smirk.
"He will not come."
She sighed, turned, and walked slowly in to the hall, bumping into Nevweneh as she walked out. Nevweneh nearly dropped the food she was holding as Uruviel yelled at her, "Be more careful, servant!" Nevweneh nodded, but her face was colder than the air.
Legolas smiled at her. "Do not show recognition," She said as she moved closer. "I am not supposed to come in contact with you... I am merely your food server, remember?"
Legolas instantly stopped smiling, a little ashamed of his foolishness. "I know this is not much, but it is more than I was permitted to bring, so do not anger at me."
Legolas nodded curtly, "I would not anger if you brought me nothing."
Nevweneh set the food down in front of the bars of the cage and turned to leave, but was held back by a shout.
"Hold!" Legolas turned his head slightly to see the source of the noise. It was an elf, a guard clad in red.
The elf maiden turned to the guard now walking toward her, "What is it that you need, sir?"
"The lord asks for your presence."
Nevweneh turned her head, for a slight second, at Legolas before she walked toward the guard. He took her arm and roughly pulled her in the direction of the hall. Legolas watched, unable to help, as she was taken inside.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The two elves sat in silence for a while before hearing a knock upon the door. "Enter," Thranduil said in a clear voice.
Orthnein entered with a man behind him. "Orthnein, why did you bring *him*?" asked Thranduil, looking very confused. The man behind the elf was Gafell. Gafell was a convicted criminal held in Thranduil's dungeons temporarily.
After entering Mirkwood without leave, murdering two of Thranduil's subjects, stealing several jewels, including the Emeralds of Girion, which Thranduil had received from Bard just about three years before then--- that was the final misdemeanor. Gafell had received the death penalty, and in fact was about to be executed that day before the guards asked him of Envindurrn--- that was his free ticket out.
Yes, Gafell did indeed know of Envindurrn—quite a bit of slave trade went on around there, (And he himself had been in the cage in the middle of town at one point for stealing a couple) so he did business there often.
"He claims he knows of Envindurrn, sire," Orthnein said, "He did quite a bit of damage there also, from what the guards have told me." Thranduil stared at Gafell suspiciously. Surely the man thought that this was his free passage out.
"Gafell, if you lead us to Envindurrn, we shall not release you," Thranduil said, and the man's eyes glinted pitifully for a moment. "But we shall lift the death penalty." It hurt to say that, but there was no other way. Thranduil believed that the filth should die for killing his subjects, but he also did not want his son hurt.
The man bowed low in an almost mocking fashion. "I will do what I can for you, your majesty. I am at your service."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Well! That took forever, huh? I couldn't find this file for a while. Haha. That rhymed. File, while. * cough * New chapter soon.