Legolas was harshly pulled out of his dream by pain spiking in his head. He
opened his eyes to find himself hanging by the chains in the room where he
had found himself everyday for the past four days. As blood started to run
down his face, he knew that they had put the crown on him again. He looked
over to see Neithas next to him. Also being harshly woken up. Legolas held
his head up the best he could when Beldor walked up to him.
"How are we fairing, my prince?" asked Beldor with a sickening smirk. Legolas never spoke a word, but he held his head up a little higher and stared at the man in disgust. Beldor smiled at him.
"Oh, such a proud prince, aren't we? So strong and brave." Mocked the man. Legolas never removed his gaze from Beldor.
"Nothing to say?" asked Beldor. Still, the man heard nothing from Legolas. He smiled and nodded at the elf. He then turned to Neithas. "And what about your comrade? Anything to say, elf?" Neithas only glanced at the man before focusing his attention at a spot on the ground. "Nothing?" asked Beldor. More silence from the elf. "Very well, then. Apparently they have not yet learnt anything. Give them another lesson, gentlemen." Said Beldor as he turned to his men. And once again, the men began to beat the two elves.
Cada led the other elves through the ever-growing darkness of the forest. He stopped when the came to several boulders. Cada turned to the three elven lords.
"Is this the place, Cada?" asked Celeborn.
"Yes, my Lord. We currently stand above the caves. The entrance is here." Said Cada. "Where? I see naught but boulders." Said Thranduil.
"It is behind this boulder." Said Cada as he pointed to a large boulder.
"How are we to move it?" asked Mufias.
"It is actually quite easier than it looks, my Lord." Said Cada as he jumped off his horse went to the boulder.
"Mellon." Said Cada. With a few cracking sounds, the boulder split in half and opened, revealing a long, dark hall. Cada returned to the elven lords. "For all of Thurr's cunning, he was not smart enough to use a different password than that of Moria." Said Cada as he smiled at the elven lords. Celeborn, Thranduil, and Mufias smiled at the younger elf.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go in and get them." Said Mufias.
"We will have to leave the horses here and proceed on foot." Said Celeborn. All the elves dismounted from their horses as they headed into the dark caves.
"Everyone be on your guard. I'm certain we will run into many men before we find Legolas and Neithas." Said Celeborn. The elves drew their swords as they walked quickly and quietly through the halls of the cave. But to their surprise, they never ran into a man. In fact, it was more than twenty minutes before there was any sound from a man.
"Shhhh. There are voices." Said Thranduil.
"Follow the sound of the voices. We may find something there that may lead us to Legolas and Neithas." Said Celeborn. The elves continued their quiet walk through the cave halls, getting closer to the voices with each step. As they got closer, the voices turned into laughter and mock comments. As they turned a corner, they saw men surrounding two beings. Thranduil and Mufias looked at the two beings horrified. For the two beings were their sons. But they no longer looked like the young elves they remembered. Their hair was matted, their clothes were badly torn, and they were covered in blood and mud. And now the men were continually beating them. Celeborn pulled them behind the corner so the men could not see them.
"We must help them, Lord Celeborn. Before any more damage is done to them." Said Thranduil.
"I know. But we must do this wisely. On my count of three we will charge them." The other elves readied themselves for the battle.
"One...two...three!" said Celeborn. After he reached three, the elves ran around the corner and attacked the men. The men dropped their weapons and fell to the ground frightened. They were taken by surprise and did not have time to retaliate before they found themselves with arrows in their faces. Even Beldor was on the ground with an elf standing over him. An arrow dangerously held in the elf's bow aimed for his head. Mufias and Thranduil ran to their sons.
"Legolas!" cried Thranduil. "Oh, my son. What have they done to you?" Thranduil looked over his son's body. It was a terrible mess. Legolas stared at Thranduil in a daze. He could not believe what he was seeing. The vision of his father was blurred by tears and was in disbelief that his father was there. He thought for a moment that it might have been the pain that led to his mind and dreams playing tricks on him.
Neithas was certain he was dreaming, but continued to stare at the figure of his father because it comforted him, though pain rushed through his entire body.
"Ada?" asked Legolas weakly.
"Yes, Legolas. I am here." Said Thranduil, tears running down his face. He noticed the crown on his son's head. He gently removed it, causing blood to spill down Legolas' head. The younger elf grunted. Mufias also cried as he looked over his son. He examined the cuffs that held him up.
"Where are the keys to these chains?" he angrily asked the men. There was no answer from them. Rage ran through his veins and it took all of his energy to keep himself from attacking every man in the room. "Answer me!" Mufias shouted at them. He went to a man who was lying on the ground where another elf stood over him, ready to fire his arrow if the man made a wrong move. He roughly picked the man up, pulled a dagger from his belt, and held it to the man's neck.
"Tell me where the keys are or I'll cut your throat." Said Mufias. The man did not doubt that the elf would kill him.
"Th...Th...There on th...th...wall." Said the man as he pointed to some keys hanging on the cave wall. Mufias pushed the man back to the ground and another elf pointed his arrow back on him. He grabbed the keys from where they were and ran back to Neithas and Legolas. He first unlocked Legolas' cuffs and elf fell limply into his father's waiting arms. He then unlocked Neithas' cuffs as the elf also fell into his father's waiting arms. Thranduil and Mufias gently lowered their sons to the ground. The two younger elves weakly stared at their fathers. Not quite sure if it was all real or if they were dreaming. They winced in pain as the cold stone met their bloody and bruised flesh.
The two elven lords were quickly filled with anger. Thranduil pulled a dagger from his belt and grabbed a man, who coincidentally, was Beldor. Legolas looked up to see his father raise the dagger over Beldor.
"No!" he cried as he used every bit of strength he had left to run to his father and weakly grab is arm. Stopping him from killing Beldor. Thranduil looked surprised at Legolas. "No, father. Do not kill him." Said Legolas. Now, every elf and man stared at the beaten elf. Each one surprised by Legolas' words.
"Do not kill him?" asked Thranduil. "Why? Look at what he has done to you. He does not deserve to live to do such a thing for no reason. All of these men must be punished."
"No, father. To kill them would be to be like them. They hate us, father. We have done nothing to them, and yet they hate us. Hate has corrupted them and now it consumes them. Do not let us fall into the same darkness. Do not let us also be consumed by unnecessary hate. Please, father." Said Legolas with a little more strength. Thranduil starred at his son. His unconditional love shone in his son's weak eyes. Thranduil smiled at Legolas and his grip loosened on Beldor. Beldor fell to his knees and starred at the two elves.
"Very well, Legolas. We will not kill them. We will, however, take all their weapons and leave them with this warning. If you men ever bring harm to another elf, we will not hesitate to kill you, next time. Understood?" The men nodded their heads. Thranduil looked down at Beldor, who also nodded. Legolas smiled weakly before falling unconscious to the ground.
"Come!" said Celeborn. "We must get them back to Lothlorien so they can be healed." The elves carried Legolas and Neithas out of the caves, leaving the men there. The men did not dare to follow, for they feared they would be killed if they did.
"How are we fairing, my prince?" asked Beldor with a sickening smirk. Legolas never spoke a word, but he held his head up a little higher and stared at the man in disgust. Beldor smiled at him.
"Oh, such a proud prince, aren't we? So strong and brave." Mocked the man. Legolas never removed his gaze from Beldor.
"Nothing to say?" asked Beldor. Still, the man heard nothing from Legolas. He smiled and nodded at the elf. He then turned to Neithas. "And what about your comrade? Anything to say, elf?" Neithas only glanced at the man before focusing his attention at a spot on the ground. "Nothing?" asked Beldor. More silence from the elf. "Very well, then. Apparently they have not yet learnt anything. Give them another lesson, gentlemen." Said Beldor as he turned to his men. And once again, the men began to beat the two elves.
Cada led the other elves through the ever-growing darkness of the forest. He stopped when the came to several boulders. Cada turned to the three elven lords.
"Is this the place, Cada?" asked Celeborn.
"Yes, my Lord. We currently stand above the caves. The entrance is here." Said Cada. "Where? I see naught but boulders." Said Thranduil.
"It is behind this boulder." Said Cada as he pointed to a large boulder.
"How are we to move it?" asked Mufias.
"It is actually quite easier than it looks, my Lord." Said Cada as he jumped off his horse went to the boulder.
"Mellon." Said Cada. With a few cracking sounds, the boulder split in half and opened, revealing a long, dark hall. Cada returned to the elven lords. "For all of Thurr's cunning, he was not smart enough to use a different password than that of Moria." Said Cada as he smiled at the elven lords. Celeborn, Thranduil, and Mufias smiled at the younger elf.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go in and get them." Said Mufias.
"We will have to leave the horses here and proceed on foot." Said Celeborn. All the elves dismounted from their horses as they headed into the dark caves.
"Everyone be on your guard. I'm certain we will run into many men before we find Legolas and Neithas." Said Celeborn. The elves drew their swords as they walked quickly and quietly through the halls of the cave. But to their surprise, they never ran into a man. In fact, it was more than twenty minutes before there was any sound from a man.
"Shhhh. There are voices." Said Thranduil.
"Follow the sound of the voices. We may find something there that may lead us to Legolas and Neithas." Said Celeborn. The elves continued their quiet walk through the cave halls, getting closer to the voices with each step. As they got closer, the voices turned into laughter and mock comments. As they turned a corner, they saw men surrounding two beings. Thranduil and Mufias looked at the two beings horrified. For the two beings were their sons. But they no longer looked like the young elves they remembered. Their hair was matted, their clothes were badly torn, and they were covered in blood and mud. And now the men were continually beating them. Celeborn pulled them behind the corner so the men could not see them.
"We must help them, Lord Celeborn. Before any more damage is done to them." Said Thranduil.
"I know. But we must do this wisely. On my count of three we will charge them." The other elves readied themselves for the battle.
"One...two...three!" said Celeborn. After he reached three, the elves ran around the corner and attacked the men. The men dropped their weapons and fell to the ground frightened. They were taken by surprise and did not have time to retaliate before they found themselves with arrows in their faces. Even Beldor was on the ground with an elf standing over him. An arrow dangerously held in the elf's bow aimed for his head. Mufias and Thranduil ran to their sons.
"Legolas!" cried Thranduil. "Oh, my son. What have they done to you?" Thranduil looked over his son's body. It was a terrible mess. Legolas stared at Thranduil in a daze. He could not believe what he was seeing. The vision of his father was blurred by tears and was in disbelief that his father was there. He thought for a moment that it might have been the pain that led to his mind and dreams playing tricks on him.
Neithas was certain he was dreaming, but continued to stare at the figure of his father because it comforted him, though pain rushed through his entire body.
"Ada?" asked Legolas weakly.
"Yes, Legolas. I am here." Said Thranduil, tears running down his face. He noticed the crown on his son's head. He gently removed it, causing blood to spill down Legolas' head. The younger elf grunted. Mufias also cried as he looked over his son. He examined the cuffs that held him up.
"Where are the keys to these chains?" he angrily asked the men. There was no answer from them. Rage ran through his veins and it took all of his energy to keep himself from attacking every man in the room. "Answer me!" Mufias shouted at them. He went to a man who was lying on the ground where another elf stood over him, ready to fire his arrow if the man made a wrong move. He roughly picked the man up, pulled a dagger from his belt, and held it to the man's neck.
"Tell me where the keys are or I'll cut your throat." Said Mufias. The man did not doubt that the elf would kill him.
"Th...Th...There on th...th...wall." Said the man as he pointed to some keys hanging on the cave wall. Mufias pushed the man back to the ground and another elf pointed his arrow back on him. He grabbed the keys from where they were and ran back to Neithas and Legolas. He first unlocked Legolas' cuffs and elf fell limply into his father's waiting arms. He then unlocked Neithas' cuffs as the elf also fell into his father's waiting arms. Thranduil and Mufias gently lowered their sons to the ground. The two younger elves weakly stared at their fathers. Not quite sure if it was all real or if they were dreaming. They winced in pain as the cold stone met their bloody and bruised flesh.
The two elven lords were quickly filled with anger. Thranduil pulled a dagger from his belt and grabbed a man, who coincidentally, was Beldor. Legolas looked up to see his father raise the dagger over Beldor.
"No!" he cried as he used every bit of strength he had left to run to his father and weakly grab is arm. Stopping him from killing Beldor. Thranduil looked surprised at Legolas. "No, father. Do not kill him." Said Legolas. Now, every elf and man stared at the beaten elf. Each one surprised by Legolas' words.
"Do not kill him?" asked Thranduil. "Why? Look at what he has done to you. He does not deserve to live to do such a thing for no reason. All of these men must be punished."
"No, father. To kill them would be to be like them. They hate us, father. We have done nothing to them, and yet they hate us. Hate has corrupted them and now it consumes them. Do not let us fall into the same darkness. Do not let us also be consumed by unnecessary hate. Please, father." Said Legolas with a little more strength. Thranduil starred at his son. His unconditional love shone in his son's weak eyes. Thranduil smiled at Legolas and his grip loosened on Beldor. Beldor fell to his knees and starred at the two elves.
"Very well, Legolas. We will not kill them. We will, however, take all their weapons and leave them with this warning. If you men ever bring harm to another elf, we will not hesitate to kill you, next time. Understood?" The men nodded their heads. Thranduil looked down at Beldor, who also nodded. Legolas smiled weakly before falling unconscious to the ground.
"Come!" said Celeborn. "We must get them back to Lothlorien so they can be healed." The elves carried Legolas and Neithas out of the caves, leaving the men there. The men did not dare to follow, for they feared they would be killed if they did.