"Thank you. Please, feel free to take some rest before riding back to
Rivendell," said Thranduil, smiling at the Elf who had just arrived with
the message. He took the roll of parchment, which was sealed with the
insignia of Elrond's house.
The messenger bowed low, before turning and swiftly leaving the throne room. He knew not what was so urgent that he had been told not to tarry on his way to Mirkwood, but Lord Elrond and his sons had literally ordered him to ride to Thranduil's halls with all speed, and that had been nearly two days back.
Thranduil sat down, and ripped open the roll of parchment. Strange, the writing was untidy and sprawling, and ink had been blotted all over. Smiling, Thranduil shook his head: maybe that Dorwinion had had a serious affect on Elrond. It was understandable. After all, Noldor Elves were definitely not renowned for holding their drink...
Thranduil's thoughts trailed into nothing as he read the next part of the message, and words blurred in front of his eyes. What was that? Vision...Legolas...captured...come swiftly...
"Oh no," whispered the King, dropping the piece of parchment. It fell lightly to the floor, like a snowflake in winter, and it lay there, mockingly staring up at him. Thranduil raised his eyes slightly, and they travelled slowly from one side of the room to the other, as though searching for an answer in the shadows.
Crossing his arms and pulling in on himself, Thranduil bit down hard on his lip, before leaping up and crossing to the door. He pulled it open and was just about to storm out, but came face to face with a familiar someone, and a not familiar someone.
"Mithrandir! What are you doing here? What news do you bring?" demanded Thranduil, taken aback. "Is Legolas with you? Where is my son? Has anything happened that I should-?"
"Calm yourself," said Gandalf, stepping into the throne room and closing the door when Aradan was also in. "You shall hear of my news in a moment; I am here with a message for you; Legolas is not with me; and yes, something *has* happened that you should know about. I suggest you sit down for this."
"Please...please don't tell me that Legolas is...is dead," whispered Thranduil, his face paling as he unconsciously reached out and caught the front of Gandalf's cloak.
The other Elf watched longingly as the old Wizard passed Thranduil a glass of water, all the while gently chiding him for jumping to such conclusions. Having seen Legolas' desire to protect his friends, and Thranduil's concern for his son, Aradan found himself wondering at the difference between Calaen and the other two.
"Thranduil, I am going to tell you my news now, but I beg that you will not lose your temper, or do something which you may later regret," said Gandalf, flicking his eyes across to where Aradan stood. He knew that to be the victim of the King's rage was not pleasant at all, and he wanted to spare his new friend from that.
"Yes, yes, yes. Just tell me," said Thranduil impatiently.
"There is no easy way to do so," said Gandalf in a quiet voice. "The Fellowship have been taken captive, Legolas included. I was also held for a few days, but was released to bring this to you."
Thranduil slowly took the parchment from Gandalf, wondering what ill news it could possibly hold. Aradan knew, and he watched in trepidation, waiting for the Elvenking's reaction, whilst Gandalf paced up and down.
"What is the meaning of this?" snapped Thranduil eventually, crumpling the message in his fist. "This is some kind of joke, it has to be."
Sighing, Gandalf took the parchment from his friend, and began to read aloud. "Thranduil, I should imagine this will come as a bit of a shock to you, but Your Highness, that bothers me not. I have something of great...No, I should say someone, not something, of great value to you, and if any harm should come to him, your world would fall, for he is all you have left. Listen to my solider, and take heed of his words! For if you fail to do so, your precious son will die."
Thranduil snapped his eyes up and looked coldly at Aradan for the first time. "You are the soldier that the message speaks of? Who are you, and whom do you serve? I would advise you to not keep me waiting. Speak quickly!"
"I am Aradan, of the town of Siriel," said the younger Elf, inclining his head as he stepped forward. "I bring word from my...my ruler. Before I begin, let me warn you not to believe any of the words in that letter. Legolas will *not* die, I can assure you."
"What is that supposed to mean?" hissed Thranduil.
"I think it best that you know exactly who we are dealing with," said Gandalf swiftly, for he could see that Aradan was already struggling. "Tell me, how many living children do you have?"
"What is this?" muttered Thranduil.
"Please, it will be made clear in a moment, mellon nin. How many children do you have?" pressed Gandalf.
Thranduil shook his head helplessly, and turned to face the wall, arms folded across his chest. "I have one child, Mithrandir, as well you know. Incidentally, that child is being held captive, and I don't..." He whirled around, and shook his head once more. "No, please tell me its not...please..."
"Calaen is back," said Gandalf gently. "He has been in hiding all these years, and finally has enough manpower to do whatever he wants. Or at least, nearly whatever he wants. Thranduil, sit down, you look shaken. Aradan, I will leave it you to now speak."
"Thank you," said the dark haired Elf. "Your Highness, I have been with Calaen for many years, and he tells me much of what he desires. At the moment, it is Mirkwood. My orders were to tell you that if you do not give up the throne, Legolas will die. But what Calaen is actually doing, is trying to manipulate Legolas. He could carry out his plans without him, but it is easier this way."
"What? I don't understand," said Thranduil. Indeed, he still looked as though he were trying to get over the shock of finding out that his supposedly dead son was alive. "Calaen wanted you to tell me that if I do not give up the throne then he would kill Legolas, but now you say he is trying to manipulate Legolas. Which is it?"
"The second one," replied Aradan swiftly. "He changes his plans so quickly that I am often hard put to keep up with them, but originally, he thought you would refuse to do as he asked, and ride to meet him. On the way, you would meet Legolas, who would kill you, and take the crown for Calaen. Of course, he could've changed his mind again."
Thranduil's eyes widened, and he slowly shook his head. "Has Legolas really allowed himself to be taken over? Has he really agreed to...to kill me?"
"Not at all," said Aradan. "When last I heard, he was refusing to help Calaen, saying he would rather die than betray you. But, Your Highness, that was two days back, and certain things will have happened, and there is more yet to come."
"Explain," said Thranduil quietly, though his eyes were burning with fire.
"Calaen is playing with his mind, saying that they can be brothers again, if only he agrees to help. He has been offered an antidote for the Dolruin, and Calaen told me that when his friends desert him, Legolas will be broken," said Aradan sadly. "Calaen has made alliances with men of the south, and they turned up on the day myself and Mithrandir left. They found Legolas and clubbed him, leaving him badly injured. They were locked away though, and I heard that Legolas will be told his friends are being killed, one by one, at the hands of the men. None of it will be true though, for Calaen said knowing Legolas, he would do anything to protect those close to him. Whether any of them have "died" yet, I know not."
"So, Legolas is being made to believe his friends are dead?" demanded Gandalf.
"Yes, but rest assured Calaen will not kill any of them," said Aradan. "He is growing desperate, and will do anything to sway Legolas. How strong is your son, Your Highness? Will he be able to fight until we get there?"
Thranduil slowly looked up, and when he saw the other two, he looked surprised, as though he had forgotten they were there. "What?" he asked distantly.
"Knowing Legolas, he will put up a good fight, for to betray his father is something he would never do in a lifetime. But I fear that he is slowly losing the will to resist," said Gandalf sadly. "And if he should break down and agree to help Calaen, it will not be his fault. The power of corruption is a wicked thing."
"I...I received a message from Rivendell," said Thranduil quietly, gesturing to a random spot on the floor. It was actually about five feet away from where the parchment lay, but so caught up was he in his thoughts, that the King did not notice.
"Right, we will send them some more news," said Gandalf, scanning the short message. "In the meantime, I suggest we rally together some patrols. It is four days ride to Siriel, allowing for rest. Without stopping, and riding hard, it will take us two days. Would you rather go straight there, or go to Rivendell first?"
"I will *not* leave my son for longer than is necessary," said Thranduil sharply, jumping up and making to cross the room. He paused though, and turned to look at Aradan. "What about you? I can promise that Calaen will not escape from this alive, so are you going to take a message back for him?"
"No, Your Highness," said Aradan. "I will fight for you, if you deem me worthy."
Thranduil looked hesitantly at Gandalf, and raised an enquiring eyebrow. The Wizard merely inclined his head, a cryptic smile playing on his lips. Aradan stood nervously to the side, hoping and praying that he would be accepted.
"Alright, I will allow you to fight for me. But rest assured, I will be watching you *very* carefully," said Thranduil. "If I start to suspect anything, anything at all, you will be brought back here and locked up. I hope we understand one another."
With that, the Elven-King turned on his heel and pulled open the door. There was someone else on the other side, just about to enter the room, and Thranduil pushed straight past, registering but taking no notice of the newcomer. He wheeled about though, when he realised who it was...
............................................................................................................
Haldir's Heart and Soul: Yeah, Calaen is incredibly unpredictable, in that his mood changes so much. I based him on someone that I used to know. Aradan's name translates as 'noble-man'.
Inu Lover: Oh, poor you being ill! I hate illness!
Legolas-gurl888: Hi! I'm actually downloading some of those Troy clips as we speak! Or type, in my case. They look really good though, and I'd be watching them right now, if only my computer wasn't so damn slow!
CaryElwesisHOT: No, Legolas got Elladan and Elrohir to try and teach him how to do it when he was an Elfling, but he couldn't learn it. So he can't communicate telepathically now, though I bet he really wishes he could!
Renee: Happy Birthday for Tuesday, was it? How old are you now? Its not my Birthday til August :(
Wow, that was one evil cliffie! And you know what else is really evil? You need to wait ages to find out who it is! Hee hee! Try and guess though who it is. Whether I'll say you're right or not though, is another thing! Misto x-x
The messenger bowed low, before turning and swiftly leaving the throne room. He knew not what was so urgent that he had been told not to tarry on his way to Mirkwood, but Lord Elrond and his sons had literally ordered him to ride to Thranduil's halls with all speed, and that had been nearly two days back.
Thranduil sat down, and ripped open the roll of parchment. Strange, the writing was untidy and sprawling, and ink had been blotted all over. Smiling, Thranduil shook his head: maybe that Dorwinion had had a serious affect on Elrond. It was understandable. After all, Noldor Elves were definitely not renowned for holding their drink...
Thranduil's thoughts trailed into nothing as he read the next part of the message, and words blurred in front of his eyes. What was that? Vision...Legolas...captured...come swiftly...
"Oh no," whispered the King, dropping the piece of parchment. It fell lightly to the floor, like a snowflake in winter, and it lay there, mockingly staring up at him. Thranduil raised his eyes slightly, and they travelled slowly from one side of the room to the other, as though searching for an answer in the shadows.
Crossing his arms and pulling in on himself, Thranduil bit down hard on his lip, before leaping up and crossing to the door. He pulled it open and was just about to storm out, but came face to face with a familiar someone, and a not familiar someone.
"Mithrandir! What are you doing here? What news do you bring?" demanded Thranduil, taken aback. "Is Legolas with you? Where is my son? Has anything happened that I should-?"
"Calm yourself," said Gandalf, stepping into the throne room and closing the door when Aradan was also in. "You shall hear of my news in a moment; I am here with a message for you; Legolas is not with me; and yes, something *has* happened that you should know about. I suggest you sit down for this."
"Please...please don't tell me that Legolas is...is dead," whispered Thranduil, his face paling as he unconsciously reached out and caught the front of Gandalf's cloak.
The other Elf watched longingly as the old Wizard passed Thranduil a glass of water, all the while gently chiding him for jumping to such conclusions. Having seen Legolas' desire to protect his friends, and Thranduil's concern for his son, Aradan found himself wondering at the difference between Calaen and the other two.
"Thranduil, I am going to tell you my news now, but I beg that you will not lose your temper, or do something which you may later regret," said Gandalf, flicking his eyes across to where Aradan stood. He knew that to be the victim of the King's rage was not pleasant at all, and he wanted to spare his new friend from that.
"Yes, yes, yes. Just tell me," said Thranduil impatiently.
"There is no easy way to do so," said Gandalf in a quiet voice. "The Fellowship have been taken captive, Legolas included. I was also held for a few days, but was released to bring this to you."
Thranduil slowly took the parchment from Gandalf, wondering what ill news it could possibly hold. Aradan knew, and he watched in trepidation, waiting for the Elvenking's reaction, whilst Gandalf paced up and down.
"What is the meaning of this?" snapped Thranduil eventually, crumpling the message in his fist. "This is some kind of joke, it has to be."
Sighing, Gandalf took the parchment from his friend, and began to read aloud. "Thranduil, I should imagine this will come as a bit of a shock to you, but Your Highness, that bothers me not. I have something of great...No, I should say someone, not something, of great value to you, and if any harm should come to him, your world would fall, for he is all you have left. Listen to my solider, and take heed of his words! For if you fail to do so, your precious son will die."
Thranduil snapped his eyes up and looked coldly at Aradan for the first time. "You are the soldier that the message speaks of? Who are you, and whom do you serve? I would advise you to not keep me waiting. Speak quickly!"
"I am Aradan, of the town of Siriel," said the younger Elf, inclining his head as he stepped forward. "I bring word from my...my ruler. Before I begin, let me warn you not to believe any of the words in that letter. Legolas will *not* die, I can assure you."
"What is that supposed to mean?" hissed Thranduil.
"I think it best that you know exactly who we are dealing with," said Gandalf swiftly, for he could see that Aradan was already struggling. "Tell me, how many living children do you have?"
"What is this?" muttered Thranduil.
"Please, it will be made clear in a moment, mellon nin. How many children do you have?" pressed Gandalf.
Thranduil shook his head helplessly, and turned to face the wall, arms folded across his chest. "I have one child, Mithrandir, as well you know. Incidentally, that child is being held captive, and I don't..." He whirled around, and shook his head once more. "No, please tell me its not...please..."
"Calaen is back," said Gandalf gently. "He has been in hiding all these years, and finally has enough manpower to do whatever he wants. Or at least, nearly whatever he wants. Thranduil, sit down, you look shaken. Aradan, I will leave it you to now speak."
"Thank you," said the dark haired Elf. "Your Highness, I have been with Calaen for many years, and he tells me much of what he desires. At the moment, it is Mirkwood. My orders were to tell you that if you do not give up the throne, Legolas will die. But what Calaen is actually doing, is trying to manipulate Legolas. He could carry out his plans without him, but it is easier this way."
"What? I don't understand," said Thranduil. Indeed, he still looked as though he were trying to get over the shock of finding out that his supposedly dead son was alive. "Calaen wanted you to tell me that if I do not give up the throne then he would kill Legolas, but now you say he is trying to manipulate Legolas. Which is it?"
"The second one," replied Aradan swiftly. "He changes his plans so quickly that I am often hard put to keep up with them, but originally, he thought you would refuse to do as he asked, and ride to meet him. On the way, you would meet Legolas, who would kill you, and take the crown for Calaen. Of course, he could've changed his mind again."
Thranduil's eyes widened, and he slowly shook his head. "Has Legolas really allowed himself to be taken over? Has he really agreed to...to kill me?"
"Not at all," said Aradan. "When last I heard, he was refusing to help Calaen, saying he would rather die than betray you. But, Your Highness, that was two days back, and certain things will have happened, and there is more yet to come."
"Explain," said Thranduil quietly, though his eyes were burning with fire.
"Calaen is playing with his mind, saying that they can be brothers again, if only he agrees to help. He has been offered an antidote for the Dolruin, and Calaen told me that when his friends desert him, Legolas will be broken," said Aradan sadly. "Calaen has made alliances with men of the south, and they turned up on the day myself and Mithrandir left. They found Legolas and clubbed him, leaving him badly injured. They were locked away though, and I heard that Legolas will be told his friends are being killed, one by one, at the hands of the men. None of it will be true though, for Calaen said knowing Legolas, he would do anything to protect those close to him. Whether any of them have "died" yet, I know not."
"So, Legolas is being made to believe his friends are dead?" demanded Gandalf.
"Yes, but rest assured Calaen will not kill any of them," said Aradan. "He is growing desperate, and will do anything to sway Legolas. How strong is your son, Your Highness? Will he be able to fight until we get there?"
Thranduil slowly looked up, and when he saw the other two, he looked surprised, as though he had forgotten they were there. "What?" he asked distantly.
"Knowing Legolas, he will put up a good fight, for to betray his father is something he would never do in a lifetime. But I fear that he is slowly losing the will to resist," said Gandalf sadly. "And if he should break down and agree to help Calaen, it will not be his fault. The power of corruption is a wicked thing."
"I...I received a message from Rivendell," said Thranduil quietly, gesturing to a random spot on the floor. It was actually about five feet away from where the parchment lay, but so caught up was he in his thoughts, that the King did not notice.
"Right, we will send them some more news," said Gandalf, scanning the short message. "In the meantime, I suggest we rally together some patrols. It is four days ride to Siriel, allowing for rest. Without stopping, and riding hard, it will take us two days. Would you rather go straight there, or go to Rivendell first?"
"I will *not* leave my son for longer than is necessary," said Thranduil sharply, jumping up and making to cross the room. He paused though, and turned to look at Aradan. "What about you? I can promise that Calaen will not escape from this alive, so are you going to take a message back for him?"
"No, Your Highness," said Aradan. "I will fight for you, if you deem me worthy."
Thranduil looked hesitantly at Gandalf, and raised an enquiring eyebrow. The Wizard merely inclined his head, a cryptic smile playing on his lips. Aradan stood nervously to the side, hoping and praying that he would be accepted.
"Alright, I will allow you to fight for me. But rest assured, I will be watching you *very* carefully," said Thranduil. "If I start to suspect anything, anything at all, you will be brought back here and locked up. I hope we understand one another."
With that, the Elven-King turned on his heel and pulled open the door. There was someone else on the other side, just about to enter the room, and Thranduil pushed straight past, registering but taking no notice of the newcomer. He wheeled about though, when he realised who it was...
............................................................................................................
Haldir's Heart and Soul: Yeah, Calaen is incredibly unpredictable, in that his mood changes so much. I based him on someone that I used to know. Aradan's name translates as 'noble-man'.
Inu Lover: Oh, poor you being ill! I hate illness!
Legolas-gurl888: Hi! I'm actually downloading some of those Troy clips as we speak! Or type, in my case. They look really good though, and I'd be watching them right now, if only my computer wasn't so damn slow!
CaryElwesisHOT: No, Legolas got Elladan and Elrohir to try and teach him how to do it when he was an Elfling, but he couldn't learn it. So he can't communicate telepathically now, though I bet he really wishes he could!
Renee: Happy Birthday for Tuesday, was it? How old are you now? Its not my Birthday til August :(
Wow, that was one evil cliffie! And you know what else is really evil? You need to wait ages to find out who it is! Hee hee! Try and guess though who it is. Whether I'll say you're right or not though, is another thing! Misto x-x