King Thranduil sat in Lord Elrond's study with Gandalf and Elrond himself.
Aragorn was also present, and they had just listened to all that Elladan
and Elrohir had to say about Tain. Legolas was just finishing the tale of
how he had heard Calaen and the child speaking in the clearing the night
before.
"Well, if this were a full grown Elf in Mirkwood, he would be locked up, and in extreme cases, banished," said Thranduil slowly. "There have been very few occasions when we have executed anybody, but...it has happened."
"This is a child," said Elrond sharply.
"I was not suggesting death," Thranduil sighed.
"Tain has not actually taken anyone's life, so we cannot hold that against him," Elrond continued. "All he has done is help with Calaen's plans."
"Yes, but without his aid, maybe many would still live," muttered Elladan, whilst Elrohir nodded his agreement.
Elrond looked across at his sons, and let his eyes travel from one twin to the other. "I take your words to mean that you wish to see Tain dead? I expected a little more compassion from you for one so young, especially one who was under the influence of corruption."
"We did not say he should die," Elrohir sighed. "But surely he must be punished in some way?"
"Yes, he will be," said Gandalf firmly, "and I already have a suitable idea in mind, if you would be willing to listen to an old wizard's ramblings."
"Please, your counsel is always appreciated," said Elrond.
Gandalf smiled at the Elven-lord, and then proceeded to reveal his thought. "The people of Síriel were originally going to abandon their town and seek refuge here in Imladris, for a time. Now they are free from Calaen's reign, though, they will be reluctant to do so. I propose we send him back there, to be in the care of his own people."
Aragorn frowned, and his forehead creased in thought. "That would be no punishment for him. He would go back to leading a normal life."
"Ah, but you did not let me finish," said Gandalf, holding up a hand. "Thranduil, you mentioned that you have sometimes banished people from your Realm. Well, if I had my way, I would banish Tain from all Elven Realms."
"Forever?" asked Elrond, arching an eyebrow.
"No, until he reaches the age of sixteen years," replied Gandalf. "That way, there is ample time for him to be cured of any malevolence. After all, he is still a child and his personality has not developed. What do you all say to that?"
"I must admit, that had not crossed my mind," replied Elrond. "It is a good idea."
Thranduil nodded slowly, and felt a great sense of relief wash over him. "Yes, I would be loath to harm the child in any way."
"Being banished from all Elven Realms is severe," said Aragorn, "but it fits the crime."
"Just so long as we do not need to look on his face again," muttered Elladan.
"Hmm, though I pity the one who will have to care for him," put in Elrohir, eyes flashing slightly.
"Yes, quite so," Thranduil agreed. He looked over at his own sons then, and gestured for them to speak. "Well, what do you two think of the decision?"
"Like you, I would not wish to see harm befall one so young, especially after he was corrupted," replied Airëlus. "I am sorry, Legolas, but I believe Tain did what he did because of Calaen."
"Of course he did," replied the Prince calmly. "Calaen had a knack of swaying minds to his own way of thinking, so a child would extremely easy prey for him."
"Then, you are happy with our decision?" asked Thranduil.
"Of course," said Legolas.
Elrond let out a deep breath of relief which he had not known he held. "Well, that was a lot easier than I thought, and I believe we have Gandalf to thank. Now though, we must move Tain from Imladris."
............................................................................................................
No more than an hour later, a patrol had gathered down in the courtyard, preparing to take Tain back to Síriel. The child himself sat atop a small horse in the midst of the soldiers, and did not look at all bothered by the commotion. Maybe if he had been aware of the severity of his predicament, he would have been slightly less happy.
He looked over at the twins, who were standing by the wall, and he smiled widely. "Goodbye," he called.
"Yes, it is indeed very good," muttered Elladan, whilst Elrohir snickered in agreement.
"Oh, you are still alive," said Tain, looking over at Legolas. It was the first time he had seen him since their brief time in the forest.
The Prince looked down at himself, then back up at the child. "Yes, I am still alive. I am very sorry to disappoint you."
Tain merely drew his lips back over his teeth, and hissed in a feline-like way. At a gesture from Lord Elrond, the soldiers suddenly nudged their horses into a trot, and they rode from the courtyard. Tain's horse was swept along in the tide, and that was the last time the Fellowship ever saw him.
"I hope he is happy, wherever life may take him," said Legolas quietly.
Airëlus glanced across at his brother, and smiled at the comment. The younger Elf looked up and arched a questioning eyebrow, which only made the elder Elf laugh softly. The twins, who were standing nearby, turned to listen to the conversation.
"What is it that amuses you?" Legolas sighed. "I see nothing to laugh about."
"Ai, I was smiling because of you," replied Airëlus, wrapping an arm around his brother's shoulders. "I was merely smiling because of the amazing way in which you are able to forgive anyone for anything."
"It is a good thing he is, else I doubt out friendship would still be standing," said Elladan.
"Why?" asked Airëlus.
"Well, he has forgiven us for all the countless tricks we have played on him, and all the countless times we have humiliated him," explained Elrohir. "For example, there was that time when-
"Thank you, that is quite enough," cut in Legolas.
Airëlus glanced down at his brother, and he laughed once more. "Do my eyes deceive me? Is this a pink tinge creeping over your cheeks there? Well, that is something I have never seen before."
"No, nor will you ever again," muttered Legolas, glaring at the smirking twins.
"What could you possibly have done to my brother that could humiliate him like that, and cause him to flush in such a way?" asked Airëlus in amazement.
"We would not be so cruel as to tell you," Elladan snickered.
"At least not whilst Legolas is around to hear," Elrohir smirked.
The Prince sighed in mock self-pity. "Tell him what you will, but rest assured I will find something from your past which you will most certainly not want dug up."
Airëlus watched as his brother walked away to the Fellowship, then he looked back at Elladan and Elrohir. "Really, what happened in the time I was away?"
............................................................................................................
Leeanne: Hee hee, that's an interesting thought!
jesusroxmysox: Well, the next story I'm doing is the prequel to 'A Brother's Jealousy'. I think it would be nice to see what happened before Calaen went evil, and what he actually went through when he was growing up. I'm starting that some time this week, but it won't be up for a while cos I'm going on holiday. Yay!
Legolas-gurl88: Yeah, I laughed when I thought of that line also! But of course, we all know he would never really do something like that to Legolas!
The Last Hope: I find those books interesting also, but my friends think they're boring. Oh well.
Haldir's Heart and Soul: Yep, there will be an alternate ending!
eleanor rigbey: I'm glad you liked the witty lines! There's some more in the next chapter!
Well, this is the penultimate chapter. Its very light compared to everything that has happened before, but they need a break, all of those poor characters! Next chapter will be up later tonight. Misto x-x PS: I'll leave it up to you to imagine the tricks that Elladan and Elrohir played on poor Legolas!
"Well, if this were a full grown Elf in Mirkwood, he would be locked up, and in extreme cases, banished," said Thranduil slowly. "There have been very few occasions when we have executed anybody, but...it has happened."
"This is a child," said Elrond sharply.
"I was not suggesting death," Thranduil sighed.
"Tain has not actually taken anyone's life, so we cannot hold that against him," Elrond continued. "All he has done is help with Calaen's plans."
"Yes, but without his aid, maybe many would still live," muttered Elladan, whilst Elrohir nodded his agreement.
Elrond looked across at his sons, and let his eyes travel from one twin to the other. "I take your words to mean that you wish to see Tain dead? I expected a little more compassion from you for one so young, especially one who was under the influence of corruption."
"We did not say he should die," Elrohir sighed. "But surely he must be punished in some way?"
"Yes, he will be," said Gandalf firmly, "and I already have a suitable idea in mind, if you would be willing to listen to an old wizard's ramblings."
"Please, your counsel is always appreciated," said Elrond.
Gandalf smiled at the Elven-lord, and then proceeded to reveal his thought. "The people of Síriel were originally going to abandon their town and seek refuge here in Imladris, for a time. Now they are free from Calaen's reign, though, they will be reluctant to do so. I propose we send him back there, to be in the care of his own people."
Aragorn frowned, and his forehead creased in thought. "That would be no punishment for him. He would go back to leading a normal life."
"Ah, but you did not let me finish," said Gandalf, holding up a hand. "Thranduil, you mentioned that you have sometimes banished people from your Realm. Well, if I had my way, I would banish Tain from all Elven Realms."
"Forever?" asked Elrond, arching an eyebrow.
"No, until he reaches the age of sixteen years," replied Gandalf. "That way, there is ample time for him to be cured of any malevolence. After all, he is still a child and his personality has not developed. What do you all say to that?"
"I must admit, that had not crossed my mind," replied Elrond. "It is a good idea."
Thranduil nodded slowly, and felt a great sense of relief wash over him. "Yes, I would be loath to harm the child in any way."
"Being banished from all Elven Realms is severe," said Aragorn, "but it fits the crime."
"Just so long as we do not need to look on his face again," muttered Elladan.
"Hmm, though I pity the one who will have to care for him," put in Elrohir, eyes flashing slightly.
"Yes, quite so," Thranduil agreed. He looked over at his own sons then, and gestured for them to speak. "Well, what do you two think of the decision?"
"Like you, I would not wish to see harm befall one so young, especially after he was corrupted," replied Airëlus. "I am sorry, Legolas, but I believe Tain did what he did because of Calaen."
"Of course he did," replied the Prince calmly. "Calaen had a knack of swaying minds to his own way of thinking, so a child would extremely easy prey for him."
"Then, you are happy with our decision?" asked Thranduil.
"Of course," said Legolas.
Elrond let out a deep breath of relief which he had not known he held. "Well, that was a lot easier than I thought, and I believe we have Gandalf to thank. Now though, we must move Tain from Imladris."
............................................................................................................
No more than an hour later, a patrol had gathered down in the courtyard, preparing to take Tain back to Síriel. The child himself sat atop a small horse in the midst of the soldiers, and did not look at all bothered by the commotion. Maybe if he had been aware of the severity of his predicament, he would have been slightly less happy.
He looked over at the twins, who were standing by the wall, and he smiled widely. "Goodbye," he called.
"Yes, it is indeed very good," muttered Elladan, whilst Elrohir snickered in agreement.
"Oh, you are still alive," said Tain, looking over at Legolas. It was the first time he had seen him since their brief time in the forest.
The Prince looked down at himself, then back up at the child. "Yes, I am still alive. I am very sorry to disappoint you."
Tain merely drew his lips back over his teeth, and hissed in a feline-like way. At a gesture from Lord Elrond, the soldiers suddenly nudged their horses into a trot, and they rode from the courtyard. Tain's horse was swept along in the tide, and that was the last time the Fellowship ever saw him.
"I hope he is happy, wherever life may take him," said Legolas quietly.
Airëlus glanced across at his brother, and smiled at the comment. The younger Elf looked up and arched a questioning eyebrow, which only made the elder Elf laugh softly. The twins, who were standing nearby, turned to listen to the conversation.
"What is it that amuses you?" Legolas sighed. "I see nothing to laugh about."
"Ai, I was smiling because of you," replied Airëlus, wrapping an arm around his brother's shoulders. "I was merely smiling because of the amazing way in which you are able to forgive anyone for anything."
"It is a good thing he is, else I doubt out friendship would still be standing," said Elladan.
"Why?" asked Airëlus.
"Well, he has forgiven us for all the countless tricks we have played on him, and all the countless times we have humiliated him," explained Elrohir. "For example, there was that time when-
"Thank you, that is quite enough," cut in Legolas.
Airëlus glanced down at his brother, and he laughed once more. "Do my eyes deceive me? Is this a pink tinge creeping over your cheeks there? Well, that is something I have never seen before."
"No, nor will you ever again," muttered Legolas, glaring at the smirking twins.
"What could you possibly have done to my brother that could humiliate him like that, and cause him to flush in such a way?" asked Airëlus in amazement.
"We would not be so cruel as to tell you," Elladan snickered.
"At least not whilst Legolas is around to hear," Elrohir smirked.
The Prince sighed in mock self-pity. "Tell him what you will, but rest assured I will find something from your past which you will most certainly not want dug up."
Airëlus watched as his brother walked away to the Fellowship, then he looked back at Elladan and Elrohir. "Really, what happened in the time I was away?"
............................................................................................................
Leeanne: Hee hee, that's an interesting thought!
jesusroxmysox: Well, the next story I'm doing is the prequel to 'A Brother's Jealousy'. I think it would be nice to see what happened before Calaen went evil, and what he actually went through when he was growing up. I'm starting that some time this week, but it won't be up for a while cos I'm going on holiday. Yay!
Legolas-gurl88: Yeah, I laughed when I thought of that line also! But of course, we all know he would never really do something like that to Legolas!
The Last Hope: I find those books interesting also, but my friends think they're boring. Oh well.
Haldir's Heart and Soul: Yep, there will be an alternate ending!
eleanor rigbey: I'm glad you liked the witty lines! There's some more in the next chapter!
Well, this is the penultimate chapter. Its very light compared to everything that has happened before, but they need a break, all of those poor characters! Next chapter will be up later tonight. Misto x-x PS: I'll leave it up to you to imagine the tricks that Elladan and Elrohir played on poor Legolas!