See Prologue for disclaimer
A/N: Well, um here we are at chapter 3, thanks for the reviews. Not much to say today except read and enjoy.
Chapter 2
Legolas groaned, and tried to sit up, he shut his eyes in an attempt to block out the pain "What happened" he whispered realizing his arms and legs were bound by thick cords that cut into the skin; nearly cutting off the blood supply.
"Well, Well, Well. He is awakened" Legolas rolled over to look the speaker in the eye. The figure was all too familiar
FLASHBACK
"Not a chance," a tall dark haired man stormed up to Legolas. "Your father killed half my men," he snapped. "He shall have to pay"
FLASHBACK ENDS
But it couldn't be…that man was dead. But as Legolas looked up into the dark hard eyes of the man he could see the striking resemblance between the two. "I see the recognition in your eyes; I know how you were captured years ago by my ancestors. Your Father rescued you. But Daddy isn't here to save you now!" the man began to laugh cruelly.
"Sannyn, Leave the little Prince alone!" snapped an all too familiar voice…
"Talider! You traitor!" Legolas hissed, "So it is you who is behind this!"
"Yes it is I Legolas, and this sword is really rather wonderful"
"Give it back!" Legolas snapped
"No, I don't think I will." Talider said slowly "I think I'll keep it for myself." He looked down at the Prince. "He is very argumentative. Gag him!"
"No!" yelled Legolas "Talider! Release me!" Talider turned and smiled at the Prince.
"I seem to remember calling your father Your Highness, and I always called you Prince Legolas in your realm, I only think it is fair that you do the same for me. I am Lord Talider and my Son is also Lord Sannyn. I do not think I shall let you free" he replied the smirk growing on his face as he watched Sannyn and another guard approach the Prince. When the Prince refused to open his mouth Sannyn clenched his fist and hit Legolas in the stomach. Legolas gasped for breath, only to find a cloth harshly stuffed in his mouth and tied tightly behind his head, Sannyn then knelt beside the Prince
"Daddy isn't here to save you now little Prince," he hissed into the Prince's ear not caring for the absolute look of hatred the Prince shot him. With that Sannyn stood and walked away from the elven Prince. Talider stood watching the Elf Prince attempt to get free of his bonds; a sly smile came over his face.
"You don't like being bound do you? Yet I could see, the first time you laid eyes on me that you would do the same to me. You would restrain me. You are scared of me! Do not deny it. You dislike men. You always have; and I swear you'll hate us more before we are through" Talider laughed cruelly before striding away. Legolas stared after him a look of plain hatred in his eyes. His eyes then drifted down to the sword at Talider's waist, he knew he had to return to Mirkwood with the sword, only then would all be right.
"What was that?" said the Noldor elf leaping to his feet at the sound of beating hooves and a startled cry of a horse
"It sounded like a horse, Elrohir" his companion stated standing beside his younger brother
"I know that" Elrohir said glaring at his brother, the Noldor elves made their way to the large archway and looked into the distance, it was then a large white horse came cantering towards them "Elladan move!" yelled Elrohir leaping to the side as his brother did the same "Unless my eyes deceive me that is Taltrost!" gasped Elrohir hurrying forward to attempt to calm the wild horse.
"It is! But where is Legolas!" Elladan replied, yelling to be heard over the screams of the horse in pain
"How should I know!" yelled back Elrohir
"What is all that noise!" demanded a stern voice from the doors or Rivendell, the twins turned to see their Father coming down the steps. The elf lord walked to the horse, who seemed calmed by his presence, for the mare stopped rearing up-however it was still agitated-, the lord then laid a hand on the horses head and began to chant in the elven tongue. The horse became placid once more, and allowed the elf lord to kneel beside him "He has been bitten by a snake, not a poisonous one, but that would not cause Taltrost to bolt, not unless there was some trouble with Legolas." The elven lord looked up, "yet I do not wish to leap to a conclusion. He may well be fine"
"He may well be injured, we should go look for him" Elladan argued
"I agree with Elladan, we should go and scout out the area, see if we can find him." Elrohir said, "We should head off immediately"
"I shall tell Estel you are leaving." Elrond stated. "He will wish to join you"
"Adar…are you sure that is wise, you know how Legolas feels about men"
"I do not know if Legolas will appreciate his aid," Elrohir added
"Who is in need of aid?" the three elves turned to see the young mortal of 17 years walking down the steps,
"Legolas. We fear he might be in danger" Elladan replied, realising that it would no be impossible to forbid Estel from following them.
"The Prince of Mirkwood?" Estel asked, "I did not know he was coming here"
"Nor did we" Elrond said "I only hope he is alright, you should leave immediately" he paused "and please all of you be careful"
"Adar, do you think that Thranduil should be notified?" Elrohir asked in reply, turning on his way to the stables
"I shall wait three days, if you have not returned by then I shall send one of the falcons to Mirkwood bearing a message to Thranduil" Elrond replied.
Lord Elrond watched as the three horses cantered out of Rivendell, he could not shake the feeling of anxiety that crossed his mind. He knew something was wrong, but what he did not know, "Elbereth protect them all" he whispered, before turning and walking back in the direction of the building, not able to shake the feeling that he should notify Thranduil of his son's disappearance immediately.
"This is unusual" Elladan began, kneeling beside the fresh hoof prints on the ground, "Legolas would have usually come to this point from the east, from the mountain pass, but these prints clearly come from the north."
"Why would Legolas not use the mountain pass?" Elrohir asked looking over at his twin,
"I do not know. Maybe he did. Maybe something happened there," Elladan said looking up, worry etched on his face "in any case we should take a look up there"
"Do you think he is unhurt and making his way here?" Estel suddenly asked, he alone had not met the Prince and knew not of the dangers he sometimes got himself into, the twins exchanged doubtful looks
"Legolas rarely escapes out of any adventure unhurt," Elrohir told the human before looking away as he mounted his horse "Elladan, what if he is not on the mountain pass"
"We search the path west of the mountains" the elder twin replied a grim look upon his face.
"Stand up!" Legolas felt the rough hand pull him to his feet by his hair, the bonds round his arms were cut, three days had passed and the elf prince had sat still and quiet, thinking of ways to escape the men's camp. He had been bound and gagged the whole time, so now he was surprised that the gag and bonds were removed; he could not escape however as he was in the centre of the camp and surrounded "Eat" the man snapped shoving a slice of bread and a flask of water towards the prince, who looked at it doubtfully
"I'd rather starve" he snapped looking the man in the eyes; the man took a step back at the elf's glare.
"We have ways of forcing you to eat." Came the commanding voice of Talider, Legolas turned to glare at him but the man was unfazed, "Now eat. Or we shall force the food down you"
"I'd like to see you try" Legolas hissed
"Very Well, Sannyn!" Talider called, watching as his son walked over "Our little elf won't eat his vittles."
"I am not your little elf!" Legolas snapped overhearing Talider's words. Legolas watched as Sannyn whispered something to his father. Talider laughed
"Now listen Elf, you eat that or we shall force it down you" he snarled, looking the elf directly in the eyes, Legolas knew he was not just saying this and he narrowed his eyes
"I swear. I will kill you before the end Talider!" Legolas said through clenched teeth, picking up the slice of bread, breaking a piece of the bread off he began to eat, as soon as he had finished he was promptly bound and gagged once more. While the men walked off Talider turned and yanked Legolas from the ground by his hair, he stared into the Prince's eyes, not flinching when Legolas stared back into his, not many could withstand the Prince's glare, but Talider was not intimidated "You say you shall kill me, yet I doubt that, Prince Legolas I seriously doubt that" throwing Legolas the ground he stormed off
"Sannyn!" Talider snapped as he passed his son
"Yes Father?" the younger human asked
"Follow me!"
"Father, what is it?" Sannyn said turning and following his Father to the edge of the camp where not even Legolas could hear them
"The elf, he is still most stubborn. I feel our plan may not work out the way we want it to."
"Father it must. It cannot fail" Sannyn hissed "He must return with us! You know what she said! You know of her prophecy! The Lady must not be failed, you were always the strongest believer in her prophecies she foretold! Why not this one? What is different about this?"
"When I was in Mirkwood I got the feeling that the King would do anything to protect his son, it is not him I fear, more him finding out who killed his son."
"Father; he will not find out, he will not even learn of his son's death until his head is returned to him"
"You are truly evil my son" Talider replied with a smile. "We will kill our little friend over there, but first we must wait, we must return him to The Lady, we do not know what she needs him for. We will be rewarded for this, and Mirkwood shall be ours, we shall succeed where our ancestors failed. The Prince shall die; the King too will fall when he learns of his beloved son's death and then we shall attack Mirkwood while all are leaderless and in mourning"
"What if she does not need the Prince dead though?" Sannyn asked with some confusion
"We kill him; repay him for foiling the attempts to take over Mirkwood made by my ancestors, he will pay for his father's deeds with his life!"
"Father; death would be an easy option. We could make him our slave when we reside in the palace of Thranduil, to see him brought so low would be a joy to me and a misery to the Prince"
"It is a possibility, to see that spoilt Prince brought so low that not even the dogs would bite him would be a delight. He would suffer so much-especially to see his people killed and his home in the hands of men" Talider smiled at the thought "just think to be sat on the Throne of Mirkwood while he crawls on the ground at my feet. Sannyn, thank you for the inspiration" he turned and walked away leaving his son staring after him
"Oh No, it is not you Father who will be seated on the Throne. It shall be I. That I swear"
The twins rounded the corner closely followed by Estel; what they saw stilled their hearts. A huge pile of rocks was blocking the path.
"Do you think he is trapped underneath?" Estel asked voicing his brothers' fear
"We don't even know if he came this way" Elrohir replied trying to reassure himself and his brothers
"I don't believe that any more than you Elrohir" Elladan replied as he leapt of his mount and raced over to the rock pile followed by his brothers,
While the twins fell to their knees and began to remove larger stones from the pile of rocks Estel peered over to the other side; what he saw relieved him, but also confused him "Elladan, Elrohir. I do not think he was here; there are no hoof prints or marks of any kind" Elladan rose and looked too at the other side of the rock pile
"I think you are right. Besides there is much to suggest this landslide was recent; it possibly only happened yesterday. Taltrost would have taken the longer route to reach Rivendell, which takes three days. I do not know if that is a good thing though." He looked over at Elrohir nervously "Taltrost would never just throw Legolas. Not just because of a snake bite. Something is wrong. Elrohir you don't think…"
"That he is dead? No" Elrohir finished sounding a lot more confident than he actually felt. The son's of Elrond knew the scrapes their friend often got into and often feared for his life.
"Let us move on"
TBC…
Right, that's another chapter up and posted. I'll be back tomorrow. Bye now.
Aranel.