Well, this is the final chapter. Hope you enjoy it.
Mornflower: The Lady is evil. But I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of her yet...and I already have another fic in progress. Well Im half way through the first chapter at the moment. See the end of this chapter for details.
Deana: It is fun to hurt the poor elf.
Chapter 12
Thranduil stood alone on the balcony looking out to the horizon; almost a week had passed since he last spoke with Elrond, instead sitting alone in this chamber, he had not seen anything for days but now he could see something approaching on the horizon, horses he realised.
"My lord! Two horses are headed towards here. We think it could be them" a guard called rushing into the chamber.
"Tell Lord Elrond I shall join him in the courtyard" Thranduil replied shortly. When the guard left he sank down in a chair "Two horses?" he whispered "What does that mean?"
Elladan urged the horse on as they neared the gates of Rivendell. The return journey had gone without problems, but the elf was glad to be close to home. He looked over at his brother and Legolas who were on the other horse and then glanced back at Estel who sat behind him. They rode under the archway into the courtyard of Rivendell and the four dismounted. Thranduil and Elrond stood waiting for them, on seeing his Father; Legolas walked over to the elven king and produced the sword
"Adar, I return the sword to you now" he held it out to his Father who took it from him before pulling Legolas into an embrace.
"Thank the valar you are well" he said as he released Legolas from his arms. Legolas turned to Estel,
"Ada, this is Estel. He is a friend of mine. He saved my life a number of times in the past few weeks"
"I am honoured to meet you, your highness" Estel said bowing to the king.
I must thank you" Thranduil replied "for helping my son. And I must tell you that you are always welcome in Mirkwood" he placed a hand on the mortals shoulder "but if you get my son into to much trouble I may have to banish you" the king seemed serious and Estel smiled weakly "I...um..."
"We've been banished from Mirkwood many a time" laughed Elladan "We keep going back though" added Elrohir
"No I never have been able to keep you pair of terrors away" Laughed Thranduil "You always..."
"Adar!" gasped Legolas suddenly his face pale, his hand on his head, Thranduil turned to face his son, gasping as his son collapsed, he dashed forward catching, the elf just before he hit the ground the king looked up
"Elrond!" he cried, lifting his son into his arms. The elf lord hurried forward and felt Legolas' pulse
"He still lives. Take him up to the healing rooms" Thranduil rushed up the steps into Rivendell holding Legolas in his arms, Elrond followed close behind. Not far behind came the three sons of Elrond.
In the healing rooms Thranduil laid Legolas on the bed, and stood back so that Elrond could look over his son's condition,
"Tell me, what happened to him?" Elrond asked
"I think he was whipped and he's also been stabbed in the side" Elladan began
"He also has broken ribs and he did have an encounter with some orcs. But I thought he was unscathed after that" Estel added
"I have a feeling he has been poisoned" Elrond continued "I'll have to take a sample of his blood." The elf-lord produced a syringe and placed it into one of Legolas' veins taking up some of his blood; he then disappeared into a back room and returned minutes later with salves and bandages, rolling Legolas onto his back he glanced over the scars from the whips and noted that they had almost healed. Then he re-bandaged the elf ribs and side, before looking over at Estel. "You too need healing I can see" he glanced at the twins "take him next door and treat his shoulder." He said to them, before once more sweeping out of the room to find a cure for whatever ailed Legolas, shooting Thranduil a sympathetic glance as he left.
Thranduil was left alone to his thoughts; he stood staring at his son's pale face and closed eyes. "If I were mortal my hair would now be grey with worry" he whispered placing his face in his hands and wiping away tears. It was hard for any Father to see their child in this condition. In a situation where none knew whether they would live or die. But to be in that situation after already loosing a loved one, that was harder.
It looked as if she slept. Yet though that was so, she slept in a sleep so deep she could not be woken. Not even by true loves kiss. He could still remember her words a moment before; they would never fade from his memory "
Thranduil" she had said "Thranduil I will always love you, don't forget that" "
No" he'd replied "don't say goodbye yet. Elrond will come and all will be well" "Thranduil, my love, I am dying. Nothing will save me now" she had paused placing a cloth to her mouth as she collapsed into a coughing fit, staining the white cloth red. "Alassante..." Thranduil had said worriedly
"Thranduil, tell our Little Greeleaf I love him. Look after him for me. Promise me that." Alassante had said her voice weak
"Alassante you can't leave me" Thranduil had repeated tears forming in his eyes "Promise me!" Alassante said harder
"I will look after Legolas, always. We both will" Thranduil had begged gripping his wife's hand
"No," Alassante replied "I'll always be with you Thranduil, even if you can't see me. I'll always be in your heart. Always"
"But My Love" Thranduil had sobbed, "I can't go on without you"
"You can" she had replied "I love you Thranduil" she closed her eyes in agony. This time she did not open them, her chest rose and fell one more time before it ceased. Alassante, his beautiful wonderful wife was dead...
And now Legolas lay here in front of him, pale and weak. And if Elrond could not find a cure what ailed his son then he would be alone in this world. "Ai Lady Elbereth, don't let him die. Please" he begged "Please"
Three nights passed and Elrond slaved away in his laboratory trying to find a remedy for the poison. In the adjoining room Legolas still lay unconscious, surrounded by Thranduil and Elrond's sons. But now he felt that he was getting closer to finding a cure. He had not slept for days, but he felt he could not. Not until he had found the correct remedy for the elf-prince. Running his hands through his hair he added a drop of the latest solution to a part of the poison he had subtracted from Legolas' blood. He breathed a sigh of relief when the new potion seemed to destroy the poison. Taking the potion in his hand he hurried back into the adjoining room. "Thranduil!" he exclaimed walking over to the bed and shaking the king's shoulder to wake him, the King stirred
"Who...who...Oh Elrond it is you. What is it?" The king said
"I think I may have a cure" Elrond explained "Oh thank the valar" Thranduil muttered watching as Elrond injected the potion into Legolas wrist. "Now we just have to wait" Elrond replied
Legolas stirred and opened his eyes. He was in Rivendell, in one of the infirmary beds. He groaned, which meant he would be here for a while if the Lord Elrond had any say in the matter. He hen noticed his Father asleep in the chair beside him, and smiled no doubt the older elf would have been awake most of the time while he had been missing, he just wondered which sleeping potion Elrond had slipped in his tea this time. The Prince sat up in bed and climbed out, walking over to the balcony where he stood for a moment.
When Thranduil awoke was startled to find his son's bed empty "Legolas" he called out worriedly,
"Out here" called back Legolas "on the balcony"
"You shouldn't be out here" Thranduil chided as he joined his son on the balcony
"Do I have to go inside Ada?" Legolas asked looking up at his Father with sad wide eyes. Just as he would have done had he been an elfling of 500
"That will not work on me anymore Legolas" Thranduil laughed. Had you been 500 still then I would have been forced to relent, but you are not 500 any more"
"I have not been 500 for a long time" laughed Legolas "Though sometimes I wish I was, the life of an elfling is a simple one. My biggest challenge then was avoiding you, the servants and the guards who all wanted to capture me and send me to bed or to bathe me"
"Ai, you were a troublesome child"
"You have me mistaken for someone else" Legolas replied with a wicked grin "as a child I was an angel"
"An angel?" repeated Thranduil in disbelief "Legolas you were anything but an angel" "
He still isn't" said a voice from the doorway, both turned to see Lord Elrond sweeping into the infirmary "Legolas, you should still be resting. You are not in fit state to be wandering around" he said
"I am fine, Lord Elrond" Legolas replied
"Legolas" Elrond glared at the Prince
"Legolas get back into bed." Thranduil said with a smile "Honestly he never listens to me" "Adar!" complained Legolas, knowing all was lost. He climbed back into the bed
"How long do I have to stay here" "If all goes well you can leave tomorrow" Elrond replied "but you must stay here for today" he handed Legolas a mug of steaming brew. "Here drink this, it will ease the pain"
"What is it?" Legolas said in distaste, expecting the brew to taste foul.
"Just drink it" Elrond replied. Legolas looked at him then put the cup to his mouth and took a tentative sip. As he had guessed, it tasted awful.
Later that afternoon, Legolas was surrounded by the sons of Elrond; Thranduil had reluctantly left the room to rest at Elrond's insistence. But the younger elves knew it would not be long before he king returned, which was why Legolas knew he had to act quickly
"My Father says that though I must return home with him. You three can stay as guests" of course Thranduil had said no such thing, but he king would not begrudge them two weeks in Mirkwood, even if they did cause trouble.
"We would love to spend time in Mirkwood again," Elrohir grinned "we have missed Ilyanna greatly" the twins loved terrorizing the healer.
"She I am afraid has not missed you" replied Legolas with a slight smile. "And I hear the spiders are getting very dangerous"
"Spiders!" said Estel, his face paling
"Big hairy ones that eat humans and elves" Elladan explained "with hairy legs"
"But they won't eat you when we are around" Elrohir assured the mortal "just I wouldn't go anywhere alone with him" he pointed at Legolas "I really do think they want to eat him." "Nonsense" said Thranduil walking into the room "the spiders of Mirkwood do not eat elves" he looked at Legolas suspiciously "and why are we discussing the spiders of Mirkwood anyway Legolas?"
"I was telling my friends how you said they could stay in Mirkwood for a while" Legolas explained
"I said nothing of the sort!" replied Thranduil "of course they are welcome to stay. But Legolas, you told them it was fine with me?"
"Because I knew you would agree if I'd told them it was fine with you"
"Ai ..." he looked at the sons of Elrond who were creeping out of the room "you four will be the death of me" he sighed standing and walking out of the room.
His son was alive and well for the moment. And life was peaceful.
How long things would stay like that was impossible to tell...
The End
Translations
Elvish (All Sindarin unless stated) English
Alassante Bringer of joy-translation of Beatrice/Beatrix
Well, that's it. The end of Web of Lies, I have started another fic called 'Dangerous Games.' But I'm going to be on holiday for 2 weeks so I'll try to get some written then. So I should be back in about a month.
Dangerous Games
A mysterious elf wants revenge on Legolas for something that happened a long time ago. Will he succeed in his sadistic plans or will he fail.
"No one talks to the Master that way, Scum!" he yelled, raising his fist again as the elven Prince felt the coppery taste of blood in his mouth
"Peace Arvon!" the dark figure said, catching the man's hand in one swift movement "A time will come when he will cry in pain at your feet, but not today."
Legolas woke with a start the taste of blood in his mouth, raising his hand he found he was bleeding. Blinking in confusion the Prince rose and walked into the bathroom. Looking in the mirror above the washbasin he found that the blood was from a split lip. Taking a towel he began to still the bleeding. "It was a dream" he muttered confused as to why a wound he had received in a dream was present in real life, and as to why the split lip was the only wound that was present, for his back was not on fire from the whipping in the dream. Shaking his head in wonder he stared into the mirror, though the bleeding had ceased there was a large cut on his lower lip. Scooping water from the basin Legolas washed his face clean of any remnants of blood.
Well Namaarie for now. But I'll be back Muahahahahahahaha
Aranel of Mirkwood