Author's Note: Dear lord, what is this, a timely update? What in Middle-
earth is going on? Haha, naw, but seriously, I would like to extend a big
thanks to those that review faithfully, you guys are truly the ones that
are keeping me going and I am determined to finish this story and do so in
a timely manner for your sake. I don't want to let you guys down, so thank
you so much. (And Kelsey, if you haven't started writing your own fanfics
yet, get going girl! Your 'ramblings' are so entertaining and full of plot-
twists that I've never even thought of.) And as always, no soy Tolkien.
Chapter 14
True to the elf's word, Legolas reached home before nightfall. He dismounted and let the other's see to his horse, as for right now he had to clean himself up before he saw his father. He doubted his father would be entirely pleased if he saw him like this.
The halls inside of his home were quiet and Legolas had to wonder where everyone was at. He hoped they were not all out searching for him, or worse yet, making their way towards the lonely mountain.
Legolas made it to his chambers and poured a clean basin of water. He first began to wash his hands and it was not long before the clean water was sullied and red.
After a few more minutes of washing and then a change of clothing, Legolas stepped back out into the hall and started to make his way down to his father's chambers. As he walked, he noticed the change in the air and pressure for the first time. He was well accustomed to these walls and it had never bothered him before that they were built underground. It was not nearly as severe as the dwarves, and they kept their halls plenty ventilated, but Legolas could still sense the change in the air around him.
Without his knowing, his steps quickened and he walked in the center of the hall, away from the confining walls. His throat closed slightly and his breath came a little harder, but he tried to shake his growing paranoia.
Finally, he reached his father's doors and knocked lightly.
There was a response from inside and Legolas opened the wide wooden doors.
Thranduil was seated at a great desk in front of a fireplace and he did not look up right away. When he finally did, Legolas saw that his features were pinched and his brow creased. But that all changed as soon as he saw who it was that stood before him.
"Legolas," Thranduil breathed and stood, pushing his chair back and coming around the side of the desk. His arms were outstretched, "My son."
Legolas allowed himself to be enveloped in his father's embrace and returned it as best as he could. When Thranduil finally withdrew, Legolas looked at him steadily. "We need to talk."
"Indeed," Thranduil said and turned to move towards two large chairs that were facing each other. He sat down in one and Legolas sat in the other.
"What happened, what did the dwarves do to you?" Thranduil said as soon as they were both settled.
Legolas took a breath. "Gimli and I were attacked by spiders before we made it out of the borders of the forest. Gimli suffered a wound to the neck and the poison worked quickly on him, making me fear for his life. Not sure of what to do, I decided to get him to Erebor as quickly as possible."
Legolas paused for a moment before continuing. "We made it in time and the dwarves took him in and nursed him back to help. I waited to make sure that he was well before coming back." Legolas was not entirely sure why he was not telling Thranduil the whole of what had happened, but he figured it might be best to save some of the detail.
"Tell me," Legolas switched course, "why did you think I was taken captive?"
Thranduil had been listening with narrowed eyes. "One of the horses you took came back three nights after you left. It acted wildly and had a wound in its right flank. We assumed you had been waylaid on your journey and I sent out an immediate search party. Then three nights later the other horse came back and still no sign of you. So I sent another party out, but this one straight to the lonely mountain. They were met with hostility and came back. The dwarves they had met said that we would not see you again until the attempted murderer came forward. I sent out another party, this one larger than the last, but I have no word from them yet."
Something did not make sense to Legolas. "It was the dwarves who said I was being held captive?"
"That was the essence of what I had been told, yes."
"But it was the dwarves who said that they were the ones to be ambushed by elves, and the elves were demanding that the kidnapped prince be returned."
Thranduil frowned. "I was not told this. We did not think you were being held by the dwarves until after they came back and told us. We were just trying to find out what had happened to you."
Legolas grew quiet. There were now two different sides of the story, and he knew which one was likely right.
Thranduil was studying Legolas. He saw the faint bruising on his temple and the scratches on his hands.
"Legolas, what did they do to you while you were there?"
Legolas no longer had the desire to hold back some of the more sordid details. The dwarves had lied about the elves saying he was kidnapped, they had been accountable for his torture.
"I was beaten and then forced to stay in a cell deep within the mountain, away from all light and life. I almost went mad before escape."
Thranduil's eyes flamed. "I knew Gloin still held a grudge, I knew that you should not have gone in the first place. This is how he chooses to get back at me, by punishing my son."
There was more to the story, such as Gloin treating him well until the encounter between the elves and dwarves, and that it was Gimli who came to free him. But Legolas decided those facts did not matter.
Thranduil was continuing. "He thinks that he can get to me through my son, he is willing to sacrifice an innocent for the actions of others. That shows you right there the mentality of the dwarves and how they are spiteful, mistrusting creatures."
"What do you plan to do?" Legolas said after a moment's pause.
Thranduil looked at his son. "I expect that Gloin thinks we will start an all-out war over this."
Legolas felt his breath catch. Even though he had been treated badly, the thought of Gimli still made him think that such a thing should be avoided.
"But we do not act as brutally as some would," Thranduil finished. "I will wait on the reports from the second search party, they should be back in a day or so. I might send a runner demanding a formal apology for the way you were treated since you were supposed to be a guest there, but for my part I say they can stay and waste their lives in their dreaded mountain."
Legolas relaxed at his father's words. He knew that nothing terrible would happen out of all this. It had been a bad experience, sure, but one he would soon forget.
"And what do you plan on doing?" Thranduil's question startled Legolas out of his thoughts.
"Against the dwarves?" he asked.
Thranduil shook his head. "No, I do not mean against the dwarves. I know when you came back you said that you and the dwarf would be returning to Gondor. Do you still plan on that?"
Legolas thought for a moment. "I no longer think so," he finally said. "Aragorn is very capable, I am sure he can handle the restorations of the city with only his kin helping. Now I will be able to stay here and help restore Eryn Lasgalen." Legolas took another pause. "And then answer the call of the sea," he said quietly.
Thranduil smiled. "It will be a good thing indeed to have my son at my side once again. After we have done all we can here, we can leave for the harbor together."
Legolas returned the smile, but he felt his heart sink. He remembered the last conversation he had had with his father when Thranduil was trying to convince him to stay. He had told him that he would be unable to leave Middle-earth without first helping his friends and seeing to it that they were comfortable and able to continue with their lives. All of them had made many sacrifices for the Fellowship and he had wanted to remain to see that their sacrifices had not been for naught.
Now he was going against all of that.
But it wasn't really his fault, Legolas thought to himself, it wasn't because he truly did not want to see to the welfare of his friends anymore. He just understood now that the time of the Fellowship was over. They would all be moving on now. Since he and Gimli had already ended their relationship, it was only a matter of time before the others did as well. No, it was better this way, to have them all separate before they were all ripped apart, that way they could at least remember the bond they had once shared.
Yet even as his mind told him all this, his heart did not believe him.
Three days had gone since Legolas' escape. Gimli felt that he was fully healed by now, feeling no more nausea or light-headedness. The old healer had declared him to be 'out of the darkness' and he was no longer confined to the sickroom.
But now he patrolled the dark tunnels with his father, checking on weaponry and armour that they were all preparing. Gloin kept to his desire to be ready for the elves and not wanting to be taken unawares. Gimli himself did not think it was necessary, and truly hoped it would not be necessary, but he humored his father anyway.
"Have no worries son," Gloin said during one of their many trips to the armory, "we have spent the last few years battling orcs and other creatures of darkness that wanted to take over the lonely mountain. But we did not bow to them and we certainly will not bow to the elves."
Gimli nodded automatically, not really listening. With the passage of every day he felt worse about what had happened between him and Legolas, and hoped that they could be reconciled some day. He imagined that this time it had been the fault of the dwarves for alienating and treating Legolas poorly. His friend had tried his hardest, he knew that there were many occasions that Legolas had held himself back during his brief stay here, probably just for the benefit of Gimli. Perhaps he would give it a few months or so and then think about an expedition to Mirkwood.
When Gimli and Gloin made it back to the main chamber, there was a large group of dwarves coming back from outside. They shifted those who stood on guard outside every few hours or so so that all those outside would remain fresh and not let anything get by them.
"No sightings of the enemy to report yet," the lead of the group said.
Gimli felt something inside of him quell at the thought of the elves being called 'the enemy', but he said nothing.
Gloin only nodded. "They might be giving it a few days to throw us off, to make our defenses forget all caution. But we will just continue as we are, and they will be the ones surprised."
"What if they are not coming?" Gimli said absently. "What if they just let everything go?"
Gloin looked at his son surprised. "There was an attempt on your life," Gloin said. "If they are willing to go that far there's no telling how far they can go."
"And if that was not any of their doing?" Gimli said. "If I just had a bad reaction to the spider venom?"
Gloin looked straight at his son. "Then there will be no war."
He said it quietly, and Gimli was surprised to hear it from his father. But then Gloin continued, "Yet that is all built on uncertainty. It is possible nothing will happen, it is possible there will be a war. Either way, we will be prepared."
"But we will not go seeking it," Gimli said.
Gloin shook his head, "No, we will not be the ones to go down in history as the blame for more bloodloss. Vala knows the dwarves get enough blame as it is."
"We won't have to worry about the dwarves being blamed, because I feel there will be no war," Gimli said.
"Do you still think of him as a friend?" Gloin asked.
Gimli did not even pretend to not know what he was talking about. "I do, I just do not think he does. I was treated well enough in his home, and then he comes here and," Gimli could not finish.
"It was bad timing," Gloin said. "If everything truly has been one big misunderstanding, then I will be among the first to..."
Shouts interrupted Gloin's statement.
Both Gimli and Gloin turned towards the main tunnel that led from outside. A runner was coming through them, his chain mail creating almost as much noise as his tread.
"The enemy is attacking, the enemy has come."
Chapter 14
True to the elf's word, Legolas reached home before nightfall. He dismounted and let the other's see to his horse, as for right now he had to clean himself up before he saw his father. He doubted his father would be entirely pleased if he saw him like this.
The halls inside of his home were quiet and Legolas had to wonder where everyone was at. He hoped they were not all out searching for him, or worse yet, making their way towards the lonely mountain.
Legolas made it to his chambers and poured a clean basin of water. He first began to wash his hands and it was not long before the clean water was sullied and red.
After a few more minutes of washing and then a change of clothing, Legolas stepped back out into the hall and started to make his way down to his father's chambers. As he walked, he noticed the change in the air and pressure for the first time. He was well accustomed to these walls and it had never bothered him before that they were built underground. It was not nearly as severe as the dwarves, and they kept their halls plenty ventilated, but Legolas could still sense the change in the air around him.
Without his knowing, his steps quickened and he walked in the center of the hall, away from the confining walls. His throat closed slightly and his breath came a little harder, but he tried to shake his growing paranoia.
Finally, he reached his father's doors and knocked lightly.
There was a response from inside and Legolas opened the wide wooden doors.
Thranduil was seated at a great desk in front of a fireplace and he did not look up right away. When he finally did, Legolas saw that his features were pinched and his brow creased. But that all changed as soon as he saw who it was that stood before him.
"Legolas," Thranduil breathed and stood, pushing his chair back and coming around the side of the desk. His arms were outstretched, "My son."
Legolas allowed himself to be enveloped in his father's embrace and returned it as best as he could. When Thranduil finally withdrew, Legolas looked at him steadily. "We need to talk."
"Indeed," Thranduil said and turned to move towards two large chairs that were facing each other. He sat down in one and Legolas sat in the other.
"What happened, what did the dwarves do to you?" Thranduil said as soon as they were both settled.
Legolas took a breath. "Gimli and I were attacked by spiders before we made it out of the borders of the forest. Gimli suffered a wound to the neck and the poison worked quickly on him, making me fear for his life. Not sure of what to do, I decided to get him to Erebor as quickly as possible."
Legolas paused for a moment before continuing. "We made it in time and the dwarves took him in and nursed him back to help. I waited to make sure that he was well before coming back." Legolas was not entirely sure why he was not telling Thranduil the whole of what had happened, but he figured it might be best to save some of the detail.
"Tell me," Legolas switched course, "why did you think I was taken captive?"
Thranduil had been listening with narrowed eyes. "One of the horses you took came back three nights after you left. It acted wildly and had a wound in its right flank. We assumed you had been waylaid on your journey and I sent out an immediate search party. Then three nights later the other horse came back and still no sign of you. So I sent another party out, but this one straight to the lonely mountain. They were met with hostility and came back. The dwarves they had met said that we would not see you again until the attempted murderer came forward. I sent out another party, this one larger than the last, but I have no word from them yet."
Something did not make sense to Legolas. "It was the dwarves who said I was being held captive?"
"That was the essence of what I had been told, yes."
"But it was the dwarves who said that they were the ones to be ambushed by elves, and the elves were demanding that the kidnapped prince be returned."
Thranduil frowned. "I was not told this. We did not think you were being held by the dwarves until after they came back and told us. We were just trying to find out what had happened to you."
Legolas grew quiet. There were now two different sides of the story, and he knew which one was likely right.
Thranduil was studying Legolas. He saw the faint bruising on his temple and the scratches on his hands.
"Legolas, what did they do to you while you were there?"
Legolas no longer had the desire to hold back some of the more sordid details. The dwarves had lied about the elves saying he was kidnapped, they had been accountable for his torture.
"I was beaten and then forced to stay in a cell deep within the mountain, away from all light and life. I almost went mad before escape."
Thranduil's eyes flamed. "I knew Gloin still held a grudge, I knew that you should not have gone in the first place. This is how he chooses to get back at me, by punishing my son."
There was more to the story, such as Gloin treating him well until the encounter between the elves and dwarves, and that it was Gimli who came to free him. But Legolas decided those facts did not matter.
Thranduil was continuing. "He thinks that he can get to me through my son, he is willing to sacrifice an innocent for the actions of others. That shows you right there the mentality of the dwarves and how they are spiteful, mistrusting creatures."
"What do you plan to do?" Legolas said after a moment's pause.
Thranduil looked at his son. "I expect that Gloin thinks we will start an all-out war over this."
Legolas felt his breath catch. Even though he had been treated badly, the thought of Gimli still made him think that such a thing should be avoided.
"But we do not act as brutally as some would," Thranduil finished. "I will wait on the reports from the second search party, they should be back in a day or so. I might send a runner demanding a formal apology for the way you were treated since you were supposed to be a guest there, but for my part I say they can stay and waste their lives in their dreaded mountain."
Legolas relaxed at his father's words. He knew that nothing terrible would happen out of all this. It had been a bad experience, sure, but one he would soon forget.
"And what do you plan on doing?" Thranduil's question startled Legolas out of his thoughts.
"Against the dwarves?" he asked.
Thranduil shook his head. "No, I do not mean against the dwarves. I know when you came back you said that you and the dwarf would be returning to Gondor. Do you still plan on that?"
Legolas thought for a moment. "I no longer think so," he finally said. "Aragorn is very capable, I am sure he can handle the restorations of the city with only his kin helping. Now I will be able to stay here and help restore Eryn Lasgalen." Legolas took another pause. "And then answer the call of the sea," he said quietly.
Thranduil smiled. "It will be a good thing indeed to have my son at my side once again. After we have done all we can here, we can leave for the harbor together."
Legolas returned the smile, but he felt his heart sink. He remembered the last conversation he had had with his father when Thranduil was trying to convince him to stay. He had told him that he would be unable to leave Middle-earth without first helping his friends and seeing to it that they were comfortable and able to continue with their lives. All of them had made many sacrifices for the Fellowship and he had wanted to remain to see that their sacrifices had not been for naught.
Now he was going against all of that.
But it wasn't really his fault, Legolas thought to himself, it wasn't because he truly did not want to see to the welfare of his friends anymore. He just understood now that the time of the Fellowship was over. They would all be moving on now. Since he and Gimli had already ended their relationship, it was only a matter of time before the others did as well. No, it was better this way, to have them all separate before they were all ripped apart, that way they could at least remember the bond they had once shared.
Yet even as his mind told him all this, his heart did not believe him.
Three days had gone since Legolas' escape. Gimli felt that he was fully healed by now, feeling no more nausea or light-headedness. The old healer had declared him to be 'out of the darkness' and he was no longer confined to the sickroom.
But now he patrolled the dark tunnels with his father, checking on weaponry and armour that they were all preparing. Gloin kept to his desire to be ready for the elves and not wanting to be taken unawares. Gimli himself did not think it was necessary, and truly hoped it would not be necessary, but he humored his father anyway.
"Have no worries son," Gloin said during one of their many trips to the armory, "we have spent the last few years battling orcs and other creatures of darkness that wanted to take over the lonely mountain. But we did not bow to them and we certainly will not bow to the elves."
Gimli nodded automatically, not really listening. With the passage of every day he felt worse about what had happened between him and Legolas, and hoped that they could be reconciled some day. He imagined that this time it had been the fault of the dwarves for alienating and treating Legolas poorly. His friend had tried his hardest, he knew that there were many occasions that Legolas had held himself back during his brief stay here, probably just for the benefit of Gimli. Perhaps he would give it a few months or so and then think about an expedition to Mirkwood.
When Gimli and Gloin made it back to the main chamber, there was a large group of dwarves coming back from outside. They shifted those who stood on guard outside every few hours or so so that all those outside would remain fresh and not let anything get by them.
"No sightings of the enemy to report yet," the lead of the group said.
Gimli felt something inside of him quell at the thought of the elves being called 'the enemy', but he said nothing.
Gloin only nodded. "They might be giving it a few days to throw us off, to make our defenses forget all caution. But we will just continue as we are, and they will be the ones surprised."
"What if they are not coming?" Gimli said absently. "What if they just let everything go?"
Gloin looked at his son surprised. "There was an attempt on your life," Gloin said. "If they are willing to go that far there's no telling how far they can go."
"And if that was not any of their doing?" Gimli said. "If I just had a bad reaction to the spider venom?"
Gloin looked straight at his son. "Then there will be no war."
He said it quietly, and Gimli was surprised to hear it from his father. But then Gloin continued, "Yet that is all built on uncertainty. It is possible nothing will happen, it is possible there will be a war. Either way, we will be prepared."
"But we will not go seeking it," Gimli said.
Gloin shook his head, "No, we will not be the ones to go down in history as the blame for more bloodloss. Vala knows the dwarves get enough blame as it is."
"We won't have to worry about the dwarves being blamed, because I feel there will be no war," Gimli said.
"Do you still think of him as a friend?" Gloin asked.
Gimli did not even pretend to not know what he was talking about. "I do, I just do not think he does. I was treated well enough in his home, and then he comes here and," Gimli could not finish.
"It was bad timing," Gloin said. "If everything truly has been one big misunderstanding, then I will be among the first to..."
Shouts interrupted Gloin's statement.
Both Gimli and Gloin turned towards the main tunnel that led from outside. A runner was coming through them, his chain mail creating almost as much noise as his tread.
"The enemy is attacking, the enemy has come."