Chap5

The rest of the time passed without much incident. Legolas and his friend were off Spider Baiting most of the time, although unknown to them, Arhivil had followed them many times into the forest and had every intention of telling Thranduil. It was no small feat to spy on the young ones, especially when they were listening extra hard, so Arhivil had to use every ounce of cunning she possessed to sneak after them. The last day before Thranduil arrived home Arhivil followed Legolas again, but this time was different. This time they were in real danger.

When they got to the Spider Baiting clearing the young ones thought today would be just another day, but when the spider arrived, it was one they had tormented in it's childhood; but now it was a youth, not a baby. As the four Elves turn to run into the trees it fired a web, but unlike the other spiders it kept hold of one end. The web caught Earelen on the ankle. She ran on, thinking that the spider wouldn't hold the other end, but as she ran the web went taut (spiders webs will stretch a little but not much) and she was pulled over. She cried out in surprise and the boys turned to see the spider bearing down on the trapped Earelen.

"Earelen!" cried Balar in fear.

Legolas however, after a split second of thought, charged toward Earelen and before the spider could reach her was able to cut the web. Helping Earelen to he feet, Legolas took off, Earelen in tow. Aros and Balar too turned and ran but the spider was after them like a whirlwind. Arhivil ran after the young ones and the spider, knowing that she couldn't show herself, but that they needed help. On and on they ran, but always in a purposeful direction, toward the palace. When they finally reached the small area of building that surrounded the palace, the four young Elves were nearly spent but seeing that safety was near they kept running. One of the archers saw them and immediately ran for his bow and fellows. When the spider came in range the band of archers fired, and after many arrows the beast keeled over, dead. A few Elves came running toward where the young prince and his friends stood, Legolas was supporting Earelen, who was so scared she looked as though she would faint. The spider had come so close to killing her. Aros was bent over hands on knees, panting and Balar was leaning against a wall.

Later that day when the young ones were inside talking, Arhivil went to Dimrost to talk to him about the little Prince.

"I've been spying on them for days now and they're really putting themselves in danger. Thranduil must be informed," Arhivil told the master archer, "For their safety as much as ours. Then again, I think they may stop now anyway. After what happened today"
"I hope so for their sake, Thranduil is not going to be happy about this," Dimrost answered, "but I praise you for your spying. It's not easy to spy on them without them noticing."
"In that you are correct. It's even harder when they're listening with all their might for spiders."

"What are you going to tell Thranduil? You'll have to break it to him slowly." Dimrost pointed out.

"I don't know," Arhivil admitted, "Would you help? You have some experience in these sorts of matters."

"Alright."
"Thank you," Arhivil said gratefully, "at least Thranduil comes back tommorow so I won't have much time to worry about what I'll say."

"I must go now. I promised your sister I would help her with her new bow."

Arhivil smiled and they parted. Then she turned down towards where she had told the pesky young ones to wait. They were going to get a right talking to by her today and Thranduil tomorrow, only they weren't to know that she knew that they had been Spider Baiting.

Next day when Arhivil went to find the young Prince, he and his young friends were nowhere to be found. She groaned. Apparently they had not learnt their lesson. Thranduil was due to arrive in a matter of hours, what would she tell him if she didn't know where Legolas had gone? She searched for about two hours, but in vain. Spider Baiting no doubt, she thought bitterly to herself. What if one of them was bitten! Would she be held responsible? Thranduil was due to arrive at mid day, in one hour! What if she hadn't found them? The hour passed all too quickly for Arhivil, and soon Thranduil was there. She had to appear before him with Dimrost and Legolas but Legolas still hadn't returned. She went in nervously with Dimrost and the king greeted them.

"Arhivil, Dimrost," He said smiling, but then his smile faltered a little as he said, "But where is Prince Legolas?"
"Yes, were is the little pest?" asked Gelion, Thranduil's second son.

"And what havoc has he be wreaking in our absence?" Aegnor said in a what-has-he-done-this-time kind voice. He was the eldest and tried to pretend that he was tired of Legolas' pranks, but it was common knowledge he thought that they were good for a laugh.

Thranduil turned and frowned at his elder sons. They had caused just as much trouble when they were younger. His elder sons always stood at either side of his throne so it was impossible to frown at the both at the same time. (This was the precise reason for standing where they did.)

Dimrost shook his head slightly at the memory of Gelion and Aegnor as little ones, running about, causing havoc, but neither of them had done anything this dangerous before.

"Only a few small tricks, an A.A attack and a couple of fixed games," Dimrost said, "He was pretty well behaved nin Aran."
"For Legolas." Added Arhivil.

"Lets start with the fixed games, then tricks and then how many he managed to shoot." Said Thranduil with a sigh.

"Well their fix was the game of hide and seek-" began Arhivil but was interrupted by Gelion.

"You got yourself into a game of hide and seek with Legolas! I thought you knew better than that."
Arhivil glared at Gelion as she continued, "But I decided one day was long enough to look for him and gave up after that. There was a game of 'duck, duck, goose' and then there was tag. Aros, Balar and Earelen ended up playing and it would have gone on all day, with me being 'it' all the time I might add, if Legolas hadn't-" she broke off wondering how to put it.

"If Legolas hadn't what?" asked Thranduil, not sure if he really wanted to know.

"Well…he…er…" Arhivil said uncertainly, "He just…fell over…or tripped. I'm not really sure which."

"Now that does not sound like Legolas." Aegnor said.

"And the tricks?" Thranduil prompted.

"I think that may have been a fake fall but apart from that there were only a couple of little harmless ones, but he and his friends did get, how many was it?" Dimrost said.

"Thirty-six," Arhivil said, "And I was one of them."

"Thirty-six!" exclaimed Thranduil, "I think that a record. But he's been ok then? In general I mean.

"Sort of." Arhivil said hesitantly.

"Sort of?" Thranduil asked, eyebrows raised, not sure he wanted the answer.

"Nin Aran, he…he goes…he goes Spider Baiting." said Arhivil and waited for the words to sink in.

"Spider Baiting?" asked Thranduil, as if checking that he had heard right.

Arhivil nodded and Dimrost gave her a little nudge telling her not to go on. It could wait. Thranduil sighed, 'Spider Baiting,' he thought, 'what on earth could drive him to do that', then a realisation struck him, what if Legolas took his friends?

"He didn't take Aros, Balar and Earelen, did he?"
Arhivil nodded again. Legolas was in so much trouble.

"Aegnor, Gelion?"

"Yes Adar." The boys answered in unison.

"Go with Dimrost and Arhivil and try and find you're brother will you. I must see to something."

"Yes Adar." They said again.

Some time later Legolas had been found and Thranduil was informed. As they entered the throne room Thranduil stopped dead. All over his throne room were spider webs, and in the centre of the room, on the throne no less, was a spider. At the look on his father's face Legolas tried not to laugh too hard but he couldn't keep the adult elves from seeing his grin.

"Legolas." Thranduil thundered dangerously.

That wiped the smile from the young prince's face.

"What is this?" Thranduil asked angrily.

"I…er…that is…um…I." Legolas, faced with his father's anger, was lost for words.

Arhivil could tell this was not going to be good.

After Thranduil had half shouted, half lectured Legolas for ten minutes, the young prince was pleading with his father, who was greatly angered by his sons lack of responsibility.

"You were completely irresponsible and what's worse, you put your friends in danger!" Thranduil finished, angry and disappointed.

"But Adar, I didn't mean-"

"You didn't think!" Thranduil said loudly in his anger, but not shouting, "Any of you could've been bitten! And you show even more how little you think about danger by covering the throne room in webs! You-"

"They're not real webs!" cried Legolas, "And it was just a joke!"

"Joke or not, spiders settle in groups and if they thought one had settled here," Thranduil suppressed a shudder, "have you any idea how much trouble that would cause?"

"Adar, I didn't think that-"

"No Legolas, the problem is that you don't think about the consequences. You don't think about what might happen. If you ever do something like this again, especially Spider Baiting, you will be in so much trouble you'll wish you'd never be born. Now, you are going to clean up this mess and destroy those webs and that spider. After that, we will discuss your punishment."

Thranduil left the hall with Aegnor, Gelion, Dimrost and Arhival following. Legolas sighed heavily and went to get things to clear up the throne room. He felt awful; he hated to hear his father disappointed with him. As Legolas began to clean up, he suddenly thought, 'Oh no! What if Adar tells Aros', Balar's and Earelen's parents? What would happen to their foursome? I must stop that at all costs, even if it means I'm punished in their places. I'd rather get extra punishment than lose my friends.'

Translations

Nin Aran - my king

Adar - father

REPLY TO REVIEW

TreeHugger: Thank you for reviewing. glad you like it. Well, of course Legolas is fast, he's wonderful at everything! (except being innocent!) Yeah, I guess I am a bit mean to Arhival. I'll try to be a bit nicer, though I can't say anything for Legolas and and his friends, they may not want to be. You're probably right though, he probably should have twisted his ankle for real, would have served him right and Dimrost did have every reason to be suspicious about them being good, who wouldn't be? I was originally going to be a real spider that cornered Arhival but I changed my mind. Well, i hope you like this chapter as much.