Chap 9
Legolas' eyes slowly came into focus. He yawned widely and stretched, catlike. He glanced out the window, the sun was up, and breakfast would be soon. He sat up excitedly already planning what he and his friends could do today; Thranduil had lifted the ban on the forest the night before after their little heart-to-heart. But then the young prince remembered Galathil was there. That meant a boring breakfast for sure, he wouldn't even be in the same room as his friends. Sighing he dragged himself out of bed as there was a knock on the door.
"Come in." he said in a quiet subdued voice.
Arhival entered smiling.
"Quel amrun tithen min. How are you this morning?"
"Ok" Legolas replied with a shrug, then asked, "Am I expected to play with Galathil's children?"
"That depends on your father. I'm sure you can see Aros, Balar and Earelen as well even if you do." Arhival answered, picking up the under question, "But now, you must get dressed. You don't have to wear anything formal though. Just your slightly smarter ordinary clothes will do."
Legolas grinned. No more high collars, until the leaving dinner anyway. Arhival was taking suitable clothes out the prince's wardrobe. She laid them out on the bed then told Legolas to be at the private dinning room in half an hour. The little elfling nodded so Arhival left him to get dressed.
Twenty minutes later, Legolas arrived at the family's private dinning room. He stared at the door for a moment before he swallowed and entered. Thranduil was already seated at the head of the table. Galathil too was already there, and Gelion was there also, but Galathil's children and Aegnor had not yet arrived.
"Quel amrun Adar, Gelion." Legolas said perkily, before turning to Galathil and bowing his head, "Good morning my Lord Galathil."
Galathil chuckled, "Good morning to you too young prince. Though I fear that the title you gave me is hardly deserved. I am no lord, merely a spokesperson."
Legolas couldn't help giggle a little as he climbed onto his chair. Thranduil smiled warmly at his youngest son before turning back to Galathil and continuing their conversation. Soon Arhival lead Galathil's children in and Aegnor followed a few minutes later. Legolas couldn't help but notice the way he held his left hand. It was different to the way his oldest brother normally held his hands, he couldn't think how though, but it was definitely different. After a quite exchange with Thranduil, Aegnor took his place and they began the meal.
It was just as boring as yesterday's dinner, but Legolas had more to think about and less to brood on this time. He was planning on how he could convince his father to let him and his friends into the forest without supervision and wondering what was different about Aegnor's hand. When the meal was over, there was a quiet knock on the door and Gandalf entered. Legolas had nearly forgotten about the wizard for he hadn't been dinning with them and the young prince hadn't seen him since before the evening meal the night before. The old Istari walked slowly up to Thranduil and had a quiet word with him and Galathil before exiting again. Then Thranduil turned to Legolas and said,
"Would you look after our young guests today ion nin? We can't have them getting bored."
Legolas grinned at his father who smiled back.
"May I take them to the Aure Latina?"
"Of course, if it is all right with Galathil." The king answered his son before turning to Galathil himself; "The Aure Latina is a clearing not very far from here. It's perfectly safe."
"Of course. Will they be going alone?"
"Arhival will take them, but she won't be able to remain. However, she can go and collect them at lunch time."
"Very well. You hear that you three? And be good."
"Yes father." The two girls answered immediately.
Galador frowned slightly but nodded.
"Oh, and may Aros, Balar and Earelen come to?" Legolas asked hopefully.
"Yes, but don't ignore out guests."
"Of course. Diolla le Adar!"
So, less than half and hour later Legolas, Aros, Balar and Earelen were all standing in the entrance hall, cloaks about their shoulders, with Arhival wrapped in her own hooded cloak, waiting for the young guests. They soon arrived and the children hurried into the courtyard with Arhival following. When she stopped to talk to one of the guards, Eldanna turned to Legolas and asked curiously,
"Where are we going Prince Legolas?"
"To the Aure Latina. The Sunlight Clearing." He replied, pointing east of the palace.
"Can't we go that way?" Eldanna asked pointing south.
Legolas shook his head and bit his lip, how much should he tell these young humans?
"We can't go that way," he said finally, "It's dangerous to the south."
"But-" Eldanna began to argue, but at that moment, Arhival came back.
"Legolas, aren't you going to introduce your friends to your guests?" she said mildly with a smile.
"Oh, I'm sorry." He said, addressing the visitors, "Allow me to introduce Aros, Balar and Earelen."
He indicated to each of his friends in turn.
"Do they speak Westron?" Galador asked challengingly.
"A little" Legolas replied.
"Come on, let's be off." Arhival called to the young ones, cutting their discussion short.
So they hurried off after the maiden. Galador and Eldanna fell behind the others slightly to talk, while Elanor chatted brightly with the elves.
"Who does he think he is, bossing us around like that?" Galador muttered to his sister angrily, "I bet you he made that up about the south being dangerous. That's probably the best place in all this horrible forest."
"I'm sure he wouldn't do that." Eldanna replied uncertainly, "He is a prince after all, and he seems nice enough."
"Eldanna! Are you just going to let some stuck up elven brat walk all over you? He has no right to tell us what to do. I mean, I'm nearly double his age."
"Well, I don't know."
"Come on, we both want to go south, so why don't we. It's not like we'll be doing anything dangerous. Nothing'll happen to us."
"But what about the grown-up?"
"She'll go and then we'll go south. Come on Eldanna, do you really want some snobby pointy eared idiot bossing you around all day?"
Meanwhile, Elanor was happily chattering away. Soon, Arhival stopped and said,
"It isn't much farther and I'm sure you can find your way on your own, so I'm sorry to have to leave you like this, but I really must go."
"Bye!" Elanor called as the elflings bade her farewell in their native tongue.
"Come on. It's not much farther, this way."
They continued on, but the four young elves were too preoccupied with little Elanor to realise when Galador and Eldanna slipped away towards the south. In fact, they only realised when they reached the clearing a while later.
"Ai Valar!" Earelen cried, "Galador a Eldanna, manke na ron?"
Just then, they heard a faint scream coming from the south.
"That sounds like Eldanna!" Elanor cried horrified.
Legolas cursed, "Ron na wanwa har!"
"We do not go that way." Balar breathed, horror showing clearly in his face.
"We must." Legolas answered.
With that Earelen swung a very confused Elanor onto her back, and the four elflings took to the trees, making their way southward as quickly as they could. Legolas silently hoped that no one at the palace could hear the distant cries for help. If they could, he would hate to think what his father would do to him.
A few minutes after Arhival had left the children, Galador and Eldanna had slipped off to the south. They had made their way carefully, but after a while, Eldanna began to get frightened. The further south they got, the denser the trees seemed to get, giving the air a darker, suffocating quality.
"Galador, I don't like this, it's so dark. I think Legolas was telling the truth." Eldanna said fearfully, quickening her pace so she could walk closer to him.
"Don't be silly, it's probably just cloudy."
"But, but it's so eerie! No Galador, I don't like this one bit!"
"So go back, and don't bother me anymore. You're just being a wimp."
"I'm not a wimp!"
"Then come on."
A while later, they came to the edge of a wet area, with many little pools of dark, murky water and wet mossy, muddy ground. Just then, Eldanna realised she was stuck.
"Galador!" she cried, terrified, "Galador help me!"
Her brother made for her, but started sinking in the thick mud and got stuck.
"Galador, I'm sinking! What'd we do?"
Just then, Eldanna felt as something brushed past her and she screamed. She kept screaming and calling for help and soon she was in tears. Galador was struggling desperately, trying with all his might to get out, but only sinking faster for it.
Meanwhile, Legolas and his friends dashed through the canopy, hurrying towards the sound of Eldanna's cries for help. Finally they reached the edge of the mini bog. The young humans were out of reach, fairly close to the middle. Aros stepped out onto the boggy land, but scrambled back quickly after he felt himself sinking.
"Eldanna! Galador!" Elanor cried, terrified for her siblings.
Then, to cap it all off, a spider appeared at the side of the marsh. Legolas cursed again. Just his luck!
"Balar, Earelen, get Eldanna and Galador! Aros, help me distract that spider!" Legolas called to his friends, instantly assuming command, almost instinctively.
Balar went straight to find something they could use to pull Galador and Eldanna free while Earelen called out to the trapped humans, trying to tell them not to struggle but it was hard getting the message across as she didn't speak much Westron. Whilst that happened, Legolas and Aros drew their knifes and began distracting the spider away from its easy meal. Both of them couldn't help feeling grateful that they had Spider Baited because it meant they had experience dealing with the beasts. However, this spider was much bigger then the ones they were used to dealing with. The ones they had baiting had never been more than eight feet tall, but this monster, was a full fifteen feet. And on top of that, it had a massive seven-foot leg span, six bulging pairs of eyes, two, foot long venomous fangs and a pair of raiser sharp pincers.
"Hey Ugly!" Legolas yelled at the spider, "Bet you can't catch me!"
"Big fat spider! All big body! No brain, no shame! Can't catch me!" Aros taunted.
The spider hissed angrily, and taking to the canopy began to make for the two boys.
"Nah!" Legolas called sticking out his tongue at the enraged spider, then picked up a small rock and hurled it at the massive body.
It stuck home with a smack. Aros also began bombarding the spider with stones and together, he and the young prince began to lead the spider further away from the others, but not too far that they couldn't see them.
"Attercop! Attercop! Silly old thing! You can't catch us you Big Fat Fool!" Legolas called, in an annoying sing song voice.
Just then, hissing dreadfully, the spider leapt from the canopy to just in front of Legolas. The young prince gasped and leapt back, out of the way, his eyes wide. Then, after a quick glance at Balar and Earelen, who had found a branch and were beginning to drag Eldanna out the bog, his resolve hardened. They didn't need long, just long enough. So the young prince made his way, hopping and dancing, singing and taunting with Aros always just out of the spider's reach, leading it on a merry chase. But the spider rammed into the branch Aros was standing on, sending him flying to the ground. He made to get up, but the spider was too close and there was no way of escape. Legolas froze; staring horrified as the scene played before him. One of his best friends lying on the ground. The marsh on one side, a large steep rock on another, and the spider bearing down on him from the third. Aros was breathing hard. He stared, panic stricken at the spider, then to Earelen and Balar, who had got Eldanna out and nearly had Galador, then finally to Legolas.
"Go!" he yelled his voice shaking as the spider bore down upon him; "Go while you can! Leave me!"
Legolas shook his head numbly. Then as the spider drew close enough to Aros that it could touch him, Legolas let out a yell, and, almost without thinking, leapt between the beast and its intended prey.
"NO!" he yelled, slashing at the spider with his knife.
The spider stepped back a bit, hissing at the young prince. Soon the two were locked in a battle, Legolas striking out when he could, and dodging when he had to.
"Aros!" he called to his friend, after dodging a sweep from one of the pincers, "Get to Balar and Earelen! Now!"
Aros knew he couldn't help Legolas where he was, trapped between the marsh and the rock so he had no choice but to comply. Scrambling up he dodged the battle and hurried a little out of the way. Then he turned and gasped. Legolas had jumped back and fallen. He was still swiping out with his knife, but the spider caught his wrist under one of his legs. Fangs beared, the beast brought his mouth slowly towards the prince's neck. His friends stood there, frozen with fear. But then, the spider suddenly reared, up and back, and Legolas was on his feet again within a second. Somehow, the young price had managed to stab the leg holding his knife hand down. But the spider was atop him again as soon as Legolas had gained his feet, but this time, the young prince wasn't quick enough. Fangs sank into his left forearm.
A/N - he he! Cliff hanger! That was a bit mean, I know, but the chapter was getting a bit long, so I decided to stop there.
Translations
Ion nin - my son*
Aure Latina - sunlight clearing
Manke na ron? - Where are they? (Literally, where is they?)
Ron na wanwa har - They have gone south (literally, they is gone south)
*Previously I'd been putting 'nin' before the word (like ion) but Nellas has nicely corrected my grammar. 'nin' should go after.
Replies to Reviews
Nellas: Yeah, after everything I've put him through, Legolas might need a psychiatrist. As you can see, I've taken your grammar note, but Aaye is a word, I just haven't spelt it right because I've no idea how you spell it. No they don't end up near Dol Guldor as you probably guessed, just in a bog. But the ending for the last chapter was fairly fluffy, I thought it would be nicer seeing as what I've just done.
Daw the minstrel: Yes, good Ada Thranduil will probably be in here a lot. He's much nicer than nasty Thranduil. But keeping Legolas safe can be nearly impossible. The dinner was very boring though; I hate that sort of thing.