"Yrch!" Legolas screamed. He could not see the orc but thanks to his keen senses he was able to discover his hiding place quickly. The orc had never seen such anger and ran the other way. Legolas hastened his step and jumped the orc causing it to crash it's skull into a large rock. The filthy skull shattered on impact but Legolas continued to beat its lifeless body with his fists. The tough and rusty armor of the conquered orc progressivly tore into the soft snowy skin of the elven prince. His knees pushed deeply into the orc's back and he tried to shove them even deeper as he heard its rib bones crunch one by one. Heavy breaths escaped the blond's lips as he fought to suppress the deep sob that threatened to escape.
"Aew was not be another on the mortician's list!" His entire frame rose with a deep inhale and suddenly he felt faint. Instead of giving into the darkness that threatened to conquer his conciousness, he reached for his knives and looked them over carefully. They were clean and so shiny that he could look into them and count the hairs on his head.
He grasped them and held them close to his lips and proceeded to give each a faint kiss, "These are the last kisses for the beautiful Aew. An elf..." the first knife plunged into the orc skin and was yanked free.
"...who was the epitome of tragedy!" the second knife followed. After an hour, he had diced the orc. He knew it was dishonorable, but, in his mind, there was no action more dishonorable than killing an innocent being.
Upon surveying the vile peices of a vile creature before him, he finally allowed himself to cry. His tears fell slowly at first but eventually evolved into torrential sobs of the agony he felt for his fallen friend. The dreary feeling of slumber that usually follows a bitter cry started to invade his alert mind. He fell back and landed in a pool of orc blood, not minding the stains that convered his golden hair.
"Orcs! Hear me now! Never attack what is dear to me again!" he slowly picked himself up and threw a peice of the corpse into the forrest. He continued to scatter the peices. Blood and other vile substances covered his fine clothing and caused stains that could never be removed even under the most powerful waterfall.
After a job 'well done,' he slowly sauntered to Aew's body. He allowed his fingers to trace the fine jaw line and move some hair from his face.
"Serenity takes you now, my friend. After the carnage which has befallen you whilst in my very own arms, I will not allow myself to lie in waiting for some other type of savior to protect Mirkwood. I must act. I have you to offer my thanks because you have inspired me, even when you now only live in the land of the dead," Legolas gently kissed his forehead, which was still slightly warm and walked with hope lightening his step.
"My son?" Thranduil stared at the lithe and tall body of his prince. He was covered head to toe in blood and other peices of flesh which were unable to be named. The other elf maidens in the garden stepped back with each step he took towards them.
Aew's father accompanied the king, "Quickly, get aid! The orcs are near the gardens!"
The maids began to run but Legolas held up his long arm and commanded: "Stop! Do no waste your steps! I have walked a long way from the battle and the orcs are no where near us now and no where near whole neither!"
"What do you speak of son? Are you hurt? Blood covers every inch of your form," Thranduil still remained at a safe distance from his son but tried to come closer to inspect him. He could sense an anomaly.
"The blood that now adorns my body is mostly of others and not of myself," he started to walk towards Aew's father with haste and a look a hate in his eye.
The old advisor stepped back as he smelled the scent of his son faintly on the prince's attire, "What have you done with my golden son, you dirty whore?!"
Legolas drew closer until the advisor was forced up against a wall, "I will have you know that your son died in my arms! And it is his blood that has been spilt by a dirty orc that is now no more, thanks to me... and it is that spilt blood that you now see on my tunic. But the blood that seems to drench my entire being is that of the distasteful and wretched orc that stole your son's life!"
The advisor silently spoke a long 'no' and began to sink to his knees. Legolas merely stared straight ahead unmoving. Thranduil laid a hand gingerly on his son's sholder. Despite the cold countenance his son wore, he could feel the movements of his heart as it threatened to break.
Thranduil was suddenly filled with fear for his son's life, "My dear Legolas, please, do not allow your heart to give up."
He drew a slow breath and closed his eyes, "Father, even though his death has threatened to break my heart, it will be the catalyst to its mending. For my heart has been on the brink of disinigration for many long days, and now I have found the strength to finally mend it. I will go to Rivendell, I hold no reservations here in Mirkwood. It is not only a mission for our country but on my own personal behalf, I will convince Haldir to come with his men to protect Mirkwood."
The prince lowered himself to the old advisor's level, "Do not worry. No more will any elf as beautiful and loving as your son be victim to such evil."
The advisor looked into the prince's cool blue eyes with malice, "Do not fool me, you are a whore, Legolas. You shall always be a whore. You've been a whore in my bed and every other elf in Mirkwood, save your dishonored father."
Thranduil didn't respond and walked back inside. Legolas turned to leave for the baths. He spent his bath in complete silence. Later, after packing some of the most beautiful attire Mirkwood had to offer, he took to his horse and left for Rivendell. No good-byes were necessary, nor expected.