Disclaimer: Still not mine.

Big hug to Katy to say thank you for being my beta and I'm sorry I killed you!!

Chapter Twenty Eight

"Fingoran, I was expecting you." Elrond sat back in his chair taking note of the changes the years had wrought on the Elf in front of him.

"Really, and you expect me to believe you?" The cold sneer was enough to freeze a Warg in mid lunge.

"That of course is your prerogative. But to answer your question, yes I did expect you." He looked critically at the Elf in front of him.

He was so thin he made even Legolas as he presently was look fat. His face was heavily lined, which was unusual in an Elf. His skin also had a pallid look as if he had been very ill and was just recovering from an injury. The dark hair once so lush and luxurious was limp and dull, hanging in tangles as if he cared not for his appearance. His clothes hung from his frame, they had seen long use.

"Life does not appear to have been kind to you. Please explain how you escaped." Elrond's sharp eyes did not leave the others.

"Did you think I would not? It was easy, I just waited and bided my time, and the guard's eventually became lax. I took advantage."

"So where have you been? I should have known it was you by the clever poison introduced into the Prince. Only I or Saruman and Mithrandir would have the talent to create such an interesting potion."

"I waited, made myself well and then made my way to Mirkwood. I have been there since." Fingoran was moving around the study touching belongings here and there.

"Mirkwood, what did you want there?" Elrond was puzzled, Thranduil knew all that had happened in the past with this Elf, and had in fact been a part of it. Why then did he not tell either Galadriel or him self of his presence?

"Thranduil had no idea I was there." He spat the King's name as if it was a foul word. "Do you think he would accept me after all that happened? No, I disguised myself and became indispensable to him. You can not believe how trusting that Elf is, it is quite sad really. How the mighty are fallen."

"He did not know?" The frown appeared in Elrond's face once more.

"No and I kept it that way, worked my way up through the ranks until I became his most trusted aide. The Prince was the only one who never fully trusted me; he was always sneaking around, always suspicious." Fingoran was now glaring at Elrond.

"At least one of them had good sense. So why are you trying to kill him?" Elrond relaxed back steep ling his fingers.

"He became far too nosey. I have been working with another of like mind and he saw us. I could not take the risk of him telling his father."

"That is what this has all been about, he saw you talking with someone?" Fingoran nodded. "He does not even remember it."

The look on the other Elf's face was priceless. "W… what?"

"As I said Legolas did not even notice it. Your secret was safe, at least for the time being. What had you intended to do?"

"Have the Prince disappear and continue on with my work."

"Just who are you working for?" Elrond knew from long experience that this dark Elf never worked alone.

"Would you like to know? I work for the one who will eventually lead Middle Earth." He looked smug now.

"Sauron?"

"Of course, he will be your Master before long if you do not run like the cur that you are."

Elrond gave him a real smile. "Oh, I will not be running, never fear. What are you doing in Mirkwood? Is that why the darkness encroaches more with each pass of the sun?"

"Yes, I use my position to guide the Orcs and Spiders with their attacks. It is most amusing to see the Wood Elves trying to protect their precious wood."

This had been what Elrond feared. Still watching him closely he used Vilya's powers to contact Galadriel so that she could send help. "Thranduil will not be very happy." Was his comment.

"Thranduil is a fool! As if he could hide his son from me, all the big secrets and planning. He never once realised that was in the room with them. It was easy to find some disaffected elves to twist to do my bidding."

"Saefnol and his family." Elrond felt the sorrow at the death of the Elfling. Moving slowly and deliberately he placed his right hand on his knee, out of sight.

"You can not imagine how easy it was to manipulate him. It is a pity I had to kill him for his failure; he would have made a good Orc." Saefnol could not help goading.

"You have the blood of many on your hands. Do you really still believe you will be allowed to sail to the Haven's with this on your hands?"

"I have no wish to travel to the Haven's. I have been banished from going, you, Galadriel and importantly, Thranduil saw to that. No, I am content to stay in Middle Earth and carry out my Master's wishes. That of course means I can not leave you or Legolas alive."

"We had many reasons for banishing you, as well you know. We could not leave you to carry on with your twisted work." As he was speaking his hand was moving slowly and carefully to the hidden draw he had had incorporated into the wood of the foot well. Pressing the knot the draw slid open and he took the knife from it. Laying it over his knees he silently closed it. Now he was armed.

"It was only twisted because you said it was!" The old rage was showing in his voice.

"It was evil. What else do you call torture and experimentation? How many poor Elves and men passed through your hands? How many died for your 'research'? Do not even get me started on those that you raped. It disgusted me then and it still does now." Elrond's voice was cold.

"I disgust you? You are arrogant and manipulative yourself, only you can not see it. You always have to be in the right. You see no further than the end of your nose. You disgust me!" He was gesticulating at the Elf Lord with his finger. Jabbing home his points.

"What happened, Fingoran? What changed you into this monster, Cousin? You were happy, had a family. You had your whole life ahead of you. You had a good position here."

"You want to know what happened to change me. Thranduil. I should have been King not he, Grandsire should have pushed him aside and put me on the throne. Look at the mess he has made of it as well. The darkness growing by the hour, spreading its poison. The Queen slaughtered like an animal by my Orcs. Then we come to the spoilt little Prince. If I have my way Mirkwood will gain a new, stronger King that will work for them. Then they will understand just how badly he has ruled them."

As Elrond listened to the Elf's raving he felt a great sense of pity. Once he had been as good a healer as Elrond him self was, now it was obvious he was stark raving mad.

"You will find your self with quiet a fight on your hand. Mirkwood's Elves are very loyal to their King. It will be a long hard fight and I will be beside him as will my son's." The promise was there in Elrond's voice and it was one he meant with all his heart.

"That will be rather difficult when you will not leave this room alive." Fingoran was lifting his own sword and moving towards Elrond.

The Elf Lord stood with one fluid movement and moved away from the desk his own smaller knife raised and ready.

Fingoran gave the knife one look and gave a manic laugh. "That is all you will meet me with? You are laughable, Elrond."

"May be but this is all I need." Elrond's voice was quiet and sure.

The mad Elf was just about to make the first move when footsteps could be heard running down the corridor. For one second Fingoran's attention was lost and his eyes flickered to the door. Elrond needed no greater invitation. He threw the knife with all his might.

The knife flew true and caught the Elf in the left hand side of his chest. Fingoran turned stunned eyes to look at Elrond before looking down at the ornate knife that stuck obscenely from his chest before crumpling to the floor.

Elrond had just moved to make his way to Thalen Elfs side when the door flew open with out knocking. Estel ran in sword at the ready, followed by Elladan.

"Ada!" The skidded to a halt as they took in the sight before them.

"It is all right, it is over. I am unhurt." He smiled in reassurance as he knelt beside his cousin.

"Who is it?" Elladan was curious.

"Some one from long ago…" The sound of more running feet could be heard. This time it was Haldir.

"Elrond, you must come! It is Legolas, come." He was in the room and tugging at Elrond's robes in his urgency and worry. All decorum had fled. "Come on, hurry!"

Elrond allowed him self to be pulled from the floor by the March Warden. "What has happened?"

"He is fitting. I have never seen a fit like this."

Elrond needed no other urging. He stopped at the door causing Estel to run into him. "Elladan stay here until guards are sent. This is the one who wishes Legolas dead." And then he was gone, running towards the Halls of Healing.

Elladan looked down at the crumpled form in disgust. Against his better wishes he knelt to check if he was still breathing, before taking his belt off and using it as a make shift rope to tie his hands. He stood back, sword at the ready until the warriors Elrond had sent arrived.

Once their prisoner had been removed he ran the way over to the Halls of Healing, worry thumping in his heart.

Haldir was still pulling Elrond along behind him, not willing to let go. The fact that he was acting like this was of great concern to Elrond, it was very, very rare that the Lothlorien Elf was seen in such a state of agitation.

As soon as he entered the chamber he could see why. Thranduil was sitting stunned on the floor; blood was trickling down his forehead. Mithrandir and Galadriel were doing all they could to calm him down. Glorfindel was at the herb table frantically preparing herbs. Elrohir some how had Legolas' head in his lap trying to offer reassurances. They were all falling on deaf ears.

The Prince's eyes were tightly shut, his jaw clamped tightly shut. As he watched Elrohir lent over his friend. Elrond tried to warn him, but it was too late.

The force of the next convulsion brought Legolas' head up and a sickening thump echoed in the chamber as two heads connected. Elrohir fell stunned to the floor. Estel quickly moved in to take his place. Not one even glanced at the twin all were more concerned with the Prince on the pallet.

Elrond turned with only one word to Glorfindel. "Paste." He did not even wait for the answering nod before reaching the pallet. His worry rose as he saw the blue tinge that ringed Legolas' mouth. The bandage on his chest was tinged with red, the wound opened once more, by the sheer force of the muscle contractions.

"I need him on his side." His voice was terse. No one said a word, but all moved into help. The small bowl appeared in his hands. It was far more difficult this time to administer the medicine. The force of the seizure was greater than any had been. But finally they had finished and Legolas was once more on his back.

Glorfindel moved to check the other two fallen Elves. Thranduil was first. Legolas' leg had caught him off balance and by surprise. He had hit the wall with some force. Thankfully apart from being a little dazed and having a great bump which had bled slightly, Thranduil was alright.

He moved on to Elrohir but he was already being helped to his feet by his brother. His face was pale and even from across the room he could see the large bruise that marred his pale forehead. Glad that he was being seen to, he moved to Elrond's side. To his shock Legolas was still fitting, although they had eased slightly.

All eyes apart from Glorfindel's were on Legolas. As he looked at his friend he could see the worry that was evident in all of them, but more so in Elrond. They could only wait for the seizure to die.

Once Legolas was limp on the pallet, Elrond made them all move away. Thranduil and Estel both tried to defy this order, but the look Elrond gave them stopped all notion of staying where there were and they complied with Elrond's wishes.

Elrond began examining his patient once more. Legolas' forehead would be a bruised as Elrohir's given time, that was another worry, three head injuries in such a short amount of time was not good. Dark rings framed the sunken eyes. Gently Elrond pulled each lid up and watched as the eyes responded to light. The left was once more even more sluggish than before. Then he noticed the right eye. This too was sluggish to react. Elrond's fear was confirmed.

Caressing the pale alabaster skin, he stood back with a sigh.

"What is it?" There was a real quaver in Thranduil's voice.

"The pressure is back it is causing even more problems than before, that is why he is seizing." Elrond would never admit it but he was tired, very tired.

"What do we do now?" Galadriel was standing by Thranduil, giving as much comfort that she could.

"We will have to re open the Burr holes and drain what ever is causing the pressure. I will need you, Estel to go and check on my prisoner. He should be being closely guarded here in the infirmary, he was injured earlier. Please check him over; I will want to talk with him later."

"Yes, Ada." With one final glance at Legolas he reluctantly went to do as his father asked him.

"Galadriel could you take Thranduil out of the room, I do not mind where he waits, but it can not be in here." Thranduil did not even complain, he just gently kissed his forehead before leaving with Galadriel until he stopped at the door, turning he looked back at his friend.

"Prisoner, what prisoner?"

"Fingoran, he came to me in my study." The look of shock on the elder Elves faces was amazing. "We will talk about that later, Legolas does not have time for this."

That was all it took, Thranduil needed no greater encouragement.

"Elrohir, take the pallet." He pointed to the one he had been using. "Rest, you look as if you need it. Haldir, will you stay with him?" Indeed the younger twin was looking very pale, the bruise standing out even more than before due to the pallor. He watched as Elrohir did as he was bid without one word of protest. A clear indicator of how he felt. Haldir moved to suit beside him.

"Celeborn, I do not believe you will be of use here, Mithrandir helped us last time and has a better idea of what is needed. Galadriel may well need your help with Thranduil." The observation raised strained smiles around the room.

"As you wish, Ion-nin. I also agree with your logic." Even though his daughter had been in the Haven's for many, many years know, he still regarded Elrond as his son. He left the chamber.

"Elladan, Mithrandir we need to move Legolas into the, middle of the chamber. We will also need a lot more light."

Between them they moved the other pallets in the room and then they gently moved the one containing Legolas near to the fire. Elladan then left to fetch more candles and torches. Mithrandir without asking began to fill the kettles with water and set them to heat.

Elrond stayed by Legolas' side, making ready all the equipment that they would need. Then they were ready. Elrond watched as Glorfindel mixed the extra strong herbs that he would need to sedate Legolas with and between the two of them they managed to feed the unconscious Elf the tea. Then they had to wait.

With Mithrandir and Elladan's help the procedure began. It was difficult this time and took even longer. But finally he managed to break the membrane covering the mixture of old blood and serous fluid. It drained an awful lot, more than he had been expecting. But finally it was over.

He slumped back, exhausted. He watched as Elladan bandaged the blond head. He had been thankful that he had not needed to shave all of it and the parts he had shaved were positioned in such a way that Legolas' would be able to hide them. He knew how unhappy the Prince would be to waken to find he had no hair.

"I will go and speak with Thranduil. Glorfindel would you stay with Legolas?" Elrond did not really want to leave the chamber, but equally he did not want to discuss this in front of his patient.

"Of course." Elrond gave him a thin exhausted smile before he too made his way out of the chamber.

He did not have to go far because his friend and relatives were waiting, rather impatiently on Thranduil's part, in the corridor. The three of them looked up as he walked through the door.

"Well, how is he?" Thranduil gave him no time to speak.

"The operation went well. There was a very great build up of blood and debris that was causing the pressure. We have drained it away; in fact it is still draining. I think given time he will recover fully from this." Thranduil sagged with relief. "But, it will be a very long hard recovery. But that was not was causing all the seizures." Elrond was watching Thranduil closely.

"What do you mean? What was causing them then?" Thranduil was more confused than ever.

"There was a very small splinter of bone that must have fallen loose the last time we operated. It was pressing on some of Legolas' nerves and with the pressure that was causing the problem. I removed it, I do not think he will have any further seizures, but only time will tell."

"Can I see him?" Thranduil's eyes were on the door behind him.

"Of course, come in." The four made their way in to the chamber once more.

Thranduil immediately rushed to his son's side. To him it looked as if Legolas had a little more colour than he had before. He certainly seemed to be more at ease, almost relaxed.

Galadriel placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, smiling in reassurance. Celeborn made his way to Elrond's side.

"You said earlier you have a prisoner, Fingoran? How can this be?" Celeborn was frowning.

"He told me he waited until the guards became lax before making his escape. He made his way to Mirkwood, disguised him self and has been working for Thranduil since then."

Thranduil looked up at that. "He has been working for me? But I would recognise him."

"He disguised him self, Mellon-nin. It must have been with help, though." Elrond accepted the hot cup of tea from Mithrandir with a smile of thanks. The tea was welcome.

"Who was he?" Thranduil's voice was icy cold.

"Gloren, he told me he worked his way into your court. He has been using your Scouts intelligence to organise attacks on your people. He has been working for Sauron." Elrond's voice was hard and throbbed with suppressed anger.

"He would have been present at every meeting we held to discuss the growing problem. I would never have guessed it was him." Thranduil was angry at him self for being duped.

"He made certain that the spiders and Orcs were rarely in the places you had been told; either that or he left a few to lull you into a sense of calm. But that is not all, Thranduil." Elrond suddenly could not meet his eyes.

"What more can there be?"

"It was he who arranged for Saeliana's death, he admitted it to me." There was long held sorrow in that voice, now.

Thranduil felt the sadness flood through him at hearing his beloved dead wife's name. How he missed her even after all this time. "I will kill him." The voice was flat and deadly.

"He will be punished, this time he will not be able to escape." They could all hear the vow in Celeborn's voice.

"Why is he trying to kill Legolas?" Glorfindel could not help but ask.

"He saw Fingoran meeting with one of Sauron's minions. He was worried that Legolas would tell you of this. Legolas did not even register what he had seen, I think. Still he is custody and injured. I managed to knife him before he attacked me. We have time to interrogate him, later. For now we wait for Legolas to wake up." Elrond tried to hide an uncharacteristic yawn.

"Here, Ada, sit down before you fall down." Elrohir was worried at just how exhausted his father looked.

"Thank you, Ion-nin." He sighed with relief as he sat beside his son. For some reason, all of a sudden he could not keep his eyes open and with every one watching with amusement he fell into Elrohir's arms, asleep.

Thranduil turned to Mithrandir. "He is not going to be happy that you drugged him." His smile was wide, though. He would never let Elrond forget this.

"Ah, my friend I just handed him the goblet." Mithrandir some how managed to look incredibly innocent. It may have worked but for the fact his eyes held a bright, laughing twinkle.

"That was my doing I am afraid." Glorfindel looked pleased with him self. "I doubt he would rest otherwise."

"You may be right." Galadriel's voice fairly tinkled with amusement. They watched as between them Elladan and Elrohir gently laid their father more comfortably on the bed.

All was silent apart from the huddle that was Glorfindel, Galadriel, Thranduil, Celeborn and Mithrandir. They sat quietly talking over what there next step with the prisoner would be. No one could agree as to what punishment he should receive. Thranduil wanted to impose the highest sentence that they could, death. Finally they agreed to disagree, at least until they had all spoken to Fingoran.

Once more, though all they could do was wait. Thranduil would not leave Legolas' side until he had regained consciousness and he had reassured him self that his son was better. Of course they also had to wait for Thranduil to waken, too.

To be continued

I would like to thank every one who reviewed me and let me know how I am doing.

Replies to responses:

PopcornandGreenery: Apoplexy? Oh no! (Shell rushes to help) Will this chapter help? Please don't hurt yourself when you fall over. Please?

Legolas-gurl88: I still cry when I read that chapter. Sigh, she has to bring him back. She has too! Or I might have to!!! I didn't know that is what Orlando calls him, I love it! Elves rule? YAY!!!

LishaChan: No problems, will talk to you about it soon. I hope this answers some of your questions?

Barbara Kennedy: I don't think they will, too loyal and a little shocked at it, me thinks. Here are all your answers, or at least some of them. What do you think?

Jopru: No cliffie just for you….

Deana: Here you go!

Thank you all once again and I will hope fully see you all again tomorrow.

Love,

Shell

xxx