Disclaimer: Tolkien owns everything except Herendil, Githil, Ruthiun, Fenath and Meleris. They are MINE. *Looks around in a burst of paranoia*

Author's Notes:

This is still the fifth day…

Sirnonenath: Thank you for telling me whether the Herendil/Legolas thing worked. I really needed to know. I'm glad you like it cos there will be lots more. It keeps the timeline at the right place. Thanks.

farflung: I agree with you though I personally do not like to read about slash if its really R-stuff. I like really deep male friendships but not incest or stuff like that. I wouldn't flame anyone if they wrote one, as long as they had a warning. But then I have never flamed anyone. Thanks for sharing your opinion.

Elvenbabe: Elrohir and Elladan are teens I think. Maybe around three or five human years older than Legolas. Legolas is the human equivalent of ten. Thanks for the comment about Herendil and Meleris. It is good to see people that enjoy seeing males just as friends. 

Feanen: My faithful reader, you were first to review chapter five! Thank you so much!

Saxaphonebaby, Autore Kozoma and anyone that I have missed: Thanks for adding me to your favourites!

Discussions…Legolas' thoughts are in italics.

**In Imladris, Elrond's Study**

When the elflings had left, Elrond and Glorfindel went to the study so that they could talk in privacy.

"Did you notice that Legolas lied when he was talking about his family?" Elrond said to Glorfindel.

"Yes, I did but apparently the twins were too excited to notice. I wonder why he would have to lie about something so…trivial. What is wrong with his family? Does he not have one?" Glorfindel wondered.

"No, the sub-supervisor that Legolas was accompanying confirmed that he had a father. He did not mention that Legolas had a mother. His father sent him away from Mirkwood but he does miss his home. Poor child, he's never been away from home," Elrond said. "Did he say who was his father?"

"No," Glorfindel replied. "He didn't. He only introduced himself as Legolas of Mirkwood. I wonder why he's trying to hide his father's identity. Is it to protect him? Or to hide a secret?"

"Well, he never did give a source for his injuries. Not that I can remember…I think he refused to tell me," Elrond said.

**Flashback**

"I need to take your tunic off so I can see your injuries. I'm trying to help you," Elrond said patiently.

"I can't." Legolas shook his head stubbornly.

"You can't what?" Elrond was beginning to be exasperated.

"I can't – let you help me. You'll see," Legolas explained.

"I have to see so I can help you, young one," Elrond calmly elucidated.

"But, you'll think that-" Legolas disputed.

"Let me see. I'm not here to judge you, only help. I won't ask you about them." Elrond reassured.

**End Flashback**

"I promised him I wouldn't ask him about them," Elrond said aggrievedly. "Still, he isn't fully healed. Physically perhaps but he still has nightmares of them."

"He can only help himself if he tells someone but you don't want to force him to tell you?" Glorfindel said.

"Yes. But I do know whoever hurt him cannot hurt him here. He is safe in Imladris," Elrond said.

"Who hurt him?" Glorfindel queried curiously.

**Flashback**

"Who hurt Legolas? Was it Ruthiun?" Elrond asked boldly. He had thought of this as he remember the way Legolas reacted to Ruthiun's death and the haunting look in his eyes. Elrond was not easily fooled and he suspected Ruthiun had something to do with it.

Herendil evaded Elrond's look. But he answered the question vaguely. "Partially." It was more so his father, Herendil though but did not say.

Then later…

"Did you hurt him?" Elrond accused.

"No…yes. I suppose I did but not physically," Herendil said regretfully," I did not hurt him for pleasure, I had to protect us."

"Protect yourselves from whom?" Elrond was confused.

"From certain people," Herendil prevaricated, he was starting to fiddle on the sleeves of his clothing. This was a sign that he was getting uncomfortable about the subject matter. The truth was that he was unsure how much he could reveal about Legolas.

"Certain people like Ruthiun?" Elrond concluded.

"Yes…and someone else," Herendil disclosed.

"Like his brother?" Elrond dared to ask.

"Yes. Githil as well…" Herendil hesitated.

**End Flashback**

Elrond sighed. "It's very complicated. I'm not so sure. As far as I can recall, Herendil told me that Ruthiun hurt him as well as his brother and 'certain people.' He also said that he himself might have hurt Legolas emotionally. But he justifies it by saying that he did it to protect him. This is very confusing. But I am certain that it has something to do with his father. Legolas was very upset the other day, the day Herendil left. He ran away from the Healing House when the healer said something like, 'Your father would be proud of you.' Why would he do that? This doesn't make sense," Elrond said.

"Why did Herendil have to leave with the body of that guard?" Glorfindel asked.

"This is even more complicated because apparently the guard was his foster brother. The guards older brother is Herendil's foster father and I have reason to believe that he is…abusive," Elrond said.

"Abusive!" Glorfindel exclaimed softly. "Elrond this is a very serious claim. Elves aren't abusive. We are a race of honour besides isn't this a father you are talking about? Elves aren't like that, especially parents…"

"But this is what is so unusual about this case. It revolves around this family. Herendil had scars…scars on his back! Like ones from a beating! I asked him if Githil had beaten him and he said he did. He told me that his foster father blamed him for his brother's death. This Githil was an orphan, just like Herendil. Githil took care of his brothers like they were his own children. But after Githil's brother died, he changed and became abusive. He hurt Herendil more than once before as his foster father."

"Does he have no honour? Why wasn't this case investigated and Githil arrested?"

"I believe that Githil is currently the supreme supervisor of Mirkwood. Herendil never told anyone, he didn't want to press charges. He felt guilty for his foster brother's death although there was never any evidence that he killed him, only a rumour that Herendil had poisoned his own brother. Githil had told Herendil repeated that he killed his brother. Herendil didn't know what to believe, he was very distraught. But he looked at me in the eye, he wasn't lying when he said that he didn't kill his brother. I believe that he is a victim of abuse and a victim of lies that have been spread around Mirkwood," Elrond explained.

"I see this is more complicated than I thought. Indeed it is a puzzle. Did this Githil," Glorfindel spoke the name as if it were poison. "hurt Legolas?"

Elrond nodded. "I believe that he did and his foster brother, the guard. To make things even more complex, Legolas thinks that he is a slave. Of all things a slave. He is only a child. He was commanded to be a slave. I wonder why his father didn't object, instead of sending him away."

"Unless this Githil had commanded him to be a slave?" Glorfindel suggested.

"No. Herendil said that Legolas' masters were mostly Githil and Ruthiun. But he was Legolas' master as well," Elrond recalled. "Perhaps his father had sent him away to be a slave?"

"I don't know. This is behaviour I have never witnessed from our own race. It makes me ashamed to call myself an elf. How could a father, even a foster father, hurt an elfling in their charge?" Glorfindel pondered.

"I don't know. I don't understand it myself. In all the years of my life, I have never had to comprehend such a thing with my own kin," Elrond admitted. "I just want to help Legolas, I hope I'm doing the right thing."

"You are. You are already treating him and babying him like he's your son. He could very well be yours except for his blond hair. He looks it. I take it you braided his hair and gave him the clothes?" Glorfindel reminded.

"Well he didn't have any. Plus, he needs someone to care for him," Elrond said. "Well, he does!" Elrond gave Glorfindel a stern look but failed. Glorfindel just laughed.

**In Mirkwood, Healing Rooms**

Meleris and Herendil managed to finish nearly all of the huge breakfast, save a piece of lembas bread. They both finished their trays, feeling completely bloated.

"I don't think I'll be hungry for a while," Herendil groaned. "I feel too full."

"Me too," Meleris agreed.

The healer came in to collect the food. "You finished the breakfast!" she said happily. Then eyeing the lembas bread that was uneaten, she corrected herself, "Almost. Well, it was a good effort."

Meleris fought the urge to roll his eyes. He had stuffed himself and Herendil.

"What time is it?" Meleris asked the healer, just before she left the room.

"Past Mid-Morning, about an hour before noon," the healer replied.

Meleris thanked her before burying his face in his hands. "My post is almost over in around ten minutes. I might as well take the whole day off."

"I could write you a note…but…"

"It will be fine. I don't need a note. I will just tell them the truth. I will be back shortly."

"I will be fine by myself. I am not an elfling. Stop worrying."

"Mind you behave yourself," Meleris teased. He winked at Herendil before striding out of the Healing Rooms.

**In Imladris, Hallway**

Meanwhile, Legolas was touring Imladris with the twins. The twins were excited to have a new friend to play with. "Now that we've shown you all the rooms and weaponry places, where else would you like to go?" Elladan asked.

Legolas was unsure of how to behave. He had never met any elflings close to his age. His father wouldn't let him play with the other elflings. Legolas barely even saw them let alone associate with them. "Um…" Legolas stalled.

"Well, we could swim, if father lets us…" Elrohir suggested. He looked mischievously.

"But we have lessons, brother," Elladan reminded Elrohir. "But then we do have a visitor."

"It's ok," Legolas said quickly. "I don't know how to swim anyway." He didn't mention he'd never been near a river or lake. "I'm sure your lessons are very important, I do not wish to bother you. You are Lords after all."

"Lighten up, we're just elflings we are allowed to have some fun," Elrohir said. "We can do lessons another day. Don't be so serious, you act like you are father."

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to make fun of him," Legolas apologised. He bowed his head.

Elladan and Elrohir laughed, they stopped when they saw that Legolas didn't find the situation funny. "No, we're sorry. You are just very serious and mature, Legolas. Elrond would have wanted us to be more like you – more like him. More often than not he tells us off for that. I suppose we really ought to grow up but we like having fun. Don't we El?" Elladan explained. Elrohir just winked. "Come on Legolas, let's go ask Ada at lunch!"

Not listening to their friend's protest, the twins proceeded to drag Legolas to the Great Hall.

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