Disclaimer: All characters and facts related to Tolkien's works are his.

Muddled Minds

Chapter II – Solitude

It was so quiet in the cave. Besides the sound of water and the clicking of lizards, it was very silent. The only greenery in the cave was some moss which had grown onto the wet rocks. No birdcalls penetrated the thick walls of rock and the voices of trees could not be heard. No matter how hard Legolas strained his ears, not a whisper, from the woodelf's beloved trees, was audible.

He was famished. Elves have been known to go remarkably long without food, but with nothing to do in the cave, Legolas couldn't help his mind dwelling on the hunger which plagued him.

What wouldn't he give for something to eat... Even a small wafer of Lembas would satisfy his overwhelming craving for some form of sustenance. He remembered the first time he had tried the Elvish way bread…

He un wrapped the leaves which kept the way bread hidden from sight and made it keep. It was a faint shade of brown and square-rish in shape. It didn't look very appetizing.

He snapped off a small corner of the renowned way bread and placed it in his mouth. His eyes widened in delight. It was coated with honey which filled his entire mouth. It didn't require much chewing and seemed to dissolve in his mouth, forming a smooth, sweet, buttery paste which had a mild taste of berries.

Eagerly, he broke off a bigger piece this time, observed that the inside was cream colored and crammed it into his mouth. The same thing happened as before and he gave a small sigh of contentment.

Legolas' mouth watered at the memory.

Did you starve to death? Did you waste away to nothing hanging there… till your skin was stretched tightly over your bones? And when your breathed your last, was the meager flesh left on your being picked at slowly by flies and other scavengers?

He directed these sobering thoughts at his silent companion. Futilely, he tugged at the leather strips that held him bound. They were strong and held. There were no sharp edges with which to cut them on. He sighed desperately. The lack of activity was getting to him. He almost wished that the man would return to the cave. That would at least give him something to watch.

The elf knew he should be thinking up ways to escape. What he had come up with so far was never going to work.

His first idea was to knock out the man when he came to get water. This was impractical as he was tightly fastened to the wall and there was no way his legs could reach out far enough to kick the man in the head. Even if he did manage to render the man unconscious, there was still that little problem of not having something sharp enough to cut the leather.

His second idea was to start moaning and groaning as though he was sick, this might lure the man near enough to attack. But what then? He thought, how could he let himself free?

He had to think harder, or he would be stuck here forever, never to feel the kiss of the sun or the caress of the wind again.

He shifted his foot which had become half embedded in the sandy soil. The tip of his boot nudged against something hard. A rock… An idea came to him suddenly, and slowly, he tried to ease the rock out from the sand, it might just do to cut through his bonds. Precariously, he balanced the flattish rock on the top of his foot.

If he had not been wearing boots, he might have been able to grip the rock between his toes and bring it slowly to the surface. It would have involved a lot of flexibility but would just be manageable. Sadly, as luck would have it, there was a high chance of the rock slipping off Legolas' booted feet before it even made it halfway through the water.

Even so, he had to try.

As expected, the rock slid off the elf's foot and fell with a soft plop back into the water. Legolas felt his heart sink as swiftly as the rock had. He began to laugh hysterically, despair was slowly overcoming him.

His laughter echoed through the cave, bouncing off the walls and filling the place with the sound of his own mirth. Tears came to Legolas' eyes, and he looked down with surprise as they dripped down.

He winced as he shifted his upper body. There was a rather deep gash across his back, which he had acquired from falling into the Madman's trap. It had stopped bleeding thankfully and was already beginning to heal.

Restlessly, Legolas awaited the return of his captor.

- - - - - - - - -

Nine days… Nine days his beloved son had been missing. Twelve days since Andùnë had returned home with Faroth on her back and not Legolas. They had sent out a group of elves to the place where Legolas had fallen into the animal trap, but he was not there.

As if that wasn't enough, blood had been found on the leaves of a plant close by. No one had any idea where the Prince was. Their best trackers had been sent out but no traces of Legolas had been found.

I will not lose my son this way… Thranduil thought resolutely.

- - - - - -

TBC…

Still rather uneventful… don't worry!! The action will start soon… Elf Angst to come…

Please review!

Notes:

Lembas

"The food was mostly in the form of very thin cakes, made of a meal that was baked a light brown on the outside, and inside was the colour of cream"

"but we call it Lembas or way bread. And it is more strengthening than any food made by Men, and it is more pleasant than cram, by all accounts."

"Why, it is better than the honey-cakes of the Beornings!" – Gimli

There isn't much in the book on how Lembas actually tastes… I assume it tastes of honey because of what Gimli says. The rest I made up.