Chapter 6: An Mauya Mahtie (For You Must Fight)
The wolf now had settled itself besides Legolas, his huge head resting gently in the elflings lap. With his head drooping over the wolfs own, Legolas slept. His breathing sounded lethargic and like a drowning animal gasping in breaths with water. Every now and then a drop of blood from his mouth would slip onto the wolfs nose and then dribble down upon it's paws, giving the animal a feral look whenever it stood to hunt or sitting up to stretch.
Cold as it was, Legolas was kept slightly warm whenever the wolf's fur touched his face, hands or cuddled up with the now sick prince. With his mind having nothing to do he decided to name the wolf that had become his guardian. Lanthur he had called him, and the wolf seemed humbled by the name.
Lanthur's ears pricked up, and the wolf raised his head, sniffing the air. Carefully, so as not to wake the sleeping elfling from his pleasant dreams, the wolf crept into the cold forest and searched out the new smell. Travelling for more than half-an-hour, Lanthur looped on wonderfully silent paws, making sure that the creature didn't hear him.
It was with some shock the wolf was nearly leapt upon by a white fur ball. Backing away in shock, the wolf layed back it's ears and let out a howl-like whimper. The cat hissed challenge and Lanthur turned his head in amusement at the small creatures advances to his life.
Barking a greeting, the wolf wagged his tail. This small four-legged white creature smelt of the one he was guarding, so his assumed it was a pack member. The cat sat upon it's hunches neatly, turned it's head, and meowed questioningly. Suddenly from far off, a high-pitched whinny was heard. Immediately, Lanthur's ears layed back and he cowered in fright. This huge creature was known to carry ones that could kill him and caution was utter most needed here.
Marilla looked at Lanthur worriedly and growled that this creature was known to her, it meant him no harm and was on the same 'quest' as she was.
Jewel whinnied again, and both the wolf and cat answered. A few minutes later, the cat was upon the broad mares back, both gave the wolf a meaningful look. With a yip, wag of the tail, the wolf bounded off into the forest. With cat and horse close on his tail.
Before they could come close to the camp, the wolfs ears pricked up and his whole body quivered with concentration. Giving a deep bark, telling Marilla and Jewel to stay, Lanthur bounded to the borders of the camp.
The orcs had returned from a hunt.
Looking hurriedly around, Lanthur decided that the elfling was safe, as he was still sleeping. Whimpering slightly, Lanthur ran off to meet the horse and cat, to warn them not to approach, otherwise they could endanger the little elf without meaning too.
Nickering in agreement, the cat and horse decided to find the party of other elfling soldiers. Going in different directions, the two domestic animals left the wild one to care and defend their little master.
Hours passed and the two animals showed no sign of coming back any time soon, it had rained earlier, keeping the orcs in the cave and the wolf next to the fevered Legolas. He talked to Lanthur, about his home, family, friends and his animals.
"They are very brave," he whispered slightly, and continued to watch the wolfs amber eyes with his grey ones. "You are very brave, I don't think I am though." Tears began to seep from his eyes, and he coughed, bringing up blood from his lungs. "I want my ada . . ." he whispered brokenly.
Lanthur leaned in closer and licked the tears away from the hot face, Legolas continued to cry, but felt slightly comforted that at least he had something warm to cry upon.
The temperature dropped that night, and while Lanthur had a temporary shelter where he had escaped from, Legolas did not. So feeling a maternal pull, the wolf stayed close to the shivering body of the small elf.
Things went from bad to worse, as the night lengthened it rained lightly and then began to snow, lightly at first and then becoming thick very quickly.
Now knowing that this could end in disaster, Lanthur began to chew on the ropes, but was stopped when he saw the moonlight glint off an arrow point that was directed at Legolas's heart.
"Free him," it sneered, "and you both die." Lanthur bared his teeth and layed his ears back in response, growling menacingly at the orc on patrol. "You just keep growling, I'll make you growl about something in a minute, you mangy beast!"
The orc let the arrow fly and it landed between the wolfs front paws, making Lanthur leap back in fright and surprise. Chuckling cruelly, the orc went deeper into the warm cave, leaving Lanthur to huddle next to the coughing elfling.
Lanthur licked Legolas's red face and padded quietly away, his ears listening for any changes in his environment around him. Sniffing the ground every now and then, Lanthur would pause and see if any other creature, save for cat or horse, had passed by.
Quarter of an hour after sunrise, the light of the sun sparkled off of the unmarked snow except for a lone wolf that was in search of someone who could help.
Little did he know that help was just around a clearing.
~*~
Draugdil pulled his hood closer over his head, trying to fight the slight chill from the sudden snow-storm that night. Morning was approaching and on the second day of the search for the young prince was to begin in a few hours. Shaking snow from his brown boot, the tall elf closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, the first rays of the sun beginning to creep over the hills and onto the small camp.
Suddenly a howl alerted Draugdil, opening his eyes and keeping still he listened again. There again, this time a different howl, but not a hunting one. Deciding that something was happening, Draugdil put to his mind that a wolf was crossing into another clan's territory and letting them know about it, he intended no harm nor was he going to hunt there.
It was on a mission.
Alerted to attention, Draugdil prayed that the wolf would howl once more. After all, he'd not lived in the wild for three months and not learnt how predators and prey communicated between each other. The wolf howled again and Draugdil nearly whooped with joy, it had found Legolas! Or maybe a small child, but whatever it was the wolf was telling the other clan it was looking for its family.
Not getting too excited, Draugdil remained in the same spot but decided to encourage the wolf over towards the small camp, where sleeping bodies were scattered all around. The two orcs huddled together underneath two thick blankets. After all, the elves wanted the orcs to lead them towards their hide out, and possibly not die before they did.
Casting his eye around for any sign that any of his companions were waking, Draugdil started singing a tune for Legolas's safety and for the wolves protection, for the three siblings looking for their brother and for the clan of wolves. The howling between the two wolves was cut suddenly quiet as they listened to the perfect voice of the Elder.
Suddenly, Draugdil felt a presence behind him, and in sudden hope he turned around.
The rising sun was now huge against the cloudless sky, indicating a cool and calm day with little wind. Arching his neck a little Draugdil saw a male wolf in the shadows under the snow-covered trees. A little hesitant as to whether to follow the wolf, Draugdil cast his eyes around again on the camp.
Making up his mind Draugdil nodded his head at the wolf, sending a message to it that he was going to follow him. Quickly Draugdil gathered his weapons and a few extra cloaks, if the need should arise.
Again checking himself and the others, Draugdil looked for the wolf. Lanthur stood a little away from the trees, facing the deeper part of the forest paths that led to where Legolas was. He looked at Draugdil over his shoulder, his eyes like harvest moons.
Trusting the wolf completely with this, Draugdil followed the leading grey tail that dashed through the low bushes. The pace was easy for the wolf and elf, as they were in their element. Although climbing and running through the trees was tempting, Draugdil kept his desire over his need to find the prince.
As they came closer, the wolf let loose a string of barking-howls. Not loud but vocal enough to call to a mate or other wolf that he was passing. Instead of a wolfs call, a horse answered, and so did a cats
"Ias bedich?" Draugdil panted gently, not understanding what the wolf was do or where it was now leading him. However, he didn't get a feeling in his heart that this was wrong nor was the wolf playing tricks.
It was simply gathering friends.
As they continued through the forest, snow was kicked up from both Lanthur and Draugdil's feet as they dashed across the beautiful yet dark forests of Mirkwood. Times were changing and more foes than friends were coming into the realm of the elf king.
Draugdil was sure that every now and then he saw white out of the corner of his eye, and it had nothin to do with snow. His suspicion was clarified when a white mare broke across the trail, and again into the forest, a pearl-coloured cat on it's heels.
"Jewel?" Draugdil asked, confused at the appearance of Legolas's cat and his mothers horse. "Marilla? What are you doing here?"
Jewel came to a halt, and instantly Marilla was upon her back, trying to keep her paws warm and licking the cold snow off of them. The mare came to Draugdil and nuzzled his hand with her mouth, licking his cold fingers gently with her pink tongue. She seemed to be asking for Draugdil to follow them a little further. This was encouraged by Marilla meowing politely and offering her head for a scratch.
Looking at the wolf, whose eyes shone like beacons, Draugdil patted Marilla's fluffy head, and dusted snow from the Jewels mane. The elf turned to the wolf and asked him to continue. With a snort, as if laughing at the elf's behaviour, it turned but didn't run off, now it padded cautiously.
Pushing bushes aside, and careful so as to not disturb any birds or nesting birds, Draugdil had to keep himself from leaping out and grabbing Legolas right then.
"They have him tied like a vicious beast," he muttered to himself viciously, looing down at the wolf, who's hackles were raised in anger and concern for the elfling. Draugdil was assured that at least the Mirkwood beasts were more merciful than the orcs. Draugdil realised that he had to get back to camp to alert the others, and avenge the torture that Legolas was going through.
Closing his eyes, this was the one of the most painful things that Draugdil had to do, leave the elfling alone so that he could rescue him. Looking down at the wolf, Draugdil thanked it with a bow of his head.
"Please, keep him safe." The elf murmured to the cat and horse as he slipped away.
~*~
Draugdil's two brothers were the next to wake.
Rambamírë looked around sleepily and noticed that, after a head count, they were missing one of their company. "Algar," the middle child whispered, nudging his sibling awake. "Where's Draugdil?"
"I don't know," his brother replied, rubbing his eyes and yawning, "but he was meant to be keeping watch."
Fifteen minutes all the elves, including the three Thrandulion children, were wide awake and searching for their missing watcher.
"Could he have perused a orc during the night?" Gayadur asked Lúrin confusedly. "One could have tried to get past and he caught it."
"Nay," came his twins voice, "he went willingly with a wolf. It's tracks stop just before the clearing, whatever he was up to it may have something to do with our little orcs here."
The two prisoners were still sleeping, unaware that they were being discussed. One snorted in it's sleep, and rolled over hissing in pain as it did. Cassageln watched the for a while, trying to decide whether to wake the creatures up or not.
A twig snapping made Cassageln go completely ridged, and his sharp ears heard harsh breath coming from the woods. Not daring to put himself nor his family and friends in danger, the young elf kept his eyes from going to where they desperately wanted to look.
A shout of shock went out and the orcs that were tied up suddenly had arrows pointing out of their bodies and heads. They were dead before they knew anything, or saw the completely furious elf still holding his bow up and pointed at the two unseen orc-corpses.
The whole camp looked up and saw Draugdil, his anger and revenge now hidden under a mask. "We attack as seen as we have our weapons."
"But we don't know where Legolas is, nor how to get there," Neldëá hesitated at making his ire even bigger. "If you did not notice, you just murdered our guides."
"It's no more than they deserve," was all he said about that matter. "As for finding Legolas, we're not the only search party."
Whistling suddenly, Draugdil waited and a howl answered. Soon a huge and young grey, brown and white wolf trotted into the camp, startling many of the elflings who held their weapons at the ready in case it attacked.
Draugdil put his hand up, telling them that he meant them no harm whatsoever. "He knows where Legolas is, and I suspect that he's the one who's been protecting him. And as I said," Draugdil looked hard at them all. "We attack without mercy, and we do it quietly."
~*~
"How many have disappeared so far, Sylgu?" asked Uger roughly, throwing another log onto the burning fire.
Sylgu looked up and frowned. "How the hell should I know, what am I? A bloody counter?"
"If we lose anymore, it'll be your head on this fire, now HOW MANY?!"
"Six," Sylgu answered at once. "Only maybe four, there were four bodies when we searched. A stupid scuffle, knife marks and broken necks, filthy mongrels can't keep their own things to themselves."
Diputs, the other orc, looked around wearily. "I can't wait to burn these scum forests, uneasy they make me." Only two orcs and their leader were there at the moment. The other five had been sent out to scout the area and hunt for the now afternoon meal, three hours had passed with no sign of them.
The three orcs turned their back on the murmuring elf, not caring if he was delirious or dying at that particular moment. After all, he was no concern for them anymore.
~*~
The dizziness wouldn't go away.
Blinking hard, Legolas cast his eyes around for Lanthur and wasn't there. Since the wolf had been near him the orcs had left Legolas to his own business, not talking to him, or even threatening the elfling, but leaving him to basically die and without help to end it quicker.
They had left him there to die.
His eyes again, for the thousandth time, searched the ground for anything to break the tight ropes that were rubbing his wrists raw. By nature he was a quiet child and rarely cried out or made much noise when playing, preferring to play by himself quietly.
He had some close friends, but most of them, namely Elronds twin sons and his daughter Arwen, were to far to play with everyday. Cassageln wasn't much of a playmate for him as the elf was well over eight-hundred years older than his younger sibling, so hide-and-seek and tag wasn't much of a fun past time. Cats and horses weren't that much fun, especially when they clawed you at the spring, and Ruby was, for some reason or other, petrified of the waterfall. So all in all, Legolas had no reason to be loud or boisterous.
Looking up, Legolas almost gasped with wonder and anxiety.
A female elf was walking towards him, a soft smile on her cherry lips. She wore a simple white gown and her natural glow was bright, even to Legolas's eyes. He tried to warn her to leave, but she didn't seem to notice or she ignored his desperate warnings.
Soon, though, she came within a stride of him. She knelt before Legolas and smiled brilliantly, her blue eyes beaming with pride and happiness.
"Atara. . ." Legolas whispered, hardly daring to believe that his mother was alive.
"Yes," the strange elf said, smiling as he remembered she would.
Struggling to keep his eyes open, Legolas took a deep breath and almost choked on the next words in pain and grief. "You came back . . ."
"No, I'm just here to help." Lasilaem replied softly and knelt before her youngest son.
He felt like crying. Why wouldn't she come back? "I don't want to be alone, don't make me go back."
"You're not going with me darling," She said more forcibly. "Not ever, I'm sorry."
"I'm scared," Legolas whispered very softly.
"You're safe now." His mother spoke, tears shining in her beautiful blue eyes, his eyes if they'd been the same colour as hers, but the same shape. "Don't be afraid."
"I . . . I tried to tell them, I was sorry . . ." to the little elf, this seemed extremely important, to others it was delirium and fever that spoke.
"No, their souls died when they are turned, they do not understand." Lasilaem explained, she so wanted to grab him in her arms and make the pain of loneliness disappear.
"Make them go away, please," Legolas begged pathetically. "I want go home. . ."
"I cannot," Valar, this was hard, she hated seeing him so heart-broken and scared, "be strong, my little one. They'll be here soon, I promise."
"I'm trying . . ." his mother's vision was starting to swim. "I'm tired, mummy."
"Just a little longer. . ." Lasilaem's voice trailed off.
He let his tired gaze fall from his mothers beautiful face to the ground. It was too hard, his mouth kept slowly filling with small amounts of blood and it was agony to cough to clear his chest of the red liquid.
The green tunic that he wore was caked from his neck to his waist with dark blood, and the smell was almost too nauseating for him to hold his stomach. Both of Legolas's left knee and small right hand were throbbing from the effect of not being treated immediately and being held in tight ropes.
Blackness was pulling at the edges of the five-year-olds conscience and he was just starting to think about giving in when he heard him mothers voice calling to him urgently. "No, my little one, don't go there, it's not for you to go towards."
Legolas's body refused to answer his mothers voice and the little elf started to panic. His breathing begun to hitch and his frame was seized by a harsh coughing fit. Spluttering droplets down his chest, Legolas just wanted it to end, or for his father to wrap his arms around him and rock him to sleep.
His ears caught a commotion in front of him, but his eyes didn't register what he was seeing. Only when Uger's body fell in front of him, did something click. The eyes of the orc were glazing over quickly and somewhere in his mind, the little elfling prayed that the orc finally went to Mandos.
He was being rescued, but maybe it was too late.
***********
Translations:
1) Ias bedich? = Where are you going?
Additional note: I gonna take a little time off of this fic for a while. I haven't been well enough to write how I want and frankly, each time I type on this particular story I come down sick again. Believe me, I've already tested it. Why do you think I went into hospital for a second time?
I'm kinder running low on ideas as well, as I'm a good writer when it comes to killing and making people sic, but suck when it comes time for them to recover, so that's also why: to bring Legolas gradually back to his normal self, after all, who recovers in less than one chapter?
I don't know how long this'll last, I might update next week or month, who knows, but this fic will be finished before I post anything else. I promise.
Oh, I might make a fic related to his sister and two brothers before Legolas was born, wanna read it?
If any of you people have any ideas, let me know, Ok?
Love, Peace and The Beatles forever,
Smego Baggins
The wolf now had settled itself besides Legolas, his huge head resting gently in the elflings lap. With his head drooping over the wolfs own, Legolas slept. His breathing sounded lethargic and like a drowning animal gasping in breaths with water. Every now and then a drop of blood from his mouth would slip onto the wolfs nose and then dribble down upon it's paws, giving the animal a feral look whenever it stood to hunt or sitting up to stretch.
Cold as it was, Legolas was kept slightly warm whenever the wolf's fur touched his face, hands or cuddled up with the now sick prince. With his mind having nothing to do he decided to name the wolf that had become his guardian. Lanthur he had called him, and the wolf seemed humbled by the name.
Lanthur's ears pricked up, and the wolf raised his head, sniffing the air. Carefully, so as not to wake the sleeping elfling from his pleasant dreams, the wolf crept into the cold forest and searched out the new smell. Travelling for more than half-an-hour, Lanthur looped on wonderfully silent paws, making sure that the creature didn't hear him.
It was with some shock the wolf was nearly leapt upon by a white fur ball. Backing away in shock, the wolf layed back it's ears and let out a howl-like whimper. The cat hissed challenge and Lanthur turned his head in amusement at the small creatures advances to his life.
Barking a greeting, the wolf wagged his tail. This small four-legged white creature smelt of the one he was guarding, so his assumed it was a pack member. The cat sat upon it's hunches neatly, turned it's head, and meowed questioningly. Suddenly from far off, a high-pitched whinny was heard. Immediately, Lanthur's ears layed back and he cowered in fright. This huge creature was known to carry ones that could kill him and caution was utter most needed here.
Marilla looked at Lanthur worriedly and growled that this creature was known to her, it meant him no harm and was on the same 'quest' as she was.
Jewel whinnied again, and both the wolf and cat answered. A few minutes later, the cat was upon the broad mares back, both gave the wolf a meaningful look. With a yip, wag of the tail, the wolf bounded off into the forest. With cat and horse close on his tail.
Before they could come close to the camp, the wolfs ears pricked up and his whole body quivered with concentration. Giving a deep bark, telling Marilla and Jewel to stay, Lanthur bounded to the borders of the camp.
The orcs had returned from a hunt.
Looking hurriedly around, Lanthur decided that the elfling was safe, as he was still sleeping. Whimpering slightly, Lanthur ran off to meet the horse and cat, to warn them not to approach, otherwise they could endanger the little elf without meaning too.
Nickering in agreement, the cat and horse decided to find the party of other elfling soldiers. Going in different directions, the two domestic animals left the wild one to care and defend their little master.
Hours passed and the two animals showed no sign of coming back any time soon, it had rained earlier, keeping the orcs in the cave and the wolf next to the fevered Legolas. He talked to Lanthur, about his home, family, friends and his animals.
"They are very brave," he whispered slightly, and continued to watch the wolfs amber eyes with his grey ones. "You are very brave, I don't think I am though." Tears began to seep from his eyes, and he coughed, bringing up blood from his lungs. "I want my ada . . ." he whispered brokenly.
Lanthur leaned in closer and licked the tears away from the hot face, Legolas continued to cry, but felt slightly comforted that at least he had something warm to cry upon.
The temperature dropped that night, and while Lanthur had a temporary shelter where he had escaped from, Legolas did not. So feeling a maternal pull, the wolf stayed close to the shivering body of the small elf.
Things went from bad to worse, as the night lengthened it rained lightly and then began to snow, lightly at first and then becoming thick very quickly.
Now knowing that this could end in disaster, Lanthur began to chew on the ropes, but was stopped when he saw the moonlight glint off an arrow point that was directed at Legolas's heart.
"Free him," it sneered, "and you both die." Lanthur bared his teeth and layed his ears back in response, growling menacingly at the orc on patrol. "You just keep growling, I'll make you growl about something in a minute, you mangy beast!"
The orc let the arrow fly and it landed between the wolfs front paws, making Lanthur leap back in fright and surprise. Chuckling cruelly, the orc went deeper into the warm cave, leaving Lanthur to huddle next to the coughing elfling.
Lanthur licked Legolas's red face and padded quietly away, his ears listening for any changes in his environment around him. Sniffing the ground every now and then, Lanthur would pause and see if any other creature, save for cat or horse, had passed by.
Quarter of an hour after sunrise, the light of the sun sparkled off of the unmarked snow except for a lone wolf that was in search of someone who could help.
Little did he know that help was just around a clearing.
~*~
Draugdil pulled his hood closer over his head, trying to fight the slight chill from the sudden snow-storm that night. Morning was approaching and on the second day of the search for the young prince was to begin in a few hours. Shaking snow from his brown boot, the tall elf closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, the first rays of the sun beginning to creep over the hills and onto the small camp.
Suddenly a howl alerted Draugdil, opening his eyes and keeping still he listened again. There again, this time a different howl, but not a hunting one. Deciding that something was happening, Draugdil put to his mind that a wolf was crossing into another clan's territory and letting them know about it, he intended no harm nor was he going to hunt there.
It was on a mission.
Alerted to attention, Draugdil prayed that the wolf would howl once more. After all, he'd not lived in the wild for three months and not learnt how predators and prey communicated between each other. The wolf howled again and Draugdil nearly whooped with joy, it had found Legolas! Or maybe a small child, but whatever it was the wolf was telling the other clan it was looking for its family.
Not getting too excited, Draugdil remained in the same spot but decided to encourage the wolf over towards the small camp, where sleeping bodies were scattered all around. The two orcs huddled together underneath two thick blankets. After all, the elves wanted the orcs to lead them towards their hide out, and possibly not die before they did.
Casting his eye around for any sign that any of his companions were waking, Draugdil started singing a tune for Legolas's safety and for the wolves protection, for the three siblings looking for their brother and for the clan of wolves. The howling between the two wolves was cut suddenly quiet as they listened to the perfect voice of the Elder.
Suddenly, Draugdil felt a presence behind him, and in sudden hope he turned around.
The rising sun was now huge against the cloudless sky, indicating a cool and calm day with little wind. Arching his neck a little Draugdil saw a male wolf in the shadows under the snow-covered trees. A little hesitant as to whether to follow the wolf, Draugdil cast his eyes around again on the camp.
Making up his mind Draugdil nodded his head at the wolf, sending a message to it that he was going to follow him. Quickly Draugdil gathered his weapons and a few extra cloaks, if the need should arise.
Again checking himself and the others, Draugdil looked for the wolf. Lanthur stood a little away from the trees, facing the deeper part of the forest paths that led to where Legolas was. He looked at Draugdil over his shoulder, his eyes like harvest moons.
Trusting the wolf completely with this, Draugdil followed the leading grey tail that dashed through the low bushes. The pace was easy for the wolf and elf, as they were in their element. Although climbing and running through the trees was tempting, Draugdil kept his desire over his need to find the prince.
As they came closer, the wolf let loose a string of barking-howls. Not loud but vocal enough to call to a mate or other wolf that he was passing. Instead of a wolfs call, a horse answered, and so did a cats
"Ias bedich?" Draugdil panted gently, not understanding what the wolf was do or where it was now leading him. However, he didn't get a feeling in his heart that this was wrong nor was the wolf playing tricks.
It was simply gathering friends.
As they continued through the forest, snow was kicked up from both Lanthur and Draugdil's feet as they dashed across the beautiful yet dark forests of Mirkwood. Times were changing and more foes than friends were coming into the realm of the elf king.
Draugdil was sure that every now and then he saw white out of the corner of his eye, and it had nothin to do with snow. His suspicion was clarified when a white mare broke across the trail, and again into the forest, a pearl-coloured cat on it's heels.
"Jewel?" Draugdil asked, confused at the appearance of Legolas's cat and his mothers horse. "Marilla? What are you doing here?"
Jewel came to a halt, and instantly Marilla was upon her back, trying to keep her paws warm and licking the cold snow off of them. The mare came to Draugdil and nuzzled his hand with her mouth, licking his cold fingers gently with her pink tongue. She seemed to be asking for Draugdil to follow them a little further. This was encouraged by Marilla meowing politely and offering her head for a scratch.
Looking at the wolf, whose eyes shone like beacons, Draugdil patted Marilla's fluffy head, and dusted snow from the Jewels mane. The elf turned to the wolf and asked him to continue. With a snort, as if laughing at the elf's behaviour, it turned but didn't run off, now it padded cautiously.
Pushing bushes aside, and careful so as to not disturb any birds or nesting birds, Draugdil had to keep himself from leaping out and grabbing Legolas right then.
"They have him tied like a vicious beast," he muttered to himself viciously, looing down at the wolf, who's hackles were raised in anger and concern for the elfling. Draugdil was assured that at least the Mirkwood beasts were more merciful than the orcs. Draugdil realised that he had to get back to camp to alert the others, and avenge the torture that Legolas was going through.
Closing his eyes, this was the one of the most painful things that Draugdil had to do, leave the elfling alone so that he could rescue him. Looking down at the wolf, Draugdil thanked it with a bow of his head.
"Please, keep him safe." The elf murmured to the cat and horse as he slipped away.
~*~
Draugdil's two brothers were the next to wake.
Rambamírë looked around sleepily and noticed that, after a head count, they were missing one of their company. "Algar," the middle child whispered, nudging his sibling awake. "Where's Draugdil?"
"I don't know," his brother replied, rubbing his eyes and yawning, "but he was meant to be keeping watch."
Fifteen minutes all the elves, including the three Thrandulion children, were wide awake and searching for their missing watcher.
"Could he have perused a orc during the night?" Gayadur asked Lúrin confusedly. "One could have tried to get past and he caught it."
"Nay," came his twins voice, "he went willingly with a wolf. It's tracks stop just before the clearing, whatever he was up to it may have something to do with our little orcs here."
The two prisoners were still sleeping, unaware that they were being discussed. One snorted in it's sleep, and rolled over hissing in pain as it did. Cassageln watched the for a while, trying to decide whether to wake the creatures up or not.
A twig snapping made Cassageln go completely ridged, and his sharp ears heard harsh breath coming from the woods. Not daring to put himself nor his family and friends in danger, the young elf kept his eyes from going to where they desperately wanted to look.
A shout of shock went out and the orcs that were tied up suddenly had arrows pointing out of their bodies and heads. They were dead before they knew anything, or saw the completely furious elf still holding his bow up and pointed at the two unseen orc-corpses.
The whole camp looked up and saw Draugdil, his anger and revenge now hidden under a mask. "We attack as seen as we have our weapons."
"But we don't know where Legolas is, nor how to get there," Neldëá hesitated at making his ire even bigger. "If you did not notice, you just murdered our guides."
"It's no more than they deserve," was all he said about that matter. "As for finding Legolas, we're not the only search party."
Whistling suddenly, Draugdil waited and a howl answered. Soon a huge and young grey, brown and white wolf trotted into the camp, startling many of the elflings who held their weapons at the ready in case it attacked.
Draugdil put his hand up, telling them that he meant them no harm whatsoever. "He knows where Legolas is, and I suspect that he's the one who's been protecting him. And as I said," Draugdil looked hard at them all. "We attack without mercy, and we do it quietly."
~*~
"How many have disappeared so far, Sylgu?" asked Uger roughly, throwing another log onto the burning fire.
Sylgu looked up and frowned. "How the hell should I know, what am I? A bloody counter?"
"If we lose anymore, it'll be your head on this fire, now HOW MANY?!"
"Six," Sylgu answered at once. "Only maybe four, there were four bodies when we searched. A stupid scuffle, knife marks and broken necks, filthy mongrels can't keep their own things to themselves."
Diputs, the other orc, looked around wearily. "I can't wait to burn these scum forests, uneasy they make me." Only two orcs and their leader were there at the moment. The other five had been sent out to scout the area and hunt for the now afternoon meal, three hours had passed with no sign of them.
The three orcs turned their back on the murmuring elf, not caring if he was delirious or dying at that particular moment. After all, he was no concern for them anymore.
~*~
The dizziness wouldn't go away.
Blinking hard, Legolas cast his eyes around for Lanthur and wasn't there. Since the wolf had been near him the orcs had left Legolas to his own business, not talking to him, or even threatening the elfling, but leaving him to basically die and without help to end it quicker.
They had left him there to die.
His eyes again, for the thousandth time, searched the ground for anything to break the tight ropes that were rubbing his wrists raw. By nature he was a quiet child and rarely cried out or made much noise when playing, preferring to play by himself quietly.
He had some close friends, but most of them, namely Elronds twin sons and his daughter Arwen, were to far to play with everyday. Cassageln wasn't much of a playmate for him as the elf was well over eight-hundred years older than his younger sibling, so hide-and-seek and tag wasn't much of a fun past time. Cats and horses weren't that much fun, especially when they clawed you at the spring, and Ruby was, for some reason or other, petrified of the waterfall. So all in all, Legolas had no reason to be loud or boisterous.
Looking up, Legolas almost gasped with wonder and anxiety.
A female elf was walking towards him, a soft smile on her cherry lips. She wore a simple white gown and her natural glow was bright, even to Legolas's eyes. He tried to warn her to leave, but she didn't seem to notice or she ignored his desperate warnings.
Soon, though, she came within a stride of him. She knelt before Legolas and smiled brilliantly, her blue eyes beaming with pride and happiness.
"Atara. . ." Legolas whispered, hardly daring to believe that his mother was alive.
"Yes," the strange elf said, smiling as he remembered she would.
Struggling to keep his eyes open, Legolas took a deep breath and almost choked on the next words in pain and grief. "You came back . . ."
"No, I'm just here to help." Lasilaem replied softly and knelt before her youngest son.
He felt like crying. Why wouldn't she come back? "I don't want to be alone, don't make me go back."
"You're not going with me darling," She said more forcibly. "Not ever, I'm sorry."
"I'm scared," Legolas whispered very softly.
"You're safe now." His mother spoke, tears shining in her beautiful blue eyes, his eyes if they'd been the same colour as hers, but the same shape. "Don't be afraid."
"I . . . I tried to tell them, I was sorry . . ." to the little elf, this seemed extremely important, to others it was delirium and fever that spoke.
"No, their souls died when they are turned, they do not understand." Lasilaem explained, she so wanted to grab him in her arms and make the pain of loneliness disappear.
"Make them go away, please," Legolas begged pathetically. "I want go home. . ."
"I cannot," Valar, this was hard, she hated seeing him so heart-broken and scared, "be strong, my little one. They'll be here soon, I promise."
"I'm trying . . ." his mother's vision was starting to swim. "I'm tired, mummy."
"Just a little longer. . ." Lasilaem's voice trailed off.
He let his tired gaze fall from his mothers beautiful face to the ground. It was too hard, his mouth kept slowly filling with small amounts of blood and it was agony to cough to clear his chest of the red liquid.
The green tunic that he wore was caked from his neck to his waist with dark blood, and the smell was almost too nauseating for him to hold his stomach. Both of Legolas's left knee and small right hand were throbbing from the effect of not being treated immediately and being held in tight ropes.
Blackness was pulling at the edges of the five-year-olds conscience and he was just starting to think about giving in when he heard him mothers voice calling to him urgently. "No, my little one, don't go there, it's not for you to go towards."
Legolas's body refused to answer his mothers voice and the little elf started to panic. His breathing begun to hitch and his frame was seized by a harsh coughing fit. Spluttering droplets down his chest, Legolas just wanted it to end, or for his father to wrap his arms around him and rock him to sleep.
His ears caught a commotion in front of him, but his eyes didn't register what he was seeing. Only when Uger's body fell in front of him, did something click. The eyes of the orc were glazing over quickly and somewhere in his mind, the little elfling prayed that the orc finally went to Mandos.
He was being rescued, but maybe it was too late.
***********
Translations:
1) Ias bedich? = Where are you going?
Additional note: I gonna take a little time off of this fic for a while. I haven't been well enough to write how I want and frankly, each time I type on this particular story I come down sick again. Believe me, I've already tested it. Why do you think I went into hospital for a second time?
I'm kinder running low on ideas as well, as I'm a good writer when it comes to killing and making people sic, but suck when it comes time for them to recover, so that's also why: to bring Legolas gradually back to his normal self, after all, who recovers in less than one chapter?
I don't know how long this'll last, I might update next week or month, who knows, but this fic will be finished before I post anything else. I promise.
Oh, I might make a fic related to his sister and two brothers before Legolas was born, wanna read it?
If any of you people have any ideas, let me know, Ok?
Love, Peace and The Beatles forever,
Smego Baggins