Well, I'm back. And you didn't like that last cliffie did you…

Um…no I guess you didn't

Mornflower: I can be so cruel to you because I enjoy it…like I enjoy being mean to Legolas

Astalder27: You must know me too well…Poor Legolas never gets an easy life

Chapter 5

Thranduil woke with a start as he heard a crash, wondering what it was. He rose and walked out of his chamber and down the corridor that held his private rooms. At the end of the corridor, he turned to the guard stationed there "What was that crash just then?"

"My Lord." The guard said in manner of greeting, "I did not…" his words were cut short by a cry.

Thranduil looked up, and broke into a run. That voice, he knew that voice. He raced around the final corner and raced to his son's room, and pulled the door open.

The room was empty; the candelabra lay on its side, beside a smashed vase. The bed covers were crumpled. "Oh no" the King muttered in distress "Not again!" he was joined then by a number of other guards. Turning to face them his face belied his true feelings, those of fear and worry. "Get out there and find my son!" he snapped. Only when they were alone did he allow his head to fall into his hands. "Oh Legolas" he whispered again "What has happened to you this time?"

Legolas woke sometime later only to find himself hanging in chains from the roof of a cave, his broken wrist in considerable pain after being placed in an iron manacle, the prince glanced around, testing the strength of his bonds as he sought out any signs of danger in the dark damp cave. He could barely make out the hanging stalactites and huge Stalagmites. Letting out a deep sigh he muttered "Why does it always have to be caves"

"Because" stated a cold voice "I know you hate the darkness"

Legolas froze; it was the voice that had been plaguing him "Who are you? What do you want with me?" he demanded, at once the room was flooded with light, light that shone from many small elven lamps, the same as those used in all elven kingdoms. His questions remained unanswered save for a long cold laugh which echoed around the cavern. The man who had spoken stood not too far in front of him; draped in a black coat, in a single movement the man removed his hood.

Legolas found himself staring at one of the most hideous creatures he had ever seen, and it was only after a few moments that he realised that this figure was an elf. The right side of the man's face was dead, wrinkled beyond belief and a sickly pale colour, the right eye was blind, and no hair would ever grow on that side of his head. The other side of his face was that of a normal elf, a cold eye stared at the prince, nestled in what must once have been a pleasant handsome face. The elf had no hair on that side of his face either. But the thing that scared Legolas the most was the fact that this elf could be no other that, an elf he had once known, the elf that in his childhood had tormented him, an elf he had thought dead…

"Erunno" the prince breathed, hardly daring to believe it. "I thought…"

"Silence" spat the elf "Eru abandoned me years ago; I do not use his foul name now. I am Raenthír as a child so helpfully named me"

"Raenthír? Crooked Face?" Legolas breathed "But…"

The elf turned to face him "You will not address me such! To you I am no other but your master. Surely you understand that by now. I must repay you for ruining my life!"

"How did I ruin your life? That is not clear to me" Legolas asked

The man stormed over to stand before Legolas, seizing the Prince's chin he forced him to look into his eyes. "Can you not see?" he hissed "Can you not see Little Prince! I am foul. I am forever turned away from towns! And it is your fault!"

Legolas shook his head. "But I do not…Ah!" the Prince cried out as the elf slapped him across the face "Shut your mouth!" he spat "You do remember. Of course you remember that day, do not be foolish little Prince! I led you into the forest, with the hope of loosing you. Most unfortunately we were attacked by spiders and it was I who was nearly killed"

As the realisation dawned on the Prince, he became angry "How was that my fault?" he asked his voice barely hiding his anger, "You were the one aiming to kill me!"

Raenthír laughed "I was not trying to kill you, merely to scare you. I am not so stupid not to realise your death would mean my death! I know it still does and that is why you will not die at my hands"

Groaning inwardly Legolas strained against his chains "Only at your foul words" he snapped, not heeding the advice he had told himself so many times before. 'Never show your feelings!' his mind was screaming at him, "You deserve your name, Raenthír!"

The elf smiled coldly at the Prince, a smile that made him look more twisted than usual, "A child gave me that name. Not long after leaving Mirkwood, She came up to me and said 'Why are you ugly, crooked face?' I killed her, and took on the name Raenthír" Legolas gasped and Raenthír laughed at the look of horror on his face. "Don't worry Little Prince; I killed everyone else in that village too!"

Legolas stared at him, shocked that anyone could commit an act of such brutality, men had died on his blades, but he had always had an honourable reason for their deaths, and he had never committed such a massacre! "How…Why?" he finally asked

"That is none of your business!" replied the dark elf "But I may tell you one day, but let us discuss the past first, did you miss your old companion…"

FLASHBACK

"Legolas, O your highness. Where are you?" Legolas pressed his body closer to the bole of the tree and begged for a way of escape. He was stuck "I know you're up there!" the voice called again "And if you don't come down here now, I will be forced to tell your Ada you hit Vanye again!"

In the tree, Legolas paled, afraid of his father's punishment, last time Erunno had told the king Legolas had hit the female maiden, Legolas had been confined to his room for a week. He climbed swiftly out of the tree to stand before Erunno and his friends Mapalon and Tirno. On his appearance Tirno reached out and grabbed the collar of Legolas' shirt and pulled him close "Don't do that again, stupid elf!" he snapped tossing Legolas to the ground.

The Prince cried out softly and looked up at Erunno "Stop it!" he said tears in his eyes.

This however only made the elves laugh "Now he's crying!" laughed Erunno, "Poor little Prince"

Legolas hurriedly wiped his eyes "No I'm not!" he replied quickly. He climbed to his feet "I'll be going home now. It's getting late!"

Erunno stepped forward, "I thought you wanted to play with us, we know a brilliant game!"

Legolas looked around intrigued, "What is it?" he asked

Erunno smiled; glad to have the Prince's attention. "It is called Masters and Servant,"

Legolas cocked his head to one side "How do you play?" he asked

"Well," Erunno began "Me, Mapalon and Tirno are the masters of our realm and you are our servant and you have to do whatever we say, and if you don't we can punish you!"

Legolas paused, not quite liking this "Can I not be a master too?" he asked

Erunno laughed "Then there would be no point to the game. We need a servant, and as you are the youngest. That has to be you!"

Legolas bit his lip and nodded "Can I be a master next time though"

Mapalon looked over at Erunno "Maybe" he laughed. "Now first…"

FLASHBACK ENDS

"You do remember Masters and Servants don't you" laughed Raenthír "I always enjoyed that game, didn't you" Legolas ignored him "Let us play that game now, your first task is to address me as 'My lord'"

Legolas fixed his with a deadly glare "I will never address you in such a way" he spat

"Then you shall be punished" replied the elf stepping into the shadows "Callin!" he called, Legolas looked around and froze, a large Southron warrior strode out of the shadows clenching a leather whip in his hand, pieces of glass and metal were pushed through the leather , and the end was cruelly barbed. He stood in front of Legolas and waved the whip before his eyes, the colour drained out of Legolas' face as he realised the amount of pain he would be put through, closing his eyes and clenching his teeth the elf braced himself for the impact…

The first blow of the whip fell heavily on Legolas' back ripping into it and tearing away his clothing. The pain was so intense he could not help whimpering in pain, he had been whipped many times before, but never before had a whipping been so painful…

The whip fell again and again, shredding his clothes, falling all over his body and with every blow Legolas bit back a scream of agony; it was not until Legolas hung there, naked except for the few tattered remains of his clothes, his back, buttocks and legs coated in his own blood. Blood that still cascaded down his limp form, Legolas looked up at Raenthír, tears streaming down his face and blonde hair falling across it, having come loose from its braid, "Let…" he whispered his voice hard, and still containing strength "Let me go…"

Raenthír laughed mercilessly "You want to run home to your Ada?" he asked a hint of mocking laughter in his voice. "Too bad you cannot, you are at my mercy and you can only leave when I allow it!"

Legolas muttered something under his breath, but Raenthír must have overheard for he stormed over and slapped Legolas sharply across the face. Legolas' head snapped to the side at the impact and he felt blood well up in his mouth, the elf prince was not broken yet though…summing up his strength he spat the blood at his captor,

Raenthír roared with anger and seized Legolas' throat. "You still have spirit little elf…I wonder how long it will take me to rip it from your soul. And I wonder how I shall do that…"

Legolas glared at the man. "I have suffered every torture imaginable, you will not break me so easily!" he said

"Oh I will…do you wonder why you did not black out in that beating?" the elf asked

Legolas stared at him, he had prayed for mercy, for oblivion, but it had not come "What did…"

Raenthír laughed "A drug Legolas, I know of a drug that will prevent you from blacking out. It was on the whip. You will experience every torture, and you will have no escape!" he laughed "but for now, we will leave you in peace." He took the torch from a wall bracket and left the chamber, closing the wooden door behind him and leaving Legolas in complete darkness, it pressed in on him causing him fear. Yet in his head, he knew his earlier words were a lie. There was one torture Legolas had not yet experienced. His thoughts drifted back to his dream almost two nights ago. "Adar," he whispered "be careful…" but in his heart he knew his father would not sit around idly while he was missing.

Legolas knew that his Father would be brought here soon, and that both would pay the price that was not theirs to pay…

TBC…

I'm going to run now. The muses (Legolas, Thranduil, The twins, Estel and Elrond) are chasing me and they want to kill me!!

cackles and sends flying monkeys after them...

Muahahahaha! Fly my pretties fly!!

O.K. enough with the Wizard of OZ references… there are going to be no more! (I love that film….a childhood favourite)

Aranel of Mirkwood