Disclaimer: I own nothing!
((((((((((((((( Chapter 3)))))))))))))))))))
The man who called himself Estel's eyes widened considerably when Legolas told him his name.
"Legolas of Mirkwood?" He said, disbelieving. "But you were believed to be dead!"
"I had thought so. But as you can see, that belief is untrue." Legolas replied. He got up and dusted himself off, swallowing his embarrassment and pride. "I'm sorry for attacking you." He said sheepishly. "It was rash of me."
"I forgive you." Estel said.
Legolas sighed once, and then his head shot up, fear in his eyes. "Eressa." He said, looking blankly into the darkness.
"Who is that?" Estel said, turning and looking in the same direction. "That girl that was with you?"
"Yes." Legolas said, feeling himself begin to panic. "We have to find her. She doesn't know where she's going." Remarkably he was able to keep his voice sounding reasonably calm.
"Don't worry, friend. There is nothing evil in these woods." Estel assured.
"I still worry." Legolas said. He began to follow in the direction Eressa had run in. Estel watched as the elf trotted away. He was shocked…he had never met Prince Legolas before, but his brothers had often told stories about him. They had been good friends, they had said. Was this really the same Legolas?
Estel shrugged and jogged up beside the elf. The elf didn't seem to notice.
"Prince Legolas…" He began. "Is that really who you are?"
The elf looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Of course I am. But please stop focusing on me and help me look for Eressa. I don't want her to become lost or hurt."
Estel nodded and then shut his mouth for a moment. But like any curious young man he couldn't keep it that way very long. "That girl you were with…" He started.
"Eressa." The elf cut in.
"Yes. But…she's human. What is she doing out here with you?" Estel inquired.
Legolas tensed. Estel obviously hadn't noticed that Eressa was pregnant when he was spying on them. He decided not to tell him. "I rescued her." He said, somewhat truthfully. "She had no other place to go, so she came with me."
"I see." Estel replied. "You know, my brothers and my other friends have a camp in this direction. Maybe they found Eressa."
Legolas paused. "Your brothers? Elladan and Elrohir?"
Estel nodded. "Come on, I'll show you where it is." The young human picked up speed and ran through the trees like a deer. Legolas followed him.
They hadn't gotten far at all when Legolas spotted lights and heard voices. Elven voices.
"Estel!" He cried out, stopping in his tracks. "Are those your friends?"
Estel looked at Legolas and then out in the direction in which the elf pointed. Squinting his eyes, he said: "I believe so. Come on. They will be glad to see that you are well."
The young man approached the lights and shouted, waving his hands. Legolas, to his surprise, hesitated before coming out from between the trees. This would be his first contact with elves for nearly six months now.
Valar…I've been away for a half of a year…He thought suddenly.
"Estel!" One of the voices called back to them. "Are you alright?"
Legolas recognized the voice, but it took him a moment to place it. It was not until the person who had spoken came within his sight did he know who it was.
"Elrohir." He whispered.
The man and the elf stood patiently as the elves approached them, their eyes growing wider as they drew near. Elrohir rode up in front and stared at the dirty, neglected looking elf at his little brother's side.
"Hello, Elrohir." Legolas greeted quietly when his old friend did nothing.
The dark-haired elf's eyes grew wide, as did the sudden smile that appeared on his face.
"Legolas? That is you!" He cried, jumping down from his horse. "Thank the Valar you're alive!"
Legolas smiled as well, and embraced his friend. "It feels good to see you, Elrohir."
"Not as good as it feels to see you." The other elf answered. "Everyone thinks you are dead!"
"He knows." Estel said. "But we came looking for a girl…Legolas here was traveling with her."
"There was a girl that bumped into us." Elrohir said quite appropriately. "She spoke of you, Legolas. She was quite afraid for your safety."
"Eressa?" Legolas asked, worry gripping his features. "Is she here? Is she alright?"
"She is in good hands." Elrohir explained, placing a hand on Legolas's shoulder. "Elladan took her to our father."
"Take me to her." Legolas pleaded. "Elrohir…she needs me."
The other elf nodded. "We'll ride to Rivendell now." He announced. "Legolas, you may ride with Estel."
Legolas nodded as Estel was brought a horse. The young man flung himself upon it's back with elf-like ease and them held out a hand. Legolas took it and got on the horse behind him. Elrohir looked back at his old friend and his little brother and smiled again.
"My father will be glad to see you, Legolas." He told the Prince. "Come, let us ride quickly."
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Eressa and Elladan reached Rivendell in less than twenty minutes. They passed under and extraordinary ivory arch and entered the city of the elves. Elladan frowned as he hopped of his horse. It was late. Turning and helping the human girl off the horse, he took her hand.
"We're going to see my father now." He said. "But I might have to wake him."
The girl nodded. Her hand hung limply in his. Elladan could tell she really didn't want to go with him anywhere. He didn't want her to feel threatened, so he tried something.
"You need not be afraid of me, nor anyone else here." He told her, smiling softly. "Legolas, my brother, and I used to be very good friends, you know."
Elladan's tactic worked. Eressa looked up at him in surprise. "You were?" She asked. "What happened?"
"Things happened." Elladan explained. "We all grew up, and we weren't able to see each other as often."
As he spoke, Elladan pulled Eressa through a beautiful garden and up a stair into a building with arched doorways and golden statues. A glass door hung closed in front of them. Letting go of her hand, Elladan walked up and opened the door, motioning for Eressa to come in.
It was dark inside, only a few candles lit. Elladan grabbed one of them off it's holder and lit a few more, so Eressa could see. She gasped. She had never seen such a luxurious looking room before. Everywhere she turned there was gold, silver, marble and ivory. There were velvet curtains hanging above the glittering windows, and furniture so beautiful that Eressa didn't want to sit in it, just stare.
"You can make yourself comfortable." Elladan told her, lowering his voice. "I'll wake my father."
"Lord Elrond?" She confirmed. "Legolas told me I'd be meeting him."
Elladan nodded and glanced over the girl's form once more. "Then Legolas was correct." He said. He quickly hurried off into a joined room.
Eressa looked around her, unsure of what to do. Her feet ached from running away, and her limbs were sore from abuse. Finally, she made up her mind to sit in a golden chair by one of the room's large windows. Eressa gazed out onto a beautiful sight. There was a great valley, it's walls covered with greenery and white ivory buildings. At the very bottom ran a large river. Faintly, Eressa could hear its waters rushing, like a hum in her ear.
Eressa pressed her fingers to the glass. "Legolas…where are you?" She whispered out loud. "I thought…I thought that we would come to Rivendell together."
Eressa's hand left the cold glass and she looked up, past the great valley at the sky. She saw the stars as clearly as she'd ever seen them. They seemed to smile at her, glittering and dancing for her.
"Eressa?" Came a sudden voice.
Eressa jumped as Elladan walked back into the room. He was followed by three other elves.
I thought I was just to meet his father…Eressa thought. Why is there three of them?
Suddenly another male voice broke through her thoughts. "Light the candles, I want to see her."
In an instant two of the elves rushed to opposite corners of the room, lighting candles as fast as they could. The room brightened considerably and Eressa looked up to find Elladan standing next to a dark-haired, tall elf with gentle eyes and sharp features.
"Father, this is the girl I was telling you about." Elladan introduced them. He looked to Eressa and smiled. "Eressa, this is my father, Lord Elrond."
Eressa didn't smile back. She was too nervous to. She looked up at the older elf as he stood in front of her, many questions on his face. Then he smiled and knelt.
"My son has told me that you travel with an elf named Legolas." He said in a deep, soothing tone. "Is this true?"
Eressa pressed herself back a little on the chair and nodded. "Yes…everyone thinks he's dead. But he's not."
"So I've been told." Elrond replied. "It warms my heart to hear so. But tell me a little about yourself, Eressa."
Eressa's eyes widened and she didn't say a word. That didn't seem to discourage Lord Elrond.
"Can you tell me where you're from, or when you met Legolas?" He asked.
Eressa's eyes floated downward. "I'm from a small city West of here called Southbed." She said quietly. "I met Legolas…" She paused.
"You may speak Eressa. It's alright." The older elf's words came to Eressa's ears. And to her surprise, they made her believe what he told her.
I'm fine now. She tried to tell herself. I made it to Rivendell, and soon Legolas will be here too.
"I was given to him." She answered. "I was a slave, and he was one too. But I was given to him as…as a reward. That was shortly after he was bought by my…my former master, Lord Curdolin."
"Reward?" Elladen echoed. His father hushed him.
Elrond frowned. "Elladan." He said firmly. "I want you and the others to leave. I would like to speak to young Eressa alone now."
Elladan frowned. "Father…I…"
"Go, Elladan." Elrond said, a little more sternly.
His son sighed. "Fine." He followed the other two elves out of the room. Eressa noticed that they had obeyed Elrond's every request instantaneously.
"But I thought elves didn't have slaves." She thought aloud.
"We don't, my child." Elrond said, sitting down beside her on another chair. "They are my servants. They are paid well to do my bidding."
"But now…" He continued. "We must talk of more important things. Like how you and Legolas came to be here."
"Well…we escaped from Southbed. And Legolas knew how to get here. But then we were attacked by a man and I ran away while Legolas stayed and fought." Eressa said. "Do you think Legolas is alright?"
"I'm certain." Elrond said, though he wasn't. "That man was my foster son, Estel. No doubt he and Legolas are on their way here right now."
"But they were fighting!" Eressa urged. "Legolas could have hurt him!"
"I doubt that." Elrond said, calming her. "Eressa…I cannot help but see what condition you are in."
Eressa blinked and was confused for a moment, but then realized that the old elf was talking about her pregnancy. "Oh…I…"
"How far along are you?" The elf cut in.
Eressa paused…she didn't quite know. "I think…six months…but I'm not sure."
Lord Elrond nodded. "That would be my guess as well."
"Are you a healer?" Eressa asked him.
"Yes. Has Legolas told you that?"
"No. I just thought that you were."
Lord Elrond smiled at her. "Do you know who the father is, Eressa?" He asked.
Eressa frowned. She didn't want to betray Legolas to his kin while he wasn't even there. But inside she felt that Lord Elrond already knew. She had already implied that she was 'given to him', after all.
"It's Legolas's child, isn't it, Eressa?" Elrond asked. "That is why he brought you along?"
Eressa's eyes were stuck to the white marble floor. "Yes…" She answered. She felt a sick twist in her stomach as she spoke. She glanced up to see how the older elf would react.
To her surprise, Lord Elrond smiled. "Then you are a very special guest indeed. I will call one of my servants to help you clean up."
Eressa frowned and shook her head. "But I want to wait until Legolas comes here!" She protested.
Lord Elrond looked back at her. His face didn't show an expression for a moment, but then he smiled. "Lady Eressa…I can assure you that Legolas will be here for you. But for now you must…"
"No…" Eressa retorted weakly. "I want Legolas…"
"Hush…" Lord Elrond stepped forward and gently eased the girl out of her chair. Strangely, when the old elf's hand touched her back, Eressa felt calmed, and she didn't feel like arguing anymore.
"Have her take a bath, and get her some clean clothes." She heard Elrond tell his two servants.
One of them, a very pretty woman with long black hair stepped forward and took Eressa's hand in her own. "Come, dear." She said in a voice that was deep, yet feminine. "Everything will be fine."
Eressa looked at her and frowned. She turned and looked back out the large window, out at the stars.
Legolas…I hope you'll return to me. She thought.
"He will, Eressa." Lord Elrond said suddenly. Eressa looked at him in shock. How had he known exactly what she was thinking?
Eressa didn't get the chance to ask him, for the servant elves both kindly took her hands and led her away.
Elladan and his father stood silently after the females, both elven and human, had gone. Elladan looked at his father with question.
"Father…you really think that the child Eressa is carrying is Legolas's?" He asked after some hesitation.
He hadn't made it apparent at the time, but he nearly fell over from shock when Eressa claimed the baby was Legolas's. He didn't think Legolas would…would he?
"She is in love with him, Elladan." Lord Elrond declared. "She believes he loves her."
"But…" For once in his life, Elladan was overwhelmed with words and couldn't get them all out at once. He shut his mouth.
"We can ask Legolas when he arrives, can't we?" He then asked, not able to hold his tongue for long.
"I planned to do so." The elder elf said quietly. He walked across the room and stood in front of an arched doorway, and his son joined him.
Elladan sensed his father was troubled about something other than the fact that Prince Legolas was having an illegitimate child with a human.
"Father, what is it?" He whispered.
Elrond didn't answer for a moment and Elladan thought that his voice had perhaps been carried away with the wind, so he opened his mouth to repeat himself. But then his father spoke.
"I forsaw this." He murmured in a deep, wary voice.
Elladan blinked. "Father…you saw what was going to happen?"
The old elf nodded and breathed in the cool night air. "And what will happen." He answered.
Lord Elrond walked away from the door and sat in the chair in front of the window, still staring grimly out into the night. Elladan's head filled with worry.
"Father…what have you seen?"
The older elf looked up at his son firmly…sadly. "I saw…Darkness."
(((((((((((((((((Personal thingy))))))))))))))))))))
Ok…was that a dumb ending or what? Somehow I'm just not satisfied with my work anymore. I'll try and do better. Mental sigh…