Okay, again, this post is short, but this is EXACTLY where it needs to end. Sorry. Let me know what you think, all right? I worked really hard on this post, because I wanted it to be just right. Tell me if it came out ok! *bites lip*
*****
The rest of the trip went quickly and uneventfully, but as every day went by, Elrond became more and more worried. Legolas always rode ahead of them, setting a quick pace. He said nothing, merely sat atop his horse looking for all of middle-earth like someone being led to his execution.
Elrond sought many times to draw the elf out and try to understand what was going through his head, but Legolas refused to let him. He seemed to be bent on some decision he had made that Elrond could not figure out, and nothing would sway him from it.
Even young Arwen could sense something was amiss. As they made up camp one evening, she turned to her father sadly. "What is wrong with Legolas?" She had asked. "He is sad again." She said, looking at Legolas and frowning slightly, her eyes dark.
Elrond had not known how to answer, since he wondered the same thing. What was Legolas planning?
*****
As the drew near Mirkwood's borders, a shout was heard from one of the guards. "Caun Legolas!!!*" The cry was loud and eager, but Elrond did not miss that Legolas flinched. A Mirkwood elf jumped down from the tree he had been in a little ways away and quickly ran to meet the group. Legolas behaved as if he had not heard, though Elrond knew that was impossible.
He was slightly out of breath, so great was his excitement as he came to a halt beside Legolas' mount. Legolas did not stop nor look at him. "Caun Legolas, pan tawarwaith gosta thou gwann. Thy adar caeleb ah achas." The elf exclaimed.
Legolas still did not look at him. "I know." He answered quietly, and rode faster, as Elrond and his family struggled to keep up.
*****
Legolas rode so quickly now in his hurry to get to his home that Elrond did not have a chance to talk to him. If he had been worried before, he was more so now. As the King Thranduil's palace came into view, so did a small figure with darker blond hair standing outside, gazing out into the woods. His eyes stopped on the group of riders as he scanned over it's occupants, his eyes stopping with a jerk on his brother.
"Legolas!!!" Kadorin came bounding to his brother's side, gleefully yanking him off the horse and pulling him into a hug, tears of joy streaming down his face. "Legolas, we thought you were dead. Father has been so worried for you and Luma. He has denied himself food and rest searching for you again and again over these past few months." Kadorin finally stopped talking as he realized how stiff Legolas was in his embrace. He pulled back. "Legolas?"
Legolas' eyes were dark as he fought back tears, but otherwise he was expressionless. "Send for King Thranduil. I must speak with him." He said stiffly.
Kadorin was now nervous and confused, as was Elrond. He had never expected Legolas to behave this way, and he was beginning to be worried. "Of course I will get ada, he will be overjoyed to see you." He said.
"No need." Came a weary voice from a ways off as Thranduil walked into view at the end of the conversation. "What is needed of me?" He asked calmly.
Legolas turned slowly to look his father in the eye. Thranduil jerked, and for a long moment no one said anything. Thranduil felt his eyes burn with tears as a smile tugged at his lips. "Legolas, nin ion!" He cried, his voice breaking as he began to make his way over, but Legolas shook his head held out a hand.
Legolas could feel everyone's eyes on him as he stood, his stomach churning over what he knew he must do. "King Thranduil, I wish to give myself up freely for my crime to your judgement." He said formally, standing stiff and straight and struggling not to cry. All he wanted to do, really, was run to his ada's arms and be reassured that everything would be okay once again. But it wouldn't be. Nothing would be okay ever again, and pretending wouldn't solve anything.
Thranduil felt his heart clutch up at his sons words as he stopped in his tracks. For a moment, he looked at Kadorin, who looked just as confused, and then returned his gaze to Legolas. Forcing himself to answer, he spoke. "For what crime do you speak of?" He asked.
Legolas could not help the tears now as he fell to his knees, hating saying the words that would make all of Mirkwood hate him. The words felt foul in his mouth and burned his throat. "For the murder of your daughter."
Elrond's expression became horrified as Thranduil looked at his son, shocked at what he claimed to have done. "That is not the truth!!" Elrond exclaimed, looking to Legolas. So this had been what he was planning. "Your daughter did die, but not at Legolas' hands." Elrond finished, looking back to Thranduil.
Thranduil nodded to himself. "So she is dead." His voice was sad and weary, the sound of one who had seen to much suffering in his long life. The tears that had started down his cheeks at seeing his son alive and well now changed to tears of grief, but he looked to his son and smiled sadly. "I am glad for your return, though, my son. I had thought I had lost you both, and I thank the Valar for your safe return." Thranduil came forward and pulled his son up, embracing him hard, as if he was afraid that Legolas might vanish into thin air, or that he himself would awake and find this all a dream.
Legolas cried out and jerked back. "No!!!" He looked his father square in the eye. "I carry as much responsibility for Luminal's death as the man who held the dagger!! They warned me they would kill her, and I paid no heed!" He once again threw himself to his knees. "Deal with me as I have asked, and forget I am your son, for I have lost that right." Legolas finished quietly.
Thranduil stared down at his son for a long moment, before looking to Elrond and his family, to his own son, and back to Legolas. Not knowing what else to say, he sighed. "So be it."
*****
*Caun Legolas!!!- Prince Legolas!
Caun Legolas, pan tawarwaith gosta thou gwann. Thy adar caeleb ah achas- Prince Legolas, all wood elves feared you dead. Your father is sick with worry.
Legolas, nin ion!- Legolas, my son!
If you hurt me, I can't post anymore and you'll be forever left with this cliffie! If I get reviews, I'll try to get you past this evil part as quickly as possible before you pass out from worry. ;) Your choice.
*****
The rest of the trip went quickly and uneventfully, but as every day went by, Elrond became more and more worried. Legolas always rode ahead of them, setting a quick pace. He said nothing, merely sat atop his horse looking for all of middle-earth like someone being led to his execution.
Elrond sought many times to draw the elf out and try to understand what was going through his head, but Legolas refused to let him. He seemed to be bent on some decision he had made that Elrond could not figure out, and nothing would sway him from it.
Even young Arwen could sense something was amiss. As they made up camp one evening, she turned to her father sadly. "What is wrong with Legolas?" She had asked. "He is sad again." She said, looking at Legolas and frowning slightly, her eyes dark.
Elrond had not known how to answer, since he wondered the same thing. What was Legolas planning?
*****
As the drew near Mirkwood's borders, a shout was heard from one of the guards. "Caun Legolas!!!*" The cry was loud and eager, but Elrond did not miss that Legolas flinched. A Mirkwood elf jumped down from the tree he had been in a little ways away and quickly ran to meet the group. Legolas behaved as if he had not heard, though Elrond knew that was impossible.
He was slightly out of breath, so great was his excitement as he came to a halt beside Legolas' mount. Legolas did not stop nor look at him. "Caun Legolas, pan tawarwaith gosta thou gwann. Thy adar caeleb ah achas." The elf exclaimed.
Legolas still did not look at him. "I know." He answered quietly, and rode faster, as Elrond and his family struggled to keep up.
*****
Legolas rode so quickly now in his hurry to get to his home that Elrond did not have a chance to talk to him. If he had been worried before, he was more so now. As the King Thranduil's palace came into view, so did a small figure with darker blond hair standing outside, gazing out into the woods. His eyes stopped on the group of riders as he scanned over it's occupants, his eyes stopping with a jerk on his brother.
"Legolas!!!" Kadorin came bounding to his brother's side, gleefully yanking him off the horse and pulling him into a hug, tears of joy streaming down his face. "Legolas, we thought you were dead. Father has been so worried for you and Luma. He has denied himself food and rest searching for you again and again over these past few months." Kadorin finally stopped talking as he realized how stiff Legolas was in his embrace. He pulled back. "Legolas?"
Legolas' eyes were dark as he fought back tears, but otherwise he was expressionless. "Send for King Thranduil. I must speak with him." He said stiffly.
Kadorin was now nervous and confused, as was Elrond. He had never expected Legolas to behave this way, and he was beginning to be worried. "Of course I will get ada, he will be overjoyed to see you." He said.
"No need." Came a weary voice from a ways off as Thranduil walked into view at the end of the conversation. "What is needed of me?" He asked calmly.
Legolas turned slowly to look his father in the eye. Thranduil jerked, and for a long moment no one said anything. Thranduil felt his eyes burn with tears as a smile tugged at his lips. "Legolas, nin ion!" He cried, his voice breaking as he began to make his way over, but Legolas shook his head held out a hand.
Legolas could feel everyone's eyes on him as he stood, his stomach churning over what he knew he must do. "King Thranduil, I wish to give myself up freely for my crime to your judgement." He said formally, standing stiff and straight and struggling not to cry. All he wanted to do, really, was run to his ada's arms and be reassured that everything would be okay once again. But it wouldn't be. Nothing would be okay ever again, and pretending wouldn't solve anything.
Thranduil felt his heart clutch up at his sons words as he stopped in his tracks. For a moment, he looked at Kadorin, who looked just as confused, and then returned his gaze to Legolas. Forcing himself to answer, he spoke. "For what crime do you speak of?" He asked.
Legolas could not help the tears now as he fell to his knees, hating saying the words that would make all of Mirkwood hate him. The words felt foul in his mouth and burned his throat. "For the murder of your daughter."
Elrond's expression became horrified as Thranduil looked at his son, shocked at what he claimed to have done. "That is not the truth!!" Elrond exclaimed, looking to Legolas. So this had been what he was planning. "Your daughter did die, but not at Legolas' hands." Elrond finished, looking back to Thranduil.
Thranduil nodded to himself. "So she is dead." His voice was sad and weary, the sound of one who had seen to much suffering in his long life. The tears that had started down his cheeks at seeing his son alive and well now changed to tears of grief, but he looked to his son and smiled sadly. "I am glad for your return, though, my son. I had thought I had lost you both, and I thank the Valar for your safe return." Thranduil came forward and pulled his son up, embracing him hard, as if he was afraid that Legolas might vanish into thin air, or that he himself would awake and find this all a dream.
Legolas cried out and jerked back. "No!!!" He looked his father square in the eye. "I carry as much responsibility for Luminal's death as the man who held the dagger!! They warned me they would kill her, and I paid no heed!" He once again threw himself to his knees. "Deal with me as I have asked, and forget I am your son, for I have lost that right." Legolas finished quietly.
Thranduil stared down at his son for a long moment, before looking to Elrond and his family, to his own son, and back to Legolas. Not knowing what else to say, he sighed. "So be it."
*****
*Caun Legolas!!!- Prince Legolas!
Caun Legolas, pan tawarwaith gosta thou gwann. Thy adar caeleb ah achas- Prince Legolas, all wood elves feared you dead. Your father is sick with worry.
Legolas, nin ion!- Legolas, my son!
If you hurt me, I can't post anymore and you'll be forever left with this cliffie! If I get reviews, I'll try to get you past this evil part as quickly as possible before you pass out from worry. ;) Your choice.