The Most Unlikely Foe
Seven
Playing Doubles
Boromir was the first to run up to the Elf and lift him from the bench in a fierce embrace.
"I never in all my life thought I would be so happy to see you as I am now Legolas!"
He put Legolas back down on the ground and Aragorn stepped in to hug him.
"We're so glad you're ok Legolas, but how did you escape from the castle?"
Legolas tipped his head to the side and smiled but didn't answer Aragorn's question. Aragorn stepped back from his friend and gave him a weary look but the Hobbits had by now stepped in to greet Legolas so his attention was on them rather than the man.
Something felt not quite right about the Elf but Aragorn couldn't quite place what it was that was bothering him. He seemed a lot more passive and vacant than Legolas usually was but then Aragorn could only imagine what he'd gone through in the past few hours, prisoner to the monster that ruled this Labyrinth.
"You have found me then. We should get out of here." Legolas said once they had all assured themselves of his safety.
"That's all very well Legolas but how do we get out of here. I mean we had enough trouble getting to this point." Boromir stated.
"Follow me, I know the way." Legolas called to them as he started off down a corridor to their right.
"Wait!" Aragorn called out as he chased after him.
The others in turn shrugged their shoulders and too followed the Elf. Legolas was walking very quickly and Aragorn had to run to catch up with him. When he did he gripped the Elf's shoulder and spun him around to face him.
"Just wait a minute Legolas! How is that you know the way out of this Labyrinth when you've never even been in it?"
Before Legolas could even respond a voice ran out over the Labyrinth.
"Aragorn! Please hurry!"
Aragorn snapped his head in the direction that the cry had come from and in the distance, though much closer than before, sat the castle at the center of the Labyrinth. There was no doubt in Aragorn's mind that the voice belonged to Legolas. But if Legolas was calling for help from the castle then how could he be standing in front of him?
Aragorn slowly twisted his head back to face the Elf standing before him. Legolas tipped his head to the side and smiled.
"Please hurry Aragorn, I'm sure the others want to get back to the beginning as quickly as possible."
Legolas could not longer hear Jareth calling out after him as he dashed off up the stairs. The staircase wound on upwards and Legolas began to worry that all it lead to was the top of a tower.
He halted suddenly as he dashed past a window and thought to call out on the hope that the others heard him. He worried that Jareth was already hot on his heals though so he took a moment to listen for footsteps. When he heard none he placed both hands on the windowsill, lent out and called out as loudly as he could into the vacant air.
"Aragorn! Please hurry!"
He was going to add more but he suddenly thought he heard footsteps pursuing him up the stairs and so he took off again.
Just as he though the steps really would never end he saw a doorway appear round a corner and as he ran through it he had to quickly stop himself and pull back in order to avoid plunging off the end of the ledge he found himself on the edge of.
His mouth fell open and his eyes widened as he stared out into the huge room full of staircases that seemed to lead nowhere and yet somewhere all at the same time. Even trying to follow one path with is eyes boggled his mind within minutes. His heart sank as the realization that his escape was not going to be easy hit him.
Again the footfalls sounded behind him and so Legolas really had no other option. He took a deep breath and started off down the staircase to his right, hoping to blindly make his way through the maze of confusing staircases before Jareth caught up with him.
He took the stairs two at a time, sometimes jumping half or entire flights on the way down. Winding in and out of doorways, only to find himself back in the mess of stairs. Each time this happened he would grow more and more agitated as he knew his time must be running out. He could only run from the Goblin King for so long and was surprised that Jareth hadn't caught up with him already.
Finally, as he stood on a platform before a small flight of stairs he could see a doorway across from him that was unlike the others, there was definitely a hall extending beyond this one. He cleared the steps in a single leap and dashed across the next platform, the doorway temporarily lost from sight, before the took the stairs leading upwards two at a time.
However when he reached the top he had to pull himself up to avoid running smack into Jareth's chest. Legolas stared fearfully into the Goblin king's cold eyes and stumbled back a few paces.
"But how did you…?" He managed to gasp out.
"Oh please." Jareth stated icily. "This is my castle Legolas, I have lived in it for many hundreds of years, do you really think I don't know my way around it."
Legolas had nothing to say to that but did not lower his gaze from the fiery stare the Goblin King was directing at him.
"Now as for your disrespectful behaviour, you will have to be punished I'm afraid."
Jareth waved his hands before him and suddenly Legolas found his ankles clapped in shackles and his wrists chained behind his back. He looked down in confusion at his bound feet before casting his startled look back up at Jareth. The Goblin King merely smirked at him and arched a delicate eyebrow.
"What are you going to do to me?" Legolas sounded less afraid than Jareth had been expecting but that really only excited Jareth further.
"I'm going to throw you in the dungeon for a while and perhaps after you've spent some time in there you might be a little bit more welcoming of my hospitality."
With that Jareth wrapped his arms about the Elf's middle, lifted him up and draped him over his shoulder. He kept one arm wrapped around Legolas waist to hold him firmly on his shoulder. The Elf's legs dangled down Jareth's front while his upper torso lay against the Goblin King's back.
"Hospitality! You think what you've shown me is good hospitality? I am the Prince of Mirkwood and all you've shown me is…"
Legolas found himself cut off by a cloth gag that suddenly appeared in his mouth. Jareth smirked to himself as all he could hear coming from the Elf's mouth now were muffled protests.
"There, that's much better."
Legolas struggled violently against Jareth who responded to the Elf's attempts to free himself by tightening his arm about his middle and quickening his pace.
They went down numerous flights of stairs and passed through so many hallways that Legolas doubted he'd be able to find his way back were he to escape Jareth's grip. Not to mention he wouldn't get very far with his limbs bound as they were.
It did not take long for Jareth to reach his dungeons. He rarely used them and so rarely visited them, ruling with an iron fist meant that few of his subjects broke the law and needed jailing. It was cold and damp in the dungeons and so Jareth used his magic to light a torch on the wall near the doorway.
He crossed the room to one of the dingy cells and threw the iron bar door open. It crashed against the other bars of the cell and Jareth proceeded to heave Legolas into the cell.
The bound Elf crashed against the far wall; the right side of his face and his right shoulder collided heavily with the wall while he knocked his right hip against the stone floor. Legolas winced in pain and squeezed his eyes shut to hold back the tears that threatened to spring up in his right eye.
Jareth crossed into the cell and took the Elf's chin in his hand, turning his face towards him.
"You will have a dark bruise in a few hours. Such a pity to mar a face as beautiful as yours but if you are well behaved I may consider healing it for you."
Legolas twisted his head out Jareth's grip and lifted his body up to lean against the wall in a kneeling position. He glared up at Jareth who now stood over him, examining the shackled form of the Elven Prince.
He was tempted to try another advancement on the bound Elf, who would be helpless to do anything to stop him, but decided against it, as it would take away the thrill of seducing the Prince into giving himself over to him.
He turned on his heel and slammed the cell door shut behind him. He looked back over his shoulder at Legolas before turning to face him again, the bars separating them now.
"You can stay down here for awhile Legolas and maybe in the time you spend in solitude you will learn not to be quite so disagreeable."
With that said Jareth turned and left the dungeon back up the stairs they had come down. As he left the room the torch went out and plunged the dungeon into darkness. Legolas shifted slightly in his black prison to take his weight off his right hip, which was now throbbing in pain. The dungeon was damp and cold and Legolas was thankful the temperature had little affect on him so only the damp walls and floor bothered him. He wasn't sure how long he'd last in this dark prison as already he felt as though the walls were closing in on him.
"No." Aragorn took a step back from the blond Elf before him. "I don't care that you look and sound like Legolas you are not him!"
"But I am. Why would you think I were not?" Legolas tipped his head to the side and gave Aragorn a questioning look.
Aragorn faltered a little in his stance and by now the others had caught up with them and were watching with confusion. Finally Aragorn glanced over at the castle in the distance before he spoke.
"No, you're not him. He's still trapped in there with the Goblin King." He pointed to the castle but the Elf before him did not look away.
"What are you talking about Aragorn?" Gimli asked.
"I don't know how he's done it but somehow Jareth has created and illusion of Legolas to lead us out of the Labyrinth."
The others looked sceptical and couldn't decide if Aragorn were telling the truth or if he'd just gone crazy.
Finally Aragorn step into the Elf and as his nose came into contact with Legolas' nose he spoke with an even voice full of confidence in what he was saying.
"You are not real."
The elf looked almost saddened for a moment before his form faded from view. Aragorn sighed with relief and the others all congratulated him on picking the fake Legolas. They then turned and started back towards the end of the hedge maze to begin their progression from where they were before the phoney Legolas had begun to try and lead them from the Labyrinth.