Chapter 3: Chaos Ensues
Disclaimer. I don't own them... but I own my own characters... blah blah.
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The sun was setting, and the forest was growing dark. Thranduil squinted through the darkness, and saw the guards around the guardhouses wandering around like they were lost. "Aranel, what is wrong with our guards?" He asked his son. Aranel too squinted through the darkness.
"I don't know, Ada." He said. They rode their horses closer, and called out to them. The guards came to their king and Crowned Prince. "What's going on?" Aranel asked. One guard spoke up.
"Something happened to Captain Finwë ! He passed out. He's in the Halls of Healing right now." He said. Thranduil and Aranel looked at each other, then urged their horses to the royal stables and dismounted their horses. They ran to the Halls of Healing.
When Thranduil tried the door, it was locked again. ""relindë! Open the door!" Thranduil shouted, pounding on it with his fist.
Instead of "relindë opening the door, it was Náessë. "Sorry, Ada, but "relindë doesn't want anyone coming in right now." She said. She shut the door, but Thranduil pushed against it to keep it open.
"Let me in Náessë!!" He shouted. Aranel laid a hand on his father's shoulder.
"Let it be, Ada. We will find out what happened soon." He said reassuringly. Thranduil sighed. Why was "relindë so stubborn?
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Inside the room, Finwë was leaning over a bucket, heaving his last few meals into it. Legolas was holding his face in the pillow, and Náessë was rubbing his back. "relindë and Lólindir were standing next to Finwë , and "relindë was talking to him quietly.
Finally, Finwë leaned back into his pillow. Lólindir handed him a towel and Finwë wiped his face clean. "relindë disposed of the bucket quickly and returned to the Captain's side. "How are you feeling now?" She asked. Finwë merely groaned and pulled his blankets up over his face. "relindë put her hands on her hips. Lólindir looked up at his master. "relindë looked at him, and could see the question in his eyes, for she knew as well as anyone that he hadn't spoken for a long time. She put a hand to Lólindir's shoulder and moved him away from the bed.
"It's nothing serious. Stomach flu. However, I wonder as to how he got it, and why he passed out. I haven't figured that out yet." She said. Lólindir nodded. "relindë looked back to her patient and saw that he was asleep again. "Would you go make Legolas's drink?" She asked. Lólindir nodded and moved away from the healer.
"relindë went to the door and unlocked it. She opened the door, and found Thranduil sitting outside the door on the floor, with Aranel pacing in the hall. "Are you here for Legolas or Finwë ?" She asked.
"Both." Came the reply. "relindë nodded. "Legolas is fine. He'll be able to walk around tomorrow, but I advise against using his arm too much. As for Finwë , he has a case of the stomach flu, but I don't know how he got it. Is it going around in the guard houses?" "relindë asked. Thranduil and Aranel looked at each other. Neither of them knew. "Alright then." She said, and moved back into the room.
"Wait! I want to see my son!" Thranduil cried. He pushed against the door, trying to keep it open, but Aranel stopped him once again.
"Tomorrow, Ada." Aranel said with a sigh. He didn't have the energy to fight with "relindë, and he knew his father didn't either. "Let's get a good night's sleep and we can see Legolas in the morning." He said. Thranduil nodded and followed his son down the hall.
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Lólindir brought the cup to Náessë, and she took it from him. "Thank you, Lólindir." She said, smiling. The elf blushed and moved away from them. Legolas watched him walk away, and then looked at his sister.
"I wish he would come out of his silence." He said. Náessë nodded. Náessë rose, holding the cup.
"I will return in a few minutes." She said. She smiled at her brother, then left the room.
Since Náessë was gone, it was only Legolas and Lólindir in the room. "relindë had gone to speak with the garden keeper about the last few herbs that were growing.
Legolas watched the best he could as Lólindir moved about the room, performing various tasks. "Lólindir!" Legolas called out. Lólindir jumped slightly and turned around, hurried to Legolas's side, and bowed. He had become good at portraying his thoughts and questions in his eyes.
"No, there's nothing I need, but I was wondering... well, why you don't speak." Legolas said. Lólindir turned his head a little. He didn't want to answer. "That's alright then." Legolas said, understanding. The apprentice nodded and moved away from the bed.
Náessë soon returned with the strawberry flavored tea, and she handed it to her brother. She looked at him, concerned, when his eyes didn't lite up the way they did the last time she fixed the tea. "What's wrong, muindor?" She asked.
"It's nothing." He said, looking to his sister, then drinking the tea.
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Early the next morning, Legolas and Finwë were both sound asleep. It was early enough that even Náessë hadn't come to the room yet.
The silence didn't last long, for the doors flew open, and there were four guards carrying two more. Legolas and Finwë were rudely awakened, and they rubbed their eyes. "What's going on?" Finwë asked, sitting up in his bed.
"Captain! You're awake! Thank the Valar!" One cried.
"Yes, yes, I'm going to be fine. Now what's going on?" He asked.
"These two were found in the forest by the morning patrol. They have been shot with two arrows each!" One of the guards explained, while the others put the wounded guards on the beds.
"What make are the arrows?" Finwë asked. The guard who had spoken got a grim look on his face.
"Well, that's the mystery. The arrows are Prince Legolas's." He said, and all the elves turned to look at their young prince. Legolas's eyes grew wide, and he looked from one guard to the next.
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A half hour later, Legolas was sitting up in his bed, his brother and sister on either side of him, Thranduil pacing the ground, Finwë barking orders, Lólindir standing over one of the fallen guards, and "relindë shouted back at Finwë that his orders didn't matter there.
Legolas was staring at the floor, trying to comprehend what had happened. It was most certainly his arrows that were shot into the guards, but he had not left the halls of healing. It couldn't have been him. He thought the guards would figure that out, but the way they looked at him showed that they were unsure about him. Náessë took Legolas's hand in hers. "Do not worry, Legolas. We will prove that they are not yours." She said. Aranel nodded.
"We believe you." He added.
Silence fell upon the room as Lólindir went to "relindë and pulled on her sleeve, bringing her to the bed of one of the fallen guards. She put her fingers to his neck, and found no pulse. He was dead. Death of an immortal is always a sad thing, so the elves in the room sent their prayers out to help guide the guard's body safely from Middle Earth.
Finwë looked down at his hands which were sitting in his lap. "Prepare him for burial. He will be buried with honors. He was a good elf." He said. "relindë nodded, and set about it herself. Lólindir moved to the other guard. Luckily, the arrows had hit only his shoulder, and his leg, so the damage was not life threatening. However, it would be a while before he could walk again.
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The silence was killing Legolas, so he jumped off the bed, then reached for his shoulder. It still ached a little. "Legolas..." Náessë said, moving to follow him. Legolas held up his hand.
"Stay here." He said. Legolas walked quickly down the halls of the palace, and soon reached his bedroom. He pushed open the door. The sight brought him to his knees.
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Yes, I know, this one is a little shorter than the last chapters, but I wanted to keep you on your toes! Hehe.
KissTheRainGirl12489: I'm updating! Haha. Yes, strawberries. Hehe.
Meisalliam: Just out of curiosity, why don't you want to have Lomion or Drowlin appear? Just wondering! Actually, I like the way his family is too. I was going for the loving family type thing ya know? Hehe.
Navaer Lalaith: Thanks for the tip. I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.
Review this chapter and make me feel special! Haha!
A Quote:
"Whenever you feel insignificant, just remember that an eagle may soar, but a weasel never gets caught in the engines of a jet." Rebecca, my some-day sister in law.
Later all-
Blue September Rain