Chapter 2
Those Ferrets
Once Klernus and Dritsus were safely home, they headed back towards the palace. Legolas had to drag himself up the marble staircase and nearly made it to his bedroom door when his eyes watered from sleepiness. He made his way over to his bed and fell instantly into a deep dreamful sleep once his head hit the pillow. For he was exhausted from his long day of play with his two friends.
He dreamed he was in the middle of Mirkwood forest. He heard something behind him only to turn around to hind it was gone, and hear it behind him again. His eyes were darting at each sound trying to spot it. There was something out there, something that was lurking out behind the tress in the shadows. Something that was full of evil. It was something that didn't want to be seen. It spoke to him in a dry and raspy voice. " I see you Prince Legolas of Mirkwood. I am always watching, my eyes are everywhere. I am always right behind you and yet I am two steps ahead." He could almost hear the rattling voice behind him and felt the warm slow breath on his bear neck. The voice began to drift away. "I see you, you cannot hide from me for I have eyes everywhere, I will find you , I know where you are..." It drifted off leaving Legolas alone in the dark. He woke himself. up. He was breathing heavily and shaking madly. He was covered with droplets of sweat. "It was just a dream, it was just a dream" he told himself, but in his hear he knew this was something more. He felt a cool breeze blow against his face and he shivered when it gently touched his tipped ear. He looked for the source of the air. He notice that the window above his bed had blown open. He reached up and had to push it closed since the wind had picked up almost as if it tried to keep him from closing it, but he finally succeeded.
He rubbed his hands up and down his arms trying to gather warmth again. He leaned back against his bed headboard and closed his eyes and not meaning to fall asleep. But he fell into a dreamless sleep anyway.
He felt the sun warm up his eyelids as if trying to wake him. He rolled over to his side and draped his arm across his face trying to close out the sunlight. Now being half awake he began to notice every sound and even the slightest movement. Outside his window he heard the birds chirping wildly unlike their usual sweet melody. He began to wonder and was about to pull himself out of bed when he felt two small and furry things crawl under his arms and began to nuzzle his face trying to move his arm. He pulled it away smiling looking up at him curiously as if asking him what he was still doing in bed at this hour.
Legolas simply replied "Alright, alright Im up," finishing the sentence with a yawn. He pulled his feet over to the edge of the bed and sat up. The black ferret crawled up his arm and rested on his shoulder tried from a long night of prowling. Legolas noticing this asked the critter "Tired?" The ferret just looked up at him with a look in his eyes saying "YES!" The other grayish brown ferret jumped down off the bed and ran over to the door. It looked back at Legolas as if asking "Are you coming?" Legolas rolled his eyes at the same time he stood up. He felt the ferret on his shoulder dig its claws in trying to keep its balance and stay on. He took his right hand and crossed his chest to pet the ferrets head to comfort it. He felt the ferret began to relax and withdraw its claws from his skin. He drew his attention back to the other ferret with seem to be waiting impatiently. He walked over and followed the ferret though the doorway.
The grey ferret jumped down every other step of the marble staircase with the elf hot on his tail. Once it reached the bottom of the stairs it took a glance behind him which Legolas took an advantage of and passed the ferret and took off down a narrow hall. When they reached a large double door they slowed down and came to a stop. The grey ferret had to use his back feet to back pedal to keep him from sliding into the back of the elf's heels. Legolas bent down and picked up his furry friend and the other crawled down from his should so that Legolas was cradling them both in his arms.
Using his back Legolas pushed open the swing door to behold a large noisy kitchen. Cooks and servants were busily preparing the meals for the day by chopping, stirring, and mixing. The Kitchen was packed with people that no one noticed the young prince weave his way thought and grab a small hand full of vegetables and sneak out unnoticed thought the back door.
He bent down and the two very excited ferrets jumped out of his arms. He lied out the stolen, or as Legolas would like to put it "borrowed", food in front of them. They immediately jumped on the food and took surprisingly big chunks out of the carrots and celery considering the size of them.
"Enjoy," Legolas said in an almost whisper. Stepping back he turned around and headed back into the palace. Unknown that he was indeed being watched, by a dark figure with an evil grin.