Chapter 10: Fire is hot

"So Elrond, you have yet to explain to me who that elfling is. Ai!" Thranduil yelped as Elrond held cloth dampened with saltwater onto one of the scrapes.

"That elfling is a poor child whose mother could not afford to treat his wound. I was his only hope. Tonus and Elrohir have no connections with the boy, but they have volunteered to help. And this wound hurt less if you had come to me earlier, these scrapes are infected now." Elrond sighed. The two elven lords where in Elrond's room. Tonus and Elrohir were tending to Florien, making sure to act as if they did not know who the elfling was.

"Valar!" Thranduil glared at Elrond.

"Done Thranduil." Elrond said.

"Good. Now I need to talk to you about Cield. Come to my study, I wish to speak with not just you but little Legolas, Glorfindel and Erestor… I really do not know what to do with Cield. Ai, I will speak with Elladan as well, I want as many opinions as I can get for this!"

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It had been three hours since Cield had pushed Thranduil. Cield had been in his room, sometimes weeping and sometimes punching the wall. So now, Cield's face was wet and his fists where red.

"Cield, may I come in?" Thranduil asked as he knocked on the door.

"Yes father." Cield muttered, sitting on his bed. Thranduil entered, followed by Elrond, Glorfindel, Erestor, Elladan and little Legolas quietly following the elder elves.

"I could not decide this on my own Cield. It was just too hard; I do not want to be too gentle nor too hard with you… I have spoken with these elves and they have helped me."

"Alright ada." Cield said, looking at each elf. He was not very pleased to see Legolas.

"Well, I believe it is only fair that you cannot go riding for a month, and all of us agree on that." Elrond said. Thranduil saw the colour fade from Cield's face.

"Y-yes sir." Cield bit his lip. Thranduil knew how attached Cield was to his horse, and how much he loved riding. Ever since the death of Aldaril, Cield had gone out riding at least five times a day.

"We also believe that you cannot leave the palace for a week." Erestor said, arms folded across his chest.

"It is what I deserve." Cield sighed.

"I have a punishment in mind Cield, I just do not want to… tell you." Elladan smirked. Cield knew he best be careful now, whatever Elladan was planning was going to be bad.

"And what about you, Legolas? What will you do to me?" Cield arched an eyebrow.

"No ice cream for a week…"

"I am so terrified!" Cield snorted. He still was not happy.

"Cield you best keep your mouth shut or I will wash it out with Elrond's soap." Thranduil snapped. Cield remembered his last experience with Elrond's soap, so he shut his mouth tightly.

"What's so awful about my soap?" Elrond asked.

"I'm not done with MY punishment!" Legolas shrieked. All the elves stayed quiet.

"Go on ion-nin." Thranduil said.

"You have to wear THIS." Legolas pulled from behind his back a very short dress that was dirty.

"It's so small! And… It has hair on it! Little curly red hairs!" Cield whined.

"That's cause a dwarf lady sold it to me!" Legolas giggled.

Cield moaned.

"Put it on Cield. That is an order." Thranduil covered his mouth, trying not to smile as his son pulled off his tunic and forced the dress over his torso. It was pink and lacy.

"I look like a woman!" Cield looked at his reflection.

"That's the point." Legolas laughed.

"I hate this!" Cield yelled, pounding his fist into the wall again, this time making his knuckles bleed.

"Cield, what you did was wrong and even though I know that you did not want to kill me, you cannot get away with it. You must be disciplined Cield." Thranduil sighed.

"CIELD! Where are you going?" Thranduil jumped up as Cield shoved Legolas into the wall.

"This is your damned fault!" Cield yelled. When Cield saw his father had stood up, he ran out of the room.

"CIELD!" Thranduil chased after his son.

"Stay away from me!" Cield screamed as he ran faster, out of the palace.

"He is going to the stables!" Thranduil told Elrond, who had followed them.

"If we do not stop him he will get hurt!" Elrond said. The two elves froze when they heard the sound of hooves in the distance. Cield was no longer in front of them: he had already made his way to the stables and had left.

"Elrond! What if he hurts himself? He is so mad he will not pay any attention to the dangers of the forest an-

Thranduil froze. Elrond tried to figure out what the elven king's gaze was fixed on, and then he too noticed a small blade lying in the grass.

"It's Cield's… I gave that to him when he came of age. He usually carries it in his boot so that he is always armed… And it is the only thing he had with him! He will be killed!" Thranduil grabbed the blade and slid it in his boot.

"I have to find him!" Thranduil whispered.

"I will help you." Glorfindel said, riding on his horse now.

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"Florien, how are you doing baby?" Tonus asked softly, holding Florien's hand tightly.

"Good ada." Florien whispered. "It doesn't feel anymore."

"You mean it does not hurt?" Tonus asked.

"Ya." Florien muttered.

"Good. That means the medicine worked." Elrohir commented.

"I cannot believe what Cield did." Tonus looked at Elrohir.

"I hope your father does not go too harsh on him." Elrohir said.

"What did Mister Cield do?"

"Nothing that concerns you Florien, don't worry… In a day you will be ready to go home to nana. And supper should be made soon, too. It will be wonderful." Tonus smiled.

"Strawberries?"

"No Florien." Tonus chuckled. "No strawberries for supper. Some good meat, bread… It should be delicious."

Florien smiled.

"Sounds good. Even if there's no strawberries."

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Cield heard noises. He had reached down for his knife a little while back to realise it was gone. He was not armed. Spiders were nearby as Cield could hear them.

Cield was thrown off his horse. Cield landed on his rear just by a tree. His horse had run off, and a giant spider was approaching. The dwarven dress he wore itched him and it was hard to run in, but Cield jumped into a tree in time. Cield hopped from tree to tree for a few minutes before the dress caught onto a branch and he was sent onto the ground.

"Ai!" Cield's leg was twisted and he could not walk, but that was not the worst part of it. A spider was approaching him. Cield grabbed some sticks that had fallen from the tree and rubbed them together, praying to start a fire. When he finally did have a fire, he threatened the spider with it. Then, Cield felt something burning. Looking down, his boots had been set on fire by the stick he held. The fire was going up his leggings and his legs began to hurt. Cield screamed and threw the fiery branch at the spider. The spiders stayed away from the prince and his burning legs, but Cield could not stand nor extinguish the fire.

"ADA!" Cield screamed. Thranduil heard his son's screams and ran faster, Glorfindel following him on his horse.

"Ada please! HELP!" Cield tried to stop the fire but he could not. His arm had dislocated and it hurt far too much now to move it.

Cield's leggings where burning off his legs, and by the time Thranduil had found Cield, Cield's leggings had burnt off up to his knees.

"Cield!" Thranduil grabbed his son and extinguished the fire from Cield's leggings and legs.

"Ada…" Cield grabbed his father by his tunic. "I'm sorry."

"We have to get him to Elrond. His legs are burnt severely. How long where they burning for Cield?"

"L-long time… half… Half hour…" Cield said, whimpering as the Balrog slayer lifted him.

"He is in a lot of pain… I know… My legs where burnt even worse than this when I slay the Balrog in Gondolin." Glorfindel said, getting onto his horse with Cield.

"Cield, this is why you should have obeyed the punishments given to you." Thranduil said as they arrived at the palace. Elrond was in the courtyard and he ordered Glorfindel to lay Cield on the ground.

Thranduil now saw how much damage was done to his son. Cield's feet and up to his knees where burnt, Cield's leggings almost completely destroyed and the end of the dwarven dress was black from the fire.

"Bring him to his room, I will heal him there." Elrond said. Glorfindel and Thranduil lifted Cield into the palace. Many elves gasped when they saw their prince's burnt legs and heard his moaning.

When Legolas, who had been skipping down the hall at the time, saw Cield he screamed.

"Legolas, go play with Elladan, do not mind us." Thranduil said as he kicked Cield's door shut.

Elrond entered moments later and Legolas sat outside Cield's door. Legolas winced. Cield was screaming.

'Are they killing Cield?' Legolas wondered, pushing the door open slightly. Thranduil was holding Cield tightly and Cield screamed and squirmed as Elrond tended to his burnt legs.

"Cield!" Legolas gasped. Thranduil saw Legolas.

"Legolas, leave." Thranduil winced as he saw the expression on Legolas' face.

"Are you killing him?"

"No ion-nin, Elrond is healing him and it hurts. Now leave, little elflings should not be around to witness such things-

"Cield!" Illiendal and Elladan had heard the screaming and had run to Cield's room.

"All of you leave!" Elrond ordered. Sighing, Illiendal, Legolas and Elladan left. But Tonus entered calmly. "Valar." Tonus muttered to himself.

"How is he doing?" Tonus asked. Elrond knew Tonus had some healing skills and might be useful to have around, so he let him stay.

"He is doing… Well, you can see for yourself." Elrond said as Cield whimpered even though they did nothing to him. Cield was shaking.

"It will be over soon Cield." Thranduil tried to reassure his son.

"Tonus… Leave…" Cield whimpered. Cield was naked and it was bad enough that Glorfindel, his father and Elrond where in the room.

"Is there any way I may help, Elrond?" Tonus asked.

"There is but I'd rather your father help me. Cield would like you to leave and judging by the pain he is in it may relieve him a bit if you do leave." Elrond sighed.

"Alright, if that is what Cield wants?"

"Thank you." Cield whispered, grabbing his father's hand and squeezing it as Elrond tended to the twisted ankle.

"It will be over soon, soon ion-nin." Thranduil shut his eyes and tried to block out his son's screams.

"Cield, I am now going to put some ointment on the burns… Then I will be finished." Elrond said. Cield nodded.

When Elrond finished with the ointment Thranduil was finally relieved.

"Cield, why don't you rest for a bit? I can bring you up some food if you like. You must be thirsty; I will get you some water." Thranduil said, carefully placing Cield's head on a soft pillow and covering Cield with blankets.

"Don't cover the burnt parts of his legs with the blankets. Just cover him from his waist to his knees." Elrond ordered. Thranduil rearranged the blankets and kissed Cield on his brow.

"I will be back in a few minutes." Thranduil said as he left the room. Thranduil gasped when he saw Legolas was sitting outside the door, crying.

"Little Leaf, what is the matter?" Thranduil bent down to see why Legolas was so upset.

"Elrond is hurting Cield. I don't like that." Legolas sniffled, reaching up to get Thranduil to hold him.

"Don't worry Leaf, Elrond is not hurting Cield… Well, yes, he is, but Elrond is only hurting Cield because it will make him better. If Elrond did not hurt Cield then… Cield might get infected and… His injuries would become much more severe."

"What happened to Cield? He smelt funny."

"You know how you are not aloud to cook or go near fire, or start fire?"

"Aye, I know that."

"Well, Cield started a fire to scare away a spider but he was not careful, so his boots go set on fire. He had hurt his leg so he could not stand up and he could not extinguish the flame so he was burning until Lord Glorfindel and I found him. His legs where severely burnt but Elrond took care of him."

"Poor Cield!" Legolas buried his face into Thranduil's chest.

"I am going to get Cield a drink of water; would you like to give it to him?" Thranduil asked.

"Yes!"

Thranduil got water for Cield and handed it to Legolas. Thranduil opened the door and Legolas walked over to Cield.

"Here you go Cield." Legolas said. Cield's shaking hand came up to take the glass. Cield spilt some from shaking.

"Here, let me help you." Elrond said, putting his hand on top of Cield's. Thranduil lifted Cield's head and Legolas observed Cield's legs.

Cield sipped the water slowly and he raised a hand to signal that he wanted no more.

"Thank you." Cield murmured.

"Your legs look gross." Legolas made a face.

"Legolas, that was not nice." Thranduil frowned at Legolas.

"Sorry ada… But it's true!"

"How would you like it if your legs looked like that and Cield said they looked gross?" Thranduil asked.

"I… I would not like it."

"Then keep your comments to yourself." Thranduil said. Cield sighed.

"But he is right. I look disgusting." Cield looked down at his burnt legs and shut his eyes.

"Don't worry Cield. You have elvish healing and soon your legs will look like this never happened…" Thranduil noticed the look Elrond was giving him.

"Actually… It may leave a scar." Elrond exhaled noisily when he saw how hurt Cield looked.

"I am such an idiot. If I had listened to you none of this would have happened! Ai, and if… If I had not lost the blade you gave me, ada. I reached for it and I found it missing. I loved that blade, ada I am sorry I lost it."

"Speaking of that blade… If you had not lost it, I would not have found you." Thranduil smiled, handing Cield the small blade. Cield smiled.

"Thank you ada, though I will not be able to wear my boots until my feet heal so I will not need this blade until then."

"At least you can rest knowing that it is not lost." Thranduil smiled, caressing his son as he fell asleep.

"Ada can we do something special for Cield?" Legolas asked, looking at his sleeping brother.

"Like what?"

"Bake him a cake? Please?" Legolas begged. Thranduil sighed and nodded.

"Yay! I know a really good place to get mud for his cake!"

"Mud?"

"Ya! Mud cake!"

"Legolas, I have a better idea. We can bake in the kitchens and use chocolate. It's like mud, and it tastes better. Anyways, Cield does not like mud."

"Oh! Then let's go!" Legolas grabbed his father's wrist and dragged him off to the kitchens.

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"Elrohir, you promise you will keep an eye on Florien for me?" Tonus asked, looking at his sleeping son.

"Do not worry, I will check on Florien as often as I can. If I see anything wrong I will report it to my father immediately." Elrohir smiled. "Now go spend time with his mother, she must be worried sick. And with everyone getting hurt around here, to have his mother needing some healing would drive my father insane!" Elrohir grinned.

"Alright-

Tonus bumped into an old man.

"I'm so sorry sir- Mithrandir?" Tonus' eyes widened at the grey wizard in front of him.

"Hello young prince of Mirkwood, fancy seeing you in Lord Elrond's chambers." Gandalf said.

"Greetings Mithrandir. I am sorry that I bumped into you. I was in a hurry."

"Does the hurry involve that elfling?" Gandalf asked. "Or your elfling?"

"What do you mean my elfling? I do not have an elfling! That elfling is- Elrond told you!" Tonus frowned and in anger kicked the wall.

"Elrond told me nothing. I may be an old fool Tonus, but I can see how much the elfling resembles you very easily." Gandalf said.

"I suppose that could be true." Tonus sighed. "His name is Florien he is my son. Please do not tell anyone, already you, Elrond and Elrohir know."

"I will not tell anyone as it is up to you to tell your father the truth." Gandalf said in his I-am-a-wise-old-man-listen-to-your-elders voice.

"Alright sir. Now, please excuse me… I need to go visit Florien's mother." Tonus said, quickly passing by Gandalf and leaving the palace.

"You have everything under control here, master Elrohir?" Gandalf asked.

"Yes sir."

"Then I will go find your father, I desire to speak with him. Do you know where I might be able to find him?"

"Cield's room. Cield burnt himself so Elrond is tending to him, though by now he is probably just watching over him.

"Pity, if Cield is burnt badly then perhaps he will not be able to see my firework display tonight." Gandalf grinned as he turned to leave.

To be continued…

Remember, this story is about all the difficult things that Tonus is going through and how while all these bad things happen; he still is trying to keep Florien a secret… So yes, there will be a lot of injuries.

Aier of Mirkwood: It's spelt Illiendal. And you spelt Legolas wrong… But that don't matter!

Mistopurr: Ah, If only Cield listened. I read that poem, it was good. I also read 'go read it' in your author note, but I had no time to.

Laer4572: I totally forgvot about your idea, and by the time I had finished writing the part about the punishments, I had forgotten! So I threw in the spiders chasing Cield, in honour of you, since I felt bad about not including your punishment. I'm sorry. I will try to use it another time. What a bad person I am!

Haldir's Heart and Soul: Elladan's punishment is a secret… But what is his punishment? Why, it's what YOU suggested… Yay! I used your suggestion – Or I am going to, at least.

Karone Evertree: Florien is just a sweetie pie! Cield is a really nice guy, you just have to well… He is having a tough time, and you know teenagers and their silly hormones… Cield is only like, 15, you can't blame him!

Here comes the hockey puck: When Cield gets better, as punishment for riding his horse I will use your punishment but we might not go all the way to the shire… Cield might get hungry, or fall off…

Aranna Undomiel: Cield is not 'evil', his hormones are evil and so is my plot monkey… Oh sure, his name might be 'Luke Sky-Monkey' but we ALL know he is related to Darth Monkey…

Rainbow fish: As you can see, I used that punishment.

Lalaithofthebruinen: Well, Gandalf found out!

Surf all day and do the hula: I used the no ice-cream part but pushing Cield out the window… It sounds kind of… Cruel! But I may use it later on… Who knows!

Starlit Jewel: I will use your suggestion when Cield recovers from the burns in a few chapters.