Chapter 2

Thranduil…

The battle was nearly over.

We had a sure victory, but I did not know how long we could keep up with these repeated attacks from Dol Guldur. There was something evil there, and it wanted the forest for its own. My supply of soldiers was not inexhaustible. I knew in my heart that I had to call together the White Council sooner or later.

Scanning the fire-lit battlegrounds of the Gladden Fields, I watched silently as the army finished off some of the remaining small bands of the Cursed Race. Orc bodies littered the grounds, but, I saw with anguish, many of my warriors lay near them.

"Brannon nin!" (My Lord!) a voice sounded from behind me, carrying me away from the macabre visions of death that should never plague any elf.

Turning at the urgency in it, I saw that the speaker and another elf was carrying a body between them. Another came up behind them, dragging the wriggling body of a wounded Orc.

I tensed at the sight of ruthless creature and asked, "What is it?"

The others did not have to answer me as I realized who they were carrying between them. My heart caught at my throat, forcing me to take in more air as I knelt, bringing a hand to the blood-matted head. "Ion nin!" (My son!)

"Ada…" (Father.)

A weak whisper escaped his lips, and tears sprung to my eyes as I realized he was not dead. With a quick scan, I saw that ruby liquid was seeping from beneath his breastplate, and hurriedly removed the light cloak covering his bottom half. At the sight of his gaping wound through the abdomen, I choked, but my head cleared.

"He can be saved!" I cried. "Take him to the healers!"

"My lord…" one of the elves started. I glared at him, threatening him to challenge me, and with a nod of his head, he acquiesced.

A cold hand was slowly covering my heart as I reared back, letting them take Legolas away from me. I closed my eyes and lowered my head, searching within me for the peace and patience that would keep me from screaming out my pains. It was something I had learned to do long ago.

A good ruler never showed his weaknesses.

I opened my eyes, and stared at the intricate ring that hung on a plain silver chain around my neck. Another stab of pain pierced my heart and I nearly fell, remembering. It had been a wedding gift from her… She should be wearing the other one. Where was she now?

There was no time to think about the past.

At this, I almost laughed. I was only immortal. I had all the time in the world.

Well, first, I had to deal with the wretched thing tied at the end of a leash, guarded by one of my soldiers. Looking up, I could see that he took no pleasure in it, and was trying to stand as far away from the thing as possible, while still holding onto the chain.

"I am assuming this was the creature that wounded my son," I spoke, letting the creature here the steel in my voice as I spoke in the Common Tongue. I looked at the thing, and at that moment, it met my eyes.

I nearly staggered back.

The hate and fury in its eyes were so great that if there had not been a gag in its mouth, I was sure that it would have bitten me. It proved that these things had no hearts.

"Very well," I said quietly, kneeling to meet the thing's eyes. My loathing almost matched its. "We do not usually take prisoners of your kind, but I will make an exception. We must learn more of your master and what he is after." It roared at me through the gag, but made only a muffled sound that was laughable. "Take it back," I ordered the soldier. "And put it where it can see sunlight."

TBC...

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