It was the sun shining through the window that woke Legolas the next morning. He sat up with a start, ready to jump out of bed and go running to Thranduil and Laerwen, so that he could tell them all about the awful dream he had had. But one look around the plain little room he was in, told him that whatever else his predicament may be, a dream it most certainly was not.
Instead of the large bed with the warm covers and squashy pillows that he had become so accustomed to at the palace, it was a plain white mattress that he had spent the night on, with a thin pillow for his head, and a single sheet to cover his body. The latter had done nothing the previous night to offer warmth or comfort to him, and he had spent many hours shaking with fear until eventually, sleep had taken him into its black depths.
On the other side of the room was another mattress, also complete with one sheet and a single pillow. Though, it appeared to be un-slept in. And that was it. There was nothing else in the whole room. His book lay on the floor next to him – for there was no table or desk – and if he had brought extra clothes, they also would have to be content with the hard floor, as the room was devoid of any storage.
"Good morning, little one."
Legolas snapped his head up in surprise. He had not noticed the silent opening of the door. "Oh," he said quietly. "Hello."
"If you are hungry, there is breakfast on the table," Seregeth said. "It is not much – just a few pieces of fruit and some bread. But the fruit is lovely to taste, even if I do say so myself. Come."
"I'm not very hungry," Legolas lied, as he rose from the mattress.
The man arched a cynical eyebrow at that. "No? Well, at least come and have a look. You may well change your mind. And besides, I would speak with you for a few minutes before the day starts."
"What about?" Legolas followed Seregeth out into the main room of the house, and stood uncertainly by the table. He could smell the bread and fruit right next to him, but he paid little attention to the empty feeling in his stomach. He was too unhappy to eat.
"I noticed that you only have one set of clothes with you," the man said.
"I had no time to pack," Legolas answered quietly.
"Of course not. But I have some clothes that you can wear. They might be a bit too big for you – you are quite small. But they should be fine for the time being. And besides, they do not differ greatly from what you wear now," Seregeth replied. "I also have a few tunics that you can wear during the night."
Legolas looked up, and his eyes narrowed slightly. "Why do you have clothes small enough for me? Surely they are not your own."
"No. They belonged to other children who have come and gone," the man said with a smile. "If you are unhappy with them, I can buy you your own. The town is but ten minutes from here. You would have to wait a few days, though."
"I am sure what you already have will be fine," Legolas said. "It doesn't matter."
Seregeth nodded, and gestured towards a bowl of fruit that sat on the edge of the untidy table. "Help yourself, little one. The red apples are particularly juicy. I am confident you will like them."
"Really, I am not hungry," Legolas insisted. He paused, and then added: "But thank you."
"Very well, it is your choice whether you eat or not. However, because you have chosen not to, I must ask for your help," Seregeth said. He sat at the table, and took an apple for himself. "There is a small job that I need doing, and I…Legolas?"
The Elfling had taken a few frightened steps backwards. "Amarth said that this would happen – you would make me do chores for a few days so that the people in the town wouldn't suspect," he breathed. "And then the work would stop, and…I wasn't told anything else. But he was right, wasn't he? Amarth was telling the truth about you, he-
"Legolas, listen to me," Seregeth interjected softly. "Forget what Amarth said, because now that you are here, you can find out for yourself if what he told you was truth or lies. What I cannot understand is why the mention of doing a small job evokes such fear into you."
"Because of Amarth…" The child bit down on his lower lip, and shrugged. "I just…I don't know."
"Correct me if I am wrong, but surely whilst living in Mirkwood you had to do chores for your family to help them," Seregeth said. "Washing? Cooking?"
"I didn't," Legolas muttered.
The man sighed, and shook his head as though in disappointment. "Ah, I was hoping this would be an obstacle that we would not have to worry about. But I see now that you were spoilt. That has to change. I do not like spoilt children."
"I wasn't," Legolas said truthfully. "My parents didn't spoil me at all."
"If you deem yourself to important to do a single chore, to lend your aid, then evidently they did." Seregeth's voice had lost the pleasant tone from before, and was suddenly cold. "Well, I am disappointed. I thought-
"No, I didn't say that I wouldn't do a chore for you, I just said that I didn't do them at…home, and I…" Legolas faltered as his eyes met icy blue ones, and he struggled to hold the gaze. "I'm sorry, Seregeth. I will help you, I…I didn't mean that…"
"Good." The man smiled, and as he pushed back his chair and continued speaking, his voice went back to how it had been before – friendly, pleasant. "Very well, come with me and I will show you what I want you to do."
Seregeth walked out of the cottage, and Legolas hesitated for a moment before following. His heart pounded slightly harder against his chest; he drew a few deep breaths to try and calm it slightly. The mortal's hard and intense gaze of only a minute before had frightened him. The sharp voice had stabbed at him like pins. The sudden change had shocked him. What had happened to the pleasant man of the night before? He had disappeared so quickly…and yet reappeared a second after, as though he had been briefly possessed. Legolas shivered, and hurried to catch up.
"Seregeth, wait!" he called. "I'm sorry, but I'm really not spoilt, and to prove that I will do any chore that you ask of me. And then perhaps…if I do everything that you want me to…would you let me…go home?"
"This is your home," Seregeth answered. "Now, come. You remember I mentioned yesterday that I have a horse?"
Legolas sighed inwardly at his refused request, but nodded all the same. "I remember."
"Well, I do not ride her often," the mortal said, gesturing towards the stone outhouse. "But despite that, I like to see that her coat shines and her mane and tail are free from knots, for she is a beautiful creature. However, I have been neglecting her lately. Your first job for me will be to groom her."
"Why don't you ride her?" Legolas asked quietly.
Seregeth shrugged his shoulders. "She can be quite wild at times. Wait here, and I will bring her out."
Legolas folded his arms over his chest, and looked into the trees across the stream. It would be easy to run – but not to escape. His mind drifted to a story that he had once been told of a boy who had been held prisoner in the home of his cruel mother. He had spent his life as a captive, doing exactly as he was told, serving her without fail. But every day he watched her. He memorised her routine; he made subtle notes of what she did, when she did it, and how. He planned his escape around the routine that he came to know so well, and was finally able to free himself from his mother's clutches.
'I can do that,' Legolas thought. 'I can do exactly what that boy did, and then I can escape and find my way home.'
"Well, here she is."
The Prince turned, and drew in a sharp breath as he laid eyes upon a horse – dappled grey - that was as beautiful as any in Mirkwood. He was quite sure it was an Elvish animal. "I thought you said you had been neglecting her. She doesn't look very neglected."
Seregeth smiled, and ran his fingers through the horse's silky mane. "I suppose not. Well, that will make your job a lot easier, won't it?"
Legolas watched as the rope attached to the animal's halter was tied around a thin tree just next to the stable. "Does she have a name?"
"No, I have never thought of one for her," Seregeth said. That, of course, was a lie. Every child he had had over the years had given her a name. He looked at the child, and smiled. "Would you like to choose one for her?"
"Really?"
"Of course."
Legolas looked at the horse, and a smile appeared on his previously sad face. "I think she should be called Aduial. It's Elvish. It means 'twilight'. That's a nice name. I like it."
"So do I," Seregeth agreed. "Very well, why don't you make a start on grooming her? There is a brush on the ground just next to that stump of wood over there."
"Alright. It will be a very easy job, though. She is beautiful already, and I don't think that I can make her coat shine any more than it already does," Legolas replied.
"Maybe not," Seregeth said. He smiled briefly, before turning and going back into the cottage.
The Elfling stared at the closed door, wondering at the chore he had been given. It made no sense to him. Amarth had painted a picture of Seregeth, a cruel and tyrannical one. But now that he was here, Legolas could not help but doubt the accuracy of that picture. His captor clearly had a temper, and it was one that he would not like to become a victim to. But that aside, he seemed…nice. What if Amarth had gotten it wrong?
'Maybe I won't have to try and escape,' Legolas thought, as he began absentmindedly running the brush up and down Aduial's front right leg – he wasn't tall, and that was the highest he could reach. 'I know Seregeth said that this is my home now, but what if I can change his mind? He might take me to my real home – back to Ada and Nana.'
The horse whickered softly, and pushed his hand away with her long nose. The child laughed, and began brushing once more. But again, his attempts were refused. He looked up into the large brown eyes, and shrugged helplessly. How was he supposed to know what she wanted of him? Aduial tossed her head and flicked her ears, though if this was supposed to help alleviate his confusion, it didn't.
"What do you want?" Legolas asked.
Aduial blew through her nostrils, and with a swish of her tail, sauntered over to the stump of wood, and nodded impatiently at it, as if to demand: "Well? What are you waiting for?"
"Oh, I see," Legolas laughed as he jumped up onto it. He found that it elevated him to the height of Aduial's withers, which she was obviously waiting for him to pay attention to. "Clever horse. I wouldn't have thought of that."
The Prince exhaled deeply as he continued with his work. 'I wonder what Ada and Nana are doing,' he thought. ' I can't imagine. They must be very worried about me. Or what if they haven't even noticed that I've gone? No, they would have. Ada would get angry because I wasn't at the evening meal, so he would've gone to find me, but I wouldn't be anywhere. Yes, they must know.'
As he groomed the horse, Legolas' thoughts drifted further and further away to Mirkwood, until eventually, they were so far away that he did not even have to close his eyes to see himself sat on his mother's lap as she sang to him, or cuddled up with his father in the evening as he was told stories. In fact, he was so caught up in his own imagination that when Aduial nudged him sharply in the chest, the sudden jerk back to reality was almost painful.
"Sorry," he murmured, dropping the brush and jumping down from the block of wood. "I have to find something out."
That said, the little Prince ran across the grass and splashed through the stream, unaware of the cold eyes watching from the cottage. He stopped in front of one of the trees that populated the small copse, and looked at it carefully. He wondered if he would be able to converse with it, and maybe send a message through the trees all the way back to his father. He hoped so. Although, he had not yet heard these trees singing any songs, or even speaking amongst each other. But, he reflected, as he rested his hands against the trunk, the only thing he could do was try.
"Legolas!"
The Elfling winced, and turned back to the cottage. "Yes, Seregeth?"
"Would you come back over here?" The dark haired man folded his arms over his chest, and watched through narrowed eyes as the child jumped over the stream and came to a halt in front of him.
"Yes?" Legolas asked quietly.
"I think you should understand that now you are living here, you must forget all that you learnt in Mirkwood. Any rules that your parents laid down for you must be pushed from your mind, because I also have rules that have to be taken into account, and they are what matter now," Seregeth said. "First of all, if I tell you to do a job, I expect you to carry on with it until I say otherwise. Secondly, you are never to cross to the other side of the stream unless you have my permission. Thirdly, you do not argue with me. Let me see…that is three rules, and to the best of my knowledge, you have already broken two. Now, I do not-
"I didn't break the first rule! You have given me a job which has already been done," Legolas said. "I can't do anything more to the horse."
Seregeth shook his head disapprovingly. "The number rises. You have broken all three of my rules. Now, I will let it pass today, because you clearly are not used to discipline. But you need to know this: if you break my rules, you will be punished. If you do not, and your behaviour pleases me, you will be rewarded."
"I'm sorry," Legolas muttered. "I went to the trees to see if I could speak to them. But why can't I cross the stream?"
"Rule number four: my word is not to be questioned. But I will give you an answer this time," Seregeth replied. "You stay on this side of the stream so that you are further away from the road – which is through the trees – and also so that I can keep you in sight. I cannot have you running away."
"Oh." Legolas nodded slowly. "Sorry. I didn't know."
"Yes, I suppose I am partly to blame on this occasion." Seregeth paused, and nodded towards the stable. "Come with me. Now, I said that good behaviour is rewarded. I keep my word. Look over the door on the right."
Legolas felt like rolling his eyes, but he stopped himself. "I'm not tall enough."
"Forgive me." The man reached down and lifted the child up. He could feel the instant tension in the small body, and hid a smile. "Look over the door. Tell me what you see."
"There are dogs," the Prince replied. "There are two dogs, and one of them is…well, is actually quite…fat."
"She is expecting puppies," Seregeth said softly. "I believe they will be with us in the next few days. Have you ever had a dog?"
"No." Legolas smiled at what his parents would say to such a notion. "There were dogs in Mirkwood, but I did not have one of my own. I don't think Ada and Nana would like an animal such as that in the…" He caught himself just in time. "House."
"Well, if your behaviour pleases me, when they are born you may choose one for yourself," Seregeth said, as he lowered the child to the ground once more.
Legolas looked up, surprised. "Oh. That's…that's nice of you. Thank you."
The man hid a smile as he nodded towards Aduial. "You had better get on with grooming the horse, had you not? I do not think that you have yet finished, and until I say otherwise, you must carry on."
"Alright." Legolas turned, and picked up the brush once more. As he jumped back onto the block of wood, his eyes flashed in annoyance, and he had to bite hard on his tongue to keep quiet.
Seregeth sauntered over to the door of the cottage, and watched in silence. For over fifteen years, he had kept children of all backgrounds, but Legolas was different. All of the others had been mortals, and most had come straight from a life that was already filled with hardship. But the Elfling…it was clear that he had been raised with love and care, and had been very much protected from the dangers of Middle-Earth. There was innocence to him which the other children had not had, an innocence which would soon be stolen from him in ways that he had not even seen in his dreams. The man would enjoy that.
"Oh!"
Seregeth looked up in time to see the Elfling quickly pushing Aduial's mane out of the way. "What is it, Legolas?"
The Prince shook his head slowly, staring in disbelief at the red welts visible beneath the horse's grey coat. "She has been hurt very badly. What happened?"
"She tried to escape," Seregeth said carelessly. "I brought her out of the stable; she chewed through her rope, and was off through the trees. That is another rule: escape is a seriously punishable offence."
"You…you did this?" Legolas breathed. "How could you? Do you think that she understands what you tell her? You can't make rules for a horse, Seregeth."
"You are coming close to making me angry," the mortal said coldly. "No arguing and no contradicting me. You would do well to remember that."
"I did not forget," Legolas retorted. All ideas that had been in his mind about the other's niceness were slowly leaving him.
"Good." Seregeth smiled and turned to leave, but then he paused. "At least you now know what happens to those who try and escape. One: the consequences are painful. Two: they never succeed.
With that, the man turned and went back into the cottage, smiling as he heard the Elfling draw in a sharp breath. Legolas stared at the closed door for a moment, before turning back to Aduial. He buried his face in her grey mane, unable to stop the tears from spilling. No escape… The horse turned her head and nudged him gently, but it did nothing to comfort him. No escape…
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Thalion sat on the edge of the bed in the sleeping chamber that he had been given, and absentmindedly ran his fingers along the edge of his knife blade. He had little information which the Elves would find useful, such as locations and motives, answers to questions which they all wanted, but he was the only one who knew anything of Amarth, and that counted for something. Captain Alondir had asked him if he would go out with him into the forest to help search for the missing Prince, and of course he had agreed.
But as he waited for the time that they would be leaving the palace, he found his mind being pulled into the past. Memories that were best left undisturbed returned to haunt him, and no matter how tightly he closed his eyes, they would not disappear. It was strange, how they came and went at unpredictable intervals, especially after all his years spent away from such a life. Surely they should be easy to erase?
No. The life he had previously lived would never be forgotten, no matter how much time passed. And as he closed his eyes, he could once more hear the cold voice murmuring in his ear; could see the deadly eyes that had bored into his very soul and made him want to scream; could feel the hand that had grabbed at his hair, the chains and whips that had assaulted his body, the-
There was a knock on the door. He started, and his finger jerked across the blade, the skin immediately breaking. Cursing, he threw the knife onto the bed and jumped to his feet, wrapping the sleeve of his shirt tightly around his finger to stop the blood flow. Shaking his head angrily, he stormed to the other side of the room and pulled the door open. Standing before him was an Elven soldier who wore a poorly disguised expression of worry on his fair face.
"Is it time to leave?"
"Maybe…maybe in ten minutes," the Elf replied. His voice shook, and he twisted his hands together nervously. "May I speak with you?"
"Come in." Thalion paused as he pulled the door open wider. "What did you say your name was?"
"I didn't. I mean it…its Ithilen."
"Sorry. Yes, come in, Ithilen," the man said. "What can I do for you?"
"It is Prince Legolas. When I heard of his disappearance, I immediately knew that something was wrong, although for the life of me I could not think what it was. But this morning, I remembered." Ithilen bit down on his lip and shook his head. "I saw him. Valar, how could I? How could I have let it slip my mind?"
"What do you speak of?" Thalion asked softly.
The Elf drew in a deep breath, and let it out again. "I caught the Prince about to go into the trees. I stopped him, but he told me that King Thranduil had given him permission. Foolishly, I believed him. I meant to inform Captain Alondir of our conversation, but it…it slipped my mind. I thought nothing more of it."
"Does anyone else know of this?" Thalion demanded.
"No. I do not know why I came to you, but…" Ithilen shook his head helplessly. "I think that I was the last one to see Prince Legolas before he entered the forest. I do not know what to do."
Thalion touched a hand to the young Elf's shoulder. "The King must know…"
………………………………………………………………………………………………
"So, you are telling me that you let my son leave the safety of the training grounds, even though you knew full well that he would be entering the forest?" Thranduil's voice was level, but the flashing of his eyes gave away his fury.
"Your Highness, Prince Legolas told me that you had given him permission," Ithilen replied desperately. "He said that you-
"And you believed him? Even had I done such a thing, do you think I would let him go in there without the protection of an adult?" the Elven-king cut in sharply. "What kind of a fool do you take me for? A lesser one than yourself, I hope. Legolas is a child. He cannot defend himself. It is the protection of his elders on which he relies, and you just let him go?"
"My Lord, I meant to tell someone as soon as he had left, but it was pushed from my mind," Ithilen said. "I-
"It was pushed from your mind?" Thranduil exploded. "My only child is Valar knows where, and all you can say is that it was pushed from your mind! If you had done as your heart first told you, we would not be here now."
"If I could say something…"
Thranduil turned cold eyes upon Thalion, and snapped: "Go on!"
"I say this with the greatest respect, but it seems to me that you are trying to blame Ithilen for all of this. Yes, what he did – or did not do – was wrong, but he is not entirely at fault," the man said. "When Legolas went into the forest, he was fully aware of his actions. He knew that he was breaking rules, but that did not stop him. No-one forced him to leave the safety of the training grounds. He did it of his own free will."
"That may be so, but it is not enough to excuse what has happened," Thranduil replied. He paused, and looked back at the soldier. "Withholding information such as this is an offence, whether you have done it intentionally or not. I could have you stripped of your rank; I could have you put in prison; I could even order you out of Mirkwood, if I deemed that to be the right path to take."
"I know this, my Lord," Ithilen said softly. "I respect whatever decision you make."
The Elven-king exhaled deeply, and shook his head. "No. I will take no action on this occasion. My son's disappearance is a more pressing matter."
"My Lord…?"
"You understand?"
"I understand perfectly," Ithilen replied, ending the sentence with a barely concealed sigh of relief.
The Sinda nodded briefly. "You are going out with today's patrol, is that correct? They will not wait for you. Go now, or you will miss them."
Ithilen bowed low, before turning and going to the door. But then he paused, and looked back again. "Your Highness, I am truly sorry. If I had known what was going to happen, I…"
"I know," Thranduil said softly.
As the soldier left, Thalion turned to the King. "I also must leave, for Alondir has asked me to join with the patrol to search for your son. I cannot guess what the chances are of you and your wife being re-united with the child on this day, but I do know that I will try my hardest to find him. It is early days yet. There is still hope."
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Night had long ago fallen, and as a bowl of soup was placed before him, Legolas did not appear to notice. He made a soft, non-committal noise of thanks, but his gaze remained on the few stars that he could see through the window. Their presence above him offered comfort. Not a lot, but enough. They gave him hope, hope that he was being watched over, and kept safe.
"Eat that," Seregeth said, as he took a seat on the other side of the table. "It is chicken. I am sure that you will find it satisfactory."
Legolas exhaled deeply as he pushed the bowl away. "No, thank you. I am not hungry."
"Please yourself." The man drank slowly from a cup of wine, though his eyes did not once leave the child. "So tell me," he continued, "how did you find your first day working for me? Was it as awful as you thought it would be?"
"I don't know," Legolas replied. "I didn't enjoy myself, if that's what you mean."
"Did you not? Pity," Seregeth said. "It could have been a lot worse. You should take comfort in that."
The Elfling made a slight noise of derision at that. What a ridiculous thing to say! He did not think that there was anything - bar the soft twinkling of the stars through the grimed window - which could possibly comfort him at that moment. The presence of his mother and father would do just that, but he was wise enough - despite his youth - to know that there was no point dwelling on what would not be.
"Your parents – whoever they may be – did not do very well teaching you manners," Seregeth commented, as he broke off a hunk of bread from a loaf. "It is impolite to remain silent when spoken to."
"I only reply to people that I like," Legolas said softly.
"Then, you dislike me?"
"You went down in my estimation when I saw what you did to Aduial," the child replied.
"Is that so? Well, I can understand that," Seregeth shrugged. "Now, tell me about yourself, why don't you? This is already your second day here, yet I know very little about you."
"What do you want to know?"
"Tell me about your family," the man answered. "Who were your parents? Did you have siblings?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"You ask many questions."
"So do you."
The man stood up and leaned across the cluttered table. His instinct was to grab the golden hair and pull hard, but instead he caught the child's face in his hands, forcing him to look up. "You speak defiantly and impertinently, and I dislike that. Maybe you do not know it yet, but I will warn you that to get on my bad side is a mistake. Remember that, because I can make your life miserable. You do not want that."
"No, I don't," Legolas said softly.
"I thought not." Seregeth moved his hands away, and sat down once more. "Now, tell me what I want to know."
The Prince nodded slowly, his mind whirling. "My father is a warrior, and my mother sings songs at the palace," he replied in a low voice. It was not far from the truth. Thranduil's formidable fighting skills were renowned, and Laerwen's voice was often heard in the halls.
"That is interesting," Seregeth said. "What names do they go by?"
"My father is called…Alondir, and my mother…" Legolas bit down on his lip and thought desperately, searching for the name of another Elven woman. But then he shook his head. He didn't have to do this. "I don't want to tell you about my parents," he said coldly. "They're my family, not yours. The right to ask me questions about them is not yours – you lost it when you had me brought here."
Seregeth regarded the Elfling in silence for a moment, and exhaled deeply. "They really didn't do very well with you, did they? They failed you. They failed in their duty as parents."
"Don't say that!" Legolas snapped. "It's not true!"
"You have a fiery spirit," Seregeth commented. "Maybe it served you well in Mirkwood, but it will not do so here."
The Prince narrowed his eyes in anger. "I don't want to be here and I don't want to be with you, so I don't care what happens. I don't even know you properly, but knowing what you have said and done is enough to make me think that I hate you already. And I have never hated anyone before. I was not brought up that way. But you took me away from my mother and father; and I hate you for that, for taking me from my home, and for…for everything."
"Are you quite finished?" Seregeth asked coolly.
"No. I'm not going to stay here any longer. I thought that I could wait to be saved, but I no longer think that," Legolas answered, as he jumped from his seat and ran to the door.
"Oh, are you leaving?" The man's voice remained cold, but it was tinted with a dark amusement that the child tried to, but could not, ignore.
Legolas tugged on the handle, but nothing happened. The portal to the outside world remained firmly shut. Again, he tried to pull it open, but it refused to move. It was locked. And as that realisation hit, the Prince slammed a hand against the wooden panel, again and again and again. Tears gathered in his eyes, but he did not bother to wipe them away. He only continued with his violent assault.
"Hysterics will get you nowhere," Seregeth said.
"I don't care!" Legolas shouted, sinking to his knees. "I don't care. All I want to do is get out of here! Away from you! Why won't you let me go? I've done nothing to you, so why are you…? I don't understand."
Seregeth stood, and went to the child. He knelt beside him, and held out a cup of water. "Drink this. It will calm you, and maybe-
"I don't want to drink it!" Legolas spat, raising a hand and hitting the cup. It flew from the man's grip to land on the floor some feet away.
"Do you really think that was a clever thing to do?" Seregeth murmured, as he watched clear liquid spill everywhere. He shook his head almost sadly. "You do not know when to stop, do you?"
The Elfling hid his face in his hands, and shook his head. "Go away…"
"Unless you had forgotten, this is my house," the mortal said.
"That is not what you said to me last night," Legolas muttered.
"No, it isn't. But things can change," Seregeth replied. He paused and took the child's wrists, pulling the small hands away. "Now, you are going to clear that mess up without argument, and then you and I will have a little talk."
"I just want to go home."
Seregeth pulled a cloth from the table, and threw it at his captive's feet. "You have five minutes. Start now."
Legolas made a noise of distress, but defeated, made no further protests as he crawled across the floor to do as he had been told. He dropped the cloth on top of the small pool of water and slowly pulled it back and forth, soaking up the cool liquid. But he was unable to see what he was doing, for his vision was blurred by tears that he was not even going to try and blink back – he knew that they would be replaced by fresh ones that would burn twice as much.
"Do you want to tell me why you did that?" Seregeth asked. "Did you think that anything would be gained?"
Legolas shook his head just once. "I don't know. That is the truth."
"Do not think that I will stand for such acts of behaviour," Seregeth said softly. "If you have any more anger to vent, you should do it now, for my temper will not hold much longer. Do not say that you have had no warning."
The Prince stared at the wet cloth in his hand for a moment, before dropping it to the ground and jumping to his feet. Without even glancing at Seregeth, he walked into the room that he had been given, and slammed the door shut behind him. The crash echoed all around the small cottage, bouncing off the walls and echoing like a roll of thunder does in a valley.
"If this is the way you wish to play, so be it." Seregeth also rose, and crossed the room silently. Leaning against the wall, he pressed his ear close to the door, and smiled as he heard the sound of suppressed sobs coming from inside.
He waited a few seconds before softly pushing open the door, and stepping into the room. He could tell by the way Legolas' body tensed, that his presence was known, but the child, who lay on his 'bed' facing the opposite wall, did not turn, nor utter a single word. Instead, he buried his face further into the pillow, and moved his arms to fold them defiantly or defensively – Seregeth was unsure which – across his chest.
"As you rejected the offer of both food and water, you will be going without them until I say otherwise." The man paused, waiting for a reaction. None came. "You have no-one to blame but yourself."
"So starve me," Legolas said in a low voice. "I don't care."
"But it is not just lack of food," Seregeth said softly. "One cannot survive for very long without water – Elf or no. What will happen if I decide that you are not to have any water for a week?"
"I would more than likely die," the child replied simply. "At least, I'd come close to it. But you won't do that. You won't kill me. I've only been here for two days."
"You should not presume to know everything," Seregeth said, his voice cold.
Legolas pushed himself into a sitting position, and stared into the steely blue eyes. He held the gaze unflinchingly. "I may not like you, but I'm not scared by you."
Without any warning, the mortal's hand shot out, and he tangled it in his prisoner's golden hair. Pulling him from the mattress, he threw him across the room. As Legolas hit the wall, he stumbled slightly, though he was saved from falling by the stability that was natural to Elves. His head throbbed, but he was given barely any chance to notice it, for his captor stormed across to him and grabbed the front of his tunic.
"You," Seregeth growled, pinning the Elfling against the wall, "do not know what you have gotten yourself into. You should be very afraid."
Legolas drew in a sharp breath and tried to pull away as a large hand appeared out of nowhere to slice blade-like through the air. But he was not strong enough to escape the grip. Seregeth struck him, hard, bringing tears of shock into his eyes. Fear filled his heart, real fear, and as the hold on his tunic lessened, he slid down the wall until he was sitting on the floor.
He had never, not in his whole life, been hit like that. Never. Needless to say he was stunned. He raised a trembling hand to his cheek, which had done nothing more than burn at first. But as he began to recover from his shock, pain set in, and he could not help the tears that escaped from his eyes. He bit down on his lip to try and stop himself from crying – doing that in front of Seregeth was the last thing that he wanted.
"Did that hurt?" the man asked softly. "I hope so, because you needed to be taught a lesson, little one. You need to learn how to respect your elders. Maybe you are not yet afraid of me. Well, this is only the beginning. You will find that there is more to come. Muchmore."
"But last night, I…I thought that you were…" Legolas trailed off, and stared at his captor in unconcealed horror. "I believed for a while that you were…"
"Friendly?" Seregeth sneered cruelly. "I know you did, and what a foolish thing to think."
"But you made me believe it!" the Elfling cried, his voice shaking. "It was your fault that I-
The man suddenly swept forwards, and pushed his forefinger against Legolas' lips, halting the stream of words. "Quiet. I am beginning to tire of your voice. I do not want to hear it again this night. What I do want, however, is for you to think carefully about what has taken place here, and consider how to change your behaviour so that it can be avoided in the future. Can you do that for me?"
With wide and frightened eyes, Legolas nodded slowly. Even if he had wanted to say something, his fear was great enough that it had rendered him speechless. Seregeth smiled at him, and without another word, turned and left. The Elfling was alone. The silence of the room was broken only by the heavy breathing that left his lips as he buried his face into his hands, and sobbed.
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I hope this chapter wasn't too long! I originally had it stopping after Ithilen went to Thalion, and then the next chapter started with them going to Thranduil, but then I realised that those chapters on their own would be quite short, so I just put them together and made this.
Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. All reviews are really appreciated and treasured, and I really will try hard to leave replies to them on my bio page. Its just hard when I have so little spare time!
Anyway, see you next week!
Misto
x-x
