The next morning, as soon as the sun began to show her face, Legolas leapt up from his mattress, sprinted across to the door, wrenched it open, and was out of the room like a flash of lightning. The larger main room was empty, yet so caught up was he in his excitement that he did not take the chance to eat some fruit or bread whilst Seregeth was still abed. Instead, he ran straight out of the cottage to the stables, a smile gracing his features as his sharp hearing caught the sounds of crying puppies. Ever since he had left the newborns last night, he had been looking forward to seeing them again.
Aduial's head was hanging over her stable door, and she whickered a soft greeting to her new friend as he appeared. The Elfling smiled and stopped for a second to stroke her velvety nose, but then he was moving on again to the other stall. His heart sank immediately. Although the top half of the door was thrown open, the bottom remained firmly shut, and it was that which had caused problems before. He was too short to see over it, and he had needed Seregeth to lift him.
Legolas narrowed his eyes, and glared at the bottom half of the door. 'I am not going to ask for help,' he thought determinedly. 'I can do it on my own.'
He raised himself up to the tips of his toes, and outstretched his arm as far as it could possibly go, in an effort to pull back the bolt – which looked stiff as it was – so that the door would swing open. But he could not reach. He jumped up, and although his fingers just grazed the rusty bolt, he was unable to get a grip on it. His lips unconsciously formed a childish pout, and defeated, he stared hard at the door, as though willing it to open on its own.
"Having trouble?"
Seregeth. Legolas did not turn to face him, but made a non-committal gesture with his hands. "Only a little. I cannot reach."
"Pity. I suppose you came out to see the new family," the man said, coming to a halt at the stable. "Evidently you could not wait to lay eyes on them again. You were up and about even before I was."
"Yes. You did say last night that I could see them this morning," Legolas answered. "I am not breaking any rules, I have done nothing wrong."
"Did I say otherwise?" Seregeth leaned on the stable door, and watched the canine family inside. A smile played on his face as he sensed the Elfling shift beside him. "I know you want to see them. And you know that means asking for help. Will you, I wonder? Or will you stay proudly silent?"
Legolas raised himself on tiptoes again, but it did nothing to help him catch a glimpse of the puppies, as he had expected. "I have to, don't I?" he asked softly. "Otherwise I will not see them, and I want to. So, will you help me? Will you please open the door or lift me up?"
"How polite," Seregeth sneered.
"I asked," Legolas said quietly. "Are you going to help?"
The man pulled back the bolt without a word, and as the door swung open, he watched through narrowed eyes as his captive edged forwards to gaze into the dim stable. The scene was much as it was last night: the mother lay in the straw with her five newborns scrambling blindly over each other to get at her milk, and the father watched impassively from the corner. One brown eye was fixed on his family, but the other was trained on the intruders in the doorway.
"He does not like us being here," Seregeth observed softly.
"Maybe not you."
"What does that mean?"
"I have never seen an animal afraid of me," Legolas shrugged. "I have never been disliked by one. They trust Elves, you see. They can sense that we are their friends."
"Isn't that charming," Seregeth sneered. He paused, and then slammed the bottom half of the stable door shut, forcing the child to jump back to avoid being hit. "That is enough. I have work for you to do."
"Already? But I have only been here for a few minutes," Legolas protested. "I haven't seen the puppies for very long, I-
"Yes. But this is a treat, would you not say? And treats must be earned. So, if you please me today, I will reward you with some time to watch the new family," Seregeth answered. "Does that seem fair?"
"I…yes."
"Good. Now, I want you to-
"May I say something?"
The man's eyes narrowed at the interruption, but he nodded all the same. "If you must."
Legolas was silent for a moment, readying himself for what he was about to say. He drew in a deep breath, and raised his eyes to meet the man's. "I am not doing any work for you." There. It was out.
"Oh, are you not?"
"No."
Seregeth folded his arms across his chest, and stared down at his captive. "Do you wish to explain yourself?"
"I have decided over the past few days, that no matter what you say, Amarth was telling me the truth. You have hit me, you have shouted at me, you have taken an innocent life just to upset me; and that is cruel. You are exactly as Amarth described you," Legolas said quietly. "He told the truth about that, so there is no reason why he should not have told the truth about these chores that you are making me do. He said they will stop after a short while anyway, so why not just stop them now? I already know it will happen. By carrying on in this way, you are wasting my time and your own. Aren't you?"
"Are you quite finished?" Seregeth asked silkily.
"Yes."
"Good."
The man swung his fist back and slammed it forcefully into the child's face. Legolas was thrown back against the wall of the stable, and splinters of wood grazed his cheek. Blood spilled from his nose and split lip, and he caught some of it in his hands. He stared at it in horror for a moment, before looking up to meet Seregeth's eyes. He shook his head slowly, too shocked to speak.
"Was the episode with the rabbit not enough to teach you?" the mortal shouted, grabbing the Elfling's tunic and shaking him hard. "You break my rules, you get hurt. You know that! You do not question what I do. Ever! Do you understand that?"
"Yes," Legolas managed to choke out. "I do."
"Good." Seregeth threw the boy from him, and took a step backwards. "I want you to wash the floors and windows inside the cottage. That will be your work for this morning. Are you going to do that without argument?"
"Yes," Legolas whispered. "But may I clean myself up first, please? I want to get rid of the blood."
"I think not. It will serve as a reminder to you of what happens if you dispute my word," Seregeth answered coldly.
"But I-
"You are arguing!"
Legolas looked at the blood on his fingers, and blinked back the tears that were pricking his eyes. "I am sorry," he said in a low voice. "I will do what you ask of me."
"I expect no less. Off you go, then. Oh no, before you leave, would you mind refreshing my memory?" Seregeth asked, his voice saccharine sweet. "How many days since you last ate?"
The Elfling unconsciously pressed a hand to his abdomen. He needed to eat. The previous night he had spent lying awake, feeling as though his empty stomach was being stabbed by sharp knives of hunger. He had never gone this long without food. And he had never really appreciated that when living in Mirkwood, he could eat – within reason – anything he wanted at any time.
"How many days?"
"Five," Legolas whispered. "Nearly six."
"Five, nearly six." Seregeth shook his head, and made a clicking noise with his tongue. "You must be hungry indeed. Well, never mind. I am going to allow you to eat this evening. Is that fair of me, do you think?"
"Yes."
"I think so too. Before you start your work for me this morning, you may have a cup of water," Seregeth continued. "Just one, mind. And remember that you do not stop working until I tell you to."
"Yes."
"Unfortunately, I will not be here to overlook what you do," the man said. "I am meeting somebody in town, but I should be no longer than thirty minutes."
"Yes. I…what?" Legolas jerked his head up in surprise. "You are leaving me here?"
"I have business in the town. It is unavoidable, and I have no choice but to leave you," Seregeth answered. "I am trusting you to stay put and continue with your chores. I am confident that you will not fail in that trust."
"Why?"
"Because you saw what happened to the horse when she took advantage of my absence," Seregeth said with a smile. "And I am sure you do not want the same thing to happen to you, do you?"
"No. But why are you going to-
"You will find out soon enough," the mortal cut in. "Now. Make a start on your work."
As Legolas turned and walked back to the cottage, his aching nose and lip were forgotten, and his mind was whirling furiously. His captor was leaving. He would be alone. Yes, he did know what had happened to Aduial, but would it not be easier for him to escape? He was an Elf, after all. His feet would not leave prints, and he could hide in the trees. If there would ever be a time to escape, this was it.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Back in Mirkwood, the patrols had returned to the palace with no news to give their Queen of the whereabouts of her only child. It was what she had expected, but tears still pooled in her eyes upon seeing the expressions of sadness worn by her husband and the soldiers. If she had anticipated comfort from Thranduil, though, she did not receive any. He had shut himself away in his study, without a word to her or anyone else. Apparently losing Legolas was starting to take its toll on him also.
Thalion had muttered a few words of apology to Laerwen, before going back to his room and locking the door. Lying on his bed, he had been taken by sleep almost immediately, tired by the long search of the previous night. Dreams had come to him. Images danced in his slumbering mind, images that he was unable to push away, unable to look away from – images from his past.
"Father, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to disobey you." The boy backed away from the menacing figure before him, backed away until he was pressed up against the wall. "Please, don't…"
"You did not mean to disobey me?" the older mortal sneered. "You always mean to, child. You and your sister both. You have been a thorn in my side since the day you were born, and as each day passes, that thorn is pressed deeper and deeper. I…Are you shaking your head at me?"
The boy swallowed nervously, chewing nervously on his lower lip. "I just…Do you really despise me as much as I think you do?"
"Even more so."
"But I am your son!" the child cried. "Father, how can you hate your own son? It isn't right, it-
"Hold your tongue, Thalion!" the man spat.
"You cannot hate your own son!" The boy's screams bounced off the walls, and came back to hit him. "You cannot hate me, you cannot! You-
He was silenced by a harsh blow to the face that sent him sprawling onto the floor. He tried to get back onto his feet, but his father kicked him with a booted foot. Blood pooled in his mouth. It spilled back into his throat as he tried to protest against the vicious attack, and the salty taste of it made him gag. He felt as though he was going to be sick. But as more blows and kicks rained down upon his thin body, darkness began to fall, and he was spared.
Thalion sat up in bed with a jerk, his breathing heavy and laboured. The sheets had twisted themselves around his body, and his hands shook as he struggled to untangle them. Dreams of his time with his father always affected him thusly, regardless of how many times he had seen them – asleep or awake. He blinked furiously as beads of sweat fell into his eyes, obscuring and stinging his vision.
"Why do you haunt me still, after so many years?" the young man whispered to the empty room. "You are a thorn in my side, Father. You have been since the day I escaped you. Except, I did not escape you at all, did I? Not really. You are with me every minute of every hour of every day. You always will be."
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Ten minutes had passed since Seregeth had left the cottage to go into the nearby town. His reminder of what had happened to Aduial after her attempted escape was still fresh in Legolas' mind; it did not seem able to leave him alone. The young Prince was sat cross-legged at the side of the stream, his thoughts whirling. Every so often he would make to get to his feet, but then he would sit down again quickly – he could not get rid of the images of the horse's red welts; and would remember exactly what would be done to him should he be caught.
"Seregeth said he would be gone for thirty minutes," Legolas murmured. "Ten have passed already, so that leaves me twenty. Surely that is enough time? It has to be. I am swift when I run, and although I do not know where to go, I can at least get away from here."
The Elfling uncrossed his legs and prepared to stand, but over in the stables, Aduial whickered. It was as though she was warning him against trying to leave. Cringing, he crossed his legs once more, and rested his head in his hands. He gazed through his fingers, staring at nothing. His mind had been made up. He would have attempted to escape, he was sure of it.
"Why am I still here?" Legolas wondered aloud. "I want to go; I want to be free more than anything. I am scared to stay, I am scared to go. But which frightens me more? I don't know. I don't understand."
Exhaling deeply, he tangled his hands in his own hair, and pulled hard. So much was telling him, as it flashed into his mind, to go – Seregeth's icy eyes, the welts that Aduial bore, the dead rabbit, the painful hunger pangs in his stomach, the clothes that hung off his thin frame, the throbbing of his nose from where he had been struck not so long ago. Legolas looked at his own reflection in the stream, staring at the dried blood on his face. He lowered his eyes to his fingers – they also were stained crimson.
"Seregeth did this to you!" the Prince hissed at himself. "The man who did this to you is going to be back in fifteen minutes, and instead of taking the chance to try and escape, you are just sitting here. Why are you waiting?"
No. He would not wait any longer. He would leave right now, before Seregeth came home. His mind made up, Legolas jumped to his feet, the adrenalin starting to pump through his body, heart pounding at the thought that his imprisonment was finally going to end. But then, as he made to jump across the stream, words and images from the previous week flew into his mind.
"You trust me with one of your books? Are you sure?"
"I was going to give it to you anyway."
"Thank you, Ada. I will look after it, I promise."
"I do not doubt that."
"Oh no," Legolas breathed.
Without hesitating even to tell himself not to waste time, the Elfling had spun around and was sprinting back to the cottage. He wrenched the door open with surprising force and ran across the main room, nearly tripping over the bucket of water filled for the chore he was meant to do, as he went. Righting himself, he stumbled into his own room, and fell to his knees at the mattress. His hands shook as he reached under the pillow for the book.
"Come on, come on," he muttered. "Quickly…"
There, he had it. Grabbing the book, he leapt to his feet and dashed back into the main room like an arrow. His heart was thudding almost painfully against his chest. As he hurtled around the table, a smile appeared on his face – he was going to be free from… No. No, it couldn't possibly be… Legolas slammed himself against the wall by the door, and stared in mounting horror as his captor came striding through the trees.
"No," he whispered. Tears stung at his eyes, and he did not bother to brush them away as they fell. "No, this cannot be happening. He cannot be coming back…"
But he was. Seregeth was coming closer and closer. Legolas could see the fury on his face, the sparks flying from his eyes. He leaned against the wall, and his body seemed to shrink as though in defeat. His chance to escape was gone - it had been ripped so suddenly from him that it actually hurt. Exhaling shakily, he pushed himself away from the wall and retraced his steps back into his own room. They felt strangely heavy; it seemed a struggle to make his feet move.
'It is over,' Legolas thought dully. 'I will not be lucky enough to be given a second chance.'
Thirty seconds later, the young Prince had hidden his book under the pillow once more, and was on his knees in the main room, scrubbing silently at the floor with a damp cloth. His eyes were no longer tear-filled. His hands had stopped shaking. He was calm, and ready for Seregeth to come back into the cottage. And the mortal did – a mere ten seconds later.
"Damn him!"
Without even sparing his captive a glance, Seregeth grabbed a chair from underneath the table, and threw it against the wall. It broke, and splinters of wood flew everywhere. Legolas raised both arms, covering his head to protect himself. But fragments still rained down upon his body, and he winced as a larger piece embedded itself in his wrist. The man did not appear to notice though, for he stalked to the wall and slammed a fist against it.
"That lying, cheating…" Seregeth hissed, and pushed a hand through his dark hair. As he did, he caught sight of Legolas watching him. "What are you staring at, boy?"
"I-
"I suppose you think this is something to laugh about!" the man shouted, advancing on the child with a raised fist. "You must find this terribly amusing indeed. I will teach you to laugh at me!"
"I don't even know what has happened," Legolas cried, backing away. "I have not laughed at you, I promise. Why would I? I do not see anything to laugh about. Please…"
Seregeth glared at the Elfling for a moment, before throwing himself into one of the remaining chairs. "If there is one thing I dislike, it is being lied to. If I am told I will be given something on a certain day, I expect to receive it on that very same day. Is that an unfair expectation?"
"I don't think so," Legolas answered quietly.
"No, it is not. So when I was told that I would have to wait another month, I was far from happy," Seregeth spat.
"Of course."
The man shook his head angrily, and slammed the flat of his hand on the tabletop. "That lying cheat will pay for this – after I have received my prize, of course. But he will pay for doing this, for making me wait."
"I…I don't understand," Legolas said tentatively.
"Before you came here, arrangements were made for me to buy a girl," Seregeth explained shortly. "Older than I usually go for – sixteen, she is, perhaps seventeen. I thought I would try her out, and see if it went well. I was supposed to collect her today, but I got conned."
"A girl? Someone else here?"
"Do not get excited. I have to wait for another few weeks," Seregeth replied. "And besides, how do you know that you will still be here then? I might tire of you."
"But even if you did, you would not set me free," Legolas said quietly.
The man looked down at his captive in silence, but then he smiled briefly. "I see you did not get any ideas whilst I was gone, then. No ideas to try and escape. That is good. I wondered whether you would."
"No. I didn't."
"Very well, stop your work. I will give you fifteen minutes to go and watch the puppies," Seregeth said. "I always keep my word, Legolas. If you please me, I will reward you. And you have pleased me today."
The Elfling dropped the damp cloth back into the bucket of water, and got to his feet. As though in a trance, he walked towards the door. It had happened so quickly that it did not seem real – Seregeth announcing that he would be going into town and then leaving the cottage; himself making up his mind to escape; and finally, Seregeth returning earlier than anticipated. If Legolas closed his eyes, maybe when he opened them he would be alone, and the chance to free himself would still exist.
He did not even bother trying.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Queen Laerwen was alone. She was sat on the edge of her only child's bed, staring unseeingly at his scattered toys and books as she turned one of his tunics over and over in her hands. It smelt like him – sweet, leafy, akin to a summer's breeze floating through the trees. If she closed her eyes tightly enough, she could imagine that Legolas was there with her, talking as though it was going out of fashion, and laughing in the childish way that pained his mother's heart every time she remembered it.
'If you were here now, what would you be doing?' Laerwen wondered. 'Would you and I be in the gardens looking at the birds nest that you found last week? Would you be pestering your father to help you with your archery? Would you be creeping into the kitchens and stealing food? I do not know. But I know you would be happy, safe-
"Excuse me…"
"Thranduil?" Laerwen's eyes snapped open, and it was not her husband that they fell upon. "Thalion, forgive me. I thought that maybe…"
"It is I who should be asking forgiveness, my Lady. I was just passing, and I heard noises from in here. I hope I did not disturb you," the man answered.
"Of course not," Laerwen sighed. "I was only thinking, remembering."
Thalion took a few steps further into the room and looked around, taking in with a sad smile everything that suggested a child had once lived there – the toys, small clothes, drawings done by inexperienced hands. "Was this…" He fell silent for a moment, and then started again. "Is this Legolas' room?"
"Yes. I wonder if perhaps being here is hurting me further, but I cannot stay away," the Queen answered quietly.
"I understand that. And I can imagine him here. I do not know him well, but I can still see him playing in this room," Thalion said with a soft smile. "I hope it will not be long before he is safely back."
"As do we all. But I am not giving myself false hope," Laerwen murmured.
The man nodded slowly, chewing on his lower lip. "Yes. My Lady, I…may I speak openly to you of something which has been playing on my mind for a few days now?"
"You may. I have a fair idea of what it is," the Elven-woman replied. She smiled knowingly. "You wish to discuss my husband. Is that not so?"
"It is. My Lady, I-
"Please, the need for formalities has disappeared. It is Laerwen."
"Very well…Laerwen. It surely cannot have escaped your notice that the King and I are…how might I put this…" Thalion laughed humourlessly, and shook his head. "We are not friends. I, to put it bluntly, do not want to be friends with him, and I am sure that he feels very much the same way about me. And I am perfectly happy with that. I understand it. What I do not understand, however, is why he is so…so…"
"Hostile? Cold? Sarcastic? Filled with animosity towards no-one else but you?" Laerwen nodded to show that she understood. "Of course. I rather thought that you would approach me sooner."
"You did?"
"Yes. Sit down, Thalion." The Queen was silent for a moment as the man obeyed. He chose to sit at the desk rather than on the bed. "Very well. I do not ask you to excuse my husband's behaviour towards you. But I do ask that you try and understand it a little better."
"I will try."
Laerwen hesitated, but then she sighed deeply and started to speak, her voice soft. "When Thranduil was growing up, his wish was to become a healer, not a warrior. Yes, that comes as a surprise to you. Well, it was what he wanted so he learnt only basic fighting skills, concentrating instead on the art of healing."
"He does not strike me as the healing sort," Thalion said slowly.
"Maybe not. It was a few years before the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, and to mortal eyes he would have appeared to be only…fifteen years, it would be. We were both mere children." Laerwen paused, and a smile made itself known as she stood and began walking slowly up and down the room. Her face held the expression of one who is remembering a time long gone. "He was travelling out of Mirkwood with his mother when they were attacked. By men."
Thalion laughed at the words, and shook his head in derision. "And so he hates me because of that?"
"His mother was killed by the men," Laerwen said softly.
"I…I am sorry," Thalion began. "I did not-
"Had help from Greenwood not arrived, I believe that the men would have killed Thranduil also," the Queen continued. "His father and brother turned up, and brought him back to the forest to be healed."
"His brother? I thought he was an only child," the mortal said in surprise.
"No, no. He had an elder brother – Vehiron – and so he was not Oropher's original heir," Laerwen answered. "After his mother's death, do you know what Thranduil's reaction was? He blamed himself. Because he had chosen healing over fighting, he thought it was his fault that the Queen had… He nearly faded. Do you know what it is when an Elf fades?"
"Yes, I know," Thalion nodded.
"I nearly lost him. But we were able to bring him back from darkness. He was happier in himself, and it seemed as though he would be able to move on with his life." Laerwen turned away from the man, and her eyes fluttered shut as though in pain. "Only a few months later, Vehiron sailed. He left for Valinor. He left without telling anyone, and without saying goodbye. Thranduil was devastated – first his mother, then his elder brother. And he blamed himself again. It was his belief that he would have lost neither had he learnt how to fight."
Thalion rested his head in one hand, and gazed at the Elven-queen's turned back. "That must have been a heavy burden to shoulder," he said quietly.
"He nearly succumbed to grief again, and Oropher came close to sending him to Valinor. But he came back for a second time." There was touch of pride in Laerwen's voice as she spoke. "He stopped studying healing, and as soon as he was well enough, he started training with some of the best veteran fighters. Within only a few months he was a warrior, he had been accepted into Greenwood's army. And he was happier than he had been for what seemed to us a whole age."
"It sounds as though he deserved some happiness," Thalion said grudgingly.
"Do you know that his father was killed in the Last Alliance?" Laerwen asked.
"That I know."
"It was another tragedy for Thranduil. But it was the first tragedy that he did not blame himself for." The Queen turned back, and looked at Thalion with eyes that begged him to understand. "He did not blame himself because he knew that if he did, the consequences could be dangerous. But not only that. For the first time, there were others present who he could find fault in – the High King Gil-galad, Lord Elrond of Imladris, the other more experienced healers who had tried to save Oropher, even his father himself. And that, the ability to direct blame away from himself and to others, more than likely saved his life during that war."
"Charming. But it is not a good quality," Thalion said sharply. "Surely he could have taught himself to not blame anyone at all."
"Maybe. But I would ask that you do not judge him if you cannot identify with him," Laerwen answered, a similar bite in her usually gentle voice.
The man sighed, and shook his head slightly. "My Lady, I mean no offence, but this does not give me any answers."
"Of course it does. The first person he should blame for our loss is Amarth. And he did, for a time," Laerwen said. "But Amarth is not here. We are no closer to finding him than we were days ago. When Thranduil realised that, he channelled the blame towards you, because you are the closest he can get to Amarth. Do you understand that?"
"Yes. But that does not mean I think it fair," Thalion said.
"Maybe not. And perhaps it will be hard for you to do so, but try not to find fault in my husband for this," Laerwen pleaded softly. "It is something that, unconsciously, he has to do until he finds evidence to suggest that the guilty can be named as innocent."
"Aye, I have seen something of that," Thalion replied grimly.
"Just try and understand."
The man stood up, and bowed to the Queen. Although a smile was on his face, his green eyes were frosty. "My Lady, I am grateful to you for the help that you have given me. I take my leave."
Without another word, Thalion left.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Right, I made a bit of a mistake with this chapter, in that this was meant to be chapter seven – I had originally planned to have seven and eight together, to make one big chapter, because the next one picks up about four weeks on, and I didn't want it to be too spread out. I hope you understood that, because reading over it, it sounds very confusing!
So yeah, the next chapter will not be the day after or two days after or anything like that – it'll be four weeks after Legolas was taken to Seregeth. That's not because I'm rushing it, but because I've got to get the story and the characters to a certain point, and they're not going to get there if I keep the story set in only the first week.
It'll make sense soon, so don't worry if you didn't understand any of that!
See you soon,
Misto
x-x
