Out of Mirkwood

Scribbles-on-Parchment

July 28, 2019

Chapter 3 – In the Face of Danger

Êmand caught up with Legolas as the ellon picked up the dead pheasant. A green and gold fletched arrow protruded from its breast. A perfect shot.

"Why did you follow me?" the young elf demanded, "Did you not expect me to come back?"

Êmand frowned, "I am not only your mentor but also your bodyguard and most importantly your friend. If something were to happen to you then I would have failed my duty to protect you."

Legolas angrily ripped the arrow from the dead bird.

"I can take care of myself Êmand. I am not weak and can watch out for myself for a mere five minutes, despite what my adar seems to think."

Êmand didn't respond but watched silently as the prince wiped the silver, metal point of the arrow along his leggings. The result was a long streak of blood left behind, staining the fabric on his thigh.

"You have a cloth for just that purpose," he said as Legolas put the arrow back into his quiver, "When you come back with yet another pair of soiled clothes I do not believe either Narril or your adar will be very happy."

The elfling looked at the Silvan, blue eyes blazing, "I don't care about what my adar thinks right now. It is obvious he seems to care very little about me save for my appearance and close vicinity to the palace."

Êmand was about to explain to Legolas that his father cared about him greatly when a movement in the trees behind the young prince caught his eye. For a moment light glinted off something in the trees; something that looked like…

Without a second thought, the ellon grabbed Legolas and pulled the startled youth behind him.

"What are you…"

But the words died on the young Sinda's lips as Êmand cried out and fell to his knees. Legolas's eye widened as he saw a crude arrow protruding from just above the eldar's left knee. As Êmand struggled to his feet another arrow flew past the elfling's head. However, the prince did not react fast enough and the arrow grazed the side of his neck before embedding itself in the tree behind them.

"Legolas! Get out of here!" Êmand cried, pulling his bow from his back and setting an arrow to the string.

He expected more arrows to come flying at any moment and his only thought was to protect the young prince. Everything else could wait.

But the young eldar did not seem to heed his words and instead stood frozen in place, a small trickle of blood running down from the thin scratch on his neck.

"Legolas," Êmand did not turn around, his eyes searching for any movement in the trees in front of them, "Remember what I have taught you. Do not let fear get to your head."

He heard, rather than saw the elfling come to his senses and in no time his charge was standing beside him, arrow at the ready and eyes flashing with adrenaline. Both stood motionless, bows at the ready, searching the surrounding forest for any sign of their attacker. Yet the woods remained silent and deathly still. After several long minutes with no more arrows flying at them, Legolas lowered his bow slightly.

"I think whoever it was is gone."

Êmand winced slightly as his wounded leg was throbbing and shaking with the strain of holding still for long.

"I think you are right, penneth. For the warning in my heart has faded. However, I still fear that whomever it was shall return soon and this time I do not think he intends to miss."

Legolas could still feel the adrenaline coursing through him as he helped Êmand limp back towards the gates. He had never been in a real fight before and couldn't help but feel embarrassed at his cowardliness. Perhaps his father was right, maybe he was too weak to defend himself.

"Do you know what or who it was that was firing upon us?" Legolas asked, trying to distract himself from these dark thoughts, "I felt no warning from the trees before the attack started. How did you know someone was there?"

"I am not sure what caused me to feel uneasy," Êmand said grimacing as his leg was jolted, "But perhaps if you had calmed your emotions, you would have been more aware of what was around you and sensed the danger."

"I didn't think that orcs came this close," Legolas protested, "I did not think there would be any danger. There hasn't been before."

"You still have a lot to learn. There is still so much that you do not yet understand. You must always be alert. It does not matter if you are in the safest place in all of arda. Evil always finds a way."

Êmand looked down at the crude arrow still protruding from his leg.

"I am not sure who it was that shot at us, but it was no orch. It was something else…"

Legolas wanted to know what the older elf was thinking, but he could tell that Êmand was deep in thought and so did not pursue it any further.

Both ellyn remained silent as they neared the stone gate that led into the mountainside. The fight had made the young Sinda temporarily forget about his anger towards his adar but as he slowly helped his mentor limp up to the palace it all came rushing back.

When the guards at the gate saw their prince helping Êmand, they immediately rushed forward calling for the gates to be opened. In an instant, Legolas found himself being overwhelmed with questions from the Silvan soldiers about what had happened and if he was injured.

"I'm fine," the young ellon said quickly, wanting to dismiss their fears and keep the attention off of him. He was in enough trouble as it was.

Legolas was relieved when he felt the weight of the older eldar taken off him as the guards ushered them both into the large Welcoming Hall that lay just inside the gates.

"Do not worry about me penneth," Êmand said leaning heavily on one of the ellon guards who was supporting him, "You should go and see your adar, do not put this off longer than need be."

The young Sinda watched as his mentor was quickly escorted to the Halls of Healing. He had no desire to go and face his adar's anger, but he knew he must.

"Legolas!"

The prince looked up startled when he heard the familiar voice call his name and groaned when he saw who it was. Thalion, his father's personal guard, was rushing over towards him, a very worried look on his face. No doubt with all of the ruckus this was causing the entire palace would know something had happened in a matter of minutes; when the story got out they would probably hear how their youngest prince froze in the face of danger and how Êmand was wounded saving him. Once his adar and older brother found out Legolas was sure he would never be let out of the palace again.

"What happened Legolas?" Thalion asked looking the young ellon over, brow creasing, "Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine," he responded tersely.

Thalion frowned as his eye rested on the bloody scratch on Legolas's neck, "Then what happened? Were you attacked by yrch? Spiders? I saw that Êmand was being taken to the healers."

Legolas was getting frustrated at the overwhelming amount of concern and worry everyone seemed to be casting his way. Couldn't they see he was fine? If they wanted to worry about someone then they should worry about his mentor.

"I said I'm fine Thalion. If you want to know what attacked us then go ask Êmand. He seems to always know more about things that concern me than I do."

Thalion could tell that the young prince was referring to something other than the attack, so he did not press it further.

"Come penneth," he said, "Your adar will no doubt be greatly worried when he hears news of this. I think it would be wise if I take you to…"

He was interrupted by a thundering voice demanding, "Where is my son?"

Thalion turned away from Legolas who had gone pale at the sight of the imposing figure of Thranduil standing at the door to the hall. The monarch's icy blue eyes scanned the room for a glimpse of his son's golden hair. Legolas knew that unless he acted now there would be no way of escaping his adar. He quickly looked around for an easy exit and saw the side hall that led to the guard's quarters. He knew it would bring him out on the other side of the Welcoming Hall and away from his problems. Without a second thought, Legolas slipped away determined not to confront his adar… yet.

When Legolas finally arrived back at his room, he breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried that he would run into someone in the hallways he had taken, but to his relief, the passages had been empty. The young eldar quickly shut the door to his room and locked the large ornate doors. He knew this would not keep his adar out as all the doors in the palace were enchanted to open at the king's command. However, at this point, Legolas was beyond caring anymore. If he couldn't get away from his adar's anger at least he could delay facing it; it was the one thing he felt he could control.

After doing this the prince angrily threw his bow and quiver onto the floor. It wasn't fair. None of this would have happened if his adar did not think him too weak to care for himself.

But you are weak, Legolas reminded himself, you are so weak that you froze when danger came. You are a coward because that is who your adar has made you to be. It's all his fault.

The stress and frustration of the day were making him very irritated with everyone. The young Sinda kicked the wall, trying to rid himself of some of the pent-up anger that now flooded his body, yet he only succeeded in giving himself a throbbing foot. Legolas finally slouched defeatedly into a plush chair positioned by his bed. He knew his adar would soon come and he was not looking forward to when he did.

Elvish Translations:

adar – father

penneth - young one

orch - orc

yrch - orcs