Disclaimer: As yet, I have received no notice that I'm the proud owner of Tolkein's characters.

I've finally got my specs back after they made an unnecessary contact with the floor and ended up relatively unusable, and have managed to get hold of a computer… so at last, I can proceed with this story…. What's in italics is a memory by the way.

Thanks to all reviewers!

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9. Finding a Friend and Losing Your Family

He walked slowly, trying not to spill any of the water in the bucket. He kept his head down; experience had taught him that it was safer to keep his eyes to himself and forebear to look at anyone else. Although he had been taken in by Agaskill, he was still a servant and most certainly not at par with the warriors and other men. Live had improved slightly; nothing could exceed the misery he had know for that brief yet interminable period under Kieldún's hands.

"And about time too!" Legolas looked up to see her grinning as she took the bucket from his hands. He smiled briefly, knowing that it was useless to protest and tell her that he had tried not to spill any water – he could not keep up with her tongue. She'd simply laugh at him and tease even more.

The two passed into a small corridor. Legolas turned into a small doorway which lead to the small room they shared; his chores had ended for the day. She went on to take the water to Agaskill's quarters before she joined him.

Legolas closed the door softly and walked in, careful not to disturb the small figure which lay on a makeshift bed in the corner of the room. He settled down near the window which overlooked the courtyard as was his want to do every night for the past week. He could scarcely believe that it had been only couple of weeks since he had last seen Mirkwood and his family. Legolas heard a small sigh and turned round, listening carefully. All was silent as he looked fondly upon the sleeping child, and thanked the Valar that at least, he had found some friends...

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He could hear a quiet breathing coming from what looked like a bundle of clothes which lay close to the fire. Legolas looked cautiously towards the door, half afraid that someone would come bursting in and punish him for having moved. He had been taken to this small room at Agaskill's orders, to wait for this 'girl' who was supposed to tell him what he had to do.

He looked around. The walls were bare except for a couple of shelves on which rested some odds and ends. A small stove was place near the bundle of clothes which had caught his eye and a couple of boxes were stacked neatly at one corner. Yet all was spick and span, with everything in its place.

A small cry caused him to jump. He swallowed as the bundle of clothes started moving. Legolas was observing it warily when suddenly, a small fist protruded, followed by another cry. Throwing all caution to the wind, he walked towards it and looked down. He gasped.

The clothes covered an infant with cheeks flushed and eyes heavy with sleep. Legolas was mesmerized. He had never seen such a young human, nor such a young elf for that matter, for children had been few and far between in Mirkwood. The child stared at Legolas and her face crumpled up as she seemed to realize that it was not him she had been looking for. She began to wail.

Legolas looked around frantically. He had no idea of what he should do and was terrified that he would be blamed for the child's cries. Desperately he put his finger in her mouth. The baby's face cleared and she grabbed his hand with her small fingers and started to suck at his finger. Legolas laughed with relief. Tentatively, he stroked the child's head and she smiled. Elated by his success, Legolas started to croon an elvish lullaby Luindór often used to sing. He knew that it was one of his mother's favourites and felt sure that this little child would like it. Indeed, her eyelids drooped and she was on the verge of dropping off to sleep when the door burst open.

"Get away from her!"

The next thing he knew, the elf was on the floor with a girl towering over him in a rage. Dizzily, he remembered that it was the same girl he had seen before. The child, woken up so unpleasantly put up a wail. The girl turned to the child and lifted her up in her arms, trying to quiet her. She glared at Legolas. "If you hurt her I swear I'll, I'll…" The elf stood up shakily.

"I was only trying to make her stop crying, but I didn't want to hurt her." The girl looked at him disbelievingly, when the child on spotting Legolas stretched out her arms to him. He put out a hand tentatively and stroked the baby's forehead. She crowed happily and waved her little fists.

The girl frowned. "She likes you," she said slowly, "So you can't be bad." She visibly relaxed and shrugged apologetically. "I'm sorry then, but I 'ave… have to protect her cause she's little. Friends?"

Legolas nodded shyly though still keeping his distance, thinking it better not to risk getting slapped again. She noticed and laughed. "Well… best get to know who's who," she said briskly. "What's your name then?"

"Legolas."

"I'm Eleanor and she's Sybil." Legolas noticed that she blushed as she told him there names.

"They're pretty names," he offered.

"Me mam wanted them. She was always the one for strange names. You call me Nelly though; no one calls me Eleanor, and it would be right down queer if you started doing so now."

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"Already asleep?"

Legolas turned to smile at Nelly. She could not get used to the fact that he slept with his eyes open; she never was sure whether he was asleep or awake.

"I was only thinking," he replied. Nelly drew up her stool close to the window.

"Sometimes I stay thinking too you know, about my mam… and how it would all be different if she was still alive." She looked out of the window. "Do you remember your mother?"

Legolas nodded briefly. "Yes. Sometimes" It was not a lie; he could still remember her voice at times and her soft comforting touch, but more often than not, he would remember the bloodstained face and the terrified screams, the stench of blood and the weight of her body as she pressed him down to the ground, trying to protect him from the evil which dragged her away from the life she loved. "She died a long time ago."

"Ma died too." Her face softened as she played with a strand of her hair. "I used to feel safe with 'er... I mean her. I keep forgetting to put in the 'h' like she used to tell me; I'm like the rest of the common folk, not like her. She was different from the other villagers; she talked and reasoned different. Ma used to read and tell me stories and such like… but she died givin' birth to Sybil a year or so ago."

"Didn't your ada take care of you then?"

"Who?"

"Your ada… father."

Her eyes narrowed . "I can't understand how ma got to marry that bastard," she said contemptuously, as she clenched her fist. Seeing that Legolas was looking at her inquisitively, she went on . "He took care of us all right. The drunken old sot couldn't stand that poor little mite crying, and 'ated… hated my guts 'cause I took some of his money to get us food. He sold us to a passing group traders to get rid of us." Nelly laughed bitterly. "He had tears in his eyes when he sold the 'apples of his eyes' and 'the comfort of his old age' as he termed us when they gave him the money."

She shook her head. "We was lucky though," she said pensively. "We ended up here. Agaskill took a fancy to us for some reason and now we got a roof on our heads, food to eat and I'm safe from any wandering hands." She shuddered. "I'd kill myself before I'd become anybody's whore. Ma brought me up right."

Legolas was puzzled at this. "But Nelly, you're no horror. You're not as pretty as my sister, but you're not ugly!"

Nelly grinned. "Ta young one, don't mind my feelings will you?" she said luaghing. "You're a little innocent aren't you? Lucky I ain't particular about my looks." The elfling smiled back. He was glad that he'd made her laugh even though he wasn't sure he'd understood why. Yet there was something which troubled him.

"Nelly? But… your ada didn't really mean to sell you did he?"

She turned on him, the smile on her face disappearing as quickly as it had come. "Are you thick or summat?! Of course he meant to! He couldn't get no other wife with me around, nor could he get as drunk as a lord." She looked at him sharply. "I donno why you're all that flummoxed… your pa sold you off too didn't he?"

"He did not!" Legolas flared up at this. "It was a bad man who took me away!"

"But who put him up to it, I'd like to know?"

The elfling glared defiantly at her and looked out of the window. Just because her ada had sold her away, it didn't mean that his ada had done so too. He was sure she was wrong, she had to be wrong. He blinked furiously trying to stop himself from crying. The girl put her hand on his shoulder but he shook it off angrily.

Nelly looked away and sighed. She knew quite well why he lay near the window every night, waiting for the help which would never come. She hated to see Legolas so miserable, but she felt that it would be more painful if he continued to torment himself each day. At thirteen years of age, she had seen what others twice her age had no idea of. Life had been cruel to her and she had had to grow up quickly. Nelly had known no love from her father and did not miss him; the one thing he had given her was a complete mistrust of all men - she felt sure that all were like him.

She despised Legolas' father; Nelly believed that like any other man, he had easily sacrificed his child's happiness for some selfish reason. Yet, she could not understand Legolas' brothers and sister – she would have fought till her last breath before she'd have let them take away Sybil from her. Perhaps, she thought, they had no idea of their father's cruel intentions.

Yet, Nelly realised that unlike her, Legolas loved and trusted his father. How would she have felt if her mother had betrayed her? She brushed away a few strands of loose hairs from in front of her eyes. "Don't cry little one," she said softly, "Sybil and I, we'll stick to you through thick and thin, I promise." Legolas gave no sign of having heard her and Nelly turned away and went to lie down besides Sybil. She stroked her sister's cheek and the child stirred in her sleep. At least, she thought, she had someone left. Legolas was completely on his own.

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Legolas placed his finger on the window pane and traced the outline of a leaf. His adar had always come when he needed him. No, he told himself stubbornly, Nelly's wrong. His ada would come for him and take him home. Ada loved him.

Yet, as he looked upwards towards the night sky he felt the first stirrings of doubt.

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Days turned into weeks, which grew into months. Thranduil never came. Legolas tried to keep up his spirits and hope beyond hope, but eventually he had to admit to himself that no one would come for him. They had forgotten him, and now, he desperately wanted to forget them.

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Elves have no graveyards for they are immortal. Many of those who die, die in battlefields where there are no places for cemeteries. Yet some elves planted trees to remember their dead.

Decades before, Thranduil had planted a tree in one of the gardens of the palace in memory of his wife, Selene together with a marble tablet with her name and a few words of love in elvish. Elves passing near could now see that another tree had been planted, and another marble tablet added. It stood there in tragic reminder of the elfling who had departed from this life at too young an age. Though searches had taken place far and wide, no trace could be found of the missing child, and even his father had to admit that in all likelihood Legolas had died.

Thranduil and his children prayed that at least, the lost son and brother was happy with his mother at last.

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Temptation would bid me say that this is the end of the story.... BUT!!! It's not... ;0D

Wow… this chappie is longer that I thought it would be. Hope you liked it :o) I know everyone's busy with work and school, but if you have time to leave a comment it will be appreciated! (over 100 reviews… Yippee!! ) By the way… any grammatical mistakes in Nelly's case are intended!

Rede, Aranel of Mirkwood, Irish Anor & Lintered: Thanks for reading and reviewing!!

dizzy izzy: well… some sadness, some happiness, a total mix-up! (I'm evil aren't I?) Nelly's going to be important to Legolas

Chelle86: Dream on!!! -evil grin-

Aly K: who knows what this evil author's mind will cook up?? (actually the author does know grin but likes to keep people guessing. ) thank you for your review!