For disclaimer please view chapter 1

Chapter 13: The Darkness

"But why won't you teach me how to do archery?" she asked as she held Legolas's hand.

Legolas smiled as he looked down at her. "I thought we were just going to take a nice walk Ene."

"We are, but I really really want to learn, and you are the best archer! I've seen you, and everyone speaks about it!" She was full of energy.

"You know what Aurel has said, you are not to touch any sort of weapon and I am afraid that includes a bow and arrow."

"And a sword?"

Legolas nodded. "And the sword as well. It really is the best for you and your brother, we are in a time of peace… there is no need for such things."

"What if we were attacked, I won't have any way to defend myself."

"I will be there to protect you."

"Always?"

"Always."

Ene smiled. "That would mean you would have to be with me always and go everywhere that I go."

"I don't mind." Said Legolas giving a half chuckle.

"But you can't possibly go everywhere that I go."

"Well, that is true, but I can be there most of the time, and if I am not, you could always just call out for me and I'll come to you as fast as I can."

Ene let go of his hand and they both stopped walking. "But what if I call out for you and you can't hear me?"

"You do not need to worry about that, Elves have excellent hearing, I would be able to hear you from a long way."

"How far?"

Legolas knelt down on one knee to be at her level, and looked into her large brown eyes, her blonde hair was blowing in her face and he gently placed it behind her ears. "Are you afraid of something Ene?"

She pressed her lips together as if to suppress what she wanted to say.

"You can tell me if you are."

She shook her head to mean no.

"There is no need to worry little one, both Aurel and I are here to protect you and your brother, we love you both very much."

"Love?"

He nodded his head. "Surely you know that."

Ene turned her face away to look at the edge of the forest before her, she stared at the darkness between the trees. She was so concentrated on the trees that it made Legolas turn that way as well. His ears perked a little more than usual, was there something that Ene could see in the distance? He wondered.

"Is it the spiders that scare you?"

"I am not scared."

"Can you see something?"

Ene returned her gaze to Legolas. "I see the darkness."

Legolas furrowed his brows in worry. Something about the way that she had responded had upset something inside of him and he stood and stared back at the forest. "I think it is time that we take our walk back to the palace." He held out his hand for her. "Ene?"

She stared at his hand and fixed her eyes on his golden ring. "Naneth has a ring like that." She said as she took a hold of his hand.

"Yes, do you know what the rings represent?" asked Legolas as they both began their walk back.

"Mmm hmm, it means that you are husband and wife."

"That's right." Legolas continued on with the chatter for an unsettling feeling was starting to overcome him since Ene had mentioned darkness and he could not simply let it go. "Are you happy here?"

"What do you mean?" she asked innocently.

"Do you like living with us?"

"Oh, very much so."

"That's good, I am glad. It would be normal to miss your home if you did… do you miss your home?"

Ene did not seem to have acknowledged the last question or not have heard it for she did not respond.

He wanted to ask her again but then thought it best not to press the issue with her in case she was just avoiding answering. She seemed content with the walk and for that he was glad for it was difficult for him to bond with the children, especially Ene. When they finally returned to the palace Ene ran off to find Ethaen, and Legolas went to look for Aurel. He found her in archery fields with Lasneth. Lasneth was giving Aurel some advice about her stance.

"You see, your stance is a bit awkward…if you just space your feet a bit more…" And he used an arrow to tap how far apart he thought her feet should be.

"Watch it with that thing!" said Aurel in jest.

"Legolas! You grace us with your presence here." Said Lasneth smirking as Legolas approached them.

Legolas kissed Aurel on the cheek.

"How was your walk with Ene?" she asked.

"Ah the infamous walk, yes do tell." Said Lasneth.

Legolas crossed his arms and Lasneth began to laugh. "What in the Valar's name happened this time Legolas??" He continued to laugh.

"Oh no, did it not go well?" asked Aurel seriously concerned.

"Something is not right with the child."

"Why do you say that?"

"Aurel, she was looking into the forest."

Lasneth kept laughing in the background as he continued his archery practice.

She began to put her arrows back into her quiver and placed the bow upon her shoulder. "I am beginning to think you are making things up now." She said as they began to walk away from the field. "She is just a child, it is not that difficult."

Legolas stopped her and put his hands on her shoulders. "No…I asked her what she was looking at, and she replied with the word 'darkness'."

"Was it dark in the forest?"

"Yes." Legolas shook his head. "But I do not think that is what she was referring to."

Aurel shrugged her shoulders. "Legolas, honestly, she is only ten years old…what do you think is not right? Because to me, her response seems perfectly normal."

"It was the way she responded."

"What are you thinking?"

"I am thinking we know nothing of these children, we do not know where they came from, what sort of experiences they have had."

Aurel sighed. "I can see you are really concerned…if you want I will talk to Ene and try and find out a bit more about her past, but you must understand that they have both have had traumatic experiences, they have lost both their parents."

"We do not know that."

"Ene has said…"

"No, she hasn't. She does not speak of her mother, and Ethaen does not speak at all!"

"Give it some time, I am sure your wariness is just natural, you have not had to deal with children very much."

Legolas shook his head. "It is past that. I sense something, especially in Ene, it bothers me."

Aurel frowned. "I am sorry it bothers you, I can take the children from here, to Imladris, and we can stay there for a while. I am sure Elladan and Elrohir would not mind."

"No, I did not mean I wanted you to leave. Or them to leave."

"I do not want you to feel forced to do this, or feel uncomfortable. I know how much you are trying."

Legolas forced himself to smile as he looked at Aurel. He knew how much Aurel loved the children, and perhaps it was his wariness that was making him feel the way he felt. Bringing his concerns to her time after time was only worrying and upsetting her and that was the last thing that he wanted. "I shall just have to try harder."

She placed a hand on his face. "I will try and speak with her, I promise."

Legolas nodded, and they both continued their walk back.

Legolas sat in his library, it had been three days since Eryn Lasgalen had been taken and the library was where he had been confined after the councillor had returned and he had been parted from Aurel. Sitting on his own gave him time to think about events in the past, about the odd occurrences from when the children had been young. Ene had been right about one thing, he had suppressed how he felt for the sake of Aurel and perhaps that had been a mistake. There were many times when he should have investigated his feelings further and he just simply ignored them, but there was no way he could have known what was to happen. Ene had blade skills that had not been taught by him or anyone he knew, and her style was not that of the Rohirrim. Ethaen's disregard for the Kingdom of Rohan meant that it was not they who had anything to do with their corruption. The Easterlings seemed to treat Ene as their leader, but it was strange for they were not a people who banded together easily. True that they had gone to war with Gondor many times before the war of the rings, and during the war they had sided with Sauron and before that Morgoth, but their numbers were so low and their people so sparse, never in a million years would Legolas have been prepared for such a devious plan. The Easterlings had always been treacherous, or so Legolas had been taught, it would not be the first time that the Eastern race of man had betrayed the Elves. Yet still there were Ene and Ethaen to question, they did not seem of Easterling descent. Legolas had little knowledge of the people to the East, save that they had nearly always sided with anything evil, but could it be possible that they had rulers?

Legolas rubbed his eyes, he had not slept for a long time and he was beginning to wish that his father would be there to recount him the tales of the first age. He suddenly remembered that he was in the library, and that he could just find the history books if he wished. He doubted anyone was going to come to fetch him any time soon. He lit a lamp, for the library had no windows, and searched for any texts accounting for Easterlings and their wars, surely he would be able to find a connection somehow, he had to otherwise he feared he may go mad.