For Disclaimer please view chapter 1.

Chapter 14: Sins of our Fathers

He searched the library for many hours looking for anything that would give him a clue into the history of the Easterlings. When he was at the brink of giving up he found a book with no title, it was bound in black leather and had only a picture of a green serpent on the cover and a red serpent on the back. It was very large and awkward to hold but he managed to bring it down from the top shelf to a place where he could investigate it further.

"What is this?" he asked himself as he touched the cover. When he first opened the book there was only one inscription on the first page and it read:

-We are condemned by the sins of our fathers-

The language was Quenyan, only used by the high elves and it was not something that Legolas had been accustomed to, as the language was only used for very important ceremonies. As a child he had been taught the language, so he could read bits here and there. As he continued to read through the pages a very violent history between the Easterlings and the Elves, particularly the Silvan Elves was revealed, a history that spanned for over hundreds of years before he was born.

The doors to the library opened and Ene walked in, surprised to find Legolas reading books. He quickly closed the book and stood, trying to shield the book, but Ene saw it and recognized the symbol of the green serpent upon its cover.

"What is that you have there?"

"Just a book."

"A book with the symbol of my people on it."

Legolas looked down at the cover.

"So you finally took enough interest in your own history then?" Ene smirked and went to the book, opening it…but she could not read it. "What kind of Elvish is this? I cannot read it."

"It is the ancient tongue." Replied Legolas.

She closed the book and brushed her fingers gently against the serpent. "It does not matter to me if you read this book, no doubt filled with lies about the truth."

"The history between your people and mine happened hundreds of years before I was even born Ene…this hatred you have, the sadness you have brought here, I am trying to understand it."

"Perhaps it was hundreds of years before you were born, but not before your father was born, or your grandfather."

"And what could you possibly know of them?"

"The hatred was passed down the generations. You and your people have a debt to pay for the sins of your fathers."

A chill ran down Legolas's spine. "If we were all to pay for the sins of our fathers we would never be at peace."

"It is certainly true for you."

"We are not the only ones at fault for what happened, your people greatly betrayed us."

"Do you justify what your forefathers did then?"

Legolas shook his head. "Can you not see beyond that? I do not justify nor condemn for I do not know what led those actions to come forward. The bloodshed should come to an end."

"Well spoken for a people that has done so well for itself while we suffered in the ruins of your actions."

"Your people chose their own path, and no one else can be blamed for that. Many a civilization has risen out of the ashes of destruction."

Ene was beginning to get flustered with the argument. "There is no excuse for the murdering of women and children." When Legolas remained silent, she became even more flustered. "Or do you excuse that as well?"

He shook his head. "I excuse nothing and nothing justifies what you have done here."

"I have not finished here, you have not seen all that I am capable of."

"What else Ene? What more could you do?"

"Plenty more…I could do what your people did to mine, to my family." She gestured towards the book. "Why don't you read about it in your little history book, its obvious you have not reached that part of the story yet…better for me if they have lied about what they did, so that it may be a surprise for you."

Not liking what he was hearing, his thoughts went to Aurel immediately. "Where is Aurel?"

Ene let out a small huff. "As I said, I have provided her with more comfort than deserved, she is well and resting."

Part of Legolas wanted to believe what she had just told him.

"It is the truth Legolas, I would not break on a promise. Aurel will be kept safe, as long as you continue to play along." She stared at the book for a long while before Legolas spoke again.

"There is something that I want to know."

"Oh?"

"Something that has troubled me for many years." He looked into her stone cold eyes. "There is someone else is there not?"

"Someone else?"

"All this time that you have been here, ever since we first brought you here, there has been another here with you. Someone who has taught you how to use weapons, someone who has kept you in the tradition of your people's ways."

She looked at him. "How long have you suspected this Legolas?"

"Long enough."

"You are correct. There has been another here with us." She said nodding her head.

Legolas was almost relieved to know that he had not been imagining certain things after all.

"His name is Lachnen. He should be in your story book."

"In this book? But how? That would mean he would be…"

"Older than you."

"He is an Elf?"

"Half."

Legolas sat down.

"Your Uncle actually."

"What?!" He thought about it for a few seconds. "That is not possible."

"It is completely possible."

Legolas stood making it almost seem like a jump. "I do not want to hear your lies any longer. They have been plaguing me for too long. Was there a purpose to your visit or was it just for your own pleasure?"

"They are no lies."

His eyes turned cloudy,he wanted to ring her neck until her very last breath. "If what you say is true, then this Elf of yours is exacting a revenge for something that happened millennia ago…I…I cannot accept that."

"Try. If you will not believe me, perhaps you will believe him."

"Where is he then?"

"He is occupied at the moment, but he will come and speak with you if you wish, he has been waiting for a very long time in fact, until the right moment…I believe that is now. I suggest you finish reading your book." Ene looked at the book with inquisitive eyes then looked back up at Legolas. "It may explain things better than I ever could."

He walked into her bedchamber. She was facing the balcony, sitting at the edge of her bed, the very same one she used to share with Legolas. She was full of sorrow and yet that did not distract her from the strange presence she felt. Immediately she stood to face him. He had long golden hair, and dark brown eyes. His skin was an icy colour and his dress was that of Easterlings, around his neck he wore a pendant that Aurel recognized from somewhere, but she could not remember where. Although he looked malevolent, she was not afraid of him.

"You are an Easterling, yet you are not." Said Aurel trying to decipher who this being was.

He stopped where he was. "I am Lachnen."

"You are Elvish?"

"Half, unfortunately."

"What do you do here?"

"I wanted to see you. And I wanted to speak to you."

"The half that you claim is Elvish, are you Sindar?"

"You have recognized traits in me similar to Legolas's people, is that why you ask?"

She pointed at his neck. "Your pendant, I have seen it before."

He nodded. "It belongs to this house."

At first she did not understand what he meant by that.

"But I must admit, it was not given to me."

Aurel continued to focus on the pendant; she wanted to know where she had seen it before.

"Do you not have any questions for me?" asked Lachnen.

Aurel focused her attention back to his face. "I am confused by your presence here. Why did you wish to see me? You gave me your name as if I was supposed to recognize it."

"Why are you not afraid of me?" He walked up closer to her.

"You only look the part of an Easterling, I do not sense that you came here to harm me. Though you are half Elvish, that half is what you are more of."

"It does not mean that I am good Aurel."

"Nor did I say that you were Lachnen. But you are not here to harm me, otherwise you would have already."

He sat at the edge of the bed and smiled and this made her uncomfortable. "I can see why you are his match. You are not just a shell of beauty." He looked down at his hands before looking back up at her. "Will you not sit so that we may speak?"

She tilted her head to say she accepted his offer of conversation, "But may I ask that we sit elsewhere, closer to the balcony would be best, for we are shrouded in shadow here."

He agreed and they both walked over to the chairs that were by the balcony opening. "I can see why the children loved you Aurel, you must not forget that their feelings for you were real as were yours for them, but they had duties and responsibilities to their own people."

Not quite understanding whom he meant by children at first, she only gave him a puzzled look. Once realizing whom he was speaking of she clenched her jaw to stop herself from screaming and looked away.

"Do not speak of them." She said quietly.

"Why ever not?"

She held on tightly to the arms of her chair. "Because you did not know them."

"But I do know them Aurel, they are my children."

"What do you mean, they are your children?"

"Exactly that."

"You are their father?"

He nodded.

"But they have none of your qualities."

"If by qualities you mean that which distinguishes Elf from Man, you would be correct. They are more human, prone to human suffering and their ill fate."

"You know that Ethaen is dead."

"Yes. It is a pity."

"You have obviously had a hand in their elaborate deception. Pity nothing; his fate was his own fault, if not yours."

"You misunderstand. I do not pity him or his death. He did what was necessary. It was only a pity that Legolas was the one who had to kill him."

Her eyes were on the verge of filling with tears. "It is a waste of life, and to what purpose, what has happened that has turned you against your own?"

"My own are the Easterlings, your race never made a claim on me, nor would they, for that would mean they would have to admit their guilt."

"I do not know what it is you are speaking of."

"No you would not know, for it is not spoken of here. "

"Then stop your riddles, and tell me what it is that has spurred this hatred."

"Are you prepared to hear what I have to tell you?"

"What else is there for me to do? I can tell you though, there is nothing you could tell me that would justify what has happened here or the actions of your children."

"We will see." Said Lachnen as he began to tell her the whole story between the Easterlings and the house of Oropher; Legolas's grandfather. It was a great while before what he said was done, but as he reached the end, Aurel could bear no more.

"Please stop." She put her hand to her head, it was a lot to take in. "Though what you have told me is grievous, it is still no excuse for the happenings here. Revenge accomplishes nothing."

"Perhaps not. But it satisfies a need Aurel."

Aurel shook her head. "It does not do even that. It only makes your need seem unimportant for a little while, and when it returns, there will be nothing else to do but confront your own demons." She looked at him. "All you have done is create this need in others. You are selfish."

"I am selfish? Did you not hear what I have told you?"

"I have heard. Your story of injustice belongs to this entire world Lachnen. We have all suffered. If we all acted in revenge for ill actions, then we would never have peace."

"Then we shall never have peace."

"You do not love your children then. You have used them. One is dead, but you still have the time to save the other if you wish."

Lachnen smiled. "Ene needs no saving. She too wants her vengeance."

"A vengeance that only your hate keeps alive, it is not hers. You are the only creature still alive from what happened a millennia ago, you must accept the responsibility that perhaps it is that that has kept the Easterlings from progressing. Had you not fostered this need for revenge, perhaps the Easterlings and the Elves could have had peace."

"I am not the only Elf still breathing on Arda that was present for those events. Some of them still live here in Eryn Lasgalen."

"And most have left for the Undying lands if they did not die before hand! Most who remain here had nothing to do what happened."

"You do not understand."

"I understand only too well. You cannot possibly blame the descendants of this house for the actions of their forefathers. Each creature is responsible for their own path."

Lachnen stood. "I must retire."

"Lachnen." Aurel stood. "I am sorry for what happened to your people, for what happened to you. Truly I am, no one should have to suffer that fate. But injustice does not absolve injustice. End this, end it before it turns into another bloodbath."

"I cannot." For the first time since their encounter he almost seemed unsure of himself but he was quick to fix his composure. "We will speak again, but no longer this day, I have other things to tend to." He made his way to leave.

"Wait!" shouted Aurel.

He turned to face her.

"That pendant, I recognize it now." She walked to him and touched it. "I have seen it in paintings of Legolas's mother; she wears that around her neck. Why do you have it?"

Lachnen grabbed her hand and moved it away from the pendant. "As I said earlier Aurel, it was not given to me." And for the first time Aurel felt the hatred in Lachnen and backed away for he had it in him to harm her, but he went to her and whispered in her ear ever so carefully. "For you see…I took it from her when she was dying."

Her eyes only widened as he took no care for what he had just said and quickly walked away, leaving Aurel in shock.