AN: MWAHAHAHAHA!
(Ahem) Pardon me. On to chapter four.
Chapter Four:Missing
The sound of the spider's legs drew closer, and Legolas shivered as he felt it touch his leg. He kicked out, and heard the spider skitter away, only to return a moment later.
Its horrible legs were crawling on him now, and he stifled a sob of fear as the spider poked and prodded him, hissing to itself in nonsensical sounds.
He pushed it away with his good arm, scrambling up to a sitting position and back into a corner. The spider came closer, its feet ticking against the floor of the cell with every step.
Legolas felt along the wall, desperately hoping to find a loose stone. The dungeons had originally been one long cavern, but they had been built up and separated into cells, and occasionally some of the stones would break loose. Many rooms in the palace were like this, and Legolas had found a good hiding place to keep things away from his nurse behind such a stone under his bed.
One stone finally slid away from his grasp, and he fumbled to pick it up. It was large and heavy, almost too big for him to hold but he felt better having a weapon.
As he felt the spider's legs again brush his feet, he threw the stone as hard as he could in the direction he guessed its body to be. He heard it hit something, and the spider shrieked and pulled back, hissing and gurgling as it retreated.
The elfling shakily stood up and took a small step forward. He could hear the spider talking to itself in some corner but didn't know where it was. All he knew was that the door was somewhere on the other wall, and that maybe if he could get to it he might be able call out loud enough that someone would hear him to rescue him.
He hurried toward the door, but in the darkness missed the uneven crack in the floor. One foot caught against it and he fell headlong, throwing his arms out in front of him to break his fall.
He felt, more than heard, a sickening crack in his left arm, then the pain overwhelmed him and he blacked out.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The king had just left his councilors with the revised treaty when he caught sight of his son pacing up and down one of the halls. Thranduil was used to watching Belegdur pace, as the prince often did so when he was concentrating, but this time there seemed to be something more to his son's demeanor.
"Belegdur?" Thranduil asked quietly, not wishing to startle the younger elf.
The prince started anyway, his gaze lowering when he saw who was addressing him. "Hello, Adar," he mumbled.
"What is wrong?" the king asked, wondering why his son was pacing in front of the healers' ward.
"I can't find Legolas," Belegdur replied.
Thranduil frowned. "What do you mean?"
"He isn't in here," the prince explained, nodding to the door that led to the healers' domain.
"Should he be?"
The younger elf hesitated, his head dropping. "He was hurt, Adar," Belegdur finally said, so softly that his father could hardly hear him.
The king's stomach dropped. "What happened?"
"Thilator told me that Legolas and his friends were planning to go play in the forest today, despite the rules that Legolas is not allowed outside the palace walls."
Thranduil's eyes narrowed in anger, which was soon replaced with worry when he saw that his son had more to say. "Belegdur?"
"Ada," Belegdur blurted, using the less formal name for the first time in centuries, "they were only a stone's throw from the wall, in one of the younger trees. The guards were close enough to hear their conversation without straining. They were still in the clearing before the gate."
Wordlessly Thranduil placed his hands on Belegdur's shoulders, encouraging the prince to speak.
"I shouted, Ada," Belegdur confessed softly. "I shouted for him and scared him—I did not even see him!—and he fell out of the tree."
Thranduil's grip on his son's shoulders tightened unconsciously. "He was hurt?"
Belegdur nodded. "I was taking him to the healers, but Amarthwen stopped me and said she'd take him so I could attend to my duties." At this, Belegdur broke away from his father and buried his face in his hands. "If I had taken him...if I had skipped my duties for one afternoon..."
With a sigh Thranduil gently put a hand on his son's shoulder. His mind was still reeling with Belegdur's confession, and the implications of what he had done. They would have to face that later, but for now he had to find his youngest son. "How long ago did this happen?"
"No more than two hours," Belegdur replied.
"Perhaps the healers released him," the king suggested. "Was it a minor injury?"
"His arm hurt, but I do not believe he was hurt anywhere else. At least, he told me he was not."
Thranduil nodded, pulling his son away from the ward. "Then let us go find Amarthwen...she must know where he is."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The prince stayed a few steps behind his father as Thranduil knocked on the door to the youngest prince's chamber. He didn't know how Legolas would react to seeing him again, yet he had to know that his brother was all right. He could deal with any anger or hurt later.
A red-eyed Amarthwen opened the door, and upon seeing Thranduil immediately collapsed against the doorway with one hand over her eyes and tears running down her cheeks.
Fear gripped Belegdur's heart as his father gently maneuvered the nurse to a nearby chair and made her sit. He hesitantly entered the room and looked around. Legolas was nowhere to be found.
"My Lord," Amarthwen sobbed. "I hoped to find him before you came...I throw myself upon your mercy!" Amarthwen tumbled from her chair onto her knees, grasping at the hem of the king's robes.
"Amarthwen," Thranduil gently dislodged the agitated nurse and motioned for her to sit. "What happened to my son?"
The nurse cast a glance at Belegdur and immediately her face screwed up as though she was going to weep. "Prince Belegdur, here, brought him back to the palace injured. I knew he had duties to attend to, so I offered to take Prince Legolas to the healers."
Thranduil nodded. "Belegdur has told me."
"Oh, but the moment he was out of sight Prince Legolas began to kick at me and I had no choice but to let him down. He pulled himself out of my grip and took off down the hall, and I could not catch up with him before he disappeared."
Amarthwen dissolved into tears, burying her face in a sodden handkerchief. "I could not find him," she sobbed. "He has vanished...either out of the palace or down some hall to another wing. I cannot find him."
Belegdur staggered against the doorway, his head reeling. Vanished? Where could Legolas have gone? He was only a little elfling...
"Adar?" Belegdur straightened. "We should gather parties of elves to search him out...if he has ventured into the forest he may be in danger."
Thranduil nodded. "Assemble the guard at once," he ordered. "I will see the captains in my study."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Legolas gradually awoke to be greeted by darkness and blinding pain. He pushed himself up with his good arm, scooting back to find the wall and leaned against.
His arm hurt to touch so he let it lie in his lap as gently as he could, sniffing back tears at the pain. He couldn't hear the spider anymore, so he didn't know if it had finally gone away or if it was sleeping.
Did anyone even know he was gone? Legolas sniffed again as he thought about his family...were they even looking for him?
He shook his head. Ada would know...Ada would find him.
Tears were running down his face unchecked, and though he rubbed them away with his sleeve they wouldn't stop. He closed his eyes miserably, hoping he could at least pretend that was why it was so dark.
It didn't work. Even with his eyes closed he knew the darkness was pressing in on him.
"Ada," he whimpered as a new sound met his ears. "Where are you?"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The king rested his elbows on his desk, burying his head in his hands. It had been nearly three hours since his son had reportedly disappeared and he had just now sent the guard out to comb the forest.
He knew that he had no way of knowing where Legolas had gone, but he would rather rule out the forest rather than fruitlessly search the palace and abandon the elfling to the dangers of Mirkwood.
A small knock on the door to the study interrupted his thoughts, and he looked up as Thilator entered.
"I heard about Legolas," the tutor said quietly. "How can I help?"
Thranduil sighed heavily. "I do not know. I have sent out as many of the guard as I could spare to search the forest, but if they do not find him..."
"What if he is in the palace?"
The blonde elf shook his head. "I hope that he is, yet I fear he is not. The forest is dangerous...if he were out there after nightfall he would be prey for anything, but if he is hiding somewhere in the palace I fear we are wasting precious time."
"He should be safe if he is here," Thilator offered encouragingly. "What dangers could there be in the palace?"
Thranduil smiled wryly. "Unused rooms and passages, storerooms, dungeons, the gate to the river..." He pushed away from the desk, turning to look out the window. Only the day before he had stood here and watched his son play with Relfían and Ceretín...was that the last time he would ever see his elfling? "I do not understand," he murmured.
Thilator frowned. "My Lord?"
"Amarthwen," Thranduil waved one hand in a dismissive gesture. "She said he ran away from her, but that is not like him."
The tutor hesitated and looked down. Thranduil's eyes narrowed. "Yes? Do you have something to tell me?"
"My Lord..." the tutor sighed. "I know I have only lived in the palace for a few months, but I have been spending nearly every day with Prince Legolas, and I can tell you that it is more like him than you may realize."
The king's eyes narrowed even further. "What do you mean?"
"He has often acted belligerent toward me," Thilator explained quietly. "Today he would not cooperate on the writing lesson, and outright refused to listen to the history lesson. I finally let him go because there was no way we could make any progress today."
Thranduil shook his head, tearing his gaze from the tutor. This behavior was so unlike his son, and yet...did he truly know so little about Legolas as to mistake his temperament?
"I cannot believe it," he murmured.
"My Lord?" Thilator asked, taking a hesitant step forward.
"You are excused, Thilator," Thranduil said loudly, not bothering to look back at the tutor. As soon as he heard the dark-haired elf leave the study the king sank back down into the chair at his desk, resting his head against one hand.
He could not believe his son would act this way...but what reason would the tutor have to lie?
Where are you, Legolas?
Reviews? Flames? Tar and Feathers?
Next chapter will be up Thursday, unless something drastic happens. Legolas will not remain missing for much longer, though there is still much more to the story.
Review responses for this week have been delayed due to an illness (see author's note at the end of chapter five of Bad Company if you want any more details...though I can't imagine why you would). I should have them up Wednesday or Thursday, though.