Hello everyone! I'm back with a new story!
This will be focused on the Elves, mainly Legolas and Tauriel, though with a sprinkle of Thranduil since I find his character extremely fascinating and fun to write. This story will take place pre-Hobbit and I thought that I wanted to try and write a slightly different approach of the usual Legolas/Tauriel story (I've got nothing against them; I've written one myself and read a few of them, just wanted to try something else) and I hope that you'll like it! :)
A couple of things that all of you should know about this story: I know exactly how many chapters it shall be and I have the outline completely written, though not all chapters. Therefore, I cannot promise any regular updates and I also have school, which I will prioritize first. My goal is to have the story finished before the premiere of The Hobbit: the Battle of the Five Armies, which is the 17th December if I'm not mistaken. I will try not to let it go months without updating, but if it will be two weeks between updates, you will at least know why (though the second chapter's almost done and should be up in the beginning of next week).
I do not own any characters except for some OCs or places; J.R.R Tolkien or Peter Jackson and Co do.
The italics in the beginning and the end of a chapter comes from either one of the Lord of the Rings-movies/books or from any of The Hobbit-movies/book. All of them will have some sort of connection to Elves. So I do not own them as well.
Enjoy!
Chapter 1: Clueless
"Something moves in the shadows, hidden from our sight. Every day it grows in strength."
Legolas stood completely still, did not move a muscle, as his father continued to throw a tantrum. Now, the great Elven King did not throw a tantrum like others. He did not stomp around like an oliphaunt, cursing or pulling his hair in frustration. He didn't yell or started to throw things, blaming anyone that was in his way.
He just stared.
He had done so for some time now and Legolas was starting to grow impatient. His skin seemed to crawl and he desperately wanted to move, to deal with the problem at hand, not frightening the guards. His father did not seem to agree, but that wasn't very unusual.
Thranduil was looking like a statue where he was sitting on his throne, high above everyone else. Not a muscled moved beneath his pale skin and he had not blinked once since the two guards had come to report the theft. It was in moments like this, Legolas could not help but admire his father, couldn't stop the feeling of awe creeping up on his heart and seep in through his mind.
The King had blue eyes. It was something every Elf in the kingdom – and outside for that matter – knew. People sang songs about his eyes; how they were heavenly blue, summer blue or blue like the wide sea and how one could get lost in his eyes. Legolas felt quite sad by how wrong they were. Thranduil's eyes were the kind of blue that the ice was, like the thin membrane of ice before it cracked and you fell into the water. When looking at you, it was as if his gaze alone made the temperature drop. By the look of the guards, who – after all their training, being taught by the best Elven warriors – showed signs of being nervous, eyes shifting around the room, it could have been snowing in the throne room. Legolas repressed a sigh and thought about how glad he was for not having inherited his father's dramatic flair.
After what felt like hours, the King blinked. It was as if the whole room – even the walls of trees and rocks – held its breath. He blinked again and one of the guards – Legolas could not remember his name – looked to be in pain. The King blinked a third time.
"You may leave", he told the guards and his voice was haughty, as chilly as his eyes.
The two guards bowed in perfect synchronization and turned on their heels to leave the room. Their steps echoed in the underground palace as they went and to Legolas, it looked as if they were trying not to run. He wasn't even aware of that he shook his head until he sudden found a thin, silver-blond strand of hair dangling before his eyes.
As soon as the guards had turned their backs to the King and Prince, Thranduil's perfect façade started to break, cracks of emotions appearing. Legolas moved from his spot next to the throne to stand before it instead, having to crane his neck to look at his father.
Thranduil's posture slouched and he closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his straight nose and looked almost pained.
"How", he spoke through clenched teeth. "How I loathe incompetence."
"It is not their fault", said Legolas mildly, thinking of the guards that would probably go with nightmares for a good five years after the meeting with the King. "No one has ever caught the thief…."
"Exactly", Thranduil said and opened his eyes. "No one has ever managed to catch the thief or even glimpse him. If it was a one-time happening, I would not be so bothered. But for it to happen over and over again? I say that incompetence is to blame here and the people it possesses."
"Or it could simply be that the thief is cleverer than us."
Thranduil snorted, rose from his throne and descended the stairs.
"We are the most powerful of races, the cleverest, being rivaled only by the Istari. Unless you suggest that one of them is responsible, I am certain that the thief is one of us." His eyes darkened. "One of my own people…."
The King frowned and walked past his son as if not aware of his presence, long red robes trailing after him. Legolas followed.
"What are you going to do?" he asked.
Thranduil paused and looked over his shoulder, his mask of indifference back in place again.
"I am going to have a talk with Cúon about how he trains his guards and about discipline."
"I mean about the thief. These thefts cannot continue. You said so yourself. So what are you going to do, father?"
Thranduil's mouth was set in a thin line, but there was something dark, wild and desperate in his eyes. He furrowed his brows – brows that were so much darker than his hair – and when he spoke, there was both anger and agitation in his voice:
"I do not know. How to defeat an enemy we do not know anything about, nothing at all? The thefts all varies; from food to gems to flowers. We train our guards to be the best, to help protect the people and the kingdom. And they fail. Their failure reflects us."
"I know", said Legolas impatiently. "But I ask again; what will you do?"
"I will put my best man on the task, but the problem is that I seem to lack intelligent people if my guards can be fooled by a simple thief."
Thranduil's voice was cold and annoyed. Legolas frowned, feeling annoyance flare up inside him as well and he frowned, stepping in front of his father and cut off his way.
"They are doing their best", Legolas defended the guards, some of them who were his friends and others he didn't know, but could never repay enough for their sacrifice so that they could keep the realm safe. "You cannot ask more than that."
He didn't doubt that his father could ask more than the best, but he knew that the King loved his people, though he did have a strange way to show it. Legolas continued to stare at his father, his eyes not nearly as cold, and Thranduil looked as if he was about to smile; the corners of his lips faintly twitching.
"I will arrange a meeting with the Council", Thranduil told his son. "After that, I will decide what shall be done."
The King made an attempt to move past his son, but Legolas stood his ground. Thranduil raised an eyebrow, irritation flashing in his eyes.
"That's it then?" asked Legolas before Thranduil could say anything. "Making decisions in the castle? The thief has never been near the castle; you will never catch him from here. Words will not be enough."
"What do you suggest? That I should ride out with an army, turning the forest upside down until the thief comes forward to confess?"
"You said that you lacked the company of intelligent people", Legolas reminded his father, pretending that he hadn't spoken. "Does that include me as well?"
He tried not to appear bothered by the fact. He always tried to make the King proud and sometimes he succeeded and sometimes not. If it was not the King he was trying to make proud, it was the kingdom. However, he despised being called useless or anything of the sort.
Thranduil merely looked bored.
"That I did not say, but if you want to prove your worth, what would you have me do about the thief?"
"Nothing."
Thranduil's face betrayed a brief flicker of surprise.
"Nothing?" he repeated as if the word was foreign to him.
"Yes", said Legolas and he meant it. "You can rule from here, you can have as many meetings with the Council as you want, but it will not be enough. Therefore, I suggest that you do nothing and let me deal with the thief."
There was silence after his speech. Legolas was studying his father, daring him to say otherwise. Thranduil merely raised an eyebrow, though he seemed to be amused. There was a curl to his lips that suggested that he was fighting down a smile and Legolas didn't know if he should feel insulted or not at his father's obvious amusement. The young prince stuck out his chin in defiance and Thranduil let out a swift laugh that took his son by surprised. The King's laugh was rich, had a velvety quality to it and it was less cold than his eyes.
"Is that a challenge you have given me?" he asked and eyed his son with approval. "Very well. You will get your chance to catch the thief."
With that said, the King made a gesture and swept past his son down the beautifully carved staircase that was built above an abyss where one could glimpse torches burning on the walls, given the underground parts of the castle a warm glow to it. Legolas stood frozen on the spot for nothing more than half a second, before blinking and following his father.
"The register of all the thefts are in my study", Thranduil called over his shoulder, not pausing in his walk. His voice echoed loudly in the spacy halls. "I will have them sent to your chambers later in the evening. Now, I shall gather the Council."
When Legolas had reached the lower floor, Thranduil was about to turn around a corner, but stopped. He turned around and Legolas halted. The expression on the King's face was one of nothing, a blank mask.
"If you should find the thief, bring him back dead or alive. It will not matter."
The words lacked any form of empathy and Legolas felt a rising sense of protest spread through his chest and his eyes gleamed in what could only be described as horror or even disgust. He frowned, but before he could voice his objection, Thranduil's expression changed once more and became one of thoughtfulness. He tapped one slender finger on his chin and said:
"You know…. I would prefer the thief alive should he be captured." Something dark entered the King's voice. "I would like to deal with the traitor myself."
The words left an ominous tingle to the air, almost as if it turned sour, poisoned. Father and son exchanged a look of understanding, though Legolas privately thought that the thief – if caught, though he did not doubt his own ability on that matter – would prefer death to the King's punishment. As much as Thranduil loved his people, twice as much did he hate disloyalty and those who were a threat to the Realm. Legolas accepted his orders with his head held high and face set in what he hoped was an expression of neutrality.
"My Lord."
Legolas bowed and Thranduil nodded at him before disappearing down the corridor, the light from the lanterns making his shadow appear twice as tall, flickering along the walls. As the King's footsteps faded away, Legolas straightened up and made his way down the opposite corridor. Despite the grave situation, he couldn't quite prevent a predatory smile to spread from his lips and the excitement that made his blood rush.
The hunt was about to begin.
"Other lands are not my concern. The fortunes of the world will rise and fall, but here in this kingdom, we will endure."
So, that was the first chapter!
What did you think? Liked, disliked? I'm open to constructive criticism as long as it's written in a 'good'/polite way.
Thanks for reading!