Legolas dropped into a chair at a hastily put together council meeting. He and many of the others had not had a chance to rest after the fight, and it was adrenaline that kept them going. Clenching his fist under the table, the prince mentally punished himself for letting Gollum get away. Heaven knows where the vile thing could be now.
"Legolas, tell us of what happened when you last saw Gollum," Thranduil said.
The Elf cleared his throat, rising from his seat. He recounted the events of yesterday when he and Firiel had been target practicing, and the guards had come and told him that Gollum had climbed out of sight.
"Then the multitudes of orcs came swarming around us," said the Elf, "And I saw nor heard no more of Gollum, as we were all caught up in the fighting. I assumed that he was in the care of the guards and it did not occur to me that he actually escaped."
Thranduil nodded and motioned for his son to sit.
"Bring in the two guards who were watching our prisoner last," the king said.
Refan entered the room a few minutes later.
"Where is your fellow guard?" asked the king.
Refan hung his head, staring at the floor. "He fell in battle, my lord."
Once again Legolas was silently shocked. It was the strangest feeling to know that someone you knew was cut down by your enemies. Many of the other elves, the prince included, put their hands over their hearts, saying the Sindarin words for "He is at peace."
After their small moment of silence, then the king continued to gently ask questions of the elven guard. Refan stated that Gollum had simply disappeared, gone among the numerous tree tops. Eventually, Thranduil dismissed him with a wave of his hand.
"Well, we must simply draw from the logical conclusion that Gollum just--" the king hesitated as he distractedly looked towards his son, whose mouth was nearly hanging open and a look of realization on his face.
Legolas jumped to his feet. "I've got it! Gollum did not merely escape from the guards and run into the treetops. The orcs and the whole battle was a diversion! The orcs came to take Gollum… away."
The other elves looked around at each other, mulling it over in their minds.
The elven king slowly nodded his head. "Legolas, I do believe you have something there. There is not physical proof as far as we can tell, but it sounds like the two events were not merely a coincidence."
"Send a tracker or a scout out!" said Legolas, "Then we can see if Gollum went with them."
"That would make sense, my son, but Gollum might not have just been on their side. They probably have taken him prisoner, which means he would've been bound and carried, and wouldn't have left footprints."
Soon after the council adjourned, and the elves went their various ways. Legolas wandered out on his own, unsure of where to place himself, unsure of what to do. He went outside, leaning over the balcony railing, not daring to go much farther from the palace. Everyone in the king's castle was under strict orders not to lay a foot outside of the grounds except under express permission. The prince watched a few leaves drift idly to the ground, but other than that everything was still. Even for Mirkwood, that was strange. Most days around the palace there could at least be heard snatches of birdsong or the rustling of the few woodland animals that stayed in the protection of the palace's borders.
Sighing inwardly, Legolas went in and threw himself down on his bed, soon drifting off into a deep and undisturbed slumber.
Three days later, Legolas still found himself for the most part wandering aimlessly about the palace, or having a moment of target practice whenever he could sneak away from a meeting. The Elf walked back inside the palace, heading for his room.
Moments later he submerged himself in the bath, relaxing in the warm water. Legolas lay back in the water for a while, wandering through elvish dreams, when he heard somewhat of a commotion outside. It was the king and one of his councilers.
"Erdefan, he probably is the best messenger to send. He will have a job for a while and can be useful somewhere else. Elrond will not mind. I have no other warriors to spare. My best ones are needed here."
"But, sire, surely--"
"No, I have made my final decision," finished the king.
Legolas leaned out of the bath tub the whole time, straining to hear what they were talking about. He jumped as Thranduil pounded on the door.
"Legolas! I need you outside, now!"
"One minute, let me put my clothes on and I'll--"
"NOW!"
The surprised Elf jumped out of the tub, wrapping a towel around himself and tripping as he ran to the door. Legolas threw the door open and the king beckoned to his son to follow, apparently disregarding the fact that the younger Elf was dripping wet. The prince reddened as they hurried down the hall, past various advisors and other elves.
Reaching the end of the hall, the king threw the door to his chambers open and practically yelled, "Sit!"
Legolas instantly obliged, shifting around on his chair somewhat uncomfortably. Thranduil was only like this when the prince often was in trouble, or there was a crisis.
"Legolas, I have received word from the wizard. Things are as dire as they could get. Gollum has indeed been taken to Isengard and information tortured out of him. We are on the brink of… well, never mind that. I have something for you to do. I need you to convey news for me."
"About Gollum? You're sending me as your messenger?"
"Yes, I am. Legolas, you will be going to Rivendell. You are leaving… tonight."
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