Legolas spoke with a strong authority. The elves obeyed immediately, quickly and effortlessly taking Tarduain into custody. Elrohir rushed forward, ignoring the strangeness of how quickly the elves obeyed Legolas. �Legolas, are you alright?� The prince smiled up at him. �It�s only a flesh wound.� Elrohir shook his head. �Come on, I fear you�ve lost a lot of blood.� He looked at Legolas carefully. He seemed to be having trouble focusing his vision. He added, �You may feel slightly dizzy when you move.� �I�m fine, Elrohir. I am fine.� Elrohir did not say anything as Legolas pushed off the wall. He tentatively opened the door at the back of the cell. �Ada!� �Onya�� Elrohir stood in the doorway, confusion dancing in his demeanor. After the look of relief in Legolas eyes� there was something else. �Apprehension?� Elrohir thought. �No� it�s� shame.� He glanced at Thranduil, who had risen to his feet. There was an odd expression in his eyes as well. �Judgment.� Elrohir did not have anymore time to muse over it. Legolas fell to the stone floor, completely unconscious. Thranduil, who looked just as bedraggled as his son, shot a sharp gaze at Elrohir. �What happened to him?� He demanded. Elrohir did not answer, however. He heard someone calling his name. �Ada�� He rushed back out into the empty hallway. He could not believe it. �Artarya! Elladan!� �Elrohir!� Elladan swept his brother into a tight embrace. �I was so worried we would not find you alive.� �Father let you come back?� �Your brother didn�t give me much choice in the matter.� �You�re timing� isn�t what it used to be.� Elrohir replied to his father. �I fear we may have lost Legolas.� �Where is he?� Elrohir led Lord Elrond into the back room where Thranduil was inspecting his son�s wounds. The lord of Mirkwood looked at Lord Elrond. �He is alive, but only just.� A silence followed that Elrohir felt compelled to break. He went on and on, retelling the last few days that he and Legolas� experienced. He told the two lords everything that he knew happened to Legolas, and everything he thought might have happened. �And� he�s killed his grandfather, and he thought he killed Tarduain.� Thranduil made no reaction to the last statement, but Elrond gently shook his head. �Let�s get him to the healers.� Elrohir watched quietly from his chair in the corner of the room. Thranduil, Elrond, and three other healers stood around Legolas� bed, fighting to keep him alive. �I�ll never forgive myself if he doesn�t make it.� It was his duty to protect Legolas. He refused to believe he had failed. �One day, Elrond, we have to arrange a meeting when our sons are safe and times are palatable.� Elrohir noted the cool detachment in Lord Thranduil�s voice. �He�s preparing himself for the worst,� he thought. �He�s bracing himself should Legolas not live.� �As he drifts closer to consciousness, his body will start reacting to our ministrations.� Thranduil nodded. �He will not trust us. I know.� �It will be worse than before.� Thranduil said nothing. At length, he nodded his head, dismissing the other healers. He turned to Elrohir. �No,� Elrond said gently. �He�ll know Elrohir. Of all of us, he will trust Elrohir the most.� Thranduil looked at Elrond�s son doubtfully. �I�ll leave,� Elrohir offered. �You don�t have to,� his father countered. Thranduil nodded slightly. �I will. If you can�t control him when he awakes, just call for me.� He knew full well that he wouldn�t be able to get any nearer to Legolas� logic than they would. He could not calm his friend down. Not now, at least. He turned to leave, but a question had been haunting him for hours. �Lord Thranduil?� The elf looked at him. �Legolas looked� shameful when he first came to you.� Thranduil understood the question behind the statement. �As so he should have.� �He saved your life!� How could Legolas� father say that about him? �Elrohir,� Elrond�s voice stopped his son from any further discussion. �Go find your brother.� It was no wonder Legolas� was the way he was. No one wondered why his archery was legendary; they all marked it off as natural talent. In Legolas� case, it was perfectionism. Nothing Legolas did would ever be good enough for Thranduil. His son would never be what Thranduil thought he ought to be, and Legolas knew that. The more Elrohir thought about it, the clearer it became. Legolas would downplay his injuries so as not to show weakness. Legolas did not want to be weak in his father�s eyes. More than anything, he just wanted to please his father. Thranduil loved his son. Elrohir knew that too. Relief had passed through his eyes before the judgment had. He was happy to see his son alive. He had been extremely worried when Legolas fell unconscious. But there was always judgment, behind everything. He couldn�t imagine if he had the same type of relationship with his own father. With Elrond, there was only love. He knew what to expect from the twins, and he didn�t hold them to a higher standard than he thought they could reach. Instead of judgment, love was underneath everything. But Thradnuil knew that whatever standard he held for Legolas, his son would do whatever possible to reach it. He used Legolas� love against him. The Noldor elf paced restlessly through the halls of Mirkwood�s castle. He let his mind wander, not wanting to focus on the growing dread of Legolas� state. He didn�t know if he could handle Legolas� death. It would have been his fault, and he certainly could not live with that. He smiled to himself. �We have to stop making a habit out of this, Legolas.� �No habit, I promise.� Elrohir nearly jumped. It couldn�t be� Legolas said it had been taken away from him. �Legolas?� �It is I.� �I thought you couldn�t talk to me anymore like this.� �I didn�t think I could either. I think it�s�� Elrohir shuddered. There was such pain and sadness in his friend�s voice. �It�s what Legolas?� �I think it is because I am dying.� Elrohir felt the blood drain from his face. �Oh no, by the Valar no. Don�t say that, Legolas.� �It would be okay if I did.� �No!� Elrohir screamed in his head. �You are so young, you have so many years ahead of you. Don�t give them up to this! You can beat this!� No reply came to Elrohir. Legolas was dying and he couldn�t stop it. Legolas shivered. Cold hands were on his stomach, and his shoulder- hands that were not his own. He tried to flinch away from them, but the grip on his shoulder tightened. Gasping, he woke quickly. �You are in elvish hands now, Legolas. You are in elvish hands,� Elrond tried to soothe the prince with the old words. �You are home, Legolas, and everything is all right,� Thranduil added. Nothing worked. Legolas took in his situation, not really seeing who was near him. �Leave me be, please. Do not do this to me!� �We are helping you, Legolas. You lost a lot of blood, please relax.� Elrond was careful to keep his voice calm and gentle. �Please, don�t�� �Don�t what, onya?� Thranduil said in a low voice. Legolas� mind was forcing his body to lie still. It was forcing logic into his nerves. �You know these people. They won�t hurt you.� Without thinking of what his father might think, he said, �Don�t hurt me anymore.� It was a whisper, but both Elrond and Thranduil heard it. The exchanged glances. �It might be better if-� �No,� Thranduil said firmly. �It will not come to that.� Elrond shook his head. �Wouldn�t it be better if he died by friendly hands?� Thranduil shook his head. �He will not die.� |
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