Elrohir lifted his head from the book he had been reading. �Is he all right?� Elrond said nothing as he closed the door to his son�s room. �By the Valar, please tell me he is all right!� �He will not die,� Elrond said quietly. �Not of any physical wounds, at least.� �Did he awake?� �He did.� Elrohir tried to hide his frustration. His father was tired. He had been working with Thranduil for almost two full days with little rest. �Please tell me what is happening to my friend.� �My son, onya, you have to understand that Legolas has been through a lot. I fear he never fully recovered from the first time he was in his grandfather�s hands. Then to be captured by Tarduain.� �He will never trust the race of men.� �That is probably correct. It wasn�t only what happened to him. He had to deal with everything that happened to Arwen as well. Did he ever tell you everything that went on?� He continued when Elrohir shook his head. �Then I shall leave that to him if he should feel inclined to do so. He had to endure many things that any human would never have been able to endure. You only saw a fraction of it. Then to meet the man again in the woods? To come home, and meet his grandfather? And yet again to meet Tarduain, whom he though he had killed?� �There�s that matter too. Legolas had to kill him� or he thought he did, at least.� Elrond nodded. �And a member of his own family. You see now that he will never be the same.� Elrohir nodded. Unsure of how to go on, Elrond spoke tentatively. �He may not want to be the same.� �Father?� �Legolas may not have the will to go on.� Both elves fell silent. �I wish to go see him.� Elrond nodded. �You have my leave.� Elrohir stopped outside the open door of Legolas� room. Lord Thranduil was in with his son. Legolas, for his part, was asleep. Whether by potion or his own will, Elrohir did not know. �You will not give up, Legolas.� Elrohir concealed himself in the shadows, listening to Thranduil�s words to his son. �You are a prince. You are held to a higher standard than anyone else. I would expect anyone else to give up, to flee to the Halls of Mandos. But you are not anyone else. You are a prince, and more importantly, my son. I will not have you give up. I will never forgive you if you should flee.� Elrohir jumped as his father laid a hand on his shoulder. �It�s the only way he knows how to show love. He�s demanding of Legolas because he doesn�t know how else to act. It is not his fault. I had experience raising two children with a wife. Thranduil did not have that opportunity. He had to raise Legolas on his own since the boy was a mere 100 years old. You understand that, don�t you?� Elrohir did not answer his father�s question. His eyes were still on the form of his sleeping friend. �He is so undeserving of Legolas� love.� �That may be, but then I too would be undeserving of the boy�s love. He has known me for long years, and, I think, looked to me as a second father. If I were in that room, right now, I would say the same thing to him. Perhaps not with those words, but the message would be the same.� He looked at Elrohir. �You will understand when you are a father.� Thranduil came out at that moment, ignoring Elrond and Elrohir. Tears were in his eyes, as he pushed past the two elves. Elrond gave a meaningful look at his son, then followed Thranduil down the hall. Elrohir entered Legolas� room. �Go away.� Elrohir started. �So you indeed were not asleep!� �Go away.� �I will not leave you, Legolas. You should know that by now.� Legolas sat up, wincing and moving a hand to his stomach. Elrohir instinctively rushed forward to help his friend. Legolas� body shuddered. It was an involuntary reaction, but both elves took note of it. �You can trust me.� �I know that.� �Would you mind, Legolas, if I stayed here for a while? Until your wounds heal, at least?� He meant more than the physical wounds Legolas had. �I would mind,� Legolas said. �No, please stay, please stay. Please. I need you here.� Elrohir dropped his head. �All right. I understand.� �NO!� Legolas� mind screamed at him. �I�ll have someone bring you food, later.� Legolas looked horrified. �I know you don�t want to see anyone, but you are to be a ruler someday. You cannot avoid your subjects.� He left before Legolas could argue. Elrohir sighed. Legolas had been through so many things. He was friends with Elrohir, so of course he had been hurt numerous times. He had even had run-ins with orcs more than once. He knew what pain was. But this was different. Tarduain and his grandfather had played on the physiological aspect of their dealings with Legolas. It wasn�t the fear of pain that made the prince shudder, but the fear of betrayal. Thranduil looked Elrohir over carefully. True, he had been his son�s friend through nearly everything, including the same nightmare twice. He would not admit it, but part of him was jealous that his son would recover faster with Elrohir around than with him. �You may stay.� Elrohir nodded his thanks. He knew this was what Legolas wanted, but was too scared to ask for, even when it was offered to him. He would stay as long as he needed to. It had been nearly four months. Legolas� wounds had healed quickly, though his stomach still ached sometimes where the blade had been driven in. Elrohir stayed faithfully by his side, pushing his friend just outside his comfort zone when it was needed. Legolas was slowly taking to socializing again. He even went on a hunting trip with a few of his closest friends� and without Elrohir. The young elf refused to go because he knew Legolas needed to do this on his own. Aldarion and Telemnar, and their group of elves had been sent for and were no longer exiles. They learned what happened from Elrohir, in part, and slowly pushed their way back into Legolas� life. Elrohir sat next to Legolas on the windowsill of the Great Library�s balcony. �Your father talks much of sailing to the Undying Lands.� Legolas let his eyes fall on the horizon. �He will go someday, and leave me with Mirkwood. It seems so pointless. Nearly every elf will sail to the Undying Lands soon. There is nothing left for us here.� �My father has spoken of ties that keep certain elves here. Maybe you will have one of those ties. At any rate, those elves that stay will gladly take you as their king.� �I do not wish to be their king.� �You are legendary, Legolas. Even the youngest elves in Imaldris talk of you.� Still keeping his eyes on the horizon, through the thick trees, Legolas sighed. �If I am so legendary, why do I feel so alone?� Elrohir licked his lips in thought. �Legends never die, Legolas.� He put a hand on his friend�s shoulder, still noticing the shudder that passed underneath it. The reaction was always there, but Elrohir grew used to it. He left the room. With one last look at Legolas, he knew it was time to go home. Everything was going to be all right. |
| Chapter 11 |