Thranduil’s glazed
eyes widened with shock and surprise. "L-Legolas?" he breathed his
son’s name unbelievingly. "My son... you shouldn’t be here, my son..."
the king whispered weakly, his face filled with unbearable pain.
Legolas dropped to his knees by the bed, forbidding
his body to tremble. "Forgive me, Father, I had to come."
"Legolas..." Thranduil’s voice was frail and
rasping, his eyes searching blearily for his son’s face.
"I know what it means, Father, I’m sorry," Legolas’
words tumbled swiftly out on top of one another. "But I-I had to see
you again..." his voice choked slightly.
"Legolas," Thranduil cut him off, holding his arms
out weakly.
Legolas had to choke back his emotions as he readily
allowed himself to be folded into his father’s embrace. Clinging to the
older elf tightly, Legolas buried his face against his father’s
shoulder.
"My son... my son..." Thranduil murmured as he
hugged Legolas close, cupping the back of the younger elf’s head in his
hand and stroking his son’s hair as he did when Legolas was a child,
many, many years ago. Silent tears ran down the king’s pale, wan face.
"I have missed you, Legolas. All has gone ill since you left, as if a
curse has fallen over us... I have failed my people when they need me
most."
Legolas closed his eyes tightly against his own
overflowing emotions, but was only partially able to hold them in
check. "I missed you too, Father," his voice caught slightly as his
shoulders shook despite his best efforts. "More than you can know. But
the spiders are dealt with now, there is no more danger. You have
failed no one, Father. You must get well now, you must."
Legolas heard the door open behind him. Elrynd had
re-entered the room and Amil-Garil, captain of the king’s guard, was
with him. They stopped when they saw the king and his son. Neither
spoke. Neither dared.
Legolas tensed when he sensed the presences behind
him, but did not move, lingering here in his father’s warm embrace for
as long as he could. Savoring every last touch of his father’s love
before having to face what he knew waited for him. When Thranduil told
him to go with them, then he would leave and he would accept his fate
without regret.
"What is it, Elrynd?" Thranduil spoke with more
authority and strength than he had in months. Legolas still had not
turned around and his father had not released him. He tensed as the elf
behind him spoke, but his father’s hands on his back calmed him. It
mattered not what happened now. He was not rejected in the one way that
truly mattered. Whatever had to happen, his father loved him still.
"We found an intruder my lord." Elrynd spoke
hesitantly.
Legolas closed his eyes and relaxed, awaiting the
inevitable.
"He is my son." Thranduil did not move or release
the young elf he held onto. "Leave us now."
"No, my lord that is not what I meant, the intruder,
I..." the elf hesitated, unsure how to proceed as Legolas turned in his
father’s arms to stare at Elrynd, "I was not speaking of your...your
son, Lord Thranduil. I was speaking of this one."
The messenger stepped aside and the captain of the
guard motioned two warrior elves into the king’s room. They drug a
small figure in with them and shoved the intruder forward. He tripped
at the rough handling and fell to the floor, the hood of his cloak
concealing his identity. The person was tightly bound and made no move
to rise.
Legolas did not need to see the intruder’s face to
know who he was. The dark strands of hair that brushed the thick carpet
gave his friend away and he could tell by the man’s breathing that he
had been roughed up before being brought into the king’s chambers.
"No," the elf prince barely whispered the word,
stunned silent by this new turn. Now they would both pay with their
lives.
Thranduil watched his son carefully as one of the
warriors reached down and jerked the hood away from Aragorn’s face. The
man was lying on his side, his eyes closed in pain as he breathed in
slowly, forcing air back into lungs that weren’t quite working right
yet, trying to get his diaphragm to remember how to work correctly
after the vicious pounding he had just taken from the guards.
"Strider?"
At the sound of the prince’s voice the human moved
his head slightly, looking in the direction of the elf. Legolas still
knelt by his father’s bed. Thranduil had allowed the young elf to turn
around but had not yet released him.
"I’m sorry," the young man whispered hoarsely,
coughing as he finally caught his breath. "I got caught. I thought you
might need help."
"You were not supposed to follow." Legolas leaned
forward to help the man sit up, but was stopped by one of the guards
who
blocked his path.
"Release him," the elf prince ordered out of habit.
"You carry no authority here, outcast." The guard’s
voice was hard and he would not look the elf in the eyes.
"Do not speak to him thus," Thranduil sat slowly up
in bed, his eyes hard, his strength seeming to return before their very
eyes. "He is my son." Looking to the human the king ordered his guards,
"Leave us alone. Remove the human, I will deal with him later."
"No!" Legolas turned to implore his father, "No,
father. Aragorn is the reason I am able to return to you at all."
The king held up his hand and the warriors stepped
back, leaving the ranger lying on the carpet.
Legolas continued, "I suffered morgul poisoning, to
the point of death. There was no one to help us. Aragorn saved me." He
tried to cover up for Elrond’s part in his healing but the ranger
softly spoke up.
"Elrond saved him. I only took your son home to my
father." He met the king’s eyes and held them. Legolas sighed deeply
and turned away from them both. He had not wanted to involve Elrond if
he could help it, and he still was not convinced that his father would
not take steps against the other elven lord.
"Did he now?" Thranduil’s voice was hard as stared
back at the ranger.
"Yes, he did." Aragorn answered the question. When
Thranduil did not back down the ranger simply shook his head and laid
back down on the carpet, his body was still aching from the beating he
had taken when the guards had caught him. Whatever his fate, it was out
of his hands.
"Do not hold it against him, Father."
Thranduil’s gaze softened and he smiled at the young
elf. "How could I? I owe him a great debt of gratitude that I cannot
repay."
"But you can," Legolas returned the smile as a
thought struck him. "Aragorn is Elrond’s own. He has claimed him as his
son. Give him back his life as Elrond gave me back mine."
"Legolas..."
"Father," the young elf did not give the king the
chance but continued, "It was Aragorn who had found the spider’s lair.
Together we were able to destroy the nests and drive those foul
creatures from the woods. Every wounded elf beneath your chambers in
this palace owes his life to Aragorn."
"And to you." Aragorn twisted in his bonds and
nodded at Legolas, more than anything he wanted his friend reunited
with his father. Carefully he raised himself up to his knees, bowing
low in respect to the elderly elf. "Your son underestimates his part.
Because of Legolas the wastelands are free of orcs, their danger has
been driven back into the evil mountains from whence they came." He
smiled at his friend, "It was his bravery that slew Tairach where she
hung in her nest. His actions would have made you proud."
"His actions have made me proud, young human."
Legolas turned back to his father, holding his
breath in hope and fear.
King Thranduil looked between the two friends,
gazing at them long and hard. His heart most desperately wanted his son
back. The human, he would have to keep his eye on him before he was
comfortable with the ranger, but the fact that Elrond had taken him as
a son was no light matter. He could not condemn the man to death and he
had the very distinct suspicion that if he did Legolas would go with
him down to the grave.
Shaking his head at the two youths, he addressed the
warrior standing closest to the ranger, "Release him."
Aragorn flinched slightly as the elf whipped out a
long knife and stepped forward. He cut the ropes that held the man
bound, in one swift motion.
As the bonds fell away from his wrists, the man
sucked his breath in sharply, the rush of blood to his fingers causing
him no small amount of pain. He carefully rubbed the red burn marks the
ropes had made on the soft skin of his wrists as Legolas glared at the
elf warrior.
"Leave us." The king ordered. "I will address the
courts regarding the fate of my son and the human." As Elrynd bowed to
take his leave the king spoke once more, "And see to it that proper
quarters are prepared for the human. Re-open the prince’s rooms and see
that they are well kept."
Legolas touched the king’s arm lightly with his
fingers. "Father, I would be more at ease if Aragorn were allowed to
stay in my guest quarters tonight," he implored the elder elf.
"I see your point." Thranduil conceded and addressed
his servant once more, "See to my son's wishes and prepare his guest
quarters."
"As you wish, my lords," Elrynd replied with a smile
as he bowed to the two elves.
Aragorn still sat on the floor, watching the whole
exchange, unsure if they had been released from their death sentence or
just given a temporary reprieve.
"Father!" Legolas shouted the word with such joy
that the human couldn’t help the smile that crept onto his lips as the
young elf threw himself back into the arms of the king. "Thank you
father."
"It is not finished yet, my son." Thranduil held the
young elf to him, feeling his strength return more every moment as he
grabbed back onto life, to love, to hope... to his son. "We still must
face the council."
"Surely our actions speak for our intentions, do
they not?" Legolas was unsure what would happen next.
Thranduil looked over his son’s shoulder at the man
seated on the floor of his room and raised his eyebrow. He almost
smiled at the wide-eyed expression on the human’s face, "Young human,
you say Elrond has claimed you as his son?"
"Yes?"
Legolas released his father and seated himself on
the king’s bed, holding one of the elderly elf’s hands in his own.
"If I sent for him tonight and told him you were
here, would he come for you?" the King queried again.
"Yes, my lord, and my brothers would accompany him
also, I am sure of it." Aragorn looked questioningly at Legolas. The
elf shrugged his shoulders slightly, uncertain where his father was
going with the line of questioning.
"And you claim that your father does not acknowledge
my sentencing of the two of you."
"No, my lord, he does not." A spike of fear ran
through the ranger as he answered; unwilling to put his adoptive father
in jeopardy; he began to defend the elven lord.
Thranduil raised his hand and stopped the ranger. "A
king’s verdict on any given subject is law and therefore cannot be
violated or simply ignored." The color drained from Aragorn’s face as
he heard the words, but the king continued, "However if two rulers
agree
that the edict was perhaps ill-conceived or has outlived its purpose it
may be overturned. It takes two, however, to do this." He stared hard
at
the boy in his room, "Will Elrond agree that perhaps this particular
ruling in this particular case has outlived its purpose and needs be
dropped?"
The rangers sigh of relief caused the king to laugh
lightly. "I’ll take that as a yes." He turned towards the outer
chambers and called for his servant.
When Elrynd opened the door and stepped in he was
surprised to find the king standing near the fire, stoking the dying
embers. Just how fast Thranduil was recovering was truly remarkable,
almost unbelievable if Elrynd had not been witnessing it with his own
eyes.
Legolas reached down to his friend and pulled
Aragorn up into a warm embrace, checking the human out to make sure he
was okay after the abuse he had taken when he had been caught. He was
quietly chiding the man about being more careful and disappearing into
his surroundings better. The whole scene shocked the servant who only
moments ago was tending a dying king.
"My lord, you called me?" the servant asked.
"Yes Elrynd," The king approached the elf, "I need
you to send an envoy to Rivendell tonight, to request that Lord Elrond
attend a council that I will be convening in two days." The elf king
glanced at his son and Aragorn. "That should give him enough time?"
"Yes, my lord." Aragorn replied respectfully.
"Tell him it involves his son." Thranduil turned
back to Elrynd
continuing to instruct him.
He was interrupted as Aragorn spoke up, "Begging
your pardon, my lord, but please make sure to tell him, and especially
his sons, that Aragorn is well and lives." He smiled a lopsided grin at
the questioning glance from the king. "They can be overprotective," he
explained with a shrug.
Thranduil nodded, "I understand completely. Make
sure you tell Elrond that his son is well and tell the brothers not
to worry, that it is a merely a formality. I am sure Lord Elrond will
understand."
Waking up had not felt quite so good in a very
long time. Aragorn lay in his bed and let the soft sounds of morning
sweep over him. In no hurray to get up, he relaxed back against
the soft mattress. A smile touched his lips as he remembered that this
was the day his father and his brothers would be joining him at King
Thranduil’s palace in Mirkwood. He had spent the last couple of days
catching up on his rest as he and Legolas used the palace as a
sanctuary. Few of the elves even knew they had returned and those that
did had been sworn to silence by the king himself.
Legolas pushed the door open that separated their
adjoining rooms and looked around the darkened interior for his friend.
"Are you still in bed? Know you not what hour it
is?" The elf walked to the large window that exited on to the balcony
and threw the curtains back, letting bright morning light spill into
the
guest quarters.
He turned and frowned back at the bedchamber.
"Strider, get up!"
"Feels too good to just lie here." The man grumbled,
pulling the covers over his head.
"Your brothers were spotted on the edge of the
wood."
Legolas smiled wickedly at the lump of covers that marked where Aragorn
lay.
"What?" Aragorn moved and squinted at the elf. "Then
get out of here and let me get up!"
Legolas laughed and walked back to the door, "Very
well. Dress quickly, I’ll be waiting for you in the courtyard. Your
family should be here any minute."
When the door had shut behind the elf, Aragorn
jumped from his bed and quickly pulled on his leggings and tunic. He
ran his hands through his hair and stuffed his feet into his boots,
pelting down the stairs after his friend. Throwing the door open, the
human nearly ran Legolas over where the elf stood in the courtyard
talking with Raniean as they awaited their guests.
The sounds of horses’ hooves could just be heard as
they entered the cobbled stone entry of the courtyard. Aragorn’s
excitement was contagious and Legolas found himself grinning as Elrond
and his sons rode under the archway of the palace and dismounted near
them. Raniean and his men took charge of the animals and led them away
slowly, letting the horses walk off the long trip before they gave them
food and water.
Aragorn found himself caught up between the twins
who barely remembered their manners, bowing slightly to the prince
before they overwhelmed their brother. Their laughter rang off the
stone walls of Thranduil's palace and filled the courtyard. Elrond
shook his head watching the three of them. If he hadn’t known how old
the twins truly were, he would have thought them to be no older than
Aragorn. The young human brought out the youth in his sons and he
smiled as he watched them.
Walking over to Legolas he bowed slightly and
questioned the young elf, "How do you feel, young prince? I trust you
are better than last we met?"
Legolas formally returned the bow smiling, "Yes
thanks to your ministrations, my lord, I am doing well."
Elrond turned to watch the brothers as they battered
Aragorn with questions. Elladan stepped close to the human and cupped
his hands under the man’s chin forcing Aragorn’s head back and
inspected the almost healed wounds Tairach had dealt him, "What
happened to you?"
"That looks nasty." Elrohir ran his fingers lightly
around the man’s throat tracing the cuts the spider's claw had left.
Aragorn wrestled himself free of the two elves and
brushed their hands aside. "I’m fine!" He glared at Elrond, begging for
help, but the elder elf only smiled back at the youth and raised his
hands helplessly.
Elrohir sidled up to Aragorn and leaned down on the
human’s shoulder glancing at him conspiratorially as a wicked smile
spread across his face. He threw a quick look at his twin before
confiding in the human, "When Thranduil’s men came and requested our
presence, Elladan wasn’t there. So when he got back I told him that
they had killed you."
The elf started laughing at his own joke.
Aragorn turned wide eyes on his brother, "Elrohir!
You didn’t?"
Through his laughter the elf continued, "I did.
Elladan didn’t take it very well, but father ruined it and told him the
truth."
Elladan glowered at his brother, "That was the
cruelest thing you have ever done, Elrohir."
"I was only getting you back for that time you said
the white deer were running in the vale and then you left me there
without a horse." Elrohir stepped away from Aragorn and challenged his
brother.
Legolas laughed and joined the conversation, "The
white deer run through your woods?"
Elrond left the young elves to their hunting tales
as Thranduil’s attendant, Elrynd, entered the courtyard. He bowed low
to
the Noldo elf, "My lord, King Thranduil has requested your company.
Would you follow me?"
Elrond turned his gaze back to the companions
watching as Elrohir held their attention, expounding on one of the
twins’ recent hunting forays.
"They are safe here, my lord. Few know that they are
in the castle and those that do have been sworn to secrecy," Elrynd
offered, mistaking the elf’s attention for worry.
Elrond nodded and motioned for the twins to follow
him as he caught Elladan’s eye.
"We’d like to stay with Aragorn and Legolas," his
son called back.
"As you wish." His eyes cautioned the younger elf
and Elladan nodded back knowingly. They were with Silvan elves, in
territory that had been declared off limits under penalty of death to
their human brother. Until the entire proceedings were over he was not
out of danger and Elrond wanted his sons to be wary. Noldorin and
Silvan
elves were not always known to get along; the day’s events would prove
very interesting. Turning back to Elrynd, he gestured for the servant
to
lead the way.
Legolas stilled his laughter long enough to catch
his breath. He touched Elladan’s shoulder lightly, drawing the twins
attention. "The assembly will begin soon. We need to prepare." He
glanced at Aragorn and looked the human up and down, taking note of the
dark, rumpled clothing. "You aren’t wearing that, are you?"
Elladan turned towards the human and appraised him.
"No, he’s not," he answered for the man.
Aragorn looked from Legolas to his brother in
surprise. "Yes I am! I am a ranger. This is how rangers dress."
"You at least need a shower." His eldest brother
frowned at him.
"It’s all right, Aragorn," Elrohir interrupted them.
"I brought your formal wear." He smiled at the man, noting the way the
human had suddenly become highly self-conscious. Right now the last
thing Aragorn needed was more stress; he had a feeling that the
formalities of the assembly would be enough to put the young human on
edge.
Aragorn nodded and smiled back. "Fine. Lets go then."
Legolas led the brothers back up to his quarters,
"Come on, I need a change of clothing too. It will be very formal. I’ll
tell you all about what to expect before we are summoned."
They mounted the stairs, listening intently to the
elf prince as he explained everything that would take place over the
course of the day.
An hour later a knock on the prince’s door
alerted
them that the proceedings were beginning. Legolas was dressed in a
forest
green velvet leggings and tunic. The tunic had been embroidered with
golden thread, weaving intricate patterns of leaves around the cuffs
and near the buttons. Leather had been worked into the shirt forming a
stiff collar that dropped in an elegant ‘v’ neck where it was fastened
by a brooch in the shape of the royal insignia. The silver work was
exquisite. Soft deerskin boots covered his feet and his elven blades
were hung in leather sheaths at his side. As he opened the doors and
allowed the contingent of guards in, he looked every bit the royal that
he was. He looked the company of elves over quietly, not quite sure who
would have been sent to collect him and Aragorn. But as he opened the
door and saw Raniean and Trelan and their company smiling back at him,
he relaxed and stepped back so the elves could enter.
"My lord, it is time." Raniean announced with a
smile. It was good to have the prince back.
"Aragorn, we must be going!" Legolas called over his
shoulder as he clasped the warrior's forearm.
Behind him, the ranger stepped out of the adjoining
room, trailing his brothers. Elladan and Elrohir, though princely in
stature, had taken on the appearance of warriors instead. They had
convinced Legolas to allow them to walk with the guards into the
hearing, unwilling to let Aragorn go alone.
Raniean appraised the two Noldor elves, not at all
pleased with the turn of events. As the Dùnadan stepped from
around the
unknown warriors, the Silvan elf stepped forward to greet the human and
stopped in his tracks.
The man was dressed in dark trousers and a dark
suede overtunic that swept down his back mid-calf. The shoulders and
collar of the shirt were worked in gold and silver and the undershirt
was a deep burgandy silk. Even Legolas stopped and eyed the man; he
looked every bit a human prince at that moment.
The scrutiny was lost on the young ranger who was
fiddling with the buttons on the leather tunic and pulling the tail of
the shirt down as he adjusted to wearing the tighter fitting clothing.
Elladan cleared his throat and Aragorn looked up for the first time. He
glanced about him looking between his friends and his brothers, unaware
of the effect his bearing had.
"What?" He glared at Legolas. "I showered!"
Raniean broke out laughing and looked at Trelan,
"Then it must be you I smell!"
The smaller elf rolled his eyes and approached
Aragorn. "You look fine. How are you feeling?"
"How am I feeling? You’re the one the spider was
saving for dinner!" He laughed as he turned the elf towards the twins
who still stood to the back of the room.
"These are my brothers, Elladan and Elrohir." He
motioned to the Noldor elves, who both bowed slightly to the company of
warriors. The fact that the human had called the elves his brothers was
not lost on the elven guards and, when Aragorn turned back to continue
his introductions, Raniean was frowning at the human in confusion.
Aragorn simply proceeded with the introductions,
"And these are my friends." He introduced each elf by name to the twins.
"Your brothers?" Trelan leaned close and whispered
the question to the human.
Legolas grabbed the small elf and steered him out
the door. "It’s a long story, Trelan. Some other time. I think if we
wait any longer they will send another contingent and I would rather
walk among friends."
Aragorn stepped next to Legolas as they filed out of
the prince's quarters. Elladan and Elrohir immediately took up
positions
behind the two friends and Trelan fell in step next to the human as
Raniean flanked the prince. The rest of the contingent followed a step
behind, closing the doors as they headed for the assembly hall.
Walking back into the large hall was more
difficult
than Aragorn had thought it would be. He remembered the last time he
had walked these same steps and the nervousness began to eat at his
stomach again. Sensing the man's unease, Legolas glanced at him out of
the corner of his eyes and smiled lightly. Elladan’s strong hand on his
shoulder steadied him somewhat and in seconds they stood once again
before Lord Thranduil’s throne, surrounded by the elves of Mirkwood.
Aragorn fought the desire to fidget with his clothing and instead
clasped his hands together in front of him and waited.
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