Disclaimer: Tolkien is GOD!! :p Just kidding, no, I'm not blaspheming. I don't really think he's god, but…hey, you know what I mean, you're reading the story!!! Anyway, I own none of this except Andelet and Nestathan, and he's welcome to them even. Anything to be allowed to play in Middle-Earth. Incidentally, I made up all elf names that you don't recognize, and they don't mean anything, so don't ask. LOL. I don't speak Elvish, much as I wish I did. I'm trying though!! ***** Elrond slowed his horse as he saw a group of beings clothed in tattered robes up ahead. He gestured for the elves with him to stop and climbed off his horse.
The elves behind him gave him a questioning look, but obediently stopped their own horses. Elrond didn't know what it was, but something told him he needed to check this out.
"Who are you, and what is your business in Rivendell?" He demanded as he made his way over.
One figure removed itself from the others and pulled back its hood to reveal a man in perhaps his late 30's. His hair was black and hung around his shoulders in dirty clumps. His green eyes were tired. "My name is Jalin. We are exiles passing through your land. I hope we have not disturbed you."
Elrond nodded his head. "Remove your hoods to prove you are as you say. How can I trust you when your faces are covered?"
A murmur went through the ragtag group, but slowly, nervously, they pulled back their hoods, all but one, to reveal dirty, haggard, drawn and unhappy faces of human men, women, and children.
Elrond frowned and made his way over to the obstinate wanderer. He stopped on front of the robed figure that was as tall as he. "Why do you keep your hood up? You are a guest in this land. Now I ask you; bare your face to me."
At first the being did not respond, and Elrond wondered if it was deaf, but then trembling hands reached up to the dirty fabric and drew it away from it's head. Blond hair hung limply in front of the stranger's face, which was pointed at the ground.
Elrond nodded and turned to go, satisfied, when something caught his attention. A pointed tip of an ear poked out of the right side of the being's hair. Elrond pulled back quickly. "Look at me." He ordered.
The trembling worsened. "Sir, I…" A young male's voice began.
"Now!" Elrond boomed, causing the other outcasts to flinch.
Slowly, the head came up and the blonde hair, dulled from lack of care, parted to reveal fine chiseled features, dark brows, and deep blue eyes. The face was dirty, but beautiful and captivating all the same. The elf's lower lip was red and shining, having obviously been bitten.
Elrond felt his breath catch as he heard gasps from his fellow elves behind him. "By the Valar…" He breathed out finally, reaching out to brush the blond's hair away from his face. "We thought you were dead. Your father had all but given up hope."
Tears misted in the fair eyes. "I know." Was the pained reply.
Elrond took in the elf's slight form, the clump of his shoulders. "Ai, Legolas, what happened to you?" He asked.
Legolas flinched as his name was spoken aloud, and would not meet his gaze. "Nothing, Lord Elrond." He mumbled.
Elrond gestured, and another elf came forward. "Bring proper clothes for the Prince of Mirkwood, Andelet, for he looks as though he is dire need of them." He looked disdainfully at the rags Legolas currently wore.
The elf nodded and went to his pack, rummaging for a moment, then returning with a green tunic and brown leggings, as well as a dark red cloak, as their was a slight chill in the air.
Legolas backed away as Andelet came near him. "No, please. I am fine, please don't bother."
Andelet look confused and hesitated. Elrond frowned. "Legolas, the clothes you are wearing look as though they carry vermin. Remove them, please."
Legolas bit his lip as Andelet approached again and this time reached for the robe he wore. "They are too good. Please..." He murmured.
Elrond froze. "What?" He asked in disbelief.
"The clothes. They are fine clothes, much too good." Legolas refused to look up, finding his feet suddenly rather interesting.
Elrond couldn't believe his ears. The crown prince of Mirkwood thought common warrior's clothing too good for him? He brushed off Legolas' request, deciding to find out Legolas' reasoning later. He nodded at Andelet to continue, ignoring Legolas' further protests.
While Legolas was clothed, Elrond turned to the group of wanderers. "You may continue on your way. The prince will stay with us." A murmur rose at "prince," but Elrond paid it no mind, turning to the elves that had been accompanying him. "Nestathan."
A dark haired elf removed himself from the other, gray eyes keen. "My lord?"
"Ride to Mirkwood and tell King Thranduil that his son lives and is being cared for in Rivendell." Elrond instructed. Nestathan turned to immediately go, mounting his horse.
Legolas' expression turned to terror. "Lord Elrond, please don't!!" He pleaded.
Elrond turned to look at him, confused. "Why ever not, Legolas? Your father is in fear for your life! You wish to prolong his pain?"
Legolas flinched as if struck, and looked to the ground, something he seemed to do a lot now, though it struck Elrond as odd, as it was not a trait that was common among royalty. "If you tell him, he will come to get me. I have no wish for him to see me." Tears glistened in his eyes and made their way through the dirt on his cheeks. "Not now." He said softly, so softly Elrond barely caught it.
Elrond stared at Legolas. He couldn't understand why the young elf did not want his father. He tried to put himself in Thranduil's place. How would he feel if it was Elrohir, or Elladan, or even young Arwen who was missing? What if he was worrying for them and was not told that they had been found and were all right, even at their own request? On the other hand, was it really his place to interfere? It was Legolas' decision, not his, and he wasn't Legolas' father. He sighed. "Never mind, Nestathan." Legolas sighed in relief.
"Come, we will ride back to Rivendell, where Legolas can be properly taken care of." He cast a meaningful glance to the young elf, and Legolas bowed his head, obediently mounting a horse with Andelet. Elrond got on his own horse, looking around. In the distance, he could see the receding wanderers. He encouraged his horse into motion wordlessly, and the other elves followed. ***** What is Legolas doing with exiles? Why was he thought dead? Why didn't he want warrior's clothing? Why doesn't he want his father to know he's ok? Why am I asking all these questions? Why don't I know the answers? *looks horrified* TUNE IN FOR NEXT EXCITING INSTALLMENT OF LOST IN RIVENDELL!!! :P Just kidding. PLEASE REVIEW!! :D Reviews are a writer's candy. Their drug. Whatever. You get the idea; I need them. LOL.
The elves behind him gave him a questioning look, but obediently stopped their own horses. Elrond didn't know what it was, but something told him he needed to check this out.
"Who are you, and what is your business in Rivendell?" He demanded as he made his way over.
One figure removed itself from the others and pulled back its hood to reveal a man in perhaps his late 30's. His hair was black and hung around his shoulders in dirty clumps. His green eyes were tired. "My name is Jalin. We are exiles passing through your land. I hope we have not disturbed you."
Elrond nodded his head. "Remove your hoods to prove you are as you say. How can I trust you when your faces are covered?"
A murmur went through the ragtag group, but slowly, nervously, they pulled back their hoods, all but one, to reveal dirty, haggard, drawn and unhappy faces of human men, women, and children.
Elrond frowned and made his way over to the obstinate wanderer. He stopped on front of the robed figure that was as tall as he. "Why do you keep your hood up? You are a guest in this land. Now I ask you; bare your face to me."
At first the being did not respond, and Elrond wondered if it was deaf, but then trembling hands reached up to the dirty fabric and drew it away from it's head. Blond hair hung limply in front of the stranger's face, which was pointed at the ground.
Elrond nodded and turned to go, satisfied, when something caught his attention. A pointed tip of an ear poked out of the right side of the being's hair. Elrond pulled back quickly. "Look at me." He ordered.
The trembling worsened. "Sir, I…" A young male's voice began.
"Now!" Elrond boomed, causing the other outcasts to flinch.
Slowly, the head came up and the blonde hair, dulled from lack of care, parted to reveal fine chiseled features, dark brows, and deep blue eyes. The face was dirty, but beautiful and captivating all the same. The elf's lower lip was red and shining, having obviously been bitten.
Elrond felt his breath catch as he heard gasps from his fellow elves behind him. "By the Valar…" He breathed out finally, reaching out to brush the blond's hair away from his face. "We thought you were dead. Your father had all but given up hope."
Tears misted in the fair eyes. "I know." Was the pained reply.
Elrond took in the elf's slight form, the clump of his shoulders. "Ai, Legolas, what happened to you?" He asked.
Legolas flinched as his name was spoken aloud, and would not meet his gaze. "Nothing, Lord Elrond." He mumbled.
Elrond gestured, and another elf came forward. "Bring proper clothes for the Prince of Mirkwood, Andelet, for he looks as though he is dire need of them." He looked disdainfully at the rags Legolas currently wore.
The elf nodded and went to his pack, rummaging for a moment, then returning with a green tunic and brown leggings, as well as a dark red cloak, as their was a slight chill in the air.
Legolas backed away as Andelet came near him. "No, please. I am fine, please don't bother."
Andelet look confused and hesitated. Elrond frowned. "Legolas, the clothes you are wearing look as though they carry vermin. Remove them, please."
Legolas bit his lip as Andelet approached again and this time reached for the robe he wore. "They are too good. Please..." He murmured.
Elrond froze. "What?" He asked in disbelief.
"The clothes. They are fine clothes, much too good." Legolas refused to look up, finding his feet suddenly rather interesting.
Elrond couldn't believe his ears. The crown prince of Mirkwood thought common warrior's clothing too good for him? He brushed off Legolas' request, deciding to find out Legolas' reasoning later. He nodded at Andelet to continue, ignoring Legolas' further protests.
While Legolas was clothed, Elrond turned to the group of wanderers. "You may continue on your way. The prince will stay with us." A murmur rose at "prince," but Elrond paid it no mind, turning to the elves that had been accompanying him. "Nestathan."
A dark haired elf removed himself from the other, gray eyes keen. "My lord?"
"Ride to Mirkwood and tell King Thranduil that his son lives and is being cared for in Rivendell." Elrond instructed. Nestathan turned to immediately go, mounting his horse.
Legolas' expression turned to terror. "Lord Elrond, please don't!!" He pleaded.
Elrond turned to look at him, confused. "Why ever not, Legolas? Your father is in fear for your life! You wish to prolong his pain?"
Legolas flinched as if struck, and looked to the ground, something he seemed to do a lot now, though it struck Elrond as odd, as it was not a trait that was common among royalty. "If you tell him, he will come to get me. I have no wish for him to see me." Tears glistened in his eyes and made their way through the dirt on his cheeks. "Not now." He said softly, so softly Elrond barely caught it.
Elrond stared at Legolas. He couldn't understand why the young elf did not want his father. He tried to put himself in Thranduil's place. How would he feel if it was Elrohir, or Elladan, or even young Arwen who was missing? What if he was worrying for them and was not told that they had been found and were all right, even at their own request? On the other hand, was it really his place to interfere? It was Legolas' decision, not his, and he wasn't Legolas' father. He sighed. "Never mind, Nestathan." Legolas sighed in relief.
"Come, we will ride back to Rivendell, where Legolas can be properly taken care of." He cast a meaningful glance to the young elf, and Legolas bowed his head, obediently mounting a horse with Andelet. Elrond got on his own horse, looking around. In the distance, he could see the receding wanderers. He encouraged his horse into motion wordlessly, and the other elves followed. ***** What is Legolas doing with exiles? Why was he thought dead? Why didn't he want warrior's clothing? Why doesn't he want his father to know he's ok? Why am I asking all these questions? Why don't I know the answers? *looks horrified* TUNE IN FOR NEXT EXCITING INSTALLMENT OF LOST IN RIVENDELL!!! :P Just kidding. PLEASE REVIEW!! :D Reviews are a writer's candy. Their drug. Whatever. You get the idea; I need them. LOL.