-1A Second Chance of Happiness
By
Meisalliam and M Cross
Disclaimer: As much as we would love to be able to say we owned all to do with Lord of the Rings, we would be lying. We don't and we never will do. We write for joy and not profit.
Rating: T for action, adventure and angst.
Summary: When little Legolas is found by patrols in Imladris there are several weird things going on, why can he not remember anything? He is also terrified of men but the most worrying thing is where have all those bruises come from?
Beta's Note: You might want a box of tissues handy for this chapter – Barbara
Ada, Adar … Dad, Father
Ion-nin … My son
Nana, Naneth … Mum, Mother
Penneth … Little one
Sîdh … Peace
We would like to thank Barbara for betaing this chapter for us.
- Chapter Nine -
Elrond realised that Thranduil was caught up in painful memories, memories that would hurt his friend. If he had others here with him he would have left Thranduil to their care, but as it was there was a distraught elfling that desperately needed him, and needed him now.
"Legolas wake up."
"Nooooo, Nana!" Tears were falling steadily from the blue eyes.
"Sîdh, waken, you are safe all is well. Come, Penneth come back to the light." Elrond worried when he received no reply. "Legolas!"
The small blond startled and opened his eyes wide. They were filled with fear and something else, something that Elrond could not really put a name to.
"I want Nana. He hurt Nana, he naughty." The last was said in a choked voice.
"I know, Penneth. I know. I wish I could get her for you." Elrond truly did wish that, wished it desperately. He turned back to check on his friend. "Thranduil?"
Thranduil turned anguished blue eyes on his old friend. "Ventalion told me that she sent him back to the Palace. If he was behind the attack…" A grim look filled his eyes then they suddenly looked haunted. "I will never forget that day. The memory of it will haunt me forever."
"I know Thranduil but we can talk about that later. Legolas has need of you now, he is terrified."
That caused Thranduil to shake his head and pull himself together.
"Legolas? Ion-nin?" He reached for the crying elfling.
"Ada, he hurt Nana. He made the monsters come!" Legolas was sobbing heavily and Elrond could see that he was having difficulty drawing a breath properly. This along with his fever was not good for the elfling.
"I will make him a calming tea. Try to calm him as much as you can." Elrond told him. They needed to get him calm and keep him calm. It was obvious that his memory was coming back in drips and drabs rather than a rush.
He would have to ponder this later, when he had more time.
When Elrond had prepared the tea, Thranduil had somehow managed to calm Legolas down. He was stroking the light golden fuzz that now covered his head. The bruises still stood out in stark contrast with the colour of his skin.
"Legolas I need you to drink this. It will help you feel better, I promise. It will also help to warm you." Legolas was shaking, a combination of the fever and no small amount of shock.
"Nana died." It was a half sob, half hiccup.
"Yes, she did Legolas, but she is still watching us from afar and she still sends her love every day in a number of ways." Thranduil had tears shining on his own face. This was one of the hardest things he had ever done.
"How." Legolas let his Ada give him a sip of tea.
"Every time you see a rainbow, it is Nana letting you know she is watching. When the evening sky turns red and looks so pretty it is breathtaking, that is your Nana sharing her love. When the dew shines in the morning and you can see all the nice patterns of the spider's webs through it, she is letting you know that although she is not here, she wants us to continue with our lives. We will meet her again one day, Legolas that I promise." With each word, Thranduil gave Legolas a sip of the tea and then when it was finished, he stroked his face.
Elrond watched them from where he stood. He too had tears of grief dripping from his face. His heart ached for Celebrían. How he wished that he could hold her in his arms. Smell her hair and tell her how much he loved her.
That was a long time away yet, but at least he was comforted to know that Celebrían would be waiting for him in Valinor when he finally planted his feet on the white sand of the Undying Lands… Thranduil had no such assurance and his heart ached in sympathy for their loss.
"Mith Nana." Legolas tried to snuggle up to his Ada, but his injuries made that very difficult.
"I do too, Dian Las, I do too." Thranduil hugged his son, careful not to disturb his injuries nor move his back.
Thranduil did not see Elrond discreetly leave the chamber and close the door. This was one family that needed some time to grieve and begin to heal.
A week had passed since that night. Legolas had barely spoken since. He seemed to have shrunk back within himself. He no longer laughed at the twins' and Estel's antics and he would just lay there in the large bed. He seemed to panic whenever Thranduil had to leave him. Even simply going to use the bath chamber had become a chore for Thranduil.
Thus it was that today found Legolas still asleep, his father sitting by his side, worried. Today he must leave Legolas for an extended time. They intended to question Ventalion. After the shock of finding out that Ventalion was responsible for Laurellin's death, they all felt that they could wait no longer for Galadriel and Celeborn to arrive.
How could he tell Legolas that, when Legolas was clearly terrified of the other elf?
"All will be well. Glorfindel will stay with Legolas." Elrond stood at Thranduil's shoulder. Brentto was still asleep on the bed with the elfling Prince. The old raven had been so worried about his friend, the Prince, that he could not be persuaded to leave him.
"But, what if he wakens and I am not here?" That was something Thranduil worried more about than anything, Legolas panicking if he was not here, that, and Legolas vanishing once more.
"I gave Elladan, Elrohir and Estel permission to be here. If Legolas does waken, he will have familiar faces around him. I did plan on giving Legolas a sleeping tea so that he would rest as well. Is that alright with you?" Elrond asked him.
"Aye, that might be the best idea. I would like Glorfindel to be with us when we speak to Ventalion though. Ventalion is very clever. He has shown us that, but he has also been very taken with Glorfindel for some time. I really think he should be there." Thranduil was so angry with Ventalion that he was not sure what he would do when he saw him again. He wanted to kill him, truly.
"That might be worth considering. Let me think on it as I make Legolas his tea. Mithrandir will also be with us, do not forget." Elrond stretched as he stood and crossed to the herb table that had been set up in the chamber.
"I know, he is scared of the old wizard, but with Glorfindel, there is something different going on." Thranduil could not really explain what he was trying to say.
Elrond looked up from chopping the herbs. "It would ease your mind that much?"
"Yes, it would. I will be honest and say I do not know how I will react." Thranduil sounded as uncertain as he felt.
"Then we will have Glorfindel with us, mellon-nin." Elrond assured him.
"Hennad." Thranduil tiredly rubbed his eyes. "I wish I knew how to help, Legolas."
"You are helping him, more than you realise. Right now, he needs someone to treat him as he normally would be treated, no different, nothing more and nothing less. That is the way you are treating him, and that helps immensely."
Thranduil could only nod and gaze down at Legolas.
Legolas was still pale a week on since Thranduil had arrived. His hair was growing back at an amazing rate. It was no longer just golden fuzz but soft hair. It would not be long before the small head was covered with proper hair once more. His eyes were still bruised, but no longer swollen shut. The bruises and scratches were also fading to the point of being nothing more than faint reminders. Even the small lip had finally healed.
For Thranduil, it was a relief. If only Legolas would regain the feeling in his legs and the whip marks on his back would heal. The sight of the infected back made him feel sick every time. To think that someone could do that to an elfling was beyond his comprehension. And the thought that all this had been set up by Ventalion who he had trusted so much…
Elrond interrupted these thoughts. "If I hold Legolas carefully, could you give him the tea?" At present they were all alone in the chamber, as the others had been persuaded to sleep ahead of the day's events.
"Of course." Thranduil would do anything to help his small son. He felt so guilty over what had happened after Laurellin had passed that he had blocked Legolas out, his own grief overriding everything else. It had not been until Legolas had vanished that he realised what he had been doing to his beloved only son.
Elrond handed him the goblet and gently sat beside Legolas. Gently raising him so that he was not moved unnecessarily, he slipped in behind to support him. Working quickly, they fed the unconscious elfling the tea. Once finished, Elrond made certain that Legolas was settled back on the bed then checked Legolas over once more. Even after a week, the Prince was still running a slight fever; the infection had not completely cleared.
"He is better than he was, much better. I believe he will recover fully in time." Elrond was generally a lot happier about the prospects for Legolas.
"But his legs… He still has no feeling. How can you be sure he will get that back?" Thranduil was not sure he wanted to believe just yet. What happened if the feeling did not return and he had his hope up high? No, skepticism seemed the best bet for now.
"Watch, mellon-nin. I noticed this last night. I was saving this for after the meeting, but I think that this is the better time." Elrond reached out to pick up the knife he had used to pare and crush the herbs.
Thranduil watched, puzzled, as Elrond lifted the blankets to reveal the two small white feet, so delicate. He was so used to hearing those tiny feet running around the Palace. They should not be this still. Valar, Legolas should not be this still.
Elrond reached out with the knife and ran the blunt side of the knife down the sole of one foot. Thranduil found he was holding his breath. He did not dare try to take another one, not just yet.
To his great joy the big toe of his right foot moved, only slightly, barely a twitch but it was there. He sat back with a sigh. There was movement, new movement that had not been there for many days. It was wonderful! His heart sang with joy and he turned tear-bright eyes to his old friend.
"There is movement. There is finally movement!" He wanted to cry it to the sky. For the first time in such a long time, things did not seem so dark and dismal.
Elrond had a sun-bright smile as well. "Yes, mellon-nin, there is. Before too long, you will be fighting to keep him in this bed. That will be when we will all be needed."
He gently placed the blankets back over the feet just as the chamber door opened and a yawning Estel hurried in.
"'Morning!" He looked sleepy and tussled.
"Good morning, Ion-nin. How did you sleep?" Elrond had to grin at the young human. He looked so much like the young child he had once been.
"Very well, thank you. How is Leafie?" Estel hurried to his father's side.
"Leafie?" Thranduil was surprised at the small name.
Estel hurried to explain, unsure how the King of Mirkwood would take the nickname. "Well, he is small and hardly a fully-grown leaf, so Leafie seems perfect."
To his relief, Thranduil smiled brightly. "I like that. I like that a lot. It suits him. Leafie it is."
Estel blinked. It was the last thing he had expected, this morning of all mornings; he had not expected to find Thranduil in such a good mood, not with the meeting with Ventalion looming after the morning meal.
Thranduil smiled even wider. "Legolas has moved his toe. He has movement."
That really woke Estel up. He turned wide eyes to his father. "Ada?"
Elrond nodded happily. "I noticed it last evening, I was saving the news for later, but we all needed cheering."
"That is wonderful news. I cannot wait for him to wake up so we can tell him!" Estel wanted nothing more than to dance around the chamber, but he also did not want to wake his small friend.
"That will not be for some time, Estel. We have just given him a tea to help him to continue to sleep while we have the meeting. The last thing we need is a distressed elfling. We will make sure he eats later on. You are happy watching him?"
"I would always be happy looking after Leafie and Brentto. He is a treasure." Estel looked down at the elfling with affection. He had come to love him like a brother.
"Yes, he is. Once you see him well, you will understand just how special Legolas really is." Thranduil told him happily.
"I cannot wait. Have you both eaten?" Estel's stomach growled.
"I think you had better go and get some food, Ion-nin." Elrond laughed aloud. It felt good after all the worry.
"I am hungry as well." Thranduil spoke up from where he sat next to Legolas. For the first time in days, food sounded appealing.
"I will organise the morning meal. Mayhap the two sleepy-heads will have joined us when I return." Estel quipped. As he opened the door, Glorfindel had raised his hand to open it.
"Good morning, Estel." Glorfindel's voice was grave.
"Good morning, Glorfy! It is a wonderful morning!" Estel's smile was bright. "I am going to sort the morning meal, I hope you are hungry!" His voice followed him down the corridor.
"Estel is happy this morning." Glorfindel was confused as he stepped into the chamber. They were all dreading this day and the meeting it would bring.
"It is a wonderful morning, mellon-nin." Thranduil's voice was as cheerful as Estel's had been and Glorfindel gaped at his friend. Thranduil had not been this happy since he had arrived and not for a long time before that, if what he had been informed was correct, but then, he had just lost his wife and had his only child vanish just like that into thin air.
"What has happened?" Something had to have happened. He looked at Legolas.
"Legolas moved his big toe!" Thranduil was truly beaming with happiness.
"He has? That is wonderful!" Suddenly the morning was not so dark for the blond warrior.
"Yes, it is. He will soon be running us ragged, Glorfindel. Are you ready for that? Are you ready to see him scampering up the trees and disappearing from all view?" Thranduil teased.
Laughter filled the chamber at just the thought.
Elladan looked surprised as he opened the door. This was the last thing he expected to hear in Legolas' chamber at the moment. The laughter seemed to have a slightly hysterical ring to it though.
He stopped at the door, not sure that he really wanted to go inside. What was happening? Elrohir decided the best thing they could do was find out what was happening to make his father and their guest suddenly laugh aloud as if they were maniacs. Especially today of all days.
Just at the thought of it, of what today's meeting could bring made his stomach churn as he opened the chamber door.
"Ada is everything alright?" The laughter seemed to be growing more hysterical by the minute.
"Ah, Elladan, Elrohir. Estel thought you might come down the minute food was mentioned!" Elrond smiled at them widely.
Elladan could only blink at that. Could only blink and then gape. His father looked so much better than he had done. They all did. Tired and pale and yet a lot better than they had. They all had a twinkle in their eyes and they were smiling widely.
They were not the Elves they had been aware of leaving the night before.
They looked at each other before turning to the others.
"Ada, are you alright?" It was Elrohir who spoke with trepidation.
"Never better Ion-nin. Never better." Elrond smiled widely at them.
"We have been trading stories, Penneth of Legolas when he was smaller." Thranduil looked with affection at the sleeping Elfling.
Understanding seemed to flutter over their faces and they realised that something had obviously happened over night. Something for the better and that could only be with Legolas.
"What was he like?" Elrohir asked. Not realising he spoke in the past tense.
Everyone stiffened and turned to Thranduil. The King had not seemed to realise that there was anything amiss.
"He is wonderful. He has a smile that lights up the sky. A laugh that echoes around the Palace clearly and like a bell. It is highly infectious. Once Legolas starts laughing then everyone joins in. It will be very good to hear that once more." Thranduil's smile was wistful.
"I would like to witness all of that." Glorfindel was smiling gently as well.
"You would not like to witness the mayhem he can cause as well. But all that is far outweighed by the love and jot he brings to us. You will witness it as he gets better, the trees seem to grow and glow when he is around and I have seen one particular tree caress him." Thranduil shook his head in wonder.
"He does sound special." Elrond looked with fondness at the Elfling. He could still not really come to terms with how frail Legolas looked. How small. So small.
He most certainly did not look his age, who would believe he was older than five maybe six? Part of it was the thinness. The frail, thin look that screamed of starvation. The human still had a lot to answer for. How anyone could treat a child like that was beyond him. It would be a long recovery from the damage for Legolas, both psychologically and physically. That at least was no longer in doubt; Legolas would walk again; that had been a massive fear.
The one thing in all this that worried Elrond greatly was what would happen of Thranduil found out that Ventalion had not only been the one to orchestrate Laurellin's death but also Legolas' kidnap. They would have to work carefully at this. Carefully and with great regards to Thranduil's feelings as well.
"He is. Very special." And the only thing keeping me in Middle Earth. Thranduil only had eyes for his young son. How could he have treated Legolas so badly? How could he have kept himself away fromLegolas when they had both needed the other so badly? At least he had the chance to make things right and that buoyed him. Not that Legolas would need him to say the words……
Their morning meal arrived and he was carried away once more into talk of more cheerful things…..
As the hour approached nine Thranduil, Elrond, Mithrandir and Glorfindel made their way to the chamber that had been set aside for this use, for this particular day.
Thranduil had left Legolas' chamber with a heavy heart, looking back over his shoulder. This had felt so wrong, when Legolas needed him, even if he was asleep.
Calenthol had come to visit, and had decided to sit with the young Peredhil's; he was currently enjoying a few days off from patrolling and had wanted to see how Legolas was. The news of who the small Elfling was had been a great shock. It was good to see father and son reunited.
Thranduil had only left with the instructions that he was to be interrupted if Legolas needed him.
The chamber was large and airy as all elven chambers were, tall wide windows let the air in and filled the room with the light that bounced off of the snow.
A fire roared in the large great filling the chamber with cheer. Large, overstuffed chairs were arranged around the table in the centre and in front of that desk stood a lone hard wooden chair.
"Have Ventalion brought to us." Elrond spoke to the guard who stood as had been requested by the chamber doors. They needed to find out exactly what had been happening. Ventalion had been searched before being left in his cell and no chances were being taking with his care. He would not be allowed to harm either himself or Legolas ever again. That had been a vow that all in Imladris had made.
With care they all sat in the appointed chair and Elrond made sure that they had all they needed so that they were ready when Ventalion was brought to them.
Thranduil looked up from his silent inspection of the table top as the former Royal Guard was brought in flanked by Imladris guards. His face was cold and hard. This Elf had already condemned himself with his actions against Laurellin. But his actions against Legolas and doubly done so. He would not let him know that he was suffering because of those said actions.
"Ventalion of Mirkwood you have been brought before us on grave charges what do you have to say in defence of them?" Elrond at this moment was very much the ruler of Imladris.
"I am not guilty and whoever says otherwise is a liar!" Ventalion said haughtily, his fair face drawn back into an ugly sneer.
"And if that person happens to be your Prince?" Mithrandir sounded thoughtful.
"Then he is truly no Caun of mine! I have done nothing but aide him. I crossed the Misty Mountains in winter to bring you word of him. I carried him back to the palace myself following the Orc ambush for Velar's sake!" He had been place, none too gently into the hard chair by the guards. They had not given him chance to even bow to the Lord's as was the custom, this was by their order they were that wary of him.
"Then why were you so rough with him and he so scared of you?" The unexpected voice made them all jump. None had realised that Brentto had followed behind them. "Why do the trees and wind cry out their dismay at your actions?"
"Very good question, Mellon nin." Elrond smiled gently at the Raven before turning to the Elf in front of them.
"Rough and how was I rough with the Caun?" Ventalion was going to fight them every inch of the way they could all see that.
"You shook his wrist, his broken wrist. And that is without other incidences that we were not witness too. Who are you working for?" Mithrandir's voice held a sharp edge.
"You will never know and I will never tell." The sneer made a return visit to the face.
"Are you sure of that?" Elrond sounded as smug as Ventalion had looked.
For the first time since entering the chamber Ventalion looked unsure. There was something in the dark haired Elf's voice, something that made him shiver… "We have potions that can be used and we also have other…." Glorfindel made a shoe of cracking his knuckles. "Methods that can be employed."
"You would not! No Elf is ever tortured when in custody!" Ventalion sounded both shocked and terrified.
"Not that has ever been discussed in the open at least." Thranduil agreed with him. "But when the situation warrants it, it can and will be used. You have abused the Caun. You have deliberately hurt and scared him. At least tell us why." It was an order from the King to his subject and Ventalion found himself automatically replying.
"He caused the death of our Queen and my friends!"
"We have already spoken of this and no he did not. He was a victim of unfortunate circumstances, we none of us could have changed what happened, had we been in the same position." Thranduil's voice was sad, it was obvious that Ventalion would not listen to him.
"He should not have demanded to go riding like the spoilt Brat that he is!"
"He is not spoilt, that is one thing that cannot be said of Legolas. Within rights he should be, but he is not. It is not within him to be like that." Glorfindel could not believe the lies coming from this Elf's man. He claimed to know the Caun? There was no way that he could know Legolas.
"He should not have demanded to go!" Ventalion would not give an inch.
"He did not." Thranduil's voice was low. "Laurellin decided they would go, that Legolas needed the time out and away from the Palace. Legolas did not want to go…."
"You lie!" Ventalion was on his feet and practically screeching at the King, the guards grabbed and immediately held him.
"How dare you question me like that!" Thranduil also rose to his feet. "How do you know that? Were you there when the discussion took place? Did you take part in the discussion? Nay, I think not. You wish for someone to blame and you choose someone totally blameless! But that is not all that we need to discuss."
Bright eyes looked at Thranduil and seemed to bore into him. This was not the Elf the King had known for years. Not the same at all.
"We have new information that you were actually behind the attack on the Queen and that you rode away knowing the attack would take place. Is this true?" The blue eyes narrowed as they took in Thranduil. How could he have known about that? But if he did then that would mean…….
"He does not have amnesia at all!" The cry left his lips involuntarily.
"He remembered this morning. Every detail including how you came back in time to….."
A knock on the chamber door brought Thranduil to a halt and they all turned to see Erestor hurry into the chamber.
"Elrond, Aran Thranduil you are needed. It is the Prince………"
To be continued
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