Fuzzy in Mirkwood
By SkyFire
Rating: G
Summary: A short snippet. The continuing adventures of Fuzzy...? grin
Genre: Humor/angst
A/N: Sequel to "Invasion of Rivendell" You'll want to read that first, or this one will make no
sense. Trust me on this. :oP
Disclaimer: Not mine. Never were. Never will be. sob
By SkyFire
Hearing the shriek of a terrified Elfling, Thranduil decided as he jumped out of bed, hastily
pulled on a nightrobe, and ran down the short stretch of hallway toward Legolas' rooms, was not
amongst his favorite ways to wake up.
As it was, Legolas himself ran out of his rooms and into the hallway towards his Ada's rooms,
palefaced, eyes wide and dark with fear, glistening with tears. Seeing his father there, he ran
to him. "Ada-ada-ada-ada-ADA!" he wailed in terror.
Thranduil picked up the little one, lifting him until the little legs settled naturally around
his waist, his arms wrapped protectively about him. "Legolas!" he said, "What is it? What's
wrong? Did you have a bad dream?"
But the Elfling only shook his head, casting a frightened glance back at his door, sniffling.
Thranduil could feel the fear-shudders that wracked the small frame, seemingly nearly enough to
shake the young one to pieces. Whatever it was, it had certainly rattled him. "Legolas?"
A hard sniffle. "Ada," came the sobbing, fearful words at last, "there's a big spider in my room!"
Thranduil immediately became concerned; Legolas knew well not to play around with the words 'a
big spider' unless there was one. He could not imagine how one of Ungoliant's children could have
snuck into the very heart of the palace without alerting a single guard to its presence, but no
child of the Mirkwood the Greenwood had become would use the words frivolously....
Legolas buried his wet face in Thranduil's shoulder, sobbing now in earnest.
Thranduil hated to do it, but he had to know for sure. And so "Legolas?" he said gently.
"Hmmm?" came the watery reply from his shoulder.
"Did you see the spider?" he asked.
A negative shake of the small golden head, teery green eyes raising to meet his own. "N-no, Ada,"
he said.
"Then how do you know--"
"It got Fuzzy!" It was a heartboken wail.
And well it would be; every since the Mirkwood king had brought home the Rivendell twins' present,
Legolas had seldom been parted from the poor creature. During the day, he carried it around with
him wherever he went, letting it crawl where it willed on him. He even brought it with him at the
end of the day when it was bath-time, putting it safely on his little boat in the tub during the
bath, retrieving it afterward. The only time he didn't have the fuzzy green caterpillar with him
was when he was put to bed; then Fuzzy rested in his large glass jar with his handful of fresh
greenery to chew on.
"It did?!" came the surprised reply. That was odd; why on Arda would a Mirkwood spider go for a
caterpillar when there was a sleeping Elfling there for the taking?
Legolas nodded. "I woke up, and went to check on Fuzzy," he said. Then his eyes watered anew, his
lower lip quivering. "A-and I s-saw him. Ada, it w-was awful! H-he w-was all wrapped up, a-and
j-just hanging there on the s-side of h-his branch--"
Thranduil began to get an idea of what was going on in the palace that night, and relaxed
slightly. But only slightly. It was possible, after all, that one of the giant spiders could
have crept into the palace, but he thought that perhaps there was something a little less
malignant behind Fuzzy's predicament.
However, one did not live to a ripe old age without exercising caution, and he went to his rooms
for his sword before heading for Legolas' rooms, the Elfling a quiet presence behind him. He had
tried to convince the child to stay behind in his rooms, but Legolas would have none of it. 'But
what if the spider goes there, too?!' he had cried at the suggestion. And so he followed his
father.
Slowly, Thranduil eased open Legolas' door, his sharp eyes searching every shadow for enemies.
Seeing none, he stepped in, quickly peering behind the door before moving further into the space.
Nothing out of the ordinary in the sitting room (that now worked as a play room for Legolas). He
walked to the door to the bedchamber, entered that room with more of the same caution, finding it
free of foes as well.
"No spiders here," he said softly to his son.
Legolas, with an apprehensive glance around his bedroom, walked over to the side table where
Fuzzy's jar rested. Looked in. Sniffled. "But look, Ada! A spider got him! We have to bring him
to the Healers so they can fix him!"
The thought of waking the Healers in the middle of the night to Heal a caterpillar would have
been funny were his son less heartbroken. As it was--
"Let me see," he said, going over. Legolas moved aside slightly, and he peered into the jar. He
grinned in relief. Just as he had suspected. "Legolas, the spiders didn't get him," he said
gently.
Legolas frowned, wiped at his nose with one small hand. "But look! H-he's all w-wrapped up. And
you t-told me before that the s-spiders wrap up what they c-catch--"
"Don't worry, Legolas. Caterpillars wrap themselves up sometimes, too."
"Oh." A long moment for that to sink in. "Can I still play with him?"
"Not for a while, ion-nin. You'll have to wait until he decides so come out on his own."
"But... when will that be?"
"Not for a while."
"Why?"
Thranduil sighed. Putting his sword aside, he lifted Legolas up onto his bed, tucked him in
gently, then started telling him about caterpillars. Before he had gotten very far, though, the
Elfling was once again lost to slumber.
END
--
Poor little-Legolas! I had meant to write more, but the muses went poof for a few months, and I
decided that it was as done as it was going to get. Of course, suggestions might spark fresh
plotbunnies... ;o)