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The elfling peered about the clearing warily. The orcs had left just
before the sun had broken through the trees and it had been very quiet
since then. He crept down from his hiding place in the tree and made his
way to his guard's side. Tathordil lay on his back, his eyes closed, a
gaping wound in his side. The elfling shook his guard, puzzled. Why were
his eyes closed and why did he not move? None of the big elves were
moving. The elfling could not understand why all the big elves just lay
there. Perhaps they were sleeping. His Adar [father] slept with his eyes
closed every once in a while when he was very tired. The elfling was
hungry, but he was tired, too after staying in the tree that Tathordil
had hidden him in all night. He settled down at Tathordil's uninjured
side and laid his head on the guard's chest. He was asleep in moments.
Pannad surveyed the horrifying scene before him with apprehension. The
bodies of twelve elven warriors littered the glade like broken dolls.
That orcs were responsible for this obscenity was more than evident.
Orcs were seldom able to best elven warriors; the elves must have been
greatly outnumbered. That this had occurred so close to the settlement
was doubly frightening. Several horses lay at the edge of the glade,
their bodies bearing the telltale signs of being feasted upon, most
likely by the orcs. A flash of something pale caught Pannad's eye and he
moved cautiously toward the center of the glade. His eyes widened in
dismay as he took in the sight of a young child nestled against one of
the dead warriors. He gently lifted the child off the warrior and turned
him onto his back.
The child's eyes were half open and he was warm to the touch. Pannad
started as he realized that the little one was still breathing. He
brushed the child's hair back from his face, revealing the little one's
delicately pointed ears. A sigh of relief escaped him when he realized
that the child was not injured, he was merely sleeping. At the slight
noise, the little one stirred and his eyes focused. As he focused on the
human kneeling next to him, the little elf cried out in panic and shook
the shoulder of the dead warrior he had been resting next to. The human
settled back onto his heels and held out his hands, palm up to show that
he held no weapons. The elfling stilled, unsure of what he should do
next as his efforts at waking his guard had yielded no results.
Pannad reached to his belt for his water skin. He uncorked it and poured
a bit over his fingers to show the little one what the skin held.
Raising it to his lips, he took a swallow before offering the skin to
the elfling. The little one accepted the skin and took a cautious sip.
Finding nothing amiss with the taste, he drank deeply. Water dribbled
down his chin onto his tunic. The human smiled, encouraged, and took a
small packet from another pouch on his belt. Opening it he removed a
wafer of hardtack. He took a small bite, then broke it in half and
handed the untouched half to the elfling. The little one's stomach
growled audibly as he bit into the wafer and he flushed, embarrassed,
but did not cease devouring the wafer. It disappeared in record time.
Pannad glanced up and noted that the others in his hunting party had
checked the rest of the elves and had found no other survivors. Yarnan,
his longtime friend, and two others had begun to dig a grave for the
fallen elves. Pannad approved, it was the least they could do. His only
worry was how the little one would react, since it was obvious that he
did not understand that his kin were dead.
He turned his attention back to the elfling who was finishing his second
piece of hardtack. He handed the water skin back to the little elf and
was pleased to note that the little one did not flinch when his hand
came in contact with Pannad's. The elfling lowered the skin, having
drunk his fill, and studied Pannad curiously. The human wondered briefly
if it was the first time the little one had seen someone of a race other
than his own. He decided to see if the little one had indeed lost his
fear and held out his hands to the little elf, asking him without words
to allow the human to pick him up. The little one hesitated, and then
moved cautiously toward the human. Pannad did not move, allowing the
elfling to progress at his own pace. When the elfling stood close
enough, Pannad slowly moved his arms around the little one and stood up,
settling the elfling on his hip and patting the small back in a
comforting manner.
He walked steadily away from the carnage toward his horse. The elfling
suddenly squirmed and Pannad, who had four sons, quickly determined the
reason and moved to the tree line to give the elfling a bit of privacy.
The little one moved several paces away, glancing back over his shoulder
at Pannad every step or so before shifting his clothing and heeding
nature's call. Pannad kept his head turned away, respecting the
youngling's privacy. He heard the rustle of clothing as the little one
finished and covered himself again and turned back. The youngling was
staring intently into the bushes. Pannad moved to his side quickly,
fearing what might be lurking in front of him, but the elfling was
quicker and darted forward. Pannad gave chase, his pace increasing when
he heard the elfling scream.
He broke through the bushes, fearing that an animal had taken the child.
The elfling stood several feet in front of him, eyes wide with shock as
he stared at the headless torso of one of his companions. The head lay a
few paces away. Pannad swiftly snatched up the child, cursing mentally
at his ill choice of a location for the child to relieve himself. He
turned the child around, nestling him against his shoulder and blocking
the horrible sight from the little ones' eyes. Murmuring soothing
nonsense, he made his way back to the glade. Yarnan met him at the tree
line, concern etching his craggy features and weapon in hand. Pannad
grimaced at his friend.
"'Nother body 'bout seven paces inside the trees." Yarnan's grimace
matched Pannad's and he reached out to briefly rest his large hand on
the elfling's head.
"Poor little blighter. No sign of a female anywheres around, so 'e might
still have a mum at least. 'Ope the one in the trees weren't 'is Da."
Pannad nodded, he had had the same thought.
"They must've had enough warning to 'ide 'im before they got attacked.
'E saw the whole thing, like as not. I do'en think 'e knew they were
dead until just now. Let's get the dead ones buried and we'll take 'im
back wi' us. Rangers're due through any day now, should be able to find
out how to get word to 'is kin. It might even be the brothers. If'n they
do'en know 'im, they'll know who to get word to. 'E kin stay with Allus
'n me til we find out where 'e belongs."
"Aye, that'll do 'im a bit of good. 'E'll have four females dotin' on
'im. Wonder 'ow old 'e is. Looks about the size o' your youngest."
Yarnan gave the elfling a gentle pat on the back before turning back to
his task.
The elfing made no move or sound through the rest of their stay in the
glade. Every so often a tremor would run through the small body and
Pannad would rub his back and speak softly to him until it passed. After
a while, the tense limbs relaxed and his breathing became regular.
Pannad heaved a relieved sigh, realizing that the little one had passed
into sleep.
They packed the soil as tightly as possible over the fallen warriors and
gathered up their weapons to give to the families the dead ones had left
behind, as was the custom in the settlement. Pannad handed the little
elf to Yarnan and mounted his horse before reaching down to take the
little one back into his arms. Yarnan held his mount's reins as he
settled the elfling securely against his chest. The rest of the hunting
party mounted up and they made their way back to the settlement with
some haste as the day was fast waning and they did not want to be caught
in the wood after dark.
Pannad reined his mount in, relaxing at last. His oldest son came out of
the barn and moved swiftly to his father's side, taking the reigns from
him and holding the horse steady as Pannad dismounted. It had been a
hard ride, but the little one had not stirred once. His son looked
questioningly at the bundle in his father's arms, but held his tongue
and led the horse into the barn. Pannad continued on to the house,
opening the door with one hand while cradling the elfling with the
other. His wife, Allus, looked up with a smile as he entered. Her
expression became one of concern as she took in the bundle in Pannad's arms.
"What happened? That isn't Tollis," she stated, naming their youngest
son. Pannad shook his head and uncovered his burden's small, blond head
and pointed ears. Allus gasped in shock, and then her maternal instincts
took over. "Oh, the poor little lamb! What happened?" Pannad gave her a
brief and sanitized version of their discovery and what the little elf
had seen. As he had expected, Allus immediately swept the little elf
from his arms and called for their daughters. In sort order, the women
of his house had the elfling bathed, dressed in night clothing borrowed
from his youngest son, and tucked into a trundle bed his children had
outgrown that they placed by the fire.
After their supper, Pannad explained to the children that the little elf
had likely lost at least one parent and would be staying with them until
Pannad could find out who he belonged with. He was proud to see his
children rise to the occasion, his youngest son Tollis solemnly
declaring that he would share his clothing and toys with the elfling,
and his daughters Nieve, Ammie, and Cerra declaring that they would
mother the little one until he could be reunited with his family. The
older boys Peraol, Jorran, and Fesel, volunteered to try to bring the
little one out of his grief. Pannad and Allus shared a look of intense
pride over the children's heads before Pannad broke into their planning
with a dose of reality.
"'Tis happy I am that you're bein' so generous, but you need to remember
that the little blighter's been through a lot and 'e might not do what
you're thinkin'. Take it slow wi' 'im. I don't think 'e speaks anythin'
but elf-talk, either, so you'll have to figure a way 'round that, too.
To bed, now. Mornin' comes early." Good natured groans met the
statement, but they filed out after dutifully kissing both parents.
Allus' eyes lingered on the trundle bed for a moment before she spoke.
"You're thinking' 'e might be teched in the head after what 'e saw." Her
words were not a question.
"'Tis possible. 'E didn't understand they was dead 'til 'e saw the body
of the one without 'is head. He hasn't done anythin' but shiver since."
Pannad hated to think of the bright little eyes he had seen dimmed, but
the possibility had to be faced. Allus frowned, but her reply was
neither fatalistic nor surprising.
"Young'uns is tougher than most folk make 'em out to be. I 'spect 'e'll
surprise you." She moved her chair next to the hearth and took up the
shirt she was mending. "I'll stay by 'im the night, in case 'e wakes and
gets scared."
Dawn had barely begun to touch the horizon when the household awoke.
Pannad and his sons saw to the care of their livestock while Allus and
the girls prepared the morning meal. The little elf had slept the night
through without waking and was still slumbering in the trundle bed by
the hearth, undisturbed by the activity around him until the smell of
the porridge, eggs and sausage reached his nose. Blinking, he sat up and
rubbed his eyes then froze at the sight of the unfamiliar room.
The oldest girl noticed that he was awake first and approached him
slowly, smiling and speaking in soothing tones. His eyes darted from her
to the other humans in the room warily. The girl took up a cup and
filled it with water, careful to take a sip before handing it to him. He
sampled it as he had with the water skin the day before and again
finding no strangeness in the flavor, drank it down quickly. The girl
held out her arms like the man had and the elfling understood that she
wished to lift him. He slid haltingly from the bed into her arms. She
settled him on her hip and smiled, wrinkling her nose at him. He
regarded her solemnly for a moment before turning his attention to the
others. There were two girls smaller than the one who held him and a
taller female that resembled the other three. All of them smiled at him
and spoke pleasantly in their strange tongue.
A noise from the door startled him, causing him to jerk around in the
girl's arms. The human who had found him entered the dwelling followed
by four other humans, one of whom was about the elfling's size. The one
who had found him smiled at him and ruffled his hair as he passed the
girl. The elfling shot him a puzzled look and smoothed his hair. The
little human bounced excitedly and chattered at him, patting his leg.
The girl who held him laughed and said something to the little human
that made him bound away up the steep ladder into the upper level of the
dwelling. He returned a few minutes later with a bundle under one arm.
The girl took the bundle and carried the elfling through the door next
to the hearth.
She set him down next to a very warm stone wall and proceeded to wash
his face and hands and comb his hair. Once that was accomplished she
pulled the thin gown he wore over his head and helped him into the tunic
and breeches the boy had carried down the ladder. He wanted to tell her
that he was a big elf and no longer needed assistance in dressing, but
did not know how so he allowed her to help him.
When he was dressed she lifted him again and carried him back into the
main part of the dwelling and set him at the table between herself and
the smallest human. She filled a bowl with porridge and placed it before
him, then handed him a spoon. A cup was placed next to the bowl. He
examined the contents of the bowl, sniffing it cautiously. It smelled
rather good, so he took a small bite. The porridge tasted almost as good
as what he normally had at home and it disappeared rapidly. The cup
proved to contain not the water he had expected, but some white
substance. He sampled it and decided that he could tolerate it and drank
it down. Next a plate was placed before him that held egg and some sort
of meat. He ate the egg readily, but the meat tasted funny and he
decided to leave it on the plate.
His attention was wandering now that his hunger was satisfied and he
squirmed. The girl laughed and said something to the small human next to
him. The boy crammed the last piece of the sausage on his plate in his
mouth and grabbed the elfling's hand, pulling him from his seat and over
to a corner where a wooden chest sat. The boy opened the chest and
removed some carved wooden animals, offering half of them to the
elfling. He turned the figure of a deer over in his hands, examining it
minutely. It was nearly identical to one he had at home that a friend
had made for him. He looked at the small human, who seemed to be waiting
for something. Belatedly, the elfling realized that he was being invited
to play and he set the deer on the floor and picked up a bird. He looked
at it for a minute before deciding it was a sparrow and pursing his
lips, he imitated a sparrow's call. The boy clapped delightedly and
offered him a wolf. Warming to this game, the elfling uttered the long
mournful howl of a wolf. Again the boy clapped and then handed him a
squirrel. The elfling giggled and proceeded to chatter like a squirrel.
A bear, fox, and mouse followed in succession and the entire family
chuckled at the antics of the two.
The boy picked up a horse to hand to the little elf. As soon as he saw
it, the elfling shrieked and fled to the other side of the room. He
curled into a ball in the corner, shaking uncontrollably. He felt
someone lift him and cradle him in their arms, speaking to him in
soothing tones. A soft hand stroked his hair and dried the tears that
flowed down his cheeks. The one holding him settled into a chair by the
fire and began to rock him. He could hear the little human sniffling and
the big one who had found him speaking softly to him.
Nieve rocked the little elf, softly telling him that everything would be
all right, that she and her family would not let anything harm him. She
hoped that even though he did not understand the words, he might
understand the tone of her voice and be comforted. He sobbed brokenly,
calling out something that sounded like 'Ada'. Eventually he calmed,
snuffling every so often. Tollis wandered over to apologize, but the
elfling merely burrowed his head into Nieve's neck. Poor little thing,
she thought. He had suffered so much and seen things no youngling should
ever see. Her arms tightened around him and she kissed his temple.
Pannad laid a hand on his daughter's shoulder briefly before announcing
that he was going to the market to see if there was any word of the
rangers. After he departed, Allus chased the rest of the family, except
Nieve out to play. Taking advantage of a rare opportunity to do as they
pleased, the children scattered. Allus knelt by Nieve, one hand rubbing
the little one's back. Slowly his head lifted and he looked at her with
tear filled blue-gray eyes. She smiled at him and patted his back. He
reached out and patted her face, then sat up in Nieve's lap. Allus met
Nieve's eyes for a moment, and then patted her own chest.
"Allus. Allus." She patted Nieve's shoulder, "Nieve. Nieve." The elfling
cocked his head for a moment then nodded. He patted Nieve.
" Nieve." He patted Allus, " Allus." He patted his chest," Legolas." He
repeated it twice, slowly, to help them pronounce it properly. Allus
placed her hand on his chest and repeated it. He nodded. Suddenly, he
struggled to scramble off Nieve's lap. He looked around, dancing a bit.
Allus quickly deduced the problem and guided him through the door by the
hearth into the room behind and to a copper pot in the corner. He
wrinkled his nose fastidiously, but needed to go too badly to go outside
to find a more appropriate spot. After making sure that Allus had left
the room, he did what was needed and scrambled back into the main room
and back into Nieve's lap.
Legolas spent the rest of the day following Nieve around as she did her
chores, holding on to her skirt tightly with one hand. Although he was
normally a brave little elf, the recent traumas he had endured made him
cling to the security that the human girl offered. Nieve paused every
few minutes thorough the day to pat his back or brush his hair out of
his face.
He watched her work with curiosity. To his eyes, the tasks she was
performing were similar to the ones he had observed the members of his
Ada's household perform. He watched Nieve prepare soup for the family's
lunch, gnawing on a carrot that she had handed to him when he tugged on
her skirt and pointed to it. She then made berry pies, chuckling at his
obvious interest.
"'E knows what pies are, Mum. Look at 'im." Nieve grinned at the
elfling's expression. Allus laughed softly.
" Aye, ain't no young'un alive as doesn't like sweets." She paused for a
moment, then continued, "Reckon 'e's missin' 'is mum."
"Aye, reckon 'e is. 'E seems a sweet 'un." Nieve smiled at him again,
her smile growing when he smiled tentatively back. She stooped to kiss
the top of his head, a gesture that Tollis would have ducked and run
from. Legolas merely accepted the affection and patted her arm in
return. "Reckon 'is mum is missin' 'im somethin' fierce, too." She
dusted the flour off her hands and wiped them on her apron. "Mum, would
you mind puttin' the pies in fer me? I do'en want Legolas that near the
'earth and I do'en think 'e'll leave me side for long enow fer me ta put
'em in."
Two weeks passed and the elfling grew used to the humans who were caring
for him. He had nightmares and often woke in the night calling for his
Ada. The humans were kind and tried to help him any way they could. He
picked up quite a few of their words and could make himself understand
fairly well using a combination of halting Westron and gestures. He
forgave the little human and often played with him; both of them
carefully avoiding the carved wooden horse that had cause his flashback
the first day. He kept to the house and yard mostly, never venturing far
from Nieve to whom he had formed a strong attachment.
Pannad, for his part, went almost daily to the marketplace to seek
information about the expected arrival of the rangers. He worried that
the little one would sicken without his kin. He simply knew so little
about elves and was fearful that they would fail to recognize all of his
needs. The little one had earned his respect over the last two weeks. He
never complained and rarely cried unless he had had a nightmare or
something had triggered a flashback. His behavior and manners spoke of a
caring and disciplined upbringing. Pannad fervently hoped that the
little elf had at least some family left to him.
At the beginning of the elfling's third week with his family, Pannad
made his way to the marketplace. A commotion ahead of him caused his
hopes to rise and he swiftly made his way through the crowd. The mere
presence of rangers was not enough to cause such uproar. Pannad hoped
against hope that it was the brothers, the twin elves who sometimes rode
with the rangers. As he drew nearer, a smile bloomed across his face.
Two tall, lithe, dark haired figures stood speaking to several of the
settlement's children. As he approached, one of the brothers looked up
and smiled.
"Well met, Pannad! How is your family?" the elf smiled warmly at him. He
never had been able to tell them apart and replied to both.
"Fine an' feisty, thankee. I need ye help wi' somethin' though." The
elves exchanged a startled look and nodded expectantly. "'Bout three
weeks gone me an' Yarnan an' some others were out huntin' an' we came
upon a bunch of dead elves. Orcs done it, no question." The brothers'
gazes turned sharp, he had their full attention. "Anyways, there was a
wee one with them. We figure they hid him before the orcs got 'em.
Wasn't a scratch on the little blighter, but he saw the whole ugly
thing. He's been stayin' with my family, but he needs to be wi' his own
folk. I was wonderin' if ye'd mind talkin' to him and helpin' us get him
home." The brothers exchanged another look, and then one of them replied.
"Of course we will help you, Pannad. You did not even need to ask. Let
us get settled in and cleaned up and we will talk to him." Pannad
slumped with relief.
"Thankee kindly, an' please sup wi' us. The young'uns'll be glad to see
ye. "The brothers accepted readily and Pannad headed for home to inform
Allus of their dinner guests.
Elladan and Elrohir made their way down the street toward Pannad's
house. The man was a long time acquaintance and they trusted his word
implicitly, however unsettling it was. Reaching the family's dwelling,
they knocked on the door. Allus opened the door and with a smile bade
them enter. The children immediately swarmed around the twins, causing
them to laugh. The twins produced presents for the children causing much
commotion. Allus gently reined them in, sending them to wash up and
handed each twin a mug of her excellent cider. Pannad waved them toward
the chairs in front of the hearth and seated himself on the bench.
"Nieve'll bring the little one out in a bit. He's gotten a mite attached
to her. He's a good 'un, real polite. Ye can tell he's been raised
right." Pannad paused to take a swig of cider. "He's brave, too. Don't
complain or cry unless he's had a nightmare. We figure his Da was one of
the dead ones, but as we didn't see no sign of a female with 'em, we
figure his Mum might still be alive." Elladan and Elrohir drained their
mugs and set them on the hearth.
The door next to the hearth opened and Pannad's oldest daughter entered
the main room. A small hand clutched her skirt, but the hand's owner
remained out of sight behind the girl. Elladan smiled a bit and called
out to the little one in Sindarin. He stopped so suddenly that he almost
pulled the girl down on top of him.
"Elladan! Elrohir!" The elfling shrieked and launched himself at the
brothers. Elladan overcame his shock just in time to catch the rapidly
moving wood elf.
"Legolas! Sweet Eru, elfling, what happened?" Elladan wrapped the little
elf in a secure embrace as the story came tumbling out of him amidst
sobs. Elrohir knelt by his brother's chair, wrapping his arms about the
both of them and resting his cheek on Legolas' head. They stayed that
way for several minutes until Legolas' sobs quieted. Elrohir raised his
head and stroked the elfling's pale locks with one hand. He met Pannad's
eyes and decided that an explanation was needed.
"Legolas' family and ours have been friends for millennia. He was
visiting us and left two weeks after we did. We will ride to his
father's home tonight and guide him back here." Pannad's relief was
palpable.
"Then his Da is still alive. Good, I was afeared that he'd died wi' the
rest o' 'em." Elladan frowned a bit.
"Pannad, I think you had better tell us the whole story. His father will
need to know what needs healing." Pannad winced, but nodded.
"Aye, I will but not here. Tis not a tale for young'uns or womenfolk."
Elladan closed his eyes briefly and nodded his acquiescence before
turning his attention back to Legolas.
"Legolas, tithen min, hush. It is all right now." Elladan soothed the
elfling in his arms with the expertise of long practice. He had done the
same many times for both his younger sister and Legolas himself on his
frequent visits with the elfling.
The elfling sniffled a bit more then sat up in Elladan's lap and
scrubbed his eyes with a fist.
" I want Ada."
"I know, tithen ernil. Elrohir and I will ride to his halls and bring
him to you. We will need you to keep being a big elf and behaving
courteously to Pannad and his family until we return. Can you do that?"
"No. I am going with you." The elfling's face was set in an obstinate
expression more frequently seen on his sire. Elladan fixed him with a
stern look.
"No, you are not. It is far too dangerous for you without a much larger
escort. Your Adar will bring many warriors with him when we bring him
here so that he and we can be certain that you are protected." The
elfling scowled fiercely at them, reminding them again strongly of
Thranduil and spoke very clearly in Westron.
"Shit."
Elladan blinked in shock and stared at Legolas. Elrohir had to look
away, practically choking himself trying not to laugh. Pannad flushed.
"I swear 'e didna 'ear that one from me!"
"It hardly matters where he heard it. I do not want to be within one
hundred leagues if he says that in his father's presence." Elladan
pinched the bridge of his nose in a manner uncannily like HIS sire.
"Legolas, that is a very impolite word. Your Adar would be shamed to
hear it coming from your lips." Legolas stuck his tongue out at the dark
haired elf and scrambled off his lap. Darting out of the twins' reach,
he scooted behind Nieve's skirts.
"Mitho orch, Elladan!" [Go kiss an orc]
"Well, least I know 'e didna get that one from me or mine." Pannad eyed
the twins with barely conceal amusement. " Tha's the most fire 'e's
shown since I brung 'im 'ere."
"Legolas can be a proper hellion when he wants to. He is angry with me
right now because I will not take him with us tomorrow. We may well have
to truss him up to keep him from following us." Elladan was frowning in
the elfling's direction. Elrohir's chuckle focused his twin's frown on him.
"Oh, that is the cauldron calling the kettle black! Neither you nor I
have any room to call another 'hellion', brother, and well you know it."
He smirked at Elladan, dodging a mock blow the other aimed at him.
"Besides, the look on your face when he told you to go kiss an orc was
priceless." Pannad snorted.
"Was that what 'e said, then? 'E's right, ya know. Yer face was priceless."
King Thranduil was losing hope. His son had been missing for nearly four
weeks. He knew that if Legolas was dead, he would no longer have the
will to remain among the living. He had ordered his patrols to comb
every possible path from Imladris in hopes of finding at least some sign
of Legolas and his escort. For the hundredth time, Thranduil cursed
himself for not accompanying his son. He had barely slept or eaten in
the last four weeks and had visibly lost weight. His will alone kept him
on his feet and functioning. His seneschal, Sindadur, entered his study
excitement flushing his normally serene features.
"My Lord, the sons of Elrond have arrived and wish to speak to you. They
said it was urgent." Thranduil nodded absently.
"Show them here, Sindadur. I have no wish to dress to meet them in the
throne room." Sindadur bowed, leaving to do his king's bidding. A few
minutes later, he returned with Elladan and Elrohir. Eyeing them,
Thranduil decided that the matter must be urgent indeed as they had not
even taken the time to wash the dust of travel from their bodies.
Elladan, ever the leader, addressed him.
"King Thranduil, we have come from a small human settlement just this
side of the Misty Mountains. They came upon a group of your people that
had been killed by orcs about four weeks ago near their settlement. The
guards had time enough to hide Legolas before the orcs attacked them and
he is alive." Thranduil's head snapped up and he locked eyes with the
younger elf. "He is being cared for by a family in the settlement. We
left for here as soon as we found out what had happened." Elladan
watched the relief wash over Thranduil's face. He looked up again, and
Elladan thought he saw the shine of tears in the king's eyes. His voice,
however, was steady.
"Was he injured?" Elladan shook his head.
"Not physically. He saw everything that happened to his escort."
Thranduil closed his eyes and swore. When he opened them again, he fixed
the twins with an intense stare.
"My thanks to you, Elladan, Elrohir. I am in your debt. Would you be so
kind as to guide me to this settlement so that I may retrieve my son?"
At their nods, he continued, "How long do you need before you are able
to ride?"
"As soon as we eat something we will be ready to go." He nodded and
turned to Sindadur, who bade the twins follow him.
The large troop of elves would have been cause for alarm in the
settlement had Elladan and Elrohir not been riding among them. The troop
continued through the streets of the settlement to Pannad's home.
Elladan and Elrohir dismounted, strode to the door, and knocked. Allus
opened the door, her eyes going wide when she saw the large troop of
elves in her yard. Elladan chuckled at her.
"Peace, Allus. Legolas' father has come to take him home." Understanding
flooded her face and she smiled. Turning she called over her shoulder to
the elfling. Outside she saw a tall, blond elf dismount and start toward
the house. Legolas appeared at the door and the blond elf halted, his
eyes locked on the elfling. Legolas caught sight of him and flew out the
door.
"Ada!" he shrieked. Elladan and Elrohir grinned ear to ear as King
Thranduil knelt in the dust to scoop his son up into a fierce hug.
Nieve stood in the doorway next to her mother watching her charge greet
his father. Legolas was crying openly and Thranduil looked suspiciously
close to doing so. He hugged his son, kissed him, dried his tears, and
hugged and kissed him again not caring in the slightest who was
watching. Finally, he set Legolas on his feet and held him at arm's
length, looking him over minutely. Legolas squirmed and Thranduil
relented, pulling the elfling into his arms again. Legolas began
speaking rapidly, intent on filling his father in on all that had
happened to him in the last weeks. Thranduil listened with far more
patience than most would have given him credit for having, his eyes
drinking in the sight of his son, hale and whole and returned to him.
Eventually, Legolas ran out of words and laid his head on his father's
shoulder. Thranduil stood and made his way over to the humans.
"My thanks for your kindness to my son. I am in your debt. Should you
need aught, you have but to ask." Allus bobbed a quick curtsey before
replying.
"Tis not necessary, milord. We're glad to've done it an' 'e was really
no trouble t'all. 'E's a good lad and a brave 'un."
"All the same, my word stands." Thranduil inclined his head to the women
before turning to speak to Elladan and Elrohir. The twins nodded and
left quickly to return a bit later with Pannad in tow. Thranduil thanked
the human and repeated his vow of assistance to him. He waved away
Pannad's insistence that it was not necessary and moved to his horse.
With a last look of thanks, he turned his mount toward home, his guards
following closely behind and his son held close in his arms.
It was only after he departed that Pannad and Allus discovered exactly
who they had sheltered for almost five weeks. Thranduil kept his word
and several times over the ages his people came to the aid of the
settlement until it was abandoned just before the War of the Ring.