Wanderlust (Legolas LOTR)

Deadly Intent

"He was as tall as a young tree, lithe, immensely strong, able swiftly to draw a great war-bow and shoot down a Nazgûl, endowed with the tremendous vitality of Elvish bodies, so hard and resistant to hurt that he went only in light shoes over rock or through snow, the most tireless of all the Fellowship."

-J.R.R. Tolkien on Legolas (Book of Lost Tales 333)

Chapter 19: Deadly Intent

Legolas watched Thaliniel turn and run, but dread quickly replaced any relief felt at her escape. The goblins overcame him from every angle-biting, scratching, grabbing, howling. They quickly stripped his weapons away and bound his hands, and one of the goblins, a leader Legolas supposed, issued a warning to the others that he was not to be killed or spoiled.

Then they pushed him forward, none too kindly, forcing him back down the passages at a running, stumbling pace. Even though being held prisoner by the goblins was pretty much the worst possible outcome and more or less a death sentence in itself, Legolas saw no trace of Thaliniel while en route, and this knowledge lightened his heart. Not all was hopeless.

Down, down, down, deep into the mountain they traveled. Legolas' goblin captors hurried him down the halls- pushing, prodding, pulling him along- until they forced him into a much grander chamber ablaze with a slew of torches and made loud by the raucous calls of many goblins gawking in clumps along the walls. In front of them all on a raised platform sat one singularly ugly goblin, who now eyed his latest prisoner with fierce contempt.

The goblins gleefully thrust Legolas forward, and he noticed then that he was not their only prisoner. Elladan, bloodied and haggard, also stood beside him as well as three of the other elves: Selaer, Galanor, and Belduil.

"Legolas," murmured Elladan apologetically. "I was so hoping after the goblins got the drop on me in the caves that you and-" he paused, not daring to say her name out loud, "managed to escape."

Legolas nodded once in confirmation. Then the goblins roared their delight once more, for guards brought forth another prisoner. Legolas' heart clenched painfully at the thought that it might be Thaliniel, but instead it was Elrohir, who smiled grimly at his twin as the goblins dragged him forward. Covered with filth and the dark blood of countless goblins, Elrohir had clearly put up a fight, and his captors shoved him into the line next to the prince.

"Elf spies!" hissed the goblin on the platform, for he was chief among all the goblins of the Grey Mountains and known as the Grand Goblin.

"We found them sneaking in our tunnels, O majestic one!" cried one of the drivers who possessed all the self-importance of having in his possession a long hide whip.

"What business do elves have in the Grey Mountains?" said the Grand Goblin, his eyes narrowing at Legolas in particular, whose golden hair stood out from among the others. Goblins have never had an amiable history with elves. The capture of six such enemies was quite a coup, and the Grand Goblin was already hatching nasty plans for torture and ruination or perhaps even for possible ransom, for goblins dearly love gold and treasure if they can get their greedy hands on it.

Elladan took a small step forward and dared to meet the hostile gaze of the Grand Goblin. "We are but simple traders who sought shelter in your pleasant caves."

"Lies!" shrieked the other goblins. One of them pointed a sharp finger at Elladan. "We caught this one destroying the dragons' nests!"

The Grand Goblin howled with rage and bared his teeth. "Murderous elves! Spies and thieves!" he roared. "Those eggs were to be ours!" He glared at the prisoners and then turned just as ferociously to his goblin guards. "How many were destroyed?" he snapped.