Caught (a legolas fanfiction)

Eyes of glass

Thranduil's blood ran cold at the sound of his son's voice, ringing clear and shrill through the trees.

"ADA!"

He couldn't take it anymore. He picked up the pace at which he was fighting, easily dispatching the last few men in a single vigorous attack. He began to sprint towards the sound, his heart pounding in his chest, but it wasn't from exertion.

The last time Legolas had sounded that terrified...

No. No, it couldn't be. That was over a millennia ago.

"Ada!" the cry came again, even more desperate. His heart clenched, and he flew even faster over the ground. He soon caught up to Estel, the mortal friend of Legolas that he had never truly approved of, and the dwarf, who he knew that his son would know he would hate by default.

However, they were now all in the same mind because of their share goal: get to Legolas, and do it fast.

Thranduil burst into the clearing ahead of Aragorn and Gimli, taking in the sight of his ion, being held in the grasp of a man with piercing green eyes. Thranduil gasped.

"A-ada..." Legolas said, the knife held against his neck pricking his skin in a show of power.

"Y-you!" he sputtered, and he felt anger bubbling inside him at the sight of a thin trickle of blood running down Legolas's throat.

"Let go of him!" he said, lunging at him just as Estel and the dwarf entered the clearing, puffing and panting behind him. "You shall never touch him again!"

Aragorn frowned. Why had Thranduil said "again"? Where had Legolas met this man before?

Legolas did live long before I ever did, he reminded himself. Probably an old enemy.

The man glanced up at Aragorn, his green eyes not the color of the leaves, as Legolas had once said his mother's to have been, but instead a more cold color. He suddenly flashed back to a few minutes after hearing his friend's haunting backstory, to the final words the elf had said.

They were standing together on the balcony outside of the room Legolas stayed in whenever he came to Rivendell. Said prince was leaning on the railing, his hand cradling his chin. He had sorrow in his eyes when he turned his head so that Aragorn could see him past the veil of golden hair he used as defense so often.

"Sometimes, I have nightmares, Estel. Sometimes I can feel it in my soul: he may no longer watch me, but his eyes do. They have the power to make me crumble like a scared elfling, for I was one when I saw him looking at me with those blasted eyes." He shivered.

"Someday, he will come for me. I don't know how, but his eyes still roam Arda, I feel it."

Aragorn's eyes widened in shock.

The eyes were just as Legolas had said those of his and his mother's captor were. Aragorn shivered unconsciously under the gaze, and the man grinned.

Right before Thranduil could reach him, the man took off in the opposite direction, causing the elvenking to stumble when instead of a body he ran into empty air. As soon as he regained his balance, he began to run again.

"Estel! Gloinion! Hurry! We must get Legolas from that monster!"

Gimli and Aragorn joined the chase and ran after Thranduil. As he ran, Aragorn pulled his bow off his back and drew an arrow. However, he couldn't get his aim sure enough to make absolutely certain he wouldn't hit Legolas. He couldn't take the chance. If he received another wound, his friend would surely die.

Gimli ran beside his friend, panting like a dog but refusing to stop. They had to get to Legolas!

They heard the clashing of swords a few hundred meters ahead of them, so the man and dwarf ran as fast as they could for the final leg of their sprint, worry for their friend fueling their speed.

It was known to all that there was a center to every forest. In most cases, this was the densest, thickest part of the woods. Mirkwood, however, was not one of those cases.

The center of the forest, in this case, was the largest clearing in the woods. There was a small stream running through the right side of it, and the sunlight filtered deceptively beautifully through the trees around the sides. It was the very definition of peace, despite the conflict going on within it.

Thranduil attacked the man with such ferocity that they were sure that he would overpower Legolas's captor, but the man was quite skilled. Aragorn took barely any notice of the fight, however, and he ran to where Legolas was lying, having been dropped none too lightly on the ground, by the looks of it. He was struggling to sit up.

"Legolas!" Aragorn said, running and kneeling by his elven friend. "Are you all right, mellon-nin?" Gimli joined them.

Legolas looked up at them, eyes telling of his terror, and didn't respond. He merely continued to try and sit up, failing miserably.

"T-trees..." he stuttered, motioning to the ones surrounding the clearing. Aragorn saw what he wanted and picked him up easily, carrying him so he would not be able to see the fight between his father and the man in his nightmares. Gimli followed and helped to block the elf's view.

Placing Legolas gently on the ground, Aragorn guided the prince's hand so that it was touching the bark of one of the trees.

Gimli watched in amazement as Legolas's fingertips began to glow where he was touching the tree. Legolas's face relaxed slowly, and his crystal blue eyes opened, seeming clear. He reached to touch the elf's arm and immediately was filled with a warm, pulsing sensation. Drawing his hand back in shock, he realized he was suddenly more alert.

He, a dwarf, had just gotten energy from a tree.

It was quite nice, actually.

Legolas blinked, and, realizing he was being carried, glared up at Aragorn. The ranger laughed, gently placing the elf's feet on the ground. The prince stood steadily, giving a smile of thanks to his friend, and laughing at the stunned look on Gimli's face.

Hearing the swords, Legolas turned, and before Aragorn could stop him, saw the man. His face paled, and his breathing sped up.

"Easy, mellon-nin," Aragorn said, lowering Legolas so he was sitting on the ground. The elf barely noticed.

"Nana...No, Nana! She's my naneth, you foul creatures! Get away from her!" Legolas cried, clutching his head and curling up in a ball.

"What ails him so?" Gimli asked worriedly. What he would give to have the carefree elf that had been his friend back.

Aragorn did not reply, instead he knelt down next to Legolas and pulled him into an embrace. Legolas clutched at his friend's tunic, muttering about his naneth as Aragorn stroked his hair in an attempt to calm him down.

Looking up, Legolas saw the ongoing fight between his father and the man. His eyes widened.

"Estel," he said, not tearing his eyes away. "A knife."

"What?" said Aragorn.

"The man has a knife concealed in his boot."

Legolas's eyes saw the fraction that the blows moved, making Thranduil strike higher each time, exposing more and more of his torso. Finally, it came to a point where Legolas could see that on the next blow, the man would be able to get the knife and stab his Ada's stomach.

The man reached for the knife...

"NO!" Legolas yelled, and he was halfway to the two before Gimli or Aragorn even realized what was happening.

The man smirked at the expression on the elvenking's face when he realized that he was about to be stabbed. It had been a long time since he had been tricked so. Eventually, Thranduil closed his eyes, knowing the pain would come, accepting it.

So, when none came, yet he still heard the sickening sound of a dagger entering flesh, he opened his eyes abruptly, just in time to see Legolas fall limply to the ground.