Benders: Web of Lies

Fainting

Thranduil paced up and down the length of his room, playing with a ball of fire. Cinwe sat in the armchair, her hands clasped in her lap.

"You have noticed how tired Legolas looks," she said.

Thranduil nodded. "Yes. I fear he is having bad dreams."

"Or studying too hard," Cinwe added. "I saw light coming from his room. Tell him to sleep. I will be waiting for you when you return. Tuck him, will you?"

Thranduil dropped his hand and the ball of fire fizzled out. He stepped out of the room and walked up the hall to Legolas's door. He knew Brenen, Realn, and Mykar were cuddled together in their bed and their candles were out. He knocked on the door and waited in silence for a reply. Receiving no reply after the second knock, he opened the door and walked into the room. A pitying smile came to his lips. Legolas was fast asleep, his head resting on a pile of papers. The quill had fallen from his hands to the floor. Legolas's fingers had knocked over a bottle of red ink and the liquid had run down his shirt.

Thranduil placed a hand on Legolas's shoulders and gave him a gentle shake. His son awoke with a jump, stuttering and stammering, wiping his hands on his shirt. "I-I-ada?"

"Come to bed, ion nin," Thranduil said with a smile.

Legolas bowed his head. What could he do? Ada would burn the flesh from his bones if he disobeyed. But Eigil would punish him if he did not complete his homework—his homework! Oh, no, no, no!

A small cry escaped Legolas. Red ink soaked through his papers, blurring the writing, destroying all his work. There was no time to re-do it. Eigil would—would—dread filled his stomach.

Thranduil regarded his son in puzzlement. Legolas seemed terrified. "Tithen las, Eigil will forgive you if you explain to him what happened. After all, you have been studying hard and I am sure he will understand you knocked over the inkbottle without intention. Now you need a good night's rest."

As he rose from his chair and stumbled toward his bed, Legolas clung to the hope ada's words must be true. Eigil would forgive him. He changed into a clean shirt and climbed into bed. As Thranduil leaned over him to kiss his forehead and tuck the blankets around him, grief welled up inside Legolas. He wished ada would be this kind to him all the time; forbid Eigil from hurting him. He did not understand how ada could display his love for him so openly knowing he had ordered Eigil to beat him.

"Goodnight, little leaf," Thranduil said, as he stepped out of the room and closed the door. "I love you."

The door closed. Legolas dissolved into tears, his confusion erupting in grief. He sobbed into the scrunched up form of his pillow until it was soaked through. In a puddle of salty sadness, he fell asleep, haunted by dreams of another day of torture.

Legolas opened his eyes and squinted at the sunlight filtering through the window. Groaning as he crawled from bed, the wounds on his back stretching, he changed into the dark clothes he so despised but must wear. As he reached out of habit for his homework, his fingers touched empty air. He stopped and remembered the red ink. He swallowed, dreading having to face Eigil yet knowing he must. Clinging to the hope ada's words were true and Eigil would forgive him, Legolas dragged his tired feet to his classroom.

But his hopes were shattered, breaking into red and black. When he tried to explain to Eigil what had happened, his teacher fell upon him, savagely beating him to the floor. Legolas flung up his arms as he fell, curling into a tight ball, tears dripping over his arms and falling to the floor. Eigil had never punished him with such brutality. He begged, he pleaded for Eigil to stop for he could not stand the pain. It caused red and black to swim dizzily in his vision, and sadness to pervade his heart. Ada had lied to him! he lay on the floor, unable to fight back, and sink away into blackness.