Everlong

58

"Such is the nature of evil, out there in the vast ignorance of the world; it festers, and it spreads. A shadow that grows in the dark, a sleepless malice as black as the oncoming night. So it ever was, so it will always be." It had been sometime that Thranduil had last had the displeasure of being face to face with something so foul, and inhuman. Truly, orcs and their sometimes disproportionate forms were a constant insult as well as a displeasure to deal with. There was no dealing with these creatures, they spoke a language few understood; but their primary go to was that of violence and ill-will. There was no speaking sense to an orc.

Even still, it did not stop Thranduil from walking around the kneeling creature which was being held at knife point. Legolas tightened his hold anytime the creature moved or fidgeted. To say he was surprised when his son came in, with this thing traipsing in a languid gait alongside him, was an understatement. He was not in the dark, despite not physically taking part in defending their home, Thranduil knew all too well with what had happened. He was not so in the dark as to not know that there was a band of orcs trying to hunt down the now missing Thorin. Someone wanted him dead, Thranduil was tempted to say that the list was ever expanding, but that was something else entirely.

The dwarves escaping was one thing, one really major annoying thing, the orcs attacking was just the one thing which tipped this moment even more over the edge. By all means, Thranduil would not intervene to stop one from fighting and killing the other, but his people did not need to be dragged into whatever this petty, trivial matter was. His people had no place in their fight, yet they had gone and bought it to his doorstop, his home and his family. Not that Legolas seemed entirely against glaring down at the orc, who gave an awkward fidget as he listened to the monotonous tone in which Thranduil spoke in.

Why should he sound otherwise? This thing was not a friend, this thing was something which had no place here, yet here he was. Truthfully, Thranduil wasn't against a captive, by all means, if it got answers to certain things, he was for it. He would rather this not to have came at the price of some dying, prisoners now escaped, and Liruliniel missing in action.

Oh yes, to that point it had set him off into an even fouler mood, and this orc unfortunately was likely to bear the brunt of it. Thranduil felt little guilt for that, why would he feel anything other than contempt for the orc and all like it? But yes, Legolas had this look on his face when he entered, captive at knifepoint. He didn't need to say anything, Legolas's expression and disappointed eyes said it all. Thranduil knew that Liruliniel would interject herself somehow into the fray of things. Did he honestly think she'd go off with the dwarves? Deep down he'd like to say no, but who was he kidding? She had loyalty to them that Thranduil did not understand. He didn't. He honestly didn't understand. Well, that wasn't entirely true; he knew she acted out of guilt for not aiding them the previous times when they needed it. Even if some of those times she was ignorant because of him and his secretive ways. But also, she acted and aided in fondness and friendship; ever wishing to be friends and help all that needed it. It was her downfall, Thranduil believed, but also one of the things he admired the most about her. She succeeded where he knew he himself failed, in this aspect.

Thranduil had merely inhaled deeply, moving from his throne and walking down to meet his son as he kicked the knees of the orc, the creature landed with a heavy thud as he ground his teeth together. Everything about the orc just looked rotten, as most of them did. Thranduil did not trust the dwarves to look after Liruliniel, less than he trusted she wouldn't do something idiotic and put herself in harm's way for them. He knew how that seemed, but he was concerned and unfortunately when it came to emotions, his usual default was to fall back on anger.

His earlier words though, were entirely truthful; he knew what was creeping around his woodland home, but he also knew enough information about it all from Liruliniel. She was very forthcoming in that way when she wished to share. Thranduil had stayed somewhat nonchalant on the matter; why concern himself with what happened outside their borders? If others could not protect themselves, how was it on him to do so for them? Naturally, he wished to avoid speaking of this topic again, he knew it would just result in Liruliniel being angry. Thranduil could almost imagine the lecture, the fact that even his father put troubles aside to aid others outside their home when the moment needed it. Thranduil wasn't too sure if that could be seen as he wasn't his father, or as good as or worse.