Caught (a legolas fanfiction)

Blood

A/N: Real Life is so irritating.

Chapter 22

To say that Elrond worried when he found Legolas's room in the healing chambers empty would be an understatement. He had a full-blown panic attack when he found the room completely and utterly devoid of life.

Within minutes, he and Glorfindel were running around all of Imaldris looking for their missing charge. They startled many poor, innocent servants, who were intimidated by Glorfindel's angry aura or worried by Elrond's panicked one. It was almost twenty minutes later, which felt like a lifetime to them, that they finally found the group outside.

"The first snow of the year!" Legolas said, leaning heavily on Thranduil, who was half carrying and half dragging his son, who could barely stand. He did not even add anything to the slight indent like his father or the twins made in the snow because of his unnatural weight loss over the past days. The large cloak that Aragorn had made him wear hung limply around his pitifully thin frame, and his clothes all looked far too big.

"Oh, Valar!" Aragorn cried as he tried to wade through the cold, wet snow. "We have to endure another two or three months of ridicule for not being able to walk on top of the snow, Master Dwarf! What are we going to do?"

Gimli would have been sour, but he was so glad to have Legolas so cheerful that he grinned instead.

"Ah, yes, I remember that!" Legolas practically chirped, he was in such a pleasant mood. "Master Dwarf..." his eyes darkened as he remembered what came after that. His father motioned with his head and Legolas looked up in the direction that he had been told to.

There were two brightly colored birds high up in a tree to their left. They fluttered around, chirping and singing while feeding the myriad of hungry mouths within their little home. Legolas grinned at the family. He whistled a short tune to them, and they stopped what they were doing to listen.

The largest bird, which appeared to be the father, swooped down from the tree with a whistle of its own and came to rest on Legolas's arm. Thranduil set Legolas down on a nearby bench that Aragorn had declared snow-free in the center of the gardens of Imaldris. As his father put him down, thus freeing his arms, Legolas brought the bird close to his body, wincing as he had to move his shoulder to do so. He put the bird gently with his other hand, and whispered to it.

"Hannon le, mellon nin," he said. "Lein titutale we alatúlië." /Thank you, my friend. Your comfort is welcome./

He held the bird for a few more moments before lifting his arm slowly, trying to ignore the agony it caused him.

"Bad, mellon-nin. Na rain." /Go, my friend. Be free./

The bird glanced back at him for a moment, and he stared back. Legolas felt his arm beginning to tire, and soon it was shaking slightly. The bird flew back into the tree with a call just as two very angry voices came from behind the tree line.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING OUT HERE?!"

"Oh wonderful," Thranduil said, groaning. "Why did I convince you to let me do this, again?"

"'Cause you want to make me happy," Legolas said, grinning. "My happiness is your top priority!" He stuck his tongue out. "The possibilities are endless, now!"

Thranduil groaned and stood up, ready to make his way to the way the shout had come from. Once again his fingers slipped from Legolas's fingers, which had been clasped within his own, and the haze of fear reappeared briefly over Legolas's eyes. Aragorn took Thranduil's place and grasped Legolas's hand in his own, and it cleared.

"We'll come with you," said Elladan. "Maybe we can help calm Ada down." Elrohir nodded.

"Gimli must go!" Legolas said. "Report back to me about whatever happens, Master Dwarf! I expect a full account!"