Light in the dark

FIVE

From the moment Haldir had left me alone with the not-very-talkative orc, I felt the loneliness creep its way back again. Even though I had only just met the blonde Elf, I already missed him. He was so easy to talk to, not to mention I could get to know more about the things here in Middle Earth.

The party upstairs went on and on for what seemed like hours, and I wondered what time it was. The darkness here in the dungeons gave no notion of time. I had no clue what day it was or whether it was morning or evening.

Later that day, when the party seemed to have come to an end, two guards came by with food. They pushed the plate beneath the door into my dungeon, and did the same at the door opposite of mine. The orc growled when he saw his was slightly less than mine and I hoped these doors would hold him. If looks could kill, I'd be long dead. Jeez, and that for a little food.

I had to admit, even the food the 'prisoners' got, was definitely not bad. It was good even. It made me wonder what the King would be eating. Well, I could never be a cook in Mirkwood; the prisoner's food exceeded my own cooking skills by far.

The King.

"King Thranduil can be a bit... stubborn at times."

"The King likes to know as much as he can concerning everything in and around his realm. Just to make sure he has everything under control, you know?"

"There was an incident in the past... Even though the physical scars of the King remain unseen at the moment, it has left several scars within him. He's not one who would forget easily what happened in the past."

What did happen in the past?

All these things Haldir had told me about the King... When I thought about it, I began to understand Thranduils actions. Sure, he remained an arrogant king in my point of view, but if someone suddenly turned up in his realm with no good reason, and considering the things happened in the past, he would be concerned. Maybe even scared that it would all happen again. Whatever happened, it must have had a terrible impact on the King. Out of all things, I began to feel sorry for him. He had to rule his realm, and probably felt he couldn't show weakness or fear...

Lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice a hazel-eyed Elf stopping in front of my dungeon.

"Hey there, small one," a honey-like voice said, taking me back into the darkness of the room.

I looked up, a little startled. "Haldir!" My enthusiasm surprised the both of us, and I quickly covered my mouth, hearing my exclaim echo in the halls. "Sorry..."

Haldir laughed, then gestured to the plate with food on my lap. "I see they're feeding you enough in here." He sat down again on the rock, like last time we met.

I looked down at the plate, totally forgotten it was there. "I'm seriously considering staying here forever. This food is so much better than my own attempts in the kitchen..."

"Hey Haldir! Stay away from the prisoners, will you?" a voice called from upwards. We both looked up, seeing Legolas passing by. He had probably heard my 'Haldir'-scream.

When he was gone, Haldir said to me: "Don't mind him too much, Roan. Legolas is really nice to be around when you get to know him."

I sighed. "I'm one of his prisoners, Haldir. I don't think I will ever get to know him." There was some sadness in my voice, and I hated it. Part of me hoped that this Legolas was indeed so kind and funny as in the books, while another part of me knew I wouldn't have a chance to have a friendly conversation.

"He's only following orders, Roan. His father means a lot to him."

I nodded. In fact they were all following orders from the King. "Are you... are you following the Kings orders as well?" I asked, suddenly suspicious of what we all had talked about. I doubted he was, as he in fact had told me more about the King than Thranduil probably would've liked.

Haldir smiled. "Didn't that book of yours say that I'm from Lothlorien? We follow Lady Galadriels orders."

"But then he's not your King, right?" I asked, thinking back at how furious Thranduil seemed when I didn't approve him as my king.

Haldir seemed uncomfortable. "Yes and no," he said. "When we're here, he actually is my King, as I'm in his realm, but he can't really order me to do something, only Lady Galadriel. It's all confusing, really..." he laughed.

There fell a silence between us, but my mind was everything but quiet. "Do you think Thranduil would believe me if I told him the same I told you yesterday?" I asked.

The Elf eyed me suspiciously, but only in a teasing way. "What are you planning, small one?"

"Well... would he?"

He thought deeply for a moment. "I think it's important to not lose your temper like you did previous time when you were with him..."

"Haldir! It's a serious question!"

He laughed again. "I think it's worth a try."