The Hidden Enemy

What Have We Done?

Legolas drove his horse through the battle.
Haldir tried to keep up but was soon separated.

Legolas searched for any sign of his father or Aragorn.

He finally saw his father, he was fighting with someone that Legolas couldn't see.

He turned his horse in his father's direction and drove it forward.

There were too many men and elves battling.
He couldn't get through with his horse.

Legolas leaped off his horse and ran, pushing his way through the fighting men and elves.

None of them seemed to notice him or care that he was there.

Legolas saw his father again, this time on his back.

Legolas fought harder to get to him.
He had no weapons but that didn't stop him.

He saw his father spring to his feet, Legolas was almost there.

He finally emerged from the fight and froze.

Thranduil stumbled backwards, Legolas watched as he fell to his knees, and onto his side.

Legolas screamed.

()()()

Aragorn's mind cleared, he shook his head in confusion.

Where was he?

He looked around and saw the battle...

How did this happen?

Then he looked down and saw Thranduil, dead and laying in a pool of his own blood.

Aragorn's mind spun.
He felt sick, he backed away in horror.

What have I done?

His mind screamed.

Then he heard a voice, no...
Legolas' voice.

It was a cry of grief that he had never heard before.

He saw Legolas run up to his father's side, tears ran down his face as he knelt down beside him.

His face was red and his body shook.
He held his dead father in his arms, crying and shouting in grief and anger.

Aragorn couldn't believe what he had just done...

He'd murdered Legolas' father, the only family he had left, he had survived Sauron only to be killed by his hand.

"What have I done?"
This time he said it out loud, his voice strained with grief and horror.

Legolas looked up, finally noticing his father's killer.

And realizing who it was.

First, shock passed across Legolas' face, then grief.

He looked down at his father, and then up at Aragorn.

All that was left in his eyes was anger.

No, it was hatred.

Aragorn took a step back.
"Legolas..."
He didn't know what to say.

"You killed him."
Legolas said slowly, he retrieved one of his father's swords and stood to his feet.

"I didn't mean to!"
Aragorn backed away, his legs trembling in fear.
"You know that I would never do something like this! It was Alatar, he made me do it!"

Legolas continued to advance, tears streamed down his face and his eyes were filled with growing hatred.

"Legolas please!"
Aragorn begged.
Legolas ignored him and brought his sword down, Aragorn barely dodged it.

Legolas continued to attack him.
Aragorn searched desperately for a weapon.

He found an abandoned sword laying on the ground and he grabbed it, bringing it up just in time to block Legolas' sword.

Legolas bared down on him.
Aragorn struggled to hold him off.
He kicked Legolas' legs out from under him, the elf fell onto the ground.

Aragorn got back to his feet and waited for Legolas to make a move.
The elf sprang up and charged at him.

Sparks flew from their swords as they clashed together.

Aragorn blocked blow after blow dealt by Legolas, but he was growing weary.

He couldn't defend himself much longer. Aragorn tried to disarm Legolas; it worked.

The sword flew from Legolas' grasp but that didn't stop him.

He ran forward and punched Aragorn in the face.

He stumbled backwards, Legolas wasted no time in kicking him in the stomach.

Aragorn landed hard on his back, Legolas grabbed Aragorn's sword and stood over him.

Aragorn waited for him to deal the blow that would end his life.
But instead, Legolas brought his sword down onto his arm, pinning him to the ground.

Aragorn screamed in pain, it suddenly dawned on him that Legolas didn't plan on killing him quickly.

He wanted to make him suffer first, just like he was.

Before Legolas could do anything Haldir grabbed him and threw him onto the ground.

Haldir removed the sword from Aragorn's arm.

Aragorn tried to stop the bleeding, he soon realized that the battle had stopped.

Everyone was standing around in confusion.
The cloud that had covered their minds had been lifted.

Legolas was on his hands and knees, his eyes were closed and he was breathing heavily.

Haldir looked over at him, and then at Thranduil, grief, and horror passed across his face.

Eomer walked over to them in a daze, he took in all the death and destruction around him.

"What have we done...."

()()()

The armies said nothing to each other as they gathered their dead.

The elves had lost the least amount of warriors, yet they still lost the most.

Their king was dead.

Legolas knelt beside his father, his eyes were closed and the sword had been removed from him.

But blood still covered him, it was what reminded Legolas that his father was dead.

Haldir had taken charge of the elves.
He gathered them together and they prepared to return home.

No one spoke. The shock and grief of what had just taken place had shaken them all.

Haldir walked over to Legolas and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"We need to go Legolas."
He said softly.

Legolas nodded and stood to his feet, when they returned home they would have his father's funeral.

And Legolas dreaded it.

Before he left he caught sight of Aragorn, the man stood still in horror and grief.

He looked up at Legolas as he passed by.

"Forgive me...."
He said desperately.
Legolas narrowed his eyes.

If he had said no, or anything at all, it wouldn't have hurt as much as the pain that consumed him when he had walked away and said nothing.

()()()

They had returned to Mirkwood three days ago.
All the elves were gathered outside.

It was dark and stars glowed overhead.
Fire shone in the grieving elves' eyes as they watched it surround their king.

Legolas stood beside Haldir, grief had taken over him.

Some elves sang a lament for their fallen king, while others stood in silence.

Legolas couldn't bear it longer.
He turned away and disappeared into the palace.