The Shadow (A Hobbit and Lord of the Rings Story) DISCONTINUED

Finding Out

Legolas's POV

I woke up the next day, intending to go hunting. However, when I reached for my weapons to go, I didn't feel them. I was wide awake in a split second. I shot out of bed, looking around for my weapons. I didn't see them anywhere. Maleorn heard my commotion from across the hall and came in, rubbing his eyes.

"What's going on now?" he asked.

"My weapons are gone. They're always in the same place, but they're not there!" I shouted.

I heard footsteps, and the rest of the family came in. Zoena seemed to be in a state of distress. Once she saw that my weapons were gone, she paled. Something in her mind seemed to click.

"What is it, Zo?" I asked.

"I think I know why your weapons are gone. I woke up, and Tav is gone. She must've taken them and left," she explained, her voice quiet.

We all stared at her for a second before racing to the gates. When we got there, we saw that the guards were dead. A small note had been in one of their hands. I pulled it out and opened it.

'The Princess has left the kingdom.'

That was all that was written. And it was written in blood. I felt all the warmth within me drain away. Zoena gasped as she saw the message and blood. There was dead silence otherwise. I felt a heavy weight on my shoulders. My big sister was gone. She could've gone anywhere in Middle-Earth. Father looked... guilty? I couldn't be sure as the look was gone in a second.

"She must've left to prove she can handle herself," Maleorn muttered.

Father turned on his heel and stalked to the throne room. We stared after him in confusion.

"He blames himself. He told her that she couldn't handle herself out in the forest. She left to show that he was wrong about her. She wants to prove that she can survive what danger there is in the world. If she's not careful, she will get herself hurt, or worse," Mother whispered.

None of us liked the idea of our big sister being alone in the world where danger roamed everywhere. What we didn't know, was that she wasn't alone at all. Quite the contrary, she had a large group of people who were willing to help her greatly.

"We should go and ask if the Dwarves of Erebor will help us find her," I said quietly.

They nodded and went to get ready. Maleorn lent me his daggers while he kept the bow and quiver of arrows. We rode off to the Mountain, hoping that the Dwarves would say yes.

Upon arriving, we were taken to King Thror. Being the polite Elves we had been raised to be, we bowed to him.

"What brings three Elves to the Mountain?" he asked.

"We were wondering if you could help us locate our lost sister. Tavelier has left our kingdom and gone missing. Please, help us," I said.

A figure dressed in black came up with a group of Dwarves. She saw us and tilted her head to the side, as if asking a silent question.

"Who are you?" Thorin asked from beside the figure.

"I am Prince Legolas. These are my siblings, Prince Maleorn and Princess Zoena. We are the children of Queen Instira and King Thranduil of the Woodland Realm. We are asking that you help us find our lost sister, Princess Tavelier," I introduced.

The figure stiffened slightly and spoke in Dwarvish.

Shadow's POV

I spoke in Dwarvish so the Elves didn't understand what I said.

"Do not offer help to these Elves. They are the ones who threw me out. They act like they care about me, but they don't. Tell them to help themselves," I said.

"You will not get any help from us," Thror told the Elves in the Common Tongue. "By order of Shadow. You can find your sister on your own."

Legolas's face contorted in a snarl. As he moved forward to attack Thror, I jumped forward, blocking his daggers with mine. After a minute of fighting, I ended up with my daggers to his throat, his on the floor. Maleorn scooped up the blades and shoved them in their sheaths. Legolas backed up and turned around. He took off with my siblings. I lowered my hood to reveal my now permanently dyed black hair. My eyes had been changed to purple with the help of a Dwarven spell. I turned to the Dwarves.

"Those were my siblings, before they betrayed me. They threw me out of the kingdom after an argument with my father. They mean nothing to me anymore," I explained.

They nodded, not caring that my father was King Thranduil. I walked back to my room with the twins by my side.

Thranduil's POV

My children returned to the throne room, standing below me. Instira was standing next to me, talking quietly.

"Father, we were unable to get the help of the Dwarves of Erebor. They said that a girl named Shadow had ordered them to not help us," Legolas said.

"We need to find this 'Shadow' character. I have heard of her from some of the people of Esgorath and Dale. They say she is a rogue Elf. A very powerful one and can do anything she wants. People fear her. Thror must've been too scared of her to oppose her order of leaving you to find Tavelier on your own. She must be brought before me," I ordered.

"Ada, she has a good deal of friends protecting her," Zoena informed me.

"Then kill them," I stated simply.

"It would be roughly sixteen to three. Thrain, Thror, Thorin, and a group of twelve Dwarves and a woman as well. They would not let us past the gates of the Mountain again," Legolas pointed out.

I sighed. I had lost my first child and my oldest daughter. And for what? All because I had said she wasn't able to take care of herself. I felt terrible, but I didn't let it show. I motioned for everyone to leave, and they obeyed. I was left alone with my thoughts.

"Why did I have to tell her that she couldn't take care of herself?" I muttered to myself.

I sighed and leaned back in my throne. I decided to leave it. If she wanted to prove me wrong, she was allowed to do so. As long as she stayed safe.