Silhouettes

Chapter 17

Dinner had finished and Legolas was crying in his little bed next to Thranduil's. "Ada! Ada!" He was on the verge of screaming and Arwen was too, becoming exhausted and irritable. "You're Ada isn't here, sweetheart, I'm sure he'll be here soon." More crying. Arwen called for a guard to fetch Thranduil as soon as possible.

In the throne room, the two elven kings spoke of the council which had, after all, resolved the pledge for three races to stand united against the dragons of the north. To the side, Merilinor and Lindir chatted casually, getting to know each other more and promising to journey to the Blue Mountains together one day. A guard came running in, disturbing the peace which had settled over the elves. "My Lord Thranduil...its your son... he needs you." He explained desperate and out of breath. "What's wrong?!" Thranduil immediately became alert and concerned, his full attention toward his son. "He won't stop sir... the crying; we just can't take it anymore. Arwen has been by his side for hours but he won't stop." The guard leant against a pillar, taking in his few moments of refuge from the child. "Now, that's unusual." Elrond peered at Thranduil; "I haven't heard him cry like that at all since I arrived at Mirkwood."

Thranduil turned in a flash and began to run through the halls towards his son.

"My Lord..." the guard yelled as he ran behind him, "There's nothing we could do."

"Did you give him his bottle? he needed to be fed."

"Yes of course..." The guard was not keeping very good pace.

"Does he have his doll? The one Sophia made?"

"His doll? There were no dolls with him; he needs you, my Lord."

"That's not right; he brought it here to Rivendell with him and had it when Arwen took him to bed."

Legolas's cries could be heard four corridors away. Thranduil muttered under his breath how he had abandoned his son and couldn't bear to leave him ever again. The door burst open as a Dishevelled and worried Thranduil rushed to his son's side and laid a hand on his head. Legolas felt his father's warmth and began to settle. He picked up the child and nursed him against his chest, rocking him back and forth, bouncing him in his arms.

Arwen lowered herself to lean against the bed, shutting her eyes and regaining her strength. "Thank goodness for that. I don't know if I could've handled him for much longer."

"We need to go home, don't we Leggy."

Over Thranduil's shoulder Legolas blinked out the open window which looked out onto a corridor which someone was walking down, and began to wail again.

"Give me strength!" Arwen sighed and she got up to leave the room. She hurriedly reached the door but was stopped in her path as Ghrune stood in the doorway, curiously watching what all the commotion was. Thranduil tried to hush his son but Legolas kept screaming, hiding his face in his father's shoulder form the visitor at the door. "Legolas, it's OK, that's Ghrune, he's melon." Thranduil explained to Legolas attempting to calm him with words he had learnt.

"So that is what is causing the infernal racket." Ghrune entered the room. "I believe this is your son's." He handed a doll with blond yarn and blue buttons to Thranduil.

Thranduil hesitantly took it, inquisitively looking at the dwarf who was also looking at the baby with disgust. "Thank you." He put Legolas down on the bed and gave the doll to him; moving it around as Legolas stopped crying and tried to hold onto it. From his position leaning over his son, facing away from the others in the room, he spoke with resentment in his voice; "Where did you get this?".

"I found it." Ghrune replied bluntly.

"Where." This was more a demand than a question. "It hasn't left my son's hand since we set foot in this kingdom."

"I don't know, somewhere in these forsaken halls." Ghrune turned and snarled at Lord Elrond who had now joined them in Thranduil's guest chambers; a large assembly were now present.

"I'll ask you again, insufferable creature; where did you take this doll from?"

"I didn't take that pathetic toy from anyone; melon." Ghrune spat back at the elf with a malicious smirk.

Thranduil stepped forward and threw all his weight delivered by his fist into the dwarf's face, crushing his nose, eyebrow and lip. Ghrune was sent flying backward falling into the stone wall. The guard took hold of Thranduil's arm and held him still for a moment, making sure he wasn't going to hit again. Arwen knelt at Ghrune's side holding onto him to help him up, but he flung out his arm and knocked her backwards. Stumbling to his feet he spat blood on the floor and marched out of the room, Elrond following after a few moments; "I suppose I'll be cleaning up this mess and ensuring you haven't broken our pledge, Thranduil." Thranduil's ears stopped ringing and he realised Legolas was once again crying. "Everyone out!" he demanded. The guard stayed behind to wait outside the door. Thranduil sat on the bed weeping and holding Sophia's doll in his hand, clutching it tightly, until he felt his Legolas' tiny fingers on his own attempting to hold it himself. The two laid down and Thranduil fell asleep, Legolas finally calm and still.