Broken (sequel to Caught)

Stay with me

The wide double doors to the Council room opened and the king and prince stood, looking professional and regal. All the lords stood up in respect to their king, who was wearing dark blue and purple robes and the crown he always wore at the beginning of the spring: the crown of green leaves and flowers. Their prince, at his right, was in a plainer, lighter blue tunic, but he too had a small wreath of flowers on his head, and it marked them as father and son.

The two walked to the head of the table, and Legolas watched his father for the signal to sit, which he made a moment later after the lords stood up once again, having bowed to the father and son.

When everyone was seated, Thranduil began the meeting.

"We are here to discuss the trade with the humans of Lake-town. It has come to my attention that they do not believe the trade to be fair. We need to decide on a response to their letter," he placed the scroll on the table and unrolled it, beginning to read it aloud.

Legolas was listening, and a possible course of action, which would probably be decided as the best plan after hours of arguing because that was what usually happened at these meetings, was forming in his mind.

THWACK.

What was that?

CRASH.

It was quite soft, and he looked around at the others at the table to see if they had heard it. His father was still reading, and the twelve lords and ladies were listening intently, leaning in to hear him more clearly. He was the only one who appeared to hear the commotion behind the door.

SHING.

He knew that sound! His body tensed. A cry came from outside the door, and Thranduil fell silent, looking up with the 'who would dare disturb me right now I am busy I am their king make them go away' look on his face.

The door burst open.

And standing there were three giant, glaring black spiders.

Legolas leaped up, grabbing his bow from his back instinctively and shooting three arrows towards them in the blink of an eye. His father had not thought to bring any weapons, and neither had any of the lords or ladies, because of the relative peace that had followed the War of the Ring. Though there were still spiders, they had diminished greatly, and only a quarter of what once was were left. Legolas still brought his around, out of habit, and it was lucky that he did.

"Get behind me!" he screamed at the lords, ladies, and his father, who immediately scrambled into the corner of the room, the lords tripping over their robes and the ladies over their long dresses. He loosed more arrows, and the spiders jumped out of the way, screeching in their ugly voices.

The spider in the middle appeared to be the leader, and it was larger than the others. It was not quite as fast, but it was so much bigger that it was hardly a disadvantage. It was at least four times as tall and wide as them, and reached three quarters of the way to the tall ceiling in the room.

It had been so long since the spiders first came into the wood that the elves had even learned the basics of their language, as harsh and unlike their own as it was. They never spoke in it because they did not have the ability, but anyone who wanted to join a patrol had to learn the sounds so that they knew the basic commands the spiders would call to each other.

The spider made a series of hisses and clicks and screeches that Legolas's mind translated easily for him from all of the times he had fought against spiders before.

"Oh my, what do we have here? Prince of the elves!"

Legolas growled lowly. How the heck had those things even got in there?