Broken (sequel to Caught)

Tempers Flare

"My, my," Cyras said, licking his lips and smiling. "There is much pain in your past. That should be able to cover many lessons, I think."

Legolas could not help the muffled groan that escaped him as he understood what Cyras meant. He tried to lift his head, but it was too much.

Tears continued to leak out of the corner of his eyes.

Please hurry, Ada, Estel, Gimli, he thought as the world began to fade at the edges. I don't think I can survive this again.

Legolas jolted awake, and there was darkness all around him.

"Where...?" he said, and then it hit him full force. There was only one place in the world this dark. Only one place he could possibly be.

He curled in on himself, rocking back and forth slowly, trying to calm himself down. The panic continued to come over him, though, and soon he was whimpering, and then he was crying, and then he was screaming. He tried to tell his mind to stop showing weakness, that

Cyras would be back soon and he had to be strong, but it would not listen to him.

The door creaked open, and he went silent, knowing that Cyras had come. He needed to be silent. He needed to be strong.

"Legolas!"

Arms wrapped around him, warm and familiar. What was his Ada doing here?

"Ada..." he said quietly. "You need to get out of here! He will come for me, and he will hurt you, too, if he finds you here!"

"Legolas, what are you talking about? You are safe."

Legolas's eyes widened.

"No! You are an illusion, as well! Stay away from me! I know I am not safe, here in this stupid darkness. He will come for me!"

"Legolas, ion-nin, you are at home, in the healing ward! You are no longer with Cyras, you haven't been for ten years. It is only dark because you are blind, and you will remain so for a month. Then everything will be back to normal again."

"I do not believe you!"

"Legolas, did you see any light coming through the door when I came in?"

Legolas frowned, trying to remember. He shook his head slowly.

"Exactly. If you were really still with Cyras, you would have seen the light coming through the door. It is alright, ion-nin. He is dead. He won't hurt you again."

"Ada..." Legolas whispered, and he turned, reaching to where he assumed his father would be. He was trying to put a face to the voice of his Ada, but it was so hard to remember that he had ever been able to see in this cursed darkness.

Thranduil closed his eyes and let his son's hands touch his face, and he saw that Legolas was painting a picture of him within his mind. When Legolas's hands dropped to his sides, he took his son and held him close to his chest for a few moments, before drawing back.

"Herethin has declared that you are now allowed to get up. It's been almost five days," Legolas's eyes widened considerably, but he continued. "Well, if you'd like to, once you're dressed, a council has been called to discuss how to make sure no more of those blasted spiders get in."

Legolas smiled and chuckled lightly at the obvious annoyance in his father's voice, and he attempted to stand. His wound, however, was having none of it, and it shot a jolt of pain through his system. He gasped, groping in the air until he found his father's arm. He clung onto it, trying to slow down his breathing. When he had gotten it back to normal, he smiled in what he hoped to be his father's direction.