Broken (sequel to Caught)

Illusions and Death

Legolas was walking around the gardens when he next laid eyes upon the children of his enemy. They were sitting, looking up at an old tree that was swaying lazily in the wind. He seemed to have calmed down.

"Hello," Legolas said, deciding the best way to deal with the fear was to convince himself that this was not Cyras or Veritinan, but it was merely a young boy who had inherited a trait.

The boy jumped slightly and the girl went to hide behind him, but he did not move, seemingly deciding that Legolas was not overly threatening. Well, he only looked to be about twenty and very skinny.

Legolas sat down next to the boy, and they both watched the tree for a moment. Legolas closed his eyes to listen to it. The girl came out cautiously, keeping a wary eye on Legolas.

"The tree likes the two of you," he stated, and the boy and girl looked at him with confusion written on his face.

"What?" asked the boy.

"The tree. It says it likes you."

"Trees can't talk!" the girl said, looking at him as if he had gone crazy.

"Yes they can. But only a few can hear it."

The boy's eyes widened, and he looked up at Legolas with newfound awe. The sight of his eyes sent a twinge through Legolas's heart. He sighed.

"Tell me, what are your names?" he asked.

"Darean," he said. "And this is my sister, Allenda."

"I am Legolas. Legolas Thranduilion," Legolas said. The boy looked up at him, his expression surprised.

"My father hates you," he said. "He came back, and there was so much blood, he said you'd tried to kill him for no reason...Why did you try to kill him?"

"He had hurt me," Legolas said simply. There was a pause before he spoke again.

"What do you mean, 'when he came back'?"

"Well, when Daddy came back from looking for you, of course!" Allenda said.

"Came back? But I killed him!" Legolas said, and the boy shook his head.

"No you didn't, because Daddy really did come back. And then he left again."

Legolas's eyes had widened in shock, and he felt panic setting in. Cyras was alive, he was coming...

"Did he, perchance, tell you where he was headed?"

The boy looked utterly calm when he replied.

"Mirkwood."

O:o:O

Thranduil left the council room, a smug smile on his face. The remaining council members were joking and laughing, the atmosphere lighter than it had been in a long time.

"Thranduil? It's nearly lunch time. Would you care to join me?" Anomeda asked, and Thranduil smiled a genuine smile for the first time in ages.

"Sure."

They went by the kitchens to get some food, but instead of sitting down at one of the large tables, like he expected, Anomeda led him into the residents' wing of the castle, stopping at a door and unlocking it.

Inside was a large chamber that he assumed was hers. It was the typical layout, with the living space in the front with doors to the bathroom and study, and the bedroom after that. The furniture was a dark blue, as was the carpet, which was springy like moss under their feet.

Anomeda sat down on one of the couches, and Thranduil sat on the opposite one. They chatted aimlessly for a while, eating their food quickly.

"...I'm just so glad he's off the council, now," Thranduil said. "We don't have to worry about all of his stupi—"

He had not noticed Anomeda coming closer to him throughout the ordeal, and was therefore completely unprepared when she pressed her lips to his.

The fire that he had not felt since his wife had left him was set ablaze once more, and the haze that came with love filled his mind. Her tongue pressed demandingly against his lips, which parted easily, making her moan lowly. Her hands slid along his chest, locking themselves around the sphere which was glowing brightly on its string.

And then she yanked.

The string broke, and her hand let go of the sphere. Thranduil immediately pulled away, horror and shock registering on his face. The sphere fell slowly, but he could not force his body to move and grab it. It hit the ground, shattering like ice. The pieces scattered, sent outward by the force of hitting the ground. The blue-green energy from inside it hung suspended in the air above the broken sphere for a moment, as if pondering what to do. And then it dispersed and joined the air, leaving only broken shards of glass in its wake.

"NO!" Thranduil yelled, kneeling by the pieces and gathering them in his hands. "No!" If Legolas was already on Valinor, this probably wouldn't affect him, but if he was still travelling, he would be dead. Although he knew he would see his son again either way, he didn't want him to die!

Anomeda's face seemed to ripple, and then fall away. Her eyes changed, turning to a spine-chilling green. Her hair lost its length and color, turning to a dull blonde. She grew taller and bulkier.

Cyras stood before him.

"YOU!" Thranduil cried, rage filling him. He pulled his sword from its sheath, calling for the guards he was sure would be close by.

Cyras laughed at Thranduil's angry face.

"You can kill me," he said calmly. "But that will not bring back your son."

O:o:O

Legolas took a deep breath, pushing back his memories. Darean had demanded to know what his father had done to the prince, and he had told the boy his horror story.

The boy sat, thinking. His father couldn't have done that! Daddy was nice! But whenever he had spoken of the elf named Legolas, his Daddy had changed. Anger and hatred had filled his face, and his voice had grown harsh and cold. Maybe he could have done that, if he hated Legolas so much. But why did he hate him so?

His sister's scream filled the air, and his head jerked to her. She was sitting, screaming, next to the elf.

"LEGOLAS!" she cried. "LEGOLAS!"

Darean scrambled over to them, seeing that the elf's eyes had closed and his skin had paled dangerously.

Legolas toppled lifelessly to the ground.