Broken Spirit (LOTR Fanfiction General - Little Legolas, Family Drama)

32.

Thank you for reading and commenting, I'm really appreciating you. I'll try to update soon.

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For disclaimers and summary, check in previous chapters.

Beta: Aranel

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"Elrohir!"

The young elf turned around as he heard his Adar's voice, noticing the emotions that showed in his father's features. He moved towards the boy's bed, letting his Adar deal with the king.

"Thranduil, you should not give up on your son – not now, when he needs you as much as you need him." Elrond told him, hoping to motivate him on.

"How would he need me, when he ran away from me, when he said he hated me...?" Thranduil did not turn as he shared his thoughts with his friend.

"You must take it one step at a time. Give him time, and be there for him when he needs you." Elrond replied gently, hoping that his friend would heed his advice.

With that, Lord Elrond moved to the other side of the bed; examining the elfling and giving him to drink of the herbal tea even though he was unconscious, hoping that the herbs could work and help him fight against the poison that hampered his healing.

He noticed the sweat that gathered on the elfling's head and started to wipe it. He could feel the heat radiating from him, and this made him work even more urgently. Legolas seemed to be growing much worse, somehow, and Elrond hoped that Thranduil would not get more panicky and lose hope like he already had.

Thranduil noticed the sudden movements and kept his eye on his friend and his every movement, though he still remained focused on his elfling, hoping that nothing bad would happen.

He gradually let his mind drift towards the past, when Legolas and he played a game that he eventually stopped after several horrible experiences. Thranduil certainly did not wished to face those same consequences...

Thranduil took his elfling outside the palace. Both of them stared at the view in front of them, breathing the air, smelling the sweet scent of the flowers, letting their ears be serenaded by the birds' song, enjoying nature's symphony.

"Greenleaf," Thranduil turned towards his son, "Elrond shared about a game that he has played, and I wish that both of us would play it as well."

"Game... what game Ada?" Legolas asked.

"It is called 'Hide and Seek', ion, and the purpose of this game is to hide until I finish to count, and then I will come to seek you," Thranduil explained, and, noticing a hint of confusion in his son's features, he asked, "Would you like Galdor to join us in the game?"

The princeling only nodded.

"Let us see, if we can distract Galdor from his duties... come my son, I need your aid..." Thranduil grinned, enjoying the sound of his son's giggles.

The king and his son found the guard standing near a thick tree trunk, "Galdor," the king called, smiling when he got his guard's attention.

"Is there anything I can help with, your Majesty?" The guard asked as he bowed.

"Aye," Thranduil sighed heavily, and wondered when his loyal friend and guard would put aside such formality, "First you need to stop bowing to us, and then, I need you to join myself and a particularly precious elfling at a new game."

"But Ada..." Greenleaf called.

"Yes, ion?" Thranduil asked, as he turned toward his precious elfling.

"I am your only elfling." The princeling said in his sweetest voice.

"That is exactly my point, precious elfling of my heart." Thranduil chuckled.

"And what is my part in the game?" Galdor asked.

"Well, as I explained to my sweet elfling, you will have to hide as I count, and then when I stop, I will need to find you." Thranduil explained to his friend.

"If you find my hiding place first, would I be the one who loses?" Galdor asked.

"Aye, you would be, but then the game would not be over, as I will need to search for every last one who's hiding, and when I find him, he is the winner." Thranduil replied.

"And what will the winner get?" Galdor teased.

"When we will get to it, I will tell you." Thranduil grinned at him and he glanced towards his elfling.

"I am ready," Galdor announced, and then he turned to ask the princeling, "Are you ready? Found any unique places I should hide in too?"

Greenleaf only nodded, saying nothing.

Thranduil stood near to a thick trunk and started counting, and, noting that his elfling was still around, he stopped and motioned for him to find a place to hide.

Then when he could no longer feel his son's presence, the king smiled broadly and started the hunt for his friend and son.

Galdor was easily to find. Thranduil smiled at him as he found him holding his long bow behind a short bush.

Galdor grinned back in return, teasingly adding that he would remember the mistake that he made and would act wisely the next time. The king only chuckled.

Both searched for missing elfling, whose presence was nigh, but yet they wondered why they could not find him or why, when they called his name, he did not answer.

Thranduil and Galdor wandered around the area where they could felt the close presence of the princeling, but as the sun seemed to slip away, engulfed by the shadows, worry soon showed on the king's features – worry at the danger that might come.

The king was afraid and did not even want to think about what could happen. He recalled the scene that he had seen, with pain in his eyes, as the orcs murdered his beautiful wife...

Galdor noticed the change in his friend's face, and tried to encourage the king, "He is probably all right, mellon nin," and noticing that it did not help, he suggested, "Maybe you should tell him that he won, and that you just gave up trying."

Thranduil turned to him, and Galdor could see the light soon returning to the king.

"Greenleaf, you won this game, I could not even find you, and you beat Galdor – he was so easy to find." Thranduil called, hoping to see where his elfling hid, but there was no one running through the woods.

The king turned toward his friend and muttered, "It is not working."

"Then you should not give up; you should try another tactic, it might be of more help."

"Ion, are you hungry? Come along, and you have nothing to worry about the game. As the winner, you choose what you wish to eat, and tomorrow, I will play with you whatever you wish me to." Thranduil teased, hoped to see his elfling running to him this time.

To his relief, the elfling's head popped up from behind the thick line of bushes, then the princeling crashed into his father and tackled him down to the ground.

Beside the reunion stood a grinning guard, who drank in the sight with a lone tear falling from his eyes.

With that recollection, Thranduil moved his chair closer to the bed where his elfling lay.

Elrond noticed the movement and took a step back toward Estel's bed after he was done caring for the princeling.

Thranduil broke down before them, as he moved his hand toward his son's pale skin, letting the tears flow freely as he mumbled again and again, "I am so sorry... I am so sorry..."

End of Chapter 32.