The Jewel of Mirkwood

Chapter 19

Legolas sat quietly at the table staring at the food in front of him. He had hardly eaten anything the last few days his worry and homesickness continually taking his appetite. That and the fact that Legolas was increasingly concerned about Warwick’s intentions of letting him go. He had given up speaking to the older man who’s questions always tended towards Legolas’ home life and if he had any lovers. It was strange that a man would take that king of interest in his life and Legolas now refused to answer any questions he was asked. During the day Legolas was locked in the small room of Warwicks house, the older man telling him he needed rest. Legolas didn’t understand, he knew the wound in his side was healing his elvan ability insuring that the gash had closed up completely and was healing at a rapid rate. Yet Warwick hontiontinually confined him to bed saying that he was too sick to get up. The older man had taken to touching him too, using medical inspections as excuses to brush Legolas’ private places. Warwick had taken his clothes too hidden them from him so that he couldn’t get dressed and Legolas wondered what the older man was up too. He knew little of the human ways and while he kept telling himself this was just a strange custom among healing men he knew he was just kidding himself and that something sinister was going to happen.

The sound of the lock being undone on the door to his room sent Legolas running back to his bed leaving his tray of food untouched on the table. He hated being so exposed in front of Warwick the man’s hungry gaze never leaving his during their time together. Hiding himself into the security of the blankets Legolas pretended to be asleep but cautiously watched as Warwick entered the room. However this time the old man was nlonelone. Another man, younger and taller than the first followed Warwick in. This man had hair and a short beard of fiery orange like a dragons flame. He was tall and wore a royal blue tunic with black leather leggings. His black cloak was flung over one shoulder exposing the elaborately shaped silver handle of his sword. A quiver of arrows was strapped to his back along with heavily plated armour on his chest and lower arms. An unfamiliar symbol of authority and place of origin was carved into the silver plate but Legolas did not recognise it. The man’s deep blue eyes focused instantly on Legolas’ peeking out from beneath the covers and the elf felt himself shiver in fear at the smile that crept up to the corners of the man’s thin lips.

“His name is Filgree or so he says. A fine specimen from Mirkwood, an archer or guard judging from his physique. A good match for yourself perhaps, my lord?” Warwicks voice sounded positively evil and Legolas knew that something was desperately wroHe hHe had accepted the human’s hospitality to readily and not considered the consequences fully. He should have taken more notice of Filgree’s tutoring on how to handle traitorous men. The younger man mumbled a sound of approval and strode confidently over to the bed where Legolas lay cuddled into the blankets. Legolas stiffened as the man leaned down and pulled the blanket slightly away from Legolas’ face. Legolas could do nothing but stare fearfully up into the piercing blue eyes of the man above him. “He has refused to eat anything for the last two days I think he will need training.” Legolas frowned at Warwick’s words and glanced momentarily across to the old man before moving back to stare at the man hovering above him.

”Really, you have spoiled him then Warwick. We will have to rectify that.” A small satisfied sneer twitched at the corners of the man’s lips and before Legolas could breath the blankets he had been covering himself with were ripped from his grip and flung carelessly to the floor leaving the elf vulnerably exposed curled up frightened on the bed. “Get up!” The command was stern and Legolas could not fathom how any one should talk to him so harshly. Not even his father’s voice held that much menace when he was chastising Legolas. Not knowing what else to do Legolas obediently stood from the bed covering his chest with his shaking hands as he stepped back away from the stranger in the room. The stranger smiled appreciatively of the elf’s obedience before critically scanning the elf’s body with his eyes. Legolas watched as the man’s gaze fell to his injured side and paused. “What is the injury?”

“It is an arrow puncture, orcs by the look of the arrow head I removed. It is not life threatening and will heal almost to invisibility with his own healing ability.” The young man nodded in acceptance of Warwick’s explanation and moved forward towards Legolas. Instinctively Legolas stepped back away from the approaching man but found himself pressed again the wall behind him with no way of escape.

“Relax I will not hurt you.” Legolas stiffened and closed his eyes in disgust as the man lifted his hand and took hold of his chin firmly shifting his face left and right a few times inspecting Legolas’ features. “He is young, very young. You say he has no family?” The man’s breath wafted across Legolas’ face making the young elf choke a little on the foul smell of pipe weed and meat, no doubt what the man had last ate.

“It is doubtful. He said himself that he had no family and he was riding alone when my sons found him.” The young man released Legolas’ chin and took a step back away from him, allowing Legolas some space to breath as he opened his eyes again to glare menacingly at the two men. They were talking about him as if he wasn’t even there and it irritated him to the point of anger. “Does he understand our language?”

“Yes my lord, I believe he speaks it fluently as well, but is reluctant to do so.” Legolas watched the man smile at him with a strange grin as Warwick approached the side table and poured two glasses of wine from the pitcher. The young man before him accepted the offered goblet of wine from Warwick and stared thoughtfully at the elf before him in silence. Legolas was becoming exceedingly uncomfortable under the gaze of the two men and swallowed his fear in order to speak.

“Who are you?” The man was obviously surprised to hear Legolas speak and swallowed his wine quickly before discarding the goblet on the side table in order to reply.

”I am Keeldon, lord of the ridemark in Rohan.” Legolas looked blankly at the young man having never heard of the place, which the man spoke of. How he now wished that his father had kept better maps of places other than those concerning Mirkwood directly. The young man smiled again at the elf’s obvious confusion before advancing once again on the young elf. “You have a pretty voice Filgree, perhaps you will sing to me later.” Legolas frowned in confusion of the word later. Did the man intend to stay all evening? Maybe he was Warwick’s guest? The truth however horrified Legolas to the point of nausea. “Have you touched him?” The young man glanced pointedly over his shoulder at Warwick who stood wringing his hands impatiently in front of him by the door to the room.

”Only to tend his injuries my lord.” Legolas scowled knowing fore well that Warwick was lying. The old man had touched him on more than one occasion during his recovery and not purely for medical reasons, Legolas was sure. Keeldon turned back to Legolas and noted the unsure look upon Legolas’ face. Legolas could not react quick enough as Keeldon unsheathed a dagger from the inside of his boot and hastily cut the thin loin cloth from Legolas body, leaving him totally naked. Legolas gasped and turned around away from the gaze of the young man angry now that anyone would presume to do something to him like this.

”How dare you! You have no right, pass me a blanket.” Legolas all but screamed at Keeldon in fear and embarrassment as he tried to hide himself from the view of the two strangers. Keeldon merely chuckled and shook his head as he re-sheathed his dagger in its leather holder.

“You are beautiful Filgree.” Legolas swallowed and clutched his hands tighter about his body now shaking in fear as he felt Keeldon step closer to him. The young man was unbearably close to Legolas that the young elf could feel the man’s rise and fall of his armour-covered chest against his back. Never in his life had Legolas had someone this close to him while naked. Admittedly Filgree had carried him naked often from the bath when he’d fallen asleep in it but that was different, his tutor was like a father to him not some stranger who presumed himself thus. Legolas tried to pull away as he felt a rough, sword callused hand rub gently across his backside. Keeldon chuckled again at the reaction for the elf and swiftly moved his hand around Legolas’ waist to his stomach before dipping it down to take a firm hold of Legolas’ flaccid member, feeling it’s length before firmly squeezing the sack beneath. Legolas stiffened at the touch, his back arching as he tried to all but climb up the wall to escape Keeldon’s touch. Not even Filgree had ever touched him so privately before and fear took a hold of Legolas’ body. Clawing at Keeldon’s hand holding him Legolas turned and bit hard on the man’s shoulder through the light tunic. Instantly Keeldon grunted in pain of the bite and let Legolas’ member go allowing the elf to scurry quickly across the room to the opposite corner where he huddled in fear his gaze darting between Warwick and Keeldon in fear.

”Well will you have him?” Keeldon rubbed his shoulder where Legolas had just bit him, his eyes never leaving the scared gaze of the elf even as Warwick impatiently questioned him.

”Eye I will take him but at 500 less the as pri price. You have made him jumpy with your filthy wandering hands, he will take longer to train now.” Legolas could hardly believe his ears as he watched Keeldon removed a large pile of gold from a pouch hanging from his belt. Slowly the young man began to count gold pieces into the withered and wrinkled hands of the older man.

”What are you doing!” Legolas was beginning to worry and instantly called to Warwick who barely raised his greedy gaze from where the gold pieces were being counted slowly into his hands.

“I am selling you master elf and for a tidy sum I might add.” Legolas chocked on his breath and started to panic as his eyes scanned the room for signs of escape. He was being sold as a slave. He had heard of such practices among the ways of men but had never thought it possible for a life to be sold so freely to others without their permission. Filgree had once told him of elves who were abducted from their home lands to serve as slaves to wealthy men but had failed to tell him what happened to those captured. It was said that after the war and the mistrust that had come between men and elves, that elvan slavery had become a way of penance for the men who’d been lost during the divide of the war. Panicking Legolas saw his only chance of escape and took it willingly. Warwick had turned from the door to accept his payment and had left it ajar and unlocked.

“I am not yours to sell!” Legolas wailed at the two men before he made a run for the door pushing Warwick to the floor in surprise sending gold pieces flying everywhere. Making it to the door Legolas ran to an open window and jumped cleanly through it. He landed hard and squealed at the pain it sent through his injured side. Yet still he forced himself to stand and take a quick look at his surroundings. It was a coble street he’d landed in with houses either side, people that were wandering along the street had now stopped and were staring at him but he didn’t care. Turning to his right he saw five horses outside the door to the house he’d just escaped from, four of them bore riders, which looked suspiciously like Keeldon had. Legolas knew that they were his guards and so his only option was to run left. Turning around Legolas began to run up the coble street, behind him he could hear Keeldon calling to his guards.

“Stop him!” The sound of horse’s hooves on the coble street behind him spurred Legolas on, there was no way he was going to outrun four men on horseback but perhaps he could loose them in the twisting streets. Dodging humans and roadside stalls Legolas began to weave his way between the houses still listening to the sound of the horses following him. They were gaining on him and his injured side was making it difficult to leap and jump safely between stalls and people. He cursed himself for having ever accepted the human’s hospitality and wished for Iest to be here and whisk him away from harm. Fear took over his body and forced him to run harder but the desire to put distance between his hunters caused him to make a fatal mistake. Glancing back over his shoulder to see if he had lost the guards Legolas missed what was stepping out in front of him. It was if a brick wall had hit his body and Legolas felt himself loose consciousness as his body fell straight backwards away from the hard thing he’d just run straight into. With a sickening thud Legolas hit the coble stone and the elf only managed to register several faces looking down at him before darkness crept over him and sending him into unconsciousness.

TBC>..............................Sorry it took so long to update. Assignments have to be finished first before pleasure writing can take place. Anyway hope you like these bits, be assured Glorfindel is on his way and our dear Legolas is in for a couple of rough days yet.