Denied Rights

*****
Mirkwood
*****


**In the palace**

Rumil stood patiently outside the throne room waiting to be admitted by the guards. While he was waiting, he pretended to be oblivious to the whispers and pointing by the rest of the elves surrounding him. "That’s the one!" one lady excitedly whispered to her friend. "He’s the Lothlorien messenger who the princess is involved with."

"Are you sure?!" her friend whispered back, straining to get a good look at him. "What will her father say? A guardian from Lothlorien?" The rest of the conversation was drowned out when Rumil was announced into the throne room.

Bowing, Rumil addressed the king. "Thank you for your hospitality, my lord. I will be returning to
Lothlorien immediately." He straightened and waited to be dismissed.

Thranduil looked up and waved his hand. "Of course."

Rumil looked over the king’s shoulder and saw the three princes. He nodded to them and then left the throne room. He headed to the stables and saddled his horse. It was then that Calimara found him. "Don’t worry," was all she said, as she kissed him on the cheek, and then winked. When he blushed, she laughed and ran back inside.

With that, he took off through the gates of the stables, and headed for Lothlorien.

**Hours later, in the forest**

Haldir dragged his feet as he walked, hoping to slow down their party. His captors woke him up early each day, ever since two men had been killed by the giant spiders during their sleep, and they had been going at a strenuous pace ever since. Today was no exception. Of course, Haldir had seen the spiders before the killed the men, but gave no warning. ‘The fewer men, the better.’ Their screams had roused the other men, and during the chaos Haldir struggled to escape. However, despite the stupidity of the men, they were able to kill the three spiders, and the men were able to subdue the elf.

Although his body ached, and his mind was weary, the guardian forced himself to be alert. He turned his head at every sound, and continued to look for a way to escape. At the moment, he was surrounded by four men, had his hands tied with chains behind his back, and his ankles were tied with rope. He had just enough rope to walk, but should he attempt to run, he would fall.

The leader of the men walked several paces in front of them. Glancing around, he said, "It’s almost sunset. We’ll camp here. By tomorrow, we should be out of this dreary forest, and reach Dimsville by dusk." He laughed," And you elf, will be in your new master’s hands!" he said gesturing at Haldir.

When Haldir’s face remained blank, the man growled. "Come on men, make camp! Unless you want spiders to swoop in here and take a bite out of you!" The remaining men jumped up and hurried to make camp.

**Back at the palace, just around sunset**

AN** Okay this is just to warn you that although Thranduil may have seemed rather harmless earlier, you will now see his darker side. Consequently, there will be a lil’ bit of Legolas torture.

Legolas took one last look around. He had packebag bag full of healing herbs and bandages and gave it to one of his friends, he had picked the finest and strongest horses in the stables, and he and his companions were armed to the teeth. He had not told anyone of the true nature of the mission except Veryaserko, however he believed that these elves would follow under his command.

Now the only thing left for him to do was to answer his father’s summons. “I’ll be back,” he said to his captain as he jogged back inside.

To his surprise, he was met by two guards inside the throne room, and not Thranduil. “Diinenalagos, Arognin,” he said greeting them with a smile. “Where is the king?”

They looked at each other and shifted uncomfortably. “He’s down in the dungeons.” Diinenalagos continued, “And we are to escort you there to meet him.”

Legolas took this in silently. “I see. Well, this is my punishment for speaking out against him. Back to the dungeons….. lucky me!” he said to the guards grimly. “There will be no need to escort me, I know the way well,” he said spitefully as they reached for his arms.

They cast their eyes downward at this. “The king has ordered that we bind your arms before bringing you,” mumbled Arognin. At this, Legolas tensed.

Looking apologetically at the two standing before him he then took off running down the hall. He could hear the frantic shouts of the guards as he sped around corners and down flights of stairs, as he gave quick waves and smiles to anyone that he met. He finally reached the dungeons and was forced to slow when he saw that several guards blocked the entrance to them. They weren’t the only ones who blocked the door. His father also stood there, and he didn’t look happy.

“My lord, I will accept any punishment that you feel I deserve, even though we both know what I said was correct. However, I refuse to be led through the halls of the palace like a common thief,” stated Legolas breathing heavily as the two guards finally caught up with him.

“Get in here advisor,” Thranduil said calmly. Legolas held his head high as he walked past his father into the gloomy cell. The king motioned for several guards to take hold of Legolas, as he walked towards his son with a knife. Some of them hesitated, torn between their orders from their king, and their friendship with Legolas. “Move it!” Thranduil yelled. They hastened to restrain the advisor.

Tearing open his captive’s tunic he traced a leaf shaped brand on Legolas’ chest. “You know Legolas, this mark identifies you as a member of the royal family, which you are not.” Some of the guards surrounding them gasped as they caught a glimpse of the leaf and began murmuring amongst themselves.

“Silence!” shouted Thranduil. Continuing, he said, “I have decided, my son, that I am going to remove this mark so that there will be no confusion!” With that, he plunged the knife deeply into Legolas’ chest and began the painfully slow process of carving out the brand.

Legolas gritted his teeth as waves of pain hit him over and over again. But he did not make a sound. He would not give the king that satisfaction.

After a few minutes, although it seemed like forever to Legolas, Thranduil finished carving out the leaf. Wiping his blood stained knife on a rag he smiled at his son, and gesturing to the guards, he turned and left.

The guards holding him set him gently down on the stone floor and pressed some cloth to his wound. At this, Legolas finally lost consciousness. Just then Veryaserko ran in.

“Legolas! What has he done now!?” he shouted when he saw the elf’s condition. One of the guards whispered what had passed in his ear. Where there had once been a leaf shaped brand, now was a bloody mess where the flap of skin had been removed. “He is a fool,” whispered the captain. “Does he not know that this, too, will be in the shape of a leaf?! There was no point in doing this except to bring him pain!”

“Did you know that he was the son of the king?” asked one of them cautiously to Veryaserko.

Dabbing gently at the uncovered skin, he answered, “Yes, I knew. Legolas told me this secret long ago. His father denies him his heritage because Legolas’ birth caused the queen’s death.” He hoisted Legolas to his feet. “Come; help me get him to his horse.” Several scrambled to assist their captain.

As they entered the courtyard, where the horses waited, they were suddenly surrounded by Legolas’
friends. Upon seeing their friend bleeding they immediately voiced their concern and anger at seeing Legolas so lifeless. The captain ignored them and mounted his horse. He sat Legolas in front of him, as the advisor had not yet regained consciousness. “The sun has jset.set. We are leaving now,” he said harshly in a tone that was not to be questioned.

The company mounted their horses and along with Veryaserko and Legolas sped through the palace gates.

*****The forests of Mirkwood****

They hadn’t gone very far from the palace when Legolas opened his eyes. He shifted uncomfortably in front of the captain, and then raised a hand to stop the company. He dismounted and then went over to his own horse, who had been rider less until now.

As he settled on Lhagrhiril, he turned to the company. “I do not wish to speak over what has happened. Right now we are on a mission. We are to rescue Lothlorien’s guardian and then return him to the Golden woods. The king does not know of what we are about to do, so if you do not wish to follow me, I will understand.” When none of the elves moved, he continued. “I have had several guards scout the area and they have found the guardian. He is being held by about fifteen men. We are going to attack them at their camp tonight. Are you with me?!”

They all shouted their agreement. “So be it,” said Legolas. “Let’s ride!” With that, they sped off in the direction that the men were.

*****The men’s camp, hours later*****

Haldir had been studying his captors. It was obvious that they had more brawn then brains. Except for their leader. There was something about him. He knew the way through Mirkwood. He knew about the spiders. And he seemed to know that something else was out there. At every sound, the man turned his head.

The marchwarden had already given up hope that somebody would rescue him, when he heard his name being called. It was so soft that he thought perhaps that his ears were deceiving him. Then he heard it again. And this time there was no mistake. He quickly looked around. To his surprise he saw several elves in the trees above him. Just as he was about to try ommuommunicate with them, they all shot arrows into the sleeping men around him.

To say he was stunned would be an understatement. As an elf approached him and helped him get rid of the chains, Haldir said to him, “Thranduil is not known to care for those from the Golden woods. Why did he send you to rescue me?”

Legolas stepped out of the shadows. “Perhaps we thought relations could be repaired between our two realms.” Haldir looked up in shock; however he quickly wiped histiontions off his face.

“You are Thranduil’s advisor, are you not?” He thought a moment, “Legolas?”

“I am he. Come, let us patch you up, and then we’ll return you to the woods from whence you came.” He winced and held his hand over his chest as he motioned for several elves to help the
guardian walk over to where several healing herbs and bandages had been unpacked.

“You are wounded, advisor,” said Haldir as he noticed the blood seeping through the elf’s tunic.

“It is but a scratch. Nothing to worry about,” said Legolas nonchalantly as he walked back to his horse.

His captain snorted. “Legolas if that is nothing but a scratch, then I am the Lady of the wood.”

Taking Legolas’ arm he guided him over to the bandages and sat him next to Haldir. “At least let me bind it properly,” he pleaded.

Sighing, Legolas agreed. Gingerly he removed his tunic, hissing as the fabric brushed against the wound. Haldir’s eyes widened as he took in the removed piece of skin. ‘It kind of looks like a leaf,’ he thought to himself as blood was washed away. “And how did you come by this injury?” he asked Legolas.

“I am afraid that someone did not like what I said,” Legolas curtly replied as he met the guardian’s stare, implying that he did not wish to speak of it.

As his wounds were treated and wrapped, Haldir took the time to study the advisor, for he had not seen him in years.

His golden hair gleamed in the firelight, and fell to his waist, secured by three braids at his temple. His ivory skin also shone brightly and his mes tes tensed as bandages were bound around his wound. His face showed signs of his youth; however his eyes were what caused Haldir to do a double take. They were beautiful: piercing pools of brown. His eyes showed his wisdom, yet also revealed his pain and sadness.

Haldir had met Legolas once when the young elf had traveled to Lothlorien on an errand for Thranduil, back when the two realms were at least civil to each other. Although Thranduil’s advisor had not stayed very long, Haldir had formed a very high opinion of him. He held none of the Mirkwood king’s animosity towards Elrond or his family, he held the respect of the elves that followed him, and he was polite. He was a far cry from the previous ambassadors from Mirkwood.

Even then, Haldir had always been fascinated by Legolas’ eyes. But back then, those eyes did not have all of the grief they held now.

As the guardian studied Legolas, Legolas studied him. His silver hair fell midway down his back and was tied back by two braids as was custom of the guardians of Lothlorien. Arrogant gray eyes stared out from the curtain of hair, as if the guardian knew what you were thinking, and felt himself to be superior. And the rest of his face, as always, was blank. His feelings were always hidden, although it was easy to detect the loyalty he held to his Lord and Lady, his Woods, and his fellow guardians. His strength had always seemed unsurpassable, and it was this which led to Legolas’ question.

“I mean not to be scornful, but I would know of how you, Marchwarden of the Golden Woods, came to be captured by mere men,” Legolas said once his chest was wrapped.

“I ran out of arrows,” came the brusque reply. ‘How dare this elfling question my skill! Has he really changed so much that he is no longer the elf I met so long ago?’ thought Haldir angrily.

Legolas stared at him for awhile, and then to Haldir’s surprise, along with rest of the camp, began to laugh. “I meant no disrespect, Marchwarden. It is just, the king would have wanted me to ask you that question,” he got out as he gasped for breath. He laughed again. “What an answer! I shall be sure to tell him when I return to the palace. Please forgive my rudeness, for I have already heard the tale from your brother, and I did not mean to anger you.”

As Haldir processed what Legolas had said, he released the breath he had been holding. “I must admit, I was surprised to hear you speak so. For all of those in Lothlorien hold you in the highest regard, and would not have thought you to have such an attitude.” After thinking a second, he asked, “My brother came to Mirkwood?”

“Your brother, hmm, yes. Rumil, I believe?” Rolling over into a more comfortable position, he continued. “He came to Thranduil and requested that we retrieve you.”

Haldir looked at him skeptically. “And Thranduil agreed to this? I must admit I am rather surprised.”

“Well, he took some persuading…” Legolas lied smoothly. “Perhaps it was at the request of the princess. It seems that she and your brother have, become quite good friends… if you get my meaning?”

Haldir froze. “Pardon me? Please tell me that you did not just say that Princess Calimara and Rumil, are……… involved.”

“I am afraid I can say no such thing. And I can only speculate as to if this is the reason for your rescue, however the king refuses his daughter nothing, and if this was her wish….,” the advisor trailed off. “Although your brother may want to be careful in his pursuit of her.” Looking Haldir right in the eye, he continued softly, “There are many who care for Calimara, including I, and would do anything to keep her from being hurt.”

“Is that a threat, Legolas?” questioned the guardian, surprised at the forcefulness the advisor displayed at the subject of the princess. ‘Perhaps he too, has feelings for her?’ thought Haldir as he studied Legolas intensely.

“It is not a threat, Haldir. It is a promise.” The deafening silence was broken by Veryaserko.

“My lord,” said the captain. “I am sorry to intrude, but our scouts have seen several large spider nests around here, and I believe it would be best to head for Lothlorien immeely.ely.”

“Of course,” Legolas replied. Loudly to his companions he called, “To the horses.” Standing he helped Haldir to heet.eet. “Come, Marchwarden. You will ride with me.” He mounted his horse, and pulled Haldir up behind him.

Still surprised by the protectiveness that the advisor had shown towards the princess, Haldir allowed himself to be directed. “Legolas, why did he call you lord?” asked Haldir has he settled down behind the elf. He was surprised to feel the advisor stiffen.

“Oh, he has always done that. It’s nothing special. I believe he says it to anyone he serves under,” Legolas said quickly.

And with that, the company rode hard towards Lothlorien.