Just a Simple Mistake by Sivan Shemesh (fiction books to read .TXT) 📕

sword next to him. From what I gather, the twins blamed your son, and later, Elrond accused him as well, telling him that you would not even look at him because of what he did."

"Are you telling me that Elrond said I will not look at my son because I will be ashamed of him?" Thranduil asked the guard skeptically.

Galdor nodded.

Thranduil was visibly angry; he thought he would gladly strangle Elrond right away. "How dare he tell my son such a thing!" Thranduil asked, fuming.

The three elves looked over, wondering what the king planned to do.

"I will kill him..." King Thranduil muttered, and started pacing back and forward, trying to control the anger that had so quickly built in him.

'How dare he?' Thranduil mentally raged, 'No wonder Legolas kept himself from me; no wonder why he shut himself up.'

Glorfindel rose to his feet in concern, and walked toward the king and asked, "Is there anything I could do?"

Thranduil stopped pacing as he noticed the lord. He sighed softly and replied, "Yes, there is."

"What is it?" Glorfindel looked up curiously.

"Well, if I cannot best Elrond in the room where Aragorn is, I can beat him in the field where I have always won in archery," Thranduil replied, a light grin marking his face, "Tell him I challenge him. I will give you the terms, and Erestor and you will be the judges."

"Are you certain of that?" Glorfindel asked politely to confirm the king wasn’t simply moved by rage, though it had been awhile since anything particularly noteworthy happened in their homeland.

"I am, and when I will win, I will have all the time to speak with Aragorn without Elrond coming in my way. Everything that Elrond does is within the healing room, but never in the field to show how he can protect all of you." Thranduil responded.

Glorfindel nodded and added, a smile on his face, "It might do some good for him to relax."

"I certainly hope so." Thranduil mumbled.

Chapter 9: Fallen into Shadow

"He is not dead, Aragorn," Thranduil told him softly.

Aragorn frowned, not seemingly convinced by what Legolas's father was telling him.

"Where…where is he?" Aragorn asked as he stared at the elves; Legolas was definitely not amongst them.

"I do not know; I wish I knew where he is," Thranduil replied sadly.

"What do you mean, King Thranduil?"

"First, young man, I am not a king in your homeland and you may address me as Thranduil. Secondly, I have heard from my elves that he left our home, with no horse or any weapon," Thranduil replied, and he could see the man’s expression change.

"Why would Legolas not take his weapons and Arod?" Aragorn asked.

"I believe he is seeking death," Thranduil replied simply.

The shock that featured on the Aragorn’s face was hard to miss, and the man seemed determined to leave the bed in spite of his ill health.

"Where do you think you are going, little brother?" Elrohir asked him, stopping the man.

"To find Legolas," Aragorn replied to him and added, "I will not let him find death as I was supposed to be the one who found it."

"Your time is up, Thranduil. Please leave my son to rest," Elrond commanded as he entered the room, all of a sudden. He had clearly heard what Aragorn had said for he moved toward his son. "Aragorn, I will not going to let you out of your bed. Need I remind you that you are still in pain?"

"First of all, Elrond, my time has just begun, and I believe that you are acting very obstinately towards your son. You do not belong here, as Aragorn needs his family to support him and not add to the chaos that you have already created," Thranduil said, leaving his chair as he walked toward the lord, his eyes locked upon Elrond's.

"King or no king, I will not tolerate such attitude," Elrond was fuming and he spoke in a hostile tone. "Get out of here at once; all you did was make my son feel that he did something wrong."

"I will go only after I get the truth," Thranduil stood his ground and then added, "Then I will go to find my son alone, and hope that he has not died before I find him."

"I had rather you leave this moment," Elrond stated.

Thranduil nodded, not bothered to retort. He knew that he was not welcome at Imladris, and Imladris was not as friendly as it was before.

"No, please…" Aragorn weak voice stopped him.

"I cannot, son, I am not welcome here and neither will Legolas be – if I find him," Thranduil told him softly, hoping that the man would understand.

"You are not his father," Elrond reminded him.

"Neither are you," Thranduil shot back.

"I wish…to come…with you…Thr…" Aragorn said weakly, barely having the strength to call his name.

"I know, son." Thranduil said softly.

"Are you leaving?" Elrohir asked the king, and Thranduil could hear the sadness in his voice.

"Aye, although I do not have all the answers, I must seek my son before it is too late," Thranduil replied.

With that, he turned toward the guest room, where he had left his weapons and his belongings. He wished to leave as soon as possible, now that there was no use staying here. Busy in his thoughts, he did not hear Elladan entering the room.

"Thranduil," the younger elf called, and then, with hesitation clear in his voice, he asked, "Will…I mean, could you wait for us in Lothlórien?"

Thranduil stared at the twin, wondering why he should be waiting for them in that land, but knowing the question would not have been in vain, he nodded and replied, "I will. But on the seventh day, when night falls, I will be gone."

"Hannon le, Thranduil," Elladan thanked him and added, "We will be there."

--

Lord Glorfindel and Lord Erestor watched as King Thranduil and his guards left, knowing in their hearts that, from what they saw of the horses, they might not see the royal Mirkwood party again.

--

Aragorn stared at his foster father, as questions and doubts surfaced in his mind.

He wanted to leave his bed so badly, if it was indeed true that Legolas might die of grief.

"Why?" Aragorn asked.

"Why what?" Elrond asked and came forward the bed.

"Why do you act like this?" Aragorn asked, wishing to gather his strength back to normal.

"Like what?" Elrond asked.

"Like a mean lord. You are not the lord who raised me; he who raised me was more open and less unreasonable, unlike how you’re acting now," Aragorn explained and then moaned as the pain shot up when he tried to move.

"I am still your father, and you will do as I will tell you," Elrond told him, pushing him back into the bed before leaving the room.

Elrohir sighed in relief when his adar left the room and walked closer to his brother, placing a comforting arm on him. He could feel his twin coming as well and moved so Elladan could speak to Estel.

"We will leave for Lothlórien soon, but Estel, you have to take it easy as you are still in pain," Elladan told him softly, and after a while, he added, "Thranduil will wait for us there, and hopefully Legolas will not find death so soon."

Estel nodded, and when he closed his eyes, Elrohir asked his twin, "How long will Thranduil wait?"

"Till dawn on the seventh day, and then he will leave." Elladan replied.

"And what should we do now?" Elrohir asked.

"We leave, of course," Elladan replied and then he added, "Thranduil needs us now, and so does Legolas, wherever he may be."

"When will we leave?" Elrohir asked, and before his brother could answer, he continued, "We need to prepare to bring Estel along, and carry extra bandages and some of adar's healing herbs."

Elladan nodded. "Tomorrow; it will be for the best. Watch over him, brother, and let me settle things with the help of Erestor and Glorfindel," Elladan told him and left the room, in search of Erestor and Glorfindel, both of whom proved not difficult to find.

"Master Elladan, is something wrong?" Glorfindel asked, clearly noticing the sadness in the elf's blue eyes.

"Aragorn is not feeling well, and Thranduil is leaving," Elladan summarised.

"King Thranduil is leaving? What happened?" Glorfindel asked, the concern apparent in the elf's eyes.

"Ada,” Elladan replied with a sigh. “It seems that he does not wish for our brother to know what all the fuss is about."

Glorfindel and Erestor observed the elf before them, and Erestor, noticing the determined light in Elladan's eyes, thought to ask, "What are you planning to do?"

"Leaving, of course," Elladan replied.

"Where to?" Glorfindel asked.

"To Lothlórien," Elladan replied and then he continued, "I have asked Thranduil to wait for us there before he continues searching for his son alone."

"Do you need anything from us?" Erestor asked.

"What are you going to take with you?" Glorfindel asked.

"Clothes, weapons and some food for the road," Elladan replied gratefully.

"I want you to take something for your brother," Erestor advised, and then he added, "You will have a long and exhausting journey ahead."

"I will prepare the wagon that we have in the livery; it will help you while you are on the road and you can watch over Estel," Glorfindel added.

"Hannon-le," Elladan thanked them and continued, "I wish adar will show some sympathy like you do."

"Unfortunately, your adar is not listening to anyone," Glorfindel told him sadly.

--

While on the way to Lothlórien…

Thranduil stared at the bloody sunset, and his gut wrenched at the thought of his son dying somewhere, alone.

Keeping his eyes alert, he rode on toward Lothlórien with a heavy heart. How he wished to turn aside to seek for his son, but he remembered his promise to Elladan and stopped himself.

With his eyes betraying his grief, the king rode on, thinking of those last moments he shared with his son. He could remember his precious son's spirit breaking into a thousand pieces like a delicate shell, and it pained his heart.

'Legolas, ion-nin… do not die… I love you… do not leave me alone,' Thranduil could only pray that his son would not leave him like the rest of his family had.

Urging his horse on, he rode toward the sunset, hoping that the next day could bring him the hope he was soon losing.

--

On the next morning…

Imladris

Glorfindel and Erestor had readied the horses and the wagon for Aragorn, and they watched as the twins made the final preparations.

"I hope to see another one or two added to your company when you return,” Glorfindel said, and knowing that he would miss them, he suggested, “If you should change your plans, send a messenger so we will know how you are doing."

"I will do that," Elladan assured him, and then he clasped his hands on the warrior's shoulders, "Thank you, my lord and my friend."

"Keep Thranduil safe; do not let him sink into despair," Erestor advised, stepping closer.

The twins thanked them, and prepared to mount their horses, but just when