Chapter Fifty One

Elrond sighed as both of his elven sons along with Glorfindel left the library. The four of them had discussed what could be done to help Legolas. Elrond had listened to each of his sons and his friend. Unfortunately, nothing had been decided, because each plan had at least one fatal flaw that rendered it useless. Instead of a definite plan of action, what came out of the talk was frustration and a growing feeling of desperation.

The twins had come up with the same idea the two elder elves had: that Vilya would probably have to be used. None of them came to that decision frivolously. It was a most serious thing for the Ring of Air to be used for anything other than the protection of Imladris. However, it had been made quite clear to Elrond when Gil-galad passed the ring to him, that its use was entirely at Elrond’s discretion. The High King would never have given the powerful elven ring to anyone whose judgment he had not trusted implicitly.

In the intervening centuries, the elf lord had been very sparing in the ring’s use. It took a great deal of thought, carefully weighing the pros and cons, before Elrond had called on the ring’s power, and then it had been only for the most dire of reasons. Right now, the dark-haired elf lord was not totally convinced that Legolas couldn’t be pulled out of his current situation by any other means. All possibilities would have to be explored first.

Elladan and Elrohir were not so sure that anything could be done short of using Vilya. The doubt weighed heavily on them. After an intense explanation of both sides of the debate, they had finally came to agree with Elrond’s view for the need to be cautious. They, too, had ultimate faith in their father’s judgment.

Elrond knew he could not wait until he was sure that Mordraug could not be banished from Legolas’s mind another way before coming up with a last-ditch strategy to use Vilya. Doing that could well prove disastrous for the young prince. Elrond had to be ready to implement an alternative plan immediately. It hadn’t taken long for such a plan to begin forming in his mind.

Elrond had decided that he could do nothing until he talked to Legolas. He had to find out for himself the depth of the young elf’s possession and his current state of mind. Then, and only then, could his plan be completely formulated. However, he now had more hope than he had previously held.

As the discussion was beginning in Elrond’s study, Aragorn arrived at Legolas’s door. The man did not get an answer to his knock. He wasn’t really surprised at that, though he was frustrated about it. He knocked again and waited. He didn’t want to enter the elf’s room without his permission, but he was determined Legolas should not be alone any longer with his depressing thoughts, plus he couldn‘t be sure that Mordraug was not battering his friend with his malicious lies at that very moment.

The idea that Legolas would spend more time by himself to deal with Mordraug’s taunts filled the ranger with dread. Also, there was no way of knowing if the elf would suffer another physical attack. The man knew he would not be able to stop one, but he could be there to offer comfort, as well as a voice to counter whatever the dark elf was saying to the archer.

When Aragorn didn’t receive an answer the third time he knocked, he tried the door handle. It moved downward easily but when the man pushed on the door, it didn’t budge. *Bolted,* he thought. That did not bode well.

The last time he had found himself in this same situation, Legolas had let him in. That now seemed so long ago. With renewed hope, he knocked again. “Legolas, it’s me, Estel. Please open the door. I wish to talk with you.” When there was still no response, he added, “I‘m going to sit out here until you open the door.” It was not an idle threat. He was prepared to do just that.

Legolas was still sitting out on the balcony. With his keen elven hearing, he clearly heard both the knocks and the ranger’s threat. *Ah, Estel. You will not let me be, will you?*

With a reluctance that made his body feel as if it was weighted down with lead, he rose to his feet and walked slowly to the door. He hesitated only a second before sliding the bolt back and pulling the door open.

Aragorn stood and looked at the elf. Tears tried to force their way into his eyes at the sight he was looking at, but he stubbornly forced them back. Legolas’s countenance was worse than the man had expected. The elf looked haggard, tired and totally without hope. He wanted to grab his friend in a tight hug and tell him all would be well, but he didn’t dare. There was a look in the elf’s eyes that clearly said he was not ready for that. Perhaps, after they talked he could convince them both that a bright future was ahead of them.

Legolas turned without saying a word and walked out to the balcony again, stopping at the railing and staring once again at the lush, vibrant garden.

Aragorn silently followed him. At first, he kept his eyes on Legolas’s back or rather the long golden hair that cascaded down the elf‘s back. He stepped up beside Legolas, deciding to approach the subject of Mordraug very slowly. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” he said as he, too, admired the largest of Rivendell’s gardens.

It was then that the man felt something under his left foot. When he looked down, he saw the stems and dirt-filled roots of several plants. He looked over at the flower box and saw that it was empty. He knew the flowers were about ready to die off until next spring, yet there was something decidedly amiss in the scene. He couldn’t quite figure it out. Frowning, he tilted his head in thought. Then, he noticed the blue blossoms that were lying scattered around the stems.

It hit him, then. Always before, Legolas pulled the plants up after the flowers had quit blooming and the leaves were beginning to dry out and curl up around the edges. Legolas then carefully removed the plants from the dirt, neatly smoothing it over. Then, he took what remained of the stems and roots and put them in a sack to be discarded. Never had he pulled them up while the flowers still bloomed, and he certainly never ripped them up and lay them, with dirt attached, on the balcony.

Glancing at the elf’s face, Aragorn saw a stricken look on the fair features. Did it have anything to do with the condition of the plants? he wondered. Knowing there was only one way to find out, he asked, “Legolas, what happened to your flowers?”

For what seemed like an hour, Legolas did not say a word. He kept his eyes on the garden below. Finally, with a heavy sigh, he replied. “Mordraug made me tear them up.” Hearing those words spoken aloud pained him all the more.

“What do you mean, Mordraug made you tear them up?” Aragorn had a sinking feeling he knew, but he needed to hear Legolas’s explanation.

“He wanted to demonstrate the power he held over me, so he forced me to rip the plants up.” The elf turned to Aragorn and looked him in the eye. “To my utter horror, I did exactly what he told me to do. And, he did not even have to bring me to my knees with pain. All he had to do was yell at me, and I gave in. I killed my flowers.”

The ranger was astounded. He knew, of course, the taunting that Mordraug had done to Legolas and the physical pain he had inflicted. But to force Legolas to do something so against the elf‘s very nature was shocking, to say the least. Aragorn’s anger rose to the surface. “That bastard is perverted beyond belief.”

In a quiet voice, Legolas said, “You do not yet know the worst of it, Estel.”

The man was afraid to hear the rest of it. He looked at Legolas, who had once again turned his head to look at the trees and flowers that stretched out before him to the far wall. It was as if he was trying to soak up every inch of their beauty just to keep himself going.

“Tell me, Legolas. What else did Mordraug say to you?”

With a hitch in his voice that was so unusual for the normally confident elf, Legolas answered the ranger’s question, “Because Mordraug is dead, he cannot rule Mirkwood the way he envisioned doing. So, as his ultimate revenge, he wants me to go to Mirkwood and kill my family. Then, he will either kill me or, I suspect, force me to kill myself.”

Aragorn was speechless. The horror of Legolas’s words struck the ranger hard. Without thinking, he replied. “You would never do such a thing.”

“Would you have ever believed I would destroy these flowers the way I did?” He looked down at the withering stems and blossoms being blown by the wind around his feet. “He can make me do it, Estel. He can make me kill...” His voice died away to silence.

Taking hold of Legolas’s left shoulder, Aragorn turned the elf to face him. “No, he can’t. There is a big difference between destroying flowers and destroying your family.”

“I know,” Legolas whispered. “But, Mordraug says he will control my mind to the point that I will do whatever he says, no matter how much it goes against my wishes.” There was a growing tone of defeat in Legolas’s voice that said he already believed fighting the dark elf was a waste of time.

Aragorn grabbed Legolas’s other shoulder and squeezed both shoulders tightly. “You are too tough to give in to that kind of control. Your heart is pure, Legolas, and your mind is strong. We will help you fight him. You must not give up.”

Legolas shook his head. “I thank you for what you and your family are trying to do to help me, but it is no use. My mind has been taken over, and there is nothing anyone can do now. Mordraug has won. Please, Estel, do not become involved.”

Anger flashed in the man’s eyes. “Do not become involved? Legolas, I am involved. And, you can be sure that I will remain so until this whole situation is resolved. You are my best friend. Years ago, didn‘t we make solemn promises to always aid and protect each other?”

The archer gave a short, bitter laugh. “We did not know about Mordraug then.”

“And, you think that only the simple things count? You believe something unexpectedly evil should just be allowed to wipe out the promises we made to each other?”

“I would not see you harmed, Estel. Do you not understand? Suppose Mordraug forces me to hurt you? I might not be able to stop myself from doing that any more than I was able to stop myself from killing my flowers. I could not live with myself, if I did harm to you or any of your family.”

Frustrated beyond enduring, Aragorn said, “If I was in your place, would you walk away from trying to help me just because things became difficult, and I asked you not to get involved?” He expected to see a flash of anger in the elf’s blue-gray eyes. There was none. There was no emotion but defeat.

Aragorn was not surprised when Legolas refused to answer that question. However, he was surprised at what he elf did say. “All of your feelings stem from your knowledge of the elf you have known most of your life. I am no longer that elf, Estel. Mordraug has changed me.”

“You are not exactly the same, Legolas. I agree with that. All of us are the sum total of all our life experiences. We constantly change as we live our lives day by day. But, deep inside our nature is set. That does not change. What Mordraug put us through has altered each of us in small ways. But, that does not mean that you are someone completely different. What happened to you was horrendous, as well as being a recent event in your life. You have not recovered mentally or physically. You must not give in, when victory is yet so close.”

The elf offered the human a small smile. “You are ever the optimist, Estel.”

The man returned the smile. “Well, I had a good teacher.”

Just then there was another knock on the door to Legolas’s room. The elf walked to the balcony doorway and called out, “Come in.” He knew there was no way he was going to keep out anyone determined to see him. Estel was not the only stubborn person in the House of Elrond.

Elrond entered the room and closed the door. He turned to face the younger elf. Before he said anything he spotted his youngest son standing out on the balcony. The man’s presence didn’t surprise him at all. His absence would have. “Estel, I would very much like to speak with Legolas alone.”

The ranger nodded. He lightly touched Legolas’s shoulder as he passed. Elrond did the same to his foster son, as the man left the room. “Legolas, may we talk?”

The archer inclined his head. He stepped aside and swept his arm toward the balcony and followed the elf lord outside. He sighed, sure that he would soon be receiving the same words of encouragement he had just heard from Estel. He surprised himself by not feeling irritated over that fact. Instead, a feeling of resignation settled over him.

Elrond, unlike Estel, noticed the flowers immediately. Upon asking about the reason for their condition, he received the same explanation the ranger had listened to earlier. Forcing back a grim expression, Elrond came to stand beside the younger elf.

“It cannot be easy for you having that evil elf in your head.”

Legolas jerked his head around to face Elrond. “You believe me?”

With a look of understanding at Legolas’s surprise, Elrond said, “Yes, I do. We all do.”

“Then, you will believe me when I tell you that Mordraug wants me to kill my family.” He searched the elf lord’s face for a reaction to that piece of information. There was none.

“I would have been worried had he not planned such a thing.” Elrond’s voice was soft.

Legolas was completely puzzled. “You knew he wanted me to do that?”

“No, not specifically. But, I know how much he wants Thranduil dead. He is furious about the destruction of his long-held plans, so such feelings of revenge coming from him is to be expected. He will be stopped in his endeavor to force you to be party to his maniacal plans for revenge.”

*That insufferable elf. Tell him that he cannot stop me.*

Legolas closed his eyes and shook his head. At first, Elrond thought the young archer was disagreeing with what he had just said. That idea was soon dispelled, when Legolas said, “Mordraug says you cannot stop him.”

“So, he has come out to join the discussion.” Elrond was tempted to call Mordraug a cowardly weakling, but he knew that his words would surely anger Mordraug to the point that he would bring pain to Legolas and no amount of pleasure gained from the name-calling was worth that.

*Tell that elf lord that I will not engage in verbal sparring with him. I just want him to know he cannot stop me from fulfilling my plans. Does he intend on safeguarding your family by locking you into a small room somewhere so that you cannot get free to harm them?”

“What did he say?” Elrond asked, sure that Mordraug was continuing to spew his poisoned words to Legolas.

“He wants to know if you intend on locking me away so I cannot harm them.” The very thought of being locked away frightened Legolas. He didn’t want to believe that Elrond would do that to him, but then again, that may be the only recourse. The young wood elf couldn’t help but look at Elrond with a pleading expression on hi face. His fear also shown clearly in his blue-gray eyes.

“No, Legolas. I would never lock you away.” He took Legolas’s face in both of his hands. “That monster seeks only to bend you to his will. Do not listen to his vicious words.”

Mordraug laughed. *Do not listen to me? Does he not realize that you have no choice in the matter? That stupid elf. Is this the one you are looking to for salvation? As for not locking you away, how else can he stop you from following my commands?” Admit it, Lord Elrond. There is no hope for me. You would be forced to lock me away to keep my family safe, and that in itself would eventually kill me.”

“We can figure it out, Legolas. Please, hold to faith.”

*He wants you to put your guard down, so he can take you away. Do not trust him.”*

Legolas did not notice that Mordraug was not using the terms ‘little prince’ or ‘princeling‘. If he had, he would have recognized that Mordraug was no longer trying to taunt or berate him. He was now simply trying to insinuate his will into the elf’s mind in a more cunning way. The Avari was not stupid. He had finally realized that angering Legolas made him more defiant and consequently less pliable. Subtlety was called for now.

Legolas knew he should trust Elrond. It was the right thing to do. But, it was not the best thing to do. The truth suddenly hit the prince like a bolt of lightning. There was only one solution, only one way to save his family and friends, and destroy Mordraug in the process. It was the perfect solution, though the thought filled him with fear. Just as he had always been prepared to give his life as a warrior in battle to save others, he could do no less now, for this definitely was a battle. And, it was a battle he had to win.

Without a warning of any kind, Legolas put his left hand on the top of the railing and vaulted over it. As he fell toward the ground, he heard Elrond call his name. He briefly caught a glimpse of the elf lord leaving over the railing, a look of horror on his face.

Legolas regretted not being able to say goodbye to all those he loved. The way out of the whole mess had been decided and then acted upon in a split second. It was the only way he could keep from alerting both Elrond and Mordraug to what he was going to do far enough in advance for them to be able to stop him.

With Elrond’s desperate voice calling his name and Mordraug’s panicked screams of *NO!* ringing in his ears, Legolas’s body plummeted downward, hitting the solid ground with a bone-jarring impact. The incredible pain that lanced through his entire being lasted barely long enough to register it before the world went black and silent.

TBC