Fan Fiction ❯ Struggle To Live ❯ The Beginning of an End ( Chapter 2 )

Struggle to Live

Author: ZeroCool

Overall Summary: An ancient evil rises two years after War of the Ring. Legolas is cursed and is dying. The fellowship is regrouped to search for the cure before Legolas needs to choose between death and becoming the next Dark Lord.

Summary for Last chapter:

Legolas saved two children from the mysterious monsters, but he was injured.

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Chapter 2 The Beginning of an End



The children were standing, with a million different thoughts and feelings rushed through their heads, and didn't what to do. They were kneeling next to their prince, who was lying on a big pool of blood motionlessly. They had not been in such situation before. There were always adults to take care of them in the past, but now, the only adult here was unconscious, and he might even die! The concept of dying was not new to elves; even though they were immortals, they still could die.

"Larien, we shouldn't have sneaked out to play orcs hunt," the younger child choked out his words, unable to stop his tears from flooding.

The older boy stood up and said, "What should we do now?"

"How would I know? I wish none of these happened and I want nana and ada with us now!" With that, that younger one cried harder.

Larien looked at Legolas, trying to figure out if there was a way to help him. They were too small to carry him.

"Yes you are right, Satre."

"What?"

"We need nana and ada here! We need to go call for help!" Larien started pulling Satre up, "Let's hurry!"

Satre stopped him and protested hoarsely, "No! Then they will know we had sneaked out!"

"Is Prince Legolas' life more important? He is always good to us, and I like him, don't you also? I would rather accept the punishments than seeing the prince dies. I am not afraid."

Satre wiped away his tears and tried to mask his fear as best as a 30 year-old elf could, "I am not afraid also!"

The brothers looked at each other, and started to run.



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"Larien… did you see it?" Satre stopped abruptly, pointing to the darkness behind the bushes.

Larien nodded, trying to stabilize his breathing. He reached the little dagger he had around his waist. He whispered to his younger brother, without taking his eyes off the shadow, "We will need to split and run for help. If we want save Prince Legolas we need to reach the fortress where everyone at. Take out your dagger and prepare to run!"

Satre didn't respond, but Larien told him anyway, "Go!"

Larien started to run, but he turned back and saw Satre froze on the spot. The shadow was jumped out from the bushes. It was another of those monsters they encountered before.

"Satre!"

Larien ran toward the creature and stabbed his dagger on its back. The creature yelled out in pain.

He pulled the trembling Satre out of the way and started to run.

"I am scared Larien. We are going to die."

Suddenly, arrows started flying passed them and straight to the creature. Then, they saw two elf-like shadows ran passed them from the sides.

They turned around and watched in horror as the elves shot the creature to dead.

They knew the elves. They both had features that resembled to Legolas.



"Prince Arail! Prince Tekrir!" They were the older brothers.

Tekrir kneeled next to the children and comforted them, "It's alright now. Are you hurt?" while Arail examined the beast.

Satre quivered more and cried, "Prince Legolas is injured badly!"

Arail's attention turned to the children, he demanded in a rather harsh tone, "He is hurt? Tell me where is he immediately! I bet he is hurt while he tried to save you insolent brats who are wondering around the boundary at night without permission!"

Tekrir saw his brother's reaction and held out his hand.

"Peace Arail. We will deal with the young ones later. The most important thing is to find Legolas."

As the oldest son of King Thranduil, Arail was known for his temper that he inherited from his father. And since Arail was very fond of his youngest brother, Tekrir knew he had to calm his brother down before he started to lose his patience on the youngsters.

"Arail, the children can't think properly when they are too scared." Tekrir added, murmuring soothing words to the children.

Sometimes, Arail couldn't understand how he could stand his brother for hundreds of years, or how they could possibly have blood relation. He believed that immediate action is the best solution for everything. But seeing the frighten looks on the children, he knew he had to agree with Tekrir.

Arail took a deep breath, trying to give the children the gentlest smile and use his gentlest voice that he could make in a time like this, "Alright. May you please tell me where Prince Legolas is?"

His action wasn't getting the result he was hoping, because to the children, his face and voice were even scarier than the monster's. The oldest prince's smile was like the one that the giant spider would give them when they decided to eat them alive.

"Hmm… Pr… Prince Legolas… is…" Larien and Satre tried to form words, but failed miserably.

Before Arail could tackle the children, Tekrir cut in and asked, "Will you lead us to him?"

The children nodded and ran as fast as their legs could bring them, trying to stay a certain distance away from Prince Arail if possible.



They arrived to where Legolas was. The children were not worry because the prince didn't look better than when they left him.

Arail's face changed from shock to angry, but they could see his concern written on his face, and if they were not mistaken, they thought they saw tears on his eyes. Tekrir, on the other hand, masked his emotion much better than Arail, but he was still very worry.

They princes rushed to their youngest brother's side. Legolas' clothes were covered with the black blood that came out from the creatures and the red blood that came out from his wound. Their worry grew when they saw how pale and fragile he looked. He was almost seemed to be untouchable like a piece of glass that would break if they were not careful with him. It was even worse when they discovered Legolas' wound was still bleeding as if his elven healing power wasn't working.

"Legolas?" Arail called out, but didn't get a response.

Tekrir took out a cloth and wrapped it around the wound slowly. "Arail, we need to hurry and bring Legolas back. He has lost too much blood"

Arail, who had recovered his shock, picked up Legolas gently in his arms, holding him as his life depended on it.

Tekrir picked up the two children. They started to go back the palace, never put their guards down and never stopped praying for the safety of Legolas.



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The ceremony stopped at the second that Tekrir and the two children arrived to the fortress. Every elf was horrified by the sight. They were covered with bloods and sweats. They all stood aside when King Thranduil made his way toward the three.

"What happened? Is everyone alright? Where are Legolas and Arail?"

Tekrir put the children down, who were immediately embraced by their parents. He tried to answer his father's questions one at a time, "Mysterious creatures appeared near the boundary and attacked these two children. Legolas was hurt when he was trying to rescue them. Arail is taking him back to his room. He needs healers right away father."

Thranduil nodded and ordered three best healers to follow him. He left Tekrir in charge and ordered the Mirkwood's guardian to put up guards across the kingdom. Although Tekrir wanted to stay by his brother's side, he knew his duty and didn't protest against his father's decision.



The king hurried to Legolas' bedroom, and was blaming himself on the way for not sending his other sons to Legolas sooner. Judging on Tekrir's expression earlier, he knew Legolas' life was in danger. He swore that once Legolas was healed, he would not listen to Legolas' unreasonable suggestion anymore and he would definitely not let him to walk alone; if Legolas was to protest, he would simply tie him on his bed.

His heart started to ache when he saw his youngest son's condition.

He put a hand on Legolas' face, feeling worry when he found his face was strangely pale and warm. His attention to Legolas was snapped when his oldest son called him.

"Ada, Legolas' wound would not heal," said Arail, while he was tendering Legolas.

The three healers went to Legolas side. The female healer comforted the King, "Do not worry my King, we will try our best to save the prince."

Then, the healers motioned the king and the crown prince to go outside. The king understood and had to drag Arail with him literally. He looked at his son one last time and closed the door behind him.



Arail paced outside the room, and couldn't help it but to break the silence, "Ada! Those healers have been with Legolas inside the room for five hours already! Just why does it take so long?"

Thranduil observed Arail closely, and closed his eyes, "We need to be patient. I am anxious to know how Legolas is but we can do nothing but wait. You have to learn to control yourself because someday you will be the king and your temper will not benefit the kingdom."

"I can't help it. I inherited this personality trait from you, Ada."

Thranduil raised his eyebrows, and couldn't suppress his grin. Then he saw Tekrir rushed through the hallway toward them. He wondered why Arail couldn't be more like Tekrir, but then again, Arail did get his traits from him.

Tekrir greeted his father and brother, then asked, "How is Legolas?"

Arail stopped pacing and looked at the door, "We don't know yet, the healers are still trying to save him"

Tekrir nodded sadly, then turned to his father, "Ada, there is something very strange about those creatures. They were…"

The healers suddenly emerged from the room, looking exhausted.

"How is he?"

The healers tried to avoid Thranduil's glace, but the female healer spoke softly, "Something strange is going on inside the prince's body that we are not certain what it is. The prince's healing ability is greatly reduced, but we are able to stop his bleeding with the most powerful medicine. However, we are unable to stop the fever completely and no herb can lessen all the pain. And there is unnatural dark marks are left on the prince wound and the marks seems starting to travel through his body slowly. We fear the prince's life is at great risk."

The king and the princes sighed.

Another healer spoke up, chiefly to the king, "You can see the prince now if you wish my Lords. We put him in a healing sleep and tried to make him as comfortable as possible. We don't think any healer in Mirkwood would have enough power to help the prince more."

The healers bowed to the king and the princes and left.



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They walked into the room quietly, and their eyes fell on the sickly looking prince.

Thranduil touched Legolas' face, and was displeased with he found out the cloth was warm. He dipped the warm cloth with water in a bowl and wiped his face with great care.

Arail sat on the other side of the bad, holding his brother's hand.

"Tekrir, what did you want to tell me about the creatures?"

Tekrir reported, "When we got to the place where the monsters were slain, we could find nothing but the dead bodies of abused horses."

Both Thranduil and Arail were confused, not sure how the horses and the creatures were related.

"The monsters were horses that were possessed by some dark magic."

Arail questioned, "Why would the horses attack elves? How did they become those monstrous creatures in the first place? Strangely enough, I sensed some great hatred and pain among them when I was close to it."

Tekrir agreed with a nod. "Yes. I sensed it also. Maybe it was the hatred and pain that made the horses vulnerable to the dark magic."

"But elves treated horses as friends, I couldn't think of any elf would hurt horses to an extent that would make them changed into foul creatures."

"They were the horses of men, for they had the tools on their bodies that men used to control them," Tekrir expressed his sorrow; judging by the whip scars on the horses, they must had been through some really rough time that would make them willing to become monsters.




His thought was interrupted when Legolas, who was supposed to be in a healing sleep for days, stirred and began to wake up.

"Legolas? How do you feel?" Thranduil asked.

Legolas moaned in pain, but smiled to ensure his father and brothers that he was fine, "I am okay Ada. What happened?"

Thranduil pushed Legolas back down when he tried to sit up.

"Lay down Legolas, you are not healed yet. Arail and Tekrir rescued you and the children from the monsters. I should have known better than letting you went off alone."

Arail supported his father with a rather harsh tone, "Yes, little one, you gave us such a scare!"

Legolas could never get over the fact that his oldest brother still loved to call him `little' even at the age of 2711, but he was too tired to protest. He looked at Tekrir, who understood his brother's pleading eyes and said, "We should let Legolas rest than scolding at him right now."

Thranduil and Arail agreed and left the room while Tekrir stayed with Legolas.



After closing the door behind them and had made sure in a safe distance that Legolas wouldn't hear the conversation, Arail spoke, "How could Legolas wake up when he was supposed to be sleep for days?"

Thranduil rubbed his temple with great distress, "I know not. It seems like the healers' healing powers aren't enough to help Legolas… I need to ask for outside helps who have the best healing skill and the best knowledge on magic."

"Who?"

"Lord Elrond of Riverdell and Mithrandir."


End of Chapter 2

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Legolas is about 900 years old in this story. I know I know, although Orlando Bloom said he is 2931, I am not convinced at all. I support the theory that Legolas was born after Thranduil left the Emyn Duir and led his people north to settle along the Forest River, which was the time shortly after Sauron rose again.

You can easily see how childish Legolas is! In the book, he drops his arrow and screams when he sees the Balrog in Moria. He plays "counting orcs" game with Gimli during the battle of Helm's Deep. And also, when the Huorns helps the battle in Helm's Deep, Legolas is so curious at the Hurons and actually abandon his task and goes "check out" the Hurons.

Think about this, Elrond was about 3400 years old during the First Alliance. If Peter Jackson was right about Legolas being almost 3000 years old, then he is about the age when Elrond fought against Sauron. Can you imagine that Elrond dropped his arrow and screamed "Ai! Ai! Sauron Sauron is come!" when he first saw Sauron? No! Do you think he counted how many orcs he or his people killed? No! And certainly he wouldn't abandon his mission to look at the trees!

So in this universe, elves grow slower physically as they get older until to the point where they stop aging.

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Some information on the original characters that have appeared in the story so far:

Larien: The older child Legolas saved in the first chapter. He is 70 years old (equivalent to 10 years old in human standard)

Satre: The younger child Leoglas saved in the first chapter. He is 30 years old (equivalent to 7 years old in human standard)

Arail: Legolas' oldest brother and the crown prince of Mirkwood. He is a millennia year older than Leoglas.

Tekrir: Legolas' third oldest brother and is about 800 years older than Legolas.

Read and review!!!

~ZeroCool