In his arms

By: Eressie

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Disclaimer: Don't own LOTR.

Summary: Death is always difficult to handle. What better comfort is there than a father's loving arms?

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Legolas stood together with his usual patrol group of warriors and friends before his father who sat on his wooden throne. The king was silent and listened to his son who spoke about how they had successfully cleared a large spider nest. Thranduil could hear his son's voice tremble ever so slightly every now and again, and the king new that there had been losses among them. He let his gaze wander over the elves before him, looking for who was missing. He knew all these elves well and he knew their families well, even the youngest of this group had been in his service for over five hundred years. He knew their names and faces, like any other elf in his large kingdom. And two of those names where now missing.

The king furrowed his brow and looked at his son again when he heard Legolas voice waver and stopped speaking. Jadhen, Legolas's second in command, glanced quickly at his friend and cleared his throat. He took a small step forward and continued speaking for his captain; telling the king of orcs that had attacked them while they had fought the spiders.

But the king barely heard the words. He was observing his son who stood with his eyes locked on the floor before him. Thranduil looked to Legolas left seeking two of his son's closest friends, wanting them to speak their story of what happened since they usually fought closest to his son. But the elves he was looking for were nowhere in sight.

Thranduil closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 'Oh, please no…' he thought and opened his eyes again and searched for the two missing elves. He did not find them.
He raised his hand slightly and Jadhen stopped speaking at once.

"You did well, all of you." Thranduil spoke. "There is something you have yet to tell me though, and I can understand that it is hard to put into words… but tell me, what happened to Tasandil and his little sister Lindomé?" he said gently, already knowing the terrible answer to his question, but he needed for them to confirm his fears.

He saw Legolas close his eyes and lower his head, like many others did in the group, and the king let out a sad sigh before Jadhen again managed to speak.

"They… they fell, my king." his voice no longer sounding as strong as it did before. "And they were fighting into their very last breath."

Thranduil sighed again. "This is indeed a great loss." he spoke gently and silently. "They will be deeply missed… may they find peace."

The grieving elves before him stood silent and the king took pity on them. "Go and rest. Night is upon us and you are weary. Tomorrow we will honour our young friends Tasandil and Lindomé. They will be long remembered."

The elves before the king bowed and walked away, also Legolas did so without even another word to his father.
The king lowered his head and held a hand to his forehead. He will go to his son later tonight, but first he needed to speak to the parents of the fallen. It was going to be a long and tough night.

Thranduil stood before the closed door to his son's chambers. He knocked softly and without any reply he slowly opened the door and entered. He made a quick sweep of the large room with his eyes in search of his son and he found him sitting cross-legged on the bed facing away from him.

The king closed the door behind him and walked slowly to his son on bare feet. Legolas did not move or speak; he did not show any recognition that someone had entered his chambers.
Thranduil stopped by the foot of the bed and observed his son. Legolas hair was still a little damp from his bath and he was clad in his bedclothes. He was staring blankly ahead and he kept fiddling with the bed sheets.

"Pen-neth?" Thranduil spoke softly. Legolas did not answer.

The king let out a tired sigh and walked up to his son and sat down behind him on the bed. Thranduil laid his hand carefully on his son's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"…it is all my fault, ada." Legolas whispered with a tired voice.

Thranduil frowned. "What make you say that?"

Legolas swallowed. "They would not have…died if it weren't for me." he said. "We were not prepared of the orcs. Our focus was upon the spiders and their smell and screeching drowned out the stench and noises from the orcs somehow. But we should have noticed the orcs earlier, I should have noticed earlier." Legolas shook his head. "One spider sneaked up on me from behind while I was fighting and it was about to sting me but Lindomé managed to kill it before it did… but as soon as she lay the killing strike on the spider an orc shoot her with an arrow through her chest. I killed the orc and ran to Lindomé… she was still alive when I held her. Just barely." Tears filled Legolas eyes and his voice trembled as he continued to speak. "She looked at me and smiled, ada…and then she was gone."

Thranduil put his arms around his son as he began to weep and pulled him to his chest. He kept silent and listened to Legolas as he continued to speak through his tears.

"The fight was still going on around us, and now even more orcs had come. But I could not let go of her yet… I knew I had to continue fighting, ada. But I could not! And because of me; Tas d-died as well! He stood over us and protected us… me. She was his sister and he still managed to fight! I saw him slay orc after orc… I came to my senses when one of them sliced his chest. His shout woke me. I picked up my bow and stood back-to-back with Tas… after a while, all spiders were gone and the last of the few orcs that were still alive fled. I think Nathia and Elandion went after them… I watched them go and I was about to follow when I felt someone lean heavily on my back." Legolas shook his head again. "Poison. A fast working poison on that orc-blade! I turned around and held Tas as we sank down on the ground… he was crying; crying over his sister's death. She… she did not lie far away and I picked Tas up and carried him to her. He held a hand to her pale face as he struggled to breathe." Legolas angrily wiped away the tears on his face. "He… he…" Legolas shook his head. "He died soon after… in my arms as well as Lindomé had done. Both of them, ada! I-"

But Legolas could not talk anymore. He turned around and burrowed his face in his father's robes and cried and screamed. Thranduil held him. He let him cry, he let him scream and he let him hug him as tightly as he wanted.

The king held his son for what seemed like hours, never once letting go. It was long past midnight when Legolas tears finally ceased and his cries died down. Thranduil still held him after he was calmer, the king stroked his son's hair and sang a soft lullaby that the king always sang to Legolas when he was a child.
Legolas sat and listened to his father's voice and relaxed. He now sat leaning back against his father's chest and his head lay on his father's shoulder.

"What am I going to do without them, ada?" he asked silently, his voice sounded a bit hoarse.

Thranduil laid his cheek on the top of Legolas head. "Live, 'Las." he answered softly. "Live and remember them… that way they will never be truly gone."

Legolas closed his eyes with a frown. "I don't know how though… they have always been there, for as long as I remember."

Thranduil smiled. "Yes, I remember when you were born and the both of them were so eager to see you because you were the closest to them in age. No elf had been born after them. My dear friend, and their father, took them to see you just a week or so after you were born and they fell in love with you instantly." Thranduil chuckled. "Like everyone else did." he said and kissed Legolas temple. "…it was like you was their younger brother."

Legolas nodded. "They always were like my brother and sister…" he said, trying not to cry again. "It feels like I've lost family."

Thranduil sighed. "Yes… it feels… empty."

"What did you say to their parents?"

Thranduil waited before answering. It still hurt to see the looks on his friend's faces when he entered their home.

He sighed. "I have been forced to inform many of a loved one's death in my lifetime, but even now I barely know what to say to them." he paused. "They knew instantly, as soon as they saw me, what I had came to tell them about… and they did not take it well. I think this will make them sail to the undying lands…"

Legolas squeezed his father's hand that lay on his chest. "So we will lose them as well." he said with a heavy heart.

"Not completely…" Thranduil said with a sad smile. "We will see them again someday, when we too shall sail. We will meet Tasandil and Lindomé as well, along with many others that have passed before them. Like your mother…"

Legolas fell silent and he felt his father hold him closer again when he mentioned his wife and Legolas mother. He knew that her death pained him still. It had been easier for Legolas in a way, because he had been so young when his mother died, he barely remembered her now.

"You're silent, my son… you are not thinking about sailing too are you? Because of your friend's deaths?"

"No…" Legolas mumbled, "no, not yet."

Thranduil relaxed by his son's answer. "Good. Because I am not yet ready to be parted from you as well, my little green leaf. I could not bear it."

Legolas smiled a little. "I am not going anywhere, ada. You and Middle-earth holds my heart still. I am not ready to be parted from you or this place either."

"I'm glad." Thranduil said and began anew to stroke his son's hair.

Silence fell between them and outside they could hear a soft lament for the two fallen elves. Father and son sat and listened to their voices and after a while, Legolas felt himself falling asleep in the warm embrace of his father. Thranduil smiled and reached for the duvet beside them on the bed and swept it over their legs.

"Sleep my son, I'll stay a while more." Thranduil whispered.

Legolas did not answer and he was fast asleep not long after. Thranduil continued to hold his sleeping son and listened to his deep and relaxed breathing.

How he praised the Valar that his son came home alive to him today. Every day in fact, that he came back to him after patrols and fights and missions. It was difficult to have a son as a warrior… he worried about his son constantly. He wished sometimes that his son would be a healer or something instead.

He would miss the two young elves that they lost this day. They had been so close to his son and he saw them almost every day because they were not parted from Legolas any longer periods of time. He had seen them grow up to fine young elves, brave and caring both of them and to know that they are gone so suddenly… it is difficult to handle.

Thranduil knew how hard it is to loose your closest friends, and he understood the pain Legolas felt. He wished he could take that away from Legolas but he could do little else than to try to be there for his son and comfort him; just like his own father had done to him when he had he experienced losses when he was much younger.

Thranduil sat with his son until sunrise, just to be sure that Legolas would not have any nightmares and if he did he could be there to wake him and offer more comfort. But his son did not wake and thankfully no dreams troubled him.

He carefully let go of his son when he felt it was time to leave. And as carefully as he could, Thranduil lay his son back on his mattress. Legolas frowned a little by the movements and lack of warmth but soon relaxed once more when Thranduil leaned down and stroked his son's forehead and hair with his hand.

When he was sure that his son would not wake, he kissed Legolas brow and silently made his way to the door. He opened it carefully and slipped out, he cast one last look behind him at his sleeping child with a small smile and then he closed the door behind him.

It would be a long healing process ahead of his son, but Thranduil would be there for him in any way that he could, to help his son through this; just like he always had been and that he always would be.

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