Run Towards Freedom By Yours Truly English is my second language so I apologize for any grammar and/or spelling mistakes. This is a PRE! (Really pre)-LOTR story, completely...strange @_@ Dedicated to my dearest friend 'Erie', who gave me the courage to post this. Such a wide land out there… it was vast enough to never end discovering its every secret; he yearned to go out, to explore, and to know every single corner there was to know. But for that, he needed his freedom! He needed to be out of this place! With a sigh, he looked up to the high window, where he could see a part of the green forest outside, inviting him, calling for him to go outside and travel it whole. But he was not allowed to do that...no, it was forbidden for him to get out of this place. And he hated it...hated the imprisonment of these stonewalls. Yet, sheer will would not get him out of this place, he had to formulate a plan, he had to calculate everything just right... Making up his mind, he looked to his surroundings. He would have to climb his way up this cage that had him confined, and then manage to escape unnoticed through the stone halls of this place. How would he climb? And how could he possibly escape the eyesight of the ones guarding his stay in this place? Looking around, and then once more towards the small window that mocked him from the heights of the evil stonewall, he decided it did not matter. He would escape! And it had to be now...later they would come to fetch him, and have him well within their sights. Now determined, he examined the cage. Luckily for him, it had no roof, he would just have to climb the side of it, and jump out of there. Piece of cake. With a grin, he launched his body to the side and began his ascent, slowly and carefully at first, then gaining confidence and increasing his speed. Soon he was over it. He grinned smugly towards the bottom of the cage on which he had been enclosed in just moments before, and then turned to jump out. His grin vanished at what he saw. It was of some height... Images of the green forest outside were enough to dissipate his doubts. One...two...three! He jumped gracefully from the edge, and landed still on his feet. For a second he stood frozen in the crouch he had landed in, not really believing he had managed to escape the cage. But when he looked back, it was there: behind him, and empty. He felt like jumping up and down in happiness, but now was not the time. He still had to get out of this stone-made room. He carefully and silently made his way towards the door, and plastered his ear next to it, to listen to any sound from the outside. Nothing. He grinned. Maybe he could manage it, after all. Testing the door-handle carefully, he was shocked to find it unlocked. He turned the handle, opened the door the smallest crack possible and froze. Nothing. No sounds, there was nobody outside. Controlling his urge to burst out laughing at the poor security they had placed upon him, he looked outside with lightening speed. Nobody. With a smile, he took a deep breath, and counted silently. One...two...three! He controlled his light feet, so they made not a sound in the stone halls as he ran full speed, a blur of golden hair all that was seen of him as he moved. Reaching the staircase, he paused and waited for sounds. Light steps, calm breathing. There was somebody coming up the stairs! Looking around for a hiding place, he managed to spot a dark corner, hidden by a wooden table. It was the perfect hiding place, but was he going to be able to reach it, without being detected? The forest! The birds sang outside, and he was trapped inside this stonewalls! Yes, he was going to make it. Taking a deep breath and holding it, he moved slowly at first...then made a mad dash towards the corner on light feet. He made not a sound as he waited. Whoever had climbed the stairs now came his way, through the halls. It was a male, but that was all he could detect. Holding his breath, and almost shaking in anticipation he waited... And waited... And waited... Until even the light steps of the man that walked the halls, had faded into nothing. Releasing his breath slowly, he risked a look outside. Nobody!!! It was his chance...one...two...and three! Running like an elf possessed he descended the steps in a flash, his steps barely making a sound as he reached the first floor. Barely managing to hide beneath the very stairs as two more people passed his way. Nobody saw him. With one last breath, he looked out. There was no one, and the door towards the outside was open... Closing his eyes in concentration he took another deep breath, then glanced around... And ran! He ran so fast he could not even see where he was going, but he ran, and ran...and reached the door, at long last. The air outside was fresh and sweet, and the trees sang in joy when he was felt among them. With a relieved smile, he climbed the nearest tree, and jumped from branch to branch, farther and farther away from his prison in utter happiness, when suddenly... "LEGOLAS!!! WHERE HAS THE PRINCE GONE?!" A female's distressed voice cried suddenly and loudly through the area. With a wince, Legolas froze on the branch he was on, to glance beneath and check for people around. None yet, he still had a chance. But when he turned back, he was dismayed to find that the branches of the trees ahead of him were too high to be reached with a simple jump, and he could not afford to waste any time. He would have to run though the ground. There was still nobody within his eyesight... One...two...three! Legolas jumped from the tree and ran as fast as he could. He almost reached it...he was almost in the forest outside of the borders of the prison! He was almost away from his prison, and away from the people looking for him. Just one more mile and he would be free. Forcing his legs to carry him faster, he never saw it coming. Suddenly there was somebody in front of him, and he crashed head on into a strong body, stumbling and falling in his shock, managing to throw the other person to the floor with him. Glancing up, he felt despair well up in him. His eyes wanted to fill with tears. For there, stood his captor. With a grin, the evil captor reached towards him and took him in strong arms before he could manage to escape. He was lifted from the ground, as the other person laughed. Legolas fought bravely against the arms that held him against a stronger body, but it was of no use. He had been trapped once more. His captor laughed once more "My little Greenleaf, you will be the death of me! How many times do I have to tell you? You cannot go out to the forest on your own, you are too young! Ten years is nothing for an elf, my little one" His father laughed quietly as he carried him back towards the palace. "And tell me, just how did you managed to climb out of the corral you were on, hmm?" Legolas sighed, and glanced up at his father. The king did not seem mad...but Legolas wanted to go outside! "I climbed Ada...were you not busy?" The little elf whined as his father stopped his walk beneath a beautiful ancient tree, and sat on the ground with his tiny son on his arms. "I was, yes, and I finally got some time off from long and boring meetings to see my dear little son, only to find your room empty and your guardian screaming her poor head off" The king said, glancing down towards the sulking young one "Why did you do that, Legolas? You do know that you cannot go out on your own" "I am old enou..." "Nay you are not" "Ada! I am ten!" "Legolas do you know what a human is?" "Aye" "Have you seen a human child?" "Aye, when the messenger brought here his little one of only three!" "Aye, and you know what?" "What?" "In human years..." "Aye?" "You are four" "Ada!" "'Tis the truth my little one" "But Ada...I want to see the forest! I heard 'tis very pretty" "Legolas..." "Aye, Ada?" "Look around you" The little one glanced up from his father's arms to find that they were surrounded with trees and nature, the castle not visible anywhere. "You run fast, my little one" Legolas smiled up at his father and went to the tallest tree. With a determined little frown he began to climb it only to fall back once...twice...three times... His father laughed and stood up, helping his son to the lowest branch "Do not climb too high, Legolas, you may loose your balance" The little golden haired elf nodded obediently before climbing into the next branch and sitting on it. After a moment of comfortable silence, a small voice was heard in the forest of Mirkwood. "Ada?" "Aye?" "I am not four!" The End. Do not ask me where this came from, I have not the slightest idea *grin* my current mail is siberian_blue18@yahoo.com. Please R&R, this was fun to write, and I want to know if it's any good at all.