"My lord?"

Thranduil set down his wine cup and turned around, his long silver robe swishing around his feet and his head held high. "What is it, Hyrondal?"

"The scouts have found something of interest in Mirkwood, my lord. I advise you to come and see."

With a dramatic sigh, Thranduil followed Hyrondal down to the lower levels of his palace. "What have you found? Some foul experiment abandoned by the orcs? Or are humans daring to invade my wood?"

"Humans are not a problem, my lord. It is not any ordinary thing the scouts have found."

"You arouse my interest," Thranduil said with another sigh. Then he noticed they were going to the healing wing and all boredom vanished. "By the valar, was someone hurt?"

"Yes, my lord. But not one of the scouts."

A long, pathetic, terrified scream filled the air. Thranduil winced at the sound. Suddenly a small, dirty creature slammed into Thranduil and they both toppled to the floor.

"Catch him! Do not let him get away!" cried the voice of Healer Jailil. "Somebody catch him!"

With great presence of mind, Thranduil grabbed ahold of the struggling creature's arm and lugged him to his feet to the accompaniment of another howl of terror. "Why," he demanded, "Have the scouts brought an animal to my home?"

Healer Jailil skidded to a halt in front of his lord. "Well done, my lord. But the arm you are holding is broken."

Thranduil quickly let go of the skinny arm he held tightly. No wonder the creature was howling his head off! But as he looked closer, his mouth dropped open in amazement. The creature was a child! A scrawny, starving child! One arm was broken. Many ugly purple bruises covered his pinched, frightened face. Dirty hair hung in wild confusion around the elfling's head. The poor child was trembling all over, staring around him with wild eyes. He huddled back against the wall, miserably clutching his broken arm and looking like he knew he was going to die.

There was no doubt in Thranduil's mind that the elfling had been abused and badly. But what kind of elf would hurt a child like this? What kind of person would be so cruel?

Healer Jailil stepped toward the boy. The elfling's eyes opened wide and he screamed, shrinking away from the Healer. He glanced wildly at Thranduil and flung himself against the elven king, burying his face in Thranduil's robe and sobbing pitifully.

"He seems to like you," Healer Jailil remarked drily. "As you can see, he hates me. Bring him to healing room number twenty-four."

Thranduil tried to separate the elfling from his robe, frowning at the awkwardness of it all, but the boy hung on desperately, clutching the fabric with his good hand.

"I am not going to hurt you," Thranduil said as gently as he could manage. But his voice came out sounding more annoyed then gentle. Nasty, grubby fingers soiling his robe!

"He does not believe you," Healer Jailil sighed. "And I am not surprised; he has probably been lied to all his life. My lord, as much as it hurts, I am going to have to ask you to force him to room twenty-four. He must have treatment and soon."

Thranduil reached down, intending to grab the boy's good arm and drag him, kicking and screaming, down the hall, but the elfling let go of his robe and quietly limped ahead of him until he reached the doorway to healing room twenty-four.

Thranduil turned to go but the instant his back was turned, the elfling shrieked, "No! No! Come back! Please, please, please come back!"

Thranduil turned around slowly and dragged his unwilling feet into the healing room. Healer Jailil shrugged at him apologetically as he led the elfling to the bed. The child lay down willingly and reached for Thranduil's hand.

Thranduil sat down unhappily on one side of he bed so the elfling could hold his hand. He could jerk his hand away and walk out, but the child's screams would be unbearably heart wrenching. So he stayed where he was, noticing how thin and bony the boy's hand was.

Healer Jailil began to remove the elfling's ragged remains of clothing. The elfling's entire body was covered with the same bruises that covered his face. The child moaned in agony when Healer Jailil began to massage healing oils and salves into his damaged skin. His fingers tightened on Thranduil's hand.

Thranduil looked at the boy's face. "Do you have a name?" he asked.

The elfling looked at Thranduil and confusion and fear passed through his eyes. He took a long time to answer but he finally gasped out, "Asmeril."

"I am Thranduil Greenleaf of Mirkwood," Thranduil said. "Relax, Asmeril. You are safe here."

Asmeril's eyelids began to flutter. He gave a huge sigh and fell asleep, snuggling into the pillows. Thranduil immediately withdrew his hand and stood up. He stepped outside the room to speak with Hyrondal.

"Where was the child found?" Thranduil demanded.

"The scouts found him in the forest, my lord. They brought him to Healer Jailil immediately. The child was alone. There were no identifying objects or a note. I hate to say it, but it is almost as if someone dragged the elfling out here purposefully to abuse him and then abandoned him afterwards."

Thranduil chewed his bottom lip and frowned. "You are dismissed. This is indeed a peculiar mystery for me to solve!"

Please comment and let me know your thoughts. I had a lot of fun writing this.