A/N: This is kinda at a weird point, I played with plot line a little.
Sam and Frodo have gone to destroy the Ring, and the others are just
traveling aimlessly, pretty much. They have already gotten Pippin and
Merry back. Dunno what else to say. Please R/R, tell me what you think!
~Rhiannon
Gimli, Legolas, Aragorn, Pippin, and Merry had been traveling for a month straight, just trying to stay away from the orcs, which were always right on their tail. They were now camping out about an hour away from the Mirkwood. Legolas and Aragorn were keeping watch while the others slept.
"Are you glad to be so close to home, Elf?" Aragorn asked his companion.
"In all honesty, I'd prefer not to go home. I will not want to leave, and my father will more than likely not let me."
"Then maybe we had best avoid the North Mirkwood. What of the South?"
"I think we would be smart to stop by the South Mirkwood. The Elves there are a friendly folk, and they would love to have visitors, especially those of other species."
"That seems strange for Elves."
"The Elves of Mirkwood are more social than most others. They are fans of feast and friends, and were the first Elves to ever make music of any kind. Almost every night is a celebration to them."
"Almost like Hobbits, then?"
"Almost," and then they fell silent. Legolas looked around for a while, listening to the sounds of the night, then looked back at the man sitting next to him. "Aragorn, what's your reason for being here?"
"What do you mean, Elf?"
"Your reason for fighting, for protecting the Ring and Frodo."
Aragorn chuckled, "You mean besides saving the world, I assume."
"Of course."
"Arwen, my beloved. I want to give her a safer world to live in, even though she herself is a bit of a fighter. If I am to start a life with her, I want to have a safe world for us to raise a family in."
Legolas smiled a little, "Always the knight, aren't you, Aragorn?"
The swordsman blushed a little, "What is your reason, Legolas?"
The Elf looked up at the starlit sky, "To find one."
Aragorn looked at him, confused, "What do you mean?"
"My reason to fight is to find a reason to fight. Or someone to fight for, something to return home to."
"Well, my friend, I hope you find it. I hope you find it." And they fell silent, watching the first golden rays of the sun paint the far mountains with light.
As soon as the sun had fully risen in the sky, Aragorn and Legolas began to wake the others, and they began walking again. They walked for an hour, then came upon the woods themselves.
The whole group took on a bit of a different air, becoming more suspicious, looking around every corner for a possible enemy. Except for Legolas, that is. Being of the Sylvan Elves himself, he felt completely at home in the woods. If he were anyone else he might have started to whistle.
After another half hour or so of walking, they began to see strange things. An Elven child, or possibly even the occasional adult, would run by every few minutes or so.
Merry turned to Legolas, "Where are they coming from? There must be a village nearby, if these small children are here."
Legolas just smiled, "We are in the village, my friends."
Everyone gave him a strange look, and he simply pointed above them. They looked up, to see a village built entirely in the trees. Each tree had its own home or shop in it, and people were hustling about their daily business on ladders made of leaves and vine, completely oblivious to the visitors below. At the end there was a great oak, much larger and older than the trees surrounding, which they assumed must be the palace of this city's ruling family. All the homes were different, made so as not to hurt the tree itself, but to use it as part of their home.
The travelers were so amazed by the city's architecture that they almost didn't hear the music coming from nearby. Up until they almost ran into Legolas, who had stopped walking.
"What was that for?" Pippin yelled up at him.
Legolas just pointed in front of him, "We found the villagers." And he walked forward again.
Gimli, Legolas, Aragorn, Pippin, and Merry had been traveling for a month straight, just trying to stay away from the orcs, which were always right on their tail. They were now camping out about an hour away from the Mirkwood. Legolas and Aragorn were keeping watch while the others slept.
"Are you glad to be so close to home, Elf?" Aragorn asked his companion.
"In all honesty, I'd prefer not to go home. I will not want to leave, and my father will more than likely not let me."
"Then maybe we had best avoid the North Mirkwood. What of the South?"
"I think we would be smart to stop by the South Mirkwood. The Elves there are a friendly folk, and they would love to have visitors, especially those of other species."
"That seems strange for Elves."
"The Elves of Mirkwood are more social than most others. They are fans of feast and friends, and were the first Elves to ever make music of any kind. Almost every night is a celebration to them."
"Almost like Hobbits, then?"
"Almost," and then they fell silent. Legolas looked around for a while, listening to the sounds of the night, then looked back at the man sitting next to him. "Aragorn, what's your reason for being here?"
"What do you mean, Elf?"
"Your reason for fighting, for protecting the Ring and Frodo."
Aragorn chuckled, "You mean besides saving the world, I assume."
"Of course."
"Arwen, my beloved. I want to give her a safer world to live in, even though she herself is a bit of a fighter. If I am to start a life with her, I want to have a safe world for us to raise a family in."
Legolas smiled a little, "Always the knight, aren't you, Aragorn?"
The swordsman blushed a little, "What is your reason, Legolas?"
The Elf looked up at the starlit sky, "To find one."
Aragorn looked at him, confused, "What do you mean?"
"My reason to fight is to find a reason to fight. Or someone to fight for, something to return home to."
"Well, my friend, I hope you find it. I hope you find it." And they fell silent, watching the first golden rays of the sun paint the far mountains with light.
As soon as the sun had fully risen in the sky, Aragorn and Legolas began to wake the others, and they began walking again. They walked for an hour, then came upon the woods themselves.
The whole group took on a bit of a different air, becoming more suspicious, looking around every corner for a possible enemy. Except for Legolas, that is. Being of the Sylvan Elves himself, he felt completely at home in the woods. If he were anyone else he might have started to whistle.
After another half hour or so of walking, they began to see strange things. An Elven child, or possibly even the occasional adult, would run by every few minutes or so.
Merry turned to Legolas, "Where are they coming from? There must be a village nearby, if these small children are here."
Legolas just smiled, "We are in the village, my friends."
Everyone gave him a strange look, and he simply pointed above them. They looked up, to see a village built entirely in the trees. Each tree had its own home or shop in it, and people were hustling about their daily business on ladders made of leaves and vine, completely oblivious to the visitors below. At the end there was a great oak, much larger and older than the trees surrounding, which they assumed must be the palace of this city's ruling family. All the homes were different, made so as not to hurt the tree itself, but to use it as part of their home.
The travelers were so amazed by the city's architecture that they almost didn't hear the music coming from nearby. Up until they almost ran into Legolas, who had stopped walking.
"What was that for?" Pippin yelled up at him.
Legolas just pointed in front of him, "We found the villagers." And he walked forward again.