Disclaimer: Tolkien created Middle Earth; I'm just playing in it.
Riding to War
The days are strange indeed, when the men of Rohan ride to war with an elf. Legolas, he is called, from Mirkwood, far to the north. He has been the topic of much discussion, though it is hushed. Théoden King trusts him, and thus we are to trust him. Few men who ride behind this elf trust him. Many ask what business an elf has fighting in the wars of man, and though we are distant we have heard that the elves are leaving Middle Earth. If Legolas of Mirkwood is a prince, why does he not lead his people? Would he rather face death for a cause not his own, no matter how noble it is, than enjoy immortality with his own kind? It is these questions that are asked in the hushed shadows and lead men to distrust him.
Yet it is these questions that lead me to trust him. I voiced this opinion once, and my comrades enjoyed a hearty laugh at my expense. "Roaléd trusts the elf, so he must have pure intentions," they sneered. It may be that they are right, and I am too trusting, but I hold fast to my position. For surely it must be a noble heart that forsakes all to fight against a fate that can be escaped. I doubt that I would do the same. Perhaps Legolas of Mirkwood is a braver soul than I. This thought is not entirely pleasant, but in these uncertain days one must at least be honest to one's self.
I know not the name of the dwarf who rides with him, but the very presence of a dwarf gives credence to my trust. Dwarves and elves have long despised each other, and dwarves have never been among the allies of Rohan, preferring their mines to wide plains. If Legolas rides with a dwarf, he is an elf unlike any of which men have heard. Before fighting a single orc, he must have fought the ancient hatred of dwarves that runs in the immortal blood of elfkind. His triumph over that speaks to his character.
"This one may be an outcast," I have heard. "Does he not have a wife or elfin maiden whose eyes cannot hide her fear when he rides to battle?" I do not know and would not be so impertinent as to ask, but we have also heard that he is young, for an elf. It is possible that he has not taken a wife because he never considered that a time would come when he no longer could. Certainly he is no unfeeling monster, as some have suggested, for I saw the burden of pain fall heavy on his shoulders when Aragorn, son of Arathorn, died. No, my heart tells me that Legolas of Mirkwood is honorable, and though his motives remain veiled in mystery, he will fight for our freedom as if it were his own. I am proud to ride behind him.
