Darkness Has Come
Author: - M.J.Emery
Rating: - PG13
Summary: - The peoples of Middle - Earth have united to defeat the darkness of Mirkwood but divisions within are threatening the war before the first blow falls. As the darkness descends hope falters with Prince Legolas the one with most to lose.
Authors notes: - This is the third and final part of this story arc. It takes place a few days after the end of Nwalmaer so to understand fully the situation and the characters you might want to read that first, although hopefully it will be able to stand alone. Hopefully this gives an adequate conclusion to the arc and all feedback would be very much appreciated. University work is increasing but I will endeavour to update once a week as one of my pet peeves is getting into a story only to have to wait months for an update, I would hopefully spare you this although please do not send flaming balrogs or orc armies if I am a bit late :-) Please don't let this put you off, I hope you enjoy this and please review either on the sites or by email. Well enough blabbering from me. Enjoy!
P.S. Just a quick question. Does anyone know the music on the lotr trailers? In the UK it is the music that features on the EA games advert before Return of the King started?
**
'Whoever does not have the stomach for this fight, let him depart. Give him money to speed his departure since we wish not to die in that man's company. Whoever lives past today and comes home safely will rouse himself each year on this day, show his neighbour his scars, and tell embellished stories of all their great feats of battle. These stories he will teach his son and from this day until the end of the world we shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; for whoever has shed his blood with me shall be my brother. And those men afraid to go will think themselves lesser men as they hear how we fought and died together.'
*-* William Shakespeare, Henry V *-*
** The snowflakes fluttered on the wind as if they were alive and capable of moving independently around on the currents. Dusk was quickly approaching and the biting cold penetrated into the bones of anyone unfortunate to be outside. Deep within the forest of Mirkwood stood a solitary elf before a clearing full of crosses. The crosses were simple in design, just plain wood looped together with a crude inscription of a name. There were no bodies; it was a field of mourning. A place that marked the deaths of elves that fought in the defence of Mirkwood as it faltered and crumbled.
The youngest prince of Mirkwood Legolas Greenleaf stood perfectly still letting the snow flurries whirl around him without acknowledging the biting cold that affected all even those of elven descent. His hair blew around his head free from the braids that usually adorned the golden strands. Clutched in numb fingers was a single pale blue flower, he had long forgotten its name but knew it was Kahari's favourite. He was stood before a simple wooden cross. Nothing special, apart from a rough inscription of Kahari's name, indicated that this was his. There was no body, many of the dead had not been recovered and for a brief second Legolas wondered what had happened to it, whether it had been discovered by some of Mirkwood's warriors and given a quick burial knowing not who he was or more disturbing whether it had been taken by orcs. Deciding that he wished not to know he knelt on the snow before the cross.
"I know not what to say, apart from that I am sorry. I failed you." Legolas laid the flower in front of it. "I failed to protect our home and now it is a pitiful remnant of what you once knew. I had thought that when I returned from the quest to destroy the ring that I had improved as an elf, that I was more mature, more knowledgeable of the world but I am not. I have seen so much and learned so little from it."
Legolas silenced for a brief moment as he schooled his thoughts and calmed himself.
"The alliance of elves, dwarfs and men is falling apart and it has barely formed. I am not that naïve to believe that once everyone had declared their loyalty and vows to aid each other that it would all fall into place, but I had hoped that it would take longer for the first words to be crossed. The arguments are over the pettiest things that are not even worth discussing."
He was shaking now, the bitter cold producing a severe reaction in the weakened elf. After his torture and internment in Dol Guldur as prisoner of Sauron and his orcs his healing abilities had not recovered, which Aragorn, Gimli and the others constantly pointed out.
"I am so tired my brother and the battle has not even started." Legolas bowed his head letting his hair curtain his face. He stayed like that for what seemed like an age. The light was fading and the last of the warmth had fled. He had stopped shaking and felt numb.
A strong hand on his shoulder brought him slowly back to reality. Aragorn or Gimli he thought but was surprised when Eomer appeared in his line of vision.
"The fires have been lit, it is not much but I think you will find it warmer." The young King said. Legolas caught his eyes and let out a sigh.
"I fear I have remained in this position too long."
Eomer stood quickly and proceeded to help the elf to his feet. He held on securely until Legolas steadied and circulation was restored.
"Aragorn and Gimli were about to send out search parties, I supposed you might be here and thought to find you before they did to spare the lecture." Eomer said quietly.
"Thank you. Has calm returned?" he asked the doubt evident in his voice.
Eomer snorted softly. "I fear we have more chance of Gimli climbing trees and engaging the squirrels in conversation than a day passing without argument. It has only stilled because sleep has taken them."
"How do they expect this battle to be won when they cannot agree to the simplest things?"
"In my experience alliances always start like this, it is best to sort out issues before it comes to the battle."
"What if that does not happen? If we are divided we will fall."
"I will not let that happen."
Legolas smiled briefly at the slight arrogance of the comment but knew that it was only meant to install confidence.
"There you are!" Legolas scowled as he heard a familiar voice taking its usual scolding tone. "I have told you that it is neither safe or wise for you to be wondering alone in your present condition."
Aragorn marched forward anger flaring across his face but also concern.
"I am not your child Aragorn to scorn and command, or pregnant neither am I ill."
"Then why is Eomer aiding you to walk?"
Eomer moved away quickly as if to demonstrate that Legolas could support himself.
"What has changed in you to turn you like this? I am your friend."
Eomer moved away to return to his men leaving the two staring at each other.
Aragorn waited until he had gone before turning to face the elf.
"You totally disregard your health and your limitations! You are not infallible."
"Never before have you become so bad! Do you harbour guilt still and think that by trailing around me, commanding me like a small child will help allay that?!"
Legolas watched as Aragorn's face flashed with emotion, deep guilt, then hurt and finally anger. The man stepped right in front of Legolas his eyes flashing.
"I will harbour guilt as you put it for the rest of my life! I failed you, my best friend and I left you to be tortured and tormented whilst your home was destroyed." Aragorn's voice cracked,
"I will never forgive myself and each day that I look at you, watch as you shiver in cold that normally wouldn't affect you, as you stumble over things that normally wouldn't present a problem to you I feel levels of terrible guilt that you cannot even begin to understand. Each day I wake and for a few seconds, before it all sinks in before I remember all of this, I feel content and then I look at you, look in your eyes and see that spark gone and the hatred."
Legolas opened his mouth to protest but Aragorn placed two fingers against the elf's lips.
"I know you forgive me.but how can you, I don't know if I could ever face you if our positions were reversed. As much as we can deny it everything has changed between us. How can you ever trust me? How can you fight by my side as you once did knowing that when it came down to it I would falter again threatening your life?"
Legolas took a step back and spoke.
"I forgive you Estel, true sometimes I feel anger but not towards you. My home has been destroyed, my brother is dead and the creatures that did this are preparing to attack again and kill my friends, still I feel no anger, the only anger I feel is towards myself for letting this happen and nothing you, Gimli or anyone else can say will change that. I am a Prince of Mirkwood, sworn to protect it at all costs and I have failed. The guilt of that is ingrained within me and each day as the casualty lists increase a part of me fades. Every time you or Gimli or my father or anyone remind me of my frailties the guilt increases more because I am not able to protect my home as I was born to do."
Aragorn frowned. "I am sorry Legolas, I am just concerned. You are not healing, it seems that you have reached a point that your grievous wounds of the mind and body are healed and your body has stopped. As a friend and healer I worry for you and I know it grates on you but you have only just been returned to me and I wish not to lose you again. Forgive me?"
Legolas heard the plea in Aragorn's voice and let his features soften. "Aye but please can we try in the future to have conversations that do not involve one of us asking the other for forgiveness."
Aragorn's face widened in a smile. "Agreed. Now let us warm ourselves by the fire as I fear I am losing feeling in my toes."
Legolas nodded and joined the man as they headed towards the fire. For tonight the arguments and discussions were over but both knew that the morning would present new ones that would require patience and diplomacy of the highest degree, which would demand a peaceful night sleep.
** Gimli muttered several curses of an obscure dialect of dwarfish as the morning sunlight burned through the window of his tent and through his closed eyelids reminding him that indeed it was morning and pretty late morning if the sun was anything to go by. With another groan he sat up and opened his eyes hissing as the rays blinded him, oh how he wished he were within a cave, no pesky sunlight there. From the groans around him he knew his fellow dwarfs were feeling the same. As soon as vision was restored to him, apart from the black dots that floated around as if mocking him, he noted that the snowfall that night had indeed been heavy, heavier than on previous days. The tents that had been hastily erected creaked under the strain of the drifts and he hastily ordered them to be cleared. He would be loath to spend the day re - erecting them.
A deep rumbling reminded him that he needed food and he remembered that he was supposed to be breakfasting with Aragorn and Legolas. Oh well it looked like it would be lunch and that there would be a lecture for him about tardiness. With a loud sigh he trod through the snow making precious little progress as with every step he sank deeper into the white drifts. 'Well' he thought to himself 'I could say that I had every intention of making breakfast but it took this long to get to their tents.'
Looking around he saw that the others were having similar difficulties. Moving out of the clearing that the dwarf's had been assigned he proceeded through the clearing of Rohan soldiers and approached the tents of Gondor. The elves were housed some distance off although where the Mirkwood elves resided no one quite knew, the clearings had been enchanted so that they weren't discovered but that still did not stop the posting of guards. The others were stood around fires in an attempt to warm themselves nervously watching the foreboding shadows of the forest that even in sunlight did not dispel. Others sharpened their weapons as if afraid that if they went blunt creatures would swarm down on them with murderous intentions.
The giant tent of the King of Gondor had already been cleared of snow and the silver tree of Gondor was glowing brightly in the sunlight. The two guards in front of the tent nodded and opened the flap admitting the dwarf. Gimli had to blink rapidly as everything went black as his eyes used to the bright glowing white snow slowly adjusted to the change.
"Nice of you to join us Gimli for a moment I feared you might have been buried in a snow drift unable to get out." A familiar musical voice mocked. As soon as Gimli could see he awarded Legolas with a glare that quelled most but unfortunately the elf was not one of them. Legolas laughed merrily. Aragorn was sat next to the elf both eating, albeit Legolas was pushing food around the plate with the seeming intent that if he did it enough some of it would disappear as if by magic. Gimli caught Aragorn watching the elf out of the corner of his eye and frowning as he did so. Deciding not to comment Gimli sat down and helped himself to some of the food in the centre of the table.
"I apologise for my tardiness my friends." He said before he bit into some of the meat.
Aragorn waved off his apology. "It matters not, it was an informal meal and as you see Legolas and I have only just begun to eat."
"Problems?" Gimli questioned as he took a deep gulp of the ale that Aragorn had poured on his arrival.
"Nay. My father had to brief the warrior captains this morning. It went on longer than expected." Legolas stated.
"Well there is not much you can do now with weather like this." Gimli replied.
"On the contrary Master Dwarf unlike you we can walk on snow therefore we do not sink like lead weights." Legolas mocked his eyes glinting in mirth.
"Well until you can walk on water I remain unimpressed." Gimli snorted.
Legolas just smiled and Gimli suddenly felt very concerned for his immediate well-being. Aragorn sensing the rising level of mischievousness between the two interrupted.
"May I ask what the topic of this council was?" The light atmosphere within the tent vanished within the blink of an eye and a flash of terrible anguish flashed across Legolas's face. Aragorn cursed his foolish tongue.
Legolas ducked his head and when he lifted it his face was masked, all emotions hidden.
"We are taking casualty numbers, working out who is missing still. Many of us within Azian's party were presumed dead. We cannot find the bodies and that leads us to consider possibilities we wish not to."
Silence reigned within the tent, as the three were lost with their own thoughts. The silence was interrupted as Eomer entered.
"We have been summoned." He said ruefully. "Lord Elrond and Gandalf wish to speak to all of us. They believe we have been sat idle for too long."
Legolas eyes flashed angrily and he stabbed a piece of fruit with much more force than necessary.
Aragorn glanced at him but decided to ignore him for the time being.
"Then we shall attend." Aragorn said rising, placing his napkin on his plate. Gimli followed suit and after a brief moment Legolas rose as well.
The quartet left the tent and made the short walk to Lord Elrond's tent. Opening the flap they stepped in and were greeted by Lord Elrond and Gandalf sat comfortably discussing the snow.
"Ah now we are all here we can begin." Gandalf said as he blew a smoke ring into the air.
**
Author: - M.J.Emery
Rating: - PG13
Summary: - The peoples of Middle - Earth have united to defeat the darkness of Mirkwood but divisions within are threatening the war before the first blow falls. As the darkness descends hope falters with Prince Legolas the one with most to lose.
Authors notes: - This is the third and final part of this story arc. It takes place a few days after the end of Nwalmaer so to understand fully the situation and the characters you might want to read that first, although hopefully it will be able to stand alone. Hopefully this gives an adequate conclusion to the arc and all feedback would be very much appreciated. University work is increasing but I will endeavour to update once a week as one of my pet peeves is getting into a story only to have to wait months for an update, I would hopefully spare you this although please do not send flaming balrogs or orc armies if I am a bit late :-) Please don't let this put you off, I hope you enjoy this and please review either on the sites or by email. Well enough blabbering from me. Enjoy!
P.S. Just a quick question. Does anyone know the music on the lotr trailers? In the UK it is the music that features on the EA games advert before Return of the King started?
**
'Whoever does not have the stomach for this fight, let him depart. Give him money to speed his departure since we wish not to die in that man's company. Whoever lives past today and comes home safely will rouse himself each year on this day, show his neighbour his scars, and tell embellished stories of all their great feats of battle. These stories he will teach his son and from this day until the end of the world we shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; for whoever has shed his blood with me shall be my brother. And those men afraid to go will think themselves lesser men as they hear how we fought and died together.'
*-* William Shakespeare, Henry V *-*
** The snowflakes fluttered on the wind as if they were alive and capable of moving independently around on the currents. Dusk was quickly approaching and the biting cold penetrated into the bones of anyone unfortunate to be outside. Deep within the forest of Mirkwood stood a solitary elf before a clearing full of crosses. The crosses were simple in design, just plain wood looped together with a crude inscription of a name. There were no bodies; it was a field of mourning. A place that marked the deaths of elves that fought in the defence of Mirkwood as it faltered and crumbled.
The youngest prince of Mirkwood Legolas Greenleaf stood perfectly still letting the snow flurries whirl around him without acknowledging the biting cold that affected all even those of elven descent. His hair blew around his head free from the braids that usually adorned the golden strands. Clutched in numb fingers was a single pale blue flower, he had long forgotten its name but knew it was Kahari's favourite. He was stood before a simple wooden cross. Nothing special, apart from a rough inscription of Kahari's name, indicated that this was his. There was no body, many of the dead had not been recovered and for a brief second Legolas wondered what had happened to it, whether it had been discovered by some of Mirkwood's warriors and given a quick burial knowing not who he was or more disturbing whether it had been taken by orcs. Deciding that he wished not to know he knelt on the snow before the cross.
"I know not what to say, apart from that I am sorry. I failed you." Legolas laid the flower in front of it. "I failed to protect our home and now it is a pitiful remnant of what you once knew. I had thought that when I returned from the quest to destroy the ring that I had improved as an elf, that I was more mature, more knowledgeable of the world but I am not. I have seen so much and learned so little from it."
Legolas silenced for a brief moment as he schooled his thoughts and calmed himself.
"The alliance of elves, dwarfs and men is falling apart and it has barely formed. I am not that naïve to believe that once everyone had declared their loyalty and vows to aid each other that it would all fall into place, but I had hoped that it would take longer for the first words to be crossed. The arguments are over the pettiest things that are not even worth discussing."
He was shaking now, the bitter cold producing a severe reaction in the weakened elf. After his torture and internment in Dol Guldur as prisoner of Sauron and his orcs his healing abilities had not recovered, which Aragorn, Gimli and the others constantly pointed out.
"I am so tired my brother and the battle has not even started." Legolas bowed his head letting his hair curtain his face. He stayed like that for what seemed like an age. The light was fading and the last of the warmth had fled. He had stopped shaking and felt numb.
A strong hand on his shoulder brought him slowly back to reality. Aragorn or Gimli he thought but was surprised when Eomer appeared in his line of vision.
"The fires have been lit, it is not much but I think you will find it warmer." The young King said. Legolas caught his eyes and let out a sigh.
"I fear I have remained in this position too long."
Eomer stood quickly and proceeded to help the elf to his feet. He held on securely until Legolas steadied and circulation was restored.
"Aragorn and Gimli were about to send out search parties, I supposed you might be here and thought to find you before they did to spare the lecture." Eomer said quietly.
"Thank you. Has calm returned?" he asked the doubt evident in his voice.
Eomer snorted softly. "I fear we have more chance of Gimli climbing trees and engaging the squirrels in conversation than a day passing without argument. It has only stilled because sleep has taken them."
"How do they expect this battle to be won when they cannot agree to the simplest things?"
"In my experience alliances always start like this, it is best to sort out issues before it comes to the battle."
"What if that does not happen? If we are divided we will fall."
"I will not let that happen."
Legolas smiled briefly at the slight arrogance of the comment but knew that it was only meant to install confidence.
"There you are!" Legolas scowled as he heard a familiar voice taking its usual scolding tone. "I have told you that it is neither safe or wise for you to be wondering alone in your present condition."
Aragorn marched forward anger flaring across his face but also concern.
"I am not your child Aragorn to scorn and command, or pregnant neither am I ill."
"Then why is Eomer aiding you to walk?"
Eomer moved away quickly as if to demonstrate that Legolas could support himself.
"What has changed in you to turn you like this? I am your friend."
Eomer moved away to return to his men leaving the two staring at each other.
Aragorn waited until he had gone before turning to face the elf.
"You totally disregard your health and your limitations! You are not infallible."
"Never before have you become so bad! Do you harbour guilt still and think that by trailing around me, commanding me like a small child will help allay that?!"
Legolas watched as Aragorn's face flashed with emotion, deep guilt, then hurt and finally anger. The man stepped right in front of Legolas his eyes flashing.
"I will harbour guilt as you put it for the rest of my life! I failed you, my best friend and I left you to be tortured and tormented whilst your home was destroyed." Aragorn's voice cracked,
"I will never forgive myself and each day that I look at you, watch as you shiver in cold that normally wouldn't affect you, as you stumble over things that normally wouldn't present a problem to you I feel levels of terrible guilt that you cannot even begin to understand. Each day I wake and for a few seconds, before it all sinks in before I remember all of this, I feel content and then I look at you, look in your eyes and see that spark gone and the hatred."
Legolas opened his mouth to protest but Aragorn placed two fingers against the elf's lips.
"I know you forgive me.but how can you, I don't know if I could ever face you if our positions were reversed. As much as we can deny it everything has changed between us. How can you ever trust me? How can you fight by my side as you once did knowing that when it came down to it I would falter again threatening your life?"
Legolas took a step back and spoke.
"I forgive you Estel, true sometimes I feel anger but not towards you. My home has been destroyed, my brother is dead and the creatures that did this are preparing to attack again and kill my friends, still I feel no anger, the only anger I feel is towards myself for letting this happen and nothing you, Gimli or anyone else can say will change that. I am a Prince of Mirkwood, sworn to protect it at all costs and I have failed. The guilt of that is ingrained within me and each day as the casualty lists increase a part of me fades. Every time you or Gimli or my father or anyone remind me of my frailties the guilt increases more because I am not able to protect my home as I was born to do."
Aragorn frowned. "I am sorry Legolas, I am just concerned. You are not healing, it seems that you have reached a point that your grievous wounds of the mind and body are healed and your body has stopped. As a friend and healer I worry for you and I know it grates on you but you have only just been returned to me and I wish not to lose you again. Forgive me?"
Legolas heard the plea in Aragorn's voice and let his features soften. "Aye but please can we try in the future to have conversations that do not involve one of us asking the other for forgiveness."
Aragorn's face widened in a smile. "Agreed. Now let us warm ourselves by the fire as I fear I am losing feeling in my toes."
Legolas nodded and joined the man as they headed towards the fire. For tonight the arguments and discussions were over but both knew that the morning would present new ones that would require patience and diplomacy of the highest degree, which would demand a peaceful night sleep.
** Gimli muttered several curses of an obscure dialect of dwarfish as the morning sunlight burned through the window of his tent and through his closed eyelids reminding him that indeed it was morning and pretty late morning if the sun was anything to go by. With another groan he sat up and opened his eyes hissing as the rays blinded him, oh how he wished he were within a cave, no pesky sunlight there. From the groans around him he knew his fellow dwarfs were feeling the same. As soon as vision was restored to him, apart from the black dots that floated around as if mocking him, he noted that the snowfall that night had indeed been heavy, heavier than on previous days. The tents that had been hastily erected creaked under the strain of the drifts and he hastily ordered them to be cleared. He would be loath to spend the day re - erecting them.
A deep rumbling reminded him that he needed food and he remembered that he was supposed to be breakfasting with Aragorn and Legolas. Oh well it looked like it would be lunch and that there would be a lecture for him about tardiness. With a loud sigh he trod through the snow making precious little progress as with every step he sank deeper into the white drifts. 'Well' he thought to himself 'I could say that I had every intention of making breakfast but it took this long to get to their tents.'
Looking around he saw that the others were having similar difficulties. Moving out of the clearing that the dwarf's had been assigned he proceeded through the clearing of Rohan soldiers and approached the tents of Gondor. The elves were housed some distance off although where the Mirkwood elves resided no one quite knew, the clearings had been enchanted so that they weren't discovered but that still did not stop the posting of guards. The others were stood around fires in an attempt to warm themselves nervously watching the foreboding shadows of the forest that even in sunlight did not dispel. Others sharpened their weapons as if afraid that if they went blunt creatures would swarm down on them with murderous intentions.
The giant tent of the King of Gondor had already been cleared of snow and the silver tree of Gondor was glowing brightly in the sunlight. The two guards in front of the tent nodded and opened the flap admitting the dwarf. Gimli had to blink rapidly as everything went black as his eyes used to the bright glowing white snow slowly adjusted to the change.
"Nice of you to join us Gimli for a moment I feared you might have been buried in a snow drift unable to get out." A familiar musical voice mocked. As soon as Gimli could see he awarded Legolas with a glare that quelled most but unfortunately the elf was not one of them. Legolas laughed merrily. Aragorn was sat next to the elf both eating, albeit Legolas was pushing food around the plate with the seeming intent that if he did it enough some of it would disappear as if by magic. Gimli caught Aragorn watching the elf out of the corner of his eye and frowning as he did so. Deciding not to comment Gimli sat down and helped himself to some of the food in the centre of the table.
"I apologise for my tardiness my friends." He said before he bit into some of the meat.
Aragorn waved off his apology. "It matters not, it was an informal meal and as you see Legolas and I have only just begun to eat."
"Problems?" Gimli questioned as he took a deep gulp of the ale that Aragorn had poured on his arrival.
"Nay. My father had to brief the warrior captains this morning. It went on longer than expected." Legolas stated.
"Well there is not much you can do now with weather like this." Gimli replied.
"On the contrary Master Dwarf unlike you we can walk on snow therefore we do not sink like lead weights." Legolas mocked his eyes glinting in mirth.
"Well until you can walk on water I remain unimpressed." Gimli snorted.
Legolas just smiled and Gimli suddenly felt very concerned for his immediate well-being. Aragorn sensing the rising level of mischievousness between the two interrupted.
"May I ask what the topic of this council was?" The light atmosphere within the tent vanished within the blink of an eye and a flash of terrible anguish flashed across Legolas's face. Aragorn cursed his foolish tongue.
Legolas ducked his head and when he lifted it his face was masked, all emotions hidden.
"We are taking casualty numbers, working out who is missing still. Many of us within Azian's party were presumed dead. We cannot find the bodies and that leads us to consider possibilities we wish not to."
Silence reigned within the tent, as the three were lost with their own thoughts. The silence was interrupted as Eomer entered.
"We have been summoned." He said ruefully. "Lord Elrond and Gandalf wish to speak to all of us. They believe we have been sat idle for too long."
Legolas eyes flashed angrily and he stabbed a piece of fruit with much more force than necessary.
Aragorn glanced at him but decided to ignore him for the time being.
"Then we shall attend." Aragorn said rising, placing his napkin on his plate. Gimli followed suit and after a brief moment Legolas rose as well.
The quartet left the tent and made the short walk to Lord Elrond's tent. Opening the flap they stepped in and were greeted by Lord Elrond and Gandalf sat comfortably discussing the snow.
"Ah now we are all here we can begin." Gandalf said as he blew a smoke ring into the air.
**