This is mainly book-oriented, with a few movie touches. It picks up after ROTK, and I have no clue how long it will be. Read, Review, and Enjoy!
~hannah~
Dedication: Audrey, for proofing this for me. Read her stuff under BookSmartBrilliance.
And to Aly, for she needs some good Elf t00By-ness in her life.
I don't own these characters or lands, but I do own Legolas's old mascara tube, go me!
Scarred
Years had passed since the Elves had left middle earth, 200 years. But on one not so special day, they returned: a vast army of woodland elves. Led by their king, Elrond, and a prince of Mirkwood, Legolas.
The army came for many reasons, but the most outstanding was the search for Arwen in the land of Gondor, and the pay homage to the grave of Legolas's beloved friend, Aragorn. The trip took only a few days on horseback once reaching middle earth, and in five passes of the sun the soil of Gondor was underfoot.
The kingdom stood majestically in the failing sunlight, a stone wall of mighty strength. The doorman only came into view when you were already on the gates. He stood in bundle of muddy cloaks covering every inch of the hunched body and face. The voice was raspy and low when it spoke.
"Drop the swords and arrows you carry, there is no need for them in this land."
"Who are you, to demand the largest army in the race of the Elves to willingly hand over their weaponry and armor?" Elrond demanded, his eyes piercing through the cloaked doorman.
"I," The figure said, "Am Acacia, the binding that holds the old allegiance between elves and men together. I am loyal to both the dwellers of the forest and the ones who tear the trees to their death. I am both immortal and fragile, and you Grand Master Elf, know that you have no other choice but to lower your swords and arrows. You know as well as I do that the kings of men would not welcome guests bearing silver blades."
Elrond looked to Legolas, who destrung his bow and dropped his knives. The rest of the elves followed suit; spears were tossed to the ground and swords locked into sheaths of leather.
"You," Acacia said, speaking to Elrond once more when the weapons were withdrawn, "You come seeking not war, nor do you come to give aid to the human race. You come to reclaim a love in your heart that was lost long ago. You came with the mind to find it shattered and decayed, forgotten, but still alive in the depths of time."
"And you," Acacia turned to Legolas. "Came to find the tomb of an old friend, to pay homage to one that saved your life many times in the span of his."
"And how are you so sure of our reasons for journeying to this land, Master Acacia" Legolas said.
"Because, Legolas Greenleaf of the woodland elves, I have been waiting for you to come for many years. I can tell you now that neither you nor Master Elrond will find what you are searching for here, or anywhere on middle earth."
"Then why do you keep us here with riddles and vague answers, Acacia of the Humans?" Elrond asked in his stern tongue, though rattled for the stranger had spoken his name.
"That question cannot be answered by me, but by my king, who I shall go to now. I will return swiftly with the answers to all of your questions." With that the wooden gate was opened just enough to let a chestnut mare escape from inside. Acacia quickly mounted it and disappeared back through the gape and into the kingdom of men the gate shutting behind her.
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The sun set and rose again before Acacia returned through the gate to meet back up with Elrond and Legolas. The Elven army had set camp outside of the gate; but all was packed and replaced on the horses and other tame beasts of burden. The army was already standing in attention and Elrond and Legolas were mounted on their white mares when Acacia came to them on the same Chestnut horse as the night before.
"Has the king a reply for the race of the Elves, Acacia of the Kingdom of Humans?" Elrond asked, examining the hunched, and still cloaked doorman.
"The king sends his reply that the Elves may enter and take refuge in his kingdom, along with a token to Legolas of the Woodland Elves, with the request that it be returned to him when he and Legolas meet."
Acacia stretched out a hand to Legolas and deposited a gleaming object into his palm, then turned to Elrond. "You will be taken to the king with Master Legolas, and your army will be led to suitable quarters that have been prepared in the night for them. Come quickly after me."
Acacia nudged her mare and the horse took up a trot to the fortress gate. Once inside, the army followed a group of human horsemen on Elrond's command, and Acacia led the two leaders to the front gate of the throne room, where their horses were taken to the royal stables and the army led to their quarters.
"I must beg of you to not ask the king too many questions when you speak, for he is very troubled by the dark war on these lands. I know you, Legolas, have been brewing these questions in your minds since I gave you the token from the king, but do not push for him to divulge information he is too weary to give out."
The mighty mahogany doors of the great room were opened and Legolas and Elrond entered to the blasts of trumpets. They both approached the king and went into deep bows before him, not lifting their eyes to see his face, as that was disrespectful in the land.
"You're late." A voice spoke from the throne, sending a mighty shiver down Legolas's back. "And it seems that my land does not agree with you."
"Your land has brought me nothing but goodness and love, my King. What reason would you have to believe otherwise?"
"for, Master Legolas, you look terrible."
"An elf never looks terrible." Legolas said quietly with a grin, though still bowing deeply and staring at the floor.
"Ah, but maybe it is just what the wind has done to your clothing and hair, rise Legolas Greenleaf and let me see your face."
The king's hand cupped Legolas's face and pulled him up till they were standing face to face. "Indeed it must have just been the wind, for you do look quite the same as I remember- which would not be terrible."
"And you Aragorn." Legolas said, his voice gasping with a laugh of joy. "You look just as beautifully terrible as I remember you."
The two embraced tightly as Elrond stood with a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Aragorn, my betrothed son, you have lived and lasted many years beyond a mortal man ever can unless helped by the magic of a strong power."
"A strong power indeed. No power has proven stronger then the power of your daughter. She has kept me alive through many tedious ways, which I will speak to you of later."
As if on cue, the hall doors swung open in a heavy rumble and a figure entered in the misty entryway.
"Ah yes, I believe you have met my daughter also- though I doubt she reveled herself to you. Let me introduce you to Acacia daughter of Aragorn- Princess of Gondor to the human race, and Daughter of Arwen, princess of the Woodland elves to your own people."
No longer hunched in the cloak Acacia stood quite tall. She was no ordinary lady of proper standards. Dressed in the clothing of a male ranger who traveled many miles stood a girl who had the appearance of a human that had only lived for nineteen winters, though her real age was closer to 112. She was tanned by the sun, with black hair that crumpled in waves over her back and across her face. A fire of blue flames and green sparks lit her eyes from within. The clothing she was donned in hung loosely over a gaunt body characterized by sharp bones through her collar and cheekbones that were nearly as sharp as the human sword that was hanging sheathed off her belt, alongside of the very same twin blades that were issued to Elvish royalty.
She stepped up to her father and gave a small curtsey; Aragorn smiled in approval and tapped her lightly on the tip of the nose.
"Acacia is not of a normal maiden, she has taken after me more than her mother and kingdom wish her too. It is a rare gift that she is in the kingdom for your arrival, as she has been known to disappear for months or years at a time. Of course without her I would probably not have known that you were coming; she has been tracking you for some time."
Aragorn turned back to Legolas. "She will show you to your quarters now Legolas. I will send for you to come back down for a feast this evening where we can catch up on our lives, but right now I must speak alone to Elrond about some boring and troubling matters."
Legolas nodded and followed the princess from the great hall into the crowded kingdom.
"You'll be staying in my tower, there are a few rooms for you to choose from." Acacia said as Legolas followed her up a series of steps to a new wing of the castle. "Father seems to think you would be much more comfortable in Elven surroundings"
"I would be comfortable wherever King Aragorn chose to place me." Legolas said respectfully.
"Aye, father always said you were a proper one." Acacia said, slipping a key from under her robes. "This room on the left is the most comfortable of the tower, facing the sunset and away from the rise, as so you will not be awakened by the morning light while you catch up on rest."
The room was a large stone enclosure, richly decorated in colors of blood and fire. A large bed called from the far side, draped in costly fabrics and soft accents. Legolas found himself drawn to inspect the walls hung extensively in Elven weaponry and paintings.
"Feel free to look around, Legolas, for you have a good while before the banquet tonight." Acacia nodded to the bed, where clothing of an intense white and gold was spread over. "A set of royal robes has been laid out for you, father wishes for you to be shown as the most noble guest that has come to our land."
With that, Acacia retreated from the room, leaving Legolas alone to gather his thoughts. On the floor, in front of a majestic fireplace, was a large washbasin. Grime and soil ached his skin as he scrubbed it off with a rag, reminding him of the trials he had faced so far in the journey. Trials he would tell tonight, when he finally would get the chance to speak to Aragorn again.
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