The Lost Chronicles: Legolas
The little elf toddled around the palace garden in wonderment. What wonder and splendor the forest held! He gazed up into the canopy, wishing he could reach to the very tops of the trees, but he was still small. Although at that time, that moment, he knew nothing of small and big, nothing of the wide world, and nothing of pain and suffering.
"Nor will he, ever," Thistilile, his loving mother, once promised.
Though she held this wish for her son, she knew it would never come true.
* * *
The young elf was not small for long, and soon he had reached the span of years between boyhood and manhood. The outside world was still unfamiliar to him, but the prince knew his own kingdom like the back of his hand. He was often to be seen with a group of companions on some undoubtedly "dangerous" pretend quest. These quests often took him far from the palace for many days at a time, but he would always return with a tale to impress the she-elves, and a present for his mother.
It is said that all elves understand the whisperings of the forests, the tales of the stars, and their own part in the Turning of the Ages. This is not true. Their understanding comes like a lightening bolt, quick and unexpected, but always beautiful. The Awakening always came during young adulthood and most elves looked forward to it. Legolas, however, felt he could do without an Awakening.
"Once you become Awake, you lose your sense of fun, your sense of life. You've seen how the newly Awoken look. They always have a vacant, far-off, glazed look in their eye, and treat us that are still Asleep like children," Legolas complained to his fellow adventurer, Berone.
They were alone that day. No one else had come with them on their quest, but since quests never had only two companions, they abandoned their game for the rest of the day. They were now stretched out on a mossy rock beside a shallow stream that echoed slightly off the other rocks lining the bank.
"Do you say this because you truly resent the Awakening, or do you resent the Awakened's attitude toward you?" Berone, who was also Asleep, asked slyly.
Legolas laughed out loud. The sound fell among the leaves dusting the forest floor and made the trees quiver. It had been long since they had heard Elven laughter.
"Berone, you always seem to find my true feelings. No, I will not resent the actual awakening when it comes to me, but I will resent the idea and those who possess it until it comes."
Legolas lay back on the rock, wishing he could feel the sun, but the dark canopy of Mirkwood kept all light out. He remembered a time, not so long ago, when sun streamed through the leaves and warmed Mirkwood to its core, but some power that Legolas did not understand drove Mirkwood to cut out the light. Legolas missed the sun greatly.
"You are thinking about the sun," Berone said after a pause.
"Yes," Legolas sighed. "I miss her warmth, her beams of light, and her happy countenance. Why did she forsake Mirkwood?"
Berone gazed into the woods, pondering.
"She may have forsaken Mirkwood, but she's sent one of her beams to lighten your mood," he said to Legolas.
Legolas turned quickly to gaze in the same direction. A she-elf was walking silently through the forest, singing softly to herself. She was Lithile, a friend who was more than a friend to Legolas. He glanced at Berone, who laughed and said,
"Go to her. Enjoy your sunbeam."
Legolas thanked Berone and dashed off to catch Lithile. He moved silently, but Lithile heard him and knowingly quickened her pace.
"How badly do you want to catch me?" she whispered to herself.
Legolas continued to romp after Lithile.
"What is she doing? Does she wish to evade me?" he thought and smiled to himself.
The chase had begun.
The little elf toddled around the palace garden in wonderment. What wonder and splendor the forest held! He gazed up into the canopy, wishing he could reach to the very tops of the trees, but he was still small. Although at that time, that moment, he knew nothing of small and big, nothing of the wide world, and nothing of pain and suffering.
"Nor will he, ever," Thistilile, his loving mother, once promised.
Though she held this wish for her son, she knew it would never come true.
* * *
The young elf was not small for long, and soon he had reached the span of years between boyhood and manhood. The outside world was still unfamiliar to him, but the prince knew his own kingdom like the back of his hand. He was often to be seen with a group of companions on some undoubtedly "dangerous" pretend quest. These quests often took him far from the palace for many days at a time, but he would always return with a tale to impress the she-elves, and a present for his mother.
It is said that all elves understand the whisperings of the forests, the tales of the stars, and their own part in the Turning of the Ages. This is not true. Their understanding comes like a lightening bolt, quick and unexpected, but always beautiful. The Awakening always came during young adulthood and most elves looked forward to it. Legolas, however, felt he could do without an Awakening.
"Once you become Awake, you lose your sense of fun, your sense of life. You've seen how the newly Awoken look. They always have a vacant, far-off, glazed look in their eye, and treat us that are still Asleep like children," Legolas complained to his fellow adventurer, Berone.
They were alone that day. No one else had come with them on their quest, but since quests never had only two companions, they abandoned their game for the rest of the day. They were now stretched out on a mossy rock beside a shallow stream that echoed slightly off the other rocks lining the bank.
"Do you say this because you truly resent the Awakening, or do you resent the Awakened's attitude toward you?" Berone, who was also Asleep, asked slyly.
Legolas laughed out loud. The sound fell among the leaves dusting the forest floor and made the trees quiver. It had been long since they had heard Elven laughter.
"Berone, you always seem to find my true feelings. No, I will not resent the actual awakening when it comes to me, but I will resent the idea and those who possess it until it comes."
Legolas lay back on the rock, wishing he could feel the sun, but the dark canopy of Mirkwood kept all light out. He remembered a time, not so long ago, when sun streamed through the leaves and warmed Mirkwood to its core, but some power that Legolas did not understand drove Mirkwood to cut out the light. Legolas missed the sun greatly.
"You are thinking about the sun," Berone said after a pause.
"Yes," Legolas sighed. "I miss her warmth, her beams of light, and her happy countenance. Why did she forsake Mirkwood?"
Berone gazed into the woods, pondering.
"She may have forsaken Mirkwood, but she's sent one of her beams to lighten your mood," he said to Legolas.
Legolas turned quickly to gaze in the same direction. A she-elf was walking silently through the forest, singing softly to herself. She was Lithile, a friend who was more than a friend to Legolas. He glanced at Berone, who laughed and said,
"Go to her. Enjoy your sunbeam."
Legolas thanked Berone and dashed off to catch Lithile. He moved silently, but Lithile heard him and knowingly quickened her pace.
"How badly do you want to catch me?" she whispered to herself.
Legolas continued to romp after Lithile.
"What is she doing? Does she wish to evade me?" he thought and smiled to himself.
The chase had begun.