Author's Note:
Disclaimer: Do not own in LOTR. All OCs belong to me.
Warning: Rate T merely for safety.
Dedicated to: Rangergilan, for all the help and the encouragement to return to this story. :)
This is NOT romance. Kindly respect this viewpoint.
All of my LOTR/Silmarillion stories are interconnected but you do not need to read all to understand one another.
Flames not appreciated. Constructive criticism is welcome.
Enjoy!
Details are below.
Do not forget to review! :)
~S~
Legolas, my dear friend,
How are things with you of late? I hope it fares well in your forest of Eryn Lasgelen. The War was hard won and your people deserve the peace and comfort of this Age after nearly two Ages at the edge of darkness. Do send your father the King my regards and my offers of aid if any are needed and I will see if I can spare some.
Your joy is well founded in your forest that is growing greener, unhindered from the darkness that dwelled once in Dol Guldur, but I could not shake my mood of late. There are things that weigh heavily on my mind and often steal my sleep. I have heard rumors, my friend. These rumors did not sit well with me and as trustworthy as my advisors are, I felt as if I can only share them with someone I long knew and since Elrohir and Elladan are nowhere to be found, I turn now to you. In fact, these rumors are the very reason that I write in the Elven Tongue, and in my own handwriting.
I hear whispers around the court that all is not well in Rohan. There is no War and what orcs are there are now scattered and confused and not an eminent threat. But it seems as if the structure of Rohan itself is crumbling. I hear that Éomer Éomundsson is not himself, and he cares not for his people and that he refuses to greet guests, which are in fact my envoys to him. It worries me, for I do not know if he does this out of grief for his uncle and the other fallen or he is intimidated by his new position. His kingdom had not been faring well when we had come to Rohan and I am at a loss of what to do. My own new position keeps me from acting as a friend, because I am the King of another country and the Rohirrim are proud folk who will not take aid unless absolutely necessary and even that at the consent of the King, but the King will not speak to my men that I have sent to him.
I was worried enough to speak to Lady Éowyn. Rumors around court always bode ill for those the rumors are being spread about. She had written to her brother, who did not write to her back. She sent her own men to him but they returned without bearing any word. He is alive and well, as much I could tell by my men's reports but the rest is unknown. There is only so much one can find out in discretion.
I finally turn myself towards you. It saddens me to think that I am burdening you with my troubles but I feel as if I cannot speak to another about this and while Arwen is capable of listening to me and keeping secrets, she is without power in this situation. Perhaps you hold a more suitable response for all of this? I know you were not particularly close to Éomer and it had been a cordial relationship bordering on just acquaintance, but you may be able to do something that I cannot. As for Lady Éowyn, she leaves in a week to Edoras, to visit her brother and see if she could find a way to dispel these rumors.
But enough on such heavy matters! The War is won and the Enemy has been defeated. And while there are kingdoms to be reigned over and things to do, there is a time to be merry. Tell me, how does DorIán fare? Has he recovered from his time in Dol Guldur? I would imagine the relief of King Thranduil at the thought of no enemies lurking at his borders, even though I suspect there are some still hiding in his forest.
I miss you, my friend, and I hope for your return so. Perhaps we will find a place for you to stay here? I am sure there is a place for a bowl of food and another for water and a thick blanket by the fire. Ah, I suspect you glare now with a mixture of annoyance and humor. Very well, I will make sure there is a set of rooms waiting for you. Perhaps that will change your mind to visit us sooner rather than later, if the good King lets you out of his sight, that is. He loves his son dearly.
My best regards to your father and the elders.
Until later,
Estel.
oOo
To,
Legolas Greenleaf,
Son of King Thranduil,
Prince of Eryn Lasgelen.
My Lord,
I hope this letter finds you faring better in the woods that you so love and spoke so fondly about to me when you had come to Edoras. I regret to disturb your time with your people when I know that it is a time you deserve after all that you had accomplished alongside our armies but these matters had come to my attention and it was suggested to turn to you.
My King, the High King Elessar may have told you about the rumors that were circling in the Gondorian Court. To see Rohan look so weak in the eyes of another did not bode well for the Rohirrim, and it had worried me a great deal to see the kingdom I love to fall so low. But a part of me hoped that these were just rumors. This occurred two months ago and once the passages cleared enough snow for them to open did I send my men. But they returned with no answer or word of comfort from my brother. I could not shake off this feeling and I left for Edoras. It has been almost a month here, and I am at a loss as to what to do. I had spoken of my fears to the King and Queen before leaving Gondor, and they suggested that you may be of some help in this time if I believed it necessary. Queen Arwen warned me that you may not be able to help but I ask it of you nevertheless. You knew my brother during the War, and I know that War changes the people who experienced it. Perhaps a word from you may be able to help more than us.
I dare not say more, for letters can be diverted or stolen and I do not wish to reveal more that I already did.
I wait for your answer.
From,
Lady Éowyn of Rohan,
Daughter of Marshal Éomund,
Lady of Ithilien.
~S~
Author's Note:
Ahem.
*hears older readers screaming*
Pipe down! :D
Yeah, yeah, I know what I said before. Yes, I still feel like I am dipping my feet in hot lava. I had no intentions to returning to writing this again but a push from one special reader both in encouragement and materialistically finally made me put my fingers to the keyboard.
For those who do not know. My account had been hacked some months back and all my stories were deleted. I recovered what I could but multi-chaptered stories had been deleted individually chapters. This story was a forty chaptered story scoring over 300 reviews and some 50-70ish followers and even greater favs but I could not recover it. With my muse dying and feeling defeated, I refused to rewrite this. But one certain person finally persuaded me to get back to it. So if you have anyone to thank, thank Rangergilan (Karleigh) for her help. :) She had saved 14 something chapters which she emailed me and I am editing them now for a final touch before publishing them here.
This is my final writing of OTWAB, detailed, lengthened and smoothing over the cracks.
Please read and review!