Chapter One: Ghosts of the Past

By Ellwyn J

Yrch! The cry echoed throughout the city as Legolas slung his bow over his shoulder and dashed out to the gardens. He had been strolling through the city, admiring it since he had been away with his father for quite some time at Rivendell. Legolas had returned first, feeling a bit of nostalgia for his home in the thickly wooded forests of Mirkwood, while his father remained behind to speak with Elrond. Legolas stood poised at the center of the gardens, ready to unleash a swift arrow at any moment if any of the nasty Orcs decided to set foot inside their city. After a few minutes, the chaos began to subside. He stopped a young Elf near him and asked, "What happened?"

The young Elf shrugged and replied, "There were Orcs near the borders of the forest. I hear they were chasing someone, not of our kind."

Legolas looked baffled. "Wandering bands of Orcs…who were they chasing?"

The Elf shrugged again, then with a quick nod, ran off, leaving Legolas only to wonder. He was about to turn away when his keen ears heard the sound of horse hoofs and leaves rustling. He stood, waiting, until several Elven warriors rode in through the arched gate. He recognized them all, save for one rider cloaked in dark green who was seemingly protected by a circle of the Silvan Elves. They all stepped down and led their horses away. One of them shook his head and looked at the still form on the black horse with scorn. Legolas peered into the dark hood curiously, then drew in a breath of surprise as the rider's hood fell back.

It was a girl, not much younger than he was. Her hair was pulled back in the Elven way, but she didn't look remotely like an Elf. Her hair was dark and ebony, and, even more unusual, so were her eyes. She had the pointed ears and the tall, slender stature of his kind, yet there was something extremely different about her. He immediately found himself disliking her. Perhaps it was the dark aura around her, or the way she held herself aloof, glaring at anyone who stared at her. But something in her eyes hinted to something in her that he didn't understand but was curious to know of. Legolas stared at her for a moment more, until her dark eyes locked onto his and narrowed slightly. He turned away, a sudden chill running down his back.

"May I take your horse, Lady…?" an attendant walked up to the girl, trying too obviously to appear courteous to the strange girl that had just rode into their city.

"Ellwyn Silverleaf," she replied in a quiet voice, tearing her gaze away from the Elf clad in green and brown standing in the garden, "and yes, thank you."

"May I ask why you are here?" the attendant asked again, very carefully.

"I need to speak with King Thranduil." She looked around at the archways and gardens, in awe of the simple beauty of the forest city.

"The King is currently…unavailable," he replied with a trace of scorn in his voice, "I could tell him of your arrival as soon as he returns. Perhaps he will speak with you then."

"Is there a place I can stay until he returns?"

The attendant nodded and beckoned for her to follow him across a walkway. They stopped in front of a small room with an arched doorway. "You may stay here. Thranduil will most likely return tonight."

She nodded again as the attendant left, muttering under his breath. She gazed around at her surroundings again, breathlessly admiring the lush greenery, then around at the Elves walking around the city. She noticed that they all avoided looking at her, most ignoring her completely, but others glaring impolitely. She sighed, knowing there would never be anyone to share her burden with. The young Elf in the gardens with the sharply defined features and hawk-like eyes was looking at her again. She ignored his stare and turned, retreating into her room. She shut the door behind her.

* * * * *

"Your name is Ellwyn Silverleaf?" Thranduil asked her. He was an old Elf, although the age didn't show in his face, and Ellwyn couldn't help but notice that the young Elf in the gardens earlier that day resembled him. The King of the Silvan Elves looked as if he possessed a great wisdom. Ellwyn felt insignificant in his presence, yet she knew she had to endure the feeling to find what she searched for.

"Yes," she said quietly.

"Silverleaf…I remember an Elven maiden, many years ago, who fell in love with a mortal. That, also, was her name." It seemed as if Thranduil knew exactly what she wanted before she had even spoken.

"I came here because I remembered vaguely that my mother came from a place called Mirkwood. I journeyed from Lake Esgaroth…my father left me there as a child to grow up amongst Men. He told me never to go looking for this place, but he never told me why. I know my mother died before I could remember her, but I think my father still exists. I want to find him. Besides, I had to leave Esgaroth…it is far from easy to be a half Elven child in a city full of Men."

"My people have treated you no different than the Men must have," he said, as if apologizing.

"I have learned to ignore it. But your people helped me when I was in danger of being killed by that Orc party wandering near the Desolation," she said, "why is that? They obviously dislike me."

"That is because we believe in helping all who come to Mirkwood, who seek refuge here. Just as we helped a young man who came here many years ago, when the trees were younger. He was a man from Esgaroth, just as you are."

"He…he was my father, wasn't he? I've heard stories. I know that few Men have ever set foot in Mirkwood, for they fear that giant spiders reside here. Just as few Elves set foot out of their land. My father had to meet my mother somehow. I came here to know the truth. I want to know what happened to my mother and where my father went."

Thranduil drew in a deep breath, leaned forward, and looked into her eyes with a deep understanding. The look made her sadden, for her father had never shown her such fatherly compassion.

"Your mother was probably the most fair maiden in this realm. A group of men came to my forests once, seeking refuge from the giant spiders that had attacked them. One of them was severely wounded. Your mother looked after him until he was well again, and they fell in love with one another. But they both knew there could never be anything between them because she was immortal and had seen so many more seasons than he had. He left my forests and went back to Esgaroth. Many years passed, and your mother grew worn with heartache for the man she could never be with. Then, one night, there was a fire near the city. It was the work of evil Men, from the southern lands. A score of my people were killed by the Men's attack on our city, and your mother disappeared that night."

Ellwyn was silent.

"Your father had somehow become lost on one of his journeys and turned traitor to these lands. He joined Sauron's legions, and came back to take your mother. She was so blind in her love for him that she did not realize he had become a servant of the dark. Some of the elders in this city know that there was a half Elven child, born in Esgaroth to Thuwen Silverleaf, who was killed by her husband, who had lost all sense of reality after returning from Mordor. That is why they scorn you. For you are the daughter of a Man who turned traitor and killed our people, including Thuwen."

Ellwyn shut her eyes against the anger and sadness searing up inside of her. She felt her head burning. "My father…is he still alive?"

"Yes." Thranduil sounded unbelievably certain.

"How do you know?"

"He leads the building of the gates at Cirith Ungol. My people have seen and heard of him…he is a loyal servant of Sauron now."

"Then I must go there."

"And do what?" Thranduil asked, his voice rising. "What has passed is gone. You would never find him before the Orcs who guard the southern borders kill you. He would never learn that you had come to find him."

"There's nothing left for me to do!" she cried, standing, "you don't understand…nobody can understand how it is to live in a world where no one, no people will accept you. There's nowhere to go for me, nothing to do. No one needs me, so it would not be a great loss to anyone if I left. I want to find my father, and I've wanted to since he left me."

"But what will you do when you find him?" Thranduil questioned her.

"Now…now that I know what he did…I'll find him and kill him. He killed my mother, his wife, who he supposedly loved. He abandoned me and ran away like a coward." She stared angrily at the floor in front of her.

Thranduil was obviously astonished at her intentions. He had never thought a girl, an outcast of both worlds of Men and Elves, would want to search out her own father and kill him. Then he sighed and said, "My people have long since wanted to seek revenge. Some have lost dear friends to the fires of that night. But it is impossible to reach even the borders of Mordor without your presence being detected by the Dark Lord."

"I know how to speak the language of the Orcs," she said suddenly.

The King's eyes widened. "You are a very strange girl, indeed. Perhaps you may reach your father, if you can communicate with the Orcs long enough to get to Cirith Ungol."

She nodded solemnly. "Thank you. I'm sorry for troubling you, and for bringing back ghosts from the past to your city and your people." She stood up to leave, meaning to gather her belongings and ride directly for Mordor. But Thranduil stood also, calling for her to stop.

"You cannot travel to Mordor alone. As I said, my people seek revenge, also. Will you stay until morning? Your companions will be ready then. They know the lands well and can help if you are attacked by wandering bands of Orcs."

Ellwyn stopped and thought for a moment. "I do not want to bring anyone else along. But since you have helped me and treated me kindly, I must accept. Thank you for your hospitality."

* * * * *

There were already two other Elves waiting at the gates with horses and packs. Each of them, in turn, glared at Ellwyn and mounted his horse. Thranduil had furnished her horse with supplies and now she stood by the gates with the other Elves, pawing the ground. Ellwyn smiled at seeing her, then stroked her neck as her two new companions rode slowly away into the forest. A voice spoke suddenly from behind her, and she turned to see the young Elf that had been standing in the gardens the other day. Except now he was wearing a greenish-gray cloak and was equipped with a longbow, quiver, and two knives.

"You have a way with animals, I can see," he said, his voice with an edge of ring to it, hinting towards his singing abilities. He was looking at her, but not as curiously as he was earlier. This time there was a trace of a smile on his lips, but he still looked at her with distaste.

"Only with Phaere. And even she sometimes lets me fall."

He turned away and whistled. A gray horse suddenly appeared through the trees outside of the city and stopped near him. He grinned at it and leapt onto the horse's back with surprising ease. Ellwyn flushed at his boyish grin and mounted Phaere, leading her into a trot. The handsome Elf muttered a few words to his horse in Elvish and it followed directly alongside Phaere. Ellwyn turned to him, her eyes searching his face.

"I thought the two that had already left were to be my only companions on my journey to Mordor."

"The path to Mordor is a dangerous one, and when I heard you were going, I felt I needed to come along also," he said, the grin wiped completely off his face now that he was speaking to her.

Ellwyn suddenly remembered his uncanny resemblance to King Thranduil, and asked, "I would like to know the name of the one Elf that actually will speak to me."

"Legolas Greenleaf," he replied, then said another word to his horse and galloped away, leaving Ellwyn to catch up.

O, Elbereth, she thought, the bloody Prince of Mirkwood was coming along? Ellwyn spurred her horse to a gallop and galloped after the Elf, who was already disappearing into the dense foliage.

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All names and storyline affiliated with LOTR are entitled to J.R.R. Tolkien. The rest is from my imagination. If there are any errors in the history/land/names of the things related to Tolkien's works, please tell me of them.