Silent Woods
These woods have been silent for ages.
Long ago, the elves lived nearby in the mountains. They formed a haven; a resting place for those on the journey west.
A natural valley of beauty, surrounded by these woods.
Laugher used to ring off the stone, bouncing in merry echoes like the nearby waterfalls. Tumbling down, the water would come, bringing life to all it touched.
The water still falls in the same way. But the laughter is gone.
Winds whistled through the leaves, bringing young elves, chattering of the hunt. Happy voices filled the air, mixing with the breeze.
Winds still blow as the water flows. No voices mix in harmony.
The trees form a natural surrounding. When they were filled with the love of the elves, they flourished. Nature's bounty was given in gladness. No evil could lurk nearby unnoticed.
In the highest trees, sentries hid where they could not be seen, protecting the Elven boundaries. If you were to look in those high branches now, you would not find them. They left on the final ships to Valinor.
Occasionally, the stray human wanders in. But the haunting silence is too much, and they soon depart, taking with them stories of ghosts to frighten children. The stories are never true, but it keeps men away.
The forest misses the elves. The fruits they would bear have never been so sweet as they were. The land grieves.
And the woods are silent. They shall be till the end.