~ -*~ * ~*- ~
So Far From Home
~ -*~ * ~*- ~
Prologue
~ -*~ * ~*- ~
Roaming through the darkness
I'm lost and I'm alone
Driven from the one place I thought
I could always call my home
I don't know what I did to you
To earn this deepest pain
But I swear upon my broken heart
That I won't fail you again
~ -*~ * ~*- ~
Legolas paused deep inside the forest, the sound of the palace gates clanging shut behind him cutting like a knife in his mind. This was all too much, this was all an unreal nightmare. He turned on his heel and sprinted into the forest, pouring all his energy into his legs, willing speed and power into them even when his body told him it was time to rest. It was dead night when hours later he stopped, deep in the forest, breathing hard.
He crouched low to the ground, trying to take in everything that had been thrown at him only that afternoon. The deep sense of loss that had filled him had been replaced with a burning, gnawing anger he could not hold back. Springing to his feet once more, he loosed a volley of arrows into a tree just ahead of him. Again and again he let his bowstring sing, and again and again he let the satisfying thud of the arrows as they hit their mark reach his ears.
He finally ran out of arrows and fell back against the tree, pulling his knees up to his chin and letting his head fall back against the wood with a frustrated sigh. This was far from over. He would never, never leave Mirkwood to its fate at the hands of a tyrant.
If it took him a hundred thousand years, he would fight it and fight it forever. Mirkwood may have rejected its prince, but its prince would never reject Mirkwood. Many battles, both of the mind and of the body, lay ahead, and Legolas would face them with out flinching. But right now, this was all too much, far too much. His eyes closed, and he fell into a restless sleep.
~ -*~ * ~*- ~
Chapter One:
~ -*~ * ~*- ~
May It Be
~ -*~ * ~*- ~
May it be the shadow's call
Will fly away
May it be your journey on
To light the day
When the night is overcome
You may rise to find the sun
Mornie utulie /Darkness has come/
Believe and you will find your way
Mornie alantie /Darkness has fallen/
A promise lives within you now
-Enya-
~ -*~ * ~*- ~
10 years later
~ -*~ * ~*- ~
A sound in the forest stirred the elf from his light slumber. He was instantly awake, tense as a bowstring and on guard. Wargs had been prowling the forest once more the night before, and he had since taken refuge in the branches of a forest tree. here it was- a shadow, approaching through the trees.
Legolas crouched low, balancing on the thin branch as he peered downwards, senses strung. It was not as silent as an elf, yet far too quiet for a human. The shadow paused. A faint ringing sound reached the elven ears as a blade was drawn, gleaming dully through the branches. Legolas tensed. A human.
The man made his way swiftly through the trees, casting a glance over his shoulder every so often. That was when the elf heard them. Sounds of loud pursuit sweeping through the trees, after the fleeing human.
Legolas leveled his bow, a long arrow held ready at the string. He did not care who this approaching man was, but if the orcs were pursuing him that alone warranted his help. Mirkwood had been his home for years and even though it had rejected him, he would protect it. The man paused almost directly below Legolas, turning to take the defensive as his enemy drew near. There was nowhere to hide.
The orcs swept nearer like a rushing wave of darkness. They were all around him now, leering and snarling as they edged the clearing, holding back for an unknown reason. The human gripped his sword in both hands. If this was how he was to meet his end he would meet it head-on and fighting.
Legolas eyed the orcs, calculating their chances. Roughly two dozen, an easy match. The calm, steady gaze of the human as he waited for his enemy's attack surprised the elf. His dark shoulder length hair framed a young, steeled face, now gaunt and set as he prepared to face his death. Dark eyes showed a daring and fearlessness the concealed elf had rarely seen in humans.
The elf would almost wager his life the young man was a ranger. His clothing was worn and tattered: a long, black cloak draped across his shoulders atop a dark brown tunic. He wore tall boots of supple leather that fitted him well, and inside one of these a dagger was concealed.
Legolas dropped lightly to the ground beside the human, bowstring taught as he waited for a target. The man whirled to face Legolas, and for a brief moment their eyes locked. The man did not say a word, but his silver-brown eyes spoke for him. He nodded his acceptance and gratitude, and lifted his blade with a shout as the orcs surged forward.
Legolas swiftly felled three before he was forced to draw his blades. He tried at first to keep an eye on the human, but his fears were groundless. The man blocked and thrust with an amazing speed and sureness, he could hold his own. The two remained fighting back to back, leaving no route unguarded.
The ranger rolled an orc over his shoulder as it rushed him from behind, stabbing it to death as it hit the ground. He turned just in time to see on orc blade rushing at his face caught by an elven one and spun aside. Legolas kicked out, catching his enemy in the stomach. The orc's head snapped forward at the blow, only to meet Legolas' blade.
The human strung his bow and loosed several arrows into the mass of the enemy as the elf was surrounded by the orcs. They fought furiously, knowing a single misstep or moment of inattention could be the death of both man and elf. The orcs had been unprepared for the resistance, and the tables turned as the two warriors slashed their way through the onslaught.
The man plunged his dagger into the chest of the leader, and the remainder of the orcs scattered into the woods, defeated. He breathed in deeply several times at his narrow escape. Turning, he was surprised to see the elf had not even broken a sweat as Legolas knelt wordlessly to wipe his blade on the grass.
"Greetings, and well met, my friend." The man spoke in elvish.
The elf looked up quickly as the human spoke in his own tongue. His eyes narrowed as he looked deep into those of the human, searching for a sign that the man could be trusted.
He finally nodded in greeting, discerning that the man had fought well and had been pursued by orcs. That and his honest, open gaze was sign enough.
"You are Welcomed to Greenwood." Legolas spoke guardedly, sharply realizing how strange the sound of words had become to his ears.
"Many thanks, master elf. I am Arathorn, son of Arador of the Dunadain, ranger of the north. I thank you for your assistance. I should not have made it through Mirkwood alive without it." The man spoke courteously, his mind swimming with unanswered questions about this mysterious elf.
"Greeting son of Arador. You are again, most welcomed. May I ask what business brings you to this forest?"
"I am come only to travel through Mirkwood on urgent business of the rangers."
"These parts of Greenwood are not safe for lone travelers, whether they be elf or ranger."
Arathorn had suddenly realized he may have made a mistake in calling the forest Mirkwood, knowing from past experiences that some elves did not take kindly to this.
"Forgive me, I should not have called this forest Mirkwood, as it has come to be known by men in the northern realms. I meant no disrespect to you or your home, master elf.".
Arathorn watched curiously as the elf stiffened at his words. He had believed that this was why the elf had become guarded, but perhaps there was something deeper. He pushed on, not wanting to get on the elf's wrong side.
"I am in your debt, and if ever I can be of aid or repay that which you have given me today, I will be more than honored to repay your kindness. Forgive me, but I do not believe I know your own name?"
Legolas hesitated. He liked this ranger. He was courteous and fearless, and part of the elf wanted to trust him. Perhaps when he knew him a little better. But for now, he could not reveal his true identity, to anyone.
"I am Teveldin, and I took no offense, Arathorn. Mirkwood, though, is not my home."
Arathorn, surprised, was about to respond when Legolas' head jerked up, his gaze somewhere behind the human. The man whirled, sword at ready. He had read the danger in Teveldin's eyes, and so was surprised to see a contingent of elves approaching. He turned back, but the elf was nowhere to be seen. Was it possible that the elf was afraid of his own kind? Sheathing his sword, the man saluted the dark-haired leader of the elves.
"What has passed here?" The elf spoke as he eyed first the ranger, and then the slaughtered bodies before him.
Arathorn spoke quickly. "I was waylaid by orcs, master elf, and was barely victorious. I assume that it was one of your men who came to my aid, and I thank you."
"One of my men? I think not. We were far away from here when we heard the sounds of fighting. Tell me, where is he that aided you, and did he tell you his name?"
"He was here but moments ago, he saw you coming and vanished. He told me that his name was Teveldin, but nothing else- except that he does not call Greenwood his home."
The elf's eyebrow arched in surprise. "Is this true? This knowledge troubles me greatly, for I do not know that name, nor would any that do not belong in Greenwood cross it's borders without our knowledge."
"Forgive me, I have no answers for my own questions, and I am surely unable to answer yours. I must be on my way, for I am on urgent business of the rangers."
The elf nodded. "Go in peace, and may your way be safe, for these parts of Mirkwood do not take kindly to even those of the elf kind. If you are stopped by our troops, tell them Thailden has given you safe passage through these woods."
Arathorn nodded his thanks as the elf turned and rode back in the way he had come, leaving the human alone once more. He turned, searching for the elf, but he was nowhere to be seen.
~ -*~ * ~*- ~
Legolas tensed as he recognized the elf speaking to the human far below. He had known him well, once. Once when he could still call Mirkwood his home. But that time was long past.
This hurt Legolas like it had not hurt him in a long time. He had hidden from his own kind for years, and no longer thought very much of it. But seeing the elves he had known and led, and loved, and hiding from them was like opening the wounds anew. He hated this life. Hated that he was always running from those he should have called his friends- always running, hiding, just to stay alive. For years now he had spent his days hunting for his daily meals and on the move to avoid discovery.
The elven realm of Mirkwood had fallen into darkness and he was powerless to do anything but sit back and watch as it ate away at the home he loved.
Legolas climbed a few branches higher, silent and swift as a fox. He leaned back against the tree, and looked down at the long cut running across his hand. It had scarred, and still remained to mark him after all these years. He sighed and shut his eyes tightly as he tore his thoughts back to his life of the past, when it had not always been this way...
~ -*~ * ~*- ~
Well? What do you think? Like it, love it, hate it? There's a little button in the bottom left corner, if you click on it, a little window will pop up and you can tell me what you think of my first chapter! So click it? Please!?
So Far From Home
~ -*~ * ~*- ~
Prologue
~ -*~ * ~*- ~
Roaming through the darkness
I'm lost and I'm alone
Driven from the one place I thought
I could always call my home
I don't know what I did to you
To earn this deepest pain
But I swear upon my broken heart
That I won't fail you again
~ -*~ * ~*- ~
Legolas paused deep inside the forest, the sound of the palace gates clanging shut behind him cutting like a knife in his mind. This was all too much, this was all an unreal nightmare. He turned on his heel and sprinted into the forest, pouring all his energy into his legs, willing speed and power into them even when his body told him it was time to rest. It was dead night when hours later he stopped, deep in the forest, breathing hard.
He crouched low to the ground, trying to take in everything that had been thrown at him only that afternoon. The deep sense of loss that had filled him had been replaced with a burning, gnawing anger he could not hold back. Springing to his feet once more, he loosed a volley of arrows into a tree just ahead of him. Again and again he let his bowstring sing, and again and again he let the satisfying thud of the arrows as they hit their mark reach his ears.
He finally ran out of arrows and fell back against the tree, pulling his knees up to his chin and letting his head fall back against the wood with a frustrated sigh. This was far from over. He would never, never leave Mirkwood to its fate at the hands of a tyrant.
If it took him a hundred thousand years, he would fight it and fight it forever. Mirkwood may have rejected its prince, but its prince would never reject Mirkwood. Many battles, both of the mind and of the body, lay ahead, and Legolas would face them with out flinching. But right now, this was all too much, far too much. His eyes closed, and he fell into a restless sleep.
~ -*~ * ~*- ~
Chapter One:
~ -*~ * ~*- ~
May It Be
~ -*~ * ~*- ~
May it be the shadow's call
Will fly away
May it be your journey on
To light the day
When the night is overcome
You may rise to find the sun
Mornie utulie /Darkness has come/
Believe and you will find your way
Mornie alantie /Darkness has fallen/
A promise lives within you now
-Enya-
~ -*~ * ~*- ~
10 years later
~ -*~ * ~*- ~
A sound in the forest stirred the elf from his light slumber. He was instantly awake, tense as a bowstring and on guard. Wargs had been prowling the forest once more the night before, and he had since taken refuge in the branches of a forest tree. here it was- a shadow, approaching through the trees.
Legolas crouched low, balancing on the thin branch as he peered downwards, senses strung. It was not as silent as an elf, yet far too quiet for a human. The shadow paused. A faint ringing sound reached the elven ears as a blade was drawn, gleaming dully through the branches. Legolas tensed. A human.
The man made his way swiftly through the trees, casting a glance over his shoulder every so often. That was when the elf heard them. Sounds of loud pursuit sweeping through the trees, after the fleeing human.
Legolas leveled his bow, a long arrow held ready at the string. He did not care who this approaching man was, but if the orcs were pursuing him that alone warranted his help. Mirkwood had been his home for years and even though it had rejected him, he would protect it. The man paused almost directly below Legolas, turning to take the defensive as his enemy drew near. There was nowhere to hide.
The orcs swept nearer like a rushing wave of darkness. They were all around him now, leering and snarling as they edged the clearing, holding back for an unknown reason. The human gripped his sword in both hands. If this was how he was to meet his end he would meet it head-on and fighting.
Legolas eyed the orcs, calculating their chances. Roughly two dozen, an easy match. The calm, steady gaze of the human as he waited for his enemy's attack surprised the elf. His dark shoulder length hair framed a young, steeled face, now gaunt and set as he prepared to face his death. Dark eyes showed a daring and fearlessness the concealed elf had rarely seen in humans.
The elf would almost wager his life the young man was a ranger. His clothing was worn and tattered: a long, black cloak draped across his shoulders atop a dark brown tunic. He wore tall boots of supple leather that fitted him well, and inside one of these a dagger was concealed.
Legolas dropped lightly to the ground beside the human, bowstring taught as he waited for a target. The man whirled to face Legolas, and for a brief moment their eyes locked. The man did not say a word, but his silver-brown eyes spoke for him. He nodded his acceptance and gratitude, and lifted his blade with a shout as the orcs surged forward.
Legolas swiftly felled three before he was forced to draw his blades. He tried at first to keep an eye on the human, but his fears were groundless. The man blocked and thrust with an amazing speed and sureness, he could hold his own. The two remained fighting back to back, leaving no route unguarded.
The ranger rolled an orc over his shoulder as it rushed him from behind, stabbing it to death as it hit the ground. He turned just in time to see on orc blade rushing at his face caught by an elven one and spun aside. Legolas kicked out, catching his enemy in the stomach. The orc's head snapped forward at the blow, only to meet Legolas' blade.
The human strung his bow and loosed several arrows into the mass of the enemy as the elf was surrounded by the orcs. They fought furiously, knowing a single misstep or moment of inattention could be the death of both man and elf. The orcs had been unprepared for the resistance, and the tables turned as the two warriors slashed their way through the onslaught.
The man plunged his dagger into the chest of the leader, and the remainder of the orcs scattered into the woods, defeated. He breathed in deeply several times at his narrow escape. Turning, he was surprised to see the elf had not even broken a sweat as Legolas knelt wordlessly to wipe his blade on the grass.
"Greetings, and well met, my friend." The man spoke in elvish.
The elf looked up quickly as the human spoke in his own tongue. His eyes narrowed as he looked deep into those of the human, searching for a sign that the man could be trusted.
He finally nodded in greeting, discerning that the man had fought well and had been pursued by orcs. That and his honest, open gaze was sign enough.
"You are Welcomed to Greenwood." Legolas spoke guardedly, sharply realizing how strange the sound of words had become to his ears.
"Many thanks, master elf. I am Arathorn, son of Arador of the Dunadain, ranger of the north. I thank you for your assistance. I should not have made it through Mirkwood alive without it." The man spoke courteously, his mind swimming with unanswered questions about this mysterious elf.
"Greeting son of Arador. You are again, most welcomed. May I ask what business brings you to this forest?"
"I am come only to travel through Mirkwood on urgent business of the rangers."
"These parts of Greenwood are not safe for lone travelers, whether they be elf or ranger."
Arathorn had suddenly realized he may have made a mistake in calling the forest Mirkwood, knowing from past experiences that some elves did not take kindly to this.
"Forgive me, I should not have called this forest Mirkwood, as it has come to be known by men in the northern realms. I meant no disrespect to you or your home, master elf.".
Arathorn watched curiously as the elf stiffened at his words. He had believed that this was why the elf had become guarded, but perhaps there was something deeper. He pushed on, not wanting to get on the elf's wrong side.
"I am in your debt, and if ever I can be of aid or repay that which you have given me today, I will be more than honored to repay your kindness. Forgive me, but I do not believe I know your own name?"
Legolas hesitated. He liked this ranger. He was courteous and fearless, and part of the elf wanted to trust him. Perhaps when he knew him a little better. But for now, he could not reveal his true identity, to anyone.
"I am Teveldin, and I took no offense, Arathorn. Mirkwood, though, is not my home."
Arathorn, surprised, was about to respond when Legolas' head jerked up, his gaze somewhere behind the human. The man whirled, sword at ready. He had read the danger in Teveldin's eyes, and so was surprised to see a contingent of elves approaching. He turned back, but the elf was nowhere to be seen. Was it possible that the elf was afraid of his own kind? Sheathing his sword, the man saluted the dark-haired leader of the elves.
"What has passed here?" The elf spoke as he eyed first the ranger, and then the slaughtered bodies before him.
Arathorn spoke quickly. "I was waylaid by orcs, master elf, and was barely victorious. I assume that it was one of your men who came to my aid, and I thank you."
"One of my men? I think not. We were far away from here when we heard the sounds of fighting. Tell me, where is he that aided you, and did he tell you his name?"
"He was here but moments ago, he saw you coming and vanished. He told me that his name was Teveldin, but nothing else- except that he does not call Greenwood his home."
The elf's eyebrow arched in surprise. "Is this true? This knowledge troubles me greatly, for I do not know that name, nor would any that do not belong in Greenwood cross it's borders without our knowledge."
"Forgive me, I have no answers for my own questions, and I am surely unable to answer yours. I must be on my way, for I am on urgent business of the rangers."
The elf nodded. "Go in peace, and may your way be safe, for these parts of Mirkwood do not take kindly to even those of the elf kind. If you are stopped by our troops, tell them Thailden has given you safe passage through these woods."
Arathorn nodded his thanks as the elf turned and rode back in the way he had come, leaving the human alone once more. He turned, searching for the elf, but he was nowhere to be seen.
~ -*~ * ~*- ~
Legolas tensed as he recognized the elf speaking to the human far below. He had known him well, once. Once when he could still call Mirkwood his home. But that time was long past.
This hurt Legolas like it had not hurt him in a long time. He had hidden from his own kind for years, and no longer thought very much of it. But seeing the elves he had known and led, and loved, and hiding from them was like opening the wounds anew. He hated this life. Hated that he was always running from those he should have called his friends- always running, hiding, just to stay alive. For years now he had spent his days hunting for his daily meals and on the move to avoid discovery.
The elven realm of Mirkwood had fallen into darkness and he was powerless to do anything but sit back and watch as it ate away at the home he loved.
Legolas climbed a few branches higher, silent and swift as a fox. He leaned back against the tree, and looked down at the long cut running across his hand. It had scarred, and still remained to mark him after all these years. He sighed and shut his eyes tightly as he tore his thoughts back to his life of the past, when it had not always been this way...
~ -*~ * ~*- ~
Well? What do you think? Like it, love it, hate it? There's a little button in the bottom left corner, if you click on it, a little window will pop up and you can tell me what you think of my first chapter! So click it? Please!?