Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori
Author's Note: This short story was inspired by 'The Lord of the Rings' musical. The scene when Legolas meets Elemmirë again was inspired by 'LothLorien'. When Legolas cries to Sauron, that elvish anger was inspired by Glorfindel and the other Elves chanting to protect Frodo at the end of 'Flight to the Fords'.
Also, all the text in boldare taken from the chapter 'LothLórien' from the second book of J. R. R. Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring' – I did not write them and they do not belong to myself.
PLEASE do not take this story the wrong way – this is not a romance.
Final thing: forgive me for stating the blatantly obvious, but all of the characters used below belong to J. R. R. Tolkien and not myself, with the exception of Elemmirë, who belongs to me. Enjoy!
"There lie the woods of LothLórien!' said Legolas. 'That is the fairest of all the dwellings of my people. There are no trees like the trees of that land. For in the autumn their leaves fall not, but turn to gold. Not till the spring comes and the new green opens do they fall, and the boughs are laden with yellows flowers; and the floors of the wood is golden, and golden is the roof, and its pillars are of silver, for the bark of the trees is smooth and grey. So still our songs in Mirkwood say. My heart would be glad if I were beneath the eaves of that wood, and it were springtime!"
The Fellowship walked, heavy of heart, into the Great Wood, desperate in their weary hearts for no danger to approach them, for they had not the strength or the energy to fight them off after running for their very lives through the dark Mines of Moria. They knew that Orcs followed their trail, so they moved as swiftly as they could (much though their legs desired them to stop, particularly those of the Hobbits) and soon they met a group of Lorien Elves, led by Haldir, warrior of Lórien, who promised them protection, for they were in the favour of the Lady.
All were amazed and bedazzled by the beauty and ambience in LothLórien – it was like nothing they had ever seen before. It was a dreamland born into reality. Many cursed the fact that it was winter, for they could all imagine the stunning sight it would be at the break of spring or in the thick of summer. But nothing within the magnificent forest could prepare them for the fairness of the Lady Galadriel and the splendour of her husband, the Lord Celeborn. The pair spoke with what remained of the Fellowship and the Lady searched deep with their hearts and minds, seeing what plagued them and their true intentions, be they good or bad.
After speaking with the ancient couple (though their faces showed no sign of their true age), the Fellowship were granted leave to rest in peace within the forest in order to recover before they set off once again. As they climbed down from the great talan and onto the earth, the Hobbits immediately huddled together to find somewhere to sleep. They spoke together, though not as much as usual, as their hearts were still grieving from the loss of their dear friend and guide, Gandalf the Grey. In fact, due to their great physical and mental fatigue, they were unusually quiet.
Boromir walked off alone, feeling very uneasy in such a strange realm, so very different to his home. Gimli felt equally uneasy and slightly unprotected (being in an elvish land) but his fatigue was also too strong and overcame him, causing him to fall into a deep sleep. Aragorn felt very much at ease here, being well-known amongst the Elves and the Lady. Legolas, too, felt at ease; for him, being able to walk into such a land was a dream come true, a dream which he thought, in dark days such as these, would never come true.
The Fellowship, although feeling very alone and separated, all stayed within a good distance of each other, all of them within each other's sight. All was fairly silent – rarely did people speak – but whenever they did, no-one dared to mention the One Ring. The first time anyone spoke was when some of the Hobbits asked Legolas to translate the elvish lament that the Lórien elves were singing for Gandalf. He refused them, saying the grief in his heart was still to near, and silence fell upon them again.
Suddenly, Gimli exclaimed loudly and launched himself up, axe in hand. At the same time, there was a small feminine shriek, though no-one could see where it came from, save the Dwarf. He had been unaware of the female's presence until he suddenly saw her face peering around from a tree trunk, which had startled him and made him jump.
"What is it, Gimli?" Aragorn asked, knowing in his heart that no danger could come to them without being obliterated by the Elves first.
"We're being watched" the dwarf replied.
"Well, of course we are!" replied Pippin. "It's the Elves protecting us!"
"You're very right, Pip" Merry said.
"Thank you, Merry".
The Dwarf said nothing, except watching the feminine Elf very carefully, or at least watching her as much as he could, as she was still hiding behind the tree. The Fellowship group had now come together a little more to see what was going on. Aragorn placed his hand on Gimli's axe, gesturing to him to lower it, as he spoke:
"Come forward!" he called gently. "You have no need to fear us – we mean you no harm".
No sound of movement followed. Legolas spoke the same message again but in the elvish tongue, in case she did not speak the Common Tongue of the West. After he had finished speaking, she slowly peered around the tree trunk, surveying the odd group before her. When her eyes found Legolas, however, her fear of them seemed to decrease a little and she revealed herself a little more. She was very young, younger than any of the other Elves the Fellowship had seen. She looked very much like a child – not an infant, but not yet an adult. Her eyes glistened as she looked at the Mirkwood Prince. When he saw her, his eyes too glistened, though no-one noticed.
"Legolas Thranduilion?" she asked, her voice soft and melodic, yet full of hope and expectancy.
"Elemmirë?" Legolas said, equally hopeful and surprised.
"Legolas!" she cried out, delighted.
She ran towards him, clothed in stainless white, only to stop a couple of feet away from him to place her hand on her chest and bow low before him. Legolas smiled, but reminded her that there was no need for such respect.
"I am your friend here, not your Prince".
She looked up, their eyes meeting once again. The abounding joy in them was wonderful to behold and the colour of her eyes shown out clearly against her pale face. She beamed, stood up straight before Legolas and held him tightly, laughing with glee. Legolas, too, wrapped his arms around her tenderly, for he had not seen her in many years.
"Oh, child of my heart" he said to her softly in their own tongue, happiness clear in his voice.
After a couple of moments, they let go and he looked at her, for he had not seen her in many a year.
"You have grown!" he remarked, smiling still. "Both in height and beauty. I do not believe I have ever seen you look so fair…"
She delighted in his compliments and rejoiced in his presence. During the Fellowship's stay in LothLórien, Legolas spent much of his time amongst the other Lórien elves, but now he had found Elemmirë, he spent much of his time with her. Many hours of many days he spent with her, either walking with her through the forest or sitting with her by the edge of the Nimrodel stream. Sometimes their voices could even be heard drifting down the water's path as they sang songs they would sing in the Great Halls of Mirkwood or perhaps songs they had simply made-up together, and their voices would blend and be beautiful, harmonising with great elegance. They were so beautiful in fact that once or twice, Frodo and some of the other Hobbits asked for translations, but Legolas said he could not – he claimed he did not know how.
She was the purest of creatures the Fellowship ever set eyes on during their quest. No evil had touched her, not her mind ever corrupted. Her white clothing suited matched the purity of her heart and soul and her face was as fair as all Elf faces were, though her youth made her even more splendid to the eye. Her eyes were a deep sapphire, her hands pale, almost white as her cloth and her voice was melodic like the songs that the Elves sang together as if they were home in times of peace.
Many of the Fellowship wondered what his relationship with the young girl was, but whenever he was among them and they asked him (only the Hobbits ever did), he said nothing of her, only that she was a friend and they had no need to fear her or any of the other Elves in the magical realm.
The only person Legolas ever spoke of her to Aragorn, and only when they were alone:
"She is an Elf-Child – there are very few of them left now, they are rare to find in days such as these. She dwelt in Mirkwood for a time – her parents were killed protecting the forest, slaughtered by the dark creatures of Sauron. She never knew them. But her spirit is so pure and happy, your heart feels warm in her presence and your soul strengthened by her courage. I have never seen her weep or despair, only ever smile. My father and I know her well – you cannot help but befriend her!"
Both Aragorn and Legolas smiled. She seemed like an angel, an odd and rare creature to find in these dark days.
"She still dwelt in Mirkwood when I left to embark on this quest. I wonder what choice made her come here? Perhaps for protection – the forest of Mirkwood grows darker and ever more dangerous and no harm can come to her under the protection of the Lady".
The sickle Moon was gleaming dimly among the leaves. The wind was still. A little way off, he (Frodo) heard a harsh laugh and the tread of many feet on the ground below. There was a ring of metal. The sounds died slowly away, and seemed to go southward, on into the wood.
A head appeared suddenly through the hole in the flet. Frodo sat up in alarm and saw that it was a grey-hooded Elf. He looked towards the Hobbits.
"What is it?" said Frodo.
"Yrch!" said the Elf in a hissing whisper, and cast on to the flet the rope-ladder rolled up.
"Orcs!" said Frodo. "What are they doing?"
But the Elf had gone.
Legolas had felt their presence and had not fully slept that night. He had dreamt, his mind running under the stars through a lush, green forest in happier times, but the shadow of their presence in such a sacred place did not leave his heart. Even though the stars shown clearly and brightly above him, he felt like something truly dark and evil had passed over the land, even though he knew no evil or danger would reach them, thanks to the protection of the warriors of LothLórien.
He rose long before any of the rest of the Fellowship – just as the sun was rising - left the talan he had been resting in and walked around for a while. As he walked alone, he listened to the almost silent wind that blew ever so gently through the leaves of the trees high above his head. His footsteps made no sound – as was the way of the Elves. He also noticed in his mind that there was no-one else around; he imagined that they were busy after the attack earlier that night.
As he walked on, the shadows passing over his perfectly fair face as clouds do on a sunny day, he realised that he had a growing sensation in his heart that he was no longer alone. He stopped walking for a moment. He could hear no sound of footsteps, only a slight, inconsistent sound of breathing, inaudible to mortal ears - sometimes gentle, sometimes not quite so. As he moved through the trees cautiously, scanning the landscape around him, he saw nothing. Until he saw her.
She lay on the floor by the riverside, motionless save for the occasional sharp and rise of her chest. She wore the same glowing white clothing as before, only it was no longer stainless. A large hole in her back, drenched in scarlet and still dripping, ruined the dress. As Legolas' eyes fell on her, even though her face was hidden from him, he knew immediately who it was. He cried her name, distress and great concern engraved on his fair face.
"Elemmirë!" he cried, rushing over to her side.
He placed his slender hand on her arm and carefully rolled her over so she lay on her back, her head resting on his lap. She was only partly in this world, for she was swiftly losing consciousness. Legolas' heart froze as he saw the hole through her abdomen, which (he noticed) was larger than the wound on her back. She was unarmed and had been stabbed by an orc blade - from behind.
"Elemmirë … what happened to you?"
She did not answer. Legolas knew she was in pain but she showed little of it. Shock took over and Legolas was not even sure if she was fully aware of his presence. She could not speak, only try to control the pain and desperately try and keep breathing.
Legolas did not know how long she had been there or when she had been attacked, but Legolas' eyes were attracted by an orc blade by a rock a little further downstream. Both the rock and the blade were stained with her blood and as the water gushed past it, the water darkened. Legolas realised she must have pulled the blade out of her body and cast it into the river, hoping that with Nimrodel's blessing, it may reach some Lórien elves, who may follow its track and bring aid.
"…Legolas…" she just managed to choke out, her voice remarkably sounding as calm and beautiful as always.
Legolas' eyes immediately fell downwards and connected with hers. They were so desperate, so confused. He stroked her hair in an attempt to comfort and calm her in any way he could.
"You will be alright, I promise you" he swore, speaking in a gentle, soothing voice.
He placed his fingers over her eyes and spoke words that relaxed her heart and attempted to banish the fears from her young mind.
Legolas lifted his head and cried out in a loud voice:
"Telin nin thead! Elemmirë harnannen!"
She suddenly gasped as a tremor of pain shot through her. It was unbearable and she was terrified. Her nails bit into the palms of her hands until Legolas placed his hand in hers, allowing to hold it as tightly as she desired. When the tremor passed, she lay in his arms and allowed fate to claim every part of her. Her breathing, which was once deep and sharp, became shorter and less frequent and as she kept her eyes open, Legolas could see she was fading.
"TELIN NIN THEAD!!" he cried again, utter desperation in his voice.
His eyes never left hers, nor did he ever abandon her in her hour of need. Her mouth kept opening and shutting, as if she was desperate to say something (which she was – there were many things she wanted to say), but she could not – the severity of her injury and the shock of such horror bound her.
Their eyes were fixed on each other's. As he held her in his arms, he saw a shadow pass over her eyes, he felt her body relax, he heard a final, single breath float out from her lips and in his heart, he felt her life pass from her. She was so warm, in body and in spirit, and within minutes, she was so cold. For the first time in his life, Legolas witnessed someone's life disappear within his very arms.
Silence surrounded him. Reality seemed to stop as shock bound him speechless. He could barely breathe. After a few moments of sitting perfectly still, staring at her in shock, he spoke her name and tried to wake her up. He then frantically looked around, but no-one had answered his desperate cry for help. She had been abandoned and Legolas now felt totally alone. His mind completely forgot about the Fellowship quest, he no longer cared if he was in any danger, he simply held her close to him and, so that his face was hidden from the world, he bowed his head.
His heart cracked within him. She was the purest of souls, the most innocent of creatures and the most humble of women – to come to an end such as this seemed totally unjustifiable. She had done no harm to the world, only joy and happiness had followed in her wake. Now these creatures had taken her; the one source of goodness Legolas had left in this dark world was gone. The tiny flame on the candle of hope had been extinguished. The Dark Lord was willing to kill anyone to gain his dominion – even those who caused him no threat whatsoever.
As Legolas thought this, his heart became filled with a darkness he had not felt before. An anger grew within him and he could not stop it – nor did he try to. He lifted his head slowly, his breathing quickening dramatically as he made his decision. He laid Elemmirë with the upmost respect gently onto the earth, closing her eyes as he did so and leaving her there, he began walking towards the border of the forest. As he left, he picked up some elvish blades along the way.
Legolas walked swiftly and purposely. Leaving the borders without the express permission of the Lady was never allowed in LothLórien, but Legolas was filled with a wrath so terrible that all those who saw him fled his path. So great was his sudden emotion that his eyes were no longer the deep sapphire they once were, but a frightening dark colour. He walked under branch and over root until he eventually came to the edge of the forest with the mountains close at hand. He left the forest and walked over a most uneven terrain until he found a peak at the foot of the great line of mountains, not as large as the mountains but still several feet above the ground. He climbed to the very top - being nimble and athletic, this was a quick and easy task for the Elf - and once up there, he stood alone.
His heart felt like it could burst, he had never felt such strong emotion inside him before. There was no grief, only blind fury. In his wrath, therefore, he raised his head towards the skies and screamed at the top of his voice:
Sauron, Dark Lord of the East! Heed each word I speak here!
Too much blood has been shed by your creatures, by your hand!
Your name resounds in whispers across the land but know now that I have no fear of you!!
As Legolas spoke, the sky darkened, large clouds gathered and the sound of thunder began to emerge from a distance.
You took my kindred, twisted them and destroyed them, either by turning them into your foul creations, or those strong enough to resist you, you destroyed! Those who were never meant to experience death have suffered such a fate!! Just like Elemmirë, whose blood now stains this sacred place!
No more! No more of my people in my homeland or in the hidden realms of the Elves shall fall victim to your malice; no more lives shall be taken, for your destruction and fall grows near!
A mighty roll of thunder echoed across the sky. The Elves of LothLórien heard it and were afraid, knowing not what was happening, but no-one dared leave the forest to discover the source of the sudden darkness.
Legolas then heard the mighty yet terrifying voice of Sauron resound in his ears and in his mind:
Fool! You speak to me as one who has the strength to fight me!
Surely, you know not to whom you speak? I am Sauron, Lord of the lands of Mordor, soon to be lord of all Middle-Earth unto the ending of the world!
How can you say you have no fear of me? I see your heart. You flee to the comfort of the Sea. You flee from me! Your slime of a race deserved no more than to become my slaves!
I promise to you, son of Mirkwood, your homeland shall be razed to the ground and your King shall be brought to his knees, as I brought down his fool of a father before him! You shall see their blood spill and the trees burn before you too feel the real power of my hand!!
A sudden crack of lightening struck the rock upon which Legolas stood, splitting it in two. Legolas fell from the small peak and hit the ground hard. As he lay there, the storm ended and the clouds above him disappeared.
As silence fell around him once again, he pushed himself onto his knees and in desperation, prayed in his mother tongue:
Valar of the Heavens, Gods above – I beg of you to grant Elemmirë back the life which was so wrongly taken from her.
She caused no harm to you, nor to any other being on this earth. Please … do not take her away …
He sighed before finishing:
Give me the strength and the courage to aid my friends in this mission. May no more of my friends fall and may his defeat be swift and complete, even if it may cost me my life.
He felt a sense of calm come over him, like the sensation one experiences after a long-needed drink or wash. He stood up in all his elven elegance and re-entered the safety of the woods. As he walked, he felt an intense fatigue that he had never felt before – he felt drained and lacking all energy. He continued walking, however, until he reached the place where he had left Elemmirë. But she had gone – only blood-stained grass remained. Legolas realised that the other Lórien elves must have found her and taken her away.
After he made this discovery, the sudden fatigue took over him and he fell to his knees on the grass by the river. His eyes fell on the rushing of the cool, clear water and it reminded him of her eyes, the purity of the water of the purity of her spirit and soul. In place of the previous anger he had felt, grief finally took hold and there was no way in which he could fight against it. Legolas knelt there alone, and he, one in this world who should never have had to feel the suffering of losing a loved one, wept openly and heavily.
Often they heard nearby Elvish voices singing … but if Legolas was with the company, he would not interpret the songs for them, saying that he had not the skill, and that for him the grief was still too near, a matter for tears and not yet for song.
Fin
The end.
Elvish dictionary:
Yrch - Orcs
Telin nin thead! – come help me!
Elemmirë harnannen! – Elemmirë is hurt!