"The Trees Remember"
Anne Sartain
Ok, I know that I have so many other stories under way . Holocaust, Greenleaf, Searching for souls and now this. Great. Not only do I have to make up for about ten pages that was stolen from holocaust and all of Searching for souls, but I need to keep Greenleaf going, and yeah, I'm kinda stuck on it. THEN I have this "Life" thing you know school soccer, trying to re-establish a social life. Ok I'm ranting, But I got this idea while I was sitting in a tree in the middle of the night freezing my butt off....don't ask why, I don't even know. And there is a site called the trees remember, but I'm using it because it's an earth day special.
**** The sound of the sea was dull to him, now. It nearly pounded in his head from the years, he pushed the light gray boat into the shallow water. It was more or less a large rowboat with a sail and sheltered corner were the supplies were kept.
He remembered the days when he was young and his heart carried little of what weight it did now. Then the sea longing took hold upon him and for more than one hundred and fifty years he was to suffer with it. Although such time is but nothing in his eyes, but in suffering, time is forever.
Now the longing returned, but now it is for the woods of his youth, for middle earth.
So with great haste he built a small boat and gathered supplies in secrecy, although he believed that others including his traveling companion Gimli knew, but knew that he was accustomed to wanting solitude.
He nimbly boarded the boat and in taking an oar, he paddled swiftly away from the undying lands. And a fresh awakeness filled him. For the first time in nearly half a millennia.
*****
Manwe` sat in his throne in the ring of doom, the council place of the Valar. Lord of the sea stood before him. "M'lord. An elf of the Sindar lineage has left the shores for the old realm that we have long forgotten. Which is forbidden. How shall he be dealt with?"
Manwe` pondered for a moment, but Yavanna, Lady of all that grows, who stood mournfully over the trees of life that were destroyed by Melkor. She spoke softly, never looking away from her dead creation.
"He shall go back to the world, and see that it has changed. He shall be sought by the forgotten, and purpose he will give to the grieving heart. His heart in turn will be rent in two. Whether he returns to be healed or to perish, I cannot say. For he abandoned fate long ago, and his heart no longer can be seen by Valar nor Maia. But my heart feels comforted that good shall come of this and little of what is broken will be soothed. In my heart and in my work."
Manwe` listened to the words of Yavanna, and took pity on her long torn heart. Feeling what little this elf could do would lift some weight form her. He nodded to Ulmo. "Let him pass your realm without difficulty. We have bent rules before, and we will again. For we would not have the light of Elendil` if not for broken rules.
****
The elf closed his eyes against the sun. He had been at sea for a fortnight. The weather had been good to him but the heat was unbearable. His delicate skin had turned a tinge pink after the first day. But the good winds had allowed him to retreat under the shelter and his skin returned to it's original pallor.
He sat up suddenly. The boat had stopped swaying beneath him as he had grown accustomed to. He had landed.
***
Legolas walked along a black path with yellow stripes that ran down the middle. He had hidden the boat in the undergrowth and packed all of the supplies in in a rucksack, then started along his way. Were ever his way was leading that is. There was one thing that startled him as he started off and even now he remained wary. In his heart, the world was but a sad whisper. The voices of the trees were feint and sorrowful.
He continued along the beaten path, when he heard the sound of the wind rushing through the leaves, yet as he looked around, the trees were bare. Then he looked ahead of him, seeing a huge armored, shinny thing speeding at him. He paused. Why should he run off the road, when he was there first?
The driver of the semi blew the horn, and swerved to avoid hitting the thin oddly clad figure in the road, he muttered under his breath, "Long haired maggot infested hippy."
Legolas stared at the passing armored beast in awe. It wasn't animal, yet it moved, there was a human inside. What was it? Then he remembered, of Gandalf talking of Sauruman's plan for the future. He shuttered at the thought.
***
Mid day had approached as Legolas reached a large city, faster than man with his elven speed. The city surprised him. Time had changed what was once Aragorn's Gondor. The white city was now tall and silver, mirror like. He walked down sidewalks in a daze, he looked up and down the roads, at people who passed, not noticing anyone but their destination, he looked at the tall mirror like structures that reached the sky. He gingerly placed his finger tips on the glass and peered at his reflection, his mouth and eyes wide in awe.
"Tis` like solid still water", he murmured softly.
Inside the bank, a woman with short blonde hair that hung in front of her ears, suddenly looked up to see a strangely dressed tall man at the window. She dropped her bank statement, and rushed out of the building. Legolas moved on, slowly, staring at the people, the cars the stoplights the windows and the shops. Purely amazed. The woman who was roughly 27 looking, followed him, but stayed slightly behind him, as to not catch his attention.
But still with all this new discovery. The eerily realization had yet to set into his heart.
The world was silent.
**** After nearly being ran over several times, Legolas learned that you wait until the light changes and a crowd of people heard across the road. He began to think that the people were controlled and mastered by the huge metal beasts. But his surprise was monumentous when he saw a man get out of the metal beast, and he learned that they were not living at all, but they were machines controlled by man.
Depending heavily on his lengthy memory, he tried to retrace the way to the palace of Gondor. He used his elven sense of direction to reach a tall inpentreable iron gate, within the gate was a crumbling building, one that Legolas knew well.
He leaned on the gate, his head rested between two towering iron bars, in grief of what he saw, as the home of his old time friend was in desolate ruin, with only a few pillars and stones left together, grass grown up in between the large gaping cracks. He spied a plaque, he walked over to see to his dismay a language that he could not read or understand.
"It says: Here is the remains of The House of gondor. Home to the Stewards and those of the ancient line of Nemenor. The last of which was Elessar, who is Aragorn son of Arathorn, heir of Isidur. The greatest and last of the kings of Gondor.", Said a voice beside him, he glanced over to see a woman, with hair cut just below the ears, which they hid effectively. She reached over to wipe dust away from the stand.
Legolas looked at her dumbly, there was a strange familiarity about her. He was surprised at her elvish, during the day he had heard nothing resembling any form of westernese or any language he knew. He suspected it was instructed as an ancient language. She seemed nonplused in regard to his clothes, but looked around worriedly. "You need to leave, there is an officer who has been watching you for a while", she said in a warning. He opened his mouth to reply, as his eyes darted around to rest on another figure coming towards them. It yelled.
"Hey Nutcase! Get away from there!", a man in a dark blue outfit, with a shiny badge and a black stick pointed at him
. "Nora lim!", the woman whispered urgently, with out taking a second chance he dashed off, feeling shamed because he didn't even defend himself. But as he sprinted away, he reasoned that his bow and knives would be no match with what society today had to defend it's self.
****
Darkness had fallen, and tall posts that almost magically lit up after the sun set But Legolas was oblivious to the wonders of things unknown to him that surrounded the elf. His attention was souly on the painful detachment that he had felt since landing on these shores. His step was no longer light and easy but a slow and heavy trudge.
After the streets had cleared and hours seem to pass. He had came upon a field, with a wall around it, almost blocking it off from the moral, unnatural world around it, but still it diid little to heal him of this pain. He stayed off the concrete path and shuffled through the grass. The majority of the trees were small and feeble, as if they had been planted not long before. He thought planted because they had been arranged in a pattern or arrangement.
He finally came upon an older tree, that was tall and knarled. He hung on a lower branch and hoisted himself in to the upper branches, climbing until he found a comfortable spot were he could rest. He sat for a moment, as it took that long to realize that his heart rate had sped up, the hair on the back of his neck had stood on it's end. The trees around him were screaming in his mind.
****
Calen, the short haired women flattened her hair in front of her ears, as she sat behind the wheel of her rarely used car. Pondering. Were would she go? In a metal world, there would be no where else to find refuge. There would be one place where the elf could go and find little peace, the park. Turning sharply she sped towards the park, trying to get there fast. She glanced outside, and hardened her resolve, now she needed to get there, and get there before the rain.
****
"An Elf!" a voice cried in his mind, coming from the tree he rested in," It has been long since your kind abandoned this world and men forgot us. Neglecting us throughout centuries. Now why does one who escaped to the undying lands come back to? To taunt those who are simply rooted to there prison, and cannot escape this torture?!"
"No, kind....tree, "Legolas started off awkwardly, not sure of what to say,"I come to see what I had left behind, to remember and to pay respect to those who have left forever, and those, who are forever left here.", he added quickly.
"None of your kind remain here, we sometimes feel their presence, but it is just a sad faded memory coming to haunt us in this, this age of loneliness?? Nay elf, we are forgotten forever, even our shepherds, the Ents have grown tree-ish.",The tree was obviously in a sharp rage. He had never witnessed a tree in such anger, but relied on what tales Pippen and Merry had told him of Treebeard and his subtle view on anger and violence, unless he were aroused, by such as the site of the barren land surrounding Isngard. He tried to calm the tree with quick thought words.
"Nay, I have never forgotten the fair beauty of this earth, long my heart has been torn for just a site the thick green forests. I came to see what had become of them."
"Now you see," the tree growled," And are you happy with what you have found??!," Legolas' heart leapt with growing alarm, he had never had a tree angry with him and now that he had, he didn't like it. A tense moment passed, but the tree seemed to take a calming breath of carbon dioxide and had become some what regretful for his unruly out burst. "I am truly sorry, it has been so long since an Elf had come and spoken to us and in my excitement, long suppressed anger came out instead. But that must be put to the past, as things have changed drastically since the department of your kind. And it seems to be unstoppable. Even if your kind had stayed."
His voice slowed to the tree-ish rhythm, taking a while to finish complete statements, and of course, not being a bit hasty in the process.
A great sadness came over him, as he asked,"What kind of changes?"
"Drastic ones. The memories are small, as the mind often hides the most painful. But slowly, men would tear us down as their race grew. They began to build and clear out the land. They built huge towers out of metal steel and glass. It seemed if they wanted to forget the ancient earth and cover it with a metal one. Men have no care or concern for history, nature or environment. All that is cared for is the false synthetic land that they have created. This park stands only because a precious few of their kind recognizes the value of the earth and it's creations, who fight to preserve what little they can. Including the ancient trees, such as myself. Yet these humans who fight to keep the past alive in the trees will never be able to to save us. Just to prolong our suffering. But, what little they do may help to awaken the old spirit of wisdom and independence in their children. Modern man has altered the earth so much, that what once nurtured all that grows and lives, will kill every thing in the end."
Silence over came them, Legolas sat, tense, as if he were waiting for some long planned battle to begin, then a soft sound surrounded him, and in his mind the trees sighed heavily. And then as the sound of the rain grew louder. So did the screams of the dying earth in the poor elf's head.
The rain hit his skin, instead of being cool and peaceful, it burned at his flesh, hot and stinging. He cried out in surprise. He felt tears well up in his eyes, as pity and sorrow filled his heart and soul, he reached up grabbing his hair that was wet with the hot rain, and twisted it between his fingers. He let out an anguished yell, matched only by those of the trees in his head.
"Acid Rain", the tree said as if to answer an unasked question. Another shock came to Legolas, as his highly sensitive elven eyesight literally saw the bark of the tree in front of him melt and erode away under the chemical impurity of the rain. Tears filled his eyes, this was too much pain to bear, his hands rubbed his burning flesh, his eyes were locked on to the scared branches, as if he were in a trance. Of one who gazed intently at something, with out really seeing it, but he saw, and his heart wept. As a horrible death choir of the tree's filled his head and etched it's self into his memory.
****
It was shortly after the middle of the night when Calen's car pulled next to the park's gate. The rain had just ended, to her relief as she hated the feel of it, after falling for shortly over an hour. She got out of her car, wondering, if it were her in his place were she would be.
She wandered on the concrete path, searching the trees and benches. An hour went past, until she spied something in the trees. Peering between the foilage she saw the lost elf. He rubbed his arms, his eyes closed in a manner that suggested he wanted to forget. She had only to take a step or two closer before she realized the pain filled expression and tears that had over come him.
So, he now knew the corruption of the world of men, she thought sadly.
****
Legolas sat, almost like he was clinging to the passenger door. Like a child, afraid of something, of on the first day of school tentative and scared of what lay ahead. Calen glanced over at him from her driver seat, and shook her head slightly. But then , she reasoned with herself, she was not thrust into the world, but had evolved with it.
Now, slightly annoyed by the grown elf's childish behavior, she slammed on her breaks and blared the car's horn. (as the streets were empty) Legolas jerked forward and slammed his head against the dashboard. Calen watched smugly as Legolas slowly straightened up, moaning and cursing, holding his bleeding nose.
"Now will you act reasonable?!", she yelled, moving along the road.
"Nor an Udun!",(Go to hell) He retorted in a strange nasal voice, blood seeped through his fingers.
"Sorry, I'm already here, looks like you are too.", was her smart aleck response. What a childish thing to say, right out of middle school Calen, she chastised herself. She looked over at the poor elf, with his head craned back to stop the flow of blood, looking as if she were to slam on the breaks at any second. Guilt flowed over her conscience. Great job, she argued inside, really get off on the right foot eh? Make him a little bit More paranoid why don't you?
****
Dawn rose over the world. To many, who knew no better, believed it to be a marvelous sight. But to ancient things of the world, whose numbers are few, see this to be a sorrowful shadow of what the phenomena used to be. As the sun now fought through smog, only to shine on a metal world that mockingly reflected it's own rays back at her. And on dying trees and silent forests who found each day to be a painful twisted memory.
Legolas sat on the decks railing, outside out the very secluded remote home of Calen, he sat, looking like a balanced and poised samurai warrior with the elven blades and arrows strapped to his back, his bow and rucksack on the deck beside him. He had not allowed himself rest, even to escape the worlds pain, for he still wasn't sure this being he was with. His ears perked up, almost like a cats to the silent presence of the woman be hind him. He looked sideways slightly, with out moving his head to see her in a blue bath robe, holding two mugs.
"Here," she said offering his a mug of steaming liquid,"It's herbal tea." She assured him catching the almost comical look he possessed, he took it, and sat it on the rail in front of him, watching the steam rise."um...I'm sorry for being so rude yesterday, I mean, we got off on the total wrong foot and all. You never even told me your name. Who are you?"
"No, the question is not who I am that you should be asking, but who you are, is the question you should ask yourself." he smiled to himself, as it was something that Gandalf or Galadrial would say. The smile was a sad one, for even though he had not left long ago, it seemed to be a torturous eternity.
"Aha, Zen crap," she muttered,"My name is Calen. I have lived here since, well since far before the rise of men. Since the beginning of the second age. I am and elf, as you are, of the Noldorin lineage."
"Did you partake in the Kin Slaying?", Legolas asked with a note of urgency and hidden uncertainty. He had deeply wished since child hood to never encounter such a being that would slaughter it's own family with out a second thought.
"No, I was born long after that depressing early era of the earth. After the fall of the One Ring and the failing of the Rings of Power, when all of our kind were leaving for Valinor, I felt as if I could never leave these shores and that my heart would never heal if I had. And that I would never adjust to the undying world. So I simply never left,"She shrugged her shoulders and sipped her tea while walking to the rail opposite to Legolas, and stood sadly surveying the deadened forest around them." I've grown with the world almost. I feel almost as if I am fading day to day with the earth. It.....it is torture to watch her die. Like watching myself die."
Legolas sat for a moment."I am Legolas Greenleaf, prince of what was once Mirkwood. I sailed in secrecy to middle earth to discover what became of my old home, and the home of my friend, who was Aragorn son of Arathorn. Estel.,"he paused, with a sympathetic glance to the fading Elf."I never knew that the fall of the ring would also be the fall of the world."
Calen nodded grimly,"Sometimes I believe that maybe if the Halfling had not completed his task then the earth would be saved, as the Rings of the Elfs would have not faded as well. But then I realize that the earth would be shourded in darkness and evil. Then there would be no reason for life anymore. But that has still happened."then she added in a whisper, sounding much like a lost lonely little girl," And I know not what I should do."
Silence echoed loudly for the passing moments lingered. Until Legolas nimbly leapt from his perch and on to the deck declaring,"Come back to the Undying lands with me. I cannot allow myself to go back in peace knowing that there is one who suffers still here. And there you will not witness the earth's evolution into metal."
She turned around, and shook her head sadly,"No, I cannot. I will not abandon this world in it's time of need. Even though i cannot speak to the trees as you can, I know my precense is known and that it comforts them, even just a little." "Is there no way to at least stall the world's suffering? Surely the humans aren't all that oblivious to the decaying of nature and what once was?!," Legolas asked, somewhat alarmed, in thinking that the human's he knew long ago had now evolved past recognition of what they had been. His mind quickly turned to Aragorn, who had been so wary of the earth and her creatures, taking up most care in all he did, but then, he was raised with elves.
"There are some, Who like myself, have given up eating animal products. For all different reasons, Mine being that I refuse to see more and more species die out because of man's stupidity, like the American Buffalo did, or other animals. Once flourishing, now diminishing or gone. But we are not united, and there is no common cause." Calen mused somewhat to herself. There was no hope in her voice, that was hollow, as it had been for years.
"Then they should be given one. For the world shall not fade, not with out a voice, not with out a fight." He turned into the house, to pour out the tea (Which really he didn't like at all to be honest.) Calen watched him, wondering in the back of her mind with some amusement, what in Valar was going to happen. Suddenly, though, with out further thought, she knew, and dashed into the house. Spilling the tea on the deck and on her socks and flip flops.(AN: snorts What a nerd.....I do that all the time, socks and flip flops....)
*****
Many hours passed and Legolas was alone in the kitchen, trying to find something he could eat, and that at least looked familiar. He searched throughout the cabinets, tossing he boxes with bright pictures on them aside. His raid was fruitless,and his stomach empty, and yeah, like any other hungry person, he was mad.
"What are you doing, Legolas?", Calen half laughed from the door way.
"I'm looking for something to eat, or has man gotten rid of the need of that also??" he answered, somewhat tersely, and very much annoyed by her sense of superiority.
"Well come here, I've found a solution.,"Hearing this, Legolas jumped down from the counter top and followed her to what seemed to be the largest room in the house, spanning the two stories in height. With book shelves up to the ceiling filled with ancient manuscripts and rare books. Around the length and width of the room there were tall stacks of books that would not fit in the shelves, maps and paper stuck out from in between. Then in one corner of there room there was a small desk with a colorful box on top, Calen sat in the chair that was in front of it, that was on wheels.
"This is a computer," She explained, but legolas was more interested in the books, there were some in Qenyan, Sindarin and Dwarvish (Who knew Dwarves wrote books??He thought) Common speech and many many other different languages that he didn't recognize.
"When those of Rivendell and other cities had left I went and gathered that manuscripts, maps and books. Before they were plundered and most likely burned. I became caretaker at the White City, and hoarded all writings that were to be thrown out. There are many many more thousand books and documents in my basement.", She said, as if she could read the question of his mind. She saw him eyeing a distinctly familiar red book."Aha, yes. I even traveled to the Shire before Sam Gamgee died to collect Bilbo's book. That was an interesting find. That is why I did not ask any further of your history or of the quest for the ring. For I know much of it." She smiled.
"But, Bilbo's story did not concern me, except for my father,"He said, breathless with shock.
"But Frodo's did. And Bilbo had an interest in your history as well. As in contrast to most woodland Elves, you were silent." She smiled, and omenicent smile,"But, I wanted to show you this."
He looked over her shoulder to see the computer screen filled with a site with the title, "Greenpeace."
"I made it just now. I knew that I had to help others band together to save what is left and to educate others. I took Green from your Greenleaf and peace from what we want, the world to be at ease."
"Will it work?" He asked in hidden awe and confusion of technology. "I donno, but it's a start." *****
"Must you leave Legoals?" Calen said, hugging him, his small boat,packed with supplies, was ready to go. "We all must do what we must. And I must return, "He replied, somewhat cryptically,"If not than these wounds will not be healed, and I will have the same fate that you have accepted for your self. I am thankful for your friendship though. And I hope I will not find you in Mandos' halls
"We both know I am doomed, you just admitted that. I will fade ailing from a broken heart, I cannot heal the world completely, and thus I cannot be completely healed."
"No one knows that," Legolas said in grim assurance, looking across the dirty water," Fate isn't all controling. And I will make the Valar aware of your plight."
"Namaire, Legolas Greenleaf." Calen murmured in to the wind, as the small gray boat sailed away out of her advanced view," May you heal, and not reach the sam end as I."
****
The stars shined brightly as if they were a welcoming party for his return. Which was bitter sweet. He grieved soundly for what had been lost, and for the entire trip he found no comfort. He drug his boat on to the shining moon drenched sands.
"you could have at least let me come, ya stubborn elf! I want to see what is there too!,: A voice said behind him, he saw the form of Gimli, outlined only by the embers of his pipe.
"No my friend, "Legolas sadly said, Gimli knew now that his friend was not himself, and the next statement confirmed it." Leave it to memory, for returning will only leave you to fade. Your heart will be less burdened this way."
Wanting to press further but knowing better, Gimli bit his tongue and followed Legolas to the Elven city. He'd leave the pestering and pressing of information to someone who was widely known to getting the information that he wanted. He'd just have to wait for Gandalf to get the answers.
****
* holds magnet up to computer threateningly. * ok, you fricken` un freeze and I might not tear you chip from chip. Anyway, I am mainly involved in tree conservation, so this was mainly about trees. If you want to know more, go to Greenpeace.com, and greenpeace, belongs ot greenpeace, I just used it. Happy Earth Day!!! Ps, working really hard on Greenleaf right now, so it should be up in a day or two!! and this is a big file, so if it's spacy, it aint my fault!!
Anne Sartain
Ok, I know that I have so many other stories under way . Holocaust, Greenleaf, Searching for souls and now this. Great. Not only do I have to make up for about ten pages that was stolen from holocaust and all of Searching for souls, but I need to keep Greenleaf going, and yeah, I'm kinda stuck on it. THEN I have this "Life" thing you know school soccer, trying to re-establish a social life. Ok I'm ranting, But I got this idea while I was sitting in a tree in the middle of the night freezing my butt off....don't ask why, I don't even know. And there is a site called the trees remember, but I'm using it because it's an earth day special.
**** The sound of the sea was dull to him, now. It nearly pounded in his head from the years, he pushed the light gray boat into the shallow water. It was more or less a large rowboat with a sail and sheltered corner were the supplies were kept.
He remembered the days when he was young and his heart carried little of what weight it did now. Then the sea longing took hold upon him and for more than one hundred and fifty years he was to suffer with it. Although such time is but nothing in his eyes, but in suffering, time is forever.
Now the longing returned, but now it is for the woods of his youth, for middle earth.
So with great haste he built a small boat and gathered supplies in secrecy, although he believed that others including his traveling companion Gimli knew, but knew that he was accustomed to wanting solitude.
He nimbly boarded the boat and in taking an oar, he paddled swiftly away from the undying lands. And a fresh awakeness filled him. For the first time in nearly half a millennia.
*****
Manwe` sat in his throne in the ring of doom, the council place of the Valar. Lord of the sea stood before him. "M'lord. An elf of the Sindar lineage has left the shores for the old realm that we have long forgotten. Which is forbidden. How shall he be dealt with?"
Manwe` pondered for a moment, but Yavanna, Lady of all that grows, who stood mournfully over the trees of life that were destroyed by Melkor. She spoke softly, never looking away from her dead creation.
"He shall go back to the world, and see that it has changed. He shall be sought by the forgotten, and purpose he will give to the grieving heart. His heart in turn will be rent in two. Whether he returns to be healed or to perish, I cannot say. For he abandoned fate long ago, and his heart no longer can be seen by Valar nor Maia. But my heart feels comforted that good shall come of this and little of what is broken will be soothed. In my heart and in my work."
Manwe` listened to the words of Yavanna, and took pity on her long torn heart. Feeling what little this elf could do would lift some weight form her. He nodded to Ulmo. "Let him pass your realm without difficulty. We have bent rules before, and we will again. For we would not have the light of Elendil` if not for broken rules.
****
The elf closed his eyes against the sun. He had been at sea for a fortnight. The weather had been good to him but the heat was unbearable. His delicate skin had turned a tinge pink after the first day. But the good winds had allowed him to retreat under the shelter and his skin returned to it's original pallor.
He sat up suddenly. The boat had stopped swaying beneath him as he had grown accustomed to. He had landed.
***
Legolas walked along a black path with yellow stripes that ran down the middle. He had hidden the boat in the undergrowth and packed all of the supplies in in a rucksack, then started along his way. Were ever his way was leading that is. There was one thing that startled him as he started off and even now he remained wary. In his heart, the world was but a sad whisper. The voices of the trees were feint and sorrowful.
He continued along the beaten path, when he heard the sound of the wind rushing through the leaves, yet as he looked around, the trees were bare. Then he looked ahead of him, seeing a huge armored, shinny thing speeding at him. He paused. Why should he run off the road, when he was there first?
The driver of the semi blew the horn, and swerved to avoid hitting the thin oddly clad figure in the road, he muttered under his breath, "Long haired maggot infested hippy."
Legolas stared at the passing armored beast in awe. It wasn't animal, yet it moved, there was a human inside. What was it? Then he remembered, of Gandalf talking of Sauruman's plan for the future. He shuttered at the thought.
***
Mid day had approached as Legolas reached a large city, faster than man with his elven speed. The city surprised him. Time had changed what was once Aragorn's Gondor. The white city was now tall and silver, mirror like. He walked down sidewalks in a daze, he looked up and down the roads, at people who passed, not noticing anyone but their destination, he looked at the tall mirror like structures that reached the sky. He gingerly placed his finger tips on the glass and peered at his reflection, his mouth and eyes wide in awe.
"Tis` like solid still water", he murmured softly.
Inside the bank, a woman with short blonde hair that hung in front of her ears, suddenly looked up to see a strangely dressed tall man at the window. She dropped her bank statement, and rushed out of the building. Legolas moved on, slowly, staring at the people, the cars the stoplights the windows and the shops. Purely amazed. The woman who was roughly 27 looking, followed him, but stayed slightly behind him, as to not catch his attention.
But still with all this new discovery. The eerily realization had yet to set into his heart.
The world was silent.
**** After nearly being ran over several times, Legolas learned that you wait until the light changes and a crowd of people heard across the road. He began to think that the people were controlled and mastered by the huge metal beasts. But his surprise was monumentous when he saw a man get out of the metal beast, and he learned that they were not living at all, but they were machines controlled by man.
Depending heavily on his lengthy memory, he tried to retrace the way to the palace of Gondor. He used his elven sense of direction to reach a tall inpentreable iron gate, within the gate was a crumbling building, one that Legolas knew well.
He leaned on the gate, his head rested between two towering iron bars, in grief of what he saw, as the home of his old time friend was in desolate ruin, with only a few pillars and stones left together, grass grown up in between the large gaping cracks. He spied a plaque, he walked over to see to his dismay a language that he could not read or understand.
"It says: Here is the remains of The House of gondor. Home to the Stewards and those of the ancient line of Nemenor. The last of which was Elessar, who is Aragorn son of Arathorn, heir of Isidur. The greatest and last of the kings of Gondor.", Said a voice beside him, he glanced over to see a woman, with hair cut just below the ears, which they hid effectively. She reached over to wipe dust away from the stand.
Legolas looked at her dumbly, there was a strange familiarity about her. He was surprised at her elvish, during the day he had heard nothing resembling any form of westernese or any language he knew. He suspected it was instructed as an ancient language. She seemed nonplused in regard to his clothes, but looked around worriedly. "You need to leave, there is an officer who has been watching you for a while", she said in a warning. He opened his mouth to reply, as his eyes darted around to rest on another figure coming towards them. It yelled.
"Hey Nutcase! Get away from there!", a man in a dark blue outfit, with a shiny badge and a black stick pointed at him
. "Nora lim!", the woman whispered urgently, with out taking a second chance he dashed off, feeling shamed because he didn't even defend himself. But as he sprinted away, he reasoned that his bow and knives would be no match with what society today had to defend it's self.
****
Darkness had fallen, and tall posts that almost magically lit up after the sun set But Legolas was oblivious to the wonders of things unknown to him that surrounded the elf. His attention was souly on the painful detachment that he had felt since landing on these shores. His step was no longer light and easy but a slow and heavy trudge.
After the streets had cleared and hours seem to pass. He had came upon a field, with a wall around it, almost blocking it off from the moral, unnatural world around it, but still it diid little to heal him of this pain. He stayed off the concrete path and shuffled through the grass. The majority of the trees were small and feeble, as if they had been planted not long before. He thought planted because they had been arranged in a pattern or arrangement.
He finally came upon an older tree, that was tall and knarled. He hung on a lower branch and hoisted himself in to the upper branches, climbing until he found a comfortable spot were he could rest. He sat for a moment, as it took that long to realize that his heart rate had sped up, the hair on the back of his neck had stood on it's end. The trees around him were screaming in his mind.
****
Calen, the short haired women flattened her hair in front of her ears, as she sat behind the wheel of her rarely used car. Pondering. Were would she go? In a metal world, there would be no where else to find refuge. There would be one place where the elf could go and find little peace, the park. Turning sharply she sped towards the park, trying to get there fast. She glanced outside, and hardened her resolve, now she needed to get there, and get there before the rain.
****
"An Elf!" a voice cried in his mind, coming from the tree he rested in," It has been long since your kind abandoned this world and men forgot us. Neglecting us throughout centuries. Now why does one who escaped to the undying lands come back to? To taunt those who are simply rooted to there prison, and cannot escape this torture?!"
"No, kind....tree, "Legolas started off awkwardly, not sure of what to say,"I come to see what I had left behind, to remember and to pay respect to those who have left forever, and those, who are forever left here.", he added quickly.
"None of your kind remain here, we sometimes feel their presence, but it is just a sad faded memory coming to haunt us in this, this age of loneliness?? Nay elf, we are forgotten forever, even our shepherds, the Ents have grown tree-ish.",The tree was obviously in a sharp rage. He had never witnessed a tree in such anger, but relied on what tales Pippen and Merry had told him of Treebeard and his subtle view on anger and violence, unless he were aroused, by such as the site of the barren land surrounding Isngard. He tried to calm the tree with quick thought words.
"Nay, I have never forgotten the fair beauty of this earth, long my heart has been torn for just a site the thick green forests. I came to see what had become of them."
"Now you see," the tree growled," And are you happy with what you have found??!," Legolas' heart leapt with growing alarm, he had never had a tree angry with him and now that he had, he didn't like it. A tense moment passed, but the tree seemed to take a calming breath of carbon dioxide and had become some what regretful for his unruly out burst. "I am truly sorry, it has been so long since an Elf had come and spoken to us and in my excitement, long suppressed anger came out instead. But that must be put to the past, as things have changed drastically since the department of your kind. And it seems to be unstoppable. Even if your kind had stayed."
His voice slowed to the tree-ish rhythm, taking a while to finish complete statements, and of course, not being a bit hasty in the process.
A great sadness came over him, as he asked,"What kind of changes?"
"Drastic ones. The memories are small, as the mind often hides the most painful. But slowly, men would tear us down as their race grew. They began to build and clear out the land. They built huge towers out of metal steel and glass. It seemed if they wanted to forget the ancient earth and cover it with a metal one. Men have no care or concern for history, nature or environment. All that is cared for is the false synthetic land that they have created. This park stands only because a precious few of their kind recognizes the value of the earth and it's creations, who fight to preserve what little they can. Including the ancient trees, such as myself. Yet these humans who fight to keep the past alive in the trees will never be able to to save us. Just to prolong our suffering. But, what little they do may help to awaken the old spirit of wisdom and independence in their children. Modern man has altered the earth so much, that what once nurtured all that grows and lives, will kill every thing in the end."
Silence over came them, Legolas sat, tense, as if he were waiting for some long planned battle to begin, then a soft sound surrounded him, and in his mind the trees sighed heavily. And then as the sound of the rain grew louder. So did the screams of the dying earth in the poor elf's head.
The rain hit his skin, instead of being cool and peaceful, it burned at his flesh, hot and stinging. He cried out in surprise. He felt tears well up in his eyes, as pity and sorrow filled his heart and soul, he reached up grabbing his hair that was wet with the hot rain, and twisted it between his fingers. He let out an anguished yell, matched only by those of the trees in his head.
"Acid Rain", the tree said as if to answer an unasked question. Another shock came to Legolas, as his highly sensitive elven eyesight literally saw the bark of the tree in front of him melt and erode away under the chemical impurity of the rain. Tears filled his eyes, this was too much pain to bear, his hands rubbed his burning flesh, his eyes were locked on to the scared branches, as if he were in a trance. Of one who gazed intently at something, with out really seeing it, but he saw, and his heart wept. As a horrible death choir of the tree's filled his head and etched it's self into his memory.
****
It was shortly after the middle of the night when Calen's car pulled next to the park's gate. The rain had just ended, to her relief as she hated the feel of it, after falling for shortly over an hour. She got out of her car, wondering, if it were her in his place were she would be.
She wandered on the concrete path, searching the trees and benches. An hour went past, until she spied something in the trees. Peering between the foilage she saw the lost elf. He rubbed his arms, his eyes closed in a manner that suggested he wanted to forget. She had only to take a step or two closer before she realized the pain filled expression and tears that had over come him.
So, he now knew the corruption of the world of men, she thought sadly.
****
Legolas sat, almost like he was clinging to the passenger door. Like a child, afraid of something, of on the first day of school tentative and scared of what lay ahead. Calen glanced over at him from her driver seat, and shook her head slightly. But then , she reasoned with herself, she was not thrust into the world, but had evolved with it.
Now, slightly annoyed by the grown elf's childish behavior, she slammed on her breaks and blared the car's horn. (as the streets were empty) Legolas jerked forward and slammed his head against the dashboard. Calen watched smugly as Legolas slowly straightened up, moaning and cursing, holding his bleeding nose.
"Now will you act reasonable?!", she yelled, moving along the road.
"Nor an Udun!",(Go to hell) He retorted in a strange nasal voice, blood seeped through his fingers.
"Sorry, I'm already here, looks like you are too.", was her smart aleck response. What a childish thing to say, right out of middle school Calen, she chastised herself. She looked over at the poor elf, with his head craned back to stop the flow of blood, looking as if she were to slam on the breaks at any second. Guilt flowed over her conscience. Great job, she argued inside, really get off on the right foot eh? Make him a little bit More paranoid why don't you?
****
Dawn rose over the world. To many, who knew no better, believed it to be a marvelous sight. But to ancient things of the world, whose numbers are few, see this to be a sorrowful shadow of what the phenomena used to be. As the sun now fought through smog, only to shine on a metal world that mockingly reflected it's own rays back at her. And on dying trees and silent forests who found each day to be a painful twisted memory.
Legolas sat on the decks railing, outside out the very secluded remote home of Calen, he sat, looking like a balanced and poised samurai warrior with the elven blades and arrows strapped to his back, his bow and rucksack on the deck beside him. He had not allowed himself rest, even to escape the worlds pain, for he still wasn't sure this being he was with. His ears perked up, almost like a cats to the silent presence of the woman be hind him. He looked sideways slightly, with out moving his head to see her in a blue bath robe, holding two mugs.
"Here," she said offering his a mug of steaming liquid,"It's herbal tea." She assured him catching the almost comical look he possessed, he took it, and sat it on the rail in front of him, watching the steam rise."um...I'm sorry for being so rude yesterday, I mean, we got off on the total wrong foot and all. You never even told me your name. Who are you?"
"No, the question is not who I am that you should be asking, but who you are, is the question you should ask yourself." he smiled to himself, as it was something that Gandalf or Galadrial would say. The smile was a sad one, for even though he had not left long ago, it seemed to be a torturous eternity.
"Aha, Zen crap," she muttered,"My name is Calen. I have lived here since, well since far before the rise of men. Since the beginning of the second age. I am and elf, as you are, of the Noldorin lineage."
"Did you partake in the Kin Slaying?", Legolas asked with a note of urgency and hidden uncertainty. He had deeply wished since child hood to never encounter such a being that would slaughter it's own family with out a second thought.
"No, I was born long after that depressing early era of the earth. After the fall of the One Ring and the failing of the Rings of Power, when all of our kind were leaving for Valinor, I felt as if I could never leave these shores and that my heart would never heal if I had. And that I would never adjust to the undying world. So I simply never left,"She shrugged her shoulders and sipped her tea while walking to the rail opposite to Legolas, and stood sadly surveying the deadened forest around them." I've grown with the world almost. I feel almost as if I am fading day to day with the earth. It.....it is torture to watch her die. Like watching myself die."
Legolas sat for a moment."I am Legolas Greenleaf, prince of what was once Mirkwood. I sailed in secrecy to middle earth to discover what became of my old home, and the home of my friend, who was Aragorn son of Arathorn. Estel.,"he paused, with a sympathetic glance to the fading Elf."I never knew that the fall of the ring would also be the fall of the world."
Calen nodded grimly,"Sometimes I believe that maybe if the Halfling had not completed his task then the earth would be saved, as the Rings of the Elfs would have not faded as well. But then I realize that the earth would be shourded in darkness and evil. Then there would be no reason for life anymore. But that has still happened."then she added in a whisper, sounding much like a lost lonely little girl," And I know not what I should do."
Silence echoed loudly for the passing moments lingered. Until Legolas nimbly leapt from his perch and on to the deck declaring,"Come back to the Undying lands with me. I cannot allow myself to go back in peace knowing that there is one who suffers still here. And there you will not witness the earth's evolution into metal."
She turned around, and shook her head sadly,"No, I cannot. I will not abandon this world in it's time of need. Even though i cannot speak to the trees as you can, I know my precense is known and that it comforts them, even just a little." "Is there no way to at least stall the world's suffering? Surely the humans aren't all that oblivious to the decaying of nature and what once was?!," Legolas asked, somewhat alarmed, in thinking that the human's he knew long ago had now evolved past recognition of what they had been. His mind quickly turned to Aragorn, who had been so wary of the earth and her creatures, taking up most care in all he did, but then, he was raised with elves.
"There are some, Who like myself, have given up eating animal products. For all different reasons, Mine being that I refuse to see more and more species die out because of man's stupidity, like the American Buffalo did, or other animals. Once flourishing, now diminishing or gone. But we are not united, and there is no common cause." Calen mused somewhat to herself. There was no hope in her voice, that was hollow, as it had been for years.
"Then they should be given one. For the world shall not fade, not with out a voice, not with out a fight." He turned into the house, to pour out the tea (Which really he didn't like at all to be honest.) Calen watched him, wondering in the back of her mind with some amusement, what in Valar was going to happen. Suddenly, though, with out further thought, she knew, and dashed into the house. Spilling the tea on the deck and on her socks and flip flops.(AN: snorts What a nerd.....I do that all the time, socks and flip flops....)
*****
Many hours passed and Legolas was alone in the kitchen, trying to find something he could eat, and that at least looked familiar. He searched throughout the cabinets, tossing he boxes with bright pictures on them aside. His raid was fruitless,and his stomach empty, and yeah, like any other hungry person, he was mad.
"What are you doing, Legolas?", Calen half laughed from the door way.
"I'm looking for something to eat, or has man gotten rid of the need of that also??" he answered, somewhat tersely, and very much annoyed by her sense of superiority.
"Well come here, I've found a solution.,"Hearing this, Legolas jumped down from the counter top and followed her to what seemed to be the largest room in the house, spanning the two stories in height. With book shelves up to the ceiling filled with ancient manuscripts and rare books. Around the length and width of the room there were tall stacks of books that would not fit in the shelves, maps and paper stuck out from in between. Then in one corner of there room there was a small desk with a colorful box on top, Calen sat in the chair that was in front of it, that was on wheels.
"This is a computer," She explained, but legolas was more interested in the books, there were some in Qenyan, Sindarin and Dwarvish (Who knew Dwarves wrote books??He thought) Common speech and many many other different languages that he didn't recognize.
"When those of Rivendell and other cities had left I went and gathered that manuscripts, maps and books. Before they were plundered and most likely burned. I became caretaker at the White City, and hoarded all writings that were to be thrown out. There are many many more thousand books and documents in my basement.", She said, as if she could read the question of his mind. She saw him eyeing a distinctly familiar red book."Aha, yes. I even traveled to the Shire before Sam Gamgee died to collect Bilbo's book. That was an interesting find. That is why I did not ask any further of your history or of the quest for the ring. For I know much of it." She smiled.
"But, Bilbo's story did not concern me, except for my father,"He said, breathless with shock.
"But Frodo's did. And Bilbo had an interest in your history as well. As in contrast to most woodland Elves, you were silent." She smiled, and omenicent smile,"But, I wanted to show you this."
He looked over her shoulder to see the computer screen filled with a site with the title, "Greenpeace."
"I made it just now. I knew that I had to help others band together to save what is left and to educate others. I took Green from your Greenleaf and peace from what we want, the world to be at ease."
"Will it work?" He asked in hidden awe and confusion of technology. "I donno, but it's a start." *****
"Must you leave Legoals?" Calen said, hugging him, his small boat,packed with supplies, was ready to go. "We all must do what we must. And I must return, "He replied, somewhat cryptically,"If not than these wounds will not be healed, and I will have the same fate that you have accepted for your self. I am thankful for your friendship though. And I hope I will not find you in Mandos' halls
"We both know I am doomed, you just admitted that. I will fade ailing from a broken heart, I cannot heal the world completely, and thus I cannot be completely healed."
"No one knows that," Legolas said in grim assurance, looking across the dirty water," Fate isn't all controling. And I will make the Valar aware of your plight."
"Namaire, Legolas Greenleaf." Calen murmured in to the wind, as the small gray boat sailed away out of her advanced view," May you heal, and not reach the sam end as I."
****
The stars shined brightly as if they were a welcoming party for his return. Which was bitter sweet. He grieved soundly for what had been lost, and for the entire trip he found no comfort. He drug his boat on to the shining moon drenched sands.
"you could have at least let me come, ya stubborn elf! I want to see what is there too!,: A voice said behind him, he saw the form of Gimli, outlined only by the embers of his pipe.
"No my friend, "Legolas sadly said, Gimli knew now that his friend was not himself, and the next statement confirmed it." Leave it to memory, for returning will only leave you to fade. Your heart will be less burdened this way."
Wanting to press further but knowing better, Gimli bit his tongue and followed Legolas to the Elven city. He'd leave the pestering and pressing of information to someone who was widely known to getting the information that he wanted. He'd just have to wait for Gandalf to get the answers.
****
* holds magnet up to computer threateningly. * ok, you fricken` un freeze and I might not tear you chip from chip. Anyway, I am mainly involved in tree conservation, so this was mainly about trees. If you want to know more, go to Greenpeace.com, and greenpeace, belongs ot greenpeace, I just used it. Happy Earth Day!!! Ps, working really hard on Greenleaf right now, so it should be up in a day or two!! and this is a big file, so if it's spacy, it aint my fault!!