Disclaimer: Me no own
Longing
"Legolas we should stop for the night, it has grown late and Elindeil has climbed high in the sky." My second in command Celebrimbor advised, as he walked up hesitantly as if a sudden move would send me running.
"You don't have to be so gentle with me Cel, I can handle myself." I said without turning around, I hated that they treated me differently because of my… condition.
"We are your friends you don't have to be guarded against us."
"A shadow and a threat have grown in my mind, but I cannot distinguish it, it is as if I am i a waking dream." I replied apprehension coloring my voice. I was reluctant to lose the gain that we had on the orcs, they would run stronger in the darkening sky and my many years of experience told me that they would most likely enter Rohan tonight and that we would have to join forces with Eomer once again to drive out the few servants of the Dark Lord that was left.
"Do not worry my prince we shall overpower them, and when we do we shall make them wish they have never heard of Greenwood." Celebrimbor said with such a vengeance it was impossible to believe otherwise.
"I hope your right Cele, oh how I hope your right." I mumbled miserably, my thoughts on the past orc hunt two years ago that had failed.
"The past is the past my prince, it is best that you focus your attention to the future."
Glancing around myself, I assessed our position and came up with two options.
"We are almost out of the tree cover, the spruce," I gestured over to a thin sapling, projecting my voice to get the attention of my patrol, "being the boundary line for Mir- Greenwood and Rohan we have two options: either stay here in Greenwood, or enter Rohan, and ensure a stronger lead on our quarry. Either way we will stop for a few hours rest no matter the decision."
Cele turned to me as the patrol turned to discuss amongst themselves their options.
"Very diplomatic Titineth, it seems that your father's lesson have finally paid off." He praised with a smirk.
"They have in more ways than one, but don't tell him. I don't want to get his hopes up for the upcoming Hunters Feast, the sons of Elrond and I have a plan for a certain visiting dignitary." I said with and evil grin.
"I thought you would never ask, of course I will help you humiliate Estle!"
I just rolled my eyes and shoved him away.
"Milord!", Jarden called out "we have decide to continue to peruse our quarry and rest while the sun slows them down"
"O.k. then! Mount up!" I called out to the patrol.
There was a flurry of motion as we scrambled to pick up our saddle bags and vault onto our horses backs. We quickly fell into formation and settled into a swift canter and quickly left the comforting forest of Greenwood for the grassy plains of Rohan.
"Legolas what is it like?" Celebrimbor asks tentively, his voice only loud enough to be heard by me over the sound of the horse's hooves.
"What's what like" I asked innocently, as if I didn't know what he was talking about.
"That's what I mean", He said angrily, wheeling his horse to face me, "We are your best friends, we care about you 'Las but whenever we try to understand what you're going through you push us away!"
By then his voice had risen and the whole patrol had stopped forming a ring around us with the same expression as on Cel's face. I loathed the look; it was full of pity and hurt, as if they could somehow feel what I felt every day. Like they didn't secretly blame me for how I felt and how they were glad it wasn't them who had to deal with it.
"You all want to know how I really feel!" I spat out in anger.
"Yes." Jaden said firmly as the others nodded their heads.
"It feels as if the ground was pulled from under you, and a dull knife is piercing your heart, which only gets worse when you are near a large river that feeds into it." My voice became soft and wistful as my fury diminished, and I gazed at the onyx waters of the Anduin, "The Anduin feeds directly into it, it carries its haunting melody."
As if in a dream I slowly turned my horse and started to head in the general direction of the Anduin and would have probably made it if the others hadn't perused me and form a barricade around me.
"Why won't you let me go? It calls to me, you would let me if you heard its sweet song, but alas your ears are death! A Plague on those who shall never hear its wonder!" I shouted my eyes streaming tears as I looked at the fear on their faces. Their fear, pity, and disgust.
As I finally succumbed to my tears I barley registered Cele rubbing my back saying that everything will be ok, but I knew better, things would never be ok.
If you didn't get what 'it' was, it was the ocean, because if you have read the books Legolas suffers from Sea- Longing after hearing the cries of the gulls. The only place that I could find where it truly mentions it in the book is in appendix A on pg 1053 if you have the one volume edition. If you don't can't help you there sorry.