A/N Rewrite Chapter 3 :)
3. Dagri'nul
Legolas heard his name being called from beyond the brush right before him. Over and over he heard her crying out for him, desperation ringing clearly in her voice.
Roaring he gave every little bit of strength to counter the fierce grip he was being held in. He could not believe what had happened, from one moment to the next his world had turned upside down. Drawing strength from every fiber of his being, from every single emotion he felt, he tried to break free so he could reach his love. It was to no avail, her voice had died out from beyond the brush and panic overtook him.
He felt her name go over his lips, straining his throat. The world had become a blur of slow-motion, everything had changed. She no longer answered him, she no longer called for him. He felt his head being pushed down to counter his apparently loud cries for her. He heard evil orc laughing reach his ears, it was the most sinister sound he had ever heard.
While struggling, the fierce elf tried to locate the origin of the rough laughter. He managed to lift his head a little and saw a tall orc coming from behind the bush. The elf's eyes fell upon what he was holding within his claws and all strength just faded from him for a moment. His life suddenly stopped making sense as the beautiful elven arm fell lifeless from the orc's claw.
Life seemed to stop completely as the prince held his breath for several seconds. From one moment to the next it all came rushing back to him, all his emotions overwhelming him. They formed a ball inside him that forced itself out in a loud yell.
With renewed strength he struggled against his assaulters, pulling his arms and kicking them with his legs with all his might. It still made little difference, despite his efforts, his body was simply too weak to make a difference against three orcs much larger than him.
The rough and harsh tones of the leader orc demanded his attention. It was a horrible voice, befitting of the being's exterior. It spoke of things he would never bend to, not even now. He would fade away before he would join them. Anger clearly written on his face, the elf spat at the orc with all he had, denying him his prize. In the same moment he managed to release one of his right arm and quick as he could reached for the dagger at his side.
If only his body had not been so drained at that point, he would have been quicker... He felt a sharp pain just below his ribs, searing through him. The pain would not be denied and a cry escaped the elf as he felt the foreign object lodged within him removed forcefully. He had lost all strength, he heard the orc speak more, but he hardly had the focus to process it.
He felt the orcs behind him release his body from their grip and he fell to the floor. He had hoped to brace himself from the impact, but his arms would no longer obey him. A large blow to his ribcage caused him to roll over, then another blow and another and another. Pain swallowed him whole and he no longer knew where or when he was as darkness closed in on him.
When it was about to consume him, the blows stopped and the pain subsided to a bearable level. Legolas opened his eyes and noticed his surroundings were no longer the dark green trees of Mirkwood. Fog came rolling through unfamiliar trees and seemed to swallow him whole. The moonlight that fell upon the thick fog gave it an eerie white glow.
He was still bound to the ground, pain coming from various places inside him, his body not responding in the least to his commands to get up.
"Legolas..." a voice hissed through the fogged forest.
Legolas recognized the voice, it had been the same one that had been haunting him for days. He tried to focus his thoughts and suddenly came to the realization he was within another one of his dreams. Incredibly real or not, the familiar surroundings of his dream world gave it away. Through blurry vision he saw a dark silhouette came closer through the mists.
"It was You!" the voice echoed all around him angry and fierce as it had been before.
"You are to blame, you killed me!"
Before the elf could make full sense of the figure was hovering over him, dark glowing eyes looking down upon him angrily. "Who...who are you?" his voice was barely above a whisper.
"Who am I?" The voice laughed, taunting the elf, "Someone you should fear greatly."
"Your name!" The elf demanded, trying to the best of his abilities to raise himself from the ground.
"My Name?! I don't think you are within any position to be demanding things of ME!"
With a single finger the being lifted Legolas off the ground and the elf felt himself being thrown against a tree with an incredible force. It knocked the wind straight out of him. Now in a fairly awkward seated position Legolas managed to lay his eyes upon his assaulter. Blurry vision troubled him, but he did his best to focus and identify his enemy. It was to no avail, the figure was clad in full black robes and all he could see was two red glowing eyes under hood as it walked closer to him.
"You will pay for what you have done to me!"
"It was you who returned me the memory of Lea, wasn't it?" Still brave the elf was searching for answers, clarification to everything he had experienced as of late.
"Of course it was me Legolas - to poison your soul, weaken the barriers protecting it. You were once a strong guarded warrior with many barriers, but this... she, she can still penetrate them without much effort. I knew it was her memory that would allow me access. And now here you are, at my mercy dear Prince. You will not be of any aid to your dear friends, they too will be at my mercy in time."
Legolas cast his eyes to the ground, for he knew it had worked exactly as this evil being had intended. It had blurred all his senses and it had lowered his guard. It had consumed him so much, he had not even heard Aragorn approach him the other night. How could he even be of use to the fellowship on their forthcoming quest in this state? If his friends were in danger, would he be able to protect them? He felt weakness and despair engulf him as he returned his eyes to the being standing before him.
An unseen smile crept over the dark figure under its hood, he had reached his goal. The prince would be so deeply troubled by his thoughts that he would not be able to focus on the fight which was to unfold in Isengard in the near future. He had reacted exactly the way the dark figure had anticipated and now it would make sure its plans would succeed and the elf would no longer be a hindrance.
"No! You won't! My friends won't die because you managed to distract me with old memories and threatening dreams!" Legolas suddenly called out.
"What?!" The dark figure was clearly taken aback by the prince's persistence. It had miscalculated the love he held for them.
"You shall watch them perish before your eyes dear prince, I will make sure of that!"
The figure before the elf was clearly enraged and intended to finish the job before it. Legolas kept holding on to the fact it was but another nightmare and sooner or later he would wake. He would Not give in!
It moved even closer to Legolas, who still refused to show his fear. Legolas could hear words being whispered from under the dark hood, words in the tongue of Mordor. A hand appeared from under the black robes and made its way to Legolas' chest. The elf tried to grab hold of the arm, preventing it from doing any harm, but he was not yet strong enough. No matter what he did, he felt like he was trying to move a mountain. The dark red eyes shone upon him as the words intensified. With a single finger the being managed to slash open the elf's tunic and the prince's chest was bared.
Legolas felt the hand move to his naked skin and upon contact it was icy cold, freezing his skin. He struggled against the being, but it had a firm grip upon him. The voice became louder and the eyes shone with more intensity. He felt the icy cold hand on his chest turn warm and then unbearably hot, burning away at his pale skin.
"Scream prince Greenleaf, let me hear your cries of anguish as you heard mine when you decided my fate! Scream!"
Holding on with every bit of strength he had left to his dignity, he refused to scream against the pain. It was just another nightmare..it was just in his mind, it wasn't real! It seemed to enrage his assaulter only more.
"You Will Suffer!" The pain nearly doubled and Legolas felt like a hot knife was carving out his chest as if it were a pumpkin. The force the being had put upon him was lashing away at him, pain searing through his chest as if something was pulling his heart straight out of his chest.
He could no longer bear it and the elf slumped to the ground. He had not screamed, but the figure before him was content with what it had done to the elf. Smirking it spoke to the unconscious elf before him. "You are strong Legolas Greenleaf, son of Thranduil, prince of Mirkwood," it hissed the titles with obvious malcontent, "but I will overcome you. You will suffer at my hands until all you know and love is destroyed by my hand."
Aragorn wandered the halls of his old home, they held so many memories for him. From the days when he was but a little boy to the day when his destiny had dawned upon him and he took on the name of his real father. It had probably been one of the most confusing days and his life and it had taken him a fair while to adjust to his new world.
He remembered the days when he fell in love with Arwen here in Imladris and of the day she left his side in the very same city. A smile came upon the man's face when he thought of the fair Arwen, it lingered on as he thought of her departure. When thinking of Arwen he was always filled with endless overwhelming emotions, but it finally seemed that the pleasant memories would conquer the painful ones. When his thoughts now visited her he was able to smile and see her as she was in life, beautiful and kind. Tears still came now and again, but they no longer cast him in a darkness he saw no exit from for a long time.
The man had managed to catch a few hours of sleep after the feast, satisfied and filled up it didn't come hard to him. But now he was wide awake, usually a walk through Rivendell would cure him of his insomnia. Afterwards, relaxed and with his thoughts cleared, he would usually return to sleep without much effort.
It was upon his return to his bed chamber that he heard some strange sounds. He looked around, closer to the chambers on his right to determine where the sounds came from. It didn't take the ranger long to determine it was Legolas' room.
'What is going on? That sounds like... struggling?' Aragorn couldn't quite place the sounds and decide to further investigate. He knocked on the door to the prince's room "Legolas?" No answer "Legolas, is everything alright?" he called again, daring to raise his voice a little bit. He knew it was hardly needed, elven hearing was legend and even if he had been whispering on the other side of the door, Legolas would've heard it if he wanted to. Still no answer...
The sounds came and went from beyond the door, soft groans with inaudible murmurings in between. Aragorn dared to go one step further and pushed upon the door. Upon stepping into the room he quickly noticed the source of the sounds.
Legolas lay in his bed, twisting and turning in his sleep. 'He's having another one of his nightmares' Aragorn determined, sadness written clearly on his features. He wished his friend wasn't suffering under his grief so, it was hurting him to see him like this and decided to wake him.
As Aragorn came closer to the bed he soon realized the situation was more dire as he had first assessed. Sweat lay heavily upon the elf's brow, his face pale and his breathing ragged. Next to that the most alarming feature Aragorn noticed was that Legolas' eyes were closed, elves usually slept with their eyes open.
The man lay his hand upon the front of Legolas' left shoulders and found the elf's skin hot to the touch. 'Something is definitely amiss' Aragorn thought with worry. "Legolas, Legolas wake up." The elf did not respond, the sounds that had escaped him before no longer did so. Legolas' eyebrows were drawn together in pain, but he no longer made a sound.
"Legolas, wake up!" He shook the elf against the shoulder.
Still no response and the man began to panic, 'How could I have been so stupid, Legolas told me of his nightmares and I dismissed them to be mere dreams! Now... perhaps they are not what I believe them to be. I have never seen a nightmare have this much of an effect upon anyone, let alone an elf'
"Legolas! Awake, please awake" By now the king had hold of his friend's shoulders and had lifted him slightly off the surface off the mattress, shaking him in hope this would rouse him from the nightmare.
He was about ready to retrieve both Lord Elrond and Gandalf when a soft moan erupted from the elf in his hands. He laid him back down on the bed gently, but didn't remove his hands from the elf. "Legolas?" deep concern rang in the man's voice.
"Where am I?" Legolas spoke weakly as he opened his eyes.
"In your room in Imladris my friend"
"Estel..." A terrible headache throbbed against his temples and blurred vision slowly came into focus as the man and elf locked eyes. Pain seared through his muscles as he tried to get to a seated position.
"The woods... the dark figure.. Mordor tongue..." several words fell from the elf's lips that did not make much sense to Aragorn, but they caught his interest.
"Mordor tongue?"
"The pain, my chest, it..." Legolas' voice trailed off as he seemed to recall his nightmare. Suddenly the elf rapidly pulled off the white thin shirt he had been sleeping in. It was drenched in sweat Legolas noticed as he threw it to the floor. The elf ran his hands across his bare chest. Aragorn had no idea what was going on, but decided to let it play out before him. His eyes followed the elven hands and he couldn't help but admire the slender but muscular form before him. 'Is there any part of this elf that isn't fair?'The man found himself staring and shook himself out of his thoughts.
"What seems to be the matter Legolas?"
Legolas' hands dropped back on the blankets, seemingly unable to find what they had been searching for. "In the nightmare, it was..." the prince caught himself and paused for a moment reassessing his words "no, it was just a nightmare, it is nothing Aragorn".
Aragorn caught the elf's eyes again and found him to look a little lost. It was a strange emotion Aragorn had never before seen in them, and he had looked in them often. "Are you sure you are alright? You were in quite a fit, I couldn't wake you."
Legolas nodded slowly and tore his eyes from Aragorn as if in deep thought. "I am sure" he answered absently "it was just a mere dream, like you said".
Aragorn felt a pang of guilt at the elf's words, he had not meant to respond to the nightmare so casually, especially now that he saw the struggle Legolas had gone through tonight.
"You were in quite a state Legolas, perhaps I have looked upon the matter too lightly. Your eyes were closed, you were warm to the touch and... Are you sure nothing else is going on?"
"Nay, I am certain Aragorn" the elf's eyes looked into Aragorn's with determination. "It was a nightmare that troubled me greatly, but I am sure it was still just a mere nightmare." Legolas' hand traced over his chest once more, "See, no wounds, I am fine. I must have travelled far in my dreams, nothing is amiss now" It almost seemed like the elf was trying to convince himself more as Aragorn.
The man nodded, if Legolas insisted it was nothing, it must be so. He decided to keep an eye on the elf during their journey, he still wasn't convinced what he had just witnessed was normal.
"Alright, I'll return to my chambers and grab a few hours of rest more. Unless you would like me to stay?"
Legolas shook his head, the man was taking his worry too far. He was a proud warrior of Mirkwood, all this concern was not needed. "I'll meet you and the others at dawn" Legolas smiled at Aragorn and grabbed his hand before the man left "You really needn't worry, I'll be fine".
As Aragorn left the room, convinced that nothing urgent was amiss with his friend, Legolas started to feel guilty, he hadn't been quite honest with the man. He checked his chest once more and found nothing to be wrong still, he was so sure when he awakened that something was still carving away at his chest. Legolas had never experienced such pain before, though over the course of the conversation it had slowly faded.
'It must really have been just a nightmare, the pain left my body as it would when dreams and emotions you had in them fade from you shortly after you wake. Yet... I feel weary and empty'
Legolas moved his legs to the side of the bed and put his hand back over his chest. He felt his heart beating reassuringly and relaxed to the sound of the beat. 'Everything seems to be fine'. And yet some nagging feeling in the back of his mind told him something was different, he couldn't put his finger on it. Legolas contributed it to the feeling of the dark force that was still lurking in his mind, as he had done before.
He decided not to return to sleep for the rest of the night, fearing the dreams would return to him. His feet carried him to the window and he gazed upon the peaceful scenery outside. A small pond was behind his room, encircled with ancient trees and lively flowers that never seemed to fade. The moonlight reflected upon the water, illuminating the pond beautifully.
It was no coincidence this room had been assigned to the prince of Mirkwood, such beauty was rare to find in his homeland. Every time he visited Imladris the Lord Elrond found him admiring the beautiful landscape, conversing with the same trees he was viewing now. Legolas had spend so much time visiting the pond, Elrond only found it to be befitting to give him the room adjacent to it.
Legolas climbed gracefully out of the window and took place among nature. As he sat down he instantly felt more at peace. His mind returned to the dream involuntarily within a few minutes and darkness returned to cloud him.
'The dream, what does it mean?' he wondered. 'It cannot possibly be reality, there seems to be nothing wrong where the hand burned my skin. Perhaps it is a vision of the future, the figure warned me I would not be able to help my friends, perhaps this is why?'
Legolas stared at the stars in the sky, hoping they would give him clarity on his dreams. 'It seems so real and the feeling in my chest lately. What would cause that kind of pain?'
And then he remembered something Aragorn had told him many years before, when the man had been assigned to be the elf's babysitter. The man was young and his knowledge of healing had been mostly theoretical. He remembered Aragorn kept a watchful eye over him when he struggled with his guilt the hardest. Legolas had once asked him why it scared the man so, what he was watching out for, the elf had been on the mend and he did not think all the extra worry was well placed.
"I have heard of elves fading over a broken heart, prince. When they lose the object of their affection, when that what makes their world go round and their heart beat. Sometimes, sometimes elves just fade away. Lord Elrond told me of warriors so gravely injured that they would no longer be able to function without aid, limbs lost" Aragorn had stopped at the thought of it then. "Sometimes they would fade away in their grief. Their light would dim inside their chests and they would stop being who they were and pass on eventually. It wouldn't always be instant, sometimes it would take weeks for an elf's body to pass on after its soul had faded. I.. I am worried you might too, grieving over your wounds and the disappearance of Lea. I would not want that to happen, I have grown fond of you over the weeks and would not want you to fade."
At the time Legolas had dismissed it, he had been grieving for Lea, but it had never occurred to him to give up after he had learned she was not to return. He had always felt there was more waiting for him after that, as difficult as it had been, something drove him to continue on. He knew his destiny was not to fade away then. He had solemnly pledged the young man his everlasting friendship and not to fade away before his destiny was fulfilled.
'Perhaps now my time has come. I fulfilled my destiny in aiding the ring-bearer and the quest. We have saved Middle Earth and I consoled Estel when he needed me most as he did for me. I have fulfilled my task for both Middle Earth and the man I owed a great debt to, perhaps this is why my memories are returning to me...' Legolas wondered of the possibilities.
He had since asked his father about the fading of elves and he had acknowledged what Aragorn had told him. Through experience the king had added on what it felt like as an elf.
"It's a terrible pain in your chest, both sharp and dull at times. It is hard to describe my son, when your mother passed away grief had nearly taken my light as well. I missed her so dearly and saw no future without her by my side, it was not until later that I realized I had a duty to my children and my realm."
"But father, does it feel like any wound one would gain on a battlefield?"
"The battlefield rages in your soul then my son." The king tried to gather the words to describe the most difficult battle he had ever fought. "It... it feels like the light within you is fading, like you have no desire to carry on. The pain started with terribly throbs in my chest, physical aches that made it feel like an orc was stabbing me in the chest many times. Over time it faded to dull aches eating away at me, as if where my heart had used to be there was now a hollow chamber filled with sadness and pain." The king's voice trailed off as he recalled the events.
"But my son, why ask of this now. You will not fade away, you will make me proud by being a fine warrior and sail to the undying lands with your brothers and myself when the time of elves is over"
Legolas compared the knowledge he had gained from both Aragorn and his father to what was happening to him now. Perhaps he had been right, perhaps now that his destiny was fulfilled and his debt to Aragorn paid off it was time to face what had always been waiting for him.
A part of the elf wanted to believe it, believe that his destiny was now to join Lea and beg her for forgiveness in the afterlife, for failing her. Another part of him ached terribly at the thought, Aragorn kept wandering through his thoughts, he did not want to leave the man. He had told Aragorn he would be there through all his short life. He had done so when the man was young and asked him not to fade away, after the coronation when the man had asked for his help to learn how to rule his lands and when Arwen had passed away.
And even all that wasn't the reason, it wasn't the thought of broken promises to the man that ached him. It was merely the thought of not being there, of not being close to the man, not ever hearing his voice again. Legolas' chest ached more for the thought of leaving Aragorn than it did for anything else.
Legolas shook his head, he was confused with all these emotions. All of it so unknown to him he did not know which was which anymore. The elf got up and wandered a bit to go to Aragorn's chambers. The elf came upon his window and stared through it to find the man fast asleep in his bed. Legolas smiled, 'No, I could not leave that man if I wanted to. I could never leave the man I love so dearly'
Putting his hand against the window Legolas realized how inappropriate his feelings for his friend were. Since Arwen had passed away he had come to find the feelings of friendship he held for the man and been long outgrown. It had confused him greatly at first. Every time he held the man in his arms, consoling him and drying his tears, he had been confused. He had wished dearly his love could've comforted the man, but he knew how men looked upon the love between two males. It was unheard of between men and even among elves it was rare, not frowned upon like it was among men, but uncommon.
He knew he could never replace the Lady Arwen, he knew Aragorn would never return his feelings and thus he kept them to himself. It comforted him knowing he could be everything the man wanted him to be, the best of friends and his companion in many a thing. He would always love the man, but he would love him from afar. Losing the man if he would word his feelings would be too much to bear.
It ached him though, it was not easy to be so close to a man and restrain yourself all the time. Not being able to tell the object of your affection what you feel for them and have it returned. By itself it was a horrible feeling, but it beat not having the man in his life at all. One cannot help who they fall in love with after all and he had fallen in love with the king of men.
Of all the people, he had fallen in love with a man, not an elf. And then the King of men at that, he had made quite a predicament for himself. Long had Legolas tried to overcome his feelings and return them to a different nature, but after many seasons the elf had given up. He could not fight what he felt and made the choice on how to deal with it.
"You will not be of any aid to your dear friends, they too will be at my mercy in time."
"You shall watch them perish before your eyes dear prince, I will make sure of that!"
The voice suddenly rang clear in his mind. "No.. My dear Aragorn, I promise you, I will not let you down. I will help you, as I will help everyone in our upcoming quest. I will not fail you too"
When the sun started to rise Legolas had withdrawn himself from his solitary environment where he had stayed the remainder of the night. The others would rise soon as well and prepare for their departure. He had decided he would look upon the weaponry, make sure they had all left the smithy in good condition.
Of course the elf that had worked till deep in the night sharpening their swords and tending to them in ways only elves knew had done a great job. Legolas just needed some direction to put his mind towards, it did him no good to let his emotions run him as they had done throughout the night.
The four hobbits were off with Bilbo saying goodbye once again. The old hobbit no longer had any gifts for his favorite nephew, but Frodo had held on the his previous gifts very well. They were very precious to the small hobbit, they had fared him extremely well on his last journey and before that they had served Bilbo himself in his time of need.
Gimli, Gandalf, Aragorn and Legolas were fit for travel within an hour, their packs had been fixed the previous night and goodbyes had been said quick. It was the hobbits they were now waiting for, who still lingered on with Bilbo listening to tales the old hobbit had to tell.
Aragorn's eyes lingered over his companions. The stout dwarf was leaning heavily on his axe, embedded into the ground. He had complained more than once that their companions were simply taking too much time and he wanted to be off. Gandalf was staring off to what seemed to be nothing, deep in thought. He held his pipe between thumb and index finger, puffing smoke from his lips in even intervals. It was such a natural behavior for the wizard that he must not even notice himself doing it anymore as his thoughts carried him to place Aragorn could only fathom.
His eyes fell upon the elf, who was leaning back against a rock tending to his bow. With slender long fingers he checked the string multiple times, occasionally tightening it at either the top of the bottom. A smile crept on the man's face, Legolas had always been overly fussy about his bow being in perfect condition. After all, how could he do the shots only he could do without a perfectly strung bow.
When the prince was content with his bow the quiver came down to the ground and he started tending to the arrows, one by one, making sure none were faulty. The sun had crept over the horizon and the rays were now falling upon his friend ever so fairly. It took his breath away, the golden locks upon the prince's head seemed to glow brightly.
Long had Aragorn admired his friend, from the day he had laid his eyes upon him. A broken mess he had been, but the man could see far beyond that and saw something so beautiful like he had never witnessed before in his life. There had always been this aura around Legolas that enthralled him. Calm and kind, patient and light and when the elf smiled it warmed his heart in so many different ways. And yet now, things seemed different...
Remembering the event that had befallen Legolas last night he could not help but feel a distinct worry forming in his chest. Never before had he seen him like this and it was not a welcome sight. It had been a long time ago that Aragorn had seen the prince like that, lost and weary. Ever since the elf had always been a proud warrior, tending to others before he did to himself. It had been more than once Aragorn had to force the elf down to tend to his injuries. He always shrugged it off, even if his wounds pained him deeply. Pointing at various injured men around them he had said his natural ability to heal would take care of his wounds, always sending Aragorn off to aid others with his expertise.
A heavy weight seemed to sit on the elf's shoulders, weighing him down heavily. As he tended to his arrows his thoughts seemed to have been of a different nature. He had remembered some of Legolas' kind comforting words when his grief lay so heavily on him. 'Arwen lives on in everything you see around us Aragorn. Her memory and soul will forever live on in the trees, the rives, the birds and all of us. She will never truly be gone, she will always be here, wanting you to keep on living'. Aragorn wondered if he should tell the elf the same, but as he envisioned it in his mind it seemed stupid.
He longed to look into his azure blue eyes and see the light that always shone brightly within them, but now they seemed distant and troubled. Aragorn wished to the Valar that he would be able to aid Legolas somehow, that the elf would let his guard down around him and let him in to heal his wounds.
They had been close ever since Aragorn had made his visit to Mirkwood 67 years ago and even during the War of the Ring, Legolas had been his closest and most dearest friend. But over the last few years the elf had grown distant, he had grown barriers that guarded something from Aragorn. It had been very unsettling, but his affairs in Gondor had kept the man from further investigation why that was so.
It wasn't that Legolas was unkind or that they were not close as friends, but there was something. Something Aragorn could not quite determine, before they had been free around each other, knowing and accepting each other to their fullest. Now the elf seemed guarded, he often seemed to pick his words and actions carefully around the man. Aragorn wished he would stop, especially now that he seemed to need a friend the most.
"We're here!" Pippin exclaimed as the four hobbits strolled towards their friends.
"We apologize for the wait, Bilbo had to finish his latest tale" Frodo added, realizing their arrival had been overdue.
"And we had to finish breakfast" Pippin mumbled, poking Merry in the arm with a wide grin on his face.
"As long as you are ready now, then we can finally depart" Gimli spoke, not unkind, but impatient.
The hobbits nodded, apologizing once more.
Their route took them south from Rivendell alongside the Misty Mountains. It had been a few day's walk when they came upon a small forest. It was hardly big enough to be called a forest, but it provided excellent shelter. The sun was slowly sinking beneath the horizon calling upon the fellowship to halt themselves and let their feet rest.
"Finally!" Pippin called out, enjoying the prospect of a good meal and some proper rest.
"Seems like ages since we last ate" Merry finished.
They both squatted down and instantly started rummaging through their packs in search of whatever fine combination of food would sate their appetite next. Naturally the hobbits their packs contained mostly whatever foods besides lembas bread they had come upon. Even during their journey, whenever them came upon an orchard of apples or bushes of berries their packs had filled even more.
"Restrain yourselves my friends, the fire has not even been build. How would you prepare your dinner without one?"
The elf had made a point and the hobbits glanced up to the tall prince hoping he would offer to build them one while they discussed what was going to be cooked and home.
"I'll go find some firewood" Legolas offered, knowing full well it was expected of him after pointing out their lack of a campfire. With a few quick strides he had disappeared beyond the trees.
The hobbits smiled and thanked Legolas and returned to their culinary discussions, Sam in the mean time had joined the discussion and tried to opt a good stew to settle their growling stomachs.
Their packs unfortunately did not hold many meat wares as they would easily spoil and weigh down upon them. Most of what they had were fruits and vegetables couple with a handful of different spices.
"That is it? What kind of meal does That make?" Gimli grumbled as he sat himself down against a tree, looking at what appeared from the backpacks of the hobbits. "Where's the venison and salted pork?" Gimli's mood had not lightened up under the burden of an empty stomach, but the prospects of making a homely stop at his kin in Moria. Not all was inhabitable yet, but many of the hostile creatures had retreated to far away room within the mines. The dwarves that took up residence in the safer chambers had sealed off much of the mines and kept a watchful guard. They knew one day someone would come and clear the mines fully, making their home glorious once more. Until that day, they would keep evil at bay and guard the safe corners of their home. All the dwarf had to do still was convince the wizard a stop there would be beneficial for them.
"I know it is not much, master dwarf, but we hardly had time to hunt and weigh ourselves down with your favorite meals" Gandalf spoke. "I'm afraid it is of a larger importance to reach Isengard in time then it is to satisfy our appetites."
The dwarf huffed indignantly then muttered something about the fact it was still not befitting of a dwarf. Fruits and vegetables, pah!
Knowing the stubbornness of dwarves Gandalf decided not to pursue the discussion, certainly he had made his point. He turned, leaning on his staff and cast his eyes upon the hobbits. They had decided upon the stew Sam had offered, a little disheartened by the fact they could not satisfy the dwarf's stomach.
Beyond them the Istari's eyes fell on a lone man on top of the hill, overlooking the camp and the lands beyond. Gandalf had noticed that both the man and the elf had been in deep thought and decided it was a good time to speak of it with the man. He had a feeling something had happened between the two that would need to be resolved before the end, lest it interfered with their quest.
Aragorn, despite being deep in thought had noticed the wizard walking up behind him before he had made his presence clear.
"I fear there are things going to happen in the near future I have no control over" Aragorn spoke earnestly.
"Is that what has been occupying your mind so much as of late Elessar?"
"In a variety of ways, yes" Aragorn answered cryptically. He had not yet turned around to face the wizard and was watching the sun sink slowly beneath the clouds. Gandalf merely waited patiently for the man to elaborate.
"I fear for him, I fear for what awaits us and how it affects him"
It was the only explanation the king gave, but he knew the Istari would know the meaning of them without elaboration.
"The elf has been sheltering his heart against great grief I fear. I had heard him speak of poor Lea some days ago. He had not meant for me to hear it, but I fear she had been on his mind more and more."
Aragorn turned around and sat down next to his old friend. "He has remembered what had happened that unfaithful day in Mirkwood"
Though not present at the ordeal, Gandalf had heard a great deal about it. Everyone in the elven kingdom knew of the grief that had befallen Mirkwood that day, how they had almost lost their prince. Gandalf nodded, "It is most unfortunate this would burden our friend so, now that we need his elven senses the most. Legolas is the key to defeating this new force and certain important things might escape him when he is as absent as he is now."
Aragorn wanted to tell Gandalf of what he had witnessed their last night in Rivendell, but decided not to. Legolas had insisted it was just a nightmare forged out of his grief, it was not his to place to tell the Istari of how much the elf was troubled.
"He has barriers up that I can no longer penetrate. He would never ask for help, his pride prevents him from asking and his kindness steers help away from him towards others that would need it much less as he sometimes" Aragorn complained.
"Those are the remarkable abilities of a true elvish heart my dear king. Let him know you are there for him Aragorn, for I doubt he would turn to anyone else but you in true times of need"
"I just wish I could ease his burden Gandalf. Not only for the quest but to repay him for what he has done for me upon Arwen's passing. It pains me to see him like this"
"You can Elessar" Gandalf turned his face towards the man and smiled upon him as if he had knowledge of things that Aragorn did not. "You can" he repeated.
Aragorn opened his mouth to question the wizard what that had meant, but the wizard was already walking back down the hill. "Wizards always speaking in riddles" he sighed as he followed him down to camp.
"Master Dwarf, I have heard your complaining from beyond the many trees and you sounded like a dissatisfied child" Legolas jested as he approached the camp holding many limbs of old dried wood.
"A dissatisfied child?" Gimli repeated incredulous, "That is exactly what you sound like every time I beat you at killing orcs."
The elf smiled at his comment, he had missed the arguments with the dwarf. Many times the jests between them were what kept his spirits high during their last quest. He was happy to know not many things had changed in their most unlikely friendship.
"I do not see how one like you could gain so much appetite compared to his small size. Although that belly of yours, quite disproportionate to your body, perhaps that is why."
"That is it you foolish elf!" Gimli stood but did not reach half of the elf's size. Legolas laughed as he dropped the firewood in the circle of rocks the hobbits had made before them. He put a hand on the dwarf's shoulder "I merely jest my friend, I will take the burden off your stomach"
"And how will you do that elf, I'm afraid your limbs are far too skinny to be good for any meal that would satisfy me"
"Fear not master dwarf, I could not bear to see this discontent so I took the liberty to hunt you some game. It is no salted pork or venison I am afraid, but I hoped it would do" He casted his eyes on the wide-eyed hobbit at his feet, who had begun the fire. "And for you too of course" the elf smiled as he opened up his cloak, unveiling seven ducks the elf had shot in his absence. "There is a small pond beyond the woods, it is where the flock of birds had nested for the night" he explained, pointing in the direction behind him.
The hobbits were in complete awe and utterly excited at how their meal had turned out far better as they had expected.
"But Legolas, there are only seven ducks, did you forget to shoot us one more?" Sam asked, counting the fowls before him as he plucked them of their feathers.
Legolas shook his head "I shot one for you all, I only shoot life when it is needed. I have enough lembas bread and fruit in my pack for myself."
Sam looked at Legolas a little sad the elf himself would not dine his prizes with them. "Don't fret my friend, I have no taste for duck myself tonight. Please, do enjoy, it would warm my heart knowing you are all enjoying yourselves."
With that the hobbits returned to preparing the meal thanked the elf once more. Legolas walked from them after he clasped Gimli once more on the shoulder. The dwarf had been very thankful, but too proud to thank the elf in the way the hobbits had. He had grunted an almost inaudible 'thank you' as he returned a pat on the hand on his shoulder.
It was enough for the elf, the relationship between Legolas and Gimli was an odd one. Odd but very strong, he counted the dwarf as one of his closest friends and despite the differences between their kin, their friendship had passed beyond that.
Legolas fell heavily against a tree a little away from the camp and started searching his pack for the lembas bread he had decided to be his meal for the evening. He had barely had any sleep since Rivendell and he felt weariness enter his bones. He had rested, pretended to sleep so no one would notice, but sleep never found him. He had not wanted it to find him most of the time, the nightmare that had plagued him in Rivendell had been haunting him so much he feared it would return with new additions in his next dreams. He knew it was a foolish thing to do for with each day passing he grew more tired and unlike his former self. 'Perhaps I should risk sleep tonight to regain my strength before I will fail my friends. This has not been doing me any good.'
Darkness had fallen fairly quick and the night air turned frisk. Everyone had huddled closely around the fire to enjoy it's warmth. All except Legolas, who had not found the will to get up from his comfortable position against the tree. He enjoyed the solitude as he watched his friends enjoy the game he had hunted for them. It had given him a great satisfaction, knowing he had done something nice for his friends.
Suddenly he heard a unnatural rustling of leaves coming from behind him. Instantly the elf was on guard and he scouted the shades of the trees with his sharp eyes. And then he saw what had been the cause. A shadow stumbled through the woods, making his way to the fellowship with obvious difficulty.
"Kirandinell!" Legolas' sudden cry had instantly grabbed the attention of his friends as he rushed off into the woods. He caught the body just before it fell to the ground, relieved he had found his prince all strength had deserted the poor Mirkwood scout. Legolas scouted him in the dim light and came to the quick realization his friend had been wounded in various places, blood staining his tunic.
"Speak, what has happened?"
"At Isengard... new orc warriors created. Mirthia saw, she saw and informed me on her way back.. Argh... Strong prince, stronger than even Uruk-Hai. They caught me, near Moria entrance. Your father send me...to scout your road... to inform you, wanted me to... warn you... they come for you..." the elf in his arm panted, willing the words from his lips despite that his body worked against him.
"Kirandinell, it will be alright, Aragorn will..."
"No prince" Kirandinell interjected "I have done my duty to my realm and to my prince... my time is... "
Legolas saw how the dim light that had been in the elf's eyes faded and he knew he had passed on. He lowered his head in sadness, Kirandinell had been one of their realm's scouts only for a short while. Legolas remembered him as a mere elfling and he only recently had entered his father's service, he had been too young to pass on.
Kirandinell had done his duty, it was time he did his. These new orc were not to harm anyone else. He would have to step up and stop lingering in his memories to prevent this from repeating itself.
"Legolas, may I examine his wounds by the fire?" Gandalf's hand was on his shoulder.
All the prince wanted was to bury his friend in peace, but he knew it was important for the Istari to determine how much of a threat these new orcs were to him and his friends. He carried him towards the fire without a word and laid the body down. He closed his friends eyes and whispered a blessing to the Valar for him before he stood and stepped away, allowing the wizard and Aragorn to examine the body.
"The wounds seem to be old, at least two days ago" Aragorn spoke as he trailed his fingers over the gashes. It was a gruesome view to behold and for that the hobbits had turned their eyes away. "Some of them have barely healed despite the natural healing ability of elves" Gandalf concluded.
"He would have been mounted as he was scouting ahead of us, I fear his steed may have escaped him when his injuries no longer allowed him to ride" Legolas spoke absently.
"The wounds are deep and seem not be of any weapon I know. They seem like... claw marks" Aragorn said, confused when trying to determine what could have caused them.
"They must indeed be strong if they can cut flesh like this with their bare hands, we should be weary when fighting them. I think..." the wizard's voice trailed off as his eyebrows furrowed together. "I must think" he spoke as he sat back down at the fire, gazing into it as if the fire before him showed him old books and scrolls.
"I will bury Kirandinell" Legolas took the body and carried it off a little further into the woods. Aragorn raised to help him and with a hand on the elf's shoulder followed him to where Legolas had decided to bury his friend. Wordlessly they went to work on the grave, with their combined strength it did not take them long to dig a grave for the slender young elf. Legolas whispered a few blessings over the grave, as was custom to his kin. Aragorn stood close beside him, which comforted Legolas greatly.
He did not need to speak to the man, it was enough knowing he was there. He knew how Legolas felt and had been there helping him carry this burden. Aragorn, as well, had known Kirandinell and before they departed the grave site, he too spoke a few words.
"May you find strength and peace in the afterlife Kirandinell. May the Valar welcome you and bless you. You have blessed us on your short stay in the world"
Legolas grabbed Aragorn's hand as they stood together and squeezed it gently. "Thank you" he whispered, leaning lightly against the man with his light frame.
Aragorn's heart fluttered at the sudden touch from the elf. He had been longing for a kind word and touch from the elf and it came in a most unforeseen moment. He felt Legolas' warmth next to him in the cool air and wished he had words to tell him how thankful he was that the elf was there with him. Yet no words came, and he just stood there enjoying the moment.
Legolas could not believe what he was doing, in a moment of weakness he could no longer stand it and he had given in to his desire to be close to the ranger beside him. It was such a warm feeling to be close to Aragorn and yet the thoughts that kept plaguing him were those telling him it was terribly inappropriate what he was doing. And yet the man had not stopped him, he was holding his hand as well... 'No, what am I thinking? Aragorn is just too honorable to tear himself from me in my moment of sadness'
Legolas released Aragorn's hand and tore himself away with great heartache. "We should return to camp, perhaps Mithrandir has more answers for us." Aragorn nodded and followed the elf back to camp quietly.
"Legolas, who is Mirthia? How is it that she saw these orc warriors at Isengard?" Frodo was upon the elf with questions the moment he returned.
"She is our eagle Frodo, a good friend to my kin in Mirkwood and faithful friend to my father. She has helped out Mirkwood with her keen eyes more than once. My father must've sent her off to Isengard with our scouts to give us the advantage. Do not question what her eyes see Frodo, for they have never deceived us."
"No no, I mean not to question her Legolas, not at all. I was merely wondering who she was."
Legolas gave a weak smile "She and her kin came to your rescue once, at the mountain of Doom in Mordor".
Frodo gasped "That was her and her kin? Please give her my thanks next you see her"
Legolas nodded, "I shall, but do not worry dear Frodo. They were all glad to play their part, if it wasn't for you the war would not have ended and Sauron would have had dominion over us all"
"Dagri'nul" In between the white puffs of smoke coming from the wizard's worth, now strange words tumbled.
"Dagri'nul? I have heard of those before.." Aragorn responded.
"Indeed you could have son of Arathorn, for those were the dark orc warlords that plagued the lands long ago. They are mentioned in many old books describing the events of the first age" Gandalf started and a small gasp of recognition fell from Legolas.
"They had taken many elves and brought them before Melkor. Aided by his servant Sauron he had transformed them through torture and other malicious ways. It was how the first orcs came to be. Pure and full of Melkor's own hatred for the Valar and their creations they were fierce and strong warriors. They were not many, but their strength did not lay in numbers, fearless they were as they unleashed Melkor's will on Middle Earth. They called the first Dagri'nul"
"You remember your history well prince Greenleaf" Gandalf commended the elf for his knowledge. "By some strange demonic power this wizard must've been able to return these warriors to Middle Earth" he added.
"Gandalf? Why did they take elves and not men or dwarves?" Merry asked, having taken an interest in the expansive history of Middle Earth as of late.
"This was way before the age of men and dwarves Meriadoc. Melkor had grown jealous of the fair children of Illúvatar. They had gifts that Melkor desired for his army and a beauty and kindness he could not stand, but what had attracted him most was the near immortality of the elves. He thought to strengthen his army with it, but as he twisted the dark forms into orcs, they lost their light and thus their immortality, fairness and kindness, all that once made them elves.
The Dagri'nul are strong warriors with strong hearts filled with hatred for all that is good and kind. But fortunately they are not much harder to slay as Saruman's strongest Uruk-hai, if you manage to avoid their attacks.
Because elven blood still ran strong within their forms the first children of Illúvatar were able to sense their presence and were at least able to guard themselves well before they learned more about them."
Aragorn felt the elf next to him shiver and looked upon Legolas, who's face had a grave expression "Many of my kin fell to Melkor and his armies Gandalf, will this come to pass again?"
Gandalf shook his head "I think not Legolas. Whoever summoned them back to Middle Earth could not have done so in great numbers, otherwise they would have been upon us already. And their assignment is not to rid the world of elves and capture them this time I venture, for the evil one is after us personally before anything else. Should we fail though, I do not know what darkness Middle Earth would plunge into."
"But if they come for us Gandalf, would they not first go for Legolas? For he is also of elvish kind" Sam had been quiet the entire time, but had obviously been listening carefully to the tale the wizard had told.
"Yes, that would be my guess also master Gamgee. But as the elves of old I think we may have the same advantage" his eyes fell upon Legolas. "You have felt them for a while now, a shadow growing in the back of your mind giving you a sense of alarm without obvious cause. Am I correct?"
Legolas nodded and noticed all the worried eyes cast upon him. "Do not fear for my safety my friends. I can watch my back fairly well and do not intend to surrender easily" he tried to dispel the concern in their eyes. "Besides, I have good companions to fight alongside me, watching my back for me as well. And as Mithrandir mentioned, I'll be able to sense them before they come upon us." Everyone seemed comforted by his words, except for Aragorn, whose eyes still reflected concern and worry.
"But Gandalf, what would I feel when they come closer upon us?"
"Darkness my friend, an enveloping darkness that imprisons much grief and despair from your kind. I cannot say for certain, there was little mention of it in the books of old"
Legolas nodded, a little dismayed by the thought of feeling even more grief and despair upon him. "We can sleep at peace tonight, I do not feel any of them close upon us" Legolas spoke with a little uncertainty.
"They are probably still expanding their numbers in Isengard. We can rest assured tonight, but we best be having watches throughout the night. The Dagri'nul are not the only obstacles we may encounter on our journey. We do not yet know what other evils may lurk in the darkness" Gandalf spoke.
"I will take first watch. With the grief still fresh in my heart for my fallen friend, I do not desire sleep" Legolas spoke, his words only revealing one of the reasons he wished not to close his eyes tonight.
He grabbed his bow and perched himself on the hill overlooking the camp where Aragorn and Gandalf had discussed him earlier that night. Everyone but Aragorn nodded their approval and returned to their dinner before turning to their bedrolls shortly after.
The man watched Legolas climb the hill and he wished dearly to go up there with him and talk to him. It had been pleasant to be so close to the elf before and he longed for more of it. Aragorn did not quite understand why he was feeling these urges to be close to Legolas, but he did not want to fight them. It had been a long time since he had felt anything that had warmed his heart as it had done before and he welcomed it with open arms.
A/N Oh dear, perhaps I went a bit overboard expanding this chapter. From 3.400 words to a little over 10.000 :o, 18 pages! Right, when I'm finished rewriting all 23 chapters this may practically be a book haha.
Hope you enjoyed it, please review! I know more of you are reading than reviewing, but please take a moment to click the button below and leave me one, thank you in advance! :)