Chapter 6

In the meantime Legolas was curiously looking around the room, as it was a strange thing to behold. The carved wooden bed, the round form of the room, the smell of leaves and flowers...It was nice, and comforting in a way. He had also discovered he had to be one of the strange beings as well, for he had long hair and pointed ears. He wondered if he was as fair as the two that had visited him.

Silivrinath returned to Legolas's room a short time later with a laden tray. She had found all of his favorite foods. Hopefully one of them and a talk with her would stimulate his memory.

She knocked on the door, calling, "Legolas? May I come in? I have brought you some food and I was hoping we could talk for a while."

He looked at the door, slightly startled, recognizing the voice of the woman who had been in his room.

"Please come in."

A talk was what he needed, he had a lot of questions, and she might be able to answer them for him. He wanted to know who he was, what he was, where they were, what had happened, and what was going to happen.

Silivrinath entered Legolas' room, smiling. At least he was receptive to her--that was a start.

"I brought all of your favorite foods, Legolas," she told him as she set the heavy tray on a nearby table, wincing a little as she did. Her arm might be healing well, but she was going to have to be more careful, she realized. She turned back to Legolas asking, "Which do you prefer? Eating first, or talking first?"

Legolas had noticed the wince crossing her face briefly, and looked at her in worry. He might not know who she was, but that did not mean he could see another suffer.

"Are you well? Should I call for somebody?"

He glanced at the tray, looking at the food in wonder, He did not recognize it, but then, he hardly knew the basic words. It was as if his memory had just been wiped out. Though something about this she-Elf told him he knew her well. There was something about her, and he could not name it, that told him he could trust her with his life if needed.

Silivrinath's head snapped around in surprise at Legolas' words. A smile appeared on her face as she said, "Even now, you are the most observant elf I have ever known--and the most protective." She shook her head gently, "No, Legolas, there is no need to call anyone. My arm is healing well--I was just incautious. I tried to carry too much at once."

Silivrinath looked at her friend, watching him as he looked about. "Would you like to walk about a bit? Tell me, and if it is in my power to help you with, I will do it."

"Elves..."

He said the word slowly, as if he was tasting it, making it his own. It sounded familiar, there was a memory laying there, but yet he could not name it. It was annoying, to know he had a memory about the subject and yet not knowing what that memory was. "Is that what we are, what I am. Elves?"

He did not know what else to be, it made perfectly sense, and yet it was so unfamiliar He shook his head, sighing.

"I wish I could remember."

Silivrinath's heart ached as she watched her friend struggle for his memories. She knew, though, that she could not let him know of her worry and fear--he was, after all, Legolas, and still, without knowing it, protective of her.

"Yes, Legolas," she told him. "We are elves, you and I and Lord Elrond--whom I call father. He and I make our home here. You have visited us often and we have been very good friends." Silivrinath paused for a moment, fearing that her voice was betraying her, then continued, "You will remember, Legolas It will just take time."

Determinedly pushing her worries to the background, Silivrinath took another tack. "You still haven't told me what you wish to do first." She said with a teasing note in her voice.

She thought longingly, "Please let him respond to my teasing! Let that be the key!"

He would remember, of course he would, there was no other way. He could not just wonder what he was before, or wonder who he knew or had met. He wanted memories, and not just nothing. He frowned at her last question. Oh yes, eating or walking. He did not know. He feared walking would mean seeing others. And he did not know if would be up for that now. What if they would ask questions he could not answer? Nay, he could not see others just yet, he did not even know how he looked.

"I think I would like to stay here, if you do not mind."

Again, Silivrinath smiled at him, "I do not mind in the slightest." Her smile faded a little as she said, "To be completely truthful, I am enjoying the quiet here. It is good to be home" Shaking off the mood, she said, "Come, Legolas, you need to eat. Then, if you like, we can talk. I will tell you whatever you wish to know." She thought, "And who can say? Something may trigger your memories!"

Legolas looked at the plate, and realized he indeed was quite hungry. It must have been some time since he last had eaten. It felt like that.

"I will eat, if you will join me. I think I do not like eating alone and there is plenty"

Yes, his feelings told him he was not a person liking to eat alone, and also he had a feeling food was not as important to him. He felt hunger, and therefore he would eat, but he also felt he could push away that hunger, which was a rare feeling for him to experience. It felt like his body was trained to do so.

"Am I a warrior?" that would explain his ability

A light appeared in Silivrinath's eyes. She told Legolas, "I will join you, Legolas. We both need to eat. Father will be upset with me if I do not."

As she settled herself near to her friend, she pondered how to answer his question. She replied, a note of pride in her voice, "You are a warrior,
Legolas. You are the best archer in Mirkwood. All have said so."

He was the best archer in Mirkwood? Where was Mirkwood, and what had he had to do with it? It only made more questions, than answering his previous ones.

"Mirkwood? Is that where I am from?"

Silivrinath answered, "Yes, Legolas, Mirkwood is your home. It is many miles from here. You have visited here often over the years. We have played pranks on Elrond's sons and explored the lands around the house. You have always been adventurous--" Silivrinath thought longingly, "And always protective of me. Now it is my turn to protect you!"

Smiling, Silivrinath asked her friend, "How do you like the food? I tried to remember all the foods that were prepared here that you like. You see, some things are difficult for you to get at your home in Mirkwood."

Legolas looked at the food, and realized he had been eating without even trying to taste it. He must have been hungry then, if he even did not notice. He chewed slower, tasting the food.

"It is quite good, though I do not know what it is. I take it I like sweet food?"

He was already learning about himself. He knew he lived in Mirkwood, and was one of the best archers. He was protective over the young woman in front of him and he liked sweet food, and disliked eating alone. It was not much yet, but it was something at least. Oh, and he was adventurous.

"How old are we, Silivrinath?" He did not feel old, but he may be already
old in appearance.

Silivrinath grinned broadly as she answered, "Yes, Legolas, you do like sweets. When you visit, the cooks have to put in extra hours keeping enough prepared. They must be difficult to get in Mirkwood," she ended on a teasing note.

She munched her fruit in silence for a moment, then answered Legolas's other question. "We are young, in Elven terms. Men would consider us quite old. You are 2033 years old. I am 1827 years old." She smiled
again, telling him, "We are just entering adulthood, you and I."

It seemed so strange, over two thousand years old and just entering adulthood. It was probably common among Elves. How old could he become then? Could he even die? Were Elves supposed to grow old?

"I do not understand, Do we not grow old? Or will it take more thousands of years?"

"We are of the firstborn of Middle Earth," Silivrinath told Legolas. "We do not die of old age or sickness, like Men, but we can be hurt or killed."

Silivrinath paused for a moment, again afraid that her voice would quiver and betray her. "We can live to be quite old, in human terms." She lowered her gaze from Legolas' face, saying very softly, "If only you had not been hurt!"

Legolas sensed her discomfort, touching the bandage around his head absently. If only you had not been injured, he did not remember what happened, but it had caused him to forget everything he knew. I am Legolas from Mirkwood, over two thousand years old, one of the firstborn. It just did not sound familiar, When she had mentioned her name he had felt he knew her, but this, this was telling him nothing at all.

"You were there when I was injured, were you not? Can you tell me what
happened? Maybe I will remember, maybe only a small detail."

Silivrinath took a deep shuddering breath, "Very well, Legolas, I will tell you. It pains me to think of it but if it will help you, then it will be worth it."

She sat up straighter and faced the Mirkwood Prince as she began, "I had been kidnapped by human slavers some time ago as I and some friends were traveling. All of my friends had died of the abuse there. One day you were brought in-bound in chains and with your ankles bleeding from the shackles. They shackled you to a huge rock in the camp and ordered me to use my herb lore to heal you. I tried but an infection set in. No matter what I said, those men would not release you from the shackle After several days of this, a band of Orcs attacked the camp. Two of them came toward us. You--you tried to get me to leave you--to find a weapon--but I knew that they would kill you and I would not leave. You managed to stretch to your limit and got a sword that had been dropped which you gave to me and took the cane that I was using as a quarterstaff. The Orcs taunted us and one of them shoved you, knocking you down. You--you hit your head on the rock and there was blood coming from the wound. They were closing in when a dwarf that I had befriended buried the axe he had found to the haft in the back of the larger one." Silivrinath shuddered at the memories. "Once it was certain that the Orcs were not going to bother us, I tried again to free you. The one human in the camp who had been kind to the captives came and freed you. The dwarf brought me a horse and the man handed you up to me and we set out. We had to go more slowly that I wished and I feared
attack throughout the journey, but we reached here at last. But then, when you woke, your memories were gone..."

Silivrinath bowed her head, not wanting Legolas to see the tears shining in her eyes.

"Does it help, Legolas? Can you remember any of it?" she asked.

Legolas had listened quietly, understanding her emotions now when she told him what had happened to the both of them. It was as if he was listening to a story though, because no memories were stirred, no hidden images revealed, it was just a story to him. Even if it was his own.

"Nay, I am sorry, it does not. It does not sound like a pleasant memory, it
grieves you."

He had seen her silent tears and was quite feeling for what she had been
through...

"I feared as much," Silivrinath said resignedly, trying unsuccessfully to curb her tears. "I have thought much about what happened, wondering if there were something that I could have done differently that would have spared you this."

Silivrinath looked up at her friend, saying, "I would do whatever was necessary to undo what has happened to you--to give you back your memories. I just do not know what it would be..."

Legolas knew she was feeling guilty, and that he could do little about that
until he remembered it all. It seemed that would take a while though.

"I do not think there is anything you can do, besides being here for me.
Thank you for that, for not leaving me here alone."

He took her hand and squeezed gently, letting her know he truly appreciated it.

Silivrinath used her free hand to blot away the tears. She managed a small smile as she told Legolas, "You have always been a generous and forgiving elf, Legolas. There are very few creatures on Middle Earth who would not benefit from knowing you." She looked at her friend, the tear tracks still evident on her face even though the tears were now gone.

"I will not leave you alone, Legolas," she told him. "You will never be alone."

Silivrinath tightened her fingers around Legolas's hand and told him, "I will remember for both of us, until your memories return."

He smiled at her answer, reaching out to brush away a single tear she
had forgotten, touched by her compassion for him.

"If you remember, then I am sure I will in time. Or you will carry the memories for the both of us."

Silivrinath smiled in her turn. "It is good to see your smile again, Legolas," she told him "There was a time that I thought that would not happen again."
Her eyes hardened as she said, "I know that all Men are not evil--that is something else you taught me when you introduced me to your friend Estel--but those that held us---" she shook her head wryly. "I would never have thought I would be thankful to a band of Orcs!"

Her mood changed again at Legolas' gentle words. "I will hold our memories, Legolas, of that you can be certain. And you will remember." And she pulled Legolas' hand to her cheek, gently pressing his hand against her face. Again she whispered, "Heb amdir, mellon."

Estel, that name rang a bell, but he was not quite sure. His friend was a man named Estel...

"Aragorn," he whispered and his eyes lit up. He remembered something,
he could actually name it as well. "I remember, he is called Aragorn, He has a slight beard, and long hair, brown."

Silivrinath's smile was radiant. "Legolas! You're beginning to remember! That's wonderful!"

It was a small step, but it was definitely a step forward.

"Yes, his true name is Aragorn and he does have long brown hair. He is reckoned handsome by many" Silivrinath thought very privately "Arwen among them!"

"We both need to rest for a time now, Legolas," she told him. "Your memory is beginning to return--we must be careful not to rush it."