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The Urge to Travel

A week later, as Legolas, Tathar, Aldanna and Brethilríl trained together, their old training master, Glínornmir, informed them that the next group of patrols were leaving the next day.

"There are a number of training missions in the Greenwood's heart," Glínornmir informed them, "but all of you were ready to venture into the harder missions long before your Trials. If you do not intend to wait another month, tomorrow is the time to volunteer." The big Sindarin warrior looked each of his old charges in the eye, finding determination. "You will not be allowed on the furthest ranging missions, for they are too dangerous for green warriors. I would recommend that you choose something venturing though the Greenwood, or attacking spiders, or even hunting orcs. I do not want to attend any funerals, so choose carefully."

Legolas took in the training Master's words dutifully. What he really wanted to do was travel, he wanted to explore Arda, but he had his duty to the Greenwood to consider first.

"Tathar?" Legolas asked once they were in the changing rooms, enjoying the cold baths provided for the warriors.

"Legolas?" his best friend returned, dunking his sweaty head into the water to cool his scalp.

"Do you want to choose our mission?"

"Not particularly," the Silvan returned. "I really don't care, as long as I can kill orcs or spiders."

"So not protecting the merchants as they visit Laketown," Legolas surmised wryly. Tathar threw a bar of soap at him. "I was thinking maybe was could join the group going south," Legolas mused aloud.

"South? To Lothlorien?" Tathar asked, believing his friend to be too sane to suggest any other southern destination.

"No. Dol Guldur."

"What?" Tathar sat up straight, squeaking his protest as much as shouting it. "Why?" he spluttered, leaning forward to grasp the edge of his bath.

"It's all about experience, isn't it? It's close to home, we won't even be leaving the woods, and we'll get more than enough experience to be allowed to go on the long ranging missions."

"You are absolutely crazy," Tathar declared. "I do not know if they will let us join that mission. My father usually is on that mission, you know."

"Yes, he serves under Tingallos - you know, Encalion's father."

"I know him as well as you do, Greenleaf."

"Of course you do, Willow," Legolas responded sweetly. Too sweetly, in Tathar's opinion.

The next morning, Legolas, Tathar, Aldanna and Brethilríl stood together in the crowd of warriors as missions were proposed. An elleth had fled a village to the south when it was attacked, but the few warriors in the village had been unable to find her on the way to the Halls. A rescue mission was proposed, and a number of warriors immediately volunteered, for they knew the elleth in question - a childhood friend, or a relative. Two additional warriors were asked by the Captain to join the mission, for they had experience tracking orcs, who were the suspected cause of the elleth's disappearance.

This group left immediately, and then the training missions were announced. Thaliondil, the Master of Arms, accepted the seven novices (including Legolas' little sister) into the training mission, and then moved on.

Missions continued to be announced, and Brethilríl chose to join a relatively safe mission, escorting an ambassador to Esgaroth.

Legolas, Tathar and Aldanna did not join their friend.

Finally, the southern mission was announced. Legolas, Tathar and Aldanna immediately stepped forward, and Thaliondil grimly accepted them into the mission.

As the next mission in the list was announced, Legolas and his new company made their way quietly back inside the Halls, to prepare for departure the following dawn. Tathar good-naturedly grumbled that his father had also joined the mission, and Aldanna teased him mercilessly as they walked through the corridors.

Tingallos was Captain of the mission, and arguably the best archer in the wood. He had been awarded the title of Master Archer by Thranduil long ago. The archer was not young, but rather his spirit had not bowed down before the darkness. This same trait, he hoped, he had passed on to his young son, Encalion, who was of an age with Lothlomë. Tingallos often ventured near Dol Guldur, and it was widely acknowledged within the Greenwood that when Tingallos refused to go that way, no-one would go that way at all. Tingallos' wife, Gilduriel, usually stayed at home with Nímloth, as the princess' bodyguard, so Legolas and his friends knew a lot about him, but didn't know the elf himself too well, yet.

Malthon was the healer travelling with them. Aldanna's father was a tall archer, and he had completed his healing training after becoming an accomplished warrior. The elf's dark hair and icy blue eyes were sometimes intimidating, but Legolas and Tathar had known their friend's father long enough to not be put off by his gaze.

Belegcú was another archer, born in the end of the Second Age. He'd been lucky to survive the Last Alliance, a war neither his parents nor his close friends had lived through. Legolas only knew that he did not spend time at the palace if he could avoid it, for seeing the King reminded him of the loss of his childhood best friend, Algorarnor, whom he had failed to save during the battle. His dark hair fell over shadowed eyes as he stalked along at the back of the group, adopting a pained expression, perhaps unknowingly, each time he glanced at Legolas.

Aglarmoth was a warrior, the titled Spearmaster in the Greenwood. He had a daughter, Lauruial, who was near to Lothlomë's age, and lined up to become bodyguard when they finally graduated. Aglarmoth was a burly Silvan with light brown hair and grey eyes, and he wore a belt decorated with many useful things, including a number of knives in various sizes. Aglarmoth took a perverse delight in slaughtering spiders, for his dear wife had been slain while Lauruial was very young, following a spider's ambush.

Celebglín was Sindarin, and many thought him the best swordsman the realm had to offer, so he often accompanied Tingallos south. He was the third titled warrior of the Greenwood, the Sword Master. He, also, had a son Lothlomë's age, called Galenmir. Legolas privately wondered if the four warriors - Celebglín, Tingallos, Thranduil and Aglarmoth - had planned to have children around the same time. Legolas privately thought it amusing that his sister had fallen pregnant with twins during the same few years.

Six tried and tested warriors with three new graduates would usually be hesitant to enter a dangerous mission, but two of the three new graduates would have fathers present on the mission, and so the King gave the mission his approval at dinner that eve. He had, after all, witnessed first-hand the three new graduates' achievements during their training, and had faith in their abilities.