The woods felt empty, devoid of warmth, light, laughter, love, and joy. A darkness spreading throughout all of Greenwood. It began from the southern lands of Greenwood and like a disease, slowly spreading upward. Trees were dying, a courtesy of the rapidly increasing spiders. Orcs, once fearing to trespass, now ran rampant without worry.

Flowers that had flourished under Dinenloth's care either wilted or shone less. All the plants within the garden closed up in a dormant state, awaiting until Dinenloth returned to grace them with her presence. Even animals frequented the gardens less often.

Legolas sighed deeply as he returned from scouting the borders. At the gate he saw Meluinir and Faervel. The sight of them made him want to sigh again but instead he weakly smiled as they greeted him. These last two years had been hard on them. They probably suffered just as much as he had.

Meluinir used to be vibrant, always laid back, smiling, singing, and laughing. Nowadays he was downcast and seemed bored with any task given him, though he performed it immediately and quickly as possible. Hardly did he speak with any. If he were not on duty or in his room, Legolas often found him lingering by Dinenloth's room or roam her dormant garden with a melancholy smile.

Faervel had only become even more serious to the point where he was harsh on his fellow comrades if they disobeyed an order or a mishap occurred. If he had free time, he managed to find tasks to keep him busy. When he spoke, it was clipped and straight to the point. No one dared get on his bad side. A few times Legolas caught him kneeling before some Freesias and fingering them with a despondent look.

He himself had changed for the worse. He no longer smiled, laughed, nor sang in joy. Nothing was fun for him anymore. All was serious. A coldness had seeped into him, but only when he was amongst others. Alone he was smothered by emotions that threatened to break him. These emotions at times nearly drove him to either search out for his sister or fight against his father whether verbally or physically. All his anger he channeled through his arrows when practicing or shooting down orcs and spiders. When in such state, his arrows flew with deadly speed, power, and accuracy. Gwaenir had not been pleased with Legolas in such state when scouting but he could do naught. Both he and Nestor had spoken and counseled him many times, but the distraught elf would have none of it.

Legolas passed through the gate. His intentions were to go to his room but his feet led him elsewhere. He found himself instead at the tree of his parents. Seeking comfort at the moment, he chose to climb and sit upon his mother's favored branch.

Nothing was the same without Dinenloth. He wanted his sister back! Only she could return everything and everyone to how they used to be. If only his father hadn't tried to cage her in like some animal! If only he had been stronger to fight against his father to protect her! Why? Why did this have to happen?!

He clutched onto his hair and wanted to scream in anger.

Did his father not see what was happening to everyone? Everything was falling apart! Dinenloth had been the one to prevent that! She held everything together, making chaos into serenity. Without her there was no light and darkness swept in.

"Nana, I don't know what to do. Ada has become cold to all and will not listen to reason. It was he who caused all this because of his actions against Dinenloth. It was he who chased her away from us. I hate Ada! I hate what he has become, what he has done, what he intends to do! Why!? Why must this happen?"

His heart ached terribly from the many emotions crashing upon him and vying for control. What hurt him most was that he couldn't put all the blame on his father. Had he not also been selfish and entertained few ideas of trapping her within? He had not wanted her with other males who were attracted to her. Deep inside he wanted his little sister to remain by his side and not wander off with those she might truly love.

"Please Dinenloth, come back. Come back to us and heal us as you once did before. Nana, will you help her? Will you help us? I want her to come back, even if it be for a short time. Please."

For the first time in many centuries, he wept. Tears of anger, tears of loneliness, tears of sadness, tears of dying hope, tears of remorse, tears of confusion, tears of a pleading wish.


Author's note: I thought it time for a short moment with how those in Greenwood are taking Dinenloth's absence. Can't believe I forgot about them. I know I left out Thranduil. It's because I might do a chapter for him on how he feels about his precious jewel's absence.

Leave a review please! If need be I'll make a balrog appear and leave you at his mercy, or I could tie up all your favorite hot elves and leave them for you guys to go all fancrazy on them. :) *acts innocent* It's not like I'm forcing you to do anything. Just a suggestion/plea for a review :) Simply wanting to know what you guys think of my story so far.