I am finally returning to Kélion and Êmand after almost 2 months of leaving them in the forest! Forgive me for taking this long to get back to them! Please enjoy and I am still so sorry for the cliffies! I hope this chapter is not too confusing :)

And a many hugs and thanks to all of my faithful reviewers: Nurray, MidnightContemplations, JulsaIthil, ForestWren, invisible observer, Slytherin Studios, Jaya Avendel, playonworld, wenduo (the list is growing) and everyone who leaves a review! You guys are my greatest encouragers! I look forward to your reviews every week :)

Thank you to my beta ElvenMaia! This story would be an even bigger mess without you mellon nín!

Enjoy...

Out of Mirkwood

Scribbles-on-Parchment

February 8, 2020

Chapter 29 – The Song of the Greenwood

Kélion could not help but feel both anger and dread in his heart as he ran back toward the palace. He felt dread for the words the tree had spoken to him. If they had been betrayed, then that would mean his adar was in grave danger. But he also felt anger at Meldir and Êmand for leaving the palace without telling him of their intentions, at himself for leaving his adar, and at Legolas for causing all of this. If the elfling had just done as he were told none of this would be happening. While he still felt deep sorrow for the loss of his beloved brother, he could not stop his anger at the young elf.

The two emotions, dread and anger, fought for control over his heart even as the ellon raced through the forest. He did not know if Meldir or Êmand followed him, for he had not looked back after leaving his friend. Kélion desperately prayed that they had given up on the search and come after him. For if there was trouble at the palace, he did not think it wise to face it alone.

The Sinda gracefully leapt over a fallen tree and suddenly slowed. He knew he was near the palace gates, but there was something wrong. All around him the trees, that once filled the air with their gentle whispers, had stopped. Instead the air around him seemed to crackle with hatred; it took his breath away. When had the beautiful trees of the Greenwood become this full of anger, this full of darkness?

The prince came to a stumbling halt. The mere weigh of the forest's loathing was like a heavy burden upon his back. It seemed to swirl around him in a dark cloud, attacking the light of the eldar that shone around him. What was happening? He had never felt this before. Never had the voices and feelings of the trees been to apparent and overwhelming to him. Never had the Greenwood seemed so dark and full of despair.

He had to get to the palace. This one thought took hold of the prince's mind. If he was feeling this effect from the trees, he could not imagine what his adar must be experiencing. For the King of the Greenwood was said to have the power to feel and connect with every living thing in the forest. Surely his adar must be overcome be these feelings.

Kélion forced himself forward. As he did so the darkness that had surrounded him seemed to clear and the sunlight returned. The deathly cold feeling began to fade, and the forest seemed to return to be as it had always been. The sound of birds singing, leaves rusting, and the trees softly humming.

The abrupt departure of the weight, that had been so crippling, caused the ellon to fall to his knees. The jolt of his knees hitting the ground seemed to snap Kélion out of his shock. But this relief lasted for only a moment. The cries of the trees seemed to crash over him like a dark wave on the sea; filling his ear and blocking out all else.

The Sinda looked up trying to ignore the darkness attacking him. Breathing hard Kélion saw that he was at the edge of a clearing. In front of him lay the gates to his adar's realm. How had he gotten here so quickly? He knew he had been close to the gates, but not this near.

Kélion glanced around at all the trees that guarded the clearing, they did not seem right. But there was the gate standing tall and proud as it always did at the far edge of the clearing. Had the forest's new song effected the way he saw the Greenwood? Had everything always been this clouded in darkness?

The prince realized that Meldir and Êmand were next to him their faces shadowed in concern and worry. They were talking to him, but he could not hear them. All he could hear was the voices of the trees. Kélion put his hands to his head. He had always been able to connect with the trees of the Greenwood, but never so intensely. The connection was flooding his mind, overwhelming him making it hard to breathe. Is this what his adar felt every day?

Meldir and Êmand followed the crowned prince as he raced through the forest. Both ellyn were concerned. Whatever the tree had told him must have affected the Sinda greatly, for it had been many years since they had witnessed the elf in such haste. Meldir leapt lightly over the fallen tree trying to keep up with his friend's rushed pace. If the king had been betrayed or if the palace was under siege Kélion would not be alone. He would stay by his friend's side to the end.

When the prince had taken off, both ellyn had rushed to follow, still confused and concerned about what Kélion had heard.

As his feet touch the soft dirt and leaves on the other side of the log, Meldir noticed that Kélion had stopped only several paces in front of him. The Silvan quickly halted. Why had the ellon stopped?

Horrible thoughts ran though his mind. Had the ellon seen something? Had he been shot? But he could see no blood on his friend's lithe form and the forest was silent and still. No sound could be heard.

It was then that the Silvan noticed the clearing they had come to and the palace gates at the far end. Meldir's brow wrinkled in confusion. Surely, they had not arrived yet; something was off. But the impressive stone door spoke otherwise. The ellon glanced behind him at Êmand and noted the same confused glances at the door. However, a gasp from his friend quickly tore his attention away.

"Kélion?" Meldir took a step toward his friend, "Mellon nín what ails you?"

The Sinda did not respond, but suddenly fell forward onto this hands and knees as if a heavy burden was on his back. Both ellyn raced forward as one, coming on either side of the prince.

"What is the matter? Are you wounded?" Meldir tried to stay calm. But he did not understand. So many things felt wrong. There was a magic on the air that he did not recognize.

The elf prince remained silent, his chest heaving.

"Answer me you stupid elf!" the ellon shook the Sinda his concern rising. Had his friend been poisoned?

In his mind all he could see was Legolas's throat being slit and the light of the eldar leaving his young body. If Kélion were to die, he was sure to follow for there was no one else to keep him on arda.

"Meldir," Êmand's voice snapped him out of his dark thoughts, "By the Valar, he is not dying. He simply cannot hear you."

Meldir noticed the glazed look in Kélion's blue eyes and the tenseness of the muscles in the elf's jaw,

"What is wrong with him?"

The older ellon gently lowered himself to the ground, "He is overcome with the song of the trees."

Meldir looked hard at Êmand, "How can that be? They are only small voices. A whisper on the wind."

"Ah. But you are mistaken. For us it may be only this, but for the Sindar it is much more. You know that they can communicate with the trees, but they can connect with them in a way we cannot. The Sindar can feel the forest's song, not just hear it. For them it is much deeper."

"This I already know," Meldir looked back at Kélion who was still crouched on the ground, "But it has never affected him so badly before. Why now? What has changed?"

The older elf's eyes grew troubled, "I do not know. The only other elf who I have seen react this way was Thranduil. He was overcome by the song of the trees when his adar súlë left arda and he was passed the powers of the Greenwood's king."

This struck horror into Meldir. Had the king been killed? Was this a sign that Thranduil had passed out of arda and had given his powers to his son? Kélion would not live long if his adar too had departed.

A moment later the Sinda abruptly lifted his head up and looked around.

"Mellon nín, what happened? What did you hear?"

But the prince still did not seem to hear his voice, instead putting his head in his hands. Meldir looked over at Êmand. The worried, almost desperate look, in the Silvan's eye told him everything he needed to know. Behind them the gate to the palace was still closed tightly against the outside world. No guards were at the gate, no cry had been raised, no help had come to them.

Had all the Greenwood forsaken their king? The Silvan pushed himself to his feet and with long strides Meldir crossed the clearing, brown eyes blazing. He would break the gates down if he had to.

"Edra-si annon!"

Kélion lowered his hands and looked up. The onslaught that had been overpowering him had stopped as suddenly as it had come. His body felt exhausted as if he had just been in a great battle. He could still sense that anger and malice of the trees. The song of the forest, though unchanged, seemed to ring different in his ears. There was another strand he could hear. A melody of darkness and evil woven into the tune. But he would worry about this later.

The prince sighed and stood up. To his surprise he Êmand was immediately by his side.

"Are you well?"

Kélion nodded but stopped as he saw the look in the Silvan's eye, distress. All of what the tree had spoken to him came to mind.

"There is a traitor in the palace. The king is in danger. We must go to him!"

Êmand nodded in the direction of the gate. The prince looked over and saw Meldir standing beside the palace gate which remained closed.

"Edra-si annon!"

His friend's commanding voice echoed across the clearing. Why had the gates not opened as they drew near?

"What happened Kélion?"

The Sinda turned to look at his brother's mentor, "The king had been betrayed. There is a traitor in the palace."

Without another word the prince turned and ran swiftly to Meldir's side. A look of relief passed over the ellon's face as Kélion came to stand beside him. For there was magic over the gates to open at the word from any in the royal family, so they could never be shut out from their own kingdom.

Kélion put a hand on his friend's shoulder and the ellon quickly stepped aside. The Sinda quietly chanted something in Quenya, a language long forgotten by most of those who remained on arda. The prince stopped and took a step back, but nothing happened. The door remained sealed tightly closed.

The prince frowned. He had done everything just the way his adar had taught him. Why had the gate not opened? Frustrated, Kélion tried again. But still nothing happened.

The prince looked over at Meldir who looked just as confused as he was. The Sinda shook his head and walked forward, stretching his head out to touch the solid stone. To his astonishment, his hand passed through it. This was a mirage; a work of powerful dark magic.

Elvish Translations:

adar – father

mellon nín– friend

súlë – spirit

edra-si annon – open the gate now