Secret Scene #4: Legolas Gets Mail

...in which Legolas becomes suspicious...

This secret scene originally followed chapter 56, "Gifted."


The Fellowship had grown extremely partial to enjoying one another's company in the pleasant shady courtyard of the house which had been appointed to them for the duration of their stay. It was the perfect spot to listen to bird song or enjoy a relaxing smoke, and so it had become a custom for the group of friends to gather there in the later part of the day. So it was that Gimli, the four hobbits, and Legolas sat lazily in their different spots—the hobbits reclining peacefully in the odd chair and stools they had appropriated from the house, Legolas, leaning against a tired looking potted tree, which he had adopted as his own special project, and Gimli stretching out against the good warm stone of the wall itself. They happily chatted off and on about the goings-on of their little household and the kingdom itself until a servant showed with one of Aragorn's newly appointed young footmen, who immediately rushed forward to bring the elf a letter resting on a highly polished silver tray. It had only taken a second for Legolas to realize exactly who had sent it, for a slightly uncomfortable feeling to make his skin flush..

Oh, who was he kidding? Slightly uncomfortable feeling? More like turning-green-vomiting-into-the-bushes kind of feeling.

"Who's the letter from, Legolas?" piped Pippin, curiously peering at the liveried footman, the silver tray, and the elegant writing and wax seal upon the letter itself.

Dread curdled in his stomach. News from home. He craved news from the Woodland Realm, but feared it. Legolas knew his people must have fought numerous campaigns while he was away. Dol Guldur would have unleashed its worst, and he was not there to help, not there to fight, not there for any of it. Was there even a stick left standing of his homeland to return to? And yet, seeing this letter now, he realized his father still lived, for the elegant scrawl across the top was undoubtedly the king's.

"Why's he just staring at it?" Merry whispered to Pippin, and Legolas suddenly remembered himself and delicately took the letter from the tray, thanking the footman.

The elf cleared his throat. "It's from my father," he explained.

The hobbits nodded their approval and looked at him expectantly.

Thankfully, Gimli intervened. "Did you hear that lads? I think there's someone at the door again."

Sam hopped up. "Might be a delivery, Maybe fresh bread from the baker. He said he was going to be back by later."

Frodo followed. "Mmm. Do you think he brought more of those little twisty bun things?"

Pippin and Merry wavered, their eyes trailing Frodo and Sam's departure and then returning to Legolas and his letter.

Gimli pushed himself up from the ground. "Come, you rascals. Let the elf have his letter in peace."

Legolas took the letter from the footmen, murmured his thanks, and tucked it into his tunic. The courtyard suddenly felt too close, to closed in and constrained for comfort. He followed Gimli and the others back into the house, past the kitchen where the baker apparently had brought a delivery, much to the hobbits' delight, and walked right past them and out the front door.

Later on, he could hardly say how he got there, but Legolas ended up at the seventh level, staring out across the Pelennor fields. Then he took his father's letter out from his tunic, broke the seal and began to read.

When he had finished the letter in one long breath, he exhaled and then leaned against the city walls, letting the wind whip the parchment against his hand.

His father had led the army into battle at the southern edge of the wood.

Part of the southern wood had burned.

They had joined the Galadhrim in a siege outside of Dol Guldur. The old fortress had been laid bare, destroyed.

His father wanted him to know that Celeborn and Galadriel meant to journey to the city with Elrond, but the Woodland Realm would not be sending a delegation.

Legolas huffed and looked at the letter again. His father had not mentioned Narylfiel, not once. Why would he not mention her? He stuffed the letter back into his tunic and left the wall.

His father said Elrond would bring Thaliniel out from Imladris, and if she did not feel up to the journey to the White City, then he would send an escort for her to bring her home.

Legolas walked a little faster, the busy sounds of the men and women on the streets doing nothing to distract him from the questions building in his mind.

He stalked back into the Fellowship's house, letting the front door slam behind him and headed straight into the kitchen where the rest of his friends congregated at a large rectangular table.

He sat down wordlessly, and the hobbits stopped their chatter about yellow cheeses versus white, and did Gimli think he could make a little pot to melt cheese in, because wouldn't it be fun to be able to dip little pieces of bread in it?

"We saved you one of those twisty buns, Legolas," Sam offered, pushing a basket with a solitary bun left in it toward the elf.

Legolas took it and ripped it in half. "It would be good dipped in cheese," he said, taking a delicate bite.

"So...how was the news from home?" Pippin asked.

Gimli shot him a look. "I thought we said we were going to let him bring it up, Pippin."

"He did," Pippin said. "He clearly wants us to ask about it, or he wouldn't have come to the table. Am I right?"

"No," Merry said, elbowing his cousin, "if he's talking about cheese-dipping then he clearly doesn't want to talk about it, Pip."

Legolas waved his piece of bread. "It's fine," he said. "The letter was from my father. He talked about a few battles they won and let me know he would not be sending a delegation here."

Gimli looked up. "What about Erebor? Did he say anything about them or Dale?"

Legolas shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, Gimli. It was a pretty dry letter, to be honest."

"But it was good news, right? Your father is alive and your people won?" Frodo asked.

Legolas forced a smile. "Yes, good news." He hesitated and set down the rest of his bread onto the table. "It's just...I thought he would say something about Narylfiel, but he didn't mention her at all."

Gimli set down his mug with a hard clank. "That's your little sister?"

"My sister-in-law, but she's always been like a little sister to me. I watched her grow up, trained her." Legolas pushed back from the table, leaned back in his chair. "Why wouldn't my father mention her, unless something happened." He stood and pushed his chair in. "Well, if I'm going to write a reply, I'd better go do it before my father's messenger leaves."

"Well, that's just it," said Pippin, snapping his fingers. "He's an elf too? From your forest?"

"Yes..." Legolas said slowly and then grinned. "Why, yes, he is, Pippin. And he's not going to leave this city until he tells me everything I want to know about what's happened in my father's halls since I've been away." His bread forgotten on the table, Legolas left without another word, and the remaining members of the Fellowship heard the front door slam shut behind him.

Back at the house, Pippin slyly picked up the last half of Legolas' bread. No use letting a perfectly good piece of one of those tasty twisty buns go to waste. "It's like I told you before," Pippin said, mouth full, waving the remainder of the bun at the rest of the table, "you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission...quest...thing."


Author's Note:

Now of course with the story finished, we know that Legolas actually learns very little from that messenger, and he is in for quite a shock when he finally returns home. ;)

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