Chapter Five
Late the next morning, Legolas sat alone in the dining hall, absentmindedly chewing on an exceptionally tough piece of salt pork. It was his own fault really…if he hadn't slept so late, he could have gotten to the dining hall early and gotten a better piece of pork…
"Finally emerged to rejoin the land of the living?"
Legolas glanced up just as Aragorn sauntered into the hall. "I see that I waited to long…all that is left is the gristle!"
Aragorn laughed. "This time last week, we had never seen a greater meal than that gristle!"
Legolas smiled and tossed the salt pork on the serving platter, half in disgust and half in boredom. He picked up a piece bread and meticulously began to spread jam on it. "Did I sleep too long and miss the departure of our friends?"
"Nay, they have sought the solitude of a nearby brook," Aragorn paused. "I believe that your lady can be found with them as well…"
Legolas felt his cheeks heat up. "I…there is something that I need to discuss with Gandalf…perhaps you could show me the path to this brook…"
With much exaggeration, Aragorn bowed low to the ground, a large smile spreading across his chiseled face. "And the path to your lady fair, I will take thee!"
They walked through many palace corridors and, although unseen, Legolas could tell that they were being closely watched by armed, Catalyncian guards. Aragorn finally threw open a thick, ornately carved oak door which opened out to a lush, green meadow; most likely somewhere behind the palace. The meadow was bordered by a thick line of trees and was also covered with innumerable varieties of wildflowers – some of which, Legolas had never seen before.
Gandalf was seated beneath a large, flowering tree, his dark eyes staring blankly at a crystal clear, babbling brook which transversed the meadow. Legolas followed his gaze to see Pippin and Frodo wading in the brook, trying their very hardest to capture what looked like a very large bullfrog. Sam was watching from his perch atop a large rock, laughing so hard that several times he nearly tumbled to the ground. Close by to this spectacle, sat Merry and Echo, nearly hidden by the tall wildflowers.
Legolas's breath caught in his throat as he gazed at the Queen. She was dressed in a dark green gown, which had what looked like a tight, brown leather laced corset on the outside. Her silky hair was freely flowing down her shoulders, though a golden band adorned with a large emerald (he noted the emerald's brilliance was nowhere close to the brilliance of her eyes) was visible on her forehead, its sides disappearing underneath a waterfall of dark brown tresses. All traces of the worry and concern that her face showed the previous night were now replaced with smiles and shades of laughter. Merry was seated beside her, carefully weaving a flower into Echo's long hair, his tongue poking out through his very determined lips. Though Legolas had seen Echo dressed in more lavish gowns, her hair adorned with jewels, it was in his opinion that she had never looked more beautiful than she did at that precise moment.
Quietly, he walked over to where Gandalf was seated beneath the tree, whose bows were practically bent by the weight of luscious red fruit. The old wizard looked up at him and smiled in a knowing way. "Did you find what you were looking for last night?"
Legolas's brow furrowed. "What I was looking for?"
Gandalf nodded. "You were wandering the palace corridors last night, were you not?"
Legolas felt his cheeks heat up again. "I…the Queen…We…ah…we talked last night. By the fountain."
Inwardly, he flinched. Elves were supposed to be the most-well spoken in all of Middle-Earth…at that particular moment; he wasn't being a very shining example of that description…
"She has many troubles," Gandalf let his gaze fall upon the Queen. "I fear our arrival in Catalyncia will only be another hardship."
"She told me that there are those that…are dissatisfied with her rule."
"Dissatisfied?" Gandalf shook his head sadly. "I have known Echo Windstorme since the day she was born – and I would rather not speak of that matter at this moment – and her downfall has always been and will continue to be her naivety and her gullibility. She does not realize the precipice which she is standing on."
Legolas silently watched Pippin and Frodo chase Echo, Sam, and Merry through the meadow, their musical laughter ringing out like there was not a single care in all of their worlds. "And what precipice might that be?"
Gandalf sighed. "That to many of the Dineich Elves…Atalaya Echo Windstorme…was born to die."
Legolas thought that his heart would stop. "Born to die? What…what do you mean, 'born to die?' Elves can't die, Gandalf, we live eternal."
"Ah, but my young one," Gandalf smoothed down his beard. "It is not impossible for an elf to be killed. You see, for many generations now, there has been distention with the crown. There must be a breaking point – and I fear that breaking point will fall on Echo."
"Then…then we must do something!" Legolas leapt to his feet. "We cannot stand by and let her be killed…so the population can prove a point!"
"It is not that simple, Legolas Greenleaf," Gandalf retorted forcefully. "If it were, then I would have 'saved' her long ago! The decision must be hers, whether to leave Catalyncia or stay and attempt to save her people."
Legolas felt his temper begin to boil. "The decision between living or dying does not seem like a difficult one."
"Is it?" Gandalf raised an eyebrow. "Tell me, Legolas, if you were forced between fleeing your home – where you had lived and ruled and loved all your life – and remaining and trying to save your people – those that truly love you…maybe not all, but most – and rebuild the kingdom that has crumbled for so long…would the decision be so simple?"
Legolas fell silent.
"Can you honestly tell me that you could turn and leave it all behind you, without a single thought?" Gandalf sighed sadly. "I have tried. They are simple words to speak, but difficult actions to perform."
Legolas stared at Echo in silence, feeling as though his heart had fallen and shattered into a million pieces. It was beyond his comprehension that the one he felt he could give his heart to…was the one that could be taken from him.
Late the next morning, Legolas sat alone in the dining hall, absentmindedly chewing on an exceptionally tough piece of salt pork. It was his own fault really…if he hadn't slept so late, he could have gotten to the dining hall early and gotten a better piece of pork…
"Finally emerged to rejoin the land of the living?"
Legolas glanced up just as Aragorn sauntered into the hall. "I see that I waited to long…all that is left is the gristle!"
Aragorn laughed. "This time last week, we had never seen a greater meal than that gristle!"
Legolas smiled and tossed the salt pork on the serving platter, half in disgust and half in boredom. He picked up a piece bread and meticulously began to spread jam on it. "Did I sleep too long and miss the departure of our friends?"
"Nay, they have sought the solitude of a nearby brook," Aragorn paused. "I believe that your lady can be found with them as well…"
Legolas felt his cheeks heat up. "I…there is something that I need to discuss with Gandalf…perhaps you could show me the path to this brook…"
With much exaggeration, Aragorn bowed low to the ground, a large smile spreading across his chiseled face. "And the path to your lady fair, I will take thee!"
They walked through many palace corridors and, although unseen, Legolas could tell that they were being closely watched by armed, Catalyncian guards. Aragorn finally threw open a thick, ornately carved oak door which opened out to a lush, green meadow; most likely somewhere behind the palace. The meadow was bordered by a thick line of trees and was also covered with innumerable varieties of wildflowers – some of which, Legolas had never seen before.
Gandalf was seated beneath a large, flowering tree, his dark eyes staring blankly at a crystal clear, babbling brook which transversed the meadow. Legolas followed his gaze to see Pippin and Frodo wading in the brook, trying their very hardest to capture what looked like a very large bullfrog. Sam was watching from his perch atop a large rock, laughing so hard that several times he nearly tumbled to the ground. Close by to this spectacle, sat Merry and Echo, nearly hidden by the tall wildflowers.
Legolas's breath caught in his throat as he gazed at the Queen. She was dressed in a dark green gown, which had what looked like a tight, brown leather laced corset on the outside. Her silky hair was freely flowing down her shoulders, though a golden band adorned with a large emerald (he noted the emerald's brilliance was nowhere close to the brilliance of her eyes) was visible on her forehead, its sides disappearing underneath a waterfall of dark brown tresses. All traces of the worry and concern that her face showed the previous night were now replaced with smiles and shades of laughter. Merry was seated beside her, carefully weaving a flower into Echo's long hair, his tongue poking out through his very determined lips. Though Legolas had seen Echo dressed in more lavish gowns, her hair adorned with jewels, it was in his opinion that she had never looked more beautiful than she did at that precise moment.
Quietly, he walked over to where Gandalf was seated beneath the tree, whose bows were practically bent by the weight of luscious red fruit. The old wizard looked up at him and smiled in a knowing way. "Did you find what you were looking for last night?"
Legolas's brow furrowed. "What I was looking for?"
Gandalf nodded. "You were wandering the palace corridors last night, were you not?"
Legolas felt his cheeks heat up again. "I…the Queen…We…ah…we talked last night. By the fountain."
Inwardly, he flinched. Elves were supposed to be the most-well spoken in all of Middle-Earth…at that particular moment; he wasn't being a very shining example of that description…
"She has many troubles," Gandalf let his gaze fall upon the Queen. "I fear our arrival in Catalyncia will only be another hardship."
"She told me that there are those that…are dissatisfied with her rule."
"Dissatisfied?" Gandalf shook his head sadly. "I have known Echo Windstorme since the day she was born – and I would rather not speak of that matter at this moment – and her downfall has always been and will continue to be her naivety and her gullibility. She does not realize the precipice which she is standing on."
Legolas silently watched Pippin and Frodo chase Echo, Sam, and Merry through the meadow, their musical laughter ringing out like there was not a single care in all of their worlds. "And what precipice might that be?"
Gandalf sighed. "That to many of the Dineich Elves…Atalaya Echo Windstorme…was born to die."
Legolas thought that his heart would stop. "Born to die? What…what do you mean, 'born to die?' Elves can't die, Gandalf, we live eternal."
"Ah, but my young one," Gandalf smoothed down his beard. "It is not impossible for an elf to be killed. You see, for many generations now, there has been distention with the crown. There must be a breaking point – and I fear that breaking point will fall on Echo."
"Then…then we must do something!" Legolas leapt to his feet. "We cannot stand by and let her be killed…so the population can prove a point!"
"It is not that simple, Legolas Greenleaf," Gandalf retorted forcefully. "If it were, then I would have 'saved' her long ago! The decision must be hers, whether to leave Catalyncia or stay and attempt to save her people."
Legolas felt his temper begin to boil. "The decision between living or dying does not seem like a difficult one."
"Is it?" Gandalf raised an eyebrow. "Tell me, Legolas, if you were forced between fleeing your home – where you had lived and ruled and loved all your life – and remaining and trying to save your people – those that truly love you…maybe not all, but most – and rebuild the kingdom that has crumbled for so long…would the decision be so simple?"
Legolas fell silent.
"Can you honestly tell me that you could turn and leave it all behind you, without a single thought?" Gandalf sighed sadly. "I have tried. They are simple words to speak, but difficult actions to perform."
Legolas stared at Echo in silence, feeling as though his heart had fallen and shattered into a million pieces. It was beyond his comprehension that the one he felt he could give his heart to…was the one that could be taken from him.