A/N-Yatta! 52 reviews! And, a note to Majesty's previous review: LEGOLAS IS NOT IN LOVE WITH SHIARA HE IS IN LOVE WITH ME!!!!!!!!!!! SO THERE ! HMPH :cough, cough: Ahem! Uh, thank you for your :cough: review, but just remember, this is a FANFICTION. A FANFICTION. That means, I can incorporate my OWN characters into my OWN stories. :now glaring: So if you don't wish to read about other females besides yourself with Legolas, I SUGGEST you don't read FANFICTION. *smiles brightly* Thank you, and have a good day!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'I am sorry to leave you in these times, Legolas. But I must return to Gondor and Frodo and the others wish to return home.'

Legolas nodded, putting a hand on the man's shoulder. 'I understand Aragorn. Ride now! Your kingdom and Arwen await.'

Aragorn nodded. 'Cuio mae.'** Then he turned and mounted his steed, riding off slowly, so the hobbits and Gimli could keep up.

The hobbits were tearful to say the least, hugging the prince and promising that they would meet again. Legolas smiled as Pippin and Merry held their carven staffs with pride, hopping on their ponies.

Then came Gimli. Legolas blinked back tears and felt his throat constrict as the dwarf came to him. Awkwardly embracing him, he held him by the shoulders. 'Well,' he choked. 'It's time to say goodbye, my friend.'

Gimli nodded back solemnly, his voice gruff with hidden emotion. 'No sentimentalities Elf! We will meet again!'

Legolas smiled, clapping Gimli on the back. 'Well said! Cuio mae!'**

'Same to you,' replied Gimli quietly. 'But my friend, I think you will live happier if you tell her.'

His eyes widened and he drew back.

The dwarf glanced quickly at Shiara, who was now hugging Frodo and Sam. 'Tell her,' he said quietly and urgently. 'Just tell the lady that you love her!'

Legolas stared at him, but Gimli just gave him a meaningful look and jumping astride his horse, he rode up to Aragorn.

As the six travelers rode outwards, away from the halls of Mirkwood, Legolas came to stand next to Shiara. She started singing softly, letting the wind carry her song to the travelers' ears.

I sang of leaves, of leaves of gold, and leaves of gold there grew

Of wind I sang, a wind there came and in the branches blew.

Beyond the Sun, beyond the Moon, the foam was on the Sea,

And by the strand of Ilmarin there grew a golden Tree.

Beneath the stars of Ever-eve in Eldamar it shone,

In Eldamar beside the walls of Elven Tirion.

There long the golden leaves have grown upon the branching years,

While here beyond the Sundering Seas now fall the Elven-tears.

O Mirkwood! The Winter comes, the bare and leafless Day;

The leaves are falling in the stream, the River flows away.

O Mirkwood! Too long I have dwelt upon this Hither Shore

And in a fading crown have twined the golden elanor.

But if of ships I now should sing, what ship would come to me,

What ship would bear me ever back across so wide a Sea?

And then very slowly, Shiara sang: 'Namarie! Namarie.'

Next to Aragorn, Gimli said sadly. 'I thought I had looked last on the fairest in Lorien. But alas, for I am leaving another fair one again.' And they rode slowly away, fading into the daylight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MIRKWOOD. 24th Day of October, 1418.

Dear Legolas,

If you are reading this, then that means I have been killed, and am resting in peace in theUndying Lands. I am regretful of the fact that I have not been to spend as much time as I would have liked, with you, my son. As king of Mirkwood, I have not always had the free time desired, but even when I did, I am aware that I rarely spent it with you. I expected you to grow up by your own means, almost ignoring you, and now I have paid dearly for that mistake. Since your mother was slain by the orcs, I have dwelt in Mirkwood, lonely; yearning the day when I could see her again. It is most fortunate for the fact that you had friends; Linel, Galier, and Shiara. I can still recall the day you marched into Lelindil's and my chamber, holding the little lady by the hand, announcing that she was 'dewfire,' and that you would become the elven king, and she your fairy queen.

You have grown since those days, my son. And I have completely missed the chance to watch you do so. I have not seen the way you have matured into the elven prince, the rightful heir to the throne of Mirkwood. I will not see you undergo the ceremony to receive my staff; I will not see you wed Shiara, for she is your love though you shall deny it at first. I will not be able to laugh with my grandchildren, just like I have never laughed with you. It is the fourth and twentieth day of October. Legolas, you are now at the House of Elrond in Rivendell, telling Elrond and the others of the escape of that miserable creature, Smeagol. No doubt you will be engaged in a heated discussion within a council now, debating to make your opinions heard. That never worked with Shiara. She had always gotten her way with you.

I know not when you will return. I know only that when you do so, it will be near my parting time. The burden of the kingdom is now yours, Legolas. Please do not try to pass this duty to others, for I trust no one but you to take it. Yes, all the land of Mirkwood from our forests to the mountains. . And with it, the ring comes. For certain, the reason of my death was for the ring. You must go after the ones who stole it. But do not bring it back. Do not bring it back. Take it to Rivendell, and to the one who shall wield it, king or not. Only after the ring is safe, will you be the true king of Eryn Lasgalen, Legolas, my son.

Your father.

Legolas clenched the letter in his hands. His tears coursed silently down his cheeks and onto the letter, making splotches and smudging the ink as he reread the letter over and over again. 'He knew.' he whispered. 'Oh, he knew! Father.'

~~~~~~~~~~~

'Where now the throne and its ruler? Where is the staff that was carven? Where is the crown of hawthorn berries and the red leaves falling?' Galier stopped and Linel opened his own mouth to let his verses stream forth.

'Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the green trees growing? Where is our kingdom now, as the staff remains fallen?'

Voice trembling with sobs threatening to break forth, Shiara stood up, singing softly. ' They have passed like dew on the leaves, like a breeze in the trees. The days have gone down in the West, behind the hills into shadow.'

Legolas, stood, throat dry. He could not do it, he could not! Thranduil's body lay on the pyre waiting to be destroyed, to be demolished. His hands held the torch tightly in his hands as he willed his mouth to open. Linel and Galier looked at him sadly, eyes telling him, 'please, go ahead and do your duty.' Flashes of his father swam before Legolas's face, reprimanding him for the time he had gotten himself and Galier in trouble by terrorizing the cooks, giving him a rare smile when he had beaten the others in an archery contest, weary and tired after Lelendil died. Then right before he had closed his eyes. I believe you.

Beside him, Shiara took his hand tightly. Legolas looked down into her eyes, seeing that same trusting look Thranduil had given him. I believe you.

And clearly, he sang: 'Who shall gather the smoke of the dead wood burning, or behold the drifting years from the woods returning?' Then on the last note, Legolas took the torch and set it on the pyre. Duty done. And the Wood-elves of Mirkwood watched as the flames leapt higher and higher, consuming the former King Thranduil; never to be seen by mortal or immortal eyes again. The ashes scattered to the winds, finally drifting to the sea.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

'The king must be avenged! Is this not clear to you all?'

'We must be cautious! We know not of who the enemy is and why the King was killed.'

'Orcs, obviously!'

'Fool! Why would the orcs slay only Thranduil and ignore the rest of us? Nay, it could not have been!'

'We were told that there were gashes made by scimitars by the Lady. What say you, Lady Shiara?'

Legolas put his head in his hands as Shiara's voice came from the right of him, weary and exasperated. More voices rose, debating at first, then angry.

Finally, the Captain of the Guards, Linel stood up, his normally placid features angry. 'Enough! Why not ask your king? You all are arguing like uncivilized fools over such an important matter! Legolas and Shiara were with the King Thranduil during his last breaths, and Legolas heard his father's last words. They are the ones that should be telling you what should happen.'

All eyes turned expectantly on Legolas. He sighed and pulled out the letter. 'My father wrote this letter two years ago, telling me what should be done if something like this should happen,' he said quietly. 'I, as the rightful heir to this kingdom will take the title of Elvenking. But not as yet. I must first go out to retrieve what has been stolen from my father.'

'Stolen? What was stolen?'

'It is not for me to say,' replied Legolas coolly.

'How do we know that what you say is the truth? How are we to know that Thranduil really wishes Legolas to be king?'

At that, Galier sprang up, bristling and furious. 'You DARE doubt Legolas's word? Even if Thranduil hadn't written it, Legolas is the son of our former king! He automatically GETS the throne! Fie on you, to say that he shouldn't be the ruler-'

'Sit down, friend Galier.' Legolas laid a hand on the angry elf's shoulder and spoke again, eyeing each of the council. 'I cannot give you any proof, as this letter is not to be read by others. You will all have to trust me. But the first thing I am to do, is rename Mirkwood.' A cry of outrage and protest and question rose among the others. Legolas continued as if he hadn't heard it. 'According to my father's wishes, Mirkwood is now named Eryn Lasgalen. Shiara, you and Linel will rule while I am gone. Galier, you shall have to captain the guards alone for the while. Question all intruders. I am leaving in the morning. That is all.'

And with that, he left the room, leaving his three friends looking after him shocked and surprised and the remainder of the council in ruins.

~~~~~~~~~~~

'What are you saying? You cannot just suddenly leave like that, are you insane? Your father has just been killed, you can't just go off on your own! Someone will be after you, you need guards, you need escorts-Legolas, are you listening to me???'

Shiara glared angrily at the king, sitting on her bed, apparently ignoring her furious words and her arms waving around. 'LEGOLAS??'

'Shiara.' he said quietly. His golden hair was tousled, unbrushed and standing every which way. 'They were not after Father because he was king. They only killed him because he was bearing the ring.'

Shiara stopped waving her arms and stood next to him. 'What? What ring are you talking about?'

Legolas closed his eyes. 'Three for the elven kings under the sky.'

'No.' she whispered. 'Thranduil had one? That was what was stolen? Who? Who was it?'

He looked up, his grey eyes troubled and stormy. 'I do not know.'

Shiara sat next to him, her face anxious. 'You're leaving again aren't you?' she asked softly. 'For how long?'

'I do not know,' he repeated again.

She looked at his face, then said, 'I'm coming with you.'

'No!' Legolas said immediately, face hardening. 'No, Shiara, you are NOT.'

'But-'

'That is final! You are NOT to come. It is dangerous, you could be killed!' He got up, looking down at her in a way that told her that he was not going to change his mind. 'Shiara, you're not coming.' And he left. Moments after, Linel and Galier came in.

Galier said grimly, 'He is leaving tomorrow.'

'What? What do you mean you are leaving?'

'I have to go.' He replied sadly. 'My father chose me to go to Rivendell to tell Elrond of the escape of Smeagol and the invasion of orcs in Mirkwood. I must.'

'But-but, you cannot leave me by myself here! Let me come with you!'

'No!' he said, eyes hardening. 'No, it is too dangerous for you. I would never forgive myself if you got hurt because of me.'

'I do not want to be left alone.' she whispered.

His eyes softened, and he carefully wiped away the tears that were falling down her cheeks. 'Don't cry.don't cry.you have Linel and Galier, you don't need me.' He took a half of a silver leaf from around his neck over hers. Then taking her half of the raindrop and his that she had given him so long ago, he connected the two, then held up the leaf. 'Keep this, till we are together again.'

Linel sighed, looking at his sister's face. 'You mean to go after him, don't you?'

Shiara looked back, determination showing in her eyes. She nodded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dragonfire: I'm DONE!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, yes, please review!!!!!!!! Thanks to all of you who have already, and major major thanks to Akai Kuu, who has been my translator and friend, helping me through all my writer blocks! Arigato Akai!! By the way, the farewell song that Shiara sings was Tolkien's, sung by Lady Galadriel. The funeral song's format was Tolkien's but the words are mine. Namarie means farewell. Cuio mae means live long and happy. REVIEW!!!!!!