Chapter 5: A Phoenix
"Come, let us hurry, Gimli. He is not dead yet and I might be able to help him. Get some of the herbs I have in my pack."
The Dwarf ran to gather medicines for his friend.
If Legolas was truly the only royal to survive, then he was now king. King of Mirkwood, King of what was left. What a wonderful thing to inherit after nearly three thousand years.
Aragorn waited silently. He waited for his friend to live, waited for him to die, just waited for a solution to present itself. He had no clue if the herbs he had give the Elf were doing anything. In his mind he thought the Elf too far into the realm of spiritual harm for anything medicinal to be of any use.
Gimli paced around. This portion of the castle seemed to be spared of the fire enough that it still stood fairly steady. He was not worried about the roof caving in on them as they had heard it doing in other portions of the royal home.
Finally, after nearly three days of no signs from Legolas, his eyes opened, their color bright.
"Aragorn?"
"Legolas! How are you feeling? You gave us quite a scare."
"I am sorry. I was overwhelmed, but I realized that if I were to allow myself to die of grief, then the destroyers of Mirkwood would truly prevail. My bloodline completely vanquished and the remainder of my people left leaderless. I could not let that happen. I had to prevail in order to spite the evil which did not completely defeat us."
Aragorn and Gimli looked at each other, Gimli finally asking the question they had waited so long to hear.
"Do you know what this was that attacked you? How is it you survived, for last we heard you were in the forest fighting Orcs far away from here."
"Yes, I was. I was fighting when every sign the forest gave me said there was little time left, and the royal family does not go down without a fight. So I lwft them and returned to the palace in order to give our final resort"
"What did you do?"
"I cast the spell of Tiagra"
Aragorn gasped, "I thought that spell was only legend."
"There is much about my people that most of Middle Earth believes to be only legend."
Gimli had not heard of this spell before, "What is it that you used, Legolas?"
"I used the most ancient of Elvish curses. One which brings together all the power from all the people under the command of a member of the royal family. Together this power attacks the evil invading our lands. These Orcs did not know about this power, or thought all the royals who could command it dead. Either way, they were not prepared for the onslaught this sent down against them. Unfortunately, this spell can only ever be cast once for the parchment it was written on burns as the words are said. I knew there would not be another chance, or a better one." Legolas began to grow weary, so much emotion was beginning to well up in him again.
"The spell is also supposed to heal my kingdom, but so many were killed that there wasn't enough power left to heal our burned home."
"Do you know who sent this enemy against your people?" Aragorn needed to know, he could not wait for Legolas to collect himself.
"I do not. They just appeared. My father sent out the guards, but the messenger assigned to bring news from the front never returned. Only when they were in sight as us did we realize the desperate nature of our situation."
"Are they all dead?" Gimli worried, his people had also suffered so much loss of life. Images of the slain Dwarves in Moria brought him nightmares to this day.
"All the ones who attacked my beautiful home are destroyed. I did not sense anymore, but I cannot guarantee that they are all banished from Middle Earth. I know that for now, the evil is no more. The price, however was too high for this time of peace."
None argued with those sentiments.
The sun slowly rose in the eastern horizon. Dawn was approaching Mirkwood and Legolas stood in an open, gray field awaiting its first light to shine upon him.
His was now king, his people in Rivendell awaiting his leadership. He did not know what to do. He asked his family for guidance, for sign of what to do next.
Legolas took a deep breath. The smell of life was gone, the rich smell of the forest covered by the dark smell of smoke. His friends were waiting for him on the other side of the fields, waiting for him to join them on their trip back.
'I must be strong' Legolas thought, 'I must lead my people, my father would have wished that.' He never thought he would be king, for he was the youngest and had siblings in line for the throne in front of him. Because of this, he never really paid too much attention to the arts of commanding a people. He thought he would have several thousand years before he would ever think of any of that. He had hoped one of his brothers, once king, would have an heir and the throne would pass him up completely. Such is fate, cruel and merciless.
The young Elf King turned to join the others when he saw a scene which made him stop in his tracks.
A leaf. A greenleaf, like his name, struck out from the side of a burned out log. Sudden knowledge hit him, the woods may be destroyed, but we not stripped of life. They would grow green again, they would flourish again. He began to move more quickly to tell Aragorn and Gimli this news when fate seemed to tell him something more.
When he entered another open area the sky opened up, and gave him a sign of where to go next with his people. Where to lead them after this crisis. Somewhere where they could fine peace and live together as a renewed people where evil would not be able to reach. This symbol glided along on the summer breeze and headed in his, and his people's, future destination. He thought nothing more sacred in his life, and would follow this sign as long as he had strength.
A seagull.
Fin
Author's Note: Done, REVIEW! I just couldn't do two death-fics, too depressing even for me! Review please!!!! I must say I'm happy to have this done, because something BIG is in the works. Inspiration kicked me the other day, and I will soon begin posting my magnum opus (so far). It is the hugest challenge to my writing and creative skills that I have ever dared attempt, and it may turn out to be too great a challenge for myself. However, I must make the attempt and if it fails I'll have to write something else. It is a mix of Tolkien and Beagle novels, not quite as original, but a good idea in my mind. (review this one please!!)
Yes, my upcoming is another story telling of the magic and light of the Elvish race and telling of their descent into myth. It will not follow the line of the books, like my other stories also do not.
Review the one you just read!!
Blessed Be!
Elvensong