This is the final revision of this chapter as of 10/02
Author's Notes
Ennor is Sindarin for Middle Earth. The conversation between Gandalf and Bilbo is not of my inventing. Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Peter Jackson penned it, not I.
Chapter 2 - Beneath the Stars
After Aragorn had taken leave of Legolas he traveled for some time. He had walked on the Elf path for many miles, and then turned off it heading north. He came to a place known as Gael Dor, the Glimmering Place. Egla Ash had lived here once after deserting the Orcs of Emyn Mor Esgal when he had chosen to rescue Legolas from their clutches. He had lived here beneath the trees, happy for a time. Then the unthinkable had happened. Legolas had finally admitted to the Ranger how Thranduil had sent some of his archers to kill the Orc. Aragorn had understood the King's feelings in this, though he also knew that Egla Ash would never harm any of the Elves, after all he had risked everything to help free Legolas. When the Elves had come upon him and wounded him, they were attacked by a band of Orcs from Emyn Mor Esgal. They wanted Egla Ash to pay for what had happened the year before when the Rangers and a handful of Elves under Aragorn's command had set upon them. Their captive had been freed and many of the Orcs had been slain.
His former comrades had taken Egla Ash. Aragorn and Legolas had pursued them south to Dol Guldur, but they had been unable to rescue him before he disappeared into the tower. They themselves had been pursued by Orcs, and had been rescued by Gandalf. What had become of Egla Ash no one knew. Aragorn feared that he hadn't die, that would be a kinder fate that what the Ranger feared had happened to him.
Aragorn shook his head, running a hand through his hair as he glanced about the clearing. Fall leaves covered the ground in a carpet of many colors. They crunched pleasantly underfoot. He searched for any sign that someone had been here recently, but there was nothing. As he walked the perimeter of Gael Dor he stared into the dark trees beyond. All was quiet.
The Ranger went to the center of the clearing and sat down, pulling out his pipe. He remembered the first time he had come here, lead by Egla Ash who gently carried an unconscious Legolas. He smiled as he recalled that night. The first time he had met the Orc had been most unusual. The Orc had been singing the song he had written for his new friend, a captive Elf, but the smile vanished as he thought that how a friendship begun in darkness had also ended in darkness. He sighed, leaning back against the tree to smoke, his eyes distant.
Like Legolas he wondered what had truly become of the Orc. No word of him had reached any of them in all that time. He feared the worst, and hoped that neither he nor Legolas would ever see him if what Aragorn feared had come to pass. He stared unseeing at the smoke that curled before his face and found his thoughts turning to Gandalf. The Istari had ridden for the libraries of Gondor, and Aragorn hoped that he could find what he sought there. They were to meet again soon, so the Ranger finished his pipe and stood. He turned from the clearing of Gael Dor and headed west once more.
Gandalf had indeed ridden for Gondor to search the libraries there. He hoped that he was mistaken in what he feared. He knew the search would not be easy for many scrolls, books, parchments, and papers filled the cavernous crowded rooms. It would take him some time to find what he wanted, if it still existed. Amazing how much fear and anxiety two small words could cause. Now those two words ran through his head over and over.
My precious . . .my precious . . .
The creature Gollum used them often, barely speaking a few sentences without them. What disturbed the Wizard most was when Bilbo had used them. The gentle little Hobbit that Gandalf had gifted with a great adventure had changed in that moment as he had prepared to leave for Rivendell.
"I think you should leave the ring behind, Bilbo. Is that so hard?" The Wizard had asked quietly, trying not to let his deep fear show.
"Well, no . . . and yes, now it comes to it. I don't feel like parting with it. It's mine!" the Hobbit had declared in a sharp voice, clenching the gold ring in his hand. "I found it. It came to me."
"There is no need to get angry."
"Well, if I'm angry it's your fault! It's mine. My own. My precious." The last words had been a hiss too like Gollum's speech for comfort.
My precious . . .
Two very troubling words indeed, and they were what had sent Gandalf flying to the White City, fear gnawing away at him.
My precious . . .
Over the next few months the Elves kept their constant vigil over the creature Smeagol. They took him out, and deep into the forest on fair nights. He seemed fascinated by the great trees of Mirkwood and enjoyed his time spent in relative freedom beneath the stars.
One evening when his guards included Brethil, Tavor, Lindir, and Legolas they decided to take him to Beleg Doron. It was a beautiful night, and they were enjoying each other's company, their light voices filled with laughter and song as they walked beneath the trees and the stars.
"What do they say, my precious?" Smeagol asked himself, watching them with his strange eyes huge. "What do the Elves always sing about? It hurts our ears, my precious. Yes, it does." He moaned, covering his offended ears, then roll his eyes to see if they were watching him.
Lindir, who was fascinated with the strange little creature, laughed merrily.
"You say our singing hurts your ears, Smeagol? But how can this be? Wood Elves have the fairest of all voices on Ennor," he protested.
"I don't know about that, Lindir," Tavor said with a smile. "Some of the notes you sang were amiss."
The young dark haired Elf turned to him, his eyes filled with indignation.
"That is not so!"
"Well," Tavor continued with a grin, and a sly glance at Legolas, "then mayhap it was the Singing Orc Princess."
Legolas turned to look at him, one eyebrow raised.
"That was a very long time ago, Tavor," he said with a smile of his own. "I think my voice has improved since then."
Tavor shrugged, and grinned.
"Well, I am not one to argue with the 'princess', but -"
"Be quiet back there, you four!" a voice called to them, filled with merriment.
"We were only teasing, Calenthar," Legolas called, with a merry laugh. "Everyone knows what a lovely voice I have."
Tavor raised one brow, and gazed at Lindir, who was now stifling a laugh. He had heard about the Singing Orc Princess and found it highly amusing, if somewhat hard to believe.
"Are they going to fight, my precious?" Smeagol wondered aloud, glancing uneasily from one Elf to the others.
"Nay, Smeagol," Lindir assured him, gently touching his loathsome face. Only he had ever brought himself to touch the creature. "We aren't going to fight. I am sorry that we worried you," he said with a kind smile.
Legolas shook his head in amusement. He still did not see how Lindir could abide to be so close to Smeagol. He was a rather disgusting creature, with his muttering and moaning about his 'precious'. Then he smiled ruefully. How different was this from his relationship with Egla Ash? He sighed slightly, turning his eyes to the sky above. The stars were beautiful that night, shining so brightly. Was Egla Ash perhaps looking at them, too? Many of the Orc's songs were about the stars.
"Galad echuiel ned mor Luthaiel faer-nin. Pathraeil i daw ah el aerlinn. Siriaiel or enni. Echuir I du ah galad."
{Light awakening in darkness Enchanting my spirit. Filling the night with star song. Flow over me, Stirring the nightfall with light.}
"What is the Elf singing, my precious? We don't understands it," Smeagol said, looking to Lindir for an answer.
The others turned to Legolas, who had quietly sung the words without knowing it.
"That was beautiful, Legolas," Calenthar commented as he and Cuil turned to wait for them to catch up.
Thranduil's son shook his head.
"Nay, Calenthar. It was not mine. That was one of Egla Ash's. He made many wonderful songs."
Tavor and Brethil exchanged uneasy glances. They had avoided the subject of the Orc whenever possible. It was not something they felt comfortable discussing, especially Brethil. Lindir spoke up.
"I wish that I could have known him, Prince Legolas. I - I think I would have liked him."
Brethil turned to glance at Legolas who was smiling kindly at the younger Elf.
"I wish that I could have as well," he murmured, fearfully meeting his friend's eyes.
Legolas studied him for a moment, and then nodded.
"Thank you," he said. "I wish that could have been possible. But now . . ." He shrugged, looking away. He shook his head, trying to overcome the melancholy mood that was descending once more. His eyes moved to the creature on the end of the rope. "Smeagol?" He was tied with the same rope Aragorn had brought him with. It seemed that the ones made by the Elves burned him, and he would cry that he couldn't abide them.
The huge pale eyes swung toward him.
"Have you ever climbed a tree?"
The others exchanged startled glances, and then Lindir laughed with delight.
"Yes, Smeagol!" he cried. "You will enjoy this I think."
Together they led him to Beleg Doron, Smeagol muttering his concerns to his precious.
The Orcs that hunted Gollum headed north from Mordor, searching through the Dead Marshes. There they had come upon a faint trail. It seemed that the creature was no longer alone. The direction they were heading was obvious: north toward Mirkwood.
Anger boiled in Egla Ash's blood at the mention of that hated forest. It had been there in Dol Guldur that he had been born to this darkness that encompassed him now. It was there that Legolas Greenleaf lived. When they were told that they were going to continue to follow the creature, he felt a renewed lust for revenge surge through him. A very Orcish feeling. He clenched his hands in excitement. Soon they would be moving out to do the Dark Master's bidding. Soon he would meet Legolas again. His hand moved to his quiver, pulling out a single black arrow. He held it up to examine it in the starlight. The shaft was smooth and straight, a true work of art. He had shaped it one evening, allowing his hatred and feelings of anger and the need for revenge to guide his hand. He had strangled the bird whose feathers it bore, and carved into the wood was a name written carefully in Tengwar letters: Legolas Greenleaf. He smiled, admiring it, his eyes then moving to the stars above.
~Soon, ~ he thought with a grim smile. ~Soon, Legolas Greenleaf, you will pay. ~
Response to Reviewers
JastaElf - I love reading your reviews. You gush very well! And I appreciate that. You ROCK! Shinigamio - Thanks for reviewing again. Love it! You should be afraid. Very afraid. Hmmm. That sounds familiar. Salak - You're welcome! You're welcome! You're welcome! So dude, what's up with the 'my precious'. Is there something you're not telling us? Hmmm? I thought of you when I wrote the Gandalf section in Gondor. (My precious) Jan - I've been in a conundrum about the book verse versus the AU. And yes, I know what happened to Gollum's guards. I remember quite well. (evil laughter) UV - More is coming, perhaps not as quickly as I would like (or hopefully you), but I like cliffhangers myself. So expect some more.
Author's Notes
Ennor is Sindarin for Middle Earth. The conversation between Gandalf and Bilbo is not of my inventing. Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Peter Jackson penned it, not I.
Chapter 2 - Beneath the Stars
After Aragorn had taken leave of Legolas he traveled for some time. He had walked on the Elf path for many miles, and then turned off it heading north. He came to a place known as Gael Dor, the Glimmering Place. Egla Ash had lived here once after deserting the Orcs of Emyn Mor Esgal when he had chosen to rescue Legolas from their clutches. He had lived here beneath the trees, happy for a time. Then the unthinkable had happened. Legolas had finally admitted to the Ranger how Thranduil had sent some of his archers to kill the Orc. Aragorn had understood the King's feelings in this, though he also knew that Egla Ash would never harm any of the Elves, after all he had risked everything to help free Legolas. When the Elves had come upon him and wounded him, they were attacked by a band of Orcs from Emyn Mor Esgal. They wanted Egla Ash to pay for what had happened the year before when the Rangers and a handful of Elves under Aragorn's command had set upon them. Their captive had been freed and many of the Orcs had been slain.
His former comrades had taken Egla Ash. Aragorn and Legolas had pursued them south to Dol Guldur, but they had been unable to rescue him before he disappeared into the tower. They themselves had been pursued by Orcs, and had been rescued by Gandalf. What had become of Egla Ash no one knew. Aragorn feared that he hadn't die, that would be a kinder fate that what the Ranger feared had happened to him.
Aragorn shook his head, running a hand through his hair as he glanced about the clearing. Fall leaves covered the ground in a carpet of many colors. They crunched pleasantly underfoot. He searched for any sign that someone had been here recently, but there was nothing. As he walked the perimeter of Gael Dor he stared into the dark trees beyond. All was quiet.
The Ranger went to the center of the clearing and sat down, pulling out his pipe. He remembered the first time he had come here, lead by Egla Ash who gently carried an unconscious Legolas. He smiled as he recalled that night. The first time he had met the Orc had been most unusual. The Orc had been singing the song he had written for his new friend, a captive Elf, but the smile vanished as he thought that how a friendship begun in darkness had also ended in darkness. He sighed, leaning back against the tree to smoke, his eyes distant.
Like Legolas he wondered what had truly become of the Orc. No word of him had reached any of them in all that time. He feared the worst, and hoped that neither he nor Legolas would ever see him if what Aragorn feared had come to pass. He stared unseeing at the smoke that curled before his face and found his thoughts turning to Gandalf. The Istari had ridden for the libraries of Gondor, and Aragorn hoped that he could find what he sought there. They were to meet again soon, so the Ranger finished his pipe and stood. He turned from the clearing of Gael Dor and headed west once more.
Gandalf had indeed ridden for Gondor to search the libraries there. He hoped that he was mistaken in what he feared. He knew the search would not be easy for many scrolls, books, parchments, and papers filled the cavernous crowded rooms. It would take him some time to find what he wanted, if it still existed. Amazing how much fear and anxiety two small words could cause. Now those two words ran through his head over and over.
My precious . . .my precious . . .
The creature Gollum used them often, barely speaking a few sentences without them. What disturbed the Wizard most was when Bilbo had used them. The gentle little Hobbit that Gandalf had gifted with a great adventure had changed in that moment as he had prepared to leave for Rivendell.
"I think you should leave the ring behind, Bilbo. Is that so hard?" The Wizard had asked quietly, trying not to let his deep fear show.
"Well, no . . . and yes, now it comes to it. I don't feel like parting with it. It's mine!" the Hobbit had declared in a sharp voice, clenching the gold ring in his hand. "I found it. It came to me."
"There is no need to get angry."
"Well, if I'm angry it's your fault! It's mine. My own. My precious." The last words had been a hiss too like Gollum's speech for comfort.
My precious . . .
Two very troubling words indeed, and they were what had sent Gandalf flying to the White City, fear gnawing away at him.
My precious . . .
Over the next few months the Elves kept their constant vigil over the creature Smeagol. They took him out, and deep into the forest on fair nights. He seemed fascinated by the great trees of Mirkwood and enjoyed his time spent in relative freedom beneath the stars.
One evening when his guards included Brethil, Tavor, Lindir, and Legolas they decided to take him to Beleg Doron. It was a beautiful night, and they were enjoying each other's company, their light voices filled with laughter and song as they walked beneath the trees and the stars.
"What do they say, my precious?" Smeagol asked himself, watching them with his strange eyes huge. "What do the Elves always sing about? It hurts our ears, my precious. Yes, it does." He moaned, covering his offended ears, then roll his eyes to see if they were watching him.
Lindir, who was fascinated with the strange little creature, laughed merrily.
"You say our singing hurts your ears, Smeagol? But how can this be? Wood Elves have the fairest of all voices on Ennor," he protested.
"I don't know about that, Lindir," Tavor said with a smile. "Some of the notes you sang were amiss."
The young dark haired Elf turned to him, his eyes filled with indignation.
"That is not so!"
"Well," Tavor continued with a grin, and a sly glance at Legolas, "then mayhap it was the Singing Orc Princess."
Legolas turned to look at him, one eyebrow raised.
"That was a very long time ago, Tavor," he said with a smile of his own. "I think my voice has improved since then."
Tavor shrugged, and grinned.
"Well, I am not one to argue with the 'princess', but -"
"Be quiet back there, you four!" a voice called to them, filled with merriment.
"We were only teasing, Calenthar," Legolas called, with a merry laugh. "Everyone knows what a lovely voice I have."
Tavor raised one brow, and gazed at Lindir, who was now stifling a laugh. He had heard about the Singing Orc Princess and found it highly amusing, if somewhat hard to believe.
"Are they going to fight, my precious?" Smeagol wondered aloud, glancing uneasily from one Elf to the others.
"Nay, Smeagol," Lindir assured him, gently touching his loathsome face. Only he had ever brought himself to touch the creature. "We aren't going to fight. I am sorry that we worried you," he said with a kind smile.
Legolas shook his head in amusement. He still did not see how Lindir could abide to be so close to Smeagol. He was a rather disgusting creature, with his muttering and moaning about his 'precious'. Then he smiled ruefully. How different was this from his relationship with Egla Ash? He sighed slightly, turning his eyes to the sky above. The stars were beautiful that night, shining so brightly. Was Egla Ash perhaps looking at them, too? Many of the Orc's songs were about the stars.
"Galad echuiel ned mor Luthaiel faer-nin. Pathraeil i daw ah el aerlinn. Siriaiel or enni. Echuir I du ah galad."
{Light awakening in darkness Enchanting my spirit. Filling the night with star song. Flow over me, Stirring the nightfall with light.}
"What is the Elf singing, my precious? We don't understands it," Smeagol said, looking to Lindir for an answer.
The others turned to Legolas, who had quietly sung the words without knowing it.
"That was beautiful, Legolas," Calenthar commented as he and Cuil turned to wait for them to catch up.
Thranduil's son shook his head.
"Nay, Calenthar. It was not mine. That was one of Egla Ash's. He made many wonderful songs."
Tavor and Brethil exchanged uneasy glances. They had avoided the subject of the Orc whenever possible. It was not something they felt comfortable discussing, especially Brethil. Lindir spoke up.
"I wish that I could have known him, Prince Legolas. I - I think I would have liked him."
Brethil turned to glance at Legolas who was smiling kindly at the younger Elf.
"I wish that I could have as well," he murmured, fearfully meeting his friend's eyes.
Legolas studied him for a moment, and then nodded.
"Thank you," he said. "I wish that could have been possible. But now . . ." He shrugged, looking away. He shook his head, trying to overcome the melancholy mood that was descending once more. His eyes moved to the creature on the end of the rope. "Smeagol?" He was tied with the same rope Aragorn had brought him with. It seemed that the ones made by the Elves burned him, and he would cry that he couldn't abide them.
The huge pale eyes swung toward him.
"Have you ever climbed a tree?"
The others exchanged startled glances, and then Lindir laughed with delight.
"Yes, Smeagol!" he cried. "You will enjoy this I think."
Together they led him to Beleg Doron, Smeagol muttering his concerns to his precious.
The Orcs that hunted Gollum headed north from Mordor, searching through the Dead Marshes. There they had come upon a faint trail. It seemed that the creature was no longer alone. The direction they were heading was obvious: north toward Mirkwood.
Anger boiled in Egla Ash's blood at the mention of that hated forest. It had been there in Dol Guldur that he had been born to this darkness that encompassed him now. It was there that Legolas Greenleaf lived. When they were told that they were going to continue to follow the creature, he felt a renewed lust for revenge surge through him. A very Orcish feeling. He clenched his hands in excitement. Soon they would be moving out to do the Dark Master's bidding. Soon he would meet Legolas again. His hand moved to his quiver, pulling out a single black arrow. He held it up to examine it in the starlight. The shaft was smooth and straight, a true work of art. He had shaped it one evening, allowing his hatred and feelings of anger and the need for revenge to guide his hand. He had strangled the bird whose feathers it bore, and carved into the wood was a name written carefully in Tengwar letters: Legolas Greenleaf. He smiled, admiring it, his eyes then moving to the stars above.
~Soon, ~ he thought with a grim smile. ~Soon, Legolas Greenleaf, you will pay. ~
Response to Reviewers
JastaElf - I love reading your reviews. You gush very well! And I appreciate that. You ROCK! Shinigamio - Thanks for reviewing again. Love it! You should be afraid. Very afraid. Hmmm. That sounds familiar. Salak - You're welcome! You're welcome! You're welcome! So dude, what's up with the 'my precious'. Is there something you're not telling us? Hmmm? I thought of you when I wrote the Gandalf section in Gondor. (My precious) Jan - I've been in a conundrum about the book verse versus the AU. And yes, I know what happened to Gollum's guards. I remember quite well. (evil laughter) UV - More is coming, perhaps not as quickly as I would like (or hopefully you), but I like cliffhangers myself. So expect some more.