The months went by and slowly, the memory of Ithildin began to fade in Mirkwood for all save Thranduil and Legolas. But in the end, his elven heart gave up hope that they would meet again and he resigned himself to the duties he had as a prince. That was, until in early autumn, his father called to him and told him that he must journey to Rivendell. The work of restoring Mirkwood was near complete, and Thranduil had received word from messengers that a great Council was to be held in the house of Lord Elrond Halfelven. The king decided that the news of Gollum's escape must be brought forth to help the Council in their decisions.
To say that Legolas was overjoyed would be a great understatement. He was fairly ecstatic with joy. The long, strenuous ride to Rivendell, the tiring passage through the Misty Mountains…All of that daunted him not. When the day came for him to set out, he mounted his horse with all but the basic necessities, for elves do not require much food or water when their hearts are light with happiness. Thranduil came to wish him good luck and farewell, but the goodbye ran deeper than his son knew. It hurt the elvenking very much to let his son go because in his heart, he knew that he would never have Legolas again. Nonetheless, wise Thranduil knew that higher powers were working and required the help of his son. So Legolas rode away from Mirkwood and for a long time, Thranduil's eyes never left the horizon.
When Legolas arrived in Rivendell, he immediately asked for Ithildin. But the elves did not tell him what he wished to hear. It happened that Ithildin was brought to Lord Elrond in time and that she was healed after much work. She stayed in Rivendell for over a month, resting and mending before finally she became restless to leave. Right before Legolas arrived, she had journeyed off with Elrond's two sons in search of news of the Black Riders. It had been agreed that she could either come back with them to Rivendell in time for the Council, or part ways with them and go on her own. The chances of the latter, the elves said, were much higher.
So Legolas had hoped in vain and he was very disappointed. Yet, the arrival of his good friend Aragorn helped ease his sorrow. His friendship with Aragorn was true and everlasting. Both being of royal descent and sharing the same love for nature, they had bonded when Aragorn arrived in Mirkwood with Gollum. Save for Arwen, the wizard Gandalf and Lord Elrond, only he knew of Aragorn's true lineage. So it is not surprising that when the day of the Council came, Legolas quite suddenly became angry, which is not usual.
This is what happened: The son of the steward of Gondor, Boromir, arrived at the Council. He was a good man, noble and courageous, but it became quite clear to Legolas that his intentions were misguided. Boromir desired to use the One Ring of Power to aid in the fight against the Dark Lord, yet Lord Elrond had already stated this could not be so. But Boromir persisted, much to the annoyance of many in the Council. What made Legolas angry, however, was Boromir's complete disrespect for his friend Aragorn. Calling him a ranger who knew nothing was not the appropriate way to address royalty, and certainly not the way to address his good friend. Legolas leapt to Aragorn's defense, much to the surprise of the Council, for he was always well tempered. But what would you expect of someone who had journeyed through many perilous lands to see his dear friend, only to find that she was not there? So perhaps Legolas had good reason to overreact to Boromir's comments.
It was this outburst that earned him the attention of the rest of the Fellowship of the Ring (Nine companions, including Legolas himself, who were to aid the hobbit Frodo in destroying the One Ring of Power). When the Council was over and the members were allowed to rest a bit, Frodo asked Gandalf why the strange elf had reacted so passionately. Gandalf, desiring to take his mind off the immense quest, told Frodo, along with his companions Sam, Merry and Pippin (also hobbits) the story of Legolas and Ithildin, for when Ithildin had arrived in Rivendell, she had told Gandalf much of her story.
The sky was a soft black carpet glittering with thousands of bejeweled stars when Gandalf finished Ithildin's story. The hobbits were much entranced; first elves and then a magical silver lady whose past was unknown and who had suffered the same wound as Frodo. Middle-earth was truly filled with fascinating people. "Might we see this Silver Lady?" asked Pippin.
Gandalf sighed. "Perhaps, if you are lucky and if our paths should cross. But I wouldn't place too much hope as I doubt Ithildin will return to Rivendell. She has questions of her own that must be answered and her road lies elsewhere."
"So that is why Legolas reacted so strongly at the Council," said Sam. "I don't suppose he is normally this way, though."
At this, Gandalf laughed. "No! He is a most pleasant companion, very knowledgeable given his young life (well, according to the elves). He will prove a good friend to you all, I am sure, for he is also loyal and true and noble of heart. You might see his performance in the Council as such, for he was merely defending his good friend Aragorn from Boromir. I suppose Sam, you would have done quite the same had anyone spoken against Mister Frodo. But I fear it is not a happy ending for Legolas and Ithildin, for we leave soon and I have seen no indication that she will come back to Rivendell in time for them to meet."