++ I must credit Elrilium (sp?) for inspiring part of this chapter. Her story of Legolas' adventure before he rode to Rivendell was one of the first fan fiction pieces I read and fell in love with. I can no longer find her story but hope one day I'll get to read her conclusions. Tindomerel: You can read my mind! ++
These characters and places are not my own, they belong to JRR Tolkien.
"I cannot say that I am pleased nor I do think it wise what you attempted." Legolas arose, clutching the wound on his arm. "But, I am grateful to you." He said kindly and bowed low before Pippin.
"You are not dead! I believed your end was at my hand. If it were true, the Brandywine doesn't hold enough water to wash away my guiltiness." Pippin stood up in relief, the weight in his heart lifted and he silently rejoiced.
Legolas examined his own injury, "Your stray arrowhead--I assume your plan was to strike the wolf--," he said wryly, "it cut away my flesh, but the wound is small, relative to lodging in to my skin. I heal quickly and no mark will remain to remind me of your foolish underachievement." The kindly tone addressing Pippin's bravery sorely turned south. Legolas was grateful indeed, as he said, but to touch the bow of Legolas Greenleaf is an atrocity regardless of circumstance, lest he be dead and the weapon picked up by a stranger's hands to be placed with the elf for his burial. Which at this moment Pippin daydreamed of his stayed hand, imagining instead the king wolf eating the elf right up like a juicy steak.
"My hand burns like fire." Pippin extended his arm for inspection. His steady hand was scraped as the arrow flung from the bow. Legolas took Pip's hand in his and squinted in the moonlight. "I will spare you my wrath for senselessly handling this fine instrument. Your minor scrape serves you as a lesson."
"Hobbits are known to be good with the bow and arrow, although masters archers as elves we are not." Remarked Pippin pulling his hand back, hurtful of the elf's backhanded comments. "All's I need is a few more practices."
Legolas smirked and Pippin wondered if the elf was entertaining the idea, but the closest Pip got to an archery lesson that night was assisting Legolas retrieving arrows that felled the Enemy. The wounded and his assailant slipped beneath the boulders of their little cave for the length of that victorious night. Each were restless from the battle fought and sleep was far off their agenda. A fire produced light and warmth in their cave and they huddled around its glow. To Pippin's delight, Legolas pulled open the velvet bag, handing one of the leaf packages to the eager growing hobbit. "At long last!" Pippin's eyes widen. As he hurried to unwrap it, Legolas described the value of the gold cakes to him. The feel of them reminded Pip of a biscuit, only flatter in girth and lightly crisper.
"What you have desired long since are called lembas. Tasty as they are full of the essentials needed to recover when the body and mind are weary. The ache in your hand will soon be comforted."
Pippin took his first bite quickly and swallowed it down. The affects of their healing potential activated instantaneously and he shoved what was left into his mouth. A repulsive look riddled Legolas' fair face as Pippin forced down the last of the cake. "Hobbits have an extraordinary lust for food." He said with a tisk. "The enjoyment is equal to, if not improved by, slowly savoring them."
Morsels mixed around his mouth as Pippin responded in an effort to further the elf's disgust, "Your selfish restriction longed my urge, as you can see. I am not to blame."
Suddenly, Legolas' impression reared serious, "The last of our food is depleted, these cakes are our sole supply until we are reunited with our company. Our speed yields another five days walk at the least." When Legolas was sure he caught the attention of the Hobbit, he added a bit of comfort, "The lembas will sustain our health till we reach Hollin, fear not."
Slowly he chewed the last of it. Starvation never entered a hobbit's thoughts, only in expressing his hunger, but 'I'm starving' as opposed to dying of starvation are entirely different stages. He sunk in to the deepest of disparities he thought he would ever face. For the first time, Pippin awoke the to reality of their danger and he became frightened and angry with himself. "An adventure this turned out to be indeed." He muttered. But before he delved to waddle in a pool of self-pity, he eyed Legolas gazing in to the fire, motionless, though he was not "sleeping". In the sunset light of their fire, Pippin looked on Legolas with a new respect, recalling all the elf sacrificed for their survival on this detour of sorts.
"How do you go on knowing the dangers laid before us?" asked Pippin, hoping to be rekindled.
"Elves care little for the ways of other races, though there are the exceptions. Great leaders, Gandalf the Grey and Aragorn son of Arathorn, are the head of our quest. To the ends of our world would I follow them and to their intuitions I am doubtless, they display immeasurable courage and compassion."
Pippin nodded in agreement. Gandalf frequented the Shire and was old chums with Bilbo, he knew Gandalf many years, one of the few strangers welcomed by the Hobbits in their tiny land. Though most hobbits turned their nose at such a preposterous relationship, Pippin found it charming and felt a sense of pride for knowing Gandalf more than a mere acquaintance.
A matter of short months it has been since the four adventurers entered Bree to stumble in to the Ranger named Strider, a proven servant to Frodo, and so to Strider his loyalties were equaled. It was clear to Pippin why Gandalf was involved, why Strider, or recently discovered, Aragorn, abetted Frodo and his quest to destroy the One Ring, but the question he begged to ask Legolas was why, or how, he was dealt in to the mixture. For that matter, why Boromir and Gimli, too. Since they were not in range to speak for themselves, Pippin asked his curious question of the elf to which the he remained silent in thought of his answer.
Finally he replied, "I cannot account Lord Elrond's reasons for electing me to represent the race of elves in our Company, but the events that occurred bringing me to hearken at the council is insight I can administer." The pointed ears on the either side Pippin's head perked up at the mention of an elven tale, though a ballad it was far from, perhaps one day he would tell it to another generation of hobbits aside a camp fire and construct a tune. He sat still, eager to listen.
Legolas began, "On a cloudy summer day, a prisoner arrived at our Elven Kingdom of Northern Mirkwood, welcomed by my father, King Thranduil. It was agreed the creature shall remain imprisoned within our realm of the Great Wood. Vile and disgusting was this creature called Gollum, his skin blackened ash, like soot, eyes illuminous in the palest light and he hissed words like an evil snake. The cries let out of this tiny loathsome thing were unbearable, my ears ache at the memory of them.
"I commanded the Wood Army of the King, our duties resided within the boundaries of our city as Mirkwood shrank in safe havens from the evils billowing and populating around its borders. Under our watch Gollum came and it was told he endured excruciating tortures of Mordor and was previously poisoned by a greater, unspeakable evil that bound and changed him into the wickedness that now plagues his soul. Gandalf pleaded with us to be kind, Gollum's heart could still find light and that he should be nurtured in to rediscovering this path.
"In the caves of our dungeons, placed under lock and guard, he muttered in nonsense, hissing a baneful plot to recover what was once his own. At my bidding, we took him through the woods to a lone tree and there he climbed to be one with the loveliness of nature and set is heart aright. It became a welcome treat rewarding good behavior he performed and Gollum praised his jailers, hissing over compensating laudation.
"On the last occasion, Gollum climbed to the top of the lonely tree and remained among the high branches into the late hours of the day. His guards demanded his return, but he out rightly dismissed my men. I was summoned to succor the simple task that had gone a wry and for several more hours I stood under him as he hissed and spat. Ere the end of my patience, yet again a call for my need arrived. Outside forces of Orcs crossed over the Mountains of Mirkwood and through villages inhabiting the heart of the Wood. Though our army was not called until the Orcs invaded our land, our response to intercept them hurried our step and we were secure in defeating them. Two guards I bid to remain at Gollum's post and I led my warriors southeast where we would take arms with the marauding Orcs. Elves of a separate order of the army were already at hand, our arrival was not ill-timed, the Orcs discovered our numbers growing and it aided in pushing them farther south to their retreat. No light shone on our battle, long it lasted to the darkest hours before the dawning.
"Upon return to the post I left behind, Gollum and the two elves standing his watch were not to be found. Gollum escaped among the raucous and I feared the guards dispatched for they had disappeared with him. A heavy weight of distraught came over me like a dark shadow, one elf I held very dear and now we shall never cross paths.
"My body weary from battle, my heart ached with immense sadness yet my duty to the king deferred any rest. The road to his doorstep seemed to stretch miles away though my horse sped mightily through the forest from beginning to end. My tidings were ill as the King guessed by the weight on my brow. He bored down on me with great disappointment and sadness, I stood silent, hardly capable of breath. He commanded me to Rivendell to deliver my message to Lord Elrond who would pass on the knowledge to those it was of greater importance and secrecy: Gandalf and Aragorn. I arrived timely for the Council of Elrond and from my lips they heard the news of Gollum and our vain attempts to recover him. Not one sigh or damaging word of my people was uttered among them during my presence at the council, an example of their forbearance.
"Destroying the One Ring translates to the destruction of the evil filling my land. For the King and all of my kindred I seek to restore Mirkwood's true glory." Legolas' tale ended with these words and no more was spoken of it. The elf's heart exposed, burdened with great sorrow and regret, Pippin fixed his stare on the fair elf who sat quietly with no more to say. All but crackling and snapping sounds from the fire were heard, at length the two companions exchanged nothing else. Pippin's trodden voice spoke over the silence, "No doubt in me exists that you will lead us safely to Hollin and to our friends; I am sure of it as the day comes."
An appreciative glance and humble smile was passed to Pippin for his kind, kind words and once again silence fell on their camp. Comforting images came to Pippin, calling him to dream as he hunched over in pleasant sleep. Legolas took notice, laid him to his side and fluffed Pippin's blanket to cover him. Legolas returned to his seat by the fire and stared long into it, entranced by the dance of the flame. Much more wood he added for fuel, keeping the flames burning well into the morning, his only company during these last dark hours. A movement in the leaves outside rustled in his ears and he broke the concentrated he dedicated to his fire. With quiver at hand, he crawled to the rock's end and peered through the foliage ahead. White rays of sunlight rose from the east, sharpening the elf's gaze, he carefully watched as a dozen creatures stepped closer to their camp, he could not yet discern their identity, they were apt to disguise in the woods. Before he leaped out to gain post above their cave, he watched the rise and fall of Pippin's peaceful breath then headed out of the cave to face the strangers alone.