Author:LegolasDreamer
Title: Hero in the Shadows
Rating: R ::Restricted::
Summary: Middle-Earth has been thrown into a state of chaos and terror, and there are no hero's left. Or are there?
Disclaimer: I do not own LoTR or any of Tolkien's characters
Author Note: I hope this makes up for my absense! I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait even longer for the sequel to "Knowing in the End".
Hero in the Shadows
Chapter One:
Legolas dipped his head into the water and felt calm at once. The rains had stopped coming in the last month, and he was grateful that he finally found a peaceful, uncrowded area with a large lake.
"I miss Mirkwood." He said randomly to his horse.
It had been atleast three months since he had last been to Mirkwood. He was not the type of Prince that wanted the duty that was handed to him, and he had spent all this newfound time fleeing his father's scouts, who were set on taking him back to Mirkwood.
"Don't they understand that I don't want to be part of my royal world anymore?" He looked at Andlanio, his white stallion.
"We understand perfectly well Prince Legolas, but your father needs you." Sounded a guard from the edge of the woods.
"I do not wish to return!" Legolas shouted, standing to his feet.
"You are only rebelling now Legolas, you will see that once you return why Thranduil needs you!" Another guard stepped closer.
Legolas grabbed his bow and notched an arrow, "Stay away!"
"Don't do something foolish Prince Legolas." The head guard, Heethlio, held up his hand.
"Than leave me alone!" Legolas cried out, "I do not want to be part of Mirkwood!"
"Your father needs you Legolas! King Thranduil needs you to command his army against Xochitl's army!" Heetlio shouted.
"That is all he needs me for! Commanding armies and hunting down escaped prisoners! I'm more than just a warrior." Legolas growled.
He jumped onto Andlanio, and took off at a neck breaking speed. He did not hear the cries of Heethlio and the others as some of Xochitl's warriors sprung an attack on them. He was gone in a matter of seconds.
Naramia carried the bucket of water she gripped up to her home, and sighed as she set it on a stool. She wiped her forehead, and found that sweat was ready to drip slowly onto her face.
"These days are not easy to live in." She commented to herself.
She considered herself lucky that Xochitl's army had yet reached this lush forest that she called "home". By herself, she lived happily in the forest, without the worries that most villagers had about Xochitl.
She did not see Legolas ride up to the front of her cottage, nor hear him when he knocked on the door. But she did hear him when he called into the home.
"Hello? Is someone home?" He called.
Naramia found herself jumping off a stool, gripped her chest, where her heart was. She stepped through the kitchen, and into the entry of her home.
"Yes? Who is there?" She said cautiously as she looked through a window.
"My name is Legolas. I am seeking shelter from this scorching weather, would I be able to find some here?" The blonde elf asked.
"Certainly. Unless...nevermind." She choose not to mention Xochitl.
She opened the door, and found herself face to face with a rather handsome elf.
"Hello milady." He slightly bowed.
"Please, just call me by my name." She said.
"I would, milday, but I do not know it." Legolas grinned.
"Oh!" She blushed, "My name is Naramia!"
"Naramia? What a beautiful name." Legolas commented.
Naramia held back a bigger blush, and realized that she hadn't welcomed him in yet.
"Sorry!" She stepped aside, "Please come in!"
"It's quite alright." Legolas stepped in, and Naramia closed the door.
"You have a nice home here." Legolas mentioned.
"Thank you. I live alone." Naramia replied, and made her way into the kitchen.
Legolas noticed that the cottage was designed and decorated as a log cabin, right down to the large fire place.
"Would you like something to eat?" She called from the kitchen.
"Yes please, it's been awhile since my last meal." Legolas answered, and entered the kitchen.
Naramia was busy at the stove, boiling corn. There was a boar roasting over a smaller fire pit in the center of the kitchen.
"You hunt your own boar?" Legolas asked, clearly surprised.
"Not really. I capture wild boar's and breed them, like livestock. Then I slaughter the big ones for my meals." Naramia said, concentrating on the corn before her, "Do you know how to cut vegetbles?"
"Of course." Legolas smirked, "Would you like me to cut some for you?"
"Yes please, could you cut these tomatoes into smaller pieces?" She motioned to the wooden counter beside her, where three rather large tomatoes sat, recently washed.
He handled that knife as he would a dagger, and Naramia seemed to take notice.
"Legolas, you aren't going to attack the tomatoe, you don't have to hold the knife like that. It's just a cutting knife, not a dagger." Naramia slightly chuckled, and showed him the right way to hold the knife.
"Sorry." He said sheepishly.
"It's ok." Naramia said kindly, "So, where are you from?"
Legolas let out a gasp, and accidently cut himself.
"Are you trying to dismember a limb?" Naramia cried out, and led him to the wooden table.
She took a spare rag, and cleaned away some of the blood, then searched for an appropriate bandage that would help heal the wound.
"I'm sorry, I was just surprised that you didn't know who I was. I guess I'm kind of grateful that you don't." He said softly.
"Who are you then? If it's some big deal?" Naramia wrapped a soft bandage around his left index finger.
"My name is Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood." Legolas replied.
"Prince? The son of Thranduil?!" Naramia seemed shocked.
"Please, do not be alarmed by this, I am only seeking shelter from my father's men, who wish to return me to Mirkwood." Legolas panicked.
"I would never!" Naramia smiled, "You can stay here as long as you wish, but you have to do your share."
"I promise I will." Legolas smiled in return.
He was glad that Naramia hadn't asked any questions about why he was running away from Mirkwood, and he realized she didn't seem to care either.
"So, how did you end up living here alone?" Legolas conversated while his finished cutting the tomatoes.
"My parents lived in a village about 50 miles from here, and I used to ride my horse to this very place every weekend. Ever since I was an elfling, I've wanted to make a home here. Only five years ago did I finally get the chance." Naramia explained.
"Why is that?" Legolas looked at her back, she wasn't facing him.
"Orcs burnt my home village to the ground, I was the only surviver, and I needed a place to hide. I ended up here, and decided to build a cottage, seeings how there isn't a village for atleast 75 miles around here now." Naramia finished.
"Oh." Legolas looked down, "You seem to be making it quite well. Do you ever ride to the nearest village?"
"In the spring, to trade some boars for seeds and money to buy necessities. I didn't return last month, however, Xochitl's army was there." Naramia became quiet at the mention of Xochitl.
Legolas became aware that Naramia feared Xochitl and the Yunak army very much at that point.
"He hasn't come here?" Legolas was shocked.
"There's no point. No one knows I'm here. Not even the people I traded with. They just thought I was a traveler passing through every spring." Naramia answered.
There was a howl at the door, and Legolas found himself jumped into the air.
"It's only Jada Ki, my pet wofl." Naramia giggled, and opened the door.
A half-grown, white wolf entered, and Naramia shut the door behind it.
"You keep a pet wolf? They're evil creatures!" Legolas let out a gasp, "What kind of elf are you?"
"Jada Ki is not evil, she's been with me since she was a pup. I love her dearly. Can you atleast try and tolerate her for the time being?" Naramia requested.
"If you wish me to." Legolas returned to dicing, but watched Jada Ki out of the corner of his eye.
What have I gotten into? He thought.
****
Chapter One for ya`ll!!
Title: Hero in the Shadows
Rating: R ::Restricted::
Summary: Middle-Earth has been thrown into a state of chaos and terror, and there are no hero's left. Or are there?
Disclaimer: I do not own LoTR or any of Tolkien's characters
Author Note: I hope this makes up for my absense! I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait even longer for the sequel to "Knowing in the End".
Hero in the Shadows
Chapter One:
Legolas dipped his head into the water and felt calm at once. The rains had stopped coming in the last month, and he was grateful that he finally found a peaceful, uncrowded area with a large lake.
"I miss Mirkwood." He said randomly to his horse.
It had been atleast three months since he had last been to Mirkwood. He was not the type of Prince that wanted the duty that was handed to him, and he had spent all this newfound time fleeing his father's scouts, who were set on taking him back to Mirkwood.
"Don't they understand that I don't want to be part of my royal world anymore?" He looked at Andlanio, his white stallion.
"We understand perfectly well Prince Legolas, but your father needs you." Sounded a guard from the edge of the woods.
"I do not wish to return!" Legolas shouted, standing to his feet.
"You are only rebelling now Legolas, you will see that once you return why Thranduil needs you!" Another guard stepped closer.
Legolas grabbed his bow and notched an arrow, "Stay away!"
"Don't do something foolish Prince Legolas." The head guard, Heethlio, held up his hand.
"Than leave me alone!" Legolas cried out, "I do not want to be part of Mirkwood!"
"Your father needs you Legolas! King Thranduil needs you to command his army against Xochitl's army!" Heetlio shouted.
"That is all he needs me for! Commanding armies and hunting down escaped prisoners! I'm more than just a warrior." Legolas growled.
He jumped onto Andlanio, and took off at a neck breaking speed. He did not hear the cries of Heethlio and the others as some of Xochitl's warriors sprung an attack on them. He was gone in a matter of seconds.
Naramia carried the bucket of water she gripped up to her home, and sighed as she set it on a stool. She wiped her forehead, and found that sweat was ready to drip slowly onto her face.
"These days are not easy to live in." She commented to herself.
She considered herself lucky that Xochitl's army had yet reached this lush forest that she called "home". By herself, she lived happily in the forest, without the worries that most villagers had about Xochitl.
She did not see Legolas ride up to the front of her cottage, nor hear him when he knocked on the door. But she did hear him when he called into the home.
"Hello? Is someone home?" He called.
Naramia found herself jumping off a stool, gripped her chest, where her heart was. She stepped through the kitchen, and into the entry of her home.
"Yes? Who is there?" She said cautiously as she looked through a window.
"My name is Legolas. I am seeking shelter from this scorching weather, would I be able to find some here?" The blonde elf asked.
"Certainly. Unless...nevermind." She choose not to mention Xochitl.
She opened the door, and found herself face to face with a rather handsome elf.
"Hello milady." He slightly bowed.
"Please, just call me by my name." She said.
"I would, milday, but I do not know it." Legolas grinned.
"Oh!" She blushed, "My name is Naramia!"
"Naramia? What a beautiful name." Legolas commented.
Naramia held back a bigger blush, and realized that she hadn't welcomed him in yet.
"Sorry!" She stepped aside, "Please come in!"
"It's quite alright." Legolas stepped in, and Naramia closed the door.
"You have a nice home here." Legolas mentioned.
"Thank you. I live alone." Naramia replied, and made her way into the kitchen.
Legolas noticed that the cottage was designed and decorated as a log cabin, right down to the large fire place.
"Would you like something to eat?" She called from the kitchen.
"Yes please, it's been awhile since my last meal." Legolas answered, and entered the kitchen.
Naramia was busy at the stove, boiling corn. There was a boar roasting over a smaller fire pit in the center of the kitchen.
"You hunt your own boar?" Legolas asked, clearly surprised.
"Not really. I capture wild boar's and breed them, like livestock. Then I slaughter the big ones for my meals." Naramia said, concentrating on the corn before her, "Do you know how to cut vegetbles?"
"Of course." Legolas smirked, "Would you like me to cut some for you?"
"Yes please, could you cut these tomatoes into smaller pieces?" She motioned to the wooden counter beside her, where three rather large tomatoes sat, recently washed.
He handled that knife as he would a dagger, and Naramia seemed to take notice.
"Legolas, you aren't going to attack the tomatoe, you don't have to hold the knife like that. It's just a cutting knife, not a dagger." Naramia slightly chuckled, and showed him the right way to hold the knife.
"Sorry." He said sheepishly.
"It's ok." Naramia said kindly, "So, where are you from?"
Legolas let out a gasp, and accidently cut himself.
"Are you trying to dismember a limb?" Naramia cried out, and led him to the wooden table.
She took a spare rag, and cleaned away some of the blood, then searched for an appropriate bandage that would help heal the wound.
"I'm sorry, I was just surprised that you didn't know who I was. I guess I'm kind of grateful that you don't." He said softly.
"Who are you then? If it's some big deal?" Naramia wrapped a soft bandage around his left index finger.
"My name is Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood." Legolas replied.
"Prince? The son of Thranduil?!" Naramia seemed shocked.
"Please, do not be alarmed by this, I am only seeking shelter from my father's men, who wish to return me to Mirkwood." Legolas panicked.
"I would never!" Naramia smiled, "You can stay here as long as you wish, but you have to do your share."
"I promise I will." Legolas smiled in return.
He was glad that Naramia hadn't asked any questions about why he was running away from Mirkwood, and he realized she didn't seem to care either.
"So, how did you end up living here alone?" Legolas conversated while his finished cutting the tomatoes.
"My parents lived in a village about 50 miles from here, and I used to ride my horse to this very place every weekend. Ever since I was an elfling, I've wanted to make a home here. Only five years ago did I finally get the chance." Naramia explained.
"Why is that?" Legolas looked at her back, she wasn't facing him.
"Orcs burnt my home village to the ground, I was the only surviver, and I needed a place to hide. I ended up here, and decided to build a cottage, seeings how there isn't a village for atleast 75 miles around here now." Naramia finished.
"Oh." Legolas looked down, "You seem to be making it quite well. Do you ever ride to the nearest village?"
"In the spring, to trade some boars for seeds and money to buy necessities. I didn't return last month, however, Xochitl's army was there." Naramia became quiet at the mention of Xochitl.
Legolas became aware that Naramia feared Xochitl and the Yunak army very much at that point.
"He hasn't come here?" Legolas was shocked.
"There's no point. No one knows I'm here. Not even the people I traded with. They just thought I was a traveler passing through every spring." Naramia answered.
There was a howl at the door, and Legolas found himself jumped into the air.
"It's only Jada Ki, my pet wofl." Naramia giggled, and opened the door.
A half-grown, white wolf entered, and Naramia shut the door behind it.
"You keep a pet wolf? They're evil creatures!" Legolas let out a gasp, "What kind of elf are you?"
"Jada Ki is not evil, she's been with me since she was a pup. I love her dearly. Can you atleast try and tolerate her for the time being?" Naramia requested.
"If you wish me to." Legolas returned to dicing, but watched Jada Ki out of the corner of his eye.
What have I gotten into? He thought.
****
Chapter One for ya`ll!!