Two Shine as One
It was a beautiful summer night as Prince Legolas Greenleaf of Mirkwood walked through his father's woodland realm, staring up at the stars which flickered like dewdrops from between the leaves of tall, ancient trees. All around him the forest seemed to be alive with the musical voices of twilight. To his left crickets and frogs chirped and hummed, to his right the happy notes of elven song floated across the air as they sang their beloved hymn to Elbereth. So beautiful was their singing that Legolas smiled and turned for a second to look at their fires, only specks of dancing orange in the distance. Yes, their singing was wondrous even to elven ears, but Legolas would not join them tonight. He had a more important purpose.
He continued downt the path that led from from his father, King Thranduil's, palace out in to Mirkwood Forest. As he walked the songs of his friends grew fainter, and the woodland noises louder. In the distance, he could hear the faint howling of wolves, but even this on such a beautiful night seemed to be part of nature's music. And besides, the wolves had not attacked Mirkwood for years now, and their numbers had dwindled with the constant hunts by the Mirkwood elves. They would cause no trouble tonight.
Legolas walked and walked, travelling far away from the lights of fires and torches. However, the stars were very bright and provided enough light for him to see the path ahead of himself. He kept walking until he could no longer see the other elves' fires, or hear their song, and he came to a clearing. At the far side of the clearing, there stood a very tall and very old tree, its hundreds of branches reaching up towards the sky. Legolas carefully walked over to it and sat down, leaning against the roots, and smiled.
This was his favorite tree. Out of all the thousands of trees in Mirkwood, this one was his favorite. When he was young he used to come and play under its swaying branches for long hours on summer days, pretending to be a great hunter or a brave warrior or a noble King. When he grew older, he didn't come as often, but he still came sometimes to hear the rustling leaves in the wind or just sit and watch the beauty of the woods. Tonight, though, he was here fore a special reason.
Exactly ten years ago on this night, his mother, the Lady Geleidhwen, left Mirkwood to travel to the Grey Havens and pass over the sea. After her escort left the gate of Thranduil's palace, Legolas secretly followed them, but only as far as this tree. Then he sat just where he was sitting now and remained alone all night, just thinking about Geleidhwen and holding the jewelled pin that she had given him close to himself. Ever since, on the anniversary of the night of Geleidhwen's departure, Legolas came to sit under the tree and remember his mother.
He could still remember her face, so beautiful, with wide brown eyes and a mouth that always had a smile for him and his brother and sister, even up to the last days when her riding party was attacked by orcs. Luckily, Thranduil and his best guards were with her, and they easily fought off the foul creatures, but still Geleidhwen's nerves were badly shaken. So she decided to leave the dangers of Middle Earth and sail West, taking Legolas' younger sister Arvellyrniel with her, leaving Thranduil and their two sons, Legolas and Glorelas, in Mirkwood.
With a smile, Legolas slowly reached into the pocket of his tunic to grab the small leather pouch which held Geleidhwen's jewelled pin, his most precious of treasures. But something felt wrong... the pouch was empty! The pin was gone!
Legolas jumped frantically to his feet, desperately feeling at his pocket and the leather pouch. No... it wasn't possible... he couldn't have lost it! Was it stolen? Would Glorelas or Galion or even Thranduil take it? But why?
Legolas felt sick and dizzy. The pin was the only thing he had, the only tie he had left to his mother other than his memories. He had to find it. It had to be here somewhere. But... where?
It was a beautiful summer night as Prince Legolas Greenleaf of Mirkwood walked through his father's woodland realm, staring up at the stars which flickered like dewdrops from between the leaves of tall, ancient trees. All around him the forest seemed to be alive with the musical voices of twilight. To his left crickets and frogs chirped and hummed, to his right the happy notes of elven song floated across the air as they sang their beloved hymn to Elbereth. So beautiful was their singing that Legolas smiled and turned for a second to look at their fires, only specks of dancing orange in the distance. Yes, their singing was wondrous even to elven ears, but Legolas would not join them tonight. He had a more important purpose.
He continued downt the path that led from from his father, King Thranduil's, palace out in to Mirkwood Forest. As he walked the songs of his friends grew fainter, and the woodland noises louder. In the distance, he could hear the faint howling of wolves, but even this on such a beautiful night seemed to be part of nature's music. And besides, the wolves had not attacked Mirkwood for years now, and their numbers had dwindled with the constant hunts by the Mirkwood elves. They would cause no trouble tonight.
Legolas walked and walked, travelling far away from the lights of fires and torches. However, the stars were very bright and provided enough light for him to see the path ahead of himself. He kept walking until he could no longer see the other elves' fires, or hear their song, and he came to a clearing. At the far side of the clearing, there stood a very tall and very old tree, its hundreds of branches reaching up towards the sky. Legolas carefully walked over to it and sat down, leaning against the roots, and smiled.
This was his favorite tree. Out of all the thousands of trees in Mirkwood, this one was his favorite. When he was young he used to come and play under its swaying branches for long hours on summer days, pretending to be a great hunter or a brave warrior or a noble King. When he grew older, he didn't come as often, but he still came sometimes to hear the rustling leaves in the wind or just sit and watch the beauty of the woods. Tonight, though, he was here fore a special reason.
Exactly ten years ago on this night, his mother, the Lady Geleidhwen, left Mirkwood to travel to the Grey Havens and pass over the sea. After her escort left the gate of Thranduil's palace, Legolas secretly followed them, but only as far as this tree. Then he sat just where he was sitting now and remained alone all night, just thinking about Geleidhwen and holding the jewelled pin that she had given him close to himself. Ever since, on the anniversary of the night of Geleidhwen's departure, Legolas came to sit under the tree and remember his mother.
He could still remember her face, so beautiful, with wide brown eyes and a mouth that always had a smile for him and his brother and sister, even up to the last days when her riding party was attacked by orcs. Luckily, Thranduil and his best guards were with her, and they easily fought off the foul creatures, but still Geleidhwen's nerves were badly shaken. So she decided to leave the dangers of Middle Earth and sail West, taking Legolas' younger sister Arvellyrniel with her, leaving Thranduil and their two sons, Legolas and Glorelas, in Mirkwood.
With a smile, Legolas slowly reached into the pocket of his tunic to grab the small leather pouch which held Geleidhwen's jewelled pin, his most precious of treasures. But something felt wrong... the pouch was empty! The pin was gone!
Legolas jumped frantically to his feet, desperately feeling at his pocket and the leather pouch. No... it wasn't possible... he couldn't have lost it! Was it stolen? Would Glorelas or Galion or even Thranduil take it? But why?
Legolas felt sick and dizzy. The pin was the only thing he had, the only tie he had left to his mother other than his memories. He had to find it. It had to be here somewhere. But... where?