"Attacked him?"
"Yes, milady, he took him by the wrist and tied him to a tree, then shot him in the chest with an arrow. He is being treated now and two of your soldiers are keeping Cammorn down."
"Thank you, Gwilwileth." Aerlinndû gestured to Legolas and walked down the stairs to the main hall. There was a scene that shocked them all. Two elves, two of them that captured Gimli had the elf in question held down to the floor. Gimli was holding the elf's bow and arrow. The elf was fighting fiercely against his captors until he saw the queen, when he smiled evilly.
"Ah, there you are, Aerlinndû. Have you decided to come down and banish the man you once loved?" Aerlinndû scowled at the elf.
"Lasbelin, you have taken advantage of my taking you in. You are to return to your home."
"Do you really think that you can rid yourself of me so easily, queen? I will not leave! The Silver Wood is my home and I will stay as long as wish!"
"You will stay as long as I allow you!" she said. Suddenly the elf disappeared in a flash of silver light and everyone stood shocked.
"Thank you," they heard a soft voice say. Legolas spun to see the elf that greeted them at the first, Elessar. He went to his side and looked at the wound. It was serious, but not fatal. "It is good to see you, Legolas Elf. It is good to see that you are well."
"You will recover, Elessar. I am sure of it."
"I wish I felt that way." Legolas shook his head.
"Do not speak that way, Elessar. I am positive that you will recover in time to help us ward off any other ill-meaning elves surrounding this place."
"Your words comfort me, Legolas Elf. I thank you again."
"Please, Elessar. I would prefer to be called simply Legolas." Elessar managed a weak smile.
"As you wish." Elessar let out a soft groan and clutched his chest.
"Please Lathron, Cirion, take Elessar to his room and make sure he rests and heals." The two elves that had been restraining Lasbelin walked over to Elessar and gently helped him to a nearby room. Aerlinndû turned to Legolas and Gimli. "Normally I do not hold any visitor here against their will, but if you feel that you should leave, I will have to stop you. I may need you here if more incidents such as this one occur." Legolas bowed deeply before the queen.
"My queen, I will stay here as long as you need me to be here. You have my bow and my knives as if they were your own."
"You have my axe as well, Lady of the Silver Wood," Gimli said with a similar bow. "I will go where my friend goes and I will stay where he stays." Aerlinndû smiled at the two and set a hand on each of their heads.
"You are good friends, better than I had expected to see from an Elf and a Dwarf, but friendship like yours may be needed in the times to come. May you always feel so strongly about one another." Legolas and Gimli exchanged a mutual glance of understanding. They both stood up and Legolas cocked his head to the wind.
"Can you sense any more danger, my queen?" She nodded.
"I fear that we were too late to crush Lasbelin's uprising. There will be more like him coming from within the many elves I've taken in over the years I have stayed here."
"So that's why none came back."
"Yes." Legolas took Aerlinndû's hand with Denya in it.
"You know what you must do, my queen.Aerlinndû." She stares into his eyes, then slowly nods. "Master Gimli and I will search the perimeter of the Silver Wood and make sure that no one is lurking in the trees that shouldn't be." Aerlinndû nods and give him a pendant from around her neck.
"This will tell the guards that you hold the same status as my own when you give an order."
"Thank you," he said, fingering the gemstone. He walked out with Gimli and checked the guards. None of them reported any suspicious behavior and all were very cooperative until they got to the last guard post. He was sitting at the base of his tree looking like he was communicating through telepathy. Legolas pulled out his amulet; he thought he might actually need it.
"Elf! What are you doing?" The elf raised his head and did not reply. Suddenly Legolas knew his name. "Dagnar! Answer me!" The elf looked up again and stood up.
"Are you a servant of the traitor queen?" Legolas was shocked.
"Traitor?"
"Yes. She promised us protection but when Cammorn wished to disagree with something she did he was sent away most likely to be killed! She is a traitor to her own word and our trust."
"You will not harm the Queen Aerlinndû."
"Oh? I beg to differ, elf. At this very moment my comrade will kill your precious queen, and I plan to kill the both of you so that you do not interfere with the successful assassination of the traitor." The elf spoke too long because by the end of his sentence Legolas had his bow drawn taut with an arrow and Gimli's hand was on his axe.
"I repeat: You will not harm Aerlinndû." He loosed the arrow and the elf fell. He turned to Gimli. "I will have to make haste, friend. I do not expect you will be able to keep up."
"Go then, Legolas. Save the queen. I will find my own way back to the house." Legolas nodded and set off running as he had never run before. The elven top speed is amazing in the eyes of most. He got to the castle and sensed great sorrow and feared he was too late. He ran in the door and saw the elf spoken of before in front of a bleeding Aerlinndû holding a sword to her heart.
"You are a traitor to your people. Say that and I will let you live."
"He lies!" Legolas yelled causing the elf to jump back. That hesitation was all Legolas needed to fire off one arrow straight through the elf's skull. He fell and Legolas ran to Aerlinndû.
"Rhîw.oh Rhîw, why you?" was her faint response. She looked up and saw Legolas. "Legolas.greenleaf.my time is up."
"No. I will not let that be. Where is Denya?" She faltered, then took the ring off from around her neck. "You must wield her."
"No.not even in this time of great need will I risk becoming that powerful. Here.you take her." Legolas faltered then took the ring from her. "You have a will stronger than mine, Legolas, perhaps you might save the kingdom.so that I might die knowing that it was not brought to ruin by my own hand."
"If I am to wield this, I will assure you that you will not die." Legolas slipped the chain off from the ring and slowly slipped it around his third finger. He felt a strong power surge through his veins and suddenly he could sense the terrible danger all around him. As he concentrated on each one he felt them fall into darkness, where none of them could return from until there was only one left.himself. He was puzzled. How was he harming the queen? Suddenly he knew: her love for him. If and when he were to leave she would never be able to love again and the city would fall into ruin. He could never leave.or he could only leave once she had passed on.but she was an elf. That was not to happen in the near future. He bent to her side and set a hand on the wound at the side and watched it heal. He felt the blood flow newly in her veins as she stood up.
"Legolas.I thank you. I could never repay you."
"Then think not of it, Aerlinndû, for I will do a favor."
"What is that?"
"I will leave you to govern your realm without my presence here."
"But Legolas.I enjoy your company. You do not need to feel pressured to leave."
"This is why this uprising has happened. Too many times has your heart led you to love a male."
"You are different."
"That difference could mean your death. If I were to leave you could not go on. You would die of the only other way an elf can: of a broken heart. If I am to stay I could be happy.but Gimli.my beloved friend could not stay as well and his departure could break my heart. There is no way for us to stay together, Aerlinndû." He brushed her hair back from her face. "Though I would give anything to have it be so."
"Then take me back to where you stay."
"The Silver Wood.would be destroyed as you are not there with Denya," he said removing the ring. "I cannot allow such a beautiful place to be lost. The trees, the aerlinndû itself.you must stay." She smiled.
"It is not Denya that governs these woods, it is my own mind. I can govern it from anywhere."
"No. It would be a strain. I.it cannot be, melethrilnîn." Aerlinndû seemed distraught. "You sound as if you do not wish for me to be around you, yet you call me your lover! Why?" He brushed her cheek.
"I want you to stay here and keep these woods beautiful for me.in case there is ever a time when I might return and be able to stay with you." Aerlinndû suddenly had tears in her eyes and she flung herself into the arms of the elf.
"Legolas.im meleth le."
"Im meleth le." He lifted her head and kissed her softly on the lips just as the door opened softly and Gimli stumbled in, out of breath. He saw the two elves and left the room, for the privacy of the two. Aerlinndû pulled away from Legolas and took his hand and led him up to her bedroom.
"Am I still a stranger, or will you now enter my bedchamber for more than talk?" she said to him softly. Legolas set a hand on her face and traced it down her body as she opened the door and closed it behind them.
Several hours later, Legolas and Gimli are standing outside of Minas Tinnu and Aerlinndû is seeing them off. She hands Gimli a box. "Inside of this package you will find an amulet bearing a single blue gem. It is a stone of the cave you saw, carved and finished by myself."
"I will treasure it with the same reverence I treat the lock of the Lady Galadriel's hair," was Gimli's only response. Aerlinndû turned to Legolas and the sadness was in both of their eyes.
"I give this.to you, Legolas Greenleaf of the Taur e-Ndaedelos. I believe you will recognize it." She hands him a package as well and he looks inside to find the necklace on which lies Denya.
"You cannot give this to me!"
"It is mine to give.as is my heart." She kisses Legolas once more and steps back into the shadow of her palace. Legolas gives a last look at the castle, stoops to pick up a single rock from the river Eärendil, and turns his back.
"Come Gimli. Lord Elrond will wonder where we have disappeared to." With that they start back into the journey to the new house of Elrond.
Like it? Hate it? Epilogue left, then all over! Boo hoo.but I have an idea for a sequel, so no worries. Review please!
-Silver
"Yes, milady, he took him by the wrist and tied him to a tree, then shot him in the chest with an arrow. He is being treated now and two of your soldiers are keeping Cammorn down."
"Thank you, Gwilwileth." Aerlinndû gestured to Legolas and walked down the stairs to the main hall. There was a scene that shocked them all. Two elves, two of them that captured Gimli had the elf in question held down to the floor. Gimli was holding the elf's bow and arrow. The elf was fighting fiercely against his captors until he saw the queen, when he smiled evilly.
"Ah, there you are, Aerlinndû. Have you decided to come down and banish the man you once loved?" Aerlinndû scowled at the elf.
"Lasbelin, you have taken advantage of my taking you in. You are to return to your home."
"Do you really think that you can rid yourself of me so easily, queen? I will not leave! The Silver Wood is my home and I will stay as long as wish!"
"You will stay as long as I allow you!" she said. Suddenly the elf disappeared in a flash of silver light and everyone stood shocked.
"Thank you," they heard a soft voice say. Legolas spun to see the elf that greeted them at the first, Elessar. He went to his side and looked at the wound. It was serious, but not fatal. "It is good to see you, Legolas Elf. It is good to see that you are well."
"You will recover, Elessar. I am sure of it."
"I wish I felt that way." Legolas shook his head.
"Do not speak that way, Elessar. I am positive that you will recover in time to help us ward off any other ill-meaning elves surrounding this place."
"Your words comfort me, Legolas Elf. I thank you again."
"Please, Elessar. I would prefer to be called simply Legolas." Elessar managed a weak smile.
"As you wish." Elessar let out a soft groan and clutched his chest.
"Please Lathron, Cirion, take Elessar to his room and make sure he rests and heals." The two elves that had been restraining Lasbelin walked over to Elessar and gently helped him to a nearby room. Aerlinndû turned to Legolas and Gimli. "Normally I do not hold any visitor here against their will, but if you feel that you should leave, I will have to stop you. I may need you here if more incidents such as this one occur." Legolas bowed deeply before the queen.
"My queen, I will stay here as long as you need me to be here. You have my bow and my knives as if they were your own."
"You have my axe as well, Lady of the Silver Wood," Gimli said with a similar bow. "I will go where my friend goes and I will stay where he stays." Aerlinndû smiled at the two and set a hand on each of their heads.
"You are good friends, better than I had expected to see from an Elf and a Dwarf, but friendship like yours may be needed in the times to come. May you always feel so strongly about one another." Legolas and Gimli exchanged a mutual glance of understanding. They both stood up and Legolas cocked his head to the wind.
"Can you sense any more danger, my queen?" She nodded.
"I fear that we were too late to crush Lasbelin's uprising. There will be more like him coming from within the many elves I've taken in over the years I have stayed here."
"So that's why none came back."
"Yes." Legolas took Aerlinndû's hand with Denya in it.
"You know what you must do, my queen.Aerlinndû." She stares into his eyes, then slowly nods. "Master Gimli and I will search the perimeter of the Silver Wood and make sure that no one is lurking in the trees that shouldn't be." Aerlinndû nods and give him a pendant from around her neck.
"This will tell the guards that you hold the same status as my own when you give an order."
"Thank you," he said, fingering the gemstone. He walked out with Gimli and checked the guards. None of them reported any suspicious behavior and all were very cooperative until they got to the last guard post. He was sitting at the base of his tree looking like he was communicating through telepathy. Legolas pulled out his amulet; he thought he might actually need it.
"Elf! What are you doing?" The elf raised his head and did not reply. Suddenly Legolas knew his name. "Dagnar! Answer me!" The elf looked up again and stood up.
"Are you a servant of the traitor queen?" Legolas was shocked.
"Traitor?"
"Yes. She promised us protection but when Cammorn wished to disagree with something she did he was sent away most likely to be killed! She is a traitor to her own word and our trust."
"You will not harm the Queen Aerlinndû."
"Oh? I beg to differ, elf. At this very moment my comrade will kill your precious queen, and I plan to kill the both of you so that you do not interfere with the successful assassination of the traitor." The elf spoke too long because by the end of his sentence Legolas had his bow drawn taut with an arrow and Gimli's hand was on his axe.
"I repeat: You will not harm Aerlinndû." He loosed the arrow and the elf fell. He turned to Gimli. "I will have to make haste, friend. I do not expect you will be able to keep up."
"Go then, Legolas. Save the queen. I will find my own way back to the house." Legolas nodded and set off running as he had never run before. The elven top speed is amazing in the eyes of most. He got to the castle and sensed great sorrow and feared he was too late. He ran in the door and saw the elf spoken of before in front of a bleeding Aerlinndû holding a sword to her heart.
"You are a traitor to your people. Say that and I will let you live."
"He lies!" Legolas yelled causing the elf to jump back. That hesitation was all Legolas needed to fire off one arrow straight through the elf's skull. He fell and Legolas ran to Aerlinndû.
"Rhîw.oh Rhîw, why you?" was her faint response. She looked up and saw Legolas. "Legolas.greenleaf.my time is up."
"No. I will not let that be. Where is Denya?" She faltered, then took the ring off from around her neck. "You must wield her."
"No.not even in this time of great need will I risk becoming that powerful. Here.you take her." Legolas faltered then took the ring from her. "You have a will stronger than mine, Legolas, perhaps you might save the kingdom.so that I might die knowing that it was not brought to ruin by my own hand."
"If I am to wield this, I will assure you that you will not die." Legolas slipped the chain off from the ring and slowly slipped it around his third finger. He felt a strong power surge through his veins and suddenly he could sense the terrible danger all around him. As he concentrated on each one he felt them fall into darkness, where none of them could return from until there was only one left.himself. He was puzzled. How was he harming the queen? Suddenly he knew: her love for him. If and when he were to leave she would never be able to love again and the city would fall into ruin. He could never leave.or he could only leave once she had passed on.but she was an elf. That was not to happen in the near future. He bent to her side and set a hand on the wound at the side and watched it heal. He felt the blood flow newly in her veins as she stood up.
"Legolas.I thank you. I could never repay you."
"Then think not of it, Aerlinndû, for I will do a favor."
"What is that?"
"I will leave you to govern your realm without my presence here."
"But Legolas.I enjoy your company. You do not need to feel pressured to leave."
"This is why this uprising has happened. Too many times has your heart led you to love a male."
"You are different."
"That difference could mean your death. If I were to leave you could not go on. You would die of the only other way an elf can: of a broken heart. If I am to stay I could be happy.but Gimli.my beloved friend could not stay as well and his departure could break my heart. There is no way for us to stay together, Aerlinndû." He brushed her hair back from her face. "Though I would give anything to have it be so."
"Then take me back to where you stay."
"The Silver Wood.would be destroyed as you are not there with Denya," he said removing the ring. "I cannot allow such a beautiful place to be lost. The trees, the aerlinndû itself.you must stay." She smiled.
"It is not Denya that governs these woods, it is my own mind. I can govern it from anywhere."
"No. It would be a strain. I.it cannot be, melethrilnîn." Aerlinndû seemed distraught. "You sound as if you do not wish for me to be around you, yet you call me your lover! Why?" He brushed her cheek.
"I want you to stay here and keep these woods beautiful for me.in case there is ever a time when I might return and be able to stay with you." Aerlinndû suddenly had tears in her eyes and she flung herself into the arms of the elf.
"Legolas.im meleth le."
"Im meleth le." He lifted her head and kissed her softly on the lips just as the door opened softly and Gimli stumbled in, out of breath. He saw the two elves and left the room, for the privacy of the two. Aerlinndû pulled away from Legolas and took his hand and led him up to her bedroom.
"Am I still a stranger, or will you now enter my bedchamber for more than talk?" she said to him softly. Legolas set a hand on her face and traced it down her body as she opened the door and closed it behind them.
Several hours later, Legolas and Gimli are standing outside of Minas Tinnu and Aerlinndû is seeing them off. She hands Gimli a box. "Inside of this package you will find an amulet bearing a single blue gem. It is a stone of the cave you saw, carved and finished by myself."
"I will treasure it with the same reverence I treat the lock of the Lady Galadriel's hair," was Gimli's only response. Aerlinndû turned to Legolas and the sadness was in both of their eyes.
"I give this.to you, Legolas Greenleaf of the Taur e-Ndaedelos. I believe you will recognize it." She hands him a package as well and he looks inside to find the necklace on which lies Denya.
"You cannot give this to me!"
"It is mine to give.as is my heart." She kisses Legolas once more and steps back into the shadow of her palace. Legolas gives a last look at the castle, stoops to pick up a single rock from the river Eärendil, and turns his back.
"Come Gimli. Lord Elrond will wonder where we have disappeared to." With that they start back into the journey to the new house of Elrond.
Like it? Hate it? Epilogue left, then all over! Boo hoo.but I have an idea for a sequel, so no worries. Review please!
-Silver