Duath uin Taur
"Darkness of the Forest"
By G. D. Gauss
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For disclaimer, rating, etc. see Chapter 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Woohoo!! The last chapter was a complete success! I love you all!! Oh and by the way, some of you that have reviewed are noticing subtle slashy hints between Legolas and Aragorn. well, I didn't intend those hints to be there. LoL! I didn't notice them at all until you guys mentioned them and I read the story over myself. No, this is not a slash fic.unfortunately (I know, I'm a big A/L fan too!! ^^) You can still pretend it is, though. Just imagine somewhere between parts in this chapter, Aragorn sneaks into Legolas' bedroom in the middle of the night and. Hehehehehe, I'll leave the rest to your imaginations. ^^ But I had to write a fic that EVERYONE could enjoy. It's just a plus that little slashy hints are floating around the chapters! ;-P Also, all you A/L fans will like this chapter. It has more hints than any other I think. For all you non-slashers, just forget what I said above, kay? ;-P
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Chapter 7 A Deadly Decision
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Their horses were left in the shadows as the small warrior group moved out into the clearing. The elven steeds pawed at the ground and tossed their heads in protest at being left in such an eerie place. They had been born and raised in Mirkwood, but the evil changes that had befallen the forest spooked them and made them nervous.
One warrior, Isorfir, moved forward quickly and silently to a strange dark spot on the ground near the base of a large black tree. As he got closer, he realized more fully what it was. It was not black but a deep red color; blood. Near it were shreds of earthen- toned fabrics, not all too different from the garments they wore themselves.
Isorfir searched through the bits of ragged bloodied cloth. He lifted one and saw a glint of light from some metal object. When he picked it up, he read the elvish inscription of the royal family of Mirkwood upon the back of a leaf-shaped buckle.
"Garalith! I found some remains!"
Garalith, the leader of the warriors jogged over and furrowed his brows at the dark stain and scraps of material. "It's not even enough to tell if it was an elf for sure."
Isorfir held out the buckle. "But look at this."
Garalith took it and read it, then nodded. "You're right. We found Tadrielas. or what's left of him." The captain of the guards sighed deeply as the other eight warriors gathered around. "It is grievous to think that whatever things we have been battling successfully all the time we've lived here now possess the strength to fight back and kill. I fear the worst for our future."
Isorfir nodded. "Yes, I believe Legolas will soon be faced with a difficult task."
Another warrior, Vorfirion, spoke up with an edge to his voice. "His task is simple if not safe. We have only to stand our ground. These dark creatures are no match for our forces. The people of Greenwood the Great are strong and cannot be conquered by evil, especially when it has died."
Garalith took the warrior's shoulder. "We are strong indeed, Vorfirion, but the age of our kin is over. We may be able to conquer evil but we cannot conquer time. We can no longer stand our ground against them. though I know not what we must do in this time of need." The younger warrior waited until the captain's eyes had lowered before he glared at his superior.
After looking the item over several times, Garalith turned to his party. "Come, we must return immediately."
The elven captain commanded his guards to remount. After they had found their horses they all spurred them as quickly as they could to the palace.
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The King of Mirkwood paced in the small empty room, pausing by the door for any sign of a messenger. One thing he knew he would dislike about being king was that he was kept locked up in the palace. He knew his journeying days were over and his exploring would be extremely limited. Though, he supposed that in his nearly three millennia of life he had seen all he really wanted to. There was only one thing he had yet to set eyes upon; the sea.
Amidst all his musing, he barely noticed the presence that swiftly entered the room. Legolas finally heard someone approaching and spun around just as Garalith reached him and kneeled.
"My lord, we-"
"Please, Garalith. we've known each other since we were very small. it's Legolas."
The captain looked a bit surprised at first, then smiled. "Legolas, then. We found the remains of Prince Tadrielas. This is all we could bring back." He held up the small silver buckle, showing the backside with the inscription on it.
Legolas took it slowly and stared at it, a new sadness evident in his manner. He let out a deep sigh, then pocketed the small trinket. "Thank you, Garalith. You may join your troop in the hall."
Garalith bowed, then turned and swiftly left the room. Soon after, Nanien entered with several of the royal servants. They dispersed and left through the two archways on the opposite side of the room covered by white curtains. Through them, Legolas and his sister could hear the soft buzz from the crowd that had gathered to see the crowning of their new king. She stepped up close to him and clasped his hand.
"Legolas, are you feeling all right?" She gazed into his eyes with a hint of concern in her own.
Legolas nodded slowly. "Yes. I believe I am. Do not worry so for me. I'll live."
His sister smiled softly, hoping to see him return the smile. but she saw no such thing. The curve in her lips quickly faded and she glanced down at the floor. She soon felt two strong arms wrap around her and she let herself relax in his embrace. He whispered softly to her. "I'm fine. I promise."
She nodded against him. "I'm glad."
One of the curtains opened and a servant, Threwen, stepped into the room. "My Lord and Lady, your people await you."
Nanien gave Legolas' hand a gentle squeeze, then stepped out through the curtain. Legolas followed close behind and Threwen went out last.
The king stepped out onto a high platform with wide, shallow steps that led to a large hall which was currently occupied by the people of Mirkwood. As Legolas took his seat on the large throne and Nanien sat in the smaller one next to it, the room slowly quieted. Soon, an elf that held the highest position under the royal family (like the elvish form of a duke) stepped onto the platform before the large crowd. The elf, by name of Elvariand, raised his hands for silence.
"Citizens, the events of recent have left us with a tragedy that the royal family of Mirkwood has not seen since the War of the Ring and the passing of our own founder, first king of Mirkwood, and father of King Thranduil, Oropher. However, our saddened hearts may be lifted now that we have back in our home our own Prince Legolas."
A light applause filled the room and smiles were seen across many faces, all of which Legolas recognized and some he had known since birth.
"He has journeyed far on the greatest mission ever accomplished for Middle-Earth. He was a member of the fellowship that took Isildur's Bane from Rivendell to the Black Lands and cast it into the fires of Mount Doom. The Dark Lord is now no more and the peoples of Middle-Earth may know peace once again."
Murmurs of surprise and an even greater applause came forth from the crowd. Nanien glanced at her brother, placing her hand upon his. He glanced at her in turn, pride showing through his eyes.
Elvariand then smiled out at the many elves before him. "Today we have the great honor of accepting a new king onto the throne. He has shown bravery, strength and wisdom over his years and will take on the duty as our leader."
As the crowd applauded once more, Elvariand moved to the side of the podium and retrieved a golden circlet, much like the silver one Legolas had worn for important events and such, yet this one was larger and represented the highest rank in the royal court. Legolas stood and waited as Elvariand carried the crown back to him.
Aragorn beamed from his place by the large marble doors in the back of the hall and watched his friend kneel on one knee. Elvariand then placed the circlet upon his head and the entire room erupted into cheers of joy as he stood again.
The new king then smiled for the first time in several days. He glanced back at his sister and saw her grinning.
After what seemed an eternity, Legolas raised his arms and the room reluctantly quieted down once more.
"My people, I am honored to take my father's place in our kingdom. Though, as Elvariand said, the recent events have saddened our hearts. I wish we could remain joyful from now on but I'm afraid we must address a burden that is growing upon us. It is part of the reason why I am here now telling you these things. My family was killed by creatures that lurk in our forest, multiplying by the day, letting the shadow over our home spread. These are the same creatures we have battled before but they carry a new evil with them; one of death and decay. The evil is failing, yes, but the woods are going with it. I fear the worst has befallen Mirkwood and we must act quickly."
Elvariand stood. "Your majesty, I know of the burden you speak of, but is there anything we really can do? Won't we simply have to wait until the evil clears itself from our lands? After all, the Dark Lord was destroyed. Like you said, the evil is failing as its master has passed."
Legolas shook his head slowly. "No, I'm afraid it's not that simple. The darkness that has filled Mirkwood will not leave until the forest and everything in it is destroyed. Unfortunately, that includes our kingdom."
Murmurs filled the room at this dismaying news. One of the higher servants then stood. "What do you suggest we do, my lord?"
Legolas' gaze was stern and sorrowful. "We must leave Mirkwood."
By G. D. Gauss
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For disclaimer, rating, etc. see Chapter 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Woohoo!! The last chapter was a complete success! I love you all!! Oh and by the way, some of you that have reviewed are noticing subtle slashy hints between Legolas and Aragorn. well, I didn't intend those hints to be there. LoL! I didn't notice them at all until you guys mentioned them and I read the story over myself. No, this is not a slash fic.unfortunately (I know, I'm a big A/L fan too!! ^^) You can still pretend it is, though. Just imagine somewhere between parts in this chapter, Aragorn sneaks into Legolas' bedroom in the middle of the night and. Hehehehehe, I'll leave the rest to your imaginations. ^^ But I had to write a fic that EVERYONE could enjoy. It's just a plus that little slashy hints are floating around the chapters! ;-P Also, all you A/L fans will like this chapter. It has more hints than any other I think. For all you non-slashers, just forget what I said above, kay? ;-P
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 7 A Deadly Decision
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Their horses were left in the shadows as the small warrior group moved out into the clearing. The elven steeds pawed at the ground and tossed their heads in protest at being left in such an eerie place. They had been born and raised in Mirkwood, but the evil changes that had befallen the forest spooked them and made them nervous.
One warrior, Isorfir, moved forward quickly and silently to a strange dark spot on the ground near the base of a large black tree. As he got closer, he realized more fully what it was. It was not black but a deep red color; blood. Near it were shreds of earthen- toned fabrics, not all too different from the garments they wore themselves.
Isorfir searched through the bits of ragged bloodied cloth. He lifted one and saw a glint of light from some metal object. When he picked it up, he read the elvish inscription of the royal family of Mirkwood upon the back of a leaf-shaped buckle.
"Garalith! I found some remains!"
Garalith, the leader of the warriors jogged over and furrowed his brows at the dark stain and scraps of material. "It's not even enough to tell if it was an elf for sure."
Isorfir held out the buckle. "But look at this."
Garalith took it and read it, then nodded. "You're right. We found Tadrielas. or what's left of him." The captain of the guards sighed deeply as the other eight warriors gathered around. "It is grievous to think that whatever things we have been battling successfully all the time we've lived here now possess the strength to fight back and kill. I fear the worst for our future."
Isorfir nodded. "Yes, I believe Legolas will soon be faced with a difficult task."
Another warrior, Vorfirion, spoke up with an edge to his voice. "His task is simple if not safe. We have only to stand our ground. These dark creatures are no match for our forces. The people of Greenwood the Great are strong and cannot be conquered by evil, especially when it has died."
Garalith took the warrior's shoulder. "We are strong indeed, Vorfirion, but the age of our kin is over. We may be able to conquer evil but we cannot conquer time. We can no longer stand our ground against them. though I know not what we must do in this time of need." The younger warrior waited until the captain's eyes had lowered before he glared at his superior.
After looking the item over several times, Garalith turned to his party. "Come, we must return immediately."
The elven captain commanded his guards to remount. After they had found their horses they all spurred them as quickly as they could to the palace.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The King of Mirkwood paced in the small empty room, pausing by the door for any sign of a messenger. One thing he knew he would dislike about being king was that he was kept locked up in the palace. He knew his journeying days were over and his exploring would be extremely limited. Though, he supposed that in his nearly three millennia of life he had seen all he really wanted to. There was only one thing he had yet to set eyes upon; the sea.
Amidst all his musing, he barely noticed the presence that swiftly entered the room. Legolas finally heard someone approaching and spun around just as Garalith reached him and kneeled.
"My lord, we-"
"Please, Garalith. we've known each other since we were very small. it's Legolas."
The captain looked a bit surprised at first, then smiled. "Legolas, then. We found the remains of Prince Tadrielas. This is all we could bring back." He held up the small silver buckle, showing the backside with the inscription on it.
Legolas took it slowly and stared at it, a new sadness evident in his manner. He let out a deep sigh, then pocketed the small trinket. "Thank you, Garalith. You may join your troop in the hall."
Garalith bowed, then turned and swiftly left the room. Soon after, Nanien entered with several of the royal servants. They dispersed and left through the two archways on the opposite side of the room covered by white curtains. Through them, Legolas and his sister could hear the soft buzz from the crowd that had gathered to see the crowning of their new king. She stepped up close to him and clasped his hand.
"Legolas, are you feeling all right?" She gazed into his eyes with a hint of concern in her own.
Legolas nodded slowly. "Yes. I believe I am. Do not worry so for me. I'll live."
His sister smiled softly, hoping to see him return the smile. but she saw no such thing. The curve in her lips quickly faded and she glanced down at the floor. She soon felt two strong arms wrap around her and she let herself relax in his embrace. He whispered softly to her. "I'm fine. I promise."
She nodded against him. "I'm glad."
One of the curtains opened and a servant, Threwen, stepped into the room. "My Lord and Lady, your people await you."
Nanien gave Legolas' hand a gentle squeeze, then stepped out through the curtain. Legolas followed close behind and Threwen went out last.
The king stepped out onto a high platform with wide, shallow steps that led to a large hall which was currently occupied by the people of Mirkwood. As Legolas took his seat on the large throne and Nanien sat in the smaller one next to it, the room slowly quieted. Soon, an elf that held the highest position under the royal family (like the elvish form of a duke) stepped onto the platform before the large crowd. The elf, by name of Elvariand, raised his hands for silence.
"Citizens, the events of recent have left us with a tragedy that the royal family of Mirkwood has not seen since the War of the Ring and the passing of our own founder, first king of Mirkwood, and father of King Thranduil, Oropher. However, our saddened hearts may be lifted now that we have back in our home our own Prince Legolas."
A light applause filled the room and smiles were seen across many faces, all of which Legolas recognized and some he had known since birth.
"He has journeyed far on the greatest mission ever accomplished for Middle-Earth. He was a member of the fellowship that took Isildur's Bane from Rivendell to the Black Lands and cast it into the fires of Mount Doom. The Dark Lord is now no more and the peoples of Middle-Earth may know peace once again."
Murmurs of surprise and an even greater applause came forth from the crowd. Nanien glanced at her brother, placing her hand upon his. He glanced at her in turn, pride showing through his eyes.
Elvariand then smiled out at the many elves before him. "Today we have the great honor of accepting a new king onto the throne. He has shown bravery, strength and wisdom over his years and will take on the duty as our leader."
As the crowd applauded once more, Elvariand moved to the side of the podium and retrieved a golden circlet, much like the silver one Legolas had worn for important events and such, yet this one was larger and represented the highest rank in the royal court. Legolas stood and waited as Elvariand carried the crown back to him.
Aragorn beamed from his place by the large marble doors in the back of the hall and watched his friend kneel on one knee. Elvariand then placed the circlet upon his head and the entire room erupted into cheers of joy as he stood again.
The new king then smiled for the first time in several days. He glanced back at his sister and saw her grinning.
After what seemed an eternity, Legolas raised his arms and the room reluctantly quieted down once more.
"My people, I am honored to take my father's place in our kingdom. Though, as Elvariand said, the recent events have saddened our hearts. I wish we could remain joyful from now on but I'm afraid we must address a burden that is growing upon us. It is part of the reason why I am here now telling you these things. My family was killed by creatures that lurk in our forest, multiplying by the day, letting the shadow over our home spread. These are the same creatures we have battled before but they carry a new evil with them; one of death and decay. The evil is failing, yes, but the woods are going with it. I fear the worst has befallen Mirkwood and we must act quickly."
Elvariand stood. "Your majesty, I know of the burden you speak of, but is there anything we really can do? Won't we simply have to wait until the evil clears itself from our lands? After all, the Dark Lord was destroyed. Like you said, the evil is failing as its master has passed."
Legolas shook his head slowly. "No, I'm afraid it's not that simple. The darkness that has filled Mirkwood will not leave until the forest and everything in it is destroyed. Unfortunately, that includes our kingdom."
Murmurs filled the room at this dismaying news. One of the higher servants then stood. "What do you suggest we do, my lord?"
Legolas' gaze was stern and sorrowful. "We must leave Mirkwood."