Chapter One
Monotonously, each weary foot was set in front of the other and Joslin hated them for their loyalty. Every step she took was a step away from those she was protecting, away from him, and closer to her death.
Her steed was lost, she was weak, and there was no civilization for an unfathomable distance. Stopped in exhaustion, Joslin stared toward the sky before her, piercing it with the agony she hid with all but her eyes. The sky split in two as the sun fell from dusk into night. Closing her green-golden eyes, she collapsed to the ground and cried out.
"I would claw them out!" She calmed down in an attempt to grasp the sanity that had momentarily eluded her, "I would. But I know my fate sight would remainand this journey ever before me."
She searched through the parched, green blades under her, for an answer. The silence provided nothing t veil the truth. She regretted having left Mirkwood. More, she regretted the morals that convinced her to do it; the same morals that kept her from the sweet ecstasy of his touch and the rapture beyond.
She lied beneath the open sky and lifted up her hand, staring at the crescent shaped scar on her finger. Then, her gaze fell upon the stars. She taunted death to hand her to the afterlife.
"Will you not take me!?" She invited, "For at least then you shall let me have him!"
Closing her eyes, she laid her precious crescent upon her breast and whispered, Hope will find despair. A tear fell upon the grassesand then anotherand then another. Touched by her gift, the quenched blades took mercy upon her and gave her to sleep. As the grasses cradled her, she slipped fell into slumber, slipped into her past, and reminisced with time.
A dream of memories begins. Joslin sees she is home in Mirkwood; she sits by exalted father at a council, looking lustfully to something. Her glance is met. He looks upon her ivory visage, a forbidden yearning. A tear falls and she looks away to hide her despair. She is a priestess and must be strong. He stares, dying inside from the sight of her agony. Her fathers protective glance meets Legolas; the prince sees inevitability.
In a new vision, Joslin walks beside Glavindrel, her closest friend and a princess of Mirkwood, with a countenance of distress. The council is still conferring.
"Legolas loves you," Glavindrel insists, "It matters not what the council decides, he will chooses you."
"I will falter," Joslin says nearly crying, "Pray he must leave. Then torture shall be deprived of its host," Joslin stops and turns to face Glavindrel, "You know what would happen if he denied this quest. I would betray Mirkwood and shatter my fathers hope."
"Do not allow Mirkwood to be your cage," Glavindrel puts her hand upon Joslins teary cheek, "Or your father."
Joslin turns and walks on, "Hmph! I am my own cage."
"It doesnt have to be that way. Your father is wise but even sages do not know all," Glavindrel insists, "To keep Legolas, to alter any decision he might make, you must tell him. Set it in stone Joslin. Do not allow him to deny his, or your, feelings so that he may choose the nobler path. Heaven forbid you should choose it!"
"My father told me what would happen. I believe him." Joslin is cut off.
"How can you just give in to that? If that is what you believe, then stay in your cage, Joslin. You are not worthy of the rest of the world and especially him!" Glavindrel gives Joslin a look of great disappointment.
"One who does not climb an unknown tree, will never fall from it," Joslin tries to reason.
"Then stay on the ground, Joslin. Live a fruitless existence until all that is good is gone and what has rotted falls on you!"
Joslin is taken aback by Glavindrels curtness.
Golrin, Joslins brother, approaches them. The council has dispersed.
"What end has the council come to?" Glavindrel inquires.
Golrin glances at his sister who will not meet his eyes and then begins, "We will inform Lord Elrond from Rivendell of the creature Gollums escape. Legolas," Joslin finally looks up at her brother, a trace of hope evident, "will lead the way along with..." The vision melts away as Joslin conceals her despair from all but her eyes. She casts them down.
The new vision is Joslin lying by a pond looking at her reflection. Legolas appears behind hers.
"A narcissist?" He muses as she turns to face him, "No, though, I fear I have crossed a Lady Adonis." He smiles.
"Legolas!" Joslin tries not to laugh as she sits with tear-filled eyes framed by her golden locks, "I am upset with you today. Do not make me laugh, for, it is far too hard to hate a jester."
A confused look crosses Legolas face, he sees that she has been weeping, "My lady?"
"I am lamenting, have you come to join me?" Joslin asks.
Legolas kneels beside her, "And for what are we mourning?"
"I have lost a loved one," Joslin admits sadly as she sits up, staring at his reflection in the water.
Concerned, Legolas holds her and dares to ask, "Whom has this ill fate fallen upon?"
His touch burns as it reminds her of everything that could possibly be.
She pulls out of his embrace and stands up, "I havent the heart to tell you."
Joslin turns from him, tears streaming down her cheeks. She looks down at the lake. He looks at his reflection and then to hers staring at his.
She runs from him in a myriad of emotions. Legolas chases her and stops her. He pulls her around to face him by her wrists as she struggles to get away from him.
"Joslin, please!" He pleads, not wanting to hurt her.
She stops struggling and he wipes a tear from her cheek.
"A task has been set before me, but I will come back to Mirkwood," Legolas searches within himself for strength, "You have never spoken such words to me before. I would have told you a million times what you are to me, Joslin if I thought you could bear to hear it."
"What?" Joslin terribly afraid did he know?
"Joslin, if I were to touch you, in your fathers eyes I would be tarnishing you. I know not why, but he is a very wise man and I would only respect his wishes. I fear, telling you what you are to meyou would be torn between us. I would never make you choose."
"My father has never been my reason for not telling you." She replies in frustration.
"Then what has kept us apart? Why have we not professed such a love?" He whispers I her ear, "Why have we not touched?" He places his hand upon her face and she breathes in, savoring the moment as if she had never been touched in all her life, "Why have we not given ourselves to each other?" He puts his other hand upon her waist and looks down at her as she trembles before him.
She pulls herself away from what a lady of her stature, a lady of her kind, can not allow. She cries out, sobbing, and falls to the ground, "There is more to me than I can ever tell you. I am destined to be alone, forsaking all who love me. That is my fate and touching me only taunts an absolution that shall never hail!" She is hurt at her own words. He stares at her, just as hurt, looking for an answer. She casts her glance away.
"Your eyesthey told me differently." Legolas is very frustrated and walks away from her.
"Orcs!" A voice warns from afar.
In a new vision that is very choppy, Legolas grabs Joslin, who is begging him just let her be, and carries her towards safety.
Chaos takes over the western half of Mirkwood and many elfin warriors try to protect Mirkwood from a mass of orcs that have somehow gotten in. Joslins father is in the heart of the battle.
Legolas companions shout to him that they must leave NOW or they will never get out in time.
Joslins father sees Joslin in Legolas arms. He is speechless and a look of fear overcomes him. An arrow goes into his back and he falls.
Joslin starts screaming as she witnesses this. Legolas pulls her to the ground behind a large root of a tree. He holds her down as she sobs hysterically.
"Joslin we cannot linger." Legolas fears for her safety.
Golrin runs to Joslin to take her from Legolas. "My father has passed on, hand over my sister before her fate is the same."
Staring into nothing, disbelieving that her world has fallen apart in an instant, Joslin wont let go of Legolas and has gone silent. She no longer even attempts to secrete her despair.
"Joslin, come with me," Legolas beseeches, not wanting to leave her behind in this state, or ever.
She turns to him and whispers as if speaking is anguish, "What is left?"
"Joslin, I love you! That is whats left if anything at all!" Legolas now desperate, "Do not cast me away."
Golrin holds his dagger at Legolas throat, "She is more to these people than she will ever be to you. Seducing my sister? Your return is not welcome. Look upon her your last, for she is not yours to have."
She had to accept, "They will never liberate me. You have a chance to do great things. Let me go."
Legolas stares into her eyes, not understanding. Then, suddenly as if some great revolution had happened within him, he was eerily calm, "Hope will find despair." His words hit her hard. This was the one sentence that could change everything; Glavindrel was right.
Joslin looks upon Golrins fiery countenance and places her hand upon the blade, slowly lowering it, she cuts her finger, "Forgive me dear brother," Her gaze meets Legolas, "Keep me here," She places her hand upon her breast over his heart and her blood stains his garment, "and that day will come."
In a new vision, Golrin is before Joslin and the people of Mirkwood.
'Time will soon bring Mirkwoods inevitable fate; a fate that has been prophesized to be altered by the child of the princess Glavindrel. Orcs bearing a white hand have taken her from our lands. Our time is running out. We must call a council to order immediately." Joslin slips out of the crowd.
As a new vision forms, Joslin is riding out of Mirkwood in pursuit of Glavindrel. Legolas would return to news of her death, for, none now know where she is.
Joslin woke from the sleep, woke from the dream, woke from the memory. She now lied face down, choosing not to move, for, she was still very weak.
She heard something coming behind her. She whipped around to face an arrow. Legolas stood before, staring in awe.
At first he was in disbelief. She stood and stared at him. Silence. It was broken with a calm, unbelieving voice, "I saw this moment in a prophets eyes."
She could not believe it as she faced him. He knew her fatal secret and still stood before her, "and what did they show?"
He dropped his bow and pulled her to him. They embraced and he pressed his lips upon hers gently. She did not push him awayshe pulled him in closer yet and wrapped her arms around him.
The moment ended as Joslin pulled back to scold him, "I don't know what kind of prophets eyes youve been looking into, but..." he laughed.
"The days have weakened you. Will you come with me? I beg this of you."
"Only if you can aid me in my pursuit of Glavindrel. I have seen what a princess childs destiny beholds," She looks down at Legolas as he sets her upon his steed, "It will save us."
"I have heard this. Joslin, you did not have to take this on. At least, do not continue it alone," He put his hand upon hers, "I have two companions, a man and a dwarf, whom have prevailed with me in a journey so far. I am meeting them in three days time to continue our journey. We can help you."
"Few know what I am, for, there are only 5 prophets in all of Middle Earth. We are all being sought and those who sustain me, will eventually fall."
"Then I shall fall."
Legolas mounted his steed and they began their journey. When night veiled over them and they stopped to rest mainly for Joslins sake she lay facing him as they reminisced, "It tormented me not to be able to love you but from afar, then mused, I would have told you a million times, Legolas if I thought you could bear to hear it."
Legolas smiled at the irony, "I would have bore it each of those times."
"I trusted my father more than anything. He taught me what trust was. I always cried to him that my gift was a curse and he replied everyday that hope will find despair. His greatest fear was that I would fall in love," she sighed looking up at the stars as if her father was staring back at her, "because then I would have to explain why I had secret meetings with sages, why I always had to cast my eyes away, and all of the other conditions I've come to accept, She looked to Legolas, There are rewards greater than you can imagine for a prophet. My father made sure that I understood: no man would be strong enough to not betray me."
She raised her hand and touched a small claret stain upon his chest, the symbol of hope, the one thing that bound them together.
"My father was wrong. You kept me," she closed her eyes and let him hold her.
He again stared upon her ivory visage, except now hope remained. There no longer was inevitability. There no longer was a fathers protective glance. There no longer was a cage. He wrapped his arms around the damsel who had finally been liberated, for her cage cast her out into a dark world, and he would protect her until she again found light.