He flung open the doors to Elrond's great library, and hastily scanned the many sections.
He was walking down past all the aisles, when one book caught his eye. It was large, and probably had been beautiful when it was new. Now, it had a worn, tattered look about it's faded mahogany cover, and the many pages were yellowed by age. After blowing off a heavy layer of dust from the tome, letters were audible on the front. The dulled title, on the book, read
"Legends of Middle Earth". He selected the volume, and strode with it over to a table. The shabby cover opened with a faint 'crack', to reveal more dust, and another seasoned page. Legolas thumbed through the book, his eyes hurriedly skimming each drawing, each paragraph, each title, until he paused. He had been about give up, when a pair of large, purple, wings caught his attention. He stopped his perusing, and hungrily took in the information.
"Faeries are one of Middle Earth's most wondrous creatures. Although many fables about faeries inhabiting Middle Earth still exist today, if faeries ever did indeed live, they became extinct before the First Age. Now, only their myth remains."
Beside the short communiqué, two large illustrations were drawn. One of them showed a girl with long, golden hair, wearing a outfit much like Lalwen's new attire, and with two, large purple wings extending from her back. The other depicted another girl, this one resembling Lalwen better than the first with the exception of her violet eyes, instead of Lalwen's beautiful green-brown-grey ones. 'Wait, did I just call her eyes beautiful?' Legolas shook himself slightly, hardly believing his own ears. 'What is wrong with me?' He thought. His eyes dazedly returned to the page. So Lalwen was a faerie. But how was that possible? Both of her parents were Elves, her whole city was made up of Elves, she'd even said Himlot was not your average Elven city...again, the thought cut itself off. Of course! 'Not an average Elven city'! But were all the Elves in Himlot this...this... 'different?' Legolas starred at the book for how long, he didn't know. He moved on further in the book, taking in the other extraordinary creatures; mermaids, centaurs, nymphs.... Legolas found all the different types of nymphs fascinating. There were different nymphs for everything; the ocean, valleys, forests, seas, lakes, flowers, distinctive trees, harvest...everything. Legolas, whilst marveling at the captivating pictures and words, wondered that, if faeries could exist even though they had been thought to have been long gone, if these creatures; mermaids, nymphs, centaurs, could also still be alive.
Suddenly, Legolas glanced out the window. It was already sunset! He jumped out of him seat, and shot through the door, and down the hall. He skidded to a stop next to the bench. He didn't see Lalwen anywhere. He looked around himself, and, seeing no one, sat wearily down on the stone bench to catch his breath. Several minutes inched by, and Lalwen never came. Legolas didn't worry at first, but when the sun was just visible over the top of the Mountains, he began to fidget; Where was she? Lalwen had said she would come, had promised she'd come. So where was she? While fretful thoughts irked his mind, Legolas allowed his eyes to wander about himself, until they landed on a large tree. He recognized that tree. That was the one he had meet Lalwen in just last night. Was it really only last night? So much had happened, it felt like days had past. After a brief hesitation, he stood, walked over to the tree, and jumped up into it's mighty boughs.
It was then he noticed the motionless figure perched on a thick branch. He climbed up to it. It was Lalwen. She was sitting, crossed-legged, on the limb, her back rigidly straight, her face staring unseeingly forward, mouth opened and glassy eyed. Legolas slowly sat down next to her. She didn't move.
"Lalwen?" he whispered. She didn't move. Legolas waved a hand in front of her face. She didn't move. His eyes strayed down to her throat, where her exquisite necklace rested in the crook of her neck. He froze. The green stone, was no longer just green. It was a mélange of purples, blues, greens, golds, and silvers, all swirling around and around... Legolas gaped. Without thinking about what he was doing, he extended his hand to the alluring stone. His hand brushed against Lalwen's arm. Her skin was icy cold. When his trembling fingers were barely a hair away from the charm, he paused. Some, strange, almost magnetic pull was tugging his hand towards the necklace. He could resist it any longer. He, ever so lightly, touched the pendant.
He was walking down past all the aisles, when one book caught his eye. It was large, and probably had been beautiful when it was new. Now, it had a worn, tattered look about it's faded mahogany cover, and the many pages were yellowed by age. After blowing off a heavy layer of dust from the tome, letters were audible on the front. The dulled title, on the book, read
"Legends of Middle Earth". He selected the volume, and strode with it over to a table. The shabby cover opened with a faint 'crack', to reveal more dust, and another seasoned page. Legolas thumbed through the book, his eyes hurriedly skimming each drawing, each paragraph, each title, until he paused. He had been about give up, when a pair of large, purple, wings caught his attention. He stopped his perusing, and hungrily took in the information.
"Faeries are one of Middle Earth's most wondrous creatures. Although many fables about faeries inhabiting Middle Earth still exist today, if faeries ever did indeed live, they became extinct before the First Age. Now, only their myth remains."
Beside the short communiqué, two large illustrations were drawn. One of them showed a girl with long, golden hair, wearing a outfit much like Lalwen's new attire, and with two, large purple wings extending from her back. The other depicted another girl, this one resembling Lalwen better than the first with the exception of her violet eyes, instead of Lalwen's beautiful green-brown-grey ones. 'Wait, did I just call her eyes beautiful?' Legolas shook himself slightly, hardly believing his own ears. 'What is wrong with me?' He thought. His eyes dazedly returned to the page. So Lalwen was a faerie. But how was that possible? Both of her parents were Elves, her whole city was made up of Elves, she'd even said Himlot was not your average Elven city...again, the thought cut itself off. Of course! 'Not an average Elven city'! But were all the Elves in Himlot this...this... 'different?' Legolas starred at the book for how long, he didn't know. He moved on further in the book, taking in the other extraordinary creatures; mermaids, centaurs, nymphs.... Legolas found all the different types of nymphs fascinating. There were different nymphs for everything; the ocean, valleys, forests, seas, lakes, flowers, distinctive trees, harvest...everything. Legolas, whilst marveling at the captivating pictures and words, wondered that, if faeries could exist even though they had been thought to have been long gone, if these creatures; mermaids, nymphs, centaurs, could also still be alive.
Suddenly, Legolas glanced out the window. It was already sunset! He jumped out of him seat, and shot through the door, and down the hall. He skidded to a stop next to the bench. He didn't see Lalwen anywhere. He looked around himself, and, seeing no one, sat wearily down on the stone bench to catch his breath. Several minutes inched by, and Lalwen never came. Legolas didn't worry at first, but when the sun was just visible over the top of the Mountains, he began to fidget; Where was she? Lalwen had said she would come, had promised she'd come. So where was she? While fretful thoughts irked his mind, Legolas allowed his eyes to wander about himself, until they landed on a large tree. He recognized that tree. That was the one he had meet Lalwen in just last night. Was it really only last night? So much had happened, it felt like days had past. After a brief hesitation, he stood, walked over to the tree, and jumped up into it's mighty boughs.
It was then he noticed the motionless figure perched on a thick branch. He climbed up to it. It was Lalwen. She was sitting, crossed-legged, on the limb, her back rigidly straight, her face staring unseeingly forward, mouth opened and glassy eyed. Legolas slowly sat down next to her. She didn't move.
"Lalwen?" he whispered. She didn't move. Legolas waved a hand in front of her face. She didn't move. His eyes strayed down to her throat, where her exquisite necklace rested in the crook of her neck. He froze. The green stone, was no longer just green. It was a mélange of purples, blues, greens, golds, and silvers, all swirling around and around... Legolas gaped. Without thinking about what he was doing, he extended his hand to the alluring stone. His hand brushed against Lalwen's arm. Her skin was icy cold. When his trembling fingers were barely a hair away from the charm, he paused. Some, strange, almost magnetic pull was tugging his hand towards the necklace. He could resist it any longer. He, ever so lightly, touched the pendant.