Chapter Six: Returning
The Ring was destroyed. The orcs were defeated. All across Middle-earth these was cheer and celebrations.
Legolas was having mixed feelings. He was happy to be returning home and glad the world was now at peace.
But, on the other hand, he was returning home with horrible news for Tári who he had not seen in what seemed to be a hundred years. He was also leaving the Fellowship for good, Aragorn, Gimli, friends that were like brothers to him. He feared he would never see them again.
The gates of Mirkwood were now visible. He rode closer, sitting up straighter on his horse.
He dismounted when he had reached the gate. A guard took his horse and welcomed him.
The city had changed so much. Trees were taller, grass greener, building looked newer and brighter. He made his way towards the throne room.
"Hello, Father."
His father looked up, stunned. "Legolas, my son!" He stood from his throne and made his way towards him. The advisors he was speaking to left them alone.
He was greeted with a hug. "Long has it been since you have been here!"
He heard footsteps on the stairs. He turned to see Tári walking down. She stopped, wide-eyed, when she recognized him.
"Excuse me. Sorry for interrupting. Welcome back, Prince Legolas."
"Thank you." He turned to his father, whispering. "I shall talk to you tonight." He noticed out of the corner of his eye Tári head back upstairs. "I have very depressing news for that lady that should not wait. Please excuse me." He walked to the stairs. "Lady Tári!"
She appeared at the top of the stairs.
"Please, would you walk with me?"
She smiled. "Of course."
~~~
They walked around the garden. Many topics were brought up. Finally, Legolas knew that he must broach the important matter.
"Where is your friend Aethyrelda? I have not seen her here."
She stopped and turned to him. "What?"
"She is not here is she?"
"How---"
"I am afraid I come baring bad news."
Her face dropped and became very grave. Tears swelled in her eyes. "No."
"She wanted me to tell you thank you. For what I do not know for she did not finish her statement."
The tears dripped down her cheeks. He wiped them away with his thumb.
"I know. I shall miss her as well."
"How? How did it happen?"
"Come walk and I shall tell you of our exciting adventure."
~~~
"She should not have died."
"Lady Tári?" She looked up at him. "Could you fill in the blanks? The things Aethyrelda could not tell me?"
"She heard orcs coming to attack. The guards were drinking and singing loudly in the guard house and did not pay attention. She warned them and they did not listen. She used force on the guard and in the process she was given a broken jaw.
"The orcs came. She fought them, but ran out of arrows and could not use a sword. She tried to flee only to be stopped by Valandir, the guard who." she swallowed. Legolas nodded, understanding. "He tied her to a tree and knocked her out, breaking her nose. Somehow she escaped only to be captured again and taken to the king. He sent her out of Mirkwood."
He understood. She was remembering that battle during Helm's Deep. The sword, yes that is what must have triggered it. The way she called him Valandir when he grabbed her.it all made sense.
"She saved---or tried to save the city and was banned from Mirkwood?"
"Valandir said she was not following her orders of waiting on them when in fact she wasn't even working at the time."
"My father fell for this?" Legolas was outraged.
Tári collapsed on a bench. Tears streaming down her face. "I tried to convince him otherwise.I can't believe she is gone," she whispered.
"She had an honorable death. You should be proud of her," he said while sitting next to her. It was dark and the stars were coming out. He was missing his welcome home feast, but he didn't care one bit.
"She was my best friend."
"I know." He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. Her face was buried in his shirt as she cried.
~~~
Tári put the flowers in the stream and watched them float downstream. Legolas put his arm on her shoulders.
Aethyrelda died free. She was young, but made her mark on the world. Tári was proud of her.
The Ring was destroyed. The orcs were defeated. All across Middle-earth these was cheer and celebrations.
Legolas was having mixed feelings. He was happy to be returning home and glad the world was now at peace.
But, on the other hand, he was returning home with horrible news for Tári who he had not seen in what seemed to be a hundred years. He was also leaving the Fellowship for good, Aragorn, Gimli, friends that were like brothers to him. He feared he would never see them again.
The gates of Mirkwood were now visible. He rode closer, sitting up straighter on his horse.
He dismounted when he had reached the gate. A guard took his horse and welcomed him.
The city had changed so much. Trees were taller, grass greener, building looked newer and brighter. He made his way towards the throne room.
"Hello, Father."
His father looked up, stunned. "Legolas, my son!" He stood from his throne and made his way towards him. The advisors he was speaking to left them alone.
He was greeted with a hug. "Long has it been since you have been here!"
He heard footsteps on the stairs. He turned to see Tári walking down. She stopped, wide-eyed, when she recognized him.
"Excuse me. Sorry for interrupting. Welcome back, Prince Legolas."
"Thank you." He turned to his father, whispering. "I shall talk to you tonight." He noticed out of the corner of his eye Tári head back upstairs. "I have very depressing news for that lady that should not wait. Please excuse me." He walked to the stairs. "Lady Tári!"
She appeared at the top of the stairs.
"Please, would you walk with me?"
She smiled. "Of course."
~~~
They walked around the garden. Many topics were brought up. Finally, Legolas knew that he must broach the important matter.
"Where is your friend Aethyrelda? I have not seen her here."
She stopped and turned to him. "What?"
"She is not here is she?"
"How---"
"I am afraid I come baring bad news."
Her face dropped and became very grave. Tears swelled in her eyes. "No."
"She wanted me to tell you thank you. For what I do not know for she did not finish her statement."
The tears dripped down her cheeks. He wiped them away with his thumb.
"I know. I shall miss her as well."
"How? How did it happen?"
"Come walk and I shall tell you of our exciting adventure."
~~~
"She should not have died."
"Lady Tári?" She looked up at him. "Could you fill in the blanks? The things Aethyrelda could not tell me?"
"She heard orcs coming to attack. The guards were drinking and singing loudly in the guard house and did not pay attention. She warned them and they did not listen. She used force on the guard and in the process she was given a broken jaw.
"The orcs came. She fought them, but ran out of arrows and could not use a sword. She tried to flee only to be stopped by Valandir, the guard who." she swallowed. Legolas nodded, understanding. "He tied her to a tree and knocked her out, breaking her nose. Somehow she escaped only to be captured again and taken to the king. He sent her out of Mirkwood."
He understood. She was remembering that battle during Helm's Deep. The sword, yes that is what must have triggered it. The way she called him Valandir when he grabbed her.it all made sense.
"She saved---or tried to save the city and was banned from Mirkwood?"
"Valandir said she was not following her orders of waiting on them when in fact she wasn't even working at the time."
"My father fell for this?" Legolas was outraged.
Tári collapsed on a bench. Tears streaming down her face. "I tried to convince him otherwise.I can't believe she is gone," she whispered.
"She had an honorable death. You should be proud of her," he said while sitting next to her. It was dark and the stars were coming out. He was missing his welcome home feast, but he didn't care one bit.
"She was my best friend."
"I know." He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. Her face was buried in his shirt as she cried.
~~~
Tári put the flowers in the stream and watched them float downstream. Legolas put his arm on her shoulders.
Aethyrelda died free. She was young, but made her mark on the world. Tári was proud of her.