Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story that appear in the world-renown bestseller, The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkein. I do, however, own any original characters seen here.
Storm Clouds
By
Brin
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Chapter 7: Temptation of the King"Maybe it was just a coincidence."
"No, it wasn't. I found my knife, which I had given to her just a few minutes before the scream was heard, covered in blood on the ground next to an Uruk-hai arrow. Doesn't that seem a bit suspicious to you?"
"The Uruk-hai have been dead for thousands of years! How is it possible that one of them could just… appear in this era?"
"Look, I don't have a clue and frankly I don't care how or why it is here, I just want to get Eve back and I want her back alive!" shouted Legolas, slamming his fist on the table and glaring at the various people standing around him.
Philendel shook his head. "You're going to get yourself killed, and all for a woman as well!"
"Then let it be! If I am to meet my demise this moon, let it be! I don't give a damn about myself, understand that! If she dies it will be all my fault and I'd rather die than live with that guilt for all eternity!" the Mirkwood King yelled. "I killed Gareund, a skilled if not tainted political leader. I lost Elrond, the greatest Lord of all time… and now Eve, a Daughter of Gondor destined for greatness, has been kidnapped by the very incarnates of evil. How many more great souls will have to die before we end this?"
"It will take at least a week to assemble the four armies. After that, it'll take us at least another week to get them ready to fight as one. By then she'll be dead! Besides, what does one mere mortal mean to you?!" growled Thrupolan.
Legolas turned to face his relation with narrowed blue eyes. He grabbed the shorter Elf by the throat and held him a few feet off the ground. "Listen!"
Thrupolan choked for air, but Legolas only tightened his grip.
"That 'mere mortal' is worth ten times more to me than you! If she dies, you die with her for making such comments!" He dropped Thrupolan back into his chair then gripped his face tightly with one hand. "I want no more trouble from you, understood?"
Thrupolan nodded vigorously and Legolas let go of his face.
"Now, here is what is going to happen. I'm going to ask a lot of each of you, but it is what needs to be done and if we succeed it may make the war a helluva lot easier for all of us." Legolas paused long enough to pull a scroll from his pocket and place it on the table before them. "We do not have the forces to launch a full-scale attack on the goblin headquarters… we do, however, have the means to deploy a rescue group consisting of your best specially-trained warriors…" He let his voice trail off and watched as the wheels turned inside the heads of his cabinet.
Tethir was the first to pick up the pen lying next to the scroll and determinedly scribble down his name. "I will help you," he said, holding out his hand.
Legolas hesitated a moment, then firmly shook the mortal's outstretched hand. "Thank you, Tethir."
Haldir was the next to sign his name, and he did so in runes. "It would be a great insult to you if I did not help rescue this damsel in distress," he said, grinning. "Besides, if you perish in flames someone has got to take the hero credit and get the girl…"
"Very funny," said Legolas, laughing in spite of himself. "We'll just see who gets the girl in the end."
"Oh, so you're admitting to wanting this young maiden?" piped Madoc, stepping forward and signing the scroll. "King Legolas! I never would've thought…" he scolded mockingly, shaking his finger at the Elf.
Legolas hung his head. "I just can't win."
"Nope," Kiendos said, also scratching his name onto the list. "I'm afraid that, in the presence of such intelligent and witty creatures such as ourselves, one cannot win verbal battle should one even attempt to."
"Anyone else?" asked the Mirkood Elf, grabbing the scroll and changing the subject.
From the back of the room, Gimli shouldered his way through the crowd. "I'll give it a shot. After all, you need sensible beings on this mission!"
"Then why are you coming, Master Dwarf?" growled Philendel, snatching the scroll away and signing it as soon as Gimli was done. The dwarf growled at him and Legolas laughed.
"Friends, friends, do not give each other such hard times," said the Mirkwood Elf, rolling up the scroll and placing it on his mantle. "Our fates are sealed." He stepped back and took a deep breath. "Six companions… very well." He shook his head as he regarded them. "Never as good as the originals. You are all pitiful and scary."
The others laughed.
"If that is your idea of a pep-talk, then I think we should all perish in flames right where we stand," said Tethir, grinning.
Legolas shrugged. "Anyone planning to leave after that remark?"
They all shook their heads.
"It is settled then. Come, we must work quickly," said Legolas as he began towards the door.
"Do you have a plan?" asked Tethir, moving to follow him.
"Of course I do… Philendel, Madoc, come with me."
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Nina Ortega, sitting at the desk of a Seattle hospital, looked up as the sliding doors opened and three men entered. One was tall with blonde hair and blue eyes. The second had blonde hair as well, but his eyes were the color of Nina's silver necklace and he was at least a head taller than the first. Yet the third man could've been mistaken for a small child had she not seen his face.
"Can I help you gentlemen?" she asked the first man.
He turned his piercing blue eyes to her, his face emotionless. "We are here to see our friend, Jack, on the third floor."
"I'm sorry; are you family? I'll need some I.D." The nurse eyed them suspiciously, but the one who had spoken flashed a badge in her face and she gulped.
"Detective Christopher Bowman, Miss-" He glanced at her nametag "-Ortega."
The nurse bit her lip and waved them by. "Go on."
"Thank you, Miss," said the tallest one, smiling kindly as they walked by.
Nina nodded and, as soon as they were gone, felt as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She sighed with relief.
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Chris, Phillip, and Matthew made it through the hospital without further interference from the nurses and doctors, who seemed to be keeping their distance from the mysterious three men. They came to Jack's door and entered.
Jack was just pulling on his shirt as they came in.
"Are you ready?" asked Chris, closing the door behind Matthew.
"Yeah. Just a second," replied Jack, looking up at Phillip and then down at Matthew. "Hi, nice to meet ya. I'd introduce myself right now, but we're kind of in the middle of a crisis, eh?"
Phillip's sterling silver eyes swept the room. "Get the records."
Matthew went over and grabbed the clipboard from beside Jack's bed. "Got em." He handed the papers to Chris, who promptly tore them up, tossed the shreds into the shower, and diluted the ink from them with a rush of hot water.
"Indoor plumbing. Gotta love it," joked Phillip, who was tossing all of Jack's belongings into a suitcase. "We have to get you out of here without signing anything. Loose signatures are the last things we need right now."
Jack nodded. "How are we gonna achieve that?"
Matthew opened the window. "Only one way."
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"So why are we coming here again?" asked Staci Parker of her boyfriend, Randy Thomas, as they pulled into the parking lot of a Seattle hospital.
"Because I have an 'F' in Mr. Garcia's class and if I don't suck up to him now, while he's high on morphine in the hospital, I won't have the time to do it later! Then I'll get kicked off the football team!" insisted Randy, unbuckling his seatbelt. "Besides, what's the worse that could happen?"
Staci was about to supply a sharp retort to that question, but then Randy's eyes grew as wide as saucers and he braced his arms on the steering wheel. She looked up and—
"AAAAAAAH!!!" both teenagers screamed as they saw a man on the third floor jump out of a window.
"Holy shit! He's crazy!" Randy shouted.
"And he's coming right for us!" Staci added, holding her hands over her face.
BOOM!
The man landed on the hood of their car in a kneeling position, one hand steadying himself so he didn't fall off. He raised his head, looked at the two teens sitting inside the car, then jumped onto the roof and bounded away. Staci and Randy turned around to watch as he disappeared behind a truck.
"What the hell?!" Randy looked up at the window again.
BOOM! BOOM!
Two more men came flying down from the window in a swan dive. One landed on the hood of the car, the other on the hood of a van next to them. Unlike the first man, however, they didn't spare the two teenagers a glance before running off.
Staci and Randy, hearts racing, sat straight as boards in the car for a few minutes before a tiny man emerged from the hospital front doors, threw a few hundred dollar bills through the window, and ran off in the same direction of the other three men.
"We're leaving!" The tires screeched.
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"Okay, we've got your partner, now what?" asked Matthew from the back seat as they sped down the street in Chris's black Benz.
"Well…" Chris glanced over his shoulder and switched lanes. "I'd say this nasty-looking, gray-skinned fellow in the truck could tell us." He adjusted his rearview mirror.
Phillip and Matthew turned around and stared out the rear windshield was a black Chevy truck pummeled down the road after them. "He's gonna kill someone!" shouted Phillip.
"Hold on to your ears, fellas," said Chris before taking a hard right and veering off the road into a plot of abandoned warehouses. The Chevy followed. "This is gonna hurt."
"Don't get in over your head, Chris," warned Jack, checking to make sure his seatbelt was buckled. "This car cost a lot…"
Chris merely smirked to himself and swerved down an empty ally, the truck nearly spinning out of control as the driver slammed on the brakes and turned sharply to follow them. Despite his efforts, however, the shiny new Chevy slammed into a rusted metal trashcan and received a nasty dent.
"Whoohoo! You liked that, huh?!" shouted Chris, obviously enjoying himself. "Well, I got lots more!" He slammed his foot onto the gas and sped off, the tires squealing.
"You're gonna get us all killed!" shouted Phillip, hitting his fist on the back of the driver's chair.
"Oh come on, don't be such a baby," Chris replied.
Ripping down another narrow ally, Chris glanced over his shoulder to see the truck barreling after him, hitting trash cans and piles of metal scraps repeatedly while Chris's compact car maneuvered through the obstacles easily.
"Uh… Chris, I think you'd better get moving!" shouted Jack.
Chris twisted his body around in his seat and saw that the truck's passenger was leaning out the window holding a metal crossbow with a nasty-looking steel arrow.
"Well that sure as hell isn't good," mumbled the detective. "Hold on." He hit an open lot and swerved around to face the truck head-on. "Anyone up for a game of dare?"
"Don't you do it!" shouted Matthew, jumping into the front seat and trying to take over the wheel. "Don't you do it!"
Chris push him back. "Relax, guys. I got this under control." Shoving the gas pedal to the floor, he headed straight towards the oncoming truck. The passenger shot the crossbow and the arrow embedded itself in the bumper of Chris's car. "Damn it!" he shouted, not wanting to think about the damage being done to his baby. "That is IT! You are DEAD, buddy!"
The Chevy seemed a little hesitant to play this bluffing game, but after a few moments hit the gas and sped at top speed towards the car.
Chris braced his arms on his steering wheel, pinning the truck's driver with an icy blue glare. They were close enough now for Chris to tell that it was an Orc sitting in the driver's seat with a goblin leaning out the window. He smirked, but his heart was beating hard in his ears and sweat formed on the side of his face as the two automobiles barreled towards each other.
"You damn idiot! Stop! STOP!" Phillip was shouting.
Twenty meters… fifteen meters… Chris's hands almost slid off the steering wheel as his palms became sweaty with anxiety… nine meters… six meters… Jack looked about ready to take the wheel… three meters…
SCCCCCCRRRCCCH!!!
Chris hit the brakes as the truck, at the very last moment, swerved and, having nowhere to go, ran right into one of the buildings. The wall cracked and groaned. Chris threw the car into reverse and backed away just as a mountain of drywall and concrete came crashing down on the truck.
"I'm gonna kill you!" shouted Matthew, immediately hurling himself into the front seat and grabbing Chris in a headlock.
Jack and Phillip laughed as the little hobbit banged Chris's head against the dashboard repeatedly.
"Okay, okay, that's enough," said Jack as his friend began to turn a bit red. He pulled them apart and firmly sat Matthew in the back seat once again. "Calm down."
Matthew glared at Chris, but did nothing more.
"Got quite a grip there, little man," mumbled Chris, rubbing his neck as he opened the car door and stepped out. "Jack, cover me."
Jack pulled a dagger from the glove compartment, completely ignoring the Glock sitting in there peacefully. "Gotcha."
Chris nodded and slid over to the truck, peering inside suspiciously. "Hello?" he called.
Everything inside the smashed truck was still, so he climbed over a pile of drywall and came closer. The other three men watched with their breaths held. As he came to the window, Chris noticed, much to his dismay, that there was no one inside. The truck was totally empty except for a small scrap of paper on the seat. He picked it up. It read:
Thranduilion,
Fear for your friend. If you do not find and come to our lair by midnight tomorrow with the Book in your hands she will die and her body will be posted as a sign to the Good Races what will happen should you dare oppose the goblins.
Chris crumpled the note in his hand.
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Eve groaned and opened her eyes to find herself lying on the ground on a patch of moist, cool grass. There were silver and gold trees all around her, towering even taller than the ones in Mirkwood. A few feet away was what looked like a big bird bath and behind that a beautiful fountain. She struggled to sit up.
"You're awake," said a soft voice.
Eve turned around and was faced with a beautiful, slightly aged woman with flowing blonde hair down to her waist and an elegant white gown pooling around her feet. A white tiara sat upon her head and she literally glowed in the darkness like a star, providing the only light in the small area. "Who are you? Where am I?"
The woman smiled. "I am Galadriel, the late Queen of Lothlórien."
"The 'late' Queen?"
Galadriel nodded. "I am not living, nor am I totally dead. I live here now, in this connecting realm between the two extremes… and you are in my presence because I bear a warning to you, Dark Maiden of Gondor."
Eve instinctively bowed her head as the Elf moved forward. "What is that warning?"
Queen Galadriel knelt in front of Eve and kissed her on the forehead, cupping her face in her silky white hands. "You are one of my few descendants Eve. In your blood runs the blood of King Aragorn and my granddaughter, Queen Arwen. My dear granddaughter's Elven blood has been all but doused in the many thousands years that have passed, but it is still there. I don't doubt you have never been terribly ill. Elven blood has strengthened your body, but it also strengthens your soul considerably in times of great mourning and grief, and for that you should be grateful."
"Why? Why would I need a strong soul?" Eve was growing alarmed. "Is something going to happen?!"
Galadriel dropped her hands from Eve's face. "King Legolas is in danger… grave danger. Right now he is teetering on the edge of sanity, and since your arrival in his life he has been slowly regaining his balance… but the force of evil is working to pull him down once again. He will be tempted to use the Book to save you, the one thing that has the means and will to drive him over the edge, but I do not know if he will resort to such measures... he loves you very much." Her eyes softened. "What do you feel for him?"
Eve's mouth opened and closed a few times before she could speak. "I do not know for sure, but if he were to die… I think I would die right along with him."
The Lórien Elf smiled. "And it is that love within your soul that can save him from a most unfortunate death."
"What must I do?" asked Eve, standing up.
"That… I cannot tell you, because not even I know for sure. But I can show you a few things that might help you in your quest…" She rose to her feet and walked as gracefully as a cloud to the fountain.
Eve followed. "I must tell you… I am not courageous by any means. I'm very much afraid."
Galadriel picked up a silver pitcher and filled it with the clear water of the fountain, then ventured over t o the bowl in the middle of the small clearing and slowly poured the water out. "To be brave is not feeling no fear… to be brave is to feel fear and push it aside; to use its driving force as the foundation of the courageous actions you take." She set the pitcher down and stepped aside. "Will you look into the mirror?"
"What will I see there?"
"Maybe your reflection… maybe… something more."
Eve warily moved forward and peeked over the edge of the silver bowl. The water swirled and churned, then came together to form an image:
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~~~~~~~~~~~
"Sometimes… people do things that… that seem crazy to others, but is perfectly sensible in their minds. When Legolas did what he did… it was out of pure and undying devotion to you, Eve," said Madoc, wiping the tears from Eve's face.
"I just wish things had been different between us," sobbed the young woman.
Madoc placed both hands on her shoulders. "Do not attempt to show that you regret any part of your time with him. I know you don't. Tell me that you don't regret it."
"I don't regret it."
"Good." He hugged her close. "Such times cannot be faced with a weak will, Eve. You must take your life by the horns and deal with what is given to you… be strong. Always be strong."
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~~~~~~~~~~~
Legolas, crouched against the dark, moist wall of the cave, clutched his tattered arm and gritted his teeth. Hot-white tears burned his eyes from the pain, but he remained conscious. A scouting group of goblins came down the hall and he waited until they had passed before standing up and limping away into the darkness…
"Yes… Run, King Legolas… run," said a shadowy figure as he watched the Elf's retreat.
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~~~~~~~~~~~
"I" Legolas punched an Orc across the face and ducked a sword swinging towards him from behind "WILL NOT" He dropped to the ground, kicked the legs out from under five of the Orcs surrounding him, making sure they hit their heads on the ground nice and hard "SURRENDER!!!!" He threw down his weapons and held out his hands towards the oncoming Orcs. "Sinome, agarwaen a er, carca mereth draug quettar! Nai na engwa a firn! {In this place, bloodstained and alone, fangs feast without words. May it be thou is sickly and dead!}" A bolt of light in the form of a giant wolf shot from his hands, destroying all Orcs within a fifty-foot radius by clamping down on them with its gleaming fangs. As the beast faded, Legolas fell to the ground, his skin pale and his breathing ragged.
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~~~~~~~~~~~
Legolas crouched on the roof of another building, watching the entire exchange in complete silence. He could see Eve in the window with her back turned to him, shoulders shaking with heart-wrenching sobs.
"Godspeed, my love…Godspeed," he whispered, pressing two fingers to his lips and then holding them up towards Eve's form. She moved from the window. Legolas got up and bounded away.
^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~~~~~~~~~~~
Then, the water disappeared in a puff of smoke. Eve looked up at Galadriel, who was eyeing her warily.
"Your pulse quickens and your heart beats out of your chest… Do not be troubled, my child," said the Queen carefully. "The mirror has shown you what you need to see."
Eve took a calming breath. "Why did you show me this?! Are these all things that will happen or may happen?!"
"The mirror shows many things… but we will not know if what it shows is a set destiny, for you know not what will happen in the future beyond a few seconds. Fate…" The Elven maiden paused, "is unpredictable and without doubt changeable." She moved forward and placed a gentle kiss on Eve's forehead. "Have strength, my child, and do not forget what has taken place here."
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Eve bolted upright with a gasp. She couldn't see straight, her mouth was as dry as cotton, and she ached from head to toe. Deciding that sitting up wasn't a very good idea, Eve leaned back against the wall behind her.
"I see you're awake."
Eve looked around in alarm. She wasn't in that forest anymore. Everything around her was dark and dirty. There was no fountain. No glowing Elven Queen. Had it all been a dream?
"Look at me."
Alarmed and confused, Eve had no choice but to comply. She looked up and saw a black figure towering over her. "Who are you? Where am I? What's going on?"
"I am Draeg and you, my dear girl, are locked up in one of my prison chambers," he said, his voice incredibly deep and unexpectedly smooth. "You have been kidnapped in order to bring about the fall of King Legolas. Are you able to see yet?"
Eve shook her head.
"Your vision will return shortly," he paused briefly and Eve could hear him shuffling around the room, "I am, as you probably don't know, an Uruk-Hai warrior, the last of my kind. Your meager human mind most likely cannot fathom what exactly I am, but let it be known to you that my presence strikes fear into the hearts of even the bravest of Elven warriors."
Just as Draeg had said, Eve's vision was beginning to clear up. She could now see that she was sitting in a room with a heavy steel door and dirt walls. The only light came from candles hanging from the ceiling, carefully placed out of reach. Draeg had his backed turned as he messed with something in his hands.
"Legolas will rescue me," she said defiantly. "He will not let me stay here."
Draeg laughed derisively. "Oh, I'm counting on it." He turned around and Eve gasped.
She had gotten a brief glimpse of this beast earlier… but now she could barely believe her eyes. Eight feet all, with arms and legs as big as tree trunks, eyes yellowish green, and skin as dark gray as the sky before a thunderstorm. Dreadlocks fell down its back, adding to its wild appearance.
"What do you mean?!" she asked, struggling to her feet by pushing herself up the wall.
Draeg smiled evilly. "It means, my dear mortal, that you are been used as a trap for your lover-boy, Legolas. So, you can start blaming yourself for his death right now."
Eve glared at him. "Legolas has lived for thousands and thousands of years. What makes you think that you'll be the one to kill him?"
Draeg held up the sword he had been messing with and made a show of how sharp the edges of the blade were. "Because I have the one weapon that will do the job without fail," he said. "All it takes… is a little slice… and King Legolas of Mirkwood will be no more."
"What do you mean?"
"This sword has a thin layer of Orkish poison on the edges…if I am able to break the skin—which I will—then all I will have to do is sit back and wait for the poison to do it's duty… his death is inevitable now," declared Draeg, baring his yellow teeth in a grin.
"If you kill him… you will bring the wrath of not just the Elves upon you, but the wrath of the Dwarves, Hobbits, and any human I can find!" barked Eve defiantly.
The Uruk-hai laughed at her courage and placed the tip of the sword under her chin, tilting her head up so he could get a better look at her. "You are a stout-hearted little girl… but that won't save your King. His fate has been decided, whether you like it or not. It has already been decided."
"Oh yeah, and how do you know?!"
"Because I have studied for many years the mind of the King of Mirkwood. His sanity is failing, and all it will take to break him will be a simple tragedy… such as the death of someone very close to him or the temptation to use the Book to prevent that death… think about it. I know you're smarter than that."
Eve's eyes widened. "You asshole! Don't you dare—"
Draeg slapped her across the face. "You are in no position to make demands! I suggest you sit back and mind your tongue before I cut it right out of your mouth!"
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Legolas entered what had been unofficially dubbed 'the War Room' and walked over to the 'War Table,' on which was sprawled a detailed map of the underground of Seattle. Gimli and Tethir were looking over it carefully. "What do you have so far?" he asked.
The dwarf circled a large black area with a red marker. "I sent ten of my dwarves to scour the area here, here, and here," he gestured to three other places he had circled, "and one of them has reported back to finding some sort of underground passageway leading to a cavern… a big cavern."
"How did you find this?" asked Legolas, his eyes scanning and memorizing the map.
Gimli scoffed. "The dwarves have always been masters of geography and the underground, Master Elf!" he said gruffly. "Only, these days, instead of digging, we use state-of-the-art technology, such as ultrasounds to bounce back images."
Legolas felt a pang in his heart as Gimli referred to him as 'Master Elf,' just as his ancestor had done. He shook the nostalgic feeling from his head and rubbed his face for a bit before replying, "As long as it works."
At that moment, the door swung open and a dwarf ambled in with a triumphant look shining out from underneath his beard. "I have found it!" he declared, handing Gimli an enlarged section of the War Map.
Gimli spread it out on the table and bellowed in triumph, "So you have!" He looked up at the Elven King and bowed his head. "We now have half of the required tools to launch an attack on the Orcs: the location of Moria."
"I will," said Aragorn heavily. "You followed my lead almost to disaster in the snow, and have said no word of blame. I will follow your lead now – if this last warning does not move you. It is not the Ring, nor of us that I am thinking, but of you, Gandalf. And I say to you: if you pass the doors of Moria, beware!"
Legolas put a hand to his head and grunted, the memory for some reason causing him pain. An aching feeling was forming in his head, much like a migraine, but somehow different… more like a longing or craving for something… something…
Tethir steadied him. "Are you alright, King Legolas?"
Nodding, Legolas clenched his fists. "I am fine, but for now we need the other half to our attack."
"Which will be provided by me," said Tethir.
"And me," interrupted Haldir from the back of the room. He stepped forward and clamped his hand on the Mirkwood Elf's shoulder. "We know what we must do."
Legolas inclined his head. "Thank you, my friends."
Haldir squeezed Legolas's shoulder and motioned to Tethir. They left the room along with all the other Elves present. Gimli and his captain, talking amongst themselves, also exited, leaving the king by himself.
'Tis a pity she should die this way…
Legolas's head snapped up and he peered around the room. The Book was here. He could feel its presence… but where?
It would be so easy if Massster Legolassss used Masssster Thranduil's powers…
"Don't you dare…" began Legolas, as he felt a tugging sensation on his mind. "Don't you dare try and trick me into this! I will not fall to your trickery!"
The Dark Maiden is in danger, Massster, and you will fail to save her unless you use all your power…
One of the desk drawers popped open and the Book made its presence known. Legolas stared at it, eyes wide with horror, fear, and hatred.
All you must do is use Book for short time… then you can live happily ever after with your beautiful Dark Maiden… think of the possibilities… the Orcs will be blown away… Masster, you must think like the Legolasss of Middle-Earth!
Legolas gulped. The Book was right. If he had the power of the most ancient and secret Elven magic behind him, he would be unstoppable… He could stop the Orcs with minimal effort. The Book opened and from its pages sprang an image of Eve, manacled to a stone wall, half-dead and beaten to a bloody pulp. She raised her head and smiled at Legolas as though he were there. Blood spilled from her swollen and bruised lips.
"NOOOO!" he screamed, jumping forward. The image dissipated. Legolas, his lip quivering and sweat forming on his brow, picked up the Book.
This is the only way, Masssster… with me by your side, the Dark Maiden will be saved and the Elven empire brought back to power!
Legolas rubbed his hand over the leather binding. "I… I can't… I promised never again…"
The Book showed Legolas yet another image. This time Haldir was fighting off a band of huge Orcs, one of his arms cut off. An Orc punched him in the side, kicked him in the stomach, and stabbed him through the chest. The Lórien Elf gasped and fell to the ground, one name escaping his cold lips, "Legolas…."
This is what will happen. You must prevent this.
Legolas took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his brow. "I will do it, but after this war is done… you will never be seen again."
So be it, Massster. You are the Massster of all…
Pushing the last regretful thought from his mind, he turned to the first page and began to read those damning words…
"'One Ring to rule them all,
One Ring to find them.
One Ring to bring them all,
And in the darkness bind them!'"
A white stream of light shot from the Book and began to swarm around his body. He continued:
"'Silivren halla ve i mellyrn, mírër glîn, a tauri dui le groth, astaldo dacili oma lye ywalme!'"As he finished, the white light formed a thick, dense cloud and shot into his eyes, then drifted into his entire body until he glowed like a star. Then, as soon as it had appeared, the light was gone. Legolas fell to the ground, panting. He lay there a few moments, then stood and clenched his fist. He could feel it; the pure power flowing through his veins like ambrosia. All the weight of the years had been taken off his shoulders; he felt light as a feather and as strong as when he was a young Elf, just coming of age, maybe even stronger than that. With the Book in his hand and thoughts of Eve in his heart, he left the war room, using his powers to close the door behind him.
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Haldir gestured to Tethir and they both moved forward through the brush on their elbows and knees. A goblin guard post stood just fifteen feet away. The Lórien Elf waved his troops forward and they also crawled up until they were level with their commanders.
"What do you think?" whispered Tethir.
Haldir cocked his crossbow. "We need to take them all out in one assault," he said quietly. "We can't have them making a ruckus." Tethir nodded and held up his hand. After a few seconds, he pointed forward.
Upon his command, thirty arrows flew through the night and killed the fifteen goblins, each enemy receiving two arrows to the chest. There were fifteen dull thuds and Haldir and Tethir marched the advance party onward. From the map Gimli had given them, it was only a matter of meters before they came to the new entrance of Moria.
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Legolas walked into the main hall to find Aeriela conversing quietly with Thrupolan. She looked at him briefly, then did a huge double take. He simply stared back at her as the she-elf moved forward, her face twisted with fear.
"You… you didn't…?" Aeriela whispered, coming to stand before him. She reached up and was about to touch his face, but hesitated. "Legolas, you didn't…"
"I had no choice," he said quietly. "Eve will die if I don't."
Aeriela's heart shattered. He had finally been broken, his mind made vulnerable. Tears sprang to her eyes. This was it then. She would never see her beloved Legolas ever again… only this shell of a man… only this, this younger version of Thranduil. All their years together suddenly had no meaning… Legolas was dead now, and in his place stood a stranger to the Elven world. She turned and ran away sobbing.
"Wait, Aeriela!" called Legolas in despair. "Aeriela, please understand!!"
She turned the corner and disappeared, her sobs getting quieter and quieter until he could hear her no more. Thrupolan turned to his cousin and shook his head. "You have made a grave mistake, Legolas."
The King of Mirkwood, tears stinging his eyes, nodded. "I know. I know."
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In Moria, Draeg laughed wickedly as he entered the room. "It has happened," he said to his prisoner, Eve. "The balance has shifted. Legolas, the King of Mirkwood, has fallen!"
Eve shook her head. "No… he wouldn't…"
"Oh, but he would… and has… Your beloved is as good as dead!" He grabbed her face with his meaty hand. "Legolas is no more."
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All around the world, Elves felt the loss of their King's soul. The wind howled, the water churned, and the mountains groaned. It was over.
TBC…