Chapter 8
LETTERS
Legolas left the White City and traveled with the rangers to the southern territories, the wild lands. Their mission, to find and destroy the uprising enemies of Gondor; their methods, to travel unseen and quickly all over the land, disbanding the hordes and conquering men settlements, despoiling the enemies from strategic spots for an eventual invasion. So far they succeeded.
Gondor slowly began to recover and prospered again, now without the menace from the south, they were safe again. Legolas promised to communicate and come back soon, but one winter passed, and then another winter and no news were heard from him in all this time.
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Royal Palace, Gondor. September 14, 1508Dear Legolas.
It has been 18 months since you left and you still haven't sent any messages to us. We have gotten strange news from the south; stories of great victories and sweeping conquest, rumors of massive battles and unholy alliances with southern men; a legend is rising, great and mysterious among the soldiers, a legend of a great and terrible shadow that extends over the wild territories, in the form of phantom warriors, deathly and unbreakable that fall at night and sink their enemies into darkness.
That much we have heard, Gondor is safe, yes; but doubt reign in our hearts and we fear for you. Arwen says your presence is weaker in her mind, as if you were distancing for her; her heart grows heavy for you, and so does mine.
Please send response soon, and may the light shine on you and guide you home to us.
Dearly
Aragorn.
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Royal Palace, Gondor. May 6, 1509
Legolas.
Still no news from you. The messenger we sent with our last message did not return, might the Great Spirit protect him. What is going on? Rumors are getting more and more strange as time passes by. Arwen grows sadder everyday, she mourns for you as if you were death, and she says you presence is dying inside of her. It breaks my heart to see her like that, and I fear she will fall ill if this continues. My heart also hurts form your strange absence, please I beg of you, write soon.
Blessings
Aragorn.
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Portalon, Southern Territories. November 24, 1509
Dear Aragorn.
I send apologizes to you and to all Gondor for our lack of communication. I has been partially my fault and partially not. The first messenger you sent is still with us, I didn't want to send him for imminent death last time. You see, an unnatural winter has fallen upon this lands, killing everything that dears to wander alone. It is the strangest thing, we have learnt that such weather has never fallen upon this lands, it is like some hidden power is trying to delay us or to kill us.
Our mission is succeeding so far, we have brought down most of the orc hordes and we now control the majority of the men settlements. We have allied with some of them and they are not naturally evil as we once thought, they are just uncivilized and were forced by the orcs to join them in the war. We have literally liberated them from slavery, and even though their ways are brutal and even bestial, they are thankful to us, and support us in any way they can. As you see, the rumors you have heard are not completely wrong, and sometimes the reality is stranger than any fiction. I have seen things I never thought I'd see; the most amazing and strange creatures inhabit these lands, and they are all dying, some by the winter, and some by my hand.
We will continue our quest, because now that I am here, I know that the orcs are not behind all this, I can feel a dark presence hovering over this land, and I think that this presence is the source of all our troubles and grieves. But do not worry for we will hunt it and bring it down, no matter what or were it is, and no matter how long it will take, we will only return to Gondor when whatever that presence is dies.
I don't have the time or the strength to explain you about my distancing to Arwen, all I can tell you is that many things have changed, I have changed, but tell her that if the light ever shines on me again, it will be the day I meet with her and behold her beauty.
Peace.
Legolas.
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Years went on and Aragorn desisted of sending messages to the south until the winter receded, for the messenger who brought Legolas's first and only message nearly died and lost one of his legs while carrying it thru a hailstorm. But the winter persisted for years, it never touched Gondor but it reigned over the south, and the King and Queen grew tired and weary, for time was winning the battle over them, and the sadness and uncertainty of Legolas's absence invaded their hearts. More legends were born during that time, legends about the deeds taking place down south, and the stories became darker an confused. The generation changed and the people actually began to fear about this strange, invincible army that was conquering the wild territories, and the legends, once heroic, became uneasy and disturbing.
8 years passed and then it happened, something broke inside Arwen's heart and she fell ill. All the healers in the kingdom were summoned to help her but there was nothing they could do; Aragorn tried everything to comfort her and heal her, but she just got weaker and sadder. He knew what it was, and so he took action.
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Royal Palace, Gondor. April 17, 1517
Dear Legolas.
My greatest fear has finally come to pass, Arwen is severely ill, she spends her days in deep pain and grief and there is nothing I can do to comfort her. I cannot continue seeing her like this, it is agony for me and I feel shadows of death overcoming me. I was told that you are now camping in Friaza, very close to the southwestern border, and that the winter is finally receding. I have decided we are going to go see you, Arwen and I. We will depart as soon as we get your response. Please understand that I am desperate and I do not see any other way to help her and help my self.
Dearly
Aragorn.
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Friaza, Southern Territories, May 1, 1517
Aragorn
I received your letter with great sorrow and pain, and I wish I could do something to help you. But I can't; I have never asked you for a favor, now I do, if you want to help me and help yourselves please forget about me, forget you ever knew me, for I am death. I now walk in a world filled with pain and hatred; there is no light left in me, and all that was good and pure inside of me died long ago. This war took everything from me, I am now a murderer, a cold blooded assassin. You don't want to see me now, believe me; I would only inflict deeper pain to you, for that is all I have left to give, pain and death.
I tried to fight this darkness that took over me, but failed. Now I can't be saved, not even if the evenstar shines on me again, I am beyond salvation. With the last sanity and conscience left in me I beg you to stay away from this lands, stay away from me.
Legolas.
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He clutched the letter against his chest and fell on his knees, his heart shattering to peaces. With the dim, yellow light of the chamber's candles Arwen could see his grimace of pain and desperation.
"NOO!"
He sobbed painfully and got up, shredding the paper to little pieces, he wasn't going to let her read it.
"We are leaving now, to the south"
"Is Legolas alright?"
"No, but he can be saved, we are going to go save him"
"What is happening Estel?"
"He needs us, more than we need him, now get ready, we will leave at dawn."
Somehow, Arwen felt a new strength building in her limbs, whatever Legolas was going thru, if she could help him, at least for this once, she was going to do it. So that night she got up from her bed and helped Aragorn to prepare the trip, a spark of determination shining in her eyes. They left next day, at sunrise, with a large company of soldiers escorting them. A very worried Eldarion stayed to take care of Gondor; he was now a man, disciplined and mature. He longed to go with them but knew of his responsibilities, and so he wished his parents well and stayed in the city.
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Oh dear! that was very dramatic and traumatic even for me to write, I feel I little depressed now. How do you feel, I would really like to know. Hit the purple button and help me out of my depression.
Thanks.