The Fairies were very hospitable, but almost everyone except Legolas felt happy – even relieved – when they left. The children liked being among them at first, but they soon began to get slightly scared of the intense creatures, for they each had large eyes that stared intently at everything they saw. As for Aragorn and Arwen, they did not know these creatures and they seemed quite strange, and they preferred to be with humans and elves. And Elviondel was perhaps the most happy at the quick departure, for she was still eager as ever to get to Forochel to see what awaited her there. Assuming it was still there.
Legolas was sad that they only stayed near an hour before setting off, for he thoroughly enjoyed the Fairies' company, but he knew that they had to move on. The more distance he put between them and the army, the better. Now that they were out of Angmar, they had no reason to travel slowly.
On their way to Forochel Legolas enlightened the company with the story of when he first met the Fairies, and how he gained the name "Sunlight Elf." It was because of his blonde hair that they originally named them, but later the Fairy Queen announced that "He has a sunlight spirit that will bless him all his days." She had been the first fairy he'd ever met, and that was long before he'd met Gwilith and gotten married and had children.
As Legolas told the story, Ohtar found much of himself in his father, and was surprised that they were indeed so much alike. His mother had often commented at how he was like his father and he dismissed it with a wave of his hand, and later Aragorn had said that he was like Legolas also and he got angry, wanting to at least be a good father, one thing his own never excelled at. But Legolas described his rebelling spirit and his determination to do what he wanted – sometimes for the worse – and Ohtar realized that he was exactly like that. Ohtar was pigheaded. He was smart and kind, but pigheaded none the less. When he saw something one way, nothing could change his mind. Everything was his way, and it never changed. Never. That was how Legolas was.
Maybe he's much more like me than I thought, Ohtar said silently to himself. Maybe he does understand me.
They reached Forochel over 24 hours later, early in the morning. A cold breeze greeted them, and everyone shivered.
"I do not suppose you remembered warmer cloaks?" Arwen asked Legolas. He smiled.
"I did, my lady." Then he pulled out 9 green cloths that Arwen and Aragorn smiled fondly at, but no one else in the company realized what they were. They were the Elven cloaks given to the company at Lórien decades ago.
"I don't suppose you have a bit of lembas to go along with them?" Aragorn asked jokingly.
Legolas laughed. "I was fortunate to get hold of all 9 quite a while back." He tossed one to each of the children, and there was then 2 left. He gave these to Arwen and Aragorn, then looked to Elviondel.
"Will you be all right?" he asked. He did not want to leave her without an extra cloak, but since Arwen and Aragorn were old they needed the extra warmth. And the children… well, they were the children.
"I will be fine," she replied, pulling out her own extra cloth from a sack on her horse. "I come prepared too, you know."
Legolas got out another cloak from his own horse. "We are near our destination. Evil draws close, we should be careful."
"O, blessed Forochel," Anywien said. "Marker of the beginning of the end of our journey."
"We shan't be here long," Legolas told them. "A day or so. Then we will go home."
"Assuming we live," Yrinvan muttered. Everyone looked to him, surprised, depressed, and anxious all at once. Each of them knew that this was the most dangerous point, but none of them had wanted to admit it.
"Yes," Legolas confirmed. "Assuming we live."
~*~
Syrus glared down at his army. Faster, faster, faster! They had to move or they would never reach the company!
Faster! he ordered in the only way he knew how. It was the way he spoke to his own without a voice or a mouth. At times he would posses one of them and speak that way, but more often than not he would simply make his words appear in their minds. He would speak to them through streams of thoughts.
The army was visibly moving faster, but still seemed to be sagging behind. And Syrus was weakening as time went by, and if he did not have the Evenstar in less than one week, he would cease to exist. His army's progress meant his survival, and he could not let them fail.
Alag, alag! I will kill you all if we do not reach them!
