Chapter Two
Legolas hummed quietly to himself as he walked home on Tarion, or Sunday. He was at peace, and had been tired out both emotionally and physically after their adventure. Yet he was now recovering and enjoying his life as hero and prince of Rivendell. A wild rabbit hurriedly crossed his path, just ahead of him. He was a half a mile; maybe a little more from his grand home when
he heard the scuffling of dead leaves being disturbed ahead of him. He stopped dead and his hand instinctively reached for his bow. He relaxed when he saw that it was Eros, his father's messenger and friend. "Prince Legolas!" the half-elf said breathlessly. "Prince Legolas! You must..." He stopped, resting his hands on his thighs and bending over need telling a second time, and left Eros there to recover. He sprinted back to his home, where he found many elves frantically talking to one another. He went through to the side entrance where he was greeted by Arwen and Aragorn, who had been staying for a few days to visit him. "Legolas. It is ohta (war). You must go and see your father." Aragorn looked deadly serious and a little unnerved, panting. "You must return...to the...palace...immedia..." Legolas did not "War? War? But Rivendell is peaceful." Arwen took his hand and looked into his eyes. "Once it was peaceful, Legolas. Now you must go to your father and help him." The young prince turned and walked in the other direction, towards his father's study. He heard Thranduil arguing, well, discussing with his advisor. Legolas knocked on the door, and waited for his father's response. * Gandalf hurried towards Sam's home, the day after he had talked to Frodo. "Frodo? Frodo Baggins!" he called as he knocked on Sam's door, having already tried Frodo's own hobbit hole. Sam answered the door, "How may I help you, Mr. Gandalf?" Gandalf did not need words, the look on his face caused Sam to step aside and let him in. "Is that Gandalf?" Frodo called from the other room. Sam's home was cosy, yet spacious, filled with sturdy old furniture and portraits of his ancestors. "Yes, Frodo-I have heard word from Legolas. Greenwood is at war. We must help them immediately, the whole place is at risk!" Frodo and Sam exchanged glances. "But, Gandalf, what can we do? They are elves, we are hobbits. We are not as strong as them, as tall as them, as quick as them-how can we help Legolas?" "You'll be surprised, boy." Sam suddenly hurried out of the room. Gandalf bent down slightly, or even more, as he was already stooping to prevent his head meeting the ceiling. Painfully. "Is this not the chance you have been waiting for?" He spoke quietly, so that Sam could not hear him.
"To get out of the Shire? To see the world again?" Frodo stared at a point just to the left of the unsuitably tall wizard. "Well?" Frodo's eyes looked into Gandalf's. "Yes." The hobbit nodded. He picked up his cloak from Sam's old wood cloak stand and put it on. Sam came into the room, carrying some yellowed paper. "It is a map," Sam explained. "I kept it. As a sort of, er, souvenir." He blushed slightly. "You know, to remind me...I thought it might be useful. In getting there." Gandalf smiled kindly at him, "Yes indeed it will. I am glad you're coming, Sam Gamgee." "But what about Merry and Pippin?" Frodo suddenly remembered. "There is no time if we want to have somewhere to stay tonight," said Gandalf. "Leave a message with Bill the blacksmith," suggested Sam. Frodo nodded, and the three set off and stopped five minutes later to borrow three of Bill's "finest" horses, not wanting to tire Frodo and Sam's, and to give him the message for Merry and Pippin. They made their way to Greenwood with Gandalf's knowledge, Sam's map and help from passers by.
Legolas hummed quietly to himself as he walked home on Tarion, or Sunday. He was at peace, and had been tired out both emotionally and physically after their adventure. Yet he was now recovering and enjoying his life as hero and prince of Rivendell. A wild rabbit hurriedly crossed his path, just ahead of him. He was a half a mile; maybe a little more from his grand home when
he heard the scuffling of dead leaves being disturbed ahead of him. He stopped dead and his hand instinctively reached for his bow. He relaxed when he saw that it was Eros, his father's messenger and friend. "Prince Legolas!" the half-elf said breathlessly. "Prince Legolas! You must..." He stopped, resting his hands on his thighs and bending over need telling a second time, and left Eros there to recover. He sprinted back to his home, where he found many elves frantically talking to one another. He went through to the side entrance where he was greeted by Arwen and Aragorn, who had been staying for a few days to visit him. "Legolas. It is ohta (war). You must go and see your father." Aragorn looked deadly serious and a little unnerved, panting. "You must return...to the...palace...immedia..." Legolas did not "War? War? But Rivendell is peaceful." Arwen took his hand and looked into his eyes. "Once it was peaceful, Legolas. Now you must go to your father and help him." The young prince turned and walked in the other direction, towards his father's study. He heard Thranduil arguing, well, discussing with his advisor. Legolas knocked on the door, and waited for his father's response. * Gandalf hurried towards Sam's home, the day after he had talked to Frodo. "Frodo? Frodo Baggins!" he called as he knocked on Sam's door, having already tried Frodo's own hobbit hole. Sam answered the door, "How may I help you, Mr. Gandalf?" Gandalf did not need words, the look on his face caused Sam to step aside and let him in. "Is that Gandalf?" Frodo called from the other room. Sam's home was cosy, yet spacious, filled with sturdy old furniture and portraits of his ancestors. "Yes, Frodo-I have heard word from Legolas. Greenwood is at war. We must help them immediately, the whole place is at risk!" Frodo and Sam exchanged glances. "But, Gandalf, what can we do? They are elves, we are hobbits. We are not as strong as them, as tall as them, as quick as them-how can we help Legolas?" "You'll be surprised, boy." Sam suddenly hurried out of the room. Gandalf bent down slightly, or even more, as he was already stooping to prevent his head meeting the ceiling. Painfully. "Is this not the chance you have been waiting for?" He spoke quietly, so that Sam could not hear him.
"To get out of the Shire? To see the world again?" Frodo stared at a point just to the left of the unsuitably tall wizard. "Well?" Frodo's eyes looked into Gandalf's. "Yes." The hobbit nodded. He picked up his cloak from Sam's old wood cloak stand and put it on. Sam came into the room, carrying some yellowed paper. "It is a map," Sam explained. "I kept it. As a sort of, er, souvenir." He blushed slightly. "You know, to remind me...I thought it might be useful. In getting there." Gandalf smiled kindly at him, "Yes indeed it will. I am glad you're coming, Sam Gamgee." "But what about Merry and Pippin?" Frodo suddenly remembered. "There is no time if we want to have somewhere to stay tonight," said Gandalf. "Leave a message with Bill the blacksmith," suggested Sam. Frodo nodded, and the three set off and stopped five minutes later to borrow three of Bill's "finest" horses, not wanting to tire Frodo and Sam's, and to give him the message for Merry and Pippin. They made their way to Greenwood with Gandalf's knowledge, Sam's map and help from passers by.