Chapter Four: A Parting
They remained, frozen to the spot until they saw from out of the gloom of
midnight, the column of mounted wizards returning. Each seemed to ride
slower however, as though drained by the night's events.
It was only then that they realised how exhausted each of them was. They murmured a parting word and then left for their own beds.
Legolas watched her go down the steps before him, her long gown brushing over the stone stairway and knew he would have to leave. He could not stay here, or he would grow to love her and then it would be impossible to return to Mirkwood without her. As a friend it was easier to leave, as a beloved, it would be out of the question. Never could an Elven prince marry a mortal woman, unless he forfeited his immortality, as Luthien did for her beloved.
He gathered his belongings, retrieved his horse, then tethered it just inside the gates and went to take his leave of Andlothiel. He entered her room, quietly lest he startle her, but the candle was out and a shaft of moonlight picked out her sleeping face on the pillow. She looked peaceful and he did not dare wake her. His heart heavy with guilt and loss, he stepped closer to her slumbering form and smoothed the covers over her. He let his lips brush hers in a parting kiss, then spun on his heel and left the room, cuffing tears away from his eyes.
He was ashamed; slipping away in the night like a thief felt wrong, but how could he do otherwise? He could not fall in love with this woman. As he was about to mount his horse, he felt a presence behind him, he whirled and saw an old man, his face shadowed, beneath a tall blue hat, wearing grey robes and leaning on a staff.
"Legolas, leaving us so soon?" said the man, and Legolas knew the voice. It was Mithrandir.
"I must." He replied, hiding his eyes from view under the hood of his cloak. "I cannot fall in love with her, Mithrandir. I cannot!"
Mithrandir stepped towards him. "No my boy, you cannot fall in love with her. I see a different path for you in future years. One that will decide the fortunes of every creature in Middle Earth. Go. Return to your father, it will not be long before he has need of you. She will understand, I will speak with her in the morning."
Legolas nodded once, took a step closer to Mithrandir, who grasped his hand then clapped him on the shoulder. "Go." He repeated, then stepped back into the shadow of a wall. Legolas mounted his horse, wheeled the animal round, and galloped out of the gate.
The wizard watched him go, and raised his right hand in farewell. A ring, with a red stone flashed once and then was hidden again by the sleeve of his robe.
LEL For days he rode, over the plain, through the mountains, until he reached the Anduin. He came to a ford, and halted for a moment to look back. The tower still bisected the skyline like a hole in reality, somewhere within those walls, was Andlothiel whom he would never see again.
He urged his horse onward, through the freezing water and on to the opposite bank. Two more days, and he was trotting into the outskirts of Mirkwood. He dropped from his horse's back and walked among the trees, leading the beast. Suddenly he heard a voice, singing alone. He could just discern the words of the song:
"An Elven maid there was of old
A shining star by day:
Her mantle white was hemmed with gold,
Her shoes of silver-grey."
It was Nefwathiel, singing the song of Nimrodel. He had known her from a child, and could tell her voice as soon as he heard it. His heavy heart lightened a little, at the prospect of seeing his childhood friend again.
Her voice stopped for a moment and he heard rustling, she was coming closer, had somehow heard his silent steps, so he chimed in with the next lines of the old song, to show his identity:
"A star was bound upon her brows,
A light was on her hair,
As sun upon the golden boughs
In Lorien the fair."
He heard a delighted gasp, then running as she made for the spot where she had heard the familiar voice. Smiling, he sat on a low bough and waited for her.
"Legolas!" she cried, overjoyed to see her childhood friend safe, after such a long time. She flew into his arms and embraced him fiercely. He looked into her eyes and saw relief, mixed with worry.
"Your father is not here," she replied to his unspoken question. "He has left, to fight with the men of Esgaroth against the dwarves at the Lonely Mountain of Erebor. The last messenger they sent back though, said that the goblins and orcs of the mountains had risen up, and the force was united with the dwarves to face them. I have seen the eagles fly over the forest, and heard the roar of Beorn and his bears also, I fear for them."
He had no fear for his father, who was a noble warrior. He had beaten goblins before, and even faced the Dark Lord Sauron, with Gil-Galad and Elrond Halfelven. He held her tightly to try and convey some of his trust to her.
"He will triumph, as he has always triumphed." He said, reassuringly, spending so much time with mortals had heightened his empathy with other's emotions. She seemed to take his words as comfort, for her face eased and she smiled once more. He took her hand, and they walked away, leading his horse, to the green halls of the Wood Elves. L
It was only then that they realised how exhausted each of them was. They murmured a parting word and then left for their own beds.
Legolas watched her go down the steps before him, her long gown brushing over the stone stairway and knew he would have to leave. He could not stay here, or he would grow to love her and then it would be impossible to return to Mirkwood without her. As a friend it was easier to leave, as a beloved, it would be out of the question. Never could an Elven prince marry a mortal woman, unless he forfeited his immortality, as Luthien did for her beloved.
He gathered his belongings, retrieved his horse, then tethered it just inside the gates and went to take his leave of Andlothiel. He entered her room, quietly lest he startle her, but the candle was out and a shaft of moonlight picked out her sleeping face on the pillow. She looked peaceful and he did not dare wake her. His heart heavy with guilt and loss, he stepped closer to her slumbering form and smoothed the covers over her. He let his lips brush hers in a parting kiss, then spun on his heel and left the room, cuffing tears away from his eyes.
He was ashamed; slipping away in the night like a thief felt wrong, but how could he do otherwise? He could not fall in love with this woman. As he was about to mount his horse, he felt a presence behind him, he whirled and saw an old man, his face shadowed, beneath a tall blue hat, wearing grey robes and leaning on a staff.
"Legolas, leaving us so soon?" said the man, and Legolas knew the voice. It was Mithrandir.
"I must." He replied, hiding his eyes from view under the hood of his cloak. "I cannot fall in love with her, Mithrandir. I cannot!"
Mithrandir stepped towards him. "No my boy, you cannot fall in love with her. I see a different path for you in future years. One that will decide the fortunes of every creature in Middle Earth. Go. Return to your father, it will not be long before he has need of you. She will understand, I will speak with her in the morning."
Legolas nodded once, took a step closer to Mithrandir, who grasped his hand then clapped him on the shoulder. "Go." He repeated, then stepped back into the shadow of a wall. Legolas mounted his horse, wheeled the animal round, and galloped out of the gate.
The wizard watched him go, and raised his right hand in farewell. A ring, with a red stone flashed once and then was hidden again by the sleeve of his robe.
LEL For days he rode, over the plain, through the mountains, until he reached the Anduin. He came to a ford, and halted for a moment to look back. The tower still bisected the skyline like a hole in reality, somewhere within those walls, was Andlothiel whom he would never see again.
He urged his horse onward, through the freezing water and on to the opposite bank. Two more days, and he was trotting into the outskirts of Mirkwood. He dropped from his horse's back and walked among the trees, leading the beast. Suddenly he heard a voice, singing alone. He could just discern the words of the song:
"An Elven maid there was of old
A shining star by day:
Her mantle white was hemmed with gold,
Her shoes of silver-grey."
It was Nefwathiel, singing the song of Nimrodel. He had known her from a child, and could tell her voice as soon as he heard it. His heavy heart lightened a little, at the prospect of seeing his childhood friend again.
Her voice stopped for a moment and he heard rustling, she was coming closer, had somehow heard his silent steps, so he chimed in with the next lines of the old song, to show his identity:
"A star was bound upon her brows,
A light was on her hair,
As sun upon the golden boughs
In Lorien the fair."
He heard a delighted gasp, then running as she made for the spot where she had heard the familiar voice. Smiling, he sat on a low bough and waited for her.
"Legolas!" she cried, overjoyed to see her childhood friend safe, after such a long time. She flew into his arms and embraced him fiercely. He looked into her eyes and saw relief, mixed with worry.
"Your father is not here," she replied to his unspoken question. "He has left, to fight with the men of Esgaroth against the dwarves at the Lonely Mountain of Erebor. The last messenger they sent back though, said that the goblins and orcs of the mountains had risen up, and the force was united with the dwarves to face them. I have seen the eagles fly over the forest, and heard the roar of Beorn and his bears also, I fear for them."
He had no fear for his father, who was a noble warrior. He had beaten goblins before, and even faced the Dark Lord Sauron, with Gil-Galad and Elrond Halfelven. He held her tightly to try and convey some of his trust to her.
"He will triumph, as he has always triumphed." He said, reassuringly, spending so much time with mortals had heightened his empathy with other's emotions. She seemed to take his words as comfort, for her face eased and she smiled once more. He took her hand, and they walked away, leading his horse, to the green halls of the Wood Elves. L