Disclaimer: I (unlike all the others) do own Tolkien and what he wrote. (JOKE). Well, if I did, I
would not be teaching for a living So, I do own the rest.
O.K. first of all: my native is not English so I am open to improvements on my grammar or words.
Well, this story takes place a few years after the ring has been destroyed.
1. Prologue (original, yes, I know)
Legolas Greenleaf, Son of Thranduil, Lord of the Elves of Mirkwood, was back in Mirkwood.
This was the first day since his return to his homeland that he was not preoccupied with
duties that came with his royal status. This morning he got up before the sunrise, put on his
old hunting garment, got his bow and arrows and silently slipped out of the castle.
As he rode down the forest road he was not aware of two eyes following him.
Legolas was at home again. His last travels with Gimli lasted for almost three years. And still...
If it wasn't for the fact that Gimli wanted to return to the Lonely Mountain for some time,
they would still be wandering through Middle Earth and fulfilling their promise to each other
to travel through all of it. But now Legolas was here, back again in Mirkwood. Back again with
his people, his father and friends. Back to where his royalty was known to everyone and back
to where everyone acted on that. The burden of his royalty felt heavy. And through the years
it seemed to become even heavier.
Legolas sighed. It was still before dawn, although it would not be long. He found himself
looking up at the dark forms above him: the branches of a tall tree.
I'll climb this tree and look at the daybreak from above, maybe that will make me see things in
a more hopeful perspective, he thought.
High above the ground in one of the top branches of the tree he listened to the wind, it was a
cool breeze. Why, he asked the wind, why do I have this feeling in my heart? This is my home,
why don't I feel at home then? Did I travel too much and too far? Did I loose a part of myself
in the travel with the Fellowship? I did change, we all did then. But the others don't seem to
be as restless as I am. Even Gimli is not. It feels like wherever I go, I'm only half there. Where
is my other half?
And then Legolas could feel the wind pick up. For a moment the soft breeze turned warm and
then went into a blow. Legolas heard the cries of battle and then all of a sudden the wind
dropped to a soft whisper that filled his head.
"Melamin..."
With that the first beams of sunlight spread over the tops of Mirkwood.
A/N: Melamin means loved one: but you already knew that, right?!
14-08-2003: Just replaced 'Middle Earth' by 'it'. It's better this way.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed. It's actually rather sad that it's finished! But oh so great!
