AN: Sorry I haven't write for a very long time. Heaps of things been happening lately with school and stuff but now that I have the time to write again with the school hols, I promise, I'll update more sooner.

Many, many huge thanks for all those who reviewed this story. All of them are very encouraging and sometimes, when I lose all hope, all I had to do was to read them and suddenly ideas started popping up in my head. Thanks guys! You're the best!

To those who read this story but had enough kindness not to flame and leave out the review in that account, thank you. For all these time, I have never received one and I'm very, very grateful for that. I guess it really shows that people do care about each other's feelings.

All constructive criticism is still very much appreciated. If there is something that you don't like from this story, please inform me so then I can write a better, more qualified, I guess, chapter.

Linmenel, I don't think this story is going to end anytime soon. Like what I've written from the very first chapter, this story is going to goes on till the actual Lord Of The Ring story line. After all this is a LotR fanfic. Hope you don't mind reading more of Firiel…

Solitude 22: Sky After The Storm

Legolas ran in the quiet wood. Something that he would usually be grateful for but not then. It was unusual in a site where a battle should be. Has the battle ended? He mulled. The silence unnerved him more than he already was, forcing him to stop his run and walked slowly, trying to make as little sound as possible while listening to any sound around him.

The first sound came before long. It sounded very much like the evil snarls of orcs. Knowing that the orcs would be snarling at one from their side, he rushed forwards, hoping to stop the orcs before too late. He could saw the backs of the orcs soon enough. They were circling their unguarded prey with their weapons in their hands.

Turning around to see the elves behind him, he saw that they knew already of what must be done. Truly, sometimes he felt as though he was the inexperienced one. He was far younger than the rest of them. Most of them were an old friend of his father. This task was, perhaps, a sort of test for him and to make sure that he did not fail; his father has used his best elves. This did not please him, but he must do this task if he was to impress his father.

The orcs moved away, closing down on their circle yet despite of this, he could not see the orcs' target. Surely whoever it was would be standing, ready to defend whatever was left. Legolas' heart sank. Could it be that there was no one left there but a dead body, waiting to be taken away? Shaking his head to rid of the unpleasant thoughts, he climbed a tree, following the rest of the elves.

Up there, he prepared his bow. Not the most brave way to fight but the most effective nevertheless. Looking around, he saw that the rest of the elves were ready, waiting for his command. He might be less experienced but they still respected him. Perhaps because of his father but there was no king Thranduil then. There was only him and now the elves waited for his command. He would not fail them.

He turned his head away, looking carefully at the orcs beneath them especially to the middle of the circle, where the victim should be. What he saw nearly made him dropped his arrow. It was Er-Galadh, and in his hand was a dead body, the reason why he did not put up a fight. Gripping his bow and arrow steadily, Legolas nodded grimly and surely before letting go of the arrow himself.

The arrow pierced through one of the orc's head. It jerked as the arrow passed through before falling stiffly to the ground. The orcs around it turned around as they saw their comrade fell but they also fell with an arrow to their necks. The orcs tried to fight back. Raising their shield and sword in defence while trying to find their attacker. But it was to no avail. Realising that it was fruitless to attack the concealed enemy, one orc decide to attack their intended, armless, prey.

Turning around, he faced his victim and raised his sword, ready to kill the elf. But to his surprise, the elves did not hold the deceased elf anymore. A swift strike from the elf disarmed him instantly and what happened next leave its ruined mark, stained on the green grass under the shadow of Mirkwood.

One more to the bloodied victims of this fruitless battle. Er-Galadh shook his head despondently as the thought crossed his mind. He sheathed the sword in his hand and slowly took up Firiel's dead body from where he laid her. Then he stood there, quietly, his mind reeling back.

The orcs ran away. After living for so long in the woodland realm, they knew better that to fight an enemy unprepared who were obviously accustomed and skilled in fighting under the shade of Mirkwood. Seeing that the area was save, Legolas jumped down and walked towards his old friend. But Er-Galadh did not seemed to notice him at all as he walked away, carrying a dead body in his arms.

Confused by his reaction, Legolas decided to run after him. "Er-Galadh!" he cried as the elf walked away towards the opening of the wood.

To his surprise, Er-Galadh stopped. "Follow me, my Lord." That was all the answer he got before Er-Galadh resume his walk without turning back, knowing that Legolas was already running behind him with the rest of the elves from Mirkwood.

*****

Firiel looked around the dark room, filled with the cries and mourns of those who wish to be alive again. Everywhere she went, there were elves, asking to be permitted to leave the place. To live again. Firiel shook her head. For her this was probably the best place she could ever find herself on, if only it could be quieter.

She walked on an on in the dark, endless chasm that surrounded her, through tears, through, to the ultimate darkness. Yet no matter how long she walked, she still could not reach it. The light behind her was more obtainable, closer than ever to her reach, if only she would turn around. She needed only to want it to have it. What paradox it is, she mulled. Realising that she could not reach it, not yet, she turned around.

Suddenly, around her there was light, instead of the gloom darkness. This light was bright, yet comfortable and she could saw through it to the centre, where there, stood a woman, clad in grey with a child, no more than 10 yrs old by the look of its height. The child held the woman tightly as she motioned her to come. Firiel, intrigued by the two of them, moved on, to the centre of the light. And what she saw there almost broke her heart.

She looked, firstly, to the woman clad in grey. Her familiar face was a mystery to her. She examined her closely but before she could ask of her name, the lady looked down and just then did Firiel realise the small hand that held on to hers, tugging it slightly to gained her attention. She looked down to the small child and cried out a name, half in grieve and joy. The smile on the child's face widen as Firiel put her arms tightly around her. "Elen," she whispered almost in disbelief. "My star. My daughter."

*****

It only took a short while before Er-Galadh reached the encampment where he knew Radagast reside. Although the walk was brief, the sight that greeted him along the way made it almost an unbearable journey. Everywhere he looked, the ground was marred with blood. Corpses are everywhere, both elves and orcs, and a sickening smell of blood and guts filled the air. The gloom atmosphere of the aftermath of a war. It brought to him so much memories, none of which are particularly soothing yet he immersed himself in it, closing his mind from the reality, forcing it out from his mind. Yet he knew that sooner or later, he must face it. But for now, he erected a wall, a barrier between the two.

He walked onward, passing through the crowds around him. The dead bodies were mostly of elves. Er-Galadh shook his head dejectedly. He averted his gaze and saw one particular body in his arms. His hands gripped the body tighter to his body, trying to somehow share the warmth of his body, willing it to breath again. Feeling a tear threatening to fall, he put up his head, focussing on finding a person in his mind.

Legolas thought he had never walk any faster than this before in his life. The view that surrounded his was, least to say, sickening. Though he had been in many battles before, he had never seen this amount of victim before, lying in the open air with only a few that was alive, walking to and fro, trying to find those that they could still help. Looking forward he saw the Er-Galadh stopping for a while before resuming his walk.

Before long Er-Galadh stopped again, in front of an elf that he knew well before. The two talk quietly before turning towards Legolas requiring gaze. "Legolas, nae saian luume" Legolas, it has been very long.

"Lord Elrond!" Legolas exclaimed and bowed in respect. And with that, Er-Galadh left the rest of the elves as he walk to the direction that Elrond had showed him to the person that he wanted.

Er-Galadh soon found whom he was searching for. He was amidst of many bodies, those that, Er-Galadh presumed, were still alive and could be saved. Taking a deep breath, he walked forward; ready to do what he came all the way for.

Radagast looked up to see an elf standing in front of him with a body in his arm. He glanced once at the dead body and heed it no more, knowing that he could no longer do anything else to help and instead focussed his attention to the living once more.

"Radagast. Do you not recognise her anymore?"

Radagast lifted his head once more. "I cannot help h…" his words falter as he suddenly recognised the body in front of him. "Firiel!"

*****

Saruman walked quietly away from the two he watched before. The news struck him even worse than to those who knew her better. Firiel cannot be dead, he thought to himself. Not now, not after what he had been through. Firiel cannot destroy it now, he mulled over and over again. Not even death is going to help you Firiel. Not even death!