Legolas stared out at the lake in front of him, singing softly to himself:
"I
sang of leaves of gold, and leaves of gold there grew. Of wind I sang, a
wind
there came and in the branches blew. Beyond the sun, beyond the Moon, the
foam
was on the Sea. And by the strand of Ilmarin there."
Legolas stopped, his ears picking up a noise in the distance, the unmistakable sound of footsteps approaching. Legolas ran to the nearest tree and swiftly climbed up the branches, clinging to the closest limb. He slowly pulled out his elven blade, preparing for combat.
"You've become quite tense recently, Legolas Greenleaf." A voice called from behind him. Legolas spun around quickly. "Hello, my old friend."
"Aragorn!" Legolas exclaimed, a smile spreading across his fair face.
"Will you not come down from there?" Aragorn asked in a mocking tone.
Legolas laughed lightly and jumped down from the tree. "What are you doing so close to Mirkwood?" he questioned.
"I was on a quest that brought me to the peak of Erebor, and after departing there, I decided to visit you, before returning to Rivendell." Aragorn answered, smiling gently.
Legolas gestured to the soft grass that lay beneath their boots. "Havo dad, mellon. You must tell me of your journey." Aragorn nodded and sat down on the damp ground. Legolas looked around quickly before following his actions.
"I shall tell you everything in due time Legolas, but we must first discuss other matters."
"What matters?" Legolas asked, his face taking on a mystified expression.
"I have spoken to your father, Legolas. He told me how you disappear for weeks at a time, and how when he asks, you never tell him of your journeys. He feels your pain Legolas, but does not know what causes it. Your father, he worries about you."Aragorn told him.
"My father's worries are worthless!" Legolas snapped, taking Aragorn by surprise. "I am fine, Aragorn. His concern is not needed."
"Legolas, I feel your pain also. Please tell me what troubles you." Legolas stared into Aragorn's concerned blue eyes.
"I do not wish for this life." He whispered. "My father longs to leave these shores, but I have no desire to go with him. If I stay, and he goes, then that would mean I would receive his duties as king, and I do not wish for that either. I have always despised being of royal blood."
"Your people love you Legolas, and they need you to lead them." Aragorn said softly. Legolas sighed. "I know. The have so much faith in me, and I worry that if I do become king, I will disappoint them."
"You could never disappoint anyone Legolas." Aragorn said kindly.
Legolas smiled, turning to face the lake. "Maybe you are right, but why then do I have the feeling that something terrible is going to happen?" he whispered.
"I'm afraid I cannot answer that." Aragorn said softly.
Legolas nodded. "Neither can I." he said, lying back onto the grass.
Aragorn stared at his ethereal face for a while, then sighed. "I heard that Celedan wishes to become king." He said softly, referring to the Prince's cousin.
"Celedan is a fool, and a disgrace to my family." Legolas spat. "He sees both my father and I as unfit, and longs for us to leave so he can become king." He turned his head to face Aragorn, anger shining in his blue eyes. "I see him watching me Aragorn. I am not sure why he watches me, but he does so with evil in his eyes." Aragorn lay down next to his elven friend, frowning.
"Perhaps he is envious of you?" he suggested.
Legolas shook his head, watching the golden sun slowly set. "No, not envious. It is something else. Something sinister. Celedan may be a fool, but he still terrifies me. I worry that he will do something to my father." He said softly. "Or me."
Aragorn frowned again, watching Legolas close his eyes. "I would not let that happen, Legolas." He whispered.
Legolas opened his eyes, and turned to face Aragorn."You may not have a choice."
Legolas stopped, his ears picking up a noise in the distance, the unmistakable sound of footsteps approaching. Legolas ran to the nearest tree and swiftly climbed up the branches, clinging to the closest limb. He slowly pulled out his elven blade, preparing for combat.
"You've become quite tense recently, Legolas Greenleaf." A voice called from behind him. Legolas spun around quickly. "Hello, my old friend."
"Aragorn!" Legolas exclaimed, a smile spreading across his fair face.
"Will you not come down from there?" Aragorn asked in a mocking tone.
Legolas laughed lightly and jumped down from the tree. "What are you doing so close to Mirkwood?" he questioned.
"I was on a quest that brought me to the peak of Erebor, and after departing there, I decided to visit you, before returning to Rivendell." Aragorn answered, smiling gently.
Legolas gestured to the soft grass that lay beneath their boots. "Havo dad, mellon. You must tell me of your journey." Aragorn nodded and sat down on the damp ground. Legolas looked around quickly before following his actions.
"I shall tell you everything in due time Legolas, but we must first discuss other matters."
"What matters?" Legolas asked, his face taking on a mystified expression.
"I have spoken to your father, Legolas. He told me how you disappear for weeks at a time, and how when he asks, you never tell him of your journeys. He feels your pain Legolas, but does not know what causes it. Your father, he worries about you."Aragorn told him.
"My father's worries are worthless!" Legolas snapped, taking Aragorn by surprise. "I am fine, Aragorn. His concern is not needed."
"Legolas, I feel your pain also. Please tell me what troubles you." Legolas stared into Aragorn's concerned blue eyes.
"I do not wish for this life." He whispered. "My father longs to leave these shores, but I have no desire to go with him. If I stay, and he goes, then that would mean I would receive his duties as king, and I do not wish for that either. I have always despised being of royal blood."
"Your people love you Legolas, and they need you to lead them." Aragorn said softly. Legolas sighed. "I know. The have so much faith in me, and I worry that if I do become king, I will disappoint them."
"You could never disappoint anyone Legolas." Aragorn said kindly.
Legolas smiled, turning to face the lake. "Maybe you are right, but why then do I have the feeling that something terrible is going to happen?" he whispered.
"I'm afraid I cannot answer that." Aragorn said softly.
Legolas nodded. "Neither can I." he said, lying back onto the grass.
Aragorn stared at his ethereal face for a while, then sighed. "I heard that Celedan wishes to become king." He said softly, referring to the Prince's cousin.
"Celedan is a fool, and a disgrace to my family." Legolas spat. "He sees both my father and I as unfit, and longs for us to leave so he can become king." He turned his head to face Aragorn, anger shining in his blue eyes. "I see him watching me Aragorn. I am not sure why he watches me, but he does so with evil in his eyes." Aragorn lay down next to his elven friend, frowning.
"Perhaps he is envious of you?" he suggested.
Legolas shook his head, watching the golden sun slowly set. "No, not envious. It is something else. Something sinister. Celedan may be a fool, but he still terrifies me. I worry that he will do something to my father." He said softly. "Or me."
Aragorn frowned again, watching Legolas close his eyes. "I would not let that happen, Legolas." He whispered.
Legolas opened his eyes, and turned to face Aragorn."You may not have a choice."