Chapter...HEre we go again!
(A.N. Okay, this is after Helms Deep: We've crossed over into Return of the King! YAY!)
***Traveling to the Capital of Rohan, and the Golden Halls***
Legolas rode silently as they journeyed over the fields of Rohan. They had earlier picked up the two hobbits, Merry and Pippen, and gazed up at the tower of Isengaard.
Suddenly, two riders came to them from out of the forests. Instantly, Legolas recognized them as messengers. "Greetings!" He cried to the other fast approaching elves.
"Greetings." They called back. Soon they had come to join the company. "We are here to see how the battle of Helms Deep commenced." They smiled. "We see that it has gone fairly."
"The cost for Helms Deep was many lives." The king of Rohan put in, riding up to the two elven messengers.
The two elves nodded, instantly becoming solemn. "It is true." One said, who's dark eyes told just how old he truly was. "And what of the deaths?"
"Captain Haldir of Lothlorien." Aragorn said. "And many of the Lothlorien archers."
The elf with the dark eyes nodded, sighing. "And what news do you desire?"
"Of the Golden Wood." Legolas said "What of Lady Lorian?"
The two messengers exchanged glances, and it was then that Legolas feared the worst. "It grieves us to be the ones to tell you." The elf with dark eyes replied. "Are you the prince of Mirkwood?"
"I am." Legolas answered, his eyes becoming as cold as ice.
"Than I fear the news we bring is horrible." The messenger elf said. "She was slain on her way to the shores of this land."
Gimli, who for once sat behind Eomer instead of Legolas looked to see the expression on his freinds face. The look on the elf's face was anything but pleasant. Legolas's brows were furrowed and his gaze could have withered any man.
"The company she was riding with were attacked by Orcs." The other elf continued. "Lothlorien didn't know until the next day, when a patrol stumbled onto their mutilated bodies."
It was then that Legolas reached out, taking the collar of the messenger who was speaking and drawing him almost off his horse. "You lie!" Legolas growled.
The messenger didn't blink, but looked the prince in the eye. "Her hair was long and dark, long enough to reach her ankles. Her face was fair. We could only tell by that."
Legolas took in a harsh breath, and then pushed the other elf away.
"I am sorry." The older elf said. "Is there anything else?"
There was a complete silence of the company. Until Pippen, who sat in front of Aragorn breathed, "Dead? It's- It's not possible."
The two elves only looked at the small hobbit. "We are sorry." With that, they turned their horses, and rode away, leaving the company to continue on to the Great Hall.
After again spurring their horses forwards, Aragorn glanced at his friend. Legolas's eyes were brimmed with tears, but the elf's face was that of stone. Aragorn knew that this was not good. He had been among elves since a very young age, and knew their vulnerabilities and weaknesses. An elf could die just as easily from heartbreak as from an Orcish arrow, and he feared greatly for Legolas.
***Later***
Merry and Pippen sang and danced on the table, sloshing ail and accidentally kicking a rider in the face on occasion. But all was well. Or so it seemed. Aragorn had not seen Legolas since they had arrived at Rohan's capital, but did not know where to search first.
It was then that Aowen walked up, her long blonde hair cascading over her shoulders, and her eyes reflecting the candlelight. "Lord Aragorn." She said, meeting his gaze. "Who are you searching for?" She asked softly.
"The elf Legolas." Aragorn answered. "He received very ill news of someone he loved, and I need to find him."
"Than it is true of what I have heard about the heartbreak of elves?" Aowen asked, following Aragorn away from the merry-making.
"It is." Aragorn answered. "Would you know where to find him?"
"He is an elf." Aowen said softly. "I would suppose he would be at the stables."
***The Stables***
Legolas brushed out Lazaro's white main. The Rohans's stables were supplied with everything to do with horses, which included brushes.
The white stallion stood silently in the stall, swishing his tail at times. Then other times he would turn to regard Legolas with his large curious eyes.
Legolas had been there for several hours now. He didn't have the heart to leave. The quiet of the stables and the presence of Lazaro was all that seemed to comfort him. He ran his hand down Lazaro's strong neck. The tears he had let go freely from his eyes now fell onto the stallion's shoulder, and Legolas laid his head against the horses's neck. It was then he knew that he wasn't the only one in the stables. "Leave me in peace, Aragorn."
Aragorn walked slowly over to his friend, but staying a good distance away. "I cannot. A friend does not leave when you are suffering."
Aowen watched as the heir of Gondor spoke to the elf. She stood silently and motionless in the stable-doorway.
Legolas did not face Aragorn. "Who says that I suffer?" He asked, his voice thick in his throat.
"I was there when you received the word." Aragorn answered. "I know."
Legolas took in a shuddering breath. "Then you know of how she must have died?" He asked. "Tortured and then mutilated. Left to rot. And I was the one who asked her to leave Middle-Earth."
Aragorn watched as Legolas tried to wipe away his tears.
"Because I wanted her to be safe." Legolas finished.
"You could not have known that it would be like this." Aragorn said. "It isn't your fault."
Legolas still kept his back to Aragorn. "Aragorn, leave me." He paused. "Please leave me."
Aragorn walked up behind his friend, resting his hand on Legolas's shoulder. "She would not have wanted you to give into grief." He said quietly. "Middle-Earth still needs you. The Fellowship still needs you." He paused. "Avenge her Legolas. Avenge Orian. It is as she would have wished."
It was then that Legolas finally turned to face his friend. Aragorn saw deep into the elf's soal, seeing the torment and hurt.
"I will avenge her." Legolas said, his voice shaky. "It is as she would have wished." Aragorn nodded, and then pulled Legolas into a firm embrace.
Aowen watched as the elf wept into Aragorn's shoulder, and couldn't help but wonder just who this Lady Orian was. And if she would have been as good of friends with her as Aragorn was with Legolas. Unbeknownst to her, she would meet this Orian, and they would fight together before the Dark Lord's defeat.
(To Be Continued)
(A.N. Review...if you see it fit.)
(A.N. Okay, this is after Helms Deep: We've crossed over into Return of the King! YAY!)
***Traveling to the Capital of Rohan, and the Golden Halls***
Legolas rode silently as they journeyed over the fields of Rohan. They had earlier picked up the two hobbits, Merry and Pippen, and gazed up at the tower of Isengaard.
Suddenly, two riders came to them from out of the forests. Instantly, Legolas recognized them as messengers. "Greetings!" He cried to the other fast approaching elves.
"Greetings." They called back. Soon they had come to join the company. "We are here to see how the battle of Helms Deep commenced." They smiled. "We see that it has gone fairly."
"The cost for Helms Deep was many lives." The king of Rohan put in, riding up to the two elven messengers.
The two elves nodded, instantly becoming solemn. "It is true." One said, who's dark eyes told just how old he truly was. "And what of the deaths?"
"Captain Haldir of Lothlorien." Aragorn said. "And many of the Lothlorien archers."
The elf with the dark eyes nodded, sighing. "And what news do you desire?"
"Of the Golden Wood." Legolas said "What of Lady Lorian?"
The two messengers exchanged glances, and it was then that Legolas feared the worst. "It grieves us to be the ones to tell you." The elf with dark eyes replied. "Are you the prince of Mirkwood?"
"I am." Legolas answered, his eyes becoming as cold as ice.
"Than I fear the news we bring is horrible." The messenger elf said. "She was slain on her way to the shores of this land."
Gimli, who for once sat behind Eomer instead of Legolas looked to see the expression on his freinds face. The look on the elf's face was anything but pleasant. Legolas's brows were furrowed and his gaze could have withered any man.
"The company she was riding with were attacked by Orcs." The other elf continued. "Lothlorien didn't know until the next day, when a patrol stumbled onto their mutilated bodies."
It was then that Legolas reached out, taking the collar of the messenger who was speaking and drawing him almost off his horse. "You lie!" Legolas growled.
The messenger didn't blink, but looked the prince in the eye. "Her hair was long and dark, long enough to reach her ankles. Her face was fair. We could only tell by that."
Legolas took in a harsh breath, and then pushed the other elf away.
"I am sorry." The older elf said. "Is there anything else?"
There was a complete silence of the company. Until Pippen, who sat in front of Aragorn breathed, "Dead? It's- It's not possible."
The two elves only looked at the small hobbit. "We are sorry." With that, they turned their horses, and rode away, leaving the company to continue on to the Great Hall.
After again spurring their horses forwards, Aragorn glanced at his friend. Legolas's eyes were brimmed with tears, but the elf's face was that of stone. Aragorn knew that this was not good. He had been among elves since a very young age, and knew their vulnerabilities and weaknesses. An elf could die just as easily from heartbreak as from an Orcish arrow, and he feared greatly for Legolas.
***Later***
Merry and Pippen sang and danced on the table, sloshing ail and accidentally kicking a rider in the face on occasion. But all was well. Or so it seemed. Aragorn had not seen Legolas since they had arrived at Rohan's capital, but did not know where to search first.
It was then that Aowen walked up, her long blonde hair cascading over her shoulders, and her eyes reflecting the candlelight. "Lord Aragorn." She said, meeting his gaze. "Who are you searching for?" She asked softly.
"The elf Legolas." Aragorn answered. "He received very ill news of someone he loved, and I need to find him."
"Than it is true of what I have heard about the heartbreak of elves?" Aowen asked, following Aragorn away from the merry-making.
"It is." Aragorn answered. "Would you know where to find him?"
"He is an elf." Aowen said softly. "I would suppose he would be at the stables."
***The Stables***
Legolas brushed out Lazaro's white main. The Rohans's stables were supplied with everything to do with horses, which included brushes.
The white stallion stood silently in the stall, swishing his tail at times. Then other times he would turn to regard Legolas with his large curious eyes.
Legolas had been there for several hours now. He didn't have the heart to leave. The quiet of the stables and the presence of Lazaro was all that seemed to comfort him. He ran his hand down Lazaro's strong neck. The tears he had let go freely from his eyes now fell onto the stallion's shoulder, and Legolas laid his head against the horses's neck. It was then he knew that he wasn't the only one in the stables. "Leave me in peace, Aragorn."
Aragorn walked slowly over to his friend, but staying a good distance away. "I cannot. A friend does not leave when you are suffering."
Aowen watched as the heir of Gondor spoke to the elf. She stood silently and motionless in the stable-doorway.
Legolas did not face Aragorn. "Who says that I suffer?" He asked, his voice thick in his throat.
"I was there when you received the word." Aragorn answered. "I know."
Legolas took in a shuddering breath. "Then you know of how she must have died?" He asked. "Tortured and then mutilated. Left to rot. And I was the one who asked her to leave Middle-Earth."
Aragorn watched as Legolas tried to wipe away his tears.
"Because I wanted her to be safe." Legolas finished.
"You could not have known that it would be like this." Aragorn said. "It isn't your fault."
Legolas still kept his back to Aragorn. "Aragorn, leave me." He paused. "Please leave me."
Aragorn walked up behind his friend, resting his hand on Legolas's shoulder. "She would not have wanted you to give into grief." He said quietly. "Middle-Earth still needs you. The Fellowship still needs you." He paused. "Avenge her Legolas. Avenge Orian. It is as she would have wished."
It was then that Legolas finally turned to face his friend. Aragorn saw deep into the elf's soal, seeing the torment and hurt.
"I will avenge her." Legolas said, his voice shaky. "It is as she would have wished." Aragorn nodded, and then pulled Legolas into a firm embrace.
Aowen watched as the elf wept into Aragorn's shoulder, and couldn't help but wonder just who this Lady Orian was. And if she would have been as good of friends with her as Aragorn was with Legolas. Unbeknownst to her, she would meet this Orian, and they would fight together before the Dark Lord's defeat.
(To Be Continued)
(A.N. Review...if you see it fit.)