Part 67
Elrohir did not sing again, and Legolas returned to his place at the back of the line. He wordlessly mulled over Aragorn's words and tried to take the man's advice. But Aragorn did not know all of it. He didn't even know half of it, and Legolas wasn't sure of everything himself. It was just all so confusing. The Elf prince didn't want to think about it. But it got in his face anyway.
The time went passed them as they rode on in the night, and finally, they approached the forest...where the entrance to the Paths of the Dead was. It was unlike an other wood Legolas had encountered, and he was a woodland Elf. The trees were dark shadows of cruel,twisted branches, encompassed in a heavy fog. And even the stars around its canopy seemed to dim, as they drew nearer and nearer the leafless boughs. Legolas did not like. He did not like at all. But he must follow his best friend and for a forest to be an obstacle for a Woodland Elf was simply ludicrous. And he wasn't afraid. Legolas gritted his teeth. He wasn't afraid.
Aragorn led them on into the wood but first through the mist. It hardly parted as beings walked through it, only caressing the legs of each horse and clouding the boots of their riders from their own view. Legolas looked down into the fog with a certain curiosity in his eyes,though he had well seen mist before. The Elf let his slender hand stray from Arod's reins and elegantly dip to run his fingertips through the cool fog. Elladan saw this and was amused by his friend's simple, almost childish gesture. He watched as the prince of Mirkwood let his hand fall down and run through the mist again, falling in one graceful,flowing motion. It almost seemed as if her were in a dream, a vision before Elladan's eyes. The eldest son of Elrond saw more than just the action of his friend. There was melancholy there and pensive sorrow.
But Legolas' idle amusements were soon darkened from Elladan when they finally came beneath the woods' boughs. Darkness engulfed them, and only on occasion would the light of the moon reach them through patches in the canopy. Usually, a mere forest would be nothing to the Men of the Dunedain, but this wood bothered them. It was not to be called fear, what they felt. Just a subtle uneasiness. They were vigilant as they rode, though they could see little in this blackness.
The door. Where was the bloody door? Legolas was getting agitated. And he though all in his party was silent, he did not ride undisturbed. There were voices. Not the ones of his own thoughts, but of his surroundings. The trees whispered in a wicked tongue. They hissed in incoherent sentences, but the Elf knew their words were evil.
" Why do you come here, child of the Green Wood? "
It was a deep, menacing voice. And then another chided in.
" Why do you follow the footsteps of Men, Greenleaf? Tarry
but a while here. Do you wish to see truth? "
" Be silent ", spat Legolas in Sindarin. Gimli's head snapped up at the Elvish words. Who was his friend speaking to? Elladan, understanding the words, looked puzzled. Who did the prince attempt to silence?
But they had little time for thoughts.
" Halt here, my friends. We have come to the entrance of
of our road. "
Aragorn's voice echoed out to all of his followers. And Legolas felt a strange relief, as well as anxiety rise in him. Finally, he would face death.
Elrohir did not sing again, and Legolas returned to his place at the back of the line. He wordlessly mulled over Aragorn's words and tried to take the man's advice. But Aragorn did not know all of it. He didn't even know half of it, and Legolas wasn't sure of everything himself. It was just all so confusing. The Elf prince didn't want to think about it. But it got in his face anyway.
The time went passed them as they rode on in the night, and finally, they approached the forest...where the entrance to the Paths of the Dead was. It was unlike an other wood Legolas had encountered, and he was a woodland Elf. The trees were dark shadows of cruel,twisted branches, encompassed in a heavy fog. And even the stars around its canopy seemed to dim, as they drew nearer and nearer the leafless boughs. Legolas did not like. He did not like at all. But he must follow his best friend and for a forest to be an obstacle for a Woodland Elf was simply ludicrous. And he wasn't afraid. Legolas gritted his teeth. He wasn't afraid.
Aragorn led them on into the wood but first through the mist. It hardly parted as beings walked through it, only caressing the legs of each horse and clouding the boots of their riders from their own view. Legolas looked down into the fog with a certain curiosity in his eyes,though he had well seen mist before. The Elf let his slender hand stray from Arod's reins and elegantly dip to run his fingertips through the cool fog. Elladan saw this and was amused by his friend's simple, almost childish gesture. He watched as the prince of Mirkwood let his hand fall down and run through the mist again, falling in one graceful,flowing motion. It almost seemed as if her were in a dream, a vision before Elladan's eyes. The eldest son of Elrond saw more than just the action of his friend. There was melancholy there and pensive sorrow.
But Legolas' idle amusements were soon darkened from Elladan when they finally came beneath the woods' boughs. Darkness engulfed them, and only on occasion would the light of the moon reach them through patches in the canopy. Usually, a mere forest would be nothing to the Men of the Dunedain, but this wood bothered them. It was not to be called fear, what they felt. Just a subtle uneasiness. They were vigilant as they rode, though they could see little in this blackness.
The door. Where was the bloody door? Legolas was getting agitated. And he though all in his party was silent, he did not ride undisturbed. There were voices. Not the ones of his own thoughts, but of his surroundings. The trees whispered in a wicked tongue. They hissed in incoherent sentences, but the Elf knew their words were evil.
" Why do you come here, child of the Green Wood? "
It was a deep, menacing voice. And then another chided in.
" Why do you follow the footsteps of Men, Greenleaf? Tarry
but a while here. Do you wish to see truth? "
" Be silent ", spat Legolas in Sindarin. Gimli's head snapped up at the Elvish words. Who was his friend speaking to? Elladan, understanding the words, looked puzzled. Who did the prince attempt to silence?
But they had little time for thoughts.
" Halt here, my friends. We have come to the entrance of
of our road. "
Aragorn's voice echoed out to all of his followers. And Legolas felt a strange relief, as well as anxiety rise in him. Finally, he would face death.
