My Darling Lillian
Chapter 6
Wolves in the Night
Legolas wandered the woods of Lothlorien, dreaming though his eyes did not close, as is the way of the Elves.
He dreamt of happy times, of his younger years spent with his mother in the forests of Mirkwood, which was at that time called Greenwood the Great. He remembered how she had shown him how the bark of this tree would cure fatigue, and how the leaf of this bush would induce deep healing dreams, and how this grass would change its color from a light green to a deep maroon if boiled.
Though some of his dreams were happy, most were unpleasant and haunted him. He dreamt of the first host of orcs that attacked Greenwood, of the furry of the troll in Morea, but most of all Legolas dreamt of the fall of Gandalf the Gray upon the bridge of Khazad-Dûm.
It seemed to play itself over and over again in Legolas' mind.
Gandalf as his staff broke, as the Balrog fell, then the dreadful moment that its whip coiled around Gandalf's leg and brought him down, then Gandalf's last words: "Fly you fools."
Legolas shook his head to clear away the horror of that dreadful moment, but soon the dream returned, and it continued to play itself over and over again in his mind
He shook his head again, and then sensed the presence of another. He turned and saw a She-Elf looking down at him.
For a moment Legolas thought it was his mother looking down upon him, but after a moment realized it was the lady Galadrielle kindly smiling down upon him.
"My Lady." Legolas murmured, bowing.
"I know what troubles you, Legolas, son of Thranduil," Galadrielle said as Legolas stood up, "and this is my advice to you: 'Do not mourn overmuch that which is best not remembered.'"
Legolas nodded, then bowed again as Galadrielle turned to leave.
Legolas turned to look up at the moon. He poured his soft silvery light onto the forest floor. The light changed forms, and cast an aerie glow about the trees. That and the sad songs of mourning gave the woods a feel of ancient knowledge, but also a sense caused one to know that it would soon end and that the wood would soon become like any other, unenchanting.
The moonlight soothed Legolas' heart for a time, but he was thankful when the Sun came again to give the world her light.
For three days Lillian slept, her dreams she never remembered, but they were filled with pain and fear, and her rest was uneasy. Gandalf and Hallaampion kept watch over her, and soothed her burns with cooling salves.
Lillian's burns hadn't been as severe as any had feared, and her condition was improving.
Whenever Gandalf or Hallaampion left the tent that served as a medical ward, they found Legolas at the door.
Legolas never voiced his thoughts, though Gandalf would always answer his question by replying: "She is improving, but still asleep."
On the fourth day, Lillian awoke.
"What's going on?" She wondered out loud, putting her left hand to her right, and discovering that her arm was bandaged.
"You saved us all in the cave, and have slept for three days." Gandalf replied. Hallaampion would have answered her questions, but he had just left to find some herbs that grew nearby.
"But-" Lillian began, trying to sit up, but was cut off by Gandalf.
"Yes, everyone escaped safely, and you had better stay lying down." Gandalf ordered.
Lillian ignored him, but regretted it when pain sliced through her right side, and most of her left.
"Ow..." She groaned, lying back down.
"I told you not to sit up." Gandalf chuckled, looking over his shoulder. Lillian managed a pained smile, then went back to sleep.
Later, after Hallaampion had returned, Gandalf went outside to get some hot water, and found Legolas standing outside the tent, as usual.
Gandalf walked by and Legolas followed.
When they had arrived back the fire where water was boiling Legolas ventured a few words: "I heard Lillian."
"Yes, you did." Gandalf replied as he poured the remaining water out of the pot, then shouted: "Ori, Valin, or Frór! One of you needs to get some more water!"
The three grumbled, and in the end it was Gimly who retrieved the water.
Gandalf then turned to return to the tent, and Legolas followed him.
Gandalf suddenly turned, and said: "Legolas, if you insist on following me around like a lost puppy, then I shall be obliged to turn you into one!"
Legolas wasn't sure if Gandalf was serious, but a twinkle in his eye made him doubt it.
Gandalf sighed, and then said, "If you want, you can come in."
"Yes, please!" Legolas smiled.
Gandalf held the tent flap open while he and Legolas passed under, then returned to making the salve, alongside Hallaampion.
Legolas walked over to Lillian's cot, and gazed down at her. Her skin wasn't as pale as it had been when he had carried her out of the cave, and her hair was already beginning to grow again.
"Don't just stand there!" Gandalf reprimanded, "Make yourself useful and do something!"
"Here, have Lillian drink this." Hallaampion said, handing Legolas a bowl.
Legolas nodded, and walked back to Lillian's cot.
"Lillian..." He whispered, gently touching her left shoulder.
Lillian opened one eye, as though to open both were too great a challenge, and then softly laughed "Just one more minute, Dad."
Legolas promptly poured the water over her head.
As Lillian and Legolas laughed, Gandalf sighed. Why couldn't they have been friends while they traveled?
A few days later, Lillian was strong enough to leave the tent, and the group planned to continue their journey in two days.
The evening before their planned departure, Lillian and Legolas were sitting at the fire alone.
"What do you want, Legolas?" Lillian asked, leaning back to look at the stars.
Legolas looked at her queerly.
"I mean, what do you want out of life? You're a prince, so you've gotta want something like to be the best king you people ever had, right?"
"No..."Legolas murmured, biting his lip. "You go first," He then said, leaning back as well.
"Well, Hallaampion asked me once, and I said that I wanted a loving family and a home." Lillian looked sadly at the Moon, and Lillian thought the Moon smiled at her as the small white stars blinked.
Legolas nodded, wishing his wish were as simple.
"Now your turn." Lillian smiled, looking over at Legolas.
After a long silence, he slowly replied. "I'm not sure what I want." "Why not?" Lillian asked, sitting back up. "Well, you see, my kind, the Elves, will mostly departing for Valinor soon, but my heart still lies here..." "Well, then stay." Lillian replied. "It is not so simple," Legolas continued, "the sea calls to all of the Elves, and..." Legolas faltered, he'd not even told Gimly yet... "The grief of an immortal life is beginning to wear at my heart..." Legolas sighed, but the sigh was suddenly cut in half by a howl. "What was that?" Lillian asked, scooting closer to Legolas. "A wolf." Legolas murmured. Legolas and Lillian heard a sound behind them, and turned to see Gimly approach, ax in hand. A second howl pierced the darkness. Suddenly the whole camp was awake. Lanterns were lit, the fire was fed, and the whole group met around the fire. "What should we do?" Phercrabion asked. "Not worry is what we should do," Gimly replied, "Evil comes in groups of three, the wolves may simply be passing by." "What is that supposed to mean?" Dûrmelion asked angrily, thinking Gimly referred to the Three Elven Rings. As Legolas sent Dûrmelion a warning look, a third howl broke the stillness that previously had only been interrupted by the crackling of the fires. "Now you may begin to worry." Gimly murmured as evil eyes in the shadows reflected the glow of the fire.
Chapter 6
Wolves in the Night
Legolas wandered the woods of Lothlorien, dreaming though his eyes did not close, as is the way of the Elves.
He dreamt of happy times, of his younger years spent with his mother in the forests of Mirkwood, which was at that time called Greenwood the Great. He remembered how she had shown him how the bark of this tree would cure fatigue, and how the leaf of this bush would induce deep healing dreams, and how this grass would change its color from a light green to a deep maroon if boiled.
Though some of his dreams were happy, most were unpleasant and haunted him. He dreamt of the first host of orcs that attacked Greenwood, of the furry of the troll in Morea, but most of all Legolas dreamt of the fall of Gandalf the Gray upon the bridge of Khazad-Dûm.
It seemed to play itself over and over again in Legolas' mind.
Gandalf as his staff broke, as the Balrog fell, then the dreadful moment that its whip coiled around Gandalf's leg and brought him down, then Gandalf's last words: "Fly you fools."
Legolas shook his head to clear away the horror of that dreadful moment, but soon the dream returned, and it continued to play itself over and over again in his mind
He shook his head again, and then sensed the presence of another. He turned and saw a She-Elf looking down at him.
For a moment Legolas thought it was his mother looking down upon him, but after a moment realized it was the lady Galadrielle kindly smiling down upon him.
"My Lady." Legolas murmured, bowing.
"I know what troubles you, Legolas, son of Thranduil," Galadrielle said as Legolas stood up, "and this is my advice to you: 'Do not mourn overmuch that which is best not remembered.'"
Legolas nodded, then bowed again as Galadrielle turned to leave.
Legolas turned to look up at the moon. He poured his soft silvery light onto the forest floor. The light changed forms, and cast an aerie glow about the trees. That and the sad songs of mourning gave the woods a feel of ancient knowledge, but also a sense caused one to know that it would soon end and that the wood would soon become like any other, unenchanting.
The moonlight soothed Legolas' heart for a time, but he was thankful when the Sun came again to give the world her light.
For three days Lillian slept, her dreams she never remembered, but they were filled with pain and fear, and her rest was uneasy. Gandalf and Hallaampion kept watch over her, and soothed her burns with cooling salves.
Lillian's burns hadn't been as severe as any had feared, and her condition was improving.
Whenever Gandalf or Hallaampion left the tent that served as a medical ward, they found Legolas at the door.
Legolas never voiced his thoughts, though Gandalf would always answer his question by replying: "She is improving, but still asleep."
On the fourth day, Lillian awoke.
"What's going on?" She wondered out loud, putting her left hand to her right, and discovering that her arm was bandaged.
"You saved us all in the cave, and have slept for three days." Gandalf replied. Hallaampion would have answered her questions, but he had just left to find some herbs that grew nearby.
"But-" Lillian began, trying to sit up, but was cut off by Gandalf.
"Yes, everyone escaped safely, and you had better stay lying down." Gandalf ordered.
Lillian ignored him, but regretted it when pain sliced through her right side, and most of her left.
"Ow..." She groaned, lying back down.
"I told you not to sit up." Gandalf chuckled, looking over his shoulder. Lillian managed a pained smile, then went back to sleep.
Later, after Hallaampion had returned, Gandalf went outside to get some hot water, and found Legolas standing outside the tent, as usual.
Gandalf walked by and Legolas followed.
When they had arrived back the fire where water was boiling Legolas ventured a few words: "I heard Lillian."
"Yes, you did." Gandalf replied as he poured the remaining water out of the pot, then shouted: "Ori, Valin, or Frór! One of you needs to get some more water!"
The three grumbled, and in the end it was Gimly who retrieved the water.
Gandalf then turned to return to the tent, and Legolas followed him.
Gandalf suddenly turned, and said: "Legolas, if you insist on following me around like a lost puppy, then I shall be obliged to turn you into one!"
Legolas wasn't sure if Gandalf was serious, but a twinkle in his eye made him doubt it.
Gandalf sighed, and then said, "If you want, you can come in."
"Yes, please!" Legolas smiled.
Gandalf held the tent flap open while he and Legolas passed under, then returned to making the salve, alongside Hallaampion.
Legolas walked over to Lillian's cot, and gazed down at her. Her skin wasn't as pale as it had been when he had carried her out of the cave, and her hair was already beginning to grow again.
"Don't just stand there!" Gandalf reprimanded, "Make yourself useful and do something!"
"Here, have Lillian drink this." Hallaampion said, handing Legolas a bowl.
Legolas nodded, and walked back to Lillian's cot.
"Lillian..." He whispered, gently touching her left shoulder.
Lillian opened one eye, as though to open both were too great a challenge, and then softly laughed "Just one more minute, Dad."
Legolas promptly poured the water over her head.
As Lillian and Legolas laughed, Gandalf sighed. Why couldn't they have been friends while they traveled?
A few days later, Lillian was strong enough to leave the tent, and the group planned to continue their journey in two days.
The evening before their planned departure, Lillian and Legolas were sitting at the fire alone.
"What do you want, Legolas?" Lillian asked, leaning back to look at the stars.
Legolas looked at her queerly.
"I mean, what do you want out of life? You're a prince, so you've gotta want something like to be the best king you people ever had, right?"
"No..."Legolas murmured, biting his lip. "You go first," He then said, leaning back as well.
"Well, Hallaampion asked me once, and I said that I wanted a loving family and a home." Lillian looked sadly at the Moon, and Lillian thought the Moon smiled at her as the small white stars blinked.
Legolas nodded, wishing his wish were as simple.
"Now your turn." Lillian smiled, looking over at Legolas.
After a long silence, he slowly replied. "I'm not sure what I want." "Why not?" Lillian asked, sitting back up. "Well, you see, my kind, the Elves, will mostly departing for Valinor soon, but my heart still lies here..." "Well, then stay." Lillian replied. "It is not so simple," Legolas continued, "the sea calls to all of the Elves, and..." Legolas faltered, he'd not even told Gimly yet... "The grief of an immortal life is beginning to wear at my heart..." Legolas sighed, but the sigh was suddenly cut in half by a howl. "What was that?" Lillian asked, scooting closer to Legolas. "A wolf." Legolas murmured. Legolas and Lillian heard a sound behind them, and turned to see Gimly approach, ax in hand. A second howl pierced the darkness. Suddenly the whole camp was awake. Lanterns were lit, the fire was fed, and the whole group met around the fire. "What should we do?" Phercrabion asked. "Not worry is what we should do," Gimly replied, "Evil comes in groups of three, the wolves may simply be passing by." "What is that supposed to mean?" Dûrmelion asked angrily, thinking Gimly referred to the Three Elven Rings. As Legolas sent Dûrmelion a warning look, a third howl broke the stillness that previously had only been interrupted by the crackling of the fires. "Now you may begin to worry." Gimly murmured as evil eyes in the shadows reflected the glow of the fire.