Author's Note: I thank you all for your reviews, they have encouraged me to
keep writing this story. On the remark of Mirkwood being renamed Greenwood
the Great after the War of the Ring, the reason I kept the name Mirkwood is
because Greenwood the Great gets very tiring to type out dozens of times! I
will keep that in mind, though. On behalf of Elrond still residing in
Imladris when he left at the end of the Third Age, I changed that so it
would make the story more interesting. Elrond is one of my favorite
characters, so I had to have him in this story, even though he really is in
Valinor.
Chapter 16
Mirkwood was quiet. From Laurelin's seat next to King Thranduil, it had every reason to be. Something was terribly wrong. But what was it?
Laurelin turned anxiously to the King.
"My Lord, there is something amiss in this land. Should we not call forth reinforcements to secure our own premises?"
Thranduil kept his eyes closed, for he knew what had happened in Rivendell. He could sense it in the earth, in the water, in the air. Much had been altered.
"Lizule has changed her mind."
"Pardon?"
"She is not marrying Glorfindel. She loves another."
Laurelin gasped. "Who?"
"Elladan."
"That is Lord Elrond's son, right?"
"Yes. I feared this beyond all else. I saw Lizule and Glorfindel's love waver, and I knew it would soon cease to exist. I just didn't think it would happen so quick."
"I guess she knows who her true lover is now."
"Oh, trust me, she knows. It took only one kiss to know it."
****
"Legolas, are you busy?"
Legolas looked up from his book to his chamber doorway and saw that Lizule was standing there, her face pale. She had her black hair hanging limply, undone. Her engagement ring was gone.
"No, not at all. Please, come in," he said, motioning for her to sit next to him on his bed.
"What happened?"
"Glorfindel and Elladan got in a fight."
"Why?"
"Because Glorfindel saw me kissing Elladan in the garden."
Legolas choked. "Why were you kissing him?"
Lizule burst into tears.
"I don't know."
Then she blurted out her entire story, starting from when Glorfindel had refused to heal Gloried. She told him how she felt that Elladan was her soul mate and that they were meant to be together. Legolas listened, and when she was finally finished, he said,
"So you love Elladan but you want to love Glorfindel?"
"Yes."
"But you and Elladan are doomed to love each other, are you not?"
Lizule sniffled. "I guess."
"Then let love take its own course. You can't change it, so just go with the flow of things. There is nothing more you can do."
"But Glorfindel is so upset and I know he doesn't understand. How can I explain?"
"You can't. That is the beauty of it. You can't explain love, you just learn to accept it, no matter where it may lead you."
"I suppose," she said, sighing. "I suppose you are right."
Lizule stood. "Thank you, Legolas. I feel a little better."
"That is what I am here for."
Lizule smiled weakly and left.
Legolas watched her go, and then returned to his book that he was reading: There and Back Again, it was called, written by Bilbo Baggins. How he missed those crazy little hobbits. But they were all gone, either they were in Valinor, which was the case with Frodo, Bilbo, and Sam. Or, they were dead, like Pippin and Merry. It wasn't fair that such joyful creatures had to die. It didn't seem right.
"Oh, to be mortal," Legolas thought as he turned a page in the book.
****
The next day came too soon for Lizule and she had to face Glorfindel at the council. She tarried in her room; roaming about and triple checking to make sure everything was in order. When she began to go over outfit for a fourth time, she realized she was acting absurd and that she better proceed downstairs.
With a sigh, she opened her chamber door and walked down the never-ending hall of bedrooms. When she reached the end of it, she saw that Legolas was talking calmly to Elladan. Both Elves looked deeply troubled, but when she approached them, they put on fake smiles.
"Hello, Lizule," Legolas said in a cheery voice. "Did you sleep well?"
Lizule raised her eyebrows. Something was terribly wrong, and they were not telling her what it was.
"Yes, I slept fine," she said cautiously, trying to see through Legolas's face of stone. She couldn't.
Turning to Elladan, she smiled at him. He smiled back at her, with not a trace of distress on his lips. Lizule groaned silently. She was getting nowhere. These two Elves were skilled at covering up their emotions.
"When is the council to be held?" she said, feeling that she should change the subject.
"Aye, yes, well, Legolas and I were just going to it right now. Would you like me to escort you there?" Elladan said, offering her his elbow.
"Yes, my Lord, I would like that very much." She took his arm and followed the Elf Princes downstairs.
They led her out on a huge balcony that was shaded by trees with golden leaves. Lord Elrond was sitting in his chair, with Elrohir on his left. Erestor, his chief, was standing behind Elrond; his face set in an emotionless stare. Elladan took his seat on the right of his Father and Lizule sat down next to him. Legolas joined Isitur and Glorfindel at the other end of the council ring.
~ Glorfindel ~
Lizule dropped her head, embarrassed to see him there in all of his glory. He was looking positively stunning, and her heart hurt as she took in the full sight of him.
Elrond stood and raised his hands to quiet the congregation.
"My people, friends and allies of Rivendell, we come together to discuss the fate of Imladris. It is on the brink of destruction if we sit back and do nothing. This is our war, the Eldar's war. We must fight, or our entire race will fall. "With the army that we have, we must destroy the Balrog and fend off the Orcs. What I speak of will not be easy, nor will it come without deaths. But I am willing to make the needed sacrifice to protect our race. We have 2,500 soldiers and five generals. This task should not take more than a week to accomplish if we do it right. In order to destroy the Balrog, it will take every Elf-lord's power to perform this."
Elrond motioned to Glorfindel.
"Glorfindel has been making a list of every Elf that has any power that we can use against the Balrog. He will now read the names."
Glorfindel stood and cleared his throat.
"Lord Elrond, Prince Elladan, Prince Elrohir, Erestor, Totholain, and myself. Unfortunately, due to Totholain's recent death, we will not be able to use his gift."
Glorfindel folded the piece of paper, sat back down, and crossed his arms.
"With these powers combined, I believe we can create a force quite unlike any other ever seen before. However, we must train and prepare if we are to succeed at this." Elrond scanned the crowd, resting his eyes on each Elf there, as if to make his point clear to everyone.
Legolas shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He had a question, but he was unsure if he should ask it. Timidly he said,
"Lord Elrond, I beg your pardon, but what about the Elves that do not have any "special" powers? What are we to fight? If we destroy the Balrog, what is the point in battling the Orcs?"
Elrond smiled at the younger Elf. He was so wise yet so naïve. Legolas had grown from when Elrond had seen him last, which had been about a year and a half ago.
"You will not battle the Orcs. You will fight the Balrog with us."
Legolas gulped. "With all do respect, we will lose many Elves if we all fight this Balrog. I thought that just the Elf-lords were going to fight it."
Elrond sighed; Legolas was thinking too hard. "The whole army will not battle the Balrog. We will have the five Elf-lords Glorfindel mentioned, you, and Isitur. That is the army to kill the Balrog."
"And all the other Elves fight the Orcs?"
"Yes."
"Okay," Legolas said, nodding. He was not sure if he would be able to help kill the Balrog, but he felt safe because Elrond would be there with him.
"Any more questions?"
No one said a word.
"All right then. Will the Elves that I mentioned come with me, and everyone else can rest. We plan to attack in three days, so please keep up your strength!"
****
Chapter 16
Mirkwood was quiet. From Laurelin's seat next to King Thranduil, it had every reason to be. Something was terribly wrong. But what was it?
Laurelin turned anxiously to the King.
"My Lord, there is something amiss in this land. Should we not call forth reinforcements to secure our own premises?"
Thranduil kept his eyes closed, for he knew what had happened in Rivendell. He could sense it in the earth, in the water, in the air. Much had been altered.
"Lizule has changed her mind."
"Pardon?"
"She is not marrying Glorfindel. She loves another."
Laurelin gasped. "Who?"
"Elladan."
"That is Lord Elrond's son, right?"
"Yes. I feared this beyond all else. I saw Lizule and Glorfindel's love waver, and I knew it would soon cease to exist. I just didn't think it would happen so quick."
"I guess she knows who her true lover is now."
"Oh, trust me, she knows. It took only one kiss to know it."
****
"Legolas, are you busy?"
Legolas looked up from his book to his chamber doorway and saw that Lizule was standing there, her face pale. She had her black hair hanging limply, undone. Her engagement ring was gone.
"No, not at all. Please, come in," he said, motioning for her to sit next to him on his bed.
"What happened?"
"Glorfindel and Elladan got in a fight."
"Why?"
"Because Glorfindel saw me kissing Elladan in the garden."
Legolas choked. "Why were you kissing him?"
Lizule burst into tears.
"I don't know."
Then she blurted out her entire story, starting from when Glorfindel had refused to heal Gloried. She told him how she felt that Elladan was her soul mate and that they were meant to be together. Legolas listened, and when she was finally finished, he said,
"So you love Elladan but you want to love Glorfindel?"
"Yes."
"But you and Elladan are doomed to love each other, are you not?"
Lizule sniffled. "I guess."
"Then let love take its own course. You can't change it, so just go with the flow of things. There is nothing more you can do."
"But Glorfindel is so upset and I know he doesn't understand. How can I explain?"
"You can't. That is the beauty of it. You can't explain love, you just learn to accept it, no matter where it may lead you."
"I suppose," she said, sighing. "I suppose you are right."
Lizule stood. "Thank you, Legolas. I feel a little better."
"That is what I am here for."
Lizule smiled weakly and left.
Legolas watched her go, and then returned to his book that he was reading: There and Back Again, it was called, written by Bilbo Baggins. How he missed those crazy little hobbits. But they were all gone, either they were in Valinor, which was the case with Frodo, Bilbo, and Sam. Or, they were dead, like Pippin and Merry. It wasn't fair that such joyful creatures had to die. It didn't seem right.
"Oh, to be mortal," Legolas thought as he turned a page in the book.
****
The next day came too soon for Lizule and she had to face Glorfindel at the council. She tarried in her room; roaming about and triple checking to make sure everything was in order. When she began to go over outfit for a fourth time, she realized she was acting absurd and that she better proceed downstairs.
With a sigh, she opened her chamber door and walked down the never-ending hall of bedrooms. When she reached the end of it, she saw that Legolas was talking calmly to Elladan. Both Elves looked deeply troubled, but when she approached them, they put on fake smiles.
"Hello, Lizule," Legolas said in a cheery voice. "Did you sleep well?"
Lizule raised her eyebrows. Something was terribly wrong, and they were not telling her what it was.
"Yes, I slept fine," she said cautiously, trying to see through Legolas's face of stone. She couldn't.
Turning to Elladan, she smiled at him. He smiled back at her, with not a trace of distress on his lips. Lizule groaned silently. She was getting nowhere. These two Elves were skilled at covering up their emotions.
"When is the council to be held?" she said, feeling that she should change the subject.
"Aye, yes, well, Legolas and I were just going to it right now. Would you like me to escort you there?" Elladan said, offering her his elbow.
"Yes, my Lord, I would like that very much." She took his arm and followed the Elf Princes downstairs.
They led her out on a huge balcony that was shaded by trees with golden leaves. Lord Elrond was sitting in his chair, with Elrohir on his left. Erestor, his chief, was standing behind Elrond; his face set in an emotionless stare. Elladan took his seat on the right of his Father and Lizule sat down next to him. Legolas joined Isitur and Glorfindel at the other end of the council ring.
~ Glorfindel ~
Lizule dropped her head, embarrassed to see him there in all of his glory. He was looking positively stunning, and her heart hurt as she took in the full sight of him.
Elrond stood and raised his hands to quiet the congregation.
"My people, friends and allies of Rivendell, we come together to discuss the fate of Imladris. It is on the brink of destruction if we sit back and do nothing. This is our war, the Eldar's war. We must fight, or our entire race will fall. "With the army that we have, we must destroy the Balrog and fend off the Orcs. What I speak of will not be easy, nor will it come without deaths. But I am willing to make the needed sacrifice to protect our race. We have 2,500 soldiers and five generals. This task should not take more than a week to accomplish if we do it right. In order to destroy the Balrog, it will take every Elf-lord's power to perform this."
Elrond motioned to Glorfindel.
"Glorfindel has been making a list of every Elf that has any power that we can use against the Balrog. He will now read the names."
Glorfindel stood and cleared his throat.
"Lord Elrond, Prince Elladan, Prince Elrohir, Erestor, Totholain, and myself. Unfortunately, due to Totholain's recent death, we will not be able to use his gift."
Glorfindel folded the piece of paper, sat back down, and crossed his arms.
"With these powers combined, I believe we can create a force quite unlike any other ever seen before. However, we must train and prepare if we are to succeed at this." Elrond scanned the crowd, resting his eyes on each Elf there, as if to make his point clear to everyone.
Legolas shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He had a question, but he was unsure if he should ask it. Timidly he said,
"Lord Elrond, I beg your pardon, but what about the Elves that do not have any "special" powers? What are we to fight? If we destroy the Balrog, what is the point in battling the Orcs?"
Elrond smiled at the younger Elf. He was so wise yet so naïve. Legolas had grown from when Elrond had seen him last, which had been about a year and a half ago.
"You will not battle the Orcs. You will fight the Balrog with us."
Legolas gulped. "With all do respect, we will lose many Elves if we all fight this Balrog. I thought that just the Elf-lords were going to fight it."
Elrond sighed; Legolas was thinking too hard. "The whole army will not battle the Balrog. We will have the five Elf-lords Glorfindel mentioned, you, and Isitur. That is the army to kill the Balrog."
"And all the other Elves fight the Orcs?"
"Yes."
"Okay," Legolas said, nodding. He was not sure if he would be able to help kill the Balrog, but he felt safe because Elrond would be there with him.
"Any more questions?"
No one said a word.
"All right then. Will the Elves that I mentioned come with me, and everyone else can rest. We plan to attack in three days, so please keep up your strength!"
****