Five days had passed since Tain's departure to Síriel, and the soldiers who
had travelled with him, had now returned. Tassan, the elderly woman who had
revealed some of Calaen's treachery to Elrohir, had volunteered to take in
the child, and adopt him as her own. The Elves of Rivendell thought her
very brave – or stupid – but she was adamant that he could be changed for
the better.
Today was a very significant day, for the Fellowship of the Ring was to leave in no more than an hour. It had been decided that their journey had been delayed enough as it was, and they could wait no longer before setting off. Like the last time before leaving, Legolas was once again sitting under a tree in one of the gardens.
He was happy, despite all that had happened, and the people he had lost. It was one of the first times in many years that the Prince had been happy, and the feeling was amazing. No demons haunted him, no past memories troubled him.
As he sat thinking and running things over in his mind, Legolas smiled vaguely. He could hear footsteps coming through the trees, and they were not light. At least, not light to an Elf's sharp ears. The Elf in question shook his head and laughed quietly.
"Estel, stop trying to catch me off my guard. To me, your footsteps are akin to the stamping of one hundred Orcs," the Prince said.
"Yes, but it is still worth a try," said Aragorn, dropping to the ground next to his friend.
"No, it really is not," muttered Legolas.
The Ranger laughed softly, and rested his head back against the tree trunk. "The last time we sat here seems like such a long time ago. Airëlus had not returned, and we knew nothing of Calaen or Aradan."
"Yes, and look at how our lives panned out after leaving this place," Legolas sighed. "We must do it for a second time very soon. Who knows what we will face this time around?"
"Hmm, who indeed?" Aragorn agreed.
The two friends sat side by side in silence, savouring the stunning beauty that lay all around them. They wondered at how long it would be before their surroundings would be covered in darkness, full of dust, ash and smoke. And there would be enemies, countless of enemies who wanted only power. However, the Elf and Ranger's thoughts were interrupted as two identical and slender bodies were thrown down to the ground in front of them.
"Oh, it is you," Legolas sighed.
"You sound awfully pleased to see you," said Elladan.
"Yes, well..."
Elrohir smirked, and touched a hand to his friend's shoulder. "Fear not, your brother knows nothing of any torture we have put you through in the past. You see, we are not that cruel."
"What is this?" asked Aragorn.
"Oh, we were merely talking about how we have humiliated Legolas in the past," replied Elladan. "You were there for some of it, but you were spared from witnessing the time when a certain Elfling drank a certain amount of Dorwinion."
"Ai, you didn't," laughed Aragorn, looking in surprise at his friend.
"In defence of that certain Elfling, it was a pair of certain irritating twins who replaced his fruit cordial with the Dorwinion," Legolas muttered.
"But, that is a very potent wine. How could you not know that something was amiss?" asked Aragorn, shaking his head in disbelief.
Legolas sighed, and shot the twins nasty glances. "Estel, understand that I was very young, and that was a time when I looked upon Elladan and Elrohir with at least a small bit of respect. Of course, that changed a long time ago."
"So, what happened to him once he had consumed the wine?" asked Aragorn.
"Unfortunately, it did not have the effect we so desired," replied Elrohir, grimacing slightly. "Instead of becoming merry, and making a fool of himself as we had thought he would, our dear Elfling actually became very ill. In fact, I have never seen one so small project so much-
"Please!" Legolas interrupted, and there was no mistaking the blushing of his cheeks. "I was very young back then, so you cannot blame me for not being able to hold the drink."
Aragorn laughed, thought it was for more than one reason. If, a month ago, his Elven friend had been embarrassed like this, surely he would have reacted angrily, very differently from how he was now. The Ranger looked across at the twins then, and asked: 'How did Thranduil react upon finding out that his Elfling had drunk Dorwinion?"
"Well, you know of the King's famous temper," said Elrohir, "and luckily, you have never been on the receiving end of it."
"Ada has threatened many times to knock some sense into us by banging our heads together," said Elladan, "as has our grandfather, Lord Celeborn."
"And Haldir," Elrohir put in.
"And Glorfindel," Legolas added.
"Do not forget Erestor," said Aragorn. Even he knew that much.
Elladan nodded grimly. "Yes, and believe it or not, even peaceful Airëlus has threatened us a few times in the past. In fact, your father, Legolas, was the only one who actually has not threatened us. However, he was the first one to carry out that which others have promised to do."
"It hurt," said Elrohir ruefully, rubbing the side of his head.
"Well, you deserved it," said Legolas.
The friends laughed as the story came to an end, though their laughter soon diminished into nothing. All that could be heard in the garden was the sweet singing of birds, and the soft rustling of leaves. Now that the humour had faded, they were all quietly sombre once more.
"Am I right in saying that you two did not come here just to embarrass Legolas?" Aragorn eventually asked.
Elrohir sighed, though he nodded. "Yes, you are right. Like last time, we have come to say goodbye to you away from everyone else. Also like last time, we thought it would be a lot easier."
"Do you remember that we told you not to come back with any broken limbs or with any injuries at all, for that matter?" asked Elladan. "Well, we are not going to say that now, for there is no chance of you coming home in one piece."
"But, that does not mean we cannot warn you to be careful in whatever you do," Elrohir continued. "Will you at least try and play things safe?"
"We do not go looking for danger," said Aragorn.
"Hmm, it always seems to find us," said Legolas.
Elladan laughed quietly, thought it was without humour. "Just try and stay away from it as much as you can. Although, I guess it will be unavoidable where you are going. No matter what perils you face, what misfortune may befall you, know that we are here waiting for your return."
"Do not worry too much for us," said Legolas gently.
"Yes, and know that when we do return, there will be much feasting," said Aragorn. He paused then, and a slightly wicked gleam came into his eyes. "You never know; maybe King Thranduil will let Legolas have some Dorwinion."
"Ai Elbereth..." sighed the Prince.
"Oh, I am quite sure he will," said Elladan. "Mind you, Legolas; it must not be drunk in large quantities, especially by one so frail."
"Do not worry, 'Dan, if we keep a close watch on him, I'm sure he will be alright," smirked Elrohir.
"I have found the one thing that I am most certainly not going to miss about Rivendell," Legolas said. "Your teasing is something that I could quite happily live without."
............................................................................................................
Twenty minutes later, the Fellowship had gathered in the courtyard, and was standing in front of a host of Elves, some of which included Lord Elrond, King Thranduil, Airëlus, and the twins. They listened intently as Elrond finished his speech of farewell.
"May the blessings of Elves, Men, and all free folk go with you," he said.
Legolas raised his hand and placed it briefly above his heart, before sweeping it out to the side, as was custom for the Elves to do. He looked up and locked eyes with Airëlus, who smiled and returned for farewell gesture. Then, the Prince looked behind his brother, to where his father was standing.
To begin with, the King had not wanted his youngest son to remain part of the Fellowship, and now that it had come to the time of their departure, the paternal side of him still wanted to make a stand and demand that Legolas remain in Rivendell. However, the understanding side of him won the fight, and he remained silent and inclined his head briefly to the Prince.
"The Fellowship awaits the Ring-bearer," Gandalf said suddenly.
Frodo turned and lingered only for a second, before walking slowly from the courtyard. The other members followed in their turn, though as Legolas went to go after the Hobbit, he paused, as a sudden strange feeling washed over him. He glanced back over his shoulder, and a smile danced on his lips as he saw a shimmering image of a familiar dark haired Elf, standing over by one of the walls.
"Silo Anor bo men lín, gwador-nin," the Elf said quietly, and then he touched his hand to his heart.
Legolas nodded once and repeated the gesture. He locked his silver eyes onto shimmering green ones for a brief moment, before turning and following the other members of the Fellowship of the Ring. The dark haired Elf smiled, and then was gone. No-one else had noticed his presence. No-one else shared the same connection with him as Legolas did; the same brotherly connection.
............................................................................................................
Silo Anor bo men lín, gwador-nin.........May the sun shine on your road.
Well, this was the last chapter of 'Captured by the Past'. I have had so
much fun writing this story, and I couldn't have done it without the help
of every single one of you who has read it.
Thanks to: Aeglos, the Snow-Point Spear, Amariel, Aranel of Mirkwood, Astievia, Banana Nut Muffin, ChibiYugiYasha, Chokoholik, Cloud-123, Coolio02, Deana, Demonic Pyro Freak, Earendil Eldar, Eleanor Rigby, Elensar32, Elfobsession2931, Elrohir Lover, Elsa, Elven Kitten, ElvesWillRule, Eternal Greenleaf, Fairy-Dream-Dust, Fuji the Hobbit, Galadriel1010, Haldir's Heart and Soul, Halimanya, Hiei-Rulez, Hpdancer92, I-Love-Legolas, Idril Miriel, Inwe Elendil, Irish Anor, Irish Qt, Jedi Gollum, Jegolas, Jennifer, Jesusroxmysox, Kathysidle, Katie, Kelsey, Koriaena, Lady of the Twilight Woods, Leeanne, Legolas-gurl88, LalaithoftheBruinen, Lirenel, Lombadia Greenleaf, Lyn, Maiden-Of-Tears, Mellaithwen, Meisalliam, MidnightPrincess, Nanar, Nilraen, October Skye, OrlandosLady, Orli4ever-289, Pippin the Hobbit-Elf, Princess of Legends, Rachel13, Rae, Renee, RenegadeKitsune, Rutu, Sadistra, Silver, silverhope2001, Silwen Aurdomiel, Someone Reading, Sparrow Greenleaf, Starlit Hope, Starsmiles, Teacher Tam, Telestel, That Undomiel Chick, tHeBlOnDeInEveRkNew, The Balrog of Altena, The Last Hope, Tree-Huggin Hippie, Vicki Turner, Wadeva, Warriormaid3000
Wow, that was a long list! If I have missed anyone out, I am so sorry, it wasn't intentional! Anyway, a lot of you have been asking for an alternate ending to this, where Calaen and Aradan live. Yes, I will be doing it. When, is a different matter. As you know, I'm starting the prequel, and that will quite probably be my main focus. But now I have a whole 12 weeks before I start college, so plenty of time for writing! Anyway, I won't be updating anything for two weeks as I'm going on holiday tomorrow! Yay! Anyway, I'll see you all (hopefully) again soon! Luv Misto x-x
Today was a very significant day, for the Fellowship of the Ring was to leave in no more than an hour. It had been decided that their journey had been delayed enough as it was, and they could wait no longer before setting off. Like the last time before leaving, Legolas was once again sitting under a tree in one of the gardens.
He was happy, despite all that had happened, and the people he had lost. It was one of the first times in many years that the Prince had been happy, and the feeling was amazing. No demons haunted him, no past memories troubled him.
As he sat thinking and running things over in his mind, Legolas smiled vaguely. He could hear footsteps coming through the trees, and they were not light. At least, not light to an Elf's sharp ears. The Elf in question shook his head and laughed quietly.
"Estel, stop trying to catch me off my guard. To me, your footsteps are akin to the stamping of one hundred Orcs," the Prince said.
"Yes, but it is still worth a try," said Aragorn, dropping to the ground next to his friend.
"No, it really is not," muttered Legolas.
The Ranger laughed softly, and rested his head back against the tree trunk. "The last time we sat here seems like such a long time ago. Airëlus had not returned, and we knew nothing of Calaen or Aradan."
"Yes, and look at how our lives panned out after leaving this place," Legolas sighed. "We must do it for a second time very soon. Who knows what we will face this time around?"
"Hmm, who indeed?" Aragorn agreed.
The two friends sat side by side in silence, savouring the stunning beauty that lay all around them. They wondered at how long it would be before their surroundings would be covered in darkness, full of dust, ash and smoke. And there would be enemies, countless of enemies who wanted only power. However, the Elf and Ranger's thoughts were interrupted as two identical and slender bodies were thrown down to the ground in front of them.
"Oh, it is you," Legolas sighed.
"You sound awfully pleased to see you," said Elladan.
"Yes, well..."
Elrohir smirked, and touched a hand to his friend's shoulder. "Fear not, your brother knows nothing of any torture we have put you through in the past. You see, we are not that cruel."
"What is this?" asked Aragorn.
"Oh, we were merely talking about how we have humiliated Legolas in the past," replied Elladan. "You were there for some of it, but you were spared from witnessing the time when a certain Elfling drank a certain amount of Dorwinion."
"Ai, you didn't," laughed Aragorn, looking in surprise at his friend.
"In defence of that certain Elfling, it was a pair of certain irritating twins who replaced his fruit cordial with the Dorwinion," Legolas muttered.
"But, that is a very potent wine. How could you not know that something was amiss?" asked Aragorn, shaking his head in disbelief.
Legolas sighed, and shot the twins nasty glances. "Estel, understand that I was very young, and that was a time when I looked upon Elladan and Elrohir with at least a small bit of respect. Of course, that changed a long time ago."
"So, what happened to him once he had consumed the wine?" asked Aragorn.
"Unfortunately, it did not have the effect we so desired," replied Elrohir, grimacing slightly. "Instead of becoming merry, and making a fool of himself as we had thought he would, our dear Elfling actually became very ill. In fact, I have never seen one so small project so much-
"Please!" Legolas interrupted, and there was no mistaking the blushing of his cheeks. "I was very young back then, so you cannot blame me for not being able to hold the drink."
Aragorn laughed, thought it was for more than one reason. If, a month ago, his Elven friend had been embarrassed like this, surely he would have reacted angrily, very differently from how he was now. The Ranger looked across at the twins then, and asked: 'How did Thranduil react upon finding out that his Elfling had drunk Dorwinion?"
"Well, you know of the King's famous temper," said Elrohir, "and luckily, you have never been on the receiving end of it."
"Ada has threatened many times to knock some sense into us by banging our heads together," said Elladan, "as has our grandfather, Lord Celeborn."
"And Haldir," Elrohir put in.
"And Glorfindel," Legolas added.
"Do not forget Erestor," said Aragorn. Even he knew that much.
Elladan nodded grimly. "Yes, and believe it or not, even peaceful Airëlus has threatened us a few times in the past. In fact, your father, Legolas, was the only one who actually has not threatened us. However, he was the first one to carry out that which others have promised to do."
"It hurt," said Elrohir ruefully, rubbing the side of his head.
"Well, you deserved it," said Legolas.
The friends laughed as the story came to an end, though their laughter soon diminished into nothing. All that could be heard in the garden was the sweet singing of birds, and the soft rustling of leaves. Now that the humour had faded, they were all quietly sombre once more.
"Am I right in saying that you two did not come here just to embarrass Legolas?" Aragorn eventually asked.
Elrohir sighed, though he nodded. "Yes, you are right. Like last time, we have come to say goodbye to you away from everyone else. Also like last time, we thought it would be a lot easier."
"Do you remember that we told you not to come back with any broken limbs or with any injuries at all, for that matter?" asked Elladan. "Well, we are not going to say that now, for there is no chance of you coming home in one piece."
"But, that does not mean we cannot warn you to be careful in whatever you do," Elrohir continued. "Will you at least try and play things safe?"
"We do not go looking for danger," said Aragorn.
"Hmm, it always seems to find us," said Legolas.
Elladan laughed quietly, thought it was without humour. "Just try and stay away from it as much as you can. Although, I guess it will be unavoidable where you are going. No matter what perils you face, what misfortune may befall you, know that we are here waiting for your return."
"Do not worry too much for us," said Legolas gently.
"Yes, and know that when we do return, there will be much feasting," said Aragorn. He paused then, and a slightly wicked gleam came into his eyes. "You never know; maybe King Thranduil will let Legolas have some Dorwinion."
"Ai Elbereth..." sighed the Prince.
"Oh, I am quite sure he will," said Elladan. "Mind you, Legolas; it must not be drunk in large quantities, especially by one so frail."
"Do not worry, 'Dan, if we keep a close watch on him, I'm sure he will be alright," smirked Elrohir.
"I have found the one thing that I am most certainly not going to miss about Rivendell," Legolas said. "Your teasing is something that I could quite happily live without."
............................................................................................................
Twenty minutes later, the Fellowship had gathered in the courtyard, and was standing in front of a host of Elves, some of which included Lord Elrond, King Thranduil, Airëlus, and the twins. They listened intently as Elrond finished his speech of farewell.
"May the blessings of Elves, Men, and all free folk go with you," he said.
Legolas raised his hand and placed it briefly above his heart, before sweeping it out to the side, as was custom for the Elves to do. He looked up and locked eyes with Airëlus, who smiled and returned for farewell gesture. Then, the Prince looked behind his brother, to where his father was standing.
To begin with, the King had not wanted his youngest son to remain part of the Fellowship, and now that it had come to the time of their departure, the paternal side of him still wanted to make a stand and demand that Legolas remain in Rivendell. However, the understanding side of him won the fight, and he remained silent and inclined his head briefly to the Prince.
"The Fellowship awaits the Ring-bearer," Gandalf said suddenly.
Frodo turned and lingered only for a second, before walking slowly from the courtyard. The other members followed in their turn, though as Legolas went to go after the Hobbit, he paused, as a sudden strange feeling washed over him. He glanced back over his shoulder, and a smile danced on his lips as he saw a shimmering image of a familiar dark haired Elf, standing over by one of the walls.
"Silo Anor bo men lín, gwador-nin," the Elf said quietly, and then he touched his hand to his heart.
Legolas nodded once and repeated the gesture. He locked his silver eyes onto shimmering green ones for a brief moment, before turning and following the other members of the Fellowship of the Ring. The dark haired Elf smiled, and then was gone. No-one else had noticed his presence. No-one else shared the same connection with him as Legolas did; the same brotherly connection.
............................................................................................................
Silo Anor bo men lín, gwador-nin.........May the sun shine on your road.
Well, this was the last chapter of 'Captured by the Past'. I have had so
much fun writing this story, and I couldn't have done it without the help
of every single one of you who has read it.
Thanks to: Aeglos, the Snow-Point Spear, Amariel, Aranel of Mirkwood, Astievia, Banana Nut Muffin, ChibiYugiYasha, Chokoholik, Cloud-123, Coolio02, Deana, Demonic Pyro Freak, Earendil Eldar, Eleanor Rigby, Elensar32, Elfobsession2931, Elrohir Lover, Elsa, Elven Kitten, ElvesWillRule, Eternal Greenleaf, Fairy-Dream-Dust, Fuji the Hobbit, Galadriel1010, Haldir's Heart and Soul, Halimanya, Hiei-Rulez, Hpdancer92, I-Love-Legolas, Idril Miriel, Inwe Elendil, Irish Anor, Irish Qt, Jedi Gollum, Jegolas, Jennifer, Jesusroxmysox, Kathysidle, Katie, Kelsey, Koriaena, Lady of the Twilight Woods, Leeanne, Legolas-gurl88, LalaithoftheBruinen, Lirenel, Lombadia Greenleaf, Lyn, Maiden-Of-Tears, Mellaithwen, Meisalliam, MidnightPrincess, Nanar, Nilraen, October Skye, OrlandosLady, Orli4ever-289, Pippin the Hobbit-Elf, Princess of Legends, Rachel13, Rae, Renee, RenegadeKitsune, Rutu, Sadistra, Silver, silverhope2001, Silwen Aurdomiel, Someone Reading, Sparrow Greenleaf, Starlit Hope, Starsmiles, Teacher Tam, Telestel, That Undomiel Chick, tHeBlOnDeInEveRkNew, The Balrog of Altena, The Last Hope, Tree-Huggin Hippie, Vicki Turner, Wadeva, Warriormaid3000
Wow, that was a long list! If I have missed anyone out, I am so sorry, it wasn't intentional! Anyway, a lot of you have been asking for an alternate ending to this, where Calaen and Aradan live. Yes, I will be doing it. When, is a different matter. As you know, I'm starting the prequel, and that will quite probably be my main focus. But now I have a whole 12 weeks before I start college, so plenty of time for writing! Anyway, I won't be updating anything for two weeks as I'm going on holiday tomorrow! Yay! Anyway, I'll see you all (hopefully) again soon! Luv Misto x-x