Responses to reviewers :
Amanda : Thank you very much for reading my story!
Gollum Girl: ...oh...ok. Did you like it though?
Thranduil paced restlessly about in his room, worrying about his beloved country. The Forest of Greenwood had fallen into a shadow... just a minor threat, to be sure, but Thranduil knew that the shadow would get worse. Day by day, the feeling of evil on the forest grew stronger. Thranduil knew that the evil had infested the Southern part of Greenwood, but apart form that, he did not know what darkness had befallen his country. Even his smallest son, Legolas, young as he was, knew that there was something unnatural in the forest.
Thranduil placed his head in his hands and sighed. The Greenwood wood never be the same again. The evil may be driven out in time, but it would leave behind traces of destruction and grief. Thranduil knew – he had been around when Sauron, the dark lord, had laid many countries to waste. Even now, those countries, though rebuilt and repaired, could not hide dry, barren wastelands, where no living creature, plant or animal, could survive in.
The clouds parted, the Sun shone through into Thranduil's chamber. For a moment Thranduil's spirit lifted as rays of sunlight shone through the window, yet soon the sun was covered again. Thranduil grieved mostly for his youngest son, Legolas, because he knew that no child of the Great Forest should grow up in a time where their world was dark and shadowed. Legolas, a child of a mere seven years, would live the next few centuries, or even millennia, not seeing the forest of Greenwood in all its splendor. It pierced Thranduil's heart to know think that Legolas had to live with these times.
But even as Thranduil thought of his children, he chided himself for being so selfish. His sister had given birth only a few months ago, and the infant would never see the Forest of Greenwood in all its majesty ere it was spoiled by evil. Thranduil himself had already sent out a group of Elves to see if they could find out the source of this evil, and to see if they could banish it.
"Father? What are you thinking of?" Legolas opened the door to his father's chamber and walked in.
"Oh, Legolas...I'm thinking of what ...what we will do when the autumn festival comes...Thranduil trailed off uneasily. Legolas already knew that there was an evil in his beloved home, and there was no point in hiding it.
"Do you know what haunts our forest, father?" Legolas asked, looking out of the window.
"Nothing haunts our forest," Thranduil said automatically. He did not want his son to worry unnecessarily. Legolas looked at his father sadly.
"You know there is something. Tell me! I can take it, and maybe I can help to share the burden with you!" Legolas cried. "We must banish this evil!" Thranduil looked at his child fondly. To think that an elfling at so young a age could be so mature and grown up, the proud father of Legolas sighed.
"No, Legolas...yes, there is an evil in our forest, but I do not know what that is. I have already sent Serilorn and his men to check on this new evil. Do not worry, I do not think this evil will come directly to our home."
"Oh. In this case, can I go riding with mother?" Legolas asked. "we will stay within range of the palace, I promise, and anyway you said that we were safe." Thranduil thought for a while, hesitating. He did not think that riding within range of the palace was very dangerous, yet legolas tended to forget all he had promise when left alone in the forests. He did not want legolas to get lost, especially with this new darkness in the forest, but then, the Queen was going too...
"All right, you may go with mother. Just say where the guards can see you, and don't get separated from mother!" watching Legolas skip happily out of the door, Thranduil sighed for the second time in a few minutes. If he was so sure that nothing was going to happen, why did he have a strange sense of foreboding?
Thranduil sighed and left his room, going out to the corridor.
"My lord Thranduil!" somebody shouted. "Thranduil!" the king of Mirkwood turned around and saw an elf running towards him. His clothes were dirty and torn, twigs and leaves were in his long, dark colored hair, and his voice bore obvious traces of urgency. It was Serilorn, the captain of the group of elves that Thranduil had sent out earlier this morning. "My men and I were chased by something...something that we had never seen before in this forest! It was about as tall as us...with a big, bloated sort of body with many legs. Our arrows did little harm to it, only serving to enrage the monster. My men and I separated into two groups. The monster chased my group, but the other team pursued the monster with their spears and swords. They manage to confuse the monster, allowing us to escape. However...however...some of us were injured. I ...I ... I think they were stung, but I cant tell for sure, for they seemed to be dead. We took the injured ones to the healers, but...I'm not sure of they can do anything. Never before have I seen a poison so deadly that it can have this...this effect on an elf."
Thranduil's heart started beating hard in alarm.
"You mean this creature just appeared in front of you?" he queried anxiously. Elves were well known for their heightened senses, it was unlikely that a creature could just sneak up like that.
"I'm not so sure. We heard a clicking sort of noise behind us, but whatever it was, we could not see it. It vanished into the darkness, and we dismissed it as unimportant. We continued on, and that's when the rear guard suddenly fell with a cry. He had a wound at the back of his neck; we think that's where he got poisoned. We spun around, armed and ready, but few of us managed to see it's true form before it ran over us and knocked us over. It looked like some sort of enormous spider, but..." Serilorn bit his lip and looked down, worried. "Seven of my men were injured, my lord. I say this – all of our people are in grave danger. To send out anyone in this time, with this monster loose, spells death for all who cross its path. Keep your people safe until we can recognize the demon for what it is. Or at least until we get a cure for its poison. Arrows did not stop it, only our spears and swords held I at bay." Thranduil dismissed his guard absently, faint bells of danger ringing in his ears.
'...all of our people are in grave danger. To send out anyone in this time, with this monster loose, spells death for all who cross its path....'.
Spinning around, Thranduil charged down the corridors and into the courtyard.
"Laergil! LAERGIL!" he called desperately. "LEGOLAS! ANSWER ME!" he cried, louder this time. There was no answer. Thranduil had sent his son and wife to their death.
So? Did you like it? Please review!!! Look out for what happens to Legolas in the next chapter!!! Oh, yeah!!! I need a beta reader!! I'm in desperate need for a beta reader!!! Help, please!!!