To Mirkwood

Chapter 6: On Your Knees

Don't own.

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4 days later

"Good bye Gimli." Frodo said, hugging the dwarf. The four hobbits were dressed in the finest cloth, with their Loríen cloaks on over them. Thy had decided that they had been away from the Shire long enough.

"Farewell Legolas!" Pippin said, hugging the tall elf around the middle. Legolas smiled down at his short friends.

"Farewell, hobbits." He said. The hobbits finished their good byes, then mounted the small horses that had been given to them. Gandolf then said his farewells to the others, and mounted Shadowfax. He was planning on helping the shirelings along to the Shire until he had to go his own way. What was left of the Fellowship of the Ring stood and watched the five friends ride away into the rising sun.

Legolas, Aragorn, Gimli, and Arwen turned to go back into the city. The large doors closed behind him, and the people started moving again. Trading, selling, buying, fighting, drinking; their normal lives returning to normal now that the excitement of the wars was over. The two elves, the man, and the dwarf mounted their horses and started their journey back up to the top of the white city.

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Thranduil knelt down in front of the grave in the gardens. A tear slid down his cheek and landed in the soft grass that grew over the grave. He quickly wiped his cheek, should anyone see. He picked a flower that was growing beside the grave. A rose. He smelled the sweet scent of the flower, then laid it gently down on top of the grave. "Life can smell so sweet sometimes, but then the thrones prick you when you least expect it." He said softly, taking a last, longing look at the grave before returning back to the palace.

When he turned around, he was surprised to find someone standing behind him. "Weeping over your lost wife again, Thranduil?" The man asked. Thranduil clenched his hands and bit his lower lip. There was no way he could lash out at this man. He turned his head away. "What? The Great Elf King has nothing to say?" The man asked, tauntingly.

"Please stop." Thranduil growled.

"Now, now. You know the rules!" The man said. Thranduil growled again then got down on his knees and folded his hands together.

"Please stop."

"Stop what?"

"Taunting me." Thranduil finished. The man grinned and stood up straighter.

"You may stand." He said. Thranduil stood, keeping his eyes cast down at the stone pathway he was standing on. "If you'll excuse me…" He said, then started walking away. Thranduil stared after him, the hate growing inside him. He could do it. He could kill him… but the whole realm would know about it. There would be questioning. He couldn't do it. No… for the sake of the realm and his sons, he wouldn't kill him.

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Legolas was lying in his bed that evening, contemplating the dream. It still haunted him, though it seemed, intangible. Like trying to grasp smoke. No matter how far you reached or how tightly you closed your hand, you could not catch the smoke, nor draw it close enough to you to see. He closed his eyes and pictured the shadow again. He pictured how the shadow completely ignored him, and passed him by. Sighing, Legolas stood and went to the window. The sun had already set, and the stars were beginning to come out. He rested his head in his hands as he watched them blink into the night sky. He grinned, looking at the constellations, remembering the stories that his father had told him about the different constellations. Remembering the good times spent with his father made him sad. No longer would he get to spend nights gazing at the sky, listening to the wisdom his father carried with him. No more.

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Tylen paced back and forth across the floor. E'thane was reciting different things about the dwarves and their friendship with the elves back before the dark days. "That's it." E'thane said at last, finished up everything he could remember.

"Very good E'thane." Tylen said. He turned and went to a pitcher sitting on the table. He poured some of the contents into a cup, then looked up. "I'm making a sleeping draught for your father. He told me he was having trouble sleeping of late." He said. E'thane nodded. He watched Tylen add a few drops of a clear liquid into the cup. "I have some things to attend to, so would you take this to him?" He asked.

"Yes, Einior Tylen." E'thane said, taking the cup from the Elder Elf's hands.

"Oh, you're free from extra lessons tonight." He said. E'thane thanked him, then hurried out of the room. He walked gracefully down the hall, careful not to spill any of the draught. Finally, he reached his father's study.

"Ada?" E'thane asked, pushing the door open a little. Thranduil looked up from his desk.

"Yes, E'thane?"

"I brought this to you from Tylen. He said it's a sleeping draught." (I think that's the right word…) E'thane said, setting the cup on the desk.

"Ah, thank you." He said. Thranduil looked up into the eyes of his son. They were sad. Full of grief. As is he… well, he had lost someone near and dear to him. His brother. "Are you going to be alright, ion-nin?" Thranduil asked his son. E'thane looked up suddenly.

"Yes Ada." He answered. "Good night." E'thane left the room without another word, closing the door behind him.

When he was gone, Thranduil took a drink of his tea and lowered his head. "I'm sorry, E'thane. I truly am."

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Woo… ok… so I was thinking about something before. To my reviewers, you guys are cool… because if no on had reviewed for this story, it wouldn't be on the internet anymore. Since I had people actually liking this story, I decided to keep it going and such. So Thanks!

"Inspirational" Quote:

-strums banjo- "Ohh I feel so deliciously white trash! Mummy! I want a mullet!" –Stewie-Family Guy-"To Love and Die in Dixie"

Banana Nut Muffin