The woods around the gardens were dense and gloomy. I stayed close to
Legolas. I had no wish to be lost among those tall trees where I was almost
persuading myself I could see eyes watching me.
We walked for a very long time, and I couldn't even see a clearing in the woods, let alone buildings anywhere. Then I realised we had been in the midst of a city all along.
Mirkwood elves were tree-elves! I had only to look up and I could see buildings: big, small, grand, humble; elves walking from treetop to treetop as confidently as if they were on the ground; children playing, male elves shouting, females singing; it was just as I imagined it, just 50 feet in the air.
Soon we came to a huge tree: really, really, vast. It had no branches until about 60, 70 feet up, and that trunk looked thick enough to fit my car inside, easy.
I heard a call from high up. Legolas shouted back, "Legolas Greenleaf. I bring the girl."
A thin rope, maybe 80 feet long, dropped down from the sky. Legolas began to slide up the rope like the opposite of gravity. I stared. Did he really expect me to do that too?
Legolas seemed to notice I wasn't following. "Climb!" he yelled.
"I can't!" I shouted back, remembering the last time I'd attempted to climb a rope. I'd strained all the muscles in my arms to pull me up, had only managed to ascend about five feet, then I'd looked down, developed a sudden case of vertigo, hyperventilated, slid down the rope and burned all the skin off my hands.
Even from 15 feet below, I could tell Legolas looked exasperated. He slid back down to ground level.
"Get on my back," he commanded.
"What?" I stared at him.
"My back! Get on my back, I'll carry you up," he said.
I hesitated, then clambered awkwardly onto his back. Legolas grunted - I knew I shouldn't have eaten so much chocolate - then began to ascend the rope again.
It was obvious that I was a burden to Legolas, and hindering him greatly, but soon we reached a platform, and I thanked Legolas, who looked like he'd just given a piggyback to an articulated lorry.
Then I made the mistake of peering over the side of the platform. I gave a little cry. The forest floor was an alarming distance away. My legs buckled and I nearly fell, but Legolas caught me deftly and pointed me down a path. I followed it until I came to the grandest building I had ever seen. It made Buckingham Palace look like a doll's house. Legolas gave me a push down the gravel path. I walked down it and came to some vast, tall, grand doors about 3 times as tall as I was.
"Go in," Legolas said. "Thranduil is waiting."
We walked for a very long time, and I couldn't even see a clearing in the woods, let alone buildings anywhere. Then I realised we had been in the midst of a city all along.
Mirkwood elves were tree-elves! I had only to look up and I could see buildings: big, small, grand, humble; elves walking from treetop to treetop as confidently as if they were on the ground; children playing, male elves shouting, females singing; it was just as I imagined it, just 50 feet in the air.
Soon we came to a huge tree: really, really, vast. It had no branches until about 60, 70 feet up, and that trunk looked thick enough to fit my car inside, easy.
I heard a call from high up. Legolas shouted back, "Legolas Greenleaf. I bring the girl."
A thin rope, maybe 80 feet long, dropped down from the sky. Legolas began to slide up the rope like the opposite of gravity. I stared. Did he really expect me to do that too?
Legolas seemed to notice I wasn't following. "Climb!" he yelled.
"I can't!" I shouted back, remembering the last time I'd attempted to climb a rope. I'd strained all the muscles in my arms to pull me up, had only managed to ascend about five feet, then I'd looked down, developed a sudden case of vertigo, hyperventilated, slid down the rope and burned all the skin off my hands.
Even from 15 feet below, I could tell Legolas looked exasperated. He slid back down to ground level.
"Get on my back," he commanded.
"What?" I stared at him.
"My back! Get on my back, I'll carry you up," he said.
I hesitated, then clambered awkwardly onto his back. Legolas grunted - I knew I shouldn't have eaten so much chocolate - then began to ascend the rope again.
It was obvious that I was a burden to Legolas, and hindering him greatly, but soon we reached a platform, and I thanked Legolas, who looked like he'd just given a piggyback to an articulated lorry.
Then I made the mistake of peering over the side of the platform. I gave a little cry. The forest floor was an alarming distance away. My legs buckled and I nearly fell, but Legolas caught me deftly and pointed me down a path. I followed it until I came to the grandest building I had ever seen. It made Buckingham Palace look like a doll's house. Legolas gave me a push down the gravel path. I walked down it and came to some vast, tall, grand doors about 3 times as tall as I was.
"Go in," Legolas said. "Thranduil is waiting."