Chapter 1
All the Lorien Elves boarded the majestic swan-shaped boat. Halinthil looked back longingly at his childhood home one last time, when he noticed a shadow, fleeting among the trees of the Lorien forest. He focused his gaze on the figure and made out the dull outlines of a bow, quiver, and two long-shafted knives. He gazed intently at the knives and gasped at the craftsmanship. It was Lothlorien! He glanced at his people as they put their belongings in the boats. Not wanting to startle them, he told one of his officers that he was going for a walk in the Lorien forest one last time. He made for the forest with long strides, trying to make as little sound as possible. He crouched defensively as he heard a twig snap. He darted behind an old Elm tree and waited. He heard the sound of ragged breathing. Without hesitation, he sprung at his enemy. The other gave a gasp of surprise, trying to move out of the way of the attack. Halinthil wrestled the other's arms to the ground. He whispered a sun spell. Light spilt across the other's features. Halinthil gasped as he recognized the other. "I'm sorry Legolas! I didn't know it was you!" he stammered. Legolas looked at him and smiled. "It's alright. I shouldn't have been sneaking around. But, I need to talk to Fenix." Halinthil nodded and led him to the boats. Legolas walked behind silently, taking in the breath-taking sights of the forest. They walked to the river and found a young woman. "Hello, Fenix." Legolas said, smiling. Fenix looked up at the familiar voice. Her eyes lit up when she saw Legolas standing there. "Legolas!" she cried as she threw her arms around him in a rib- breaking hug. He gently pried her arms away from him and smiled. "We need to talk," he stated simply. He then looked at Halinthil. "Go tell Gladriel that I seek an audience with her." Halinthil nodded and left. Legolas turned to Fenix. "Fenix, do you know where we could speak privately?" She looked at him then motioned him to follow. She led him a short distance into the forest and climbed up a rope-ladder. She sat down at a small table and waited for him to climb up. "What is so important that the Prince of Mirkwood would come all this way to see me?" she teased. He looked into her eyes, eyes as aqua and clear as the Lorien River. He brushed the though aside. "It's about Amazon," he shifted uncomfortably in her gaze. Her eyes locked with his. "What's wrong?" He looked at her and knew he couldn't spare her. "Amazon is under siege by Saruman." She looked at him, horror in her eyes. "Impossible! He was defeated long ago!" she paused. "How is the army holding up?" "The are holding. But they will not last long." She turned away from him as the emotions stirred inside her. "I have to go back. I have to lead my people." She whispered. He looked at her with concern in his eyes. "I will com with you." She shook her head. "No." Legolas tensed at her statement. "I will. You need someone to be by your side. I will come and help in the battle." She turned to face him and knew she would never be able to leave him behind. She smiled in spite of herself. "Fine. But if you get killed, let's just say that is wasn't my fault." She teased. They climbed down the rope and started walking back to the river in silence. When they got to the river, they went in search of Halinthil. They foud him speaking with Gladriel. Legolas and Fenix walked up to Gladriel and bowed slightly. Gladriel smiled and beckoned for them to follow. She spoke briefly again with Halinthil who nodded and left. They started walking and followed her to her chamber. She then turned to them and spoke. "Greetings, Legolas. How was your journey?" "Long, Lady." Gladriel smiled. "Fenix, I have heard the news. Do you know how your army holds?" Fenix turned. "They are holding. But they won't last long."
Gladriel looked at Fenix. "You are sure." Fenix nodded. "Quite sure, Lady." Gladriel started to pace the chamber, deep in thought. Legolas and Fenix watched, waiting. "Lady, I ask for 50 of your finest warriors." Fenix told her. Gladriel stopped pacing and looked Fenix in the eyes. "You ask for much, Fenix. But I will grant it." "Thank you Lady. I am in your debt." "No. We are even. You aided me when I need help, I am but returning the favor." She paused, then turned her attention to Legolas. "Are you going with her?" "Yes, Lady." "Protect her." She glanced at Fenix. Fenix scowled. "I can protect myself Lady." Gladriel smiled. "I know you can, princess, I know you can."] Fenix jumped as Gladriel called her princess. "Lady, please don't call me that. I'm not the princess anymore." She mumbled. "You are." She paused. "Do you need provisions?" she looked at Fenix nod. "Very well. I will se to that. When will you leave?" "We need to leave at first light tomorrow, Lady, if we want to get there in time." "Right. Fenix, get your things from the boats and start to get them together. Only take the things you need. Nothing more." Fenix nodded. She looked at Legolas and both of them left to find Fenix's boat. "That went well." Legoals stated. Fenix snorted. "I guess so. She called me 'princess'." Legolas smiled. "Well, she's right, you are. How about we just get you things together?" She smiled and they started toward the boats.
All the Lorien Elves boarded the majestic swan-shaped boat. Halinthil looked back longingly at his childhood home one last time, when he noticed a shadow, fleeting among the trees of the Lorien forest. He focused his gaze on the figure and made out the dull outlines of a bow, quiver, and two long-shafted knives. He gazed intently at the knives and gasped at the craftsmanship. It was Lothlorien! He glanced at his people as they put their belongings in the boats. Not wanting to startle them, he told one of his officers that he was going for a walk in the Lorien forest one last time. He made for the forest with long strides, trying to make as little sound as possible. He crouched defensively as he heard a twig snap. He darted behind an old Elm tree and waited. He heard the sound of ragged breathing. Without hesitation, he sprung at his enemy. The other gave a gasp of surprise, trying to move out of the way of the attack. Halinthil wrestled the other's arms to the ground. He whispered a sun spell. Light spilt across the other's features. Halinthil gasped as he recognized the other. "I'm sorry Legolas! I didn't know it was you!" he stammered. Legolas looked at him and smiled. "It's alright. I shouldn't have been sneaking around. But, I need to talk to Fenix." Halinthil nodded and led him to the boats. Legolas walked behind silently, taking in the breath-taking sights of the forest. They walked to the river and found a young woman. "Hello, Fenix." Legolas said, smiling. Fenix looked up at the familiar voice. Her eyes lit up when she saw Legolas standing there. "Legolas!" she cried as she threw her arms around him in a rib- breaking hug. He gently pried her arms away from him and smiled. "We need to talk," he stated simply. He then looked at Halinthil. "Go tell Gladriel that I seek an audience with her." Halinthil nodded and left. Legolas turned to Fenix. "Fenix, do you know where we could speak privately?" She looked at him then motioned him to follow. She led him a short distance into the forest and climbed up a rope-ladder. She sat down at a small table and waited for him to climb up. "What is so important that the Prince of Mirkwood would come all this way to see me?" she teased. He looked into her eyes, eyes as aqua and clear as the Lorien River. He brushed the though aside. "It's about Amazon," he shifted uncomfortably in her gaze. Her eyes locked with his. "What's wrong?" He looked at her and knew he couldn't spare her. "Amazon is under siege by Saruman." She looked at him, horror in her eyes. "Impossible! He was defeated long ago!" she paused. "How is the army holding up?" "The are holding. But they will not last long." She turned away from him as the emotions stirred inside her. "I have to go back. I have to lead my people." She whispered. He looked at her with concern in his eyes. "I will com with you." She shook her head. "No." Legolas tensed at her statement. "I will. You need someone to be by your side. I will come and help in the battle." She turned to face him and knew she would never be able to leave him behind. She smiled in spite of herself. "Fine. But if you get killed, let's just say that is wasn't my fault." She teased. They climbed down the rope and started walking back to the river in silence. When they got to the river, they went in search of Halinthil. They foud him speaking with Gladriel. Legolas and Fenix walked up to Gladriel and bowed slightly. Gladriel smiled and beckoned for them to follow. She spoke briefly again with Halinthil who nodded and left. They started walking and followed her to her chamber. She then turned to them and spoke. "Greetings, Legolas. How was your journey?" "Long, Lady." Gladriel smiled. "Fenix, I have heard the news. Do you know how your army holds?" Fenix turned. "They are holding. But they won't last long."
Gladriel looked at Fenix. "You are sure." Fenix nodded. "Quite sure, Lady." Gladriel started to pace the chamber, deep in thought. Legolas and Fenix watched, waiting. "Lady, I ask for 50 of your finest warriors." Fenix told her. Gladriel stopped pacing and looked Fenix in the eyes. "You ask for much, Fenix. But I will grant it." "Thank you Lady. I am in your debt." "No. We are even. You aided me when I need help, I am but returning the favor." She paused, then turned her attention to Legolas. "Are you going with her?" "Yes, Lady." "Protect her." She glanced at Fenix. Fenix scowled. "I can protect myself Lady." Gladriel smiled. "I know you can, princess, I know you can."] Fenix jumped as Gladriel called her princess. "Lady, please don't call me that. I'm not the princess anymore." She mumbled. "You are." She paused. "Do you need provisions?" she looked at Fenix nod. "Very well. I will se to that. When will you leave?" "We need to leave at first light tomorrow, Lady, if we want to get there in time." "Right. Fenix, get your things from the boats and start to get them together. Only take the things you need. Nothing more." Fenix nodded. She looked at Legolas and both of them left to find Fenix's boat. "That went well." Legoals stated. Fenix snorted. "I guess so. She called me 'princess'." Legolas smiled. "Well, she's right, you are. How about we just get you things together?" She smiled and they started toward the boats.