Author's Note: LOT'S More angst and anguish!
DISCLAIMER: JRR Tolkien, The Tolkien Family, New Line Cinema, Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Phillipa Boyens own this stuff. I don't. I am only borrowing the universe because it's so much fun! I am making no money from this.
Please read and review. (See responses to reviews at end of chapter.)
The next chapter will have less angst and more action, but for this oneoodles of angst!
Encroaching Darkness by Ecri
Part 5
**
Plans were made for travel to the Golden Wood, but Estel and Legolas had first to recover fully from their experiences. Legolas frostbitten foot healed completely after several weeks of Elrond's intense treatments. Aragorn regained his strength and was soon able to roam at will around the house and grounds where he had been reared.
The weather was less cooperative. Harsh weather kept them trapped in Rivendell for many weeks. Thranduil finally had to set out for Mirkwood, having left his realm in his oldest son's hands far longer than he had agreed. The night before he left, he sought his son. Legolas stared out at the trees in Elrond's garden from the large balcony in the room he had been given. Like Aragorn's, his room had been fitted with shutters to keep out the cold, and, at this time of year, he had a fire blazing in the fireplace, though too often he ignored the devices and stood on the balcony despite the chill it gave him.
Thranduil approached his son, and cleared his throat. He had learned to find ways to announce himself as once too often he had startled his son forgetting he could not hear his father's approach.
Legolas turned to his father, but remained on the balcony. "Adar, you are leaving, then?"
"Yes, my son. I cannot spend the winter here and then travel to Lorien. Our people need me."
Legolas nodded, bearing the words as he did the actions, though some small part of him wished his father would abandon his duty and stay with him. He shook that off not allowing the thought to take hold of him. His father was a King. He himself was a prince. They could not abandon their people. In truth, Legolas was gravely concerned that Sauron would make a more direct point of attacking Mirkwood now that he knew an elf of Mirkwood stood by Aragorn. He hoped Sauron knew not his rank, though he himself felt unsure if Sauron's knowledge of such a thing would make things worse for his realm. He suspected it would, for it would lend an air of authority to his relationship with the Future King. It might seem as though Legolas had pledged Mirkwood to Aragorn, when he had but pledged himself.
"Safe trip, then Ada. Avo 'osto." (Don't worry.)
Thranduil smiled, though sorrow painted the sound. "I would worry for you, my Little Greenleaf, were we both safely in Valinor."
Legolas nodded. "Ada" He cut himslef off, dropping his gaze to the ground.
"Pedo. What troubles you?" (Speak.)
Legolas took a breath and started again, though he could not bring himself to look at his father. "Ada, before I agreed to allow Lord Elrond to treat my hurts" Ai! This is hard, he thought, I want no pity! "I heard you tell him I was not your son"
Thranduil drew in a sharp breath, but Legolas went on.
"I am sorry, Ada, that I have fallen. If I can find no cure, I will not burden you or Mirkwood with my presence. II want no pity, and I would not hurt you if I could help it."
Thranduil stepped closer to his son and placed a finger under the younger elf's chin, lifting it up so Legolas would look at him. "My sonmy precious Greenleafyou are the treasure of my life. You will have no pity, but what you will have is my apology. I meant not those words I uttered, or at least, not in the way you took them. I spoke hastily and not well. I meant only for Elrond to know there was something dire wrong with you. I was right, there was, but I expressed myself poorly, and, indeed, if you have dwelt on those words all these long weeks, then I regret them more than any words I might have said in all the days of my life. Forgive me, Legolas."
Legolas searched his father's face much as he had Aragorn's when the Ranger had pledged to see him cured. Whatever he sought, he found in his father's loving eyes. "Le melethn, Ada." (I love you, dad/daddy.)
"Le melethn, Legolas."
**
The winter passed slowly for Legolas who wished nothing more than to be on his way to Lothlorien and so well on his way to reclaiming his identity as one of the Firstborn.
Aragorn watched carefully over his friend, reminding him when he should go indoors and warm himself, urging caution when he climbed a tree, and taking him on midnight forays to the kitchens when the elven dinners left their human appetites unsated.
Legolas never seemed to dwell on what he had lost, but one day, he surprised Aragorn with a request. "My friend, I have need of help only you can provide." Legolas said to him.
"I will do whatever you ask, mellonin." Aragorn was quick to reply.
Legolas laughed at his friend's eagerness to help. It was nearly spring, and they would likely be setting out in a few weeks, but Legolas felt unprepared. "I would have you teach me, Aragorn."
Aragorn? Why would Legolas use his real name? At his puzzled expression, Legolas explained. "Man to man, my friend. Teach me."
"Teach you what? I can think of naught that you have not mastered."
"I need to know if I can defend myself as men do." Legolas found it hard to admit his own weakness, but he trusted Aragorn with things he would not trust to any other.
"You are an experienced warrior, Legolas. What could I teach you?"
Legolas allowed his frustration to show. "I am an elven warrior, trained in the elven ways to fight as elves would fight. My skills depend greatly on the senses of an elf. I have not those senses any longer." He looked away fighting the despair he found himself battling so often. Turning back to his friend with eyes glistening, he continued. "I would not be a burden on the battlefield. It is a long road to Lothlorien, and spiders, wargs, wolves, and orcs—not to mention any other of the evil creatures that walk Middle-earth—may stand between us and our destination. I do not wish to find myself depending on skills I do not have. I would not see one of you fall because I could not properly wield my weapons!"
"Legolas
"The Enemy knows that you live! He cannot see us while we are under Elrond's protection, but when we leave Imladris, he may try once more to kill you or lead you to Shadow. Regardless of the likelihood of such an attack, certainly spiders, orcs, wargs, and wolves are likely enough. I do not know if I have lost my skills with bow and blade as I have lost my" he paused and looked away again. "my other skills." He turned pleading eyes on his friend. "Saes, gwadornin." (Please, my brother.)
Aragorn nodded. "As you will, gwadornin. Let us go to the practice fields."
They each gathered their weapons and met on the fields. Legolas was filled with trepidation. He had wielded no weapons since the day he had liberated Aragorn from Dorlin. With all that he had lost, he could not help but wonder how much his prowess with weapons had been affected.
Aragorn sensed his friend's fears. He set up a few targets and had Legolas warm up with his bow. The first few flew wide of the mark, and Legolas felt despair touch him. Exasperated, he turned to Aragorn. "What is it I do wrong?"
Aragorn considered the question. "In truth, Legolas, I think you try too hard." He retrieved the elven arrows from the target and returned them to the Prince. "Try again, but erase these foul thoughts from your mind. Your eyesight may be less than it was, but that should not affect these shots. They are not so far away that human eyes cannot find them. Try again."
Legolas clearly did not believe Aragorn, but he did as he was told. This time each arrow hit precisely where he'd intended.
Aragorn laughed, delighted. "There! You see! Your archery skills are as they ever were, mellonin!" He reached for his sword. "Sword or knives next, my friend?"
Legolas drew his knives and the two sparred. Here, Legolas' skills had suffered. His balance seemed off, and his steps were not so graceful as they once were. After fifteen minutes, Legolas halted. "This is not so easily fixed. What do I do wrong now?"
Aragorn moved to his friend's side. "Your balance, my friend. You are not so light on your feet any longer, and you have not the speed of an elf. Your muscles try moves they can no longer achieve. Here" Aragorn demonstrated a move he had adapted from watching his brothers spar. It was in answer to moves only elves could properly perform, and compensated for their grace, and speed with the force and strength a human could achieve.
It took hours for Legolas to learn such moves as he fought against the training of centuries, but his determination did not falter. The two worked well past the amount of time either would normally have spent in such practice. Indeed, only Lord Elrond's sudden appearance halted them.
Aragorn saw his father approach, and gestured to Legolas. Both stopped and waited for the Lord of Imladris to approach. Only then did Legolas realize he was panting from exertion.
"Do you realize that you two have been out here for nine hours? Enough is enough! I would wager you have not eaten or quenched your thirst in all those hours, either." Elrond smiled at the pair, wondering where they found their stamina.
Aragorn nodded, chagrined to have given no thought at all to such things.
"It was my fault, Lord Elrond," Legolas insisted. "Aragorn has been teaching me how to move like a human."
Elrond glanced at his son who nodded in confirmation. "I have been teaching him such things as I can, but we are both capable of calling a stop to the exercises, so in that, I cannot let Legolas take all blame."
"Whoever is to blame, you should both come inside. It is not yet spring, and you will be chilled after such exertions if you do not each take a hot bath. Come." Elrond ushered his wayward patients inside.
**
Several weeks later, Elrond called Aragorn into his Library. "Estel, I need you to give me more details of your confrontation with the Enemy while we yet remain in my protected realm. I would know precisely what happened."
Aragorn nodded and went over the details. His memory was oddly sharp and he recalled details he thought would have faded by now.
"So, he did use the Black Speech?" Elrond asked.
"Yes, though I knew not what he said until he switched to common." Aragorn admitted.
"And when did you become aware of Legolas?"
Aragorn considered the question. "I heard him calling to me. Telling me he was there and that I should come back to the light." His brow furrowed as he recalled the words and images with which the Enemy had bombarded him. The terror of them came back to him filling his soul with fear and dread. Death and pain to all he loved because of him, because of who he was, because of an accident of birth! Elrond, Elladan, Elrohir, LegolasArwen! The images came clearly back to him! He could not allow it! He could not
"Estel!"
Aragorn snapped back to the present, the desperation in his eyes slowly melting away as his mind sorted through what was memory and what was real. His heart seemed stuck in his throat, and, in a very human way, he needed physical contact. As he had done when he was a small child, he threw himself into Elrond's arms, desperate to confirm his father was there and not laying bleeding and broken in some dark dungeon in Mordor.
"Adar!"
"Estel, what is it?" Elrond fell into the habits he'd picked up while raising Estel. He stroked Aragorn's back, whispered soothing words, and focused his physical presence on his son, infusing him with his healing presence.
Aragorn gradually loosened his hold, feeling slightly foolish for clinging to Elrond like a child. "Forgive me, Adar. The memory overwhelmed me."
Elrond nodded. "Do not apologize, my son. It is the Enemy we speak of. It would be a wonder if you did not find the memory overwhelming." He looked over his son with the eyes of a healer and the eyes of a father. "You said before that Legolas held you close until Elladan and Elrohir could join you in breaking the Enemy's grip. What did you mean?"
"He chanted something, and it kept me from sinking like a log on the water can save a man from drowning."
Elrond considered the words. His son had always had this Enemy, indeed, his mother, Gilraen had lived in great fear that Sauron the Deceiver would find her son, and had seen signs that he was hunted all her life, but Legolas had been an unknown to Sauron and his minions. That had changed. The elf had put himself between Aragorn and the Enemy twice now. The Enemy would not forget. "Aragorn," Elrond began startling his son by using his given name. "You have faced this sooner than I would have liked. You will find your steps observed from now until you defeat him or are defeated yourself." Worry creased his brow. "Would that you had waited before seeking out such strife, my son."
Aragorn knew he had to trust his father's words, but he would not have the elf lord grieve for him yet. "It is well, Ada. The Enemy has looked for me all my life. All that has changed is that I know I can face him on his terms."
"Do not think that because you have faced him he is no threat." Elrond's admonishment fell on willing ears. "The Enemy is only beginning to gather his strength and his forces. You will likely find him more formidable a foe when next you meet."
Aragorn nodded. "My concern is not for me, but for those I love. Legolas has suffered most from this confrontation and that I cannot abide!"
Elrond watched as his son faded only to have a King stand in his place. "We will find a way to help him, my son."
Aragorn knew they would. He had made a vow.
**
A few days after Elrond and Aragorn had spoken, Legolas once again practiced with Aragorn in the fields. Legolas was a quick study and soon the two had fallen into a pattern, practicing every day until Elrond called them inside. Their practice sessions were sometimes full of jest and high spirits, and sometimes somber and intense depending largely on the elf's mood, which, true to elvish demeanor, could change in the passage of a moment.
The two faced each other, Aragorn with sword in hand and Legolas wielding his long knives. The clang of metal upon metal mingled with the grunts and breathing of the confrontation did not drown out the familiar voice. "I think you've both had enough for one day!"
Legolas froze at the sound of that voice, for it was not Elrond who spoke to them. He whirled around to face the other elf who approached across the field. "Aglarelen!" He shouted and broke into a run. He and his brother embraced.
Legolas felt both comforted and fearful. Would his brother accept him now that he was not an elf?
As if hearing his thoughts, Aglarelen pulled far enough away to look his brother in the eye. "Adar told me all he knew. Ú-'osto, gwanurnin. Im sinome ni le. I always will be." (Fear not, my brother. I am here for you.)
Legolas smiled then and began to laugh from relief.
"I could not let you face this with none of your family present." Aglarelen turned to Aragorn. "Though I know you would not be alone." He looked pointedly at Aragorn. "Le hannon, Estel. I am grateful that you have been here for Legolas." (Thank you, Estel.)
**
Legolas sat in his room—a room that he'd used whenever he'd visited Imladris—and stared out of the window. He longed to leap out of it and run through the trees, but an odd lethargy had overtaken him earlier that day. He had not joined Estel in the practice fields, and had claimed merely that he was tired and wished to rest. Estel had been worried but could not gainsay him.
He had rested. In truth, he had barely moved. For some reason, this day the absence of the Song had become unbearable to him. He had felt its absence keenly since he had lost it, but had been able to push it to the back of his mind and do what needed doing.
What made this day different he could not say, but he lacked any motivation to rise. He sat alone, watching the sunlight shift with the passage of the day, and recalled to his mind what he knew of the Great Song. He found now, however, that his quite human memory could recall less and less. As an elf, he had always recalled every moment with perfect clarity. The passage of time was no hindrance to elven memory, and the morning he's spent with his mother many centuries ago had always been as clear as the morning he had just spent.
Now, his memories faded. He remembered things, but not details. He remembered his Naneth, but found he could not recall her voice as she sang to him of the trees they both loved so dearly.
He wanted to fly into a rage over this, but found himself sitting numbly in the chair as the sun sank below the horizon and the shadows grew long.
Soon, only the light of the moon penetrated his room.
He had heard his brother enter and speak to him, but he had not moved. He had heard Estel come to join Aglarelen. He had heard the increasing concern in their voices as they tried to rouse him, but, even when one of them stood in front of him blocking his view of the window, his gaze did not shift.
Odd, he thought, as he heard Estel run from the room calling for Lord Elrond. I should tell them I am all right, he thought, and was puzzled when he could not seem to do this.
Some small part of him, he realized, was in a state of panic. Somewhere deep within, he felt he was screaming and yelling and trying to ask for help, but it was buried deep and he could not seem to connect with it.
Aglarelen knelt by his side, taking his hand. Legolas wondered why he could not feel it. That part of him panicked again, but he was becoming accustomed to ignoring it. He recognized the strangeness of his behavior and his emotions, but could do naught about it. Fleetingly, he wondered if he should not force himself to rise, but he found he cared not.
**
Lord Elrond rushed into Legolas' rooms finding the young elf exactly as Estel had described him. He moved to the elf's side barely noticing when Aglarelen moved to make room for him. Frowning, the elf lord looked into Legolas' eyes, then felt his head but found no fever. There was no new injury, but then Elrond had not expected new injury. In his heart, he knew this was connected to the strange malady that had robbed Legolas of his— elfness—for lack of a better term.
"Legolas! Lasto beth nin! Tolo dan nan galad!" Elrond poured great effort into those words.
Legolas did not respond, though that small part of him that had panicked was greatly relieved at Elrond's presence.
The Elf Lord sent for teas and herbs and tried every trick he'd ever been taught and a few he'd concocted on his own. Nothing he brewed would Legolas try. Then he realized this was a much more basic problem
Elrond looked at Aglarelen, distraught and worried for his brother, then at Estel. A look of intense fear for his friend covered his face. Looking then towards the door where Elladan and Elrohir lingered, he called to his twins. "Come. Get them out of here! They should not see what I will do."
Elladan was startled by the words wondering what his father planned to do, but he and Elrohir did as they were told.
When Elrond was alone with the Prince, he stood over the elf, and steeling himself for what he was about to do, slapped Legolas hard across the face. Legolas' head snapped back and hit the back of the chair, but the prince simply moved back into the position he'd occupied all evening. Elrond slapped him again, harder. Then again. Each blow was like a knife to the Elf Lord's heart. Elves did not strike other elves easily, and, though he knew this was necessary, he wished fervently that it was not so.
**
Legolas felt Lord Elrond's ministrations, but could not seem to think of anything except the absence of the Song. The teas and herbs did no good for Legolas could not be persuaded to swallow.
He wished to tell Lord Elrond that it was all right and that he need not worry, but the words once again would not come.
A sharp sting on his cheek closely followed by a hard knock on the back of his head surprised Legolas, but not enough to provoke a response. Settling again in the position he'd occupied all afternoon, he was again surprised by a much sharper blow.
By the fifth time Lord Elrond had struck him, Legolas felt a tear slide down his face. He thought that perhaps he should try to say something. The part of him that had felt panic and relief earlier leaped to the forefront. Legolas felt another tear slide down his face and wondered if that would be enough to communicate with Lord Elrond.
**
Elrond was preparing to strike another blow, when he saw a tear on Legolas' cheek.
"Legolas! Legolas! Ernil-o Taur-e-Ndaedelos! Lasto beth nin! Tolo dan nan galad!" Elrond's heart leaped when another tear and then another left Legolas eyes. Elrond took the Prince's face in his hands and spoke very softly. "Legolas! Do not despair! Return to us!" (Legolas! Legolas! Prince of Mirkwood! Listen to my voice! Come back to the light!)
As Elrond watched, Legolas took a sudden, deep shuddering breath, his hands gripping Elrond's wrists. He blinked several times, and looked up into the eyes of the Lord of Imladris. Finding no words, he flung himself around Elrond's neck and began to weep. At first it was almost elven, but as the raw emotions bubbled to the surface, the sorrows and fears that he had kept inside took over until loud human sobs and cries of anguish filled the room.
When finally the prince gained control of himself, Elrond dared ask. "Legolas, what has happened?"
"It was the Song. I know not why, but this day it became unbearable to me that I cannot hear it. I feel cut off, disconnected. The more I realized how much I wished to hear it, the more keenly I felt its absence." He swallowed then with difficulty as his throat was raw and aching from lack of drink and overabundance of crying.
"I am sorry, Lord Elrond, to have been such a burden to you and your family. I had not meant"
"Legolas, it is no burden. We must help you! Now, I know the Song is important to you, my dear Prince, but perhaps we can keep this longing at bay by filling your ears with music of another kind."
Legolas nodded, though he doubted it would help. From that day forward, the elves of Imladris filled the Prince's room with song. Though it did not make him forget Iluvatar's Song, it did give him some idea how much the elves, and the human, of Imladris cared for him.
**
A few days later, upon the first day of spring, the company set out. Legolas, Aglarelen, Aragorn, Elladan, Elrohir, Elrond, Glorfindel set out for Lothlorien.
The journey would be long, they knew, but it was the purpose of the journey, which haunted the travelers though they tried not to show it.
Sometime during the second week after their departure, Aragorn stirred the stew he was making for their supper though he managed to surreptitiously watch Legolas, who sat nearby hard at work fletching. Aragorn knew this evil spell wore his friend's patience, but he knew no way to help. He did not know what they would do if the Lady Galadriel did not.
He hoped Elrond was right and that Galadriel would know what to do about this. Lothlorien was a long way off, however, and worrying about the end of their journey when they had barely begun would get him nowhere.
To Be Continued
Alexis: Interesting sense of humor you have, but, yeah, you're probably right!
Jade: (Blushes) Thank you! I'm flattered and thrilled that you think so!
Tithin Min: In that case, I graciously accept your compliments! I had no intention of offending! All kidding aside, thanks so very much for your kind words.
Felian: The line about 'human eyes' was purposely to set up Aragorn's amused response. And I think it likely that Legolas would have a bit of self-pity at the thought of seeing something with less than his usual senses. As a really poor example: I was at one time a huge fan of the Star Wars franchiseuntil I realized it was a franchise just like McDonalds!—Don't get me started! No, I am still a fan, though I am disappointed by a few things. Anyway, a week before the premiere of Episode One, something inexplicable happened to my vision, and for some time I thought might be going blind. The doctors had no clue what was wrong, and oddly one of the weird thoughts that crossed my mind was that after waiting 16 years for a Star Wars movie, I wasn't going to be able to see it clearly. My vision has corrected itself, and I don't even need glasses anymore, even though I had a relapse a short time ago. Bad example, I knowbut that's what I was getting at. Diminished abilities are hard for anyone to deal with. And for an elf to see what is purported to be the loveliest of Elven Realms with diminished sight in no way suggests that he looks down on those who have such sight. For a human to see with human sight is a good thing. For a human to see with elvish sightthat's The Sentinel! LOL! When I thought I might not see clearly again, though I knew I had an interminable number of things for which to be thankful, I was devastated beyond belief that I couldn't see as I had seen before.
Cbloe Amethyst: Thank you! That's just how I wanted Thranduil to seem!
Bill the Pony2: Thanks!
Leggylover03: Thanks! Yeah, I've never seen Aragorn's full elven name used either. Probably there's a reason, but if there is, I don't know it!