Mirkwood, Middle-Earth
There was a thick layer of snow covering the ground of Mirkwood and its trees. The snow sparkled gently in the light of the full moon as a solitary Elven figure walked silently between the trees. Like all Elves, he left no footprints in the snow but he wore his cloak even though he never felt cold.
Something moved in the distance to his left and he turned his hooded head to look.
A pack of Elf-friendly wolves looked back at him with their golden eyes solemnly. Even at such a distance, he could see the pupils of their eyes. The pack leader stared hard at him and, for a second, his left eye changed colour to purple.
The wind came whistling through the snow-laden branches, scattering snowflakes in the air. It caught onto his hood and pulled it away from his face.
"A bad omen," Legolas said to himself as he watched the wolves run off. He looked up at the starry sky. "But the stars give little worry."
Another movement, different from wolves, caught his eye and he turned to look but saw nothing. Wary, he took out his knives from their sheaths on his back. He saw nothing but he knew that it could be camouflaged in the forest and he could hear something moving.
A sudden rush! Eight monstrous legs powered the huge spider towards him in a rage. It saw him try to run and brought one of its legs down on his cloak, pinning him to the ground.
Legolas fell into the snow but threw off his cloak and rolled out of the way of the spider's legs. Any other Elf in his kingdom, except for the elite warriors of the Royal Court, would have needed help to defeat a spider of that calibre. But, he was a descendant of Thranduil. He could do it without any help.
The spider towered over him and eyed him with its eight beady holes in its head. It clicked its mandibles excitedly and rushed at him again, disturbing the peace of the snow. It shrieked a wail that pained the air around them when several of its eyes were slashed by Legolas' knives.
It suddenly lunged at him so quickly that he reacted by pure instinct and dove under its belly without thinking about the consequences. He whipped around to see its long, sharp, poisonous stinger extend from its gigantic abdomen.
He waited for the right moment to get out of the way but the spider spasmed and screamed in pain by itself above him. A faint, confused thought flickered across his mind before he plunged one of his knives forcefully between the spider's thorax and abdomen, disconnecting its heart from its brain.
Gripping his knife firmly, he dashed out from under it, almost slicing it into two. The back of his shirt became soaked with its blood but he managed to get away fast enough to avoid more blood.
The spider collapsed, its eight hairy legs splayed across the glistening white snow that was slowly being stained by its pouring blood. It jerked and writhed, splattering the bloody wet snow everywhere. Finally, after a few long moments, the twitching slowed and stopped. The snowy night was still once again.
Legolas groaned and wiped away the arachnid's blood from his pale face. The full moon's light cast shadows across the gruesome scene and illuminated his long, blond hair as well as the white snow.
Something small sticking out slightly from the monster's head caught his eye. It reflected the moonlight brightly and, from what he could see, it was not of Mirkwood design nor did he recognize it.
He took a few steps towards the dead creature when he thought he saw something move in the treetops. He froze. It was fast. Fast enough to escape his eyes if it wasn't his imagination. He looked through the bare canopy but saw nothing but thick dark lines, twinkling snow and shadow.
Still cautious, he slid one of his knives back into its sheath after giving it a quick clean and picked up his dirty cloak. Even though he was inches from the dead spider, he was not afraid. In fact, he had just decided to climb the corpse to see what was embedded so firmly in its brain.
He was just about to do it when another noise stopped him.
"My lord! Prince Legolas! By the Valar, where are you?"
Legolas heaved a long sigh when he heard a familiar Elf's voice carry over the air. It was Findlas, a nobleman who was often asked by King Thranduil to find Legolas from within the depths of the forest whenever he wanted him to be back at the castle.
He turned away from the spider, cloak hanging off one shoulder, and started walking back to the cave and Findlas' calls.
"Oh, there you are," Findlas said exasperatedly when he found the prince. "Your father's been commanding me to find you since midday." His deep voice was thoroughly annoyed but Legolas knew better. Findlas had looked after him as an Elfling and was very fond of him.
"He has?" Legolas was confused. "What for? Father should know that I often walk the forest alone."
"Please, my lord." He bowed and looked at him with his steely green eyes and his expression darkened. "It isn't safe to discuss such matters out in the open. We cannot tell what is happening in our realm, but we…" He cut short and hardened his tone again. "If you will, my lord, you must return with me immediately."
Legolas nodded and pulled his cloak higher onto his shoulder. He slid his remaining knife into its sheath and said, "Of course. Please, lead the way."
Findlas nodded curtly and started the way back with Legolas beside him. He was one of the best warriors in all of Mirkwood and his military knowledge was unquestioned by those who worked with him. Often, he would be the leader and second in command only to the King and Legolas whenever there needed to be an attack, usually on the spiders.
Almost casually, he glanced over at Legolas after a while of walking and eyed his bloody cloak. "You're not injured, are you?"
"What?" Legolas was already planning the next day in his head when Findlas spoke. "Oh. No, I am unhurt. This is spider blood on my cloak. It lies dead in a clearing behind us."
"Oho," Findlas said approvingly, "you managed to defeat a spider yourself, now? Perhaps we should put you through a little test since your skills are so deadly. How do we know that you will be able to contain yourself if you ever lost your temper?"
"Test?" He asked anxiously, a little wary. "What test?"
Findlas smirked and cast a wayward glace at him. "I'm considering capturing you when your guard is at its lowest and flinging you out of Mirkwood into the great Middle-Earth by yourself for at least a full year."
"If you did that, I would either come back spiting my own kingdom or not return at all!"
"Wouldn't that be a shame?" Findlas teased him.
The pure snow illuminated the forest further with the silver moonlight that descended from the dark sky as the two Elves silently walked across it back to the cavernous realm of King Thranduil. All around them, the creatures of night watched from the shadows as they glided by on the snow. Occasionally, they would hear an animal move around the thick branches and the powdery snow would fall, releasing a sparkling cloud of snowflakes into the air.
The golden light of the Great Hall came into view like a candle in the distance. The fires of the hearths deep within the castle gave light to weary travellers who found their sacred realm. Sweet, delicate music wafted through the winter air like the gentle chimes of icicles in the wind. The feeling of home drew them into the Hall.
Standing between two hearths on the floor, drenched in the red-orange light of the fires stood the intimidating King Thranduil. He stood even taller than Legolas and possessed an aura of a seasoned warrior. His stern face was like Legolas', chiselled with beautiful features but with a greater degree of sharpness. Although his glare would send fleets of Orcs fleeing in terror, his eyes would often carry a softness that he administered onto his kingdom and its people.
However, an expression that was between anger, pained anxiety and great relief was etched across his face when he saw Legolas return with Findlas.
Right as Legolas crossed the threshold into the cave, Thranduil almost rushed at him and knocked him over in surprise when the King affectionately held his arms and shoulders in gratitude.
"I'm so glad you returned to me safely," Thranduil told him with great warmth.
"What is the matter?" Legolas demanded, bewildered. "Ada, are you hurt? Is something worrying you so much that you would actually fall ill?"
Thranduil chuckled and put his arm around his shoulders. "Not anymore, son. Findlas, I thank you once more with gratitude for finding him and bringing him back."
"It is one of my duties, my lord," he returned with a bow. "All the Valar know that Prince Legolas can never stay out of trouble. Perhaps we should show him now, my king."
"Yes, of course." With his arm still around Legolas' shoulders, he gently steered him deeper into their home.
"Show me what?" Legolas asked, still thoroughly confused. "Will someone please tell me what is going on?"
"Be patient, Legolas." He patted his shoulders and continued to lead him through the torch-lit halls. "You ask too many questions, like a little Elfling."
"I know, I know," he sighed. "But will you please answer one question, Ada?"
Thranduil nodded and waved for Findlas to catch up with them.
"Will you at least tell me where you are leading me?" They had begun to climb a series of flights of stairs.
"The Atrium," Thranduil replied and pointed up high through the layers of rock. "Elarian has interpreted a path in the stars and she is waiting for us."
"The Stargazer?" Legolas began to feel the first stirrings of uncomfortable anxiety in his heart. He knew that if the Stargazer was involved, there was something serious that needed to be known to Mirkwood.
An old and mystical Elf, Elarian the Stargazer was endowed with the illusive and secret power of being able to interpret the messages of the stars. She rarely descended from her private room at the highest point of the Mirkwood castle and spent most of her days deciphering the secret messages that were written across the night sky.
Though she rarely left her room, she kept herself clean and tidy with her trailing red hair kept neatly in an intricate hair shawl. She always looked mysterious and other-worldly to Legolas, even for an Elf. Her face was hard and expressionless, however, and her right eye was dull and blind. She spoke with the soft and distant tones of one who isolated herself from the world with only the stars as her company.
"It is good that he is safely back in the castle," Elarian said as they came into her room, her back turned from them. "I do not believe he would have come back unhurt if Findlas did not find him."
Legolas had no response to this so he remained silent.
"If you could, Elarian…" Thranduil pointed to a large water bowl under a mirror placed near the balcony. "Could you tell us what you saw in the stars once more?"
She turned from her balcony and looked at them. Legolas felt a slight shiver run up his back when he looked at her blind eye. He could sense that she saw much more than anyone ever could with that eye.
Without a word, she nodded and bade them to gather around the water bowl. She, herself, stood in front of it, facing the water and the mirror that reflected the stars in the sky. She spread her arms to the mirror and chanted a soft spell her guests couldn't hear.
The mirror, which was brought to Mirkwood through trades between the worlds beyond Middle-Earth, rippled like the water beneath it. The reflection of the stars wavered and winked at the Elves until images began to form on its smooth surface.
Something shimmered and danced through the forest, like a cloth in the wind. A shadow flickered across the starry skies and the moon but was gone as quickly as it came. The image of Prince Legolas walking through the snow-drenched forest came through just before there was a flash of a blade. The figure of Legolas suddenly jumped back with his knives drawn in attack. More blades flashed in moonlight, sunlight and trees around them. Finally, a pair of monstrous jaws rushed forward, open and then all that could be seen was blood splattering across the glass.
The Stargazer's guests merely stared in awe at the mirror, which was returning to normal but still with the image of blood dripping down. Legolas, as expected, was the most shocked out of the three of them and looked at the mirror and Elarian with wide eyes. Thranduil and Findlas, though knowing of the prediction, were still awestruck by the images.
"Wh… What did that mean?" Legolas demanded, unnerved. "Are the Stars declaring that I shall die soon in my own kingdom at the jaws of a beast?"
"I do not know, my Prince," Elarian said humbly, mystically. "The visions I receive do indeed foretell an unfavourable future for you. The Stars tell me that you will be directly affected by the chain of events that are occurring right now, in our forest."
She took her gaze off them and looked back at the mirror, gracefully arching her neck with her pointed ears in the direction of the balcony as if to try and hear if it was truly happening. Her eyes filled with confusion.
"Though it was a violent vision," she said softly and closed her eyes, "I cannot feel any evil or darkness… But it is very likely that you will be harmed and possibly killed, Legolas. I strongly advise you to take care."
He nodded. "I will. Thank you for your warning and advice, Blessed Stargazer."
They soon bade the lonely Stargazer farewell but with a promise of return and descended from her high tower back to the main areas of the castle. As they walked, Legolas wondered if there was any connection between the gruesome prediction of the Stargazer and the mysterious weapon in the spider he killed earlier. He asked Findlas to accompany him in a walk in the morning.
Together, they made their way across the pure white snow below a cloud-spotted sky to the dead spider's body. The ground around it had been greatly disturbed and still reeked of blood. Though dead and full of meat, no animal dared to eat its body in fear of the evilness it carried. So, it laid there, legs jutting out at disturbing angles to the sun, gently returning its body back to the earth.
While Findlas marvelled at the Elf-prince's skills, Legolas climbed the corpse to investigate what was embedded in the spider's head. The bright sunlight dimmed as the sun hid itself behind a cloud when Legolas made a disturbing discovery.
The weapon was gone.
