Chapter 9
Legolas could hear the screams miles away.
After he and Estel had arrived in the center of Fangorn, they had immediately been ushered towards several healing stations. Because of Estel's much more serious, death-threatening condition, most of the Ents were more occupied on him, rather than Legolas. The elf didn't mind. It was a rather nice change for him actually. For once, he wasn't the one fussed over by all of the healers, being offered everything from bandages and needles, to ill-tasting medicine and tasteless herbal teas.
It took Legolas a while to look for everything he needed, for the Ents didn't have as much elven medical supplies as they did in Mirkwood. However, what he mostly needed was some bandages and athellas, so he was all right. Immediately, after he was patched up, his first thought was to limp away as far as he could before Estel got treated. He winced as the painful memories came back to him. The fire burning inside his muscles. The explosion inside his brain. The storm going through his body. The ice chilling his veins. The steel plunging into his back. Mandos laughing at Legolas' face. He shook it all away...that was the past and it should stay in the past.
That was when the screaming started.
Legolas hurried up, trying to get as fast as possible but he found himself collapsing in the willow Estel had previously been resting in. He couldn't walk a lot with the dislocated knee and he wagered he'd need a few days of rest for it to heal completely. However, miles away from where Estel was being treated for the 'death breath' poison, Legolas could still his screams. He only heard the screams and cries of pain the young boy was emitting but fortunately, he couldn't hear Estel's pleadings...but the elf didn't need to hear them to know what they were.
Estel was begging to die.
Legolas sighed, dragging himself to sit near the river. He tried to block off the screams Estel was doing, although he failed in that and decided he should just ignore them for a while and distract himself with something else. He grabbed some nearby pieces of wood and a rock and started trying to make himself some arrows. Still, as he set to work, his heart was twisted in guilt as the screams got louder and louder. He felt useless...like he couldn't help the boy at all. He wondered if this was how his family had felt, helplessly watching as Legolas had been treated, wriggling in pain and begging for it all to stop.
"I feel like an animal," muttered Legolas, trying to make his mind more positive as he looked at his tools. All he had was a sharp rock and wood. And since the Ents were peaceful creatures, having no weapons or steel, there was nothing else he could use. He longed to be back in the Mirkwood smithy, where there were arrays of weapons and had almost every mineral available. Legolas was still feeling miserable about losing his knives and arrows. Especially those knives...they had been a special gift from his Nana. He choked on the mention of her and put it all away, his mind darkening by the mere mention of his mother. And Estel screaming in the background wasn't exactly making it better.
How much would he pay to punch Mandos in the face.
Suddenly, Legolas felt a slight pain in his chest. He winced as he dropped his tools beside him and wrapped his arms around where it hurt. He knew something was wrong was his ribs...after all, he suspected he'd broken a few while being chased by the wargs or if it wasn't there, it was when he'd fallen off the cliff. He cursed, wondering once again in his life why he had such rotten luck all the time.
Legolas leaned back, lying in the grass, finding that it eased the pain. There was a cool wind and it played with his golden hair. He shook his head to himself, wondering why he was being so negative with himself all of the sudden. A smirk came unto his face...maybe spending some time with Mr. Shadows was having an influence on him. His smile then grew wider: he had to think happy. He had to think about the things that made him happy. But...what made him happy? He frowned and started coming up with a list. Thalos, Aurell, his Adar when he was in his all right temper, the bluejays, his friends, anything related to food, obviously his weapons and archery...
However, another scream from Estel broke him off from his thoughts.
Now, he bet the entire forest could hear Estel. Legolas looked around nervously, hoping they weren't loud enough for orcs and wargs to hear. The screams had gotten so loud, that Legolas could hear exactly what Estel was saying and the sobbing he was making. Legolas bit his lip empathetically...he knew what Estel was feeling. And suddenly, without wanting to, he entered the world of memory.
[BEGIN FLASHBACK]
"This isn't fair Adar!"
A company of thirty elf guards traveled through the forest, although it must've sounded like none, judging on how quiet they walked. Fifteen in front, fifteen in the back, they guarded two figures which were riding next to each other side by side in the center. One of the figures was tall and had broad shoulders, hinting that he must have incredible strength. The other one was smaller but slender and toned, hinting he must be an archer of some sorts. They both wore elegant attire, hinting royal blood.
"There is nothing fair in this world, Legolas," said King Thranduil warily, as if he were used to outbursts like this all the time. "Some things just have to be done and sometimes you don't have a choice in them. This is life, so get used to it."
"But I do have a choice in this!" exclaimed Legolas. "You had a choice with Nana-"
"That was different," his Adar replied, gritting his teeth to stop himself from growling or doing something even worse to his son. "Anyways, this is a matter of great importance Legolas. You cannot hope to avoid it...whether you like it or not."
"I don't want to marry though! And I don't see why I have to," argued Legolas. "I'm still very young, I still have to live my life at the fullest, you know? And as I was saying, I don't see why I have to. It's not like I'm the crown prince and I need to produce heirs or anything. That's Thalos' job. Besides, you also have a very beautiful daughter at your disposal-"
Thranduil snorted. "Beautiful in the outside maybe. Chances are more likely for Aurell to marry a horse rather than an elf. I swear by the Valar she is more elf than elleth. And your brother is already very old and to find a suitable match and crown princess at his age-"
"Aww, come on Adar, he's only around four thousand-!"
"And at four thousand I was already married, had two elflings and was expecting another one," snapped Thranduil, interrupting his son. "Your brother will be a brilliant leader one day but in marriages, he's just as stubbornly brainless as you are. Now, that leaves us to you-"
"Glad I'm the last resource you have," muttered Legolas.
"You are a young, fresh, fair-looking elf. You're an agile warrior, are of royal blood, have a pleasant personality and when you don't put yourself into any stupid situations, a decent amount of intelligence. Do you know how many letters I've gotten to marry you off over the years?" continued Thranduil. "I was saving you up for the best offer and I believe this is definitely one good enough."
"Please Adar," sighed Legolas rolling his eyes. "I love Arwen as I would to a sister. We have been friends for many centuries. And yet, there is no way that in many centuries more, that I will ever love her as a wife. She does not belong with me and nor will I belong to her, if she doesn't desire it."
"This is madness Legolas!" Thranduil replied angrily. "The love of the Evenstar is an unimaginable offer in which elves of your age would throw themselves into a pit for. I cannot understand why you would refuse it. Is it because she is not as beautiful as you dreamed of? Is it because she is not as polite and clever as you dreamed of? Because if that's the case, I will have to disagree with you. She is a perfect match for you and vice versa. Besides, this way, the alliance Mirkwood has would not only strengthen with Imladris but with Lothlorien-"
"Yes yes, I get it, hit two birds with one stone," said Legolas rolling his eyes. "But really Adar, why didn't I-?"
Suddenly, the prince halted and so did the entire company, glancing at him worriedly. When his Adar asked what in Arda was wrong with him, Legolas only frowned and looked in front of him, his keen eyesight seeing far beyond the darkness of the woods. Finally, he swiftly grabbed his bow and shot an arrow in front of them. For a moment...nothing happened, until suddenly an orc slumped forward, dead.
And by the time the cries of the prince of "It's an ambush!" came out, chaos was already loose.
At least twenty orcs came from every direction; they were surrounded. Immediately, the elves jumped out of their horses and took out their weapons, doing their best to protect their king and prince, the orcs' targets. Legolas soon lost sight of his father as the horde of orcs overwhelmed them all but he didn't worry for him...if his father survived Dagorlad in the War of the Alliance, he'd be fine with this. Legolas took out his knives, plunging them deep into two orcs and going into the places where help was needed most. He poured out his anger about his father's sudden arranged marriage and it was effective, killing brutally many orcs in battle.
Suddenly, Legolas realized they needed to retreat. So far away from the fortress in Mirkwood, it would take some time for reinforcements to come. They needed to step back before the orcs' superior numbers killed them all. Through the massive walls of orcs, he cut his way through and caught a tiny glimpse of blond hair. Heading that way, he was about to reach his father when he heard an awful scream in the air.
Turning around, he realized one of his comrades was in the ground and he headed towards him, blocking the sword from an orc that was about to finish him off and stabbing him in the gut. Twisting the knife out, the orc slumped dead and Legolas knelt beside his friend. "Merenil...for Valar's sake, what happened to you?"
Merenil was one of Legolas' closest friends. He, Legolas, another elf called Thangurion and Beluriel were the best of mates and had always spent their days together, either when it came to dinner or archery practice. 'Merenil' meant joyous and Merenil had kept up with his namesake, always humorous and cheery, always joking...although now he wasn't looking so well. There was a long jagged cut in the side of his head which didn't look pretty and blood coated his chest plate. The most important thing, however, was the arrow stuck in his shoulder, an arrow a black tone darker than what Legolas had ever seen.
"T-The arrow," croaked Merenil, almost sobbing. "P-Please, t-t-take it off...it hurts so much. It-" he coughed, blood spilling out and Legolas was frozen in shock. "It-It's so painful. Painful beyond I've ever felt. I-It's poisoned-"
Suddenly, Legolas felt a presence behind him and saw as an orc was about to slice him open with his ax. The prince closed his eyes, embracing his imminent death. If he were to live in a world where Merenil didn't live, it would be extremely painful. Suddenly, realizing he was alive, he opened his eyes and realized another very smug-looking, dark-haired, green-eyed elf was looking down at them.
"Oí leaflets! This isn't any time for any lovely afternoon tea talks!" said Thangurion smirking. "If it weren't for me, you two would've had your heads cut off like peaches!"
Legolas looked at him and pointed down. "It's Merenil, he got shot. I'll cover you."
"Ouch. All right," said Thangurion kneeling next to their wounded and dying friend, who was now howling. Thangurion's father was a healer and his son had inherited some of his healing knowledge. He knelt down and tried to think of a way to get the arrow off while Legolas stood up, switching to his bow and arrows and covering Thangurion while he worked. Slowly, more orc bodies slumped down unto the ground...but still, the orcs kept coming, wave by wave and even more elven bodies slumped dead. Legolas had been trained for things like this all the time and yet his muscles were already starting to hurt, burning with the constant knocking of his arrows.
Maybe a marriage sounded much better than this.
After many minutes of fighting and shooting arrows, Legolas suddenly heard a sob and looked down. Thangurion was kneeling next to Merenil's chest. Merenil's face was frozen in fear and pain, his eyes strangely bloodshot, his skin so pale, that every single vein and every single muscle popped out. Soon, Legolas realized the skin was slowly turning another color, a sickening purple...Thangurion was sobbing, looking into his hands, which were filled with black blood...Merenil's blood. And the arrow was still stuck in their friend's shoulder. And without any word, Legolas knew what had happened: Merenil was dead.
Quietly, he eased a crying Thangurion up. This was not his friend. His friend had a huge ego, was confident of himself and held an obvious sense of sass everywhere he went. But as Legolas helped him stand up, he saw into his friend's eyes another Thangurion. A cold Thangurion, a Thangurion that had seen death. As his friend stood there, in the middle of the massacre, to numb to move anything, Legolas knelt down and jerked the arrow out of Merenil.
For a while, all Legolas could do was stare at it. The terrible thing that had killed one of his best friends. It was a dark thing, with Mordor designs but the arrowhead...it was filled with blood. Black blood and with some small drops of green. Legolas froze. He'd studied more than a hundred types of poisons with his mentor, Ranwe, and yet he'd never seen anything like this. This was a new poison, something they'd never discovered...and it could be far deadlier than whatever they'd ever known.
He had to get to his Adar! They needed to get away and now, before this poison overcame them all. Stuffing the arrow in his pocket, he stood up and scanned the battle zone. After a few minutes after, in which he was both stabbing and trying to look over the sea of orcs, he found a flicker of gold. Still looking at that direction, he shouted, loud enough and hoping Thangurion would hear.
"Than!" he said, using their childhood nickname for Thangurion. "We need to get to my Adar! Cover my back and left flank, I'll cover your right and front flank."
Frowning, he heard no answer and turned around.
Thangurion lay in the floor and Legolas' own skin paled as he saw the arrow stuck in his friend's stomach. Blood was gurgling at an extreme pace and Thangurion was trying to stop it from gurgling out, putting his hands on the wound. Legolas knelt down next to his friend and watched as Thangurion tore the arrow out by himself, emitting a hiss but then throwing the arrow aside as his skin slowly turned more purple by the second and his body filled with the poison. Legolas tried to check the wound, grabbing one of his water skins and trying to clean it so that it wouldn't be infected but Thangurion held a hand up, stopping him.
"My friend, my brother," he croaked. "I better say this quick. I-I'm sorry."
"Sorry? My friend, there is nothing for you to be sorry for," said Legolas, tightening his hand around Thangurion as his friend's breathing started to be more ragged.
"I-I'm sorry I couldn't save Meren...and I'm sorry that I'm going to leave you," Thangurion said. "I-I said a pledge. W-When we were novices, remember? T-That I would protect you and your family with my life." A tear rolled out, continued by sobbing. "But I'm not going to die like that. T-The world will remember me for dying for a stupid arrow...or the world might not even remember me at all."
"Shh, shh, mellon," said Legolas he felt his friend's fea starting to fade. "Rest in peace. Let your mind flow. Do not trouble yourself, mellon. There is nothing to be sorry for...as long as I am alive, you will never be forgotten. Nor will I forget Meren. Your names will be in the same sentence with the words glory and honor."
"I-I-" Thangurion choked out some blood out of his mouth. "I am grateful."
Legolas closed his eyes as he felt two clear tear drops flow down his cheeks when suddenly, he felt something wrap around his wrist and opened his eyes to see his friend cracking a painful smile.
"F-For my last words, mellon, I w-want to tell you t-to not mourn me. R-Remember me instead...I-I wouldn't like tears in my f-funeral," he whispered as he weakened. "Tell Adar and Naneth that I l-love them too. W-Will you take care of my little m-muindor too?"
"Of course," said Legolas. He paused abruptly and turned around to stab the orc who was about to chop of Legolas' head. He then turned back to his friend whose eyes were slowly starting to flutter close.
Legolas stormed through the battlefield with a raging fury. Using his knives, he chopped his way through the orcs until he reached his Adar. He stood behind his Adar quietly as he killed his foes. Legolas didn't help him...his Adar hated when people interrupted his killing sprees. The prince was visibly impressed as he watched his Adar take down five orcs with one swift swing of his sword. After he had finished, he turned around and looked at Legolas. "Yes?"
"We need to go Adar. Now," said Legolas. He handed his Adar the arrow and Thranduil examined it with queer interest. "This is a poisoned arrow-"
"It's black. It has blood in it. It is from Mordor. Of course I know it is poisoned, Legolas," said Thranduil throwing the black arrow made from Mordor and stamping it into pieces with disgust."Tell me something I don't know."
"This is no poison we know of!" exclaimed Legolas. "We need to turn right back and get reinforcements. We need to investigate this. Two of our elves fell under this poison within minutes...with this, they could annihilate our entire troops within half an hour! Don't you think we should check this out before-?"
"We are one mile from the outside of Mirkwood."
"We might all be dead before that happens!" counterattacked Legolas. "Please Adar...just take this into consideration. We cannot risk these elves. What if this poison falls into the wrong hands?"
"And how do you know it hasn't already?" said Thranduil. "I have been in the beginning of this darkness, I have seen all it can do. And if we do not do something, then not only these elves will die but Mirkwood will perish. It is precisely why we need to hurry, get out off the borders and tighten our allies-"
Legolas groaned. Could his Adar not understand? "How in bloody Arda did we get into the subject of marriage again? Adar, you-" However, he was cut short when his eyes caught something. Right behind his Adar, more orcs were flooding over and one of them, camouflaged in a tree, had an arrow aimed straight at King Thranduil's heart.
Legolas didn't risk it. He pushed his Adar out of the way, which was pretty difficult since his Adar was at least twenty times stronger than him and twenty times stockier than him too. However, he managed to do so much to his father's confusion and Legolas closed his eyes as the arrow struck him square in the chest.
[END FLASHBACK]
Legolas whacked himself with one of his sticks.
"Stupid, stupid memories," he exclaimed, shaking his head and trying to shake off those bad memories off his head. Remembering now would do him no good. What had been done, had been done. He looked back down at the wood and rock he had. He realized all this thinking of his wasn't going to make arrows out of nowhere. So he sighed, sucked his breath and sat up, starting to work. He used the rock to sharpen one of the sticks and once that stick was ready, he used it to sharpen the other sticks.
He sighed with longing. He seriously wanted his knives back. And his arrows of course.
After half an hour of arduous work in which he blocked out the entire world and focused on making arrows, his hand went to his side so he could grab another stick to sharpen. He frowned when he found he'd used them all and stood up to gather some work. He'd done a pretty good job he'd supposed. Twenty arrows in thirty minutes...it was something. Besides, making arrows with a rock and some sticks wasn't very easy.
He stopped on his tracks though when he heard a distant sound. He watched in the horizon as Treebeard walked towards him. Two Ents followed him from behind, supporting a ragged looking figure Legolas soon realized was Estel. As he got closer, he looked at the boy's features...and he realized he must truly be exhausted. His skin was pale and his face haggard-looking. Purple bags who hadn't been there hung under Estel's gray eyes. His eyes were slightly bloodshot and even Legolas had to control himself from not thinking about whose eyes had looked like Estel's. Estel's rich dark brown hair was also messy and rumpled up.
Legolas forced in a smile as he picked up his arrows, shoved them into his quiver and went towards them. "Treebeard! Done so soon? I am most grateful for this news."
Treebeard gave him a tired smile. "Indeed. We made some research after...you know. That is how we were able to find out more about how we could cure more quickly and efficently." He suddenly raised a rusty 'arm' and patted Estel on his back, although it seemed more like Treebeard was crushing the frail boy. "Besides, this lad was very strong. He did a great job."
Estel only gave the Tree Ent an irritated glare but Legolas tried to evade Estel's dark mood and flashed a cheerful grin at Treebeard and the other Ents. "Thank you very much. I bet you all worked very hard and I'm sure we'd both appreciate it. What could I ever do to repay you?"
"Nay, there is no need for that," smiled Treebeard. "For your kin gave us a gift we will eternally be grateful for and not even in the thousands of years I have lived will I ever be able to repay them. Besides, any peaceful company is welcomed here...we do not have many visitors these days."
"I see no reason for that, your lands are beautiful," replied Legolas politely.
The two Ents behind Treebeard started muttering to themselves and Treebeard sighed, "I believe we will discuss that later. We're having another meeting in the Entmoot and we'd very much appreciate if you'd come." However, Treebeard's tone hinted it was much more of an order than a request. "For now, we heard about some meddlesome Men in our south-eastern borders. Got to teach them a lesson about nature. So, I thought the young lad could use some good sunshine with you."
"Indeed, that is a good idea. Besides, I would not like to trouble you," said Legolas standing up and putting a supporting hand on Estel's shoulder. The elf saw that the boy's legs were trembling, wobbling unstably like they were two skinny towers about to collapse. "Come Estel."
Treebeard gave him a smile and led the two other Ents away, walking the opposite direction they had come from. They spoke to each other, the two Ents quickly and Treebeard slowly, with his deep patient voice. Soon, they were out of their sight and Legolas turned to look at Estel, trying to cheer him up with a grin.
"Hello Estel! How are you feeling?"
"Like I want to slap that smile off your face," croaked Estel glaring at the elf's cheery demeanor.
"Good! At least you've kept your bad humour," said Legolas. He let Estel use him as support as they walked towards the lake. Legolas went to gather some more wood for his arrows and returned to see the boy had dragged himself to sit under the willow tree. The elf saw that as the sunshine touched the boy's pale skin, the boy hissed, as if the light stung his skin. Legolas didn't judge him though...he knew how that felt. "You know, in my time, it took three days to cure me from the death breath; it only took you about an hour or two."
"Seemed more like one or two hundred of years of hell," grunted Estel as he sat on the grass and hissed irritatedly. The boy suddenly hated everything. Why did the bloody grass have to be so soft? Why was the sky so blue? Why did the sun have to shine so bright? Why did the water have to be so cold? For the boy, everything was gray and colorless. Dull and bland. He felt empty, like a vase without flowers.
"Yes, well, that's one of the symptoms," said Legolas. He started sharpening another stick and decided that his best strategy was to keep the boy distracted by talking. He also put anything sharp out of Estel's way...just in case. "It'll pass eventually."
Estel only mumbled under his breath.
Legolas sighed. "All right Estel...I'll tell you a story."
"Stories are all fake and stupid."
"Well, this one is more of an anecdote and no, it is not stupid," said Legolas. He waited to see if the boy would respond but realized he didn't. He could feel those cold, steel gray eyes bore into his face but nevertheless, he went on.
"There was once a young elf. He had everything he'd ever wanted. A peaceful home. A good family. Food on his table. Safety. His childhood was spent in joy and laughter, full of innocence and surrounded by color and good cheer-"
"Seems like something I'd need right now."
Legolas ignored him. "One day however, this elfling this discovered that he was leaving. Yes...he was leaving everything behind. The friends he'd had. The sapplings he'd grown up with. The lands he'd played in. The only home he'd ever known. Turns out, his family was one of the several families to move east in order to create a new kingdom with new rules. Eventually," smiled Legolas proudly. "These families were the first founders of Mirkwood, otherwise known at that time as Greenwood the Great.
"A great deal of peace went from there. The lands were rich and green, flourishing with life. Silvan elves who had originally been there admired the Sindarin culture we brought over and we mixed together to make a new kingdom with a harmonious order," said Legolas as if he'd memorized it from a textbook. "However as time passed and as this elf grew to love this place as if he'd been born there, as he grew used to the songs of the trees and got used to the very land beneath his feet, he realized something wrong was wrong with his home. The trees were changing. Turning black and black by the second. They had turned corrupted, instead of protecting and singing the songs of nature, they whispered bitter insults and hushed anger at the elf. Until...it happened. Greenwood was sacked clean by a horde of orcs. Our people who were not born warriors, were unprepared and chaos erupted. Every posession was stolen and sacked, the elflings were kidnapped, the ellyths raped and mutilated cruelly. Many elves fell that day and only half of Greenwood escaped."
"If you're trying to make me feel better," grumbled Estel. "I'll just tell you that you're doing a terrible job at it."
Legolas paid Estel no heed and went on, sharpening his fifth arrow as he spoke."This elf had seen it all. He was still young, not even five centuries old. He'd fought in the siege since his father had given him brief training in swordfight and the elfling had escaped along with his family, scarred forever. He escaped for his dear life running on a twisted ankle with bruises all over his limbs. From that day on, the corruption engulfed Greenwood. The southern part became too dangerous to walk on. The elves moved north but everything was changed. What had once been called Greenwood wasn't Greenwood anymore...it was Mirkwood or Taur-e-Ndaelos, the forest of great fear. A kingdom which once was describe as one of the greatest and most beautiful, had fallen so low and deep into the abyss of darkness.
"My kin never forgot though. They never forgot the siege and they never forgot the time when Greenwood was great. They kept that precious memory forever and then...they used that darkness and they transformed. Mirkwood, a name which had once been served as an insult by the other kingdoms, became our strength. Life changed entirely. Survival was taught to every citizen. Every male and female elfling at the age of four was given weapons and was taught the basics of how to wield them. By age five they entered basic training and started their education. The Mirkwood elves built up their barracks, they made weapons so efficiently that they had two times what they used to have, they build up their fortress right in the north of Mirkwood where it was safe and as time passed, not only did they fight the constant darkness at bay but they grew more dangerous, more agile.
"Things didn't get better though. Our character grew up all right though...he grew up to be a noble warrior and even commander, leading patrols into battle tirelessly, willing to give up his very life for the land he loved. Until things just got too bad. Mirkwood was falling...and the Mirkwood elves' defense was slowly weakening. If the darkness overwhelmed them...they would fall, and this time there was no place they could retreat to.
"The reason, the Mirkwood elves soon realized, of this darkness was because of the rise of a new evil...Sauron, the lieutnant of the dark Morgoth, who had once been part of the Valar but did not wish to share his power with his kin. After his master had been defeated in the first Age by the Valar and elves, Sauron had spent his entire life planning to complete his master's purpose: conquer Middle Earth. But the king of Mirkwood, King Oropher, was no fool...he knew that to destroy this darkness, he could not do it alone. That is why when both elves and men decided that they had to fight together, Mirkwood immediately raised its banners. The two leading forces, King Gil-Galad and King Elendil, led the free forces of Middle-Earth against Sauron and his minions."
"The War of the Alliance," whispered Estel, for the first time not saying any rude comment.
"Yes," affirmed Legolas. "The rest you know, for it is now history. You have not heard the side of the story from this elf, though. The elf we're talking about, commanded the forces of Mirkwood against Sauron next to King Oropher and several others. King Gil-Galad wished for Mirkwood to attack in a specific day. Gil-Galad was wise and seldom did anybody ignore his counsel and Oropher knew that. Yet Oropher had his own ideas; he thought that if they attacked one day earlier, they could get the orc army by surprise and he could help gain the upperhand for the elven forces the next day.
"This ended in catastrophe," said Legolas looking down with sadness. "The orcs' numbers were far too many and they were nothing but prepared when the Mirkwood elves fell on them. Besides, Sauron was more powerful than we ever thought. He had gained powerful allies and there in the battlefield, he unleashed one of the deadliest forces of Middle Earth: fire drakes, the last of their kind. Smaller but just as fiery and dangerous as their other larger kin."
"Dragons? But those only appear in myth."
"Indeed...but sometimes we realize myth is more truth than story. Anyways, to add to that, leading the orcs that day was another dark force: a Ringwraith, one of the nine corrupted kings who had received rings of power. The king, Oropher, was slain this way, fighting the wraith in order to protect his own son, the heir." Legolas took a deep breath and continued. "Our character, the elf, had his own battle to command. He led his forces against the drake and told his archers to try to take down all the drakes they could. He himself shot a drake right in it's weakened spot...although not before the drake had its vengeance.
"He shot a great gust of fire and the elf's face was half-burned," said Legolas and suddenly, for the first time in the entire story, Estel looked genuinely interested. "Literally. The left of side suffered from third degree burns and every single thing melted. Every vein, every muscle, every tendon and even his eye. Everybody thought this elf was going to die but he was revived and the healers had to give him a mask to hide the gruesome burns so that he could fight a few more months. Eventually, help from Gil Galad did come...but it was too late. The orcs and drakes had all died but the cost was two thirds of Mirkwood, the king himself and much more. Then, the Mirkwood forces went home...and our elf returned home fatherless and soon turned into an orphan as his very own mother went to Valinor because of grief, leaving him alone in this world."
For a moment, a chilling silence was shared between them. Nobody moved and not even an eye twitched. Estel's tired gray eyes pierced into Legolas' blue ones and suddenly he whispered, "So what's the moral?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"See, every story has some kind of lesson, a moral. Something I'm supposed to learn or use for the future," said Estel warily. "You told me this story for a reason and I still don't comprehend why. It certainly hasn't cheered me up, that's for sure."
Legolas flashed him a thin smile. "You're a clever little boy, aren't you Estel?"
"So I've been told...in different words though," muttered Estel grumpily, as if he wasn't in the mood for talking.
"Well, the story isn't completely finished. The elf married the elleth he'd been in love with for a long time. He managed to cope with his injury and he kept fighting for Mirkwood."
Estel's haggard face twisted into a frown. "Why?"
"Because he loved Mirkwood, Estel. If you so want your lesson penneth, here you have it. This elf was thrust into all kinds of pain possible. He spent his life hanging from the thread of Mandos only to receive more suffering for his service. And yet he continued, because no matter how much darkness you have suffered or how low you've been beaten down, there will always be something worth fighting for. You will persevere...because you know you're much better than that. You know you're stronger."
Legolas looked deep into Estel. "But you cannot do it alone. Even our elf needed that elleth's love in order to move on. For that strength in you is like a hurricane and it will bring you down if you do not use it or learn how to control it. Remember, a plant needs soil to grow. A fish needs water to swim in. You need someone to help you, someone to support you and to help you because pain is difficult to keep inside you. And I know we don't really know each other, Estel, we are strangers who have saved each other for unknown reasons. Yet I offer you my help. Speak when you want and I will listen. Because I know what pain means...and if you feel it, it doesn't mean you're weak. It means you're living and that you feel emotions like the rest of us. When I finished my treatment for the 'death breath,' I was sobbing like a baby because of the pain and nightmares I'd gone through. So cry, because not all tears are evil."
That's when Estel broke down and he was surprised by how many tears rolled down his cheeks.
O-O-O
"They're dangerous!"
"Please Lindenroot, calm yourself down," said Treebeard patiently.
The three Ents-Treebeard, Lindenroot and Quickbeam-were walking down the forest to deal with the humans who were apparently hurting the forest. Yavanna, Queen of the Valar, had created the Tree Ents to guard the beautiful trees of Fangorn against threats such as humans or dwarves. Their job was to ensure that nature continued to thrive under their care and to protect any living thing at any cost.
"I'm sorry T-Treebeard," spluttered Lindenroot. Not like he was scared of Treebeard or anything, that was just the way he spoke. He was a tall skinny tree and a nervous fellow as well. He was always uncertain, never black or white. "I-I just don't think it's a good idea having them here under our care."
Quickbeam nodded. He was one of the youngest of the Tree Ents, with strong branches and a thick bark. "For the first time, Noodle Stick is right. There is something strange I sense in the boy and the elf...the elf is trouble, we know it. He's important and if he falls into wrong hands, we'll pay. And trust me, I know that I will never want to even get close to the Taur-e-Ndaelos, the very smell in the air is wicked and those poor trees..."
"T-Think about it, T-Treebeard," continued Lindenroot. "We cannot risk having our existence wiped out. W-We're one of the last of our kind left and w-with the disappearance of t-the Entwives and Entings...well, y-you know."
Treebeard sighed. "I admit it is true my friends. They bring us trouble and nothing more and yet, how could you not let them in? They were battered and bruised, dirty and wounded when they came in. The boy was basically dying! Yavanna sent us here for a reason and I know it was to defend our tree kin and nature itself, but shouldn't all living things be included in this list? Don't tell me you didn't feel terrible for them when we brought them."
Lindenroot and Quickbeam looked down at the floor.
"I thought so," said Treebeard, feeling a bit smug with his little victory. "Anyways, when they're completely healed and rested we'll let them go and we'll have no trouble, you'll see. Besides, there is no way the elves from Taur-e-Ndaelos will attack us. First of all, their kin are their responsibility, not ours, therefore they have nothing to blame us with. Also, none of the royal family would dare trespass our lands as enemies. They hold respect-"
"That is somewhat true," said Quickbeam. "But it was only the Queen of Mirkwood that did. Before she came to us, we had never had woodelves in our lands for centuries. She was the one who respected our woods...every single one of her children has been blessed by us. You know what happened to her, though. We all do, Treebeard."
"Valar bless that elleth," nodded Treebeard solemnly. "Yes, I know what happened to her...but she is still remembered. None of her children would dare attack us, knowing that she would disapprove of their actions."
"W-What of the Elf-king?" asked Lindenroot worriedly.
"His pride is high and his arrogance still hangs over him like the sky over Aman. His soul is cold and sharp like steel. If I chose between standing in the middle of a snow storm and being in the same room with him, I would choose the storm," said Treebeard honestly. "Yet he is cold because others have been like that to him and he has barely touched any warmth in his life. He has felt pain beyond imagination. Besides...he does have a conscience. He was on his knees when he begged to us to help his son. The wisest of kings knows when to bow when he needs to. Even as a prince, I knew he would accomplish things others before him hadn't."
Suddenly, they stopped in their paths.
They were close to the south-eastern border when they heard a sound. It was a ragged howl, not very loud but full of anger. They also heard other grunts, the sounds of claws against their sacred ground and the smell...ugh, what a terrible smell. Plain corruption was a terrible scent and immediately the three Tree Ents flinched. Quickbeam was the first to recover though.
"Orcs," he growled.
O-O-O
AN: Oh no...orcs? In Fangorn? What do they have in mind? Hahaha...I think you guys all know why. Anyways, here is my short little chappie. I know it is TERRIBLE! :( I was actually kind of disappointed on my flashback, so please do forgive me. Normally, my flashbacks are better but this one was pretty bad, so sorry. This chapter, once again, was also much more emotional than action-packed...but I promise Legolas and Estel have a lot of running and ass-kicking to do in the next chapter (is that good or bad?). Trust me.
Anyways, some new Sindarin vocab words or key characters I put in that you might want some extra information:
Taur-e-Ndaelos: "Forest of Great Fear," the alternate name to Mirkwood
Yavanna: She is the Queen of the Valar and the creator of nature. She is believed to be responsible for the growth of all things in Arda. She is currently believed to live in the southern part of Valinor, in the Pastures of Yavanna.
King Oropher: Father of Thranduil, grandfather to Legolas and his siblings. He was the founder of Greenwood the Great and led some Sindarin elves from Lórien, east until they found Greenwood and combined their race with the Silvan elves already living there. He was a great ruler and a great warrior, slain in Dagorlad.
Aman: The sun
Now, about Legolas' story: yup, you guessed right, that's Thranduil he's talking about there. Let me tell y'all that I'm not exactly sure about what was happening in Mirkwood. Professor Tolkien just really didn't give us the specifics. So I'll explain some things a bit.
Oropher and his wife had Thranduil in the early First Age and their family, like many others, moved east to merge with Silvan elves, founding Greenwood. -TRUTH-
There was a siege in Mirkwood that forced them to move North. -INVENTED- (I'm not entirely sure about this but I just wanted to add it for fun. You know, because it gives us a clear perspective of how much Greenwood has changed to Mirkwood. Although yes, they did move north because the south of Mirkwood was getting dangerous, I might have some time troubles though so DO NOT hesitate in correcting me, historians)
Mirkwood's military regime. -HALF AND HALF- (Professor Tolkien was never specific in this but we obviously know that they had strict military regimes in order to be able to fight the darkness in Mirkwood. I based my version of the Mirkwood military regime on the Spartans. They started basic weapon training at age 7...but since it's elves we're talking about here and they've got enhanced skills, why not age 5? It sounds a bit logical but you're welcome with your opinions)
The War of the Alliance and Dagorlad. -TRUTH- (It's awesome! Mirkwood has such rich history in the war and in the siege of Dagorlad. I suggest you go research and read more in maybe in an appendix, LOTR wiki or the )
Thranduil's Burns. -ERM...HALF AND HALF- (We all saw that gruesome burn he had in the Desolation of Smaug! Which by the way was an AWESOME movie. So we know Thranduil has burned his entire left side of his face...but I'm not exactly sure how it happened, so I made him earn it in the battlefield while he was fighting drakes in Dagorlad)
King Oropher's Death. -HALF AND HALF- (We all know he did die in Dagorlad. However, Professor Tolkien never really paid attention to him nor did he state why or how he die, so to make it extra dramatic, I made Oropher die fighting a wraith sent to kill his son. What an awesome father...maybe it's in the royal blood)
Hahaha, you guys might be tired of reading all of this (if you did, if you didn't it's okay), so now the reviews! Thanks so much for your support guys!
Emi the Ninja: Yup, LOL...Legolas' doesn't really have much luck in his side. Hahaha, now you see I wasn't kidding about Mandos hating them. ;) The twins are okay though...for now. Keep reading and I'm glad you're thinking this is funny!
Masked Man 2: Once again, thank you! Your reviews are always so well done and thoughtful, both a combination of compliments and constructive criticism. To start (oh my, how to start? You gave me so much to ponder with), I'm glad you liked Legolas' POV. I'm surprised you liked my action scenes since I think I do them horribly but thank you. Hahaaha...yes, because the royal Mirkwood hair always stays fabulous. And yes, that little paragraph about his family is meant to increase all this drama we're having. After all, family is a big topic in this fic. Anyways...gosh, you're right! I did forget to put the part that Gilraen introduced herself. It slipped I guess. Although I'm glad it was interesting, I just wanted to give a small POV on what Elrond was doing, with his foster son missing and all. And haha, XD yes, Beluriel is a random name. It just kind of rung to me, you know? Now...aww! Thank you! I appreciate you liking the Estel and Legolas POV, they are indeed two hilarious dudes. And yes! Congrats to Estel! Elrond would be really proud. And about the enchanted river...it's going to be really important in the future, I'm making a fic about it and I'll post it on in the future so stay informed. Hahaha...yes, the final POV was pretty enjoyable to right. Apparently many readers really liked Haldir, Aurell and the twins. And yes, you are right, there are currently two search teams: Haldir with his wardens along with Aurell and Elladan and Elrohir doing their own personal search without anybody knowing. About the flashback...yup, here you have it! It's not the best but it's here I suppose. I'll also put other mini-flashbacks about when Legolas was being treated in the way.
Schattenjagd: Whoa, that's awesome! Seems like you sure know what having brothers is like. LOL...I feel kind of bad for your youngest brother but it must be nice to have a bunch of you guys looking over him. :) Anyways, Legolas gets lost in Fangorn because...he's kind of never been there before. I know it is uncharacteristic for a woodelf but Fangorn is terribly old, it's been around since the very First Age. There are still some magic and purity mumbo jumbo around the forest...something I might explain in the next chapter, where Legolas is sure going to need his sense of navigation. If Thalos knew that though, he certainly would. And hahaha...yup, Legolas' hair always stays fabulous. And agreed, Elrond is awesome! I'm also thankful that you like the interactions between Legolas and Estel, they're both very hilarious! Legolas is like a kitty...he hates water and for a good reason at that.
Luin: Thanks! Well, that's the reason I wrote this story in third person omniscient, so that I could play and experiment with different characters. But a two POV? That's cool! I used to do those all the time. I would very much like to read your fanfiction by the way! What's it about? Anyways...yes, there's a lot of angst in this story! It's very emotional. You're right by the way...Legolas and Estel will eventually warm up to each other. The flashback is here! It might not be so good but it is here! And that matters, right? I'll also put other mini-flashbacks about when Legolas was being treated in the way.
Saphira: Mae govannen, mellon! First of all...thanks and no problem! :) I'm glad to help my readers understand the fanfiction better! I might not have been clear in places. No, you will not get to know Legolas' secret for hair, *looks behind to see a glaring Legolas*...let's say that's classified. And about his ribs...well, Legolas isn't sure but he thinks they're broken and since Legolas didn't have the tools to do so, he still isn't completely healed up...In the bright side, Estel is okay now! Maybe depressed and full of pain but he's alive! I will reveal how the Tree Ents cured him in future flashbacks! And oh...the mountains? Don't worry about not reviewing sooner...I just hope you had fun! :) I will write more in the future, namarie!