Prologue

Finally! The actual begining!

Prologue

The figure stirred in the darkness. Matted hair covered her filthy face. She hadn't seen the sun in three hundred years. Her memory was blank, except for that one thing. Her name. She held onto it, sometimes whispering it in the darkness, screaming it when she was tortured, even when she had been brought in front of Sauron himself. "Eleniel." She whispered. "Eleniel." She would never let it go; she was determined not to lose it. Once it slipped into darkness, she knew she would be just another mindless prisoner. "Eleniel." She whispered. She could hear no voices. Not a single sound. It was just her and the darkness. She brushed the cold, stone wall with her fingers. "Eleniel. I am Eleniel." She whispered.

Chapter One

The arrow whistled through the air and slammed into the target. Prince Legolas Greenleaf smiled as the wind rustled the leaves. He turned to his friends, Saeldur, Nestarion, Daerwen, Maerwen, Lathron, and Locien. "Who's next?" he asked. Nestarion stepped forward and Legolas allowed him to take his place. "You know, I've been thinking." Legolas said as Nestarion loaded his bow. "About what?" Daerwen asked. "Searching Barad Dur." Legolas replied. Nestarion was so surprised he accidentally shot himself in the foot. Grimacing, he pulled out the arrow. "Searching Barad Dur? Have you lost your mind?" Saeldur gasped. "No elf has ever lost their mind, and neither have I. Dol Guldur was destroyed and searched, Isengard has been destroyed and everyone knows it's empty now. Barad Dur has been destroyed, along with Sauron himself, but no one has searched it yet, as far as I'm concerned." Legolas replied. "Yes, but that doesn't mean you have to waltz right on over to Barad Dur and possibly get yourself killed." Maerwen retorted. "I have no intention to dance over to Barad Dur. It would be too comical." Legolas laughed.

"You know what I mean." Maerwen sighed as she took Nestarion's place. "Of course I do. I just thought I ought to make a joke out of it. Times like these call for jokes, you know." Legolas replied. "The battle at the black gates did not call for a joke." Daerwen retorted. "True." Legolas sighed. "Well, if you're going to Barad Dur, I'll go with you." Lathron piped up. "No. You could get killed." Legolas retorted. "So could you!" Lathron exclaimed. "True enough. Well, I suppose you can, if you insist." Legolas replied. "We'll go, too." The other said in unison. "If you insist." Legolas replied, smiling.

Thranduil looked up as Legolas entered. "How was practice?" he asked. "Excellent. How are the reports?" Legolas replied. "It's coming along fine." Thranduil sighed. "How much wine have you drunk today?" Legolas asked. "Why?" Thranduil replied. "Ada, I've known you for all 990 years of my life. I know your habits, from drinking to mumbling in your sleep." Legolas laughed. "I do not mumble in my sleep." Thranduil protested. "Yes you do. You mumbled when I went to crawl in bed with you during thunderstorms when I was an elfling and you still do now when I walk past your room during my nighttime wanderings." Legolas replied. "I'm denying this." Thranduil sighed. Legolas shrugged. "Fine. But, you still haven't answered my question. Can I search Barad Dur?" Legolas replied.

"That's not what you asked me." Thranduil said in surprise. Legolas frowned. "It isn't? What did I ask you?" asked. "You asked me how much wine I had drunk today." Thranduil replied. "Oh. Well, I meant to ask about Barad Dur. But, just to even things up, how much wine have you drunk today?" Legolas said. "At the moment, two goblets full. It may be twenty by the end of the day." Thranduil replied. "You know what happened last time, Ada." Legolas warned. "Turning to your question about Barad Dur. "Thranduil began. He paused for a moment, hoping Legolas would say he had never said a thing about Barad Dur. His heart sank when Legolas raised an eyebrow. "Yes?" Legolas asked. A few seconds passed, then: "Of course you can't go!" Thranduil exclaimed. Legolas, who hade not been expecting the sudden outburst, jumped. "Calm down, Ada. Is my question what may drive you to drinking about 18 more glasses of wine? If it is, I'm sorry I even asked." Legolas said quickly. "Calm down?! Of course I'm not calming down! You're my son! My only son! And you expect me to just allow you to waltz off to Barad Dur without a second thought!?" Thranduil yelled, standing up so quickly, he knocked the chair over. "Technically, Ada, I'm not dancing to Barad Dur. I was going to walk, ride a horse, or run, or sprint, or maybe even skip." Legolas replied. This remark got him smacked.

Nestarion was applying salve to the red hand print on Legolas's cheek. "So, it didn't go that well?" Nestarion asked. "He blew up. Though, that's probably due to the fact that he all ready had consumed two glasses of wine, and the joke I made about waltzing over to Barad Dur. I told him I wasn't going to dance over there, but walk, ride a horse, sprint, pr maybe even skip. That's when he slapped me." Legolas sighed. "Never push that on your Ada when he is angry." Maerwen retorted. "We'll, I know that now, don't I? Aiya, that stings!" Legolas replied. "My apologies. It's supposed to sting, you know." Nestarion whispered. "Suppose to sting? I can see that for open wounds and lacerations. But a bright red hand print were your Ada, or anyone for that matter, slapped you?" Legolas retorted.

Then, the doors to the infirmary opened. "Merry, Pippin, Sam, Gimli, Aragorn! " Legolas exclaimed. "Hello, Legolas." Merry replied cheerfully. "What happened?" Pippin asked. "Thranduil slapped him." Daerwen replied. "Daerwen!" Legolas exclaimed. "Why?" Pippin asked. "I asked him if I could search Barad Dur." Legolas replied. "Well, Legolas, I think you've finally lost your mind." Aragorn commented.