Chapter Six – The Mirror

Over the course of the past few months, the fellowship had been through much. From the very beginning, with Boromir's personality changing from day to day and the conflicting feelings of what paths to follow, the daunting task of taking the ring to Mordor was already taking its toll on the nine members. But the thick of their troubles began when Saruman put up an obstacle in the form of a treacherous blizzard upon Caradhras. Frodo chose, as the bearer of the ring, to take the fellowship through the mines of Moria. Gimli's kin lived in the mines, and he was filling the rest of the fellowship's heads with ideas of how grand and wonderful it would be there when it was discovered that the mines had been overthrown.

It was there that the fellowship lost Gandalf. For it was there that he faced the Balrog, a fiery monster wielding a whip of the same fire it was made from. Gandalf stood against the Balrog, just as the fellowship was fleeing the mines, and had seemingly prevailed. However, the Balrog, having fallen into the depths of the mines along with half of the bridge it had been standing upon, took Gandalf with him into the darkness. The fellowship was forced to abandon him, though it was evident that Gandalf was dead.

From the mines, the fellowship journeyed into Lothlorien. Legolas would have normally been overjoyed to have been going there. However, Legolas found himself becoming more and more on edge as the fellowship neared their next destination. Legolas couldn't imagine what it would be like to gaze upon the elves of Lothlorien, to see their beautiful city, and to know that Mirkwood was burned to the ground, and that most of the elves there had been killed or separated from their families.

"Stay close young Hobbits, they say a sorceress lives in these woods, an elf witch of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell." Gimli, axe at the ready, warned the Hobbits. Legolas rolled his eyes at the ignorance of the dwarf. In the beginning of the journey, Gimli's blatant disrespect towards elves and his rude behavior had deeply insulted and angered Legolas. After all the time he had spent around Gimli, Legolas was becoming used to his ways, though he was still annoyed by them. "Well, here's one dwarf she won't ensnare so easily. I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox."

Legolas, who had been trying to drown out Gimli's chattering, suddenly became aware of elven footsteps all around them. Had he not been able to tell the difference between elven footsteps and human footsteps, he would have drawn his bow. Before Legolas could say anything to Aragorn, though, the fellowship was surrounded by the elves of Lothlorien. Legolas immediately recognized Haldir, their captain.

"The dwarf breathes so loud we could have shot him in the dark." Haldir stepped through the several arrowheads pointed at the fellowship. Legolas couldn't help the smile that came to his face after hearing what Haldir had said.

"Haldir of Lothlorien, we come here for your help. We need your protection." Aragorn stepped to the front of the fellowship.

"Aragorn, these woods are perilous. We should go back." Gimli's eyes were fixed on the arrowhead pointed directly at his face.

"You have entered the realm of the Lady of the Wood. You cannot go back." Haldir replied coolly. He appeared to turn to Frodo. "Come. She is waiting."

Legolas' smile faded. He tried to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat as he followed after the elves and the fellowship. It remained where it was. He kept his eyes on the ground the whole way to Lothlorien. At one point, he felt a hand on his back. He hadn't been surprised to see that it was Aragorn beside him. When their eyes met, Aragorn smiled sadly at Legolas, for he knew why he wasn't looking forward to being in Lothlorien.

When they reached the city, Haldir took the fellowship directly to Celeborn's chamber. It was a beautiful place, with walls of green and silver and a roof of gold, broken by the trunk of a Mallorn tree. The fellowship waited at the bottom of a staircase for Celeborn and Galadriel. Legolas' eyes, still upon the ground, rose slowly up only when he sensed that Galadriel was about to descend the stairs. Celeborn, with Galadriel on his arm, came slowly down the stairs moments later.

"Eight there are, yet nine there were set out from Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf, for I much desire to speak with him?" Celeborn asked Aragorn, after her had looked from face to face and hadn't seen his old friend.

"He has fallen into shadow." Galadriel answered her husband slowly, her eyes upon Aragorn's face. "The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all, yet hope remains while the company is true."

Galadriel looked over the faces of the Hobbits before her eyes settled upon Legolas.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest, for you are weary with sorrow and much toil."

Legolas stared at Galadriel. It was as if her eyes were looking deep down into his very soul, as if she could read all of the words upon his heart. He felt naked and vulnerable in her gaze. It made his chest ache painfully.

"Tonight you will sleep in peace." Galadriel said, as if sensing Legolas' pain.

"Legolas Thranduilion, come and see me after your companions have gone to sleep. I wish to speak with you. Meet me in the glade. You know the place."

After all of the fellowship had fallen asleep, Legolas snuck away from where they lay. He made his way through the gardens until he came upon the glade. The lump in his throat, which had disappeared, suddenly returned when he saw Galadriel standing there, waiting for him. He slowly made his way towards her.

"My lady." Legolas bowed his head to Galadriel when he had approached her.

"I know what lurks in your heart, son of Thranduil. I have asked you here so that you may gaze into the mirror, and find the answers to the questions you keep buried in your heart." Galadriel waved her arm across a silver basin upon a stone pedestal.

Legolas hesitantly stepped close to the basin. When he was close enough, Galadriel poured water into it. She then waited for Legolas to look into the water. He didn't for many minutes. After he had gained the courage, he peered into the water in the basin.

He saw shadowy figures upon horses, riding through a dark place. He could hear the sounds of a battle taking place, the clashing of swords and the pained cries of the wounded. There were several pairs of yellow eyes in the water. Legolas recognized them as orc eyes.

Belle beneath dark water, her mouth open wide.

He could suddenly see her face in the water. Legolas had never before seen the look upon her face as it was in the water. Her jaw was clenched, and her eyes were hard. Legolas could then see that she was standing in front of a row of orcs. They were the same orcs that had attacked Mirkwood. Legolas recognized their leader, Throduk.

"Legolas!" Her voice, full of desperation and fear.

Legolas could see Belle's face in the water, and could hear what she was saying to the orcs.

"I am Legolas Thranduilion's fiancé."

"I have some propositions for you that I would like all of you to consider."

"The first is that you should consider leaving behind some of the she-elves."

"Myself, and the remaining she-elves, will hand over our jewelry and other valuable items to you, if you let the king go free."

"Well then perhaps this will sway your decision. If you kill the king, there will be an uprising beyond your imagination. King Thranduil is beloved by the other kingdoms of elves, and they will all band together against you if you slay him. I doubt that Saruman would look with favor upon the empty headed ones responsible for that."

Legolas' eyes had begun to fill with tears when he heard the way that Belle stood bravely against the orcs. He remembered his words to her about being strong for those around her. It was killing him to hear her, doing what he told her to do, for it shouldn't have happened. He should have been able to protect her.

Belle choking on the water that she was drowning in, her legs and arms flailing so slowly as though they were stuck.

When Legolas saw Throduk hit Belle in the face, his tears were squeezed from his eyes as his face twisted in anger. He clutched the basin tightly, his hands wanting to strangle the life from Throduk's body. He thought his jaw was going to shatter from having it clenched so hard.

"What have you done with Legolas? What have you done with my fiancé?"

"Please, please take me instead. Release Legolas. Take me."

"No! Please don't take my ring!"

Legolas freed one hand from the basin to grasp the ring at his neck. His chest was beginning to constrict harshly beneath it. Legolas could hear himself breathing heavily, could feel his chest heaving, but he was so focused on the images in the water that he didn't care. Though he had been guarding himself from thinking about what might have happened to Belle, he knew that he had to know. He had to watch.

Her head was able to surface above the water. She took a deep, ragged breath. Her lungs were full of water. But then, she was pulled beneath the water once more.

Legolas could then hear many different voices, all belonging to females. He assumed that they were the voices of the she-elves that had been taken with Belle. They were asking what they would do, pleading with the orcs, and crying. But over all of them, he suddenly heard Belle's voice once more.

"Do not worry. I have a plan."

But then, the images returned to those that had first been in the water. The shadowy riders were in the darkness, fighting dark creatures. In all of the chaos, Legolas strained his ears to listen for Belle. He leaned in closer to the water, as though it might help him to hear better.

She was sinking further and further into the darkness. She had given up kicking her legs and waving her arms. She was sinking.

A pair of large, yellow eyes submerged from the shadows. A glimmer of light exposed the face belonging to the pair of eyes. It was Throduk.

Had Legolas been able to feel his heart, he surely would have felt it stop beating when he saw that Throduk's face was covered in blood. His teeth were dripping with it, and, from one of his sharp, front teeth, hung Belle's engagement ring.

Then, the images faded from the water. Legolas could see only his reflection. He leaned in closer, though, when he noticed that something was amiss. He moved his hand from his chest and saw that the ring wasn't around his neck.

"LEGOLAS!!!"

Legolas fell backwards with a cry. He immediately leapt to his feet, gasping for air as though he had been drowning the entire time he had been looking into the basin, and felt around his neck for the chain. It calmed him down somewhat when he felt it there, along with Belle's ring. He continued to gulp for air.

Galadriel went to Legolas. She took one of his hands into hers.

"What do you believe that the mirror was trying to tell you?" She asked quietly.

"Belle is dead…dead at the hands of Throduk." Legolas answered her through his deep breaths. He could feel his sweaty palm in Galadriel's hand. He pulled it away from her, and put it to his chest where his other hand was.

"Is that what you truly believe?"

"What else am I to believe?!" Legolas shouted angrily, moving away from Galadriel.

"I do not know. Each person sees something different in the mirror. One person might see images from the past, while another might see images from the present, and, sometimes, a person sees images from the future." Galadriel returned to the basin. She gently overturned it, letting the water flow out of it and onto the ground. "I hoped that you would find some sort of closure, or perhaps peace, from looking into the mirror. I am sorry you had to see the things you did."

Legolas turned to face Galadriel.

"You must go. I am expecting another."

"My lady." Legolas murmured, bowing to her once more.

With that, Legolas headed back to the place where the fellowship had set up camp for the night, the same way he had come.

The next morning, the fellowship set out in elven boats upon the Anduin. They crossed through the Pillars of the Kings before reaching the shore of Nen Hithoel. The fellowship got out of the boats and pulled them onto the shore.

"We cross the lake at nightfall, hide the boats, and continue on foot. We approach Mordor from the north." Aragorn, who had become the unspoken leader of the fellowship after Gandalf's passing, finished dragging one of the boats to shore.

"Oh yes, just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil, an impassable labyrinth of razor sharp rocks. And after that gets even better, a festering, stinking marshland as far as the eye can see." Gimli replied gloomily, trudging up towards the woods.

"That is our road." Aragorn placed a hand on Gimli's shoulder as he passed by. "I suggest you take rest and recover your strength, Master Dwarf."

Legolas turned towards the woods. His mind was suddenly overthrown with the dark images of riders and orcs he had seen the night before. He winced visibly, and Aragorn approached him. He placed both hands on Legolas' shoulders.

"Legolas?" He asked concernedly.

"We should leave." Legolas turned to Aragorn suddenly, startling him slightly. "Now."

Aragorn, who had assumed Legolas was thinking about Belle and Mirkwood, realized that his friend had sensed a presence.

"No. Orcs patrol the eastern shore. We must wait for cover of darkness."

"It is not the eastern shore that worries me." Legolas nodded to the woods. It was as if he could see the riders and orcs from the water before him, as though they were battling right before his eyes at that moment. "A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind. Something draws near…I can feel it."

Aragorn, who had taken his hands from Legolas' shoulders after he had whirled on him so quickly, placed one of them back on his friend. He had woken the night before, and noticed that Legolas had been gone. Somehow, Aragorn had put the pieces of the puzzle together, and he knew that Legolas had been with Galadriel.

"What did the Lady of the Wood show you to grieve you so?" Aragorn asked quietly.

"She showed me what I already knew." Legolas looked away from the woods. "The only difference is that I had to see it with my own eyes."

Aragorn gripped Legolas' shoulder more firmly. He was about to reply when he noticed that Merry was searching for Frodo. Instinctively, Aragorn looked around for Boromir. He saw his abandoned shield leaned against a tree.

"Be on your toes Legolas." Aragorn told his friend, releasing him. "I believe that the threat has just been made…and the shadow will soon follow."