Hello guys, thank you so so so much for the lovely reviews, honestly it means so much :)
So as per tradition, THANK YOU Dreamingin2Eternity, Narsilia Lyanna Elendil, xX-MissyMoo-Xx, Win Lockwood, xenocanaan, Opal Vampire, Aranel Mereneth, Kirschflower and Celticank!
Well here is chapter 5 I am very interested to hear what you think of this chapter so please let me know, and I will love you forever :)
5. Hanging Our Hopes on the Stars
"This is folly!"
A tall, sinewy looking elf uttered aloud, as he trudged back through a part of the woods they had already searched, not but a day ago. It was raining, as usual, only instead of the lush and vivid greens that come in the aftermath of rainfall; a thick fog clung to the slick, dark, branches of the trees, and the foliage drooped and rotted in the ground, filled with sickness, and turning to sludge under foot.
"Nothing is folly Adan, what is folly is to have a negative attitude"
The less than impressed voice of the elven prince answered the grumbling elf, who then dropped his gaze and fell back into line with the small host of warriors, who were carefully exploring their environment. Legolas stood off to the side, atop a natural formation of rocks, elevating himself to try and see through the mists, whilst intermittently listening in on his company. They were growing weary they had been on the road such a long time, morale was slipping and the lack of time and resources were forcing them back home.
Gollum had sent them on a wild goose chase, they had almost caught him on several occasions but the wiley creature always managed a lucky escape. Several orc and goblin attacks, and the tracks that were turning stale had pushed Legolas to admit defeat, though he would not admit it outwardly, he had eventually agreed to return home to his Father's realm and begin a new course of action. As of yet he was not quite sure what that action would be, but he reckoned it would involve a very well-articulated apology to Aragorn, after all the ranger had entrusted him with the creature.
"We should rest here tonight my lord," Tauriel, the woodland guards captain, addressed Legolas from a few feet below him, "The company are weary, we have not rested in days."
Legolas frowned at the dwindling light and the ominous atmosphere of Mirkwood, before nodding once in agreement. Tauriel bowed and disappeared from view, he listened as she and the others made preparations for the evening. He was not keen on spending any length time than was necessary here, the sooner they could cross into his Adar's borders the sooner they would be under his protection, and the darkness would not be so near. Reluctantly Legolas hopped down from the rocks with the nimbleness of a mountain cat, and joined his comrades in dishing out what meager rations they had left.
The small group of elves feasted quietly and with little cheer, their surroundings making them uneasy and the knowledge of their shameful defeat in the pursuit of Gollum, left them feeling sour and deflated. As the night crept in and the heavy fog seemed to grow even denser, the company took to the canopy of the dreary trees, at least from above they could remain obscured from unfriendly view.
Legolas occupied a lonely branch insisting on keeping watch throughout the duration of the night whilst the others got some well-deserved rest, the prince still felt responsible for the events of Gollum's escape and therefore ate less and slept less than the other warriors to try and atone for his misguided judgments, he was sorely regretting his compassionate decision to allow the vile creature some freedom! With a glum expression Legolas hunched up on the branch and began his watch, finding no comfort in the eerie silence of the wood or the uninviting bite to the air. The prince sat for a short time on his own before he became aware of an approaching elf, as they eased over the creaking branches;
"Tauriel you should rest while you can, I do not intend to allow another respite until we reach the King's realm," Legolas muttered to the shadowy figure a few branches above him. The figure shifted until it was perched on the opposite branch, the familiar small smirk of the captain becoming visible.
"I did not think you would let us rest tonight let alone any other night, you are tireless Legolas!" Tauriel replied with a sarcastic edge to her voice.
"Only when I need to be," was the Prince's numb reply, he was not in the mood for banter tonight.
Tauriel, sensing the prince's lack of engagement in the conversation, decided to sit in silence with him. She knew the elf well, they had fought and trained together for many years, so she knew when he wanted peace and quiet to think through his dilemmas. Gollum's escape was a heavy blow for him, and she felt a great deal of sympathy and compassion for the prince. No doubt he was answerable to elves much higher than his Adar, though she was knew well from past mishaps standing before King Thranduil was not a pleasant experience, and she too felt a little queasy at the thought of having to do so when they returned empty handed.
"Tis not your fault Prince," Tauriel tried again after some time had passed, "It was an orchestrated attack, the creature knew he would never escape unless he blindsided us."
Legolas looked up at the captain and sighed, he was well aware of the logical explanation however it did not excuse the fact that Gollum had been allowed to roam with escorts;
"I pressured my Adar into allowing the decision to let Gollum have some freedom, which was a terrible decision that I now heavily regret."
"You should not regret compassion Legolas, it is a rare trait found in today's world," Tauriel lent toward the Prince and squeezed his arm in an attempt to bring comfort, "You showed the creature an act of love, but sometimes no matter how many actions of kindness and love you show you cannot undo the bondage's of evil. Gollum was entirely corrupted his mind would have never recovered, you tried your best, your Naneth would have been so proud."
Legolas felt a lump form in his throat at the very mention of his Naneth, he could not believe she would be proud of the situation they now found themselves in. However Tauriel's words were comforting but not an excuse, it would be many a long night before he was ready to forgive himself for this serious error.
xXx
The libraries and archives of the Woodland King's Halls were quite spectacular, they were built like a rabbit warren, a maze like structure, in which one could get lost in if they were not keeping track of the twists and turns they took. The caverns were stocked to their ceilings with books, scrolls, maps and a variety of artifacts, kept in order by diligent elves who adored history and the arts.
It was here, in the very small hours of the morning, tucked away in a corner behind a mass of maps, books and various parchments, that the woodland princess hid. Ellenya had installed herself at a desk, in which every square inch was covered, except for the space directly in front of her which was covered in sketches and broken pieces of charcoal, her only light was a candle burning directly behind her on a shelf.
Ellenya sat cross-legged on her armchair, book in lap, glass of wine gripped loosely in her left hand and a charcoal pencil for sketching in her right. Her hands were smudged black from the charcoal, with some dusty remains speckled on her face, where she had forgotten herself and rubbed her chin or cheek. Her cool, blonde locks, had been at one point neatly braided down her back, but were now loosened and hanging in silky tendrils about her face.
She stared in deep concentration at the image in the book in front of her, and retrieved the picture she had completed from the table to hold it against the book image for comparison. After a few moments the princess scowled, scrunched the paper up and tossed it aside in frustration before draining the dregs of wine from her cup. Sliding back into the armchair and placing her feet on the table, Ellenya slapped her hand over eyes and rubbed them furiously, leaving more charcoal speckles across her porcelain skin.
She had not slept in countless nights; every time she did she was hounded by the same dream night after night. Her Naneth called her more urgently now beseeching her to remain vigilant and listen, Ellenya still did not know what she was meant to be looking for. That was until she had drifted in the early morning, during a meeting with her Adar and the interior guard, and her dream had shown to her an amber stone, encased in a golden necklace, with her Naneth's voice telling her it was to be found. She had abruptly left the meeting and barricaded herself in the depths of the Libraries intent on uncovering the meanings of her visions, for Ellenya truly believed these were no longer just fantasies of the mind.
Her memory of the time spent with her mother prior to her murder was scant, Ellenya in order to preserve her mind, had blocked a lot of her childhood from her consciousness. However she did recall her Naneth had a necklace with an amber stone, she had a vague idea that this was what the orc who attacked and murdered her Nana were after, but Ellenya did not know any more than that. Her Adar did not speak of the necklace nor did he ever explain what happened to it, over time Ellenya had come to the conclusion that maybe she had dreamed it up, any attempts to discuss it with her brother were futile. Legolas did not want to talk about it and actively discouraged her from bringing it up as a point of discussion with their Adar, he always maintained he knew nothing of its whereabouts and had conceded the orc had stolen it, Ellenya believed him it seemed the obvious explanation.
That was until it became a dominant feature in her strange visions, its revelation had set alight a new train of questions. Ellenya wanted to know what the stone was, why her Naneth owned it and where it was now. She had trawled the library, forced herself to read recordings of the events of that fateful night, she even sloughed through a record of valuable jewels which had been owned by the elves, that proved a very taxing read. Yet there was no mention of her Naneth's jewel, it was like it had been scrubbed from history, so Ellenya now sat as frustrated and confused as ever. She had got the vibe from her dream that this was an important item, something that could be used against the coming darkness, something she and her people desperately needed!
Ellenya was so engrossed in her thoughts she did not see Arystor, the King's advisor, enter her studious space. The elder ellon watched the princess with slight amusement, her appearance was something to behold. The raven haired elf bent down to pick up a discarded book and place it back on the desk, whilst clearing his throat loudly to alert the princess to his presence. Ellenya's eyes fluttered to the advisor and she seamlessly retracted her legs from the table and perched more regally on the armchair.
"Lord Arystor, what brings you to the Library at this late hour?" Ellenya questioned, whilst smoothly removing her scrawled on pieces of parchment from view.
"I was going to ask you the same question Princess, it is late your Adar is restless he does not like you disappearing on him, you know this," Arystor answered with an indulgent smile.
The advisor, like most of the subjects of the realm, was fairly protective over Ellenya he was fond of the King's daughter, she had tremendous spirit and love for her people. However she was like family to him, since Queen Lairiel's death he had been the unfortunate peace maker when Thranduil could not quite master the art of parenting, and thus Arystor had a fairly strong bond with both the King's children.
He watched with enjoyment as Ellenya rolled her eyes and sighed, disentangling herself from her stack of books and papers the Princess came to stand beside Arystor and with a sarcastic smirk added;
"Well I better go relieve him of his anxieties, honestly the thought of a grown elleth staying up past midnight and not telling her dearest Ada of her whereabouts, why it is unthinkable!"
"Now Ellenya be nice, he is your Adar!" Arystor chided and with a grin added, "Apparently overly anxious behaviour comes with the territory."
Ellenya giggled and inclined her head, "Goodnight Arystor."
"Goodnight My Lady, sleep well," Arystor replied and watched as the elleth drifted from view, noting with the concern the weary look in her eyes.
Shaking his head the Kings chief advisor turned to examine the books that littered the desk, he knew it was just a little bold of him to nosey through the royal family's private studying material, but he quenched the guilt by telling himself he needed to tidy up the mess Ellenya had left in her wake. As he stacked the books and noted their titles, none of it making any sense to the elf, he absently picked up a piece of scrunched parchment. Glancing around quickly to ensure he was not being watched, Arystor unfolded Ellenya's drawing.
Arystor was not prepared for the image, his mouth popped open in shock and he heard himself take a tiny gasp. Ellenya had, with perfect skill, sketched the Queen's necklace, right down to the very detail of the gold chain it used to hang on. His initial shock was replaced with confusion, Thranduil had ordered that no mention should be made of the amber stone in front of his children or his subjects; it was to be forgotten and erased from their history. The King declared that the elves could draw their own conclusions of its whereabouts, as for as Thranduil was concerned the power of amber stone faded with his wife. Even if it had of remained in the hands of the elves, the King was convinced it would have become a relic, useless in the hands of those not gifted to wield its power. The truth was, if one could believe it, that the Queen close to death, had given it back to the ones that had gifted it to her ancestors, the Valar, in order to ensure the protection and safety of her people and her children.
Arystor folded the paper up and placed it in his pocket, his brows furrowed in concern. He was not sure how much Ellenya would have recalled about her Naneth's necklace, or even if she fully understood its power? What was evident was it was on her mind, deep down Arystor feared a day would come when Ellenya would relive her past memories and more questions would be asked. He believed Thranduil should be more honest with his daughter, but the King would not discuss the past with his child for fear the memories would cause her harm. With a heavy heart the advisor reluctantly decided this drawing was something the King would need to see.
xXx
"It means nothing Arystor, she has always had a vivid imagination," Thranduil waved the paper his advisor had given him dismissively above his head.
"Sire please I think that maybe you should discuss this with the Princess, she is obviously experiencing memories, why else would she recall-"
"Leave it alone" Thranduil cut off Arystor with an icy voice, "It does not matter, the stone is long gone and of no value or use to us, my daughter does not need to be cumbered with useless information that will only cause her pain!"
Arystor had received nothing but dismissive statements since he had rushed to present the King with the picture his daughter had sketched, and he was growing tired of it;
"Thranduil you cannot continue to bury your head in the sand!"
Arystor heard his raised voice, it was angry and commanding, and with great anxiety he realized he had just shouted at the King. Thranduil's eyebrows had shot up to at least his hair line, and the look of shock would have been comical accept Arystor could see the fury creep into the King's steely gaze. The advisor squared his shoulders and prayed he would not lose his position or a limb in the coming moments;
"You cannot believe that this is just a coincidence? Your Majesty the times are growing dark, maybe the Valar will revoke their claim on the stone, maybe it will be returned, maybe-"
"You believe Ellenya has the ability to wield the stone," Thranduil cut in, "The stone that her Naneth gave up in order to protect her?"
Arystor opened his mouth to reply but he found no words, the King's argument was sound, it would make no sense for the Valar to return the stone to Lairiel's children when its removal was meant to protect them.
"Do not be blinded by a fools hope Arystor," Thranduil sighed and sat down on his settle, staring into the embers of his grand fireplace, it was a few moments before the King spoke again;
"The light of the Trees of the Valar, the amber stone was Lairiel's gift, it was her responsibility to heal the woods and to guard the natural world. You cannot just be born into that bloodline that does not mean you have claim to the stone. It is a gift from the Valar, they choose its keeper, and they have chosen to remove it from this world. I am sorry Arystor but it is just a drawing, an old memory, do not pin your hopes on the stars."
Thranduil's face crumpled into an expression of pain and he pinched the bridge of his nose, the memories of his wife and her wonderful abilities left a bittersweet taste in his mouth. He was no fool; he often wondered if Lairiel had of survived would Greenwood have prospered? He had contemplated the notion that with jewel he and Lairiel could have come against the darkness and defended their homeland, the cruel name of Mirkwood would not have marred his beautiful home, and his people would have remained unhurt and the devastation caused by the evil armies that were the scourge of their existence, would not have been a common occurrence. It was a dark thought but sometimes the King entertained the idea that if he had died in Lairiel's place, would his people and his children been safer?
"I am sorry Sire, I only wished to draw your attention to the picture, I worried maybe your daughter would ask questions," Arystor whispered softly, feeling guilty for his outburst and for dredging up painful memories for his beloved King.
Thranduil opened his eyes and rearranged his features back to into his familiar mask of calmness, his voice returning to its impassive and airy tone;
"I accept your apology Arystor and appreciate your concern, but I will deal with my daughter if and when she ever asks those questions."
With that statement Thranduil rose from the settle and left Arystor to his troubled thoughts, no matter how hard the advisor tried he could shift the uneasiness he felt about the situation, to him it was no coincidence and as foolish as it seemed, Arystor believed something beyond their understanding was intervening in their time of need.
xXx
King Thranduil stood in the gardens his wife had created long ago, his shoulders were tense and his jaw was clenched so tight it actually caused him discomfort. The Elven King was not sure if he should cry, if he should be angry, if he should feel guilty, or if he should feel anything at all? It had been several long weeks since Legolas had left in pursuit of Gollum, only to return a few days ago empty handed and defeated. It was a terrible blow, and his son was devastated and no matter how much Thranduil had tried he could not ease his son's conscience.
Though the King knew it to be unavoidable the discussion of Elrond's council was of high interest to his son, the date was looming and Legolas was putting pressure on his Adar to make a decision. Thranduil had spent his days locked in a ferocious internal debate, his instinct to protect his child over his knowledge that Legolas was a warrior, and by rights his true ambassador for the council. Eventually reason and logic were victorious and Thranduil agreed to send Legolas as his representation, though the King knew to his very core, that he would not see his son for a long time. Whatever the outcome of the council, there would be no return trip for Legolas, his boy would see whatever task that had to done to the bitter end.
So on this very morning Legolas, his eldest child, and only son, was preparing to leave for Imladris. Thranduil could feel his son's fae, full of hope, determination, and anxiety and as is instinctual for an elven parent, the King attempted to soothe his son's concerns and let him partake of some his own strength to see him through the coming weeks. He felt Legolas respond with thankfulness, but he felt his thoughts pull towards Ellenya, a similar anxiety echoing from his son.
Legolas had forbidden his Adar to break the news to Ellenya that he was leaving; he wished to do that himself and as predicted Ellenya did not respond well. The decision had only been made the evening before and since then Thranduil had not been able to reach his daughter. Ellenya had closed off from both her Adar and her brother; her spirit was mournful and angry all at once, she grieved and that was normal, Thranduil felt best to let her deal with this in her own way, in time he could hopefully comfort her.
"Ada I came to say goodbye."
Legolas' familiar voice sent an onslaught of emotions through the King, he had heard his son approach and worked hard to not betray any sign of hurt or grief in his features; for his son he would only ever be proud and strong.
"You should have let me put on an official farewell of the court, our people would have wanted to say goodbye," Thranduil answered and turned with a forced smile to regard his son.
Legolas shook his head and chuckled, "I dislike ceremony Ada, besides I will return before they even have a chance to miss me!"
Thranduil felt a renegade tear try to force its way free of his eyes, and so lowered his gaze so as to hide it. The King regarded his son in his light armour of greens and browns, and with frown began straightening the cloth and tightening various clasps;
"You are my representation Legolas, you cannot appear disheveled in front of Lord Elrond! You are the son of one of the most notorious elven leaders to have ever lived, I will not have you sullying my well-earned reputation," Thranduil warned as he gripped his son's shoulder and gave them a hard tug.
"I swear Adar I will do know such thing!" Legolas chuckled at his Adar's description of himself.
Thranduil responded with a genuine laugh, before settling his son with a serious look;
"Have you said your goodbyes to Ellenya?" The King asked.
Legolas nodded and gazed mournfully back in the direction of the King's Halls and were he had left his younger sister to her grief. Fighting back his own tears Legolas turned to his Adar and spoke urgently and with feeling;
"Please Ada, watch over her while I am away, she is deeply troubled by dreams she believes they are fore warnings of the future, she fears that I will not survive. Ada I cannot bear the thought of her grieving for me, if I should not return, if something should go wrong, send her west let her sail, she does not deserve to suffer further on my account."
Thranduil regarded his son with shock, it was the first time he had heard of these dreams but it would explain much of her recent behaviour. Ellenya had been unusually distant and cool with him, and of course there was the incident with Arystor and the drawings, but the King kept this information to himself, Ellenya would confide in him in her own time, she always had. Thranduil nodded solemnly in answer to his son;
"Legolas there is already a ship for her; it was for both of you but I see now that it would be folly to ask you to leave these shores," Thranduil answered and watched the shock in his sons expression.
"But you never discussed this with us Ada, we have never discussed leaving our home," Legolas tried to make sense of the shocking revelation.
"It is a precaution I took to ensure the safety of my children, should ever the need arise then you and your sister would have a means of escape. However I know my daughter will not leave these shores if her brother still dwells here, Ellenya has hope she just has yet to believe in it," Thranduil soothed.
Legolas without hesitation embraced his Adar like he had as an elfling, and Thranduil returned the embrace with the same depth of emotion. Gripping his child tightly, he committed every last inch of his boy to memory, no matter what the outcome he would see his son again, but only the Valar would determine when that would be, and for the first time in a long time Thranduil prayed incessantly for the protection and safety of his son, pleading silently that he would not lose another loved one to war.
"I love you Ada, I will not fail you or our people," Legolas murmured as he pulled away from their embrace.
"Legolas, my son, you never have, nor could you ever do such a thing," Thranduil answered and placed his hands on his son's shoulders, eyeing him with a serious look he added, "You will always have my love, now go and show the races of Arda that the fury of the Woodland elves still remains legendary."
