Here we go with another chapter!
Thanks to DeHobbit for being the first person to review! It means so much to me! I'm glad that you enjoy the story since you're obviously such a huge Lord of the Rings fan. I hope this chapter continues with your expectations of it. Also thanks to lotrlover16 for reviewing! I'm glad you like the story, and I'll be sure to continue, and hopefully quickly. It's a somewhat challenging story to come up with, but that's what makes it so fun to write!
I'm going to have some chapters with Legolas' inner thoughts, so I hope that's alright. I also hope to eventually explore the lives of the Fellowship a little after they defeat Sauron.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and this story!
Dawn broke softly over the Last Homely House, and the members of the newly formed Fellowship of the Ring woke one by one and walked out to greet the day. There was silence. No one came to see them off, as if they knew they would never see either of them again. All of the Fellowship was burdened by some thoughts, and none of them were happy at all to be going on such a dangerous quest. But it had to be done, and there was no turning back now that they were here. The Hobbits looked up with eager faces to the sunrise, drinking it in with their eyes. Legolas on the other hand, stood off to the side, trapped as always within the darkness of his thoughts.
He glanced up once, and caught the sight of the One Ring, burning brightly to his gaze. It fell behind Frodo's shirt again and was lost to his eyes, for his eyes were not powerful enough to always see the Ring. Not yet. Already he could feel the Ring calling to him, begging him to take it to its master, as if the thing were a living thing that longed for familiar touch. He could hear its voice, and since it recognized the taint of its master's Wraith, it called to him. Legolas almost entertained the idea of giving into the darkness, and of taking the Ring to Sauron. Almost. He was not quite that far gone yet.
"Come child," the Ring's evil voice hissed to him in black speech. Legolas could understand it, and it made him shudder. "Free me. Return me to our lord. Why do you fight it? Why do you struggle? Become one with the darkness, for darkness is apart of this world as is the light. Forget those who had forsaken you because of the gifts our master has given to us. Take me to him. You will be well rewarded, for he knows my voice, and will listen to me."
Silently Legolas shook his head, as if to rid the foul voice from his ears. The rest of the Fellowship could also hear the foul voice every now and then, constantly whispering to one person or the other, asking them to take it. The Hobbits were creatures of light hearts, and often did not notice the sound. Gandalf frowned but ignored it, and Gimli was far too proud to ever take the Ring and fail in anything. Aragorn was of strong will and ignored the Ring. Boromir often glanced towards the Ring, for though he was strong he felt little hope. One day he might fall to its power, but not yet. The Ring though tortured Legolas' waking thoughts, constantly whispering assurances to him. After all, if he became evil then what was to stop him from taking out his anger on those who had forsaken him? If he was evil, he wouldn't fear. But the elf couldn't give himself over to the darkness so easily. He could not forget the eye or the screams of his comrades. He would not forget. It was this last determination and strength that kept him from falling.
He turned his eyes at last away from the Ring and Frodo, ignoring it as he would have before. It was not lost to Boromir however, who frowned at the elf. Again he thought about the fact that the elf was very Wraith like already, and he could not shake the feeling that he would betray the Fellowship. He did not of course, realize that he was already further under the command of the Ring than the elf who was constantly tortured by it. He said nothing though as he glanced at the wizard, who was moving among them and looking up and down at all of the nine and their weapons. He paused a moment before Legolas and laid his hand on his shoulder, patting it as reassuringly as he could. The elf nodded his head to the wizard, but otherwise did not respond. His eyes stared blankly ahead while he listened carefully.
The elf paused a moment, sure he felt more than one pair of eyes locked on him now. He knew most of the Fellowship would not like his presence here, though they tolerated it. They weren't fond of the idea of having a ticking time bomb inches away from the very thing that would soon decide their entire future. He wondered also if his lack of sight unnerved them. He often unnerved people that he could not see and could still fight. They didn't like to talk to someone who could never quite meet their gaze, but still pretended he could. The thought made Legolas suddenly feel very depressed and more sad than he had in a while. What business did he have here? Going on a quest that was so important? If they failed because of him... Well he supposed he didn't matter either way. More than likely, he would die or become a Wraith long before they came close to Mordor. He just hoped that if that was true, that Aragorn or Gandalf did not have to face him. It would be hard for them, though perhaps not so for the others. Still, he trusted them to do what had to be done. Even if it meant ending him.
He turned his head towards the sky, as if looking for answers. He wondered what on earth he was supposed to do here. His mother had often told him that everything happened for a reason, even torture and suffering. But he couldn't see why, if he was the way that he was, he was supposed to come on this quest. Wasn't Boromir right? Wasn't he more a burden than any help? The thoughts gnawed away at him, and the Ring still whispered promises to him. It was very stressful to the elf, too stressful. But he had long suffered in silence. His face remained impassive as always, not telling that in truth he was ready to break down into tears. His eyes hid every emotion away, and those dull gray blue eyes were like glass, reflecting the emotions of others back out to them. And most of all he was silent, never speaking in complaint. He knew that it was of no help to himself. With so much confusion it was more likely he would give into the darkness before long. But he didn't tell anyone. He didn't want to worry them with the knowledge of how far gone he was. Not yet. They had enough to worry about now, more important than the fate of one elf.
"It seems we are all here and ready to depart," Gandalf said. "Good then. Now listen, the road ahead of us will be very dangerous and fraught with peril. But we must have courage and press on. As long as we have hope, then there will be hope for Middle Earth. We must not lose this."
"If we are to leave, then let us go now," Boromir suddenly said, glaring at Legolas. The elf of course could feel the scathing look but did not turn to look at the man and anger him further.
"Patience," Aragorn said. It was quite obvious to all of them that Boromir was not a very willing companion in this journey. "We must be sure we are completely ready. Lord Elrond has given us food and clothes for the journey, but we must listen to the words of the wizard."
"Do not grow so testy," Gimli told the man, eyeing him with annoyance. "We all must be ready to do as we can."
"Are you saying that I will not pull my weight?" Boromir growled. "I may not be so willing as the rest of you fools to go on this quest, but I am a man of Gondor, and a man of my word. I will not be useless. My sword is given to this Fellowship. And I will not hesitate to do my duty. I am of worth here."
Legolas knew that the man was speaking of him, and again saying that he did not trust or think Legolas of any use here. The elf however did not reply or deny the statements. He felt rather useless himself, but he said nothing. He was gratefully distracted by the snapping of a branch nearby in the underbrush. He turned his head to let his eyes scan the tree line as he had grown accustomed to doing. It was nothing sinister, only an animal passing by. The world was still dark to his eyes. Of course it was. They were safe here in the realm of Elrond. But out there, they would not be.
"No one said you were not," Frodo said as gently as he could, trying to ease some of the tension.
"Leave him be Mr. Frodo," Sam told him. "That one has a nasty attitude."
"Oi," Merry suddenly called. "Stop talking about him."
"Oi," Pippin demaned back. "Whose side are you on Merry?"
"Enough all of you," Gandalf said, ending the conversation before anyone was more offended or hurt by the words than they already were. "There is no time for this. We are on a very delicate mission, let me remind all of you. We cannot break here. You must band together or we might as well never leave Rivendell and let the dark powers come here and destroy the rest of the world. Do you understand? We will not bicker like mindless orcs."
There was silence. No one spoke. Some were surprised in the wizard's anger. Others had nothing to say because they were ashamed. Legolas on the other hand remained silent, still absently watching the tree line, as if he had sensed something there. A dark foreboding fell over him suddenly, the gift of his people to sense dangers approaching. Nervously he again scanned the area, but he saw nothing. It did little to ease his troubled mind. The wizard turned to Legolas, gazing at him a moment, and he began to speak, making the elf turn to let him know that he was listening.
"Legolas," Gandalf said. "Elrond told me of what you see. I need your eyes, for they are powerful against the creatures we will face along the way. I will need you to keep a careful watch for us. Your powers may be a curse, but we will use them while we may." The elf nodded his head to the wizard in silence.
"Then we will leave now?" Aragorn said. "In the daylight the dangers of the wild are no less than those at night." Gandalf patted the Ranger's shoulder.
"Perhaps it is not," the wizard replied. "You would know more than most. But yes, we will leave now. We cannot delay. Every day Sauron grows more powerful. We must stop him before he becomes too powerful. So now, we must go."
The wizard had suddenly made it very clear that there was to be no more discussion on this matter, and no one was willing to challenge him. They all remained silent, and turned to follow the wizard when he walked past them. Legolas followed Aragorn, for his friend had offered earlier before they had arrived to walk in front of him. Legolas could hear where the Ranger's feet fell upon the ground, and therefore where he should step to keep himself from falling across the rough terrain and becoming the liability because of his blindness that Boromir thought that he was. The two of them were among the front of the group, and Legolas carefully but quickly followed within the man's foot steps. Frodo was kept mostly within the center of the group, but that didn't stop Pippin from running up close to the wizard.
"Where are we going first?" the inquisitive hobbit asked.
"We will take the passage south first," Gandalf said. "That is the straightest path to Mordor. However, if that path fails us we may find ourselves having to take the pass over Caradhras. I hope it does not come to that however."
"Why?" Pippin asked.
"That is none of your concern now," Gandalf replied, eying the hobbit. "We will try the passage south. That is all you must know for now."
The group kept moving onward, seeking to disappear before the light of day had fully awakened Rivendell. With any luck they would be gone like a shadow on the memories of those behind them. Legolas wondered a moment about the three guards that had been sent here with him from Mirkwood. He knew that they had been scared of him. They had hardly spoke to him at all, as if his curse could be passed to them. He thought of his father, waiting for the news that his son would be gone from him forever, waiting to fade at last. He thought of his people, waiting in despair for the end of their kingdom. He had never said goodbye to any of them. But they had seemed to hate him. He knew it wasn't true, and that they were hurt at the thought of the fate that awaited him. He knew they would miss him, only that their fear of the beast he had become had made them so distant. But they didn't know that he knew this. And if there was one thing Legolas knew, it was that the words someone didn't say could be far worse than any words they had said.
But there was no time to dwell on the past now. This was the present, and the future still lay far ahead. He had only one course now. There was no time to delay. He looked up suddenly, his eyes scanning the area. They were crossing the ford now. Soon they would reach the other side, and the dangers of the wild that they would now face, along with the dangers of the enemy. His eyes scanned the treeline and the air, searching for any strange sights.
There was a flash of light to his eyes, very small and far away. He turned his gaze towards it and stopped. There were two shapes not unlike those of tall men. They seemed almost to be floating, but he could vaguely make out the shapes of horses beneath them. They were rather far away, and they seemed to have seen him too, stopping suddenly. The elf stopped as well, turning his eyes to them and never letting them wander away from them. Legolas felt Boromir bump into his back, and the man was about to turn and say something angrily to the elf, but paused when he saw the look on the elf's face, and that his eyes were directly trained on something his eyes could not see. Frodo, Merry, and Sam had noticed as well, along with Gimli. They all stopped, looking at the elf.
"Gandalf," Frodo suddenly called.
There was a rustle of robes as the wizard stopped and turned. Aragorn looked as well, and froze immediately, prepared to draw his weapon if he had to. The whole Fellowship had suddenly stopped and turned their gazes to the elf. Still, Legolas continued to stare at the two Wraiths, waiting and watching. They seemed to think he was their ally however, for they turned their steeds and went along their way. Legolas was a little surprised to see that they did not move their arms as if with reigns, but instead gripped at something at the horses' backs. The horses from this distance seemed to turn and move along on their own. And Legolas didn't know what to think of it.
"What is it?" Gandalf asked. The elf didn't respond at first, and his eyes began to scan the area again.
"Wraiths," he finally said. The Fellowship seemed to tense suddenly.
"How many?" the wizard demanded.
"Only two," Legolas replied, which seemed to ease the minds of the Fellowship a little. "They have gone. I think they did not see me well enough to realize I am not one of them yet. They have moved onward."
The wizard seemed to relax a little and let out a sigh. It was odd, considering the wizard hardly ever seemed phased by anything. Still, he turned to Legolas, frowning a little at the use of the word yet. He turned to the Fellowship however, of which many of the members looked around nervously.
"Come," the wizard said. "We can't linger here any longer. Who knows what else waits here? I know these lands are relatively safe, but we can't wait and see. Come along everyone. Let us put as much distance from this place as we can."
The wizard soundly strangely cheerful, which seemed to help the rest of the Fellowship not be so frightened of the Wraiths. None of them said anything, very much glad to get away from this place if it was anywhere near the creatures of the enemy. Legolas nodded to Boromir, and then stepped forward again, following the Ranger ahead of him. This time the Gondorian was silent and had no scathing remark for the elf, seeming to realize at last that the elf would be of use while he was here at last. So they continued on their path.
Much more alert now, Legolas' eyes would often scan the area. But since they were still very close to the realm of Elrond these lands were still well maintained and protected. The elf was a little ashamed to have let the Wraiths so close without noticing them. He vowed to keep a much sharper vigilant out as they continued.
All in all, the Fellowship made good progress as they moved on. The hobbits were somewhat used to a relentless pace of walking since they had followed Aragorn to the Last Homely House in the first place. They trudged along without complaining. The others were all hardened warriors and didn't mind the pace so long as they continued on. Legolas on the other hand was the most tireless of all of the Fellowship and trudged along with them without a sound.
Periodically the hobbits would glance at Legolas, but the elf remained silent, though ever vigilant. Soon the sun rose higher and higher, and the Fellowship pressed on for a long time, looking to put as much distance between themselves and their starting destination as they could. However, as the sun rose to about the noon mark, they knew they had to take a rest. As one they all settled down beneath some shade trees and rested their weary feet, all but Legolas, Gandalf, and Aragorn. The elf's eyes scanned the area again, but the world was now dark again to him. They had seen nothing else.
"We've been strangely lucky," Gandalf said. "It seems a little odd."
"It does," Aragorn replied. "Why have we encountered none of the enemy? Why only two Wraiths who turned away from us?"
"Perhaps they do not know what to make of our little band," Gandalf said, glancing at Legolas.
"You mean they do not now what to make of me," Legolas guessed correctly.
"I do think that may be the case," Gandalf said. "Unless some other reason is at work. Still, we've put some distance between us and the beginning of our journey. We will not travel so hard after this, or else we would never reach Mordor. We needed to start with all haste."
"I understand," Aragorn said. "though it may not be so easy with the others. You still plan to go further?"
"I do," Gandalf replied. "Though only until we reach the southern pass. We will not reach it today, but tomorrow around this time, if we keep this pace." Then he looked at the elf. "Thank you Legolas. Your eyes have been a great help to us. Just remember not to lose hope. We need you on this quest as much as anyone else."
"I will not lose hope Mithrandir," the elf replied.
The wizard didn't quite look convinced but left the elf alone, turning and walking back towards the others now. Aragorn looked at his friend for a moment, before laying his hand on his shoulder. The elf turned his eyes over his shoulder and to his direction.
"For whatever it is worth," he said. "I am glad you are here with me. We will need your strength." The elf managed a small and somewhat sad smile.
"It is a blessing to have a friend like you," the elf said. "And I thank you. But you should rest now. I will join you when I feel secure enough."
The man nodded, knowing well that he would not convince the elf to join them before he felt he was ready. He turned and left, leaving the elf somewhat alone and at the edge of the group. The others all sat and rested a while, speaking of trivial things to pass the time, and telling each other some stories. Hearing it, Legolas had never felt more alone. They would ignore him, and he couldn't blame them for that because he would have done the same in their shoes. If he went closer then their conversations would end and they would grow nervous of his presence once again. So he let them speak a while and left them alone, all the while his eyes scanning the trees.
The elf heard as suddenly two of the hobbits stood and approached him slowly. They truly were remarkable creatures, as silent as elves, and sometimes more so. It was Merry and Pippin he thought, for he still heard Sam and Frodo's voices farther away. The two hobbits paused a moment and looked at the elf, and then Merry turned to Pippin.
"I don't think he wants to be bothered Pippin," Merry said. "He's over here for a reason."
"But he has to be lonely," Pippin insisted. "None of the others want to talk to him but Aragorn and Gandalf. He needs some company."
"Then why did he send them over there?" Merry asked. At last the elf managed an amused smile and turned slightly towards the two hobbits.
"I would not mind company," he said. "I have simply grown used to being alone." The hobbits were a little surprised that the elf had noticed them, but Pippin immediately began to speak to him.
"That's sad," the hobbit said. "Your own people fear you that much? I wouldn't know what to do."
"I can't really blame them though," the elf said, somewhat sadly. "They are creatures of light. They do not understand the darkness. So I frighten them." For a moment, there was silence.
"So are you," Merry said quietly. "You just have to remember that. You've been fighting the darkness for so long. So you can't give up hope. You have to fight, if only to prove to them that you will not fall."
The elf turned towards Merry, regarding him silently. The hobbits both waited a little nervously. They found it hard to read the emotions of elves, and even more so Legolas since he hid his emotions so well. They didn't know if they had angered the elf or made him more sad. His emotions only came across in his voice after all. However the elf was simply listening to the hobbits a moment, thinking on how innocent to the outside world, and accepting they were. They had met the nine Ring Wraiths, and yet they had still accepted the Wraith Elf into their party. It touched him, their trust in them. It sparked a tiny bit of that determination he had once had into his chest again. He didn't want to fail them. And so a smile, a truly somewhat amused and happy smile touched his lips just barely, and the hobbits were glad to see it.
"Thank you Merry," he said. "And you as well Pippin, for reminding me again that there is still yet light in this world. It is only this that has kept me sane."
"You really like the light don't you?" Pippin asked. Merry shushed his cousin, but the elf simply smiled.
"Yes," he said. "To the elves it is precious. It represents good, and all that is fair and just in this world. It also can be pure, beautiful memories that are reflected to us in the stars. The sun, ah she is fair, and the moon, he is our guardian at night, ever chasing after the sun which he cannot touch but longs after her fiery beauty. To us, light is in everything, from the smallest of leaves to the tallest of towers. Of course, darkness can enter anything, but we believe that even if the dark wins but small victories, the light will always prevail. That is what has kept me from falling into the darkness. Because I still love the light."
The two hobbits watched in wonder as joy spread over the elf's face before them. They had seen it before in other elves, and it had always filled them with joy as well. But now they felt even more joy, for they had never seen a true smile on this elf's face, and they were glad to see it. They felt glad suddenly that they had said something, anything, to make the elf smile as he was now. They smiled a little back to the elf, knowing that he wouldn't see it but unable to not smile along with him.
"Would you tell us more?" Pippin asked. "About your people?"
"A rather inquisitive hobbit aren't you?" Legolas asked, but with a smile. "Of course I would. I would be honored. Hobbits are truly amazing creatures, both like men and elves, and yet a race all their own. I will tell you what you ask of me."
"Thank you," Merry said. "Though it's hardly necessary."
"No no," the elf replied with a small laugh. "It is fine. Small folk like you make me forget my troubles a while. You may speak to me when you wish."
"Good," Pippin said with a light heart. "You need to smile sometimes Legolas. I think it lets Strider relax a while. There's no need for you to be so distant."
"Ah," the elf mock sighed. "I will keep that in mind my wise little hobbit."
With that the elf looked up again and scanned the trees, looking out over the plains. He paused, again catching sight of the two Wraith Riders. How long had they been there? They saw him looking however and backed their steeds a way a little. That only served to perplex the elf more. Why on earth would they do that? Why were they following and yet not attacking? These were definitely not the nine Ring Wraiths. They would have already overridden them and taken the Ring. Besides, they had fallen into the river. These Wraiths were entirely different, and far less sinister. Again, they backed away, as if letting the elf know that they meant no harm. And a feeling of dread settled into the elf's stomach as he watched them, for he now had a slight suspicion about the two Wraiths.
"Legolas?" Merry asked.
The elf paused, realizing now that the entire Fellowship had fallen silent as they had seen the elf completely still and focused on something yet again. He glanced away for a moment, and then back up. The Wraiths, with their unnatural powers, had disappeared again to his eyes. It was nothing but darkness. Gandalf walked over to the elf, looking at him.
"The Wraiths again," Legolas said. "They are watching." He did not tell them however, that they were watching him, and not all of them.
"Have they come any closer?" Gandalf asked urgently.
"No," Legolas said. "Only farther away."
"But why would they do that?" the wizard asked himself aloud.
The elf didn't respond, and instead continued to study the surrounding area. There was nothing. The world was darkness to his eyes again. He wasn't sure where the Wraiths had gone to disappear so completely to his eyes, but they were gone. It gave little comfort to the Fellowship however. They were rested only a little and beginning to feel the first signs of exhaustion. There would be little rest for them here now though, not with Wraiths following them. They all stood and gathered whatever possessions they had laid down. They were all of one mind, and wished to escape from the Wraiths as quickly as possible.
"Come," Gandalf said. "Merry, Pippin, Legolas. We cannot stay here. We must move as far as we dare today, and hope that those two lose interest in whatever has gained their attention."
The way he said it sent a shiver of chills down the elf's spine. He was sure that the wizard had guessed what they were so interested, that would make them follow them so far. The others however thought it was the Ring. The elf was fine with letting them think that way. He wouldn't discourage such thoughts. The alternative was rather unpleasant to think about. So he turned and silently obeyed the wizard, joining the others as they trekked forward again. Once again, the Ranger passed in front of the elf and let the elf hear the easiest route that he could take, while still staying within the group. It was dangerous to wander too far away after all.
They traveled on in silence for a long time, ignoring the hunger that was gnawing at their stomachs, for the fear of the creatures behind them made them push on. The whole company was used by now to traveling. They knew that they had little time to stop and eat, so they would not stop until they had to. Even the hobbits, who had before been used to eating several meals a day pushed on with no complaint, for they had been following Strider, who was far more strict on leading four little hobbits than was Gandalf.
The sun rose every higher, and the heat of the day began to find them as they left the trees and made their way out into the open plains. Every now and then, the elf would stop to turn around and check behind them, making sure that they were not being followed. No one behind him made any complaint as he looked, and they wouldn't relax until he turned back forward and continued again after Aragorn. For many hours they traveled on that way, and their pace was quick so they made good time.
At last the wizard called for a stop, looking around. The elf did the same, then turned his head back to the wizard and shook his head. Everyone relaxed a little, glad that the strange Wraiths had not followed them. The wizard let out a somewhat tired sounding sigh, but straightened himself then and turned to the others.
"This will be as far as we go today," he said. "The sun will soon go down. We will make camp for tonight and rest as much as we are able. We will need to set a watch as well. Legolas, I would like you on first watch, then Aragorn, then Boromir, and lastly Gimli. That shall work for tonight, and we will take turns later. Tonight though, let's sleep as well as we can."
The elf nodded as the others all sighed and set about settling down for the night. It was a moonless night, and the stars were not bright enough to give them light by. The sun soon set, and the elf had not moved. The rest of the Fellowship fell into a troubled sleep, and the elf could hear their breathing and snoring behind him. Still he stood, a faithful sentinel. His eyes scanned the area around them, looking for anything that could prove to be a threat. But there was nothing. The world remained dark and silent around him. And now, in the darkness, he heard again the voice of the Ring.
"They can hear it," came the low and evil voice. "They know it is here. They are ever watchful. Why continue to fight? These of the Fellowship only use you for your powers. They have no other reason for wanting you here. They do not care that you are here. They do not care for you. None of them have. If it is true that all things happen for a reason, then give yourself over to the darkness. It must be done. And your destiny will be greater than ever before."
The words of the One Ring greatly disturbed the elf, though he had tried to ignore them. They were however the thoughts and doubts that the elf had carried within him for a long time, and even stronger since he had left with the Fellowship. He tried to shake the thoughts out of his head.
"I will not fall," he said, though his voice sounded weak and unconvincing even to himself.
"Oh you will," the Ring laughed to him."It is only a matter of time."
With that, the Ring fell silent and spoke no more. The darkness seemed closer than ever to the elf. Though the Ring did not whisper any more words to him, it became even more of a burden and the words were more terrible for it. So when the time came he was very glad to awaken Aragorn and settle onto his bedroll, turning his back to the others and sleeping farther away so as not to disturb their sleep. But the elf was so exhausted that no dreams came to him, only the darkness he was so familiar with.
Well that was this chapter. Once we hit the mines of Moria the story will definitely heat up a lot more, and the story will start advancing. So feel free to tell me what you think below, and what you think is up with those Wraiths that were following the Fellowship around. ;)
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!