Tauriel neared Dol Guldur. Her mind was ablaze with the terror of failure, but her heart shone with the wonder of success.
She would save Legolas.
She rode to the gates of Dol Guldur only to freeze in shock. They were ruins. There was no sign of life anywhere around her. She glanced around, knowing the dwarves were doing the same.
What could she do now?
Where were the Necromancer and his army?
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Legolas shivered in the bonds. He had suffered before the beings he had long respected for quite some time; at least, it felt so. He feared that less time had truly passed.
His mother had appeared before him, berating him over failing, over killing her. She had stared, wide-eyed and unseeing at him. Her blue eyes were glazed, and the pupils dilated with insanity. Legolas had seen how her body bent under torture – killed, broken.
His brother had appeared, angry and betrayed that Legolas had caused his own death. Legolas had listened to his brother's recount of the torture, and how his thoughts had wondered to when Legolas – the strong warrior – would arrive. His brother had claimed that he had failed because he wanted to become the next king. Legolas had purposefully killed them, or at least he believed so…
His father had appeared, angry that he was too weak to save his family. King Thranduil had said how unworthy he was as a prince. He was a failure…
Legolas stared into the darkness, watching it ripple and swim around him, watching it surround and eat at his soul. It was dangerous, but he felt no great fear. That, perhaps, was the way of a shadow – the silent killer.
Legolas felt agony from his visitors, but he knew that it was only tricks. However, he feared that he had not the strength to continue on. It was great that he was able to set his eyes upon his family again.
They wore angry, betrayed looks, but his eyes celebrated and feasted on their return. He was almost longing that they returned.
After all, he could survive their words, and he longed to stare at them again. Yes, he could see the blood dotting and clumping on their skin, dirt and grime covering their emaciated forms, but it was still beautiful.
He stared at them as a blind man would stare if suddenly granted the gift of sight.
Legolas needed to look at them, and even if he stared only at a apparition, only at a deception, it was better than nothing.
He wished to look upon them again…
Sauron had promised their return if he would only join. Perhaps…
Legolas shook his head roughly, twisting his wrist angrily and harshly. The pain strengthened him, and he took a deep breath.
He could not waste thoughts on impossible feats. His mother and brother were gone; they would not return.
It was better to lay the memories to rest rather than stir them up again. He should never look at them again. They were gone; he would see them again, whole, as they were before, when he travelled West. There would be many years before that, but he could wait.
What else was there to do?
Suddenly, he was thrown into a vision.
He stood alone, on top of a hill. The forests of Mirkwood – nay, Greenwood – stretched out before him. He could not hear the trees whisper of the evils they endured or the darkness they stood against. All was calm, and all was peaceful.
Legolas had never seen his forest as perfect as it were now. He could stare among the summer forest for years to come. The prince had only his memories as an elfling of the forest before it was tarnished and poisoned.
Who had caused the change?
Had the Necromancer been defeated?
No, he hadn't.
The Necromancer had saved his forest. He had called back the darkness and shadow and returned the woods to how they had been. Legolas stepped down the hill, enjoying the feel of the moss and grass under his feet.
The ground was too barren and unhealthy in Mirkwood – that was a clear sign of the horrors it faced. It was great to see his forest how it was meant to be – strong and powerful but fragile and beautiful.
He entered the forest, seeing the tall trees with their green gold leaves. They towered high above him, and as he watched, a doe and two young fawns wandered before him, not sensing his light steps and breaths. He watched them in silence, brushing his fingers against the trunk of a tree.
The bark was rough and held strong, not peeling off as he pulled his fingers across it. A light breeze whispered past him, carrying his scent to the deer. They ran, powerful legs springing over thick roots and low plants.
Legolas looked at the ground and saw clumps of wildflowers and berry bushes poking out of the fertile soil. There were blooms around him, purple, pink, yellow, blue…
Looking around in wonder, he saw clumps of Altheas around him – a plant used to healing but hard to find in his present day.
What had changed? Watching his surroundings, he saw a group of wood elves emerge from the depths of the forest.
They saw him and bowed in greeting!
"Hir nin," one said as he bowed his head. (My King)
Legolas started as he heard himself called his father's title.
…He was the king of the prosperous woods?
What had happened to his father?
Nodding hastily back at the other elves – he recognized them as some of the guard, he turned and walked out of the forest's borders.
He had to see what had happened to the evil that had poisoned Mirkwood's forests. Where were the spiders, the orcs?
Deer were hard to find – it was amazing that he had seen the fawns especially.
What had happened to the Necromancer?
Had he been defeated? Was he gone?
Legolas walked to the familiar ruins of Dol Guldur. To his shock, the community thrived. It was not hidden – the orcs and wargs were in plain sight.
What was stopping its evil from reaching out?
Legolas turned and began to race back into Mirkwood. He had to find out what was going on.
He ran past the green forest and healthy animals. Birds flew by – he even spotted pheasants and quail as he ran. In his euphoria, he did not grow tired.
Soon, he reached the palace. It stood with glory – strong and secure. Legolas saw that it was larger than it had been. Entering it, he went to his normal rooms before he realized that he would now reside in his father's room.
"My King!" someone called. Legolas turned. Needing to have answers, he decided to question to elf as to what was going on.
"Yes?" he called back.
"The Dark Lord of Mordor brings a message for you, King Legolas."
Legolas took the message, resisting the urge to question why Sauron was sending him messages.
He stared at the paper with horror.
See what an agreement would bring? Give in, young prince. We will rule together, as allies, and your forest will grow strong once more.
Legolas screamed, breaking out of the dream and finding himself in his cell once again. Shuddering. he tried to calm down, taking deep breaths.
He was trembling violently. How could he survive what Sauron had in store for him!
Ai! It was only the beginning, and already, he grew weak. Sauron knew how to target him! Sauron would not fail.
Perhaps he should give in… retain his sanity… it would be –
No, that was unthinkable.
Legolas twisted his wrist in the bonds in order to focus his thoughts. It worked, the sharp sting allowed him to collect himself.
Then a thought occurred to him. He knew that Sauron had not planted it in him because Sauron would know of too much in order to plant such an idea.
If he could not keep his sanity in the face of torture, then why should he keep his life?
If he were dead, then Sauron could not use him!
It would be better…
If he were dead, then Mirkwood was safe.
His mother had blamed him; his brother had said he failed.
Legolas would join them! Hadn't he been thinking of (was that only a little ago?) seeing them again?
It was worth it, and he had an easy way to do it…
He tested his theory, twisting his wrist and feeling the small amount of blood drip down his arm. If he tried hard enough and long enough, then he could cause himself severe damage, if not death.
Legolas could not survive the torture.
And he would see his mother, his brother… Tauriel.
Sure, he would have to go through Manwë's Halls first. He had eternity to make it to Valinor, and in the end, he would.
Shadow would not consume him!
He was too strong!
If he could not survive, then he would not be defeated!
With a sharp cry, Legolas wrenched his wrist. The sharp cuff dug into it, causing blood to spill from the wound. Legolas felt stronger as he controlled his own pain.
He wrenched it again, feeling more blood, thicker blood coming from the wound.
Perhaps his life was for nothing. Perhaps it was pointless death of an immortal.
He had no savior coming. There was only deception in store for him.
He pulled his wrist again. Then the other. Now, he could feel blood sinking into his tattered tunic.
Legolas wondered if his father would ever receive his body or if it would be left there to rot.
It did not matter. As long as his body was not used for evil, then it did not matter!
He was strong; he would not be defeated.
The sharp metal cut into his skin.
Blood, precious, live-giving, rolled down his arms. A single drop fell and splashed to the cell's ground.
More blood from both wrists. He was losing a lot – more than he had from the whipping.
Legolas did not know when he would reach the point that would kill him, but he could not risk falling unconscious before that point.
He was at the point of no return.
More blood spilled down his arms, falling to the floor. Now, a small puddle was gathered on the stones.
Legolas could feel his eyes growing heavy.
With one final twist, Legolas felt his strength leaving him, and he collapsed in the bonds with a faint cry. His eyes fell shut, and the blood continued to fall around him, dripping off of him.
Yes, he had failed, but he had also won.
He had achieved his goal – his body and tortured mind would never be used for evil…
And the blood, his lifeline, precious and thick, fell around him, dripping down in a small storm as he hung, unconscious but with a small smile gracing his pale, drawn features.
Let it be said that Legolas Greenleaf was never defeated.
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Hey, guys!
I hope you like this chapter! Don't kill me!
By the way: Has anyone listened to Ed Sheeran's song for the Desolation of Smaug – "I See Fire?"
Let me just say: OH MY GOD!
It played during the credits, and it is an amazing song!
Please review!
Thanks to all my readers and reviewers!
Disclaimer: I do not own LotR or the Hobbit!