The fields stretched out before him to the edge of the horizon. The sun rose,
making the grasses shine a deep green with random streaks of gold. A few stars
remained, dotting the sky with shimmering points of light. Legolas wondered if one
could ever touch that heavenly glow which was so far, but could sometimes feel so close
the heat would warm one's soul.
The Elves from the distant lands had carried him from the field of battle to the
edge of these woods in order to tend to his wounds. Now he could feel his physical
strength returning, but still was stripped of all his light and felt hollow inside. Legolas
knew he could not survive forever without that piece of him, and he must face this evil or
wither away and die from the separation.
He climbed down towards where the other Elves were. They were packing up
their supplies or order to continue their quest to the sea.
"Legolas, we are glad to see you well, but we can not linger here and nor should
you. You have some great dilemmas so solve with which we cannot help you. You are
on your own, my friend, may the light of all our kind shine down on you when all else
may appear lost."
"I cannot express my gratitude for all you have done for me." Legolas gave the
Elves a strong embrace.
"Good luck to you. When this quest of yours in completed, I'm sure we will meet
up again across the sea."
"I shall see you again on those distant shores. May your journey be swift and
uneventful."
The Elves parted company and Legolas began to enter the fields from which he
was brought. He now had a new idea of what must be done. He must face Saruman, he
must get the answers he so desperately needed. Legolas would regain what was taken
from him, or die trying. The Elf would keep his eyes out for any signs of the company
along the way. He could only hope the Fellowship would continue without him and not
do anything stupid on his behalf.
"We cannot continue until we find out what has become of him." Gimli was not
about to just keep going with the mystery of what happened to their Elf friend hanging
unanswered.
"I understand that, Gimli, but we have no idea where to begin. We cannot be
distracted from our quest. We must continue towards Mordor. Do you honestly think
Legolas would want us to give up that fight?" Gimli knew Gandalf was right. There was
nothing else they could do for their friend, they could only prey wherever he was, he was
in peace.
"Good luck, my friend." Aragorn threw the spear on the ground and packed up to
continue on their original route. They began to cut the grasses and make a path out of the
fields.
The dark hand tried to hold onto its contents. This power it held would
unrelenting in its attempts to break free from the cold, dark grasp. What is this power,
that it could resist this force of evil for so long without fading?
Suddenly, something urged Legolas onward. A calling from far away, something
calling him for help, something familiar. He could not place what would be contacting
him from someplace obscure, indefinite. Either way, he suddenly began to feel the need
to move swifter through the grass. As he feet moved him faster, he heard a noise and he
stopped dead in his tracks. Some creature was in front of him, but the thick grass was
prevented him from identifying it. He slowly withdrew his bow and readied an arrow.
He would not allow Orks to get the upper hand on him again, he would not have that
feeling of being trapped in his veins again.
They were getting closer, breaking the grass as they went, one was now very
close, he could hear the breath of the short creature coming ever closer. The Elf could
hear that there wasn't a great number of them, he could triumph if he had the element of
surprise, and nothing was better at coming out and startling things than an Elf. Legolas
decided to get the jump on them and leapt in front of their path.
"Legolas!"
One could only imagine the Dwarf's surprise when he looked up onto an
arrowhead.
"Gimli!" The Elf quickly lowered his arrow and backed off. The others gave a
cry of joy upon seeing their comrade unharmed and free from danger.
"My friend, how glad we are to see you unharmed!" Gandalf put a hand on
Legolas' shoulder, causing him a flinch a little.
"I am fine, my friends. Elves dressed in blue on their way to the sea saw my
predicament and saved me."
Aragorn walked up to the Elf, "What of the spear? What that not your blood?"
"Yes, but it only struck me in the shoulder, their healing abilities saved me."
The hobbits bounced around, there had been so few glad tidings during this
voyage they were thankful for every moment of joy which came their way.
The group decided these grasses were not such a safe place to stay tonight given
the limited visibility. Legolas led them to where a part of the woods he had stayed in the
night before branched into the fields. It was not far from where they were which was
thankful since the sun began to depart over the horizon.
"You need to continue with the quest." Legolas could not give up on his journey,
he would follow this dark power which held him to the ends of Middle Earth.
Aragorn protested, "We cannot have you attack the power of Saruman yourself,
this is something we must help you with."
"How, my friend? This is something which involves the realm of magic in which
man, hobbit and dwarf have no connection."
"What about me, young Elf?"
"Gandalf, you are more direly need with Frodo and the One Ring. Are you
honestly saying you'd jeopardize that quest for one Elf?" Legolas actually shut the
Wizard up, he had no retort to the Elf's logic.
"We cannot have you go it alone, that would confirm my suspicions on the extent
of your stupidity, Elf!" Gimli was frustrated and torn between the two situations. He
wanted the ring destroyed, but the idea of the Elf facing this evil alone was unthinkable.
"There is nothing more you are do for me, my friends. The other Elves told me
that I alone have the ability solve this. There is no need for you to risk yourselves, there
is enough danger on the road you already face."
"Listen, Legolas, you're not doing this alone and that's final." Boromir stood, not
willing to hear anymore of this conversation, "We will go to Mordor and after we
succeed" he made eye contact with Frodo, "we will go with you to destroy the evil that
ensnared you."
"Agreed." Aragorn didn't want to let the Elf go, he immediately began walking
away for firewood. Legolas decided not to pursue the matter further. Everyone began
getting things ready at the camp.
Night fell over the Fellowship. A beautiful, bright full moon ascended above
them. Boromir was on watch, sitting on a nearby rock. Legolas was awake, but Boromir
couldn't tell. Elves sleep with their eyes open and sometimes, with the darkness of the
night, one cannot tell if they are asleep or awake. The Elf had heard a call from afar, and
rose up undetected and snuck out from the camp.
He traveled to the edge of the wood where the full moon's light cast a blue glow
and the cool night air moved with a strong wind. As Legolas soaked in this night images
began to flash in his mind. The hand, the light taken from him, Saruman rising up against
him, the light trying to escape. He could see the light, struggling to free itself, calling to
him for help, so far yet within mental reach. The images broke from his mind and
suddenly he was standing again by the fields. It was decided. He knew he could not
wait, he must make the attempt now or give up everything which made him an Elf. Try
now or give up his soul. He looked back at where the Fellowship was and said a quiet
blessing in Elvish, wishing them to continue swiftly and find a clear, safe road. Legolas
turned into the wind, which blew his golden hair off his shoulders and took a deep breath.
The Elf silently disappeared into the night.
Chapter 8 � Calling from the Dark
The light of the moon competed with the darkness of the night. Creatures were stirring,
calling to each other from across the lands. Among all the activity of the night traveled
one Elf. Many of the beasts took notice of this mythical creature for many of them had
never seen an Elf. In some areas of the three lands, Elves are legend with no one sure of
whether they truly exist or are fictional, belonging to the bedtime stories of children.
In the moonlight, its fair hair appeared like strands of silver flowing behind it as it
moved gracefully in the night air.
Legolas emerged onto an open plain from the fields, which he had traveled
through for quite some time. Unfortunately, he had a bad feeling about walking through
this wide, open area in the dark of night. He decided to take a rest for the next couple
hours before the sunrise. The strength would do him well on his journey.
He sat down quietly and blended himself in with the grass. The Elf gazed at the
scene around him and discovered nothing of real interest. He knew the road ahead would
prove more challenging and he appreciated the moment of silence and solitude to use to
gather his thoughts.
The call from whatever force was reaching out to him was gaining strength. Its
call would not silence for a moment and was something that could not be ignored. It
acted on Legolas like an instinct, something raw and primal. He had no power to resist it
and felt he would be incomplete as long as it was out there beckoning him on.
After resting for a while he decided to keep going under the faint light of the
rising sun. The creatures of the light slowly retreated into the shadows to hide from the
new day.
As the day grew hotter the open dry plain scorched in the sun and Legolas' fair
skin was beginning to feel affected by its rays. The air smelled dusty and dry, almost
chocking off his air, as the sun grew ever higher.
Ahead stood the tower of Saruman. Just ahead his foe stood high and he will go
to face him and solve his plight, for he could not live trapped and suffocating in the
spell's evil grasp.
"That stupid Elf! That damn stupid, stupid Elf! Curses to him and all his blasted
kind!" Gimli took Legolas' disappearance in the night well. Much better than everyone
thought he would.
"Are you surprised he did not stay, Gimli?" Gandalf gave the Dwarf a stern look.
"No. I knew this would not leave him alone, but he could have, I don't know.
Written a note or something."
"I don't think he gave his leaving much thought. It probably just pushed him to
leave suddenly." Aragorn packed up his stuff and began to head towards Mordor.
"You're just continuing the quest?" Gimli stood firm. The Hobbits watched the
scene while eating their first breakfast.
"We must. It is our first duty." The ranger knew the Elf could take care of
himself. There was no reason to halt their efforts. Legolas would catch up to them when
his personal battle was ended.
"The Fellowship cannot break apart already. We must stick together or else who
knows what will come to tear the rest of us apart." Boromir also made no move to pack
up and head towards Mount Doom. The Hobbits began to feel that popcorn would be in
order for watching this drama.
"It is foretold that the Fellowship will come apart before all is finished. We must
fight through all hardships, including the loss of one of our numbers." Gandalf stood firm
on his believes, but he knew this was a matter not to be solved in an instant, and not to be
solved by the fighters for the ring, but the bearer thereof.
"What say you, Frodo?" Galdalf turned wholly to the Hobbit. Frodo quickly
looked up, his mouth full.
"What shall we do?" Everyone hushed, waiting for his decision.
After the days journey, Legolas felt as if the sun had drained every ounce of
strength from him and he was very relieved to see it depart over the distant horizon.
However, he had to keep going, he could see the very tip of the black tower in the
distance, reaching for the stars. As he traveled, he noticed something quite odd in the sky
nearby. A flickering of light, which looked almost like a distant star. Something was odd
about this piece of the heavens. It would shine brighter than all the others start and seem
as close as can be, then would go completely black and disappear from the sky altogether.
It kept drawing the Elf's eyes to it and it came and went in the darkness.
Saruman sat in his chambers drinking some sweet wine. He had done well with
his new army today, training them and working on blending out the kinks in their
structure. Soon he would have an army greater than any which had ever walked on the
lands of Middle Earth.
He was suddenly distracted from the brooding by a calling from the other room.
A call from the oracle of power sitting in that room underneath a fine silk cloth. The
seeing stone was awake and summoning its master to it, to warn of evil approaching.
Saruman quickly rushed and began to open the power of the stone, to see what it was
telling of.
Then Saruman saw it. The evil, disgusting creature that he had thought
destroyed. The Elf against whom he had cast everything, both with magic and with
army. It was near and journeying ever closer, bent of retaliation.
Saruman opened his eyes and called to him the two Orks who had returned from
the battle with that, very alive, Elf.
He knew what he had to do. No more sending of Orks and creatures to do what
he alone could go.
Legolas was now coming ever closer to the tower. The smell of the army breeding
there was growing stronger in his lungs by the moment. He would face them all just to
find out what had happened to him. The Elf's need to know was consuming him.
Suddenly there was a flash of light in front of him and for a moment he was
blinded. When his eyes slowly returned to normal there stood the dark Wizard dressed in
white. Legolas knew who he was, and knew that he alone could give him the answers his
soul cried for.
"Saruman." The Wizard smiled.
"Legolas. You are quite bold to venture here, alone and weakened. For you have
lost something, something quite dear to your heart."
Legolas' eyes widened. He could not bear this torture, this Wizard commenting
so calmly on something so horrific.
"You stole my light, my soul! I have come to reclaim what is mine!" Legolas
stood firm. Under normal circumstances he would have drawn his bow, but he knew no
weapons would be able to combat this enemy.
Saruman laughed.
It was a dark sinister laugh which would shake any creature to its foundation.
"You are nothing, Elf. Even if you did have any power, you still would be no
challenge to me. Don't you realize why I came here myself. It was for sport, Elf.
Because I knew the seeing stone's prophecy about you could not be accomplished with
you in such a weakened condition."
"Prophecy?"
"You have" the wizard smiled slightly, "had, an unusual power within you. Since
it was not normal it might have had some element with in the seeing stone did not find
comforting. So, I thought the easiest way was to evoke the power of the Kassno, the most
ancient of all Elvish curses. One only reserved for the worst of Elvish punishments. It
was so feared, there was never any real documentation of it being carried out, except for
small rumors that every Elf that endured it died in the process."
Legolas felt his soul shake and his heart descent into the deepest pit of misery.
There was nothing he could do, he was powerless. Suddenly, he felt very mortal.
"I don't know how you survived my attack with the Ork army, but you will not
survive me, Elf. Prepare for the end and the death of an immortal."
Saruman then began to cast a spell. A great and terrible spell which consumed all
around it. Its powers were borderless and knew no limits. The hair on Legolas' neck
began to feel charged and stood up. This may be the end, but he would not go down
without a fight. In desperation, he quickly pulled out an arrow and fired at Saruman's
chest. It dissolved into thin air before it had even completely left his bow. His weapons
were silently gone and pain began to form in his chest. A blinding pain which spread into
every section of his body. Every muscle began to tense and he legs gave out from under
him and a darkness began to consume him, eating away at his soul.
The Wizard smiled, seeing the Elf fall to the ground. He did not need to finish
watching the power consume him. He had seen it done over thousands of years to
thousands of creatures from every corner of the lands. He disappeared and returned to his
tower. He looked at the parchment that still sat on his desk and picked it up. He took it
into another room and began to conjure up a way to use it against the entire race of the
Elves.
Cold and darkness were all he could feel and see. It was consuming him and he
felt himself dying. The cold grasp of death was working its way through his body until it
would have him completely. He would still not give up. He was the Prince of Mirkwood
and he would not give up as long as there was breath in his lungs. He used this last
energy and screamed from the edge of the abyss.
"You" he felt himself falling towards the depths below "shall" he thought of his
family and hoped they would know only peaceful days "not" images of the Fellowship
come into his mind, he knew if any could vanquish evil, they could, even without him
"conquer" the last spark of energy went out, his body was falling, already lifeless, but
somehow he managed to control this last moment of consciousness "all!"
Chapter 9 � Endings
Legolas fell to the power of the darkness. The fall was long and he could feel the
light ebbing from his soul. This would not be the end, his kind would prevail.
"You shall not defeat me." His mind was fading, but his thoughts were still bent
on overcoming this.
"The light shall not be extinguished." These were not words of his body, but
words of his spirit calling out to the dark forces of the lands. He whispered in his mind
for help, help from the pain and an ending to the torture.
"You shall not prevail!" Everything faded and the deepest black descended upon
him.
"Well, Frodo?" Gandalf stared and the Hobbit swallowed. What were his
choices? Risk the mission or risk the life of his friend, which is more important. When
he thought of the size of the two problems, the answer became clear.
"We will continue without him. He will catch up with us after he has found the
answers he is looking for." All did not share Frodo's optimism. The others knew what
the Elf would face, alone. They packed and continued their quest towards Mordor,
knowing the Elf could easily catch up and find them if he were able.
Aragorn said a quiet blessing in Elvish. One spoke by his comrade not too long
ago.
A call. The power of the starlight which had once resided in Legolas heard a
quiet call from far away. It was very faint and growing ever distant. It was about to be
conquered by the forces which split them two.
This magic suddenly felt this was its last chance to destroy evil. The stars of the
heavens begun to glow brighter, coming to the aid of its comrade. A power which had
never been tapped before was growing ever brighter as the heavens united in one glow.
These forces came together and the evil power stood no match. The spell was
finally broken. The power of the stars themselves coming to the aid of this unusual,
magical power that was housed in one Elf.
Saruman stood atop his great fortress of darkness. With him stood a podium that
held the ancient parchment of the Kassno. The bane of the Elves. The dark wizard was
working to gather his strength for he knew his would be the most draining task he would
ever endeavor upon. He stared at the parchment and smiled to himself that all this power
was forced through something so old and worn.
This was the key to the undoing of the Elvish race. He would never completely
dominate Middle Earth as long as the Elves existed. Their light penetrated the land. It
gave forests their glow, oceans their sparkle and was responsible for much of the natural
beauty of the planet. Their fair power illuminated every place where they dwelt.
While gathering his power he noticed something quite odd. A sudden light
enveloped this ancient spell. A bright flash of flame occurred and in a small instant it
was gone. Saruman slowly walked over to the podium and what he saw shook him to his
core. How did this happen? Realization caught him as his eyes widened, and he knew
that this menace could not be tapped without this one item. He grew tense and screamed
aloud into the night. 'It doesn't matter.' He thought to himself. 'The one Elf had been
destroyed. The seeing stone's vision has been altered, the rest of its race shall meet their
end from the onslaught of my armies!'
One the podium sat nothing but a small pile of ash where the dark spell had once
lay.
Death, in the mentality of an Elf, was a foreign concept. Immortals rarely give it
much thought, for it was a choice for them rather than an unstoppable force.
Legolas had descended from the light of the living. He lay unmoving and lifeless,
however death had no power over his beauty. Sheer and perfect, it did not fade. He was
still, like a graceful deer of the forest shot down by a hunter's arrow.
On a different plane lay his spirit, quite and alone. It was here the light of power
silently came to him, rejoining him. It was in this moment and Legolas understood all.
This force was needed. This force of light and air could help them when all other lights
fade into nothingness. The Fellowship needed him and he would go with them, he would
stand with them on the brink of destruction. Till the end of all their days he would he by
their sides.
Legolas' body heaved with a giant breath which shook him to his core. He slowly
opened his eyes and saw the stars above him. They suddenly seemed a little brighter. The
Elf slowly stood, collecting himself. He felt as if he were awakening from a long
slumber. Only he awoke with a greater strength, a strength which came with knowledge
and wisdom. Both he gained during his encounter on the spiritual path he had journeyed
to. He stood to begin his journey to rejoin the Fellowship. Somehow he knew that his
attacks from Saruman were ended. Now he had others matters to attend.
The Elf entered the forest in order to catch up with his friends. As he crossed a
stream, he noticed something. He saw himself in the water. His reflection was no longer
the dark shell he had seen before, but brighter with magic and light. Brighter than he had
ever known himself to look. He gave a small smile.
He was ready to face Mordor.
The sun began to rise.
