Title:  When The Trees Sang  
by: Nicole 
Feedback: jupiterrain@charter.net 
Rating: PG-13/R

***********************************************
Prologue

Come round now friends this battle's done 
We're through the fire and rain 
We've stood the test of courage yet 
Withheld the blinding pain 
We'll bed tonight beneath this wood 
With joy our hearts content 
For while we fought with fear and strife 
Still on our quest we went 
And now the journey's nearly done 
We've made it for you see 
For when the sun awakes us all 
Towards home our path will be


Darkness seemed to envelop the treetops as they made their way through the forest. The lonely 
cry of a bird echoed around them as they struggled to keep their heads up as they walked, weary 
from the long battle. The ground beneath their feet seemed to mark their pace, and the trees 
sung the song of their journey. Never before had they felt the pain that was ripping through their 
bodies as they dragged themselves the last few steps until they reached the place that they were 
to rest for the night. As they fell to the ground, weak and beaten, their minds fought to block out 
the memories that had come to haunt them through the whole of their journey. Thoughts of what 
they had seen, what they had lost, and what they had left to face flashed in their minds. What 
courage had been found in themselves that they never thought capable of even existing. A gentle 
wind blew across their ragged bodies as they lay, breathing heavily on the ground. So long had it 
been since they had smelled the sweet air of their home. So long had it been since they had 
begun their journey, once a whole, now, dwindling away to only a few. While happiness fluttered 
through their bodies, a bitter sadness overcame them, and clouded their eyes with the salty vision 
of tears. Never again would they go an instant without thinking of this day. Never would they 
return home again, the same as they had left. For now, a change had overtaken them too great 
for any of them to handle. A change that would keep it's grip on them for many years into the 
distance. As they turned over to face the moon looking down on them from the starless sky, a 
thought crossed their minds that hadn't made itself known since the start of their journey. When 
the sun made its grand entrance over the mountaintops in the morrow, they would begin a new 
journey that would bring them to a place that they had been longing to see for so long. Home.

****************************************
Chapter 1

The sun rose slowly over the tops of the mountains, waking Aragorn from his first peaceful sleep 
in ages. He opened his eyes and breathed in deep, a feeling of weightlessness running over his 
body. As he gazed up at the leaves on the trees high above them, it felt as though a great weight 
had been lifted off of him and cast off into the wind, never to return. He glanced around at his 
sleeping comrades, smiling to himself. Throughout the long, hard journey, they had never 
faltered, never failed, and had always been ready to defend him at any call. He had developed a 
strong feeling of closeness to them over the past few weeks, and now loved them as much as he 
would his own brothers. Which was much what they were. A stirring to his right moved him from 
his thoughts and he glanced over to the source of the movement.  
 
Legolas picked himself up off the forest floor, sighing happily. Never before had he felt such a 
feeling of contentment as he did right then. When the ring had been cast into the fires the night 
before, and he saw the flames engulf it, the great heaviness that had been clinging to him for the 
entire journey fell away, leaving him with a feeling of relief. He saw that Aragorn was awake, and 
walked over to greet him good morning. 
 
"Legolas, you're up I see." 
 
"Yes, how could one manage to sleep in on such a morning as this?" Aragorn glanced over at the 
sleeping hobbits and the dwarf lying by their side. 
 
"I believe some find it not difficult at all." 
 
A chuckle came from Legolas' throat, which quickly disturbed his friends sleeping peacefully at 
their feet. Frodo rolled over and looked at them sleepily, followed by the rest of the halflings. Gimli 
jumped at the noise, raising his ax from the ground in readiness. Legolas smiled at his friend. 
 
"Calm yourself, dwarf. There are no orcs here this morning. As will there never be again, if one 
can only hope." 
 
The dwarf looked around him warily before lowering the ax to his side. 
 
"One can never be to careful in times like these," he grumbled out. 
 
Pippin sat on the ground beneath a large tree, yawning loudly. 
 
"So, when's breakfast?" 
 
Aragorn looked at him, slightly annoyed. 
 
"Is that all you halflings ever think about? When the next meal is going to come?" 
 
"But of course. What is there in all of Middle Earth that is more important than a nice warm meal 
in the morning?" 
 
Aragorn smiled kindly at the hobbit, knowing all too well the eating habits of these small 
creatures. 
 
"Well, breakfast you shall have. Warm, is another thing all together." 
 
Legolas picked up his bow and quiver, slinging them onto his back with ease. 
 
"Shall we hunt for food, or just gather berries and fruit?" 
 
"I think it would be wise to have a light breakfast this morning, before setting out on such a long 
journey. We wouldn't want our stomachs to be too full to walk," roared Gimli, brandishing his ax 
as he walked. 
 
The hobbits sat in a row beneath the tree, joining Pippin. 
 
"We don't care what we eat, just so long as it's food." 
 
Legolas smiled. 
 
"Well, I think we can take care of that." 
 
He suddenly stood straight upright, as if sensing something in the air. He scanned the woods 
surrounding them, as if sensing some unknown danger. Aragorn noticed this, and walked over to 
him, trying to see with his own eyes what it could be. The only thing within viewing distance to 
him were trees, so he gave up, his sight no match to the Elf's. Legolas eased up a bit, and looked 
back at the group. 
 
"I fear something is near. I can sense it, though I cannot see it, or even hear it. But something 
stirs in the air, and it's close." The rest stood up, as if to prepare themselves for some suprise 
attack, but for the moment none came. Aragorn sighed and began to gather their things. 
 
"Legolas, I fear these senses of yours are too heightened even for your own good." 
 
He glanced back at the man, hard-faced and serious. 
 
"Aragorn, I do not know what it is that is lurking in these trees, but they sing to me of danger. 
Some kind of evil that I can not name. I fear we are not safe here. We must move on." Knowing 
that the Elf was rarely wrong, they gathered their things and set out once again on the path that 
would lead them towards home, while keeping in the back of their mind the sense that each one 
of them had that something evil drew near.  
 
--- 
 
As they walked, Legolas' mind wandered to his home, Mirkwood, and the ones that he had left 
behind there. The first one that came to mind was Garenia, his wife. Although they had been 
married for nearly 1,500 years, the love that he had for her still remained strong. She was 
considered the most beautiful of her kind; long hair, not blonde like the rest of the Elves, but 
instead more of a rainbow of colors, full of golds, auburns, and light shades of brown, that 
glimmered in the sunlight, and made her look like a diamond in the light of the moon. While she 
still retained the aura of an Elf, her stature did not show it. While most of the other Elves were tall, 
and thin, she was several inches shorter than himself, with vuluptuous curves, and a graceful 
demeanor. Her eyes were the color green of the rare trees that grew in Lothlorian, and her skin 
was like that of soft porcelein, pale and creamy without a flaw to place. She had the manner of 
royalty, and that she was. Her grandmother was Galadriel, Lady of the Wood, and she had been 
raised by her for much of her life. The Lady was hesitant in letting her go, but knew that she 
would find no happiness in remaining there without Legolas by her side. She wore the title of 
princess as a jeweled crown, never letting herself faulter in the face of duty, and never allowing 
herself to put the pains of her own heart before that of her people. He loved her most for this 
devotion, as well as for the inner beauty that radiated from within her. He thought for sure that 
she would follow him when the Fellowship called for his assistance, but instead she had 
remained, refusing to allow herself to sway beneath the pain of his leaving. The day the 
Fellowship had left Rivendell, she had been there, standing at the gates to the kingdom, watching 
them as they went. He thought for sure he would break before she even got the notion to do so. It 
was for this will that he admired her the most. It was for her that he had fought so hard during 
those long battles that had occured so often the past few months. Even though he knew that she 
could produce him no heir, her body not allowing her to do so, he married her, refusing to take 
another in spite of her inability. Although she had never been good at battle, she fought with him 
until end in every war he had raged since the beginning of their journey, staying in his heart 
through every draw of his bow. He counted the days until he would see her again.  
 
Aragorn watched the Elf from behind, knowing where his thoughts had drifted. All these long days 
of travelling, he had often spoken of her, with so much love in his tone as one could not imagine. 
He knew where his heart was, as his was held the same way by Arwen. At that moment, the only 
thought that could cross his mind was that of when he would be beside her once again. 
***************************************************
Chapter 2

The midnight wind rustled through the trees of Garania's oversized flet and gently blew her skirts 
around her feet. She placed her hands on the railing and leaned far out, looking over the treetops 
towards the snowcapped mountain peaks in the far off distance. In all the time that she and 
Legolas had been married, he had never been away from her for more than a few weeks, much 
less months. However, though she loved him, she was strong, and quite able to manage without 
him. But still, she missed him enough to make her heart ache with pain. The moon glistened in 
the sky above her, and she closed her eyes, trying desperatley to make some sort of contact with 
the one she loved. After a few moments of unsuccessful trying, she gave up, and turned back to 
the large bed attached to the trunk of the tree. Far below her, several miles away, the remainder 
of the Fellowship laid, resting and dreaming of their long awaited return to Rivendell.  
 
--- 
 
Legolas stretched himself out against the trunk of the tree, enjoying the feel of being in the forest 
once again. It had been so long since he had been anywhere outside of caves and dark 
mountains that he had nearly forgetten what it felt like to be among nature again. It was 
something he had missed greatly on this long journey that was coming to an end. He drifted off, 
still staring lazily at the sky, his eyes open as is the habit with the Elves. Aragorn glanced over at 
him, aware that he was sleeping. He let out a deep sigh and made himself a small "bed" beside 
the tree, and then allowed sleep to take him over, and drifted gently into dreams of Arwen.  
 
--- 
 
Morning came soon enough, and the group awoke, rested, and eager to finally bring their journey 
to an end. Legolas was the first to awake, rousing the others with his singing. Gimli raised himself 
from the cold ground, angry and slightly bleary eyed. He muttered grumbles under his breath 
towards Legolas, and made his way over to his belongings to find his breakfast for the morning. 
The rest woke in much the same fashion, and soon, after they had eaten their breakfast of 
lembas and berries, they gathered up their things and started back on the path that led to 
Rivendell.  
 
Several miles away, Garania gazed up at the leaves rustling above her, and smiled, knowing that 
today was the day that she would see Legolas once again. But amidst all of her happy thoughts, 
another thought, one much different, brought fear and apprehension that plagued her mind. 
Tonight was the night that Garania would be forced to tell Legolas the secrets that had been 
following her for much of her life. So much had she left unsaid between them. So much would be 
revealed this day. She had no desire to yet make him aware of these things. But she shook her 
head, as if to clear these thoughts from her mind, and climbed slowly out of the bed to begin 
readying herself for the day.  
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

 
As the sun rose higher over the mountains, the group neared closer and closer their destination. 
Legolas could hardly wipe the smile from his face as the gates of Rivendell came into view. 
Towering over them, he could see the palace, tall and stately in its grandeur. As they approached 
the gates, they came slowly open, as if welcoming them home from their tireous journey. They 
began to walk faster, until finally, their feet touched the soil of Rivendell, and they knew that the 
journey was finally over. Lord Elrond watched from his library, high above them, as they 
approached. He smiled to himself and went down to greet them. Garania saw them coming from 
far away and waited eagerly in her flet, not wanting to lose her composure when she went to 
greet them. When she saw them walk through the gates, her feet barely touched the ground as 
she flew down the stairs towards the palace steps. The group came closer, as Lord Elrond 
emerged from the great cavernous hall that was surrounded by forest and trees. The smile on his 
face grew as they neared him, arms outstretched, welcoming them back from their journey. He 
called to them as he walked.  
 
"My friends! So happy to see you I am right now! Come, come, into the palace. Others await to 
welcome you back from your quest." They smiled, climbing the large steps to the large, open hall. 
Inside were Arwen, the rest of those who had been a part of the Council, members of the royal 
court, and several representing Elves from other kingdoms. Legolas searched the group, but saw 
no sign of Garania. His heart dropped in disappointment, and hurt from her not being there. 
Elrond noticed this, and spoke quickly to settle any doubts in his mind.  
 
"Legolas, your wife is here. She is being summoned as we speak, as her advisors wished to have 
dealings with her as she made her way here to greet you on your return. She should be arriving 
any moment now."  
 
As he spoke, a hush fell over the group standing in the hall. Down the large staircase that winded 
its way down the trunk of the enormous tree the castle was built upon, walked Garania, noble and 
beautiful as the day he had last seen her. She was followed by her advisors, two male Elves, and 
several she-elves, whom he assumed were her maids during her stay at Rivendell. She walked 
proudly, never for a moment forgetting who she was, or losing her composure to run to him and 
throw herself in his arms. With her head held high, she descended the remainder of the staircase, 
walking slowly over to where they stood. She walked in front of Legolas and looked deeply into 
his eyes, speaking volumes, but never saying a word. Her voice echoed sweetly and quietly in his 
mind.  
 
"Legolas, my love, it has been far too long since last my eyes had the privilege of holding you in 
their vision. I have missed you much, melamin. Though I may not allow it to appear on the 
outside, do not doubt for a moment the love that I have for you, and the greatness of which my 
pain was for longing for you."  
 
She smiled gently at him, and tore her gaze away, taking her place beside Elrond. He spoke to 
them, welcoming them.  
 
"My friends....my allies....our heroes. With pride and honor we welcome you back here to 
Rivendell, as well as with open arms. For taking on a mission such as this, all that is pure and 
good in Middle Earth owes you more than we could ever offer. You have taken upon you a 
journey of great danger and difficulty, and surpassed it with all of the courage and strength that 
one could hold. We thank you from the deepest of our hearts, and hope that you will accept it 
from us as well as our great admiration for what you have achieved."  
 
The Fellowship looked at him, then slowly, one by one, bowed to one knee before him, and 
lowered their heads in gratefulness. Then, slowly rose, and were greeted by the many who 
surrounded them on both sides. Garania watched as Legolas was showered with praise and 
thanks, as she stood watching by Elrond's side. She leaned over to whisper to him.  
 
"I fear that Legolas will not take my revelations well tonight. I wish for you to be there as well. I 
would also like to tell the rest of the Fellowship, as I feel they have a right to know too. But I want 
to tell Legolas first, I owe him that much."  
 
Elrond nodded, taking her hand gently into his.  
 
"My lady, whatever you wish, you shall have. I will gladly stay there with you tonight, if you wish it 
so. Although I believe that your fears are unneeded. Legolas loves you, more than anyone could 
ever know. For this I believe that he will not be angry, or stray from you for that matter. Have faith, 
my child, for you would be suprised even yourself to learn the strength which resides in the heart 
of an Elf."
********************************************************************************
Chapter 3
The table was covered with food, piled high and nearly pouring from their plates. Garania sat 
between Legolas and Elrond, barely touching the food that had been piled upon her plate. 
Instead, she watched the ones around her eat. She nearly burst out laughing at the sight of Gimli 
hoisting food into his mouth nearly as fast as he could chew it, and the hobbits, hungry as always, 
eating as much as their mouths would hold. She stifled the laughter that was threatening to 
bubble up inside of her, and took a small bit of the lemba that was lying on the plate in front of 
her. Elrond noticed her lack of hunger, as did Legolas, however, Elrond knew the reasoning 
behind her not eatingm so he pressed no further. Legolas did not, and became quite worried 
about her lack of appetite.  
 
"My love, don't you think you should eat a little more. You've hardly touched the food on your 
plate. I fear you will become ill from hunger if you don't eat. Is there something wrong?" he 
whispered softly to her.  
 
She shook her head and gave him a small smile.  
 
"No, no nothings wrong. I'm just not very hungry, that's all," she lied.  
 
In a few more moments, the meal had ended, leaving a grumbling dwarf and four very full 
hobbits.  
 
"I don't think I've ever eaten so much. At least not so much that tasted as good as that!" said 
Pippin as he stretched out in his chair and patted his stomach.  
 
Elrond laughed and looked at him kindly.  
 
"Little one, while you are here, you shall eat like this as often as you like."  
 
The halfling's eyes lit up like a sky full of firecrackers and he grinned at his comrades happily. 
Elrond then rose from the table, followed by Legolas, and Garania. Legolas took Garania's hand, 
bidding goodnight to his friends and Lord Elrond and leading his wife towards the stairs leading 
up to her flet. He had thought that they shared the same intentions, but knew that she had other 
plans when she pulled him into the library and saw Lord Elrond follow them in and close the door. 
He stood there confused for a moment until Elrond motioned for him to sit. Garania stood near 
him, walking around a bit nervously, until Elrond motioned for her to take a seat as well. She sat 
beside Legolas, refusing to meet his confused gaze. He looked over at Elrond, who was looking 
at Garania with sympathy. He turned his gaze over to Legolas and began to speak.  
 
"Legolas, when you became a member of the Fellowship, you took an oath to see to the 
destruction of the ring, no matter where it may take you, or what kind of danger it could possibly 
put you in. You agreed to these terms, and you set out on a journey that ultimately led to the 
freeing of Middle Earth from the clutches of evil. You have been told of the origin of the ring, 
about Sauron and his incredible powers, and of the Witch King himself. However, there were a 
few things that have been left out of the story, some which will prove to be very personal to you, 
and could also prove to be very difficult."  
 
He then looked at Garania, and placed a gentle, reassuring hand on her arm, and she raised her 
head to look at Legolas. After looking at him for a few moments, she rose from the chair, and 
began to walk around the room, looking outside the library at the forests surrounding Rivendell. 
She spoke with a bit of fear in her voice, and it took on a cold edge as she paced.  
 
"Legolas, there is very little that you don't know, as you have been educated on the history of 
Middle Earth and it's people since the time that you were young." She wasn't sure how to start 
out. She knew that what she was about to tell him could quite possibly destroy him. He thought of 
her as good, pure, and to an extent, quite innocent. Never before had she lied to him, only about 
this. She could hardly bring herself to tell him what she knew would change their relationship in a 
way that it had never been before. She continued, somewhat unsure of herself, but slowly gaining 
confidence as she got more of the story out. "Well, there are several parts that you do not know. 
That have been left out for your own good, and for the good of our people. Do you remember 
when your father told you about the Witch King for the first time?"  
 
He nodded.  
 
"Yes, I was very young, but I remember it very well. He told me that he was powerful, the source 
of all evil in Middle Earth. For most of my life I feared him, but now, that I know he has been 
destroyed, and there are no more of his kind about. I no longer have any fear for him at all."  
 
Garania turned around, her back to him.  
 
"He is my father."  
 
Legolas nearly shot from the chair in pure shock. Elrond watched in concern as Legolas' 
statement went from that of shock to anger, to fear, and then to a combination of all three. No 
words could leave his mouth, no matter how hard he tried. It felt as if his voice had disappeared 
right at that very moment. He sat in silence until Garania spoke again.  
 
"I did not wish to tell you like this, Legolas. I never wished to tell you ever, but it had to be done. I 
had no choice. Middle Earth is in danger, Legolas. Even more so than it was before the ring was 
destroyed. My father has not been destroyed. He remains still, and wishes nothing more than to 
claim all of Middle Earth for his ruling. I am sorry that I lied to you all of these many years, but it 
had to be done. If you had known, it could have meant destruction of both myself, and the rest of 
our people. Please do not be angry with me, Legolas. I never meant to cause you any sort of pain 
or hurt. Believe me, that was the last of my intentions."  
 
Legolas looked at her hard. Anger and pain burning in his eyes. Never before had he had any 
wish to cause her pain of any kind, but now, he wished only that he could denounce her as his 
wife and banish her to the most desolate part of Middle Earth. These thoughts scared him, and 
they were quickly pushed away by the love he felt for the Elf that was standing before him. The 
anger slowly faded from his eyes and he looked at her with a softer gaze.  
 
"Why did you not tell me sooner? And why is it that you do not fight for the dark side, as you are 
his daughter?"  
 
She looked at him, desperate to make him understand.  
 
"I couldn't. My father was not always evil, Legolas. I was born several years before the dark side 
finally lured him totally over to its evil clutches. He married my mother, one of Galadriel's 
daughters, in order to have an heir to his throne. However, instead of a male, I was born. At first, 
he despised me, never letting me near him, fighting hard with my mother to have me banished to 
another kingdom, but she would have no part of it. In time, he grew to love me, and I soon 
became one of his most prized possessions. I was nearly four when he crossed over to the dark 
side. He cast off my mother, who was soon attacked by orcs and left to their mercy. He kept me 
by his side for several more years, until he could no longer deal with me and rule a kingdom as 
well. I was sent to live with my grandmother, Galadriel, and my grandfather, Celeborn, in the 
woods of Lothlorien. I was forbidden to ever talk about my past, or my father, or even my mother 
for that matter. My childhood was to remain a secret, never to be known by anyone except the 
three of us, Elrond, and Gandolf. Galadriel and Celeborn tried as only they knew how to raise me 
in the ways of the light Elves, teaching me the ways of pure, goodness, and how to never stray to 
evil. However, my father's blood runs through me, and they soon discovered that I had enough 
power harnessed in myself alone to combat that of my father's. They told me never to use it for 
evil, only for good. That I was much too powerful to ever try to use it at all for that matter, but I 
soon learned the ways of it, and taught myself to use it to the best of my ability. When I was 
nearing adulthood, they discovered that I had inherited my mother and grandmother's ability of 
mind reading. By this time, I was old enough to choose my own way, I chose to come to Rivendell 
to learn more about the ways of the Elves and my past from Elrond. This is where I met you. I had 
only been here for a few months when you arrived, and swept me off of my feet. You know how 
the rest of the story goes, up until the ring, that is. On the day the Fellowship departed from 
Rivendell, I saw a vision of my father in his dark castle on Mount Doom. He was waiting, waiting 
for your arrival. However, for some reason, he allowed the ring to be destroyed, for reasons of 
which are still beyond me, and it has confused me very much. Until recently, that is. Several days 
ago, I saw another vision, of my father travelling with a band of orcs through the mountains. I fear 
they are planning an attack. Where and when, I do not know, but I fear that they wish to go to war 
with the goodness of Middle Earth."  
 
Legolas sat speechless for a few moments, as Elrond watched him, waiting for him to speak. 
Finally, he found his voice again, and looked up at Garania.  
 
"We must tell the others."

********************************************************************