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

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Chapter 4

They gathered in the small circle soon after Elrond called for an urgent Council meeting. The 
Hobbits climbed into the chairs too tall for them beside Gimli, while Legolas took his place beside 
Garania and Elrond. He looked at his friends with a sense of betrayal, as if he himself were the 
kin to the evil king. Elrond stood and addressed them.  

 
"My friends, I have summoned you here tonight on a very important matter. One that I believe I 
will allow Legolas and Garania to inform you of." With that he motioned for them to stand and 
explain the situation. Garania rose, and walked toward the center of them. She stood fixed, as if 
any fear that had been threatening to course through her had been melted away when she left 
the chair.  

 
"I, as well as Legolas and Elrond, thought that it would be best to inform you of something that 
could ultimately mean the survival of Middle Earth as we know it. Before I begin, allow me to 
make very clear that Legolas knew none of this before this very night, only moments ago. Please 
do not harbor ill feelings against him for my decisions." When she saw the Fellowship nod, 
together, she began to walk slowly around the circle, continuing. "I am not who you think I am. I 
have never been. I am not the innocent, pure, gentle Elf that you all believe, and have believed 
me to be for so long. There is much about me that you do not yet know. I am the daugher of the 
Witch King, ruler of all that is evil, and devoted servant to Sauron." She watched as the groups 
eyes widened, in both fear, and shock. She caught a glimpse of Legolas from the corner of her 
eye, and noticed that he refused to make eye contact with any of the rest of them. She started to 
continue, but was quickly cut off by a quick tempered dwarf.  

 
"Traitor she is! We should have thrown her into the fires of Mordor along with the ring which rules 
her father's land! I say she is a liar, working for her father to detroy Middle Earth! She wishes 
nothing more than to see the good in Middle Earth demolished, just as her father does!" growled 
Gimli, jumping from his seat and raising his axe high in the air.  

 
Legolas bolted from his seat, his face alive with anger.  

 
"I suggest you watch the words that come from your mouth you half- witted dwarf! Never again 
shall I hear you speak to my wife in the way that you have just done! Take back your words and 
apologize, or you shall have a much greater force to deal with than Sauron!"  

 
The dwarf looked at him in shock. Never before had he seen the Elf so aroused with temper. He 
backed himself towards his seat, and sat back down, looking at Garania apolegetically.  

 
"My lady, I am sorry. I fear my mouth sometimes think more quickly than my head does, and so I 
beg you to accept my apology." She looked at him, her eyes gentle, not in the least angry.  

 
"My good dwarf, you have my forgiveness. I can understand your feelings. They are only natural, 
especially considering the dangers you have just been through. Do not concern yourself that you 
have offended me, for you have not."  

 
The dwarf nodded gratefully, and Legolas sat back down, after an encouraging look from 
Garania. She looked back towards the Fellowship and continued on.  

 
"Do not think me a traitor to Middle Earth, or that I side with my father, for I do not. I wish no more 
for him to be removed from power than you do, but I also understand the dangers that can be 
involved in doing so. My father is very powerful, and is a great force to reckon with. Many armies 
have tried to bring him down, and many have failed."  

 
She spoked the words with a harshful truth to her voice. They knew she spoke right. Many 
opposing forces had invaded his kingdom, hoping to destroy him, but had only succeeded in 
leading themselves into a losing battle.  

 
"I wish you only to know that I am with you, whatever journeys this may lead you on. You have 
my vow with you."  

 
They nodded and smiled at her, knowing that she would not decieve them. With this, Elrond stood 
up, and walked over to where Garania was.  

 
"What she means by this declaration, my friends, is that we will surely not escape this threat 
without a war."  

 
They looked at each other, the harsh truth sinking in. From battle they had just come, and to 
battle they would soon go again. The hobbits looked down at their large feet, missing their home 
more and more every minute. Garania saw this look in their eyes and spoke to them, silently.  

 
"My little friends, fear not. No one can force you to return to the battles that you have just come 
from. Only you can make that decision. However, know that down whichever road your decision 
may lead you, I am here to guide you, and to protect you whenever you may be in the need."  

 
They looked up at her and smiled. The beautiful Elf that stood before them could certainly not be 
the daughter of the Witch King, for he was an evil, hideous character, and she was the portrait of 
magnificence and beauty. As if reading their minds, or perhaps sharing the same thought, Gimli 
spoke.  

 
"My lady, if this you speak of is true, that you are indeed the daughter of the Witch King, then how 
is it that you possess so much beauty, both inside and out? The king is an ugly being, with the 
looks and the manners of an orc. How is it that you came to be the way you are, an Elf?"  

 
She smiled at this, and looked towards the dwarf.  

 
"Very simply, he is an Elf as well, as was my mother."  

 
They looked around in shock, even Legolas, who, at this point, did not believe that anything else 
could suprise him. He looked at Garania with a confused statement.  

 
"An Elf? But how can that be? It is told that he has never been seen, only legend tells of his 
appearance."  

 
"You forget Legolas, I am his daughter. I can defy the legends with more force than you know. 
Believe me when I tell you that he is an Elf, as much so as you and I. While he is much different 
from most of the rest of us, he is an Elf."  

 
Elrond took this opportunity to speak.  

 
"My friends, go, rest, for tommorrow you shall learn the plans of this mission of war against the 
king. We will need you at full strength for this battle." With his hands, he ushered them off to the 
palace, and to bed to gain some of the rest that they needed so much. He turned to Legolas, who 
was now standing beside Garania.  

 
"You too, I will need you at full strength as well." He looked at Garania with a playful smile. "Or at 
least with most of your strength."  

 
With this, he bid them good night, and made his way back towards the castle, to get some rest 
himself. Garania turned towards Legolas, who was now bathed in moonlight, and surrounded with 
an iridescent glow that outlined his entire body.  

 
"Legolas, my love, please forgive me for my deceptions. I only wished to protect you from what I 
knew would eventually be the inevitable. I only hope that you can accept my apology, and not 
bear anger towards me for my revelations tonight."  

 
He looked deep into her green eyes, searching for an answer to the question that had been 
plaguing him since she had informed him of her mysterious past. After several moments of 
searching, he was left with no answer. This frightened him, but he refused to let it show to 
Garania. He forced a smile onto his face, which soon melted into one of love, and took her hand, 
bringing it up to his lips, before releasing it, and wrapping her into his arms in a kiss filled with 
passion.


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

Chapter 5


The morning came all too soon for the Garania and Legolas, as well as for the rest. Garania 
opened her eyes, one of the few Elves that slept with closed eyes, and stared up at the leaves 
above their bed. The wind rustled them gently, and she couldn't help but think of her father, and 
how near they must be getting to Rivendell at that moment. She shook the thought from her mind, 
and forced herself to leave her position beside Legolas to get up and ready herself for the 
impending day. When she rose, Legolas stirred beside her and looked at her, remembering the 
meeting that was to come in the next few hours. He rolled onto his back and spoke to her as she 
slipped into a gown that had been laid out for her on the bed.  

 
"My love, what is to become of us? I know that you are aware of more than you speak of, so do 
not think that you can hide it from me. I will not ask you to tell me, because I know that you will 
not. You are far too stubborn and strong-willed for me to even make an attempt."  

 
She turned and looked back at him, stretched out across the bed, his head resting against the 
bark of the tree. She sighed, and continued to get dressed.  

 
"Legolas, you know me far too well. You are right, when you say that I know more. I do. However, 
what I know could do you more harm than it could good, and that is why I will not speak a word of 
it."  

 
He nodded at this, accepting it, and then let his legs fall over the side of the bed.  

 
"I will not turn my back on you, Garania, however many changes come about during these trying 
times. I will not desert you. I love you far too much for that."  

 
She smiled at him and nodded.  

 
"I know that Legolas. I have always known that. You have made it very clear to me for the past 
1500 years of our marriage. I trust you more than any other. You know that. I will do the same for 
you."  

 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

 
By the time Garania and Legolas had readied and made their way down to the rest of the Council, 
they were waiting for their arrival. Legolas took his place beside Garania, as she sat down next to 
Elrond. He gave her a gentle smile, and stood, turning to the Fellowship.  

 
"Friends, now is the time when we shall have to make the decision that is never an easy one to 
make. Whether we shall go and seek this Witch King, or await his journey to us. Either way their 
is no escaping war. It is the inevitable."  

 
The group exchanged glances, and then turned their eyes back to Elrond, as if awaiting more. 
But he turned back to Garania, urging her to speak. She caught his glances, and rose from her 
seat.  

 
"I urge you to think deeply about this. However, I feel that I should offer you some sort of opinion 
in this matter, so I will do so. I believe that you should seek him out. It would be the best. Perhaps 
then he would be less prepared, and less expecting of an attack from the opposing army. You 
may stand a greater chance of coming out victorious from the battle." They looked at her, 
pondering her words, and then, as if coming to a silent, mutual conclusion, Gimli nodded towards 
his companions, and stood before Garania to speak.  

 
"My lady, I believe your words are true. I believe I speak for the rest of my friends when I say that 
we want nothing more than to find this enemy and attack him unexpectadly, with all the force we 
can muster from our armies."  

 
Garania looked at the hobbits, and then back towards Legolas and Elrond, who nodded his 
approval and voiced it.  

 
"So it will be then. I will alert the guards to ready the armies. We will leave this afternoon."  

 
With that he stepped down from the Council, and walked steathily back towards the castle to 
speak with his guards. Legolas stood and walked beside Garania, addressing his friends.  

 
"My friends, while I fear that we may be entering something that we have no hope of winning, 
know this. That I will stand beside you through the last moment of fighting. I will not fail you."  

 
Gimli stood.  

 
"Nor will I you."  

 
"Or I," said the halflings in unison.  

 
Garania smiled, beaming inwardly at the show of comradary displayed by the friends.  

 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
 

Afternoon came quickly, and the Fellowship, and the armies that were to accompany them, stood 
at the gates, mounted, and preparing to leave. Legolas searched the sea of people for a sign of 
Garania. He thought surely that she would come to see him off. He was forced to draw his 
attention back to Elrond when he heard his voice yelling over the others. He was standing at the 
top of the palace steps, waiting for the crowd to quiet so that he could begin his speech.  
 

"My friends! My friends, if you will quiet, please. I would like to wish you a safe journey and hope 
for nothing but the best in these trails to come. I would also like to offer you my admiration and 
respect, as this is indeed a treacherous journey in which upon you are about to embark. May 
peace be with you, and may goodness prevail."  
 

With a wave of his hand, he signaled the gates of Rivendell to open, and the large army began to 
ride out, at full gale through them. Legolas and the rest of the Fellowship lagged behind a bit, 
waiting for the rest to pass. He continued to look around, still not being able to catch a glimpse of 
Garania. His heart tugged, but he held his head up, and prepared to signal his horse to move. 
Suddenly, he caught the glimpse of a rider out of the corner of his eye. The horse was drawn up 
beside his, and the person sitting atop it wore a hooded cloak, to shield their face. When he 
looked over at them, the person pulled the hood away from their face and revealed themselves to 
Legolas. He drew back with a bit of shock. Garania sat perched upon the solid white horse, 
looking at him with a determined face.  

 
"I am going with you. I will not let you fight this battle alone."  

 

He shook his head fiercely.  
 

"No, I will not allow you to do this. You will be more of a hindrance than you will be an asset. Your 
fighting skills have never been very strong. You must stay here. You will be much safer in 
Rivendell."  
 

She looked at him, smiling slightly.  
 

"Have you forgotten of whom I am spawned? There are a great many things that you do not know 
about me Legolas. But fear not, they will be revealed to you soon enough."  
 

With that, she beckoned her horse to gallop, and rode off ahead of him, hair billowing in the wind. 
Legolas watched her ride, thinking to himself how beautiful she was, and how being headstrong 
was not her most attractive feature. He shook his head, knowing that he had lost, and followed 
her out of the gates of Rivendell, toward the journey that awaited them.


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

Chapter 6


They rode hard for three days, barely even stopping for rest. Legolas grew tired, but not nearly as 
much as the hobbits. He watched as Sam slumped over the horse on which he rode with Gimli. 
Pippin dozed behind Garania on her white steed, and Merry and Frodo slept together on their 
own horse. He smiled, with a bit of concern, but continued riding, refusing to stop. Garania looked 
back at him, knowing how determined he could sometimes be. The exhausted look on his face 
worried her, but she shook it off, knowing that there was nothing she could tell him to make him 
rest. The armies had rode on far ahead of them, at least half a days ride, leaving them to guard 
behind them. She dreaded the battle that she knew was before them, but most of all, she dreaded 
once again seeing her father. For the second time in the past week, an intense chill passed over 
her body. She knew what it was. She had known that it would come since she was young. She 
shook it off, pushing it to the back of her mind, and looked back down the path on which they 
were riding. Suddenly, she heard a voice behind her signal their stop.  
 

"Alright, I think this should be far enough. I fear that if we do not stop for rest, our companions will 
surely collapse from their horses."  
 

Garania looked back at the speaker, and smiled when she saw that it was Aragon. For many 
years, he had been a trusted friend of hers, and when he had volunteered to join the Fellowship, 
she felt a sense of relief knowing that he would be there to protect Legolas if there was ever any 
need. He returned her smile and pulled his horse over to a nearby tree.  
 

"I think that we should find somewhere farther from the path to rest for the night. These woods 
are brimming with evil creatures, and they would only find us easier if we stayed here," said 
Legolas, leading his horse over to the edge of the trail.  
 

Garania nodded, knowing that he was right.  
 

"Yes, he's right. We will not be safe here. We must find somewhere else."  
 

Aragon re-mounted his horse, and followed Legolas and Garania's lead into the forest. They led 
them into the heart of the woods, far away from the path, but secluded enough that it would be 
difficult for anyone to discover them there. Legolas climbed down from his horse, and walked over 
to Garania to take the sleeping hobbit from her hands. When he had placed him safely on the 
ground, he reached his hands back up for her, only to discover that she had already removed 
herself from the horse and was leading him over to a tree to tie him. He shook his head, laughing 
slightly at her. For all the years that he had known her, she had always refused any help from 
him, or any other male with anything, when she knew precisly that she was full capable of doing it 
herself. It was one of the many things he loved about her. He walked back over to his own horse, 
and led it to where the others had taken there's, and tied him there for the night. He then returned 
to the group.  
 

"Garania, tell us again about your father, and how you came to be his child," said now awake 
hobbit Pippin, as he rubbed his eyes and tried to wake himself up.  
 

A dark shadow passed over her face and she shook her head.  
 

"No, no little one, I cannot do that. Not only does it bring about bad memories, but my father's 
presence is now too near for me to speak of him at all, much less tell anything that could possibly 
bring us into more danger."  
 

The hobbit nodded, disappointed, but understanding. Garania closed her eyes, suddenly, as 
another chill, this one stronger than the first, passed again over her body. A soft voice that only 
she could hear called to her in her mind, beckoning her to it. She closed her eyes tighter, and 
began to shake softly. Legolas looked at her with concern. Never before had he seen her like this. 
She looked so frightened, so shaken. Her face turned a color even more pale than the one before 
it. After a long few moments, she opened her eyes, and forced the shaking to stop. Legolas 
rushed over to her, wrapping his cloak around her.  
 

"Melamin, what is it? Why do you shake so? What is the matter? Tell me, please."  
 

She shook her head, tears threatening to fall. She held them back, refusing to cry. She had not 
done so since she was four and she did not plan to do it now. She looked into Legolas' eyes, the 
cold refusing to leave her body. It was happening. And there was nothing she could do to prevent 
it. Legolas' concern doubled when he saw the look of hopelessness settling in her eyes.  
 

"Legolas, I told you that there was much that you did not know. I have no choice but to tell you 
this now."  
 

He looked at her, his eyes begging for an answer. Deep down, he knew what she was about to 
say to him.  
 

"I am sorry that I did not let you know this before. I didn't think that it would come on this quick, 
but I was wrong. I said that my father's blood runs through me, and there is nothing that I can do 
to change that. He has passed it onto me, his powers, his ways, his darkness. He wishes for me 
to return to him, to return to the ways of evil from which I was bred. There is nothing that I can do 
to stop it. It is taking me over."  

 
Legolas looked at her, tears brimming in his eyes now as well. His worst fears had been 
confirmed by the words that she had just spoke. The answers that he had been looking for that 
night before had just been found. He could feel his heart pulling as he looked into her eyes. 
Already he could see the light that was in them turning cold. But then, a thought of hope crossed 
his mind.  
 

"But you are a Light Elf, which means you are born good, so perhaps that lineage which you 
possess can fight this evil."  
 

She shook her head sadly.  
 

"No, Legolas, there is no hope. My father is a Light Elf as well, born in the ways of good. And look 
at what he has become now. The only thing that can stop this is the destruction of my father, and 
all that he stands for."  
 

Legolas looked at her, tears streaming down his face. The group stood around them, watching 
helplessly, knowing that there was nothing they could do. Pippin sobbed silently. In the few short 
days that he had known Garania, he had come to love her dearly. She took care of him, providing 
him with anything he might happen to need. The sight of her on the ground before him, the 
goodness and light inside of her slowly giving way to darkness, crushed him inside, leaving him 
hollow and pained. He also hurt for Legolas, knowing the love that he possessed for the beautiful 
Elf, and how much this would destroy him in the end. The hopelessness of the situation left them 
all distraught. Even Aragorn, always proud and strong, now stood at mercy to the power that he 
knew was greater than all of them, even Garania. She sat crumbled on the ground, no sign left of 
the dignified princess that once stood before them. All that remained was a quivering, frightened 
version of herself, that was slowly being taken over by the dark force that coursed through her 
veins. She felt the tears in her eyes dry up slowly, as the evil continued to creep over her slowly.