The Forgotten Princess

A New Chapter

They came to a stinking pile of half burnt bodies. On a pike, an Orc's decapitated head sneered at them, its expression of death still written on it's face. Smoke rose from the rank pile and a few weapons littered the ground around it. Signs of battle trampled the grass such as splattered weapons and polluted the air.

Gimli and Lessien began digging through the pile.

It was Gimli who found it.

The belt, or rather, the remainder of it.

It was the object that somehow proclaimed Merry and Pippin dead. The object that stirred up the grief that was hiding in their hearts.

"It's one of their wee belts," Gimli proclaimed.

Legolas lowered his head and began to whisper elvish prayers.

Lessien couldn't manage a word but once again sat on the ground a few yards away. Her knee felt worse.  A lot worse now that all hope truly had been lost.

How could they die? How could anyone ever kill them?  she thought in despair.

Her four best friends were good as dead. Gandalf overcome by the Balrog, Sam and Frodo would be claimed by Mordor, and Merry and Pippin burnt among the Uruks.

Behind her, Lessien heard her father let out a howl of rage and the distant clang of metal as he kicked one of the orc's helmets.

When she glanced back, he had fallen to his knees, his face reading despair and rage.

"We should rest for the night," she stated quietly, as if nothing had happened.

Lessien began tracing random patterns into the dirt beside her and that's how she saw it.

"A hobbit lay here," she stated, pointing to the almost invisible imprint a few feet from her.

"And the other," added Aragorn, noticing the same spot. It was too much to Lessien to bear. She had no idea of what to expect or what it would lead to. All of the possibilities were not pleasant. But she dare not fail them this last time.

Aragorn continued, "They crawled. Their hands were bound," he paused and with excitement in his voice announced, "Their bonds were cut. They ran over here. They were followed."

All Lessien could manage was tracing the marks along with her father but no words could be heard coming out of her mouth.

"Their tracks lead away from the battle and the Fangorn Forest," Aragorn finished darkly and solely.

Lessien stared at the foreboding trees.
  
"What madness led them there?" exclaimed Gimli gruffly.

"Battle," Legolas murmured and continued, "We must not go there. Celeborn warned us not to."

"Legolas speaks the truth," Aragorn agreed solemnly.

"We must rest by the forest," Lessien said quietly.

"None of us should ever go into that accursed forest!" growled Gimli.

"Would you fail them this last time?" Asked Lessien incredulously.

When no one replied she stomped off.

"I'm going to make fire," she grumbled under her breath.

No one followed, she needed her time alone.

-

As the night closed in around them, the trees of Fangorn seemed to reach out and over them. Everyone was numb with grief or anger or frustration.

Legolas looked at the stars absentmindedly, daydreaming as always. Gimli warmed himself by the fire, showing no apparent signs of emotion. Aragorn gazed softly into the glowing embers, contemplating.

Lessien stood shakily and held out her hand to Legolas. He took it and they walked off.

"I'm sorry for the way I acted. I really am. I just want you to know that, well, you aren't mad. There are feeling reciprocated. I think about you too. But. This isn't the time, Legolas. Not at all."

They stared into each other's beautiful eyes and Lessien held his hand. The connection was deep.

"I just want you to know that it isn't just you," she murmured and before she could hear his reply, she limped back to the fire.

Though anger and despair and utter depression lingered heavy in her heart, her companions understood. They would uphold her, now that they knew she was falling apart. Everyone felt this, as if it was a new, tragic chapter was beginning. And though Lessien wished to bring someone in an embrace, she also wished to be isolated from everyone. Quietly, she moved beside Aragorn.

Putting her head on his shoulder, she seemed to remember again that he was her father.