The healer (Legolas love story)

Chapter 11: Dark past

The group had sat in a circle next to each other after having a light dinner. Gandalf had turned off his wand and darkness had surrounded them. For having more heat, they had wrapped their cloaks and blankets tightly around themselves. The only light was the red light of Gandalf, Aragorn and Gimli's pipe that could be seen every so often. From time to time they would turn their heads and saw the silhouette of Legolas sitting next to Nestarel a few meters away. The faint gleam of their golden hair was the only thing that was visible. It was odd for the fellowship who didn't know anything about them how much the prince cared for his subaltern who was only a healer.

Pippin wiggled uneasily. Curiosity was killing him. He turned and looked at the Elves once more. "What has happened for Nestarel?" he asked finally, breaking the silence. Everyone except Aragorn turned to Gandalf eagerly. It seemed Pippin was not alone. "I thought the lass was strong. Didn't know that she is this weak that can't bear a mine, although their own realm is under the ground itself." said Gimli.

"Don't talk foolishly about something you know nothing about." scolded Gandalf, obviously irritated. He was angry with himself for not predicting what could happen for Nestarel. "If you have experienced what Nestarel has gone through, even you, Gimli son of Gloin, wouldn't dare to go into any mine, leave alone a dark and foul one like this." said Aragorn calmly.

"What has happened to her?" asked Boromir from Gandalf. "Who is Bolg?" asked Frodo. "She said he is coming. I think it was him whom she was afraid of. His name is familiar to me."

"If you think that I'm going to tell you the sad story of Nestarel Umariel right now, you are mistaken." said Gandalf, stood and walked to Legolas and sat next to him. Everyone turned to Aragorn.

"You know the story, strider." said Merry. "Please, tell us." said Sam.

"Bolg was the spawn of Azug the Defiler," said Aragorn not so pleased. "You must have heard his name from Bilbo, Frodo."

Everyone gasped except Boromir. "Who is Azug?" he asked.

"The pale Orc. The foul creature who once ruled in these mines and led the army of Gundabad in the battle of five armies sixty years ago. Please, Strider, tell us the story." said Sam excited.

Aragorn sighed. "It's all goes back to thousand years ago." he said. "Thousand years ago? but Nestarel and Legolas couldn't even exist that time, could they?" asked Pippin. "They are Elves you idiot." said Merry but still everyone was shocked by the time.

Aragorn smiled a bit. "Legolas and Nestarel are nearly the same age. Legolas is about 2500 years old and Nestarel is a few years younger." he said and Everyone was shocked to hear this, for they both looked so young. "You know of the kingdom of Angmar, established by the lord of Nazgul, located in a northern fork in the western Misty mountains, founded with the sole purpose of weakening the northern realm of Arnor." Frodo shivered at the mention of the witch-king. Aragorn continued. "Thousand years ago, the army of the kingdom of Arnor, defeated the force of Angmar in the battle of Fornost. Stories say that the witch-king fled to Mordor after his defeat, but they are all wrong, for he first went to his eastern fortress, Gundabad, and stayed there for years. Gundabad is the Orc's stronghold in the north of Mirkwood. Many battles happened between Elves and Orcs of Gundabad in those years, for the king of Angmar wanted his power back and for that goal, he wanted to destroy the strong realm of the elves before attacking to Ere bur. The lands between Mirkwood and Gundabad had become a very dangerous place. After a few years, the number of battles decreased and Orcs could hardly be seen in the area. The Elves were wary for they knew the witch-king had a plan. It was in that time when Nestarel's story took place." he paused and looked at Nestarel.

"Nestarel was a healer in the realm of Mirkwood, one of the best. Her father was the King's close friend and so she was the close friend to the Prince. She had found an ointment made of a herbal plant that could be hardly found in the forest or around it. The ointment could heal wounds so fast and was so critical in those days. One day Legolas went to the healing rooms and told Nestarel he had found a hill in the northern skirts of the forest which lots of this plant had grown there. He offered to take her to that hill so she can pick as much as she wanted. So they went to that hill. There, Nestarel began to collect that herbal plant and Legolas was checking around when suddenly they got ambushed by the Orcs. It was like the Orcs knew that they will come and the leader of them was Bolg who was the leader of the Orcs of Gundabad those days when his foul father was ruling here, in moria. The Orcs caught Nestarel. Legolas was almost gotten killed to save her, but it was hopeless, for they were outnumbered and if the army of the Elves had not come in time He would have been died. The Orcs took Nestarel with themselves and fled to their fortress and Legolas was badly wounded." said Aragorn.