I Will Always Come Back

Chapter 1

Rumours spread across Mirkwood. I hadn't heard them yet, but I did know the subject of them:  The One Ring. Tales of its power were always heard, and that there would be a day when it was found again. Apparently, those tales were true. I witnessed the One Ring's power with my own eyes, in the Battle of the Last Alliance. The last armies of men and Elves were battling the armies of Mordor, which were mostly Orcs, but there were also Cave Trolls and Wargs, evil wolves upon which Orcs rode and fought. We had almost won the battle, although many of us were dead.

Then, he came. The Dark Lord, Sauron, the creator of the rings, the master of the One Ring. None could resist its will to do evil for long. It was because of this that it was so powerful. Sauron came running into the battlefield with his mace and the ring glowing brightly with the Black Speech of Mordor written on it. With every swing, he made ten men fly across the battle field. It seemed as though there was no hope whatsoever for the races of Men and Elves. Then, Sauron cast the King of Gondor aside, throwing him against the mountainside. His son, Isildur, ran after him, and Sauron followed. Having no other weapon around him, Isildur took up his father's sword, upon which Sauron stepped, and it broke into several pieces. There was still a sharp edge, so Isildur used the sword and cut the ring off of Sauron's hand. Sauron was dead. It was then that Isildur's heart was corrupted. He was possessed by the power of the ring. Elrond tried to make him destroy the it, but he couldn't do it. The power of the Ring was too strong.

And now, it had been found again. I went to my friend, Míreth, and asked her what everybody was talking about. Míreth excitedly replied, "The One Ring has been found again!" When I asked for more details, she said, "It is said that the Ring had rested with a creature called Gollum under the Misty Mountains for five hundred years, and then was picked up by the most unlikely of creatures: a hobbit, from the Shire. Bilbo Baggins is his name. Now, he has passed it onto his nephew, Frodo, who has been sent to Rivendell by Gandalf the Grey." After hearing this and thanking Míreth profusely, I went to talk to my father, the King of the Wood Elves of Mirkwood.

My father lived in a castle that was made by growing the trees to our will. It was an ancient art, created by the elves in the old days. Now, the secret had been lost to us. When I finally climbed up the steps to the palace, I found guards standing by the door. This was quite unusual, because there was no need for this at most times, but I guess these weren't like most times, if the Ring really had been found. "Legolas Thranduilion, the King has been waiting for you," one of the Elven guards said, and they stepped aside and opened the doors. I walked into the majestic halls to see my father sitting on the throne, with a badly hidden look of fear on his face. He looked weary. It must have been a long day for him.

"Legolas," my father said, in his deep, regal voice, "I have been waiting for you."

"Yes, father?" I asked tentatively. I had never really liked my father. He was stuck-up and usually had a completely different opinion than I, even if it involved me, when I should have the final decision. I had never seen him like this before, except before the War of The Last Alliance. I never thought it was possible for him to be this frightened again.

"The One Ring has been found again, as I am sure you have heard," he began, "There will be a council in Rivendell to figure out its fate. It has been requested that an Elf from Mirkwood should attend the council. I saw it only fitting that you should be the one to attend it, as you are my son and the rightful heir to the throne of Mirkwood."

I was frightened by the idea of traversing the land, with all the Orcs and Trolls that have been seen of late. However, this was obviously very important to my father, and to all the world, now that the rumours of the One Ring have been confirmed. I decided I should go, whether I liked it or not. "I shall go, as you wish," I said, "but I do not wish to go alone. Could I have a few warriors by my side, so as to make the road to Rivendell safer for me?" It may not have been the wisest thing to ask. It seemed selfish, but I felt I needed it, should I encounter any danger. After all, I was the only heir to the throne of Mirkwood, and if I were to die on a simple trip, my father and I would be frowned upon, and a new King might be chosen if Mirkwood could no longer look up to us.

"If you wish. I have heard of strange creatures roaming around the outskirts of Mirkwood, and also inside it. This is the only place that isn't yet infested of their filth," my father said. He had had horrible experiences with the Orcs, and many life-threatening encounters with Trolls, in his many thousands of years of life.  Sometimes, I could still hear him calling to my mother at night.  The Orcs killed her when I was still young.

"Thank you, father. I shall leave at first light tomorrow," I told him. I was very much surprised by his accepting my request. Apparently, this trip was more important than I had realized. If it wasn't, my father probably wouldn't allow me to take a few of his best warriors, which were usually used to help protect Mirkwood. I guess there was nothing that could have saved us, anyway, now that the Ring had been found, and Sauron's spirit was stronger than ever.

That night, when I went to bed, I could hardly sleep. The thoughts of the adventure that would start the following morning kept me awake. It was just past midnight when I finally did fall asleep, and my dreams were haunted by Orcs, Trolls, and unknown monsters, all searching for the One Ring.

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I woke with a start. My dreams had felt real, almost like they had actually happened. It was still dark, but I could see the moon was about to reach the west horizon. I had woken at the perfect time. I dressed in my hunting gear and my finest armour. I would need it on this adventure. I grabbed my long bow and my knives and strapped them onto my back. When I had finished getting dressed, I left from my bedroom in the castle and went down the stairs, into the Entrance Hall. My father was waiting for me with three of our kingdom's best warriors. I was glad to see Míreth among those chosen. There were also a red-haired elleth and a brown-haired, cool blue eyed ellon.

"You're late," my father said. This was why I was never fond of him.

"Sorry, father," I told him, "but it still isn't first light yet. Therefore, I'm not late." It was not even sunup, but I had already lost my temper.

"Don't use that tone with me," my father responded coolly, "You need to prepare for your trip. What about packing? Even an Elf must have food and dry clothes. What about telling these warriors exactly what you need them to do? Even I do not know that. You see, son, these are all things you need to be responsible for. I thought you should already know that, at your age, and with the fact that you are my heir."

I had to admit that he had a point. A little embarrassed, I said quietly,  "Sorry, father. I was so busy worrying about what would happen on my journey that I had forgotten about that." I went back into my room and packed clothes for almost every occasion: meetings with Elrond, sleepwear, warfare, and everyday clothing. Then, I went to the kitchen and packed Lembas bread, honey, and some nuts and berries, enough for twenty days for four men. After that, I went back downstairs, to my escorts and my father.

"I have finished, father," I said, "I now have clothes and food for our journey to Rivendell." He gave me an approving nod, and, thinking it was alright to speak to my guards now, I told them how I wanted to get to Rivendell. Pulling out a map, I showed them that I wanted to cut through the forest westward, then traverse the plains of Rhovanion, then go straight across the mountains. After that, we would continue west until we reached Rivendell. It would be a long road, and it would certainly be dangerous, but I wanted to get there as fast as I could. The Ring was an evil above all others, and would not wait for the Prince of Mirkwood to get to his destination. After I finished explaining this, I told my father I would have to be going, and wished him farewell. He did not return it. I left without waiting for his goodbye, and my men and I set out on our journey to the beautiful land of Rivendell.