The Lost Hope

Chapter II

Legolas's pov.

I rub my head after the incident and find myself having the biggest headache I have ever had in my life. 

I fail to get up until a while after the mist went away. I had to steady myself with the rock that I had previously rolled into earlier. I was surprised to see that I wasn't bleeding, even though I felt like I was a sack of bruised apples.

I finally gather the strength to limp to my horse, which was surprisingly still where I had left it. It was a little spooked, but I was able to calm it down and lean onto it for support.

I slowly lead my horse into the ruins of Gundabad. The inside resembled much of the outside of the gates besides the bigger piles of rubble. No life showed around here at all, and the sky barely lit up with the sun.

The place was simply dark and gloomy.

I examine the rubble as I reach what I concluded was the middle of the town. There was an open area with not a ton of rubble in the middle, but tons outlining the circular plaza. The ground was not covered in stone, unless if it was rubble, but was just a mass of dirt and broken metal pieces.

My eyes spot a extremely shining piece of metal in the middle of the plaza. It was covered with tons of dirt and was accompanied by a few decayed bodies. Somehow it shone, despite the lack of sunlight.

I step away from my horse and slowly walk towards the plaza, trying to steer clear of the giant piles of rubble and lifeless bodies. I started to get a better view of my target. It had some colored jewels on random parts of the crown. It looked like it didn't have any cracks or dents in it, and that was a good thing.

I reach down and pick it up. It felt fragile and so thin that it would crumble at any second. It was easier to decipher the elvin work in it's carving of vines and flowers that surrounded the edge of the crown.

I continue to study the item until the wind suddenly kicks up. Dust starts to scatter into the air, making me shield my eyes from the flying debris.

The wind starts to fade down and I collect myself and uncover my eyes. There was a ghostly being a couple feet in front of me. I could tell it was a female, but it was difficult to decided what race she was. he was dressed in a white robe that wasn't afraid of flying around. She had blond hair that wasn't as white as mine. Her eyes shined a bright blue and were looking straight at me.

"I am glad you don't fear me." She says softly.

"I rarely fear anything." I reply.

The woman smiles. "You father must have taught you well."

I nod. "I guess some of it was from him but it was the events of my childhood that make me this way."

The woman turns sharply at me. "Like your mother's death."

I grow silent. "You know me, don't you."

She nods. "I do. And I wouldn't be surprised if you know me."

My mind seems to jump out of my head. I had an idea, but it seemed to far fetched.

"Aryna." I say, only to receive a nod.

"Yes."

I stand speechless for a few seconds. I stare at her and almost question my vision. She did look familiar, but I don't remember that day enough to recognize her face. I did recognize the familiar voice she held and the kind gestures she used.

"Legolas." She says, drawing my attention back on her. Her face showed sadness and sympathy. "I wanted to contact you for years, but the last time you were here, you sped off too fast for me to take an appearance."

I remember that time. It was the last time I had been with my friend Tauriel, before the battle of the five armies and before she lost the love of her life.

Aryna continues. "I need to tell you something." Her voice grows solemn. "A new enemy is rising, which is expected. I have a feeling this new enemy will be one hard to comprehend, and it is one I have only encountered before it got worse. "

"Who is it?" I ask her.

"It is..." Her voices quiets to the point I couldn't hear her.

I look at her puzzled. She looks behind her as a noise grows louder.

She looks back at me with alarm. "I must leave now, but listen. You need to return to Mirkwood..."

"I can't." I say.

"Don't be afraid of going back, Legolas. It is for your safety that you would be going there."

The noise continues to grow, grabbing Aryna's attention. She turns back to me sharply. "Please..." She was able to mutter before her shading body shatters to a thick mist.

"Wait!" I call out as an orc enters my view. My hands jump to my bow and quiver and within seconds, the orc was dead.

I was in a little daze as more orcs come into view. More arrows enter into the chests of the orcs as my mind doesn't take a second before they are all dead.

I breath in deeply, not knowing why I was so worn out by a few orcs. I head over to my horse, who was a little freaked out by the sudden appearance of the orcs, but he seemed to be alright.

I almost hop onto my horse when my heads starts buzzing with a sharp ring piercing the inside of my head. I cuff my hands around my ears, but was still unable to silence the deafening screeching sound. My vision starts to blur and my muscles try to give out on me.

I quickly collect my energy and jump up onto my horse, pain continuing to collect into my skull. I lean against the back of the horse gripping on the reins and wrapping it around my waist to prevent me from falling. I grip hard and try to keep my breathing steady.

"Lets go home." I tell my horse as it starts to gallop out of Gundabad and head towards Rivendell.