You awoke to the sounds of voices calling your name, and you slowly opened your eyes. A river lay before you, lit by and the silent events of the previous night came rushing back. You and Legolas by the river, and the incredibly long story of the Fellowship and the mission and feeling Legolas' arm around you—hold on, you could still feel it. You looked to your right to see Legolas leaning on you, and you on him, fast asleep. He had his arm draped around you, keeping you somewhat warm. At the sound of Aragorn's call again, though, he blearily opened his eyes. Upon seeing you, he leapt to his feet, snatching his arm away, hiding his gaze. You did the same, and you both stood there awkwardly, wondering what to do and comprehending what had just happened. So you'd kept Legolas company overnight, so what? ...And maybe had snuggled with him overnight, but that wasn't anything terrible, was it? Sure, it was a little embarrassing... Aragorn called your name again and you turned towards the sound. Legolas did the same, and Aragorn appeared from the trees, Gimli behind him. He stopped when he saw the both of you, and his eyes flashed with relief.
"I was beginning to think you'd deserted us," Aragorn said, walking over to you.
"Me? Desert you guys? Never." You flashed him your best cocky grin, which earned you a smile.
"Legolas, laddie," Gimli puffed. "Where've you been all night?"
Legolas shot a quick glance at you. "Watching the river," he responded, somehow convincing.
Aragorn narrowed his eyes a bit, clearly not buying it. But he didn't question it further. "We must head out now, get to Mirkwood as soon as possible."
Legolas seemed more than happy to agree. "Let us go." He left the three of you, bounding away into the woods towards the camp.
Aragorn turned his gaze on you. "What happened overnight?" he whispered.
You couldn't help the red that rose to your cheeks. "O-overnight?" you stammered. "Oh, nothing happened. I just...kept him company is all. We watched the river, then yup. Just yup. Nothing happened."
Now this clearly and definitely did not convince Aragorn. He raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Is that so?"
"Yep. That's so so." Wow. When you listen to yourself you really do sound lame.
Aragorn cast one more suspicious look at you, then turned and followed Legolas. Gimli had watched the small exchange, and he let out a big, huffed laugh. Then he set off running after Aragorn. You watched them go, your face hot. You really needed to work on your grammar. You sprinted after them.
You eventually arrive at the camp with the others, the run through the forest refreshing your mind. Aragorn gathered all the supplies and strapped it back to the horses, and the other three mounted their horses/ponies. Legolas avoided eye contact with you, and you couldn't blame him. You felt just as silly. Though it wasn't so bad, was it? It was just a little snuggle and sleep... For an elf, that was probably a bad thing. If King Thranduil got the slightest news of this, Legolas would probably be thrown in the dungeon. Oh, wait a minute. He's probably about to be thrown in a dungeon anyway. Oh well, nevermind then. You realised that everyone had mounted except you, and you looked up at the three horsemen, who were looking down at you, except for Legolas.
"Are you going to mount, Y/N?" Aragorn asked.
"Uh, sure..." You pretended to look between the three of them. "Um...which one?"
"Same as last, milady," Gimli said, a teasing glint to his eye. You groaned inwardly. Legolas wouldn't even look at you, and they wanted you to ride with him? ~groan~
You sighed and walked over to Legolas' horse. You gently stroked the horse's mane, and you decided to try to speak to it.
Hello.
The horse looked at you, and it almost looked surprised. You can speak to me?
Yup, I know it's a bit weird, but supposedly I have special elf powers now. What's your name?
The horse looked a bit taken aback, or as much taken aback as a horse could look. My name is Arod. And you are?
I'm Y/N. And I don't think your master likes me anymore.
Why would you say that?
He won't talk to me.
That is...unusual.
Yup. I don't –
"Y/N!"
Your thoughts were interrupted by Aragorn. You looked up at him, then realised that everyone was staring at you still. Even Legolas. "Oh, right, sorry." You looked at the ground, moving to mount Arod. "Just, y'know, having a casual conversation with a horse. Nice name, by the way," you added to Legolas. "Arod's a treasure."
Legolas didn't respond, just gave a stiff nod. You attempted to get up on the horse, but failed. Wow. It really was easier to dismount than to mount. Heat rose in your cheeks again, but this time Legolas quickly dismounted from Arod and grabbed you by your waist. "Wha–"
He hoisted you up, and you let out a startled squeal as your feet left the ground. Suddenly you were sitting upon Arod, and Legolas quickly mounted himself, in one, fluid motion. You watched in admiration as he mounted smoothly, his lithe form slipping easily into the saddle behind you. He gently slipped his hands under your arms to grip the reins, then tapped Arod's sides. The white horse snorted and headed off with Aragorn and Gimli in line.
And so the three of you continued your journey towards Mirkwood, for it was the safest place to enter, though some would disagree. If you entered through the back, you were sure to be shot down instantly, while if you approached at the front, you had more of a chance of being let inside. It was just a matter of finding the palace through the maze of the forest, but Legolas had said that he knew the way through, possibly without getting caught. But there was always that slim chance. The three of you rode through forests and on plains, when you realised you had a question.
"Hey!" you yelled over the sound of the wind rushing through your ears. "Just wondering, you do have a plan, right? Instead of walking right up to the front gate?"
"Entering through the front gate is a sign of peace," Legolas spoke to you for the first time since leaving. "If we try to sneak through, that will only strengthen their accusing thoughts."
Aragorn had told Legolas that he'd told you of the mission, and he hadn't responded, just nodded. Which didn't bother you. He seemed very different from how he had appeared in the movies, all god-like and all, like Thor. Waitasecond, who's Thor? Another memory! All you remembered from him was lightning and long, majestic blonde hair. But nothing like Legolas' straight blonde hair. Big difference. Anyway, best not to get caught in thoughts of majestic blonde hair.
"Right..." You trailed off as the four of you burst from the trees and out onto a large plain. Before you lay the forest that you'd seen from the snowy mountain, the dark forest that hadn't looked as near as beautiful as the previous one. Mirkwood.
Aragorn suddenly gave a shout, but his words were lost in the wind to your ears. But Legolas had heard him, and he swerved to the right, toward a bunch of boulders spread about on the plains. You attempted to look behind you, but Legolas leaned forward, forcing you to look ahead. All four of you reached the boulders, and Legolas instantly jumped off, then whirled around to help you down. You all led the horses behind the boulders in a small ditch, the boulders concealing you from view from whatever had spooked the Fellowship members so much. Well, spooked probably wasn't the right word. You tried to peek over the boulder, but Legolas pushed you down. You held your breath, not knowing what was happening. Suddenly a roar split through the air, and you covered your ears, a small whine escaping you. Legolas held you, making sure you wouldn't make a run for it or shielding you from unknown danger, you were not sure. But you did know it made you feel safe, and you slightly relaxed, uncovering your ears. Another roar sounded and you flinched, but this time you knew what to expect. Legolas' arms loosened around you, and you looked up to see him peeking over to the boulders. Aragorn and Gimli were doing the same, so you wriggled out of Legolas' loose grip and peered over the boulders.
At first there was nothing to see, but then you caught something out of the corner of your eye. It was a beast; one like no other you'd ever seen. You squinted, and you realised it was a bear, but a really, really giant bear. It looked the size of four horses, probably bigger; its coat hung heavily from its muscled frame. Its eyes were black like pools of a river at night with no moonlight, and they searched the plains. It stood on a small cliff, peering down on the plains, searching for something you couldn't name. Probably you and the others. You felt a small tug on your hoodie, and you turned to see Legolas gently nudging you down out of sight of the bear. You dropped down, breathing hard for some unknown reason.
"What is that thing?" you breathed.
"It is a bear, but not just any ordinary bear," Aragorn said. He was still peering over the edge, but after some convincing of Gimli he was pulled down. "He is a skin-changer."
A memory once again flashed through you, a memory of a bear much like this one, perhaps the exact same. "Beorn?" you whispered.
"No, not Beorn, though I am surprised you have heard of him," Aragorn said.
"I watched the movies," you said, managing a small grin.
"This is Beorn's son, Grimbeorn," Legolas said. "After Beorn passed away, Grimbeorn took his place. He is a skin-changer like his father, and I do not believe he will hurt us."
"We don't know that," Aragorn argued.
"Aye, that beasts' father nearly killed my father," Gimli huffed.
"But that was because your father intruded his territory and he saw him as a threat," you said.
"He still may be a threat," Aragorn said. "We must make for Mirkwood with haste, so Grimbeorn will not see us."
"Well let's go already," you said matter of factly.
They all looked at each other, then nodded. They sprang for their horses, Legolas dragging you along. He swung you on, then swung in himself. Aragorn stared at the distant shape of Grimbeorn, then nodded. "Go!"
They sprang forward, galloping toward the dark forest. You made an attempt to look behind you again, but Legolas once again leaned forward so you had to focus on the front. Aragorn shot glances behind him occasionally, eyes narrowed with concentration. The forest seemed ages away, but so close at the same time. You couldn't hear lumbering heavy footsteps of the bear behind you, so you could only assume it was not following. But then again, you could barely hear anything above your own breathing and the thundering of the hooves beneath you.
None of the horses slowed; they sped toward the forest with impressive speed. The closer you drew the more you felt a prickling sensation, and goosebumps spread on your arms and neck. You realised the sensation was fear, and you couldn't help but shrink back a little into Legolas. Legolas didn't pull away, his eyes locked on the forest. When they drew close, they slowed to a canter, then trot, then stopped altogether. Legolas dismounted, then whirled around to where Grimbeorn was last seen. You followed his gaze, and realised that the bear had disappeared. He had left. Thank goodness. Legolas sighed, then looked up at you, waiting. You slid easily off Arod, landing with a thud on the surprisingly mushy ground. You looked up at Legolas, a small, embarrassed smile spreading across your face. "It's a bit easier getting off."
Legolas nodded, then led Arod over to Noldorin and Hasufel. Aragorn and Gimli had already dismounted and were unstrapping the supplies from their horses.
"We got lucky," Gimli was huffing. "He could have trampled us."
"We weren't in his land," Legolas said. "He didn't have a right to chase us."
"Tell that to him," Gimli grumbled.
"We will have to leave the horses," Aragorn said. "Mirkwood is no place for one."
Legolas nodded and turned to Arod, Grimbeorn already forgotten. Wow. They must go through this type of stuff everyday if they can just turn away from a danger they just faced that quickly. Legolas whispered something in the elvish tongue, which you found oddly beautiful. "Care- vamme ran-. Emme indóme n- at-."*
He caught your gaze and saw you staring at him in awe.
"I-it's a beautiful language," you stuttered.
"Yes, yes it is," Legolas agreed after a moment.
The awkwardness over, you all turned to face the forest. Of course, you were the first to break the silence.
"So...Are we going to stare at it all day or are we gonna go?"
Everyone turned to look at you, and you felt heat flush your face. Of course you had to say something stupid. "Just, y'know, throwing out suggestions."
To your surprise, Legolas smiled, and that simple smile warmed you from head to toes. Gimli let out a booming laugh. "Let us go!" he boomed.
"You ready?" Aragorn asked, concern in his gaze.
"Well I didn't really get a choice to come along, so, yeah, I guess," you told him. "Though I definitely wouldn't have dropped out if you'd asked anyway. Probably. Maybe. I dunno."
Now it was Aragorn's turn to smile, and he leaped forward, running towards the forest. Gimli followed with a wordless shout, leaving you and Legolas to stare after them.
"They have no idea where they're going," Legolas sighed.
"I was just thinking that," you commented.
You stared a moment longer, then you and Legolas exchanged an amused glance. You both raced into the forest, leaving the horses and the plains behind. As you burst into the forest, you heard Noldorin reach out to you through his animal speak.
Stay safe, Y/N!
Safe is probably not the correct term, but, yeah, I'll try.
~~~
The forest was unlike any you'd ever seen, even the movies couldn't capture the details and the dark feeling that enveloped you as you stepped forward. It was like when you walked into a room and you immediately feel the stares of everyone around you, all the accusing glares, and you instantly know you're not welcomed there. That's what this place felt like, as if unseen eyes were staring right through you, judging you and sending cold shivers down your spine. So, in other words, not fun. But then again, life wasn't made to have fun every second. Hence the last couple days.
You ran after Legolas, and found out with surprise that you were able to keep up with him, though you were definitely not as near as fit as him. He leapt over roots and bushes, while you did the same, just with much less gracefulness, though you were still able to keep up with you. You eventually caught up with Aragorn and Gimli, who had stopped at a split in the path. You skidded to a stop before them.
"Did you really think you'd be able to find your way through here without your guide?" you teased.
Aragorn, for once in his life, looked a little embarrassed. "We knew you'd catch up," he defended himself.
"Of course," Legolas teased, walking over. He gestured to the left path. "We go left."
"Let's go!" You sprang forward, only to have Legolas pull you back by your hood.
"Now you wouldn't want to repeat their mistake, would you?" Legolas said, pulling you back. "Let me go first."
Face red with embarrassment, you followed the blonde-headed elf, Aragorn and Gimli close behind.
"So what exactly is the plan?" you asked, your voice sounding hollow in the strange forest.
"Yes, you haven't exactly let us all in on the plan, laddie," Gimli agreed.
"When we approach the gate we will approach with stealth, so no elves hunting or patrolling will stop us. We then march upon the gate, and ask for an audience with my father. We will see what happens from then on."
"No backup plan?" you said, surprised. No backup plans usually resulted in catastrophes, and everyone ending up in a dungeon or much, much worse.
"Improvisation is a good backup plan," Legolas responded.
"Sure it is," you grumbled. "We're all gonna die," you added under your breath. Unfortunately, elves have extreme hearing.
"Have faith," Legolas said, glancing at you. His eyes flashed with an emotion that you couldn't quite name, but you could tell that it was one of memories. Did you remind him of someone? Well, that someone must be dead by now if it was anyone like you with your clumsy words. Probably said something wrong to a king or something.
The four of you rounded a corner and began a slow climb up a hill, but when they got to the top the path fell away from them, a deep abyss yawning before them, incredibly deep and large. You nearly bumped into Legolas because he stopped so suddenly, but Aragorn managed to pull you back just in time. You all stared at the abyss, wondering what to do next. You looked up at Legolas, and you were surprised to see a look of confusion, sadness and horror on his face. Surely he knew this had been here if he knew Mirkwood so well?
"Legolas?" you whispered.
He jerked as if he'd been slapped, turning to the rest of the company. "I...I didn't know this was here," he admitted, eyes still distant. "Something did this."
"The murderer?" you suggested.
"Possibly," Aragorn said, coming up to stand beside you. He stared at the abyss, eyes widening. You looked back at Legolas who was still staring at the abyss as well, eyes clouded in memory.
"Legolas? Are you...are you alright?" you asked softly.
"I...I knew this place very well," Legolas murmured. "It was one of my favourite places, and I had many good memories here. And it was...it was the last place I saw my mother."
Aragorn took in a swift breath, and you stared at Legolas in sadness. Gimli was silent. You knew that he'd lost his mother from the movies, but it had never explained how. And it had said that he'd had no memory of his mother. So how did he remember this?
"I'm sorry," you whispered.
"Don't be," Legolas said, shaking his head to clear it. "She's gone now. But this place...this was the last thing I had to remember her."
"Well it has been said that thoughts are most treasured from the heart," you said. "Instead of things."
"You are right," Legolas said.
"...Not meaning to intrude on anything, but how do you remember her?" you asked, curious. "I was told you had no memory of your mother."
"I do not," Legolas said sadly. "But I was told that my father and I came here to see her off on her fight. I used to come here often, to see if I could speak to her. For some elves have the power to speak to the dead if the dead are strong enough, but it only happens rarely, and it is said that it can only be done with magic. Dark magic."
"Scary stuff," you huffed.
Your light mood seemed to put Legolas at ease. He looked around, looking for ways to go around. "It would be best to not stray from the path, but I believe we will have to," Legolas said.
"You know how dangerous that is, Legolas!" Aragorn protested. "We may never find the path again."
"I think..." Legolas trailed off. His gaze suddenly hardened unexpectedly, and he turned to Aragorn. "I know how we can get there. There is another path, one not too far away. It is a matter of which if you are willing to follow me."
Aragorn exchanged a glance with Gimli, and they both turned to Legolas. "We didn't come here to just leave you. We came here to follow you."