legolas had long since stopped trying to pinpoint exactly where they were, he trusted arod to carry him on.
(authors note: bruh i know that technically arod probably shouldn't know how to get to mirkwood but we'll just pretend he does)
the world had turned bleak and grey the moment he'd turned away from his love. but not like the deep and beautiful grey of aragorn's eyes, a murky, brownish grey that would easily put a frown on anyone's face.
legolas didn't truly know why there goodbye had seemed so final, but maybe because it sealed the deal to the end of their journey and that they would drift like everyone did. but legolas couldn't let that happen, not after everything.
but aragorn had many responsibilities to attend to, he would never have time for some insignificant elf.
you are the prince of mirkwood, idiot. legolas told himself. and he jolted as he realized, he shared the same fate as aragorn did. only he wouldn't have to face it for a long time, thankfully.
legolas had absolutely no lust for power in him, he did not want to hold that type of responsibility. the elf longed for the deep, mossy woodland, and to be alone. no one would ever have to depend on him. if only he was as brave as aragorn was to take on such a roll.
the dawn was slowly creeping in, and legolas nodded with exhaustion, but he continued on. he no longer felt the need to look presentable, or content. he lost interest in keeping up a figure.
arod led him into a small thicket of trees, legolas gently stroked the beasts course mane.
suddenly there was a rustle in the undergrowth.
legolas's elven ears picked it up like it was a second nature, he slightly angled his head to the right to see if he could catch a sight of anything.
without hesitation there was a figure that forcefully crashed down on him, efficiently knocking the breath right out of his lungs.
orcs.
probably a band of them who happened to escape the war.
legolas dragged himself up, doing his absolute best completely exhausted, while trying to suck air back into his lungs.
he whipped out his daggers, which were thankfully strapped to his back. legolas quickly slaughtered three of them, but started to struggle. arod was panicking and thrashing about, trampling the dirt off the ground.
more and more kept flooding in, and he was severely outnumbered. legolas broke the neck of one, but his back was sliced diagonally by an orc behind him.
he shrieked in agony, as he thrashed backward. legolas faced the one who had cut him. he felt a hot, sticky substance seep into his green tunic.
legolas threw one of his beloved daggers into the forehead of the fowl creature, and it's howl cut of as the knife crushed its brain.
the last thing he felt was the hilt of a sword unmercifully whack the back of his head.
then, darkness...