Amystika

AFF.net replies:

HHS: I'm not getting Haldir with Legolas.

Aislynn: I have a few twists planned. Two, actually. And one involves the talisman that Sauron has. As for Aragorn and company, the Dark Lord was defeated there, and has been for about two years or so. With no threat other than whatever the mortals cook up, there's no reason for them to be worrying over a capable warrior like Legolas. They are worrying, and there are people out looking, but they all have other duties to attend to as well; like Aragorn keeping Men from killing each other, Eomer running Rohan, Faramir trying to fill in where Legolas left off in Ithilien, Gimli has the Glittering Caves, and so on.

Rarity: Maybe a flashback, but I had a more painful idea for Haldir and his Legolas' death. ^.~


FF.net replies:

Legolas19: No, the Haldir that loves Legolas is the one in the AU, Legolas is there right now. It's just not ~his~ Legolas. Therein lies the problem.

********
Current soundtrack: the two CD album "Blind Guardian: Live". "Majesty" and soon to be "Mordred's Song".

***********************************************************************

The Elves of ruined Imladris looked up to the morning sky in wonder; some were chattering amongst themselves in confusion. Three Elflords wondered what the fuss was about as they stood on the steps to the main house. Then they heard it: bird song.

"It has been millenia since the birds have graced us with their music..." Celeborn mused. "Or, at least, a few centuries."

Elrond nodded, "Perhaps this Legolas is just as good an omen?"

"One can only hope," Glorfindel said.

*********

Legolas yawned and blinked as he woke. It took a few seconds for him to remember just where he was, and what had happened in the past weeks. Looking around, the young prince saw Elrohir standing by the window of the bedroom. [A/N: No, nothing happened between them yet.]

"Do you think you would ever do anything differently?" Elrohir asked suddenly. "I mean, if you could go back in time, would you change anything?"

Legolas cocked his head, "Is it not a little early for such questions?"

Elrohir turned from whatever he was looking at and shrugged. "Perhaps, but would you give me an honest answer if you were fully awake?"

A small smile appeared on Legolas' lips, "No, I suppose not."

"Then your answer?"

The younger Elf thought for a moment, "I may. I cannot say. Faced with that option, I suppose I would do something to change what has happened. But then, if I did, I would not have been led on so many adventures or met the people I know and care for now."

"If you could have stayed in your world?"

"I cannot say."

"Why not?"

"I will not say that I prefer this place, for I will no lie to you. But I do not regret whatever I have done to lead me here. I do not like the desolation, but I do like who I've met."

Legolas offered a smile and stood from the bed, smoothing out his rumpled clothing and pulling on his boots. Elrohir sighed.

"And what of you, Elrohir? You ask me such questions, hear my answers, yet provide none of your own. Do you regret your past?"

"At times..." Elrohir replied slowly. "But I suppose I cannot regret what has led me here either. There are some things I wished I had done... But I suppose it is for the best that I left somethings unsaid and other matters incomplete."

"What matters?" Legolas asked out of simple curiousity. He busied himself with tying his hair into the neat warrior's braids they had been in the day before.

Elrohir sighed, "None you should concern yourself with."

There was a light knock on the door and Elrohir moved to admit whoever it was. Elladan nodded a greeting to Legolas and asked to speak with his brother alone. Legolas smiled and nodded, leaving quickly to find breakfast.

**********

"What is it, brother?" Elrohir asked, pulling Elladan over to two seats near a small table.

"I have just spoken with Father and Grandfather, both are convinced that Legolas' appearance here is no accident."

"And what of Glorfindel?"

"I do not know," Elladan admitted. "He seems reluctant to admit the same... I think his faith has been lost to the point that he will not allow himself to believe the hope that may be here."

Elrohir nodded his understanding, "What has been said?"

"I am not completely certain, but I think Father may ask Legolas to attempt the Trials."

Elrohir's eyes widened, "What was said exactly? He cannot expect-"

"I told you that I was not certain. Father simply said that Legolas may be able to help us, and Grandfather suggested that he attempt to succeed where our Legolas failed."

Elrohir frowned, "Legolas is still too incertain about our world... We cannot expect him to pass the Trials like that..."

Elladan fell into silence, thinking of what he could say. Uncertain himself, Elrohir remained silent. Both twins sat in uneasy silence, both trying to contemplate this new event.

*********

Haldir wiped the sweat from his brow as he lowered his bow. He had been out before dawn, practicing his archery as well as his swordsmanship. He walked from the field just as other archers were arriving to perfect their aim.

Having already gathered the others he wished to take to Mirkwood, all that was left was to wait for Glorfindel, the twins, and Legolas. Stopping by the armoury to double check that he had forgotten nothing, Haldir went to find a breakfast and wash up.

In the kitchens, the former Marchwarden greeted a few of his comrades as he gathered a few fruits and breads on a plate. Spying Legolas at one of the tables, Haldir made his way over there.

"Good morrow, Legolas," Haldir greeted, taking a seat across from the younger Elf.

Legolas smiled, "Good day, Haldir. Have you been training today? You look a little flushed."

"Aye. We must make sure to be ready to venture into Mirkwood."

Legolas nodded, "Of course."

There was a slight silence as both ate a part of their meal.

"Can I ask you something?" Legolas said. Haldir nodded. "What happened to the other... me? I have heard he died, but I do not know how, or when, or what the circumstances were."

Haldir took a deep breath, "No one has told you? Not even Elrohir?"

Legolas shook his head. "No. When I've asked, I was always told the same things. Elladan said that you were close with this world's Legolas, and that I should ask you."

"I was close with him. But there is really nothing more that I can tell you."

"Nothing?"

"No."

Legolas nodded slowly, clearly not believing it, but not questioning it any more.

**********

The group had left later that day for Mirkwood. The twins seemed lost in their thoughts, though Elrohir still spared Legolas a few moments to talk. Glorfindel talked quietly with Haldir near the front of the group. The soldiers that came chatted easily, though their unease became apparent the closer the group came to the forest.

The mountains had been crossed easily, and quickly, as before. The simple trail that led through the pass offered no hinderence. A camp was made late into the first night near where Beorn's home should have stood. With so little sleep, Legolas wondered how any of them could be at their best to fight whatever dangers they would face in the forest.

When they had finally reached the spot where Legolas had appeared, the group had been silent for a good part of the day. Tension had slowly risen in the group until it had reached a point where each Elf was on the alert and uneasy.

Legolas looked around the clearing, seeing nothing that he considered to stand out. Though the forest still looked and felt odd to him, he could not have said that anything really seemed out of the ordinary.

Haldir pointed out a few things, but nothing that warranted any special attention. They had all come to the conclusion that their journey had been for nothing, as no new answers appeared and now they were left in a dangerous forest.

Glorfindel sighed, "Set camp. We will leave at first light tomorrow. No one is to wander from the clearing."

There were a few affirmative replies and the Elves began the task of lighting a fire in the fading natural light. As he was unrolling a bedroll, Legolas' eye caught sight of something in the forest. He pointed it out to Elrohir, who seemed curious as he saw it as well. Bringing Elladan over to the edge of the clearing with them, the three made sure the camp was busy before taking a few steps into the woods.

A thick mist seemed to hover about a foot above the ground, and a chill was on the air.

"Strange how there is a cold wind, though we have felt no breeze all day," Elrohir remarked. "Perhaps we should return to the camp."

The other two nodded and made to turn, only to find that their path was covered by the strange mist. "Do you see our marks?" Elladan asked.

Legolas shook his head, a movement catching the corner of his eye as he did so. "No. But I think we must find them soon."

The twins nodded and Legolas soon realized a major difference between this pair and the twins he knew before: these twins were not expert trackers. Another movement accompanied by a noise had Legolas draw his bow and notch an arrow, though he kept the string relaxed.

"Elladan, Elrohir, we cannot be far from the clearing, call for help," Legolas said. "I fear that there is something near. I do not like the feel of it."

Elrohir nodded and called for Glorfindel and Haldir. A ripple seemed to move through the mist, turning into low waves. Elladan watched in fascination, "It's as on a lake, once a stone is throw in."

"We cannot linger to admire, Elladan," said Elrohir. "I know we came this way, let's continue here and we will reach the camp."

Unease pushed the three in the direction Elrohir pointed too. Though the further along they went, the higher the mist rose. There was a light nearby, and all three knew it to be the fire.Heading in that direction, the twins began to speed up, not glancing back to confirn the safety of their friend. Legolas, while close behind, shivered as the cold increased and movements in the mist became more frequent.

Suddenly, the mist rose to engulf the trio, and the sight of the fire faded from their sight. Together, the three stood back-to-back to face whatever threat may come; all weapons had been drawn. Figures began to take shape and move towards them.

Wraiths, Elf-like in appearance, seemed to move closer on unseen feet or carried by a non-existant wind. The mist took on an eerie blue glow, almost ethereal. The glow was shattered by a shadow that sped through it, faster than even the Elfish eye could track.

Uncertain, the three pressed closer together. The shadow moved too quickly for Legolas' arrows or Elladan's daggers. Soon, another joined the first, then another, and another. Before long, six shadows weaved in and out of the mist, slowly pressing closer to the three Elves.

Finally taking shape, One stepped within range of Elrohir's sword. "They bleed real enough," the younger twin stated. "These are no apparitions."

"They move too fast to strike a killing blow," Elladan said after dealing another bold creature a blow.

Legolas was frustrated at not having a clear target to fight. "I have never seen their like before."

Black blood spread over the ground from the creatures' wounds and seemed to take on a life of its own. Burning whatever plantlife it touched, the three tried to draw away from it.

"We must run," Legolas stated. "We cannot win this."

The twins nodded. "On three," Elladan said.

"One..."

A creature stepped out of the mist again, only to draw back after feeling the bite of Legolas' blade.

"Two..."

Elrohir swung at another creature, missing by a hair's width.

"Three!"

All three bolted, following the direction they had taken earlier. Just as the light of the fire came into sight, the twins heard a pained cry.

One of the creatures had managed to sink clawed fingers into Legolas' arm pulling the young Elf back. Before the twins could react, another creature bit into the arm that Legolas used to hold his weapon.

"Legolas!" Elrohir cried, trying to beat his way through the remaing shadows to reach his friend. A third shadow seemed to take on a mist-like form in from of the struggling Legolas.

Having dislodged the two that held him, Legolas tried to get to his feet and run. The twins were frantically fighting their way to their friend and Legolas managed to move past the creature that had taken a mist form.

But he did not notice the one that was behind him. One of the two that had been dislodged turned to a mist-like form as well and leapt at the blonde Elf.

Legolas fell to his knees as he suddenly felt a chill course through him. His blood seemed to run cold and he could not cry out. The last thing he saw was the horrified faces of the twins before a darkness claimed him. All he could feel was a wave of coldness come over him as he felt the shadow creature meld into him, forcing its misty form into him.

To any observer, it would look like the shadow creature was melting, sinking into the falling Elf.

Either twin couldn't move, too shocked to think. It was a rough pull on their arms that drew them from the mist and into the camp.

"What's happened?!" Glorfindel demanded. "Where is Legolas?"

"H-He-" Elrohir tried, clearly shocked.

"He fell," Haldir said. "That mist was not natural, it must have claimed him...." There seemed to be a touch of pain to his voice.

Elladan turned on the former Marchwarden. "No! He has not fallen! He was injured, we must-"

"We can do nothing," Glorfindel said. "It pains me to say so, but until light dispells the mist, we can do nothing."

Elrohir fell to his knees, still too much in shock to understand. "He cannot be dead... Not again..."

***********************************************************************

Oh look, a cliffhanger. I'm not too happy with the ending to this, but I'll leave it for now. I'll try to get the next part out soon.