This Side of Paradise (Legolas Fanfic)

The Fellowship of the Ring

       Suddenly an elf, I think is Elrond's daughter, runs towards us carrying a small bundle yelling at Elrond that someone needs healing. I follow them and as soon as she lays the creature down they remove its cape to start the healing process. I see he's a hobbit, he looks oddly familiar as well.

       They do all they can for him but it seems like he won't be waking up for the rest of the day. Gandalf joins us the next day and stays with the hobbit until he wakes up. I turn a corner and find three other hobbits whispering amongst themselves. "Hello," I say and they stop chatting one of them looks up at me politely, another with wild curiosity, and the third with mischief. "I'm Astra Faeris," I introduce myself, sticking out my hand to their level.

       They give each other looks before the most polite of them finally steps forward. "Samwise Gamgee, Miss Faeris, pleasure to meet you," Sam introduces himself shaking my hand.

       "Peregrin Took, call me Pippin," The more curious one says before the mischievous one can shove him over and introduce himself.

       "Meriadoc Brandybuck, my friends call my Mary," He says before Pippin teases him saying that he doesn't have friends. They going at it before I interrupt them.

       "It's good to meet all of you, you don't have to be so formal, Samwise, but thank you for the bit of respect," I clap his shoulder before going off to look for something to eat. However instead of food I find two old friends, Bilbo and Gandalf.

       I greet them both with excitement and tell them how much I missed them both. It seems Bilbo is working on a story about our adventures in the lonely mountain. Bilbo then introduces me to the hobbit that was injured, Frodo, his nephew. I make conversion the way a crazy aunt would "Oh, wow, the last time I saw you, you were barely a foot tall," things like that. He seems surprised though, he must not remember my visits to the Shire, although it was a very long time ago so it's no wonder.

       Suddenly the gate opens and I say that we'll see each other later so I can go see who's arrived. I run up at a party of men, elves, and dwarves are arriving. "Gloin!" I yell upon seeing an old friend. I welcome him and see someone standing very close to us as we get reacquainted. "This must be your son Gimli, I remember the picture of him," I see Legolas and decide what better way to bring him over than to tease him. "I bet you remember that picture Legolas, you're the one who made a few comments on it."

       I smile with faux innocence as he walks over to us "I do remember that picture, it's good to see you both. The portrait didn't do them justice, I'm sure," He tries to smooth things over. We talk as the welcoming committee shows them where everything is, it seems their lives have been going ok.

       That night when everything has died down and everyone is going to sleep I go out onto the terrace in my room. I look out and see Arwen, daughter of Elrond, and the man who brought the hobbits here standing on a bridge. Well, not just standing, they're standing so close it seems like to them the distance is too much. The way their hands brush each other's hands and faces.

       They love each other, I realize, I look away as I feel jealousy grow in my chest. Not jealous for them but of them, I want what they have but can't have it. I briefly think of Thorin, of the pain his death brought me, before shaking my head trying to clear away those memories. I try to get some rest but I toss and turn for the majority of the night, refusing to let my mind wonder to the places it wants to go.

       In the morning we're called to a meeting, the real reason we're here. A servant lays out a dress I'm expected to wear, instead I decide to wear what I brought. I may be an elf by blood, but I most certainly won't dress like one. I wear my lightly more formal leather pants and choose a simple white tunic.

       "Strangers from distant lands, friends of old, you've been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor," Elrond starts. "Middle Earth stands on the brink of destruction, none can escape it, you will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom, bring forth the ring," He commands Frodo.

       Frodo gets up and slowly walks to the pedestal before carefully putting the ring down. I notice movement out of the corner of my eye and I see Samwise hiding behind the plants trying to listen in to what's happening. I'm sure Mary and Pippin can't be too far off either. Murmurs go through those gathered when they see the ring, I see fear, but I also see greed in some.

       I hear a whisper, one that drives into my brain and puts me on edge, it's the ring. I look around at Legolas, Gloin, and Gimli and I see that they can hear it too. "It is a gift," A man insists standing up. My gaze falls on him and I wonder just how much insanity is running through his head in this moment.

       "A gift to the foes on Mordor. Why not use this ring? Long has my father, the steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay, by the blood of our people are your lands kept safe. Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy, let us use it against him," He propositions energetically.

       "You cannot wield it," Strider reminds him. "None of us can, the one ring answer to Sauron alone, it has no other master."

       "And what would a ranger know of this matter?" The man asks turning his attention to Strider.

       "This is no mere ranger," Legolas says standing up in Strider's defense. "He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance," This shocks the man as well as the rest of us, though I suppose I should've known. Why else would Gandalf call a ranger into this? I study Legolas for a short moment, his face has grown even softer since the last time I saw him, it's like he losing all the harshness he once had.

       "Aragorn?" The man says in wonderment. "This is Isildur's heir?"

       "And heir to the throne of Gondor," Legolas points out, at this point I wonder if he's trying to start something.

       "Sit down, Legolas," Strider asks in elvish.

       "Gondor has no king," The man argues and goes to sit down "Gondor needs no king."

       "Aragorn is right, we cannot use it," Gandalf finally speaks.

       "You have only one choice," Elrond points out. "The ring must be destroyed."

       "Then what are we waiting for?" Gimli asks getting up axe in hand, I sigh and rub at my temples as I realize where this is going. He hits the ring with his axe causing his axe to break into a hundred pieces as he falls to the ground from the impact.

       "Did you really think it was going to be that easy?" I ask not bothering to get up. "It is, after all, the one ring."

       "The ring cannot be destroyed Gimli, son of Gloin, by any weapon we here possess. The ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom, only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this," Elrond informs us. Knowing the group that sit here it's going to be a lot more than one.

       No one stands and after a moment the man from earlier says "One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just orcs, there is evil there that does not sleep. The great eye is ever watchful. 'Tis a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust, the very air you breathe is a poisonous fume," So much so obvious in my opinion. "Not with ten thousand men could you do this, it is folly."

       "Have you heard nothing Lord Elrond just said?" Legolas yells as he jumps to his feet. "The ring must be destroyed!"

       "And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?" Yells Gimli.

       All too quickly everyone is standing and yelling about who should take it. I sigh and think "So this is politics?" Even Gandalf stands starting to yell and I quickly realize something, the ring is already having an effect on us. Even I want to stand and yell about how idiotic they're being but if no one is having a level head, who will?

       Now that's a scary thought: me having to be the level headed one here, although Strider is sitting next to me so he at least also is behaving. Suddenly I see Frodo stand and yell something, no one seems to hear and so he yells it again. "I will take it," I see from the way that Gandalf face fall that he heard him as well.