Into the West (A Lord of the Rings Fan Fic)

Chapter Six

The two elves emerged from the woods, the golden sunlight glinting off their hair as they trod lightly over the leaves which littered the floor.

“And so my mother left for the Grey Havens many years ago,” explained Legolas. “She swore that she would not see the destruction of Ennorath as it stood in greatness; she stayed but long enough to see me through my childhood before evil overtook the land and she left.”

“And your father?”

“He let her go,” Legolas said. “He knew they would be reunited one day, but that when they were they would be in Valinor and she would never have to leave again. My mother valued peace above all else and, when the shadow of Sauron began to infest Greenwood, she said she would not live to see her family take up arms.”

“And so she left you?” Amaruil asked incredulously.

“She would that we went with her but my father felt obliged to stay here, and I too.”

“But that is very grave!” Amaruil cried. “No wedded pair should be separated when their child is so young!”

A flicker of pain crossed Legolas’ face and he said, “I would rather that they were separated than that my mother were dead, which is how it would be if she had not left, for the stronger the shadows in Mirkwood, the weaker her soul. She would not have lasted long after I came of age. But enough about me and my woes; what about your family?”

“There is not much to tell,” Amaruil said. “My family lives in Imladris; my mother, my father and my sister all still remain in Ennorath. I do not foresee a day when they will not but cannot be sure. My mother’s brother Lenwë has recently joined them after his flight from Ithilien. They are the only family that I have here, the rest being in Valinor already.”

“What are their names?” questioned Legolas curiously.

“My sister, as you may know, is called Merenwen, my mother is called Nessa and my father Amras. What about yours?”

Legolas appeared to hesitate a moment before obviously making up his mind and replying, “My mother is called Náriël and my father is called Thranduil.”

Amaruil’s eyes widened in surprise as the pieces of information she knew about Legolas fell into place. “Surely that makes you-”

“Prince of Mirkwood,” Legolas interrupted, “yes. I suppose now everything has changed,” he muttered.

“Not in the slightest,” Amaruil replied, “Arwen is the daughter of Elrond, I do not see why you being Prince of Mirkwood should have any effect on our friendship. Besides,” Amaruil said with a wry smile, “I am afraid that my family does not seem to be a family of interesting and heroic tales,” she laughed, “so the opportunity has arrived for me to alter that.”

“Be that as it may, every story has its merits and its heroes,” Legolas said with a cheerful and teasing smile, “princes and kings aside.”

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“Where have you been Amaruil?” questioned Arwen playfully.

“I was walking in the woods,” she answered with a smile.

“By yourself?” Arwen asked. “For you were gone so long I thought perhaps you had been waylaid by Lannai!”

Amaruil laughed merrily and replied, “No, I was walking with an elf from Mirkwood. I have not seen Lannai in many years!”

Arwen’s eyes lit up and she grinned mischievously, her eyes asking a million questions at once but she voiced only one. “Have you finally given up on your refusal to wed anyone?”