Set in Stone - Haldir's Story -

Chapter 2 - The Journey

It had been a long while since Haldir had been that deep in the woods. He had almost forgotten how quiet it could be. Quiet in a bad, dangerous way. The thought of little Prince Legolas alone outside filled him with a wish to protect the boy. He would be dead within hours out here. His youngest brother had almost followed their mother into the grave after his birth; Thranduil's men had found them just in time. In time to save Orophin, yet too late to help their mother. Haldir could remember it well, even after 250 years on this world, the day when they told him. Elves tended to be rather impulsive from the age of 20 until about 100. He had heard people often say that his mother had died "just in time", that - had it happened four years later - there had been serious trouble with him. It had just come lately, after he had seen several young elves going through their reckless years, that he understood what they had meant. Had he been a little older when his mother died, no one knew what he would have done. Sneaked away to try and find his father for instance, or insulted Thranduil as if the mess had been his fault. In any case he would have been out of his mind attempting to find someone whose fault it was, when in fact there was no such person. Not anymore anyway, since his mother was dead.

"What are you dwelling on, brother?" It was Rumil speaking. - Haldir knew the answer 'nothing in particular' wouldn't fool his brother, so he solved the problem by offering as an answer something that had occupied his mind as well - only in a more subliminal way. "I was just wondering when this endless wood will stop. It is a shame how creatures as beautiful as trees can lose their white magic like that and replace it with hate. Can you feel it?" - Rumil's face clouded over. "Indeed, I can. I tend to forget Thranduil's castle is only at the borders of Mirkwood - until I get deeper into the forest." - Haldir nodded in agreement. "The trees have grown wicked more than anything, giving such hideous things as gigantic spiders and such a home." - Orophin fell back to join their talk. "Do you think our uncle is ever going to do anything against it?" - Rumil snorted. "I am not sure there is much we can do - a very dark power must have searched refuge in this wood to spoil it to what it is now." - "A most unfortunate business," Orophin added with a slightly haughty voice. Haldir couldn't help but suppress an even slighter smile. He whispered the special Elvish words in his horse's ear and enjoyed his brothers' astonished looks on their faces as he was overtaking them.

The guards decided to leave them close to the Old Fort where the Road crossed the Anduin. They wished them luck and departed, probably rather keen to get back to the castle alive. Haldir, Rumil and Orophin though were breathing in golden sunlight. It was only a winter sun - they could even see snow covered hills from afar - yet it seemed almost warm to them. After they had trotted alongside the river for a while, Orophin halted his horse. As all elves, he didn't have to shade his eyes, although he was looking into the sun. "Behold that, brothers. There's a human village." - Haldir wrinkled his nose. "It must be a particular shabby one. It is only consisting of five little farms." - "They would make a nice breakfast for two or three orcs, should they ever bother to descend their mountains and get as far as here." Rumil rose in his stirrups to have a better look. "Haldir! There's a signpost at the entrance of the village. Tell us what it says!" - Haldir stood up as well. He didn't have to screw up his eyes to see the sign covered with letters of the common alphabet, yet he had some troubles in understanding what it said. He would have to get back into practice more. "It says... Hello stranger... we got a good inn, if you be nice... but if not... our graveyard is...," Haldir paused and thought. No, he couldn't be mistaken, he knew that word - humans uttered it often enough. "Hungry. Our graveyard is hungry." - Orophin frowned with a pretend-serious face. "This is the worst attempt to repel orcs and other evil creatures anyone since the beginning of the world has ever thought of." - The corners of Haldir's mouth twitched. "They might stand and read. You never know." - Orophin was positively grinning at that, sometimes it seemed his "reckless years" had left a more distinct footprint on him that the other two. But even they smiled, their feelings almost being describable as mirth.