Weaving a Song

Chapter 73

August 3018

Legolas thought seriously about cursing. The blasted creature had led them all the way here on a long, stressful, over two month escapade and now he had lost all track of that creature. "Sméagol" his sister had called him. They were close to Dol Guldur, a little too close for any of the Elves' comfort. "My Prince?" Taenron called out.

Legolas let out his frustration by kicking the nearest rock which flew through the air and landed fifty feet away. "We will return. I am not going any closer to Dol Guldur, and with his affinity for darkness I do not doubt that he will find a way into that forsaken place."

The Elves all nodded their assent and they mounted their horses and turned back. "I hope he dies down there." One of the Elves said under their breath. Legolas personally agreed, but something his sister had said made him hold his tongue.

I think fate has destined him more than it has me. Legolas gritted his teeth, his whole being angry with the injustice of it all.

I hope that she has a better ending than he will.

September 3018

Thranduil glanced up when the doors to the throne room opened, and the patrol that had went after Gollum, which included his son, returned. Legolas inclined his head while the rest of the patrol bowed. Thranduil motioned for them to stand up straight. "What happened?" He asked. It was quite obvious that no Gollum had returned with them.

"He kept going South, until he led us almost to Dol Guldur." Legolas said. "It was there we lost his trail. We had no desire to follow him into Dol Guldur and we were already ambushed a couple times by Spiders and Orcs."

"What's done is done." Thranduil said. "He will escape, and hopefully he does not go to the enemy. You will rest, and then head for Imladris when you are ready. Remember the trails are not as safe, you will probably have to take more time than you used to." He dismissed them with a wave of his hand. They left the throne room, and Legolas found Almiel waiting for him.

"Rest for two weeks, and then go."

"It will be mid October then." Almiel nodded.

"I know. Your patrol needs time to rest, and some of them need time to mourn."

Legolas sighed. "I suppose… I wish we had gotten to them sooner." He said shivering once.

The trail Gollum led them on was the same as the Orc path for a long while. As they came upon a campsite, they immediately smelled something foul. When they came into sight, most of them grabbed their mouths and began a desperate attempt to control their stomachs. The two Elven guards were dead. Legolas looked away.

"Burn what's left of them. They deserve better than that."

"You did what you could. Which is why you need rest before you leave."

"Yes," Came Thranduil's voice from behind them. He walked up to Legolas and they clasped arms. "How are you?" He asked.

"Tired," Legolas admitted. "That creature was witty, and he leaves little tracks to begin with. He moved at night, so we had to go slowly to make sure we were not missing his tracks. We came slower back than we would have, but we wanted to make sure his tracks did not lead back in our direction. We tried, we really did, but his cunning was more than we estimated."

"I know." Thranduil said. "We were lucky, we lost very few. Those that might have been stumbled across were warned away before the Orcs got there. We should have expected something like that as soon as the creature came to us. We are more prepared now, but our people are scared. Most have moved as close as possible to the Palace. Our scouts are patrolling more than ever. The trees had become lighter after the Necromancer left, but now everything has grown darker than ever. When you go, I hope you can get some sort of information out of Elrond. Something has changed, that much we know." He said glancing at Almiel. Almiel's eyes glanced toward the South and then back to him.