Author's Note Posted 1-15-04 : Hello there. If you are about to read this
there is something that you should know. This is my first ever fanfic that
I wrote, almost two years ago. Not surprisingly, this idea came to me
after my obsession with LOTR began and in my naivety I actually thought a
Legolas romance would be a good and original idea. In short, this is a
Mary-Sue, some of it blatantly so and it makes me cringe now to read some
parts. However, it is well-written with proper grammar and spelling and
stays true to canon, so if you really want a romance, feel free to read
away. If you are perhaps here because you have read another story of mine,
rest assured this is nothing like those. Why is this still up then if I
feel it is a Mary-Sue and the world can certainly use less of those?
Simple, I leave as a testament that it is quite easy to fall into the trap
of writing a Sue when just starting out on fanfiction. And it is possible
to pull yourself free from it and write stories that are more original and
garner positive reviews. Read if you wish, I think it is at least a high
quality Mary-Sue. But if you review afterwards, there is no need to tell
me it's a blatant Mary-Sue, I'm well aware. Thank you.
Disclaimer: I only own characters that you have never seen before, none of the others are mine nor any place, most of them are the property of J.R.R. Tolkien as he got to the story first. But it's all still good! I hope you enjoy, and I hope you won't bother to sue because I can tell you now it will be a waste of effort with little rewards.
Everlasting Road: ch. 1
"Come Gimli!" encouraged Legolas as he began to lead the way into Fangorn, "I promise you that you will see the best trees here that are not rivaled by any in the world." Gimli stepped forward grudgingly, yet faithful to his beloved friend and ever mindful of his promise, though at the time he thought he would be dead before such a promise had to be fulfilled.
The Fellowship of the Ring was breaking once and for all. They promised to keep in touch, though most knew that it was very unlikely that they would all be gathered together again. Every member of the Fellowship was saddened, though none were alone. The hobbits were going back to their home, the Shire, accompanied by Gandalf. Aragorn was returning with Arwen to his throne and rightful place as king. And Gimli and Legolas were of course venturing out to finish the adventures they had promised one another. First, they were to visit Legolas' choice, Fangorn, as they were right next to it and had the permission of the Ents to roam within it. Next would be the glittering caves, a promise Legolas had made hesitantly to Gimli, as Gimli had with Fangorn. Each were subduing their hatred for certain places, all for the love they had for each other. After they visited the caves, they were not sure where they would end up. Whether the dwarf and elf would separate and go their different ways or stay together was still undecided. However, they chose not to dwell on that right now. The moment was sad enough without adding the thought of possible separation between the two best friends.
The unlikely pair ventured into the fringe of Fangorn, after seeing the others off of course. Legolas attempted to maintain his carefree attitude as always, but Gimli knew him better than that by now, he was grieving for the separation of the Fellowship, as they all were. They had come through the worst of times together, banding to save the world from an unthinkable doom. They had all come through, except for one, dear Boromir, who had lost his life when fighting the evil orcs. Yet it was a noble death with honor, and that was the kind of death every man wished for.
"See Gimli," started Legolas, "the trees will soon comfort us and give us joy. Have you ever seen anything like this?"
Gimli himself thought that it looked awfully similar to the Golden Wood in Lothlorien, or any wood for that matter. Gimli was not one for trees, but he would enjoy it, or pretend to enjoy it, for the sake of his friend. He nodded in mute agreement.
"At least we are safe," continued Legolas, anxious to excite his friend over something since it was obvious he did not think as much of the trees as the elf. "There will be no more surprise attacks on our journeys together. No orcs, no armies, no mythical creatures called forth from the depths of" Legolas broke off as he pulled Gimli back with a yank and grabbed at something in mid-air. Gimli, disoriented by the sudden change in his friend's mood, began to become angry. Quickly though, Gimli regained his focus and saw that Legolas held an arrow in his hand, and it was not one of his own. Somebody had shot at them, and Legolas had grabbed it to save his friend.
Legolas was angry, he had truly been looking forward to the peacefulness of the wood. He knew that in his hand was an elf arrow, an arrow of Mirkwood nonetheless, one of his own people. He also knew that the arrow was not intended for him, but for his friend Gimli. Fangorn had just come through a huge battle and some of the Mirkwood elves had come to help the Ents and preserve the trees. Now, they saw a dwarf in the wood, an enemy, and they thought he would bring nothing but harm.
Legolas defiantly snapped the arrow across his knee and threw it down, then he shouted into the seemingly empty wood, "Who dares to fire at the guest of the son of Thranduil?" There was no answer, as Legolas had expected. His outburst did its purpose, however, and no more elf arrows were shot at them throughout the rest of their Fangorn expedition.
Legolas turned to Gimli and smiled, the anger gone as quickly as that. "Now there will be no more surprise attacks."
"As much as I value your opinion, Master Elf, I don't believe that I shall be inclined to believe you until we are out of this forest." Gimli was more shook up then he let on, he was truly out of his realm, in elf territory. And though he completely trusted and loved his friend, he was still wary of other elves. He had not even seen the arrow meant for him until Legolas had it. If not for him, the stealth of the other elves would have ended his life, and after he had come through so much. He thought like Legolas did, that they were entitled to some much-needed peace.
Legolas started on again, keeping Gimli subconsciously on his left side, since the attack had come from the right side. He was still angry that any elf would dare to shoot when Legolas, son of Thranduil, was so close by. He began to suspect that maybe he had been away for too long and they were starting to forget his authority. On second thought, Legolas scratched that idea. Rather, authority did not matter anymore. They had now entered the Reign of Man, something that he himself had helped to come about with the overthrow of Mordor and the throne of King Elessar reclaimed. The elves were diminishing and going across the sea. No doubt the few that stayed behind, like those in Fangorn now, did so out of nostalgia for the old days and still strove to protect the lands that they had known and loved. In a sense, they were rogues, and to be considered dangerous, as they would no longer abide by the elvish caste system and authorities, thinking that it no longer remained. Elves were no longer a supreme power, it was man's responsibility now.
As Legolas thought these things, his mood became more melancholy. He had not thought much about the diminishing of the elves before the breaking of the Fellowship, for there had been times of celebration and rejoicing. Now, he felt alone, though he was not truly alone, he hastily reminded himself. Gimli trotted on faithfully at his side, looking at the ground and the placing of his feet rather than up at the beautiful trees.
Legolas shook himself, as if to throw off the uncharacteristic mood, and spoke to Gimli again. "As we get further in, you will learn to appreciate the trees even more, for the valuable and fair ones are located in the middle, less likely to be harmed by outside forces. You will see, and then you will admit that the forest can be just as fair if not more so than your glittering caves."
Gimli glanced up and around his surroundings, looking like he did not believe anything Legolas said and longed for the caves. But for love and respect, he said nothing. Legolas was not fooled by Gimli's silence, but also chuckled to himself, for he knew the beauty of Fangorn, and thought Gimli was in for a big surprise. He would like it, if not love it, and he would think less of the caves that he would drag Legolas into after their expedition through Fangorn.
Legolas walked with his head and gaze up, staring at the trees and their colorful leaves. It was nothing like Lothlorien and the golden wood, but still beautiful. He told himself that he would not allow anymore disquieting thoughts. What was done was done and he should be happy that Middle-Earth had not fallen, as only he and a few others, namely the Fellowship, knew how close it had truly come to destruction. Even as he promised to think no more melancholy thoughts, a longing for the rest of the Fellowship swept over him again. He had loved and trusted Aragorn and Gandalf, and had thought the Hobbits to be wondrous creatures with unending merriment, more like miniature elves they were with their unbridled optimism. And Gimli, an enemy at first, quickly a dear friend for life. Such friends were a rare find, he knew, and he was glad he had Gimli. As with the rest of the Fellowship, there too were friends for life, though he was not sure when and how often he would see them again. With the exception of Aragorn, he did not feel as if he would ever see the others again.
Legolas glanced into the trees again, hoping their serenity would take his worrisome thoughts. Now, all this despair and loneliness may seem uncharacteristic of the fearless elf. The truth was that he was merely very good at hiding emotions, as all elves were. The only emotion not felt often was fear, but they could be sad as well as anybody. Especially at times like these. But as Legolas gazed up, he caught slight movement at the edge of his wide peripheral vision. They were being followed, not too closely of course, by an elf. Perhaps the very one that had shot at Gimli. Legolas noted the presence, but did not let on that he knew, and did not think too much of it either. He feared no attack from another elf. Anything they knew or did he was superior, for he was of noble blood and trained better. But if this strange elf tried to attack Gimli again, Legolas would hunt him down himself and kill him, though elves often did not induce violence amongst themselves. Still, he and his friend had just come through great trials and he would not tolerate a threat from someone who should be under his command.
The pair continued on, Legolas gazing at the trees, and Gimli staring at the ground more than the trees. Night fell quickly, and found them deep into the forest. They were perhaps almost a quarter of the way through it, and Gimli had yet to be amazed. But Legolas knew of the perfect spot in the middle of Fangorn that would astound even Gimli. Until then, they had to make camp. Legolas selected a small clearing surrounded by tall trees and bordered on one side by a gentle stream, the kind of spot that elves loved and dwarves could stand to do without.
They put down the packs they had put together for this occasion and began to make a small camp. Legolas quickly built a fire and selected the branches for it, for he would only use those that were completely dry and dead and of no more use to the forest that had already been through so much. Gimli spread out beds for them and selected food from their supply. When all was done, they settled back contentedly. Very few times during the past year had they felt safe on their quest, and a fire had been a rare luxury they could ill afford. Now they could create a fire without fear that it would alert the enemy and they could both sleep peacefully without one having to stay awake for watch. Of course, there were still some natural dangers out there, as they were in the wild, and Legolas was aware of the strange elf who had fallen back but was most likely still following them. Still, Legolas intended to get a good night's sleep, but naturally he slept with his eyes open.
Disclaimer: I only own characters that you have never seen before, none of the others are mine nor any place, most of them are the property of J.R.R. Tolkien as he got to the story first. But it's all still good! I hope you enjoy, and I hope you won't bother to sue because I can tell you now it will be a waste of effort with little rewards.
Everlasting Road: ch. 1
"Come Gimli!" encouraged Legolas as he began to lead the way into Fangorn, "I promise you that you will see the best trees here that are not rivaled by any in the world." Gimli stepped forward grudgingly, yet faithful to his beloved friend and ever mindful of his promise, though at the time he thought he would be dead before such a promise had to be fulfilled.
The Fellowship of the Ring was breaking once and for all. They promised to keep in touch, though most knew that it was very unlikely that they would all be gathered together again. Every member of the Fellowship was saddened, though none were alone. The hobbits were going back to their home, the Shire, accompanied by Gandalf. Aragorn was returning with Arwen to his throne and rightful place as king. And Gimli and Legolas were of course venturing out to finish the adventures they had promised one another. First, they were to visit Legolas' choice, Fangorn, as they were right next to it and had the permission of the Ents to roam within it. Next would be the glittering caves, a promise Legolas had made hesitantly to Gimli, as Gimli had with Fangorn. Each were subduing their hatred for certain places, all for the love they had for each other. After they visited the caves, they were not sure where they would end up. Whether the dwarf and elf would separate and go their different ways or stay together was still undecided. However, they chose not to dwell on that right now. The moment was sad enough without adding the thought of possible separation between the two best friends.
The unlikely pair ventured into the fringe of Fangorn, after seeing the others off of course. Legolas attempted to maintain his carefree attitude as always, but Gimli knew him better than that by now, he was grieving for the separation of the Fellowship, as they all were. They had come through the worst of times together, banding to save the world from an unthinkable doom. They had all come through, except for one, dear Boromir, who had lost his life when fighting the evil orcs. Yet it was a noble death with honor, and that was the kind of death every man wished for.
"See Gimli," started Legolas, "the trees will soon comfort us and give us joy. Have you ever seen anything like this?"
Gimli himself thought that it looked awfully similar to the Golden Wood in Lothlorien, or any wood for that matter. Gimli was not one for trees, but he would enjoy it, or pretend to enjoy it, for the sake of his friend. He nodded in mute agreement.
"At least we are safe," continued Legolas, anxious to excite his friend over something since it was obvious he did not think as much of the trees as the elf. "There will be no more surprise attacks on our journeys together. No orcs, no armies, no mythical creatures called forth from the depths of" Legolas broke off as he pulled Gimli back with a yank and grabbed at something in mid-air. Gimli, disoriented by the sudden change in his friend's mood, began to become angry. Quickly though, Gimli regained his focus and saw that Legolas held an arrow in his hand, and it was not one of his own. Somebody had shot at them, and Legolas had grabbed it to save his friend.
Legolas was angry, he had truly been looking forward to the peacefulness of the wood. He knew that in his hand was an elf arrow, an arrow of Mirkwood nonetheless, one of his own people. He also knew that the arrow was not intended for him, but for his friend Gimli. Fangorn had just come through a huge battle and some of the Mirkwood elves had come to help the Ents and preserve the trees. Now, they saw a dwarf in the wood, an enemy, and they thought he would bring nothing but harm.
Legolas defiantly snapped the arrow across his knee and threw it down, then he shouted into the seemingly empty wood, "Who dares to fire at the guest of the son of Thranduil?" There was no answer, as Legolas had expected. His outburst did its purpose, however, and no more elf arrows were shot at them throughout the rest of their Fangorn expedition.
Legolas turned to Gimli and smiled, the anger gone as quickly as that. "Now there will be no more surprise attacks."
"As much as I value your opinion, Master Elf, I don't believe that I shall be inclined to believe you until we are out of this forest." Gimli was more shook up then he let on, he was truly out of his realm, in elf territory. And though he completely trusted and loved his friend, he was still wary of other elves. He had not even seen the arrow meant for him until Legolas had it. If not for him, the stealth of the other elves would have ended his life, and after he had come through so much. He thought like Legolas did, that they were entitled to some much-needed peace.
Legolas started on again, keeping Gimli subconsciously on his left side, since the attack had come from the right side. He was still angry that any elf would dare to shoot when Legolas, son of Thranduil, was so close by. He began to suspect that maybe he had been away for too long and they were starting to forget his authority. On second thought, Legolas scratched that idea. Rather, authority did not matter anymore. They had now entered the Reign of Man, something that he himself had helped to come about with the overthrow of Mordor and the throne of King Elessar reclaimed. The elves were diminishing and going across the sea. No doubt the few that stayed behind, like those in Fangorn now, did so out of nostalgia for the old days and still strove to protect the lands that they had known and loved. In a sense, they were rogues, and to be considered dangerous, as they would no longer abide by the elvish caste system and authorities, thinking that it no longer remained. Elves were no longer a supreme power, it was man's responsibility now.
As Legolas thought these things, his mood became more melancholy. He had not thought much about the diminishing of the elves before the breaking of the Fellowship, for there had been times of celebration and rejoicing. Now, he felt alone, though he was not truly alone, he hastily reminded himself. Gimli trotted on faithfully at his side, looking at the ground and the placing of his feet rather than up at the beautiful trees.
Legolas shook himself, as if to throw off the uncharacteristic mood, and spoke to Gimli again. "As we get further in, you will learn to appreciate the trees even more, for the valuable and fair ones are located in the middle, less likely to be harmed by outside forces. You will see, and then you will admit that the forest can be just as fair if not more so than your glittering caves."
Gimli glanced up and around his surroundings, looking like he did not believe anything Legolas said and longed for the caves. But for love and respect, he said nothing. Legolas was not fooled by Gimli's silence, but also chuckled to himself, for he knew the beauty of Fangorn, and thought Gimli was in for a big surprise. He would like it, if not love it, and he would think less of the caves that he would drag Legolas into after their expedition through Fangorn.
Legolas walked with his head and gaze up, staring at the trees and their colorful leaves. It was nothing like Lothlorien and the golden wood, but still beautiful. He told himself that he would not allow anymore disquieting thoughts. What was done was done and he should be happy that Middle-Earth had not fallen, as only he and a few others, namely the Fellowship, knew how close it had truly come to destruction. Even as he promised to think no more melancholy thoughts, a longing for the rest of the Fellowship swept over him again. He had loved and trusted Aragorn and Gandalf, and had thought the Hobbits to be wondrous creatures with unending merriment, more like miniature elves they were with their unbridled optimism. And Gimli, an enemy at first, quickly a dear friend for life. Such friends were a rare find, he knew, and he was glad he had Gimli. As with the rest of the Fellowship, there too were friends for life, though he was not sure when and how often he would see them again. With the exception of Aragorn, he did not feel as if he would ever see the others again.
Legolas glanced into the trees again, hoping their serenity would take his worrisome thoughts. Now, all this despair and loneliness may seem uncharacteristic of the fearless elf. The truth was that he was merely very good at hiding emotions, as all elves were. The only emotion not felt often was fear, but they could be sad as well as anybody. Especially at times like these. But as Legolas gazed up, he caught slight movement at the edge of his wide peripheral vision. They were being followed, not too closely of course, by an elf. Perhaps the very one that had shot at Gimli. Legolas noted the presence, but did not let on that he knew, and did not think too much of it either. He feared no attack from another elf. Anything they knew or did he was superior, for he was of noble blood and trained better. But if this strange elf tried to attack Gimli again, Legolas would hunt him down himself and kill him, though elves often did not induce violence amongst themselves. Still, he and his friend had just come through great trials and he would not tolerate a threat from someone who should be under his command.
The pair continued on, Legolas gazing at the trees, and Gimli staring at the ground more than the trees. Night fell quickly, and found them deep into the forest. They were perhaps almost a quarter of the way through it, and Gimli had yet to be amazed. But Legolas knew of the perfect spot in the middle of Fangorn that would astound even Gimli. Until then, they had to make camp. Legolas selected a small clearing surrounded by tall trees and bordered on one side by a gentle stream, the kind of spot that elves loved and dwarves could stand to do without.
They put down the packs they had put together for this occasion and began to make a small camp. Legolas quickly built a fire and selected the branches for it, for he would only use those that were completely dry and dead and of no more use to the forest that had already been through so much. Gimli spread out beds for them and selected food from their supply. When all was done, they settled back contentedly. Very few times during the past year had they felt safe on their quest, and a fire had been a rare luxury they could ill afford. Now they could create a fire without fear that it would alert the enemy and they could both sleep peacefully without one having to stay awake for watch. Of course, there were still some natural dangers out there, as they were in the wild, and Legolas was aware of the strange elf who had fallen back but was most likely still following them. Still, Legolas intended to get a good night's sleep, but naturally he slept with his eyes open.