...The end of Hope....

[Legolas]

........The elf prince broke down. His hands gripped the railing of the balcony till his knuckles were white, and he bowed his head and wept long and bitterly as he had never wept before, his tears flowing as freely as the waters of the Anduin in the distance. And all who happened to cast their eyes upon the elf prince that day saw not the wondrous fair being who had stood proudly beside their King, but only a broken figure, his radiance dimmed in the shadow of a grief that enshrouded him like death itself.

None – not even his father or his treasured dwarf companion – could pull him out from the chasm of black nothingness into which he was falling.

And Legolas himself knew: in the desolation that followed the departure of the friend he loved more than life, the only place where he would survive this loss was Valinor.

Only in Valinor…



The ship was waiting, and as Legolas boarded it, and the current of Anduin took it, he remembered their final words.

“In dream, I will say your name, and in dream shall we meet still.”

“I will hear your call, even in the dark.”

“When the seas and mountains fall, and we come to end of days, and all the ages of this world have passed, my friend, I will find you again.”

“I will be waiting.”


The wind cooled the tears on his cheeks, Earendil shone as if to call him and guide him home, and its brilliance on this night seemed greater than it had ever been before in all his years of seeing it.
The Anduin emptied out into the great sea, a wind took the sails, cupping them taut and ghostly in the wind, as the ship sped west...

[Saeren]

(( In the port of Dar ))

The sky was restless, but he went aboard, as the oars rowed the ship out of the deep, sheltered harbour.

He went to the helm, as the swells of the ocean picked up the sleek ship. His senses swept out like a beacon. There was a storm there, in the south west, but the sky was also dark to the east. He expanded his vision, into the sporadic, fitfully gusting winds, which were shredding the clouds like wrack, then threw back his head and laughed .
'' we sail north my friends, just a gentle maiden voyage, ''
The sea was running before the storm, white spume blown from the peaks of the waves. There was a crack as the sails bellied, tautly in the sudden moan of rising wind, darkness swallowed the sky.
He knew what he had sensed, there was a hurricane crouched there, monstrous and titanic, picking up speed as it approached the landmass of Harad.
The Seawitch turned, racing up the sealane, the bit between her teeth, halyards shrieking, spars stretched on a larboard tack.
'' All sails ho! Tops'ls, mainsails, royals and top topgallants! '' Saeren shouted, the sailors easing out the ropes, giving her every inch, the cannonade overhead as the sails reached for the other tack.
'' Steady as she goes! '' their hair streamed about them, as Saeren laughed embracing the wind, the rage, the speed, the beautiful ship , every paricle of canvas answering him, a lady of inestimable beauty, running before the magnitude of the hurricane, running north, to where his minds eyes was fixed on another ship, graceful, beautifu, a ship carrying a grieving elf away from Middle Earth forever, - or so he thought. Saeren flashed a white grin at his Lieutenant.
*Do not worry, your chance at vengeance will come. We will break this Silvan prince. *

[Legolas]

The gulls wheeled overhead, the great gulls beloved of the Teleri, who's call Legolas had heard many years ago and it had set in his heart the sea-longing, which he had fought with all the years until the death of his beloved friend, but now he followed it, it was taking him home.
His hair, longer now, than at the time of the War of the Ring, whipped around his waist, the pale golden strands which he strung his bows with, for elven hair was that strong, and he pushed it away with a long hand, his eyes focusing on a dark speck in the distance, he saw it was a ship, no elven ship, nor out of Gondor, but it was well made and sleek and fast, and bearing to a single point in their path.
The sailors, silently working, tacking, turned their own craft, but the elements were against them, and they knew the signs, this strange ship had been running before a great storm, already the wind was beginning to gust, the sea swell becoming more choppy.
'' Pirates? '' some-one said, and Legolas strung his bow, the archers crowding to the rails. Above, the pennant, carrying the leaf-circle crest of the Royal House of Mirkwood, snapped taut. The strange ship veered with them, so close Legolas could taste the fine, sheer edge of its spray , saw, on the ship, two men who were not mortal, but, he could have sworn, elven, by their looks, Noldor. He was almost right.
He called out. '' By what right do you stop us? '' for he thought there must be some mistake.

[Saeren]

Saeren caught the elfs silver-blue gaze with his own. He was no Sauron indeed, but he was skilled at what he did do. At any other time, the Prince would have fought his will like an enraged Mumakil, he was sure, but his very essence seemed dimmed by grieving, - it was the only time, and the very best time.
'' We only want you, Legolas Thranduilion, '' he said, his voice holding a command which laced through the gentleness '' Only you, and your friends may sail on. Come. '' His voice rang into both the air and into the mind, threaded through with a power that was subtle but nonetheless strong, filling Legolas' mind with images of his ship sunk, his people and Gimli left to drown. '' come with us, '' he held out a hand as if he was an old friend, and smiled. '' let them go on, now is not yet your time. We have thinks to discuss. ''

[Legolas]

Legolas' fingers released the tension on his bowstring. Around him, he was dimly aware of voices, of Gimli's deep rough words, saying something.
" I must go , " He said, ellicting a curse and a demand from the dwarf to know if he had lost his senses.
" No, I have to go, - do not worry, " His eyes went around his companions. " I have to, " His voice was completely certain. Somewhere at the back of his mind, a warning was sounding, but his anguish was too much to the forefront , consuming his mind, for him to heed it. He recognized that the one who spoke had power, and part of him felt it was no gentle or good power, but he took no note of that either.
" return to Gondor, I will come back..." He took two steps, then dived into the sea separating the two ships as clean as an arrow, catching a trailing line thrown, and half climbing, half being pulled up the sides onto the deck, dripping.
He found himself facing the two men, golden eyes and pale grey regarded him expressionlessly.
'' Im se, '' he said, " I am here, "

[Saeren]

The ship began to turn, to pull away from the elven ship, those on board, Saeren sensed, utterly bewildered by this turn of events, he held out his hand and a boy brought wine , Saeren poured it into a goblet and handed it to legolas.
" Yes, " he murmured. " Yes you are, "