The Price of Pride

19: The Old Forest Road

Act I

Foes

Chapter 19: The Old Forest Road

Woodland Realm, July 3018 T.A.

They slept for a few hours through the night, their weariness finally catching up with them. The exhaustion was palpable, and a few hours of sleep was something they all desperately needed. It was not easy; it was not even their usual sleeping habits. Thalion and Mírdan slept the longest, their bodies and minds needing the time to dispose of the enchantments and the darkness they had encountered.

Elros, though equally weary, woke up just before dawn. He sat next to the fire, the faint glow illuminating his features as he studied the map. His brow furrowed in concentration, he traced the paths with his finger, ensuring they would follow the safest route. The weight of their journey lay heavy on his shoulders, but he was determined to lead them true.

The fire's warmth was a small comfort against the chill of the forest. Elros glanced around at his companions, noting their weariness, and resolved to keep his watch. His eyes occasionally flicked to the surrounding trees, ever vigilant for any sign of danger. The forest's oppressive silence was unnerving, but Elros focused on the task at hand, his mind working to navigate their way out of the enchanted woods.

Legolas had drifted asleep as well, the first real sleep he'd had in many nights. But, as with every night, his nightmares were waiting for him, more vivid and dark than usual. In his dream, he found himself back in the twisted, dark forest where his mother was captured. The trees were gnarled and twisted, their branches like skeletal hands reaching for him.

He saw his mother, Queen Lainathiel, surrounded by orcs. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with fear and pain. Legolas tried to reach her, but his feet felt like they were stuck in thick mud, preventing him from moving. He shouted her name, his voice echoing through the dark forest, but she did not hear him.

The orcs attacked her, and Legolas watched helplessly as they overpowered her. She fought valiantly, but she was outnumbered. Just as she was captured, one of the orcs turned to Legolas, its eyes glowing with malice. It laughed, a horrible, guttural sound, and pointed at him.

"You failed her," the orc hissed.

Legolas tried to scream, but no sound came out. He watched as his mother looked at him, her eyes filled with sorrow and forgiveness. She mouthed something, but he couldn't hear her. The scene shifted, and suddenly he was holding his bow, aiming at her. She was no longer fighting the orcs; she was standing alone, looking at him with a dark expression.

"Do it," she whispered, her voice finally reaching him. "End my suffering."

Legolas released the arrow. It flew straight and true, piercing her heart. She fell to the ground, her body turning to dust and scattering in the wind. Legolas dropped to his knees, the weight of his guilt crushing him. He screamed into the void, the darkness closing in around him, suffocating him.

Before dawn, sweat poured down his face and back. It was a warm summer night, though the darkness of Mirkwood should have brought a chill. Yet, it was the searing pain of his nightmare and the weight of his guilt that drenched him in sweat, pulling him gasping back to reality. When he finally broke free from the nightmare's grip and opened his eyes, he sat up, wiping the sweat from his forehead, taking a moment to fully return to the present. Separated from the others, he now sat alone, the old forest road stretching out before him. He took his time to process the remnants of his nightmare, rising to his feet once more, as strong as ever.