The Light in the Darkness ~ A Legolas Greenleaf Love Story

Chapter 2

We scampered quietly away from the bodies of the spiders and ran as quickly as we could towards the stream that I had made my incredible leap over. The children had disappeared now as it was now midday and they would be having their twelve o’clock meal. Corcedeth lead me to the dry river bank where he seemed to think was safer than where we had been earlier. I sat myself upon a smooth stone and he leant himself up against a fallen tree log.

“You have talent with a bow Princess,” admired Corcedeth truthfully. “Most elves would have not been able to shoot half as good as you.”

“Thank you Corcedeth,” I replied gratefully. “But you can just call me Ninothriel, I don’t consider myself as a princess to be honest.” He nodded and looked up at the sky.

“No, you don’t look it,” he chuckled and I frowned huffily, desperately trying to suppress a smile.

“And what do you mean by that?” I asked smirking slightly; knowing full well what he was referring to. I didn’t look much like a princess in my short fighting dress that was slightly torn and covered in spider blood, my quiver of arrows that was slung across my shoulder and my running boots that I wore when I went hunting.

“Well, you look like ordinary folk, more like a daughter of a man than anything else,” he answered, grinning playfully.

“Thank you kind sir,” I said sarcastically. “What were those—things?”

“Those spiders were not of ordinary kin,” he whispered, his eyes glued to the sky above.

“Well, where were they from then?” I asked, Corcedeth shot me a fearful glance.

“They were from Mirkwood, the most terrible and dangerous forest in Middle-Earth,” he answered, “That place is full of darkness in every corner.”

“King Thranduil rules over that land with his people, so it must not be quite so dark,” I said, but I could tell by Corcedeth’s expression that I was wrong.

“Not only are they from Mirkwood, but they were originally bred and grown in the Shadow Land,” he said darkly, my stomach sunk and I gasped in fear.

“Not—Mordor?” I asked; dread filling every part of my body. I had heard of Mordor and Lord Sauron that had once sought to rule over Middle-Earth, he was destroyed though by Gondor’s king, Isildur. Sauron had done many terrible things during his search for power and just the mention of his name was enough to make anyone’s blood run cold, no matter what race they were from.

“They were once spies for the Dark Lord and legend has it; is that they never really stopped serving him,” Corcedeth explained. “Their appearance can only mean that evil is stirring once again. I shuddered and I was suddenly lost in my thoughts of what could possible happen to us if Sauron once again regained power. “Do you see how the sky has been so dark for many months now?” he asked. “It’s him; the high council have been talking about it for a while now.”

“We must tell father about the spiders!” I exclaimed hurriedly and Corcedeth nodded in agreement.

“It is most important that he knows; there has been talk that the Nine have attacked again.”

I stared wide-eyed at Corcedeth; if the Nine were once again at large; then it was definite evidence that Sauron was once again returning to power. The Nine were once the Dark Lord’s servants; they struck fear into the hearts of anyone who heard their unearthly scream. They were also known as the Nazgϋl or the Ringwraiths, disguised as black riders, they would spread across Middle-Earth to do the bidding of their master.

The Nazgϋl were once the nine kings of men who ruled over Middle-Earth, but when the nine rings of power were forged and given to them, their minds corrupted and their souls were taken into the shadow-land. Their sole purpose was to fight those who stood in the way of Sauron’s rise to power and nobody could stand in their way.

“The Nine?” I asked fearfully and Corcedeth nodded. “But where?”

“I’m not exactly sure, but there has been talk of it hereabouts,” he replied. “But one thing’s for sure; if the High Council have been talking about it, then there is something to worry about.”

I stared at Corcedeth’s grave face, his usual bright green eyes had dulled over in fear and there was an air about him that seemed to worry me also. I knew what he was saying was quite likely, but I needed to hear it from the High Council before I actually began to take action. Corcedeth must have sensed my concern and his face broke into a smile. 

“You needn’t worry Princess,” he said soothingly. “You do not need to get involved, your father with find the solution, but you must tell him what happened. The spiders are a sign of what is coming and he needs to know as quickly as possible.”

I stood up from my stone and walked over to Corcedeth, I understood what he said and what I had to do.

“Thank you Corcedeth for what you have told me,” I said gratefully. “I will inform my father as quickly as possible.” He nodded and stood to his feet.

“And maybe you should get yourself cleaned up before presenting yourself to the king,” he replied as he eyed my dress with a grin. I laughed.

“It was nice meeting you,” I said as I turned to leave. “And thank you for saving me from those spiders.”

“It was my pleasure, Princess.”

I left Corcedeth at the river bank and headed back to my horse through the trees, my mind still buzzing with what he had just told me. I found myself on the forest path that was glittering with beautiful pebbles, gorgeous flowers burst from every available space and the twittering of birds echoed around me. I had always appreciated the beauty of elvish forests; they were always filled with magic and nature, I could not see myself living in any other place in Middle-Earth. This was why we defended ourselves from the wrath of Mordor, to protect what we had and so it is here for centuries to come.

I eventually reached my horse, Gwardenill, he was the most beautiful pure white and his handsome coat glistened silver in the sunlight. I pulled myself up onto his bare back and rode him to the palace of my mother and father.