Building Ithilien [Legolas] LOTR

The Breaking

Author's Note: The fragment of the song is Galadriel's Lament from LOTR. It pretty much says everything that needed to be said! And I borrowed a bit from Bilbo's travel mentality in The Hobbit. See if you can find where I slipped that in!

The elves rose before dawn to make their final farewells, ready their horses, and gather their belongings. The Golden Wood fell silent, and the only sign of its breaking was the whispered murmurs of namarië, farewell in the elven tongue.

Legolas looked upon the Lady of the Wood for the final time in Middle Earth. She sat upon a white palfry, clasping her husband's hand in this moment of their parting. The promise of unshed tears deepened her eyes to the color of twilight.

Legolas saw Farothin and Haldir saying their goodbyes, and glimpsed Miredhel sitting soundlessly upon her horse, her eyes fixated on the beloved trees of her homeland. He had sent Eledhel to check over the young saplings they had prepared to take to Gondor as a present for the King Elessar.

Celeborn's voice rang out above the trees as the sun's first light began to illuminate the horizon. "Go now with many blessings to the havens, Ithilien, or wherever the Valar may lead you."

With Legolas' signal, the host of elves turned west to make for the southern rim of Eryn Lasgalen, but Lady Galadriel's party headed east for Imladris to meet up with Lord Elrond before taking to the havens. Legolas rode in the front, flanked by Eledhel, Sulindal, and Belegil. To Farothin, he had given the task of scouting the road ahead, and the young elf had more than eagerly agreed to such a responsibility.

As the procession passed the city gate, Legolas' ears pricked to distinguish a single voice, low and lilting, singing of farewell and the fall of leaves like gold in the wind. His gaze darted to Belegil. Did he hear it? Legolas shook his head. He must have dreamt it. None of his companions showed any sign of hearing such a song. He glanced toward Eledhel to see a solitary tear clinging to his lashes. Eledhel had heard. Now Belegil and his brother turned their heads to look back toward the long line of elves. They now heard the silken strains too, some of the old words replaced by new:

Ai! Laurie lantar lassi surinen,

Yeni unotime ve ramar aldaron!

Yeni ve linte yuldar avanier

Mi ormardi lise-miruvoreva,

Namarie, Lorien, Namarie!

The silvery notes dressed the air like fat dew drops hanging from pine needles. Her lament rose in the clear morning chasing the sun's slow creep over the horizon. Now all heard. Another voice joined her, a baritone, lending a peaceful balance that was not there before. Legolas craned his neck to discover that the duet was brother and sister, Eledhel and Miredhel. He caught Eledhel's eye only to read the pain that lingered there.

"We will take this road together, my friend," he said softly and then joined in the song. His tenor voice rang sweetly with that of his friends'. Soon more of the host united in song, finding comfort in the refrain of their elven voices. The passage of the elves seemed but a flash and shimmer through the Golden Wood, their chorus, only a haunting spectre of an age forgotten.